Down the void

The morning sun broke over the horizon, its light spilling through the windows of the council chamber where Lyra, Thalor, and Orion stood in silence. The atmosphere in the room was thick with tension, the weight of Alekos’s threat hanging over them like a storm cloud. The rest of the council had gathered, each of them bearing the same grim expression.

Lyra sat in the large chair at the head of the room, her fingers tapping lightly on the surface of the stone table in front of her. The memory of Alekos’s message from the previous night played over and over in her mind. His words had unsettled her, not because they were unexpected, but because they fed into her own fears about the Void’s grip on her. It wasn’t just an enemy’s taunt—it was a truth she didn’t want to face.

Thalor, standing beside her, placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her from the spiraling thoughts. She looked up at him, his strong features set in a protective expression. He knew she was struggling, and though he had promised to be by her side, this was a battle she wasn’t sure anyone could help her win.

Orion cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the council members. “The message from Alekos was a clear provocation. He’s pushing Lyra to use the Void, to succumb to its power. We have no choice but to prepare for a confrontation. The question is—what’s his endgame?”

One of the council members, an older man with streaks of silver in his hair, leaned forward. “Alekos has always wanted control of the Void. Now that Lyra possesses it, he may be trying to break her down so he can claim it for himself.”

Another council member, a woman with sharp blue eyes, crossed her arms. “The Void isn’t something that can be controlled easily. If Lyra succumbs, Alekos won’t just take the Void—he’ll unleash it on all of us.”

Lyra felt the pressure building inside her. The weight of responsibility seemed to grow heavier with every word. She was their hope, their weapon against Alekos, but she was also the greatest danger. She knew better than anyone how close she had come to losing herself to the Void in the previous battle. Each time she tapped into it, the power grew more alluring, more insidious.

“I don’t want to be the reason this city falls,” Lyra said softly, her voice strained. “But I can feel it… every day, the Void’s hold on me gets stronger.”

The room fell silent, the gravity of her words sinking in. They were counting on her to fight Alekos, to wield the power of the Void, but at what cost?

Thalor’s hand tightened on her shoulder. “We’ll find a way to stop him without letting the Void consume you.”

Lyra wanted to believe him, but deep down, she knew the truth. The more she resisted the Void, the stronger it became. She had fought against its pull for so long, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that the only way to defeat Alekos was to embrace the very thing she feared.

Orion stepped forward. “I’ve been working with the archives. There are ancient texts that speak of a way to suppress the Void’s influence. It’s a ritual, but it requires great sacrifice.”

Lyra’s eyes snapped to his, hope flaring for the briefest moment. “What kind of sacrifice?”

Orion hesitated, his gaze flickering to Thalor before he answered. “The Void feeds on emotion—on love, fear, anger, everything that makes us human. To suppress it, you’d have to give up your connection to those emotions. You’d lose yourself in the process.”

Lyra’s breath caught in her throat. The idea of giving up her emotions, her humanity—it was too high a price to pay. Her gaze flickered to Thalor, who was already shaking his head, his expression hardening.

“No,” Thalor said firmly. “We’re not doing that. There has to be another way.”

Orion’s face softened with understanding. “I don’t like it either, but we need to consider every option. If Alekos pushes Lyra too far, she may lose control of the Void completely. This ritual could be the only way to stop that from happening.”

The council members murmured in agreement, but Lyra felt sick to her stomach. She had already sacrificed so much—her normal life, her safety, her peace of mind. Could she really give up her emotions too? What kind of existence would that leave her with? An empty shell, devoid of the very things that made her who she was.

“We’ll think about it,” Thalor said, his tone final. He looked down at Lyra, his eyes softening. “But we’re not making any decisions today.”

Lyra nodded, grateful for his support, but she couldn’t shake the gnawing fear that there might not be another choice. The Void was a force unlike any other, ancient and unyielding. It demanded control, and if she couldn’t tame it, then Alekos would use it to destroy everything.

The meeting ended soon after, the council members dispersing with heavy hearts. Lyra stood slowly, her body tense, her mind racing with the possibilities. She wanted to run, to escape the weight of the decision she would eventually have to make. But there was nowhere to go. No matter where she turned, the Void was always with her, lurking just beneath the surface.

Thalor was quiet as they walked back to their quarters. He hadn’t said much after Orion’s revelation, but she could feel the turmoil rolling off him. He was scared too, though he would never admit it. She could see it in the way his jaw clenched, the way his eyes flickered with uncertainty.

“Thalor,” she said softly as they entered the room. “What if there really isn’t another way?”

He turned to face her, his expression unreadable. “I don’t believe that. We’ll find another way. I won’t let you lose yourself, Lyra. Not to the Void, not to anyone.”

Lyra’s heart ached at his words. She knew he meant them, that he would fight for her until his last breath. But the fear that had been growing inside her for weeks was becoming too loud to ignore. She had felt the Void’s pull during their last battle with Alekos, and it had taken everything in her not to give in. She wasn’t sure she could hold out much longer.

“I’m scared,” she admitted, her voice trembling.

Thalor closed the distance between them, pulling her into his arms. “I know,” he whispered against her hair. “But you’re not alone. ”

As Lyra leaned into him, the warmth of his embrace offering a fleeting sense of peace, she knew the truth that neither of them wanted to admit. In the end, she would have to face the Void alone.