Chaos

The tension in the chamber was chaotic. The feeling of fury crackling in the air as Erik and Mia faced off against Valeria's member. The members of the Dreadshade Coven were livid, their eyes burning with hatred at the sight of Erik and Mia daring to attack their leader. Valeria hovered above, her wings spread wide and look at the two young warriors with bright golden eyes.

For Mia, the rage had been building for days and it festering with every second of Valeria's smug attitude. And now, after hearing Valeria's words when she once again broke their promise and treat them like trash, she had finally snapped.

She lunging without thinking. She hadn't planned on fighting half the Coven, but here they were. However, Erik's next move made her feel just a bit better.

Erik didn't hesitate. He hadn't bothered with words, there was no point anymore. The moment Netharos unleashed that blast of dark energy, Erik had dodged and counterattacked without missing a beat, charging at the nearest Coven member with speed that caught them off guard.

Without their weapons it was a just a barehanded brawl, but Erik thrived in that chaos. His fist crashed into the side of a guard's face and sending the man sprawling few meters backward. The sound of bone cracking echoed through the chamber but Erik was already moving to the next target, ducking a sword slash and ramming his elbow into the attacker's ribs.

Seeing Erik dive headfirst into the fight Mia felt a surge of adrenaline. She didn't need her weapons her fists would do just fine, just like Erik.

The Dreadshade Coven had no idea what they were dealing with. All the training and trials they'd endured had sharpened them both. She could feel the power in her muscles and her heightened awareness in every movement.

Now, with their Attributes boosted by 10, Erik and Mia was moving faster and hitting harder. They outmaneuvering every enemy that came at him.

A flurry of strikes from a blade-wielding guard came his way but Erik dodged with ease. He landed a brutal punch to the man's gut, following it with a swift kick that sent him flying across the chamber.

"Is that all you've got?!" Erik taunted, his breath heavy but steady, the fire in his eyes daring them to try again.

Mia leaped into the fray beside her. Her anger manifesting in each devastating blow.

She grabbed one of the Coven members by the arm and slammed him into the stone floor, the impact reverberating through the room. Another guard came at her from behind but Mia spun with lightning speed and catching his wrist mid-swing then twisting it until the weapon clattered to the ground. With a savage uppercut, she knocked him out cold.

The Dreadshade Cover members were skilled but Erik and Mia were relentless. Every move they made was calculated and precise, enhanced by the raw strength flowing through their bodies.

Erik dodged another blast of dark magic, using the momentum to land a knee to the ribs of a nearby guard, while Mia move beside him and incapacitating one attacker after another.

Valeria watched from above, her golden eyes glowing with intense light.

"Enough!" she bellowed.

But Erik and Mia weren't stopping. They had been pushed too far.

Netharos snarled as he hurled another bolt of magic at Erik but Erik sidestepped it, again.

Erik dashed forward and finally reached Netharos, the distance between them disappearing in a heartbeat. Netharos seeing Erik's approach stopped firing his bolts of dark magic. Instead, the sorcerer clenched his fists, meeting Erik's charge head-on.

Their fists collided with a thunderous impact. The force of it sending shockwaves through the chamber. The air seemed to ripple around them.

For a moment, they stood locked in a test of strength. Erik's muscles tensed as he pressed forward, his eyes still burning with fury. But he wasn't done.

With blinding speed, Erik launched his other fist, a devastating punch aimed directly at Netharos' face. The strike was faster than Netharos had anticipated. His eyes widened in surprise as he realized too late that his body couldn't keep up. His reflexes weren't fast enough to block it.

BUAGH!

Erik's fist connected squarely with Netharos' jaw, the impact sending him flying to the side. His body slammed into the stone wall with a sickening crash, cracks splintering out from the point of impact. Dust and debris rained down as Netharos crumpled to the ground, dazed.

Erik stepped forward intending on finishing him off. But before he could deliver the final blow, a shadow descended from above.

WUSSH!

Valeria landed in front of him, her golden eyes blazing. Without a word, she spun and delivered a powerful kick to Erik's chest.

THUD!

The force of the blow launched Erik backward, his body hurtling through the air before crashing against the chamber floor, skidding to a halt several feet away.

Valeria stood with her wings still spread wide as she look at Erik and Mia.

"Enough of this!" she said. "You can't win against us. You'll only get yourselves killed here!"

Mia glared at Valeria with fire in her eyes. "I don't fucking care anymore!" she shouted back.

Her eyes quickly flicked to Erik, who was already back on his feet, grimacing but still able to stand on his own. He was alright. They both were. And they weren't going to back down here.

"If we die here," Mia growled, taking a step forward, her gaze fixed on Valeria with an intensity that could have melted stone, "then so be it. But we'll make sure we take you down with us."

The raw fury in her voice hung thick in the air. Valeria's confident posture faltered for a brief moment, her jaw tightening. She swallowed her saliva involuntarily. She could see it in their eyes, the ferociousness and the bloodlust. These weren't just two desperate souls fighting for survival. They were willing to go down in flames if it meant taking her with them.

Valeria's gaze shifted between the two of them. They were somehow stronger than she had anticipated and the intensity of their resolve sent a chill down her spine. If they kept pushing like this they could really ruin everything she had worked for.

Her mind raced, calculating the risk. She couldn't afford to lose control now.

After a tense moment, Valeria exhaled sharply.

"Alright," she said. She stretched out her hand and in an instant a small bottle appeared in her palm, filled with a thick, swirling black liquid. The cure.

"This is what you want, isn't it?" Valeria said. "The cure for the curse of your brother."

Mia's glare remained unwavering, her muscles tensing. Erik stood in his place with his eyes locked on the bottle, but neither of them made a move. Not yet. Not until they were sure.

Valeria held the bottle out, her voice softening just enough to feign sincerity.

"I will give you the cure but this is will just half healed your brother. You will follow through with what I need if you want the full cure."

Erik and Mia exchanged glances. At this point, this is the best they can have. They didn't even plan this ahead and it turns out, the chaos they created made Valeria falter.

---