Chapter 43 – The Fall of Fire and Shadow
The throne room of Natas was silent, but not peaceful.
Silence here had a pulse — thick, heavy, alive. It crawled along the walls, across the glowing symbols carved into black stone, up toward the monstrous throne at the far end.
At its base sat Annaïs.
Her small frame was half-shrouded by chains that ran from her ankles and wrists to the steps of Natas's seat. The iron was cold, and each link pulsed faintly with red light, matching the beat of her frightened heart. Her dark curls were messy, her cheeks streaked with tears that shimmered in the dim glow.
She had been there for days — or maybe weeks. Time didn't feel right here. The air didn't move unless Natas wanted it to.
Above her, the Lord of the Loa sat lazily on his throne — tall, pale-skinned with faint gray veins tracing up his neck. His long black hair fell to his shoulders, his eyes an unnatural silver that reflected light but gave none. Around him, reality seemed thinner, like even the air obeyed his mood.
One of the guards knelt before him. "My lord, the intruders have breached the first halls. But your generals—"
Natas waved a hand. "My generals will handle them."
His voice was smooth, almost soft — the kind of tone that made even violence sound like a favor. "They've been waiting for a fight. Let them stretch."
Annaïs's head lifted weakly. "Please… please stop this. My father—he'll come. He'll—"
"—die," Natas finished, smiling faintly. "He'll die trying to reach you. Just like every fool who loves too deeply."
She clenched her fists. "You don't understand love, do you?"
Natas chuckled, eyes glowing faintly. "Oh, I do. I understand it enough to use it."
---
Minutes passed.
Then the ground trembled.
A deep echo rolled through the throne room — one, then another.
Natas frowned, tilting his head. "Hmph. That was fast."
A faint green light flickered beneath the great doors, then a shadow — and then a blast so violent that it cracked the entire wall.
The doors exploded inward.
Through the smoke came three figures — Zed, Makroz, and Carmel. The hall behind them burned, the floor littered with shattered stone and the broken armor of Natas's soldiers. The three generals lay sprawled across the marble, bloodied and beaten — their auras flickering weakly.
Bètlèd groaned, his hammer split in half. Azouzwèl's crystal was dim. Baka's whips were torn, one coil still smoking.
Zed stood at the center, fire trailing from his shoulders like wings. His eyes glowed gold — no mercy left in them.
Makroz stood beside him, shadows rolling across his body like waves of smoke, his expression cold as winter.
Carmel stepped behind them, her staff glowing softly, the rose at its top half-open, shimmering with divine light.
Annaïs gasped, tears spilling again as she screamed, "FATHER! HELP ME!!"
Her voice cracked through the silence like a prayer breaking the clouds.
Zed's heart clenched at the sound — that was his little girl's voice, trembling but fierce. "Annaïs!" he called, fire bursting at his feet as he stepped forward.
But before he could reach her, Natas began clapping.
Slowly. Mockingly.
"Well, well," the dark god said, leaning forward on his throne, smiling wide — too wide, the corners of his mouth stretching unnaturally close to his ears. "How amusing… and brave. Do you two even realize who I am?"
Makroz muttered, "We've got a good idea."
Natas's smile didn't falter. "You've got more guts than I thought — walking into my castle and thinking you can challenge me." He stood, his height dwarfing everyone in the room. His silver eyes burned like two full moons. "But you have no idea what you've just stepped into."
Zed didn't even flinch. "I didn't come here to challenge you."
His voice trembled — not with fear, but fury. "I came here for my daughter. That's it. I don't care about your games, your throne, or your plans. I want my daughter back."
For a second, Natas looked almost touched — then laughed. "Your daughter? You mean my future queen?"
Zed's flames surged instantly. "What did you just say?"
"Oh yes," Natas said softly, stepping down the stairs. "She's perfect. Beautiful. Her spirit burns like yours, but she has something you never had — purity. Potential. I plan to make her my servant first… then my bride."
Annaïs's breath hitched, her eyes wide with horror. "No… no, you can't—!"
