Chapter 89: The Dawn of Redemption

Over the roaring wind of the black vortex, Marie said, "The Chronicles mentioned a failsafe! Love, the purest form of love, can counter the artifact's power!"" Hope filled John's heart as he sprang to his feet and drew Marie near. The two of them directed their love toward the glowing vial, releasing their darkest feelings into its soft light. William Jr., trapped in the backlash of his own dark magic, yelled in fury as the light from the vial gradually but steadily started to overwhelm the darkness coming from the chess piece. The whirling vortex pulsed and wavered, the tendrils of shadow fleeing. The item clattered to the ground, inert once again, and then with a last, deafening boom, the vortex collapsed, pulling the last of the dark energy back into the chess piece. Gasping for air, John and Marie fell to the chilly stone floor. Their love had overcome both William Jr.'s ambition and the artifact's evil might. William Jr. seemed to have been depleted by the struggle, a shatter