Suddenly A Succubus Ch. 39

Late last year, Chloé found a small note-taking app in her search to organize her volunteer efforts. Her poor memory had always been a frustrating weakness, and her phone was cluttered with dozens of calendar alerts designed to keep her focused. A weekly alarm for hormone shots, a monthly alarm for the phone bill, and myriad other one-off events for anything and everything else.

Hanging out with friends? Event. Meeting with a teacher? Event. Day off with absolutely no plans? Three events, without which she would forget to eat.

One of the most important events was the weekly call she scheduled with her parents. While she hated talking to them, they had a habit of aggressively looking into her life when they thought she was ignoring them. She'd learned this the hard way when college had started; they had visited without warning on the assumption that her silence was proof of a new drug habit, or something similarly sinister. Their accusations changed from month to month, normally in accordance with whatever conspiracy theory was being floated on the news they watched.

The note-taking app had been the perfect partner for her myriad alerts. Calendar events were great for setting alarms, but they weren't great repositories of information. Her app, however, essentially let her build a wiki about her life. She could type as much as she wanted, link pages within other pages, even create tables and charts when needed.

There were countless pages dedicated to her volunteer efforts, with an entire subsection for her charity app. Her schoolwork had its own section, with pages for in-class notes and writing assignments. That section also had a secret page that held her poorly written fanfics. She had pages for all her friends, filled with small reminders about birthdays, favorite foods, relationship webs, and countless other facts she had trouble remembering. Today's events had forced her to add new headings to her friends' pages: superpowers.

The word left a strange taste in her mouth now that she knew how real magic was.

Amara was a succubus. She could shapeshift, control fire, and had super-strength. Massive wings allowed her to fly, but personal trauma prevented her from doing so.

Vee was an angel. She could bless items of religious significance, create light, and summon small angelic constructs. Her powers were the hardest for Chloé to understand; on paper, it seemed like Vee was theoretically capable of anything. For some reason, however, she had repeatedly stressed that she was weaker than Amara.

Tessa was a witch with mild telekinetic abilities. Her biggest asset to the party, as far as Chloé could tell, was her vast knowledge of the runic language of magic.

These new sections had been slowly filled out over the last few hours, in between her assigned work. With the campus under siege, her friends needed to focus on battle strategies, which left no time to wrangle the crowd of panicked students that had been inadvertently wrapped up in the chaos. According to Amara, Chloé's volunteer experience made her the perfect person to touch base with all the other students.

After creating a new section in her notes app, she'd held brief interviews with each and every student presently hiding out in the cafeteria. They all got their own pages, and she did her best to record how they felt about the day's events. Most of the students were shocked and confused, unsurprisingly, and several of them had gotten injured in the earlier chaos; despite Amara and Vee's best efforts, one reaper had gotten loose on campus. Thankfully, Nick and Tessa had been able to guide students to safety while mostly avoiding the beast.

After interviewing everyone, Chloé shared her results with the rest of the group, who briefly helped her calm down some of the more excited students. Afterwards, they retreated to a corner to plan their final assault on Brandon.

Chloé didn't fully understand why she was present for that particular conversation and tried to convince herself they weren't including her out of pity. She stayed quiet for most of it, watching them debate the merits of their different plans. Despite the fact that they were debating the best way to take down a mad cultist and save the campus, they seemed incredibly composed.

God, they're all so cool. Do they know how cool they are? I mean, they've been secretly protecting the campus for months. Why do they even bother being friends with me? I mean, what am I good for? Organizing groups of people? Wow, what a power. All my friends get to fight monsters and save the world, and I'll be known for my ability to take notes.

Ugh.

Who am I kidding? I won't be known for anything. What's worth remembering about me?

Despite Amara's insistence to the contrary, Chloé was having trouble seeing her earlier task as anything other than busy work. She reminded herself time after time that talking to everyone was helpful, it kept them from panicking, but it felt so quaint in the shadow of the literal tear in reality just outside the window.

Before long, it was time for the fight to begin. Tessa was spinning her switchblade around in her hand, examining the magic runes she'd just finished applying. After some additional feeding, Amara was practically glowing with power and presence. Vee was leafing through pages in, if Chloé remembered correctly, an incredibly powerful angelic artifact that held thousands of years' worth of Enochian magic. She had briefly left the cafeteria to grab it from her home, which had worried Amara considerably.

Chloé planted her hands on the table, jumped to her feet, and walked over to them.

"--and there were no problems getting your book, Vee?" Amara asked as Chloé walked within earshot.

Vee shook her head. "No, he's got the reapers glued to the quad, presumably to keep him safe. Thankfully, all the school buildings are blocking the view from the streets nearby, so I don't think anyone has noticed the portal yet. Tess, how's the dagger?"

"I mean, as good as it's gonna get. There's only one way to test it out, sadly. You might only get one shot at this, Vee, so make that fucker bleed."

