KABIR KHURANA

Enveloped in an absolute shroud of darkness, I resorted to closing my eyes as a preemptive defence against Violexa’s insidious illusions and the potential traps for my senses. In this inky blackness, I navigated the thermal signatures of those around me, mirroring Eugene’s method of ‘seeing’ through his insight on gravitational forces.

For the preceding stretch of time, Eugene and I had grappled with the trio of lingering Voidshades, adversaries whose defeat would likely have been sealed by now were it not for Violexa’s mastery over illusions. These illusions defied typical defences, bypassing external barriers and targeting our minds and souls directly.

Amid a brief respite, I managed to breathe out my thoughts, my voice carrying the weight of urgency. "Prioritise dealing with Violexa!"

Eugene, equally taxed, responded in kind, his voice resolute despite the fatigue. "I can confront her, but Crimzor stands in my way."

My counter proposal followed swiftly, borne from the urgency of the situation. "Allow me to take on Crimzor. Keep Jadonix at bay for me."

In that pivotal moment, Eugene’s touch ignited an unfamiliar energy within me. Surrendering to the infusion, I felt a weightlessness embrace me, a sensation akin to defying gravity itself. I was now the beneficiary of his gravitational abilities, and my movements were marked by newfound nimbleness.

Simultaneously, Jadonix’s once-solid spear assumed a translucent quality, with each shard exuding distinct thermal signatures. With a speed that mirrored lightning’s own, he surged towards me, the threat imminent.

Yet Eugene’s bestowed power endowed me with unparalleled agility, enabling me to sidestep Jadonix’s attack with unprecedented ease. My body, liberated from its normal weightiness, moved through the air with the fluid grace of a paper aeroplane soaring on a gentle breeze.

Taking full advantage of this newfound prowess, I propelled myself upward, the trajectory perfectly calibrated to outmanoeuvre Crimzor’s charging broadsword, the molten weapon hurtling towards me with menace.

With the utmost finesse, I descended gracefully, my fingers nimbly drawing an array of arrows. Each shaft was unleashed at Crimzor, his lumbering charge and massive size rendering him a vulnerable target. While these arrows might not have found their mark in the most critical of locations, their impact was far from insignificant.

As they pierced his form, a transformation occurred: they dissolved into a silvery liquid that permeated his very being. Guided by his sluggish movements, the liquid insinuated itself within, tracing the contours of his body with an eerie efficacy.

His agonised scream reverberated through the tumultuous air as his incendiary form, once akin to molten lava, began its gradual transformation into a chilling shade of pale blue. However, the process was a stubborn struggle for him, with his essence clashing with the encroaching frost.

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In the brief window that opened for a potentially decisive strike, my focus was jolted by the resonant clang of metal against metal. This marked the culmination of Eugene and Jadonix’s combat, their weaponry colliding in a symphony of sharp sounds that echoed across the battlefield. A kinetic dance played out as Eugene’s nimbleness countered Jadonix’s streaking bolts of lightning, a dance that was gradually tilting in favour of the latter.

The visible signs on Eugene’s body revealed this: his equilibrium of temperature was disrupted in several patches, a clear indication of the scorching lightning that had charred his flesh in those locations.

Recognising the need for swift intervention, my attention pivoted to Crimzor. Despite my influence working on him through the silvery liquid seeping into his being, his struggle persisted.

And suddenly, in an instant that was both astounding and surprising, my little and nimble bow expanded rapidly. Its proportions grew to my height and then to a huge four-metre scale. Normally, holding a bow of this size looked impossible, but because of Eugene’s gravitational abilities, amplified by my present weightlessness, I could finally do it. Eugene’s abilities turned this huge bow, which had previously been hard for me to hold, feather-light.

A counterpart to the expanded bow emerged in my grip—an arrow sized to match the newly enlarged weapon. Yet its uniqueness lay not just in its size but also in the elemental whirlwind it conjured. Air churned and twisted around the arrowhead, akin to a miniature tornado. This augmentation was my replication of the power I wielded, supercharging the already gleaming silvery projectile with a miniature tempest, an enhancement that promised an unparalleled degree of destruction.

Indeed, a single shot with this empowered arrow held enough potential to vanquish Crimzor. His imposing size and robust constitution were no defence against the enormity of force contained within this missile, and I aimed to exploit this single moment of vulnerability to its fullest extent.

I locked my aim on him at the precise moment he was on the brink of regaining control over his body. However, I halted my actions abruptly, detecting an unusual aspect. Despite the thermal signatures resembling those of Crimzor being in line with my expectations, they exuded an overly flawless quality, almost as if they were fabricated.

A sudden realisation dawned on me. It became evident that Violexa could easily conjure up this type of deception, aiming to mislead me while my eyes remained shut. The authentic Crimzor, it seemed, was concealed elsewhere, using the time to recover from injuries and waiting for the opportune moment to strike at me.

Without any delay, I transitioned into a composed state and shifted my focus towards locating him. Swiftly, I identified an anomalous thermal trace in close proximity on the battlefield. In a split second, I released the formidable, substantial arrow with remarkable velocity, resembling a bullet as it surged forth, accompanied by a sonic boom that distorted the air itself.

A bone-chilling shriek reached my ears as I opened my eyes. Out of thin air, a sizable Crimzor materialised amidst the battlefield turmoil, where a Venturer grappled with a void creature.

It was as though the illusion that had granted him invisibility and concealed him had been shattered. I observed him make contact with the abnormally large and gleaming silver arrow, which had traversed his body entirely, piercing through flesh until it emerged from his back.

Magma surged from the extensive wound where the arrow had embedded itself, yet it rapidly solidified, inflicting no harm. Soon thereafter, Crimzor’s once fiery red complexion shifted to a hue of blue as layers of ice enshrouded him. Ultimately, he succumbed, his breath vanishing as his blood vessels and organs succumbed to my powers, ceasing their functions.

At last, Crimzor met his demise.