The sun had just begun to cast its pale morning light across the desolate wastelands when three dark figures appeared on the horizon, advancing with purpose. Each was a towering general of Zaros’s forces, handpicked for their might and ruthlessness: Othros, the master of shadows, with his twisted blades; Velkan, a towering, armored brute wielding a warhammer capable of shattering mountains; and Serapheon, an agile sorceress known for her cursed magic and unrelenting precision. These were no ordinary generals. They had come for one reason—to kill Raelen.

Raelen stood at the edge of a ruined outpost, the memory of his last strike still fresh in the ashes beneath his feet. He could feel their approach, each step resonating with the dark energy they brought with them. A faint smile crept onto his face; he hadn’t expected Zaros to waste so little time in sending his prized enforcers. It was a shame they hadn’t realized the scale of what they were about to face.

As the three generals approached, they spread out, encircling him. Othros’s laugh was low and sinister, taunting. “You’ve stirred the wrong nest, Raelen,” he sneered. “Your legend ends here.”

Raelen didn’t flinch. His eyes gleamed with an intensity that cut through their arrogance. “I think it’s time I showed you the power that will bring your master’s empire to ruin.”

With a single fluid motion, Raelen extended his hand, murmuring the first of his new techniques, *“Sekhem’s Wrath.”* An ethereal light gathered around his fingers, coalescing into a spear of energy that crackled with a fierce, ancient power. With a flick of his wrist, the spear shot forward, piercing through Othros before he had a chance to react, his shadowy form disintegrating in a flash of brilliance.

The other two generals barely had time to process what had happened before Raelen raised his other hand, whispering, *“Anubis’s Judgment.”* Shadows twisted around his fingers, and suddenly, the ground beneath Velkan shifted. Dark tendrils shot up, ensnaring him as they grew and wrapped around his massive form, the very earth imprisoning him. Raelen’s grip tightened, and the shadows constricted with crushing force. Velkan’s pained roar split the air before he was silenced entirely, his form crumbling into dust.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Serapheon’s face twisted in horror. She began to chant, casting her own spells, desperate to ward him off. Raelen chuckled softly, tilting his head as he watched her efforts. “Do you think curses will work against one who has mastered the very magic of the ancients?” he asked.

As he raised his hand again, he murmured the name of another of his techniques, *“Ra’s Beacon.”* Blinding light erupted around him, forming a protective aura that repelled Serapheon’s attacks effortlessly. She staggered back, her magic rendered useless against the searing brightness of Raelen’s power. With a flash of his eyes, Raelen summoned a chain of light that wrapped around her, lifting her off her feet. Her struggles ceased as she was consumed, the light leaving only a faint echo of her last scream.

Raelen lowered his hand, his gaze serene as he surveyed the aftermath of the battle. The wasteland was silent, save for the whispers of the wind carrying the news of his victory. Word would spread quickly, and it would strike fear into Zaros’s forces. Raelen—the Sunscourge, as some had begun to call him—was no myth, no exaggeration. He was an unstoppable force, tearing down each cornerstone of Zaros’s empire.

Elsewhere, in a hidden chamber, Zaros’s remaining generals gathered, their faces grim. Only ten remained of the once-mighty force, and each knew that Raelen’s strength was growing beyond their comprehension. One of the generals broke the silence.

“We have underestimated him for the last time,” she said. “This time, we strike together. Every remaining asset, every power at our disposal. Zaros commands it.”

But as the whispers of fear and resolve filled the room, each of them knew the grim truth: they were not fighting just a man. They were fighting a legend, one that wielded light and shadow like a god of ancient myth, with powers beyond their comprehension. And this god was coming for them, one by one, until none remained.