x
The slam of books derails my train of thought pulling my attention to the doctor who made his way around his desk to his chair. I noticed the words on the book's cover seemed to writhe and wiggle.
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"Did you hear my question, Willow?" the doctor asked his voice feeling distant and underwater. I wrenched my hands together letting my nerves shake my leg.
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"It's fine I still get to work just fine and I haven't forgotten any of my life skills." I felt my disinterest grow as I signed my answer.
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"I asked how your missing memories have made you feel, Willow." disinterest turned into disdain and annoyance at the nuance of his question.
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"Why don't you call me Rose?" I ask defensively not trying to hide my defiance.
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"I'm sorry?" he demanded.
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"You call me Willow my Middle name why!?" I scream reaching my feet and crossing the room.
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"Willow it was you who asked me to call you that remember? Also, I asked you a question how do you feel?" The doctor's gaze stayed cold and analytical.
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"I CAN'T FEEL ANYTHING, HAPPY?! NOT SCARED, NOT SAD, NOTHING!" I scream slamming my hands down on his desk hoping to thaw some of his demeanor with my fiery but instead, he calmly readjusted certain items I had knocked askew.
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"I think it's time I reminded you of the R-word, Willow." his voice was distant and I felt something growing in my chest.
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"Say. My. Name." I lean forward on the desk glaring at the calculating wall of ice. The doctor takes a deep breath in and slowly exhales before standing and placing himself in a similar stance as me on the opposite side of the desk.
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"It's time to sleep R-
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_____
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"ROSE! ROSE!? PLEASE!" my eyes lift slowly like a lead curtain to see Emily. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she sat over me calling my name. My head felt like firecrackers were going off inside. I attempt to sit up with help from Emily while taking in more of my surroundings. I sat against a stone wall in what looked like a prison cell. My head pounded and felt too heavy to hold and leaning against the wall caused a sharp pain that I reach to feel was being caused by a knot the size of a baseball.
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" You came flying through the bars head first into the wall. " Emily said looking me over as if I shouldn't be moving I turn to see the place I had impacted and was horrified by what I saw spider webbing cracks drenched in slow-drying blood made me question what the hell was I.
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" Alive is what you are and you're welcome. " Interjected Rose her tone held a slight disdain, but I was glad she didn't completely hate me.
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"I saw you change right before you made contact with the wall your hair and eyes turned red..." Emily said scooting closer to me on the floor of the cell.
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"What happened to you?" I manage to ask trying to get a grip on the situation.
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"i-I'm not sure... I was there talking to all of you and then I was moving. Fast! Faster than anything I've ever experienced and then I was in this cell... but that's not important right now! The man running this place is a Vampyr!" she seemed frantic borderline panic attack.
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"Is that bad?" I asked concern growing in my chest.
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"There's been a string of kidnappings in the velvet district. At first, it was just teens at random but I and lily saw a change in the patterns they started somehow focusing on Chimarians an-
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-Chimarians? Is that what you call these mutts haha how amusing!" horror gripped us both as we realized sitting in between us the entire time was the silvered-eyed man from earlier. We scramble to our feet and I place myself between him and Emily.
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"Now is that the proper way for guest to treat their host?" the man slowly rose from his crouched position I could now tell he was tall and very thin, his hair was a tinge of red and blonde that was nicely tamed on his head, a set of silver daggers traced our bodies slowly sending chills up my spine, but what had my legs locked in place was this warm spiderish grin on his face and an eerie rope burn mark around his neck.
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"Said the spider to the fly!" Emily yelled from behind me causing the man to chuckle.
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"This isn't good Willow I think I know what family he's from, you see the mark on his neck that means he's-" I felt a whoosh of air and watched as the man in front of me started to dissipate like a mirage.
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I whip around quickly to see him outside of the bars holding Emily vertically in his arms one hand covering her mouth. I rush to the bars to grip them to feel needles of pain shoot through my palms into my arms forcing me to release.
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" Careful these bars bite. " he said with a chuckle and as if on command the bars grew tiny sharp mouths that licked their lips and chattered at me.
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"What are you? When I slung you against that wall I felt a surge of Abyssal essence from you, but it was wrong..." As he asked this question his eyes began to glow a silver iridescent. I felt something tugging at the corner of my mind and immediately Rose lashed out pushing the intruder away.
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"See there it was again hahaha not so demonic but very much so a possession... You'll definitely be worth dissecting." A chill ran up my backbone.
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"But before that... Are you a vampyr child?" Emily struggled and squirmed in his grip.
