I stood in front of Malik, his eyes looking lifeless, like a puppet awaiting orders. I dismissed my mask and gazed at the man, even without an eye, tears still streamed down my cheeks. I refused to break down, opting instead to stare at him. Malik had seemed so powerful, unbeatable even. How the hell had they managed to get the better of him?

Amidst the chaos of explosions outisde growing closer, I focused solely on Malik, trusting Grim to watch over me. I poured my entire being into the orb, sensing his presence within it. Cores vanished rapidly, one by one, but some remained—including one right in front of me. A thought crossed my mind—could I cut the cursed item out of Malik's body? Carve it away with a knife? But I couldn't risk his life in the process.

The sounds of battle grew nearer, voices shouting in the throne room, yet I remained steadfast, blocking out everything. I needed to find a way, and finally, an idea struck me. Something that just might work!

Whispering to Malik, I said, "Hold on a bit longer, big guy..." Then I turned to Arnild, who carried the governor over his shoulder, his scowl directed at me.

"Are you daft, kid!? Something's approaching, and we must evacuate the governor!" he exclaimed.

I nodded in understanding. "Yes, Commander, you get him out. I'll stay behind. There's someone I need to locate."

Arnild glanced at Malik and then back at me, concern etched on his face. "I understand you want to help your friend, but I think—"

Interrupting him, I firmly stated, "There's a chance, Arnild, and I'm taking it. I'll hold back whatever comes through those doors."

Reluctantly, Arnild nodded. "Good luck then. Hope to see you once this is all over."

With a grim smile, I replied, "I'm apparently pretty hard to kill. I think my chances are pretty good!"

Arnild smiled, then turned and hurriedly ran out a side door, leading deeper into the castle. I was left alone with nothing but lifeless corpses and puppet Malik for company. "Well," I muttered to no one in particular, "better go see what the commotion is about!"

Summoning my mask, my full vision returned, and I began moving, ensuring that Malik was following behind me. We exited the throne room, and just as we stepped through the large double doors, the front door exploded inward.

A figure came hurtling through the flames and shattered wood, landing in the middle of the spacious foyer. It was the crazed fire lady, and she appeared heavily damaged. Raising an eyebrow, I remarked, "Um... Okay..."

To my shock, Lyra was the next to burst through the door. However, she walked on her own, an expression of fury etched on her face. She was engulfed in flames, resembling a walking inferno. Unaware of my presence, she headed straight for the woman.

"You traitorous bitch! I'm going to reduce you to vapor!" Lyra screamed, causing me to instinctively take a few steps back.

The other fire lady struggled to her feet and sneered, "Was she important to you? Perhaps you should choose smarter friends, girl!" Her mocking words sent fear racing through me... Isabel.

Lyra erupted into maniacal laughter. "She's not dead, you idiot! And while Isabel can be a trusting fool at times, she is exactly as she's meant to be. Now quit flapping your fat face and come at me!"

The woman sneered back and conjured dozens of fiery swords around her. She sent them flying toward Lyra, but Lyra simply laughed and erected a wall of flame in front of her.

Smiling confidently, the woman charged forward, and just as I was about to warn Lyra, an arm reached through the flames and grabbed the woman's throat mid-stride. She choked in surprise, and my jaw dropped.

Emerging from the fire, Lyra appeared transformed. She was no longer the Lyra I knew; she had undergone a startling metamorphosis. Her appearance turned feral, with elongated and sharp teeth resembling fangs, longer arms with talon-like fingers, dark red scales covering her skin, and two horns protruding from her forehead.

Retreating further into the shadows, I made sure to keep a safe distance from this particular fight.

The woman struggled desperately in Lyra's grip, but Lyra simply laughed mockingly. Her voice took on a sinister tone, reminiscent of a predator's growl. "You pushed me to this, Amelia. You went too far! Now you pay the price for your greed."

Summoning a blazing spear of fire in her free hand, Lyra plunged it through the screaming woman's chest. I watched in awe as the woman burst into flames, yet Lyra maintained her hold on her, grinning widely.

Grim's voice echoed in my mind, filled with caution. "Um, partner... Promise me you won't anger this one!" I nodded in complete agreement.

After what felt like an eternity, Amelia's screams ceased, and Lyra nonchalantly threw her lifeless body to the floor. As if for good measure, Lyra extended her hand and reduced the corpse to nothing but fine ashes.

Finally, Lyra appeared to calm down, and she started walking toward the throne room. It was the perfect moment for me to make my dramatic entrance.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Emerging from the shadows, I caught Lyra off guard, causing her to instinctively assume a defensive stance. However, when she realized it was me, a brief smile crossed her face, only to be replaced by sheer horror. She looked at her hands, then at me, before turning away.

Frowning slightly, I approached her cautiously. "Lyra?"

She refused to turn around, pleading, "Please, David, don't look at me."

I dismissed my mask and grinned, teasingly asking, "What's wrong? Got food stuck in your teeth or something?"

Caught off guard, she spun around and gave me an incredulous look. Then, as she noticed my grin, her annoyance transformed into a scowl.

