I twist just enough to let his next strike pass me instead of through me, my hand coming up in a motion that feels more instinct than intention. I grab his arm and use the momentum of his own movement against him.
He stumbles forward. Finally, his balance breaks.
And for the first time, I act before thinking.
I grab his weapon and turn it against him.
The blade meets him at close range, the motion abrupt.
There’s resistance. First, his shabby armor. Then skin.
I feel every layer as it gives way, and a sick emotion emerges within me.
Kill!
The male freezes. His eyes widen in shock.
In just a few seconds the battle’s outcome has shifted: whereas before he had the upper hand, now he’s at the mercy of his own weapon.
Confusion flickers across his face, like he doesn’t quite understand what just happened. His body sways.
“I—” he starts. Blood starts dripping from under his armor, pooling at his feet.
“I—” he attempts to speak again but it’s too late. The color has drained from his face. The sound of him hitting the marble echoes through the silent battlefield.
I stand there, frozen.
My breath is uneven, my pulse loud in my ears. My gaze stays fixed on him, on the stillness of his body, on the blood splattered across the marble…
“Nyk, focus!” Moe cries out.
Adrenaline buzzes in my ears, but I try to control my breathing.
The plan. Remember the plan, Nykander!
His body begins to gradually break apart. The edges blur, then dissolve, turning to ash that lifts into the air. His clothing and armor are left behind in a messy pile.
But this is just the visible.
I concentrate on the unseen. Through the myriad flecks of ash, I see bright white particles of energy.
Soul energy.
My mouth drops open. This is the first time I’m seeingthistype of energy and it’s quite possibly the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen. There’s a purity to it that settles even my most disquiet thoughts.
I zone in on a few particles and will them to come to me. At first, they resist. They vibrate and roll in the air, as if I’m battling an invisible force that’s vacuuming them away.
But out of that convoy of light, two tiny particles break apart and drift toward me.
One settles on my shoulder, the other on my chest.
My body vibrates in concert with them, synchronizing to be at the same frequency. In less than a second, they’re no longer foreign, but part of me.
I let out a big sigh of relief. My body wobbles backward as the adrenaline wears off and the enormity of what happened dawns on me.
Pain radiates from the injury sites, but it becomes increasingly dull, almost non-existent.
I glance at my arm and note the gash is half-way closed.
