Chapter 17. A Promised Storm
* * *
…
"Wha—what's happening? El…" Ran's voice trembled with worry as she stared at him.
She closed her eyes for a brief moment, taking a steadying breath. When she opened them again, determination burned within their depths, as she resolved herself to a decision.
Ran reached for her necklace, her fingers tracing its intricate contours with precision.
Her thumb and index finger glided over the engraved runes as if unlocking a secret formula.
Finally, she clasped the emerald gemstone at its center with both hands, one atop the other, like a prayer. Bowing her head slightly, she began to whisper:
"Winds that whisper, winds that roar, A promise lingering in shadow's core. By storm's decree and lightning's hand, Make true the will of emerald's command. For I, the chosen heir…"
The words carried a quiet power, resonating through the still air.
In an instant, an otherworldly emerald glow burst from her grasp, seeping through the cracks between her fingers.
The dim alleyway was bathed in the vivid, pulsating light, its brilliance banishing the gloom and freezing the three creatures in place as their attention snapped to her.
"What… stop her! Quick!" Sill barked, leaping to his feet, panic flaring in his voice.
He knew the glow could only mean one thing—Ran was activating a Magic Tool.
Such devices were infamous for their rarity, unpredictability, and lethality. If they weren't careful, that light might as well be the last thing they saw in their life.
The gemstone pulsed with a mesmerizing light, the engraved runes deep within flared to life, ready to weave the Rules of Reality to her command, the chosen heir of the storm.
The ground beneath them fractured with a thunderous crack, shattering into two jagged slabs. With a force that defied nature, the slabs tore free and launched skyward, carrying the transformed Leo and Zeke with them.
*Roar.*
*Grah!*
At the same time, the net that had ensnared Ran and El shuddered violently as its anchor points were yanked free by an invisible force.
The net shot through the air like a whip, aimed directly at Sill. He barely managed to evade it, leaping aside as it tore past him.
Clinging to the side of the building with his claws dug into the concrete, Sill glared down at Ran. "Who are you?" he growled, suspicion in his voice. He never expected someone like her—a wielder of a Magic Tool—to appear in the underside.
Such power was typically reserved for the nobility or the emperor's sworn ones.
Ran refused to answer. Instead, she turned her attention to the net that still bound Gill. With a flick of her hand, the spell reactivated, pulling the net free and hurling it toward Sill.
Once again, he dodged, leaping to the opposite side of the alley as the net crashed into the wall behind him.
"Run!" Ran shouted to Gill, her voice cutting through the tension.
Gill wasted no time, sprinting to her side.
"Bring El with you and get out of here," Ran instructed urgently. "I'll hold him off and follow after!"
"Why should I bring him?" Gill protested, gesturing toward El, who was curled over in agony.
The bluish veins snaking across his chest were vivid, bulging beneath his skin and spreading outward like a living map.
The sight unsettled both Gill and Ran—it reminded them eerily of the veins that appeared whenever Sir Giles's anger boiled over.
"No. I won't leave anyone behind again," Ran said firmly, her voice resolute.
"You're insane! You remember what happened the last time you used that necklace, don't you?" Gill shot back, his frustration mounting.
"Just go!" Ran's voice rang with finality, leaving no room for argument.
Ignoring his protests, Ran turned her focus to Sill, who was rapidly closing the distance, bounding left and right with spider-like agility.
Extending her left hand, she summoned the magic once more, letting it course through the gemstone. The pavement beneath her cracked and splintered, breaking apart into two massive stone blocks.
She launched them toward Sill, the blocks flying with a force that shook the air.
Sill dodged again, forced to retreat even further as the blocks crashed into the walls, scattering debris.
Grimacing, Gill hoisted El onto his shoulder with a muttered curse, his legs moving in a frantic sprint down the alley. Behind him, Ran followed closely while hurling shards of shattered stone and chunks of concrete toward Sill to keep him at bay.
Sill dodged with unnerving agility, weaving through the onslaught, though it forced him to maintain more distance.
The crashing blocks left gouges in the surrounding walls.
"Don't run, my meal!" Sill's voice echoed behind them, unnaturally loud and twisted with desperation. "Please, don't run! Help me, please! Gill, Ran, help me! I can't control my body. I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! But I'm hungry! Please, don't run!"
The words froze both Gill and Ran for a fleeting moment, the haunting tone cutting through their resolve like a blade. It sounded exactly like Sill—like the man he had been before.
The raw anguish and desperation in his voice dragged back memories of those times when Sill had pleaded for help during grueling training sessions with Sir Giles on the base.
The cadence of his voice was painfully familiar, filled with the same mix of pain, regret, and an in-joke they remembered so well.
It felt as if Sill were truly there, behind them―chasing them without a break, driven by an insatiable hunger and suffering he could neither control nor contain. Yet, the two of them knew―deep down―this wasn't truly him. Not anymore.
The creature's earlier words suddenly resurfaced in their minds: it consumed its victims and wore their forms like a second skin, mimicking them with uncanny perfection.
Even their memories were stolen, making the imitation horrifyingly complete.
This realization hit them like icy water, a suffocating wave that deepened their terror.
