Lucian's breath came in ragged gasps.
The shadow spear pinning him down pulsed with Abyssal energy, its tendrils slithering across his chest like a living thing, draining him. His silver eyes, usually sharp and unyielding, were dimming—fading.
Selene's heart pounded violently, her fire blazing around her like a golden inferno.
"Surrender, and he lives."
The Herald's voice was calm. Certain. They had no doubt that she would yield.
That she would break.
Selene stared at Lucian—at the way his muscles tensed against the pain, at the silent plea in his eyes.
"Don't."
One word. Just one.
But it cut through her like a blade.
Her mind screamed with the weight of the choice.
Lucian's life for her freedom.
She could end this all now.
She could hand over the Celestial Flame, let the Abyss take its power, and Lucian would live.
They would both live.
But at what cost?
The Abyss would consume the world.
And even if they survived—Lucian would never forgive her.
And she would never forgive herself.
Selene took a slow, shaking breath.
Then, she made her decision.
"You want my power?"
Her voice rang out, unwavering.
The Herald's silver eyes gleamed.
"Yes."
Selene tilted her chin up. "Then come and take it."
Before the words had even fully left her lips—she moved.
With blinding speed, she thrust out her hand.
A searing wave of golden fire erupted from her palm, streaking toward the Herald like a divine spear.
But the Herald merely raised their fingers—and the flames halted midair.
Selene's eyes widened.
The golden fire, her greatest weapon, hovered motionless, frozen in time, before it snuffed out completely.
The Herald tilted their head, their expression unreadable.
"Foolish."
They flicked their wrist—
And Selene felt it.
A cold grip wrapped around her throat, unseen but crushing.
She gasped, her vision darkening as the force lifted her into the air.
Lucian struggled violently against the shadow spear, his face contorted in rage. "Let her go!"
The Herald barely glanced at him.
"You defy inevitability, Celestial Flame. You cling to hope like a dying ember."
Selene gritted her teeth, trying to summon her fire—but nothing came.
Her flames—her power—were being suppressed.
The Abyss was not just taking the fight to her.
It was taking control.
Lucian's Last Stand
Lucian's body burned with pain, his strength fading under the weight of the Abyssal magic.
But as he watched Selene struggle to breathe, something snapped inside him.
His vision darkened—not from weakness, but from something else.
Something primal.
For centuries, Lucian had fought against the curse in his blood. The dark magic that ran through his veins, a gift—or a curse—from the Forsaken King himself.
But now—he let go.
A pulse of raw power exploded outward from his body. The shadow spear disintegrated, the tendrils burning away as his silver eyes turned black.
Not from defeat.
From rage.
Lucian vanished—moving faster than the eye could follow.
And in the next second—
The Herald staggered back.
Lucian slammed into them, his blade cutting through their chest.
The Herald's silver eyes widened slightly in surprise.
But then—they smiled.
"Ah," they murmured. "There it is."
Lucian ignored them, twisting the blade deeper. "Let. Her. Go."
The Herald exhaled slowly. Not in pain—but in recognition.
"You are finally becoming what you were meant to be."
Lucian's grip faltered.
And in that brief hesitation—the Herald struck.
With an effortless flick of their hand, a wave of force slammed into Lucian, sending him crashing into the ruins.
The ground shook violently.
Selene gasped as the pressure around her throat vanished—but the moment she fell, her vision blurred.
Something was wrong.
Lucian's power—whatever he had just used—had felt familiar.
And for the first time, she was afraid of it.
The True Price of Defiance
The Herald turned back to Selene, their silver eyes calm.
"This was your last warning."
The air around them shimmered—a rift opening behind them, swirling with pure Abyssal energy.
"You chose war."
Selene forced herself to stand, even as her legs trembled.
Her flames—they were returning.
Slowly, but surely, the Celestial Fire stirred inside her.
She locked eyes with the Herald.
"Then war it is."
The Herald studied her for a long moment.
Then, without another word, they stepped into the rift.
The portal snapped shut.
And just like that—they were gone.
Aftermath
Selene stood there, breathing heavily, her body still burning from the battle.
Then—a groan.
Her eyes snapped toward Lucian.
He was on his knees, gripping his side, his breathing uneven.
She rushed to him, falling to her knees beside him. "Lucian—"
His silver eyes met hers. But they were different now.
A shadow lingered in them.
A remnant of what he had just unleashed.
And for the first time, Selene wondered—had they won this fight?
Or had they just lost something far worse?
End of Chapter Forty-Five