As Tessa and Vee started talking about the knife, Amara looked over at Chloé. "Hey, Chloé, how are you holding up?"

"I'm... good. I guess," Chloé muttered, looking around at everyone. "Is there anything I can do to help? I don't really have anything else to do here, I've already talked to everyone, and I hate the thought of you fighting that cultist all on your own."

Amara stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Chloé. "We'll be okay. I promise."

Chloé returned the favor, hugging Amara tighter than she'd ever hugged anyone before. She took a deep breath, fighting to hold back tears as she spoke. "I-it just looks really scary out there, and I don't want to see you get hurt again!"

"Hey, look at me," Amara whispered. Chloé pulled away to look deep into Amara's glowing amber eyes. "We're stronger than we look, and the last time I fought Brandon, I was running on fumes. Besides, even if there were something you could do, I would still ask you to sit this out. Brandon's certifiably insane, and he won't hesitate to hurt you if given the chance."

No response sprang to mind, and instead Chloé buried her face in Amara's shoulder again. She squeezed Amara tightly, scared to let her go. After a minute, Nick walked closer and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"C'mon, Chloé, it's time for them to go," he said. "I'm here too, don't forget. There's no shame in leaving the fighting to the people with the strength to hold their own."

With a sniff, Chloé wiped away her tears with her sleeve. She ran over to Vee and Tessa, hugging them both tight while she still had a chance. "Good luck, everyone," she managed to say. Nick said his goodbyes as well, and with nothing left to prepare, Amara, Vee, and Tessa walked out of the cafeteria.

Watching them leave, Amara's words rattled around in Chloé's head.

"Even if there were something you could do, I would still ask you to sit this out."

She knew what Amara meant, and tried to convince herself the words were well-intentioned, but she couldn't help but fixate on them. In her own way, Amara had admitted that Chloé was useless.

Is she right? Am I still nothing, after all this?

She clenched her fists and shook her head.

No.

There's got to be something I can do.

---

Chill winter winds raced between the buildings of Aurelius University as Vee stepped outside. She pulled her scarf tight as the crisp air bit at her face, and she allowed herself a quick glance at Amara. She wore nothing but her chitinous exoskeleton, her demonic blood rendering her completely immune to the frigid weather. Memories of cuddling for warmth in Purgatory resurfaced, and Vee regretted that they couldn't share that warmth again now.

She redoubled her grip on her Enochian Texts. Its magic would hopefully help her stand against the reapers, and she was optimistic about their battleground. Their last big fight, the ritual, had been in a cramped, hidden basement underneath campus, whereas now they had the entire quad at their disposal. Ideally, the extra space would enable her to keep her distance while Amara drew the reapers' attention.

Of course, she would need to dive in eventually.

Even inside her pocket, the cold metal of Tessa's switchblade was hard to ignore. It was heavier than its weight, and Vee's nerves fluttered as she thought about the responsibility she held. This knife might very well be the only thing that could stop Brandon, and it was up to her to pick the time to strike.

Shaking her head, she pulled herself away from her thoughts and looked at her friends.

"How are you feeling, Amara?" she asked.

Amara clenched her fists, her chitinous gauntlets smoldering as they clicked together. "Ready to tear that fucker limb from limb."

As they walked down the steps beside the cafeteria, Vee watched more of Amara's exoskeleton appear. Blackened plates grew from her body with flurries of hellfire, and her feet arched as thick talons appeared.

"Just try to stay focused, alright?" Tessa said. "We all know how emotional you get when you're like this, but you need to keep a level head and stick to the plan."

"Please, I was way more juiced up the night of the ritual, and that plan went off without a hitch."

"This is more personal, though. Brandon's been a thorn in your side for months." Vee stepped closer, grabbing Amara's arm to get her attention. "I know you blame yourself for all this, but it's not your fault."

Amara stopped walking and looked back at Vee, her eyes burning with rage. "If I'd killed him that night, none of this would be happening."

Vee stared back for a moment before releasing her grip. It was difficult seeing Amara like this, but she knew there was nothing more to say. Instead, she found herself wondering just how much of Amara's personality was tied to her hellfire, or lack thereof.

We spent all that time together in Purgatory, but she was slowly starving. Would those conversations have been possible had she been fully sated?

Ugh, this isn't the time.

You can figure out your friendship once Brandon is out of the picture. Besides, she hasn't had a chance to figure herself out yet; she's been too busy fighting for her life ever since her transformation started.

The three of them stepped off the staircase and were now level with the quad. Tessa looked at the group, nodded, then walked off to find a place to hide and watch. Amara's wings reappeared, and she began stretching as they stared at the field just a few dozen feet away. The heat felt amazing as it washed over Vee, and she took a moment to walk in front of Amara.

"Hey, whatever happens out there... I'm really happy we're friends again. There's no one in the world I'd rather be doing this with." Vee reached up and gently grabbed the back of Amara's neck, smiling as she did.

