Meanwhile, deep in the lair, Kamari and Malik struggled against the suffocating darkness that surrounded them. The inky void pulsed like a living entity, with endless shadow tendrils lashing out, trying to pin them down. Kamari’s blue flames roared in defiance, slashing through the blackness, but the shadows kept coming—relentless and unyielding, like the void itself was fighting to consume them.

Suddenly, a powerful blast of energy struck Malik, causing him to collide with Kamari. They rolled through the endless murky shroud, losing all sense of direction, but quickly regained their footing, instinctively positioning themselves back-to-back.

“Stay sharp,” Malik whispered.

Kamari nodded as his eyes searched the blackness.

Zion's voice echoed through the darkness. "There’s no need for this. We share the same goal—a realm free from the Nether God's influence. Let me finish what I started. Let me save us."

"You talk too much," Malik said.

He proceeded to slam his palms together before slowly pulling them apart, conjuring a tightly compressed sphere of searing blue flames between his hands. Kamari watched silently as Malik raised the glowing orb. From it came a blast of pure Phoenix Energy that shot upward, exploding against the unseen edge of the void. The blackness trembled and rippled, and cracks began to form, allowing faint rays of green light to pierce the darkness.

“Stop, you fool!” Zion shouted. “You’ll destroy everything!”

In an instant, Zion and Zaire emerged from the shadows, their forms materializing like phantoms. Both targeted Malik, who remained focused on the fiery blast. Kamari didn’t hesitate; with a burst of blue flames, he launched himself at Zaire, colliding with him and knocking him backward. However, this left Zion free to strike.

Zion closed in on Malik, aiming a fist at his gut. However, Malik was ready and braced himself, hardening his torso just in time to absorb the punch. Malik then retaliated—targeting the fiery blast toward Zion and pushing him back.

Unfortunately, the brief diversion was enough for the cracks in the void to begin healing—the dark energy quickled stitched the realm back together. Malik cursed under his breath and frantically glanced around, trying to locate Kamari. But before he could do anything, Zion reappeared with a sinister halo of black fireballs swirling behind him.

“The portal gate will breach Vordiyr any minute now. Damaging the equipment will only doom us all!”

Zion unleashed a flurry of fireballs at Malik, each one infused with pure Nether Energy. Malik darted across the ground, moving like a blur as he skillfully dodged each fiery blast. Closing the distance, he propelled himself upward with a burst of flame from his palms. He stopped in front of Zion and spun around to deliver a powerful, fiery kick aimed at Zion's head.

But Zion was prepared.

With a wave of his hand, the ceiling of the void shifted, and a massive pillar of shadows crashed down onto Malik, slamming him into the ground. Before Malik could recover, Zion summoned even more shadows, wrapping them around Malik's body like constricting vines, burying him in their cold, crushing grip.

----------------------------------------

Across the void, Kamari fought fiercely against Zaire. Every punch he threw and every fiery blast he unleashed was met with Zaire’s calm, almost effortless defense. However, what unsettled Kamari the most wasn’t Zaire’s skill; it was his expression. Zaire wasn’t angry, nor was he desperate. He was smiling—warmly, even. There was a weird admiration in his eyes.

"You've always had a stubborn fire within you, Young Phoenix. You refuse to give in, no matter how hopeless the situation," Zaire said, blocking another of Kamari's flaming strikes.

"Zion is going to kill us all!" Kamari shouted. "You have to know that!"

"You are mistaken. My father has dedicated his life to achieving a singular goal: to save the Realm. Everything we've done... it has all been for that."

Before Kamari could respond, Zaire grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the ground. The force knocked the air from his lungs. He struggled against Zaire's iron grip, but it was useless.

Zaire leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper. "In the end, the Realm will be grateful to us. They will no longer have to live in fear."

"You really think they'll forgive you for everything you've done? For all the lives you've destroyed?"

Zaire’s smile faded, his eyes narrowing. "Forgiveness? I don't need their forgiveness."

With a surge of strength, Kamari pressed his hand against Zaire’s chest and unleashed a burst of blue fire, sending Zaire flying away. He then scrambled to his feet, breathing heavily as his eyes darted around the void in search of Malik—but he was nowhere to be found.

"This is not the time for you to be distracted," Zaire said, his voice cold. He'd reappeared behind Kamari, immediately clamping his hand around the nape of Kamari’s neck. "Have you already forgotten the pain you felt when I tore the Phoenix Core from your chest? The helplessness you felt?"

The memory ignited something dark within Kamari, sparking a searing rage that exploded like wildfire. He spun around, his fist ablaze with blue flames, aiming to strike Zaire. However, Zaire dodged effortlessly. Kamari's anger intensified, causing his flames to shift from blue back to a volatile, flickering yellow.

