Soulbound

12

The plaza loomed before them like a wound in the city. Shadows pooled in the center, black tendrils crawling along the edges of fountains, streetlights, and alleyways. The corrupted soul’s influence had twisted everything, bending reality in subtle, disorienting ways.

Avery’s chest tightened. Her scythe hummed faintly in response to her anxiety, the sigil on her palm pulsing like a heartbeat. Kael’s presence beside her was steady, unshakable, a wall of control against the chaos ahead.

“Stay close,” Kael instructed, voice low, clipped. “Observe first. Engage only when you’re certain.”

Avery nodded, gripping the scythe tighter. The ground beneath them seemed to ripple, and she could feel the corrupted soul’s awareness prickling along her skin, like a spider brushing against her neck.

Suddenly, shadows leapt from the edges of buildings, forming humanoid figures—distorted, jagged, moving with jerky, unnatural motions. Their eyes were hollow sockets that glowed faintly red, mouths opening in silent screams.

Avery swung her scythe instinctively. The edge whistled through the air, slicing one shadow cleanly in half, dissipating it into a burst of black mist. Another lunged at her from behind. She twisted, narrowly avoiding its claws, and drove the scythe through its chest.

Kael moved with deadly grace, intercepting a shadow that had leapt toward Avery, slicing it in two with a single, precise swing. “Focus!” he barked. “Predict, don’t react!”

Avery swallowed her fear and tried to calm her racing thoughts. The shadows weren’t just attacking—they were probing, testing, learning. She had to be faster, sharper, or she would fail.

A large tendril of darkness lunged at her from the central mass. Avery pivoted, barely avoiding it, feeling its cold tendrils graze her shoulder. Pain flared, sharp and biting, but she pushed through. This time, she let the sigil guide her, swinging the scythe in a wide arc. The blade connected with the tendril, severing it, but more surged from the center.

Kael’s voice cut through, steadying her panic. “Remember your training! Don’t strike blindly!”

Avery forced herself to breathe, letting the Veil’s energy flow through her. She aimed deliberately, slicing through the nearest shadow with precision, then another, until a small path opened between them and the central mass.

The corrupted soul pulsed in response, an almost sentient ripple of darkness that twisted toward her. In that moment, Avery felt a surge of recognition—this thing remembered her. It knew the fear, the hesitation, the moment she had failed before.

“You hesitate,” it whispered in a voice that was her own, twisted and hollow. “You fear me.”

Her stomach dropped. The sound, the recognition—it was like staring at a reflection of her own guilt. She tightened her grip, forcing herself to stand taller. “I’m not afraid,” she muttered, though her voice trembled.

Kael’s eyes met hers. “Show it. Control your fear, or it controls you.”

Avery nodded, stepping forward. The shadows writhed around her feet, forming jagged spikes and sudden swirls. She focused, letting her instincts guide the scythe. Every swing was calculated, every movement precise. She cut through one shadow after another, creating a path toward the corrupted mass.

Then, a scream erupted. A human figure stumbled from the side alley, writhing as shadows crawled over their body. Avery froze. The moment she hesitated, the corrupted soul reacted, sending a tendril snapping toward her. She barely ducked in time, rolling to the side as it crashed into the fountain.

“Focus on the corruption!” Kael snapped, slicing a tendril that threatened to encircle her. “Not the humans!”

Avery pushed forward, swallowing her guilt. She couldn’t save everyone—she had to stop this thing, or more would suffer. She leapt toward the central mass, scythe raised, feeling the pulse of the corrupted soul like a drumbeat against her chest.

The mass twisted violently, tendrils lashing in every direction. One lashed out at her, and she spun, slicing through it cleanly, but the recoil threw her off balance. She landed hard on the wet pavement, knees scraping against asphalt, but kept her focus.

Kael was immediately at her side, blocking another tendril. “Again!” he barked. “Predict! Anticipate!”

Avery scrambled to her feet. The corrupted soul’s mass shuddered as though it were alive in a way more profound than any shadow she had faced. It was hunting, learning, adapting. She felt its awareness sharpen, targeting her specifically.

She steadied her breathing, letting the Veil’s energy flow through her. The scythe hummed, warm in her hands. Every strike counted, every swing deliberate. Slowly, painfully, she began to carve a path through the shadows, the corrupted mass recoiling from her attacks.

Kael’s eyes flicked to her briefly, a hint of approval flashing. “Better,” he muttered. “Keep moving. Don’t stop.”

Avery pressed forward, each strike sharper, faster. The corrupted soul hissed in frustration, the mass contracting and lashing out with renewed fury. Shadows erupted from all sides, forcing her to pivot, duck, and strike without pause.

Then, she saw it—a core of darkness at the center, pulsing like a heart. The corrupted soul’s consciousness, feeding off the city, focused entirely on her. Her pulse raced. This was the heart of it, the source. She swung with everything she had, driving her scythe deep into the darkness.

There was a flash of light, a scream that wasn’t human, and for a moment, everything went silent. Shadows scattered, dissipating into mist. Avery staggered, exhausted, knees weak, but she was alive. Kael’s scythe hummed as he surveyed the area.

The central mass was diminished but not destroyed. The corrupted soul had retreated into the shadows of the city, wounded but very much alive.

Kael placed a hand on her shoulder, firm, grounding her. “You did well,” he said quietly, tone uncharacteristically soft. “You held your ground. But it’s not finished. It will return, stronger. You need to be ready.”

Avery sank to her knees, breathing ragged, gaze fixed on the dissipating shadows. Her hands shook, scythe still pulsing faintly. “I… I thought I’d fail,” she admitted, voice trembling. “I almost froze.”

Kael’s eyes softened, a flicker of something human beneath the reaper’s hardness. “You didn’t,” he said simply. “You acted. You fought. That’s all that matters right now.”

She swallowed, heart still pounding, and nodded. The city around them remained tense, silent as though holding its breath, but Avery felt something shift within herself—a flicker of confidence, a spark of control she hadn’t had before.

The corrupted soul had not been destroyed, but for the first time, she had faced it on equal terms. And she would be ready when it returned.