>>Amber

Persephone's towering form loomed ahead, the swirling mass of miasma encircling her growing thicker with each passing moment. Her taunting smile was the only break in her otherwise serene, chilling expression as her butterfly-like wings fluttered slightly.

She was getting stronger. I could feel it in the air—her power growing like a storm building on the horizon.

"We attack together," Hael whispered as he stood beside me, his hands glowing. His normally calm face showed a rare intensity, and he turned to me with a nod.

I nodded back, "Okay,"We both knew this might be our only shot. Her miasma was too strong, her hold over this space too absolute. But if we worked together, if we combined our powers, maybe we could force her back.

"I'll attack first," Hael said, his voice low, determined, "You follow up."

I nodded, bracing myself as I gathered my own Holy power into my hands. I could feel the familiar warmth of the light flowing through me, and I concentrated on forming a beam strong enough to pierce through Persephone's defenses. But there was an odd pull as I focused, a familiar tug that told me Hael was drawing on my power at the same time.

That was the only explanation that could describe this sensation and how he was fine in this miasma filled world. And I can guess he didn't tell me in order to not make me nervous but he doesn't know I can feel it.

I glanced at him as his hands glowed with a strange, fiery light—a mix of his flames and the Holy power he was pulling from me. The combination was beautiful, the flame pure and bright, unlike anything I had seen before. He was channeling both our strengths into one devastating attack.

Persephone watched us, her expression unreadable, but I could tell from the way her wings stilled that she was preparing for something.

She knew something was coming.

I gulped

Without hesitation, Hael unleashed his attack, a torrent of golden flames erupting from his hands. They surged forward, cutting through the air with deadly precision, aimed directly at Persephone. At the same time, I released my own Holy power, forming a bright beam of pure light and sending it hurtling toward her.

Come on!! I poured all I could manage in my attack!!

GO!

Persephone reacted instantly. Her wings beat with incredible speed, and the miasma around her thickened, twisting into a shield as she dodged my Holy beam. The dark energy she controlled was impressive, blocking my attack with ease as the beam dissipated against the barrier of miasma.

For a moment, I felt a stab of frustration—she was too fast, too powerful.

But Hael's flames weren't so easily avoided.

She twisted to dodge the fiery onslaught, but not quickly enough. The golden flames struck her shoulder and arm, burning through her pale skin and her protective miasma.

Yes!?

Persephone screamed, a sound filled with both pain and fury, "HOW!?!" Her wings fluttered wildly, and the miasma swirled with chaotic intensity as she recoiled from the attack, her form flickering as she recoiled back.

"You will pay for that," She hissed, her voice trembling with rage. She must be surprised how fire can hurt her. That's why she chose to dodge my beam, because it's pure holy power but took Hael's magic more lightly.

But I doubt she's going to make the same mistake again. I glanced at her burned should and arm, they weren't healing, well not fast enough.

The places were charred.

It made me purse my lip. I wonder if our attacks really will kill her in the end, just like she believes.

I took a breath, my heart racing as I watched her recover, her body still smoldering where Hael's flames had hit.

This was it—we had actually managed to hurt her. And I guess we could expand our attacks and bring her down.

"Again," Hael said and we both raised our hands to fire at her.

But before we could, Persephone raised her hands, her fingers twisting in the air in an intricate pattern.

What is she doing?!

Hael realized it immediately and stopped his attack, and seeing him do that made me stop the attack too, "Bonewraiths" Hael said, his voice urgent as he turned his head to look behind us.

I followed his gaze, and my blood ran cold as I saw what was happening.

Oh no...

The miasma around Persephone thickened, and from its depths, dark shapes began to emerge. Skeletal figures with glowing hollow eyes and twisted forms materialized, their bones wrapped in the same cursed energy that surrounded her.

There were five of them at first, then ten. As I watched, more began to rise from the black mist, their numbers multiplying with terrifying speed.

Are we supposed to fight these too along with Persephone?!? I shook my head. How?

"Don't panic," Hael tightened his grip on my hand and I looked at him, "I'm here,"

He was already moving, raising a glowing shield around us, infused with the Holy power he had taken from me. The pale light of the barrier surrounded us, keeping the approaching Bonewraiths at bay—for now.

He expanded the shield but the that didn't stop the wraiths from slamming themselves into it.

!!

Each time a number of them did that, it made me flinch. I knew full well that the holy shield wasn't going to go down but still it made me jump.

"I'll keep the shield up," Hael said, his voice steady but tense. His eyes flicked toward the Bonewraiths, watching as they gathered, their hollow eyes locked on us with predatory hunger. "You can use your power to aim at their cores." He glanced at me, "You've done it before, you've trained for it." He said calmly, "You can do it." He said it before I started to get seriously unnerved.

I swallowed hard, my hands still tingling from the power I had used in the attack. The Bonewraiths were advancing, their bony fingers flexing, eager for the kill. I had fought these creatures before, but not this many at once.

But I had no choice- We had no choice. If we didn't fight back, we won't be able to move forward.

