Chapter 7

The sound of distant screams jolted Chris awake. For a moment, he lay in the luxurious bed of his chamber in the Eternal Sanctum, trying to convince himself it was just a dream. But the ruckus grew louder - the clash of metal, inhuman shrieks, and the thunder of massive impacts reverberating through the castle walls.

Chris sprang from his bed, his heart pounding. He knew their time in the Afterplane was running short - they needed to leave soon before he became permanently bound to this realm. But something was terribly wrong.

As he hastily gathered his belongings, the noises intensified. Screams echoed through the corridors, accompanied by sounds he couldn't identify - like tearing metal mixed with the howls of dying beasts.

Chris cautiously approached his chamber door. The moment he opened it, the full horror of the situation became clear. The ornate hallway he'd walked just hours before was now littered with corpses - demons and angels alike sprawled in positions of desperate final defense. Dark, writhing shapes moved among the dead, demonic entities unlike any he'd seen before. They crawled along walls and ceiling, attacking anything that moved with savage ferocity.

Keeping to the shadows, Chris made his way toward Violet's chambers. His heart nearly stopped every time one of the strange demons passed nearby, their forms seeming to shift and twist in ways that hurt his eyes to watch.

He found Violet's door ajar, his blood running cold until he saw her inside, fully armed and alert. Her eyes met his with grim recognition.

"The Dark Avatar," she whispered, pulling him inside. "He's here. We need to find my father."

They moved through secret passages Violet knew, avoiding the main corridors now overrun with creatures of shadow. The sounds of battle grew louder as they approached the Hall of Reckoning.

When they finally reached the massive doors to the hall, the sight before them stole Chris's breath away. Vol'nash, in his full fifty-foot form, blazed with blue fire as he battled an armored figure that seemed to radiate pure darkness. The Dark Avatar, possessing the body of someone Violet identified in a whisper as "the Builder Valmir," wielded a blade that seemed to drink in light itself.

"Your time is done, brother," the Dark Avatar's voice resonated with multiple tones, as if many voices spoke at once. "Noma will fall!"

The battle between the two titans was devastating to behold. Each clash of their weapons sent shockwaves through the hall, shattering pillars and cracking the very foundations of the Eternal Sanctum. But something was wrong - Vol'nash's movements seemed desperate, unfocused. Behind them, near his throne, lay the crumpled form of Queen Velora, unnaturally still.

Vol'nash's eyes found them at the entrance, and terror flashed across his burning features. "Run!" he commanded. "Get out—"

The moment of distraction was all the Dark Avatar needed. His shadow blade plunged deep into Vol'nash's chest, and the demon king's flames flickered. As Vol'nash fell to one knee, the Dark Avatar ripped the Burning Blade from his grasp, the weapon's eternal flames now casting strange shadows in the avatar's hands.

"You always were too sentimental, brother," the Dark Avatar sneered. With a gesture, he tore open a portal of swirling darkness. But before stepping through, he turned toward Violet and Chris's position. "Ah, my niece. Do give my regards to the mortal realms."

Dark shapes began pouring from the shadows - twisted, horrible things that seemed made of living darkness. "Shadowfiends," Violet gasped, pulling Chris toward a concealed doorway. "We have to go. Now!"

They fled through hidden passages as the sounds of pursuit echoed behind them. Violet's face was a mask of anguish, but she never slowed, guiding them through the maze-like structure of the Eternal Sanctum's secret ways.

"My mother," she choked out as they ran. "He... he absorbed her completely. Her energy, her essence..."

Chris squeezed her hand but had no words to offer as they emerged into the burning landscape of the Infernal Chasm. Behind them, the magnificent Eternal Sanctum was being consumed by spreading shadows.

They raced across the hellscape, the pursuing Shadowfiends gaining ground. The dimensional rift back to the Afterplane loomed before them, its fiery maw now seeming like salvation rather than a barrier.

Without hesitation, they leaped through. The familiar sensation of being unmade and remade washed over them before they crashed onto the cemetery grounds near Evermore.

But Evermore was no longer the ethereal haven they'd left. The Dark Avatar's influence had already spread, transforming the peaceful spirits into more Shadowfiends. The once-beautiful ghost town was now a nightmare of twisted architecture and corrupted souls.

"The Shadowgate," Violet panted as they ran. "We have to make it back to the mortal realm!"

