The closer they got to the swirling vortex, the more suffocating the air became. It wasn't just the density of prismatic energy; it was the weight of something ancient and far beyond human comprehension.
Elara felt it pulling at her, whispering promises of power and control. It wasn't a voice exactly, but a presence, seeping into her thoughts. She stumbled slightly, her hand brushing against the cold stone wall for support.
"Steady yourself."
Lyra's voice was low but firm, her tone sharper than the edge of her arrowheads. She turned, her eyes locking onto Elara's. "Don't let it get into your head."
Elara nodded quickly, ashamed of her weakness. "I'm fine."
"No, you're not," Lyra said bluntly, stepping closer. "And that's fine. Fear keeps you alive. But letting this thing control you? That's a quick way to die."
Lyra's words weren't harsh; they were measured, deliberate. It was the voice of someone who had been in Elara's position before—someone who had learned the cost of hesitation and mistakes.
Kael's voice broke through, calm but carrying a weight that silenced even Oran's restless movements. "This isn't just energy, Elara. This is a fragment of the past—a power that's outlived everything else. If you can hear it, you need to shut it out. Focus on the present, on your feet, on your blade. That's all you need to control."
Elara felt her breath steady, her pulse slowing. She looked between the two legends, both standing like sentinels against the darkness. "I'll focus," she said quietly, and she meant it.
Oran gave her a reassuring nudge with his shoulder. "You heard the boss. Let's make them proud."
The swirling vortex above the dais cast strange, flickering light across the chamber. It made the jagged ruins look alive, as though the carvings themselves were shifting and moving with purpose.
"This is no ordinary Zone," Kael said, stepping cautiously onto the dais. His movements were deliberate, as though each step carried meaning. "It's a Convergence Point. A place where energy doesn't just gather—it fuses, fractures, and builds on itself."
Lyra scanned the chamber, her bow at the ready. "The ancients built these to harness raw power. Most of them collapsed during the Cataclysm. The fact that this one is still functioning means it's…stubborn."
Elara found herself staring at Lyra as she spoke. There was something about the archer's words—her knowledge and composure—that made her seem larger than life. Lyra didn't just know the dangers of the ruins; she understood them on a level that made Elara's fear seem small.
"So what's the plan?" Oran asked, breaking the reverent silence.
Kael crouched by the edge of the dais, his hands glowing faintly as he examined the runes etched into the stone. "We collapse it."
Oran blinked. "Collapse it? Won't that, you know…kill us?"
Kael tilted his head, considering. "It might."
Oran threw his hands in the air. "Great. Love the optimism."
Kael straightened, looking directly at Oran. "This isn't about optimism. This is about stopping Lucius from getting his hands on something he can't be allowed to control. If we don't destroy this, he will use it to destroy us. All of us."
Lyra added, her voice softer now, "This isn't just another fight, Oran. This is the kind of decision that leaves scars—on you, on your team, on the world. You think we don't feel the weight of that?" She glanced at Kael, her expression unreadable for a moment before she sighed. "We do. Every day. But we carry it because someone has to."
The weight of her words left the chamber silent. Even Oran, usually quick with a quip, nodded quietly.
Kael's voice was quieter now, but no less commanding. "I'll destabilize the vortex. It's going to take time. You'll need to hold them off."
The chamber rumbled as the Convergence Point reacted to Kael's touch. The swirling vortex grew erratic, its light pulsing wildly.
"They're coming," Lyra said, her eyes narrowing as shadows detached themselves from the walls. Crimson Veil soldiers poured into the chamber, their armor gleaming with enhancements. Behind them came the abominations, their twisted forms radiating unstable energy.
"Hold the line," Lyra ordered, her voice cutting through the noise. She loosed her first arrow, the golden trajectory lines bending through the chaos to strike a Veil soldier in the chest.
Elara couldn't help but marvel at the way Lyra moved—her precision, her unshakable focus. Every arrow seemed like an extension of her will, curving mid-flight to find its target.
"Don't just stand there!" Oran shouted, his threads snapping to life. "We've got work to do!"
Elara nodded, snapping out of her trance. She focused her ability, targeting an abomination that charged toward Lyra. Its energy faltered, its glowing core flickering, and Lyra's arrow found its mark.
Kael worked at the center of the dais, his hands glowing brighter as he manipulated the runes. "Keep them off me!" he called, his voice steady despite the chaos.
A Veil soldier broke through the line, his blade raised as he charged toward Kael.
Elara saw it too late. Her breath caught in her throat as the soldier closed in—but then another figure intercepted him, a blur of desperate motion.
The soldier's blade sank into the chest of a man Elara recognized instantly—a survivor from their faction.
"No," Elara whispered, her heart lurching.
The man—his name was Dain—collapsed to the ground, blood pooling beneath him. He looked up at Elara, his breathing ragged. "Had to…help," he said, his voice barely a whisper.
Elara dropped to her knees beside him, tears streaming down her face. "You didn't have to do this," she choked out.
Dain managed a faint smile. "Someone had to. Make it…count."
His eyes closed, and his body went still.
The world seemed to blur for a moment, but Lyra's voice snapped Elara back into focus. "Get up."
Elara looked up, her vision still clouded with tears.
"Get. Up," Lyra repeated, her voice sharp but not unkind. "We don't have time for this. If you let grief take you now, more people are going to die."
Elara swallowed hard and stood, gripping her dagger tightly.
The next wave of enemies surged forward, but this time, Elara didn't hesitate. Her ability flared with newfound intensity, disrupting enemy energy fields with precision and purpose.
Lyra gave her a nod of approval as she loosed another arrow. "Good. Keep going."
Kael's voice rang out over the chaos. "It's done! Fall back!"
The group retreated as the Convergence Point collapsed, the vortex imploding in a burst of light and energy. The force of the explosion sent shockwaves through the ruins, toppling pillars and scattering debris.
When the dust settled, the chamber was silent. The Convergence Point was gone, its power extinguished.
Elara knelt beside Dain's body, her chest tight with grief. Oran placed a hand on her shoulder, his usual levity gone.
Kael and Lyra stood nearby, their expressions somber. "He knew what he was doing," Kael said quietly. "We all make choices in this fight. Some of them are harder than others."
Lyra's voice softened. "You honored his choice by surviving. Don't forget that."
Elara wiped her tears and nodded. She wouldn't forget.
"We move at dawn," Lyra said, her tone steady but laced with weariness. "Lucius won't stop here, and neither can we."