🔥 Chapter 12 — Dance of Shadows
Kael's Ember flared as the Shadow General moved, the darkness around him twisting unnaturally. Every step the figure took seemed to bend the shadows, making the terrain itself hostile. Rocks shifted, forming spikes; shadows reached like hands.
"Kael! Focus!" Rhyne shouted, standing beside him, silver sigil blade gleaming. "The General manipulates more than its body—it manipulates the battlefield!"
Kael's chest heaved, flames spiraling along his arms. He realized brute force wouldn't win this fight. The Ember responded to his emotions, to his instincts, and now it demanded balance. He slowed, letting the fire flow in controlled streams, weaving around the shadows instead of against them.
The General lunged, blades of living shadow slicing through the air. Kael dodged, Ember arcing in sweeping arcs to counter, illuminating the valley with blue-white light. The shadows hissed and recoiled, but the General was relentless, disappearing and reappearing, attacking from impossible angles.
Rhyne shouted, "Strike at the core! Every enemy has one—find it!"
Kael's eyes narrowed. He sensed the pulse, a flickering dark ember at the center of the General's armor. But reaching it required skill, timing, and perfect coordination. The Ember coiled around him like a storm, guiding his movements.
With a surge, Kael leapt, flames streaming like ribbons of lightning. He spun through the air, striking a precise strike toward the pulsing core. The General twisted, shadow armor shifting to absorb the blow, but Kael's fire seeped through the cracks, igniting the darkness.
The General howled, shadows flaring violently, sending Kael skidding across the jagged rocks. Ember surged dangerously, threatening to consume him—but Kael drew a deep breath, centering himself. Instead of forcing the fire, he let it flow in harmony with the shadows, turning them against the General.
A final thrust of concentrated Ember struck true. The Shadow General screamed as its core shattered, darkness collapsing inward and dissolving into the valley below.
Kael collapsed to one knee, exhausted, but alive. Rhyne approached, nodding solemnly.
"This… was no ordinary battle," Rhyne said. "But each victory teaches you control, Kael. The Harrowed King won't wait long. His generals are still moving, and the war… has only just begun."
Kael looked toward the horizon, Ember flickering faintly. "Then we'll meet them… and we'll be ready."