"Mike, listen to me!" Christina's voice persisted. "Fight back! You're stronger than this. Don't let him consume you!"
"I'm not who you think I am!" the possessed Mike declared, his voice dripping with malevolence. "I am Jran! And if you disturb me again, I'll find you and destroy your world!"
Christina's anger boiled over, her response was swift and venomous. "Don't you dare!" she retorted. "You shameless monster, you dare threaten me while possessing my friend's body!"
The possessed Mike snarled, frustration evident in his voice. "I'm going to kill you! I promise." Each word was laced with pain, and beneath the surface, the real Mike struggled to reclaim control.
Christina's voice remained relentless. "Mike, I know you can hear me. Remember your promise – you'll return to us." Her words struck a chord, and for an instant, the possessed Mike's resolve wavered.
Jran's grip on his host's body began to slip. Christina sensed the shift and pressed her advantage.
"I don't want to lose you, Mike. I love you," she confessed.
Her words shattered the darkness, sending shivers down Mike's spine. Amidst the excruciating pain, he felt himself being pulled toward the light. The shadows receded, and his agony began to subside.
As the fog cleared, Mike's consciousness stirred. His thoughts, once shrouded in darkness, slowly reasserted themselves. The battle for control had reached its turning point.
With Christina's love as his anchor, Mike began to reclaim his body, his soul stirring from the depths of the abyss. The resentful soul's grip faltered, and Jran's malevolent presence started to recede.
Domra, sensing Mike's momentary vulnerability, lunged forward with malicious intent. However, his attack was thwarted by an unexpected intervention. A powerful force, seemingly from nowhere, intercepted Domra's assault, sending him hurtling toward the roofless thrones room.
Mike, now fully regained control of his faculties, spun around to confront his would-be assailant. Instead, his gaze met a female Anthropter approaching him with purpose.
Her lips curved into a subtle smile, and her piercing eyes locked onto Mike's. "Pleasure meeting you, my Jyuran," she said, her voice melodious.
"I am Miram, Djuma's daughter," she introduced herself before Mike could inquire about her identity.
Mike's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh! It's you," he exclaimed. "Djuma told me about you."
Miram's brown wings beat steadily, generating a powerful gust of wind. Her gaze swept the surroundings, vigilant for potential threats.
"We should depart immediately, my Jyuran," she urged. "Follow me." She pivoted and took to the sky, her wings propelling her upward with effortless grace.
Though Mike still have his doubt, yet he had no choice but to trust and follow her. After all, she saved him from his enemy moments ago. Mike's gaze lingered on Domra, his sharp eyesight tracking the commander's recovery from the unexpected blow.
Memories of the possession flooded back, and Mike realized he hadn't been completely unconscious during the ordeal. A part of him had remained aware, trapped and powerless, witnessing the chaos wrought by Jran's malevolent influence.
Christina's voice echoed in his mind, the catalyst that had stirred his resolve to reclaim control. Her words had pierced the darkness, rekindling his determination to overcome the possession.
Miram's melodious voice interrupted Mike's reverie. "My Jyuran! What are you waiting for?" she called out, her tone laced with urgency.
Mike's attention snapped back to the present. He turned toward Miram, whose figure was silhouetted against the sky.
"Let's go now before they come!" she exhorted.
Mike's wings, until now beating slowly, suddenly spread wide, their majestic span propelling him toward Miram with incredible force. The wind rushed past him as he closed the distance between them.
In a fluid motion, Mike drew alongside Miram, their wings beating in synchrony. Together, they pierced the sky, leaving Domra and his cohorts behind.
Though Mike didn't have the chance to get a better view of the kingdom, however, he knew he'd have a chance in the future. Right now only one thought dominate his mind: survival.
As they flew, Mike cast a glance at Miram. "Thanks for the rescue," he said, his voice carried away by the wind.
Miram's smile faltered for an instant, her eyes flashing with a hint of concern. "We're not safe yet," she cautioned. "Dahra won't give up easily."
Mike's jaw set, his resolve hardened. "Don't worry, I'll be ready for him."
Miram nodded and surged forward, increasing her speed. She pierced the veil of the blue fog descending, its misty tendrils swirling around her wings.
Mike followed closely, his wings beating in perfect sync with Miram's. The fog enveloped him, shrouding the world in an impenetrable azure haze.
****
Rachael's curiosity remained unwavering. "What's happening over there?" she asked, her concern still evident.
