Everyone remained still. If he or anyone else were to take even one step forward, he knew a battle would immediately ensue.

All Lady Meredith did was stare at them with cold and calculating eyes likely contemplating her next move. Their eyes drifted frantically towards the altar every now and then showing that they were undeniably concerned over the well-being of whoever was there sleeping on the altar.

“You owe us all an explanation,” Yorais said loudly ahead of them.

“No,” Lady Duvaugn said. “I don’t owe you nor anyone any explanation for the things I do. All I want from you now is to die.” She gestured towards the two maids. “Kill them. Kill all of them.”

The bitter taste in his mouth only became more bitter. Like lightning striking through the sky, a roar of thunder came soon after as Evelyn came rushing towards them. As she did so, a powerful surge of energy began to glow around her opened palm.

Wait, what the…

Suddenly, a sword appeared in her grasp and sent it straight for Yorais. Before she could strike her down, however, Kiran blocked her attack feeling the power of her summoned sword pushing up against his sword.

This isn’t right. How is she using magic? He thought maybe she possessed an arcane root that would act as a source of power for her, but when he looked towards her other palm, there was nothing being held in it.

Before he could try coming up with another rational explanation, Kiran found himself blocking another vicious strike as Evelyn fought with the full intent of cutting him in half. It landed harshly against his sword with much more power than he’d expect from someone of her size and build. This power she has is unnatural. This is not what I would expect from someone who is just an ordinary human.

“Get back Yorais!” He began to grunt as he saw another sword begin to appear in her left hand. So you’ve been capable of using magic this entire time. How convenient of a secret to keep from me.

Since she fought with all of her being, he had no choice but to do so as well. However, his inability to tap into a proper mana source made doing so difficult.

Since coming to the fourth domain, he hadn’t had to fight any person or creature capable of using magic so he was able to keep up just fine overall. But now, he struggled.

Thankfully, Lar was there to lend a hand. She sent her fauchard directly towards her side but Evelyn deflected it with a kick forcing the sharp part of her fauchard to hit up against the ground.

Lar’s long weapon came down towards Evelyn’s side once more. Evelyn however had no problem fighting a battle with the two of them considering her agile movement and capability of adjusting her positioning right on the spot.

He stepped back and blocked multiple strikes coming at him with fury. As he blocked one attack, her other sword came straight for his face. It sliced the air to his right going right past him as he backed away.

Without delay, Evelyn came forward while also contorting her body with a surprising maneuver that caught him off guard. Kiran acted on pure instincts managing to deflect the strike from hitting him, but it came excruciatingly close to injuring or even killing him.

There can be no doubt that she is truly trying to kill me. She really means to do it. It wasn’t like this was the first time he had been staring death in the face whilst in her presence. She had threatened him that one night whilst he lay in bed by threatening to plunge it straight into his heart.

He imagined Asum would be proud of him at this moment. If it weren’t for his training, he’d likely already be dead as he continued to fight her.

“Aphelia!” Evelyn skidded away after blocking several of their own simultaneous blows. “Why are you not assisting me? Attack them already!”

Her sister Aphelia shifted around nervously unsure of what to do. So long as it was Evelyn that they had to fight, their chances were better, but if she ever chose to join in, they’d have a much tougher go at it.

Kiran and Lar rushed towards Evelyn before Aphelia had time to make such a decision. He charged more towards Evelyn’s right side while Lar ran more towards her left.

Without even having to communicate with his companion telepathically, they both knew exactly what to do. When it came time, they both synced their attacks. Evelyn however knew just what to do to counter theirs.

She enhanced both of her summoned swords causing them to brighten with a bluish glow exuding off the blade’s surface. She sent it towards Lar’s fauchard’s shaft causing it to break in half. She then spun and sent her foot straight into Lar’s face causing her to grimace and groan.

