🦇Chapter 10: Queen of Darkness

Suddenly, the air grew thick with ominous darkness, and the colossal flagship of Lilith, Bane, appeared in the sky.

Red heard eerie whispers in her mind, urging her to use her newfound powers to escape. With a surge of adrenaline, she flung herself forward, her body glowing with otherworldly energy. She could sense the presence of the spaceship Bane, and she raised her hands, feeling a power she had never experienced before.

As Red focused on grasping the ship in her hands, Kyle watched in shock, unable to comprehend what was happening. "What are you doing, Red?" he shouted.

But Red was in a trance, her eyes closed as she concentrated on pulling the ship towards her. "I think I can stop it, Kyle," she said with determination.

Suddenly, Red screamed, and Kyle could see the ship shaking in mid-air. "It's working, Red!" he shouted.

Red opened her eyes and saw that she had gained control of the ship. But the Dark Entity was not satisfied. "Try again," it whispered, its voice cold and menacing.

Red took a deep breath and focused all her energy on pulling the ship down. The Bane's engines fought against her grip, but the gravity and Red's pull scrambled the sensors, causing the massive ship to crash down with a thunderous boom.

The ground shook as the ship exploded, sending flames and debris flying in all directions. Red collapsed to the ground, panting and exhausted, as Kyle rushed to her side.

"What did you do, Red?" he asked, his voice trembling with fear.

Red looked up at him, her eyes filled with newfound power. "I stopped it," she replied, her voice echoing with a dark, menacing tone.

“I think it was the Dark Entity, not me. I believe the mutation is far worse than we think” replied Red.

They heard strange voices from the cyborgs they killed in the entrance of the moon cave and saw that they were mutating. Lilith was possessing their corpses to take physical form twisting the corpses by manipulating the Shadow Matter mutations.

Red knew that they had to act quickly. She asked Kyle to prepare the ship for their escape while she held off Lilith. Kyle was hesitant, but he knew that it was their only chance.

Lilith emerged from the mutations.

“What are you?” asked Red in terror. Lilith smiled wickedly while her eyes were closed waiting for the mutations to complete her physical form. "I am many things, but for humanity I am the harbinger of the apocalypse," she replied.

Then she fixed her dark, hallow gaze on Red. “You are something else though, aren’t you?” said Lilith.

Red narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Lilith's expression turned cold. "I can sense her inside you. The Shadow Matter is changing you, and her power is growing inside you. Just as once it used me, what you humans call Dark Entity will now use you to do her bidding.

Red and Lilith stood facing each other, their eyes locked in a deadly stare.

"You humans are a disease to this planet," Lilith hissed. "Your reckless pursuit of power and knowledge has brought nothing but destruction and chaos to the natural world."

Red raised an eyebrow. "And what about you? Aren't you a product of that same pursuit of power and knowledge?"

Lilith smirked. "I am the product of nature's wrath, the manifestation of her fury at your kind's hubris. The Shadow Matter mutations were her design, her way of stopping the wicked biotech experimentations that risked all life on this planet."

Red shook her head. "No, Lilith. The Shadow Matter mutations were a response to those experiments, a way for Mother Nature to fight back against the humans who threatened her balance. You are not more powerful than nature, you are a mere pawn in her game."

Lilith's eyes blazed with anger. "You are wrong, Red. I am more than just a pawn. I am the new cosmic god, the embodiment of the natural world. And I will use my power to purge this galaxy of the human disease once and for all."

Red chuckled. "And what will you replace us with, Lilith? More creatures like yourself? Is that your idea of a better world?"

Lilith's expression turned dark. "You do not understand the true power of the natural world, Red. You see it as something to be exploited and dominated, but I see it as something to be revered and feared. And I will make sure that my vision becomes reality."

Red shook her head. "Your vision is one of destruction and chaos, Lilith. And I will do everything in my power to stop you."

Lilith smiled. "We shall see, Red. We shall see."

Lilith laughed. " And now, I will show you what true power is."

Red braced herself for a fight, but she knew that Lilith was more powerful than she could ever imagine.

The duel that followed was intense. Lilith's sorcery conjured illusions and tormented Red with the voice of her beloved brother. But Red fought on, even as Lilith retreated back into the lab and conjured an illusion of Ray to lure them into a final confrontation.

Red and Lilith circled each other warily, both aware of the immense power each possessed. Lilith's dark sorcery crackled around her, the air charged with dangerous energy. Red focused her own powers, drawing on the strength of the Shadow Matter coursing through her veins.

Suddenly, Lilith lunged forward, her sword flashing in the dim light of the moon cave. Red deftly sidestepped the attack and unleashed a torrent of telekinetic energy that sent Lilith hurtling backward. But Lilith quickly regained her footing and retaliated with a barrage of dark energy blasts that Red barely managed to dodge.

As the fight continued, Red began to experiment with her new abilities, calling upon the Shadow Matter to create swirling vortexes of black energy that engulfed Lilith. Lightning arced between the two combatants as they traded blows, each striving for the upper hand.

Red's mastery of her new powers grew with each passing moment, and she began to channel the Shadow Matter in new and creative ways. She created duplicates of herself that confused and distracted Lilith, allowing her to strike with lightning-fast precision. She hurled debris and boulders at Lilith with deadly accuracy, forcing the cyborg wizard to constantly dodge and evade.

But Lilith was no slouch either. She was a powerhouse of dark energy, and her sorcery was formidable. She conjured terrifying illusions that disoriented Red, making it difficult for her to focus. She summoned shadowy tendrils that lashed out at Red, attempting to ensnare her and drain her of her powers.

The fight raged on, and the two combatants locked in a deadly dance of sorcery and swordplay. The air crackled with energy as lightning arced and shadowy tendrils writhed. Both Red and Lilith were battered and bruised, their clothing torn and bloodied.

Finally, Red saw an opening. She drew upon the Shadow Matter within her and unleashed a massive burst of energy that crashed Lilith to the ground, her body smoking and writhing.

Red stood over Lilith, breathing heavily, her sword raised. With a final burst of energy, Red drove her sword through Lilith's heart.

Red felt a sense of relief. The battle was won, but the war was far from over.

Red knew that she had to continue fighting in the Academy to save what remains, but Kyle argued against it. He reminded her that their own efforts to save the Academy could cost them everything.

In the end, they agreed to go to D'adana as Master Thalia ordered. As they boarded the starfighter, Red felt a sense of purpose. She had gained new powers, and with them, she would continue to fight until the Shadow Matter was eradicated for good. The adventure had only just begun, and Red was ready for whatever lay ahead.