In the depths of the hidden cave, the control chamber of Zeratile pulsed with a strange energy. Soft blue lights flickered from various magical devices, illuminating the damp and narrow walls. The room was filled with bizarre instruments—large crystals that floated in the air, constantly spinning magical circles on the floor, and panels glowing with mysterious symbols. Every device hummed with a quiet buzz, like an endless orchestra conducted by the wizard's will.

But amid this display of power, there was a groan of pain.

Zeratile, a renowned sorcerer of Cestisia, grimaced as he clutched his severed right arm. His hand was gone, cleanly sliced off by Jack's green ice magic in their brief but deadly battle. The wound still burned, the pain unbearable, despite the healing spell he had cast to seal the gaping wound at his shoulder.

"Damn it!" he growled, his voice heavy with boiling anger. He collapsed into a large stone chair, his body twitching as he desperately chanted another spell, his movements frantic. "Damn you, Jack! You filthy devil-worshipping dog!"

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to focus. The healing spell had stopped the bleeding, but the pain lingered, tormenting him. He knew that without his hand, many of the spells and magical devices around him were now nearly useless. The hand was not just a limb; it was a vital tool for controlling his magic. Now, his power felt out of balance, surging uncontrollably.

With a grunt, he struggled to his feet, wobbling for a moment before managing to stand upright. His eyes, glowing faintly with magical light, scanned the devices around him. Many were still functioning, but some were beginning to tremble, signaling the growing instability in the magic that filled the room.

Zeratile pushed down the anxiety creeping up inside him. He hobbled over to a large prism-shaped magical device in the corner of the room. With his left hand, the only one he had left, he adjusted a few glowing symbols on its surface. A holographic map of the labyrinthine cave system appeared before him, glowing lines outlining the tunnels filled with his traps and mechanical monsters.

But something was wrong. The monsters were moving erratically, far from his control.

"What is this?" he muttered, his face tense. He tried to lift his hand to cast a control spell, but his magic felt sluggish, uncooperative. Normally, he could command every monster in the labyrinth with precise control, but now, everything was slipping away.

His eyes narrowed, his lips curling in frustration. "What's happened to my monsters' control?" His voice quivered with anger. "Did Jack do this too? How could that fool mess with my magic?"

In truth, Jack hadn't interfered with his magic—it was the loss of his hand that had disrupted the balance of his magical energy. But Zeratile wasn't ready to accept that yet. Instead, he continued blaming his enemies. "My monsters… they should be following my orders. I can't let everything fall apart now."

With his trembling left hand, he tried again to cast a spell to regain control. But the spell faltered halfway through, the energy fizzling out. His magic refused to behave as it once did. Furious, he knocked the prism to the ground, causing the holographic map to vanish instantly.

"Stupid! This is all so stupid!" he screamed, kicking the shattered prism on the floor. His jaw clenched, forcing himself to stay calm. He knew that rage would only worsen the situation, but in this moment, everything felt like it was spiraling out of control.

His gaze shifted to one of the magical screens showing figures deep inside the cave. There was Arche, protecting Mira, surrounded by the mechanical monsters. Elsewhere, Jack and Abigail were still fighting, holding off the mechanical wolves with sharp combat skills. Zeratile's face grew redder as he watched them all still alive and resisting. They should have been dead or at least trapped by now.

"No one should be able to resist my magic!" he growled, his voice hoarse. "They shouldn't be surviving!"

Zeratile racked his brain, searching for a way to turn the tide. "I need something… something that will leave them no choice." He looked at his remaining hand, feeling the weakness. "Without my hand… my power is severely diminished."

His thoughts grew darker. His magic was unraveling, and the mechanical monsters that should have been his greatest weapon were becoming more erratic, attacking without direction. He began considering his next move. There was no easy way out of this.

Then, an idea flashed through his mind. "The pocket dimension." It was an old plan he had developed but never executed. He could warp space and time, trapping his enemies in a small, isolated dimension that he could control completely. But it would require enormous energy—and now, with his unstable magic and missing hand, the risk was immense.

But it might be his only option.

With a heavy breath, Zeratile began chanting again, his voice shaky with pain but filled with determination. The spell was complex, using ancient magical patterns that demanded extreme focus. Every word he uttered echoed in the chamber, creating a growing sense of pressure in the air.

"Jack, Arche, Abigail…" he snarled through clenched teeth, his voice dripping with hatred. "I'll send you to a hell you could never imagine."

A red light began to flicker from the magical circle beneath his feet. The spell was starting to manifest, though slowly. The cave trembled, a sign that the pocket dimension was beginning to form.

But in the middle of the incantation, Zeratile staggered, the pain in his arm stabbing through his concentration, breaking his focus. His voice faltered, and the magic circle beneath him began to crack.

"No! Not now!" He tried to gather his remaining energy, but before he could complete the spell, a burst of magical energy erupted, knocking him backward. His body slammed against the cave wall with a sickening thud.

