Page 46 of Isle of Beasts and Shadows

“It’s just a scratch, I’ll manage. You’ve faced worse.” Airella’s words carried a reminder of Jonathan’s sacrifice for her. “We must seize this moment while he’s preoccupied.” Her gaze shifted to the unsettled reaper who loomed nearby.

“Right,” Jonathan began, but his words trailed off as Sirius spoke with closed eyes, his voice barely a whisper.

“Emmaline...” Sirius muttered, a name hanging in the air with an air of mystery.

Airella’s body tensed, her muscles contracting involuntarily, a searing pain shooting through her like a bolt of lightning as she mustered the strength to stand up straight. The wound on her side throbbed with an intensity that seemed to echo through the desolate realm of Limbo.

As she struggled against the unseen forces at play, she realized Limbo was not a welcoming abode for the living, its very essence rejecting their presence. Yet, amidst the chaos, a realization struck her—Sirius, the reaper by her side, endured Limbo’s influence as well. Deprived of his usual sustenance of human souls, the unnatural grip of this realm seemed to twist and distort his being, just as it did hers.

“Airella, what’s wrong?” Jonathan’s voice was tinged with confusion as he regarded Airella, seeking answers in her eyes.

“I... I don’t know,” Airella stammered, her gaze darting back and forth between Alikad and Sirius, uncertainty clouding her features.

“Emmaline?” Sirius’s eyes fluttered open, his consciousness returning as he peered up at the sky, a sense of bewilderment mingling with recognition.

For a fleeting moment, Airella was rendered speechless, a confirmation dawning upon her that these were not mere illusions. Collapsing to her knees, she hovered over Sirius, gripping his shoulders with a mix of urgency and desperation.

“Emmaline. That name. Where did you hear that name?” Airella’s voice was insistent as she shook Sirius gently, her eyes searching his for any flicker of understanding.

“Airella!” Jonathan’s cry pierced the tense atmosphere, a note of urgency in his tone.

“Tell me,” she demanded, her gaze drilling into Sirius, a blend of concern and determination etched on her face.

Amidst the turmoil, the sense of impending danger loomed large, with Alikad’s presence a constant reminder of lurking threats that may no longer be visible.

“Father?” Sirius’s vision was a blur, the world around him hazy and unfocused. He struggled to comprehend Airella’s words as they echoed in his ears. His head spun, a whirlwind of confusion and pain clouding his thoughts.

The moment Alikad ceased moving, a strange sensation washed over Sirius, freezing him in place.

As Airella and Jonathan came to a sudden halt, their expressions of shock mirrored each other’s as they turned to face him.

“You have a lot of nerve showing up here, Father.” Sirius uttered through gritted teeth, his voice strained with effort.

Clutching his side, he cast a wary glance towards Alikad, his eyes narrowing in agony as he discovered the fresh wound etched upon his skin. The opposing reaper’s strike had been swift and merciless, the searing pain radiating through Sirius’s body like a raging inferno. Overwhelmed by the intensity of it all, Sirius sank to his knees, his strength failing him.

Airella rushed to his side, her concern palpable as she reached out to support him, but Sirius raised a trembling hand, warding her off. Was it fear that gripped him now, or simply the excruciating pain that threatened to consume him whole? Even Jonathan, standing nearby, failed to perceive the flickerof fear that danced in Sirius’s eyes, masked by a facade of determination.

As Sirius struggled to rise, he slowly peeled back his cloak, revealing the extent of his injuries. Alikad’s attack had inflicted far more damage than he had initially realized. The gaping wound snaked its way from his stomach, curving towards his back before terminating at his right hip, a vivid reminder of the peril he faced.

“It looks like you’re wounded,” the now possessed Alikad spat and cracked his neck, making it pop loudly as he turned. “I thought you were tougher than this. Now, look at you. Pathetic.”

Sirius watched him as he laughed at his pain. He stood and hunched himself over his own scythe for support while gold blood seeped from his large wounds. His breaths came in ragged gasps, the metallic tang of blood heavy in the surrounding air.

Father exerted control over Alikad’s body, manipulating his movements. With a forceful gesture, he pivoted Alikad around, unveiling a face contorted with a blend of insanity and rage. Though he concealed his fury outwardly, a flicker of anger gleamed unmistakably in his eyes. Sinister black veins snaked across Alikad’s form, his skin taking on a ghastly gray hue as if his very vitality was being drained by Father’s malevolent presence. Sirius, feeling a surge of apprehension, stood tensely while Father resumed speaking.

Father traced a finger along his chin as he circled before the trio. “You’re fortunate to still draw breath,” he spoke with a hint of disappointment. Grasping the scythe nearby, his expression twisted into another maniacal grin. “Once I finish with you, you’ll no longer impede my plans.”

Sirius leaned in, his jaw clenched in frustration. “What twisted scheme are you orchestrating, Father?” Then, the realization hit him, prompting a surge of anger that made him clench his fists until his nails dug into his palms. “This was all part of your design from the very start, wasn’t it?” Sirius erupted, his voice laced with fury.

Father’s smile widened with a sinister gleam as his gaze shifted to Airella. “A perceptive one, indeed,” he taunted, reveling in the unfolding drama with chilling satisfaction. Sirius had finally pieced it all together. Father had meticulously orchestrated every moment leading up to this point, from the very inception of their plan.

“You’ve been plotting this since they first set step on the isle. Are you really aiming to reintroduce human existence to the island just for the sake of the Miscreant food chain?” Sirius muttered under his breath, struggling as he attempted to rise.

His gaze shifted to Jonathan, and with a swift motion, he snapped his fingers. Jonathan’s form shrank until he transformed back into an orb-shaped soul. “Get Jonathan back into the pendant! We have to—”

Airella’s piercing scream cut Sirius’s words off.

A numbness enveloped him. Looking down at his stomach, Sirius’s eyes widened in horror. As he glanced up, he met the sinister gaze of the possessed Alikad, his hand resting on Sirius’s shoulder. Sirius’s eyes locked onto the blade that had pierced through his chest, emerging from his upper back. The scythe narrowly missed his spine, and searing pain surged through him, surpassing any he had ever known. Struggling to remain upright, he confronted Father, hatred burning in his eyes. Sirius defiantly spat his gold blood onto Father’s face. Gruesomely, Father wiped away some of the blood from hismouth, a chilling smile fading into darkness. Sirius fought to stay conscious, but his legs gave way beneath him.

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