Bits of blood exited Lar’s mouth as she hit the ground harshly. Kiran sent his sword directly forward to strike Evelyn but found himself instead with an elbow straight to his face.

His body didn’t fully register the impact at first. He merely backed away in a bit of a daze. Then the pain came a second later as his head pounded.

As she focused in on him with Lar still recovering, he lifted his sword only for her enhanced sword to go straight through his blade. Dammit. I just had this thing repaired and now it’s as good as useless. He knew that he likely had no other choice than to begin using his soul as a source of power.

I really don’t want to have to do this, but if I must for myself and the others to survive, then so be it.

“Stop!” Lady Meredith’s voice cried out.

As he began to tap into that presence within him, he stopped as Evelyn’s swords remained up in the air.

Lady Meredith’s order caused Evelyn to pull her arms down while breathing in and out without losing sight of him. Lar walked over towards him carrying one-half of her fauchard.

At first, he wasn’t quite sure why Lady Meredith ordered for Evelyn to pause her assault. But he quickly looked over his shoulder and then understood why.

Yorais held a dagger directly over the woman’s face as she remained soundly asleep and unaware of what was happening in this chamber. Though she cannot use her powerful magic, Yorais is not incapable of making threatening maneuvers without it. She did what many would do in such a situation. She prepared to do something to someone Lady Meredith clearly loved to death knowing that it’d get them to pull back from assaulting them at least temporarily.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The butterfly flew over towards the dagger with only him still perceiving them. He wondered what they were thinking about this whole situation and whether they wanted this to happen in the first place.

“Now then,” Yorais said. “Can we try to talk things through or are you going to force me to kill her instead?”

Evelyn took a step forward towards him and Lar. More power exuded off the surfaces of her blades showcasing her absolute disdain for them and willingness to protect the woman on the altar that looked scarily like herself.

“Do not attack them,” Lady Meredith said getting the maid to not approach any further. The power coming off her swords also dimmed quite a lot until disappearing entirely. The swords fully disappeared leaving behind tiny wisps of dust-like light that quickly dissipated in the air until nothing remained.

Lar began to wipe the blood on her mouth with her sleeve. If anyone was itching for another round, it was his companion. She looked quite furious having her fauchard broken. He wasn’t too happy having his own sword broken either. If a battle were to continue, they would be in serious trouble, especially if Aphelia ever chose to join the fight. For whatever reason she had stayed out of it so far leaving her sister to do all the fighting instead.

“I’m glad to see that you’re willing to cooperate,” Yorais said. “Now answer me. Who is this woman? They’re quite important to you judging by the fear in your eyes and the secrecy surrounding this place.”

“She is—” She paused and began nervously tugging her black dress with her hands. “She is my daughter.”

No wonder she looks so scared. Even someone as dignified and powerful as her was capable of fear, especially when one of her beloved daughter’s life was potentially moments away from ending.

“Why is your daughter here on this altar and what purpose is it serving?”

“That is not for you to know,” Lady Meredith said.

“Oh?”

While he wasn’t looking behind himself, judging by the way Lady Meredith shuffled her feet, he imagined Yorais made a threatening maneuver with the dagger to dissuade her from not answering.

“That altar is what is keeping her alive.”

“Is that so?” Yorais said. “I have even more questions to ask given this new information.”

“Don’t expect any further answers,” Lady Meredith replied. “Now that you know of her significance to me, you ought to understand how I feel having found you all here daring to take her off that altar. I cannot imagine any of you would not do everything in your power to protect the ones you love if you were in my position.”

“That’s irrelevant,” Silvy blurted out.

“I wasn’t talking to you,” she said redirecting her gaze towards Yorais. “You don’t have to admit it. I already know the answer. Thankfully for you, I am still willing to act with grace towards you all. I will let you all go if you step away from her and never show yourselves again. Leave this cave and these lands, and I will allow you to live.”

Somehow I doubt you truly mean that.

