The shadow billowed callously, ‘As you’re trapped here, your friend has died. You’ll never escape here, what have you even got to go back to? Just give up, and let me live for you!’

I knew then that the shadow let me hear Melinda’s words intentionally. He was trying to break me, but I wouldn’t let him. He was wrong about our relationship. I barely knew Melinda. I was saddened at the thought of her death, but I still had plenty to return to.

‘I refuse,’ I shouted back, releasing my anger. ‘I won’t be controlled or manipulated by you.’

I thought of Lumia as I molded my emotions into a barrier. His relentless attacks couldn’t break through. There was some lingering pain from his onslaught, but it soon subsided.

Cautiously, I reached out with my senses, and soon found the spirit—or a mental representation of it.

It was formless, but its essence radiated darkness. I’d never encountered anything like it. Its hatred burned bright like fire, so hot and intense it hurt. But despite how powerful it was, it lacked any real substance. Contained within the sword, it could do nothing on its own.

I understood then how to overcome it.

‘You’re bored. You have endless life, but no form of your own to act out your desires. So instead, you use others until they expire,’ I spoke with confidence although I wasn’t completely sure I was right, ‘But while you're stuck here, unable to do anything by yourself, eventually you'll grow tired. You said you could do this for eternity, but I think you’ll tire long before then.’

The shadow laughed. ‘Indeed, but I have you to keep me company. Until you give in, I’ll be plenty entertained.’

His attacks intensified again, catching me with my guard down. Before I could reform the barrier, I lost consciousness.

When I came too, I could see outside myself, though a veil of shadow swirled over everything.

Kinzla was helping Melinda up from the floor, her wounds now healed. Lila remained unconscious in her original position. She was only a few yards away, but it felt like I wasn’t really there. Like I was watching a movie or seeing some distant scene with magic.

I was unable to act. I couldn’t move or use mana, I was just frozen in place like a stature.

“What happened?” Kinzla asked Melinda.

She frowned and pointed in my direction.

“Your nightmare came true. As soon as I entered the chamber, someone attacked me.”

Kinzla followed her finger with his eyes. “You mean Stylnyx? But why would he—”

Melinda shook her head. “He defeated Stylnyx, but then he picked up the sword.”

Kinzla scoffed. “Fool.” As his expression softened he extended a supportive hand toward Melinda, “The shadow can take care of the intruder. Let’s go get you cleaned up.”

Melinda shook her head. “We can’t just leave the chamber unguarded. Stylnyx hasn’t moved an inch and I don’t think he can. Besides, he’s fickle. An unreliable defense is no defense at all.” She looked at Kinzla pleadingly. “You should get Sizal to come help me. Then you can keep doing your Mr. Boring thing and gaurd Illudrasile.”

“No Melinda, if what you say is true—if there’s really a mage capable of defeating Stylnyx—then I’m waiting with you. No offense, but leaving you here after you already lost once would just be foolish.”

Even I could tell Melinda was trying to get rid of the mage. She was too direct and forceful, besides Kinzla wasn’t wrong. The only way her excuse would seem reasonable is if you didn’t think much about it.

Kinzla didn’t strike me as being thoughtless or quick to action. He might’ve even figured out that she was lying to him, but his expression betrayed no doubt, there was only compassion as he looked between Melinda and the stairway back up.

Mentally I reached out to the spirit. ‘Before, I felt your anger and hostile emotions. They burned so intensely that it hurt. I assumed that your only goal was to kill. Now I feel your regret. You’ve been watching her, hoping she’d recover. You know her don’t you? You probably care more about her than I do… I don’t think you’re pure evil.’

Immediately the scene vanished, all sound ceased and again the shadow sieged my mind again. I defended against his forceful prying, gritting my teeth as I asked, ‘What is your goal then? Surely you want more than to sit in this empty chamber guarding a girl you don’t care about.’

The forcefulness of his mental prying grew until it felt like physical nails being driven through my head.

