Page 34

New Power

W hen I came to, the first thing I noticed was the cold followed quickly by a dull ache throughout my entire body. I groaned and tried to sit up. A gentle hand came to rest on my shoulder, helping me up the rest of the way.

“Take it easy,” Sky’s familiar voice said softly.

“H-How long have I b-been out?” I asked, my eyes still refusing to open as my head swam from the small movement.

“A few hours,” he replied, his voice tinged with relief. “I was starting to worry you’d never wake up.”

“What about the Guardian?”

“Dead. Or gone, I guess. I’m not sure what you did to it, but I don’t think it’s coming back.”

I nodded slowly, flashes of memory slowly drifting back to me. In my mind’s eye I saw the glow of my own eyes reflected in Sky’s, the magical barrier surrounding us, and the destruction of the Guardian. No, that wasn’t right. I didn’t destroy it.

“I… I laid it to rest,” I found myself saying out loud. “It’s purpose was fulfilled.” Finally, I managed to force my eyes open, looking up at Sky. “It was here to protect the orb and now… it’s done.”

“Your eyes…” Sky whispered, brows furrowed in my direction. “They’re… purple around the edges now.” He got closer, his body heat radiation through my cloak. “You really weren’t lying, were you? You’re a champion of the Twilight now. ”

I nodded. “First one in two hundred years, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Sky?” I asked, getting closer. “Why didn’t you believe me? Why didn’t you believe I had talked to the god of the Twilight?”

Sky’s ears flattened against his head, his blue eyes darting away from mine. He was silent for a long moment, his jaw clenching and unclenching as if he was wrestling with what to say.

“I... I’ve seen too many people claim they were chosen,” he finally muttered, his voice low and gruff. “Too many fools thinking they were special, running off to their deaths in the Cindersea. I couldn’t... I couldn’t watch another person throw their life away on a hopeful fantasy.”

His hand, still on my shoulder, tightened slightly. “But you... you’re different. What you did back there, it was...” He trailed off, shaking his head in disbelief.

I reached up, placing my hand over his. “Sky, I understand. But you don’t have to worry about me. I’m not going anywhere.”

His eyes snapped up to where my hand rested against his, his body tensing.

“Unless… you want me to leave?”

Sky’s eyes widened, his ears perking up slightly. For a moment, he seemed frozen, caught between pulling away and leaning in closer.

“No,” he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. “I... I don’t want you to leave.”

His admission hung in the air between us, heavy with unspoken meaning. I felt my heart race, acutely aware of how close we were, of the warmth of his hand beneath mine.

“Good,” I replied softly, “because I don’t want to leave either.”

Sky’s gaze met mine, those piercing eyes searching my face. I could see the conflict there, the desire warring with his instinct to push people away. Slowly, hesitantly, he leaned in closer.

“You should know,” he murmured, “I’m not... I’m not good at this. At trusting people. At letting them in,” Sky continued, his voice low and rough. “I’ve lost too much already.”

I nodded, understanding the weight behind his words. “I know. And I’m not asking you to change overnight. Just... don’t push me away completely, okay?”

A ghost of a smile flickered across Sky’s face. “I’ll try,” he said, his ears twitching slightly.

We sat in silence for a moment, the air between us charged with emotion.

I could tell he wanted to lean in further.

Hell, that’s what I wanted from him too.

I lifted my gaze to his lips, wondering for a moment what they would feel like against mine.

But did I dare lean in and try it? Should I ask first?

How did he want me to proceed? And did he want more from me at all?

I spent so much time worrying about what to do that I missed my chance.

Sky cleared his throat and stood up, offering me his hand.

“We should get moving. It’s not safe to linger here, even with the Guardian gone.”

I took his hand, letting him pull me to my feet. As I stood, a wave of dizziness washed over me, and I stumbled. Sky caught me, his strong arms wrapping around my waist to steady me on my feet.

“How did you get rid of it by the way?” he asked, waiting until I had my feet under me before he let go. “What was that power?”

“I have no idea,” I replied, shaking my head. “It was like something took over me, like I was sitting inside my own head watching it all unfold. I’m not sure I had anything to do with it honestly.”

“Could you do it again?”

“No idea. And I don’t think I could on command. So, we probably shouldn’t rely on it.”

“Hopefully we won’t have to,” he sighed. “But it’s not gonna be easy getting out of here either.” He pointed back toward the way we’d come. The wall and tunnel had completely collapsed, destroyed as the Guardian forced its way through. “We can’t go back. So, we’ll have to find another way.”

