Chapter 46: The Enclosed City
We arrived at the city surrounded by magical walls on the sixth day of our journey. The sky was overcast, and the wind was howling through the trees at the city's edges. The towering walls that surrounded the city seemed like an impenetrable barrier, and the atmosphere was filled with an ancient mystery.
"Eiad, remember, this city is not what it seems. There are secrets here that could destroy us if we're not careful," Lilia said cautiously, eyeing the massive walls that enclosed the city.
We entered through the main gate after using some of the magic that Lilia had taught us to bypass the magical barriers. As soon as we entered, I immediately noticed that the city was full of life, but it was an unconventional life. The ancient buildings were adorned with magical carvings, and the inhabitants here acted as though they were living in a time bubble, as if trapped in the past.
At the heart of the city was an ancient palace, which seemed to be the place where the old knowledge we were seeking was stored. We made our way there, but we were confronted by a massive guard standing at the door.
"None may enter without permission from the ruler," the guard said in a deep, commanding voice.
Lilia stepped forward and spoke calmly, "We seek the ancient knowledge. We need to learn about the ancient being."
The guard stepped back slightly and then said, "So you truly seek the truth... Follow me."
The guard led us through long, dark corridors until we arrived at a large room filled with many ancient books and manuscripts. The room smelled of age-old scents, and the history books were stacked all around us.
"This is where the knowledge lies. Choose what you need," the guard said.
I began to search through the manuscripts until my eyes landed on a very old book. It was bound in black leather, with strange symbols etched onto its cover. I opened it carefully, and as I read the first line, a chill ran through my body:
"The ancient being, known as 'The Ancient Shadow,' is a creature from a bygone era, once ruling the world until it was imprisoned in another dimension."
We continued reading the book together, and with every line, there was a new clue about the being that was still haunting us. The "Ancient Shadow" had the power to manipulate time and space, and it had established a terrible empire before being defeated and imprisoned in another dimension by a great magical force. But, as the book revealed, its quest for freedom continued, and there were signs that it would soon return.
"The return will mark the beginning of a new end... the end of everything," Lilia whispered, as if fearful of the words she had just read.
But there was no time to worry. We had to keep moving.
Chapter 47: The Coming Darkness
As we were leaving the city, we felt something strange in the air. Everything around us felt unnatural, as if time itself was beginning to warp around us. Lilia looked up at the sky and said:
"It's here. The darkness is drawing near."
In that moment, the ground beneath our feet began to tremble, and suddenly, the sky opened up to reveal a massive gate filled with darkness, radiating an eerie glow.
Then, strange, ghostly beings emerged from the gate, with red eyes and distorted features. These were the followers of the "Ancient Shadow," and they had come to find the "Chosen Hero"—me.
Before I could react, Lilia stepped in front of me, raised her hand, and with a swift motion, released a beam of magic that lit up the sky.
"The darkness will not control this world anymore," Lilia said firmly.
But in that moment, a colossal figure appeared before us, enormous in size, with glowing red eyes full of rage. It was him—the "Ancient Shadow" himself.
He smiled and said in a deep voice, "I have waited long, Chosen Hero. But now, you will be part of my plan."
He moved quickly, disappearing into the darkness, leaving us to face the greatest challenge of our lives.
Chapter 48: Confronting the Darkness
In the days that followed, we began preparing for the ultimate confrontation with the "Ancient Shadow." Lilia studied all aspects of the magic that might help us in this struggle, while I tried to understand my new power better. It seemed there was a latent strength inside me, but I needed to use it carefully.
The ancient city we were in wasn't just a place of danger; it was a mirror to everything we had gone through up until now. The signs pointed to the fact that we were only part of something much bigger than either of us.
Then came the day we weren't yet ready for, when the darkness descended upon us, and we knew the battle against the "Ancient Shadow" had truly begun.
End of Chapter 48.
Chapter 49: The Battle with Darkness
On the day the "Ancient Shadow" decided to show himself, everything was as dark as if the sky itself had shattered. Darkness seeped from the earth and the sky, as if the worlds were merging.
"Eiad, remember, your power is not limited to magic. You must use your mind first," Lilia said as she stood beside me, her eyes filled with caution and seriousness.
I knew she was right. The magical power I had gained was incredible, but I still couldn't control it fully. While the ghostly creatures surrounded us, the air was charged with menace. We heard the voice of the "Ancient Shadow" approaching, like whispers in the howling winds.
