The Forsaken Hero

Everything was dark. The black filth of the curses roiled in tangible swells, smothering me as though I’d fallen into the darkest depths of the ocean. The paving stones against my back shivered before the onslaught, the protective magic corroding away and leaving the rock so brittle it cracked beneath its own weight.

The curse attacked my soul directly, but the blazing warmth of Adaptive Resistance devoured the endless strands of runes as they came. I could feel a similar strength within Trithe, consuming the curse that afflicted her as well as protecting her from the seventh-circle spell. The clash of the two forces created a cyclonic pressure that stirred our hair and clothes.

With Trithe safely on the road to recovery, the slave crest’s punishment subsided, leaving me alone with the dull ache of the Sunpurge. My mind my own once more, I Soul Cast a Restoration, healing the injuries I sustained from the fall. As my wounds knit together, I struggled to my knees, panting, as the soft light of Life Magic created a small bubble of illumination amid the curse.

When the light fell on Trithe, she groaned and rolled over, her eyelids fluttering as she regained consciousness. Sighing, I reached out and cast another healing spell, bathing her body in verdant radiance. Within seconds, her cheeks regained their healthy color, and she opened her eyes.

Her eyes were pale and hazy, yet slowly sharpened, fixating on my face. ”X-Xivyah,” she groaned, rubbing her forehead. ”Where have you been?”

”I protected you,” I muttered duly, staring down at my lap. Why wouldn’t my hands stop shaking you? Why did my heart hurt so much? ”I protected you.”

She scowled, looking about at the curse, which still veiled us from the rest of the battle. ”What are you mumbling about? You could have been quicker, you know. What’s with this darkness, anyway?”

As my tail scraped across the ground, my hands clenched the folds of my dress, the nails nearly slicing through the thin fabric and into my palms. Why was she the one I saved?

”A curse,” I nearly spat. She’d only just been freed of one.

”Oh, thanks for shielding me, I guess. That demon’s a lot tougher than the one before. It actually has a personality and will, not just an empty shell. But with you here, it’ll be easy from here on out.” Trithe stood, stretching lightly before picking up her swords. ”Your Life Magic’s come a long way, too. I barely even feel sore.”

Gouts of fire swirled around her forearms, sliding onto the blades. Without another look back, Trithe released her aura, dispersing the lingering clouds of darkness and revealing the devastated campus. The walls of the citadel leaned and groaned, stripped of their reinforcing magic. The ground had been scoured clean of magic and life for hundreds of feet in all directions, tapering off when it reached the buildings that formed the outer walls of the inner courtyards.

”Wow,” Trithe breathed, taking a second to absorb the damage. ”That’s some strong stuff.”

She launched herself into the air, streaking toward the only battlefield remaining. Soltair and the Demon remained locked in combat, ignorant of the changes the devastating magic wrought. The curse demon’s towering body moved with unnatural swiftness, keeping pace with the gleaming strikes of Soltair’s magic and sword. Black ribbons of curse runes continued to curl off the demon’s body like smoke, stretching toward Soltair. He constantly renewed the blazing aura of sunlight warding the curses away, yet such a powerful defense must have sapped most of his strength, preventing him from launching a meaningful counterattack.

Trithe landed behind the demon in a blaze of fire. ”Pheonix Wing!” she called, blasting it with a pillar of fire. It turned in shock, screaming as the unexpected attack broke through its defenses.

”I-Impossible! No one can escape the Death Bind!” The Demon’s voice was the same as the one from the mirror. After stumbling back a few steps, it regained its composure and spoke again. ”No matter. At this point, I’m just here to kill as many as I can. Let’s see if you can survive a second round!”

Trithe’s cold laugh contrasted sharply against the scorching fire wreathing her swords. ”Come and try.”

With the demon focused on Trithe, Soltair retreated, dashing toward me. ”Xiviyah! Its curses are too strong. Give me your ability!”

Pulled by the slave crest, I stumbled toward Soltair. Trithe released a powerful magical technique, summoning towering sheets of flames between her and the demon, sealing it off for a few precious seconds. Taking advantage of the reprieve, she dashed over to us, her hand falling on Soltair’s shoulder.

My voice was a broken whisper, I reached out to join our souls. ”Nexus.”

Our souls brushed together, and I could feel their excitement pulsing like a heartbeat. For the briefest moment, I wondered if they could sense my soul as I could theirs. If they could, they gave no indication they were aware of the crippling weight gripping my heart. Instead, Soltair grinned smugly, standing tall as the reinforcing might of Adaptive Resistance shattered the curses that clawed at his soul.

”I think you’re right,” he called to the demon, who was only now breaking through the wall of fire. ”It’s time for round two.”

The demon’s red eyes narrowed, as though it sensed its curses being blocked. ”This again. Very well, come and test your blade, hero.”

Despite its provocation, Soltair and Trithe’s assault set the demon on the defensive. Although it exerted much more control and skill than its previous incarnation, the results were headed in the same direction. Denied its powerful debuffing curses, it fell before their superior might and coordination, which thanks to their training was infinitely better than the previous battle.

As my final spell latched onto the Nexus, the slave crest relieved its pressure. My soul ached at the constant abuse of the curse magic, but Soltair seemed entirely unaware. Consumed in the heat of the battle, I doubted whether he remembered that his every word was my command.

I turned toward the library, dread gnawing at my heart. The massive building’s front had been completely devastated. Gaping holes broke through the walls, exposing the lobby inside. A group of students huddled before the fractured marble pillars. Their faces were pale, eyes gaunt with the horrors unfolding before them. Many had fallen to their knees, while I few lay on the ground, unmoving. I could make out Jarrod, one of the upper echelon of House Titan, near the front, with his back to me.

Hope bubbled up within me, urging me toward them, I had only escaped the curse unscathed because of the absurd level my Adaptive Resistance had reached. How could a group of fourth level students possibly...?

Jarrod turned, dull eyes glinting with recognition. ”What’s going on here? Why are they attacking us?” he asked, almost pleading.

I stumbled to a stop, my gaze unable to leave the body cradled in his arm. Though the figure was wrapped in a frayed cloak, a few curls of golden hair tumbled through the ripped seam.

”E-Elise?” I asked. My voice cracked on her name, filled with desperation.

Jarrod nodded, squeezing the frail body tight against his chest. ”She protected us from whatever that thing cast. I tried to stop her, but...she was too strong. Where did even get that much power?

I ran forward, throwing off the cloak. Elise’s face was smooth and tranquil, with all the grace of a sleeping maiden. But her warm, loving soul was dark, snuffed like a candle in the rain. The faintest embers of life glittered deep within the depths, yet they were fragmented, broken into a thousand pieces.

”She burned her soul,” I whispered, my tail drooping to the ground.

A single, hot tear traced down my face, dripping onto her cheek. Her eyelids fluttered for a moment and a wisp of air escaped her parted lips. My fingers itched, desperate to cast a spell. Link Ability, Restoration, anything! But a shattered soul was beyond my reach. All I could do was watch as the final sparks slipped through my fingers.