Aricen struggled to keep up with the figure's attacks. His arms grew heavy from blocking the blows, and his breathing became ragged as he fought to keep his balance.
The figure stepped back, circling Aricen with a slow, deliberate pace. Its eyes glinted in the moonlight, and Aricen could feel its gaze burning into him.
With a sudden burst of energy, the figure lunged forward again, this time with a powerful overhead strike. Aricen tried to dodge, but the blow caught him off guard and sent him sprawling to the ground.
The figure moved to strike again, but Aricen managed to roll to the side and scramble to his feet. He was panting now, his heart racing as he tried to catch his breath.
The figure paused for a moment as if sizing up its opponent. Aricen took the opportunity to strike, lunging forward with his sword. But the figure was too quick, sidestepping the attack with ease.
As Aricen stumbled past, the figure reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder. Aricen felt a surge of pain shoot through his body, and he fell to the ground, gasping for air.
The figure leaned down, its hooded face inches from Aricen's. Its eyes glowed with an otherworldly light, and Aricen could feel his consciousness slipping away.
Aricen's sword fell from his hand as the hooded figure disappeared into the night. His legs buckled beneath him. He heard the sound of footsteps running towards him. He felt a hand on his shoulder and a voice calling his name.
"Aricen, can you hear me?" It was Rowan. "Stay with me. You're going to be okay."
As Aricen struggled to stay conscious, he saw Rowan's face above him. His expression was a mixture of concern and fear.
Meanwhile, Casey had taken off after the hooded figure, her heart pounding in her chest. She could see the figure up ahead, its long cloak billowing behind it as it fled into the forest.
Casey pushed herself harder, her legs burning with exertion. She couldn't let the figure get away. She needed to find out where they had taken Serenya and what they wanted from her.
As she closed in on the figure, she could see that it was carrying something over its shoulder. It was too dark to make out what it was, but Casey knew it couldn't be good.
Suddenly, the figure darted to the side, disappearing into the trees. Casey skidded to a halt, her eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of movement. But the figure was gone.
Cursing under her breath, Casey retraced her steps, searching for any clues as to where the figure had gone. She knew she needed to find Serenya before it was too late.
Casey followed the path the figure had taken, her eyes peeled for any sign of movement. She could hear the sound of rustling leaves and snapping twigs, indicating that the figure couldn't be too far ahead. She pushed herself harder, her legs slowly becoming jelly with exertion.
Casey had been tracking the hooded figure for hours, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew she was getting closer to the truth, closer to finding Serenya and putting an end to whatever was going on in the forest. As she approached a small clearing, she could hear chanting coming from somewhere nearby.
The sound sent shivers down her spine, and she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. Moving slowly and cautiously, Casey crept closer to the source of the sound. As she drew nearer, she could make out several hooded figures standing in a circle around a large stone altar. "That's different from what they showed us," she thought. "Sly foxes!"
The full moon shone down on them, casting eerie shadows across the clearing. She could see that there were other girls beside Serenya, all of them looking terrified. Casey could feel her anger rising as she realized that these people were using innocent girls in some kind of twisted ritual.
One of the hooded figures stepped forward, a large book in his hands. He began to read from it in a language that Casey didn't understand, and the others joined in, their voices rising in unison. Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light, and Casey had to shield her eyes from the intensity of it.
When she opened them again, she saw that the girls had several bruises on their bodies as if they had been struck several times, the blood dripping and making the stone altar bright red. The hooded figures came closer to the girls, holding each other's hands in a circle, preparing for something which Casey didn't want to think about.
Casey's blood boiled as she saw what was happening. She could feel her rage building inside her, and she knew that she had to act fast if she wanted to stop these people from hurting anyone else. As Casey's eyes glowed with an eerie light, the hooded figures turned to face her, their own eyes glowing with an unnatural red. They were not afraid of her, but they should have been.
