SPIRITBINDER: The Boy Without A Mark -
Chapter 102: The Second Instrument
Chapter 102: The Second Instrument
Morvane savored a bite of his steak, enjoying the rare moment of peace during the dinner with the seven rulers. The warm ambiance of the dining hall masked the turbulent memories of the past months.
But peace, as it often did, was fleeting.
The ground trembled violently beneath them, shaking the entire palace. Plates and cutlery clattered, and the chandeliers above swayed precariously.
"What the—" Medas exclaimed, jumping to his feet.
Then it came—the deafening blare of a horn. Its sound was piercing, almost unbearable, vibrating through the very bones of everyone present.
Vianna’s eyes widened. "No way... another instrument from one of the angel statues?"
Dergo clenched his fists. "Where is it coming from?"
Ikana tilted her head, focusing intently. "If I’m not mistaken, it’s coming from the east..."
Vianna gasped. "No... That’s my kingdom—Nirvath!"
Without hesitation, the rulers sprang into action. Medas and Levan levitated, Vianna and Crimson sprinted with unparalleled speed, and Dergo propelled himself with superhuman strength. Ikana glided through the air using probability-enhanced maneuvers, while Deus bolted across the ground, moving faster than any mortal eye could track.
In their rush, they forgot to give any instructions to Morvane.
"Wait! Hey—" Morvane called, but they were already gone.
Determined not to be left behind, he summoned his own powers and followed at full speed.
The rulers tore through the skies and across the lands, hearts racing with dread. The memory of the meteor’s destruction in Kalzawa was still fresh in their minds. They couldn’t afford another disaster.
"What do you think will happen this time?" Crimson asked Vianna as they dashed forward.
"I don’t know," Vianna admitted, her voice tense. "But I’m not risking it. I’ll protect my kingdom at all costs."
"Everyone stay alert," Medas commanded. "We can’t predict what these angels will do next."
They reached Nirvath in record time. The vibrant, beautiful kingdom stood intact, its buildings shimmering under the moonlight. For a brief moment, relief washed over them.
"No meteor... no destruction," Deus said warily. "So why the horn?"
"For safety, we should evacuate everyone," Ikana suggested.
"Agreed," Vianna said. "I’ll handle it."
Without delay, the rulers spread across Nirvath, urging citizens to evacuate to the nearest open field. Vianna’s authority made the process efficient, and within minutes, the kingdom’s populace gathered in safety, murmuring in fear and confusion.
As the rulers regrouped near the angel statue, its masked face loomed ominously above them.
"We can’t let our guard down," Levan warned. "Whatever this is... it’s not over."
Morvane finally caught up, panting. "What... what happened?"
Crimson gave him a sharp glance. "You shouldn’t have followed."
Morvane frowned. "You left without saying anything. What was I supposed to do? Stay behind and twiddle my thumbs?"
"He’s here now," Medas interrupted. "We might as well keep him close."
The horn’s echo still lingered faintly in the air, a haunting reminder of the angels’ unknown purpose.
Vianna’s gaze hardened as she looked up at the statue. "Whatever you are... I swear I won’t let you destroy my kingdom."
The second angel instrument had sounded, and the rulers knew one thing for certain—Baltalaha’s peace was hanging by a thread.
Vianna knelt to help a frightened child who had stumbled during the evacuation. "You’re okay, sweetheart. We’re almost safe," she reassured him, lifting the boy into her arms.
The child coughed—a soft, raspy sound. Vianna’s initial thought was that it was just the stress of the situation. "Don’t worry," she said gently. "We’ll get you to safety."
Then the boy’s body convulsed violently.
"Hey! Stay with me!" Vianna urged, her heart racing.
The child turned to face her, and Vianna froze in horror. Blood trickled from his nose, mouth, ears, and even his eyes. The boy’s face, once innocent, was now a ghastly mask of crimson.
"What...?" Vianna’s voice trembled.
The child’s body went limp, slipping from her arms. He was dead.
"No!" Vianna screamed, shaking him as though willing life back into his fragile body. "No, please!"
The air around her grew thick with despair.
Vianna’s scream echoed through the field. People nearby turned toward her—and then it happened.
One by one, Nirvath’s citizens began coughing, their faces twisting in agony. Blood poured from their noses, ears, and eyes. Their bodies convulsed violently before collapsing to the ground.
"No... this can’t be happening," Vianna whispered, her voice breaking.
Ikana, hovering nearby, watched in horror. "This is nuts... almost 30% of Nirvath’s population has just died," she reported grimly, her voice tight with shock. "And the number is climbing fast."
Dergo clenched his fists, his superhuman strength useless in the face of this invisible enemy. "How is this possible? What kind of curse is this?"
Deus gritted his teeth. "We can’t fight this... We can’t punch it, can’t kill it."
Vianna fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face. Her people—the women, the children—were dying before her eyes. The proud kingdom of Nirvath, once thriving, was becoming a graveyard.
Medas, desperate for a solution, turned to Crimson and Morvane. "Go to Ketamran now! Get the healers from the hospital—every last one of them. We need their assistance immediately!"
Crimson nodded without hesitation. "On it."
Morvane, pale but determined, drew a dagger and slashed his palm. Blood dripped to the ground, summoning his wolf shadow beast. Its dark form materialized, eyes gleaming with readiness.
"Let’s go," Morvane said.
The two mounted the beast and raced toward Ketamran at top speed, cutting through the air with desperate urgency.
As the rulers struggled to contain the chaos, Vianna knelt in the blood-soaked field, her body trembling. The faces of the dead blurred before her teary eyes.
"This isn’t fair," she whispered, her voice raw. "Why... why my people?"
Ikana placed a hand on her shoulder. "We can’t lose focus, Vianna. There’s still a chance to save those who are left."
