Liam Reed staggered onto the windswept cliffs, the Spear of Lug flickering weakly in his grasp. The Well of Shadows—a gaping chasm where the World Tree's roots once pulsed—now lay dormant, its edges lined with blackened stones etched with Norse runes. Aisling knelt beside him, her Druidic staff glowing faintly as she scanned the horizon. "They're here," she whispered, pointing to the Celtic-Norse fleet descending from the mist.
Finn Thorsen stood apart, his body trembling as Níðhöggr's influence ebbed and flowed. "We can't fight them all," he growled, eyeing the ships' hulls—engraved with the same black spiral that now marred Liam's chest. "They're Elara's lieutenants… and they want the Bound God."
Liam pressed a hand to his chest, feeling the Void's mark burn beneath his skin. Since Cold Spring Harbor, his body had become a bridge—half stag, half serpent, with golden veins spiderwebbing across his scales. "Then we give them a reason to hesitate." He turned to Aisling. "You said the Well's roots connect to Yggdrasil's core. Can you reopen it?"
Aisling hesitated. "The Well's magic was destroyed… but the stag god's essence lingers." She raised her staff, chanting in ancient Gaelic. The ground trembled, and a single root erupted from the chasm—pale, glowing, and hollow. "This leads to the World Tree's heart… but it's guarded by the Dökkálfar—shadow elves."
Finn snorted. "Perfect. Let's add them to the list."
Aisling ignored him. "Liam, if we descend, we might find a way to sever the Void's influence… but it's a one-way trip."
Liam met her gaze. "We don't have a choice."
Before she could protest, the fleet opened fire. Plasma cannons tear the air, incinerating the cliffs' edge. Liam shoved Aisling into the chasm, diving after her as Finn followed, a spectral serpent coiling around his arm.
They fell for what felt like hours, the root's walls glowing with bioluminescent fungi. Below them, a faint hum grew—a celestial chorus echoing from the World Tree's core.
"That's the Well's song…" Aisling whispered. "It's calling to the stag."
Liam closed his eyes, letting the sound wash over him. The stag god's voice filled his mind: *"The balance is broken. You must merge with the serpent… or drown."*
Finn's voice cut through the vision. "Look!"
They landed in a cavernous chamber, its ceiling lost in darkness. The World Tree's trunk stretched upward, its bark riddled with black fruits that pulsed like hearts. At its base stood a pedestal holding a golden horn—the Gjallarhorn, said to signal Ragnarök.
Aisling stiffened. "That's not possible. The horn was destroyed in the Viking Age."
Finn approached, his hand trembling. "Níðhöggr's essence… it's resonating with it."
Before he could touch it, shadow elves emerged from the roots—pale, winged creatures with eyes like embers. "Intruders!" their leader hissed, drawing a blade of obsidian. "The Void's servants will not—"
Liam struck first, Spear crackling. Lightning surged through the chamber, incinerating the elves. But more poured from the shadows, their numbers overwhelming.
"The horn!" Aisling shouted, ducking a clawed strike. "Sound it!"
Finn hesitated. "The Gjallarhorn can shatter realms…"
"Do it!" Liam roared, blocking a volley of arrows with his scales.
Finn grabbed the horn, pressing it to his lips. The sound that erupted was not a war cry, but a lament—a melody that stripped the shadows from the elves, dissolving them into ash. The World Tree shuddered, its black fruits wilting.
Aisling collapsed, gasping. "The horn… it's tied to the stag's essence."
Liam helped her up, staring at the now-dormant fruits. "What do they do?"
"They're keys to the Void." A voice echoed from the shadows. Old Sean Reed stepped into the light, his shotgun smoking. "Elara's cultists planned to use them to flood Midgard with anti-matter."
Finn's eyes widened. "Then we destroy them."
Old Sean shook his head. "They're tied to the World Tree's core. Destroying them would kill the tree… and us with it."
Liam's vision blurred. He saw fragments of the future: the fleet's ships firing on the Well, the fruits erupting into Void energy, Aisling's body drained of life. "We need another way."
Aisling clutched her staff. "The stag god's essence can purify them… but it requires a sacrifice." She met Liam's gaze. "You must merge with the serpent."
Finn laughed bitterly. "You want him to become Níðhöggr's avatar?"
"No." Aisling's voice trembled. "He must become the World Serpent—the true guardian of Yggdrasil."
Liam hesitated. The stag and serpent's voices warred in his mind: *"Submit…"* vs. *"Burn it all…"*
Old Sean loaded his shotgun. "Hate to rush this, but the fleet's deploying ground forces."
Liam nodded. He pressed the Spear of Lug into the ground, channeling both stag and serpent power. The roots surged upward, binding the fruits in golden-silver light. "Aisling, the horn!"
Aisling understood. She sounded the Gjallarhorn again, this time a victory fanfare. The fruits exploded, their energy absorbed into the World Tree. The roots healed, and the Void's mark on Liam's chest faded.
But the fleet's cannons struck the Well's edge, raining debris. "They're collapsing the chamber!" Finn shouted.
Liam grabbed Aisling and Finn, dragging them toward the root tunnel. Old Sean followed, firing at pursuing cultists. "I'll hold them off!" he yelled, triggering a grenade.
The explosion collapsed the tunnel, sealing them inside. Aisling raised her staff, summoning a Druidic portal. "This will take us to the fleet's flagship… but it's suicide."
Liam stepped through first, emerging onto the deck of Elara's submarine. Cultists surrounded them, led by a woman with silver hair and a void dragon tattoo—Elara's second-in-command, Sigrid.
"The Bound God…" she hissed, raising a dagger. "Elara will reward me for your head."
Liam smiled. He pressed his hand to the deck, channeling the World Tree's power. Vines erupted, binding the cultists. "Tell Elara…" he said, his voice echoing with a thousand voices. "The bridge still stands."
Sigrid spat. "You can't stop her. She's merged with Níðhöggr… and soon, the Void will consume everything."
Aisling's staff glowed. "Not if we destroy the dragon's heart."
Finn stiffened. "The heart's in the Void… but I can sense it." He closed his eyes, concentrating. A rift opened beside him, revealing a shadowy realm of broken mirrors. "Follow me."
Liam nodded. He turned to Aisling. "You're staying here."
She glared. "Like hell I am."
"Someone needs to protect the World Tree." He kissed her forehead. "I'll be back."
Before she could protest, he stepped through the rift with Finn. The Void's coldness pierced his scales, but the stag's essence kept him alive. Ahead, Níðhöggr's heart pulsed—a black orb floating in the abyss.
Finn drew a rune-etched dagger. "This will sever the dragon's influence… but it'll kill me."
Liam grabbed his arm. "No. We do this together."
He channeled the stag's power into the dagger, while Finn poured Níðhöggr's essence into the blade. The weapon ignited, and they plunged it into the heart.
The Void screamed. Reality fractured, and Níðhöggr's soul emerged—a spectral serpent coiled around Finn's heart. "You think this ends it?" it hissed. "I'll return…"
Liam struck, Spear crackling. The serpent dissolved, and Finn collapsed, gasping. "It's done…"
But the Void's rift began to close, trapping them. Liam grabbed Finn, hurling him through the shrinking portal. "Go!"
Finn reached back, but the rift sealed. Liam turned, facing the Void's endless darkness. The stag and serpent's voices merged in his mind: *"You are the bridge."*
He closed his eyes, letting their power consume him. The Void warped, and he vanished, leaving only a golden-silver ripple.