Thanks for the kind words of the reviewers, really! I'd like to note that there is a quite elaborate description of vilolence, just to let you know!

Inspiration songs: Planet Hell and End Of All Hope, both by the band Nightwish!

So here's the next chapter!


Chapter 3: The Great Battle

Lara, as a little girl, was always a happy person. She was always excited about her father's achievements and adventures. She loved her mother very much. Unfortunately, when she was nine years old she had a tragic accident in Nepal which took her mother away from her. Ever since, she was cold and cruel even to her father; they would never get on well. When he got missing in Cambodia, Lara decided to follow his footsteps and find the cause of all this. After finding the truth by entering Avalon, she took on meaningless tasks but at least she was happy again. Not anymore. She became that cold woman I cannot recognise again. Just like after she returned from Prague. She was aggressive and cared only about revenge. The Shadow War made her become cruel and heartless. I miss the fallen in Light Lara. Now she is lost in Shadows once again.

Winston Smith

Light and Darkness were about to have their last battle on those forsaken lands. Good and Evil were about to end their eternal war once and for all. As the time was coming, the skies started to change. The sun was gone as a solar eclipse had just taken place, hiding every sunshine.

With a last glance to their enemies, the Dark side attacked. Dark soldiers ran straight to the Warriors of Light, having only one purpose: to kill them. The soldiers of Light ran to the direction of the Cabal members before many of them became prey of the ugly creatures. As soon as the first souls floated away from the batlefield, a red moon ascended to the skies, illuminating everything with a blood-red light. The ground soon took the colour of the liquid that was spilled out of the lying bodies.

This world ain't ready to be saved Lara thought and with a loud scream, she immediately ran to the direction of her hated enemy. She was desperately trying to get close to him but the army of dark creatures prevented her from doing this. Her partner helped her by killing every Nephilim that managed to approach her. Finally, she reached Karel and attempted to attack. Her effort was in vain as her enemy with a sudden move of his arm, threw her to the ground with a great amount of power.

As soon as Kurtis realised that Lara had fallen on the blood-painted ground, he tried to reach Karel as well. After killing every Nephilim that was blocking his way to his direction, he managed to reach Karel. He took his Chirugai from his belt and wielded it. He made it spin right to Karel's direction and it cut him. It was all in vain, though. Black blood spilled from his scratch but that was all. It didn't make any damage to him. Furious, Karel headed for Kurtis' direction. When Lara gained her consciousness, she realised that her enemy was about to hit Kurtis. The Crystal Shard she thought at once. She took it out of her backpack and she would have used it against Karel but a Nephilim beast beat her hard and she accidentally dropped it. She managed to kill that Nephilim creature after shooting it several times with her dual pistols. Now she had to find the Shard. It could be anywhere. The dead bodies lying on the floor and the pool of blood they had created didn't help Lara at all. However, she decided to search for it.

Karel had an angry look on his face but so had Kurtis. They would now fight 'till one of them fell dead on the ground. The red full moon was right above them and a second sphere resembling the moon had just started ascending. This one was deep yellow. The ruins of the abandoned castle started floating. It was like the castle had suddenly come to life.

With a stretch of his right arm, Karel sent a strong lightning against Kurtis but he managed to dissipate it with telekinesis. As they were approaching each other, Kurtis' soul became full of anger and wrath. All he wanted was revenge for the things he had lost because of him. That was something Kurtis called justice. He wielded his Chirugai again, this time aiming at his enemy's throat. Karel somehow manage to control the Chirugai and threw it on the ground. He tried to strike him with lightning again but Kurtis with an unexpected move managed to dodge it.

Kurtis intended to punch him but the thing he saw next made him stop. Karel had turned into Konstantin's form. He was just like his father.

"Coward" Kurtis yelled at him.

"You consider me a coward, uh?" Karel answered him.

"Only a coward would hide in different forms" Kurtis replied him.

"Okay then, since it hurts too much and you're too weak…" Karel said and turned into his real form.

"I'm not weak!" Kurtis shouted.

"If you are neither a coward, nor weak, you won't be afraid to face me without any supernatural powers. Unless you're afraid of course" he continued.

"Okay then" Kurtis said angrily.

Now they would face each other without any supernatural powers. Their only weapon would be their determination and their hunger for revenge. Whose desire for vengeance was greater?

"I'll make you suffer just like the father you forsook" Karel's voice sounded threatening in Kurtis' ears.


