8. Finzar

eight

Finzar

The world explodes into blinding white light, searing my retinas and threatening to overwhelm my senses. But through the painful glare, I see her. Loelle, suspended in the golden energy, her face contorted in agony. Her eyes, usually so full of life and mischief, are wide with fear and pain. Something inside me snaps.

I've spent years burying my emotions, hardening myself against the horrors I've both witnessed and committed. It was necessary for survival within the Nexus. But in this moment, seeing her suffer, I realize a truth I've been denying: I love her.

The realization ignites a fury within me unlike anything I've ever experienced. It's as if a dam has broken, releasing a torrent of emotions I've kept locked away. With a roar that must shake the very foundations of the temple, I begin to fight against the energy bindings holding me in place.

Pain lances through every fiber of my being as I strain against the forces restricting me. It feels like my very soul is being torn apart, but I push through it, driven by a singular purpose. I will not let it end like this. I will not let Loelle die for Sakar's mad ambitions.

As I fight my restraints I look around, taking in the positions of everyone in the room. Sakar, Loelle, and I form a perfect triangle around the altar. Then realization hits me. We're not just participants in the ritual, we're integral components.

Sakar's triumphant laughter echoes through the chamber. "Yes, Finzar!" he crows. "Feel the power of the sun gods! Your struggle only feeds the ritual!"

But his words give me an idea. If symmetry is key to the ritual's success, then perhaps asymmetry is the key to its undoing. I stop fighting against the bonds and instead lean into them, pushing myself toward Sakar with all my might.

The sudden change disrupts the careful balance of energies. The golden light flickers, its grip on me weakening. With one final, herculean effort, I tear free from the energy bindings. The sudden release sends me stumbling forward, but I quickly regain my footing. I can feel blood trickling from my nose and ears, but I ignore it. There's only one thing that matters now.

I lunge for Sakar, crossing the distance between us in three long strides. He tries to dodge, but I'm faster, fueled by my love for Loelle and my rage against the Nexus. My hand closes around his throat with a strength I didn't know I possessed, lifting him off the ground effortlessly. His eyes widen in shock as he claws at my arm, desperate for air.

Sakar's face turns purple as I squeeze tighter, but he refuses to go down without a fight. He summons all his remaining energy, unleashing a blast of dark magic that sends me flying backward. I slam into one of the sun god statues, pain lancing through my side, but I grit my teeth and push myself back up.

We face off, both of us battered and bruised, our breaths coming in ragged gasps. The temple shakes around us, debris raining down from the ceiling as the energy of our battle threatens to tear it apart.

"You're finished, Sakar," I growl, my voice barely recognizable even to my own ears. "The Nexus falls today."

He sneers at me, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "You think you can defeat me? I am the High Inquisitor, chosen by the sun gods themselves!"

"Your gods have abandoned you," I snarl, launching myself at him once more.

This time, when our bodies collide, it feels like the world is ending. We trade blows, each strike landing with the force of a thunderclap. But for every hit I take, I give two in return, my determination never wavering.

Finally, with one last burst of strength, I slam Sakar into the altar, shattering it beneath us. He gives a strangled cry, and I take my chance.

"You wanted a sacrifice?" I growl, my voice low and guttural, filled with years of pent-up rage. "Here it is."

With my free hand, I rip the ritual dagger from his belt. It's an ornate thing, its blade etched with the same symbols that cover the temple walls. Recognition dawns in Sakar's eyes a moment before I plunge the blade into his chest.

Sakar's eyes widen in disbelief, his mouth working soundlessly as blood bubbles from his lips. "Impossible," he gasps, his voice a ragged whisper. "The prophecy… the sun gods…"

I lean in close, my voice a low growl. "The gods have abandoned you, Sakar. And now, you'll pay for every life you've destroyed."

As the light fades from his eyes, I see something I never expected—fear. The great High Inquisitor, reduced to a terrified old man in his final moments. It's almost pitiful, but I feel no remorse. With his last breath, Sakar whispers, "The Nexus… will rise… again…" Then he's gone, his body going limp in my grasp.

But I don't stop there. Again and again, I drive the dagger home. Each strike is fueled by a different memory: the atrocities I was forced to commit, the years of my life stolen by the Nexus. And most of all, for Loelle and the others, who risked everything to stop this madness.

Sakar's blood splatters across the altar, staining the black stone with streaks of crimson. Suddenly, the energy in the room shifts. The golden light turns a deep, angry red, pulsing erratically like a dying heartbeat. The acolytes' chanting turns to screams of terror as they realize their ritual has gone horribly wrong.

I drop Sakar's lifeless body unceremoniously to the ground. His eyes, once so full of fanatical belief, are now empty and glassy. But there's no time for reflection. The temple is shaking, debris raining down from the ceiling.

