Eclipse Requiem

The final chamber was **vast and ancient,** a cathedral of stone and darkness. Towering pillars lined the edges, their surfaces etched with **abyssal runes that pulsed like living veins.** The air was thick with power, heavy with an unnatural stillness.

At the center stood **Malrik.**

His cloak billowed from an unseen wind, and his hands glowed with abyssal fire. Behind him, the abyssal **obelisk loomed**, its energy fluctuating wildly—**unstable, hungry.**

Kael tightened his grip on his sword.

Malrik's eyes met his, and he **smiled.**

"You made it," Malrik said, his voice rich with amusement. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd falter before the end."

Saren scoffed. "Yeah, yeah. Enough with the villain speech." She leveled her sword. "Let's just get this over with."

Malrik chuckled. "So eager. But this is no ordinary battle, girl." His gaze slid back to Kael. "You understand, don't you?"

Kael did.

This wasn't just a fight.

This was **a battle for control.**

The abyss **had chosen Kael.** And Malrik—he wanted to prove himself **the true heir to its power.**

Kael exhaled slowly. **No more words.**

He **charged.**

---

### **Clash of the Abyss**

Malrik **moved like a shadow,** vanishing the instant Kael's sword sliced through where he had stood. He reappeared above, his cloak fluttering as he launched a **burst of abyssal fire.**

Kael reacted instinctively, raising his blade—**the energy split apart, swirling around him like a storm.**

He felt it.

The abyss **recognized** him.

It **obeyed** him.

Kael slashed forward, sending his own wave of abyssal energy surging toward Malrik.

Malrik barely dodged, flipping backward before landing gracefully atop the obelisk.

"Interesting," Malrik mused. "You're adapting fast. But let's see how far you've truly come."

He raised both hands—**and the obelisk roared.**

A shockwave **tore through the chamber,** and the entire room **shifted.**

The stone floor **cracked apart,** revealing a **void of swirling darkness beneath them.** From the abyss, **creatures began to rise**—shadowy figures with glowing, hollow eyes.

Saren cursed. "I knew there'd be minions!"

Kael didn't hesitate. He **lunged toward Malrik.**

Malrik met him in midair—**steel clashing against darkness.**

The impact **shook the room.**

---

### **A Battle of Wills**

Kael's attacks were relentless. Each strike of his sword carried both **his strength and his will—**not just to defeat Malrik, but to master the abyss itself.

Malrik **countered with precision,** his movements like a dance, his control over the abyss refined and deadly.

"You're holding back," Malrik taunted. "Why? Afraid of what you'll become?"

Kael's jaw clenched. He ignored the words and struck again—this time, feinting left before twisting his sword mid-swing.

Malrik miscalculated.

Kael's blade **cut across his chest,** leaving a searing black wound.

Malrik hissed, stumbling backward. His smile faltered.

Then—he **laughed.**

"Good," Malrik murmured, wiping the abyssal blood from his wound. "You're learning. But you're still not ready."

He lifted his hand—**and darkness exploded from his palm.**

Kael had no time to react.

The abyss **engulfed him.**

---

### **Falling into Darkness**

Cold.

**Endless cold.**

Kael tumbled through the abyss, weightless, lost. Whispers clawed at his mind, ancient voices **pressing into his soul.**

*"You are not enough."*

*"You will break."*

*"Submit."*

No.

Kael gritted his teeth. He forced his mind to **stay intact,** pushing back against the abyssal tide.

*"I am not yours."*

The darkness **shuddered.**

Then—**light.**

Kael's body **jerked back into reality,** landing hard on the broken stone floor. His vision blurred, but through the haze, he saw **Saren standing over him, sword raised.**

She had blocked Malrik's final strike.

"Get up, idiot," she snapped. "I'm not saving you twice."

Kael's vision **cleared.**

He saw Malrik, breathing heavily, his control over the abyss faltering.

Kael clenched his fist.

This fight wasn't over.

This fight **was his.**

He stood.

The abyss **stirred.**

And Kael **embraced it.**

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