Page 144 of Reaper's Ruin
It wasn’t my own death that haunted my last moments of existence. It was knowing hers was next. The most beautiful, perfect, bright soul that had ever existed was going to beextinguished because I’d failed her. I’d failed all the humans before her, and now I’d failed her too.
The magic flickered in the Sentinel’s hand, growing as she aimed it at me.
“I’m sorry. I love you,” I mouthed, my eyes burning with a sensation I could only vaguely remember as... tears?
“RHYKER!” Soraya’s scream tore through the courtyard, raw with desperation. It was powerful and primal, and I felt her pain, her agony, her love, all collide together in my soul.
And then...
Light.
Pure, blinding light erupted from her body. Not the gentle glow of a soul, but a supernova of radiance that expanded outward in a shockwave of power. And with it came a sound like nothing I’d ever heard—like the tolling of a million celestial bells struck at once, echoing through the bones of the Keep itself. It wasn’t just heard. It wasfelt.A vibrational roar of ancient power that slammed into the soul and demanded to be witnessed.
It washed over the courtyard like a tidal wave, throwing everyone—Reapers and Sentinels alike—backward with incredible force.
I was hurled through the air, landing hard against the stone wall. Pain lanced through me, but I barely noticed it, my eyes fixed on the impossible sight before me.
Soraya stood at the center of the courtyard, her body still radiating light so pure and brilliant it hurt to look at her. The shadows of the Umbral Keep retreated from her as if burned, leaving not a single dark corner in her presence.
The Sentinel who had been about to strike me down lay nearby, momentarily stunned by the blast. As I watched, something extraordinary happened. The shadows writhing beneath her skinretreated, and for the briefest moment, her wings gleamed white instead of black, her eyes clear and blue instead of burning red.
She looked at me with an expression of profound grief and recognition—then, as Soraya’s light dissipated, she cried out in agony as darkness claimed her once more, shadows rushing back to consume whatever momentary freedom she’d found. I realized in that moment that beneath the terror, beneath the darkness, those Sentinels were something else entirely.
But I couldn’t waste time wondering how something that had been so light, so luminous for a moment, could be warped into something as dark and dangerous as the Sentinels now rising back to their feet. I had one goal, one chance to save the woman I loved.
I staggered to my feet, disoriented but driven by one purpose—reaching Soraya. Around me, Reapers struggled to rise, dazed and thrown. But not all returned to the fight.
Some simply... stared at her.
Like light itself had taken form—and claimed her name.
One dropped his scythe.
Another fell to his knees, not in agony—but in reverence.
She was light in a land of endless shadow.
She stood unmoving at the center of it all, still glowing faintly, her hair lifting in the charged air, eyes wide with shock at what she’d done.
“Rhyker?” she called, voice trembling with uncertainty.
I pushed through the scattered Reapers, many still struggling to rise, and reached her side. “What was that?” I asked, grabbing her arm and pulling her toward the gates. “How did you—”
“I don’t know,” she said, her voice trembling. “I just—I saw you about to die, and something... something broke open inside me.”
There was no time to consider the implications. Already the Sentinels were recovering, gathering themselves for another attack. Their wings spread wide as they prepared to take flight once more.
“We need to go. Now!” I pulled Soraya toward the gates, praying we weren’t too late.
But just as we were about to reach our freedom, a figure stepped into our path—Jade, the female Enforcer. We slammed to a stop, and I yanked Soraya inside one wing. Jade, though small, was absolutely lethal. I wasn’t sure if I had what it took to overcome her devastatingly fast strikes. But as I glanced at Soraya, I knew she was depending on me. I wouldn’t fail her. Not this time.
I raised my scythe, preparing for one final battle.
But instead of attacking, Jade’s silver eyes studied me as she stood in that last space between us and freedom. Her expression didn’t waver. Not fear. Not submission. Just... calm.
She simply tipped her head, looked at me, then at Soraya, some strange understanding moving across her features. Then something passed between us—some recognition, some unspoken understanding—and much to my utter shock, she stepped aside.
I didn’t question the miracle. With Soraya’s hand clasped firmly in mine, I charged through the gates, feeling the barrier of the Keep’s magic wash over us like a cold wave, then recede as we passed beyond its influence.
