Chapter 46

Eska scrambles to her feet, her heart pounding as she chances a look at Valen.

"We need to think of something, fast." Valen mutters through gritted teeth, frustration mounting as each carefully aimed strike is countered or evaded.

The Thaxils' rhythmic hums shift, growing sharper, signaling a change in their tactics.

No longer evading and countering for sport, they press forward with lethal intent. The uninjured Thaxil moves with unnerving speed, its serrated limbs forcing Valen back step by step, cutting off his angles of retreat.

Valen channels his wind magic, shaping the air into razor sharp blades but they are swatted aside or avoided entirely, each of his attacks countered with ruthless efficiency.

Behind him, Eska once again faces the wounded Thaxil, but its movements are no less calculated.

It feints weakness with a stagger, drawing her in, only to lunge, slashing at her defenses and driving her into a tight corner near the camp's edge.

The pair of hunters, separated and surrounded, are left with no room to maneuver.

Eska's breaths come in ragged gasps as she parries another strike, her claws barely deflecting the Thaxil's relentless attacks as pieces of solid blood spark out of her hands.

Her mind races, panic clawing at her resolve with every swipe of its serrated limbs.

Too fast. Too strong. How am I supposed to beat this? The creature's glowing eyes seem to bore into her, reading her every move, and its humming vibrates in her chest like a constant reminder of her helplessness.

Her footing slips as she stumbles back, her heel catching on a gnarled root hidden in the shadows.

This is it.

The thought flashes through her mind as she watches the creature's final slash arc toward her.

Time seems to slow as she draws a shaky breath, her gaze shifting at the last moment toward Valen. In her final action, her eyes lock onto his, an unspoken farewell.

"No."

A commanding voice echoes in Eska's mind, pulling her from the brink. Her eyes snap open but the forest, the Thaxil and the battle are gone. Instead, she finds herself floating in an endless void, surrounded by nothing but darkness.

Her body feels weightless, her panic momentarily dulled by the strange stillness.

"You leave me no choice, Eska," the voice continues. "Facing a Titan Class was too much, too soon."

Eska turns her head in every direction, searching for the source but the darkness offers no answers.

"But you did well, regardless. Remember this as a lesson. As your mother said, we live tomorrow because we learn today."

The void around her collapses suddenly, folding in on itself as reality snaps back into focus. The forest returns, the towering Thaxil looming before her—but Eska is no longer in her body.

She hovers above, watching as her physical form acts without hesitation.

"What is this?" She says, or attempts to say as no sound comes out.

"I took over. Otherwise you would die here, and that's not something I am willing to accept." Marina's voice rings in her head.

Eska's hands, now glowing with intricate blue and red lines of light, grip the Thaxil's bladed appendages firmly. Effortlessly, her body shoves the creature back, its imposing size seemingly irrelevant to her newfound strength.

"Watch closely." The voice instructs her. "This is what I've been trying to teach you."

Eska's body moves with breathtaking precision, her claws piercing through the Thaxil's thorax with a fluid motion. The creature lets out a guttural screech, its head twitching in disbelief as it reels backward.

Eska watches from above, detached yet aware, as her own body moves. A surreal, weightless sensation settles over her, her thoughts racing. What is this? How is this happening?

Below, her limbs shift with fluidity—not hers, not entirely. Marina controls them with eerie familiarity, each motion smooth, effortless. Like she's done this before.

A shiver should crawl up Eska's spine, but it doesn't. Instead, a strange calm washes over her, sinking into her bones. Her body feels strong, efficient, unstoppable.

And that terrifies her more than anything.

Eska's body leaps with startling speed, twisting in midair to land gracefully behind the Thaxil. With a powerful motion, her arms draw close to her chest, pulling threads of blood that shimmer with a faint blue hue.

The threads constrict around the Thaxil, crushing its thorax with a sickening crunch before snapping back to her glowing claws.

"Reinforcement is essential, Eska." The tone is almost parental. "Without it, anything will break—including your own limbs."

The glowing lines across her body pulse faintly, a testament to the stability granted by her newfound mastery.

Then, with a teasing lilt, the voice adds, "Now we save your boyfriend."

The second Thaxil hesitates, its antennae twitching as it processes what just happened. Valen stands frozen, his eyes wide as he takes in the sight before him.

Eska watches from above, both afraid and mesmerized. Below, her body—no, Marina—moves through the fight effortlessly, cutting through the Thaxil with ease. No hesitation. No struggle.

Is this… something I can do?

The thought grips her, tightening around the awe creeping into her chest. If Marina can wield her like this, then the potential is already there.

The remains of the first Thaxil lie in a gory heap behind Eska, its greenish ichor dripping from the shimmering threads that now recede into her claws.

The difference is undeniable, and for a moment, even the unrelenting Thaxil appears to question its next move.

The creature bolts toward Eska with terrifying speed, its bladed arm slashing through the air. But as it nears, Eska flicks her hand with an almost casual motion, effortlessly deflecting the strike.

The impact sends the Thaxil staggering, its glowing eyes widening in what could almost be confusion. Before it can recover, Eska grips its other blade, her fingers wrapping around it as a thin, crimson veil flows outward, encasing the appendage in shimmering red.

"This one's a freebie." The voice echoes calmly in Eska's mind. "This is what I mean by 'limitless.'"

Eska doesn't respond, her focus locked on the creature as it tries to bend its arm. But the veil holds firm, unyielding.

The Thaxil recoils, pulling back to gain distance. Its bladed limb thrashes against the veil, the sharp hums of its antennae growing panicked as the creature struggles to break free.

Then, with a sickening crack, its arm bends the wrong way, the carapace shattering under the veil.

The Thaxil lets out a piercing hum, its antennae twitching erratically as it claws at the veil in desperation.

The red veil spreads, shifting toward the creature's shoulder as the pressure mounts.

The arm collapses inward with a grotesque crunch, folding into itself as the veil holds its contents in place, preventing its insides from spilling. The creature falls to its knees, its antennae drooping as its glowing eyes lock onto Eska's.

There is no defiance now—only fear.

The crimson veil begins to creep upward before tightening, and the Thaxil's head collapses inward, its lifeless body crumpling to the ground.

Silence envelops the camp, broken only by the faint rustle of leaves in the wind.

In the empty space, a crushing wave of emotions—fear, power and something she can't quite name—all collide inside Eska.

Before she can process it, her form shatters and in the blink of an eye, she's back in her body.

Her breath catches as she looks down at her hands, trembling and slick with a mixture of her own blood and the green ichor of the Thaxil. She stares at them in disbelief, the memory of what she just did replaying in her mind.

Slowly, her knees buckle, and she collapses to the ground, her gaze fixed on her stained hands.

When she lifts her eyes, she catches sight of Valen's shocked face.

***

"Are—" Valen begins, his voice faltering as the image of her tearing through the Thaxil with impossible speed and ease flashes in his mind, her power both awe-inspiring and terrifying.

His breath hitches, and a knot tightens in his chest as he takes a step toward her. His thoughts swirl—concern for her clashing with the realization of just how dangerous she truly can be.

Valen stops, his gaze sharpening as he takes in the way she shakes. Her wounds aren't bleeding any worse, but something deeper seems to have taken hold.

Her breaths are shallow, uneven and her wide eyes stare at her bloodied hands as if they don't belong to her.

Concern floods Valen's chest but it's quickly joined by something darker, something colder.