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"You smell human but something else is there as well, your clothing is telling you obviously come from a high-ranking family..." He sucked his fangs in frustration taking several more whiffs of Emily.
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"Let her fucking go!" I felt disgust and hatred grow in me pushing me to grip the bars again instead of needles I felt the bars sink their fangs into my skin I grunted through the pain pulling with all my might with no give.
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"Alan! To me!" one of the black-eyed children appeared with that trail of black wisp behind him.
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"S-sire?" he stuttered not breaking gaze with the ground.
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"Where did you find this one?" he asked not breaking eye contact with me as I pulled at the bars that fangs tore deeper into my hands.
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"Not too far from here during the blood festival sire..." he said shivering as he spoke.
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"A name boy I need to know what family she's from!" the boy flinched at his master's bark.
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"Emily I believe I heard the mother scream after I grabbed her!" he said as if the information was life-saving for him.
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"Hmm well done leave us." Emily was struggling harder and harder against him but she could barely budge him.
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"Emily Dyavolessa a Daughter of Alucard within my grasp the boy seems to not be as useless as I thought." Emily stopped struggling against him tears poured from her face something she had realized had taken the fight within her.
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"Don't fret child my family will treat you with the utmost respect." I watched in horror as his fang elongated as he readied to sink his teeth into Emily. time slowed to a stop my body was frozen only my eyes moved freely. Rose walked into my frame of vision she stood as the only free-moving entity.
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"This will be twice now you rely on a demon to save you..." her tone was morose instead of prodding.
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"I'm sorry Rose I didn't mean to think of you like that it's just... Seeing my face with hor-
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-That's just it! It's not just your face with a horn! I didn't pick this face or to be this way I know as much as you do and I'm stuck learning it through you! And you're weak impulsive and reckless behavior!" Rose berated me as time stood still it was odd she seemed to be growing in personality.
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"What do you feel about Emily?" The question was confusing and frustrating but I couldn't say we didn't have time for this.
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"I have to save her!" I screamed back at her hoping she would just help me.
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"Like you forced me to save Kairo?" She asked snidely.
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"Yes because he's our friend Rose! Just like Emily!" I pleaded, but Rose's expression didn't change.
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"I asked you how you feel about Emily Willow not to tell me the responsibility you feel burdened with." her tone turned cold.
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"what are you getting at?" I demanded
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"you're human very human you see suffering and you make a decision to ignore it or to end it that's simple those who ignore it tend to fear being subjected to it themselves while others choose to live an apathetic life but both are understandably branching from the need to survive... While you? I know you... the reason why you run headlong into danger isn't altruism." She said while approaching the gnawing cage.
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"The real reason-
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-Stop."
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"The only two things that get you out of bed every day-
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-Shut up!" I scream shutting my eyes tight hoping she would just disappear. I waited for I'm not sure what before slowly opening my eyes to see Rose standing inches from the bars.
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"The truth gives you strength and you are weak Willow if you weren't you would see through these bars and be able to summon my teeth or even an ounce of my strength." Her eyes locked with mine I could feel her seriousness.
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"I will ask you again Willow what are you feeling?" her gaze never broke I couldn't stand it anymore the truth was I had felt nothing and had been feeling that since my father's disappearance, I learned to smile, and I learned how to make my way through a day, but honestly it was hollowing to do so. Even regaining my voice didn't illicit anything more than excitement for what magic could do for me and finding my father and forcing Rose to keep Kairo alive was just for the sake of learning what I could from him later...
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"I don't know..." I replied defeatedly Rose looked me over with disappointment before evaporating. Time seemed to begin its slow descent into movement.
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"Rose!?" I screamed wondering what was happening.
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"A consequence for ignorance feigned or otherwise." was all I heard in reply before time sped up again I watched in terror as his fangs grew closer to Emily's neck but before he could sink them in a burst of bullets impact the center of his back causing him to stumble. Kairo and Radney burst into the room finally entering the confrontation. The Vampyre turns on his heels to face his attackers.
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"Polidori!" Radney screamed rage filling his face.
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"Lonan Radney! How are ya!?" Polidori replied with enthusiasm. Emily hearing this name began to struggle to break free.
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"you're a Grando!? He's part of the Grando Familia! Radney he-" Polidori quickly covers her mouth.
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"Ah ah ah I can't have you blabbing any of my family secrets even though Lonan will be part of the Grando family himself fairly soon..." Polidori lets slip while watching Kairo.
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"what's he talking about Radney? Why would you be joining a Fang familial?" Radney ignored the question as fury engulfed him.
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"Ohh it seems there are more secrets between you and your little friends isn't that what devastated your last group?" Polidori asks mockingly.
