Chapter 26: The Price of Power

The tension in the grand hall was palpable, thick as a fog hanging over them. Eryx's Chaos still crackled faintly at his fingertips as his eyes darted between Ophis, Asura, and the shadowy figure of Arthia's assassin lurking somewhere in the dark corners. It wasn't just a trial anymore. It was survival.

"Is this what you wanted, Asura?" Eryx's voice broke the silence, laced with anger. "To see us tear each other apart for power?"

Asura finally turned, his calm mask still in place, but there was something different in his gaze now. Something sharper. "The Tower rewards those who are willing to make sacrifices. You know that as well as I do, Eryx."

Eryx took a step forward, his energy humming just beneath the surface. "Sacrifice doesn't mean betrayal. We could pass this trial without killing each other."

Ophis, her stance tense but her face calm, moved closer to Eryx's side. "We've come this far together. We don't need to destroy everything for a throne."

Arthia's assassin flickered in and out of the shadows, her dagger catching glimmers of the dim light. She was waiting for an opening. Eryx could feel her lurking, her cold intent pressing against the edge of his perception. But for now, she was restrained—holding back, waiting for someone else to make the first fatal mistake.

"I've learned one thing from this Tower," Asura continued, ignoring Ophis, "it doesn't care about loyalty. It only cares about results. And if you're not prepared to take what you want—then someone else will."

The cold finality in his words sent a shiver through the room. The Tower thrived on ambition, that much was true. But Eryx knew there was a line that shouldn't be crossed. Even here.

But Asura's ambition had already crossed it.

"I won't do it, Asura," Eryx said, his voice resolute. "I won't play into the Tower's games."

Asura's eyes darkened, his power simmering beneath the surface. "Then you've already lost."

Without warning, the ground beneath them trembled as the runes on the throne flared to life, glowing with a dark energy that pulsed through the room. Eryx could feel the Tower's power amplifying, twisting the very air around them as if urging them to give in to its demands.

The throne's energy reached out, beckoning to them—each one tempted with the promise of unrivaled power, the kind that could reshape entire worlds, bend fate, and defy even the gods. But there was a price.

Always a price.

Asura's gaze turned cold as he began to walk toward the throne, his steps slow but deliberate. "This is how it's always been, Eryx. Power is never given freely. It's taken."

"No." Eryx's voice was a growl now, Chaos swirling around him. He could feel it pulling at him, demanding he act, demanding he strike before Asura could make his move. But Eryx wasn't alone in this.

Ophis stepped forward, her hand brushing Eryx's arm. "We have to stop him. Together."

Eryx nodded, his resolve solidifying. "Right."

Asura paused before the throne, glancing over his shoulder, his eyes gleaming with a dark light. "If you're not with me, then you're in my way."

A surge of energy shot from Asura, a violent wave of force aimed directly at them. Eryx reacted instantly, raising his arm as Chaos flared to life, forming a shield that absorbed the brunt of the impact. The force of it pushed him and Ophis back, but they held their ground.

Ophis moved in a blur, her own power igniting as she charged forward, her blade cutting through the air with deadly precision. Asura met her attack head-on, their powers clashing in a brilliant flash of energy. The ground beneath them cracked under the pressure, the walls of the hall shaking as their battle escalated.

Eryx didn't hesitate. With Chaos flowing through him, he moved to flank Asura, launching a barrage of attacks aimed at breaking his defenses. Each strike was calculated, precise, designed to overwhelm Asura's formidable power.

But Asura was ready.

He twisted out of the way of Eryx's attacks with an unnatural speed, his movements fluid and controlled. Every time Eryx thought he had him cornered, Asura would slip through, countering with brutal efficiency.

"Is this the best you can do?" Asura taunted, his voice calm even as he fought off both Eryx and Ophis. "You should know better by now. The Tower doesn't favor the weak."

Eryx gritted his teeth, feeling the weight of Asura's words. But it wasn't weakness that held him back—it was something more. Something Asura couldn't understand. He wasn't fighting just for power, or for victory. He was fighting for something bigger. For the bonds they had forged through the trials, for the idea that they could rise together without tearing each other down.

As the battle raged on, Eryx could sense the Tower itself watching, waiting to see how far they would go. The energy in the room continued to swell, growing darker and more twisted with each passing moment.

And then, something shifted.

A flash of movement caught Eryx's eye. Arthia's assassin emerged from the shadows, her dagger aimed directly at Ophis's back. Time seemed to slow as Eryx reacted on instinct, Chaos flaring around him as he moved to intercept.

He wasn't fast enough.

The blade plunged toward Ophis, but at the last second, a blinding light erupted from the center of the room. The throne pulsed with energy, sending out a shockwave that knocked everyone back. Eryx hit the ground hard, the force of the impact knocking the breath from his lungs.

When he looked up, Asura stood before the throne, his hand outstretched toward its glowing surface. The energy from the throne seemed to coil around him, feeding into him as he reached for the power it offered.

"No!" Eryx shouted, scrambling to his feet.

But it was too late.

Asura's hand touched the throne, and the world seemed to freeze.

The air crackled with energy as the room was engulfed in a blinding light. The force of the power being unleashed was unimaginable, shaking the very foundation of the Tower itself. Eryx could feel the overwhelming pressure bearing down on him, suffocating, crushing.

And then, as quickly as it had begun, the light faded.

Eryx blinked against the sudden darkness, his eyes struggling to adjust. The throne still stood, but its glow had dimmed. And standing before it, bathed in the remnants of its power, was Asura.

But something was different.

Asura's form had changed, his presence more imposing, more… otherworldly. The power of the throne had twisted him, reshaped him into something no longer human. His eyes glowed with an unnatural light, and his entire body seemed to pulse with dark energy.

He turned to face Eryx and Ophis, a cold smile curling his lips. "You should have taken the power when you had the chance."

Eryx could feel the weight of Asura's new strength pressing down on him. This wasn't the same man they had fought alongside. The Tower had transformed him, made him something more—and something far more dangerous.

Ophis stepped forward, her expression hard. "We're not done yet."

Asura's smile widened. "Oh, but you are."

Before either of them could react, Asura raised his hand, and a wave of dark energy erupted from him, crashing into them with devastating force. Eryx barely had time to raise his defenses, Chaos swirling around him as he tried to absorb the impact.

But it wasn't enough.

The force of the attack sent him and Ophis flying back, slamming into the far wall. Pain lanced through Eryx's body as he struggled to push himself to his feet, his vision swimming.

Asura's voice echoed through the room, cold and mocking. "You were never going to win. Not against this."

Eryx's mind raced as he tried to think of a way out, a way to stop Asura before it was too late. But the power Asura had gained from the throne was overwhelming. They couldn't fight him like this.

But maybe… maybe they didn't have to.

Eryx glanced at Ophis, who was also struggling to stand. Their eyes met, and in that moment, a silent understanding passed between them. They couldn't defeat Asura head-on. Not with the power he now wielded.

But they could outsmart him.

Gathering the last of his strength, Eryx pushed himself to his feet, his Chaos simmering just beneath the surface. He stepped forward, his gaze locked onto Asura's.

"This isn't over," Eryx said, his voice steady despite the pain.

Asura chuckled. "You still don't understand, do you? The Tower doesn't care about your resolve. It only cares about power."

Eryx smiled faintly. "Maybe. But power isn't everything."

And with that, he surged forward, his Chaos exploding around him as he launched a final, desperate attack.

This was it. The moment that would decide everything.