Spirit Game

Rain felt the weight of the battle bearing down on him, the air thick and stifling, as if the very room was closing in around them. The pressure was suffocating, intensified by the unrelenting tide of shadow creatures that continued to flood in.

And then, just as it seemed they might be overrun, the magic circle began to glow. Golly had done it — the runes on the stone flared with light, and with a deep, rumbling sound, it flashed with bright light.

"Everyone come to the magic circle!" Rain shouted, driving his sword into the ground and sending a shockwave of energy through the chamber, knocking the nearest creatures back. "Get inside the circle!"

They didn't need to be told twice. Across the magic circle, Helliana, Thraigar, and the troops that were left behind due to their sheer size surged forward when they heard Rain's voice. One by one, they dashed through the magic circle that Golly had meticulously drawn earlier, ready to join the fray.

Helliana and Thraigar appeared on the magic circle and stormed in like a force of nature. Helliana's powerful frame while Thraigar, towering even taller, wielded his colossal hammer with effortless strength. Behind them, their troops charged in with unstoppable momentum.

When they entered, the dark creatures turned, sensing the overwhelming power that had just arrived. But before they could react, Helliana and Thraigar were upon them.

With a sweeping strike of her knives, Helliana cleaved through the shadows, sending creatures flying across the hall, their forms dissipating into dark mist. Thraigar followed up with a thunderous swing of his hammer, smashing through the creatures with bone-crushing force, the impact sending shockwaves that rattled the very walls.

The troops followed suit, flanking the dark creatures and driving them back, releasing some pressure from Rain and the others. The once oppressive hall now echoed with the sounds of battle, but this time, it was the dark creatures that were on the defensive.

Rain, Santi, and the others heaved a collective sigh of relief as the pressure on them eased. The overwhelming tide of enemies was now being pushed back, and the suffocating weight that had pressed down on them began to lift. With Helliana and Thraigar leading the charge, the battle's tide was finally turning in their favor.

But as they moved forward, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble. The shadows around them deepened, and from the darkness, new creatures emerged — these ones larger, more formidable than the ones they had faced before.

"We'll hold them off," Santi said, drawing another two spirits to her aid and stepping forward. "You get to Gorm."

Rain hesitated, his voice uncertain. "Me? Are you serious?"

"Who else?" Santi snapped. "Golly?"

Golly shook his head, raising his hands in protest. "I'm no fighter!"

"But . . ." Rain stammered, uncertainty gnawing at him.

Santi cut him off, her tone urgent. "We can't end this unless we take Gorm down directly! These creatures will just keep pouring in, nonstop! Someone has to confront him and put an end to this!"

Desperation clawed at her as her father's groans grew louder, each one echoing the pain that tore through him. The ritual was nearing completion, and she could feel the dark energy building, threatening to consume everything. Time was running out, and with every passing second, her urgency intensified.

Rain knew that Santi was right, but why him? He wasn't even a fighter! Rain lamented.

~Chi!~

The soft voice of Chi echoed in his mind, suggesting they fuse to have a better chance. But even with their powers combined, Rain wasn't sure it would be enough to defeat Gorm.

The thought of facing such a monstrous foe made his heart pound, yet he knew there was no other choice.

Without another second, Rain and Chi fused together as Rain sprinted forward, his eyes locked on Gorm. The revenants voice was rising in intensity, the power of the ritual growing with every word.

Rain could feel the pull of it, a dark, insidious force that threatened to overwhelm him, but he pushed it aside. There was no time to waste.

The first of the dark creatures lunged at him, its massive form blotting out the light as it descended. Rain's sword flashed, cutting through the creature with a single, powerful strike, but more were coming. He could see them moving in the shadows, circling him, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Rain didn't slow down. With a roar, he charged forward, cutting down anything that stood in his path. Santi, Chick, Chill, Helliana and Thraigar created paths for him so he could reach Gorm.

Rain could see Gorm now, he could see the swirling vortex of energy that surrounded Gorm. The dark revenant's eyes were closed, his face twisted in concentration as he poured all of his power into the ritual.

