Yasmin’s heart pounded as she faced her sister. Yucca hovered before her, her normally warm eyes now flat and unreadable, her face expressionless in a way Yasmin had never seen. It was as if someone had hollowed out her sister and left behind only a dangerous, mechanical shell. Her throat tightened as she swallowed back the sob that threatened to break her voice. This wasn’t her sister. It couldn’t be.
“Yucca…” she called out, her voice a desperate plea. “It’s me, Yasmin. Snap out of it, please.” Her words hung heavy in the air, unanswered.
But Yucca didn’t move, didn’t react, her form hanging eerily still, her hand raised, surrounded by floating glass shards that shimmered in the ballroom’s dim light. Then, with an unnatural precision, her hand snapped forward, and the glass shards shot toward Yasmin in a deadly rain. Yasmin barely managed to dodge, her wings flickering as she zipped to the side, narrowly escaping the barrage.
“Yucca, stop! Please, just listen—” But before Yasmin could finish, another wave of glass shards hurtled toward her, glinting like deadly stars in the dim light. Yasmin twisted in the air, dodging again, feeling the burn of each shard’s heat as they whizzed past her.
Yucca’s gaze was blank, empty, as she continued her assault, her glass shards reforming, orbiting her like a galaxy of sharp-edged constellations.
Yasmin knew she couldn’t keep dodging. Her throat tightened, her voice breaking as she tried once more. “Yucca, please… I don’t want to fight you.”
But her sister’s response was only the soft, deadly whir of her glass shards, which she sent hurtling toward Yasmin again, this time faster, sharper, and without hesitation.
Yasmin called up her own magic, summoning a quick defensive barrier of thunder energy that crackled in the air around her. The glass shattered against it, but Yucca’s attacks came relentless, unending, each one growing more precise, each shard embedding deeper into the barrier. Yasmin gritted her teeth, feeling her magic strain as she fought to maintain the shield.
Yucca wasn’t holding back.
Yasmin felt a tremor of panic slip into her veins. She had always admired her sister’s strength, her skill with her glass magic, but facing it head-on now was something else entirely. She could feel the force behind each attack, the controlled ferocity that Yucca was known for, now weaponized against her.
With a final, forceful shatter, the barrier broke. Yasmin gasped as shards of glass and thunder energy scattered around her. Her own magic wavered, her defenses cracked, and before she could recover, Yucca moved, a seamless motion of deadly grace as she raised her hand.
“Yucca, don’t!” Yasmin cried out, her voice torn with desperation.
But Yucca was unrelenting, her face a cold mask as she unleashed a powerful blast of her Scalding Sandstorm. A whirling cloud of fiery sand enveloped Yasmin, the searing heat biting at her skin, the stinging particles cutting into her as she struggled to breathe. Her vision blurred, her lungs burned, and she could feel the relentless heat gnawing at her, draining her strength with each passing second.
Through the haze, Yasmin could make out her sister’s form, dark and haunting, a specter in the swirling storm. Yucca’s eyes, usually so full of life, were distant, indifferent. Yasmin tried to focus, reaching deep within herself as she summoned a spark of her own fire magic, igniting it in her hands to counter the oppressive heat of the sandstorm.
With a fierce burst of energy, Yasmin released a Blast Nova, a shockwave of fire and thunder that exploded outward, scattering the sandstorm. She stumbled back, panting as she caught her breath, her skin prickling from the heat. Her heart thudded painfully as she took in the sight of her sister, still standing before her, unharmed, untouched, and entirely unmoved.
“Yucca, please… I know you’re in there,” Yasmin whispered, but the desperation in her voice seemed to fall on deaf ears.
Yucca’s face remained impassive as she raised her hand, a single finger pointing at Yasmin with a chilling precision. In an instant, her Glass Veil shimmered into existence, a reflective shield of sharp-edged glass surrounding her. The shards glinted in the dim light, casting eerie reflections of Yasmin’s pleading face.
Yasmin’s wings trembled as she hovered, a dull ache settling into her chest. Her sister was gone—replaced by this unfeeling creature of glass and sand. She swallowed hard, her hands curling into fists. If she couldn’t reach Yucca with words, maybe… maybe she could reach her through the fight.
