Chapter 10 - The Magic of Discord

The dungeon pressed in around them, the air thick with the smell of damp stone smoke. Aiden pushed forward, fire still clinging to his fingertips, his jaw set hard. Valerie struggled to keep up with him, her breath unsteady, while Maximus’s heavy footsteps followed close. The echo of their march seemed to stretch forever, every drip of water from the ceiling like a slow drumbeat pounding in Aiden’s head.

They had fallen behind Zachary and Everly, but Aiden refused to stop.

We can still catch up. We can still win.

His thoughts burned hotter than the torches that lined the twisting walls. He hadn’t suggested the two of them use Heartlink once since the break. He couldn’t risk it. Every time they tried, it ended in disaster. Better to fight alone than give Zachary more reason to mock them.

Valerie’s hand reached out faintly, fingertips brushing the edge of his sleeve. “Aiden...wait..."

“Keep moving,” he snapped without looking back. His voice echoed against the cavern walls, harsher than he meant it to be. He knew he was out of line but he couldn’t stop now. His pride wouldn’t let him.

Maximus let out a long breath through his nose. “You’re exhausting yourself. There are only a couple goblins left. Don’t throw everything away at the end.”

But Aiden barely heard him. His eyes locked on the faint glow ahead, the last chamber. His heartbeat quickened, ears ringing with the thought of victory slipping away. Every step forward was heavy, his muscles aching, but he pushed harder, faster, desperate to close the distance between them and the other couple.

The sound of steel striking against stone and goblin screeches rang out as they entered, the clash of metal on earth echoing through the chamber. Zachary and Everly were already there, cornering the final goblin of the dungeon against the jagged wall. Earth spikes jutted up, blocking its escape, while Everly circled with precision, ready to strike. Their movements were practiced, efficient, maddeningly in sync. Watching them move together so fluidly felt like a blade twisting in Aiden’s chest.

Aiden’s chest tightened. No. I won’t let them finish it. Not like this.

Sweat stung his eyes. He could hear Valerie behind him, whispering something under her breath, maybe a plea for patience or a curse against Aiden's impatience, but the words were drowned out by the pounding in his ears. Before he even realized it, flame roared to life in his palm. His body moved on instinct, desperation overriding reason. He hurled the fireball forward, pouring every ounce of frustration and need into the spell.

The goblin twisted sideways, trying to shield itself with the jagged wall. Aiden’s stomach dropped—Zachary was still in front of him, blocking the line of fire. He realized too late, his hand already releasing the spell. The fireball slammed square into Zachary’s back.

A sharp explosion of heat and light filled the chamber. Zachary staggered forward with a strangled cry, smoke curling off his coat. The stench of burnt fabric and seared flesh filled the air. Everyone froze.

Valerie gasped, then her voice cracked through the silence like a whip. “Aiden! What were you thinking?! You could’ve killed someone!”

The words hit harder than the fireball itself. Aiden’s throat clenched, but no answer came. Shame hollowed him out from the inside. He tried to force words, but all that came was silence, broken only by the angry rasp of his own breath.

Everly rushed to Zachary’s side, her hands glowing faintly blue with healing magic, but Zachary slapped her hand away, fury twisting his features. His eyes burned with hatred.

“You think you can steal the win from me?!” Zachary snarled. His arm jutted out towards the goblin, causing the ground beneath it to surge, jagged stone trapping it in place. The goblin struggled, grunting vigorously as it tried to escape it's rocky prison. A fire ignited in Zachary's hand, roaring forward in a barrage of fireballs. Each blast tore into the goblin until its body disintegrated into ash, scattering them across the cavern floor. The chamber lit red with each strike, the afterimage burning into Aiden’s eyes.

The dungeon fell silent again, save for the hiss of cooling stone and the labored rasp of Zachary’s breath.

Zachary brushed off his shoulders, straightening his posture as he collected himself. He glanced in Everly's direction, turning his back to her. “Now heal me.”

Everly obeyed this time, magic pouring into the burns across his back. Zachary’s smirk returned slowly, cruelly, as his eyes cut across the chamber toward Aiden.

“Maximus,” he called out, voice echoing sharp and cold. “Your rules were clear. A deliberate attack on another team results in disqualification.”

