Chapter 66: Escalation
As the temple crumbled around us, events escalated at an astonishing pace. The dark waves unleashed by the creature, combined with the magic I had tried to copy, collided in a terrifying manner. It felt as though I was drowning in a sea of darkness that began to consume everything.
Ariel, who was fighting alongside Lilia, seemed more tense than ever. Her attacks had no effect on the dark creature, and her magic dissipated into the void.
"Eiad!" Lilia shouted, struggling to fend off the attacks. "You need to control your copies!"
"I can't! It's stronger!" I screamed back, but the creature's magic kept growing stronger.
And in that moment, I felt something different. It was as if I wasn't fighting alone. Lilia's power, Ariel's magic, and even our combined presence had added a new dimension to the battle. But we needed more power.
"We need to open a gateway to ancient power!" Ariel suddenly said. "This is the right moment."
Unexpectedly, Lilia's magic began to resonate with mine. The forces collided and intertwined, but something deep began to happen. A massive magical circle opened above us, lights dancing within it.
"We'll do it!" Lilia yelled, her gaze determined as she added her strength to the magical gate.
Under the shimmering light, droplets of ancient energy fell, like a cascade of light that shattered the dark creature. We charged, the four of us, towards the center of the temple where the greatest secret lay.
End of Chapter 66
Chapter 67: The Truth Behind the Void
As we entered the heart of the temple, it felt like we had stepped into another world. The sky above us glowed with a purple hue, and the ground was covered in translucent ice. The trees seemed to celebrate our presence, though they were filled with symbols we hadn't yet understood.
"This place is the source of the void... but why?" Lilia asked, breathing heavily.
"There's a deep secret here. All this corruption stems from an ancient power that was buried in this place. What we see today is just the remnants of that era," Ariel said, her eyes scanning the surrounding columns.
We then approached a room at the end of the corridor, where there was a massive statue of an ancient power. When we reached it, we realized that this statue was the prison for the energy that controlled the void.
End of Chapter 67
Chapter 68: The Prison of Energy
We stood before the massive statue in the center of the room, the symbols carved on its surface glowing with a strange life. The statue appeared to be a living entity, and it was clear that what was trapped inside was the source of the void itself. The ground beneath us trembled as if it was aware of our presence.
"This is the source, isn't it?" I asked softly, watching the statue carefully.
Ariel, who stood nearby, pointed to the symbols on the walls, which seemed to indicate the imprisonment of an ancient force. "Yes, this energy has been trapped here for ages. But it doesn't seem like the prison was entirely safe."
The dark cloud we had seen began to gather around the statue, and the statue itself started emitting muffled sounds. It seemed to react to our presence.
"If this is the dark energy itself, why hasn't it attacked directly?" I asked, observing the dark creature in the room.
"It's complicated, Eiad. This energy was used to maintain balance between the natural forces in this world, but when corruption began, that balance started to falter," Ariel replied, watching the statue.
At that moment, the statue began to pulse strangely, emitting a faint blue beam of light that pierced through the darkness around us. I felt a shiver run down my spine.
"Can we break it?" I asked, addressing the group.
Ariel shook her head. "We can't break it easily. This energy is part of this world. But perhaps there's a way to release it if we understand the rules."
Lilia focused on the energy, trying to decipher the symbolic messages unfolding before her eyes. "If we can use light magic, we might be able to cleanse the negative energy."
As we prepared to implement Lilia's plan, a surge of dark energy shot from the statue. A sudden attack more powerful than anything we had faced before. We were pushed back, and the air was thick with darkness, as though all hope was starting to fade.
"We have to be careful," Ariel said in a serious tone. "We can't let this energy control the world."
In that moment, I felt something deep inside me. The skill I had copied from the dark creature had grown stronger. I decided to pour all my energy into it.
"I'll try copying Lilia's light energy. Maybe this is the answer," I said, focusing on the skill.
Light energy surged from my hands, accompanied by the magic Lilia had contributed to our fight. The light spread in all directions, battling the dark magical waves that surrounded us. It felt like light and darkness were engaged in a final battle.
"Now!" Ariel shouted.
When the light collided with the source of darkness, a massive magical circle exploded, filling the room with blinding white light. The deafening sound of the explosion indicated that the balance had been restored.
As the light began to dissipate, we found ourselves in a completely serene place, with no trace of dark energy.
"We did it!" Lilia said, her voice filled with amazement. "We've freed this place."
But Ariel looked at the horizon with concern. "Yes, but caution is still required. This could be the beginning of something much bigger than we realize."
End of Chapter 68
Chapter 69: Restored Power
The air was filled with purity, and the temple had begun to return to its natural state, as if it had regained its lost balance. The ancient symbols on the walls began to glow in warm colors, as if congratulating us on our success.
But despite the sense of achievement, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease. A part of me understood that the battle wasn't over yet.
"We need to return to the main headquarters. There are other matters to deal with," I said, trying to push aside my mixed feelings.
Ariel nodded and added, "That's right. We now have information, and bigger threats may begin to emerge."
As we made our way back, I felt something different. I wasn't just a student in another world anymore. I was now part of a bigger battle—a battle to save this world.
"If this is the beginning of the road, then I'm ready," I said, watching the distant horizon. "I won't let the darkness take over."
But as we all realized, this was just the beginning of many challenges waiting for us.
End of Chapter 69
Chapter 70: The Greatest Challenge
We arrived at the headquarters, and the place was full of life and activity. We had no time to relax. Everyone was busy analyzing the results of the battle at the temple and trying to figure out what might have emerged due to that dark energy.
"Eiad!" Lilia shouted, hurrying toward me. "Something's happening. You need to see this."
We followed Lilia to the operations room, where many mages and researchers were working on ancient maps and strange texts.
"What's going on?" Ariel asked, watching the situation.
"It's the shadows, the shadows that began to spread from the temple," one of the researchers said anxiously. "We freed the dark energy, but what's left of it has started to expand."
"Are we talking about a new power?" I asked.
"Yes, this thing has started to grow in places we didn't expect. It seems like a shadow of the void itself, gaining strength over time," the researcher replied, pointing to a map showing the points where the shadow had begun to spread.
"We need to respond quickly," Ariel said.
The truth was clear now. The battle wasn't over yet. In fact, it had only just begun.
End of Chapter 70