The Box: Fate
Chapter 27 — The Crimson Eclipse of Solis
The City of Solis was unlike anything the seventeen players had ever seen High atop the jagged cliffs its white marble buildings caught the last rays of the setting sun making the entire city look like it was forged from pure gold But as they passed through the heavy iron gates the beauty was overshadowed by a chilling silence
The streets were nearly empty The few citizens who remained were hurrying toward the High Temple their faces pale and their eyes fixed on the ground
The energy here is fractured Kataki whispered his Void Sight blindfold shimmering with a restless silver light The sun is still up but I can see the veins of the abyss crawling beneath the cobblestones This city isn't just under attack; it's being digested
The group moved toward the High Temple a massive structure at the city's highest point As they reached the grand plaza a sudden deafening roar shook the foundations of the earth The sky didn't just turn dark it turned a bruised sickly purple
Look out! Sharky Bee yelled his tracking senses screaming a warning
From the center of the plaza the ground exploded A creature emerged that made the previous shadow monsters look like mere toys It was a Void-Stalker Chimera —a massive beast with the body of a lion made of obsidian wings of tattered shadow and three heads that dripped corrosive acid Its level was hidden by a glitching red haze
Formation Delta! Akira commanded drawing his sword
The seventeen players leaped into action Zanaki feeling the Dragon Sovereign heat in his blood took the front line alongside Axel Hatanaki They were a whirlwind of gold and fire striking at the beast legs Murasaki and Hina provided cover from the rear casting shields and healing bursts as the Chimera lashed out with its spiked tail
*Aaron Moses* a warrior known for his steady courage and heavy iron shield moved to the left flank He saw the beast middle head preparing a breath of pure annihilation aimed directly at the wounded civilians huddling near the temple doors
Not on my watch! Aaron roared He planted his shield into the marble floor activating his ultimate defensive skill *Bastion of the Unbreakable* A shimmering blue wall of energy erupted from his shield standing as a lone barrier against the darkness
The Chimera middle head unleashed a beam of void energy The impact was cataclysmic The blue barrier cracked and Aaron boots skidded across the stone leaving deep furrows His teeth gritted blood trickling from his nose but he didn't move
Keep... pushing...! Aaron choked out his muscles tearing under the pressure
Kataki saw the opening Now! The Angel of Death!
The skeletal figure manifested behind Kataki its ethereal scythe swinging in a wide arc that severed the Chimera right head Simultaneously Zanaki channeled the Dragon essence his fist glowing with a draconic roar as he shattered the beast's left wing
The Chimera sensing its end went into a final suicidal frenzy It didn't aim for Kataki or Zanaki In its dying moment it focused all its remaining dark mass into its central core and detonated
The explosion was a wave of pure concentrated malice
Aaron get back! Akira screamed
But Aaron Moses knew that if he dropped his shield the shockwave would obliterate the Temple and everyone inside He didn't run He leaned into the blast pouring every last drop of his mana his experience points, and his very life force into the shield
I am... the wall...!
The light was blinding When it finally faded the Chimera was gone reduced to ash The plaza was saved The civilians were unharmed
The sixteen players rushed to the center of the crater Aaron Moses was still standing his hand gripped tightly around the handle of his shield But his armor was blackened and his eyes were staring into the distance devoid of life His body had become a statue of iron and grit
A notification appeared in the air flickering like a dying candle:
[PLAYER STATUS: AARON MOSES — DECEASED]
[SYSTEM MESSAGE PERMANENT DATA ERASURE INITIATED]
The silence that followed was soul-crushing There was no respawn timer No healing magic could bring him back Aaron body began to dissolve into golden particles drifting up toward the sky of Solis
Zanaki fell to his knees his fist hitting the stone He was supposed to be the wall... he wasn't supposed to break
Kataki stood over the spot where Aaron had fallen his blindfold reflecting the fading gold particles The realization hit them all with a fresh terrifying sting the cost of being a hero in this real world was blood
They had lost one of their own The seventeen were now sixteen
The survivors looked up at the High Temple The doors slowly opened and the High Priest stepped out looking at the spot where Aaron had vanished
His sacrifice has held the seal the Priest whispered But the war for Solis has only just begun
The players stood in the gathering dark their hearts heavy with grief and a new burning rage Aaron Moses was gone but his vow to be powerful lived on in the eyes of those he left behind