In the world of Caverrin, an empress lay on her throne on the highest peak of Incaris Palace, the heart of the Empire. With a flick of her finger, the large holographic above switches to the news as the rest of her arm reaches for bottles of cherry wine. Drinking them in as quickly as she takes in the info presented to her by the channel. It's the same old news from Earth... frustrated, she changed to another and another but they're all the same. Her pupils flared up like snakes and her arms tossed the bottles across and the force of the throw cracked open a total of nice holes with huge fractured branches at their edges.

In the vibrant realm of Caverrin, atop the majestic peak of Incaris Palace, sits the Empress the heart of the Empire, and her throne a symbol of power. With a mere gesture, she summons a holographic screen, while the rest of her arms seek out bottles of wine neatly piled against the left wall. Each sip is accompanied by a gulp of information from the channels. Yet, the Earth's news offers nothing but the same old news, frustrating her. Flares of irritation ignite in her pupils as she switches channels, but they all echo the same tales. Frustration boils over, bottles fly, and the throne room trembles in quake. The bottles crash through the golden doors leaving behind nine large holes and fractures over their surfaces.

Beyond the grand doors, a cry pierces the air.

??? "M-M-My Leg! Help me! Please, Gen—

General 1 "Silence!... Not another word from you, soldier. Wear your wound with pride, gifted by our glorious Empress."

The general strides past the fallen soldier, his life seeping away in a pool of crimson. With a snap, guards shakenly rush in from around the corner, carrying the fallen comrade away. A smudge of blood soils the general's polished boots and is swiftly cleansed with a handkerchief before he continues. Suddenly, the door collapses on touch, sending debris hurtling down. With a resigned sigh, he catches and throws them before proceeding across the scarlet carpet, where a sea of wine bottles flank the sides of the carpet.

General 1 "Your Highness, you seem to be indulging quite heavily today."

Empress "Days, general. It's been like this for several days now. What do you want?"

General 1 "I've come for my report regarding the rebels and the Aspect wielders."

Empress "Get on with it and bring me more wine while you're at it."

General 1 "Your majesty. Being an alcoholic or in human terms... isn't representing you in a good light."

Empress "What's the use of trying to look good now that my hopes of diplomatic rule over Earth are shattered?"

General 1 "You weren't always this gloomy. Perhaps you miss some company. If only the Royal Guard is here."

Empress "... How is he doing?"

General 1 "His recovery is progressing well. The Doctor predicts he'll be on his feet within 30 days."

Empress "I expected longer. At least, that is good news."

With a graceful gesture, she dismisses the screen with a sweep of her arm.

General 1 "There's the magnificent and beautiful leader I know."

Empress "Stop glazing, general."

General 1 "Glazing?"

Empress "You know, the word that all Gen Z humans use for excessive worship."

General 1 "Your Highness might benefit from exploring more boomer content. That generation possesses quite the foundry of wisdom, intellect, and fascinating ideology."

Empress "Whatever— Hold on, did you change your mask?!"

General 1 "Indeed, my liege. The Doctor crafted it to my liking."

Empress "You look like a white pool ball on top of a pillar! How can you see through that thing?!"

General 1 "There's a special coating inside that allows for visibility. Plus, the helmet is remarkably durable, having endured a few test runs against that savage's other weapon."

Empress "Wow, what is it made out of?"

General 1 "The Doctor keeps that information under wraps."

Empress "Hey, I have been for a while now... Why do you hide your face? Is it heinous?"

General 1 "That's... Er... Well... yeah."

Empress "I see. I won't judge you. We can start the reports now."

General 1 "Beginning with the rebels. Our life scans indicate they're all holed up inside that metallic egg. However, our object scans revealed they were tinkering with ten unidentified devices, unrecognizable even to the Doctor. They were disassembling and reconstructing them into two larger units."

Empress "Those must be the cloning devices. Perhaps they're prioritizing quality over quantity."

General 1 "Their retreat supports that notion, but it's strange that they'd do so while cornered unless... they have an escape route."

