“Why monsters?” Emperor Lloyd raised his hands, readying his magic to strike. “They’re mindless, blood-thirsty creatures.”
Matthieu's laugh was tinged with madness as he twirled, a sinister dance with his arms stretched out wide. "Not at all mindless, dearEmperor. These creatures have always harbored untapped potential, a potential I am harnessing now. They tried to take over once before, but I wasn’t ready yet. It was the whole reason I had Fawn cut their population down. They get a little too…ambitious.”
Emperor Lloyd hurled another volley of fire toward Matthieu, but he effortlessly evaded the flames, his laughter a haunting echo that reverberated in the room. The sound was a cruel melody, an auditory manifestation of his madness that made me shiver.
He was insane—truly mad from draining Hexarium’s power.
“What exactly is it you want?” I interjected, letting my elemental powers shimmer around me as I straightened. "Beyond the façade of your soul-binding obsession, what is your ultimate goal?”
Matthieu paused for a moment, and the corner of his mouth quirked up in a smirk. “I want power, my sweet mage. More power than I have ever wanted before—and with you, our power would be unmatched. Together, we could conquer this world and beyond…we could make it ours! I will not stop until I have reached that goal—no matter how long it takes or how many innocent lives are lost along the way.”
The chilling detachment in his voice sent another icy shiver down my spine, his cold intent a stark reminder ofwhostood in front of me. I refused to let his plan happen, no matter what it cost us.
Matthieu’s true identity being revealed was enough to remind me that he was the true embodiment of evil. We couldn’t let his plans see the light of day.
I could feel the others’ resolve around me, and I knew they felt the same way.
We had the bone dagger—a weapon fit to end his life forever.
Matthieu stepped forward, reaching out as if he was going to try to touch me. “You can do this willingly or unwillingly, but either way, you will bond our souls together. I’ve brought down both the Allura and Revivium Empire single-handedly because ofyou. You are mine—you always have been!” His voice rose into a shriek by the end, and he popped the top off the vial in his hand. “You haveno ideahow long I waited for an elemental mage of your caliber to be created in Hexarium…and I’ve waited even longer while your spirit grew in potential.”
He smirked, fingers curling around the vial’s delicate form. “I’ve already bonded every monster in my horde to my spirit. They’re as immortal as I am—which means that they cannot be killed either.”
Shock enveloped the bond, and my eyes widened.
That should’ve been impossible.
If he could bond monsters…I couldn’t imagine what else he could bond. I didn’t even knowhowhe would’ve managed to do something like that without the help of a spirit mage.
“Don’t let him drink it!” Bastian's desperate cry pierced the tense atmosphere.
Magic surged, a blend of elements clashing with a force that resonated with pure despair, an eruption of power striving to avoid the worst.
But it was too late, the potion already met Matthieu's lips, the potent liquid cascading down his throat.
A joint of curses and snarls filled the air as our combined efforts fell short.
“Fuck!” Silas snarled.
“Stay back!” Aimon shouted.
Matthieu's scream sliced through the room, its intensity shaking the very foundations of the castle. His body writhed and contorted, skin paling to an eerie shade reminiscent of the dementid, his eyes igniting with a malevolent yellow glow. Veins snaked beneath his skin, a grotesque tapestry that signaled the unnatural transformation underway.
An ear-splitting roar reverberated, an anguished screech that tore through the air. Blood spilled from my ears in a warm gush.
The sheer force of the soundwave was a physical assault, an overwhelming strike on our senses.
“No!”My powers flowed through me before bursting forth in the form of icy winds toward Matthieu and his hauntingly massive form in an attempt to freeze his transformation before it reached its climax. The winds howled, a maelstrom of frigid power that lashed out in a desperate bid to freeze his metamorphosis in its tracks.
But the transformation was as relentless as he was.
He hit the stream of winds away with a massive arm, and the magic flew toward the wall, crashing and sending icy shards everywhere.
“Goddess, be fucking careful!”Jasper shouted, sending dark wisps surging from his fingertips and slithering around Matthieu as Casper’s light wisps followed his lead. Light and dark tendrils wrapped tightly around his monstrous form, squeezing him.
Spirit magic swelled inside of me, and I unleashed a shockwave of energy to zap his spirit.
He howled in pain as the blast rippled over his vessel and spirit—all of the monsters he’d claimed to have bonded screeched in sympathy from around the castle, sending a shiver bolting down my spine. His knees smacked into the ground, and the room shook from the force, but his gaze seared me.
