Free Web NovelChapter 353: Burn Brighter
Lilith’s crimson eyes drifted to the shadow sphere containing Adam’s unconscious form, her usual teasing demeanor fading into something quieter, more serious.
"I didn’t expect him to be wounded this badly. Was the enemy truly that strong?"
Alice’s cat ears flattened. Her tail lashed behind her, her voice sharp.
"The enemy was a member of an ancient race—the Original Void. Of course it was strong. But more importantly..." Her eyes narrowed, her tone hardening. "Why did you leave him alone? He could have died, Lilith."
Lilith met her gaze, unflinching.
"We were separated by the darkness. The moment we lost contact, the void twisted our paths. It was impossible to find each other. And the Compass of Desire can only be used three times, we needed to conserve it for finding the Bloom first."
Alice’s eyes blazed. Her voice rose with frustration.
"That doesn’t mean you could just abandon him! You left him to fight alone! That’s the same as not caring at all!"
Lilith’s lips pressed into a thin line. A flicker of irritation crossed her features before she smoothed it away.
"As always, you have a talent for making others angry, don’t you?"
Before Alice could retort, a calm voice cut through the tension.
"I step away for one moment, and there’s already an argument. Can you both try to be more peaceful?"
Isolde emerged from the shadows, her Crimson Blossom Crown pulsing faintly, her expression carrying the weary patience of someone who had long since accepted that chaos followed this group wherever they went.
Lilith’s lips curved into a thin, amused smile. "Ah, right. This is Isolde Draven—a vampire who’s been traveling with us. She’s a prisoner who’s developed a bit of a crush on Adam."
Isolde’s pale face flushed instantly. Her voice came out sharp, flustered.
"I am NOT a prisoner! And I do NOT have a crush on Adam!"
Alice’s ears twitched. Her tail swayed slowly, her gaze flicking between Lilith and Isolde with sharp, feline curiosity. A slow, knowing smile spread across her face.
"...Oh? So you’re the vampire who’s been eyeing Adam while I was unconscious?" freewebnσvel.cøm
Isolde’s flush deepened. "I—I wasn’t eyeing him!"
"She definitely was," Lilith added smoothly.
Isolde’s face went from red to crimson. "If you don’t shut up, I will kill you, insect."
Alice let out a long, slow sigh, her cat ears flattening for just a moment before she straightened. Her tail swayed once, deliberately, as if physically brushing the argument aside. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
"Alright. We can discuss that later. Right now, we need to find Ignis. Quickly."
Lilith’s crimson eyes narrowed, a flicker of genuine surprise crossing her features. Her voice carried a note of disbelief, almost cautious.
"Hmm... you’ve changed a little, haven’t you? I thought you’d be more... possessive. Clinging to Adam and refusing to let anyone else near him."
Alice’s ears twitched. Her dark violet eyes met Lilith’s without wavering.
"I don’t have time to waste on that right now. We’re still in enemy territory. The Void Manifest isn’t dead, just wounded. If we stay here arguing, we’re giving it time to recover." She turned, already scanning the desolate landscape. "Ignis is still out there. I can feel her presence, but it’s faint. She needs to flare her aura so I can pinpoint her location."
Without waiting for a response, Alice closed her eyes and reached out through the mental link, her voice cutting through the void with sharp clarity.
"Ignis. I need you to flare your aura. Now."
A moment of silence—then Ignis’s voice burst through, strained and breathless, laced with the crackle of flames and the clash of combat.
"I’M A LITTLE BUSY RIGHT NOW! SOME UGLY VOID CREATURE JUST SHOWED UP AND STARTED ATTACKING US! GIVE ME A MINUTE!"
Alice’s ears flattened. Her tail lashed with irritation. Her voice sharpened.
"Is it a Void creature? Ignis, hold on. We’re coming to you—"
"Hah! Don’t bother!" Ignis’s voice cut through, fierce and defiant, bright with the unmistakable thrill of battle. "I can handle this thing myself! Just watch—I’ll burn it to ashes!"
Alice’s eye twitched. She let out a low, frustrated growl.
"Stupid lizard. She never listens."
She turned to Lilith, her expression sharp and focused.
"I can track her location now. It’s a bit far from here—we need to move fast."
Lilith tilted her head, her silver-white hair catching the faint light. "How far?"
"Far enough that we shouldn’t waste time arguing about it."
Isolde stepped forward, her Crimson Blossom Crown pulsing faintly as she studied Alice with renewed interest. Her voice was thoughtful, measured.
"You can sense auras at that range? Even through the void’s interference?"
Alice’s ears twitched. Her tail swayed once, a hint of pride slipping through her composed expression.
"The void is my territory now. I can feel the currents, the shifts, the way it flows around living things. It’s like reading ripples in water. I know exactly where she is."
Lilith’s crimson eyes gleamed with something between approval and calculation. Her voice was soft, almost musing.
"That’s more reliable than the compass. It’s good that you’re here, Alice."
Alice’s lips curved into a small, sharp smile.
"Glad to be useful. Now stop complimenting me and start moving."
On the other side of the desolate void, Ignis’s flames roared to life, casting brilliant golden light across the crumbling ruins. The shapeless void creature hissed and recoiled, its form flickering as it retreated from the blaze.
"Stop running, you coward!" Ignis snarled, launching another wave of fire. The flames licked at the creature’s edges, but it twisted and dissolved into the shadows, reforming a few meters away. Its form shifted constantly, never quite solid, a writhing mass of darkness and malice.
Azrynn loosed another arrow, the shaft glowing with faint elven light as it struck the creature’s core. The creature convulsed, but didn’t fall.
"Ignis! This thing isn’t just a monster—it’s more like the darkness itself!" Azrynn called out, her voice strained with effort. "We can’t hit it directly! We need to counter its nature! Use your flames to cut off its escape, and I’ll try to bind it with light!"
Ignis’s golden eyes blazed. "Fine! I’ll burn a circle around it! Don’t miss!"
She slammed her palms against the ground, and a ring of golden fire erupted around the void creature, cutting off its path to the shadows. The creature shrieked, its form flickering violently as it was trapped within the blaze.
Azrynn drew another arrow, the tip glowing with concentrated elven light. She took aim, her yellow eyes sharp, and released.
The arrow struck true, piercing the creature’s core.
The void creature let out a piercing, distorted shriek as the light arrow embedded itself deep in its form. Its body convulsed violently, shadows writhing and snapping like broken chains. For a moment, it seemed to be unraveling, its form flickering between solid and mist.
But then it stilled.
The shadows around the arrow began to pulse, dark veins spreading outward from the wound, absorbing the light. The creature’s form steadied, then swelled. Its hollow, formless face turned toward Ignis, and a low, guttural sound escaped its core.
"...Light... will not... save you..."
Ignis’s eyes widened. "What the—!"
The creature lunged.
Ignis’s flames flared instinctively, a wall of golden fire erupting between her and the void creature. The flames held, but the creature pressed against them, its form hissing and cracking as it pushed through the barrier.
"Tch!" Ignis leaped back, flames gathering in her palms. "That’s not good!"
Azrynn nocked another arrow, her hands trembling. "It absorbed the light! How is that possible?!"
The void creature’s form shifted, shadows coiling around the arrow still embedded in its core. With a wet, tearing sound, it pulled the arrow free. The light within it had faded, drained, leaving only a dull, lifeless shaft.
It tossed the arrow aside, its hollow gaze fixed on Ignis.
"...Your fire... is warm..."
Ignis’s grin was sharp, defiant, but a bead of sweat traced its way down her temple. "Yeah? Let me warm you up a little more!"
