Beatrice, exhausted from the undead horde, faced Orsted, the Lord of Gluttony. He leaped from a balcony, wielding a massive cleaver. Beatrice, gripping her greatsword, prepared to defend herself. Orsted, despite his size, was incredibly quick, launching relentless attacks. Beatrice countered with ice magic, but her defenses were easily shattered. She knew she needed a new strategy.

Meanwhile, Marabel and Raven were exploring the ballroom, disguised among the masked guests. As Marabel accidentally bumped into a guest, the mask fell off, revealing a faceless figure. This spooked Marabel, and she whispered to Raven about the faceless guests. Raven calmly explained that they were ghosts.

As they tried to navigate the room, a more regal figure descended the stairs, announcing their presence. The guests turned their attention to the newcomers. As the guests lunged at Marabel and Raven, Raven drew her pistols and began firing. The regal figure, angered by the disturbance, summoned the guests, absorbing them into its form. The figure transformed into a massive, ghostly dragon, roaring loudly. Marabel and Raven, startled by the dragon's roar, prepared to fight.

Back in the cells, Minerva and Finn were locked up, their weapons gone and their powers suppressed by shackles. Minerva heard footsteps approaching. It was Crimjaw, but he looked different, more human-like with crimson hair.

Crimjaw unlocked Finn's cell, and Finn approached Minerva's cell. "Oh, darling," Finn said, "This whole time, I was working with Crimjaw. I couldn't let you and your friends ruin the city and what we've built." Minerva, shocked and betrayed, replied, "Trust me, once I escape, I'll show you both what real darkness is."

Crimjaw and Finn laughed at her threat. "If you escape, you, my dear, will be the sacrifice. With your mana, we'll be powerful enough to conquer another kingdom. We heard stories about your friend Orvell's great mana, but he seems to be a disappointment," Finn said.

The two then left, leaving Minerva alone in her cell. Minerva, furious, tried to wrench off her shackles. She yanked the chains, pulling against the stones, but nothing worked.

Meanwhile, Orvell had finally managed to find his way out of the basement and into the castle’s grand lobby. There stood a man dressed as a butler. “I felt my heart drop just moments ago. What did you do to my dearly beloved?” asked the old man. Orvell replied that he had no choice but to finish her off, further enraging the butler.

The butler stepped closer to Orvell. “I am Jack,” he said, his voice deepening. “And the other side of me despises what you’ve done.” As Jack paused, his body began to change. What had been a frail old man transformed into a towering, ten-foot-tall, muscular figure. Orvell tightened his grip on his sword and shield, bracing for battle.

In another chamber, Marabel and Raven fought desperately against a ghost dragon, but their attacks seemed to pass right through it. Raven was almost out of mana for her magical pistols, and Marabel was on the verge of collapse. They both realized they needed a way to harm the creature. The dragon, undeterred, spewed ghostly flames that, once they touched flesh, burned from the inside out.

Beatrice, meanwhile, struggled against the gluttonous lord Orsted. Each strike of her greatsword bounced off his rubbery skin, and he easily parried her blows with his cleaver or blocked them with his elastic belly. Orsted could even stretch his limbs to attack, catching Beatrice off guard and leaving her with wounds. Bleeding and weary, she realized something: rubber snaps under extreme cold.

Planting her greatsword into the ground, Beatrice chanted, “I am the queen of frost, cover me in the absolute.” A swirling blizzard formed around her, encasing her in frost armor. Orsted only laughed, taunting, “I love chewing ice!” Lunging forward, he struck downward with his cleaver, but Beatrice blocked the blow effortlessly with her frosty greatsword. Unfazed, she looked at him with cold determination. In that moment, Orsted knew he was finished. With a swift upward motion, she summoned a towering ice spike that encased Orsted entirely. Releasing her spell, she shattered the ice, ripping him apart. Exhausted, she glanced back once more to confirm her victory, the room now frozen and silent.

Back in the ballroom, Marabel and Raven were still struggling against the ghost dragon. Desperate for a plan, Marabel turned to Raven. “Do you have enough mana left for a big shot?” she asked. Raven nodded, curious. “What if we use its ghost fire against itself?” Marabel suggested. Raven looked confused, so Marabel explained. “When I forge something indestructible, I heat it from the inside, causing it to expand and eventually crack. We could make the dragon explode from within.”

