Page 7 of Alien Guardian's Vow
"I think," I admitted, my voice but a whisper, "I broke it."
VAREK
The vibrations beneath my feet grew stronger, more discordant, with each step deeper into the ruins. The air grew thick, tasting of ozone and something else—something ancient and unwell.
Humans never understood danger when it stood invisible before them, humming with power they couldn't comprehend. The Council's warnings about the woman Rivera proved correct—her tracks led straight toward this forbidden section, ignoring the faded glyphs that screamed caution.
I rounded the corner just as a blinding surge of silver-blue energy erupted from an alcove ahead. My lifelines flared instantly, a searing pain accompanying the uncontrolled energy wave—a warning I didn't need. The corridor filled with a high-pitched whine as ancient systems, dormant for centuries, lurched into activation. Containment protocols engaged, triggered by the very interference I was sent to prevent.
"No!"
The shout, thin and panicked, came from inside the alcove as a shimmering energy field materialized across its entrance, sealing it completely. Through the wavering, multi-hued distortion, I caught sight of Rivera, her human markings blazing across her skin like liquid moonlight spilled beneath the surface. She slammed her palm against the inside of the barrier, her face twisted with alarm and sudden comprehension of her folly.
Exactly as the Elders predicted.Humans and their endless curiosity, their compulsion to touch what should remain untouched. The ancient technology responded to her marked status, just as our fragmented histories warned. A grim rush of vindication swept through me, quickly replaced by genuine alarm as the field's energy signature fluctuated wildly, spitting sparks against the corridor walls. My lifelines pulsed with painful intensity, translating the chaotic energy into physical discomfort.
This wasn't a stable containment. The readings pulsing through my body indicated critical instability. The corridor's ambient temperature rose several degrees in seconds, the air growing heavy, difficult to breathe.
"What did you do?" I called out, moving closer despite the danger signals coursing through my body, my hand resting instinctively on the hilt of my blade.
"I didn't—" Her voice cut through the field's insistent hum, distorted but audible. "The diagnostic panel activated when I approached! It just... reacted! I barely touched it!"
Typical human excuse.Blame the machine, not the hand that activated it.The damage was done. My duty required me to report this immediately, yet the field's increasing instability suggested there might not be time. The settlement lay too close, too vulnerable, to risk delay while I fetched Elders who would only confirm what I already saw.
I stepped forward, forcing myself into the cold assessment of tactical focus drilled into me since youth. This wasn't just about one human's foolishness anymore. The field's violent fluctuations threatened more than just her life. Its potential energy release could compromise this entire section, perhaps trigger a cascade failure in whatever lay deeper within these ruins.
The acrid smell of ozone stung my nostrils as I cautiously approached the containment field. Energy arced erratically from its shimmering surface to the surrounding walls, leaving scorched, blackened patterns on the ancient stone. The corridor's ambient emergency lighting dimmed then brightened with each pulse, struggling against the power drain.
Rivera stood on the other side, her face pale but determined, illuminated by the shifting colors of the field and the eerie silver glow of her own markings. She pressed her hands against a console inside the alcove, fingers moving with surprising confidence across symbols no human should understand, let alone manipulate. Even through the distortion of the energy field, her eyes locked with mine—steady, unyielding. She wasn’t afraid. And I hated how much I noticed that. How much I respected it. How much I wanted to break that composure.
"Stop touching things!"I ordered, my voice sharp with command as I examined the damaged external control panel beside the field. "You've done enough damage already!"
"I'm trying to shut it down!" She didn't look up from her frantic work. "The field's destabilizing. Can't you feel it?"
I could. My lifelines burned along my skin, a constant thrumming ache responding to the chaotic energy signature radiating from the alcove. I focused on the external panel, inputting the first standard override sequence taught to all Nyxari warriors—a basic precaution for accidental encounters with ancient technology. The panel flickered weakly, displayed a corrupted glyph, then went dark. Dead.
"Did you just make it worse?" Rivera asked, staring at me through the wavering barrier, frustration clear in her voice.
I ignored her, trying the second sequence, inputting the commands directly into the access port beneath the dead screen. The field flared violently in response, forcing me back a step as a shower of angry orange sparks erupted from the panel. The corridor lights dimmed completely for several heartbeats before emergency illumination flickered back on—another ancient system responding sluggishly to the escalating disturbance.
Useless."The traditional codes aren't working," I stated grimly, trying a third sequence, more complex than the others, designed for deeper system access. The field pulsed dangerously, its color shifting from unstable blue to an angry, boiling orange. The air temperature spiked again.
"Stop!" Rivera shouted, pulling her hands back from the internal console. "Whatever you're doing is making the energy signature more erratic! It's feeding back!"
My jaw tightened. She stood trapped inside dangerous technology she had activated, yet presumed to give me orders? But my lifelines confirmed her assessment—the field grew exponentially more unstable with each failed override attempt. The energy felt... wrong. Twisted.
I studied the readings flowing through my body, the patterns of instability my lifelines translated. The containment wouldn't hold much longer. Minutes, perhaps less. When it failed, the energy release could damage this entire section of ruins. If the power core beneath us, the source of this instability, destabilized... the resulting explosion could reach the settlement.
"The field will breach soon," I said, forcing calm into my voice, masking the urgency I felt. "The resulting energy release could be catastrophic."
Rivera's expression shifted from frustration to dawning comprehension, then fear. "How long?"
"Minutes, perhaps less."
She returned her attention to the internal console, her movements quick but precise now, desperation replacing frustration. "There must be an emergency shutdown sequence. Something local."
"Don't touch anything else!" My voice hardened with authority. "You've caused enough damage with your meddling!"
"I'm trying to fix it!" she shot back, glaring at me through the field.
