Chapter Eight: Neon Serpents
Zephyra landed on a series of narrow, twisting platforms that wound like serpents through the ruins, suspended high above the void. Neon strips embedded along the edges flickered in fragmented patterns, casting shifting shadows that made the paths look alive, like luminous snakes slithering in the dark. Each platform trembled beneath her weight, threatening collapse with the slightest misstep.
The thief moved ahead with uncanny grace, their cloak trailing stolen starlight that shimmered against the neon glow. Zephyra followed without hesitation, boots sparking against the metal and glass, daggers at the ready. She could feel the artifact's pulse growing stronger, urgent, as though it sensed the end of this perilous chase was near.
Suddenly, a low hiss echoed across the ruins. From the shadows of a collapsed archway, a new presence emerged: two creatures with elongated, metallic bodies, segmented like serpents, and eyes glowing a menacing crimson. Their scales reflected the neon light in jagged, kaleidoscopic patterns, and as they coiled toward her, Zephyra realized these weren't ordinary defenses—they were neon sentinels, relics of the city's original security systems, reawakened by the artifact's pulse.
"Looks like we've got company," the thief called without slowing, vaulting to a higher terrace. "Hope you're ready."
Zephyra's heart surged. The sentinels hissed, striking toward her with precision. She rolled, barely avoiding a metallic fang that clattered against the platform's edge, sparks flying. She slashed her daggers, arcs of starlight igniting on impact, but the neon serpents were fast—faster than she anticipated.
"Stay close!" the thief shouted, leaping across a collapsing beam. "They'll overwhelm you if you're alone!"
Zephyra's boots ignited as she followed, slicing at the sentinels' segmented bodies. One hissed in protest, recoiling from the starlight's touch, but another lunged from behind, forcing her to twist midair to avoid it. Sparks rained into the void below as her daggers struck, cutting arcs of light through the chaos.
The translucent figure from the Skyfire Market appeared again, hovering above the platforms, hands raised. Waves of blue energy rippled outward, momentarily freezing the serpents in place. "Focus on the artifact," they called. "Do not let the guardians separate you!"
Zephyra's pulse raced as she lunged toward the artifact, which lay partially hidden on a platform above. The thief vaulted ahead, stopping abruptly, their cloak rippling, eyes fixed on the pulsing glow. Zephyra landed beside them, daggers braced, breath sharp.
The neon serpents writhed below, coiling and striking at the floating terraces, sparks flying with every contact. Zephyra realized that the artifact wasn't just drawing her in—it was commanding the city itself, awakening defenses designed to test anyone who sought it.
"I can't do this forever," the thief said, eyes narrowing. "We'll have to move now—or the city will consume us."
Zephyra gritted her teeth, adrenaline sharpening every sense. She glanced at the glowing pulse of the Heart, almost visible through the fragmented neon light, and made her decision. "Then let's go," she said, leaping after the thief, daggers slicing arcs of starlight, as the neon serpents lunged once more, hissing like the city itself was alive and furious.