Page 136 of The Ascended
Before he could form more, I counterattacked, hurling a sphere of compressed starlight toward him.
Vance dodged, but barely—the sphere clipped his shoulder, spinning him through the water. His face contorted with pain and rage as he steadied himself.
"You'll regret that," he snarled, spreading his arms wide. Power surged from his hands in a concentrated beam that caught me directly in the chest, sending me tumbling backward. Every nerve in my body fired at once, muscles contorting in agony as shocks coursed through me. My limbs refused to obey, temporarily paralyzed by the overload.
"Not so confident now, are you?" Vance taunted, gathering a spear of energy between his palms. "I've wanted to finish this since the Proving." I struggled against the paralyzing effect, my muscles twitching uselessly as he approached. "I've been looking forward to this," he said, positioning the spear directly over my chest.
Suddenly, the water around us churned violently. Massive jaws snapped shut inches from where Vance hovered, barely missing him. His concentration broke, and the paralyzing effect caging me shattered instantly. Vance's eyes widened in shock as an enormous leviathan emerged from the depths, its ancient scales gleaming in the murky water.
"Damn it!" Vance snarled, the energy spear dissipating as he twisted away from a second attack. The leviathan's massive tail whipped through the water, creating a current that sent Vance tumbling backward. He regained his balance quickly, eyes darting between me and the beast before making his decision. "This isn't over," he hissed, then propelled himself upward with a burst of energy, disappearing into the darkness above.
I raised my blade, ready to face the leviathan, when a figure swam into view. "Put that down before you hurt yourself,"Marx said, her voice distorted through the water. Her expression was unimpressed.
The leviathan circled back to hover protectively behind her. Its spine-covered back rippled as it moved, eyes burning like embers in its massive head.
"I had it under control," I replied, though even I knew that was a lie.
"Clearly." Marx's sarcasm was in full force. "What the hell were you thinking, coming here alone?"
Before I could answer, Thatcher arrived, his face a storm of worry and anger. "Thais! What were you—" He stopped abruptly, taking in the blood-clouded water and the remains of the fight. "Gods. What happened?"
"Your sister decided to get herself killed," Marx said flatly. "I intervened."
Thatcher grabbed my shoulders, his eyes searching mine. "What's wrong with you? Why would you rush off alone like that?"
"We need the keys," I said, confused. "I knew where to find them. Why wait?"
"Because it's dangerous!" he exploded. "Because you could have died! Don't you understand that?"
I blinked.
Marx narrowed her eyes, studying me. "How did you know where to find the keys?"
"The cyclone showed me," I explained. "While I was trapped inside."
"It just gave you this information?" Marx asked, suspicion edging her voice.
I frowned, considering. "Well, it certainly didn't come for free. My fear was magnified while I was inside. Made it almost unbearable. When it finally ejected me, the shark from earlier was waiting—but so much larger this time. Massive, the size of a ship. I suppose it fed on all of that fear while I was inside."
"And where is this monster now?" Marx asked, looking around as if expecting to see it lurking nearby.
"I destroyed it," I said with a small smile. "Cut it clean through. It dissolved into nothing."
Marx's eyes widened. "You killed your own fear manifestation?"
"What else was I supposed to do?"
Marx and Thatcher exchanged a look.
"Thais," Thatcher said carefully, "just now, during the fight—were you scared at all?"
I considered the question. "No. Why?"
"He nearly killed you," Thatcher pointed out. "Most people would find that frightening."
Marx's face shifted with sudden understanding. "You killed your fear."
The realization dawned on me slowly. "Is that possible?"
