Chapter 14: The Vengeful Interruption

As the trio made their way through the rugged terrain leading to Thalor's ancient library, a foreboding feeling settled over them. The air grew colder, and the sky darkened unnaturally, signaling that something sinister was approaching.

Aria paused, her staff glowing faintly as she sensed the disturbance. "Something's wrong. I feel a powerful presence nearby."

Elandor drew his sword, the blade humming with energy. "Stay alert. This could be an ambush."

Lyra moved silently, her daggers ready, her eyes scanning the surroundings. "We need to find cover and assess the situation."

Suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled, and a figure materialized from the shadows. It was a tall, imposing figure, cloaked in darkness, with eyes that glowed with an eerie light. The trio recognized him immediately from the descriptions in the ancient texts—Valaris, the Eighth-ranked member of the Celestial Conclave.

Valaris smirked, his voice dripping with contempt. "So, you're the ones causing all this trouble. I must say, you've become quite the nuisance."

Aria stepped forward, her staff blazing with light. "We're here to stop the Conclave's plans, Valaris. You won't deter us."

Valaris laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. "Stop us? You're nothing but insects to us, little heroes. But you've been amusing, I'll give you that. It's been a while since we've had such entertainment."

Elandor tightened his grip on his sword. "We're not here to entertain you. We're here to put an end to your tyranny."

Valaris's expression hardened, and he raised his hand, summoning dark energy that crackled with malevolence. "Then let's see how entertaining you find this."

The battle was swift and brutal. Valaris moved with blinding speed, his attacks relentless and precise. Aria, Elandor, and Lyra fought valiantly, but Valaris's power was overwhelming. He struck with the force of a storm, his dark magic searing their flesh and sapping their strength.

Aria summoned all her power, creating a protective barrier around them, but Valaris shattered it with a single blow. Elandor's sword clashed against Valaris's dark blade, but the impact sent him sprawling to the ground. Lyra's daggers found their mark, but Valaris seemed impervious to pain.

In a final, desperate move, Aria unleashed a powerful blast of light, momentarily blinding Valaris and giving them a chance to regroup. But Valaris quickly recovered, his eyes glowing with fury. He raised his hand to deliver a finishing blow, but then paused, a cruel smile spreading across his face.

"No," he said, his voice filled with dark amusement. "Killing you now would be too merciful. I want to see you suffer, to watch as you struggle and fail. Consider this a warning."

With a wave of his hand, Valaris unleashed a surge of dark energy that sent the trio crashing to the ground. Pain wracked their bodies, and their vision blurred as darkness threatened to overtake them. Valaris's laughter echoed in their ears as he vanished into the shadows, leaving them broken and battered.