Deep down, without her even realising it, she was still hoping that John could wake up and help her fight, even if he never acted like it. He was very smart, he would have definitely known what to do. Or so she thought

But just as she thought that, she smacked her face with both hands before saying.

"No... I said I'd protect you, and so I will... Just like you protected us.

" She muttered as she kept her eyes on the boy.

Pointy ears, long smooth black hair, pitch-black pupils with a calm emotionless gaze over them.

With each step and movement that the boy made, darkness could be felt as it was left behind.

It was the same feeling Serena would occasionally get from master Sylvia, only much worse.

As serena was about to get in the position for the next trap, she realised something.

Her legs weren't moving, not only that, but her entire body. Was it because she was scared? They were shaking but it wasn't something which she wasn't used to.

As she got a closer look on her shadow, she noticed that it was standing on another shadow.

It wasn't just any shadow, the room still had light in it, so it didn't make sense for there to have been a shadow

Confused, Serena looked around before her eyes widened.

The boy had no shadow, or more specifically, the entire room was being covered by his shadow alone

"W-What...?

" She let out in confusion as she stared straight at the boy.

His shadow was the shadow which covered the whole room.

"So you've realised...

" He whispered as he suddenly appeared right next to her.

Serena felt a chill go down her spine as she quickly leapt away from him. As she did so, she glanced around and noticed that everyone else was also frozen in place.

"You can move?

" He asked as he catched her

As he placed his arm around her to keep a hold on her, Serena engulfed her body in golden flames, causing him to quickly let go.

In that instant, Serena formed a small golden orb above her, before propelling it straight at the person behind her.

However before it hit him, he disappeared.

Serena turned before looking around. She couldn't find him anywhere.

As she landed on the ground, the shadow moved away from her leg which was coated in a golden flame.

She stared at the ground and move her leg around before figuring something out.

"I see... So that's how you can move... Either way, it doesn't matter. This fight is already over.

"

Ignoring what he said, Serena quickly looked around, trying to see if she could pinpoint the area where the voice was coming from.

As she did so, the butterflies reached and surrounded her. Her control over them wasn't strong but it was high enough.

"Go...

" She whispered

Half left while the other half stayed. They went straight to the area where the voice had come from.

She calmly waited and the instant she got a reaction, she quickly turned with a golden orb and arrows formed above her hand.

When she propelled them, she noticed that there was no one behind her

"Wha-

"

*Pierce*

Serena's eyes widened as she felt a spear pass right through her stomach.

As she looked down, she could see drops of blood begin to flow out a fall a small pool on the floor.

Confused, she slowly turned her head around to see what had happened, and there he was, standing right behind her with a smile on his face. He held on to his scythe and the handle which pierced her.

She grabbed on to the handle and tried to pull it out of her but couldn't. He was holding on to it tightly.

"Argh...

"

She held in the desire to scream as she glared at him. All she needed to do was get away and heal herself, she still had a chance.

The man moved the spike around, causing both the pain and need to scream increase. But Serena simply gritted her teeth as her butterflies suddenly charged at him.

As one of the landed on him, he quickly pulled the spear out before disappearing again.

As this happened, despite healing the wound, her vision became hazy and her head began to spin.

"The scythe drains your life force and has a fast-acting poison, there's another girl so I have no use for you. Go to sleep and never wake up

"

Serena who heard this slowly shook her head as a golden flame was formed over her wound, before it began slowly closing it.

She then fell over to the floor, her heart beat getting slower and slower.

As she laid on the floor, she continued to take deep breaths while stretching out her arm to the group.

"J...ohn...

" She called out to him

Her eyelids grew heavier and her breaths became more and more shallow.

"I...

"

As the boy swung his scythe down to finish her off, a bright glow came from there area where she was pierced.

It shined brightly throughout the room, causing both the boy and the shadow to move away from the area.

"What?!

"

The light began to crystallise around Serena, starting from where she had the wound, all the way throughout her body.

After around a minute, the light disappeared, and what remained shocked the young boy

"This... Hahaha... Looks like we ended up finding something of equal value after all...

" He muttered

He raised his hands and everyone watched with confusion as he said

"We're retreating.

"

***

John slowly opened his eyes, feeling the cold breeze on his shoulders.

As he got up, he found himself on someone's back. It was soft and warm.

"Hey, master...

" John muttered

Master remained quiet as she nodded.

And as he was about to ask her, where they were his eyes suddenly widened as he remembered what had just happened before he fainted.

"Hey... Master... Where is, everyone...? And Where is serena?

" John asked

Master Sylvia suddenly stopped walking as she said

"I don't know.

"

"What?

"