From the chamber, Ariadne could feel the anguish of her sister Skadi reverberating through the intricate web of their familial bond. It was a palpable reminder of the suffering inflicted by their wayward sister, Hera. Despite the urge to rush to Skadi's aid, Ariadne knew that protecting Harahel and Gadriel was her primary duty. With a heavy heart, she suppressed her own desires and focused on the task at hand.

Closing her eyes, Ariadne centered herself amidst the turmoil surrounding her. Drawing upon her connection to the muses, she reached out with her senses, searching for any sign of Calliope, Erato, and Clio within Taliesin's consciousness.

As she guided her senses deeper into Taliesin's mind, Ariadne felt a surge of anticipation as Calliope, Erato, and Clio came into view, their celestial forms shimmering amidst the darkness like distant stars.

With determined strides, the muses approached Melpomene, only to be met with an unexpected obstacle – an invisible shield, shimmering with arcane energy.

"We must breach her defenses," Calliope declared, her voice resonating with authority as she surveyed the barrier. "Melpomene may be shielded from our direct assault, but there must be a weakness we can exploit."

As the muses formulated a plan, Ariadne turned her attention to Polymnia, Euterpe, and Thalia, her heart heavy with concern for their well-being.

Finally, amidst the darkness that enveloped Taliesin's mind, Ariadne beheld Polymnia, Euterpe, and Thalia. But alongside them, she witnessed a disturbing sight – dark tendrils of energy coiling around Taliesin's body like sinister puppet strings, manipulating his thoughts and emotions with insidious intent.

Feeling powerless to help either the muses or her siblings, Ariadne silently prayed to her Grandmother Rhea, seeking guidance and strength in this dire hour of need.

As they sought to regain control of the battlefield, Taliesin/Melpomene summoned forth a new wave of lyrics,

In the depths of despair, where shadows reign,

I weave my song, a symphony of pain.

With every chord, I twist and bend,

To bring you to your knees, your will to rend.

Through the echoes of time, I call your name,

To bind you tight in my web of shame.

With every verse, I tighten the noose,

To crush your spirit, to leave you bruised.

As the force of Taliesin/Melpomene's lyrics washed over him, Antioch staggered backward, feeling the weight of despair bearing down upon him. In his struggle to maintain his footing, he felt something slip from his pocket and clatter to the ground.

Looking down, he saw the wooden charm that held the Anti-Magic rolling across the ancient theater floor. For a moment, time seemed to freeze.

Taliesin/Melpomene's eyes gleamed with a malevolent glint as they caught sight of the wooden charm rolling across the floor. Without missing a beat in their haunting song, they extended a hand towards the charm, their voice weaving new lyrics into the melody:

In the ancient theater's crumbling hall,

I call upon the charm, hear my call.

Wooden vessel, hold the power within,

Come to me now, let the battle begin.

The wooden charm trembled, as if responding to the dark command of Taliesin/Melpomene's song. Slowly, it began to levitate off the ground, drawn towards them by an unseen force.

As the wooden floated towards Taliesin/Melpomene, Antioch's eyes blazed with determination. With a primal roar, he summoned forth a new melody.

With the fury of a thousand storms, I rise,

A force of nature, a tempest in disguise.

In the heart of chaos, I forge my path,

A warrior poet, I unleash my wrath.

Thunder rumbled overhead, echoing the tumultuous clash between light and darkness that raged within the ancient theater.

With each chord, I tear through space and time,

To claim what's mine, to make darkness climb.

I am the thunder, the lightning's strike,

I am the darkness's eternal plight.

As Antioch's song reached its crescendo, the theater trembled with the force of his power. With a blinding flash, a tear in the fabric of reality ripped open before him, a swirling vortex of energy pulsating with otherworldly light.

Through the void, the wooden charm was drawn,

Into the abyss, where darkness is pawn.

To be lost forever in the endless night,

Banished from existence, out of sight.

As the charm was sucked into the gaping maw of the rift, Taliesin/Melpomene's expression twisted with rage and frustration. With a desperate cry, they reached out towards the disappearing charm, but it was too late.

With a deafening roar, the tear in space and time sealed shut, leaving behind only echoes of its tumultuous passage. The theater fell silent once more, the echoes of Antioch's defiant melody lingering in the air like a triumphant anthem.

As Hera approached, Igor wasn't even looking at her. His gaze was locked on the Hermit, a silent warning passing between them. Despite the urgency of their situation, Igor's instincts told him that whatever the Hermit was considering, it was too dangerous, too reckless to pursue.

