Chapter 87: The Light of Eärendil

"Light shall drive out darkness, and Middle-earth shall welcome a new age, but there will be no place for you in it." A voice came from behind everyone, followed by a sacred radiance that forced back the dark power. "Lady Galadriel!" Everyone showed expressions of delighted surprise. They saw Galadriel in white robes walking gracefully forward, her entire being radiating moonlight-like brilliance that made the surrounding dark forces recoil as if burned. The Eye saw Galadriel and its pupil contracted, the hollow, cold voice becoming deeper. "You always appear at the wrong time." "No, it is you who awakens in the wrong time and place." Galadriel stepped onto the scorched earth, ignoring the searing flames, and approached Sauron's Eye. "Sauron, servant of the Dark Lord Morgoth, here you have no power. You have no support, no name, no face, no form. Return to the void where you belong!" Galadriel raised a crystal vial that seemed to contain stars, releasing incredibly dazzling starlight from within. It was a crystal vial containing the Light of Eärendil, which held powerful sacred force and had a natural restraining effect on evil creatures and dark powers. The Light of Eärendil was the radiance of Eärendil's Star, the brightest morning star in Middle-earth. Eärendil was Elrond's father. He wore a Silmaril crafted by Fëanor on his head and sailed the white ship across the heavens. The light of the Silmaril on his head became Middle-earth's "Star of Hope." The Silmaril was a sacred object forged by Fëanor from the captured light of the Two Trees... a treasure that even Sauron's former master, the Dark Lord Morgoth, coveted, sparking the war between the Elves and Morgoth in the First Age. The crystal vial in Galadriel's hand stored the very light of the Silmaril... the radiance of the Two Trees. Under Galadriel's full power, the Light of Eärendil in the crystal vial erupted with the most powerful sacred force. Sauron's Eye, under the illumination of Eärendil's Light, was rapidly corroded as if by acid, letting out agonized screams. The Eye cracked under the flowing light, its shriek tearing through the sky. "You will fall into darkness!" When the smoke cleared, the Eye was shattered. Only a dark red star shot eastward, leaving sulfurous fire traces across the clouds. Sauron was defeated once again, losing his power and fleeing in disgrace. Galadriel, having unleashed Eärendil's Light, was also exhausted and staggered backward, caught just in time by Elrond and Gandalf as she collapsed pale-faced into Gandalf's arms. The crystal vial in her hand had also grown dim. "Lady Galadriel, are you alright?" Gandalf asked with concern. Everyone gathered around, looking at Galadriel with worry. Galadriel shook her head, gazing toward the far east with concern. "Though we've temporarily banished him, Sauron's spirit still lingers. He could return at any time!" "This is already a very good result, my lady," Glorfindel comforted. "Sauron has suffered heavy losses this time. His form has been destroyed, his power lost again. Only a wisp of soul remains wandering... it will be difficult for him to recover in the short term." "And as long as the One Ring still exists in this world, Sauron can never be truly destroyed." Elrond's expression was serious. "Sauron has fled to the far east, likely returning to his stronghold of Mordor. We need to warn Gondor to maintain vigilance over the Mordor region." Gandalf's gaze fell on the area outside Dol Guldur castle, where the gathered Orcs were scattering and fleeing into the forest following Sauron's defeat. "Those Orcs retreated in an orderly fashion despite scattering, and they withdrew toward the northeast... clearly someone is controlling them from behind." His gaze met Kael's, showing worry. "I fear that after Azog's death, the Orcs have quickly found a new leader. This is not good news for us!" Kael wasn't too concerned about these matters. He looked at the still-pale Galadriel and took out a potion from his enchanted pouch. "Lady Galadriel, this is a restorative potion I made. Perhaps it can help you." Galadriel didn't refuse Kael's kindness, showing him a smile. Kael almost lost himself in that smile and quickly averted his gaze, reminding himself that she was married. Seeing his embarrassment, Galadriel smiled even more happily. She curiously examined the red potion Kael had given her and drank it all in one gulp. The bitter taste made her frown slightly. But the potion's effect was very obvious... color quickly returned to her pale face, and she no longer appeared weak and powerless. "Thank you for your potion, Kael. I feel much better!" A flash of surprise crossed Galadriel's eyes, not expecting Kael's potion to be so effective. Kael was even more surprised. Ordinary people only needed three drops of restorative to recover. But Galadriel had consumed an entire bottle's worth and only recovered somewhat. Such a difference made Kael secretly marvel. Seeing Galadriel's significant recovery, the others looked at Kael with even more amazement. Elrond's gaze toward Kael became even more kindly. "Today's victory in battle against Sauron will surely be recorded in epic tales. Wizard Kael deserves great credit! Without your powerful spell that severely wounded Sauron and caused his form to collapse, we couldn't have gained the upper hand and waited for Lady Galadriel to successfully banish Sauron." The others showed agreement with Elrond's words, acknowledging Kael's contribution in this battle. They had completely placed him on the same level as themselves. But Gandalf still said with some concern, "Kael, though I may be worrying unnecessarily, I hope you won't let yourself become obsessed with dark magic. Pursuing power isn't wrong, but never let yourself fall into darkness and become a slave to power." Though the others didn't speak, their eyes conveyed the same meaning. The Avada Kedavra curse Kael had cast was filled with an intense dark magic aura, naturally not escaping the notice of these powerful individuals. Hearing this, Kael was somewhat surprised and unexpected. He had thought these righteous figures would disapprove or even strongly oppose his use of dark magic. He hadn't expected them to merely remind him not to become obsessed with dark magic. "Thank you for the reminder, Gandalf. I'll be careful!" Kael nodded seriously. He naturally knew that dark magic was very dangerous... too much indulgence could change one's nature and even twist the soul. The essence of dark magic was to harm, control, or take life. Its power was closely linked to negative emotions such as hatred, greed, and cruelty. Being in such extreme emotions for long periods would gradually twist one's mind. Moreover, abuse of dark magic would cause visible damage to the user's body, making their appearance unrecognizable. Like the Death Eaters in the Harry Potter world... each with gloomy, twisted appearances and insane, cruel personalities. Even Voldemort no longer looked human. The several people present were all knowledgeable and wise figures who could naturally see that Kael wasn't just giving lip service. So their gazes toward Kael became even more appreciative and friendly. Over the long years, they had seen countless talents go astray in pursuit of power. They didn't want someone who now fought alongside them to one day fall to darkness or even stand against them. [Chapter Complete] *** Want more? Check out my Patreon for: ✓ Advanced chapters of all my stories ✓ Exclusive novels & fanfics ✓ Early access content [email protected]/meowthtl ???? Community Goal: 500 Power Stones unlocks a bonus chapter! Thanks for reading and supporting the story