Jonathan
The world shuddered beneath my feet, and a roar split the sky, a sound not born of nature, but of fury and unrelenting hunger. The mana beast had arrived.
I stood at the edge of our estate, my heart pounding like a war drum, every muscle taut and ready.
The air was thick with the scent of ozone and scorched earth. The sky was choked with dark clouds, swirling and crackling with unstable magic. Behind me, Aria kept our son..., Noah close, her silver eyes wide with fear and fierce determination.
The beast was a titan born from the Abyss of Eternity's chaos..., a monstrous fusion of raw Entropy and corrupted mana. Its large scales shimmered with iridescent corruption, jagged and cracked like shattered glass. Every step it took crushed trees, turned stone to dust, and sent tremors that threatened to tear the land apart.
It was no mere creature; it was a force of annihilation.
I gripped my sword tighter, feeling the ancient dragon runes hum softly with power. The blood in my veins boiled, strength tempered by wisdom, and a fierce obligation to protect what mattered most... my son and my wife were my top priority.
"We cannot let it reach the estate," I growled, voice low but fierce.
Aria's hand found mine. "Jonathan, we must get Noah to safety."
"We have to stick together." Noah's voice spoke with determination, I knew his words were true..., but reality wouldn't let them be.
I nodded grimly. The truth hung heavy between me and his mother: this fight was not one we could win. Not here. Not now.
The memories flooded me..., moments with my children, the laughter of Lucy and Jeremiah echoing through the halls, Noah's bright curiosity as he learned to channel his magic. Our family, bound by love and legacy, now standing on the precipice of destruction.
I turned to Noah, who looked up at me with wide eyes, eyes filled with determination and not the usual innocence of youth, he was ready despite the chaos. His small hands clenched in confusion, trying to grasp the tension thickening the air.
"Son," I said, kneeling to meet his gaze. "You must be brave. We will protect you, but if it becomes too dangerous, you must listen to your mother and me. Promise me that."
Despite the words I said to my son, I knew in reality that protecting him from the mana beast was next to impossible. I knew we only had one option left.
Noah nodded, though the worry in his eyes betrayed his young heart.
The beast advanced, a living nightmare of cracking earth and roiling shadows. I could feel its Entropy pulse like a poison in the air, destabilizing every spell and ward we had placed.
I raised my sword and shouted, "Hold the line! Protect the barriers!"
The estate's guardians..., loyal friends and summoned spirits, rallied to my call. Magical wards flared to life, and a barrier of shimmering energy formed around us. But it was fragile, a single blow from the beast could shatter it.
The battle began in earnest.
I met the beast's charge with fire and fury, channeling the disciplined precision of Nomos to control the flow of my spells. I struck with dragon-forged steel and ancient incantations, aiming to delay, to distract, to protect.
But the beast was relentless.
Aria fought alongside me, weaving healing and protective magic with a fierce grace that held back despair. Her silver eyes blazed with determination, her every movement a vow to keep our son safe.
But as the battle raged, a terrible realization settled over me.
This fight was not about victory. It was about survival.
We were fighting against the inevitable.
And our greatest hope was to buy enough time.
After what felt like hours, though it could have been minutes..., the mana beast landed a crushing blow to the barrier. The shimmering shield shattered like glass, sending ripples of raw chaos tearing through the estate's defenses.
I shouted for Aria and Noah to retreat.
"No!" Aria cried, but the urgency in my voice broke through her resistance.
With a heavy heart, I knew what had to be done.
We could not hold the estate. Not against this force.
Our son's life was the most precious thing in the world, and we would protect it at all costs, even if it meant sending him away.
I turned to Noah, my voice trembling despite my resolve. "Son, you must go. This place… it's not safe anymore. You must trust your mother and me."
Noah's eyes filled with tears, confusion, and fear. He tried to protest, to hold on to us.
But Aria stepped forward, placing a calming hand on his small shoulder.
"We're doing this to protect you," she said gently. "We love you."
I began the incantation, drawing on my deepest reserves of power to open a portal ..., a gateway that would carry Noah to safety, far from this destruction.
The air crackled as the spell took form, shimmering with light and promise.
Noah looked up at me one last time. "Will you come with me?"
"No," I said firmly, choking back the pain. "You must be strong. We will find you. We will come for you."
His once small face had grown so much, but now because of this disaster it twisted in sadness, but he nodded bravely.
And then Aria aimed the portal's light towards him.
As the glow swallowed him, I felt my heart tear in two.
The mana beast roared in triumph, sensing its victory.
But I was not finished yet.
I turned to Aria, voice low but resolute.
"We fight for him. No matter what."
She nodded, her eyes shining with tears and fierce hope.
Together, we faced the beast, ready to buy whatever time we could.
Because our son's future, his very life, depended on it.
And no force in this world would take him from us without a fight.
End of Chapter.