I nearly lost consciousness again, but I held on.

‘I’ll take you out of this place—let you see the world. If you promise to be good I might even know someone who can make you a body far more durable than any flesh and blood.’

I was half bluffing, but as the words spilled out I realized it might actually be true. Zidg was familiar with dark magics and cursed objects. He was also a talented artificer, so it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think he could create a movable body capable of containing a spirit of darkness.

The mental attacks ceased immediately. ‘I’m listening.’

‘I won’t say more until you let me go and we get out of this place.’

The attacks resumed. ‘I’m not a fool. The moment I let you go, you’ll toss me aside. Besides, if there was really someone who could, then Liriel would’ve had it done by now.’

My focus was slipping under the pressure of his assault. I was struggling to think straight, but now I knew what motivated the spirit. I just needed to convince him that I could give it to him, or deliver him to someone who could.

'That's correct,' I answered through clenched teeth. 'If such a person exists, surely Liriel knows of him.'

The spirit’s voice took on a new tone. Though lacking emotion, the power of his reply rang loud in my ears.

‘Then you’re worthless to me.’ he declared, ‘I can simply ask Lord Liriel.’

‘You can, but will he tell you? He hasn’t yet and I’m certain he knows the individual. Maybe you do too.’

Again the mental attacks stopped, giving me a much needed break and room to breathe. The peace lasted for several moments before I heard the shadow whisper.

‘A name. Give me a name and I’ll let you go, but if I believe the person could be capable.’ The shadow's voice was sincere and humble, almost kind.

I wasn’t sure I trusted him, even if he was being honest, I was banking on him knowing Zidg and being open to a possibility he hadn’t considered before. ‘He’s an artificer, maker of cursed objects. He asks for impossible payme—’

‘A name!’ Stylnyx said forcefully.

‘Zidg, but he—’

‘Quiet.’

There was silence for several moments.

I felt increasingly anxious, unsure if I would be released or mentally assaulted again. The spirit gave no indication of his thoughts on my answer. but eventually, my vision and hearing returned.

It was still like watching from a distance, but I saw Kinzla. His face hovered only inches from mine as he peered into my being.

“I think Stylnyx is giving up.” He said.

Behind him I saw a small smile appear on Melinda’s face, though it was quickly replaced by a half frown and furrowed eyebrows.

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“That means—”

“Who attacked you?” Kinzla demanded as he whirled around to face her.

Time seemed to slow to a near stop as the shadow whispered again.

‘When I release you, he will kill you. If you pour mana into the sword, then I can help; but you will probably still die.’

I was well aware my deficiency. From the moment I entered the courtyard, I realized I was out of my depth. If it hadn’t been for Melinda, I wouldn’t have even seen Lila unless they chose to hold me here as well.

‘I understand.’ I replied. ‘I still prefer that to being devoured without a fight.’

“…a boy that looks like him? That doesn’t make any sense.” Kinzla yelled, his words becoming clearer with each second.

The dark fog fell away from me and retreated back into the sword. Without hesitation, I poured mana into Vorlin’s blade and called to the one borrowed from Amara. Both swords responded to my will.

The blue lightning blade flickered to life, flying from the floor and implanting itself in Kinzla’s chest. Stylnyx drank my mana, becoming weightless as I swung toward the mage’s nape.

There was a sharp metallic crash as Kinzla’s own sword flew from its sheath, intercepting my strike. An explosion from his sword forced my arm up, and nearly caused me to lose grip on Stylnyx. I stumbled backward then caught my balance.

Kinzla’s flying blade ripped diagonally across my chest, sending me backward again with a forceful burst at the end of its arc.

Blood dripped from my wound, but it was shallow.

I caught my balance again, holding Stylnyx defensively in anticipation of the next slash.

The blade launched itself toward me, it’s form pulsing with energy.

Melinda moved swiftly, placing herself directly in front of me and intercepting the strike with a spear, materialized from her storage.