Christina's face lit up with a radiant smile. "Good news, guys! Mike has overcome Jran's soul. And he's met Djuma's daughter, Miram," she announced.
Rachael's eyes widened in astonishment. "Are you for real?" she asked, scanning Christina's face for verification.
Christina nodded fervently. "It's true! Mike has broken free from Jran's grasp. He's flying away from Dahra's abode right now."
Stefan exhaled a deep sigh of relief, his shoulders sagging. "That's a relief, I was worried sick," he muttered, his voice barely audible.
He turned to Christina, his eyes seeking answers. "Did you really profess your love for Mike earlier?" he asked.
Christina's cheeks flushed as she avoided Stefan's gaze. "I just did everything I could to save him," she scoffed, attempting nonchalance. "There's nothing more to it."
Stefan's persistence was unwavering. "I doubt that," he said, his gaze mischievous. "You looked so sincere when you confessed your love, almost shedding emotional tears. Are you sure there's nothing more to it?"
He tried to make eye contact with Christina, but she continued to evade his gaze. Christina's face grew hotter, her composure slipping. "I...I just want him to be safe," she stammered.
Stefan's knowing smile hinted that he wasn't buying Christina's denial. "Is... that all?" he pressed, a mischievous smile still plastered on his face.
However, Rachael's intense glare struck Stefan, instantly silencing his playful demeanor.
"This is no time to joke around," she reprimanded, her expression stern.
The room's atmosphere shifted, gravity settling in as Rachael's words reignited concern.
"Gladly, Mike is free from the worst, but do you think Dahra would give up on his father?" she asked, her question hanging in the air like a specter, conjuring fears of Dahra's relentless pursuit.
*****
Dahra rose from his throne, his face contorted in displeasure, as he heard Domra's words. "You lost him!?" he thundered, his voice echoing through the thrones room, shaking the very foundations.
Domra cringed, his explanation tumbling out in a desperate bid to mitigate his lord's wrath. "He had the wrong idea about our intention, he thought you'd ordered him to be killed."
Dahra's eyes widened in incredulity. "What!? That's ridiculous! Why would I want to kill my father? What have you done, Domra?" He took a step closer to Domra, his voice dripping with guilt.
Domra collapsed to the ground, his breathing labored. "We did as you ordered, my lord. But we were wrong... your father was in absolute control of the human's body. I lost fifteen of my men in the gory fight... none of us could defeat him."
Dahra's gaze narrowed, his mind racing with implications. "Where is he now?" he demanded. "If my father was in control of the human body, he would have been here already to punish me... why is he not here yet?"
Domra hesitated, knowing the consequences of his next words. "He managed to escape, my lord," he admitted, his voice laced with tremors, as he struggled to convey the events.
"I had been on the verge of taking action when I witnessed him wrestling with the human's soul, desperately seeking to reclaim control, however..." Domra paused reflectively.
"... a mysterious female witch emerged from nowhere, launching a surprise attack against me. I was caught off guard, swiftly overwhelmed, and before I could recover, she had escaped with him," he elaborated.
Dahra's footsteps halted abruptly, his gaze pinning Domra with an unnerving intensity. "Do you mean another witch?" he asked, his glowing eyes boring into Domra's very soul.
Domra nodded cautiously, sensing the volatility of Dahra's mood. "I don't know where she came from, but judging by the magnitude of her power, she's a young and inexperienced witch," he explained.
"I can take her down, my lord, of course with some of your powers," he added.
A calculating glint sparked in Dahra's eyes, with a fluid motion, he swept toward the thrones and settled into one, his dark aura pulsating around him. A tendril of shadowy energy broke off, snaking toward Domra.
The dark aura shot into Domra's nostrils, and his eyes flared with an otherworldly glow. His body tensed, absorbing the power.
Dahra's voice dropped to a menacing whisper. "Do whatever it takes to bring my father back. I won't condone any failure this time."
Domra rose from the floor, his red glowing eyes dimming slightly as he processed the weight of Dahra's order.
With a deep bow, Domra vanished into the night, his form blurring as he burst into incredible speed.
Dahra's gaze lingered on the empty space, his thoughts consumed by the pursuit of his father. His power, now coursing through Domra's veins, would ensure success.
Failure was no longer an option.
In the darkness outside, Domra's wings beat with renewed ferocity, driven by the dark energy coursing through him. His eyes blazed with an unnatural hunger, focused solely on capturing Mike and crushing the mysterious young witch who dared to intervene.
The night had just become a lot more deadly, the pursuit is about to begin.