The Sun Queen's Tomb was a chamber of immense, frozen power. Mathias stood near the ancient throne, a figure of fanatical desperation, flanked by the two heavily armored, highly trained Trinity Elite Guards—professional threats far more dangerous than the Solarii.
"The soul of the Sun Queen will grant me power! And you two—you are merely her final offering!" Mathias shrieked, raising a crude, bronze ritual blade.
Lara and Leo stood ready. This was the final, three-target boss fight.
"Distract and disarm, Lara! I'm going for the prophet!" Leo commanded. His Mind (16) was locked onto the primary objective: Eliminate Mathias to stop the ritual.
Lara needed no further instruction. She sprinted toward the two Trinity guards, instantly drawing their attention. She used her incredible Dexterity (17) to weave through their synchronized rifle fire, forcing them to break formation and engage her in close quarters.
Leo seized the opportunity. He sprinted toward Mathias, drawing both his Stabilized 9mm Pistols. Mathias was cloaked in ancient, flimsy armor, but Leo knew the man was unpredictable and driven by raw zealotry.
Mathias met Leo's charge, swinging the bronze blade wide.
Leo dodged low, channeling his maxed Strength (14) into a powerful uppercut with the butt of his pistol. The blow connected with Mathias's jaw, cracking the ancient armor and sending the cult leader stumbling back.
Leo didn't pause. He unloaded his clip into the prophet's chest, targeting the gaps in the bronze plating.
TAT-TAT-TAT!
Mathias roared, injured but not defeated. The zealot was protected by the plot armor of the narrative; he wouldn't go down easy.
Meanwhile, Lara was engaged in a brutal dance with the two Trinity Elites. She used the large stone throne for cover, firing controlled bursts from her pistol to suppress one guard while engaging the other in a vicious melee with the Advanced Grapple-Axe.
She parried a rifle stock attack with her axe handle, then, with a devastating combination of strength and speed, drove the axe blade deep into the armor joint of the first guard's shoulder. The guard screamed and collapsed.
The second Trinity Elite, witnessing the brutal takedown, instantly switched his target from defense to offense, laying down heavy fire on Lara.
"LEO! I'M PINNED!" Lara yelled.
Leo, fighting his own furious duel with Mathias, saw the danger. He had to finish the zealot and secure the final objective.
Mathias lunged, the bronze blade aiming for Leo's gut. Leo blocked the attack with the Pry Axe, the clang of metal echoing through the tomb. He then drove his knee into Mathias's ribs, his Strength (14) crushing the armor.
As Mathias staggered, Leo pulled the pin on his final Improvised Grenade. He didn't throw it at Mathias; he tossed it at the heavy, cracked stone pillar nearest the throne.
BOOM!
The blast was localized but concussive. The pillar fractured, raining heavy stone debris onto Mathias, pinning the prophet beneath the rubble.
Mathias struggled, his eyes blazing in his final, desperate attempt. "The Queen! The storm demands it!"
Leo didn't hesitate. He raised his pistol and fired the final, single, finishing shot into Mathias's exposed head.
The prophet of the Solarii went still. The storm was over.
The entire chamber went quiet. Outside, the howling of the perpetual storm suddenly seemed to die down, the oppressive atmosphere of Yamatai lifting instantly.
System Alert!
[Major Boss Defeated: Mathias (Prophet)] - +2000 EXP
[Protagonist Protection: Final Boss Complete]
[Plot Point Achieved: Storm Dissipated. Rescue Incoming.]
[TOMB RAIDER (2013) PLOT COMPLETE!]
Leo staggered back, panting, the silence in the tomb deafening. He had done it. He had finished the game.
He turned to the last remaining threat. Lara had used the confusion from the explosion to vault the collapsed pillar. She slammed her Grapple-Axe into the final Trinity Elite's helmet, the reinforced blade shearing through the metal. The guard dropped instantly.
Lara walked over to Leo, tossing her pistol aside. She was covered in grime and blood, but her eyes were clear and steady.
"It's over," she whispered, her voice thick with relief and exhaustion.
Leo simply nodded, too overwhelmed to speak. He had endured and won.
They rested there, sitting on the cold floor of the ancient tomb, watching the first signs of real daylight filter through the high vents—the first clean light in weeks.
Leo pulled Lara close, resting his head against hers.
"I knew it would work," he murmured. "I knew we would win."
Lara leaned into him, her hand finding his. "You didn't just win, Leo. You saved us. All of us."
They took a few more minutes, the simple, quiet intimacy of their survival grounding them.
Finally, the distant sound of a true rescue vessel—a Coast Guard helicopter—began to filter through the mountain.
"Time to go home," Lara said, slowly rising.
They found a narrow, hidden passage behind the throne—the secret escape route Leo knew about—and followed it down the mountain to the beach.
[Epilogue: The New Beginning]
Weeks later, Leo sat in a plush apartment in London. The recovery was slow, the media was a circus, but they had survived. Reyes, Sam, and Jonah were recovering.
Leo's life was surreal. He was a survivor, a hero, and a millionaire thanks to the salvage of the Endurance. He still carried the Pry Axe, now disassembled and clean, as a constant reminder.
The System was silent, the Tier 3 Skill Tree sitting patiently, waiting for the next trigger.
He looked up as the door opened. Lara, now dressed in clean clothes but still carrying the fierce determination in her eyes, walked in. She set two items on the coffee table: a copy of an ancient, leather-bound journal about immortality myths, and a sealed file labeled TRINITY.
"The Coast Guard report says the storm died naturally," Lara said, a wry smile touching her lips. "And the Trinity bodies were never fully identified. The world thinks we're lucky survivors, Leo."
Leo nodded, picking up the ancient journal. "But we know the truth. We know the price of immortality, and we know who is hunting it."
Lara leaned over, placing a hand on his cheek. "We know we have to be ready for the next one. For the secrets the world has forgotten."
She looked at the Trinity file. "I've been going through this, Leo. The symbol, the reach... it's vast. They were looking for something in Yamatai. Something more than just an island."
Leo knew exactly what they were looking for: the secrets that led to the city of Kitezh and the Sun God's prophecy.
He looked at Lara, his partner, his love, his fellow survivor. He had finished the first game. Now, the stakes were global.
"I'm ready, Lara," Leo said, his voice firm. "Tell me the next objective. Rise of the Tomb Raider begins now."
The Story Continues in: RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER.