The light from Amina's sword flared brighter, blinding everyone in the tomb. The beast screamed, its roar reverberating through the stone walls as the fiery cage around it pulsed. The ancient symbols etched into the air flickered, their power teetering on the brink of collapse.
Amina's hands trembled, the weight of the ritual pressing down on her chest like an invisible hand. She could feel the energy draining from her, the force of the creature's resistance pulling at the edges of her mind. Each breath was a battle. The flame within her burned hotter, its power threatening to consume her.
But the ritual was working.
The creature was struggling—its massive form thrashing against the fiery cage, but the light was holding it back. The chains of ancient magic, woven together by the symbols, were binding it in place.
But then—
Crack!
A piercing sound shattered the air, like the breaking of glass. The cage flickered violently, and the beast roared again, more desperate, more furious than before. It twisted, snapping its claws at the light, trying to break free. The ground trembled beneath Amina's feet as the tomb itself seemed to shake with the force of its struggle.
The boy, standing a few paces behind Amina, stepped forward, his expression grim. "You're running out of time," he said quietly. His voice was calm, but there was something in his eyes—something dark, like he knew the outcome already. "It won't hold. Not like this."
Amina's vision blurred, the weight of the power she was channeling growing unbearable. She gasped for air, feeling the ritual slipping from her grasp. She was losing control.
"No… I can't fail," she whispered through gritted teeth, her fingers tightening around the sword. "I won't let him win."
But the beast was relentless, its massive body shaking the tomb with every movement, its growls growing louder, more distorted. And then, Amina felt something shift—something deep within the magic she had woven.
The ritual was incomplete.
Her heart raced as she realized the truth.
She wasn't strong enough.
Her vision went dark for a moment, her mind swimming with fragments of memories—flashes of Amariel's past, of the world before the tomb, before Valec's betrayal. And then, through the haze, she heard it—the voice, familiar yet foreign, calling out to her.
Amariel.
The name echoed in her mind, louder than the beast's roar, louder than the shuddering of the tomb. Amina's heart thudded in her chest. The voice wasn't just a memory—it was a plea, a warning. Amariel's final message. The truth of her purpose was becoming clear.
The boy's eyes widened, and he stepped closer to Amina. "It's too late. You've awakened it—there's no turning back now."
"No…" Amina whispered, her breath shallow. "I can still control it. I have to."
But just as the words left her lips, the ground beneath her feet cracked open with a deafening sound. A dark pulse of energy erupted from the beast, a wave of power so intense that it sent Amina sprawling backward. Her sword slipped from her hand, clattering to the ground as she struggled to stay on her feet.
The fiery cage around the creature flickered and died, the light dimming to nothing. The beast roared, its body surging forward with terrifying speed. Its claws slashed through the air, and for a moment, everything seemed to freeze.
Then—
Amina was pulled back just in time.
The boy, his eyes glowing with the same ancient power that had begun to pulse around the beast, reached out and grasped her by the arm, pulling her out of the creature's deadly path.
But even as he saved her, a strange smile tugged at his lips. It wasn't one of victory—it was one of inevitability.
"You've done your best," he said, his voice soft, almost regretful. "But the beast has been awakened. And now, you must face the consequences."
Amina's breath caught in her throat as she realized the truth.
The ritual had failed.
The creature was no longer bound.
And there was no way to stop it now.
Before she could react, a tremor shot through the ground, and the tomb began to collapse around them, stone cracking and falling. The ceiling above them groaned, and dust began to fall from the walls.
Valec stood at the edge of the chamber, his eyes glowing with an eerie, unnatural light. "It's over, Amina," he said, his voice cold. "You've done exactly what I wanted. You've freed the beast."
Amina's heart sank.
But then, as if on cue, the creature let out another deafening roar.
And from the shadows behind it, something else stirred.