Lorian’s heart thundered as he broke through the final line of trees, skidding to a halt as the scene before him unfolded in horrific clarity.

Elara dangled from the demon’s massive, clawed grip, held aloft by her neck. Her battered form hung limp, one arm twisted at an unnatural angle, her face streaked with blood and dirt, her eyes half-lidded and glassy. She struggled, but her movements were weak, her breaths shallow as she barely clung to consciousness.

Nearby, Celeste lay sprawled and unmoving across the ground, her body frighteningly still in the dim light. Julian stood a few paces away, his sword gripped tightly in his hand, his face battered and bruised but his stance unwavering. His gaze was locked on the monstrous figure holding Elara, his jaw set in grim determination. Vivienne, beside him, poured her magic into the ground, roots and vines writhing and snaking around the demon’s legs in an attempt to restrain it. Despite her efforts, the creature seemed barely hindered, shaking off her bindings with a flick of its winged form.

As the demon adjusted its grip on Elara, Lorian felt a surge of rage swell within him—cold, unyielding, and sharp as ice. His body thrummed with energy, the release of power unstoppable as it poured out of him like an uncapped torrent, unrestrained and absolute. A blinding light emanated from him, mingling with a surge of shadows, fusing together into a powerful symbiosis that swirled around him, coalescing into Abyssal magic at his core. Within him, Lysara’s presence flared, her voice urging him to control it, to keep the elements divided, but her influence felt distant, like an echo swallowed in the depths of a storm.

A third pulse intensified—the darker, colder magic simmered at the core of his being. The demon’s gaze snapped to him, its crimson eyes narrowing in sudden confusion, then widening as the Abyssal power radiated from Lorian—a power no human should possess.

“This... impossible,” the demon muttered, its voice a gravelly mix of disbelief and curiosity as it felt the fusion of light and shadow into Abyssal force within Lorian. “How does a human bear abyssal magic?”

The words struck Julian and Vivienne like a physical blow. They exchanged wide-eyed, horrified glances, the weight of the demon’s revelation sinking in. Abyssal magic—an immediate death sentence, an unbreakable law in the kingdom to kill on sight any who wielded it.

Julian’s grip tightened around his sword, the shock evident in his paling face as he watched Lorian, torn between relief at his friend’s arrival and fear of what this newfound magic could mean. Vivienne’s hand hovered mid-air, her binding spell momentarily forgotten as her gaze locked on Lorian, her eyes filled with disbelief.

But Lorian didn’t answer the demon. His gaze was fixed, his eyes steely as he took a deliberate step forward. Each footfall carried the weight of his unleashed fury, his aura crackling with the fused elements that only the demon could truly sense. Cold determination steeled his every movement, the fierce Abyssal magic radiating from him in waves.

The demon's confusion left it vulnerable, and Lorian lunged, his blade a blazing arc of fused light and shadow as he struck with precision. The demon roared in surprise as the strike connected, black blood spraying from the wound. Lorian’s movements were swift and merciless, cutting through the air with calculated strikes that forced the creature back, its massive wings struggling to shield itself.

The creature snarled, momentarily loosening its grip on Elara, and Lorian seized the opportunity. In a blur of motion, he struck the demon’s claw, forcing its grip open, and caught Elara as she fell, his arm wrapping protectively around her. Gently, he brought her over to where Julian and Vivienne stood, her body limp against him as he laid her down, his hand lingering briefly on her shoulder. His voice, though calm, held an unspoken promise of vengeance.

“Take care of her,” he said, his tone unwavering as he locked eyes with Julian. “Keep her safe.”

Julian and Vivienne nodded, their expressions a mixture of awe and concern as they positioned themselves defensively around Elara, though the shock of what they had just witnessed still lingered in their eyes.

Turning back to face the demon, Lorian’s gaze hardened. The creature’s initial shock had morphed into a mix of wariness and anger. Its red eyes glowed, observing him with predatory intensity, the disbelief replaced by simmering rage as it bared its fangs.

“You are not ordinary,” it spat, licking its jagged teeth as it hefted its blade, eyes locked on him with renewed hunger.

Lorian’s cold gaze met the demon’s. He raised his blade, the fused light and shadow entwined around the edge, Abyssal magic pulsing within like an untapped reservoir. “Then come,” he said, his voice quiet but deadly. “Let’s see how much it changes.”

With a roar, the demon lunged, its jagged blade aimed straight for Lorian.

Lorian sidestepped just in time, feeling the rush of air as the blade slammed into the ground, sending dirt and debris flying. He countered, his sword flashing with the fusion of light, shadow, and Abyssal energy, striking out in a precise, controlled arc aimed at the creature’s exposed side.

The demon twisted, managing to deflect his strike with a flick of its wing, but Lorian anticipated the move. He rolled to the left, coming up on its flank and lashing out with a burst of blinding light fused with shadow. The flash momentarily disoriented the demon, and Lorian capitalized on the opening, driving his sword in a fierce stab toward its ribs.

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The blade bit into flesh, and the demon roared in pain, black blood oozing from the wound as it staggered back, snarling. The fused Abyssal energy surged within Lorian, sharpening his senses, heightening his focus as he watched its every move. He could feel the demon’s attention shift; it was starting to realize that he wasn’t attacking recklessly. Lorian was maneuvering it, step by careful step, further away from the others.

“Is that all?” he taunted, voice cold, unwavering.

The demon’s eyes narrowed, rage flickering into something more deadly. With a beat of its massive wings, it launched itself forward, its blade sweeping down in a crushing blow meant to pin him. But Lorian slipped sideways, his movements fluid and controlled, every muscle aligned to avoid the crushing impact of its weapon. With each dodge, he led it back, deeper into the shadowed woods and away from his friends.

