40- Till The End
The two adventurers looked at her without understanding, both panting. They just watched as she slowly made her way towards the veil of energy that was emerging from the depths of the earth. Understanding what she had in mind, Kurtis reacted immediately. But in a quick and precise move, the assistant suddenly cocked the glove, and held it out in front of her. A powerful red-orange blast burst from her fingers, hurtling towards him like a gigantic wave of fire.
He dodged this first attack nimbly, slaloming between the rocks to try to catch up with the Norwegian before she came into contact with the source. In his haste, the mercenary skidded on the unstable rocks, losing his balance for a brief second. The semi-Nephilim took advantage to aim at him again. This time, the American had no time to react. He saw the fire coming straight at him, it was too late to get out of its reach. He felt the heat literally pierce his body, the blast threw him into the air. He fell a little further between the steep rocks, before Lara's helplessness and wide open eyes.
The mercenary rolled in the sand before finally coming to a stop in a cloud of dust. The adventuress stood up abruptly on her hands, her eyes fixed on his silhouette, which did not move. Several seconds passed without anything happening. An unreal calm slowly fell over the desert landscape and the three tall pyramids, everything became suddenly and strangely quiet. There was no more movement around them.
Then all of a sudden, the Lux Veritatis' body was shaken with a spasm, as if it had just taken a violent electric shock. He gasped loudly, and he twisted against the rock on which he lay. His limbs clenched one after the other, he let out a loud grunt, and rolled onto his side. With difficulty, the young man tried to find support and balance to get to his feet. First on all fours, then one leg after another, his body unwound until he was finally fully upright. The blanket of dust that enveloped him did not allow her to see at once exactly what state he was in, but the first thought that came to Lara's mind was that if he had managed to get up, then perhaps the jet had not hit him as badly as she had originally thought.
But as he raised his head towards her, Lara felt her heart stop beating in her chest, petrified at the sight of horror she was now facing. Apart from the blood that had stuck to his shirt in impressive quantities, he didn't seem to be badly hurt. But underneath the hair that had fallen back on his forehead, she made out a destabilizing neutral expression on his face and most of all, she noticed his naturally azure eyes were now replaced by a deep black colour. The young woman recoiled in spite of herself.
"We'll see which of us is the bigger loser in this story," Saija said in an acid, piercing voice.
Lara turned to her. Her gaze met the two glittering pupils of her enemy, who observed her with more contempt than ever and also a certain strange satisfaction. In a slow movement, also tinged with irony, Saija then stepped closer to the nephilim source, which started twisting around her fingers. At its touch, she clearly savoured the effect the energy had on her, her face lighting up with pleasure as she felt the power diffuse through her.
Lara let out a cry of rage. Although still a little bit stunned, she gathered her strength and stood up as quickly as she could. In a desperate move, she threw herself forward, hoping to catch Saija and pull her away from the source. But the young woman was more responsive. The glove on her arm lit up powerfully and before the Englishwoman could react, the Norwegian had targeted her. She collapsed, hit and thrown a few meters away by the wave of energy.
The pain was sharp, she felt it spread over every inch of her skin in an unbearable tingling. For a fraction of a second, she felt like literally tearing it off herself. She plunged her fingers into the sand and dirt, and arched her back as she fought this burning sensation from the inside. A new moan escaped from her mouth. With difficulty, she forced herself onto her side, before getting to her feet. Saija was out of range for the moment, and didn't seem to be paying any attention to her though, now focused on the nephilim source. But it was not from her that the danger would come immediately.
Lara turned around. The moment her eyes fell on Kurtis, or at least on his human appearance, the young man suddenly started to move, as if he had just come out of a vegetative state that had left him impassive until then. The Englishwoman saw him leap and run with long strides towards her, moving from one rock to another with disconcerting ease, almost without effort. The young woman's hands slid to her weapons and closed on them. Her gaze did not leave the American.
"Resist," she murmured, even though she herself was not convinced by these words at all.
The mercenary moved with a smooth, confident step between the uneven rocks. He was coming straight at her, at a speed that even a ferocious animal would not have reached in such a terrain. She held back until the last moment, but realising that the Lux Veritatis was completely possessed, Lara finally drew her 9mm. She felt the pressure rise inside herself.
The young man didn't react in the least to the weapons pointed at him. He didn't even seem to pay attention to them. Like an agile animal, he continued to slither between the rocks, inexorably closing in. Lara gritted her teeth and fired the first shot, taking care not to aim directly at him. The bullet ricocheted just in front of his feet, digging a furrow in the sand. But the American did not even slow down, and showed no sign of surprise. After several meters, he finally took a powerful impulse, and literally leapt into the air. The young woman visualized his powerful and tense body, but especially the expression of his face still closed on her. She followed his movement with the barrel of her weapons, but did not have the strength to fire when he was exactly in her line of sight.
Instead, she simply took a step to the side to avoid him. The mercenary passed right by her, and skidded into the sand and dust. No sooner had he touched the ground than he immediately stabilized himself with the hands and turned around to go again. He pushed on his legs and straightened up to run in her direction. Lara fired a few shots, again more to make him retreat than to actually hurt him. One of them grazed him quite deeply in the biceps, but again the American did not react. He charged straight at her, head down, his fists clenched and ready to strike. The adventuress fired another shot, he threw his fist forward when he finally reached her. Lara suddenly crouched down to dodge the fist that swept through the air above her head. She hooked her legs and the American toppled over. He fell next to her, but immediately stood up. He rushed at her and put his arm around her throat to block her. Lara staggered and hiccupped in surprise at the force the man was exerting on her neck. She held her weapons tightly and tried to hit him in the head. The American grabbed one of her hands, and after putting pressure on her wrist made her drop the first weapon, which fell at her feet.
