Chereads / STOLEN FATES / Chapter 13 - CHAPTER 6: THE PRICE OF POWER

Chapter 13 - CHAPTER 6: THE PRICE OF POWER

Scene 1: The Burden of the Artifact

Eve sat on the edge of the campsite, as the forest came shrouded in predawn mist. She cuddled the artifact in her hands, its low brightness pulsing like a heartbeat. The heat of it was no longer comforting, it was scorching, invasive, as if it were testing her will.

Cassian came up, his boots were crunching softly against the undergrowth. "You have still not gone to sleep."

Eve didn't look up. "How can I? Every time I close my eyes to sleep, I see... things. Visions. Shadows. People I don't recognize but feel like I should."

"That's the effect of the artifact," Cassian said, crouching beside her. "It is transmitting its memories into yours. The longer you keep bonded with it, the harder it will be to tell them apart."

Eve finally turned and met his face, while fear and defiance mingled in her eyes. "Then help me stop it. You said there's a way to sever the bond."

"There is," Cassian admitted, with a heavy tone. "But it's not without cost. We need that second artifact to even try."

Eve clenched her fists. "Then we had better find it before it's too late."

Scene 2: A Fractured Team

The tension between Sarah and Cassian was growing to an unbearable level. As the group packed up from the campsite, Sarah refused to look at Cassian's face, her movements sharp and deliberate.

"Do you always have to act as if you know everything?" Sarah snapped when Cassian suggested a different route through the forest.

"I'm trying to save our lives," Cassian replied coolly.

"Sure you are," Sarah muttered. "As long as it serves your mysterious agenda."

"Enough!" Eve's voice cut through the argument. She moved in between them, she was losing her patience more than ever. "We don't have time for this. Either we work together, or we're all dead. Your choice."

Sarah looked away, tightening her jaw, but she agreed. Cassian simply sheathed his blade and started walking, his countenance unreadable.

Eve sighed, feeling the pains of keeping their fragile alliance together.

Scene 3: An Unexpected Ally

As the group traveled, they fell upon a small village settled in a valley. The villagers, careful but curious, offered them food and shelter in exchange for help in clearing debris from a recent storm.

While working, Eve noticed an older woman observing her intently. The woman finally came closer, her eyes fixed on the artifact peeking out from Eve's pack.

"You carry a great burden," the woman said, her voice low. "One that has affected this village before."

Eve's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"

The woman delayed before revealing a faded tattoo on her wrist, one identical to the mark on Eve's arm. "I was once a keeper too. But I survived. If you want to do the same, you'll need to learn the truth about the shadows."

Scene 4: The Shadow's Truth

The woman led them to a secret shrine deep in the forest. The air became colder as they entered, and Eve felt as the artifact grow heavier in her hands.

"This is where it all started," the woman said, pointing to an ancient mural carved into the stone walls. The mural depicted two artifacts locked in a beam of light, surrounded by shadowy figures.

"The artifacts were created to contain the darkness," she explained. "But they are not pure. Each keeper must choose how to exercise their power, for light or for destruction."

Eve stared at the mural, the outcome of her decisions pressing down on her. "What happens if I fail?"

The woman's eyes turned dark. "Then the shadows will consume everything."

Scene 5: Sarah's Doubts

That night, as they camped near the shrine, Sarah took Eve aside.

"This is too much," Sarah confessed, her voice shaking. "You're talking about fighting an ancient darkness as if it's something you can actually win over. What if we're just... wrong?"

Eve placed a hand on Sarah's shoulder. "I don't have all the answers, but I can't ignore what is happening. If there's a chance to stop this, I have to try."

Sarah pulled away, tears shining and reflecting in her eyes. "And what about me? Do I just stand here and watch you lose yourself?"

Eve did not have an answer.

Scene 6: The Ambush

Just before dawn, they were attacked. The shadows came upon them without warning, their forms twisting and multiplying in the dim light.

Cassian shouted out orders as he fought, his blade glowed with weak energy. Eve wielded the artifact, as its light burned through the shades, but the strain left her gasping for breath.

Sarah screamed as a shadow lunged at her, She was armed with only a torch. Eve turned just in time, as the artifact unleashed a burst of light that disintegrated the creature.

When the battle ended, the group was distabilized but alive.

"This will only get worse," Cassian warned, his voice grim.

Scene 7: A Rift Deepens

The aftermath of the ambush left the group shaken. Sarah looked at Cassian as he attended to his wounds.

"This is all your fault," she snapped. "You brought us here. You knew they would find us."

Cassian didn't answer a word, but Eve interrupted. "Enough, Sarah. We can't keep fighting each other."

"No, Eve," Sarah said, her voice breaking. "We're fighting because of him. Because you trust him more than me."

Eve looked away, being divided between loyalty and necessity.

Scene 8: Cassian's Resolve 

That night, the camp was unnaturally quiet. The recent ambush had left everyone exhausted, but sleep did not come easily. Cassian sat apart from the others, sharpening his blade with slow, deliberate strokes. The musical sound of steel against stone echoed faintly in the silence.

Eve observed him from a distance, her heart was heavy with conflicting emotions. She finally mustered the courage to go nearer, sitting down on the fallen log beside him.

