With rasped breath, Ingrid's desperation took hold. She implored, her voice trembling, "The documents, I need the documents."
Severin regarded her coolly and remarked, "Little ginger, that wasn't part of our deal, now, was it?"
Ingrid's heart sank as silence enveloped her, her mind racing to find a solution.
However, Severin's voice carried a sly tone as he continued, "But, you see, as a benevolent benefactor, I do happen to recall that there might be some documents up there."
He pointed at the burning building. "The very building that's currently... well, burning now." He taunted her further, adding, "Perhaps, just perhaps, if you're swift enough..."
Severin did not finish speaking before Ingrid found strength in her legs again, sprinting toward the building.
A sudden crash from within echoed through the night, followed by a scream. Marcellus lunged towards the inferno, but Severin's iron grip held him back.
"Wait," he hissed, eyes gleaming with excitement. "Let's see what our little firebug unleashes. Don't spoil the fireworks."
Ingrid stepped over uneven ground as her boots crunched on debris. she went up navigating the charred staircase, flames licking at the edges of her vision.
She burst through Doan's office, her eyes scanning the smoke-filled room.
On the floor, amidst the chaos, she spotted a crumpled figure amidst the scattered furniture - Doan.
He really is dead, she sang in her heart.
Ignoring the searing heat, she rushed over, a surge of urgency pushing her past fear. She scanned the room for anything useful.
Her eyes caught a pile of documents, potentially deeds, and with a swift motion, she snatched them.
Adrenaline pumping, heart hammering against her ribs.
The building was an inferno, and time was running out.
Grabbing a stack of documents at arm's reach, she turned to leave.
Ingrid's heart hammered harder against her ribs. she retreated with impressive agility, adrenaline masking the heat and stench of burning wood.
Just as she reached the exit, her haste proved her undoing.
The uneven floor, obscured by the smoke, betrayed her. Her foot twisted caught on an uneven floorboard, sending her sprawling.
She stumbled, landing hard on the ground.
Scrambling up, she felt a slick wetness on her hand.
Her breath caught in her throat as the metallic scent flooded her senses.
With a sharp gasp, she lurched upright, a stinging warmth blossoming on her palm.
Instinctively, she brought her hand to her face, the metallic tang of blood sending a fresh wave of panic.
Her gaze dropped, revealing a horrifying truth.
The uneven floor wasn't just debris, it was… bodies.
Injured, bleeding people, their moans drowned out by the crackling flames.
The suffocating air, heavy with the stench of smoke and fear, was thick with blood.
Her stomach churned, threatening to spill its contents.
Clamping down on the rising nausea, Ingrid scrambled to her feet, desperate to escape the consuming inferno.
She reached for the documents, fear twisting her insides. They lay inches from her grasp, soaked in a crimson tide.
The documents were important to her, but her own escape was precarious, the flames devouring everything in their path.
She needed to leave!
She bolted towards the exit, adrenaline pumping through her veins.
But before she could reach the threshold, Ingrid stumbled again, only to be yanked back, but this time, it wasn't the floor.
A hand, cold and clammy, clamped around her ankle.
Fear turned to ice in her veins!
Thrashing wildly, she fought to break free, panic clawing at her throat as she stumbled, her scream torn from her lungs, only to be lost in the deafening roar of the fire.
She kicked and struggled against the unseen grip on her leg. It refused to let go, and more hands clung onto her!
The hands held firm, and panic turned into sheer terror. A primal scream remained trapped in her chest, unable to escape.
Outside, Marcellus and his company could only make out her silhouette as she struggled against the raging flames.
A brief flash of movement, a desperate kick, and then... silence.
The inferno swallowed Ingrid whole, leaving behind only a wisp of smoke and the haunting echo of a scream that never was.
Crackling timbers rained down, burying Ingrid beneath their fiery assault as she wailed in despair. Smoke filled her lungs, a choking shroud that threatened to extinguish her very breath.
Time ran out, and the flames intensified, their fury relentless, until, under the searing heat, her head popped with an explosive burst.
Marcellus, a Hollowed with acute hearing, heard Ingrid's screams pierce the night.
She had crossed him, and in that moment of clarity, a desire for revenge welled up within him, making him contemplate ending her life. However, as he witnessed what Severin had done to her, a wave of relief washed over him.
He was certain that there was no way in the world he would have killed her in such a manner.
Instead of feeling vengeful satisfaction, Marcellus was overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude. Despite shedding some of his former self, he hadn't lost everything. He was still Marcellus at his core.
As the flames continued to consume the burning building, Marcellus couldn't help but shudder at the gruesome fate that Ingrid had narrowly escaped. Her ordeal was a stark reminder of the merciless and unforgiving nature of Severin, the criminal mastermind who had orchestrated the entire event. It served as a chilling warning to Marcellus about the perilous path he had chosen.
In that moment, Marcellus realized the importance of treading carefully and keeping his wits about him. The world he had entered was fraught with danger and moral ambiguity, and he would have to navigate it with caution if he were to survive and uncover the mysteries of the diary and the Dream that had ensnared him.
