Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
Senara
The air crackled around us as Wyn and I focused our magic into the barrier. I could feel the warmth of her essence merging with mine, amplifying the strength of our combined resolve.
"Senara, I'll split my energy!" she shouted over the chaos, her eyes wide with determination. "I can help Thorn while still keeping the barrier up!"
"Just be careful!" I replied, my heart racing at the thought of dividing her focus. I wasn't sure how well it would work, but desperation left little room for doubt.
Wyn nodded, her face set in concentration. She raised her hands, shimmering threads of magic swirling around her fingertips. As she directed some of that energy toward Thorn, I could see a soft glow envelop him, a protective aura that bolstered his strength.
"Thorn! I can help!" Wyn called out as she released a stream of magic toward him.
I glanced over just in time to see Thorn's muscles tense, the added energy coursing through him like fire. With a fierce battle cry, he charged at the guardian again, striking harder than before. The creature staggered under his onslaught.
But Wyn's focus was split now; I could sense it in the wavering intensity of the barrier. It flickered slightly as a dark claw slashed against it, sending tremors through my bones.
"Wyn! Focus on keeping us safe!" I urged, tightening my grip on my own magic to compensate for any weakness in our shield.
"I'm trying! But we can't let Thorn fight alone!" Her voice strained with effort as she channeled more energy into him.
The words dug into me like daggers. Of course we couldn't. Was that what she thought I was doing? I'd have given anything to have the Moon Blades, but every time I'd try to summon them like I had in the Grove, they wouldn't come. I'd take any kind of blade at this point, but every time I found one, I lost it again in one way or another. It was like the universe was forcing me to rely on my magic, which I hated, especially since it left Thorn the sole member of our group that could go toe to toe with the monsters.
The guardian roared, bringing my thoughts back to the present as it swung again, its claws raking against the barrier. The impact felt like thunder; it rattled through me and set my already fried nerves even more on edge.
"Wyn!" I cried out again, feeling the pressure building within me as the barrier threatened to collapse under repeated assaults.
I braced myself against the onslaught of the guardian, my heart pounding as I concentrated on maintaining the barrier. But then, something shifted in Wyn. Her magic flared brightly, an unexpected surge that sent a wave of energy rippling through our makeshift shield, and I could sense that what I felt was only part of it.
"Wyn!" I gasped as the light around her grew blinding, illuminating the shadows that clung to the walls and the guardian itself.
She screamed something unintelligible, and I barely had time to react as she unleashed a beam of shimmering magic at the guardian. It struck with a deafening crack, sending shards of darkness flying. The creature howled in pain as it staggered backward, dropping its massive weapon with a clang that echoed through the ruins as it skidded across the floor toward us.
A thrill rushed through me. Had Wyn really done that? The guardian's arm hung limply at its side now, a dark, oozing substance that I could only equate to blood dripping from the wound. Thorn pressed his advantage, using his renewed vigor to attack without mercy.
I glanced at my best friend and the feeling of triumph that had surged within me only seconds before was replaced by concern. Wyn swayed on her feet, her face pale and drawn. The sheen of sweat combined with her newly chalky complexion made the initial concern I'd felt turn into full blown fear.
"Wyn!" I called out again, my heart lurching as I watched her struggle to remain upright.
"I... I'm fine," she stammered, but the tremor in her voice betrayed her. She swayed again and fell to one knee, gasping for breath.
Volker stepped forward instinctively, the magic he'd been firing off to help Thorn with the guardian subsiding as he took in Wyn's condition. "Wyn, you need–"
"Don't!" she snapped, cutting him off as she pushed him away with surprising strength for someone so drained. Her expression was almost feral as she snarled, "I can do this!"
The fire in her eyes flared momentarily before flickering out like a dying ember. Volker halted mid step, hurt and something almost like fear flashing across his face before he masked it with resolve.
"Just let me help," he urged gently, hands raised in surrender.
"No! I said I can handle it!" Her voice trembled with defiance, yet cracked under the strain. At least the feral quality it had held a second ago was gone.
With the guardian wounded and momentarily distracted by its injury, my attention darted between them and Thorn still fighting fiercely against the attacks the guardian was still dishing out, even if it was one handed now.
I knew I needed to go to Thorn, to help with the fight, but even now, as the connection that had temporarily been forged between myself and my best friend faded, I was torn. In the remaining dregs of the connection, I could tell that Wyn's power waning dangerously low. She needed support, not arguments or more forceful insistence to keep pushing herself.
