Chapter 20 - Chapter 20 — The Edge of Fire

The Queen's illusions swept over the battlefield like a storm, fracturing reality into a kaleidoscope of deception. The sky cracked open, unveiling a dozen burning suns, each one casting a blazing lie—searing the eyes and twisting the mind. Veer stumbled as the world folded and fractured beneath his feet; Anika's cry pierced the chaos as spectral flames licked her clothes, scorching but never burning; Suriya's hands danced frantically, trying to bend gravity and pull the world back into focus, but the very laws of reality rebelled.Veer fought to draw the wavering energy still left within, wincing as the reservoir leached pain into every nerve. An orc baring a spear tipped with runes lunged viciously toward him. Veer met the charge with his body, absorbing the strike, redirecting the momentum into a pulse that slammed both combatants over the dais's edge. They crashed hard—sharp pain blossoming as time stretched and blurred.A voice, thin but cutting like a blade, whispered across the twisted space, "You cannot stand in my kiln and not be tempered, little spark."The Queen drifted forward, her hands weaving intricate lattices of fractured light. The open yard twisted into a hall of broken mirrors reflecting nightmares—each shard showing endless paths, each fork echoing the voices of the lost, calling for surrender or madness. Some captives faltered, clutching at ghosts; others huddled in shock, drawn into haunted illusions.Then, a spear of sound shattering crystal tore the illusions apart.Jiya.She descended from the trees like a tempest, each step a promise of reckoning. Her sword pulsed with pure, humming aura that cracked illusions like shattering glass. Behind her, Ashish crashed into the orcs—his stone-hard form battering through enemies with the blunt force of grief made manifest. His rage drove him, unstoppable, a clearing force of nature."Veer!" Jiya's cry snapped the crooked magic in the air. The Queen's mirrors wavered, unsteady before the piercing call.The Queen smiled, cold and mocking. "Ah, the family arrives. How quaint."Jiya did not hesitate. She surged forward—a whirlwind of precise strikes, her blade humming with sharp, pure energy that tore through illusions before the Queen's charms could mend. Each movement was deliberate, a testament to battles fought and victories carved in steel.Ashish steadied in the madness, his blows both shield and hammer, carving space for redemption. The Queen's minions lunged, clawing at Jiya, but Ashish took the brunt, holding the line with furious strength.Veer's chest tightened, breath catching in the storm. Jiya's presence sparked something primal—the living light of hope slicing through woven shadows. The Queen's illusions recoiled, fragile against raw human will.For a heartbeat, the yard hung poised—on the edge of collapse or salvation.The Queen's voice slithered through the chaos, dripping disdain, "You meddle in craft you cannot fathom."She slammed the ground, summoning a cage of black glass around Jiya—thin as spider silk but sharp with lethal intent. The blade sang against the crystal wall, sparks flying like angry stars.Jiya smiled, fierce and unyielding. "Then teach me," she challenged, shoving against the barrier with reckless courage.The ripple shattered the Queen's composure.Veer surged forward—energy blazing, Anika and Suriya at his side. Ashish's boulder-like fists cleared a path through wavering rows of orcs.The tide turned.The Queen's mirrors reformed in a heartbeat, doubling enemy numbers with shadowy flame-spears. The battle surged with new fury—steel met fire, gravity twisted madly, and Anika's wild shockwaves crashed like tidal waves across foes.Veer's power ebbed, his reservoir drained but his resolve fierce. With a cry, he blasted foes away and found Jiya, who shattered shattered another mirror shard.Their eyes locked—no words, just the silent promise: they would not become ash.The Queen laughed, sharp and cruel. "You amuse me, little sparks. But breaking one brick never topples the kiln."The battle paused—a breath caught.Then thunder roared anew.The furnace had ignited.Between ringing steel and hot smoke lingered the bitter question: who would endure the blaze—and who would be consumed?