The magistrate’s form continued to twist and writhe as his true nature emerged. His perfect features melted away like wax, revealing something ancient and terrible beneath. The elegant robes he wore shredded and burned away as his body expanded, growing larger and more monstrous with each pulse of stolen soul energy.

A horror beyond mortal comprehension emerged. The creature stood nearly fifteen feet tall, its muscular form covered in black armor that seemed fused with its flesh. Wicked spikes protruded from its shoulders and along its spine, each one dripping with liquid shadow. Its skin was the color of blood, cracked and scarred like cooling magma, with veins of dark energy pulsing beneath the surface.

The fiend’s face was a grotesque mockery of nobility—sharp, aristocratic features warped by millennia of pure evil. A crown of horns swept back from its brow, each one etched with glowing runes of power. Its eyes blazed with violet flames that seemed to pierce directly into the soul, while its mouth was filled with rows of metallic fangs that gleamed like polished steel.

Massive wings extended from its back. Their umbral, leather-like membranes shot through with veins of purple fire. Each wing ended in cruel hooks that could tear flesh from bone. The creature’s hands ended in razor-sharp talons of black steel, while its feet were like those of a great predatory beast, with claws that left smoking gouges on the stone floor.

The fiend raised its hands, and a barrier of pure darkness manifested across the chamber’s entrance. I heard Corvus and the others shouting from the other side, but their voices sounded distant and muffled. I was alone with this monster.

“How charming… A fledgling blackguard who fancies himself clever enough to match wits with ancient powers,” the creature’s gruff voice rippled through the chamber, tainted with an otherworldly resonance. “While you plotted your little schemes, I’ve been orchestrating the fall of empires and feasting on souls since before your kind learned to forge steel.”

The ethereal symphony continued unabated as souls poured into the chamber from above. The bards maintained their haunting melody, their bodies mere shells as their essence fed the fiend’s transformation. Tendrils of pure darkness continued drawing out what remained of Evangeline’s spirit. Her body swayed lifelessly as she continued to play and sing that haunting melody.

I confronted the fiend and felt the sheer weight of its ancient presence like a physical force. The air itself felt thick and corrupted, each breath tasting of sulfur and malevolence. Despite all my training and power, I felt a primal fear trying to take root in my soul.

But the image of Evangeline’s helpless state forced me to overcome that fear with violent anger. Her once-vibrant spirit was now barely a flicker.

The sight of her helpless state, being violated in such a way, ignited a possessive rage that threatened to consume my very sanity. My blood burned like liquid fire in my veins as I watched this abomination dare to steal what belonged to me. A red haze clouded my vision, and I tightened my grip on the Serpent’s Fang until my knuckles turned white. Every fiber of my being screamed for vengeance, for blood, for absolute destruction of this creature that dared to touch her. The darkness within me roared and thrashed like a caged beast, demanding release, begging to tear the fiend apart piece by piece until nothing remained but scattered remnants of his former existence.

“I must admit,” the monster continued jeering. “I did not expect a blackguard to develop such... attachment to one of my songbirds.” Its violet eyes fixed on me with cruel amusement. “How deliciously ironic—a servant of shadow falling for a creature of light.”

Gritting my teeth, I sought an opening to strike. The dagger’s runes pulsed in sync with my fast heartbeat. With a roar, I charged forward, aiming the sacred blade at the fiend’s chest.

But the creature moved with impossible speed for its size. It seemed to flow like living shadow, effortlessly evading my attack. One massive clawed hand swatted me aside as if I were a mere insect. I slammed into the wall hard enough to drive the breath from my lungs.

“Predictable,” it sneered. “So eager to play the hero.”

Groaning, I pushed myself up, then secured the Serpent’s Fang to my belt. I needed to weaken this creature first before I finished him off with the dagger. I drew the Talons of Twilight, their familiar weight offering some comfort as their purple energy blazed to life.

The fiend’s violet eyes fixed on my weapons with interest. “Ah, those blades... I sense Valic’s touch upon them. How amusing that you would serve him so faithfully when he cares nothing for your petty attachments.”

I circled warily, watching for an opening while trying to ignore the creature’s taunts. The chamber pulsed with magical energy as more souls were drawn into the vortex of power. Each beat of that terrible symphony sent waves of dark force washing over me.

