out anything else about the Chamber of Elysium, so Nathaniel and I dove headfirst into intensive training sessions for the next five days. We met at the training ground twice a day, just after sunrise when the chill still hung in the air and just after sunset when the sky shifted to a silky shade of violet.
We quickly adapted to each other’s skills and maneuvers, and we were amazed at how well we’d learned to fight together so quickly. The mystical connection between Nathaniel and I felt natural like we were two pieces of the same puzzle. Our marks glowed brighter than ever each time we used our powers together—a spectacular phenomenon that epitomized our bond. We could almost sense each other’s moves, as if our minds, hearts, and souls were truly one.
Then, I reminded myself that Lysander and Pryia had this bond once. The thought of them being apart for so long pained me, but it fueled my resolve to do whatever I could to bring them back together again.
The long-awaited day finally arrived. It was time to embark on our mission to uncover the hidden Chamber of Elysium and retrieve the Azure Amulet. As we stood in the grassy courtyard, the irony was not lost on me that our epic quest began at the unassuming, dull social sciences building. This unremarkable structure, with the same blank windows and uninspired architecture we saw every day, contained within it a portal to another world—a world where we would take the first step toward our destiny.
The white walls and dark gray floor tiles of the social sciences building stood eerily quiet on that particular Saturday. The only sounds inside were the distant hum of an air conditioner and the echoing footsteps of a cleaning staff member. Sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating the long, empty hallways and casting shadows on the walls. The ticking of clocks reverberated through the building, echoing off of the windows and walls. The faint chirping of the birds and traces of laughter from students outside resonated in the distance.
We searched four floors of the building for anything out of place, coming up empty, until we reached the basement. A strange energy in the musty, damp air made my skin tingle. A long pipe-lined hallway stretched before us.
“There has to be something we’re missing,” I said with frustration as we neared the end of the hallway. “The portal has to be around here somewhere.”
“Look, Eva.” Nathaniel pointed to the last door in the hallway.
The white metal door looked like all the others we passed in the basement, but it wasn’t labeled in the usual black stencil. Instead, there was a wooden plaque above it with an ornate carving of the Elysium Arrowhead.
“This has to be it!” I said with excitement.
Nathaniel placed his hand on the door handle and held out his other hand to me. “Ready?”
I placed my hand in his and nodded. “Let’s do this.”
As he cautiously pushed open the door, a puff of purple smoke poured from the doorway. Peering inside, I gasped. A shimmering vortex of energy spun within the room, its kaleidoscope of colors dizzying to behold.
“The portal,” Nathaniel breathed.
“It’s beautiful and terrifying all at once.” I gripped his hand tighter, the solid warmth of his touch steadying my nerves. “Are you ready for this?”
He squeezed my hand. “As long as I’m with you, I’m ready for anything.”
With my heart pounding in anticipation and no small amount of fear, we stepped through the portal. A blinding flash enveloped us, and a strange floating sensation came over my body. It was as if we’d been plunged into a raging river, the current pulling us along at breakneck speed. I clung to Nathaniel’s hand, overwhelmed by the tornado of magic surrounding us.
Then, as quickly as we had been pulled into the vortex, we stumbled onto solid ground, the disorientation fading as my vision cleared. We weren’t in the basement of the social sciences building anymore.
An ancient stone temple loomed above us, its age-worn walls and pillars adorned with ivy like a testament to time. The entrance archway had been engraved with cryptic symbols that hinted at the secrets hidden within.
“We’re here,” I breathed, hardly daring to believe my eyes. “It’s the Chamber of Elysium.”
“Don’t let your guard down, Eva,” Nathaniel cautioned, his eyes darting around for danger. “We don’t know what we’re up against.”
As I traced my fingers over the intricate symbols carved into the stone walls, they illuminated with a faint crimson light. “I can feel powerful magic here,” I remarked. “Old magic.”
Suddenly, the rumble of stone scraping on stone echoed through the air. Three heavy walls groaned as each one slowly opened to reveal a dark abyss of ancient secrets, releasing an aura of dread and danger.
Nathaniel’s head whipped toward one of the openings. “Magic that probably won’t let us in without a fight.”
Colossal footsteps thundered within the ground in a steady rhythm, creating an eerie drumbeat that reverberated off of the temple walls. The cacophony echoed from inside the darkened chambers. Emerging from the shadows were the bizarre silhouettes of three creatures, unlike anything I’d seen before.
