[Chapter 15 continues.]

Esa reached out, an unseen force lifting Marcus into the air beside him, over the trees.

"Hold on," Esa said calmly as they shot across the forest, scanning ahead while following Yoshua's path.

Sheera followed close behind.

Esa immediately caught sight of a strange structure in the distance, tucked inside barren tree foliage. It was black, sleek, and obelisk-shaped, standing roughly twice the height of a man. Its surface pulsed faintly, alive with an energy that made the air feel heavy and electric.

"There," Esa said, pointing toward the structure.

"The obsidian obelisk," Marcus confirmed with a nod. "I think there's a door at its base," he added, raising his voice so Sheera could hear.

"Let's get closer," Esa said, flying them toward the tower, weaving through the air. 

As they approached, they spotted two scaled ones near the tower, clutching Ibris by the arms and shoulders like iron shackles. A third stood before him, a jagged, menacing weapon pressed to the bull halfbreed's throat. Ibris, visibly battered and drained, growled low.

"As I already told you," Ibris rasped. "I'm in no shape to fight!"

"Where are your friends?" the scaled one in front of him snarled, amber eyes narrowing as he leaned closer. He pressed the weapon closer, just enough to draw a thin line of blood along Ibris' neck.

"I just want to see inside the tower," Ibris said with a hint of jest, swaying slightly. "No need to fight today."

The scaled one did not hesitate, slamming its weapon across Ibris' face. 

Ibris crumpled but quickly staggered back up, spitting blood onto the ground. Wiping his lips, he glanced at the crimson stain on his shirt, then locked eyes with his assailant.

"That was completely unnecessary. This was my favorite shirt!"

Noticing the three men hovering above, the leader of the scaled ones hissed in frustration. "Summon the others!" 

The other scaled ones released deep guttural cries, their voices carrying over the trees as more of their kind emerged from the shadows. Within moments, a dozen scaled ones surrounded the obelisk, their forms moving like dark, sinuous predators through the forest.

Esa scanned the chaotic scene. The door was in sight, but reaching it meant going straight through a swarm of scaled ones. 

"This is going to get messy," he muttered.

Marcus floated beside Esa, pale-faced, his gun already raised as he took in the scene ahead.

Esa met Sheera's eyes and gave a sharp nod.

Sheera flew ahead, his eyes locked on the scaled ones.

Yoshua burst from the trees, low and feral, his wolf stance radiating tension. "Ibris!" he barked, his sharp gaze locking on his friend and the scaled ones holding him.

Ibris managed a weak, bloody grin. "Took you long enough," he croaked.

Yoshua's eyes flicked to the looming obelisk and the scaled ones around it. He growled low. "What in the Mother's name is that thing?"

"Not sure," Ibris said, shifting his legs into a fighting stance, fists lifted before his chest. "But it's time to play."

Ibris, seizing the momentary distraction, let out a deafening roar, his powerful bull-like strength surging to life. With a violent twist of his broad frame, he hurled off his captors, driving his horns into one scaled one before flinging it into a tree with his arms. As the leader rushed at him, Ibris spun and roundhouse-kicked its face, sending the scaled one sprawling to the ground, dazed and winded.

The leader fell, his weapon clattering to the ground. Shaking his head, he screamed at the others. "Kill them!"

The forest erupted into chaos. Scaled ones surged toward Ibris and Yoshua, claws slashing, weapons gleaming in the dim light. Yoshua lunged forward, his movements a blur of speed and precision as he tore into the first attacker.

Yoshua leapt into the fray beside Ibris. He fought low to the ground, striking with fists and snapping kicks, each motion carrying the feral grace of a wolf on the hunt. His growls cut through the chaos as he tore into the scaled ones, ripping and striking, his silver blue eyes blazing with untamed fury.

Sheera soared, diving down with terrifying force, his talons striking true against another scaled one.

"Now this," Ibris growled, cracking his knuckles, "is my kind of party."

Esa and Marcus landed near the ominous structure, their movements sluggish as an overwhelming nausea gripped them. The air around the obsidian obelisk was thick and oppressive, radiating an unnatural energy that drained their strength with every step.

"I feel sick," Esa muttered, clutching his stomach as his face went pale.

