Her vision swam as she hit the ground, stars bursting before her eyes. The dust from the fallen building choked her lungs, making it hard to breathe. Through the haze, she could see the creature pounding down on where Arteus lay, its multiple limbs reaching out hungrily. Lilly's heart hammered in her chest as she pushed herself to her feet.

"Arteus!" she screamed, her voice raw and desperate. It was a cry that seemed to echo across the square, cutting through the chaos like a knife through butter.

But before she could even take a step, she saw something she never thought she would witness. The creature exploded into a shower of gore, the force of the blast knocking her back. Her eyes widened in shock and horror, trying to make sense of the carnage. The creature's torso disintegrated into a fine mist, its six arms and claws clattering to the ground, lifeless and twisted.

As the dust cleared, she saw Arteus standing tall, his axe in hand. His eyes were wild, his skin and clothing soaked in a crimson sheen. It was as if he had been bathed in the very essence of the creature's malicious life force. The blood of the beast painted the square, coating the townsfolk in a gruesome embrace, a stark contrast to the purity of the snow that had once been pristine and white.

"Forget me!" he roared, his voice raw with emotion. "Save Lilly! Get her and the other children free!" His eyes bore into hers, the urgency in his gaze unmistakable. The tremors grew more violent, the very earth beneath them seemingly alive with anger and pain.

Lilly nodded, her eyes never leaving Arteus' for a moment longer than necessary. Then she turned and sprinted through the dust-choked air, her heart a drum in her chest. Ava's monstrous form moved with her, each of her new arms crashing down with the force of a collapsing tower, pulverizing the soldiers and priests that had once been her kin. The sound of bones breaking and armor shattering was a cacophony that melded with the earth's anguished moans.

But from her periphery, she could see the severed arms and legs of the beast coalescing together, the very fabric of reality bending to the will of the false prophet. They writhed and twitched, drawing together with an unnatural speed that seemed to defy the very laws of life and death. The sight was a nightmare made flesh, a perversion of nature that filled her with a cold dread that settled in her gut like a leaden weight.

Yet, Lilly had no time to ponder this macabre dance of destruction. Her eyes remained on the cages, her thoughts solely on Gracie and the other children. She could hear the panicked whispers of their prayers, the desperate cries of their mothers and fathers echoing through the dust-filled air. With a roar of determination, she barreled through the chaos, dodging the flailing limbs and the writhing earth. Her eyes locked on Gracie's cage, she saw a glint of hope in her sister's eyes, a spark that told her she had not been forgotten.

As she approached the altar, she called out to the children, her voice cutting through the madness. "Everyone! It's going to be okay!" she shouted, her voice strained and hopeful. The children, their eyes wide with fear, turned to her, their tiny faces smeared with dirt and tears. They stared at her, some nodding weakly, others too terrified to move. Lilly knew she had to act fast, before the monstrous ritual claimed any more innocents.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Her eyes scanned the area, searching for a way to free the children. The cages were bound by thick chains, each link pulsing with the same malevolent energy as the sigil above. Ava's battle with the army of soldiers and priests had drawn their attention, but not for long. Lilly knew she had mere moments before they turned their wrath upon her.

With a swift and decisive movement, Lilly brought her teeth down on her own wrist, tearing a chunk of skin away. The coppery taste of blood filled her mouth, and she spat it out with a snarl of pain and determination. The blood spattered onto the ground, instantly sizzling and smoking as it made contact with the unyielding stone. The sight was disturbing, a stark reminder of the determination she wielded.

Her eyes focused, she willed the blood to rise, to flow like a crimson river through the square. It obeyed, lifting from the earth in a macabre dance that defied gravity. The droplets grew into a torrent, a river of life that surged towards the cages. The chains, pulsating with dark energy, seemed to quiver in anticipation, as if they too knew what was to come.

In a single, heart-stopping moment, the blood reached the locks of the cages and shackles, and with a sound like a thousand locks clicking open simultaneously, the shackles fell and doors swung wide. The children, released from their prisons, looked around in bewilderment and fear.

"Run!" Lilly screamed, her voice a beacon of hope in the chaos. "Find your parents! Get out of here!" Her words were a catalyst, setting off a stampede of tiny feet as the children bolted from their cages and into the fray. They slipped and stumbled over the uneven ground, their cries mingling with the din of battle. The dust and smoke of the square swirled around them, obscuring their escape from the crazed eyes of the corrupted priests and soldiers.

Her heart hammering in her chest, Lilly sprinted towards Gracie's cage. Her sister lay unconscious within, a fragile doll amidst the horror. "Gracie!" she called out, her voice hoarse from the screaming. "Gracie, wake up!" She reached the cage and began to shake the her with all her might, the metal rattling like the chains of the damned.

With a jolt, Gracie's eyes snapped open, filling with terror at the sight of the destruction that had become their world. "Lilly?" she whispered, her voice tremulous. "What's happening?"

Ignoring the stinging pain from her bitten wrist and the tremors shaking the ground, Lilly scooped her sister into her arms. Gracie was so light, so fragile, a stark reminder of what she had been fighting for. "Hold on," she murmured, her eyes never leaving the chaos around them. "We're getting out of here."

With Gracie on her back, Lilly's movements took on a new urgency. She wove through the panicked townsfolk, dodging the stumbling children and the writhing limbs that still reached out to claim more lives. The cobblestone square felt like it was trying to swallow them whole, the earth heaving and buckling with the power of Tobias' dark heart. Yet, she remained steadfast, her legs pumping with the strength of a mother bear protecting her cub.

And then she saw them. Millie, her face a mask of determination, and Castrol alongside the bar maiden Ali, his eyes filled with a grim purpose that had not been there before. They were herding a group of people, through a narrow alleyway. The sight brought a flicker of relief to Lilly's heart. They had not abandoned the fight. They had found a way to save who they could.

"Uncle Cass!" she bellowed, her voice hoarse from the dust and the screams. "Where the fuck have you been?!"

-To Be Continued-