Part 14 - The Birth of Darkness

The room rumbled, and a powerful earthquake shook the ground beneath them. Ethan and his companions staggered for a moment, their bodies nearly falling to the ground from the vibrations emanating from the center of the room. The massive stone altar trembled harder, and from within it, a terrifying red bloodlight emerged, casting flashes that split the darkness. The voice coming from the stone grew deeper, filled with a power that pressed against their bodies.

"This is it," Rowan whispered with a choked voice. "Zerathis... He... he has awakened."

The creature emerged, breaking through the stone layers surrounding it. It was tall and humanoid in shape, yet there was nothing human about it. Its body was made of black shadows that merged with the darkness itself, as if the material was not entirely solid. Behind the dark shadows that cloaked its body, glowing red eyes burned with an overwhelming hatred. Every time the creature moved, waves of dark energy flowed out of its body, adding to the chill that pierced their bones.

The creature's feet touched the ground, and with every step it took, the air around them grew heavier. "I am Zerathis," the voice boomed, full of power. "What you have summoned is darkness itself. You cannot escape this fate."

Ethan raised his sword, the blue light shining brightly from its tip, yet he knew that despite his growing power, Zerathis was a far stronger enemy. "We need to be careful," Ethan whispered to his friends. "He is stronger than anything we've faced."

Zerathis moved, lifting his hand which appeared to be covered in a black mist. "You think you can defeat me with that meaningless light?" Zerathis shouted, his voice filled with an eerie, chilling laugh.

With a single motion, Zerathis raised his hand to the air, and suddenly, the entire room was filled with a wave of dark energy that struck them like a tsunami. The ground shook, and the stone walls trembled violently. Asha fell, her body thrown back, almost crashing into a wall.

"Be careful!" Rowan shouted, running toward Asha to help her up. At the same time, the fire he controlled began to rage uncontrollably, responding to the dark threat. "I'll hold him off! You attack from a distance!"

Kael immediately focused his gaze on Zerathis, feeling an overwhelming mental power flowing toward him. "I'll distract him," Kael said, his red eyes flashing with immense mental power. In an instant, he used his medallion's power to control Zerathis's mind, trying to prevent the creature from attacking. However, Zerathis only laughed louder.

"Hahaha... Control my mind?" Zerathis mocked. "You are too weak, and that will make you suffer even more."

With a single gesture, Zerathis hurled a wave of dark energy toward Kael. Kael's sword barely deflected the attack, but his body was thrown to the side, crashing hard into the ground. Dark wounds appeared on his body, blood flowing out, but Kael didn't give up. "No... I won't back down!"

Lila, who was behind, did not stand idly by. "You're rushing too much!" she shouted, her fists clenched. She created a massive illusion around them, confusing Zerathis with ever-shifting shadows. The illusion made it difficult for Zerathis to find their real positions, buying them a brief moment to prepare their next attack.

However, Zerathis easily destroyed the illusion. His hand lifted, and with a single movement, a wave of black energy shattered the shadows. "You think you can fight darkness with deception?" Zerathis said, his voice full of fury. "This is your fate! You will not stop me!"

Ethan felt an overwhelming tension within himself. He knew they had to change their tactics quickly or they would perish. His sword gleamed brighter, responding to his desperation. "We have to unite!" he shouted, his voice echoing throughout the room. "Don't let him break us one by one!"

Rowan raised his hand, creating a massive fireball in his palm. "I'll distract him!" he shouted, and with a single motion, the massive fireball shot toward Zerathis. But with swift movement, Zerathis raised his hand and deflected the fire, changing the trajectory of the blazing fireball until it crashed into the wall.

Asha, sensing their injuries, quickly directed her healing energy toward her wounded friends. "I can't hold off his attacks for long," she said, her voice filled with fear. "We need to stop him now!"

Ethan looked at his friends, a strong resolve burning within him. "We have to do this together. Focus all our power on one point!"

They all looked at each other, feeling a deep connection between them. In an instant, they focused all their energy on Zerathis, channeling their powers to attack the creature with a combined strike.

Rowan released an ever-growing fire, Kael added his powerful mental strength, Lila created illusions to distract him, and Asha directed her healing energy to strengthen their power. Amidst it all, Ethan raised his sword, which shone with a powerful blue light, and with full force, he plunged his sword toward Zerathis.

Suddenly, a massive explosion of energy shook the entire room. The blue light from Ethan's sword mixed with Rowan's fire, Kael's mental power, and Lila's illusions. The wave of energy surged forward, crashing into Zerathis with unexpected force.

Zerathis staggered back, his body being pushed by the combined attack, but he still stood. His eyes blazed with even greater fury. "You have no idea what you're facing!" he shouted, his voice full of hatred.

But this time, Zerathis's body seemed weaker, the dark energy surrounding him began to flow more faintly. They knew this wasn't the end, but they had just broken through the first defense of the dark creature.

"We're almost there," Ethan said, panting heavily. "Stay focused. We can't stop now."

But they knew this battle had only just begun, and Zerathis still had powers they had yet to understand.