…
"Wha – what's happened? El…" Ran exclaimed. Worry lines her forehead.
After closing her eyes for a few seconds, determination flickered in the depth of her eyes as though she had made a firm decision.
Ran reached for her necklace, her index and thumb fingers gently tracing its contours, gliding over the small, engraved runes deliberately as if she were following a secret formula. Finally, she clasped the emerald gemstone at its center tightly with both hands, stacking them one atop the other.
In an instant, a soft emerald glow began to emanate from her grasp, seeping through the spaces between her fingers. The light spilled into the dim alleyway, casting a vivid glow that immediately drew the attention of the three creatures.
"What… quick stop her!?" stood up, Sill swiftly ordered his two subordinates in panic.
Because, if he was right, then what Ran was activated may be a Magic Tool. There were many such devices out there, and if someone or anyone was not careful enough against it, they might as well meet a magic that could kill them instantly.
As Ran activated the magic necklace on her neck, the emerald gemstone attached at the middle of it pulsed in mesmerizing yet mystifying light. The rune engraved deep inside activated, brought forth an effect where reality was weaved into what it commanded.
The ground broke out, creating two irregular square shapes where it detached and then flew – bringing the two approaching creatures – the transformed Leo and Zeke up to the sky.
*Roar*
*Grah*
The four anchor points of the net that had ensnared Ran and El began to tremble violently before being yanked away by an unseen force. It soared directly toward Sill, who swiftly leaped out of the way.
With his sharp claws, Sill dug into the concrete wall of the building, securing himself as he glared down at Ran, his expression tense.
"Who are you???" he growled.
Refusing to reply, Ran directed her attention to the net that had trapped Gill. Similar to what had happened earlier, it pulled out the ground – then flew above, directly toward Sill.
Again, Sill dodged by jumping to the other side of the alleyway.
"Run," Ran exclaimed loudly to Gill, to which the latter responded by sprinting swiftly to her side.
"Bring El with you and get out of here. I follow you closely from behind while holding him off…" Ran urgently told him.
"Why should I bring this guy with me? Leave this guy and let's run..."
Gill complained as he watched El, who was still clutching his chest in agony. Without his shirt on, the bluish veins were visible, bulging beneath his skin and slowly spreading across his entire body. All of it was originating from his chest.
"No. I won't leave anyone again."
"You crazy, aren't you? You know what happened the last time you used that necklace?"
"Just go!!!"
Ignoring Gill's question and still clutching the necklace in her hand, Ran directed her attention to Sill, who was approaching them quickly, jumping left and right like a spider.
She extended her left hand, allowing the magic to flow through the gemstone to cast the same spell as before. The pavement beneath her then broke apart, creating two blocks of stone that she quickly hurled toward Sill.
Yet, the latter managed to dodge again, now needing to stay even further away from her. The blocks crashed against the building as Gill hoisted El onto his shoulder, then ran away, with Ran following closely behind him – while continuing to hurl shattered pavement and pieces of concrete from the walls on either side at Sill, who relentlessly chased them.
"Don't run, my meal!!? Please, don't run. Help me, please!!! Gill, Ran, help me. I can't control my body. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! But I'm hungry! Please don't run!!!"
When Sill cried out the words "Help me," followed by his desperate plea, his voice echoed through the alleyway. Gill and Ran ended up shuddered, for it sounded exactly like Sill's voice when he was still alive. The way he pleaded, saying "I'm sorry" and "Help me," also brought back memories of the times he had been beaten by Sir Giles during training and sparring sessions in the base.
The tone of his voice was hauntingly familiar, filled with the same pain and in-joke as they remembered. It felt as if Sill were truly there, behind them – chasing them without a break, driven by an insatiable hunger and suffering he couldn't control. Yet, the two of them knew it was a hundred out of percent not him.
According to what that creature had said earlier, it consumed its victims and used their skin to shapeshift, which raised the terrifying possibility that it could also steal their memories.
