Tension hung thick in the heart of the crumbling sanctuary. Linus watched as Azura vanished into the night, using an advanced technique resembling his own shadow teleportation. He knew pursuing her now would be futile; she was beyond their reach.

  His attention shifted instead to his true objective. Linus had been carefully feeding Sorenputhra’s spy network a blend of misinformation and truths, all to manipulate Louis into Thornfield. From the moment he discovered Sorenputhra’s interest in the Phoenix Blade, Louis had become a target. Linus understood that, at this moment, a hostile Sorenputhra would serve his ambitions better than an alliance.

  Turning his gaze to Louis and Aria, he noticed Isabel’s fainted form on the floor nearby. Seizing the opportunity, he quickly scooped her up, deciding she would be useful leverage.

  The sanctuary continued its collapse, sending dust and debris cascading around them. Linus melded into the shadows, reappearing near a crumbling pillar, his sword drawn and ready. Shadow tendrils lashed out from him, streaking towards Louis and Aria with ruthless precision.

  Louis, quick to react, ignited his blade with a flash of flames, cleaving through the tendrils and sending smoky remnants curling through the air. Aria darted forward, her blade sparking with electricity as she deflected Linus’s attacks. Lightning arced from her sword toward Linus, who ducked and rolled to avoid the electric strikes before melting back into the shadows, only to reappear behind a massive fallen boulder.

  A deep, guttural growl rippled through the air as the shadow beast surged forward, its hulking mass distorting the dim light. The ground trembled beneath its weight, cracks splitting through the stone floor with each thunderous step. Aria’s breath caught—too fast, too strong. She barely had time to react before its gaping maw snapped toward her, jagged fangs shimmering like obsidian. She twisted mid-air, narrowly avoiding the beast’s teeth as its breath—a cold, unnatural void—brushed past her skin. The moment she landed, another lunge came, forcing her into a desperate backward flip, dust kicking up as she rolled to her feet.

  Louis saw his moment. His blade ablaze, he surged forward, cutting a fiery path through the falling debris. With a fierce yell, he aimed a powerful strike at Linus. But Linus anticipated the move, conjuring a shadow clone to take the brunt of the attack. The clone absorbed the hit, dissipating into smoke, while Linus reappeared behind Louis, delivering a swift slash across his back.

  Louis gasped, staggering forward as blood seeped from the wound. The pain was staggering, nearly buckling him to his knees, but he forced himself upright, his expression dark with determination. Turning to face Linus, he moved with grim purpose, his eyes filled with defiance.

  Aria unleashed a storm of lightning-infused strikes toward both Linus and Louis, arcs of electricity crackling and illuminating the dim chamber. Linus gritted his teeth as jolts of electricity surged through him. Louis cried out, his movements faltering as he took the brunt of the attack, struggling to hold his ground.

  The sanctuary’s structure continued to crumble. A massive chunk of the ceiling collapsed, sending debris raining down upon them. The three combatants were forced to dive out of the way, each narrowly escaping the falling stone.

  In the ensuing chaos, Linus used the falling debris to his advantage. Shadow-teleporting with Isabel to a high vantage point on a remaining pillar, he directed shadow tendrils toward the rubble, hurling it down at Louis and Aria. Louis raised his blade, summoning a fiery barrier that incinerated the incoming rocks. With a fierce expression, he countered by hurling a wave of flames toward Linus’s elevated position.

  Aria gritted her teeth as she darted toward Linus, her blade humming with electricity. The shadows around Linus writhed like living things, lunging at them with unnatural speed. Aria swung her sword in a wide arc—lightning met darkness, sending sparks cascading through the air. The tendrils recoiled as if struck by an invisible force, flickering before they twisted and snapped apart, disrupting his power and causing the tendrils to falter. Rocks fell harmlessly to the ground as Linus struggled to maintain control, inadvertently triggering an ancient trap in the process. A series of spikes erupted from the floor, forcing him to shadow-teleport again, holding Isabel tightly as he narrowly evaded the deadly spikes.