Lara tried to retaliate with her elbow. She ploughed into his ribs and abdomen. The mercenary tightened his grip around her, almost lifting her off the ground. She suffocated a little more, clawing at his arms to make him let go. Feeling the air running dangerously low, Lara redoubled her efforts. She threw her elbow again, and this time she hit exactly the weak point she was aiming for: the wound made by the Argentine's knife.
The aventuress had to strike relentlessly and harder even though she was at the end of her strength, before she felt that her assailant was finally giving in. She suddenly felt the pressure of Kurtis's arm release, air rushed painfully into her bruised lungs. Her strength returned, though the pain in her crushed throat was sharp. She grabbed the mercenary by the arms, and bent down abruptly. The young man, taken by surprise, staggered slightly forward. The adventuress took advantage of this momentum to pull with all her strength and made him topple over her. He landed on his back with a thud, and let out a loud grunt.
But he had not let go of her. In turn, he grabbed her by her shirt and pulled on the arm he still held firmly between his fingers. The young woman found herself suspended in the air for a brief second, before falling back to the dusty ground. This time, however, she was able to break her fall, and rolled nimbly to regain her balance. Her long braid whipped through the air as she sat up. Leaning on one knee, both hands clasped around her 9mm, she pointed the gun at Kurtis. Her gaze met the young man's completely blank and non-existent one, the grimace on his face not boding well for what was to come.
The Lux Veritatis rolled to his feet and charged, Lara's finger pulled the trigger. Kurtis, or perhaps what was still human in him, let out a cry of pain and stopped dead in his tracks. He was bent in two. One of his hands was pressing on the wound that had formed somewhere above his hip, which was bleeding profusely. Large drops were spilling onto the ground around him. But very soon the blood that was escaping from him became less, until no more drops fell. The mercenary's breathing gradually calmed down. Under his bloody hand, Lara realised the wound, which had been open only seconds before, was already healing.
The mercenary's two black pupils seemed to catch the surprise in the young woman's. Perhaps it was from the brief contact Kurtis had had with the source, or perhaps it was related to the bond Saija had created to manipulate him. In any case, this was bad news for the tomb raider. For he clearly had no intention of giving her a break.
She didn't have time to think of a plan of attack when the mercenary was already coming towards her at full speed, brandishing his fist covered in blood. The young woman slid to the side and blocked his arm with one hand, before hitting him in the abdomen with a violent knee. The man grunted, she felt him loose his breath, he fell to his knees. Out of the corner of her eye, she then saw the mercenary's other fist coming at her. She tried to shield herself from the blow, but he managed to hit her in the flank. She groaned, but managed to stop the second punch the American was about to throw at her. She leaned to the side to avoid it, and immediately grabbed the wrist to block it. With a sharp and precise blow, she pulled on it and made it twist backwards. The mercenary slumped slightly on himself, grimacing. But just as she thought she had blocked his movements, the young man straightened up and struck her with a violent blow to the head. Lara felt his forehead hit hers with force. The shock wave was brutal, she let go and went backwards. She fell on her back with a cry of both stupor and pain.
She did not have time to touch the ground as she rolled on her side to escape once again the fist that was coming down on her. The Lux Veritatis' fingers hit the ground and raised a small cloud of dust. In his position, he had no time to counter the young woman's attack, who hit him with a powerful kick. He turned his head to protect himself, but this did not allow him to cushion the blow.
Visibly annoyed, he then pulled his arm free and held it out towards Lara. The adventuress felt an invisible breath push her backwards. She took off abruptly from the ground and floated in the air before falling back a little further. She hit a first rock, went over it and collapsed on another one a little further. Her vision blurred slightly. Her lips tasted of blood, her whole body was screaming in pain, but she knew she had no time to feel sorry for herself. Despite everything, she leaned on her hands to push herself up before the American returned to the charge. When she looked up at him, however, she realised that Kurtis had not moved. And before she could make a move, he reached out again. Almost immediately, the young woman felt the invisible force lifting her up with supernatural power, and she fell backwards.
She hit the ground with an unpleasant noise and rolled once more on the rock. She let out several cries of pain as the mercenary pushed her back further and further but also harder and harder against the dark rocks that lay in her path. She could feel the blood pulsing in every corner of her body; in the wound that had formed on her scalp, in her cracked lip, in the burns that the glove had caused on her skin.
And then suddenly everything stopped. Beneath her, the sharp edge of a rock sheared into her back. She gasped for air. She could no longer feel her limbs, could no longer think. She was not even aware of the moan that escaped from her mouth. Above her, the strange shape of a tall, imposing building came into view. There were blue reflections in the air, and a light breeze that gently blew her strands of hair. It took her several seconds to realise where she was.
She suddenly felt the weight of her own body again, and her hand hanging in the void. When she finally managed to turn her head, her doubts were confirmed: they were back on the edge of the precipice. With a superhuman effort, she swung to the side. She was seized by a violent feeling of discomfort, but soon realised that it was because she had been in contact with the smoke. Some of the pain she had felt disappeared slowly and even if not completely, she at least felt that she could get back on her feet, whatever would happen now.
Lara winced as she got back on her elbows and finally stood up. She glanced quickly at the chasm behind her, then at the Lux Veritatis, who was waiting for her a few feet away, standing firmly on his two feet. She couldn't hold back a shiver of disgust when her gaze once again met the young man's empty and absolutely inexpressive one. He seemed impervious to everything that was happening around him, he was just an empty shell of himself.
The adventuress saw him slowly raise his hand in front of him, and immediately understood what was going to happen.
The fight would end here, it was now obvious to her, and she just felt so angry at the idea that Kurtis might never know what was happening. In her head, deep in her gut, it was inconceivable. It couldn't end like this. She felt her limbs trembling all over her body, driven by the adrenaline that was awakening in her. The adrenaline of survival.
She wouldn't beg. It wasn't like her anyway, and in any case, Kurtis wouldn't hear her. Even though what was left of him would hurt her until the last moment, she would hold on. She would resist, and never give up. She would fight to the end.
