Lillith - Chapter 20 - The Curse of Esmeralda

Attention, this is a work of fiction, and all characters are adults, over 18 years old!

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Well... this chapter here is more of a hook for what will be the next arc of the series, that's why it's shorter and simpler, but it will be an important read for the next chapters! I did it more quickly than the others, even a little rushed to post it quickly, I hope it didn't lose much quality because of that!

Enjoy reading!

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The infirmary door was flung open with a crash that echoed through the corridors. Emma and Lillith rushed in, panting, carrying Esmeralda, whose arms hung limp. Behind them, Armand held Seraphina in his arms, his face stoic but clearly showing signs of exhaustion. The weight of the battle was etched on their faces, but there was no time to rest.

Esmeralda was carefully laid onto one of the beds, her weight transferred with care as Emma adjusted the pillow under her head. Lillith stayed close by, watching every movement, her face marked with concern. Armand, meanwhile, placed Seraphina on an opposite bed, ensuring she was comfortable. On the third bed lay Valerya, clearly treated by someone, her face covered with bandages and dressings.

Before anyone could act, a side door of the infirmary swung open abruptly, and a blonde-haired mage entered in haste. His mismatched eyes—one green, the other blue—narrowed in frustration as he scanned the room before raising his hand to cast a spell without hesitation.

A silver-blue glow twisted through the air, an orb of energy heading directly toward Armand. Emma, with lightning-fast reflexes, raised her hand, conjuring a golden shield. The impact created a shockwave, scattering papers and medical tools across the room.

“LUMINAR, STOP!” Armand bellowed, his voice reverberating through the space.

The mage froze immediately, his eyes widening as he recognized who stood before him.

“Oh, crap… crap, crap… my apologies, Lord Armand!” Luminar stammered, his words tumbling over each other as he took hesitant steps forward. “This invasion has driven me mad! I was stuck in my lab, guarding my ingredients from any little thief daring to show up! Then Valerya appeared in this state, and I… I panicked. My deepest apologies!”

He bowed deeply, his remorse evident. Emma slowly lowered her hands, allowing the golden glow of her magic to fade. She eyed Luminar cautiously but quickly relaxed.

“Professor Luminar,” she greeted with a respectful nod.

The mage adjusted his robe, visibly embarrassed. “Emma, good day!” He then turned to Lillith, his brow furrowing. “And this one… I don’t recall seeing her before.”

“This is Lillith,” Armand responded, his voice returning to a normal tone. “She’s a promising student of mine.”
He turned to Lillith.
“Professor Luminar is our master of advanced potions. He offers private lessons to students who seek him out. One day, if you dedicate yourself, you may learn secrets even I don’t teach.”

Luminar chuckled, stroking his chin. “And the school’s part-time medic—unfortunately for the wounded!”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, professor,” Lillith replied, trying to mask her nervousness.

Luminar’s lighthearted demeanor vanished as his gaze fell on the figures in the beds. He took two large steps toward Esmeralda, his frown deepening further.

“So, who do we have here? More casualties from the invasion? Wait… is that… HEADMISTRESS SERAPHINA?!” He leaped back, nearly knocking over a tray of instruments.

“She’s just exhausted, professor,” Armand explained. “Nothing serious. The real concern is Professor Esmeralda.”

Luminar moved closer to Esmeralda, examining her carefully, his hands hovering over her as if sensing her energy through touch. His frown deepened even more.

“She collapsed during the battle,” Armand continued. “Eliza made direct contact with her, and now…”

“I see,” Luminar muttered, cutting Armand off. He gently touched Esmeralda’s forehead, murmuring words in an ancient tongue. A faint purple glow emanated from his fingers but quickly faded. “Her essence seems intact, but I sense something unusual… almost like invasive mana… I can’t quite explain it. Well, I’ll need to analyze further!”

“Do whatever is necessary,” Armand said, his voice heavy with seriousness.

Luminar stepped away, moving to a table cluttered with vials, herbs, and ancient books. He began grabbing seemingly random items, muttering to himself as he mixed ingredients.

Armand cast one last look at Seraphina and Esmeralda before turning to Emma and Lillith. “Let’s leave him to work. We can’t afford to idle here.”

Emma nodded, guiding Lillith out of the room while Armand shot a final glance of concern at his unconscious colleagues.

