Flames in the Abyss
390 Words
The sky above Elinvar had darkened to a bruised purple, the sun swallowed by churning clouds that mirrored the turmoil below. Thunder rumbled faintly, a distant warning of the storm yet to come.
The Watchtower’s walls shuddered under relentless assault, stones cracking and splintering as enemy forces hammered their way closer. Arrows whistled through the air, some met by shields, others by flesh.
Ariah’s heart pounded, the rhythm echoing the fiery pulse within her lantern. Every breath was a battle—between doubt and resolve, fear and courage.
Around her, her companions fought fiercely.
Mira’s arrows flew swift and true, each release a prayer whispered between breaths. Her face was set, eyes burning with fierce determination.
Rael’s blade sang through the air, carving paths of light amid the shadows, every strike a desperate defiance against the encroaching dark.
Jalen’s voice rang out, rallying the defenders, weaving strategy through the chaos.
But as the enemy pressed forward, the Shadow King advanced with a terrible calm.
He moved like a shadow incarnate—graceful, silent, and impossibly powerful.
When he reached the heart of the Watchtower, he raised a hand, and the ground beneath the defenders cracked open, a chasm of swirling blackness ripping through the earth.
From that abyss, dark creatures crawled forth—monstrous forms born from nightmare, eyes glowing with malice.
Ariah’s flame flared wildly, struggling against the overwhelming darkness.
She took a step forward, feeling the heat of her own courage burn through the cold grasp of despair.
“Light may falter,” she whispered, “but it does not die.”
With a cry that echoed across the battlefield, she lifted her lantern high.
A blaze of pure, radiant light exploded outward, searing through shadow and stone alike.
The abyss hissed and recoiled, the creatures shrieking as the flames licked and consumed.
Yet the Shadow King only smiled, his eyes never leaving her.
“You burn brightly, Flamebearer,” he said, voice like a cold blade. “But even the brightest flame can be extinguished in the abyss.”
Ariah met his gaze without flinching.
“I am not alone,” she said.
From the shadows, her companions rallied, their voices rising in unison.
Together, they formed a circle of light and hope.
And though the darkness clawed and fought, the flames in the abyss burned on.
- Writer
