Chapter 72: The Conflict Starts
Melissa’s POV
The smell of blood and violence filled the night air, which crackled with tension. As I watched the enemy forces rush toward us, my heart raced as I stood at the entrance to the sanctuary. Their twisted, dark shapes shifted like a tide of darkness, their crimson eyes blazing as they stared at our group.
“We hold the line!” Kane’s words thundered across the battlefield.
The wolves reacted with a thunderous cry, their confidence unshaken despite the overwhelming enemy numbers. I balled my fingers into fists. This was it-the moment we had been prepared for.
I glanced at the warriors beside me. “No matter what happens, we fight together. Protect each other. Protect our house.”
They nodded, resolve to shine in their eyes. Then we were hit by the enemy’s first wave.
A state of mayhem broke out on the battlefield. War yells flooded the air, fangs ripped through flesh, and claws clashed with steel. I sidestepped a huge enemy’s spear-like appendage and twisted my body to use my dagger to slit its chest fatally.
I caught a glimpse of Kane battling like a natural force, slicing through the opposition with unwavering strength and accuracy. The wolves fought for our future as much as our existence, moving in unison as they launched attacks.
The ground underneath me trembled with a loud explosion. As I turned, I saw several enemy fighters breach our walls and make their way directly to the sanctuary.
“No!” I dashed ahead, cutting through everything that stood in my way. “You won’t take this from us!”
The claws of one of the animals reached for my throat as it lunged at me. Despite my best efforts to avoid it, it struck my shoulder, causing excruciating pain. As the thing fell, I clenched my teeth and stabbed it in the skull, pulling it free.
I saw Kane again through the confusion, but this time he was having trouble.
His armor was stained by the blood that trickled down his side.
“Kane!” I attempted to approach him, but I was stopped by another enemy.
“Go!” he screamed, avoiding a blow and delivering a forceful blow in return. “You have to finish this!”
I clenched my hands, torn between staying and carrying out our plan. He was correct. We wouldn’t have a chance if we didn’t take out the adversary at its source.
I looked at my group. “Get out! We are now capturing the stronghold.
We advanced toward the enemy’s hideout without hesitation, slicing through minor dangers as we moved across the battlefield.
In front of us, the enemy’s stronghold loomed like a nightmare fortress that had been darkened. Even though we had enough information from Damon’s army to navigate it, I still got chills when I stepped inside.
I whispered to my crew, “Remain near. We have no idea what awaits us within.
The stronghold walls were damp and cold, and we moved like shadows. It was impossible to determine whether someone or something was hiding in the shadows because every step reverberated.
A deep growl then echoed along the hallway.
A huge beast leaped at us before I could even respond.
I called out, “Scatter!”
As the monster thing swung its enormous claws, the crew dispersed and dodged. As the beast turned to face me, I rolled across the floor and pulled out my weapons.
A vicious smile twisted its face. “You think you can stop us, little wolf?”
I didn’t think twice. It knocked me back with incredible force as I attacked, aiming my blade at its chest.
My ribs exploded with pain, but I forced myself to get up by gritting my teeth. Here, I wouldn’t fall.
“Keep pushing forward!” I gave my team a call.
As my troops broke through its defenses, each one battling with all of their might, the beast bellowed in frustration. We hit it one last time, causing its enormous body to sag to the floor.
I turned back to the hallway ahead, panting. I could sense that we were near.
Whispering, “We keep going,” I said.
Whatever was within the enemy’s lair was considerably worse than anything we had ever encountered.
A peculiar, throbbing energy filled the air as we entered the inner sanctuary. The room was filled with a spooky radiance that made my stomach turn.
Or what was left of it, anyway?
A broken, pulsing crystal, its fragments kept together only by strands of evil magic, hung in midair.
I stumbled forward, gasping for air. This was where their power came from.
However, there was a problem.
The room’s shadows moved, and a man stepped out of the shadows.
I could feel my blood freezing.
The opposing leader said, “You finally made it,” in a laugh-filled tone.
Their faces were uncannily familiar as they entered the faint light.
A harsh breath came out of my mouth.
“No…” I hardly raised my voice above a whisper.
It isn’t possible.
Like a thunderclap, the reality struck me.
The Heart of Creation was not the only source of power used by the enemy.
Something else-someone else-was linked to it.
Someone that I had long since lost.
It didn’t matter what was going on outside. I forgot the anguish in my body.
My heart pounded in my chest as I gazed at the figure in front of me.
Power was not the only factor in the conflict.
It was intimate.
What’s the worst?
I doubted my chances of winning.