Chapter Sixty-Seven:

  “Broken Toys”

  Sterling took them in, one by one.

  The fire-wreathed girl stood at the center, trying too hard to be something more than she was, flames clinging to her as she struggled to control the fire that threatened to consume her.

  The other stood rigid, wrapped in layers of useless calculation. Blue and gold adorned her, a hollow imitation of discipline. All posture, no presence.

  And the last, the swordsman.

  He stood there like a fool who believed steel could grant him purpose.

  Sterling exhaled, unimpressed. "These Players aren't worth my time," his voice a low and steady rumble, devoid of emotion.

  Hex pouted, shifting from one foot to the other with an exaggerated sway, like a child barely holding back frustration. Her fingers tightening with restless energy, clawing at nothing.

  "But you said you’d play with me this time!" she snapped, her voice rising in a pitch just shy of a scream, vibrating with barely restrained fury "I waited. I was good! You promised!"

  Sterling’s head turned sharply toward her, his movements abrupt, carrying the weight of warning.

  "Do not test me, child."

  Hex flinched, her expression immediately shifting from defiance to something smaller, tighter, obedience. She ground the heel of her boot into the stone floor, like a caged animal resisting the urge to lash out knowing it had no choice but to comply.

  Sterling exhaled, the weight of finality settling.

  Dark energy coursed through the air, streams of black and violet spreading into existence. A portal bloomed before him, swirling with an ominous pull. A wound in reality itself.

  "You wanted more toys?" Sterling said, stepping toward the swirling void. "Then have your fun. Eliminate the Key Player, then, you know the next step."

  His voice carried no further. He did not spare a glance for the Players he had dismissed, nor for Hex as she seethed at his departing form. Without another word, he stepped into the portal.

  And just like that, he was gone.

  Hex turned to them without hesitation.

  "Play time!"

  Her smile was a thing that birthed nightmares, wide and terrifying, her teeth gleaming as her eyes glowed with a cruel delight.

  Chris stepped forward, sword ready, his stance firm despite the eerie chill that settled over him. "Look, I don’t want to hurt a little girl, no matter how creepy she is, but... "

  Hex didn’t let him finish.

  With a lazy flick of her wrist, green mist billowed up from the ground beneath him. It coiled around his feet, noxious, suffocating, rising in an instant. Before Chris could react, it had already crept into his nose, forcing its way down his throat.

  His body convulsed. His sword slipped from his grasp, clattering uselessly to the ground as his knees gave. He gagged, his whole body lurching forward as violent retches tore through him. Black bile spilled from his mouth in sickening waves, splattering against the cold stone beneath him. His hands clawed at the floor, desperate, shaking, but it was useless.

  Another wrenching heave. Then another.

  And then.

  His body collapsed entirely, shuddering once before he shattered, bursting into a million blue motes of light.

  Hex turned her attention to Keira and Rachel, her expression darkening into a grotesque parody of glee and disappointment. Keira took a deep breath and stepped forward.

  "Rachel, get behind me!" she shouted, her voice firm and resolute. She raised her left hand, a shield of pure fire erupted into existence.

  Hex let out an exaggerated sigh, pouting. "Aww, see? They always break too fast!" she whined, her eyes burning between Keira and Rachel. "Please, tell me you’ll be able to play for longer than he did."

  Rachel's breath was steady, her mind sharpening as she pushed past the fear threatening to sink its claws into her. Analyze. She activated her ability, reaching out with her senses, expecting the usual influx of data, stats, weaknesses, something she could use. Instead.

  Nothing.

  Her stomach dropped. There was no information. No readings. No abilities, no level indicators, not even a health bar.

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  Rachel pressed her lips together, frustration rising. Even the strongest enemies had stats, weaknesses, markers, a place in the system. But Hex?

  Hex was unreadable.

  Her hand grabbed a hold of Keira's shoulder. “I can’t get a read on her,” she muttered, voice strained. “It’s like, she doesn’t exist.”

  Hex giggled, her sharp, high-pitched laugh slicing towards them. “You're funny! You can't understand chaos.”

  Then, with an effortless tilt of her head, Hex floated upward.

  She didn’t jump; she didn’t fly. She simply rose, her body moving with an otherworldly grace, as if the very concept of gravity was beneath her. She twirled mid-air, the tattered edges of her cloak flowing unnaturally through reality. Then, with another chilling laugh and a playful motion of her small, delicate hand, a surge of deep violet mist erupted from her fingertips, spiraling toward Keira and Rachel with deadly intent. The air crackled where it passed, drawing a startled gasp from both.

  “Move!” Keira snarled, slamming her shield to the ground. The fire surged violently in front of them, bigger, better. A radiant wall of molten heat blazed to life, sizzling against the encroaching mist. The two forces clashed, steam and embers bursting outward in a violent collision.

  Keira’s instincts kicked in before she could think.

  She dropped the shield for a split second, flicking her lighter open with a sharp click. The flame erupted into a searing fireball, and with a snap of her wrist, she hurled it straight at Hex.

  The burning mass roared through the air, aimed perfectly.

  Hex simply… glided.

  She didn’t dodge. Didn’t brace. She tilted her body midair, effortlessly floating sideways, the fireball missing by mere inches before dispersing against the temple walls.

  Keira’s heart pounded. “Oh, come on.”

  Hex’s lips curled in a mixture of hunger and satisfaction. Her eyes gleamed with amusement as she hovered effortlessly.

