Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 364

Chapter 364: Battle V

The skirmish was over in moments, the scouts falling one by one into the endless expanse below. Aiden and Myne hovered briefly, the faint glow of their auras illuminating the aftermath.

“Clean work,” Myne remarked, wiping her daggers on her cloak. “But we’re not out of this yet.”

“Back to the ship,” Aiden said. “Liam needs us.”

They soared back toward the vessel, re-entering through the hatch just as it veered sharply toward the leyline dead zone. The oppressive energy of the pursuit began to fade, replaced by an eerie stillness that settled over the cabin.

Liam’s voice broke the silence. “We’re in. But I’d brace yourselves—this place isn’t called unstable for nothing.”

The cabin lights flickered, and the hum of the engines wavered. Outside, the sky shifted, the stars twisting unnaturally as the vessel plunged deeper into the uncharted void.

Aiden gripped the edge of the cockpit, his gaze fixed on the swirling darkness ahead. “Hold steady,” he said, more to himself than anyone else. “We’ll get through this. We have to.”

And as the transport disappeared into the unknown, Aiden felt the weight of the journey ahead pressing down on him once more. The Celestial Court was relentless, their forces vast and their resources limitless. But so long as he drew breath, he would fight. Because for Joran’s family, for his team, and for the countless lives hanging in the balance, failure wasn’t an option.

The ship rattled violently as it plunged deeper into the leyline dead zone. The unnatural quiet outside was unnerving—no wind, no sound, just the occasional crackle of warped energy flickering against the vessel’s hull. Inside, the tension was palpable, each member of the team bracing themselves as the turbulence grew more unpredictable.

Liam’s voice echoed through the cabin, steady but tinged with concern. “We’re crossing into the heart of the dead zone now. The interference is getting worse. Don’t be alarmed if… strange things start happening.”

“Define ‘strange,'” Myne quipped, her tone light but her grip on the wall betraying her unease.

Liam hesitated. “Unstable leylines can create distortions—visions, shifts in time, spatial anomalies. It’s… unpredictable. Just focus on staying grounded in the present.”

“Comforting,” Myne muttered, but she said no more, her emerald eyes scanning the dim interior for any signs of trouble.

Aiden stood at the front, one hand gripping the edge of the navigation console as he peered into the swirling void beyond the cockpit. The oppressive energy of the dead zone pressed against his senses like a suffocating fog. It wasn’t just the physical instability—it was something deeper, a primal unease that gnawed at the edges of his mind.

“Liam, how much longer until we’re clear?” he asked, his voice calm despite the chaos.

“Hard to say,” Liam admitted, his spectral form flickering as he worked to stabilize the ship. “The dead zone doesn’t follow normal spatial rules. What feels like an hour could be a few minutes… or days. But I’ll keep us on course.”

Before Aiden could respond, a sharp cry came from the back of the cabin. Everyone turned to see Joran, the boy, thrashing in his sleep. His mother was by his side in an instant, trying to calm him, but his movements grew more frantic, his small body convulsing as if gripped by some unseen force.

Aiden moved quickly, kneeling beside them. “What’s happening?”

“I-I don’t know,” the mother stammered, her voice trembling. “He was fine, but now he’s burning up!”

Aiden placed a hand on Joran’s forehead, and his eyes widened. The boy’s temperature was dangerously high, his skin slick with sweat. But it wasn’t just a fever—there was a faint glow beneath his skin, a pulsing light that seemed to ripple like a heartbeat.

“Get him stable,” Aiden ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Liam, any idea what’s causing this?”

Liam appeared beside him, his form scanning Joran with an intensity that made the mother shrink back. “It’s the leylines,” he said after a moment. “The boy’s body is reacting to the energy. He’s… attuned to it, somehow.”

“Attuned?” Myne echoed, stepping closer. “What does that mean?”

“It means he’s connected to the leylines in a way most people aren’t,” Liam explained. “It’s rare, but not unheard of. The energy is trying to flow through him, but his body can’t handle it.”

“Can you stop it?” Aiden asked, his voice tight.

“I can try,” Liam said, but there was hesitation in his tone. “If I interfere too much, it could destabilize him further. It’s a delicate balance.”