"I’ve protected them for so long," Vianna sobbed. "And now... they’re dying like this? Women, children... everyone!"
Dergo stepped forward, his voice firm. "We’ll figure this out. We have to."
Vianna clenched her fists, her sorrow twisting into rage. "If this is because of those cursed angel statues, I swear I’ll destroy every last one of them."
The rulers stood in grim silence, the weight of the tragedy pressing heavily upon them. They had faced battles, disasters, and celestial punishments—but this silent, merciless death was unlike anything they had ever encountered.
As the horn’s haunting echo faded into the distance, the question lingered in everyone’s mind:
What had Baltalaha done to deserve this nightmare?
The grim silence that hung over Nirvath was shattered by the beating of enormous wings. Morvane descended from the sky, riding his shadow crow beast. His face was pale, his eyes wide with dread. He struggled to catch his breath as he landed near Medas.
"Medas..." Morvane’s voice was hoarse.
Medas rushed toward him. "What? Where are the healers?"
Morvane’s expression was grim. "Ketamran... is experiencing the same thing. People are bleeding from their eyes, ears, and mouths. Our hospital is fully packed. Even some healers are dying."
"What?!" Vianna gasped, her voice filled with disbelief.
Ikana’s face darkened. "This can’t be a coincidence. It’s spreading... fast."
Dergo clenched his fists. "This isn’t a natural disease. This is a curse."
Morvane’s shadow beast shifted uneasily beneath him. "Crimson rushed to Katakwan to check if it was happening there too," Morvane added, his voice breaking.
Moments later, the ground rumbled as Crimson arrived, riding the wolf shadow beast that Morvane had summoned earlier. His face was flushed with urgency and disbelief.
"I can’t believe this," Crimson said breathlessly. "Even Katakwan... a lot of them are dying. It’s almost instant. One by one, Baltalahans are dropping dead."
The rulers stood in shock. The weight of this disaster pressed heavily on them, their faces etched with fear and uncertainty.
"What should we do?" Crimson asked, his voice breaking. "This isn’t just a plague—it’s a massacre."
Deus’s face was grim. "If this continues, Baltalaha will be left without a single living soul."
Vianna clenched her fists, her voice filled with anguish. "We can’t just stand here. We need to act."
Ikana’s eyes narrowed. "It’s spreading too fast. Logic suggests there’s a source—a trigger."
Morvane, still pale, whispered, "The angel statues... it has to be them."
Medas’s eyes flickered with realization. "The second instrument—the horn. It’s their signal."
Crimson cursed under his breath. "Then we need to destroy those statues once and for all."
Dergo’s voice boomed with determination. "No matter what it takes, we must protect Baltalaha."
The rulers exchanged solemn glances. They knew the path ahead was treacherous, but their resolve was unshaken.
"Let’s move," Medas commanded. "We don’t have a moment to waste."
As the rulers prepared for the fight of their lives, Morvane’s voice echoed softly, filled with guilt and fear.
"Is this my fault?"
Vianna placed a hand on his shoulder. "No one is blaming you, Morvane. But we need your strength now."
With renewed determination, the rulers of Baltalaha set out, knowing that the fate of their kingdoms—and the lives of countless Baltalahans—depended on their next move.
Silence hung in the thick, smoke-filled air of Nirvath. The once-thriving kingdom was now a graveyard of shattered dreams and broken families. Cries of grief echoed through the streets, filling every corner of the devastated land. The stench of death was overwhelming.
The horn had stopped. But the toll it had taken was irreversible.
Ikana, surveying the grim scene, spoke with a voice trembling from suppressed anger and sadness. "Almost fifty percent of Nirvath’s population is gone. The same must be true for the other kingdoms—Ketamran and Katakwan are no different. Statistically, it’s safe to assume all of Baltalaha has lost nearly half its people."
Deus clenched his fists, his face contorted in anguish. "This can’t be real... We’re rulers! We’re supposed to protect our people, and yet—"
The guilt weighed heavily on all seven rulers. Their power, once seen as mighty and infallible, had proven useless against the wrath of the heavens. Each of them carried the weight of thousands of lives lost.
Morvane knelt before them, trembling. His face was pale, and his eyes glistened with tears. "I feel like this is my fault," he choked out.
Before anyone could respond, Morvane banged his head against the ground with such force that it began to bleed. "I don’t know how or why, but I feel responsible. Maybe I’m cursed. Maybe my existence is a threat to Baltalaha." His voice broke into desperate sobs. "Please—punish me if it will save the rest. I’ll accept it."
Vianna’s heart wrenched at the sight of the boy’s anguish. She knelt beside him and gently lifted his bloodied face. "Stop this, Morvane," she whispered. "None of this is your fault."
Ikana added firmly, "The angel statues and their instruments are a punishment, but not because of you alone. There’s something far deeper happening here."
Medas placed a hand on Morvane’s shoulder. "We’re in this together, Morvane. You are not our enemy—you’re one of us now."
Levan, guilt-ridden but resolute, spoke up. "Morvane, if anything, you’ve shown us that you’re more than just a boy with immense power. You care for these people. And right now, that makes you stronger than most of us."
Crimson’s voice was stern. "We can’t waste time on guilt. The statues are still there, and they will strike again unless we act."
Dergo nodded grimly. "We have to find a solution. We can’t let this devastation happen again."
Morvane wiped his bloodied forehead, his sobs quieting. "Then I’ll help. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect Baltalaha."
The rulers looked at each other, their guilt momentarily replaced by determination.
"We will fight for Baltalaha," Medas declared. "And we will win."
Their resolve was set, though the path ahead remained uncertain. But one thing was clear—together, they would face the wrath of heaven, no matter the cost.
If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.
Report