105. The Ship of Shadows

105. The Ship of Shadows
The silence inside the shipwreck was suffocating. The walls creaked, as if the hull carried memories of shipwrecks and forgotten laments. Pandora, Amy and Persephone looked at each other tensely, surrounded by the three merman princes, Alarion, Kaelion and Dorian.
Suddenly, the water air changed. A cold wave ran through the hall, and from the void between the broken masts, Lady Mourn emerged. His silvery hair moved like snakes, and the empty eyes shone with a sick glow.
"What a pleasant meeting," he said with sarcasm, his voice echoing like dragged currents. " I have nothing against the people of the sea. If you give up these girls, I promise to spare them."
The merfolk advanced, forming a shield in front of the girls. Dorian chuckled.
"Of course, witch..." she began, pretending to ponder.
Lady Mourn smiled, showing dark fangs.
 "Wise decision."
But Dorian gargled and completed:
"No. I’m just playing with you. If you want to take the girls, you’ll have to kill us."
Lady Mourn’s face turned into pure fury. With the speed of lightning, she advanced. His claws cut through Dorian’s chest, ripping flesh and scales. The merfolk backed away, blood spilling into the water.
"DORIAN!" Amy screamed, desperate.
Kaelion roared in rage, his albino eyes flashing. He raised his arms and conjured a portal of dark energy. Chains of magic intertwined and sucked Lady Mourn, dragging her into a dimension where only the dead inhabited.
"That’s enough!" cried Kaelion. "You’ll regret it, you damned witch!"
Lady Mourn tried to resist, but the force of the portal was overwhelming. Amid inhumane screams, she was sucked into the void. The hall shuddered, and the ship raged as if it were to break in half.
Pandora approached Dorian, distressed. The merfolk tried to disguise the pain by pressing the wound with his hand.
"You have to go," said Dorian with a hoarse voice. "It’s not safe for our people to stay here." We would like to help more, but this is not our war.
He opened a portal of shimmering waters that led straight to Arkanum. The brightness crossed the currents of the sea as a beacon of hope.
"But what about you?" Amy said, holding his arm. "That wound... hasn’t healed yet."
Dorian smiled, despite the pain.
 "Don’t worry. We have the best healers. Now, go, please. I’ll let Nayla know you’ve gone."
Persephone crossed her arms, suspicious, but said nothing. Pandora, with a tight heart, touched Dorian’s hand for an instant.
"We’re sorry to bring this dark thing here," she said.
"Just go," replied Kaelion, still furious.
The girls looked at each other. Amy pulled Pandora by the hand, and together they crossed the portal, followed by Persephone. The brightness closed behind them, leaving the princes tritons alone in the dark ship, in a silence full of omens.

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Raven’s room was lit only by the fireplace, and silence was dense. Pandora, Thiely, Morgana, Persephone, Amy and Raven herself gathered there, each still marked by the tension of the battle at the bottom of the sea.
Raven broke the silence:
"Lady Mourn will not stay long in the dimension of the dead. When she returns, and she will return, we need to be prepared."
Persephone snorted, crossing his arms.
"I suspect something is making that old woman even stronger."
Raven’s gaze almost instinctively turned to Thiely. The Ghoul noticed immediately and supported the look of the vampire, raising his chin with challenge. Morgana also noticed and narrowed her eyes, as if she shared the suspicion. Raven, noticing the weight of attention, quickly turned away and muttered:
"Many things may be strengthening her. But for now, we should just focus on finding a way to banish her once and for all."
The next silence was heavy. Morgana continued to face Thiely, and this, impassive, did not bother to deviate.
Pandora pigarreou, breaking the tension:
"Perhaps Thalor knows some banishing spell."
Persephone raised her eyebrow, skeptical.
"And do you think he wouldn’t have told you already if he knew how to end that witch?"
Amy intervened, calm down:
"People don’t always share everything right away. It doesn’t hurt to ask. Just because he didn’t talk doesn’t mean he doesn’t know."
Raven took a deep breath.
"I will search myself in old grimoires. Perhaps there is something lost."
The night extended, and one by one the girls left the room to rest. Raven, however, remained. The sound of rain hitting the windows mixed with the crackling of the fireplace. The vampire opened an old chest, taking from inside it dusty grimoires, tied with leather ribbons. He leafed page by page until, near dawn, he found a banishment spell.
His heart froze to read the last lines: "The life of him who utters the words will be the price. Only the reincarnation of the First Guardian can complete the ritual."
Raven closed the book tightly, the echo resounding through the room.
"My God..." he muttered, taking his hands to the head. "Pandora cannot know it. Never."
The flames reflected in his eyes full of torment.
"No matter how many die... I will not lose Pandora. Never." his voice came out almost like a whisper, but laden with promise.

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The next morning, Pandora walked with determined steps to the Colosseum. The rising sun illuminated her serious expression. Found Thalor already waiting, sword in hand.
"Master..." he began, hesitantly. "Is there any spell that can banish Lady Mourn once and for all?"
Thalor narrowed his eyes, studying her.
"Are you willing to pay the price, Pandora?"
She breathed deeply, her voice steady:
"A lot of people have been hurt because of me. If it is necessary to give my life to protect who I love... I will."
A slight smile crossed Thalor’s face, but her golden eyes did not hide the gravity.
Before he could answer, he noticed Raven standing in the bleachers, watching them. Their eyes crossed.
And then her voice echoed in his mind, firm and desperate:
"Please don’t. Maybe you’ve never loved, but I can’t lose Pandora again. I promise to find another solution. No one needs to die. But if it is inevitable... let it be me, not her."
Thalor lowered his head, thoughtful. When he looked up again, Pandora stared at him, waiting for his answer.
"I don’t know any way... yet. But I will search. Talk to the witches, consult other grimoires. For now, concentrate on training. You must be ready when Lady Mourn returns."
Pandora nodded, serious:
 "Yes, sir."
In the bleachers, Raven sighed with relief, closing her eyes for a moment before disappearing into a beam of shadow.
The weight of the silent promise still pulsed in his heart.