The Villain Professor's Second Chance

The rift pulsed before us, still open, still seeping the demonic energy that twisted reality. I could feel its hunger, the raw, destructive power that sought to consume everything. Aurelia was beside me, her breath heavy but steady, her eyes locked on the rift. We had given everything, and it still wasn't enough.

The demons continued to pour through, twisted by the time distortions, and the air around us crackled with unstable magic. We were running out of time.

Aurelia turned to me, her expression resolute. "We have to give more."

I understood immediately what she meant. We had tapped into our magic—hers, the raw elemental power of flame and light, and mine, the dark magic that had been my path since the day I took my first step into necromancy. But it wasn't enough.

The rift was feeding off the sorcerer's control of time, and if we were going to close it, we would need to go deeper, further than either of us had ever gone before.

"I know," I said, my voice grim. "But this could kill us."

Aurelia smiled, though it was a bitter, weary smile. "If we don't, it will kill us anyway."

She was right. The demons were endless, and the elves couldn't hold the line forever. This was our only chance. I nodded, feeling the weight of the decision settle over me like a shroud. Together, we took a step forward, closer to the rift, letting its energy pulse through us. The closer we got, the more I could feel it—the pull of time itself, the warping of reality.

My dark magic surged in response, eager to be unleashed.

But I needed more than necromancy.

I reached deep within myself, searching for something beyond what I had known. The Drakhans—my family, my bloodline—had been shrouded in mystery, their connection to dark magic whispered about in old tomes and forgotten histories. But now, as I stood at the edge of oblivion, I could feel it—an ancient, dormant power, coursing through my veins. It wasn't necromancy.

It was something darker, something older, tied to the very fabric of the shadows that bound my magic.

As I tapped into it, the power surged through me, raw and unbridled. My vision blurred for a moment as the magic took hold, a force that felt like it could tear me apart if I lost control for even a second. But with it came strength—strength enough to challenge the rift, to bend the dark magic to my will.

At the same time, I sensed Aurelia doing the same. She had always been powerful, but now, as she closed her eyes and reached inward, I could feel her power growing exponentially. Her royal bloodline, the ancient connection to the elves and their magic, began to awaken.

I had heard whispers of it before—how the Regaria Kingdom's royalty was tied to the elves, how their bloodline carried ancient magic that had long been forgotten. Now, I could see it manifesting in her. Golden light surged around her, mingling with her flames, transforming her power into something far more dangerous.

Together, our magic combined, a swirling vortex of shadow and light, of fire and darkness. The air around us crackled with energy, unstable and wild, as if the very fabric of reality was trying to tear itself apart. The rift began to shudder, as if it could feel the threat we posed, but it wasn't closing. Not yet.

"We're not strong enough!" I shouted, my voice barely audible over the roar of magic.

Aurelia gritted her teeth, her eyes blazing with determination. "We will be."

We pushed harder, digging deeper into our respective powers. I could feel the strain in my bones, the dark magic threatening to consume me. My body trembled under the weight of it, but I held on. I had to. The rift was weakening, but it was still too strong. Too vast.

And then, through the distortion of time and space, I felt it—the presence of the time sorcerer.

He was here.

A low, distorted laugh echoed across the battlefield, and I looked up to see the sorcerer manifesting before us. His form was a twisted blur, reality itself warping around him. Time bent at his will, distorting his figure into something both there and not there, as if he existed in multiple timelines at once.

His eyes glowed with a sickening, otherworldly light, and as he stepped forward, the air rippled, sending shockwaves through the battlefield.

"Foolish mortals," the sorcerer hissed, his voice a distorted cacophony of overlapping realities. "You think you can challenge me?"

He raised his hand, and with a flick of his wrist, duplicates of himself began to materialize, each one stepping from an alternate timeline. There were four of them now, each as real as the next, their combined presence warping time even further. The rift surged with power, fed by the sorcerer's control over time.

"We need to close the rift now!" Aurelia shouted, her voice filled with urgency.

I nodded, but I knew it wouldn't be that simple. The sorcerer wasn't going to let us close the rift without a fight. I could feel his power surging through the battlefield, manipulating time, making it bend to his will. And now, with his duplicates spreading out, the battlefield was in chaos.

"I'll hold him off!" Aurelia shouted, stepping forward, her sword blazing with golden light. "You focus on the rift!"

"Aurelia, wait—" I started, but she was already moving, her blade slicing through the air as she charged toward the sorcerer.
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Shit!

I turned my attention back to the rift. Aurelia trusted me to close it, and I couldn't let her down. I could still feel the pull of the Drakhan bloodline within me, the dark magic surging through my veins. But I needed more. I needed something to stabilize the rift, something powerful enough to disrupt the sorcerer's hold on time.

If I'm late, the queen will die, and we will be doing this all over again!

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw him—Elendorr.

The ancient general moved with a grace that belied his age, his silver hair flowing as he stepped toward the rift. His eyes met mine, and in that moment, I understood. He knew what had to be done.

"I will stabilize the rift," Elendorr said, his voice calm but filled with resolve. "But it might cost me everything."

I opened my mouth to protest, but he shook his head. "There is no other way, child of human. My time ended long ago. My men are managing with the rest of the defense line led by the current general. Let me finish this."

Without waiting for a response, Elendorr raised his hands, his ancient magic flowing through the air like a cool breeze. The rift reacted immediately, its pulsing slowing as Elendorr's magic intertwined with it. The ancient elf was pouring everything he had into the rift, stabilizing its chaotic energy. But it wasn't enough on its own.

He gazed at me with a peaceful smile.

He needed my help.

Tsk!

I clicked my tongue.

I moved beside him, channeling my dark magic into the rift, guiding his power as it flowed through the tear in reality. Elendorr's magic was strong, but it was ancient, slow, and it needed the raw, destructive force of my magic to hold it together.

Together, we pushed against the rift, forcing it to close. But I could feel the strain on Elendorr's body. His breathing grew labored, and his skin began to pale as his life force drained into the rift. He was giving everything, every last ounce of his strength, to stabilize it.

Meanwhile, Aurelia was locked in battle with the time sorcerer. Her blade flashed as she clashed with one of his duplicates, her golden magic pushing back against the sorcerer's control over time. But there were too many of them. For every duplicate she cut down, another took its place, each one warping the battlefield further, bending time itself to the sorcerer's will.

I could feel the pressure mounting. The rift was closing, but not fast enough. Elendorr was fading, his magic weakening with every second. I needed to push harder, to give more.

But as I channeled my dark magic into the rift, I could feel the toll it was taking on my body. My vision blurred, and my limbs felt heavy, as if the weight of the magic was crushing me. The Drakhan bloodline surged within me, pushing me to go further, to take more, but I knew I was nearing my limit.

"Dravis, O' Hero of humans," Elendorr said, his voice barely more than a whisper. "It's... up to you now."

I looked at him, and in his eyes, I saw the acceptance of his fate. He knew what had to be done, and he had made his peace with it.

With a final surge of magic, Elendorr poured everything he had into the rift. The air crackled with energy, and the rift shuddered, its chaotic energy stabilizing as Elendorr's magic took hold. But as his magic flowed into the rift, his body began to fade, his form dissolving into light.

"Elendorr!" I shouted, but it was too late. The ancient general was gone, his sacrifice the key to stabilizing the rift.