The swirling energy of the portal pulsed in the air, growing stronger with each second as the dark magic of K’s agents fed into the ley lines. The once-grand Great Hall of Valandra was now filled with chaos—arrows flew, blades clashed, and the very ground beneath their feet trembled with the force of the magic being unleashed.
Alex could feel the barrier between worlds straining under the pressure. The cracks were deepening, and the energy around the ley lines was unstable, threatening to shatter the fragile balance that kept the virtual and real worlds separate. They were running out of time.
“We can’t let this portal open!” Alex shouted, his voice hoarse from the battle. His sword flashed through the air as he deflected a blast of dark energy, the crystal amulet at his side pulsing faintly in response to the ley lines.
Betsy, moving with precision and focus, loosed another arrow, her eyes locked on the dark-cloaked figures that guarded the ley lines. “I’m trying, but there are too many of them!”
Rogan, darting between the shadows, disabled another magical ward with his daggers, his sharp mind working furiously to find a way to disrupt the flow of energy. “We have to break their connection to the ley lines! If we can sever their link to the portal, we might be able to stop this.”
Drax, his hammer swinging in wide arcs, charged toward the leader of K’s agents, his eyes blazing with determination. “Then I’ll make sure they don’t have time to do anything!”
But the leader of K’s agents stood at the center of the ley lines, his eyes glowing with dark power as he channeled the energy into the portal. His voice echoed through the hall, filled with malice and triumph. “You’re too late. The portal is already forming, and once it opens, the barrier will collapse. There’s nothing you can do.”
Alex’s heart pounded in his chest. They had come too far to fail now. “We have to break the ley lines!” he shouted, his mind racing as he tried to think of a way to sever the connection.
Luke, standing beside Alex as always, raised his shield and stepped forward. His calm presence cut through the chaos, and as the dark magic swirled around them, he spoke the word that had guided them through every challenge they had faced: “Verum.”
Alex turned to Luke, his heart racing. “Luke… what do we do?”
Luke’s eyes met Alex’s, and for the first time, there was a flicker of something deeper in his gaze—something ancient and powerful. His shield glowed faintly as he stepped toward the ley lines, his voice calm but filled with purpose.
“The truth must be revealed.”
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Luke’s True Power
As Luke stepped closer to the ley lines, the dark magic around the room seemed to falter, as if it recognized his presence. The swirling energy of the portal hesitated, the vortex above them flickering as Luke raised his shield.
“The barrier was built to protect both worlds,” Luke said quietly, his voice steady and calm. “But it is fragile, and the cracks have deepened. The truth of the barrier… the truth of both worlds… lies within me.”
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Alex’s eyes widened in shock as he realized what Luke was saying. “You… you’re connected to the barrier. You’ve been guiding us this whole time because—”
“I am the guardian of the barrier,” Luke interrupted, his voice filled with quiet strength. “I was created to protect the balance between worlds. But I cannot save it alone. The power to repair the barrier… lies within all of you.”
Betsy, her bow still drawn, stared at Luke in disbelief. “You’ve been holding this back the whole time? Why didn’t you tell us?”
Luke’s expression remained calm. “The truth can only be revealed when it is needed.”
Drax, ever the warrior, grinned despite the tension in the air. “Well, if you’ve got some kind of super power, now’s the time to use it!”
Luke nodded, his shield glowing brighter as he raised it high. “Together, we can stop the collapse.”
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The Final Battle for the Barrier
As Luke’s shield pulsed with light, the dark magic surrounding the ley lines recoiled, and for the first time, the leader of K’s agents faltered. His eyes narrowed as he watched Luke step forward, his voice filled with fury. “What are you?”
Luke’s calm gaze met the leader’s, and his voice was filled with quiet certainty. “I am the guardian of truth. And your time has come to an end.”
With a single, powerful motion, Luke slammed his shield into the ground, sending a shockwave of energy through the ley lines. The dark magic that had been feeding the portal flickered and dimmed, and the swirling vortex above them began to destabilize.
“Now!” Alex shouted, his sword flashing as he charged toward the ley lines. “We have to sever the connection before the portal can reopen!”
Betsy’s arrows flew through the air, striking down the last of K’s agents as Rogan worked quickly to disable the remaining wards. Drax, with a roar, charged forward and swung his hammer with all his might, smashing through the dark energy that surrounded the ley lines.
Luke, standing at the center of it all, raised his shield once more, his voice filled with quiet determination. “Verum.”
The energy in the room pulsed one final time, and with a brilliant flash of light, the connection between the ley lines and the portal was severed. The swirling vortex above them collapsed in on itself, the dark magic dissipating into the air as the room fell into an eerie silence.
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The Aftermath
The Great Hall was still. The portal was gone, and the dark magic that had threatened to tear the Empire apart had been dispelled. The ley lines, though weakened, were stable once more, and the cracks in the barrier had stopped spreading—at least for now.
“We did it,” Betsy said quietly, lowering her bow as she looked around the room. “We stopped them.”
Rogan, his daggers still in hand, nodded grimly. “For now. But the barrier is still fragile. We’ve bought ourselves some time, but the threat isn’t over.”
Drax, ever the optimist, grinned as he rested his hammer on his shoulder. “Doesn’t matter. We’ll take them down wherever they show up next.”
But Alex, standing at the center of the room with Luke at his side, knew that their journey was far from over. The cracks in the barrier had been mended, but the danger still loomed. K’s agents were still out there, and the barrier remained vulnerable.
“We stopped the portal,” Alex said, his voice filled with resolve. “But the barrier is still at risk. We need to find the rest of the cracks—and we need to figure out how to repair them for good.”
Luke, his shield still glowing faintly, stepped forward. His calm presence filled the room, and as always, he spoke his single word of truth: “Verum.”
Alex nodded, feeling a surge of determination. They had uncovered part of the truth—Luke’s true role as the guardian of the barrier—but there was still more to learn. The final truth had yet to be revealed, and the fate of both worlds still hung in the balance.
“We’ll find the rest of the cracks,” Alex said, his voice steady. “And we’ll stop K’s agents before they can strike again.”
Together, CODE left the Great Hall, their mission clear and their resolve stronger than ever. The barrier had been saved—for now—but the final battle for the future of both worlds was still to come.
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End of Book 1: GLICHBORN - Ascension