The Villain Professor's Second Chance

Maris felt her heart skip a beat, the sinister voice echoing through the chamber like a death knell. The oppressive atmosphere weighed heavily on her, and it wasn't just the exhaustion from the battle. This was different. This was real danger, a predator's presence that sent every instinct in her body into high alert, making her senses scream in alarm. The darkness seemed to grow thicker, pressing in from all sides, and it felt as though the very air had turned against them, conspiring to suffocate their willpower.

Amberine's hands shook, the flames that flickered from her fingertips barely alive. She stood protectively in front of Maris, her body trembling, not just from exhaustion, but from the effort it took to summon even a flicker of her power. Ifrit's warmth still lingered, but it was weak, fading as Amberine's own energy began to give out. Her eyes darted around the room, trying to find the source of the voice, but all she could see was darkness, and the crushing weight of the unknown made her heart pound painfully.

"Who's there?" Amberine shouted, her voice raw, echoing against the stone walls and disappearing into the black void beyond. Despite her defiance, there was a quiver of fear beneath her words. The defiance was an act of bravery, but both of them knew it was only masking the helplessness they felt. Maris, standing just behind her friend, felt the dread creep into her bones. They were drained, and she knew it. They were in no state to fight, and this unknown figure exuded an aura that promised nothing but despair and pain.

The figure stepped forward, the light from the fungi casting just enough glow for Maris to make out the silhouette. A long cloak seemed to be woven from the very darkness of the chamber itself, flowing and twisting with a life of its own, like shadows given physical form. A smirk appeared beneath the hood, a flash of white against the deep blackness, making the figure seem almost otherworldly. The presence of arrogance, of power that needed no validation, washed over them.

"You really shouldn't be here," the figure said, their voice dripping with amusement, each word spoken as though savoring the effect it had on them. "But since you are… let's see how long you can last."

Maris swallowed, her throat dry, her body going cold. Amberine clenched her fists, a flicker of Ifrit's flame igniting once more around her fingers, sputtering and weak but defiant. "What do you want?" she demanded, her voice breaking slightly as she tried to stand her ground, the tension tightening her throat until it hurt.

The figure laughed—a low, mocking sound that resonated through the stone walls, causing a chill to crawl down Maris's spine, the sensation like ice trickling along her skin. "Who I am is irrelevant," he said, his voice like silk, smooth but with an edge sharp enough to cut. "What I want? Well, perhaps I want to see how far you can be pushed… how far you can be broken."

Amberine's eyes flared, the weak flame brightening for a moment in response to her anger. "Don't you dare underestimate us," she spat, though the trembling in her voice betrayed her fear. She took a step forward, her flames flickering, casting long, wavering shadows along the chamber walls, her exhaustion evident in every strained breath she took. Maris reached out, placing a hand on Amberine's shoulder, trying to steady her friend as much as herself, feeling the bones beneath her fingers trembling.

The figure raised a hand, and instantly the atmosphere changed. The pressure in the room increased tenfold, an invisible force pressing down on them, making it hard to breathe, to even stand. It was as if gravity itself had multiplied, and Maris felt her knees buckle slightly under the weight, her vision blurring as the world seemed to close in around her. Her body screamed for release, for respite, the feeling of being crushed overwhelming her senses.

Amberine grunted, her teeth clenched, the flames on her hands flickering weakly. She tried to hold her ground, her knees shaking as she fought against the overwhelming force. Her muscles screamed, her mana sputtering with every breath. "What… are you doing…?" she managed to choke out, her voice barely more than a whisper, her head pounding from the pressure bearing down on her.

The figure chuckled, taking a step closer, his footfalls almost silent against the stone floor, each movement like a cat toying with its prey. "You shouldn't have come here," he said, almost lazily, as though speaking to misbehaving children. "But now that you're here, I think it's only fair that you provide me with some entertainment." He moved with a predatory grace, his presence filling the room with an overpowering sense of malice, as if he were relishing every second of their fear.

Maris's mind raced, her thoughts a chaotic jumble. They couldn't fight this man—whoever he was, his power far surpassed anything they could muster in their current state. She glanced at Amberine, her friend's face set in determination, her eyes betraying a flicker of fear that belied her brave front. Maris knew they had to get out, and fast.

"Amberine," Maris whispered, her voice trembling. "We need to find a way out of here. We can't fight him, not like this."

Amberine looked back at Maris, her eyes widening slightly as she realized the truth of her words. Her pride screamed at her to stand and fight, to prove that they could handle anything that came their way. But one look at Maris, at her friend's pale, exhausted face, told her everything she needed to know. They had to escape.

"Alright," Amberine muttered, her eyes narrowing as she forced herself to extinguish her flames, conserving what little mana she had left. "But how?"

Maris scanned the room, her eyes darting from wall to wall, searching for anything that could serve as an escape route. Her gaze fell on the spiral staircase that led back up to the slums. Her heart pounded. It was a long shot, but it was their only hope.

"The stairs," she whispered, nodding towards them. "We have to make a break for it."

Amberine glanced at the staircase, then back at the cloaked figure, who was still slowly approaching, his every step deliberate and confident, like he already knew he had won. She clenched her jaw, nodding once. "Alright. Let's go."

Maris took a deep breath, summoning what little mana she had left. She needed a distraction—something to buy them a few seconds. She raised her wand, her hands trembling, and cast her illusion magic one last time. A burst of energy erupted around them, and suddenly, the chamber was filled with multiple versions of Maris and Amberine, each of them moving in different directions, sprinting towards the walls, the corners, the staircase.

The figure paused, his head tilting slightly as if in amusement. He raised one hand, and with a flick of his finger, the illusions shattered, each one disappearing in a flash of light, leaving only Maris and Amberine standing there, exposed and vulnerable. The illusions had been nothing but smoke, a desperate attempt at buying time that had been brushed aside like cobwebs.

Maris's heart sank, her eyes widening in horror. She had put everything she had left into that spell, and it had been brushed aside as if it were nothing. She glanced at the staircase, her only hope of escape, but her heart dropped further as she saw what blocked their path.

A towering figure stood at the base of the stairs, its body wrapped in old, tattered bandages that seemed to ooze a dark energy, the air around it almost vibrating with menace. The creature was massive, its frame bulky and imposing, its presence radiating an aura of pure menace. The bandages seemed to writhe as if alive, and beneath the layers, Maris could see glimpses of decayed, rotting flesh. The creature's eyes glowed with an unnatural light, its gaze fixed on them with a hunger that made Maris's skin crawl. Discover exclusive content at empire

Amberine took a step back, her face pale, her hands trembling as she tried to summon her flames once more. But the exhaustion was too much, her mana too drained. The fire flickered weakly before dying out completely, leaving her defenseless, her body sagging in defeat.

The cloaked figure let out a soft, mocking laugh that echoed through the chamber, bouncing off the walls in a way that made Maris's blood run cold. "Of course," he said, his voice dripping with amusement, each word a cruel twist of the knife. "I won't let you go without a little punishment."@@novelbin@@

Maris felt her heart pound in her chest, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps. The figure in front of them was too powerful, the zombie too terrifying. They were trapped, and there was no way out.

She glanced at Amberine, her friend's eyes wide with fear, and she knew they had to do something—anything—to survive. But as the dark figure raised his hand once more, the shadows swirling around him, Maris couldn't see any way out. The pressure in the chamber grew heavier, the darkness closing in, and for the first time since this nightmare had begun, Maris felt the icy grip of despair take hold.

The fight wasn't over. It was only just beginning.