"You don't have to isolate yourself, you know," she said softly.

Cassian didn't look up. "I'm not isolating myself. I'm preparing."

"For what?" Eve asked the more..

He paused, his grip on the blade tightening. "For when the shadows take everything." His voice was low, almost a whisper, but the weight of his words sent a shiver down Eve's spine.

"Is that what happened before?" she asked cautiously. "To the other keeper?"

Cassian stiffened his shoulders. He kept the blade aside and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Her name was Lira. She was strong, determined... like you. But the artifact doesn't just test its keeper, it feeds on them. It makes them see their deepest fears, their darkest desires. And if they falter..."

His voice broke, and he clenched his jaw, forcing himself to continue. "I wasn't fast enough to save her. The artifact took hold of her, and the shadows consumed what was left."

Eve's heart ached at the pain in his voice. She reached out, delaying for a moment before placing her hand over his. "You don't have to do this alone, Cassian. You do not have to carry this guilt forever."

He looked at her then, his usually careful expression gets softening. "You do not understand, Eve. If I fail again... if I lose you too... I would not survive it."

Eve's breath ceased, but before she could respond, a faint tremor shook the ground beneath them. Cassian quickly stood on his feet, his blade was drawn. "We're running out of time," he said, his tone hardening again. "We need to move."

Scene 9: A Hidden Passage 

The next morning, the group stood before the hidden shrine, its door covered by overgrown vines and ancient stones. The older woman from the village, whom they now called Maren, ran her fingers over a faint writing on the wall.

"This passage was built by the first keepers," she explained. "It leads to the resting place of the second artifact. But the path is not for those who are weak in heart."

Eve's mark throbbed painfully as she stepped closer. "What's waiting for us down there?"

Maren turned to her, her outlook grave. "The trials. They are meant to test your resolve, your loyalty, and your very essence. If you are found unworthy, the shadows will take you."

Sarah frowned, crossing her arms. "Why does everything have to be a test? Can't we just skip to the part where we save the world?"

Cassian gave her a sharp look. "This is not a game, Sarah. These tests are there for a reason. If Eve fails, we all fail."

Eve ignored their side talks, her gaze fixed on the dark tunnel infront. The air seemed to sound with energy, and the artifact grew hotter in her hands.

"Let's go," she said firmly.

The group stepped into the passage, the light from their torches casting mysterious shadows on the walls. The deeper they went, the more the air grew colder, and a faint whispering sound filled the tunnel. It was as if the wind carried secrets long forgotten.

"What's that noise?" Sarah whispered, her voice trembling.

"It's the passage," Maren replied. "It senses your fears."

These words sent some cold down Eve's spine, but she pressed on, gripping the artifact tightly.

As they rounded a corner, the whispers grew louder, forming coherent words:

"Turn back. You are not worthy."

Eve stumbled, the force of the artifact nearly pulling her to her knees. Cassian held her quickly by the arm, steadying her. "Ignore it," he said. "It's trying to break you."

Eve nodded, forcing herself to keep walking.

Scene 10: The Final Warning 

The tunnel eventually opened into a vast chamber, its ceiling lost in darkness. In the center stood a towering stone door, its surface covered in intricate sacred symbols that shoned faintly in the dim light. The artifact in Eve's hands pulsed violently, as if it recognized the door.

"This is it," Maren said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Eve stepped forward, her heart pounding. The sacred symbols seemed to react to her presence, as their light grow brighter. She reached out tentatively, but Cassian grabbed her wrist.

"Wait," he said. "We don't know what is on the other side."

"We do not have a choice," Eve replied, her voice steady despite her fear. "Whether we open this door or not, the shadows will still find us anyway."

Sarah moved closer, her expression uncertain. "What if opening it makes things worse?"

Eve hesitated, but firm in her resolve. She looked at Maren, who caught her gaze with a mixture of pity and hope. "The door will judge you," Maren said. "If you are worthy, it will open. If not..."

Eve took a deep breath, her fingers brushing against the cool stone. The artifact in her hand burned brightly, and she heard the voice again:

"To open this door is to choose your fate. Are you ready?"

Her mind fought with doubts and fears, but she forced them aside. She had come this far, there was no turning back now.

"I'm ready," she whispered, pressing the artifact against the door.

The sacred symbols flared to life, filling the chamber with blinding light. The ground shook violently, and a deep, vibrating sound echoed through the air.

As the door began to creak open, Eve felt a push of energy rush through her, both interesting and terrifying.

But what lay beyond the door was nothing she could have prepared for.

The chamber on the other side was bathed in an unnatural brightness, and at its center floated the second artifact. Unlike the one she carried, this artifact was encased in a swirling flow of shadow and light, its power can be felt even from a distance.

Cassian moved towards her side, with a stern expression. "This is it," he said. "The key to everything."

Eve took a step forward, but a voice, deep, cold, and laced with malice, stopped her in her tracks.

"You should not have come."

The shadows in the chamber began to join together, forming a figure that radiated danger. Eve tightened her grip on the artifact, as her heart pounds while she prepared for the fight of her life.