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Chapter Eleven Umbraxis, the Shrouded Betrayer.

  The massive doors to the central chamber swung open with a heavy creak, revealing a sight that sent a chill down Jason and Maggy’s spines. The room was vast, its high ceilings lost in shadow, but the most disturbing sight was the hundreds of tormented souls chained to the walls. Their hollow eyes stared blankly ahead, their bodies emaciated and twisted, veins of dark energy weaving in and out of their ghostly forms like parasitic vines. They barely moved, their suffering so deep it had reduced them to nothing more than shadows of what they once were.

  In the center of the room, a throne carved from obsidian dominated the space. The throne pulsed with an eerie, ghostly glow, as though the very stone was alive and feeding off the agony of the souls that filled the chamber. The faint whispers of the tortured echoed around the room, their suffering palpable, a constant reminder of the horror that had taken hold of this once-thriving kingdom.

  Maggy and Jason stepped cautiously into the room, the oppressive atmosphere weighing heavily on them. Every step felt like they were walking deeper into a nightmare. As they approached, the figure sitting on the throne stirred, his form shrouded in darkness save for his eyes, eyes that glowed with an unnatural inner light, burning with malevolent power.

  “Welcome,” the figure said, his voice smooth and cold, laced with a dark charisma. “Welcome to my humble home.”

  Jason tightened his grip on Undying Flame, his muscles tensing. Maggy stood beside him, her heart pounding as her gaze flickered around the room, taking in the sight of the enslaved souls bound to the walls.

  The figure on the throne shifted slightly, his eyes settling on Maggy, a faint smile curling his lips. “My name is Umbraxis,” he continued, “and I am the lord of these lands.”

  Umbraxis’s gaze lingered on Maggy for a moment longer before he chuckled softly, his voice carrying a chilling undertone. “I see you’ve killed what were once my citizens and know wear them like a trophy.”

  Maggy flinched at his words, her breath catching in her throat. Her hand rising towards the hood, but she forced herself to stand firm, her hand instinctively tightening around the handle of her staff.

  Umbraxis’s smile widened as he watched her reaction. “No need to fear, my dear. You see I too understand the weak are nothing more than steppingstones for the strong. You see the reason they became those dreadful creatures, the Harrowers, is because of a pact I made long ago. A small price to pay for great power.”

  He rose slowly from his throne, the air around him thickening with dark energy. His movements were deliberate, calculated, as if every step he took commanded the very shadows themselves. “You see,” he continued, “this land was once a thriving kingdom. My kingdom. Its people loyal, prosperous, and full of hope. But power... true power... requires sacrifice.”

  His voice grew darker, and the room seemed to grow colder. “I wanted more than to be a king of a mere kingdom. I wanted dominion over souls of my subjects. So, I made a deal. I sacrificed every last one of them, my people, my citizens, so that I could gain mastery over life and death.”

  Maggy’s eyes widened in horror. “You sacrificed an entire kingdom… for power?”

  Umbraxis nodded, as if the weight of his actions meant nothing to him. “Power always demands a price. What is a kingdom of lives compared to the eternal mastery of souls?” He gestured to the chained spirits around the room, his voice almost reverent. “These souls are my strength. Their torment fuels me, their suffering binds me to this power. They are mine, forever. In death, they serve me more than they ever did in life.”

  Jason’s jaw clenched, his anger rising. “You turned your own people into those things,” he spat, his voice thick with disgust.

  Umbraxis’s gaze flickered to Jason, amusement flashing in his glowing eyes. “Do not mistake me for a ruler who cared for his people. Their lives meant nothing, compared to the power I have gained. And now, even in death, they serve me, same as you.”

  He paused, his smile fading slightly as he looked back at Maggy. “But you... you are interesting. I see in you the potential for great power, if only you’d be willing to sacrifice what holds you back. You too may command the souls of the dead.”

  Jason stepped forward, the heat of Undying Flame intensifying in his hand. “We’re not here for your offers, Umbraxis. We’re here to end the suffering of these people.”

  Umbraxis let out a low, menacing chuckle, his form becoming more imposing as the shadows around him seemed to grow darker. “End this? Oh, no, little mortals. You’ve only just arrived. This conflict this war has nothing to do with an insignificant creature such as yourself. And you think you can stop me? You think you can undo the power I’ve forged from the despair of thousands? I have become eternal!”

