The narrow streets of the city shook with the tolling of bells rising through the mist. The people hid in their homes, too afraid to step outside. The shadows of the iron towers pressed down on the city, forcing it into silent submission. When Shadow and Elriya passed through the city gates, the weight of that silence settled over them instantly.
Elriya knelt beside an old woman trembling in front of her door. The woman's eyes no longer held fear, only exhaustion. Elriya gently took her hands.
"This city is not condemned to its fate. The duke grows stronger every time you surrender to fear. All it takes is a spark. One person takes a step and hundreds will follow. Resist. For your children, for justice, for your own heart. Even when darkness marches toward you, remember this: light often begins in the weakest hands."
The woman raised her head for the first time. Elriya's words caught the attention of others nearby. Windows opened, faces appeared. Shadow turned to the growing crowd, his voice echoing through the street.
"The duke thought you were weak because you kept silent. But true strength isn't born from fear. It rises from within. I'm not asking you to fight today. I'm asking you to be a voice. When we approach the tower, distract the guards. If ten of you shout, their formation collapses. A single moment of courage can change the course of history."
Whispers spread across the street. Then several young men stepped forward, one striking the ground with his hammer.
"Tell us what to do. This city no longer belongs to them."
Shadow nodded. "When we give the signal, make noise. Distract them. Leave the rest to us."
As the two moved deeper into the city, the streets began to stir. People peeked from windows, then stepped outside. Elriya's compassion and Shadow's iron resolve awakened something long forgotten: hope.
The duke's tower rose like a spear of steel at the northern edge of the city. Armored guards surrounded it, but the citizens' clamor had already begun to fracture their attention. A woman slammed a pot in the air, a child ran blowing a whistle, young men hurled stones to force guards to reposition.
Shadow saw the chaos reach the threshold he needed and signaled to Elriya.
"Now."
The two slipped through the confusion like shadows. A guard almost spotted them, but shouting from behind pulled his attention away. In seconds, Shadow and Elriya reached the tower's entrance. Shadow touched the lock with the dark energy pulsing from his ring. The metal trembled and the door silently opened.
Inside, the tower was cold and dark. Yet something unseen lingered in the air, watching them. Shadow felt it immediately.
"They're watching us. The cameras are magical."
Across the city, in a high chamber, the duke watched the magical screens with a grin. His eyes gleamed with madness. He called to his assistant, Sabriana.
"Activate the emergency protocol."
Sabriana bowed stiffly. "At once, sir."
The duke leaned closer to the screens. "The time has come."
As Shadow and Elriya moved upward, every light in the tower suddenly died. Machinery fell silent.
"Run!" Shadow shouted.
They sprinted up the stairs. On the third floor, a massive silhouette emerged from the dark. Heavy footsteps echoed through the stairwell.
Lorian stepped forward.
His eyes burned red, black veins pulsing across his skin. He had injected Katherina's magic into himself, becoming something no longer human.
"So… we meet again," he said mockingly. "The duke has been watching your performance. But the show ends here."
Shadow advanced. "Lorian, you once had honor. I didn't think you'd fall this far."
Lorian laughed. "Honor doesn't feed you. Power does. The duke gave me power. You only cause disruption."
Flames formed in his palms, bathing the corridor in red light. He hurled them forward.
Elriya raised her ring. A burst of pure light surged outward, absorbing the fire into the gem.
Lorian staggered. "Impossible…"
"Using your fire against you feels satisfying," Elriya said. "But honestly, this strength is far beyond you."
Lorian roared and charged. Shadow and Elriya pulled back. Elriya knocked down shelves and debris, blocking Lorian's path, then dashed upward.
"Go to the top!" Shadow shouted. "I'll find another way!"
He slipped into a side corridor, sensing the tower's magical pathways as he brushed his fingers along the walls. He found a glass panel, punched through it, and used shadow grips to pull himself toward a window on the fifth floor.
Lorian leapt from the broken glass, blasting himself upward with flames.
Elriya raced toward the final staircase. Failure meant the end.
Both reached the rooftop door at the same time and pushed it open.
But the sight awaiting them froze their breath.
A colossal airship hovered above the tower. Armored plates, magic crystals, a floating fortress crafted for war. Hundreds of soldiers lined its decks. At the bow stood the duke, with Sabriana, Lorian, Katherina, Katherina's twin daughter, and several officers.
At the front of the airship gleamed a massive weapon: Artes.
The duke's voice thundered. "Artes ready. Medium charge. Target: Tower peak."
