Lena's body collapsed heavily onto the ground, her breathing ragged and her eyes unfocused. She had emerged from the depths of Vadim's consciousness as if leaping from a dark nightmare into a world no less dark.
Vadim moved slowly, lifting his head and whispering in a rough voice:
— "Finally... we're back to reality."
Lena stood up, but could barely keep her balance. The aftereffects of her technique had temporarily weakened her body. She tried to retreat, but this time Vadim's hand caught her effortlessly.
She couldn't resist.
Vadim turned slightly, his eyes moving toward the kitchen door... where Sergei, also known as "The Boar Man," stood holding Emma in his arms like a limp doll.
Vadim asked in a low voice while keeping Lena firmly gripped:
— "How long was I unconscious?"
Sergei replied in his usual calm tone:
— "About fifteen minutes."
Silence fell for a moment.
Then Vadim muttered with a voice filled with anger and hatred:
— "Enough... it was enough for that little one to escape."
His eyes glowed with a dark green light as his grip tightened on Lena, who groaned in pain.
— "But he won't get far... this time, we'll catch him. No matter the cost."
On the first floor of the palace, the smell of dust and iron still lingered in the air, whispering of the battle that had just ended. The Ghost Knight stood amidst the rubble, his sword stained with strange energy still dripping remnants from his fight against the clones.
All the clones... had disappeared.
The knight didn't utter a word. But suddenly, without warning, he turned left and dashed forward like an arrow—his footsteps silent yet shaking the ground beneath him, as if something unseen was calling him... or as if he was chasing a trail only he could see.
One of the children shouted, his eyes wide with astonishment:
«Wh-where did he go?!»
Another quickly replied while brushing dust off his shirt:
«Who knows... but no time to wonder! We must hurry—we need to find Lena, Emma, and Jonathan!»
The children exchanged brief, anxious glances before scattering through the palace, their footsteps echoing rapidly across the marble floors, their expressions a mix of fear and hope.
Jonathan sprinted through the palace corridors, his breath ragged, his heart pounding as if about to explode. Ahead, at the end of the main hall, the exit was finally within reach... massive wooden doors wide open, cold air seeping through like an invitation to escape.
But just before his foot crossed the threshold—
BOOOOM!
A violent sound shattered the silence, followed by a blue light tearing through the shadows.
The Ghost Knight shot forward like an arrow, speeding past the pillars with supernatural speed, appearing before Jonathan in an instant!
His metallic chest slowly opened, revealing a glowing heart pulsating with bright blue energy—like a compressed star.
Jonathan's eyes widened. He didn't understand what was happening... but he felt this energy calling to him, as if it recognized him.
And in the next moment—
SHAAAAA!
Something crashed from the right—a massive force slammed into the knight, sending him sideways!
«Ah, sorry, Knight.»
The voice was gruff, heavy... belonging to a hulking man with a boar's head.
«But this kid... is ours.»
It was Sergei, now standing between Jonathan and the knight.
«Sergei!»
A rough shout cut through the tension from the end of the hall.
Vadim, his face scarred and gaze burning, entered with slow, heavy steps. Every movement told a story of unquenchable fury.
His eyes never left the knight.
«Come on... let's finish this quickly.»
Sergei growled:
«As you wish, Commander.»
DOOOOM
The battle began.
The knight took a step back, then suddenly lunged with supernatural speed—a warrior of metal and light, charging straight at Vadim.
The battle erupted in an explosion of power and magic.
Vadim struck first, his fist crashing toward the knight like a hammer from hell itself.
KRAAASH!
His punch collided with the knight's metallic chest, the impact echoing through the hall like thunder—yet the knight only staggered back a few steps.
«Come on!» Vadim roared, his eyes blazing with fury.
Sergei didn't hesitate. He leaped beside him, his hands radiating crimson flames.
«Burn a little, you tin can!»
He spread his palms and unleashed a torrent of scorching fire at the knight.
FWWWOOOOSH!
The heat made the ground tremble, flames reflecting off the walls... yet the knight remained unaffected.
The fire passed through him as if it were nothing but a warm breeze.
Jonathan stood at a distance, watching.
His eyes were wide, his hand trembling as he clutched the wall behind him.
«This... this is unbelievable...»
The knight moved. With featureless eyes, he turned toward Vadim, his gleaming blue sword slicing through the air with cold precision.
SHAAAA!
Vadim raised his arms, blocking the strike—sparks flying as metal clashed against flesh reinforced with magic.
«He's strong...» Sergei muttered, retreating slightly to gather his energy again.
But Vadim didn't back down. Instead, he pressed forward, his fists raining down like mountains, each roar shaking the palace walls.
Sergei rejoined, this time cloaked in a fiery shield, lunging from behind to find a weak point.
But the knight was no ordinary opponent.
Simply put...
Sergei pounced on the knight from behind, his steps heavy but filled with determination.
He muttered obscure words—ancient incantations barely comprehensible—as a vortex of red energy coiled around his body.
«It's time...» he whispered, swiftly retreating and leaving behind a glowing copper magic circle beneath the knight's feet.
FWWWOOOSH!
Fire erupted—but not ordinary fire... it was a greenish-black flame, energy that didn't belong to this world.
Yet the knight... didn't retreat.
Instead, his chest opened again, emitting a dark blue light that began absorbing the flames... as if feeding on them!
«Impossible...» Sergei muttered, taking two steps back.
In an instant, the knight launched a dual attack—his blue sword slashing toward Vadim from the left while his metallic leg shot toward Sergei's chest.
BOOM!
Vadim blocked the frontal strike with his magic-reinforced forearm, while Sergei twisted deftly, conjuring a fiery barrier at the last second to soften the kick's impact.
The ground trembled violently.
But the surprise... was that the knight fell to the ground, a cloud of gray dust rising around him.
Vadim breathed heavily, staring at the ground:
«Is it over...?»
CRAAAAACK...
The knight's arm moved—his body rising again.
Slowly... but steadily.
«Damn him...» Sergei said, biting his lower lip.
And suddenly, they heard quiet footsteps approaching from the hall's edge.
Ivan... stood there, clapping slowly, a smirk playing on his lips.
«Sorry for the delay...» he said, raising his hand as his deep green energy flared.
Vadim turned to him with blazing eyes:
«No matter... Let's finish this now.»
Ivan smiled, and a first clone began forming beside him... then a second, and a third.
The battle wasn't over yet... it had only just begun to take its true form.