The Blind Witch
Chapter 36

The only way to stop the destruction is to end Erebus. His death will cause no tears. I mourned his death long ago when the man I knew changed. His magic, his power, lies within his heart.

Clarissa held her head high as she walked the path that had been cleared by Erebus’ lightning. She ignored the growling and hissing of the people that she walked past. Her eyes were focused ahead on Thresnora. She could see the dark orbs that flittered through the air, dancing and swirling as she approached.

When she entered the volcano's shadow, Victor slithered out from under her. He scurried through the darkness, stopping just outside of a tunnel entrance. He turned around, looking back at Clarissa. He needed to sneak in, away from her. He could not risk Erebus spotting him. He only hoped that he could navigate the tunnels quickly and find them.

Clarissa watched as Victor’s aura disappeared from her vision. Though she would not be alone in the volcano, her heart still raced. She could feel the nervousness rise as she followed the orbs. They wanted to lead her through the volcano, as they had done once before.

“Tasaeyoule,” she said as she walked.

Fire radiated from her feet. She needed to be able to see in case anyone hid in the tunnels, waiting to ambush her. She gripped the handle of her sword tightly in both hands. She could see that her red orbs still surged from her blade. But as she walked further, she could see the red glow brighter, nearly blinding her. She knew her fire had to be exceedingly hot.

After a minute of walking, she entered the grand hall. At the other end, she could see Erebus waiting on her. She stopped, looking around the room, checking her surroundings.

“Do you not trust that I would meet with you alone?” He questioned angrily. “That is not who I am. I am not a trickster, not like you, little one.”

“No, Erebus, I do not trust you,” she replied. “You have done nothing to earn my trust.”

“I loved you for nearly a million years!” He bellowed as he walked towards her. “Or have you forgotten?”

“You love no one but yourself and what you can gain from others!” She retorted as she pointed her sword towards him.

“That is where you are wrong, little one,” he growled. He held out his hand, materializing his sword from a cloud of darkness. “Love is different for everyone. For you, it involves emotions and mortal whims. For me, it involves the greater picture. I loved what she and I could become. I loved the things that we could have done. But she threw it all away when she ran.”

Erebus walked over to Clarissa, holding his sword to the side. He stopped mere inches from the tip of her flaming sword. He looked at her aura, suddenly wishing he could see her face again. He wanted her to be his. He wanted to make her more than she was here on this mortal Earth.

“Come with me,” he said, almost pleading with her. “Stay with me. Become my consort and rule the vastness of space with me. Conquer it with me. That is your destiny. That is what being a part of Nyx means. You are to become a Goddess—a Goddess who possesses the ability to create chaos and destruction. Let me help you; let me guide you. Please.”

“No,” she answered firmly. “Nyx was a creator. To her, darkness was not the end but the beginning of a new life. That is why she left you! You want to destroy everything and leave it empty. But that is not what she wants; that is not what I want!”

“If being a creator is what you want, then I shall let you create,” Erebus replied gently as he reached his hand out to her face. He touched her cheek, allowing his darkness to cover her. It allowed him to see her face again. Though she looked nothing like Nyx, she was beautiful, and he wanted her. “I will allow you to create new life. In your womb. I’ll allow you to give me an heir.”

Clarissa pulled away from his touch, shooting fire at him from her sword. Erebus tried to use his weapon to block the fire, but some of the flames kissed his hand, burning him. He hissed in pain as he stepped back. But Clarissa gave him no chance to recover. She created a tall wall of flames and sent it barreling towards him.

Erebus held his sword before him, slicing into the fire, sending the flames off to the side. He could see the magic around her sword coming to him. He swung his weapon, countering her attack. But as their blades hit, thunder clashed, sending them both flying backward.

Victor watched from a side entrance as Clarissa slid across the stone floor. The fire from her sword was his only source of light. But he could see that her circlet was still on her wrist. She had not been hit, so he would remain in the shadows. He could not risk Erebus seeing him. Erebus had not used a fraction of his strength; if he saw that Clarissa was not alone, he would be angry. It could put both of them at risk. Victor had to trust that Clarissa could hold her own.

Clarissa groaned as her hand went to her head. The crack of thunder had her ears ringing. She could hear Erebus rising to his feet. He was not disoriented like her. Thunder did not bother him, for he could create it. Thunder and Lightning were his creations.

As he raised his sword, he paused. A notch was in the blade from where her blade had struck his. He ran his finger along the edge with a scowl.

“I forged this sword myself,” he stated through his gritted teeth. “I forged it in the core of a black hole—a creation of Nyx. But now you have chipped it! You stubborn child! Do you dare to fight me?! To fight your destiny?!”

“No destiny is set in stone,” she said as she took her flaming sword in her hands. “Paths twist and turn, altered by the decisions we make. And I choose to fight you, Erebus. I shall not submit to you. I will not become your tool for annihilation!”

Clarissa stood to her feet and aimed her sword at Erebus. She shot off a volley of fireballs. Erebus held his blade to block the fire, but he was being pushed back with each hit. He ran to the side, trying to escape her onslaught. Once he was out of her line of fire, he held his hand to Clarissa, sending a bolt of lightning towards her.

Clarissa could see the electricity zipping through the air, heading for her. She held her hand out, creating a large shield of fire. The lightning clashed against the flames, pushing her backward. She gasped, but she was unharmed. The flames took the brunt of the shock, leaving her with a minor tingling feeling.

”Tasaeule!” She yelled as she slammed her foot into the ground.

Her energy wave shot out from her, but it did not ripple as it usually did. She took out a keyword from her incantation. It made her fire lethal. It created a wave of deadly flames that went straight to Erebus. The wave was too large for him to dodge. He had to cover himself in a cloak of darkness quickly.