Amara returned the favor, pulling their foreheads together. "Us against the future, right?"

Vee nodded, closing her eyes as she let herself savor this last moment of peace. "Us against the future."

With a resolute nod, they stepped away from each other. Vee opened her Enochian Texts, magically bound them to her offhand, then summoned her angelic mace. It glimmered with radiant power as she spun it around, and she took a deep breath to prepare herself. She released the breath, and with it, one last prayer. Magic rushed through her, heightening her senses and strengthening her body. She jumped side to side, adjusting to the shift in perspective, then nodded with approval. With one last look at Amara, they started towards the quad.

The cold grass crunched under Vee's feet as she stepped onto the field. Thick blankets of fog obscured the ground, roiling and billowing away from its source; the rip between dimensions that grew larger with each passing minute. Air shimmered around it, pulsing with unnatural energy as it struggled to pass between the campus and Purgatory. Its complete lack of refinement was obvious, even to Vee. It shuddered and pulsed unnaturally as it grew, and she had a feeling Brandon was forcing it to exist through the most brutish means imaginable. There was no elegance, no complex web of runic symbols, just a lone madman desperately tearing holes in reality with power he didn't deserve or understand.

Three reapers slowly circled the portal, occasionally twitching and shaking with discomfort. Vee hoped that, away from Purgatory, their strength would be diminished.

In the center of it all, silhouette scattered and stuttering, was Brandon.

A wave of infernal heat pulsed from Amara, and she crouched down to start sprinting across the field. She moved faster with each step, her tail darting back and forth to keep her steady, and fire began to swirl around her feet. The flames shrank, condensing on a single point before exploding with incredible force, catapulting Amara towards Brandon.

Moments before impact, a ghastly form inside Brandon turned to look at her, and he raised an arm. His translucent, skeletal hand shimmered, and a reaper darted forward to intercept Amara's attack. A loud crack appeared on the creature's arm as it roared in pain, and another reaper leapt at Amara with a similar cry of its own. Its tail lashed out, but with another burst of hellfire, Amara spun and caught it. She kicked the second reaper down to the ground, returned its aggressive scream with one of her own, and continued her assault.

Vee was terrified for Amara, but she had a feeling her demonic friend didn't share the sentiment; having now seen Amara in multiple fights of this scale, it was obvious she reveled in the thrill of combat. Hellfire surrounded her as she began darting and weaving around the three reapers, sticking to the plan and keeping them distracted. Vee lost track of what happened next; Amara moved with such ferocity that it was hard to follow her movements exactly.

On the far side of the quad, a soft choir of otherworldly music floated from Vee's lips as she prepared more magic. As the first prayer finished, a burst of light appeared on the grass in front of her, its shape resembling her own. She repeated this several more times, creating multiple copies of herself in different spots across the field before turning to a different page.

She read aloud a familiar passage, summoning a barrage of Enochian arrows, and launched them at Brandon. They soared through the air with an angelic hum, but at the last second, Brandon forced a reaper to intercept the attack. Her arrows collided with the tattered wings of the beast before vanishing entirely.

Hardly surprised, she readied another volley as she repositioned herself. This time, instead of drawing energy completely from the book, she weaved in traces of her own magic to alter the spell. As the arrows formed, their sharp points doubled in size, hopefully now thick enough to damage the reapers. The second barrage launched, aiming at Brandon again, and he repeated his previous command. This time, however, the reaper screeched in displeasure as the arrows impacted one of its front legs, sinking several inches in before disappearing.

Now injured, this reaper broke off from the group to charge Vee. Its massive body shook the ground as it approached, and she hoped her radiant doubles were bright enough to distract it. She kept low to the ground and ran to the side of the quad, muttering a prayer to summon another volley of arrows.

When the reaper arrived, it closed its massive jaw around one of Vee's stationary copies, which immediately vanished in a burst of light. The distraction was all she needed, and she launched her next attack, focusing on its already damaged front leg. The reaper turned as they whistled through the air, but it wasn't quick enough to dodge the attack completely. Instead, its wings swept across its body, knocking some of the arrows off course while absorbing the momentum of others. With a screech, the monster immediately changed direction to charge at Vee.

It barreled through more of her radiant copies, dispelling them as well, and Vee knew she needed to keep her distance. She darted behind a nearby tree, then sprinted to another as she tried to lose the reaper in the tree line. It moved quicker than she expected, however, and pivoted quickly before lunging at her. Its shoulder clipped the base of a tree, but its outstretched arm still managed to swipe at Vee.

She gasped in pain as a claw slashed into her hip, sending her tumbling to the ground. She swore to herself as she noticed the reaper's tail moving in for another attack, which she dodged at the last second by rolling out of the way.

She continued jumping and weaving through trees as she listened to her pursuer free itself from the tree it had collided with. With enough distance between them, she prepared another spell from her book. This one took more concentration, but she knew it would be worth the risk. Her heart pounded in her chest as she ran, and just as the reaper closed the distance and reached out for her, she jumped as high as she could.

