A Hero In The Dark

Chapter 54: An Entity's Spark

Standing at the edge of the force field outside the Sanctuary, I find Adam looking rather uncomfortable. "Maybe I should wait out here," he says all of a sudden.

We all stop in turn; look to one another in initial silence.

Until Malcolm speaks, "Adam. I know you may feel scared, but you need to come with us."

"Inside a Loric Sanctuary? I don't think so. My people tried for years to find a way in and failed. Countless died throwing themselves against the impenetrable barrier. I'm not getting scorched to death by trying to do the same thing they did," he says.

A brief silence passes before Nine throws his hands in the air and shouts, "Hell with it! Let him stay. If he really wants to come, I have no problem watching him die."

"I'll heal you Adam if anything goes wrong," John offers.

"Yeah. I'm confident that nothing will go wrong. I believe you can come in without being harmed," I add.

"What makes you say that?" Adam asks skeptically, his gaze turning to me. "How do you know humans can even go in?"

Sam and I glance at each other upon hearing his response, suddenly very nervous.

"Well, I don't know, but-" I start.

"It'll be fine Adam. Please. Come with us. We need you," Malcolm interrupts.

With a moment of thought between all of us, Adam nods and inches toward the force field, extending his index finger out to it nervously.

Upon first contact, we all hear a sizzle and even a pop, but other than that, nothing happens. Shakily, Adam steps through the force field. He does not scream or groan in agony in the slightest. In fact, he is left unharmed.

Now for Sam and me.

Together, we inch forward in unison. Side by side. The both of us also slightly shaking.

I watch Sam extend his hand to the force field's barrier. Once he passes through unscathed, I do the same.

Relieved, we continue onward.

As a group, we start up the rundown mossy cobblestone steps to the top of the Mayan temple.

Once we reach the top, there lies a stone door ahead of us. Nine unearthly symbols embedded in its surface in a circular formation.

"We'll need your pendants to open it," Henri informs. "At least half if I can recall."

And so, John, Marina, Eight, and Nine all remove their pendants from around their necks. To place them in the empty gap that theirs belongs to.

Four pendants. One short. I know we're all praying that it's enough.

Eight breaks pause, "Maybe we need more."

Just as he says so, the door makes an old rumbling sound before slowly opening inward. Just an inch, maybe two. Nothing seeming to be shown on the other side but empty darkness.

A gateway.

One by one, we step through. I find a dizzying feeling creep forth before my eyes adjust to a cavernous chamber.

When it is clear that we have been somehow teleported deeper underground, to the center of the Sanctuary, is when I feel alive. I know the others feel it too.

Unafraid, Marina and Eight take the initiative to lead us forward, where we can examine anything and everything that we were meant to find.

For the most part, it is dark and empty. The floor a dark gray. The walls a dark gray; yet also showing distinct images. They are hard enough to read and decipher without the use of John's lumen. The only other light source coming from a round stone well in the center of the cavern, shimmering an otherworldly cobalt blue.

Sam nudges my arm to grab my attention; "It looks like your legacy Emily."

He's right.

The glow from the well looks similar to what I've seen my legacy expose. Eneration. I wonder, whatever caused such a legacy to develop inside of me, could it have been connected to this well? Did we find the source? Is this where my legacy manifested from?

I walk closer to the glimmering glow; place my hands on the edge to peer down below.

"This is it," I say to the others. "This is where we commit the Phoenix stones to the Earth."

"How do you know?" John asks, stepping forward and away from Henri's side.

"I don't," I respond honestly. "I just do. I can sense it."

Without any other questions asked, the four Garde with Loric Chests open them to pull out the assumed Phoenix stones: leaves wrapped in twine, a bag of soil, a cylindrical tube of liquid Loralite, and a variety of crystals and stones.

All of it. We commit it to the well.

In response, before the objects even hit the ground, the glow brightens.

"Is that supposed to happen?" Six asks, shielding her own eyes with her forearm from the blinding light.

"I'm not sure," Henri replies, squinting at the well through his own hand.

We watch the bright azure light intensify and illuminate the entire cavern. There isn't an inch of darkness anymore.

Until eventually we hear its voice, echoing throughout the cavern, "A team like no other."

It sounds as if thousands of voices are speaking all at once. John puts himself between me and the well, as if protecting me from some unseen evil. Meanwhile, we all glance at each other in awe and wonder.

It continues, "A team of Loric, a Mogadorian, and even a human."

None of us sure what to say, we only remain still, watching the light pulsate like a force of nature.

"And, something else. Not quite human but not quite Loric," it says mystically.

Somehow, I know it's talking about me – whatever this thing is. John gestures for me to stay back.

"Emily," it says. "Appears Pittacus Lore succeeded."

I freeze when I hear this thing speak my name, more so than how frozen I was already. It takes a moment to gather my thoughts into a single reasonable response.

"Who, or what, are you?" I ask from behind John.

"I am called many names dear. The Entity. Lorien. The One. The Many. An ancient power known only to Lorien that which you already know, my child," it answers. "The Phoenix Stones have been consumed. The Loralite is in growth. There is only one thing left to do. Come to me child."

I look to Henri, who simply stares at me in the same wonder as everyone else, his expression unreadable. Then at John whom merely shakes his head at me.

I look to my hands, which exemplify the same blue glow. I am unaware if it is from the reflection of the Entity's glow or if it is of my own making.

Judging the aura of the room, Henri nods. And so, I slowly walk around John and toward the Entity's spark.

I graze the soft delicate touch of his fingers and look him in the eyes, sending a telepathic thought without being consciously aware of it, "I'll be ok."

"Don't go Emily," he says, his voice full of worry. "What if something happens to you?"

"I'll be fine John. It won't harm me," I assure him. I don't know how I know this; I just do.

And so, I approach the stone well that which the Entity is occupying. I touch the palm of my hand on the well's surface.

"Come to me child," it repeats.

Knowing what to do, I climb onto the well. Before I drop down, I glance upon the Loric, Sam, Malcolm, Adam, even Pixie and BK. Partially afraid, and most certainly unaware, I telepathically send, "Whatever happens, keep going."

Then I enter the vivid blue light.