The fiend struck without warning, its claws leaving trails of shadow as they slashed through the air. I barely managed to parry with my kukris, the impact sending shocks up my arms. The creature’s strength was overwhelming, each blow threatening to knock my weapons from my grip.

I ducked under another swipe and countered with a slash at its side. The Talons of Twilight bit into its armor, drawing a line of black ichor. The fiend hissed in pain but seemed more annoyed than injured.

“First blood,” I taunted back, trying to draw its attention away from the continuing ritual. “Not so invincible after all.”

Its response was a blast of pure darkness that caught me in the chest, hurling me across the chamber. I rolled with the impact, coming up in a defensive stance. My ribs screamed in protest, but I forced myself to focus through the pain.

The fiend gestured, and spectral chains materialized from the shadows, whipping through the air like striking serpents. I dove and rolled, feeling their icy touch brush past me as they crashed into the stone floor where I had stood moments before.

I sprang up and launched a series of quick strikes with my kukris, forcing the creature to defend. Though it blocked most of my attacks, I managed to slip past its guard once more, opening another shallow wound in its armored hide.

But my small victories seemed to matter little as the ritual continued. More souls poured into the chamber from above, each one adding to the fiend’s power. I could feel its strength growing with every passing moment.

“Your efforts are worthless.” It sneered, its metallic fangs gleaming. “Each soul I devour makes me stronger. Soon, I will remake this entire city in my image.”

I glanced at Evangeline again. Her spirit was barely visible now, a fading ember being steadily drawn into the vortex of the fiend’s power.

I sheathed my kukris at my sides and grabbed the Serpent’s Fang once more. The sacred blade’s power hummed eagerly in my grip, resonating with my determination as I lunged forward.

This time, I was ready for the fiend’s speed. I feinted left, then rolled right as its claws slashed through the space where I had been. Coming up beneath its guard, I drove the dagger towards its black heart.

But at the last moment, the creature’s wing swept down, knocking the dagger from my grip. The weapon clattered across the stone floor and slid away into the shadows.

The fiend’s laughter boomed through the chamber. “You think your little toy can defeat me now?” It reached out with terrifying speed and closed its massive hand around my throat. “It’s too late for you, mortal. I have won this little game. Now it’s time to claim my prize.”

It gestured with its other hand towards Evangeline. Her limp form rose into the air, suspended by strands of darkness. What remained of her spirit flickered weakly as the fiend drew her closer.

“Such a lovely voice,” it purred, studying her like a rare delicacy. “Her songs of rebellion gave hope to so many. And now...” It turned those burning violet eyes back to me, its metallic fangs gleaming in a cruel smile. “Now I will consume what remains of her essence while you watch helplessly.”

The fiend’s grip tightened around my throat as dark tendrils began pulling more forcefully at Evangeline’s spirit. Her body jerked like a puppet on strings, and a weak moan escaped her lips.

Ice-cold fury crystallized in my chest as I watched Evangeline’s essence being torn away, piece by piece. Each pulse of that terrible symphony stripped another fragment of her soul, feeding that evil abomination. The fierce emerald fire that had first drawn me to her was dimming, like stars being swallowed by an endless void.

Memories of Evangeline’s defiant songs, her passionate spirit, her willing submission to my darkness—all of it threatened to slip away into the magistrate’s transforming form. I couldn’t bear to lose her now—of watching that brilliant flame be extinguished forever.

“I can sense your heart racing,” the fiend said, interrupting my thoughts. “Such powerful emotions for a servant of shadow. Tell me, would you sacrifice yourself to save her? Would you give up your own soul in exchange for hers?”

The magistrate’s words echoed in my mind, and suddenly I remembered my desperate prayer from earlier that morning:

“I would give anything else... Any other sacrifice you demanded. Even... Even my own life... But please... not her.”

I tried to swallow against the fiend’s crushing grip. The memory had given me nightmares, haunting my thoughts with visions of being forced to make that dreaded choice. Now, faced with Evangeline’s soul being consumed by this creature of evil, that same fear gripped my heart.

But then another memory surfaced—a conversation I had with Corvus:

“These beings delight in complex games of deception. Every word, every gesture is calculated to guide us down a specific path... The fiend believes itself clever enough to anticipate our every move. It expects us to eventually see through its charade and deviate from the invisible path it has set before us.”