They sprinted through the Twilight Forest, branches whipping past them as shadows pursued. The corrupted spirits of Evermore had joined the chase, their former peaceful forms now warped into things of nightmare.

The Shadowgate appeared ahead, its skull centerpiece seeming to grin mockingly at their approach. Behind them, the horde of Shadowfiends closed in, their otherworldly shrieks filling the air.

As they reached the gate, Violet turned for one last look at the realm of her birth, now falling to darkness. Tears streamed down her face as she grasped Chris's hand.

Together, they leaped through the portal, leaving behind a realm in chaos, pursued by the shadows of a darkness older than time itself.

***

The familiar sensation of traveling through the Shadowgate enveloped Chris and Violet - that peculiar feeling of being unmade and reconstructed. But something felt different this time, wrong somehow. The journey seemed longer, more turbulent, as if they were being pulled off course by unseen forces.

They crashed onto solid ground with more force than usual, landing in a heap. Chris's head spun as his senses gradually returned to him. The first thing he noticed was that the humid, heavy air of the Darkmire was absent. In fact, nothing felt familiar at all.

Violet was already on her feet, pacing back and forth, her movements sharp and agitated. "This isn't right," she muttered, running her hands through her hair. "This isn't right at all." Her voice cracked slightly, the events they'd just witnessed in the Eternal Sanctum clearly weighing heavily on her.

Chris stood slowly, his legs still shaky. "Violet... where are we?"

"I don't know," she replied, her usual confidence shaken. "The Shadowgate should have returned us to where we entered it, but with my father incapacitated..." She swallowed hard before continuing. "The gates are connected to his power. They might be malfunctioning."

Chris looked around. They stood in the middle of a vast field that stretched to the horizon in all directions. Behind them, there was no sign of the Shadowgate - they might as well have been dropped from the sky. The grass beneath their feet was different from anything on Solaris, with a silvery sheen that made it look almost metallic in the strange light.

Even the sky was wrong. Instead of Solaris's familiar blue expanse, this sky had a subtle purple tinge, and two moons hung low on the horizon, one significantly larger than the other.

"The air," Violet said, taking a deep breath. "It's different. The magical resonance is all wrong. We're not just in another region, Chris. We're not even on Solaris anymore."

Movement in the distance caught their attention. Massive shapes lumbered across the plains - enormous, shaggy creatures that made the largest animals of Solaris look small in comparison. Despite their intimidating size, they moved with a peaceful, almost graceful slowness.

"AIDA," Violet said suddenly. "Chris, check with AIDA. Maybe she can tell us where we are."

The familiar robotic yet feminine voice chimed in from Chris's belt. "Welcome to planet Gorgonia! Scanning surroundings now." After a moment, she continued, "The large creatures you observe are known as Behemoths. Analysis indicates they are herbivorous herd animals, similar to cattle. Current threat assessment: minimal. They appear uninterested in your presence."

Chris watched as one of the Behemoths lifted its massive head, revealing a gentle face that seemed almost too small for its enormous body. The creature regarded them with calm disinterest before returning to its grazing.

"Gorgonia," Violet whispered. "I've been here before, but... but this region isn't familiar." She turned in a slow circle, her brow furrowed. "We need to find civilization, find a way to contact Solaris. We need to know what's happening in the Afterplane, what that monster is doing to my home."

Chris could see the pain in her eyes, the worry for her father and the grief for her mother still fresh. He reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently. "We'll find a way back," he assured her. "But first, we need to figure out where exactly we are on this planet."

"AIDA," Chris called out. "Can you detect any settlements nearby?"

"Scanning," AIDA responded. "Warning: Local atmospheric conditions are interfering with long-range scanning capabilities. However, I detect signs of artificial structures approximately 20 kilometers to the east."

Violet nodded, taking a deep breath to compose herself. "Then that's our direction. We need to move quickly - there's no telling how far the Dark Avatar's influence has spread already."

As they began their journey across the alien plains of Gorgonia, Chris couldn't help but marvel at how quickly everything had changed. Just days ago, he'd been an ordinary man from Earth. Now he was stranded on an alien planet with a demon princess, running from an ancient evil that had just conquered the underworld.

The Behemoths continued their peaceful grazing as Chris and Violet set off toward the east, their massive forms creating moving shadows in the purple-tinged light. Behind them, the twin moons of Gorgonia rose higher in the sky, silent witnesses to the beginning of their new adventure.

