Preparation and Seira's Flashback
The night in Mythra hung heavy. Lesendra and Seira hid in the ruins of an old warehouse on the outskirts of the city, their breaths ragged, bodies battered. Lesendra cleaned his sword, now glowing a steady red-gold, while Seira prepared her bow, checking her remaining arrows.
"Tomorrow... we have to move," Lesendra murmured, his eyes dim as they gazed out through a cracked window. "The Throne of Darkness won't give us any more time. We need to find the next Ruby Stone before they catch up to us again."
Seira nodded faintly, but her face tightened, her eyes empty as she stared at the small fire flickering in the corner. The flickering light cast shadows on her face, as if revealing old scars long hidden.
Lesendra turned, noticing her distant expression. "Seira... are you alright?" Seira closed her eyes, her voice soft. "I've never been alright, Lesendra. Ever since I left the Throne of Darkness, I've carried wounds that have never healed."
A flashback swept through her mind. A young Seira stood in a grand temple, surrounded by gods in lavish robes, their faces hidden behind golden masks. In their hands were blood-bound contracts, her name inscribed—not as a follower, but as a sacrifice. She saw herself being given to them as an offering, promised a life of grandeur but locked away in darkness and manipulation.
"I used to be no one," Seira murmured, tears welling in her eyes. "Just a child abandoned, taken in by the Throne of Darkness to be used as a tool. I was trained, brainwashed, forced to believe the gods were saviors. But they were only monsters in disguise."
In her flashback, a teenage Seira stood before a bloodstained altar, watching her friends being sacrificed one by one. Her eyes were vacant, her heart shattered, but she was forced to stand and bear witness, a puppet for the gods.
"I escaped when I saw my friends murdered for power. I stole this bow, wounded a guard, and fled from Mythra. But I never felt free. Their shadows always haunted me."
Lesendra looked into her eyes, his voice low. "You're not their tool anymore, Seira. You are your own person. And together, we'll destroy them. For your friends. For yourself."
Seira met his gaze, her eyes shimmering with tears but brimming with determination. "And for you, too, Lesendra. Because you gave me hope... something I never had before."
They sat side by side, under the dim glow of the fire that reflected off the red-gold sheen of the Obsidian Diamond Sword, as shadows of the past slowly faded. Seira took a deep breath, tightening the string of her bow. Lesendra gripped the hilt of his sword.
"Tomorrow we move," Lesendra said. Seira nodded. "This time... we're not just fighting for ourselves. We'll build the strength to destroy the Throne of Darkness."
Outside the warehouse, the stars of Mythra flickered dimly. But within the rubble of pain and memories, two small flames had grown into embers, waiting to ignite into a greater blaze.
---
Dawn in Mythra cast a faint red light, illuminating the ruins of the city slowly healing from devastation. Lesendra and Seira stood at the edge of a rocky path, preparing for the journey to the location of the second Ruby Stone, rumored to be hidden in the ruins of an ancient temple north of Mythra.
"We need to move fast," Seira said, checking her bow and arrows. "The Throne's forces probably already know where we're headed." Lesendra gripped his red-gold sword, taking a deep breath. "I can feel the call of the second Ruby Stone. This sword... it's guiding me there."
They started down a narrow path along the edge of a valley surrounded by large boulders and wild brush. Suddenly, from behind the rocks, a group of lightly armored gods appeared, wielding short spears, their faces covered by silver masks. Their eyes glowed a faint blue, marking them as lower-ranked divine soldiers.
"Stop right there!" one of them shouted, pointing a spear. "By order of the Throne of Darkness, you are under arrest!"
Seira raised her bow, ready to fight. Lesendra clenched his sword, his eyes glowing red. "If they want to capture us... they'll have to fight first."
A battle erupted swiftly. Seira loosed arrows at the divine soldiers, downing two with a single shot. Lesendra leapt forward, his red-gold sword slicing through spears. With quick strikes, two gods fell, their bodies disintegrating into glowing dust.
However, as the first god's body dissipated, Lesendra's sword vibrated violently, glowing brighter with a deeper red aura. Lesendra gasped, feeling a new surge of power flowing from the sword into his body.