Marcus wiped sweat from his brow, steadying himself against a jagged rock. "This place feels... wrong," he muttered.

Two scaled ones burst from the shadows, laser weapons clutched in their claws. Esa reacted first, dodging a strike and dropping one with a clean, powerful blow of his earth moving abilities. Marcus, breathing hard, shot the second, its body collapsing in a heap.

Panting, they pressed on toward the tower. The nausea worsened with every step. Marcus stumbled but kept his eyes fixed on the looming structure. At last they reached a heavy metallic door that slid open with a groan, revealing a narrow stair spiraling into darkness.

They exchanged a glance. "No turning back now," Esa said, descending first, Marcus close behind.

The steps seemed endless, the air growing colder and heavier with each step. 

Esa tried to shake the lingering nausea. "What is this place?"

"Something ancient and powerful," Marcus replied grimly.

Whatever it was, Esa didn't like it.

At the bottom of the stairs, they stepped into a long, dimly lit hallway. At its far end stood a door with a small round window glowing an eerie green. The light pulsed faintly, casting shifting shadows along the walls. 

They exchanged a wary glance before moving forward.

Esa pushed the door open. Inside, in the center of the room, a gaunt, skeletal figure was hooked into a strange machine.

It was a crane halfbreed.

"Geshar," Esa whispered in disbelief.

Geshar's long, bird-like neck jutted forward, his once-magnificent crane wings now frail and battered. Tubes and wires ran from each limb and the back of his neck, glowing green as they siphoned energy into the machine surrounding him.

Esa's breath caught. "He's dying," he whispered, stepping closer. He stared at the machine. "What in Ava Nori's name is this thing doing to him?"

Marcus crouched by the console, strange symbols glowing across it. His fingers hovered over the controls, alarm crossed his face. "Geshar's fueling this... maybe the whole structure. He's what's jamming the tech in this region."

Esa turned to him. "How do we unhook him?"

Marcus shook his head, eyes on the machinery. "Unhooking him could kill him."

Esa glanced between Marcus and Geshar's feeble form, hesitating. "But we can't just leave him—"

Before he could finish, the door burst open. Ibris staggered in, his clothes torn, his body smeared with dirt and blood, some his own, some green from the scaled ones. Esa instinctively stepped back, the sight of Ibris sending a fresh wave of nausea through him.

"Geshar!" Ibris cried out in horror, as he took in the pitiful sight of his friend.

Yoshua followed close behind, pale and stricken. He moved slowly toward Geshar, whispering his name before collapsing to his knees, tears welling in his eyes. "What happened to you, old friend?"

Ibris was consumed by fury. He stormed toward the machine, his hands trembling with rage. "Unhook him. Now!" he demanded, glaring at Marcus.

Marcus stood firm, meeting his fiery gaze. "Listen to me, Ibris," he said evenly. "Geshar is fueling this machine, maybe the entire tower. If we unhook him without understanding the system, we could kill him. Or worse, trigger something catastrophic."

The room fell silent, heavy with tension. All eyes went to Geshar, his chest rising faintly, his body barely clinging to life, then to Ibris, who was visibly struggling to restrain himself from taking action.

Esa stepped cautiously toward Ibris. "We need to think this through. Geshar needs help, but we have to approach this calmly—"

But Ibris wasn't listening. His body taut with desperation. "He's dying, Esa!"

Ibris lunged before anyone could stop him, growling with raw force as he ripped the wires and tubes from Geshar's body. The machine screeched in protest, sparks flying as green energy spilled from the severed conduits. Geshar's frail body slumped forward, wings limp. Ibris caught him, hoisted him over his shoulder, and stormed out, leaving the others stunned.

Esa froze in shock as the machine began to hum ominously, its panels flickering with unstable light. "Marcus, what's happening?"

Marcus was already moving, his eyes darting across the machine's controls. He tapped at the glowing panels, muttering to himself as he tried to make sense of the rapidly cascading warnings. "It's destabilizing. Geshar wasn't just fueling the tower... he was acting as a stabilizer for the whole system. Without him, the energy buildup will overload."

"What happens if it does?" Yoshua asked, fists clenched.

Marcus turned, grim. "An explosion. An energy collapse strong enough to wipe out everything within thirty to forty miles."

