72: Reunion

The sanctum loomed ahead, above the cores crimson glow pulsing like a heartbeat that reverberated through the mire. Aiden's steps were deliberate, his shoulders taut as his gaze remained locked on the light ahead. Each pulse of the Core's energy felt like a countdown, pulling him closer to the inevitable confrontation.

Behind him, Sylva's luminous form drifted through the shadows, her roots brushing over the ground but never fully touching it. She hovered low, her glowing eyes flickering with urgency as she called after him.

"Aiden, wait!" her voice rang out, a mixture of desperation and command. "You can't face her alone. You need me!"

Aiden stopped just before the entrance to the sanctum, his fists clenching at his sides. He turned his head slightly, his voice quiet but steady. "She has them, Sylva. Rowan, Kieran… Amara. I can't wait any longer."

Sylva's glow brightened faintly as she reached his side, her warmth healing him as she approached. "And if you go in unprepared, she'll have you too," she said, her tone softening. "We do this together."

Aiden exhaled sharply, nodding once before stepping forward. The sanctum opened before them like an arena in the center of this damp blackened mire, the Core looking down on everything it bathed in its unholy glow.

The scene inside was a nightmare.

Rowan was suspended in the air, her limbs pulled taut by thick, writhing roots that coiled around her like snakes. Each pulse of the Core sent the roots tightening further, her chest compressing visibly as her breaths came in shallow gasps.

Kieran lay crumpled on the ground, his shield discarded beside him, his body unmoving but Aiden could tell he was still faintly breathing.

Amara, meanwhile, was still resisting. Her sniper rifle lay discarded just out of reach, its gleaming barrel a cruel reminder of how close she had come to regaining control. A sphere of darkness encased tightly around her form, shrinking smaller and smaller as her boots kicked futilely against its was. Her hands clawed at the space, her nails scraping uselessly against their unyielding surface.

"Let… me… go!" she rasped, her voice raw as she twisted in the Core's grip. Her vision blurred, her chest burning as she gasped for air. "Please… just… stop…"

"You should see yourself," Lila purred, her voice dripping with amusement. "So fragile, so desperate. Is this all your precious hope amounts to?"

Amara gasped for air, her fingers scrabbling at the bruises forming on her neck. "You… won't… win…"

"LILA!" Aiden's voice cut through the sanctum like a blade, sharp and commanding.

Lila's head snapped toward him, her grin faltering for a brief moment before twisting into something cruel. The Core's presence surged as she spoke, her voice now reverberating unnaturally, layered with a thousand echoes.

"Well, well, look who's here," she drawled, her tone laced with mock affection. The space within the sphere shrank squeezing amara before dissipating. Amara hit the ground with a thud, coughing as she recoiled in anguish.

Her gaze shifted to Sylva, and her grin widened into something monstrous. "And you…" she said, her voice trembling with excitement. "You actually came back. Hiding all this time, running like a coward. And now you stand before me." She let out a low, giddy laugh, her tone darkening.

Sylva drifted to Aiden's side, her glowing form steady despite the oppressive weight of the Core's presence. "Core," she said firmly, her voice calm but cutting. "Release them."

Lila laughed, the sound high-pitched and manic. "Oh, Sylva. I'm so glad you're here. Do you know how long I've waited to see you again? You're the last piece—the only one I couldn't reach. And now you're standing right in front of me."

Sylva's glow brightened, her roots unfurling defensively. "You think devouring me will complete you?" she said, her tone calm but cutting. "You're wrong. You've consumed so many Lilas that you don't even know where you begin and they end."

Aiden stepped forward, his hands glowing faintly as his Ring of Vows pulsed with energy. "Lila," he said, his voice steady but imploring. "I know you're in there. You can fight this. Let them go."

The grin faltered again, her body trembling slightly as if something deep within her stirred. But the Core surged again, and the smile returned, wider and more unhinged.

"Fight this?" she repeated, her tone mocking. "Oh, Aiden, you sweet fool. Don't you see? This is me. I am the Core, and the Core is me. And now that Sylva's here…" She turned to Sylva, her eyes gleaming with malice. "I'll finally be whole."

Sylva's glow flared, her roots spreading defensively. "You think devouring me will make you whole?" she said, her voice calm but cutting. "You're wrong. You'll only fracture further. You've lost yourself in the Lilas you've consumed, and you'll never find peace. Not like this."

Lila's grin faltered briefly, her expression flickering with anger. "You presume to understand me?" she hissed, her voice cracking. "You, who is drones along like static, who clings to this broken fragment of a world? You're nothing, Sylva. And when I consume you, you'll finally serve a real purpose."

Aiden stepped forward again, his voice calm but firm. "Lila, please," he said, his gaze locking onto hers. "This doesn't have to end like this. Let Rowan go. Let Amara and Kieran go. Stop this, and we'll find another way."

The Core's laughter erupted, wild and uncontrollable, as if it couldn't contain its glee. "Another way?" she repeated, her tone mocking. "Oh, Aiden. There are only two ways this ends. Either you kill me, destroy the Core, and lose Lila forever… or you kill Sylva, rule at my side, and finally become the king you were meant to be."

Aiden's jaw tightened, his grip on the Ring of Vows firming. "You already know my answer," he said, his voice steady.

Lila's expression wavered, her grin flickering as the Core's fractured emotions spilled through her. "You can't mean that…" she murmured, her voice breaking. "You can't choose her over me…"

Aiden closed his eyes, exhaling slowly as the glow of his Ring of Vows intensified. When he opened them again, his form began to shift, his body radiating with transcendent energy.

"I made my choice a long time ago," he said, his voice steady as the ground beneath him began to crack and shimmer.

The Core pulsed violently, the sanctum trembling as Lila's voice rang out in a mixture of fury and exhilaration. "Fine," she hissed, her body brimming with power. "I will change your answer myself, Aiden."

Sylva's roots coiled protectively around her as she hovered closer to Aiden. "You're not alone in this," she said softly, her voice steady despite the storm brewing around them.

Aiden nodded, his gaze locking with hers for a brief moment. "I know," he replied. "we will do this together."

The sanctum exploded with energy as Aiden and Sylva stood together, their resolve unshaken. The Core's laughter echoed, unhinged and wild, as its stolen form surged with power. "Let's see how far your hope takes you, Aiden," it sneered, the first strike already forming in its hand signaling the start of their final battle.