The needle slid into Melodie's vein, sharp and steady. Dark red flowed swiftly into the vials, her heartbeat pounding in her ears.
Malec watched intently, his expression obscure—except for the way his fingers twitched at his sides, the way his chest rose and fell too sharply, as if something inside him was cracking.
"What are you doing?" His voice was low, controlled—but there was something else underneath it. Something desperate.
Melodie didn't look at him.
"Relax," she snapped, filling another vial. "I know what I'm doing."
His eyes flashed dangerously.
"You're draining yourself," he growled, stepping closer.
Sgt. Jaxxon's gun clicked, the barrel never leaving Malec's head.
"Not one more step, monster."
Malec's gaze flicked to him, calculating, before returning to his Canariae.
Melodie pulled five vials, reaching for a sixth—
But her father's firm hand stopped her.
"That's enough," Jaxxon said gruffly, his voice laced with emotion. "It's more than enough to make the antidote."
Melodie hesitated—
And then nodded, exhaling heavily.
She sealed the vials and passed them to her father, her fingers trembling as they brushed against the rough fabric of his military jacket.
Jaxxon quickly tucked them into his pouch, securing them against his chest.
When Melodie finally looked at him, her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
"Dad…" her voice broke.
Jaxxon's own expression twisted, his tough exterior wavering.
"Baby girl…"
His arms wrapped around her, strong and unyielding, pulling her in so tight she could barely breathe.
"I miss you," she whispered, her body shaking.
Jaxxon gritted his teeth, his jaw clenching as he fought against the storm raging inside him.
"I'll find a way back to you," he vowed, pressing a hard kiss to her forehead.
"Just wait for me."
Melodie nodded, barely holding it together.
Then, in her ear, he whispered the words she had known since childhood—
"The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."
Melodie's chest caved.
Then—
Everything went to hell.
A sharp whistle cut through the cavern—
And then—
Chaos.
Arrows.
Screams.
Gunfire.
Jaxxon's soldiers fired first, but Malec's guards were ready.
The first bullets clanged uselessly against thick silver shields, while from the shadows, Awyan archers loosed their arrows with deadly precision.
Screams of pain erupted as sharp steel found its targets, embedding in shoulders and legs, taking soldiers down without killing them.
Melodie barely had time to react—
Because Malec moved.
Fast.
Like a shadow cutting through fire, he lunged.
The impact was like a thunderclap.
Jaxxon's body went flying backward, crashing into the water with a brutal splash.
"NO!"
Melodie's blood turned to ice.
Instinct kicked in—she turned to run.
She made it one step.
Then—
A crushing force slammed into her stomach.
All the air left her lungs.
Pain exploded through her ribs.
Her vision blurred.
She collapsed forward—
But before she could hit the ground, strong arms caught her.
Her world tilted.
Then—
Darkness.
When she came to, she was weightless.
No—
She was being carried.
Over a shoulder.
The scent of pine, leather, and fury filled her senses.
No.
No no no—
She twisted weakly, her body too sluggish, too unresponsive.
She tried to shove herself up, to fight—
A growl rumbled from deep within Malec's chest.
"Be still, little one," he murmured, voice like silk wrapped around steel.
She struggled harder.
"LET ME GO, YOU BASTARD!"
His hold tightened.
And then, without missing a step, he whispered:
"Never again."
Meanwhile, Jaxxon burst from the water, coughing, choking—desperate.
"MELODIE!"
His voice was raw, furious.
But it was too late.
Malec was already retreating, his guards closing ranks as they backed out of the cave.
A massive black wolf—one of Malec's beasts—snarled, its amber eyes glowing as it bared its teeth at the soldiers still standing.
Jaxxon's gun snapped up, but a sharp whistle made the wolves freeze—then, without another glance, they turned and vanished into the darkness.
The last thing Jaxxon saw—
Was his daughter's limp body—
Slung over the shoulder of the devil who had stolen her away.
Jaxxon roared in rage.
"RUN, YOU COWARD!" he bellowed. "HIDE WHILE YOU CAN!"
His voice shook the cavern walls.
"I'LL FIND YOU—AND WHEN I DO, I'LL PUT A BULLET BETWEEN YOUR EYES, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"
But Malec never turned back.
And just like that—
Melodie was gone.
Gunfire still echoed in Jaxxon's ears, but Malec and his guards were gone.
All that remained—
Was the fading sound of retreating footsteps…
And his daughter's absence like a hole torn through his soul.
Jaxxon's fists clenched.
That bastard. That demon. That white-haired monster.
Malec.
He burned the image of him into his mind—that towering figure, those cold, unrelenting eyes, the way he had thrown Melodie over his shoulder like she was nothing.
Jaxxon would find him.
He would end him.
But not now.
Right now—
They had to get out.
Behind him, the soldiers who could still walk were already hauling the unconscious ones toward the glowing pool.
"MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!" someone shouted.
The cavern shook violently, a deep rumble vibrating from the stone around them.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
Jaxxon turned to the passageway one last time—his body tense, his breath ragged with fury.
Then he snapped back to his men.
"GET THEM UNDER! NOW!" he barked.
One by one, they slipped into the water, dragging their wounded with them.
Jaxxon didn't move—not yet.
He was the last line of defense.
He was always the last line of defense.
His hand hovered over his gun, his eyes still locked on the shadows beyond the passageway.
Was Malec really gone?
Or was he waiting—watching, hunting, playing his sick game?
Jaxxon took a slow breath.
No.
That wasn't how this would end.
He would come back.
And when he did, he wouldn't leave without her.
The cavern groaned.
A violent tremor shook the entire space—this was it.
The explosives would detonate any second.
Jaxxon turned and dove into the pool, his body cutting through the water, his vision blurring as the golden glow from the portal's core pulled him in.
The last thing he saw before slipping into the abyss—
Was his daughter's blood staining the water red.
And then—
Everything disappeared.