"The monastery," Esa whispered, the realization hitting hard.

"We need to shut it down. Now!" Marcus snapped, working furiously.

The machine shook violently, a high-pitched whine filling the room. The floor trembled beneath Esa's feet, panic creeping into his voice. "Tell us what to do!"

Marcus pointed to a cluster of symbols on a console. "There's a failsafe built in, but it's encrypted. I'll handle that. Esa, you need to reroute the energy, it's pooling into the core. If it gets too dense, we're finished. Look for an energy conduit."

Esa nodded, swallowing his fear as he scanned the machinery. 

Yoshua held the panel in place as it shook under the strain.

"Got it!" Esa called out, yanking a lever. The vibrations eased slightly, though the humming only grew louder.

Marcus' hands flew over the control panel in frustration. "Ibris pulling Geshar out was like ripping the foundation out of a building," he muttered. "This system is collapsing on itself."

Esa stared at him, concerned. 

Marcus worked furiously. "I can't stabilize it," he said finally, overwhelmed. "The system's beyond saving. We need to leave, now!"

Esa and Yoshua exchanged grim looks before Marcus snapped, "Move!" They bolted, sprinting down the hall as the green glow flared behind them. The walls shook, dust and debris raining down as they scrambled up the staircase.

Bursting out of the tower, Esa's heart sank at the sight outside. The ground was strewn with scaled bodies, their green blood pooling in sickly streaks across the earth.

He spotted Sheera in the air, carrying Ibris, who clutched Geshar's limp body in his arms.

Esa turned to Yoshua and Marcus with urgency. "We need to move, we don't have much time!"

Without waiting for an answer, he leapt into the air. Extending his unseen influence, he lifted both men with him, guiding them toward the airship. Together they swept through the foliage and descended into the valley, landing beside the Ishtar's Veil.

Esa spotted Ibris struggling to lift Geshar onto the airship. He quickly helped Marcus and Yoshua aboard, then turned back. With a sweep of his hands, he lifted both Ibris and Geshar's body onto the platform.

From inside the ship, Marcus shouted, "I can't get the Ishtar's Veil back online, it's going to take time!"

"We don't have time!" Esa barked.

Overhead, Sheera circled, his massive wings beating hard against the air.

A sudden, booming sound shattered the tense silence.

"I'm afraid we're out of time!" Esa shouted. He pointed at Sheera, guiding him onto the Ishtar's Veil, positioning the eagle halfbreed securely above the ship.

In the distance, a green blast erupted, rapidly expanding. The ground shook violently as the glowing wave barreled toward them, the intensity of its approach sending tremors through the air.

"Everyone, hold on!" Esa cried. He darted beneath the Ishtar's Veil, his focus razor-sharp, and with an extraordinary surge of power, lifted both the airship and Sheera above it. With every ounce of strength he could muster, Esa propelled them into the air, ascending at breakneck speed.

The green eruption surged closer, its destructive energy nearly grazing Esa and the airship. At the last moment, the Ishtar's Veil powered up and rocketed forward, narrowly escaping annihilation.

Esa looked down in horror as the explosion rippled outward. The sickly green wave consumed everything in its path. The valley below was swallowed in an instant, the trees and rocks disintegrating into nothingness. His breath caught as the hill under which the Oracle Kora lived vanished into the churning energy, leaving no trace behind.

Then came the monastery, his sanctuary, his home, the place where he had found purpose. He watched helplessly as the sweeping wave of destruction devoured it, the spires and walls collapsing into the roiling green abyss.

Hundreds of souls, people Esa loved, were lost in an instant.

Esa's heart sank. Despite being outside the Ishtar's Veil, his scream tore through the cabin, raw with anguish, echoing against the metallic walls. The sound carried every ounce of pain and helplessness as he watched the green inferno devour the valley, erasing everything in one merciless sweep.

Only one thought lingered.

Perhaps Ava had turned her back on the world.

******

Chapter Soundtrack: "Supermassive Black Hole" by Muse

Author's Note

This chapter marks the beginning of the book's climax. The obelisk's destruction isn't just a physical loss. It's a spiritual one for Esa. The monastery, the Oracle, the valley... gone in an instant.

In Ibris's place, would you have ripped Geshar free, or left him bound to the machine?