The Crimson Legacy (In Progress)

Chapter 14: The Reaper and the Necromancer

—

Clara's world was a spinning blur of pain and exhaustion as the Reaper closed in, his voice a low murmur in the fog. The dark energy binding her feet tightened, pulling her deeper into the suffocating dread that radiated from him. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe—the force pressing down on her was too great. Her instincts screamed at her to fight, to run, but she was rooted in place, helpless.

The Reaper lifted his scythe, the skulls adorning it clinking softly in the chilling air. His eyes gleamed with satisfaction, knowing victory was close. 

"It ends here," he intoned, his voice filled with the quiet finality of death. He raised his scythe high, preparing for the final, fatal blow.

But just as the blade began its arc, a shockwave split the air, the impact reverberating through Clara's bones. The dark energy holding her in place shattered like glass, and Clara stumbled forward, gasping for breath.

She blinked, her vision clearing just in time to see a shadowy figure standing between her and the Reaper, a shimmering green barrier glowing around them. The figure turned, and Clara's heart skipped a beat.

It was Maya.

"You?" the Reaper hissed, his voice dripping with disbelief and something close to fear. "You're supposed to be dead."

Maya turned slightly, casting Clara a quick glance. "Oh, they've tried," she replied, her voice cold and laced with dark amusement. "They always do."

The Reaper took a step back, his grip tightening on the scythe. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded. "You, of all people—Maya the Necromancer—have the audacity to defy the Coven?"

Maya didn't answer immediately. Instead, she raised her hands, the air around her thrumming with power. The ground trembled, and the cobblestones split open as dozens of skeletal hands clawed their way out from the earth. The skeletal remains of long-forgotten inhabitants began to rise, their empty eye sockets glowing faintly with necromantic energy.

"I'm done hiding," Maya said softly, her eyes narrowing. "And as for you..." Her expression darkened. "We have unfinished business."

Clara, still struggling to steady herself, watched in awe as Maya's body began to shift. Her limbs elongated, her skin turning a sickly shade of grey, and her eyes burned with an eerie green light. 

Clara realized.. 

Maya was becoming a ghoul.

The Reaper's eyes widened in alarm, and for the first time, he looked uncertain. "You... you're an abomination."

Maya's lips curled into a twisted grin, her voice dripping with venom. 

"And you're a coward," she shot back. "We've danced this dance before, Reaper. You and your cursed scythe against my legions of the dead. Ten years of stalemate, and I'm tired of it."

The ground shuddered as the skeletal army surrounded them, their bony fingers grasping at the Reaper's cloak. His expression hardened, and he raised his scythe, ready to strike back, but Maya's eyes flashed with power, and the skeletal hands tightened their grip.