Ascension of the Eternal Game-Chapter 29: The Burden of Choice

The storm that had raged over the Aether Peaks was gone, leaving behind a stillness that felt more like a held breath than peace. The air buzzed with lingering mana, sharp and metallic, mingling with the acrid stench of scorched earth where the Shadow Wyrm had collapsed. Shattered stone crunched beneath Alex Kain's boots as he stood before the Eternal Gate, its towering arch humming with a faint, silvery light. His dark hair clung to his sweat-streaked forehead, and his hands—still tingling from the surge of Radiant Disruptor—trembled at his sides. Not from exhaustion, though his body ached, but from the weight of what he'd learned: to seal the gate and save Eryndor, he might have to bind himself to it forever.

Lyra Vex approached, her steps soft but deliberate, her bow slung across her back. Her green eyes, usually sharp with determination, softened as she rested a hand on his shoulder. "You're not doing this alone, Alex," she said, her voice steady despite the fatigue pulling at her words. "We'll find another way."

He turned to her, the gate's glow casting flickering shadows across his face. "What if there isn't one, Lyra? The gate chose me. I'm the key—it's my burden."

Before she could answer, Kael Stoneforge limped over, his leather armor scuffed and torn from the battle. His usual cocky grin was absent, replaced by a tight-lipped grimace. "Then we break the damn thing," he said, his rough voice cutting through the silence. "No gate, no sacrifice, no problem."

Elara Moonwhisper stepped forward, her silver hair shimmering faintly in the dim light. She leaned on her staff, its tip still glowing with the residue of protective spells. "It's not that simple, Kael. The Eternal Gate isn't just a portal—it's woven into Eryndor's essence. Destroying it could unravel the world's mana entirely."

Thorne, towering and broad-shouldered, rested his warhammer against the ground with a heavy thud. "So we seal it," he rumbled, his deep voice unwavering. "Alex stays. We figure out how to free him later."

Mikey, the youngest of the group, shuffled closer, his hands fidgeting with a cracked potion vial. His freckled face was pale, but his brown eyes burned with resolve. "There's got to be another option. The Order of the Eternal Gate—they studied this thing for centuries. Maybe there's a ritual, an artifact, something to fix it without losing Alex."

Alex forced a faint smile, grateful for their defiance even as doubt gnawed at him. "Maybe. But Garrick Voss is still out there, and he's not going to sit around while we dig through old books."

As if the words had summoned him, a cold, mocking laugh slithered through the air. The mist clinging to the jagged peaks parted, and Garrick Voss emerged, his dark armor glinting with an unnatural sheen. His sharp blue eyes gleamed with amusement, and a faint crackle of lightning danced around his fingertips. "How touching," he drawled, his voice dripping with disdain. "The hero and his little band, debating their noble fates while the world teeters on the edge."

Lyra's hand snapped to her bow, an arrow nocked in an instant. "Back off, Voss," she snapped. "We're not in the mood for your games."

Garrick raised a hand, the lightning flaring brighter. "Oh, I think you'll want to hear this. The Eternal Gate isn't just a doorway, you fools—it's a prison. And what it's holding? It's waking up."

Elara's grip tightened on her staff, her voice sharp. "What are you talking about?"

Garrick's smile was a razor's edge. "Long ago, the gate was forged to contain an entity of pure mana—a being so vast it nearly devoured Eryndor. Sealing the gate keeps it locked away, but the mana fractures are weakening its bonds. If it breaks free, it won't just destroy this world—it'll tear through every realm the gate touches."

Alex's stomach twisted, a cold dread settling in his chest. "And you want to control it," he said, his voice low. "Use its power for yourself."

Garrick shrugged, the gesture infuriatingly casual. "Better than letting it run wild, don't you think? But I need the key to do it." His gaze locked onto Alex. "So, Kain, here's your choice: join me, and we harness its power together, or stand in my way and watch everything burn."

The group exchanged quick, tense glances, the weight of Garrick's words pressing down like a physical force. Alex stepped forward, drawing his sword—its blade still hummed faintly with residual mana from the battle. "I'll never help you, Voss. We'll seal the gate and stop whatever's inside, our way."

Garrick's expression darkened, the lightning in his hand surging. "Then you've chosen death."

With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed a bolt of lightning, a jagged streak of white-hot energy aimed straight at Alex. But Thorne moved faster, lunging in front of him with his warhammer raised. The bolt slammed into the weapon, electricity arcing around it, but Thorne held his ground, his massive frame trembling as he absorbed the impact.

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"Go!" Thorne roared, his voice a thunderclap. "Get to the gate!"

Alex didn't hesitate. He sprinted toward the arch, Lyra and Kael flanking him like shadows, while Elara and Mikey fell back, weaving spells and hurling potions to cover their retreat. Garrick snarled, summoning a storm of wind and lightning that lashed at them, tearing at their clothes and stinging their skin. But they pressed on, driven by desperation and the faint hope that the gate held answers.

Reaching the arch, Alex pressed his hand against its surface, feeling its power thrum through him like a second heartbeat. Gatekeeper's Will flared within, and suddenly, he wasn't just touching the gate—he was inside it, his mind brushing against something vast and ancient. He sensed the entity Garrick had described: a churning, ravenous presence trapped beneath layers of mana, its hunger a living thing that clawed at its bonds.

But there was more—a faint whisper, soft as a dying breath, cutting through the chaos. It wasn't the entity; it was the gate itself, or perhaps the echo of its creator. "The key can choose," it murmured in his mind. "Seal the prison, or break it open. But beware the cost."

Alex's pulse raced. "What cost?"

The whisper faded, but not before leaving an answer that chilled him to the core. "To seal it, you must bind your will to the gate. To break it, you must sacrifice another's life."

Sacrifice someone else? His mind reeled. Whose life? One of his friends? A stranger? He didn't have time to grapple with it—not yet.

A scream shattered his focus, high and furious, slicing through the howling wind. Alex whirled to see Vira Thorn descending from the storm clouds, her silver hair whipping wildly, her eyes blazing with unhinged rage. Shadows coiled around her like living serpents, and behind her loomed the Shadow Wyrm—weakened from their last fight, its form flickering, but still alive.

"You thought you could defeat me?" Vira shrieked, her voice raw with venom. "I am the master of the Wyrm, and I will have my revenge!"

Garrick stepped aside, a smirk curling his lips. "It seems our interests align for the moment," he said, his tone thick with amusement as he gestured toward Vira. "Do carry on."

Alex tightened his grip on his sword, the blade's hum rising to match the pounding of his heart. They were surrounded—Garrick's lightning crackling to one side, Vira and her Wyrm advancing from the other. The odds were grim, the air thick with menace.

But he wasn't alone. Lyra stood beside him, her bowstring taut, an arrow aimed at Vira's heart. Kael's daggers flashed in his hands, his stance low and ready. Elara's staff pulsed with a shield of light, her expression fierce. Thorne hefted his hammer, his growl a challenge to the storm itself. And Mikey, trembling but unyielding, clutched an explosive potion, his jaw clenched with determination.

"We fight," Alex said, his voice cutting through the chaos, steady and sure. "Together."

Vira's laughter was sharp and cruel. "Then you die together."

With a wave of her hand, she unleashed a torrent of shadow magic, dark tendrils surging toward them like a tidal wave. The Wyrm roared, its flickering maw gaping wide, and the battle erupted anew.