Empress "Considering their sudden appearance during the last battle, I suspect teleportation."

General 1 "The only clue we found in the aftermath was a fragment of their organization's symbol on a wall of a demolished building. Teleportation through symbols... sounds more like fantasy than logic. That's not possible."

Empress "Don't dismiss it entirely, general. Our ancestors were mysterious. Despite our technological progress, there are mysteries they possessed that elude us. Nonetheless, we'll proceed our own way. Those who cling to the past are destined to decay and vanish by the hand of fate."

General 1 "I couldn't agree more, Your Majesty."

Empress "So, is there a way for them to escape?"

General 1 "I've scoured the entire kingdom, but no... there's no sign of outside assistance."

Empress "Excellent, we can cross out the rebels from our list of worries. What's next?"

General 1 "Karnat has slipped away. I suspect his subordinates aided in his escape. Shall we pursue them?"

Empress "Nah, he is no threat. No one will take his side now. Just a stray, sliced off by his colony. What else?"

General 1 "Regarding the 100,000 soldiers allocated to eradicate the Wielders, there's a slight problem."

Empress "Is that not enough?! Fine, double it to 200,000!"

General 1 "No, my liege! It's not about the quantity. Initially, I planned to intercept their ship en route to Waltera, but... it vanished from our radar. That's not even the strangest part."

Empress "I've warned you, we're in uncharted territory. No group of Wielders has leveled beyond their home planet before."

General 1 "I know and we were cautious. In fact, we were one light year away from them, and suddenly... that grey aura appeared."

Empress "The same thing that occurred when the colossal creature showed up?"

General 1 "Precisely. And when we attempted to observe the creature, our view was obstructed."

Empress "So, this other creature has the power to distort video feeds?"

General 1 "No, Your Majesty. Our very sight became distorted, and some soldiers either kept vomiting or their body parts became mutated to the point that they no longer had a conscient. It seemed like a warning, so we withdrew."

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Empress "This is concerning news, general."

General 1 "Fear not, my liege. There's a silver lining. Once the gray aura dissipated, we discovered that the wielders had scattered across the six nations of Waltera. That's my dilemma."

Empress "Fuck. The warless pact. Of course, is that shit! Yeah, sending in 100,000 soldiers in there would cost us deary."

General 1 "Hence, I propose taking only 3,000 soldiers and dividing them into six squadrons, one for each nation. For this to work, I need special soldiers. I've already entrusted their design to the Doctor."

Empress "It was quick. Wasn't it?"

General 1 "Indeed, they'll be ready for deployment by tomorrow. The Doctor referred to them as A.C.E prototypes."

Empress "Adaptable Camouflaging Elite Prototype soldiers."

General 1 "Huh? May I ask how Your Majesty knows that?"

Empress "The old bastard likes barging in and rambling on and on about his ideas to me for approval. I normally just give him the okay."

General 1 "You should be more strict with him, your majesty."

Empress "I can't, he's literally the backbone of our Empire. So, back to the soldiers. I can understand the camouflage in Walteran territory, but being 'adaptable' intrigues me. Explain."

General 1 "Unlike that incompetent general, I meticulously analyze every scrap of information from all encounters. While I commend his efforts, he's sloppy and prone to oversight. His response to opposition is as brutish just like that savage. It simply has no class at all. Additionally, I reviewed the data you provided about the wielders which... I'm curious. How did you acquire such knowledge, my lord?"

Empress "During my ascent in becoming Empress, I delved into a few research projects, not only on this planet but also on Wal'Tera and Granolith. I was quite the enthusiast."

General 1 "That is quite interesting to learn more about Your Highness. I'm honored. So, my conclusion is that approaching them in a normal way won't work. They have too many factors that work in their favor. Even more, so if they're grouped up. But now... the chance to strike is hot. These biomechanical soldiers have no emotion and listen to my every command. They are made out of adaptive tinodium—

General 1 "I'm quite honored to learn about Your Majesty. So, my conclusion is that normal approaches won't suffice. The opposition possesses numerous advantages, especially when grouped up. However... now is the time to strike. These biomechanical soldiers lack emotion and obey my every command. They're constructed from an adaptive tinodium alloy—"

The Doctor "Wrong! Wrong! WRONG! Let me explain it to Her Majesty!"

