SWNOVELS Chapter 79
“L-Lyra,” Fenris gasped, his eyes flickering between their usual warm amber and a sickly purple. “I can feel it… the darkness… it’s so strong…”
Tears stung Lyra’s eyes as she fought to keep the shadows at bay. “Fight it, Fenris. I know you’re stronger than this.”
The shadow beast that was Veridian laughed again, a sound filled with cruel amusement. “How touching. But futile. The wolf’s nature makes him particularly susceptible to the call of shadows. Soon, he’ll be mine to command.”
Rage boiled up within Lyra, fueling her magic. She stood, facing her former mentor with fire in her eyes. “I won’t let you take him. I won’t let you destroy everything we’ve fought for!”
She unleashed a torrent of light magic more powerful than anything she’d managed before. The shadow beast recoiled, hissing in pain and fury. But as Lyra pressed her attack, she felt a sudden, sharp pain in her chest. Looking down, she saw tendrils of shadow worming their way into her own body.
“Did you think you were immune?” Veridian’s voice echoed in her mind. “We’re connected, you and I. Master and apprentice, bound by magic and memory. As I fall into shadow, so too shall you.”
Lyra stumbled, her concentration wavering. The world around her began to dim, shadows creeping in at the edges of her vision. She could hear Aelindra calling her name, but it sounded distant, muffled.
Then, cutting through the encroaching darkness, came Fenris’s voice. “Lyra!” he growled, the sound filled with desperation and determination. “Don’t give in. Remember who you are, what we’re fighting for!”
His words sparked something within her, a flame of defiance that burned away the clinging shadows. Lyra took a deep breath, centering herself. She reached out with her magic, not just to Fenris, but to Aelindra and even to the corrupted form of Veridian.
“We are all connected,” she realized, the truth of it resonating through her very being. “Not just by shadow, but by the light within us all.”
With that understanding came a surge of power unlike anything Lyra had experienced before. Light radiated from her in waves, not harsh and destructive, but warm and nurturing. It washed over Fenris, burning away the shadow corruption and restoring his strength. It enveloped Aelindra, reinvigorating her and imbuing her arrows with newfound power.
And when it reached the shadow beast that had been Veridian, something remarkable happened. Instead of destroying the creature, the light seemed to call forth what remained of the man within. The monstrous form wavered, revealing glimpses of Veridian’s human visage.
“Veridian,” Lyra called out, her voice filled with compassion and strength. “I know you’re still in there. Fight the darkness. Come back to us.”
For a moment, the cavern was filled with an otherworldly keening as shadow and light warred for dominance. Then, with a sound like shattering glass, the shadow beast’s form exploded into motes of darkness that quickly dissipated.
Where it had stood, Veridian now knelt, his body wracked with tremors but undeniably human once more. He looked up at Lyra, his eyes clear and filled with a mixture of gratitude and remorse.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice hoarse. “I thought I could control it, use its power for good. But it consumed me.”
Lyra helped him to his feet, supporting him as he swayed unsteadily. “The important thing is that you fought your way back. You’re free now.”
Fenris approached, still in his human form but moving with renewed strength. He eyed Veridian warily but made no aggressive moves. “What now? We still need to close the portals.”
Veridian nodded, his expression determined despite his exhaustion. “I can show you how. My time merged with the nexus… I understand it now in ways I never did before.”
With Veridian’s guidance, they made their way to the heart of the nexus. Here, the streams of magical energy converged into a pulsing core of pure power. Floating around it were three orbs of shadow essence, each one a reflection of the portals threatening their world.
“These are the anchor points,” Veridian explained. “Destroy them, and the portals will collapse.”
Lyra raised her staff, ready to unleash her light magic, but Veridian caught her arm. “Wait,” he cautioned. “It’s not that simple. The anchor points are connected to the very fabric of reality. Destroying them outright could have catastrophic consequences.”
“Then what do you suggest?” Aelindra asked, her bow still at the ready. Veridian’s expression was grim but determined. “We need to realign them, shift their resonance from shadow to light. It will take all of us, working in perfect harmony.” Lyra looked at her companions – Fenris, still bearing the faint marks of his brush with corruption; Aelindra, stalwart and true; and Veridian, seeking redemption for his past mistakes. She felt the weight of their trust, the strength of the bonds between them.
“Together, then,” she said, her voice filled with quiet confidence.
They took up positions around the nexus core, forming a perfect triangle. Lyra began to channel her light magic into the swirling energies, feeling the resistance of shadow essence fighting against her.
Fenris added his own unique energy to the mix, the primal force of nature that flowed through all werewolves. It complemented Lyra’s magic, raw power tempered by her finesse.
Aelindra contributed the ancient magics of the elves, songs of power that had been old when the world was young. Her voice rose in a haunting melody, weaving strands of light through the chaotic energies of the nexus.
And at the center of it all was Veridian, his knowledge of both light and shadow allowing him to guide their efforts. He acted as a conduit, balancing the various forces at play and slowly, painstakingly, shifting the anchor points from darkness to light. The process was grueling, taxing them to their very limits. Lyra felt as though her entire being was being stretched thin, pulled in a thousand directions at once. But through it all, she held onto the connections between them – the trust, the friendship, the love that bound them together.
Just when it seemed they could endure no more, there was a sudden shift in the energies surrounding them. The shadow essence in the anchor points flickered, then transformed into pure, radiant light. The nexus core pulsed once, twice, and then settled into a steady, harmonious rhythm.
As one, the four collapsed to the ground, utterly spent but triumphant. Lyra found herself leaning against Fenris, drawing comfort from his solid presence. Aelindra sat nearby, her usual grace replaced by bone-deep weariness. And Veridian… Veridian wept silently, overwhelmed by the magnitude of what they had accomplished.
“Is it over?” Fenris asked, his voice rough with exhaustion. “Did we succeed?” Veridian nodded, wiping his eyes. “The portals will be closing as we speak. We’ve done
We’ve saved Aether.”
A wave of relief washed over them, followed quickly by the realization of just how much they had endured to reach this point. Lyra felt tears of her own threatening to fall, a mix of joy and grief for all they had lost along the way.
As if sensing her turbulent emotions, Fenris pulled her closer. “We made it,” he murmured, his breath warm against her ear. “Together.”
Lyra nodded, allowing herself to lean into his embrace. She thought of how close she had come to losing him to the shadows, how the darkness had nearly claimed them both. But their bond had proven stronger than any corruption, a light that could not be extinguished.
“There’s still so much to do,” she said softly, thinking of the world that awaited them beyond the nexus. A world that would need healing, rebuilding.
“And we’ll face it together,” Aelindra added, reaching out to clasp Lyra’s hand. “All of us.”
Veridian hesitated, then joined their circle, his expression hopeful but uncertain. “If you’ll have me,” he said. “I have much to atone for, but I want to help make things right.”
Lyra smiled, feeling the strength of the connections between them all. “Of course,” she said. “We’re stronger together. That’s a lesson I don’t think any of us will soon forget.”