With a flick of her wrist, Casey sent a bolt of raw energy flying toward the closest figure. It struck the figure in the chest, sending it flying backward with a sickening crunch. The other figures surged forward, their own spells crackling through the air.
As Casey fought, she felt the magic inside her surging with every passing moment. The air around her crackled with energy as she unleashed wave after wave of pure force against the hooded figures. But they were not going down without a fight. They were skilled fighters, trained in the dark arts, and they fought with a ferocity that left Casey breathless.
One of the hooded figures came at Casey with a sword, its blade gleaming in the moonlight. Casey dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike. She retaliated with a blast of magic that sent the figure flying backward, but it quickly regained its footing and charged at her once again.
Casey parried the sword strike with a blast of magic, sending sparks flying in all directions. She could feel the sweat pouring down her face as she struggled to keep up with the hooded figure's relentless assault.
Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her side. Looking down, she saw the figure's sword sticking out of her, its blade stained with blood. Casey gasped in pain, her vision blurring as she struggled to stay upright.
But then something strange happened. As the pain overwhelmed her, the magic inside her surged, overflowing in a burst of raw power. Dark energy surged through her, and her eyes glowed with an otherworldly light.
With a roar, she pushed back against the hooded figure who had struck her. The force of her counterattack knocked the figure off his feet, and he fell to the ground with a thud. Casey advanced on him, her hands crackling with dark energy.
The figure tried to raise his sword, but Casey was too fast. She grabbed the blade with one hand and twisted it out of his grip, then plunged it into his chest with a sickening crunch. Blood sprayed across Casey's face, but she didn't even flinch.
She was lost in a haze of rage and power, and nothing else mattered. One by one, she took out the remaining hooded figures with brutal efficiency. She ripped them apart with her bare hands, shattering bones and tearing flesh with ease.
She didn't even see Serenya and the other girls lying on the ground, their bodies bruised and broken. She was consumed by her power, and nothing could stop her.
Casey was panting heavily, her body covered in blood and sweat. The last hooded figure stood before her, its sword at the ready.
"You'll never win," it hissed, its voice distorted by the cloak.
Casey glared at the figure, her eyes blazing with fury. She knew she couldn't hold back anymore. She had to use her full power to defeat this final enemy.
With a scream of rage, Casey raised her hands and summoned all the magic within her. The air around her crackled with energy as she unleashed a wave of force that sent the hooded figure flying backward. As the figure struggled to regain its footing.
The figure quickly lunged at her with lightning speed, his sword aimed for her chest. Casey dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike. She felt a surge of power coursing through her body as she readied herself for the next attack.
The figure was relentless, his sword slashing through the air with deadly precision. Casey felt the heat of the blade as it sliced through her clothes, leaving deep gashes in her skin. But she didn't falter. She knew that she had to keep fighting.
Casey summoned all of her strength and unleashed a powerful blast of dark magic at the figure. The force of the blast sent him flying backward, his cloak fluttering in the air. With a fierce cry, she released it in a burst of dark energy.
The hooded figure was further thrown back, its sword clattering on the ground. Casey advanced on it, her eyes locked on its hooded face. She could feel the dark magic boiling inside her, urging her to strike.
The figure scrambled to its feet, drawing on its own dark magic to counter Casey's attack. But it was too late. Casey's power had grown too strong, and she was unstoppable.
With a flick of her wrist, Casey sent a wave of dark energy crashing into the figure. It stumbled back, its hood falling back to reveal a face twisted with fear and rage.
"You can't stop us," the figure hissed, drawing on its last reserves of magic.
But Casey was beyond reason. She was consumed by dark magic, a force of nature that could not be denied. She raised her hands, and magic responded.
A torrent of black energy shot from her fingertips, engulfing the figure in a maelstrom of destruction. The hooded figure screamed a sound that was quickly drowned out by the roar of dark magic.
"Casey?" a whisper came. "No,"
Casey swiftly turned around ready to attack, but she stopped right before she flicked her fingers.
"WHO ARE YOU?" A voice rang through the forest.