  The air in the chamber began to pulse with dark energy as Umbraxis raised his arms, the souls chained to the walls writhing in agony as they fed him more power. As the wails rang out the shadows around Umbraxis began to form into Harrowers. “Soon enough you will goin them, and you will become part of my eternal kingdom” he hissed. looking at Jason. “And you shall embrace your potential and serve me.” he said this last part looking at Maggy.

  Jason’s heart pounded, his grip tightening on his sword as the room filled with dark energy, but his resolve did not waver. Maggy stood firm beside him, her eyes filled with determination despite the fear that gnawed at her. They had come too far to let Umbraxis break them now.

  Umbraxis smiled coldly, the light in his eyes flaring as the shadows swirled around him like a living storm. “Come then, little want to be heroes. Face the true power of despair.”

  Without warning, dark chains erupted from the floor, lashing toward them. Jason reacted instinctively countering with a powerful Flame Crescent, the fiery arc slicing through the air toward Umbraxis tearing through multiple Harrowers. The dark lord simply raised his hand, summoning a barrier of black chains that absorbed the flames channeling them to the tortured souls linked to the chains, causing them to shirk. He smiled darkly, eyes glowing with malice.

  Maggy raised her staff, firing a Spirit Bolt directly at Umbraxis. The ethereal energy shot across the room, sensing the strike Umbraxis simple stepped to the side allowing the bolt to pass striking harmlessly against the wall.

  Jason dodged another set of chains, his mind racing. He needed to weaken Umbraxis a direct attack didn't seem to have any effect. he needed to break his connection to the enslaved souls fueling his power. But the dark lord was relentless, summoning more and more chains, each one faster than the last.

  In a blink of an eye, one of the chains smashed into Jason throwing him across the room. Umbraxis laughed, his voice reverberating through the chamber. “You cannot hope to stop me, boy. You are far beneath my notice.”

  the shadows around Jason began to solidify twenty or so Harrowers formed around Jason separating Maggy and Jason. As he stumbled back to his feet, he slashed through another Harrower, its form dissolving in a burst of dying wails. His breath came in sharp, ragged gasps, but he didn’t stop. Couldn’t stop. Maggy was still in the thick of it, weaving through the storm of chains that lashed toward her. She twisted, barely ducking one that would have snapped her spine in half.

  Another chain shot from the darkness.

  “Maggy, left!” Jason shouted, lunging toward her.

  She pivoted on instinct, narrowly dodging the strike. But the moment of distraction cost her. Her foot caught on uneven ground. Jason watched, horror blooming in his chest, as her balance faltered—just for an instant.

  That was all it took.

  A shadow-forged chain snapped forward like a viper, coiling around her ankle before she could react. It yanked her off her feet, dragging her toward Umbraxis’s waiting grasp. She clawed at the bindings, thrashing, but the more she struggled, the tighter they constricted.

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  Jason lunged, heart hammering, but another chain lashed across his chest, sending him sprawling. No, no, no! He scrambled to his feet, pushing past the searing pain in his ribs. His vision tunneled—Maggy was the only thing he saw.

  Umbraxis loomed over her, a slow, predatory smile curling on his lips.

  “You’ve worn this little trinket for long enough,” he murmured, fingers curling around the hood that shielded her from his whispers.

  With a slow, deliberate motion, he peeled the hood away.

  Maggy’s scream cut through the chamber like a dagger.

  The moment the fabric left her skin, the unseen barrier that had protected her mind shattered—and the whispers crashed into her like a tidal wave.

  She convulsed; her eyes blown wide in terror. Her breath hitched, coming in short, sharp gasps as her body locked up. Jason knew that look. He had lived it.

  "No!" Jason roared; his voice raw with desperation.

  A torrent of Flame Crescents erupted from his blade, a wall of fire raging toward the dark lord. But Umbraxis merely turned his head, watching the inferno approach with a bemused smile.

  Then he raised a single hand.

  The fire collided with the chains around the enslaved souls instead, igniting Umbraixs a blaze. The flames ignited the captured souls, tormented wails filled the chamber funneling power back into Umbraxis, his laughter ringing like a death knell.

