Maddox didn’t know what to do at this point. He didn’t want anything that had happened. He’d just been doing as he was told. Dougal knew best, he’d always thought, but now he was having his doubts. Nero would find him soon. He knew it. He could hear the thunder in the background, occasional flashes of lightning blocking his vision every once in a while, though he was well hidden in the trees. The sky glowed with an eerie red light, broken up only by the streaks of light. And the noise. Oh, the noise. It was unbearable. It was indescribable, but it was constant, pounding against his ears. He just wanted it to stop, but he’d shaken that spirit’s hand. There was no going back after you’d sealed the contract. His mouth felt numb; he’d managed to lose a tooth somewhere during the chaos. The enchanted side of his face burned, though it didn’t stop him from running. He weaved in between the trees like a squirrel. He didn’t have the energy to keep going, but somehow, he did. He wouldn’t stop until it

-was over. He wouldn’t stop. Something cold and thorny wrapped around his ankle and he fell onto his face, the burnt grass crinkling beneath his weight. “It seems you’ve broken our deal,” An unmistakable voice said solemnly, and though it seemed to come from inside of his mind, he could tell the man was standing behind him. “You don’t get to be a statue.”

:>

Thank you qwq

o-