I focused again, summoning my Holy power into my hands. This time, I shaped it into a weapon I used before—a bow, glowing with golden light. The familiar weight of it in my hands gave me a sense of calm, even as my heart raced with the fear of what was coming.

The Bonewraiths were coming in fast, their speed unnerving as they darted toward Hael's shield, their claws slashing at the barrier. It held, but only just. Cracks appeared in the pale light, the strain of keeping it intact showing on Hael's face.

Ah!

There is bound to be limitations since it's not pure holy power!

Hael let go of my hand and I raised my bow, forming an arrow of pure light, and aimed at the nearest Bonewraith.

The first Bonewraith lunged, its claws scraping against the shield, and I loosed my arrow. It flew through the air, cutting through the darkness, and struck the creature in the neck. The Bonewraith let out a bone-chilling screech as its core shattered, its skeletal form stumbled back but it didn't fall down. But I also knew I didn't need to focus on that one again.

One down.

"I'll light them up," He used his other hand to send a sea of roaring flames towards them, lighting them up so they could be seen in the miasma filled space. There was a limited area from where Persephone had removed the miasma from, after all.

I began to shoot them

But there were so many more. As soon as one fell, another took its place, and then another. They were relentless, their hollow eyes burning with cold, unnatural look as they swarmed toward us.

They began to attack the shield again and it cracked

Hael grabbed my waist and I felt the heat under my nape, drawing the power away from me.

"Hael," I called out, my voice shaky as I loosed another arrow, taking down another Bonewraith. "You're using my power, aren't you?"

He didn't look at me, his focus entirely on maintaining the shield. "Yes," He admitted, his voice strained. "I am."

I gritted my teeth, frustration bubbling to the surface. "I'm having trouble channeling it properly because of you! If you take my power, how am I supposed to use the rest?"

Hael's jaw clenched, and he finally glanced at me, his eyes sharp. "I'm not taking much," He said firmly. "You have more power than you realize. You're just nervous. Focus." We looked at each other and our eyes met, "I'm taking the bare minimum that is required to maintain the barrier, you might be feeling it more because it's a foreign sensation." I looked into his eyes, "You're the saint, and the saint's power is omnipotent."

!!!

I wanted to argue, but he was right.

I was scared

But I could feel the power inside me, vast and untapped, but my nerves were getting in the way. I needed to trust in my abilities—and in him.

I pursed my lips, then nodded.

Another Bonewraith lunged, and I fired another arrow, taking it down before it could reach the shield.

I let out a stressed sigh.

The strain was starting to show, though. My arms were shaking from the effort, and each arrow felt like it was draining more and more of my energy. How long could we keep this up?

Persephone watched from the distance, her eye fingers were apart, revealing her starry black eyes, narrowing as the Bonewraiths fell one by one. She seemed unfazed, her smoldering arm hanging limply at her side, still scorched from Hael's flames. Despite the damage we had done, she looked more amused than angry now.

"Mere humans," She murmured, her voice like silk as it drifted across the battlefield. "How long can you hope to survive against the inevitable?"

I fired another arrow, but my arms were trembling now as the exhaustion set in. I had taken down so many Bonewraiths already, but more kept coming, their numbers endless.

Hael's shield flickered, the pale light dimming for just a moment before he reinforced it, drawing more of my power into the barrier. The cracks were growing, though, and I could see the strain etched into his face.

He couldn't hold this much longer.

"We can't keep this up," I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper.

"We don't have a choice," Hael replied, his tone grim. He loosed a small burst of flame at one of the Bonewraiths, but it was more a distraction than a real attack. He was putting everything he had into the shield.

The Bonewraiths pressed forward, their glowing eyes locked on us, and I loosed another arrow, taking down one more. But for every one I killed, two more seemed to rise from the miasma. I could feel my energy waning, more than it being physical, it was psychological because I wasn't seeing any end to it.

"Keep going," Hael whispered.

Persephone's voice echoed in the distance, her laughter soft and mocking. "You cannot win," she whispered, her wings fluttering as she watched us struggle. "You are fighting against forces far beyond what you can handle.."

I gritted my teeth, raising my bow for another shot, but what then? How many of these were here?

We shouldn't have come alone! We should have brought some people to handle the wraits at least!!

"I can't..." I muttered as I brought down my arrow.

Hael glanced at me, his face pale but determined. "You can, You have to." He said

"But they are endless." I had been at it for like almost an hour.

"Trust me," He said and I paused.

Then I let out another sigh, and forced myself to focus, to push past the exhaustion and fear. I pulled the bowstring back, forming another arrow, and aimed at the nearest Bonewraith.

It struck the Bonewraith in the core, but as this one fell Persephone created a wild gust of wind to create a bigger area of clearing.

My eyes grew wide and my arms fell to my side in defeat, my power diminishing from my hands and disappearing at I looked at the rift that was mostly devoid of miasma and gave a clear look at what was in front of us.

My mouth hung open and my stomach churned.

!!????

As far as I could see

I turned in the other direction, to look behind Persephone too. My heart fell to the pit of my stomach and I felt the stress and fear take over.

Because there as well. As far as the gaze went, the rift was filled with these monsters.

Countless of them, ready to eat us alive.