Page 44 of Isle of Beasts and Shadows

“Do you even realize who you’re addressing, boy?” the shadowy figure, Father, bellowed, hovering close to the bearded man struggling against the hand’s grasp. “This is Emmaline’s father! Never underestimate that cunning rascal, Sirius. The ice hellion she dwells with wields power almost comparable to mine. I cannot afford to exhaust all my might shielding you from him!”

“Why did you attack, fool?” the reaper inquired, diverting his gaze from Father toward the towering man. “I spared your life, yet you chose to strike. Are you simply foolish or driven by the honor of slaying Miscreants? Your actions reek of selfishness, as if you wish to discard your own life—”

“It’s not about honor or folly,” the old Slayer interjected, seizing the reaper’s attention abruptly. “It’s about family, safeguarding your loved ones. That’s my purpose... protecting my daughter! As long as Zol ensures her safety until she reunites with me in the afterlife... it seems my job here is complete.” With a last gasp and a crushing squeeze of Father’s shadowy hand, blood trickled from the corners of his mouth.

Sirius took his scythe, its blade glinting in the dim light, and gazed into its polished surface for a fleeting moment. Amidst the tension, an unexpected wave of sympathy washed over him for the man before him. As he hesitated, Father stood beside him, his shadowy arms now back to their usual size and folded across his chest in impatience. Sirius, with a determined yet conflicted expression, raised his weapon high before delivering the decisive final blow.

Chapter 27

In that heart-stopping moment of realization, Airella’s chest tightened as she watched the tree crash down.

“Sirius!” her breath caught in her throat as the word escaped her lips in a panicked scream that echoed through the clearing. With adrenaline coursing through her veins, she dashed towards his fallen form, her heart pounding in her ears, Jonathan hot on her heels.

As they kneeled by Sirius’s motionless body, a chill settled over Airella as she registered the severity of the situation. The sense of urgency intensified, but she fought to maintain a facade of calm, even as the specter of death loomed in the form of the black-haired stranger before them. His cold, piercing gaze bore into her, a stark contrast to the warm familiarity of Sirius’s eyes. The sight of gold blood seeping from Sirius’s wound sent a shiver down her spine, the gravity of the moment weighing heavily upon her.

She turned to Jonathan, whose ethereal appearance matched her own disbelief and fear. Airella’s mind raced with the realization that this stranger, so eerily similar to Sirius, held the power to claim Jonathan’s essence. The urgency of the situation pressed upon her, urging her to act swiftly. Fingerstrembling, she retrieved the pendant from beneath her shirt, a glimmer of hope in the face of impending darkness.

“Jonathan, you have to go back!” Airella implored, her voice laced with desperation as she clutched the pendant tightly, eyes squeezed shut in a silent plea for salvation. Jonathan’s bewildered response only fueled her resolve, each moment ticking by fraught with uncertainty.

“I don’t know how!” Jonathan’s voice wavered, a mix of fear and resignation coloring his words as he gestured helplessly, the weight of their predicament heavy upon his translucent form.

Airella’s grip on the necklace tightened, her mind racing for a solution, a flicker of determination in her eyes as she sought a way to defy the grim fate that threatened to engulf them.

She opened her eyes slowly, a glint of determination shining through as she clenched her teeth together. Her fingers gripped tightly to Dawnbreaker, the cool metal providing a sense of grounding in the eerie world of Limbo. Dark, shadowy figures of villagers ambled past her with an unsettling nonchalance, as if the surreal events unfolding around them were of no consequence. Among them, the reaper who bore an uncanny resemblance to Sirius made his way towards Airella. The shock of his appearance rippled through her, for he was a mirror image of Sirius, save for his jet-black hair and imposing stature.

“Who are you? How did you escape the isle? And why do you look like Sirius?” Airella stood her ground in front of Jonathan, her grip firm on her weapon.

Uncertainty knotted in her stomach at the thought of facing a Miscreant who had effortlessly bested Sirius. Yet, shesteeled herself, knowing she had to try, even if the outcome remained a hazy uncertainty. The how and the when of their escape plan eluded her, leaving her with a sense of foreboding.

