The battle raged on, but now it was no longer just an external struggle. The shadows, taking the form of fears, doubts, and betrayals, turned into personal challenges for each of the heroes. Every movement, every strike with a sword or use of magic became a manifestation of an internal struggle. They were fighting not just the darkness around them but themselves.
Melania clenched the symbol that Eternity had given her once more. She could feel its power, but her efforts seemed futile. The shadows couldn’t be simply pushed aside or destroyed. They seeped into her soul, filling it with doubts and questions that had no easy answers.
“You cannot change everything so easily,” Astran said in his bodiless form, which was becoming a massive black cloud, moving toward the center of their world. His voice echoed in every corner of space. “Don’t you see? This is not just a battle. This is your punishment for choosing to create a new Eternity.”
Melania felt the cold seep into her heart. She was on the edge, and this was what she feared the most. But now, standing at the crossroads of making the final choice, her voice remained calm.
“I am not afraid of your illusions, Astran,” she said, gazing at his black figure, which was growing more blurred. “I am not afraid of your attempts to break my convictions. I choose to move forward.”
She looked at her companions. Endar, gathering all his strength, stood like a pillar, even though every movement was a battle with himself. His eyes burned with determination.
“We’ve already chosen. We choose to move forward,” he said, his sword seeming ready for the final strike. “And what do you choose, Astran? Eternity in your hands, or in ours?”
Astran’s response did not come in words, but in a new wave of darkness that rushed toward them. Shadows emerged from this torrent, growing and devouring everything in their path. They became huge, monstrous creatures, resembling terrifying spirits of the past. They carried within them all the painful memories of the old Eternity — every fear, every sin, every mistake.
“But this is what you fear, isn’t it?” Astran continued, his voice now sounding like countless muffled echoes, wrapping the space around them. “This is your weakness. The choice always becomes apparent in the darkest moments.”
Kairen, still standing nearby, took a deep breath, trying to overcome his fear. Knowing their strength lay in unity, he raised his sword and shouted, “We cannot allow you to win. Your power is nothing but an illusion. We will create a new Eternity, and it is not you, but we, who will be its creators.”
The shadows surrounding the heroes began to pull them into themselves, and each of them felt how all the fears and pains they carried inside began to surface. But the more they gave into fear, the stronger the shadows became. And each hero began to realize: the battle was not just physical. They had to face their inner trials to emerge from this fight alive.
Melania took a deep breath and activated the symbol again. But this time, she did not rely solely on the power of the artifact. She gathered all the experiences, all the choices she had made over the years. She understood that no external force could change what had already been done inside her heart. Eternity begins in each of them.
“You think you can break us, but you don’t understand that we have already become part of this new world,” Melania said, walking confidently forward. Her heart was beating faster, but with each step, she became more certain. “The choice is not yours. The choice has always been ours.”
She and her companions walked together through the darkness. Each of them faced their own fears and pains, but together they became unbreakable. The power of the symbol and their decisions intertwined into an unstoppable energy that shattered every shadow standing in their way.
“The choice is made,” Melania whispered softly, and the darkness began to recede, revealing a new light ahead.
Astran, with his black power, began to fade. His form broke apart like particles of dust in the dawn light. And although he was still present, his power was losing its significance.
“This is not the end,” he whispered, disappearing along with the darkness surrounding him. “But you still won’t escape your fate.”
With the darkness dissipating, the heroes saw that they had won, but new challenges were already appearing on the horizon. Those who create Eternity must be ready to face all its changes.
“We’ve made our choice,” Kairen said, looking around at the field now illuminated by the new light. “And that choice has brought us here.”
Melania nodded. They already knew that their path was just beginning, and it would be filled with many more trials. But they were ready. A new world awaited its creators.