Despite the crushing pressure, a spark of defiance flickered within Isla. Elara's presence, though faint, remained a constant, a whisper of hope in the encroaching darkness. She would not let the serpentine woman extinguish her light.
With a surge of desperate resolve, Isla focused on the amulet, channeling every ounce of her remaining strength.
The amulet pulsed, its light flaring, a beacon in the oppressive shadows. The woman hissed, her grip tightening, her eyes blazing with fury.
"You cannot resist!" she snarled, her voice a venomous hiss. "The darkness will consume you!"
Isla, her voice strained, whispered, "I am not alone."
The amulet's light intensified, pushing back the woman's corrupting influence. A wave of pure energy erupted from Isla, a blinding flash that forced the woman to recoil.
The obsidian shard in her chest cracked, its dark energy momentarily disrupted.
The clearing was bathed in a blinding light, a stark contrast to the oppressive shadows.
For a fleeting moment, the darkness retreated, revealing the fragile spark of hope that still burned within Isla.
The abyss had answered with a defiant gleam.