As she had feared, Kurtis exerted his invisible strength against her to push her. She felt herself slipping and sliding on the rock on which she had stabilised herself. Soon the weight of her body tipped her backwards, unable to resist the pressure. Without the slightest trace of compassion, the mercenary threw her into the precipice. Her heart heaved in her chest as she finally found herself suspended in the void.
It had only been a very short second since she had left the ground, but she could already feel her strength returning in the blue light. Her wounds were regenerating, her pain was slowly disappearing, even as she rushed to her own death. It was then that an idea, precise and clear, crossed her mind. Revived by the powers of the source, Lara opened her eyes wide at the revelation that had just struck her. In a last reflex, she twisted and grabbed the grappling hook from her bag and fired blindly. The metal head of the weapon planted itself far above her, in the chasm's steep wall. The adventuress felt a tension in the rope. And here too, everything went very quickly. Only a few seconds passed between the moment she felt the rope was secure and the moment she finally made contact with the wall.
She landed firmly on both feet. As she looked up, she realised that the edge of the precipice was not so far from where she was standing. Gathering her strength, the Englishwoman began to climb the uneven wall with precise movements, taking advantage of the new-found strength provided by the spring that surrounded her. After a few moments, she reached a sort of natural platform that had formed in the rock. She pulled herself up onto it but did not stand up immediately, preferring to stay under cover. Above her, she could see the sandy ground and the dark, uneven field of rocks. There was no sign of Kurtis, or Saija for that matter, but she already knew they were not far away.
All was silent again. The adventuress couldn't help but glance down at the void, then at the base of the pyramid on the other side of the chasm. She then reached into her bag and pulled out the second shard that Kurtis had thrown at her earlier. For a very brief moment, her eyes watched the blue reflections that gracefully ran across its dark blade. As she slipped her fingers around the thick ivory handle, she felt her heart tighten in her chest. She tried as best she could to control all the emotions that were running through her at that very moment. She knew she had very little time left before Saija became completely invisible, and therefore very little time to end all this mess. She knew in her heart she would not have another opportunity to act. If everything went as she hoped, she might have a chance. For the other problem, however, she would have to think about it, even if she didn't want to think about it. The priority now was the assistant, whatever happened.
With a determined look on her face, the adventuress then took a deep breath and jammed the dagger into the back of her shorts. Then, feeling driven by the energy around her, she finally got to her feet. She grabbed the edge of the precipice above her, and pulled herself up. Soon she found herself back on solid ground, under cover behind a jumble of shattered rocks. Without the slightest hesitation, she climbed the mound of rocks in front of her, and stopped at the top. From there, she saw Saija, a few feet away, turn sharply towards her and her mad, blue eyes like the flames around her focused on her. She looked more like a real nephilim than ever.
"Um, that would have been too easy," she threw at the adventuress, squinting.
But before Lara could get moving and head towards the young assistant, Kurtis had stepped forward and interposed himself to prevent her from passing.
"Don't get in my way," Lara told him through clenched teeth.
Unsurprisingly, the American did not move aside. The Englishwoman then grabbed the shard that was hidden behind her back, and held it firmly in front of her to urge him to keep his distance. She held his empty gaze for a moment, hoping deep down that she could avoid what was inevitably about to happen.
They leapt towards each other at the very same moment. Lara raised the shard above her head, but Kurtis blocked the blow by shielding himself with an arm. The weapon's serrated blade sheared through his skin, a thin stream of blood suddenly appeared and ran down his arm. He pushed the young woman back, then punched her. He then rushed to grab her firmly, wrapping his arms around her to block her movements. Drawn by the mercenary's strength, the adventuress lost balance and went backwards. As they touched the ground, she took advantage of the momentum to place both feet against his torso, and pushed. With the movement's effect, she managed to propel him into the air. He landed heavily a little further away, between two rocks. She heard a grunt, but he steadied himself nimbly and was soon back on his feet. Lara turned around, and stood up just as he did. His movements were jerky, very mechanical, as if he were a robot. No sooner had she caught her breath than the mercenary was moving again, walking towards her with a determined step.
Lara stood ready to face him. Her gaze did not leave the Lux Veritatis, just as her fingers tightened around the shard. She did not know if it was her imagination, but it vibrated slightly in her hand.
Everything was chaos in her head. Her thoughts were racing, all her senses were on alert, as if to warn her that what was happening was not in the natural order of things. She was trying to convince herself that what she was seeing was just a shell used by Saija against her, yet another manipulation. But it was the American who was facing her. And this image caused her a terrible twinge of pain as she realized there was nothing she could do to take him back.
I know that somewhere deep inside you can hear me! Resist her!
But Kurtis just ran at her, his face distorted by rage. She blocked the first punch with her arm, the second with her leg. She retaliated with her own fist, then with her foot several times, with more and more rage. He responded with equal power and strength, aiming with precision and speed. After a well-placed punch in the ribs, he pivoted on himself to gain momentum before throwing his leg in a wide arc. The young woman bent down to dodge the blow. She tried an attack with the periapt shard, but the young man caught her by the wrist and blocked her movement. She answered with a side kick, before he also retaliated with a kick. She leaned back to avoid the boots that came right in her face. She pulled on her arm still locked between the mercenary's fingers to make him swing to the side. He resisted, but she had enough leeway to hit him in turn, right in the side of the face. The Lux Veritatis' head went backwards, but he did not let go. He grabbed the wrist that held the shard with both hands and squeezed to make her let go.