“My name is Alikad. Why do you aid this traitor? He is loyal to Father.” Alikad’s accusation sliced through the tense air as he surged forward, his movements swift and purposeful. Airella deftly sidestepped his initial strike, her mind racing to decipher the cryptic connection between them. “Return to your realm or join your fallen comrades.” Alikad’s voice held a chilling finality as he brandished his intricate scythe, the blade gleaming malevolently in the dim light. With a deft motion, he cleaved through the fabric of reality, a shimmering portal materializing before them, beckoning like a gateway between worlds, much like the one Sirius had manipulated upon their arrival.

The portal felt as if it were a voracious entity, greedily pulling air into its swirling depths like a hungry vacuum. Despite its force, it lacked the strength to draw a person through its shimmering threshold. Airella hesitated, knowing that once she crossed over, returning would be impossible without Sirius by her side.

“Airella, go... you can’t beat this guy,” Jonathan murmured softly.

“And abandon both you and Sirius? I’ll at least try to hold my ground,” Airella replied, a surge of determination flooding her senses. It reminded her of the fierce resolve she felt the first time she clashed with the Sirius she once knew. It was a potent mix of courage and strength that fueled her now. With a resolute gaze towards Alikad, she silently signaled her decision to remain.

“You humans always complicate matters unnecessarily,” Alikad remarked with a hint of disdain as he lunged towards her. Airella braced herself for the impending strike. His scythe sliced down swiftly, but she parried his blow as their weapons clashed in a symphony of metal. His movements were swift, almost blurring in their speed, testing her limits.

A rivulet of gold liquid seeped from the wound on his chest, bearing a striking resemblance to the hue of Sirius’s blood. Airella couldn’t help but notice Jonathan’s anxious expression in her peripheral vision, wincing with each assault the assailant unleashed upon her.

“Check on Sirius!” she yelled to him, her voice filled with urgency, making a swift swing at Alikad. Despite her effort, the blade of her weapon only grazed through the fabric of his cloak, leaving a faint mark. Pausing briefly, she found herself lost in her thoughts, vividly recalling the intense anger that engulfed Alikad when Sirius had inflicted a wound on him. The fear of facing a similar wrath from him gripped her.

Alikad halted his advance, his gaze shifting towards Jonathan, who was frantically attempting to rouse Sirius from his unconscious state. With a last glance in Airella’s direction, he pivoted swiftly, charging towards the ethereal blue spirit, determination etched on his face. Airella’s eyes widened in a mix of horror and resolve.

“No!” her voice resonated with desperation as she pushed her legs to match his pace, her heart racing at the thought of losing Jonathan to Alikad’s clutches. The weight of the impending danger was almost suffocating, compelling her to take drastic action.

Without hesitation, she hurled Dawnbreaker towards Alikad, the blade finding its mark squarely in his back,propelling him to the ground in a swift motion. As she sprinted past him, she swiftly retrieved her weapon from its lodged position, a sense of urgency pushing her forward. The mission to secure Sirius and ensure the safety of all consumed her every thought, driving her forward with unwavering determination.

Before she could finish her last thought, Airella felt a hand wrap around her ankle, causing her to trip, fall, and lose her grip on Dawnbreaker. She flipped over onto her back so she could get a better view of her attacker, who was in the process of climbing over her in pain.

Rage burned in his yellow eyes, reflecting the fury raging within him. His knees pinned Airella’s wrists to the ground, rendering her arms useless. She clenched her teeth in pain, feeling the intensity of the moment. He pulled back his fist, the muscles tensed with unrestrained anger, and threw a punch aimed straight at her face.

Airella moved her head away from the impending blow just in time, narrowly avoiding the impact that cracked the ground beneath him. With a fierce determination, he launched a second punch from the opposite side; the force leaving the same shattered ground in its wake, yet she continued to evade his strikes with swift precision. Fueled by anger, he seized her by the collar of her shirt, pulling her face closer to his with a menacing glare.

“You should be dead already. Unless...” Alikad snarled, his menacing figure towering over Airella as he stood, his eyes filled with malice.

With a swift motion, he flung Airella across the ground, causing her to gasp in pain as she collided with the unforgiving earth. As she struggled to regain her breath, Airella tasted ametallic flavor in her mouth and felt a sense of dread as she realized her own blood stained her palm.

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