Where is my mother?!

The battle between Eva and Faen reached a frenzy. The sound of blades cutting through the air was drowned out by the roar of intertwining magical energies, causing the battlefield to pulse with overwhelming force. Eva knew every second counted, every move could be the last before Faen defeated her or, worse, before the boy and Sylphie were consumed by the mana storm.

Eva moved with the speed of a predator, her blades slicing the air in relentless attacks. But Faen, with a sharp smile on her lips, seemed to anticipate every move. Her reflexes were quick, her acrobatics almost supernatural, dodging Eva's strikes with a lightness that defied the laws of physics.

Eva, feeling the weight of the fight, forced herself to stay calm. She knew Faen had immense power, but she also knew she had something the woman didn't: the unyielding determination to protect those she loved. She wouldn't fail. Not with Sylphie, not with Kael.

"You're not going to win!" Eva shouted, launching herself at Faen with a series of furious strikes. Each blade cut through the air, but Faen evaded them with lethal grace, as if it were a game to her.

"You're on the wrong path, Eva," Faen replied with a cold voice, her katana moving like an extension of her very soul. "Do you really think you can stop me? You, a mere mercenary, facing someone with such power? I am stronger, and your fight is futile."

Eva didn't answer.

Instead, she accelerated, charging forward with even more fury.

She knew she couldn't underestimate Faen, but she also knew she couldn't give up. The air was thick, the energy of the battle turning the clearing into a field of destruction. Each blow made the earth tremble, and the echo of their blades mixed with the screams of pain and rage.

Faen moved forward, her katana slicing in a perfect arc, aiming for Eva's neck. But Eva, with an instinctive reaction, leaned back, dodging the fatal blow by mere millimeters. She took the opportunity to counterattack, delivering a diagonal strike that Faen blocked with a quick and precise movement.

"You're strong," Faen said with an almost amused smile, "but that won't be enough."

Eva growled, delivering an even faster series of strikes, trying to make Faen make a mistake. She had no more time. She knew Kael was struggling to control Sylphie's energy and needed her to win this battle.

Meanwhile, Kael, with Sylphie in his arms, was panting, feeling the heat of the mana wrapping around his body with suffocating pressure. But he couldn't stop. He held her tightly, feeling the tremor of the girl's body, her energy pulsing uncontrollably.

"Please, Sylphie," he whispered, trying to find a way to stabilize the magic storm threatening to engulf them both. He closed his eyes and focused, feeling his own mana reacting to hers. He knew he couldn't use all of his strength without causing irreparable damage, but if he could guide her...

He pressed Sylphie against him, feeling the girl's energy fighting against him. The heat of the mana burned, but he didn't pull away. He couldn't. He knew she was trying, fighting against the power that was out of her control. He couldn't let her succumb.

"You can do it, Sylphie," he said, his voice soft but firm. "I'm with you. We're in this together."

But before he could do more, an explosion of energy engulfed them, throwing him backward with force. Sylphie screamed, the mana storm intensifying once more, a wave of magic that seemed to threaten to destroy everything around them.

Eva, seeing what was happening, nearly got hit by Faen's strike. The battle was exhausting her, but she knew she couldn't lose. She couldn't leave Kael and Sylphie alone in that chaos.

She charged again, leaping into the attack, her body agile and determined. Faen blocked her with her katana, but Eva felt the woman's weakness. It was now or never.

With a primal cry, Eva used all her strength in a single blow. Her blade cut through the air with immense ferocity, and Faen, surprised by the power of her strike, tried to block, but Eva's blade passed through her defense. The impact made Faen's katana deviate, and Eva's blade struck her adversary, cutting through her clothes and forcing her back.

Faen took a step back, clearly surprised by Eva's strength. But in her eyes, there was something more: rage. She raised her katana, and the air around her seemed to vibrate with dark, lethal energy.

"You're stronger than I thought, Eva," Faen said, her voice icy. "But that won't be enough to stop me."

Eva felt the impact like lightning cutting through the air.

