Skully led me through the chaos of the battlefield, his rune glowing brightly as he carved a path through the shadowy figures. The followers of the Ancient One were relentless, their dark magic tearing through the academy's defenses, but Skully's newfound power gave us an edge.
"Where are we going?" I asked, casting a barrier spell to protect us from a stray blast of dark energy.
*"To the source,"* Skully replied, his voice grim. *"There's a portal nearby—a gateway to the Ancient One's realm. If we can destroy it, we can sever their connection."*
"A portal?" I repeated, my heart sinking. "That sounds… dangerous."
*"It is,"* Skully admitted. *"But it's our best shot. We can't keep fighting them forever."*
I nodded, my resolve hardening. "Then let's do it."
We fought our way to the edge of the courtyard, where a swirling vortex of darkness loomed. The portal was massive, its edges crackling with dark energy. Shadowy figures poured out of it, their glowing eyes fixed on us.
"That's it," Skully said, his rune glowing brighter. *"The portal. We need to destroy it."*
"How?" I asked, my voice trembling. "It's huge!"
*"We hit it with everything we've got,"* Skully replied, his voice determined. *"My rune, your spells—we combine our power and blast it to pieces."*
I took a deep breath, gripping my staff tightly. "Alright. Let's do this."
We stepped forward, the portal's dark energy swirling around us. The shadowy figures turned their attention to us, their forms shifting and twisting as they prepared to attack.
"On my mark," Skully said, his rune glowing brighter than ever. *"Three… two… one… now!"*
We unleashed our combined power, a wave of golden energy erupting from Skully's rune and colliding with the portal. The shadowy figures screeched in pain, their forms dissolving as the portal began to collapse.
But the portal wasn't going down without a fight. It pulsed violently, its dark energy lashing out at us. I cast a barrier spell, but the force of the portal's energy was overwhelming.
"Skully, we need more power!" I shouted, my voice barely audible over the roaring energy.
*"I'm giving it everything I've got!"* Skully replied, his voice strained. *"But it's not enough!"*
I clenched my fists, my mind racing. We needed something more—something to tip the balance in our favor. Then it hit me.
"Skully, the phoenix's heart!" I shouted. "We still have some of its energy left!"
Skully's eye sockets widened. *"You're a genius, Master!"*
I pulled out the remnants of the phoenix's heart, its fiery energy pulsing in my hand. I placed it on Skully's rune, the golden light merging with the fiery energy.
*"Let's finish this!"* Skully shouted, his voice echoing with power.
We unleashed our combined energy once more, the golden and fiery light colliding with the portal. This time, the portal couldn't withstand the force. It let out a deafening roar, its form collapsing in on itself.
The shadowy figures screeched in pain, their forms dissolving as the portal was destroyed. The dark energy dissipated, leaving the courtyard eerily quiet.
"We did it," I said, panting. "We destroyed the portal."
Skully grinned, his rune glowing faintly. *"Told you we'd pull it off, Master."*