Chapter 71: The Outcome
"Eirin!"
The teenage girl opened her eyes and saw another man wearing the same black mask as the man who had carried her. "It’s me, Link," he pointed to himself as he turned to the man carrying Eirin.
"Thank you for your help, Pierre," Link said, confirming the identity of her rescuer. The young man steadied Eirin, helping her stand on her own as she looked behind them.
"Stop taking my prey away!"
Her eyes landed on Shade still floating in the air and couldn’t move on his own. His eyes were still blood red, and the moment their eyes met, Eirin felt her birthmark near her neck throbbing causing her to fall on her knees.
"Eirin? What’s happening? Are you okay?
Eirin screamed in pain while Shade’s laughter, a deranged sound, permeated her ears. It was as if someone was pressing a white-hot iron onto her neck, and she could only shriek in response.
Link tried to help Eirin stand, but her knees were like water. Pierre and the other men converged, trying to subdue Shade, but he fought them off with terrifying strength, his blood-red gaze still fixed on Eirin, shouting her name.
The miasma continued to swirl, a suffocating, inky cloud that burned the eyes and choked the breath, forcing reinforcements to wear masks. As they tried to secure a mask onto Shade, he thrashed violently, refusing to calm, his frightening gaze still locked on Eirin.
There’s no way to stop the miasma from spreading beyond the perimeter; the wizards, their faces strained, could only try to condense it into the town, weaving a protective barrier around.
"Eirin Luxfield."