The night sky over Scoria Point was bruised purple, clouds rippling as if something beneath them strained to break free. The air itself tasted of iron and ash, every breath sharp with corruption. Ryan stood at the ridge's edge, the shard in his chest pulsing erratically like a heart out of rhythm.
Kaelin tightened the strap on her gauntlet, silver hair whipping in the wind. "We end this here," she muttered. "Before the corruption spreads further."
Lyra stood nearby, calm but grave, her staff glowing with a faint verdant shimmer. "The Hydra won't fall to reckless strikes. Its resonance is unstable, fractured across each head. If we cannot sever its core, it will regenerate endlessly."
Ryan swallowed, trying to steady his hands. "So… no pressure, then."
Theron chuckled darkly, hefting his axe. "Pressure makes diamonds, newcomer. Let's see if you shatter first."
Hale, commander of the Ashborn guard, motioned for silence. His dark armor gleamed faintly as he gestured toward the valley. "Look."
The ground trembled. From the shadows of the corrupted marsh rose a monstrous silhouette. The Shadow Hydra slithered forward, its serpentine body blotting out the moonlight. Three heads reared into the air, each glowing with crimson fire in its eyes. Black ichor dripped from its fangs, sizzling against the ground.
Ryan's stomach twisted. "That… thing…"
Lyra's voice was calm, but the steel in it was unmistakable. "That is corruption made flesh."
The Hydra roared, a sound that shook the air and rattled Ryan's bones.
---
Into Battle
They didn't wait for it to strike first. Hale shouted the order, and the Ashborn warriors surged forward, blades and aura flaring. Theron bellowed, leaping straight at one of the heads with his axe raised high. Kaelin darted ahead, silver aura blazing like a comet, her blade flashing with sparks.
Ryan forced his legs to move, the artifact pulsing in his grip. He'd fought monsters, but nothing like this. Every instinct screamed at him to run, but he pushed forward anyway.
The Hydra struck first, one head spewing a torrent of black flame across the marsh. Warriors screamed as the fire clung to armor and flesh alike. Ryan thrust the artifact forward, instinct flaring—an aura shield erupted around him and Kaelin as the fire broke harmlessly against it.
Kaelin glanced at him, eyes sharp. "Good. Now fight."
Ryan grit his teeth. "Yeah, no problem!"
Another head lunged, fangs snapping. Ryan ducked, rolling aside, then channeled energy through his artifact. A burst of blue-gold flame erupted, searing into the Hydra's jaw. The monster recoiled, shrieking.
Lyra's voice cut through the chaos. "The heads are distractions! Aim for the resonance—its core lies beneath the chest!"
Easier said than done. The Hydra's body lashed, tail smashing into the ground and sending warriors flying. One head lunged at Ryan, faster than he expected. He barely raised his artifact in time. The blow rattled his bones, throwing him back into the marsh with a splash.
He coughed, chest burning. "Damn it—"
Kaelin's blade slashed down across the Hydra's neck, silver fire blazing. One head screeched, nearly severed, before black ichor poured and began to knit the wound shut.
Lyra raised her staff, green aura weaving into intricate patterns. Roots burst from the ground, tangling the Hydra's legs and slowing its thrashing. She cried out with effort, sweat beading across her brow.
"Now, Ryan!" she shouted.
The shard inside him pulsed violently, flooding his veins with searing energy. He staggered forward, raising the artifact. He didn't think—he simply let the shard guide him. Blue-gold fire erupted in a torrent, colliding with the Hydra's chest. The beast shrieked, scales blackening under the blast.
But then the shard surged harder, the energy almost unbearable. Ryan fell to one knee, clutching his chest as light seared through his veins.
"Ryan!" Kaelin shouted, darting to his side. She grabbed his arm, shaking him. "Stay with me!"
The shard's voice whispered in his mind, a chorus of echoes: Burn it all. Claim it. Devour the corruption.
Ryan's breath hitched, the world spinning. He felt like he was losing himself.
---
Anchor
Kaelin's hand pressed against his cheek, her eyes fierce. "Don't you dare give in! You're stronger than this, Ryan!"
Lyra knelt on his other side, her aura washing over him in waves of calm. She grasped his hand, steady and firm. "Breathe. Focus on me. On us. You are not alone."
Their voices pulled him back from the edge. The shard still raged inside him, but Ryan clung to their touch, their presence anchoring him. His breathing steadied, the madness ebbing just enough to focus.
He rose, both women bracing him on either side. "Okay… let's end this."
---
The Final Strike
They charged together. Kaelin's silver aura flared like fire, Lyra's green resonance wrapped Ryan in a steady rhythm, and the shard burned with purpose instead of chaos.
Ryan thrust the artifact forward. Kaelin leapt, slashing one Hydra head aside. Lyra's roots tore open the beast's chest, exposing a glowing, pulsating core of shadow.
Ryan roared, channeling everything. A torrent of blue-gold fire erupted, spearing into the Hydra's core. The beast shrieked, thrashing violently as the corruption burned away. Its heads convulsed, ichor spilling, until finally, with a thunderous crash, the Shadow Hydra collapsed.
Silence fell. The marsh stank of smoke and decay.
Ryan staggered, barely staying upright. Kaelin caught him, holding him against her chest. "You did it," she whispered, her voice raw with pride.
Lyra placed her hand over his heart, her aura soothing the shard's last violent pulses. "We did it," she said softly, her eyes lingering on Ryan's.
For a moment, time slowed. Ryan felt the warmth of Kaelin's embrace, the calm strength of Lyra's touch, and the shard pulsing in harmony with both.
He realized then: he wasn't just surviving anymore. He was changing. And so were they.