Zed's voice thundered, shaking the walls. "You dare—?! You dare touch her and call it love!?"
The flames around him erupted like a volcano. The marble floor beneath his feet melted into lava.
"Makroz!" he shouted, fury radiating from him. "Get her out of here!"
Makroz's eyes darkened. "Not without you."
"I said get her out!"
But Makroz just smirked faintly. "You think I'd leave you alone to do something this stupid?"
Zed almost smiled — that's exactly why he was his brother-in-arms.
"Fine," Zed growled. "Then we do this together."
"Like always," Makroz said.
They charged.
---
The throne room erupted into chaos.
Zed's flames roared high, striking like serpents. Makroz vanished into shadows, reappearing in flashes of black smoke. Natas didn't even move — he simply lifted one finger.
The air bent.
Zed's body twisted mid-run, slammed sideways into a column that exploded on impact. Makroz appeared behind Natas with a shadow blade drawn, but the god flicked his wrist — Makroz was hurled through the air, smashing through three pillars before hitting the ground hard enough to crack the tiles.
Natas sighed. "Really, you came all this way just to decorate my floor?"
Zed roared, flames bursting from his hands. He thrust them forward, and a torrent of molten fire surged toward the throne. The blaze swallowed everything — the throne, the columns, even the air shimmered from the heat.
When the smoke cleared… Natas stood untouched.
The flames curved around him like scared animals avoiding a predator.
Makroz got to his feet, coughing blood. "What kind of power is that…?"
"Dominion," Natas said. "I don't just use power. I command it."
He raised his hand. Zed and Makroz both froze mid-motion — suspended in the air like puppets. The invisible pressure crushed the air from their lungs.
Annaïs screamed again, struggling against her chains. "Stop it! Stop hurting them!"
Natas glanced at her, smiling faintly. "My dear, I'm not hurting them… I'm showing them their place."
He clenched his fist.
Both Zed and Makroz were slammed into the walls, then dragged across them, the stone cracking beneath their bodies. They tried to rise, but Natas flicked a finger, sending them crashing back down again.
Carmel stood frozen for a heartbeat, her staff trembling in her hands. She could feel it — this wasn't a fight they could win.
Zed coughed, blood dripping from his mouth, still burning, still refusing to fall. "You can… do better than that!"
Natas smiled. "You want better?"
The air began to hum, vibrating like a thousand voices whispering at once. The walls turned blacker, shadows twisting into faces.
Natas's body glowed faintly as his silver eyes turned black. "Let's see how you handle this."
He raised both hands, and the floor opened beneath Zed and Makroz — a swirling black vortex filled with teeth-like shadows.
"Glutton of the Abyss."
The void screamed as it pulled everything inward.
Carmel gasped. "No—!"
Zed and Makroz fought to resist, fire and shadow pushing back, but Natas's will was crushing. Their power was draining fast, their bodies weakening.
"Carmel!" Zed shouted through the roar of the wind. "Take her! Take Annaïs and run!"
Makroz growled, trying to climb upward. "Go! Now!"
Carmel's heart pounded. She knew this moment — Mèt Agwe-Djall had warned her. "When the abyss opens, and the sun and the moon begin to fade, you'll know what must be done."
She reached into her satchel and pulled out a small medallion — the same one Peterson would one day find. Three skulls circled by twin serpents. It glowed faintly green.
Mèt Agwe's words echoed in her mind:
"If the Lord of the Abyss tries to consume them, use the medallion. Seal their souls before his hunger does."
Natas's laughter filled the chamber. "You think you can fight eternity?"
Carmel ignored him. She raised her staff high. "Divine Light — Sanctum Seal!"
A flash of pure white exploded from her body, brighter than the sun.
Natas hissed, shielding his eyes. "What—?! No!!"
The light struck Zed and Makroz, wrapping them in a cocoon of gold and red. Their bodies shimmered — then vanished, absorbed into the medallion in her palm.
The explosion of light shattered the throne room. Natas screamed, clutching his head as the light burned through his magic. The floor cracked, his generals' unconscious bodies thrown across the hall like rag dolls.