She darted forward, her wings beating furiously as she closed the distance, summoning a Boom Blossom in her hands. Fire and thunder energy swirled together, forming a glowing orb that bloomed like a deadly flower as she hurled it toward Yucca. But Yucca was ready. With a flick of her wrist, her Glass Veil expanded, reflecting the blast back at Yasmin in a storm of fire and sand.
Yasmin barely managed to dodge, the explosion singeing her wings as she twisted in the air. She could feel the heat clawing at her skin, could feel the weight of each missed strike pressing down on her. Her magic was strong, but it was no match for Yucca’s relentless precision, her control, her absolute mastery of every spell she cast.
“Fine,” Yasmin whispered, her voice trembling as she steadied herself. “You want to play like that? Then let’s play.”
She took a deep breath, centering herself as she channeled her energy. Her wings flared, crackling with thunder energy, and her gaze hardened, the fear in her eyes replaced with fierce determination. She wasn’t going to hold back. Not anymore.
Yasmin raised her hand, summoning a Crescendo Clash. She focused, feeling the thunder energy build within her, pulsing and surging with raw power. And then, with a fierce cry, she released it, sending a massive burst of thunder energy directly at her sister.
The shockwave hit Yucca’s Glass Veil, shattering the reflective shield into thousands of tiny shards. For a brief moment, Yasmin saw Yucca’s expression waver, a flicker of something human passing over her face. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by the same cold, unfeeling mask.
Yucca’s shards reformed, swirling around her in a deadly dance, each one glinting with a cruel edge as she sent them hurtling toward Yasmin. Yasmin moved, her wings beating furiously as she dodged, weaving through the air in a desperate attempt to evade the onslaught. But the shards were relentless, each one honing in on her with deadly precision.
One shard sliced across her arm, another grazed her leg, leaving trails of stinging pain in their wake. Yasmin gritted her teeth, her movements faltering as the pain clawed at her, each cut draining her strength, each missed dodge chipping away at her resolve.
“Damn it, Yucca!” Yasmin shouted, her voice raw with frustration. “Fight me, don’t just—just… obey her!”
But her words were met with silence. Yucca’s gaze remained blank, her hand raised, guiding her glass shards with a chilling detachment.
Yasmin felt her defenses crumbling, her energy waning as she struggled to keep up with the relentless assault. Her heart pounded, her breaths coming in ragged gasps as she realized she couldn’t keep this up much longer. Defensive maneuvers had always been her weak point, and against Yucca, who knew her every strength and every flaw, she was at a clear disadvantage.
The sting of her sister’s attacks cut deep, each blow a reminder of the bond they once shared, now twisted into something unrecognizable. She could feel her strength draining, the ache of her wounds weighing her down, dragging her into despair.
But she couldn’t stop. She wouldn’t stop.
With a surge of determination, Yasmin let out a roar, summoning the last of her strength as she called upon her Chain Reaction spell. A series of explosions erupted around her, each one sending waves of fire and thunder that scattered Yucca’s shards. She watched as her sister’s form was momentarily obscured by the chaos, the blasts creating a brief moment of respite.
But as the smoke cleared, Yucca remained, her expression unchanged, her glass shards reforming with a cold, unyielding efficiency. Yasmin’s heart sank, her hope flickering as she realized that nothing she did would reach her sister, that no spell, no plea, could break through the control that bound her.
Her chest heaved, her body aching as she hovered, her wings trembling with exhaustion. But as she looked into her sister’s cold, empty eyes, something inside her shifted, a fierce resolve taking hold.
If she couldn’t reach Yucca with words, if she couldn’t protect her… then she would have to fight her. Truly fight her, with everything she had.
Yasmin’s gaze hardened, her hand curling into a fist as she summoned her magic once more, feeling the familiar heat of her fire magic pulsing in her veins, the thunder energy crackling beneath her skin. She wouldn’t hold back anymore. Not for anyone.
With a fierce determination, she launched forward, her wings blazing as she closed the distance between them. Her hands glowed with the fiery intensity of a Boom Blossom, the orb of fire and thunder energy crackling with raw power as she hurled it at Yucca, her heart pounding with a relentless fury.
“Yucca,” she whispered, her voice a fierce, unyielding promise. “If you’re going to fight me… then I’m going to make you remember.”
