Weapons collided, and blasts of power blew up in a haze of smoke.

  Cassandra and Croger continued their match as if it had never ended. Cassandra dove and dodged, even parried, attacks taken from Veilspawn, Fiends, and Magycyte Beast. At one point, he turned his arm into a giant vine thorn and plunged it into the earth to strike her by surprise.

  Cassandra narrowly dodged and jumped in the air in a timed fashion.

  “What’s wrong, Praefectus? You were doing so well that day in the forest. Why not finish the job?”

  “Stay still and find out!” she called at the top of her lungs. She brandished her ax above her head and smashed it downward, but he moved out of the way with ease.

  Someone tsked to themselves at the scene between Cassandra and Croger. Raelina shook her head. “It would seem like Croger is having all the fun, and I'm left bored here. So much for being Hersa’s pupil and apprentice.”

  Malakyh smirked. “Raelina, If I did half of the things Master Hersa taught me, it would kill everyone inside. That's more than I can say for you.”

  Raelina painted black lips and pursed her lips together, frowning.

  “You have the nerve to talk to your elders that way. But no matter, I can spare you a lesson or two.”

  Now, with magic against magic. Setting Far beyond the power of the wellsprings was filled with dark energy.

  Raelina shot out orbs of purple and black energy toward Malakyh, who deflected it with an invisible shield. When he touched the ground, a giant crest of magic revealed itself. Spirits and the undead Emerged from the floor, their primary target being Raelina.

  She smirked. “Now it gets interesting. But you're not the only one who can summon things.”

  To makes her point, a stone soldier appeared from Rifts that appeared. They walked through obediently at Raelina's command.

  A loud whip crack brought attention to Sly as she tried to attack Finnian. But every time her whip reached its target, the Trickster disappeared.

  “Now come now, Rosevera Whip. I was hyped for months for us to fight again. Where's that grit and power the First time we met?”

  Sly grinned. Her teeth gritted in annoyance. “Stay still and find out instead of disappearing like a coward.”

  Finnian laughed. He disappeared on the second floor, sitting on the railing. “Coward? No. I'd say a fun strategist. But this song and dance have gone on for too long. We don't even have all our dance partners.”

  When it was said, a crash shook the building as a figure was thrown through the wall and landed on the other side. Everyone stopped fighting. The dust settled for all to see the Ash Borne demon pushing chunks of stone debris off him.

  From the other side, a gaping giant hole opened, through which Lyra climbed, carrying the brilliance of a white light sword. Eamon rushed to catch up in the background.

  Finnian clapped—a giddy smile on his face. “I spoke too soon! Looks like the gang's all here.”

  Lyra and Eamon joined up with the others.

  “Hey, Sly–” Eamon was cut off by his words when Sly hugged him tightly.

  “It's good to have you back.”

  Cassandra and Malakyh nodded in a silent response. Eamon nodded back.

  “So, what are we to do now, Finnian?” Raelina said, breaking the moment.

  The Sovran’s were opposite them, grouped with mischievous looks on their faces. The Heroes readied themselves into a stance. The Ash Bourne demon strolled over to the Sovran’s side; a pang of guilt settled in Lyra’s gut.

  The Trickster smiled. A giggle escaped past his lips. “It's almost time.”

  Lyra frowned. Her brows knitted together, glaring daggers into the Sovran. “What are you talking about? What's almost time?”

  An eerie smile spread across his face. It sent chills down everyone's spine. Finnian pointed to the altar at the end of the room with an outstretched arm.

  In that split second, the floor cracked, and a greenish light illuminated the ground. Everyone's eyes, except the Children of Deimos, widened as they felt the presence of evil from within.

  “That,” Finnian said. “Have fun fighting the next Great Void Beast, Asmoday. I'm rooting for you all.”

  With a snap of his fingers, all the Children of Deimos vanished. Leaving Lyra and everyone behind to face the Beast within.

  “Any plans on what to do?” Eamon said, flexing his Escrima Sticks as he readied himself to a stance.

  “We fight, that's what.” Lyra declared.

  “Agreed,” Sly said, snapping her whip with a stretch of her hands. “Even though it's a part of the Astral Contract, it's like the Trickster. We do something, the Curse happens, and I'd we don't do anything, the Curse still happens, but now there's a newly forged monster on the loose that we'll have to get rid of anyway.”

  “A do-or-die situation if there ever was one.” Cassandra shook her head with a sigh. She propped her ax on her shoulder and smirked. “But I'm willing to take it head-on with you all.”

  “Same,” Malakyh said. “History may repeat itself, but that doesn't mean we must be the same. We'll do what our ancestors could not.”

  “Work together and trust each other,” Eamon finished, standing beside Lyra. The two looked at each other with Admiration, loyalty, and trust.

  Lyra returned to the gaping, glowing hole and brandished the light sword.

