The Crystal Caves – The Deep Chamber

  The silence shattered.

  CLANG.

  Isaac drew his sword. Jin drew a jagged, serrated dagger. The collision of the two weapons created a shockwave that blew the stone table to dust—crystals and debris scattering in every direction.

  They moved faster than the eye could follow—two blurs of motion, one blue, one corrupt red. Sparks flew like fireworks as steel met steel, the sound of their clash ringing like a bell of doom, echoing through the hollow chamber.

  The Upper Corridor

  Safira and Lican were running. The entire mountain was groaning, a deep, hungry rumble vibrating through their bones. Stalactites the size of spears rained down around them.

  "Lican, move!" Safira shouted, dodging a falling rock. "The foundation is cracking! The whole place is coming down!"

  "No!" Lican snarled, his eyes wild. "I can kill him! I can do it!"

  "You fool! We need to—"

  BOOOOM.

  The wall beside them exploded.

  Isaac and Jin crashed through the solid stone, wrestling in mid-air—shards of crystal and dust blasting outward. They slammed into the opposite wall, tumbling into the corridor where the assassins stood.

  Isaac recovered first, delivering a spinning kick to Jin’s ribs.

  CRACK.

  Jin was launched upward, smashing into the ceiling, embedding himself in the rock. He didn't fall. He hung there, looking down, blood trickling from his mouth, dripping onto the shattered stone below.

  He smiled.

  "Good... very good, Isaac," Jin laughed, the sound echoing unnaturally. "But you are holding back. You still see your friend."

  Jin dropped to the floor, landing on all fours.

  THUD.

  His spine cracked and shifted. His skin began to tear.

  "Let's stop playing."

  Dark, jagged scales erupted from Jin’s skin. Horns twisted out of his skull. His muscles expanded, tearing his clothes, ripping seams as if the fabric couldn’t survive the change. He didn't become a majestic dragon like Yamato; he became a nightmare—a humanoid hybrid, an Imperfect Dragon.

  "ROAAAAR!"

  The roar blew Safira and Lican off their feet.

  Isaac steadied himself, boots scraping stone, eyes locked.

  "So," Isaac said, narrowing his eyes as he sheathed his sword. "You finally became the dragon you wanted to be."

  "Better," Jin hissed, his voice layered and demonic. "I am evolution."

  Jin lunged.

  He was fast. Too fast. Isaac barely crossed his arms before Jin’s clawed fist slammed into him.

  BAM.

  Isaac was sent flying backward, crashing through three layers of stone pillars.

  CRUNCH. CRUNCH. CRUNCH.

  He skidded to a halt, coughing, dust flooding his lungs. His armor was dented.

  "Is that all, King?" Jin taunted, charging again.

  Isaac’s eyes glowed.

  ZZZZT.

  Twin blue lasers erupted from his eyes. Jin didn't dodge. He raised his arm, his scales glowing red, and deflected the lasers—light bending off the corrupted surface.

  "What?" Isaac gasped.

  Jin closed the distance. He grabbed Isaac by the face and slammed him into the ground, dragging him through the rock floor.

  SKRRRRRCH.

  Isaac roared, channeling mana into his legs. He kicked Jin off, launching himself into the air.

  Isaac flew and rained down a barrage of supersonic punches.

  TATATATATA!

  Each punch released a shockwave. Jin blocked, countered, and struck back. They traded blows in mid-air, a violent dance of blue and red energy. The shockwaves pulverized the cave walls, crystal veins cracking like bones.

  Safira was on the ground, shaking Lican.

  "Look at them!" she screamed, pointing at the titan-level battle destroying the cavern. "Look at that power! We are insects to them, Lican! We cannot fight that!"

  Lican stared. He watched Isaac punch Jin with enough force to shatter a mountain, and Jin laugh it off.

  "NO!" Lican screamed, tears of frustration streaming down his face. "I AM STRONG! I WILL SHOW MOTHER!"

  He tried to stand, to charge into the fray.

  Safira slapped him. Hard.

  SLAP.

  Lican froze, looking at his sister.

  "Wake up!" Safira cried. "We are leaving!"

  Suddenly, the air grew blistering hot. The corridor’s chill vanished—replaced by an oven-like pressure that made their skin sting.

  Jin, floating above, opened his mouth. Corrupted, black-and-red mana gathered in his throat.

  HMMMM.

  A torrent of liquid fire unleashed, consuming everything in its path.

  "ISAAC!" Jin roared, aiming the blast at his old friend.

  Isaac crossed his arms, his mana flaring to create a shield. The impact threw him into the abyss of the cave.

  But the fire spread. It rushed toward the assassins.

  Safira froze, the heat paralyzed her.

  Lican saw it. His eyes widened. Instinct took over.

  "SAFIRA!"

  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

  He shoved his sister hard, throwing her into a small alcove safe from the blast.

  But he was too slow.

  The black fire washed over Lican.

  "AAAAHHH!"

  He screamed as the cursed flames chewed through his defensive aura and burned his skin.

  SZZZRT.

  He collapsed, smoking and unconscious.

