Chapter 34 Chapter 34
Sable’s POV
The darkness didn’t leave instead it settled in me, like it had found where it belonged to.
My breathing came out uneven as I stared at my hands, watching the silver light twist together with something deeper–something darker–forming a strange, shifting glow that didn’t feel entirely mine anymore.
Or maybe...
It had always been mine, but just hasn't awakened.
"I.... what is this?" I whispered.
My voice sounded wrong.
It was not louder or deeper.
Just...layered.
Like something else was speaking with me, but it's still my voice.
Caius stiffened immediately.
His grip on my shoulders tightened.
"Don’t let it take over", he said, his voice was sharp but controlled.
"I’m not trying to–" I stopped, gasping slightly as another pulse of power surged through me.
This time–
It didn’t hurt like it used to and that was what terrified me.
Because it felt...
Good.
Too good. Like something inside me was finally being set free.
The creature watched me with open satisfaction.
"There it is", it murmured. "Balance".
"No", Caius snapped, stepping slightly in front of me again. "Corruption".
The creature chuckled softly.
"You still misunderstand".
My gaze flickered between them, my thoughts spinning too fast to keep up with their words.
"What is happening to me?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly despite the power flooding through me.
No one answered immediately.
But I felt it.
I felt the shift, the awareness and the darkness.
The thing inside me–
It wasn’t just reacting anymore.
It was watching.
Listening. Learning.
The dragon stepped forward again, its massive presence grounding the chaos around us slightly, though even it seemed more cautious now.
Its silver eyes burned into mine.
"You stand at the edge", its voice echoed inside my mind.
"The edge of what?" I whispered.
A pause.
Then—
"Becoming something the world was never meant to hold".
My chest tightened.
"That doesn’t help", I said weakly.
But deep down, I understood it words.
I had too much power.
Too many forces.
Light and darkness.
Creation and destruction.
And somehow–
They were all inside me.
Caius turned slightly, his gaze softening just enough when it landed on me.
"You need to shut it down", he said.
"I don’t know how!"
"Yes, you do".
"I don’t!"
My voice broke, panic rising again inside of me.
The power flickered violently in response, the silver and darkness clashing for a split second before stabilizing again.
The creature tilted its head.
Curious.
"Why fight it?" it asked softly. "This is what you were meant to be".
"I’m not meant to destroy everything!" I snapped.
"Who said anything about destruction?"
My breath hitched.
"Then what is this?!"
The creature smiled.
"A beginning".
Something inside me stirred again. That same dangerous sense of.....agreement.
I clenched my fists tightly.
"No".
The word came out stronger this time.
Firm, but it was at least mine.
"I decide what I am".
The creature didn’t look offended.
If anything—
It looked pleased.
"Good", it said quietly. "You’re learning".
Caius’s expression darkened.
"Stop encouraging her".
"I’m not", the creature replied calmly. "I’m telling the truth".
Leonidas pushed himself up again behind us, his movements slower but determined. Blood still marked his face, but his eyes were steady as they locked onto me.
"Sable".
I turned slightly.
The way he said my name–
It grounded me.
Just a little.
"I’m here", he said.
The word seem simple, but it mattered a lot.
Kael moved beside him, rolling his shoulders slightly as he got back to his feet, his golden gaze sharp and calculating.
"Whatever this thing is" he said, nodding toward the creature, "we end it".
"It’s not that simple", Caius muttered.
"Nothing ever is", Kael replied dryly.
The dragon’s tail shifted behind it, its massive presence still tense.
"This entity is not meant to be destroyed", it said.
"Then what?" Leonidas asked.
"Contained".
The word settled heavily in the air.
The creature laughed again.
"You still think you can contain me?"
The dragon didn’t respond.
But its silence said enough.
Caius exhaled slowly.
"We don’t need to contain you".
The creature’s gaze flicked to him.
"Oh?"
Caius’s eyes darkened.
"We just need to keep you away from her".
The creature smiled wider.
"And how do you plan to do that?"
Caius didn’t answer.
Because he didn’t have one and we all knew it.
The silence stretched back again. Heavy.
Then, the creature moved again.
This time–
No one tried to stop it.
Because we couldn’t, even if we try. It stepped closer to me slow and deliberate, its presence pressing against my senses like a weight I couldn’t shake off no matter how hard I try.
"You feel it now", it said softly.
I swallowed hard.
"Feel what?"
"The truth".
My chest tightened.
"I don’t want your truth".
"It’s not mine", it replied calmly. "It’s yours".
The power inside me pulsed again. Stronger.
But not wild this time.
It was focused. Almost like it was aware of everything going on or maybe it was.
"You are not just the Queen", the creature continued. "You are what comes after".
My breath caught.
"What does that mean?"
The creature leaned slightly closer.
"Evolution".
The word echoed.
Deep.
Unsettling.
"No", I said, shaking my head. "That’s not–"
"You don’t have to accept it yet", it interrupted gently. "You will".
Something inside me flared.
Anger–real and sharp.
"I said no".
The power responded instantly.
This time—
It didn’t just surge wildly.
It moved almost like it was controlled and directed.
A wave of silver and darkness shot outward from me, forcing the creature to take a step back.
Not far but still enough.
The temple went silent.
Everyone froze.
Even the creature.
For a moment, it just stared at me.
Then, it smiled again.
But this time—
There was something new in its expression.
Respect.
"Good", it said softly. "Very good".
My chest rose and fell quickly.
"I’m not yours", I said.
The words felt important.
Final.
The creature tilted its head.
"We’ll see".
Caius stepped forward immediately, placing himself fully between us again.
"That’s enough".
The creature didn’t argue, it also didn’t move.
Instead—
It looked past him towards me. And its voice dropped to a whisper that echoed only in my mind.
"This isn’t over".
A chill ran down my spine.
"Next time...."
My breath caught.
"There will be more of us".
My heart slammed violently.
More?
Before I could react—
The air shifted sharply.
The creature’s form flickered and distorted, like it was being pulled apart.
The temperature dropped one last time, then snapped back.
And just like that—
It was gone.
And all that remains was complete, heavy silence.
The temple stood in ruins around us, cracked stone and broken pillars barely holding together. Dust hung in the air as everything slowly settled.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Because we all felt it.
That wasn’t the end.
It was just—
A beginning.
My knees buckled slightly.
The power inside me dimmed just enough for reality to crash back in.
Caius caught me instantly before I hit the ground.
"I’ve got you", he said quietly.
My head spun.
"It’s still there", I whispered. "I can still feel it".
He didn’t deny it.
"I know".
Leonidas stepped closer, his expression tight.
"What was that thing?"
Caius’s gaze darkened again.
"Something we should’ve never let wake up"
Kael crossed his arms slightly, his tone sharper.
"And now?"
Caius looked at me.
Then at the shattered temple.
Then back at the others.
And his answer came low.
Serious.
Final.
"Now we prepare".
My chest tightened.
"For what?"
He didn’t hesitate.
"For what’s coming next".
The wind outside howled suddenly, rushing through the broken temple like a warning.
And deep down—
I felt it.
The truth.
The thing that creature said.
It wasn’t lying.
There were more.
And they were coming.
For me.