Lily’s heart raced in her chest, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she sprinted through the darkened alleyways. Each step was a desperate bid for survival, fueled by the fear of the shadows that pursued her relentlessly. “I won’t let them catch me,” Lily thought, her mind racing with thoughts of escape.
The minor cuts and scratches covering Lily’s skin were painful reminders of the dangers she faced. Memories of her recent betrayal of Mr. Drakon haunted her thoughts. “I should have known better,” Lily muttered, regret gnawing at her heart.
Mr. Drakon was a member of the Nightweaver order, a dark organization that thrived in the shadows, manipulating the threads of fate to serve their sinister agenda. They had orchestrated the resurgence of the demon and human conflict, sowing discord and chaos for their own twisted purposes.
As Lily pushed through a crumbling wall, her mind flashed back to the brutal fight with Rax, the powerful dwarf and fire magic user who had nearly killed her. The searing pain on the side of her abdomen where his flames had scorched her served as a constant reminder of her narrow escape.
Mr. Drakon’s revelation about Thaddeus’s role in her brother Evan’s death cut her like a knife, the realization that her brother had died as nothing more than collateral in a power struggle, leaving a deep, gnawing pain in her heart. Drakon’s laughter at her rage echoed in her ears, fueling her determination to end his life, no matter how long it took. “Lord Thaddeus…” Lily muttered through gritted teeth, her voice trembling with rage and anguish. “I will kill them all.”
Amidst the darkness and the shadows that closed in around her, Lily stopped her sprint and turned, steeling herself for the battle ahead. She may have betrayed Mr. Drakon, but now she faced an even greater enemy. She had been declared a national enemy of the demons and elves, hunted by forces beyond her imagination.
An ice arrow shattered against the wall beside her, jolting her from her thoughts. Cold dread filled her as she recognized the signature of her pursuer.
“Narissa,” Lily spat, her voice dripping with venom. “I should have known it was you.”
“You stupid girl,” Narissa’s voice echoed back. “You could have had everything: power, money. Maybe even lovers if you wanted. But now, Drakon has called for your death, and I’ll enjoy making you scream as you die.”
Lily clutched the necromancer’s tome tightly, ensuring it was still strapped to her, steeling herself for the inevitable confrontation. “I won’t go down without a fight,” Lily vowed silently, her grip on the tome tightening as she prepared to face her former teacher.
The air crackled with magic as Lily and Narissa locked eyes, their gazes filled with equal parts hatred and determination. Without a word, they unleashed their magical attacks, and the world around them erupted into chaos.
Narissa flicked her wrist, summoning a torrent of dark fire that crackled with malevolent energy. “You dare challenge me, Lily?” she snarled, her voice dripping with contempt. With deadly precision, she unleashed the infernal flames, aiming to engulf Lily in a blaze of destruction.
Lily’s eyes narrowed as she faced Narissa’s onslaught. “I’ll never bow to you,” she retorted, her voice calm despite the chaos surrounding them. With a swift motion, she called forth her own magic wordlessly, summoning a blast of fire that blazed forth with fierce intensity. Random flames danced and swirled around her, a by-product of the amount of mana she pushed into the fire.
As Narissa’s dark fire collided with Lily’s own elemental fire, the air crackled with raw power. The force of their clash sent shockwaves rippling through the air, shattering windows and tearing through the surrounding buildings like fragile glass.
Lily gritted her teeth, her muscles straining against the sheer force of their combined magic, while Narissa’s eyes gleamed with malicious delight. A scream sounded nearby but quickly died out as debris rained down from above, the ground trembling beneath their feet as cracks spiderwebbed through the pavement.
“You cannot defeat me, Lily,” Narissa taunted, her voice cutting through the chaos like a knife. “You are nothing but a mere mortal. A weak little girl who has lost everything while I. I am a being of pure darkness, born of power.”
Lily gritted her teeth, her gaze never wavering from her opponent. “I may be mortal, but I will never surrender to the likes of you,” she declared, her voice ringing with defiance.
With a wave of her hand, Lily cast whirlwinds of razor-sharp wind, her movements as swift as the stroke of lightning that illuminated the night sky. Each gust sliced through the air with deadly precision, seeking out Narissa amidst the chaos.
Narissa countered Lily’s whirlwinds with tendrils of dark shadows that twisted and writhed like serpents. Her spells were relentless and unyielding, each tendril stronger than Lily’s attack as they overwhelmed her attack, racing towards where Lily stood. “You cannot hope to defeat me, Lily,” Narissa hissed, her voice dripping with malice.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
As Narissa’s shadow tendrils closed in, Lily conjured a wall of solid rock to defend herself. The earth trembled beneath her command as the wall rose up, providing a barrier against the encroaching darkness. “You will never hurt anyone again,” Lily declared, her voice filled with determination.
Narissa unleashed a torrent of dark energy, seeking to shatter Lily’s defences. The air crackled with electricity as their spells collided, sending shockwaves rippling through the air with each impact. “You cannot hide behind your walls forever, Lily,” Narissa taunted, her eyes gleaming with sadistic pleasure.