***

The journey across Gorgonia's silvery plains was tense and exhausting. After twenty kilometers, Chris and Violet crouched behind a ridge overlooking their destination - or what remained of it. Pathfinder Point lay in ruins, its structures torn and blackened, wisps of dark energy still curling around the debris.

"Shadowfiends," Violet whispered, pointing to the dark forms prowling through the devastation. "They're everywhere."

"I know this place," Chris said quietly. "Or, I've heard of it. It's Elyndrian, isn't it?"

Violet nodded. "An Elyndrian settlement, yes, though I've never been here myself."

AIDA's voice chimed in softly, "Correct. Pathfinder Point was established recently as an Elyndrian research outpost. Breaking news reports indicate the Dark Avatar attacked this location approximately six hours ago. Most inhabitants managed to escape, though casualties were reported."

They carefully made their way closer, using the ruined buildings as cover. The Shadowfiends moved with predatory grace, their dark forms seeming to shift and blur in the purple-tinged light.

"AIDA," Chris whispered, "any way out of here?"

"Affirmative. The settlement contains a portal facility with a direct link to Elyndaar City. Scans indicate the portal is still operational."

"There," Violet pointed to a cylindrical structure near the center of the outpost. "That must be it."

They crept forward, timing their movements between the Shadowfiends' patrols. Just as they prepared to make a final dash to the portal building, AIDA's voice rang out, "Caution: Portal energy signature confirmed—"

The sudden sound attracted a massive Shadowfiend. Its head snapped toward them, empty eyes fixing on their position. The creature let out an otherworldly shriek that alerted its brethren.

"Run!" Chris shouted. They sprinted for the portal building, the thunder of pursuing Shadowfiends close behind. They burst through the door, Chris slamming it shut just as dark claws scraped against its surface.

Inside, Violet rushed to the portal controls. "Come on, come on," she muttered, her fingers flying over the Elyndrian technology. The portal hummed to life just as the door began to buckle under the Shadowfiends' assault.

"Jump!" Violet grabbed Chris's hand as the door exploded inward. They leaped through the swirling portal just as dark shapes lunged for them.

They crashed onto a polished floor in what appeared to be a high-security room. Before they could recover, a massive Shadowfiend burst through the portal behind them, its claws extended for the kill.

Suddenly, a metallic form interposed itself between them and the creature. An android, heavily armored and radiating power, caught the Shadowfiend's strike with one hand. In a fluid motion, it drove its other fist through the creature's chest. The Shadowfiend dissolved into shadows as the android deactivated the portal with a gesture.

"Welcome to Elyndaar City," the android said, turning to face them. His movements were precise yet elegant, his voice cultured and refined. "I am Vincent. Are you both unharmed?"

Chris and Violet nodded, still catching their breath.

"Excellent. You must locate Drake Raven immediately. The situation is dire." Vincent's tone was urgent despite his formal manner.

"Drake?" Chris perked up. "He should be at his Gadget Shop. He's the one who made AIDA."

But when they reached the shop in the Market District, they found only a mechanoid managing the store. "Master Raven is at City HQ," it informed them. "Most urgent business today."

They made their way through the city streets, now alive with worried conversations. Citizens huddled in groups, their voices full of fear and speculation.

"The Skyhold Mountain is gone!"

"What about the Dragonkin?"

"They say the Dark Avatar took something called The Source..."

"First Pathfinder Point, now this..."

The central tower of Elyndaar City rose before them, its sleek design a testament to Elyndrian engineering. Inside, city guards blocked their path until a massive figure emerged from the central elevator.

The Gorgon was easily three times Chris's size, his form impressive even by his species' standards. He noticed them immediately, his eyes studying them with intelligence.

"We're looking for Drake. We have information about the Dark Avatar and chaos in the Afterplane," Chris ventured.

The Gorgon grunted. "I am Gremlock, a General of Elyndaar's forces. Drake is upstairs, dealing with this mess. Come. I'll take you to him."

The elevator ride was silent, tension thick in the air. When the doors opened, they found themselves in a large command center. A group of people surrounded a holographic display, with Drake Raven at its center, his familiar form focused on the tactical readouts.

Drake looked up as they entered, his eyes widening in recognition. "Chris?" He gestured them over immediately. "Join us. We need all the help we can get."

As they approached the group, Chris couldn't help but notice the grim expressions on everyone's faces. Whatever the Dark Avatar was planning, it was bigger than anything they'd imagined.