The two Shadow Collectors closed in, their energy suppressors humming menacingly. Nikos, cornered at the lighthouse base, knew escape wasn't an option. He instead hurled the wooden red box high, distracting the Collector on the right. In the same moment, he slammed the maroon journal against a stone. The impact released a burst of crimson energy—a hidden Cinder Seeker defense—that momentarily stunned the masked figures.
Nikos darted past the reeling Collectors and scrambled up the lighthouse's iron spiral staircase, the crimson beam still guiding him. He burst into the top lantern chamber, where the air crackled with power. The second fragment, a razor-thin piece of glass, floated in the center, glowing with an internal red fire, encased in a light barrier.
He raised the first ruby fragment. It instantly discharged a concentrated wave of red energy at its counterpart. The barrier shattered, and the second shard of the Ember Orb settled gently into his hand. Immediately, the combined fragments fused, radiating an overwhelming power.
Before Nikos could react, the door slammed open, and the Shadow Collectors filled the entrance. "Two fragments now, Red Boy! You will not leave with them!" the leader roared. Nikos clenched the twin shards, and a blinding, searing red light erupted from his hands, enveloping the entire lantern room.
