SEALING THE CAVE
SEALING THE CAVE
Alda’s POV
“How on earth are we supposed to stop this thing?!” I called out to Elba as we fought our way through the violent wind currents surrounding the sword.
The blade was driven deep into the stone, surrounded by the trapped queens. We both managed to push past the howling gale, reaching the outer edge of the magical shield that encased the ritual altar.
“First, we break the barrier holding the hostages and get them out of here,” Elba said.
Her plan only confused me. “But Siofra said only the two of us can break the curse and seal the cave!” I protested.
“You have done more than enough, Alda. Now we just need to shatter the shield the Black Stone cast over the cave,” Elba said, reaching her hand out to me.
Taking a heavy breath, I clasped her hand tightly. “Fine. Let's get this over with.”
The moment our fingers locked, a blinding burst of light erupted from our joined hands, shooting straight into the barrier.
I half-expected it to yield easily, but the dark energy within the Black Stone fought back fiercely, its immense force threatening to hurl us backward into the current.
“Elba! It isn't working!” I shouted over the roaring wind.
Her eyes remained fixed on the floating stone above the sword embedded in the cavern wall. Deep cracks were already spreading across the surrounding stone.
“Do you think you can push forward? We need to get closer so I can reach the stone!” Elba called back, chancing a quick glance at me.
I nodded immediately. We pressed on, but the sheer weight of the dark energy pushed against us like a physical wall, forbidding us from stepping any closer. Sweat poured down my face as I strained every muscle just to keep my footing.
“Elba, I don't think I can hold on much longer!” I gasped, my vision blurring at the edges.
I kept pushing, but I was so exhausted and out of breath that the only thing keeping me upright was Elba’s grip on my hand.
Just when it felt like we were about to fail, our combined power began to overpower the Black Stone. The wild air currents surrounding us suddenly dissolved, giving Elba just enough room to reach through the hairline fractures our magic had carved into the shield.
She reached in and grabbed the Black Stone. The instant her fingers closed around it, her grip on my hand went limp—and an overwhelming burst of force threw me backward.
Elba's POV
I deliberately released her hand.
I knew the Black Stone's dark power possessed the ability to corrupt and awaken a terrifying rage within even the purest hearts—and despite everything she had endured, Alda possessed a pure heart.
The moment the Black Stone was in my possession, its dark magic clawed at my mind, trying to consume me. Raising my free hand, I summoned dark, creeping vines to coil tightly around the sword. Without hesitation, I channeled my power straight into the veins of the plants, snapping the ancient sword in two.
The shockwave instantly shattered the cave's hold on the queens and severed the power of the Black Stone.
“No!” a blood-curdling scream tore from Alma.
She broke free from Siofra’s hold and sprinted toward me, a sword raised in her hands.
The Black Stone’s energy clawed deeper into my veins, its rage consuming my senses. As Alma lunged at me, swinging her blade downward, I caught the bare metal with my bare hand and snapped the steel to pieces. A cold, blinding fury erupted inside me.
In a fraction of a second, I clamped my left arm tightly around her throat, holding the Black Stone firmly in my right hand.
“How dare you destroy the peace I fought so hard to find?!” I hissed into her face. “How dare you make me feel like my centuries of finding solace in these waters were nothing more than a delusion?! Now I am left longing for things I cannot have—wishing to be where I can never belong—all because of you!”
Siofra's POV
A terrible scream tore from Elba, and I watched in alarm as a dark change swept over her demeanor. Her hand tightened ruthlessly around Alma’s throat as the she squirmed, gasping for air.
I heard more than just raw fury in Elba’s voice—I heard the unbearable anguish she had kept buried throughout her hundreds of years as Almaruda. She had spent centuries isolated with nothing but sea creatures for company, only to be torn from the one place she considered home. Now, she had encountered her kindred in a completely different realm, only to face the burden of reclaiming Almaruda’s terrifying power. If I were in her position, I would feel the exact same bitterness.
“Shouldn't we stop her? That stone is doing something to her!” Alda said, a look of deep concern washing over her face.
“No, she can handle it,” I replied quietly. “Let’s get the queens away from here.”
“Do you need a hand?”
Eldarion’s voice called out from behind us. Alda and I turned to find him standing there alongside a few other elves.
Relief washed over me knowing he was safe—that they were all alive.
Before we could celebrate, Albina came sprinting toward us, panic written all over her face.
“Princess! The elderly elf—” she gasped, her voice trembling.
The brief smile of victory vanished from my face.
“Go with her and the other queens. I will handle things here,” Elba called out from behind us. Alma lay unconscious at her feet.
“Are you sure?” I asked, meeting her gaze.
Elba nodded firmly. Without wasting another second, I turned and followed Albina back to the surface, leaving the rescue of the queens in the hands of Eldarion and Alda.