  Isaac saw it all. He saw Jin’s disregard for life. He saw the destruction. He felt the pain in his own bones.

  He stood up from the rubble. His helmet was gone. Blood ran down his face, warm against the cold dust.

  "Enough," Isaac whispered.

  [Berserk Mode]

  His mana changed. It went from a flowing river to a chaotic storm. His skin became translucent as his skeleton began to glow with blinding blue light. The hum of electricity became a deafening screech.

  KRRRRRRZZZT.

  Jin stopped laughing. He sensed the shift.

  "Finally," Jin grinned.

  Isaac vanished.

  BOOM.

  He appeared instantly in front of Jin. There was no time to react.

  Isaac’s fist, wreathed in lightning, buried itself in Jin’s stomach.

  CRACK.

  Jin’s scales shattered. He coughed up black blood.

  Isaac didn't stop. He grabbed Jin by the horns and headbutted him.

  KRAK.

  He flew him into the ceiling, dragging his face across the jagged rocks, then threw him down.

  WHAM.

  Jin tried to stand, summoning another fire blast.

  Isaac appeared above him. He clasped his hands together, electricity arcing wildly.

  ZZZKRRRRT.

  He slammed his double-fist hammer blow onto Jin’s back.

  CRASH.

  The floor of the cave disintegrated. Jin was smashed into the crater, his transformation breaking, reverting him to his form. He lay there, broken, bleeding, unable to move.

  The cave was collapsing around them. Massive boulders fell, sealing the exits.

  RUMBLE. RUMBLE.

  Isaac landed softly next to the crater. His glow faded, the Berserk mode receding, leaving him panting and exhausted. He walked up to Jin. He raised his fist to finish it.

  He looked at his friend’s broken body. He hesitated.

  "It was a good fight," Jin wheezed, blood bubbling from his lips.

  "Yes," Isaac said softly, lowering his hand. "It was."

  Jin coughed, smiling painfully.

  "A piece of advice... my old friend." Jin grabbed Isaac’s ankle weakly. "Don't trust my Father. Don't trust Yamato."

  Isaac frowned. "What?"

  "He will keep you... as long as you are useful," Jin whispered, his eyes fading. "For his unknown purposes. And when you are done... he will discard you. Just like he discarded me."

  Jin’s hand slipped from Isaac’s ankle.

  "Go... Get out of here... before you die buried with me."

  Isaac looked at him. The warning hung in the air, heavy and disturbing, colder than the snow outside.

  "Goodbye, Jin."

  Isaac turned. He saw the black box—the Key—lying in the rubble. He grabbed it.

  He looked across the room. Safira was dragging Lican’s burnt body, crying. They were trapped. A massive boulder was about to crush them.

  Isaac sighed.

  "Damn it."

  WHOOSH.

  He flew across the room. He grabbed Lican’s unconscious body, throwing him over his left shoulder. He grabbed Safira by the waist.

  "Hold on."

  "Isaac?" Safira gasped.

  Isaac blasted upward, dodging falling rocks, weaving through the collapsing ceiling.

  CRACK. CRUNCH.

  He punched a hole through the mountain peak and burst out into the cold night air.

  The Aftermath

  Isaac landed on a snowy ridge, far from the collapse.

  He gently set Safira down and laid Lican on the snow. Lican was alive, but badly burned.

  Safira looked at Isaac, trembling. She expected him to kill them now.

  Isaac ignored her. He walked to the edge of the ridge. He watched as the mountain peak collapsed in on itself, burying the Crystal Caves forever.

  Buried Jin.

  Isaac reached into his pouch. He pulled out his flask.

  He stared at the destruction. The snow fell silently around him.

  "Saludê," Isaac whispered.

  He took a long, slow drink. He lowered the flask, capped it, and turned his back on the grave of his friend.

  "Let's go," he said to the assassins, his voice devoid of emotion. "You have a long walk home."

  "Isaac..."

  Isaac looked down. Safira was bleeding from a nasty cut on her forehead, shivering violently in the biting wind.

  "You were lucky," Isaac said, his voice cold and devoid of sympathy. "Why did you enter that cave? To take my head for the bounty? I'm starting to wonder if I made a mistake saving you two."

  Safira looked down at the snow, ashamed. She couldn't answer.

  "There is a village about ten miles east," Isaac continued, pointing vaguely. "They have a healer. He might be able to save your brother's skin."

  Isaac activated his Sight. He scanned the horizon instantly. He spotted an abandoned woodcutter's hut a mile down the slope.

  WHOOSH.

  He vanished.

  A split second later, he reappeared in a blur of displaced air, dropping a sturdy wooden snow sled in front of the startled woman.

  THUD.

  He effortlessly lifted Lican’s unconscious body and placed him onto the sled.

  "This cart should help you get him there," Isaac said, stepping back. "Good luck."

  He turned his back, crouching slightly to launch himself into the sky. He was done with them.

  "Wait!"

  Safira lunged forward, grabbing his armored forearm. Her grip was desperate, trembling.

  Isaac stopped. He looked back over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing.

  "What?"

