Chapter 1188 Another Wrathful Soul
The journey towards the final island was a stark contrast to anything they'd previously encountered. This island, far larger than its spectral counterparts, was a solid, imposing mass amidst the cloud-covered expanse of Eggs Dungeon. As they approached, a chaotic flurry of movement filled the air.
Mounted on giant, flapping spellbooks, dozens of armored figures swooped towards them. The Eggy Knights, usually docile guardians, now moved with a terrifying precision, their shining lances aimed to intercept.
"They guard this place with newfound zeal," Mister White murmured, a touch of surprise in his voice. "As if something on the island has shifted, awakened…"
Sarohan and Koby prepared for battle, but Arthur held up a hand. An unnerving calm had settled within him. This was the culmination, the final test, and he wouldn't let these specters deter him.
He reached within, feeling the familiar surge of power as runes flickered into existence around him. His voice, when he spoke, reverberated with the force behind the words: "Obliterate."
Energy exploded outward. Ancient symbols blazed, searing the air with light and force. The wave of power struck the Eggy Knights like a storm, disintegrating armor and books alike. They vanished in a flurry of golden sparks, their descent towards the island halted.
Mister White stared in awe, while Sarohan and Koby exchanged startled glances. Arthur, feeling the drain of such a potent spell, locked his gaze on the island. This was where it ended. Where she waited.
As they finally descended upon the island, its sheer scale became clear. Massive walls, overgrown with ancient vines, traced elaborate, circular patterns, forming a formidable natural barricade. And beyond the walls… something moved.
A figure, impossibly tall, strode into view. Its body was a mosaic of leaves, wood, and flowering vines, a hulking giant born from the island itself. This gargantuan guardian stood before the fortress within, a silent and imposing sentinel.
Arthur felt the woman's presence in this giant, making him realize that it must be her own creation, using her spiritual energy as a medium. Thus, he did not wish to hurt it.
With a voice that commanded the very air, he spoke to the giant. "Be at peace. I command you to stand aside."
The giant hesitated, its massive head tilting in confusion. Then, with a groan that shook the earth, it lowered its vine-covered arms, stepping back from the fortress entrance.
Arthur's friends exchanged stunned looks, but he felt only the pull towards the looming fortress. He passed through the archway, stepping into the final memory alone.
Inside, twilight reigned. It was a place of overgrown gardens and crumbling towers. At its heart stood a woman, her long hair the color of burnished copper, her posture one of proud defiance despite the air of ancient loss that clung to this place.
She turned as Arthur's footsteps echoed. "You have come at last," she said, her voice surprisingly clear and vibrant. "My name is Elara."
"Arthur," he murmured. Her name was like fire – strong, passionate, as radiant as her spirit.
Elara's eyes swept over him, recognition dawning. "You carry his echo. You know the story of the hidden island, of Cyrian of Yalen?"
"I do," Arthur said, his voice low. "I walked alongside him during his final hours."
Elara closed her eyes, sorrow rippling through her features. "All these centuries… searching, dedicating my life first as a knight, then as an alchemist…I built this very dungeon to find any trace of him. And all along, I was blind to the truth."
"When I saw Yalen's tower," she breathed, "I realized…I was too late. By the time I learned of his fate, my physical body was gone. All that remains is a fading consciousness, trapped within the echo of my own creation."
Rage surged in Arthur, a bitter tang twisting his heart. "And he waits, bound to the sanctuary he built for you. This whole time..."
He cut himself off, the futility of his anger crashing into him. Elara lowered her head, a single tear tracing a path down her cheek.
"It was not your fault," he said, his voice softer, laced with an echo of the pain he had witnessed on the hidden island.
They stood in silence, the air thick with lost centuries and impossible yearning. The echoes of their love, of Elara's desperate search and Cyrian's quiet sacrifice, painted a heartbreaking tapestry in the forgotten heart of Eggs Dungeon.