Instead of landing back on the grass, she landed several feet above it on a thin, radiant circle of Enochian runes. The reaper's claw tore a gash in the ground underneath her, where she would have landed otherwise, but she kept her focus on the spell. She planted her other foot and shoved hard, leaping into the air before summoning another runic circle. As she landed safely, the first circle disappeared, and the reaper turned to look up at her.

She continued running higher, strafing over the tops of the trees as Enochian circles continuously appeared and disappeared underneath her feet. Another volley of arrows appeared, firing down at the reaper, but it dodged them by ducking behind a tree. Vee prepared her next attack as she waited for the beast to reappear, but she had trouble reading its movements.

It reemerged briefly underneath the next tree over, and she thought it was about to leap up at her, so she fired. Instead, the reaper swerved to the other side of the tree before jumping, its wings outstretched as it loosed another horrid screech. Her sensitive hearing made its ghastly wails exponentially more painful, and the discomfort made her lose concentration on her next attack. The reaper's wings thrust down with incredible force, catapulting it into the sky as it tried to close the distance.

Its head collided with her runic platform which, while it blunted the attack somewhat, also shattered on impact. Vee hadn't been able to jump away in time and lost her balance immediately. She fell several feet before summoning another platform, landing on her back with an agonizing gasp.

The reaper had landed atop the nearest tree, and its attempts to recover gave Vee enough time to crawl to her feet. With another thrust of its wings, the reaper sprang at her, but she planted her hands and shoved hard to dodge it. She briefly landed on another platform before turning away from the reaper and sprinting hard. With her opponent now completely airborne, she switched her focus entirely to evading it. She ran as fast as she could, the sounds of Amara's battle filling her ears as she raced through the sky over the quad. The reaper was quicker than she expected, and she was shocked at how quickly it could change course in midair. Every few seconds she would manage to fire off a single bolt of energy, but it soon became clear that her smaller attacks weren't fazing the beast.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Amara still holding her own against the two other reapers. Both creatures had visible cracks and scorch marks on them, but Amara was also sporting new injuries of her own. Worst of all, Brandon was still ignoring the fight entirely. The portal continued to grow, and Vee saw traces of energy connecting him to the reapers; whatever they were doing, it wasn't enough to break his hold on them. She briefly feared what might happen if he turned his attention completely towards the fight, but her thoughts were derailed as the reaper in pursuit swiped at her.

Rather than ducking under this attack, she dispelled her current platform and dropped several feet onto a new one. From there, she started leaping towards Amara, wondering just how intelligent these beasts were. She jumped higher, running as fast as she could, as the third reaper closed on her. Looking behind her, she waited until the reaper was about to attack, then summoned another platform at a harsh angle in front of it. The beast collided with the magic, predictably shattering it, and Vee swung her mace at the creature. Her mace struck the creature's damaged leg, cracking it further but failing to destroy it entirely. Thankfully, attacking this reaper was only part of her plan.

She let herself fall, foregoing the creation of more platforms, and shifted her attention to the battle beneath her. Amara was still engaged with the two other reapers, and blood was pooling around her chitinous plates as it flowed from her ever-growing collection of injuries. Vee read a prayer aloud from her book, summoning another volley of arrows, and released them seconds before she arrived herself.

Her magic rained from above, catching the reapers off guard while thankfully avoiding Amara. The arrows were entirely a distraction, and while the creatures flinched from the attack, Vee brandished her mace. She smashed it into a reaper's neck, smirking as she heard a heavy crack and a deafening shriek. Spinning quickly, she landed gracefully in front of Amara, then turned and shouted, "Now's your chance, I'll cover you!"

Amara nodded, her eyes blazing, and leapt at the damaged reaper. Vee summoned another blast of light, giving Amara time to isolate her target, then turned her own focus to the two other reapers.

Okay, Amara seemed evenly matched against two of them, so if I buy her enough time, she can finish that one off. This is going to suck, but I only need to last a few minutes. Stay defensive, don't take risks, just keep them busy.

The ground shook as the reaper that had been chasing her through the air landed, almost crushing her in the process. She jumped away at the last second, skidding on the soft grass before dodging a tail swipe from the other reaper. Fear gripped her, along with memories of how difficult it had been to survive against just one of these beasts, but she knew she had to keep Amara safe. She jumped over a massive claw that dug into the ground, then threw her mace at the same reaper's body. Impacting the massive rib cage, the weapon shattered in a burst of light, and Vee immediately began the incantation to replace her weapon with a more reliable defensive option. Another runic circle appeared, this one floating by her hand, and she continued praying as she rolled away from the other reaper.

Another burst of magic, another circle, and her makeshift shield grew even thicker. She blocked an incoming claw, the impact nearly overwhelming her magic, and she slid backwards several feet when the other beast capitalized on her momentary distraction. Its tail lashed across the field, digging into her thigh as she groaned in pain.

