The spiders’ chorus swelled, a deafening wave of signals crashing against Jack’s mind: Queen—Cluster. Webbing trembled, legs moved in unison. Some spiders swarmed to the floor, others plunged from above, a chaotic tide of fangs and bulbous bodies focused on one goal: obliterating the Spider Queen.

  Loyalists were devoured without mercy, their forms swarmed and shredded. The horde, rabid and resolute, had chosen their allegiance: serve, protect, and waste. Anything deemed a threat was reduced to nothing, discarded with brutal efficiency.

  Kleo launched herself into the air, her wings a powerful surge, her clawed fist crackling with raw energy. The killing blow, Jack knew, was imminent. She descended a streak of divine fury, her fist impacting the Spider Queen’s left eye with a sickening, bone-shattering crunch. The Queen’s face caved inward, her monstrous form sprawling backward into the ruined throne.

  Jack froze, stunned by the sheer force of Kleo’s strike—and the Queen’s improbable survival.

  Her once-imposing form sagged, the left side of her face a grotesque void. Yet, her remaining eye blazed with malevolent fury. Her fangs gleamed as she spoke, her voice a chilling, resonant growl.

  “You think this ends here?” she hissed. “You fools. You’ve only glimpsed the abyss.”

  Monologuing? Jack thought, a bitter edge to his thoughts. Damn, this bitch is tenacious.

  He motioned to Will, pointing at the damaged pedicel. “Get up there. Sever her. End this.”

  Agile and determined, Will leaped across the debris, climbing onto the Queen’s carapace and dodging the swarming spiders joining the fray.

  Then, everything twisted into chaos.

  Maya rose, a dazed puppet, the Amulet of Gob dangling from her outstretched hand. A raw and agonizing wave of psychic force erupted from the Queen, slamming into their minds. Jack gritted his teeth, his protection a flimsy shield against the assault. Will stumbled, his face contorted in pain. Even Kleo staggered, her Kull magic flickering and darkening. Maya, unaffected, walked toward the Queen, the amulet’s dark energy swirling around her like a malevolent storm.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  The cavern fell into a suffocating silence. Spiders dropped, their legs twitching.

  Jack, fighting to maintain focus, looked towards the Queen’s exposed ear-holes, the source of her power. Those have to be it. He hurled a sphere of force, a blinding strike. The Queen shrieked, her voice a raw, animalistic cry of pain.

  The oppressive energy faltered, relief washing over Jack as the horde’s voices surged back.

  Then, the Queen manifested a pulsing rift of blackness.

  “Portal,” Ki’moto hissed, his voice a warning. “Shadowlands. She’s escaping.”

  Thick with dread, a wave of frigid air emanated from the rift. A violent wind tore through the cavern, pulling Jack towards the portal’s maw. Glimpses of a twisted realm flickered within—obsidian spires, molten lava rivers, fortresses bearing the banners of the Sa Kamal. Twisted beasts prowled, their cries echoing with malice.

  Kleo stepped forward, her voice trembling but resolute. “We can’t let her through.”

  The Queen crawled towards the portal, her tattered form dissolving into shadow. Her remaining eye, dripping with venom, fixed on them. “You cannot stop the inevitable. The Shadowlands will consume your world, and I will return.” She turned to Maya. “Bring me the amulet, child. Together, we will rule.”

  Maya, her movements unnatural, her eyes vacant, extended the amulet.

  Kleo, sensing the amulet’s corruptive power, backed away.

  Jack glanced at Will, who stood ready, sword drawn. With a sharp gesture, Will cleaved the pedicel, the Queen’s abdomen falling with a sickening thud.

  Then, with a flick of his wrist, Jack sent a sphere of force, knocking the amulet from Maya’s grasp, sending it spiraling into the portal. Better lost than in her hands.

  Kleo, a wall of wings and fury, blocked the Queen’s path.

  The Queen chuckled, swaying. “No matter. I’ll take you with me.”

  “Kleo!” Jack shouted, conjuring another orb. He guided the energy into the Queen’s exposed ear.

  Kleo grinned, understanding. As the Queen lunged, a final, desperate attack, Kleo slammed her hands against the Queen’s head. The Kull energy surged, merging with Jack’s orb.

  The Queen’s head exploded, a blinding burst of gore and light. The cavern froze, the portal vanishing with a final, echoing crackle.

  Kleo, drenched in ichor, her chest heaving, turned to Jack, a wicked grin splitting her face.

  “Fuck that bitch.”