Page 100 of What Beats Within the Tunnels

This... this is not the world I know. This place is so broken, so desolate. Every part of my being aches with a sorrow I wasn’t prepared for, mourning for the life that once thrived here, now erased from existence.

Drawing a shaky breath, the taste of ash and despair fills my mouth. “What have you done?” The whisper escapes my lips, a lament more than a question. A lone tear breaks free, tracing a hot path down my face.

“This is what will become of Eguina if the heart is not restored.”

Shadows stir through my veins, and I can barely contain the rage festering from deep within. “I should kill you for this,” I seethe, every word dripping with venom. “You don’t deserve ascension. You deserve your final death, an eternity of torment for the destruction you’ve unleashed.” I can feel the inky tendrils of my darkness starting to twist and writhe beneath my skin, urging me to surrender to my emotions.

A twisted grin spreads across his face. “Ah, get angry, Pixie. Let those shadows emerge. I bet that darker part of you is eager to ascend alongside me.”

I tremble, torn between revulsion and an eerie understanding. There’s a seductive pull from within, tempting me to release all restraint, to avoid feeling this pain, to embrace the void and its apathy. The allure of darkness is overwhelming, threatening to drown my very essence.

Shaking my head and mustering every ounce of my willpower, I manage a defiant whisper, “No.” In a blink, I step back, retreating through the veil and into the tunnels again.

“How can I trust that this wasn’t merely a desolate corner of Zomea? How do I know you’re not trying to deceive me?”

He materializes beside me, effortlessly crossing the veil as I did.

A smirk plays on his lips. “Deep down, you know that wasn’t Zomea. But if your instincts aren’t convincing enough, allow me to dispel your doubts.” Before I can protest, he firmly clasps my shoulder, transporting us again.

The chamber we emerge into eerily mirrors the one where I found the beating heart, yet its essence couldn’t be more different. A stifling silence engulfs us, devoid of the comforting rhythm of a heartbeat. My breath catches in my throat as I take in the horror before me. I’m confronted with the heart, but it’s a grotesque shadow of the one I’m familiar with. No longer floating with vitality, it languishes on its side, drowning in a pool of inky, viscous liquid. My hand flies to my mouth in shock.

“Oh gods,” I barely manage to whisper.

His voice, dripping with feigned affection, pierces the silence. “You see, my dear, I do possess a semblance of love for you. The heart of Eguina still pulses, albeit weakly. I left it with just enough life, giving you the choice to rejuvenate it and reclaim the life you once knew if that is what you wish.”

Whirling around, I confront him, my eyes blazing with fury and revulsion. “Your wickedness knows no bounds. The very blood that runs in my veins feels tainted, knowing I share it with you. How can you have no remorse for the destruction you’ve caused.”

His grip tightens on me once more, as the wind surges with alarming force, ensnaring us both, channeling us back to where the heart of Eguina lies.

The sight of the black ichor dripping from the heart, trickling down the tendrils of roots, is chilling. Fuck. Even if I can’t trust him, the main reason I hastened the awakening of my dark magic and returned to Zomea was to prevent further devastation in Eguina. Whether he’s telling the truth or not is irrelevant. I’m committed to doing whatever is necessary to protect the realms, and he’s well aware of that.

“Sentimentality, remorse – they’re mere impediments, Lyra. Flaws I’ve long since discarded.” His voice is steeped in arrogance. “The question remains, will you accompany me to the gates, embrace the chance to ascend, or will you linger here and nurse your beloved Eguina?”

My father’s voice, once overpowering, now sounds distant, inconsequential, drowned out by the overpowering rhythm that courses through my mind and soul.

There’s a harmonious connection, a synergy that builds as I draw nearer. It’s as though the heart senses my resolution, feels the determination coursing through me, and amplifies its own energy in response. All else fades. The only reality is the mesmerizing pulsation of life before me, the gentle glow of fluid coursing through its chambers.

Guided by an instinct deeper than thought, my hands rise of their own accord. Time seems to stretch and warp. With a heart full of purpose and a resolve that’s unbreakable, my fingers make contact with the very essence of Eguina as I touch the heart.

A barrage of unfathomable images surges through my mind. Suddenly, it feels as though I’m plunging deep within the heart, becoming a part of its liquid essence, navigating its many chambers. I am caught in a maelstrom, akin to being dragged through chilling rapids. Each pulse threatens to drown me, making it nearly impossible to draw breath.

Then I find myself back on solid ground, gazing up at the heart. It seems more expansive than before, as though it’s engorged with vitality and magic. A radiant glow emanates from it, its rhythm steady and commanding, stronger than before. My chest fills with relief, especially when a lone flower sprouts in the tunnel out of the corner of my eye. My gods, I think it worked.

I think Eguina is going to be okay, and I’m still alive. I try to move, but my body feels treacherously heavy, every limb pinned down by fatigue.

My eyes dart around, seeking out my father. There, in the shadows, he emerges, hands clasped around the heart with a disturbing grin plastered on his face. I panic, but my muscles refuse to cooperate, leaving me helpless. My attempts at screaming come out as feeble whispers. It’s heartbreaking to see the heart, so freshly rejuvenated, start to wilt again under his grasp. Each drop he siphons feels as if he’s tearing away a piece of my very soul, and the heart begins to ooze again.

But then, abruptly, he releases it. He throws is head back, and his cold laughter echoes across the room, and when he drops his chin to meet my eyes his stir black for a moment. A chill creeps up my spine, and a gnawing dread takes root, leaving me wondering and fearing what he might do next.

A smug satisfaction radiates from him, filling the space between us with an almost palpable tension. “Oh, my naive Pixie,” he coos, taking deliberate steps closer to me. “Always the righteous one. Predictable, as I’d hoped. Your entire life, dancing on the strings I’ve set.”

My heart thuds heavily, each word a dagger embedding deeper into my soul. “Your belief in saving Eguina, in touching the heart, was all I needed. To unlock the gates, I required a taste of your essence, your darkness. And now, thanks to you, I have it.”

Rage, pure and white-hot, courses through me. I yearn to leap up, to confront him, to make him pay for every transgression. But my strength betrays me. All I manage is to roll onto my stomach, the weight of my weakness anchoring me down, rendering me helpless before his gloating stare.

“Fear not, my dear Pixie. Your strength will return in time, and you might even have a shot at saving Eguina,” he sneers, circling me like a predator. “But by then, I’ll be far beyond your reach, transformed and all-powerful. And when your darkness eventually consumes you, as it inevitably will, I’ll revel in the wicked irony of watching you obliterate the very world you once bled to protect. You see, your fate is sealed, regardless of how noble your intentions might be— destined for darkness, and destined to destroy it all.”

I grip my hands into fists, my nails digging into my palms. “The prophecy... I have to trust in it,” I barely whisper, clinging to the sliver of hope I have left. “There has to be a way out of this darkness, a chance to find balance. I know there is.”