The air in the *Throat of the Thunder God* reeked of sulfur. Leaning against the scorched stone walls, Leon pressed forward, the Heart of the Flame Dragon flickering erratically in his hands—its energy resonating strangely with the Storm Element Lord deep within, yet disrupted by chaotic interference. Garrosh suddenly halted, driving his axe into the ground.
"Ahead is the *Storm Corridor*," he warned. "Each bolt carries Shadow Toxin."
Elara unfurled a parchment illuminated by electric blue light. Her finger traced newly appearing runes. "The Grandmaster's lingering soul left a message in the crystal—*the core of the Storm Element Lord has been corrupted by a fragment of the Chaos Egg*. We must sever its taint using the *Judgment of Thunder*." She pointed at faint ancient orcish inscriptions on the wall. "This is the *Oath of Severance*. It can only be activated by swearing an oath of justice."
As Leon placed his hand on the inscription, the entire wall flared with golden lightning, searing a thunder rune onto his palm. At that moment, a deafening roar echoed from the depths. A massive wolf formed of violet-black lightning burst through the mist—its left eye burning with chaotic fire, the right still glowing with pure electricity.
"It's the Storm Element Lord—*Stormfang!*" Garrosh raised his axe. "Strike its right eye—it's the weak point!"
Leon activated the Heart of the Flame Dragon, weaving red and blue light into a chain and hurling it at the beast. Stormfang inhaled sharply—and swallowed the flaming chain whole. Violet-black lightning surged back along the link toward Leon. Elara reacted instantly, firing a *Wind-Cutting Arrow*, slicing the lightning into fragments. Tom took the opening to ignite the sulfur powder they carried, releasing a cloud of yellow smoke that obscured the creature's vision.
"Now! Aim for the right eye!" Elara shouted.
Leon leapt onto the wolf's back, dagger poised above its glowing core—only to hesitate at the last moment. Reflected in the eye was a vision: Chieftain Ironmane, trapped within the Chaos Egg.
"Strike now!" Garrosh's axe slammed into the beast's leg, but was repelled by shadow lightning. As Stormfang thrashed, tears of electric light streaming from its right eye, Leon finally understood the Grandmaster's words about *justice*—to cut away corruption did not mean to destroy life itself.
He withdrew the dagger and instead pressed the Heart of the Flame Dragon against the creature's eye. "By the blood of the Red Dragon, I swear—to cleanse this soul with the power of thunder!"
A thunderous resonance erupted between red-blue flame and golden lightning. Stormfang roared as chaotic bolts exploded from its body, revealing the true form of the Chaos Egg shard embedded within—a black crystal engraved with shadow runes. Leon slashed it free with his dagger, and the Heart's fire reduced it to ash in an instant.
Stormfang's body grew translucent, dissolving into streams of golden lightning that flowed into the rune on Leon's hand. At that same moment, Arthus's enraged voice boomed from outside:
"Damn you, Elemental Bearer!"
At the canyon's entrance, the Shadow Army was constructing a magical bridge from flesh and bone. Arthus's staff had already pierced the heart of the Thunder Altar.
"They're draining the altar's elemental energy!" Elara loosed an explosive arrow, shattering the bridge. "We have to escape before it collapses!"
Suddenly, the thunder rune on Leon's palm flared hot. The *Oath of Severance* on the wall extended into a glowing tunnel. As the three rushed inside, the *Throat of the Thunder God* collapsed behind them, burying Arthus's furious curses beneath tons of rubble.
When they emerged on the other side, the sight stole their breath—
Beneath the aurora-lit sky stood a valley dotted with over a hundred intact elemental totems. At its center, the *Tree of Life* was sprouting new leaves. Gathered beneath its boughs were refugees of all races—humans, elves, orcs—whose shadow-inflicted wounds were slowly healing under its radiant glow.
A woman in a star-and-moon cloak turned toward them, holding a softly glowing crystal. "Leon… you've passed the Trial of the Elements."
"You're…" Leon recognized her from his visions—the woman with the Crown of Stars.
"I am the First Elemental Bearer," she said, placing the crystal in his hand. "This is the *Elemental Resonance Crystal*. It will awaken the other relics. Arthus needs seven Chaos Egg shards to complete the hatching—but now you've destroyed the Storm Shard, your next target is the *Prison of Earth*—to stop the next sacrifice."
Garrosh suddenly pointed northward. "Look! The Frostwolves' signal smoke!"
Above the northern peaks rose green smoke shaped like a wolf's head—the distress signal agreed upon by Chieftain Ironmane. Leon tightened his grip on the Resonance Crystal, feeling the flow of fire and lightning within him, then turned to his companions.
"We'll split up—Elara, seek aid from the Tree of Life. Garrosh, come with me to rescue the chieftain. Tom…"
"I'll sabotage the Shadow Army's supply lines!" The boy raised his improved runic crossbow, eyes gleaming with determination.
As the first rays of dawn broke through the clouds, the trio parted ways. Watching Elara disappear into the aurora, Leon clapped Garrosh's shoulder before stepping into the snow-covered mountains. In his palm, the crystal and flame emblem burned together—like the first embers of hope.
Though the path ahead remained dark with the Shadow Covenant's schemes and the looming threat of the Chaos Egg, the gathering of the displaced and the awakening of the Elemental Bearers had already lit the first sparks of salvation across Azlan.
Deep within the *Prison of Earth*, new trials awaited. But Leon knew—when the strength of all races united, when the laws of the elements began to resonate once more, the flames of vengeance would become the light of protection.
He clenched his fists. On the backs of his hands, the runes of fire and thunder wove together into a new sigil, casting long shadows across the snow—like a banner of hope, guiding the way toward the rising sun.