The Phantom's Gambit-Chapter 44: One man down

The paralysis concoction took effect immediately, leaving Octavius unable to move, his only recourse being to dart his eyes back and forth in a desperate attempt to break free from the debilitating effect.

But it was no use. He couldn’t shake off the creeping sense of dread that slithered down his spine, a feeling all too familiar – the same one that had consumed him when his sister was brutally slain before his very eyes.

"Shit!" Octavius heard William exclaim, rubbing his bruised arm before his gaze snapped towards Octavius.

William stormed menacingly towards him, closing the distance between them, and grasped Octavius’s throat in a vicious grip.

"Did you really think you could bully me?" William sneered, his face twisted in rage. "Just because you managed to rank C in the tournament, you think you’re someone to be reckoned with?"

In that minute, Octavius realized that William still had no idea who he was, aside from seeing him on display at the tournament.

When Octavius failed to respond, silenced by the paralyzing concoction, William’s anger boiled over. He clenched his fist, ready to strike, while yelling, "You fool! I’ll teach you not to mess with me again"

But in a shocking turn of events, Octavius’s hand countered the attack, gripping William’s wrist with an iron-like firmness and instantly dislocating it.

At first, William’s eyes widened in horror as he stared at Octavius, bewildered by his ability to defy the paralyzing concoction’s effects. Then, as the pain registered, a blood-curdling wail ripped from his throat.

Octavius, however, was perplexed. He knew he hadn’t moved; the paralyzing concoction still held him in its grip. He couldn’t feel his own body, but he could see the events unfolding before him. It dawned on him that Void had taken control, seizing command of his body without permission. Octavius was now a mere spectator, forced to watch as Void orchestrated the confrontation.

A surge of frustration and resentment swelled within Octavius. He yearned to be the one dealing with William, to punish him with his own fists. But he was trapped, unable to even articulate his thoughts, let alone regain control of his own body.

[Finally, some action, ] Void said with a smirk. [ I was getting bored with all the tedious monologues. It’s all so... cliché.]

William’s eyes narrowed, confusion etched on his face. [ What? ] he managed to stammer.

Void’s grin widened. [Right, I’m in charge. Let’s skip the small talk, shall we? So we can both get on with our day.]

He paused, as if recalling a crucial point. [ My day, that is. Since you won’t be seeing any other faces... aside from this one.]

With that, Void’s face shifted back to Octavius’ original appearance. William’s eyes widened in shock as he tried to recoil, but Void’s grip on his wrist remained unyielding.

"You died—" William stammered again. Void flicked his wrist dismissively, as if waving away a trivial concern.

Without warning, he grasped William’s other hand by the elbow and twisted it violently, ripping it from its socket. William crashed to the ground, his wail growing even louder and more anguished.

[You’re a screamer, that’s nice, ] Void noted with sarcasm. [ Most guys are usually a... ] He paused, squeezing his eyes shut as if trying to recall. [Actually, they were all screamers.]

Void gazed at the two severed hands he held, a cold calculation in his eyes. [You don’t need these since you can’t keep them to yourself.]

With that said black smoke emanated from his hand drying the hands till they dispaared into nothingness but dust.

He clapped it off his hands before he turned to Willam who was still groaning in pain on the ground, but still had enough stamina to watch his attacker do that to his hands.

"Dark magic." he breathed. "You are truly what they say you are. Evil."

[Again, ’evil’ isn’t the groundbreaking insult you think it is, ] Void said with a dismissive huff, striding towards William.

William tried to scoot backward, but his progress was limited. As Void drew closer, William attempted to kick him with his feet, but Void effortlessly restrained them.

[You know, I was pondering which part of your body I should remove next to cleanse you, ] Void mused, his lips pursed in thought. [Your feet aren’t so bad, but they won’t make much of an impact.]

William’s eyes widened in terror as Void continued, [Perhaps I should remove the part that orchestrates your lust?]

William’s face contorted in despair, and he began to sob, [No, no, no!]

Void’s expression remained unyielding. [Or maybe I’ll remove the part that casts its gaze on the people you lust over.]

[Or perhaps the place that produces the thoughts, ] Void recounted, his gaze fixed on William’s forehead.

[Everything, ] Void added, his voice dripping with malice. [I’ll take it all.]

William’s eyes widened in terror as he begged, [No, please! You can use me. I can tell you all you want to know. I can be your ally—]

Void’s expression remained unyielding. With a swift, brutal motion, he twisted William’s feet from their ankles. Another blood-curdling scream ripped from William’s throat.

[I guess we ended up picking the feet, ] Void sneered, his eyes glinting with sadistic pleasure. With a flick of his wrist, William’s feet vanished, leaving behind only a bloody stump.

William’s eyes rolled back in his head, his body trembling with agony. Void’s gaze never wavered, his eyes burning with an unholy intensity.

[ I do have one question, ] Void spoke up, his voice low and menacing as he trailed his hand over William’s battered body.

[If I kill you for hurting people, does that make me a bad person?] Void’s eyes seemed to bore into William’s very soul, as if daring him to respond.

William’s eyes darted frantically, his mind racing for an answer. Finally, he stammered, "I didn’t mean to... it wasn’t me. It wasn’t all on me. They made me do it."

Void’s expression remained impassive, his eyes glinting with amusement as he mimicked listening with rapt attention. He allowed William to spill his desperate excuses, knowing that Octavius was listening, his rage simmering just below the surface.

Without warning, Void’s grip snapped around William’s throat, his fingers closing like a vice. William’s body began to contort, his features growing more defined, his muscles rippling beneath his skin. For a fleeting instant, he seemed to take on a more refined shape, as if Void’s touch was sculpting him into something new.

But Void’s intentions were far from benevolent. He simply watched, his eyes cold and unyielding, as William withered away to nothing, leaving behind only his uniform, a hollow shell of the man he once was.

Void stood up, dusting off the remaining dust from his hand with a dismissive flick of his wrist. [You can take over now, ] he told Octavius.

But when no response came from Octavius, Void grinned. [Fine then, I’ll go mingle with some hotties for a bit. High time to clean the cobwebs around your torso,]

With that said, he disappeared making his way back to the Architect faction just in time to catch up with the lecture.

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