Kingdom of the Nine: Hail (I)

Chapter 9

I charge at Vermidia but Mia dashes in front of me in a gust of snowy wind to block her from me.

"No, don't do this." I plead with Vermidia.

"It's not me, it's her. I told you, she's mine now. She'll do anything to protect me." She cackles.

"I won't fight you Mia!"

She raises her hand and pushes me to the ground in a frosty breeze.

I hit the ground hard, the icy wind cutting through me as Mia stands above, her expression cold and distant. Vermidia's laughter echoes in the air, her twisted amusement feeding off my helplessness.

"Mia, stop!" I shout, but she's no longer hearing me, only the whispers of Vermidia inside her mind. The snow swirls around her, her power surging, but it's not hers anymore. It's tainted, corrupted.

I scramble back to my feet, my chest tightening as I face her. "You have to fight this! You're stronger than her, I know you are!"

But her gaze is empty, her movements mechanical as she lifts her hand again. A sharp blast of frost shoots toward me, and I barely dodge it, the air freezing where I stood seconds ago. My heart races, every second Vermidia keeps control over Mia, I lose more of her.

"I won't fight you, Mia," I say again, but my voice is wavering now. How can I fight her? How can I stop this without hurting her?

Vermidia steps forward, her grin widening. "And that's why you'll lose, Hail. Because you won't do what needs to be done. You're weak. Pathetic. Just like your father."

Her words stab into me, but I push them aside, focusing on Mia. There has to be a way.

"Mia, please..."

She raises her hand once more, this time gathering a swirling storm of ice around her. The temperature drops sharply, and I can feel the bite of it even from where I stand. She's preparing to attack me again, an attack I know I can't survive if it lands.

But I can't fight her. I can't.

"Mia..." I whisper, my heart breaking. "I'm sorry."

As the storm builds, I feel the Crux in my pocket again, its energy vibrating through me. A surge of desperation hits me, and I grab it, pulling it out. The moment it's in my hand, the world around me seems to warp, the air heavy with power.

"Mia!" I shout, holding the Crux in front of me. "If you can hear me, fight this! Don't let her take you!"

For a split second, Mia hesitates. Her eyes flicker, the dark energy wavering, and I see a glimpse of the sister I love beneath the storm. But then Vermidia's influence slams back into her, stronger than before, and the frost around her intensifies.

"You're too late," Vermidia sneers, stepping closer. "She's mine, Hail. Forever."

The storm Mia's building is reaching its peak, the snow and ice swirling faster, the cold biting deeper. I don't have much time.

I can freeze her, I can freeze her and then I can defeat Vermidia one on one. Maybe that can release her.

With one last burst of desperation, I raise my hand high, feeling the icy energy flood through me. I turn to Mia and release a blast of frost that covers her. She's locked in place now.

I look to the storm she was building around us. I begin to pull my arms around in a spiral, pulling all of the energy of the storm within me and condensing is snow into a spear of ice. It hums and glows blue.

"Combining our power, we can defeat her." I say.

The spear floats above my head and I push it out through the air, releasing it towards Vermidia.