The battlefield lay in shambles now. It littered with the remnants of power clashes — charred earth, shattered bones of ancient Dragons, and pools of scorched water.
Erend and Eccar remained crumpled amidst the destruction, their bodies weighed down by the lingering effects of the shadowy tendrils that had ensnared them.
Erend's chest heaved as he struggled to rise but his limbs felt so heavy and drained of the vigor he had relied on for so long. The realization hit him, they were not strong enough.
This wasn't just brute strength or overwhelming Magic. The six avatars had wielded something far deeper, something insidious.
Eccar slammed his fist weakly against the ground, growling in frustration.
"Damn it! What… what is this?"
Erend's jaw clenched, his teeth grinding together. His scales feels weaker now, their glow fading.
We weren't ready for this. They've been holding back until now."
The weight of the realization only fueled his frustration. He tried to summon his fire and his lightning but the power barely flickered, as if his very essence had been tethered.
Through the haze of pain and exhaustion, they saw the six avatars advancing toward the black door. Their movements were deliberate, their steps almost reverent as the light spilling from the door seemed to react to their presence.
Erend feels panic. He pushed against the ground, trying to force himself up, but his body betrayed him.
The jet-black-coated avatar led the group, his detached demeanor shattered. Now, he brimmed with clear excitement, his eyes wide and gleaming as if he were standing at the threshold of his deepest desire. He turned to the others, his voice trembling with anticipation.
The words hung in the air, dripping with satisfaction. The other avatars exchanged brief glances. They, too, were consumed by the same longing, their gazes fixed on the door.
Without another word, the jet-black avatar stepped forward, gripping the edges of the door with both hands. The light flared, almost as if resisting him, but his grip was strong. He grunted and showing the effort he exerted for that.
His face contorted with effort as he pulled. The door groaned, ancient mechanisms grinding against his will.
It only opened a crack, but the gap was enough. A blinding surge of light spilled forth, illuminating them. The avatars didn't hesitate. One by one, they entered and their body immediately swallowed by the light.
Erend's heart pounded. He gritted his teeth, digging his fingers into the dirt as if sheer determination alone could push him to his feet. But his body refused to obey, and all he could do was watch as the six avatars disappeared into the light.
The door began to creak shut and the glow dimming as if drawing its energy inward.
The door was closing. As the light vanished, a heavy silence fell over the battlefield, broken only by the labored breaths of the two Dragonborn.
The oppressive silence that followed the door's closing pressed down on Erend and Eccar.
A sudden shift suddenly washed over them. The invisible grip that had sapped their strength seemed to weaken.
Eccar flexed his arms, rising unsteadily to his feet. "What's going on?"
But before either of them could take another step, the world around them changed.
Time itself seemed to stutter and halt. The battlefield froze in place. Smoke and dust particles hung suspended in mid-air. The stillness wasn't natural as if the very fabric of reality had been locked in a moment.
Erend and Eccar exchanged bewildered looks. Their breathing slowed as they scanned the frozen battlefield.
"Do you feel that?" Erend murmured.
Eccar nodded. "Yeah. Something's… here."
The sensation grew stronger, a presence that seemed to emerge from the air around them. Their eyes darted to a spot a few feet away, where the air shimmered and warped as if bending to something unseen.
And then, the man appeared.
He stepped forward from the distortion, his figure solidifying with each step. He was tall and broad-shouldered man. He was dressed in medieval clothing of dark green and brown.
His short black hair framed a face hardened with age and experience, a neatly trimmed beard adding to his stern expression. His eyes, a piercing gray, locked onto the two Dragonborn with a weight that made them straighten unconsciously.
The man studied them in silence for a moment, his gaze moving between Erend and Eccar. Then, with a voice deep and resonant, he broke the silence.
"Hmm… This is unexpected." His tone was heavy with both curiosity and disapproval. "Two of you, and still, you lost."
Eccar bristled, his fists clenching. "Who the hell are you?"
The man didn't flinch. His expression remained stern as he took another step closer, his boots crunching against the still, cracked earth.
"That is not really important right now. What is important is the reality of your situation. Here you are, lying broken on the ground as they step toward their purpose."
Erend's eyes narrowed. "And you're just here to lecture us? What do you want?"
The man's lips pressed into a thin line, a flicker of irritation crossing his face. "What I want is to ensure that door stays closed. But it seems I've arrived too late for that."
His gaze turned toward the now-sealed black door, his expression darkening. For a moment, his stern demeanor gave way to something else — regret perhaps.
Eccar stepped forward, his frustration boiling over. "If you're so powerful, why didn't you stop them?"
The man's gaze snapped back to him, sharp as a blade. "Because this isn't my fight right for this time!" His words were clipped. "It's yours. And if you cannot rise to meet it, then we don't have any hope."
Erend exchanged a glance with Eccar, unease settling in his gut. "What you mean by that? Me and Eccar, we don't know what is actually happening right now. And we don't even know what is going on behind that door."
"Yeah, all of this is just one funny coincidence. We don't event wanted to confront those six avatars," Eccar added.
The man sighed. "There is no coincidence, brothers."
The words make Erend and Eccar exchanged glances again in confusion and shock.