WebNovels

Chapter 14 - Weakness 2

"Run!" Varya's voice cracked , as the warehouse buckled .

Anya dragged kael through the doorway, Ren covering the rear as Lyra stumbled out last, coughing through the dust.They hit the street just as the entire structure convulsed — a deep metallic groan, then silence.

Ren turned back, breath ragged. "Is everyone—"

The words died in his throat.

A low hum rippled through the air, too deep for sound — more like pressure against the skull. The ground shuddered, and arcs of light crawled across the concrete in spiderweb lines.

Then, with a violent flash, a bolt of lightning shot upward from the ground, splitting into veins of gold that branched across the sky.

"v…" Anya whispered. "What's happening?"

verya squinted through the glow.

The light grew, fractal and alive, forming a tree-shaped pattern of electric roots that spread from the crater outward. Each branch pulsed, connecting the ground and clouds like veins linking a heartbeat.

Ren's skin tingled. His vision warped — the world briefly pixelated, colors bleeding, sound lagging half a second behind reality.

Verya stumbled back, wide-eyed. Her handheld scanner sparked and died.

Lyra raised her weapon instinctively. "Something's building power underground."

Then, at the tree's heart, a single golden pulse shimmered. For one fragile instant, it was beautiful — holy, almost.

Then it collapsed.

The light folded inward, condensing into a singular point that swallowed its own radiance. Space bent around it, sound cut out, and a black sphere began forming — smooth, silent, gravitational.

Ren felt his stomach drop. "Everyone back! Now!"

The team sprinted as debris lifted from the ground, pulled upward like dust toward the event horizon. The warehouse and half the block folded into the black orb, vanishing in a blur of distortion.

A split second later, it imploded with a deep, soundless thud — and the world snapped back.

Silence.

The tree of lightning was gone, leaving only glowing cracks in the ground, faintly pulsing gold.

Anya fell to her knees, shaking. "What… what was that?"

Ren's comm crackled. Then it died.

lyra slammed her fist against her earpiece. "Nothing. We're blind."

Varya checked her scanner again — blank. No signal. Not even interference. "It's like the air itself is blocking data."

Lyra kept her eyes on the crater. 

Ren stepped closer to the edge. The heat had already faded, but the air was thick — heavy, charged, humming with invisible static.He felt it in his teeth.

"Blood".

Kael exhaled hard, looking around. "We need to contact the Academy. Before this spreads."

"Rumble"

The ground answered with a low, rising rumble.

A pulse rolled through the air—then, with a deafening crack, a giant clawed limb tore through the containment sphere. Metal screamed. Dust erupted. The team staggered back as the creature unfurled its wings, each movement shaking the earth beneath their feet.

The air shifted. Heavy. Electric. The beast's gaze locked onto them—sharp, intelligent, wrong.

Above, the clouds twisted into formation. Lines of light burned across the sky, weaving together into a vast pattern—a sigil too complex to be human. It shimmered once… then collapsed, swallowing everything in a blinding surge.

When Anya opened her eyes, the world was white.

She gasped, spinning around. Her teammates were there—Kael, Lyra, Ren, Varya—all wide-eyed, shaken, but alive.

Before them stood a figure draped in silver, light rippling faintly off their form. No shadow. No ground. Just endless white stretching forever.

The figure lowered their hand. Reality shifted. The blank space rippled away—revealing a vast cathedral, pillars of pale stone rising into infinity.

Then a familiar voice echoed through the stillness, calm and casual as ever."You guys good?"

Anya's eyes widened. "...Torin?"

"No."

The figure turned, meeting their eyes with a lazy, almost bored gaze.

"Call me S," he said calmly. "And… a thank you would be nice—for not getting obliterated."He adjusted his silver sleeve, then added flatly, "Let's go."

The white domain shattered like broken glass.

In an instant, they were standing inside an enormous hall — a structure so vast it seemed built by giants. Towering arches curved into endless height, and faint blue light bled through cracks in the ceiling.

Soldiers in heavy armor stood along the walls, motionless, weapons in hand, faces hidden behind smooth, featureless visors.

Ren glanced around, tense. "What is this place?"

S didn't look back. "You'll find out soon enough."

They followed him through the corridor. The air felt heavy — too still, too clean — like sound itself had been muted. Their footsteps echoed in rhythm, each beat sharp and precise.

Finally, S stopped in front of a door twice his height.It opened on its own — soundless — revealing a chamber even grander than the last, lined with glowing sigils that pulsed faintly like veins.

"Wait here," S said, voice unreadable.

He walked ahead and disappeared beyond a pillar.

The team stood there, confused and on edge.

Lyra muttered, "What is this place?"

Kael frowned — then noticed something. The gash on his arm had sealed, the blood gone. He blinked. "Guys… my wounds. They're—healing?"

Before anyone could respond, a pop of air rippled in front of them.

S reappeared, standing just a step away, expression as unreadable as before.

In a flash, the chamber melted away.

Now they stood in a garden — sunlight spilling through glass trees, the air sweet and alive.

Varya stepped forward, glaring. "What's going on!?"

S tilted his head slightly, his voice almost teasing."Serious, aren't we?"

Would you like me to continue right from here — with S explaining what the place actually is (maybe an ancient interdimensional facility tied to the Locks), or do you want to keep the mystery going a little longer before revealing anything?

You said:in the first one styleChatGPT said:

Got it — you want it written in your raw cinematic style, not over-polished.Natural flow, light grammar correction, same rhythm you use — tense, direct, and visual.Here's your scene retexted that way, keeping your tone:

"No."

The figure turned slowly, staring back with lazy eyes.

"Call me S and a thank-you for not getting obliterated," he said, voice low but clear. "Let's go."

The white domain shattered

They blinked — now standing inside a massive building, the kind that felt like it was built by giants. Pillars thick as towers. Ceilings lost in shadow.

Soldiers in dark armor lined the walls, weapons in hand, unmoving, like statues watching them breathe.

Ren looked around. "What is this place?"

S kept walking, not turning back. "Soon enough, you'll find out."

They followed in silence. Every step echoed, too loud in the stillness.

Then S stopped in front of huge doors carved with strange symbols. The doors opened on their own — quiet, smooth.Inside was a room brighter, grander — gold light spilling over crystal walls.

"Wait here."

S walked through and vanished down another corridor.

The team just stood there, dumbfounded.

Lyra whispered, "What is this place…?"

Kael looked down — the cuts on his arms were fading fast, closing on their own. "Guys… my wounds—look."

Before he could say more, the air popped.

S appeared right in front of them again.And in an instant, the room twisted — walls melting away into color.

They were standing in a garden.Bright. Warm. Wind through silver trees. The scent of earth and rain.

"What's going on!?" Varya demanded, meeting S's eyes.

S raised an eyebrow, a faint smile on his face."Serious, aren't we?"

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