The Sire's eyes glowed with malicious amusement as the dark tendrils twisted and recoiled from Damien's strike.
The atmosphere grew heavier and it became charged with an almost perceptible evil. The walls of the chamber seemed to pulse with the Sire's dark energy, as if it had been waiting for this moment for centuries.
Feiyun, who stood behind Damien, stared at his back in shock. Her breath was shallow, her thoughts were racing and in a complete mess. 'Why had he risked his life to protect me?' She thought while clenching her fists and summoning what little strength she had left. 'I can't be a burden.'
The Sire tilted her head and her gaze flickered between Damien and Feiyun with intrigue. "How strange," she purred. "The slayer has a soft spot." Her eyes narrowed, voice dripping with venom. "Let's see how long that lasts."
Without warning, the darkness in the chamber deepened as the Sire extended her hands, and a swirling mass of shadows erupted from her fingertips. The darkness merged and morphed into monstrous forms, snarling and screeching as they rushed toward Damien and Feiyun.
Damien wasted no time. With a battle cry, he lunged forward, slicing through the shadow creatures with Nightshade. His blade moved like a blur, leaving trails of crimson energy in its wake as his Sanguine Arts flared to life.
Blood couldn't be used against the shadow creatures so he had to use the dark energy contained in the Sanguine Arts. For every creature he cut down, two more seemed to appear.
"Feiyun!" Damien shouted over the noise of battle. "You need to get out of here—now!"
But Feiyun refused to move. Her hands glowed faintly as she tried to call upon her ice power again, her breath fogging the air as she strained to gather her strength.
'I won't leave him alone!' She continuously repeated in her mind, fighting the urge to flee.
The Sire watched them with cold satisfaction and her voice echoed through the chamber. "So fragile, yet so defiant, little bird. But sadly, It won't save you."
Feiyun's ice energy flickered weakly, the oppressive darkness of the chamber suffocating her abilities. She couldn't maintain the connection to her primal energy.
"Dammit!" she cursed under her breath. Her eyes darted toward Damien, watching him fight with everything he had.
And then, something snapped inside her.
Feiyun closed her eyes, forcing herself to focus. She couldn't rely on her ice energy alone—not in this place, not under this suffocating aura. But she had more than just her ice energy.
She had resolve.
Suddenly, her primal energy pulsed, igniting with a renewed surge. But this time, it wasn't the cold, icy power she was used to. It was something deeper, something more raw.
Her body radiated with an unfamiliar heat as flames began to dance at her fingertips—fire, fierce and uncontrollable.
Feiyun gasped and her eyes snapped open. "Damien, I..."
But before she could finish, the Sire noticed the shift in her power. Her mocking expression faded, replaced by a sudden intensity. "Ah, so you have a hidden flame," she murmured, her voice laced with curiosity. "But will it be enough to save you?"
Damien glanced back at Feiyun and saw the flames swirling around her. His eyes widened in surprise, but there was no time to question it. "Feiyun, focus that power!" he yelled. "Use it!"
Feiyun nodded, her confidence rising with the surge of heat coursing through her veins. She extended her hands, and the flames leaped forth, colliding with the shadow creatures that swarmed them.
The fire scorched through the darkness, burning the monsters into oblivion.
The Sire hissed in displeasure, her eyes narrowing. "Impressive," she admitted. "But this changes nothing."
With a flick of her wrist, the shadows around her condensed into a massive wave of darkness, surging toward Damien and Feiyun like a tidal wave.
"Feiyun, now!" Damien shouted.
Feiyun didn't hesitate. She threw her hands forward, sending a violent flow of flames to meet the wave of darkness. The two forces collided in a bright explosion of light and shadow, filling the chamber with a very loud roar.
The force of the blast sent both Damien and Feiyun flying backward. They hit the ground hard, their bodies aching from the impact.
Damien groaned, pushing himself up to his feet. His vision swam, dizzy for a moment, but he forced himself to focus.
The Sire's figure was still shrouded in darkness, but the impact of the collision had weakened her or rather, the phantom image of her, as he had concluded after experiencing her powers so far. He could sense it.
"Feiyun!" Damien called out, looking for her in the dust and debris.
"I'm fine," Feiyun panted, standing up slowly, flames still flickering weakly in her hands. She was exhausted, but she wasn't going to give up.
The Sire's laughter echoed once more, though it was fainter this time around and less certain than before. "You are only delaying the inevitable. You cannot escape me, slayer."
Damien gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with determination. "We'll see about that."
He took a step forward, raising Nightshade high, the crimson glow of the Sanguine Arts pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat.
Feiyun moved to stand beside him, her fire flickering with renewed strength. He wonder how she suddenly became hyperactive, but now wasn't the time for questions.
The Sire's mocking laughter echoed again, though there was a distinct sharpness to it now—an edge that wasn't there before.
Damien could sense her frustration, even if she masked it behind her arrogant facade. Her shadowy form shifted, growing larger as if drawing power from the darkness that surrounded her.
Damien's eyes flicked toward Feiyun, who stood beside him, her hands were still glowing with the flicker of flames. He could feel the heat radiating from her, a stark contrast to the icy demeanor she usually carried.
It wasn't just the fire that had changed—it was Feiyun herself. Something deep within her had awakened, and it was driving her forward despite the overwhelming odds.