Chapter 21 — Shadow fall at Iron ridge

The wind howled through the narrow cliffs of Iron ridge Pass, a jagged gap between the Black Plains and the Holy Kingdom's borders. The ground trembled with the march of the Crusader Host—40,000 armored zealots, their banners crackling in the wind and bearing the Divine Council's sun emblem.

Sephira, the Grand Inquisitor, rode ahead.

Her armor gleamed like polished ivory, and her cold eyes scanned the valley with predatory calm. Three Champions, demi-divine warriors, marched alongside her with silent menace.

Sephira raised a gauntleted hand to halt the column.

"This place reeks of shadows," she said quietly.

Her voice, tinged with celestial aura, made even the toughest knights shudder.

In the Heart of the Pass

A shadow rippled beneath the pass, far below the surface.

Nyssa crouched in the hollowed-out catacomb, her fingers curled around the Oblivion Core, which was now embedded in a ceremonial symbol on the cavern floor. The shadows around her quivered and pulsed.

Her heart raced. She was not a mage; she was an assassin. But this was her task.

Raze stood behind her, silent as ever, with his hand on his blade.

"Is the device primed?" Nyssa enquired, her voice low.

Raze nodded. "The moment Kaelen gives the signal… the pass will collapse."

Above them, thousands of enemy soldiers unknowingly marched to their deaths.

Sephira's Suspicion

Sephira dismounted and planted her spear in the earth.

"This canyon is wrong," she stated quietly.

The Champions cast wary glances.

Her hand shone with light as she whispered a prayer.

"Let the false shadows be banished…"

A holy energy pulse rippled through the ground.

Kaelen's Gambit

On a ridge overlooking the pass, Kaelen stood with Valen and Eira, shadows coiling at his feet.

"She suspects," Eira warned, watching the divine flare below.

Kaelen's eyes narrowed. "Doesn't matter. She's too late."

His hand closed around the Shadow Sigil carved into the earth beneath them.

[ Activate Oblivion Core? ][ Confirm: Shadow fall Protocol Initiated ]

"Now."

The Collapse Begins

Nyssa pushed her palm to the ritual.

The Oblivion Core flared—not with light, but with complete blackness.

A deep, hollow sound echoed throughout the mountains, like if the earth were breathing.

Above ground, fractures cut through the stone beneath the Crusader Host's feet.

Sephira turned around, her divine senses screaming.

"Shields! Pull back—"

Unfortunately, it was too late.

The Shadow Abyss Awakens

The ground beneath half of the Crusader army collapsed.

A gulf of writhing shadow stretched open, consuming millions in one instant.

Soldiers screamed as they fell into the abyss, their bodies turning into shadowy tendrils.

Shadow hands came up from below, dragging soldiers, horses, and even siege engines down.

Sephira's eyes flared with wrath.

"Champions! "With me!"

She aimed a holy fire into the chasm, but the shadows devoured it completely.

Kaelen Descends

Kaelen sprang from the ridge, disappearing into shadows as he dropped like a falling star.

He landed amidst the commotion, with shadows exploding from beneath him.

"Shadow Domain — King's Command!"

A burst of power spread, sending dark tendrils at the startled warriors.

Valen followed him into the fray, his sword glowing with shadow fire.

"For the Shadow King!"

Eira's frost magic froze more than a hundred soldiers at once, shattering them with a single spell.

Sephira vs. Kaelen — The First Clash

Sephira's gaze focused on Kaelen.

Her aura was ablaze with intense brilliance.

"Shadow spawn… you will burn."

Kaelen smirked. "Come try."

Their abilities collided: holy fire versus abyssal shadow.

As their strikes collided, the ground between them cracked, sending shock waves through the battlefield.

Sephira lunged, her spear aimed for Kaelen's heart.

Kaelen blocked with a shadow-forged blade, and the collision sent both skidding back.

Their duel had started.