A flicker of hope arose within Arthur. He couldn't leave them like this, their tale a haunting echo amidst the ruins. An impossible plan began to form, a gamble fueled by the same unyielding determination he'd witnessed within Cyrian.
Arthur extended his hand, the familiar of his black lightning crackling through the air. The air shimmered, then cracked open, revealing the giant gate that marked the entrance to the Kingdom of Wrath. A chorus of a million restless souls wailed, their unfulfilled dreams a wave of desperate longing crashing against the boundaries of reality.
Elara's eyes widened in confusion and alarm. "What... what is this?"
Arthur turned to her, his own gaze blazing with newfound purpose. "A way to shatter the bonds of this place, a way to take you to him."
He hesitated, then added softly, "The power in this dungeon is fading, a remnant of your will. Your creation is crumbling. Use this last echo of energy, let me guide it. Become a wrathful soul in my kingdom, and I promise I will take you to the Tower of Yearning."
She stared at the gate, then her eyes, fierce and filled with unshed tears, met his. "Why would you do this? Why such dedication to reunite two souls you barely know?"
Arthur paused, then spoke with a quiet strength that surprised even himself. "Because for the first time," he confessed, "I was strong enough to try and make the impossible happen. For once… I didn't want to see a love story crushed by the weight of time and circumstance."
Elara's eyes softened. She nodded slowly, her warrior's spirit recognizing his own. "Then let us rewrite the ending of this tale," she said, determination flaring within her.
With a final glance at the fading island, Elara turned and stepped towards Arthur. As she walked into the kingdom of wrath, her figure burned with golden mana, turning into his trusted ally. Elara became a passenger on a giant ship, with Arthur at the wheel.
The Kingdom of Wrath seemed to open wider, its wailing inhabitants reaching for the new influx of power and despair. Arthur felt Elara's spiritual essence brush against his own, adding her strength, her yearning, to his command.
The wave of golden mana engulfed the entire dungeon. Walls crumbled, towers collapsed, as if the very foundation of this spectral space buckled under the weight of their combined defiance. The vortex of Arthur's Kingdom of Wrath expanded, the anguished cries amplifying.
Elara glowed with golden light, her form shimmering, a specter fueled by love and rage. When she turned to Arthur, her eyes burned with an intensity that matched his own.
Behind Arthur, the gateway to Wrath pulsed, hungry and expansive. Yet, a new tear in reality bloomed beside it, an opening filled not with darkness, but with the opalescent shimmer he recognized instantly.
"It's time," Arthur said, feeling both triumph and trepidation war within him. "The way to the Tower of Yearning is open."
At that time, Mister White and the rest entered after seeing the golden mana. Mister White saw Elara again, and he fell to his knees. She turned toward him with confusion, and then recognition dawned on her.
"You are the child of all those years ago."
"I am, and I never forgot the promise I made you."
"I can see that you did not," said Elara with a smile as the golden mana burned bright. "You guided him here, allowing me to join his forces, and hopefully, meet Cyrian."
"But after she leaves, the dungeon will crumble," said Arthur to Mister White with a guilt-ridden expression. "Your business will collapse. I decided to do this without consulting you, and I…"
"Don't say another word, Lord Arthur," said Mister White as he rose from the ground, grateful tears falling from his eyes. "You have released me from a life-long debt, and I have nothing but gratitude. Thank you, sir. Thank you."
Arthur was surprised, and then smiled. Elara smiled as well, before her figure began disappearing. As she turned into a light that entered the kingdom of wrath, the gates closed, and all that left was the road to the tower.
After the group entered the portal leading to the tower, the gateway snapped shut behind them, leaving Eggs Dungeon to dissolve into nothingness, its purpose fulfilled.
With measured footsteps, the group walked into the portal as the world crumbled. The islands turned to dirt that fell through the skies, as the monsters and beasts scattered with the wind. Before the final island collapsed as well, the group passed to the tower, and the portal disappeared as well.
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