The Warden's roar echoed throughout the mountain, a chilling sound that seemed to make the very ground beneath them shudder. Kaelen's sword trembled in his grip, his mind racing as he scrambled to avoid the next devastating strike from the creature's enormous spear. He had only made a dent in the energy binding the Warden, but the beast was far from finished.
"Kaelen! Focus!" Elara shouted from behind him, her voice sharp. She was already on the move, dodging the Warden's strikes with impressive agility, her sword glowing as she took advantage of the weakening magic around them.
Loren, ever the risk-taker, had already charged in, his blade crackling with energy as he leaped into the fray. "This is what I'm talking about! You're making this too easy, Warden!" he taunted, a wicked grin on his face as he slashed at the creature's shadowy armor.
The Warden's hollow eyes flicked toward Loren with a malevolent gleam, and before Kaelen could even warn him, the creature swung its spear around in a wide arc, knocking Loren several feet back. Loren grunted, slamming into a rock, but he was quick to recover, rolling to his feet with a curse.
"Elara, Kaelen, get the damn anchors!" Loren shouted, grimacing. "I can't hold it forever!"
Kaelen's heart raced as he turned back to the Warden, its looming figure and towering presence overwhelming. The dark magic in the air seemed to thicken with every passing second, the ground beneath his feet trembling as though the very mountain was alive.
He dashed forward once more, eyes locked on another dark node—one pulsing with malevolent energy at the Warden's chest. As he ran, his sword hummed in his hand, its blade eager for action. The energy crackled in the air, a palpable presence that threatened to overwhelm his senses. But Kaelen couldn't afford to hesitate.
He leaped toward the Warden, his sword raised, aiming for the node at the center of the creature's chest.
But the Warden was faster.
With a roar, it swung its spear down toward Kaelen, forcing him to dive to the side, narrowly avoiding the lethal strike. The ground cracked where the spear hit, and Kaelen slid to a stop, his body aching from the close call. He had underestimated the Warden's speed—this was no mere guardian. This was a creature forged from pure darkness, bound by ancient and terrible magic.
"Not good..." Kaelen muttered to himself, pushing himself back to his feet, his mind already working out the next move.
Loren and Elara were still battling the Warden, distracting it with hit-and-run tactics while Kaelen tried to find an opening. His gaze flicked to the other nodes around the Warden's body. He couldn't afford to wait any longer.
Kaelen's thoughts were interrupted by a sharp cry of pain from Loren. "Damn it!" Loren shouted, his voice strained. "I can't take much more of this, Kaelen!"
Kaelen's heart skipped a beat. His eyes darted toward Loren, seeing his ally struggling against the Warden's relentless assault. The pressure of the fight was starting to take its toll, and they couldn't keep up much longer.
"Elara, focus on Loren! I'll finish this!" Kaelen yelled, his voice resolute.
Elara hesitated for a moment, her gaze flicking from Kaelen to Loren, before she nodded. "Don't do anything stupid, Kaelen!"
"I'm not!" Kaelen shot back with a grin that felt hollow, adrenaline pumping through his veins.
With one last look at his allies, Kaelen sprinted toward the Warden, his heart pounding in his chest. This time, he wasn't aiming for the anchors. He was going straight for the core.
The Warden's spear whipped through the air, but Kaelen was already anticipating the strike. He dove beneath the swing, his sword held low, and with a powerful thrust, he drove it deep into the Warden's shadowy form. His blade sank into the creature's flesh with a sickening hiss, the darkness bubbling and swirling around the wound.
For a moment, everything went still.
Kaelen's breath caught in his throat. Had it worked?
But then, the Warden's body began to convulse. Its glowing eyes flared brighter, and the ground trembled violently beneath their feet. The beast let out an unearthly scream as the dark magic that sustained it began to spiral out of control.
"No!" Elara shouted from behind him, realizing what Kaelen had done. "Kaelen, get back!"
The Warden's body surged with dark energy, the magic inside it destabilizing. It was growing more powerful, its form shifting and twisting into something even darker. Kaelen gritted his teeth as he struggled to withdraw his sword, but it was stuck, caught in the Warden's magical core.
A sense of dread filled him. This was it. He had struck at the heart of the Warden, but now it was going to destroy them all in a final, explosive release.
"Kaelen, no!" Loren's voice rang out, frantic.
The Warden's body exploded in a violent burst of energy, sending Kaelen flying backward. The force of the blast knocked him off his feet, and for a moment, everything went black.
When Kaelen came to, he was lying on the ground, his body aching. His sword was still gripped tightly in his hand, though he could barely feel it. The air was thick with smoke and the acrid scent of burning magic. His mind swam as he tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over him.
"Elara? Loren?" he called hoarsely, his voice weak.
"Right here," Elara's voice answered, firm and steady. Kaelen managed to turn his head, seeing her standing nearby, her clothes singed but otherwise unharmed. She was watching him with a mixture of concern and relief.
Loren was crouched next to her, his face smeared with dirt and blood, but he was smiling. "Well, that was one hell of a ride. I thought you were gone for sure there."
Kaelen groaned and rubbed his head, slowly sitting up. "I... I'm not sure I'll be able to move for a week after that."
But before he could stand, a low growl echoed in the distance. Elara's face hardened. "It's not over. The Warden's death has weakened the mountain, but there's still something here... something worse."
Kaelen's stomach sank. They had barely escaped the Warden's wrath, and now it seemed they had unleashed something even more dangerous. He stood slowly, his body protesting every movement.
"Stay close," Elara warned, drawing her sword again. "We need to find out what we're really up against."