Blood and Sparks: The Edge of Power
Chapter 28: Echoes in the Dark

Chapter 28: Echoes in the Dark

The tunnel stretched ahead like a scar cut into the earth, its stone walls rough and cold under my fingertips, chipped edges snagging the torn remnants of my tank top. The fabric hung in tatters, the steel-like flesh beneath scratched and dull, my durability holding at a ragged edge—22% integrity, my system whispered faintly, its voice a ghost in the haze of my skull. Liv leaned against me, her weight a steady drag on my side, her breaths shallow and uneven, each one a rasp that echoed off the stone. Her hand clutched mine, her palm slick with drying blood, her sparks long gone, leaving only the faint tremble of her fingers to anchor us in the dark.

The shard in my pocket burned, a constant heat against my thigh, its pulse syncing with the faint hum that seeped from the walls—low and rhythmic, like a heartbeat buried deep. It wasn’t the Heart’s searing green or the Watcher’s dissonant wail, but something older, a vibration that crawled under my skin, tugging me forward. The rift had spat us out here, the amber glow snapping shut behind us, leaving nothing but shadow and stone. No veins, no crystal glow—just a blackness so thick it pressed against my eyes, broken only by the shard’s faint warmth and the echo of our steps.

"Kai..." Liv’s voice broke the silence, weak but sharp, pulling me from the thrum in my head. She stumbled, her knee scraping the ground, a hiss escaping her lips. Her face was a pale smear in the dark, the cut above her eye crusted with blood, her hair matted with sweat and grime. She forced herself upright, her free hand pressing against the wall, leaving a red streak on the stone.

"Hold on," I muttered, tightening my grip, my arm sliding around her waist. Her body was hot, feverish, the strain of the Heart’s tendrils still etched in the lines of her face. I could feel her pulse through her skin, erratic and fast, a stark contrast to the shard’s steady beat. "We’re not stopping."

She nodded, her jaw clenching, but her eyes flickered with doubt. "You sure this is the way? Feels like we’re walking into a grave."

"Maybe," I said, my voice rough as gravel. "But the shard’s pulling. It’s got to mean something."

She didn’t argue, just leaned harder into me, her steps faltering but determined. The tunnel curved, the hum growing louder, weaving with a new sound—distant, rhythmic, like metal clanging against stone. My gut tightened. The shard flared, a jolt that shot up my leg, and my system pinged, faint and fractured.

System Alert: Anomaly Proximity Detected.

Psionic Signature: 68% Match with Previous Encounter.

Host Integrity: 23% and Stable.

Recommendation: Proceed with Caution.

Proceed with caution.

Easier said than done when every step felt like a gamble. The clanging sharpened, joined by a low moan, human but warped, echoing off the walls. I froze, my hand dropping to my rifle, its weight useless without charge, a cold comfort against my palm. Liv tensed beside me, her breath hitching, her hand slipping to my wrist, her nails digging in.

"Voices," she whispered, her tone tight. "You hear that?"

"Yeah," I said, scanning the dark. The sound grew, a chorus of moans and clanks, punctuated by a sharp crack—like bone snapping. The shard’s heat surged, its symbols glowing faintly through my pocket, casting a dim light on the stone. The tunnel opened ahead, revealing a cavern, smaller than the last, its walls rough and unmarked, but its center held something new—a cage, rusted and twisted, its bars bent inward, pulsing with a faint red glow.

Inside, figures moved—humanoid, but wrong. Their limbs jerked, their skin pale and stretched, their eyes vacant, glowing a dull red like the Watcher’s spawn. Chains bound them, clanking against the bars, their moans a constant undertone. My chest tightened. One turned, its face catching the shard’s light—Rylan. His features were gaunt, his eyes sunken, but alive, his lips moving silently, his gaze locking onto mine.

"Rylan!" I shouted, lunging forward, Liv’s hand slipping from mine as I stumbled toward the cage. The figures turned, their moans rising, their chains rattling louder. My system flared.

System Override: Entity Interaction Imminent.

Psionic Saturation: 89%.

Host Integrity: 21% and Falling.

