11: Immortal Zamon (2)

After creating the Dome Array and setting off to discover the source of the shadow plaque in order to put an end to everything. The holographic projection swept the scene once again, and before Alvan and Emelda's very eyes, another one replaced the previous one. However, this new scene was pitch dark, much darker than the shroud of darkness itself. Initially, they began hearing the voices of two men in the background of this scene.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha!" Who do we have here? Oh, it's Zamon, the power-hungry maniac. Ha, ha, ha! WELCOME TO MY LAIR!!!" This was the first thing Alvan and Emelda heard after the scene had flashed. The voice was masculine, hoarse, and haunting, giving off a mocking vibe.

"Who are you? How do you know my name? And what the heck is this damn darkness you call your 'Lair'?," asked Zamon. Alvan and Emelda recognized the voice instantly because they had heard it in previous scenes. And even though it had changed after he opened the Book of Immortality, they still recognized it. The voice was filled with confidence and, at the same time, a malevolent killing intent.

The sound of a hand snapping was heard. Instantly, the pitch-dark place, from which Alvan and Emelda could not make out any details, lit up in a very dim purple glow. However, they were surprised by what they saw...

First, their eyes were drawn to the purple glow that appeared to be emanating from what resembled demonic eyes, staring directly at Zamon. Next, they noticed a lingering, smoke-like dark aura hovering around the entire place, creating a slight haziness. From the surroundings, this place looked like a cave; however, there seemed to be no entrance or exit in sight.

Then, their eyes shifted to see the owner of the hoarse and haunting voice that had spoken earlier. It happened to be a man dressed in a black robe and cape, with the hood of the cape partially covering his face. From his nose down to his jaws were the only exposed parts of his face, but his lips were black, or perhaps painted black. On his left hand was a staff, just like the one the High Priest had. However, his staff was even creepier, carved to resemble a snake. At the top of the staff, there was a carving resembling a snake with its mouth open, and a purple crystal was embedded within the open mouth.

"You ask too many questions, Zamon. I brought you here because it seemed like you were looking for me."

"Were you the one behind that damn shadow plague that afflicted my hometown?" Alvan heard Zamon utter these words; however, his voice seemed to be raised, dripping with malice as if he were angry.

"Isn't it obvious to you? Aren't those purple eyes familiar to you? You have been looking for me, and here I am!"

Furious, Zamon leaped from his position and shouted, "I will take you down!" Golden energy erupted from his body, illuminating the entire cave, as he moved with lightning speed.

However, at this pivotal moment, the scene was once again interrupted by the holographic projection. But before the scene changed, Alvan and Emelda heard the mysterious man, draped in a black cape, say, "I will see how you can do that. I swear I will use you as my next..." That was when his voice was abruptly cut off by the scene swipe.

"Damn it!" exclaimed Alvan when the scene changed. "Why would it be now, of all times?" Emelda didn't utter a word; she only patted him on the back as the next scene replaced the previous one.

The next scene surprised them. It was actually in this chamber where they were currently. However, there was no statue, but only red crystal lanterns lining the wall. There were five people in this scene.

The High Priest was there with his staff, and standing next to him were the twin guardians. Zamon was lying on the ground, battered and bruised all over. He was grunting, and blood was leaking from various parts of his body, particularly his mouth. While Elara was sitting next to Zamon, she was currently trying her best to heal him by channeling her white energy to him. Next, Azura and Apphira sat down in a meditative state as if trying to replenish their energy.

"So, if I hadn't arrived to portal all of you away. We would have lost four of you," said the High Priest. His voice was calm, but you could easily detect a hint of anger in it.

"I have no choice. My bracelet reacted; it was an indication that he was in trouble. I wanted to go alone, but Apphira and her brother insisted on coming with me. With the bracelet, I tracked his own…" It was Elara who said those words, her voice cracking. It was evident from her tone that she was crying. She lifted Zamon's hand and entwined both of their hands. They were wearing a matching pair of bracelets.

'Cough!' 'Cough!'

"I told you not to worry about me. It was my duty to destroy the source of the shadow plague. At least, I managed to give him a run for his money. Let's hope the shadow plague will slowly recede or disappear. I made sure to destroy every piece of his experiment, including his staff. If he survived, he would be no different from a vegetable," Zamon proudly announced before coughing up blood.

"I must say, his last attack was too destructive. You shouldn't have taken it head-on, even if you have transcended to immortality. It doesn't mean you cannot be killed. If the twins and your wife hadn't intervened, who knows, you might be dead already," said the High Priest.

"I have received reports from the others who are overseeing the Dome Array. It appears that the shadow minions have vanished and the darkness that was spreading has ceased, although it hasn't disappeared. Also, regarding the shadow undead, we are unsure if there is a way to reverse their condition. Therefore, I believe we may still require your assistance. Please make sure to recover fully."

The holographic projection flashed again, swiping the scene once more. However, this time the scene that came into view surprised Alvan and Emelda. The darkness had dissipated, and the villagers were gradually returning to their homes from the basement. But Zamon slumped to the ground on the elevated plateau, his body glowing brightly with golden light. Looking at him, one might think his body was made entirely of golden light. It seemed that he was the one who dispelled the darkness, saving Etheloria from the shadow plague.

Elara, who was carrying a baby, rushed to him; however, she was held back by Apphira. Because the golden light surrounding Zamon's body hasn't dimmed, it might harm the baby boy Elara was carrying, whose hair was brown.

"Do you have an older brother? Because from the look of things, it has been months since your father fought with the mysterious man and your mother gave birth to her baby... But your hair is silver in color, not brown," muttered Emelda, as she looked at Alvan. However, Alvan didn't utter a word. His focus was on his mother and father, not the baby. Perhaps he knew why the baby's hair was like that.

The scene shifted again, and now only Zamon, his wife, and their baby were in the red-lit chamber of the basement. Zamon appeared pale and frail as if he were clinging to his last breath, while Elara channeled a powerful stream of white energy into his body. Her son was gently and delicately laid near her.

"Please, Elara, you have to stop transferring your energy to me. It is pointless now, especially since it does not seem to subdue the strange energy within my body. You are expending too much of your energy this way. If I were to die now, I would be satisfied knowing that I have at least saved Etheloria. But what about you? If you grew weaker due to excessive loss of energy, how would you take care of our son?" Zamon said in a weak voice that seemed to be trailing off as he spoke.

He shifted his gaze to his son, who was kicking around where he was lying. His eyes welled up, and tears trickled down his cheeks.

On Elara's side, she was freely letting her tears flow down her face. It seemed as if her heart was being pierced by a blunt dagger at this very moment. "Don't speak like that. No matter what it takes, I will save you. You cannot die. Alvan needs his father. You are really selfish to think that you are going to die."

"It's been three months now since that strange energy has been consuming me. I am already the happiest man after hearing my son's cry when he was born yesterday. I once believed that if I became immortal and made you and our child immortal as well, we could live our lives together, traveling the world and never facing death. I never knew I could still be killed by another immortal.

"See, Elara, I love you... and I always will. Please promise me... that you won't blame... the High Priest for allowing... me to use the... last bit of my power... to dispel the... shadow plague. It was my decision. I know I would have lived... longer if I hadn't used my powers, but... what about the people and even our son? Can you bear... to watch... them secluded... in a dark basement?... Tell Alvan… that I love him."

Zamon uttered his final words before taking his last breath. Instantly, a golden shard of energy flew out of his body and headed towards the baby…