Nemona: The Witch of Scaranton

Chapter 20: The Dark Man

The Celestial Circle pulsed with an eerie, otherworldly light as we stood before it, hands joined in unity, ready to confront the dark man. The celestial alignment had reached its zenith, and the bridge between realms shimmered before us, like a gateway into the unknown.

It was in that electrifying moment that he revealed himself, emerging from the shadows like a malevolent phantom. His presence sent a shiver down my spine, and I could feel the tension ripple through the group. The dark man's form was nebulous, his features obscured by an ever-shifting darkness, except for his piercing blue eyes.

"Well, well, well," he sneered, his voice dripping with venom, "A reunion of sorts, isn't it? Arria, back where it all began. Did you really think you could escape your destiny?"

I tightened my grip on the Keldara Rune, my heart pounding with a mixture of fear and confusion. "Who are you?" I demanded, my voice quivering only slightly. "What do you want?"

The dark man's laughter echoed through the night, a chilling sound that seemed to reverberate with the very darkness that surrounded him. "What do I want?" he mused, his eyes never leaving mine. "I want what was rightfully mine, what should have been mine all along."

Beatrice stepped forward, her violin in hand, her face a mask of defiance. "You won't get away with this. We won't let you harm anyone."

The dark man's gaze shifted to Beatrice, his blue eyes narrowing. "Ah, Beatrice, the guardian's kindred. How quaint. But you see, my dear, don't bother with protection anymore. I've outgrown such petty constraints."

With a wave of his hand, the dark man unleashed a wave of malevolent energy, sending each of us reeling. It felt like a thousand icy tendrils of darkness wrapping around our very souls, squeezing the life out of us. I could hear the gasps and cries of others beside me, their pain echoing in the night.

"Arria!" Eleanor cried out, her voice filled with anguish.

I tried to summon the protective runes, to shield us from the dark man's onslaught, but his power was overwhelming. I felt my strength waning, my vision blurring.

"You see, Arria," the dark man taunted, his voice a sinister whisper, "I was the rightful guardian, not that wretched spirit Nemona. But your precious parents sealed us both before I could take what was mine from her, and they paid the price for their treachery."

His words hit me like a physical blow, making my anguish even more painful.

In a voice as ominous and raspy, the dark man continued his bitter truth: "I was meant to be the guardian, the one tasked with protecting the Celestial Circle. But they chose Nemona over me, his eyes enlarging and his choking power making our eyes almost burst from the pain." His jealousy and resentment had festered, driving him to betray her and seek dark power.

"And now," he continued, his eyes locking onto mine, "I will take what is rightfully mine. Starting with the sweet, innocent Lila."

Horror coursed through me as I realized his intentions. Lila was in the mansion, alone and vulnerable. We had left her behind, thinking she would be safe. But the dark man had other plans.

With the last reserves of my strength, I summoned all the protective runes I could muster, forming a barrier between the dark man and us. It was a feeble defense, but it bought us a moment.

"Go!" I shouted to the others, my voice strained. "Get back to the mansion. Protect Lila."

Beatrice, her violin still clutched tightly, nodded barely breathing "We won't let you hurt her."

As the group began to retreat, the dark man's laughter echoed in the night. "You can't stop me, Arria. You can't protect them all."

I watched as they fled towards the mansion, carrying each scarcely . I couldn't let the dark man win. I couldn't let him harm Lila, or anyone else.

With a final surge of strength, I summoned the power of the Keldara Rune, channeling it into a blinding burst of light. The dark man howled in agony, his form writhing in the searing brilliance. It was a desperate gamble, a last-ditch effort to buy them time.

As the light faded, I felt my strength ebbing away, darkness closing in. But I had bought them a chance, a slim hope of stopping the dark man's malevolent plans.

With a final, defiant glare at the dark man, I whispered, "You won't... win."

And then, everything went black...

The suffocating darkness threatened to swallow me whole, its tendrils of malevolence coiling around my senses. I felt like I was teetering on the precipice of oblivion when suddenly, a burst of radiant light erupted before me. My vision, clouded by shadows, was greeted by the comforting silhouette of Gilbert, who had returned from the village with a sense of urgency burning in his wide eyes.

"Arria!" Gilbert's voice quivered with a mix of excitement and apprehension as he rushed to my side. In his trembling hands, he cradled some sort of scroll, almost falling apart with brown smudges on the parchment.

My breath came back to me as he approached.

"I found something in the village," Gilbert explained urgently, his fingers tracing the ancient text. "It's a compendium of protective spells and enchantments, passed down through generations.

"How did you find this, Gilbert?" I asked, my voice filled with genuine wonder. "And why did you decide to venture out to the village at such a late hour?"

Gilbert's eyes held a spark of determination as he recounted his journey. "I couldn't stand idly by, Arria," he began, his gaze unwavering. " The village, with its rich history and folklore, I remembered an old legend about a hidden chamber within the village library, a chamber that was said to contain ancient scrolls of great power."

With each word, Gilbert's passion and resolve became more evident. He continued, "I knew the risk of leaving the mansion at such a late hour, but I couldn't ignore the possibility that these scrolls might hold the key to combating the dark man's malevolence. I had to try.