I gasped the words through the pain, completing the second spell I held in my soul. Alverin froze, mouth parted mid-threat, as five magic circles blazed to life around him, the runes appearing like stars against the setting sun. He glanced at his ring, surprise turning to fear, as he found the enchantment gone.
He threw a desperate hand toward me, clawing at my face, but I'd already fallen back off his sword. Before he could react, thick strands of dark, oily mana shot out of the circles, binding his soul. They carried the vile taint of Curse Magic, drenching him in the same shadows he'd unleashed on me just seconds before.
Alverin screamed as the dark tendrils latched onto his soul, not in pain but in pure, unbridled rage. I flinched as the noise pierced my ears, but poured more mana into the spell, battling against his soul. He was powerful, with even more mana than I had, but no soul had inherent curse resistance.
