What Comes Next
1515 Words
Chapter 18 – What Comes Next
Malikye’s POV
The temple didn’t open immediately.
Which, considering everything we had just gone through, felt deeply on brand.
We stood in the vast chamber for several long seconds after Damon’s projection vanished, the silver light softening around us, the tension easing just enough to let my body realize how tired it actually was.
I rolled my shoulders, wincing slightly.
“Well,” I said, glancing around, “if that was the final test, I’d like to formally request a nap.”
Lyra snorted softly.
“You’re not getting a nap,” Lyra said.
“That feels unfair,” I replied.
Kael didn’t look amused.
“We’re not safe yet,” Kael said, his eyes already scanning the room again like he expected something to go wrong at any second.
“Do we ever reach a point where we *are* safe?” I asked.
“No,” he said.
I nodded slowly.
“Good. I appreciate the consistency.”
Selene stepped toward the center of the chamber again, her gaze lifting slightly as the light above us shifted.
“The temple is preparing to release us,” Selene said.
“That sounds promising,” I said.
“It also means your presence here has been… confirmed,” she added.
I frowned.
“That sounds less promising.”
Lyra stepped closer to me, her posture tightening slightly, her hand resting near the hilt of her blade again.
“It means Damon knows exactly where you are now,” Lyra said.
I exhaled.
“Of course he does.”
The moment the words left my mouth—
The temple reacted.
Not gently.
The silver light flared violently, flooding the chamber in a blinding surge that forced me to shield my eyes.
Then—
The doors slammed open.
Hard.
Wind rushed inward, cold and sharp, carrying something with it.
Something is wrong.
Kael moved instantly.
“Down!” Kael shouted.
I barely had time to react before something slammed into the stone floor where I had been standing.
The impact cracked the ground.
I hit the floor hard, rolling instinctively as a second strike followed, the force of it sending a shockwave through the chamber.
“What was that?” I shouted, pushing myself up.
Lyra was already moving.
“Company!” Lyra snapped.
I looked up.
And my stomach dropped.
They weren’t Hollow.
They weren’t temple guardians.
These were different.
Taller.
Armored.
Their bodies looked almost human—but wrong, like something had been forced into shape rather than grown into it. Dark armor fused to their skin, glowing faintly with the same twisted energy I had seen around Damon.
Their eyes burned red.
Controlled.
Focused.
One of them stepped forward.
“Secure the target,” it said, its voice low and distorted.
I pointed at myself.
“Why does everyone keep calling me that?”
Kael didn’t respond.
He was already fighting.
His blade flashed, meeting the first attacker head-on, steel clashing against something far heavier than it should have been.
Lyra moved beside him, her strikes fast and precise, her movements fluid as she ducked beneath one blow and drove her blade upward into the creature’s side.
It didn’t fall.
It didn’t even slow.
“That’s new,” I said.
“Less talking!” Lyra snapped.
“I’m contributing emotionally!”
Selene raised her hands.
Silver light flared outward from her, striking one of the creatures and forcing it back several steps.
“They are bound to Damon’s will!” Selene said. “You must disrupt the connection!”
I blinked.
“I just got control of my power five minutes ago!”
“Then use it!” Kael shouted.
One of the creatures lunged toward me.
Fast.
Too fast.
I barely raised my hand in time.
The mark flared.
Silver light burst outward, colliding with the attack and halting it mid-strike.
The force pushed the creature back—but not far.
It recovered instantly.
“That’s not enough,” I muttered.
It attacked again.
I focused.
Not panic.
Not reaction.
Control.
The power responded.
This time, when I struck—
It hit harder.
The light cut across the creature’s chest, sending cracks through its armor-like skin.
It staggered.
But still didn’t fall.
“Why won’t they stay down?” I said.
“They’re not alive,” Kael replied, blocking another strike.
“That’s worse!”
Lyra moved in front of me suddenly, intercepting a blow meant for my side.
“Focus!” Lyra said, her voice sharp.
“I am focused!” I replied.
“No, you’re distracted!”
