Nullmirror Vault
Darek sat behind Adrian and Vaela, his back against the cold stone wall. Blood still flowed from his stomach wound, and his breathing was rough. But even now, he didn't stop. His hand was pressed against the ground, his palm glowing faintly brown. Rocks shifted, and walls of earth kept rising around the group to block incoming attacks.
He was injured, but he still fought in his own way.
Vaela stood beside him, her longbow held tight in her hand—until a sudden blur shot past her.
A sharp pain ran through her shoulder. She cried out as she fell to one knee, her bow slipping from her grip. Blood soaked her sleeve. She tried to lift the bow again but her right arm refused to move.
"Vaela!" Adrian shouted, catching her before she hit the ground.
Velthra stood nearby now. Her form was dark and quiet, her eyes cold. She showed no emotion as she vanished again, and reappeared on the other side.
Adrian's heart pounded. His hand gripped his sword tightly. For a long time, he had stayed back, giving directions, keeping track of Velthra's movements using his Future Sight.
But now, something inside him had changed.
The air around Adrian shifted. It felt heavier. His eyes burned with quiet rage. His grip tightened.
"I won't let you hurt them anymore."
He stepped forward, closed his eyes, and then rushed ahead, his sword cutting through the air.
He swung once. The blade hit Velthra across the side. She didn't flinch. Adrian didn't stop. Again and again, he slashed, his feet pushing forward, his focus only on her.
But Velthra was quick, still dodging. She moved like a shadow, barely visible. Then she vanished again.
Adrian spun around. A chill ran down his spine.
She had reappeared behind Darek.
Before anyone could react, she struck again, this time across Darek's legs.
Darek screamed in pain. Blood sprayed across the ground as he slumped even lower, barely able to sit upright now.
Vaela, still injured, raised her hand. A burst of ice shot from her palm—not at Velthra, but at Darek's wounds, freezing the bleeding, holding the damage in place. She then sent another wave to form a jagged wall of ice to block Velthra's retreat. Even without her bow, she was helping.
Adrian pushed harder.
Even with the pain in his arms, even with his breathing getting heavier, he continued to fight.
Then, his sword started to glow.
Vaela, who was barely able to stand, noticed it. Her eyes widened.
"Adrian... your blade."
He looked at it. The glow wasn't bright, but it pulsed gently, like it was responding to him.
Vaela took one last breath, then lifted both hands, ignoring her pain. She created a giant ice cage, surrounding both Adrian and Velthra inside. The walls were thick, no space to escape.
"This is your fight," she said.
Adrian nodded. "I know."
Velthra was not amused. She lunged forward, her speed suddenly increasing. Her blades moved faster than before. Her expression was calm, but her strikes were furious.
Adrian used everything he had. His glowing sword clashed against hers again and again.
He could barely keep up. But then he closed his eyes. Blood dripped from them, but they snapped open again, his Future Sight now active at full force. He didn't just see where Velthra was now. He saw where she would be next. With each swing, he blocked better, dodged tighter, and slowly, he began to push her back. The fight was intense. Neither gave an inch.
Finally, a long crack formed in the ice cage. And then, it shattered. Cold mist filled the air as the ice broke into pieces. Vaela looked up. Darek raised his head.
They both saw it... Adrian was standing tall, his glowing sword in hand.
Velthra lay on the ground, fading into dark mist.
It was over.
---
The Echoing Hollow
Nira was breathing hard now, blood on her clothes, her dagger still in hand. Her face, once playful and relaxed, was now sharp and focused. She moved like a storm, roots bursting from the floor, wrapping around the stones, growing toward Ristella. She wanted to close the distance.
Ristella still floated, dodging, slicing the air with wind blades.
One wind cutter hit Nira, cutting across her side.
Another one flew toward Doran, hitting him in the shoulder.
But Nira didn't stop.
Junith still stood back, watching everything carefully. She was quiet, but her eyes moved quickly, taking in every detail.
She was preparing something.
---
The Skyvault Sanctum
Kalix had stopped humming.
He was attacking now.
He moved through the air like a god. His golden patterns flashed brighter with each strike. Every movement sent out shockwaves of power.
One bolt of thunder hit Drakar's wing, damaging it badly. He cried out as he dropped from the sky, landing hard on the floor. He could no longer fly.
Orin and Nymera moved in to help, but Kael suddenly stood tall in front of them.
"Stay back," Kael said.
Nymera looked at him, surprised.
"You're going alone?" she asked.
Kael didn't answer. His katana, wrapped in blackfire, burned stronger than before.
Even Kalix paused.
Orin raised an eyebrow. "So… he's finally going all out," he said with a smirk. "Interesting."
Kael took a deep breath, and the floor beneath him cracked slightly.
The heat from his sword made the air shimmer.
Kalix smiled again. "Good," he said. "Let's see what happens when the fire rises."
---
As the battles across the chambers raged on, everyone was reaching their limit.
But even now, in pain, in pressure, they were pushing past it.
And in that moment…Adrian's voice echoed in his own mind."I see it."
The path. The strength. The victory.