A Parting Blow
The chamber quaked as the portal expanded, its swirling energy threatening to consume everything in its path. Lyra clung to Eryon’s fur, her voice trembling as she called out, “We have to go!”
But Eryon’s wolf remained rooted to the spot, his glowing amber eyes locked on Misery. She stood beside the King, her blade poised and her expression cold. Her every movement betrayed calculated precision, a predator waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
“Misery!” Eryon roared, his voice guttural and filled with pain. “Don’t do this!”
She tilted her head, her smirk faint. “You still don’t understand, do you?”
The King chuckled darkly, stepping forward with his sword gleaming in the artifact’s glow. “She’s exactly where she belongs. With me.”
Eryon’s wolf growled low, his claws digging into the stone floor as his body tensed for another attack. The artifact pulsed violently, its whispers blending with the chaos around them. Lyra struggled to keep her grip on it, the power threatening to tear it from her hands.
“Eryon, please!” Lyra cried, her voice breaking. “We can’t fight them! We have to leave!”
Seraphine stood at the edge of the portal, her silver eyes blazing as she extended a hand toward Lyra. “Now is not the time for hesitation,” she commanded. “Get through the portal!”
Adrian staggered forward, his face pale and bloodied. His crimson eyes found Lyra’s, and for a moment, the chaos seemed to fade. “Lyra,” he rasped, his voice raw. “You don’t have to trust her. You don’t have to go.”
Lyra’s heart twisted as she met his gaze, her resolve wavering. “Adrian…” she whispered, her voice trembling.
The King smirked, raising his blade as he advanced on Eryon. “Enough of this,” he said coldly. “The wolf dies here.”
Misery moved suddenly, her blade slicing through the air as she lunged at Eryon. The wolf reared back, his claws swiping toward her, but her movements were too fast, too precise.
Seraphine unleashed a blast of dark magic, sending a wave of force across the battlefield. “Through the portal, now!” she shouted, her voice ringing with authority.
Eryon hesitated for a moment longer, his wolf form trembling with suppressed rage. But as Misery raised her blade for another strike, he turned and leapt toward the portal, his massive frame colliding with Lyra as they tumbled into the swirling vortex.
Seraphine followed close behind, her magic sealing the portal just as the King lunged toward it, his sword striking empty air.
