Odyssey Of Survival

The air was thick with tension as Madison turned to Alice, her voice steady but urgent. "How do we destroy the portal?" she asked, her eyes fixed on the swirling vortex that continued to pour out an endless stream of Gorvaks.

Alice narrowed her eyes, analyzing the pulsating energy that held the rift open, but she quickly realized she had no idea how to dismantle it. "I don't know," she admitted, frustration seeping into her voice as the creatures roared and charged forward. They had fought so hard, pushing back the waves of monstrous beings, but with no way to shut the portal, it felt like an unwinnable battle.

Madison exhaled sharply, her mind racing, then she suddenly spoke, her voice filled with realization. "It's a one-way portal."

Alice blinked, confused by the statement. "What do you mean?" she asked, glancing between Madison and the chaotic battlefield.

Madison quickly explained, "It means that whatever sent these beasts here never intended for them to return. They can only come out, not go back."

Alice frowned, still struggling to understand. "How does that help us destroy it?" she asked, her grip tightening on her sword.

Madison took a deep breath and turned to Alice with a determined look. "Because if something tries to enter it instead of exiting, it will destabilize the entire thing. Portals like this are designed to withstand whatever comes through them, but if you force something back in, especially something powerful, it will collapse on itself."

Alice's eyes widened as understanding finally dawned on her. She turned her gaze back to the portal, the swirling energy shifting violently as more Gorvaks emerged. "So if I unleash my powers inside the portal…" she started.

"It'll break," Madison confirmed, nodding. "But there's one problem. The energy required has to be massive. It needs to be strong enough to disrupt the entire structure of the portal, otherwise, it won't work."

For a moment, Alice was silent, her expression unreadable. Then, to Madison's surprise, she smiled. A small, knowing smile that carried a hint of mischief.

She turned and handed Madison her sword. "Hold this for me," she said casually.

Madison took it, confused. "Alice, what are you—"

Before she could finish, the temperature in the air plummeted so drastically that Madison could see her own breath. A deep, bone-chilling cold spread through the battlefield, sending a shockwave of frost that coated the ground beneath Alice's feet.

Madison took a step back, her instincts screaming that something huge was coming.

Alice slowly floated into the air, her entire body radiating an intense, freezing aura. Her eyes glowed an icy blue, her hands spreading as an enormous storm of swirling ice and snow erupted around her, expanding rapidly. The sheer force of it was overwhelming. The howling winds twisted and turned, sharp shards of ice forming within the vortex, cutting through the air with deadly precision.

Madison, realizing the scale of what was happening, teleported away to a safer distance, barely escaping the chilling blast. She had never seen Alice like this. It was as if she had transformed into something beyond human—an ice goddess reigning over the battlefield.

Then, without hesitation, Alice raised both hands toward the sky, and the storm spiraled higher, reaching its peak.

"Madison," Alice's voice rang through the icy winds, calm yet firm. "What I'm about to do… I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone."

Before Madison could respond, Alice unleashed the full force of the storm, directing it straight at the portal.

The frozen cyclone roared forward, engulfing everything in its path. The Gorvaks that had just stepped out were instantly encased in ice, their grotesque forms frozen solid in mid-motion. The temperature plummeted even further as the blizzard struck the portal directly, vanishing into the swirling energy.

For a moment, nothing happened.

The portal stood firm, swallowing the ice storm as if it was merely another offering to its endless hunger.

Then, suddenly, a deep, reverberating hum filled the air. The portal flickered, its edges distorting violently. The swirling energy began to pulse erratically, growing unstable. Cracks of light formed along the rift, expanding rapidly as the entire structure of the portal trembled under the strain.

And in the next moment—

With a deafening, earth-shaking collapse, the portal shattered in on itself, folding into nothingness before exploding in a final burst of raw energy.

Silence followed.

Madison stood frozen, gripping Alice's sword tightly as she stared at the empty space where the portal had once stood. The battlefield, once flooded with never-ending Gorvaks, was now eerily quiet. The remaining creatures that had survived the frost attack screeched in confusion, their path of reinforcements now gone.

And in the center of it all, Alice descended slowly, her breath steady.

She had done it.

The portal was gone.

