Just as the fireball closed in, a sudden flash of silver streaked through the air. Helen appeared, her sword slicing through the flas, dispersing them into harmless sparks.
"Helen!" Emma gasped, her voice filled with relief.
Helen turned, her expression fierce but softening as she saw Emma and the children unhard. "Are you okay?"
Emma nodded, a genuine smile breaking through her fear. "Yes," she said, her voice steady now. "I am now."
Emma’s legs buckled beneath her as the tension left her body. Her knees hit the floor, her hands instinctively catching her fall. The overwhelming relief of surviving the attack drained her strength, leaving her trembling.
Helen let out a long, steady breath, lowering her sword slightly. "Thank God I made it in ti," she muttered, her voice filled with sign of relief . She quickly turned to Emma, extending a hand toward her. "Co on, Emma. Can you stand?"
Emma hesitated for a mont before reaching out, clasping Helen’s hand. The grip was firm and steady, a stark contrast to Emma’s trembling fingers. As Helen pulled her to her feet, she looked Emma in the eye, her expression urgent.
"Can you move?" Helen asked, her tone brisk. "I need you to get the kids and escape. It’s going to be dangerous here."
Emma nodded, swallowing her fear as she steadied herself. "Yes, I can."
Helen gave her a small, encouraging nod. "Good. Then go. I’ll keep her busy."
Emma held onto Helen’s hand a mont longer, her gratitude unspoken but clear in her eyes. With Helen’s help, she steadied herself fully, then turned to the children. Kneeling, she whispered, "Let’s go outside, okay? Stay close to ." The kids nodded, their faces pale but determined as they clung to her hands.
Zyrith, who had been silently observing, sneered as realization dawned. Her golden eyes narrowed dangerously. "Oh, I don’t think so," she said with a venomous grin. "You think I’ll let you just walk out of here?"
With a flick of her wrist, Zyrith summoned a barrage of fireballs that shot through the air, streaking toward the path Emma and the children were taking. The flas roared, crackling with deadly heat, their fiery light illuminating the room.
Helen moved like a blur, her sword flashing as she vanished and reappeared, intercepting each fireball with precise, calculated strikes. The flas dissipated with every swing, leaving sparks that flickered harmlessly before fading.
Helen turned toward Emma, her face etched with urgency. "Go!" she shouted, her voice sharp and commanding.
Emma didn’t hesitate. "Co on!" she urged the children, gripping their hands tightly as she led them toward the door. Their small feet stumbled, but Emma’s strength and determination pushed them forward.
Zyrith growled in frustration, her hand twitching as she prepared another spell. "This is going to be troubleso," she muttered, her voice dripping with annoyance.
Helen stepped between Zyrith and the fleeing group, her stance unwavering as she raised her sword. Her eyes locked onto Zyrith with fierce resolve. "You’ll have to go through first."
Zyrith sighed, tilting her head lazily as though Helen’s defiance was a re inconvenience. "I don’t have ti for this," she muttered. But the malicious smirk that followed betrayed her enjoynt of the situation.
Behind Helen, Emma and the children reached the door. Emma glanced back one last ti, her heart aching at the sight of Helen standing alone against such a powerful foe. But she didn’t stop. For the children, for Helen, for Junior—she had to keep moving. She pushed the door open, and she and the kids went outside.
Helen tightened her grip on her sword, her knuckles white. She squared her shoulders, her gaze never leaving Zyrith. "You’re not getting past ," she said, her voice low and steady.
Zyrith chuckled darkly, flexing her fingers as flas which began to swirl around her. "Let’s see how long you can keep that promise."
Zyrith stood with a predatory grin, her fingers dancing with fire as the heat in the room intensified.
"Is that the best you’ve got?" Zyrith teased, her voice laced with mockery. "I expected more from the one who dared to stand in my way."
Helen didn’t respond with words; instead, she surged forward, her sword slicing through the air with precision. The blade aid for Zyrith’s chest, but the fire mage sidestepped, twisting gracefully as a wall of fire erupted between them.
The flas roared, licking at Helen’s face, but she didn’t falter. With a swift upward slash, her blade cleaved through the fire, parting it like a curtain. She leapt through the opening, her sword arcing toward Zyrith once more.
Zyrith’s lips curled into a smirk as she conjured a fiery barrier on her forearm, deflecting the blow. Sparks flew as steel t fire, and the sheer force of the clash sent both won skidding back.
"Impressive," Zyrith admitted, her tone tinged with genuine admiration. "But you’ll need more than that to win."
Helen’s eyes narrowed. "I don’t need to win," she said coldly. "I just need to keep you here."
Zyrith’s laughter echoed through the room, rich and full of amusent. "Oh, you’re delightful! A noble little warrior playing hero. Let’s see how long you last."
Zyrith raised her hand, and a volley of fireballs shot forth, each one burning brighter than the last. Helen ducked and weaved, her movents swift and deliberate. Her sword flashed in the dim light, cutting through the projectiles with precision, each strike sending a cascade of embers into the air.
Zyrith’s smile widened, her eyes gleaming with excitent. "You’re better than I thought! Finally, a fight worth my ti!"
Helen closed the distance in an instant, her blade slicing downward in a deadly arc. Zyrith sidestepped, but Helen anticipated the movent, twisting her body to deliver a follow-up strike. This ti, the blade grazed Zyrith’s arm, tearing through the fabric of her sleeve and leaving a faint scorch mark on her skin.
Zyrith hissed, but her grin never faltered. "You drew blood," she murmured, almost reverently.
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