Chapter 66: The Power of the Relic
Melissa’s POV
The enormous figure of the guardian towered above me, its red eyes blazing with fury. I felt like the air was pushing down on me with each breath. Elena, Jaxon, and Kane surrounded it, each attempting to divert its attention long enough for me to come up with a plan.
“We can’t continue like this, Melissa!” With blood streaming from a cut on his shoulder, Kane yelled. “It’s too powerful!”
I clenched my hands, calling forth my inner divine strength. The wellspring of my strength, the Heart of Creation, seemed far away, almost unattainable. Now, though, I couldn’t give up. Not when everyone we cared about was on the line.
Elena crashed into a tree after the guardian swung at her. She moaned as she struggled to stand.
“Elena!” I ran to her side and sobbed.
Despite her dull look, she gasped, “I’m okay.” Melissa, you must put a halt to this. We have no more time to put it off.
As it charged toward us, its hideous claws tore through the earth, and I turned back to the guardian. My heart was racing. Then I sensed it-a slight warmth that intensified with each passing moment in my chest.
I closed my eyes and concentrated on the link. I was filled with light as the warmth moved through me. The guardian paused as I opened my eyes, its head tilting as though it had noticed the shift.
“Don’t you sense it?” I remarked, taking a step forward.
The guardian growled, but now its actions were hesitant. I lifted my hands, allowing the light to emanate from them. The guardian yelled and staggered back as the energy encircled the glowing ground under us.
With a calm voice, I declared, “This is your end.”
With one last surge of energy, the guardian broke apart, its shape turning into glistening dust. There was silence in the clearing.
With astonishment in his voice, Kane declared, “We did it.”
However, after the combat was over, I saw that we had lost more people than I had anticipated.
The relic was gently shining as it sat on the pedestal. I couldn’t bring myself to touch it just yet, despite its eerie beauty. My teammates were bruised and battered all around me, their wounds serving as a sombre reminder of what we had been through.
With a tired tone, Kane remarked, “Let’s take it and go.” “This location is unsafe.”
I took a step nearer the antique after nodding. I gasped as a wave of electricity went through me as my fingers touched its surface. The relic’s power entwined with mine as though it recognized me.
“Are you alright?” With worry in his eyes, Jaxon inquired.
Even though my voice was shaking, I said, “I’m fine.” “Let’s go.”
Every step we took as we left the forest was difficult. Even if there were no longer any illusions or traps, the burden of our losses was greater than before.
“Are you certain you’re alright, Elena?” Observing her limp, I inquired.
Despite having a pallid face, she said, “I’ll manage.”
There was a noticeable sense of relief when we arrived at the refuge. However, it didn’t last long.
“Where is Garrick?” Kane looked around the group and inquired.
My heart sank as I froze. “When we left the clearing, he was with us.”
The woodland was quiet when we turned around. Garrick had left.
The guilt was too much to bear. One of us was lost because I had put them at risk.
As we set the relic on the table, the war room in the sanctuary was tense. The pack leaders stood huddled together, grim-faced.
With a stern tone, Alpha Roland remarked, “This better be worth it.”
“It is,” I asserted forcefully, despite my doubts.
A holographic depiction of a map of the sanctuary and its environs appeared as I activated the relic. Runes and symbols glowed, their meaning gradually becoming clear to me.
“This is the source of their regeneration,” I remarked, gesturing to a bright spot on the map. They will no longer have the upper hand if we can dismantle it.
“How do we use the relic, though?” With his arms folded, Kane inquired.
Feeling the pressure of their gaze, I paused. “The power of the relic can negate their regeneration, but…”
“But what?” Roland, Alpha, pushed.
“A sacrifice is necessary,” I acknowledged. A fragment of the wielder’s spirit. It’s risky.
There was silence in the room. The alternative was unimaginable, but the price was high.
At last, I said in a determined tone, “I’ll do it.”
“No,” replied Kane, taking a step forward. “We’ll figure something else out. You cannot put yourself in such danger.
I looked him in the eye and said, “There is no other way.” “This is our only opportunity.”
The relic’s light became brighter as I got ready to wield it, illuminating the chamber.
“Stop, Melissa!” It was too late, but Kane yelled.
The relic’s power spiralled out of control as its energy surged. Cracks appeared in the walls, and the ground underneath us shook.
“What’s going on?” In a frightened voice, Alpha Roland demanded.
Fear taking hold of me, I said, “The relic… it’s unstable.”
We all fell to the ground as a shockwave shot out of the artefact before I could respond. I looked up to see the relic floating in midair, its light pulsing wildly.
“We must keep it under control!” Kane shouted, but it was too intense.
As the sanctuary trembled severely, I realized that everything would be destroyed if we didn’t stop the relic.
“Kane,” I said in a tremulous murmur. “I’m not sure whether I can control it.”
As the relic’s power peaked and we were on the verge of catastrophe, the room began to glow.