Alexander knew various spells against darkness. He used many of them to kill as many Cabal members and Nephilim creatures as possible. He killed an admirable amount of enemies. His luck didn't last for a long time though. He tried to defend himself but the Cabal members weakened him with dark rituals. He collapsed on the ground powerless. Nephilim creatures were standing above him, ready to end his life. Alexander felt that this was the last time he would see this damned world. He was wrong. At the exact moment the creatures would devour Alexander, a strong crystal light knocked them down. In surprise, Alexander recognised Lara with the Crystal Shard shining in her right hand. She ran and kneeled beside him in order to help him but Alexander immediately stopped her.

"I'll be fine Lara. Go! Go help Kurtis. He needs you more than I do" he ordered her. She obeyed and ran to find and help Kurtis.


With fists in the air, Kurtis was ready to knock down the man he loathed the most. Karel was ready to have his revenge, the thing he had been waiting for a very long time. Kurtis made the first move. He attempted to punch his enemy on the jaw but Karel dodged Kurtis' punch with an extremely rapid move. He attempted to hit him again, successfully this time. Karel was distracted by his enemy's fist so Kurtis had the chance to knock him down. He punched him several times on the face and then with a very strong kick Karel fell on the ground. Kurtis' satisfaction was aparent. A devilish smile could reassure this. But his satisfaction didn't last. Paradoxically, Karel stood up as if he hadn't been punched at all and hit Kurtis very hard. After receiving several punches, Kurtis collapsed. Tasting the blood on his lips made him feel even more wrathful, if it was possible. With a violent move, Karel pulled Kurtis' hair so he could face him.

"All your struggle is in vain. Say goodbye to this doomed world, Heissturm. A world that I'm going to rule, forever" said Karel.

Kurtis wouldn't give him the satisfaction of being scared or defeated. He just looked at him with empty eyes. Those dark blue eyes showed no trace of humane emotion. Nothing but rage. Karel rose a knife and said aloud "Kurtis Heissturm, last of the Lux Veritatis, you are sacrificed for the sake of the Shadow War"

The moment he would kill him, he got struck on his head and he fell. Lara arrived just on time and prevented Kurtis from being sacrificed. Karel stood up and forced her on the ground with an invisible force. Then he stood up and kicked her several times. Lara screamed in pain and agony.

"You've made a great mistake. You should never interfere in our war. Now you'll have to pay for this mistake. I'm afraid it'll cost you your own precious life" said Karel.

"I'm afraid it is your fucking drossy life that my mistakes will cost me. Couldn't get anything better than that" Lara said and rose the Crystal Shard. Karel was now taken by surprise.

"Frightening, isn't it?" she asked loudly as the Shard started shining. Suddenly the symbol of the Lux Veritatis appeared imprinted on her right hand. It was like a tattoo but in a faded black colour. The same symbol appeared on Kurtis' left hand too. Lara could now borrow Kurtis' powers. From the expression of his face, Lara supposed that Karel was unaware of this ability as opposed to her.

"It's over now" she said.

She wielded the Chirugai which was lying just a few meters away from her and she quickly made it spin and stabbed Karel on his back. Lara was taken by surprise; she expected him to scream in pain and fall but he did nothing but smile devilishly. Then he hit Lara and she fell. After throwing the Chirugai away, he took the Shard in his hand and said "We finally agree on one thing, Croft. It's indeed over now" and attempted to destroy the Crystal Shard, the only powerful weapon against the Nephilim that had remained.

His try was unsuccessful as Kurtis hit him hard on his head and made him drop the Shard. Karel turned to face him. Kurtis tried to run towards Lara in order to help her but he was prevented by an invisible force. Lara immediately stood up and ran to find the Shard. She searched everywhere, trying to avoid the dead soldiers of both sides that were fallen on the ground. The violent fight between the two sides incommoded Lara's task, but she finally found the Crystal Shard.

She tried to catch it but failed. Lara was in the sad position to notice that it had fallen in the wrong hands. Karel stood in front of her and Kurtis was on the ground unconscious just a few steps away from Karel, full of blood and wounds. Things weren't going well. The Master of the Lux Veritatis had been weakened and the Crystal Shard was in the wrong hands. If it was destroyed then it would be over. The Crystal Shard was the only hope.

"I will have my revenge. The last thing you're going to witness in this world is how cruel I can be" Karel screamed angrily. Lara ran towards him but she was far too late. Karel whispered some words and before Lara knew it, the Shard was destroyed.

Lara gasped in surprise and sorrow as she saw the many pieces of the Shard falling on the blood-painted ground. She realised that the thing she wished every day and every night was finally fulfilled. The Shadow War was over. Just not the way she wanted to.

It was over. The Dark side had already won this war. It was the end of all hope.

The Darkness shall rise and the Light shall fall. The sun shall never shine again. Shadows shall dwell the earth. The world shall never see a sunrise again. So it is written and it shall be.

Prophecy of the Lost Dominion, passage 2325

A/N: The prophecy is created by me, so please don't freak out! =)