I suddenly understood. The fiend expected me to hesitate, to be paralyzed by the choice between saving Evangeline and fulfilling my duty to Valic. He had orchestrated this entire scenario, believing he could manipulate my emotions and force me into making a devastating choice.

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But there was something the fiend hadn’t considered—something even Corvus might not have fully understood. My devotion to Valic and my possessive desire for Evangeline weren’t opposing forces. They were two aspects of the same dark purpose.

The fiend was not only stealing souls, he was taking what belonged to me. And in doing so, he was disrupting the very order that Valic demanded.

I smiled coldly, finally understanding. There was no choice to make. By saving what was mine, I would be serving Valic’s will. The fiend’s carefully laid trap had failed to account for the true nature of my darkness.

The magistrate’s triumphant grin faltered slightly as he saw my expression change. For the first time, uncertainty flickered in those ancient eyes.

Despite the crushing pressure on my throat, I managed to rasp out, “You... would spare her?”

The fiend’s eyes narrowed with interest. “Perhaps. Your soul burns with such delicious potential—all that rage, that darkness, that possessive love. It would be a far sweeter feast than what remains of this fading songbird.”

My hands clawed uselessly at its iron grip as spots began dancing in my vision. In the shadows to my left, I caught a glimpse of the Serpent’s Fang lying just out of reach.

“Well?” the fiend pressed. “Would you trade your life for hers? Or is she merely a possession to you, something to own and control?”

I let my hands fall to my sides in apparent defeat. “Do it,” I whispered. “Take my soul... but swear you’ll release her.”

The fiend’s laughter shook the chamber. “You actually believe I would honor such a bargain? How delightfully naïve.”

“No,” I said, my hand slowly moving to one of my kukris. “But I believe in creating my own opportunities.”

Before the creature could react, I drew the blade and plunged it into my own chest. I met the fiend’s gaze steadily, unflinching, wanting it to see the conviction in my eyes. This was not an act of desperation, but of calculated sacrifice. The pain was immediate and intense. I angled the strike carefully, ensuring it would wound but not kill—though to any observer, it would appear fatal. Still, the agony was real. My breath hitched, and I tasted copper in my mouth. But I refused to look away from those burning violet eyes, refused to show any sign of doubt or weakness.

In that moment of searing pain, my thoughts were crystal clear. This was not surrender—it was strategy. Like a game of chess where sacrificing a piece could lead to checkmate. The fiend thought it understood manipulation and deception, but it had never faced someone willing to wound themselves to achieve victory.

I felt my warm blood running down my chest, and my vision blurred slightly at the edges. But beneath the pain, a cold certainty filled me. This was the opening I needed. The fiend would see what it expected to see—a desperate man throwing his life away for love. It would never suspect that my apparent sacrifice was actually a carefully laid trap.

A grunt of pain escaped my lips, but I transformed it into a bitter laugh. Let the creature think I’m broken. Let it believe it had won. Soon it would learn the true meaning of sacrifice—and the price of violating what was mine.

The fiend’s eyes widened in shock, its grip on my throat loosening slightly. Dark blood welled around my self-inflicted wound and dripped onto the stone floor.

“Fool!” it snarled. “You would throw your life away so easily?”

I coughed, letting blood stain my lips as I sagged in its grip. “For her?” I whispered. “Yes.”

The creature studied me with those ancient eyes, clearly intrigued by my apparent willingness to die. Then it dropped me unceremoniously. My body crumpled to the floor and fought to stay conscious as pain and blood spread across my chest.

“What a waste,” the creature spat. “To throw away such potential over a worthless bard. Though I suppose this makes my victory even sweeter—one less servant of Valic to stand against my rule.” It turned its attention back to Evangeline’s limp form. Its eyes blazed with hunger as it prepared to consume the last fragments of her soul.

A metallic glint caught my eye—the Serpent’s Fang lay in discarded in the shadows barely an arm’s length away. The sacred blade pulsed with anticipation on the cold stone floor, as if calling to me, responding to both my will and the proximity of its target. While the creature was so focused on its imminent feast, I strained with outstretched fingers until I grazed the dagger’s hilt. With agonizing slowness, I drew the weapon closer and concealed it against my body, where I clutched the kukri that was still lodged into my bleeding chest wound.

