Chapter 80: The Battle Echoing in the Heart of Wisdom and the Cry of the Source
When the Odyssey crash-landed in the vast, crystalline foyer of the Infinite Library, the sight that awaited Kael and his crew inside was far more sinister than the siege outside. Those endless corridors, where all the knowledge of the universe had once flowed in silent harmony, were now a nightmarish labyrinth, tainted by the sticky, dark energy of the Void, patrolled here and there by twisted Void creatures and even the tortured shadows of the Library's own guardians—the Wise Ones—possessed by the Void. The peaceful whisper of the Library had given way to a groan of pain and despair.
"Captain Rostova, Dr. Thorne," Kael said, stepping down the damaged ramp of the ship. "You and a Shadow Squad soldier, protect the ship. Those Void hunters who came after us could still be a threat. Aslan, the last remaining Shadow Squad soldier, and I will press on toward the Source."
Captain Rostova nodded. It was a difficult task, but Kael's determination and the faint cries for help coming from within the Library left them no other choice.
Kael, Aslan, and the last S.H.I.E.L.D. soldier with them began to advance deeper into the Library. The Chitauri core and the Star Compass were guiding them toward the "Source of Echoes," but their journey was a minefield filled with servants of the Void at every turn. The Void creatures they encountered were unlike any they had seen before; some were mutated beings that had absorbed the Library's knowledge, creating illusions that attacked minds directly. Fighting the possessed Sages was a source of added agony for Kael; the knowledge that the wise beings who had once guided him were now puppets of the Void fueled his anger even more.
But Kael was no longer just a warrior. He could sense the structure of the Infinite Library, its energy flows, and even some of its ancient defense mechanisms through the Chitauri core. On several occasions, he used the Library's own systems to trap or distract the Void creatures, allowing them to continue on their way.
As they traveled, they encountered a few of the Sages who still resisted in the inner reaches of the Library. At their head was the old Sage who had guided Kael on his earlier visit. Although there was weariness and sorrow in his eyes, a glimmer of hope shone when he saw Kael.
"Echo Bearer..." the old Sage whispered. "We knew you would come. But... I fear you are too late. He... He has reached the heart of the Source. He is contaminating it. If the Source falls, all memory of the universe, all its wisdom... will be lost forever."
"What should we do?" Kael asked. "How can we save the Source?"
"The Lord of the Void," the Sage continued, "is trying to absorb the Source's energy, turning it into an Echo of the Void that serves his own dark purpose. You must stop him. But he… he is too powerful. And he will not hesitate to use all the knowledge of the Library against you." The Old Sage handed Kael a small, glowing data crystal. "This is a fragment of the Source. Perhaps it will guide you, or perhaps provide you with a connection to it."
Kael took the crystal. He felt all the pain and hope of the Library in his palm. "You hold out here," he told the Sage. "We will reach the Source."
While the Old Sage and the few remaining Guardians formed a last line of resistance against the Void forces to buy Kael and his team time, Kael, Aslan, and the Shadow Squad soldier made a final push toward the Library's most sacred place, the vast hall where the "Source of Echoes" was located.
The hall was a staggeringly large one. At its center rose a vast, pulsating crystal heart—the Source of Echoes—that contained all the colors and lights of the universe. But some of the Source had been coated with the dark, sticky energy of the Void, its light fading, its song reduced to a wailing of pain.
And right in front of the Source stood the mighty Lord of the Void. He looked at Kael with a wry smile on his face. "So the little Echo has come to make his last stand," he said, his voice echoing in Kael's mind. "But you should know that the end of this game has already been written."
"Not yet!" Kael cried. The Chitauri core and the small data crystal in his hand burned with a bright light, resonating with the pure energy of the Source. "This Library and all the wisdom it holds will not yield to your darkness!"
This was not just a battle, but a battle of will, of knowledge, of the Echo. Kael was now forced to fight not just for himself, but for the memory and hope of the entire universe. While Aslan and the Shadow Squad soldier attacked the elite guard around the Void Lord, Kael threw all his might towards the mighty Void Lord and the dark energy that was polluting the Source.
In the heart of the Infinite Library, the final and greatest battle that would decide the fate of the universe had begun.