Chapter 435: The Vessel

**Thelma Zane’s POV** "Then we have nothing to talk about," I said, stretching my muscles. "You do realize that this fight will only end with one of us dead, don’t you?" I had hoped to extract valuable information from Locke earlier, but his demeanor left no room for compromise. He was a walking time bomb, a threat that grew more dangerous with every second he remained alive. There was no reasoning with someone so deeply tethered to darkness. "My dear princess," Locke sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "I think my Lord will be quite taken with your soul." Before I could retort, Locke lunged at me, his laughter echoing through the smoke-filled air. As he charged, his body underwent a grotesque transformation. Thick, jagged bone spikes erupted from his joints, their sharp edges gleaming like deadly fish bones. A pair of thin, membranous wings sprouted from his back, and venomous fangs, glowing with an eerie green hue, completed his monstrous appearance. The atmospher