Page 24 of Magic Undaunted

As the battle raged on, Stryker’s vision blurred, the edges of his consciousness fraying as the magic around him twisted and pulsed. And then, in the midst of the chaos, something shifted—something dark and terrible, hidden deep within the magic.

A memory.

Stryker froze, his heart pounding in his chest as a flood of images surged through his mind—images of experiments, of fae bound by dark magic, their power drained, their bodies twisted into something unrecognizable. And then, he saw himself.

Not just as a warrior of the Council, but as a part of it. He fell from the sky, looking down at his hands as he shifted and hit the floor. His hands were there, covered in blood and magic, his face reflected in the twisted expressions of those fae he had once thought to protect. Oberon’s voice echoed in his ears, smooth and commanding, guiding him, shaping him into the weapon he had become.

The truth hit him with the impact of a rogue wave. He hadn’t just been a loyal soldier. He had been complicit in Oberon’s schemes, part of the High Council’s darkest secrets. His ownpower had been used to suppress the very fae he had sworn to defend.

“No…” Stryker whispered, his voice barely audible over the roar of magic around him. His heart twisted in his chest, the weight of his past crushing him.

But Oberon’s laughter cut through the chaos, cold and triumphant. “Now you see, Stryker. You were always a part of this. You were never more than a tool—a weapon in my hands.”

Stryker staggered to his feet, his mind reeling from the revelation. His entire life, everything he had fought for, had been a lie. He had been used, manipulated, shaped into something he didn’t recognize.

The battle raged on around him, but in that moment, Stryker felt hollow. Everything he had believed in, everything he had trusted, had been shattered.

“Stryker!” Elyria’s voice cut through the haze, sharp and urgent.

He turned to see her fighting her way toward him, her gray eyes blazing. She fought with all the ferocity she had ever possessed. They had not diminished her—nothing had. Her magic flared bright and wild. And in that moment, Stryker knew one thing for certain.

He couldn’t let Oberon win. Not like this.

With a roar, Stryker surged forward, shifting again as his griffon form burst to life and he launched himself at Oberon, their powers colliding in a brilliant explosion of light and darkness. The walls of the throne room crumbled, the floor beneath them cracking as the force of the battle tore through the castle.

Realizing he couldn’t win, Oberon evaporated into swirling mist and disappeared through a hidden exit from the throne room. Stryker let him go. Oberon was finished. Oh, they’d need to track him down and have him stripped of his magic, butwithout allies, he couldn’t get far. Stryker realized he was no longer a warrior for the Council or for Oberon. He now fought for Elyria, for the fae, for the future he wanted to build—one free of the darkness that had consumed him.

As the battle raged around them, Stryker made a vow: they would tear down Oberon’s power and the Council’s complicity even if it meant destroying everything he had ever known.

Chapter

Ten

ELYRIA

The battlefield of the Council chambers lay behind them. In the end, it had not been the high lords who had tipped the battle in the favor of the rebels, it had been the lesser fae and some of the Council’s own warriors who had done so at Thaelon’s instigation. The battle had been a sea of chaos and magic, but Stryker had been like a port in the storm. Now with the victors holding the capitol, a band of rebels and others had gone to destroy the rogue mage.

The twisted spires of the mage's stronghold loomed in the distance, shrouded in a malevolent energy that pulsed like a heartbeat. Behind Elyria, a strike team composed of both rebels and High Council warriors stood ready—fae who had been enemies for centuries, now united under one banner, the weight of the impending battle pressing down on them all.

Elyria could feel the eyes of every fae on her, the unspoken question hanging in the air:could they truly prevail?

She stepped forward, her pulse racing as she scanned the faces of those who had followed her here. Rebels who had fought for their freedom and High Council soldiers who had once been her adversaries now stood side by side. The divisions between them had once seemed insurmountable, but now, as they stoodon the edge of this final battle, Elyria knew that it was their unity that would make the difference.

She looked to Stryker, standing tall and fierce beside her. The electricity between them hummed, a constant pull, but there was more than just desire in the air now. There was trust. And there was hope.

Elyria lifted her voice, her magic crackling in the air as she addressed the gathered people. “We’ve come from different sides—some of us have fought against each other for centuries. But today, we fight as one. The mage behind those walls seeks to destroy everything we hold dear—our homes, our magic, our very realm. He will tear apart the fabric of our world if we don’t stop him.”

The crowd stirred, the weight of her words sinking in.

“But I know this: we are stronger together than we have ever been apart. We are fae. We are warriors. And today, we end this madness.” Her voice grew stronger, the power of her conviction coursing through her veins. “The mage thinks he can break us. He thinks he can tear us apart with his twisted abominations. But he underestimates us.”

She paused, letting the tension build before she finished, her voice ringing out across the battlefield. “For centuries, we’ve been told we are divided. But today, we stand united. We fight for Celestia, for our realm, for our people. And we will win.”

A cheer rose up from the gathered army, a sound that echoed through the air. The rogue mage might hear them… let him. Let him hear their united voice. Let him know fear. They were coming for him, and they would not be denied. Elyria felt the surge of magic and power around her, the unity of their forces igniting something deep inside her.

Beside her, Stryker caught her eye, his dark gaze intense. “That was quite the speech.”

Elyria couldn’t help but smirk, even as the weight of the battle pressed down. “I’ve learned a few things.”

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