Mamir's body suddenly erupted with a blinding white light. From his eyes, his veins, even from the tip of his sword, a radiant glow poured forth as if a sacred force had awakened within him. With a cry of rage, the entire undersea cavern trembled; the light was so powerful that the darkness itself recoiled in agony. The shadow creatures shrieked as their bodies shattered, dissolving into nothingness in the waters around them.
Krakven staggered back, his massive form trembling, his eyes wide with terror.
— "This… this cannot be! Such power cannot exist in a mortal!"
The light was so bright that the cavern's gloom turned into a false daylight. Ener, Necor, and Runya stared at Mamir in awe, as though he was no longer the friend they had always known, but something far greater.
Runya seized the moment. She spread her hands, golden streams of healing energy flowing outward, restoring Mamir, Ener, and Necor. Broken bones knit, wounds sealed, and lungs filled with breath again. Yet even she was stunned—her magic felt stronger, faster, more potent than ever before. It was as if Mamir's light was empowering her.
— "Mamir… this light… it's giving us strength!" Runya whispered, her eyes shining with wonder.
Mamir gripped his sword of Elven Light and surged forward. Krakven roared with fury, lashing out with all eight of his monstrous tentacles. The waters quaked, shadows surged across the cavern walls.
But Mamir weaved through them with impossible speed. One tentacle tried to ensnare him—his blade pierced it clean through. Another swept at him—he severed it, the wound burning with the radiance pouring from his body. Krakven howled, bubbles erupting into the water as pain consumed him.
Ener and Necor fought by Mamir's side, holding off the few remaining shadow beasts. Ener's great black sword split creatures in halves with every swing, while Necor's twin blades cut through them with unmatched precision. From the back, Runfey watched in awe, hope kindling in her eyes for the first time.
Mamir pressed on toward Krakven's head. There, embedded in the monster's crown, pulsed a ruby-red gem. Each time it throbbed, the shadows multiplied around them.
— "The stone… I must destroy it," Mamir thought.
Krakven's roar shook the cavern.
— "You will never take it from me! I am the master of the shadows!"
Tentacles lashed out wildly. One coiled around Mamir's leg, crushing with brutal force. But light burst from Mamir's eyes and body, searing through the flesh of the monstrous limb. Krakven shrieked, forced to release him.
Mamir gathered all his strength, raising his sword high. The blade shone with Elven Light, now merged with the radiant power within him. Its brilliance turned the undersea cavern into a shining day.
With a single, decisive strike, he drove the blade into the gem.
The ruby shattered.
Krakven screamed in agony as his entire body convulsed. The shadows collapsed and dissolved in an instant. The colossal monster writhed one final time before his massive form sank to the seabed and crumbled into nothing.
Silence followed.
Mamir hovered, his body still glowing though the brilliance slowly dimmed. Ener, Necor, and Runya swam to him, their expressions filled with awe and gratitude.
Runya's eyes welled with tears as she whispered:
— "My love… you wield a light the darkness itself cannot withstand…"
Runfey pressed her hands to her chest, voice trembling with newfound hope:
— "My people… they can be saved…"
Mamir lowered his sword, his gaze steady and resolute.
— "This is only the beginning. Ostomas's darkness still remains."
But in that moment, all of them knew—Mamir's light had changed everything. A new hope had been born in the war against the shadows.
The chapter ends.