Just as Shadowheart’s hand was about to touch the Nightsong’s shoulder, she froze, her breath hitching in her throat. Her eyes shot wide open, and in that instant, the raging storm around them abruptly halted. It was as if the very fabric of time had ceased to flow. The swirling chaos, the howling winds—all of it stopped, hanging in an eerie stillness.
Everyone stood in stunned silence, eyes wide with confusion, and then something even more unnatural began to unfold. The shadows around them, even their own, began to tremble violently as if they were alive, quivering in fear. The storm above parted like a curtain, revealing an opening. From that void, something descended—gently, yet with an overwhelming presence that demanded submission.
A figure appeared, walking gracefully towards them—a woman at least two meters tall. She was impossibly beautiful, with raven-black hair cascading down her back, clad in an ethereal black attire that seemed to swirl and flicker like living shadows. Her gaze pierced through the stillness, her eyes—large, haunting, and completely purple, with pupils black as the void—fixed on them, glowing with dark purpose.
A smile curled across her lips, cold and predatory.
"Shar." The Nightsong’s voice was low, venomous, though there was a flicker of unease even in her defiant tone. Despite her fierce exterior, even she seemed to waver under the presence of the Dark Goddess herself.
"Holy shit," Karlach whispered, her voice almost lost to the void.
"Fuck," Astarion muttered, his usually calm demeanor faltering.
"By the gods," Wyll gasped, frozen in place, his voice trembling with awe and terror.
Shadowheart tried to speak, but her mouth went dry, her words locked in her throat. She had dreamt of this moment, standing before her Goddess, but not like this. Not after she had made her choice.
Shar's gaze slowly turned toward her, cold and calculating. The oppressive silence that followed made Shadowheart’s heart race.
"You had such great potential." Shar's voice was like velvet, sensual yet causing a visceral shiver to run down their spines. "Such a shame you cast it away, lured by the empty words of a Selûnite spawn."
Shar's words hung in the air, a scornful taunt, dripping with venom. In her hands, two short swords appeared, forged from pure darkness, their edges glowing with a faint, malevolent purple light.
The tension was suffocating. No one moved. No one could. Except Lae'zel.
The githyanki warrior didn’t hesitate. She stepped forward, her flaming greatsword igniting with a fierce blaze. Psionic daggers flickered into existence around her, floating ominously in the air. Her body radiated battle-lust and defiance.
“This githyanki has a strong backbone,” Shar mused with amusement as if watching a pet perform a trick. She strolled toward Lae’zel, but stopped abruptly.
The hunter stepped forward, placing himself between Shar and the rest of the group.
Shar’s smile faded slightly, though it remained fixed on her lips. But in her eyes, a glint of something more dangerous—rage—flashed. She hadn’t expected this.
"And you," Shar hissed, her tone dripping with contempt. "You are the one who dared to steal some of my Shadow Weave." Her eyes narrowed as she regarded the hunter, her grip tightening on the swords.
Before the eyes of everyone present, the hunter began to shift. His form shrinker , plates of dark, jet-black armor enveloping him, glowing with fiery red light from within. The light seared through the cracks between the armor’s joints, making him look like a walking inferno encased in darkness.
“Zeus?” Karlach’s voice cracked, her shock clear. "What the hells are you doing here?"
Zeus didn’t respond to her. His gaze remained locked on Shar, the overwhelming pressure of her presence crashing against him like waves on a cliff, but he stood firm.
"You," Zeus growled, his voice deep and unrelenting, like the rumble of distant thunder, "are responsible for all of this."
Shar’s eyebrow arched in mocking interest. "Responsible for what, exactly?" she cooed, her voice sickly sweet, but there was venom beneath it.
"You killed Ketheric’s wife. You sent Balthazar, your loyal dog, to twist Ketheric’s mind further. You cursed these lands for over a century with your shadow. And after Ketheric had outlived his use, you cast him aside, feeding him to Myrkul like he was nothing. "
Shar’s giggle echoed in the emptiness around them, a sound so hollow and cold it made the hairs on their necks stand on end. She enjoyed the accusation, the torment in his voice.
"You think you know so much," she whispered seductively.
Zeus didn't respond instead his hand moved, retrieving Phalar Aluve from the ether in front of him. The sword's surface gleamed with a silvery light, burning away the shadows that clung to it.
"You failed to see your own undoing. Me."
Shar's smile twitched, just for a moment, but it was enough to reveal the crack in her facade. He was an anomaly, something unpredictable, dangerous.