“I’m being attacked!”
She didn’t respond—
Because another creature slammed into her.
Hard.
The impact knocked her backward.
“Lyra!” I shouted.
She hit the ground hard, sliding across the stone.
One of the creatures moved toward her.
Fast.
Too fast.
Something inside me snapped.
The power surged.
Stronger than before.
I stepped forward.
Raised my hand.
And didn’t hesitate.
The light exploded outward.
Not wild.
Not uncontrolled.
Focused.
Sharp.
It struck the creature mid-motion.
This time—
It shattered.
Completely.
Fragments of dark energy scattered across the floor, dissolving into nothing.
I stared at my hand.
“…okay, that’s new.”
“Less commentary!” Kael snapped.
“Right!”
I moved toward Lyra quickly, dropping to one knee beside her.
“You alright?” I asked, my voice tighter than I intended.
She pushed herself up slightly, wincing but steady.
“I’ve had worse,” Lyra said.
“That’s not reassuring,” I replied.
Another creature lunged toward us.
I reacted instantly, pulling Lyra with me as we rolled out of the way, the strike slamming into the ground where we had been.
Too close.
Way too close.
We ended up pressed against one of the temple pillars, closer than I had expected.
Closer than was necessary.
For a second—
Everything else faded.
Her hand was still gripping mine.
Her breathing was uneven, but controlled.
Her eyes locked onto mine.
Sharp.
Focused.
But something else flickered there.
Something softer.
“You okay?” I asked again, quieter this time.
“I said I was fine,” Lyra said—but her voice wasn’t as sharp as before.
I didn’t move.
Neither did she.
For just a moment—
The chaos around us dimmed.
“You’re getting better,” she added quietly.
I blinked.
“That might be the first encouraging thing you’ve said to me.”
Her lips twitched slightly.
“Don’t get used to it.”
“I might,” I said.
A strike slammed into the pillar beside us.
Stone cracked.
Reality snapped back.
“Right,” I said. “Still being attacked.”
Lyra pulled away first.
“Focus, Malikye,” Lyra said.
“I was having a moment,” I replied.
“This is not the time,” she said.
“It was a very brief moment!”
She rolled her eyes—
But there was a faint smile there.
Then she turned—
And drove her blade into the next attacker.
I stood, raising my hand again.
The power flowed easier now.
Faster.
Stronger.
Each strike landed with precision, the light cutting through the creatures more effectively with each movement.
Kael finished the last one with a final, decisive blow.
Silence fell.
Again.
I lowered my hand slowly, breathing heavier now.
“Well,” I said, glancing around at the fading remnants of the creatures, “that was aggressive.”
Lyra exhaled.
“You’re improving,” Lyra said.
“I didn’t die,” I replied.
“That’s still your standard?”
“For now.”
Selene stepped closer.
“That was not a coincidence,” Selene said.
I looked at her.
“Of course it wasn’t.”
“They were sent the moment the temple released you,” she continued.
Kael nodded.
“Damon knows you’re ready now,” Kael said.
I sighed.
“I really wish he didn’t.”
Lyra glanced at me.
“He’s not going to stop,” Lyra said.
“I figured that out earlier,” I replied.
I looked down at my hand.
The mark glowed steadily.
Strong.
Controlled.
Then I looked back at them.
“So what now?” I asked.
Selene met my gaze.
“Now,” Selene said, “we leave.”
Kael nodded.
“And we prepare for war,” Kael added.
I exhaled slowly.
“Of course we do.”
Lyra stepped beside me again.
Closer than before.
“You ready for that?” Lyra asked.
I looked at her.
Then at the temple behind us.
Then at my hand.
“No,” I said honestly.
She smirked faintly.
“Good,” Lyra said. “That means you’re thinking clearly.”
I huffed a quiet laugh.
“That’s one way to look at it.”
And as we stepped out of the temple—
One thing became very clear.
This wasn’t just survival anymore.
This was the beginning of something much bigger.
And whether I liked it or not—
I was at the center of it.
- Writer