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  Louis, undeterred, channeled his remaining fire magic into his sword, igniting it with a powerful, explosive strike aimed directly at Linus’s shadow beast. The blast engulfed the area, incinerating the beast and causing even more of the sanctuary to collapse. Aria used the shockwave to propel herself away from the falling stone, landing closer to the sanctuary’s exit. She took a defensive stance, readying herself for what she sensed would be a final stand.

  Linus, watching her, saw an opening. Summoning his remaining energy, he created multiple shadow clones, each moving with lethal precision toward Aria and Louis while he carefully shielded Isabel. Aria’s blade moved like a flash of lightning as she fought the clones, cutting them down one by one, but the relentless assault was wearing her down. Cuts and bruises lined her arms, her movements slowing with fatigue.

  Louis, despite his injury, fought alongside her, his fiery blade warding off as many clones as he could. His face was drawn, every swing of his sword costing him dearly as his strength waned.

  His vision blurred. His limbs screamed in protest, his body sluggish from pain and exhaustion. Blood dripped from his wounds, warm against his skin. He gripped his sword tighter, feeling the weight of everything—the battle, his failures, the lives that depended on him. His breathing was ragged, but his fire had not yet died.

  With a snarl, he slammed the blade against the ground, summoning every flicker of magic left in his veins. Flames roared to life, engulfing the weapon, the heat warping the air around it. His hands burned, but he welcomed the pain.

  With a roar that reverberated through the sanctuary, he launched himself at Linus, determined to take him down in one last act of defiance. But as he charged, an ancient trap triggered—a volley of arrows shot from the walls, each impact jarring him as he staggered forward. Linus, holding Isabel securely, evaded with ease while Louis took the arrows head-on, each strike slowing him further.

  Still, Louis pushed forward, pain etched across his face but undeterred by the agony. Each arrow that struck him drained more of his strength, yet his determination blazed. He refused to falter even as his body betrayed him. His final charge was a testament to his resolve, a burning defiance in the face of defeat.

  Anticipating Louis’s move, Linus shadow-teleported to sidestep the fiery charge. As Louis’s momentum carried him forward, Linus struck with his blade in a decisive, final blow. The impact of his attack sent Louis’s body hurtling out of the sanctuary’s entrance, where it landed in the silent darkness beyond. For a brief moment, Linus observed the fallen form of his opponent, a flicker of respect for the courage Louis had shown, even in defeat.

  With Louis gone and the sanctuary crumbling around her, Aria took in the scene—her partner lost, her only ally in Linus’s hands. A surge of sorrow and rage crossed her face as her gaze lingered on Isabel. She balled her fists, her mind racing. Then, realizing she could not win against the shadow mage alone and seizing the advantage of the collapsing structure, she made a desperate dash toward the sanctuary’s exit, weaving through the chaos with precision.

  Linus watched her go but did not give chase. He had achieved his objective.

  The sanctuary continued to collapse, the ground shaking violently as Linus and Isabel made their escape. As they burst out into the cool night air, a wave of relief washed over them, though the silence felt ominous. Azura had vanished into the darkness, her presence an unsettling absence. The sky hung eerily quiet as if holding its breath in the aftermath of the chaos.

  Aria paused just long enough to cast one last venomous glance at Linus before turning and disappearing into the night, putting as much distance as possible between herself and the ruin of the sanctuary.

  Linus didn’t stop running until the ruins of the sanctuary were nothing more than a distant shadow against the night. His breaths came fast, but his grip on Isabel never loosened. The air was cool, but a cold sweat clung to his skin.

  The prophecy had led them here. Had led him here. And it had all been a lie.

  His mind churned, pieces falling into place too late to matter. The Phoenix Blade had never been a salvation—it had been a lure, a beautifully crafted deception. And now, because of them, because of him, Azura was free.

  Linus clenched his jaw, staring up at the quiet sky. The stars above burned cold and distant. His victory felt hollow—a temporary reprieve before the storm to come.