Page 57 of Isle of Beasts and Shadows

“Humans, my dear, are but sustenance to us. A vital link in our dwindling food chain,” he explained, his tone matter-of-fact yet tinged with a hint of remorse. “Their absence has disrupted the delicate balance of our existence on this island, posing a challenge to our survival and prosperity,” he continued, his gaze unwavering as he observed her reaction.

“What are you not telling me?” Airella met his gaze with a mix of defiance and curiosity, her eyes searching for truths hidden beneath his cryptic words, a silent challenge in her unwavering stare.

He let out a chuckle, the sound echoing through the room. Airella found it hard to adjust to the fact that Father was inhabiting Sirius’s body.

“Smart girl. You see, the greater the number of beings we gather back on the island, the more power I will amass from their souls and auras. I will flourish once more. Yet this time, I plan not to exterminate every single one of the mortals. Last time, things spiraled a bit out of control,” he concluded, a self-satisfied smirk playing on his lips as he gazed in Airella’s direction.

“What do you mean?” Airella instinctively took a step back as he drew closer.

“Ah, that feeble Miscreant hunter village. They were so audacious. My power was adhered to by a barrier they erected. They transgressed against our kind. And there was this one girl...” He pressed Airella against the wall, deftly twisting a strand of her glistening golden hair around his finger.

“And then?” Airella’s voice trembled, but her curiosity was piqued and her anticipation grew. She could hear her heartpounding in her chest. The narrative felt eerily reminiscent, as if she had encountered this tale before.

“Emmaline.” His voice turned raspy and ominous as he breathed the name into Airella’s ear, sending shivers down her spine.

That name resonated deeply within her, for it was the same name as the girl she had glimpsed in her previous flashbacks while in Limbo. It was the identical name that Sirius had mentioned there, too. What set this girl apart, and why did Airella keep encountering her name?

“I take it you may have heard of her,” he said with a smirk, taking a step back from her. With a nonchalant air, he turned around and walked away. A sense of relief washed over her as she watched him, finally able to draw in a deep breath.

Confusion and curiosity intertwined within Airella as she clenched her fists, her mind filled with questions. “Who is she? Where is she? Why did I keep seeing visions of her in Limbo?” The desperation in her voice mirrored the intensity of her emotions.

Sirius, upon hearing her words, abruptly halted in his tracks. In a swift motion, he pivoted back towards her, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling certainty. “So, my suspicions were not unfounded. Even your blood carries the same essence as hers,” he declared with a chilling laugh, his gaze shifting to the metal cuffs that had dug into her skin, leaving marks of distress. “Emmaline, the legendary Miscreant hunter, the first to birth a true hybrid demon. Zol’s mate, a Slayer’s daughter, and just one of the many casualties under Sirius’s reign.”

As the pieces of the cryptic puzzle fell into place, Airella felt a surge of realization. The enigmatic connection betweenher and the mysterious Emmaline was slowly unraveling before her eyes. She absorbed Father’s words, each revelation adding a layer of complexity to her already tumultuous emotions.

“You bear an uncanny resemblance to that woman. Yet, in you, I sense a strength far greater than hers,” he mused, his voice tinged with a mix of admiration and malice. “Emmaline was but a pawn in the grand scheme of things, a mere mortal for my younger self to toy with. But you, you possess a potential beyond measure. A refined iteration of your esteemed predecessor,” he cackled maniacally, his words echoing in the space. Airella’s mind raced, grappling with the weight of his revelations. What did it all mean? What sinister purpose lay behind his cryptic revelations?

“I would like to offer you a proposition,” he said with a sly smile playing on his lips. His gaze lingered on Airella, assessing her from head to toe. “How would you like to access more power than you could ever overcome on your own? To be respected, to gain riches, and to even have enough power to reunite with those you’ve lost?”

“I want nothing from you,” Airella retorted, her voice laced with defiance as she bared her teeth.

“I can allow you to access your inner Miscreant. Rule by my side and become my next apprentice,” he continued persuasively. “In return, I will bring your dead friend back from the afterlife and return him to his original body. I will also set Sirius free, and he will never have to hear from me ever again.” Extending his hand towards her, he presented the tempting offer. “What do you say, child?”

Airella stood there, her eyes widening in astonishment. The promise of bringing Jonathan back from the dead and restoring him to his true self, of shielding Sirius from Father’sretribution—it all seemed too good to be true. Yet, as she contemplated the offer, a nagging thought crept into her mind. What about the fate of the people aboard the ships? Should she agree to this bargain, they would be nothing more than mere sustenance for the beasts roaming the isle.

However, if she were to say no, Father could end her life right there and then. The implications would be grave; Sirius and Jonathan, along with the rest of the humans en route to the island, would meet their untimely demise. Opting for his proposal might offer a chance for Sirius and Jonathan to intervene. Perhaps wielding the enigmatic power he hinted at could even lead to a reversal of fortunes against him.

Airella hesitated for a moment, weighing the options, before finally reaching out and clasping his hand, signifying her choice. He held on firmly, a sinister grin spreading across his face before erupting into maniacal laughter.

“Foolish girl.” His laughter subsided, replaced by a chilling gaze fixed on Airella. “There are a few crucial details I may have omitted...” The realization dawned on her as his expression turned malevolent, filling her with instant regret.

His grip on her hand tightened as he sent a wave of shock through her arm, a jolt that ripped through her body like a surge of electricity. The intensity was excruciating, wrenching an agonized scream from her lips that echoed through the small cabin of the ship. Airella’s eyes, veiled in tears of torment, blazed with such ferocity that she yearned to claw them out to escape the searing pain.

Crumbling to the ground, she instinctively grasped her scalp with a free hand, feeling a peculiar, scorching ache as twisted black horns sprouted from the sides of her head. The torment intensified as a sharp, piercing sensation coursedthrough her, heralding the emergence of two pointed ears. With two luminous blue eyes ablaze, hands quivering with an unearthly force, she beheld her metamorphosed form.

Sirius, his possessed expression twisted in a sinister smile, released Airella’s hand and forcefully ripped the blue pendant from her neck, shattering the chain that bound them.

“You have so much to learn,” he taunted, his voice dripping with malice. “Every Miscreant knows that once your physical form is extinguished, it is lost forever. Did Sirius teach you anything?” His words hung in the air as he crushed the glass pendant in his fist, the shards falling to the ground with a poignant clatter.

Airella, sprawled on the cold floor, watched the scene unfold with a mixture of despair and defiance, tears streaming down her pallid cheeks.

“Jonathan!” she screamed, her voice echoing through the empty cabin. “How could you?” The searing pain of the transformation continued to spread like wildfire, each pulse sending waves of agony throughout her body, making every movement an excruciating challenge.

As he strode towards the cabin’s exit, Sirius paused, his gaze locking onto her once more. With deliberate slowness, he lowered himself to her eye level, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling intensity. Airella raised her head to meet his gaze, a mixture of fear and defiance in her eyes.

“When I reshaped Sirius into who he is now, I lacked the strength to control his free will. But times have changed. Over the centuries, I’ve grown immensely in power. You, my dear, are now under my complete dominion. You’ve struck a bargain with the devil.” His lips curled into a menacing grin as he spoke.

“But… what about Sirius?” Airella struggled to push herself up onto her knees, her fingers bleeding as she grasped the shattered remnants of Jonathan’s pendant.

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