Evelyn Parker

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Bria soared through the tumultuous skies, her form enveloped by a swirling maelstrom of dust and debris. With a graceless arc, she descended, her body meeting the jagged embrace of the rubble below. The breath was wrenched from her lungs as she lay amidst the destruction, her limbs splayed in defeat.

Eleanor hastened to her companion's side, her elegant features etched with concern. "Bria, my dear, speak to me. Are you harmed?"

The younger woman's response was a pained murmur, her voice laced with the stubborn fire of youth. "A mere trifle, Eleanor. I shall recover. The battle is not yet beyond us."

"Rest now, brave heart," Eleanor implored, her tone imbued with the gentle authority of the Guardian of Earth. "You have waged a valiant struggle. Allow me to bear the mantle henceforth."

Confusion marred Bria's visage, her brow furrowing in dismay. "Alone? You cannot mean-"

"Bria, you are injured," Eleanor interjected, her voice a blend of compassion and firmness. "This confrontation is mine to shoulder. Your safety is paramount."

Defiance sparked in Bria's eyes, her spirit undimmed. "I refuse to stand idly by. Our strength lies in unity, does it not?"

Eleanor's gaze softened momentarily before steeling once more. "It is an order, Bria. Heed it."

The air grew thick with unspoken words as Bria grappled with the command, her heart warring with her sense of duty.

"Eleanor, this cannot be your wish," she protested, her voice a whisper of disbelief.

Silence was Eleanor's only reply, her attention abruptly captured by the sinister figure of a dark-haired woman observing them from afar.

Eleanor's countenance transformed, the visage of elegance giving way to an unyielding resolve.

"Retreat to safety, Bria. That is my final entreaty," she commanded, her eyes never leaving the ominous presence that loomed in the distance.

With a reluctant step, Bria conceded, her features wrought with worry and the unshakable faith of a comrade in arms.

Eleanor stood resolute, her voice echoing with a timbre of solemnity.

"Aveila, it appears destiny has woven our paths to cross in solitude."

Aveila, her raven locks cascading over her shoulders, met Eleanor's gaze with a steely countenance.

"You are mistaken, Eleanor. For it is I alone who shall emerge victorious."

The air between them crackled with the weight of unspoken history, each sorceress a mirror of the other's power and grace.

Eleanor's voice broke the silence, her words a declaration etched in the stone of time.

"By day's end, one shall stand triumphant, the other shall fall defeated."

A shadow passed over Aveila's face, her eyes narrowing as the gravity of the moment settled upon her soul.

From the safety of her concealment, Bria observed with bated breath, the dread in her heart a heavy stone. Eleanor had vanquished countless adversaries, yet Marthia was no mere foe; she was a reflection of Eleanor's own past, a sister in arms turned adversary.

The two sorceresses commenced their deadly waltz, circling with the precision of celestial bodies locked in an eternal dance.

The silence shattered with a cataclysmic BOOM as their spells collided, a maelstrom of arcane energy erupting forth. The earth quaked, and the air itself seemed to scream as the force of their confrontation tore through the ruins.