Talia's grip on me loosens as she realizes we've landed, though she still looks pale, her heart clearly racing from the unexpected fall. Nikko hops off my back, a broad smile on her face. I can tell she enjoyed that far more than anyone else. Rebecca, however, is a different story. Her face is as white as a ghost, and she stumbles to a nearby wall, sinking to the ground.

  "Ne-ne-never again!" Rebecca stutters, still shaking as she presses her back against the wall, trying to catch her breath.

  Talia looks equally rattled as I gently lower her to the ground. She takes a few deep breaths before glaring at me, her pale face regaining some color. "Next time, warn us."

  "I'm sorry," I say sincerely, feeling guilty for not warning them about the jump. "I didn't want to give you time to hesitate."

  Nikko, still beaming, approaches Rebecca and checks on her. "Are you okay?"

  Rebecca waves her off weakly. "I-I'm fine. I think I'm more afraid of falling now than of flying." She tries to laugh, but it comes out shaky.

  I give her an apologetic look before turning my attention to our surroundings. The final level of the dungeon is nothing like I expected. Instead of the worn and decayed ruins we've seen on the other floors, this place is... pristine. The stone walls and floors are smooth, almost polished, as if they've been meticulously maintained over centuries. There's not a single crack or sign of wear—everything feels too perfect.

  The hallway stretches out before us, illuminated by eerie, floating yellow orbs of light attached to the walls. These orbs give off a faint glow, bathing the corridors in an unsettling light that casts long shadows against the smooth stone. The air is stale, but it carries a faint charge, like static electricity dancing on the skin. It's clear that this place hasn't seen life in ages, yet it remains oddly well-kept, almost as if it's waiting for us.

  The room we landed in is spacious, with tall ceilings and walls covered in elaborate carvings—runes and symbols I don't recognize, but they exude an ancient power. Columns line the sides of the room, leading toward multiple darkened hallways, each one seeming to stretch endlessly into the unknown. But one hall stands out among the rest—darker, more oppressive, the shadows clinging to the edges as if the very light fears to touch it.

  I feel a dark presence—stronger than anything I've felt before. Something ancient and malevolent. My skin crawls as I focus on that darkened hallway.

  "I can sense it," I say, pointing toward the corridor. "This way."

  The others follow my gaze, their eyes locking onto the hallway. It's darker than the others, almost as if the shadows themselves are alive, writhing and pulsating with an evil intent. I can feel the unease radiating from my companions, droids excluded, but beneath the fear, there is also determination. We have come too far to turn back now.

  "Stay close," I say, gripping my lightsaber tightly. Its familiar weight gives me comfort, though I can't shake the feeling that we are walking into a trap. The Shadowfell is waiting for us—there's no doubt about that.

  With careful steps, we begin to move deeper into the dungeon, the faint echo of our footsteps the only sound in the oppressive silence. The air grows colder as we venture further, the oppressive darkness pressing in from all sides. The walls seem to close in around us as if the dungeon itself is alive, and the deeper we go, the more I can feel the malevolent presence pulling us toward it.

  Talia walks beside me, her energy bow drawn, the pink energy string crackling softly. Her face is calm, though I can sense her fear beneath the surface. Rebecca follows behind us, her dual blasters gripped tightly in her hands, her eyes scanning every corner of the corridor. Nikko stays close to my side, her blaster ready but her small hand clutching my sleeve for comfort. IG-22 and Apollo bring up the rear, their weapons drawn and photoreceptors scanning for any sign of movement.

  ?????

  The hallway finally opens up into a vast chamber. Despite its beauty, with high vaulted ceilings adorned with intricate carvings and glistening stone floors that seem almost polished, there's something sickly about the place. The air is thick with a creeping darkness that seems to taint every inch of the room. It seeps into the walls, casting a shadow over the once elegant design. The chamber feels like a rotting corpse, something that was once full of life but is now being consumed by death.

  At the far end of the chamber, there's a massive door, towering and ornate, but the sight that captures my attention the most is the cloaked figure standing in front of it. The figure is tall, their face concealed by the hood of their dark cloak, but I can sense the dark energy radiating from them, malevolent and familiar.