***
In the echoing silence of the ballroom, Paola braced herself, heart pounding as Ayla’s figure loomed before her, cold and unrelenting. She couldn’t reconcile the woman who now held her broadsword with such lethal precision with the lover she’d known—the one who had once watched over her in quiet, protective devotion. But there was no hint of that Ayla now. The eyes that met hers were nothing but steel and fury.
"Ayla, please," Paola’s voice came out strained, desperate. "This isn’t you. I know you can hear me."
But Ayla’s grip tightened on her blade, the familiar hilt gleaming under the ballroom’s dim lights as she stepped forward. There was no flicker of recognition, no moment of hesitation, only the cold determination of a warrior following orders. Ayla swung her sword in a fluid arc, the motion as practiced as it was merciless, aimed directly at Paola.
Paola threw herself to the side, feeling the searing heat of Ayla’s Flame’s Cross just inches from her cheek as it slashed through the space she had been in a second before. The air filled with the acrid scent of scorched fabric, and her heart leapt into her throat.
"Stop! Ayla, please!" she shouted again, hoping for a break, any sign that the real Ayla was still inside.
But Ayla was unyielding, launching forward with a speed that left Paola scrambling. Paola’s instincts kicked in, her T’shal’ara senses sharpening as she danced out of the way, evading Ayla’s attacks with a series of rapid teleports. Ayla’s movements were precise and deadly, every strike faster, more calculated than the last. Paola darted back, using her Shadow Pounce to create distance, hoping to buy herself a few seconds, but Ayla was relentless, closing the gap each time.
Paola barely had a moment to breathe before Ayla was upon her again. Her broadsword swung down, and Paola raised her dagger to block it, feeling the force reverberate through her bones. Her arms shook with the effort, the sheer weight behind Ayla’s blows threatening to break her guard. She summoned her claws, hoping to use them for balance and leverage, but Ayla moved with a speed that left her no opening, no chance to mount even the smallest counterattack.
Ayla's gaze was fixed, unwavering, her strikes relentless as she swung her blade in a deadly dance. Each slash was accompanied by the searing heat of her Flame’s Cross, leaving trails of fire that flickered and hissed in the air. Paola dodged, evaded, doing her best to avoid the deadly arcs, but each near-miss only made her more painfully aware of Ayla’s skill, her utter precision. She was a warrior of the highest caliber, and it showed in every movement, every step, every strike.
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Paola called on her Rapid Teleport, vanishing and reappearing across the ballroom, but Ayla was on her in an instant, following her path with the ease of a hunter cornering prey. Paola’s heart pounded as she felt herself tiring, her stamina wearing thin as Ayla kept the pressure on, never slowing, never faltering.
Finally, a sharp blow caught Paola off guard. Ayla’s sword slammed against her dagger, knocking it from her grip. Paola’s hand throbbed, the force of the strike leaving her fingers numb. She staggered back, her eyes wide as Ayla closed the distance, her sword raised for the next blow. Desperation clawed at Paola’s mind, and she called on her claws, readying herself to fight with every ounce of strength she had left.
“Ayla, please!” Paola tried once more, her voice breaking. “You don’t want to do this!”
But Ayla’s only response was another strike, the edge of her blade glowing with the cold, eerie light of her Frost Step. Ice crept along the floor in her wake, chilling the air as Ayla moved with supernatural speed, her sword slashing down with a deadly precision that Paola barely managed to dodge. The floor beneath them cracked, frost spreading outward in a jagged web where Ayla’s blade had struck, and Paola realized that Ayla was no longer holding back.
Ayla’s strikes grew faster, each one pushing Paola closer and closer to the ballroom’s edge. Paola’s mind raced, her instincts screaming at her to escape, to find some way to break free from the onslaught. But Ayla gave her no time to think, her broadsword a blur as it cut through the air, each swing more brutal than the last.
Paola stumbled, her back hitting the wall. She was cornered.
In an instant, Ayla was upon her, her sword coming down with terrifying speed. Paola raised her claws, managing to deflect the strike just enough to avoid a lethal blow, but the force sent her sprawling across the ballroom. She hit the floor hard, pain lancing through her side as she rolled, her vision swimming.
Before she could even attempt to rise, Ayla was there, looming above her. Paola’s heart skipped a beat as she looked up, seeing the cold determination in Ayla’s eyes, the complete lack of mercy. Ayla raised her sword, and Paola felt a chill run down her spine as she realized she was about to die.
