Atlas’ POV

*****

"Hmph. So they ended up finding the secondary gate."

Atlas’s eyes had been shut for stars know how long. He kept his head lowered, trying to get back the feelings he lost on his chained wrists.

Most of the words that slipped from Amelia and his father filtered past his ears—since there were only two things on his mind. Getting the heck out of here. And reaching Celeste.

So the moment he heard those words that seemed to hold some importance, his eyes opened as he lifted his head.

Across the cold cavern, Amelia held what appeared to be a crystal ball between her hands. It glinted with a blood red light and although he didn’t have a clear view from this distance, he could tell it was a scrying object.

He squinted at the same beat where his father moved to the professor’s side.

"They?" The old man arched his brow, staring at the ball. Only a few seconds in and his eyes shone with a mischievous light. "Just like you predicted, Amelia. Good job."

"I told you... The child of chaos would use ANY means to find one of her dear mates." Amelia snorted, throwing Atlas a contemptuous look. "It’s only a matter of time before she comes here and—what’s this?"

Her forehead creased with a deep frown as she leaned closer to the crystal ball. Raphael tilted his head beside her, his face slowly gaining grim lines.

Atlas was as clueless as a fly on the wall but still felt the need to mock. "I’m guessing from the looks on your faces that your plans aren’t working so well after all." He grinned from ear to ear. "Celeste is smarter than you lots. She won’t come in here knowing it could be a trap."

Amelia didn’t answer but the dangerous tick in her jaw was a clear sign he struck a nerve. And that Celeste was still safe.

"It’s no matter." His father was unfazed. "If I’m not mistaken those are two more of her mates, the academy’s Dean and a couple... friends."

Atlas’ grin faltered.

... What?

No sooner had his father said those words than the huge stone ring at the end of the cavern glowed with a crimson light. The shine spread out, covering the ceiling and most of the expanse.

Then—a hollow ball of energy began gathering at the ring’s centre. The energy ball increased in size until it covered every space around the ring like a cob web.

"Once they come in here," Raphael raised his cane slowly into the air, "they won’t be able to go out. The child of chaos will have no choice but to come crawling to us."

Chills ran through Atlas’ spine as his eyes pinned anxiously on the stone ring. Despite his magic being restrained by the Vein chains, his senses were still working perfectly. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

And they let him note the way spacetime twisted violently around that ring.

’I knew it.’ he thought. ’The sigils. The ancient air around it... It’s a portal gate.’

Suddenly, the silhouettes of humanoid figures appeared across the energy web. Before they even stepped into the cavern he’d gotten an idea of who they were.

And so did his father and Amelia.

The crimson energy around the portal gate pulsed once—then space twisted like wrinkled paper. The people jumped out of the portal gate as one, landing a few meters ahead of it.

Atlas felt an odd mix of relief and worry when his eyes scanned through their faces.

Luther, Silas, Rebecca Whiteflame, Dean Thorne—wait. Lysandra?

His brows furrowed but before he could begin questioning why on Gaia’s green earth she’d be here, his father’s baritone echoed.

"Ah... guests," the cane he left suspended trembled in his grip, "allow me to give you a proper welcome."

He dropped the cane to the ground, sending a wave of Vein energy through the Expanse. Time seemed to halt for a heartbeat.

Then—the tens of sand hills around them shook. Dust crumbled off them piece by piece. Bone-chilling screeches tore out of their core as Atlas quickly came to a realization.

Those weren’t sand hills.

They were—

"Vein beasts?!" Luther yelled out in alarm, spreading out his arms as the first of the beasts ripped through the mini hills.

Ironically, Lysandra’s eyes were the ones to trail to Atlas, surprise flickering past them. "There’s Atlas!"

No one got the chance to react.

The Vein beasts—pitch black scales, triangular red eyes, bipedal and almost humanoid—didn’t waste a breath. They charged toward the group as Raphael and Amelia vanished out of their way.

"No!" Atlas got so riled up that he moved forward too fast. The chains bit into his skin, pulling him back with enough force to make a broken sound escape his lips. "Spirits... I feel so useless."

His eyes followed Amelia and his father as they stood at a corner of the cavern. Waiting. So confident too.

The group met the Vein beasts’ attack with equal force.

Rebecca conjured a whip of silver energy, striking one down. Luther was like living lightning, moving in a blur as he tore through any beast that got too close. Silas flanked him for support. While Dean Thorne and Lysandra stood behind the team, assisting with spells.

It appeared to be a good tactic at first.

But from this angle, Atlas could see clearly how overwhelmed they’d get fast. These Vein beasts were built differently. Anyone who got decapitated had their body parts glue themselves back within a few seconds.

The sight was nauseating—bones, flesh and blood would trickle toward each other like metal to magnets, recreating the fallen beast as if nothing had happened.

"What kind of—they can revive themselves!" Luther thundered, kicking one foot to the ground. He rocketed himself into the air, his head angling to Atlas.

His eyes flared with a predatory glow as a howl rolled out of his throat. He shifted in the blink of an eye, slamming into several beasts like a wrecking ball.

In his white wolf form, he darted through the horde like a cannon, heading straight for Atlas.

"Foolish mutt." Raphael reminded them of his presence in the cruelest way possible. Chains of dark energy seized Luther by his legs before wrapping around him entirely.

The wolf whimpered pathetically, slamming stomach-first into the ground.

Atlas squirmed.

Something dark stirred in his chest.

His fingers curled into his palms as he pulled hard at the chains. Made of pure Vein energy. Meant to restrain his magic.

’They didn’t say anything about an outside source,’ memories of all his encounters with Vein energy and beasts flashed through his head.

If someone told him a month ago that he would do what he was about to... he’d call them mad. Now he was willing to be the craziest one in this room.

"Argh." He hissed as the Vein energy seeped into his blood. A chaotic light gleamed in his eyes.

Slowly, cracks appeared across the chains. His bones screamed in agony at the foreign energy he was siphoning... but he didn’t care.

’Embrace the chaos,’ his father’s words echoed in his skull. ’And make it... mine.’

At the far corner of the cavern, he caught his father’s expression twisting with shock. Amelia said something but he couldn’t pick it up as sound dulled into nothing but background noise.

The chains shattered with a burst of pure Vein energy. Dark wisps of said energy writhed around Atlas’ arms like snakes as he hovered off the ground.

Everyone froze.

They all swivelled their heads to him, a plethora of emotions rushing past their respective faces. Surprise. Confusion. Fear.

"You wanted me to rid myself of my humanity, father?" Atlas’ voice came out in a guttural bellow.

He could feel the Vein energy rending through his chest, warring against his psyche for dominance. Yet beneath all that was an intoxicating power unlike anything he’s ever felt.

"I won’t." Atlas’ glowing eyes burned through the cavern. "I’ll weaponise it instead."