Cyrus stood rooted to the spot, his life essence steadily draining from the wound in his chest. His vision blurred, the world around him dissolving into a haze of indistinct shapes and muted colors. Mariline's words cut deeper than any physical blade, each syllable a dagger piercing his already shattered heart.
The brutal truth of his naivety crashed down upon him like a tidal wave. He had foolishly believed that by helping Mariline make her own choices, he could somehow free her from the chains that bound her. But now, faced with the cold reality of her betrayal, he realized just how blind he had been.
"Impossible! You're lying!" Cyrus roared, his voice raw with desperation as he rejected the flagrant reality before him.
Mariline's voice, devoid of any emotion, continued to twist the knife. "You're surely wondering how we knew it was you. Don't forget, I was part of the Bite too. You were the queen's favorite toy—how could I not take notice of you?"
The pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place in Cyrus's mind. Lionore had originally been part of the Lion Canine and was the sworn brother of its leader. Though Cyrus wasn't certain how Lionore had initially learned of his existence, it was clear that the mastermind had known about him long before Cyrus himself had realized his special abilities. Every step, every seemingly chance encounter, had been meticulously orchestrated by Lionore to collect the Primordial Canine once all the hard work was done.
As the full weight of Mariline's actions sank in, Cyrus's heart screamed in agony. Every smile, every shared moment, even the passionate night they had spent together—it had all been nothing more than a carefully woven illusion.
"Why? Why?!" he howled to the heavens, his nails digging into his palms until they, too, began to bleed. Why was destiny toying with him so cruelly? He had lost everything—his best friend, his love, and now, quite possibly, even his father.
Lionore's cold voice cut through Cyrus's anguish. "Time to say goodbye. You're useless to me now." With inhuman strength, he lifted Cyrus off the ground and strode towards the expansive glass windows. "Just so you don't come back," he added, his fist hammering into Cyrus's head with devastating force.
Cyrus felt his mind rattle as if he had collided with a meteor. Through the haze of pain, he managed to choke out a final plea. "Please... spare my father."
Blood and broken teeth spilled onto the polished floor. Lionore leaned in close, his breath hot against Cyrus's ear. "If you want to blame someone, blame the queen. You are nothing but a modified toy. Now fly." With those final, cruel words, Lionore hurled Cyrus through the window and out into the void.
As Cyrus plummeted from the astronomical height of the Dome, time seemed to slow to a crawl. With the last reserves of his energy, he activated the Myriad Cube, enveloping his body in a protective shield. The impact, when it came, was deafening.
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The cube vanished, floating momentarily above Cyrus's head before flashing into the distance, shooting back towards Eldor Magic School. A bitter smile crossed Cyrus's lips as understanding dawned. His Canine had been broken, regressing him to a normal human. He was slowly losing his powers, fading back into the mundane world he had once known.
Cyrus's eyes, once so full of life and determination, now stared vacantly at the sky above. He felt as if his very soul had been torn from his body. Lionore's words echoed relentlessly in his mind: "Modified toy!"
Unbidden, memories of the Island of Moving Stars surfaced, bringing with them a searing headache. "Impossible," he whimpered, tears streaming down his face. "It can't be true. It can't be..."
Yet even as he denied it, the pieces fell into place. He had always wondered about the origin of his powers, never remembering being bitten by anyone in his past. The mark on his neck, so similar to those of the five on the island. The queen's secret laboratory. His inexplicable knowledge of the island's sayings. The queen's special attitude towards him.
Everything clicked into place with horrifying clarity. His entire life had been a cruel joke. She had modified him, tuned him into the being he now was. Forcing himself to his feet, his mind in total disarray, Cyrus began to truly grasp the meaning behind Lionore's words. Though he didn't know how he had ended up on the Island of Moving Stars or become the queen's "toy," the very thought filled him with a murderous rage.
Dragging his wounded body towards the Bite villa, his eyes bloodshot and wild, Cyrus was consumed by twin desires: the need for truth and the thirst for vengeance.
As he made his way through the city, a sight stopped him dead in his tracks. Towering, humanoid figures roamed the streets, their abnormally tall frames dwarfing even some of the buildings. Emaciated arms dangled at their sides, so thin that bones were clearly visible beneath papery skin. Dark, deep-set eyes shone with an eerie brilliance in the gloom, while their heads burned with dark purple flames.
Cyrus's shoulders sagged as he took in the nightmarish scene. Karmic Monsters, those creatures of nightmares, now walked the Earth, sowing havoc and death in their wake. Their imposing frames lifted cars and shattered buildings as if they were children's toys. Fires raged, sending plumes of smoke into the sky and forming ominous, roiling clouds. People ran in every direction, their screams of terror filling the air.
A man rushed past Cyrus, his face twisted in a rictus of fear. In a heartbeat, one of the monster's bone-like arms shot out like a missile, piercing the unfortunate soul's head. Hot, fresh blood splattered across Cyrus's face, a grim baptism in this new world of chaos.
Moving through the pandemonium in a daze, Cyrus could only observe the horror around him with a sense of detached despair. Using a high-powered car he had appropriated from the mansion, he finally made his way back to the Bite villa. Passing through the magical wards, he dragged his battered body to the grand entrance.
Inside, the Bite was in a state of high alert. Members rushed back and forth, frantically preparing the villa's defenses. Amidst the chaos, Cyrus's eyes fell upon Leora, who was issuing orders with calm authority. The moment she noticed his approach, his bloody figure stood out starkly against the backdrop of frantic activity.
Leora raised a hand, ordering the Bite members to stand down. She walked towards him with measured steps, halting a meter away. As Cyrus took a step forward, she retreated by the same distance. A bitter smile twisted his lips, a final confirmation of how much had changed between them.
In that moment, standing before the woman he had once loved, surrounded by the remnants of a world falling into chaos, Cyrus felt the full weight of his journey. He had been a pawn, a toy, a weapon—but now, stripped of his powers and faced with the truth of his existence, he stood at a crossroads.