As the door closed behind them, Luminar grumbled, holding up a small vial of green liquid. He turned back to Esmeralda with a confident smile.

“Let’s see what happened to you, Miss Esmeralda.”

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Armand and Lillith closed the door behind them. Armand collapsed onto the worn wooden bench outside the room, utterly exhausted. He leaned back against the cold wall, letting out a heavy sigh.

Armand’s posture grew increasingly slack as seconds passed, and soon he slid down on the bench, spreading his legs carelessly, clearly on the verge of sleep.

Emma, though equally drained, maintained a composed demeanor as she observed her professor’s state. She glanced at his face, cracked a faint smile, then carefully pulled a book from her bag, sat on the remaining sliver of the bench, and began to read.

Lillith, however, didn’t share the calmness of the scene. She turned to Emma, frowning in disapproval.

“So… that’s it?” Lillith asked, her voice dripping with indignation. “He’s just going to sleep, hogging half the bench, while the entire school is in chaos?”

Emma raised her eyes from the book, casting a tired yet irritated glance at the younger girl.

“He’s exhausted, Lillith,” Emma replied curtly.

“Exhausted?! *We’re* exhausted too, but look at me! I’m still standing, ready to fix things! Honestly, if it were up to me, I’d kick those filthy balls and drag him to the gym myself!”

Emma snapped her book shut with an audible *thud,* clearly losing her patience.

“Oh, give me a break! Is that your solution to everything? How impressive. Listen, if you’re so concerned, why don’t you march to the gym yourself?”

Lillith crossed her arms and huffed, refusing to back down.

“Sure, because a random new student that nobody knows is definitely going to walk into the gym and convince everyone. Telling them the strongest professors are knocked out while she’s just strolling in. Yeah, that makes perfect sense, right?”

Before Emma could retort, a muffled scream erupted from the infirmary:

“AAAGHH-MPHMM!”

The three exchanged alarmed glances, and Armand leapt to his feet, adrenaline instantly replacing his fatigue. Without hesitation, they sprinted to the infirmary door and threw it open with force.

The scene awaiting them was shocking. Esmeralda, who was supposed to be unconscious, now stood beside the bed where she had been lying. In front of her, Professor Luminar writhed in agony on the same bed, her hands brutally gripping his groin. Her once vibrant green eyes were now entirely black, radiating a dark aura.

“Wow… that grip looks strong…” was all Lillith could mutter as she entered the room.

Emma was the first to react, instinctively raising a magical barrier upon recognizing the danger.

“Esmeralda! Let him go now!” Emma shouted, her voice firm but laced with concern.

Esmeralda lifted her head, her black eyes locking onto the group with a malicious glint. Without warning, she raised her hand—no longer covering the doctor’s mouth—and launched a spell toward them.

Emma quickly adjusted her barrier to absorb the impact. The spell exploded against the shield, sending a flash of light and a wave of energy that made their hair whip wildly.

“For God’s sake, make her stop! She’s actually squeezing! She’s going to destroy my balls!” Luminar cried out, tears streaming down his face, his voice a mix of pain and desperation.

Emma advanced, maintaining the shield in front of her, each step calculated. Esmeralda continued hurling spells at a startling speed, but Emma’s barrier held firm.

Emma swung her barrier forward, striking Esmeralda squarely in the face with it. However, before Esmeralda fell, she grabbed Emma’s short hair, pulling her along. Emma was momentarily stunned.

Armand, still recovering from the initial shock, raised his hand and murmured an ancient incantation. Magical chains began to materialize in the air, glowing with a bluish light as they surged toward Esmeralda. But before they could reach her, the chains disintegrated into glittering dust.

“Damn it…” Armand muttered, realizing his energy hadn’t fully recovered.

Esmeralda seized the moment of vulnerability and closed the gap. With a swift motion, she delivered an uppercut directly to Armand’s groin. The impact was brutal, and he collapsed to his knees, a strangled cry escaping him as his hands instinctively went to the struck area.

Before Esmeralda could continue her assault, Lillith sprang into action. The young girl leapt onto Armand, using his back as an improvised platform, and launched an electric spell directly at Esmeralda. Sparks crackled from her hands as the spell struck Esmeralda head-on.

The shock caused Esmeralda’s body to convulse, her black eyes flickering momentarily to a dull green. She staggered back, dazed.