I turn from the altar, the source of all this chaos, looking for a weapon. Gripping a fallen statue's arm, I swing with all my might. The impact cracks the stone, sending splinters flying. Zax'r joins me, his four arms wielding chunks of debris. We assault the cursed altar relentlessly. With a final, thunderous blow, it shatters. The ground trembles as its fragments crash to the floor.

A shockwave of energy explodes outward, knocking everyone off their feet. I'm thrown back, slamming into one of the towering sun god statues. Pain erupts in my side—broken ribs, probably—but I push it aside. There are more important things to worry about.

As the dust begins to settle, I scan the room frantically. The chamber is in chaos. Many of the acolytes lie motionless on the ground, while others scramble desperately for the exits. The statues that lined the walls have toppled, creating a maze of fallen stone and debris.

I spot Kuran first, his cybernetic eye glowing faintly in the dim light. He's helping Leera to her feet. Both look worse for wear; Kuran's sporting a nasty gash on his forehead, and Leera's antennae are drooping limply. But they're alive, and that's what matters.

Finally, I see her. Loelle lies motionless near the remnants of the altar, half-buried under a pile of rubble. My heart stops for a moment, until I see the slight rise and fall of her chest. She's alive, but for how long?

Ignoring the protests of my battered body, I limp toward her as quickly as I can. Each step sends a jolt of pain through my side, but I grit my teeth and push on. I drop to my knees beside her, carefully brushing away the smaller pieces of debris.

"Loelle," I say, gently cradling her head. "Loelle, can you hear me?"

For a moment, there is no response. Then her eyes flutter open, meeting mine. They are unfocused at first, but then recognition dawns. "Finzar?" she whispers, her voice hoarse and barely audible above the rumbling of the crumbling temple.

"I'm here," I respond, surprised by the tenderness in my own voice. It's a tone I haven't used in years, one I thought I'd forgotten how to use. "It's over. We did it."

She manages a weak smile, wincing slightly at the effort. "We make a pretty good team, huh?"

I can't help but chuckle, immediately regretting it as pain lances through my broken ribs. "That we do," I agree, then grow serious. "But we're not out of this yet. Can you move?"

Loelle takes a deep breath, then nods. "I think so. Help me up?"

As gently as I can, I help her to her feet. She sways for a moment, and I keep a steadying hand on her arm. It's clear she's in pain—probably has a concussion, maybe some broken bones—but her eyes are clear and determined. That's the Loelle I know.

"Kuran!" I call out, my voice hoarse. "Status report!"

He turns toward me, his organic eye squinting through the dust. "Alive, but barely," he shouts back. "This place is coming down around us. We need to move!"

As if to emphasize his point, a large chunk of the ceiling crashes down nearby, sending up a cloud of dust and debris. The rumbling that's been constant since the altar shattered suddenly intensifies.

"Right," I nod, taking charge of the situation. "Kuran, you've got Leera. Zax'r, can you manage with that arm?"

The four-armed alien nods grimly. "I've had worse," he growls.

"Good. I've got Loelle. Let's move!"

With Loelle leaning heavily on me, we make our way toward the exit. It's slow going; the floor is treacherous, littered with fallen stones and the bodies of acolytes. The air is thick with dust, making it hard to breathe and even harder to see.

As we reach the main corridor, we encounter a group of outlaws. They're leading a group of haggard-looking individuals—the victims the Nexus had kept in cages.

"Come on!" one of the outlaws shouts, waving us forward. "We've got to get out of here!"

We don't waste time responding, just hurry to join them. As we reach the door, I cast one last look back at the chamber. The altar lies in ruins, Sakar's body half-buried beneath the rubble. The golden light that once filled the room has faded, replaced by the angry red glow of whatever power we've unleashed.

We join the stream of escapees, all of us urging each other on as the temple continues to crumble around us. I keep a firm grip on Loelle's hand, terrified of losing her in the chaos. Kuran leads the way, his cybernetic eye providing better visibility in the dust-filled air.

"Left here," he shouts, taking a sharp turn. "This tunnel should lead us to the surface!"

We follow without question, trusting in his enhanced senses. The tunnel slopes upward, giving us hope that we're indeed heading toward the exit. But the going is tough. More than once, we have to stop to clear fallen debris from our path.

After what feels like hours but is probably only minutes, we see it—a faint glimmer of natural light ahead. The exit!

We push forward. The light grows brighter, the air less stifling. We're almost there…

And then the mountain gives one final, massive shake. The tunnel behind us collapses with a deafening roar. I look up to see cracks racing across the ceiling above us, chunks of rock already starting to fall.

"Run!" I bellow, pushing Loelle ahead of me. "Don't stop; don't look back!"

