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> "Power is a hungry beast. It cares not for the hand that wields it, only that it is fed."
> — Selene's Journal, First Entry
>
The glowing spider-spirit let out another high-pitched whine, and the shimmering lines of energy on the walls pulsed, tightening around Ash and his companions. The air crackled with raw magic. Ash felt the urge from the shard, a burning desire to lash out, to control this power that seemed to be directly connected to the Ley Lines, the very veins of the earth.
"They are guardians!" Elara cried out, his voice strained. "They feed on stray magic! Do not provoke them, boy! Control the shard!"
But it was hard. Ash's head throbbed. The whispers were deafening, promising immense strength, a way to make these glowing beings bend to his will. His vision blurred, the ancient carvings on the walls seeming to twist and flow, mirroring the chaotic power trying to burst from his chest.
Kael, ever practical, moved quickly. His sword was useless against pure energy. He pushed Lyra behind him, taking a protective stance. Selene stepped forward again, her dark robes seeming to drink the light. Her hands moved in swift, complicated patterns, weaving a barrier of pure shadow between them and the glowing spirits. The shadows were deep, almost solid, a strange contrast to the bright energy of the spirits.
The spirits, especially the large one, recoiled slightly from Selene's shadow shield. They hissed, their light flickering with annoyance. They were beings of light and pure energy; shadow was their opposite.
"Their weakness is disruption, not force!" Selene shouted to Kael, her voice echoing strangely through the shimmering energy. "Disturb the patterns of the lines! Break their connection!"
Kael understood immediately. Ignoring the smaller, darting spirits, he charged towards the nearest large pillar. With a grunt, he slammed the flat of his sword against the stone, then kicked it with his armored boot, putting all his strength into it. The ancient pillar, already worn by time, groaned under the sudden impact. A faint, glowing line that ran along its surface flickered erratically, briefly breaking its connection to the overall web.
The large spider-spirit shrieked, a piercing sound that vibrated painfully through Ash's skull. The entire network of glowing lines trembled, the hum faltering. The shard in Ash's chest pulsed, not with hunger now, but with a sharp, echoing pain from the spirits' distress. It was as if he was connected to the entire Ley Line network, feeling its disruption.
"Again, Kael! Hit the pillars! Break the flow!" Lyra yelled, realizing the strategy. She moved like a shadow herself, avoiding the smaller spirits, searching for other weak points in the glowing web.
Kael, seeing his success, continued his brutal assault. He moved from pillar to pillar, slamming his sword, kicking, trying to break the energy lines. Each impact sent shudders through the chamber. The glowing spirits darted and hissed, their lights flickering with frustration, unable to directly pierce Selene's shadow barrier, but also unable to easily reform their connection.
Ash, though, was suffering. Every time a line broke, the pain from the shard grew. It was like tearing pieces of his own skin. The visions became a blinding storm of light and pain, fragments of the Crown's shattering, of the world itself being torn apart. He saw the Ley Lines as glowing rivers of pure energy, now violently disturbed. He sank to his knees, clutching his chest, trying to breathe through the overwhelming assault on his senses.
"Ash!" Selene called out, her voice strained as she maintained her shadow barrier. She saw his struggle, the light from his shard flaring wildly. "Fight it! Do not let it overwhelm you! Use its pain to focus your will!"
The words, though simple, cut through the noise of the visions. Use its pain to focus your will. It was a strange thought, but something clicked. The shard was part of him. If the spirits' pain was its pain, perhaps he could turn it around. He closed his eyes, focusing not on the chaos of the visions, but on the raw, vibrating energy in his chest. He tried to pull it inward, to make it his own, to control the storm.
With a final, desperate roar from Kael as he managed to kick a large, central stone that seemed to be a key point in the web, the entire network of glowing lines flared violently, then snapped. The brilliant light went out, plunging the chamber into near total darkness once more. The hum died away. The glowing spirits simply vanished, dissolving into nothingness.
Silence. Only their heavy breathing remained, and the faint, constant pulse of Ash's shard.
Ash opened his eyes. The visions were gone, the pain greatly lessened, though a dull ache remained. He felt weak, drained, but also strangely aware of the Ley Lines that ran deep beneath the earth, like a phantom limb. He had felt their power, their connection, and his own raw link to them through the shard.
"Well done, boy," Elara whispered, his voice full of relief and a hint of new awe. He approached Ash cautiously. "You resisted. That is a strength few with the Dominion possess. But the price of wielding such power… you felt it." He looked at the deep lines of pain on Ash's face. "The Crown does not give. It takes. And its lessons are often brutal."
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