• Luan entered the large hall passing through the ruins of the door he had just blasted to pieces. Majestic, his face showed no expression at all. His long hair moved swiftly while he walked and the sound of his steps echoed through the gallery, filling it with terror.

    He passed by all the soldiers that were waiting only for a command from their leader to attack him. But Marcus was terrified for he knew that even the strength of his entire army could not stand against Luan’s magic. But he tried anyway:

    "Attack! Now!"

    The scene was astonishing. Dozens of soldiers ran towards the “Angel of Death”, shouting and aiming their weapons against his body. They could never imagine what fate had kept in store for them. Luan lifted his left hand, just as if he were grabbing something invisible in the air and then threw it to the ground.

    To Marcus despair the bodies of his defenders started exploding in flames and were disintegrated in seconds, so great was the rage of the fire. Screams of fear and pain flooded the hall and after a few moments there was nothing left of the soldiers, only silence.

    Morrigan stood beside the throne at the far south of the place, motionless. She looked at the two creatures, immensely more powerful than her, standing at the center of the gallery. Two demigods ready for the final confrontation, she thought.

    “Coward” – Luan invaded Marcus’ mind with his words.
    “Quiet, demon! You know you cannot scare me with your threats.”
    “It won’t be needed. I can feel the fear oozing from you.”
    “Yes, but I fear not for my life. I fear for the precious things I am trying to protect. I will burn in the fires of hell if that is what it takes to prevent you from achieving your goals.”
    “My only goal now is to guarantee the death of you and Morrigan. You are the only ones still alive. But not for long, soon it will all be over.”
    Luan closed his fists and eyes and his body started to emanate a dark light, typical of his magic.

    “Run, princess! Run!” – Marcus shouted to Morrigan. He knew what was about to happen and was trying to save her.

    She started running but was soon halted by Luan’s cold voice:

    “Stop” – he was magically sealing all the doors in the room. Even the one he destroyed during his entering had been reconstructed and locked – “There is no reason to try to escape. The world you were trying to preserve has already changed. Your existence is meaningless. Give in to death and let Abel take care of everything from now on.”

    “Never!” – Marcus was gathering all his power to unleash it in a desperate last blow, from which he hoped Luan would not get out alive. But he knew that it was all over. Killing Luan would not change a thing. Abel’s dominion over the world was already a reality.

    Morrigan looked at Marcus with a desolated expression in her face. She could see that he was giving up and started doing the same.

    “So, have the two of you decided to cooperate?” – Luan asked. The light around his figure was somehow dazzling – “I can feel the fury inside your souls growing. However, I know you won’t let it escape your control, because that would just make your deaths more painful. We would all die together and that would not help your cause in any way. Let destiny do its part once more. Fall now!”

    Marcus lowered his head, letting a tear run through his face. He was silently asking for forgiveness for what he was about to do, because he had found no other way. He opened then his arms to Morrigan and she ran towards him. Gazing him with pure sadness she embraced him, realizing what they were going to do.

    The end was near. The two bodies, close together, started to gleam and discharge energy bolts that spread through the entire hall. Luan opened his eyes and was now having a glimpse of his foes’ power. His face showed yet no emotion, but at that moment he asked himself if he had underestimated them.

    Marcus looked at Morrigan, wiped out the tears on her face with the tips of his fingers and asked if she was ready. She nodded and then leaned her head over his shoulder. He closed his eyes, asked for forgiveness for the last time and finally released his wrath.

    A flash of light emerged from the place the two were standing and then an energy bubble started growing around them with immense speed, destroying everything on its way. Luan could still see the bodies of his two opponents, embraced and in flames at the center of that chaos before he himself was dragged into it.

    The bubble grew till it reached the walls of the gallery, where it was dissolved. Nothing resisted the devastation. Nothing, but dust particles and a nude figure standing beside the place where the throne was. It was him. Luan had survived the rage of his adversaries and also fulfilled his mission.

    For the first time he allowed his emotions to show and a smile came to his lips, becoming later heavy laughter.

    Nothing else could stand in Abel’s way. The road was totally free now for his domain to take place. Eternal and supreme.