With a nimble leap, Lily dodged the dark mass of energy as it destroyed her earth wall, her movements fluid and graceful as she danced through the chaos. In a swift counterattack, she wordlessly cast a bolt of lightning, aiming it directly at Narissa with deadly accuracy. “You will not prevail,” Lily declared, her voice ringing with determination.
Caught off guard by Lily’s lightning strike, Narissa staggered backwards, her dark energy faltering momentarily. “I see you managed to learn wordless casting. You may have strength, Lily, but you lack the darkness that fuels true power,” Narissa spat, her eyes narrowed with hatred. With a swift flick of her wrist, she vanished into the shadows, leaving Lily alone amidst the crumbling ruins.
“Shit,” Lily cursed, her frustration mounting as she scanned her surroundings for any sign of Narissa’s presence. The air crackled with magic, tingling against her skin as she pushed her senses to their limits. “I won’t let her get away,” Lily vowed silently, her resolve stronger than ever.
Lily’s heart sank as Narissa’s taunting laughter echoed through the darkness, the sound sending a shiver down her spine. She knew that laughter well—a mix of sadistic pleasure and cruel satisfaction. It was the laughter of her former twisted teacher, the one who had haunted her every dream since she escaped her training.
As if summoned by the darkness itself, ice arrows materialized from the shadows, streaking towards Lily with deadly precision. With each arrow, Lily’s fatigue weighed heavier on her, making her movements sluggish and laboured. She dodged and weaved, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she fought to maintain her footing amidst the onslaught.
The ice arrows rained down around her, threatening to pierce her defences and leave her at Narissa’s mercy. Lily felt the sting of ice grazing her skin, leaving shallow cuts that served as painful reminders of her vulnerability.
Gritting her teeth against the pain, Lily pushed through the exhaustion, summoning the last reserves of her strength. “You won’t break me, Narissa,” she muttered under her breath, her voice a defiant whisper against the chaos.
With a determined glare, Lily surged forward, her mind set on confronting Narissa head-on and ending their deadly game once and for all. Each step was a struggle, her muscles protesting with every movement, but she refused to let that stop her. She had come too far to turn back now.
“Narissa!” Lily called out into the darkness, her voice ringing with a mixture of anger and determination. “Show yourself, you coward!”
But Narissa remained hidden, her presence felt only in the relentless barrage of ice arrows that continued to rain down around Lily. The shadows seemed to close in around her, suffocating her with their oppressive weight. It was as if the darkness itself was alive, taunting her, mocking her every move.
Lily’s breaths came in ragged gasps as she struggled to keep moving, her vision blurring with exhaustion. But still, she pressed on, driven by sheer willpower and a burning desire to see Narissa defeated. She refused to let herself be consumed by the darkness that lived within her. She refused to let Narissa win.
Lily’s eyes narrowed as she spotted Narissa lurking in the shadows, a twisted grin playing on her lips. Despite the exhaustion weighing heavily on her, Lily refused to back down. With a defiant cry, she cast a rock wall spell that ensnared Narissa’s leg, rendering her immobile.
Narissa’s laughter echoed through the darkness, a chilling sound that sent a shiver down Lily’s spine. “You think you can defeat me so easily, Lily?” she taunted, her voice dripping with malice. A dark shadow spread out from Narissa’s hands, and a deep rumble echoed through the air as the spell grew larger.
Lily’s heart raced as she faced Narissa’s shadow attack. With a scream of pain, Lily tapped into the depths of her magical abilities, drawing upon two different elements at once. She groaned as she struggled to voice the words needed, her control over the mana slipping as she finished casting.
Fire and wind swirled around her as she pulled everything into the magic, merging into a blazing tornado of elemental power. The heat licked at Lily’s skin as she directed the combined force of her magic towards Narissa, determined to counteract the darkness that threatened to engulf them both.
The collision of magics sent shockwaves rippling through the air, illuminating the area in blinding light. Lily felt herself being thrown backwards, the force of the explosion slamming her into a nearby wall with a sickening thud. As the dust settled around her, Lily struggled to catch her breath, her body aching with exhaustion.
For a moment, everything was still. The air was thick with the scent of smoke and burnt debris, and Lily’s ears rang with the echoes of the explosion. She slowly pushed herself upright, her muscles protesting with every movement.
As Lily surveyed the destruction around her, her heart sank. The once bustling alleyway lay in ruins, the buildings reduced to little more than rubble. And Narissa was nowhere to be found.
Panic gnawed at the edges of Lily’s mind as she realized that she had no idea if Narissa had survived the explosion. She scanned the area frantically, searching for any sign of movement amidst the wreckage.
But all she found was silence—a heavy, oppressive silence that seemed to weigh down on her with each passing moment. Lily’s chest tightened with fear as she realized the full extent of what had just happened.
Had she killed Narissa? Or had Narissa managed to escape once again, leaving Lily to face the consequences of her actions alone? With a heavy heart, Lily knew that she had to get out of there before anyone discovered what had transpired.
Pushing aside her doubts and fears, Lily forced herself to her feet, her body trembling with exhaustion. “I need information… I wonder if that broker is still in Arcadia…” Muttered Lily. “He might know where Thaddeus is…”
She took one last look at the devastation around her before turning and disappearing into the night, the echoes of the explosion fading into the darkness behind her.