Raven nodded, understanding. She combined her two pistols into a single, powerful blunderbuss, kneeling to channel her remaining magic into the weapon. Marabel then charged at the dragon with her dagger, moving quickly and drawing the creature’s attention with a flurry of feints. Enraged, the dragon charged up its ghostly flames, just as Marabel had hoped. At the perfect moment, Marabel shouted, “Now, Raven!”

Marabel darted aside as Raven fired her energy-charged shot directly into the dragon’s open mouth. The blast clogged its throat, trapping the ghostly flames inside. The dragon began to swell, and with a final, thunderous roar, it burst into dust. Worn out but triumphant, Marabel and Raven left the ballroom, their spirits high.

Orvell struggled against Jack's powerful blows, forced to brace each punch with his shield, which glowed faintly from his magic. He knew he needed to use Grimstone to stand a chance against this monstrous foe. Creating some distance, Orvell transformed into Grimstone in an instant. Jack lunged forward, and their fists collided, sending tremors through the room from their sheer force. Grimstone realized that his best chance was to match Jack in an all-out, head-to-head fistfight.

The two exchanged blows, neither yielding, their strength seemingly equal. Then, Orvell recalled a new spell projection he’d used earlier on Granny. He wondered—if used in Grimstone’s form, might its power amplify? Grimstone shifted into a southpaw stance, casting the spell. The magic projection now extended not only from his fist but his entire torso and upper body, forming an aura of himself behind him.

Intrigued, Jack rushed forward, fists ready. They clashed again, but this time, Grimstone held the advantage, his newfound power pushing Jack onto the defensive. Grimstone unleashed a rapid flurry of jabs, each too swift for Jack to block. With one final, thunderous punch, Grimstone struck Jack square in the chest, shattering his upper body and leaving only his lower half.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Marabel and Raven met up with Beatrice in the main hall, and soon Orvell joined them. But they couldn’t find Minerva anywhere. Suddenly, a slow clap echoed through the hall. Descending the grand staircase was Crimjaw, who called out, “Bravo, my darlings! I've watched you all conquer some formidable beasts!”

Orvell stepped forward, challenging him. “Let this city go, Crimjaw! You have no right to control everyone!”

Crimjaw chuckled. “Perhaps not, but it's amusing to see them obey—and besides, they’re my feeding supply.”

Just then, Finn appeared behind them. The girls turned, relieved. “Glad you’re okay, Finn! Have you seen Minerva?”

Finn’s face hardened. With a wave of his staff, he summoned glowing swords that shot down from above, pinning each of them to the ground. Lowering himself to the girls, he sneered, “Yes, I’ve seen her. She’s safely locked in her cell.”

Stunned, the quartet glared as Finn stepped over to join Crimjaw. Though they shouted at him in anger, Finn smirked, unfazed, and began to explain. “I’ve worked with Crimjaw for years, ever since he took my city. He offered me something no one else could—an entire kingdom. And with the life force and mana from each of you, along with Minerva’s immense mana pressure, Crimjaw and I will have the power to take on another kingdom!”

With a spellcasting motion, Finn began draining their magic, using Crimjaw as a vessel to absorb their energy. Just then, Minerva stumbled into the hall, her arms bloodied. “Let them go, you cowards!”

Finn turned to her, feigning pity. “Oh, Minerva. You’ve no wand—and, even better, no working hands.” Minerva had shattered her own hands to break free from her cell.

Minerva, enraged, summoned Voi from her shadow, declaring, “Voi will be my hands.” Voi wrapped himself around her broken hands, forming a cast that let her move them again. Finn laughed, scoffing, “But you’re still without a wand. You can’t cast spells like this!”

Minerva smirked. “You’re a novice, Finn. I am the protector of the Spellcaster’s Forest—the keeper of darkness.” With that, she unleashed two shadow projectiles at him. Finn quickly blocked them with a magic barrier, visibly startled. Left with no choice, he prepared to face her head-on.

The battle between the two magic users, light against dark, began in earnest. Minerva, a master of dark magic, cast shadow projectiles and spells while Finn countered with light magic and searing bolts of energy. Their battle raged, neither backing down, each volley clashing with explosive force. In the heat of combat, Minerva managed to shatter the swords of light pinning her companions to the ground. As they moved to join her, she halted them. “Leave him to me. I need to show him that my magic can’t be taken.”