  "This is delicious," he said, mockingly. "Watch as your pitiful attacks only fuel my power." Pulling harder on the chains using the newfound agony of the souls the shadows coalesced into a Harbinger of Despair the same creature that nearly broke him the day before. "Go and deal with that one."

  Jason’s fury burned hotter than any fire his sword could summon, but the reality of the situation crashed down on him. He quickly gave any ground he made up under the attack of the Harbinger and Harrowers. he wasnt strong enough to protect her.

  And Maggy—Maggy was utterly defenseless.

  Umbraxis’s fingers curled around the edge of her hood.

  And with one smooth motion, he pulled it away.

  Maggy’s breath hitched.

  The moment the hood left her head, the floodgates burst open.

  The whispers hit her like a tidal wave.

  She convulsed, her eyes going wide as she gasped for air, her entire body trembling. The voices clawed at her mind, slithering into every crevice of her thoughts. They whispered her worst fears, her deepest doubts.

  "You are weak."

  "You are nothing without him."

  "You hold him back."

  Maggy’s body locked up, her spirit under siege, her breathing was ragged, but she forced herself to focus. No. No, I’m not. She dug her nails into her palm, the sharp pain grounding her. She wouldn’t let Jason fight this thing alone.

  Jason skidded across the floor, chains binding him tight, twisting his arm forcing him to drop his blade. The Harbinger grinned as he approached, dagger poised to strike.

  "Do not kill that one. ive nearly broken this one, he will serve as her first bound soul." Umbraxis commanded.

  The shadows thickened, pressing down on Maggy like an overwhelming weight. The faint spark in her eyes flickered, growing dimmer with every whispered word from Umbraxis.

  Jason fought against the chains with all his strength, his muscles screaming, his breath ragged. But it wasn’t enough. He wasn’t fast enough. Strong enough.

  Maggy saw the panic in Jason’s eyes as Umbraxis loomed over her. She couldn’t let him break—not now.

  "Jason!" she shouted, forcing strength into her voice. "I need you! I need you to fight!"

  Jason’s breath hitched.

  Thump. Thump.

  Umbraxis sneered. "He cannot save you."

  Maggy didn’t listen. She focused on Jason, her voice rising above the whispers. "You’ve never been powerless! You’re stronger than this!"

  Thump. Thump.

  Jason’s fingers curled into fists. His breath grew heavy.

  "Only I can free you," Umbraxis whispered, his hand gripping Maggy’s chin.

  Jason gasped for air. His hands shook—not from weakness, but from cold, bitter reality that he could lose her.

  "No... No, I won't lose her."

  Jason’s heart pounded. His mind screamed. He wasn’t strong enough, wasn’t fast enough—and Maggy was about to suffer for it. NO. That was when he felt it—the crack deep inside his soul. A pressure, a force. Then, something inside him shattered. Fire surged. His body ignited. With a monstrous roar, power erupted from his core, his very being igniting like a wildfire. The chains binding him cracked—then shattered. The Harbinger closest to him barely had time to react before Jason ripped its head clean off.

  Umbraxis’s glowing eyes widened in shock. “What—?”

  With blinding speed Jason closed the distance fist connecting with Umbraxis making him stagger and lose the connection he had with Maggy.

  Jason pursued, his fists blazing with the fury of his awakening. Every punch connected with a sickening crunch, Umbraxis’s shadowy form splintering under the relentless assault.

  Umbraxis realizing he was not going to overpower this mortal with raw strength, he changed tactics.

  As Jason reared back for another devastating blow, Umbraxis’s form rippled—dissolving into pure shadow. His entire body melted into darkness, retreating like ink spilling into water. Jason’s next strike hit only air.

  “You think brute force alone can destroy me?” Umbraxis’s voice slithered through the chamber, coming from every direction.

  Jason spun—too slow. A shadow tendril coiled around his throat, yanking him off the ground. He gasped, vision darkening. Then—a crackling bolt of spiritual energy ripped through the tendril, severing it.

  Seeing the odds begging to stack against Umbraxis raised his hands, summoning the remainder of his strength into a massive wave of shadow to crash down onto Jason. breathing heavily Umbraxis felt relief, that mortal had startled him. That surge of power was terrifying, but ultimately futile, just like this woman's attempts at resisting his will. then horror struck Umbraxis as Jason broke free from the shadows. what happened next he barely had time to registered. Before he could react, his body hit the ground. The room spun as Jason appeared above him, eyes burning with a fire unlike anything the dark lord had ever seen. Then came the first punch. And another. And another.