Zeratile lay on the ground, gasping for breath. "Damn it… Damn all of this…" He stood shakily in the middle of his control room, sweat pouring down his forehead. The searing pain from his severed arm continued to pulse, but he couldn't stop now. Losing his hand had not only ruined his ability to cast spells perfectly but also shattered his magical equilibrium, making every incantation feel infinitely harder.

He gazed at the magic circle he had conjured on the floor—a circle now trembling, fractured, and unstable. The pocket dimension he had been trying to open, an ancient spell developed by Evernoir, the great mage from the demon wars era, was still incomplete. Zeratile knew the risks. Opening a pocket dimension required vast amounts of energy and would likely shave years off his life. But at this moment, he no longer cared.

"I will end all of you... Jack... Abigail... Arche... Mira..." he muttered, his voice laced with venom, focusing the last of his energy into the swirling spell.

His left hand trembled violently as he chanted the ancient words, weaving complex magical patterns in the air. Each word felt like a dagger of pain cutting through his body, but Zeratile endured. He could feel his strength draining rapidly, yet the pocket dimension began to open. Blue light spiraled from the circle, swirling, forming a vortex in the center of the room.

He knew the price. Years of his life would be drained away, but it was a price he was willing to pay. "This is for victory," he thought bitterly. "For revenge on all they've done to me."

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Finally, the pocket dimension opened, sucking him into its void. His body disappeared from the control room, swallowed by the darkness of the realm he had created.

***

Elsewhere, Abigail and Jack stood in the dimly lit tunnel of the cave, their breaths ragged after fending off the relentless attacks of the mechanical wolves. Sweat dripped from their faces, weapons still clenched tightly, ready for more. The faint glow from magical crystals embedded in the walls provided the only light in the shadowy passage.

Jack glanced at Abigail, tension in his voice. "We need to get out of here fast. If we keep getting attacked like this, we won't last much longer."

Abigail nodded, gripping her magic-infused pistol tightly. "I know, but we need to find Mira and Arche first. They might still be in here." Her voice trembled with worry, the recent strain between her and Mira gnawing at her mind. She needed to make things right, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it.

Suddenly, without warning, the air around them trembled.

"What's that?" Abigail frowned, her body tensing. The light dimmed further, and an unsettling energy filled the space. Jack instinctively raised his hand, casting a protective spell, preparing for whatever was coming.

From the darkness ahead, a figure emerged. The dim glow of the cave crystals finally revealed the figure—Zeratile, his black cloak tattered, his eyes burning with fury. But most striking of all was his missing right arm, now crudely bandaged, dried blood staining the wrappings.

"Zeratile…" Jack hissed, his body going rigid as he recognized the sorcerer. Abigail sharpened her gaze, her right hand inching towards the magical pistol at her waist.

Zeratile stared at them, a twisted, hateful smile curling on his lips. "You think you can escape me?" His voice was low, seething with restrained rage. "I lost this," he said, gesturing to his severed arm, "because of you. But no matter. I can still end you, here and now."

Jack stepped forward, raising his hand as green ice magic swirled around his fingers. "You've already lost, Zeratile. You're down an arm. You're not the threat you used to be."

Zeratile let out a small, cold laugh, filled with mockery. "You think I need both hands to destroy you?" His left hand began to glow with a dangerous, dark magic. "I am the strongest sorcerer in Cestisia, Jack. I don't need all of my limbs to make you regret crossing me."

In an instant, Jack felt the immense magical energy building around Zeratile. The sorcerer began chanting rapidly, and the chaotic energy spiraled around his left hand, forming a wild, swirling vortex of dark power.

"Abigail, watch out!" Jack yelled, jumping back and summoning an ice shield in front of them.

Zeratile unleashed the vortex of magic at them. It crashed into Jack's ice shield with tremendous force, shattering it in a single blow. Jack was thrown backward, barely managing to stay on his feet.

Abigail reacted quickly, firing off a series of magical shots from her pistol, but Zeratile moved with lightning speed, summoning a wall of energy that deflected her attacks. The ricocheting blasts illuminated the cave walls as they exploded.

"He's stronger than I thought," Abigail muttered under her breath, casting a protective barrier around herself while looking for an opening to strike. But Zeratile gave them no respite. He chanted again, this time summoning a twisting inferno of fire that hurtled towards them like a tornado.

Jack threw down his ice magic, freezing the ground beneath them, and pulled Abigail back just in time to dodge the blazing fire. "We need to move fast, or we're dead!" he shouted.

Zeratile laughed maniacally, his eyes gleaming with madness. "There's nowhere you can go. In this dimension, I control everything!" His left hand crackled with dark lightning as he hurled another bolt of magic at them.

Abigail ducked quickly, barely avoiding the searing lightning. "We can't keep dodging forever," she said, glancing at Jack. "We have to find a way to beat him."

Jack nodded, his eyes fixed on Zeratile. "I have a plan, but I need time."

"Time?" Abigail looked puzzled but knew Jack wouldn't say that unless he had a real solution. "Alright, do what you need to. I'll buy us some time."

