"No am good" Ella quickly dismiss the challenge, her body quietly slid under the blanket while her cheeks ripe out from his words.
From looks he was dead serious, she won't be at victory end so it best leave it as it is.
"Good night" his words comes out in warm breathe in Ella's ears, her fingers digs in the white sheet as his breathe lays tickling on her skin.
"Good night" she replies shutting her mind out and giving her eyes nothingness.
At another end, in the city. The street lights glows weakly as the sound of crickets are heard from the near bushes. A car speeding down the deserted road screeches to a halt when a wolf suddenly appears, standing motionless in the center.
The driver, a young man likely in his early twenties, steps out cautiously, his eyes fixed on the animal. His heart pounds as he wonders if his reckless driving has caused the poor wolf's death.
"Joseph," a young woman calls softly from behind him. She appears to be in her late teens and clings to the open car door, stealing nervous glances at her boyfriend as he approaches the front of the car.
Together, they move slowly, their footsteps hesitant. But when they reach the spot where the grey wolf had fallen, it is gone.
Confusion and unease creep in as their eyes search the road and the woods beyond for any sign of the creature.
"Where did it go?" the girl asks, her voice trembling as her gaze darts to the shadows surrounding them. The night is dark and still, save for the soft rustling of leaves. They are alone on the outskirts of the city, deep in the woods.
"Maybe it ran off before we got out," Joseph replies, though doubt flickers in his voice. He gently guides his girlfriend back to the car, his protective instincts kicking in.
Before they can reach the safety of the vehicle, a low growl pierces the silence. Their breath catches as glowing eyes emerge from the shadows. Wolves appear, one by one, surrounding them in a predatory circle. Fear takes hold as they realize there's no escape.
"Joseph," she calls, her voice trembling as a wolf approaches her, its eyes blazing with rage. Drool drips from its open jaws, splattering onto the ground with each deliberate step.
"Shoo! Shoo!" Joseph shouts, stepping in front of her, his body a protective shield. He waves his arms, trying to scare the creature away. But his efforts are futile. The wolf continues its approach, more menacing with every stride.
Panic grips them, and their instincts scream to run. They turn to flee, but their path is cut off. More wolves emerge from the shadows, their glowing eyes closing in. Trapped, they clutch each other's hands tightly, their breaths shallow as they brace for the inevitable.
The wolves lunge, but before they can strike, a sudden rustling cuts through the night, followed by sharp whimpers. The couple's eyes fly open, and what they see freezes them in place.
Two women stand before them. One is dressed in a flowing red gown, her hair cascading like fire. The other, draped in a white dress, radiates an ethereal glow. Their hands pulse with shimmering energy—one crimson, the other a brilliant white.
With graceful yet commanding movements, the women unleash waves of power. The air ripples as their magic strikes the wolves, sending them tumbling and howling in pain.
Joseph and his girlfriend watch in stunned disbelief, their hands still entwined, their bodies rigid. The scene unfolding before them feels like something out of a dream—or a nightmare they can't wake from.
In an instant, half the pack of wolves lie lifeless on the cold ground, many of their bodies too mangled to recognize.
"Great job," a voice calls out, accompanied by the sound of slow, mocking applause.
Lady Marv, her elegant red dress cascading to the ground like liquid fire, turns toward the source of the sound. Her gaze softens when it lands on Teslime, his face unchanged from years past. He approaches with the same casual arrogance she remembers.
"Very good," Teslime says boldly, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "I knew you'd come." His expectation of their arrival is confirmed. He knows Steffen has sent them to capture him, but what amuses him is the sheer audacity of it. Did Steffen really think sending such a pair would suffice?
Lady Marv, a dark witch with immense power, has one fatal flaw: her foolish fondness for him. Mistress Lily, on the other hand, is a white witch who detests violence. Teslime's smirk widens. How could Steffen be so foolish as to send two flawed witches to face him?
"And we've been waiting for you, Teslime," Mistress Lily says calmly, her fingers igniting with colorless flames that flicker like living air.
"Don't tell me your king sent just the two of you to capture me?" Teslime scoffs, his pride evident. His eyes gleam like the dying light of a sun as he strides toward Lily, who stands her ground, her flames glowing brighter.
"I could take care of the both of you without breaking a sweat," he boasts, his voice oozing arrogance.
"Then try," a firm voice interrupts.
Teslime's head snaps toward the source, and his eyes widen. It's the timid human girl from earlier, but now she stands with a fierceness he hadn't expected.
A low chuckle escapes his lips as understanding dawns on him. "Witch disguises," he mutters.
"We meet again," says the human boyfriend, his form shifting into Paul's true appearance.
"Still think you can handle us?" another voice taunts. Teslime's gaze shifts to the girl as her disguise shimmers and fades, revealing Balu standing in her place.
The realization hits him hard. This entire scene has been a trap, meticulously planned and executed. Mistress Lily must have cast the disguise spell, and he has been thoroughly fooled.
