Chapter 53: The Gathering of Heaven
Melissa’s POV
It was as if I had been hit by a lightning strike as the goddess’ soul blended with mine. My senses became acute; I could see every dust particle twirling in the sanctuary’s dim light, feel the trembling of the ground beneath my feet, and hear the faint crackling of energy in the air.
Damon pulled power from the Heart of Creation and stood at the altar with a monstrous shape and a dark aura emanating from him. Now, the once-glinting relic pulsed with sinister red light, its surface cracked as if it were living and in pain.
With an eerie echo, Damon snarled, “You’re too late, Melissa.” “I now own this power. I’ll use it to establish a new universe in which wolves and gods don’t exist to oppress people.
With a firm voice despite my racing heart, I took a step forward. “This isn’t you, Damon. What have you turned into? It isn’t the Alpha I used to know. There is still an option for you. Act now before it’s too late.
His laugh was a chilly, icy sound that made my skin crawl. “You believe you can give me a lesson on choices? Melissa, I’ve made mine. Furthermore, it is more powerful than anything you may comprehend.
I raised my hands, now shining with golden light, and we exchanged a crackling energy. The power that was flowing through me was not only divine but also intensely intimate. Every challenge, every victory, and every event of my life served as fuel.
I took a step closer and said, “Damon, you’re wrong.” “My loved ones and the pack I’ve defended are the sources of my strength. If you allow this darkness to control you, you will never have it.
The sanctuary was shaken by the collision of our abilities, which was a collision of black energy and golden light. The walls moaned as if they were alive and struggling to hold back the rage of our fight, and the ground underneath us shattered.
Damon raised a dark blade made from the energy of the Heart as he charged, his body a blur. The impact sent shockwaves through my entire body as I lifted a barrier of light.
“Are you still using borrowed power to hide?” His voice was brimming with hate as he teased.
I clenched my jaw and struck back, launching a blast of energy that blasted him back. “This is not a loan. It is earned.
The struggle grew more intense as he growled. Sparks flew and pieces of stone fell all around us with each blow and parry. I tried to predict his next move as my mind raced. Damon was intelligent, cunning, and completely vicious in addition to being strong.
“Why do you defend them?” His voice echoed with the unadulterated might of the Heart as he snarled. You see, Melissa, they’re weak. Mortals are weak and stupid. Why not allow them to wane and create something superior?
“Because it’s worth fighting for them!” I yelled and smote him with a ray of light. “Life is beautiful because of their imperfections, hardships, and love.”
His eyes glowed with uncontrolled rage, and he laughed bitterly. “Then watch as I remove everything.”
With his hands lingering above the Heart, Damon backed away to the altar. The air grew heavy with ominous energy as its broken surface pulsed fiercely.
With a perverted smirk, he remarked, “You have no idea what this thing is capable of.” “The Heart of Creation destroys in addition to creating. Everything can be unmade by it. Every error, every suffering, every regret all of them were erased.
After hearing his statements, I felt sick to my stomach. “You’re crazy,” I muttered. “For a perverted sense of justice, you would destroy everything?”
“Not justice,” he clarified in a low, threatening voice. “Freedom. From the gods. From wolves. From the never-ending circle of pain.
With my heart racing, I took a step closer. “Listen to me, Damon. This isn’t the solution. Pain cannot be eliminated without also eliminating all its positive aspects. Stop this, please.
For a split second, I thought I caught a glimpse of hesitancy as his eyes narrowed. Then it vanished, to be replaced by the icy resolve of a man who had surrendered to evil.
“You don’t get it, Melissa,” he replied in a tone that bordered on melancholy. However, you will. When everything is gone, you will see that I was correct.
Desperate to stop him, I charged forward, but it was too late. When Damon touched the Heart, the sanctuary shook fiercely. Beams of black and crimson energy erupted from breaches in the ceiling and walls, and a thunderous boom filled the air.
“No!” I threw everything I owned into a light blast that was directed toward Damon while I yelled. It hit him, but he was protected by the Heart’s strength, which made my attack seem insignificant.
The earth underneath us started to crack, and I was barely able to maintain my balance. Still lying hurt next to the entryway, Kane yelled, “Melissa! Leave now!
My heart ached when I turned to see him attempting to crawl toward me despite his injuries. “I won’t abandon you!” I responded with a yell.
The sound of Damon’s laughter reverberated menacingly. Soon, you won’t have an option. The sequence of destruction of the Heart has started. The world will follow this sanctuary collapses.
With rage and despair brewing within me, I turned back to him. “I will not permit you to do this!”
With his form glowing with the evil power of the Heart, he challenged, “Try and stop me.”
I knew this was it as the sanctuary trembled and fell apart all around us. The stakes had never been higher as I faced the ultimate battle.
I used all of my remaining divine force to prepare for a final assault, but Damon’s hand shot up, and I was thrown off my feet by a surge of evil energy.
With a sigh, the sanctuary’s walls parted, exposing the whirling mayhem beyond. I could see the Heart’s energy escalating out of control as it glowed brighter.
In the middle of it all, Damon stood as a shadowy presence amidst the devastation. “This is it, Melissa,” he remarked in a cool, collected tone.
However, I was convinced that this was not the end as I fought to my feet, willpower blazing in my breast. Not quite yet.