The Blighted Plains stretched out in all directions, its oppressive mist thickening as the sisters approached the source of the corruption. The air crackled with energy, and the shard at Zarya’s side pulsed in erratic bursts, almost as if in warning.

“It’s close,” Zarya said, her voice strained. She clutched her quarterstaff tightly, her amber eyes fixed on the faint glow piercing through the fog ahead.

Nyssa crouched low, scanning the terrain. “There’s movement,” she whispered. “A lot of it.”

Rhea tightened her grip on her greataxe. “We stay together. Whatever’s waiting for us, we end it here.”

The sisters advanced cautiously, their weapons at the ready. As they crested a small hill, the ritual site came into view. A jagged stone platform rose from the cracked earth, surrounded by glowing obelisks that pulsed in unison. At the center of the platform, the corrupted cleric leader stood, the stolen artifact suspended above his outstretched hands.

The leader’s voice echoed through the air, a low, distorted chant that sent chills down their spines. The obelisks responded, their glow intensifying as streams of energy arced between them, forming a barrier of crackling light around the platform.

“He’s drawing power from the obelisks,” Zarya said, her voice trembling. “If he completes the ritual, the corruption will spread faster than we can stop it.”

“We won’t let that happen,” Rhea said, her voice steady. “We break through, together.”

A guttural roar erupted from the mist as corrupted creatures emerged, their twisted forms barely recognizable as human. The sisters braced for the attack, their weapons flashing in the dim light.

Vira charged forward, her warhammer smashing into the nearest creature with a deafening crack. “Hold the line!” she bellowed, her shield raised against the onslaught.

Nyssa moved swiftly, her arrows striking true as she aimed for weak points in the creatures’ warped anatomy. “We need to clear a path to the platform!” she called.

Zarya hesitated, her shard glowing brighter as it resonated with the ritual’s energy. The visions she’d seen in the ruins flashed through her mind—the obelisks, the corruption, the danger of unchecked power.

“Zarya!” Nala’s voice snapped her back to the present. The youngest sister was beside her, her hands glowing with healing light as she tended to Lira’s injuries. “We need you!”

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Zarya nodded, steeling herself. “I’m here.”

As the battle raged, Rhea led the charge toward the platform, her greataxe cleaving through the creatures blocking their path. “Eira! The obelisks!” she shouted.

Eira understood immediately, her spear flashing as she drove it into the ground near the base of one of the glowing obelisks. The runes etched into its surface flickered, and the energy arcing to the platform dimmed slightly.

“It’s working!” Eira shouted. “But it’s not enough!”

“We need to take down all of them,” Zarya said, her voice filled with urgency. “The obelisks are fueling the ritual.”

One by one, the sisters targeted the obelisks. Vira used her warhammer to shatter a weakened structure, while Nyssa’s arrows disrupted the flow of energy to another. Lira’s flaming whip wrapped around a third obelisk, the fire searing through the corrupted stone.

The energy barrier around the platform flickered, and the corrupted cleric leader snarled, his chant growing louder. “You cannot stop this!” he roared, his voice reverberating unnaturally.

As the sisters reached the platform, the shard at Zarya’s side pulsed violently, its light intertwining with the stolen artifact’s glow. Zarya staggered, her vision blurring as the shard’s voice whispered in her mind.

“Take it,” the voice urged, deep and resonant. “Only through power can you prevail.”

Zarya gritted her teeth, resisting the pull. She raised her quarterstaff, flames dancing along its length as she pointed it at the corrupted leader. “You won’t win.”

The leader laughed, his corrupted form crackling with energy. “You don’t even understand what you hold. This is not the end—it is the beginning.”

Zarya hesitated, the shard’s power tugging at her resolve. She glanced at her sisters—Rhea’s unyielding strength, Nala’s quiet determination, Vira’s unshakable defense. They were counting on her.

“No,” Zarya said firmly, her voice cutting through the whispers. “This ends now.”

She channeled her magic, combining the shard’s energy with her own fire. The flames surged forward, striking the stolen artifact and shattering its bindings. The artifact fell to the ground, its glow dimming as the ritual’s energy dissipated.

The corrupted cleric leader let out a final, agonized scream as the power he’d drawn collapsed inward, consuming him in a burst of green light. The remaining creatures dissolved into ash, their forms unable to sustain themselves without the ritual’s energy.

The sisters stood In silence, their breaths heavy as the glow from the obelisks faded. The ritual site was quiet once more, the oppressive energy dissipating into the mist.

Rhea placed a hand on Zarya’s shoulder. “You did it,” she said, her voice soft but filled with pride.

Zarya nodded, though her expression remained troubled. “It’s not over,” she said. “The shard… the obelisks… they’re still connected. And the corruption hasn’t stopped.”

Nala picked up the fallen artifact, examining it carefully. “This might help us understand more,” she said. “But we need time.”

“Then we take it back to the enclave,” Rhea said. “We regroup, we learn, and we get stronger.”

The sisters turned away from the ruined platform, their resolve unshaken. The Blighted Plains stretched out before them, but their path was clear.