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**Chapter Thirteen: Ocean Manor**
I looked at the elves, and my suppressed anger exploded. I was ready to slaughter these elves. Though I maintained a calm expression, my eyes betrayed cold fury as I spoke in a menacing voice,
"You all killed Mandy. So you all have to pay."
With those words, I vanished from my spot and appeared in front of one of the elves who had come from the direction of Mandy's body.
*Snap*
I broke his neck. I vanished again, snapping the neck of the next elf, and in a matter of seconds, I had killed the four elves who had come from Mandy's direction.
The other elves were late to react but had now pulled out their weapons.
"How dare you!"
Three elves, armed, confronted me, two rushing at me while the last one stayed behind, seemingly wanting to protect the mages – those holding staves and short sticks. While the two rushed towards me, my cold gaze was fixed on the black-haired elf guarding the mages. With a single step, I vanished and appeared in front of the black-haired elf. My hand shot straight for his neck. He unsheathed his sword in a split second, blocking my attack. I sent another attack, which he also blocked. We continued in this manner. I was surprised that he was managing to follow my movements, but when I looked closely, I saw a white, almost invisible light covering his body, similar to the light on the tip of one of the female mage's sticks.
As for the other two elves who dashed at me, their heads cleanly severed from their bodies the moment I appeared in front of the black-haired elf.
---
Kevin watched Nicholas with an open mouth as he witnessed the carnage he had caused in a single minute. He snapped out of his shock when he heard a sound and turned back.
*Swish*
A portal had opened.
'How the...' He was shocked. Why did the portal open? It should only open when the trial has come to an end, and this was not the way a trial would normally end. Unless...
'Nicholas, you sly cunt'
Kevin thought, chuckling, as his head was filed with a barage of countless notifications, which he dismissed. Turning around, he glanced at the baby on the ground, looking around with curious eyes, and the little wolf, with a nervous expression, watching Nicholas' fight.
Turning to Nicholas, he opened the mind link. He hesitated because Nicholas looked consumed by anger, but ultimately decided to talk.
'The portal is open; we should leave now.'
To his surprise, Nicholas replied in a calm voice,
'You should go first; I have to finish this now.'
'You don't get it do you; if I'm right, you should have received countless notifications, and the last one says that the portal will only be open for ten seconds.' There was a pause before Nicholas replied, 'Yes, I'm aware.'
'Good, now let's go.'
'No.'
'Huh? Why?'
'They killed Mandy.'
'Bro, it isn't real; they aren't real; none of this is real; it was just created by the garden.'
Nicholas paused before saying,
'It's much more than that.'
'Are you fucking kidding me?'
'...'
'You know what? You're coming with me one way or another,' Kevin said, ending the mind link.
---
I turned my head to look at the glaring Kevin, but only for a split second. I hated to admit it, but he was right; I had to leave this place. But what they did to Mandy was still stopping me from going. Why was I so angry at them? Like what Kevin had said, this place wasn't real; it was all made by the garden. So why was I so angry? Was it because she looked so much like Cassie, and the same way I couldn't save Cassie, I couldn't save her? Was I really angry at them, or at myself? These questions passed through my mind.
Dodging a black energy ball, I used my hand to stab the elf's shoulder. I watched as the wound I dealt to the elf healed at an alarming rate. I thought about the two daggers hanging on my waist. As soon as I thought of them, they flew out of their sheaths and hovered behind me. Using the two daggers made it seem like I had gained the upper hand, but in reality, it just made the fight harder as the mage supporting him increased the strength of her spell.
I looked at the mage and thought,
'I have to get rid of her.'
This was the most effective solution to ending this battle, but I knew the elf wouldn't allow me to destroy the source of his power, so I waited. The elf and I continued to exchange blows; though we moved about, he never let me get behind him.
The elf dodged a punch I sent to his head, but he couldn't dodge the dagger I aimed for his waist. As he got stabbed with the dagger, he used his sword to stab my shoulder. Although it was painful, it was the opportunity I was looking for. I sent the second dagger towards the mage that was helping the elf, and he was too late to block it.
'It would be a sure hit.'
I had momentarily forgotten that there were other elf mages too. One of them had used a strange power to stop the dagger mid-flight, while another had sent a bolt of lightning at me. I knew I was fast, but this attack would surely hit me.
---
Kevin looked at Nicholas's back with a grim expression as he ended the mind link, but then he suddenly smiled and waved his hand.
*Swoosh*
A gust of wind followed the movement of his hand.
'Haha, my powers are back.'
Thinking that, he glanced at the portal and the message that had appeared in front of him, showing
'[5 seconds till gate closure],'
and then at Nicholas.
'Can I just step through the portal and leave Nicholas here? He seemed so hell-bent on killing those elves, plus I had only just met the guy; it isn't like he's my responsibility. But why do I feel like I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if I leave him here? Argh, this is frustrating.' Kevin groaned and made up his mind. Pushing his right hand forward and then pulling it back in one swift motion, a powerful gust of wind followed his hand and moved in Nicholas' direction, pulling him out of the lightning's path and into the portal.
'[Two seconds till closure.]'
Using his hand, he controlled the wind to push back the elves. '[One second till closure.]'
The portal was already beginning to fade as he rushed into it.
*Oof* *thud*
Falling out of the portal, Kevin landed on a path of green grass. Beside him was Nicholas, who had already passed out, and on top of his body was the little wolf.
Standing up, Kevin looked at his surroundings: a vast field filled with roses, to his left a forest, and to his right a crystal-clear lake. The air was permeated by the enchanting smell of the roses.
"Ahh, I'm finally back in the garden."
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