Shadowed Arrows

Chapter 14

The night was cold, the air thick with tension as Oliver and his assembled allies stood at the edge of the city, gazing toward the imposing Gothic mansion that loomed in the distance. Selina had made her stronghold here, a place of shadows and ancient power. The mansion, once a relic of old Starling City, now pulsated with dark energy—Selina's coven had turned it into a lair from which they ruled the city. It was there that Oliver would face her for the last time, and where the final battle for Starling City's soul would be fought.

Oliver adjusted the straps on his quiver, his body brimming with anticipation. He had been preparing for this moment for weeks, but it felt like years. Thea stood beside him, her eyes sharp and focused, ready for whatever came next. Diggle and Felicity were nearby, along with the rest of the team. Nyssa and Merlyn stood further back, the uneasy alliance still palpable in the air. They all had their reasons for being here tonight, but at the heart of it, they had one goal: to end Selina's reign of terror.

"This is it," Oliver said, his voice cutting through the stillness. "Once we go in, there's no turning back."

Felicity, her fingers dancing nervously over her tablet, nodded. "No pressure or anything, but I've hacked into the city's power grid to give us some cover. We'll be off the radar for a while, but if things go south, it's going to get messy real quick."

Oliver gave her a small smile of appreciation. "Let's make sure it doesn't come to that."

Diggle moved up beside him, his face etched with determination. "We've been through worse, but this one feels different. You ready?"

Oliver glanced at Diggle, his oldest and most loyal friend, and nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Thea's voice broke the tension. "Let's go. The longer we wait, the stronger she becomes."

The group moved as one, slipping through the city's darkened streets toward the mansion. As they approached, the atmosphere shifted. The very air seemed to grow heavier, colder, the shadows deeper. It wasn't just the physical darkness—they were entering Selina's domain, a place where the rules of the natural world didn't apply.

The mansion loomed ahead, its stone walls almost seeming to pulse with malevolent energy. From a distance, the structure looked abandoned, its windows shattered and overgrown with ivy, but as they drew closer, it was clear that something unnatural stirred within.

Merlyn was the first to speak, his voice low and filled with dark amusement. "I can feel her power. She knows we're coming."

Oliver shot him a glance. "Good. Let her know."

They reached the massive wrought-iron gate, and Nyssa, her eyes gleaming with determination, stepped forward to unlock it with ease, her nimble fingers working quickly. The gate creaked open, revealing a path lined with twisted, dead trees that led to the mansion's front entrance.

As they made their way up the path, the feeling of being watched grew stronger. Shadows seemed to shift on their own, whispers carried on the wind, but none of them wavered. They knew what they were walking into—a trap, a battle of life and death.

When they finally reached the front doors of the mansion, Oliver paused. His heartbeat quickened, the weight of the moment pressing down on him. This was it—the culmination of years of struggle, of loss, of sacrifice. The weight of his family's bloodline, the legacy of his ancestors, all came down to this moment.

Oliver pushed open the doors, and they stepped into the mansion.

Inside, the air was thick with the scent of decay and old stone. The large foyer stretched before them, lit by flickering candlelight that cast eerie shadows across the walls. At the far end of the room, a grand staircase spiraled upward, disappearing into the darkness above.