The air in this section of the Shadow Abyss was thick with the smell of damp earth and rotting vegetation. Malakor and Vane had vanished into the mist, leaving behind a deceptive trail that led Azeal and Vaelora straight into a cavernous dead-end.
Suddenly, a low, guttural vibration shook the ground. From the towering ferns emerged a PrimordialPredator—a massive, scale-covered dinosaur with teeth the size of daggers and eyes filled with ancient hunger. This was not a creature of shadow; it was a beast of muscle and bone, a relic of the world before the 7 Kingdoms.
"Vaelora, get back!" Azeal roared, pushing her behind a jagged pillar.
But the predator was fast. It lunged, its massive tail swinging like a battering ram. Vaelora barely dodged, but the force of the wind sent her crashing against the stone wall. She gasped, the air knocked out of her lungs as she struggled to stand.
Seeing Vaelora hurt triggered something primal in Azeal. His eyes darkened with a cold, terrifying fury. He didn't just fight to survive anymore; he fought to destroy.
The dinosaur snapped its jaws at Vaelora. Azeal threw himself between them, his broadsword gleaming in the dim light. The beast's claws tore through Azeal's leather armor, ripping deep gashes into his chest and shoulder. Blood—hot and crimson—soaked his tunic, but Azeal didn't flinch.
He plunged his blade into the creature's thick neck, but the beast thrashed, tossing Azeal across the cavern like a ragdoll. He hit the ground hard, his ribs cracking under the impact. Blood began to seep from a wound on his forehead, blurring his vision.
"Azeal! No!" Vaelora screamed, finally finding her footing. She drew her dagger, ready to jump into the fray, but Azeal stood up, swaying on his feet.
His body was a map of agony. His shoulder was nearly dislocated, and every breath felt like fire in his lungs, but he planted his feet firmly. He looked at the beast, then at Vaelora. The thought of Malakor and Vane leading her into this trap made his blood boil.
With a guttural war cry, Azeal made one final, desperate charge. He slid under the dinosaur's belly, ignoring the searing pain in his broken ribs, and drove his sword upward with every ounce of his remaining strength. The beast let out a final, earth-shaking roar before collapsing into the dust.
Silence returned to the cave, broken only by Azeal's ragged breathing. He collapsed to one knee, his sword clattering to the ground. Vaelora rushed to him, her hands trembling as she tried to staunch the bleeding from the deep claw marks on his chest.
"You're bleeding so much..." she whispered, her voice breaking.
Azeal looked up at her, his face smeared with blood and grime, but his gaze was steady. "They tried to kill you, Vaelora. They sent us here to die."
He gripped the hilt of his sword, using it to pull himself up despite the excruciating pain. His injury was severe, but his resolve was unbreakable. The "Good Heart" required for the Zarethian Trial was now being forged in the fire of vengeance.
"We aren't just passing this trial anymore," Azeal rasped, his voice cold as ice. "I am going to find them. And I am going to end this."