AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But even in the face of defeat, there was one thing he couldn’t take away: the bond Nova and I shared, the love that had grown between us in this wretched place.
Lying there, surrounded by the caged spirits and the jeering crowd, one thought consumed me:
I had failed her; I had failed us both.
* * *
Sneik reveled in the spotlight, blood still trickling down his face.
But more than that, there was an undercurrent of hopelessness, of impending doom.
The very atmosphere in the pit seemed heavy with it, like the thick, oppressive air before a storm.
The audience’s change of heart was palpable, their boos turning into cheers of adulation for Sneik, the sudden hero of the hour.
He spread his arms wide, turning in a circle to absorb the accolades from every direction.
I could hear the distinct rumbling of his deep laughter, a sound filled with mockery and arrogance. “Did you really think you could defeat me?” he shouted, eyes fixated on me, his voice dripping with venom. “I am Sneik! No one defies me and lives to tell the tale. I always get my revenge!”
My ears rang with his declaration, but it wasn’t just his voice that echoed; it was the truth of his words.
For all my training, all my preparations, we were now at his mercy.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Sneik’s support.
Erys was drenched in sweat, his face gaunt and etched with strain.
The concentration needed to maintain the psychic cages around the spirit animals was clearly taking its toll on him.
He was so engrossed, so focused, that he didn’t seem to notice or care about anything else around him.
Then, as I watched, he started merging the multiple psychic cages, weaving them into one.
The sight was hypnotic, the ethereal barriers shifting and changing, blending into a singular entity.
It was a dance of energy, and I could almost hear the hum of it, like a distant, otherworldly melody.
Inside the unified cage, the spirit animals were restless.
Their agitation was palpable.
I could see the fierce determination in the eyes of the tigers, their sleek bodies pacing back and forth, muscles coiled and ready to spring.
The birds, my hawk included, strutted with an assertive elegance, their feathers ruffling in the heated air of the pit.
And the octopi, with their intelligent, searching eyes, had their tentacles extended, ready to lash out at the slightest provocation.
Their combined power was magnificent.
If there was any hope left, it was with them.
I pushed against the gritty sand, feeling its abrasiveness against my palms as I forced myself to stand.
My entire body protested the movement.
Every muscle screamed, every joint ached.
My head throbbed, and my vision swam, but I was resolute.
