Impel Down Warden Novels & Stories

My heart hammered in my chest, each beat a drum of war still raging within me. "Kelly, we need to move," Elara Windrider's voice cut through the haze of my adrenaline, her hand firm on my shoulder. Her silver eyes bore into mine, reflecting a flame that refused to be extinguished by fear. "The wards are down but they won't be for long."

the Warden whispered, an unbearable melancholy bleeding through his words, "remembering only the bitter, monstrous caricature of each other your clans always demanded you believe. You will march home with hatred burning in your chests, entirely blind to what you surrendered. Which is, I think, its own profound and terrifying cruelty, since neither of you will even remember there was ever anything between you worth mourning." A sudden, blinding flare of silver fire erupted from the carved runes beneath our feet. The low stone obelisks groaned, the ancient earth buckling as the pale luminescence exploded upward into a towering wall of white light. The ancient clearing, the towering pines, and

Peaceful environment. I lay there staring upward at the low ceiling while damp heat clung to my skin unpleasantly. Morning was here, hence my Arena re-entry was impending. I took in a heavy breath and poured it out. Bitter-sweet. A loud metallic bang suddenly shattered through the kennel moments later. “MOVE!” Several females stirred immediately while Iron Wardens marched through the narrow kennel lanes like irritated. “If your name was selected yesterday, get up and follow now!” No preparation. No warning.

It was Arthur. "How touching," her father’s voice rang out, sounding calm and utterly victorious. "The Warden returns for his prize. But you’re too late, Dante. The 'Purge' isn't a gas. It’s a neural kill-switch." On the smart-mirror, a countdown began. 00:59... 00:58...

Except it wasn't empty. A single figure stood near the exit, silhouetted against the weak exterior lighting, waiting with the patient stillness of someone who'd expected them all along. Marcus's radio crackled again, this time with a voice Ryan recognized instantly from the underground corridor, calm, measured, and utterly without mercy. "Going somewhere, Warden?" Griggs said, stepping fully into the light, flanked by two guards Ryan hadn't even seen until they moved. "You really thought I'd leave the one exit nobody's supposed to use unwatched?"

The Warden suddenly flared with dark energy. The chains snapped. Three of them shattered instantly. Lyra’s eyes widened. “Oh... come on!” The massive creature pulled itself halfway free from the dimensional tear. Its wings spread wide across the sky. Storms formed instantly. YOU ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH The Warden raised its claw again. But this time the attack wasn’t aimed at Lyra. It aimed at the prison core. Lyra’s system exploded with warnings. [CRITICAL ALERT] [PRISON CORE TARGETED]

A sharp intake of breath from somewhere above. The leader leaned forward. “Careful.” “No,” I replied. “Honest.” The hum pulsed, steady and grounded. “You lost the Warden,” I continued. “Not because of me. Because you tried to turn a balance into a weapon.” “That is your interpretation,” he said tightly. “It’s the truth,” I shot back. “And you know it.” The chamber felt smaller suddenly. Wards hummed louder. “You will submit to oversight,” another member said quickly. “Temporary. For everyone’s safety.”

A long shadow stretched across the valley, swallowing the towering pines and creeping over the kneeling Guardians until even their silver glow seemed faint beneath it. No one moved. No one breathed. Pelari stood at the edge of the open hangar, his white cloak unmoved by the wind. His hands remained clasped behind his back, and yet somehow he looked as though he already owned the forest beneath him. “So,” he said, his voice carrying from impossible distance, “the old stories were true after all.” The Last Warden didn’t look at the ship. His attention remained fixed on the dying Guardian. “You should not have come here.”

Ward caught his footing and stopped the fall. "I'm saving you guys! They can see in this dark!" The voice sounded more like it was begging than scolding. Because Ward hesitated, Zira could push him forward. Ward lost his footing and fell into the hole. Having expected this, Zira followed close behind so that she would not get yanked forward.

That would cause a huge sensation outside. Unfortunately, their plan fell through. "Get out of the way! Who do you think you are, daring to block my path!" At that moment, a coarse voice came from outside the courtyard. The person who came was burly and extremely arrogant. After entering the living room, he introduced himself. "Weldon, head of the Special Agents. I'm here to take over Mr. Ward's security detail. If anyone dares to obstruct them again, they will be executed immediately!" The Wards' faces changed because things seemed to be out of control.