"Mike, listen to me!" Christina's voice persisted. "Fight back! You're stronger than this. Don't let him consume you!"
"I'm not who you think I am!" the possessed Mike declared, his voice dripping with malevolence. "I am Jran! And if you disturb me again, I'll find you and destroy your world!"
"Don't you dare!" Christina retorted. "You shameless monster, you dare threaten me while possessing my friend's body!"
"I'm going to kill you! I promise," the possessed Mike snapped. Each word was filled with pain, and beneath the surface, the real Mike struggled to reclaim control.
"Mike, I know you can hear me. Remember your promise – you'll come back to us."
Her words must've struck a chord because, for an instant, the possessed Mike's wavered. Jran's grip on his host's body began to slip.
Christina sensed the shift and pressed her advantage. "I don't want to lose you, Mike. I love you," she said.
Her profession seemed to shatter the darkness, sending shivers down Mike's spine. Amidst the excruciating pain, he felt himself being pulled toward the light.
The resentful soul's malevolent presence began to recede, and his agony started to subside. As the fog cleared, Mike's consciousness stirred. His thoughts, once shrouded in darkness, slowly reasserted themselves.
The battle for control had reached its turning point. And with Christina's love as his anchor, Mike began to regain control of his body.
Domra, sensing Mike's momentary vulnerability, lunged forward with malicious intent. However, his attack was thwarted by an unexpected intervention.
A powerful force, seemingly from nowhere, intercepted his assault, sending him hurtling toward the direction of the roofless chamber.
Mike, now fully regained control of his faculties, spun around to confront his would-be assailant. Instead, his gaze met a female Anthropter approaching him with purpose.
Her lips curved into a smile as her piercing eyes locked onto Mike's. "Pleasure meeting you, my Jyuran," she said, her voice melodious.
Mike poised to attack, eyeing her from head to toe.
"I am Miram, Djuma's daughter," she introduced herself even before Mike could inquire about her identity.
Mike's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh! It's you," he exclaimed. "Djuma told me about you."
Miram's brown wings beat steadily, generating a powerful gust of wind. Her gaze swept the surroundings, vigilant for potential threats.
"We should depart immediately, my Jyuran," she urged. "Follow me." She turned and dashed into the sky.
Though Mike still had his doubts, he had no choice but to trust and follow her. After all, she saved him from his enemy moments ago. His gaze lingered on Domra, his sharp eyesight tracking the warriors' commander's recovery from the unexpected blow.
Memories of the possession flooded back, and Mike realized he hadn't been completely unconscious during the ordeal.
A part of him had remained aware, trapped, and powerless, witnessing the chaos wrought by Jran's malevolent influence.
Christina's voice echoed in his mind, the catalyst that had stirred his resolve to reclaim control. Her words had pierced the darkness, rekindling his determination to overcome the possession.
"I love you… I love you… I love you…" Christina's confession began to ring in his head. His cheeks flushed, and a wild, sheepish grin spread across his face as he reminisced the moment.
"My Jyuran! What are you waiting for?"
Miram's melodious voice interrupted his reverie.
Mike's attention snapped back to the present. He turned toward Miram, whose figure was silhouetted against the sky.
"Let's go now before they come!" she exhorted.
Mike's wings, until now beating slowly, suddenly spread wide and, with an incredible downward stroke, sped upward. The wind rushed past him as he closed the distance between him and the female Anthropter.
Though he didn't have the chance to get a better view of the kingdom, he knew he'd have a chance in the future. Right now, only one thought dominates his mind: survival.
As they flew, Mike cast a glance at Miram. "Thanks for the rescue," he said, his voice carried away by the wind.
Miram's smile faltered for an instant, her eyes flashing with a hint of concern. "We're not safe yet," she cautioned. "Dahra won't give up easily."
"Don't worry, I'll be ready for him," Mike said.
Miram nodded and surged forward, increasing her speed. She pierced the veil of the blue fog descending, its misty tendrils swirling around her wings.
Mike followed closely, his wings beating in perfect sync with Miram's. The fog enveloped him, shrouding the world in an impenetrable azure haze.
