Astraea channels life energy in her right arm with precise control, causing her muscles to grow. She surges forward, her fist connecting to the featureless head of a humanoid figure made entirely of rock.

  Both her hand and the stone golem’s head shatter, and the thing falls to the ground, inactive. She jumps back, avoiding the swing of one in front of her, and two of them run to her sides. They jump at her simultaneously, trying to knock her over, but she rolls to the side and kicks up, evading but leaving no mark.

  Dolus crouches down and places a pile of rocks in the same shape as the other constructs, channeling soul energy into it.

  All the golems stop moving for a moment as he does this, allowing the healer to stomp her boot on the head of a foe on the ground, launching dust particles and destroying it.

  In this moment of respite, Astraea regenerates her fist and shakes the debris and blood off her fingers. The figures begin moving again, and so does she.

  For more than seven minutes, she trades blows with her surrounding enemies, destroying them faster than they can be rebuilt. In exchange, she takes powerful, bone-shattering blows that drain her store of life energy as she needs to heal them to continue fighting unimpeded.

  Many spatters of blood coat the carpeted floor and she takes heavy breaths, looking between the three remaining golems.

  Dolus, at the other side of the corridor, crosses his arms and laughs at her.

  She growls and attempts to destroy another foe, but her punch lacks the strength to destroy it, and her knuckles crack upon impact. The other two fall on top of her, pinning her to the ground, and her brother takes slow steps toward her, speaking.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  “You were so close, too.”

  She looks up at his approach and grits her teeth, glaring daggers. He halts for a moment, then resumes walking and talking.

  “You don't scare me. Look how pathetic you are.”

  Dolus pats the construct not pinning her down as he passes it by, and finally reaches her.

  He draws the dagger from his side and crouches down, stabbing through her back.

  Her grunt causes him to chuckle.

  “This brings back memories. Your pain tolerance is terrifying- or, it would be if you weren't so helpless right now.”

  He twists the blade and her body shifts underneath the weight of the rock holding her in place. Dolus looks thoughtfully at her for a moment, and then the free golem lumbers over. It stomps on her limbs one by one, each being utterly crushed with loud cracks accompanied by pained groaning. Crimson pools underneath her.

  “Heal those or you'll die.”

  Astraea remains unspeaking, but the blood flow lessens until it stops entirely. Her clothing slowly retakes its proper shape, then Dolus smiles wryly as her limbs are destroyed again.

  The next minute consists of repeated regeneration and injury, until her brother closes his orange eyes and laughs.

  “I notice your healing is much slower now. I think you may have run out of energy! That's truly a shame, but don't worry. I'm not going to kill you.”

  He crouches down just away from her arm’s reach and stares at her broken body on the crimson-adorned carpet before speaking with an excited voice.

  “You see, I want what you have, and I want to be the only one to have it. That's why I was working with Azrael, that fool. I never told him about your true power just for this very moment. He, I, and that other man learned so much about soul magic together, but I will not share in the power.”

  He stands back up.

  “Your soul is an anomaly. We term you a quasi-mage because you have no mana, and yet seem to have ultimate control over life energy. Now imagine if someone with mana had the same; that's my goal. I will become unstoppable.”

  Dolus turns away from her and continues.

  “Therefore, I will be containing you. Your soul is infinitely more valuable than the joy I would gain from killing you. Golem two, lift her and come with me.”

  Astraea’s body is limp as she is hoisted by a construct. As her eyes close, she hears her brother yell, and seconds later she is dropped by the golem.

  Instead of hitting the hard ground, she feels herself be caught and lowered, then she loses consciousness.