The spell Lysandra had cast earlier was their only guide and hope, a faint, glowing thread of magic that pulled them toward their destination. Lysandra, Huter, and Orin moved quickly and reached a forest close to the mountains, where Lysandra’s spell ended. They knew Eileen and her coven were somewhere ahead, hidden in the depths of the forest, and they had to reach them before it was too late. Every step they took was filled with urgency; the thought of what Tio might be enduring pushed them forward, despite the uncertainty that lay ahead. Huter, still pale and drained from his previous battle, struggled to keep pace. His body ached, and his magic was slowly coming back, but he pressed on, refusing to slow them down. He couldn’t shake the image of Tio, captured and alone, anger and guilt gnawed at him. They had to find Eileen’s sanctuary and rescue Tio before it was too late.
Orin’s thoughts were a storm of worry and determination. He had no idea what kind of dark magic Eileen might be using on Tio, but his imagination conjured up every horrible possibility. Tio’s mindwalking powers were immense, however, his powers were neither defensive nor attacking, he was a great sorcerer, but alone he would not stand a chance against Eileen’s magic The stories Orin had heard about Eileen were enough to make his blood run cold, and he knew they were dealing with forces far beyond their understanding. They didn’t know what to expect, only that they had to be fast, precise, and relentless. "We have to move quickly," Orin said, his voice tight with anxiety. "Once we’re in the forest, we’ll need to locate their base. Lysandra, you and I will create a diversion, and give Huter the chance to find Tio and get him out. We’ll regroup at the edge of the forest and portal back to Paris.” Lysandra nodded, her focus unwavering. "The tracking spell led us here, but we don’t know what’s waiting for us when we get there. We’ll need to be ready for anything.” They had no idea what dark forces Eileen had at her disposal or what kind of defenses they would face. But one thing was certain: they couldn’t afford to fail.
Tio’s world had become a blur of agony and despair, the Soultwister’s relentless torture pushing him to the brink of madness. The pain was unlike anything he had ever experienced, a searing, all-consuming fire that burned through every nerve in his body. He had tried to resist, to hold on to his sanity and his resolve, but the Soultwister’s methods were insidious, designed to break even the strongest of wills. Tio’s pleas for mercy were met with cold indifference from Eileen, who watched the process with an unsettling calm.
"You know what I want, Tio," Eileen said, her voice smooth and composed. "You can end this suffering with a single decision. Enter Orin’s mother’s mind and do as I ask, and this will all be over.” But Tio’s response was the same as before, a hoarse, defiant "No." He could barely form the word, his voice ragged from screaming, but he forced it out, determined not to give in to her demands. He would not be the one to release the darkness that had been sealed away for so long, no matter the cost.
Eileen’s patience was wearing thin. She needed Tio’s cooperation, but he was proving more resilient than she had anticipated. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and she decided to take a risk—a dangerous, irreversible step. She retrieved Morgana’s grimoire, the ancient, leather-bound tome filled with dark incantations, and began to flip through its pages. The spell she sought was one of the most dangerous, a ritual to strip away a person’s magical abilities and absorb them into another. With fluid movements of her hands, Eileen began the incantation. Her voice was a low, melodic chant, the words ancient and filled with dark power. As she spoke, black threads of magic emerged from her hands, slithering through the air before plunging into Tio’s body. The pain intensified, his screams echoing through the chamber as the threads burrowed deeper, reaching for his very soul.
But something unexpected happened. Mindwalking was not like any other form of magic—it was not learned or practiced, but rather, it was a part of Tio’s very essence, entwined with his soul. As the dark threads sought to strip it away, they met resistance, a force they could not overcome. Eileen’s expression twisted in frustration as she realized the truth: if she continued, she would kill Tio, and with him, the power she so desperately sought. She hesitated, then shifted her approach. She didn’t need to take all of his power—just a piece. Channeling her dark magic, she carefully extracted a fragment of Tio’s soul, the process delicate and excruciatingly painful. Tio’s body convulsed, his strength ebbing away as the fragment was torn from him. When the ritual was complete, Eileen held the small, glowing piece of Tio’s soul in her hands, her eyes gleaming with triumph as Tio’s lifeless body crumpled to the ground.
Eileen felt a surge of power as she absorbed the fragment of Tio’s soul, the Mindwalking abilities intertwining with her own magic. She could feel the new energy coursing through her veins, a heady mixture of dark magic and the unique power of Mindwalking. With this new strength, she knew she would be able to enter Edua’s mind—something she had never been able to do before. But there was a catch: the power she had taken from Tio was fleeting, unstable. It wouldn’t last long, and she would need to act quickly to achieve her goal.
She closed her eyes and focused, reaching out with her mind to find the connection that Tio had already established with Orin’s mother. Edua’s mind was well-guarded, protected by layers of magical defenses that had kept the darkness contained for so long. But with Tio’s power at her disposal, Eileen could sense the weaknesses in those defenses, the cracks that she could exploit to gain entry.
The process was delicate, requiring immense concentration. Eileen’s breathing slowed as she pushed deeper into the connection, following the faint threads of magic that would lead her to Edua’s consciousness. She could feel the resistance, the pushback from Edua’s own mental barriers, but the dark power she had combined with the one she had stolen from Tio allowed her to press on, to push through the layers of protection that had kept the darkness at bay. Finally, she found what she was looking for: Edua’s magical signature, the core of her being. It was strong, vibrant, and laced with the same dark energy that had been sealed away so long ago. Eileen’s heart raced with anticipation as she latched onto that signature, drawing herself into the depths of Edua’s mind. The time had come to initiate the mindwalk, to infiltrate the last bastion of defense that stood between her and the release of the darkness.