“Melinda,” Kinzla said, a frown pulling at his lips. “What is this?”

She answered by pointing her spear toward him.

“Are you… betraying us?” Kinzla asked, a deep concern and confusion evident in his deepening frown.

“I stayed here all this time for only one reason—for Liriel. I cared for him, believed in his vision, I was devoted. I even thought I loved him, but now I realize I never did.”

“I don’t want to hurt you, Melinda. Come back to your senses—come back to us,” Kinzla pleaded.

Turning to me, Melinda said, “It’s time I told you how you’ll return the favor.” Then she fired a barrage of dark orbs at Kinzla. Each orb exploded on impact but the man seemed to glide away effortlessly out of range while his sword intercepted the orbs.

The mage was forced back, but distance didn’t mean much in this fight. Once it cut through the last dark orb, Kinzla’s flying sword whipped through the air, cutting a wide arc around us and striking at me from behind.

I called to Amara's weapon, which Kinzla had discarded at some point. It arrived quickly, blocking Kinzla’s blade, but was blasted across the room from the impact.

I couldn’t use it to defend and I definitely couldn’t strike at Kinzla accurately while fending off his sword, so I called to the weapon again and stored it as I blocked another strike with Stylnyx.

Having drank my mana, Stylnyx seemed to move on its own, guiding my hand to where it needed to be.

Each time the blade made contact with Kinzla’s, a small explosive force threw me off balance. If not for Stylnyx aid, I likely would’ve died after the first strike.

I wasn’t sure we’d be able to save Lila—let alone escape—with Kinzla here. It took all of my focus just to avoid being filleted.

I could only afford brief glances at Melinda, and only because Stylnyx was basically defending for me. Melinda assaulted Kinzla with a combination of seamless spear thrusts and sweeps. Each time she struck, there seemed to be a random elemental effect added to her attack, but Kinzla appeared comfortable, always staying just beyond her reach.

Kinzla struck back periodically, but he was obviously holding back. A flying dagger nipped at Melinda any time she tried to break away from their fray, but otherwise his blows never landed.

Shouting over the noise of battle, Melinda said, “Show me what kind of man you’ll become.”

Her words hit me like a hammer, catching me completely off guard. ‘Was that her favor?’ Kinzla’s blade cut across my back then sent me stumbling, with a repulsive force, toward where Lila lay.

“That might not be possible,” I groaned. Then as I twisted back toward the flying sword, Stylnyx moved on its own to block a follow up slash I hadn’t seen coming.

Repulsive force, equal to my strike, ripped out from Kinzla’s flying saber, sending me stumbling backward. I tripped over Lila, losing my grip on the green blade, and fell on my ass. Stylnyx bounced once then slid several feet out of reach.

There was a hiss like a high pitched whistle as the flying saber positioned itself above me. The blade glowed blue as it seemed to absorb ambient mana, something that should’ve been impossible without a mana core.

I reached and scrambled toward Stylnyx despite knowing the futility of my efforts. The moment Kinzla’s sword dropped would be my last.

As the blade came down, Melinda appeared before me, swatted it out of the air with her spear then conjured a large orb of darkness, which swallowed up everything it touched.

The dagger which had kept Melinda in battle with Kinzla was now fully buried in her thigh.

“You’re really going through with this?” Kinzla asked, his eyes narrowing in frustration as his dagger returned to him.

“I’m sorry Kinzy, but we both know you won’t just let us walk away.”

Kinzla sighed as Melinda completed her spell. Tendrils, like long black tentacles, lashed out from the orb. One after the other, hundreds of dark whips reached for Kinzla and his flying weapons. Perhaps if the space was larger, he might’ve been able to get away, but in the confines of the holy sanctum, Kinzla was quickly trapped and wrapped in the tentacles; they pulled him into the orb and his presence disappeared completely.

