The Prototype

Chapter 25

The blinding white light consumed everything—swirling, crackling, and pulsing with an intensity that seemed to stretch time itself. Ethan's heart raced as his body was thrown back, his mind struggling to grasp what was happening. The sound of rushing wind, the crack of thunder, and the chaotic force of the energy around them was deafening, overwhelming.

For a moment, everything felt weightless. There was no up, no down, just the raw energy tearing through the air, sending shockwaves that rattled Ethan's bones. He couldn't see anything—just flashes of white, like lightning in a storm, blinding him to the reality around him.

Then, with a sickening jolt, the light faded.

Ethan's vision cleared, and he found himself lying on the ground, his body aching with the aftermath of the blast. The air was thick, heavy with the lingering energy from Maia's outburst. The winds still howled, but they were muted now, the intensity dimming slightly. His breath was shallow, and it took everything in him to push himself up, his arms trembling as he braced himself against the ground.

"Solace!" he shouted, his voice hoarse, panic creeping in. The weight of the moment—the countdown running out, Maia's relentless power, the uncertainty of whether they could win—clawed at his chest.

"Solace!" he called again, finally pushing himself to his feet.

His vision was blurry, but he could make out shapes—figures moving in the distance, shrouded by the remnants of the energy storm. The battlefield was a wreck, the ground scorched, the trees splintered, and debris scattered everywhere.

"Ethan?" Solace's voice broke through the haze, her tone tight with concern. "Ethan, over here!"

He turned toward her voice, his body protesting every movement, but he couldn't afford to waste time. He staggered toward her, relief flooding his chest as he saw her kneeling by the others. Rowan was slumped against a tree, his face pale, and Nathan was hovering unsteadily in the air, his levitation device flickering. Solace was holding herself together, but Ethan could see the worry in her eyes, the tension in her posture. They had all been shaken—pushed to the brink.

Maia was still out there, still a looming threat above them. The storm above her was quieter now, but the dark energy remained, pulsing ominously as if it had a life of its own. It was a ticking time bomb.

"We need to act fast," Nathan rasped, his voice weak but resolute. "She's still strong, and the longer we wait, the more dangerous she becomes."

Ethan nodded grimly, his gaze shifting to the prototype pieces still clutched in his hands. The energy from them had stabilized, but they were far from perfect. The cracks from Maia's fury had spread further, and the power they emitted was still erratic. It wasn't enough to defeat Maia—not yet. They needed something more, something that could cut through the darkness she had become.

His heart ached as he glanced back at Solace. Her guilt had only deepened after her father's revelations, and Ethan could see it in her eyes now. She still blamed herself for what had happened, but they didn't have time for that. He couldn't let her fall into that trap.

"Solace," he said, his voice firm, "we can fix this. Your father might've started this, but we're the ones who will end it. You're not your father. You've already proven that by being here."

She looked at him, her eyes searching his face, as if trying to find the conviction he spoke with. "But what if I'm not strong enough? What if I've already failed?"

"You haven't failed," Ethan said, kneeling beside her. "None of us have. We still have time. We just have to keep fighting."

Her lips trembled, and for a moment, he thought she might say something else—something that would break her further. But she didn't. Instead, she nodded, a silent promise to herself, to them, that she wouldn't give up.

Rowan groaned from where he was leaning, still recovering from the shockwave. "If I have to listen to another motivational speech, I might pass out for good. But I'm with you," he grumbled, his usual humor not quite as sharp as it had been before.

Ethan shot him a grateful look, though he couldn't quite muster a smile. "Focus, Rowan. We've got one shot left. We need to take Maia down before this storm destroys everything."

The group nodded in unison. There was no time to waste, no more room for doubts.

Ethan stood up, scanning the sky. Maia's silhouette was still hovering high above, the storm swirling ominously around her. The dark energy she commanded was far more potent than anything they had faced before. She had embraced the power, become one with it. The force of her anger had made her invincible.

But not completely.

Ethan's mind raced. He had to find a way to break through her defenses—find the flaw that would give them a chance. The prototype pieces might be the key, but they needed to be wielded correctly. They couldn't just rely on brute force. They had to use strategy. They had to get close enough to hit her where it hurt.

"Maia!" he shouted, his voice carrying over the storm. "You think this will make you stronger, but all it's doing is destroying you. You're feeding the darkness. You're letting it consume you."

Maia's eyes snapped open, glowing with fury. The storm surged around her, amplifying her power in a violent crescendo. Her voice boomed with raw rage, shaking the very ground beneath them.

"Silence, Ethan!" she screamed. "You still think you can save me? You still think I care about your words?"

Ethan swallowed hard, his throat dry. "I'm not here to save you. I'm here to stop this—before you destroy everything you once cared about. This isn't you, Maia. This is the power you let control you."

Her laugh was bitter, cold, filled with spite. "You know nothing. I don't care anymore. This is who I am now. This is all I've ever been."

Ethan's heart twisted at the harshness of her words. But he refused to back down. "No, Maia. You've always been more than this. You just... you just let the pain take over. But you don't have to. You don't have to keep fighting alone."

The energy around Maia pulsed, surging in response to Ethan's words. For a moment, she faltered. Her eyes flickered, confusion flickering across her face. Then, as quickly as it came, the moment was gone, and her face twisted back into that mask of rage.

"You don't understand!" she shouted. "I've lost everything. You, your lies, all of you—all I've ever had is this power. It's all that's left."

Her hands rose, glowing with dark energy. She sent a wave of raw power crashing toward them, but this time, Ethan wasn't caught off guard. His hands clenched into fists, and he felt the power of the prototype pieces in his hands, ready to unleash.

His gaze then shifted in confusion watching the pieces float out of his hand in front of him as they combined all together. Forming into a powerful, brightly colored dagger.

Before the wave could hit, he raised his arms, focusing everything he had into the fragments. Energy surged through his body, feeding off the prototype's power, and with a guttural yell, he released the energy.

A beam of pure light shot out, piercing through the storm, striking Maia's dark energy head-on. For a brief moment, the two forces clashed in midair, the storm quaking around them as if the world itself was holding its breath.

Then, with a deafening crack, the energy from the prototype shattered the barrier Maia had erected, sending her crashing straight into the ground.

But it wasn't over. The storm continued to swirl around her, more powerful than ever. The countdown clock on their watches ticked down to its final seconds.

"Now!" Ethan shouted.

They only had one chance left.