Amid the burning wreckage, Severin's slow applause echoed, and he acknowledged Priest Corwin with a smirk. "That went as expected, don't you think?"
Corwin's glare spoke volumes, but he remained silent. Marcellus couldn't shake the growing sense of unease; it seemed like Severin was always thinking several steps ahead, and Marcellus doubted his ability to outwit the cunning criminal.
The night was painted in shades of crimson and orange as the flames devoured the building, casting eerie, dancing shadows upon the deserted street.
The sky stretched and yawned, awakening to the sun's gentle touch.
The air grew heavy with tension, palpable and suffocating. In the midst of this swirling chaos, characters stood on the precipice of destiny.
With a sudden and agile bound, Severin bridged the gap and appeared beside Finn and Corwin. Finn's face contorted with shock as Severin's hand lashed out, delivering a powerful blow to Corwin's abdomen. The force of the impact sent Corwin sprawling, his body hurtling through the air until it collided with the unforgiving ground.
There, he lay, coughing up blood, pain searing through his battered form.
Before Finn could recover from the shock of Severin's sudden appearance, he felt the cold, biting edge of a dirk pressed against his throat. Panic surged within him as Severin's menacing smirk bore down on the trembling youth.
"Remember our little agreement..." Severin taunted, his voice dripping with menace. "Aulus comes alone, or you face the consequences." A hidden blade gleamed dangerously at Finn's throat; its edge hovering perilously close from piercing through.
From the shadows, a raspy voice cut through the tension. "Leave the boy unharmed, Severin. This fight is between you and me.' Aulus stepped into the moonlight, his gnarled hands encasing a worn dirk. Years etched his face, but his eyes burned with fierce defiance.
Behind him, three more figures materialized from the shadows.
The first was a tall, humanoid creature with a sinister aura, its body adorned in dark, tattered robes that billowed like a spectre's shroud. It moved gracefully on two legs, emanating an eerie presence.
The second figure resembled a similarly menacing humanoid, its form draped in a black cloak that seemed to meld with the darkness around it. Its piercing red eyes glowed ominously, casting an otherworldly gleam upon its haunting visage.
The third figure was distinctly different, an impish being with leathery wings that unfurled from its hunched back. Its eyes gleamed with a malevolent intelligence, and its grotesque appearance sent shivers down the spine of anyone who dared to gaze upon it.
Three Creature of the Night!
Severin's smile vanished, replaced by a scowl as dark as the shadows. "Ah, the old dog finally arrived. with creatures of the night! it seems you have prepared" He turned to Ralf, his voice dripping with venom. "Recall our bargain, knight. Help me, and Corwin lives. Fail me, and he joins you in oblivion."
Old man Aulus emerged from the darkness, his gnarled hands clenched into fists, veins bulging beneath the thin, fragile skin. His eyes, aged yet ablaze with determination, bore into Severin's like two fiery orbs. The wrinkles on his face seemed to deepen as he tightened his grip on a dirk he held.
Severin, the puppeteer of this night, met Aulus's gaze with narrowed eyes, his fingers twitching involuntarily. His breath, once steady, now came out strained and ragged as he prepared for the impending clash.
Marcellus, lurking in the shadows, watched Ralf with a predatory intensity. His muscles coiled like a spring, and his breaths were shallow, barely noticeable. His eyes, cold and calculating, remained fixed on his unexpected opponent.
He felt a mixture of surprise and determination as he faced Ralf, a challenge unexpected but accepted without hesitation!
Ralf's face paled, torn between his loyalty to Corwin and the chilling threat to his own life. As Severin's gaze shifted back to Aulus, a sudden cry ripped through the air.
Marcellus burst from the darkness; a whirlwind of steel aimed at Ralf's exposed flank.
Finn's heart pounded in his chest as he watched the unfolding confrontation. Worry and fear gnawed at him, his emotions conflicted. He was torn between the loyalty he felt toward Ralf and the undeniable danger that Severin posed. The tension in the air weighed heavily on him, making it difficult to breathe.
Ralf, caught off guard by Severin's ominous words an Marcellus's attack, stumbled clumsily in his scramble to defend himself. His hands trembled as he fumbled for his sword, the clang of metal against metal ringing out in the chaos. His mind raced, torn between the loyalty he felt toward Corwin and the realization that his actions could cost him his life.
Old man Aulus's intervention brought a glimmer of hope to Finn's heart.
The elderly man presence and power offered a chance for salvation, a flicker of light in the darkness. Finn watched with a mixture of awe and gratitude as Aulus faced off against Severin, hoping that this unexpected ally could turn the tide in their favor.
As Marcellus launched his attack on Ralf, the night seemed to hold its breath. Marcellus's thoughts were focused and intense, a determination to succeed burning within him. He respected Ralf's strength and knew that this battle would be far from easy, but he was determined to distract Ralf from offering help to Severin.
This was his opportune moment!
The characters were like pieces on a treacherous chessboard, their fates intertwined in a deadly game of strategy and survival.
Each individual perspective added depth to the unfolding events, revealing their inner thoughts, emotions, and the complex web of allegiances and conflicts that defined their actions.