Page 39 of The Last Knight

The fools, the more they fought, the tighter the hold would become.

Stepping over the struggling Torants, he took a few steps before snapping his fingers again, satisfied at the sound of them gulping in air.

He looked over his shoulder at the Torants, who were too weak to stand. “Do you really think you can kill me?”

Neither responded, they were too busy coughing and sputtering.

“There is much to do,” the darkness hissed. “Together we will conquer realms”

His lips curved. But it wasn’t him, Gunther realized. He was being overshadowed by the many who were the darkness.

“We will go to war against the Yorians, yes, but there is another realm that is more exciting. The human realm. You have gained access; it is time for us to test our powers there.”

“No.” Gunther pushed both hands against his temples. “I will not.”

“We can, and we will,” the darkness said. “We have been waiting for our powers to be this strong so that we can finally conquer the ultimate realm. We will be the most powerful ruler to exist.”

“I will not.” Gunther fought against the dark thoughts with all his strength.

What had he done?

Allowing the darkness even a sliver of freedom had been a fatal mistake. Now it surged through him like poison in his veins, seizing control inch by inch. The thing inside him was no longer content to lurk in edges of his subconscious. Instead, it was becoming dominant. And soon…it would devour him completely.

Clenching his jaw, Gunther squeezed his eyes shut and fought back, pushing against the suffocating tide of malevolence with every shred of his will. For a fleeting second, he gained the upper hand, but the hold was paper-thin, fragile as glass. He could feel it cracking.

“Aubrey…” His voice was raw, strangled. “H-Help me…”

Something like a gut punch struck and he let out a gasp. He staggered, collapsing against the cold, stark throne, not to sit upon it, but to keep himself upright. He didn’t want to rule. Especially not this place. Not the Dark Realm, where evil slithered through the air and shadows became his traitors.

This was a war he could never win alone. But alone he was, surrounded by creatures who thrived on death and destruction, haunted by the monster clawing its way out from within him.

His body convulsed, muscles trembling with the strain. Sweat slicked his brow. His vision blurred. The darkness wasn’t just inside him—it was everywhere, seeping from the walls, curling across the floor like smoke, alive with hunger.

And then he broke.

Gunther let out a ragged moan as his legs gave out. He hit the floor hard, the impact jolting the breath from his lungs. Crawling with the last of his strength, he dragged himself behind a long, ancient sideboard hoping to hide from anyone coming in with plans to kill him.

Silence fell…but it wasn’t peace. It was triumph.

The darkness coiled through the chamber, pulsing with malevolent glee. Misty tendrils slithered through the air, celebrating their release.

The human had been strong. But not strong enough.

And once set free…

Evil never returned to its cage.