Dawn in Therasia arrived with a heavy silence, as if the very kingdom were holding its breath. We gathered in the palace courtyard under a gray sky, each of us carrying the weight of the unspoken words from the night before. King Fenrir awaited us with his royal guard, his fox ears tilted forward in tension.
"The scouts reported unusual activity in the heart of the Whispering Forest," he announced, his claws glinting under the faint light. "The air smells like... static electricity."
Liriel, miraculously sober, studied an ethereal map floating over her palm. "Zephyron is accelerating the ritual. He knows we're coming."
Elara adjusted the straps of her backpack, filled with flasks and components. "I prepared purification potions. They might buy us a few precious minutes if we can reach the secondary wells."
"Perfect!" Vespera twirled an arrow between her fingers. "Finally, some real action. I was getting bored with all that romantic drama."
I felt my face heat up but kept my focus. "Remember the plan: purify the smaller wells first, then face Zephyron at the main sanctuary."
Lyra approached, wearing light white leather armor. "My guards and I will cover your flanks. We know this forest better than anyone."
We set off while the sun was still struggling to pierce the thick clouds. The Whispering Forest truly looked different—the trees still whispered, but now the voices sounded distorted, almost pained. The vegetation was denser, with black vines twisting like diseased veins through the soil.
The first mana well lay in a clearing where natural crystals should have glowed with a soft light. Instead, they pulsed with a sickly purple energy.
"Let me try," Elara stepped forward, raising her staff. "Minor purification spell, it should be safe."
The spell glimmered for perhaps three seconds before she staggered. "The corruption... it's too strong." Her legs gave out, and I caught her before she fell.
"Let me handle this," Liriel pushed us aside. "Divine magic, basic level." She snapped her fingers, and a golden light bathed the area. The crystals stopped pulsing but didn't return to normal. "That should hold for a few hours."
Vespera, who was patrolling the perimeter, shouted a warning. "Beasts incoming! And they look... different."
They were different. Wolves with horns glowing with corrupted energy, their red eyes locked on us. They moved with eerie coordination, as if controlled by a single mind.
"Protect Elara!" I shouted, drawing my sword.
The battle was chaotic. Vespera fired arrows that ricocheted off the beasts as if hitting metal. Liriel tried another purification spell but only managed to make the creatures retreat temporarily.
It was Lyra who found the weakness. "The horns! They're channeling the corruption!"
I focused on one wolf, dodged its claws, and sliced through its horn. Instantly, the creature collapsed, returning to normal before fleeing into the forest.
"Everyone, aim for the horns!" I ordered.
We worked as a team—Vespera and Lyra distracted the beasts, I and the guards struck at the horns, and Liriel used small spells to create openings. Elara, gradually recovering, cast protective barriers whenever she could.
After purifying three smaller wells, the path to the main sanctuary was open. But what we found there made us freeze in place.
The sanctuary wasn't just corrupted—it was reforming. Stones floated in the air, rearranging themselves into a new and ominous pattern. At the center, a hooded figure manipulated dark energies.
"Zephyron," Liriel whispered, and for the first time, I heard a trace of genuine concern in her voice.
The figure turned, and even beneath the hood I could see his twisted smile. "Liriel. It's been a long time." His voice was like metal scraping against stone.
"You know him?" I asked, surprised.
"Unfortunately," Liriel hissed. "He was a divine apprentice before he was corrupted."
Zephyron laughed—a dry, humorless sound. "I evolved, Liriel. While you play mortal, I became something… greater."
He snapped his fingers, and the ground trembled. From the shadows surrounding the sanctuary, even more terrifying creatures emerged—beasts fused with stone and corrupted energy, their eyes glowing with pure hatred.
"The Soul Devourer," Lyra whispered, horrified. "The legend is real."
The creature was colossal—part bear, part stone, part nightmare. Its roar made the very air vibrate.
"Plan B!" I shouted, but Liriel was already in motion.
"Protect me!" she commanded, beginning a chant in an ancient tongue that made my ears ache.
Elara raised a barrier while Vespera and Lyra engaged the smaller beasts. I charged toward Zephyron, knowing we had to break his control over the creature.
But the general only laughed. "You're pathetic, mortal. A grain of sand trying to stop the tide."
He raised his hand, and an invisible force hurled me backward. I hit the ground hard, my sword flying from my hand.
Then Lyra leapt between us, her claws extended. "Don't you dare touch him, monster!"
As they clashed, I saw Liriel completing her spell. A golden light burst from the sanctuary, instantly purifying the lesser beasts. But the Soul Devourer only roared—shaken, yet not defeated.
"He's too strong!" Liriel shouted. "I need more power!"
Zephyron knocked Lyra aside with a casual gesture and advanced toward Liriel. "Your little game ends here, fallen goddess."
That's when Elara did something unexpected. She ran to Liriel, placing her hands on the goddess's back. "Use my mana! All of it!"
"Elara, no!" I protested, but it was too late.
An explosion of magical energy lit up the forest. Liriel glowed with renewed power, but Elara collapsed, pale as death.
"You'll pay for this, Zephyron," Liriel snarled—and for the first time, I saw the true fury of a goddess.
The final battle had begun, and we knew only one side would leave that forest alive.