Nightfall Prophecy

Chapter 30: The Return from the Abyss

A blinding light engulfed Celestine as the abyss shattered around her. The weight of the trial still burned in her veins, but she no longer felt like a prisoner of fate. She was something else now—something more.

As her vision cleared, she found herself back on the battlefield, her body still crackling with remnants of the abyssal fire. Lucien was the first to reach her, his silver eyes filled with relief and something deeper—something unreadable.

"Celestine..." his voice was hoarse, edged with worry. "You were gone. We couldn't reach you."

Draven stood a few steps away, his usual cold demeanor fractured by a flicker of emotion. "The abyss doesn't let people go so easily. But you... you conquered it."

Celestine flexed her fingers, feeling the hum of power beneath her skin. "I had no choice. It was either become its master or be consumed by it."

A ripple of energy swept across the battlefield, cutting their reunion short. Valerius was still there, his golden eyes sharp with intrigue. He had witnessed everything.

"So," he murmured, stepping forward, "you survived."

Celestine met his gaze head-on, unafraid. "I did more than survive."

Valerius's smirk was slow, dangerous. "Then prove it."

The sky above them darkened as the energy in the air shifted. A sudden gust of wind sent ripples through the battlefield, kicking up dust and ash. The warriors, both friend and foe, paused, sensing the shift in power.

Celestine closed her eyes for a brief moment, letting the surge of her newfound strength settle. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she sent a pulse of energy outward, cracking the ground beneath her feet. Flames of silver and blue danced along her skin, illuminating the battlefield in an ethereal glow.

Lucien stepped forward, his gaze flicking between her and Valerius. "You don't have to fight him now, Celestine. You need time to—"

"No," she interrupted, her voice steady. "This ends here."

Draven's eyes darkened. "Then we stand with you."

Valerius chuckled, but there was no humor in his voice. "Bold words, little queen. But let us see if your power is more than mere spectacle."

Without another word, he launched forward, a blur of shadow and fire. Celestine braced herself, her heart steady. She had faced the abyss and survived.

Now, she would face him.

And she would win.

Chapter 31: Clash of Fates

The battlefield exploded in a maelstrom of fire and shadows as Valerius lunged toward Celestine. His form blurred, his speed unnatural, but Celestine didn't flinch. With a single step, she met him head-on, their forces colliding in a blinding flash of energy.

The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air. Lucien and Draven were forced back, shielding their eyes from the brilliance of the clash. The very earth beneath them cracked, unable to withstand the sheer magnitude of their unleashed power.

Valerius sneered as he pushed against her, his golden eyes burning with raw intensity. "So, you think a taste of the abyss makes you my equal?"

Celestine gritted her teeth, holding her ground. "No," she hissed, silver flames igniting in her palms. "It makes me stronger."

She twisted, her magic coiling around her like a living force. With a sudden burst, she broke free from his grip and struck—her flames searing through the darkness he wielded. Valerius staggered back, his expression momentarily flickering with surprise.

Draven seized the opening, weaving a sigil in the air. Violet runes materialized, spinning around Valerius before tightening like chains. "Now, Celestine!"

She didn't hesitate.

Summoning every ounce of her newfound strength, she unleashed a devastating arc of energy, silver and blue intertwining like celestial fire. The blast struck Valerius full force, sending him crashing against the remnants of a broken pillar. The impact shattered the stone, dust and debris clouding the air.

For a moment, silence fell.

Then, a low chuckle echoed through the dust.

From the rubble, Valerius rose. His movements were slower, but his grin remained intact. "Impressive," he mused, brushing a hand over the scorch marks on his cloak. "But not enough."

Celestine's breath was ragged, her energy strained—but she refused to back down. "Then I'll just have to try harder."

Before she could advance, Lucien's hand shot out, gripping her wrist. "Wait," he murmured. His silver eyes darted past Valerius, widening in alarm. "Something's wrong."

The air around them crackled. The battlefield trembled. And then, from the depths of the rift Valerius had emerged from—something else stirred.

Celestine felt it before she saw it. A presence older than time, colder than death.

A presence that was watching them all.

And waiting.

"This fight," Valerius murmured, his smirk fading. "May not be ours to finish."

Chapter 32: The Awakening Dread

A chilling wind swept across the battlefield, carrying with it an unnatural stillness. Celestine's pulse pounded as she turned her gaze toward the rift. The presence lurking within it was no longer dormant—it was waking.

Valerius stiffened, his usual arrogance giving way to something unreadable. "This… isn't supposed to happen."

Draven's fingers twitched, his dark magic pulsing in response to the shift in energy. "You don't sound so sure anymore, Valerius."

A sound—low, guttural, and ancient—rumbled through the ground. Celestine felt it in her very bones, a deep tremor that resonated with something primal inside her. The shadows of the battlefield twisted unnaturally, drawn toward the widening rift like a vortex.

Then, it emerged.

A massive figure, wreathed in pure darkness, stepped through the tear in reality. Its form was humanoid yet grotesquely distorted, with elongated limbs and hollow, abyssal eyes that seemed to pull the very light from the air. When it exhaled, the sky itself dimmed.

Lucien moved in front of Celestine instinctively, his stance protective. "What… is that?"

Valerius' jaw tightened. "A Remnant. A being older than time itself. And it should not be here."

The Remnant's voice slithered into their minds, bypassing speech entirely. You have meddled where you should not. The Abyss reclaims what is owed.

A wave of oppressive energy crashed over them. Celestine staggered, her body seizing under the sheer weight of the force pressing down on her soul. She could barely breathe—

Until a hand grasped hers.

Lucien's touch sent a surge of grounding warmth through her, anchoring her in reality. "Stay with me, Celestine."

She gasped, blinking against the crushing darkness, and clenched his hand tighter. She had come too far, fought too hard to falter now.

Draven's voice was sharp. "If we don't act now, we're all dead."

Celestine inhaled deeply, forcing herself to push back against the suffocating force. Her flames reignited, flickering defiantly. "Then let's make sure that thing knows it picked the wrong fight."

The Remnant's abyssal eyes narrowed. Then, with a single, inhuman movement, it struck.

The battle for survival had begun.