chapter 10:things fall apart

Brody hears that voice and immediately drops Ariel, air-sprinting almost an instant later to close the gap between them. But the man raises one of his palms—

"Absolute Dominance."

Immediately, both of them become unable to move or speak. The man then slowly walks to Lucas's room, and they follow him. They aren't controlling their bodies.

Lucas's mind is still trying to comprehend what happened—he's going insane—when suddenly, the door opens, and there the man is again. But this time, he is with Ariel.

The moment Lucas's eyes meet Ariel's, his hands start shaking, his eyes widen, and he yells—

"ARIEL! ...Wait, why are you with him?!"

Ariel can't reply. It's as if she's under a spell of some sort. The man then grabs Ariel by her neck. Six guards are ordered to stay by the door and watch. Ariel struggles, crying, but she can't speak. She is in total despair, and her eyes seem different—it's as if she has given up to depression.

Lucas snaps—more than he ever has before. His eyes turn red, he glows with a white aura, horns emerge from his head, wings grow out of his back—golden. The upper half of his face is covered by shadows. The restraints start snapping. They're about to break.

The man drops Ariel, releasing his grip on her throat, and orders the guards—

"Sell her off in the auction house immediately."

The guards nod and grab Ariel.

The chains holding Lucas crack—Crrrrkkk!—and suddenly, they completely shatter.

Lucas runs—no, he dashes at the man with incredible speed. Their clash alone almost levels the entire mountain. Brody watches in horror, unable to do anything under the man's spell. The man yells, knowing the outcome of the fight could go either way—

"GET THAT BEAST WOMAN TO THE AUCTION HOUSE! …FUCK THAT—SELL HER TO ANY NOBLE HOUSE YOU CAN FIND!"

The man then flies up and places his palm on the mountain, obliterating it from existence. The massive explosion echoes through the entire kingdom as debris falls. A massive boulder from the mountain crashes onto Brody's right arm, breaking the spell's effect but severely injuring him.

Lucas's wings flap with speed as he ascends toward the man, and they begin clashing in the skies, causing earthquakes and attracting the attention of The Guardians. The Mighty Dragons Party is already on its way, sensing that a being of such strength has appeared in the human realm and could be a threat.

Meanwhile, Ariel has been tied up and placed in a carriage heading toward the auction house. Tears bleed from her eyes—this is the one thing she feared, and now it is coming true.

Brody, buried under debris, quickly casts a flame-type spell with his left hand, destroying the rock. He looks up at the sky, and all he can see are flashes of light and how air molecules are being forcefully pushed away as Lucas and the man fight.

"Damn… I guess I'm outmatched."