Final Goodbye

Just as Amukelo and Eliss seemed to be gaining the upper hand, pushing through the final barrier of monsters with a renewed sense of hope, their progress was abruptly shattered by a chilling howl that resonated through the cavernous depths of the dungeon. The sound was eerily familiar, a haunting echo that drained their newfound confidence as effectively as the Soul Siphons drained the life from their victims. The pair ceased their combat, turning towards the source of the noise with dread tightening in their chests.

From the path they had painstakingly cleared, a loud, mocking laugh broke the tense silence. "I've been losing patience waiting for you," a sinister voice boomed through the corridor. "At some point, I thought that you might be already dead. But I guess I am lucky enough to have a chance to kill you myself. Hahaha..."

Amukelo and Eliss turned to face their nemesis with a mix of disbelief and fear—Leviathan had found them again. The towering figure of Leviathan loomed over them, its presence overwhelming as it continued in a taunting tone, "I like that face. It's different from what it was when we first met. Show me your fear!"

As Leviathan lunged forward, a rush of adrenaline spurred Amukelo into action. "Eliss, I will try to hold him for a second, and you rush... Eliss?" His voice trailed off as he turned to see Eliss, tears streaming down her face, her expression one of desperate resolution. She threw her last shard at Amukelo, her voice breaking as she cried out, "You have to live, Amukelo... Live for me and for this world."

In a swift, selfless act, Eliss summoned massive balls of wind, her magical prowess amplifying its size as it connected with the shard. The resultant force was immense, creating a powerful gust that struck Amukelo, propelling him towards one of the smaller exits. Simultaneously, she directed other balls of air toward the entrance she directed Amukelo into, using her precise control to manipulate their paths.

"ELISSSS!!!" Amukelo screamed, his voice echoing off the stone walls as he realized her plan. She was sacrificing herself to ensure his escape, a decision that filled him with both anguish and a fierce desire to survive for her sake.

Leviathan, realizing what was happening, roared in frustration, "Don't you dare!" It charged towards the exit in a desperate attempt to catch Amukelo, but it was too late. The forceful wind ball had already sent Amukelo hurtling through the smaller exit, while the others smashed into the walls, roof, and ground, causing a catastrophic collapse that sealed the passage.

Leviathan arrived just as a cascade of rocks blocked its advance, its furious gaze meeting the collapsing debris with a snarl of defeat. Turning back to Eliss, its eyes burned with a cold, murderous wrath. "Youu!!!" it bellowed, its voice a blend of rage and begrudging respect for her cunning.

Leviathan's massive form recoiled slightly, then landed heavily in front of Eliss, its immense presence commanding the cavern with an air of menacing authority. The monster's eyes, glowing with red, predatory light, bore into Eliss's, searching, probing for a hint of the fear it thrived on. Around them, the lesser monsters held back, as if even they were wary of intervening in this palpable showdown between the two formidable adversaries.

"You are not the same coward I remember," Leviathan began, its voice a deep, rumbling growl that reverberated off the damp dungeon walls. "Last time you ran away and left your friends to die. I must say, that was brave…" It paused, the silence stretching ominously before it continued, its tone darkening, "BUT YOU DARED TO ENRAGE ME!!! YOU WILL FEEL MY WRATHH!!!"

Leviathan's anger seemed to fill the space, an oppressive force that made the air itself feel heavier. "Your death will be long and painful. I will let these monsters play with you, and once your will to live is completely gone, I will kill you slowly to make you regret enraging me. Once I'm done with you, I will hunt down that brat next." The monster's promise was a sinister declaration of torment and revenge.

Amid this terrifying tirade, Eliss's gaze was oddly distant, her focus not on the monstrous figure before her, but on something unseen, something beyond the immediate threat. "Liora…" she whispered weakly, her voice barely audible over the growls of the encircling beasts.

Leviathan scoffed with disdain, a sound that was almost a grunt, and then with a swift, dismissive gesture, it signaled for the other monsters to attack. Roused from her brief trance by the imminent danger, Eliss's survival instincts kicked in. "I know I will die here. But I won't die without a fight," she declared with a resolute yet weary tone.

Summoning the last of her energy, Eliss called forth her magical summons, creatures of many elements that materialized with a flash to stand between her and the approaching monsters. She began to cast her spells with a frantic urgency, each incantation a desperate bid to stave off the inevitable. Leviathan watched with cold amusement as Eliss's final reserves of strength were sapped by the relentless assault.

The first Marrow Lurker struck, its attack sending Eliss flying back several meters. She barely had time to recover before a Dread Wolf pounced, its teeth sinking into her arm. Then came another hit, and another, each blow a brutal reminder of her dire predicament. With every strike, her determination wavered, her will to continue fighting dimming like the light of a dying star.

As the monsters' attacks continued, Eliss's mind began to drift away from the immediate pain, back to a haunting incident from her past "that" incident that had left deep scars on her psyche. The memory was a painful echo of loss and despair, a reminder of a time when she felt just as powerless.

Suddenly, a particularly vicious blow sent her sprawling across the cavern floor, far from her assailants. She lay there, gasping for breath, her body bruised and battered, as the monsters slowly advanced towards her. In these moments of respite mixed with dread, Eliss's thoughts wandered through the corridors of her past, each memory a mosaic of battles fought, loved ones lost, and dreams shattered.