They resisted and pushed each other back for several seconds, muscles flexed to the max. The adventuress' gritted her teeth a little more, clutching desperately at the dagger. She had to keep resisting. Sensing that he was getting the better of her and that her movements were limited, Lara had the idea to drop to the ground and slip between the mercenary's legs. The man toppled and fell forward, carried by the young woman's weight. He suddenly released the pressure on her wrists and she let out a small scream as she felt the blood rush back into her limbs. She skidded into the sand and hurriedly pivoted on herself. She then pushed on her hands to free her legs. She hit the mercenary with the feet before he could stand up. He collapsed on himself, Lara rolled forward. Shard still in hand, she grabbed it with both hands this time and lowered it with all her might into the young man's leg. The dark blade pierced the fabric of his trousers and sank directly into his calf.
The scream Kurtis let out made her shiver. It was with difficulty that she read the pain on his distorted face, but she had to stay focused at all costs. Again, she tried to convince herself she had no other choice at the moment but to face up to the situation and survive as long as possible, even if the image of a positive outcome to this fight was gradually fading.
Kurtis lay on the ground for a moment, writhing around and trying to grab the blade and pull it out. Blood had started to flow again and was spilling all over his clothes and under him. As she reached for the blade, the young man swung around and struck Lara in the face with his foot. She toppled over and fell backwards, stunned. Her head hit the ground hard. She didn't have time to understand what was happening when she felt a weight crush her and hold her down. The Lux Veritatis had rushed at her and literally sat on her to prevent her from moving.
He struck her with a first punch, her head snapped to the side. She felt the heat of the pain spread through her sore cheek. When the mercenary raised his fist above her a second time, she shielded herself as best she could with her arm. She threw her other arm and hit him in turn in the abdomen, first once, then a second time. She then aimed at his face, but he had no trouble dodging the blow by tilting his head to the side. He threw his fist at her again. She then grabbed his arm and swung it around with a sharp blow. Under the shock's effect, the mercenary found himself bent in two with the impossibility of moving the arm; she then elbowed him in a resounding cry. There was a crack, the American grunted.
Pushing back with all her strength, Lara stood up abruptly and gave him a headbutt. She felt the Lux Veritatis tilt to the side and his muscles release their tension. She let go of his arm and pushed him away with both hands without mercy. He resisted, but she now had enough leeway to twist and grab the blade still stuck in his leg.
She reached out as far as she could, brushing the ivory handle with her fingertips. The American seemed to come to his senses and tightened his grip on her. She felt his legs frame her even more firmly, one of his hands reaching for her neck. Lara tapped him randomly but repeatedly, trying to distract him and close the few inches that still separated her from the shard.
Kurtis grabbed her wrist and slammed her arm to the ground. Her legs buckled under him as she struggled to free herself. He began to squeeze with all his might. She saw his face tighten as his fingers dug into her flesh, seeking a grip that would break the bones beneath. She let out a scream as she felt the pressure suddenly intensify under her skin. Breathless and desperate, Lara suddenly sat up and threw her fist with all her might to strike him in the face. He staggered again, and the pressure that had held her down released. Drawing on her last bit of strength, the adventuress pulled her arm free and slid her torso to the ground, leaning as far as possible towards the dagger. Her hand closed on the handle. She pulled.
Once again, Lara did not think about the terrible feeling that had awakened inside her when the mercenary screamed in pain. She struggled harder against him to try to escape. But despite the pain, he held on. He did not let go of her, clearly determined to finish her off. In a fierce and sudden gesture, he tried to tear the dagger from her hands. She struggled as hard as she could, but her fingers slipped on the bloody shard. The Englishwoman tried to put it out of his reach, but another punch in the face finally made her drop the weapon, which bounced and slid a little further.
Kurtis immediately rushed to retrieve it, slipping in the sand in the process. Although stunned, Lara swung round and grabbed him by the trousers to try and hold him back. A light cloud of dust raised as he flailed his legs furiously to get rid of her. The young woman's hands slipped away, he continued to crawl towards the shard. The adventuress pushed on her elbows to propel herself forward, hoping to prevent him from grabbing the weapon. But his hand was already closing on the ivory handle. The mercenary turned around. The young woman had just enough time to move aside to dodge the blow. The periapt shard ended up just a few inches from her cheek.
The blade scraped as Kurtis grabbed it and pulled it out of the rocky ground. Lara hurriedly rolled to the side and kicked the mercenary. Hit in the chest, the Lux Veritatis lost its balance and fell. Lara recovered and threw herself against him with all her weight. They struggled for a moment, but she managed to block the hand that held the periapt shard between her two hands.
Kurtis gave a strong impulse, they rolled to the side. Lara tried to push him away, but he was already on top of her again, blocking her against the ground. He raised the dagger, she stopped his movement with both hands as he lowered it. The blade ended up not far from her eye, but she held on, though she would not last long like this.
For several long seconds they wrestled again, pushing back each other with great strength, trying to gain a few more millimetres on one side, then the other. Their fingers slipped, mixing with each other's blood. In this endless struggle, their eyes met for a very brief second, but in his dark eyes, Lara saw no trace of the man she knew. Realizing that there was now no way back, a wave of anger suddenly swept over her. Her jaw clenched a little more as the stress took over.
"RESIST!", she screamed.
But the young man showed no sign of reacting. Completely out of her mind and revived by the most basic survival instinct, Lara pushed him away and suddenly sat up. She then sank her teeth into the young man's forearm, who let out a loud grunt. Under her fingers, she felt his strength weaken very slightly, but it was enough for her to regain control. Without thinking anymore, she grabbed the periapt shard, turned it around and thrust it into the Lux Veritatis' rib cage with a loud scream.
Time suddenly seemed to stand still. Lara found herself looking into that black gaze that reflected absolutely nothing but emptiness and shadows. She felt a warm liquid flowing over her hands and spreading over her. A wave of ice completely overwhelmed her at that moment, spreading to every corner of her being and trapping her brain that seemed to have stopped working. She was no longer conscious of anything, except her own jerky breathing which resounded dully and brutally within her. All her senses were suddenly alert, the blood flew through her body in powerful and unpleasant pulses.
