Her lips trembled, but she didn’t respond.
“Vivian,” I tried again, the ache in my chest growing unbearable. “Baby, come to me.”
Izo’s smirk widened, and he stepped closer to her, his presence looming. “I wouldn’t bother, Shadow. She’s mine now. Body, mind… Soul.”
“No,” I growled, slamming my fists against the barrier again, the translucent surface holding firm. My magic flared weakly, but it wasn’t enough. I was too drained, too broken.
“Izo,” I said in a deadly whisper. “You’ve made a mistake.”
“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “And what mistake would that be?”
“You think you can keep her from me,” I said, my gaze locking onto his with unyielding intensity. “But I will tear this place apart, brick by brick, if that’s what it takes to bring her back.”
Izo’s smile faltered, just for a moment. But then he laughed, a sharp, cruel sound that echoed through the chamber. “Bold words from a man who can’t even free himself,” he said, gesturing to the binding that held me. “Face it, Shadow. You’ve lost. And she’s better off without you.”
I met Vivian’s gaze one last time, the raw pain in my chest threatening to drown me. “Vivian,” I pleaded. “Please.”
Tears welled in her eyes. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
And then she turned away.
I slumped against the sphere, my strength draining away.
But even as despair threatened to consume me, I held onto one thought, one truth.
This wasn’t over.
Not yet.
Not ever.
Izo stood, his silver hair catching the shifting light as if he were anointed by the ocean itself. His smile was wide and cold, every inch of him radiating arrogance. The guards surrounding us stood at attention, their gleaming weapons poised to attack if given the order.
“Well, it’s good to finally see The Shadow himself, without all those clever little illusions hiding that magnificent face. Have you done something new with your hair?”
I lunged forward, slamming my fists against the translucent bubble imprisoning me. The barrier didn’t budge. My magic flared weakly, a pathetic reminder of how far I’d fallen.
Izo tilted his head. “Ah, my friend wants to come out and play. Very well.”
He snapped his fingers, and one of the guards stepped forward, drawing a blade that glinted like liquid silver. The guard tapped the bubble lightly, and it burst with an audible crack.
I stumbled forward, catching myself before I hit the ground. My knees bent instinctively, and I rose into a fighting stance, my eyes locked on Izo. My breathing was ragged, my muscles coiled with tension. I didn’t have the strength to win this fight, but if I was going to die here, I’d make him bleed for it.
Izo clapped his hands slowly, his eyebrows raised in amusement. “Now that’s more like it. Let’s see if the infamous Shadow is as deadly as they say.”
I didn’t wait for him to make the first move. With a surge of desperation, I threw what little magic I had left at him, tendrils of shadow lashing out like vipers.
Izo sliced his hand through the air to summon a wave of ocean water from the streams running along the walls. The water coalesced into a barrier, absorbing my attack before the torrent rushed toward me.
I dodged to the side, rolling across the slick floor as the water crashed against the wall behind me. I came up swinging, my shadows striking like daggers.
He countered with ease, the water responding to his every gesture. It formed tendrils that snapped at me, forcing me to stay on the defensive.
“You’re tiring,” Izo said. “Not that you had much left to begin with. How does it feel to finally be powerless for once, Shadow?”
Finally.
A thought struck me, sharp and cruel. What if this wasn’t the first time Izo had tried to go through others to get to me? Istopped my attack and straightened, glaring at him. “It was you,” I growled.
