Levi rose slowly from her seat, pain rippling through her body like a warning she chose to ignore. Her gold eyes lingered on Jane for a brief moment—soft, conflicted—before resolve hardened her expression.
"Stay here," Levi said quietly.
Jane tightened her grip on Levi's sleeve, her metal fingers faintly trembling. "Levi—"
Levi reached out, placing her palm gently over Jane's robotic arm. Dark runes flickered to life as a spell spread outward, sinking into the walls, the floor, the very air of the hideout.
"This place is protected," Levi said. "Nothing will cross it."
She turned toward Jane's friends, her voice steady but commanding. "Take care of Jane for me. Do not let her leave this place."
Mira opened her mouth to argue—but stopped when Levi's gaze met hers.
Then Levi pointed sharply. "Ryn. Lena. You two—come with me."
The doors slid open, cold night air rushing in. The moment they stepped outside, the sky itself seemed wrong—clouds swirling unnaturally as a vast black shadow hovered above the hideout, swallowing the moonlight whole.
Levi's wings unfurled with a sharp snap, black feathers catching the faint glow of the barrier behind her.
She lifted off the ground, hovering just below the shadow.
"What do you want, Shax?" Levi shouted, her voice cutting through the wind.
The darkness shifted. From it emerged General Shax, battered but standing, violet eyes burning with cold satisfaction. His armor was cracked, his aura weakened—but his presence still pressed down like a storm.
"Isn't it obvious?" Shax replied calmly. "I'm here to take back what's mine."
Levi's blood boiled.
"Never!" she screamed.
She surged forward, claws gleaming as she slashed at him with all the fury she had been holding back. Shax barely managed to raise his blade in time, metal screaming as it met demonic force. The impact sent Levi skidding back through the air, wings flaring to regain balance.
Her hair ignited into a brilliant crimson red, power flooding her veins.
Before she could strike again, a blur shot toward her—
Stolas.
The shifter lunged with inhuman speed, claws aimed straight for Levi's throat.
"Levi—!" Ryn shouted.
A wall of glowing sigils erupted between them just in time.
Lena stood firm, both hands raised, her magic blazing as Stolas slammed into the barrier and rebounded violently, blue blood splattering across the ground.
"Not today," Lena growled.
Ryn moved instantly, summoning defensive runes that spread across the battlefield like a lattice of light. "Go," she shouted to Levi. "We'll handle them!"
Levi didn't hesitate.
She turned back to Shax, rage and grief colliding in her chest.
"You took my kingdom," Levi said, voice shaking with restrained fury. "You twisted my name. And now you dare come for them?"
Shax smirked, adjusting his grip on his blade. "You were always too soft to rule."
He struck.
The clash sent a shockwave through the night, cracking the ground beneath them. Shax's sword tore into Levi's side—purple and black blood spilling—but before the damage could deepen, a jagged black shield flared around her body, absorbing the rest of the blow.
Inside the hideout, Jane gasped.
Her chest tightened painfully as if something inside her had snapped taut. She pressed her palm against the wall, eyes wide, breath uneven.
"Levi…" she whispered.
Outside, Levi staggered—but refused to fall.
She straightened, wings spreading wide despite the pain, feathers drifting slowly to the ground.
"I will not fail again," Levi said, her voice low, trembling with power. "I will protect the ones I care for. No matter what cost."
Demonic symbols ignited beneath her feet. The sky darkened further, thunder rolling as her power surged—controlled, deliberate, terrifying.
For the first time—
Shax stepped back.
But then he laughed.
"Yes," he said softly. "That's the queen I remember."
From the shadows behind him, more figures began to stir.
And Levi knew—
This battle was far from over.
---
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