[Third Person PoV]
"Shall we make a Blood Oath?" Lucian asked suddenly, his eyes lighting up like a child who'd just thought of the perfect game. The idea clearly thrilled him, his lips curling into an eager grin.
However, Circe didn't seem to share his enthusiasm. Her expression darkened, the faintest crease appearing between her brows. "Do you not trust me to keep my word?" she asked coolly, her voice smooth yet edged with mild offense, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.
"Oh no, no, it's not that at all!" Lucian said quickly, waving his hands in a flustered manner. "I totally trust you. I know you wouldn't go back on your word." He leaned forward, his excitement returning full force. "It's just—this is a power I've always had but never had the chance to use before! It's frustrating that no situation ever called for it until now." His grin widened, his tone rising with boyish excitement. "The Blood Oath binds both ways—it means I can't go back on my word either! Isn't that great?"
Circe tilted her head, staring at him for a moment as if trying to decide whether he was serious or simply insane. Then, to his surprise, she laughed—a rich, melodic laugh that echoed through the air. "Hahaha! You truly are an amusing child," she said with genuine amusement. "I've never met a boy quite like you before… not that I usually bother to know them." Her lips curved into a teasing smirk. "But I'll have to decline. I'm not giving my blood."
Lucian blinked, caught off guard by how casually she refused. Circe continued, raising a delicate brow. "Not that I don't trust you…" she said, her smile twisting slyly. "It's precisely because I don't trust you. You're a witch—proudly so. And I'd be a fool to play into your whims."
Lucian kicked at the air in disappointment, his shoulders slumping as he pouted in an almost comically cute way. "What a bummer… Not that I don't understand," he muttered, "but still a total bummer."
Circe chuckled softly, shaking her head. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she gestured for her two attendants to join Lucian's companions. Raising her hand, her eyes briefly glowed a vibrant shade of icy blue. A mist began to form around them, swirling and thickening rapidly until the entire area was swallowed in fog.
The world blurred. The air grew cooler, saltier, and when the fog finally lifted, they were no longer in the hall. Instead, they stood on a moonlit beach—the waves lapping softly against the shore, the scent of the sea thick in the air. Yet Lucian could tell immediately this was no ordinary place. The mana felt wrong—distorted. It was an illusionary space.
"I hope you don't mind," Circe said lightly, her tone almost casual. "I prefer to set the stage for my battles. I wouldn't want to disturb my clients—they paid quite handsomely for a relaxing stay at my resort." She smirked, the sea breeze tugging gently at her hair as her magical aura shimmered—a pale blue glow dotted with sparkling flecks of white, like starlight reflected on water.
Lucian grinned in return, lowering his stance. "Annabeth," he called, glancing at his companion, "I'm counting on you to protect everyone. Things are about to get… dangerous."
Dark energy began to gather around his hands, a bright yet suffocating aura of black light swirling between his fingers. His eyes gleamed.
The signal to begin came when Annabeth's barrier flared to life—a shimmering dome of light encasing the others safely away from the fight.
Lucian wasted no time. He slammed his palms together, and a wave of darkness exploded outward like a living tide, smothering the light around them until the entire illusionary beach was swallowed in pure shadow.
Circe stiffened slightly as the darkness pressed against her senses. For a fleeting instant, she felt her breath hitch. From within the black void, the only thing visible were Lucian's glowing red pupils—pupils that carried the curse of fear itself.
'Did… he actually manage to frighten me, even slightly?' Circe thought, her calm expression returning as she steadied her breathing. 'How intriguing… perhaps this will be more entertaining than I expected.'
Lucian vanished. A pulse of energy distorted the air, and in the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind her, his hands crackling with chaotic, black energy.
He thrust his palms forward. Bolts of dark energy erupted outward, crashing violently against Circe's hastily raised magical barrier. The shockwave rippled through the sand, sending water spraying into the air.
The barrier expanded, pushing Lucian backward. Circe clapped her hands together sharply, and a blinding white light burst from her palms, shredding through the darkness and banishing it like mist before the sun.
Lucian flipped backward through the air, landing gracefully on his feet. His eyes were now completely black, with crimson dots for pupils—a demonic sight that sent a chill crawling up the spine of anyone watching.
Drawing in a breath, he channeled power through his veins, reinforcing his body until it pulsed with raw magical energy pushing his critical body to its optimal position. Every swing of his arm unleashed bolts of concentrated darkness that screamed through the air toward Circe.
She met each attack with effortless poise, slapping aside the projectiles with her hands as they burst into black smoke around her. Her expression remained calm, almost disinterested, as if swatting away insects rather than battling a dangerous foe.
Lucian growled under his breath, spreading his arms wide. The shadows beneath him rippled outward like a living sea before erupting into sharp spikes that shot toward Circe. They shattered against her shield with a sound like cracking glass.
Not giving her time to counter, Lucian raised his hands again. The shadows slithered up his legs, winding around his arms, fusing into his palms. Power built up rapidly, humming like a storm about to break.
Then he brought his hands together—and unleashed a devastating beam of pure dark energy that tore through the air toward Circe with unstoppable force.
Circe merely hummed as the wave of dark energy smashed into her barrier. The force rippled outward in violent arcs, distorting the air with raw power. Her shield flared like a mirror of blue light, but not a single crack appeared upon its surface.
