The Celestial Spire rose before them like a silver needle piercing the dark velvet sky, its form shimmering faintly with ancient magic. Aelric, Liora, and Thalin stood together at the summit, breath visible in the chill night air, hearts pounding with anticipation and dread.
Before them hovered a portal woven from threads of starlight — swirling, pulsating, a gateway to realms beyond mortal reach. The Song of the Starborn was said to reside beyond this veil, a melody powerful enough to awaken light buried deep beneath shadow.
Aelric's fingers closed tightly around the star-shaped amulet resting against his chest. The weight of destiny pressed down upon him heavier than any sword.
Thalin stepped forward, voice calm but urgent. "We must be ready. The darkness we face here will test more than our strength — it will challenge our very souls."
Liora's eyes burned with quiet fire. "I'm ready to fight."
Aelric nodded, swallowing the lump of fear lodged in his throat. "Then let's begin."
He took a deep breath and began to sing — a soft, trembling note at first, then rising steadily in clarity and power. The Song of the Starborn poured from his lips like silver light threading through the night, weaving between stars and shadows alike.
As the melody grew, the portal shimmered and expanded, revealing glimpses of a realm bathed in celestial radiance — constellations alive with movement, stars singing in harmony.
But then, without warning, darkness erupted.
From the edges of the portal spilled tendrils of shadow that coiled like serpents, snaking toward Aelric's feet. Coldness seeped into his bones as unseen fingers sought to silence his song.
A voice hissed through the void — cruel, mocking, ancient.
"You cannot awaken what belongs to me."
From the darkness emerged Morvath — tall and slender, cloaked in living shadow. His eyes burned with embers of lost humanity corrupted by void magic.
Aelric's heart thundered as memories of whispered warnings came rushing back: Morvath was once a guardian of balance who'd fallen into darkness, twisted by his own lust for power.
Liora stepped forward, blade aflame with dragonfire. "We stand with you."
Thalin raised his hands, weaving starfire spells that crackled with silver energy.
Morvath smiled — a cruel twisting of lips that made the shadows writhe.
"So be it," he sneered. "Let us see if your light can withstand true darkness."
The battle began in a whirlwind of clashing steel and crackling magic. Morvath moved with unnatural speed, shadows flowing from his limbs like living smoke. Aelric parried strike after strike, feeling the sting of each blow but refusing to yield.
Liora's fiery sword danced in arcs of flame, cutting deep into shadowy tendrils that sought to ensnare them.
Thalin's incantations filled the air with bursts of brilliant light, momentarily pushing Morvath back.
But Morvath was relentless. With a roar like a dying star collapsing inward, he summoned a vortex of void energy that swallowed light whole.
The Celestial Spire trembled beneath their feet as cold darkness sought to consume all hope.
Aelric felt strength draining from him—his voice faltering—but then a surge rose from within: not just magic or skill, but something deeper—the bond forged with Liora and Thalin; the hope carried by Nyara's silent presence; the courage born from every step he'd taken on this journey.
He raised his voice once more, singing with renewed power—the Song of the Starborn filling the night with radiant light that pierced through shadows like dawn breaking after endless night.
With a cry of rage and despair, Morvath was forced back into the void from which he came—his form dissolving into tendrils that vanished like smoke on the wind.
Silence fell heavy over the summit.
Aelric sank to his knees, exhaustion overwhelming him yet tempered by relief. Liora knelt beside him, her fiery hair catching the first light of dawn.
"We did it," she whispered, awe mingling with exhaustion.
Thalin looked toward the horizon where dark clouds gathered ominously.
"This was but a prelude," he warned quietly. "The Voidweaver's shadow lingers still."
Aelric nodded slowly, feeling the vastness of what lay ahead settle in his bones.
The battle for Eldoria had only just begun.
Nyara appeared silently at his side, tail flicking thoughtfully as she gazed up at the awakening stars.
"The song has been heard," she murmured. "But many more verses remain unsung."
Aelric rose unsteadily to his feet, eyes sharp with resolve.
"Then we will sing them all."
~To be continued…