The battlefield was silent. Only the distant crackling of torches and the whisper of the wind filled the tomb. Leonhardt was gone—freed from his curse. But the war was far from over.
Arin stood still, gripping the rusted emblem in his palm. His heartbeat was steady, but his mind was a storm.
He had won. But why did it feel like he had lost something greater?
---
The Awakening
A sharp pain jolted through Arin's body. His vision blurred, and for a moment, the world around him spun.
"Arin!" Valeria rushed forward, catching him before he collapsed. "You're injured!"
Arin exhaled, forcing himself to stand straight. "It's… nothing."
But he knew that wasn't true.
Something was wrong.
His sword, still pulsing with faint energy, felt heavier than before. And then—he saw it.
Faint, dark veins creeping along his forearm.
The curse hadn't been destroyed.
It had merely shifted.
---
Evelyn's Warning
Evelyn's sharp eyes narrowed. "That energy… it's inside you now."
Arin's fingers clenched into a fist. "Then I'll control it."
But Evelyn shook her head.
"This is no ordinary power. It's the remnants of the Dark King's influence. If you can't control it, it will consume you… just like it did Leonhardt."
Silence.
Lilith, leaning against a broken pillar, smirked. "Well, that's a problem, isn't it?"
Selene crossed her arms. "If we don't deal with this now, he could become our enemy."
The air grew heavy.
Arin met their gazes. "Then we find a way."
Seraphina, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke.
"There is one way."
All eyes turned to her.
"The Temple of Astralis."
---
The Journey Ahead
Seraphina stepped forward, her expression unreadable.
"The temple was built centuries ago by celestial guardians. It holds the Astral Seal, an ancient artifact capable of purifying even the strongest curses."
Arin straightened. "Then that's where we're going."
But Seraphina shook her head.
"It's not that simple. The temple is hidden within the Forgotten Abyss… and no one who has entered has ever returned."
Valeria frowned. "So you're saying we'd be walking into a death trap?"
Seraphina's golden eyes gleamed.
"Yes."
A long silence.
Then, Arin smirked.
"Good."
He turned to the group.
"Then let's not waste any time."
A storm was brewing.
And they were about to step right into the heart of it.
[TO BE CONTINUED…]