Blood and Sparks: The Edge of Power-Chapter 18: An Invitation

My breath hitched, heart slamming, each beat syncing with the weapon's pulse, loud and insistent, mixing with the hum, the kinetic energy buzzing louder, muscles straining under the tank top, arms thick and solid, the frayed edges tearing further, exposing the steel-like flesh, glinting faintly under the green glow, catching the flickering lights, sharp and cold.

My grip tightened around the weapon, fingers slick with sweat, the green glow flaring, syncing with the force in me, heavy and alive, itching to burst, a pressure building under my tougher skin, muscles denser, arms thick and solid, the tank top stretched tight, sweat soaking through, clinging to my chest, damp and heavy, the weight of my enhanced power pressing against it, muscles straining, bulging with each breath, the frayed edges snagging on the stone, tearing further, exposing the steel-like flesh, glinting faintly under the green glow, catching the flickering lights, sharp and cold.

I stumbled, knees buckling, the stone biting into my tougher skin, durability holding, muscles tensing under the tank top, arms thick and solid, the frayed edges tearing further, exposing the steel-like flesh, glinting faintly under the green glow, catching the flickering lights, sharp and cold.

Liv grabbed my arm, her sparks flaring, blue light sharp and cold, reflecting off the steel-like flesh beneath my torn tank top, damp and heavy, the frayed edges snagging on her grip, tearing further, exposing the steel-like flesh, glinting faintly under the green glow, catching the flickering lights, sharp and cold. "Kai. Talk."

My heart slammed, each beat syncing with the weapon's pulse, loud and insistent, mixing with the hum, the kinetic energy buzzing louder, muscles straining under the tank top, arms thick and solid, the frayed edges tearing further, exposing the steel-like flesh, glinting faintly under the green glow, catching the flickering lights, sharp and cold. "It's... talking to me."

Tucker shot a glance over his shoulder, machete raised, muscles tensing, the tang of blood sharp and bitter, mixing with the ash, heavy and wrong, clinging to my skin, damp and heavy, the frayed edges snagging on the stone, tearing further, exposing the steel-like flesh, glinting faintly under the green glow, catching the flickering lights, sharp and cold. "Like, in words?"

I shook my head, pressing my palm to my temple, the pressure inside my skull building, sharp and wrong, mixing with the kinetic energy buzzing under my tougher skin, muscles denser, arms thick and solid, the tank top stretched tight, sweat soaking through, clinging to my chest, damp and heavy, the weight of my enhanced power pressing against it, muscles straining, bulging with each breath, the frayed edges snagging on the stone, tearing further, exposing the steel-like flesh, glinting faintly under the green glow, catching the flickering lights, sharp and cold. "Not words. It's something older. Deeper. In my head. Watching."

Psionic Presence: 30 Meters.

The pressure increased, heavier, colder, sharper, curling tighter around my thoughts, testing, pushing, a weight I couldn't shake, sharp and alien, syncing with the hum, the kinetic energy buzzing louder, muscles straining under the tank top, arms thick and solid, the frayed edges tearing further, exposing the steel-like flesh, glinting faintly under the green glow, catching the flickering lights, sharp and cold.

Join us.

The tunnel warped—not in reality, but in my mind—the stone walls seeming to stretch outward, elongating into infinity, shapes flickering at the edges—dark, shifting, not quite solid, not quite shadow, but there, sharp and wrong, mixing with the hum, the kinetic energy buzzing louder, muscles straining under the tank top, arms thick and solid, the frayed edges snagging on the stone, tearing further, exposing the steel-like flesh, glinting faintly under the green glow, catching the flickering lights, sharp and cold, their edges blurring, stretching, twisting, sharp and wrong, like the Skraiths' claws, heavy and cold.

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself back into the present, the stone biting into my tougher skin, durability holding, muscles tensing under the tank top, arms thick and solid, the frayed edges tearing further, exposing the steel-like flesh, glinting faintly under the green glow, catching the flickering lights, sharp and cold, the pressure in my skull building, sharp and wrong, mixing with the kinetic energy buzzing louder, muscles straining under the tank top, arms thick and solid, the frayed edges snagging on the stone, tearing further, exposing the steel-like flesh, glinting faintly under the green glow, catching the flickering lights, sharp and cold.

