A blinding light engulfs the valley as Elorin plunges the relic into the heart of the fissure. The surge of power radiating from the relic floods the air, and the dark energy swirling around the crack recoils violently, like a living thing writhing in agony. The earth trembles beneath her feet, and a deafening roar fills the air as the magic within the relic clashes with the forces trying to keep the door between worlds open.

For a moment, Elorin feels weightless, suspended between the light and darkness. The golden glow of the relic wraps around her, and for the first time, she feels its power respond to her fully, as if the relic has accepted her as its rightful wielder. It's no longer wild, no longer chaotic—it's hers.

But with that power comes a cost.

The warmth from the relic spreads through her body, burning hot and fierce, and she feels something inside her begin to shift, something deep and primal. The ancient magic of the relic is taking its toll, drawing on her very essence to seal the door.

Her breath catches as pain lances through her chest, sharp and sudden. She gasps, clutching the relic tightly as the light around her pulses brighter. She can feel the door resisting, fighting to stay open, and the strain of keeping it shut is pushing her to her limits.

"Elorin!"

Rhylen's voice cuts through the chaos, filled with desperation. He's at her side in an instant, his hand gripping her arm as the ground shakes violently beneath them. His eyes are wide with fear, his face pale as he takes in the sight of her struggling to contain the relic's power.

"Elorin, stop!" he shouts, his voice barely audible over the roar of magic. "You're going to kill yourself!"

She shakes her head, her teeth clenched against the pain. "I have to… I have to finish this."

The strain in her voice is undeniable, and Rhylen's grip tightens as he pulls her closer, his eyes burning with determination. "There has to be another way! We'll find another way—just stop!"

But Elorin knows there's no other way. She can feel the truth in her bones, in the way the relic pulses with her heartbeat. The final key is her. It's her blood, her sacrifice, that will seal the door and stop Varkos's plan once and for all.

As the darkness around them pushes back against the light, Elorin looks up at Rhylen, her vision blurring with pain. "Rhylen… I—"

Before she can finish, a wave of dark energy surges from the fissure, slamming into them both with the force of a storm. Elorin is thrown backward, her grip on the relic slipping as she hits the ground hard. The wind is knocked from her lungs, and the world spins around her in a dizzying blur of light and shadow.

"Elorin!"

Rhylen's voice is distant now, muffled by the roar of magic. Elorin blinks, trying to focus, but the pain in her chest is overwhelming, and her vision fades in and out. She can barely make out Rhylen's figure through the haze as he struggles to his feet, his sword gleaming in the dim light.

But then, through the chaos, a figure steps forward from the swirling shadows. Varkos.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

He's still here, still fighting to keep the door open. His cloak billows around him, and his eyes glow with an eerie, malevolent light as he approaches, his expression twisted with fury.

"You thought you could stop me?" Varkos hisses, his voice dripping with venom. "You thought the relic's power was yours to control? Fool."

Elorin tries to push herself up, but the pain in her chest is too much. She gasps for breath, her fingers twitching toward the relic, which lies just out of reach. The light from it has dimmed, flickering weakly as if the relic itself is losing strength.

Varkos moves closer, his steps slow and deliberate, the shadows coiling around him like snakes. "You have no idea what you've unleashed. The door will open, and when it does, the power beyond will belong to me."

Rhylen staggers to his feet, his sword raised, but Varkos waves a hand, and a tendril of shadow strikes him, sending him crashing to the ground. He groans in pain, his sword clattering to the side.

"No…" Elorin whispers, her heart racing with panic. She can feel the door pulling at her, pulling at the relic, and she knows that time is running out.

Varkos stands over her now, his cold eyes gleaming with triumph. "You were never meant to wield the relic. It was always meant for me."

Elorin's vision blurs again, but through the haze, she sees the relic—its light flickering weakly, but still there. Still holding on. She reaches for it, her hand trembling, but Varkos's boot presses down on her arm, pinning her to the ground.

"You've lost," he says, his voice low and mocking. "You and your pathetic attempts to stop the inevitable."

Elorin grits her teeth, her body screaming in pain, but she refuses to give up. She won't let him win. She won't let the door open. With every ounce of strength she has left, she reaches deep within herself, searching for the power she knows is still there.

The relic pulses faintly, and Elorin feels a spark of hope. She can still do this. She can still stop him.

"Varkos," she whispers, her voice weak but filled with defiance. "You… don't understand the relic either."

His eyes narrow, but before he can respond, the relic flares to life, its golden light bursting forth with renewed intensity. The sudden surge of energy knocks Varkos back, his shadows recoiling from the light.

Elorin gasps, the pain in her chest intensifying, but she pushes through it, her hand finally closing around the relic. The moment she touches it, she feels the power within it flood through her, stronger than before. The symbols on its surface glow brightly, and the air around her crackles with magic.

The door between worlds is still open, but the relic is fighting back, trying to seal it once and for all. Elorin can feel the pull of the other side, the dark power beyond the door trying to break free, but the relic's light pushes it back, holding the darkness at bay.

Varkos stumbles to his feet, his face twisted with fury. "No! This isn't possible!"

Elorin pushes herself up, her body trembling with exhaustion, but the relic's power fuels her. She steps toward the crack in the earth, the light from the relic growing brighter with each step.

"I won't let you win, Varkos," she says, her voice steady despite the pain. "This ends now."

With a final surge of will, Elorin raises the relic high, and the golden light bursts forth, filling the valley with a blinding brilliance. The ground shakes violently, and the fissure begins to close, the dark energy swirling faster and faster as it's pulled back into the earth.

Varkos lets out a roar of rage, his shadows flailing wildly as the relic's power overwhelms him. The darkness around him shatters, and with a final, desperate scream, Varkos is consumed by the light, his form dissolving into nothing.

The crack in the valley seals shut with a deafening boom, and the dark energy dissipates, leaving only the golden glow of the relic.

Elorin collapses to her knees, the relic still pulsing faintly in her hand. The door is closed. The world is safe—for now.

But as she kneels there, gasping for breath, she knows that the cost of sealing the door is not yet fully paid. The relic's power still hums in her veins, and the weight of the final key—her sacrifice—lingers in the air.

Rhylen stumbles over to her, his face pale with concern. "Elorin… are you alright?"

She looks up at him, her vision blurring with exhaustion. "I… I did it. The door is sealed."

Rhylen kneels beside her, his hand gently resting on her shoulder. "You did it. You saved us all."

But even as his words sink in, Elorin feels the relic's pulse growing weaker. The door may be closed, but the battle is far from over.