With a sharp, desperate cry, she lunged to her feet, her sword raised as she turned to face Osalf, who was still reeling from the wound she had inflicted. Blood stread from his eyes, his face twisted in pain and rage as he staggered back, clutching at his ruined vision.
"You'll pay for this," Osalf snarled, his voice hoarse with anger as he waved his hand toward Xuán Wěi, who stood a few feet away, watching the scene unfold with cold detachnt.
"We can't hold them off much longer!" Xuán Wěi's voice was strained, his gaze darting between Osalf and the approaching reinforcents. Yun-Jin's blade glistened, still wet with Osalf's blood as she stood in front of Daemon's prone form, her body shaking from the emotional toll and exhaustion.
But her eyes—her eyes were focused, burning with a fury that seed unquenchable. She wasn't going to let Osalf walk away from this. Not after what he had done.
"You won't leave here alive!" Yun-Jin scread, her voice raw as she launched herself at Osalf, her blade raised in a reckless strike. The weight of her grief and rage carried her forward, her heart pounding with each desperate step.
Osalf staggered back, still blinded by the deep wounds to his eyes, blood streaming down his face as he barely managed to raise his arm in defense. Yun-Jin's blade cut through the air, a flash of silver and fury as it connected with Osalf's arm, sending a spray of blood through the clearing.
"Damn you, girl!" Osalf bellowed, his voice breaking with pain and anger as he swung wildly, his strike blind but filled with raw power. Yun-Jin dodged at the last mont, the wind from his blade whipping past her face as she spun to avoid the blow.
But before she could counter, Xuán Wěi's spectral chains shot out, wrapping around her legs and yanking her off balance. Yun-Jin gasped, her body hitting the ground hard, her sword slipping from her grasp as the chains coiled tighter around her limbs, their cold energy draining the strength from her muscles.
"Enough of this!" Xuán Wěi hissed, his eyes narrowing as he pulled the chains tighter, dragging Yun-Jin across the ground, her hands scrambling to reach her sword.
Osalf staggered, his hand still pressed to his bloodied eyes as he tried to regain his composure. His breath was ragged, his chest heaving with the effort to stay standing, but even in his weakened state, there was no mistaking the fury in his voice.
"You're… a fool," Osalf growled, his words directed at Yun-Jin as he stumbled toward her, his free hand raised, magic crackling in the air around him. "You think you can stop this? This world is already lost! I'm doing what must be done!"
Yun-Jin struggled against the chains, her body trembling as she tried to pull herself free, but Xuán Wěi's magic was too strong, too overwhelming. The chains constricted tighter around her, cutting into her skin, the ethereal energy draining the strength from her limbs with each passing second.
But she refused to give up.
"Daemon," Yun-Jin gasped, her voice shaking as her eyes flickered to where he lay, still motionless, his chest barely rising and falling. The sight of him—broken, bleeding, on the edge of death—sent a fresh wave of despair crashing over her. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire
Tears stread down her face as she struggled harder, her heart pounding in her chest as she fought against the chains with every ounce of strength she had left. "You promised you wouldn't go alone!"
But Daemon didn't answer. His body lay still, his breath shallow, his face pale from blood loss. The blade wound in his chest continued to bleed, the dark stain spreading across his tunic.
And yet, sowhere in the back of Yun-Jin's mind, she could hear his voice—a whisper, a faint echo of the words he had spoken to her just monts before. "Keep fighting, Yun-Jin. No matter what happens… keep fighting."
The mory of his words burned in her chest, igniting sothing deep within her—a determination she hadn't known she was capable of. Daemon had believed in her, even in his final monts. He had believed in her strength. And she wouldn't let him down.
With a fierce cry, Yun-Jin twisted her body, using every bit of strength she had left to grab her sword. The mont her fingers closed around the hilt, she slashed through the spectral chains, the cold energy dissipating in a burst of light.
Xuán Wěi's eyes widened in surprise as the chains snapped, his fingers twitching as he tried to summon more magic, but Yun-Jin was already moving. Her sword flashed through the air, a blur of silver and light as she charged toward Osalf once more.
But just as she was about to strike, Xuán Wěi stepped between them, his hands raised as he conjured a spectral barrier. Yun-Jin's blade slamd into the barrier, sending a shockwave rippling through the clearing, but the barrier held firm.
"We're leaving," Xuán Wěi said, his voice calm despite the chaos around them. "We've gotten what we ca for."
"No!" Yun-Jin scread, her voice filled with desperation as she slashed at the barrier again, but it was no use. Xuán Wěi's magic was too strong, the barrier too solid.
Osalf, still clutching at his wounded face, gave a low, bitter laugh. "You're too late, girl," he spat, his voice dripping with disdain. "This world is already dead. You're just too blind to see it."
And then, before Yun-Jin could strike again, Xuán Wěi muttered sothing under his breath, his fingers twitching in a complex pattern. The air around him shimred, the space warping as a dark vortex began to form around him and Osalf.
"No!" Yun-Jin cried, her voice cracking with desperation as she lunged forward, her blade raised to strike, but the vortex enveloped them both, the dark energy swirling faster and faster until it collapsed in on itself, leaving nothing but silence.
The Black Bulls were gone.
Yun-Jin stood frozen, her breath coming in short, ragged bursts, her body trembling with exhaustion and grief. The weight of everything crashed down on her, and for a mont, she could barely breathe.
Her knees buckled, and she collapsed beside Daemon, her sword falling from her grasp as she knelt in the blood-soaked earth. Her hands trembled as she reached for him, her fingers brushing against his cold skin, her heart pounding in her chest as she checked for any sign of life.
For a mont, there was nothing—just silence, the stillness of his body, the blood pooling beneath him.
But then, a faint breath. Shallow. Weak. But still there.
"Daemon," Yun-Jin whispered, her voice shaking as she leaned over him, her tears falling freely now. "Please, stay with . You promised. You can't leave . Not like this."
But Daemon's eyes didn't open. His chest barely rose, his breath so faint that she had to strain to hear it.
"Help!" Yun-Jin cried, her voice raw with desperation as she looked toward the reinforcents that had flanked her. "Sobody help him!"
The soldiers moved quickly, rushing to Daemon's side, their hands already moving to staunch the bleeding, to bind the wound in his chest. But Yun-Jin could barely focus on them, her eyes locked on Daemon's pale face, her heart pounding in her chest.
He couldn't die here. Not after everything they had been through. Not after all the promises they had made to each other. He had to live. He had to.
As the soldiers worked, Yun-Jin whispered to Daemon, her voice soft, filled with a grief she could barely contain. "You said you wouldn't leave . You said we'd keep fighting together. Please… please don't leave now."
But Daemon didn't respond. His breath ca in shallow gasps, his body still, his face pale as the life slowly slipped away from him.
And all Yun-Jin could do was watch.
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