The headless Mindreaver's body started to twist around, moving all over the room, hitting everything in its way. The painting on the wall and the vase on the wooden table dropped down and shattered in a single attack.
Aziel looked at the Mindreaver and then at Emilia and Lucius. Both of them were injured.
He did not know what to do.
His head moved back and forth nonstop, looking at both Lucius and Emilia.
Sweat ran down his face as fear filled his head more and more. Before Aziel could understand what was happening, the Mindreaver's body charged at him.
Aziel's hand came in front of his eyes trying to minimize the damage.
But…
It started jumping around the room so fast that Aziel could not see it anymore.
Then…
Within a duration of one second, Aziel saw the Mindreaver's twisted hand right in front of him. It stopped just few inches away from his eyes.
What happened? Aziel thought. His breathing became heavy, sweat dripping down.
Aziel looked closely and saw iron rods struck deep into the Mindreaver's body. The body twisted violently, breaking itself again and again, trying to break through them.
Then the iron rods started to move on their own. They tore into the Mindreaver's body, moving in and out countless times, ripping it apart.
Aziel looked at the scene, his heart racing. Bluish blood sprayed around the room, staining the whole room.
Aziel tried to speak, but his lips would not move.
He just stood there, staring.
As all of this happened, Aziel started to hear footsteps on the stairs.
His body stiffened.
His eyes wide open and he looked back slowly. His breath became shallow.
Slowly.
Slowly.
The footsteps echoed through the house.
Each step sounded heavy, crushing the silence. The sound bounced off the broken walls and cracked ceiling, growing louder… closer… as if the house itself was warning him.
Then, through the thick dust and the broken door, a figure emerged.
It was Azik.
His long hair still covered his eyes, hiding his expression completely. His clothes were untouched, calm against the destruction around him.
Azik didn't speak.
He stood there, silent, his head turning slightly as he looked around the ruined room. Broken walls. Shattered paintings. Blood stains on the floor. The air was heavy, thick with dust.
"Az… Azik," Aziel said.
His voice shivered, the sound breaking slightly in his throat. "Why… why are you not saying anything?"
Azik stepped forward.
One step.
Then another.
Each step made Aziel's heart beat faster.
Azik stopped just a few inches away from him, standing tall, glaring straight into Aziel's eyes. Aziel felt pressure in his chest, like he couldn't breathe properly.
Azik bent forward slightly and placed his hand on Aziel's shoulder.
The slap was light. Reassuring.
"You are alright," Azik said.
His voice was calm, controlled, but Aziel could see it. Behind that serious face, there was worry.
"I'm sorry," Azik continued. "I really underestimated it."
As those words left his mouth, the Mindreaver's body finally collapsed.
The twisted, headless body slammed onto the floor, unmoving.
The iron rods that had pierced it began to crack. Small lines spread across them before they slowly turned into dust. The dust floated in the air, glowing faintly, then disappeared completely.
The room fell silent.
"Carry Lucius," Azik said as he turned toward the door. "Let's take them to the base."
Aziel nodded without speaking.
He moved toward Lucius. His body felt heavy as he bent down and lifted him onto his back. Lucius groaned softly, blood still running from his mouth.
"Let's… go, Lucius," Aziel said.
His voice was still slightly shivering, fear clinging to it even now.
Outside, the horse-carriage was already waiting.
They carefully placed Emilia and Lucius onto the seats inside the carriage. Emilia was barely conscious, her chest rising slowly as she breathed.
Aziel stepped back.
He looked at Azik.
Azik stood near the door of the house, his head tilted upward, completely still.
Aziel followed his gaze.
The sky was bright. A few white clouds drifted quietly with the wind. Everything looked peaceful.
No birds.
No sound.
"What are you looking at?" Aziel asked. His voice no longer shivered.
But before Azik could answer the world around Aziel started to spin, everything becoming blurry.
What is happening?
"Azik!" Aziel shouted.
But there was no response.
Then everything stopped.
Aziel found himself standing inside the reading room. He tried to move in the room but his body did not move. He felt that his body had gone numb.
He looked around the room. The front wall was covered with two wooden shelves. They were filled with old torn books. The books were covered in dust as if they have never been touched for a long time.
The air smelled of dust, ink and faint smoke. In the room there was only a dim oil lamp. Its light stretched all around the room. It was creating creepy shadows of things on the room's wall.
At the center of the room, sat an old man who looked like that he was in his fifties. He was sitting on a worn wooden chair, reading a worn book. Short white and grey were on his head. In his hand, an old, round-ended cigarette. Smoke curling through its one end.
Beside him, a small wooden table. On the table a cup of tea was present, thin stream rising from it. Aziel wanted him, turn the pages of the book one by one.
Where am I? Aziel thought, confusion in his eyes.
Aziel tried to scream but his mouth did not move.
Am I falling into Mindfall again?
Then the old man stood up and went near a broken wooden box near the door. The old man bent and picked up a page out of it.
What is that? Aziel thought. and why does he not react when I am standing in his room?
The old man opened the letter and stated to move toward Aziel.
Hey. Hey. Aziel said as the old man moved closer and closer to him and not stopping.
At this rate he would crash into me.
But Aziel eyes opened widely.
The old man passed right through his body. Nor did Aziel felt anything.