The guardian glared at us from behind bloodied claws. Its breathing was heavy and labored, and the worst was that it was filled with fury rather than confidence. Despite Wyn's apparent weakness, our blow against it would not be easily forgotten, at least not by us or the creature, and it showed that we were no longer just prey in this battle for survival.
With a roar, it pivoted from Thorn to our little cluster, its gaze firmly locked onto Wyn, clearly angry at the pain she had caused it. I knew someone had to step up to distract it, and it wasn't going to be Thorn. Without our shield and magic buffing him, he was clearly struggling with exhaustion, and I didn't blame him, especially not after fighting a creature made of darkness that was more than twice his size.
As the guardian turned its fury toward Wyn, I felt a rush of adrenaline coursing through me. I had to act. With determination surging in my veins, I sprinted toward the weapon that had clattered to the ground, a massive blade that gleamed with dark energy. It radiated an unsettling power, like shadows given form.
My fingers wrapped around the hilt, and I could almost taste the corruption oozing from it, sweet and sickening at once. Despite its darkness, it felt oddly familiar in my grip, as if it recognized me. The thing probably weighed as much as Wyn, but I had no other choice. In my gut I knew if I didn't do something we would be facing a battle of attrition and one we wouldn't win.
"Thorn! Give me an opening!" I shouted, as he fought valiantly against the guardian's remaining strength. He glanced at me, confusion flickering across his face when he saw the giant sword in my hand.
"Senara, don't!" he yelled, but my resolve was unyielding.
I raised the sword high, its surface shimmering with shades of midnight. The guardian roared in anger, rushing at Wyn, leaving me with only a moment to act. My heart pounded as I drew on every ounce of strength within me and charged forward, meeting the monster in the middle.
The blade met the guardian's chest with a resounding thud, slicing through darkness and despair like it was mere smoke. The creature shrieked, its form wavering as I pushed deeper into its corrupted essence. With one last surge of energy, I thrust the weapon upward.
A blinding light erupted from the wound as the guardian's body disintegrated into a shadowy mist around us. Relief washed over me for just a moment before fatigue slammed into me like a wave. I staggered back from where the guardian had stood, its dark presence now gone, and dropped to one knee.
Thorn rushed to my side, worry etched across his features as he surveyed my state. "Senara! Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," I managed to reply even as weariness clung to my bones like a heavy shroud. But even as I spoke those words, something darker settled within me, a gnawing sensation of unease creeping into my thoughts.
Wyn joined us slowly; her face was pale and worn but still determined despite her exhaustion. "Did we…did we do it?"
"We did," Thorn replied softly, but eyed me closely. "But at what cost?"
I looked down at the blade still gripped tightly in my hand; its dark magic pulsated faintly as if alive beneath my fingertips. Though it lay dormant now, a chill danced along my skin where it touched me, an insidious reminder of what we'd faced and what lingered within. I dropped it and the moment I let go, it faded, turning to ash and mist just like its owner.
"I'll be alright," I assured them both while hiding how deeply that corruption had seeped into me already. They didn't need to know, I couldn't let them see my weakness, not now when they needed my strength most.
I staggered to my feet, still shaken from the battle with the guardian. That's when I noticed it, a pulsing light emanating from deeper within the chamber. The Starforged Mirror called to me, its surface rippling like liquid silver beneath a layer of dust and time.
"Look," I whispered, pointing toward the ancient artifact.
The mirror stood against the far wall, its ornate frame etched with constellations I'd never seen before. As we approached, magic surged from its surface in waves of shimmering energy, reminding us all why we had come to this forgotten place.
"The Starforged Mirror," Wyn breathed, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten.
Something pulled me forward, the Crescent Diadem on my head growing warm as I approached the mirror. My reflection wavered and shifted, showing not just my face but glimpses of other versions of myself, some radiant with hope, others shrouded in darkness.
"I think... I think I need to activate it," I said, reaching out with trembling fingers.
Thorn stepped forward. "Senara, wait,"
But my hand had already touched the cool surface. The mirror flared to life, brilliant light erupting from its depths. The silver surface rippled violently before shadows coalesced around us, stretching across the walls of the cavern.
"What's happening?" Volker gasped as darkness wrapped around us.