Aiden’s chest tightened. “I...it wasn’t...I didn’t...” The words tangled in his throat. He wanted to say it was an accident, but another voice inside him whispered darker. Was it really an accident? Or did some part of me want to hit him? To shut him up? His stomach churned. His hands, still faintly glowing with the heat of fire, trembled at his sides.

Maximus’s face was unreadable, his eyes shadowed beneath the flickering light. He closed them for a moment, as though weighing the choice, before finally speaking. His voice carried across the chamber like a judgment passed.

“Aiden and Valerie are disqualified. Zachary and Everly win the contest.”

The judgment crashed down on Aiden, an unshakable weight pressing against his chest. His breath caught, his legs felt heavy, but he couldn’t move. Valerie stood frozen beside him, her expression torn between shock and fury. Her eyes flicked to him briefly, a storm of anger and hurt, before she turned away. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, as though holding back words she couldn’t bring herself to say.

Maximus stepped forward, adjusting the straps of his pack. “We leave. Now. The longer we linger, the more goblins will gather.” His voice heavy with disappointment.

They filed out of the chamber in silence. Zachary and Everly walked ahead, their steps sure, confident, victorious. Valerie drifted toward Chloe, her arms folded tight, jaw set, refusing to even glance at Aiden. Chloe tried whispering something to her, perhaps a comfort, but Valerie’s answers were short and sharp.

Aiden followed alone, his head low, the shadows swallowing his expression. The torchlight made long, jagged shapes along the walls, but none seemed darker than the one stretching from him.

What have I done? His thoughts clawed at him with every step. I could’ve hurt Valerie. I ruined everything. And I still lost.

The dungeon never seemed to end, every corridor stretching longer than before. His boots scraped against the stone, the sound too loud in the silence. He wanted to say something, anything, to Valerie, but his throat stayed dry. His pride and guilt dragging him down like an anchor, pulling tighter with every step.

Maximus marched ahead with grim focus, saying nothing. The weight of his judgment still lingered in the air. Even Chloe, usually quick to chatter, stayed quiet, as though words themselves were unwelcome here.

At times, Aiden caught Valerie glancing back at him, not with warmth, but with eyes filled with hurt. Each glance felt like another strike against him. She turned away quickly every time, as though even looking at him might reopen the wound of his mistake.

With each step forward, the space between him and the woman he loved felt like it widened, until it might as well have been a canyon.

By the time they reached town, the sun was just beginning to set. The air outside was crisp, carrying the faint scent of smoke from cooking fires. The sky was awash in fading gold and violet, the last light of day sinking beyond the rooftops. Lanterns flickered to life one by one, chasing away the dusk. For Aiden, even the open air at sunset felt no less suffocating than the dungeon’s stench.

Maximus broke the silence at last. “It's been quite an eventful day. Aiden, Valerie… you should both take a few days off to rest and reset.”

Valerie didn’t answer. She kept her gaze on the dirt at her feet. Aiden opened his mouth, then closed it again, unable to force out a reply.

The streets were alive with voices and footsteps. Merchants called out the last of their wares, children darted between alleys, and townsfolk gathered near the square. The clamor felt distant to Aiden, like a world he no longer belonged to.

Maximus turned to dismiss the group when Zachary’s voice cut across the noise, loud and sharp enough to carry to the crowd. “I’ll be gracious,” he declared, his smirk widening as heads turned toward him. “I won’t force Aiden to fulfill his obligation for losing—despite his dishonorable actions. Consider it a gift from me.”

Aiden stiffened. Murmurs rippled through the crowd.

Zachary stepped closer, his tone mocking. “I only hope that next time, he’ll be strong enough to pose a challenge. Because from what we all saw…” He jerked his chin toward Valerie. “…even his wife knows he isn’t strong enough to protect anyone. Not even her.”

Valerie flinched, eyes narrowing, but she stayed silent. The weight of the insult hung in the air like a blade.

Aiden’s fists clenched. He had swallowed his shame all through the march home, but this—this public humiliation—burned too hot to contain. Rage boiled in his chest until it burst from his lips. “Enough! If you think I’m weak, then prove it. Face me—face us—and we’ll see which bond is stronger!”

The crowd hushed, whispers darting like sparks.

