The Crimson Dawn

Chapter 16

The lanterns extinguished one by one, leaving the room bathed in oppressive darkness as the air turned cold and thick. Aydin instinctively tightened his grip on Stella, shielding her from the foreboding energy that filled the space.

In the center of the room, a dark hooded figure materialized, its eerie laughter echoing unnaturally, layered with overlapping voices. The figure began to recite The BlackMoon Prophecy, its words sending a chill through everyone in attendance.

As the final lines were spoken, the figure’s voice dropped to a menacing tone. “A storm is coming,” it hissed with sinister certainty.

Suddenly, a crack of lightning struck the floor, splitting the ground, and from the fiery rift emerged a monstrous, furious creature. The hooded figure vanished into the shadows as screams erupted across the room. Panic spread like wildfire as nobles scrambled to escape the beast’s wrath.

Aydin instinctively reached for his Iron Shooter, only to realize it wasn’t with him. Before he could react further, Stella broke free from his grasp. With determined precision, she pulled back the fabric of her dress, revealing her thigh where two daggers were securely strapped.

“Stella!” Aydin shouted, his voice laced with urgency. She didn’t hesitate, charging at the beast with deadly grace.

Swearing under his breath, Aydin quickly began chanting spells. Flames danced in his palms before he hurled fireballs at the beast, trying to draw its attention away from Stella.

Stella moved like a phantom, her movements swift and precise. She darted around the beast, slicing at its limbs and torso, her daggers leaving trails of silver arcs. She bent backward in a fluid motion, narrowly avoiding its claws as they swiped mere inches from her throat. Twisting around, she landed a deep cut along its shoulder.

The beast roared in fury, its massive hand lashing out and gripping Stella’s arm. Without missing a beat, she ran her legs up its massive body, kicking it square in the face. The impact sent her flipping backward, landing gracefully on her feet while the beast stumbled, momentarily stunned.

Barrett roared as he barreled into the fray, his fists landing heavy blows on the monster. “Stay back, you overgrown mutt!” he bellowed, delivering punch after punch, the force of his strikes shaking the ground.

Aydin continued his assault, conjuring more fire to rain down on the creature. Raphael stood nearby, whispering a protective charm to shield Barrett from harm. Ari extended her hands, summoning thick vines from the walls that wrapped tightly around the beast, holding it in place. Gedeon, ever resourceful, hurled knives at its exposed weak points with practiced precision.

The coordinated attack seemed to wear the beast down. It staggered, its roars growing weaker. Just as victory felt within reach, the monster let out a deafening roar. A shockwave burst forth, sending everyone flying across the room.

Barrett crashed through the window out into the garden. Gedeon was thrown into a hallway, knocked unconscious on impact. Ari and Raphael were tossed over the tables, and Stella slammed into the wall, her head striking hard enough to leave her momentarily dazed.

Aydin groaned as he pushed himself up, his body trembling. The sight of his friends scattered across the room ignited a fire of rage within him. His chest burned with determination as he rose to his feet, planting them firmly on the ground.

Swirling blue energy began to form around his hands, the air crackling with power as he mumbled an incantation. The aura surrounding him intensified, growing brighter with each word until his entire body seemed to glow with ethereal light. His eyes flared a brilliant blue, and with a shout, he thrust his hands forward, releasing a beam of pure energy.

The beam struck the beast square in the chest, piercing through it. The monster let out a final, guttural scream before its form began to disintegrate into ash. The room fell silent as the beast vanished, leaving behind only the charred remnants of its fury.

Aydin collapsed to his knees, his strength completely drained. He struggled to catch his breath, the blue glow fading from his body.

Stella stirred, groaning as she forced herself onto her hands and knees. She crawled over to him, her movements shaky but determined. Reaching him, she cupped his face, her eyes scanning his for any signs of serious harm.

“You okay?” she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Aydin’s chest heaved as he tried to breathe steadily. “I think so,” he replied, his voice weak but steady. His eyes met hers, and despite the exhaustion, he managed a faint smile. “You okay?”

Stella nodded, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “I’ve had worse.”

The two sat there for a moment, the chaos of the room fading into the background as they took solace in each other’s survival.

Everyone began staggering to their feet, groaning from the shockwave’s aftermath. Barrett crawled back through the shattered window he had been thrown through, his massive frame shaking the glass remnants loose as he entered. He glanced around the room, dusting himself off.

Gedeon rubbed his head, squinting in confusion. “Where’s Derick?” he asked, his voice tinged with irritation.

The doors slammed open, and there stood Derick, stumbling drunkenly into the room with three young maidens hanging off him. His disheveled appearance, coupled with the lazy smirk on his face, made it clear he had missed the chaos entirely. He came to a clumsy stop, swaying slightly, and blinked at the destruction around him.

“What the hell happened in here?” Derick slurred, looking around as though nothing were amiss.

Anger filled Gedeon instantly, his fists clenching as he stormed toward Derick. “Are you serious right now? We were nearly killed, and you’re off… off drinking and fooling around with—” he gestured angrily at the girls, who giggled nervously. “Do you even care about what’s going on around you?”

Derick raised a hand defensively, his smirk faltering. “Whoa, whoa, relax, kid. You’re acting like I planned to miss the fun.”

Gedeon exploded, his frustration spilling out. “You never take anything seriously, do you? You’re useless when we need you the most!”

Derick’s expression darkened briefly, but he quickly masked it with a shrug. “Useless? That’s a bit harsh. I could’ve taken that thing down, no problem. I just… you know, had other priorities.”

Stella and Raphael ignored the argument, focusing on Aydin. They each took an arm, lifting him gently to his feet. “Come on,” Stella said softly, concern evident in her tone. “Let’s get you back to the carriage.”

Barrett, rubbing his bruised knuckles, grunted and trailed after them. Ari followed closely, her usual fiery demeanor subdued by exhaustion.

Gedeon wasn’t done yet. “You’re lucky we made it out alive,” he snarled, jabbing a finger at Derick’s chest. “You need to sober up before you come back. We don’t need dead weight dragging us down.”

Derick raised an eyebrow, his drunken composure slipping just slightly. His eyes hardened, but he forced a lazy grin. “Don’t worry about me, kid. I’ll be just fine. Go play hero with your friends.”

Gedeon glared at him one last time before turning and stalking out of the room, his frustration evident in the sharpness of his steps. He joined the others outside, muttering angrily under his breath.

Derick watched them go, his expression unreadable. Once they were out of earshot, he sighed and turned to the three girls still clinging to him. “Well, ladies, I guess the party’s over.”

One of the girls pouted. “Do we have to go? It was just getting fun.”

Derick smirked, but his mind was elsewhere. He glanced out the window where the group was retreating to the carriage, his playful demeanor slipping for a moment.

Muttering under his breath, he said, “One day, they’ll see the whole picture. Until then…” He trailed off, shaking his head before refocusing on the girls. “Come on, let’s get you out of here before someone blames us for this mess.”

The trio giggled, and Derick led them toward a side exit, his easygoing façade firmly back in place.