24. Chapter 24
The storm raged. Arctic winds tore across the barren landscape, carrying sheets of hail that struck any who dared venture into the tempest, while giant vines erupted from the ground, writhing through the air like monstrous tentacles. Despite the hellish landscape, a lone figure sped deeper into the Underworld, desperate to save it from destruction. And she knew she had no time to waste.
Zoe rode the powerful winds, battling their strength as she raced to the heart of the Underworld. She wove between the vines as they burst from the splintered earth, and pressed on to Persephone’s Tree, where two figures battled. She watched in horror as Swindleton carved through the vines with his chainsaw, desperate to reach the source of the Underworld’s power, while Shadow summoned his powers, and shielded the vast tree with a wall of vines. But as deep fractures opened in the earth, revealing the darkness of Tartarus below, Zoe knew it would only be a matter of time until the entire Underworld was destroyed. And there was only one person capable of stopping it.
“Shadow!”
Zoe’s cry echoed through the heavens. But Shadow’s gaze remained cold and unyielding, lost in the darkness as he sought to protect the Underworld from its invaders. Her heart sank as a wall of vines blocked her path, until she called to him once more.
“Shadow, please! You have to listen to me–”
The roar of a chainsaw drowned out Zoe’s cries. She turned to see Swindleton carve a path through the vines, until he loomed before her.
“Out of my way, Zoe!” The roar of Swindleton’s chainsaw reverberated in the air, while a sneer crept across his lips. “Whatever you’re hiding in there, it’s mine.”
“Swindleton, you don’t understand!”
“No, you don’t understand. I won’t let some cheap magic tricks and a bunch of unruly weeds stand in my way.“ Swindleton’s eyes gleamed malevolently in the moonlight. “And there’s nothing you can do to stop me!”
Swindleton revved his chainsaw once more, before he cleared a path towards Persephone’s Tree. His eyes were wild with the promise of power, like a predator closing in on its prey. Zoe lunged for the chainsaw, but cursed as her hands drifted through it. She swore under her breath, knowing that Swindleton was right. In her spectral form, she was powerless to stop him.
“Swindleton, please!” Zoe watched in horror as the Underworld’s magic reacted to his presence, until great vines tore through the ground, sending chunks of earth tumbling into the shadowy depths of Tartarus below. “There’s something special about this town. A magic that lies beneath its surface. You just need to open your eyes to it.”
Swindleton glanced at the landscape in disbelief. Where once, fields of delicate flowers had emerged from their slumber, now a hellish landscape lay before them. Howling winds tore across the barren lands, while the very earth cracked and crumbled into the abyss below. Zoe’s heart sank at the sight, knowing that the Underworld’s beauty had succumbed to the darkness once again, just like its master.
“I should have known you wouldn’t have the guts to pull off a job like this.” A streak of lightning flashed in the heavens, illuminating Swindleton’s sneer. “The trouble with you is that you’ve always let your heart get in the way of business.”
“Perhaps my heart isn’t the weakness you make it out to be.” Zoe glanced at a nearby will-ó-wisp, its golden light ebbing as it witnessed the destruction of its home. Within the gentle beating of its wings, she could hear the faint melody of the Underworld. “Please, Swindleton. You can still do the right thing. You just need to listen to your heart.”
Swindleton followed her gaze, until he watched the tiny creature before him. It approached cautiously, until its light slowly bathed him in a soft and warming glow. As the light reflected in Swindleton’s eyes, Zoe sensed something long-forgotten stir within him. His sneer softened, until he watched the dancing will-ó-wisp in awe.
“Huh, I suppose that is rather pretty…”
Swindleton stood transfixed by the tiny creature, until he slowly lowered his chainsaw to the ground. An inner light bloomed within his eyes, reawakening after years of being lost within the darkness. A light that sparkled with wonder, growing stronger as each second passed. A light that could once again help him see the magic in the world…
An explosion of rock and dust filled the air, breaking the magic of the moment. Zoe gasped as a machine drilled into the roots of Persephone’s Tree, before it scuttled towards Swindleton, the golden magic of the Underworld held within its body. He spluttered in disbelief as he studied the readings, before he plucked the small vial from the machine’s body. And where his eyes had once shimmered with an inner light, now they gleamed with something altogether different. Greed.
“Do you want to know what’s in my heart?” Swindleton broke into a cruel smile as the ground fractured, oblivious to the wails of the damned that drifted from Tartarus below. “Money. Power. A corner office that will be the envy of every colleague. And once I deliver this power to Mr. Gravesend, everything I ever wished for will be mine.”
Zoe cursed as Swindleton revved the chainsaw once more. So much for appealing to his good side. He was too blinded by his own greed to ever see the magic in the world. She staggered backwards as the ground splintered, sending great boulders of earth plummeting into the abyss of Tartarus below.
“Swindleton, you have to stop!”