“No…” she whispered, forcing herself to move, to fight, to survive.
She scrambled to her feet, her claws at the ready as Ayla advanced. Paola lunged forward, aiming for Ayla’s exposed side, but Ayla sidestepped with ease, her sword flashing in a deadly arc. Paola barely managed to twist out of the way, feeling the blade graze her skin, the sharp edge slicing a thin line across her cheek.
Ayla didn’t relent. She swung again, her sword moving with deadly precision, and this time, Paola couldn’t dodge. The blade slashed down her face, leaving a deep, stinging cut that burned with a fierce, searing pain. She stumbled back, her vision blurring as blood trickled down her cheek.
Ayla’s expression remained impassive as she advanced, her sword raised for the final blow. Paola’s mind raced, panic clawing at her as she realized she had no way out, no way to escape. Ayla’s eyes were cold, unfeeling, and in that moment, Paola knew there was nothing left of the woman she had loved.
The broadsword came down, a vertical slash aimed directly at her heart.
Paola threw herself to the side, the blade missing her by inches as it slammed into the floor, sending cracks spiderwebbing across the marble. She scrambled back, her hands trembling as she struggled to stand, the pain in her face throbbing in time with her heartbeat.
Ayla didn’t wait. She pulled her sword free, her expression unchanged as she swung again, this time horizontally, the blade slicing through the air with a deadly precision. Paola raised her claws, hoping to deflect the blow, but the force was too great. The blade caught her under the eye, leaving a second deep gash that intersected the first, forming a bloody cross beneath her eye.
Paola cried out, staggering back as the pain flared, her vision darkening at the edges. She could feel the blood running down her face, warm and sticky, and her heart pounded with a mixture of fear and despair.
“Ayla…” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “Please… stop…”
But Ayla didn’t hear her. She took a step forward, her broadsword gleaming with a deadly light, her expression as cold and unyielding as ever. Paola felt a shiver of terror run down her spine as she realized there was nothing she could do, no way to reach the woman she loved.
She closed her eyes, bracing herself for the final blow.
But instead of the cold bite of steel, she heard the clash of metal.
Her eyes snapped open, and she saw Selene standing between them, her mithralite arm braced against Ayla’s sword. Selene’s expression was fierce, her gaze fixed on Ayla with a determination that rivaled her own.
“Enough,” Selene said, her voice low and dangerous. “You’re not taking her down without a fight.”
Ayla’s gaze shifted to Selene, her expression unreadable as she took a step back, her sword raised in a defensive stance. For a brief moment, Paola saw something flicker in Ayla’s eyes, a glimmer of recognition, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.
Selene didn’t give her a chance to recover. She lunged forward, her fist swinging in a powerful arc as she aimed for Ayla’s side. Ayla moved with lightning speed, her broadsword blocking the blow with a resounding clang. The force of the impact sent shockwaves through the room, the air crackling with tension as the two warriors faced off.
Paola watched, her heart pounding as she saw the two women clash, each strike fierce and unrelenting. Selene moved with a fluid grace, her fists and feet striking with deadly precision as she kept Ayla on the defensive. But Ayla was unyielding, her broadsword moving in powerful arcs that deflected each blow with ease.
Selene’s mithralite arm glinted in the dim light, her expression fierce as she fought with a skill and intensity that matched Ayla’s. But Paola could see the strain in her movements, the way her muscles tensed with each strike. Ayla’s strength was relentless, her sword cutting through the air with a deadly precision that left no room for error.
Paola staggered to her feet, every muscle in her body screaming, her breaths shallow. She willed herself to ignore the pain, but her vision blurred, and she instinctively opened her status panel:
Health (HP): 212/277
Mana: 125/177
Stamina: 111/192
“Not good,” she muttered, swaying as she tried to steady herself. Her legs wobbled, and the room spun, every movement making her cuts flare with fresh pain. Just as her body seemed on the verge of giving out, a familiar, soothing energy wrapped around her.
“Paola,” came Poca’s soft voice, firm with determination, as she knelt beside her. She summoned her magic, thin, shimmering strings extending from her fingertips, each one weaving through Paola’s wounds with delicate precision. Paola felt the warmth seep into her skin, mending torn muscle and sealing gashes, a refreshing surge rejuvenating her from within.