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"Shut the hell up! I should have stuffed you in that casket and left it six feet deep!" Radney screamed jarring Kario who was now focused on Radney more than Polidori.
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"Now, now what would my dear sister Orora think if you killed her only family left?" Even though the snide remark was meant to jab at Radney Polidori's smug smirk was melted by a feeling of hate seeping from the opposite side of the room. My throat began to dry and I felt my hands begin to shake I realized I was struggling to breathe and I had been looking at the floor. A pressure was crushing me from the other side of the room I struggle to meet the source with my gaze. It was Radney's magic and rage poured from his very being I had to look away.
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"Look at it!" I hear in my head forcing me to focus back on him.
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"This is what you ignore what you've forgotten." Rose's voice was booming as if she fed from the emotions coming from Radney.
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"Lonan who is Orora and what are you hiding?" Kairo asked his voice shakey with confusion and fear mixing on his brow.
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"There is no time for this! He has Emily and we need to put him down!" Radney replied through gritted teeth and not to his surprise Kairo stared back his mind turmoiling over the possible betrayal.
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"Dammit! Calling a vote for KI!" He says aloud and I hear an echo within my mind. His eyes glow a tinge of gold causing Kairo to recoil in horrified surprise.
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"abstain." a voice in my head replied that sounded like Salems.
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"agreed!" said two unfamiliar voices in unison.
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"abstain." a disinterested voice replies. Radney looked to Kairo who hadn't said anything yet.
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"denied," he says throwing gasoline onto the rage roaring in Radney but the magic he was exuding had tapered off and calmed. Polidori burst into laughter at the site.
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"It would seem all families come with their fair share of issues and it looks like yours doesn't fully back you in this fight." another outburst of laughter escapes his lips. It's cut short by a volley of shots he's forced to dodge somewhat poorly with the added weight causing him to catch a magical slug in the arm.
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"It's two versus one over-encumbered. That hardly feels fair." He says while looking over his wound.
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"I don't know what's happening Lonan but killing him means I can't ask him what he knows so we take him alive." Kairo says side eyeing Radney.
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"Yeah hope you don't regret that." an answer that upset Kairo further.
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"Well it seems you two have made up and I'm still with my hands full... allow me to do something with this." Polidori's eyes begin to glow as he leans in to whisper in Emily's ear Radney was the only one who reacted to this the sigils from earlier appear and like a flash of lightning was moving towards Emily and Polidori, but he was too late.
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"Shatter." Polidori whispers into Emily's ear her eyes light up like a glass pane before shattering into empty voids he tosses her now limp body into Radney's arms who instinctively catches her. He immediately begins writing symbols like a crown around her head. When he completed it the shattering glass began to reform slowly as he held the sigils in place. Polidori seeing an opportunity lunges with his sharpened nails aimed at Radney's throat. When he reached his target though he hit nothing but air. All of a sudden he was no longer over his prey, but instead somewhere closer to the entrance of the room.
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He felt the warm end of a gun press softly against his temple and before he could react the trigger was pulled sending his body sprawling through the air and lifelessly landing on the other side of the room. Kairo made his way over passing through the bars and up to me. I looked over his shoulder confused by how he entered the cage he turned to see what I was looking for and noticed the bars. Kairo spun on the spot gripping the bars tightly trying to pull them off their henges. I watched as he struggled uselessly against the unwavering black bars not so much as a squeak at his effort.
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"They aren't biting you?" I ask curious as to how he's resisting the gnawing at his fingers.
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"What?" he asked while still pushing and pulling the bars. Before I could go on I noticed sturring from Polidori who was beginning to twitch on the grown before shooting bolt upright the hole in his head slowly closed without so much as a scar. He makes it to his feet brushing himself off and fixing his clothes. He then pulls out a handkerchief from his pocket whipping the blood from his head.
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"How the hell are you standing so soon!" Kairo stammered still struggling to pry the bars free.
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"It would seem I lacked the proper knowledge of your growth dear Kairo so I must apologize in advance." As the words left his lips he disappeared and reappeared in front of Kairo with a devastating swing that on impact exploded like a bomb against Kairos chest sending him crashing through the wall and out of the building the concussion of the blast slams me against a wall in the cell. As the ringing in my ears subsides I hear a snide "Stay." from Polidori as he turns and with another blink lands a bone-crunching kick to Radney's ribcage sending him rolling across the floor unconscious. Emily's eyes were still reforming only much slower now as the sigils flickered, but did not falter.
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"It seems you've gotten better at that but I know of a quicker way." He lifts Emily by one arm readying his fangs to bite I watched as everything began to slow again I cursed myself as I wished someone was here to help.
