Chapter 52: The Cost of Power!

---

Chapter 52: The Cost of Power!

The gator's claws, sharp as daggers, hurtled toward Tessa's head, ready to strike. But in that instant, Ecdy leaped between her and the beast, his body a shield of flesh and bone.

Thwack!

The sound of claws sinking into Ecdy's body echoed like a sickening drumbeat. His eyes widened in pain as the gator's deadly nails tore into his side. Blood sprayed out, painting the ground red as his body staggered under the impact.

"Noooo! Ecdy!" Tessa's scream tore through the chaos, raw and filled with anguish.

The world around her seemed to shatter in that moment. Her heart thudded in her chest, her breath coming in ragged gasps as time slowed once more. Ecdy's body slumped before her, and all Tessa could see was the blood, his sacrifice, his devotion. He had thrown his life on the line without hesitation—and for her.

Something primal and ancient stirred within her. A fierce, burning energy rose from deep inside her soul, boiling over. She could feel it—her connection to the moon, to the goddess who had spoken to her in whispers, now roaring like a tidal wave, demanding to be unleashed.

Her figure began to shimmer and flicker, becoming almost translucent. The air around her vibrated as a radiant glow enveloped her body. Her outline blurred, and before anyone could comprehend what was happening, Tessa's form became an illusion—a vision of something far greater.

Through her, the unmistakable image of the moon goddess appeared, her towering figure casting a silver light across the battlefield. Every soldier froze, their eyes widening in awe and terror. Even the gators hesitated, their ferocious growls faltering as they sensed the overwhelming power emanating from the glowing figure.

Tessa's voice, now blended with the moon goddess's, echoed across the battlefield. It was no longer just her voice—it was ancient, powerful, and otherworldly.

"You dare harm what is mine?" the moon goddess's voice thundered, vibrating the ground beneath their feet.

Her hand extended toward the gator, the same one that had impaled Ecdy with its deadly claws. The beast let out a guttural roar, but it was futile.

Tessa, or rather the goddess within her, barely needed to touch it. With just the faintest brush of her fingers against the creature's scaly hide, it disintegrated. Reduced to nothing but dust and fragments, the gator crumbled before their eyes, its powerful form turned to smithereens in a mere instant.

The energy crackled through the air, and every eye was on Tessa—the goddess's power blazing through her, making her more than human, more than Kaelrian.

She stood there, glowing with a fierce light, her chest heaving with each breath as the battlefield fell into stunned silence.

Adrian, Nyala, and even the Rhemonic soldiers who had been fighting alongside her, all stared in awe. They had seen power before, but nothing like this. Nothing that spoke of divine wrath and protection, all wrapped up in one.

For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of the wind and the crackle of Tessa's energy, still faintly buzzing through the air.

But then her gaze fell back on Ecdy—his body crumpled at her feet, blood still pooling beneath him.

"Ecdy..." she whispered, her voice breaking, the glow of the goddess fading as the mortal girl within her took over once more.

---

Tessa's knees hit the ground with a dull thud as she knelt beside Ecdy. His body lay limp in her arms, blood seeping from his wounds and staining her hands.

His breathing was shallow, ragged, every breath seemingly a fight for survival. His once-bright eyes had dimmed, but through the haze of pain, he looked up at her with a faint smile, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"I kept my word... my Goddess," Ecdy rasped, his voice weak but filled with a deep sense of duty.

Tessa's breath caught in her throat, a tear slipping down her cheek. "You won't die, Ecdy. Just stay with me." Her voice trembled with both desperation and conviction, and she refused to let him go.

She placed her trembling hand on his side, where the gator's claws had torn through him. The nerve cells, torn tissues, and sinews began to weave themselves back together under her touch, her moonlit energy sparking to life. The gaping wound started to shrink, the bleeding slowed—but then something went wrong.

The energy faltered.

The glow flickered.

Her powers—so connected to the moon goddess—were unstable. She wasn't in full alignment with the divine force that resided within her. And now, that instability was threatening Ecdy's life. The healing started, then stopped, then stuttered again.

"No, no, no…" Tessa whispered, her heart hammering in her chest. She felt the goddess's presence inside her, but it was distant, as if something was blocking her from fully accessing the power. Her fingers twitched, glowing faintly as she willed her abilities to respond.

But the healing refused to be consistent. Every time she tried to repair Ecdy's broken body, the energy would sputter and fail, leaving him slipping further away.

This can't happen... her mind screamed, panic rising. I can't lose him!

Ecdy's breathing was growing weaker by the second, his eyelids fluttering as the life in him began to fade.

Around them, the battlefield had fallen eerily still. Even the gators, which had been attacking moments before, seemed to halt their charge, sensing the sudden shift in the air. Soldiers from both sides stared in stunned silence, watching as Tessa battled to save the life of the one who had thrown himself into the line of death for her.

Adrian, who had been fighting near the front, turned, his eyes narrowing as he saw the struggle. His gaze flicked between the still battlefield and the girl cradling Ecdy, his calm expression tightening as he realized the gravity of the situation.

Time felt suspended.

Tessa's breath hitched, her hands trembling violently as she pushed her powers further, but the disconnection from the moon goddess was too great. The healing magic sputtered like a dying flame, flickering weakly against the overpowering force of death that loomed over Ecdy's fragile form.

"I'm not strong enough," she whispered in despair, tears blurring her vision as she held him closer. The raw helplessness gnawed at her.

Ecdy coughed, more blood spilling from his lips as he struggled to speak. "You... already... did more... than I deserved..." His voice was barely a whisper now, his words trailing off.

"No, Ecdy!" Tessa cried, her voice breaking. "Stay with me. Please, I'm not letting you die!"

The wind picked up, swirling around them, as if nature itself could feel the tension of the moment. The moon goddess's words echoed in her mind once again: You need to accept me fully to unleash the full extent of my powers...

But she wasn't ready. She wasn't sure how.

And time was running out.

---