Chapter 5 — End
The cold wind howled through the dead branches of the forest. A dying fire flickered weakly among the ruins, like a fragile heartbeat deep in the chest of the earth.
Arya stood there, bloodied and breathless, her face smeared with dirt and dried blood. Donati stood beside her — a broken sword in one hand, a rusted axe in the other.
From the heart of the darkness, the First Shadow emerged.
A monstrous figure, made of dense mist and broken bones.
Twisted horns above its head.
Eyes glowing a deep, burning red.
Its breath, like a storm of ash, made the fire tremble.
Donati whispered:
"This isn't a normal shadow… this is a disaster."
The creature growled:
"I am the First. The beginning of darkness. You… are the child of blood… but incomplete."
With a violent swing of its massive arm, the ground cracked open. Donati was hurled against a crumbling wall. Arya raised her sword and charged into the darkness.
Her blade clashed with the mist — nothing.
But then…
A warmth surged in her chest.
For a moment, her eyes glowed amber.
A familiar, ancient power… from deep within the blood of Erik.
Arya screamed and struck.
A wave of light cut through the darkness.
The shadow staggered back.
For the first time… fear appeared in its eyes.
"Impossible… Erik's power… in you?!"
But the power was fleeting.
The amber glow faded.
Arya's breath caught. The sword slipped from her hand.
The warmth drained away like a passing storm.
The shadow realized. It stepped forward.
Arya dropped to her knees.
Blood trickled from her ears.
Her vision blurred, fading into black.
The last thing she saw —
The shadow, stepping back in fear.
And then —
darkness.
Arya collapsed.
The fire went out.
Footsteps echoed.
The shadow vanished into the mist.
The curtain fell.
Chapter 5 ended.