55. The Awakening of the Undead

The air was thick with heat, as the fires flickered wildly, casting long, dancing shadows across the ruins. The dead bones of the fallen stirred, their hollow eyes gleaming with a chilling, unnatural light.

They rose from the ashes, their skeletal forms clattering together as they hailed their dark master. The noise was deafening, a mix of twisted cries and eerie hisses.

Sam stood amidst the chaos, his eyes narrowing as he watched the grotesque creatures move through the crowd. He took a deep breath and spoke, his voice steady despite the horror surrounding him, "Welcome back, your lord."

A sudden hush fell over the crowd as Vall-eran, the lord of the undead, stepped through the mass of bodies. Sam dropped to one knee, bowing before the mighty figure.

"Welcome back, your highness," he murmured, his voice thick with reverence.

Vall-eran, his form cloaked in dark energy, raised his hand, and the crowd fell silent, awaiting his command.

"Now," he intoned, his voice booming across the cavern, "we will complete the mission we abandoned a hundred years ago. The war that was left unfinished will now be carried to its conclusion. No more will we suffer. A new era begins, where we shall reign supreme."

He lifted his head, his eyes burning with an unholy fire. "My dear comrades," he continued, his voice ringing with power, "your sacrifices will not be in vain. We shall honor them by reshaping this world."

With a wave of his hand, Vall-eran released a surge of dark energy, awakening the undead from their slumber. Their hollow eyes flickered to life as they devoured nearby creatures, their mouths dripping with blood.

"We will follow you, your highness," they hissed in unison, their voices like a chorus of the damned.

A flock of tiny, dark dragons swooped down from the shadows, circling around Vall-eran. They landed near him, tearing into a wild boar with vicious hunger. Vall-eran laughed, a deep, mocking sound that sent shivers down the spine of anyone nearby.

"Devourer," Vall-eran said, his gaze turning to a figure that had emerged from the darkness, "you have sent your mirage to assist me."

The creature, its mouth smeared with the blood of its meal, spoke in a rasping voice," The lords there have imprisoned me in the void, preventing me from escaping or causing harm. But I have found a way to send this small body. They will not notice my absence."

Vall-eran nodded, pleased with the creature's cunning. He extended his hand, summoning a horde of cannibals to gather around him.

"You must be hungry," he said, a cruel smile twisting his lips.

"Feast on these, for once I regain my original body, we will destroy Divine Land for our vengeance."

Sam, still kneeling, spoke with hesitation, his voice trembling slightly. "Your highness, our army has been blocked from entering the Golden City and the Invisible Land."

Vall-eran's eyes narrowed, a dangerous gleam in them. "How dare you stop them? You were the one who created the Golden City and the Invisible Land."

"Thats why I love my creation."

Sam's voice was strained as he tried to break free from the dark aura that surrounded him. "Your lord, the cities are sealed from the inside, and only Ruchi knows where the keys are. But she... she was killed by you."

Vall-eran's expression darkened. "Then break the barrier. Let my army enter." Sam hesitated. "I cannot break the barrier without my wand."

Vall-eran paused, his gaze piercing. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he summoned the seven-colored spear and handed it to Sam. "Do not forget to return it to me," he commanded, his voice cold as ice.

As the wand touched Sam's hand, it began to glow with an otherworldly light, bright enough to illuminate the entire cave. The energy coursed through him, and for a moment, he felt the full weight of the power at his fingertips.

Vall-eran turned, his dark pet trailing behind him as he made his way out of the cavern. Sam, too, left with the wand, his mind racing with the gravity of his mission.

As he approached the Golden City, the ground beneath him seemed to vibrate, a tremor running through the very heart of the city. The gates creaked open, groaning as they parted, then slammed shut behind him as he entered.

But the moment Sam stepped inside, the air shifted. The city, once still, seemed to awaken, like a slumbering giant roused from its rest. The energy within the city seemed to pulse, responding to Sam's presence.

Inside the city, the streets were eerily quiet, the silence oppressive. The buildings, majestic and imposing, stood as silent witnesses to the dark forces at play. Sam moved forward, the weight of Vall-eran's wand in his grip, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something—someone—was watching him.

"Was it Ruchi? Had she truly been killed by Vall-eran? Or was there still hope that she had hidden away a secret that could turn the tide in their favor?"

Sam's mind raced with questions as he ventured deeper into the heart of the Golden City. The seven-colored spear hummed with power in his hand, and the city seemed to shift around him, its once-stable foundation now in flux.

He knew time was running out. Vall-eran's army was on the move, and the barrier between worlds was weakening. If Sam didn't act quickly, the city—and the world—would fall under the shadow of Vall-eran's wrath.

But there was something else, something hidden beneath the surface of this city, that Sam had yet to uncover. And it was this mystery that could hold the key to stopping Vall-eran before it was too late.

As Sam stepped deeper into the city's heart, the faint sound of whispers filled the air, as if the city itself were alive and holding its breath. The question was no longer just how to stop Vall-eran, but who could stop him. And perhaps, just perhaps, that answer lay within the very walls of the Golden City.