Chapter 95: The Doorway to Darkness

Evryn's breath came in ragged gasps, each one heavier than the last, as the shadows of the creature closed in around her. The air was thick with malevolent energy, and every moment felt like a lifetime. She could feel the coldness seeping into her very bones, draining the warmth of her body, her resolve, and her will to fight. Her eyes locked onto the creature, a being of darkness and forgotten time, whose glowing eyes seemed to pierce her soul.

"You’ve only just begun, Evryn. The shadows never let go. They claim what they are owed."

The voice echoed in her mind, each word hammering into her consciousness. There was no escaping it, no running from the terror that was now consuming her.

But then, just as the creature’s tendrils of darkness reached for her, a sound broke through the oppressive silence—faint at first, but growing louder with each passing second. It was like the groaning of an ancient door, something shifting in the fabric of reality itself.

Evryn’s eyes flicked to the side, her mind struggling to process the source of the noise. It was coming from the ground beneath her, from the very earth that had cracked open when the creature first emerged. Her heart raced as she realized what it meant.

"No…" she thought, fear wrapping around her like chains. "Not now. Not again."

The ground trembled beneath her feet, and with a sudden jolt, a massive door of obsidian stone seemed to materialize out of nowhere, rising from the darkness that surrounded them. It was enormous, its edges lined with symbols and runes that glowed faintly in the dim light. The door pulsed with an unnatural energy, a dark power that sent shivers down Evryn's spine.

The creature paused for a moment, its attention momentarily distracted by the appearance of the door. Its eyes flicked toward it, then back to Evryn, as if it sensed the significance of the moment. And in that fleeting second, the creature's malevolent grin widened.

"Ah... you think closing one door will stop me?" It crooned, its voice oozing with malice. "The door that opens is far more dangerous than the one you closed."

Evryn's blood ran cold as she watched the door begin to creak open, the darkness spilling from within like a flood of night itself. The air seemed to warp and distort, reality buckling under the weight of what was coming through. The presence that emerged from the door was more terrifying than anything Evryn had ever faced—a shadow that was not just a part of the creature, but a force of its own. This was no ordinary being; this was something ancient, something bound by no rules.

The creature's voice, now low and sinister, echoed in her ears. "I have been waiting for this moment, Evryn. I have been waiting for you to bring me here. This is where it ends for you... and for everyone you hold dear."

Evryn’s mind raced, her thoughts tangled in a chaotic mess. The power that had once surged through her, the energy of the rift, the shadow’s whispers, and now this new, terrible force—she couldn’t make sense of it all. She had closed the rift, yet this darkness still found its way back. And worse, it was as if she had played a part in opening something far worse.

The door was fully open now, its surface slick with darkness that seemed to writhe like liquid. The air vibrated with the ominous presence that poured through, and Evryn felt her strength waning, as though the very ground she stood on was attempting to pull her into the void.

"No," she breathed, her voice hoarse, panic rising in her chest. "I can't… I can't let this happen."

The figure beside her—still struggling to regain his footing after the earlier attack—looked toward her with wide eyes, fear and confusion playing across his features. "Evryn," he called, his voice trembling. "We need to get out of here. Now. Whatever this is, it’s beyond us. We can’t face it."

But Evryn was already moving toward the door. Her legs were unsteady, her body feeling as if it were being drawn in by an invisible force, but she had to understand. She had to know what she had unwittingly opened. What had she unleashed?

"Evryn, stop!" The figure shouted, his voice a desperate plea. "You don’t know what you're doing!"

But her mind was clouded, and her focus was fixed on the door, on the darkness within. With each step she took, the shadows seemed to reach for her, pulling at her like a tide. The coldness seeped deeper, a gnawing chill that chilled her heart.

Then, just as she was about to reach the threshold, she heard the voice again. But this time, it wasn’t the creature’s voice—it was familiar, like a distant memory.

"Evryn, stop."

The voice was clear, commanding, and full of authority. It was a voice she had not heard in what felt like ages, but it was unmistakable.

She spun around, her heart racing. And there, standing in the distance, was a figure—shrouded in light, their features hidden by a cloak of radiance.

"Who are you?" Evryn called out, her voice shaky, but filled with an unyielding hope. "What is this? What’s happening?"

The figure stepped forward, moving with an unnatural grace, their every movement like an echo of something beyond time itself. When they spoke again, their voice was calm, but the weight of their words was unmistakable.

"You’ve opened the door to the end, Evryn. The very thing you’ve been fighting has always been here, in the shadows, waiting for its chance to emerge. But you can still stop it. You must close the door—before it’s too late."

Evryn’s mind raced. "But I tried… I tried to close the rift. What is this? Why can’t I stop it?"

"This is not a rift, Evryn. It’s something much worse. You’re not just battling the shadows; you’re battling a force that has existed since the dawn of time itself."

The figure moved closer, and with each step, the air around them seemed to shimmer with a strange light. They reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder, and in that instant, Evryn felt a surge of warmth—a sudden comfort in the midst of the darkness.

"You are the key, Evryn. The key to either saving this world or watching it fall into the abyss. You cannot run from your destiny. You’ve already begun this journey, and now it’s time to finish it."

Before she could speak, the ground trembled again, and the creature’s laugh echoed through the air, cold and mocking. It had been watching them, waiting for the right moment.

"Foolish girl. You think you can stop this?"

Evryn’s heart skipped a beat as the creature’s form began to shift, its shadowy tendrils reaching for her once more. But now, there was something else—something that wasn’t just darkness. There was something else in the air, something ancient, something that had been waiting for this moment to arrive.

The figure beside her turned toward the creature, their presence radiating power. "No, this ends now."

And with a force that seemed to shake the very fabric of reality, the figure extended their hand, sending a wave of light toward the creature. The light hit the creature’s shadow, and for a moment, there was silence. Then, the creature screamed—a horrible, tortured sound—as the light clashed with its darkness, forcing it to recoil.

But the battle wasn’t over.

"This isn’t the end, Evryn. You’ve only just begun."

The voice echoed in her mind again, and as the light continued to battle the shadows, she realized something terrifying. The real battle wasn’t over. It had only just begun.

The light and darkness collided in a massive explosion of energy, and Evryn was thrown backward, her world spinning. The figure’s face was a mask of determination as they extended their hand toward her one last time. But as the explosion roared around them, a new figure—dark and twisted—stepped through the opening, and this time, there was no mistaking who it was.

The voice that came from the shadows sent a chill through her very soul.

"I’ve been waiting for this moment, Evryn.