The Battle

The tension in the air was palpable as David and his group stood just within the barrier Marcus had placed around them. The red line of protection glowed faintly, a fragile shield between them and the ominous figures that had appeared just outside its perimeter.

Namaah stood with an air of supreme confidence, her semitransparent veil fluttering slightly in the night breeze, revealing the black rose tattoo entwined with a snake on her shoulder. But it wasn't just Namaah that sent a shiver down David's spine. Beside her stood a towering figure, a Death Knight clad in dark, twisted armor that seemed to absorb the light around him. His eyes, or what remained of them, glowed with an eerie red. In his hands, he held two crossed blades, each one an artifact of immense power.

Marcus's eyes narrowed as he took in the sight of the Death Knight. "Borah…" he muttered under his breath. The name alone carried weight, a name that once inspired fear and respect across the island. Borah had been one of the most formidable warriors of the Iron Temple, a temple known for its mastery of anti-magic techniques, designed specifically to counter the powers of mages. But now, he was a puppet of the Black Temple, bound to Namaah's will.

"This is bad," Marcus said, turning to David and the others. "That's Borah, one of the Iron Temple's most famous warriors, now twisted into a Death Knight by Namaah. This fight won't be easy."

David still reeling from the events that had unfolded moments ago, stared at the two enemies in disbelief. Lisa, their friend and ally, now stood outside the barrier, her body and mind under Namaah's control. Sarah's life was still in danger, and the weight of it all pressed heavily on David's shoulders.

Marcus glanced back at the group. "Listen to me carefully," he said, his voice firm and commanding. "Don't leave the barrier. It's your only protection. I'll engage Namaah and Borah, but your task, David, is to stop Lisa. She's beyond reason now, but you have to find a way to break Namaah's hold on her and save Sarah"

Namaah, overhearing Marcus's words, let out a laugh—cold, mocking, and filled with cruel amusement. "You really think you can save her?" she taunted. "Everything is under my control, Marcus. These seedlings are mine to do with as I please."

David's jaw clenched in anger, but before he could react, Namaah's hands moved in a fluid, graceful motion, casting a spell that sent a strange, visible spirit-like entity from her body. The spirit crossed the barrier with ease, slipping past its protective magic as if it wasn't there. It drifted toward Lisa, merging with her without resistance.

Marcus's face hardened as he watched the spirit fuse with Lisa. "She's made it worst," he said, his voice grim. "I need to act fast."

Without another word, Marcus stepped outside the barrier, his presence alone causing the air to hum with energy. But as he prepared to engage Namaah and Borah, he knew he couldn't afford to be distracted. One misstep, and either Namaah or Borah would break through and slaughter David's group while he was preoccupied. 

Lisa, once their trusted ally, now stood with a blade pressed against Sarah's throat. Her eyes were completely black, the dark aura surrounding her growing thicker, more malevolent. Something was horribly wrong. Desperately, David activated his Observation skill, hoping to understand what was happening to her. But what he saw sent a chill through his entire being. Lisa's HP was steadily dropping, and her status effects showed she was under the influence of a powerful mind control spell. But there was something else—a dark curse, pulsing within her, feeding off her life force.

As the skill took hold, a stream of information flooded David's mind, and his blood ran cold as he read the results:

Black Clone: Possession.

The target becomes a temporary host for the caster's clone. All stats + 1/10 of the caster's attributes. Can only be stopped by the caster. Consume target's life force. 

David's heart pounded as the implications sank in. Lisa was no longer just under mind control; she was being used as a vessel for Namaah herself. The aura around Lisa was darker, more menacing, and as David looked closer, he could see that her movements, her smile—they were no longer hers. They belonged to Namaah.

Lisa, or rather the entity that now controlled her, turned her gaze toward David, a twisted smile curling her lips. The resemblance to Namaah was uncanny, sending a chill down his spine.

"How do you do, darling?" she purred, her voice a perfect mimicry of Namaah's, laced with venomous charm. "I've been looking for you."

David's breath caught in his throat. This wasn't the Lisa he knew. This was something darker, something that wore Lisa's face but bore Namaah's soul. He glanced at Sarah, still held hostage, the blade threatening her life. His mission was clear—save Sarah. But how could he do that without endangering her further? 

Behind him, Marcus's battle with Borah and Namaah began in earnest. The clash of powerful forces reverberated through the air, but David's focus was on the nightmare unfolding within the barrier. 

"Lisa," David called out, his voice tense but steady. "What do you want? Why are you doing this to us?"

For a moment, Lisa's eyes flickered with something—perhaps a memory, or a trace of the person she once was—but it was quickly snuffed out by the darkness that had taken hold of her. A cold, cruel laugh escaped her lips, the sound chilling David to the core.

"What do I want?" Lisa, or rather Namaah, said in a mocking tone, her voice dripping with malice. "Isn't it obvious, darling?"

"Why us?" David pressed, hoping to keep her talking while he searched for a way to save Sarah. "What's this all about?"

Lisa, or rather Namaah, smiled—a slow, wicked smile that sent shivers down David's spine. She took a step closer to him, her eyes narrowing with a predatory gleam.

"The amulet," she whispered, her voice filled with dark satisfaction. "That's all this is about. The Amulet of Origin." 

David's heart skipped a beat. The amulet? The one he'd found in the ruins? He didn't even know what it was, but it was clear that Namaah did—and that she was willing to go to any lengths to get it.

"You can't have it," David said, his voice firm, though he felt a deep fear rising within him. This wasn't just about survival anymore. This was about something far bigger—something that Namaah was desperate to obtain.

Lisa laughed again, a sound devoid of any humanity. "You don't understand, do you? It's not a matter of what I can or can't have. It's already mine."