Page 58 of An Ancient Power's Revenge

Fury flickered in Ryan's eyes as he turned his attention to Oberyn, his lips curling into a malicious smile. "If you don't believe in the Nogitsune’s power, then perhaps you should experience it for yourself," he spat, his voice laced with venom.

With a wave of his hand, Ryan commanded the Nogitsune to attack, and I watched in horror as the creature obeyed, lunging at Oberyn with a ferocity that sent fear throughout me.

Oberyn's screams echoed through the warehouse as the creature's claws tore through his flesh, leaving him crumpled on the floor in a lifeless heap. My heart pounded in my chest as I stared at the gruesome scene before me, a sickening realization settling in the pit of my stomach.

The Nogitsune was a real savage, and it was deadly.

But as I watched Oberyn's lifeless body, a question nagged at the back of my mind. Why hadn't the creature attacked me? I was just an ordinary person, wasn't I? Or did it somehow know I was a Luminara witch, but why care? It already killed one of us.

“Now, do you doubt the power I have over you?’ Ryan asked as he turned to me, his eyes filled with so much evil that it scared me.

I whispered a quick prayer. I desperately hoped to survive this, and hoping the creature keeps stopping and refusing to attack me.

Ryan's voice dripped with venom as he outlined his sinister plans, his eyes gleaming with malicious intent as he towered over me. The dim light of the warehouse cast eerie shadowsacross his face, accentuating the cruel curve of his lips and the coldness in his gaze.

"I won't kill you yet, Sheriff," Ryan sneered, his tone laced with twisted amusement. "No, you'll stay right here while I take control of Harmony Grove. You'll watch as I dismantle everything you hold dear, and when the time comes, you'll beg me for the mercy of death."

His words sent a chill up and down the back of my neck, but I refused to show any sign of fear. Instead, I met his gaze head-on, my jaw clenched in defiance as I struggled to maintain my composure in the face of his malevolent intentions.

"You're delusional, Ryan," I retorted, my voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins. "You'll never succeed in your twisted ambitions. We'll stop you, no matter what it takes."

Ryan's laughter echoed through the warehouse, the sound grating on my nerves as he took a step closer, his eyes blazing with manic fervor.

"Oh, I'm quite sure of my success, Sheriff," he replied, his voice dripping with smug confidence. "And when I'm finished, Harmony Grove will bow before me, and you'll be nothing but a distant memory."

I fought to keep my emotions in check, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing me falter. But inside, a storm raged, the weight of his words pressing down on me like a suffocating blanket of dread.

As Ryan continued to gloat, his words becoming more twisted with each passing moment, I struggled to block out the rising tide of fear that threatened to overwhelm me.

Ryan's chilling words, his eyes glinting with malice as he outlined his sinister plans for Harmony Grove. I clenched my jaw, suppressing the urge to lash out at him, knowing that any resistance would only provoke him further. Instead, I focused onmaintaining my composure, refusing to show any signs of fear in the face of his twisted intentions.

As Ryan continued to taunt me with his threats, a sudden commotion erupted within the warehouse, cutting through the tension like a knife. I turned to see Karla leading the charge, her fellow witches at her side, their faces set in determined grimaces as they prepared to confront the Nogitsune.

Without hesitation, the vampire team surged forward, their movements swift and coordinated as they closed in on Ryan and took him out. I watched with bated breath as they engaged in a fierce battle, their determination matched only by their unwavering resolve to protect Harmony Grove at all costs.

Karla went straight for the talisman as the vampires successfully knocked it out of Ryan’s hands. The energy from the talisman threw her off a bit.

"Focus, Karla!" Agnes rasped. "We don't have much time!"

Karla nodded, her jaw clenched tight. She held the werewolf talisman aloft, the silver pendant pulsing with an unnatural green light. We all knew what that meant. The Nogitsune, the malevolent spirit Ryan had bound to the talisman, was fighting for control.

"We need to sever the connection," Beatrice barked. "Weaken it before Karla severs it completely."

As one, the coven unleashed their magic. Agnes sent tendrils of calming energy toward Karla while Beatrice wove a fiery net around Ryan, effectively pinning him to the wall. The air crackled with raw power as Elara, the water witch, and Nadia, the earth witch, joined the fray.

Ryan, his face contorted in a grotesque mask of rage, screamed. His eyes locked on Karla with a murderous glint.

"You will all pay!" he bellowed, his voice raspy and laced with malice. "This town will burn! You can't stop me!"

Karla ignored him, focusing solely on the talisman. Her fingers danced across its surface, her lips moving silently in an ancient chant. The silver light emanating from her intensified, pushing back the unnatural green glow from the pendant.

"Almost there, Karla," I rasped, my voice hoarse from disuse. The effort of pushing against the magical bindings left me breathless.

"Just a little longer," she whispered back, sweat beading on her forehead. The serenity that usually graced her face was etched with fierce concentration.

Suddenly, the air shimmered, and a wisp of inky black smoke oozed out of the talisman. It writhed and pulsed with a malevolent energy, its form shifting and changing like a living shadow. The Nogitsune.

With a final, agonizing scream, the talisman shattered. The green light vanished, replaced by a blinding white flash that momentarily filled the room. When the light subsided, the smoke had solidified into a grotesque, humanoid figure with glowing red eyes. It shrieked, a sound that seemed to tear through the very fabric of reality.

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