Her axe smashed into the wall beside me, sending shards of stone flying. I staggered back, heart pounding. So close. Too close.
Time felt like it was slipping through my fingers—no, pouring out of me. Maybe ten minutes left. Maybe less. I could almost hear the seconds dying.
"When you don't even know why I banished you…" My voice rasped, heavy with something raw and festering. "How can you be so sure we were wrong?"
Then it hit me—banishment. A dragon before a demon. My gut twisted.
"Do you have any idea how many children your lord slaughtered? How many mothers clutched lifeless bodies? How many fathers burned with revenge before being cut down?" My hands clenched, nails biting into my palms. Blood dripped down, warm and trembling. "And still, you stand there claiming we're wrong? Did you ever ask him why he did it? Why he chose betrayal and slaughter over proving his right to rule?"
Memories not entirely my own—crimson rivers, the wails of small voices snuffed out too soon—flashed across my mind. My chest heaved. Was this truly my pain, or the echo of thousands who suffered?
She stood silent, unmoving, a stone figure in a nightmare I couldn't wake from. Whatever bound us before—whatever twisted history led me to banish her—felt like distant ash. All that mattered was Teresina.
I ran to the statue. Desperation clawed up my throat.
"No… no, the sun—"
The light broke through. The statue burst. The pendant skidded across the floor, mocking me.
"I have to… my blood—" I choked, diving for it. My knees scraped raw as I crawled. I crushed the pendant to my chest, smearing it with fresh blood.
Too late.
Sunlight spilled across the floor, warm and merciless.
A laugh rose behind me, sharp as broken glass. "HAAHAHAHAHAHA!" Her voice slithered into my bones, wrapping around my failures. My heart twisted painfully. If I'd moved a single breath faster… she would be here.
The priest's tired eyes, Nara's hopeful smile—they stabbed into me, sending shivers of guilt down my spine. They trusted me. They believed I could save her. I failed.
How can I face them?
How can I wear a crown if I can't even protect the one soul that mattered?
"WHYYYYYYYY!" My scream ripped itself from my chest, tearing at my throat. My head snapped back, voice echoing through the broken ceiling, as if trying to claw its way to the gods to demand an answer.
It felt like my blood was rebelling inside me, boiling, roiling, ready to burst from my veins. My arm grew heavy—no, powerful. The marks on my skin ignited, a deep crimson glow pulsing like a second heartbeat.
"Because you're frail," she hissed, her mouth twisting into a vicious grin. "Teresina is dead. Now. Forever. HAHAHA!"
I turned. Her laughter faltered when she met my gaze. Something dark had awakened inside me—something ancient, unmerciful. I wasn't entirely Xavier anymore. It was as if the fury of countless slaughtered innocents had crawled into my bones, wearing my skin, moving my body.
I moved. A blur. A shadow with claws. My fist slammed into her gut with such force the hall cracked around us. She flew backward, smashing through the stone wall. Her body crumpled into silence.
Breathing ragged, I glanced down. Broken shards of glass caught my reflection—a face part man, part dragon. Scales crept across my jaw and cheek, my hand entirely encased in clawed armor. My eyes… they didn't look human at all.
But inside, beneath the monstrous power, was a grief so sharp it could slice my heart to ribbons.
I will kill them all if I have to…
But gods help me—I will bring her back.
My head began to spin, and I collapsed to my knees. No... I can't faint now. Why does this always happen whenever I use my power? Panic clawed at my chest. What if these demons shatter the pendant while I'm unconscious? No... somewhere deep inside, it still feels like she's not dead. I have to hold on.
Clutching the pendant tightly, I whispered to myself, crouched in the middle of the vast hall. I fought with everything in me to stay conscious, but the world around me began to blur. Desperate, I slapped my face.
"Not this time," I growled, slapping myself again, harder.
But my body betrayed me, bending forward until my head struck the cold floor. I could faintly hear Nara's and the priest's voices echoing down the hall. They were coming.
I failed, Teresina... I'm sorry.
Their voices grew clearer, tinged with panic.
"Xavier! Xavier, get yourself together!"
"Why aren't your bruises and wounds healing?"
Their words crashed into my foggy mind. My eyelids fluttered half-open, granting me a hazy glimpse of Nara's face. Her soft pink hair brushed against my skin like delicate cotton. I felt her gentle hands cradle my head, as if it were some fragile flowers.
But the pain only grew, stabbing deeper with every passing minute. I realized there was a long gash at my waist—though the bleeding had stopped, the agony hadn't.