A stream of darkness clashed against the lines of light, one bright and one black, a fierce clash of two opposing forces. The Lumine warriors attacked by creating sharp bridges of light from their bodies, while the Nox countered with their ropes and stingers of darkness. With each collision, there was a burst of energy – like the explosion of a white and black star.
Silver stood a short distance from the ancient rock, alongside the Lumine and the Oracle. His heart was pounding. He could see that the Lumine were impressive, but they were not aggressive. They were defensive. The Nox, by contrast, were brutal and relentless. They fed on pain and fear, and their strength grew from the impact of battle.
The leader of the Nox, whom Silver now knew as 'Shadow', charged into the battlefield, his black spear swinging, easily cutting down Lumines. His target was clear: the crag. And behind him, the Bridge Stone.
"Stop him from coming here!" the Oracle commanded, but his voice sounded tired.
The Lumines began to surround Shadow, but he was a formidable force. He unleashed a ball of black energy from his spear, striking and knocking down two Lumines. They fell to the ground, their glow fading.
Silver watched, and a sharp, protective impulse welled up in him. Not for Lumines, but for his friend Lumines, who had protected him. He gripped the stone tightly and focused on his new ability – invisibility. He calmed down, controlling his emotions, and blending his presence with the nearby stream of light.
As Shado rushed toward the rock, Rajat moved slowly, imperceptibly, to his side. When Shado passed, Rajat opened his full range of sensitivity. He felt Shado's emotions – anger, frustration, and a deep, aching hunger. But behind them, there was fear. If he failed, the world of Knox would starve to death.
He gripped the rock tightly and, focusing on Shado, made all his sensitivity an edge. He released it like a mental kick.
Shado stopped suddenly, as if he had hit an invisible wall. He looked back, his red eyes wandering. "You! You're here!"
Rajat threw off the cloak of obscurity, wedged himself between Shado and the rock. "Yes. And I won't let you go any further."
Shado laughed. "What will you do? Kill me with your emotions?"
"No," said Silver, his voice surprisingly steady. "But I can give you some understanding." He held up the stone, and the grains on it began to shimmer. He opened his mind, sending forth images not only of Lumnesia, but also of the suffering of Tenebra. The peace of the world of light, the suffering of the world of shadow. The beauty of both, the anguish of both.
"Look here," he said. "Both. You both want to destroy. But if one goes, the other will be destroyed too. What do you want? A hungry liberation, or a chance to live?"
Shadow paused for a moment. The red light in his eyes dimmed a little. A storm of emotions – fear, hope, betrayal – swirled in his mind. He looked at the battlefield, where his soldiers were fighting, and then back at Silver.
"You... you speak like a foolish saint," he roared, but his roar lacked the power of before. "We have no choice!"
"Everyone always has a choice," Aryan said. "You can go back from here. And I... I can find a way for both worlds. A true balance."
It was a long, tense moment. Then, Shado let out a huge, desperate scream. He dropped his spear. "Go back!" he roared across the battlefield. "Not today! But this is not the end, stone-bearer! We will find you!"
And with that, the current of darkness receded, Knox melting with it. Lumnesia was quiet again, but now it was fragmented. The streams of light had faded, and there were patches of darkness on the ground.
Silver was gasping, the stone still warm in his hand. He had won, but it wasn't a victory. It was a guess. And now, the oracle's prophecy seemed more real. He would have to find a way into the truth – or the next battle would be the final one.