Beyond Control

After discussing our strategy, we knew it was time to proceed. The plan was clear, but executing it would be no easy feat. Nerves were on edge, especially for Lyris and me. Every step we took toward Tícaros's territory felt heavy, as if the air itself tried to hold us back.

Eldrek and Zhavros, on the other hand, seemed undisturbed. Especially Zhavros, whose face bore a strange expression, as if he eagerly awaited what lay ahead. The thought that Zhavros might have his own intentions kept circling in my mind, and I could see the same doubt in Lyris's eyes.

As we reached Tícaros's territory, we moved quietly along the edges, keeping to the heights. The terrain was broad, a nearly flat cavern with scattered rocks and pebbles that made balancing tricky. From above, we could see various tunnels leading into this vast space, a place seemingly designed to contain the giant we were soon to face. Zhavros, always the dramatic one, levitated slightly above the ground, observing everything with a calmness that only intensified my unease.

Before starting the ritual, Zhavros looked at us all with an intense, challenging gaze. "I depend on you. If anything goes wrong, it will be due to your ineptitude, remember that," he said, his tone unwavering.

Then, he began chanting the ritual as we had planned. His voice was low, charged with an unsettling energy as he muttered words in a strange, ancient language. His hands wove intricate gestures, as if molding the darkness around him, drawing the shadows toward him.

The area around him began to warp and shift, just as it had when he'd confronted the chimera. His image became eerie, dark; his face showed an absolute concentration that chilled my blood.

Everything around us seemed to come to life: the stones trembled gently underfoot, the air felt thick and oppressive, and each tunnel and corner of the cavern began to vibrate.

Strange sounds began to echo around him, a rumbling that seemed to come from another realm, like thunder reverberating through the vast cavern. These sounds and movements, intense and overwhelming, soon caught Tícaros's attention.

With a deep, piercing gaze, the beast turned its attention toward Zhavros, who remained unmoving, as if unfazed by the impending danger. A low growl emanated from the creature's chest, making the ground tremble beneath our feet and raising a light cloud of dust and pebbles.

From our elevated position, Lyris and I watched as Tícaros flexed his enormous legs, preparing to pounce. With a single glance, we understood each other: this was the moment to distract him before it was too late.

In unison, we cast our spells from the sides. My hands moved almost reflexively, releasing a burst of energy while Lyris conjured a shockwave that rippled through the air. From our vantage point, the attack seemed easy, but the uneven terrain, full of loose stones and slippery ledges, made every move difficult. I felt my foot slip on a loose stone, barely managing to keep my balance while trying to hold the attack.

The beast paused for a moment, turning its massive head toward us with a mix of fury and bewilderment. Our distraction had worked, at least for now.

Our magic wasn't strong enough to harm him, but the goal was clear: to distract him. We knew every second was crucial for Zhavros to complete the ritual and put the beast to sleep.

Tícaros, enraged by our attacks, turned his colossal body toward us. With a roar that made even the walls of the tunnel vibrate, he began moving in our direction. Each of his steps shook the entire cavern, and I felt the tremor run up my legs, realizing that escaping a direct confrontation with this creature would be nearly impossible.

Lyris and I moved quickly along the elevated edges of the cavern, taking advantage of the height to maintain some distance. We knew that a single direct hit would be fatal. But the beast was fast, much faster than we had anticipated, and though he couldn't reach us, he clearly wasn't going to give up.

Frustrated, Tícaros began to strike the nearby walls with his powerful tail and multiple limbs, sending chunks of rock and debris flying in all directions, trying to destabilize us. The walls rumbled with each impact, and the ground beneath my feet became increasingly unstable.

A particularly strong blow passed a few meters from me, destroying a rock I had been leaning on. The echo of the destruction resonated in my ears as I managed to pull away in time, barely keeping my balance.

Lyris wasn't as lucky. A brutal blow from Tícaros shattered the ledge she was leaning against, and I saw her body hurtling through the air, falling from a dangerous height.

"Lyris!"

I shouted her name, but before I could do anything, she was already falling. I watched her struggle desperately, using her magic to cushion the fall, but when her body hit the ground, her face showed a mix of pain and exhaustion.

She was right in front of the beast.

"Darius, go help her, quickly!" Eldrek shouted from the tunnel entrance, his voice filled with concern.

Fear paralyzed me for a second, but it was enough for the situation to worsen. Tícaros wasted no time. With astounding speed, his tail struck Lyris fully before she could raise her magic shield.

