Chapter-19

Zei's POV

My breath caught in my throat. I froze, my body instinctively recoiling at the sound. It was her. The voice I had hoped never to hear again. I forced myself to breathe, to stay calm, but eventually failed as the dreadful memories resurfaced.

I glanced at Rayne, his eyes locked on the source of the sound. The mist around us grew thicker as the haunting melody grew louder with each second, it was coming towards us.

"Rayne…." I whispered, but he didn't budge, his breathing shallow.

Before I could ask what was happening, he grabbed my wrist, pulling me aside. The next instance, red vines emerged from the ground where I was standing.

"RUN!!!" He shouted.

We sprinted towards Asher and Kristen however, the mist made it impossible to perceive which direction we were going.

MMMMYYYYY CCCHHHIIIILLLLDDD!!!!

It was behind us. I didn't have time to panic however, the creature was closing the distance between us.

"Let's split up, we can't outrun it," I urged Rayne. He seemed reluctant to leave me, but had no choice but to agree and let go of my hand.

Suddenly, that creature stopped moving, simply staring at us with its hollow eyes.

However, I didn't stop, I kept running as fast as I could, my body was at its limit, but I couldn't give up, I couldn't stop.

Crimson flowers bloomed under our feet as the creature simply stood there. I didn't have a good feeling about this.

"Zei, get away from those flowers!!!" Rayne cried, but it was too late.

It led out blood blood-curdling shriek, the flowers glowed with red radiance before creating an enormous explosion.

I was thrown backwards, my ears were bleeding, blood streamed down my eyes, and I had burns all over my body. I glanced at Rayne, who stared at me, horrified. He seemed to be standing, but he wasn't in good condition either, he was bleeding as well.

I could feel that thing coming closer to me with each second. Rayne seemed to be screaming something, but I couldn't hear it.

I was going to die.

At that moment, however, Rayne picked up my dagger from the ground and launched it towards the creature. It let out a pained shriek, gazing at him with furious eyes, and it started walking towards him.

'Why?" I whispered silently, "why do you always…" tears streamed down my face.

He looked at me with the same warm smile as he muttered, "It's okay."

Rayne's POV 

My body was at its limit, and the strain was crushing me. However, I persisted, managing to draw its attention away from Zei.

Numerous thorns launched at me, and I managed to dodge some of them, but they eventually struck me, piercing my shoulder and my lower abdomen. The pain was blinding.

I raised my sword forward, "Come at me," I said 

The creature, enraged, lunged at me with its skeletal limbs. I tried to block it with my sword, but it was useless. It grabbed me by the neck, lifting me off the ground. Its claw dug into my skin as I gasped for air. Its hollow eyes stared at me.

MMYY CCHHIILLDD!!!

I smiled weakly, blood trickling from the corner of my mouth. "I am not your child," I muttered, while staring into its eyes.

My words seemed to have enraged it. Its grip tightened, I felt a searing pain around my neck, and let out a pained cry.

It was agonizing enough to make my mind go blank. However, it was not over, its claws started tearing my right arm apart, throwing it away. 

I could faintly hear Zei's voice in the distance, tears rolled down my face.

Its claw wrapped around my head, and I felt my head being pulled apart. I didn't want to die. I wanted to stay with her. I wanted to live.

My vision went blank.

Zei's POV 

I watched in horror as it strangled him, as it tore his arm away. All of it unfolding before my eyes.

"Please…..stop." My cries had turned into sobs, my voice gone, I begged my body to move, to save him, but it was all useless.

I lay there amongst the flames, helplessness and regret turning into hatred. My eyes fell onto the spear lying in the distance in the flames, its runes glowing faintly, pulsing like a heartbeat amidst the flames.

"I…I call upon the Ruinflame," I gasped, my voice trembling as I reached for the only path left for me.

Without hesitation, I dug my fingers into my left eye, gouging it out. Blood poured out, putting me in immense agony. Hot blood spilled down my face, erupting into flames as it met the ground.

"Accept this sacrifice… O all-consuming Ruinflame"

Nothing happened for a few moments, but then a searing heat wrapped around me, awakening something ancient, ravenous, which had been slumbering for a long time. Power surged through my veins, giving strength to my body, crimson runes flared to life, gleaming with intensity.

I rose from the ashes, my remaining eye blazing with hatred.

"I will end you." Each step I took forward, an ocean of flames burst to life, consuming everything in its wake.

My gaze fell onto the spear buried in the ground. I wrenched it from the ground and hurled it at the creature with all my strength, the impact tore through its body, setting it on fire as it let out a piercing shriek. Dropping Rayne's unconscious body to the ground and turning its hollow eyes towards me.