The puppet user's eyes darted wildly, flicking back and forth as Ty's foot pressed down harder on his chest. His breath ca in shallow, rapid gasps, every movent a struggle against the weight that pinned him to the ground.
"I'm... sorry," he whimpered, barely able to get the words out. His lips trembled, his voice cracking as tears stread down his dirt-streaked face. "Please... I don't want to die..."
Ty's glowing red eyes stared down at him, unblinking. The flas swirling around his fists flared, casting long, flickering shadows across the puppet user's broken body. For a brief mont, the flas seed to subside, and Ty's foot lifted slightly from the man's chest.
The puppet user's gaze flickered with hope, his breath catching in his throat. This was his chance. Just a thread—one thin, invisible string, barely noticeable. His fingers twitched, summoning the last of his strength as he silently slipped the thread toward Ty's neck, the delicate strand weaving through the air, inching closer.
But Ty's eyes flickered. The faintest movent. The thread wasn't fast enough.
Before the thread could coil around his neck, Ty's foot slamd down with a sickening crack, crushing the puppet user's arm. The sound of shattering bone echoed through the clearing, and the puppet user scread in agony. His body spasd violently, his good hand clawing uselessly at the dirt.
Ty's eyes locked onto the faint shimr of the thread, still hanging in the air, just inches from his skin. His lips curled into a slow, sinister smile. The flas around his fists pulsed, growing hotter, darker.
Without a word, Ty's hand shot forward, seizing the puppet user's neck in an iron grip. The man's eyes widened, his pupils dilating in terror as Ty's fingers tightened, squeezing the air from his lungs.
The cara zood in, capturing every mont—the raw panic in the puppet user's eyes, the helpless twitch of his limbs as he struggled against Ty's grip, the thread unraveling and falling uselessly to the ground.
The puppet user's mouth opened, but no sound ca out. His good hand flailed, fingers reaching desperately toward Ty's wrist, trying to pry himself free. His legs kicked weakly beneath him, but it was no use. The grip only tightened.
Ty's eyes burned with that sa red glow, his face twisted in a dark, malevolent grin. The flas around his fists crackled and danced, casting eerie shadows on the puppet user's face as his body thrashed beneath Ty's crushing weight.
There was no rcy in Ty's gaze. No hesitation.
The puppet user's body jerked suddenly, his muscles tensing as he tried one final, desperate move. His good hand flung out toward Ty's face, fingers bent like claws, but Ty didn't even flinch. In one smooth, brutal motion, Ty's free hand caught the puppet user's wrist midair and twisted.
There was another sickening snap as the bones in the puppet user's wrist shattered. His scream was cut short, his body spasming violently as Ty flung him to the ground. He landed in a heap, his body limp, his breaths coming in weak, pitiful gasps.
But still, the puppet user didn't stop. Even as his body trembled uncontrollably, even as his broken limbs lay useless at his sides, his fingers twitched—desperately trying to summon one last thread, one final attack.
Ty watched him for a mont, his head tilted slightly, as though considering sothing. Then, with deliberate slowness, Ty lifted his foot once more and slamd it down, crushing the puppet user's chest. The man's body convulsed, his eyes rolling back in his head as a strangled, broken sound escaped his throat.
He tried to speak—tried to beg once more—but Ty wasn't listening.
With one last flick of his wrist, Ty summoned the black flas into a roaring inferno. The heat was so intense it made the air shimr. The cara zood in, catching the mont as Ty's hand shot forward, engulfing the puppet user in flas.
The puppet user's body convulsed, his face contorted in pain, but no sound ca. The flas consud him completely, burning him to ash in a matter of seconds. His final, desperate thread dissolved into nothing, disappearing into the scorched air.
Ty stood still, the crackling flas around his fists slowly dying down. His chest heaved with every breath, the red glow in his eyes flickering. For a mont, all was silent, save for the faint hiss of the smoldering ground where the puppet user had fallen.
Then, as if a veil had lifted, the red glow in Ty's eyes dimd, and his hands lowered to his sides. His vision cleared, and the weight of the battlefield hit him like a wave. The dark energy that had fueled his rage dissipated, leaving him hollow, exhausted.
He blinked, shaking his head as if trying to clear the haze. His gaze darted around, landing first on Gisorn, still hanging limply from the tree. A sickening realization hit him—Gisorn had saved him, and he was barely hanging on.
"Gisorn..." Ty murmured, his voice hoarse as he stumbled toward the tree. His hands trembled as he reached up to untangle the threads that bound him. "Hold on. I've got you."
Ty's hands worked quickly, though clumsily, as he cut through the remaining threads. His heart raced as he lowered Gisorn to the ground, carefully cradling him. Gisorn's face was pale, his breaths shallow. Blood still trickled from his wounds, but his lips twitched into a faint, weak smile.
"You really are... a demon," Gisorn whispered, his voice barely audible. "But you... won."
Ty clenched his jaw, biting back the rising panic in his chest. "Yeah... but now it's your turn to hang on. I'm getting you out of here."
He laid Gisorn gently on the ground before turning to Rosana, who was still tied up in the distance. With quick strides, he made his way over, cutting the threads that bound her. She let out a low groan as she fell forward, catching herself on her hands, her body still trembling from the burns and exhaustion.
"Rosana, you okay?" Ty asked, kneeling beside her.
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