Chapter 45 #2
Every patch of darkness in the ruined building deepens at once, stretching across the floor and walls like spilled ink. The corners of the room disappear first. Then the doorway. Then the crimson light itself seems to choke and die.
The Possession warrior stiffens. His brows furrow as he looks anxiously around.
“What—”
Something moves behind him. It’s like a flash of light, there but not there at the same time. It’s so fast, my eyes cannot properly follow it.
Then a wet sound splits the dark. Drops fall to the ground.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
The male’s body jerks. The weapons in the air lose power instantly and crash to the floor in a deafening clatter.
He looks down slowly. A black blade protrudes from his chest. Blood spills from his mouth as he chokes on a wordless moan.
The blade tears free from his body, swooshing through the air before disappearing.
He sways on his feet, his expression one of disbelief as he crashes to the ground. Particles of soul energy rise through the air, confirming his death.
The darkness immediately disappears.
And as he falls, a female appears behind him.
She sighs as she looks at the dead male at her feet, almost as if he were an inconvenience.
Pale blonde hair falls over her shoulders in soft waves, framing a heart-shaped face so symmetrical it borders on unnatural.
Large, brown eyes dominate her features. She has thin, straight brows, a small straight nose and softly sculpted cheekbones that lend her the kind of refinement usually reserved for nobility. Her full mouth is set in a composed line, betraying nothing.
She is objectively beautiful. But something about her is eerie…bordering on terrifying.
Her disconcerting eyes sweep over me once before dismissing me. She looks around, taking in all the destruction and the blood-stained ruins. Then her attention ends on Moe.
She’s still on her knees, her breathing harsh as she tries to understand what’s happening. She’s not even looking at the newcomer. Her eyes are on me, her lips mouthing frantically to me.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes,” I grind out.
That one word makes her sigh in relief and she finally lets herself relax.
“Glad… I’m so glad,” she whispers, tears of happiness pouring down her cheeks.
The newcomer takes a step toward her. She’s watching her intently as if there’s something about Moe she can’t quite figure out yet.
“You are mortal,” she eventually says.
Her voice is low and smooth—cultured, elegant, and utterly untouched by emotion.
Moe stiffens. She looks between me and the female, already wondering if this is our new enemy. If this immortal killed the other warrior so she could claim the points for herself.
I wondered the same at first. But something doesn’t quite fit in. If all she wanted were my points, I would have been dead before even setting eyes on her. No, this is something different.
In fact, she doesn’t even seem to mind my presence, focused as she is on Moe.
What is she after?
She walks closer to Moe.
“Stop.” Despite the pain I’m in, I drag myself forward on the ground, crawling until I am in front of Moe—a barrier between her and this unknown female.
“You’ll have to pass through me to get to her,” I grit out.
My hand finds Moe behind me and with a strong pull, she hoists me up next to her. My arms find her immediately; hers circle my bleeding waist. We both stare defiantly in the face of our potential death.
At that, amusement stirs across her otherwise immaculate features.
“You misunderstand the situation,” she says calmly. “If I intended harm, neither of you would still be breathing.”
That might be the case, but I’m not taking any chances. I don’t care what her intentions are, the fact that she’s overly interested in my Moe bothers me.
Her pale eyes drift over me with mild disinterest before settling on the contract mark circling my wrist. Something flashes across her expression—recognition, quickly followed by understanding.
“Ah,” she murmurs. “So that’s how it is.”
Cold unease coils in my stomach.
She looks to Moe again.
“You two are bound together.”
Neither of us answers.
The woman tilts her head slightly, studying us with such focused intensity that it feels less like observation and more like dissection.
Her gaze alternates between Moe and me as if she could read some hidden information. Then, it seems she gets it when her expression sharpens.
“Well,” she says softly. “I suppose it can’t be helped.” Then she smiles. “How interesting fate is.”
“Who are you?” I demand, sick of all her cryptic words. I push Moe behind me, assuming a protective stance.
Her eyes meet mine and there is faint irritation in them.
“The only reason you remain alive,” she replies brusquely.
My teeth grind together.
“Then let me rephrase.” My voice comes rough and low. “Why did you save us? Don’t you want the points?”
A smile curves her mouth.
“No,” she says. Her gaze shifts behind me and settles on Moe once more. “I did not save you. I saved her.”
Both Moe and I stare at her in confusion.
“You,” she continues, “were simply attached to something I found worth preserving.”
She keeps staring at Moe in a way that I don’t like—I hate it.
I half turn toward Moe, my arm outstretched to keep her back. “I don’t have a good feeling about this,” I whisper to her before I turn to the female. “Stay away from her. She’s mine. The mark says it already. She’s bound to me.”
She raises a brow at me, after which she bursts out laughing.
“You think you are in a position to make demands?” Her voice reverberates within the environment, making everything vibrate at an atomic level.
This is strength, even though I’m reluctant to admit. Her mere words can cause ripples around us.
A shiver of fear goes through me, and it’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt before—not even when I thought I was going to die.
This type of terror is primal, on such a deep level I cannot seem to move a muscle.
She is stronger than anyone I have ever encountered. Perhaps stronger than everyone in this realm.
Then what is she doing here? Just who the hell is she?
As much as her power terrifies me, it’s nothing compared to the fact that she’s seemingly interested in Moe.
My Moe.
The female steps forward again, this time closer to us.
Her flowy white gown is spotless, and as she walks, no speck of dirt touches her.
Moe’s fingers tighten in the torn fabric at my back.
The newcomer stops just short of my reach and smiles directly at her.
“You are very far from where you belong, little mortal,” she says softly.
Moe swallows, but to her credit her voice remains steady when she answers. “And where exactly is that?”
The female’s smile widens with visible delight.
“Not here.”
Her gaze travels slowly over Moe again, lingering in a way that makes my skin crawl, before she finally steps back.
“You.” She snaps at me. “Protect her better,” she says, her tone turning cool as winter. “If anything happens to her because of your incompetence, I will be very displeased.”
My jaw clenches so tightly it aches. If only I could fight her…
“Stay away from my female,” I growl from deep within my throat. Helpless as I am, I will not allow her anywhere near Moe.
She cuts me off with a single look, one full of disdain.
“You misunderstand again,” she says, her eye twitching. “This was not a request for your permission.”
Then she turns and walks away, slowly and gracefully. Without glancing back, she adds: “I will see you again, little mortal.”
One blink of an eye and then she’s gone.
Teleportation? Just who the hell is she, and why is she so interested in Moe?
Silence ensues down in her wake. Neither of us says a word as we continue to cling to each other.
After a few moments, Moe slowly loosens her grip on my shirt. I remain still, staring at the empty space, every muscle in my body drawn taut enough to snap.
“Congratulations! You have survived the Culling,” the voice of the wraith cuts through the damning silence. “You have been awarded one hundred fifty points. Your total is now three hundred points.”
“Nyk,” Moe whispers. “I want to go home.”
“Me, too.”
Somehow, I don’t think it’s going to be that easy, even with these newly gained points.