Begin

The air seemed to thicken as Berethia's voice echoed through the ruined village, carrying an unnatural weight that pressed down on the group. The crackle of flames and the distant groan of collapsing buildings faded into the background, leaving only an oppressive silence.

"Lover boy, where are you hiding?" Berethia's voice sang, the mockery in her tone laced with a venomous sweetness. "Come out, come out. I'm dying to see you."

Kael's fists clenched tighter, his knuckles turning white as the hum of the Crimson Dagger grew louder against his arm. His vision blurred with rage, the edges tinged with red as her words struck him like a taunt aimed directly at his soul.

"Where is she?" Kael growled, his voice low and trembling with fury.

Jane reached out, her hand hovering near his shoulder. "Kael, don't—"

"She's alive!" Kael snapped, turning to glare at her, his expression wild. "Lysa's alive, and she's here. I know she is!"

Jane stepped back, her lips pressing into a thin line. Merrick moved between them, his steady presence anchoring the group. "Stay focused, Kael," he said firmly. "We'll find her, but not if you lose your head."

Berethia's laughter rang out again, echoing from every direction as though the very air carried her malice. "Still clinging to hope, are we?" she said, her tone dripping with mock sympathy. "How touching. It's almost enough to make me jealous."

The group tightened their formation, their weapons drawn as they scanned the shadows for any sign of her. Aria's eyes narrowed, her blade gleaming faintly in the firelight. "She's toying with us," she said through gritted teeth. "But she's close. I can feel it."

"Smart girl," Berethia purred, her voice shifting to a mocking whisper. "But not smart enough."

A burst of green magic erupted from the shadows, slamming into the ground just in front of them. The force of the blast sent Kael stumbling backward, and he caught himself just in time to see her.

Berethia stepped into the light, her figure illuminated by the flickering flames. Her once-refined appearance was gone, replaced by a wild, disheveled look that mirrored the madness in her eyes. Her tattered robes clung to her, streaked with blood and ash, and her green-tinted magic crackled around her like a storm barely contained.

"Miss me?" she asked, tilting her head with a grin that was both childlike and menacing. Her eyes flicked to Kael, narrowing as her smile widened. "Oh, look at you. All grown up and hiding behind a new face. But I'd know you anywhere, Changra."

Kael's breath hitched, his body going rigid as the name left her lips. His rage flared, and the Crimson Dagger's hum turned into a low, pulsing thrum that vibrated through his arm.

"Don't call me that," he snarled, stepping forward.

Berethia's grin faltered, but only for a moment. Then, she laughed—a sharp, high-pitched sound that sent chills down their spines. "Still running from yourself, are we?" she taunted. "How pathetic."

Another blast of green energy shot from her hand, aimed directly at Kael. He dodged to the side, the magic colliding with a crumbling wall behind him and sending debris flying.

"Stay together!" Merrick barked, raising his shield to block another surge of magic. "Don't let her separate us!"

But Berethia was relentless. Her movements were erratic, her attacks wild and unpredictable as she danced around them, her laughter echoing like a twisted melody.

"Tell me, lover boy," she sneered, her gaze locking onto Kael as she hurled another bolt of magic. "What's it like to always lose? Your family, your friends, your home… Did you think this time would be different?"

Kael gritted his teeth, his grip on his dagger tightening as he charged toward her, his rage drowning out the voices of his companions.

"Shut up!" he shouted, his blade slashing through the air as Berethia dodged gracefully, her mocking smile never faltering.

"Oh, I've hit a nerve, haven't I?" she teased, her voice dripping with malice. "Poor little Changra, always fighting, always failing. Maybe this time, I'll take something you care about right in front of you."

Her words sent a surge of fury through Kael, but before he could strike again, a wall of green magic erupted between them, forcing him back. Berethia's laughter rang out once more, and her voice softened, tauntingly sweet.

"Come now," she cooed. "Let's play a little longer, shall we?"

Kael's breathing quickened as Berethia's mocking words filled the air, her voice wrapping around him like chains. The name Changra struck him like a physical blow, the syllables cutting through his resolve and reverberating in his mind.

"Still so angry," Berethia sang, her green magic swirling around her fingers. "Still so fragile. It's almost adorable."

Kael tightened his grip on the dagger hidden beneath his sleeve. The pulsing hum coursed through him like a second heartbeat, its energy feeding off his growing rage. "I said, don't call me that!" he roared, lunging forward with reckless abandon.

But it wasn't just Kael who reacted.

Jane's eyes widened, her expression twisting into shock as she froze mid-step. "Changra?" she breathed, the word almost catching in her throat. She looked to Kael, her gaze darting over him with a mix of confusion and dawning realization.

Merrick's head snapped toward Kael, his jaw tightening as if bracing himself. "What did she just say?" he demanded, his voice low but firm, his shield raising instinctively as if preparing for another blow—whether from Berethia or Kael himself, it wasn't clear.

Thorne, who had been uncharacteristically quiet since entering the village, took a hesitant step back, his brows furrowing deeply. "Changra?" he repeated, his voice shaky, his usual humor entirely absent. "Wait, that can't—"

"Kael?" Aria's voice was sharp, cutting through the chaos like a blade. Her sharp eyes narrowed, darting between Kael and Berethia. "What does she mean? Why would she—?"

"Why would I call him Changra?" Berethia finished with a grin, her tone dripping with mockery as her gaze lingered on Kael. "Because that's who he is. Isn't that right, lover boy? Or should I say murderer boy? So many names to choose from."

Kael stumbled slightly, her words hitting him harder than her magic ever could. His gaze flickered to Jane, whose hand hovered near her weapon, not in defense but out of confusion and unease. Her eyes locked with his, a million unspoken questions burning in them.

"Kael…" she whispered, her voice trembling. "Is it true?"