“You call yourself ancient and wise,” I rasped, letting blood trickle from my lips, “yet you’d waste your time on a mere bard’s soul when you could feast on something far more potent?”

The fiend paused, its claws still extended toward Evangeline’s limp form. Its attention shifted back to me with renewed interest.

I forced a mock smile despite the pain. “What’s more valuable—the fleeting essence of a songstress, or the corrupted soul of a blackguard who’s walked both in light and shadow?” I let out a wet cough, making sure to appear weaker than I actually was. “How many of Valic’s chosen have you tasted? How many souls touched by both divine and dark power have you devoured?”

The creature’s ancient eyes narrowed as it considered my words. I could see the hunger building in that terrible gaze, the temptation of such a rare delicacy proving irresistible.

“Besides,” I continued, “you’ve already taken most of her essence. She’s barely an appetizer now. But me?” I laughed bitterly, tightening my hidden grip on the Serpent’s Fang. “I’ve been touched by Lord Valic himself. Imagine how that power would taste...”

The fiend tossed Evangeline’s body aside like a discarded toy then fixed its full attention on me. It stalked closer, metallic fangs gleaming. “How fascinating you are, little blackguard,” it purred with malevolent delight. “I had dismissed you as merely another pathetic mortal playing with darkness, but yes, there’s something deliciously corrupt festering in that desperate soul of yours. Something worth... savoring.”

The fiend loomed over me, its massive form blocking out the chamber’s light as it bent down to examine its handiwork. Its violet eyes blazed with triumph and dark amusement.

“Such passion. Such devotion,” it mused. “And all for nothing. When I’m finished transforming this city, I’ll make sure your precious songbird performs at your funeral. What remains of her, that is.” The fiend leaned closer to me, savoring its victory. The stench of sulfur and decay rolled off its twisted form in nauseating waves.

Another jolt of pain speared my body, and numbness began to spread. I had to hurry before I blacked out for good. I focused the rest of my strength on my limbs. My muscles coiled like a snake ready to strike. The fiend’s arrogance had brought it too close, believing me already defeated. Fatal mistake.

I tightened my grip on the hilt of the Serpent’s Fang. Then, in one motion, unleashed everything I had left and launched the dagger upwards into the fiend’s chest with explosive force. The creature’s arrogant smile barely had time to fade before the blade found its mark. The dagger’s runes blazed with divine and shadow energy as it punched through the creature’s armored hide with a sound like shattering stone, driving deep into the corrupt heart beneath.

Black ichor erupted from the wound as ancient flesh met consecrated steel. The fiend’s triumphant expression twisted into something between shock and fury as it realized too late the true power it faced. Its perfect form began to crack and splinter, violet light pouring from the fissures in its skin.

The fiend tried to pull away, but I held on with grim determination, driving the blade deeper. Its blood burned like acid where it splashed across my skin, but I refused to let go. This monster had dared to take what was mine, had tried to consume Evangeline’s very soul. There would be no mercy.

I gave the dagger a sharp twist, feeling bones crack and ancient flesh tear. This was for Evangeline. For Ebonheart. For everything this creature had corrupted with its lies and false promises.

The fiend’s roar of agony shook the very foundations of the chamber. Violet flames erupted from the wound. The runes along the blade blazed with blinding light as divine and shadow magic combined into a perfect killing stroke.

The chamber erupted in blinding light as the fiend’s true form slowly unraveled, its carefully maintained illusions shattering like glass beneath the Serpent’s Fang’s power. Cracks of violet light spread across its body like lightning, each one widening as the creature’s ancient power upended itself. The stolen souls it had consumed burst free in a torrent of spectral energy, swirling around us in a maelstrom of light and shadow.

I held onto the dagger with iron determination, even as the fiend’s toxic blood burned my hands. Its massive form thrashed and convulsed, each movement threatening to tear me away, but I refused to let go. The Serpent’s Fang had to remain lodged in its heart until the end.

“You understand nothing!” The fiend’s cultured facade shattered, revealing something primal and horrifying beneath. Its voice resonated with the weight of eons, each word dripping with malevolent fury. “Ages pass, empires crumble, yet I endure. No mortal blade can unmake what the dark gods themselves ordained!”

