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Felicia's scream was raw, torn from deep within her chest as she strained against the dark force. The weight of it crushed her, pinning her to the cold, unforgiving stone beneath her, but it was nothing compared to the terror ripping through her heart.
She had seen Nelson face death before, had seen him emerge victorious when the odds were stacked against him, but this… this was different. The figure standing over him wasn't just a man. It was something far older, far darker than any enemy they had ever faced. And it was after his soul.
"No!" she shouted, her voice hoarse as she struggled against the invisible force holding her down. "You can't have him!"
The figure's head turned slowly toward her, the shadow of its hood shifting in a way that made her stomach churn. Beneath it, there was no face—only darkness, an endless void that seemed to consume the light around it. And from that void came a low, guttural laugh.
"I already do," it hissed, the sound like nails on glass. "His fate was sealed the moment he entered this fortress. His blood, his soul… they belong to me now."
Nelson groaned again, his body wracked with pain, his skin now ghostly pale. His eyes fluttered open, just for a moment, and Felicia saw something in them that made her heart stop—fear. Real fear. The kind she had never seen in him before.
"Felicia..." His voice was weak, barely a whisper, but it broke through the suffocating energy like a lifeline. "I... I'm sorry."
Tears blurred her vision as she crawled closer, every inch feeling like a battle. She had to reach him, had to find a way to pull him back from the brink. She couldn't lose him—not like this. "Don't you dare give up on me now, Nelson," she said through gritted teeth, her fingers scraping against the stone as she dragged herself closer.
Arion, who had been thrown against the far wall, was slowly getting to his feet, his sword still clutched tightly in his hand. His face was a mask of determination, but even he hesitated as he looked at the figure looming over Nelson. This was no ordinary foe. But Arion had sworn to protect his king—no matter the cost.
With a shout, he charged forward, swinging his sword with all his might. But before he could even get close, the figure flicked its wrist, and a wave of dark energy shot out, slamming into Arion and sending him flying backward once more. He crashed into the ground, his sword clattering uselessly beside him.
The figure didn't even spare him a second glance. Its attention was solely on Nelson now. "Your time is up," it rasped, raising its hand once more. Dark tendrils of energy snaked from its fingers, wrapping around Nelson's body like chains, tightening, pulling him closer to the abyss.
Felicia's scream was torn from her as she reached out, her fingers just inches away from his hand. "Nelson!" she cried, her voice breaking. "Please, don't leave me!"
And then, something shifted. The air around them seemed to thrum with a new energy, one that was neither dark nor light. It was raw, wild, and ancient. Felicia felt it pulsing through her, a strange, electric force that made the hairs on her arms stand on end.
The figure hesitated, its head tilting as if sensing the change as well. It turned slowly, its hollow gaze locking onto Felicia.
"You..." it rasped, its voice filled with something that almost sounded like recognition. "You are not just his wife. You are something more."
Felicia's heart pounded in her chest as the force pressing down on her seemed to weaken, just for a moment. She didn't understand what was happening, but she knew one thing: she wasn't going to let Nelson die. Not like this.
Summoning every ounce of strength she had left, Felicia pushed herself to her feet. Her hand found the dagger at her waist, the cold steel a small comfort in the overwhelming darkness. She took a step forward, her voice steady, even though every part of her was trembling. "I won't let you take him," she said, her eyes locked on the figure. "He's mine."
The figure's laughter echoed through the courtyard, a sound so unnatural it sent shivers down her spine. "Foolish girl," it hissed. "You cannot stop what is already in motion. His debt must be paid."
Felicia's grip tightened on the dagger as she took another step forward. "Then take me instead," she said, the words leaving her lips before she could even fully process them. But once they were out, she knew she meant them.
The figure went still, the dark tendrils of energy that had been pulling Nelson toward it suddenly halting. For a long moment, there was silence, the kind that pressed in on all sides, thick and suffocating.
And then, the figure slowly turned toward her, its twisted hand reaching out. "An interesting offer," it rasped, its voice dripping with malice. "But a soul like his… is far more valuable than yours."
Before Felicia could react, the ground beneath them began to rumble, the stones cracking as a deep fissure opened up in the center of the courtyard. From the depths of the earth came a deafening roar, and the dark figure began to laugh once more, louder this time, as if reveling in the chaos.
Felicia's eyes widened in horror as the fissure expanded, and from the shadows, more figures began to emerge—twisted, hulking creatures, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light.
And then, with a final, terrible laugh, the figure turned back to Nelson, its hand reaching down to grip his chest. "Time to collect," it whispered.
Felicia screamed, but it was too late. The ground beneath Nelson gave way, and he was swallowed by the darkness.
In an instant, he was gone.
Felicia fell to her knees, the world spinning around her, the echo of the figure's laughter ringing in her ears.
And from the shadows, a voice whispered: "This is just the beginning."
….