Eileen materialized back into the sanctuary, her heart pounding with fury and humiliation. The chamber that had once echoed with the chants of her coven was now filled with the lingering remnants of Orin’s devastating power. The Soultwister—one of her most powerful weapons—was gone, reduced to nothing by Orin’s formidable earth magic. Her mind reeled with the failure of her incursion into Edua’s mind, the encounter that had left her utterly defeated and without the darkness she had sought to claim. But there was no time to dwell on it. Around her, the remaining coven members trembled, their eyes wide with fear as Orin and his friends closed in, surrounding her with a deadly calm.
Orin stood closest to Tio’s lifeless form, his eyes filled with a cold, steely determination. The loss of the Soultwister had not been enough to quench his fury. Eileen could see it in the set of his jaw, the hard line of his mouth. She had taken something precious from him, and he was intent on making her pay. Panic clawed at her as she saw him kneel beside Tio, his hands hovering over his friend’s broken body. Her fear turned to raw, unbridled rage. If she could not have the darkness, she would at least claim one life for the life she had lost.
With a scream of pure hate, Eileen unleashed a massive wave of dark magic, the air around her crackling with malevolence as she aimed it directly at Tio. The force of the spell surged toward him, a dark, violent current intent on obliterating whatever was left of his fragile existence. But before it could reach him, Lysandra and Huter moved in unison, their combined magic forming a protective barrier of water and air. The barrier shimmered with power, crashing the brunt of Eileen’s attack and shielding their fallen friend from harm.
Orin’s eyes widened with determination as he realized what Eileen was trying to do. His hand shot up, and the earth responded to his command, rising up from the floor to form an impenetrable wall around them. The barrier was solid, unyielding, and it sealed them off from Eileen and her coven, leaving them outside to seethe and claw at the walls in futility. Orin’s heart pounded in his chest, his mind racing as he realized just how close they had come to losing Tio for good.
Eileen’s wrath knew no bounds as she screamed, her voice echoing through the sanctuary as she urged her coven to attack the magical barrier Orin had erected. They obeyed without question, unleashing a barrage of spells against the wall of earth, but Orin’s magic was strong—too strong. Nothing they did even made a dent in the barrier, their magic splintering harmlessly against the impenetrable wall. Eileen’s desperation grew with every failed attempt, her mind racing as she searched for a way to break through. But it was not the wall that was her greatest concern; it was what she had seen in Orin’s eyes before the barrier had closed. Her words echoed in the chamber, cold and biting. “Orin, your mother has made a life-threatening choice. You might have lost her already!” She could see the effect her words had on him, the way his face twisted with shock and anger. It was a gamble, but she needed to unbalance him, to make him lose control. And it worked. At those words, Orin’s body began to glow with an intense light, his form trembling as he was absorbing more and more earth magic into himself, far more than any mage should ever attempt.
Lysandra and Huter watched in panic as Orin’s power surged, his body glowing so brightly it was almost blinding. The air around them crackled with energy, and they could feel the pressure building, like a dam ready to burst. Orin was on the verge of losing control, and if he did, the consequences would be catastrophic. They had to act quickly. Huter and Lysandra rushed to his side, their panic palpable as they saw the dangerous amounts of magic he was channeling. They exchanged a look, a silent agreement passing between them. They had to get out, now. With a roar, Orin opened the barrier, releasing the massive wave of power he had been holding back. The earth beneath them trembled and then split apart as the wave of magic shot out, opening a crater that swallowed everything in its path. The sanctuary shook violently, its ancient structure cracking and crumbling under the force of Orin’s unleashed power. The walls buckled, the ceiling caved in, and the entire place began to collapse around them.
Lysandra and Huter didn’t hesitate. They merged their powers, combining wind and water to open a portal—a shimmering, swirling vortex of energy that led out of the collapsing sanctuary. They had only moments before the entire structure came down. Orin, drained and on the verge of collapse, stumbled toward the portal. Lysandra caught him, supporting him as they made their way through. Huter, carrying Tio’s lifeless form, was right behind them. The sanctuary was doomed, but they would not be buried with it.
Eileen was thrown to the ground as Orin’s magic ripped through the sanctuary, the force of it sending shockwaves through the very foundation of the place. She felt the earth crack and shift beneath her, the stone walls groaning as they buckled under the pressure. For a moment, she lay there, dazed and disoriented, as the world crumbled around her. But she was not one to be easily defeated. With a snarl of defiance, she pushed herself to her feet, her dark magic coiling around her like a living thing.
The sanctuary was falling apart, the place that had been the heart of her power was now reduced to rubble. She could feel the weight of her failure pressing down on her, but there was no time to dwell on it. If she didn’t act quickly, she and her coven would be buried alive. She reached out with her magic, her voice rising in a chant that resonated with dark power. The coven members, sensing her command, rushed to her side, their fear and confusion melting away as they were enveloped in her dark aura.
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In a surge of desperation, Eileen called upon every ounce of dark magic she possessed. The air around her shimmered with black energy as she focused on the one spell that could save them. With a sharp cry, she released the spell, the magic wrapping around her and her coven, pulling them away from the collapsing sanctuary and into the safety of the shadows outside. The world twisted and blurred around them, and when the spell finally released them, they found themselves standing in the desolate landscape outside the sanctuary.
