Zane's chest burned like someone had poured hot coals inside him. He staggered against the shimmering wall of the Chronochamber, the Synthorium's blue glow flickering under his skin. The alarm's wail– Synthorium breach detected. Containment failing, mixed with Mara's voice still echoing in his head. The Synthorium's ours. Her shadows and those hulking Harvesters were out there, coming for him, and now something was wrong with his power. He wasn't a hero. He was barely holding it together.
"Zane, snap out of it!" Liora's sharp voice cut through the haze. She stood by the Chronochamber's platform, her green eyes blazing, sparks dancing on her fingers. Her braid was a mess from the fight, but she looked ready to take on an army.
Jaxon grabbed Zane's arm, steadying him. His armored jumpsuit was scratched, but his grin was back, if a little shaky. "Come on, rookie. We got this. You fried one of those tin cans already." He nodded at the screen, where Mara's portal glowed, Harvesters looming behind her shadow-cloaked figure.
Zane's stomach twisted. He hadn't fried anything—Mara had played them, using the Harvester as a distraction to steal a Synthorium fragment. Now she was back, stronger, and his power was glitching. He thought of Clara, his foster mom, probably pacing their apartment, and Sophia, his best friend, glued to news reports calling him dead. He had to fix this, but his guilt over Mara—leaving her trapped in that warehouse three years ago—made every move feel heavy.
Mr. Corin stood at a console, his silver hair catching the chamber's glow as he typed furiously. "The breach is destabilizing Zane's Synthorium bond," he said, not looking up. "Mara's crystal is interfering, siphoning energy. We need to seal the breach and stop her before she takes it all."
"Takes it all?" Zane's voice cracked. "You mean my power?" His hands glowed faintly, the blue energy stuttering like a bad signal. The Synthorium's voice—usually a steady Protect—was quiet, like it was struggling too.
"Or your life," Mr. Corin said flatly. "The Synthorium's tied to your neural signature. If she drains it, you're done."
Jaxon's grin vanished. "Great. So we're on a clock. What's the plan, boss?"
Mr. Corin glanced at Zane. "Zane's the key. His Synthorium can counter Mara's crystal, but he needs control. We train him—now."
"Train?" Zane's heart raced. "There's no time! She's right outside!" The screen showed Mara's shadows creeping closer, Harvesters smashing through walls. The Chronochamber's door rattled, red light seeping through the cracks.
"No choice," Liora said, stepping toward him. "You're a walking bomb, glowstick. Either you learn to aim, or we all go down." Her tone was harsh, but her eyes softened, like she saw how scared he was.
Zane swallowed hard. He didn't want this powers, fights, a secret bunker. But Clara's worried face flashed in his mind, Sophia's laugh grounding him. If Mara won, they'd never know he was alive. He nodded. "Okay. Teach me."
Mr. Corin hit a button, and the platform hummed louder, its energy syncing with Zane's glow. "The Chronochamber amplifies Synthorium output," he said. "Focus your will. Shape the energy. Start small—a shield, like before."
Zane clenched his fists, the pain in his chest easing as he breathed deep. He pictured Clara's warm kitchen, Sophia's teasing grin. The Synthorium hummed, faint but there. Blue light swirled around his hands, forming a shaky shield. "Like this?" he asked, voice tight.
"Stronger," Liora said, tossing a spark at him. It hit the shield, fizzling out. "Mara's shadows cut like knives. You need to hold."
Zane gritted his teeth, pouring more into it. The shield grew, solid and bright, but the effort made his head pound. The Synthorium's voice whispered: Steady. He held it, sweat beading on his forehead.
Jaxon clapped. "Not bad, man! Now try something bigger. Blast like you hit that Harvester."
The door shook harder, a Harvester's blade punching through. Zane's shield flickered, panic rising. "I don't know how!" he snapped. "It just… happened!"
"Feel it," Mr. Corin said, his voice calm but urgent. "The Synthorium's part of you. Trust it."
