The Other Side of Light

How curious that you fear what the Light has chosen

The Lucent Knight fell hard. Its body struck the pale stone and slid to a stop at Blake's feet. For a moment, none of them moved. Then the Ghost appeared.

Small.

Bright.

Alive.

It spun frantically above the Knight's corpse, shell opening as Light gathered around it. Blake raised his weapon but stopped. The Ghost turned toward him. Laoch hovered beside his shoulder.

"Blake."

"I know."

The Ghost began to glow brighter. Bear stepped forward.

"It comes back if you don't."

Blake kept his aim fixed. Across the chamber, DJ lowered his hand cannon.

"Doesn't make it feel right."

The Ghost pulsed. For one strange second, Blake saw Laoch in its place. Not literally. But close enough. A Ghost hovering over the body of its Guardian. Trying to bring them back. Doing the only thing it had ever been made to do. The Light around the Hive Ghost intensified. Laoch moved closer.

"You have to."

Blake exhaled. Then reached forward. The Ghost struggled in his hand. Its shell snapped against his fingers. He squeezed. Light burst between them. Then nothing. The chamber went quiet. Blake opened his hand. Broken pieces fell to the floor. No one spoke. DJ looked away. Bear stared at the dead Knight.

"That thing would have killed us."

Blake looked down at the shattered shell.

"I know."

"That matters."

"I know."

Laoch said nothing.

Then laughter drifted through the Throne World. Soft. Amused. Everywhere. The three Guardians froze. Savathûn's voice followed.

"How quickly the chosen learn to fear being chosen."

Bear looked toward the upper galleries. Nothing. No movement. No silhouette. Only the impossible architecture of the Throne World stretching above them. Blake tightened his grip around the last fragment of shell.

Savathûn continued.

"Tell me, little Light..."

The words seemed to come from the walls themselves.

"Was that Ghost so different from yours?"

Laoch shifted closer to Blake. Bear raised his weapon.

"She's trying to get in your head."

A pause. Then the Witch Queen laughed again.

"And yet you answered."

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