Zarathoz cast a look at Morgan that did not belong to this world. It wasn't just intimidating… it was abyssal. A devastating, terrifying gaze.
Morgan trembled. His body betrayed him mercilessly. Fear crawled up his spine like a chill, freezing his bones… making him shake.
And even so… he didn't let go.
His fingers remained desperately clutched around Zarathoz's hand.
They stood still.
Staring.
Measuring each other.
Time grew thick… unbearable.
Meanwhile, Luzbel was still being strangled. Her movements became weaker, more erratic… her hands clawed at the air in a futile struggle against something she couldn't defeat.
Then, Zarathoz's voice broke the silence.
She didn't shout.
She didn't need to.
It was a low, dragging whisper… loaded with restrained violence that made the skin crawl.
"Let me go… now."
It wasn't an order.
It was a threat.
Morgan swallowed hard. His heart pounded against his chest as if it wanted to escape. His voice came out broken, unsteady… but he managed to hold it just enough.
"No… not until you let Miss Luzbel go."
A mistake.
Or perhaps… an act of suicide.
Zarathoz's face slowly twisted. A grimace of fury spread across it, tightening every muscle, until her mouth opened wider than it should… revealing sharp, uneven… inhuman teeth.
And then… she let go.
Luzbel hit the ground with a dull thud, graceless, like a sack of potatoes. Air rushed back into her lungs all at once, but not as relief… as agony. She coughed desperately, choking on every attempt to breathe.
She curled into herself. Trembling. Trying to breathe.
And even so… she spoke.
She forced her voice through gasps, each word tearing at her throat.
"Pl… please…"
She coughed, her voice breaking apart between syllables.
"He… he has… nothing to do with this…"
Her body wouldn't respond.
Her voice was falling apart.
But she still insisted…
"Le… leave him… alone… Zarathoz…"
Zarathoz completely ignored Luzbel's words.
There was no doubt… no hesitation… only that heavy silence that precedes violence.
Morgan was still holding her.
But then—
Pain.
No… it wasn't pain.
It was a living, savage burn, as if he had plunged his hand into molten iron, as if his very flesh were being punished for daring to exist. A lash of fire shot through his arm.
He let go of Zarathoz immediately.
He stumbled back on pure instinct, shaking his hand, trembling, trying to rid himself of that unbearable sensation.
He didn't even get to see what had hurt him.
Because in the next instant—
Zarathoz's hands were already around his neck.
Squeezing.
Squeezing with brutal, inhuman force.
Her claws dug into his skin, tearing it open. Blood spilled out, hot and thick… slipping between the fingers of that creature who no longer seemed aware of herself.
Her eyes…
Empty.
Lost.
As if something inside her had broken… or worse, as if she had decided to stop resisting.
There was no reason left.
No trace of her.
Only rage.
Pure, blind, absolute.
Luzbel struggled to rise.
The air felt heavy.
Fear crawled across the ground like a shadow.
She tried to use her abilities.
But she didn't get the chance.
Zarathoz's tail moved.
A sharp blow.
Violent.
Fast.
Final.
The impact slammed her against the ground, knocking her unconscious and leaving her motionless.
Silence.
Except for Morgan's strangled gasps.
Satana and Galahad reacted.
They lunged at Zarathoz, grabbing her arms, trying to pull her away with all their strength.
"Let him go! Please, let him go!"
Their voices broke.
Tears fell uncontrollably.
But it wasn't enough.
It never was.
Morgan felt the world beginning to fade.
Air no longer entered his lungs.
The pressure on his neck was unbearable.
His vision…
Darkened.
"Damn… I feel like I'm fading…"
(Morgan thought, slowly losing consciousness.)
Everything became distant.
Heavy.
Cold.
And then—
A voice.
An echo.
Not external…
Internal.
"Damn it… could you at least leave me alone for one damn minute?"
Something changed.
Suddenly.
Violently.
"Morgan" raised his hands.
He placed them on both sides of Zarathoz's head.
His eyes…
Were no longer the same.
There was something else there.
Something sharp.
Something… defiant.
His voice came out broken… but charged with dangerous intent.
"Let's see if you like this."
Then it happened.
It wasn't a physical attack.
It was worse.
Hundreds…
No.
Thousands of images burst into Zarathoz's mind.
Fragments.
Memories.
Pain.
Happiness.
Voices.
Screams.
People.
All at once.
Without order.
Without pause.
Without mercy.
The brain couldn't process it.
Couldn't defend itself.
Couldn't escape.
Zarathoz let go of Morgan.
His body hit the ground with a dull thud.
And then she began to convulse.
Violent spasms.
Uncontrollable.
"Morgan" dropped to his knees, coughing violently, clutching his neck, desperate for air.
Every breath was a battle.
He barely managed to lift himself, just enough to look.
Zarathoz was still on the ground.
Twisting.
"Damn… I think I went too far…"
(He whispered, almost without emotion.)
Silence returned.
Heavy.
Suffocating.
"Morgan" let himself fall completely to the ground.
Face down.
Staring into nothing.
Trying to steady his breathing, trying to recover air.
And in the end…
He only said:
"I hate this place."
End of chapter.
Next chapter:
This is more than I expected: Part 2