It seemed as if Kinzla had been teleported away, perhaps to some torturous dark dungeon, but his sword which had yet to be captured continued to evade the tentacles. It almost seems as if the sword it’s was alive, or perhaps losses by some spirit. If so it was different from Stylnyx.

“That won’t hold him for long,” Melinda said, drawing my attention away from the weapon. “We need to hurry.”

I could have left Stylnyx behind, I thought about it briefly, but the whole reason I picked up the sword in the first place was because I didn’t think Vorlin would want it to rot here. I grabbed the weapon and stowed him in my ring, then helped Melinda lift Lila.

As we hurried up the stairs Melinda asked, “What was your escape plan?”

I was again met with the foolishness of this stunt.

We had been counting on Lila being conscious and able to carry her own weight. As long as Lumia was keeping Borin contained, Lila shouldn’t have had any trouble evading the cursed mages. I was supposed to have blended in and found a way to approach her. Once Lila was free, I presumably would’ve left undetected.

I knew the plan was risky, but we didn’t know what the cursed mages would do to Lila and I wasn’t about to let Lumia come here on her own.

Answering honestly, I said, “We didn’t plan for this. Do you have any ideas?”

Rolling her eyes, Melinda replied, “I should’ve left you in the courtyard.”

I thought of something then. There was another way out of the castle, a secret path that was unlikely to be guarded, assuming the cursed mages hadn’t discovered it yet.

“We need to go to the library. On the third level, there’s a door we can use.”

“How is that going to get us out of here?” Melinda asked.

“It will, just trust me.”

Once we reached the throne room, Melinda helped me put Lila on my back then she went ahead of us.

We made it out of the throne room and down one corridor before I heard Kinzla’s angry roar rolling through the halls. “To arms! Everyone to arms.”

We entered the library only a few steps away, but Sizal was inside. He was returning a book to its shelf as we burst through the door.

“Now this is interesting.” He said with a smile. “Kinzla’s out there sounding the alarm, then you appear here with…” looking at me his eyes sparked with excitement. “…Silvon—and Illudrasile.” He smiled wider. “Is this some kind of cry for help?”

Melinda pushed me away, toward the direction of the central staircase. Brandishing her spear, she stood blocking Sizal from chasing me.

“Oh how exciting! But, what’s changed? Weren’t you just lecturing me about upsetting Liriel? You do realize he’ll be more than a little miffed when he finds out about this?”

“Shut up,” Melinda snarled. “Are you letting us go, or not?”

I realized that I shouldn’t just wait. I had to carry Lila up three flights of stairs, I needed to make use of every second incase Sizal decided he wanted to stop us. I wasn’t convinced he’d be caught as easily by the spell Melinda used to trap Kinzla. I also wasn’t sure how her combat ability compared with his.

I hurried to the stairs while the two cursed mages stared each other down. For several moments, Sizal didn’t give her an answer. The only sound in the library was the echo of my steps as I rushed up the stairs.

I was halfway to the second level when I heard Sizal speak again. “Go on, go on, it’ll be more fun to hunt you down later, besides, you look exhausted; stopping you now would be too easy.”

The moment I stepped onto the landing between floors, Melinda appeared beside me. A door clicked shut bellow us, which I assumed was Sizal leaving, and we continued on our way.

At the top, the door waited unguarded just as I expected.

It was a simple oak door—round and painted green—with a golden ornament set at its center.

“Only an elf with royal blood can use this door.” I said as I rested my palm on its surface.

At my touch, the surface of the door changed into a murky film. Colors swam together, then separated bit by bit until the scene resembled the entry hall of the church of the light bearer. It appeared exactly as I last saw it, except for the company of light bearers arguing.

I nodded towards it, gesturing for Melinda to go first. Once she was through, I carried Lila though, crossing the threshold into the sanctuary of the church.

I was expecting cheers and excitement, but instead I was met with a series of furious shouts and the clang of metal on metal. Then there was a streak of silver—a blade cutting through the air toward my face.