Aiden didn’t hesitate. “Do it. We can’t lose him.”

Liam nodded, his spectral form glowing brighter as he extended a hand toward Joran. The air around them seemed to hum, the tension thickening as Liam worked to redirect the flow of energy coursing through the boy.

As Liam focused, Aiden’s attention shifted to the rest of the cabin. The walls seemed to ripple, the shadows stretching and shifting in unnatural ways. Myne noticed it too, her daggers drawn as she moved to stand beside him.

“This place is messing with reality,” she said, her voice low. “We’re not alone here.”

Aiden’s grip on his sword tightened. “Stay sharp. Whatever’s out there, we’re not giving it the chance to strike first.”

The ship jolted violently, and a crackling sound filled the air. A rift opened near the front of the cabin, its edges shimmering with a dark, otherworldly light. From the rift emerged a figure, its form indistinct but radiating an aura of menace.

Aiden stepped forward, his sword blazing to life as he faced the intruder. “Who—or what—are you?” he demanded, his voice steady despite the unease gnawing at him.

The figure tilted its head, its voice echoing like a chorus of whispers. “You tread where you should not, mortal. The leyline’s power is not yours to take.”

“We’re not here to take anything,” Aiden replied, his stance unwavering. “We’re just passing through.”

“Passing through?” The figure laughed, a hollow, chilling sound. “You carry chaos with you. The leylines will not suffer your presence.”

The air around them grew heavier, the temperature plummeting as the figure’s aura expanded. Myne stepped beside Aiden, her shadows coiling defensively.

“You’re welcome to try and stop us,” she said, her grin sharp. “But you’ll regret it.”

The figure’s form shifted, becoming more solid, its features sharpening into something grotesque and alien. “So be it.”

It lunged forward, and the cabin erupted into chaos. Aiden met the attack head-on, his sword clashing with the figure’s claws in a burst of energy that sent shockwaves through the ship. Myne moved with lethal grace, her daggers finding openings as she struck from the shadows.

In the back, Joran’s convulsions began to subside as Liam completed his work. The boy’s breathing steadied, the glow beneath his skin fading. His mother wept with relief, clutching him tightly as the battle raged on.

“Liam!” Aiden shouted, his voice cutting through the noise. “Can you stabilize the ship?”

“Working on it!” Liam called back, his form darting between controls. “Just keep that thing off us!”

Easier said than done, Aiden thought as he parried another strike, the force of it rattling his arm. Whatever this entity was, it wasn’t bound by the same rules of reality. But neither was he, and he intended to make that clear.

With a burst of blue flame, he surged forward, driving the figure back toward the rift. Myne was right behind him, her shadows coiling like snakes as she struck with precision. Together, they forced the entity to retreat, its form flickering as it neared the edge of the tear in reality.

“You don’t belong here,” Aiden said, his voice cold and commanding. “Go back to whatever void you came from.”

The figure hesitated, its form rippling as if struggling to maintain cohesion. Finally, with a guttural snarl, it retreated into the rift, which closed behind it with a deafening crack.

The cabin fell silent, save for the hum of the engines and the heavy breathing of those aboard. Aiden lowered his sword, his grip loosening as the tension ebbed.

“Is everyone alright?” he asked, his gaze sweeping the room.

For a moment, there was only silence. Then Joran’s mother spoke, her voice trembling. “Thank you… for saving him.”

Aiden nodded, his expression softening briefly before hardening once more. “We’re not out of this yet. Liam, how far to the edge of the dead zone?”

“Still some distance,” Liam replied, his form flickering but stable. “But we’ll make it. Whatever that thing was, it won’t bother us again.”

Aiden wasn’t so sure, but he kept his doubts to himself. As the ship pressed on through the darkness, he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched—that the leyline’s guardians weren’t done with them yet.

But if they wanted a fight, they’d find one waiting.

The ship glided forward, but the oppressive energy of the dead zone grew heavier with every passing moment. Aiden could feel the faint pulse of the leylines beneath the hull, like the slow, steady rhythm of a sleeping giant—one that could awaken at any moment. He moved to the cockpit, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the distorted expanse outside.

“Myne,” he said, his tone quiet but commanding. “Keep the team alert. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of this place’s tricks.”