Her eyes snapped open, right ahead of her was a rocky path, a very long bridge that seemed to be eternal. At the sides of the bridges was the continuous pouring of raging fire and larva. Iron stanchions lit with fire were kept on each side of the bridge.
Pauline tried to move her legs forward, but she couldn't. She suddenly heard a loud crackling voice behind her. She was sure it was one person that spoke, but the voice sounded like that of a hundred people.
"Pauline Brynes," the voice spoke. Pauline felt a heavy gravity weight that had held her down loose, she then turned back. Behind her was a great dark crystalline throne inbuilt with fire and ash. The throne was as tall as a mountain.
Pauline glanced to and fro, looking for where the voice had come from, then the voice spoke, "Let your eyes be open!" She felt a cracking pain in both of her eyes, she held it, as she tried to cry in pain, but nothing came from her mouth.
Blood began rushing down from both eyes profusely, for a while she lost her sight, then suddenly her sight returned, some part of the eyes filled with cracks, energy brimming from it.
She looked towards the throne, some sort of infinite being sat on the crystalline throne of fire, he was way bigger than the throne. In his left hand was a flaming sword, which was tilted to the ground, his hands resting on it, eyes were white, brimming with fire.
His body was rocky and shaped like an armor, he rested his hands on the arms of a throne like the king of all beings. Pauline's mouth began shivering. How did she get here? She thought, Zaya had never told her about some king in the underworld.
Without moving his mouth, the infinite being spoke, "I am Aragah, keeper of the infinite dimensional realms. Fear not, unknown one. For you have finally been chosen to rule over the nether realms, just as you have wished for thousands of years."
Pauline's trembling face showed a spark of realization; she remembered that was what the old man in the elevator had told her on the first heist. She then spoke as she got on her knees, still trembling.
"Oh, supreme being, thank you for this great honor you have granted me, her head bowed to the ground, I wouldn't fail you."
The supreme being then laughed, sending the whole mystical place throbbing in the might of his power. Aragah then said, "Oh, unknown one, thou speak to me as if we were once not the same."
He then laughed harder, "You now possess the power you seek, it will quicken your mortal body, go on, win that little war, then return, chaos knocks harder than it ever did!"
A rush of powerful wind hit Pauline as she entered a trance, becoming lost in the concept of reality and wisdom, she saw too many things, too many.
"Pauline?" Zaya called, "Are you in there?"
"Fight it!" Zaya yelled as she saw Pauline was still staring in a single direction.
Before she suddenly coughed out blood, returning back to her normal state. Pauline, Zaya said, patting her back, you made it back, what's going on? I don't really know, I was somewhere, the nether realms, it was called, something about destiny.
Pauline spoke as she put her right hand on her forehead, she was feeling straining headaches. She then spoke, Zaya, why do you want to leave us, you can't do it alone, for sure.
Zaya was shocked. How did Pauline know that she thought, she then said, believe in us, Zaya, you can't do it alone.
Alright, Pauline, we'll talk about this later, alright, but now we've got to get into that sanctuary without that dragon killing us first. "Okay?" Zaya asked Pauline.
Pauline then nodded her head, confirming that she had heard what Zaya had said.
Zaya then yelled to Pauline's mum and the rest of the soldiers who were trying to occupy the dragon. Everyone's safe now, she Zaya yelled loudly.
On hearing this, Pauline's mum dropped a smoke grenade in the midst of the battle, which was filled enough to cover half of the street, giving all of them enough time to escape back into the sanctuary.
They all ran quickly, Zaya supporting Pauline, as they both ran back at utmost speed towards the sanctuary.
They all weren't going to make it, Zaya turned, "Pauline, you go back, I'll create a distraction." Go!
Zaya transformed into her fox form as she jumped above the midst of the smoke grenade, just as she had expected. The dragon was about to rain fire on all of them, Zaya gave the most powerful growl she could, aiming it at the dragon.
_For Zoey's sake_ The growl was strong enough to push the mythical beast a few feet back, seeing this, the dragon shook its head, then blasted fire towards her direction.
Zaya looked in awe as she stared at death itself in the eye. The next thing she knew, she was in the sanctuary.
Zaya, Pauline smiled as she sat beside her, she looked to the right, staring at a half-breed lion.
"Pauline!?" screamed Zaya, excited, you did it! You unlocked your half-breed form, for a second there, said Zaya, I thought, I was going to die. But then suddenly I made it here, thanks for looking out for me, Pauline.
Anytime, said Pauline happily.
Suddenly, a stray cat that appeared from nowhere pounced on the half-breed lion, attacking it fiercely. The lion attacked back, roaring loudly, proving it was the king of all cats.
They rolled and rolled on the ground as they were fighting immensely, like they've been enemies since birth.
"Not too far off," Natasha stood, cheering for the lion.
While Zoey and June walked towards where Zaya stood. Am feeling a bit jealous, June spoke, now it's left to us, she said, facing Zoey.
No worries, replied Zaya, I am sure you can pull it off. Well, at least, replied Zaya, I am really sure about you, June. Not really certain about Zoey, though.
Zaya said, her head nodded down, hiding her face. Well, Zaya said, without the help of a fellow dragon to cultivate and evolve to your half-breed form, you'll need to do it somewhere hot and for a long time, meaning, Zaya said, her voice slightly low, take a bath in a lava for months.
What? Said Zoey. How come you've not told me about this since.
"Well," replied Zaya, "I know your skin isn't fire resistant, so I didn't want to scare you at all." "And besides, it's just some legend, it might be true, and it might not."
"Guys," Ashara called out, "what's wrong with Pauline?"
Zaya ran towards where Pauline was, along with the other four. She then spoke, she's staring forward again at some sort of vision.
Zoey's Nano watch began beeping. We have to go now. June said, Zoey's mum is calling us through the nano wrist watch.
We can't leave her here, Natasha replied, well, am sure she'll find us, guys, I think Pauline is more than a primordial half-breed, said Zaya.
They all ran forwards, leaving Pauline, heading straight for Zoey's mum's location, it was on the other end of the sanctuary.
After minutes of running through the crowd of survivors, they got to the other side. June directed each of them giving them nano battle suits which she and Zoey had made together specially for half breeds.
Zaya stared at what June had called the suit, it was an emerald shaped card which June had called the Phoenix emblem, Zaya was glad June could pronounce things better unlike before. She activated the emblem it immediately spread across her body attaching to her chest.
They arrived where Chinami and Carla were there was a door,leading to the room, standing at the front of the door were two body guards.
Zoey went forwards and whispered some words to them, they stood in attention and let them in.
Through the door was an even bigger side of the sanctuary, Zaya stared in amazement at the number of Ninja warriors at her front, along with dozens of military men.
All holding various weapons and standing in different war formations. They've been recruited from all over the world, Zoey said, they'll help fight the war.
Come on, girls, she said, let me take you to the main base. They arrived at the base. It was just a regular room in the sanctuary, but there were a lot of chairs surrounding a round table.
With a big screen at the front. It was filled with all of the most elite people in the city. Zaya could see the mayor of the Phantom City, along with the commander of the American army, both Zoey and Pauline's mum, and various other governmental officials.
Korin, the champion of the tournament of thousands, also seated.