Beginning of Armageddon

Thank you for letting me know. I'll focus more on keeping the intensity and suspense as you requested, and refine the language to be smoother, emphasizing the dark and dramatic atmosphere. Here's an updated version:

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The nobles whispered among themselves, casting wary glances toward Luciana and her companions, who stood at the heart of an endless underground expanse. The air was thick, filled with an ominous energy that prickled her skin. She recognized the feeling—the same sinister presence she had felt inside Erebus's memories.

Luciana scanned the dark, sprawling space, searching for the source of the malice that lay heavy in the air as they descended deeper. Vlad had stopped, gesturing for the others to continue, while Nemesis, still blindfolded and shackled, was led alongside them. The clinking of chains echoed, sending a chill through her, but she couldn't look back. Erebus's last expression—shock mixed with betrayal—still lingered in her mind. His sacrifice to get her out of the Central Capital had been in vain. Now, she was to be wed to his brother.

Her legs weakened as they continued down the winding path. Zavaikal urged her on, relentless. She remembered how many times Erebus had swept her into his arms, shielding her from exhaustion, never allowing her to tire. But here, beside Zavaikal, she felt utterly alone, forced toward something unknown and terrifying.

They finally reached a place that reeked of hellish dread. Heat seared her skin as it rose in oppressive waves. The nobles fell to their knees, bowing low. Luciana's gaze lifted, and what she saw turned her blood to ice. Before her was a monstrous being, chained with golden links as thick as her arm, each link pulsing with a strange energy that reacted to her presence. This was no ordinary prison. The air crackled, and the very walls seemed to tremble at his latent fury.

"I-Iblis—!" Her voice was barely a whisper, and it broke.

The ancient demon lord, sealed three thousand years ago by the first emperor, lay bound in this vile place. Lava veins throbbed around him, casting the horrific scene in a blood-red glow. His hideous grin revealed fanged tusks, stained and sharp. His eyes, burning crimson, met hers, and he seemed to grin wider, sensing her fear even in the darkness.

Nemesis, blindfolded, was oblivious to the terror in front of him. But Iblis's voice thundered through the chamber. "Bring her to me!" His command shook Luciana to her core, and she staggered back, trembling. But Zavaikal's grip held her firm.

"The ritual requires breaking his seal," Zavaikal said, his voice devoid of empathy. "To survive, we must offer ourselves to him."

"You're mad!" Luciana choked out, her voice quivering. "How could you think we'll survive if he's freed?"

"I've made an agreement with him," Zavaikal replied, his voice unsettlingly calm. "Remember what I told you back at the palace."

She remembered his dark words—his promise to prevent the demon lord's release. Yet she had not trusted him then, and now she felt that trust crumble entirely. "Let me go! You never told me any of this!" She struggled, but Zavaikal's hand struck her face, a slap that almost made her collapse. She gasped as pain bloomed across her cheek, yet his grip remained unrelenting.

"You leave me no choice," he growled, dragging her into the pattern of ancient markings etched across the floor. In the distance, Erebus watched, his face a mask of fury as he strained against his chains, helpless. His curses reverberated, causing even the prisoners to shrink back in fear.

"It seems I've angered the beast," Zavaikal murmured, casting Erebus a taunting glance. "Soon, he'll have his turn. Iblis hungers for him, too."

With a grim determination, Zavaikal pulled Luciana to the center of the pattern. Taking a dagger from a stone pillar, he slashed his own wrist, letting his blood fall across the intricate lines. Then, without hesitation, he cut her arm, her blood mingling with his as it seeped into the ancient markings. The floor blazed in a brilliant red, the light igniting the chains that bound Iblis. One by one, they lost their glow and crashed to the ground.

A collective gasp escaped the prisoners as they recoiled in horror. After three millennia, Iblis was free. Erebus's heart sank as he watched his brother's reckless decision unfold, dragging Luciana down into this hellish pact.

"Master!" A voice rang out, startling Erebus. He twisted to see Jafar, yet he looked different, his skin blackened, as though decaying.

"Jafar?" Erebus whispered, disbelief paralyzing him.

"It's… a long story," Jafar replied, picking up a length of chain that disintegrated into dust in his hands. "We don't have time. Go to her." He tossed Erebus his war axe, the familiar weight snapping him back to the present.

Without hesitation, Erebus surged forward, his heart racing as he saw Iblis reach for Luciana. A deafening explosion rocked the cavern, sending Zavaikal crashing into the wall, where he slumped, unconscious. The prisoners screamed as Iblis inhaled their very souls, his laughter filling the chamber.

Amid the thickening smoke, Erebus stood alone, a shield of energy protecting him. It was Luciana's life force—her last effort to shield him from Iblis's dark energy. As the smoke cleared, he saw her lying motionless on the ground, with Nemesis by her side, gently trying to rouse her.

"Luciana…?" Erebus's voice was a whisper as he knelt beside her, his fingers searching for a pulse. It was faint, and his heart ached with fear. He noticed a small mark glowing on her neck, the spot he had often kissed. It was his incantation, a protection that had blunted Iblis's curse.

Jafar joined him, eyes filled with horror. "Master… I never wanted this. I didn't mean for it to go this far."

For the first time, Erebus felt tears in his eyes. He looked up at Jafar, fury and betrayal written across his face. "What do you mean by that?"

"I thought…" Jafar faltered, guilt etched in his face. "I thought if I could turn her over, maybe I could save you."

Erebus's face hardened, his voice a low growl as blood dripped from his lip."You brought her here?" His voice held chilling danger.

" You tried to save me by sacrificing her and my unborn child?"

He slowly stood up lifting Luciana effortlessly in his arms. He looked over Jafar like a battered beast than a man, his rage ready to consume him.