Like massive gorillas, their powerful bodies were adorned with thick fur that shifted between dark shades of blues, purples, and greens. Their hands were tipped with razor-sharp claws. Long tails curled around their hips, and horns protruded from their heads. Their red eyes burned like rubies, smoldering with a deep intensity that sent chills down my spine. As the creatures approached, a chorus of deep, thunderous growls emanated from their throats, ripping through the temple grounds.
“Slagclaws,” Nathaniel said grimly. “I read about them in the ancient texts. They’ve been guarding the chamber for centuries.”
“But we’re the Elysium Warriors,” I argued. “Shouldn’t they let us in?”
One of the creatures let out a deafening roar, baring a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth as it stomped out of the chamber toward us.
“Don’t think so.” Nathaniel looked over at me, summoning a shimmering longsword and shield of energy, his face solemn but his eyes filled with a fierce determination. “Stay behind me, Evangeline. I won’t let them touch you.”
His promise gave me strength, the brilliant light from his powers fueling my own.
“No,” I spoke firmly as my hands crackled with clear blue ice and bright orange fire. “I know you want to protect me, Nate, and I love you for it. But we’re in this together.”
His steeled gray eyes met mine, and something passed between us—a deepening faith in our bond and trust in each other.
Nathaniel’s jaw clenched as he released a deep breath, then gave a sharp nod. “Together, then. This is what we’ve trained for.”
My heart pounded in my chest. This was it. The culmination of all our hard work. Heck, our relationship. I grinned at him. “Let’s go kick some evil monster ass.”
He smirked. “Now you’re talking.”
Side by side, we readied ourselves for battle.
The first Slagclaw hurled a massive boulder in our direction. I threw up a wall of ice to deflect it, but the creature blasted it to shards with a beam of searing heat from its eyes.
“Great, laser eyes,” I huffed through gritted teeth. More growls filled the air as the creatures stalked toward us, claws outstretched.
Nathaniel threw up a large shield as the other two launched an assault of fireballs from their enormous fists. The shield shuddered under the impact but held fast.
“And fireballs,” Nathaniel grunted. “Your turn! Hit them with everything you’ve got!”
I hurled a blast of ice and fire, watching in satisfaction as the creatures scattered to avoid it. The Slagclaws regrouped and changed tactics. Two of them bombarded the shield while the third double-backed into the shadows of the cavernous chamber.
A sense of foreboding tingled down my spine. “Nate, watch out!” I cried. “One of them is—”
The Slagclaw dove out from the darkness, slamming into Nathaniel and knocking him off his feet. His shield flickered and died as he tumbled across the ground.
“Nathaniel!” I screamed.
He struggled to stand, still dazed from the impact. The Slagclaws converged on him. Panic rose in my chest. I had to act fast.
My eyes locked on Nathaniel’s as they lit up with golden energy, and heat burned behind my own eyes. Something was happening between us and our powers.
A sudden surge of energy burgeoned from my chest and coursed through me like electricity as if Nathaniel’s power flowed into me through the celestial bond that connected us in a way we never could have imagined.
I looked at Nathaniel’s glowing eyes one more time, and he gave a subtle nod.
Let’s see what we can do now.
Nathaniel pushed his hands into the air, and an immense dome of his signature energy wrapped around us, humming with power that clung to the atmosphere. But this was unlike any of the other shields I’d ever seen before.
The sparkling golden dome glowed a fierce iridescent blue and red, swirling together in an aurora of color. Shimmering shards of ice and dazzling flames danced over the surface, creating an impenetrable lattice barrier and leaving me breathless with awe.
The Slagclaws roared with rage but could not break free of the reinforced walls. Once I realized the creatures were trapped within the dome, I clenched my hands into fists, evoking the red-hot rage that burned in my chest and the arctic frost that pulsed through my veins that had built up inside me like a rolling thunderstorm. Focusing all of my energy on the closest of the Slagclaws, I thrust my hands out, unleashing a hurricane force of fire and ice.
First, flames barreled from both hands, searing orange-red that crackled and sizzled with intensity. Then, bright blue icy shards spun around the blaze. Fire and ice inexplicably entwined together, creating a swirling vortex of violet energy.
As the maelstrom of elements hurtled outward, the creature before me shrieked as the massive blast engulfed it completely, leaving no trace of the Slagclaw.
With a sweep of my arms toward the other two, the vortex expanded. The creatures wailed, enveloped in the searing cold and scorching heat. When the blast cleared, they had also vanished—banished to whatever hell they’d come from.