Zaire’s eyes gleamed with interest as he observed the change. "Ah... There it is. Your weakness. Your emotions still govern you."

"Shut up!" Kamari shouted.

He lashed out repeatedly—his attacks grew erratic and desperate. His breathing became ragged, and his frustration increased with each missed blow, causing his flames, once bright and controlled, to flicker wildly.

Zaire stepped closer, locking his eyes on Kamari’s. "You can’t control it, can you? You’re still that scared boy who lost everything. You’ve grown stronger, yes—but strength alone won’t make you worthy of the Core."

Kamari attacked again, but Zaire caught him effortlessly, locking his grip around Kamari’s arms. He lifted Kamari off the ground, suspending him in mid-air.

"You’re not ready. You will never be ready as long as you allow your emotions to control you."

Zaire’s words struck Kamari like a dagger to the heart. He went still, the fire within him quickly fading. Doubt consumed his mind as the walls he had constructed around his guilt and pain began to crumble. He had fought so hard to overcome his failures and to grow stronger, but now it felt like all of that was slipping away. Zaire's voice wrapped around his soul like chains, pulling him deeper into the darkness of his own fears.

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"No," Kamari's voice cracked as the fight left him. His flames were extinguished, leaving him cold and drained.

Zaire's smile wavered slightly as something flickered in his eyes—was it pity or perhaps... regret? Before he could speak again, the void trembled with a loud blast that ripped through the darkness.

It was Malik. He had broken free from the shadows, and with a single glance, he saw Kamari hanging helplessly in Zaire’s grip. Ignoring Zion, who hovered above like a vengeful god, he launched himself toward Kamari.

Zion reacted instantly, unleashing dark fireballs with astounding speed. They whistled through the air, homing in on Malik, who evaded each one, feeling the intense heat as they detonated behind him, shattering the floor of the void. Zaire, sensing the incoming danger, unleashed shadowy tendrils, but Malik was too quick to be caught. Some grazed his skin, leaving shallow cuts across his face and torso, but he didn’t stop—he couldn’t.

Malik conjured two fireballs, curving them through the air. The first struck the side of Zaire's torso, exploding on impact. The second slammed into Zaire’s head, the force chucking him to the side and loosening his grip on Kamari.

Kamari's limp body collapsed, but before he could hit the ground, Malik was there to catch him. He lifted Kamari and propelled them both upward, soaring over Zaire. As they did, the dark fireballs hurled by Zion collided with Zaire, causing him to skid across the ground.

Malik wasn't done yet. He unleashed a wave of fire that surrounded them, forming a towering wall of flames like a protective cocoon. He then turned his attention to Kamari, who lay in his arms with hollow eyes.

"Snap out of it, Kamari!"

Kamari was slumped over, his face marked by sorrow and shame. The fight had disappeared from his eyes.

"Is that it?" Malik asked, spinning Kamari to face him. "Are you really going to let him take everything away from you? Everything you've worked so hard for?"

Kamari's eyes barely showed any signs of recognition—his mind was clouded by self-doubt and fear.

"What happened to the Kamari who never gives up? The one who mastered blue flames in just days? Don't let him get inside your head! You're better than this!"

Suddenly, a shadow tendril shot through the wall of flames, piercing straight through Malik’s torso. The impact was brutal—blood sprayed from his mouth as his body convulsed. His gasp was sharp and desperate, and his eyes widened as he clutched the tendril in disbelief.

The fiery wall fell, revealing Zaire on the other side, his arm extended with the shadow tendril coiling from his palm.

"Malik!"

Kamari’s voice echoed through the darkness, his heart pounding as Malik’s blood spattered across his face. A deep fury surged within him, igniting his fists with blazing golden flames. He was ready to strike, to unleash it all on Zaire—until Malik’s faint voice cut through the rage, freezing him in place.

"No, Kamari... don’t."

The tendril dissolved, and Malik’s body collapsed to the ground with a sickening thud. Kamari was at his side in an instant, hands shaking as he materialized an Irei Crystal. Blood soaked the ground beneath them, and Malik’s breaths came in shallow, rasping gasps. Kamari’s hands trembled as the crystal’s dim glow barely illuminated Malik’s wound—but it was hopeless. The wound was too deep; he could only partially seal it. Desperation clawed at him as he struggled to find something—anything—to keep Malik’s life from slipping away. But the sharp scent of iron filled his nostrils as he choked on the terrible truth: Malik wasn’t going to make it.

"No, no, no... please..." Kamari whispered, his voice breaking as tears blurred his vision. He cradled Malik in his arms, unable to accept the reality unfolding before him.

Zion stood beside Zaire, gazing at Kamari and Malik for a moment before speaking. "Make sure they don’t interfere again." He then vanished from the black void.