  "Please..." Safira gasped, fighting the pain in her ribs. "I need to talk to you. It's important."

  "I have nothing to say to an assassin."

  Safira let go of his arm. She stepped back. She reached up with trembling hands to the clasp of her mask.

  "It's not Safira talking to you anymore."

  She pulled the mask off and threw it into the deep snow.

  FWOOMP.

  Then, her mana flared—not the venomous green of an assassin, but a soft, familiar white light. Her sharp features shifted. Her dark hair lightened to a warm chestnut. The illusion spell broke, revealing the truth underneath.

  Standing there, amidst the freezing winds, was a ghost from his past.

  Amanda.

  "Hello, Isaac."

  Isaac froze. His breath hitched in his throat. He turned fully around, his eyes wide with absolute disbelief. The exhaustion vanished, replaced by pure shock.

  "Amanda...?" he whispered, his voice shaking. "But... how? You... I saw you fall..."

  Amanda smiled sadly, tears freezing on her cheeks.

  "It's a long story, Isaac."

  Isaac stood there, the snow falling silently between them, staring at the woman he thought was lost to history, unable to process the impossible reality standing before him.

  The Village of Nordu – The Healer’s Cabin

  The blizzard howled outside, beating against the thick wooden walls, but inside, the fire crackled warmly.

  CRACKLE.

  The scent of medicinal herbs filled the small room.

  Lican lay on a cot in the corner, his body heavily bandaged and covered in furs. His breathing was steady now, thanks to the village healer.

  Isaac stood by the frosted window, watching the snow fall. He turned to look at the woman sitting by the fire. She wasn't wearing her assassin's armor anymore; she wore a simple wool blanket over her shoulders.

  "So..." Isaac broke the silence, his voice low. "Explain it to me."

  Amanda stared into the flames, clutching a mug of hot tea.

  "In short... I am not human like you, Isaac," she began, her voice trembling slightly. "I come from a planet far from here. My Mother was a native of that world. My Father... he was a human. An astronaut who crash-landed there."

  She looked up at him, her eyes pleading for understanding.

  "He fell in love with her. And so, Lican and I were born. Hybrids. We inherited the rare ability to shift our forms, to look like humans."

  She wiped a tear from her cheek.

  "Please... don't think I was deceiving you all those years ago. The love I felt... it was real."

  "Then why did you leave?" Isaac asked. "Why did you vanish right after I proposed?"

  "The Oracle called me back," Amanda whispered, pain etching her face. "The Clan... the monther... I had a mission I couldn't refuse. I wanted to stay, Isaac. God, I wanted to stay."

  She stood up and walked toward him.

  "When the mission ended, I came back. I was going to run away with you. To marry you. To have the family we talked about."

  She stopped, looking down at the floor.

  "But when I arrived... I saw the debris field. The Earth was gone. Destroyed."

  Isaac looked at her, his expression softening.

  "I was devastated," Amanda sobbed quietly. "I thought you were dead. I thought I had lost you forever. Since that day... I haven't taken any jobs near this sector. I didn't know you were alive. I didn't know you had become a King."

  She looked at him with a heartbreaking smile.

  "How naive of me."

  Isaac lowered his head. He let out a long, heavy sigh, the weight of the revelation settling on his shoulders. He looked out the window at the rising sun piercing through the storm clouds.

  "I really didn't expect this," he murmured. "To find you here, now... like this."

  Cough. Cough.

  Lican stirred in the bed, groaning in his sleep.

  Isaac looked at the boy, then back at Amanda.

  "Go," Isaac said gently. "Your brother needs you."

  "Yes..."

  Amanda stepped closer. She wrapped her arms around Isaac, hugging him tightly. Isaac hesitated for a second, then hugged her back—a hug of closure, of two ghosts saying goodbye to a life that never happened.

  She pulled back and reached into her pocket. She placed a strange, pulsating metallic coin in Isaac's hand.

  "What is this?" Isaac asked, examining the alien runes on it.

  "It's a transponder," Amanda explained, closing his fingers over it. "It will allow you to locate me anywhere in the galaxy. Come see me... when this is all over."

  She looked into his eyes.

  "I know you have a war to fight, Isaac. I wish I could help you, but... the Clan's laws are strict. I cannot interfere further."

  "I understand," Isaac nodded, pocketing the coin. "I will come. Soon."

  Amanda leaned up and kissed him softly on the cheek. It was a chaste kiss, respectful of the time that had passed and the paths they had chosen.

  "Goodbye, Isaac," she whispered. "Good luck. And... thank you for saving him."

  "Goodbye, Amanda."

  She turned and went to Lican’s side, dipping a cloth in water to cool his fever.

  Isaac watched her one last time. He sighed, adjusting his gear.

  He opened the cabin door. The cold wind rushed in.

  WHOOOOSH.

  He stepped out into the snow. He looked up at the sky, orienting himself toward the south-west. Toward the most dangerous territory on the continent.

  WHOOSH.

  He launched himself into the air, a streak of blue light cutting through the morning clouds, flying rapidly toward Verdantia, the Land of Poison.