Chapter 19: Fading Into the Abyss

The mage's voice was gleeful. "This won't take long."Mana crackled in the air as he prepared to attack. My blood simmered—not with fear but with cold determination. They thought I was a mere obstacle. They were wrong.
Without another thought, I raised my hand and summoned a blazing fire arrow that burst forth from my palm—a searing projectile that streaked toward the mage like a comet of molten fury. He barely had time to react, countering with a violent barrier of swirling flame, the two forces clashing in a shower of sparks.
"Is that all you have?" he mocked, his voice echoing over the roar of our colliding magics.
I narrowed my eyes and responded with a snarl, "Watch closely, then."In a swift motion, I conjured a small wind tornado, its ferocious swirl scattering embers around him and disturbing his concentration. Seizing the moment, I channeled mana into a concentrated burst of water—a jet as forceful as a pistol shot, aimed squarely at his chest.
I knew this isn't enough. Without delay, I unleashed a surge of electric mana along the watery trail. Bolts of crackling energy lanced toward the mage."Feel that shock!" I roared, certain that the combo would momentarily paralyze him.
For a brief heartbeat, his eyes widened, and his body stiffened—an opening I almost celebrated. But then, with a dismissive snarl, he shrugged off the shock. "Pathetic tricks for a child!" he spat.
Even as he sneered, he raised his hand and chanted an incantation. The floor erupted beneath us as molten rock and searing heat crashed upward—a brutal fusion of fire and earth that slammed into me with relentless force.I staggered as a heavy blow struck my side; pain exploded through me, and I could feel blood seeping from a deep gash along my rib. My sword slipped from my grasp as I fell to one knee, my vision swimming.
"You're stronger than you look," the mage jeered, "but not strong enough to overcome me!"
I gritted my teeth against the pain. "I won't fall here... Not to someone like you!" I shouted, mustering every ounce of my will to fight back. I swung my sword desperately, each strike an act of defiance. Yet the mage’s relentless assault battered me, each wave of his combined magic sapping my strength.
I fought on, even as my limbs grew heavy and my vision began to blur. In a final surge of desperate resolve, I gathered the last of my mana and prepared one more attack—a searing burst that combined fire, wind, water, and electricity in a chaotic, all-out assault.
"You dare challenge me?" I said, my voice low and icy. "Step in my way, and you'll pay a heavy price."
The power of my attack slammed into him, and for a moment, time seemed to slow. I saw the shock in his eyes as the full force of my desperate strike overwhelmed him. But the price was steep. My strength faltered; darkness crept into the edges of my vision, and a searing pain numbed my body.
Just as I felt myself slipping away, I noticed a strange, swirling, inky black fog beginning to gather at my feet. It started as a faint wisp but quickly thickened into a living shroud, creeping up around my battered form. I could barely muster a thought as my consciousness began to fade.

And then, as the black fog closed in, everything went dark.


To be continued...