SPIRITBINDER: The Boy Without A Mark
Chapter 89: The Aftermath

Chapter 89: The Aftermath

The eerie silence that followed Esmael’s chilling words was heavy with disbelief. "I won," he had whispered, but the weight of his victory hung like a curse over the hall.

The blue dimension dissolved, and they were back in the grand palace hall. The walls gleamed under the flickering torches, but the atmosphere was thick with tension and shock.

Drevon rushed toward Eliad’s mutilated body. "Eliad!" he shouted, dropping to his knees. But as soon as he reached him, Eliad’s remains crumbled into ash, scattering into the air.

"No..." Drevon’s voice cracked with pain as the ashes slipped through his fingers. Eliad, the demon who had once stood by him, was gone—completely erased from existence.

Takeshi clapped his hands slowly, his smirk wide. "Congratulations, Esmael," he declared, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "You’ve done what many couldn’t. You claimed victory over a demon of the dark realm."

Esmael stood in a daze, his body still trembling from the intensity of the fight. Blood streaked his face, and the purple fire flickered around him before fading.

"My mission here is done," Takeshi announced. "I will return to my place in heaven."

He turned to leave, but before vanishing into the shadows, he looked over his shoulder. "One more thing, Esmael," he said. "You will gain Eliad’s power instantly, and you will feel that surge in your body right... now."

Esmael’s eyes widened. A sudden jolt of energy shot through him, his body convulsing as the demonic essence integrated with his own magic. Purple and black flames ignited around him, swirling in chaotic patterns. His laughter echoed through the hall, twisted and manic.

"No... Esmael!" Luna shouted, panic gripping her. "What have you done?"

Morvane’s face twisted with rage. "I’ll stop him!" he roared, sprinting toward Esmael with fire magic already swirling in his hand.

But before he could reach him, Drevon stepped in, blocking Morvane with his arm.

"You shouldn’t," Drevon said firmly. "Not now."

"He killed Eliad!" Morvane spat, his voice shaking with fury. "He’s out of control—look at him!"

"I know," Drevon replied, his voice pained. "But fighting him now will only make things worse."

Esmael’s laughter grew louder, his eyes gleaming with unrestrained power. The flames around him flickered dangerously as the surge of new energy threatened to consume him.

Takeshi’s voice echoed one last time as he faded from sight. "Enjoy your newfound power, Esmael. We’ll see how far you can go."

And with that, the God of War vanished, leaving chaos in his wake.

Morvane was shaking with fury, his hands clenched into fists. "I won’t just stand by, Drevon," he growled, his eyes burning with rage. "He killed Eliad. Shouldn’t you get angry to at him? He killed one of your pals. He has to pay for what he’s done."

Drevon stepped forward, blocking his path once again. "You don’t understand, Morvane," he said, his tone grave. "Fighting him now won’t solve anything. The power he’s gained—it’s... Also, it’s not worth it to fight fight him anymore. His whole life is ruined by himself."

Luna, standing off to the side, watched the scene unfold with growing desperation. She stepped forward, her voice rising above the tension in the room. "Esmael, Morvane, please!"

Her words cut through the chaos like a sharp blade. "You’re both better than this. We’re friends, right? Don’t you remember? Back then, all we did was fight over simple things, like who would be teh finder in hide-and-seek." Her voice wavered with emotion. "Now, look at what power has done to the both of you. Look at what it’s doing to all of us. Please... stop this now."

Her plea echoed through the hall, the silence that followed thick and heavy. Morvane’s fury faltered, his grip on his magic loosening slightly. Esmael stood frozen, his body still trembling from the surge of power, his eyes locked onto Luna as her words reached him.

"Forgive each other," Luna continued, her eyes filled with unshed tears. "Please, don’t let this bloodlust take over. It won’t bring teh people who died back. Nothing will. But we can stop this—before it’s too late."

Her words seemed to hang in the air for a long moment, the weight of them settling over both men.