They turn to see a shadowy with glowing glasses entering the throne room.

Empress "You seem lively, " "He still has that filter on? Then again... I don't want to see his ugly old face."

General 1 "Damn it, don't sneak up like that!"

The Doctor "I would usually knock, but as you can see, the door is dismantled like the lab rats I experimented on this morning. Ahem, these soldiers are crafted from an adaptive tinodium alloy known as 'Matrodium.' It's a miraculous metal born from yours truly, blending tinodium and materium!"

Empress "Materium? Is that the stuff that keeps our gold solid forever?"

The Doctor "Indeed, I've always been fascinated by its state-suspending properties. After extensive research, I finally uncovered its secret. Every supernatural material on our planet— Telesium, Materium, Gravitum, Neo Zanite, even that peculiar clear orange crystal— contains a newly discovered sub-atomic particle hidden within their atomic nucleus. My team was astounded; it's truly a groundbreaking discovery! However, locating the microscopic bugger was quite a challenge. I've dubbed them 'Altrons.'"

General 1 "Altrons? From the prefix, I presume they possess some form of alternating property."

The Doctor "Precisely, my good colleague!"

Empress "Boo, get on with the nerd stuff."

The Doctor "My apologies. Altrons exhibit varying behaviors depending on the composition of protons and neutrons within a nucleus, often mirroring the supernatural properties of the element. For instance, Telesium altrons switch places with protons every second, while Materium altrons remain stationary at the nucleus center, nearly identical to a proton. However, it's not their behavior that grants the material supernatural abilities, but rather a novel form of energy they generate in the process of such behavior. I've termed it 'Altromic Energy,' and each element possesses a unique variant of this energy, triggering specific effects under certain conditions. Materium Altrons, for instance, react to transmigration events like heating, freezing, crushing, or mixing. Upon stopping, this energy induces a structural pause in the new compound causing the material to remain in its current state of matter, with Materium molecules acting as power sources to sustain the process."

Empress "Is this how it feels to be in Science class? Just get to the point, old man."

The Doctor "Very well. After countless nights of manipulating protons and neutrons which had a risk of destroying the material or triggering explosions— I've managed to modify the energy to adapt to external forces upon micing with another material. Tinodium proved to be the most effective catalyst. Additionally, the soldiers are equipped with ten mechanical arms to carry the myriad tools ordered by the general."

Empress "You did what, general?"

General 1 "I enlisted the AMA corporation to develop an item distribution system for these new soldiers and tasked the Doctor with crafting a plethora of gadgets. Trust me, they're crucial for dealing with the wielders in any situation."

The Doctor "You conveniently omitted the part where you drove my team to exhaustion with those gadgets!"

General 1 "They were serving the Empire. They should be proud."

The Doctor "That's beside the point! Only I have the privilege of overworking them, understand!"

Empress "Silence, you two! I think I have had enough. You both can leave and carry on your duties."

The Doctor "But, majesty! I haven't told you about the great news."

Empress "What is it? You created another abomination."

The Doctor "No, I've taken my first step towards Unification. I've made a perfect prototype!"

Beneath his lab coat, the scientist reveals a grotesque weapon, its sight nearly provokes the general to vomit. Its handle is crafted from the layered carapace of a Castastrian. The crossbar consists of flesh, with two eyes at its center weeping as they survey the surroundings. Adorning the other side of the crossbar is a miniature beating heart and brain encased in a thin, sturdy red substance. The crossbar's sides feature the claws of a Castatrian, while teeth protrude from the top, gnashing on a spine-shaped blade interwoven with green veins.

Empress "What in the Lovecraftian fuck is that?"

The General "It's repulsive that's what! It looks even worse than the ones the soldiers used on Aeternum!"

The Doctor "I've finally devised a method to condense a Castastrian into a weapon while preserving a fragment of their consciousness."

