The only place that comes to mind is Nyx’s old bunker, where we once stayed while searching for Aidan.
I wish my conversation with Rhett had gone differently, but even if he can no longer be my friend, I still believe he’s a good man. I think he will do well by the Lycans, and perhaps one day I’ll be able to regain his trust.
I resolve not to feel guilty any longer about what I did. The council deserved it, and dwelling on regrets is futile. There’s no point in getting worked up over the past when it’s beyond my power to change. Instead, I focus on navigating the silent, fog-shrouded path ahead.
I recall Nyx’s advice that I should be able to sense the hidden bunker entrance using my fae magic. Focusing intently, I search for any subtle pull on my essence, any faint signal that might guide me to our covert refuge. Despite my efforts, I don’t feel anything. It seems I’m not close enough yet, or perhaps my senses are dulled from the day’s emotional toll—or the alcohol. But I think my conversation with Rhett pretty much sobered me up.
I continue my trek toward the coast, keeping my senses heightened and attuned to any hint of the hidden bunker. The day has stretched long and wearisome, filled with too many events, too many emotional upheavals. The thought of finding the bunker, of finally being able to crawl into bed and escape the weight of the day, is my sole motivation now.
Chepi begins to stir restlessly in my arms, pawing at me as if eager to be let go. I pause, puzzled. “What is it, boy?” I ask, loosening my grip. His wings materialize instantly, and he takes to the air, fluttering anxiously next to me on high alert.
I strain my senses, trying to detect what has alarmed him. Suddenly, I feel a soft rumble under my feet, too subtle at first then unmistakably growing stronger. Before I can fully process the danger, the ground beneath us bursts open.
A colossal serpent rises, its massive body cloaked in glistening black scales that shimmer with a sinister, oily sheen. My eyes trail up its elongated body until I’m met with a pair of glowing emerald orbs. The serpent’s bright green eyes pierce the night with an eerie intelligence that has me frozen in place.
I barely have a moment to react as the creature starts to wrap its massive body around my legs, its scales cold and sharp. As it moves, the air fills with the sound of its scales scraping together, a harsh, rasping noise that chills my blood. The serpent’s strength is overwhelming, pulling me down as Istruggle to keep my balance and find a way to escape its tightening grasp.
Chepi’s growl escalates, and I glance up to see several Monstrauths approaching in the distance. “Fuck,” I mutter under my breath. In desperation, I reach for the sword Colton gifted me. As my hand grasps the hilt, the blade extends with a swift click. I swing at the serpent, aiming for a weak spot, but the blade merely glances off its armored scales without making a dent.
The serpent tightens its grip, dragging me backward toward the hole it emerged from, intent on pulling me into the depths. Realizing the futility of my sword against such armor, I sheathe it quickly, my heart pounding as panic starts to set in. I have no choice but to tap into the dark magic that courses through me—magic I’ve been wary of unleashing.
I close my eyes for a brief moment, gathering my focus. The dark power within me stirs, eager and waiting for my command. When I open my eyes, I release it all in a surge of shadowy energy. The magic bursts forth, enveloping my body in a shroud of darkness. Tendrils of shadow whip out from around me, targeting the serpent with precision and force.
The shadows seethe with power, searching for any crack in the serpent’s armor, any vulnerability. As they wrap around the beast, they begin to squeeze and constrict, countering the serpent’s own deadly embrace. The struggle intensifies, the outcome hanging in the balance as I pour more of my will into the shadows, determined to break free from the creature’s lethal hold.
As I wrestle with the serpent’s grip, a horrifying realization dawns on me: my dark magic isn’t as effective because this creature might be wrought from dark magic itself. I’ve never encountered such a serpent before, and its sudden emergence is as mysterious as it is terrifying. But whereis it from?
As I feel the creature’s hold begin to loosen, another serpent bursts from the ground. This one targets my arm, coiling swiftly up toward my neck. I come face-to-face with it, its eyes a swirl of emerald and obsidian. Bracing for a bite, I flinch, but instead it merely tightens its grip, intent on dragging me into its lair. The thought of being taken to its home to be devoured sends a shiver down my spine. “Not today,” I mutter through gritted teeth.