I ran to Nathaniel. “Are you hurt?” I asked breathlessly.
“Just my pride,” he said with a wry smile. Cupping my face in his hands, he gazed into my eyes. “You were incredible, Evangeline. You saved us.”
I stared at my hands, shocked, and then looked at Nathaniel again. “But you—you combined our powers,” I said with amazement. “You made something new.”
“We both did.” He smiled.
We breathed heavily, recovering from the enormous exertion. The effects of our intertwined power buzzed through us like a current of electricity that refused to be broken. We unlocked something together, powers greater than our individual abilities. Without saying anything else, we embraced tightly, as if nothing else mattered at that moment apart from being together. Two halves united into one unstoppable force for good.
And then Nathaniel kissed me, deeply and passionately. Our greatest challenge was behind us, and a future of infinite promise lay ahead.
With the creatures gone, the mouth of the Chamber of Elysium lay open before us.
“Can you feel it?” I asked softly. The thrum of destiny, pulling us forward.
“Yes,” Nathaniel said. He took my hand, threading his fingers through mine, giving me a surge of warmth from his touch, a reminder that we were in this together, no matter what lay ahead.
As we stepped through the wide, imposing entrance of the temple, the ornate symbols carved into the top of the archway flickered to life with the same brilliant golden hue as the birthmarks on our shoulders, as if the Chamber of Elysium welcomed us.
“Stay close,” Nathaniel whispered.
“Always,” I promised, squeezing his hand as we ventured further into the unknown.
We found ourselves in a dimly lit stone passageway. Torches lined the walls with unlit candles on their sconces, the wax having long ago melted into stalactites hanging from the ceiling like teeth awaiting a feast. Swords and shields hung proudly on the walls between them as tall marble statues of ancient warriors stood guard. The faint scent of incense lingered in the air, and the only light seeped in from the opening up ahead.
The end of the dark hallway revealed a vast domed sanctum filled with relics and artifacts of power from ages past.
“Whoa,” I breathed, gazing around the room in wonder.
Colorful tapestries and paintings depicted battles fought and victories won. Dusty glass cases and stone pedestals protected yellowed ancient scrolls, shiny weapons, and gleaming jewels that glinted under the soft pale light filtering through the dome’s tall windows. Table after gilt table stood neatly positioned, each holding its own dazzling artifact.
“Every one of these objects holds a story,” Nathaniel murmured, his fingers brushing against an ornate shield. “They’re a testament to the power and courage of those who came before us.”
As we wandered past the myriad of talismans, I remembered the Azure Amulet awaited us, and an odd pull on my heart guided me toward one of the pedestals.
“The amulet is here—I can feel it.”
“Me too.” Nathaniel nodded and began making his way to my side of the chamber.
I walked over to a case containing a collection of gold and ruby necklaces. As I peered closer, a necklace with a single azure gemstone seemed to glow brighter than the others. It rested on a velvet cushion, nestled within a glass display case.
The Azure Amulet was a stunning piece of jewelry, exquisitely made with a glinting silver chain and brightly colored blue gemstones sculpted into a dazzling teardrop-shaped pendant. Sparkling sapphires, aquamarine, turquoise, topaz, tanzanite, and blue diamonds were artfully interlinked and shimmered with a mysterious and calming luminescence.
“Nate, is this…?” I asked anxiously, my hands hovering over the glass.
“Let’s find out,” Nathaniel replied, his voice steady as he lifted the lid.
We held our collective breath as I reached in and carefully picked up the amulet. The delicate silver chain, light as air and cool to the touch, brushed against the back of my hand.
When the pendant caught the gentle beams of sunlight, the gemstones seemed to come alive. Its smooth texture and warmth under my fingertips surprised me.
As I clutched the pendant in my hand, a calm yet powerful energy washed over me, and for a moment, an unexpected surge of emotions—intense love, overwhelming sadness, and unfathomable regret—brought tears to my eyes.
“Are you all right?” Nathaniel asked concern etched on his face.
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. “Yeah, I’m fine. This is it, the Azure Amulet. I can feel Lysander’s soul inside.”
He smiled faintly, relief flooding his features. “We found it.”
A swell of triumph rose inside me. After all our struggles and hardships, we finally had the key that could save not only ourselves but countless others at the academy from future attacks.
I threw my arms around Nathaniel and hugged him. A smile spread across his face, making my heart flutter with more than just pride.
“Come on,” Nathaniel said softly, giving me a squeeze. “Let’s get back so we can figure out what to do next.”
