The tunnel beyond the Crystal Maze was wider, its walls smooth and polished to a reflective sheen that distorted Veyra's faint glow into fractured shards of light. The air carried a sharp, metallic tang, and a low hum vibrated through the stone, resonating in her chest like a distant drum.
Her body thrummed with the power she'd unlocked in the maze, her senses sharper than ever—she could hear the faint drip of water ahead, smell the ozone of ancient energy, and feel the distant movements of the Gene Lords' drones scouring the labyrinth above. The gene-seeds in her pack pulsed softly, their warmth a steady guide, but Veyra felt the Sanctum's energy seeping into her, as if it were alive, watching her every step.
The tunnel opened into a circular chamber, its domed ceiling studded with jagged crystals that glowed with a pulsating light, casting eerie shadows across the floor. The air was heavy, pressing against her lungs, and her breath fogged in the chill. In the center stood a pedestal of crystal, its surface etched with writhing runes that seemed to shift under her gaze. On it sat a small, orb-like device, its surface swirling with iridescent light, brighter and more intense than the gene-seeds, as if it held a captured star. The gene-seeds pulsed in rhythm with the orb, drawing her closer, but Veyra hesitated, her boots scuffing the smooth floor.
*What if this breaks me?*
she thought, her heart racing. *I'm already on the edge…*
Kaelor's voice echoed through the chamber, resonant and heavy.
"This is the Echo of Power,"
he said.
"It will amplify your abilities, but it will test your control. Wield it wisely, or it will consume you."
Veyra's throat tightened. Control was slipping through her fingers with every trial, the Void's whispers always lurking, waiting for her to falter. She stepped forward, her hand trembling over the orb.
She touched the orb, and a surge of power flooded her, her body glowing with a brilliant light that illuminated the chamber in a blinding flash. Her senses expanded—she could feel the Sanctum's energy, the Void's hunger, the Gene Lords' movements above—but the power was overwhelming, her body shaking as she struggled to contain it.
She gripped the pedestal, her breath ragged, the light searing through her veins like fire.
The chamber shook violently, and shadowy tendrils erupted from the floor, their forms thicker and more menacing than before, writhing like serpents with a slick, oily sheen that glistened in the crystal light. They were larger, their tips splitting into jagged, claw-like appendages that dripped with a dark, viscous liquid that hissed as it hit the floor. Veyra's heart pounded—the Void's influence, testing her, but these tendrils were different, more alive, more vicious.
She raised her hands, her glowing light brighter than ever, and fired a burst at the nearest tendril. The beam sliced through it, but the tendril reformed instantly, its severed ends knitting together with a sickening squelch, and it lunged again, faster, its claws slashing at her leg.
Veyra cried out, the cold burn of the tendril's touch searing through her, and she stumbled back, her leg buckling. More tendrils rose, their movements coordinated, as if they were learning her tactics.
One wrapped around her ankle, its grip like ice, yanking her off balance, while another lashed at her chest, its claws raking across her cloak, tearing the fabric and drawing blood. The pain was sharp, grounding her in the moment, but the tendrils didn't stop—they multiplied, their numbers growing, their attacks relentless.
*They're not stopping,*
she thought, panic rising.
She fired another burst, her hands shaking, the beam shattering two tendrils, but they reformed, their claws snapping at her face, forcing her to duck.
The chamber's crystals pulsed faster, their light strobing, and Veyra felt the Void's presence intensify, its whispers urging her to let go, to embrace the power fully. The tendrils tightened their grip, one coiling around her arm, its claws digging into her skin, the cold burn spreading through her.
She screamed, her vision blurring, but she refused to give in.
She focused the Echo of Power, her light flaring, and fired a concentrated beam, the energy searing through the tendrils with a crackle. They screeched, their forms writhing, but more rose, their claws slashing at her back, leaving burning welts. With a final, desperate burst, she channeled all her power, the beam exploding in a wave of light that banished the tendrils, their shadowy remains pooling on the floor like tar.
The chamber stilled, the crystals dimming, and Kaelor's voice spoke, its tone approving.
"You have passed the trial of control. The Echo of Power is yours."
The orb dimmed, its energy now part of Veyra, but she collapsed to her knees, her body trembling, her wounds burning. She felt stronger, but the Void's hunger was closer now, its whispers louder. A new tunnel opened, and Veyra stood, her legs shaky, her mind heavy with the cost of her victory.