The battle roared around us, but all I could focus on was the surge of power running through my veins. The shadow king straightened, his mask hiding whatever emotion he might’ve felt, but I knew I’d caught him off guard. For the first time, he wasn’t sure how this fight would end.
Mal was at my side again, her blade at the ready. “You sure about this?” she asked, her voice tight. She knew I was about to take a risk-a big one.
I nodded, the energy pulsing through me like a second heartbeat. “We don’t have a choice. It’s him or us.”
The rogues were recovering from the shockwave I’d unleashed, shaking themselves off and prowling toward us again. Their movements were more aggressive now, like they were desperate to finish this.
“Fine,” Mal said, stepping in front of me with her blade raised. “I’ll keep them busy. You focus on him.”
She darted forward without waiting for my response, meeting the first rogue with a slash that sent it yelping to the ground. The others followed, but Mal was ready, her movements swift and lethal.
I turned my attention back to the shadow king. He hadn’t moved, standing in the center of the clearing like he was untouchable.
“You think you’re the only one with power?” he said, his voice calm and cold.
He raised his hand again, and the shadows around him stretched and twisted, rising up like living creatures. They slithered toward me, fast and menacing, but I didn’t flinch.
My hands glowed brighter, the power within me responding instinctively. When the first shadow reached me, I thrust my palm forward, sending a burst of energy that tore through it like smoke in the wind.
The shadow king tilted his head. “Interesting.”
I didn’t give him time to attack again. I lunged toward him, each step igniting the ground beneath me as I drew closer. He moved to block me, the shadows coiling around him like armor, but I slammed my power into them, forcing him to stumble back.
“Not so untouchable now, are you?” I said, my voice steady despite the chaos.
He didn’t reply. Instead, his shadows lashed out again, this time sharper and faster. I dodged one and deflected another with a barrier of energy, but he wasn’t letting up.
Behind me, Mal was still holding her ground, cutting down rogues one by one. She was outnumbered, but she fought like she didn’t care, each swing of her blade filled with precision and rage.
“Focus!” she yelled, not looking back.
I refocused on the shadow king. He was advancing now, his shadows weaving and striking like vipers. I countered each one, but it was taking all my focus.
“You can’t keep this up,” he said, his voice smooth and taunting. “You’re strong, but power like that burns out fast.”
I gritted my teeth, refusing to let his words sink in. He wasn’t wrong-I could feel the strain of my energy wearing on me. But I wasn’t going to let him win.
Summoning everything I had left, I pushed back harder, sending a shockwave of power through the clearing. The shadows around him shattered, and for the first time, he staggered, his mask tilting slightly.
“You-” he started, but I cut him off with another surge of energy, driving him back further.
Mal finished off the last rogue and stepped back to my side, her blade dripping with blood. She was breathing hard, but her eyes were steady.
“He’s vulnerable now,” she said, nodding toward the shadow king. “Finish it.”
The power inside me flared, demanding release. I stepped forward, raising my hand as the glow around me grew blinding. The shadow king straightened, his arrogance melting into something that looked almost like fear.
“This is your end,” I said, my voice ringing with finality.
And then, I unleashed everything. The blast of energy tore through the clearing, shaking the earth and shattering the shadows around him. The force of it sent him flying, slamming into a tree with a sickening crack.
When the dust settled, he lay crumpled on the ground, his mask broken and his body motionless.
Mal let out a shaky breath, lowering her blade. “You did it,” she said, her voice a mixture of relief and awe.
I stared at the figure on the ground, my chest heaving as the last remnants of my power faded. “It’s over,” I said softly, but even as the words left my mouth, I knew the truth.
This was only the beginning.