When the light finally dimmed —
The throne room was in ruins.
Two lifeless bodies lay where Zed and Makroz had been.
Carmel and Annaïs were gone.
Natas blinked, dazed, smoke rising from his skin. Then he realized what was missing — the girl, and the light-bearer.
A slow, venomous rage spread across his face.
"...No one escapes me."
His voice echoed like thunder.
He looked down at his fallen generals and slammed his fist into the ground, the shockwave shaking the entire castle.
"I will find her," he growled. "And I will rip that woman apart piece by piece. Then I'll take back what's mine — my bride."
He looked up toward the broken ceiling, where the light had vanished.
His eyes narrowed. "You can't hide forever, Carmel. Not you… not the girl… and not those two souls."
He raised his hand — a faint black mist coiling from his fingers.
"Run while you can." His lips curled into a grin. "When I find you… even the gods won't save you."
---
Outside, far beyond the broken castle and the cursed lands, a bright flash tore through the night sky.
Carmel stumbled into a forest clearing, her arms wrapped around a trembling Annaïs.
The medallion pulsed faintly in her hand — warm, alive, and heavy.
She fell to her knees, panting, tears streaming down her face.
"They're safe… they're sealed," she whispered. "Zed, Makroz… your souls are safe."
Annaïs sobbed, clinging to her. "My father… he's gone, isn't he?"
Carmel held her close, voice trembling but gentle. "No. He's not gone. He's waiting… sleeping inside this medallion. One day, someone will awaken them both."
The medallion glowed again, faintly pulsing — as if answering her words.
Carmel looked toward the night sky, whispering, "Until then… I'll protect her. I promise."
The forest wind carried her vow through the darkness.
And somewhere far away, beneath centuries of time, that same medallion would one day call out to another soul — a boy named Peterson Joseph.
---
End of Chapter 43 – The Fall of Fire and Shadow
---
Would you like the next chapter (44) to open directly with Carmel and Annaïs finding refuge — showing how they hide the medallion and the story jumps toward Peterson's era — or would you like a short "aftermath" chapter from Natas's point of view, showing him rebuilding his army and plotting revenge?
e throne room of Natas was silent, but not peaceful.
Silence here had a pulse — thick, heavy, alive. It crawled along the walls, across the glowing symbols carved into black stone, up toward the monstrous throne at the far end.
At its base sat Annaïs.
Her small frame was half-shrouded by chains that ran from her ankles and wrists to the steps of Natas's seat. The iron was cold, and each link pulsed faintly with red light, matching the beat of her frightened heart. Her dark curls were messy, her cheeks streaked with tears that shimmered in the dim glow.
She had been there for days — or maybe weeks. Time didn't feel right here. The air didn't move unless Natas wanted it to.
Above her, the Lord of the Loa sat lazily on his throne — tall, pale-skinned with faint gray veins tracing up his neck. His long black hair fell to his shoulders, his eyes an unnatural silver that reflected light but gave none. Around him, reality seemed thinner, like even the air obeyed his mood.
One of the guards knelt before him. "My lord, the intruders have breached the first halls. But your generals—"
Natas waved a hand. "My generals will handle them."
His voice was smooth, almost soft — the kind of tone that made even violence sound like a favor. "They've been waiting for a fight. Let them stretch."
Annaïs's head lifted weakly. "Please… please stop this. My father—he'll come. He'll—"
"—die," Natas finished, smiling faintly. "He'll die trying to reach you. Just like every fool who loves too deeply."
She clenched her fists. "You don't understand love, do you?"
Natas chuckled, eyes glowing faintly. "Oh, I do. I understand it enough to use it."
Minutes passed.
Then the ground trembled.
A deep echo rolled through the throne room — one, then another.
Natas frowned, tilting his head. "Hmph. That was fast."
A faint green light flickered beneath the great doors, then a shadow — and then a blast so violent that it cracked the entire wall.
The doors exploded inward.