Empress "What's the point of this? It is just a gross-looking sword."

The Doctor "It's far more than that, Your Majesty. This creation defies all logic. Firstly, it's unbreakable as long as its consciousness remains intact. For the longest time, I've been intrigued by the mind, pondering if it could be manifested in the physical realm. I believed that a person's strongest mental aspect was their fear and trauma, hence the Red Web Project. But... after their destruction, I was devastated. My 'desire' to restore them led to a revelation. It's 'desire' itself! Desire is the most potent aspect of the mind! I shifted my focus to compressing the Castastrian so that only this aspect remained, and... it succeeded! This entity is still alive, devoid of thought, emotions, or fears— only desire. The stronger the desire, the greater its cutting power, and with enough potency, the weapon can even manifest abilities. However, do you know what's the best part about this?"

Empress "Intriguing... Tell me."

General 1 "I have a wild guess but I can't be too hopeful. How about you take the stage, Doctor?"

The Doctor "The endless war has drained us for too long. Taking prisoners is arduous and consumes too many resources. Say... Isn't this a more efficient solution?"

The room falls into silence until both audience members erupt into applause.

Empress "Brilliant, Doctor! My spirits were low, but now I see the light!"

General 1 "This is truly amazing, Doctor! It feels like total conquest is within our grasp!"

The Doctor "Thank you for your support, General, Your Highness. I'll get to work immediately."

With a joyful stride, the Doctor sprints out of the room.

General 1 "I feel ashamed to not cheering you up, Your Majesty."

Empress "Don't fret. I have faith in your abilities, General Pulsar Calaprian."

Calaprian Pulsar "Y-Y-Yes, y-your majesty." "Damn. She only speaks like that name when she's serious. I must make additional backup plans."

The curtain falls as the general exits, and the Empress drifts into sleep, her mind finally unburdened by worry. As one slumber begins, another ends, and Karnat awakens in a cold sweat. Meytaz and Verto are the first to notice and they wake up Elder Tenso and Tenya.

Tenso "Young man, you're finally awake—

Karnat "Guys, I need some space! My head feels crowded! I need somewhere EMPTY!"

The dark blue spiral on his shoulder illuminates, and dark blue tornadoes briefly form around him before both vanish from sight.

Meytaz "Aww, man! What the hell happened?!"

Tenso "It seems he inadvertently used his void powers. Meytaz, Verto, search for him! Find the nearest empty space. Tenya and I will explain the situation to the folks upstairs. There's a secret exit across the gap to the right. But be cautious, it's a long jump."

Meytaz/Verto "Yes, Elder."

Verto hoists Meytaz and hurls her through a fake paper wall. He then sprints and leaps... Meytaz barely manages to catch him on the ledge.

Meytaz "Bro, you know you're bad at jumping."

Verto "And I know you're bad at throwing!"

The two share a laugh as Meytaz pulls him along, and they dash through a dimly lit corridor. At the end, they find a ladder, which they climb, emerging into a patch of berry bushes. Feeling parched, Verto reaches for some berries to snack on, but Meytaz slaps them out of his hands.

Meytaz "Poison. Big brother Verto is dumb."

Verto "Hey, that's mean and I'm thirsting. A little poison wouldn't hurt me."

Meytaz "Those berries can also cause diarrhea."

Verto "Okay, Okay, I get it."

Surveying their surroundings, they realize they're just outside the western wall of the village, so they begin to search for their friend along the perimeter.

Verto "This is going to take ages! Just where can he be?!"

Meytaz "Yeah, we need to think more strategically. Think empty. Empty. Empty..."

Verto "Empty places. Maybe somewhere super high."

Meytaz "Somewhere high? But the only place high and closest enough is... Oh. No."

About 10 kilometers north of the village, Karnat rests on a cliff, gazing out over the entire settlement. His mind races with questions about his purpose, identity, and past, struggling to grasp a coherent answer as the weight of his destiny bears down on him. He ponders endlessly as an entire day passes before him.