The night sky rippled with a force that was neither light nor dark, ancient and awakening. Energy pulsed through the air, pressing down on the battlefield. Jase stood in front of Celeste, his golden eyes burning, his grip on her wrist steady. The air was tense, on the edge of breaking.
"They're here," he murmured, his voice low but steady.
Celeste swallowed, her heart hammering against her ribs as the first dark figures emerged from the shadows, their presence filling the battlefield with something suffocating, something unnatural.
The Abyssal leader, Vaelith, stepped forward. His piercing crimson eyes that seemed to burn with the weight of centuries. His mere presence exuded power, dominance, the quiet arrogance of someone who had never known fear.
But his gaze wasn't on Jase.
It was on her.
Amy and Lucas stood behind them, weapons drawn, ready to fight. They knew what this battle meant.
And Celeste?
She lifted her chin, meeting Vaelith's gaze without fear.
"Then this ends tonight."
A wave of shadow magic struck Velkan's celestial barriers, shattering them and ripping through the city. Golden wards broke, ancient runes dissolved, and the Luminaries' final defenses fell.
And then chaos.
The Luminaries surged forward, their golden light colliding violently with the blackened storm of Abyssal forces, igniting the battlefield in a clash of celestial radiance and pure corruption.
Celeste felt the pulse of war beneath her feet, the energy thrumming in her veins like something waking up inside her, something waiting to be set free.
Jase turned to her, gripping her wrist, his voice urgent.
"Stay with me."
Celeste nodded, her gaze unwavering.
"Always."
And then they leaped into the fray.
Weapons clashed. Magic surged. Light and shadow wove together in a deadly dance, the battlefield an explosion of golden arcs and abyssal tendrils colliding midair.
Celeste moved with instinct, raw power, her every motion sending radiant bursts of energy through the battlefield, cutting through Abyssal warriors like they were nothing more than mist.
Jase fought beside her, his own golden energy ablaze, moving like a force of nature. It was fast, brutal, precise. His strikes left no room for hesitation, no chance for survival.
Then, Vaelith's voice rang out, cutting through the air like a blade.
"The Eclipse Child."
Celeste whipped around, her pulse spiking, the weight of those words hitting her like a blow.
His eyes burned with something dark, something greedy, something knowing, his expression twisted in satisfaction as he took a slow step forward, his form flickering at the edges, as if the abyss itself was barely containing him.
"At last."
Celeste's stomach twisted, a sharp, instinctive warning racing down her spine.
Abyssals had spent lifetimes hunting, believing that any half-blood would be enough to unlock the power they sought. The only chosen one and the destined one. It's her
And they would stop at nothing to claim her.
"You think you can destroy us?" Vaelith's smirk was cold, cruel, his voice laced with something that sent a deep, seething rage burning through Celeste's veins. "You are part of us."
Her fingers curled, a fierce, burning energy swirling inside her, neither Luminary nor Abyssal, something beyond them both, something more.
"No." Her voice was steady, unyielding, burning with something absolute.
"I am beyond you."
Then—
She let go.
A massive wave of power erupted from her, raw and unforgiving, a perfect fusion of light and dark, golden and silver energy clashing in a breathtaking explosion, expanding outward with unstoppable force.
The Abyssals screamed, their forms writhing as the pure energy tore through them, consuming their shadows, unraveling their very existence. The darkness that had lurked in them for centuries was ripped apart, dismantled at its core, until there was nothing left.
Jase stood frozen, his golden eyes wide, the heat of her power reflecting in his gaze.
"Celeste…"
She turned to him, her body glowing, energy still crackling around her like a celestial storm, her breath even, her stance unwavering, unchanged by what she had just done.
"We finished this. Together."
Jase's lips curved, his smirk returning, feral, alive, golden eyes flashing with something wild that matched the fire in her.
"Let's end them."
And they did.
Jase dove into battle, his power magnified by Celeste's presence, moving with deadly grace, each strike burning brighter, each attack striking deeper as if her very existence had become his source of strength. His golden energy crackled through the air, cutting through the darkness, unrelenting, unstoppable.
Amy and Lucas fought beside him, their movements sharp and precise, their combined force carving through the Abyssals like they were nothing.
"We've got your back!" Lucas called, his voice ringing through the chaos, before sending a blinding blast of energy straight through a charging warrior, obliterating them instantly.
But Celeste—
Celeste was something else entirely.
She soared through the battlefield, golden and silver energy twisting around her, every motion a symphony of destruction. Where she turned, entire legions fell, consumed by her raw, untamed power.
For the first time in history, the Abyssals had no chance.
Vaelith staggered back, crimson eyes wide with something that had never touched an Abyssal before—
Fear.
"This cannot be…" his voice wavered, disbelieving.
Celeste lifted her hand, energy building in her palm, a force so pure and absolute that even the very air around her seemed to bend beneath it.
"You wanted the Eclipse," she whispered, her voice like a promise, a reckoning. "Now drown in it."
And then—
She let go.
A massive surge of celestial power erupted from her, a beam of pure golden-white energy, so brilliant that it turned the battlefield into daylight. The wave rushed forward, consuming everything in its path, swallowing the Abyssal leader and his remaining forces in a final, unstoppable explosion of light.
The Abyssals screamed—
And then, within seconds—
They were gone.
The battlefield fell silent.
The war was over.
Amy, Lucas, and the remaining Luminaries stood frozen, their weapons still drawn, their hands still shaking from the battle's final moments. Their eyes remained wide, staring in disbelief at Celeste, at what she had done, at what she had become.
Velkan still stood, the city intact, but nothing would ever be the same again.
Celeste's vision blurred, exhaustion crashing into her all at once, the power within her finally settling, draining as her body swayed, her knees buckling beneath her own weight.
Before she could fall, a pair of strong arms caught her.
Jase.
His grip was solid, unyielding, his body warm as he pulled her against him, holding her as if he couldn't bear to let her slip away. His golden eyes were fierce, unwavering, scanning her face, making sure she was real, making sure she was still here, still his.
"You did it." His voice was raw, soft with relief.
Celeste smiled tiredly, her fingers weakly curling into the fabric of his jacket, needing to feel him, to anchor herself in the aftermath of everything.
"We did."
Jase exhaled sharply, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face, his touch gentle, reverent, as if she were something sacred. His golden gaze was intense, searching, full of everything he never said aloud.
And then without hesitation, he kissed her.
It was slow, deep, lingering, filled with everything they had been holding back, everything they had fought for, bled for, survived for. His lips moved against hers with a desperate softness, as if trying to memorize her, to remind her that she was his, that they had made it, that she was home.
Celeste melted into him, the warmth of his body, the certainty of his touch making her feel safe, whole, complete like she had been waiting for this moment her entire life.
When they finally pulled apart, Jase rested his forehead against hers, his breaths still uneven, his hands still firm at her waist, unwilling to let her go.
"I love you," he whispered, the words unshaken, absolute, as if they had always existed, waiting for this moment to be spoken.
Celeste's heart skipped, her lips parting slightly, her entire body melting at the weight of those words.
Then, she smiled, soft, radiant.
"I love you too."
And for the first time, she knew.
She had found where she truly belonged.
She leaned into him, knowing that this was finally the life they had fought for.