Stay quiet, Vee, don't distract Amara.

A quick glance towards Amara showed that the distraction was working; the reaper facing her down was in terrible shape, hopefully on its last legs.

Vee turned back towards her battle, doing everything she could to keep the other reapers busy. Every parry, every dodge put her between her two reapers and the one fighting Amara, but her strength was fading fast; without her Enochian Texts, she would have fallen already. The overwhelming force of these creatures forced her to pray without end, the book's magic constantly reinforcing her shield. Yet, for every two strikes she successfully blocked, they found an opportunity to return the favor.

Sometimes there were simply too many attacks to block, and she had to choose where to direct her focus. At other times, one reaper would try to skirt around Vee and advance on Amara, which forced Vee to overextend and distract the creature again. Her only true advantage was that one of her opponents was the same reaper she'd been fighting earlier, and its weakened leg caused it to move slower on its left side. She stayed close to its bad leg as often as she could, but she was also slowing down herself.

Pain wracked her body, and while her angelic magic helped dull its effects, she was having trouble holding her focus. A web of deep cuts and gashes slowly formed across her body, the blood drying unnaturally quick as the heat from Amara's rage washed over her. Her movements grew sluggish, losing their angelic elegance as her exhaustion compounded, but she knew she couldn't give in. Amara had her back, and together they could handle anything.

A horrifying scream erupted behind Vee. The reaper fighting Amara was crying out, its discordant voices rattling Vee's ears as she tried to fend off her attackers. Its noise was soon overpowered by a deep, triumphant roar coming from Amara, and seconds later, the beast's cries vanished entirely.

Vee assumed Amara had finished off the creature, and was proven correct when the disembodied skull of a reaper flew over her head and impacted one of the creatures in front of her. Another burst of heat washed over Vee, and soon Amara was standing in front of her, holding back the two reapers that had been on the verge of killing her. Vee fell to one knee as Amara spread her wings to protect her.

"Fuck... thanks for the save, Hellspawn," Vee muttered, smirking. Blood filled her mouth, and she spat on the ground as she winced in pain.

"It's not over yet, you know what needs to happen!" Amara leapt forward, hellfire spewing from her fists as she tackled one reaper while kicking the other. She spun around in midair, landing on one of their necks, and continued her assault.

Vee took the advice and ran backwards, drawing energy from her Enochian Texts and using it to heal her wounds. There wasn't enough time to bounce back to full strength, however. Even though Amara had successfully killed another reaper, her strength was obviously fading as well. Amara wasn't a trained fighter, and she was clearly choosing unrivaled aggression in lieu of something more defensive. Her movements now were comparatively sluggish, and every moment Vee spent healing herself felt like a risk.

By the time Vee felt ready to return to the battle, Amara was in even worse shape. Her body was bruised and bloodied, and it took all of Vee's strength to avert her eyes to instead focus on her magic. Another volley of arrows appeared around her, and she launched them as she ran to a new vantage point.

Her and Amara were now on opposite sides of the reapers, which were forced to separate as they tried to dodge the incoming barrage. In the seconds of time that she'd bought, Vee called out to her friend.

"Amara!"

The two girls locked eyes, and Vee wordlessly looked at Brandon, communicating her plan. Amara nodded, dug in her talons, and prepared to strike. She quickly threw bursts of hellfire at both reapers, which Vee followed with her own volley of magic, and the reapers were again forced to move out of the way. This time, Amara turned her attention towards Brandon, leaping at him with hellish fury.

"Brandon! It's over!" she screamed, her fists on fire as she closed the distance.

Vee dispelled her runic shields, focusing entirely on the magic empowering her body as she reached for Tessa's switchblade. Gripping it tight, she sprinted towards Brandon, hoping that Amara's distraction had worked. The air grew thick as she approached the portal, and she watched Brandon turn to face Amara. He raised his skeletal hand and a series of ghastly chains appeared, completely halting Amara's movement and freezing her in midair. At that exact moment, Vee leapt at the mad cultist, knife ready, aiming the blade at his ribs.

A flickering, disembodied face turned to look at her, and Brandon raised his other arm, paralyzing Vee and stopping the knife just inches away from him.

"Enough!" he shouted. A haunting chorus of undead voices echoed his sentiment, and with a flick of his wrist, he knocked the knife from Vee's hands. With a pained scream, he threw them both to the ground, then turned to face them directly.

---

Amara fell to the ground, gasping as Brandon's magic released its hold on her. The countless injuries covering her body hissed in protest, but she didn't dare slow down. She'd just killed another reaper, and in any other situation, would be grinning wildly at her victory. Now, however, she was too furious at Brandon to bother gloating.

She jumped to her feet then looked over at Vee. She'd managed to hold back two reapers at once, giving Amara space to finish one off, but the effort had taken its toll. Even after a short break to heal her wounds, there were still dozens of cuts and bruises clearly visible. Vee was gasping in pain as she tried to get up, the sight spurring Amara to even greater ferocity. This needed to end quickly, or else Vee might seriously get hurt.

