The world seemed to slow around Kael as the grip of the giant's hand tightened around his throat. His breath came in ragged gasps, every pulse of his heart pounding in his ears. The spear-wielding warrior, despite the deep wound that Kael had inflicted, was still standing strong, his supernatural strength refusing to relinquish its hold. The battlefield around him faded into a distant echo—this was a moment of life and death.
Kael's hands desperately scrabbled at the iron-like fingers wrapped around his neck, but it was no use. He could feel his strength draining away, his vision blurring as he fought for air. The weight of the spear's divine power continued to resonate in his body, a constant reminder of the enemy's unyielding force.
"Not… like this…" he thought, his mind racing.
Behind him, the battle raged on—his soldiers fighting valiantly, but they were starting to fall back in the face of overwhelming power. The army of Varian's champion was like a tide, relentless and unstoppable. Kael's heart ached with the thought of his people losing faith, of Evernight falling to the hands of a tyrant.
But he couldn't let that happen. Not now. Not after everything they had fought for.
With a final surge of will, Kael's hand found the hilt of his sword. He could feel it still there, nestled against the giant's side. His fingers burned as they gripped the weapon, pulling on it with every ounce of his remaining strength.
"This isn't over!" he thought, his breath coming in shallow gasps.
His vision was a red haze, and his muscles screamed in agony as the giant's fingers tightened. But Kael was determined. There was too much at stake.
The blade that had pierced the giant's side still hummed with a strange energy, faint but undeniable. Something inside Kael stirred—a pull, a spark. The sword… it wasn't just an ordinary weapon. It was a symbol of everything they had fought for, of every sacrifice made.
As his life slipped away, something inside Kael snapped. It was as if the world around him had shattered, and in that moment, a new surge of energy coursed through his body—fueled by his will to protect those he loved.
The sword in his hand began to glow brighter. The divine energy it had absorbed from the giant's wounds reacted violently, surging into Kael's veins like a torrent of pure magic. His heart thudded, faster than ever, as an overwhelming power surged within him.
The giant let out a terrible roar of pain, the grip on Kael's throat loosening for a brief moment. That moment was enough.
Kael's legs kicked against the ground, launching him upward, and with all his might, he twisted the sword within the giant's side, carving through the divine armor like paper. The spear-wielder's eyes widened in shock.
"This ends now!" Kael shouted, his voice rasping as he unleashed the full power of his sword.
With a final, powerful thrust, Kael pushed the sword deep, all the way to the hilt, into the heart of the giant warrior. There was a moment of silence before the ground itself seemed to tremble in response. The air crackled with energy.
The giant's grip loosened completely, and he fell to his knees, his massive body slumping forward in defeat. His eyes, once filled with divine fury, now lost their light as the life drained from him.
Kael stumbled backward, gasping for air as his vision swam. The rush of power receded, leaving him feeling drained and on the verge of collapse. But even as he staggered, he could feel the weight of the battlefield lifting. The forces of the enemy hesitated, their champion defeated. A ripple of hope spread through his troops.
But just as victory seemed within reach, the world shifted once more. Kael's breath caught in his throat as the ground trembled beneath him, and the dark sky above began to darken even further. A low, ominous rumble filled the air, louder than anything he had felt before.
From the horizon, a vast shadow appeared. It was not the armies of Varian's champion, nor the echoing winds of the divine spear. No, this was something darker, more sinister—a presence that struck fear into Kael's heart, one he had only heard of in whispered legends.
"The Dark God," Lela whispered, her voice shaking as she stood beside him.
Kael looked up, his eyes widening in disbelief. The dark silhouette in the sky loomed larger by the second. It was a figure of towering proportions, but it was no mere soldier or warrior. This was something ancient, a being of unimaginable power and malice. "How is this possible?" Kael muttered, his hand instinctively tightening around the hilt of his sword.
Lela was not the only one who had recognized the presence. The battlefield had fallen eerily silent, as both sides looked up in fear. The very atmosphere seemed to distort, as if reality itself was beginning to unravel in the face of this new force.
The dark god hovered above them, its form shifting and amorphous, a dark cloud of energy that seemed to devour the light around it. Its eyes glowed with a fiery intensity, and its voice echoed in the minds of all who could hear it.
"The end is near," the dark god's voice boomed, sending a chill through Kael's spine. "Evernight will fall. The cycle will be complete."
The sky above seemed to rip apart, and a wave of dark energy washed over the battlefield. Kael's body felt heavy, his strength draining from him once again. He could barely stand, but his resolve remained strong. He would not let this world fall—not after all they had fought for.
Lela turned toward him, her expression grim. "We can't fight it... Not like this."
Kael shook his head. "We have to. We have no choice."
But as the dark god's energy swirled around them, Kael knew deep down that this was a power unlike anything they had ever faced. It wasn't just the physical strength of an enemy—it was the very force of destruction itself, the embodiment of entropy.
Just as hope began to flicker out, Kael felt a strange pull inside his chest. A sense of urgency, a deep instinct that guided him.
"Lela… do you feel that?" Kael murmured, his voice hoarse. "There's something—something deep inside me. A connection."
Lela nodded, her expression filled with understanding. "I feel it too. It's as if the world is calling out to us. But what is it?"
The dark god's voice thundered again, more insistent this time. "You cannot escape the inevitable. Surrender or face annihilation."
Kael's eyes burned with defiance. He didn't have an answer yet. But one thing was certain: the fight was far from over.