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"It would seem your life is as filled with strife as mine child and you hesitate to use my power." I was now swept somewhere else. Somewhere it was warm I felt my entire body begin to perspire. In front of me sat a hill of bones in the far distance plumes of flames shot from hollow stalagmites.
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"where am I?" I notice my voice echoing into the foreground.
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"This is my corner within you child. I was quite surprised you would harbor a land reminiscent of my home." I hear the reply come from atop the hill where Rugosa appears nestling into the top to peer down at me.
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"You know my name... Why do you keep calling me child?" I asked growing a little annoyed with her tone.
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"Because you still behave like one wrestling with your morals while effort is asked of you." Her pupils narrowed as if defying me to reply.
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"And even still you don't call to me for aid so why would I call you by yours? My power for my plight means my woes are yours and yours mine girl." Her tone although stern held an air of concern and disappointment that stung. Rose was right I had forgotten I wasn't alone anymore.
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"I apologize Rugosa will you help me?" I hear a purr come from atop the hill at my reply.
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"Pointless." I hear echo within my mind as usual except Rugosa seemed to have also heard it.
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"Heed her none! We have a standing bet that I'm sure I'll win. Now call my name! Roar it and remember what it was like to be my father and to be ME!" She growls at me and I feel a surge of energy similar to when I stepped off the train building in my chest.
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"RUGOSA!" I roar at the top of my lungs I feel a force emanate from my chest and now I'm back behind the bars. The energy I exuded fell over Polidori pulling his attention to me and away from Emily's arm.
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"I thought I told you to stay!" he hisses through bared fangs. He tried to move, but found his feet nailed to the floor. Again that abyssal presence washed over him. An energy now surged through my muscles an electricity that ran from behind my eyes and down my spine out to the tips of my fingers and toes.
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"You have his attention good now remember how it feels to pounce on prey that was too intimidated to move." As Rugosa's words whisper in my mind I see images of me nimbly scaling impossible terrain chasing a shearbak struggling to escape. I roar, and it freezes, I prowl just meters away, and I watch the fear grow in its eyes before with a flash of movement I close the distance and feel my teeth sink smoothly into its jugular liberating my reward.
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I fall from the bliss of this dream back into my body which feels light and limber. Before I could realize what I'd done I reach all fours and I gain a laser focus that hones in on Polidoris who still struggled to free his feet from the floor. My back arches as the rest of my body tenses.
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As a coiled spring released my body lunges forward through the bars I cross the room in no time too quick for Polidori to react. I make it to his back and with no hesitation sink my teeth into his neck. When the crimson delight sprays the interior of my mouth I feel electricity course through my body but this wasn't my goal I pull back ripping all I could free before jumping away. Polidori stumbled releasing Emily and focussed on healing the shallow wound on his neck. I took this opportunity to grab Emily and move her to Radney who was still unconscious.
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"Good that was Acrane Knowledge my fangs are sharper than yours, but I appreciate the traditional method." I hear followed with a purr from Rugosa reminding me of what I had been still chewing on, though I couldn't deny it tasted pleasant, I still spat it out feeling a wave of disgust come over me.
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"I do not fault you for denying this prey it's most foul... Summon your teeth and finish this farce." I saw flashes of the blade Rose used and grew frustrated.
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"I can't Rose controls that dagger." I say defeatedly.
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"that is why I said summon your teeth, Willow." I look at my bracelet and notice the second blade crossing the one resembling Roses. I reach out my hand and imagine a life-sized version of the tiny blade charm. The dark ichor forms in my hand and takes shape. Now I was holding a light twin blade to Roses' their only differences were its lacking of ridges and the sharpness.
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"forget comparisons quickly both hands slam the blade between them he's almost free!" Polidori's legs seemed to lighten as he slowly lifted each one noticing this I smash the blade into my hand. Before it could pierce my hand it burst into black Ichor again and oozed over both of my hands merging tightly to my skin and adding claws to the tips of my fingers.
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"I reformed your fang into my claws. Now Willow Overcome your prey." Again images of me accomplishing things I've never done flash in my mind. I move at breakneck speeds utilizing my claws to slash and rend flesh from bone bringing an adult Shearbak to its knees. In reality, I take the same stance from the memory I feel the energy course through my body along with every muscle tensing. As it seems Polidori has broken free from my Roar's hold I release the tension and spring ahead again too fast for him to react. Upon passing I swing my claws aiming for his chest. Polidori braces himself creating an x shape block that I cut through like butter.
