valmora The crimson twilight

The iron doors trembled beneath an unseen force. The runes etched into the stone glowed brighter as if holding something at bay, but Ethan could feel the air shifting—growing heavier with each second. His pulse thundered in his ears as the ember of void power beneath his ribs stirred to life on its own, responding instinctively to the unseen presence beyond the threshold.

Selene stepped in front of him, her crimson eyes fixed on the doors as though she could see the creatures beyond. The air around her seemed to grow colder, shadows clinging to the edges of her cloak as if drawn to her presence. Her hand moved to the hilt of the silver dagger at her side, though Ethan could see the tension in her posture—the faint stiffness that betrayed her anticipation of what lay ahead.

"The wards won't hold for long," she said quietly. "When they break, they'll come fast. You'll need to hold your ground—no matter what happens."

Ethan swallowed hard against the knot tightening in his throat. "What are they?"

Selene's gaze didn't waver from the doors. "They are echoes of the void—fragments of what exists beyond this world. They have no true form, but they will tear apart anything they touch."

A faint pulse of heat stirred within Ethan's chest as the ember of void power responded instinctively to the growing pressure beyond the doors. Sweat broke out on his brow as he forced the power back into dormancy, weaving the silver thread of control tightly around it. Not yet. Not until I have to.

Suddenly, the runes along the iron doors flared brightly—then shattered in a burst of blue-white light as the chamber's wards collapsed. The doors burst open with a deafening crash, and the air itself seemed to shatter as creatures of shifting darkness poured into the room.

Ethan stumbled back as the first of the creatures lunged toward him, its form twisting and shifting like living smoke with eyes of cold, silver flame. Selene moved faster than thought, her silver dagger flashing in the air as she drove it into the creature's chest. The blade flared with pale light as the creature shrieked and dissolved into nothingness, but more followed close behind—dozens of them, their whispers filling the air with faint echoes of ancient words Ethan could not understand.

"Focus!" Selene shouted as she drove another creature back with a burst of shadowed flame that erupted from her outstretched hand. "Use the void—it's the only thing they fear!"

Ethan's pulse pounded in his ears as the ember beneath his ribs flared hotter, stirring against the silver thread that held it in place. Clenching his fists, he released the thread and let the power flood through his veins, burning away the chill that clung to his skin. The air around him seemed to ripple faintly with unseen energy as he raised his hand toward the nearest creature, and with a surge of will, he sent a pulse of void energy crashing into its chest.

The creature shrieked as the void energy tore through its shifting form, dissolving it into nothingness. Another lunged toward him from the side, but Ethan turned and lashed out with a burst of energy that sent it reeling back. The strain of holding the void's power burned through his veins like molten iron, but he forced himself to push forward, using the energy to tear through the creatures as they closed in from all sides.

Beside him, Selene fought with swift, lethal grace—her dagger flashing like silver lightning as she moved through the creatures with cold precision. Yet even as they fought, more creatures poured through the broken doorway, their whispers growing louder with each passing moment.

"There are too many!" Ethan shouted, gasping for breath as the strain of holding the void's power threatened to overwhelm him.

Selene's crimson eyes flashed as she drove her dagger through another creature's chest. "Then we make sure they don't leave this chamber!"

A creature lunged toward Ethan from behind, its shifting form wrapping around his shoulders as its icy claws dug into his skin. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he reached back and seized the creature's arm, pouring a pulse of void energy directly into its core. The creature shrieked and dissolved into smoke, but more pressed closer, their whispers rising into a chorus that threatened to drown out all thought.

The air grew heavier with each moment, and Ethan could feel the ember within him pushing harder against his control—its heat spreading through his veins until his vision blurred at the edges. The creatures seemed to sense the power within him, their silver eyes gleaming with hunger as they closed in from all sides.

"Ethan!" Selene's voice cut through the haze of whispers, sharp and commanding. "Focus—or they'll tear you apart!"

Ethan staggered back, his breath coming in ragged gasps as the void's power burned through his veins like fire. The silver thread of control slipped from his grasp as the heat surged toward his heart, and for a moment, the world seemed to tilt beneath his feet as darkness crowded the edges of his vision.

Then, through the haze, he felt a hand seize his wrist—cool and steady against the burning heat beneath his skin. Blinking hard, Ethan focused through the fog of power and found Selene standing beside him, her crimson eyes locked on his with fierce intensity.

"Control it," she ordered. "Don't let it control you."

Ethan clenched his fists against the heat, forcing the silver thread back into place within his mind. Slowly, the burning pressure began to recede as the ember of void power settled once more beneath his ribs—hot and dormant, but no longer overwhelming. The air around him stilled slightly as the unseen energy faded from his skin, leaving him cold and hollow in its absence.

Selene released his wrist and stepped back without a word, turning to face the remaining creatures as they hesitated at the edges of the platform. Though their silver eyes gleamed with hunger, they no longer advanced—held at bay by the faint hum of unseen power that still clung to the air around Ethan's skin.

"They fear you now," Selene said quietly, her voice barely audible over the fading whispers. "But they won't stop until the blood moon sets. Stay close—and don't let your guard down."

Ethan swallowed hard and nodded, his pulse still pounding in his ears as the ember of void power smoldered faintly beneath his ribs.

Whatever happens next, he thought, I have to survive.