"What is this...?" he whispered, staring at the sword, which now shimmered with dark crimson lines, as if absorbing the gods' power.
Seira turned while slashing a foe with her knife. "Your sword... changed?" Lesendra nodded, eyes wide. "I think... every time I defeat a god, this sword absorbs their strength and grows stronger. Like... an automatic upgrade…"
The sword now gleamed darker, its heat making the remaining enemies hesitate in fear. Lesendra stared at them, his red eyes glowing. "So... if I want to challenge the Throne of Darkness, I need to use this power. I'll defeat them one by one and turn their strength into mine."
The fight ended as Lesendra struck down the last divine soldier. Their body crumbled into luminous dust, absorbed into the red-gold sword, which now shone with a vivid crimson glow.
Seira approached, her eyes filled with awe. "So... the more gods you defeat, the stronger your sword becomes?" Lesendra nodded slowly. "Yes. But this power... it's not without cost. I can feel it... its shadow will consume me if I'm not careful."
Seira grasped his hand. "Then we'll do this together. I'll make sure you don't fall into their shadows."
Lesendra gazed toward the north of Mythra, where the ruins of the ancient temple awaited, hiding the next Ruby Stone. His sword gleamed dark red, ready to consume even greater power.
"Alright. Let's continue our journey," Lesendra murmured, his eyes burning with resolve. "And this time... we'll start gathering the power we need to destroy them all."
The Sky of Mythra Grows Dark
The sky of Mythra began to darken, the night wind carrying the scent of dust and blood from the city still ablaze far behind. Lesendra and Seira continued their journey, treading the rocky path leading north of Mythra, where the ruins of an ancient temple lay hidden among towering mountains.
Seira glanced over, her eyes sharp and alert. "Are you sure this is the way? This place... it feels darker and darker." Lesendra gripped his sword, now glowing a deep crimson, his eyes fixed on the path ahead. "I can feel the pull of the second Ruby Stone. This sword... it's guiding me."
But the path was riddled with obstacles. Tall black trees loomed overhead, their roots twisting across the narrow trail. From the shadows, small black creatures with glowing red eyes emerged, snarling as they chased after them. Lesendra slashed at them with his sword's light, turning them into ash, but their numbers kept increasing.
"We need to move faster!" Seira shouted. They sprinted across an old wooden bridge, rickety and fragile, cutting through the thick fog that clung to the valley. But at the end of the bridge, a massive shadow appeared—a towering figure with glowing red eyes and dark wings.
Seira drew her bow, her face pale. "That's... not an ordinary soldier." Lesendra clenched his sword, ready to fight. But before they could act, a familiar, deep voice echoed from the shadows, freezing them both in shock.
"Don't fight it. It's just an illusion."
From within the fog, a figure emerged—someone who should have been dead. Eryvan, standing with his black staff glowing faintly red. His body was badly wounded, his robes torn, but his eyes shone with unwavering determination.
"Eryvan?! You're... alive?!" Seira gasped, her eyes widening with disbelief. Eryvan gave a faint smile. "I'm not that easy to kill, kids. Kael'Var only left me... badly injured. But I used shadow illusions to fool them. Now I'm here... to guide you to the right path."
Lesendra stepped closer, his eyes welling with emotion. "Why didn't you tell us? We thought you were dead..." Eryvan looked at them with gentle eyes. "I had to make sure you two could survive on your own. This journey isn't just about swords and strength. It's about spirit. And you've both proven yourselves."
Seira moved closer, her eyes brimming with relief. "What do you know about the second Ruby Stone?" Eryvan gazed toward the ancient temple rising in the distance, shrouded in mist. "That stone... it's sealed not just by power, but by a secret that can only be unlocked by someone who has lost and found themselves again. And that... only you can do."
Lesendra tightened his grip on the sword, his eyes reflecting red-gold light. "Then show us the way, Eryvan. We'll claim it. And we'll defeat them all."
Eryvan gave a thin smile, his eyes gleaming faintly. "Come on. Our battle is just beginning."