With the liberation of the Lord of Darkness, the atmosphere within the spiritual prison changed remarkably. The intensity of the dark energy lessened, and a glimmer of light began to seep into the place, as if hope was starting to bloom in a barren land. The Lord of Darkness stood tall in his gleaming black armor, looking at Rain and Lilith with a gaze of profound appreciation.
"Thank you once again for freeing me. My liberty was unjustly stolen, and I have spent centuries in this spiritual prison, plotting my revenge and the recovery of what was taken from me," said the Lord of Darkness in a calm voice, yet one that carried an undeniable tone of determination. "But first and foremost, I must understand the current state of the world. A long time has passed, and I know not who my friends are and who my enemies have become."
"The world has changed greatly, Lord of Darkness," replied Rain, while trying to comprehend the immense power emanating from the Lord of Darkness. "The Council of Light now governs Eridos, and they believe you are a threat to peace and stability. There is a powerful faction within the Council, led by Lord Elias, that seeks to eliminate you by any means necessary."
The Lord of Darkness's brow furrowed. "The Council of Light... Elias... names I have not heard before. It seems my old enemies have been replaced by others. But no matter. I will deal with them all."
"There is also the Shadow Clan, Lord of Darkness," added Lilith, her voice filled with hope. "I discovered that my clan was not completely destroyed, and that there are survivors in hiding. I want to find these survivors and rebuild my clan."
"The Shadow Clan... I remember them," said the Lord of Darkness thoughtfully. "They were powerful allies in the past, but they vanished suddenly. If there are survivors, we must find them. We will need every ally possible in the war to come."
"I agree," said Rain. "We must gather allies and prepare for war. But before that, we need to learn about Lord Elias and the Council of Light. We need to know their strengths and weaknesses."
"I concur entirely, Rain," said the Lord of Darkness. "Knowledge is the most powerful weapon. Before we strike, we must know where to strike and how to strike. We must gather information and plan carefully."
The three of them left the spiritual prison and returned to the Plains of Bones. Darkness enveloped the land, and the wind howled fiercely, carrying with it the echoes of the past.
"What shall we do now?" asked Lilith, looking at the Lord of Darkness. "Where will we go?"
"We will go to the City of Shadows," said the Lord of Darkness confidently. "It is an abandoned city located in the heart of the Plains of Bones. It was once the stronghold of the Shadow Clan and may contain valuable information about our enemies."
The group began to walk towards the City of Shadows, and Rain pondered their next steps. He knew that freeing the Lord of Darkness was just the beginning, and that the real war had yet to start. He knew they would face many challenges and dangers, and that they had to be prepared for anything.
Meanwhile, in the city of Oris, the capital of the Council of Light, Lord Elias sat in his study, reviewing the reports he had received from his spies. Lord Elias was an elderly man, but he possessed a sharp mind and immense spiritual power. He was considered one of the most powerful sorcerers in Eridos and was highly respected within the Council of Light.
"It seems Rain Valen and Lilith have freed the Lord of Darkness," said Lord Elias in a calm voice, yet one that held an undercurrent of anger. "I anticipated this, but I did not expect it to happen so quickly."
"What shall we do now, my Lord?" asked Sorcerer Malik, standing before Lord Elias. "Shall we send more warriors to kill them?"
"No," said Lord Elias thoughtfully. "Our previous warriors failed, and we will not repeat the same mistake. We must use more effective weapons. We must use magic."
"What do you suggest, my Lord?" asked Sorcerer Malik.
"We will use the Stone of Visions," said Lord Elias. "This stone can reveal to us the location of the Lord of Darkness, Rain Valen, and Lilith. Then, we will send a team of powerful mages to eliminate them."
"The Stone of Visions?" asked Sorcerer Malik in surprise. "But that stone is very dangerous, my Lord. It can shatter the minds of those who use it."
"I know," said Lord Elias coldly. "But we have no other choice. We must stop the Lord of Darkness at any cost. Even if it means sacrificing a few lives."
After hours of walking, the group reached the City of Shadows. The city was a desolate ruin, with cracked and dilapidated buildings. Sand covered everything, as if the place was trying to disappear from existence.
"This place is bleak," said Lilith, looking around. "I feel as though the spirits of my ancestors are crying out in pain."
"I feel it too," said Rain. "There is a strong dark energy here. We must be careful."
"Do not worry," said the Lord of Darkness. "I am here to protect you. I will not allow anything to harm you."
The group began to explore the city, with the Lord of Darkness leading the way. He knew the city well, as if he had lived there before.
"Here stood the Temple of Shadows," said the Lord of Darkness, pointing to a pile of rubble. "And here stood the palace of the clan leader. And here stood the clan's library."
The group reached a mound of rubble that appeared to have once been an ancient library. The Lord of Darkness began to search among the ruins, hoping to find some old books or manuscripts.
After a long time, the Lord of Darkness found a small wooden chest, buried beneath the sand. He opened the chest and found inside an old book, made of thick leather.
"I have found something," said the Lord of Darkness. "This book may hold the key to understanding our enemies."
The Lord of Darkness opened the book and began to read. The pages were written in an ancient language, but the Lord of Darkness was able to decipher it.
"This book speaks of the history of the Council of Light," said the Lord of Darkness. "It seems the Council of Light is not the noble organization everyone believes it to be. It is a corrupt organization, ruled by a group of powerful sorcerers who seek power and control."
"This is what I have always suspected," said Lilith. "The Council of Light killed my ancestors and stole their land. I will never forgive them."
"We must use this information to our advantage," said Rain. "We must expose the Council of Light's corruption to everyone. This will turn the people against them and weaken their power."
"I agree," said the Lord of Darkness. "We must reveal the truth to the world. We must show the people who their real enemies are."
"But how will we do that?" asked Lilith. "The Council of Light controls all the media. They will not allow us to spread any information against them."
"We will find a way," said Rain confidently. "We will use the power of the Spirit Lord, the power of the Shadow Clan, and the power of everyone who believes in justice. We will win this war, and we will change the world of Eridos forever."
At that moment, Rain felt a strange sensation. He felt as though someone was watching them. Rain turned around and looked around, but he saw nothing.
"Someone is watching us," said Rain. "We must leave this place."
The group agreed to leave the City of Shadows and began to walk towards an unknown destination. They knew that their enemies were watching them, and that they had to be careful.
The war had just begun, and the fate of the world of Eridos hung in the balance.