The tension in the chamber was suffocating as Mihai and his companions stood before the Abyssal Wraith, a looming mass of shadow and bone, radiating dark energy that pulsed through the stone walls. Each breath felt strained, the air thick with an ancient malice that seemed to draw life from the very ground beneath them.
The Wraith let out a guttural wail, and its many skeletal faces twisted in fury, hollow eyes blazing with a sickly green light. It raised an enormous, clawed limb, dark tendrils snaking from it and spreading out like webs, surrounding the group in a prison of shadows.
“Get ready!” Mihai shouted, his voice filled with both determination and dread. Gripping the Twin Flames, he charged forward, meeting the Wraith head-on. His blades shone like beacons, cutting through the darkness, their enchanted edges sparking as they struck the creature’s body. The Wraith recoiled, emitting an ear-splitting shriek as Mihai’s blades tore through its spectral form, leaving a crackling wound in its shadowy mass.
Kronmud and Raven flanked him, the dwarf’s axe gleaming as he hacked at the creature’s limbs with a ferocity that matched Mihai’s. “If we’re goin’ down, we’re takin’ this beast with us!” Kronmud roared, his strikes powerful enough to splinter bone.
Cian stood back, adjusting the time of his arrows with meticulous precision. He loosed one arrow after another, each one aimed at the Wraith’s core, and each shot striking with pinpoint accuracy. The creature’s core pulsed in response, cracks spreading as its form began to destabilize.
The Wraith, sensing its imminent destruction, unleashed a torrent of dark energy. Tendrils shot out from its body, coiling around Mihai and dragging him into the air. He struggled against the iron grip of the darkness, but his healing factor allowed him to endure the pain, even as the creature’s claws pierced his skin.
Elanor raised her staff, chanting a powerful incantation that sent a surge of ethereal energy through the chamber. The energy struck the Wraith, forcing it to release Mihai, who dropped to the ground, landing with a heavy thud. He stumbled to his feet, his vision blurred but his determination unwavering.
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“Together!” Elanor called, stepping beside him. Her voice was a steady anchor amidst the chaos, her Spirit Caller powers infusing Mihai’s swords with a spectral glow that intensified their light.
Raven leapt onto one of the Wraith’s massive limbs, his fangs digging into the shadowy form, tearing away chunks of dark energy. The Wraith let out another shriek, flailing in an attempt to shake Raven off, but the wolf held fast, his loyalty to Mihai unbreakable.
As the Wraith staggered, Mihai saw an opening. He surged forward, his swords glowing as he prepared to drive them into the creature’s core, aiming for the heart of its dark energy. But as he struck, the Wraith recoiled violently, whipping a clawed arm back in a final, desperate attack.
Mihai barely had time to react as the Wraith’s claw pierced through his helmet, driving into his skull. A flash of agony shot through him, and the world went dark.
The group watched in horror as Mihai crumpled to the ground, his body limp. Elanor cried out, rushing to his side, her hands trembling as she reached for him. But even as she watched, his wounds began to close, his body regenerating, the injury slowly mending itself.
When Mihai’s eyes opened, there was no recognition in them. He blinked, dazed, his gaze unfocused as he looked up at Elanor. “Who… who are you?” he whispered, his voice weak, his eyes filled with confusion.
Elanor’s face fell, her expression stricken as the weight of his words hit her. She tried to speak, but no words came. The man who had fought beside her, who had shared her deepest fears and hopes, was gone—or, at least, the memories that bound them were.
Kronmud approached, his face grim as he looked down at Mihai. “Come on, lad. We’re gettin’ ye out of here.”
They moved to the altar, where the Emberstone pulsed faintly, its energy diminished but still intact. Kronmud reverently lifted the stone, cradling it with care. “This’ll bring life back tae our people,” he murmured, his voice filled with a quiet reverence. “The darkness might’ve taken a lot from us, but with this, we’ll rebuild.”
Cian, his expression somber, placed a hand on Mihai’s shoulder. “We’ll get you through this. Whatever it takes.”
Raven padded up to Mihai, nudging him gently, a faint whine escaping the wolf’s throat. Mihai knelt, resting a hand on Raven’s fur, feeling a strange sense of familiarity that he couldn’t quite place.
As they left the chamber, the oppressive energy slowly faded, replaced by a fragile calm. The mountain felt different now, as though the weight of centuries of darkness had finally lifted. Mihai walked beside his companions, his heart heavy with a strange emptiness he didn’t fully understand.
Elanor remained close, her face a mixture of sadness and resilience. Though he couldn’t remember her, Mihai felt a pull toward her, as if some part of him recognized what his mind could not. She reached for his hand, and he let her, feeling a strange comfort in her touch, even if he couldn’t understand why.
They ascended from the mountain’s depths, carrying both victory and loss, each step a reminder of what they had sacrificed.