RAVENNA POV
I crawled back to the dark castle, my body aching with exhaustion and my throat raw with the taste of dried blood. As I entered my room, I collapsed against the cold stone wall, gasping for breath. The magic I had used to seal the doorway the goddess of darkness used to hold Arianne captive, had taken its toll on me, but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make to keep Arianne safe.
The spell I had performed had been a powerful and ancient one with a lot of dark magic and like all dark magic, this one also demanded a price. In this case, this one demanded my life. This was the cost of protecting Arianne, the one who seemed destined to end the chaos that surrounded us.
Leaning against the cold stone wall, I felt a wave of weakness wash over me, my body trembling with the strain of the magic I had wielded. With each coughing fit, I could taste the metallic tang of blood in my mouth, a stark reminder of the price I was paying for my actions.