With the others freed, the mana transfer to Crimjaw ceased, leaving him in a state of deep slumber. They stepped back, watching as Minerva and Finn clashed with relentless power. Finn was no pushover; his light spells were potent, and neither needed incantations, each spell cast with sheer mastery. Each clash of their magic caused small eruptions, temporarily nullifying the magic around them, making the air itself pulse with tension.

Despite her strength, Minerva was weakening, the blood from her broken hands taking its toll. As she staggered, Voi emerged from her shadow, whispering, “There is one spell I have yet to teach you.” The spell required intense focus and all of Minerva’s remaining mana. Leaving fragments of himself as casts on her hands, Voi returned to her shadow, readying for the final spell.

“Seems your friend’s magic has run dry. Now die!” Finn sneered, unleashing a barrage of light projectiles. But Minerva dashed forward, closing the distance instantly. Finn’s eyes widened in shock. “What—a witch who fights up close?”

Minerva grinned. “After years traveling with my two best friends, I’ve learned something—sometimes, you’ve got to get close and personal.” She delivered a solid right hook to Finn’s face, sending him stumbling back.

Infuriated, Finn’s composure cracked, and he began hurling light spells erratically. Minerva dodged and continued her assault, landing punch after punch. Suddenly, Finn pulled out a monster heart, and Orvell shouted in horror, “Minerva! He’s going to eat a monster heart!”

As Finn devoured the heart, his body transformed, muscles bulging, horns sprouting from his head, and spikes tearing through his back. Orvell quickly conjured a magical barrier with his shield to protect the others as Minerva faced this new monstrous form alone.

Finn, now a creature of twisted strength, discarded his staff, casting lethal light spells with every swing of his arms. Minerva dodged desperately, but some blasts hit their mark, leaving her bruised and bleeding. She rose, determination in her eyes, ready to punch her way through Finn’s monstrous magic.

Orvell shouted, “Minerva! Use this!” and hurled a magical bracelet her way—a relic that allowed the wearer to cast spells through physical attacks. Minerva slipped it on, her fists now glowing with dark energy, and launched into a fierce defense against the monstrous Finn, buying Voi the time he needed. Though Finn's raw strength seemed nearly unstoppable, Minerva held her ground, her attacks landing with dark, enchanted force.

But the bracelet couldn’t withstand Finn’s monstrous power for long. With one powerful punch, Finn shattered her defenses, sending Minerva hurtling backward, clutching her chest as she struggled to rise. Just then, Voi's voice resonated in her mind. “I’m ready, Minerva,” he said quietly.

Minerva stood, breathing heavily, and met Finn’s gaze. “Finn,” she began, a dark shadow swirling at her feet, “you know what I have that you don’t?” The shadows encased her, leaving only her mouth visible as her eyes glowed an intense white. “Friends,” she finished.

The shadows coiled around her, transforming her form, her body leaner and brimming with Voi’s power. Finn, unnerved but defiant, launched a volley of light projectiles. With effortless grace, Minerva caught one mid-air, the light dissipating in her grasp. With a flick of her wrist, she retaliated, unleashing a storm of dark magic. Finn staggered, overwhelmed by the barrage. Struggling to shield himself, he cried, “What is this power? How can darkness overwhelm the light?”

Minerva stepped closer, her right arm morphing into a shadow-forged blade. “This power is called Overlook,” she replied, plunging the blade through his chest. Finn’s monstrous form shuddered as he crumbled. “You overlooked me,” she whispered, “assuming Orvell had the strongest mana. But in magic—I am queen.”

The shadow dissipated around her, and Voi’s faint form emerged, his presence weaker now. “It’s my time to go,” he said softly. Confused and stricken, Minerva reached for him. “No, Voi, you can’t leave—I need you.” Voi smiled gently. “This last power I shared—that was all of me. Without my shadow, I must return to the darkness.”

As the first rays of sunlight pierced through the castle windows, Voi began to fade. The others gathered around, comforting Minerva as she mourned her companion. She murmured, “He was my best friend, ever since the day I absorbed his magic.”

Before the quintet left, they found Crimjaw in a deep sleep, untouched by the chaos. Silently, they buried him within the castle, knowing the sun’s light would gradually destroy the last remnants of darkness.

Outside, the village had been restored; people walked freely, their wills returned. The villagers thanked the heroes, and Orvell pledged Iron Hall’s aid in rebuilding. With one last look back, the quintet departed, leaving behind the shadows but carrying Voi’s memory forward.