Darkness wavered at the edges of my vision, sparks of white dancing in the haze.

  I gasped, chest heaving like I’d been underwater too long. Slowly, the storage room came into focus—stone debris, scorch marks, Jiho’s lingering smoke. A sharp ringing filled my ears. I couldn’t tell if it was the sword or the aftershock of Fern’s explosion.

  I glanced around, head throbbing. Most teachers lay scattered, unconscious or groaning. Laska and Major Philip were still standing, but just barely.

  And at the center—

  “Noah?” I croaked.

  He was hunched over, clutching his head. Black ooze seeped from his ears; blood trickled from his eyes. His fingers tore at his hair, teeth bared in a silent snarl.

  He’s losing it.

  Major Philip had the black-hooded man pinned in a headlock, but that victory meant little. The elven girl was out cold nearby. Mel and Sora were passed out, and Luna was missing.

  Lotrick turned to Fern. “Is that really you . . . ?”

  Fern’s spectral chest rose with a phantom breath. “Yeah,” he murmured, glowing faintly. “I—I don’t know how long I can stay like this.”

  Lotrick’s gaze swept the battlefield. “You need to leave. All of you. Get on a boat, cross the sea if you have to. You don’t know what’s coming.”

  I pushed myself up, legs wobbling. “Leave? No. This is our home—our family.” I shook my head. “There’s nothing for us out there. No one accepts voidbloods.”

  Fern’s glow flickered. “I found my place here,” he said. “Even if I can’t talk to most of them . . . they’re my people now.”

  Lotrick exhaled, glancing at his severed arm, which he had sealed up with magic. “You two have no idea how powerful you are. Reaching this level of twin soul synergy is . . . beyond rare.” His eyes flicked to me. “But you can’tstop this alone. You can’t stop what’s coming.” He hesitated. “Tell them . . . I’m sorry.” Then he turned to Fern. “And sorry for this.”

  A shimmer gathered around him, like heat waves off stone. The air itself rippled.

  “No—” Major Philip barked, tightening his grip, but Lotrick yanked the black-hooded man free with a burst of magic.

  “Stop—!” Laska lunged, but Lotrick vanished, reappearing at the fallen elven girl’s side. One touch, and she disappeared in another warp of energy. They all reappeared by Hopsander’s body.

  Horror shot through me. “Don’t you touch him—!”

  But Lotrick had already pressed his palm to Hopsander’s torso. Steam rose. Blood bubbled and vanished.

  “I’m sorry, Erik . . . I have to go,” Lotrick said, eyes flicking to Noah’s convulsing form. “They’ll come for you allfor this.”

  Noah lifted his head, black ooze dripping from his chin. He glared at Lotrick with wild, bloodshot eyes. “Landaluce . . . if you leave me now . . . I’ll kill you,” he rasped.

  Lotrick’s face hardened. “My brother isn’t someone to take lightly. He will end you.”

  The last swirl of magic coiled around Hopsander’s remains. Then, in a final flash, Lotrick, the elven girl, and the black-hooded man vanished.

  Silence crashed over us, broken only by Noah’s ragged breaths.

  He clutched his head. “Damn it,” he hissed, voice cracking. “Damn it . . . Damn it . . . DAMN IT!”

  My chimera flared back to life as I sensed danger. Fur sprouted along my arms, and my serpentine tail lashed behind me, this time without Fern controlling it. I picked up the cursed sword, its ringing almost unbearable.

  “Boys! Move!” Laska cried. “He’s about to—”

  Noah screamed.

  A fresh wave of golden chains erupted from the ground, rattling over broken stone. Laska and Major Philip grabbed unconscious teachers, dragging them toward an exit. Waelid, breath ragged, scooped up Piqah and Galina while Jiho staggered away with Jako.

  It’s just me and Fern now.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  Fern’s physical spirit glided forward, meeting my gaze. Then he nodded. He held up Lightcutter glowing in his translucent grip.

  I clenched my fists. “You’re really gonna leave me with the screeching sword?”

  He smirked. “Figured you’d get lonely without me in your head.”

  I snorted, then we turned to face Noah.

  Noah’s eyes rolled back, and he howled. Chains poured from his fingertips. The stone floor quaked. Splintered barrels crashed, and clouds of debris mixed with the air. Through the chaos, I saw Noah’s silhouette—seething, unraveling.

  “We stop him . . . now,” I muttered.

  Fern’s voice echoed. “Same plan as before?”

  “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

  I flung myself forward, half flying with my chimera wings. Fern darted beside me, his dagger now blazing emerald light.

  Noah shrieked. “DIE—DIE—DIE!”

  A storm of luminous chains erupted.

  I slashed through them, cursed sword singing, sparks flying. Another coil snapped across my shoulder, burning through fur and skin. I ignored it.

  Noah raised his hand again, summoning another wall of chains. Fern cut them midair, a whirlwind of green against gold.

  I pushed forward. “Noah! Remember!”

  He flinched.

  I swung.

  The cursed blade bit through flesh and bone.

  Noah’s left arm flew free, golden energy crackling around the stump.

  He screamed, stumbling midair, blood gushing. A wild backlash of chains slammed me into a support column.

