Chapter 23: Awakening of the Flame
Before anyone could process the chaos unfolding, a sudden, deafening crack split the air.
One of the Minotaurs froze mid-step, his eyes widening in shock as if realizing too late that something was wrong.
An instant later, his head imploded with a sickening squelch, the sheer force of the unseen pressure reducing it to a grotesque mess.
Blood sprayed violently in every direction, splattering across the nearby Minotaurs.
Warm, sticky droplets landed on their fur and faces, the metallic scent of blood filling the air.
They recoiled in horror, some stumbling backward, their mouths open in silent screams.
The forest seemed to hold its breath, the gruesome display cementing the sheer power of the girl hovering before them.
The wind howled louder, carrying the stench of iron and fear, and the Minotaurs knew—none of them were leaving this place alive.
Rose's head snapped toward one of the Minotaurs, her movements unnatural, like a puppet being yanked by invisible strings.
A lifeless, eerie smile tugged at her lips, hollow and chilling.
The Minotaur let out a guttural growl, but it quickly turned into a panicked roar as he felt his body betray him.
He rose into the air, lifted by her unseen force, his massive frame dangling helplessly.
His left arm was the first to go. With a sickening tear, it ripped from his body, a torrent of blood spraying out, soaking the ground below.
His scream pierced the forest, raw and primal. The right arm followed, flesh and sinew dangling grotesquely from the torn joint, lifeless and dripping.
Rose didn't blink, didn't flinch. Her head tilted slightly, her smile unwavering, as if savoring every moment.
The Minotaur's legs gave way next, shredded from his torso like paper, his body convulsing in midair.
And then, with a final snap, his head twisted unnaturally before detaching completely.
His body crumbled in pieces, scattering to the blood-soaked forest floor like discarded scraps.
It wasn't just death—it was annihilation.
Rose's cold gaze fixed on the next Minotaur, who had already dropped to his knees, muttering incoherent prayers to some unknown god.
His towering frame trembled, his eyes wild with terror as he clasped his hands together, begging for mercy.
But mercy wasn't coming.
A sickening squelch echoed through the air. He froze, his breathing shallow and ragged, as an unbearable itching sensation rippled through his skin.
He clawed at his chest instinctively, panic overtaking him. Then he saw it—the grotesque sight that turned his terror into full-blown hysteria.
Maggots.
White, writhing maggots spilled out from beneath his skin, gnawing through his flesh like ravenous beasts.
He screamed, a guttural, wrenching sound as he tried to swat them away, only for more to burrow through his arms, his legs, his torso.
His thick hands tore at his flesh desperately, peeling away chunks of his own body in a futile attempt to stop the invasion.
The maggots only multiplied, surging faster, eating him alive from the inside out. His screams turned hoarse, his voice cracking under the weight of his agony.
Blood mixed with the writhing mass, dripping in viscous streams onto the dirt below.
His massive frame crumpled as he collapsed forward, his body twitching in spasms, the maggots still working relentlessly to strip him down to nothing.
By the time he hit the ground, there wasn't much left—just a shell of flesh and bone, crawling with a relentless tide of decay.
Rose's eyes lingered on the gruesome scene for a moment, her lips curling slightly. She turned her attention to the next one without hesitation, as if this was just the beginning.
Lucifer's breath hitched as he arrived, the air thick with the metallic stench of blood and death.
The ground was soaked, bodies of Minotaurs mangled and lifeless, some unrecognizable.
His sharp red eyes flicked upwards, drawn to the figure floating above the chaos.
Rose.
Her hair, no longer just white, now shimmered with streaks of silver, glowing faintly in the dim light.
Her once icy blue eyes were gone, replaced by molten gold that radiated an almost divine intensity.
The air around her shimmered, charged with power that crackled like distant thunder.
Lucifer's throat tightened. He hadn't felt power like this since the day he stood before the cave.
The same raw, unyielding energy now coursed through Rose, wrapping around her like a storm.
It was no longer dormant. It had awakened, and it was dangerous.
His first instinct was to approach, to stop her before she destroyed everything—and herself.
He strode toward the invisible barrier she had erected, crimson tattoos on his arms flaring to life as he tested its strength.
His hand extended, fingers brushing the surface.
The barrier repelled him immediately, a searing force pushing him back with enough power to make him stumble.
"Damn it, Rose," he muttered, frustration creeping into his voice.
He tried again, this time pouring his strength into his attack.
His fists slammed into the barrier with the force of a hurricane, the ground around him trembling from the impact. Still, it didn't budge. It wasn't just strong; it was absolute.
Lucifer's red eyes darted back to Rose, who remained motionless in the air, her arms outstretched, her expression unreadable.
She looked almost otherworldly, her power a living thing swirling around her, warping the space with a low hum.
"Rose!" he called out, his voice a sharp command that echoed through the clearing.
Her head turned slowly, golden eyes locking onto his with a chilling detachment. She didn't recognize him—or worse, she didn't care.
For the first time in centuries, Lucifer felt something foreign claw at him. Unease.
He couldn't lose her to this. Whatever this was, whatever she had become, he had to pull her back before it consumed her completely.
Lucifer's sharp gaze never left Rose as she floated unsteadily in the air, her trembling body wracked with uncontrolled power.
Her golden eyes flickered as if caught between worlds, her breath shallow and erratic.
The barrier she had erected began to waver, its once-impenetrable force dissolving into the air like smoke.
Sensing his moment, Lucifer's black wings unfurled with a deafening snap, their span vast and imposing, blotting out the moonlight.
Without hesitation, he launched into the air, his body a blur of motion as he ascended toward her.
"Ignis eternum, redeat ad pacem, vinclis amoris ligetur anima sua, liberata a furore. Fiat voluntas mea."
His voice carried the weight of command, each word a tether to anchor her soul back to reality.
The spell, ancient and complex, wove itself into the air, threads of dark and golden energy intertwining as they wrapped around Rose.
The winds howled in protest as her body began to slow, her golden eyes dimming with each passing second.
Lucifer's chanting grew louder, each syllable sharper and more urgent as he extended his arms toward her:
"Per tenebras et lumen, anima solvitur, calor pacis eam amplectitur. Dormi, et cor tuum requiescat."
Rose's trembling eased, her limbs slackening as her eyes fluttered closed. The aura around her dissipated, leaving behind a faint shimmer in the air.
Her body drifted toward him, drawn by his presence like a moth to flame.
Lucifer opened his arms, catching her effortlessly as if she weighed nothing. Her head fell against his chest, her breathing shallow but steady.
As he descended, the winds calmed, the oppressive tension in the air lifting as though nature itself had exhaled.
He landed softly, his boots crunching against the blood-soaked earth. Folding his wings, Lucifer cradled Rose closer, his expression a mix of relief and concern.
His hand brushed her cheek, his brow furrowing as he felt the heat radiating from her skin.
She was burning up, her temperature unnaturally high. It was a heat that didn't belong to the mortal world—a heat that spelled danger.
"Damn it," Lucifer hissed under his breath, his jaw tightening. It wasn't the full moon yet; this wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to undergo this transition now.
His grip on her tightened, his mind racing. The White Witch was the only one who could help her now. If he didn't get her to the witch in time, Rose wouldn't survive the night.
Without wasting another second, Lucifer's wings unfurled again, their dark expanse cutting through the air as he took off, carrying Rose toward her only chance at survival.