The battlefield was eerily silent in the wake of the beast's demise, but the tension in the air remained thick. Smoke curled from the scorched ground, and the only sound was the heavy breathing of the warriors who had survived. Damen stood motionless, his sword slick with darkened blood, staring at Valen as the truth settled in.
Valen, his former ally, had betrayed them all. But now, in this moment of unexpected sacrifice, he had saved them.
Zyra staggered forward, clutching her wounded arm, her gaze locked onto Valen. "Why?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Valen's hands trembled around the hilt of his sword. "Because I had no choice."
The Shadow King's Retribution
Far beyond the battlefield, deep within the Shadow King's stronghold, an unnatural storm brewed. The dark clouds pulsed with crimson lightning, mirroring the fury of the one who commanded them. He sat upon his obsidian throne, his fingers tightening around the armrests, his nails digging into the stone.
"My general," he murmured, his voice a dangerous whisper. "Has failed me."
A hooded figure knelt before him, shrouded in darkness. "Shall I retrieve him?"
The Shadow King's lips curled into a cruel smile. "No. Let him suffer the consequences of his own making. But watch them. Watch them all. Their fates are now sealed."
A heavy silence fell over the chamber as the hooded figure vanished into the darkness. The Shadow King leaned forward, his red eyes glinting. "The game is just beginning."
Cassian's Confession
Cassian, still reeling from his encounter with his long-lost brother, pulled Damen aside. "There's something you need to know," he said grimly.
Damen frowned. "Now isn't the time—"
"It is," Cassian interrupted. "Because what we're walking into is worse than anything we've faced before."
Damen's jaw tightened. "Then tell me."
Cassian hesitated, then exhaled sharply. "My brother didn't die in the war. He was taken. Experimented on. And now… he serves the Shadow King."
Damen felt his stomach turn. "You're saying he's one of them?"
Cassian nodded. "And he won't stop until he gets what he's after—Zyra."
Zyra's Awakening
As Zyra tended to her wounds, a strange warmth spread through her veins. Her heartbeat quickened, and a soft glow emanated from her fingertips. She gasped, staring at the pulsing light in shock.
Damen noticed immediately. "What's happening?"
Zyra shook her head. "I don't know. It's… stronger than before."
Cassian approached, concern flickering in his eyes. "The Elders said you were special, but this…"
Before he could finish, the ground beneath them trembled. A deep, guttural voice echoed in the distance.
"They have found us," Valen whispered. "And they will show no mercy."
Valen's True Intentions
As the group regrouped, Valen kept his distance. His body bore deep wounds, but it was the weight of his choices that seemed to drain him more than the battle had.
"I know you all hate me," he said, barely above a whisper. "I deserve that."
Damen glared at him. "Hate doesn't begin to cover it."
Valen sighed. "I did what I had to do. The Shadow King promised me something I could not refuse."
Zyra stepped forward, her voice sharp. "And what was worth betraying us all?"
Valen's eyes darkened. "A way to break the curse. A way to save someone I lost."
For a moment, silence stretched between them. Then, the distant roar of approaching warriors shattered the tension.
A piercing howl split the air, and from the darkness, figures emerged—warriors clad in armor infused with the same shadow magic that had once threatened to consume them all. At their head stood a masked man, his cold eyes locked onto Cassian.
"Brother," he said, voice devoid of emotion. "It's time to come home."
Damen gripped his sword, readying himself for the fight to come.
But deep down, he knew—the battle ahead would cost them all dearly.
And betrayal had only just begun.