Taming the void

en's screeching filled the space, reverberating through the walls, shaking the very ground beneath their feet. Finn could barely hear t

he Shard continued to pulse with an almost insatiable hunger. Her face was pale, sweat streaming

urrounding them. Every step felt like he was walking through a storm. The air hu

ling, her breath shallow, ragged. "Finn... I can't... It's too much!" she

hing out, but the pulse of energy from the Shard sent her stumblin

, but it was clear that the queen's defenses were too strong. They needed more tha

with practiced ease. "I'm trying to block the queen's neural pathways

giving out beneath her, but the Shard refused to let go. It was like an entity

urgency in his voice.

block the neural network of the queen, she'll just keep attacking! I need to stabilize the f

uggling under the immense weight of the power she was trying to control. She was being consumed by it, and Finn r

"We're going to need to take a chance. If we

for hesitation. He reached into his belt and pulled out a small, explosive device. It was risky, but they had no oth

with determination. "We plant this on the que

this?" Chloe asked,

either this or we all die.

n Finn's voice. He turned to see her face contorted with bot

hispered, her voice trembling. "The Shard... i

his heart pounding. "Bella, you're stronger tha

her eyes hit him like a physical blow. She believed in him. But right now, he wasn't sur

she whispered.

their fragile moment. Finn snapped back into focus.

, his voice steady but harsh with ad

toward the Strynx queen. Every move felt like an eternity. The queen was recovering, and her eyes track

n, her words a faint whisper, but they

on. The ground vibrated as the queen's claws scraped the floor, her move

queen's neck, pressing it against the sensitive neural junction. The Strynx

de as the queen reacted to the intrusion. The cavern trem

O

he blast nearly knocking him off his feet. When the dust settled, the queen was still standing, but her movements were slow, jerky, and

anger was

him to his feet. "It's working," she

ard in her hand had dimmed, but there was no mistaking the toll it

ight of the words hanging between them.

s weak. He didn't know what to say-didn't know if there was anything he cou

, his voice thick with emotion. "We

er gaze now. A flicker of strength, of the person he had come to rely on. M