Chapter 38: Losing Someone

His dark eyes struck fear into anyone who is taking a glance at it. The feeling of being watched like he was ready to attack his prey sent chills down into anyone's spine.

Even Cainne, a persistent knight of their kingdom, couldn't help but shiver in his presence. No one in the woods can help them, as everyone else ran away for their lives.

The blade of his rapier was about to give the two fleeing victims death, but the encantor managed to grab Meria by the waist and sprinted away from the bushes.

"Meria! Stay back!" He said, as he stretched his arm to protect her, while his other arm pointed his sword to the enemy. And speaking of him, his face started to get distorted every time– widening his smile and emitting more black mist.

"Is your sweet-talking finished?" He said with his usual creepy voice like that of a serial killer, mesmerized to see his victims. As she saw the threat within that face, Meria couldn't help but admit that it was the last day of her life.

Water started to form in her black eyes but never dropped.

"Now…" The daminon added, now with more disturbing stretches and wrinkles. He was used to be calm but threatening towards his enemies, but once he took a glance at their fears of him, he couldn't' help but be excited. And he saw that right now. "…let's get some exercises, shall we?!"

After those words released, he immediately dashed towards their position at great speed, so great that they didn't even notice him running.

All they knew is that the enemy was now standing in front of them, preparing his weapon to strike.

Cainne managed to raise his sword to block the attack, but then, something happened that no one expected to. As he raised his weapon, a sudden hand of pale and cold reached for his neck.

Its grasp and digging nails made him choke and release blood at the same time. He dropped his sword, and grabbed the hand, trying to remove it, but to no avail.

The pain he felt can be compared to a bear biting you by the neck, in which its sharp fangs will be able to separate your head from the rest of your body. But it wasn't just that at all.

A cold sensation like that of dry ice touching your skin mixed through the pain and any minute now, he might felt like dead meat stuck in a refrigerator.

But what's worse along with the pain was the vision of Kairos smiling widely up to his ears, as his black eyes showed that he was delighted by the scene. It was like a never-ending sensation of pleasure for him. It was disgusting.

"Cainne!" Meria cried as she kneeled down. She covered her mouth as the tears finally dropped from her eyes, couldn't be able to see her friend got tortured like this.

"Aghh! Gahh!" His groan of pain made her more terrified, as tears continued to flow, forming small waterfalls in her cheeks. His mouth opened, saliva pouring down from it, pleading for air, while his eyes were closed tightly, trying to endure the pain.

"Look at you, so pathetic," Kairos said. "I was waiting to do this to you, Cainne."

After hearing what he said, he opened his eyes and took a look at him. Despite him not wanting to see his creepy face, he was forced to.

What does he mean by waiting to do this to him? He had never met him before, or it's just that he never remembered it.

"Knights like you shouldn't be living anymore. I should've killed you by now." He added, lowering his head, changing his expression. He was no longer enjoying the pleasure of seeing the torture.

Instead, anger filled his whole body, reminiscing about a disturbing moment in his life. He didn't want to remember it, but it kept coming back to him. The two noticed this, but they didn't make a sound.

To grow sympathy or continue to be disgusted… which one?

But that didn't last for a minute, as his creepy nature went back. He raised his head and letting his audience see the behavior of a psychopath. Shivers sent into their spines as he continued to intimidate them with his actions.

"But we need you for something. And besides…" He said as he tightened his grasp more.

"Aagh!" Cainne released both a groan and a scream due to the surprise pain he felt and his resistance towards it. Hearing this from him made Meria even more broken. It's like watching someone got executed using many different things, but it was never-ending.

"I have to torture you." Kairos widened his smirk even more. Seeing him feeling the intense pain made his blood boil and heart beat faster out of excitement. He had never seen this much joy in his entire life.

"Noo!"

Couldn't be able to keep up with the torture, Meria screamed with the loudest voice possible. She knew that it was absurd, but if she could save Cainne with anything, she will do it. She already lost her brother to the Deravon Kingdom, she didn't want to lose another.