The numbers rose quickly as Poca’s healing magic worked its way through her body:
Health (HP): 277/277
Mana: 177/177
Stamina: 192/192
Poca’s mismatched eyes met hers, worry and resolve mixed in their depths. “You’re not alone, Paola. But you have to be careful.”
Paola nodded, her fingers flexing with new strength. She scanned the scene, Selene and Ayla locked in a vicious struggle. Selene fought hard, her strikes quick and forceful, but Paola saw the falter in her movements—the slight overextension in her dodges, the tiny gaps in her guard that Ayla’s relentless attacks exploited without mercy.
Selene couldn’t hold Ayla off for long. If Paola didn’t act, Ayla might not just take down Selene—she’d destroy herself in the process, losing all sense of her true self.
Paola’s gaze drifted to the frantic air above them, where Yasmin and her sister clashed in a fiery whirlwind. Yasmin’s blasts of fire and thunder collided with Yucca’s razor-sharp shards of glass, the two sisters caught in a destructive dance of power, each refusing to back down. Yasmin was defending herself, trying to snap Yucca out of it, but the intensity of the battle was mounting by the second, threatening to spiral out of control.
Paola set her jaw, fists clenching as her golden-flecked brown eyes locked onto Lady Marcelline, who stood back from the chaos, her cold, calculating gaze fixed on Ayla’s every move, observing with the precision of a hawk. Lady Marcelline’s satisfaction was chilling, her lips curling in a faint smile as she watched her puppets unleash havoc upon each other.
That was it.
Without a second thought, Paola lunged forward, Shadow Pounce activating as she teleported across the ballroom, her form flickering through the shadows in rapid, controlled blinks. Her claws were out, her eyes set on Marcelline, closing in on her with ruthless speed.
Marcelline’s head turned sharply, her icy gaze meeting Paola’s as she approached, but Paola didn’t hesitate. She closed the last gap, raising her clawed hand to strike—
Suddenly, from the marble floor beneath her feet, a massive shadowy tendril shot up, thick and inky. Before she could react, the tentacle swung with brutal force, slamming into her side and sending her flying backward, her body spinning through the air like a rag doll.
Paola tumbled through the air, the force of tentacle's blow sending her body bouncing and rolling across the floor. A faint thought flashed through her mind, almost comical in its simplicity—like an anime character, she thought, before her spine slammed into the wall, jarring her back to reality with a crushing pain.
Her vision blurred and swam, her body throbbing, the room coming back into focus in disjointed patches. She felt like every nerve in her body was screaming. Then, through the haze, she saw him—rising from the very shadows, as if they’d pulled him from the underworld itself.
Nathor.
He was as she remembered, yet somehow… hollowed. He stood with the same rugged frame, the same weariness hanging from his shoulders like a tattered shroud, but something in him had shifted. Even his slouched posture, that defeated stance she remembered, now seemed more like a pose of absolute resignation, a darkness made whole and unquestioning.
The air around him felt charged, like the aftermath of a storm, his massive obsidian wings draped behind him, barely lifting in the stillness of the ballroom. His wings lacked elegance, dragging at his sides like an anchor of darkness, feathers glinting in the dim light with a deadly allure that drew and repelled at once.
Paola’s gaze roamed over him, searching for a shred of the man she’d known—of the man she’d watched Selene fight so fiercely back in Emberfall. The last she’d seen of him, he had been on the ground, beaten and bloodied, the grimness of his expression fading as he seemed ready to meet his end before he was swallowed by the abyss of shadows. Selene had killed him that night—or so she’d thought. Yet here he was, resurrected and twisted into something even darker than before, the edges of his form more jagged, his eyes deeper pools of crimson that swirled with shadows, like ink in water.
The eyes she remembered—worn, bitter, haunted—were hollow, void of any recognition. If he’d once fought against the weight of his inner turmoil, it was gone. Nothing fought now; he was simply an empty shell.
As if sensing her shock, Lady Marcelline’s voice broke the silence, smooth and almost amused. “Ah, I see you remember him,” she said, the tone in her voice maddeningly casual, as if they were discussing the weather rather than the living nightmare standing before Paola. “When I strip someone of their will, they become… well, more.” She gestured to Nathor as if presenting a trophy. “It brings them to their fullest potential, free from the limitations of hesitation, doubt, or morals.”