With swift precision, Abigail unleashed a barrage of shots, while Jack began quietly chanting, focusing on his magic behind her. Zeratile advanced, his grin widening with each step. "Nothing you do will stop me!"

But Jack remained calm, his green ice magic weaving complex patterns in the air, forming a circle that slowly enveloped them. "Now!" he shouted.

The circle exploded with a flash of green light, and in an instant, the air around them froze, slowing Zeratile's movements. For a brief moment, the sorcerer faltered, giving them a crucial opening.

Yet, despite the blow, Zeratile still smiled. "You think that's enough?"

Abigail stood firm in the chaotic energy swirling around them. Her body trembled—not out of fear, but because she knew the difficult choice that lay ahead. Zeratile, the merciless sorcerer of Cestisia, still stood, despite Jack's powerful spell that should have taken down any mage. But Zeratile was no ordinary sorcerer.

She exchanged a glance with Jack, both of them realizing the gravity of their situation. They had given everything, but Zeratile wasn't finished.

Abigail felt her heart racing. The situation was deteriorating rapidly, and if they didn't act soon, they might not escape this cave alive. Her breaths became uneven, but she maintained a calm facade. There was one last option, but it filled her with doubt.

Demon magic.

Abigail knew it was her final weapon. But if she used that dark power, Arche would find out. And she didn't want Arche to see this side of her. "Arche must not know…" she thought, staring down at the cold cave floor. Black magic was a legacy from her family, something she had only ever used in desperate situations.

Zeratile advanced slowly, despite his severe injuries. "Come on, Jack, Abigail, what else do you have? I'm waiting!" He walked with a dangerous confidence, gathering his energy.

Abigail exchanged a glance with Jack before speaking in a low voice. "Jack, listen. I don't want to use this. But we don't have a choice."

Jack turned to her, his brow furrowing as he grasped her meaning. "What do you mean?"

"Black magic," Abigail said softly. "Demon magic."

Jack's eyes widened. He understood the risks that came with using such magic, but in a situation like this, he knew they had no other options.

"Then do it, Abigail. We can't die here," Jack replied firmly.

Abigail nodded, her eyes sharpening with determination. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, then began to chant the ancient words known only to dark mages. The words flowed quickly from her lips, and the energy around her began to shift. Dark light formed an ominous aura around her body, and the air vibrated with unnatural power.

Zeratile squinted, realizing what Abigail was doing. "Ah, demon magic, huh? I suspected you'd reach this point. But it doesn't matter; I still have power left."

Abigail opened her eyes, now glowing a deep red. Marks of dark magic began to appear on her skin, depicting terrifying, intricate patterns. "This won't take long," she muttered, concentrating her dark energy.

The battle reignited with intensity. In a swift motion, Abigail dashed toward Zeratile, her speed surpassing anything she had shown before. She swung her black dagger, now infused with demonic energy, aiming straight for Zeratile. The sorcerer quickly raised his hands, conjuring a magical shield, but Abigail's strike shattered it effortlessly.

Zeratile jumped back, his eyes wide with shock. "Damn! Such power... it's impossible!" He attempted to cast another spell, but Abigail was already too close. Her hand connected with Zeratile's chest, and from that point, a surge of black energy erupted, sending him crashing hard against the cave wall.

He hit the stone with a loud thud, leaving a dent in the rock. Blood trickled from his mouth, and his eyes burned with hatred. He was shaken but not entirely defeated.

"I… cannot lose… here," he murmured hoarsely. But he knew he stood no chance in this condition. His body was too weak after losing an arm and suffering severe injuries. Abigail's power, amplified by demon magic, was far greater than he had anticipated.

Suddenly, an idea struck him.

Zeratile crawled painfully, his body trembling. With the last of his energy, he lifted his remaining hand and chanted a final spell. "If I'm going to die... then you will die with me."

Desperately, he tapped into his last reserves to reopen the pocket dimension he had prepared. The familiar blue light reemerged, but this time, something was different. From the swirling vortex of the dimension, a massive creature emerged.

A colossal scorpion with mechanical pincers appeared, its body black with metallic components. Its sharp legs slammed into the cave floor, creating a horrifying metallic clang. The creature stood tall, its eyes glowing red, ready to crush anything in its path.

"I… prepared this for moments like this," Zeratile mumbled with a desperate smile. "You think you can win? See who controls this cave labyrinth now."

The giant scorpion lunged forward, its pincers swinging, smashing against the cave walls and floor with deadly force. Abigail, having expended all her magical energy, sank to the ground. Her breath came in gasps, her body felt utterly exhausted after channeling the dark magic.

"Jack…" her voice was weak. "I… can't go on…"

Jack stared at the massive creature with fear, but he knew they had to hold on. "Don't worry, Abigail. I'll hold it off... I'll find a way."

Zeratile let out a weak laugh from the corner of the cave, his body beginning to fade, eroded by the dimension he had opened. "Goodbye, Jack… Abigail... This world will become your grave."

Yet the giant creature still stood, ready to obliterate them both. Abigail looked at the beast in despair. After unleashing all her dark power, she felt utterly powerless to fight back.

***