Zachary laughed, sharp and cruel. “Why would I? It’ll end the same as before. Another pathetic failure.”

Valerie stepped forward quickly, her hand brushing Aiden’s arm. Her voice trembled. “Stop this, Aiden. We can’t win. We can’t even use Heartlink magic right now.”

Her words should have reached him. Instead, they only stoked the fire already consuming him.

“You’re either with me, or against me.” His voice was low, dangerous.

Valerie’s breath caught. Fear flickered in her eyes, but she said nothing. At last, she stepped to his side, silent in her agreement.

Zachary’s smile turned wicked. “Very well.” He glanced at Everly, and together they snapped their fingers. “Decaying Swamp.”

The ground at their feet churned as earth and water fused. A thick, poisonous mire spread outward, swallowing Aiden and Valerie’s legs to the knees. The stench of rot filled their lungs, the air heavy and foul. Their bodies weakened instantly—breathing turned shallow, vision blurred. Aiden gagged, then doubled over as bile forced its way up his throat.

He fought for air. “Val… Heartlink… air and fire…"

Valerie, choking on the swamp’s fumes, nodded faintly. She raised her hands. Fire and air spiraled together, unstable from the start. The discord between them that had been building throughout the day, cracked the spell apart, then it exploded.

The blast hurled them from the mire, the shockwave rattling windows around the square. Smoke and dust clouded the air as the crowd screamed. Aiden and Valerie slammed to the cobblestones, battered and burned. Somehow, they staggered back to their feet.

“Valerie...one more time...Heartlink Healing...” Aiden rasped, clutching his side.

But Zachary’s voice cut over him. “Noxious Steaming Gas.”

He and Everly fused fire and water, releasing a searing cloud that swept across the square. The air hissed, thick with poisonous steam that burned every inch of exposed skin. Aiden and Valerie collapsed again, coughing violently. Valerie clawed at her throat, her breaths ragged. Aiden forced himself upright through sheer will, blinking through tears. His gaze fixed on Zachary and Everly.

They weren’t unscathed. Burn marks seared their arms and necks, proof that the backlash had reached them too. But Zachary barked an order, and Everly immediately began healing him first. Her own wounds remained raw as she poured her energy into him.

Aiden tried to rise, but his body rebelled. His knees buckled, and he fell hard to the ground.

Zachary, now fully restored, strode toward him. His shadow fell over Aiden’s broken form. “Once again, you’re powerless. You can’t protect her. You can’t protect anyone.” His voice rose, carrying to every corner of the square. “Heartlink magic will always fail.”

He crouched and seized Aiden’s face, forcing his head to turn. “Look. Look at your wife.”

Valerie lay on the ground, gasping, her skin pale and clammy. Chloe knelt frantically at her side, glowing hands pressed against her chest. Panic filled her eyes. Nearby, Avery rummaged through her apothecary bag, flinging vials aside in search of something, anything, that could help. “Doctor! Someone get a doctor!” Chloe cried.

Aiden reached out weakly, his arm trembling, but his body refused to obey. He couldn’t move, couldn’t save her. The image seared into his mind, dragging him back to the memory of twisted metal, shattered glass, and Valerie’s fading voice from the car crash.

“No…” His voice cracked. “Not again…”

Zachary’s sneer deepened. “See what her trust in you has earned her? Pathetic.” He let Aiden’s head fall back to the ground, then turned toward the crowd. Everly, freshly healed, joined his side.

“Let this be a lesson,” Zachary declared, raising his voice. “Heartlink magic is a lie. It weakens you, makes you reckless. Only shared purpose, unclouded by emotion, creates true strength.” He pointed toward Aiden and Valerie’s broken forms. “If you need proof, look at them. They are the perfect example.”

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Some nodded. Others turned away, unsettled.

Zachary gave a final smirk, then strode off with Everly at his side.

Aiden tried to call Valerie’s name, but the word broke apart in his throat. His vision swam, edges darkening. He saw her as he had in those final moments before the crash—her strength slipping away, her voice fading as he reached for her and failed. The helplessness was the same, raw and merciless.

His chest tightened, his heart screaming though his lips barely moved. Please… Creator… don’t let me lose her again.

The weight of that desperate prayer was the last thought he held before the darkness closed in.