  “Have any words to say to yourself, Alivier? I know you're listening.” He snorted. The look on Everyone's face was confused by Lyra’s words.

  “Alivier can actually talk through the sword,” Eamon explained.

  They all nodded in ‘Ah’ as if that solved everything.

  “Ahem,” Alivier cleared his throat. “Well, I think everyone said it here best. Malakyh has a point: trust and working together. They failed to grasp that despite canceling out the curse. But you know what's different?”

  Everyone waited for the answer. A roar emerged from the gaping hole, and clawed talons gripped on the outsides, trying to pry itself out. They all stood their ground.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Lyra grinned. A gleam in her eyes as she acknowledged what Alivier said.

  “They aren't us: The Heroes of Aurum.”

  Lyra, Eamon, Sly, Cassandra, and Malakyh faced the now-emerging monstrous Great Void Beast, Asmoday, turning the area around them into frost. Their breaths were visible in the cold night air. The beast was a nightmarish apparition, a towering figure of sinew and shadow with hollow, soulless eyes.

  Lyra felt the comforting presence of Alivier within Riftblade. Eamon spun his Escrima sticks, sensing a faint hum of Wellspring magic. Cassandra gripped her ax tightly, her muscles coiled and ready. Malakyh whispered incantations as purple and black aura swirled around him. Sly held her thorned whip at the ready, her eyes sharp and focused.

  With a guttural roar, Asmodeus lunged, claws extended. Its feet, the body of a dragon, dug its talon into the stone floor.

  “Scatter!” Lyra commanded.

  They moved with practiced precision, avoiding the beast’s deadly swipe. Cassandra charged forward first out of the way, swinging her ax with all her might. The impact against its hallowed skin echoed through the hall, but Asmodeus barely flinched. “Come on, you brute!” Cassandra shouted.

  “I'm coming, Cassandra!”

  Eamon darted around the creature in a zig-zag pattern, his sticks striking at the beast’s limbs. Making the Beast agitated, but it was not brute force alone, Eamon recognized, but Essentia. He felt a strange pulsating energy building within him, a flicker of the Wellspring’s power after so many years, thinking he had lost the will to summon the Lumos-given gift. He hummed a silent ‘thank you’. “Eamon, keep it distracted!” Malakyh called, his voice steady amidst the chaos.

  Malakyh’s dark tendrils lashed out, binding Asmodeus. “You shall torment us no longer,” he growled, pouring more energy into his spell, finding a weak spot in its sides and rear end.

  “Sly, now!” Malakyh commanded, seeing her wall climb from one column to the next with blinding speeds.

  Sly’s whip lashed out, wrapping around one of Asmodeus’s limbs. The thorns dug in deep, but the beast threw her off, sending her sprawling across the floor. She rolled to her feet, eyes blazing with determination. “You’re not rid of me that easily,” she muttered, launching back into the fray.

  As everyone participated in coordinated attacks, Lyra’s eyes glowed with fierce determination as she stepped forward, her sword radiating light. “Alivier, you ready? It's time to settle this.”

  “With all my power and Lumos divine. All you have to do is call upon its power.”

  So, she did.

  “Lumos, give me your strength!”

  A powerful aura of white light sprouted from Lyra, up and outward as if expanding. She shot across the field and began chopping off each tendril of energy till they disintegrated. She went for the legs next, ducking underneath the creature and slicing its shin with clean precision

  Lyra darted out of harm's way as the Void Beast crashed to the ground without its legs to support it. Leaving it open to further attacks.

  With a mighty leap, she brought her sword down on Asmodeus, the Lumos' energy searing through its dark flesh. Its skin started cracking, now with white energy. The beast shrieked, its form weakening.

  Lyra jumped off the Void Beast just as she saw Eamon running toward her. She could feel Essentia coursing through his veins, but it wasn't from their shared Sync.

  “Together?” he voiced through their Kesync as they stood together.

  “I wouldn't have it any other way,” she replied.

  They moved in perfect harmony, their attacks synchronized. With one hand cupped together, they headed straight for the Void Beast. A ball of energy grew in their hands with each step they took and with each amount of Essentia they produced, creating an orb of light and rainbow as large as the Asmoday itself.

  Together, they shouted, “For the Might of Lumos!”

  They released their combined strike, a whirlwind of light and power. Asmodeus recoiled. Its form disintegrated under their assault. Its final roar echoed through the hall before it collapsed into a heap of shadow and ash.

  Silence fell, broken only by their ragged breaths. Lyra and Eamon stood, weapons still glowing. Their hands were still interlocked. Cassandra, Sly, and Malakyh approached, exhaustion etched on their faces.

  “We did it,” Lyra said, her voice relieved.

  Eamon nodded, turning to her, his expression resolute. “Together.”

  He grabbed her cheeks in his hand. She let out a tiny gasp. Her eyes twinkled, and her cheeks blushed. “I love you,” the words passed Eamon's lips. Lyra touched his hands, holding her cheeks, and replied back, “I love you, too.” Together, they leaned into each other and kissed.

