Something inside Felix snapped. The false promise of seeing his parents, the betrayal, and the sheer danger they were now in ignited a fire deep within him. His fists clenched, and in an instant, flames erupted from his hands, swirling around his fingers like a furious storm. He wasn’t going to back down—not now.

With a roar, Felix hurled himself at the serpent-man, his fiery fists blazing as he swung with all his might. The first punch landed squarely against the creature’s chest, but instead of recoiling, the serpent-man sneered, raising an arm to block the flames with ease.

“Pathetic,” the serpent-man growled, his voice thick with disdain. His other arm shot forward, grabbing Felix’s wrist in a vice-like grip. The creature’s forehead shimmered as silver scales rippled across his skin, forming a protective barrier. Before Felix could react, the serpent-man slammed his scaled head directly into Felix’s, sending a wave of pain crashing through him.

Stars exploded behind Felix’s eyes, and his vision blurred. His body swayed as his consciousness began to fade, but the serpent-man wasn’t finished. Still gripping Felix’s wrist, he raised him off the ground effortlessly.

“You are nothing,” the serpent-man spat, tightening his hold. With a grunt, he flung Felix into the air. Time seemed to slow as Felix’s body soared, helpless against the monster’s strength. Before he could brace for impact, the serpent-man leaped into the air, spinning with inhuman speed, and drove a powerful kick into Felix’s midsection.

The force of the blow sent Felix hurtling downward, crashing into the shallow water below with a sickening splash. Pain wracked his body, the water soaking into his clothes as he struggled to move, each breath sending sharp agony through his ribs.

As Felix lay there, gasping for air, Tobias reemerged from the rubble of the wall he’d been sent flying through earlier. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, staining his chin, and his breathing was labored. His ribs throbbed with pain, but his determination burned brighter than ever.

The serpent-man turned, his cold eyes locking onto Tobias. “Seems my strength has dwindled since that old hag trapped me here decades ago,” the creature muttered, flexing his scaly fists. His lips curled into a cruel smile. “No matter. I shall simply enjoy beating you to a bloody pulp.”

With a feral roar, the serpent-man charged at Tobias, moving with terrifying speed. Tobias gritted his teeth, summoning the last reserves of his strength. His body crackled with electricity, lightning arcing around him as he narrowly dodged the serpent-man’s attack.

Summoning his power, Tobias manifested a sword of pure lightning. With a swift motion, he drove the blade into the serpent-man’s side, piercing through a gap in the silver scales. Electricity surged through the creature’s body, and the serpent-man howled in agony, collapsing onto one knee, gasping for breath. Blood spilled from his mouth, staining the water around him.

Tobias staggered, still clutching his ribs, but he stood over the serpent-man, his sword sparking with power. “Who are you?” Tobias demanded, his voice hoarse. “And how did you end up in this orphanage?”

The serpent-man’s eyes narrowed, rage flashing across his face. “You wretched brat,” he snarled, lunging at Tobias with what strength he had left. Tobias moved to dodge, but a sharp pain shot through his abdomen, causing him to stumble. He collapsed into the shallow water, clutching his stomach in agony.

The serpent-man took advantage of Tobias’ weakened state, kicking him hard in the ribs. The blow sent Tobias skidding across the water, crashing into Felix, who had just managed to get to his feet. They tumbled over each other, both groaning in pain.

“Hmph,” the serpent-man sneered, slowly rising to his feet. “Mere brats like you can never hope to defeat the mighty Sarkathis.” His voice dripped with malice as he approached the two boys, his shadow looming over them. With a wicked grin, he reached down and grabbed them both by their hair, lifting them effortlessly into the air.

Tobias winced in pain, guilt gnawing at him. “I… I should never have brought you here,” he muttered, his voice weak. “Now we’re going to die because of me…”

Felix, still reeling from the pain, shook his head weakly. “No, Tobias… it’s my fault. I’m the one who suggested the heist… If anyone should be apologizing, it’s me.”

“Did I say you could speak in the presence of The Great Sarkathis, you brats?” the serpent man growled. With a sneer, he slammed their heads into the ground, sending water splashing everywhere. The force of the impact knocked them both unconscious, leaving them sprawled in the shallow water.

Sarkathis stood over their limp bodies, his eyes glinting with cruel satisfaction. “Where is all that fighting spirit you just showed?” he mocked, kicking their bodies aside. “Pathetic.”

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He bared his razor-sharp teeth, his hunger evident. “Well then, time to enjoy a fitting meal after being trapped for all these years” He leaned down, his jaws opening wide as he prepared to feast.

In an explosive moment, a polearm of ice pierced clean through Sarkathis’s chest, eliciting a feral growl of pain that echoed ominously through the chamber. His eyes widened in shock, a mix of disbelief and fear igniting within him. “Edna?!” he gasped, but the moment of hope was swiftly dashed as he turned to face the source of the attack. Instead of his former lover, he found a slender young lady with striking blue hair and icy features, her glare like shards of frost.

“You’re not Edna! You’re just a brat!!” he spat, venom lacing his words as fury ignited in his heart.