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His arms leak profusely, but I don't stop there I spin on the spot to keep my momentum as I spring back at him for another attack picking up speed with each pass until I'm a blur using every surface of the room as a launch pad into my next attack. Polidori a young tall slender man who wore a fitting two-piece suit was now drenched in blood and ripped to shreds. At the end of my barrage, he stood in shambles in the center of a circle I was prowling around him.
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"Finish it Willow quickly!" Rugosa's voice was filled with an urgency that sprung me into action. Sure this was the killing blow I rushed him down a final time aiming for his neck I close the distance and swing at the staggard Polidori only to feel as if I hit the air. I watched him for a moment and begin to notice his form flicker so slightly akin to a mirage bending in a wave of heat.
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"You know girl... Rose was it?" A voice that seemed to come from the room itself asked.
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"You should count yourself among the exceptional! Only Lonan has ever done enough damage to my Alter Image to warrant my appearance." The entire room began to bend and wave similar to that of a mirage added to that was an awful smell I didn't notice earlier. This average empty room that had maybe one desk and chair and the cell that Willow had even noticed began to fade away. It was replaced by a much bigger room with an assortment of screens and computers as my eyes adjusted to the absurd scenery change I could tell the computers displayed medical data in real-time while the screens displayed teens strapped to chairs with IVs either siphoning out blood or pushing in an iridescent purple liquid.
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I look to the cell and instead found a wall with a window that was freshly broken replacing the hole Kairos exit created the odder thing about this was the broken glass was on the inside not out. My attention turns back to Polidori who fades away just as I do. I search the room with my eyes hoping to find my enemy. I notice Randey begin to stir as he slowly awakes. Emily's eyes have formed back into cracked glass panes and the cracks were slowly healing.
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"Normally I would say two is one two many when it comes to who knows my secrets and kill you where you stand, but I have to admit for a human you intrigue me." The voice that filled the room now came from a chair that sat in front of the many screens. I watched as it swiveled revealing an old silver-haired man his frame was wirey and as he stood from his chair I could tell years had taken height from him. He seemed somewhat out of his era he resembled a British nobleman a vast difference from the cheap car dealer suit the Polidori before was wearing.
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"Good day to you I am Polidori Grando." The old man says with a polite bow.
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"I will be taking you in for testing so rejoice for your life will be spared." a chill ran down my spine at those words causing me to instinctively back away. Noticing this Polidori holds out his palm and his eyes begin to glow.
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"Dodge it!" Rugosa urges and without hesitation, I move away not sure what I was dodging. A similar explosion that sent Kairo flying goes off in the spot I was standing doing enough damage to blow a hole through the floor. I noticed on one of the screens that the debris falling from above, Polidori notices the same.
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"Almost forgot." he says with an annoyed sigh as he holds his palm out a black ichor begins to form causing a pit in my stomach.
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"Why do you have one of those!" I ask hoping the concern didn't fill my voice. This only prompted a twisted smile from the old man. The dark device took a shape resembling a rapier.
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"Willow ru-" is all Rugosa managed before Polidori snapped his fingers causing a familiar ringing in my head a ringing I hadn't experienced in three years I felt Rugosa's strength fade from my body the new form I took dispersed leaving me cupping my ears in terror.
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"I thought I heard something whispering to you and now that's been dealt with you can show me that abyssal presence from earlier." Polidori said raising his weapon at me. The ringing intensified rendering me helpless, disappointment etched itself onto Polidori's face.
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"Danger doesn't seem to be its trigger so what about pain?" as he asked this I felt a surge of pain in both my thighs as three vertical puncture wounds form on each bringing me to my knees. Not being able to handle it I howl out in anguish. Tears threaten my eyes as I watch blood seep from my thighs. Still, the ringing continued growing stronger memories of that night flooded back washing me further into the deep end.
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"Wasn't pain nor danger Hmm..." Polidori says looking over the three victims in the room.
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"oh! The sentimental type are we?" He asks slowly making his way over to Emily whose eyes formed back fully now and was regaining consciousness.
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"Stop please!" I screamed over the ringing hoping he would just focus on me. He ignoring me now stood over Emily who was slowly rousing from her slumber and lifting herself to an upright position.
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"Rose? What's happening?" she asked unaware of the monster behind her.
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"Emily run!" I scream unable to even hear myself anymore as this hellish noise deafens me. Before Emily could register her surrounding Polidori uses the tip of his rapier to jab a shallow hole in Emily's neck at the base causing her to fall over limp, but conscious.
