I feel the cold bite of the ice-covered wall as my back hits it hard—nowhere left to go.
This is it. The end.
My heart pounds frantically, my breathing ragged, erratic. I shake my head in disbelief, finding no pity in his terrifying face, only the cold flame in his emerald eyes, alight with fanatic fervor. He stands over me, and I wince, squeezing my eyes shut, unable to face the end, unable to fight.
His hot breath prickles against my skin as I await my terrible fate, trembling from icy terror.
“I recall what you said,” Ignixis rasps, his ancient voice scraping inches from my face. “You don’t fear the dark—you fear being eaten alive.” His voice drifts as he steps away, and I dare to crack my eyes open, just in time to see him approach the wooden box.
His horrifying words and whatever’s in that box send fresh rounds of frozen tears to spill from my eyes.
“Please, Ignixis,” I choke out, my voice breaking, pleading for anything that will make this nightmare stop. “I’ll do anything you want! I don’t want to be fucking eaten!”
My body shakes violently with terror as I collapse onto my knees. This fate—this unbearable, twisted end—is crushing me. My mind screams for mercy, for an escape, for anything that can melt this horrific reality away. Please, God—Arawnoth—come from the heavens, burn this nightmare away like in my dreams!
But then, something in me snaps, and the terror festering in my gut twists into white-hot hatred. I raise my head, fury igniting behind my eyes.
“He’s going to come for you,” I spit through gritted teeth, my voice dripping venom. “And when he does, I’ll enjoy watching him burn you to ashes.”
Ignixis doesn’t even flinch. He simply mutters, distracted as his claws pry the wooden lid from the box.
“I pray Dracoth does come.”
I can just make out the writhing, segmented pale yellow and red creatures probing the edges of the opening with grotesque curiosity. My stomach churns with revulsion, disgust mingling with my fury.
“Not Dracoth!” I snarl, my voice shaking with rage. “Arawnoth! He’s coming. I see him in my dreams, and he’ll burn you to a fucking crisp!”
Ignixis freezes, his head snapping toward me, eyes widening in surprise. Good. He should be scared, he should fear what’s coming for him. He’ll die for this, no matter what happens to me.
“It’s too late, child,” he mutters, his tone infuriatingly level, reaching into the box and pulling out a writhing creature, as long and thick as my wrist.
“This is a cyloillar,” Ignixis thrusts the horrible grotesque toward me. Its singular, large black eye reflects my terror,dominating its segmented, leathery body, rippling with a wave of spindly legs.
“Don’t let looks deceive you. These critters can chew through a live borack in minutes.” He whirls round, placing the creature back into the box. “Despite your plumpness, you’ll be consumed quickly. Consider it a mercy—my final gift to you.”
Seething rage mixes with icy terror, trembling through my entire body. But despite my fear, I notice the faintest smirk curling his quivering lip, like he’s trying to suppress laughter.
“Are you fucking serious right now?” I roar, my voice ricocheting off the frozen walls. “You’re one sick, twisted old freaky bastard, you know that?” I thrash against the chains, wanting nothing more than to lunge at him, to throttle him until his disgusting grin is gone.
“Indeed,” Ignixis murmurs, approaching with the box, the writhing giant caterpillar-like creatures turning my blood to ice water. I instinctively retreat to the cold unyielding wall, my frost-lined chains growing taut.
This is really happening!
With a flick of his wrist, Ignixis tips the box, and dozens of fat, squirming cyloillars spill out onto the frozen ground, their legs skittering with surprising speed. I yelp, almost leaping into the air with disgust as they wriggle around me.
“Farewell, my little snowdrop.” Ignixis titters, his voice filled with dark amusement as he whirls like a dark cloud, gliding out of the frozen tunnel.
“You evil bastard!” I scream after him, my voice cracking with rage and terror. My eyes lock onto the nearest revolting creature, its single black eye gleaming, its mandibles twitching. My heart pounds furiously, blood roaring in my ears.
Arawnoth protect me!
Chapter 36
Dracoth
Hunt
Scarn’sashenwindstearthrough the gaps in my armor, whipping my short crimson hair and blurring my vision. The landscape stretches before me—a vast, desolate expanse of cracked earth and sizzling lava, choked by blackened skies. It is harsh, unforgiving, and magnificent. This is home. Only the hard and the strong can survive here, and we, the Magaxus, are the strongest.