  I narrow my eyes as the figure reaches up and slowly removes their hood, letting the cloak fall away to the floor. My heart nearly stops in my chest as my eyes widen. It's him. Majel, the 12th Brother. His sharp, angular face, once hidden behind the mask of an Inquisitor, is now fully exposed. His green skin is pale, almost sickly, and his dark eyes burn with hatred and malice. His raven-black hair falls in a disheveled mess around his face, and a sinister smirk curls on his lips.

  "Majel..." I utter, my voice tinged with disbelief and fear. "You... you're dead."

  He grins, his hand drifting down to his waist, where his familiar double-bladed spinning lightsaber hangs. With a flourish, he grabs it and ignites both ends, the red blades hissing to life. "Welcome, Ryu," he sneers, his voice dripping with venom. "Does my presence unnerve you?"

  My mind races as I ignite my own lightsaber, the yellow blade illuminating the chamber.

  "You shouldn't be here, Majel! I killed you!" I shout, my grip tightening on the hilt of my lightsaber.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  "And yet, here I am," Majel says, his smile growing wider, more twisted. "A reminder of your failures, brother. How does it feel to know you couldn't stop me?"

  Behind me, I sense the others bracing for the fight. Nikko moves behind me, her small blaster ready, while Rebecca and Talia stand at the ready, their own weapons drawn.

  Majel laughs, his voice echoing in the darkened chamber. "Skipping ninety-nine floors... you're such a cheat, Ryu. My master worked so hard to prepare so many fun encounters for you." He takes a step forward, his eyes glinting with sadistic joy. "But that just means more fun for me."

  Suddenly, the large doors behind Majel swing open with a deafening groan, and through them, armored figures begin to march into the chamber. Purge Troopers. Their black armor gleams in the faint light, and they carry blasters and electro staffs, ready for battle. Their helmets bear the same sinister design, cold and soulless, with red visors that glow ominously.

  I turn, hoping to fall back and retreat, but the hallway we entered from has vanished. In its place is nothing but a smooth, bare wall. We're trapped. Annoyed, I grit my teeth and turn back to Majel and his Purge Troopers.

  "Get behind Apollo!" I shout to Nikko. She scrambles behind him as I step forward, preparing for the inevitable clash. Majel mirrors my movements, his red blades spinning menacingly in his hands.

  The Purge Troopers with electro staffs charge first, their weapons crackling with energy, while those armed with blasters open fire, filling the chamber with red bolts of death. The air is suddenly alive with the sound of battle.

  Apollo opens fire with the A-23 heavy rotary blaster, mowing down trooper after trooper with rapid bursts of red energy. The troopers fall, but instead of collapsing as flesh and bone, they dissolve into that familiar black goo, dissipating into the floor as if they never existed. IG-22 follows suit, its movements precise and deadly, twisting and spinning with the agility of a droid designed for chaos. Its dual blasters sing as it picks off troopers with deadly accuracy.

  Rebecca and Talia crouch behind me as I swing my lightsaber, deflecting the incoming blaster fire. I swing my lightsaber in wide arcs, sending the deadly bolts back toward the troopers, each deflected shot finding its mark.

  Majel grins, his eyes filled with madness, and charges at me, his lightsaber spinning. I meet him halfway, and our blades clash with a blinding flash of red and yellow light. The force of his strike sends a shockwave through my arms, but I hold firm, gritting my teeth as we push against each other. His strength hasn't waned since our last encounter—if anything, he's become more powerful.

  "Did you miss me, Ryu?" Majel sneers, pushing harder against my blade.

  I shove him back with a surge of strength, our lightsabers separating for a brief moment before we clash again. "You should've stayed dead," I growl, slashing at him with all my might. He dodges nimbly, his grin never faltering.

  The room is chaos. Purge Troopers continue to flood in through the door, seemingly endless in number. Apollo and IG-22 are doing their best to hold them off, but the sheer number of enemies is overwhelming. Rebecca and Talia provide support, taking out troopers from a distance with well-placed blaster shots.

  At one point, I glance over and see Nikko bravely firing her small blaster at a Purge Trooper who gets too close, her face determined despite her fear. I can feel her resolve, and it gives me strength.