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Eileen took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. She knew this would be the most dangerous part of her plan, the moment when everything could either fall into place or collapse around her. But she was ready. With one final push, she let the power of the mindwalk take hold, pulling her into the depths of Edua’s mind, where the darkness awaited.
The trio moved swiftly and silently through the dense forest, the air was thick with tension, every rustle of leaves or snap of a twig sending a jolt of adrenaline through them. They knew they were close; the energy of dark magic pulsed through the ground, a sinister heartbeat that led them straight to Eileen’s coven. Orin’s senses were on high alert as they neared the hidden sanctuary. The ground beneath his feet felt wrong, tainted by the dark magic that shielded the place from detection. They emerged into a small clearing where the earth seemed unnaturally still, a sure sign that powerful wards had been placed around the area. Orin knelt down, placing his hands on the ground, and whispered a few words in the ancient language of his people. The earth responded to his call, shifting slightly as it attuned itself to his will.
“This is it,” he murmured, standing up and nodding to Lysandra and Huter. “The barrier’s here, but it’s strong. We’ll need to work together to break it.” Lysandra stepped forward, her hands already moving in delicate patterns as she called upon her magic. Her fingers glowed faintly as she directed her power toward the invisible shield that surrounded the coven’s hideout. The air shimmered as her magic collided with the dark barrier, but the shield held firm, absorbing her attack with ease. “It’s stronger than I expected,” Lysandra said, her brow furrowing in concentration. “We’ll have to combine our efforts.”
Orin didn’t hesitate. He reached out, and Lysandra took his hand, their magic mingling and growing stronger as they pooled their power. Huter joined them, adding his water magic to the mix. Together, they launched a massive wave of energy at the barrier, the force of their combined magic crashing against it like a tidal wave. The shield quivered under the assault, cracks appearing on its surface as it struggled to withstand the power of their combined attacks. The barrier shuddered and then, with a sound like shattering glass, it broke apart, fragments of dark energy dissolving into the night air. For a moment, there was only silence. The clearing seemed eerily still as if the forest itself was holding its breath. Orin, Lysandra, and Huter stood poised, ready for an ambush, but nothing happened. No guards, no immediate retaliation—just an empty, ominous silence.
“That’s not right,” Huter muttered, his voice low. “Where are they?” As if in response to his words, a group of coven members suddenly materialized from the shadows, their faces twisted with confusion and anger. They had been caught off guard by the sudden breach of their defenses and were now scrambling to assess the situation. But Orin had anticipated this. With a sharp gesture, he triggered the traps he had prepared. The ground beneath the coven members erupted as thick roots shot up from the earth, coiling around their legs and pulling them down into the dirt. Some were ensnared by vines that tightened like nooses around their limbs, dragging them deeper into the ground. Others stumbled into pits that Orin had opened with a mere thought, the earth swallowing them whole. But the coven wasn’t unprepared. Those who hadn’t been caught by Orin’s traps quickly regrouped. They raised their hands, and flames burst forth, scorching the earth and evaporating the roots that held their comrades. The heat of the fire clashed with the damp chill of the night, and the smell of burning wood filled the air.
“Lysandra, fog them!” Orin shouted over the roar of the flames. Lysandra’s eyes narrowed in focus as she conjured a thick, swirling fog that rolled out across the clearing, enveloping the coven members in a blinding mist. The fog was dense and dark, obscuring everything from view. The coven members, now disoriented, began to panic. Their fire magic flared up wildly, flames licking out in all directions as they tried to burn away the fog and attack their unseen enemies. But the flames were unpredictable, and the fog was relentless. Orin and Huter took advantage of the chaos, combining their magic to counter the coven’s assault. Huter summoned streams of water that hissed and steamed as they met the fire, while Orin manipulated the earth beneath the flames, opening fissures that swallowed the fire before it could spread.
The battle raged on, with fire and earth clashing in a deadly dance. The coven members grew more desperate, launching wave after wave of attacks, but they were no match for the trio’s combined strength. Lysandra’s fog continued to obscure their vision, and every attempt to advance was met with a counterattack that drove them back. Orin knew they couldn’t keep this up forever. They needed to end this quickly if they were going to save Tio. He took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the earth beneath him, the ancient power that had been passed down through generations of his people. He reached deep into that power, channeling it through his body until he felt like a conduit for the very essence of the earth itself. With a powerful sweep of his arms, Orin unleashed his magic in a way he had never done before. The ground trembled as if an earthquake was tearing through the clearing. The earth rose up like a wave, crashing down on the coven members with unstoppable force. The ground beneath them opened up, pulling them down into the depths of the earth, burying them alive in an instant.
The clearing fell silent once more, the fog dissipating to reveal the aftermath of the battle. The coven members were gone, entombed beneath the earth. Orin stood panting, his body trembling with the effort it had taken to wield such immense power. He knew it wouldn’t last—this was only a temporary solution—but it would give them enough time to find Tio. Lysandra and Huter stared at Orin in shock, but there was no time for questions or hesitation. They had to move quickly. Orin could feel his strength waning, and he knew they didn’t have much time before the coven’s defenses would regroup. “Let’s go,” Orin said, his voice hoarse. “We have to find Tio, now.”
Without another word, they moved deeper into the sanctuary, determined to reach their friend before it was too late. The battle had taken its toll, but they were more determined than ever to save Tio from whatever horrors Eileen had in store for him.