Brandon floated several feet into the air, staring down at Amara, and his twisted grin filled her with rage. She grit her teeth and focused more hellfire beneath her feet, then launched herself forward. On any other day she might pretend she was trying to draw his attention to keep Vee safe, but not today.

She wanted him dead. She wanted to rip him to pieces and burn every speck of him from the face of the planet.

With an outstretched hand, more of Brandon's magic attached itself to her. Her last assault had been a feint, and she hadn't bothered struggling against the bindings, but now the gloves were off. She threw every last ounce of herself against his magic, grinning with righteous fury as she felt the paralysis slip.

She fell to the ground, then immediately dashed to the side to dodge an incoming reaper. Its tail slammed into the cold dirt, and she quickly threw a torrent of fire at the creature before running behind it. She wrapped her fists around the bones that connected its wings to its body, then began twisting as hard as she could. Infernal flames swirled around the reaper, hopefully slowing it down as she tried to rip its wings off. The bones creaked and popped in her hands, but before she could finish the job, the second reaper lashed up. Its massive claw raked across her back, and while her chitinous armor blunted the worst of the impact, she was still forced to release her grip as she screamed in pain.

Amara kicked off the reaper and tried to race to safety. Just as she landed, however, more of Brandon's magic lashed out, binding her limbs and holding her down. The reaper with the injured wings turned to her, screeching as it raised its claw, but it was immediately thrown off balance as Vee threw herself at the creature's body. Her angelic mace had returned, and she tried to smash the beast's ribs open before quickly retreating to safety.

The distraction gave Amara just enough time to pool her energy and shake off Brandon's hold. His magic continued to try and stick to her, but the longer it clung, the more she could understand its limits. She was no longer fully paralyzed, instead merely slowed as she switched her focus to evading the second remaining reaper.

She managed to grab its claws as it lunged at her, but Brandon's magic prevented her from escaping its tail, which broke through her exoskeleton and embedded itself several inches in her leg. Her own tail quickly retaliated, growing thick barbs as it wrapped tight around the reaper, and she squeezed with every ounce of strength she had. The reaper tried to pull its tail back as she began crushing it, and she heard several more pops before she lost her grip.

The reaper pulled back, and Amara took the opportunity to throw a burst of hellfire at Brandon. He raised his arms to shield himself, and she quickly pivoted on her good leg before leaping at him. At this point, her entire body was surrounded by a blazing inferno, and she grinned with furious pleasure as she drove her fist into his chest.

The magic surrounding her skipped a beat, briefly faltering as Brandon fell to the ground. She kept up the assault, trying to capitalize on his lapse in concentration. Her body still screamed with pain as she moved, but she didn't care. Nothing was more important than ripping him apart, stopping him from ever hurting anyone again. She pushed herself harder and faster, doing everything in her power to inflict more pain on him, but she couldn't seem to score any decisive hits.

Brandon's body was flickering more than ever. Whenever Amara thought she had an opening, his body was suddenly several inches away. Ethereal remnants both followed and preceded his movements, moving so erratically Amara couldn't predict where he was going.

She was forced to retreat when the reaper returned, and she barely managed to dodge its massive jaws as they tried to close around her. Circling Brandon, she quickly looked around to reassess the situation, and she didn't like what she saw. Vee was fighting the other reaper, but it was clearly a losing battle. Amara saw even more injuries compared to just minutes earlier, while the reaper seemed just as deadly as ever.

Amara narrowly dodged the reaper engaged with her, its tail missing her face by barely an inch, and she jumped back even further. She held up her hands and launched another wave of hellfire, trying to buy herself a few seconds to think of something. As the flames billowed and raced towards her aggressors, she looked at the massive portal nearby. Strangely, it seemed less agitated, as if it had stabilized somewhat, and she looked back at Brandon. He had sidestepped her flames, but as he held up a hand to hold back the heat, Amara couldn't see any traces of magic linking him to the portal.

He's at his limit!

Distractions were good. If Brandon was at his limit, that meant they might still have a chance to turn this around. She looked at Vee again, wondering if she might have a way to take out another reaper, when she noticed something even better.

Tessa was crouched behind a tree near the portal, her tattoos glowing and her runic switchblade hovering nearby.

Amara quickly turned back to Brandon, averting her eyes from Tessa to keep her presence a secret. Amara poured everything she could into doubling the size of her inferno, hoping to overwhelm Brandon and keep him distracted. While his ghostly remnants still kept him one step ahead of her, she was at least keeping his focus on her.

Her hellfire wasn't infinite, however. She was only able to sustain the blast for a few seconds, and once it cooled down, the reaper stepped in again. She was forced to shift her focus, deflecting and evading its monstrous strikes all while trying to keep forcing Brandon to defend himself. Every bit of caution she exercised, however, faded when she saw his face.

