The tendril of shadow, faint but potent, seeped into Ines’ body like smoke curling into her veins.
Her golden eyes flickered, hardening into something cold and dangerous.
It was as if a different person had awoken within her, one who carried no warmth, nor compassion.
Inside, Ines panicked.
She felt the wisp of darkness clawing at the edges of her mind, whispering promises of strength, of release, of liberation from every chain that bound her.
She clenched her teeth, dragging at it with every ounce of will she had, trying to stuff it back into the iron chamber of her heart before it consumed her.
But outwardly, the effect was undeniable.
Her power spiked, the mana streaming from her palm surging with new ferocity.
It flowed into Noah’s body like a tide crashing against rocks.
Noah stiffened in surprise, his lips curling into a faint, intrigued smile.
"What’s this?" he murmured under his breath.
He responded instinctively, pressing back against her invading mana.
Inside his body, their energies collided, roiling like fire and storm, each wave colliding stronger than the last.
Ines fought two battles at once. One against Noah’s unyielding presence, and one within herself, wrestling to chain the darkness before it swallowed her whole.
Sweat beaded on her brow as she pulled, dragged, and forced the whispers back into her chest.
Inch by inch, the black wisp yielded, pulled back into the prison she’d forged for it long ago.
And in that final moment of triumph, Noah finally grew bored, casting her mana out of his body in a sweeping surge of force.
Ines gasped, her hand flying off his back, her breath coming in hard, ragged pants.
Her shoulders trembled as she fought to steady herself, the chill of that darkness still clinging faintly to her skin.
Noah turned to her, raising a single brow.
His eyes gleamed, but impressed.
"Not bad," he said.
Then he smiled, the curve of his lips dangerous.
"Now," he said softly, "it’s my turn."
But he didn’t rush her.
He watched as she steadied her breathing, her golden eyes losing that unsettling darkness that had seemed like an illusion a minute ago.
He gave her a quiet moment to compose herself, his expression calm, though there was an undeniable current of curiosity in his eyes.
He wanted to ask where her strength had come from, but he didn’t. Not when she could ask questions he also didn’t want to answer.
When she finally straightened her shoulders and nodded, signaling she was ready, Noah placed his hand firmly on her back.
The warmth of contact passed in an instant as he pushed.
His mana flowed out of him like an unstoppable current, surging into her body with force.
It was heavy, dark, and commanding, like a storm pressing against fragile walls.
Ines stiffened, her own mana leaping to resist, and the clash began inside her.
But just as Noah prepared to push harder, something else screamed for his attention.
A tug at his soul. His shadows.
Noah’s eyes narrowed slightly as his mind split, connecting instantly with the shadows where he had hidden Snake.
Inside that pitch-black prison, the chained man was writhing violently.
Snake’s body twisted, the grotesque growth of his limbs already stretching against the bindings.
His charred skin glowed faintly, still seared by the flames of the ever-burning Pillar of Judgement, but despite the agony, he fought like a beast.
Chains rattled, shadows quaked, and with a guttural roar, Snake managed to break free of one of the chains.
His elongated arm slammed against the floor, claws carving gouges into the darkness.
Noah’s shadows trembled but did not break.
A grim smile touched Noah’s lips even as his consciousness reached deeper.
From the floor of that space, one shadow began to rise. It twisted upward, taking form, its head and shoulders coalescing into a humanoid silhouette.
The hollow eyed figure straightened, and then Noah’s presence seeped into it, inhabiting it like a puppet.
The shadow flexed its fingers.
Noah tilted its head and laughed, a low, cold sound that echoed through the room.
Snake, his eyes wild and body aflame, bared his teeth. "You think chains can hold me forever?! I’ll—"
The shadow lunged before the words finished, crashing into him.
Snake slashed and roared, his growing limbs tearing gouges through the darkness, but Noah fought without hesitation, wielding his shadow body with ruthlessness.
Every blow he gave carried with it his unyielding malice.
Under the force of his blows, Snake couldn’t put up a reasonable defense.
He fell to the ground with one arm bent grotesquely, black ichor pouring from him.
The shadow stomped down, pinning him to the floor. Chains of shadow burst forth once more, reattaching themselves around his arms, his legs, and his neck, binding him tighter than before.
This time, the bindings burned with Noah’s essence. They would not break.
The shadow crouched, leaning close until its hollow face nearly brushed against Snake’s bloody, twisted one.
Then it laughed again, louder this time.
"Whatever you do, Snake... you’ll never get out." Noah’s voice slithered from the shadow’s mouth, dripping with venom.
"No one is coming for you. No savior. No rescue. Only me. And I promise you, your screams will echo until you beg to die."
Snake’s eyes widened, madness flickering into despair.
"No... no... NO!" he howled, thrashing against the chains.
His voice broke into a scream as he realized the truth.
The shadow’s laughter was merciless, filling the room like a cruel symphony.
Long and hard, Noah let the sound pour out until Snake finally slumped, panting, chained and broken once again.
Satisfied, Noah withdrew his attention from the shadow. The figure dissolved back into smoke, and his mind snapped back into the present.
Back to the Spellcasting classroom. To Ines.
Just in time, Noah felt her mana flare.
With a forceful push, she cast his invading energy out of her body.
Noah’s eyes snapped fully into focus as his hand lifted from her back, his connection severed.
Ines turned toward him, a sheen of sweat glistening on her brow, her breathing shallow. Yet her lips curled upward into a smile.
"Well," she said, a note of satisfaction in her voice, "that was surprisingly easier than I expected."