Page 75 of Sundered By Fate

He straightened, turning to the others. Diviandra was chanting under her breath, her hands wreathed in azure flame; Sylas was circling, tracing runes in the air with a gloved hand.

"Aric," Diviandra said softly, her voice a firm anchor. "Are you ready?"

He nodded, a bitter taste on his tongue. There was no other choice.

"Then let us end this."

They shoved through the crowd, Diviandra's wards parting the demons away from them like surf. A dark figure stood at the heart of the rift, its body wreathed in shadow. The shadows coiled and writhed around it like living things, and as it moved, the shadows seemed to slice through the air, leaving jagged rents in its wake.

The figure raised its hands, and the shadows swirled around it, coalescing into a massive, swirling vortex. And from the vortex came a deafening roar, a sound that seemed to shake the very foundations of the city.

Aric's legs felt like lead, his chest constricting with panic. His magic was a raging storm inside him, a maelstrom of power and rage. Another wave of lesser demons surged towards them, and Diviandra's wards flared, incinerating them where they stood.The acrid smell of burnt flesh filled the air, and Aric's stomach turned.

The demons were a storm, a black and furious tempest devouring everything in its path. But Aric was a wildfire, his magic a bright and searing flame that cut through the darkness.

He moved with a fluid grace, his sword flashing in the chaotic light of the rift. Each strike was precise, each movement calculated to maximize the damage to their demonic foes. He was a master of his craft, and he fought with a single-minded focus that bordered on the fanatical.

But even as he fought, he was acutely aware of every guard that fell around him. Each death was a weight on his conscience, a reminder of the lives that were being lost in this desperate struggle. He had trained many of these men and women, had fought alongside them in countless battles. And now they were dying, one by one, because he hadn't been able to stop this invasion before it began.

He pushed himself harder, ignoring the burning in his muscles, the fatigue that threatened to drag him down. He had to keep going, had to keep fighting, because the alternative was unthinkable. If this city fell, if the demons were allowed to spill out into the countryside, the entire kingdom would be at risk.

"Aric!" Diviandra called out as she struggled against a sizzling wave of dark magic threatening to constrict around her.

Without a word, he moved to her side, his sword a blur of golden fire. Together, they dispatched the demons, their bodies dissolving into dark smoke.

"We're being pushed back!" Diviandra shouted, her face streaked with blood and sweat.

Aric glanced around, taking in the chaos all around them. The palace guards were locked in desperate combat with the demons, but they were clearly outmatched. And the wave wasonly growing in size, the dark energy pouring out of the rift threatening to overwhelm them all.

Aric plunged into the fray, his magic a searing lance of light. The lesser demons fell before him, their blackened blood hissing on the cobblestones. But for every one he felled, two more took its place, a tide of darkness that threatened to consume them all.

Aric’s heart dropped into his stomach. A massive demon, at least twice his size, was lumbering toward them, its eyes glowing with an unholy light. Aric steeled himself, his magic flaring at his fingertips.

And with that, he charged toward the demon.

It roared as it saw him coming, its massive fists slamming into the ground, sending a shockwave through the street. Aric rode the wave, his feet barely touching the ground, and drove his sword into the demon's side.

The demon bellowed in pain, its massive arms flailing as it tried to swat Aric away. But he danced around its blows, a whirlwind of golden magic as he struck again and again, each strike leaving a trail of golden fire in its wake.

The demon staggered, its wounds smoldering, but it was far from defeated. It raised its massive fists, the air around them crackling with dark energy, and brought them crashing down on the ground.

Aric barely had time to brace himself as the shockwave hit him, sending him flying backward. He hit the ground hard, the air knocked from his lungs, but he staggered to his feet, his sword still clutched in his hand.

The demon was coming for him, its eyes burning, but Aric was burning from the inside.

He had to end this. Now.

With a roar, he charged at the demon, his magic blazing around him like a halo. The demon met him halfway, its massivefists raised, and everything seemed to slow, the two of them locked in a moment of suspended animation.

And then they collided.

The impact was like a thunderclap, the force of their blows shattering the stones underfoot. Aric's sword sliced through the demon's armor, the golden fire of his magic spreading like wildfire through its body. The demon roared, and the world became nothing but pain.

But Aric held on, his magic burning brighter than ever. He drove a gout of golden power into the demon's chest, and with a final, shuddering cry, the demon fell, its body dissolving into ash.

Aric staggered forward, his legs shaking, his magic guttering out. But he couldn't stop now. All of Astaria was at stake.

Behind him, he heard a shout, and he turned to find Diviandra and Sylas struggling against a trio of demons. Aric's heart clenched, and he charged toward them, his magic flaring once more.

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