Chapter 10: Jim's Left Eye's Ability
The air around us vibrated with power as Bull Rock's colossal form rose from the molten lake, dripping rivers of glowing fire that hissed when they hit the stone. His molten armor cracked and reformed with every movement, and his eyes—those blazing pits of hatred—locked directly onto me. It was as if the entire world bent toward him, gravity trembling under his will. I felt my knees weaken from the sheer force radiating from his presence, but I gripped the trident tighter, feeling the pulse of the Breath of the Earth stone beat in rhythm with my heart. Behind me, my friends gathered—Jasmine with her blade raised, Aeliana clutching the fragments of her spell crystal, Viola, Maxi, and Josh forming a defensive circle around Jim, who still looked pale from the wound on his arm.
Bull Rock's voice boomed, deep and heavy, echoing off every surface. "You defy me still, children of the upper world. You think your courage means something beneath the Earth's skin?" He lifted his massive hand, and the molten lake beneath us began to churn violently, waves of glowing rock splashing onto the shore. The heat was unbearable; I felt it sear the edges of my clothes, and the ground itself trembled beneath our feet.
"Back!" I shouted, motioning everyone to move toward the higher ground near the crystal ridge. But Bull Rock's gaze snapped toward us, and suddenly a massive shockwave of molten energy shot from his chest. I barely had time to react before the wave slammed into the ground before us, scattering shards of molten glass in all directions. Jasmine grabbed my arm and yanked me down just as one piece whizzed past my face, searing a line across my cheek.
"Jatex!" she cried.
"I'm fine," I hissed, pushing myself up. My trident glowed, reacting to my heartbeat. The Breath of the Earth's energy flared, creating a barrier of shimmering green light that blocked the next blast.
Bull Rock laughed—a horrible, metallic sound that rattled the stones beneath us. "You cling to that fragment like it can save you. Do you even know what it truly is? That stone isn't a gift—it's a burden. It feeds on the heart of whoever holds it."
His words cut deeper than I expected. I didn't answer, but part of me wondered if he was right. Every time I'd used the stone, I'd felt a little more of myself slip away—like the Earth was taking a piece of me as payment. But now wasn't the time to think about that.
Suddenly, I heard a groan behind me. Jim was kneeling on the ground, clutching his head. The black mark that had spread from his arm during the Echo battle was now crawling up his neck, pulsing with dark energy. His breathing quickened, and his left eye—half hidden under his hair—began to glow faintly, not with Bull Rock's fiery red, but with a pale silver light.
"Jim?" Viola's voice trembled. "What's happening to your eye?"
He didn't answer. He just gasped, his hands shaking as he stared at the ground. "It's… it's like I can see something… something moving inside him…"
I turned to him. "Inside who?"
"Bull Rock," Jim whispered, his voice distant, almost hollow. "There's… something else inside him. Layers of light, like… chains. He's not whole. He's—"
Before he could finish, Bull Rock roared, the sound so loud it made the molten lake ripple like a drum. "Enough!" His hand swung forward, launching a beam of molten fire straight at us.
I lunged forward, thrusting the trident into the ground. "Hold on!"
The Breath of the Earth responded instantly, a dome of emerald energy flaring up around the group. The blast struck it and split in two, molten fire spraying harmlessly to either side. But the impact was so strong it sent cracks spidering across the shield.
"Jatex!" Aeliana shouted over the noise. "It won't hold much longer!"
"I know!" I yelled back.
Jim was still kneeling, the silver glow in his left eye now brighter, piercing through the smoky air. His voice trembled, but it carried strange strength. "I can see the weak point in his energy field… the heart core behind his armor—it's unstable."
We all froze.
"What?" I said.
Jim looked up, the silver light in his eye reflecting the molten glow. "He's drawing power from the Core itself, but his link is fractured. If we strike that point—just below the left shoulder—we can sever his control."
Aeliana's eyes widened. "How can you possibly see that?"
"I don't know," Jim said, shaking. "It's like… my left eye isn't mine anymore. It's showing me things—energy patterns, movement, even emotions. I can see through the distortion."
Jasmine knelt beside him, her tone urgent but soft. "Jim, if you can see that clearly, can you guide Jatex's strike?"
He hesitated, looking at me. "I can try. But it'll hurt. Every time I focus, it's like something's pushing back."
Bull Rock let out a low growl, his molten form towering higher, his armor pulsating with red energy. "You think you can find weakness in me, boy? You stare into the abyss, and it stares back."
"Yeah," Jim muttered, voice trembling, "but this time, I'm not blinking."
Something inside me stirred—pride, fear, awe. This wasn't the quiet Jim I'd known. Whatever this ability was, it had awakened something powerful—and dangerous.
"Jim," I said firmly, stepping toward him. "You focus on that core. Guide me."
He nodded shakily, placing a hand on the ground. His glowing eye locked onto Bull Rock, and I felt the energy between us align—like invisible threads weaving through the air, connecting our minds.
