Eclipsed Destiny

The shadow covered the battlefield, suffocating under the rogue lieutenant's mocking laughter in the valley. The ancient figure that emerged from darkness was nothing Celia had ever seen before. The eyes were deep, red, malevolent, and its hulking form seemed to radiate a power that made the air around it heavy and oppressive.

Celia's mark flared with sudden, wild intensity, the heat seeming to sear her very arm as the blessing answered the creature's existence in this place. Back-staggering, Celia's heart pounded. So fear coiled very snug in her chest. "What is that?"

Marcus's voice was ragged; his eyes were wide as he stared at the form standing in the center of his father's study.

"The Shadowbeast," Aziel explained curtly. "Old artifact of the rogues. Me thought it a myth.

The rogue lieutenant's voice rang out, cold and triumphant. "Not a myth, Aziel. A reminder of what your kind fears most. This war ends tonight, with the destruction of your precious pack."

The Shadowbeast let out a guttural roar that shook the ground beneath their feet. The rogues surged forward with renewed ferocity, their movements coordinated and deadly as they pressed the attack.

"We can't fight that thing," Marcus said, his voice filled with despair. "It's too strong."

"We don't have a choice," Aziel growled, his claws extending as he stepped forward. "If we don't stop it, the pack is finished."

Celia's chest tightened as she watched the Shadowbeast advance. Its massive form was like cutting through the battlefield, this living storm that brought fear with it. The energy of the blessing swelled inside her, but she knew it would not be enough not against something like this.

"There has to be another way," she said, her voice shaking and her eyes looking to Aziel.

He turned to her, the blue of his eyes streaked with determination and sorrow. "If there is," he said, "we don't have time to find it. We fight, Celia. Together."

\---

The battle continued, the pack struggling to hold the line against the relentless onslaught of rogues. Celia fought alongside Aziel, her blade glowing with the blessing's power as she cut through the enemies that came too close. But the Shadowbeast's presence loomed over them, its strength turning the tide of the battle.

Celia's mark burned hotter with each passing moment; the blessing's power grew more intense but unstable. She felt it building, this storm of energy that was ready to consume her should she not find a means of controlling it. And then, amidst the chaos of it all, she saw him-the rogue lieutenant, sneering at the edge of the battlefield. His crimson eyes locked onto hers. He raised a hand with an imperious gesture ordering the Shadowbeast onward. "No," Celia breathed, her heart jackhammering as the creature towered closer.

The blessing flared again, its energy searing and sharp as it surged through her. She gasped, clutching her arm as the power threatened to overwhelm her.

Aziel was at her side in an instant, his hand steadying her as he looked into her eyes. "Celia, you have to focus. The blessing-it's the only thing that can stop that thing."

I can't," she said, her voice quivering. "It's too much. I don't know how to control it."

"Yes, you can," Aziel said with firmness in his voice, filled with conviction. "You are stronger than this, Celia. You have already proven it. The blessing chose you for a reason.

His words steadied her, grounding her in the midst of the chaos. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to focus as she channeled the blessing's energy. The heat settled, its power coalescing into a steady flame that burned within her. But even as she prepared to face the Shadowbeast, a voice echoed in her mind a voice that wasn't her own.

"There is another way."

Celia froze, her breath hitching as the words reverberated through her. It was the blessing, speaking to her in a way it never had before.

"What way?" she asked silently, her heart racing.

"The pact. A bond with the ancient one."

Her stomach churned as the meaning of the words sank in. The blessing was offering her a solution-a way to stop the Shadowbeast. But it came with a price. "What is it?" Aziel asked, his voice piercing through her thoughts.

Celia gazed at him, her chest constricting as she considered her options. "The blessing-it's saying there's another way. But it's risky. I don't know what it will cost."

Aziel's jaw clenched as he searched her eyes. "Whatever it is, don't do it. We'll find another way."

"There's no time," Celia said, her voice trembling. "If I don't do this, the pack won't survive."

Aziel's grip on her arm tightened. "Celia, listen to me. You don't have to do this alone. We'll fight together. We'll find a way—"

But his words were cut off as the Shadowbeast let out another deafening roar, its massive form advancing toward the pack. The rogues surged forward, their movements faster and more coordinated than before. Celia's heart pounded as she made her decision. "I'm sorry, Aziel," she said, her voice barely audible.

Before he could respond, she advanced, the blessing's energy becoming brighter than ever. Closing her eyes, she turned her attention to connecting herself with the ancient power dwelling within her.

"I accept."

\---

The world around her shifted.

Celia stood in the void. Darkness stretched out before her and to either side, immeasurable in every direction. A light pulsed, far off, calling her toward it. She stepped forward cautiously, her heart pounding, as she drew closer to the source of the glow.

The light coalesced into a form: a being of pure energy, its shape indistinct but powerful. Its voice echoed in her mind, deep and resonant.

"You wish to halt the beast.

"Yes," she said, her voice steady through the fear curling up in her chest. "But I can't do it alone."

The thing looked at her in silence, its presence overwhelming. "A pact must be made. A bond which cannot be undone. Will you accept the cost?

The cost still made Celia hesitate, weighing in with so much pressure. But it was something she must have done, for A pack couldn't fall. Not Aziel.

"I accept," said she finally, her voice set.

The being touched, its power embracing her like a blazing fire. She felt the agony, sharp and burning, as the power of the blessing joined with the old energy. Her mark blazed brighter than it ever had before, and the light spread across her body in fiery patterns.

"It is done."

\---

Celia's eyes snapped open, the battlefield coming back into focus. The blessing's energy surged through her, stronger and more controlled than ever before. She could feel the bond with the ancient power, its strength flowing through her like a raging river.

"Celia?" Aziel's voice was filled with shock as he looked at her, his eyes widening at the sight.

Her blade blazed with golden light as she turned toward the Shadowbeast. The creature hesitated, its red eyes narrowing as it sensed the shift in her power.

"This ends now," Celia said, her voice steady and filled with authority.

She charged forward, the blessing's energy blazing as she met the Shadowbeast head-on.

7---

As Celia's blade met the Shadowbeast's claws, the air around them exploded with light and energy. The clash of power consumed the battlefield, and the pack and rogues were frozen in awe.

In the middle of all this chaos, the voice of the rogue lieutenant rose, full of rage.

"She'll burn herself alive before this war is over.