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"Don't fret dear I only rendered you immobile you'll heal fully during your transference." his snake-like tone sickened me his voice was all I could hear clearly as I watched helplessly as he lifted her from the floor. I could see her lips plead for help from any of us as Polidori readied his fangs. Everything began to slow once more, but not stop.
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"Failure and loss are cruel in their method, but great teachers for those who have difficulty learning." Rose's voice was smug and apathetic as we watched Polidori's fangs sink into Emily's neck as the color left her skin and as dark spider-webbing veins coursed from his bite.
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"Maybe this will teach you when enough is-
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-ENOUGH!"
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________________
Lonan Radney
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Radney awakes to the feeling of a painful sag in his chest several ribs had been broken and then poorly healed, but that isn't what made him wake. He was sweating pools and an instinctual fear had gripped his chest his eyes focused and he could make out he was in some sort of security room CCTV images of children and medical details on screens nearby were cause for concern, but his attention was snatched by what woke him. In the center of this room was Rose who was oozing not only Killing Intent, but raw Abyssal Magic that reminded him of that bastard Joker.
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"Fantastic! Magnificent! It was a loss then!?" Polidori exclaims with a devilish laugh. Rose did not react though she steadily consumed the ambient magic twisting it into herself. Radney watched as the sigils he crafted himself formed all over Roses' body with slight changes made on the fly.
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"Come little monster show me what you're made of!" Polidori called to Rose who growled and grunted back. Radney watched as Rose disappeared moving faster than even he could keep up with until she was inches away from Polidori. With a swift unblockable movement, she pushed him away freeing Emily from his grasp and sending him crashing against the screens. Radney reached his feet moving away from the collapsed Polidori and over to Rose who was lying Emily down flat on her back. He could tell she's been bitten and that she was soon to begin transference once her heart beats its last beat.
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"There's nothing to be done she'll be a part of his family soon." Radney offered some cold comfort for a friend, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears. Rose stood and held her hand over the wound on Emily's neck causing the spreading black veins to halt and reverse. Radney couldn't believe it Benni was the only member able to alter a transference but here Rose was doing it. Polidori reached his feet anger burning in his eyes.
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"No! I need her!" He charges at Rose looking to stop her but Radney donned his sigils and intercepts pushing him back. He quickly forms his Abyssal weapon a long spear that he gripped tightly with both hands.
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"Is this how you treat your in-laws Lonan!?" Polidori barks.
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"Orora would be better off if you were never her brother." Radney with a flash of movement moves to Polidori swinging his spear and hitting air as it passes through him before the images dissipate like an afterimage. The real Polidori appears behind him thrusting his rapier towards Radney's back who dodges being exceedingly faster than Polidori landing a counterattack that slices underneath his eye causing it to shut.
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"I really hate that spear of yours it's the only thing to causes me permanent scars." Polidori looked over his shoulder at Rose still working the poison from Emily. He attempts to ignore Radney for the girls when he feels a sharp pain shoot through his foot. Radney had thrown his spear perfectly pinning Polidori in place. With another quick movement, Radney now stood in-between Polidori and the girls just a few inches from him.
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"Allow it to give you your final few Polidori." Randey primed himself taking a boxer's stance and unleashing a flurry of punches and jabs landing bone-crunching blows upon Polidori's head and body ending with ripping the spear from his foot and again throwing it with enough strength to skewer Polidori through the stomach and pinning him against the desk destroying some of the screens and computers. This gave Rose enough time to finish her work purging the dark purplish liquid from Emily's body.
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"Ha... You think that's enough I drained her to the point of death without a vampyrs blood she has no family to join and she'll experience death alone and begin a family alone." Polidori laughs choking and coughing through blood as he did. Again Rose ignores her surroundings without hesitation she slices the palm of her hand hovering it over Emily's mouth allowing precious drops of essence to fall to her lips. Her eyes and mouth shoot open allowing Rose to squeeze a crimson waterfall into Emily.
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Her hair which was streaked white began slowly draining of color until it was fully white then her one emerald green eye slowly changed its tone until it resembled a deep red. She bolted straight up sinking her growing fangs into Rose who did not react allowing her to drink as she pleased. Radney watched confused by what was happening, but it started to make sense why he felt Bennis presence just not why he was feeling the darkness of Joker or Clown.
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"What the hell are you monsters what the hell did Joker do!?" Polidori screeched breaking Radney from the bizarre scene he was witnessing. The look on Polidori's face changed from hatred to fear confusing Radney who looked over his shoulder to see an unconscious Emily and a Rose who was now standing and facing their direction had begun gathering magic to form a spell in the center of her palm. The magic coalesces into a burning orb hovering in her palm. Radney could feel an obscene amount of magic going into the spell it was surely enough to kill.
