Amanda stood at the edge of the battlefield, the wind whipping through her hair as she surveyed the wreckage around her. The once grand kingdom of Eldoria now lay in ruins, flames licking at the edges of the castle walls. She tightened her grip on her sword, her knuckles white. This wasn’t how things were supposed to end.
Elias stood beside her, his face unreadable. He had changed since the battle began—his usual smirk replaced by a grim determination. “We have to move. They won’t wait for us to come up with a plan.”
Amanda nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. “Do we even have a chance?”
Elias let out a sharp breath. “There’s always a chance. We just have to be smarter than them.”
Before Amanda could respond, a voice echoed across the battlefield. A familiar voice—one that sent a chill down her spine.
“Amanda,” the voice called, smooth and taunting. “Did you really think you could escape me?”
Amanda turned slowly, her heart pounding. Standing atop the castle ruins was none other than Lucien, his silver eyes gleaming in the firelight. His dark cloak billowed behind him, and a smirk played at his lips.
“You,” Amanda spat, her grip tightening on her sword. “You betrayed us.”
Lucien shrugged, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Betrayal is such a strong word. I prefer to think of it as… choosing the winning side.”
Elias took a step forward, his voice like ice. “You were one of us, Lucien.”
Lucien chuckled, shaking his head. “Oh, Elias. Always so noble, always so predictable.” His gaze flickered back to Amanda. “And you, dear hero. Did you truly believe you could save this world? That you could change destiny?”
Amanda’s fingers curled into fists. “I won’t let you win.”
Lucien’s smile widened. “But you already have.”
With a wave of his hand, dark magic crackled through the air, and suddenly, Amanda felt the ground shift beneath her feet. Shadows swirled around them, swallowing the remnants of the battlefield. The castle walls crumbled further, the sky above turning an ominous shade of red.
Elias grabbed Amanda’s wrist, pulling her back just as a surge of dark energy lashed out. “We need to get out of here. Now.”
Amanda’s mind raced. “We can’t just run! We have to fight!”
Elias shot her a look. “Fight? Against that?” He gestured to the chaos unfolding before them. “We need a plan. A real plan.”
Amanda hated to admit it, but he was right. They couldn’t take Lucien on like this—not now. Not yet.
Lucien tilted his head, amusement dancing in his eyes. “Running already? How disappointing.”
Amanda glared at him. “This isn’t over.”
Lucien smirked. “Oh, I certainly hope not.”
Elias tugged her arm, and together they disappeared into the shadows, the sound of Lucien’s laughter echoing behind them.
---
Deep within the abandoned ruins of an old cathedral, Amanda paced back and forth, frustration boiling inside her. “I can’t believe this. We were so close!”
Elias leaned against a broken pillar, arms crossed. “We weren’t close at all. He’s been playing us from the start.”
Amanda stopped, turning to face him. “So what now? We just sit here and let him destroy everything?”
Elias sighed, rubbing his temples. “No. But we need a real strategy.”
Before Amanda could respond, a soft voice cut through the tension. “There may be a way.”
Both of them turned to see Lillian, the kingdom’s last surviving mage, stepping forward. Her violet robes were tattered, her face smeared with dirt, but her eyes burned with determination.
“There’s a ritual,” Lillian continued, “one that could sever Lucien’s connection to his dark magic.”
Amanda’s heart leaped. “What do we need?”
Lillian hesitated. “The ritual requires three things: the Sword of Light, the Heartstone, and… a willing sacrifice.”
Silence fell over the group.
Amanda swallowed hard. “A sacrifice?”
Lillian nodded solemnly. “Magic this powerful demands balance. If we want to strip Lucien of his power, someone must give up their life in return.”
Elias immediately straightened. “No. We’re not doing this.”
Amanda looked at him, eyes burning. “Elias—”
“No,” he cut her off. “There has to be another way.”
Lillian sighed. “If there was, I would have found it by now.”
Amanda took a deep breath, her mind racing. Could she do it? Could she make that sacrifice?
Before she could dwell on the thought, Elias stepped in front of her, his expression firm. “We’ll find another way. I’m not losing you.”
Amanda felt her heart ache at his words. Despite everything, he still cared. More than she realized.
Lillian nodded. “We don’t have much time. If we’re going to do this, we need to move quickly.”
Amanda clenched her fists. “Then let’s go.”
As they stepped into the night, she couldn’t shake the feeling that their battle with Lucien was only just beginning.