The fog over Envale swirled, thick and gray, hiding the fast movements of Melody's minions. Eleanor's golden wings exploded open, the sudden rush of heat making the air shimmer. A warm, copper-tinged pulse hammered beneath her breastbone. It felt like her heart was trying to crack open, a familiar, bright power she hadn't felt in months. It was stronger now, a pounding rhythm she needed to grasp.
"Stay tight!" Lucy yelled. Her katana sliced through the air, reflecting silver arcs of moonlight. Silvia spun, her staff deflecting a buzzing, jagged minion with a quick flash of crescent light. Peter and Allen moved close, their shoulders a physical barrier as Eleanor tried to harness the power surging in her chest.
Melody laughed, a high, delicate sound that abruptly sharpened into a screech, clawing at the edges of Eleanor's focus. The Supreme Goddess floated across the ground. The strings of her harp began vibrating on their own. The minions instantly snapped forward, their movements perfectly synchronized to their mistress. Eleanor's axe handle grew hot in her grip, its blade tracing golden paths through the dark silhouettes.
"Again," she grit out. Each swing carved deep arcs of pure light. Every minion that broke apart pulsed with residual power, forcing Eleanor to adjust her stance and speed.
Peter shouted, "Watch your rhythm, Eleanor! She's trying to sync your tempo to her music!"
Eleanor inhaled a burning lungful of fog. The golden surge inside her grew heavier, almost painful. She ground her teeth, letting the intense heat sink from her chest down her arms and into the axe handle. The raw power tightened into a sharp, focused point.
Meanwhile, miles away, the Silent Canyon was quiet, but the air felt charged. Katya knelt before the Void Portal, violet light tracing complex runes across her palms. Lyra hovered nearby, her Seraphim wings glowing with a soft, steady light. Theo and Zak spread out, covering every path and potential threat. Meredith paced, a tight knot in her jaw, watching the strange ripples coming from the portal.
"Her signal is erratic," Meredith said, her voice low. "Katya is being careful, or Vorlag is influencing her."
Lyra tilted her head. "The second option is likely. He preys on doubt. He will exploit it if he can."
Theo slammed a fist into his palm. "That's what we are preventing. We cannot lose her."
Katya's voice was flat, carrying a current of cold steel. "I know. I hold the power now, but I must remain still. One mistake..."
Zak placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. "You won't break. We'll cover you."
Meredith finally gave a tight nod. "Stay clean. Do not let him get inside your head, Katya. He is only manipulation and shadows."
A ripple of liquid darkness cut across the canyon floor. Katya's eyes snapped open. Vorlag's tall, dark silhouette materialized across the clearing. His shadow form stretched, tasting the air like a serpent assessing its prey.
"So predictable," he murmured, his voice low and unnatural. "Seeking approval while terrified of your own strength. Your Sun Angel friend commands attention, yes? But you... you can be sharper."
Katya's palms bled violet light. The Void didn't rush. It flowed like cold, dense syrup, taut with discipline between her hands. "I won't be your puppet."
He chuckled. "No, no. You're already moving to my beat, whether you know it or not." His form warped until a massive figure loomed: Onyx Spectre, the true Black Angel. Black feathers caught the light, gleaming with malicious violet. His enormous wings scraped the air, casting long shadows across the cracked earth.
Lyra moved instantly, her Seraphim wings unfurling to create a wall of light. "Do not give him an opening," she ordered.
Vorlag tilted his head, his eyes narrowing to slits. "A Seraphim. Rare. Fragile, but useful."
Katya's breath came out slow and even. The darkness in her grasp thrashed, a captive animal demanding chaos. Katya's knuckles whitened against the invisible tension, refusing the release. She pictured the battle, her focus a steel lock around the swirling Void. The purple glow around her hands stabilized into a perfect sphere.
"Now," she whispered. A wave of tightly controlled Void energy spiraled outward, slamming into the ground before Vorlag.
He laughed, a dry sound like grinding stone. "Clever. But how about this?" He shifted, and a torrent of corrupted angels and phantoms poured from his shadow, weaving through the canyon like living night.
Lyra's light flared, shielding Theo and Zak. "Hold still. Every second counts. You channel the Void, it doesn't channel you."
Back in Envale, Eleanor's fight hit its crescendo. Melody struck her harp violently. The sound created tangible pressure waves that made the buildings groan. Eleanor ducked and countered. Her golden wings absorbed some of the fierce vibrations, but every pulse of light from her axe was a direct response to Melody's rhythm.
Lucy's eyes narrowed. "She's pushing you away from us! Fight the tempo!"
Eleanor snapped her focus inward. Gold surged brighter, hotter. The heat in her chest was not panic; it was her power finally answering. She drove the energy through her wings and muscles, striking with perfect, blinding speed. The minions shattered into dust before they could land a blow.
Peter slashed beside her. "You feel that shift? She's tearing the battlefield apart! You have to set your own rhythm!"
The pulse intensified. The glow beneath Eleanor's skin flared like molten metal. She realized, half-shaking with power, that she wasn't fighting Melody's music, she was finally conducting her own.
Melody's smile widened, unsettling and vast. "Oh, little sun. That's the real light I wanted to see."
Eleanor's golden wings spread completely, radiating heat that cracked the fog. She drove her axe down, shouting, "Divine Art: Solar Crescendo!" The closest minions dissolved into light. The fog recoiled from the force. She felt alive, radiant, and utterly dangerous, even as Melody's harp screamed another deadly note.
In Silent Canyon, Vorlag's Onyx Spectre form pressed closer to Katya. His black wings beat the air, stirring a cold wind. Katya's violet energy remained steady, the Void forming a disciplined, sharp point in her hands. Lyra and the others moved in precise synchronization, forming a tight guard.
Onyx Spectre's voice cut like ice. "Fear is natural, little angel. Insecurity is your greatest gift, and your strongest chain."
Katya's eyes burned violet. Her body was a pillar of control. "I am not weak. I am the iron lock on chaos."
A focused beam of Void energy shot forward, colliding with Onyx Spectre's shadow. The impact twisted the rock floor, but Katya didn't waver. Every flicker of her power was deliberate. She was not just surviving; she was asserting command.
Lyra moved to support her, silver light flaring to shield Theo and Zak. Meredith moved in step, coordinating the tactical shift. "Keep the pressure constant. Don't let him into her mind."
Katya's breathing remained slow, violet fire blazing around her like a halo. She raised both hands, holding a stable, perfectly circular sphere of the Void. Onyx Spectre roared, black feathers exploding with corrupted energy, but she held her ground. She was proving her ability to command absolute control, even against the powerful Black Angel.
Back in Envale, Eleanor's arms screamed with effort. Her golden wings were blinding, and sweat poured down her face. Melody's minions shrieked as she destroyed them. Eleanor felt not exhaustion, but a terrible, vital readiness.
Melody's eyes flicked, sharp and calculating. "My sun angel. You are magnificent. But how long can you sustain that blinding light?"
Eleanor's wings stretched, absorbing the heat and light that radiated from her chest. "I'll burn longer than you."