SWNOVELS Chapter 44
She was alive, but in danger. He could feel her fear, her determination, and underneath it all, a core of unshakeable resolve. She was fighting back against whatever Elara was trying to do.
“I can guide us to her,” Fenris said, opening his eyes with newfound purpose. “But we’ll have to trust in whatever magic is at work here. Are you with me?”
Stormhowl exchanged glances with his pack, then nodded solemnly. “Lead the way, pup. We’ve come too far to turn back now.”
Fenris took a deep breath, then pressed his entire body against the barrier. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, with a sound like shattering glass, the doorway burst open once more.
Beyond lay a realm of pure cosmic energy. Stars and nebulae swirled in impossible patterns, while ribbons of light and darkness wove complex tapestries through the void. It was beautiful and terrifying in equal measure.
“Stay close,” Fenris growled to the others. “And be ready for anything.”
With that, he stepped through the portal, following the invisible thread that connected him to Lyra. The wolves followed close behind, their forms shimmering and distorting as they passed from one plane of reality to another.
They found themselves in a vast, impossible space. Platforms of crystalline material floated in the void, connected by bridges of pure light. Above it all loomed a massive structure – the Celestial Observatory in all its mind-bending glory.
Its spires seemed to pierce the very fabric of space-time, each one topped with a pulsing orb of energy. At its heart, a great dome opened to the cosmos, revealing swirling patterns of stars and planets.
And there, at the center of it all, stood Elara. She held Lyra suspended in a cage of dark energy, her hands weaving complex patterns in the air. With each gesture, the very reality around them seemed to warp and twist.
“Stop!” Fenris roared, bounding across a light bridge towards them. “Let her go!”
Elara turned, her eyes widening in surprise. “Impossible,” she hissed. “How did you follow us here?”
But Fenris was beyond words now. With a snarl of pure fury, he launched himself at the corrupted witch. Stormhowl and his pack spread out, looking for an opening to free Lyra.
What followed was a battle unlike any they had faced before. Elara wielded the power of the cosmos itself, hurling stars like projectiles and opening rifts in space with a wave of her hand. Fenris and the wolves dodged and weaved, their natural agility pushed to its limits.
Through it all, Lyra fought her own battle. Though trapped in Elara’s cage, she reached out with her magic, trying to disrupt whatever ritual the witch was attempting. She could feel the cosmic tree’s power all around them, but it was wounded, corrupted by Elara’s influence.
“You don’t understand what you’re doing!” Lyra shouted over the chaos of the battle. “You’ll destroy everything, including yourself!”
Elara laughed maniacally. “You still don’t see, do you? I’m not destroying the tree – I’m becoming it! Once the ritual is complete, I’ll be the new axis around which all reality revolves!”
As she spoke, the observatory began to shake. Cracks appeared in the crystalline platforms, and the light bridges flickered ominously. The corruption was spreading, threatening to unravel the very fabric of the cosmos.
Fenris, battered but unbowed, made one final lunge at Elara. His jaws clamped down on her arm, breaking her concentration. The dark cage around Lyra flickered and vanished.
“No!” Elara screamed, her form beginning to warp and distort. “I was so close!”
Lyra wasted no time. The moment she was free, she reached out with both hands, channeling every ounce of magical energy she possessed. But instead of attacking Elara directly, she focused on the observatory itself.
“What are you doing?” Fenris called out, narrowly dodging a blob of cosmic energy that Elara hurled his way.
“Healing it,” Lyra grunted through gritted teeth. “The observatory, the tree – they’re all connected. If I can purge the corruption here…”
Understanding dawned in Fenris’s eyes. He turned to Stormhowl and the pack. “Protect her! Give her time to finish this!”
The wolves formed a protective circle around Lyra, fending off Elara’s increasingly desperate attacks. The corrupted witch was losing cohesion, her form flickering between human and something far more alien.
Lyra could feel the cosmic tree responding to her efforts. Slowly but surely, the corruption began to recede. The cracks in the platforms sealed themselves, and the light bridges stabilized.
Elara let out a howl of rage and anguish. “No! I won’t be denied my destiny!”
With a final, terrible effort, she hurled herself at Lyra. But Fenris was there, intercepting her mid-leap. The two grappled at the edge of a platform, teetering dangerously close to the cosmic void beyond.
“Fenris!” Lyra cried out, torn between completing the healing and saving her companion.