The impact was brutal. I watched her get thrown far away, crashing into the wall. She lay motionless on the ground, and for a moment, terror consumed me.

Fury ignited within me, like an unstoppable fire. Without thinking, I leaped from the height. My body no longer responded with reason but with pure instinct.

My sword, infused with chaos magic, aimed toward Tícaros's back. I barely managed to scratch him, but the impact was enough for the beast to let out a roar, the first I had heard from his throat.

I landed on the ground, trying to prepare for the next attack, but when I looked at Tícaros, I realized he wasn't focused on me. With heavy, determined steps, he advanced toward Lyris, who lay unconscious on the ground.

I screamed in desperation, trying to draw his attention. "Stupid beast! I'm here! Come for me!" But there was no response.

In a few strides, Tícaros was over her. He raised his massive paw to crush her, and then, everything around me seemed to stop.

I opened my eyes with an unfamiliar intensity. The sound of battle disappeared, though I knew it wasn't real. It was just a sensation. The chaos within me began to overflow, not only through my sword but in every fiber of my being. A dark aura enveloped me, and once again, I felt myself losing control.

With a desperate scream, I launched myself at Tícaros, moving at a speed I didn't know I possessed. I stood between Lyris and the beast, and with unleashed fury, I distorted reality around him.

Tícaros, confused, stumbled back. I stood before him, shielding Lyris, feeling the chaos energy burn in my hands.

I released my sword, raising only my palms toward the sky, invoking all the destructive energy I felt within me. Chaos manifested in explosions of fire and lightning that struck Tícaros with force, and for the first time, the beast let out a true howl of pain.

A deep wound opened on his side, and his roar thundered, shaking the ground.

I had done it. Tícaros was wounded.

Though hurt by my attack, the beast was still far from defeated. Tícaros raised his head with an angry roar, and his body began to glow with a primal magic that gathered in the air around him.

His eyes, filled with hatred, stared straight at me.

The ground trembled under my feet, and though I felt my body exhausted, I knew I couldn't stop.

It was at that moment that Zhavros's ritual reached its climax. Above Tícaros's head, a circle of dark light appeared in the air, surrounded by indescribable hieroglyphs that glowed with an unsettling energy.

The atmosphere grew suffocating as flashes of magic fell from the circle, enveloping the beast. I could hear Tícaros's growls as he tried to resist, but his strength was beginning to fail.

The creature's frustrated roars turned into whimpers of weakness as the energy wrapped around him and weakened him. Tícaros, exhausted, fell to his knees, and the ground rumbled under his weight.

Zhavros slowly lowered his hand, breathing deeply, and looked at us with a dark smile. "It's done. But it won't last long… if we're going to do something, it's now or never."

With Tícaros weakened and sedated, everyone understood that this was our only chance. Eldrek quickly moved forward and pointed us toward a narrow passage in the cavern that led to the next area below ground, where we assumed the artifact lay.

But just as the creature had fallen to its knees, the chaotic energy within me began to overflow. I felt an almost uncontrollable urge to keep attacking, a need to unleash the fury and power swirling inside me.

Lyris, still somewhat dazed but determined, stood up with effort, holding her aching side. In the confusion, I could see in her eyes the pain she felt after taking the colossal beast's blow.

Zhavros and Eldrek noticed the change in me, and their gazes reflected a mixture of alarm and concern. They knew I was losing control.

Dark magic began to envelop me. The desire to destroy everything in front of me grew stronger. My vision blurred, and I could barely make out the shapes of my companions.

"What's happening to you?" she asked with a shaky voice, her concern evident as she tried to approach cautiously. She took a step, then another, hesitant, her gaze fixed on me.

But before she could reach me, a bolt of chaos shot from my hand without warning, directly at her. The crackling energy crossed the space in an instant.

Zhavros, with a swift and precise reaction, deflected the attack at the last second, making the bolt strike the nearby rock and disintegrate it in a burst of fragments. Lyris stepped back sharply, surprise and pain in her eyes; the last thing she expected was for me to attack her.

Shielding Lyris, Zhavros stood in front of me, his expression cold and calculating. With a half-smile, he commented, "Well, it seems the boy has completely lost control…"

Without wasting a moment, Zhavros began to prepare himself, his eyes fixed on me as if assessing the danger I posed. His body glowed faintly as he rose into the air again, watching me from above, ready to intervene.

"I guess there's no other choice," he muttered in an almost amused tone. "This should be interesting."