CHAPTER 253: CHAPTER 253 ESCAPE 3

"What should we do now?" Maxwell asked, his gaze fixed on Addison as though awaiting her command.

Addison’s eyes swept over the unconscious dark fairies, then to the Night Walkers outside, growing more frenzied with every passing second. Her attention shifted to the glowing orb before her, the Light Fairy’s Core. She had no idea how to form a contract with it; no instructions had been left behind before it went quiet.

Then a thought struck her. Most contracts between different species were forged through a Blood Pact. It was a gamble, but it was the only thing she could think of.

Drawing a knife, she sliced her palm, warm blood welling up before she pressed her hand firmly against the orb, closing her eyes in concentration. But no connection came. The light inside the orb flickered, weakening, fading, and her heart clenched with urgency.

Maxwell, Zion, Levi, and Elric each gathered a dark fairy into their arms. With the medium removed, they no longer had to fear the malevolent energy radiating from it seeping into them.

Unfortunately, the damage to the dark fairies had already been done, and the corruption had long since settled deep within their bodies. Without the Light Fairy’s purification, they would remain tainted like this.

Thankfully, Zion and the others wrapped the weakened fairies in thick cloth, shielding them as they turned their attention toward Addison.

They watched as Addison’s blood trickled slowly down the glowing orb. Outside, the Night Walkers crept closer, drawn by the fading light, while above them the ceiling was about to collapse, dust and fragments already raining down.

If they tried to run, the Night Walkers would strike the moment they stepped out of the door. It was like choosing between being devoured by a lion or leaping off a cliff—they were cornered, with nowhere to go.

All they could do was wait for Addison to complete the contract. Yet, while the others were taut with anxiety, Zion’s heart was strangely calm. Deep inside, he knew she would succeed. He couldn’t explain where that certainty came from, only that it was carved into his very bones. His gaze stayed locked on her back, unblinking.

"Please... please wake up," Addison murmured, willing the Light Fairy to respond as she tried to recreate the feeling from earlier—when its mindlink had first touched hers.

"Don’t you dare die on me now!" she almost snarled, her desperation cracking through. A faint flicker of response brushed her senses—weak, but enough to tell her the Light Fairy could still feel her. She pushed harder.

"Little fairy, I’ve done everything you asked. Now I’m only waiting for you to form the contract with me... Wake up..."

But the orb’s glow continued to fade, its light growing dimmer with every heartbeat. Maybe the Light Fairy had already spent most of its strength just to reach her earlier, leaving it this weak.

Addison clenched her jaw. She couldn’t give up, not when the ceiling was about to come crashing down and the Night Walkers were closing in. This was the only chance they had, and she couldn’t let the Light Fairy die.

The only question was, what else could she do?

"Hey, little fairy," Addison urged, her voice trembling between desperation and defiance. "Didn’t you say you wanted to form a contract with me to extend your life? Then give it one last push, wake up, will you? Or we’re all going to die down here..."

The orb’s light flickered... then dimmed.

Outside, the Night Walkers lunged, their shriek echoing through the crumbling chamber. Addison’s heart lurched. She squeezed her eyes shut, her chest burning with unwillingness.

"Who said I’m going to die?!" the Light Fairy’s voice rang out, it was weak, but still laced with defiance just like Addison moments ago.

A sudden burst of radiance flared, engulfing Addison in light. The orb shattered, scattering shards of light as an ancient array bloomed beneath her feet. From the fragments, a small, shimmering wisp drifted toward her.

In her mind, a voice echoed, it was weak but steady and resolute: "I, Sihda, accept you, Addison, as my master and will share my power with you until my last breath..."

Before Addison could respond, Sihda’s light shot forward, piercing into her chest.

Then, Addison heard Sihda’s voice again, it was still faint, but now carrying a touch more strength. "I knew it... You have the light property within you, but I can also sense the dark. That’s why I asked you to help the dark fairies. You carry a dual property—and oh, what’s this? Even a curse? How intriguing..."

Addison froze, shock rippling through her, but a spark of hope followed. If Sihda could sense the curse... maybe she could help. "You can tell? Can you help me?"

"I can feel it," Sihda murmured, her tone soft and weary, "but I am so sleepy... so drained..."

"Wait—what about the Night Walkers? And the Dark fairies?!" Addison blurted, a flicker of fear in her voice. The Night Walkers were only a breath away from her, their spectre forms looming closer.

But then... she noticed something strange. Everything around her had frozen. The crumbling ceiling hung suspended in midair, dust motes caught like glitter in the light. Even the Night Walker lunging toward her was frozen mid-shriek, its claws inches from her face.

"What... is going on?" she whispered.

"Now, you can use my powers... deal with them on your own," Sihda murmured, her voice fading. "I’ll need to sleep for a long time..." And then, silence—utter and complete.

Addison barely had time to register the stillness before the frozen world around her began to move again. The ceiling resumed its slow collapse, and the Night Walkers surged forward.

Startled, she instinctively threw her hands up in defense. A sudden warmth bloomed in her palms, spreading through her veins, and then, light burst forth. She didn’t even know how she’d done it; perhaps it was pure survival instinct.

But the brilliant glow flared outward, and in an instant, the Night Walkers vanished, dissolved into nothingness.

"Addie... you’ve done it," Zion said, a wide smile tugging at his lips.

But there was no time to celebrate. Massive chunks of the ceiling were breaking loose and crashing down.

"Addie, hold this!" Zion thrust a cloth bundle into her hands. Inside, the dark fairies stirred faintly. Addison accepted it without thinking, still reeling from what had just happened, her mind struggling to catch up.

Before she could even process it, Maxwell shoved two more dark fairies into her arms wrapped in cloth. Now, five of them lay bundled together in her arms. She instinctively cradled them close.

Without warning, Zion shifted into his massive midnight-black wolf form. Shura’s gaze locked on her, silently urging her to climb on. Addison looked up at him, nodded, and scrambled onto his broad back.

Zion didn’t wait for the others, he bolted forward, weaving through the falling debris. Maxwell followed suit, shifting into his wolf form. Levi shoved the dark fairy he carried into Elric’s arms, then transformed as well. In one swift motion, Maxwell grabbed the collar of Elric’s robe between his teeth and took off, with Levi close at his heels.

"Ahhh! I’m gonna fall! I’m gonna fall!" Elric wailed, clutching the cloth bundle like it was his last lifeline. He curled up like a shrimp, terrified his robe might tear or that he’d slip free entirely.