**Chapter 20 - The Fire of Creation**

**Chapter 20 - The Fire of Creation**

The cavern roared with heat and power as the battle erupted. The forge's golden rivers surged, casting long shadows against the walls, illuminating the monstrous heralds emerging from the tunnel's mouth. The first beast lunged—a hulking mass of obsidian and molten veins, its claws dripping with liquid gold that sizzled as it hit the stone floor.

Ethan barely had time to react before Ash moved, its roots lashing outward like spears. The first strike punctured the creature's shoulder, sending a splatter of molten ichor across the ground. The beast shrieked, stumbling back as Kayla fired two precise rounds into its chest. Brent rushed forward, his blade igniting in the forge's glow as he cleaved downward, severing one of its arms.

More emerged, their hollow eyes burning with hatred. The cavern trembled as the forge's hammer began to lower, drawn by an unseen force. The guardian, still standing near the anvil, raised a hand toward Ethan.

"The reforging must begin. Do not let them reach the anvil."

Ethan clenched his fists and nodded. He turned to Ash. "Hold them back."

The tree's roots unfurled, weaving a barrier of living wood between the anvil and the advancing creatures. Ethan sprinted toward the forge, gripping the dark artifact Ash had seized in the ruined temple. It was still pulsing with raw energy, fighting against his grasp.

"What do I do?" he demanded, looking to the guardian.

The masked figure pointed to the forge's molten core. "Cast it into the fire."

Ethan hesitated for only a moment before hurling the artifact into the blazing river. The molten gold surged upward, swallowing the relic whole. The chamber pulsed as the very air shifted, the forge reacting to the presence of something ancient.

The first herald roared in fury, hurling itself against Ash's barrier. The tree grunted in response, its roots twisting like living spears, puncturing the creature's body. Brent and Kayla fought fiercely, keeping the advancing monsters at bay.

The forge's hammer began its slow descent.

"The hammer must strike three times," the guardian intoned. "Each strike will bind the form. You must endure."

A deep boom shook the cavern as the hammer fell for the first time. The energy radiating from the anvil blasted outward, sending a shockwave through the room. Ethan stumbled, his head pounding as visions assaulted his mind—glimpses of a world before the apocalypse, of towering cities swallowed by darkness, of the hunger that had nearly consumed everything.

The second strike fell. Ethan gasped as pain lanced through his chest, as if something inside him was being rewritten. He dropped to one knee, barely able to breathe.

Kayla screamed as a beast broke through the barrier, slamming her against the ground. Brent swung his blade, cleaving into the creature's spine, but more were coming.

"The final strike must fall!" the guardian shouted. "It is not yet complete!"

Ethan forced himself to his feet. Ash, sensing his determination, sent its roots forward, wrapping around the base of the anvil, anchoring it. Ethan reached out, placing his hands against the metal surface. The heat seared his palms, but he did not pull away.

The hammer fell a third time.

A blinding light erupted from the forge, engulfing the chamber. The creatures shrieked, their bodies unraveling in the light, reduced to nothing but ash. The shockwave sent Ethan flying backward, slamming against the cavern wall. The forge roared with new energy, the molten rivers turning a brilliant white.

When the light faded, silence fell over the chamber.

Ethan opened his eyes, his vision swimming. The anvil still stood, but the artifact was gone. In its place, resting at the forge's center, was a weapon unlike any he had ever seen. A blade of dark metal, etched with golden veins, pulsing with energy. The reforging was complete.

The guardian stepped forward. "It is done."

Ethan struggled to his feet, approaching the anvil. As he reached for the weapon, Ash's roots gently wrapped around his arm, as if offering support. His fingers closed around the hilt, and the weapon pulsed in response, sending a surge of power through his body.

Brent and Kayla stood nearby, bloodied but alive. The last of the heralds had been destroyed. The forge had fulfilled its purpose.

Ethan turned to the guardian. "Now what?"

The masked figure's voice was quiet, almost reverent. "Now, you decide the fate of this world."