Chapter 146: The Brink of Defeat

Darkness swirled around me, pressing against my skin like a thousand needles. I gasped for breath, my lungs burning as I tried to summon the strength to stand.

My vision was blurred with pain and exhaustion, every part of me screaming to just give up, to let the darkness take me.

The mastermind loomed above, their form twisting and warping in the chaotic energy they commanded.

"It’s time to end this, Sera," they said, their voice a thunderous echo in the void. "Your struggle is meaningless.

The world will be remade, and there is nothing you can do to stop it."

I tried to respond, but my voice was a weak whisper, barely audible over the roar of chaos.

I could feel the balance slipping away, the light and darkness within me fracturing, losing their harmony.

It was like trying to hold water in my hands, the power slipping through my fingers faster than I could grasp it.

"Sera!" Eli’s voice cut through the din, sharp and desperate. I turned my head, just enough to see him charging t