The words were like a blade, sharper than the knife that suddenly embedded itself into my side.

Her boyfriend? The shock of it paralyzed me for a moment, my mind reeling. The pain from the dagger was distant, overwhelmed by the chaos swirling in my head. I backed away, blood seeping from the wound, my hand instinctively going to the hilt of the blade still lodged in my side.

Blake stood over me, wild-eyed, fury etched into every line of her face. Her words cut deeper than the knife, twisting in my gut as she glared down at me, another weapon already drawn.

I didn’t have time to yank out the dagger. The pain was sharp, hot, spreading through my torso like wildfire, but there was no time to focus on it. She moved fast, aiming to strike again, and I had to act.

I did the only thing I could—I rolled, the movement tearing at the wound in my side, but it was that or die.

Move! Keep moving! My instincts screamed, but every shift of my body sent agony through my limbs. Blood loss was making me sluggish, my vision blurry, but I couldn’t stop now. Not when Blake was coming for me again.

I rolled, gritting my teeth as pain shot through my side. The wound from Blake’s dagger burned, but I couldn’t stop. She was fast—faster than I remembered—and already closing in for another strike. Her eyes glinted with rage, wild and unrelenting, as she drew back her arm to throw the next blade.

I had to move. Everything hurt, but pain was better than death.

The blade whistled through the air, narrowly missing my head, and embedded itself in the stone behind me with a sickening thunk. I stumbled to my feet, adrenaline pushing me forward as Blake lunged again. This time, I was ready.

Her next swing came in low, aiming for my legs. I barely managed to jump back, the tip of her dagger slicing through the air where my knee had been a second earlier. My vision blurred, the pain from my side threatening to drag me down, but I couldn’t stop. Not yet. Not while she was still breathing.

Think, Jamie. Think!

Blake was relentless, each strike sharper, more precise than the last. She was driven by something raw, something primal, and it wasn’t just anger. Her words echoed in my mind: "What did you do to my boyfriend?" The truth of it twisted in my gut, but I couldn’t afford to dwell on it.

Rod is gone. Focus.

I grabbed a handful of loose rocks from the cave floor, hurling them at her face. She flinched, and that was the opening I needed. I surged forward, slamming my body into hers. We tumbled to the ground, locked in a brutal grapple. Her dagger flashed again, catching the light from the runes as she raised it to strike, but I caught her wrist just in time.

We struggled, both of us snarling with effort. My vision swam as she pressed the blade closer to my throat, her strength surprising. My muscles burned, screaming with fatigue, but I wasn’t going to let her win.

Not like this.

I twisted, forcing the dagger away from my neck and using my weight to pin her arm down. The shock of my own blood loss made it hard to focus, but I summoned every ounce of strength I had left, pulling my knee up and slamming it into her ribs.

Blake gasped, the air rushing from her lungs, and her grip on the dagger loosened. I wrenched it free and rolled away, just as she swung wildly at me again. The sharp pain from my side flared, my vision darkening at the edges, but I couldn’t afford to slow down.

She was on her feet in an instant, her hand already reaching for another blade.

No more running.

I stood tall, my breaths ragged but defiant. Her eyes met mine, and I could see the hatred there, burning deep. But beneath that hatred was something else. Desperation. Fear.

I tightened my grip on the dagger, feeling the cold steel bite into my palm. This was it. One of us wasn’t leaving this cave.

Blake lunged, her body moving with a speed I hadn’t seen before. I dodged, barely keeping up, and she slashed at me, aiming for my throat. I blocked with the dagger, sparks flying as the blades clashed.

The impact jarred my arm, but I didn’t falter. I pivoted, using the momentum to drive my knee into her stomach. She grunted, doubling over, but before she could recover, I drove my elbow into her back, sending her sprawling to the ground.

She tried to rise, but I was already on her. I kicked the dagger from her hand and threw myself on top of her, pinning her arms to the cold, unforgiving stone. She struggled beneath me, her breath ragged, but I didn’t let go. Her strength was fading, and I could feel the desperation in her movements.

"I didn’t—" I gasped, trying to catch my breath. "I didn’t kill him, Blake."

But she wasn’t listening. Her eyes burned with fury, and she screamed, writhing beneath me, trying to throw me off.

I couldn’t risk another slip. I raised the dagger, hand trembling. It would only take one strike.

Before I could bring it down, a crack of thunder split the air, reverberating through the chamber. The temperature dropped in an instant, a biting chill that seemed to crawl beneath my skin. The dim light of the runes flickered, casting long, eerie shadows across the walls.

Blake froze beneath me, her wild eyes widening in terror.

The air seemed to shift, growing heavier, as if the cave itself was suffocating under the weight of something immense. Darkness pooled at the far end of the chamber, swallowing the light, thick and alive.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

A voice—deep, resonant, and dripping with malice—echoed through the chamber.

"At last, the blood is spilled."

The words slithered through the air, wrapping themselves around us, cold and unyielding. A presence filled the space, oppressive and ancient. I felt it before I saw it—the unmistakable weight of power, a dark, divine energy that chilled me to the bone.

Blake’s breath hitched, and her struggles ceased. We both turned toward the source.

The shadows twisted, coiling together until they formed a figure—tall, impossibly tall, and draped in robes of midnight black. Its face was hidden beneath a hood, but I could feel its gaze, sharp and merciless, boring into us.

Chancydia.

The name formed in my mind without warning, like a whispered secret carried on the wind. The dark deity stood before us, their presence suffocating, their power undeniable.

I scrambled off Blake, my body trembling under the weight of Chancydia’s gaze. Every instinct screamed at me to run, to flee, but my legs refused to move.

Blake whimpered beside me, her fear palpable, as the deity’s gaze shifted toward her.

