Shadow Slave

Suddenly, Noctis seemed… different.

He was still beaten, mangled, and covered in blood, but the sorcerer's presence subtly changed. If before it was faint and weakening, now, it became brimming with power, potency, and free-flowing energy.

Vast, furious… unrestrained.

And suffused with madness.

Despite the fact that Noctis was on his knees and crippled, he suddenly seemed terrifying. The morbid grin on his torn and disfigured face seemed more menacing than pitiful now. His one remaining eye glistened, reflecting the distant light of the crimson moon.

It was as though something that had been suppressing the sorcerer's true power all this time finally set him free.

Noctis inhaled deeply, and at the same, Solvane suddenly swayed. The hand she had used to crush his ribcage was still pressed against her body, blood streaming down on the red tunic.

Her beautiful eyes widened.

And then…

Something moved under her skin, making the War Maiden let out a pained scream.

She staggered back and looked at the kneeling sorcerer with a pale face.

"What… what have you done to me?"

Noctis smiled. His voice sounded hoarse and full of unfathomable emotion when he spoke:

"What else? I have fulfilled your most ardent wish, Solvane. I… have defeated you."

She stared at him in shock, then suddenly shuddered and let out another tortured scream. As drops of blood flew out of her mouth, the beautiful Transcendent stumbled and fell to her knees. Her sublime face was deathly pale and contorted by a grimace of terrible pain.

a croaking laugh and slowly stood up. Just like that, their roles were reversed. The War Maiden was on her knees, and Noctis was looming above

moment, and then looked at the patch of

can come out, Sunless. It's safe

'What the hell...'

a few seconds, then assumed his corporeal form and glanced at Solvane, his eyes burning with

sorcerer's residence, the river of blood that Noctis had fed to the soil

had awoken Sunny on his last night

the sorcerer, a harrowing guess appearing in

As the ghastly movement

is… this… thing? My… my

Noctis smiled.

pet is a bit hungry for soul essence, you see. I've been starving it for a few

pace. As Sunny watched, the bloody hole in the sorcerer's chest closed, his shattered ribs coalescing back into proper

formed in his empty

forward, leaned forward, and looked at Solvane. Then, he

of mine is a very special creature… it is a vine that feeds on powerful souls. The profane seed that eventually birthed it was created when the ashes of the Heart Grove mixed with Aidre's blood. You remember Aidre,

voice seethed with

at the sorcerer

of devouring Saints, from the ashes of the Sacred Grove and Aidre's blood. He had kept it in the ground beneath his residence for

killed its Lady. All this time, the

pale smile appeared on

devious, patient… and ruthless vengeance Noctis

or two from

The skin on her face broke, and a thin, worm-like vine appeared from beneath it, crawling forward through the blood. Another, thicker one, burst from

groaned, then let out a

after all this time… I am defeated…

then