Kael Varn had a gift for landing in deep trouble, like the time he tried to outsmart a smuggler's trap and ended up dangling over a reactor pit, but this was beyond anything he'd ever faced. The shattered Ascendant plane was gone, its floating islands and glowing spires reduced to dust. A new realm sprawled before him, a cavernous void lit by chains of crimson crystals, each pulsing like a heartbeat. The air was thick, heavy with the scent of ash and ancient metal, and the ground vibrated with a low, menacing hum. Kael held his sister Mira, her frail body trembling, her eyes flickering with the Devourer's red taint, though she fought to stay herself. Zara, bloodied and barely standing, gripped her overheating pistol, her scar-faced resolve flickering like a dying flame. The Devourer's voice, a thunderous growl, shook Kael's skull. "Welcome to my prison, human."
Kael's body was a wreck, his Ascendant power-up a faint spark in his veins, barely enough to keep him moving. The relic in his hand, a crystal pulsing with faint light, was his only edge against the Devourer's growing power. "Syl!" he shouted into his wrist comm, dodging a falling crystal shard that shattered into glowing mist. "Where the hell are we now?"
Syl, his ship's snarky AI, crackled through static. "This is the Devourer's cage, Captain, an Ascendant prison plane. The energy here is pure Devourer essence. The relic's resonating, but it's not enough to stop it. Also, I'm picking up Coalition signals. Torren's on your tail."
Kael's heart hammered, his eyes locked on Mira. Her dark hair clung to her pale face, and her breathing was shallow, like she was slipping away. He'd saved her from stasis, fought through collapsing realms, but the Devourer was using her as its key, and now they were in its home. "Mira, stay with me," he whispered, tightening his grip.
Zara staggered closer, her wound bleeding through her armor, her pistol shaking. "We can't stay here, Varn. This place is alive, and it hates us."
Mira clutched Kael's arm, her voice weak but fierce. "She's right. The Devourer's stronger here. I can feel it pulling me."
The cavern shook, crystals pulsing faster, their red light casting eerie shadows. A massive form emerged from the void, not the mist figure from before but the Devourer's core essence, a towering mass of black mist with eyes like burning stars. Its voice boomed, shaking Kael's bones. "You cannot break my chains."
Kael raised the relic, its light flaring briefly, but the Devourer laughed, its form untouched. Coalition drones buzzed in the distance, their red beams cutting through the void. General Torren's voice crackled through a comm. "Varn, give me the girl, and I'll let you walk."
Kael snorted, gripping the relic tighter. "You're a lousy liar, Torren. How about you come get her?"
Zara fired at the drones, her shots sparking uselessly. "We need a plan, Varn, not your mouth!"
"Syl, find me something!" Kael yelled, dodging a drone beam. The relic pulsed, and his HUD blinked: energy signature detected. A massive spire loomed in the distance, its peak glowing with crimson runes, like a beacon in the void. His gut screamed it was their only shot.
"The spire's a control nexus," Syl said. "It could sever the Devourer's link to Mira, but it needs power. The relic might do it, but it's a one-way deal. You use it, you lose it."
Kael's stomach twisted. The relic was their only weapon, but Mira was fading. He helped her stand, her legs shaking. "We're going for the spire," he said, glancing at Zara. "You in?"
Zara nodded, her smirk faint despite the blood. "Always, Varn."
They ran, the ground trembling, crystals cracking around them. The Devourer's form surged, its mist curling like claws. Kael swung the relic, its light pushing the mist back, but it drained him, his vision blurring. Zara fired at drones, her pistol overheating, and Mira stumbled, her eyes flashing red. "Kael," she gasped. "It's taking me."
The spire loomed closer, its runes pulsing like a heartbeat. Coalition drones swarmed, their beams scorching the ground. Kael's power-up sparked, giving him a burst of strength, but it flickered, unstable. He reached the spire's base, a massive door carved with runes. The relic glowed, and the door hissed open, revealing a chamber of glowing crystals and a central console.
Inside, the air was heavy, like breathing liquid fire. The console hummed, its surface alive with runes. Syl's voice crackled. "That's the nexus. Plug in the relic, and it might break the Devourer's hold. But it'll draw everything here. Drones, Torren, the Devourer."
Kael set Mira down, her breathing faint. He gripped the relic, its light warm in his hand. Zara leaned against the wall, her face pale, blood pooling. "Do it, Varn," she said, voice soft. "For her."
Mira grabbed his hand, her eyes clear for a moment. "Kael, if it takes me, stop it. Promise."
Kael's throat tightened. "I'm not losing you again."
The Devourer's form filled the doorway, its eyes blazing. Torren's drones poured in, followed by the general himself, his cold smirk unwavering. "You're out of moves, Varn."
Kael slammed the relic into the console, its light exploding. The chamber shook, runes flaring, and Mira screamed, her eyes glowing red. The Devourer roared. "You cannot bind me!"