Elara’s gaze narrowed, her voice steady despite the chaos swirling around them. “Huh, how do you know my mother’s na—?” But before she could finish, the fear in Sarkathis evaporated, replaced by a dark, boiling rage. He lunged forward with a primal roar, the room shaking with his fury.

In a heartbeat, Elara summoned her powers, the shallow water beneath him spiraling into icy tendrils that encased his legs freezing him in place. “You will cause no more destruction around here, you foul beast!” she declared, her voice unwavering, resonating with the authority of the ancient magic coursing through her veins.

Yet, Sarkathis laughed, a deep, mocking sound that reverberated through the chamber like a death knell. “I should have known you weren’t Edna from the start. Your power is nothing like hers!” In an instant, with a surge of unholy strength, he shattered the ice binding him and lunged at Elara, his hands wrapping around her throat with brutal force.

Elara gasped, the world narrowing to a single point of terror. Instinctively, she reached for his arm, desperately trying to freeze him. The ice licked around his wrist, shimmering with her magic, but faltered against his raw power. He charged forward, dragging her along as if she were a mere ragdoll, her abilities slipping through her fingers like water.

With a guttural roar, Sarkathis slammed Elara’s head into the stone wall behind her with brutal force. The impact reverberated through the air, a crack that shattered the very essence of the moment. Stars exploded in her vision, the overwhelming pain enveloping her, pulling her into the depths of darkness. The last echoes of Sarkathis’s laughter lingered, a sinister promise hanging in the frozen air.

As Elara lay unconscious, the atmosphere thickened with an ominous chill. A creeping frost enveloped the chamber, encasing the stone in a shimmering layer of ice, each breath visible in the frigid air like ghostly whispers escaping into the void. The air grew heavy with anticipation as footsteps echoed softly, each step resonating with a portentous weight.

Sarkathis, still basking in his apparent victory, suddenly froze. A cold dread gripped his heart, a primal instinct warning him of an impending storm. The frost thickened, swirling around him like a living entity, suffocating the remnants of his bravado. Then, the footsteps grew louder, deliberate and purposeful, slicing through the silence with a chilling clarity.

And then she emerged. A figure cloaked in ethereal frost, her presence both captivating and sinister. Ms. Larkin stepped forward, her form shimmering with an otherworldly light, an aura of power emanating from her that made the very air crackle with energy. Her piercing gaze locked onto Sarkathis, a tempest of anger and disdain boiling just beneath the surface.

His bravado crumbled before her, fear coiling tightly in his gut. “Edna…” he breathed, recognizing the formidable force that now stood before him, the embodiment of his past mistakes and shattered dreams.

Without uttering a single word, she raised her hand, and tendrils of frost spiraled forth, erupting from her fingertips like a blizzard unleashed. They encased Sarkathis in an impenetrable shell of ice, his struggles growing weaker, desperation clawing at his throat as he was completely immobilized in a frozen prison.

“Oh, how far you’ve fallen, Tristan,” she began, her voice echoing through the frigid chamber, laced with sorrow and strength. “You’ve stooped so low as to sell your soul to that devil for power, a power that is only consuming your mind.” Her piercing gaze flickered to Elara, unconscious yet serene. “You’d even go so far as to hurt your own daughter…”

A deep sadness filled her heart, a weight of regret and love intertwined. “I sealed you away down here, hoping you would reform, even in the slightest. But it seems I was blinded by my own love and wishful thinking.” She shook her head, a bittersweet smile crossing her lips, knowing that she had hoped against hope for a redemption that would never come.

“That all ends now,” she declared, her voice firm as she took a step closer to the frozen figure of Sarkathis. “Keeping you locked up around these wonderful children was an absolute error on my part, and I accept full responsibility.”

With each word, the air around her grew colder, her breath crystallizing into a mist of frost. The temperature plummeted, causing ice to creep along the walls and the very waters surrounding her to freeze solid. Yet her control over her magic was impeccable, a masterful dance of power that ensured the children remained untouched by the chilling embrace of her wrath.

Placing a hand gently on Sarkathis’s frozen temple, she felt a rush of memories flood back—moments of warmth, laughter, and the fleeting joy of a love that had once burned bright. “Oh, Tristan,” she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion, “why did you have to do this to yourself? If only I could have one more day in your warm embrace…”

But her sorrow quickly morphed into steely resolve. With a final breath, heavy with the weight of her decision, she uttered the words that would seal his fate. “Become shattered into nothingness.”

In an explosive release of power, Sarkathis’s frozen body disintegrated, shattering into a million glimmering fragments that danced like stars before fading into the cold darkness. The echoes of his existence dissipated, leaving behind an eerie silence that enveloped the chamber.

Alone amidst the shards of what once was, Ms. Larkin stood, icy tears flowing down her face, glistening like diamonds against her pale skin. Each tear fell like a silent farewell, mourning not just the man he had been, but the promise of what could have been—a love lost, a family broken, and the haunting reminder of a choice she could never undo.