Chapter 27: The Specter of the Past

The cursed citadel, drenched in an eerie, necrotic fog, was not a place for the weak. The walls of the fortress were cracked and decayed, their once-mighty structure now worn and brittle under the weight of countless souls. The spirits of the fallen lingered, their whispers following Elias, clawing at his sanity with every passing step.

The deeper he ventured, the more oppressive the air became. Elias gritted his teeth, sweat beading on his forehead as the oppressive energy in the citadel grew heavier. But he wasn't here to simply survive he was here to conquer.

Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet trembled. It was subtle at first, a slight quiver of the stones beneath his boots, but it grew in intensity, sending vibrations up his spine. He stopped in his tracks, senses on edge. Something was coming.

From the shadows, a figure emerged a wraith, its eyes glowing with an unnatural fire. It stepped forward, its cloak of black shadow rippling around it like the swirling darkness itself.

The wraith was unlike anything Elias had faced before. It moved with purpose, a deadly grace that betrayed the centuries of life it had lived as a warrior in the afterlife. The blade in its hands gleamed with a chilling, ethereal light, its edge sharp enough to cleave through steel.

Elias unsheathed his sword, a surge of determination coursing through him. He wasn't afraid. He had faced worse. He had been broken before, but now, the rage and grief that fueled him had become a force unto itself,

The wraith lunged with impossible speed, its blade coming down in a deadly arc. Elias barely managed to block the strike, the force of the blow sending a shockwave through his arms. His knees buckled under the pressure, but he held firm, locking his gaze on the wraith's eyes. It was the cold, dead stare of a warrior who had seen eternity. But Elias would not be swayed.

He pushed forward, his sword cutting through the air in a swift, powerful strike. The wraith parried with its blade, their weapons clashing with a loud, metallic ring. Sparks flew, and Elias felt the sting of the impact in his bones.

"You're nothing but a specter, Elias growled, his voice low and fierce. "I won't fall to your tricks."

The wraith hissed, its form flickering like a mirage in the night. It disappeared and reappeared in a blur of shadow, its blade aiming for Elias's throat.

Elias reacted instinctively, his body moving faster than his mind. He spun to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike, but the wraith's blade grazed his side, cutting deep. Pain exploded in his chest, but he refused to falter. He clenched his teeth and pressed on, the wound burning with a cruel, necrotic energy.

"You think you can defeat me?" the wraith taunted, its voice echoing like a chorus of the damned. "You cannot win, mortal. The citadel has claimed all who dared enter. You are no

different.

Elias's heart raced, his blood boiling with fury, "I'm not afraid of death. I will burn this place to the ground."

He took a step back, watching the wraith closely. Its movements were faster than any living creature. Its sword shimmered with dark magic, and it seemed to phase in and out of existence, like a shadow that couldn't be touched.

The wraith's form flickered again, and this time, Elias didn't wait. He surged forward, swinging his sword with all his might, a roar of defiance erupting from his chest.

The wraith slashed at him again, but Elias was faster. He ducked beneath the blade, his sword sweeping upward with lightning speed. The wraith's eyes widened in surprise as Elias's strike landed-his blade piercing through the wraith's chest with a sickening crack.

But the wraith wasn't finished.

It let out a terrifying screech, a guttural sound that shook the very air around them. The walls of the citadel trembled, and the ground cracked open beneath their feet. From the shadows, more wraiths emerged-warriors who had once been men and women of honor, now twisted into vengeful spirits by the curse of Nythra.

Elias's breath quickened. The battle was escalating.

He knew that he couldn't keep up this pace forever. Every strike, every parry, every dodge was draining his strength. But he wasn't about to back down. His family's faces flashed in his mind, and with them came a surge of power, a primal rage that he could no longer control.

He thrust his sword forward, piercing through the wraith's heart with all the fury he could muster. But the wraith didn't vanish. Instead, its shadowy form coiled around Elias, tightening like a noose, pulling him into a suffocating grip.

"You will never escape," the wraith hissed. "You will join us in the endless dark."

The world around Elias started to dim. His vision blurred, his limbs felt heavy, and the oppressive weight of the citadel seemed to press down on him from all sides. But then, something within him snapped.

He let out a roar that shook the walls, a sound so filled with rage and grief that it reverberated through the very bones of the citadel.

Divine Judgment.

A bolt of raw energy shot from his hands, crackling like thunder. The blast of light

exploded from him in a storm of raw power, breaking through the wraith's grasp and sending it hurtling back. The wraith's shriek was cut short as the lightning surged through its form,

its body disintegrating into dust.

The power coursing through Elias felt like a tempest, a tidal wave of fury. His hands were shaking, but his resolve was stronger than ever.

"I will never be one of you, Elias snarled, his chest heaving with the weight of the battle. "I'll burn this citadel to the ground if I have to."

The remaining wraiths hesitated for a moment, sensing the surge of power within Elias. They were not so foolish as to underestimate him

now.

Elias stood tall, his sword raised. The storm of magic swirling around him crackled, ready for the next wave.