The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, its last rays scattering across the sky, painting it in shades of red and gold. Yet, at the crossroads, there was nothing ordinary. The air here was thick, as if every molecule felt the weight of time, which had stopped. The shadows that had begun to approach were now sharper, and each of the heroes saw that these were not mere darknesses of the world—they were forces that sought to destroy what they were protecting.
“They are already here,” Lumis said, tightening his grip on his device. His gaze was serious, but shadowed with doubt, as though he wasn’t entirely sure of his next move.
“We’re ready,” Tarik replied, his voice steady and sure, though his heart raced faster, and his mind echoed with the thousand thoughts of what was about to happen.
“We must stick together,” Ayna said, her eyes calmly scanning the horizons, where dark shapes were already forming. There was no fear in her gaze, only resolve.
Antem, who had been silent until now, raised his sword and looked intently at his companions. “We’re not just protecting eternity, we must preserve it from destruction. And even if it means our sacrifice, we must go to the end.”
It seemed the ground itself began to tremble beneath their feet. The stones at the crossroads flared brighter, as if feeling the powerful pressure mounting. The darkness thickened, and with it, figures emerged. They were low, strange creatures, formed of shadow and light, as though not of this world.
“Those who seek eternity have no place on these paths,” came a voice, husky and guttural, from the shadowy figure at the front. This was one of the enemies, an entity that had followed them, hunting their world.
Tarik took a step forward. His hand gripped his sword, and as always, he was ready to fight.
“Don’t wait for them to strike first,” he grunted, glancing at his companions.
“We attack!” commanded Antem, and together, they surged forward.
The battle began. The enemies’ shadows sliced through the air, their cold, sharp movements synchronized, as if each one were part of one great entity. Lumis struggled to focus on his device, but the darkness around them made it difficult. Ayna, her eyes closed, reached deeper, trying to sense where the next strikes would be the strongest.
“Stay together!” Tarik shouted, and they all stood shoulder to shoulder, ready to fight the darkness closing in.
Again and again, the enemies tried to circle around them, attacking from all sides. But each hero revealed their strength: Tarik deflected blows, his sword flashing as it sliced through the darkness; Lumis activated part of his device, releasing bursts of energy that disabled the enemies; Ayna channeled energy around them, as if shielding her companions from each next movement of the shadows.
“But there are so many!” cried Eili, knocking one enemy back but failing to dodge another who was already upon her.
“We can’t let them reach eternity!” Antem responded, his sword gleaming in the sunlight as he parried one strike.
The shadows and light mixed in the battle, and at the crossroads, a storm raged. Each hero felt their strength diminishing, as everything around them became heavier and harder, but they did not falter. They knew that every strike, every moment of fighting, brought them closer to the end, and that the final decision of this battle could change the fate of all worlds.
And then, just as it seemed that the enemies’ forces were endless, Antem raised his sword to the sky and cried out: “Open the path!” In that moment, the space around them trembled, as if even the heavens had answered his call. The approaching shadows froze for a brief moment, and this was the instant when the heroes’ powers had a chance to turn the tide of battle.
It seemed that eternity itself would now decide who would emerge victorious in this fight.