  I turn my attention back to Majel just in time to block a vicious overhead strike. Sparks fly as our lightsabers lock once again, the intensity of the duel increasing with every clash. His attacks are relentless—each strike comes faster, harder, as if he's testing my limits.

  "You can't win, Ryu!" Majel taunts, spinning his lightsaber like a deadly cyclone. I barely manage to deflect a flurry of strikes aimed at my head and torso. His blade cuts dangerously close, singeing the fabric of my cloak.

  "Arrogance was your mistake the first time!" I roar, my anger fueling my strikes. I press forward, landing a heavy blow against his defenses, sending him stumbling back. But he quickly recovers, his grin turning into a twisted snarl.

  Majel spins his double-bladed lightsaber in a wide arc, forcing me to backpedal. He's fast—too fast. He twirls the lightsaber in his hand and lunges at me with a spinning strike aimed at my torso. I barely manage to block it, our blades locking together in a shower of sparks.

  "You've grown weaker, brother," Majel sneers as he pushes against me, trying to overpower me. His red blades flare angrily against my yellow one. "You're nothing but a shadow of your former self."

  I grit my teeth, feeling the strain in my muscles as I push back against him. "And you're just a shadow, Majel," I say, twisting my wrist and breaking the saber lock. I follow up with a series of quick strikes, trying to force him off balance, but he's quick to block and counter each one.

  Meanwhile, Apollo continues mowing down Purge Troopers with his heavy blaster, the sheer volume of firepower overwhelming the troopers, but more keep coming. IG-22 is a blur of motion, dodging blaster fire with incredible agility, spinning and firing in all directions, taking down multiple enemies at once. DP-8 and the Eye-Bots provide additional fire from above, though one by one, the Eyebots are struck down, exploding in a shower of sparks.

  Talia fires her energy bow with deadly precision, the pink bolts of energy piercing through the chest plates of the Purge Troopers, while Rebecca provides covering fire with her dual blasters. But despite their efforts, the troopers keep coming.

  In the chaos, I hear a cry of alarm from Rebecca. I glance over just in time to see her cornered by three Purge Troopers, their electro staffs raised. My heart skips a beat, but before I can react, IG-22 steps in front of her, taking the full brunt of the attack. The electro staffs crackle as they strike IG-22's body, sending sparks flying. The droid stumbles back, its photoreceptors flickering and a moment later, an explosion rocks the chamber as IG-22 is destroyed, its metal frame shattering into pieces.

  "IG-22!" Rebecca screams, horror etched across her face as she stares at the ruined remains of the droid. The sacrifice buys her just enough time to take down the remaining troopers, but the cost is heavy.

  My anger surges, and I refocus on Majel, who grins at me. "More deaths for you to grieve, brother," he mocks.

  I roar in defiance, surging forward with renewed intensity. My strikes become more aggressive, each one meant to break his defense. Majel is forced to retreat under the onslaught, his face twisting with frustration. I see an opening—his stance falters for just a moment. I swing my lightsaber with precision, cutting through the hilt of his spinning double-bladed lightsaber. Sparks fly as the weapon is destroyed.

  Majel stumbles back, his eyes wide with shock, but I don't give him a chance to recover. With a final slash, I sever his head from his body. His head rolls across the chamber floor as his body collapses. Both dissolve into the familiar black goo, dissipating into the air.

  As Majel's form disappears, the remaining Purge Troopers vanish in puffs of smoke. The chamber falls eerily silent, save for the sound of our heavy breathing and the hum of my lightsaber. I stand still, my chest rising and falling as I take it all in.

  With a deep breath, I shut off my lightsaber, the yellow blade retracting with a hiss. I survey the room and my gaze falls on the remains of IG-22. The droid is beyond repair—its limbs scattered, its torso crushed, and its head utterly destroyed. A deep sadness fills me, and I can sense it in the others as well. Rebecca stands over IG-22's remains, her expression a mixture of sorrow and gratitude. The droid saved her life, and she knows it.

  But we can't linger. We push forward to the large doors at the end of the chamber where I raise my hand and focusing on the Force. With a powerful push, the doors swing open, and we move forward to certain danger.