The Eye of Chaos (Council of Champions Book One) ✔️

Chapter Forty-Two: Final Bout

            “How-?”

            “You must die,” Kei growled, lashing out with his fist. It connected with Ghunyan’s jaw, leading to a loud crack and a pain filled howl.

            Ghunyan backed up and reached for his axe. This man was trying to harm him? It was useless.

            “It’s time for us both to pay,” Kei said calmly. “Today, we will both die.” His head lobbed to the side and his limbs began to work like a puppet. They were moving without him. How was that possible? A mental arrow struck him and he felt calm again. This was normal. This always happened.

            “You should already be dead,” Ghunyan snarled, tossing an abandoned axe. Kei watched it sail toward him and slice into his arm, cutting into the bone. But there was no pain, only a calm hatred that he felt boiling under the surface.

            Kei gasped as his body shot forward, bending for a fragment of a second in order to pick up a discarded dagger from the ground.

            “You think you can beat me with that?” Ghunyan sneered and threw his own axe at Kei, which he dodged easily. There, right before his eyes laid a path to death. He knew all he had to do was follow it.

            Ghunyan’s fist came close to his stomach, yet Kei was already dodging and blocking the kick. Without a second thought, Kei entered Ghunyan’s close range reach. His brother pulled something out of his pocket at that moment and Kei knew it was a dagger.         He tried to stop his attack and get out of reach but he couldn’t.

            No, stop! Kei screamed in his head, using all his power to move. But he didn’t get a single response. Not one. And with that, he finally caught hold of his thought. He was being controlled. It was different than last time. This time he hadn’t asked, it had been offered and he had agreed. Kei realized too late that he had given away control over his body.

            Kei’s dagger sunk into Ghunyan’s neck the same moment his brother’s embedded itself into his gut.

            Kei released his dagger and stumbled backward, watching as the life left his brothers’ eyes. He felt no pity. He felt nothing.

            “Kei,” whispered a familiar voice. “The energy I left you is up.”

            “Chaos…” Kei grunted, before collapsing. The animalistic voice of hatred and rage screamed in his head as all the pain Kei had accumulated flooded into his body and mind. His entire body shuddered and spasmed with pain.

            Kei closed his eyes and welcomed his promised death.

            Aliza saw Prince collapse and shanked her opponent quickly. Before the body hit the floor, she was at his side pulling out the dagger.

            “Prince, can you hear me? Hey, stay with me,” she said, slapping his face. Hilda appeared by her side, wrinkles covering all of her features. She leaned down and put her ear over his heart while her fingers felt his wrist. Probably for a pulse. “Is he dead?” she asked sadly. “I have to admit he was a pretty good leader. Though he was outwitted. On the other hand, outwitted or not, he managed to kill the opposition’s leader, so in a way he made up for it.”

            “Girl, shut up. He’s not dead,” growled Hilda, opening Prince’s mouth and blowing into it. Then she pumped the man’s stomach with her hands. “He can’t die on me. Not now.”