Ethan, fueled by a surge of emotions at the shadow's cruel taunt, took a step closer, his eyes ablaze with determination. "Where is Thalia? Tell me now!"
The shadow, reveling in its deceit, responded with a sinister laugh. "Thalia resides in the embrace of hell, mortal. Perhaps you should join her."
A wave of anger surged through Ethan, unlocking a dormant power within him. The Fragments of Destiny pulsed with an intensity that surpassed anything he had experienced before. Arcane energies swirled around him, creating an aura that seemed to draw upon the very essence of Aetheria.
Aric, astonished by the unfolding spectacle, could sense the newfound power radiating from Ethan. Even the shadow, momentarily taken aback, struggled to comprehend the force now emanating from its adversary.
With a focused gaze, Ethan channeled the newfound power, unleashing a torrent of elemental energies that engulfed the shadow. Flames danced, water surged, earth trembled, and winds howled in a symphony of raw magical force. The shadow, now overpowered and unable to maintain its deceptive illusions, faltered in the face of Ethan's newfound might.
In a decisive moment, Ethan's elemental power surged into a concentrated beam, piercing through the shadow's core. The malevolent force recoiled, dissipating like dissipating shadows in the morning light.
Aric, awestruck by the display, approached Ethan cautiously. "Ethan, what was that power? It's beyond anything we've encountered."
Ethan, still feeling the echoes of the unleashed power, could only offer a contemplative gaze. The chapter concluded with the shadow defeated, the illusion shattered, and the Fragments of Destiny resonating with the profound transformation that had taken place. The quest to find Thalia and the lost comrades continued, but now with the revelation of Ethan's newfound potential.