Chapter 16: Corrupt Glory
Suddenly, a blinding light swallowed the town whole.
Everything—people, buildings, even the distant hum of life—vanished in an instant. The restless crowd fell silent, their voices cut off mid-breath as they turned skyward in awe. And then—nothing.
Not destruction. Not distortion.
Just... absence.
The town didn’t feel abandoned. It felt as if it had never existed at all.
Only four of us remained: me, Scarlette, and the two Love Fairies—Eris and Lucien—trapped in the unnatural stillness.
The brilliance of the light seared into my vision, an unbearable agony drilling into my skull. My dark magic recoiled violently, writhing against the overwhelming radiance as if it were trying to escape my body entirely. I gasped, my breath catching, my limbs locking under the crushing weight of an unseen force.
Then—Scarlette’s hand found mine. A grounding touch amid the chaos.
"Charlotte?" My voice came out strangled, barely a whisper against the suffocating light. Pain twisted through me, sharp and relentless, making it nearly impossible to focus.
No immediate answer—just her steady grip. Then, in a voice too composed for the situation, she murmured, "It’s me. Relax."
And that was when I felt it. A warm mist forming behind me, dulling the light’s oppressive grip. Her magic. No question.
A voice rang out, detached and cold. "What’s with him?"