The shockwave resonated through the air, a force so violent it cracked the ground beneath their feet.
Eryndal locked eyes with his double for a fraction of a second before it vanished in a burst of shadow.
— He's fast...
A black blade materialized in his back. He barely had time to roll to the side, but a searing burn tore through his flank.
He rolled across the glowing ground, grimacing.
— You're too slow, his double said in a tone almost disappointed.
Eryndal gritted his teeth and pushed himself up. He couldn't afford to lose. Not to himself.
The Battle of Souls
Attacks rained down like lightning.
Every movement of his double was surgical, each strike a mix of raw power and supernatural skill.
Eryndal countered with everything he had. Scarlet bursts of energy lit up the arena, streaks of light pierced the void, but nothing seemed to be enough.
His double dodged everything, as if he knew his thoughts in advance.
Then, suddenly, he appeared right in front of him.
— You never understood.
A punch to the stomach.
Eryndal bent double.
— You refuse to accept what you are.
An uppercut.
His body was sent flying into the air.
His double was already waiting for him up there.
A sharp strike to the chest.
Eryndal crashed violently into the ground, breath knocked out of him.
He tried to rise, but his double placed a foot on his chest, pinning him to the ground.
— You're not ready.
The air vibrated.
The red sky darkened, as if reality itself was holding its breath.
Then his double raised his hand.
His black palm began to glow with an abyssal energy.
— I'll show you what choice truly means.
A blade of shadow took shape, menacing.
Eryndal fought against the pressure that kept him pinned to the ground, his heart pounding wildly.
Then he felt a presence.
Someone was calling him.
A voice.
Faint. Distant.
But he recognized it immediately.
— Eryndal...!
The Link That Persists
His eyes widened.
It was Alessia.
He raised his head.
On the other side of the barrier separating this dimension from the real world, he saw her.
Alessia, Darek, and Elion, his companions.
All three were striking against an invisible wall, their faces twisted in worry.
— Come back! cried Alessia, tears in her eyes.
Eryndal felt his heart tighten.
He had almost forgotten.
He wasn't alone.
He had never fought alone.
The black energy descended.
The sharp shadow of the blade surged toward him.
But at the last moment…
Eryndal felt a mysterious force.
Eryndal reached out.
His palm glowed with incandescent red light.
Time seemed to slow down.
His double's eyes widened.
— WHAT... ?
BOOOOOOOOM.
A scarlet explosion lit up the arena.
His double was thrown backward, sliding several meters.
Eryndal pushed himself up, breathless, his gaze burning with a new determination.
He understood now.
He didn't need to be like him.
He didn't need to lose himself in the abyss.
What made him different... what made him truly strong...
It was his companions, Alessia, Darek, and Elion.
All those who had stood by him, who had counted on him.
— I refuse.
His double, still stunned, slowly lifted his head.
— What... are you talking about?
Eryndal took a step forward.
— I refuse to be you.
He raised his hand.
His red mark pulsed with a new intensity.
— I refuse this fate.
The energy around him shifted.
It was no longer just scarlet.
It now shone with a golden hue.
A flame of hope.
His double growled.
— You're making a mistake!
— No.
Eryndal took another step.
The golden energy intensified around him.
— You're the one who's trapped.
His double wavered slightly.
Eryndal could finally see him.
His double… was not as sure as he pretended to be.
Now, the decisive moment began.
The air became burning hot.
The space vibrated one last time.
Eryndal raised his fist.
His double did the same.
Then they struck at the same time.
The impact shook the entire universe.
A wave of light and shadow engulfed both of them.
Time seemed to freeze.
Then...
Nothing.
They were back in reality.
A warm wind blew through the ruins.
Eryndal opened his eyes.
He was lying on the ground, his body aching, but alive.
Darek and Alessia rushed toward him.
— You're back... murmured Alessia, relieved.
Eryndal slowly sat up.
He looked at his hand.
The red mark was still there...
But it seemed different.
His gaze drifted toward the ruins.
The hooded man was no longer there.
And his double...
Had vanished.
The creature, too, was gone.
Or perhaps... "They had never truly left".
Eryndal closed his eyes for a moment.
This battle…
Was just the beginning.
He could feel it.
The story was not over.