For the first time, Esmael’s gaze softened, and the fire around him flickered uncertainly. His chest heaved as he fought against the surge of demonic power coursing through him. Morvane stood still, his fists loosening, though his face remained tense.

The rage between the two seemed to lower, the heat of their anger dimming slightly as they both processed Luna’s words.

Morvane’s voice broke the silence, quieter than before. "I... I don’t know if I can forgive him, Luna. After everything that’s happened..."

Esmael turned his gaze away, the flickering flames around him dimming. "I don’t expect forgiveness," he muttered, his voice laced with bitterness. "I don’t card about what you think of me, I don’t need your sympathy and your forgiveness."

Luna stepped forward, her heart aching. "We all make mistakes. But forgiveness... it’s the only way forward. The only way to break this cycle of destruction."

There was another heavy pause, the tension palpable. But this time, something had shifted. The battle, once on the brink of erupting, now hung suspended in the air, uncertain.

Esmael’s words echoed in the air, but before he could finish, a sharp cry of defiance tore through him. "You know what I’ve learned?" He looked at Morvane, his voice cold and bitter. "There’s no forever. The friends I thought would be with me forever... they walk different paths. And that’s what happened with us. Our friendship crumbled because we weren’t meant to take the same direction."

He paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing with intensity. "And you know what? I don’t regret killing your grandma. You deserved that."

Morvane’s fury erupted in an instant. The weight of Esmael’s words struck him like a dagger to the chest. His face twisted with rage, his fists clenched, and he charged forward, his shadow beast rising beside him. The large, dark creature growled fiercely, its eyes glowing with hunger.

"NO!" Luna screamed, rushing forward to intervene, her heart hammering in her chest. "Stop! Please stop this!"

But it was too late.

Drevon didn’t speak; he moved swiftly, positioning himself in front of Morvane. His presence was a solid wall, unyielding, and as Morvane’s shadow beast surged forward, a flicker of black chains shot from the ground, wrapping around Esmael’s limbs. His movements were suddenly restrained, the chains tightening around his neck, arms, and legs, leaving him immobilized.

"What... what is this?" Esmael choked out, his voice strained, his body struggling against the inescapable hold.

Morvane faltered, his own anger momentarily halted by the sight of Esmael’s restraint. Drevon appeared before them, a dark and unreadable expression on his face.

"That’s the choice you made, Esmael," Drevon said with a weight that cut through the tension like a blade. His voice was cold, and his eyes held something far more dangerous than the surface rage.

Esmael’s eyes widened as realization crept over him. "What? What’s happening?" His voice was shaky, his breath shallow.

Luna, too, was taken aback by the sudden turn of events. Her chest tightened as she watched Esmael struggle against the black chains. "What’s happening to him?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Drevon’s gaze didn’t waver from Esmael. "Did you ever ask the god of war what would happen to you after you killed that demon?" His words were like stones cast into the water, each one sending ripples of realization through the air. "Didn’t Takeshi say you would replace him? Not just his power... but his position in the dark realm?"

Esmael’s breath hitched in his throat. "What?" he gasped, the truth sinking in like a weight that crushed him from within.

And before he could react, the darkness that had been lingering around him for so long consumed him completely. His body shook with terror as he fought against the chains, his efforts futile. The shadows pulled tighter, dragging him into the abyss.

"NO!" Luna cried out, reaching for him, but she was too far away.

Esmael’s form was swallowed by the darkness, his cries muffled by the consuming void. The chains dragged him further into the depths, tightening with each desperate struggle.

Morvane stood frozen, his body shaking with rage and confusion. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing, couldn’t believe the price that Esmael was now paying for his own actions.

As the last of Esmael’s form disappeared into the darkness, Drevon turned to Morvane, his voice low. "This is what happens when you play with powers you don’t understand. There are consequences, Morvane. This is why I want you to stand up with your own feet and let your power grow within you without the principles of gods. "

Luna fell to her knees, her heart heavy with the weight of everything that had just transpired. The air felt thick with grief, and she couldn’t bring herself to speak. The battle was over.