LAST MINUTE

Eagan stood before the crumbling cathedral, its shadow stretching long and foreboding under the pale, sickly moonlight. The Tear of Umbralis lay somewhere inside, and every instinct screamed that the building itself was as much a trap as it was a treasure.

"Eagan," Arianna's voice was calm but urgent. "I'm sensing multiple energy signatures converging on this location. They're moving fast."

Eagan's grip tightened on his sword. "Seekers?"

"Some of them, yes. But there's something else—stronger, more erratic. It's not human."

Eagan nodded and stepped cautiously into the cathedral. The air in the ruined place was thick with an oppressive energy that seemed to coil around him like a living thing. The faint glow of his sword illuminated the cracked stone floor and shattered pews.

As he moved further inside, a voice called out from the shadows, cold and taunting. "Well, well. What do we have here? A faceless new commer? How unique!"

Eagan turned, his blade ready, to face a tall man cloaked in dark armor. The newcomer held a scythe etched with glowing runes, and his presence oozed menace.

"And you are?" Eagan asked, his tone steady.

"Call me Darius," the man replied, smirking. "And I'll be the one making sure you don't leave here alive."

Before Eagan could respond, the ground beneath them trembled. The cathedral groaned as if alive, and dark tendrils of shadow began to rise from the floor, twisting and writhing like serpents.

"Looks like the Tear doesn't want company," Eagan said, eyes narrowing.

Darius laughed. "Oh, I'm not worried about the tear. I'm worried about you," he chuckled. "The Tears van throws as many temper tantrums as it wants. I'll still take it."

Darius lunged, his scythe sweeping toward Eagan with blinding speed. Eagan barely managed to parry, the clash of their weapons sending shockwaves through the air.

Their battle was interrupted by a sudden burst of light. A woman emerged from the shadows, her twin daggers glowing with a fiery aura. She moved with agility and accuracy, slicing through the shadow tendrils that tried to ensnare them.

"Darius, you always were an arrogant idiot," she snapped, her voice sharp but tinged with annoyance.

Darius snarled. "Celeste? What are you doing here?"

"Cleaning up your mess, as usual," Celeste replied. She turned to Eagan, her piercing amber eyes scanning him briefly. "And you. Don't slow me down."

Eagan raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Thanks for the help, but I didn't ask for it."

"Trust me, I'm not doing this for you," she shot back, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I need the tears for my own reasons. So don't get in my way."

"Arrogant much?" Arianna muttered.

Eagan smirked but said nothing as the trio found themselves surrounded by shadow creatures. Their forms were monstrous—combinations of claws, teeth, and sinew that pulsed with dark energy.

"We'll deal with this later," Eagan said, gripping his sword.

Celeste scoffed. "Just try to keep up."

The two of them fought side by side, their movements surprisingly synchronized. Eagan's raw power and calculated strikes complemented Celeste's speed and agility.

Darius, meanwhile, seemed content to observe, his smirk never fading.

As the last shadow creature fell, Eagan turned to him. "Done watching? Or are you going to fight like a man?"

Darius chuckled darkly. "Oh, I'll fight. But not here. The tear belongs to me."

Before Eagan could stop him, Darius unleashed a burst of dark energy, sending debris flying as he disappeared deeper into the cathedral.

Eagan cursed under his breath as he tried to give chase.

Celeste sheathed her daggers and pulled him back. "He won't be able to acquire it." She assured. "I've seen the artefact firsthand, and it needs two people of opposite genders to take it."

Eagan frowned at her words, his eyes filled with calculations. "How would I know you won't backstab me when we acquired the artefact?"

Celeste tilted her head, her lips curling into a sly smile. "Backstab you? If I wanted to, I'd have done it already. But trust me, we're in this together until that tear is in my hands."

Evan raised an eyebrow. "Your hands? You just said it requires two of us."

"It does," Celeste admitted, crossing her arms. "But let's just say I have no intention of keeping it long-term. The tear is... volatile. I need it to fulfil a contract. After that, it's all yours."

Eagan's expression remained hard to read, but he lowered his sword slightly. "Fine. For now, we work together. But I'll be watching you."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Celeste quipped, motioning toward the passage where Darius had disappeared. "We'd better move. If he gets too far ahead, it's going to get messy."

The two moved quickly, the air growing colder and heavier with each step. The cathedral seemed to come alive around them, the walls rippling with shadowy faces that whispered incomprehensible words. Arianna's voice echo in Eagan's ear.

"Be careful. The Tear of Umbralis's energy is distorting the environment. If you're not careful, you could lose your grip on reality."

"Thanks for the heads up," Eagan muttered, gripping his sword tighter.

As they descended deeper into the cathedral, they entered a vast chamber. At its centre, an ancient pedestal stood bathed in eerie blue light. On it rested the Tear of Umbralis, a crystalline orb swirling with dark energy. Its presence was suffocating, as if the artefact itself was aware of them.

Darius was already there, standing just a few feet away from the pedestal. He turned to face them, his scythe glowing with ominous power.

"You're persistent; I'll give you that," he said, his tone mocking. "But this is where it ends."

Celeste stepped forward, her daggers glinting in the unnatural light. "You're awfully confident for someone who doesn't know how to activate the tear."

Darius narrowed his eyes. "And you do?"

Celeste smirked. "Of course I do. But you'll never get the chance."

Within a blink of an eye, she hurled one of her daggers at Darius. He deflected it with his scythe, but the distraction gave Eagan the opening he needed. He charged, his sword aimed directly at Darius's chest.

The clash was thunderous, sending shockwaves through the chamber. Darius fought with a vigour that matched Eagan's strength, his scythe cutting through the air with the aim to kill.

Celeste darted around them, her movements swift and calculated as she tried to position herself closer to the tear.

"Eagan, keep him busy!" she shouted.

Eagan growled. "I'm doing all the heavy lifting here."

Darius sneered. "You think you can stop me? You're nothing but a pawn in a game you don't even understand!"

As their weapons locked, Celeste reached the pedestal. She extended her hand toward the tear, her fingers trembling as they hovered above it. The artefact pulsed with energy, and a voice echoed in her mind.

Are you worthy?

Her resolve faltered for a moment, but she braced herself and answered silently, "I don't care if I'm worthy. I just need you." She wasn't going to fail the second time.

The torch's light intensified, and the chamber began to quake violently. Darius roared in frustration, breaking away from Eagan and lunging toward Celeste.

Eagan acted on instinct, throwing himself between them. Darius's sword slashed across his shoulder, but he didn't stop. With a grunt, he shoved Darius back and turned to Celeste.

"Now would be a great time to explain what happens next!" he shouted.

Celeste grabbed his uninjured hand and placed it on the tear alongside hers. "Trust me, this is the easy part."

As their hands touched the tear, a blinding light enveloped them. The chamber seemed to collapse in on itself, the shadows screaming in fury as they were consumed by the artefact's energy. When the light finally subsided, they found themselves standing in an empty void, the tears floating between them.

"Welcome, bearers," a deep, resonant voice intoned. "Your bond has been forged. The Tear of Umbralis is yours to command... if you survive the trials."

Celeste smirked. "Survive, huh? Sounds like fun."

Eagan sighed. "Why do I feel like doing something I don't want?"