Ethan's realization about the pulsating hum being the source of the psychic assault gives them a crucial clue. "The hum," he yelled over the cacophony of whispers. "It's the source! We need to disrupt it!"
"But how?" Kiaz cried out, clutching his temples as the whispers intensified, twisting his memories of his father into accusations of failure.
Ziak, though struggling, focused his energy. "Perhaps a concentrated energy blast? If it's a sonic or vibrational frequency…" He gathered energy in his hands, aiming towards the center of the chamber where the hum seemed strongest.
Just as Ziak was about to unleash his attack, a new wave of whispers crashed into their minds, stronger and more disorienting than before. They showed Ziak visions of his father suffering, blaming him for not finding him sooner. He staggered, his energy dissipating.
Ethan, fighting through the mental fog, remembered something his mother had once told him about dealing with overwhelming sensory input – finding a focal point, a single anchor to ground oneself. He closed his eyes, picturing Lena's calm and determined face. He focused on the feeling of the tracker on his wrist, its physical presence a stark contrast to the ethereal assault.
As he centered himself, he noticed a subtle shift in the whispers targeting him. They seemed to react to his focused thoughts, probing for weaknesses. This gave him an idea. If the chamber was projecting thoughts and emotions, perhaps they could project back.
"Ziak! Kiaz!" Ethan shouted, his voice clearer now, cutting through some of the mental noise. "Don't fight the thoughts directly! Try to project your own emotions, your own resolve, back at them! If it's a psychic projection, maybe we can overload it!"
It was a risky idea, a shot in the dark, but they were running out of options. Ziak, seizing on the suggestion, focused his grief and his determination to avenge his father, channeling those powerful emotions outwards like a beacon. Kiaz, drawing strength from his brother's resolve and his own fierce loyalty, projected his unwavering hope of finding their father alive.
Ethan focused on his determination to help, his empathy for the twins' loss, and his growing understanding of the universe's fate resting on their shoulders. He pushed these feelings outwards, a wave of raw emotion directed at the unseen source of the whispers.
As their combined emotional projections filled the chamber, the whispers began to falter, their insidious voices wavering. The pulsating hum seemed to fluctuate, its steady rhythm becoming erratic. The obsidian walls flickered with faint, internal light.
Suddenly, a high-pitched screech echoed through the chamber, and the whispers abruptly ceased. The pulsating hum died down to a low thrum, and the oppressive atmosphere lifted.
In the center of the chamber, where nothing had been before, a crystalline structure began to form, glowing with a faint, internal energy. It pulsed in time with the now weakened hum.
"That must be it," Kiaz breathed, his face pale but his eyes focused. "The source."
Ziak nodded grimly. "Let's silence it for good."