Seraphine’s Arrival Expanded
The air in the clearing grew heavy as a wave of dark energy washed over the battlefield. The trees trembled, their leaves rustling as if in fear. From the shadows, Seraphine emerged, her silver eyes glowing with a predatory intensity. She moved with the grace of a predator, her presence commanding and suffocating.
“Enough,” she said, her voice cutting through the chaos like a blade.
The soldiers fell back immediately, their movements precise and disciplined as they formed a protective line behind her. Eira appeared beside her, her expression cold and calculating. Together, they radiated power, their dark magic seeping into the clearing.
Seraphine’s gaze locked onto Lyra, her expression a mix of fury and disappointment. “You were supposed to bring it to me,” she said, her voice sharp and accusing. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing?”
Lyra struggled to her feet, the artifact still clutched in her hands. Its glow flickered erratically, the energy within it unstable. “I thought you wanted me to be strong,” she said, her voice trembling.
“I want you to be more than strong,” Seraphine replied, her tone softening into something dangerously sweet. “I want you to be invincible. But you’re too weak to see it.”
Eryon growled low in his throat, stepping protectively in front of Lyra. His wolf form bristled with tension as he glared at Seraphine. “Stay away from her.”
Seraphine’s gaze flicked to Eryon, her lips curling into a faint smirk. “Still playing the noble brother, I see,” she said. “But this isn’t about you, Eryon. This is about her—and what she owes me.”
Adrian stood beside Lyra, his blade raised defensively. “She doesn’t owe you anything,” he said, his voice steady despite the rage simmering beneath it.
Seraphine ignored him, her attention solely on Lyra. She extended a hand, her silver eyes gleaming with determination. “Give it to me, Lyra,” she commanded. “You’re not ready to wield its power. But I am.”
Lyra hesitated, her heart pounding as the artifact pulsed in her hands. Its whispers urged her to obey, to submit to Seraphine’s will. She looked at Eryon, Adrian, and Misery, their faces filled with worry and determination.
For the first time, she felt the weight of her choices pressing down on her. “No,” she said, her voice trembling but resolute. “I won’t give it to you.”
Seraphine’s eyes darkened, her expression twisting with anger. “You ungrateful child,” she hissed, her voice dripping with venom. “You’ll ruin everything.”
Dark magic flared around Seraphine’s hand as she stepped closer, her intent clear. Lyra clutched the artifact tighter, its energy sparking violently in response.
The clearing erupted into chaos once more as Seraphine unleashed her power, the ground shaking beneath their feet. Lyra cried out as the artifact’s energy surged, its whispers screaming in her mind.
Eryon and Adrian moved to shield her, their combined strength holding the line against Seraphine’s relentless assault. Misery joined the fray, her blade flashing as she intercepted a strike meant for Lyra.
