Knowing there was no place to hide, Vlad transformed into malice and charged toward Trevaris as soon as he appeared.
The latter stood at the original spot, neither dodging nor flinching, allowing Vlad's soul to enter his body completely.
Vlad's plan was to use Trevaris, or rather, Velquin's divine soul, as a bargaining chip.
As long as he could escape the Ten-Tailed Elythune's domain, his consciousness could scatter into countless fragments of malice, merging with the mortal realm.
By then, no one would ever be able to catch him again.
Unbeknownst to him, Trevaris shared the same idea. If he could trap Vlad within himself, then killing himself would mean killing Vlad, too.
With that decision, he allowed Vlad to enter him without resistance.
If it had been before, he might have feared that the feeble strength of his soul alone couldn't stand against Vlad. Now, he carried a second divine soul, lent to him by Velquin himself.
Even if his current strength couldn't fully suppress Vlad, he could still break free from Vlad's control and trap him within his own body.
With flames born of the phoenix's divine soul, he would bind both himself and Vlad in an unbreakable confinement.
Trevaris endured the searing pain of his burning soul, yet still turned his gaze toward Shannon. His clear, unwavering eyes carried both hope and a silent plea as he shouted, "Shannon!"
He called her name, his voice tinted with the same closeness and quiet trust as when they first met, but now layered with a desperate request. "Do it now, Shannon… Kill me!"
Trevaris was unafraid of death, especially after witnessing Lucan's unconditional sacrifice.
Back then, he was nothing more than a wisp of soul. He couldn't understand why Lucan had chosen to end his life like that, nor could he comprehend Elowen's actions.
It wasn't until Velquin's soul, following the phoenix's inheritance, entered Treavris' body that he finally understood the choices they had made—ultimately, the choice Velquin had made.
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