Elara pressed the disruptor against the dark shard, her blood dripping onto it. The lab shook as the energy pushed back, and Veyra stumbled in the chaos. The air was heavy with the glow of Flux crystals, and the walls trembled under the fight.
Elara's hazel eyes burned with determination, her blood-streaked bandages tight on her wounded arm and thigh. The disruptor hummed in her hands, marked by her blood.
Lira leaned against a crystal outcrop, her face pale and tired, her glowing scar flickering on her ruined chest. Her weak telepathic voice said, Hold on, in her mind.
Kael struggled against the tendrils, his broad body tense, his rifle dropped, and he let out a loud roar.
Nyx was pinned to the wall, her lean frame fighting back, her lenses flashing with data, her pulse rifle useless, her sharp tongue still defiant.
Dr. Vey crouched by the holo-map, his silver hair a messy tangle, his nervous hands shaking.
Saria battled Veyra, her obsidian eyes fierce, her robe shimmering as she sent out energy pulses, her Luminant strength and speed pushed to the limit.
Veyra sneered, her voice cold. "Your blood is weak—my pact will win!"
The dark shard pulsed, and the tendrils tightened, slamming Kael harder against the wall.
Elara lunged forward, pressing the disruptor harder.
"It's not yours!" Energy surged, cracking the shard's surface, and Veyra wobbled, but the tendrils still held strong.
Kael broke free with a roar and tackled an Enforcer minion.
"Get the shard!" His leg hurt, but he kept fighting with all his might.
Nyx squirmed, her lenses scanning fast. "It's overloading! I'll shut it down!"
Her quick hands clawed at a crystal panel, her wit sharp.
"Take that, you shadow creep!" Sparks flew, and the tendrils loosened, setting her free.
Saria's energy pulses clashed with Veyra's, her movements like a dance.
"Elara, finish it!" Her strength was fading, but she held her ground, her Luminant gifts stretched thin.
Vey shouted, his voice cracking.
"Veyra—my sister! I hid the truth—I'm sorry!"
He adjusted the map, revealing a deeper chamber, his guilt spilling out.
Lira's telepathic link grew stronger. Now! His weak shot distracted Veyra.
Elara poured more blood onto the disruptor, and the shard glowed bright.
Energy exploded, and Veyra screamed. The tendrils pulled back, and she staggered, the dark shard cracking more.
The fight raged on. Enforcers closed in, but Saria's pulses kept them at bay. Kael's charge scattered the minions, and Nyx's hack fried their systems.
Veyra fought back, the shard pulsing again, reforming tendrils that pinned Elara to the wall.
"The pact can't break—your soul is mine!" she hissed.
Elara gasped, her mind racing, the disruptor slipping from her grasp. Lira crawled over, her telepathic voice urgent.
Fight! She grabbed the disruptor and pressed it to the shard again. More blood flowed, and energy surged.
The lab shook, and Veyra's power weakened.
Kael roared, tossing a detonator blast to clear the Enforcers.
"End it now!" He limped forward, helping Saria up.
Nyx ducked low, hacking the panel again. "Almost got it—fry her!"
Her wit pushed her on, and the sparks grew stronger, making the tendrils flicker.
Saria leapt up, her energy pulse hitting Veyra hard.
"Do it, Elara!" Her strength returned, and she pressed the attack.
Vey yelled, his voice shaky. "The shard's breaking—stop her!"
He adjusted the map, and the deeper chamber's light shone brighter.
Elara focused hard, her blood soaking the shard. The disruptor hummed loud, and the energy reached its peak.
Veyra shrieked as the dark shard shattered completely.
The energy recoiled, throwing her across the room. The lab trembled, the crystals dimmed, and the tendrils vanished.
Veyra slumped to the floor, her silver hair matted with sweat, her gray eyes fading.
"The pact… not over…" she whispered, her breath stopping as she died.
Elara fell to her knees, Lira beside her, her telepathic voice soft. We won.
Kael limped over, grinning through the pain. "Tough fight—we got her!"
Nyx panted, her lenses dimming.
"Bloody hell—that was worth it!"
Saria nodded, her energy pulse fading, her strength easing. Vey stared at Veyra's body, his guilt weighing him down.
"She's gone…"
A heavy silence settled over the lab. The room grew still, but the deeper chamber pulsed with a faint light. The third shard called to them, the pact's mystery still hanging in the air. The bloodline clash had paused, but their journey was far from over.