Lyra held Kael as his blood covered her hands.
"No… no no no…"
Her voice broke.
Rylan looked shaken for the first time.
The stranger clenched his fists in silent rage.
Lyra's power reacted violently.
The ground cracked.
Energy storms formed around her.
The Guild leader smiled slightly.
"Pain unlocks true power."
Lyra looked up slowly.
Her eyes burning gold and red.
"You did this."
Her voice no longer sounded soft.
It sounded ancient.
Dangerous.
She released a shockwave that wiped out half the battlefield.
Everyone stepped back.
Even allies.
She was losing control.
The stranger approached carefully.
"Lyra… look at me."
Her breathing slowed slightly.
"He's not gone yet."
Hope sparked.
"What?"
"Your absorption power… you can take death energy too."
She understood instantly.
Without hesitation she placed her hands over Kael's wound.
She absorbed the poison.
The death magic.
The fading life force.
Pain ripped through her body.
But she didn't stop.
Finally.
Kael gasped.
Air returned to his lungs.
Lyra collapsed beside him from exhaustion.
Rylan laughed in relief.
"I knew you weren't allowed to die yet."
Kael weakly smiled.
"Told you… I'm hard to kill."
Lyra started crying quietly.
Not from weakness.
From relief.
But saving him changed something.
Lyra had now touched death itself.
And death noticed her.
The battlefield reset.
Both sides exhausted.
Both leaders watching each other.
The Guild leader spoke quietly:
"You have become dangerous."
Lyra answered calmly:
"I was always dangerous. I just didn't know it."
Their final battle began.
Power collided like natural disasters.
Fire.
Shadow.
Light.
Absorption.
The city itself shook.
The three men supported her when needed.
Perfect teamwork.
Perfect trust.
But the Guild leader had one last weapon.
He opened a portal.
Something ancient began emerging.
Something even he struggled to control.
Lyra felt it immediately.
"This isn't part of your plan," she said.
He smiled nervously.
"Power always comes with risk."
The creature began stepping through.
Massive.
Winged.
Ancient darkness.
Even Lyra felt fear again.
The real final enemy had arrived.
And it wasn't on anyone's side.