"Do you like the surprise?" Lady Marv asks with a sly smirk, her fingers twirling red flames into a spinning orb. "You're outnumbered now," she adds, her tone taunting.
Teslime's smirk doesn't waver. "Then it's a good thing I brought a plus one to this little date."
Their confidence falters as a figure steps out from the dark woods. Her long hair cascades over her shoulders, and her leather suit gleams under the moonlight.
"The Sun Witch," Mistress Lily whispers, her stomach twisting as dread grips her. Her breath catches, her confidence draining in an instant.
The tension in the air soon thicks as an erupted volcano, a maelstrom of energy ready to explode. Balu and Paul advance, their movements synchronize like predators closing in on their prey. Teslime stands his ground, his eyes glowing with defiance. His body trembles not with fear, but with the barely contained power surging through his veins.
With a guttural snarl, Paul's muscles ripple, his human form melting into his wolf. Midnight-black fur covers his body, and his growl echoes like a storm rolling through the mountains. Beside him, Teslime's transformation is just as swift, his form shifting into a massive, silver wolf with piercing glowing eyes.
Their gazes locked, and the challenge passed between them is unspoken but fierce.
Paul lunge first, a blur of speed and shadow, his claws aiming for Teslime's throat. Teslime sidestep, his movements precise and calculated, countering with a swipe of his own. The clash of claws meeting fur echoes through the lonely streets as the two wolves collide, snarling and snapping with a primal ferocity that shakes the ground.
Balu circles around, looking for an opening. Teslime growls low, his powerful frame tense, his eyes darting between the two adversaries. When Balu charge, Teslime reacts instantly, meeting him head-on with a thunderous impact that sends both wolves skidding across the dirt.
Meanwhile, Lady Marv and Lily approach the Sun Witch. She stands apart from the chaos, her expression calm, her golden robes billowing in the breeze as if untouched by the brewing storm. Her eyes glows like twin suns, unwavering despite the two towering figures before her.
"Can you defeat me?" the Sun Witch said, her voice a calm ripple over the chaos. She raise a hand, her fingers sparking with molten energy.
Lady Marv steps forward, her eyes blazing. "We hope so" With a roar, she charge with a sword she spelled out, her sword igniting with ethereal flames. Lily flanks her, summoning vines from the earth that shot forward, reaching for the witch like serpents.
The Sun Witch smile faintly. With a flick of her wrist, the air around her shimmer, and a radiant shield materializes, shattering the vines into ash. Lady Marv's sword meets the barrier with a deafening clang, sending sparks flying.
"Is that all you've got?" the Sun Witch taunts, her voice eerily calm. She retaliate, summoning a pillar of sunlight that blaze down from the sky. Lady Marv barely rolled away in time, the ground where she stood seconds before now scorch black.
Back in the melee, Teslime's battle with Paul and Balu intensifies. Teslime's fur glisten with sweat and blood under the moonlight as he dart around the Balu and Paul, his speed and agility unmatched. Paul roars, his massive frame crashing into Teslime, pinning him to the ground.
But Teslime isn't done yet. With a defiant growl, he twist beneath Paul, using his opponent's momentum to throw him off balance. He leapt to his feet, jaws snapping as he drove Paul back. Balu lunge from the side, but Teslime spun, his claws slicing through the air in a deadly arc.
The battlefield is chaos, but for a fleeting moment, it seems victory is within reach. Paul and Balu press Teslime into a corner, their combined strength finally overpowering his relentless defiance. Lady Marv and Lily, battered and scorched, push the Sun Witch to her limits, their attacks coming faster, fiercer, desperate to end her reign.
But then the Sun Witch smiles—a cold, knowing smile. She raises her arms, golden energy crackling between her fingers. "Enough," she says, her voice echoing like a bell through the chaos.
Before anyone can react, she casts a spell, her words ancient and sharp. Light erupts from her, blinding and overwhelming, wrapping around both herself and Teslime. The air ripples, their forms fading into shimmering distortions.
"No!" Paul howls, lunging forward, his claws slashing at empty air. Balu snarls in frustration, his fangs bared, but there's nothing left to fight.
Lady Marv slams her sword into the ground, her face twisted in rage. "Damn her!" she growls, her flames flickering out as she surveys the now-empty battlefield. Lily clutches her side, her voice trembling with exhaustion. "They're gone… again."
The silence that follows is heavy, broken only by labored breaths and the crackle of dying embers. Paul shifts back into his human form, his jaw tight as he punches the ground in frustration. "How do we tell the king? We had him—Teslime was ours."
Balu growls low, her eyes dark with anger and disappointment. "Steffen won't care about excuses. We've failed him. And worse… we've let Teslime escape again."
Lady Marv's expression hardens, but beneath her fierce demeanor, there's a flicker of unease. "We'll have to face him. No one else will deliver the news."
The group stands in uneasy silence, the weight of their failure pressing down like a storm cloud. Victory had been within their grasp, but now it feels like sand slipping through their fingers. Somewhere, far from their reach, Teslime and the Sun Witch are safe—for now.
And they know Steffen's wrath will be waiting for them.