Oceanum Collis

•Chapter 53• The Last Kill

Erix looked at the young man in shock. Orlando quickly started to approach him. He used all the strengths in his body to push the emperor down on the ground. He raised his fists and started to punch him as hard as he could. He punched and he punched. He expected him to beg for him to stop. But Erix didn't say a word. He continued to grin at him as he was beaten by Orlando. His knuckles slowly turned red and bloodied. Erix's skin grew redder and bruised. Suddenly Orlando stopped. He looked anxiously at the emperor. Only now did he realize how disturbed the Emperor is. Erix had a psychopathic grin on his face. He even started laughing. Laugh out loud. "Do you really think you're hurting me?" He asked. Orlando frowned. "Go on. Kill me." He said. Orlando kept looking at him. "You don't really think anything will change when you sit on that throne, do you? Boy, I've done you a favor by taking over those duties from you." Erix said, "You should thank me." he added. Orlando looked at the sword laying a few inches away from him. He could grab it and cut Erix's throat right here and end it all. "Do it, my boy," Erix tells him. Orlando looked at Erix before he reached over to the sword. He raised it above his head. "Kill me and you will see. They will kill you all. Betray you. That's what they do." Erix tells him. Orlando was about to do as Erix told him. But he stopped himself. He slowly lowered the weapon again. He dropped the sword next to him again. He stood up and pulled the emperor up to his feet. He marched them both over to the balcony and forced the emperor to stand against the railing. "I will let you live," Orlando said. Erix chuckled again. "You're pathetic." He said. "No, I'm different. I'm not like you." Orlando replied. 

Erix opened his mouth to speak again. Orlando pushed him back slightly, as he still held onto his tunic, in a threatening way. The emperor was now an inch away from his death. If Orlando let go of him now he was dead. Nothing could save him. "You will never see the light of day again," Orlando tells him. "You're going to lock me away? That's your solution?" Erix asked him. Orlando pulled the man back by his tunic. "You will never speak to anyone ever again. You will live isolated and frightened of everyone around you. You won't have any power anymore. You will be what you once were." Orlando spoke. "Alone? An orphan?" Erix questioned. Orlando shook his head. "Forgotten." He answered. And with that, Orlando turned around and left the emperor standing on the balcony by himself. He was about to leave the room when he suddenly heard a woman scream next to him. He turned around to see Rachel running towards him with a sword in her hands. He stopped her before she could attack him. She grunted as she tried to break free from his hands. "You can't do this," Rachel tells him. "He has deceived you with his words," Orlando tells the girl. She glared at him angrily. "You're lying." She said. He pulled the sword from her hands and tossed it on the ground. He released Rachel's wrists. "You died, Rachel. He's the one who has been lying to you all this time. He's a bad man." He tells her. The girl shook her head. Her eyes focused on Erix slowly approaching them. "He would never lie to me." Rachel said. Erix grabbed Orlando's shoulders with his remaining strengths. Orlando resisted and the two started to fight again. They slowly made their way back over to the balcony. "No one takes my power." Erix said, "Certainly not you! Some teen risen from the ashes!" He exclaimed. Orlando noticed the railing getting closer again. Before Erix could toss him over them, Orlando freed himself and pushed his hands against Erix's shoulders making him trip over his feet. He landed on the railing but it broke when his weight met the weak material. Orlando watched as Erix fell to his death. Behind him, Rachel collapsed and screamed at the top of her lungs. But the screaming on the streets stopped. From the balcony, Orlando could look beyond the broken wall. He watched as everyone stopped fighting. The emperor was dead.

Serena backed up as Asher tried to get closer to her. She was scared. What if she hurt him? At this point, she could no longer control her powers. Asher reached out his hand but the monster took another step back. Misty and Hayes both looked up. "Don't," Hayes said. He was running out of air. Misty and Asher both focused on the wounded elf. "She's frightened," Hayes tells them. Asher looked at Serena. "Serena," He started. He took a little step closer to her. "You don't have to be afraid." He tells him. But the monster continued to back away. She didn't want to hurt anyone else. "She's afraid she might hurt you," Hayes explained. Misty held the healing stone over his wounds. "How do you know?" She asked. Hayes pushed himself up. "She can't control her powers. Any touch could turn your soul into a shadow. In other words, you could die." He added. Asher glared at the elf. "You touched her." He complained. "It's different with me. We're blood." He explained. Asher looked at Serena. "Well can't we change her back? Why won't she change back? She was able to do that before, right?" Asher started to ramble. Hayes shook his head sadly. He looked at his sister who had turned into the shadowy monster she had always feared to become. "She can't." He answered. Asher furrowed his eyebrows and glared at Hayes. "What are you saying? That she's gone forever? I thought that was a joke." Asher said. Tears started to form in his eyes. Asher looked at Serena. "So she's gone forever." He said. "She's not gone." A female voice spoke up. Everyone's attention turned behind them. Valeria stumbled towards them. Misty stood up and glared at her. "Stay back." She said in a threatening tone. Valeria ignored her. She stepped past them and stood in front of Serena. The monster looked at the mermaid in a threatening way. But Valeria held up her hand. "Let me do what's right. Please?" She asked. When she stepped closer, Serena stepped away. Valeria sighed. "Serena," She said sternly, "Let me help you, please." She pleaded. The mermaid shut her eyes and held out her hands. The monster placed her hands in hers. Valeria started to whisper words so quietly that no one around them could hear them except for her. "What the hell is she doing?" Misty said. Hayes held up his hand. "Shh," He tells her, "Let her do this." He added. Asher watched closely as Valeria used her magic on Serena. He was pleading for dear life that she would be okay.