Freya let out a faint whimper, bringing my attention back to the present. She fell to her knees, her eyes locked on to Kyro's... Thorn's lifeless body.
I knew I had to find a way to stop Kyro, but I never really wished for him to die, let alone at the hands of Lucy. Deaths like this, were the reason why I hated fighting in the first place.
At least he died fighting for what he believed in.
I wrapped my arm tighter around Lucy. Her skin felt cold, but her new mana burned intensely within her, completely different from what I usually felt. It was ancient and powerful.
Breaking Kyro's pendant had awakened the strange power within her. I had no idea what it was, but it had magnified her mana tenfold.
The innocent girl I had been protecting for the past two months was no more. Lucy Daevalia now had blood on her hands, and she was well on her way to becoming the Shadow Queen.
But I wasn't going to give up on her. Not yet.
"We need to go," I said, rising to my feet. The moonlight above had completely vanished, and the forest was still alive with dozens of creatures. Freya got up as well, moving closer to with her arms tucked into her waist.
Suddenly, the sound of leaves rustling reached my ears. I tilted my head in the direction of the sound.
Not long after, a low growl could be heard around us. In the shadows beneath the trees, I could see not one, not two, but five pairs of red eyes staring back at .
"We need to move now," I yelled at Freya, grabbing Lucy's arms.
The growls intensified, and not long after, heavy footsteps closed in on us.
My heart pounded as I yanked Lucy to her feet, her body still trembling from her sobs.
"Run!" I shouted, pulling Lucy along.
Freya didn't need to be told twice. She ran beside , her green cloak flapping as we jumped into the bushes.
Branches clawed at my face, but I didn't stop. Lucy stumbled occasionally, but I kept my grip tight, dragging her behind as we moved through the forest.
The Direbears roared behind us, their massive forms crashing through the trees. I could hear their claws splashing through the trees as they chased after us.
My lungs burned in my chest, but I pushed harder, dodging roots and low branches. The forest was a blur of shadows and thorns, and every path looked the sa.
"Which way do we go?" Freya gasped.
"Just keep moving!" I yelled even though I had no idea where we were going. The forest was like a large maze, and every turn felt like it led nowhere.
My mind raced, as I tried to piece together a plan.
Lucy's mana pulsed beside , wild and unsteady, like a storm trapped in her skin. I wanted to encourage her to fight the beasts behind us, but I couldn't let her lose control again
The growls were closer now. Too close.
Freya's dagger was still in my arm, but it was almost useless against their thick hides, and my mana was drained from the lightning storm. With my remaining mana, I could face a single Direbear or two. But five was one too many for to handle.
Freya vines could hold them for a while, but from the looks of it, she was spent as well. .
"Rin!" Lucy's voice broke through my thoughts, weak but urgent. "I… I can't keep up.".
"You have to." I tightened my grip on her arm, "We're not dying here."
Freya glanced back, her eyes wide. "They're gaining on us!"
I cursed under my breath, scanning the darkness for any sign of escape.
The trees seed to dance around us, their branches curling like fingers. I could feel it, the subtle hum of magic in the air.
The forest was enchanted and it was guiding us in circles, changing the paths to trap us.
After running for a while, we burst into a clearing.
My heart sank.
It was the sa damn clearing we'd started in.
Thorn's body lay there, lifeless, his neck twisted unnaturally. The direbear fang glinted nearby, its red glow faint but still pulsing.
We'd run in a loop.
"Fuck," I muttered, my chest heaving. "It's a maze. The forest is trying to keep us here."
Freya spun around, turning back to .
"What do we do? Those things are right behind us!"
The Direbears broke through the trees, into the sa clearing. Their massive forms lood in the shadows, their red eyes burning like red hot embers.
Lucy slumped against , her breath ragged. "Rin… I'm sorry. For… for everything."
"Not now," I said. "We're getting out of this."
I tried to believe my own words, but I knew the reality was dire.
As I glanced around, searching for a new path, my eyes darted to Kyro's body
Then I saw it — a glint of silver on his finger.
It was the Mimic ring.
I dropped to my knees beside Kyro, pulling the ring off his cold finger. A white flash of light erupted, and Thorn returned to his original form.
I glanced at the ring in my palm. I wasn't sure how to use it, but it was our only shot.
"Rin!" Freya scread, her hands raised as she whispered a spell.
Green vines shot from the ground. They wrapped around the nearest Direbear, but it roared, shredding them with a swipe of its claws. The others were closing in, their massive bodies blocking every path.
I slipped the ring onto my finger, the mana surging through like a jolt. I closed my eyes, trying to feel the spell Kyro had used.
"Hold on to !" I shouted, grabbing Lucy's arm. Freya ran toward us, her hand clutching my cloak.
The Direbears charged forward, their roars shaking the ground. I closed my eyes, and yelled out a spell.
"Space Affinity: Teleport."
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