novelblue
Chapter 146: Shadows of the Aftermath
Chapter 146: Shadows of the Aftermath
The battle was over.
Yet the air inside Blackspire Tower remained heavy, thick with the lingering remnants of dark magic. The chamber, once a place of power and secrecy, was now nothing more than a ruin of broken stone and scorched floors. The acrid scent of burned magic hung in the air, mixing with the coppery tang of blood.
Seraphis stood in the center of it all, her breath ragged, body aching from countless wounds. Every muscle screamed in protest, but she refused to collapse. Around her, the others were in no better condition.
Kaela slumped against a half-shattered pillar, one hand pressed against a deep cut on her side. Sylvaine’s bow trembled in her grip, her arms bruised and battered. Elyndra, ever the warrior, had planted her greatsword into the floor, using it as a crutch while she tried to steady herself.
The tower groaned—a deep, unsettling sound, as if the very structure was aware of its master’s demise.
Velmira was dead.
But their fight was far from over.
A Shattered Stronghold
"We need to move," Seraphis rasped, scanning the room.
The others barely stirred. They were beyond exhaustion—pushed to their absolute limits.
But there was no time to rest.
The tower’s foundations had cracked, deep fractures spreading through the walls like veins. Magic no longer held this place together.
"The whole structure is coming down," Sylvaine said, her voice weak but urgent.
Seraphis nodded.
They had to leave—now.
Yet, something held her back. A strange pull, like an invisible thread wrapped around her mind, drawing her gaze toward the altar where Velmira had once stood.
There, among the crumbling obsidian, lay something out of place.
A single black crystal, no larger than a fist, pulsing with a dull, eerie glow.
The Crystal’s Call
Seraphis stepped forward, ignoring the sharp pain that flared in her leg.
"Seraphis, don’t—" Elyndra started, but she was already reaching out.
The moment her fingertips brushed the crystal, a wave of darkness surged through her, rushing up her arm like an electric shock.
She staggered, her mind flooded with whispers—Velmira’s voice.
"You think you’ve won, little assassin? You think you've shattered the Tower's grasp? Hah… the Tower was only the beginning."
Images flashed in Seraphis’s mind—cities burning, cloaked figures gathering in the depths of unknown places, sigils drawn in blood upon ancient stones.
This was bigger than the Tower.
Bigger than Velmira.
And the fight was far from over.
Seraphis ripped her hand away, the whispers cutting off instantly.
"Seraphis?" Kaela asked, concern in her voice.
Seraphis clenched her fist, swallowing down the unease that curled in her gut.
"We need to go," she said, voice colder now. "Now."
She didn’t tell them what she saw.
Not yet.
The Descent – A Race Against Time
The floor trembled beneath them, cracks splintering outward as the entire chamber shook violently.
They had minutes—maybe less—before the entire tower collapsed in on itself.
Seraphis didn’t hesitate. She spun on her heel, leading the way toward the exit.
Kaela and Elyndra followed immediately, while Sylvaine took one last glance at the crumbling ruins before hurrying after them.
The stairwell was a nightmare—massive chunks of debris rained down, forcing them to dodge and weave, barely avoiding being crushed. The once grand obsidian steps were now a maze of broken stone and jagged edges.
At one point, a huge section of the wall collapsed, sending a cloud of dust and black magic billowing into the air.
Sylvaine coughed, her voice barely audible—"Faster!"
Seraphis pushed forward, gritting her teeth against the pain.
And then, finally—
Light.
The exit was just ahead, the cold night air cutting through the suffocating heat of the collapsing tower.
Seraphis didn’t slow down—she sprinted the final stretch, bursting through the entrance just as the tower behind them let out a final, thunderous roar.
The moment they hit the ground outside, the entire structure gave way.
With a horrifying groan, Blackspire Tower collapsed inward, disappearing into a cloud of dust and magic, the ruins swallowed by the very darkness that once empowered it.
The Weight of Victory
For a long moment, no one spoke.
They simply stood there, staring at the wreckage, their bodies too drained to even celebrate.
Kaela was the first to break the silence.
"It’s over," she murmured.
Elyndra let out a ragged sigh, collapsing onto a nearby stone ledge, gripping her shoulder where blood still seeped from a deep cut.
Sylvaine simply watched the ruins, her bow hanging loosely at her side.
Seraphis…
Seraphis just stared at her hand.
At the faint trace of black energy that still lingered on her fingertips.
It wasn’t over.
Not by a long shot.
She could still hear the whispers, feel the weight of something far bigger than just Velmira’s Tower pressing down on her.
This was only the beginning.
And whatever came next…
She had to be ready.
The Road Ahead
They didn’t stay long.
The ruins were dangerous, and with the Tower’s power broken, it was only a matter of time before the world took notice.
Word would spread. The Tower’s influence was shattered, but the vacuum it left behind would not stay empty for long.
Seraphis turned to her team, scanning their tired faces.
"We leave at dawn," she said.
Kaela groaned. "Dawn? Seraphis, we just fought through hell. Can’t we—"
"Dawn," Seraphis repeated firmly.
Kaela sighed but nodded.
Elyndra leaned back against the rock, closing her eyes. "Fine. But someone else is making breakfast."
Sylvaine let out a weak chuckle, shaking her head.
Seraphis didn’t respond.
She just watched the ruins, letting the cold wind bite into her skin