The shadows formed images, terrible, vivid visions that filled the entire chamber. We stood frozen as the mirror revealed the Empress's rise to power, her ancient form awakening from slumber deep within the Void. I watched in horror as she tore through the barriers between realms, merging worlds in chaos and destruction.
The shadows swirled around us, solidifying into a vision so real I could almost touch it. The Void Dragon Empress rose before us, her familiar form both beautiful and terrifying, a creature of ancient malevolence with scales that absorbed light rather than reflected it. Her eyes blazed with icy fire as she surveyed a landscape of merged realms, worlds bleeding into one another in chaotic disharmony.
"What is this?" Thorn whispered, his voice tight with horror.
I couldn't answer. My attention was fixed on something far more disturbing, myself, standing at the Empress's side. But it wasn't truly me. This version wore my face like an ill fitting mask, my moon mark twisted and corrupted, shadowy vine like tendrils crawling across my skin. Where my mark normally glowed with silvery gold light, these markings pulsed with void energy, drinking in the surrounding light.
"A vessel," the vision Empress purred, her voice somehow audible, though we were merely watching shadows. She stroked a talon down my doppelg?nger's face. "The perfect vessel for my power."
My stomach churned as I watched this twisted version of myself smile with vacant eyes.
"She plans to use you," Wyn gasped, her face ashen as she stared at the vision surrounding us.
The shadows shifted, showing the Empress standing at a massive ritual circle, worlds colliding above her as she channeled power through my corrupted form. The pain on my doppelg?nger's face was clear, but the vacant smile never faltered.
"The Eclipse Child bridges worlds," the Empress's voice echoed. "Born of sun and moon, she can hold the power of the void between them. Through her, I will merge all realms into one domain of endless night."
Volker stumbled back, his eyes wide. "She's not just destroying our world, she's consuming all of them."
I felt my knees weaken as I watched the vision unfold. The shadowy tendrils on my double's skin grew thicker, spreading until they covered her entirely. Her eyes turned black, empty pools that reflected nothing.
"No," I whispered, my hand instinctively reaching for Thorn's. "That's not me. That will never be me."
But even as I spoke, doubt crept in. The Crescent Diadem felt heavy on my brow, and for a moment, I swore I felt something crawling beneath my skin.
I felt the heat of Thorn's grip on my hand, grounding me as the vision swirled in front of us. I could see the horror reflected in his eyes, a mixture of fear and disbelief that mirrored my own. The shadows danced around us, each flicker revealing another terrifying glimpse of what I could become.
"No," I gasped again, shaking my head as if that would somehow dispel the vision. "That isn't me! I won't let it be!"
Thorn squeezed my hand tighter, his presence a steady anchor against the chaos unfolding before us. "Senara, listen to me." His voice was low but urgent, filled with a determination that pushed back against the dark magic swirling around us. "You're stronger than this. You're not just some vessel for her power."
Wyn stood beside us, her face pale and wide eyed as she took in the horrific spectacle. "Senara," she breathed, fear gripping her voice. "We have to do something before it consumes you."
I could feel their worry pressing against me like a tangible weight, and though part of me wanted to retreat into despair, another part surged with defiance. "I won't be her pawn," I insisted, drawing on every ounce of resolve within me.
The mirror shifted again, showing not just the Empress's influence over my shadow self but also a glimmering image deep within the Blighted Lands, a new artifact hidden among the desolation and corruption. It shimmered with an ethereal glow amidst a backdrop of darkness; its presence offered a beacon of hope amid despair.
"Look!" Wyn pointed toward the mirror's surface as clarity cut through the chaos surrounding us. "The pendant… it's there!"
The sight pulled me from my inner turmoil; an artifact hidden in a land tainted by darkness could be our key to fighting back against the Empress's hold on me, and perhaps even reclaiming my destiny.
"Senara," Thorn urged softly as he met my gaze. "If we get that pendant, it might strengthen you against her influence."
I nodded slowly, feeling a flicker of hope amidst dread and uncertainty. The vision still loomed over us, my corrupted self lingering like an ominous cloud, but this was our chance.
"Then we have to go," I said firmly, lifting my chin and letting determination fill my veins once more.
Thorn released his breath like he had been holding it all along while Wyn stepped closer to join our united front. Together we faced the flickering mirror and all that it represented: not just darkness but also the light we still had left to fight with.