Artes swelled with light. A blinding explosion erupted. The rooftop shattered. The tower lurched, concrete fragments raining down as the structure began to collapse.
The duke laughed. "My obstacles are gone! The path is clear! Crown, throne, and kingdom… all mine!"
His soldiers cheered. Lorian hurled fire into the streets, setting buildings ablaze as civilians fled in panic.
The duke shouted one final proclamation.
"Wait for me, king. I am coming."
As the tower collapsed, Shadow and Elriya were trapped beneath the falling stones. Light seeping through the cracks lit up the swirling dust, and the heat of the flames rising from below burned their faces. They could barely see anything. A few seconds later, a massive beam tipped toward them.
At that exact moment, a sharp streak of violet light sliced through the sky. The light poured downward like a waterfall spilling from the heavens. The flames began to shift to a purple hue. Then, at the center of the chaos, Asterielle appeared; her long hair drifted within the glow, and the divine radiance on her face tore through the darkened sky.
"I told you I wouldn't let go of your hands," she said with a faint, knowing smile.
With a single gesture, the violet light expanded. The stones crushing Shadow and Elriya lifted into the air. The two were carried to safety by a force that seemed to bend the edges of reality itself.
Asterielle snapped her fingers, and the debris hanging above the collapsed tower dissolved. As Shadow and Elriya lay on the ground, panting, Asterielle knelt beside them.
"If I'd arrived a little later, your story would have ended here. You should really prepare yourselves for these dramatic scenes."
Elriya tried to laugh. "As always… right on time."
But the city was in ruins. Flames devoured the streets, homes had collapsed, and cries for help echoed everywhere. Animals wailed in pain, and even the plants had burned to ash. The sky itself looked like a cloud of soot.
When the people saw Asterielle, some fell to their knees in awe, while others ran to her in tears.
Asterielle surveyed the destruction, and the playful expression on her face turned completely solemn.
"This city has lost its breath. I can restore it, but not alone. I need your voices. I will perform a sacred spell, but it can only be completed if you all recite the words together."
Shadow immediately turned to Elriya.
"Elriya, you're the only one who can gather these people."
A soft glow rose from Elriya's ring. People running aimlessly throughout the city began to gather at the sound of her voice. Women, men, elders, and children slowly filled the square.
Elriya stepped onto a stone platform and took a deep breath. The holy energy in her ring flared. She spoke, her voice both gentle and infused with divine force.
"O weary souls of this city… We call forth the buried light. From the ashes we summon breath, from the shadows we summon hope, from the wound we summon the sacred word. Together."
She raised her hand. A wave of light rippled across the crowd.
Then she began reciting the divine words.
"Lirae sen'thol aria… Ioria thal'mera lunaria… Aestra no'lin valoria… Liora… Liora… Liora…"
The people exchanged confused glances at first. Then one voice joined, then three, then the entire square repeated the words after her.
The voices merged, grew, and echoed.
Asterielle lifted her arms to the sky.
"Keep going! The higher your voices rise, the deeper my spell will take root!"
A dome of white and purple light formed over the city. Wherever the dome touched, flames went out, shattered stones fused back into walls, and burnt branches sprouted green again.
The fires died one by one. The wounded took steady breaths. Burns vanished, broken bones healed. Even the dead animals blinked awake and slowly stood.
The city that had been at the brink of death minutes earlier was reborn.
The voices of the people rose into a single cry.
"Asterielle! Asterielle! Asterielle!"
As Asterielle ascended toward the sky, she looked down at Shadow and Elriya. Her grin returned, playful and bright.
"I'm proud of both of you. Don't underestimate yourselves. This city breathed again because of you. But I've had enough dramatic scenes for a while. I need a vacation."
A burst of white light erupted, and Asterielle vanished.
The people were now certain she was a divine being.
A soft silence settled over the street. Every gaze turned to Shadow. He slowly stood, brushed the dust from his cloak, and faced the crowd.
"I am no longer the duke's right hand. I am no longer bound by his chains. But yes, I do own thirty percent of the city. And right now, this city is leaderless. It needs someone to stand at its front."
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
Shadow continued.
"I'm not here to rule you. I'm here to help you rise. The city has been reborn. And its rebirth needs not a shadow, but a light. As of today… I'm taking command. This city is yours. But I will restore order."
The people were silent at first. Then a woman clasped her hands.
"Shadow… you're the one who protected us."
A man shouted.
"If you stand behind us, we'll stand behind you!"
Children ran around shouting Shadow's name.
And the square filled with the energy of hope, the thrill of a new beginning, and a city ready to stand again...
Chapter 18 – THE END