While the alliance between mages and vampires was forged in Umbria, Eleonora, far away, continued on her own path, driven by an ambition that had grown to monstrous proportions. Her discovery of the underground kingdom and the sleeping Moon Elves had awakened in her a desire for power that overshadowed even her thirst for revenge against Umbria.
Eleonora had spent weeks studying the fifteen castles, learning the rhythm of the magical barriers, mapping the tunnels and passages that connected the subterranean kingdom. She had studiously avoided any contact with the Red Wizards, aware that her new target did not fit with the Circle's plans.
Her ultimate goal was the sixteenth castle, the fortress of the Underking. But unlike the other castles, this one had no flickering magical barrier. It was protected by a continuous, impenetrable magic that seemed to emanate from the castle's very structure.
Eleonora, despite her growing power, could find no way to break that barrier. She spent days and nights studying the castle from a distance, casting detection spells, searching for any weakness, any crack in its defenses. But it was all in vain.
Frustration consumed her. She was so close to power, she could feel it, but at the same time, it was slipping through her fingers.
One day, while exploring a remote cavern, far from the castles, Eleonora found something unexpected. It was a small cave, hidden behind an underground lava flow. Inside, on a natural pedestal of rock, was an object that glowed with an intense red light.
It was a crystal, about the size of a fist, with an irregular shape, like a piece of broken glass. But it was no ordinary crystal. It pulsed with a dark energy, an energy Eleonora recognized instantly: the energy of Chaos, but amplified, concentrated, purified.
Eleonora approached the crystal, feeling an irresistible attraction. At her touch, a surge of power coursed through her, making her tremble from head to toe.
Visions flooded her mind. Visions of the underworld at its height, before the great sleep. Visions of the Moon Elves, ruled by a wise and powerful king. Visions of a terrible war, a war against a dark force that threatened to destroy the entire kingdom.
And then, she saw the solution. She saw the King of the Underworld, using the red crystal, not to fight, but to sleep. To put his people in a state of suspended animation, to protect them from destruction, until the time came to awaken.
Eleonora understood. The red crystal was not a weapon, it was a key. The key to awaken the Moon Elves, and to unlock the power of the King of the Underworld.
With the crystal in her hand, Eleonora returned to the sixteenth castle. The magical barrier was still there, impenetrable. But now, Eleonora held the key.
She approached the barrier, holding the crystal in front of her. The crystal's red light intensified, pulsing in unison with the barrier's energy. Eleonora felt a resistance, a struggle between two opposing forces.
But the red crystal, fueled by Chaos magic and Eleonora's own will, was stronger. The barrier began to vibrate, distort, and shatter.
With a burst of energy, the barrier vanished, clearing the way to the castle.
Eleonora smiled. She had accomplished the impossible. She had opened the door to absolute power.
She entered the castle, the red crystal glowing in her hand. The interior was even more impressive than the exterior: endless corridors, gigantic halls, chambers filled with treasures and magical artifacts.
But Eleonora didn't stop to admire the castle's beauty. She followed the crystal's energy, which guided her to the heart of the kingdom.
Finally, she reached a large room, where the crystal's energy was most intense. In the center of the room, on an obsidian throne, she saw the figure of the King of the Underworld.
He was asleep, like the other elves, but his presence was overwhelming. He was tall and majestic, wearing a silver crown adorned with crescent moons. His skin was pale, almost translucent, and his long, silver hair cascaded over his shoulders.
Around him, in concentric circles, were the Moon Elves, also asleep, waiting for the moment to awaken.
Eleonora approached the throne, holding the red crystal high. She knew what she had to do. She had to use the crystal to awaken the king, and then, somehow, bend him to her will.
But as she was about to touch the king with the crystal, a voice stopped her.
"Stop right there."
Eleonora turned around, surprised. Behind her, standing at the entrance to the room, was a figure dressed in a black robe. A figure Eleonora recognized instantly, despite the darkness surrounding it.
It was one of the Red Wizards, the one who had initiated her into the Circle. But his apprehension.
Her appearance had changed. Her face, once marked by ambition, was now consumed by Chaos. Her eyes glowed with a red light, identical to that of crystal.
"Eleonora," said the Red Wizard, his voice distorted by dark magic. "You did well to find this place. But your path ends here."
Eleonora, despite her initial shock, smiled coldly. "You thought you could use me," she said. "You thought you could control me. But you were wrong."
"Chaos cannot be controlled, Eleonora," replied the Red Wizard. "It is unleashed."
And with those words, the battle for control of the underrealm, and for the fate of the world, began.