The heat of Faen's blade crossed her vision before she could even react, and the taste of iron flooded her mouth. She blinked, trying to recover, but before she could move, she felt something strange tightening around her leg. With a sharp motion, she looked down and saw a black shadow wrapping around her leg, as though it had become part of the very earth.

Before she could even attempt to free herself, a cold and cruel voice echoed around her. "Sorry, but you're done for." Faen, with an evil smile, made a swift motion with her katana, cutting Eva's face from top to bottom. The strike was precise and bloody, and Eva felt the blade scrape against her skin, leaving a scar that would burn for days.

Eva gritted her teeth, her vision blurry from the pain. She knew that if she didn't free herself quickly, she would be in great danger. The weight of the situation seemed to crush her as she felt the power of the dark energy tightening around her leg, immobilizing her.

"Damn..." Eva muttered between gritted teeth, her eyes glowing with fierce determination. She couldn't fall here. Not now. Not when Kael and Sylphie's fate was still at stake.

She used all of her strength to resist, feeling Faen's magic trying to engulf her. The energy was tightening around her leg with crushing force, but Eva, with her immeasurable endurance, began channeling her mana into her leg, intensifying her willpower. She wouldn't let this be the end.

"I'm not going down that easily," she shouted with renewed strength, her eyes fixed on Faen with a rage and determination that burned like fire. Eva, with a quick and fluid motion, used her remaining blade to cut through the spell that had her trapped.

"You can hurt me, but you can't defeat me," Eva growled, her words laden with fury.

Faen looked at Eva with an amused expression. "Maybe you're not as weak as I thought." She moved with terrifying speed, attempting to land the final blow, but Eva was already ready. The woman dove forward, her eyes burning with rage.

"This time, you're wrong!" Eva charged, counterattacking with a fierce and unexpected strike. The blade sliced through the air, aiming for Faen's side, who, though attempting to block, wasn't prepared for Eva's strength. The impact forced Faen to retreat, momentarily disoriented.

Eva wasted no time. She took advantage of the momentary weakness, moving laterally with her blade, forcing Faen back into the corner of the clearing. The pressure was mounting. Eva was exhausted, but she couldn't stop. Not now.

On the opposite side of the clearing, Kael finally managed to stabilize Sylphie. He was trembling, his strength almost depleted, but he saw that the mana storm was finally starting to subside. The energy surrounding Sylphie was lessening, and he breathed a sigh of relief, though fear still lingered in his eyes.

"Are... are you okay?" Kael asked, his voice a whisper of relief.

Sylphie looked at him, her eyes filled with uncertainty, but a spark of gratitude was there. She nodded, still shaky, but seemingly out of the storm's reach.

"Yeah... I... I think so."

Kael was about to breathe a sigh of relief, the weight of the battle beginning to ease. Sylphie, still weak, was in his arms, but he could feel the mana storm around them finally calming down. He held her close, relieved to have gotten her away from the epicenter of that uncontrolled energy. However, the feeling of relief was short-lived.

Suddenly, a cold, mocking voice cut through the silence.

"How cute, he's got a little girlfriend at that age…"

Kael froze. His skin prickled, and a chill ran down his spine. He spun around quickly, his heart racing. The last thing he expected was such a threatening presence behind him. He searched for Eva, but his eyes widened when he finally found her.

Eva was on the ground, fallen and bleeding. Her white hair was tangled in a chaotic mess, now stained with red, as if the blood had mixed with the lunar glow, creating a horrific sight. She was badly injured, and the fight against Faen had left its marks.

Eva's blade, which had once been a symbol of her strength, was now lying beside her, as if it was no longer capable of sustaining her battle. Her breathing was heavy, and blood flowed from several deep cuts that spread across her body. But what shook Kael the most was not just the devastating scene in front of him, but the fact that he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Eva was fighting with every ounce of strength she had left. She had fallen for him, for Sylphie. 

"E-Eva!" Kael shouted, desperate, his body moving instinctively to run to her. He tried, but the pain of seeing his friend in this condition was like a physical blow, stopping his movements. 

'It's over... where's my mother?' Kael thought... 

---

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