DELONIX [COMPLETED]

Chapter 56

| RED'S POV |

As my eyes began to regain focus, the world around me came into sharper view. The air crackled with tension, punctuated by the savage growls and roars echoing between Nicholas and Gwen. It was a battle of primal forces, a clash of fangs and claws that could not go unnoticed. Gwen, sleek and unscathed, struck at Nicholas with precision, leaving a trail of fresh wounds across his battered body. Despite her apparent lack of injuries, any scratches she might have sustained were minimal, barely leaving a mark.

I shifted my gaze downward, my attention drawn to the dark, slimy liquid still clinging to my body. It served as a grotesque cage, confining me, but something felt different. Strangely, I realized that I did not feel any pain. The shards of glass embedded in my skin should have elicited screams of agony and rendered me weak, yet I remained stoic. It was as if my body possessed a miraculous ability to heal itself with each attack. Although I could only see my shoulders, I knew without a doubt that the rest of my body was undergoing the same miraculous transformation.

"Looks like pretty boy is tired," Gwen's voice, laced with a sinister undertone, slithered through the air. My eyes widened as I witnessed her hurling Nicholas against the wall, eliciting a pained growl from him.

"Enough!" A thunderous voice erupted from deep within me, a voice I had never before unleashed. In that moment, I relinquished control to this newfound power, knowing it could guide me through the chaos. Both Gwen and Nicholas turned their attention to me simultaneously, surprise flickering across Gwen's face before settling into a self-assured smirk.

"Well, well, well, you're just in time for the grand finale," she sneered, convinced she held the upper hand. Little did she know, a fire was stirring within me.

"Burn," I whispered in an unknown language, and suddenly the flames surrounding me intensified twofold. As the arcane words rolled off my tongue, my body felt liberated, invigorated. The dark liquid recoiled, unable to withstand the searing heat. With each surge of flame, I fed off the pain Nicholas endured. I couldn't explain why, but in that moment, he became my source of strength, and I intended to wield it with all my might.

The dark creature, unable to bear the inferno any longer, detached itself from me and soared towards Gwen, who stood frozen, her eyes transfixed on my true self.

"Is this more challenging, then?" I jeered, my words echoing her earlier taunts. Suspended in mid-air for a fleeting moment, I slowly descended back to the ground, my eyes fixed upon Nicholas. His astonishment at my unleashed fury was evident, but it quickly transformed into a pained groan as he attempted to move. It was clear that the healing abilities of his wolf were unable to keep pace with the onslaught with his injuries and a boiling anger surged within me.

" Attack her!" Gwen's command reverberated through the room, her voice sharp and commanding. The dark entity, a sinister manifestation of her malevolence, obeyed without hesitation, hurtling toward me with the speed of a predator in pursuit. I braced myself, muscles coiled, flames flickering at my fingertips, ready to strike. But in that crucial moment, a voice, clear and urgent, pierced through the chaos.

"Red, dodge!" it commanded, its tone laden with an instinctual understanding of imminent danger. Without a second thought, my body responded, reacting on pure instinct. I twisted and contorted, narrowly evading Gwen's assault. Her razor-sharp claws swiped through the air, just inches away from rending my flesh. A surge of adrenaline coursed through my veins, heightening my senses, and reminding me of the delicate balance between life and death.