Continuation...
The transformation is complete in a matter of seconds, yet it feels like an eternity as I revels in the sheer power of the Path Finder suit.
"Ultimate Ventures, let's roll!!!" I scream out of my lungs
My steps become more powerful, more assured, as the advanced exoskeleton amplified my strength and speed. The hum of energy thrums beneath the surface, ready to unleash at a moment's notice.
With Belteshazzar now squarely in my sights, I clench my fists, feeling the energy pulses synchronize with my intent. I'm no longer just Morinjo; I'm Path Finder, a force to be reckoned with. The battlefield around me blurs, my focus narrowing to a single, inevitable confrontation.
---
LEONARD
The alien's glow intensifies, a fierce beacon hurtling toward me across the sky. My fingers fumble over the remote, slipping on the buttons as my heartbeat hammers in my ears. *Come on, come on*. The electric field crackles to life, but it's no match. Belteshazzar plunges through it as if it's nothing, scattering sparks and leaving me feeling small, helpless.
My hand shakes, sweat slick on my palm. *Think, Leonard. Keep it together.* But my body won't listen; it's locked in place, paralyzed by the sight of his blazing hands, brimming with photon energy and ready to tear through me.
A blur streaks across my vision, and suddenly I'm on the ground, a shock of pain as I hit the dirt hard. The smell of scorched earth fills my nose where the blast just barely missed me.
"Are you out of your mind?!" Menace's voice cuts through the haze. "Do you want to die?"
My vision wavers as I look up at him, blinking. "What—what just happened?"
"You almost got fried! Now get up!" His urgency snaps me back. *Right. Focus.* But my hands still tremble, and there's a sick feeling in my gut that maybe, just maybe, I'm not cut out for this.
---
MORINJO
Path Finder's shield slices through the air, slamming into Belteshazzar's side with a dull thud. For a moment, I allow myself to feel a sliver of hope. Maybe this will work. Maybe we can hold him. I yank the shield back to my arm with a magnetic snap, grounding myself as I summon the earth beneath us. Stones erupt around him, clawing at his legs and arms, forcing him down to his knees.
"It's over, alien!" I shout, forcing confidence into my voice. "Just give up!"
But doubt needles at the back of my mind. Belteshazzar's eyes glow with a terrible intensity, and in the next second, the stones I summoned begin to crack. The energy he's drawing pulses, and with a horrifying, inevitable strength, he shatters his restraints. How can he be this strong?
"Impossible," I mutter, gripping my shield tighter, my heart pounding. *Am I in over my head?* I shake off the thought and summon a tomahawk, forcing myself to stand firm as he charges. *I've come too far to back down now.*
But then, from above, a force smashes into Belteshazzar, and he's thrown back, crashing into the dirt. I look up to see the Sorcerer descending with a smug grin, calm and composed. A chill runs down my spine. *Is he really here to help us?*
---
CHRISTIAN
I watch from above as Belteshazzar struggles through the forest I've bent to my will. Branches whip around him, vines lash at his limbs, and I can see the panic in his eyes as he fights his way through. *This is where I'm supposed to feel victorious, right?* But instead, a shadow of doubt flickers through me.
"Nature's grasp, impede his path!" I chant, the words flowing as naturally as breathing. But even as the forest twists and coils around him, I can't shake the feeling. *They trusted me. They all trusted me. Do I have the strength to go through with this?*
"You cannot hold me, sorcerer!" Belteshazzar's defiance breaks through my thoughts.
A smirk plays on my lips as I send another wave of vines his way. "We'll see about that." But beneath my confidence, there's a gnawing voice that won't quiet. *You're betraying them. When this is over, they'll hate you.* I try to smother it, focusing on the task, reshaping the cityscape into a maze around him. But the doubt lingers, deepening as I force him closer to the trap.
Finally, I conjure the mirror that will seal him in place. Belteshazzar turns, desperation written across his face, and for a moment, I hesitate. But then, I harden myself, remembering my plan, my purpose. This is what you wanted.
"Your escape ends here," I say, as much to him as to the part of myself that almost flinched.
---
JESSICA
As Christian steps through the portal, Belteshazzar subdued beside him, relief floods through me. *It's over. We actually did it.* But then, before I can even process what's happening, a soldier fires a neck cuff at Path Finder. The sound is loud, jarring. No... this can't be right.
Path Finder falls, gasping, eyes wide with betrayal. "What the hell are you doing, Sorcerer? I thought we planned this together," he chokes out.
"Arrest them," the commander barks, his voice cutting through the stunned silence.
I try to move, to fight back, but another cuff snaps around Zetacode's neck. One by one, we're taken down, our strength snuffed out. *How did it come to this?* I stare at Christian, shock and hurt roiling inside me. "I don't get it. Why are you doing this?"
He steps closer, and I can barely recognize the man before me. He looks almost… sad, but a glint of satisfaction gleams in his eyes. "Oh, my dear, the thing worse than death is betrayal." His words slice through me, hollow and cold.
"But… we trusted you," I stammer, my voice cracking. My chest tightens with a pain deeper than fear. *How could I have been so wrong?*
He turns to Morinjo, who lies on the ground, struggling to lift his head, eyes filled with a mix of confusion and anger. Christian's voice drops to a low, mocking tone. "Morinjo, the leader of brave Ventures. But a foolish leader… easily deceived." There's a cruel satisfaction in his words, and it's like watching a stranger wear the face of someone I thought I knew.
Why, Christian? Why? The question burns in my mind, but the answer already feels like it's slipping away, lost to the betrayal twisting my insides.