THE FALL OF THE HEROES

Ikel's body lay motionless on the cold floor of the throne room. The silence left by his death was more deafening than any battle cry. It lasted barely a second, an instant frozen in time where shock and horror paralyzed everyone.

It was Lyra who moved first. A choked sob escaped her lips and she ran to Ikel's side, falling to her knees. — No... no, no, no, no.... — she whispered, her hands trembling as she placed them on his chest. — Holy Light, I implore you, bring him back! —

A column of warm golden light enveloped her and Ikel. It was her most powerful resurrection spell, a whirlwind of tears and pure life energy. But the holy light slammed into the hole in Ikel's chest and dissipated, unable to mend a soul that had already been permanently erased from the system.

It was useless. 

Spectro surveyed the scene with a smirk. He snapped his fingers.

— Enough drama, let the real show begin! — From the cracks that were opening up in reality throughout the room, the minions of the Void began to emerge. They were legion. Twisted beasts, shadow soldiers and nameless horrors flooded the place, their vacant eyes fixed on the survivors.

— You know, it's funny — said Spectro, his voice echoing above the chaos. — It's funny — said Spectro, his voice echoing above the chaos. — I never wanted to destroy the world  how boring! The Herald promised me something much better. Power. Riches. My own world to rule as a god. There's no deep reason to be evil, guys. It's just more fun! — He let out a laugh, that of a truly mad man. — And I owe it all to you, Asimil. Thank you for falling into my trap and bringing your power to my door. —

The battle erupted with the fury of a storm.

Luce became a gale of destruction. She set aside strategy and abandoned himself to a primal fury for his fallen friend. Every punch broke chitin bones, every spinning kick decapitated shadow soldiers. It was a deadly dance, a whirlwind of black clothing and golden energy, but for every enemy she felled, three more took her place. She was being encircled.

Sacres, seeing Lyra vulnerable and Luce surrounded, roared and planted himself like a mountain of steel between them and the horde. Several of the giant creatures, the same ones that had besieged his base, rushed at him. His shield absorbed blows that could have brought down walls. His hammer created shockwaves that drove back smaller enemies. But he was alone. Cornered. The first crack appeared in his shield. Then another. He was holding on, buying precious seconds with the steel of his will.

And Asimil... Asimil could only see Spectro. The grief for Ikel had turned into a white, burning fire inside him.

— YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT! — he shouted, lunging forward.

The fight was a humiliation. Spectro, still smiling, dodged and deflected each of his attacks with insulting ease. Asimil's emerald flames dissipated against invisible barriers. His dagger was flicked aside with a simple flick of the wrist.

— Pay? —  Spectro taunted, parrying a desperate blow from Asimil and twisting his wrist. — You have already paid the price for entry into my new world. Your power is the key. —

With Asimil unbalanced, Spectro stopped playing.

— Allow me to lighten your load. — A whirlwind of dark, crackling energy formed in Spectro's free hand. It struck him squarely in the left shoulder. It wasn't a cut. It was an annihilation. Asimil felt pain so absolute that his mind shut down for a second. Dark energy devoured his arm, disintegrating it from shoulder to fingertips in a black explosion.

A cry, not of pain but of pure shock and loss, escaped his lips. He fell to his knees, staring at the smoldering stump where his arm once lay, incapacitated on the ground.

The battle around him was being lost. He saw Sacres' shield finally shatter, leaving his mentor at the mercy of the giants' claws. He saw Luce, now with multiple wounds, fighting with fading bravery. He saw Lyra, still weeping over Ikel's body, raise her head with a look of utter despair.

They had been defeated. Totally and absolutely. And it had all been a game to the monster who was now looking down on him from above, smiling.