Chương 24: The son of Seer Aelira

Baldovino teleported behind Xia and calmly cracked his back. Xia turned around and studied him carefully.

"So, you're a hybrid between a giant and a mage. Are there others like you, or are you one of a kind?"

"One of a kind", Baldovino replied.

"I've never met anyone else like me".

"Was it your mother who taught you all those magical arts?"

"Yes, she did".

"She must have been an extraordinary mage".

"Oh, she still is…she's the Seer Aelira". Xia's eyes widened in surprise.

"The Seer Aelira? The blonde woman with red eyes?"

"You know her? I'm not surprised. Every mage knows her". Xia interlocked the fingers of her right hand while studying him.

"It was a pleasure fighting you. You're incredibly powerful, and killing you would require an enormous amount of effort. I'd rather put you to sleep".

"What are you tal… tal… ta…" Baldovino couldn't finish his sentence and collapsed to the ground. Xia dismissed the capsule, freeing Felicity and Leah. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The three women looked around. For a moment, none of them spoke. The landscape had been devastated. Massive cracks stretched across the valley like scars carved into the skin of the world. Entire mountainsides had collapsed, and several peaks had been split in half.

Clouds of dust still drifted through the air, carried by the wind. Even the air felt different. Heavy. Saturated with the lingering energy of their spells.

"Did you kill him?" Leah asked.

"No", Xia replied calmly.

"I trapped him inside an illusion. He's currently fighting a simulated battle against me in an endless loop. Until he realizes it's an illusion, he won't be able to wake up". Meanwhile, inside the illusion. Baldovino roared and hurled a punch at Xia. The impact shook the mountains. Xia dodged at the last moment and answered with a storm of ice blades. Baldovino shattered them with a single burst of mana. The battle continued. Minute after minute. Hour after hour. Day after day.

Every time one of them seemed close to victory, the battle restarted from the beginning. To Baldovino, everything felt real. Every strike. Every wound. Every explosion. Xia had created a prison without walls.

"Incredible", Leah commented, genuinely impressed. Felicity stepped closer to Xia.

"I'm sorry, Feli, but he was far too powerful for you. I had to isolate the two of you for your own safety". Felicity remained silent for a few seconds before looking up at her.

"I assume you want to buy a new kimono now…you're practically naked". Xia glanced down at herself and smiled.

"Probably". The three mounted their horses and rode away from the devastated mountains. As they traveled, the sun slowly began to descend toward the horizon. Behind them remained the battlefield. Meanwhile, in the capital of the Kingdom of Virelia, Teresa knelt in her room, immersed in prayer. Dozens of candles illuminated the chamber with a trembling light. Her hands were clasped before her chest. Tears streamed continuously down her face. She had been praying for hours. Perhaps for days.

When she finally rose to her feet, her knees trembled. They were not tears of fear. They were tears of acceptance. She had made a decision. A decision that would forever change the course of her life. Her eyes, still wet with tears, filled with determination. Even as her heart continued to bleed.