The Fall of the shadow

The entity let out a deafening roar, waves of darkness erupting in all directions, but this time, Jin-Won didn't back down. He raised his sword, now glowing with a fusion of light and shadow, and charged forward.

The final battle had begun.

The entity struck at him, but Jin-Won moved like a phantom, dodging with impossible precision. In the next instant, his blade sliced through the entity's chest, causing the shadow to crack like fragile glass.

Hori, having regained his strength, joined the assault. His sword burned with a fierce blue energy as he leaped high, bringing his blade down with devastating force.

"This is your end!"

The strike landed directly at the entity's core.

The entity's glowing eyes widened, a faint sound escaping—something between agony and disbelief. Its form began to unravel, the darkness scattering like ash in the wind.

But it smiled.

"You think you've won?" it whispered, its voice weaker, yet carrying an eerie certainty.

Before Jin-Won could respond, the entity's remains exploded in a final pulse of darkness. The entire chamber trembled violently, and the throne behind them cracked apart, revealing a hidden gateway—radiating a strange energy neither light nor dark, but something in between.

Hori caught his breath. "What now?"

Jin-Won stared at the gateway, an uneasy feeling creeping into his chest.

Then he heard it.

Faint, distant—coming from beyond the light.

"Help me…"

His body tensed. That voice wasn't unfamiliar.

It was Si-Yeon Park.

He exchanged a sharp glance with Hori, then, without hesitation, took a step toward the portal.

—To be continued…