“Why on earth would I stop now? This is just the beginning!” The ground beneath Swindleton trembled, but his gaze remained focused on the vial of magic clutched within his hands. “And as the new President of Chthonic Power Solutions, I’ll be one of the most powerful men in the world!”
Deep splinters formed in the ground beneath Swindleton, while the wails of Tartarus’ undead drifted from the darkness below. But Swindleton studied the vial, his greed blinding him to the imminent danger.
“Swindleton, please. You have to leave, before it’s too late…”
“I’ll amass all the riches in the world! I’ll have power others can only dream of! I’ll reach the heights of the corporate ladder! All of it will be mine, and nothing can stop me!” Swindleton paused as a deep tremor shook the earth, before he looked at the ground in surprise. “What the…”
A giant vine burst through the ground, destroying the earth beneath Swindleton’s feet. He staggered from the impact, until the vial flew from his grasp and plummeted towards the depths of Tartarus. He leaped after it, until he yelped in surprise as his suit jacket snagged on a vine, breaking his fall. He tried desperately to reach the vial of magic, only to swear in frustration as it remained out of his grasp. But as a sea of shadowy hands emerged from the gloom of Tartarus, his curses turned to a blood-curdling scream of terror.
“What the…” Swindleton’s cry of terror echoed through the darkness as he called to Zoe once more. “Who are they? What do they want?”
“They were some of the most powerful people in the world. People obsessed with money, and status, and power, just like you…”
Swindleton glanced fearfully at the shrouded figures of the damned, and shuddered as their wails carried in the wind. “But… why are they down there?”
“Because their greed chains them to the darkness.” Zoe rolled her eyes as Swindleton desperately tried to reach the vial below. “Just like you.”
“Hey, get your greedy hands off of my sample!“ Swindleton barked at the sea of outstretched hands, before he turned to Zoe pleadingly. “You know as well as I do that there’s enough power in that sample to change the world. Now help me!”
“I’m afraid you’re going to have to help yourself, Swindleton.” Zoe folded her arms and fixed him with a stern glare. “Either give up your reckless pursuit of power, before it’s too late. Or one way or another, you’ll end up lost in the darkness of Tartarus.”
“If you think idle threats will stop me from getting what I want, then you’re quite mistaken…” Swindleton shrieked as he slipped from the vine’s grasp, until he swayed precariously above the depths of Tartarus. He groaned as a vine tendril reached towards him, offering him a helping hand to reach the surface, until he shook his head in despair. “I’ve spent my entire life working towards this very moment. If I stop now, what will l have left?”
Zoe smiled, and glanced at the sign of the motel in the distance.
“You’ll have the chance to start over. To open your eyes to the magic in the world. To live.“ As Swindleton’s suit jacket began to slip from its hold, the tendrils reached towards him once more. “Please, make the right decision, before it’s too late.”
“I always said you let your heart get in the way of business.” Swindleton glanced longingly at the vial that gleamed in the darkness below, before he groaned in defeat, and reached for the tendrils. “Fine, have it your way. Oh!”
Swindleton cried out in surprise as more vines burst through the earth, until explosions of rock and debris filled the air. Zoe watched in horror as they gathered before Persephone’s Tree, weaving together to create an impenetrable barrier. A lone figure stood within them, lending the vines his strength, until he sealed himself within the darkness.
“Shadow!” Despite Zoe’s call, Shadow’s eyes remained lost. She turned to Swindleton as he dangled above the depths of Tartarus, and called across the howling winds. “Wait there! And don’t touch anything!”
“You’re just going to leave me here?” Swindleton’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Where on earth are you going?”
Zoe flashed him a grin, and turned to face Persephone’s Tree. “I’m going to follow my heart.”
At once, Zoe sped towards the tree. She flew along the breezes in her spirit form, and wove between the vines as they tore across the landscape. With a flash of golden light, she arrived at the wall of thorns, where Shadow awaited within the darkness.
“Shadow!” Zoe called to him through the barricade of vines. “Shadow, please, you don’t have to do this.”
Zoe’s breath faltered as he slowly met her gaze. Where once, his eyes had shimmered with an inner light, now they were jet black, and lost within the darkness.
“I have to protect the Underworld.” Shadow’s power strengthened the vines, until the wall of thorns grew between them. “I have to protect my kingdom.”
Zoe watched fearfully as the vines closed in, entombing him within their darkness. They grew from his despair, lashing out at any who would dare to trespass. But despite the fearsome sight, Zoe held his gaze, and took another step closer.
“It’s my kingdom too.” Zoe offered Shadow her hand as she neared, sending golden rays scattering through the gloom. “Let me help you, Shadow. Let’s save the Underworld, together.”