  Each blow sent cracks through Umbraxis’s form. Shadows sputtered, trying to hold him together, but Jason was relentless.

  Jason pinned Umbraxis, but the dark lord's shattered form twisted, struggling to pull itself back together. Jason’s world had narrowed to a singular, unrelenting focus: destroying this bastard.

  Fists cracked against Umbraxis’s dissolving form, each strike sending ripples through the dark energy that struggled to reform him. Again, and again. Jason couldn’t stop, wouldn’t stop, not while this shadowy bastard still had breath.

  His knuckles split open, blood mixing with the remnants of Umbraxis’s body. He didn’t care. The raw pain barely registered. This thing had tried to take Maggy from him—had nearly succeeded. The beast within Jason howled for vengeance, and he was happy to oblige.

  Behind him, Maggy staggered forward, leaning on her staff for support. He was winning, but it wasn’t over. The dark tendrils still pulsed, still grasped at Umbraxis, trying to pull his shattered form back together.

  "I believe you said something about me controlling souls," Maggy said, her voice hoarse but unwavering. "Let’s put that to the test."

  Maggy’s fingers trembled as she pressed them against the writhing mass of shadows, sweat slicking her palms. She could feel the souls trapped within—hundreds, maybe thousands—all clawing at the void, desperate for freedom. But they weren’t just suffering. They were fueling Umbraxis. Each wail, each flicker of pain, fed him, stitched him back together like a cursed tapestry of despair.

  Jason was winning, but it wasn’t over. So long as those souls still fed Umbraxis, he would never die.

  Maggy reached out with her spirit, trying to sever the link. The moment she did, she recoiled. It was like plunging her hands into a sea of rot—foul, festering, ancient. The shadows bucked against her, resisting with a will of their own. The sheer weight of Umbraxis’s power crashed against her mind, pushing her back like a storm tide.

  She wasn’t strong enough.

  Her teeth clenched. But Jason was.

  Her gaze snapped to him. His fists rained blow after blow on what remained of Umbraxis. His eyes burned too bright, his muscles rippling under the strain of something beyond him. The air around him hummed with barely contained power.

  That flame inside him… the blessing…

  Maggy had seen it before, felt it when she healed him and knew she could guide it. She forward lunged, pressing one hand to Jason’s back and the other against the writhing shadows. Maggy’s breath hitched as raw, blistering energy coursed through her veins. It was like holding the sun in her hands. Too much. Too bright. Too vast. She didn't know if could she survive it let alone control it?

  "But Jason needed her. And if she couldn’t do this… they were both dead.

  The moment she tried, it was like throwing open a dam.

  Fire surged through her.

  Maggy gasped as raw, blistering energy coursed through her veins. Her nerves screamed as her body became the conduit—as Jason’s blessing passed through her, down her arms, and into the seething core of Umbraxis’s soul severing the connection to the tormented souls.

  The reaction was immediate.

  the shadows around Umbraxis convulsed pushing Jason and Maggy backwards.

  Umbraxis howled as the spectral chains shattered, his stolen souls vanishing into the ether. The darkness around him rippled, collapsing inward, but his eyes burned with pure hatred.

  “No,” he hissed. "You are nothing but sparks in the abyss. You cannot—"

  Jason moved.

  He Flash-Stepped forward, a blur of motion. Umbraxis barely had time to react before Jason’s hand clamped around his throat.

  “You wanted my despair?” Jason growled. “Choke on it.”

  A firestorm erupted. As Jason summoned Undying Flame burning white-hot, the intensity of Jason’s will igniting a blaze that consumed everything. The castle walls shook, shadows evaporated into searing light. Maggy stumbled back, shielding her eyes as the heat surged.

  Umbraxis’s form writhed, eyes wide with something he hadn’t felt in centuries—fear. “No, no, this isn’t how it ends—I cannot fall to a mortal! You… you don’t understand what’s coming!” His voice cracked, the last vestiges of his pride turning to desperation. “I can give you power, knowledge—anything you desire! Just don’t—”

  Jason’s grip tightened. The flames silenced Umbraxis forever.

  Silence fell. Jason staggered, sword digging into the ground. The castle trembled. The darkness was gone.

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