Rain knew he had to act fast. If Gorm completed the ritual, everything would be lost. The shadows would consume the city, and possibly the whole realm, all of their efforts would have been for nothing.

But as he reached Gorm, a new figure stepped forward — a dark knight, clad in black armor that seemed to absorb the light around it. The knight's eyes glowed with a fierce, malevolent light, and Rain could feel the dark power that radiated from him.

The dark knight raised his sword, the blade crackling with energy. "You will go no further," he intoned, his voice deep and echoing in the vast hall.

Rain met the knight's gaze, his own sword at the ready. "I don't have time for this," he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

The knight's smile was cold, and he moved with a speed that belied his size. Their blades clashed, sending sparks flying as the two warriors met in a flurry of strikes and counterstrikes.

Rain could feel the power behind the knight's blows, but he held his ground, his focus sharp as he looked for an opening.

The battle was fierce, the air around them crackling with energy as their swords clashed again and again. But Rain knew he couldn't afford to be delayed. Gorm's chanting was reaching a fever pitch, the power of the ritual growing with every passing moment.

With a sudden burst of speed, Rain feinted to the left, then brought his sword down in a powerful arc, aiming for the gap in the knight's armor.

The dark knight's eyes widened in surprise, but he was too slow to react. Rain's blade struck true, piercing through the armor and into the knight's chest.

The knight staggered back, a look of disbelief on his face as he fell to his knees. "You . . . will not . .

. succeed," he gasped, before collapsing to the ground, the light fading from his eyes.

Rain didn't waste a moment. He turned and sprinted towards Gorm, his sword raised. The dark revenant's eyes snapped open as he sensed the danger, but it was too late. With a shout, Rain brought his sword down, cutting through the vortex of energy and striking Gorm with all his might.

Gorm didn't even flinch as Rain's attacks came at him. He stood motionless, his dark aura swelling like a storm, effortlessly nullifying each of Rain's strikes. It was as if the very air around him devoured the attacks, leaving Gorm untouched and more menacing than ever.

Rain grimaced and took a cautious step back before launching himself into another attack.

The battle against Gorm erupted with a violent intensity that seemed to shake the very foundations of the mines. The oppressive darkness was teeming with the twisted forms of shadow creatures, their shapes barely discernible as they surged toward Rain and his companions.

At the heart of the chaos, Gorm loomed like a living nightmare, his presence distorting the air with an ominous force that seemed to suffocate everything around him.

Gorm's fighting style was deceptively lazy at first. He moved with a slow, deliberate stride, as if fully confident that no one could outlast him. Ignoring attacks from anyone else, Gorm relentlessly hunted down his chosen targets, forcing Rain to chase him in a futile attempt to catch him.

"He's marking his targets!" Golly shouted, his voice cutting through the din of battle. "If Gorm marks you, a symbol will appear on the back of your neck. If that happens, you must run! Don't let him catch you, or . . .

or you'll be dead in a single strike!"

Everyone's face drained of color. Instant death with a single strike?

Gorm moved again, his intentions masked by the chaos, leaving everyone on edge as they fended off the relentless dark creatures. Fear gripped them, knowing that at any moment, one of them could be marked for death.

"How do these markings work?" Rain shouted, swinging his sword at Gorm, but the creature moved with impossible speed, almost as if teleporting to another location.

"I'm studying it now!" Golly roared back, frantically analyzing the situation.

Suddenly, a dark mark appeared on a Hobgoblin soldier, and in the blink of an eye, Gorm was upon him.

"Run!" Santi screamed, her voice desperate.

But the Hobgoblin was paralyzed with fear. Run where? The teleportation circle could only brought them here and not the other way around; there was no escape.

With a single, brutal strike of Gorm's spear, the Hobgoblin fell, lifeless before he even hit the ground.

Without hesitation, Gorm was already moving toward his next target, the shadows closing in around him like a harbinger of death.