The Prototype

Chapter 20

The words seemed to ignite something within Maia. Her expression darkened, and the vortex above them surged, lightning arcing violently through the clouds and crashing down around them.

The air felt heavy, electric, and the trees whipped and bent under the force of the winds. Each of their watches ticked down, the countdown now just 15 minutes, the sense of impending doom almost suffocating.

Rowan didn't hesitate. Activating his levitation device, he launched himself into the air, heading straight for Maia, hoping to take her down before things escalated further.

But Maia was ready.

She raised her hand, a wave of dark energy exploding from her fingertips, striking Rowan mid-air.

He cried out in pain as the force of her power slammed him down onto the ground, his body hitting the earth with a sickening thud. His face twisted in agony as he struggled to breathe, unable to get up.

"Rowan!" Solace shouted, rushing to his side, her face a mixture of fear and anger.

She knelt beside him, gently pressing a hand to his shoulder, her eyes never leaving Maia's imposing figure in the sky.

Maia descended slightly, her feet hovering above the ground, and let out an unsettling laugh.

Her gaze was fixed on Rowan, a twisted satisfaction in her eyes as she took in the sight of him lying defeated on the ground.

She felt unstoppable, and it showed in the cruel curve of her smile.

But Nathan wasn't about to let her gloat. Activating his levitation device, he rose until he was level with Maia, maintaining a careful distance.

His face was calm but serious, his dark eyes meeting hers with an intensity that even seemed to give Maia pause.

He took a slow breath, attempting to reach through her anger and pain.

"Maia," he began, his voice low but steady. "You don't have to do this. Whatever's broken inside you... hurting inside you.. you don't have to let it destroy everything around you. You're stronger than this. Stronger than whatever's controlling you."

For a brief moment, Maia's expression softened, and it seemed like his words might be getting through. Her gaze flickered, a glimmer of vulnerability surfacing as she looked at him.

But then, as if catching herself, her expression hardened again, and her face twisted with rage.

"Stronger?" she spat, her voice thick with bitterness. "I am stronger now. But not because of you—not because of Ethan. Not because of anyone!" She says in fury, her voice raising.

"I don't need you, your pity, or your empty words. The fact you even tried to reason and understand me? You're no where near close to getting that."

With a flick of her wrist, she sent a pulse of energy at Nathan, forcing him to stagger back to keep his balance. Her anger was escalating, feeding off her resentment and the dark energy swirling in the vortex above.

The more hurt she felt, the stronger her power became, amplifying the storm and drawing them all closer to the brink.

Down below, Solace looked up at Maia, her heart sinking. She could feel the weight of Maia's turmoil, the loneliness that drove her to this destructive path.

Solace's vision blurred, and she felt a stinging sensation at the corners of her eyes.

She wanted to reach Maia, to break through the rage and the bitterness, but she didn't know if anything could reach her now.

A tear slipped down her cheek as she whispered, "Please... Maia, you don't have to do this. There's another way."

But her voice was lost in the winds, Rowan's shallow breathing, and her words swallowed by the tempest raging around them.

Ethan's jaw clenched as he watched his friends, beaten and bruised, rallying against a force that seemed unstoppable.

And he knew, in the pit of his stomach, that if they couldn't reach Maia, they would all fall before her wrath.