It moved with such swiftness that no mortal eye could perceive it. Its presence was only felt by the dreadful chill that ran through the veins of those who crossed its path. It bore a murderous aura that made men quake and women shriek.
In the span of a heartbeat, it slaughtered all the soulless men who had invaded the manor. Dead bodies and blood stained the halls and chambers, creating a gruesome spectacle.
It was a night of horror that none in the manor had ever witnessed before.
The manor guards, Lord Hoself, Elley, Prince Ivive and Lady Melovine were still in shock. They all felt the fear, but none could discern what the thing was.
Melovine gasped as she looked up. The Deceptor, a treacherous woman who had betrayed them, was floating high up in the sky, clutching her throat as if something was strangling her.
What was holding her was the unknown thing or person with the murderous aura.
"Spare me...spare me...I will be loyal to you", the Deceptor cried out, barely able to utter the words.
"Did he send you?", The voice asked, cold and eerie.
"No...no...he did not. I only found out that the ghost weaver was here because of the Illusionist. She said I should help her.
She has already sent messages to others. I do not know if the King of Delmos is now aware", the Deceptor managed to say.
It smirked, "Illusionist? Forget it, they will handle that one themselves.
I have made my plan, and you nasty, lowly, worthless black magic practitioners want to ruin it".
It chuckled darkly as it inhaled the powers of the Deceptor until her body withered and dried up. Then it released its grip from her neck.
A loud thud was heard as the Deceptor fell to the ground, and Elley screamed.
************************************
Back at the chamber where Mizak and Teri stayed.
Prince Ivive tried to stand up from the floor, but the murderous aura passed him again and pushed him down as it entered the chamber.
Prince Ivive was bleeding from his mouth as he tried to get up and follow it.
When he entered the chamber, he could not feel the murderous aura anymore, but he was sure it had entered there.
He looked around in fear as he panted. He glanced at the open window and thought it had fled through there.
Lord Hoself, Elley and Lady Melovine ran inside the chamber.
"I am sure I felt it entering here", Lord Hoself said, gritting his teeth.
Prince Ivive glanced at Melovine and Elley and saw their wounds.
"Are you ladies alright?", he asked.
"We are certainly not", Lady Melovine said to him.
Teri started turning his head left and right as he lay on the bed. He began to sweat profusely. He did not look well, something was instilling fear in him.
"What is wrong with him?", Prince Ivive asked as he rushed to Teri. Elley and Melovine followed him.
Teri yelled as he sat up forcefully from his sleep, "Leave me alone!"
"Big brother, are you awake?", Elley asked, looking worried and in pain from her wounds from the fight.
"Elley?", Teri asked, panting, soaked in sweat and untied his blindfold.
"I am back", Teri said .
he opened his eye and found out he was still blind. He tied his blindfold back and said sadly,"am really back".
Mizak began to wake up as he opened his eyes slowly. He woke up fully and sat up as he saw Teri.
"I am happy that you are awake", Elley said to Teri with a smile.
"I am also happy that I am back to you, Elley.
What is that? Is it not the stench of blood? Elley, is it coming from you? Are you alright?", Teri asked, worriedly.
"It is not just her. It is everyone in the manor. We had a fight with a lady called the Deceptor", Melovine said.
"However, everything is good now", Elley said.
"I see Mizak woke you up", Lord Hoself said.
"It was not me. I was with Teri, but in the blink of an eye I fell into darkness.
After some time, I woke up", Mizak said, glancing at Teri while talking to Lord Hoself.
"Then did you wake yourself?", Lord Hoself asked Teri, curiously.
"I did not wake up on my own", Teri said, sharply.
"The Beautiful Devourer was devouring your soul. It is the work of the Illusionist.
It was devouring your soul by making an illusion of your happy wishes look real", Lord Hoself said.
"Happy wishes? Nothing but happy wishes?", Teri asked, his breath shaking.
"Yes, only happy wishes. Or did something strange happen?", Lord Hoself asked as he furrowed his eyebrows.
"I daresay that whatever was strange in your illusion was not as strange as what befell the manor today.
While you lay in a trance, we were assailed by the Deceptor and her soulless men.
I have never crossed swords with a person who wielded the dark arts until today.
We fought for our lives, but that was not the most wondrous part, silver-haired blind boy.
Something emerged from the shadows and slew all the soulless men. It was so fleet that I could not behold it, but I felt it.
Its murderous aura was so mighty that it made me shudder in fear.
I know not what it is, but I know none here can match that thing.
I looked up and beheld it slay the Deceptor by sapping her powers and casting her to the ground.
It was as if it was...I deem it was a spirit. A spirit with a powerful and wicked energy", Melovine said.
"It came to this chamber and we pursued it, but anon it disappeared", Elley said.
Teri clenched his jaw as he trembled, clutching the sheets he lay on. "Then it was not merely an illusion, it truly came", he muttered, as flashes of what he saw in his illusion passed through his mind.
"What was not an illusion?", Prince Ivive asked, catching Teri's words.
"It is naught", Teri said.
"Lord Hoself, I was able to see in my illusion. Is it possible that the people I saw in my illusion bear the same visage in reality?", Teri asked, inquisitively.
"It may be possible", Lord Hoself said.
"Of course, Elley and Darlene bore the same visage. I also saw them", Mizak said, looking at Teri.
"What of you?", Teri asked, turning his head towards Mizak who was next to him.
Mizak nodded. "I bear the same visage. I saw myself in a mirror.
Teri gasped faintly as he got down from the bed, but stumbled. He stood up and walked unsteadily, trying to find the entrance of the chamber with his hands, and stumbled again.
"Are you well?", Prince Ivive asked, hastening to him to lend him a hand, but Teri shoved it away and stood up on his own.
"Your Highness, please take me out of this manor. I cannot breathe", Teri whispered, trembling and sweating, to Prince Ivive.