I have faced many battles, but none like this.
The Forgotten Ones were changing. Their bodies, once human-like, were now grotesque abominations—twisted armor fused with flesh, their masks splitting apart to reveal hollow voids where eyes should have been. They were no longer warriors. They were something else entirely.
And the chant—the deep, guttural sound that shook the earth—it was not coming from them.
"What in the gods' name is this?" Cassius muttered, gripping his spear tightly.
Eryndis had gone pale, her fingers trembling as she tried to summon her magic. But the air was thick, resisting her power.
"We need to fall back!" Septimus urged.
I knew he was right, but my instincts screamed otherwise. If we turned our backs now, we would never make it out alive.
"Hold the line!" I commanded.
My men hesitated but obeyed. Loyalty held them together, even in the face of nightmares.
The ground cracked beneath our feet. A gust of wind, thick with the stench of death, surged through the ruins.
Then it emerged.
A figure, towering above us, cloaked in shadows. It was not human. Nor was it beast.
Its form shimmered, shifting between flesh and darkness, its face obscured by a golden mask. And when it spoke, it was not a voice. It was a command. A whisper that rattled inside my skull.
"Mortal king… you stand before the forgotten god."
The realization hit me like a hammer.
This was not just the remnants of an ancient army. This was something far older. Something beyond history itself.
"Who are you?" I demanded, forcing my voice to remain steady.
The golden mask tilted slightly. It was studying me.
"You do not belong here," it finally said. "And yet… the blood of conquerors runs through your veins. Aurelian Valerius, the gods watch you. But do you watch them?"
I gritted my teeth. "I do not bow to forgotten gods."
For a moment, there was silence. Then—laughter. Deep. Hollow. Mocking.
"Then let us see if you are worthy to defy us."
The shadows surged. And the battle began anew.
The Battle of the Ruins
The first strike came like lightning. A shadowy blade materialized in the air, hurtling toward me.
I barely had time to raise my sword. The impact sent me skidding backward, my arm numb from the force.
"Aurelian!" Eryndis called, throwing a bolt of flame toward the creature.
It vanished before the fire could touch it, reappearing behind one of my men. A single touch, and he crumbled into dust.
This was no ordinary foe.
"Do not let them touch you!" I warned, parrying another attack.
Cassius and Septimus fought like demons, cutting down anything that came near. But for every Forgotten warrior that fell, two more took their place.
It was not a battle of strength. It was a battle of endurance.
And we were losing.
"We cannot fight shadows forever!" Cassius shouted.
I knew that. We needed a way to end this—fast.
Then I saw it. The golden mask.
It was the key. The source.
"Eryndis! Can you break its hold?"
Her eyes flashed. "If I can get close enough!"
"Then do it!"
I raised my sword and charged.
The Forgotten god turned, its mask glowing. It had underestimated me.
That would be its last mistake.
The Reckoning
Everything happened at once.
Cassius and Septimus covered my flank, cutting down the shadowy warriors. Eryndis raised her hands, weaving a spell so powerful that the very air trembled.
The god moved to stop her.
I moved to stop it.
Our blades clashed. Power against mortal steel. Divinity against will.
For a moment, the world froze.
Then—a crack.
The golden mask split.
A scream. Not of rage, but of fear.
The shadows recoiled. The Forgotten Ones faltered.
And then, just like that—they were gone.
The ruins fell silent. The weight in the air lifted.
It was over.
But I knew… this was only the beginning.
The gods were watching.
And they would not stay silent forever.