Chapter 53

• The battle was over, but the weight of what had just happened pressed heavily on my chest. I stood there, breathing hard, my hands still trembling from the spell I had just cast. Benjamin's body lay crumpled on the ground as they had only taken his soul to be locked away in limbo, his once terrifying form now reduced to a fragile, broken shell. The dark magic that had consumed him was gone, but the memory of it lingered in the air, thick and suffocating.
• Alaric came to my side, his shadow magic fading as he glanced down at Benjamin’s body. His face was hard, his jaw set in a grim line, but there was a flicker of relief in his eyes as he looked at me.
• “You did it,” he said quietly.