Before Hera could speak, Igor's attention snapped back to her, his expression hardened with defiance. "Save your breath and bloody well get on with it," he growled, his voice dripping with contempt. He braced himself for the inevitable strike, his resolve unshaken even in the face of imminent danger.

Hera's eyes narrowed at Igor's defiance, her patience wearing thin as she raised her hand, channeling the dark power of Azrakul to strike him down. The stream of malicious energy surged towards him, engulfing him in its suffocating embrace.

Hera approached the Hermit with a triumphant smirk, relishing the opportunity to confront the once-great warlock in his moment of defeat. As she drew near, the Hermit's expression was one of resignation, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Well, well, well," Hera taunted, “how the mighty warlock has fallen. It seems even your vaunted powers are no match for me."

The Hermit remained silent; his gaze fixed on the ground as he struggled to maintain his composure in the face of Hera's mocking words. But beneath his defeated facade, a spark of determination flickered in his eyes, a silent resolve to defy Hera's dominance until his last breath.

Unfazed by the Hermit's silence, Hera continued to gloat, reveling in her perceived victory over her adversary. "Do you have anything to say for yourself, old man?" she sneered, her voice laced with contempt. "Or have you finally come to terms with your own irrelevance?"

But as Hera spoke, the Hermit began to mutter a spell under his breath. Though his words were faint, the incantation carried a palpable weight, a whisper of ancient power that stirred the very air around them.

Hera's eyes narrowed at the sound of the Hermit's incantation, her confidence waning slightly as she realized the gravity of his actions. "No spell will save you now, Hermit," she spat, her voice tinged with disdain. "You are powerless against me."

As Hera unleashed the dark power upon the Hermit, the energy surged towards him with deadly intent. However, to Hera's shock and dismay, something unexpected occurred. While the dark power seemed to drain the life force from Artur, Soter, Skadi, and Igor, the Hermit appeared to be drawing strength from it, his form pulsating with an otherworldly glow as he absorbed the malevolent energy.

Hera's eyes widened in disbelief; her confidence shaken by the unforeseen turn of events. She took a step back, her expression a combination of astonishment and fury as she struggled to comprehend how the Hermit was defying her power.

"What sorcery is this?" Hera demanded; her voice tinged with incredulity. "How are you doing this, Hermit? You should be powerless against me!"

"As the Hermit, I am indeed powerless," he began, his voice trembling with effort. "But I am not merely the Hermit. I am... Valkas."

As the words left his lips, a surge of dark energy pulsed through Valkas's form, causing his white hair and beard to transform into a deep, pitch-black hue. His once-tattered robes shimmered with an ominous aura, and his weathered visage smoothed into a youthful countenance, revealing the true extent of his power.

Hera's eyes widened in shock as she beheld the transformation before her.  "V-Valkas..." Hera stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

 Valkas raised his hand, summoning forth the ancient power of dark magic that coursed through his veins.  He then unleashed a torrent of dark energy, intertwining his own formidable power with the sinister force that Hera had unleashed.

As the two opposing energies collided, a fierce struggle ensued, each vying for dominance over the other. Valkas's dark magic surged forth like a tidal wave, pushing back against Hera's onslaught with unwavering resolve.

Valkas channeled the full extent of his dark power, shrouding Artur, Soter, Skadi, and Igor in a protective barrier that shielded them from the grasp of Hera's wicked influence.

Hera's eyes blazed with fury as she struggled to maintain control over the dark power she had unleashed. But Valkas's dark magic proved to be a formidable adversary, pushing back against her with unyielding force.

 Valkas flew towards Hera. As he reached her, he seized her by the arm, his grip firm and unyielding despite her struggles.

With a swift incantation, Valkas summoned forth the ancient energies of the land, channeling them into a powerful spell that rent the very earth asunder. The ground beneath them trembled and cracked, fissures splitting open to reveal chasms of darkness that seemed to stretch into infinity.

With a forceful push, Valkas propelled himself and Hera towards the gaping maw of darkness, the malevolent energy swirling around them as they descended into the abyss. The undead army, no longer under Hera's command, staggered and fell into the void, their forms dissipating into wisps of shadow.

As the ground closed behind them, sealing off the abyss, a heavy silence fell over the wasteland. Artur, Soter, Skadi, and Igor stood amidst the aftermath, their breaths labored and their hearts heavy with the weight of what had transpired.

For a moment, there was only the sound of the wind whistling through the barren landscape, carrying with it the echoes of a battle fought and won. But even as the dust settled and the echoes faded, the lingering presence of Valkas's dark magic hung heavy in the air, a reminder of the power that had been unleashed to vanquish the forces of darkness.