56.The Dark Awakening

Sam landed high atop the tower, where three glowing energy crystals hummed with power. The blue energy from the crystals surged upwards, reaching into the sky and forming a shimmering array of barriers.

Below, Weismier, Yon, and Jigartala stood near the base of the tower, their faces filled with determination but also concern.

Jigartala spoke first, his voice heavy with disappointment. "Sam, we always considered you family. But we didn't expect you to go this far. To lose yourself to the darkness..."

His words hung in the air, thick with unspoken regret.

Sam didn't look at them, nor did he care for their words. His eyes were locked on the crystals, a fierce resolve in his heart. He raised his wand and fired a burst of blue light directly at the crystal. Yon, ever the protector, swung his sword with precision, deflecting the blast before it could reach its target.

"You think no one can stop you here?" Yon shouted, his voice tinged with both anger and sorrow. He raised his swords, poised for battle. "I won't let you destroy everything we've worked for."

The two locked in combat, their energy crackling with each strike. Sam's wand met Yon's swords in a flash of blue light. With a forceful motion, Sam knocked Yon away, sending him crashing to the ground far from the tower.

The power of the wand surged, and a crushing aura enveloped the area. The pressure from Sam's energy was so intense that those standing nearby fell to their knees, struggling to remain upright.

Ignoring their pleas, Sam advanced towards the crystals, intent on breaking them. But Jigartala, with unexpected strength, intervened, pushing Sam back with a force that sent shockwaves through the tower. From his wheelchair, Weismier launched a powerful energy ball, striking Sam directly and sending him tumbling backward.

Sam's rage flared. He rose to his feet, shaking with fury, and launched a devastating blast from his wand. The force of it shattered the ground beneath him, sending shockwaves through the entire area. As he moved closer to the crystals, his energy grew even more volatile.

But Weismier, determined to stop him, once again stepped forward. A powerful surge of energy erupted from his wheelchair, striking Sam with enough force to knock him down once more.

"You need to calm down," Jigartala warned, his voice filled with authority. "This won't solve anything."

Sam, however, was beyond reasoning. In his anger, he struck the floor with his wand, sending the shockwave of his power crashing outward.

The three energy crystals shattered, and with them, the barrier that had protected the city was obliterated. A dark tide of monstrous creatures began to pour in through the breach, flooding the city like a plague.

The law enforcers scrambled, desperately trying to erect barriers to shield the citizens from the chaos, but their efforts were in vain. The creatures were too numerous, too powerful. They swept through the city, preying on anyone they could find, devouring everything in their path.

Vall-eran, the dark lord who had been waiting for this moment, appeared in the sky above, his dark aura consuming the heavens. His presence alone cast a shadow so thick that it blotted out the sun.

His body loomed, a colossal figure of darkness. At his side, his pet, the Devourer, perched on his shoulder, its eyes gleaming with hunger.

Raising the seven-colored spear high, Vall-eran unleashed its power, ripping open a massive portal. The law enforcer's barriers shattered under the weight of his dark magic, and the defenders were hurled far from the battlefield.

There was no place to hide. The creatures devoured the law enforcers and the helpless citizens alike, their ravenous hunger endless.

Then, as if mocking Sam's every effort, Vall-eran appeared before him, his towering form blocking out the sky.

"There should be only one master of this wand," Vall-eran declared, his voice booming with dark authority.

A wave of black energy emanated from the wand, striking Sam with a force so powerful it seemed as though the very air itself was trying to crush him. The impact sent him stumbling backward, but before the blow could finish him, Jigartala, with his final act of courage, shoved Sam off the edge of the tower.

Sam fell, crashing into the pond below with a violent splash. For a moment, everything was silent. The water was cool, a brief respite from the chaos above. It wrapped around him, offering him a fleeting sense of calm. But even in this moment of peace, his mind was far from still.

In the depths of the pond, memories rushed back to him. Ruchi's face appeared before him, her voice echoing through his thoughts.

"Brother," she said, her voice soft but filled with pain. "Didn't you promise to protect me forever?"

Sam's heart clenched. He nodded in his memory, unable to speak, only to watch as Ruchi's image began to fade.

"Yes," he whispered in the water. "I promised."

Her body began to dissolve, her form vanishing like mist in the wind. "I always waited for you," she continued, her words filled with sadness.

"Since you left with your last farewell. I always hoped you would come back, that you would be by my side... but you didn't."

"I'm so sorry," Sam whispered, his voice breaking as her form disappeared completely. "I failed you."

The tears welled in his eyes as he felt the weight of his failure pressing down on him. But it was not too late. He had one last chance to make things right.

Sam's eyes snapped open, and he rose from the water, his anger now focused like a weapon. The wand flew back to his hand, its power crackling in the air.

"Now," Sam vowed, his voice low and determined, "I will amend my mistake."

With the wand in his grasp, he turned toward the horizon, where Vall-eran stood, a symbol of darkness and destruction. "Now," Sam muttered, his words filled with resolve, "I will kill you, Vall-eran."

As he advanced, the winds howled around him, and the dark creatures that had once filled him with fear now seemed small in comparison to the storm that was about to be unleashed.

Sam's transformation was complete. No longer the man who had failed to protect, but a force of vengeance, ready to take back everything that had been lost.