Through the smoke came three figures — Zed, Makroz, and Carmel. The hall behind them burned, the floor littered with shattered stone and the broken armor of Natas's soldiers. The three generals lay sprawled across the marble, bloodied and beaten — their auras flickering weakly.
Bètlèd groaned, his hammer split in half. Azouzwèl's crystal was dim. Baka's whips were torn, one coil still smoking.
Zed stood at the center, fire trailing from his shoulders like wings. His eyes glowed gold — no mercy left in them.
Makroz stood beside him, shadows rolling across his body like waves of smoke, his expression cold as winter.
Carmel stepped behind them, her staff glowing softly, the rose at its top half-open, shimmering with divine light.
Annaïs gasped, tears spilling again as she screamed, "FATHER! HELP ME!!"
Her voice cracked through the silence like a prayer breaking the clouds.
Zed's heart clenched at the sound — that was his little girl's voice, trembling but fierce. "Annaïs!" he called, fire bursting at his feet as he stepped forward.
But before he could reach her, Natas began clapping.
Slowly. Mockingly.
"Well, well," the dark god said, leaning forward on his throne, smiling wide — too wide, the corners of his mouth stretching unnaturally close to his ears. "How amusing… and brave. Do you two even realize who I am?"
Makroz muttered, "We've got a good idea."
Natas's smile didn't falter. "You've got more guts than I thought — walking into my castle and thinking you can challenge me." He stood, his height dwarfing everyone in the room. His silver eyes burned like two full moons. "But you have no idea what you've just stepped into."
Zed didn't even flinch. "I didn't come here to challenge you."
His voice trembled — not with fear, but fury. "I came here for my daughter. That's it. I don't care about your games, your throne, or your plans. I want my daughter back."
For a second, Natas looked almost touched — then laughed. "Your daughter? You mean my future queen?"
Zed's flames surged instantly. "What did you just say?"
"Oh yes," Natas said softly, stepping down the stairs. "She's perfect. Beautiful. Her spirit burns like yours, but she has something you never had — purity. Potential. I plan to make her my servant first… then my bride."
Annaïs's breath hitched, her eyes wide with horror. "No… no, you can't—!"
Zed's voice thundered, shaking the walls. "You dare—?! You dare touch her and call it love!?"
The flames around him erupted like a volcano. The marble floor beneath his feet melted into lava.
"Makroz!" he shouted, fury radiating from him. "Get her out of here!"
Makroz's eyes darkened. "Not without you."
"I said get her out!"
But Makroz just smirked faintly. "You think I'd leave you alone to do something this stupid?"
Zed almost smiled — that's exactly why he was his brother-in-arms.
"Fine," Zed growled. "Then we do this together."
"Like always," Makroz said.
They charged.
The throne room erupted into chaos.
Zed's flames roared high, striking like serpents. Makroz vanished into shadows, reappearing in flashes of black smoke. Natas didn't even move — he simply lifted one finger.
The air bent.
Zed's body twisted mid-run, slammed sideways into a column that exploded on impact. Makroz appeared behind Natas with a shadow blade drawn, but the god flicked his wrist — Makroz was hurled through the air, smashing through three pillars before hitting the ground hard enough to crack the tiles.
Natas sighed. "Really, you came all this way just to decorate my floor?"
Zed roared, flames bursting from his hands. He thrust them forward, and a torrent of molten fire surged toward the throne. The blaze swallowed everything — the throne, the columns, even the air shimmered from the heat.
When the smoke cleared… Natas stood untouched.
The flames curved around him like scared animals avoiding a predator.
Makroz got to his feet, coughing blood. "What kind of power is that…?"
"Dominion," Natas said. "I don't just use power. I command it."
He raised his hand. Zed and Makroz both froze mid-motion — suspended in the air like puppets. The invisible pressure crushed the air from their lungs.
Annaïs screamed again, struggling against her chains. "Stop it! Stop hurting them!"
Natas glanced at her, smiling faintly. "My dear, I'm not hurting them… I'm showing them their place."