The battlefield, once alive with the relentless roars of the Gorvaks and the clash of steel against flesh, had begun to shift in an unexpected way. At first, it was subtle—an eerie hesitation in the creatures' movements, a slight break in their formation. But soon, the signs became undeniable. The Gorvaks were scattering, their once-coordinated attacks dissolving into a chaotic scramble, as if something deep within their instincts had been shattered beyond repair.

Bella, Ryder, Amara, Jack, and the rest—didn't immediately understand what was happening. Their blades, their arrows, their fire, their ice—everything had been thrown into the battle without mercy, expecting an endless wave of enemies to counter. But now, it was as if the horde had lost its will to fight. Some of the creatures turned and fled, snarling and confused, while others charged mindlessly with no coordination, making them easy prey for the warriors who had long since adjusted to the battle.

Madison, after ensuring the immediate danger was fading, teleported across the battlefield in a blur, appearing at Alice's side just as the dust began to settle. Her crystal bow, still glowing faintly from the energy it had unleashed, was gripped loosely in her hand, but her focus was entirely on Alice now.

"How did you do that?" Madison asked breathlessly, admiration clear in her wide eyes. "That was… incredible. I've never seen anything like that before."

Alice, catching her breath, looked up at Madison, hesitant but aware that there was no point in avoiding the conversation now.

"I'll tell you later," Alice said quickly, her voice slightly shaky. "Just—don't tell anyone about this, okay?"

Madison raised an eyebrow, tilting her head slightly in confusion. "Not that I was going to, but why are you hiding the fact that you're this strong?"

Alice hesitated. She hadn't even given herself time to process the sheer scale of what she had done, and now she had to explain it to someone else? Her fingers curled slightly, the cold still lingering around her fingertips from the massive ice storm she had unleashed.

"I don't really know either," Alice admitted finally, her voice quieter now. "But Nate told me it would be better if no one knew how strong I really was. Unless there was an emergency."

Madison studied her for a moment before nodding. She didn't fully understand Nate's reasoning, but she trusted him. If he had told Alice to keep her true power hidden, there had to be a reason behind it.

"Alright," Madison said, her tone softer now. "That's fair."

They stood in silence for a moment, surrounded by the distant sounds of the last remnants of battle. The battlefield still held the stench of blood and sweat, but the urgency had faded, replaced by exhaustion.

Back in the battlefield, though the warriors had all felt the immense power that had been released only moments ago, none of them had time to dwell on it. They had been too preoccupied with survival, too locked into the heat of combat to stop and question it. But now, with the enemy crumbling before them, the question of why the Gorvaks had suddenly lost their aggression lingered in the back of their minds.

Bella, who had been fighting fiercely at the front lines, finally stopped moving. She let out a breath and leaned back against a nearby tree, pressing her hand against the bark as she steadied herself. Her entire body ached, muscles screaming from overuse, but at least now—finally—they could catch their breath.

She exhaled sharply, wiping sweat from her brow, but as soon as she felt a presence, her muscles tensed again. Her instincts had been honed through battle, and something about the energy near her made her react instantly. She snapped her head up, her stance shifting slightly as she prepared for another fight—only to see Madison and Alice approaching.

She let out a breath, relaxing slightly.

"You two," Bella said, straightening up, her sharp eyes flicking between them. "Were you involved in whatever just happened? The Gorvaks suddenly lost it."

Madison and Alice exchanged a quick glance, both hesitating for a fraction of a second.

Then, Madison gave a small nod. "Yeah. We noticed a portal where they were coming from. We closed it."

Bella furrowed her brows, confusion flickering across her features. "You closed it?" She narrowed her eyes slightly. "How?"

At her question, both Madison and Alice froze.

Madison, caught off guard, opened her mouth slightly, but no words came out. Alice, thinking quickly, lifted her hand and pointed straight at Madison.

"She closed it."

Madison blinked. "Me… how…?" she stammered before she turned her head sharply toward Alice. "It was Alice!"

Bella exhaled, rubbing her forehead. "You two are horrible liars," she muttered. But then, she shook her head and sighed. "It doesn't matter who did it. What matters is that we can rest now."

And with that, the battle—at least for now—was over.

****

Support with Golden Tickets and Power Stones.