But the evidence of its mortality was spreading across its form with each passing second. The cracks in its flesh grew wider, deeper, revealing the void of nothingness beneath its magnificent facade. Its wings crumbled like burning paper, dissolving into ash that swirled away in the chaos.

The barrier across the chamber’s entrance shattered as the fiend’s power waned. I heard shouts from Corvus and the others, but they seemed distant and unimportant compared to the task at hand. My entire world had narrowed to this singular purpose—destroying the creature that had dared to steal Evangeline’s soul.

“Release them,” I growled through gritted teeth, twisting the blade again. “Release all of them!”

The fiend’s body convulsed as more souls broke free from its grasp. They spiraled upward in streams of light, each one returning to its rightful owner. The bards collapsed one by one as their essences were restored, the haunting melody finally falling silent.

I glimpsed Evangeline’s form crumpling to the floor, her lyre clattering beside her. Her beautiful golden skin had taken on an ashen pallor, and the fierce emerald fire that once blazed in her eyes had been completely extinguished. She lay there motionless, like a discarded puppet whose strings had been suddenly cut, showing no signs of life.

The fiend howled in rage and desperation as its stolen power continued to leak away. Those violet eyes, once so commanding, now blazed with panic and disbelief. Its perfect features continued to crack and split, revealing the genuine horror of its ancient form beneath the magnificent facade.

“You... dare...” it choked out, black ichor bubbling from its metallic fangs. “Centuries of planning... perfect control... all ruined by a lovesick blackguard?”

I leaned closer, pressing the dagger deeper into its corrupt heart. “You made a fatal mistake,” I snarled. “You thought because I serve the shadows, I couldn’t truly love. You believed your power was absolute, that none would dare challenge your idea of perfect order.” I twisted the blade again, earning another howl of agony. “But true order does not come from lies and false faces.”

The creature’s form imploded and collapsed in upon itself as the Serpent’s Fang’s power coursed through its ancient flesh. Waves of force rippled outward, threatening to throw me clear.

“Remember this moment,” I growled into what remained of its aristocratic face. “Remember that it was a servant of Valic who brought your reign to an end. Remember that all your power, all your careful manipulation, meant nothing against true strength.”

The fiend’s final scream shook the very foundations of the chamber as its body dissolved into shadow and flame. The Serpent’s Fang pulsed one final time as it delivered the killing stroke. There was a sound like reality itself tearing apart, and then...

Silence.

The creature’s form exploded into a cascade of shadow and violet fire that quickly dissipated into nothing. The Serpent’s Fang clattered to the stone floor, its purpose fulfilled, its runes now dark and quiet.

My body went limp as the adrenaline faded. The wound in my chest burned with renewed intensity.

The haunting melody had stopped, and the vortex of stolen souls had disappeared, leaving the chamber deathly quiet now. The other bards lay scattered across the floor like fallen leaves, their instruments silent beside them. Some showed signs of stirring as their essences slowly returned to their bodies.

But my attention was fixed solely on Evangeline’s still form. With trembling hands, I pulled myself across the cold stone floor towards her, leaving a trail of smeared blood behind. Each movement sent fresh waves of pain through my chest, but I forced myself onward.

“Eva..” I rasped. My strength was depleted, and numbness had completely taken over my body. I couldn’t move. She was still so far away, and I couldn’t reach her.

Her lips were tinged with blue. No breath stirred in her chest. The fierce spirit that had first drawn me to her seemed completely extinguished.

My vision blurred as blood loss and exhaustion took their toll. The wound in my chest, though carefully placed to avoid instant death, was still potentially fatal without immediate attention. But none of that mattered now if Evangeline was truly gone.

“No,” I whispered fiercely, though my voice was growing weaker. “I won’t let you go. Not like this.”

Desperation flooded my mind. I refused to accept this loss. I had destroyed an ancient fiend, shattered its perfect illusions, and freed its captive souls. I would not be denied this one thing I truly wanted.

Lord Valic, have I not done all that you’ve asked? my subconscious pleaded. But I was met with silence.

The edges of my consciousness were growing dim.

The last thing I heard was Corvus shouting my name, followed by his footsteps racing across the chamber floor. But he sounded so far away. The voices of Ramon’s group sounded even more distant.

My final thought, before consciousness fled completely, was of Evangeline’s fierce emerald eyes and defiant smile.

Then the darkness claimed me, and I knew no more.