The butterfly found itself flying towards Lady Meredith. It moved around erratically but neither the two maids nor Lady Meredith perceived them. It was like they were trying their hardest to get them to notice them, but they remained unperceived by all except him.

“If you truly value your lives,” Lady Meredith continued to say, “then go. I won’t give you another chance.”

“Sorry, but we’re not done here,” Yorais stated firmly. “I still have some further questions I’d like to have answered before we’re done talking.”

The slightest twinge of pure fury dwelled in those dark eyes of hers. She tried her hardest to either hide or quell it, but he could still perceive it no matter how hard she tried to keep it buried deep within.

“When did your daughter find herself placed here at this altar?” Yorais further inquired.

“What does it matter?”

“Just answer me.”

“My lady!”

With a simple gesture, Lady Meredith silenced the furious maid eager to kill them all. As for her sister Aphelia, she appeared quite emotionally troubled as she appeared somewhat confused and uncertain about things still. He imagined she must hate him since he broke his promise to her. I can’t imagine the two of us will have any amicable relations from here on out the same way I know Lady Meredith wants me dead.

“When she turned eighteen, I had her placed there. That would’ve been around ten years ago.”

“That’s around the same time this domain went completely dark, isn’t it?” Without Lady Meredith saying yes or no, everyone knew the answer. “At the time, were you aware that your daughter’s placement here might have something to do with the issues plaguing this domain?”

“No. But…” She toiled within herself. Guilt dwelled inside of her as she conjured the answers that she likely never wanted to ever reveal. “I did eventually realize that she and this altar were the source of the darkness inflicting our domain and the cause of magic not working correctly.”

The implications here were enormous. Had she not known this entire time, it still wouldn’t be great. But she did know and chose to do nothing about it, making it a whole lot worse. You’ve had this entire time to make things right, yet you chose not to. And to think, you wanted me to believe Lucias was some terrifying monster when you’re the one responsible for this. It truly baffled him in many ways. Had he not encountered such immense evil before, he would find it hard to believe someone could be so utterly evil, no matter what their reasons may be.

“How could you let this go on?” Silvy said. “You’ve known for all this time and still let things remain this way.”

“View me as a villain all you like. But nothing is ever that simple in life.” Lady Meredith sighed and released her fingertips from gripping her dress. “This altar has been a part of our family for many centuries. It has given us all youth, rejuvenation, and prolonged lives. Yet it has not worked for my daughter for some reason. She remains broken to this day. But I still have hope that if given enough time, her body will be healed. When that day comes, the darkness shall be lifted and our pains relinquished at long last.”

“Isn’t that a little twisted?” Frederek said. “If it hasn’t worked for all this time, there’s no reason to expect a change.”

“Isn’t it obvious,” Yorais said interjecting. “If she had to admit that what she has been doing for all this time is wrong, she would have to admit to herself that she is irredeemable. Isn’t that right?”

“I am not wrong,” Lady Meredith said. “Everything I have done is for her sake. She is my daughter and she deserves the chance to live. She—”

He found himself feeling quite troubled with what he was learning. She had treated him with such kindness and such a willingness to help. Then he finds out, that she was responsible for these dire conditions. How many lives have been lost due to her? Even if it is to try to save her daughter, this cannot be right. This cannot ever be in any way justifiable.

“Kiran,” Yorais said.

“Yes?”

“We cannot leave this cave without doing what is fundamentally right ourselves.”

“I agree,” he said knowing full well, that their troubles weren’t over yet.

We don’t have any choice. If breaking the link between her daughter and the altar can fix things, we must be the ones to make such a decision no matter how much contempt it will draw towards us from Lady Meredith.

It did mean sentencing her daughter to her death, however, since her body was not capable of living otherwise. It was not a decision he wished to make but Lady Meredith had already cost so many lives by allowing her daughter to remain here. How many more would have to perish and suffer all for one broken person that was unlikely to ever be fixed?

The cost is far too high for any one person.