Silence hung over the place, broken only by the sound of their ragged breathing after the battle. The massive gate behind them, half-open, cast long shadows on the dust- and blood-covered ground. Valo stood, contemplating the corpses around him, then turned to Sohan, who was staring blankly into space.
"How did they know your name, Sohan?" Valo said, advancing. "One of them said it like he'd known you for ages."
Sohan clenched his fist tightly and muttered, "I don't know... I swear I've never encountered a Withered that knew me before. This... this is strange."
Before anyone could continue, a whisper echoed from outside, as if the Ashes themselves had begun to speak. They cautiously approached the hall's door, and as they stepped out into the outer courtyard, their eyes widened in horror.
An army of Withered stood before them. Hundreds of them, lined up in silence as if waiting for a single command. Their bodies were charred, their eyes glowing with ash, and their weapons dripped with the traces of the lives they had taken.
But even more terrifying... was what lay ahead.
A tall man, his body covered in a charred black mantle, his eyes glowing with gray lightning. Behind him, a massive dragon slithered silently, its wings tattered but still menacing. Its skin was stone-grey, and its breath exhaled thick black smoke.
The man advanced with quiet steps, an eerie silence filling the air. Then he raised his head, and a deep voice spoke that pierced their hearts:
"This land is no longer yours. Every atom of ash here belongs to us."
Sohan took a step forward, grasped his sword, and asked, "Who are you?"
The man smiled slowly. "My name is Sol Weather... Lord of the Withered. And this land has become a cemetery for all who thought the light could still whisper here."
He raised his hand and continued in a thunderous voice:
"Burned in ash." The Withered screamed like a storm and rushed towards Sohan and his companions. The fighting began. The confrontation was fierce, the Withered more organized, and new monsters appeared, fighting frantically. One of them resembled a multi-armed creature, devouring everything in its path.
Valo shouted, "Step back! Cover each other's backs!"
Sohan was in the middle of the battle, his sword slicing through the air, fending off attack after attack. But one of the Withered lunged from behind, managing to savagely slice his shoulder.
Sohan screamed, but he didn't retreat. Blood flowed from his shoulder, but his eyes blazed.
He said in a low voice, almost a promise: "Even if half the sun dies... I will be the remaining half."
The fighting continued, smoke rose, and the battle was far from over...