The shadows coiled around Eldara before she could react. They slithered like living tendrils, binding her wrists, pulling her away from Aria with unnatural force.
Eldara gasped, struggling against the inky restraints. "Aria—!"
Aria lunged forward, but the creature materialized between them, towering, monstrous.
Its voice was a cruel whisper in the wind. "Did you think I truly needed your help?"
Aria froze.
The shadow's form solidified—taller than before, with long, jagged limbs that flickered between reality and nothingness. A grin stretched across its shifting face, a mockery of something once human.
"It was just a test of your faith."
Aria's blood ran cold.
The creature's grin widened. "Now I have both of you."
Eldara let out a cry as the shadows yanked her backward. The darkness devoured her—pulling her into the abyss beyond the trees.
Aria's breath hitched.
No—no, no, no!
She forced her body to move, sprinting forward, sword in hand. A desperate swing—
The blade passed through the creature like mist.
The shadow laughed.
Mocking.
Aria's heart pounded. She tried again—this time aiming for its center. But the sword did nothing. No wound. No reaction.
Just more laughter.
The creature tilted its head. "Is that all?"
Aria clenched her teeth, gripping the hilt tighter.
Think. Think!
She had fought creatures before—monsters of the unknown. But this—this was different. This thing was beyond her.
For the first time, she felt truly powerless.
The weight of it crashed into her.
Eldara was gone.
She had failed.
Her grip on the sword wavered.
The creature watched, eyes gleaming with cruel delight. "Sad, isn't it?"
Aria's chest tightened.
She had faced fear before.
But this?
This was something deeper.
The creature leaned closer. "You could have had everything."
Aria forced herself to look at it. "I don't want your deals."
It hummed. "And yet, you hesitate. Why?"
Aria opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Why?
Because it had taken Eldara?
Because she had lost?
Or…
Because a part of her feared the creature was right?
The shadow chuckled. "You are breaking, little seer."
A sharp pain shot through her skull. Visions—fractured and disjointed—flashed in her mind.
Callan. Eldara.
The darkness.
The future.
It was unraveling.
And she had never felt so alone.
The creature's form twisted, shifting closer. "You cannot win."
Aria fell to her knees.
Weak.
Defeated.
Lost.
The shadow loomed over her.
And for the first time, she wondered if this was how it would all end.
The ground beneath Aria trembled as the creature towered over her, its presence pressing against her like an unbearable weight. Shadows flickered around her, twisting into whispering figures that seemed to mock her.
You failed.
You're weak.
You don't deserve to win.
Aria clenched her fists, nails biting into her palms. She had never felt so powerless before, never felt this kind of despair creeping into her bones. She had always found a way to fight back, to push forward despite the odds.
But this…
This felt different.
The creature's voice slithered into her ears. "Do you see it now? The futility of your struggle? You are nothing."
Aria lifted her gaze, eyes burning with unshed tears. "No."
The creature tilted its head. "No?"
Aria forced herself to stand. Her legs wobbled beneath her, but she didn't let herself fall again.
The darkness swirled, pressing against her like an ocean tide. Eldara was gone, taken into the abyss. The weight of that truth nearly shattered her resolve.
But then—
A memory surfaced.
Callan's laughter, bright and warm.
Eldara's kindness, despite her pain.
Aria had spent her whole life being feared, being cast aside. But these people—these few—had seen her. Had believed in her.
And if she gave up now—
What would they have suffered for?
The creature's form flickered. It could see the shift in her stance, the flicker of light reigniting in her eyes.
It let out a low, rumbling laugh. "Ah. You still think you have a chance."
Aria exhaled slowly.
Fear was still there, coiling in her chest. But she wouldn't let it consume her.
Not this time.
She reached deep within herself, searching for something—anything—that could help her fight back. Her seer powers had always shown her glimpses of the future, but they had never been something she could control.
Maybe it was time to change that.
Aria closed her eyes.
The darkness pressed in, but she didn't fight it. Instead, she reached into it, searching for a thread of light within the chaos.
And then—
A flicker.
A pulse of something ancient and powerful.
Her eyes snapped open.
The creature reeled back, its form distorting.
Aria didn't hesitate. She stepped forward, and with every movement, the shadows peeled away from her, recoiling as if burned.
The creature hissed. "What are you—?"
Aria lifted her hand. A soft glow emanated from her fingertips, faint but growing stronger.
A gift.
A curse.
She had spent her life questioning what her powers were, but maybe that wasn't the point.
Maybe they were simply hers.
And she would use them on her terms.
The creature lunged.
Aria didn't run.
She reached out, grasping onto that glowing thread of power—
And pulled.
Light erupted around her.
The world shifted.
For a moment, she was nowhere. Nothing. Floating between time and space.
And then—
A voice.
Soft, distant. Familiar.
"Aria."
She turned.
And there, standing amidst the golden light—
Was Eldara.
Alive.
Waiting.
Aria took a breath.
And stepped forward.