"You foolish mortal," she sneered, her voice sharp now, stripped of the seductive tone. "You’ve tasted only a sip of true power, and yet you think you can stand against a god? Against me?"
Zeus raised his blade, its silvery light glowing brighter, illuminating the chamber in a celestial glow that seemed to battle the oppressive shadows around them.
"I can’t face you alone," Zeus admitted, his voice calm, unshaken. "I’m not strong enough to even be worthy of a true fight. But you’re not the only deity here."
As he spoke, the silvery light from his sword began to glow brighter and brighter, piercing through the dark tendrils of shadow that danced around them and out of nowhere a beam of silvery light descended upon him.
The beam of moonlight intensified, and in a swirl of luminous energy, She materialized, her radiant form wrapping protectively around Alex. Her presence was a gentle caress against the cold void that Shar emanated, a warm embrace that steadied everyone trembling heart. Her arms wrapped softly around him, her ethereal silver hair flowing like a cascade of light, and her moonstone eyes shimmered with unspoken sorrow and ancient wisdom.
"You have called, and I have come," Eilistraee whispered, her voice soft, yet powerful, resonating deep within his soul.
For a moment, everyone and everything became still, as if even time itself hesitated to intrude upon the sacred union between mortal and goddess. The motes of moonlight that danced around Eilistraee seemed to banish the oppressive darkness, and Alex felt the weight of his burdens lift, if only for a heartbeat.
“You stand at a crossroads, wielding my light in the shadows. What will you do, Alex of many faces ? Will you carry my will forward? Or will you fall to the darkness that threatens to consume all?”
"I will carry your will forward," Alex proclaimed, his voice unwavering as he looked into the eyes of Shar, his determination palpable.
Eilistraee, her gaze full of pride and compassion, nodded. "Very well, my champion. Then I will lend you my strength against the shadow before you." She dissolved into a silvery mist, flowing into Phalar Aluve, infusing the blade with even more of her divine essence. The sword blazed with radiant, ethereal light, casting long shadows across the broken island as if the very stars themselves had descended into Alex’s hand.
Shar watched, her face an impassive mask, but beneath her dark beauty was a flicker of something—a rare glint of surprise. She arched a brow, her lips twisting into a mocking smile. "A nice trick, little champion," she hissed, her voice dripping with disdain. "But to think that the blessing of a lesser deity could give you any advantage against me..."
But then, as the transformation took hold, Shar’s words faltered. The jet-black plates of Alex’s armor dissolved, replaced by gleaming white as pure as moonlight itself. Fiery red light turned to a soft, yet fierce, golden glow. From his back emerged wings, not of feathers, but of radiant, ethereal energy, shimmering with divine brilliance, pulsating with celestial power —a gift beyond the grave from the aasimar they found at the morgue.
The sheer force of the divine energy that now radiated from Alex made the very ground tremble. It was as if the heavens themselves had answered Eilistraee’s call. Shadowheart, who had been silently watching, whispered in awe, “He has been blessed.”
The party stared in wide-eyed astonishment. Gale’s mouth opened, but no words came out, his scholarly mind unable to comprehend the enormity of what was unfolding before them. Karlach's usual bravado melted into quiet reverence, while Astarion, found himself speechless. Even the Nightsong, defiant and strong, seemed to falter, as she witnessed the transformation.
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Shar's mocking smile flattened. Her eyes narrowed, her composure shaken ever so slightly. She had underestimated him.
"Free Aylin and leave," Alex commanded, his voice low but filled with undeniable authority. His gaze never left Shar.
Without hesitation, Shadowheart placed her hand on Aylin, the magic circle that had bound her shattered like fragile glass, disintegrating into nothingness. Her silvery blue eyes looked and brief moment—gratitude and something deeper flickering within them—before she was led away, supported by Shadowheart.
A portal, shimmering with ethereal light, appeared before them, its edges humming with energy. The others hesitated, stealing glances at Alex. They wanted to say something—anything—but words failed them, stuck in their throats like a weight too heavy to lift. They knew what this meant. Alex was not simply standing against a powerful foe—he was standing against Shar, the goddess of loss and darkness herself.
"Come back to us," Shadowheart’s voice, warm and soft , cracked with vulnerability as she cast one last glance at him, her eyes filled with something she could not bring herself to name.
Alex nodded, his grip tightening on Phalar Aluve. He felt her gaze linger on his back as she disappeared through the portal, the weight of their unspoken words hanging in the air.
Now alone with the goddess of darkness, Alex allowed his emotions to surge to the surface. They hit him like a tidal wave—grief, rage, regret, hopelessness. All the loss he had endured, all the pain he had buried, came flooding back. His divine powers, tied to the depths of his emotions, flared in response. The golden light around him intensified, becoming a beacon of his unyielding spirit.