The color drained from their already pale faces, and the hair on the back of their necks stood on end. The horrifying truth settled like a stone in their chests—if they fell into the creature's clutches, they wouldn't just die. They would be erased, replaced by a hollow, monstrous version of themselves.
The thought sent them spiraling into a state of panic, leaving them feeling unhinged and utterly terrified.
It was fortunate, they realized, that this path hadn't been infested with The Cursed. Had the alley been swarmed with those creatures, too, well, their survival would've been impossible.
Two continued their frantic escape, but Ran eventually gasped for breath, struggling to simply draw a wisp of oxygen into her lungs.
Her heart pounded erratically with each beat, a painful reminder of her limits.
The magic embedded in her necklace was taking its toll.
Without the stabilizing force of a Magic Core, the strain of channeling its power was devastating. The longer she used it, the more her body and soul frayed at the edges.
And soon, the consequences were manifesting.
A sharp ringing filled Ran's ears, second ticked by second, drowning out all other sounds—the crashing stone, Gill's hurried footsteps, even Sill's chilling cries.
The next moment, it was her vision that began to blur. The world around her slowly faded into a hazy, indistinct mess. Her strikes grew less precise; the debris she hurled slowly veered wildly off course, until it missed its mark entirely.
Sensing her weakness, Sill surged forward, seizing the opportunity. Closed the distance between them with alarming speed.
He was drawing closer.
And closer he came.
And then, it happened.
Ran's foot caught on a jagged fragment of stone—a shard unexpectedly torn from the walls she had hurled at Sill. She stumbled and fell hard onto the pavement.
*Thud.*
Amidst the cacophony of stone crashing against the building and the ground, along with the sound of hurried footsteps, the faint sound of her fall was still enough to alert Gill, who turned in horror to see Ran, who was left quite far behind, collapsed and struggling to rise.
Her expression was one of helplessness, her strength utterly spent. She tried to push herself up, but her arms trembled, giving way beneath her. She crumpled back to the cold, unforgiving ground.
She was too exhausted. Her body had failed her.
Yet, despite her waning strength, her fingers remained firmly pressed against the gemstone of her necklace. She was ready to make one final sacrifice. If this were the end, she wouldn't go down without ensuring Gill and El's safety.
"At least they'll be fine," she murmured, a faint, bittersweet smile curling her lips. Her voice wavered, the words barely audible. "Wait for me, Mother. I'm coming soon."
Her smile carried the weight of resignation, laced with an underlying sorrow. She had long since made peace with the thought of dying—a piece of her resolve to live had been buried alongside the haunting memories of that day.
Gill stopped in his tracks, panic flashing across his face as he stared back at her. Instinctively, he released El from his shoulder, letting him slump to the ground.
Without hesitation, he sprinted toward Ran with every ounce of strength he could muster. His legs burned in exertion, and his lungs screamed for air and relief. But he didn't stop. He couldn't stop.
He pushed through the pain to reach her, and miraculously, he succeeded.
Ran's tired eyes flickered toward Gill, silently questioning why he had come back for her instead.
Gill felt a moment of relief wash over him as he knelt beside her.
But tragically, it was all but a short and fleeting moment. A shadow loomed over them.
Now, they still ended up face to face with Sill, who had landed before them. A malicious grin spread across his face.
"Ah, so annoying. Why are you two running away from me? Do you hate me that much? I'm so sad… I'm so very sad!!!" he taunted and sneered.
This time, his eerie voice took on the pitch of a young girl, with blood and saliva still dripping from his mouth. Yet, anger burned in his eyes as he realized he was being toyed with by his prey.
Noticing the glow of the necklace she clutched tightly and the determination etched on Ran's face, Sill, sensing the danger, raised his clawed hand, his sharp nails gleaming as he prepared to strike.
He moved swiftly, aiming to eliminate the threat before it could retaliate any further.
Ran, gritting her teeth, summoning the last vestiges of her strength. Her resolve unwavering, she prepared to activate the final magic she could and was forbidden to wield—a spell that would end her own life along with Sill's.
Her hands tightened around the gemstone, and a faint glow pulsed brighter with her promise of sacrifice.
But before she could unleash it, a shadow blurred into existence beside her and Gill, moving faster than either of them could comprehend.
The figure enveloped them both in a protective embrace.
Before Ran could react, her magic was gently but decisively snuffed out—her necklace's glow fading as the figure's touch nullified its activation. Simultaneously, a radiant shield of light flared to life, encasing the three of them in a protective barrier that shimmered with an ethereal brilliance.
But…
The shield wasn't meant to defend them from Sill's attack.
It was meant to guard against something else.
Something far more dangerous than the creature they currently faced.
A frigid breeze swept through the narrow alleyway, the temperature plummeted in an instant. The chilling sound of ice cracking echoed ominously through the air.
The figure holding them remained silent, her presence both comforting but also familiar to Ran and Gill.
Sill's grin faltered ever so slightly as his predatory instincts screamed of a new, massive threat—something he hadn't anticipated. He froze, his sharp claws lowering as the air around them grew colder still, heralding the arrival of something neither he nor his prey could fully comprehend.
...