Kael opened his mouth, but no words came. His breath hitched, and he could feel their stares boring into him, each one heavy with disbelief.

Berethia cackled, her laughter cutting through the tension like shattered glass. "Oh, this is delicious," she said, her green magic crackling around her fingers. "Your little friends didn't know, did they? You didn't tell them who you really are."

"Shut up!" Kael snapped, his voice trembling with rage as he lunged toward her. His strike was wild, his movements driven more by emotion than precision, and Berethia dodged easily, her grin widening.

"Oh, don't be mad, Changra," she purred, her voice a mockery of sweetness. "I'm just doing what I do best—telling the truth."

Merrick's face darkened as he processed her words. "Kael," he said, his tone low and measured. "What is she talking about? Is she lying?"

Kael's jaw tightened, his grip on the dagger trembling. "This isn't the time," he said through gritted teeth, his voice strained.

"Not the time?" Jane stepped forward, her voice rising as her confusion turned to anger. "She just called you Changra! The person we've been searching for, the one you knew I was looking for, and you never said anything?"

"Jane, I—" Kael started, but Berethia interrupted with another burst of laughter.

"Oh, lover boy, look at the mess you've made," she cooed. "All these poor fools, following you, trusting you, and they didn't even know who you were. How perfectly tragic."

Aria's knuckles whitened around the hilt of her blade. "Explain yourself," she said, her tone icy. "Now."

Kael's chest heaved as he fought to steady his breathing. The Crimson Dagger's hum grew louder, its pull stronger, as if feeding on the tension and chaos around him. He took a step back, his gaze darting between his companions and Berethia. "It's… complicated," he said finally, his voice barely audible.

"Complicated?" Jane repeated, her voice laced with disbelief. "You lied to us!"

"Not a lie," Berethia corrected with a wicked grin. "Just an omission. Isn't that right, Changra? Oh, but I suppose you've grown fond of your new name, Kael." She spat the name like it was poison. "Always running, always hiding. But you can't run from yourself, my dear."

Kael's fists clenched, his fury boiling over as he charged again. This time, Berethia didn't dodge. She raised a barrier of green magic, the force of it sending Kael stumbling backward.

"Still so predictable," she sneered. "But I do love your fire, Changra. It's so… intoxicating."

Kael struggled to his feet, his vision blurring with anger. The Crimson Dagger pulsed in his hand, its hum vibrating through his entire body. His companions stood frozen, their disbelief and confusion palpable, but Kael couldn't focus on them.

"Come on, lover boy," Berethia taunted, her smile sharp and cruel. "Show me what you're really made of."

Kael's vision burned red as his fury reached its peak, his thoughts drowned out by the deafening hum of the dagger. All he could see was Berethia, and all he could feel was the need to end her.

And the fight truly began.

Berethia's grin stretched wider as her green-tinted magic flared, the air crackling with energy. "You've always wanted my undivided attention, haven't you, Changra?" she purred, her tone dripping with mockery. "Well, let's make it just you and me."

Before anyone could react, she slammed her staff into the ground, sending a wave of green energy rippling outward. The earth trembled beneath their feet, and the flames around the village dimmed as something dark and twisted emerged from the shadows.

Shapes began to form—grotesque creatures, half-human, half-monstrosity, their limbs elongated and gnarled like tree roots. Their eyes glowed an eerie green, their jagged mouths twisting into malicious grins as they surrounded the group.

"What the hell are those?" Aria shouted, her blade already drawn as one of the creatures lunged at her.

"They're… abominations," Merrick growled, raising his shield to block another creature's swipe. "Berethia's magic made flesh. Stay on guard!"

The monsters attacked relentlessly, their movements erratic but deadly as they swarmed the group. Jane's spells flared to life, blasts of magic colliding with the creatures and sending some of them staggering, but for every one they struck down, two more seemed to rise in its place.

Kael's gaze remained locked on Berethia, his chest heaving as his rage bubbled to the surface. The Crimson Dagger pulsed in his grip, its hum deafening now, demanding action. But before he could charge, Berethia raised a hand, her fingers curling as if beckoning him.

"Come along, Changra," she taunted, her voice sickly sweet. "Let's not waste this opportunity. Or do you want your friends to find out what you're truly capable of?"

Kael's jaw clenched, his vision blurring with red as the dagger's pull grew stronger. Without thinking, he took a step toward her, but Merrick's voice cut through the chaos.

"Kael, don't!" he shouted, his shield slamming into one of the creatures as it lunged at him. "She's isolating you. Stay with us!"

But it was too late. Berethia waved her hand, and a wall of green magic erupted between Kael and the others, blocking their view of him entirely.

"Kael!" Jane screamed, her voice muffled by the barrier as she pounded against it with her fists. "No! Don't go with her!"

Berethia laughed, her figure illuminated by the flickering flames. "Don't worry, darling," she called over her shoulder. "I'll bring him back when I'm done. Maybe."

Kael gritted his teeth, his grip on the Crimson Dagger tightening as he followed her into the shadows. The hum of the dagger merged with the pounding of his heartbeat, his anger and guilt fueling the weapon as it seemed to draw him closer to her.

The ruined village faded around them, replaced by an unnatural darkness that seemed to swallow the light. Berethia moved gracefully through it, her staff crackling with green energy as she turned to face him.

"Finally," she said, her voice dripping with satisfaction. "Just the two of us. No distractions, no interruptions. Tell me, Changra—how does it feel to be truly alone?"

Kael's eyes burned with fury as he raised the dagger, its crimson glow casting an eerie light on his face. "You should've stayed dead," he snarled, his voice trembling with barely restrained rage.

Berethia tilted her head, her grin widening. "Oh, lover boy," she said, her voice soft and mocking. "You're going to wish I had."