CHAPTER 22: Malrik Vs Jace

The void pulsed with unnatural stillness, an ocean of swirling blackness stretching in all directions. Jace hovered weightlessly, his breath steady but his mind restless. He had never felt anything like this—this strange limbo where his blood power hummed against his skin, yet the world itself seemed unshaped, unreal.

Malrik floated effortlessly before him, his silver gaze unwavering. A faint smirk played at his lips.

"Few can withstand my domain," he said. "Fewer still can move freely within it. So tell me, boy—what are you really?"

Jace steadied his breathing. He felt in control.

“My name is Jace J…’

"I’m not interested in your name," Malrik cut in, his tone dismissive. "Never mind… It’s not important anyway."

Jace hesitated, thrown off. What does he mean by that? Something about the way Malrik said it unsettled him. He had been called many things before, but a what? That felt insulting and concerning.

A sudden pulse rippled through his veins. His blood, previously stable, twisted unpredictably. The power within him flared erratically, streaking up his arms in jagged, uncontrolled bursts. His vision darkened at the edges, and for a brief moment, it felt like something else was pulling at his essence. It seeped out from his eyes dropping as if he was crying blood.

"Focus, boy."

Jace gritted his teeth, inhaling sharply. This power is his, he should be able to control it. His blood steadied, stopped flowing out of his skin and retreated back into his body through his eye sockets.

Malrik watched him with interest. “Hmm…”

"What is this place?" Jace finally asked regaining his composure.

“Hmm..” Malrik tilted his head, his silver eyes gleaming. " A space between worlds. A place where power is stripped of distraction, where only instinct and will remain. Here, the weak crumble and the strong endure." He paused studying Jace’s face. “Tell me, what drives you?"

Jace hesitated. “What drives me?”

A flood of images filled his mind—his family, his friends, the people he swore to protect.

"I don’t know," he admitted, his voice quieter than he expected. "I just know I need to protect the people I love from people like you."

Malrik exhaled in amusement. "Need? That’s the word you choose? Not ‘want’? Not ‘believe’?"

Jace clenched his fists. "What does it matter?"

Malrik lets out a chuckle. "Because power without direction is destruction. And right now, you’re a storm without a center…a blade without an edge. You fight, but do you know why?"

Jace glared at him, his blood pulsing again, the veins in his arms glowing red. "I don’t need philosophy. I need to get out of here."

Malrik smirk deepened. "Hmm...You remind me of someone."

Jace’s jaw tightened. "And you sound like someone who thinks he knows everything."

"I don’t need to know everything to see what’s in front of me." Malrik’s voice was calm, but something in his tone sharpened. "I see a boy fighting his own power, afraid of what it might make him. But let me give you some free advice…power is neither good nor evil. It simply is. The only thing that matters is whether you control it… or it controls you."

Jace’s blood surged violently, twisting around his arms in jagged erratic pulses. Malrik watched silently as he struggled, waiting.

Jace forced a breath through his clenched teeth. He wasn’t going to let this power shake him. Not again. His pulse slowed. The wild, unpredictable blood flowed smoothly into controlled motion. He wouldn’t let this power control him anymore.

Malrik gave a slow nod. "Good. You’re learning." He took a brief pause. "Now… we have a problem to sort out."

Jace frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The moment I end my Abyssus Noctis, we return to the battlefield." Malrik’s gaze sharpened. "So… how do you want to proceed?"

Jace inhaled deeply, his expression firm. "I-I’m thankful for your… lesson. But you’re still the enemy. If you surrender now..."

"That’s out of the question."

Jace ran a hand through his hair, exasperated. "Then what do you want from me? You attacked us! We were just defending ourselves."

Malrik started pacing slowly, the swirling colors of the void following his steps. "You do have a point… albeit a wrong one.  Perhaps I should explain myself better. Let me tell you why I fight."

Jace remained silent, watching him.

"I am searching for someone," Malrik continued. When I sensed you, I thought that person was you. But I was mistaken. You see, this person has something of mine—my essence. I can sense him or her somewhere within these walls. So, I sent my pets to retrieve him. But they failed."

Jace’s eyes narrowed. "I’m sorry we didn’t let your ‘pets’ kill us."

"Yes, that was rather inconvenient of you," Malrik admitted, almost amused. "But that is in the past. Here’s what will happen next: I will go to find the one I seek. And as a courtesy, I will allow you and your friends to live… if you leave me be."

Jace’s blood ran hot. "What?! No! Do you know how much destruction you’ve caused? How many lives have been lost because of you? If we let you go, more people will die! What makes you think i will allow that?!"

Malrik gave a thoughtful hum. "Hmm."

Jace groaned. "Will you stop doing that? It’s annoying."

"New plan," Malrik said suddenly, sitting down in midair as if gravity no longer applied. "If you let me go, I promise not to kill another soul."

“That’s the same thing you suggested earlier.” Jace scoffed and muttered to himself. “O-okay If I agree, how do I know you are not lying?”

Malrik’s expression darkened just slightly. "I promise I am not. But make no mistake, if I so choose, I could decimate everything in my path, including your friends. I am simply offering you a choice out of mercy. And quite frankly I would hate for bright young children like yourselves to die needlessly."

Jace inhaled sharply, his fists tightening. He hated this. But right now, he needed to think. Even though he doesn't remember much of the fight, he knows Malrik is really powerful. If they had more people, with Rebel and Constantine there might have stood a chance but as they are now, it was doubteful.

After a moment, he gave a slow nod. "Fine. But let me talk to my friends first."

Malrik stood, his expression unreadable. “I understand."

Malrik smiled and then, with a flick of his wrist, the void cracked. It shattered like breaking glass, dissolving in on itself and they were back with the others.

Jace’s feet hit solid ground. The scent of dust and blood. It all came flooding back.

Michael and Adelle stood frozen, watching him.

Jace exhaled, rolling his shoulders. His blood pulsed beneath his skin—but it was no longer thrashing wildly.

Across from him, Malrik landed effortlessly. He flexed his fingers, then turned his attention back to Jace.

"Your move."