  I coughed, shoving rubble off my legs. “Damn it—”

  Noah hovered, magic coiling around him, black ooze dripping from his ears. He should’ve been in shock. Instead, his eyes burned with fury.

  “You . . . worthless . . . SCUM!”

  Then I heard it.

  “Erik!” Noah’s voice, his actual voice—fearful and breaking through.

  Then—

  “No! Scum! DIE!” the crazed magelord said.

  A surge of chaotic power ripped through the room, shaking the foundation. Cracks spider-webbed across the floor.

  Fern flashed in, blade clashing against Noah’s chains, emerald light against raging gold.

  “Focus, Erik. Have you considered our last option? We may need to kill him.”

  Blood pounded in my ears. I shook my head.

  I forced myself up, wings flaring, and shot through the acrid air. Fern followed, slicing through Noah’s onslaught of chains. Noah reeled back, golden tendrils sprouting from his stump, trying to form a new hand—but I got there first.

  My cursed blade arced. “Noah—stop!”

  His right arm came free in a spray of blood. He wailed, stumbling. For a heartbeat, I thought we had him.

  Then his stumps glowed. Liquid-like gold stretched out, weaving crude magical replacements where his arms had been. My stomach churned, and I had to swallow my spit to stop myself from throwing up.

  A deep, unnatural laugh rattled from his throat. The room trembled under his power, ceiling chunks crashing down. I coughed on the swirling dust.

  Fern landed beside me, spectral chest rising and falling. “We . . . we have to kill him,” he said, voice thick with grief. “He’s not even Noah anymore.”

  I shook my head, sweat and tears blurring my vision. “He’s in there. I know it. I heard it.”

  Before Fern could protest, Noah’s eyes flickered—cold fury shifting to sudden panic. His voice wavered. “Erik . . . help . . . me—” He coughed, face contorted.

  The malevolent presence lurched back in control. “Shut up, brat.”

  Another flicker. “Erik, please, don’t let me—”

  Tears burned my eyes. I couldn’t. That sliver of recognition was all I’d ever wanted—to see my brother again. If I killed him now, I’d snuff out that last spark.

  “Erik!” Fern shouted. “Now, while he’s weak—!”

  “No,” I rasped. “He’s there, don’t you hear?! I can’t—” My arms shook. “I can’t kill him.”

  Noah roared, summoning a massive wave of power. Chain spells, jagged and bladed, writhed like living serpents. Stones lifted, swirling in a growing maelstrom.

  Fern gritted his teeth. “I’ll break his guard—just . . . do it!” His voice trembled. “If we don’t end him, he’ll kill everyone. It should be you.”

  Hot, frustrated tears slid down my face. “Fern—”

  He sprang forward in a burst of green light, slashing through the chains. Sparks and raw energy lit up the room.

  Noah swiped with his golden thread-arms, but Fern’s blade met them in a shower of sparks.

  My body coiled. Muscles tensed. I leaped.

  Sword raised, I rushed in behind Fern.

  Noah’s wild eyes locked onto me. For one sliver of a moment, I saw him—not the monster. “Erik—!”

  I continued forward. Fern was right. Noah could end up killing everyone. “I’m sorry, brother!” I cried as I lunged.

  “Erik, please no!”

  I choked, and almost hesitated with my sword—

  WHOOSH.

  A massive black stinger ripped past my shoulder.

  THUNK.

  Noah jerked as the barbed tip impaled him clean through the chest. My blade had barely pierced his flesh.

  Then his magic crumbled.

  With a guttural moan, he collapsed, threads unraveling from his armless stumps. Blood dribbled from his lips, eyes rolling back.

  Shaking, I let my cursed blade slip from my grasp.

  A flood of footsteps echoed through the ruined storage room.

  I turned—and for the first time since I got here, I felt like I was truly saved.

  An entire battalion of heavily armed Cinders had arrived.

  At their head stood a tall, thin woman in a black-and-red military coat, smoke curling from her gloved hand—the same one that had thrown the lethal stinger. A cigar smoldered between her lips.

  She stepped over the rubble, eyes narrowing at me and Fern’s spectral form.

  “We’d have arrived sooner if some idiot hadn’t destroyed the main bridge,” she snorted. Then she raised a brow at Fern. “So. Someone want to explain why the magelord’s missing both arms, half the school’s in ruins, and . . . a ghost is hanging around the academy?”

  Adrenaline drained from me all at once. Every bruise, every cut, every ounce of heartbreak crashed into me. My chimera form melted away.

  I swayed on my feet.

  “I . . . You . . . Oh god . . .” A crazed laugh bubbled up from me. “You, miss, have impeccable timing.”

  The woman gave me a curt nod. Behind her, rows of Cinders stood at the ready. Some stared at Fern, blinking in astonishment. Others surveyed the carnage in stunned silence. The rest rushed Noah’s unconscious body with . . . chains.

  I tried to speak again, but the world spun. My limbs went slack, and my knees buckled. Fern’s glowing figure loomed at the edge of my vision. I opened my mouth to say something. But darkness crawled in, unstoppable. My last conscious thought was that Noah was being tied up by the Cinders.

  Then the ground rushed up to meet me.