The words struck Paola like another blow. This… this is what he was capable of? she wondered, her stomach twisting. She’d fought him before—barely survived it—but even then, he had fought with a reluctance, a restraint that she’d sensed even if she couldn’t see. Now, though, he was devoid of any of that.
Nathor’s hollow, defeated gaze settled on her, and Paola felt a chill creep up her spine. No, she thought, her throat tight, this isn’t Nathor… this is something else.
“You should be honored, Paola,” Marcelline continued, her voice smooth, mocking. “You were worth enough of my time to summon back one of my most formidable creations. Selene was so sure she’d ended him, but as you can see, he’s quite… resilient.”
As if Marcelline’s words had given him purpose, Nathor straightened, his wings stretching out in a slow, deliberate motion, each feather gleaming like shards of obsidian. He moved with an eerie calm, like a marionette on invisible strings, his feet barely leaving the ground as he glided closer, those crimson eyes never leaving her.
Panic flared in Paola’s chest as her instincts screamed at her to run. Selene had killed him, she repeated in her mind, willing it to make sense, but Marcelline’s words left no room for doubt. Nathor was stronger now, stripped of everything but the raw power that pulsed within him.
Paola clenched her fists, feeling her claws bite into her palms as she tried to gather herself. Her gaze flicked to Selene, still locked in combat with Ayla, and to Yasmin, dodging shards of glass as she clashed with her sister in a deadly aerial battle. They were all fighting against people they loved, against shadows of themselves twisted by Marcelline’s iron control.
But this… this was different.
Nathor’s gaze bore into hers, devoid of any flicker of recognition, any hint of the bitterness that had once defined him. There was only emptiness, a darkness that swallowed everything, even the last traces of his former self.
Her heart pounded as he drew closer, his massive wings folding inward, encasing him in an aura of dread. His slumped posture did nothing to diminish the threat he posed, his mere presence radiating a grim purpose.
As Paola steadied herself, locking eyes with Nathor, she felt an unnatural silence descend over the room, like a gathering storm. Lady Marcelline’s chilling voice cut through the quiet, laced with a smugness that seemed to reverberate in Paola’s bones.
“Oh, Paola,” Marcelline murmured, her tone dripping with condescension. “You really thought you could take them all on? I’ve always controlled this game… and now, I’m going to prove it.”
With a flick of her fingers, Marcelline’s power surged across the ballroom. Ayla, mid-swing with Selene, halted instantly, her eyes glazing over, movements ceasing as she froze under the weight of Marcelline’s command. Across the hall, Yucca also faltered in her clash with Yasmin, her hands twitching as she struggled against the pull overtaking her. Both women seemed to fight it, faces taut with an inner struggle, but Marcelline’s influence was unyielding, tightening around them like an invisible noose.
“Ayla, Yucca,” Marcelline commanded, her voice unwavering, “leave these distractions behind. It’s time to deal with Paola… together.”
Ayla and Yucca’s eyes shifted to Paola with blank obedience, any warmth, recognition, or will drained entirely from their gaze. Ayla’s mismatched eyes, once filled with a fierce devotion, were now hollow. Yucca’s usually sharp and precise expression dulled, her glass-shard power shifting toward Paola in deadly unison with Ayla’s unrelenting sword.
The blood drained from Paola’s face as she saw them advance, Nathor’s dark form closing in behind them. It was a twisted tableau, each one of them bearing down on her under Marcelline’s grip, their forms rigid with suppressed power—all of it pointed at her.
Lady Marcelline’s cold laughter filled the silence. “You see, Paola,” she said, her words like daggers. “Your bonds, your loyalty, your pathetic friendships… they are nothing to me. I hold the strings. And now, I’ll watch as they bring you to your knees.”
Paola’s heart pounded, the reality dawning on her with brutal clarity. She was no longer just fighting Nathor, Ayla, or Yucca—she was facing Marcelline’s absolute control. Every escape route faded, every plea caught in her throat as they moved in on her, each one a weapon bent to Marcelline’s will.
And as the three closed in, Paola’s mind raced, her instincts flaring. This was no longer a fight for survival; this was the endgame.