THE RISE OF AN OMEGA-Chapter 72: The light within

Kira’s POV

"Release my friend!" I commanded.

The dark creature laughed, the sound of its laughter echoed through the cave space causing a little vibration.

*What kind of a creature is this?*

The creature lurked around in the shadows of the cave like a nightmare given form. It was tall, skeletal, and cloaked in a darkness that was thicker than the cave’s own blackness.

Its skin, assuming it possessed any, adhered to its bones like pulled parchment, shining with moist decay. Eyes—if they could be termed so—glowed like fading embers, buried deep within its hollow face, casting a pale red light over the rough stone walls. It glided with an eerie elegance, limbs twisting in numerous directions, too smooth for something so hideous.

The atmosphere surrounding it felt chillier, denser, as if the being itself breathed out fear. Each step it made caused the cave to moan, not from pressure, but from a sinister force that appeared to permeate the rock.

Its lengthy claws scraped against the cavern floor, carving grooves into the stone, producing a noise reminiscent of metal on bone. As it opened its mouth, lines of needle-like teeth shone—excessive, exceedingly sharp—extending unnaturally wide as if it could consume the very light that dared to come near.

"What are you?" Ryker asked.

The creature laughed hysterically. "Do you really want to know who I am?"

"I don’t care who you are, release my friend right now!" I stretched forth my hands, my magic tingling at my fingertips, ready to strike.

"Oh my, the moonkeeper is so scary," it mocked.

My eyes drifted to Emilia. She looked like she was going to die if I didn’t help her. This creature had immense power; it was hard to tell who was stronger between it and the moon keeper. The energy I felt from it was almost the same as the dark entity’s—it could even be the same.

"Release my friend!" I yelled, my voice firm.

"Ooh, I am getting goosebumps because the moonkeeper is threatening me." It laughed ominously.

"How’s this for a threat?" I growled, sending light energy toward it.

In the blink of an eye, it dispatched my attack as if it were nothing, laughing hysterically.

"Kira, we need to be smart in handling this," Ryker said, pulling me closer.

"We don’t have much time, Ryker," I said, pointing at Emilia. "Take a look at her—she’s dying. We need to help her."

"Yes, I know, but this creature, its strength—"

"Don’t give me that bullshit, Ryker," I interrupted. "If I can fight the dark entity off, then I can handle this. I just have to keep trying."

As I was saying something else, we were suddenly blown away by a strong wind, which sent us flying across the cave, our backs hitting the wall.

Blood spilled from my mouth. The impact was painful; it took a while before I could get up, but I eventually did.

"He’s strong," Ryker blurted out.

"Yeah, I know that," I replied.

"What are you?"

"I am the one who’s got your friends locked up in a nightmare," it laughed ominously.

The weight of its laughter sent shivers down my spine.

"Friends?" I muttered under my breath. "Friends! Isabella, Marcel, and Clara!"

"Exactly," it stated, laughing ominously.

"Where did you keep them?"

"Hmm well, let’s just say each of them is lost in a nightmare of their own, just as your boyfriend was."

"Release them now!"

"I would, only if you promise to give me your powers."

"What do you need my powers for?"

"Well, you know, to keep every other creature here at bay," it paused, raising its hands in the air. "Don’t get me wrong—the other creatures fear me. It’s just that having your powers would make them more scared."

"You are one sick little creature."

"Little?" The creature scoffed. "You call me little?"

"Yes, I did. The fact that you want to rule over the creatures in this realm by making them fear you shows how little you are."

The creature became enraged and growled in anger. Suddenly, I found myself levitating. It had telekinetic powers too. I felt its unseen grip tightening around my neck. My airflow began to constrict.

Ryker tried to attack it, charging forward with his claws outstretched and his fangs visible, but he was blown away instantly.

I began to feel my body move backwards until I felt the wall against my back, and that wasn’t all. The creature began to push my body through the walls; I could hear the sound of wall cracks as it pushed me through one layer to the next until I reached the last layer.

I could feel life slipping away from me.

"Kira!" Ryker yelled my name.

"How is this for little?" The creature whispered in my ear. It raised its left hand, then began to bring its pinky finger toward my head. "Let’s see how your next nightmare is going to look like." An evil laughter erupted from its lungs.

It brought its finger close to my head in a slow and dramatic way, but before it could place it on my forehead, I broke the finger with my own telekinetic power.

