Chapter 16: The Breaking Point

The room pulsed with the overwhelming force of dark energy. Shadows twisted and writhed in every corner, growing stronger by the second. Seo-Jin stood his ground, gripping the artifact tightly in his hands, its faint glow a fragile beacon of hope against the encroaching darkness. Tae-Hoon had recovered, standing beside him, eyes locked on Jae-Min's form as it hovered in the air, bound by the swirling mass of dark power.

"Seo-Jin," Tae-Hoon growled, his voice strained with urgency. "We can't stay here much longer. That thing is gonna tear this place apart!"

"I'm not leaving him," Seo-Jin shot back, his voice resolute. He took a step forward, the weight of the artifact growing heavier in his grasp. "I made a promise."

Jae-Min's eyes, glowing with a sickly light, watched them from within the storm of shadows. His body was tense, every muscle straining against the dark energy that imprisoned him. "You don't understand…" Jae-Min's voice trembled, echoing with both his own pain and the malevolent force controlling him. "I'm… not… myself."

Seo-Jin's heart pounded in his chest. He knew that Jae-Min was still in there, fighting against the darkness, but the power that had consumed him was growing stronger with every passing second. The artifact in Seo-Jin's hands vibrated, responding to the energy in the room. He could feel it—Jae-Min's struggle, his desperation, his fear.

Tae-Hoon cursed under his breath, his eyes darting between the chaos around them and Seo-Jin's determined face. "Damn it, Seo-Jin! We need to fall back. We're no good to him dead!"

But Seo-Jin ignored him. His gaze was locked on Jae-Min, on the faint flicker of recognition in his friend's eyes. There was still a chance. There had to be.

"Jae-Min," Seo-Jin called out, his voice firm but filled with emotion. "Listen to me. You're stronger than this. I know you can fight it."

For a moment, the storm of shadows seemed to falter. Jae-Min's eyes flickered, and the glow dimmed. The dark energy around him wavered, as if responding to Seo-Jin's words. Hope surged in Seo-Jin's chest.

But then, the darkness roared back to life, stronger than before. The shadows lashed out, striking the walls and ceiling, causing the entire room to tremble. Jae-Min's face twisted in agony as the dark energy tightened its grip on him.

"I can't… control it!" Jae-Min cried out, his voice breaking. "It's too much!"

Seo-Jin felt a surge of panic. The artifact in his hands pulsed, responding to Jae-Min's turmoil. Seo-Jin could feel the power within the orb, waiting for him to unlock it, to use it against the darkness. But Dr. Lee's warning echoed in his mind—using the artifact came with a price. It would amplify the darkness inside him, and if he wasn't careful, it could consume him as well.

Tae-Hoon, sensing the escalating danger, stepped closer to Seo-Jin. "We have to go now! This place won't hold much longer!"

But Seo-Jin couldn't leave. Not without Jae-Min. He had come too far, risked too much, to turn back now.

Taking a deep breath, Seo-Jin raised the artifact, its light growing brighter as he focused his will on it. He could feel the power surging through his veins, the raw, untamed energy that could either save Jae-Min or destroy them both.

"Hang on, Jae-Min," Seo-Jin whispered, his voice barely audible over the roar of the dark energy.

The artifact glowed fiercely, its light piercing through the storm of shadows. Seo-Jin pushed forward, step by step, toward Jae-Min, the weight of the power in his hands growing heavier with each movement. The darkness pushed back, but Seo-Jin gritted his teeth, refusing to yield.

Suddenly, Jae-Min screamed, a sound of pure agony that echoed through the room. The shadows around him flared, wrapping tighter around his body, as if trying to pull him deeper into the abyss.

"Stop!" Seo-Jin shouted, his voice cracking with desperation. "I'm not losing you, Jae-Min!"

The artifact responded to Seo-Jin's emotions, its light intensifying until it was blinding. The darkness recoiled, the shadows retreating slightly, but they didn't break.

In that moment, Seo-Jin knew what he had to do.

The artifact could banish the darkness, but only if he was willing to embrace it—completely. It would demand a sacrifice, something deep within him, a part of his own soul. But if it meant saving Jae-Min, Seo-Jin was willing to pay the price.

"Seo-Jin!" Tae-Hoon's voice cut through the chaos, his face twisted in fear. "What are you doing?"

Seo-Jin didn't answer. His focus was solely on Jae-Min. With a final, determined breath, Seo-Jin poured his energy into the artifact, pushing his will to its limit. The light exploded outward, flooding the room with a brilliant, blinding glow.

The darkness screamed in response, its hold on Jae-Min weakening as the light cut through it. For a brief moment, Seo-Jin saw Jae-Min's face—his real face—free of the dark energy, his eyes wide with shock and relief.

But then, the darkness surged again, fighting back with a force stronger than before. The artifact in Seo-Jin's hands shook violently, the energy within it spiraling out of control.

"No!" Seo-Jin shouted, struggling to hold on to the artifact. He could feel it slipping, the power overwhelming him, threatening to consume him entirely.

Jae-Min's voice broke through the chaos, weak but determined. "Seo-Jin… stop… you can't…"

Seo-Jin's heart clenched at the sound of his friend's voice, but he couldn't stop now. Not when they were so close.

But then, something unexpected happened.

The shadows around Jae-Min shifted, twisting and coiling before suddenly retreating. The dark energy shrank back, as if recoiling from the light, and Jae-Min collapsed to the ground, free from the dark chains that had bound him.

For a moment, Seo-Jin stood frozen, unable to believe what had just happened. The artifact in his hands dimmed, its energy spent, and the room fell into an eerie silence.

Jae-Min lay motionless on the ground, his chest rising and falling weakly. Seo-Jin rushed to his side, dropping the artifact as he knelt beside his friend.

"Jae-Min…" Seo-Jin whispered, his voice hoarse. "Are you… okay?"

Jae-Min's eyes fluttered open, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Seo-Jin saw his friend's true self. The darkness was gone, but the damage it had done was still visible in the pale, weakened state of Jae-Min's body.

"I'm… free," Jae-Min whispered, his voice barely audible. "But… it's not over."

Seo-Jin's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"

Jae-Min's eyes filled with sadness as he looked at Seo-Jin. "The darkness… it's still out there. And it's coming for us."

Before Seo-Jin could respond, the ground beneath them trembled, and a deep, menacing growl echoed through the room.

The real fight had just begun.

To be continued...