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"I thought all Devil's Advocates had to vote on Killing Intent!?" Polidori says almost begging Radney to have him spared.
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"She isn't a full member yet." is all he replies before disappearing and reappearing next to Rose who finally gathered all the magic she could releasing a slow-moving orange-sized orb that floated over to Polidori landing softly on the tip of the spear before detonating into a massive explosion that forces Radney to brace himself and shield Emily from debris. When the dust settled he could now see the evening sky parts of the next building over had begun to crumble under the shockwave of her attack.
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"What the hell are you, Rose." That is all Radney could manage as he watched the cataclysm come to a rest. He was sure Polidori had to be dead and for his purposes that was fine. Kairo teleports back to the spot he was standing before he was sent flying.
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"And where the bloody fuck 'ave you been!?" Radney ask jokingly secretly glad he hadn't been done in by Polidori.
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"I was fucking trapped in an upside-down world after he sent me flying through..." Kairo turns to look at his exit hole realizing it wasn't a wall of a cell anymore and a window now.
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"What the fuck happened to this room and you guys? how long was I gone?" Kairo asked making his way over to an unconscious and very different Emily.
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"He must have put you in a pocket illusion and after Rose handled him you must've broke free..." Radney watched as the realization hit Kairo.
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"She's been through transference..." Kairo said sorrow filling his tone.
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"Yes..." Radney replied plainly.
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"And the family she joined? Is it his?" Kairos's tone was being replaced with anger.
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"No not his, his poison didn't take." Kairo's expression lightened at those words as hope returned.
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"So she's alone maybe Benni cou-
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-No Kairo I'm not sure how, but she joined Rose's family..." Kairo searched his mind, but couldn't comprehend what Randey was suggesting nor the memories he had glimpsed. Before he could ask though Rose who was more like a lifeless doll sprung to life leaping down to the next floor through the damage created by her explosion prompting the other two to rush the edge and peer over.
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They both could make out the children being harvested below and Rose now walking among them staring something down on the other end of the room. To Radney and Kairo's horror, it was a devastated Polidori feasting directly from a tube connected to a glass vat filled with blood.
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"He's still not fucking dead!" Radney watched as his wounds healed and his magic started to grow from the steadily draining Vat.
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"What the hell is this place." Kairo asked more focused on the teens strapped to chairs being drained at a constant.
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"It's a Blood Farm Vampyrs used them as ways to live and sustain themselves outside of needing to integrate with human society, but it was outlawed generations ago..." Radney's anger grew this was the effect of leaving people like Polirodi walking the earth a mistake he hoped to rectify. He searched the bottom floor to find Polidori drinking deep from the Vats darkened flesh healing and to his horror losing wrinkles as it seemed Polidori was aging in reverse. Soon what was a charcoal old man was replaced by the image of youth from earlier.
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"He de-aged by drinking blood?" Kairo asked frantically.
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"No that's the plasma from magical beings... Referred to by humans as ambrosia, but put simply it's just our plasma when humans drink it. It can force a sort of pseudo-Magical Saturation in humans who normally couldn't experience MS at all, but for our kind, it's similar to what happens to Salem's people." This made Kairo remember the hunger of Salem people the WildaBeast turned Windego and couldn't imagine the monsters that liquid would create until he remembered those things that crawled from the basement after the alarm.
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"We have to vote we have to kill him before he becom-
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-Don't you fucking move kid!" Kairo dazed by Radney's tone turned to look him in the face and saw nothing less than dread etched across it.
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"I'm sure you don't feel it, but that's not Rose or Willow down there..." Radney said not taking his eyes off Willow. Kairo turned back to the edge to find Willow slowly making her way over to Polidori. He didn't feel anything coming from her at all, not an ounce of Magic or Killing Intent.
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"She's not even building Magic we have to help her." Kairo replied still unsure why he was told not to move.
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"For your training, you've kept Sense Magic on at all times now try to tap into Sense Acrane." Kairo listened to Radney's instructions focusing on Willow plunging his senses deeper into Magic until he felt a darkness that made him recoil from the edge. It was almost as bad as facing Joker and on top of that he could sense Polidori now as well and he was just as terrifying. Two monsters faced each other below in a forbidden garden and Radney could tell they were posed to attack.
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Polidori summoned his rapier aimed it for Willow's center mass and fired three gaseous orbs that on contact set off three mini explosions the clap of which even made Radney flinch, but it only seem to push Willow back a few feet before she started her slow walk towards him. Kairo and Radney could only see Willows back as she lumbered toward Polidori they could see frustration growing on his brow. He fires five more shots again center mass this time the explosions were slightly bigger sending her flush on her back. They could now see what was frustrating Polidori Willow was giggling to herself as if tickled by the explosions she quickly snaps to her feet and begins her slow crawl towards him again.