We sprint the final distance, debris raining down around us. I feel a sharp pain as a rock strikes my shoulder, but I ignore it. There's only one thing that matters now: getting out alive.

With a final burst of speed, we escape the tunnel into the blinding sunlight of Aridium. But we don't stop there. We keep running until we reach a collection of sand skimmers parked a safe distance from the mountain's base.

"Everyone, get on!" I shout, helping Loelle onto one of the skimmers before climbing on in front of her. The others quickly follow suit, piling onto the remaining vehicles.

As the last of the escapees clambers onto a skimmer, I see Kuran pull out one of his strange devices. The one he was using to place crystals around the ritual chamber.

"Kuran!" I call out. "What are you doing?"

He grins, a manic glint in his eye. "Finishing the job," he replies. With a few quick movements, he activates the device and hurls it back toward the temple entrance. "Now, we ride!"

I don't need to be told twice. I start the skimmer's engine, and we take off across the sand, the other vehicles close behind. We've barely made it a few hundred meters when a massive explosion rocks the air behind us.

I risk a glance back and my jaw drops. The entire mountain seems to be collapsing in on itself, great plumes of dust and debris billowing into the sky. The landscape of Aridium has been forever changed.

We don't stop riding until the mountain is nothing more than a smudge on the horizon. Finally, we slow to a stop, the skimmers forming a loose circle.

As we slow to a stop, I notice Kuran is hunched over his skimmer, his cybernetic eye flickering erratically. Leera sits behind him, her antennae drooping with exhaustion. Zax'r, despite his earlier bravado, is cradling his injured arm, his face twisted in a grimace of pain.

"Everyone okay?" Loelle calls out, her voice hoarse from the dust and shouting.

Kuran gives a weak thumbs up. "Nothing a few replacement parts won't fix," he quips, though his posture is strained.

Leera nods slowly, her large eyes blinking in the harsh sunlight. "I… I can still feel the echoes of their minds," she murmurs, shuddering. "So much fear… so much pain…"

Zax'r grunts, flexing his injured arm. "I've had worse bar fights," he growls, but I can see the relief in his eyes. "Though I wouldn't say no to a stiff drink right about now."

For a long moment, we all just sit there, gasping for breath, our bodies aching from the ordeal we've just endured. Then, slowly, we begin to stir.

I dismount from the skimmer, wincing at the pain in my ribs. My gaze immediately seeks out Loelle. She's standing too, her face streaked with dirt and blood, but very much alive. Our eyes meet, and for a moment, everything else fades away.

Then reality comes crashing back as Zax'r lets out a low whistle. "Would you look at that," he says, his voice filled with awe.

We all turn to look at what was once Crimson Ridge. The mountain that housed the Nexus temple is… gone. In its place is a massive crater, smoke and dust still rising from its depths.

"We… we did it," Kuran says, his voice barely above a whisper. "We actually did it."

Leera nods, her antennae twitching weakly. "The Nexus… it's finished."

As if in response to Leera's words, a shadow suddenly falls over us. We all look up, shielding our eyes against the glare of the twin suns.

"Is that…?" Kuran's voice trails off in disbelief.

Dark, heavy clouds are gathering overhead, a sight no one on Aridium has seen in years. The air feels different, charged with an unfamiliar energy.

"Storm clouds," I breathe, scarcely able to believe my eyes. "But how? Aridium hasn't seen rain in…"

"Generations," Loelle finishes, her voice filled with awe. "Not since before the Nexus took control."

A cool breeze sweeps across the desert, carrying with it the scent of moisture; a smell so foreign it takes me a moment to recognize it.

Zax'r rumbles thoughtfully, all four arms crossed over his chest. "The old stories speak of the sun gods' wrath leaving Aridium a wasteland. Could it be…?"

"That they're pleased with the sacrifice?" Leera suggests, her antennae twitching excitedly.

As if to confirm her words, a single drop of water falls from the sky, landing on Loelle's outstretched hand. She looks at me, her eyes wide with shock and hope.

"We didn't just end the Nexus," she says softly. "We might have just saved Aridium itself."

The implications are staggering. If the rains return, if the climate begins to shift, it could mean a new beginning for the entire planet. The challenges ahead are enormous, but for the first time in living memory, there's hope for a future beyond mere survival.

I look around at the gathered crowd—Loelle's crew, the outlaws, the rescued prisoners. Each face shows a blend of exhaustion and wonder. My gaze finally settles again on Loelle, rain droplets glistening on her skin, and I feel a warmth in my chest that has nothing to do with Aridium's twin suns, now hidden behind the storm clouds.

As the cool rain washes over me, I look toward the crater where the temple used to be. The things I've done in the name of the Nexus, the atrocities I've committed, they weigh heavy on my soul. I've been a monster, a weapon honed by Sakar and his ilk, leaving a trail of blood and broken lives in my wake. Part of me wonders if I deserve this new beginning, this chance at redemption.

