Amid the swirling dust and the explosions that shook the ancient hall, Arian stood firm, his body pulsating with the energy flowing from the sacred book he held. His breaths were heavy, but he refused to succumb to exhaustion. Before him, Xairos vanished into the shadows, leaving behind a chilling warning—there were older and far more dangerous forces waiting ahead.
Xairos' words echoed in his mind. "If you seek survival, you must be more than just warriors… you must become legends."
He glanced at Mika and Elin, both catching their breath. Despite their temporary victory, the battle against Xairos had revealed a bitter truth—what they had faced was merely the beginning.
"We need to leave before the shadows return," Mika said, wiping the sweat from his forehead, his eyes fixed on the spot where Xairos had disappeared.
Elin, gripping her sword tightly, looked at Arian and asked, "What's our next move?"
Arian didn't answer immediately. Instead, he reopened the book, scanning the ancient glowing symbols on its pages. Something was different—words he hadn't seen before now shimmered before him. As he read them, a strange sensation crept through him, as if the book itself was guiding him toward something deeper.
"There's a place we need to go," he finally said, meeting their eyes. "The ancient temple in the Valley of Shadows. I believe there's a secret buried there… and perhaps answers about the powers we wield."
Mika furrowed his brows. "The Valley of Shadows? That place is said to be cursed. No one who enters ever returns."
"That's exactly why we have to go," Arian responded firmly. "If we're going to face something stronger than Xairos, we need to understand the origins of these powers."
Elin didn't argue. She knew that seeking answers was their only way forward. "If this is the path we must take, then so be it."
But before they could move, a slow, measured voice emerged from the darkness behind them.
"Finally, you're starting to understand."
They all turned sharply to see a man standing amid the ruins of battle. He wore a dark cloak adorned with mysterious symbols, his silver hair flowing in the wind. His eyes—one golden, the other black—held a calm yet terrifying presence.
"Who are you?" Arian asked, raising his sword cautiously.
The man smiled, but it wasn't a friendly smile. "My name is Darius, and I am here to observe… and decide whether you deserve to stay alive."
Mika inhaled sharply. "Darius…? That's impossible. Isn't he—"
"One of the warlords from the ancient wars," Elin finished in a hushed voice, tension evident in her stance. "He was supposed to have died a thousand years ago."
Darius took a step forward, his golden eye gleaming. "Death is a relative concept, Elin. Some of us don't die… we simply evolve."
A chill ran down Arian's spine. "What do you want?"
"I want to see if you are worthy of the power you carry," Darius said smoothly. "And if you're not…" His smile turned sharper, more menacing. "Then I will strip it from you."
In an instant, a black wind surged around him, and the hall transformed into a battlefield once more…
---
The ancient hall became a battleground in a single moment. The black winds unleashed by Darius cracked the walls, filling the air with a suffocating, cursed energy, as if an ancient malediction had awakened.
Arian didn't hesitate. In the blink of an eye, he raised his sword, its sacred energy radiating brilliantly as he charged toward Darius with speed faster than the wind itself. But before his strike could land, the man vanished—leaving only a faint shadow that dissipated like smoke.
"Faster than I expected."
The voice came from behind. Arian barely had time to react before a powerful force slammed into his chest, sending him flying backward.
He tumbled across the ground but planted his feet just in time to stop himself before crashing into the wall. He lifted his gaze and saw Darius standing just a few steps away, watching him with an unreadable expression.
"Is that all you have?" Darius asked in a calm voice, as if he saw no real threat before him.
Mika and Elin didn't remain spectators. Elin launched forward, using her refined swordsmanship to deliver a rapid strike, while Mika chanted an offensive spell, forming glowing runes in the air.
Yet, Darius didn't move.
Before Elin's blade could reach him, time itself seemed to pause—or at least, that's how it felt. It wasn't that time had frozen, but rather that Darius' speed was so overwhelming that everything appeared to slow down.
In a fraction of a second, he sidestepped her attack effortlessly, then flicked his wrist, shattering Mika's spell as if it were nothing more than an illusion.
In the blink of an eye, Darius was suddenly behind Mika. With a mere tap of his palm, he sent him flying, then turned to see Elin swiftly retreating, realizing that direct combat against him was a futile endeavor.
"This isn't a fight," Darius said, dusting off his hand as though he had just brushed away a speck of dirt. "This is a demonstration of power… against weakness."
Arian, regaining his footing, gripped his sword tightly, his eyes blazing with determination. He now understood—this man wasn't just strong. He was something else, something closer to a legend than a mere warrior.
But suddenly, the sacred book in Arian's grasp began to glow with an unfamiliar light. The ancient symbols on its pages started shifting, reacting to the danger before him.
"This feeling…" Arian murmured, watching as the radiant energy from the book coalesced, forming something new—something beyond his comprehension.
Darius halted his attack, his gaze fixating on the book with sudden interest. For the first time, there was something resembling curiosity in his expression.
"So… this is the inheritance you carry?" he muttered before a cryptic smirk crossed his lips. "Perhaps I don't need to kill you after all."
Then, without warning, he turned away and began walking toward the gathering shadows in the corners of the hall.
"Wait!" Arian called out, but Darius didn't stop.
"We will meet again, heir." His voice was quiet yet undeniable.
And with that, the darkness swallowed him whole, leaving behind only silence.
Arian, still gripping his trembling sword, didn't know whether he should feel relieved… or dread what was to come.
But one thing was certain.
This battle was only the beginning of a much greater test…