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"STOP LAUGHING!!!" Polidori screams gathering an obscene amount of Magic and forming it into a bowling ball-sized gaseous orb. Kairo grabs Emily and quickly ports away to the outside of the building Radney watches as Willow charges Polidori before he can let off the attack and with a single swing splits the orb Radney though in disbelief formed a barrier with a few of the sigils from earlier and a few new ones protecting him from the destabilized spells backfire. The resulting explosion was much bigger than Polidori wanted forcing him to aim upward destroying the rest of the upper level of the facility.
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From the outside Kairo shot at the debris that flew at them protecting an unconscious Emily and unsuspecting citizens startled that were passing by. He realized this was going to be a bigger battle than he thought he pulled his phone out unlocked it and opened the Pulse application and quickly hit a red triangle picking the number five on a list of one to ten. His phone then began sending out a pulse alerting everyone within a mile radius to evacuate immediately. The citizens of the Velvet District within the radius received the message and began evacuating homes quickly making their way to the safest areas outside of the designated battle zone. Most of the people near the explosion were already running Kairo watched people flee apartments children in tow away from the smoldering building that was slowly appearing in the once-empty lot.
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Out of the smoke plume funneling from the building comes Polidori sliding against the sky until he stands on air as if it were solid. He was followed by Radney who took a spot in the air on the other side of the plume of smoke both of their focus on something Kairo couldn't see inside. All of sudden something burst out of the top of the plume down towards Polidori forcing him to block with his rapier once the smoke cleared he could tell what he was seeing was Willow with a rapier blade of her own. She was chasing him through the air swinging her blade wildly putting Polidori on the defensive as they danced through the air.
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Kairo could make out now Willow's usual reddish hair had turned an inky black and a small protruding lump above her right eye had begun to form. He watched as Polidori coated his blade in his gaseous magic allowing Willow to strike causing an explosive blowback that sends her upward flames engulfing her left side. She slows her accent by gripping the air Polidori shoots three orbs aimed for her flaming side fully engulfing her in flames. Kairo and Radney watched in horror as she disappeared into this mass of flame in the sky.
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The flames slowly died to reveal Willow standing there covered in jet-black sigils similar to Radney's barrier earlier. He was sure she couldn't have seen but a second of them before the explosion and yet she recreated them even altered them and created some new ones by mixing others. She laughed historically as she gathered magic at the tip of her blade superheating it.
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Radney noticed some of the speed sigils from earlier were added Willow blinked from the spot she was in and reappeared charging at Polidori who had time to block, but that seemed to be what she was aiming for when the superheated tip made contact with his gaseous Magic it ignited with a vicious explosion sending Polirodi careening onto a nearby rooftop.
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The blast broke through the sigils on Willow's right arm turning it a charcoal black that was quickly healing and reforming the sigils Kairo and Radney noticed the surrounding building began to break down and turn into pure Magic. Willow was siphoning the surrounding Magic at a dangerous rate Polidori was once again destroyed by an attack lying in shambles on a rooftop below her watched as she lifted her blade creating mini explosions that she set off contained within an orb that slowly grew to fifty meters with no sign of stopping if it went off it would take out half the block.
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Polidori was still stunned by the blast Radney was standing above it all he didn't have the strength to safely disrupt an already unstable spell like that. He had mear moments to run through the possibilities in his mind he could use the rest of the Magic he had to grab Kairo and Emily and run he was sure he could make it out of the blast radius at top speed, but all the workers and people trapped in the blood farm would be devastated in the blast then the thought of taking out Willow crossed his mind. Before he could decide though the strings of Fate took hold his muscles froze as his eyes glowed with a golden tinge.
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Kairo who was now running on fumes was sure he could grab Emily for one more jump since she was going through transference she was gaining a level of Magic that was as heavy as Willow making moving her tougher and if he didn't move her soon she would become too heavy, but that meant leaving Radney and everyone else then the thought of just taking him and the Orb somewhere to safely detonate crossed his mind.
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Before he could decide a sturring behind him took his attention Emily had woken up her transference had ended all of her hair was completely white and her fangs had grown in. She was too heavy to carry now and he wished she didn't have to wake up just to be threatened with death again. He turned to face the obscene orb growing above Willow Kairo now stood right above it his eyes a full golden glow. Kairo was made hopeless by the image in front of him.
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~End of Chapter 7
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