But then I look at Loelle, her face tilted up to the rain, a smile of wonder on her lips, and I know I'd do it all again if it meant ending up here, by her side. The darkness inside me hasn't disappeared. It's a part of me, shaped by years of survival in a brutal world. But now, that savagery, that willingness to do whatever it takes, has found a new purpose. I'll use every skill, every brutal instinct the Nexus instilled in me, to protect Loelle, to carve out a future with her. And if anyone threatens this fragile new life we're creating, they'll find out just how dangerous a reformed Nexus enforcer can be.

By the time the familiar silhouette of Terrax appears on the horizon, a sense of calm has settled over our group. The adrenaline of our escape has long since faded, replaced by bone-deep exhaustion.

As soon as we arrive back at Harms Way, the crew disperses to tend their wounds and rest. Loelle and I find ourselves lingering in the kitchen which becomes a makeshift medbay. The room is cool, dimly lit, and private. A welcome relief to the chaos outside.

"Hold still," Loelle murmurs, her fingers gentle as she applies a healing salve to the gash on my shoulder. The cool ointment provides instant relief, and I can't help but sigh. Her touch sends a shiver through me that has nothing to do with the medication.

"Your turn," I say, taking the salve from her. Our fingers brush, and for a moment, time seems to stand still. I carefully dab the ointment on the cut above her eyebrow, my touch as light as I can. This close, I can see the flecks of gold in her eyes, the small scar on her chin from a previous adventure. We work in companionable silence, tending to each other's injuries, the weight of our shared experience hanging between us like an unspoken promise.

The kitchen smells of antiseptic and the faint metallic tang of blood, but I catch the scent that is uniquely Loelle—a mix of engine grease, Aridium sand, and something sweet. It's a scent that has come to mean home to me, more than any place ever has.

Finally, Loelle breaks the silence. "So," she says, her voice casual but her eyes intense, "what are you going to do now, Finzar? With the Nexus gone, you're a free male." Her fingers linger on my arm, as if afraid I might disappear if she lets go.

I pause, the question catching me off guard. For so long, my life has been defined by my mission within the Nexus. Now, with that chapter closed, the future stretches out before me, full of possibilities I had never dared to consider. The weight of freedom is both exhilarating and terrifying.

But looking at Loelle, her face smudged with dirt and blood yet still the most beautiful sight I've ever seen, I realize I already know the answer.

"I was hoping," I begin, my voice rougher than I'd like, emotion making it hard to speak, "that I might stick around. If you'll have me, that is." The words hang in the air between us, heavy with meaning.

Loelle's eyes widen slightly, a mix of surprise and hope flickering across her face. "You want to stay? With us? With… me?" Her voice is barely above a whisper, as if speaking too loudly might shatter this fragile moment.

I take a deep breath, knowing it's time to lay all my cards on the table. The steady beep of the medical monitors seems to sync with my racing heart. "Loelle, when I saw you in danger back there, I realized something." I meet her gaze, letting her see the truth in my eyes. "I love you. And if you'll have me, I want to stay by your side, whatever comes next."

For a moment, the only sound is our breathing and the soft hum of the muffled chatter of the crew in the other room. Loelle is silent, and I feel my heart hammering in my chest, each beat a lifetime of anticipation.

Then, slowly, a smile spreads across her face, brighter than both of Aridium's suns. "Took you long enough to figure it out," she says, her voice thick with emotion. "I love you too, you big blue idiot."

Relief and joy wash over me, and ignoring the protest of my ribs, I pull her into a gentle embrace. She fits perfectly against me. I breathe in her scent, feeling the warmth of her body against mine. Her hair tickles my chin, and I can feel her heartbeat, strong and steady, matching my own.

After a moment Loelle pulls back slightly, a mischievous glint in her eye. It's a look that promises adventure and just a hint of trouble.

"You know," she says, her fingers tracing patterns on my arm, "now we've taken down the Nexus, we're going to need a new project. And I just might have an idea for our next big score."

I raise an eyebrow, both amused and intrigued. "Oh? Do tell." I can already feel the excitement building, the promise of a new adventure on the horizon.

Loelle grins, her face lighting up with enthusiasm as she launches into an explanation of her latest scheme. As I listen, I feel a sense of contentment settle over me. This is where I belong—by Loelle's side, ready to take on whatever the universe throws our way.

When she's done, I pull Loelle closer and kiss her. Her lips are soft against mine, and I pour everything I feel into the kiss, all the words I can't find to say.

When we finally part, both slightly breathless, I rest my forehead against hers. "Whatever you're planning," I murmur, "I'm in. Always."