SPIRITBINDER: The Boy Without A Mark -
Chapter 71: Inferno of Betrayal
Chapter 71: Inferno of Betrayal
Before Morvane could respond to Esmael’s ominous words, the door to the house broke open with a thunderous crash. Guards in heavy Ketamran armor stormed in, their weapons drawn, their faces set with grim determination.
"Morvane!" one of them shouted, pointing a sword at him. "You are to come with us at once!"
Morvane stepped back, his fists clenching as he prepared to resist. But before he could act, a commanding voice cut through the chaos.
"Enough!"
Medas entered the room, his presence suffocating as his sharp gaze swept over everyone. His eyes narrowed as they landed on Morvane. "What are you doing here? You were banished. Have you lost your mind? Guards, seize him! He’ll be kicked out immediately."
"Wait! Please, wait!" Grandma pleaded, stepping in front of Morvane.
Medas ignored her, his eyes catching sight of Luna clutching her burnt arm. "What happened to you?" he asked coldly. Before she could answer, his gaze shifted to Esmael, who stood near the shattered remnants of his composure.
"You," Medas said, his voice laced with venom. "Esmael, isn’t it? We’ve been looking for you. We need to have a long talk."
But before Medas could take another step, Esmael’s eyes flashed with fury. Without warning, a burst of fire magic erupted from his hands, surging toward Medas. The blaze forced everyone to scatter, the room filling with heat and smoke.
Using the chaos as cover, Esmael turned and leapt through the window, shattering the glass as he escaped into the night.
"Esmael!" Luna cried out, but he was already gone. She collapsed into a chair, struggling to heal her injury with trembling hands. "What’s happening with him? Why would he do that?"
Medas straightened, brushing soot off his cloak, his expression hard as stone. "Your friend," he said darkly, "is a heartless criminal. He’s the one responsible for the fire in the next village. He’s also the one who killed that man."
"No!" Morvane shouted from where the guards had pinned him to the ground. "Esmael didn’t do that! He told us he had nothing to do with it."
"What do you know?" Medas snapped, his voice sharp. "Do you think I’d act on baseless accusations? Your friend was seen by countless witnesses starting the fire. Dozens of them. He’s dangerous, Morvane. Open your eyes!"
Morvane gritted his teeth as the guards tightened their hold on him, forcing him to the floor.
Medas turned to his men. "Guards, ensure Morvane is kicked out of Ketamran immediately. He has no right to be here. The rest of you, we’re leaving. We’ll deal with Esmael soon enough."
The guards hauled Morvane to his feet, dragging him toward the door. Grandma and Luna remained rooted in place, their faces pale, their minds reeling from everything that had just unfolded.
As Morvane was forced outside, his eyes met Luna’s. Both of them were left with the same question lingering in their hearts. What had Esmael become?
The group barely had time to react as they exited the house, only to see Esmael standing in the darkness, his silhouette illuminated by the eerie flames flickering in his hands. His grin was twisted and unnatural, his eyes glinting with malice.
"Esmael," Luna gasped, stepping forward cautiously.
Without a word, Esmael raised his hands and released a surge of fire toward the house. The flames spread quickly, consuming the wooden structure in seconds.
"Out! Everyone out!" Medas barked, shoving people away from the blaze as they narrowly escaped.
Luna turned to Esmael, her voice trembling. "Why are you doing this? Esmael, are you really the one behind all this chaos? The fire? The death?"
Esmael’s eerie grin remained as he answered coldly, "I sure am."
Morvane, still held tightly by the guards, shouted over the crackling flames. "Why, Esmael? Why are you doing this?"
Esmael’s expression twisted into rage as he screamed, "Because of you! You’re the one who always said I should blame myself for my powers—that I should take responsibility for what I couldn’t control! You said it was my fault my mother died!"
"That’s not true!" Morvane yelled, his voice breaking. "You don’t understand, Esmael. Your mother forgave you! She didn’t blame you!"
Esmael’s voice cracked as tears streamed down his face, but his fury didn’t waver. "That’s the point! Why would she forgive me if I didn’t do it? If I didn’t mean to kill her? You don’t get it, Morvane. You’ve always been all talk, acting like you understand, like you know what I’m going through. But you don’t!"
He stepped forward, his flames growing brighter, hotter. "Now, I want you to feel what I felt. I want you to know what it’s like to carry this pain!"