"Not bad," she said with a faint smirk, voice calm even amidst the roaring energy. "Quite an impressive show of power for someone so young… but tell me, is that seriously all you've got?"
Lucian let the darkness fade from his palms, his grin widening with unrestrained excitement. "Of course not," he said easily, shrugging as if the battle were nothing more than a playful spar. "I'm just having fun—testing things out."
Circe sighed, her eyes glinting dangerously. "It seems you're taking me far too lightly, boy…"
With a lazy flick of her fingers, she snapped. The sound was sharp—like a spark igniting dry air. A split second later, the ground beneath Lucian erupted in a towering pillar of roaring flame. The inferno consumed him instantly, spiraling upward in a blazing column that lit up the entire illusory beach.
When the flames finally subsided, the sand where he'd stood had fused into molten glass, still glowing faintly from the heat. Yet there was no sign of Lucian.
Circe raised a brow. "Oh? Did I overdo it?" she mused—until her instincts screamed. She looked up sharply, her eyes catching the sight of Lucian descending from above like a falling star. His fist was ablaze with black flames intertwined with writhing curse energy, the sheer heat distorting the air around him.
He slammed his fist down upon her barrier, and the impact sent out a thunderous shockwave. The air crackled with raw power as black and blue energy rippled violently across the shield's surface, leaving streaks of distortion in its wake.
For a heartbeat, it almost looked as if her defense would give way—but instead, Lucian was thrown backward, flipping through the air before landing lightly on his feet.
"Just how strong is that barrier…" he muttered, clicking his tongue in frustration.
Circe covered a yawn with one hand, entirely unfazed. "I'm growing bored here, you know," she said in a mocking tone. "Hmm… I can't help but wonder, 'In which dress would you look prettiest in?' I have too many options and combinations to choose from"
Lucian groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Honestly, being annoying must really run in our bloodline," he grumbled. Then his grin sharpened, his voice dropping an octave as he whispered darkly, "Fine then. You want interesting? I'll give you interesting."
He raised his hand, his tone shifting into something heavy—unnatural. Each word that left his lips carried the weight of curse, twisting the air itself. "Shatter Barrier."
The words struck with malicious intent. Circe blinked as faint cracks began to spread across her once-pristine shield, spiderwebbing outward in an eerie pattern. In another instant, the barrier fractured entirely, disintegrating into shards of light that faded like broken glass.
Before she could react, several dark magic circles flared into existence around her, rotating rapidly. They ignited with dark crimson light, and from within them, weapons began to manifest—swords, spears, jagged blades, all crafted from concentrated magic and curses. They launched forward in a storm of lethal precision, each one aimed directly for her.
But Circe didn't even flinch. She simply snapped her fingers. A pulse of magic rippled outward from the sound—soft, elegant, yet absolute.
In an instant, every weapon, every glowing circle dissolved into a swarm of shimmering butterflies. The battlefield was suddenly filled with fluttering wings, the curses harmlessly transformed into fragile, glimmering creatures that scattered on the wind.
Circe smirked, brushing an invisible speck of dust from her shoulder. "You mixed your curse power with your charmspeak," she said approvingly. "A unique idea… but it'll take more than that to genuinely impress me. You've made things interesting, I'll admit—but not yet impressive."
Lucian chuckled, eyes glinting mischievously. "Oh, don't count me out yet." He extended a hand toward the butterflies and said smoothly, "Come to me."
The command rolled out like velvet, woven with the power of charm. The butterflies paused midair, then turned in unison, wings gleaming with a faint black tint as they obediently drifted toward Lucian. One by one, they sank into his shadow, disappearing entirely beneath his feet.
Lucian smirked up at Circe. "I have to say," he began casually, "your resort really is beautiful."
Circe tilted her head, a flicker of confusion in her eyes—until she felt the ground tremble beneath her. Her gaze snapped downward, widening in alarm.
"But if I had to give one complaint…" Lucian's grin turned feral as he raised a finger and snapped, "It's that it's plagued by a bug infestation."
The earth split apart with a sickening crunch. From the sand, monstrous centipedes, beetles, and other grotesque insects burst forth, their bodies swollen and twisted by curse energy. Their screeches filled the air as their forms writhed—limbs bending at impossible angles, shells gleaming with black ichor, eyes glowing like molten emeralds.
"Ewww!!" the girls behind Lucian cried out in disgust, shrinking behind Annabeth's barrier. "That's so gross!"
"I have to agree," Circe said with a grimace, twisting through the air as the cursed insects lunged toward her. She moved gracefully, gliding above the sand as the creatures snapped and clawed.
With a casual sweep of her arm, she unleashed a burst of magic. The nearest monsters exploded into showers of green blood and shards of their own shells. Her expression twisted slightly in distaste. "Disgusting."
Then she flicked her wrist again. A roaring tidal wave of fire surged across the battlefield, consuming everything in its path. The smell of burning chitin filled the air as the cursed insects were reduced to ash.
Lucian hovered through the air, dark energy swirling around him. He fired bolts of crackling power down at Circe, each one powerful enough to leave craters where it struck. Yet Circe simply danced through the storm of destruction, weaving through the air with effortless grace, the firelight reflecting off her hair as she deflected and countered every assault.
The illusionary beach had become a blazing battlefield—sand turned to glass, air thick with heat and magic—and both combatants now stood ready to escalate beyond playfulness.
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