Closing my eyes, I withdraw my shadows then gather every ounce of my power. With a focused burst of dark energy, I channel it directly into the serpents. I visualize them turning inside out, their bodies igniting into flames from the inside. A rush of euphoric magic surges through me, the thrill of control and power washing over me as the creatures writhe in agony. When I open my eyes, a satisfied smile plays across my lips.
“That’s more like it.”
Scrambling to my feet, I survey the scene. Chepi is keeping the Monstrauths at bay. He flaps his wings vigorously, generating a powerful gust of dark wind that the approaching creatures struggle against. I see he has more powers than I thought.
I extend my hands, and inky black smoke pours from my pores, seeping into the air around us. My shadows slither across the forest floor, reaching the first couple of Monstrauths. They wrap around the creatures’ rotting skeletal bodies, climbing all the way up their long, twisted horns. I completely envelop them in darkness while my shadows consume them, feasting on their flesh until there’s nothing left.
As my shadows continue their relentless work, I turn my attention to the three other Monstrauths to my right. The one in the front lunges toward me, its giant mouth agape, revealing sharp, frothing teeth. The high-pitched screech they emit echoes through the forest, piercing the silent night air. Swiftly, Idraw my blade and slice its head clean off, silencing the dreadful sound instantly. The body collapses in a heap, the threat abruptly ended.
For the remaining two, I decide to employ a different tactic. Focusing intently, I channel my power directly with my mind. I watch, a cold smile spreading across my face, as they disintegrate before my eyes, turning into nothing more than powdery bone and a few chunks of rotted flesh. The ease with which I dismantle these monsters fills me with a dark satisfaction.
“Come on, boy. There’ll be more coming,” I warn Chepi. We quicken our pace in search of the damn bunker. The high-pitched scream of the Monstrauth was unmistakable—it was a call, likely summoning more demons to our location.
A sudden crunch of a branch causes me to jerk my head around. Peering through the thickening fog, I discern the shapes of at least a dozen more Monstrauths beginning to emerge from the encroaching darkness of the forest.
Chepi, sensing the immediate threat, springs into action. He dips his head, and from his horns, a beam of dark energy erupts, striking with precision. The force of his attack knocks two of the Monstrauths off their feet, sending them sprawling into the underbrush.
I steel a quick moment to reflect on all that Ryella taught me when she awakened my magic, all the abilities harnessed by dark Sorcerers before me. With a burgeoning curiosity about the limits of my own power, I decide it’s time to experiment, to truly test the breadth of my capabilities without fear. I concentrate, summoning a spear made of pure, condensed darkness. It feels cold and heavy and dangerous in my grasp.
With a fluid motion, I hurl the dark spear at one of the encroaching demons. It strikes square in the chest, and upon impact the spear bursts into a swarm of shadowwisps. These tendrils of darkness branch out, voraciously attacking anything within their reach. I watch in awe of myself as everything the tendrils touch starts to boil and disintegrate, as if my spear burst into acid. It’s a neat trick, devastating in its simplicity and effectiveness.
I can’t help but smile, imagining how to demonstrate this new technique to Colton. Yes, he’ll definitely be impressed. As I ready myself for the next assault, I store this new trick in my mind, a powerful addition to my growing arsenal of dark magic.
The Monstrauths can’t even get close to us. Chepi continues knocking them down with dark beams and impeding their approach with the magical winds generated by his wings. As I consider which dark magic technique to practice next on these creatures, I can’t help but almost laugh at the ease of it all. To think these demons almost killed me once, and now they can’t even touch me with their rotting, bony hands.
Feeling bold, I decide to take the challenge directly to the monsters. I charge toward them, then at the last second I duck and sweep my hand across the ground, encircling two of them in a swift, fluid motion. Instantly, a dimensional rift forms beneath them. The ground vanishes, swallowing the demons whole before the rift seals shut and the earth reappears as if nothing had happened.
“Holy shit,” I whisper to myself, astonished. I had no idea I could conjure such a thing, and I certainly have no clue where I sent those demons, but the thrill of it is exhilarating.
