Zane hit the ground hard, Veyra's tendril tightening around his leg with a crushing force that sent a sharp jolt of pain up his spine, the forest floor trembling under the impact. The golden leaves fluttered down like tears, the relic's warm glow pulsing just out of reach, a tantalizing promise slipping through his fingers. Lira groaned nearby, struggling to her feet with a wince, her blade lost in the undergrowth, its absence leaving her vulnerable. Stability at 0%, his HUD blared in a frantic red, the disc a dead weight against his chest, its silence a stark contrast to the chaos.
"You're mine now," Veyra said, her voice a venomous purr that slithered through the air, her green eyes glowing with triumph. Her tendrils coiled tighter, cracking his armor with a sharp snap that echoed, the sound biting into his resolve. Integrity at 50%, his HUD updated, a grim tally of his dwindling defenses. Zane gritted his teeth, clawing at the mossy ground, desperation fueling every movement as he fought to break free.
Lira lunged with a cry, tackling Veyra's leg with surprising force, her small frame a blur of determination, breaking the woman's focus. The tendrils loosened with a hiss, and Zane rolled free, scrambling toward the relic with a surge of hope, his hands trembling. "Shuri, I need a boost—anything!" he shouted, his comms crackling with static, the connection tenuous. "Trying!" she replied, her voice faint but resolute. "The disc's circuitry is fried—use the relic's energy to jumpstart it!"
He grabbed the relic, its warmth surging through his gloves like a jolt of electricity, the energy crackling up his arms and into his chest. The disc jolted with a faint hum, circuits sparking to life, its light flaring with a renewed glow. Stability at 5%, his HUD chimed, a fragile lifeline restored. His repulsors hummed, power returning with a low thrum, and he fired, the blast hitting Veyra square in the chest, forcing her back with a grunt, her armor denting with a metallic groan.
Lira retrieved her blade, slashing at a tendril with a swift arc, the blue hue of her weapon clashing with the dark energy. "It's working!" she yelled, her voice bright with hope, a spark of camaraderie igniting between them. Zane nodded, channeling the relic's energy into the disc, the forest trembling as the power flowed, the golden light intensifying. The ground shook, rifts opening with sharp cracks, creatures pouring out with twisted forms, their roars filling the air with a deafening cacophony.
Veyra laughed, a sound that curdled his blood, her resilience unshaken despite the blow. "You think that stops me?" she sneered, raising her hands with a flourish, her runes pulsing with renewed vigor. The ground split with a groan, a massive rift forming, its edges jagged and wild, spitting sparks that scorched the moss. Zane's heart sank, the relic's power waning as the creatures advanced, their claws glinting in the fading light. Stability at 4%, his HUD warned, the disc's revival teetering on the edge.
He turned to Lira, their eyes meeting in a shared understanding. "We need to collapse it!" he said, his voice urgent, the weight of the moment pressing on him. She nodded, joining him at the rift's edge, her blade raised, its energy humming in sync with his repulsors. They combined their efforts—his blasts cutting through the air, her strikes slicing the tendrils—pouring their strength into the tear. The rift groaned, shrinking with a shudder, but Veyra's power fought back, her tendrils lashing out with renewed fury.
A tendril struck with a whip-like crack, knocking Lira down with a cry, her blade skittering across the moss into the undergrowth. Zane caught her, his arms straining under her weight, the relic slipping from his grasp with a soft thud, its glow fading as it rolled away. Veyra advanced, her eyes blazing with a cold rage, her presence dominating the forest. "This ends," she hissed, tendrils coiling around him, their grip tightening as the disc sparked weakly, its light flickering.
Not again, he thought, his vision blurring with exhaustion, the forest spinning as he struggled against her hold. But the relic flared with a final surge, its energy erupting in a blinding flash that threw Veyra back with a scream, her armor sparking. The rift collapsed with a thunderous boom, the forest quieting as the creatures disintegrated, the air stilling with an eerie calm. Zane fell, the disc dimming to a faint pulse. Stability at 2%. Lira coughed, alive but shaken, her hand reaching for his. "We did it," she whispered, her voice trembling with relief.
The silence broke with Veyra's distant laugh, a chilling sound that echoed from a new rift opening in the canopy, its edges glowing with a sinister red. Not over, Zane thought, his resolve hardening as he pulled Lira to her feet, the threat looming larger than ever.