Fuck.This isn’t good.
An eerie silence envelops the community, thick with the scent of smoke. Flames dance hungrily along the wooden structures, their crackling laughter echoing through the air as Octavia starts to cast her malevolent gaze across the terrified residents. Her violet eyes glow with a hellish light, and with a wave of her hand, more houses erupt into flames, the infernos consuming them with a ferocious hunger.
Screams pierce the air as women clutch their children, desperate to escape their houses. Panic ensues, but just as they reach the edge of the chaos, just when I think they are about to escape, Octavia halts them with a single gesture. They freeze, their eyes wide in horror, body and spirit bound by an unseen force.
With a sadistic smile curling upon her lips, Octavia extends her hands, fingers splayed like the claws of a beast. Dark and oppressive energy thrums as she begins her grisly feast. The ground quakes beneath them; the very essence of life is drawn from their trembling forms, like a vampire siphoning blood from its victim.
Their skin grows pallid, turning an ashen grey, as though all warmth and color have been stripped away. A grotesque transformation unfolds before my eyes. With each heartbeat, I witness their vitality being devoured, their bodies becoming little more than husks. Their pleas morph into silent gasps as the last remnants of life are wrested from them, escaping as wispy, translucent figures that spiral into Octavia’s body.
Their souls exit their bodies like shimmering vapors, glowing briefly before being consumed by Octavia, who drinks in their essence with twisted delight.
I stand there motionlessly, helpless.
Octavia’s power surges, a dark tide washing over the town as she revels in the chaos. Tendrils of shadow coil around her, infused with the anguish and despair of those she has claimed. The screams of the dying, mingled with the crackling of the flames, creates a symphony of terror. She falls into a hellish display, burning house after house, lighting up the darkness with flames.
Octavia’s dark magic transforms the very fabric of reality, twisting it into a horrifying nightmare with flames and blood-thirsty shadowmires.
She has annihilated everyone in this community—this insidious cult—within mere seconds. Those who once revered her, showering her with adoration and praise, now lie motionless as if their very lives held no significance.
I stand paralyzed, my heart pounding in disbelief and fear. I have never witnessed such a display of dark magic—her power is unparalleled, evoking a sense of dread that chills me to my core. The remnants of worship now lay silent, swallowed by an unfathomable void.
“See you soon, traitor,” she looks over her shoulder at me and vanishes.
My gods.
She knows this was all just an act. And she… vanished… teleported like demons can.
I piece everything together.
Octavia isn’t a witch or demon. She is far worse. She can wield the power to trap the souls of the living and the dead. She harnesses souls to make herself stronger. She harvests the essence of their souls to fuel her dark magic. And now, she can vanish and appear whenever she wants.
Octavia is a soulbinder, a being conjured from the very depths of hell’s darkest recesses—something that hasn’t existed since the gods themselves walked this land. I never realized this before, but now it’s so incredibly clear… Soulbinders feed off of fear and can sense your innermost thoughts. They know truths and lies. Which means she knows I’ve been playing her.
Fuck.
I have to warn the others.
Chapter 38
Dani
As clarity washes over me, I collapse to my knees, tears streaming down my cheeks like an unstoppable river. It feels as though my very soul has withered away, leaving an emptiness that echoes through my chest where my heart used to beat with life.
Dax and Killian follow my descent, their strong arms wrapping around me in a protective embrace. I can feel their warmth banding around me like a shield as they work to mend my physical wounds, but the aching sorrow within me remains untouched.
“Dani!” Jules runs over with Carter and Amelia. “What happened?! Are you okay?!” Carter’s brown eyes are filled with worry.
“Adonis… he…” I can’t even say the words. I can hardly catch my breath. My heart, broken and bruised, lies in a million tiny pieces.
This can’t be real.
“Were you stabbed?!” Carter asks as he grabs my face in his hands.
“Back off, Carter! She is fine; we healed her,” Dax says, his voice filled with irritation.
I ignore him.
“Dani, it’s not real,” Amelia implores, her voice soft yet firm as she sinks to the floor before me. She gently wipes the tears streaming down my cheeks with the tender touch of her fingertips. I can feel Killian’s reassuring hand rubbing small circles on my back, trying to soothe the storm of emotions raging within me. “This is just a misunderstanding,” Amelia continues, her eyes filled with empathy and concern.
