Ashspire Tragedy

The air atop Ashspire Peak bit with a sharp chill, a cruel prelude to the tragedy about to unfold. 

Kareal, the Blazer of Light, stood tall, his stance firm against the dread pooling in his gut as he raced through a forest. 

His team—six Blazers wielding the elemental forces of fire, water, wind, earth, and darkness—stood beside him, Solara, Alara, Riven, Vega and Valthor, their faces a mix of resolve and unease. 

They had been preparing for this moment their entire lives, yet none of their training could have prepared them for the reality of facing Zarek, the lowest-ranking deity of the 12 Legion possessing control over the element of darkness.

Zarek stood at the top of the highest summit of the mountain waiting to be entertained by the blazers. 

He looked down below, tracking their movements in the dense forest they emerged from through the mana emanating from their mana cores until he saw them come out into the Asphire's valley.

Kareal looked around the valley trying to spot Zarek. He decided to try tracking him using mana but failed as deity mana cores are quite difficult to track because of the level of divinity they have peaked.

"Up here, mortals", Zarek revealed himself, as he jumped off the summit down to the valley they were in.

Zarek was a living nightmare. His cobalt-blue skin shimmered like ice under a dull sun, interrupted by jagged black streaks that resembled cracks in a glacier. His blood-red eyes glowed with malice, and the sharp curve of his lips suggested he relished the confrontation. His sinuous tail lashed the ground with rhythmic menace, and his massive frame seemed to absorb the light around him. The golden cuffs on his wrists, etched with ancient runes, pulsed faintly—a constant reminder of the forbidden power he commanded.

Kareal tightened his grip on his sword, Luminous , its blade glowing with radiant light that flickered as if sensing his anxiety.

"Let's get this started, shall we?", Zarek said with an impatient tone.

Kareal swallowed hard, stepping forward. "We've come too far to fail now. Together, we fight!" His voice trembled slightly, but the resolve in his eyes bolstered his team.

The Blazers moved in unison, unleashing their powers in a synchronized assault. Columns of fire spiraled through the air, water surged like tidal waves, the earth itself roared and quaked, and razor-sharp gusts of wind tore toward their foe. Light and darkness intertwined, creating a storm of energy that lit up the mountaintop like a violent sunrise.

For a fleeting moment, it seemed their combined might could overwhelm Zarek. 

But then, he moved.

Zarek didn't dodge—he flowed. His movements were fluid, almost lazy, as he sidestepped attacks or let them glance off his impenetrable skin. Some attacks he absorbed entirely, the runes on his cuffs glowing brighter with each strike. 

His guttural laughter echoed across the peak, a mocking sound that cut deeper than any blade.

"Pathetic," Zarek growled, his voice low and grating. "Is this the best the Blazers can muster?"

Kareal's heart sank as he watched Zarek retaliate. With a single swipe of his clawed hand, he sent Vega flying into a jagged rock, where he crumpled, lifeless. 

Solara launched herself at him with a desperate battle cry, only to be swatted aside like an insect.

One by one, Kareal's allies fell. Alara was incinerated in a flash of dark energy. Riven was crushed beneath a massive boulder Zarek hurled with ease. Time itself seemed to slow as Kareal watched as Valthor, his closest friend, fall to a devastating strike.

"No…" Kareal whispered, his voice trembling as his team lay scattered around him. The cold realization hit him- he was alone.

Zarek turned to him, his lips curling into a sadistic grin. "Your turn," he said, his voice dripping with venom.

Kareal's knuckles whitened as he tightened his grip on Luminous . He took a defensive stance, his heart pounding like a drum. Zarek lunged, his massive fist hurtling toward Kareal with the force of a meteor. At the last second, Kareal sidestepped, the impact carving a deep crater where he had stood.

"You're faster than you look," Zarek said, his tone almost amused.

Kareal didn't respond. He couldn't. Fear gripped him, paralyzing his thoughts. His instincts screamed at him to run, but he couldn't leave—not yet. He had to try.

With a cry that echoed through the mountaintop, Kareal charged. Luminous glowed brighter as he slashed at Zarek, each swing fueled by desperation. But Zarek was unrelenting, dodging with ease and retaliating with brutal precision.

Kareal's strikes grew weaker, his movements sluggish as exhaustion set in. Zarek's laughter filled the air. "You think you can stop me? You can't even protect your team!"

The words hit harder than any blow. Kareal faltered, his resolve crumbling. In that moment, he made a decision. It wasn't bravery or strategy—it was pure survival.

Summoning the last of his strength, Kareal activated Photon Flash, a burst of radiant energy propelling him forward at the speed of light. The world blurred around him as he fled, the forest swallowing him whole.

"Coward!" Zarek's voice boomed behind him. "You can't escape me! I will find you, and when I do, I'll erase every last Blazer from existence before the return of Lord Draven".

Kareal ran until he could no longer hear Zarek's voice collapsing in a dense forest far from Ashspire Peak. His breath came in ragged gasps, his mind racing. He had failed. He had led his team to their deaths, and he hadn't even put a scratch on Zarek.

The weight of his guilt pressed down on him, tears streaming down his face. But then, through the silence, he heard it—a soft cry.

He wiped his eyes, straining to listen. The sound came again, faint but unmistakable. He rose to his feet, his sword at the ready as he followed the noise.

He walked slowly trying to be cautious of any ambush that may arise.

He took his steps more quietly as he approached the sound with Luminous' hilt in his hand ready to draw it out Incase of any danger.

He crept closer and closer until he approached the source of the sound and was amazed at what he had seen.