“Now, Emma!” Lillith yelled, still perched on Armand’s back.

Emma seized the opportunity. With a fluid motion, she summoned her own magical chains, this time glowing a bright purple. The chains shot forward like living serpents, wrapping around Esmeralda’s arms and legs, restraining her movements.

The tighter the chains constricted, the brighter they glowed, gradually draining Esmeralda’s energy. Her resistance weakened with each passing second until her blackened eyes finally shut.

Esmeralda collapsed to the ground, unconscious, as the chains slowly faded away.

The room fell into complete silence, save for the sound of the two men groaning from their injuries.

“What… just happened?” Lillith asked, carefully climbing off Armand, who remained on the floor.

Emma approached Esmeralda, checking her pulse and confirming she was only unconscious.

“I don’t know… but something is very wrong here,” Emma replied, her voice low and worried.

The doctor finally managed to speak, his voice strained:

“Curse… of Upwolr…”

He said with great difficulty.

Emma approached slowly, the shield in her arms still glowing with residual energy. She stopped beside Armand and sighed, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Are you okay?” Her voice was soft but filled with evident concern.

He lifted his face, still flushed and marked by pain, but didn’t respond.
Emma understood and sat next to him, waiting for him to recover.

Lillith, leaning against the wall, crossed her arms and observed the scene.

“Curse of Upworl? What does that mean?”

Luminar took a deep breath and began explaining, his voice heavy with tension.
“Three years ago, the city of Upworl was attacked by three individuals... One of them was seemingly immortal, another possessed overwhelming destructive strength, and the third…” He paused, swallowing hard. “The third could control the minds of anyone they touched. They turned soldiers into traitors, fathers into murderers, brothers into enemies. I was one of the medics called to treat the traitors, trying to find a cure.”

Lillith, who had been quietly observing, narrowed her eyes.
“And what does this have to do with Esmeralda?”

Luminar turned to the girl, his expression grim.
“The eyes... black as night. It’s the same look... that soulless stare... I remember it well.”

Armand, still recovering, forced himself to stand. He leaned on the wall with one hand and held his groin with the other, taking a deep breath before speaking.
“All right… so what do we do? Is there a cure?”

The medic nodded slowly.
“Yes, but… it’s not simple. We need three Kurenai Ties.”

Hearing this, Armand’s eyes widened, and a heavy silence hung in the air. Lillith broke it with a curious tone.
“Kurenai Ties? What are they?”

Before Luminar could answer, a feminine voice echoed from the back of the room.
“So we just need the ties? And the potion will be ready?”

Everyone turned to see Seraphina now standing. Although she still looked exhausted, her posture was firm and authoritative.

Armand, visibly concerned, hesitated before asking:
“And do you think we can actually get the ties?”

Seraphina shrugged, walking over to Esmeralda.
“We don’t have a choice. The four of you will retrieve the ties while I handle the school. Someone has to keep things under control here.”

Luminar stepped back, raising his hands.
“Wait, the four of us? Including me? No, no, no... I can’t go! The last time I got near a Kurenai, I almost lost my magic! You’ll need someone else.”

Seraphina shot him a piercing look, her eyes glowing with determination.
“You’re the only one here who has dealt with them. The only one with that experience. You’re going.”

Luminar swallowed hard and lowered his head in resignation.
“I know, but... last time, I almost lost my balls!”

“*THEN LEARN HOW TO PROTECT THEM BETTER, DAMMIT!*”

Seraphina shouted but quickly brought a hand to her head. Her body wasn’t in any condition to endure stress.

Lillith let out a short, sarcastic laugh.
“More balls on the line? Now this is getting interesting.”

With Esmeralda bound and prepared for temporary imprisonment, Seraphina began giving final instructions. She looked at each of them, evaluating their conditions.

“Armand, you’ll lead the group. Emma and Lillith, follow his orders. Luminar, you’ll be the guide. You leave at dawn.”

Emma and Lillith exchanged brief glances, while Armand simply nodded, still feeling the effects of the recent battle.

As they left the infirmary, Lillith grabbed Emma’s arm and asked in a low voice:
“So... what are Kurenai, exactly?”

Emma shrugged, looking equally confused.
“No idea, but they can’t be good.”

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Previous Chapter:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BallbustingStories/comments/1gqwaav/lillith_chapter_19_ashes/