“Goddess, what’s wrong?” Jasper was at my side, his hand prying mine from the table.
“Sunshine, we need you to talk to us.” Casper ended up on my other side.
“The bond’s muted,” Aimon said in a rush.
Before I could even muster a breath, an overwhelming sense of dread gripped me, rendering my voice useless. My very spirit seemed to abandon my vessel, leaving it a husk that crumbled into the arms of the twins. The world around me twisted and contorted, melting into a nightmarish abyss where Hexarium's magic held dominion once more.
Hovering in the heart of Hexarium, a suffocating silence pressed in on me, its weight amplified by an urgent, pulsating dread that clawed at my soul. It was as if the air itself was thick with malice, beckoning for my assistance while simultaneously shrieking for me to flee—a paradoxical symphony of despair.
The twisted tendrils of Matthieu's corrupted, mad spirit slithered through the very fabric of Hexarium’s spirit realm, siphoning its magic with a sinister thirst. Whispers of incomprehensible incantations oozed from his spectral form, a cacophony of maddened voices that burrowed deep into my mind, threatening to unravel the sanity I’d fought so hard to protect.
His ghostly visage erupted from the pool of magic, mirroring the nightmarish scene that had once haunted my dreams…only, this didn’t feel like a dream.
It coiled around me, an icy vice constricting, sapping not only my magic but also the very essence of my immortal life. The infection of Matthieu's lunacy seeped into my core, a toxic disease that spread like a wildfire, seducing me with promises of sweet surrender to madness.
Summoning every bit of strength I had left, I waged a desperate war against the suffocating grip of Matthieu's malevolence. His evil spirit brushed against mine, almost like an attempt to bond our souls.
The battle raged, a cataclysmic clash between sanity and oblivion. Slowly, as if clawing my way out of an acid bath, I managed to pull free from the clutches of his fiendish grasp.
The darkness was reluctant to recede, yielding to a dim glow that emerged from my fading spirit. I reached into the depths of my core, grappling at the source of my power. My spirit fingers trembled as I grazed a faint thread that connected me to Hexarium and tethered me to my reality.
The abyss around me began to brighten as the magic continued to drain from my soul.
Straining against the maelstrom that was Matthieu’s evil, I yanked at the thread, each pull sending shockwaves of agony through my spirit and the bond I shared with the guys.
Hexarium's ancient magic responded, a surge of power cascading through me like a tempest, banishing the encroaching evil and searing through the madness that threatened to consume me whole.
Clutching onto the shards of my shattered resolve, I focused on the unbreakable bond I shared withmymages—a bond woven from fate, love, and magic to banish the hexes that once loomed over their vessels.
Matthieu's darkness quivered and waned, unable to endure the blinding brilliance of our collective spirits.
In a disorienting whirlwind, I was violently shoved back into my vessel.
My head was cradled in Jasper's lap, and my legs sprawled across Casper's form on the bed.
The transition was jarring, a stark reminder of the harrowing ordeal I had barely escaped, leaving an indelible imprint of terror that would forever haunt my psyche.
Hexarium’s pool of magic should’ve never been unsafe for my spirit, but it was. At least, while Matthieu was alive.
The rest of the guys surrounded us with concern etched on their faces.
"Goddess, talk to us," Jasper murmured, his voice like a balm to my trembling spirit. His gentle touch sent shivers of comfort through me as his fingers traced delicate patterns through my hair.
My breath was ragged as I struggled to get the words out to explain the terrifying revelation that had just unfolded within the depths of Hexarium's arcane heart. "It was Matthieu's spirit," I managed to gasp, my words punctuated by labored breaths. "He's siphoning Hexarium's magic, and his sinister intent is fixed uponmy spirit. I think…spirits, I think he tried to bond my soul with his. He’s trying to break me.But he can’t,not with you guys here.”
The guys exchanged a look, their concern engraved upon their features.
Silas extended his hand, his grasp sturdy and reassuring as he aided me in sitting up between the twins.
"Matthieu has breached the borders of the Lethium Empire," Silas revealed with an undertone of urgency. “He’s headed here. But, muse, our intel suggests his actions have been under watch since yesterday. There’s no way he was actively trying to bring you to Hexarium’s realm. Not when he was doing something else during it.”
A spark of hope ignited within me, igniting a fervent realization. “If it wasn’t Matthieu…then, it must’ve been a vision gifted by the spirits themselves," I proclaimed, the weight of their guidance infusing me with newfound determination.
Aimon's emerald eyes widened, mirroring the feelings swirling in our bond. "We need to do everything we can to prevent it from coming true.”
"Agreed," Silas stated firmly, his purple hair falling into his face as he nodded. "We need to strengthen our defenses and gather as much information as possible about Matthieu’s plans. We already know his goal is Fawn, but Matthieu always has a few plans.”
My resolve solidified as I spoke with grim certainty, “We need to kill him.”