This realization struck both of them like a cold wave, intensifying their terror and draining the color from their already pale faces. The hair on the back of their necks stood on end as they grasped the horrifying truth, that if they were skinned and eaten by them, these creatures could mimic their faces, appearances, and even memories. The thought sent them spiraling into a state of panic, leaving them feeling unhinged and utterly terrified.
It was lucky though since this road wasn't infested with The Cursed. If it had been, they would have been dead already.
As the two continued their frantic escape, Ran's face gradually flushed a deep red, and she eventually gasped for breath. Now she was even struggling to draw oxygen into her lungs.
Her heart pounded erratically with each beat, a painful reminder of her limits. The toll of using the magic embedded in the necklace – without the support of a Magic Core – was devastating, to say the least. The more she relied on it, the more her body faltered.
And soon, the consequence happened.
A sharp ringing filled her ears, second tick by the second, rendering her unable to hear anything else.
The next moment, it was her vision that began to blur, as the world around her slowly faded into a hazy, indistinct mess. The debris she hurled at Sill began to veer off course, missing its mark entirely.
And Sill, seizing the opportunity, closed the distance between them with alarming speed.
He was drawing closer.
And closer he came.
Just right at one particular point, unfortunately, Ran then stumbled over a jagged piece of rock that had broken away from the wall she had hurled at Sill.
*Thud*
Amidst the cacophony of stone crashing against the building and the ground, along with the sound of heavy footsteps, the faint sound of her fall was still enough to alert Gill, who turned in horror to see Ran who was left quite far behind.
Her expression was one of helplessness as she struggled to rise, only to collapse back onto the cold, unforgiving ground. She was too exhausted. Her body had failed her.
Utterly spent, her hands and legs trembling with weakness. Yet, despite her waned strength, her fingers remained firmly pressed against the gemstone of her necklace.
She was prepared to make one final sacrifice if she couldn't survive this.
"At least, both of them will be fine. Wait for me, mother!? I come to you soon!!?" she muttered to herself, yet, still managed to show a faint, feeble smile. Bittersweet and resolute drew on her expression while she looked at Gill, who had stopped in his tracks and was now staring back at her in alarm.
Instinctively releasing El from his shoulder, Gill without hesitation, sprinted toward Ran with every ounce of strength he could muster. His legs burned, and his lungs screamed for air, but he didn't stop. He couldn't stop.
He pushed himself to reach her, and miraculously, he succeeded, though Ran could only look at him with tired eyes, questioning why he had come back for her instead.
Gill felt a moment of relief washed over him as he knelt beside her.
But tragically, it was all but a short and fleeting moment. A shadow loomed over them.
Now, they still ended up face to face with Sill, who had landed before them, with a malicious grin spreading across his face.
"Ah, so annoying. Why are you two running away from me? Do you hate me that much? I'm so sad… I'm so very sad!!!" he taunted and sneered. This time, his eerie voice took on the pitch of a young girl, with blood and saliva still dripping from his mouth. Yet, anger burned in his eyes as he realized he was being toyed with by his prey.
Noticing the glow of the necklace she clutched tightly and the determination etched on Ran's face, Sill, sensing the danger, raised his clawed hand, his sharp nails gleaming as he prepared to strike. He moved swiftly, aiming to eliminate the threat before it could retaliate any further.
Just as Ran wanted to summon the last of her strength to activate the final magic she could wield – intending to end her own life along with Sill's – a silhouette suddenly appeared at Gill and Ran's side, moving faster than either of them could comprehend.
The figure swiftly enveloped them in a protective embrace, then conjured a radiant shield of light around them. It encased the three in a protective barrier.
But…
The shield was not meant to guard them against Sill's attack.
Instead, it was a barrier against something else.
Something that was far more dangerous than the unknown creature.
A frigid breeze swept through the narrow alleyway, chilling the air. The temperature plummeted, and the faint sound of ice cracking echoed ominously. The figure holding them remained silent, her presence both comforting but also familiar to the two of them.
...