Master Of Chains-Chapter 13: Kleionx, the flame god.

Louis pressed his forehead to the ice, his breath came in shallow gasps, each exhale curling into wisps of icy mist.

Silence. No response. No movement.

Just him alone, lost in a dimly lit, frozen tunnel.

He backed away, clutching the rod tighter.

His hands trembled, not just from the cold but from the crushing sense of isolation.

"Natalia?" he called out, his voice echoing back at him. "Connor?"

Only the distant groan of shifting ice answered, somewhere out in the dark.

Louis began to move forward, hoping to find the other end of the tunnel, but the silence and suffocating cold were beginning to take their toll.

His head throbbed, his vision became blurry, he felt like he could almost collapse.

"Shit!"

He slumped against the icy wall to steady himself.

The Core in his chest pulsed faintly—its warmth barely enough to keep him alive. His HUD flickered weakly:

[Core Energy: 70%]

[Recharge Nearing Completion]

"Not enough," Louis muttered. "I need more than this."

Then he heard a faint voice.

"Louis..."

His head snapped up."Natalia?"

"Louis... over here..."

Louis staggered forward, moving deeper into the tunnel."Hang on, I'm coming!"

Then he reached a point which seemed to have two other tunnels.

"Natalia, where are you?" he yelled.

Finally, he saw her.

She was slumped against the wall, her psychic aura dim and flickering. Her dark hair was matted with frost, and blood smeared her gloves.

"Natalia!" Louis rushed to her side, dropping to his knees. "Are you okay? I thought I lost you..."

She looked up at him, exhausted.

"Louis... We failed," she whispered, "That thing... it got Connor... I tried to stop it, but—"

Her voice cracked, and she slumped forward. Louis reached out instinctively, grabbing her hand.

"It's okay," he said, keeping his voice steady. "We'll get through this. Just stay with me."

But something felt... wrong.

Her eyes once familiar changed into a reptile eye.

She lifted her head slowly, a smirk spreading across her face.

"Natalia?" Louis recoiled.

"Oh, Louis," she said, her voice deepening. "You're so easy to fool." Her form began to shift, and her mouth streched into a grotesque grin as she transformed into an alien creature.

Its elongated limbs ended in jagged claws, and its face was a monsterous parody of Natalia's own.

Louis scrambled back, brandishing the rod." What the hell are you?"

The creature tilted its head,"I am what you fear, Louis. I am what you doubt. And I will be what breaks you."

It lunged. Louis swung the rod, striking the wall instead.

Cracks erupted through the ice.

The tunnel trembled, walls groaned.

"Oh, no." Louis whispered as the ceiling began to collapse.

The creature shrieked and charged, only to be crushed under tond of falling ice. A massive chunk slammed into Louis's shoulder, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Louis barely had time to react as the entire tunnel collapsed, burying him under tons of ice and darkness swallowed everything.

[Core Energy: 100%]

[System Recharge Complete]

Louis gasped as the notification flashed across his HUD. He tried to summon the Core's power, but before he could, another voice—not the system's—echoed in his mind.

"You burn, but you don't know where the fire is coming from."

The world around him twisted.

The freezing cold replaced by an oppressive heat.

Louis found himself standing in a vast, burning void. Green flames licked the horizon.

At the center stood a throne of molten black stone. Seated upon it was a being—massive, tall, and thin. Its face was striking with enormous, oppressive eyes. Intricate patterns adorned its body.Flowing from its shoulders were elegant, curved appendages that seemed part wing, part ornate structure. His body burning with scorching hot flames.

Its eyes glowed like twin suns.

The being rested its hands on the throne's armrests, its wrists bound by chains not consumed by the flames.

"Finally, we meet," the being rumbled.

"Who... what are you?" Louis demanded, glaring at it in fear.

The entity's chains rattled as it rose, towering over him. "I am Kleionx. I am the power you wield so recklessly. The Core is my prison—but I am no mere weapon."

Louis gritted his teeth. "I never asked for any of this."

Kleionx narrowed its eyes. "You think this was chance? No, little host. They fixed me inside you to be a ticking bomb for Earth. Every time you use my power, these chains weaken. One day, boy, I will break free."

Louis clenched his fists. "If you're trying to scare me, it's not working."

Kleionx's lips curled into a cruel smile. "You're braver than most. Or just dumber."

Louis raised his pinky. "Then let's make a deal."

Kleionx's cruel smile didn't falter. "Do you know who I am, you little brat? I have destroyed worlds. I was unstoppable before I was chained."

Louis squared his shoulders. "You want freedom? Help me survive this maze first."

"Foolish child," Kleionx growled. "You do not understand. Each time you call upon my power, you risk losing yourself. Your body is fragile. Your mind, weaker. When I arrive, you will burn."

"Try it," Louis shot back. "You'll die with me."

A beat.

Then laughter echoed across the void.

"You're not the first to threaten me, Louis Lee—but you are the first to amuse me," Kleionx said. "Very well. We shall see how long you can dance on the edge of my flame."

---

Louis jolted awake, drenched in sweat.

The tunnel was intact. No collapsed ice, no creature, no Natalia.

***

The ice bit at Oliver's cheeks as he and his team pressed forward. freēnovelkiss.com

"Damn! We're not going to make it," Oliver exclaimed with frustration as every twist and turn of the maze seemed to lead to danger.

Ahead, a blurry figure emerged near a jagged wall of ice.

"Hold up," Oliver signaled, a glowing card appearing in his fingers. "This could be trouble."

The figure stepped closer, face obscured by a thick fur hood. Silver insignia glinted on the stranger's coat—Earth Defenders.

Oliver gasped. "It's an official."

The official glanced around cautiously and beckoned them closer with a swift gesture.

"Quickly. Over here," the official hissed.

Oliver's team hesitated, but Oliver strode forward.

As he approached, the official muttered, "There's a backdoor."

He tapped a screen on a tablet attached to his wrist. "A secret passage through these ice walls. It will take you safely to the next phase."

Oliver narrowed his eyes. "Why help us?"

"There's a price." The official said. "You need to ensure Louis fails the next phase. Understood? Use strategy to outsmart him."

A grin slowly spread across Oliver's face. "Sounds like Louis has some enemies within HQ."

He glanced back at his teammates. "Sounds easy enough."

The official's gloved hand hovered over the tablet. "Swear it."

Oliver frowned. "Are you going to help us or not?"

The official tapped his tablet, and a wall beside them clicked open.

He gestured toward the path. "Follow this route to the next door that will open for you."

As they prepared to leave, a sudden crunch echoed behind them.

A random cadet stumbled up from the ground, shivering, his uniform marked with frost.

He stared at them wide-eyed. "What are you doing? Please help!"

Without hesitation, one of Oliver's teammates, the one with dark glasses, removed them, revealing red lasers that shot toward the cadet, knocking him to the ground with a grunt of pain.

Oliver crouched beside him, his voice cold. "You saw nothing. Understand?"

The cadet whispered. "Oliver, that's cheating! I'll report—"

Desmond, the one with the laser eyes, struck him again, and the cadet slumped unconscious.

He glanced at Oliver. "What do you want to do with him?"

Oliver straightened, brushing snow from his suit. "Drag him into the other maze behind the snow."

Desmond and another teammate hauled the cadet's limp body, dumping him behind a drift.

They crept into the wall, following the hidden route.

"Go, now," Oliver ordered.

One after the other, his team slipped inside. Oliver took a final glance back at the maze, a satisfied smirk on his lips.

"Let's make sure Louis never makes it this far."

He shut the secret door, the ice sealing their secret.