Page 111 of Crossing Between
"I don't know if I can," Ryan's voice trembled with fear and exhaustion. "It's so strong, Z. And I'm so tired."
"I know you're tired," I soothed, pushing deeper into the connection. "But I need you to fight one last time. With me. Can you do that?"
There was a long pause, and for a terrible moment, I feared he had given up. Then I felt his resolve hardening, his consciousness pushing back against the corruption that surrounded it.
"Then let's burn it out together," Ryan's voice grew stronger, more determined.
"For you and Ruth."
With his permission granted, I channeled the soulfire directly into the connection between us. The purifying flames flowed through me and into Ryan, seeking out the boundaries between his soul and the Essencefeaster's corruption.
The demon shrieked in rage and pain, thrashing wildly as the soulfire began to separate it from its host. Black ichor oozed from the creature's body as the corruption was forced out, drop by burning drop.
"You cannot do this!" the Essencefeaster howled. "He is MINE!"
"No," I countered, my voice steady despite the agony coursing through me. "He never was. And now he never will be."
The soulfire blazed brighter, fueled by my determination and the unwavering support of my three anchors. I could feel them through our bond, lending me their strength, their love, their power. Varon's ancient resilience, Elias's healing compassion, and Kenji's fierce protection all flowed into me, amplifying my magic beyond anything I could have achieved alone.
With a final, desperate push, I drove the soulfire deep into the heart of the corruption. The Essencefeaster's form began to fracture, cracks of golden light spreadingacross its body. Through those cracks, I could see Ryan, the real Ryan, struggling to break free.
"Fight, Ryan!" I urged, pouring every ounce of my remaining strength into the connection. "Push it out!"
With a scream that seemed to tear the very fabric of reality, Ryan's consciousness surged forward, pushing against the corruption from within as I pulled from without. The Essencefeaster's hold shattered like glass, and suddenly Ryan was falling forward into my arms, his body fully human once more.
Behind him, the Essencefeaster's true form coalesced—a writhing mass of darkness and malevolence, no longer anchored to a human host. It screamed in fury, lashing out with tendrils of corruption, but the soulfire cage held it securely.
"You've lost," I told it, cradling my unconscious brother against my chest. "He's free of you."
The creature hissed, its form already beginning to dissolve without being bonded with Ryan. "This isn't over, Soulbinder. I may fall today, but others will rise. The darkness always finds a way."
As if to punctuate its threat, the chamber began to collapse around us, the organic walls shriveling and disintegrating without the Essencefeaster's power to maintain them. The undead army crumbled to dust, the souls within finally released from their torment.
"We need to go!" Varon shouted, appearing at my side. "This place is collapsing!"
Elias and Kenji rushed to join us, their expressions a mixture of awe and concern as they took in the sight of Ryan in my arms and the dissolving form of the Essencefeaster behind us.
"Is he alive?" Kenji looked worried.
"He's alive," I confirmed, feeling the weak but steadypulse of my brother's life force. "The Essencefeaster is gone from him."
"Then let's get out of here," Elias urged, his tentacles already wrapping protectively around us.
As we turned to flee, I cast one last glance at the Essencefeaster. It was almost completely dissolved now, its form little more than a shadow against the collapsing chamber. But as I watched, I could have sworn I saw something else, a flicker of movement at the edge of the Veil, a presence observing from just beyond our reality.
I had no time to investigate as the ceiling began to cave in around us. With Ryan secure in my arms and my three anchors surrounding us protectively, we ran for the exit, leaving the Essencefeaster's lair to collapse behind us.
The sunlight was blinding after the darkness of the chamber, but it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. We emerged from the church just as it imploded, the structure folding in on itself with a deafening roar before disappearing entirely, leaving nothing but a scorched patch of earth where it had stood.
I fell to my knees in the dirt. Varon, Elias, and Kenji gathered around me, their hands finding mine in a tangle of support and relief. Kenji had grabbed Ryan and carried him.
"You did it," Varon pressed a kiss to my temple.
"We did it," I corrected, looking up at the three men who had become my everything. "I couldn't have done it without you."
Ryan stirred, his eyelids fluttered. Kenji sat him down and I hugged Ryan to me. When they opened, his eyes were clear and human, no trace of the Essencefeaster's influence remained.
"Z?" he croaked, his voice weak but unmistakably hisown. "What happened?"
