“Of course they had to send in the entire shadow army,” Finn grumbled as they formed a defensive circle, their weapons drawn and their eyes scanning the dark forces descending from the rift in the sky. “Nothing like a dramatic entrance.”
Lysandra shot him a look, though there was a flicker of amusement in her eyes. “If we survive this, I’m going to give you a medal for your unwavering sense of humor.”
“I’ll take that,” Finn replied, though his usual grin faltered as the first wave of shadow creatures hit them. They came in fast—slithering forms of darkness that twisted through the air, their red eyes glowing with malicious intent.
Alaric, despite his injury, took the lead, swinging his sword in wide arcs as he cut down the creatures that lunged at them. “Stay together!” he shouted, his voice ringing out over the chaos. “We can’t let them break our formation!”
Maelis was a blur of motion, her sword flashing as she took out one creature after another. “We’ve got this,” she called, her tone fierce. “Don’t let them overwhelm you.”
But despite their best efforts, the sheer number of enemies was beginning to take its toll. The creatures moved like a swarm, relentless in their attack, forcing the group to give ground inch by inch.
Lysandra’s heart pounded as she deflected another attack, her breath coming in ragged gasps. “They just keep coming!”
“They’re trying to wear us down,” Alaric said, gritting his teeth as he parried a vicious blow. “We can’t let that happen.”
Finn, who had been fighting near the back, glanced around, his brow furrowing. “Where’s Lysandra?”
“I’m here!” she called, her voice strained as she fended off a particularly large shadow creature that had pinned her to the edge of the cliff.
Alaric’s eyes went wide. “Lysandra!”
Before he could reach her, the creature lunged, its dark tendrils wrapping around her arms and pulling her toward the edge. The ground crumbled beneath her feet, and for a terrifying moment, she was suspended over the abyss.
“Let her go!” Finn shouted, charging toward her with reckless abandon. But before he could reach her, a massive blast of dark energy exploded from the rift, sending shockwaves through the battlefield. The force of it knocked them all off their feet, scattering the group.
Lysandra’s scream echoed through the air as the shadow creature yanked her into the darkness. One moment, she was there—and the next, she was gone.
“Lysandra!” Alaric roared, struggling to push himself up despite the pain in his side. His eyes scanned the area frantically, but there was no sign of her.
“They took her,” Maelis said, her voice tight with barely controlled fury. “They took her.”
Finn was already on his feet, his face pale but filled with determination. “We have to go after her. Now.”
Alaric’s hands trembled as he gripped his sword, his breath ragged. “We can’t—”
“What do you mean we can’t?” Finn interrupted, his voice rising in anger. “She’s one of us! We don’t leave anyone behind!”
Maelis stepped forward, her face hard but her eyes filled with the same anguish. “If we go after her, we risk losing everything. Malakhor’s forces are everywhere. If we charge in without a plan, we’ll all be captured.”
Alaric’s heart was torn, his mind racing as he weighed their options. They were so close to their goal, the True Flame just within reach. But the thought of leaving Lysandra behind, of abandoning her to the darkness, was unbearable.
Finn’s voice was thick with emotion as he stepped closer to Alaric. “We can’t leave her. We can’t just… walk away.”
Alaric clenched his fists, his face twisted in anguish. “I know. I know we can’t. But if we go after her now, without any preparation, we’ll lose more than just her. We might lose the Flame. The light. Everything we’ve been fighting for.”
The weight of his words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. Finn’s eyes searched Alaric’s face, desperation mingling with frustration. “So what do we do? Just sit here and wait while she’s dragged into Malakhor’s stronghold?”
“We don’t have time,” Maelis said, her voice laced with urgency. “Malakhor’s forces will close in any second.”
Alaric’s mind raced, every second stretching into eternity. They had fought so hard to get this far, but this—this choice—felt impossible. His heart ached with the burden of it, with the fear of making the wrong decision.
Finally, he spoke, his voice low but filled with conviction. “We’ll go after her.”
Finn’s eyes lit up with hope, but Alaric held up a hand. “But we have to be smart about it. If we charge in recklessly, we’ll lose her and ourselves. We need to regroup, gather what information we can about Malakhor’s stronghold, and make a plan.”
“And what if we run out of time?” Finn asked, his voice cracking with the weight of his fear.
Alaric met his gaze, his own heart heavy with the uncertainty of it all. “Then we’ll make sure we’re ready when the time comes.”
Maelis nodded, though her eyes remained dark with anger. “We’ll find her. And when we do, Malakhor will regret ever laying a hand on her.”
But even as they spoke, the ground beneath them shook once more, and the distant sound of Malakhor’s forces echoed through the air—a reminder that their time was running out.
Finn clenched his fists, his jaw tight. “We can’t let them take her. We can’t.”
“We won’t,” Alaric said, his voice filled with a quiet, unshakable resolve. “We’ll get her back.”
And though none of them spoke it aloud, the fear still lingered in the air—the fear that this battle was far from over. That darker days were yet to come.
As the rift in the sky widened, the shadows closed in around them, leaving them standing in the ruins of what had once been their path forward. Now, that path was divided. And Lysandra was gone.
The group stood in silence for a moment, the enormity of what had just happened settling in. They had come so far, faced so many trials, but now, as they stood on the precipice of their greatest challenge, they were left with an impossible choice.
Finn was the first to speak, his voice low but filled with a fierce determination. “We’ll find her. We’ll get her back. And then we’ll finish this.”
Maelis nodded, her face set with grim resolve. “We’re not done yet.”
Alaric’s eyes flickered with pain, but his heart was filled with resolve. “No, we’re not.”
As the shadows closed in, the group turned toward the distant horizon, where Malakhor’s stronghold lay waiting.
But for now, the light flickered. And the fight was far from over.
End of Part 1