Eileen’s breath came in ragged gasps as she looked around at the ruins of what had once been her stronghold. The sanctuary was gone, destroyed by Orin’s reckless power. But even as she surveyed the devastation, a cold smile curled at the corners of her lips. They may have lost the battle, but the war was far from over. Edua’s sacrifice had been a surprise, an unexpected twist that had thrown her plans into disarray, but it wasn’t the end. The darkness was free now, still asleep, but free. Time was ticking for Edua’s eternal sleep incantation, and when that spell finally broke, Eileen would be ready. She would be there to claim the darkness for herself, and this time, nothing would stand in her way.
Back in Paris, the four friends materialized in the safety of Orin’s apartment, their bodies battered and their spirits exhausted from the battle. The familiar surroundings did little to soothe the tension that hung heavy in the air. Tio’s lifeless body was laid gently on the couch, his breathing shallow and almost imperceptible. His skin was sickly pale, his body unmoving, as if clinging to the last threads of life. The sight of him, so fragile and broken, sent a wave of panic through all of them. They couldn’t lose Tio, not after everything they had been through.
Orin knelt beside Tio, his hands trembling as he tried to channel his earth magic into a healing spell. But his reserves were depleted, the last surge of power in the sanctuary having drained him to the brink. His hands glowed faintly as he tried to heal his friend, but the light flickered and died, leaving him feeling more exhausted than before. Lysandra and Huter exchanged worried glances. They could see the desperation in Orin’s eyes, the fear that he was about to lose Tio for good. “We need to help him,” Lysandra said, her voice trembling with urgency. Huter nodded in agreement, his own fear mirrored in his eyes. Without hesitation, they placed their hands on Orin’s shoulders, letting their own magic flow into him. It was a risky move, one that could leave them all drained, but it was the only option they had left. The air around them hummed with energy as their magic merged with Orin’s, recharging him, and giving him the strength he needed to continue.
Orin’s hands glowed brighter this time, the healing threads of his magic weaving through Tio’s broken body. But something was wrong. The spell wasn’t working as it should. Orin could feel the magic being blocked, unable to fully reach Tio’s core. Panic surged through him as he realized what was happening. “Tio cannot be healed, at least not completely!”, a piece of Tio’s soul was missing, torn away by the Soultwister’s dark magic. No matter how much power he channeled into the spell, he couldn’t heal what wasn’t there.
Hours passed in agonizing silence before Tio finally stirred. His eyes fluttered open, filled with pain and fear, as if waking from a nightmare that still clung to him. His breaths were shallow, each one labored as he looked around the room, his gaze wild and unseeing. He recoiled from the faces of his friends, terror etched into his features. It was as if he didn’t recognize them, as if they were strangers to him. Orin and Lysandra tried to calm him, their voices gentle, but Tio flinched at every sound, his body trembling with fear. It was clear that whatever he had endured in the Soultwister’s grasp had left deep, unseen scars.
Huter, his heart aching at the sight of his friend’s suffering and remembering what he had done for him, stepped forward. “Tio,” he said softly, kneeling beside him. “Look at me.” Tio’s eyes, filled with fear and confusion, met Huter’s. “Tell me what you see,” Huter urged, his voice steady. There was a long pause, the silence stretching between them before Tio finally spoke. “Loneliness,” Tio whispered, his voice barely audible. “and…a good heart.” His words were tinged with a mix of fear and uncertainty. Huter’s expression softened, and he reached out, his hand hovering in the air for a moment before he gently touched Tio’s hand. Tio flinched at the contact, but this time, he didn’t pull away. He allowed Huter to hold his hand, the warmth of the touch slowly calming him. For a brief moment, Tio seemed to relax, his eyes fluttering closed as if finding some small comfort in the connection. Then, just as suddenly, he slumped forward, fainting from the exhaustion and the remnants of his trauma.
Lysandra knelt beside him, her hand gently brushing the hair from Tio’s pale forehead. “His wounds are too deep,” she murmured, her voice laced with sorrow. “This isn’t something that can be healed with earth magic. His soul has been torn apart, and the pain he went through…it’s beyond anything we can imagine.” Huter’s gaze remained fixed on Tio’s unconscious form, his heart breaking at the sight. He gently caressed Tio’s cheek, his touch light as a feather. “Is there anything we can do?” Orin asked, his voice thick with desperation. Lysandra hesitated, her mind racing through the knowledge she had accumulated over the years. Finally, she looked up, her expression grim.
“There might be a way,” she said slowly, her voice filled with uncertainty. “There are dark creatures— the Souleaters. These demons can remove souls from a body, leaving it as an empty vessel. But they also have the power to mend souls, to stitch them back together, though it’s a painful process that could change Tio forever. He might not be the same person once it’s done.” Orin’s heart sank at her words, but he knew they had no other choice. If there was even a chance to save Tio, they had to take it, no matter the cost. For Tio, he would face whatever darkness awaited them.