He clenched his fist.
Both Zed and Makroz were slammed into the walls, then dragged across them, the stone cracking beneath their bodies. They tried to rise, but Natas flicked a finger, sending them crashing back down again.
Carmel stood frozen for a heartbeat, her staff trembling in her hands. She could feel it — this wasn't a fight they could win.
Zed coughed, blood dripping from his mouth, still burning, still refusing to fall. "You can… do better than that!"
Natas smiled. "You want better?"
The air began to hum, vibrating like a thousand voices whispering at once. The walls turned blacker, shadows twisting into faces.
Natas's body glowed faintly as his silver eyes turned black. "Let's see how you handle this."
He raised both hands, and the floor opened beneath Zed and Makroz — a swirling black vortex filled with teeth-like shadows.
"Glutton of the Abyss."
The void screamed as it pulled everything inward.
Carmel gasped. "No—!"
Zed and Makroz fought to resist, fire and shadow pushing back, but Natas's will was crushing. Their power was draining fast, their bodies weakening.
"Carmel!" Zed shouted through the roar of the wind. "Take her! Take Annaïs and run!"
Makroz growled, trying to climb upward. "Go! Now!"
Carmel's heart pounded. She knew this moment — Mèt Agwe-Djall had warned her. "When the abyss opens, and the sun and the moon begin to fade, you'll know what must be done."
She reached into her satchel and pulled out a small medallion — the same one Peterson would one day find. Three skulls circled by twin serpents. It glowed faintly green.
Mèt Agwe's words echoed in her mind:
"If the Lord of the Abyss tries to consume them, use the medallion. Seal their souls before his hunger does."
Natas's laughter filled the chamber. "You think you can fight eternity?"
Carmel ignored him. She raised her staff high. "Divine Light — Sanctum Seal!"
A flash of pure white exploded from her body, brighter than the sun.
Natas hissed, shielding his eyes. "What—?! No!!"
The light struck Zed and Makroz, wrapping them in a cocoon of gold and red. Their bodies shimmered — then vanished, absorbed into the medallion in her palm.
The explosion of light shattered the throne room. Natas screamed, clutching his head as the light burned through his magic. The floor cracked, his generals' unconscious bodies thrown across the hall like rag dolls.
When the light finally dimmed —
The throne room was in ruins.
Two lifeless bodies lay where Zed and Makroz had been.
Carmel and Annaïs were gone.
Natas blinked, dazed, smoke rising from his skin. Then he realized what was missing — the girl, and the light-bearer.
A slow, venomous rage spread across his face.
"...No one escapes me."
His voice echoed like thunder.
He looked down at his fallen generals and slammed his fist into the ground, the shockwave shaking the entire castle.
"I will find her," he growled. "And I will rip that woman apart piece by piece. Then I'll take back what's mine — my bride."
He looked up toward the broken ceiling, where the light had vanished.
His eyes narrowed. "You can't hide forever, Carmel. Not you… not the girl… and not those two souls."
He raised his hand — a faint black mist coiling from his fingers.
"Run while you can." His lips curled into a grin. "When I find you… even the gods won't save you."
Outside, far beyond the broken castle and the cursed lands, a bright flash tore through the night sky.
Carmel stumbled into a forest clearing, her arms wrapped around a trembling Annaïs.
The medallion pulsed faintly in her hand — warm, alive, and heavy.
She fell to her knees, panting, tears streaming down her face.
"They're safe… they're sealed," she whispered. "Zed, Makroz… your souls are safe."
Annaïs sobbed, clinging to her. "My father… he's gone, isn't he?"
Carmel held her close, voice trembling but gentle. "No. He's not gone. He's waiting… sleeping inside this medallion. One day, someone will awaken them both."
The medallion glowed again, faintly pulsing — as if answering her words.
Carmel looked toward the night sky, whispering, "Until then… I'll protect her. I promise."
The forest wind carried her vow through the darkness.
And somewhere far away, beneath centuries of time, that same medallion would one day call out to another soul — a boy named Peterson Joseph.