The black flames writhed like living serpents across the battlefield. The ground cracked beneath the Shadow Wardens' steps, each one sinking the valley deeper into darkness.
Arin drew his sword. Its blue light clashed against the shadows, a lone spark in an ocean of night.
Lyanna raised her bow, her magical arrows shimmering like tiny stars, ready to pierce the void.
The Silent Sorceress spread her hands, whispering an incantation. A ring of glowing runes shimmered in the air.
"Be careful!" she warned. "Every strike you land will feed the darkness back into them."
The first Warden let out a bone-chilling roar and slammed his sword into the ground. A shockwave of black fire surged forward, tearing across the valley toward them.
Arin leapt ahead, bracing himself, and blocked it with all his might. The clash of light and shadow erupted in a blinding explosion. For a heartbeat, the battlefield was split in half—half burning with brilliance, half drowned in shadow.
Lyanna released her arrows. Each one split into shards of starlight mid-flight, piercing the Wardens' armor. But they did not fall. Instead, their wounds bled black ichor and then sealed shut, their bodies mending as if nothing had struck them.
Arin's eyes widened. "They're truly immortal…"
The Sorceress gave a bitter smile. "Not immortal—unyielding. Their heart of darkness lies deep within the Empire itself. Until it's destroyed, they will never die."
At that moment, a second Warden lifted his blade skyward. From above, a rain of black flames descended, and the group realized this battle was only the beginning of the nightmare.