  The group emerged from the abandoned area and was only surrounded by the Imperial Military. Even Ludwig Klause, Tierney, and Aurora were held against their will.

  “Lyra!” Aurora cried. Her eyes were watery and filled with tears. Tierney stood beside her, a comforting embrace around her friend's shoulder.

  “I'm okay, Aurora. Just listen to… Them.” She had to bite back any retorts and remarks that would anger them further.

  “You're in an unauthorized area. Raise your hands, all of you!”

  They did as they were told, only for another vehicle to drive up to them, and from the passenger and driver seat were two individuals they didn't expect to see.

  “Nikolai?” Eamon said in surprise.

  “General Morgan?” Lyra said afterward.

  The brown-haired, beefy military man stepped forward. The military parted to hike through. Following closely behind was a golden-haired Lieutenant.

  “Together at last,” Nikolai said. “I do say I'm rooting for you in the end game.”

  Lyra rolled her eyes at his comment. General Usef Morgan cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

  “I think these fine fellow heroes.” noticing that not all were Locksmiths. “Have done a great service here. I assume inside was another case of one of those Void Beasts?”

  Sly nodded, urging Lyra to step forward to speak.

  “Yes, sir. We also fought the Children of Deimos, but they managed to get away. The truth has been kept away for too long. I understand not wanting to scare the public, but keeping things under wraps until the final moment will cause more damage than good. The world is in jeopardy if everyone doesn't come together, and that means everyone. We can't let history repeat itself.”

  Everyone was silent as they took in what Lyra was saying.

  Nikolai smiled. “Spoken like a true Locksmith. I don't think it is in good conscience if we arrest them. The public will hear about their beloved Locksmiths being arrested, and we don't want that.”

  General Morgan hummed, nodding. “Indeed. I've informed the Chancellor via Voxlink, and he might be able to work out a deal.”

  Sly frowned. It was her turn to speak now. “What kind of deal?”

  Because nothing good could come of making a deal with Chancellor Viktor Radovinov.

  “Greetings, People of Aurum. Today marks a grave and dire matter,” Chancellor Radovinov began his message. A surprise Press release was sent out to all areas on the radio.

  "I bring you remarkable and unfortunate news. The rumors are true: the rising towers known as Altars have been summoning Void Beasts, Magycte Beasts, Veilspawn, and even the Children of Deimos are real. But fear not, for the Empire stands vigilant. We have developed new methods to defeat these threats and secure our future."

  The Chancellor's speech continued his words designed to soothe the populace's fears while positioning himself as the hero.

  "Through tireless research and innovation, the Empire has created new technologies to safeguard our lands. We have developed specialized weapons and defenses to combat these supernatural threats effectively. We've also better modes of transportation, referred to as trains, enhanced with state-of-the-art engineering, which will connect distant regions like never before. Soon, you can travel swiftly and safely between the Empire's heart and the farthest reaches of our territories, fostering unity and prosperity."

  Radovinov's voice took on a tone of pride as he described the advancements in communication. "Our engineers have also made significant strides in improving our beacon network. With stronger beacon ranges, we can ensure uninterrupted communication across vast distances. No longer will our citizens be isolated in times of need. The Empire stands together, more connected than ever."

  "As we move forward, the Empire will ensure the safety and prosperity of all its citizens," Radovinov declared. "We will conquer these new challenges and emerge stronger than ever. Our leadership is dedicated to bringing peace and progress to every corner of our land. The Empire is on the brink of a golden age, and through our Imperial Military, unity and resilience will make all things possible."

  The broadcast ended, leaving a heavy silence in its wake. Lyra turned off the radio, her expression hardening. Eamon placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

  "That…that Fiend," Lyra hissed angrily. "We did the work and faced the danger, yet he takes all the credit."

  Eamon nodded. "But we know the truth. And so do the people we saved. That's what matters."

  Cassandra, Sly, Alivier, and Malakyh joined them, their faces reflecting anger and determination. "So what now?" Sly asked, watching her to see the convictions change from uncertainty to determination.

  "We keep fighting," Lyra said firmly. Shaking away the anger at her core, Lyra straightened her shoulders. "We may be banned from the Empire, but that won't stop us from getting rid of Altars where we can. The world is changing, and so do we. The ways of the Locksmiths are changing, but that doesn't mean our resolve has to remain the same."

  Everyone nodded, their eyes filled with determination from the pride in her words. She was proud then, watching her stand for her convictions with a balanced mind state. You sure have grown, Lyra.

  “Besides…,” a thin smile pulled at the corners of her lips, her eyes gleaming with confidence. “There will always be heroes who rise to the occasion, much like us, to face the threats that lie ahead. I believe others will step forward and fight for what is right.”

  End of Volume 2

  To be continued in The Heroes of Aurum, III: A New Revolution