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Chapter 8 - past the forest and next

The grim boy's hollow form, now flickering and unstable, was a mere shadow of its former self. Each movement it made was labored, its scythe, once an ominous and deadly weapon, now trembling in its grip. The void within him, the very essence that had defined his existence, was unraveling. Zinia watched the creature's futile efforts with a mixture of amusement and disdain, her smirk never faltering.

"You're still trying?" she teased, her voice cutting through the grim silence of the battlefield. "Pitiful."

Mei stood silently, his katana gleaming with the flickering blue flames that encased its edge. His stance was steady, his eyes focused on the enemy, but there was no emotion in his gaze—only the cold, mechanical precision with which he carried out Zinia's will. He had been ready to end this for some time now, but Zinia held him back, savoring the moment like a predator playing with its prey.

The grim boy staggered forward, the weight of his own form seeming too much for him to bear. He lunged with his scythe, the arc of the blade desperate, clumsy. Mei moved effortlessly, sidestepping the strike with a swift motion, his katana slicing through the air in a counterattack that left the hollow staggering.

"Enough!" Zinia snapped, her tone suddenly sharp and commanding. "Finish him."

With a single flick of her finger, Zinia commanded Mei's body. The boy became a blur of movement, closing the distance between himself and the hollow in the blink of an eye. His katana gleamed with raw power as it descended in a deadly arc, cleaving through the grim boy's scythe and slicing cleanly through his hollow form. There was no blood, no sound—only the eerie silence of the void collapsing inward.

The grim boy froze, his empty eyes wide, his body quivering as the darkness that had sustained him began to dissipate. His form crumbled, collapsing into a pool of stardust that was quickly swept away by the wind. There was nothing left of him but faint, glimmering particles that shimmered briefly in the dim light before vanishing entirely.

Zinia tilted her head, watching the last of the stardust fade from existence. She let out a soft, almost disappointed sigh. "How dull," she muttered. "I expected more of a fight."

Mei sheathed his katana without a word, his expression unchanged as he turned toward Zinia. She waved a hand dismissively. "Come, we're not done yet."

The dead forest stretched out before them, a wasteland of twisted trees and icy, barren ground. As they continued their journey, Zinia and Mei encountered several more creatures—horrific monsters that prowled the shadows, seeking to strike at anything that moved. But none were a match for them.

Zinia barely paid attention to the creatures as Mei dispatched them with ease. His katana flashed through the air with deadly precision, slicing through claws, fangs, and thick hides with effortless grace. Each creature fell before him like leaves in the wind, their blood staining the frozen ground before evaporating into nothingness.

Every now and then, Zinia would raise a hand, casting a simple spell that reduced whole groups of monsters to ash, her control over magic so absolute that she barely seemed to exert any effort. Mei's movements, still guided by her will, were methodical, efficient. Together, they carved a path of destruction through the dead forest, leaving behind only corpses and desolation.

Before long, they reached the edge of the forest. The trees thinned, and the landscape opened up into a wide, barren plain. Zinia paused at the forest's edge, her eyes narrowing as she surveyed the scene before her.

An empty battlefield stretched out before them, the ground scorched and cracked, littered with the ruins of war. Crumbled stone towers, shattered weapons, and broken remnants of armor were scattered across the field, bathed in the cold light of a distant, fading sun. The air was thick with the scent of ash and death, and not a single living thing stirred in the desolate wasteland.

"Finally," Zinia murmured, her voice soft but filled with intrigue. "The end of the forest… and the next destination is the fortress country."

She stepped forward, her boots crunching on the dry, cracked earth beneath her. Mei followed in silence, his gaze scanning the battlefield, though he showed no outward emotion.

The scene was haunting, the remnants of a great battle that had long since passed, but Zinia was undeterred. In fact, the sight seemed to excite her, a gleam of anticipation sparking in her eyes as she took in the ruinous landscape.

"Let's see what secrets this place holds," she said with a sly grin. "I have a feeling things are about to get much more entertaining."

With that, Zinia and Mei ventured further into the wasteland, their steps echoing through the eerie silence as they prepared for whatever challenges lay ahead. The grim boy was gone, but the true battle had only just begun.