Zane knelt beside Luca, his eyes narrowing. Something about the boy's aura didn't sit right. A familiar chill coursed through him as he activated Void's Gaze.
> [Void System Activated]
Curse Identified – Rank: Master Class
Source: Poison Witch (Status: Unknown)
Duration Left: 3 days before soul decay begins.
Warning: Removal attempt may result in death.
A Master-ranked curse?
He clenched his fists.
"Nyx," he muttered under his breath, "What do I do?"
The familiar voice echoed from within.
"That curse wasn't meant to be broken by anyone less than a Grand Healer or a Deathbinder. But you... you can do it. Only if you're ready to give up something more."
Zane frowned. "More?"
"Your life force. The Void will eat at it. If you do this, Zane, the Void won't ask. It'll take. It'll pull you in and leave pieces of you behind. Maybe too many."
A long silence passed.
Then Zane whispered, "I made a vow. If I can save someone, I will. No matter the price."
He stood, shadows crawling along his arms. "I'm not letting another innocent die. Not again."
The room darkened instantly.
The flickering lamp on the wall dimmed to a weak ember. Wind screamed through the broken shutters though the night outside was still. Lyra backed away instinctively. "What's happening?"
It spun slowly above Zane's head — a ring of jagged, shadowy thorns. Each rotation radiated power and dread.
Sera's breath caught. She'd seen Zane fight, seen the Endblade, the Shadow Armor... but this? This was something else.
From Zane's chest, bright purple shadows erupted like spectral tendrils — alive, pulsing with energy far beyond normal magic. They slithered toward Luca with eerie grace.
"L-Luca!" Lyra screamed and ran forward, but Sera caught her by the arms.
"No! Stop—he's helping!"
Then the tendrils touched him.
Luca arched back, screaming in agony, black blood pouring from his nose and mouth as his veins glowed a sickly green. The curse was fighting back, clawing into his soul.
Zane grit his teeth, pressing his palm into the air as the shadows held fast. His eyes glowed — deep violet, like twin voids burning from within.
"I... won't... stop!"
The curse screeched. It wasn't a sound — it was a feeling. Cold. Malicious. Ancient.
Then the shadows brightened — no longer purple, but pure silver laced with black.
A skull-shaped mark, glowing green, erupted from Luca's forehead. It hissed and twisted, as if resisting, and then—
It vanished in a wisp of smoke, leaving behind silence.
Luca collapsed like a ragdoll.
Zane wavered, blinking once before his knees buckled.
He hit the floor beside Luca, completely still.
"No—Zane!" Sera cried, rushing to his side.
Lyra clutched her brother, trembling. "Luca...? He's... warm. He's breathing."
Sera hovered over Zane, brushing his hair from his face. His skin was cold.
But a faint breath escaped his lips.
She let out a shaky exhale. "You idiot..."
Outside, the night returned to its quiet state — but within the house, the mark of the Void lingered in every shadow.