Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 365

Chapter 365: Battle VI

“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.”

“Already on it,” she replied, adjusting the straps on her gauntlets. “If something else shows up, I’ll make sure it regrets it.”

Aiden smirked faintly but said nothing. His mind was already working through the possibilities, planning contingencies for whatever might come next.

At the navigation console, Liam was frowning. His translucent fingers danced over the glowing controls, but his form flickered erratically, a sure sign that the interference was taking a toll. “The distortion’s getting worse. We’re flying blind at this point—navigating by feel more than anything.”

Aiden placed a hand on the console, steadying the ship as another ripple of turbulence rocked it. “Can you keep us steady?”

“I can try,” Liam replied. “But the deeper we go, the less control I’ll have. This place doesn’t follow the rules of the outside world. It’s… alive, in a way. It’s watching us.”

The words sent a chill through the cabin. Aiden glanced back at the rest of the team, all of whom were tense but ready. Joran’s mother held her son close, whispering soothing words to him as he rested. The boy’s breathing had steadied, but his skin was still pale, and the faint glow hadn’t entirely faded.

“Do you think the boy’s connection to the leylines will draw more of those things?” Myne asked, her voice low.

“It’s possible,” Aiden admitted. “But we don’t leave people behind. If they come, we’ll deal with them.”

“Good answer,” Myne said, her lips curving into a grin. “I’d hate to think you were going soft.”

Before Aiden could reply, the ship jolted violently, throwing everyone off balance. A loud crack echoed through the cabin as a deep fissure tore open in the air ahead, spilling waves of sickly green light into the ship. It wasn’t a rift like before—it was a portal, and from it emerged a swarm of shadowy, writhing forms.

“Contact!” Myne shouted, already moving to intercept. Her shadows erupted from her hands, forming a web of dark tendrils that lashed out at the incoming creatures.

Aiden leaped into action, his sword igniting with a brilliant blue flame as he cut through the nearest enemies. The creatures were fast and relentless, their forms shifting and reforming as they attacked. Each strike from Aiden’s blade dispersed them momentarily, but more poured through the portal, their numbers seemingly endless.

“Liam, close that portal!” Aiden yelled, slashing through another wave of attackers.

“I’m trying!” Liam shouted back, his spectral form straining as he manipulated the ship’s controls. “But this isn’t like the last one. It’s anchored to the leylines—they don’t want us leaving!”

“Then we give them a reason to let us go,” Aiden growled, his voice hard. He raised his free hand, summoning a surge of energy from deep within. The air around him crackled with power as he unleashed a massive wave of flame, incinerating the nearest creatures and forcing the others to retreat.

“Myne, take the rear!” he ordered. “I’ll handle the front. Liam, get us out of here!”

“You heard the boss!” Myne said, her shadows forming a wall of spikes that impaled the creatures trying to flank them. “Let’s see how many of you I can take down before we’re clear!”

The ship shuddered as Liam pushed it to its limits, the engines screaming in protest. The portal loomed ahead, its light pulsing like a heartbeat, but Liam’s efforts began to take effect. The edges of the portal flickered and wavered, its stability faltering.

“Almost there!” Liam shouted, his voice strained. “Just hold them off a little longer!”

Aiden didn’t reply—he was too focused on the battle. His movements were precise and controlled, every swing of his blade cleaving through the creatures with deadly efficiency. But for every one he cut down, two more seemed to take its place. The portal was fighting back, desperate to hold them in its grasp.

“Myne, status?” he called, glancing over his shoulder.

“Still kicking!” she replied, her shadows spiraling outward in a devastating attack that cleared the rear. “But I could do this all day. What about you?”

“Don’t worry about me,” Aiden said, his eyes blazing with determination. “Just keep them off our backs.”

With a final surge of effort, Liam managed to destabilize the portal. The light grew erratic, flickering like a dying flame, and the creatures let out a collective, otherworldly screech as the rift began to collapse.

“Now or never, Aiden!” Liam shouted. “Brace yourselves!”

The ship surged forward, its engines roaring as it broke through the collapsing portal. The creatures’ shrieks faded into silence as the rift closed behind them, leaving only the dead zone’s oppressive stillness in its wake.

