Carter's heart pounded in his chest as he sprinted toward Elira. The air around him seemed to freeze, every step carrying him closer to the woman who had caused so much pain. His mind raced, but there was no time for hesitation. The clones behind him were relentless, but he couldn't afford to be distracted. He had one objective—end this madness.
Elira stood unmoving, her icy gaze fixed on him. The clones she had created seemed to form a protective barrier between them, but Carter didn't falter. He leaped over a fallen clone, narrowly dodging a strike from another, and continued his charge. He could see Elira's smirk growing as he drew nearer.
"You think you can defeat me, Carter?" Elira called out, her voice eerily calm despite the chaos. "You've always been impulsive. You should have learned by now that I'm always a step ahead."
Carter's breath came in ragged gasps as he closed the distance. He barely heard her words, too focused on the goal ahead. Elira was within reach. He could take her down. He had to.
But then, out of nowhere, a clone surged forward, its speed almost too much to track. With a sharp twist of its arm, it grabbed Carter by the wrist, stopping him dead in his tracks. Pain shot up his arm as the clone's grip tightened.
"Carter!" Sera's voice rang out. She was at his side in an instant, pulling at the clone's arm, but it was like trying to move a steel wall.
"Let go!" Carter growled, struggling against the clone's iron grip. He kicked at its legs, but it was relentless.
"Don't waste your energy," the clone said in a voice that mirrored his own. "You'll need it for when you face her."
Behind him, the sound of more clones charging made his blood run cold. He could hear Kairo and Ezra engaged in fierce combat, but it wasn't enough. They were being overwhelmed, outnumbered, and with every clone that joined the fray, the odds of survival grew slimmer.
He could see Elira now, standing untouched as if the battle happening around her was nothing more than a show. The smugness in her eyes was infuriating. She wasn't even fighting. She wasn't the one struggling against her own creations—her army of clones was doing that for her.
"Enough games," Carter spat, twisting his wrist and using every ounce of strength he had to break free. He succeeded, barely. His hand shot out, grabbing a nearby weapon, a high-tech plasma blade. It hummed to life in his grip, a sharp, glowing edge ready for battle.
His pulse quickened as he turned toward the clone that had captured him. Without hesitation, Carter swung the blade. The clone tried to block, but it was too slow. The plasma blade cut through its defenses like butter, sending sparks flying as it severed the clone's arm clean off. With a gurgling growl, the clone crumpled to the ground.
"Get out of my way!" Carter shouted, his voice filled with anger and determination. He pushed past the fallen clone, charging straight for Elira once again.
But this time, there was no hesitation from her. She raised her hand, and a series of flashing lights erupted from the walls of the control room. The room's atmosphere shifted once again, and Carter realized too late that this was no ordinary trap. The walls began to close in, locking down the entire room with a force field, trapping them inside.
The sound of heavy doors sealing echoed around him, and Carter's blood ran cold. "What the hell is this?" Kairo shouted, glancing around in disbelief. "We're stuck!"
Ezra cursed under his breath, slamming his fist against the force field. It was impenetrable. "She's planned this from the beginning. We've been walking right into her trap."
Sera scanned the control panels frantically, trying to override the system, but nothing responded. "We can't stop it from here," she said, voice tight with frustration. "It's locked down completely."
Elira's figure loomed before them, her expression calculating, her eyes gleaming with cruel satisfaction. "It's over, Carter," she said, her voice like ice. "You can't stop me now. You never could."
Carter's fists clenched. This wasn't how it was supposed to end. They had come so far, fought so hard—only to be trapped by a force field, surrounded by enemies, with no escape in sight.
"This isn't over," Carter said through gritted teeth. "You can lock us in, but you can't break us."
"Is that so?" Elira raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Then prove it."
Without warning, the control room shifted again. Suddenly, the floor beneath their feet began to tilt at an alarming angle, throwing them off balance. Carter stumbled, but caught himself, his heart racing as he realized what was happening.
The room was turning into a massive arena.
The walls shifted once more, revealing a series of massive pillars that rose from the floor. Platforms began to emerge, floating in mid-air. Carter quickly assessed the situation. The space was now a battleground, and they were in the middle of it. The clones began to move in, taking their positions around the room, their movements synchronized.
"I'll make you regret this," Carter growled, standing tall once more.
Elira's laughter echoed through the room. "If you think you've faced your toughest challenges already, you've barely scratched the surface, Carter. Welcome to the true test."
Before Carter could react, the clones surged forward again, their movements even faster than before. With no time to waste, Carter and his team braced for what would be their hardest battle yet.