Chapter 63: Maybe there's hope....

The air in the training room was thick with tension. Darius' once ethereal glow had now been replaced by an unsettling stillness.

Crystalline structures began to emerge from his body, shimmering in a way that reflected the power trying to consume him. The crystal formations pulsated with energy, shifting and expanding around him, as if trapping the chaotic force within.

Harmony, standing amidst the devastation, watched with clenched fists. The energy swirling around Darius seemed to calm, if only slightly.

The storm was no longer as violent, and though the pain radiating from him was still immense, the crystals appeared to be containing it—for now.

"He's stabilizing... just a little," Harmony whispered to herself, though her eyes remained sharp and focused.

The Archers of the Endless, still standing in their protective stance, exchanged glances. Harmony's mind raced, trying to come up with a plan.

They had to act, but delicately. One wrong move, and Darius could be lost.

"Archers!" Harmony called out, her voice firm despite the weight of the situation. "Lock down the mountain. Don't let anyone pass."

Without a word, the six Archers raised their bows to the sky once more. Their forms began to glow, and within seconds, they transformed into towering pillars of pure light.

The pillars shot up toward the heavens, each stationed at a corner of the mountain, creating an unbreakable barrier.

A faint hum filled the air as the protective shield settled into place, sealing the entire area.

With the barrier now secure, Harmony turned her attention to the rest of the room. The ISIS team and the heroes, who had been knocked unconscious by the sheer magnitude of Darius' power surge, were beginning to stir.

They had been caught off guard by the shockwave, and some were still disoriented.

Harmony approached them quickly, her expression serious. "Listen up, all of you!" she snapped, her voice cutting through the haze of confusion.

"Darius is… going through something. This meet-up is officially postponed. I need you all to get back out there and dissuade any more heroes from coming to the Agency for a while."

Diana, Bruce, and the others exchanged glances, unsure of what exactly was happening but aware of the severity of the situation.

Even the ISIS team, despite their usual antics, knew when things were serious. Archer, rubbing his head, let out a low groan as he staggered to his feet.

"Yeah, sure, just… give me a minute," Archer mumbled, still groggy. "Do we get hazard pay for this?"

Harmony ignored his comment and looked to Bruce(Batsy) and Steve. "You're the heavy hitters here. I need you both to handle any heroes who try to come near. No one gets in until Darius stabilizes."

Steve nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "We'll take care of it," he assured her, his usual calm demeanor taking charge.

"Good," Harmony said, her eyes flicking back toward Darius. She could feel the overwhelming pressure building again. Time was running short, and though they had bought themselves some, it wasn't enough.

The heroes quickly gathered themselves, still shaking off the disorienting effects of the power surge, but ready to act. Natasha, always the first to move in critical situations, motioned to Steve. "We need to spread out. I'll cover the east side. Steve, you take the north."

Bruce raised an eyebrow, still dazed. "Yeah, I'll head west. As long as no one's expecting me to fly."

Harmony's heart pounded as she watched the group disperse. The situation was spiraling, but they had done everything they could to keep it from getting worse. Now, all they could do was wait and hope that the containment held.

She turned her gaze back to Darius, his form almost completely enveloped in the growing crystalline structure.

His chest heaved with every ragged breath, and though the crystals held back much of the energy, they couldn't contain it forever.

"Hold on, Darius," she whispered, her hands clenched into fists.

[Back with Darius]

In the swirling chaos of his mindscape, Darius struggled against the immense power trying to tear him apart. His consciousness ebbed and flowed, memories flashing before him like pieces of shattered glass.

Worlds he had visited, lives he had touched—and others he had not.

The faces of countless beings flashed before his eyes, but one face, in particular, emerged from the haze with startling clarity.

A little girl.

Her innocent eyes, bright with hope, stared up at him, even though the weight of the world had been heavy on her small shoulders. Her name was gone to the sands of time, but her presence had stayed with him ever since.

She had been a slave when they met—scared, hungry, and desperate. She was no older than seven, perhaps eight, and when Darius found her, chained and beaten in a pitiful camp, something inside him had stirred.

He could have freed her right then.

He could have snapped the chains, torn apart the slavers, and set her on a path to a new life. But back then, young and still figuring out the universe's complexities, Darius had a rule.

He did not interfere in Death's domain. It was a principle he had set for himself to maintain balance in the cosmos, believing in the natural flow of life and death.

Even now, as the memories flooded back, the guilt gnawed at him. The girl had traveled with him for a time, as he explored that world.

She was his companion, always smiling despite the horrors she had been through. Her laughter was like a song in the desolation of a broken world.

But the end had come all too soon.

He hadn't saved her.

On one of their travels through the dangerous terrain of a forsaken land, her small body succumbed to the sickness that ravaged the planet.

Darius had stood by her as she withered, watching as her life slipped away, doing nothing because of his rule. Because of his belief that he should not interfere with death.

The image of her small, fragile form in those final moments haunted him. Even after all these millennia, the regret was like a splinter lodged deep in his soul.

He had learned since then. He had grown, become more than that naïve, unfeeling boy. But some things never left him.

And now, in the depths of his mind, as the energy sought to destroy him, the girl appeared before him once more.

She looked exactly as she had back then—small, delicate, with a face that held a sweetness despite the pain life had inflicted upon her. Her bright eyes met his, and she smiled gently, just as she had all those years ago.

"Darius," she whispered, her voice as soft as the wind.

He could barely speak, the overwhelming force of his spiraling power crushing him from within. "You... you can't be here," he rasped, his voice filled with pain and disbelief.

The girl stepped closer, unaffected by the chaos around them. "I've always been here, Darius. I've always watched you."

He clenched his fists, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. "I should have saved you. I should have broken my rule. I was so young, so stupid..."

She shook her head gently. "You were doing what you thought was right. And I don't blame you. You taught me so much, showed me so many things. I was happy."

The guilt weighed down on him, making his breaths shallow and ragged. "But you died, and I did nothing."

"Sometimes, death isn't the worst thing," she said, her voice filled with an understanding far beyond her years. "I had peace, in the end. And now, I'm here to help you."

Darius looked at her, his chest tightening as the chaos raged on around them. "Help me? How could you possibly—"

The girl's smile widened, and she reached out to touch his hand. Her small, warm fingers wrapped around his, and suddenly, the oppressive weight of his power felt lighter.

"I can take some of it away," she said softly. "The burden doesn't have to be yours alone. Let me carry it, like you carried me."

Darius' heart broke at the thought. "No. You've suffered enough. I can't—"

"It's my choice," she interrupted gently. "You gave me so much, even if you didn't realize it. Let me give something back."

He hesitated, his mind torn between acceptance and rejection. But he could feel his body fracturing under the immense pressure. The crystals forming on his body, the energy threatening to spill out—it was all too much.

And in the depths of his soul, he knew that without help, he would be consumed.

Finally, with a trembling hand, he nodded.

"Okay," he whispered.

The girl's smile grew brighter, and she placed her other hand on his chest. In that moment, warmth—pure, comforting warmth—spread through him. The crushing force of his power began to ease, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, Darius could breathe.

"You don't have to carry it all, Darius," she whispered, her voice like a balm to his shattered soul. "Not anymore."

And as her presence filled him, he realized that he had never truly been alone. She had always been there, watching, waiting.

A reminder of the past, and a light in the darkest depths of his mind.

With her by his side, maybe—just maybe—he could survive this.

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