Her hands were still clutching the dagger's handle. She felt its jagged tip press against her own belly as Kurtis' weight grew heavier on her. His muscles relaxed one by one and his legs finally released their pressure around her.
The mercenary slumped forward. She held him back, and in a reflex movement, put her hand on his scratched cheek to guide the head that settled in the hollow of her shoulder, as he liked to do when he took her in his arms. She let his weight crush her completely and his soon to be extinguished warmth envelop her one last time. She breathed in his scent. She tried to control her own ragged breathing. The strands of his hair tickled her ear, she suppressed a violent sob. Or maybe it was a scream.
She stayed like this for what seemed like an eternity. She could no longer hear what was going on around her. She no longer knew where she was or why she was there. She felt the warmth of the body she had held so many times - but not enough, she realised - evaporate little by little. It took a terrible effort for her to finally free herself from him.
Kurtis' lifeless body rolled limply to one side. Lara lay there on her back, staring at the strange clouds above the pyramids, her chest heaving with jerky movements. With the back of her hand she wiped the sweat, the dust and probably the blood she felt drying on her skin from her face. Her hands were shaking, but she couldn't tell if it was because her limbs were suddenly tired from the constant struggle, or because of the shock of what had just happened.
At that very moment, everything was completely blurred in her head. Nothing made sense anymore, images were overlapping and mixing with each other without any logic. Her brain was fighting against itself to understand if all this was real or not. But more than anything, she felt this huge void, this huge hole that was slowly growing in her gut. An emptiness she knew very well, since it was exactly the same one she had felt when she and Marie had understood they would find nothing of him in the rubble of the Nephilim city in Cappadocia.
She didn't know exactly what finally got her moving again. She felt her body roll to the side, her hands reaching underneath her to lift her up. Lara gritted her teeth and stifled a grunt as she pulled her legs underneath her to stand up. She managed to get onto her knees, then slowly onto her two feet. She was seriously weakened, but still able to stand.
She looked down at the body lying at her feet. She took a step forward and bent over him. She did not look at his face, only at the bloody hole in his chest left by the shard. With one hand, she grabbed the handle and pulled it back with a jerk. The mercenary's body spasmed again, and then his hand fell limply to the sand.
Slowly, Lara turned around. Several feet away, Saija was watching her with an almost unhealthy curiosity. The adventuress took a step forward, her body and mind completely drained. But she stood firmly in front of the semi-Nephilim. Her eyes, filled with tears but mostly with hatred, met those of the assistant once more. A vicious and absolutely terrible expression appeared on her face: one of pity and compassion coupled with a deep and unconcealed contempt.
"Um. I have to say, not quite the outcome I was expecting."
Pushed to the limit, Lara winced a little more under the effect of the rage she felt bubbling inside her. All her inner walls had collapsed, giving way to a tornado she could hardly control.
With a scream she was unable to contain, the adventuress leapt forward. The assistant's fingers, the ones trapped in the glove that seemed to have eaten her arm to the bone, clenched together to form a fist of iron and leather. Her eyes lit up with an extremely powerful, almost blinding light. She threw a powerful jet of energy in her direction, the Englishwoman dodged with ease. She drew her sidearms and fired at the Norwegian. She knew that the bullets would have very little impact on her, but it might buy her a little time at least. A few bullets passed through her, causing wounds in different parts of her body. Even if it was only temporary, as the wounds would most likely close up, and it would only give her a few seconds of respite, it was enough to distract her.
The assistant took a few steps back, and lowered her arm and glove for a moment. Lara took the opportunity to fire again: a bullet grazed the young woman's ear badly, blood spurted into the air. She shielded her face with the glove, on which the bullets ricocheted with a strange metallic noise.
The adventuress then charged straight towards her, continuing to fire until the two women finally came into contact. Saija fell backwards, hit hard by the Englishwoman. Her hand broke contact with the nephilim source, whose blue light hung in the air. She felt her back crash against a rock, before rolling to the ground. The periapt shard still stuck in her shoulder, pushed by the shock, sank a little further, rubbing against one of her shoulder bones. She screamed.
She steadied herself, but despite the piercing pain, she found the strength to stand up. Reflexively, she tried to grab the dagger from her shoulder, but a violent jolt of electricity called her back to order. Her lips curled up and uncovered her teeth like some kind of wild animal. In front of her, the adventuress had also straightened up, ready to go back and confront her.
Saija was the first to run this time. The adventuress reacted immediately and started to move too. The first jet of energy split the air at full speed and Lara dived forward to avoid it. She got back on her feet immediately, and the assistant did not have time to attack a second time. She saw the Englishwoman turn on herself and throw her leg towards her in a big arc. She took a step backwards; the foot hit the forearm she had raised in front of her to protect herself. Lara did another pirouette and tried to hit her again with her leg. But this time Saija grabbed her by the ankle and stopped her movement.
Lara shook her leg violently to free herself. A strong smell of burnt plastic rose to her nostrils: she felt the burning contact of leather and metal heating her skin dangerously despite the thickness of her boots, which were literally melting. The young woman then gained momentum with her ground leg. She jumped and found herself in the air, in an almost horizontal position, which allowed her to hit Saija in the face, as she had hoped. Relief washed over her as she felt her hand finally release her foot and the burning sensation disappear.
She regained her balance and quickly turned around. The two women came face to face, panting.
"You're a tough one," the semi-Nephilim ventured with a sly smile.
"And you're a lot less tough than I thought you would be."
A nervous, but somewhat offended laugh escaped the assistant. She raised her fist with Eckhardt's glove before her. The weapon vibrated dangerously.
"You're right, Miss Croft-My-Ass, just give me a hard time like you do so well. Because that's all you can do after all, isn't it? It's a lot easier for you to play the haughty, imbecilic pansy one than to openly admit that you've lost?"
"Last time I checked, I'm still standing," Lara replied in a flat voice with no trace of emotion.
"Not for much longer."