"It's not chasing," I muttered, voice low, rough, throat dry as ash, heart pounding, syncing with the weapon's pulse, loud and insistent, mixing with the hum, the kinetic energy buzzing louder, muscles straining under the tank top, arms thick and solid, the frayed edges tearing further, exposing the steel-like flesh, glinting faintly under the green glow, catching the flickering lights, sharp and cold. "It's waiting."

Jace exhaled sharply, ribs aching, voice tight, breath ragged, shallow, mixing with the faint groans from Rylan, bandages soaked red, pale and still, his shallow breaths barely audible over the chaos, the tang of his blood sharp in the air, metallic and bitter, catching in my throat, mixing with the ash, heavy and wrong, sticking to the tank top, damp and heavy, the frayed edges snagging on the stone, tearing further, exposing the steel-like flesh, glinting faintly under the green glow, catching the flickering lights, sharp and cold. "For what?"

"Me," I whispered, voice low, rough, heart pounding, syncing with the weapon's pulse, loud and insistent, mixing with the hum, the kinetic energy buzzing louder, muscles straining under the tank top, arms thick and solid, the frayed edges tearing further, exposing the steel-like flesh, glinting faintly under the green glow, catching the flickering lights, sharp and cold.

Tucker swore under his breath, machete raised, muscles tensing, the tang of blood sharp and bitter, mixing with the ash, heavy and wrong, clinging to my skin, damp and heavy, the frayed edges snagging on the stone, tearing further, exposing the steel-like flesh, glinting faintly under the green glow, catching the flickering lights, sharp and cold. "I hate this. I hate all of this."

The tunnel lurched—or maybe it didn't.

The world shifted, my vision flickering between what was real and what wasn't—the stone walls stretching, warping, shapes flickering at the edges—dark, shifting, not quite solid, not quite shadow, but there, sharp and wrong, mixing with the hum.

The kinetic energy buzzing louder, muscles straining under the tank top, arms thick and solid, the frayed edges snagging on the stone, tearing further, exposing the steel-like flesh, glinting faintly under the green glow, catching the flickering lights, sharp and cold, their edges blurring, stretching, twisting, sharp and wrong, like the Skraiths' claws, heavy and cold, syncing with the hum, the kinetic energy buzzing louder, muscles straining under the tank top, arms thick and solid, the frayed edges tearing further, exposing the steel-like flesh, glinting faintly under the green glow, catching the flickering lights, sharp and cold.

Then—it was there.

The tunnel went silent—not empty, but silent, like the air itself had stopped moving, like the world had been hollowed out, stripped bare of sound and substance, heavy and wrong.

My system flared a warning, its voice clinical, unrelenting, a blade in my mind, slicing through the chaos, sharp and wrong, mixing with the pounding in my ears, the thud of my heart against my ribs, syncing with the weapon's pulse, loud and insistent, green light casting jagged shadows, sharp and wrong, stretching across the stone, long and twisted, like the Skraiths' claws, heavy and cold.

Psionic Influence Increasing.

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Tucker's grip on his machete tightened, muscles tensing, the tang of blood sharp and bitter, mixing with the ash, heavy and wrong, clinging to my skin, damp and heavy, the frayed edges snagging on the stone, tearing further, exposing the steel-like flesh, glinting faintly under the green glow, catching the flickering lights, sharp and cold. "Kai. Talk to us."

I opened my mouth, heart slamming, each beat syncing with the weapon's pulse, loud and insistent, mixing with the hum, the kinetic energy buzzing louder, muscles straining under the tank top, arms thick and solid, the frayed edges tearing further, exposing the steel-like flesh, glinting faintly under the green glow, catching the flickering lights, sharp and cold—

And the darkness moved.

It wasn't empty anymore.

Seventeen hours left—and I was still changing, steel and sparks both, but now drawn into something I couldn't fight, couldn't flee, its whispers echoing in my skull, sharp and wrong, mixing with the hum, the kinetic energy buzzing louder, muscles straining under the tank top, arms thick and solid, the frayed edges snagging on the stone, tearing further, exposing the steel-like flesh, glinting faintly under the green glow, catching the flickering lights, sharp and cold, heavy and alive.