Ethan's body jerked backward.
An invisible force—Adrian's golden will—wrapped around him like iron chains. Unbreakable. Inescapable.
He gasped, fighting against the pull, his limbs thrashing uselessly. The ground beneath his feet vanished as he was dragged through the air—toward Adrian.
Toward death.
"ETHAN!" Olivia screamed.
Noah lunged, trying to grab him—too slow.
Blaze barked frantically, his paws scraping against the ground.
But Ethan was already gone.
Caught Between Monsters
He crashed into Adrian, his body colliding with the golden titan. Adrian's grip clamped around his throat, lifting him effortlessly.
His golden eyes burned. His face was twisted with fury—but also something else.
Desperation.
"If I fall, I won't fall alone," Adrian growled. His fingers tightened. "You were always a thorn in my side, Ethan. I should've killed you sooner."
Ethan struggled.
He couldn't breathe. His vision blurred.
But then—the shadows moved.
The dark creatures surged forward, their crimson eyes locked onto Adrian. They hadn't forgotten him.
"Enough."
The lead shadow-being raised a hand—and Adrian screamed.
Golden energy ripped away from his body, forcefully drained into the abyss. His glow flickered. His grip on Ethan weakened.
Ethan took his chance.
He swung his knife.
The blade sank into Adrian's shoulder—deep.
Adrian snarled in pain, his grip breaking just enough for Ethan to twist away. He fell, crashing onto the shattered concrete below.
He gasped, air rushing back into his lungs.
He was alive.
For now.
The Fall of Adrian
Adrian tried to rise, but the shadows didn't let him.
They wrapped around him, clinging to his limbs, draining him of his stolen power. His golden glow dimmed. His struggles became weaker.
"NO! I AM A GOD!"
The lead shadow-being laughed. "You were. Now, you are nothing."
With a final, violent pull, the shadows dragged Adrian down.
The ground split open beneath him—a swirling abyss of darkness. Adrian let out one last, defiant roar before—
He was gone.
The rift snapped shut.
Silence fell.
Survivors
Ethan lay on his back, chest heaving.
Olivia and Noah rushed to him, their faces pale with shock. Valerie was limping, Blaze at her side, ears still pinned back.
"Did that just happen?" Noah breathed.
Olivia knelt beside Ethan. "You're alive." Her voice shook.
He managed a weak grin. "Barely."
A low growl made them tense.
They turned—but the shadow-beings weren't looking at them anymore.
The lead creature gazed down at the spot where Adrian had vanished. Its red eyes flickered, as if considering something.
Then, without another word, it turned and disappeared into the night.
The others followed.
And just like that—they were alone again.
The Cost of Survival
No one spoke for a long time.
Then—Noah let out a shaky laugh. "So… we won?"
Ethan closed his eyes. His body ached. His mind screamed.
But he was alive.
And Adrian was gone.
For now.
Ethan exhaled. "Yeah. We won."
But deep down—
He wasn't sure if the real fight was over yet.