  "Oh, come on! You’ll have to try harder than that."

  Rachel’s breath came fast, her mind racing for a way to turn the tide, then she saw it.

  Chris’ sword.

  It lay discarded on the stone, the blade gleaming under the eerie light of the temple, waiting. Her ability flared instinctively, Analyze. Information surged through her in an instant.

  The moment she activated it, a flood of information crashed into her essence. The weapon’s structure, its balance, the techniques needed to wield it, it all filled her mind in an instant. She could use it.

  “I need to get to Chris’ sword,” Rachel called, urgency sharpening her voice.

  Keira barely hesitated. She knew what needed to be done.

  With a sharp snap of her fingers, Keira reignited her lighter, flames bursting forth.

  A barrage.

  Fireballs erupted from her hands in rapid succession, each one a flaming meteor streaking toward Hex. The air distorted as the first blast neared its target.

  Hex didn’t move.

  She stood there, piercing eyes alight with joy, watching the oncoming assault as if it were nothing more than an amusing game. Then, with a wave of her hand, the fireballs veered off course.

  The flames twisted unnaturally, spiraling away in jagged, chaotic arcs before fizzling into cold stone. Hex hadn’t moved a muscle. She hadn’t needed to.

  “So boring!” she whined, her lips twisting into an exaggerated pout.

  Keira didn’t care. The attack wasn’t meant to hit. It had done its job.

  Rachel lunged forward, diving for Chris’ sword just as Hex’s gaze snapped back to her. She wrapped her fingers tightly around the hilt and pushed herself back to her feet.

  Keira staggered, a wave of exhaustion crashing over her. Half her MP, gone. Her limbs ached, but she still stood tall, ready for whatever came next.

  Rachel had the sword.

  And now, the fight could truly begin.

  Keira’s voice cut through the chaos. “Rachel! Get back to me!”

  Rachel didn’t hesitate. She gripped the sword tighter and bolted toward Keira, her feet pounding against the cold stone floor. She had no plan, no strategy, just the desperate need to close the distance before Hex could act.

  Hex’s laugh rang out, light and mocking. “It’s not safe to run while holding something sharp.”

  With a sharp motion of her fingers, she unleashed another wave of violet mist. The violet mist twisted and coiled as it surged toward Rachel, quick and ravenous.

  Keira moved instantly. Fire flared to life around her hands as she summoned her shield, the molten barrier burning bright against the temple’s eerie gloom. She didn’t stop, she ran, pushing forward with everything she had, aiming to intercept the attack before it reached Rachel.

  But the gas was faster.

  It reached Rachel first.

  The moment the violet gas touched Rachel; it invaded her. It forced its way into her nose, her mouth, cold and seductive, sinking into her lungs.

  Her body locked up mid-step. Her eyes faded, lifeless, grey.

  A notification flared across Keira’s vision. Status Effect: Confused.

  Keira had only a split second to process it before Rachel moved.

  Without a word, without hesitation, Rachel lunged.

  Steel met fire as Rachel’s sword slammed into Keira’s shield. Sparks flew from the impact, the force behind the attack almost staggering.

  Keira gritted her teeth. “Rachel, stop!”

  Another strike. Harder. Faster.

  Another.

  Keira braced herself, the shield holding firm, but her HUD flashed again, Rachel was taking damage. Every time the sword struck her flames; it was hurting her.

  Rachel didn’t feel it. Didn’t react. Didn’t stop.

  Her face was blank, her eyes vacant. She kept swinging.

  Harder.

  Faster.

  Another.

  Hex giggled, watching the brutal exchange unfold. "It’s always fun when my toys fight each other! Who do you think will win?"

  Keira could do nothing but hold her ground, her shield bearing the brunt of each relentless strike. Rachel’s attacks never slowed, never hesitated. Each clash sent fresh sparks flying, the weight behind every swing growing heavier.

  “Rachel, please! Stop!” Keira’s voice was raw, desperate. But Rachel didn’t stop. She couldn’t.

  Her HP was plummeting. Critical levels.

  Hex clapped her hands together, eyes wide with wicked glee. "I knew it! Self-preservation always wins!"

  Keira held her shield firm. But no. Not like this. Not her.

  “Rachel, you have to be in there. Fight it!”

  Rachel’s grip on the sword suddenly faltered. The grey fog clouding her stare quivered.

  Then, her lips parted. Her voice was soft, strained, barely more than a whisper.

  “I'm sorry.”

  The grey swallowed her eyes once more.

  With a final, merciless swing, her sword struck Keira’s shield.

  She burst.

  A million violet lights scattered into the air, drifting upward, brilliant embers fading into nothing.

  Keira had no words.

  Her shield lowered, her arms slack at her sides. She knelt, staring at the empty space where Rachel had stood just seconds before. The last violet embers of her soul had long since faded, leaving nothing behind. No body. No remains. Just... nothing.

  Her mind barely registered Hex drifting back to the ground, her movements slow, deliberate. The childish menace had faded from her face, replaced by something more satisfied.

  "Thank you all so much for such a lovely time!" Hex chirped, her voice light, cheerful. "I wish I could play longer, but Daddy is waiting."

  Keira didn’t react. Didn’t move. Didn’t hear her.

  Rachel.

  Chris.

  Roland.

  All gone.

  Hex raised her arms above her head, a delighted grin splitting her lips.

  "This has been so much fun!"