Chapter 113: The artifacts revelation

Melissa’s POV

In my palms, the relic pulsed, its illumination alternating between eerie darkness and golden light. From within came a whisper, a voice old and powerful.

"Child of light, you're looking for solutions. I am the truth.

I took a deep breath. "Tell me."

The world around me abruptly changed when the air changed. I found myself in a wide area of whirling shadows and dim light instead of the battlefield. The relic glowed like a fallen star, floating before me.

Once more, the voice spoke. "I am more than just a tool of authority. I am a piece of the Void's very center that was left over from the first fight, which took place ages ago.

I gasped. "A… a piece of the Void?"

"Yes. I was made as a test, a means of determining whether mankind was deserving of existence outside the realm of the Void.

I gave a headshake. "That isn't rational. Why would something that may be utilized against the Void be left behind?

"Because the cycle needs to finish. You must put me back in the core of the Void and permanently seal it; you cannot destroy it.

My heart was racing. "Give you back? "How?"

The artifact pulsated more intensely. "You have to deliver me into the Void and link me to your soul. The cycle can only conclude at that point.

I felt a shiver of cold. "And what happens to me?"

Not a word.

The speaker then muttered, almost sadly, "You will merge with the Void. Your light will go off.

I staggered back. "No... No, there must be an alternative.

The darkness deepened as a chilly laugh reverberated across the room.

The voice of the Void filtered through the shadows. "You see now, young fighter. For you, there is no victory. You will become the next Void if you finish the cycle.

I let out a gasp. "No... I refuse to allow that to occur.

"Then watch as your world crumbles around you."

The swirling blackness drew me back to the present. I held the relic with shaking hands. Now that I was aware of the price of halting the Void, Damon and the pack were waiting for me.

I also wasn't sure whether I could afford it.

I kept thinking about the Void's warning that I would become the next Void if I finished the cycle.

My mind was racing as I gazed at the relic. I could put a permanent end to this conflict if I gave it back to the Void. However, would I become less of myself in the process?

Damon touched me on the shoulder. Melissa, please speak with me. What did you see in the artifact?

With a dry throat, I swallowed hard. It is a component of the core of the Void. If I return it to the core of the Void... I can permanently seal it.

Damon's eyes grew gloomy. "Then, together, we'll do it."

I gave a headshake. "No. I am the only one who can achieve this. The relic is attached to me.

"No." He clenched his fingers. "You're not working alone on this."

I balled my fists up. "Listen, Damon! If I take this action... I may not return.

His face grew stern. "I'll find another way then."

My eyes hurt with tears. "There isn't another option."

Damon squared his shoulders despite his shaking hands. Then allow me to do it. I'll step in for you.

The radiance of the artifact pulsed. "I can only be wielded by a carrier of light. You're not picked.

Damon tightened his jaw. "Then pick me!"

The item didn't say anything.

I inhaled deeply. "I must complete this."

Damon gave a headshake. "No. There must be an alternative. There must be.

I lightly touched his face. "Assure me that you will defend the pack if I fail."

His mouth opened, but he remained silent. “I promise,” he muttered at the end.

He was about to continue when the artifact burst into dazzling light.

We saw a vision of me standing in the center of the Void, engulfed by darkness. My face was expressionless, and my eyes were glowing with shadows.

Damon took a sharp breath. "No, that won't take place."

The vision dimmed. Again, the item pulsed. "This is the path you must walk."

I balled my fists up. "I'll change it then."

The vision of the item showed me standing alone in the middle of the Void, engulfed in darkness. Was I doomed?

As I gripped the relic more tightly, the tension in the air crackled around me. Deep within my bones was the weight of this discovery.

I didn't have time to think about my anxieties. The ground underneath me trembled with a great roar.

Damon swore. "They're present."

I turned to find the area under assault by the pack. Larger and more hideous than before, shadowed creatures flooded the world. They surged forward, their red, burning eyes fixed on us.

Damon pulled his claws out. "We need to relocate, Melissa!"

I pushed my fears aside and nodded. "I need time to get to the heart of the Void."

Damon snarled. Then leave. We'll keep them at bay.

I paused. "But"

His blue eyes, strong and resolute, met mine. “Go, Melissa. Have faith in us.

I took a deep breath, then spun around and ran toward the direction of the mountains that concealed the Void's heart. Dark promises were whispered by the growing shadows surrounding me.

"You are too weak."

"Your light is already fading."

I pushed ahead. Now I couldn't afford to be doubtful. However, I sensed it as I ran—the encroaching darkness within me, intensifying, threatening to eat away at my brightness.

My ear was whispered to by a chilly voice. "Melissa, your uncertainties will be your downfall. You can't prevail."

I felt a piercing agony shoot through me, and I grasped my chest. My vision became hazy. I stumbled. My inner blackness throbbed.

I let out a gasp. "No... I refuse to allow this to occur.

The shadows curled around me, attempting to drag me under, but I pushed forward. My legs shook. My light wavered.

Then

I could still hear Damon's voice. "Melissa, you are stronger than this."

I inhaled deeply while clenching my hands. My inner fire was rekindled. The shadows were forced back by the brightness of my Celestial Flame.

I sprang free and ran toward my fate.

I kept thinking about the voice of the Void. "Melissa, your doubts will be your downfall. You can't prevail.

I arrived at the imposing black gate that opened into the center of the Void. It towered over me, ancient and menacing, throbbing with a spooky crimson light.

Suddenly, a feeling of fear descended upon me.

I was aware of what needed to be done.

Via our psychic connection, Damon's voice crackled. "Melissa, are you there?"

"I'm present." My hands shook, but my voice remained calm.

He acknowledged, "The creatures—there are too many of them." "We are clinging, but we cannot endure indefinitely."

I touched the gate with my palm. "I'm nearly finished."

My hand felt like it was on fire. I bit back a cry as I winced. Something ancient was required by the gate.

Then I realized.

A sacrifice.

My bloodline's blood.

I tightened my jaw. This was the culmination of the curse that had afflicted my family for many centuries.

I pulled a dagger out of my belt. I inhaled deeply before pressing the blade to my palm and cutting. Warm blood poured onto the surface of the gate.

The earth shuddered. With a moan, the gate opened. Inside, darkness writhed like a living creature.

From inside came a deep, bone-chilling voice. "You have come at last, little light."

The space.

I took a deep breath. "I'm here to put an end to this."

A deep, unsettling chuckle echoed across the darkness. "Then step forward… and let the darkness claim you."

When the gate was fully open, a whirling whirlpool of emptiness was revealed.

I stepped inside.

Inside, the Void waited, more powerful than ever. And I had just entered its territory.

The world changed as soon as I entered the core of the Void.