"Oh, come on, Lyra," I continued, "so you have horns, claws, and fangs. And you just obliterated a person. But hey, that's the life of a mercenary, right?"

Against her will, Lyra let out a laugh, a bit guttural in her scary dragon-like form, but I laughed along with her.

"So, Lyra," I inquired after a while, "care to explain why you're looking all feral?"

Lyra smiled, explaining, "Class evolution for reaching level 40. I've been close for so long, and I finally achieved it!"

Raising an eyebrow, I asked, "So, this is what you turned into?"

Lyra grinned, her fangs giving her an intimidating appearance. "The class is called Scion of the Fire Dragon. Pretty awesome, right?"

I reciprocated her grin, saying, "It is! But um... can you also turn back to being human or Lumen or whatever?"

Rolling her eyes, Lyra replied, "Afraid I might eat you once I'm done with you?"

Mocking worry, I responded, "I mean... maybe?"

Lyra smiled, and she began shifting back to her Lumen form. I exaggeratedly sighed in relief, prompting her to playfully slap my shoulder. Then, she hugged me tightly and whispered, "Happy you're okay..."

I nodded, growing more serious, and said, "I am. But there's something you need to see..."

I showed her the orb and explained how I had acquired it, which made Lyra giggle. However, her giggle quickly turned to horror as I recounted the events in the throne room, particularly regarding Malik.

"What did they do to him?" she uttered in a small voice, and I gently placed my hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not sure, Lyra. There's a core inside him. With the orb, I can sense not just it, but him. He's still in there, but whether we can save him... I'm not sure."

Lyra nodded, taking a deep breath, and said, "Okay... I want to see him."

I nodded in agreement and called Malik over to us from where I had concealed him behind an illusion.

Lyra looked at her friend, tears streaming down her cheeks, and asked, "You have a plan, right?"

I nodded, responding, "Viktor might be able to do something. That's what I'm hoping, at least. Otherwise... Well, I haven't been willing to entertain that thought."

Taking another deep breath, Lyra locked eyes with me and declared, "Let's bring him to Viktor, right now." I nodded in agreement, and Lyra led me back outside.

Outside, it was surprisingly quiet. In fact, the sounds of fighting seemed distant, and I looked around in surprise. Checking the orb, I discovered that only a few cores were active in the area, and the majority of them were further into the residential area.

Lyra guided me through the castle's garden, and after a short walk, we stumbled upon a small group of injured soldiers. Isabel and Viktor were among them. Isabel appeared battered, but she smiled when she saw us. Viktor seemed lost in shock, his gaze fixed on empty space, and I wondered if the enchanter would be of any use to us in his current state.

Lyra went to Isabel, crouching down beside her as she half-sat, half-lay against a small fountain. "Are you okay, Isabel?" Lyra asked with concern.

Isabel nodded, attempting to straighten up a bit but winced and slumped back down. "I'll be fine, Lyra. It'll just take some time," she replied, looking up at me. "You survived then, and mostly uninjured!"

I rolled my eyes, remarking, "I can't almost get killed every time I fight, you know. It's not exactly healthy."

Isabel smiled and then turned her attention to Malik. Her expression turned serious as she observed him, and Lyra placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Leaning down to her ear, Lyra began explaining the circumstances, evident by the fury that flashed in Isabel's eyes.

With a sharp nod in Viktor's direction, she made it clear that he should examine Malik.

I approached Viktor, crouching down in front of him, and asked, "Viktor? Are you still with us, buddy?"

Viktor looked up with lifeless eyes, staring at me for a few seconds before nodding slowly. "I am here, David. It's just... so much death. I had never seen a dead person before today, and now..."

I nodded, understanding his distress, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I know, Viktor. It's a bloody nightmare. I'm barely keeping it together myself, but I need your help."

Viktor seemed to perk up slightly, questioning, "Me? What can I do?"

I gestured toward Malik and spoke in a hushed voice, "They put a core in him, Viktor. He's still in there, but..."

Viktor stood up abruptly, nearly causing me to lose my balance. With determination etched on his face, he strode over to Malik. He retrieved a pair of glasses with thick lenses and peered through them, studying the big man intently.

For about a minute, Viktor analyzed Malik, his frown deepening with each passing second. The flicker of hope I had held onto began to fade.

Viktor shook his head sadly and said, "I'm sorry, David... I... I can't remove it without killing him. It's integrated with his soul, it seems. The core has fused with him."

Desperation crept into my voice as I asked, "What about pacifying it? Could we deactivate it like we did with the others?"

Once again, Viktor shook his head, his expression filled with sorrow. "I could deactivate it, I mean, I probably could. But it would do him no good. His soul is trapped, David. If I deactivate it, his soul won't die, but his body will."

Overwhelmed by the weight of the situation, I slumped to the ground, burying my face in my hands. I felt myself breaking, my mental defenses eroding under the relentless onslaught of horrors this world had thrown at me.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and though I wanted to ignore them, to push away the sorrow, anger, and profound sense of loss, I realized that I had reached my breaking point. Unwilling to reveal my weakness to anyone, I stood up and silently walked away into the darkness.