Page 44 of A Touch of Madness

Before we can catch our breath, a new sound pierces the air—the sharp crack of branches breaking. I whip around, my senses screaming danger, just as a group of Solstice Society enforcers bursts through the trees. Their dark robes are adorned with sigils that glimmer with enchantments, and their faces are masked, but their intent is clear.

“They know we’re here!” Viago shouts, drawing his blade.

The group scatters, forming a defensive line. The enforcers waste no time, unleashing bolts of dark magic that sizzle through the air. One strikes a nearby tree, splitting it in half with a deafening crack.

“Witches, focus on countering their magic!” I call out, deflecting an incoming strike with my blade. The impact sends a jolt through my arm, but I don’t falter. “The rest of us will keep them off you!”

Ravenna raises her hands, her voice ringing out as she chants a counterspell. Sylvie moves beside her, their magic intertwining as they send a surge of energy toward the enforcers. Two of them are thrown back, crashing into the underbrush, but more step forward to take their place.

One of the enforcers lunges at Dorian, a blade glinting in the moonlight. He parries the attack with practiced ease, his movements fluid and precise. Vada joins him, her strikes fast and lethal as she takes down another attacker.

Nicole and Rebecca stand back-to-back, their magic forming a protective barrier around the witches as they work. Rebecca winces, her focus faltering as an enforcer hurls a curse at her, but Nicole steps in, deflecting the attack with a well-placed shield.

“They’re stalling us!” Ravenna shouts over the chaos. “We need to break through!”

Sylvie grits her teeth, her hands glowing with power. “I can push them back, but I’ll need a clear path!”

“Do it, love!” I call, slicing through an enforcer who gets too close. “We’ll cover you!”

The group tightens around Sylvie, creating a protective circle as she gathers her magic. The air vibrates with energy, the ground beneath us trembling as her power builds. With a fierce cry, she releases it, a wave of light erupting outward. The enforcers are thrown back, their cries of pain fading as they’re hurled into the trees.

For a moment, there’s silence. Then Viago lets out a low chuckle. “Impressive. Remind me never to get on your bad side, Sylvie.”

“Let’s keep moving,” I say, my voice sharp. “That was just the first wave. They’ll send more.”

The group regains its formation, bruised and battered but determined. As we press on, the woods grow darker, the air heavier with magic. Every step feels like a battle, but we move forward, united by the singular purpose that drives us all: to end the Solstice Society once and for all. To save ourselves.

As we near the edge of the woods, the air becomes stifling. A sudden pulse of energy ripples through the ground, and I barely have time to shout a warning before the earth splits open, revealing a pit filled with writhing tendrils of dark magic. They lash and twist like living things, reaching for anything within range.

“Go around!” Viago orders, but Sylvie steps forward instead, her eyes fixed on the pit.

“No,” she says firmly. “We don’t have time. Let me neutralize it.”

“You don’t have to do this alone,” I tell her, stepping to her side. The power radiating from the pit is intense, oppressive, and I can feel the strain already tugging at the edges of my mind. “Let the others help.”

She glances at me, a flicker of gratitude in her eyes, before nodding. “Ravenna, I need your help.”

The two witches exchange a brief look, and then Ravenna steps forward, her hands already moving in precise, practiced gestures. “Rebecca, Nicole, support us. We’ll need to combine our strength to dismantle this.”

The three witches form a triangle around Sylvie, their magic building like a storm. Sylvie takes the lead, her voice rising in a steady chant as she reaches toward the pit. The tendrils react violently, snapping and writhing, sending sparks of dark energy into the air. One lashes toward Sylvie, but I’m there before it can reach her, slicing through it with my blade. The severed magic dissipates into smoke, but the tendrils grow more frenzied.

“We need more time!” Ravenna shouts, her voice strained as she channels her energy into Sylvie’s spell.

“Time isn’t something we have,” Dorian growls, stepping forward to fend off another tendril. Viago joins him, his movements precise and almost casual as he slashes through the encroaching magic.

Nicole and Rebecca close their eyes, adding their voices to Sylvie’s chant. The air hums with power, a tangible force that vibrates through my bones. The pit resists, the dark magic pushing back with a fury that feels almost sentient.

“Now!” Ravenna commands.

Sylvie’s eyes snap open, glowing with a brilliant light. She extends her hands toward the pit, and with a final cry, a burst of energy explodes outward. The tendrils writhe one last time before disintegrating into ash. The pit seals itself with a groaning sound, the ground smoothing as though it had never been disturbed.

Everyone is still for a moment, the only sound our ragged breathing.

“Good teamwork,” Nicole says, though her voice is shaky. She leans against Rebecca, exhaustion etched into her face.

Ravenna places a hand on Sylvie’s shoulder, steadying her. “You did well. That was… intricate magic, and you handled it with control. I am so proud of you, dear.”

Sylvie nods, though her shoulders sag with fatigue. “Thanks. I couldn’t have done it without all of you.”

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