E. Hope Grove

A World Built on Prophecy and Power

Every fantasy novel builds toward a moment where everything comes to a head—the world, the prophecy, the power, the character. In Arys, that moment happens in a throne room where truth and legacy collide. But unlike many fantasy finales, this one doesn’t hinge on brute strength or dramatic swordplay.

It’s a confrontation born from everything Arys has endured—and everything her enemy represents.

In the world of high fantasy, villains often fall into one of two camps: irredeemably evil or secretly tragic. But what happens when you write a villain who’s both?

The Usurper at the Heart of It All

Elborix, the Usurper, is the figure waiting for her at the heart of it all. Not a snarling monster or a creature of chaos, but something more unnerving: beautiful, ancient, controlled—and spiritually hollow. His presence warps light. His silence unmoors those who face him. And the power he holds isn’t just magical, it’s ideological. He doesn’t stand as an enemy to be slain, but as a living question: What does it mean to lead? And what are you willing to become to protect what you love?

“You think this is your story,” he says softly. “But I’ve already written the ending.”

A Clash of Ideologies

This throne room scene isn’t just the climax of a war—it’s the climax of Arys’ inner transformation. What unfolds between her and Elborix is not merely a confrontation of enemy versus heir, but of ideology, belief, and everything that has shaped them both.

By the time Arys reaches him, she has endured a journey of brutal training, impossible missions, and losses that would have broken someone weaker. She’s grown not only in strength, but in vision—learning to wield a magic that is rooted not in domination, but in truth.

Elborix, for all his grandeur, represents a distorted reflection of the same calling. He too once believed he was meant to protect the realm. But where Arys surrendered to growth and uncertainty, he clung to prophecy and power. Their confrontation is the inevitable collision of those two paths.

The tension in the scene is not about who will win—it’s about what winning even means. Will Arys resort to the old ways? Will she rise above them?

“I see you, Elborix. Not the king. Not the prophet’s shadow. Just the one who was too afraid to be wrong.”

And what does justice look like when the world has been broken by fear masquerading as order?

What would you do if you stood before someone who embodied everything you might have become, had you made one different choice?

This is a reckoning not just for Elborix, but for Arys—and for everything Elnorsia might become next.

Why This Villain Matters

In writing Elborix, I wanted to explore more than just a dark fantasy villain. I wanted to explore the spiritual cost of power, and what happens when someone who once believed in peace becomes the very thing he feared. He is terrifying—but also tragic. He was never meant to be just an obstacle. He was meant to reflect what Arys herself could become, if she abandoned truth for control.

Elborix doesn’t delight in chaos—he fears it. His descent into tyranny wasn’t driven by hatred, but by the desperation to preserve what he believed was order. In doing so, he lost the very essence of what he once tried to protect. That nuance matters. Because the most dangerous villains are not the ones who seek destruction, but the ones who believe they’re saving the world.

His presence forces every character—especially Arys—to confront what they believe power should look like, and what it means to stand in alignment with something greater than fear. He challenges the illusion that leadership means dominance, and instead raises the question: what if the real strength lies in restraint, compassion, and the courage to see someone—fully—even when they no longer see themselves?

In this way, Elborix isn’t just the final test of Arys’ power. He’s the crucible that tests her values, her identity, and her soul. Piece by piece, she’s changed. Gained strength. Gained clarity. Gained a voice that wasn’t given to her—but forged. 

Arys’ Journey So Far

Elborix is more than a villain—he’s the mirror Arys must face after everything she’s endured. Her journey to this final confrontation was never simple.

It began in the human world, where she had been hidden, forgotten even to herself. Areon pulled her from that quiet life, and nothing since has been the same.She trained until her body gave out, her mind reformed, and magic stopped being mystery and started being memory.

She faced loss after loss—some battles won, others survived—and through it all, she kept going.

Claiming Her Place

At first, she only saw herself as the girl who wasn’t enough—too late, too ordinary, too broken by exile to become what the world needed. The idea of leading terrified her. Every step forward felt like a lie she had to tell just to survive. But over time, her doubts became quieter. Not because they vanished, but because she learned to walk with them. Her power didn’t come from banishing fear—it came from refusing to let it choose for her. And in that quiet, unglamorous resistance, she found something stronger than fate: self-possession. (A calm, unwavering control of who she was and what she stood for—regardless of anyone else’s expectations.)

What defines a hero: their power, or how they choose to use it?

And all of it—every wound, every lesson, every choice—has led her to this moment, where she must face not only the Usurper, but the truth of what she’s become.

And what she does next will change everything.

Read more about Arys in her in depth character spotlight.

Final Thoughts 

This final confrontation is not what readers will expect. It isn’t just a battle—it’s a reckoning. A test of vision, identity, and soul. And in a world shaped by prophecy and illusion, what happens next may unravel everything they thought they understood about power, destiny, and the cost of truth.

If you’re drawn to fantasy that surprises you, that dares to ask bigger questions in the heart of a high-stakes showdown—this is the moment you’ve been waiting for. 

The throne room awaits. And nothing about what happens inside will be what you expect.

What do you think truly defines strength—in fantasy, and in life? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.