Zane closed his eyes, blocking out the alarms, the shaking walls. He thought of Mara's pain, her brother's death—his fault, even if he didn't mean it. He thought of his dad, gone when he was sixteen, leaving him to scrape by. He wasn't that kid anymore. The Synthorium surged, hot and wild, and he thrust his hands forward. A blue pulse shot out, slamming into the door. The blade stopped, sparks flying.
"Whoa," Jaxon breathed. "Keep that up, and Mara's toast."
But the screen flashed—a red glow spreading from Mara's crystal, matching the breach alarm. Zane's chest stung again, his glow dimming. "It's not enough," he gasped. "She's still draining me."
Liora cursed, sparks flaring. "We can't stay here. She's tearing this place apart."
Mr. Corin's fingers paused on the console. "Then we take the fight to her. The breach is in sector five, her crystal's amplifying it. If we destroy it, we stop the drain."
"Fight her out there?" Jaxon asked, eyeing the Harvesters on the screen. "With those things?"
"No choice," Mr. Corin said. "Zane, you're with us. Your Synthorium's the only thing that can match her crystal."
Zane's legs felt like jelly, but he nodded. He'd messed up with Mara before, left her to suffer. He couldn't let her win now, not when Clara and Sophia needed him. "Let's do it."
The team moved, Mr. Corin opening a side door to a narrow tunnel. "This leads to sector five," he said. "Stay sharp."
They ran, the tunnel's lights flickering, the Synthorium's hum steadying Zane's steps. His training felt like a Band-Aid on a broken leg, but it was something. Jaxon jogged beside him, armor clanking. "You got this, rookie. Just don't zap me by accident."
Zane forced a laugh. "No promises." Liora glanced back, her sparks lighting the way, and for the first time, he felt like part of a team.
The tunnel opened into a massive chamber—sector five, lined with glowing Synthorium fragments in sealed cases. Mara stood in the center, her red crystal raised, shadows swirling like a storm. Harvesters flanked her, their red veins pulsing. The air crackled, Zane's glow fading as the breach pulled at him.
"You're too late," Mara said, her voice cold but tinged with pain. "This power's mine now. For my brother. For me."
Zane's guilt flared, but he stepped forward, shield flickering. "Mara, stop. This won't bring him back. You're hurting people, same as you say I did."
Her eyes wavered, then hardened. "You don't get to preach." Her shadows lashed out, faster than before, aiming for Zane's chest.
Jaxon dove in front, his armor taking the hit. He grunted, sliding back. Liora fired a bolt, but a Harvester blocked it, blades swinging. Zane raised his shield, shadows crashing against it, pushing him to his knees. The breach's pull grew, his vision blurring.
"Zane, the crystal!" Mr. Corin shouted, dodging a Harvester. "Hit it!"
Zane focused, the Synthorium's hum faint but there. He pictured Sophia's smile, Clara's strength. Blue energy surged, and he fired a pulse at the crystal. It cracked, red light sputtering, but Mara screamed, shadows exploding outward. The blast knocked Zane back, his shield shattering. Jaxon and Liora hit the ground, and Mr. Corin ducked behind a case.
Mara staggered, clutching the cracked crystal. "You'll pay," she hissed, and a portal snapped open behind her. She leaped through, the Harvesters following, leaving the chamber silent.
Zane's chest heaved, pain fading as the breach stabilized. The Synthorium hummed, stronger now. They'd stopped her, for now. But the cases around them glowed, one shattered, its fragment gone. Mara had what she came for.
"She got a piece," Liora said, standing, her voice grim. "She's not done."
Mr. Corin's face was hard. "And neither are we. Zane, you bought us time. But we need to find her before she uses it."
Zane nodded, guilt and resolve mixing. Mara's pain was real, but so was his. He'd fight for Clara, for Sophia, for the kid he used to be. But as they turned to leave, a low hum filled the chamber, and the shattered case sparked. A tiny red light blinked inside, pulsing like a heartbeat.
"Uh, guys?" Jaxon said, pointing. "That's not good, right?"
Before Zane could answer, the light flared, and a voice, not Mara's, growled through the air: "Host located. Extraction imminent."