Saija's large almond eyes focused on her enemy, she straightened a little more.
"You made the mistake of leaving me alive, but believe me, I won't do you that honor."
"No problem, I'm not here to beg for your mercy."
"You should be, though," the young woman replied in an acidic, unpleasant voice.
"Give me a break."
Saija tried to remain impassive, but a sneer twisted the corner of her mouth despite herself.
"Face it, Croft. You're not up to it. I've already won. And..." she said, glancing at Mark's body, then at Kurtis' not far away, "…you've already lost everything, haven't you?"
Lara felt a totally uncontrollable wave wash over her at these words. She let out a resounding cry of rage and drew her gun, just as the Norwegian leapt towards her. Her fingers tightened on the triggers as the bullets spurted out. Many of them veered off course, pushed back by the glove Saija held firmly in front of her to protect herself. Some of them hit her, causing only minor injuries. Lara heard the sound of other bullets scattering around them as they ricocheted off the surrounding rocks.
Her gaze remained fixed on the Norwegian's until the young woman was upon her. At the very last moment, the adventuress crouched down to avoid the glove that Saija had just thrown to hit her, she felt its heat brush against the top of her head. She tripped the assistant, who fell backwards. But her enemy immediately got to her feet, narrowly dodging the bursts of bullets fired in her direction. She rolled to the ground, and immediately stood up. Lara fired again. This time the bullets passed through her chest and shoulder, and black spots appeared on her torso, like a mottled coat. Saija grunted furiously but did not let herself go: she threw herself forward again, with the firm intention of reaching her enemy. Lara kept her at bay with her feet, but Saija was determined, driven by a thirst for victory. She responded to every blow with even more aggressiveness and strength.
They were now close enough to each other for hand-to-hand combat. Saija managed to hit the Englishwoman several times, using the powers of the glove to make her retreat. Each time, Lara felt the weapon's heat pierce her clothes and leave burns on her skin. But she held on. She just had to wait for the right moment to strike.
Hands still clutching her guns, she gave a violent punch to the assistant, who went backwards. Taking advantage of her moment of weakness, Lara immediately counterattacked by kicking her in the ribs, the young woman collapsed in the sand with a loud grunt. The Englishwoman pointed her 9mm at her and fired.
Saija felt several bullets pierce her abdomen and chest, and blood began to flow in great quantities. She saw the adventuress grab something from her back. The periapt shard's black blade glowed with an bright light as she raised it above her. The assistant raised her gloved arm to protect herself from the first blow, the blade just grazed her. She resisted and pushed it away, but she did not see the fist and the handle of the gun with which Lara struck her from the other side. There was a thud, the Norwegian grunted and suddenly dropped her guard. She then felt another violent shock, followed by a burn in her abdomen, she winced in pain. The fire then spread throughout her torso, before spreading to her arms, then to her lower body. When she looked down, she saw the second dagger buried deep in her stomach. The adventuress, who was clutching the hilt, stared at her in fury.
Saija hiccupped violently and blood poured from her mouth and nose. She screamed as the adventuress pressed the shard a little harder and drove it several more inches into her already bruised flesh. A sharp, penetrating pain shot through her and she gasped for air.
Lara then grabbed the other shard, the one stuck in her shoulder, and pulled to retrieve it, before stabbing her in the chest with all her might. Their screams mingled with each other.
But after the shock of the pain, the semi-Nephilim suddenly became agitated, revived by her survival instinct. She threw her arm towards the adventuress, hoping to hit her. The Englishwoman dodged, still focused on the dagger she held in one hand. She tried to throw another punch at the assistant, but the latter stopped her with her forearm. They resisted for a short time, pushing each other away. However, despite the pain, Saija managed to fold her legs and pushed Lara back. She then cocked the gauntlet, and fired. The young woman was propelled backwards, bouncing off several rocks before finally stopping. She grunted in rage and frustration, before slowly rising to her feet with a sharp intake of breath, her nose bleeding, her eyes more angry than ever.
Lying on the ground, the Norwegian's gaze went from Lara to the two blades still stuck in her body. Her fingers scratched compulsively at the bloodstained sand beneath her. But against all odds, she began to laugh, an uncontrollable laugh.
She propped herself up on her elbows and in slow, jerky movements, leaned on one foot and then on the other. After a few moments, she finally stood up, her chin raised in defiance.
"It would have been better with the third one," she finally said when her eyes met Lara's again.
As if to taunt her, Eckhardt's gauntlet on her arm glowed again, more powerful than ever and ready to fire.
The blood pulsed in her breathless chest. Lara tried to keep her focus on her enemy, but her thoughts rambled more and more, still imbued with the sensations of her fight with the mercenary. Her strength was running out. And although she knew the nephilim source was not far away, she also understood that even if she recovered some energy, Saija would take over at any moment. And then she would be powerless against her.
Time stood still for a brief second. Behind the assistant, her gaze was suddenly caught by the gentle ripples of energy from the Nephilim source, which shone with blue reflections above the abyss of the pit.
Something came to her mind.
Whatever is useful from the past will come to you as you need it
The words echoed in her as clearly as if they had been spoken aloud to her. A shiver ran through her, only to be replaced by a strange warmth that enveloped her.
It made sense, yes.
It was the only solution left now. If there were no weapons left to fight with, no way to take her down, then maybe this was the only way to get rid of the assistant. As silly as it sounds, it might be the only thing to try, and the only thing that would work. If there was indeed something in that chasm and spring, even if it was anything like the prophecy said, then it was worth a try. And if that was the only way out, then maybe she had a chance, yes. She had absolutely no way of knowing what exactly was at the bottom of that abyss, though, or whether it would work. But she was willing to take the risk.
Instinctively, her fingers gripped her guns. Slowly, focused more than ever on the young woman in front of her, she drew the guns from their holsters and held out her arms to aim. Beyond the weapons' end, she met Saija's defiant gaze, silently inviting her to fire and, above all, to come face to face with her for a final battle.