Zaire's eyes lingered on Kamari, and once again, there was a flicker of something in Zaire's gaze—remorse?

"Young Phoenix..." he said softly.

Kamari’s head snapped up. "I’m going to kill you for this," he said, his voice low and ice-cold. His hand reignited with golden flames, but Malik’s trembling fingers caught his wrist.

"Don't..." Malik gasped, blood gushing from his mouth, "...give in to your anger."

Kamari froze. His golden flames, which had started to flare uncontrollably, dimmed, even though the fire in his soul—his fury, his pain—screamed for release. He wanted to lash out, to destroy Zaire, to reduce everything around him to ash. But Malik's voice, barely a whisper, anchored him in place.

"Calm yourself... No doubt, no anger." Malik's words came out slowly, each breath a struggle.

Kamari remained still, torn between the blinding fury consuming him and the words of the person he'd considered his brother, who had stood by him, even at his lowest. He looked into Malik’s eyes—eyes that, even now, in their final moments, held only trust and belief in him. Slowly, the fury began to fade.

Malik smiled faintly. "You've got this."

Slowly, Kamari forced himself to take deep breaths. In. Out. He closed his eyes, searching for the calm and clarity he had once found at the lake. As he inhaled deeply, memories flooded his mind—not of anger or vengeance, but something else. He recalled Nala’s smiling face and her innocent voice calling him a hero. He remembered Byron’s unwavering faith and Amara’s love.

He then opened his eyes, and the chaos in his heart settled.

He gently lowered Malik's body to the ground, his heart breaking as he watched the last flickers of life fade from Malik's face. Yet his own flame—his fire—burned brighter. He stood with his body steady, his eyes locked on Zaire, who stood silently, watching. For the first time, Zaire's taunts and arrogance had vanished from his mind. Kamari wasn't here for him; he wasn't here for vengeance. He was here for Malik, for Nala, for everyone he had failed, and for everyone he still had to protect.

He raised his hand, and a tiny flicker of flame danced in his palm. It shifted from red to orange, then blazed into a brilliant golden yellow.

Zaire's expression shifted, and a faint smile curled his lips. "Show me what you’ve got, Young Phoenix."

With a final breath, the flame in Kamari's palm transformed into an intense, deep blue—brighter and hotter than it had ever been before. Zaire’s eyes widened slightly, the first sign of surprise, but he didn’t flinch. He spread his arms wide, summoning the dark energy around him as he braced himself.

Then, Kamari released it.

A torrent of blue fire erupted, roaring across the void with unstoppable force. Zaire dug his heels into the ground as shadows swirled around him, forming a protective barrier. However, the moment the blue fire made contact with the shadows, they evaporated like smoke. Zaire's feet skidded backward as he continued to fight against the pressure of the fire, but Kamari did not relent. The flames surged forward, fueled by everything he had—his strength, his love, and his loss.

Then, it happened.

The blue flames flickered briefly, almost imperceptibly, before deepening into something more powerful. The fire transformed from blue to purple and then into an ethereal, glowing green. Kamari's eyes widened in disbelief, and so did Zaire's.

The Soul Flame.

The moment the green flame ignited, it felt as if the entire void quivered. Zaire’s smirk faded, replaced by a look of pure awe. The raw power of the Soul Flame bore down on him with a crushing force that was too powerful to withstand. His body buckled, and his defenses shattered. He let out a scream, his voice echoing through the void as the flame overwhelmed him, disintegrating his form into nothingness—leaving behind only the smoldering tip of his pinky finger.

The Soul Flame didn’t stop. It slammed into the unseen boundaries of the void, cracking its surface like fragile glass. The entire realm shattered, revealing Zion standing before the portal gate, his eyes wide with shock. The attack had destroyed one of the massive vats, sending green energy spilling across the chamber floor. Zion’s gaze darted from the destruction to the smoke that what left from son’s vaporized form, a look of horror twisting his face.

“Zaire... what have you done to my son?!”

Before Zion could react, Zaire's clone crashed through the roof. Its shadowy form dissolved upon colliding with the base of the portal gate, causing the gate's frame to crack and the structure to splinter under the strain. Soon after, Byron and Nia descended into the chamber. Their eyes immediately fell upon Malik's still form, cradled in Kamari's arms.

Nia's breath caught in her throat, and she whispered, "No..."

Byron’s expression darkened, a flicker of sadness crossing his face as he gazed at Malik. But there was no time to mourn. The portal gate groaned under the strain, its structure warping as dark energy pulsed uncontrollably.

"You fools!" Zion shouted. "You've destabilized the portal! If it collapses now—"

He was interrupted as the portal gate violently expanded, breaking through the already shattered ceiling. It loomed over the chamber, emanating waves of Nether Energy that seemingly caused the Realm to tremble under its uncontrollable power.