"You have unwittingly opened the door for me," Chancydia’s voice rumbled, dark and smooth like velvet. "Blood spilled in my presence binds you to me."

Blake’s eyes widened in terror. "What—what do you mean?" she stammered.

Chancydia's gaze hardened. "You are the catalyst, the one who broke the seal without even knowing. Such ignorance."

Blake shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. "I didn't know... I didn't mean to..."

"Intent is irrelevant," Chancydia said coldly. A shadowy tendril snaked from their form, wrapping itself around Blake's throat. Her eyes bulged, her hands clawing at the tendril, but it was futile.

I watched, frozen, as the dark deity tightened their hold, lifting Blake off the ground with ease. The air around her shimmered, distorting under the weight of Chancydia’s power.

"Please!" I shouted, finding my voice at last. "Let her go!"

Chancydia's hooded face turned toward me, and though I couldn't see their eyes, I felt the weight of their gaze.

"Do you plead for this one?" they asked, a hint of curiosity in their tone.

"She didn't know what she was doing," I said, my voice shaking. "Spare her."

Chancydia was silent for a moment, then they released Blake. She crumpled to the ground, gasping for air.

"Mercy is a rare quality," Chancydia mused. "But it changes nothing."

They began to advance toward me, each step echoing like a death knell.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the golden page still floating, its glow unwavering amidst the darkness.

If I couldn't get to it, I was doomed.

I steeled myself, gripping the dagger tightly. With a swift motion, I threw the dagger—the very one Blake had attacked me with earlier—directly at Chancydia.

The dagger sailed through the air, spinning end over end toward Chancydia. For a fleeting moment, hope ignited within me. If I could just distract them long enough to reach the golden page.

Chancydia merely tilted their head, and the dagger froze mid-air before shattering into fragments that dissolved into shadows.

"A futile gesture," they intoned, their voice echoing ominously through the cavern. "You cannot harm a deity."

Desperation clawed at me, but I refused to succumb. My gaze flickered to the golden page hovering near where Rod had vanished. Its radiant glow stood in stark contrast to the encroaching darkness.

Before I could make a move, a searing pain exploded across my back. I stumbled forward, barely catching myself before hitting the ground. Spinning around, I found Blake standing there, eyes ablaze with fury, a bloodied dagger in her hand.

"You think you can just take him from me?" she snarled, advancing slowly. "You think I'd let you get away with it?"

"Blake, stop!" I pleaded, holding up my hands defensively. "I didn't do anything to Rod. It was the portal—it consumed him!"

"Liar!" she spat, lunging at me with the dagger. I dodged narrowly, the blade slicing through the air where my head had been moments before.

"Blake, please! This isn't the time—we have to get out of here!" I shouted, backing away as she swung again.

"The only one leaving here is me," she hissed. "After I make you pay."

She attacked relentlessly, each strike fueled by a volatile mix of rage and grief. I parried her blows as best I could, but the wound on my side throbbed painfully, sapping my strength.

Behind her, Chancydia watched with cold amusement. "Ah, the sweet taste of vengeance," they mused. "How easily mortals turn on each other."

"Blake, listen to me!" I cried out, desperation creeping into my voice. "Something far worse is happening—we have to work together!"

"Enough of your lies!" she screamed, feinting left before slashing right. The blade grazed my arm, drawing blood.

I winced but held my ground. "Rod wouldn't want this," I said softly. "He wouldn't want us to fight."

For a split second, doubt flickered in her eyes. But it was quickly replaced by hardened resolve. "You don't get to speak his name," she whispered, her voice laced with venom.

She charged again, but this time, shadows began to coil around her ankles—subtle at first, then climbing rapidly up her legs. She stumbled, confusion flashing across her face. "What the—?"

Chancydia extended a hand, dark tendrils spiraling forth to ensnare Blake. "You've served your purpose," they declared. "The blood you've spilled has freed me, and now, your essence shall strengthen me further."

Blake's eyes widened in horror as the shadows tightened around her, lifting her off the ground. "No! Let me go!" she screamed, thrashing desperately.

"Blake!" I shouted, rushing toward her. But a wall of darkness surged up between us, forcing me to halt.

She reached out to me, fear etched into her features. "Jamie, help me!"

I banged against the shadowy barrier, panic rising. "Hold on! I'll get you out!"

Chancydia's laughter echoed chillingly. "How noble, but ultimately futile."

Blake's struggles grew weaker as the shadows began to siphon away her vitality. Her skin paled, and her eyes grew dim. "Please..." she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks.

I scanned the cavern frantically, my gaze landing once more on the golden page. It pulsed with energy, as if beckoning me. If there was any chance to save Blake—and stop Chancydia—it lay with that page.

Summoning every ounce of strength, I turned and sprinted toward it. Chancydia noticed immediately. "You won't reach it," they hissed, and the ground beneath me erupted with shadowy spikes.

I zigzagged, narrowly avoiding the lethal obstructions. A tendril whipped out, catching my ankle and sending me sprawling. Pain shot up my leg, but I couldn't stop now.

Dragging myself forward, I clawed at the rocky ground. The golden page was just a few feet away.

"You're too late," Chancydia taunted. "Witness the fate of those who defy me."

I glanced back to see Blake's form dissolving into wisps of light, absorbed into the swirling darkness of Chancydia's being. Her final scream tore through the air, a sound of utter despair that pierced my heart.

"Blake!" I cried, anguish tearing at my soul.

Chancydia's gaze shifted back to me. "Now, it is your turn."

A massive shadow surged toward me like a tidal wave. With a surge of adrenaline, I lunged forward, fingers closing around the golden page just as the darkness crashed down.