The Awakening Of The Shadows
Chapter 32: The Chaos of Darkness

Chapter 32: The Chaos of Darkness

The forest clearing was shrouded in darkness, the shadows around Lian pulsing with a wild intensity. His breathing was heavy and irregular, but each exhalation seemed to release more destructive energy into the air. Oblivion, now completely consumed by its dark aura, radiated an overwhelming presence. Lian’s silhouette had transformed, his body wrapped in an armor of shadows that seemed alive, sharp, and pulsing like a sentient entity. His eyes, once filled with determination, now glowed with an inhuman, black void.

Raising Oblivion, which now emanated a murderous aura, Lian slashed the air toward Elios, and shadowy cuts surged in his direction. It happened so quickly that Elios couldn’t even summon a barrier, and several slashes appeared on his body.

Elios, leaning on his sword, struggled to stay on his feet. Cuts covered his body, and blood dripped from a wound on his temple. His light flickered, battling against the oppressive darkness enveloping Lian’s body, but Elios refused to retreat.

"Lian... stop this!" Elios shouted, his voice urgent but firm. He stepped forward, the light from his sword pushing the shadows back, creating a fragile circle of safety. "You don’t have to do this!"

Lian didn’t respond with words. Instead, he vanished into the swirling shadows, reappearing a moment later right in front of Elios. With a guttural roar, he brought Oblivion down with immense force.

Elios barely reacted in time to block the blow. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the clearing, cracking the ground beneath them. The force hurled Elios backward, slamming him into a tree, which splintered and collapsed under the weight of the collision.

Coughing, Elios struggled to his feet, using his sword for support. His light flickered weakly, but he didn’t give up. "Lian, listen to me! This isn’t who you are!"

Still, there was no response. Lian charged forward again, attacking with even greater ferocity. Each strike from Oblivion was wild yet devastating, forcing Elios to retreat and defend. Each block drained Elios of strength, his arms trembling under the relentless assault.

"You’re stronger than this darkness!" Elios shouted as he deflected another blow. "I know you are!"

Lian’s voice finally emerged, but it was distorted, deep, and full of rage.

"Stop shouting; he’s not going to hear you!"

Elios hesitated, the words striking him harder than any physical blow. "Lian..."

Taking advantage of the hesitation, Lian unleashed a torrent of shadows from Oblivion. The dark energy surged forward like a giant wave, engulfing the clearing. Elios was swallowed by the force, his light struggling to pierce the crushing darkness.

The wave knocked Elios down, slamming him into the ground. When he tried to rise, Lian was already above him, Oblivion poised to strike again.

"Lian, stop this!" Elios shouted, blocking the incoming attack. The force of the impact sent him sliding backward, his boots digging into the ground to stabilize himself. "This darkness isn’t you!"

Lian roared, his movements growing increasingly frenzied. "Don’t you see this is pointless?! The Lian you know is gone!"

"Shut up and give me back my friend!" Elios retorted, dodging a wild strike and retaliating with an attack of light that pushed Lian slightly backward. "You’re not alone, Lian! You need to fight this!"

But Lian’s rage only grew. His shadows lashed out violently, forming tentacles that whipped at Elios from all directions. Elios dodged as much as he could, but one of the tentacles struck him, sending him flying into a large rock.

He gritted his teeth in pain, coughing as he struggled to stand once more.

"You’re persistent," Lian growled, his voice cold and merciless. "But persistence doesn’t mean victory. Lian will be furious when he realizes he killed his own friend."

Elios slowly rose, blood dripping from a cut on his cheek. He planted his sword into the ground, its light still shining, albeit faintly. "And rage doesn’t mean strength."

The battle continued, each blow shaking the clearing. Elios fought with everything he had, but the overwhelming power of Lian’s shadows was suffocating. Each clash of their blades sent sparks of light and darkness flying through the air. Elios’ movements began to slow, his injuries piling up as Lian’s attacks grew more savage.

Elios stumbled, barely managing to block another strike from Oblivion. The force of the impact knocked him to the ground, and his sword slid several meters away. As he reached for his sword, Lian loomed over him, blade raised.

"Lian..." Elios murmured, his voice weak but full of desperation. "Please... this isn’t you. Fight it!"

For a brief moment, Lian hesitated, his shadow-clad figure trembling. But the hesitation vanished as quickly as it appeared. "This is pointless!" he roared, bringing Oblivion down with crushing force.

Before the blade could strike Elios, a crimson flash intercepted it. A hand gripped Lian’s wrist with unyielding strength, halting Oblivion mid-swing.

"That’s enough," said Lena, her voice sharp and commanding.

Lian turned his head toward her, his glowing black eyes narrowing. "You... what do you want?"

"I’m here to save you from yourself," Lena replied calmly. Her crimson aura flared, pushing back the oppressive shadows. "And to stop you before you hurt anyone else."

Lian roared in defiance, trying to pull his arm free, but Lena’s grip didn’t waver. "You can’t stop me!"

"Want to bet?" Lena said, her tone as cold as ice. She drew back her free hand, her aura intensifying, and delivered a devastating blow to Lian’s torso.

The impact was catastrophic. Lian’s body was hurled through the air, crashing through several trees before colliding violently with the ground far away. The forest trembled with the force of his fall, and silence fell over the clearing.

Elios, still lying on the ground, stared at Lena with wide eyes. "Lena... you..."

She turned her gaze to him, her expression unreadable. "You’ve done enough, Elios. Rest."

As Elios collapsed, exhausted and nearly unconscious, Lena shifted her focus to where Lian had fallen. Her crimson aura still burned brightly. "Lian... it’s time for you to wake up."

At high speed, Lena approached where Lian had landed. When she looked at him, the armor of shadows had disappeared. Lian was unconscious, his body covered in wounds. "Cursed darkness."