The morning sun had barely risen when Jayden's body jolted with a strange surge of energy. Her eyes snapped open—but they were not hers. Sage had taken over.
Jayden's voice was caught in her throat, her consciousness trapped behind a veil of darkness, screaming from the inside. But Sage didn't listen. She never did.
With silent steps, she slipped away from the cabin and made her way down to the village, her movements smooth, predatory. The villagers didn't panic at first. They'd seen her before, whispered cruel things behind her back—but they never expected her to come alone.
They began to hide, shuttering windows and pulling children inside. The silence of fear settled over the place, and Sage grinned.
Just as she raised her hand to call upon a wave of dark energy, soldiers in golden armor and royal mages appeared like a storm, surrounding her in a large circle. Spears glimmered in the sunlight. Magic crackled in the air.
"So predictable," she hissed.
The commander stepped forward. "We know what you are. And we've come to end it."
A fierce battle broke out. Sage fought with all her might, her eyes glowing with cursed power, laughter echoing through the air as she twisted through the enemy lines. Her rage tore through shields and shattered spells, but even she was beginning to tire.
One of the royal mages chanted a long incantation, summoning a magical spear formed from condensed holy energy. As it flew toward her, Sage sensed something—Jayden fighting her from within.
"No, you fool!" Sage screamed internally.
In that split second of hesitation, her body shifted—Jayden broke through.
The magical spear pierced through her chest.
Her scream echoed across the fields, blood spraying as she fell backward into the dirt. The poison in the spear began to spread rapidly through her chest, burning every inch of her soul.
"She's weakened!" the commander roared. "The witch is captured!"
The villagers, once terrified, now erupted into cruel cheers. They clapped and laughed, shouting for her to be burned alive as punishment. No one noticed the ruby necklace falling from her hand into the dust, forgotten in the chaos.
Jayden was thrown into a dungeon—a place soaked in spells meant to weaken magic. Her body was barely holding on, her breath shallow, skin pale.
Sage's voice, weak now, whispered, We're both going to die here…
"This is your fault," Jayden muttered, her voice hoarse.
It's not mine. It's the kingdom's. It's your cursed bloodline…
Jayden frowned, confused. "What are you saying?"
Then, a new voice entered the dark chamber—smooth, amused, and cold.
"What she means," it said, "is that this kingdom persecutes its rightful heir."
Her eyes widened.
"You…" she rasped.
Mammoth stepped into the faint light, now in a humanoid form—tall, graceful, and painfully beautiful. His crimson eyes glittered with mischief as he knelt by her.
"Why are you here?" she asked weakly.
"To offer you a chance. Let me in. Let me show you everything—the truth of your past, of this kingdom, of your curse."
"You're a liar," she whispered.
"Maybe," he said with a smirk. "But at least I don't hide it. Azrael, on the other hand… He won't tell you the truth because he's afraid. Afraid you'll leave him."
Her heart twisted.
"That's not true…"
"He wants your soul," Mammoth whispered, tracing a finger across her blood-stained cheek. "He wants to claim you. If he kills you, the underworld will worship him."
"Stop it—"
"He's not here to save you, is he?" Mammoth murmured. "But I am. Let me in, and I'll tell you everything. You're not weak. You're powerful, Jayden. You just don't know it yet."
She sobbed silently, pressing her trembling hand to the wound in her chest. The ruby necklace… gone. She couldn't even call him.
Mammoth leaned in closer. "You remember the ghost you commanded? That's only the beginning. I can help you master that power."
"No…"
"Then die here, forgotten, while your people cheer."
She squeezed her eyes shut, pain and poison consuming her. She didn't want to believe him. But everything hurt. Her heart. Her soul. Her body. All she could do was call his name silently.
Azrael… please…
Far away, in the underworld, Azrael stood among other gods and grim reapers. The meeting buzzed with discussion, but his thoughts went silent. His eyes darkened.
Something was wrong.
Without a word, he stood.
"Where are you going?" one of the gods asked.
Azrael's expression was unreadable as he turned. "I have something to take care of."
And in the flick of a shadow, he vanished.