Mahtan's pale hands pressed firmly against the large doors of the Keep, muscles straining underneath his leather armor as he pushed with as much force as he could muster. As the doors began to move beneath his hands, he found himself wondering why doors needed to be so large. It was common for Keep doors to be grand, but Veiron Keep had doors much larger than the elf had ever seen. Even the largest demon could squeeze through them if it tried; a fact that bothered Mahtan, despite his destiny. When there was a large enough gap for him and Susanna to get inside, Mahtan threw a hand out in order to stop Susanna in her tracks. "No, Susanna. I couldn't keep you from being attacked by the Orcs, that was my mistake. This time, you need to be more careful." he said, his tone wavering slightly mid-sentence. He had no idea what was coming over him, but his mood was bouncing all around. Was he really worried about losing Susanna, or was he scared he might lose Lilith? Either way, he felt he needed to keep the Host safe, for now at least. As silent as a predator stalking it's prey, Mahtan slid inside the Keep. As soon as the last part of him entered, he got a dark feeling in his soul. It wasn't just his powers that resided there, something else had invaded. It felt heavy, yet light at the same time. It was dark and powerful, yet content, not bent on destroying what had set foot into the Keep. Mahtan's breath caught in his chest as the feeling washed over his entire body. He felt a raging fire boiling in his veins, pumping black blood even further into his system. Something inside him seemed to be reacting to the Keep, and it was nearly impossible to tell if it was a good or bad outcome. The sound of his leather boots echoed all throughout the raised ceiling as the Elf moved deeper into the keep. It was completely bare, missing all of the valuable and priceless items it once contained. It was now merely marble, dusty and forgotten marble. On either side of Mahtan were giant metal doors, leading to what he assumed to be the East and West wings of the Keep. In front of him rose a grand staircase, with steps leading up the middle, then turning around on both sides and leading up even further into the opposite direction. Despite the temperature outside, Mahtan could see his breath as he hugged the shadows, not wanting to wake anything that might be lurking within the Keep, besides the powerful force that noticed him when he first entered. Upon reaching the steps, Mahtan raised his foot and placed it onto the first step, and was about to continue when he heard shuffling behind him. 

Mahtan swung around, bow at the ready with an arrow already knocked. He pulled the string back with inhuman speed and aimed for the door. Arm steady, his emerald eyes were tainted with inky black as he honed his powers. Surprise filled him as he watched Susanna's proud figure emerge, her pale face turning from side to side as it marveled at the magnificence of the Keep. Mahtan's eyes widened as he saw a shadow creep up behind Susanna, black claws spread wide just above her own shadow, cast by the sunlight streaming in through the windows behind the Elf. Mahtan's arrow immediately went loose, and he began sprinting towards Susanna, screaming 'SUSANNA! NO! GET OUTSIDE!" at the top of his lungs. The arrow struck the shadow just as it was about to devour Susanna's own, and retreated to the darkness once more, but not before the giant door slammed shut behind the human girl. Mahtan felt an immediate pain inside his chest and he lost his footing on the bare marble floor. With a grunt of pain Mahtan's body did a front flip and landed in a crumpled heap on the floor, but not before the Elf's skull came into contact with the marble, causing a spine chilling crack to echo throughout the Keep, followed by deathly still silence. From underneath Mahtan's body a small pool of shadows began to form, seeming to be caused by nothing, as he was in the direct sunlight. The shadows streamed against his face, over his open mouth, and across his wide and lifeless eyes. His mouth appeared to be moving, and his smooth voice could be heard calling out into the shadows 'S...Susa...lith....Lil..." was all he managed to let out before his final breath escaped his lips. His once green eyes lost their color completely and were replaced by gray. The sunlight reflecting off his eyes dimmed ever so slightly as the soul light faded from behind his pupils, giving him the true appearance of one that has passed from the world. The shadows beneath his skull began to slowly disappear, giving Susanna a clear view of the impact point from where she was standing. There was no crack, no blood, nothing to signify what had happened to Mahtan, but it was obvious he had drawn his last breath. Lilith cackles were all to be heard besides the presence inside Veiron Keep that was moving closer and closer to the Host and the dead Elf.

"Perfect..."