The thunder of their clash still echoed, walls splintering with cracks that spread wider and wider. Rubble scattered like the chamber itself was collapsing.
The blade of light still gleamed in her grip, yet her arm trembled under the weight of the shadow's force. Each strike felt like plunging into a bottomless abyss, endless and consuming.
The shadow lunged, faster than her eyes could follow. Its hand came crashing down like a storm. She raised her sword to block—
BOOM—!
Her body was hurled against the wall, blood trickling from the corner of her lips. Pain seared through every nerve, her breath ragged and shallow. Despair clawed at her chest.
"Is this all… Child of Light?" the shadow mocked, its deep voice reverberating across the chamber. Its towering form crept closer, infinite and suffocating. "Your fate ends here."
Her fingers shook as she clutched the hilt, the sword's glow beginning to dim. But deep within her chest—another spark began to stir, fiercer than before.
Memories not her own flooded her mind… a voice ancient and eternal: "You are the bridge. You are the heir… and you are the release."
Light erupted from her heart once more, not only within the blade but expanding outward in a radiant ring that swept the shadows back, flooding the chamber with blinding brilliance.
The shadow halted, its eyes narrowing. "This… this is the sealed power."
Slowly, she rose again. Her body battered, but the light surrounding her burned stronger. The blade in her hand transformed, ancient symbols glowing brighter across its surface.
Her grip tightened, a new fire blazing in her chest.
"This… is not my end."
And she stepped forward once more—not merely to fight, but to proclaim her awakening.