Chapter 311
Elyra’s heart raced as she stood before Althea in the center of the ancient temple’s sacred chamber. The air around them seemed to shimmer with raw energy, and she could feel it—pulsing from the Moon Shard that was now cradled gently in her hands. The shard hummed with a low, throbbing sound, as if alive with power, a reminder of the incredible force that it contained.
“Focus, Elyra,” Althea’s voice cut through the hum of the shard’s energy, calm and steady. “Let the energy flow through you. Don’t fight it. Control it. If you fight it, it will consume you.”
Elyra nodded, trying to steady her breath. Her hands trembled as she held the shard closer to her chest, feeling its power pulsing against her skin. She could already feel its overwhelming energy threatening to push her beyond her limits. The power inside the shard was unlike anything she had ever felt before. It was ancient, primal, and at times, it felt as though it was trying to tear her apart.
“I can do this,” she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible over the growing hum.
Althea’s sharp eyes observed her closely, her presence calm but unyielding. “You must center yourself, Elyra. Close your eyes, breathe deeply, and trust the power. It is a part of you now, just as much as you are a part of it.”
Elyra took a deep breath, closing her eyes as Althea had instructed. She focused on her breathing, trying to find her center, but the shard’s power was so overwhelming that it was hard to concentrate. Each pulse of energy felt like a shock to her senses, an electric jolt that surged through her veins. She could feel it in her bones, in the very fabric of her soul.
“Concentrate,” Althea said softly, stepping closer. “Focus on the flow of energy, not the power itself. Don’t let it control you.”
Elyra clenched her fists around the shard, trying to follow Althea’s instructions. She imagined the energy flowing through her like a river, calm and steady. At first, it worked. The power settled, the pulsing becoming less chaotic, more rhythmic. Elyra dared to open her eyes, her vision swimming as she fought to maintain control.
But the shard was restless. It did not want to be controlled.
A sharp, burning pain shot through Elyra’s chest, and she gasped, nearly dropping the shard. The energy was growing too strong, too wild. It wasn’t like the calm, measured force Althea had described. This was a storm—an unstoppable torrent that was threatening to swallow her whole. She could feel it ripping through her, tearing her apart from the inside.
“Hold on, Elyra!” Althea shouted, reaching out to steady her, but the energy was too much.
Elyra’s breath became shallow, her chest tightening as the shard’s energy surged within her, growing stronger, faster, and more chaotic with every passing second. Her vision blurred, the edges of the room fading into dark, swirling shadows. The power seemed to be feeding on her fear, her confusion. It was overwhelming. She felt herself slipping, losing control.
“I… I can’t!” Elyra gasped, her voice strained with pain.
Althea’s face was filled with concern, but her hands remained steady. She stepped forward, trying to place a hand on Elyra’s shoulder to steady her. “You must resist it, Elyra. You must accept it. You can’t let it drown you.”
But Elyra couldn’t hear her. The shards’ energy was too powerful, too consuming. It pushed against her will, clawing at her mind, tearing through her thoughts until there was nothing left but the raw, burning sensation of the shard’s force.
Her knees buckled beneath her, and with a strangled cry, Elyra collapsed to the floor. The shard slipped from her grasp, rolling away from her as the energy around her flared, causing the room to shake with a violent tremor.
“Elyra!” Althea shouted, rushing to her side. She knelt beside her, her hands hovering over Elyra’s limp form. “Stay with me, Elyra. Stay focused. You are strong. You are stronger than this.”
But Elyra couldn’t respond. The power of the shard had taken everything from her—her strength, her breath, her ability to focus. All that remained was the overwhelming force inside her, swirling and pulsing with untamed energy.
She felt as though she were drowning in the power, as though the very force that had once called to her, that had once seemed like an ally, was now turning against her.
Elyra’s body trembled violently as her chest rose and fell in rapid succession, each breath more difficult than the last. Her mind was slipping, drifting in and out of consciousness, and yet she could still feel the shard’s energy burning through her veins, scorching her from the inside out.
“Don’t give up,” Althea whispered, her voice thick with desperation. She placed her hands over Elyra’s, guiding them back to the shard. “You have to control it. If you don’t, it will destroy you. You cannot allow it to consume you. Trust yourself.”
Elyra’s hand trembled as she reached for the shard once more. But the energy was too strong—too wild. Every time her fingers brushed against it, the power surged, pushing her away, making her vision spin. She tried to hold on, tried to push through the pain, but it was too much. She couldn’t keep up.
Her breath hitched, and for a moment, everything went still.
And then, in the darkness that surrounded her, she heard it—a whisper, faint but unmistakable.
“You cannot control it, Elyra. It will burn you.”
The words were like a knife to her heart. Fear clenched around her chest as the power threatened to tear her apart completely.
-: Elyra collapses as the shard’s energy overloads her.
