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“Ignira,” my father growls before our enemy can recover. A deadly fireball swarms from his fingers. The relentless flames slam into the worm, and it bursts apart.
Black blood splatters over us. Inky blotches stain my pearlescent dress and coat my cheeks. I wipe away the sticky liquid, but it smears further across my face. The substance shares the same abhorrent stench as the decayed flesh of ghouls.
The path to Arluin is cleared. I seize the opportunity. The frenzy of battle guides me from one movement to the next. Before Arluin can unleash his counterattack, I strike.
“Gelu’tempis!”
Ice shoots from my fingers. Like a firework, it explodes mid-flight. Frozen needles plunge to Arluin, their glistening points ready to rip him into shreds.
A few icicles find him. They sink into his shoulders and graze his cheeks. Where the shards meet him, they leave crimson stains in their wake.
But before my spell can inflict critical damage, Arluin wraps the shadows around him. “Ekrad!”
The frozen needles bounce off his shield like hail. They clatter onto the platform.
Aether swirls in my father’s hands. “Telum!”
The spell is quick but fierce. So much magic crackles from the blast that it shakes even the violent winds.
The aether collides with Arluin’s shield. The shadows intensify into a bubble of viscous ink, concealing his silhouette. I can’t tell whether my father’s attack dealt him a critical blow.
I pull more aether into my grasp and prepare myself to strike again if Arluin bursts free from his shield.
The shadows ripple. Aside from that, there is no movement. Not for a long moment.
A bolt of darkness spins toward us, formed from the inky shield. The volatile magic is terrifyingly powerful—so much stronger than my father’s spell.
Dark magic feeds on aether. Arluin absorbed my father’s attack and corrupted it into shadows.For him to accomplish such a feat, his magic must be far greater than my father’s.
I don’t have time to consider the implications of this realization. The shadow bolt is already upon us.
“Muriz!” we both shout.
A barrier of aether forms around us. The shadow bolt pierces our shield, and we are left defenseless.
The attack isn’t directed at me. It is intended for my father.
The shadow bolt slams into him, and he is thrown back. He hits the stone with a sickening thud.
“Father!”I call, sprinting toward him.
There is no visible wound, but the dark magic has left him weakened. He struggles to push himself back onto his feet.
Shadows spill from Arluin’s hands. The ghastly amulet glints. It must be the source of his unfathomable strength. The skull seems to laugh at me.
Molten fury churns inside my chest. I almost burst from the relentless pressure.
“Ignir’alas!”I scream, channeling all my wrath into the spell.
Violent flames sweep from my fingers. They soar upward into the blazing wings of a phoenix.
Though the attack descends on Arluin at a furious velocity, he languidly lifts his head as he regards it.
“Ekrad,” he commands. Darkness shields him.
My fiery wings collide with his barrier. They crumble into ash. Sparks fly in the wind.
I stare at him, my eyes widening with horror. I poured all my strength into that attack, and yet he cast it aside so easily.