Luna’s voice broke through the tension. "Esmael, please! Stop this! We’re your friends—we’re here for you!"
Esmael hesitated for a brief moment, his tears glistening in the firelight. But before anything could shift, Medas stepped forward, his tone commanding. "Enough, kid. Stop this now, or I’ll make sure you regret it. Anything you do from this moment forward will only seal your fate."
Esmael’s hesitation evaporated, replaced with raw anger. Without warning, he attacked, a torrent of fire surging toward Medas.
Medas raised his hands, chanting under his breath as a barrier of energy deflected the flames. He glanced over his shoulder at the guards holding Morvane. "Guards! Take him to the gate now. I’ll handle this."
The guards saluted and began dragging Morvane away, but before they could take more than a few steps, Medas stopped them with a sharp gesture. His voice was cold and firm as he chanted a spell under his breath.
Morvane felt the air shift around him. His knees buckled, and his vision blurred as a wave of dizziness overtook him. "No!" he slurred, struggling against the guards. "Stop this... let me help my friends..."
But his words faded as the spell took hold, and his consciousness slipped away. The last thing he saw was Esmael’s burning figure and Luna’s desperate face before darkness consumed him.
Morvane woke with a start, the cold ground beneath him a cruel reminder of his banishment. He was outside Ketamran’s towering gates, his head spinning and his heart racing. He couldn’t let this happen—not without him. He couldn’t just stand by while chaos unfolded inside.
He tried manifesting his power, reaching for the nearest minds, but the outskirts were barren. No one was there to influence. Minutes ticked by as he stared at the massive walls, frustration and desperation building.
Then it struck him. His shadow beast.
Without hesitation, he drew his dagger and sliced his palm, letting blood drip to the ground. The dark energy around him shifted, and the shadow beast emerged, its crimson eyes glowing and its form coiled with smoke. It growled, acknowledging its summoner.
"Can you take me over the wall?" Morvane asked, urgency dripping from his voice.
The beast lowered itself, its dark head nodding silently. Morvane climbed onto its back, gripping its mane tightly. The beast let out a low growl before leaping, soaring over the massive wall in one swift, powerful motion.
They landed on the other side, but the guards were waiting, weapons drawn.
"Stop him!" one of them shouted.
Morvane didn’t hesitate. "You will all lose consciousness!" he roared, his manifestation power surging outward. The guards collapsed to the ground instantly, their bodies falling like marionettes with severed strings.
The shadow beast surged forward, carrying Morvane toward the heart of Ketamran.
When they arrived at the village, the scene before them was hellish. Fire consumed everything, the air thick with smoke and screams. Medas and Esmael were locked in a fierce battle, magic clashing violently. Esmael floated above the ground, flames swirling around him like a living storm.
Morvane leapt from the beast, sprinting toward a figure lying on the ground. "Luna!" he called out, kneeling beside her. She was crying, her face smeared with soot and tears.
"Are you okay? Where’s Grandma?" Morvane demanded.
Luna, trembling, pointed toward Esmael. Morvane turned, his heart sinking as he saw his grandmother in Esmael’s grasp, her feet dangling above the ground. Esmael’s hand was wrapped around her neck, and she was gasping for breath.
"Oh, Morvane," Esmael said, his voice dripping with venom. "You came back. I’ve been waiting for you." He let out a chilling laugh that echoed over the destruction.
"Put her down!" Morvane yelled, his voice cracking.
Medas, distracted by Morvane’s sudden appearance, shouted, "What are you doing here again? Get out of here!" He moved toward Morvane, but Esmael, anticipating his move, unleashed a wave of fire that forced Medas back, catching him off guard.
Morvane’s fists clenched as he screamed, "Stop this, Esmael! Let her go!"
Esmael’s face twisted into a mask of rage and sorrow. "You want to know my pain? You want to know how I feel?" His voice broke as his laughter turned into a sob. "Then here it is."
Before Morvane could react, flames erupted from Esmael’s hand, engulfing his grandmother. She screamed in agony as the fire consumed her, her cries echoing through the air before fading into silence.
"No!" Morvane and Luna screamed in unison, their voices raw with grief.
Morvane fell to his knees, the weight of the moment crashing down on him. His grandmother’s lifeless, charred body fell to the ground as Esmael looked down at him with a twisted smile.
"This," Esmael said, his voice trembling with emotion. "This is what it feels like to lose everything."
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