Chapter 9: The Reckoning

Chapter 9: The Reckoning

Thick with the promise of doom, the air in this great courtyard weighed upon Kael and his companions. Pressed down, it felt, upon them. A chill ran down Kael's bones as the laughter of the Dark Sovereign reached them, echoing through twisted stone walls. The time was finally here—there would be no turning back.

The only sound was the soft rustle of the wind as the world seemed to hold its breath for a moment. Then, in one explosive rush of energy, the Dark Sovereign raised his hand, and the sky darkened even more, as if night itself had been summoned to fall upon them. Tendrils of dark shadow exploded from his fingers, curling and twisting through the air like living serpents as they reached for Kael and his companions.

"Stand your ground!" Kael shouted, raising the Pillars high above his head.

The three Pillars were running with power-the Celestial Pillar ablaze with the light of the heavens, the Heart of the Forest aglow with the energy of ancient life, and the dark-but controlled-force emanating from the Abyssal Core. Unified, they formed a barrier of light that deflected the tendrils of shadows that reached out to swallow them.

A dark growl escaped the Dark Sovereign's lips as he strode forward, his red eyes narrowing. "You think to defeat me with those trinkets? You have no idea what true power is!"

In one swift, smooth movement, the Sovereign launched a great wave of darkness crashing onto the shield of light before Kael. The roar was loud enough to burst his eardrums, and for one terror-filled moment, he feared the Pillars would not hold. But they did. The light leaned back against the onslaught, forming a shimmering dome around him and his allies.

The power he held made Kael's arms shake, the energy of the Pillars coursing through him like fire in his veins. He looked to his companions: Lira's bow was drawn, an arrow of light ready; Beren's hammer crackled with electricity, his face set in grim determination; Elysia's staff glowed faintly, incantations whispered under her breath as she strengthened the barrier set around them.

"We must strike now!" Elysia cried, her voice even as the chaos churned around them. "The longer we wait, the more powerful he becomes!"

Kael nodded in agreement. He shifted the Pillars lower in his grasp, and their collective energy boomed through him. This wasn't about using the light, he thought; this was about balance-light and darkness, creation and destruction-all working together in perfect harmony.

"Lira, Beren-at his flanks!" Kael shouted. "Elysia, prepare to dispel his magic!"

In a flash, Lira was leaping to the right, her body lithe as the wind as she let loose a barrage of arrows made of pure energy at the Dark Sovereign. Beren charged left, his great hammer swooping through the air cradling power as it sought to crush their foe.

Snarling, the Dark Sovereign raised his hand with ease and swatted Lira's arrows to the side before he wheeled on Beren. "Fools! Do you think you can match my power?"

With a flick of his wrist, the Sovereign sent a wave of dark energy at Beren. The force of it knocked him off his feet, hurling him with a sickening thud against the stone wall.

"Beren!" Kael yelled, his heart clutching in his chest.

But Beren, the relentless warrior that he was, struggled to his feet, wiping blood from his mouth. "I'm not done yet," he growled, his grip on his hammer tightening even further. Then, with more feralness, he plunged forward once more, his blows against the Sovereign's defences harder still.

Elysia stepped behind Kael, her eyes radiant as magic poured into her hands in fanciful patterns. "Now, Kael!" she yelled. "Loose the Pillars-break his link to the Void!"

Kael's grip on the Pillars tightened, his deep breath in took all his energy as he had to focus on what he had to do. He could feel the power of the Abyssal Core fighting him-the dark nature resisting his will. But Kael had come too far to falter now.

With a yell, he pushed the Pillars forward, and a torrent of light poured toward the Dark Sovereign. The divine radiance of the Celestial Pillar shot across the sky, tearing apart the shadows that draped the courtyard. The verdant energy of the Heart of the Forest spread, roots of green writhing across the ground and reclaiming it from the corruption that tainted it. The Abyssal Core, its power dark and churning, joined the other two, forming a force of balance shooting toward the Dark Sovereign.

The eyes of the Sovereign had gone wide with surprise, the cumulative force of the Pillars slamming into him and shattering the dark shield he had summoned before him. He stumbled backward, his armor crackling as tendrils of light ripped through it.

"No!" he bellowed in desperation. "I am eternal! You cannot defeat me!"

Kael stepped forward. His voice was firm, unshaken. "Your reign ends here. The darkness does not belong in this world."

The Dark Sovereign roared back in defiance, calling all remaining strength to him. Dark energy churned from his body, twisting and whirling like a storm, but it was too late. The power of the Pillars overcame him, shattering through his defenses and consuming him in a flash of blindingly bright light.

The world held its breath, and even the wind ceased to blow. Then, almost achingly slow, the darkness began to dissolve, melting away like mist in the morning sun.

Kael stood in the center of the courtyard, his chest heaving with exhaustion, while the glowing Pillars pulsed softly in his grasp. His companions came to a stop around him, their faces etched with the mixture of exhaustion and relief.

It's done, Lira whispered, barely above the murmur of a light wind.

Kael nodded, hardly able to believe it himself. It was finally over; the Dark Sovereign was no more, his twisted reign at an end. The skies started cleaning themselves, the dark clouds parting to reveal the first glimmers of sunlight.

But even as the light returned to Eldoria, Kael knew full well that this victory had been bought dear. The land was scarred, the people scattered, and the memories of that darkness would not easily fade. Yet for the first time in what felt like an eternity, there was hope.

Beren clapped a heavy hand onto Kael's shoulder. "We did it, lad. We did it."

Elysia smiled weakly, her eyes fatigued. "The darkness is gone, but the world will take time to heal.

Kael took the Pillar, now in his hands, its glow dimmed but still there. For he knew well the power was not his but for all the realms of Eldoria. He slowly raised the Pillars up into the sky and let their energy break free once more. Light swept the land, renewing forests and rivers, and the very heartbeat of the land itself.

As the light faded, so did Kael lower the Pillars, feeling the lessening weight. No longer was the burden of his quest his to bear, and long and arduous though that journey had been, he knew now that he had fulfilled his purpose.

"Eldoria is safe," he said softly, his voice drenched with melancholy, yet ripe with relief.

And for the first time in a very long while, Kael allowed himself to sleep.