The Mage Paradox [BOOK THREE]

Chapter 13: Close call

Lesley cocked her rifle one last time and shot the last armed creature to the ground.

"We did it!" Lylia and Cyclops exclaimed.

"Don't be too happy yet," Lesley warned. "Who knows what other dangers lie ahead."

Lylia and Cyclops wiped the triumphant smiles off their faces. Dyrroth healed his injured shoulder, knee, thigh, and elbow. To their dismay, more footsteps sounded.

"Great, it's those human-like creeps, again." Dyrroth seethed. But he sensed something different within those footsteps, something new.

From what his stepmother told him, something new wasn't always great.

⌛

Harith ran back down the corridor, not looking back or stopping until he kept himself a far distance from Octo. He slid to the ground and buried his face in his hands, panting. He had a chance to attack earlier, but he ran. 

What happened? Why was this guy scarier than the first and second time he crossed paths with him?

For the last time, he is just a kid! Harith scolded himself. But yet his aura didn't seem like a kid's aura. It was beyond normal, this thing can't even be detected by his sensitive cat senses. And it was not only 'beyond' normal, but it was also beyond anything Harith ever encountered in his Get-Rid-Of-All-Evil experience. This aura was probably more evil than Dyrroth's. Come to think of it, this aura is eviler than the demon.

Harith will expect that from anyone else, (Hoping it was Gusion) but let alone this guy? And this guy was his best friend but not his best friend and more foul and evil than any other living being he has known.

He knew that creatures who are likely evil and passed the point of evil and maniac line to have that kind of aura is possible but this devil had a very terrifying aura.

As far as Harith could remember, Octo was only a kid who does really bad stuff and thuggery. But how far he has gone to produce this aura was a little unsettling.

Harith was still on the floor curled up and hyperventilating. He had no idea why he ran away, but if he spent one more second near that bastard, he would have dropped dead. No knife to pierce him, no Dyrroth to mock him. Even if he wasn't dead, he rather just play dead.

Ugh, how many times have you fought Evil for the sake of Good? Harith scolded himself. After all those encounters, he just can't bring himself to face this one.

As the folks say 'scaredy-cat'

I am not a scaredy-cat. Harith uncurled from his ball and slowly stood, trying to stop shivering. He was gonna go back, right to that guy. Aura or no aura, he still had to stop him.

Harith barreled down the corridor, trying to retrace his steps.

Leonins had the power to stop evil, so does Harith. But the thing was, fear was his enemy and weakness. But what kept him running now was stronger than fear; hope.

And if Harith had hope inside, he will stop Octo, save Nana and his best friend, hope will drive him to the end.

⌛

Hope died several minutes later.

"Look who's back."

Harith flinched and saw Octo at the same spot waiting with his robot octopus. "Why didn't you go after me?"

"Because I know you will come back, and you did," Octo smirked. "only a coward will give up saving someone important."

"You think I will abandon my best friend?" Harith snapped. "Not after I lost everything in Azrya."