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.

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

then looked at the patch of shadows where Sunny

can come out, Sunless. It's

'What the hell...'

his corporeal

make sense. The magical circle in the sorcerer's residence, the river of blood that Noctis had fed to the soil below, the cracks on the stone

the faint scream that had awoken Sunny

the sorcerer, a harrowing guess

however, was still in the dark. As the ghastly movement under her skin grew

this… thing? My…

Noctis smiled.

a bit hungry

to heal at an incredible pace. As Sunny watched, the bloody hole in the sorcerer's chest closed, his

blood formed in his empty eye

forward, leaned forward, and looked at

eventually birthed it was created when the ashes of the Heart Grove mixed

seethed with

frowned, then glanced at the sorcerer

Grove and Aidre's blood. He had kept

the trap for the person who had desecrated the Grove and killed its Lady. All this time, the sorcerer was restrained by having to suppress the creature and

appeared on

devious, patient… and ruthless vengeance Noctis

or two from

War Maiden looked at Noctis for a few moments, then bent in a violent convulsion, letting out a terrible shriek. 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 her

then let

after all this time… I am defeated…

then suddenly smiled