"Now," Jim whispered. "Move left—two steps—there! That's the fracture."
I sprinted forward, leaping over the molten cracks. The heat bit into my skin, but I ignored it. Bull Rock turned toward me, his massive arm swinging like a wrecking ball.
"Foolish!" he bellowed.
His strike came down, but Jasmine's sword intercepted it, sparks flying as she deflected part of the blow. "Go, Jatex!" she screamed.
I didn't hesitate. With the trident raised, I channeled everything—the fear, the anger, the hope. The Breath of the Earth flared so bright it blinded me. I thrust the trident forward, exactly where Jim's voice had guided me.
The trident struck Bull Rock's shoulder with a sound like thunder.
For an instant, the world went white. Then came the scream—a roar of rage and pain that shook the cavern. Bull Rock staggered, molten blood spraying in arcs that turned to steam before hitting the ground. His armor cracked open, revealing the glowing core beneath—a pulsing sphere of chaotic energy chained by molten tendrils.
"You dare!" Bull Rock roared, his voice distorted, fragments of his own energy flickering wildly.
"Now!" Aeliana shouted. "He's unstable!"
Viola and Maxi combined their attacks, directing focused beams of condensed light toward the exposed core. Josh hurled a shard of crystal into the wound, and Jasmine leapt beside me, thrusting her sword deep into the molten gap.
Bull Rock staggered back, howling, his body fracturing like breaking glass. But even as we attacked, the ground began to collapse beneath us. The molten lake erupted into geysers of fire, and the entire cavern trembled.
"Jim!" I shouted over the chaos. "What's happening?"
He was still kneeling, clutching his head. The silver glow from his left eye had grown so bright it was almost painful to look at. "He's losing control of the Core's link—but if it collapses, it'll take everything with it! We need to stabilize the resonance or we'll all be buried alive!"
"How?!" Jasmine shouted.
Jim looked at me, and for a moment, his glowing eye met mine. "The trident. It's connected to the same frequency as the Core. If you channel it through the Earthstone, you can absorb the excess energy—but you'll have to take it all."
My heart skipped. "That'll kill me."
He didn't deny it. "It'll kill all of us if you don't."
For a second, everything slowed—the chaos, the heat, the screaming sound of the collapsing world. I saw the faces of my friends, all battered but defiant. I thought of Walpole, of the quiet mornings by the sea before any of this began.
I tightened my grip on the trident and stepped forward. "Then I'll take it."
The Earthstone flared, green merging with white light. Bull Rock screamed, realizing too late what I was doing. "No! You can't—!"
I thrust the trident into the molten ground.
The world exploded in light.
The energy surged up the trident, into my arms, into my chest. It felt like being torn apart and rebuilt all at once. The Core's energy screamed through me, and I screamed with it, feeling my soul stretch across the walls of the Earth. Every memory, every emotion—fear, love, regret—flashed before me like shards of glass.
Then, slowly, the light began to dim. The rumbling ceased. When the dust cleared, Bull Rock was gone—his molten form shattered, fragments sinking back into the glowing lake.
I fell to my knees, panting, my whole body shaking. The trident still glowed faintly, the Earthstone dim but alive. Jasmine rushed forward, catching me before I hit the ground.
"Jatex!" she cried.
I forced a weak smile. "I'm… okay."
Behind her, Jim stood unsteadily. His left eye was still glowing faintly, but now there was something different—calmer, steadier. He touched the side of his face, blinking. "I… I can still see the resonance," he said softly. "It's like… the Earth's heartbeat. Slower now. Peaceful."
Aeliana stepped forward, awe in her voice. "Jim… your eye isn't just sight anymore. It's connection."
He looked at me, and for the first time since the mark appeared, he smiled—a tired but genuine smile. "Guess this is what it gave me in return for the pain."
I nodded, breathing hard. "Then we'll need it. Bull Rock might be gone, but his influence isn't. The Earth's balance is fragile now. We'll have to fix it."
The group stood together at the edge of the molten lake, silent, staring at the glowing cracks slowly sealing themselves. The echoes of battle still hung in the air, but there was a calm beneath it—a new rhythm.
I looked at Jim one last time. His left eye shimmered faintly, silver light reflecting off the molten gold around us. A new power had awakened—not just in him, but in all of us.
And for the first time since entering the depths, I felt hope that maybe, just maybe, we could still bring Walpole—and the world—back from the edge.
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✅ Chapter 10 — "Jim's Left Eye's Ability" (~1,700 words)
Key Events:
Bull Rock rises stronger than ever.
Jim's mysterious ability awakens: his left eye sees energy structures and weaknesses.
The group uses his guidance to strike Bull Rock's core.
Jatex channels the Core's energy through the trident to save everyone.
Bull Rock is destroyed—for now.
Jim's eye becomes a permanent link to the Earth's resonance.