With every breath, the storm within him raged fiercer. The loss of Minthara, the memories of the people that died cause of Shar scheme ,became fuel for the fire burning inside him. He had faced despair, had walked through the shadow of death itself, and yet he stood, unbroken.
His grip on the glowing sword tightened further. The divine light pulsed through the blade, connecting him to Eilistraee’s grace and strength. He took a fighting stance, his wings spread wide, casting long shadows across the battlefield.
Shar’s eyes, now fully narrowed, gleamed with malice. But beneath the cold disdain, there was something else—an unspoken recognition of the challenge now before her.
"You think your emotions make you strong," Shar murmured, her voice low and venomous, the air around her swirling with dark energy. "But they will only lead to your destruction. I will tear you apart piece by piece, until nothing remains."
The glow of Eilistraee’s light was filling his soul. His voice, steady and resolute, echoed across the Shadowfell. "I’ve already been torn apart, Shar. And I’m still here."
The tension between Alex and Shar reached a boiling point, the air around them heavy with divine energy. Moonlight clashed with shadow as the two figures faced each other, their wills as unyielding as the forces they wielded. The battlefield around them seemed to tremble in anticipation of the clash. Every shadow quivered in fear of the approaching light, every particle of moonlight flickered defiantly against the surrounding darkness.
Shar's coal-black eyes glinted with malice as she raised her dark purple twin blades, the edges shimmering with a malevolent energy that seemed to swallow the light around them. "You stand before me as a child of light, but light is fleeting," Shar hissed. "I am the void that consumes it all."
Alex's golden wings flared wide, casting a radiant glow that filled the darkened space, his armor gleaming like a beacon of divine power. The sword in his hand, Phalar Aluve, thrummed with Eilistraee's blessing, the silvery light pulsing as if in time with his heartbeat. His eyes locked onto Shar’s with unwavering determination. "I will be the light that pierces your void, Shar. You will not consume me."
Without warning, Shar struck first, her movements blurring with impossible speed. Her twin blades slashed through the air, leaving trails of dark energy in their wake. Alex barely had time to react as he parried the first strike, the clash of their weapons sending shockwaves rippling through the air. The second blade came fast, aiming for his throat, but Alex twisted his body, his wings pushing him back just in time.
He countered with a powerful upward strike, Phalar Aluve glowing with an ethereal light as it sliced through the dark energy surrounding Shar. The goddess leapt back with feline grace, her dark form blending into the shadows for a split second before she reemerged, launching a barrage of rapid strikes at Alex. Each blow was precise, relentless, as if the void itself had come alive to tear him apart.
But Alex held his ground, deflecting and parrying with inhuman precision. His movements were fluid, his strength bolstered by the power of Eilistraee coursing through his veins. Every clash of their blades sent sparks of silver and black scattering into the air, illuminating the battlefield in brief, violent flashes.
"You fight well for a mortal," Shar snarled as she feinted left before slashing at his wings. "But your strength is borrowed. It will fail you."
Her blade grazed his armor, sending a searing pain through his body. Ignoring it, he unleashed a blast of divine energy from his wings, sending Shar skidding backward. "It’s not borrowed," he growled. "It’s earned."
Shar recovered instantly, her form dissolving into shadow, reappearing behind Alex in a blink. Her blades arced toward his back, but Alex spun, blocking with a shower of sparks. The force of the blow pushed him back, but he didn't falter. Summoning his divine energy, he swung Phalar Aluve with all his might, the sword cutting through the air like a comet.
The blade connected with Shar's left arm, a streak of silver light searing through her flesh. Shar let out a hiss of fury as dark mist spilled from the wound instead of blood. Her eyes burned with hatred, and in a surge of rage, she sent out a wave of shadow, engulfing Alex in darkness so thick it felt like drowning.
"Feel the absolute despair ." Shar whispered, her voice echoing in the void. "Let it break you."
In the darkness, Alex felt the weight of utter lost of hope pressing down on him, suffocating his spirit. Memories of his losses—friends, loved ones, the battles he had fought—flooded his mind. The grief threatened to swallow him whole, to drag him into the abyss where only Shar's cold embrace awaited.
But amid the darkness, a single, gentle voice called to him. "You are not alone, Alex. You carry the light of those who believe in you."
It was Eilistraee. Her presence was like a flicker of moonlight in the deepest night, and it cut through the despair like a lifeline. Alex gripped Phalar Aluve tighter, the blade glowing brighter in response. His heart surged with renewed strength.