Then, he appeared before us. He was enormous, with a black, foggy body, and eyes that glowed bright red, surrounded by tongues of black flame threatening to engulf everything.
"At last, we reach the moment of truth," the "Ancient Shadow" said in a low voice, as though words from all ages had emerged from his mouth.
There was no time to hesitate. Lilia used her magic quickly, sending a beam of magical energy toward the swirling darkness around him. But he smiled, and moved away from the beam, as if toying with us.
Then, suddenly, my hands moved involuntarily, and a foggy image of ancient heroes appeared before me. This was a direct effect of my ability to copy skills. I could replicate the magical powers I saw.
I felt the weight in my hands, and when I made a swift motion, a beam of pure light exploded, engulfing the entire arena.
For a moment, time seemed to freeze, as if the world had paused for just a second, then resumed its frantic pace, but the darkness began to recede.
"Impossible!" the "Ancient Shadow" yelled, trying to block the attack, but he couldn't stop it.
It was a decisive moment. The magical energy flowed into my body like a thread of light in a dark world, and as I used the power I had copied, Lilia lunged at him, casting a beam of magic from her hands with precision.
But we weren't ready for the next blow.
"You don't understand the full truth," the "Ancient Shadow" said with a cryptic smile.
Then, with lightning speed, he opened a massive magical gate behind him and unleashed even more terrifying creatures—bigger and stronger. He knew we couldn't face them all at once.
But I didn't give up. There was only one way to end this battle.
"Lilia, give me all your magical power!" I said as I felt the strength flow inside me.
She paused for a moment, then said:
"Are you sure? If we do this, we'll be in danger."
But I was ready. We had no other choice. She extended her hands toward the sky, then began releasing all her magic toward me. I felt the power surge into my body, turning into an immense beam of light that was beyond imagination.
"Nothing will stop us!" I said in a deep voice as the magical energy gathered in my fists.
Then, as though we were connected by magical threads, I unleashed the power toward the "Ancient Shadow." The light exploded like a storm in every direction.
The "Ancient Shadow" tried to block the attack with all his might, but the light was too powerful, and it resisted the darkness in a way he hadn't expected. Suddenly, a perfect symbol appeared in the sky, representing an ancient rune from the era when the "Ancient Shadow" was imprisoned. This was the only way Lilia knew to bring about the moment of truth.
At the moment the "Ancient Shadow" fell into the heart of the attack, lightning exploded in the sky, and the earth beneath our feet erupted. The darkness slowly began to collapse, as if the entire universe was reshaping itself.
But even with this temporary victory, there was one last thing we had to understand.
"The darkness will never completely disappear. It will remain somewhere... in our minds," Lilia said as she gazed at the stormy sky.
This was just the beginning, and the victory wasn't final. We only had a little time to rest before the next challenge came. But we learned something crucial in that moment:
The darkness will never rest. It will always return, in new forms, but we are capable of fighting it.
End of Chapter 49.
Chapter 50: The Truth Behind the Darkness
The victory in the battle with the "Ancient Shadow" was an incomplete one, and it seemed that the sky, which had become clearer, had given us a brief moment of hope. But that ceasefire didn't last long, as the echoes of darkness still haunted us.
I stood with Lilia, facing an ominous horizon that gleamed with many hidden secrets. There was still much we didn't understand about the power of the darkness, and we had no idea what we were about to discover.
"Eiad, you still don't understand the true nature of this darkness, do you?" Lilia said softly, though there was a trace of worry in her voice.
"I think I'm starting to understand a little... but there's still so much mystery." I replied, watching the dark cloud drawing near.
Lilia said, pointing to the sky: "The darkness is not just one being. It is... a deeper concept. It is the embodiment of all the negative thoughts and feelings that have existed throughout the ages. Every fear, every doubt, every hatred. And the more darkness grows in the world, the stronger it becomes."
At first, I had thought the battle was against a single creature, but what Lilia said was a wake-up call. The darkness was more than just a physical enemy; it represented everything that grows in the shadow of human souls.
"If that's the case, how can we destroy it?" I asked, feeling the question seep into my mind.
"The darkness can never be completely destroyed. But we can limit its power. Through the unity of light, by activating the powers that lie within us," Lilia said, her gaze serious.
At that moment, we began to hear whispers coming from afar. Something was moving in the darkness, something bigger than anything we had faced before. We could never be safe again.