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Chapter 22 : Breaking the Chains
🕑 Added 2024-08-20 17:48:23 +0000 UTCOrion marched up to Xiao, who was still bound by invisible forces and had his body shivering from the pain. His heart ached at the sight, yet he knew there was no time to spare. As he moved to check on the adeptus, Diluc was stepping towards the crystal, weapon ready to strike.
"Wait!" Orion's voice was both clear and loud, stopping Diluc where he stood. There was no mistaking the intensity in the tone. "We don't know what will happen if it breaks. Maybe it'll trigger something even worse, or maybe it will affect you the same way it did Xiao. Let me handle this."
Eula, who had put herself protectively beside Xiao, immediately raised an objection. "You can't just rush into this! It may harm you as well! What makes you any different from us?" Her voice quivered slightly, a mix of fear and frustration bubbling to the surface.
Orion turned toward her; his expression gentled as he met her worried gaze. A warm, reassuring smile spread over his face and dissipated the storm within her. "But I'm different," he said gently, but with quiet confidence that she really could not refuse.
Eula felt her heart miss a beat and spread out a scorching sensation over her cheeks. He had that calm smile and attitude, which seemed to draw her in—believe in him, trust him, love him—even when every instinct inside of her shouted to stop him. Her gaze faltered and turned away, silently admitting to herself, "You are."
"Very well," Diluc agreed finally. His deep voice was steady, and he stepped back, scouring the chamber for another sign of danger. "I will keep watch in case anything else decides to show."
Orion made a grateful nod before turning all his attention to the crystal. He took a deep breath, his hands already forming a thin blue aura. With a flourish, he drove his polearm into the ground; his weapon stood erect, sentinel-like. He muttered to himself, "I'll just use my hands for this.".
With the power within him, Orion drew in a large burst of Cryo energy. The temperature within the chamber plummeted, and frost crawled along the floor as his hands turned a deep, icy blue. A ripple of energy flickered from his being, as the air around him started to crackle with the generation of freezing energy that he was about to unleash.
Orion swung, powerful, and the contact rang through the room like a hammer blow. Cold vapor exploded from the point of impact, billowing with thick, icy fog around the crystal. There was a sound of cracking ice, but as the smoke cleared, the crystal stood unharmed, its surface unmarred.
Eula had been holding her breath and let it out in disbelief. "This thing is awfully tough to break… just glad that it didn't do anything to you."
"Yeah," said Orion, flexing his fingers as the icy blue glow began to fade. "It feels like I punched a block of solid steel." His voice was level, but there was frustration there that just wouldn't let go.
Not one to give up so easily, Orion steeled himself for another attempt. "Let's try this," he muttered, much more determined than before. He raised his hand, chanted, and heaved energy up again, but this time he called together both Cryo and Pyro. His left hand was shimmering with a dazzling hue of blue energy, while his right hand was at the same time set ablaze with fierce fiery red light.
The force of clashing opposing elements around him burst into an ever-intense heat until the air began to shimmer. Orion's face was set in a concentrated expression, beads of sweat now forming on his brow as he steadied himself for another blow. A fierce roar burst from him, and he struck with both elements, driving fists at the crystal with all he was worth. Cold and heat met, attacking, and at the same time, the explosion bursting out broke into a blinding light, which made everyone want to shield their eyes.
Yet, as the light faded and the smoke settled, the crystal was completely undamaged, its very surface almost seeming to mock Orion's efforts.
There was a weight attached to Eula's voice; she spoke as one heavily concerned. "What shall we do now? Should we retreat? I can't see Xiao lasting much longer at this rate."
Orion glanced at Xiao who was laying on the ground, twitching helplessly, struggling against whatever was binding him, and his anxiety spiked. "Not good," he thought, his hands clenching tightly into fists. But then, a memory flickered in his mind—a memory of the power he had unleashed against the Celestial Emissary. A power so overwhelming that it had left him unconscious for days.
"Should I risk that? Xiao's life at stake, and perhaps all of ours. There's little room to think in this regard, really."
He glanced over at Eula, whose countenance was still, yet there was an intensity in her eyes. "Get Xiao and fallback. what i'm about to do might cause an explosion, and I don’t know its full reach. It might hurt you — maybe even me."
Eula hesitated, her eyes falling on his for a moment, searching for any doubt. "what are you meaning to do now?" she said, hardly above a whisper.
Orion gave her a crooked, unsure smile. "I don't know myself," he admitted.
Eula, quite confused still, nodded and quickly went to take Xiao to a safe position. As she retreated, she threw one last glance at Orion, fear mixing with hope in her eyes.
Orion stood alone before the crystal, the weight of his decision heavy on his shoulders. Not able to contain it, he closed his eyes tight, turning deep within himself, searching around in his psyche for that force of will. Anger, untamed building of raw power—all of these things began growing inside him too.
His eyes snapped open, now glowing with an intense, otherworldly light. His fists clenched, and cracks of pure energy began to appear across his skin, radiating an overwhelming pressure. The very air around him seemed to tremble, suffocating under the weight of his power. Light poured from him, so brilliant that it forced Eula and Diluc to shield their eyes, unable to look directly at him.
