Lilith pushed herself off the ground, her breaths heavy and uneven. She gripped her bow tightly, her gaze locked onto Miles' back as he prepared for another strike. Determined, she moved quickly, slipping behind him and looping her bowstring around his neck, trying to choke him into unconsciousness.
Miles stiffened, but before she could tighten her hold, his hand shot out with inhuman speed. He grabbed her arm and yanked her forward, spinning her around until she was face-to-face with him. His eyes, glinting with a malevolent light, bore into hers as he sneered.
"I'm just getting started," Miles growled. With a swift, brutal motion, he swung the sheath of his sword in a devastating arc. The blunt weapon slammed against Lilith's head, sending her sprawling to the ground. Pain exploded behind her eyes as she clutched her head, her vision swimming.
Crimson rushed to her side, helping her to her feet as she steadied herself. "He's not even using the sword yet," Lilith muttered bitterly, shaking off the dizziness. "And I'm already being pummeled like this? This is insane."
"Lilith, listen," Crimson said urgently, his voice low but sharp. "I don't think these Dream Walkers are the same as the ones we know from Amethyst. Normal Dream Walkers can't communicate through the body they've taken over, and yet—"
Miles interrupted, his voice dripping with malice. "Looks like you've figured it out," he said, his lips curling into a sinister grin. "Too bad it won't help you." He shifted his stance, raising his blade. "Because it all ends here."
The air around him grew hotter as the blade in his hand erupted into flames. Crimson and Lilith stepped back instinctively, shielding themselves from the searing heat. The flames licked hungrily along the steel, casting eerie, flickering shadows against the towering walls of the library.
Miles grinned wider, the firelight dancing in his eyes. "Nice, isn't it?" he taunted, his voice unnervingly calm. "Enchanted and deadly. Let's see how long you last."
Crimson tightened his grip on Lilith's arm, his jaw clenched as he positioned himself between her and Miles. "Stay sharp," he muttered, his voice a low growl. "This isn't just a fight—it's survival." His eyes darted between Miles' flaming sword and the unsettling grin that twisted on his face.
A flicker of doubt crept into his voice as he added, "Whoever's pulling the strings here... they know us. They know how we think, and how we fight. And from how things are playing out—they want us dead."
Lilith's breath caught, her fingers instinctively tightening around her bow. "Do you think it is one of Rigour's legionnaires?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Crimson's gaze didn't waver from Miles, whose blade blazed brighter with every second. "No," he replied grimly. "This isn't random. It's personal."
Miles' laughter broke the tense silence, sharp and mocking. "Oh, Crimson," he taunted, his voice laced with malice. "You always were the perceptive one. Too bad that won't save you now."
The flames around Miles' blade flared brighter, casting dancing shadows across the library's endless shelves. Each step he took toward Crimson and Lilith was measured, his movements dripping with lethal intent. Then, with a sudden burst of speed, his pace quickened. His boots thundered against the stone floor before he leapt high into the air.
As he spun midair, the fire trailing from his sword swirled into a blazing tornado, the heat rippling through the corridor like a living inferno. Lilith nocked an arrow and released it, but the flames consumed the projectile before it could strike. Desperation flashed in her eyes as she aimed again, only for the same fate to befall her second shot.
"Move!" Crimson bellowed, shoving her to the ground as the fiery cyclone descended. With a quick motion, he conjured a shield, raising it just in time to block the devastating downward slash. Miles' fiery blade slammed into the shield, sending sparks flying in all directions. Crimson gritted his teeth as the heat melted the shield's centre, revealing a smirking Miles through the growing hole.
Miles' eyes flicked to the side as Lilith charged toward him with dual daggers gleaming. Her movements were swift and precise, her aim set to deliver a decisive blow. Miles sighed, almost lazily, and raised his sheath to intercept. With a swift parry, he deflected her strikes, the sheath moving with uncanny precision.
"Not today," he murmured, tugging her elven cloak with his sheath and yanking her off balance. Before she could recover, he swung the sheath in a brutal arc, its edge slamming into her face and sending her sprawling.
A guttural roar tore through the air as Crimson charged, spear in hand. Miles threw his sheath it hit Crimson in the head hard, and blood streamed from a gash on his forehead, but the pain only seemed to fuel his resolve. Crimson's speed was relentless, his spear pointed like a comet streaking toward its target.
Miles chuckled darkly, spinning his fiery sword in rapid arcs, the weapon a blur of molten light. The spear's tip melted as it neared the whirling blade, its strength dwindling under the intense heat.
"You're relentless, I'll give you that," Miles said, his tone edged with amusement. "But are you really trying to kill your friend?"
Crimson's lips curled into a grin, blood staining his teeth. "No," he growled. "We're trying to save him."
From behind, Lilith surged back into the fray, leaping onto Miles and wrapping her legs around his neck in a desperate attempt to choke him out. Her grip tightened, her daggers clattering to the ground as she poured every ounce of strength into the hold.
"Stop—stop—stop it," Miles said, his voice laced with mocking humour. His body remained unnaturally still despite her assault. "You know," he continued, his grin widening, "with the Dream Walker in this body,It doesn't feel pain." Lilith and Crimson froze, their eyes widening in disbelief.
Miles gripped Lilith's leg with his left hand and, with effortless strength, hurled her toward Crimson. The impact sent both of them crashing into one of the towering bookshelves. Wood splintered, and books rained down in a chaotic cascade, burying them beneath the weight of knowledge and dust.
The air grew still for a brief moment, broken only by the soft thud of a falling book. Miles bent down, retrieving his sheath from the ground with a deliberate motion. His eyes gleamed with a fiery mix of malice and bitterness as he straightened, his lips curling into a sinister grin.
"You promised to protect us, Crimson," Miles growled, his voice filled with anger. He stepped forward, the fiery blade in his right hand flickering ominously. "But you didn't. And you, Lilith…" His gaze shifted to her, his tone becoming more intense. "You said you'd get us out. But you failed too."
"What do you mean?" Crimson and Lilith asked in unison.
He stopped, tilting his head slightly, a glint of madness dancing in his eyes. "And Gale…" He let the name hang in the air, a dangerous pause before his grin widened. "That arrogant fool. When I'm done with you two, he's next."
Lilith groaned, struggling to push herself free from the heap of books pinning her down. Her gaze met Crimson's, her breath shaky but determined. In unison, they whispered a name, their voices barely audible but filled with resolve:
"Sebastian."