Page 135 of The Ascended
The beast recovered, circling again but more cautiously now. Its wound left a trail of dissolving darkness in its wake. I could feel the connection between us—a tether that grew stronger as my understanding deepened.
It attacked again, coming at me from below. I twisted aside, my blade carving another gash through its hide. The phantom pain flared in my abdomen, but I pushed through it, riding the rush of battle-clarity.
When it came at me a third time, I met it with vengeance. My star-blade sliced clean through its massive body, the wound searing with celestial fire. The beast convulsed, thrashing wildly as light consumed it from within.
Then it stilled, hanging in the water for one suspended moment before dissolving completely. Not a single scale remained to mark its existence.
Victory surged through me, fierce and triumphant. I'd defeated my own fear, conquered the monster the trial had created from my weakest emotion. I felt lighter, clearer, as if a weight I'd carried my entire life had suddenly been lifted.
Thatcher.
I reached for our bond, immediately feeling his relieved response.
Thais! Where are you? Are you hurt?
I'm fine,I sent back.Better than fine, actually. The cyclone showed me where to find the keys—whisper keys at the temple, memory keys at the city center, echo keys at the amphitheater. And Thatcher, I saw what happened to Memorica.
What do you mean?
It was Thalor. He drowned it.
A pause.But why?
I don’t know.
We've been searching for you,Thatcher continued.Marx's with me. We'll find you and go together.
No time,I responded, already swimming with purpose.Meet me at the temple. I'm going ahead.
Thais, wait! It's dangerous to go alone?—
I'll be fine,I cut him off, impatient.See you there.
I ignored his continued protests, pushing forward with single-minded determination. Why wait when I could be collecting keys?
The temple rose before me—a massive stepped pyramid with carved figures adorning its sides. Unlike the rest of Memorica's coral and crystal architecture, this structure was darker, older, built from volcanic stone.
I swam inside without hesitation, entering a vast hall supported by columns carved to resemble ancient sea creatures. Pale green light filtered through gaps in the ceiling, creating dappled patterns across the stone floor. Whispers surrounded me, coming from everywhere and nowhere—some in languages I recognized, others in sounds no normal throat could make.
The disorienting mass of voices made it difficult to concentrate, but I pressed on, searching for the keys. Corridors branched in multiple directions, each leading deeper into the temple's shadowy interior. I chose one at random, following it until it opened into a circular chamber dominated by a stone altar.
There—hovering above the altar—a whisper key rotated slowly in the current. Its opalescent surface constantly shifted between solid form and streams of tiny silver bubbles that dissolved before escaping its influence.
I smiled, swimming forward with confident strokes.
Just as my fingers were about to close around it, movement flashed in my peripheral vision. I twisted aside just in time to avoid the spear of translucent matter that shot through the water where I'd been moments before.
A contestant hung in the doorway. I recognized him instantly. Vance. The energy-wielder from the Proving. The one whose power had erupted in deadly bursts. The one I'd nearly killed before Miria stopped us. His hands pulsed, spheres of purple-white energy swirling around his fingers.
"Well," he said, voice distorted but clearly pleased. "If it isn't the star girl. Miria isn't here to save you this time."
I laughed. "I don't need saving. But you might."
"That’s mine," he said, nodding toward the whisper key. "Leave now, and I might let you live."
"You're welcome to try and take it."
He attacked without warning, launching three energy bursts in rapid succession. The orbs streaked through the water, leaving trails of superheated bubbles in their wake. I called starlight to my hands,forming a shield that the projectiles slammed against. The impact sent shock waves through the water, but my shield held.
