The looming tower before them stood like a jagged scar against the skyline, its dark stone walls slick with an ever-present mist. Leon and Kaelis approached the tower cautiously, the air heavy with the weight of secrecy and danger. Every step they took felt like a step deeper into the unknown. The shadows, thick and impenetrable, seemed to react to their presence, swirling and shifting in ways that felt almost alive.
As they crossed the threshold into the tower, a cold, unnerving silence enveloped them. The stone walls, lined with ancient pillars, seemed to pulse with dark energy, casting long, unnatural shadows that twisted and contorted with every movement. Leon's instincts screamed at him, this place was a nest of power, and they had walked straight into its heart.
They moved through the hall, their steps deliberate and quiet. Leon's shadow army, now fully integrated into his being, spread out in the darkness, ready to strike at a moment's notice. The air was thick with the presence of danger. They were not alone, and there were far more forces in this tower than just Darius.
At the far end of the hall, a door creaked open. Inside, the room was dim, lit only by the faint glow of torches. There, standing at the center, was Darius Vane, flanked by a group of Guild hunters. But it wasn't just any group of hunters, they were under the influence of the Eternal Empire.
And there, standing beside Darius, was a figure cloaked in gray, his presence heavy with menace. Leon and Kaelis didn't know who he was, but they knew one thing: he was part of the Eternal Empire's inner circle. The stranger could be the weakest or the strongest, they couldn't risk underestimating him.
The gray-cloaked figure spoke softly to Darius, but their words were lost in the distance. Leon's sharp eyes locked onto him, sensing the quiet, yet undeniable aura of power emanating from the man. Kaelis, too, had his attention focused on the cloaked figure, and his posture shifted, a tense recognition crossing his features.
Without a word, Kaelis leaned closer to Leon. "I know who he is," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "That's Kel, a lower-rank commander of the Eternal Empire."
Leon's expression darkened. Kel? The name meant nothing to him, he didn't care about titles. But Kaelis's recognition meant something. Kel wasn't just another soldier; he was a strategist, a key figure. Whether he was the weakest or strongest didn't matter now, they would face him head-on.
Leon's fingers twitched as he summoned his shadow army, pulling them into existence like a swarm of restless spirits. The darkness coiled around him, creating a wall of shadows that shifted and writhed in anticipation. Alongside them, the monstrous entity he had consumed back in Chapter Six rose from the depths of his power, a creature of darkness and twisted form, its glowing eyes blazing with a malevolent energy.
Kaelis readied his blade, his movements fluid as he prepared for the coming fight. The air was thick with tension, and in an instant, the trap that had been laid for them snapped shut.
The cloaked figure, Kel, turned his head slightly, his sharp eyes narrowing as he sensed the movement in the shadows. "You are brave, coming here," he said softly, his voice smooth but laced with cold authority. "But you are not prepared for what's to come."
Before Leon could respond, the battle erupted.
The Guild hunters, now fully under the control of the Eternal Empire, surged forward. Their movements were coordinated, like a well-oiled machine, but Leon's shadow army moved faster, more fluid, each assassin a deadly extension of his will. Shadows lashed out, cutting down the hunters one by one, their weapons rendered useless against the darkness that consumed them.
The monster Leon had absorbed earlier, a twisted and horrific thing, launched itself into the fray with a ferocity that left the remaining hunters scrambling to react. Its claws tore through the air, decimating anything that came too close. Leon moved with precision, his blade a blur as it cleaved through the soldiers of the Eternal Empire.
Kaelis was a whirlwind, his movements graceful yet deadly as he cut down soldiers with ruthless efficiency. But they kept coming, more of the Eternal Empire's soldiers and hunters, each one just as determined to stop them as the last.
Kaelis called out to Leon between strikes. "They don't want us to get close to Darius. They'll keep us occupied until he's ready to move."
Leon's eyes burned with fury as he fought, his shadow army growing stronger with every enemy that fell. "Then we end this now."
The clash of metal, the roar of the monstrous entity, and the screams of the dying filled the air, but Leon and Kaelis were unstoppable. Slowly, methodically, they cut through the forces of the Eternal Empire, their power unrelenting.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the room fell silent.
The remaining hunters and soldiers of the Eternal Empire lay defeated, their bodies strewn across the floor. Leon's shadow army stood at attention, their forms flickering like wisps of smoke, waiting for their next command.
Kaelis wiped the sweat from his brow, his gaze flickering to the center of the room, where Darius and Kel now stood, their expressions filled with disdain.
Darius sneered, his voice cold. "You think you've won, Leon Ashbourne? This is only the beginning."
Leon didn't flinch, his grip tightening on his blade as he stepped forward. The battle wasn't over yet. Not by a long shot.
Kel's voice came next, cutting through the tension. "You've made a grave mistake," he said, his voice calm but carrying a weight of danger. "You've come for the truth, but you'll never escape the Eternal Empire's grasp."
Leon's shadow army shifted, ready to move at his command. Kaelis stood beside him, his blade at the ready. Together, they faced the two men who stood in their way, Darius Vane and Kel, the lower-rank commander of the Eternal Empire.
This fight would decide everything.