Orion sidestepped the wraith's clawed attack, feeling the chill of its touch graze his arm. His enchanted sword, Starpiercer, gleamed as he swung it in a precise arc, severing the shadowy figure in half. But instead of vanishing, the wraith reformed, its fragmented essence swirling back into shape.
"Normal attacks won't work!" Astra shouted, raising her staff. A pulse of radiant energy shot from its tip, striking another advancing wraith. Unlike Orion's blade, Astra's magic caused the creature to wail in agony before dissipating into nothingness.
Kael cursed under his breath. "We need to find the source of these things before we get overwhelmed!"
Lyra spun in a graceful motion, her twin daggers infused with celestial energy. She slashed through two more wraiths, but they too began reforming. Her expression hardened. "They're memories of the lost. We need to sever their ties to this place."
Orion's gaze flickered to the obelisk. It pulsed in tandem with the wraiths, feeding them energy. A realization struck him. "The obelisk is their anchor. If we destroy it, we might be able to free them."
Astra nodded. "Then we must move—quickly."
The wraiths surged forward in greater numbers, their ghastly forms multiplying as if the very realm opposed their presence. Kael and Lyra fought with unmatched precision, holding the creatures at bay while Orion and Astra pushed toward the obelisk. Every step felt like trudging through a storm of sorrow, the weight of forgotten lives pressing down on them.
As they neared the obelisk, Orion raised his blade. "Astra, can you disrupt its energy?"
She nodded, beginning to chant in the old celestial tongue. The runes on the obelisk flickered, fighting against her magic. Orion channeled his own astral energy into his sword, preparing for a final strike. With a mighty swing, he brought Starpiercer down upon the obelisk.
The moment his blade made contact, a deafening explosion of light erupted, engulfing everything in its brilliance.
When the light faded, the wraiths were gone. The oppressive weight in the air lifted, replaced by a serene silence. The obelisk lay shattered, its energy dissipating into the cosmos.
Astra exhaled, exhausted. "We did it."
But Orion knew better. This was only the beginning. The paradox still loomed over them, and deeper secrets lay ahead.
A new path had opened, leading them into the unknown.