It growled in pain, but that didn’t stop it. It pinned me harder into the last wall until it cracked, and my body’s imprint formed on the wall. It left me there and was about to deliver a final blow.

Yes, I could tell it was its finishing blow. It was furious about my breaking its pinky finger; from the way its growl sounded, I could tell that it was a very important finger.

As I remained glued to the wall, awaiting my death, images of Ryker, Emilia, Isabella, Marcel, and Clara flashed before my eyes. I saw them trapped and almost dying in the cave, and just then, a still, small voice came whispering in my ears: "Is this how you want everything to end?"

Suddenly, power began to rise up from within me. My resolve strengthened as its hand was about to land on my chest for the finishing blow. I commanded its hand to stop.

I heaved a deep sigh of relief. "I honestly thought I was going to die just now," I said, my voice mixed with a low growl.

The creature kept trying to force its hand forward, but I maintained my hold. I released myself from the wall, jumping to the ground and landing on my feet.

I wiped sweat from my forehead. "That was honestly a close one."

I began to summon more energy from within me into my hands as I used them to control the creature. I pushed it backward and snapped my fingers, which made its arms twist. It growled in pain.

"No! This can’t be happening."

"Well, it is happening," I replied.

I used gravitational magic to lift it up from the ground, tossing it around. I flung the being from one wall to the next, sensing the energy coursing through my veins like a current. Every strike produced a booming sound that resonated through the cave. The creature’s cries of agony strengthened my resolve.

"Where are they located?" I demanded, levitating it in the air. "Where have my friends gone?"

The being contorted oddly within my telekinetic hold, its glowing eyes flashing with what I could only interpret as terror.

"You cannot overcome my essence," it whispered, yet its tone lacked the previous certainty.

I tightened my fist, observing the darkness surrounding it start to constrict. "I’m already overcoming you. Now tell me where my friends are!"

A sphere of light appeared in my free hand, expanding and becoming brighter with each moment. The skeletal figure of the creature twisted more urgently as the light drew near.

"The nightmares," it wheezed. "They’re ensnared in nightmares I’ve conjured. Dispel the enchantment and they will come back."

Ryker succeeded in getting up, hobbling over to me. "How can we break it?"

The being chuckled feebly. "You cannot."

I struck it onto the ground with enough power to form a small crater. "Wrong answer."

I crouched beside the being, holding my luminous hand close to its empty visage. The light scorched the surrounding darkness, unveiling more of its authentic shape—a decayed, ancient entity that thrived on terror.

"I understand now that your strength derives from nightmares," I said. "You thrive on fear and hopelessness."

The being attempted to shrink away from my light but remained trapped by my telekinesis.

"Kira," Ryker shouted, "look at Emilia!"

I glanced over briefly. Emilia’s body was starting to emit a soft glow, reacting to the light I held.

"That’s it," I murmured as clarity washed over me. "Your nightmares can only thrive in darkness."

I centered my focus, tapping into the deepest wells of my moonkeeper abilities. The light inside me grew, spreading outward in ripples. The being screamed when my light reached its core.

"No!" it cried. "You cannot—"

"I can," I cut in, standing upright. "And I will."

I emitted a dazzling burst of pure light that illuminated every inch of the cave, dispelling all darkness. The being’s form started to disintegrate under the intensity, its shadow unable to survive in such radiance.

"This domain isn’t yours," I declared assertively. "Neither are my friends."

As the being broke apart, I sensed connections forming—slender threads of light stretching from me and extending beyond the cave. I could feel Isabella, Marcel, Clara—they were all confined, but now my light was reaching them.

With a final burst of strength, I broke the nightmare chains. The being emitted one last, desperate cry before disintegrating into nothing, leaving behind a tiny pool of darkness that swiftly vanished under my illumination.

Emilia inhaled sharply, her eyes widening as she straightened up. The color returned to her cheeks as she glanced around in bewilderment.

"What... what happened?" she asked.

Ryker hurried to her side, helping her to her feet. "Kira happened," he remarked with a satisfied grin.

I felt a warmth coursing through my chest—not merely from the energy I had exerted, but from the realization that we had emerged victorious. Somewhere, I knew that my friends were awakening from their nightmares.

"We need to find the others," I said, feeling more powerful than I ever had before. The moonkeeper strength inside me had discovered new depths, new potentials.