Chapter 55: The Scourge Descends
The skies above the valley warped like heat waves on steel. Birds fell dead mid-flight. Trees curled inward as if the air itself turned to ash.
Andrew stood at the edge of the cliff, sword in hand, staring into the heart of the unnatural storm.
"He's here," Elira said, stepping up beside him, her flame flickering nervously. "A Scourge. A true agent of the gods."
"Then let them see," Andrew said quietly, "that I don't kneel anymore."
- The Fall of Light -
From the rip in the sky descended a figure—tall, gaunt, wrapped in celestial robes that shimmered like shattered glass. Its face was a mask made of fractured halos, and its voice echoed like a thousand forgotten prayers.
"Andrew of Shadow and Sin," it intoned, "you defy the decree of the Celestials."
Andrew didn't flinch.
"Then they should've stayed asleep."
Vaelith raised a hand. The wind died. Time stuttered. Shadows froze.
Elira dropped to one knee, gasping for air. Mihai clutched his chest.
Only Andrew stood.
Ashren…
The blade pulsed. A black glyph lit on the hilt—the second unlocked.
The world snapped back. And Andrew charged.
- Battle of Echoes-
Vaelith didn't draw a weapon. Instead, it summoned light itself, shaping it into spears and chains.
Andrew dodged the first barrage, rolling beneath a lance of white flame. He countered with a slash, and Ashren tore through the divine chains like paper.
"Impossible," Vaelith said.
"You're not the only one who remembers my past," Andrew growled.
They clashed again—light against shadow, will against fate. Each blow Andrew struck echoed with voices of his past lives. The battlefield shook.
But Vaelith was relentless. A strike of divine light sent Andrew flying across the valley floor, blood in his mouth.
"You are not ready," the Scourge declared.
- The Spark Within -
Elira, barely standing, reached for her flame—then stopped. She looked at Andrew, eyes wide.
"The shard—use the starlight!"
Andrew staggered to his feet, gripping Ashren. The fragment of the First Vessel within the blade pulsed—waiting.
Let go, a voice whispered from inside the sword. Let me fight.
Andrew closed his eyes.
And opened them as the shadowed sigil of the Grand Swordmaster ignited behind him.
"I won't let you control me," Andrew said aloud. "But I will borrow your strength."
- Turning the Tide -
Ashren roared to life with shadow and starlight. Andrew moved faster, struck harder. Every step left flickering trails of dark flame. His next blow shattered one of Vaelith's divine halos.
The Scourge reeled.
"This… was not predicted."
Andrew didn't stop. He unleashed a flurry of strikes, carving through divine barriers, pushing the god-forged being to its knees.
"Tell your gods," Andrew growled, blade at Vaelith's throat, "I'm not their pawn anymore."
Vaelith shimmered, collapsing into fractals of light, escaping before the final blow.
Above the world, the gods watched in silence.
"He wounded Vaelith."
"He awakens too quickly."
"Then we must consider the unthinkable."
"We must awaken the Fifth Seat."