"Is there any other way to break through his barrier?" Grey panted, wiping the sweat from his brow as his legs trembled beneath him.
Luthor glanced at the group of warriors surrounding him. All were breathing heavily, their weapons barely steady in their hands. Every strike, every spell, had bounced off Ornaphendreul's shimmering dark barrier like paper against stone.
"I don't even know anymore…" Luthor admitted, a note of hopelessness creeping into his voice. "All those months of training… is this really all we amounted to?"
Kaium spat on the ground in frustration. "He's not even flinching. It's like he wants us to hit him. Just standing there like a statue…"
A low, cruel laugh erupted from within the swirling shadows that surrounded Ornaphendreul. The sound echoed like a taunt across the desolate battlefield, thick with tension and despair.
"Don't waste your breath," Ornaphendreul's voice rang out, smooth and venomous. "Your rage only feeds me. The more anger you feel, the more impenetrable I become. And that power you cling to—it's mine. I granted it to you. Did you really believe I'd offer you a gift that could destroy me?"
The warriors stiffened. Shin Fairy, already weakened from her injuries, staggered backward as the mark on her shoulder glowed ominously. Pain bloomed across her chest where a gash still throbbed from earlier. She collapsed to her knees, barely catching herself.
"Shin Fairy!" Erica cried, dashing toward her with Queen Krystle close behind.
"I'm fine…" Shin Fairy murmured through clenched teeth. "Don't worry about me, my Queen…"
But her voice faltered. She was anything but fine.
"Is there no other way?" Shiya asked quietly, her voice barely audible over the wind that whipped through the cracked earth.
Without a word, Sushie stepped forward. The air around her shifted. As she moved, a golden glow slowly enveloped her body. Her elven features sharpened—ears elongating, her delicate wings unfurling with a radiant shimmer that hadn't been seen in some time.
"The royal glimmer… it's back," Shin Fairy whispered, eyes widening. "She's returned to her true form."
Sushie looked around. The Erilians, and warriors, stood paralyzed with fear and fury. That emotion—fear, pain, bitterness—it was feeding Ornaphendreul, wrapping him in a barrier that none could touch. Her eyes narrowed.
"I might not know the answer," she thought, taking a stance. "But if he says rage empowers him, then maybe clarity—willpower—can pierce through it. I haven't been cursed like the others. That must mean something."
She prepared to leap, gathering her energy, when a hand reached out and gently caught her arm.
"Be careful," Xyon said softly.
Sushie blinked, caught off guard by the warmth in his voice. Though they had no deep history, his concern felt genuine—familiar, even.
"I will," she said with a gentle nod, her voice calm.
Shiya, standing nearby, felt her chest tighten. That look in Xyon's eyes—tender, protective—was the same one she had once adored. Was it possible he still cared? But if so, why had he changed? Why had he betrayed her? Why Xiao? Questions she had buried began to surface again.
Xyon met her gaze and faltered. He stepped forward, reaching out and gently taking her hand.
"I… I was just trying to encourage her," he said, almost defensively.
Shiya didn't pull away. For the first time in days, she didn't flinch at his touch. But instead of answering, she turned back to Ornaphendreul, who was now watching Sushie closely.
Sushie dashed forward and struck. Her blade met the barrier with a resounding clang—and was thrown back violently. She tumbled across the ground, bruised but alive.
Sushie's breath came in sharp bursts as her eyes locked onto Ornaphendreul. Every scream, every injury around her, fueled the fire inside. Shiya lay motionless. The others were helpless. Her heart pounded like war drums.
"You bastard…" she growled, her fists trembling. "You'll pay for this!"
Golden energy burst from her body as her wings unfurled in fury. She flew at him with a piercing scream, her blade shimmering with divine light. It struck the barrier—only to rebound violently, flinging her back into the dirt.
She snarled and launched again. Again. Again. Each strike more furious, more desperate.
But the barrier held.
Ornaphendreul didn't move.
"You're nothing but a child blinded by anger," he said coldly. "And your rage only strengthens me."
Still, she rose again, blood on her lip, eyes blazing.
"I don't care," Sushie spat. "I'll break you—even if I have to shatter myself doing it!"
"Why are you doing this?" Shiya called out to Ornaphendreul. "Is there someone who hurt you? Someone who betrayed you? I feel it—you don't want to kill us. You curse, yes, but you don't slaughter. Even your curse has a loophole. You left us a way to break it."
Ornaphendreul's eyes flicked toward her. For a brief moment, his expression softened. The human girl—no, she was something different. He could feel it. Something not of this world. But before that thought could take shape, the Phyrinx inside him growled, and the darkness surged again.
In a flash, he appeared in front of Shiya.
With a burst of energy, he hurled her against the edge of the barrier. The impact sent a deafening shockwave across the plain. Everyone screamed her name, but they couldn't reach her. The barrier was unbreakable.
Shiya coughed and gasped for air as Ornaphendreul gripped her throat. His eyes, once conflicted, now burned with hatred—but his hand trembled. Then—unexpectedly—a single tear from Shiya slipped down her cheek and touched his skin.
He froze.
"It's okay," Shiya thought, her vision dimming. "I'm used to people wanting me gone. If this is how it ends… maybe it's better."
Ornaphendreul released her. She collapsed, coughing, barely conscious.
"Don't speak to me of hope when you haven't conquered your own sorrow," he growled. Then he raised his hand. A black mist enveloped her, and she slumped, unconscious.
"Shiya!" Sushie screamed, eyes blazing with fury. "What did you do to her?!"
"She still lives," Ornaphendreul replied. "But it's up to her now—whether she chooses to return."
Yon Zue stepped forward. "What do you mean?!"
But Ornaphendreul only smirked.
"You wish to challenge me?" he asked Sushie. "Then come. Show me the strength of the protector of the stone."
Sushie inhaled deeply. The stone at her waist began to glow—brilliant, warm. It responded. At last. It shimmered, transformed, and formed into a blade.
With it in her hands, she stepped into the barrier. The light shielded her—for a moment. Then, her knees buckled. Her strength drained like water from a cracked jar.
He caught her blade with one hand.
"You are weak," Ornaphendreul said. "The stone is not. But like Shin Fairy… you lack the heart to wield it."
Sushie's limbs shook. Her hands moved against her will. Slowly—horrifyingly—she raised the sword toward her own chest.
"What's happening…?!" she cried inwardly. "I can't stop!"
Shin Fairy saw it, eyes widening in terror. "He's… controlling her…"
The Phyrinx surged with bloodlust. Ornaphendreul struggled, grimacing, but it craved blood.
"Stop it!" Shin Fairy shouted, stepping forward despite her pain. "Don't hurt her… she's your daughter!"
At that moment, in the realm beyond, Shiya stirred.
A droplet hit her cheek. Cold. Real. Her eyes blinked open.
She was floating—suspended in a dark, silent place.
"Where am I…?"
The air was cold. The darkness endless.
And then—voices.
"Shiya…"
She hugged her knees, sobbing, lost.
Another voice called—gentle, warm.
"Come with us."
A distant light glimmered ahead.
She blinked. Crawled. The darkness had shape now—a tunnel, a cave. She pulled herself toward the light, inch by inch. It was like crawling through sorrow itself.
Finally—she emerged.
Blinding white greeted her. Sand clung to her hands and feet.
She stood.
The landscape before her was unlike anything she'd ever seen—pristine shores, glistening skies, and an ocean that sparkled like glass. An otherworldly paradise.
And standing in the distance—were familiar figures.
Calling her home.