Married To The Last Ice Dragon-Chapter 247: He’s here

Sighting Sage unconscious in the middle of the snow, Anghel left his stunned brother.

He rushed to Sage’s side, lifting her limp form into his arms. He was taken aback by how cold she felt, her body trembling slightly.

The treacherous four and Mirabella gathered around, their faces etched with concern.

Katherine, her eyes brimming with tears, reached out to touch Sage’s forehead. "Sage?" she whispered, her voice heavy with worry. "You did it, Sage. You destroyed the portal."

Sage’s eyes flew open, her gaze blurry at first, then sharpening as she took a deep breath. "We did it?" Surprise filled her voice.

Katherine’s smile faltered, her eyes dropping as she nodded. "Yes, we did it."

Mirabella and the treacherous four exhaled in relief, their faces relaxing.

Anghel carefully set Sage back on her feet, his eyes never leaving hers. But Sage’s eyes soon shifted, her brow furrowing as she scanned their surroundings.

"Where’s Darren?" she asked, her voice tinged with confusion.

Katherine’s head dropped, her eyes welling up with tears. "I..." She faltered, unable to continue.

Mirabella’s eyes narrowed, her mind racing back to the scene she had witnessed earlier. Katherine rushing towards the portal, Darren... the explosion. What was that about?

Katherine’s words tumbled out, tears streaming down her face. "Darren told me that destroying the portal would mean destroying the Statkus mages... including himself." Her voice cracked. "He’s gone, Sage. He’s really gone!"

Sage’s eyes froze, disbelief and horror etched on her face. Tears welled up, spilling over as she whispered, "No... it can’t be. He had pure water mage blood... he couldn’t..."

Katherine enveloped her in a tight embrace, her eyes closed. "It wasn’t your fault, Sage. It was his choice."

But Sage couldn’t accept that. She and Darren had their differences, but she never wished him death. He was her friend, her friend... her heart refused to accept his loss.

"I... I killed him?" she asked, her voice shattering.

Anghel stepped forward. "No, Sage. You didn’t. Darren made his own decision."

Katherine stepped back, and looked at Anghel, who wore a subtle smile. "Darren kept this secret from you to ensure your judgment wouldn’t be clouded. Don’t blame yourself for his choice."

Mirabella placed a comforting hand on both Katherine’s and Sage’s shoulders. "Remember, the war isn’t over yet. It’s only midnight."

Just then, a bitter cold swept over them, its strength leaving them all gasping in unison, except for Anghel and Aiden.

Aiden’s laughter echoed through the air, his voice dripping with mockery. "Pathetic mortals! And you, brother, are even more pathetic."

Anghel glared at him venomously, his voice low and filled with fury. "Utter one more word, Aiden, and you’ll regret your very existence."

Sage clutched her head, her eyes widening in panic. She couldn’t sense Cyrus anymore; it was as if he had vanished.

Her fingers tangled in her hair, she took a ragged breath. "We need to get to Videnia. Now."

Katherine raised her arm, ready to create a portal, when suddenly Cyrus materialized on the opposite side of the field. Dark wisps swirled around him like a malevolent aura, his eyes transformed into their black form, and thick black veins bulge on his neck. His gaze locked onto Sage, a sinister smile spreading across his lips.

Sage’s breath caught in her throat. "He’s here,"

Anghel’s eyes narrowed. "Something’s amiss. Where are the others?"

Aiden’s laughter erupted, his voice dripping with malice. "Alistair and Anthony must have succeeded in blocking his entry into Videnia, trapping him in his demon state! Perfect timing!"

Anghel’s eyes widened in alarm. "You’re still planning to destroy Aurora, to destroy Antica?"

Aiden’s smile grew wider. "With no fire core and no Statkus mages, destruction is all that’s left."

Sage’s eyes flashed with anger and disbelief. She couldn’t fathom why the ice gods were hell-bent on destruction, even when her weakened fire core had rendered their original goal moot. And now, Cyrus’s demon state sought her demise. The situation had escalated into chaos, with no logical endgame in sight.

"Sage, don’t do this," Katherine pleaded, grasping her wrist.

Sage swallowed hard. "I won’t run away, Katherine. I have to face this." She squeezed Katherine’s hand, a resolute smile on her lips. "Go find the others, head to River. We’ll get through this together."

Tears streamed down Katherine’s face as she nodded. "Okay." With a wave, she created a portal and stepped through it, followed by Mirabella, the treacherous four, and finally, Katherine herself, who cast a worried glance back at Sage before disappearing.

The portal vanished, leaving Anghel beside Sage, his eyes filled with concern. "Should I intervene?"

Aiden sneered, rolling his eyes in disgust, but Anghel swiftly knocked him unconscious with a blow to the head.

"This is my fight," Sage declared, her eyes fixed on Cyrus, who approached her with a deliberate, menacing pace.

She steeled herself, her composure unwavering, and began to walk, seeking a glimmer of hope, a plan to salvage the situation.

"We will survive this," she whispered to herself, her footsteps halting as she faced Cyrus in the middle of the field, a small, safe distance between them.

Cyrus’s lip curled in contempt. "Useless," he hissed.

Sage forced a smile, her head tilting slightly to the side. "Not quite,"

Cyrus sneered, "What could I possibly achieve with a weakened fire core?"

Sage countered sternly, "What exactly do you intend to do with my fire core?"

Cyrus’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, clearly not expecting her boldness.

Sage continued, her voice unwavering, "You may be in a demon state, but you’re still Cyrus, my Cyrus. Your goals remain the same, don’t they?" Her eyes blazed like dancing flames, captivating Cyrus’s attention.

His silence was still, a sign that he was intrigued and willing to hear her out.

She continued, her voice steady and calm, "You still harbor the same goal Cyrus had before he fell in love with me. To take my fire core, even if it means killing me, because he felt nothing for me, or even for himself."

She looked at her hand, which began to radiate a bright, fiery light. But then, a massive flame erupted above her hand, brightening the surroundings.

Her smile grew wider as Cyrus’s eyes widened in shock. "This is Ioas’ flare, his fire core, which you’ve had within your grasp for so many years. Yet, you never used it. Instead, you coveted mine. Tell me, why is that?" She raised an eyebrow, her eyes sparkling dangerously.

Cyrus frowned, his step closer to Sage laden with tension. "What are you insinuating?" he growled.

Sage’s frown mirrored his, her voice hard. "Answer me!"

Cyrus’s patience snapped. "Give it to me!"

"If I give it to you, you’ll still take my life! And then you’ll take your own life once you realize what you’ve done!" Her words struck Cyrus like a thunderbolt, his eyes dilating in stunned disbelief, and he halted his steps.