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“Once my power has filled you, we will make them suffer together,” a dissonant voice echoed in my ear.

“As you can see, I’ve decided to spare you.

Your new elven form is strong and impressive.

Your pathetic human body would have been driven to madness, but now, I believe you will take my darkness well.

Think of what I could accomplish with you by my side, the worlds we could consume together. ”

A tear slid down my cheek. Erovos was a celestial being, a miasmic shadow whose power eclipsed mine. I thought I could defeat him, but I was wrong. So very wrong.

How do you defeat someone with no weaknesses?

The realization hit me like a meteor shower—you don’t. You join them.

I focused inward and latched onto Erovos’ coils inside me. Instead of letting him feed me with his darkness, I would take it for myself.

“What are you doing?” he demanded as I glutinously stole from him. He tried ripping away from me, but I didn’t let him budge. We were connected now.

His power couldn’t be destroyed, but it could be contained. Within me.

His darkness bled through me, into my eyes, and the sky blinked out.

I choked on dread as horrifying images flashed in my mind: writhing bodies, melting faces, and vicious beasts played on a constant loop. Decaying flowers and bodies surrounded me; their shriveled vines and hands wrapped around me and dragged me down.

A burning clawed at my stomach and throat. I felt Erovos’ gravitational hunger, desire, and satiation after feeding. It made my mouth water. I turned my starving stare to the people around me, ready to feast.

Suddenly, something stronger than the hunger burned in my chest. My soul flame bond! It was whole, pure, and the most powerful thing in the universe.

I promised Rowen I would come back to him. And I would.

I didn’t fight the hellish images in my head.

It was impossible. All I could do was try to drown them out with thoughts of Rowen—his touch, his kiss, and his emerald aura encasing me.

I thought of Maddock, of his warm eyes and charming smile.

I focused on the memories of bringing water back to the village and liberating the desert elves.

I thought of my new family and home, laughing with Ven, petting Sabra, and forming new and unexpected friendships.

The dark edges receded from my vision, so I kept going, kept thinking of every happy memory I could.

I imagined everything that was yet to come—the earth healing, marrying Rowen, and making love to him on our throne, in our bed, and any other secret nooks we could find. Of rebuilding Viltarran and creating a beautiful, meaningful, and fulfilling life together. Not just for us, but for everyone.

And last of all, I wanted to honor Maddock’s sacrifice with a proper goodbye.

Suddenly, an idea struck.

If Madds could be the conduit for my powers, perhaps I could be one for Erovos.

I thought I’d done this when I trapped him in the crevice, but it hadn’t been enough. I’d allowed him to stay in his body. This time, I would have to take it a step further. I would have to rip away his power, funnel it through my body, and put it somewhere it could never escape.

My senses stretched to the Wyn village and into the Sacred Vale, where the Alcreon Stone hovered in midair. I latched onto the shattered pieces, and with a surge of my traveling abilities, I transported all the stones to the battlefield in a burst of lightning.

The shattered crystals now hovered and circled above us in our astral duel.

I channeled his cloying power through me and into the crystals. I yanked harder on Erovos’ dark tendrils, ravenously pulling his energy into my body and transferring it into the stones.

Somehow, I could see it all. I was a creator, slowly and meticulously forging a new entity.

I shot my gaze to Erovos, and for the first time, a hint of fear flashed across his pallid face.

He looked down to see his astral form slowly peeling away from his body. “You have no idea what you’re doing. You can’t contain me!” he roared as he wrenched one of his dark tendrils free. He whipped it across my face, and my head snapped to the side.

My grasp slipped, and darkness encased me once again. The hunger returned stronger than ever. I was sinking, faster and faster. I didn’t know if I could rise again.

Suddenly, six glowing entities appeared behind me. Their ethereal glow was blinding, powerful, and ancient.

Alcreon Light Bearer, do not give up, said a symphony of voices in my head.

I’d heard these overlapping voices before.

You must eclipse this darkness with your Light, the Elder Spirits hummed.

It is the only way to restore the balance throughout the cosmos.

Feel your strength. You are reforged as an Ancient Elve.

The celestial beings bolstered around me, placing their heavenly arms on mine.

We are here with you, they said as they helped me push the Dark Spirit into the Alcreon Stone.

The Elder Spirits had once infused the stone with Light, but now they helped me infuse it with darkness.

Power buoyed through my veins, and the world eater bellowed in terror.

It was the final piece of the prophecy—when the first six stars align with the stones of shattered ruin.

Through blood, bone, and crystal, the prophecy finally clicked into place.

“You thought you were an all-powerful being,” I said as the threads holding him together snapped and tore. “But when I’m done with you, you will be nothing more than a rock.”

“I will find you again,” he promised, his orange eyes raging. “You don’t know pain, but when I find you again, I will teach you true suffering.”

There were sinews connecting him to his splitting silhouette.

“Good luck with that,” I said, focusing on my happy memories, each of which was a speck of light that illuminated my vision.

The stars spread and grew and multiplied until a blinding white light engulfed me.

It was as if the Alcreon Light blasted out of me at the speed of light, causing me to be everywhere and nowhere all at once.

With a final push, I sealed Erovos within the stones, severing all our connections and cleansing his blight from my veins.

Erovos’ shrieks finally ended as the celestial lights dimmed around me. I gently landed on my feet, my vision fully returned.

I stared at the world eater. His empty eyes blinked back at me.

“You do make quite the sacrificial vessel,” I said, repeating the words he’d spoken to me before destroying my human body. And without a second thought, I blasted his corporeal form, watching as I obliterated him into smoke and ash.

A low-pitch hum vibrated above me, and my gaze shot skyward .

What was once whole, heavenly, and crystalline was now tainted, shattered, and gleaming an iridescent black.

The Elder Spirits glowed around me in nebulous forms that looked like galaxies.

An unspoken communication passed between us as I thanked them for their help.

We chose correctly, Alcreon Light Bearer.

It is we who must thank you for protecting our precious Light.

And in a flurry of shooting stars, they vanished, leaving me alone and surrounded by hovering dark crystals.