Chapter 80 Descent of the Dragon Claw (2)

Altheria's POVThe Blackwell estate loomed ahead in the eastern region, a sprawling compound shrouded in darkness and secrecy. Its tall spires jutted into the night like jagged teeth and the air around it was thick with the stench of decay and despair.

Nyx was already there, her presence a stark contrast to the oppressive atmosphere. She stood at the dark gates with a sharp and unyielding posture. The intensity in her stance spoke volumes about her determination and her wrath bubbled beneath the surface of her calm.

Without a word, I moved to stand beside her. Together, we stepped forward and the iron gates creaked open as though they recognized the inevitability of our arrival.

Inside, the estate was a labyrinth of shadows and secrets. The air was dense with fear and despair and with our powerful souls we could sense the emotions and negative thoughts that clung to the walls like a living malevolent force.

We moved in silence with precise and deliberate steps as we descended deeper into the heart of the Blackwell domain and remained undetected by the oblivious inhabitants above.

In the dungeons, the truth of their atrocities became horrifyingly clear. Rows of cells lined the walls and each one filled with young girls whose eyes were hollow with despair.

Their frail forms were marred by neglect and abuse like bruises and whip marks that bore silent testimony to the greed and cruelty of the Blackwells.

Nyx's fury was palpable and it radiated off her in waves. Without turning her head, she spoke in a low-cut voice.

"Wait outside, Altheria. I want to erase every shred of their existence from this world." Your next chapter awaits on My Virtual Library Empire

I nodded, understanding her intent. She wasn't just here to destroy the Blackwells but also wanted to make an example of them and to send a message to those who conspired with them.

This act would be more than justice and it would serve as a warning to the true schemers lurking in the shadows.

The dark shadow enveloping me tunneled into the night sky that carried me out of the castle. From a safe vantage point, I waited with bated breath to witness what I knew would be a spectacle of power and vengeance.

Random Slave Girl's POV

The usual cold wind of the dungeon rustled against the stone walls and I felt the familiar and unrelenting chill. But I couldn't feel it anymore.

Despair had long numbed me to physical discomfort. My heart was a hollow vessel and only sadness and anger filled the void in it.

I couldn't even remember the faces of my family anymore. All that remained were fragmented memories of my normal life, now obscured by years spent in this cursed place.

The cages where we grew up, and the minimal food and clothing that barely sustained us were all I had ever known since my capture.

The only time we were taken out of our cages was when the fat jailers and the evil women had to teach us those disgusting manners and habits. I abhorred it to my core and instinctively felt that it was not a respectable or noble activity.

The older girls had disappeared steadily in batches over the years. Many of the innocent-looking ones had even disappeared when they were six or seven years old. I shuddered to imagine their fates but I knew. Deep down, we all knew.

I ran my fingers over the jagged scars on my face which I had inflicted myself. They were my armor and my desperate attempt to make myself undesirable, to delay the inevitable. It had worked so far but I knew my time was running out.

By next year, I would be old enough to join their ranks to be just another victim lost to the greed of these vile people.

In my solitude, I clung to my anger like a lifeline. I would have revenge, somehow, someday. That resolve burned within me even as despair threatened to extinguish it.

A small dagger, stolen from the office of one of those cruel women was hidden beneath my rags. My escape plan was meticulous but I waited for the perfect moment.

And that moment came unexpectedly.

A loud tremor shook the dungeon, sending dust and loose stones cascading from the ceiling. My heart leaped in my chest and a thought rang constantly in my mind.

Something is happening, something big.

Before I could steady myself, a deafening explosion roared through the underground, disorienting me. My ears rang and tears blurred my vision as I struggled to make sense of the chaos.

BOOM! ????

When the dust settled, I saw a massive crooked sharp black thorn that had pierced through the dungeon ceiling. The sheer size of it dwarfed everything around it, making us all seem like ants in comparison.

The thorn shifted and twisted into a hook. With a guttural groan, it tore the ceiling apart that sent rocks and debris crashing down on us. My heart raced as I braced for impact but a dark flaming barrier enveloped all the cages and this power shielded us from the falling rubble.

The barrier wasn't just a shield and it seemed to be alive. The flaming dark cages began to hover and moved with strange sentience as they evaded the collapsing debris.

I clung to the bars of my cage and I couldn't feel the heat that I had expected when I had first leaned on it accidentally to catch my balance. My eyes were wide with fear and awe as we were lifted from the dungeon and carried upward.

As we ascended, I caught glimpses of the devastation above. The once-tall and ominous spires of the Blackwell castle were shattered with their conical tops reduced to rubble. One spire had crumbled entirely with its remains scattered across the courtyard like the remains of a fallen giant.

"Is this divine retribution for all the sins they have committed?" I wondered aloud, my voice trembling.

As we emerged into the open air, the full scope of the destruction came into view.