He was smirking, clearly sure that he had the upper hand.

She couldn't play it safe, not if she wanted to win. She watched as the reaper crouched on all fours, spinning its body to throw its tail at her, and she committed to leaping over this one last attack before turning all her attention to Brandon. She grew additional chitinous plating on her back which, while it slowed her down slightly, blunted the thick claws that she now ignored completely. The reaper tried to tear her down, its claws chipping away at her exoskeleton, and thick rivers of blood dripped down her legs, but she had Brandon on the ropes. She watched his ghostly copies closely, trying to force his movements, and was rewarded by a screech of pain as her tail slashed across his torso. The successful strike forced him even further back, directly where she wanted him.

In the corner of her vision, Vee held up a hand and summoned a massive burst of light. The magic hissed as it touched Amara, but more importantly, it blinded Brandon for a fraction of a second. Behind him, crouched low to the ground, Tessa ran out from behind a tree. Her tattoos glowing bright, she screamed at the top of her lungs as one final distraction. Brandon turned to look at her, instead of the knife, and his face twisted with rage. The switchblade was moments away from piercing his neck when his sickening, pale green magic exploded outwards with a high-pitched wail.

The magic caught Amara completely by surprise, and her body froze as it overwhelmed her. Tessa's tattoos went dark as she stopped moving, her eyes wide in terror, and Vee appeared similarly afflicted. Amara had been bucking against Brandon's restraints for several minutes now, and she could tell this outburst would only last for several seconds, but that was enough.

Before she could break free, a reaper ran in front of her and dug its claws into her shoulder, crushing her chest and pinning her to the ground. Her exoskeleton snapped, and sharp talons buried themselves deep in her body as she screamed out in pain. That same reaper's tail lashed at Tessa, a heavy crack filling the air as she fell limply to the grass. Amara saw Vee fall as well, silently gasping in shock as claws sank deep into her back. By the time the magic pulse had abated, and Amara felt the restraints fade, all three of them had fallen.

Skeletal jaws closed on Amara's wings, lifting her into the air where she hung limply in front of Brandon. He stood tall, a victorious grin flickering on his face, as all of his ghostly counterparts seemed to focus on her.

"You fucking bitch! Why won't you JUST. DIE?!" Brandon wrapped his skeletal fingers around Amara's throat, squeezing tight as he forced her to look at him. "I would have been happy to give you a quiet death in Purgatory. Maybe some part of me wanted you to watch, to witness the birth of my new empire, but enough is enough!"

As Brandon's hand squeezed tighter and tighter, unyielding cold overwhelming Amara for the first time in months. It smothered her hellfire, freezing her veins from the inside out, and she struggled to keep breathing in its presence. Her vision began to fade, and pain seized her body as she fought to stay alive. Several feet away, Vee desperately tried to reach out and cast something, but the light fizzled quickly, leaving only a faint angelic sting on Amara's skin.

Tears poured down Amara's cheeks, mixing with her blood before freezing entirely. She gasped quietly, fighting for air, her body on the verge of falling completely limp.

I'm sorry, Vee. I failed you.

Brandon's eyes suddenly went wide with shock, his mouth opening in a silent scream. His body seized violently as a second pulse of ghastly energy exploded outward, exponentially more powerful than the first one. The two surviving reapers began screeching and stumbling, shaking the ground with their steps, and in the panic, Amara fell to the freezing grass. Air flooded her lungs as warmth returned to her, and she fought through the pain to pull herself to her knees.

Ethereal bodies surrounded her, spectral remnants of people long past that chaotically swarmed around the clearing. In the center of everything stood Brandon, his form no longer flickering, his skeletal hand now absent. His body tense, he grit his teeth as he turned around, and Amara saw a trail of blood dripping down his back.

Standing in the clearing, facing down Brandon while nervously brandishing Tessa's switchblade, was Chloé. She was hyperventilating, eyes wide, but she stood her ground as she stared at Brandon.

"Leave my f-friends alone, you clod!" Chloé shouted.

"Who the fuck are you?!" Brandon screamed, his voice stripped of its otherworldly gravitas. He took a step forward, shaking with rage as he struck Chloé with the back of his remaining hand. She flinched and fell to the ground before scrambling backwards away from him. "I will not be undone by some worthless nobody!"

Amara desperately tried to stand, to move closer to Brandon so she could capitalize on this temporary moment of weakness, but she couldn't do it. Every bit of her screamed with pain, and she was forced to watch as their one chance at victory slowly slipped through her fingers.

Brandon wrenched the knife from Chloé's hands, then kicked her onto her back. Pinning her to the ground, he pointed the blade at her neck and threw his entire weight behind it. Chloé screamed as she tried to hold him back, the two struggling for dominance, but she was too weak to fight him for long. The tip of the knife slowly reached Chloé's neck, a trickle of blood running down her throat. Brandon adjusted his grip, readying himself to throw even more weight behind the knife, when he dropped the switchblade completely.

