The ballroom was a graveyard of hope. Every scream from the surviving students, every sob from the wounded, every flicker of fear in their eyes seemed to thicken the air until it pressed down on us like a suffocating weight. Dolomir thrived in it. His aura swelled with every cry, every moment of hesitation. He was not just fighting us — he was consuming us.
Amanda's flames sputtered, her mana scraping the bottom of the barrel. Sweat poured down her face, her gown torn and scorched, but her eyes still burned with defiance. Sammy and Talia fought desperately, ice and water lashing out, but their movements slowed, their reserves dwindling.
And me? My broken arm hung useless, blood dripping from the gash across my ribs. My lungs burned, my body screamed, but I gripped my blade tighter.
Dolomir's gaze locked on me. His grin widened, jagged teeth gleaming in the flickering firelight. "Ah, Rudra. You carry the most despair. You killed your own classmates. You bleed for them. You hesitate. You are mine."
He lunged.
I raised my blade, steel clashing against his claws. The impact rattled my bones, sending shockwaves through my body. My knees buckled, but I forced myself upright. Dolomir's grin widened.
"You fight with courage, but courage is only another flavor of despair when it breaks."
His claw swept across my chest. Flesh tore. Blood sprayed. I staggered back, gasping, the wound burning like fire.
Amanda screamed, hurling a torrent of flame. Dolomir absorbed it, his body swelling with the energy. He laughed, the sound twisting into a shriek that made my ears bleed.
Sammy thrust his hands forward, ice spears exploding across the floor. Dolomir shattered them with a single swipe, shards slicing into my skin. I gasped, choking on blood, but forced myself upright.
Talia's water whip lashed out, striking Dolomir across the chest. For a moment, he faltered. But then he caught the water, twisting it into steam that scalded her arms. She screamed, collapsing to the floor.
Dolomir turned back to me, his grin impossibly wide. "You bleed. You suffer. You despair. And I grow stronger."
He lunged again, claws raking across my side. This time, the strike was deeper. I felt the flesh peel away, the bone beneath exposed. White gleamed through the blood, raw and horrifying. My scream tore through the hall, but Dolomir only inhaled, savoring it.
"Yes," he whispered. "Your pain is exquisite."
I collapsed to one knee, vision blurring. My blade trembled in my grip. Amanda rushed to my side, fire blazing, but Dolomir swatted her away, sending her crashing into the wall.
Sammy staggered forward, ice forming around his arms. He thrust his hands out, shards exploding across the floor. Dolomir shattered them with ease, the fragments slicing into my exposed flesh. I gasped, choking on blood, but forced myself upright.
Talia's water whip lashed out, striking Dolomir across the chest. For a moment, he faltered. But then he caught the water, twisting it into steam that scalded her arms. She screamed, collapsing to the floor.
Dolomir turned back to me, his grin impossibly wide. "You bleed. You suffer. You despair. And I grow stronger."
He lunged again, claws tearing into my shoulder. Flesh ripped, bone cracked. My scream echoed, raw and guttural.
Amanda hurled fire, Sammy and Talia unleashed ice and water, but Dolomir absorbed it all, his body swelling with power.
I staggered, blood dripping, bones exposed, vision fading. But I raised my blade again.
Because if I fell, the ballroom would drown in blood.
---
The ballroom stank of blood and smoke. My body was shredded, bones visible through torn flesh, every breath a knife in my lungs. Dolomir loomed above us, his grin stretching impossibly wide, feeding on the despair that hung thick in the air.
Amanda dragged herself upright, flames sputtering at her fingertips. "Rudra… don't you dare fall now," she hissed, her voice trembling but fierce.
Sammy leaned against Talia, his chest bleeding, his lips pale. "We're… we're not going to last much longer," he muttered, coughing blood.
Dolomir inhaled deeply, his voice a guttural rasp. "Yes… despair. It tastes divine. You are nothing but fuel."
His aura swelled, shadows crawling across the walls. The corpses of our classmates twitched, rising again, their screams twisted into demonic shrieks.
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stand despite the agony. My blade trembled in my grip. "I'm not… giving him the satisfaction," I growled, though my voice cracked.
Amanda shot me a glance, her eyes blazing. "Then stop screaming. Every time you cry out, he gets stronger."
Sammy's voice broke, hoarse but clear. "He's feeding on us… on our fear. Every time we hesitate, every time we scream, he grows stronger."
Talia's eyes widened, realization dawning. "Then we stop feeding him. We fight without fear. We fight without despair."
Dolomir chuckled, tilting his head. "You think silence will save you? You think courage will starve me? Foolish children."
He lunged, claws tearing into my shoulder. Flesh ripped, bone cracked. My scream rose in my throat — but I swallowed it. I clenched my teeth, forcing silence, glaring at him through the haze of pain.
Amanda shouted, "That's it, Rudra! Don't give him what he wants!"
Dolomir faltered. His grin wavered.
Sammy raised his trembling hands, ice forming weakly. "Talia… with me."
She nodded, water swirling around her arms. Together, they lashed out — ice spears piercing Dolomir's legs, water whips slicing across his chest.
Dolomir shrieked, his body trembling. "You… resist? You deny me?"
Amanda hurled fire, her flames steadier now. "We're not your feast anymore!" she spat.
I roared, swinging my blade with all my strength. Steel tore into his flesh, ichor spraying. Dolomir staggered, his aura flickering.
"You fight without despair," he snarled, his voice cracking. "But despair always returns."
Sammy coughed, blood dripping from his lips. "Not if we keep fighting together."
Talia gritted her teeth, her voice shaking but determined. "We've lost too many already. We're not losing each other."
Amanda's flames surged, brighter than before. "Rudra, finish this strike!"
I staggered forward, blood pouring, bones exposed, vision fading. But I raised my blade again. "I'll fight… until there's nothing left of me."
Dolomir hissed, his grin faltering for the first time. "Children… you dare starve me?"
Amanda smirked through her exhaustion. "Starve, choke, burn — whatever it takes."
And for the first time, Dolomir's laughter broke