As Rain battled Santi, he could see Gorm out of the corner of his eye, directing the shadow creatures with a cruel smile.
The monstrous leader reveled in the chaos, his laughter echoing off the stone walls as his minions swarmed Rain's companions.
Suddenly, the air crackled with energy, and a blinding light filled the chamber. The teleportation spell flared to life, and with a rush of wind, Thorgar and Valera appeared, and they immediately dashed into the battle.
Golly kept the teleportation portal active, he made sure the magic held steady. The glowing runes pulsed with energy, forming a stable link to the surface.
It was a lifeline, a gateway for reinforcements to pour into the hall and join the battle against Gorm. The gnome's efforts weren't just to maintain the spell — they were to turn the tide of the fight, to give Rain and his companions the backup they desperately needed.
"Ah, my friends, you've come!" Thraigar boomed, his elation clear even amidst the chaos.
Valera's sharp eyes took in the scene instantly. "What's happening here? Santi, what are you doing?" she demanded, flinging her daggers at an approaching horde of shadow creatures as he conjured a gust of wind.
But Santi didn't answer. Instead, she moved to block Rain's path, her strikes growing more desperate, more aggressive with each passing second.
Rain could see the torment in her eyes, the tears that threatened to spill as she wrestled with her own conscience.
"Santi, stop this!" Rain pleaded, deflecting her blows. "We can find another way!"
"I can't!" Santi's voice broke as she cried out her anguish. "He'll kill my father if I don't do this!"
Her father was all she had left, the one thing tethering her to hope. The mere thought of losing him paralyzed her with fear, driving her to fight even as her heart rebelled against it.
"Santi!" Helliana's voice cut through the din like a blade. "We'll save your father. Trust us!"
Finally, with a powerful swing of Thorgar's axe, Gorm's defenses crumbled, and Rain saw his opening. Helliana confront Santi while Rain lunged at Gorm.
With a final, decisive strike, Rain drove his sword into Gorm's chest. The dark leader let out a gasp of shock, his eyes wide with disbelief as the shadows around him dissolved into nothingness. He staggered back, clutching the wound, and fell to his knees.
"It's over," Rain said, his voice low, panting. Chi unfused with him just in time, and she barely hang unto Rain for support.
Gorm's eyes flickered with hatred as he laughed out loud, "You think this changes anything?! You're too late!"
Suddenly, the air crackled, and the hall thickened with malevolent energy. The wide magic circle that Gorm had been using for his ritual flared to life, glowing with an ominous energy.
"NOOO!" Santi screamed as she watched her father and the elders crumble into dust.
"You're too late!" Gorm cackled maniacally. "Those life force alone wasn't enough, even with those rotten elders. But with me combined — this ritual is finally complete!"
The magic circle cracked, its light intensifying as it began to consume Gorm, pulling him into its depths as if the earth itself was devouring him. The fissure widened, and with it, the ritual reached its grim conclusion.
"Even if I didn't succeed with my plans. All of you will still be obliterated! The gate to the underworld cannot be stopped now!" Gorm's laughter echoed through the chamber until the darkness swallowed him whole.
Rain and the others stood frozen, the shock of the sudden turn of events leaving them momentarily speechless.
"He . . . he sacrificed himself?" Helliana whispered, disbelief etched on her face, while Santi stood paralyzed in shock of what happened.
"We have to stop it!" Valera shouted, turning to Golly. "Is there any way to reverse this?"
Golly quickly assessed the situation, and realized that the magic circle was powered by a complex network of dark runes and sacrificial energy. To reverse it, he needed to disrupt the flow of power before the gate fully opened.