A massive skeletal jaw bit into his shoulder, pulling him into the air. Amara heard something snap as the beast threw Brandon onto the ground, and the myriad ghosts swarming the area all descended on him, grabbing tight before dragging him through the portal. The reapers followed, and within seconds, Brandon's terrified screams became even more painful as the ghosts and skeletal monstrosities began tearing into his flesh.

Chloé, panicked and gasping, gripped the switchblade tight as she forced herself to her knees, then stood up completely. Enough time had passed that Amara now had the strength to do the same, and she ran up to Chloé to throw her arms around her.

"Chloé! What on earth happened?!" Amara asked, gasping as she leaned on her friend for support.

"He ignored me," Chloé whispered, panting. "I'm used to people ignoring me."

A thousand conflicting emotions welled up inside Amara, and the only thing that felt right in the moment was a quick hug.

Behind them, the flickering portal slowly began closing. On the other side, Amara heard panicked screams as the undead tore into Brandon, and she regretted she couldn't join in. Flickers of Brandon's magical chains started to reappear, he was clearly trying to merge with the swarm of spirits again, but it was too little, too late. He didn't have enough strength to stop them from finally ending him.

Beside them, Vee looked up and shouted at the group. "We've got to move, we have no idea what'll happen when this portal closes!"

Amara started walking backwards, keeping her eyes fixed on the portal as they prepared to evacuate. In the corner of her vision, she saw Vee run over to Tessa and extend a hand. Tessa grabbed it and jumped to her feet, but just as she landed, she crumpled back to the ground.

"Fuck!" Tessa shouted, wincing in pain.

The scream of pain pulled Amara's attention away from the quickly closing portal, and she ran closer before kneeling at the witch's side. "Chloé! Help me get her on Vee's back, we need to move!"

Chloé nodded and ran closer, preparing to lift Tessa up, when she suddenly fell down herself. She shrieked as flickering, ghastly chains wrapped around her legs and pulled her towards the portal. On the other side, Brandon was extending his partially reformed skeletal hand, chains swirling as reapers continued ripping into his back. Patches of flesh were missing from his face, which contorted with rage as he fought to control his last moments of life.

"IF I DIE, I'M TAKING YOU WITH ME!" he shrieked, his voice broken.

Amara leapt forward, summoning every ounce of strength that remained as she grabbed Chloé's arm. She dug her talons into the ground and pulled, the chains going taut as she managed to stop Chloé from being pulled any further. Amara could feel Brandon's magic fading, she knew she could pull Chloé free if she just had a few more seconds, but the portal was closing faster than she realized.

Chaotic magic began lashing out, tendrils of energy arcing across Chloé's body as the portal made contact with her waist. She screamed out in pain as the tear in reality grew more unstable, planar energy rapidly coalescing around them both. A horrible wailing filled Amara's ears, the pressure of the portal threatening to overwhelm her senses, but she refused to let go.

"Amara! It hurts!!" Chloé shouted. The hand holding Tessa's knife slipped, and she drove the blade into the dirt as she tried to pull herself back towards campus.

Chloé's body flickered briefly, pulsing with energy as the planes tried to close around her. She screamed even louder, her pained wails joining together with the shrill magic. An unnatural glow took over her body as the tear in reality grew even more volatile.

Infinite, chaotic magic swirled around the clearing as time seemed to slow down. Amara looked deep into Chloé's eyes, desperate to pull her free. The unnatural glow that surrounded Chloé grew brighter, the air hissed and popped, and the magical tendrils grew so powerful they began to resemble lightning. The portal shrieked, and everything grew to a terrible zenith before there was nothing left to give.

Chloé pulsed with light, then shattered as the portal closed. A brilliant corona eclipsed the field, the explosion knocking Amara to the ground. The last remnants of Chloé's screams joined together with a shrill, deafening clap of thunder, then everything went quiet.

Amara stumbled, gasping while trying to stand up. The blast had overwhelmed her senses, and she couldn't hear anything but a high-pitched whine. She crawled to where the portal had just closed, desperate to find that Chloé had been pulled through at the last second, but there was nothing left. There were no traces of her friend, save for the massive scorch mark that covered nearly half the quad. Tessa's dagger stood upright in the center of it all, the handle glowing white-hot where Chloé had been gripping it.

"Chloé? CHLOÉ?!!" Amara screamed, frantically crawling around the clearing as she searched. Her vision was still blurry, and every time she blinked, she saw the tears in Chloé's eyes the moment before the portal closed.

Something moved behind her, arms grabbed her waist, and she gasped for breath as she fell to the ground. Vee tried to say something, but Amara was too numb to listen. Tears poured down her face as she wept, Vee holding her tight as she tried to reach out. She was desperate for her friend to somehow materialize safe and sound, but nothing happened.

Chloé was gone.