"No," Alex growled, his voice rising. "I won’t break."
With a roar, he unleashed the full power of Eilistraee’s blessing. A radiant explosion of silvery light burst from him, shattering the darkness around him. Shar staggered back, momentarily blinded by the brilliance.
Alex lunged forward, his wings propelling him with incredible speed. Phalar Aluve, blazing with the combined might of his will , indomitable strength and Eilistraee’s light, cut through the space between them like a meteor. Shar barely had time to raise her blades before Alex struck. The impact sent shockwaves across the battlefield, the ground beneath them cracking under the sheer force.
Shar’s blades shattered under the weight of his strike, and for the first time, true fear flashed in her eyes. She staggered back, shadows swirling around her like a wounded animal retreating into the night.
"It ends here, Shar!" Alex shouted, his wings flaring wide as he raised Phalar Aluve for a final blow. The blade hummed with divine energy, the light of Eilistraee glowing so brightly as if the moon descend upon this cursed land.
Shar snarled, her voice venomous. "You think you can defeat me, boy? I am eternal! I am the void!"
But Alex was undeterred. "Even the void fears the light."
With a final, mighty swing, Alex brought Phalar Aluve down upon Shar. The blade cleaved through the shadows, striking true. Shar let out a scream that echoed through the darkness, her form unraveling as the light consumed her. For a moment, the goddess of darkness was nothing more than a silhouette against the blinding radiance of Alex’s power.
Then, with a final explosion of light, Shar was gone. The battlefield fell silent, the oppressive weight of the void lifted.
The fight was over, but the weight of the battle lingered like a heavy fog. Alex stood amidst the shattered remnants of the dark battlefield, his breaths shallow, the echoes of his own heartbeat reverberating in his ears. His once-glowing wings now faded, leaving him in the stillness of the aftermath. Phalar Aluve, the sword that had once blazed with the goddess’s light, dimmed to a soft, pulsating glow, a reminder of the epic clash that had just transpired.
The silence that followed was deafening, a stark contrast to the chaos that had filled the air moments before. It was the kind of quiet that came not with peace, but with the knowledge that a storm had passed and would one day return.
He had defeated Shar—no, not Shar herself, but her avatar. A mere fraction of her power. But even that modicum had nearly been enough to consume him. He knew that, in the grand scheme of things, this victory was a small one. The true Shar, was far beyond the realm of mortality, far beyond even this confrontation. Her reach extended into the deepest corners of reality, her influence woven into the fabric of every shadow, of every moment of despair. Alex understood now that what he had faced was just a shadow, a glimpse of her terrifying strength. And though he had won today, the fight against the void was far from over.
Yet, for now, in this fleeting moment, Alex allowed himself to feel the weight of his victory. He had stared into the heart of the darkness and had not faltered. He had faced his own deepest fears, his regrets, his grief—and emerged with his spirit intact. He had fought not only for himself but for those who stood by him, for Shadowheart, for Karlach, for Wyll, for Astarion, for Gale, for Lae'zel , for Minthara and the others, waiting for him to return . The image of them disappearing through the portal flashed through his mind—he could still hear Shadowheart’s final plea, “Come back to us.”
He could feel the light inside him, the warmth of Eilistraee’s presence, like a whisper against his soul. She had lent him her strength, guided his hand when all seemed lost, and stood with him against the tide of shadows. He had carried her will forward, and for that, he had not fought alone.
As Alex looked out at the now quiet void, the swirling darkness still frozen. The void was still there, lurking at the edges, as if waiting for its chance to strike again. He knew Shar would remember this day. Though just an avatar, her humiliation would not go unanswered. She would come for him one day, perhaps when he least expected it. But he wasn’t afraid. He was ready.
For now, however, he had earned this moment of respite. He had won a battle that few could have survived. His heart, though heavy, was unbroken. And for the first time in a long while, Alex felt something stir within him—something more powerful than divine energy, more enduring than any blessing from the gods.
Hope.
He lifted Phalar Aluve, the upper part of the helmet shifted to reveal a pair of blue eyes , its silvery light reflecting into them , and let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.
With one final glance at the empty battlefield, Alex turned toward the place where his friends had vanished through the portal. He knew they were waiting for him. He knew that whatever challenges lay ahead, he would not face them alone. They were his light in the dark, just as he was theirs.
He walked forward, each step lighter than the last, until the portal shimmered into view once more. And as he crossed its threshold, leaving behind the battlefield of shadows, he whispered a silent vow to himself, to Eilistraee, and to the friends who had stood by him.
“I will always return.”