The icy wind cut through the Plains as the celestial figure left Mammon at the edge of the vast fissure. The horizon was shrouded in dense mist, and the dry ground beneath Mammon's feet pulsed with an ancient, ominous energy. He stood motionless, staring into the abyss before him, where the darkness seemed endless.
Mammon closed his eyes and gripped tightly the Fragment of Chaos he had safeguarded for so long. His body, already marked by the power he had tried to control, trembled as he channeled its final energy. A crack echoed through the air, and the fissure's fractures began to widen. The Plains seemed to writhe, the earth screaming in agony as it felt the power of the Underworld awakening.
The fissure burst open with a silent explosion, releasing a wave of dark energy that made the air feel heavier, the world around it dimmer. From the darkness, a towering figure began to take form. Lucifer, with his black wings and crushing presence, emerged from the abyss, his eyes glowing with an infernal light. The aura surrounding him pulsed with a mixture of divine and cursed power.
Exhausted, Mammon fell to his knees, yet a smile formed on his lips as he saw Lucifer finally freed.
- Mammon: "It is done..." - he whispered weakly.
Lucifer, without shifting his gaze from the vast darkness before him, approached Mammon. His steps were slow but carried the authority of one who had conquered death and hell. He crouched and whispered something into Mammon's ear, a soft yet venomous voice that made Mammon shudder. No one else could hear what Lucifer said, but the words felt like a pact sealed in blood.
In response to Lucifer's whisper, the abyss began to boil. A legion of demons emerged, marching in perfect formation. Their black armor gleamed with the glow of the Underworld's flames, and the sound of their skeletal horses' hooves echoed across the Plains. At the legion's forefront, high-ranking demons rode monstrous beasts, bearing banners of bone and steel, symbols of their power in the Underworld.
Lucifer raised a hand, and the demon army halted. His presence was absolute, and even the most powerful among the demons bowed their heads in reverence to their lord.
- Lucifer: "Mammon..." - Lucifer finally spoke, his voice reverberating across the Plains. - "The war is about to begin. The chaos we craved will finally be unleashed upon the realms."
Still kneeling, Mammon gazed at the army before them, feeling the enormity of what they had awakened.
- Mammon: "We are ready, my lord," - Mammon replied, a wicked smile on his face. - "Nothing can stop you now."
With a resolute gesture, Lucifer turned to his army, his black wings spreading in a colossal arc.
- Lucifer: "Let the world tremble, for the demons shall march again."
The infernal trumpets blared, and the troops advanced, the ground quaking under the weight of the dark forces now marching to war. Lucifer's presence, freed from his prison in the Underworld, marked the dawn of a new era of destruction and chaos—an era where even the heavens would fear hell's advance.
Meanwhile, in the distant white-stone castle of Lior, where Lady Elara's body lay, a somber silence filled the great hall. Her funeral was simple but deeply mournful. White flowers covered the coffin, and flickering candles cast a soft glow on her peaceful face.
A few close to her gathered quietly, honoring the sacred moment of farewell. Elara's presence, even in death, was monumental. Her deeds, her bravery, had left an indelible mark on all who were present. Yet, as prayers began, a strange sensation filled the hall.
A soft breeze swept through the room, as if the world itself sighed. The candles flickered, and a yellow, ethereal light began to emanate from Elara's palm. Those closest to her stepped back in awe and reverence as the light enveloped her body.
Murmurs arose among those present. Elara's body, which had seemed peacefully at rest, now radiated an energy no one could explain.
The light faded as swiftly as it had appeared, but everyone knew something had changed. Elara's death, it seemed, would not be the end, but the prelude to something greater, something yet to come.
The war was approaching, and all knew that with Lucifer free and the Underworld's forces unleashed, the world's balance hung by a thread.