Warning: Containment Breach Risk.

Containment breach.

I didn’t care. Rylan was there, trapped, his face a mirror of the pain I’d seen in the vision. I reached the cage, my hands gripping the bars, the metal cold and slick, burning against my palms. "Rylan, hold on!"

His eyes flickered, recognition sparking, but his body jerked, a chain pulling tight around his wrist. The other figures pressed closer, their hands clawing at the bars, their moans turning to growls. Liv caught up, her hand on my shoulder, her voice urgent. "Kai, back off—they’re not him, not fully!"

She was right. Their movements were too synchronized, their eyes too empty, like puppets on strings. But Rylan—his gaze held mine, a plea buried in the red. The shard pulsed, its energy surging, and the cage bars vibrated, the red glow flaring. My system screamed.

Integration Surge Detected.

Hollow Core Activation: 72%.

Entity Influence: Rising.

The cavern shook, dust raining from the ceiling, and a shadow loomed behind the cage—taller than the Watcher, its form a mass of tendrils and crystal, its eyes a blazing red. Its voice filled my skull, a rasp that grated like broken glass. "The fragment awakens. You bring it home."

"No," I growled, yanking at the bars, the shard’s heat flooding my arms, my strength spiking—55% increase, unstable. The metal groaned, bending under my grip, but the tendrils lashed out, wrapping around my wrists, pulling me back. Pain seared through me, a cold fire that sank into my bones, and my system overloaded.

Host Integrity: 15% and Falling.

Entity Assimilation: 65%.

Recommendation: Disengage.

Disengage.

I couldn’t. Rylan’s face, his silent plea, burned in my mind. I twisted, the shard’s energy flaring, tearing one tendril free, its ash falling to the stone. Liv’s hand gripped my arm, her sparks flaring weakly, grounding me. "Kai, together—now!"

She raised her hands, a burst of electricity arcing from her fingers, striking the cage. The bars sparked, the red glow flickering, and Rylan staggered, his chains loosening. The tendrils recoiled, their master’s form shuddering, its voice a snarl. "You cannot take what is ours!"

I lunged again, the shard’s power surging, my fists slamming into the bars. They buckled, a section collapsing, and Rylan stumbled forward, collapsing into my arms. His skin was cold, his breath shallow, but his eyes met mine—alive, human, for a moment. "Kai... run..."

The cavern rumbled, the tendrils regrouping, thicker now, their edges glistening with that wet sheen. Liv grabbed Rylan’s other arm, her sparks fading, her strength waning. "We’ve got you," she gasped, her voice breaking. The shard burned, its symbols glowing brighter, and a rift tore open behind us—amber and unstable, the same as before.

"Go!" I shouted, dragging Rylan toward it, Liv staggering beside me. The tendrils lashed, one catching my leg, yanking me back. Pain exploded, my durability cracking, and my system flared red.

Host Integrity: 9% and Critical.

Anomaly Containment Failing.

I kicked free, the shard’s energy amplifying the blow, sending the tendril into ash. We dove through the rift, Rylan’s weight heavy, Liv’s hand slipping as we crossed. The tear snapped shut, plunging us into darkness—stone under us again, cold and solid, the hum fading to a distant pulse.

We landed hard, Rylan sprawled between us, his breaths ragged, his skin clammy. Liv collapsed beside him, her hand on his chest, her eyes wide. "He’s alive," she whispered, her voice trembling. I coughed, tasting blood, my leg throbbing, the shard’s heat a steady burn in my pocket.

My system pinged, weak and fractured.

System Status: Host Integrity: 12% and Rising.

Anomaly Contained: Partial.

Location Unknown.

Recommendation: Stabilize.

Stabilize.

I dragged myself up, pulling Rylan closer, his weight a burden I’d carry. Liv leaned against me, her hand finding mine, her grip weak but there. The tunnel stretched ahead, no glow, no veins, just shadow. The shard’s thrum was quieter, but it still pulled, toward something unknown.

"Where are we?" Liv asked, her voice fading, her eyes closing.

"I don’t know," I said, my voice raw, scanning the dark. "But we’ve got him. That’s enough."