“Do you know where we are?”

“Under the city,” he nodded. “And unfortunately… in the dungeon I think.”

My heart skipped a beat, fear streaking through my chest. “The one everyone dies in?”

He nodded with a sigh. “Yup.”

“Great.”

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. “Okay. So, we’re in the deadliest dungeon in the middle of the deadliest woods outside of Selas. No problem. We just need to find a way out, right?”

Sky nodded, his blue eyes scanning our surroundings. “Right. But it won’t be easy. This place... it has a way of messing with your head. Changing. Shifting.”

As if on cue, a low rumble echoed through the chamber, and I felt the ground beneath my feet tremble slightly. Sky’s ears twitched, his body tensing.

“We need to move,” he said urgently, grabbing my hand. “Now. ”

We started walking, our footsteps echoing off the stone walls. The rumbling grew louder, and I could hear the sound of crumbling rock behind us. I didn’t dare look back, focusing instead on the exit from the chamber. It was the only one in sight and our only way out.

“What do you mean the dungeon changes?” I asked, picking up the pace to a slow jog.

“Exactly that,” Sky called back, urging me on. “All dungeons shift. I don’t know why, but it’s just what they do. And it makes them almost impossible to map.”

“Dungeons… shift? ” I shook my head as we headed for the exit. It seemed way too far-fetched to believe. But then again, I could mutter a few words and heal deadly wounds, so maybe it wasn’t that strange. Things in Cindersea were always so much different than I expected.

As we ran, the tunnel ahead seemed to stretch and warp, the walls undulating like living tissue. I blinked hard, trying to clear my vision, but the unsettling effect remained.

“Sky,” I panted, “I think I’m seeing things.”

He glanced back at me, his expression grim. “You’re not. It’s the dungeon. It plays tricks on your mind, makes you doubt your senses. Stay focused on me, okay?”

I nodded, fixing my gaze on his back as we pushed forward. The rumbling behind us grew louder, and I could feel the vibrations through the soles of my boots. Suddenly, Sky skidded to a halt, throwing out an arm to stop me.

“Wait,” he hissed, ears twitching. “Listen.”

I held my breath, straining to hear over the sound of my pounding heart. At first, all I could hear was the rumbling behind us, but then I caught it. It was a faint skittering sound coming from up ahead.

“What is that?” I whispered, unconsciously moving closer to Sky.

His ears swiveled, tracking the noise. “Not sure,” he muttered, “but I doubt it’s friendly. We need to find another way.”

We backtracked a few steps, Sky’s eyes scanning the walls for any sign of an alternate route. The rumbling behind us was getting closer, and the skittering ahead was growing louder. We were being boxed in.

“There!” Sky suddenly exclaimed, pointing to a narrow crevice in the wall I hadn’t noticed before. “It’s tight, but it might lead somewhere.”

Without waiting for my response, he grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the crevice. We squeezed through the narrow opening, the rough stone scraping against our sides. The passageway was pitch black, forcing us to feel our way forward .

“Stay close,” Sky whispered, his voice echoing slightly in the confined space.

I could feel his tail brush against my leg as we moved, a strangely comforting presence in the darkness. The sounds of rumbling and skittering faded behind us, replaced by an eerie silence broken only by our labored breathing and the soft scrape of our boots on stone.

After what felt like an eternity of inching forward in the darkness, the passage suddenly widened. I stumbled slightly as the walls fell away, and Sky’s hand tightened around mine.

“Careful,” he murmured. “I think we’re in a larger chamber now. The air feels… still.”

A low rumble behind us pulled my attention backward.

In the dim light of the glowing fungi clinging to the walls, I watched as the crevice we’d just squeezed through slowly wove itself shut, cutting off all chances of going back.

The way the stone moved made me feel almost nauseous.

Or maybe that was the exhaustion kicking in. Either way, I needed a break.

“Let’s rest here,” I said, looking up at Sky. “I’m still worn out.”

“We should be safe here for now,” he said slowly, turning around in a circle as he scanned the area. “I don’t sense any creatures. Do you?”

I closed my eyes, letting my magical senses branch out into the chamber.

To my surprise, they seemed much stronger.

I could feel the faint pulse of the fungi on the walls, the bugs scurrying over the stone, and there must’ve been a water source somewhere because I swore I felt a handful of fish.

I’d never felt smaller creatures like that before.

“Nothing dangerous,” I replied. “We’ll be safe I think.”