Chapter 9 - The Final Storm
"Tear them apart! Get the specimen!" Vance yelled, realizing he was losing control of the situation.
But the distraction had given Aiden the opening he needed. Using the last of his strength, Aiden grabbed a heavy metal fire extinguisher from the wall and hurled it at the glass vacuum chamber containing the Tear.
The reinforced glass shattered into a million glittering shards. The golden sapphire rolled across the floor.
"No!" Vance screamed.
Aiden lunged, snatching the warm, glowing stone just as Vance tackled him to the ground. They struggled, Vance clawing at Aiden’s face, desperate to reclaim the prize.
"You're ruining everything!" Vance screamed. "We could have ruled the world with her power! We could have conquered the ocean!"
"The ocean isn't yours to conquer!" Aiden roared, slamming his elbow into Vance's jaw. Vance spun away, groaning.
Aiden scrambled toward Pearl, who was lying weakly on the deck, her scales dulling to a faint gray. The effort of holding back her destructive power was killing her.
"Pearl, hold on!" Aiden cried. He pressed the glowing golden sapphire against her tiny chest, right over her heart. "Please, live."
The moment the stone touched her skin, it liquefied, absorbing into her chest in a warm, blinding golden wave.
A massive shockwave of pure, clean energy rippled outward from the estate. It didn't destroy; it healed. The rusted metal of the docks was instantly restored, the polluted, murky water of the bay turned crystal clear, and the dark storm clouds in the sky parted to reveal a brilliant, starry night.
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The security guards dropped their weapons, staring in absolute awe. Vance fell to his knees, his jaw slack as he stared at the transformation.
"It's... beautiful," Marcus whispered from the background, having followed them in secret, his hatred completely washed away by the light.
