--
James could feel sweat rolling down his tiny face as he remained encased in the protective barrier. They were in serious trouble.
The heavy, fortified door behind them—the only escape route—was tightly sealed. Unlocking it would take time.
Time they did not have.
Tridnya, the family head, turned sharply, her violet eyes burning with urgency. She thrust the child into his mother's arms.
"Run. I'll hold them off."
James' mother hesitated. "But if something happens to you—"
"GO!" Tridnya bellowed. A halo of green light flared around her, its radiance casting ghostly shadows against the chamber walls. Her aura sharpened—like a blade drawn from its sheath.
James' mother didn't argue further. She turned on her heel and sprinted toward the door, her trembling fingers working frantically to unseal it.
Tridnya turned back to face the darkness ahead.
The enemy had yet to strike. They were watching.
Waiting.
And then—
A figure stepped from the abyss.
The shadows clung to him, reluctant to let go. A tattered black cloak billowed in the still air, the fabric swallowing what little light touched it. Silver hair, streaked with crimson, framed a face of cold precision—sharp jaw, hollowed cheeks, and eyes like embers smoldering in the dark.
The air thickened.
His presence was suffocating.
A silent promise of death hung in the dim glow of the chamber's lanterns, where blood-stained steel gleamed at his side.
GASP.
Tridnya felt her breath catch in her throat.
She knew exactly who he was.
A name barely escaped her lips—one spoken in disbelief, in horror.
"Kousi?"
Her voice trembled, her fingers clenched into fists.
It couldn't be.
But it was.
Kousi took a slow step forward, his boots clicking softly against the ancient engravings etched into the stone floor. Symbols flickered to life beneath him, reacting to the twisted energy in the air. Even the world itself trembled before him.
"They took you away from me, Tridnya," Kousi rasped. His voice was low, cold, and broken—a mixture of bitterness and longing. "And for that… I will watch them all burn."
Tears welled in Tridnya's violet eyes.
This was her fault.
She had tried to let go. Had tried to move on. Had tried to bury him deep in the past, where painful memories belonged.
But he had never let go.
His love for her had twisted into something monstrous—something that refused to die. He both worshiped and cursed her. And for years, he had tormented her clan, tearing them apart piece by piece.
Her father.
Her husband.
Her world, family and clan.
And he still wasn't satisfied. Her chest ached, her hands trembled.
She knew what he wanted. All those years she had watched people around her die because of the monster her own hands had created—she couldn't allow that monster to roam free any longer. She had finally found him... and she was never letting go.
Determined, she begun activating her secret technique."This has to end, Kousi," she declared, her voice trembling with a mix of resolve and sorrow.
Kousi glared at her coldly. "No." he spat, flames dancing around his figure.
"You are MINE," he snarled. "And they took you away from me. Why should they get to smile while I suffer? Why should they live? They all must burn for their atrocities."
He stretched out his arm and unleashed a funnel of flames roaring towards her.
Tridnya reacted instantly. She drew the pin from her hair, letting her long obsidian locks cascade freely, and slammed her palm into the air before her.
A shimmering barrier unfolded, deflecting the flames.
The heat was unbearable, but she stood firm.
Meanwhile, behind her, James' mother had managed to unseal the door. She clutched the baby to her chest and ran.
Tridnya knew she wouldn't be able to follow.
She turned back to Kousi, her grip tightening on the pin in her hand.
It lengthened—the jade blade revealing itself, its edges shimmering with deadly precision.
"Just like the old times," she murmured.
Kousi laughed, a chilling sound. "Leave my lover in my hands and go after the woman and that child. Kill them all—we'll wipe the Barpoi clan and the whole Ethnarcy off the map today," he snarled to the enemies who were still waiting in the shadows.
His sword ignited, the flames licking hungrily at the air as he lunged at her before she could react to his subordinates.
Their blades clashed.
The impact shattered the stone beneath them. Lanterns flickered. Shadows danced. The chamber became a war zone.
Tridnya fought with everything she had, her sword a blur against the whirlwind of Kousi's assault. Sparks flew with every strike, the air thick with the scent of burning stone.
"You've gotten better since we last met," Kousi taunted amid their clashes.
Tridnya ignored his words, pouring her heart into her battle. They had been at it for what felt like an eternity, and the shelter teetered on the brink of collapse.
She was tiring.
He was relentless. A storm of fury and obsession.
"But I've always been better," he declared, spotting a flaw in her defense and stabbing her right in the ribs. His smile turned into a nasty grin.
She gasped as her grip slackened—
Blood dripped onto the cold stone floor.
"Why?" Kousi leaned in close, his breath hot against her ear.
"Because I loved you more than you ever loved me," he whispered as poured more flames into his sword, frying her insides.
The sound was sickening.
Pain.
Unbearable pain.
Her jade sword clattered to the ground. Her legs gave way. There was no way she could survive such a serious injury—he had won. Yet, even as he stood victorious, his chest felt unbearably empty, as if something vital was missing.
She was dying.
And yet… she smiled.
Kousi frowned. "Why are you—?"
And then—
In a sudden, bewildering move, she reached up and grabbed his face, her fingers digging into his skin.
And she kissed him.
For a moment, time froze.
Kousi's entire being shook.
Did this mean…
Had she still loved him all along?
Had all this been a mistake?
Why?
Why had he hurt her so badly?
Why had he done this?
Then—
A sharp pain, a draining sensation.
No.
Kousi's eyes widened in horror.
This stupid woman—She had used a secret technique. His life force was being ripped away.
"NO… NO…" Kousi gasped, struggling against her hold. But she wouldn't let go.
He felt his limbs grow heavy. His flames flickered. His power was leaving him then finally, his body gave out as his sword clattered to the ground.