The air in the stone hall was filled with an oppressive sense of deathly stillness. Every breath seemed as heavy as a thousand catties, and Kalle felt an invisible force tightly gripping his throat. After the burst of light that had just occurred dissipated, the surrounding darkness became even deeper, like a monster that devoured everything, eager to drag their souls into the endless abyss.
Kalle took a deep breath, his heart beating rapidly, and he still firmly grasped the blade of the long sword in his hand. His gaze swept over Darlene. She was still standing by his side, with a determined light shining in her eyes, but the worry hidden deep in her heart could not be completely concealed. Kalle knew that the fear in Darlene's heart had already been quietly spreading.
"Darlene..." Kalle called her name in a low voice, his voice slightly trembling, "Are you... afraid?"
She gently shook her head and forced a smile at the corner of her mouth: "We've always been together, haven't we? No matter what we face, I'll be by your side."
These simple words made Kalle's heart stir slightly. Every time she said these words, a warm current would well up in his heart, as if it could make him temporarily forget the fear and helplessness in front of him.
"You know what?" Kalle suddenly said in a low voice, "I've always been thinking that if I hadn't met you, I might have already reached the end. You've given me courage and hope."
A hint of surprise flashed in Darlene's eyes. She hadn't expected Kalle to say such things at this moment. Her eyes softened, and she gently took his hand: "Kalle, no matter what happens, I won't let go of you."
Just as they were looking at each other, a deafening rumble sounded again, breaking the tender atmosphere between them. The ground of the stone hall shook again, as if something was approaching. Kalle quickly came to his senses and gripped Darlene's hand tightly: "Be careful!"
Before the words were even out of his mouth, suddenly, a black smoke poured in from all around the stone hall, quickly enveloping the entire space in a deathly still darkness. Kalle and Darlene's vision became blurred, and they could only hear the low growling sound that was gradually approaching.
"Here they come..." Kalle gritted his teeth and said, his hands gripping his weapon tightly as he vigilantly stared around.
"Kalle..." Darlene's voice suddenly became tense, "This darkness... it has a life of its own!"
As soon as she finished speaking, countless black shadows with sharp claws suddenly stretched out from the smoke, instantly surrounding them. Kalle quickly swung his sword to split one of them open, but the body of the black shadow kept changing its shape like smoke, making it almost impossible to hit.
"What the hell is this thing?" Kalle felt a moment of dizziness, and the dark aura seemed to be devouring them like the abyss.
A trace of fear flashed in Darlene's eyes, but she quickly controlled her emotions. Coming to her senses, she raised her sword and swung it fiercely around. The light of the sword cut through the darkness, bringing a dazzling light, but it still seemed unable to completely disperse this black fog.
"These black shadows are... messengers of the Abyss." Eze's voice suddenly came from the corner, and his pale face stood out particularly clearly in the black fog. "They come from the Abyss and are specially responsible for absorbing the energy of life and dragging it into the darkness."
Kalle turned his head and stared at Eze: "Are you... an enemy or a friend?"
Eze didn't answer, and his eyes were filled with a complex expression. He slowly raised his hand, and a flash of silver light shot straight towards the black shadows. Instantly, the black fog let out an ear-piercing shriek, as if suppressed by some kind of force, and it temporarily stopped.
"This is the only way to disperse them." Eze said coldly, "However, the time is limited. The power of the Abyss will quickly counterattack, and we must destroy the control of the King of the Wolf Soul as soon as possible."
Kalle looked at him, his heart full of doubts. "Destroy the control of the King of the Wolf Soul? Which side are you on exactly? What's the relationship between you and the Abyss?"
Eze's eyes were a bit confused, as if he was thinking about how to answer. "I used to be a follower of the King of the Wolf Soul, but I discovered that the Abyss behind him is far more terrifying than I imagined. I don't want to be a slave of the Abyss anymore."
"So you're on our side now?" Kalle frowned, finding it hard to fully believe his words.
"Yes." Eze said in a low voice, "But you have to trust me. Only by defeating the King of the Wolf Soul and destroying the entrance to the Abyss will this dark invasion truly stop."
Suddenly, a violent shake came from the center of the stone hall, as if the ground was cracking. Kalle's heart skipped a beat. He knew that the King of the Wolf Soul was ready to launch the final attack.
"Let's go! Stop him!" Kalle gave the order and rushed towards the depths of the stone hall without hesitation. Darlene followed closely behind, and Eze didn't hesitate either and quickly caught up.
They passed through the dark corridor. The closer they got to the center, the more oppressive the atmosphere became. That powerful dark aura almost made it impossible to breathe, as if the entire space was being devoured.
Finally, they came to a huge altar. Sitting on the altar was a figure cloaked in black robes, it was the King of the Wolf Soul. His eyes were as empty as the abyss, exuding a terrifying aura. Around him, the power of darkness swirled, as if it was going to devour everything.
"You've finally come." The King of the Wolf Soul said in a low voice, his voice full of mockery, "However, you don't have any time left."
"What exactly do you want to do?" Kalle asked angrily, his eyes full of unwillingness.
"There's only one thing I want to do." The King of the Wolf Soul smiled and said, "Destroy this world, lead the darkness of the Abyss to descend, and bring eternal darkness to the world."
Kalle felt an irresistible oppressive force rushing towards him, and he could barely stand still. However, he knew that only by standing firm could he completely destroy this terrifying plan.
"We won't let you succeed!" Darlene gritted her teeth and rushed towards the King of the Wolf Soul with her sword raised.
Just then, the King of the Wolf Soul's eyes suddenly flashed, and the dark aura suddenly soared. The surrounding space began to distort, as if everything was collapsing. Kalle felt as if his body was being oppressed by an invisible force, and he could hardly move.
"Your struggle is meaningless." The King of the Wolf Soul sneered, "The power of the Abyss is invincible."
However, at this moment, Eze suddenly stepped forward, and the light in his hand lit up again. The silver radiance broke through the darkness and illuminated the entire altar. "No, there is still hope after all!"
Kalle looked at Eze, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes. At that moment, he finally understood that Eze was not just doing it for himself, but more for the future of the world. Even though he had once been a part of the Abyss, at this moment, he had chosen to stand on their side.
"Darlene, are you ready?" Kalle turned his head, tightly gripping her hand, his eyes full of determination.
"I've always been ready." Darlene replied softly, her eyes full of deep trust and firmness.
They walked towards the King of the Wolf Soul together, ready to face the final battle.