Woven in Shadows (agatha x rio)

Shadows Strike

Chapter Forty-Five: Shadows Strike

The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the living room as the afternoon light filtered through the cracked blinds. It had been a quiet day so far, a calmness that now felt ominous. Nessa sat cross-legged on the couch, scrolling idly through her phone, while Rio stood by the window her gaze fixed on the garden. Agatha was in the kitchen preparing tea, humming softly to herself. The air was still, heavy with a strange tension that no one could quite place.

Suddenly, the calm shattered. The windows rattled violently as a frigid gust of wind surged through the room, extinguishing the fireplace and plunging the house into an unnatural chill. Rio turned sharply, her eyes narrowing as she felt it...a familiar, sinister presence.

"Agatha" Rio called, her voice low and urgent. Agatha appeared in the doorway, her expression shifting instantly from confusion to alarm. "It's here."

Before Agatha could respond, the front door slammed open with a deafening crash, splintering wood scattering across the floor. Standing in the doorway was the shadowy figure of the soul collector, its hollow eyes glowing an eerie white. The room seemed to darken around it, as though it sucked the light from the air.

"Nessa, get behind me!" Rio commanded, her voice sharp. Nessa scrambled off the couch, panic in her wide eyes, and darted to Agatha, who shielded her with a protective arm.

The creature lunged forward, its elongated arms reaching for Nessa, but Rio was faster. She stepped in its path, summoning the enchanted mirror with a flick of her wrist. The mirror's surface shimmered, glowing faintly as it created an invisible barrier between Nessa and the creature.

The soul collector let out a guttural snarl, recoiling slightly, but it wasn't deterred. It lashed out with a jagged weapon that seemed to be made of pure darkness, striking at Rio. She deflected the blow with the mirror, but the force of the attack sent her stumbling back.

"Agatha, get her out of here!" Rio shouted, her voice strained as she blocked another strike. Agatha hesitated, torn between her daughter and the woman she loved, but the sight of the soul collector lunging again made the decision for her. Grabbing Nessa's hand, she dragged her toward the hallway.

"I'll come back for her, I swear it" Agatha murmured to Rio, her voice shaking, before disappearing with Nessa.

Left alone with the creature, Rio braced herself. The room erupted into chaos as the soul collector attacked relentlessly, slashing at her with its dark blade. Furniture shattered under the weight of their struggle; the coffee table splintered into shards, and the couch was overturned. The walls bore deep gouges, and the once-cozy living room looked like a battlefield.

Rio fought back with everything she had, using the mirror to deflect blows and summon bursts of energy that staggered the creature. But it was relentless, faster and stronger than anything she had faced. One of its strikes grazed her side, and though she couldn't die, the pain was searing, as though her very essence was being torn apart.

Gritting her teeth, Rio refused to back down. "You're not getting her!" she growled, her voice filled with defiance. She swung the mirror like a weapon, catching the soul collector off guard and forcing it back.

But the creature was cunning. It feinted to the left, then struck Rio with a forceful blow to her chest, sending her crashing into the wall. The mirror clattered to the ground, its glow flickering weakly. Rio gasped, clutching her side as she tried to push herself up, but the soul collector was already upon her.

With a triumphant snarl, it raised its blade, aiming for her heart. At the last second, Rio grabbed the mirror and thrust it upward, the surface glowing brightly as it absorbed the impact. A burst of light erupted from the mirror, forcing the creature back with a screech.

The soul collector stumbled, its form flickering as if destabilized. It let out one last guttural growl before vanishing into the shadows, leaving the room eerily silent.

Rio collapsed to the floor, the mirror slipping from her grasp. Her breaths came shallow and ragged, her vision swimming. Blood...dark and otherworldly pooled beneath her from the wound at her side.

Footsteps thundered down the hallway, and Agatha appeared, her face pale with panic. "Rio!" she cried, dropping to her knees beside her. She pulled Rio's limp body into her arms, cradling her tightly.

As Agatha pulled Rio closer, her hands trembling as she felt the warmth of Rio's blood soaking into her robe, spreading thick and hot across her skin. Her breath hitched, her chest heaving as panic seized her. "No, no, no, you're going to be okay," she whispered, her voice cracking.

She pressed her hand over the gaping wound at Rio's side, her palm slick with dark, inky blood that refused to slow. It seeped through her fingers no matter how hard she pressed, pooling beneath them on the shattered floor. "It isn't supposed to end up this??? This wasn't how it was supposed to go" Agatha pleaded.

Her mind raced, fragments of incantations slipping through her grasp like sand. Focus, Agatha. Think. Something. Anything. But the words wouldn't come.
Her thoughts were a whirlwind of fear and regret, her heart pounding against her ribs.

She opened her mouth to try again, her voice shaking as she began to chant, "Sanus corpus... sanus corpus..." but the words faltered, her mind too rattled to summon the magic she needed.

"Why won't this stop?" she cried, her voice cracking as she pressed harder, the blood warm and unrelenting. Her vision blurred with tears, the world around her fading into a haze of destruction and despair. She looked down at Rio's pale face, her head cradled against Agatha's chest, her lips parted but still, no breath escaping.

"Rio, please" Agatha whispered, her voice a broken plea. "Please stay with me. I can't lose you again...I just can't." Her thumb brushed against Rio's cheek, her tears falling onto Rio's face as though they could somehow revive her.

Inside, her mind screamed. "Your Death.
You're supposed to be indestructible. Why won't you wake up?" But as the blood continued to spill, soaking into her lap, Agatha felt the sharp sting of helplessness claw at her heart. She tightened her hold on Rio's limp body, rocking her gently as if that small motion could stave off the darkness closing in.

Her magic surged again, but her words faltered once more. She slammed her free hand into the floor in frustration, her knuckles throbbing as she choked out "This isn't how it ends. It can't be. Come back to me, Rio. Please."

The room was unrecognizable chairs overturned, books scattered, and the walls marred with claw-like marks. The destruction was absolute, but Agatha's focus was entirely on Rio.

"Stay with me" Agatha whispered, brushing hair from Rio's face. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she pressed a trembling kiss to Rio's forehead.

But Rio didn't respond. Her body was unnaturally still, her breaths faint and shallow. Agatha held her tighter, her heart breaking as she rocked back and forth on the ruined floor, the weight of the moment crushing her.

Across the room, the mirror lay discarded, its surface dark and lifeless, as if the fight had drained it of all its power. The house was silent now, save for Agatha's muffled sobs, the once-safe haven reduced to rubble.

Agatha felt truly helpless.