The sunless sky hung over a hill that looked as barren and cracked as a desert floor. Jagged stones poked through the dry soil, and a cold wind rustled the dust around two figures who had just emerged from a nightmare. Slyvia and Rose stood there, shaken to the core after witnessing the haunting illusions inside the domain of Lamia.
Slyvia gasped for air as she looked around, brushing her hands over her limbs, checking for injuries. She was intact—how strangely comforting, considering the horrors they'd just survived. Beside her, Rose was hyperventilating, her hands trembling, chest heaving. Her eyes were wide, filled with pure terror.
"Where are we? I can't keep doing this," Rose cried out, her voice cracking.
Slyvia didn't answer immediately. Her eyes scanned the landscape, dread crawling up her spine like frostbite. Something was wrong—terribly wrong. They had been inside the crumbling skyscraper moments ago, and now they stood atop this forsaken hill. How they got here was a mystery.
"This isn't real," Slyvia murmured, her voice low but firm. "We can leave. But we have to protect the Phoenix Stone. No matter what."
Rose blinked at her, confused and frustrated. "Protect it? You dragged me into this, Slyvia. I'm not the chosen one—you are. Why am I even here?"
Slyvia turned to her, her expression hardening. She strode over and jabbed a finger into Rose's forehead. "You think this isn't your fight? You are the Dragon Reborn, Rose. You carry the bloodline of flame and wings. With your dragons, you could annihilate every dead witch from the Dark Trench. You're the most wanted of us all."
Rose's face went pale. The words hit her like a thunderclap. Dragon Reborn? It felt absurd. Just a decade ago she was a normal girl—now she housed a dead girl's soul, bore the weight of legends, and stood on the edge of a battle that could decide the fate of magic itself.
"And by wanted, you mean dead, don't you?" she whispered.
Slyvia nodded grimly.
Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet cracked open with a deafening roar. Lava surged up from the fissure, casting a red glow across the hill. Heat hit them in violent waves. Slyvia turned instinctively, eyes wide as the molten earth split further, revealing not death—but a figure.
Lamia Alexandria.
From the heart of the lava, Lamia rose like a phantom, his black hair gleaming like oil in the heat. His sharp features were twisted into a smile, one that promised pain.
"What a beautiful sight," Lamia purred, swirling a strand of his hair between his fingers. "Now that we're all here, let's make this simple. Hand over the Phoenix Stone."
Slyvia stepped forward, shielding Rose. The younger girl cowered behind her, trembling at the sheer power radiating from Lamia. He was otherworldly—terrifying. How were they ever supposed to defeat this?
"You're not getting the stone," Slyvia said, her voice iron.
Lamia's smile faded. His expression darkened, eyes twitching unnaturally. He stepped forward, but Slyvia reacted swiftly. She waved her hands, and thick blocks of ice surged from the air toward Lamia.
With a casual flick of his wrist, Lamia reversed the spell, sending the ice hurtling back at Slyvia. Rose screamed as Slyvia barely managed to throw up a magical shield to block the counterattack.
"You dare challenge me again? You're as useless as your spells," Lamia sneered. "A dumb little witch who thinks she's special."
Slyvia stood firm, ignoring the sting of his words. The ground around her pulsed with magic. She wasn't moving any closer—she knew better. Lamia's insults were meant to provoke her, to draw her into his snare.
"I'll destroy you, Lamia. Whatever demon resides inside you will die with you."
Lamia chuckled, turning away as if bored. "You're Logan's daughter, aren't you? What a disappointment. He was powerful. Feared. You? A disgrace."
Rose felt the tension shift. She could see what Lamia was doing—provoking Slyvia, trying to make her reckless.
"I hate to interrupt, but if she destroyed your world once, the dark trench ; doesn't that make her more powerful than you?" Rose said, her voice trembling but clear.
Lamia turned his glare on her, his eyes flashing. That was the final straw. He was done playing games.
"I don't have time for weaklings," he growled.
His eyes turned pitch black, and dark smoke spilled from his mouth. It swirled into the air and began slithering toward them. The stench of rot filled their noses.
"Run!" Rose screamed, grabbing Slyvia's hand.
But Slyvia's eyes glowed silver. A radiant shield enveloped her. She shook her head. "This is a mental prison. Nothing here is real. To escape, we must break it."
She summoned wind and water, her magic swirling around her, and hurled it toward Lamia. But his dark magic coiled like a serpent, seizing her attack, reversing it. Slyvia screamed as the energy was absorbed, draining her. Blood poured from her lips as she dropped to her knees, powerless.
"You see?" Lamia whispered. "Your father's legacy dies with you."
Rose wanted to scream, to fight back, but blood welled up in her throat. She collapsed, gagging.
"If you die here, you die in the real world," Lamia said casually. "I let you live at the skyscraper. I won't be so merciful here."
Slyvia sobbed, her voice raw. "You won't have me. Not now, not ever."
Lamia raised a clawed hand, his fingers elongating into twisted talons. With a cruel grin, he placed them against her eyes and gouged them out.
Slyvia screamed—a piercing cry that echoed through the void. Blood poured down her face as she collapsed, blind and broken.
"My eyes! No! Please! Give them back!" she wailed.
Lamia simply watched, amused. "You are nothing, Slyvia. Not even worthy to be your father's shadow."
Rose stirred, her eyes filling with tears. She looked at Slyvia—battered, defeated—and something inside her broke.
"Don't listen to him!" Rose shouted, rising unsteadily to her feet. "You're powerful, Slyvia. You saved us before—you can save us again! I believe in you!"
Just as she spoke, Rose's body lifted into the air. She screamed as she was flung toward a jagged stake. It pointed upward, waiting to impale her.
Then, everything stopped.
She hovered midair, frozen. Below, Slyvia stood—blind, bloodied, and shaking—but upright.
"This is our battle, Lamia," she whispered. "You won't win. Not today."
Her silver eyes—though damaged—glowed brighter than ever. Magic roared around her. She summoned a storm of wind and raw elemental energy, shaping it into a sharp blast of compressed air.
She clapped her hands, and the energy exploded toward Lamia.
It struck him with the force of vengeance.
He screamed as he was flung backward, impaled on the very stake meant for Rose. It pierced his chest with a sickening crunch, his heart thudding to the ground.
Rose dropped gently to the earth. Her limbs trembled as she turned to Slyvia.
"Come on! Let's run—this is our chance!" she cried.
Slyvia turned her head toward the sound, a weak smile curving her lips.