****
"What's happening over there?" Rachael asked curiously.
Christina's face lit up with a radiant smile. "Good news, guys! Mike has overcome Jran's soul. And he's met Djuma's daughter, Miram," she announced.
"Are you for real?" Stefan asked, scanning Christina's face for verification.
Christina nodded fervently. "It's true! He has broken free from bastard's grasp. I assume he's flying away from Dahra's abode right now."
Stefan exhaled a deep sigh of relief, his shoulders sagging. "That's a relief, I was worried sick," he muttered. "I love how you professed your love for him earlier. Dammit, it's so romantic!"
Christina's cheeks flushed and she quickly avoided his gaze. "I just did everything I could to save him," she scoffed, attempting nonchalance. "There's nothing more to it."
"I doubt that," Stefan said, his gaze mischievous. "You looked so sincere when you confessed your love, almost shedding emotional tears. Are you sure there's nothing more to it?"
He tried to make eye contact with her again, but Christina continued to evade his gaze. Her face grew hotter, her composure slipping.
"I...I just want him to be safe," she stammered.
But Stefan's not buying it. "Is... that all?" he pressed. However, Rachael's intense glare struck him, instantly silencing his playful demeanor.
"This is no time to joke around," she reprimanded, her expression stern. "Gladly, Mike is free from the worst, but do you think Dahra would give up on his father?"
"No way," Stefan replied. "According to Djuma, the bond between them is more complex than we can ever imagine. The chase is inevitable."
*****
Dahra rose from his throne, his face twisted in displeasure as he heard Domra's words.
"You lost him!?" he roared, his voice shaking the very foundations of the chamber.
Domra cringed, his explanation tumbling out in a desperate bid to mitigate his lord's wrath. "He had the wrong idea about our intention, he thought you'd ordered him to be killed."
"What? That's ridiculous!" Dahra said. "Why would I want to harm my father? What have you done, Domra?"
Domra collapsed to the ground. "We did as you ordered, my lord," he said. "But we were wrong... your father was in absolute control of the human's body. I lost fifteen of my men in the gory fight... none of us could lay a hand on him."
"Where is he now?" Dahra demanded. "If my father was in control of the human body, he would have been here already to punish me... why is he not here yet?"
"He managed to escape, my lord. I had been on the verge of taking action when I witnessed him wrestling with the human's soul, desperately seeking to reclaim control, but..."
"But what!?"
"... a mysterious female witch emerged from nowhere, launching a surprise attack against me. I was caught off guard, swiftly overwhelmed, and… and before I could recover, she had escaped with him."
Dahra's footsteps halted abruptly, his gaze pinning Domra with an unnerving intensity. "Do you mean another witch?" he asked, his glowing eyes boring into Domra's very soul.
Domra nodded cautiously, sensing the volatility of his lord's mood.
"I don't know where she came from, but judging by the magnitude of her power, she's a young and inexperienced witch," he explained.
"I can take her down, my lord, of course with some of your powers," he added.
A calculating glint sparked in Dahra's eyes. With a fluid motion, he swept toward the thrones and settled into one, his dark aura pulsating around him.
A tendril of shadowy energy broke off, snaking toward Domra. The dark aura shot into Domra's nostrils, and his eyes flared with an otherworldly red glow. His body tensed as he absorbed the power.
"Do whatever it takes to bring my father back. I won't condone any failure this time."
Domra rose from the floor, his red glowing eyes dimming slightly as he processed Dahra's order. With a deep bow, he vanished into the night, his form blurring as he burst into incredible speed.
Dahra's gaze lingered on the empty space, his thoughts consumed by the pursuit of his father. His power, now coursing through Domra's veins, would ensure success–or may not.
However, in any case, failure was no longer an option.
In the darkness outside, Domra's wings beat with renewed ferocity, driven by the dark energy coursing through him.
His eyes blazed with an unnatural hunger, focused solely on capturing his target and crushing the mysterious young witch who dared to intervene.
The night had just become a lot more deadly; the pursuit was about to begin.