I waited for him to make his move, hoping to occupy him for as much time I can. The portal was still here, is my mother safe? I hope Elsiya forgive me this time..

The thoughts continued to swirl like an abyss that tried to derail me, eating away my resolve..

Shaking my head, I put aside these thoughts and fixated on Krynnor, thinking of several possibilities of how to defeat-no stall him here.

I watched Krynnor slowly walking toward me, his eye felt heavy, his expression almost hard to read, perspiration escape from his forehead.

Krynnor stopped some ten feet’s away, unfurling my six wings, I took my defensive stance, sword drawn, gripped tightly, embedding my whole body with Aether to boost my defence and offence.

Our eyes met, he hurdled towards me, conjuring dozens of Flaming-lightning spheres, I launched towards his path.

“You can’t trick me thrice boy”, Krynnor fended off the sphere, his advanced slowed down.

I was no fool, taking the chance, I sped behind him, slicing the back of his neck.

The cut was shallow, as the wound healed in second. “I told you boy its pointless, do us both a favour and meet your mot-“

Jumping back, I unleashed a series of icicle shards interrupting his rubbish.

As he took on the attack with a grown, I dashed in front of him this time, strengthening with wind element I pierced through his chest, and releasing an aether blast through the tip of the sword, creating after blast through his back

Blood vaporised, releasing a stench of metallic odour. Dropping my brow as I Released my breath, I did it. I thought-

Suddenly I felt something cold inside my stomach, I spit out mouthful of blood as Krynnor stabbed through my stomach. “I told you kid, it’s useless”

I fired an aether blast right at his face, the recoil hurtling me backward. I slammed into the ground beside the closed portal.

I looked down, the sword pierced deep within my stomach, but by some miracle it missed my vitals, blood began to dip out from its edge.

Drawing a quick breath, I fisted my palm tightly, pushing my feet I tried to standup. But I fell on my butt as if in a chain reaction, all the pain now came back, my stomach started to burn, seeping my strength.

My heart began to race as I watch Krynnor slowly walk over.

Ah I am going to die.

But it wasn’t a wasted death, right? I asked to myself.. survivors are in other side of the portal, Elsiya is safe..most importantly my mother!. She is alive!

A smile escaped from me. Haa my heart has now seemed to have calm down, accepting my death I waited for Krynnor.

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“Boy, although you were weak, I greatly underestimated you!” looking straight into my eyes, Krynnor said in a quite heavy voice. The air around his palm shimmered into a black spark.

I see he wasn’t using even tenth of his power. The spark ignited into a dancing flame of blackish in colour, oh yes Elsiya told me it’s called Soul fire.

I closed my eyes, relaxing my nerves as everything will end. Elsiya will be alone that will be my only regret.

The fire grew in his hand, swirling in size till it was the size of a giant sphere reaching up to ten feet.

I slowly closed my eyes. A gust of wind blew over my body carrying burning smell of all alike.

Concentrating my senses, I could feel no almost see the giant soul fire falling upon me. Oh this is Aetheric sense, Elsiya used to nag me about it, I see I am almost at the end of 2nd stage of aether. I mused to myself.

Wait, there was something else, surge violet particles pouring out of the portal. Aether!

No, no!

“Elsiya! Why did come back!!?” my voice cracked as I forced my words out, standing before me was Elsiya smiling warmly at me. My breath restless. I was somewhat happy deep down to see her one last time, but not like this.

“Cause you’re my husband silly!”, she chuckled, as if it’s natural thing to do. With her right hand, she released an aetheric burst towards the giant ball of destruction, slowing its advance.

“Your destiny is greater than this, my love!”

“Idiot, you’re stronger than me, you c-”

Interrupting me, “I love you, and will always be there for you!”, she smiled closing her eye. Tears streamed downed my face uncontrollably, the memories of the past began flashing in my head, all those things appeared too short now. GET UP, I ordered to my body.. why won’t it listen?

“Goodbye”, an Aetheric hand materialised in front me, shivering the air with a violet glow.

Just when the gaint soul flame reached us, Elsiya pushed me with her invisible hand as I fell into the vibrating portal. “Wai-”, I couldn’t even finish my word.

I watched in horror as Elsiya stepped in front of me, her small frame shielding me from the hellfire. The flames swallowed her, but through the inferno, I saw her smile—serene, accepting. And then, she was gone..

Out of nowhere a violent burst of violet lightning hit me as I was falling through the portal, pulling me out of my reverie. The shockwave sent a jolt of pain, making my inside felt like churn over, making me lose my mental strength, even to think was getting harder..

My consciousness faded in and out, slipping between the reality and the numbness of this mysterious void. Every breath was a battle, each breath was a shallower than last. The cold suffocating darkness began to wrap around me, pulling me deeper into it’s embrace.

“Ahghhhhhh”, I howled in agony, screaming. But no sound came out, it was as if I was in a vacuum of different realm of higher space, in short dead.

Core felt like bursting.

Is this how it ends?

The question echoed in the remnants of my mind, a whisper lost in the storm of my torment. I could no longer feel the ache in my muscle, the searing pain in the core. Instead, there was void, a cold void of nothingness.

Vision getting darker…

Senses dull…

In and out..

But as my sense dimmed, something else stirred inside me-a flicker, a spark. It was faint, almost imperceptible, but it was there, I could feel it prodding, growing with passing second.

A memory surfaced, unbidden but vivid. Elsiya smile-soft and warm, like a dawn. The way her eyes gleam when she laugh, the gentle touch of her hand on my cheeks. The life we could have continued, the future we could have shared.

No, a voice-my voice-whispered through muddle. Not like this.

The betrayal of those lesser. The helplessness I felt when I fought Krynnor, I took everything for granted..

My swirling thought kept me drunk as time passed on or has it?..

A spark within me flared, surrounded by the numbness. The flaming burned brighter and hotter.

Just then another violent violet cloud of Aether slammed my entire body, making my entire body quaked in the burning pain, coursing through my every nerve.

Rather than rejecting it like before, I pulled it in, letting it consume me. No, I grasped at it, drawing it to my core. The pain was gradually disappearing.

Time slipped away, like sand through an hourglass. This ceaseless process carried on… I felt my mind starting to go blank, my grit was exhausted.

My eyes started to feel heavy, as the pain disappeared, so was my strength.

Too heavy..

Shutting down my eyelids, I gave into the dark, unhesitatingly.