I glanced around the room, my body still trembling from the aftermath of the battle. Grandmother was helping Devon sit upright, her hands steady yet gentle as she checked him for injuries. Jia paced near the entrance, her arms crossed, her sharp gaze darting toward every shadow as if she expected another attack at any moment.
Grandfather stood quietly by the window, his silhouette stoic against the fading light outside.
"We need to rest," I said, my voice breaking the tense silence. "The last few days have been... overwhelming." My eyes flickered toward Devon and Jia, and I softened my tone.
"Everything's been about family matters, school problems—normal stuff. But now? Everything's changed. This... this thing we're facing, it affects all of humanity. And we won't survive if we don't have strength to fight."
Grandmother nodded, but Jia's eyes narrowed, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "Rest? You want us to rest? Those things—whatever they are—could attack again any second! We can't just sit here and—"
Her voice was cut off by a distant crash. The sound echoed through the air, sharp and jarring, as if the world itself was being torn apart. I froze, my heart hammering. Jia whirled toward the window, her expression shifting from anger to alarm.
"There," Grandfather said grimly, pointing toward the horizon. I followed his gaze and felt my stomach drop. Shadows danced in the fading sunlight, their shapes twisted and unnatural. They moved with an eerie grace, their jerky motions somehow coordinated, and I knew instantly what they were.
More of them.
More strangers turned killing machines.
The sight drained the warmth from my body, leaving only cold fear in its wake. Grandmother's hand gripped my arm, her touch grounding me, but her eyes were filled with the same dread I felt. "Taryn," she said quietly. "They're coming."
I swallowed hard, my mind racing. We'd barely survived the last attack. Devon was injured, Jia was exhausted, and I could still feel the lingering chaos of the Aether inside me. But there was no time to hesitate. Survival demanded action.
"Jia, Grandfather," I said, my voice firm despite the terror clawing at my throat. "Barricade the doors and windows. Do whatever you can to slow them down. Grandmother, help Devon—make sure he's ready to move if we need to."
"And you?" Jia asked sharply, her eyes flashing with defiance.
"I'm going to keep them away," I said, the words tasting like ash in my mouth. "I have to."
"No," Grandmother said firmly, her hand tightening on my arm. "You can't do this alone, Taryn. The Aether—it's too dangerous. If you lose control—"
"I won't," I interrupted, though the doubt lingered in my mind. "I can't let them get to us."
Grandmother hesitated, her gaze searching mine, but she finally nodded. "Be careful," she said, her voice thick with worry.
I stepped toward the door, the Aether already stirring within me. The power was wild and unpredictable, but I knew I had no choice. I couldn't fight these monsters with strength or weapons alone. The Aether was my only chance.
As I moved outside, the air felt heavier, charged with an unnatural energy. The shadows loomed closer, their grotesque forms becoming clearer in the dim light. My pulse raced as I faced them, their vacant eyes staring into me, their movements twisted mockeries of life.
The first one lunged, its speed startling, and I barely managed to summon a shield of Aether in time to block its attack. The impact sent me staggering back, but I held my ground. More followed, their relentless advance forcing me to react faster, to summon more power.
The storm within me roared to life, the Aether surging with every heartbeat. I let it flow through me, shaping it into barriers and strikes, each blast pushing them back but never stopping them completely. They were relentless, their corrupted energy feeding off the chaos I unleashed.
"Taryn!" Jia's voice called out, but I couldn't turn to look. I was consumed by the battle, every moment a desperate struggle to keep them at bay. The power inside me burned like fire, threatening to consume me, but I couldn't stop. Not now.
A particularly strong blast hit one of the creatures, sending it sprawling, but the effort left me gasping for air. My vision blurred, my body trembling from the strain, but I forced myself to keep going. I had to protect them. I had to survive.
I forced myself to stand, shaking off the weariness that clawed at my limbs. The Aether still hummed within me, its energy pulsing with an intensity that both frightened and exhilarated me. I couldn't understand it—this power that seemed so deeply entwined with me. It wasn't just a tool; it was something alive, something that resonated with my emotions, my fears, my anger. But what was it? Why did it come and choose me?
The creatures lurched toward me again, their grotesque forms illuminated by the dim light. I didn't hesitate—I couldn't afford to.
In response to my desperation, I formed barriers that crackled like lightning and blasts that sent the creatures staggering back. It wasn't enough to destroy them, but it kept them at bay for now.
Grandfather's voice rang out behind me. "Taryn, pull back! You're pushing yourself too hard!"
I ignored him. My pulse roared in my ears, drowning out everything but the urgency of the battle. The creatures wouldn't stop. They were relentless, their vacant eyes and twisted movements a horrifying reminder of what could happen to someone consumed by power.
But then something clicked in my mind—a stray thought that made me falter, just for a moment. My grandparents hadn't seemed shocked when the creatures first appeared. Their calmness in the face of this nightmare had been unnerving, even comforting at times, but now it felt suspicious.
Why weren't they panicked? Why did their voices remain steady while the rest of us struggled to grasp the reality of this world? Had this happened before?
The questions weighed on me as I launched another attack, the Aether flaring brightly before dissipating. Grandmother's voice cut through the chaos. "Taryn, you must focus!"
I turned to face her, panting. "How can you be so calm?" The words slipped out before I could stop them. "Do you know something I don't? About me? About the Aether?"
Her expression didn't change, but there was something in her eyes—a flicker of hesitation, of guilt.
She didn't answer, and I felt my frustration boil over.
"Tell me!" I shouted, the Aether sparking around me as if fueled by my anger.
"I deserve to know!"