Indeed, her efforts didn't go in vain, as she felt a sudden pain in her chest like she was being thrown into a fire pit to burn. After feeling the pain, she was both happy and frightened. She knew what it meant by it and knew what is going to happen.

Just like before, the pain disappeared, then she felt an overflowing power about to burst out of her body. But before it will occur, she raised her hands and aimed it towards Kairos. She caught his attention, raising his eyebrow at her.

A huge amount of force went out of her hand, like an invisible fireball that was going to destroy everything in its path. The force reached for the daminon and pushed him away.

He was forced to let go of Cainne's neck, dropping him into the ground. He started to cough and breathe rapidly, begging for air.

Kairos landed on a tree, blood burst out from his mouth as his eyes widened. The distance between them wasn't that far, but the speed is enough for him to feel great pain in his back. It seemed like he didn't escape from karma.

"Cainne!"

Didn't even bother to check the opponent, she immediately approached Cainne, who was kneeling down on the ground. She caressed his back with her gentle touch, as she tried to take a peek of his condition. Worry filled her mind, overly worried that it was strange.

But all of a sudden, a giggle can be heard echoing in the middle of the forest, adding more to the place's eerie ambiance. It was a mixture of different emotions– joy, anger, sadness, and unusual pleasure.

They turned around to see Kairos in a distance, confirming that it came from him. Then, the giggle turned into huge laughter that belonged to a maniac. Like there was something funny going on, even though there wasn't.

Both of them were confused, but there's one thing they're certain: he's crazy.

"This is his magic!" He cried as he laughed like he just saw the Above right before his eyes. He was too focused on the delight that he was given to him.

While he was busy fantasizing, Cainne immediately grabbed his sword, and Meria, who doesn't have any weapon, picked up a long stick instead. They stood up stiff, their heart started to beat faster.

They knew that they triggered something out of him, and that's what they will fear the most.

He finally stopped laughing, and started breathing for some air, despite how thin it is in the middle of the forest. His eyes widened, and his smile continued to reveal his million shark teeth.

"I'm really happy that I could be able to fight someone with the same magic as him!!" He said with his awful voice, more terrible than the previous one. His black eyes darkened more, and the black mist was uncontrollably huge, wrapping every inch of his body. "I can't wait to kill you with my own hands!"

***

The whole time stopped in her eyes, as she saw the gigantic fireball traveling closer to the Gion Tree, where her friends and her sister was residing to protect it.

Dalary can see the bravery in their eyes, but there's also a hint of fear in it. She knew that they didn't want to die, but they had to, or else, the heart of Zentra will be gone.

With the hint of adrenaline flowing around her body, despite the exhaustion and confusion she felt, she started running towards their position.

Just like Meria, she too didn't like troublesome things. She didn't want to risk anything, her life, or others.

To her, risk was just an excuse to let the cowards live and the courageous ones to be alive. It was nothing but useless planning. Why won't you risk if you can save everyone else?

And yet, she couldn't help but run in front of the tendrin warriors that were about to meet death, facing the fireball without anything to stop it. All she did was to stretch her hands, trying to protect what's behind her.

She couldn't believe that she was breaking her principles. Right now, she was about to put herself into risky situations.

The tendrins widened their eyes and dropped their jaws, especially her sister, who didn't expect that she would come over to save them.

She had always hated her kind. Because of them and their behavior, she lost her dream. But, they still had a special place in her heart. They all closed their eyes, ready to accept their heroic death to protect the tree.

"Dalary…"

All of a sudden, Dalary heard a mesmerizing otherworldly voice whispering in her ears. She couldn't be able to see it, but she knew that it was there. For some reason, she could feel the energy flowing around her body.

Then, she heard a ripple of water. Even though there wasn't any presence of liquid around them, she could hear it like it was beside her.

The energy inside her went out like she herself was a cannon. She opened her eyes, and couldn't believe what she just saw.

There, in front of her, was a wall made of water, a work of the natural spirits.