Despite her plea, Shadow remained lost within his despair. Zoe’s heart sank as she looked from his dark eyes to the impenetrable wall of vines that closed in. Within their tendrils, she could feel Shadow’s pain, as he shielded himself with thorns and isolated himself from the world once more. And she knew it was up to her to save him.
“You’ve spent an eternity lost in the darkness.” Zoe watched as the vines ensnared Shadow, entwining themselves around his limbs like serpents. “But that’s no way to live. And no matter how hard you try to push me away, I won’t leave you in the shadows any longer.”
As the storm raged in the heavens, Zoe closed her eyes and reached out to the Underworld. She begged for its forgiveness. She pleaded for its help to save the man she loved. But as the Arctic winds howled, and the vines grew in strength, its magic remained out of her reach.
“Please.” Zoe whispered into the winds, letting them carry her plea. “Please let me save him. Let me save the magic of the Underworld.”
Zoe’s eyes widened as something stirred in her heart. Something faint, weakened by the darkness that spread across the lands, yet unmistakable. The melody of the Underworld’s song.
Slowly, she drew on its strength, channeling it through her body, until she radiated with a golden aura. Against the darkness of the landscape, she gleamed like a beacon of light, until the vines retreated from her touch. She watched in astonishment as the wall of vines slowly parted, while the ferocity of the storm ebbed into a gentle breeze.
“You saved me from the darkness, Shadow.” Zoe offered her hand, sending a golden light scattering through the gloom. “And now it’s time for me to return the favor.”
As Zoe’s light radiated through the darkness, the vines slowly released Shadow from their grasp. He drew a startled breath, and looked at Zoe in surprise, as if awakening from a trance.
“Zoe?” A golden spark of hope ignited within the darkness of his eyes. “You… you came back.”
“I made a promise to you, and to the Underworld.” Zoe stepped closer, and broke into a smile. “And it means you’ll never be alone again.”
Shadow stepped from the darkness, until a golden light bloomed between them, sending the last of the vines retreating into the depths of the earth. Their bodies met in an explosion of magical light, melting through the gloom, until he kissed her with the essence of his very soul. It was a kiss of forgiveness. A kiss of magic. A kiss that transcended the boundaries of life and death.
As the light returned to Shadow’s eyes, the darkness of the Underworld receded. Zoe looked in astonishment as the howling winds faded, as the skies cleared, and the ruby-colored buds of Persephone’s Tree gleamed once more. The specters gathered by the tree in a puff of smoke, and cheered in celebration as the Underworld returned to its true form.
“Well, that sure was a grand reopening party to remember!” Spooks whistled as he gazed at the splintered and fractured land. “I guess disaster has been averted after all.”
A shrill ringing sound warbled through the air, interrupting the peace of the moment. Zoe watched in surprise as Cerberus bounded towards her, her laptop held in his jaws. The screen flickered to life of its own accord, until a familiar face greeted her.
“Mr. Gravesend?”
“It’s about time, Zoe.” Her boss’ eyes narrowed in displeasure. “I trust there’s a good reason you’ve missed my calls?”
Zoe gulped as she glanced at the war-torn landscape. “Well, it’s a little difficult to explain–”
Mr. Gravesend sighed wearily, casting long shadows across his face.
“I had such hopes that you would rise to the occasion, Zoe.” A dark shadow flickered within Mr. Gravesend’s eyes, while his lips curled into a cruel smile. “But, I suppose some things are best left to the professionals.”
An eerie silence descended across the Underworld. As the sound of scuttling legs filled the air, Zoe glanced at the horizon warily, to see dozens of spider-like machines emerge from the darkness.
“Your pursuit of power has to end.” Zoe’s hands balled into fists as she turned to her laptop. “You have no idea what’s here, Mr. Gravesend. No idea what you could unleash.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, my dear.” Mr. Gravesend’s eyes gleamed with malice. “From the moment I saw those readings, I knew exactly what you’d discovered. A site of power. A site I have been trying to find for centuries.”
Zoe glanced at the screen in surprise. She knew Mr. Gravesend was old, but hadn’t expected him to be that ancient. “Centuries?”
“That’s right, my dear.” Mr. Gravesend’s lips stretched into a smile. “And now, I think it’s time I pay you a little visit.”
Zoe watched in horror as a cloud of darkness poured from her laptop screen. A shiver ran down her spine as the shadows bloomed and stretched, until a figure stepped from the darkness.
“Mr.Gravesend?”
But Zoe’s breath faltered as Shadow tensed beside her.
“That’s not Mr. Gravesend.”
Zoe turned to Shadow in bewilderment. His eyes were narrowed into a cold glare, while every muscle in his body was tensed, as if ready to spring into battle.
“But if that’s not Mr. Gravesend, then who is he?”
As Spooks and the remaining specters released a whimper at the strange sight, Shadow turned to face her. And as Zoe met his gaze, she saw something stir within his eyes. Fear.
“Charon. He’s returned.”