Second Act: Love Kills [5]

In the dim, candle-lit silence of the magic research tower.

Maya's body floated, suspended within the love-shaped magic circle etched into the floor.

Her unconscious form hovered just above the ground, her limbs loose, and her head lolled to one side, the pale glow of the magic circle casting her in a ghostly light.

Suddenly, a tremor rippled through her, a low, pulsating surge of energy that seemed to come from deep within.

Her eyes shot open, blank and empty, as an immense force built around her, twisting and churning like a storm contained.

Then, with a sonic click that sounded like the crack of breaking glass, a torrent of dark, swirling spirits burst forth, spiraling around her in a whirlwind of shadowed wraiths.

The pressure wave that followed detonated outward in a dark purple blast, knocking Professor Jacob backward with ferocious force.