"What the..." Diluc's voice dropped to a whisper, wondering if it were even possible to see something so powerful originated from Orion.
With a sudden, ethereal speed, Orion lunged at the crystal, his fist glowing with a blinding light. The force of his punch was unlike anything he had ever unleashed before—an Ethereal power that seemed to resonate with the very fabric of this world.
As his fist connected with the crystal, it let out a haunting, otherworldly scream, the darkness within it surging uncontrollably. Cracks began to form across its surface, spreading like a web of light until the entire structure was engulfed. Then, with a final, deafening explosion, the crystal shattered into a thousand shards, each one disintegrating into nothingness.
The shockwave from the explosion sent a powerful gust of wind through the chamber, extinguishing the dark, purplish lights that had once filled the room. In their place was a simple, all-encompassing darkness—a void of peace and silence.
That door at the opposite end of the corridor now creaked open, unlocked by the destruction of the crystal. An atmosphere that was formerly oppressing them now had lightened, replaced by peace and a piercingly quiet sense of relief.
Orion, breathing heavily, lowered his glowing fists, the light slowly fading from his eyes. He swayed slightly, the toll of using such power evident in his posture. But he remained standing, his gaze fixed on the now-quiet statue.
Eula and Diluc came rushing up to his side, expressions indicating equal parts of concern and awe. "Orion. Please tell me. Are you all right?" Eula's voice shook a little with worry.
But when he turned to Eula, the smile he gave her was tired, yet real. "I'm fine," he responded to her, but his voice held a bit of exhaustion. "Just… give me a moment."
Relief swooped over Eula as she helped steady him. "You did it," she whispered, a little smile tugging at her lips. "That was really something."
In a surge of emotion, Eula closed the distance between them and pressed her lips against Orion’s with a passionate intensity. The kiss was bold and fervent, reflecting her deep concern and the profound bond they started to share.
Orion’s eyes widened in surprise, but he responded to the kiss with equal fervor. As they pulled away, his expression was a mix of astonishment and he chuckled softly only so that he leaned shakingly on his polearm. "You are getting bolder Lady knight.., and yeah… I think that will be really assuredly a very long nap when this is over," he concluded.
Diluc, who had been quietly observing the aftermath, walked over with a curious yet serious expression. "A nap and a chat," he added, his tone hinting at the questions swirling in his mind. "I think we all want to know what exactly you just did."
Orion met Diluc's gaze, the weight of the moment settling between them. "I’m not entirely sure myself," he admitted, his voice tinged with exhaustion but also a hint of mystery. "It’s something I’ve only used once before… and it’s as unpredictable as it is powerful."
Diluc let out a sigh, blowing it out with some shake of his head. "Well, you never fail to surprise me, Orion. I'm not even sure if you're human anymore," he said sarcastically, but there was the real element of wonder within.
Orion hardly had time to smile back before Diluc's eyes flicked away. "Anyway," Diluc continued, "check out the statue—the chains are off. And the door. it's open. We better pass through while that is the case."
Orion turned to see the once-bound statue now free of its restraints, the path ahead no longer blocked. Nodding, he pushed himself upright with a renewed sense of determination. "Right. Let's get out of here."
He stood up and turned towards Xiao, who was a bit recovered, still poised, still cool. Eula, as she walked at his side, was composed as ever and led him. Their eyes—Xiao's and Orion's—met and for once, there was something interesting in his voice, despite him being stoic. "You’ve proven yourself quite capable Orion, i can think of very few who can do something like that."
Orion, a hint of exhaustion still visible on his face, smiled with a touch of gratitude. "The mighty Yaksha, offering praise, what an honor."
Xiao's face remained unchanged, yet the flicker of approbation didn't quite leave his eyes. "I don't see it as an admiration..,, i respect strength."
Eula glanced between their inter-exchanges and gave a little nod. "And our Adeptus seems himself again. Let's do this before we get into more trouble."
The group proceeded through the door, finding themselves along the darkening path further. Orion looked back at Xiao. "You believe the seal is broken?"
Xiao gave the question a bit of thought. "Possibly; we shall just have to check it once we leave this place."
Diluc, noting the increasing darkness, ignited his greatsword to provide some light. Orion, not to be outdone, conjured a ball of flames and sent it ahead to illuminate their path.
Eula side-glanced Orion with a smile. "You've got good control over your abilities."
Diluc chuckled, shaking his head. “And I told him after our spar that he lacked elemental control. I’m starting to look quite foolish now.”
Orion laughed, the fatigue slipping away momentarily. "I'm still trying, it feels like I can do more, so I still lack control."
Eula raised an eyebrow, curious. "You two… fought?"
Diluc grinned, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Indeed, we did and I won."
Orion laughed. "Just because you went up against someone who could barely function at the time."
Seeing all of this, Xiao looked somewhat puzzled, as if he was an outsider in this camaraderie. Indeed, his serious temperament made this light exchange a little difficult to comprehend for him.