“Coward!” the demon spat, flinging an arm out and sending a blast of dark energy crackling toward him.

Lorian raised his sword, channeling the fused light and shadow magic to form a barrier just as the shadowy tendrils struck, but the force sent him skidding back. He gritted his teeth, his aura flaring brighter as he pushed back against the darkness. He could feel the Abyssal energy respond, a primal force beneath his magic that surged like a wave, meeting the demon’s power with a resonance it hadn’t expected. For a fleeting second, he saw confusion flash in its eyes as the barrier shattered the incoming darkness, sending shards of fused light and shadow scattering around them.

He lunged forward again, this time pushing his magic to its limits. His sword was a blur, every swing combining the piercing intensity of his fused elements. The demon barely managed to parry his strikes, its own weapon clashing against Lorian’s blade in a thunderous rhythm that sent tremors through the forest. Every move Lorian made was calculated, each strike driving the demon further from the others, isolating it.

The demon sensed his intention at last. It let out a low growl, digging its talons into the ground to resist being driven back any further. “You’re clever, little light. But not clever enough.”

It spread its wings wide, a dark aura pulsing from its form, and the shadows around them seemed to deepen, tendrils of dark energy stretching out like claws. With a snarl, it swung its jagged blade toward him, a full-force swing that would have shattered his defenses had he taken it head-on.

Lorian dropped low, allowing the blade to pass over him, and in one fluid motion, he surged forward, raising his sword as Abyssal power—born from the fusion of shadow and light—fused into a singular, deadly strike. The demon’s eyes widened as it recognized the energy, its mouth opening in shock.

“Impossible—” it began, but the word was cut off as Lorian's blade sliced through its side, cutting deep. Black blood gushed from the wound, staining the ground beneath them. The creature stumbled back, its eyes filled with a mix of rage and fear as it clutched at the gash, dark tendrils seeping from it like smoke.

As the demon staggered, a guttural growl escaped its throat, thick with fury and desperation. Its jagged blade slipped from its grip, embedding into the ground. With a twisted smile, it tilted its head up, glaring at Lorian through narrowed, fiery eyes, shadows creeping up its form like living tendrils.

“Impressive... but far from enough,” it rasped, each word laced with venom.

Lorian’s grip tightened on his sword, his stance unwavering as he watched the transformation begin. The demon’s body convulsed, a dark aura pulsing around it, causing the air to ripple with sheer malevolence. Its body grew larger, muscles bulging grotesquely as shadows coiled around its limbs, forming spiked armor over its skin. The leathery wings expanded, jagged and monstrous.

“Prepare yourself, little lamb,” it sneered, voice deepened and distorted. “You’ve tasted but a fraction of my true strength.”

Without warning, the demon lunged forward, faster than before, its movements fueled by savage fury and newfound power. Lorian barely had time to react, raising his blade just in time to deflect the creature’s clawed strike, the force reverberating up his arm and forcing him back a few steps, his feet digging into the ground.

The demon followed up with relentless attacks, its claws slicing through the air, each strike imbued with chaotic, shadowy energy that left trails of darkness in its wake. Lorian dodged and parried, his fused light and shadow magic flaring with every movement, but he could feel the weight of the fight shifting. This was no longer a simple battle—it was a clash of raw, elemental power.

A fierce growl escaped the demon as it twisted mid-swing, its claw raking toward Lorian with a speed that forced him to react on pure instinct. He ducked, barely evading the blow, and countered with a swift strike to its abdomen, channeling a surge of fused magic into the blade. The demon let out a pained snarl as the energy seared its flesh, but it retaliated quickly, using its massive wings to whip around and slam into Lorian, sending him sprawling backward.

Rolling to his feet, Lorian steadied himself, his breathing ragged but his focus unbroken. His gaze met the demon’s, a dangerous determination flickering in his eyes. This time, he wasn’t fighting out of desperation or fear. He was fighting to end it.

Channeling his fused light and shadow magic, Lorian allowed them to meld deeper into the Abyssal power, the elements blending into a fierce, swirling aura that surrounded him, flaring with an intensity that seemed to illuminate even the darkest parts of the forest. The demon’s eyes narrowed, its expression shifting from smugness to uncertainty.

Julian and Vivienne, watching from the sidelines, exchanged horrified glances as realization dawned on them. Abyssal magic was a death sentence, a forbidden power punishable by death in their kingdom. The weight of the revelation hung heavily in the air, but there was no time to process it fully as Lorian moved, driven by the raw, fused power coursing through him.

The demon let out a roar and surged forward, its entire form radiating darkness. Lorian met it head-on, their clash a whirlwind of fused light, shadow, and Abyssal energy colliding in a brutal, chaotic dance. Each strike shook the ground beneath them, sending shockwaves reverberating through the forest.

With a sudden burst of speed, Lorian feinted to the right, dodging the demon’s sweeping claw, and spun behind it, plunging his sword into the base of its spine. The demon let out a blood-curdling scream as the blade, charged with fused Abyssal power, cut through its defenses. Twisting the blade, Lorian withdrew it swiftly, stepping back as black blood gushed from the wound.

The demon staggered, clutching at its back, fury blazing in its eyes. “You will regret that, mortal!” it hissed, voice dripping with venom. It extended its claws, summoning tendrils of darkness that snaked out from the ground, seeking to ensnare Lorian.

Lorian moved with cold, calculated fury, sidestepping the tendrils as he advanced, his aura crackling with intensity. The demon lashed out in a final, desperate attack, throwing its full weight behind a savage swipe aimed at Lorian’s chest. But Lorian was ready—he dodged, sidestepped, and then lunged forward, driving his blade directly into the demon’s heart, the fusion of light, shadow, and Abyssal energy pulsing through it with lethal force.