Arika: The legend of the lost jewel

chapter 19

Seeing Kyle fall to the ground, his body pierced by the arrow, something snapped within Eva. A surge of rage unlike anything she’d ever felt ignited deep within her, and without warning, glowing patterns began to form around her body. At that exact moment, Ellen experienced the same transformation—patterns spiralled across her skin as her power surged to life. Eva’s hair turned a blazing bright red, and Ellen’s shifted to a radiant green.

Ellen gasped, feeling the raw power coursing through her veins, far stronger than anything she’d ever wielded before. It was as though Eva’s rage had awakened something in both of them—a deeper, more primal force that lay dormant until now. But while Ellen’s instincts pushed her to protect, Eva’s fury unleashed chaos.

Eva raised her hands, her body trembling with energy as the ground beneath them began to quake. The sand around them responded, swirling violently until it whipped into a full-blown storm. Tendrils of sand twisted into the air, moving like serpents as the storm expanded, darkening the sky and swallowing everything in its path.

“EVA, STOP!” Ellen cried, but it was too late. The storm was out of control. The winds howled viciously, and sand lashed out like sharp blades, ripping through the air with a vengeance.
Meanwhile, Ellen struggled to maintain her shield, which pulsed with new strength, glowing brighter than ever before. She grounded her feet firmly into the earth. With every ounce of her willpower, she expanded the protective barrier, encasing her brothers and herself within its glowing light, but the storm raged on relentlessly. The intensity of Eva’s power was staggering—more than even Ellen had ever anticipated.

As the storm engulfed the king’s men, they cried out in terror, their voices drowned by the deafening roar of the swirling sand. Bodies were flung into the air, lost in the storm as if they were nothing more than leaves in a violent wind. The king and his son, however, stood unmoved, protected by the Amina’s charm. She had cast a spell rippling with ancient energy, shielding them from the wrathful  storm.
“they are too powerful,” Amina said
Within the storm, Zayn and Xavier crouched over Kyle, their faces pale as they watched the sand whip around them. “Hold on, brother! You’re going to be okay!” Zayn shouted, but his voice was barely audible through the violent winds.

Kyle groaned, clutching his wound. “Don’t worry about me…just…stop Eva.”
Xavier looked up, his gaze fixed on Eva, whose eyes burned with fury, her hands still raised as if commanding the storm. “Eva!” he yelled, but she didn’t hear him. The storm was a reflection of her anguish, growing stronger, more volatile with every second.
“EVA!” Ellen screamed again, but this time, her voice cracked with desperation.

She knew her sister wasn’t in control of her emotions soon, it would destroy them all. Ellen’s shield flickered, barely holding on against the storm’s increasing power.
Finally, Ellen took a deep breath, focusing all her energy. The green glow around her intensified, and with a mighty force, she extended her shield outward, pushing against the storm. “Eva, stop! You can’t let this rage control you!”

Through the sandstorm, Eva could faintly hear her sister’s voice. Her chest heaved with breathless fury, her mind clouded with anger, but something about Ellen’s voice cut through the chaos. Slowly, Eva lowered her hands, and the storm began to lose its momentum. The winds calmed, the sand settled, and the roaring storm dissipated into silence.

Eva collapsed to her knees, gasping for air as the patterns on her skin dimmed. Her bright red hair faded back to its original colour, and her body trembled from the release of so much energy.
Ellen rushed to her side, kneeling down and wrapping her arms around her.
As the chaos settled and the swirling sands died down, Ellen looked around at the aftermath of the battle. The storm Eva had summoned had devastated the king’s men, but now they were surrounded. Dozens of soldiers stood ready, weapons pointed at them. Ellen’s heart raced as she glanced over at Kyle, unconscious and barely hanging on. Her gaze then moved to Eva, who had collapsed after unleashing her rage, her body limp in the sand, completely drained of energy.

“Twins, huh? What did you know?” the king said, stepping forward with an intrigued smile. His voice cut through the silence like a blade, cold and menacing. “Pretty smart of you to have us chase you,” he continued, admiring his captives like prey.

Ellen knelt beside Eva, trying to shake her awake, but there was no response. Her sister’s bright red hair, once glowing with power, had dulled. Ellen felt a pang of fear surge through her, but she couldn’t afford to show it.
The king waved his hand, and his men moved in quickly, binding their wrists with heavy metal chains. “What about him, Father?” the prince asked, pointing to Kyle, who lay lifeless on the ground, his blood staining the sand.
The king sneered. “Oh, him? Just leave that one. He’s already dead.”
Ellen’s eyes flashed with fury, but she kept her voice steady as she spoke. “We will not be going anywhere without him, dead or alive.” Her tone was sharp, unwavering.
The king turned, his smirk deepening. “You have no say in this, girl,” he scoffed.

Ellen squared her shoulders, refusing to back down. “I’m afraid I do. I’ll burn this map if you refuse to take him,” she threatened, her eyes darting to the map now dangling from the king’s belt.
The king chuckled, raising the map in front of her face, taunting her. “How will you do that? Your hands are tied.”
“Try me,” she shot back, her voice cold as steel. She locked eyes with him, daring him to underestimate her.
He paused for a moment, measuring the seriousness in her gaze. After a long, tense silence, he finally relented with a wave of his hand. “Fine. Carry the corpse too,” he ordered, his voice laced with annoyance.

Two soldiers hurried over to lift Kyle’s limp body, slinging him over their shoulders. Ellen clenched her fists, grateful, though anger still simmered in her veins.