Chapter 86: The Final Seconds and the Echo to the Heart of the World
Commander Hill's painful warning—that the Void fleet was about to activate a massive energy weapon in the upper atmosphere and that the planet's magnetic shield would collapse only a matter of time—was a moment when time stood still for Kael, Aslan, and Dr. Thorne. Before them, the armored Void commander and his elite dark army guarding the entrance to the underground cavern; above them, a charging doomsday weapon threatening to destroy the entire planet. Hope was as thin as a thread.
"We have no choice!" Kael shouted, his voice echoing over the din of battle and explosions. "We must open that door and reach the Crystal of Terra! Now!"
The armored Void commander, a loyal servant of Malakor, advanced on Kael with a mocking laugh. "Our lord's show is just beginning, Echo Bearer. And you are the guest of honor. But first, you will need to pass this little test."
The battle was brutal and hopeless. Kael fought with the last shreds of power he had from the Chitauri core and Earth's painful echo. Each Echo blast, each precise shot felled a few more Void warriors, only to be replaced by more. Aslan, despite his injuries, moved like a shadow beside Kael, trying to breach the enemy lines with his blades. Dr. Thorne supported them with his S.H.I.E.L.D.-equipped weapon, while also trying to analyze the structural weaknesses of those obsidian-like Void crystals that blocked the entrance to the cave.
"Kael!" Dr. Thorne shouted, looking at the data coming from his scanner. "Those crystals... resonate at a specific frequency! If you can apply a strong enough Echo pulse at the right frequency, you can shatter them!"
It was a glimmer of hope. But Kael's energy was running out. And that ominous buildup of energy from the sky was growing thicker by the second. The planet's magnetic shield was beginning to tremble.
"Aslan! Thorne! Buy me time!" Kael cried. He closed his eyes. He focused all his attention, all his will, on the Chitauri core and that Terra Crystal at the heart of the Earth. This was not simply an effort to gather energy; it was an effort to become one with the planet's own life force, to share its pain and its resistance. Kael felt the fear in the streets of New York, the desperation of the burning buildings, the whispers of innocent souls trying to survive. And these feelings fanned the flame of the Echo within him.
The Chitauri core burned brighter, more dazzlingly than ever before, with Kael's desperate effort. This was not just Kael's energy; it was a reflection of the Earth's own resistance, its own desire for life.
Kael opened his eyes. He focused the pure, cleansing Echo energy emanating from the core in his palm at the frequency Dr. Thorne had specified, and sent it toward the massive Void crystals blocking the entrance to the cave.
There was a moment of silence. Then, with a deafening crack, those obsidian-like crystals shattered. The entrance to the cave was open.
The armored commander of the Void was stunned by this unexpected development. But Kael had no intention of stopping. He sent a flood of Echoes through the gap that had opened, driving the commander and the Void warriors around him back.
"Now!" Kael shouted. "To the cave!"
The three of them began to run toward that dark and haunted cavern. Behind them echoed the furious screams of the Void and Commander Hill's final, desperate call from S.H.I.E.L.D. command center: "Kael! The weapon... the weapon is about to fire! You have only seconds!"
The cavern was darker and more oppressive than the previous visits. The ominous presence of Malakor lurked in every corner. But Kael could find his way by the familiar call of the Chitauri core and the Terra Crystal.
Finally, they reached the vast subterranean sphere, the sacred space that housed the Terra Crystal. But the crystal no longer shone with its pure, bright light. It was covered in Malakor's dark energy, its light faded, its song of life reduced to a groan of pain. Malakor was not only destroying the planet, it was also polluting its very heart.
And right in front of the crystal stood a huge, shadowy figure, not Malakor himself, but a reflection of his power. It was a reflection, a Void avatar of Malakor, used to pollute the crystal.
"You are too late, Echo Bearer," the shadowy figure whispered, its voice carrying the mockery of Malakor. "The heart of the world is ours now. And the end of your planet will be only the beginning."
The ominous buildup of energy from the sky had reached an unbearable level. The planet's magnetic shield was cracking, threatening to collapse at any moment. Kael had only seconds.
Kael looked at Aslan and Dr. Thorne. There was both fear and unwavering trust in their eyes. This was their last chance. Kael took a deep breath. He held the Chitauri core and the Aethel crystal tightly. And with all his being, with all his Echo, he took one last step toward the Terra Crystal.
This was a sacrifice to save not just a planet, but hope.