Eclipsed

chapter 62

As Ren walked closer to the fortress, the world around him shifted, and everything became distorted. The massive structure in front of him vanished as if it had never been there, leaving only an empty, blank void. The ground beneath his feet seemed to ripple, and above him, a black dome loomed ominously, covering the vast expanse like a suffocating sky. In the distance, the space itself twisted and contorted, stretching and bending into a grotesque form—a huge deformed space, a nightmare materialized.

Then, a figure emerged from the shifting chaos. Ren's grip on his sword tightened as he instinctively readied himself for a fight. His eyes flickered to the figure, and his heart sank.

It was Liora.

Beside her stood a towering, dark figure—Varkoth. He was a beast of a man, tall and imposing, with red eyes that glowed with malice and horns that crowned his head like a demon's. In his hands, he wielded a large black sword, its presence heavy and foreboding. Ren's eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation.

But then his gaze flicked to the side, and his stomach dropped. Another woman appeared, stepping into the scene. Her appearance was more slender and youthful, but Ren immediately recognized her. Aelira.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Ren muttered to himself, his blood running cold. He quickly processed the situation. "I thought... no, don't tell me... they knew I was coming here."

His sword was drawn before he could even think, the steel gleaming with deadly intent.

Liora's voice rang out, mocking and cool. "Oh, Ren, it's been so long. You've gotten so much stronger... Remember, you belong to me. I let you go rampage all this time, letting you think you were free."

Ren chuckled bitterly. "Yeah, well, most of your disciples are dead now!"

Liora smiled, a cruel and knowing smile. "Oh, Ren, I let you do that. In reality, you were doing me a favor. I wanted to get rid of them for a long time."

Ren's eyes widened in shock, confusion seizing him. "Wha—t...?" he stammered, the weight of her words crashing down on him.

Liora's smile deepened as she stepped forward, her voice low and cold. "Ren, you were playing right into my hands this entire time. Everything in your life, your meeting with Aiko, Valen dying... I saw it all. I controlled it all."

Ren's heart clenched in fury. "You damn bastard!" he snarled, his grip on the sword tightening.

Liora's gaze turned steely, her voice a deadly whisper. "Oh yes, and I know Yoruzen is back. He's coming here, to this very location, right now. But he's going to find your corpse when he arrives."

Ren's chest heaved with anger, but before he could react further, Liora raised her hand. "You two, attack NOW!"

Varkoth wasted no time. With terrifying speed, he charged at Ren, his massive form moving like a blur. Ren barely had time to react before the ground shook under Varkoth's assault. The air around them seemed to grow heavier as the large warrior swung his enormous black sword with unrelenting force.

At the same time, Aelira, standing at Liora's side, lifted her hands and summoned a horde of skeletal warriors. The bones of the dead seemed to animate with unnatural speed, charging at Ren with a deadly ferocity. Each skeleton moved as if it had a singular purpose—to bring him down.

Ren faced Varkoth head-on, his heart pounding in his chest. The two clashed with a brutal force, swords meeting with a ringing, deafening sound. Ren's agility and speed kept him in the fight, almost matching Varkoth blow for blow. But even with his superior speed, Varkoth's sheer strength was overwhelming. Ren danced around the larger man's strikes, his sword flashing as he landed a hit, but it wasn't enough to halt Varkoth's assault.