The Void

"So first things first, you need to get to the courtyard," Hadley said.

"What do you mean the courtyard?" Evangeline basically yelled in her mind as glaring at Hadley's face on the holographic screen.

Hadley smiled maniacally like this was all a joke. "Exactly what I said, darling. You need to use the two scepter gemstones in an open space, and the courtyard is just perfect."

Evangeline's jaw dropped. "The courtyard? You mean outside? In the middle of this… fortress with guards everywhere?!"

Hadley shrugged, her voice completely carefree. "Trust me. It's the only place big enough for what's about to happen."

Evangeline stared at her, utterly mortified. "And what exactly is about to happen?"

"You'll know when you get there," Hadley said sweetly, her grin widening.

Evangeline let out a frustrated groan and dropped back onto the bed. "This is insane."

"Insane or not, you don't have a choice," Hadley sang, and then the screen disappeared.

Evangeline sat there for a moment, staring at the ceiling as the cesspool of dread in her stomach only increased.

"Fine," she muttered, pushing herself off the bed. "Let's fucking do this."

Evangeline slipped off her slippers, wincing as her bare feet touched the cold marble floor. She opened the door just enough to peek outside, her heart hammered against her ribcage.

Two guards stood at the end of the hallway but thankfully their backs were to her.

Okay. Just be deathly quiet and fast.

She tiptoed out of the room as a cold sweat broke out on her back despite the chilly whether. Her pulse was so loud in her ears that she was almost sure the guards could hear it.

She made it down the hallway, ducking behind columns and sneaking past rooms where muffled voices drifted through the doors.

But then she turned a cornerand slammed straight into a wall.

Her eyes flickered up as a new wave of terror washed over her.

No, not a wall… Giovanni.

For a moment, neither of them moved. Giovanni's sharp eyes scanned her from head to toe, taking in her messy hair, her bare feet, and the way she froze like a deer caught in the headlights.

Evangeline forced an innocent smile onto her face as her heart thundered.

Giovanni's gaze darkened, and his jaw tightened.

Without a word, he reached into his suit and pulled out his gun.

Evangeline's pupils constricted in terror as she stumbled back a step. "W-wait," she stammered, holding up her hands in surrender.

Giovanni didn't even flinch. His voice was cold, and terrifying. "Ever since we met, you have lied to me. I should've locked you up the second I saw you, fucking thief."

Her breath hitched. There was no trace of the playful smirk, no glimmer of attraction. His face was now a mask of hatred and disgust.

Then he raised the gun.

Evangeline panicked. She did the only thing she could think of… she did a full 180 and ran like her life depended on it, because it did.

The first gunshot caused a scream to erupt from her throat. The sound was loud and sharp as it echoed against the walls.

Evangeline's bare feet slapped against the floor as she bolted down the hallway, her heart pounding so hard she thought it might burst.

"Stop her!" Giovanni barked, his voice like a whip.

Guards appeared everywhere, but she slipped past them through sheer luck.

Her body was now moving on pure adrenaline.

Another shot whizzed past her head, so close she could feel the heat of it.

Shit! shit!! shit!!!

She skidded into the courtyard, the cold night air slapped against her face. She spun around, looking for an escape, but she was surrounded at every corner.

And they were closing in.

"Hadley!" she screamed as her voice broke. "Tell me what to do."

Her system pinged, and the two gemstones appeared in her hands, glowing brightly blue and red.

"Smash them together as hard as you can to activate them!" Hadley's voice rang out in her head.

"What?!" Evangeline shouted back, her voice trembling.

"Do it, Eva! Now! Stop being a chicken, we're about to fucking die!"

The guards froze at the sight of the gemstones, their glowing light casting eerie shadows across the courtyard. Giovanni stepped forward, his gun still raised, but his eyes were wide with disbelief.

"What the fuck," he muttered, his voice was barely audible.

The wind picked up, swirling around Evangeline like a vortex. Her hair whipped around her face, and the air seemed to crackle with power.

Her hands shook as she stared at the gemstones.

"Do it!" Hadley yelled.

With a deep breath, Evangeline smashed the two gemstones together.

The moment they connected, a blinding purple light erupted from their point of contact. The energy was so intense that it knocked her back and she landed on the hard floor with a thud.

A glowing purple orb of light formed in her hands, pulsing with unearthly energy.

The guards stumbled back, their weapons forgotten. Giovanni stood frozen, his face a mix of shock and something that almost looked like a primal fear of the unknown.

And then the orb exploded into a white light, swallowing everything around her.

Evangeline's consciousness slipped away a she fell into the void.