Chapter 68: Eltharia's Sacrifice
Third Person's POV
Long before Eldoria's ruin, before the world trembled at the whisper of its name, there was a time when it flourished—a golden kingdom ruled by wisdom and strength.
And among those destined to lead it stood Eltheria, the radiant princess, a woman of both formidable power and breathtaking beauty.
With golden hair cascading like sunlight and eyes that gleamed like molten gold, she was revered as the jewel of Eldoria, destined to ascend the throne and lead her people into a new era of prosperity.
But fate was cruel.
The sacred temple of Eldoria loomed before Eltheria, its towering marble pillars bathed in the light of the setting sun.
Inside, the air was thick with incense and the murmur of hushed prayers. At the temple's heart, the High Priest stood solemnly, his gaze heavy with the weight of the revelation he bore.
"Eltheria," he intoned, "the darkness that has plagued our lands has manifested into a form most vile. Vhezeroth, the cursed one, walks among us, leaving death in her wake. It is you who must face her."
Eltheria did not flinch. She had known this day would come—had felt the inevitability of it threading through her bones since childhood.
"Do you hesitate?" the priest pressed.
"No," she answered firmly, her golden eyes steady.
"I will do what must be done."
The priest sighed, his aged face etched with sorrow.
"You were meant to be queen, Eltheria. You were meant to rule, not to fight a battle that may cost you everything."
She merely smiled, the kind that carried both warmth and sadness. "Perhaps protecting Eldoria is the only way I can truly rule."
Before her departure, Eltheria found herself in the royal gardens, where the faint scent of blooming lilies lingered.
Seated beneath a weeping willow was her younger sister, veiled in white as always, her delicate fingers brushing over a book's ancient pages.
"Eltheria," the girl whispered, her voice soft, knowing.
Eltheria knelt beside her. "You always know, don't you?"
"You're leaving," her sister murmured, reaching out to grasp her hand.
Unlike Eltheria's golden radiance, she was pale as moonlight, her long black hair cascading over her shoulders, her near-white eyes hidden beneath the sheer fabric of her veil.
"You must come back."
Eltheria hesitated before squeezing her hand. "If I do not, then you must live for both of us."
Her sister's grip tightened, but she said nothing more. They both understood the unspoken truth lingering between them.
The battlefield was a land of ruin, scorched and broken by the cursed being's wrath.
Vhezeroth stood amidst the wreckage, her presence alone enough to suffocate the air. She was hauntingly beautiful in her own right, but her blackened armor, glowing scarlet eyes, and the ominous aura curling around her like smoke spoke of the corruption that tainted her existence.
Eltheria arrived with her soldiers, blade in hand, determination hardening her gaze. Without hesitation, she charged.
The battle was unlike anything Eldoria had ever seen. Fire and shadow clashed, the sky itself trembling under the weight of their power.
Eltheria fought with unmatched skill, her golden sword cutting through darkness, but Vhezeroth was relentless—powerful beyond measure. Eldorian warriors fell one by one, their cries swallowed by the cursed one's laughter.
And then came the realization—she could not kill Vhezeroth.
With every strike, the cursed one only grew stronger, her wounds knitting together as if mocking Eltheria's every effort. The truth crashed over her like a tidal wave.
"Eltheria," Vhezeroth cooed, her voice laced with venomous amusement.
"Have you realized it yet? You cannot defeat me."
Eltheria's grip on her sword tightened.
"Everyone, fall back!" she commanded.
Her soldiers hesitated, unwilling to leave her alone, but her voice rang with the weight of authority.
"That's an order! Retreat!"
Vhezeroth laughed as the soldiers hesitated before obeying.
"So you do know fear. What a shame—I expected more from Eldoria's shining hope."
Eltheria took a breath. "It's not fear." She turned to her most trusted guardian, eyes fierce.
"Take my final words back to the people. Tell them… that I will protect Eldoria, no matter the cost."
Her guardian's expression twisted in anguish, but she obeyed, retreating with the others.
Alone, Eltheria faced Vhezeroth once more.
The battlefield, once filled with the sounds of clashing steel and desperate cries, now stood eerily silent, save for the howling wind that carried the scent of blood and fire.
The golden princess stood tall, her radiant armor marred with scratches and crimson streaks, her golden eyes unwavering. Before her, Vhezeroth snarled, dark energy seething from every wound inflicted upon her wretched form.
Eltheria did not falter. She did not fear. She had already decided how this battle would end.
The fight resumed with a ferocity that shook the very earth. Eltheria moved with unwavering precision, no longer aiming to kill, but to weaken.
Each swing of her enchanted blade carved through the dark aura that cloaked Vhezeroth, forcing her adversary to retreat step by step.
Every strike, every calculated maneuver chipped away at the cursed one's strength, pushing her closer to vulnerability.
Vhezeroth lunged, her claws dripping with corruption, her violet eyes burning with rage.
"You cannot win!" she spat, voice layered with malice.
Eltheria caught the attack, her blade flashing in the dim light as she parried.
A sorrowful smile graced her lips. "I don't need to."
Raising her arms, she called upon the ancient magic of Eldoria, summoning a power so immense that the heavens themselves seemed to tremble.
Golden inscriptions illuminated the battlefield, forming intricate runes in the air, swirling around her in an ethereal dance. The ground beneath them cracked as divine energy surged forth, chains of celestial light erupting from the very essence of Eldoria itself.
"As the sun guards the heavens, as the stars watch the night, let darkness be bound and sealed from sight!"
Vhezeroth howled as the golden chains wrapped around her, coiling tightly like serpents, dragging her to her knees. She thrashed, fought, screamed curses upon Eltheria's name, but the seal held firm.
Power unlike anything seen before surged through the land, marking the beginning of an eternal slumber for the cursed one.
But the cost was great.
Eltheria felt her strength waning, the very essence of her soul feeding the spell, binding it to eternity.
The golden light dimmed, flickering like a candle in the wind, but she did not waver.
With her final breath, she whispered, "For Eldoria."
A final burst of radiance erupted, then silence.
Eltheria was gone. Only the faint shimmer of the seal remained, the last remnants of her existence woven into the very magic that now imprisoned Vhezeroth.
Back in Eldoria, word of her sacrifice spread like wildfire. The golden princess, the one destined to rule, had given everything to protect the kingdom.
Mourning swept through the land, from the noble courts to the humblest villages. Her sister, draped in a thin white veil, wept for the loss of the one person who had always protected her.
Yet, not all saw her actions as heroic.
"She was reckless," some murmured, their voices laced with resentment.
"She threw away her life when she should have led us."
"No," others argued, their eyes brimming with reverence.
"She is the greatest hero Eldoria has ever known. Without her, we would have perished."
Among the whispers and debates, another theory took root—one that would live on as legend.
"Perhaps she has not vanished," an elder mused, gazing upon the land that was slowly healing.
"Perhaps her spirit now resides within the Heart of Eldoria itself. Perhaps she watches over us still."
And so, Eltheria's name was etched into history, her sacrifice immortalized in song and scripture.
Some saw her as a martyr, others as a savior, and some believed she had transcended into something far greater.
But one thing was certain.
Eltheria, the golden princess, was no more.
Yet her light would never fade.
To be continued.