Ravikhar sensed Lucy closing the distance behind him faster than he had expected. Gritting his teeth, he muttered under his breath, "Tch, she's faster than I thought. Did that bastard Theron give me faulty information? She doesn't seem sick at all."
He glanced at the unconscious children in his grasp. Lucian hung limply in one hand, while Megan, who had been knocked out earlier, was in the other. His frustration grew. "A fight seems inevitable," he muttered, but before he could think further, a subtle shift in Megan's breathing caught his attention.
Unknown to Ravikhar, Megan had woken up moments earlier. Though disoriented, she remained still, carefully assessing her surroundings while pretending to remain unconscious. She waited for the perfect opportunity. When Ravikhar's attention faltered for a brief moment, Megan made her move. With a burst of focus, she channeled a sharp wind blade and sliced into the arm holding her.
"Agh!" Ravikhar cried out, dropping her in shock. His voice filled with disbelief as he clutched his bleeding arm. "Impossible! She broke through my sleep curse? How did that brat wake up?"
Megan hit the ground hard but recovered quickly. Ignoring the pain, she stood and began running in the opposite direction, her movements accelerated by her wind arts. "I have to get away… I have to find Mom," she whispered to herself, fear and determination driving her forward.
Ravikhar's gaze darted between the fleeing Megan and the limp Lucian still in his grip. He grimaced, muttering, "I can't afford to lose them both. The boy will have to do. Failure is not an option."
Without hesitation, Ravikhar made a grim decision to ensure Lucian wouldn't escape as Megan had. With a sickening crack, he broke the boy's arms and legs, leaving Lucian writhing in pain, unconscious but unable to move even if he awoke.
Lucy, propelled by the wind, spotted Megan running toward her through the dense jungle. Relief flooded her, but her face remained stern. When Megan reached her, Lucy knelt to check her for injuries. "Megan, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Mama," Megan gasped, tears brimming in her eyes. "But Lucian… he's cursed. He won't wake up. Ravikhar—he hurt him!"
Lucy nodded, her jaw tight. "Go back to Eldric, Megan. Stay with him and don't look back."
"But—" Megan began, her voice trembling.
"Now!" Lucy commanded, her tone leaving no room for argument. Megan hesitated before nodding, running back toward safety.
Lucy turned her focus forward, her heart pounding. She sensed Lucian's mana faintly ahead and pushed herself harder, the wind roaring around her as she tore through the jungle. The path opened to a clearing by a small pond, where Ravikhar stood, his posture unnervingly calm.
"Finally caught up, did you?" Ravikhar taunted, his lips curling into a smirk.
Lucy's grip on her sword tightened. "You bastard," she spat, her voice trembling with anger. "Give me my boy back!"
With a surge of wind, she lunged at him, aiming for his neck. Ravikhar raised his arm to block, the force of her wind-clad blade slicing into his flesh. But before she could press further, Lucian's pained cry broke through the clearing.
"Mom… it hurts…"
Lucy froze, her eyes darting to Lucian lying beside a rock. Horror washed over her as she realized what was happening. "The Shackles of Shoggoth," she muttered. The curse clan's infamous curse created a painful bond between two beings, transferring physical agony from one to the other.
Ravikhar's grin widened. "You see now, don't you? Every strike on me will hurt your precious boy just as much. Are you willing to kill your own child, Wind Queen?"
Lucy stepped back, her mind racing. There's no way to sever the connection in time. If I don't stop him here, they'll break Lucian. I have to end this—quickly and decisively.
Raising her blade, she invoked her first wind art, the barrier shielding her from Ravikhar's incoming spells. Despite his smirk, Ravikhar's voice betrayed his concern. "Are you insane? Every blow—"
Lucy didn't answer. Her focus sharpened as she channeled her third and most devastating art, Rising Tempest. The winds around her grew icy and fierce, small tornadoes forming and spinning around Ravikhar. The pressure was immense, the winds tearing into his flesh and forcing him to stumble.
Ravikhar, realizing he was outmatched, made a desperate decision. Kneeling, he began chanting, his voice low and malevolent. "If I can't win… I'll ensure no one else does either."
Dark energy coiled around his hand as he invoked the Curse of Death, a fatal spell designed to coagulate the blood of its target.
Lucy saw his intent and charged, her blade aimed at his legs. Ravikhar, abandoning his defense, allowed her to strike, his legs crumpling under her attack. But before falling, his hand touched her shoulder.
The curse hit.
Lucy staggered as a wave of unnatural cold spread through her veins. Her body began to shut down, her vision blurring. Ravikhar grinned wickedly, blood dripping from his mouth. "I may have lost… but the demon race will not."
Summoning the last of her strength, Lucy plunged her sword into his chest, silencing him forever.
She stumbled toward Lucian, her legs barely holding her up. When she reached him, her heart broke at the sight. His body was battered, his breaths shallow. Kneeling beside him, she cradled his head in her arms.
Lucian's eyes fluttered open, his voice barely audible. "I'm sorry, Mom… I couldn't escape…"
Tears streamed down Lucy's face as she whispered, "No, my love. You were the best choice I ever made… I'm sorry I couldn't give you a chance at life."
Clutching his hand, Lucy felt his life slipping away. With her final breath, she closed her eyes, her grip on Lucian tightening as her spirit faded.
Sweating and panting, Eldric burst into the clearing, Megan clinging to his back. His eyes widened in horror at the scene before him—the devastated field, the bodies lying on the ground.
"No… Lady Lucy…" Eldric whispered, his voice breaking.
Megan scrambled off his back and ran to her mother, wailing as she threw herself onto Lucy's body. "Mama! Wake up!"
Eldric dropped to his knees, his fists clenched. Tears streamed down his face as he cursed his powerlessness. "I wasn't able to do anything…"
Looking around the clearing, he realized with growing dread: Lucian's body was nowhere to be found.