As the wave hit him, it tore apart his clouds and smoke, exposing him to the intense heat. He could feel his forearms burn on impact. Erebus tried to look at the damage done, but with the oracle’s eyesight, he could only see remnants of Clarissa’s magic on his arms. It hurt, but it was nothing that he couldn’t manage.

Erebus looked up in time to see Clarissa running at him. He lifted his sword, bracing as the metals made impact. But he pushed against her strike and forced her sword towards the ground. He yelled as he raised his sword, swinging it downwards towards her. Clarissa struggled to block his attack. After fighting for some time, she was growing tired. Having to raise her sword above her head had her arms trembling.

Erebus stepped back, taking his sword with him. But he did not give her rest; he swung his sword again at her. All she could do was block him, but the forceful swing caused another roar of thunder to ring out. She gritted her teeth and tried to fight through the ringing in her ears.

Each time the blades clashed against one another, the ground would rumble as thunder boomed across the room. Clarissa was struggling to keep her composure. The thunder was shaking her very core, causing her to lose her strength and energy. She could feel herself slowly slipping into his darkness.

When their swords dislodged from one another, Erebus held out his hand. He summoned a bolt of lightning that struck her sword. Clarissa could not hold on as her weapon flew off to the side. She stood there, out of breath, her body shaking from exhaustion. She balled up her fists as they burst into flames. Even without a physical weapon, she still had her magic.

Erebus ran his hand along his blade again. Her sword had ruined his. He could feel chips and a crack running along its length. He was furious that her mortal weapon could damage his celestial creation. He tossed his sword on the ground in disgust. His hand went to his belt. He pulled out a dagger that he had tucked away. But it was not just any dagger; it was the obsidian blade that had pierced his heart, bringing him to life in his oracle.

Erebus walked to her, quickly closing the distance between them. He raised his arm, preparing to stab her with the dagger. Clarissa punched him with her right fist, but it did not seem to affect him. Erebus fought through the searing pain and slammed the blade onto the girl.

Erebus and Clarissa both flew backwards as a bright light blinded them and Victor. It was Clarissa’s circlet. This was the first hit that Erebus was able to get on her. Victor peaked his head around the corner as the light died down.

He could see both Erebus and Clarissa were on their backs a fair distance from one another. Victor stepped into the grand hall with his weapon drawn. He ran first to Clarissa. She had hit her head hard and was unconscious as she lay on the floor.

You must finish him. Take the obsidian dagger and stab it through his heart.

As Victor lifted Clarissa’s head, she began to stir.

You have to end this now!

Her eyes slowly opened as she groaned in pain. She looked up at Victor’s aura and smiled. She could feel that he was holding her, cradling her.

“Dad,” she sighed. She tried to swallow, but her mouth was dry. It was hard for her to find the energy to speak.

“I’m here, baby girl,” he reassured as he moved the hair from her face. The room was slowly becoming pitch black as the fire on her sword began to die down.

“I need that dagger, the obsidian dagger,” she gasped between breaths.

Victor looked around and caught a glimpse of the dagger reflecting off the lingering fire. He helped Clarissa to her feet and led her to where the dagger lay. He scooped it up and placed it within her hands. Clarissa slowly walked over to Erebus, who was still on his back.

When he noticed her standing above him, he lifted his right hand to shoot lightning at her, but nothing happened. What he and Clarissa could not see was that his right hand was damaged when he attempted to stab Clarissa. The hand had turned black and was covered in scorch marks. It was useless to him now; its connection to his magic and powers was severed.

Clarissa put one leg on both sides of Erebus. She sat down, straddling his lower abdomen. She put her hands on him, running them up his stomach to his chest. Once she found his left pectoral muscle, she raised the dagger above her head.

“Please, don’t,” he begged as his left hand went to her thigh. “Please, stay with me, Nyx. Be mine for all of eternity.”

"I am not Nyx,” she hissed as her grip tightened on the handle. “I am Clarissa, the Queen of Queens. I am a Goddess, a child of the eternal. I hold within myself the eternal darkness and a piece of a sun. I shall never be yours! You shall no more conquer worlds with your calamity! This is the end of your destiny, Erebus!”

Clarissa summoned her remaining magic, covering the obsidian in fire. In one swift motion, she stabbed it into his heart. Erebus yelled out in pain, his grip on her thigh tightening. Smoke began to billow out of him, filling the chamber and rushing through the tunnels of the volcano. Clarissa could feel herself sinking to the floor as Erebus’ body disintegrated beneath her.

Victor ran up to Clarissa as Erebus disappeared. As he approached, he could see that she was shaking. He sank to his knees beside her. He reached over for the dagger that she still held between her hands. She released it, allowing for him to set the flaming blade on the floor, away from them. Victor pulled Clarissa to him in an embrace. She buried her face into his chest and began to sob.

“You’re alright, I’m here, I’ve got you,” he whispered as he held her.

He pulled back from her slightly so he could cradle her face with his hands. He looked at her, and then he noticed her eyes. He could see stars and planets floating around in her darkness. But then he saw the tears that fell from her eyes and wiped them away with his thumbs. He leaned up and kissed her forehead.

Clarissa closed her eyes as her body trembled. Was Erebus gone? Was it finally done? Was she finally free? She concentrated on the auras and magic around her. She was trying to feel for him. Her eyes shot to her right. She could feel him. He was still here. She pulled away from Victor as she slowly made her way to his essence. But as she neared it, all that she could see was his sword. All that remained of him was the weapon that he had forged. A weapon that was forged using the powers of Nyx.

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