Bourne and Verlin clashed again, their powers raging like twin storms locked in an eternal struggle.
The air around them distorted, unable to contain the sheer force of Aetherflame and Voidsong colliding.
Verlin swung his Midnight Blade, a weapon that swallowed all light, aiming for Bourne's heart. But Bourne was faster.
He twisted, phasing through the attack, and reappeared above Verlin, his hand crackling with divine fire.
Aetherbrand!
With a roar, Bourne drove his palm into Verlins chest, searing through armor, flesh, and the very essence of his power.
The impact tore through dimensions, sending shockwaves across existence itself.
Verlin gasped as cracks spread across his body, his form fracturing like glass. Impossible he rasped, his once-mighty Voidsong unraveling into dying echoes.
Bourne tightened his grip, staring into his nemesis's fading crimson eyes. Your fate was sealed the moment you chose darkness.
With a final surge of power, Bourne ignited Verlin's core, reducing him to nothing but ash and whispers.
The battlefield trembled as Verlin, the Devourer of Light, ceased to exist.
The war was over.
Or so Bourne thought.
Betrayal in the Ashes
As Bourne stood amidst the ruins, victorious yet weary, soft footsteps approached from behind.
He turned, his golden eyes warming as he saw her Selene, the woman he loved, the one who had fought beside him through countless battles.
She smiled, her silver hair flowing like moonlight. "You did it,"she whispered.
Before Bourne could reply, a sharp, searing pain erupted in his chest. He looked down, eyes widening in shock as a dagger of darkened Aether was buried deep in his heart.
Why? he choked his vision blurring.
Selene stepped closer, her fingers tightening around the hilt. Did you think this story would end with you on top?
Her voice was laced with venom, her once-loving gaze now cold. You were never meant to win, Bourne. The gods don't favor you.
She twisted the blade. Aetherflame bled from his wound, flickering as if struggling to survive.
Bourne collapsed to his knees, betrayal cutting deeper than the dagger. His strength was fading. His power dying.
Selene leaned in, whispering in his ear, Rest now, my love. Your story ends here.
With a final push, she drove the blade deeper, and darkness swallowed Bourne whole.
Rebirth of the Aetherflame
But fate had never been kind to those who tried to erase him.
As his body lay broken, as his soul drifted toward the abyss, a spark ignited within him a spark of Aetherflame that refused to be extinguished.
Not yet, Bourne thought, his will clawing against death itself.
With his final remnants of power, he shattered the cycle, weaving his Aetherflame into the fabric of existence itself.
His soul did not fade" It burned brighter, spiraling through time and space, latching onto the threads of fate.
And then
He awoke.
Not on the battlefield. Not in the ruins.
But in a new body, his memories intact, his power simmering beneath the surface, waiting to rise again.
Bourne clenched his fists, feeling the familiar hum of Aether coursing through his veins. A new chance. A new life.
And only one thought burned in his mind.
Selene.
She thought she had won.
But this time, Bourne would not be so merciful.