Amina stood motionless in the silent clearing, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon where the sky had begun to change. The once-burning red had dimmed to a sickly yellow, and dark clouds now swirled ominously, swallowing the light from above. The air around her crackled, charged with an electric tension, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Behind her, the others stirred, their eyes narrowing in unease as they sensed the shift in the atmosphere.
"This isn't right," Lumeah whispered, her voice strained. "The seals weren't meant to break this way. Something is coming."
Amina's hand instinctively reached for the pendant around her neck, her fingers brushing the cool surface. The flame that once glowed brightly now flickered weakly, as though it, too, feared the storm that loomed.
The ground beneath them trembled, a low, menacing rumble that seemed to echo from deep within the earth. Amina's pulse quickened. The tomb, the very place that had once held the past in check, now seemed to groan under the weight of ancient forces waking from their slumber.
"He's coming," the boy finally spoke, his voice cold and unwavering. His eyes, dark and unfathomable, locked with hers. "The one who brought this upon us."
Amina turned to face him, her heart pounding in her chest. "Who? Valec?"
The boy nodded slowly, his expression unreadable. "Yes, but not in the way you think. Valec is no longer the man you remember. He has become something… more."
Amina felt a cold shiver run down her spine. The truth had always been elusive, but now it was clearer than ever: Valec had evolved into a force beyond comprehension. His time in the shadows, sealed away, had not weakened him. It had transformed him.
From the edges of the field, a shape began to take form. A figure cloaked in darkness, moving as though the very air parted in fear before it. The flames flickered and shrank as the figure approached, their light struggling to hold against the encroaching darkness.
"It's him," Amina said softly, her voice trembling.
The figure stepped forward, his silhouette slowly emerging from the shadows. Valec.
But not the Valec she had once known. His once regal form was now twisted, his eyes glowing with an unnatural fire. The power that emanated from him was palpable, like the air itself was thick with it. His presence sent ripples through the tomb, a sign that the past, long buried, was now returning with a vengeance.
"You've broken the seals," Valec's voice boomed, reverberating through the tomb like a thunderclap. "Now, the world will burn."
Amina's breath caught in her throat. She had known this moment would come, but the reality of it was far more terrifying than she had ever imagined.
"Why?" Amina demanded, stepping forward, her fists clenched at her sides. "Why bring this destruction upon us?"
Valec's laugh was low, dark, and filled with a twisted satisfaction. "Destruction? No, child. This is not destruction. This is… evolution. The world must burn to make way for what is coming."
As the last of his words echoed through the air, the ground beneath them shattered. Cracks split the earth open, and from within the depths, a pulse of energy erupted. The light from the flames died out entirely, and for a moment, there was nothing but darkness.
Then, a blinding light flooded the tomb, accompanied by an overwhelming roar that shook the very foundation of their reality.
Amina stumbled back, her heart racing, as the ground trembled beneath her. The storm outside had reached its peak, and the sky above raged with fury.
"It's begun," the boy said, his face pale. "The end is here."
Amina's gaze snapped back to Valec. There was no time left. The fate of everything rested on what happened next.
With a swift movement, she drew the sword at her side—the one that had been forged for this very moment. The blade pulsed with its own light, a stark contrast to the overwhelming darkness that surrounded them.
Valec's eyes glowed brighter. "You think that weapon can save you?"
Amina gripped the hilt tightly, her fingers tingling with power. "I don't know if it will save me. But I'll fight. For everyone."