Crimson Heart

15

The roar of the Legion ship's engines faded into a steady hum as it soared through the planet's atmosphere, heading toward the stars. Hidden among the shadows of the cargo bay, two faint red wisps flickered into existence behind a stack of metal crates. Slowly, the shimmer of energy peeled away, revealing William and Sam as the invisibility spell dissipated.

William: "We're clear. No alarms triggered."

Sam's eyes scanned their surroundings with calculated precision. The cargo bay was massive, filled with crates and equipment, likely supplies and weapons for the Legion soldiers on board. The vault, their target, was further ahead, strapped down in the center of the room under heavy guard. Several armed soldiers stood watch nearby, their armor gleaming in the artificial light.

Sam: "The vault's right there, but we're not alone."

William crouched lower behind the crates, peeking out just enough to take in the scene. He counted at least six soldiers guarding the vault, each one armed with high-grade blasters. Getting to the vault unnoticed wasn't going to be easy.

William: "They're too focused on guarding the vault. If we can create a distraction, we might be able to slip past them and disable the security before they realize what's happening."

Sam: "Or we take them out quietly. One by one."

William weighed the options. Sam's cold, calculated approach made sense, but they needed to be fast. If they were detected, the entire ship would be alerted.

William: "We can't afford to alert the whole ship. We'll have to be subtle."

Sam: "I'll take out the guards at the perimeter. You handle the security on the vault."

William nodded, taking a deep breath to focus. The Legion had no idea how to open the vault yet, which meant they still had a window of opportunity. If they could get past the guards, they'd have a real chance to retrieve the crystal.

Sam moved first, his robotic limbs making almost no sound as he stalked toward the nearest guard. His movements were precise, calculated—completely silent. In one swift motion, he grabbed the soldier from behind, disabling him with a quick, lethal strike to the neck. The guard slumped to the ground without a sound, disappearing behind the crates.

William crouched low, watching as Sam took down each guards with silent precision. His mind raced, trying to think of a way to deal with the vault. Then, an idea hit him—a spell he hadn't used in a long time, something he'd once unleashed on one of his bullies back at Earth.

The petrification spell.

Maybe... just maybe, it could work here.

William's eyes flickered with determination as he stretched out his hand, red wisps of magic swirling from his fingers. He visualized the crate turning into stone, his focus sharpening as the chaotic energy flowed from him. The wisps snaked their way toward the nearest crate, wrapping around it like vines.

Within moments, the crate's surface began to harden, the texture shifting as the magic spread across its frame. It transformed from metal to solid stone, its shape frozen in place. William grinned slightly—he hadn't lost his touch.

Without hesitation, William conjured a glowing chaos orb in his hand. He aimed it at the now-petrified crate and launched it forward. The orb struck with a crackling explosion, shattering the stone into jagged pieces.

As the dust settled, William saw something glimmering within the remnants of the broken crate. His eyes widened as the light caught on a crystalline object—the crystal they'd been searching for, hidden inside the petrified debris.