At that very moment, her brain stopped working completely. She practically forgot everything around her. No more emotions ran through her. She was empty. Only the sensation of her hands around the cold metal of her weapons remained, and they activated without her even being aware of it. The bangs echoed in her hands and arms, she saw the bullets whizzing towards the semi-nephilim. Her legs pulled her forward without her even realising it. She understood she was running, and that she was gradually gaining momentum.
She jumped several times, dodging the jets of flame that came at her and that hit the dark rocks with a resounding crash. She jumped from one rock to another in long strides, still focused on her target who showed no sign of weakness. She had to try, to get as close as possible. She had to get to her at all costs.
Suddenly she saw Saija change her target and shoot at the rock she was climbing. There was an explosion, a piece of rock gave way beneath her. Her foot slipped. She felt her weight pull her to the side. She tried to break her fall, skidded in the sand, but she didn't have time to recover and take cover. Saija fired again. Lara saw Eckhardt's glove glow brightly, and a dazzling light shine down on her.
There was nothing she could do to dodge this time. The wave of energy struck her with a resounding force, reverberating through every part of her body. The adventuress collapsed, hit in the abdomen. Her wounded body rolled in the sand, before finally coming to a stop.
She tried to stand up once, but the pain was far too sharp. She groaned and rested her head against the ground, gasping for breath. Her half-closed eyes got lost in the thick clouds above. She could feel nothing but the weight that pinned her to the ground, and which she knew she would never be able to shake off. She gasped for oxygen.
She did not try to raise her head to see the state of the wound, for she already knew that it was far too serious to be contained. She could feel the blood flowing and spreading underneath her in an unpleasant sensation. Her mouth was pasty, there was a strange taste in it, like something metallic. She thought it was blood too. Her hands gripped the sleeves of her weapons tightly, which she had not let go of. She wouldn't let go of them.
Something moved not far from her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a vague figure approaching. She put all her strength into raising her arms and taking target, but she soon understood it was not Saija. Her heart missed a beat as she saw his face appear above her. His blue eyes peeked through his messy hair and stood out among the grime on his skin. At first she thought it was a hallucination, but the touch of his warm hand on her forehead brought her back to reality immediately.
How...?!
Despite the weakness, she lowered her weapons and sat up abruptly on her elbows, her eyes wide. Kurtis put a finger on her lips to silence her. The two of them pulled themselves up to the nearest rock, behind which they found refuge. They stared at each other : he looked weak and wounded too. Lara took a look at the large wound in his sternum, which had bled profusely. She raised her hand to gently touch it with her fingertips and the mercenary winced.
You didn't miss your target, indeed
She smiled at him, somehow amused. Her tired eyes scanned the mercenary's face, she couldn't believe it.
How did you survive the shard?
I have no idea
She looked straightly at him. She had felt the life drain from his body, the weight of the emptiness on her...
Were you scared of what'd happened to me?
In front of his lightness, she smiled despite herself.
I guess you're tougher than I thought
He smiled in turn. He didn't know either by what miracle he had survived such a fight. His memory was a total black hole, he just couldn't tell what had happened. He could only remember the unreal pain as the black blade had pierced his flesh and taken his life. He had lay face down in the sand, unaware of what was happening around him. He has seen the deepest darkness, and the emptiness. After some time though, again without him to know how it had happened, the heat of life had slowly returned to him. He had woken up, and got back to the surface. At first he had not understand what had happened, and where he was. Until he had heard the bang, the one that had hit Lara.
It was logically impossible for him to be there with her, and yet he had survived. He suddenly felt all the guilt the adventuress carried in her heart as he looked into her brown eyes.
You had no choice, he said before she could speak. You made the right choice and the most logical one. She was the priority, whatever it took
They nodded slowly in unison then smiled at each other in spite of everything, enjoying the newfound strength and hope. But they were suddenly caught up in the gravity of the situation.
We have to stop her. I have to find a way to throw her into the abyss with me, Lara explained as she tried to stand up.
Kurtis stopped her with a hand, seeking her gaze. But the young woman resisted.
What are you talking about?
We have to make her fall into the abyss, that's the only way we can defeat her
How do we know it will work?
We don't, replied the young woman with a serious expression.
A strange silence settled, they held their breaths. They knew that time was now running out.
There must be another way, protested the mercenary.
Lara shook her head sharply.
There is no other way. It's the only solution we have left
We'll find a way, we'll find out how-
Kurtis, look at me
The adventuress put her hand on his arm and exerted a slight pressure to get his full attention. Her brown eyes watched him intently, but also with a certain determination.
Look
At first he didn't understand what she meant. He frowned.
Look, she insisted.
At her insistence, he finally looked down at her belly and the wound the glove had left there. The American felt a violent twinge of pain, a knot suddenly tightening around his insides as he discovered the huge gaping hole in his companion's stomach. There was nothing left but a bloody void.
Kurtis stood still for a few seconds, unable to think straight. He suddenly understood what was really happening and what it all implied. He had the terrible feeling that everything was collapsing around him, and that the ground was going to swallow him up and close the darkness around him. It was like the blade of a weapon that slid millimetre by millimetre and tore off every bit of flesh in its path. Everything went confused in his head, and yet extremely clear to him. He looked up at her and took her face in his hands.
There must be another way, he repeated mechanically.
This is the only way
He plunged his azure gaze into hers. She tried to reassure him, but she could feel the acidic fear deep inside him, the fear of nothingness and darkness that was slowly closing in on him.
If you're referring to the prophecy, then fuck the prophecy. It's not us, it's not our fight
Today it's ours. This is how it has to end, and this is where it has to end
He shook his head sharply, clearly angry.
It can't end like this
It has to
He tightened his fingers around her face and looked her straight in the eyes, with an intensity like never before.
