The End… or the Beginning?

The battle was beyond anything they had faced before.

Nyxthar moved like liquid shadow, shifting between forms, its tendrils lashing out with terrifying speed. Vaelin and Ronan fought like demons, cutting through the abyssal limbs, while Kara chanted incantations, channeling what little light magic remained.

But Nyxthar was learning.

It adapted, regenerating faster, countering their attacks, anticipating their moves.

They were losing.

Then, Vaelin saw it—the core.

A pulsating heart of pure darkness, buried deep within the creature's chest.

The true source of its power.

With the last of his strength, Vaelin leaped.

His blade pierced the core.

Nyxthar let out a screech of agony. The ruins trembled, the walls cracked, and its form began to collapse.

"You think this is over?" Nyxthar whispered, its voice fading. "You have only delayed the inevitable…"

The abyss shattered.

The ruins collapsed.

And then—

Silence.

---

Epilogue – The Price of Victory

Vaelin opened his eyes to the ruins of Black Hollow.

The sky was clear. The monsters were gone.

But Ronan was dead.

Kara lay unconscious.

And Vaelin… felt something wrong within him.

A darkness that had not faded.

A piece of Nyxthar, lingering inside.

He clenched his fists.

The war was not over.

It had only begun