Page 24 of Rescued By the Alien Acolyte

I catch Finzar’s eye, trying desperately to communicate my understanding. But the golden energy is constricting, making it hard to breathe, let alone speak. Sakar’s crowing laughter echoes through the chamber as the ritual reaches its crescendo.

The twin suns of Aridium align perfectly overhead, their light focusing into a blinding beam that connects with the altar. The chamber shakes, stone cracking and debris raining down. As my vision begins to fade, the last thing I see is Finzar straining against his energy bonds, a look of grim determination on his face.

Finzar’s eyes lock onto mine one last time. In that fleeting moment, I see a swirl of emotions—determination, fear, and something else. Regret? Hope? His lips move, forming words I can’t hear over the roar of energy.

Then everything goes white.

eight

Finzar

The world explodes intoblinding white light, searing my retinas and threatening to overwhelm my senses. But through the painful glare, I see her. Loelle, suspended in the golden energy, her face contorted in agony. Her eyes, usually so full of life and mischief, are wide with fear and pain. Something inside me snaps.

I’ve spent years burying my emotions, hardening myself against the horrors I’ve both witnessed and committed. It was necessary for survival within the Nexus. But in this moment, seeing her suffer, I realize a truth I’ve been denying: I love her.

The realization ignites a fury within me unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It’s as if a dam has broken, releasing a torrent of emotions I’ve kept locked away. With a roar that must shake the very foundations of the temple, I begin to fight against the energy bindings holding me in place.

Pain lances through every fiber of my being as I strain against the forces restricting me. It feels like my very soul is being tornapart, but I push through it, driven by a singular purpose. I will not let it end like this. I will not let Loelle die for Sakar’s mad ambitions.

As I fight my restraints I look around, taking in the positions of everyone in the room. Sakar, Loelle, and I form a perfect triangle around the altar. Then realization hits me. We’re not just participants in the ritual, we’re integral components.

Sakar’s triumphant laughter echoes through the chamber. “Yes, Finzar!” he crows. “Feel the power of the sun gods! Your struggle only feeds the ritual!”

But his words give me an idea. If symmetry is key to the ritual’s success, then perhaps asymmetry is the key to its undoing. I stop fighting against the bonds and instead lean into them, pushing myself toward Sakar with all my might.

The sudden change disrupts the careful balance of energies. The golden light flickers, its grip on me weakening. With one final, herculean effort, I tear free from the energy bindings. The sudden release sends me stumbling forward, but I quickly regain my footing. I can feel blood trickling from my nose and ears, but I ignore it. There’s only one thing that matters now.

I lunge for Sakar, crossing the distance between us in three long strides. He tries to dodge, but I’m faster, fueled by my love for Loelle and my rage against the Nexus. My hand closes around his throat with a strength I didn’t know I possessed, lifting him off the ground effortlessly. His eyes widen in shock as he claws at my arm, desperate for air.

Sakar’s face turns purple as I squeeze tighter, but he refuses to go down without a fight. He summons all his remaining energy, unleashing a blast of dark magic that sends me flying backward. I slam into one of the sun god statues, pain lancing through my side, but I grit my teeth and push myself back up.

We face off, both of us battered and bruised, our breaths coming in ragged gasps. The temple shakes around us, debrisraining down from the ceiling as the energy of our battle threatens to tear it apart.

“You’re finished, Sakar,” I growl, my voice barely recognizable even to my own ears. “The Nexus falls today.”

He sneers at me, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. “You think you can defeat me? I am the High Inquisitor, chosen by the sun gods themselves!”

“Your gods have abandoned you,” I snarl, launching myself at him once more.

This time, when our bodies collide, it feels like the world is ending. We trade blows, each strike landing with the force of a thunderclap. But for every hit I take, I give two in return, my determination never wavering.

Finally, with one last burst of strength, I slam Sakar into the altar, shattering it beneath us. He gives a strangled cry, and I take my chance.

“You wanted a sacrifice?” I growl, my voice low and guttural, filled with years of pent-up rage. “Here it is.”

With my free hand, I rip the ritual dagger from his belt. It’s an ornate thing, its blade etched with the same symbols that cover the temple walls. Recognition dawns in Sakar’s eyes a moment before I plunge the blade into his chest.

Sakar’s eyes widen in disbelief, his mouth working soundlessly as blood bubbles from his lips. “Impossible,” he gasps, his voice a ragged whisper. “The prophecy… the sun gods…”

I lean in close, my voice a low growl. “The gods have abandoned you, Sakar. And now, you’ll pay for every life you’ve destroyed.”

As the light fades from his eyes, I see something I never expected—fear. The great High Inquisitor, reduced to a terrified old man in his final moments. It’s almost pitiful, but I feel no remorse. With his last breath, Sakar whispers, “The Nexus… will rise… again…” Then he’s gone, his body going limp in my grasp.

But I don’t stop there. Again and again, I drive the dagger home. Each strike is fueled by a different memory: the atrocities I was forced to commit, the years of my life stolen by the Nexus. And most of all, for Loelle and the others, who risked everything to stop this madness.

Sakar’s blood splatters across the altar, staining the black stone with streaks of crimson. Suddenly, the energy in the room shifts. The golden light turns a deep, angry red, pulsing erratically like a dying heartbeat. The acolytes’ chanting turns to screams of terror as they realize their ritual has gone horribly wrong.

I drop Sakar’s lifeless body unceremoniously to the ground. His eyes, once so full of fanatical belief, are now empty and glassy. But there’s no time for reflection. The temple is shaking, debris raining down from the ceiling.

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