"What spell?" Kalim gasped. Seth held his rod close as he stood up again, watching a green light descend over Mahaado's body. What spell could leave Akhenaden so utterly terrified?
The waves of energy knocked the priests to the ground, sending them rolling into the stone walls of the sanctuary.
"It is time!" the shadow snarled, as a circular mark appeared in the center of Mahaado's forehead. The creature could feel his own power double, no… triple, with each passing moment. The stones in the tablet started to shatter, one by one, drained to the point of dust. The lightning rippled over Mahaado's body, scarring his flesh as his soul fought to contain the magical surges. It was more than one mage could possibly stand.
"What's happening?" the priests shouted to each other as the shadow creature's laugh shook the sanctuary.
"Why not shed a little light on your own darkness, priest?" the shadow hissed, pointing a hand at Akhenaden. The priest of the eye just trembled.
"What is that mark on his forehead?" Isis asked.
"Why did his power increase?"
"This is terrible…" Akhenaden gasped, his hands covering his face. The millennium eye burned within his socket as he fought to keep his mind as far from Mahaado's reach as possible. The darkness in his soul ate at him, but he refused to give in. No one was ever to know…
"What is it?"
"He has activated a spell known as the seal of Orekalkos." Akhenaden revealed, gasping for breath. "It's a spell to increase one's magical power to an incredible level."
The other priests gasped as well. Shaada did not need to even hold up the millennium ankh to sense the dark power. Mana nearly fainted.
"But it comes at a high cost."
"What cost?" Seth looked over at Akhenaden.
"The spellcaster forfeits his soul." The elder priest answered. "If at any point, the spell is broken or the spellcaster beaten, they lose their soul!"
"What?!" Mana shouted, hardly believing what she had heard. "Master would never do that. Master Mahaado, please… fight it! Don't let him control you!!"
"If we stop the curse, in any way, then we will destroy Mahaado!" Isis gasped, shaking her head as she covered her mouth.
Akhenaden only nodded.
"Stupid Mahaado."
"He's safeguarded himself against defeat."
"It doesn't matter!" Seth shouted. "I don't care if you're Mahaado or not, I will not stand here, and watch you destroy the Kehmet!"
"Seth, stand down… You can't face him, not on your own!" Akhenaden pulled on the younger priest's tunic, but Seth stood strong.
"You are an insignificant fool." The shadow bellowed. Mahaado's eyes glowed red, without even a hint of humanity.
"Mahaado, please…" Isis begged. Tears swelled behind her eyes, and she fought to suppress them.
"Master… no…"
"The magician is gone. Only Shadow remains."
"Is it me?" Seth shouted again, even louder. "Am I the one who escapes your curse? If for no other reason then for you to gloat?"
"Seth, stand down!"
"Arrogant fool!"
Mahaado stretched out his hand, an orb of dark energy forming around his palm.
"Priest Seth!" Kalim shouted, knocking Seth out of the way before the blast could hit him. The other priests dove against the stones. The attack knocked an entire wall out of the tablet sanctuary, cutting a deep trench in the sand that stretched for many yards.
"Kalim, are you all right?" Shaada asked, immediately looking up.
"I am. Seth?"
The youngest priest nodded. "What power…"
"Incredible strength…" Akhenaden trembled. The blast had barely missed him.
Isis could only look at the path of destruction a single dark magic blast had caused.
"You are wrong." The shadow laughed. Mahaado folded his hands again, and sat down. The rest of the sanctuary shook. "You should be the first to go."
He smiled, placing added emphasis on the word 'first.'
"Then it is surely Priestess Isis who you will release!" Kalim shouted, glancing back at the good priestess. "You care for her! You always have!"
"The insignificant magician may have cared dearly for his good priestess, but he is no more. And so are his pathetic human emotions." Shadow laughed. "I will take great pleasure in watching her melt like the gold that hung over your pharaoh's throne room."
The shadow laughed again, and the temple shook.
"We have to pull back. We have to regroup." Akhenaden ordered. He took a few steps back, not taking his eyes from their devilish foe. Kalim helped Seth to his feet, and started backwards as well.
"There is too much energy in this place…"
"I agree." Isis added, looking around. She did not need the tauk's predictive powers to determine what would happen next. "The sanctuary… The stones cannot handle the strain. I think it is going to collapse."
"What about Master Mahaado?" Mana shouted. Shaada grabbed her arm, pulling out of harm's way as a pile of stones fell from the ceiling. Were it not for his quick reflexes, they would have both been crushed.
"Is it Mana?" Kalim shouted as the ground trembled beneath him. "You would spare her, because she is your student. Because she obeys you!"
Another wave of energy rippled through Mahaado's body.
"No."
The temple shook, empty tablet stones breaking from the walls. As they crashed onto the stone below, they shattered, the remains of their energy being absorbed by the shadow within Mahaado's body.
"We have to get out of here!" Isis shouted. "It's all falling apart! We have little time!"
The priests heeded her warning, and ran from the sanctuary as the ceiling collapsed. As the dust cleared, only the platform remained, with Mahaado sitting comfortably upon it.
The magician was unharmed, and the shadow creature inside him was growing even more powerful than before – so powerful that they feared even the millennium items could not stop it.
As the cover around them disappeared, the priests were assaulted by yet another curse already underway. Swarms of flies descended upon them, compounding the gnats that were already picking at their uncovered skin. The bites burned, a constant reminder of the sand falling in the hourglass. A constant reminder that the creature within Mahaado had to be stopped.