The outcome of this fight isn't for you alone to decide
There's nothing to be discussed here, Lara retorted.
Not everything has to happen exactly as in the prophecy
That's what was written, that's how it has to be. That's exactly what we were supposed to do, just like the previous Guardians before us. Everything we've discovered was meant to lead us here
The very idea of just being a pawn on the chessboard disgusted her to no end, but the adventuress had to face the facts. Absolutely everything had brought them here, in the face of this inevitability.
Right, Kurtis said after some seconds of thinking. But if it's to end here, then we'll do it together
She gave him a mischievous smile.
Since when are you the romantic kind of guy?
He gave her a sincere smirk in response, but very quickly the expression on his face changed again.
I'd rather die too than knowing that I'll have to spend the fucking rest of my life without you
Lara gave him a sad smile, her face suddenly serious again and her heart heavy with bitterness. Their eyes met one more time. She raised her arm and placed her cold hand on his wounded cheek.
I love you
The expression on the mercenary's face remained completely impassive for a very short second, then he shook his head gently.
Don't say that, he replied abruptly as he fought against the inevitability he could no longer escape.
I thought you'd be a little more pleased than that to hear it
The young man could not hold back a disillusioned laugh, which nevertheless drew a few tears from him, which silently ran down his cheeks. But more than sorrow, it was rage that he felt inside him. Rage at losing the one he loved, and at not being able to do anything about it. Rage also at knowing this was their last battle, and they weren't even sure to win it. His hands supported her face, which was becoming heavier and heavier, he suddenly drew her to him for a kiss.
I wish I could have given you so much more..., Lara told the mercenary as she broke the contact with him.
You've already given me everything
They smiled at each other sweetly. Her large brown eyes were staring at him with that bright shining light full of despair and anger but above all, full of a willingness to fight and to overcome together.
See you on the other side then, she said, her eyes shining with this strange intensity.
I think I've heard that somewhere before
They smiled at each other again but this time in a triumphant way. They knew it was time. On the Englishwoman's command, they both stood up. She let out several cries of pain, felt herself wobble several times as she leaned on her elbows and pushed a little harder on her legs to stand up. But Kurtis supported her firmly.
They suddenly saw Saija not far away and her disconcerted expression when she realised the mercenary had survived, and that the adventuress had too. However she seemed reassured at the sight of the huge wound in the young woman's stomach, but Lara was not impressed. It would take a superhuman effort to stand up, but she would succeed, she would go all the way. And she knew that Kurtis would not let her go.
The chirugai that had disappeared until then appeared in the air again and positioned itself above their heads, ready to attack. The two adventurers stood firmly in front of their enemy, more determined than ever. The assistant's eyes flicked from one to the other.
"I think it's time to put an end to all this indeed," she hissed through clenched teeth.
The demon hunter and the tomb raider turned to each other and exchanged a subtle nod. Then all of a sudden and in one motion, they both began to run and dashed forward. Before Saija could target them with the energy jets, Kurtis shielded them with an invisible force field and ordered the chirugai to run at her to try and distract her. Although extremely powerful now, the young woman was unable to counter the two simultaneous attacks. Concentrating on the two adventurers, she was hit by the chirugai who deflected her arm for a moment. A jet of energy shot into the air before evaporating. The metal disc made a great half turn before rushing again on her, who this time, got rid of it by pushing it back with a large movement of the arm.
Lara and Kurtis took the opportunity to get closer, snaking between the rocks to protect themselves while they still could, or at least until they could reach the semi-Nephilim, whose angry screams echoed around them. The mercenary helped the Englishwoman over a rock, and they were suddenly in the open. Saija suddenly turned to them, and immediately targeted them. This time it was a violent blue lightning that came out of the glove and raced towards them. Lara bent down to dodge, while Kurtis repelled it with his mental strength. He had difficulty containing its power, which made him take a step back. His face tightened a little more under the effect of the concentration.
When the jet had passed, he exerted a powerful pressure against the assistant, who suddenly went backwards, thrown with force in the air. She hit several rocks and hit violently several of them on the wa, before coming to a stop a few yards only from the abyss. Lara got to her feet. Despite the violent sensation of dizziness, she started to run again, caught by the mercenary who put an arm around her waist. Both of them resumed their run at a steady pace, without stopping this time.
To defend herself, and to keep them at a distance, the Norwegian attacked again. The two adventurers split to avoid, but did not stop running. Lara stumbled forward slightly, exhausted, but she knew Saija was close by, she had to hold on at all costs. She screamed at the top of her lungs, drawing on the last of her strength and stood up.
The assistant suddenly got to her feet and cocked the glove. The object heated up with a dazzling, incandescent glow that illuminated the young woman's rage-distorted features. However by the time she released the huge fireball, the two adventurers were already upon her. They passed through the flames and crashed into her. They grabbed her tightly, and carried her away with them in their momentum.
The three of them tumbled headlong into the void. At their touch, the energy source lit up with a strange, very soft but extremely powerful white light. Everything around them began to vibrate, as if the earth were suddenly shaking. For a brief second, the Norwegian's face flashed with an expression of astonishment. Understanding what was happening, she struggled violently, twisting in all directions to try to free herself. But the two adventurers had her firmly trapped. Kurtis grabbed the shard in her shoulder, pulled it out and stuck it in her back.
Her screams echoed all around them, but soon it was difficult to make out what was really happening. They didn't even know if they were still conscious. Lara saw interspersed and incomplete images flash before her eyes, and only snippets of the fight. Because as they fell without stopping in this spring which seemed to have no bottom, as everything became blurred as the three of them plunged into the depths of the abyss, they kept fighting. They kept fighting even when the light intensified, when it got whiter and whiter, stronger and stronger and blinding. The dark and threatening abyss disappeared, giving way to this immense, empty, clear space. Their outlines, their shapes disappeared little by little, erased by the light until it engulfed them completely.
And then, nothing.