THE ECLIPSE LEGACY

The silence did not last.

A deep, unnatural rumble echoed through the cavern, the very air shifting with an ominous weight. Ian realized it too late.

The cave was collapsing.

The Abyssal Devourer had been the anchor of this domain, and with its death, the realm was unraveling. Massive cracks splintered across the ground as stone fragments rained from above. The eerie red glow that once pulsed along the walls flickered and died, swallowed by the creeping abyss.

Ian stumbled back, his body barely holding itself together after his awakening. But he knew one thing that he had to move. Fast.

Then, he heard the screams.

The guild members.

They had betrayed him, abandoned him as nothing more than a sacrificial pawn. Yet now, fate had turned against them. With the Abyssal Devourer gone, the corruption that had been held at bay surged forth, no longer restrained. From the depths of the shadows, monstrous entities emerged, ravenous, enraged, and merciless.

The first to fall was a scout. His shriek was cut short as a creature lunged from the darkness, fangs gleaming before tearing into him. Another attempted to flee, only for the ground beneath him to crumble, swallowing him into the abyss.

Ian watched as the guild leader, the very man who had orchestrated his death turned to run, his face contorted in sheer terror. But karma was swift. The earth beneath him split open, and he plummeted into the void, his final, desperate scream fading into nothingness.

The few remaining survivors turned to Ian, their eyes brimming with desperation.

"Please, help us!" one of them begged, reaching out with trembling hands. "You can't just leave us here!"

Ian's grip on his sword tightened. His body ached, exhaustion clawing at him, but his resolve remained unshaken. Without a word, he turned his back to them and began walking toward the exit.

"You can't do this!" a voice hissed behind him. One of the guild members' voices laced with fear, yet clinging to arrogance spat out his last, desperate card. "Our guild might not be the strongest, but our leader's younger brother is an executive of a high-ranking guild! If you leave us, you'll be making enemies you can't afford!"

Ian slowed slightly, prompting the man to continue, thinking he had struck a nerve.

"He's at the Syzlume rank! Even if you make it out of here, there's no escaping the consequences!"

Another voice, calmer yet laced with manipulation, chimed in. "Listen, I'm the vice guild master. If you help us, I'll make sure the story is told in your favor."

Ian came to a full stop.

For a moment, hope flickered in the vice guild master's eyes, mistaking Ian's silence for consideration.

One second. Ten seconds. Thirty seconds.

Finally, Ian turned to face them.

"After trying to send me to my death, you still have the audacity to ask for my help?" His voice was low, yet it cut through the cavern sharper than any blade. His gaze, cold and unforgiving, bore into them.

They flinched.

Without another word, Ian turned his back to them and walked away.

The cries behind him grew more frantic, desperate pleads turning into panicked wails. But he did not stop.

He thought of the years he had suffered, struggling in a world that only valued strength. The countless times he had been discarded, seen as nothing more than a tool or an inconvenience.

For the first time, he had won.

With one last step, he left them to their fate.

The exit was near.

Ian's lungs burned, his muscles screamed in protest, but he pushed forward. The cavern was collapsing in on itself, the very fabric of this forsaken place tearing apart. Adrenaline had long since faded, leaving only raw determination driving him forward.

The tunnel ahead flickered with light from the outside world. A beacon of survival.

One last leap.

Gathering every ounce of strength left in his body, Ian threw himself forward just as the cavern crumbled behind him. The force of the collapse sent him tumbling onto solid ground, rolling across the rough terrain before coming to a breathless stop.

Silence.

The portal behind him was gone. Its entrance was nothing more than jagged ruins now, sealing the horrors forever.

Ian lay there for a moment, staring up at the sky. The weight of everything settled over him. All the betrayal, the awakening, the battle and the survival.

He had made it.

Not just that.

He had awakened.

A slow grin spread across his face, exhaustion mingling with exhilaration. He clenched his fist, feeling the unfamiliar power humming beneath his skin, waiting to be explored.

The world had cast him aside.

But now, it would have no choice but to acknowledge him.