Kevin stood amidst the collapsing catacombs, the air thick with the stench of decay and the oppressive weight of X'zoth's impending arrival. Lily had escaped, carrying the hope of the world on her shoulders, while he remained, a lone sentinel against an unimaginable darkness. He gathered his remaining strength, focusing his energy, preparing for a confrontation that he knew he might not survive. The ground trembled violently, and cracks spiderwebbed across the walls, illuminating the grotesque carvings that adorned the ancient stones. A guttural roar echoed through the tunnels, growing louder, closer, until it filled every corner of his mind. He closed his eyes, visualizing Lily, his children, Apex Island, everything he held dear. Their faces fueled his resolve, strengthening his resolve to fight, to protect, to endure.
A wave of suffocating darkness washed over him, and the temperature plummeted. He opened his eyes to see a swirling vortex of shadows coalescing before him, taking shape, solidifying into a grotesque form. X'zoth. The ancient entity exuded an aura of unimaginable power, a presence that threatened to shatter his sanity. Its eyes, burning with malevolent intelligence, locked onto Kevin, piercing his soul.
"You dare defy me?" X'zoth's voice boomed, a cacophony of whispers and screams that echoed through the catacombs. "You are but a speck of dust in the face of my eternal existence."
Kevin stood his ground, refusing to yield to the entity's overwhelming presence. He channeled his energy, focusing his telekinetic abilities, preparing to unleash a barrage of attacks. "I may be a speck of dust," he retorted, his voice resonating with defiance, "but even dust can irritate an eye."
The battle began, a clash of titanic forces that shook the very foundations of the catacombs. Kevin unleashed a torrent of telekinetic blasts, hurling debris at X'zoth, attempting to disrupt its form. But the entity deflected his attacks with ease, swatting away the debris as if they were mere insects. X'zoth retaliated with blasts of dark energy, searing beams that tore through the air, leaving trails of smoke and destruction. Kevin dodged and weaved, using his agility to evade the entity's attacks, but he knew that he couldn't sustain this forever. X'zoth was too powerful, too relentless.
He needed a new strategy, a way to exploit X'zoth's weaknesses. But what were its weaknesses? How could he possibly hope to defeat an entity of such immense power? He remembered the Apex Island fragment, the source of pure energy that had disrupted The Shadow's connection to the catacombs. Could it work on X'zoth as well? It was a long shot, but it was his only chance. He reached into his pocket, his fingers closing around the smooth, cool surface of the fragment. He channeled his energy into the fragment, feeling its power surge through him, amplifying his abilities.
With a renewed surge of strength, Kevin charged towards X'zoth, the Apex Island fragment glowing brightly in his hand. He unleashed a focused beam of energy from the fragment, targeting X'zoth's core, attempting to disrupt its form, to sever its connection to this reality. The beam struck X'zoth, causing the entity to recoil in pain. A wave of dark energy emanated from X'zoth, extinguishing the torches, plunging the catacombs into darkness.
"You cannot harm me with such trinkets!" X'zoth roared, its voice filled with rage. "I am beyond your comprehension, beyond your power!"
But Kevin knew that he had struck a nerve. The Apex Island fragment was having an effect, disrupting X'zoth's power, weakening its connection to this world. He pressed his attack, unleashing a relentless barrage of energy beams from the fragment, targeting X'zoth's core, pushing it to its limits.
X'zoth retaliated with a furious assault, unleashing a torrent of dark energy that threatened to overwhelm Kevin. He struggled to maintain his focus, to channel his energy, to withstand the entity's onslaught. He could feel his strength waning, his body battered and bruised. But he refused to give in. He had to hold on, had to buy Lily time. Suddenly, he felt a searing pain in his chest as a shard of obsidian pierced through him. He looked down and saw the Obsidian Heart, pulsing with dark energy, embedded in his chest. The last thing he saw was X'zoth looming over him as he was consumed. The catacombs fell silent.
Lily, meanwhile, raced through the streets of Rome, her heart pounding with fear and desperation. She had to find a way to stop X'zoth, to save Kevin, to protect her family. But how? She was just one woman, armed with nothing but her wits and her determination. She needed help, allies, someone who could guide her, someone who knew how to fight against such an overwhelming darkness. She remembered Blackwood, the informant who had helped them uncover the secrets of the Serpent's Hand. He might know someone, someone who could help her. She pulled out her phone, her fingers trembling as she dialed Blackwood's number. No answer. She tried again. Still no answer. He had said to call his contact in times of dire need, and she remembered a name, Gabriel. She searched her contacts and saw the number. With no other choice she dialed, her voice trembling as she made the call. "I need your help."