Confronting Darkness

The tang of burned cloth and flesh returned to Cole's throat as he reappeared in the chamber. The world jumped on its axis for a second: a normal side-effect of teleporting while the body itself protested. Cole groaned as his vision cleared and reality slid into view, straight from nightmare.

Nadia lay on the paved floor, her face grey and wet with sweat. An exposed bone stuck out at a horribly wrong angle from her arm, which dangled awkwardly. Kai coughed weakly and looked at his fingers, coloured with blood. His normally mischievous face contorted in pain.

Rage rode a brutal edge, searing through Cole as he ignored the jag of pain in his own leg and scanned the room for the source. The hooded figure was gone. There was no trace, save for Xol'Tharos, it's bloated figure forming the full of the chamber. It pulsated with pestilence as it's beady eyes hovered over Cole, filling him with a hunger that sent a chill down his spine.

'You shouldna came back,' a dry old voice rasped out of the dark. A new shadow appeared from the gloom, wrapped in a cloak of deepest black, the folds of his shroud trailing away into the shadowy recesses of their hiding place. 'You're friends… they served their purpose.

Cole's heart drummed a march against his ribs. He clenched the hilt of his dagger, sharpened metal blade dizzying in his sweat-greased fingers. It looked ridiculously small against the beast.

"Back off:, Cole croaked," this is not about them. "

The figure chuckled humourlessly. "Poor boy. They were unfortunate collateral damage."

Suddenly, Xol'Tharos lunged forward, the air rippling as its colossal body moved with surprising speed. Cole stumbled back, his breath catching in his throat. He was about to become another casualty, another sacrifice to their twisted plan.

Just then, a deafening crack echoed through the chamber. A blinding white light filled the room momentarily, forcing Cole to shield his eyes. When the light subsided, he blinked away the afterimages, his jaw dropping in disbelief.

A woman stood between him and Xol'Tharos, her back turned to him. She was clad in crimson armor that gleamed with an unearthly glow, intricate patterns etching the surface. Yet, it was the weapon in her hand that truly stole his breath. A colossal greatsword, its blade shimmering with crackling energy, rested effortlessly on her shoulder.

The air crackled with a tension so thick it felt like a physical presence. The woman remained silent, the only sound her ragged breaths echoing in the stillness. Then, in a blur of motion that defied logic, she raised the greatsword. The air itself seemed to bend under its weight.

With a deafening roar that shook the very foundations of the chamber, she brought the blade down in a single, devastating slash. The blow landed on Xol'Tharos with a sickening crunch. The creature screeched in a sound that was more primal terror than roar, its colossal body bisected clean. Black mist erupted from the wound, tendrils of darkness writheing in the air before dissipating with a final, chilling shriek.

The woman stood motionless for a moment, the greatsword held aloft, her shoulders rising and falling with each ragged breath. Then, with a flick of her wrist, the massive weapon vanished into thin air. The silence that followed was absolute, broken only by the dripping of water somewhere deep within the chamber.

Cole stared at the spot where she stood, his mind reeling. Who was she? Was she one of the Archons, the legendary protectors shrouded in myth and whispered legend? The crimson armor, the otherworldly weapon… it all fit the fragmented stories he'd heard from his grandmother.

Before he could voice the question that burned on his tongue, the woman turned, her crimson gaze meeting his for a fleeting moment. Her eyes, the color of a summer sky after a violent storm, held a depth of experience and weariness that belied her seemingly youthful face. Then, with a sound like a sigh carried on the wind, she was gone, vanished into thin air as mysteriously as she had appeared.

The silence felt deafening. Cole finally tore his gaze from the empty spot and rushed to his friends' sides. Kai, his eyes fluttering open, met Cole's with a weak smile.

"About time you showed up, Archer," he rasped, his voice laced with pain. "Thought you'd abandoned us for a vacation in Veridan Haven."

Cole forced a smile, relief washing over him like a tidal wave. "Not a chance, Kai. Now, hold still. Let's get you both out of here."

He focused his will again, picturing the familiar infirmary at Arcana Academia. His vision blurred, the strain of teleporting with two injured people nearly overwhelming him. The world dissolved into a swirling kaleidoscope of colors and sensations, the taste of bile rising in his throat.

He reappeared with a gasp in the sterile white of the infirmary, disinfectant and healing balms clinging to the air. Kai, unconscious again, and Nadia, cradling her broken arm, materialized beside him in a heap.

"Help!" Cole croaked, his voice hoarse. "We need a healer, now!"

A flurry of white coats materialized around them, alarmed expressions etched on the faces of the attending mages. A stern-faced woman with streaks of gray in her hair took charge, barking orders as she assessed Nadia and Kai's injuries.

"Fractured arm, several cracked ribs," the woman muttered, her brow furrowed as she examined Nadia. "Internal bleeding possible. We need to get her prepped for surgery immediately."

Her gaze flicked to Kai, her lips pursed in concern. "Concussion, bruised ribs, and a nasty laceration on his side. Not life-threatening, but he'll need rest and monitoring."

Relief flooded Cole, momentarily eclipsing the throbbing pain in his own leg. He'd gotten them out. They were safe, for now.

"What happened?" the woman finally asked, her voice softer now. "Who did this to you?"

Cole sank onto a nearby chair, recounting the events in a breathless rush – the hooded figures, Xol'Tharos, the enigmatic warrior. The woman, who introduced herself as Head Healer Eva, listened intently, her expression unreadable.

"The Obsidian Guild," she murmured, her voice laced with a dangerous edge. "And something far more… ominous."

Her gaze met Cole's, a flicker of something akin to respect passing between them. "You did well, boy. Braver than most in your situation."

Cole wanted to scoff. He didn't feel brave. He felt foolish, reckless. Yet, the relief of having his friends back tempered the self-doubt.

"Who was that woman?" he finally dared to ask, the question that had been gnawing at him since she vanished.

Eva's lips pressed into a thin line. "That," she said, her voice a low murmur, "is a matter for the Archon's Council. Not something for young mages to concern themselves with."

Disappointment gnawed at Cole, but he knew better than to argue. He had a feeling this was just the beginning, a single thread in a much larger tapestry. He glanced at Nadia and Kai, now being wheeled away towards treatment.

One thing was certain – he wouldn't let this rest. He would uncover the truth about the woman in crimson armor, the Obsidian Guild, and the monstrous entity they had summoned. He had a feeling his journey at Arcana Academia was about to take a very dangerous turn.