The air was thick with anticipation, but under that, something much more sinister existed. It had been days since Raven's betrayal was revealed, and I had been dogged in my pursuit of her. Every lead, every rumor, had led me to one location the center of the Lords of Chaos. That was where she would be waiting, no doubt reveling in the power she had gained at the cost of her loyalty.
I no longer cared about the why. Her reasoning for what she had done no longer mattered. I had never known Raven to be anything but complicated, driven by some inner, personal battle with her abilities. But that did not make her actions acceptable. That did not make betraying the people who had trusted her, when she knew the cost, acceptable. The cost was too great for personal grudges, too high for selfish reasons.
As I stood at the entrance to the dark temple, the suffocating energy of Chaos permeated me, as if a toxin that I couldn't rid myself of. The air was charged with sorcery black, ancient magic that clung like a mist. My cosmic awareness tingled, warning me that there were beings of great power all around. But my intent was unwavering. Raven was present.
I wasn't going to make the same mistake of underestimating her.
I entered the temple, the gigantic stone doors creaking shut behind me as they moved. The interior was filled with otherworldly light, throbbing with the untempered power of Chaos. Raven stood at the far end, her form little more than a shadow in the dancing darkness. The symbols carved into the walls of stone surrounding her glowed softly, as if alive.
She had undergone a change. There was a certain something in her stance, a certain way she carried herself. Confidence no, arrogance. Her powers were increasing beyond anything I'd ever witnessed, but at what expense?
"Raven," I called out, my voice echoing through the emptiness.
She didn't turn right away. She allowed the silence to build instead, letting the tension between us build. When she did speak, her voice had a bitter tone.
"You found me," she said, her voice sharp and weighed with regret, although I knew it wasn't regret for what she'd done, but for the way it'd been done. "You're persistent, I'll give you that."
I allowed my presence to occupy the room, allowing her to sense the gravity of my cosmic energy. She hadn't experienced it yet not the full measure of what I could do. I sensed her doubt, her uncertainty. It was slight, barely detectable, but it was there.
"You didn't have to do this, Raven," I told her, taking a slow step forward, my gaze never leaving hers. "You didn't have to betray us. You knew what was at stake."
Raven turned to look at me then, her gaze cold and calculating. "I made a decision. You think I could just stand idly by while you all get to wield power so easily? You're playing at gods, but none of you realize what it takes. I wanted control, and this was the only way I could have gotten it."
I bunched my fists. She was attempting to excuse it, attempting to justify the betrayal as a moral stance of some sort. But I was not having that.
"Not about control, Raven. About understanding. That's what you were attracted to in the first place. Don't play like this was some great sacrifice," I growled, my tone low and measured, but heavy with the burden I had been carrying since the very start.
Her lips curled into a sneer. "You don't understand. I've seen what you've become. You're becoming something someone beyond what anyone can control. You're too dangerous, even for your own team."
I couldn't help but smile wickedly. "Dangerous? Perhaps. But you're the one who lost control, Raven. You're the one who traded in for the Lords of Chaos, thinking you could get the better of them. You think you can control them? You're not their master you're their pawn."
The words struck her more forcefully than I had anticipated. I could see the flash of uncertainty in her eyes. She didn't appreciate that. Didn't appreciate being reminded that she was no different than the very powers she had attempted to control.
But I didn't relent.
"You've made your bed, Raven. And now, you have to lie in it." I let my voice drop, lower this time, more cutting. "But it's not too late to change. You still have a choice. I'm not here to destroy you, but I will if I have to. You know that."
Her eyes narrowed, and for a moment, I wondered if she was going to attack. But she didn't. She faltered. The inner turmoil was now apparent. The magic swirling about her seemed to falter as well, as if waiting for her to decide.
"You think I can just walk away from this?" she breathed. "After everything I've done?"
"Why not?" I asked, my voice gentler now, half-coaxing. "You are stronger than this, Raven. You've always been. Don't let them get the better of you. Don't let Chaos claim you. Resist it, as you've resisted everything else in your life."
She was quiet for a long while, her face an unreadable mask. The air pulsed with power as I allowed my presence to bear down upon hers.
And then she lowered her head, her shoulders dropping slightly.
"I've made a mess of everything," she grumbled. "I didn't think this through. I didn't think about the consequences."
I could see the crack in her resolve, the vulnerability she had hidden behind her defiant façade. It was there. She was still Raven. And I hadn't lost her not yet.
You're not beyond forgiveness," I said, moving closer, my voice steady, calm. "But you have to return. The team needs you. I need you."
She stood there, silent for a long time, before finally looking at me, her eyes full of regret and something else something akin to fear.
"I've made too many enemies," she whispered. "I don't know if I can return.
"You don't have to do it alone," I told her, holding out a hand. "I will be your ally. But you must decide."
For an instant, I thought she was going to spurn me, turn away and go down her path to Chaos. But then she let out a breath, her shoulders dropping under the burden of what was to come.
"I'll return," she whispered, her voice not much above a whisper. "But if this doesn't work… it's on you."
I nodded, relief washing over me. The fight wasn't won, but for the first time in a very long time, I felt as though I had won something worthwhile.
"Let's ensure that it doesn't fail."
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**End of Chapter 26**