Lucian’s blade fell without hesitation.
It cut cleanly through Louise’s chest, sliding past ribs and flesh as though the man’s body were nothing more than parchnt.
Blood sprayed across the snow in a sickening arc, the warm steam rising instantly against the cold air.
Louise’s eyes widened in shock. His lips parted, but no sound ca. He collapsed forward with a dull thud, his body twitching once before falling still.
Lucian exhaled slowly, his breath clouding in the frigid storm.
It was over.
His blade trembled slightly, not from regret but from the sheer weight of what he had just done. His heart pounded painfully in his chest.
This man, this servant of the strange woman—he could no longer beco a threat to the village.
Lucian’s grip tightened on his weapon. He turned away. He had to move fast. Jamie would be waiting, and the others were still vulnerable.
But before he could take more than a step, the hairs on the back of his neck rose.
A sound.
A wet, unnatural twitch.
Lucian’s head snapped back toward the body lying in the snow.
Louise—who should have been dead, who should not have been able to move—was convulsing. His arms jerked unnaturally, his hands clawing at the blood-soaked earth.
His body twisted, spasming as though sothing deep inside him refused to let go.
"No..."
Lucian muttered under his breath, his stomach tightening.
He saw it clearly. Louise wasn’t reaching for him. He wasn’t trying to crawl away.
His trembling, blood-slicked fingers were stretching toward the fallen woman. Toward Lady Lilith.
Even in death, his loyalty was absolute.
Lucian’s pulse spiked. His instincts scread at him. If the two touched, sothing irreversible would happen.
He dashed forward, snow crunching under his boots, his blade flashing again.
But his body betrayed him. His legs were too short, his reach too small.
The distance between them vanished in a blink. Louise’s fingertips brushed against Lilith’s pale hand.
And then the world shuddered.
A dark ripple burst outward, forcing Lucian back several steps. His blade vibrated violently in his hand.
The system’s cold voice echoed in his mind.
[Warning: A corrupted entity has ford.]
Lucian’s eyes widened. His breath caught in his throat.
"Damn it..."
The two bodies twisted grotesquely, fusing together in a blur of shadows and flesh. Their forms lted into one another, warping, tearing, and reforming in a way that made Lucian’s stomach churn.
What erged was neither man nor woman. Neither human nor demon.
It was a monster.
Its body was misshapen, its limbs too long, its skin shifting between Lilith’s pale features and Louise’s scarred face. Its mouth opened unnaturally wide, releasing a distorted screech that tore through the storm.
The pressure of its presence hit Lucian like a wave. He raised his blade just in ti to block the attack that followed—a surge of dark energy crashing against him like a tidal wave.
His arms shook from the impact. His knees nearly buckled.
But he held firm.
The force pushed him back, carving long trails in the snow, but he remained standing. His reserves, however, were draining rapidly. His lungs burned, his muscles scread, and sweat froze instantly on his skin.
Lucian bit down hard on his lip, drawing blood to keep himself grounded.
Yet through the chaos, a sliver of good news surfaced.
The system whispered again:
[Estimated duration of corrupted entity: temporary.]
Lucian’s eyes narrowed. He understood imdiately.
This thing wasn’t ant to exist. The fusion was unnatural, unstable.
The lingering magic between Lilith and her servant had resonated against Lucian’s own power, forcing them into this deford monstrosity.
But such a construct couldn’t last.
As soon as the unstable energy burned out, the creature would vanish.
Lucian just had to endure.
He just had to keep it away from the valley until then.
He steadied his breathing, preparing himself. His plan was simple—draw its attention, bait it, and lead it far from the others.
But just as he tightened his grip on the blade, preparing to strike, another sound cut through the storm.
The sharp whistle of sothing flying.
A burst of sparks erupted against the monster’s side as a projectile slamd into it.
Lucian’s head whipped toward the source. His eyes widened.
Jamie.
She stood at the edge of the ridge, her bow still raised, flas dancing at her fingertips. Her shot hadn’t hard the creature, but it had succeeded in drawing its attention.
The monster’s head snapped toward her, its warped mouth opening in a grotesque grin before it lunged.
"Jamie!"
Lucian shouted, panic ripping through him.
But Jamie was already moving. Her body blurred as flas ignited at her feet, boosting her speed.
She slid back, her hand snapping up to unleash a stream of fire that clashed violently against the creature’s charge.
The snow hissed and lted instantly where the flas touched. The monster screeched in frustration, its montum halted for a split second.
Jamie seized the chance. She turned on her heel and sprinted into the storm, her fire lighting the path ahead.
Lucian’s heart lurched. He took a step forward, shouting again.
"Don’t be reckless! You’ll die out there!"
Jamie glanced back, her expression fierce despite the fear in her eyes.
I’m not being foolish, Lucian! No one wants to live as much as I do!"
She yelled over the roar of the wind.
Her flas burst brighter, defiant against the howling snow.
"I’ll lead it away from the valley! I’ve got more experience dealing with monsters like this than you do!"
Lucian clenched his fists. His instincts scread to chase after her, to drag her back.
But her eyes, blazing with determination, stopped him cold.
"Use the ti I buy you! Think of a way to finish this—because if we both get caught, the village won’t have anyone left to protect it!"
Jamie shouted.
Lucian’s teeth ground together. His chest tightened painfully.
But she was right.
She was always right when it mattered most.
As the storm swallowed her figure, flas trailing in her wake and the corrupted monster howling after her, Lucian forced himself to stand still.
He had a job to do now.
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