For a moment, no one spoke. The only sound was the hum of the ship’s systems and the heavy breathing of those aboard. Aiden lowered his sword, his shoulders relaxing slightly as the adrenaline ebbed.

“Report,” he said, his voice steady.

“We’re clear of the portal,” Liam said, his form flickering but stable. “But we’re not out of the dead zone yet. I’ll need time to recalibrate our course.”

“Take it,” Aiden said, turning to check on the team. Myne gave him a thumbs-up, her grin as sharp as ever. The others looked shaken but unharmed.

Aiden knelt beside Joran, his gaze softening as he checked the boy’s pulse. “How’s he doing?”

“Better,” his mother said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Thank you. I don’t know how we’ll ever repay you.”

“Stay strong,” Aiden said simply, rising to his feet. “We’ve still got a ways to go.”

As the ship pressed on, the oppressive energy of the dead zone began to lessen, but Aiden knew better than to relax. This was just the beginning. Whatever awaited them on the other side would be just as dangerous—if not more so.

And he would be ready.

As the oppressive energy of the dead zone finally gave way, a faint glimmer of light pierced the darkness ahead. It was the horizon—a faint indication that they were nearing the edge of the region. The air felt lighter, though the tension in the ship remained thick.

“Myne, how’s our rear?” Aiden asked without turning.

“Quiet,” she replied, though her tone was cautious. “Too quiet. Either they’re regrouping, or we scared them off for good.”

“We don’t scare that easily,” Liam muttered from the cockpit, his voice tight with focus. “But I’ll take the breather while we have it.”

Aiden moved to the ship’s viewport, gazing out at the shifting landscape ahead. Beyond the dead zone, he could see the faint outlines of jagged mountains, their peaks glowing faintly with bioluminescent light. It was a strange, otherworldly beauty, but Aiden couldn’t shake the feeling that it was a harbinger of more challenges to come.

“Where are we, Liam?” he asked.

Liam glanced at the navigation console, his spectral form stabilizing as the interference subsided. “We’re approaching the Riven Peaks. They mark the boundary between the dead zone and the Celestial Court’s outer territories.”

“Perfect,” Aiden said. “We’ll need to find a safe place to land and regroup before we move any closer.”

Myne stepped up beside him, her arms crossed. “You think the Court knows we’re coming?”

Aiden’s lips pressed into a thin line. “They’ll expect something, but they won’t know when or where. That gives us the advantage—for now.”

Before Myne could reply, the ship jolted violently. Alarm sirens blared, and Liam swore under his breath as he fought to stabilize the craft.

“What now?” Myne growled, her hands already brimming with shadow energy.

Liam’s voice was sharp. “Something’s locking onto us. Not interference this time—it’s an external force.”

Aiden’s eyes narrowed. “Weapons system?”

“No,” Liam said grimly. “It’s a tractor beam. They’ve got us.”

The ship lurched again, and the faint glow of a nearby mountain intensified. From the base of the glowing peak, a massive structure began to emerge—spires of stone and steel rising like claws toward the sky. The Celestial Court’s emblem was etched into the surface, its golden light pulsing ominously.

“Looks like they were expecting us after all,” Myne muttered, her tone laced with frustration.

“Not for long,” Aiden said, his voice cold. “Liam, how much time do we have?”

“Minutes at best,” Liam replied. “They’re pulling us toward that fortress. If we don’t act now, we’ll be in their custody.”

Aiden turned to the rest of the team. “Get ready. This isn’t over yet. We’re not going to be their prisoners—we’re going to be their nightmare.”

Myne grinned, already pulling her daggers from their sheathes. “Now you’re talking.”

As the ship drew closer to the fortress, Aiden’s mind raced. He couldn’t afford to let them be captured, not with Joran and his mother onboard. The boy’s connection to the leylines made him a target, and if the Celestial Court got their hands on him, the consequences would be catastrophic.

“Liam, is there any way to disrupt the beam?” Aiden asked.

“Not without frying our systems,” Liam replied, his frustration evident. “But I might be able to overload it long enough for us to break free.”

“Do it,” Aiden said. “Myne, you’re with me. If this goes south, we’ll board that fortress and take the fight to them.”

She laughed softly, her shadows coiling around her like living armor. “You always know how to make an entrance.”