The figure before them was no mere mortal. Cloaked in darkness, his presence seemed to smother the flickering light of the Flame Lotus. The embers in his eyes gleamed with a predatory hunger, like a wolf watching its prey from the shadows.
Moria's expression shifted from curiosity to cold indifference. "You think you can claim what is mine?" Her voice was light, yet there was an edge to it—a threat veiled in sweetness. She took a step forward, her body radiating a dangerous energy, a fire that had burned for millennia.
The man's lips twisted into a smirk. "I'm not here to claim what is yours, goddess," he said, the word dripping with contempt. "I'm here to take back what was stolen."
Jiang Yan's eyes narrowed as he scanned the figure in front of them. The air around them pulsed with an unfamiliar, almost unnatural, energy. He could sense the power radiating from the stranger, dark and ancient, much like the flames Moria controlled. But it was more than that—it was something deep, something that seemed to twist the very fabric of the world itself.
"Who are you?" Jiang Yan asked, his voice a low growl. His blades, still stained with the blood of the guardians, glinted in the dying light. "What do you want with the Lotus?"
The man's smirk deepened. "I am Zhen, the Shadow King. And as for the Flame Lotus," he paused, stepping closer with slow, deliberate steps, "I want its power. The Flame Lotus is the key to unlocking the greatest of all secrets, and I won't let you keep it."
Moria tilted her head, her golden eyes flashing with a dangerous glint. "The Flame Lotus doesn't belong to you, Zhen. It belongs to the one who can tame it. And I, goddess of both life and death, have already claimed it."
A low growl emanated from Zhen, the sound like the rumble of distant thunder. "You may have claimed it, but it is not yours to wield alone. The power of the Lotus was never meant for anyone, especially not you."
Moria's laughter, sweet and melodic, echoed across the still air. "Is that so? And what makes you think you have the right to say who it belongs to?"
Zhen's eyes burned with fury, and the ground beneath them trembled. "Because I am the one who holds the true key to its power. The Flame Lotus is but a fragment of a much greater force. If you truly think you can control it, you are mistaken."
A flicker of doubt crossed Li Yuan's face, but he quickly masked it. The situation was rapidly escalating, and the power in the air was becoming unbearable. He could feel it in his bones—the raw, primal energy that surged like a storm, ready to tear everything apart.
"Enough," Jiang Yan said, his voice sharp. His blades gleamed under the moonlight as he stepped forward, ready for a fight. "We don't have time for riddles, Zhen. If you want the Lotus, you'll have to take it from us."
Zhen's laughter was cold, devoid of warmth. "Very well," he said, his voice like a whisper in the wind. "If you insist."
Without warning, Zhen raised his hand, and the earth beneath them cracked open. A black, viscous substance poured from the cracks, crawling toward them like a sentient river of darkness. It reached up to encase their feet, attempting to bind them in place.
Moria's eyes glowed with an inner fire, and with a wave of her hand, the dark substance sizzled and evaporated into smoke. "Your tricks won't work on me, Zhen."
But Zhen was already moving. His form flickered, merging with the shadows, and in an instant, he appeared behind Moria, his hand outstretched to strike.
Jiang Yan reacted in a flash, his blades slicing through the air, but Zhen was faster. With a twist of his body, Zhen dodged the attack, leaving only a wisp of shadow in his wake.
Li Yuan's heart pounded in his chest as he watched the battle unfold before him. Zhen was unlike any opponent he had ever seen—his movements were smooth and effortless, like liquid shadows. But it was Moria who truly intrigued him. Despite the threat looming over them, she remained calm, her presence unwavering.
"You think your darkness can overcome my flames?" Moria's voice was cold and cutting, a sharp contrast to the warmth of the fire that surrounded her.
Zhen's eyes glowed with an eerie intensity. "Flames are but fleeting. Shadows, however, are eternal."
With a flick of his wrist, the air around them shifted, warping as if reality itself was bending. The sky above darkened further, and the ground beneath them began to warp and twist. The Flame Lotus flickered, its petals dimming as if the light itself was being drained from the world.
"No!" Moria shouted, her eyes blazing with fury. "You will not take what is mine."
With a single command, she summoned the full force of her flames. A torrent of fire erupted from her hands, swirling around her like a tempest. The flames clashed against the shadows, creating a violent, blinding explosion of light and darkness.
Li Yuan stumbled back, shielding his eyes from the intense light. The ground beneath him shook, and the air was thick with the sound of clashing elements. He could feel the power of both Moria and Zhen in equal measure, a destructive force that threatened to tear the very world apart.
Jiang Yan's eyes were locked on Zhen, his expression a mix of determination and concern. He knew that Moria was powerful, but Zhen's power was something else entirely—it was as if he drew from the very essence of the shadows, using them as his weapon.
Moria, however, was not one to back down. With a final, defiant cry, she unleashed the full extent of her power, summoning an inferno that consumed the shadows. The flames swirled and twisted, engulfing the area in a blinding sea of fire.
For a moment, there was nothing but chaos—fire and shadow, light and dark, crashing against each other in an unstoppable force. And then, as quickly as it began, it was over.
The Flame Lotus shimmered once more, its fiery petals glowing bright against the darkness. Moria stood at the center, her body surrounded by a protective ring of flames. Zhen, however, was nowhere to be seen.
Jiang Yan and Li Yuan exchanged a glance. They had won, but only just. The battle had been fierce, but it was far from over. Zhen would not retreat so easily. He would return, and next time, he would come with even greater force.
Moria, however, seemed unfazed. "He will come again," she said softly, her voice tinged with both amusement and caution. "But we are not done yet."
Li Yuan looked at her, his heart pounding with a mix of fear and awe. "What do we do now?"
Moria's golden eyes met his, and for a moment, they were filled with an intensity that sent shivers down his spine. "Now, we take what is ours. And we make sure Zhen understands that some flames cannot be extinguished."
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