The Prototype

Chapter 27

The storm crackled, the air thick with the clash of energies as Maia fell from the sky, her body a twisted silhouette in the darkened atmosphere. The impact sent a shockwave through the battlefield, the ground shaking beneath their feet. But even as she lay crumpled on the ground, the storm didn't dissipate. It swirled around her like a living thing, a dark vortex that refused to let go.

Ethan's chest heaved as he stood at the center of the wreckage, the prototype's dagger glowing brightly in his hands. His pulse raced. The countdown had nearly run out. They were down to mere seconds. This was it. If they failed now, there would be no coming back from it.

The others gathered around him, still struggling to recover from the last attack, but their resolve was clear. They couldn't afford to hesitate any longer.

"We need to finish this," Nathan said, his voice a strained whisper. His levitation device flickered erratically, but his eyes were steady, focused. "Before it's too late."

Ethan nodded, scanning the storm above. Maia's form was barely visible now, but the dark energy she had absorbed radiated outward like tendrils, reaching for them, pulling at them. It was as if the storm itself was alive, an extension of Maia's will.

Solace's hand tightened on the hilt of her blade, her gaze unwavering. "We can't let her control this any longer. I know you don't want to Ethan.. But you have to. This needs to stop now we have only 30 seconds left."

Ethan's eyes met hers, filled with unspoken understanding. Maia was beyond saving—this wasn't a battle of redemption anymore. It was a fight for survival. A fight for everything they had fought for.

"Get ready," he said, his voice low but steady. He didn't know how much longer the prototype pieces would hold up. The energy they had was still volatile, unstable. They needed to attack together. All at once.

He turned to Rowan, whose face was still pale from the earlier blast. "Rowan, you'll have to get in close. We need your speed to distract her while we make the final strike."

Rowan's eyes flickered with determination as he nodded, already preparing himself. "It's gonna be one hell of a ride, but I'm in. Let's end this."

Nathan gave him a grim smile. "Don't get yourself killed, Rowan."

"I'll try not to," Rowan shot back with a grin, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

With no time to waste, the group began to move, positioning themselves around the rapidly shifting storm. Ethan kept his focus on the prototype pieces, their power growing in intensity with each second. His mind raced, calculating. Maia had always been unpredictable, her powers rooted in pure emotion, pure rage. But that was her weakness. She couldn't control it. And that's where they had to strike.

The final countdown echoed in his ears: 20... 19... 18...

Solace moved toward him, her steps purposeful, a quiet determination in her eyes. "We can do this," she said softly, her voice steady, though he could see the weariness in her features. "We've come too far to turn back now."

Ethan glanced at her, then to the others. "This is it. We fight as one."

13... 12...

The storm above Maia churned violently, and her voice rang out, full of rage. "You think you've won? You think you can stop me?"

Ethan's grip tightened on the prototype pieces. He took a deep breath, centering himself. "We don't need to stop you, Maia. We just need to free everyone from the darkness you've embraced."

Maia's eyes flared, glowing with an intensity that sent shivers down his spine. "You still don't understand. You don't know what it's like to lose everything!"

Ethan's heart clenched at the raw pain in her voice, but he didn't falter. "You don't have to lose it all. We're not your enemies, Maia. We're trying to help you, but you have to let go of the hate."

Her lips twisted into a bitter smile. "I've already let go of everything."

10... 9... 8...

In that instant, the storm erupted with a deafening roar. Maia's hands rose, sending a massive surge of dark energy toward them. The ground split beneath the force, debris flying in every direction. Ethan braced himself, knowing this was their final moment to strike.

"Now!" he shouted.

Rowan surged forward, his levitation device humming, dodging the blasts of dark energy as he weaved through the chaos. His movements were a blur, quick and precise, each step taking him closer to Maia. He was their distraction.

At the same time, Ethan raised the prototype pieces high, drawing in every ounce of energy he had. The glowing fragments pulsed in his hands, bright and steady, as if they had been waiting for this very moment.

Solace and Nathan flanked him, their eyes locked on Maia's form, ready to assist when the time came.

"Do it now!" Solace urged, her voice cutting through the storm.

7... 6... 5...

The energy from the prototype pieces surged, filling the air with crackling power. The light from the fragments flared, brighter than the storm itself, and Ethan hurled the energy toward Maia, aiming for the heart of the storm. The beams of light split the darkness like a knife through cloth. Just then everything exploded into an energy wave right as Ethan levitated into the air throwing the dagger straight into Maia's chest. Everything around them, the vortex, the wind, the strength of hate, anger, and sadness started to calmly descending every energy of negativity into a calm trance.

4... 3... 2...

Sadly, after the world's disastrous economic crisis started disappearing right before everyone's eyes, it started making Maia less powerful. However, Maia, who's now terribly weak on the ground gripped her now blood covered chest, as Ethan notices what he had to do to save the world, yet it once against cost him the one thing that only mattered to himself; His World, Maia Coven.

For a moment, everything stopped.

Time seemed to stretch. The storm shuddered, its violent rage momentarily subdued by the light. Ethan's heart thudded in his chest as he watched the energy close in on Maia.

Then, with a resounding crash, the prototype energy collided with the heart of the storm.

A deafening explosion rang out, the shockwave rippling across the battlefield, knocking them all off their feet. The light from the blast was so bright that Ethan could barely keep his eyes open, the force of it pushing him back. But he didn't dare look away.

The storm wavered, faltered, then began to unravel. The darkness that had consumed Maia for so long seemed to dissipate, breaking apart like shattered glass. The swirling clouds above Maia's head began to thin, the blackness retreating, replaced by the dull gray of the clearing sky.

Maia screamed, a sound filled with pain and fury, but it wasn't the same as before. The dark energy that had enveloped her was now slipping away, leaving behind only a broken figure on the ground.

Ethan pushed himself up, his legs unsteady, but his heart filled with a sense of hope he hadn't felt in what seemed like forever. He looked at the others. They were battered, exhausted, but they were standing. They had done it. They had finally broken through.

The countdown clock on their watches ticked down to its final second: 1... 0.

Silence.

Then, slowly, as if waking from a long nightmare, the storm faded completely, and the sky above them cleared.

Maia lay motionless on the ground, her breathing shallow, her body broken and barely alive.

Ethan looked at her, a mix of sorrow and relief in his eyes. Only to then realize, Maia continued to become weak her eyes sorely open, her hands shivering along with her limp body.

But in the distance, he could feel the faintest pulse of energy, like a heartbeat. A warning.

This wasn't over. Not yet.