image [https://i.imgur.com/ruzz2L2.png]

Solana's shadowy hands vanished from Carmen's face, allowing her to slowly sit upwards. The others joined them on the obliterated platform and were surprised to see that Carmen had turned back to normal.

“What did you do to me?” Carmen softly muttered as she rubbed her forehead.

“I disrupted your connection to the Core.” Solana replied with a nonchalant tone, walking over and helping Carmen to her feet.

“Disrupted? What do you mean?”

“My Manifest, Queen’s Dominion, has the ability to disrupt the flow of Core Energy that courses through your Strand. It severs your connection to the Core long enough to cease any and all Core Energy output, effectively canceling your abilities entirely.”

The moment Solana explained what her Manifest was capable of, everyone’s jaw dropped to the floor.

‘T-There’s no way. She’s essentially a walking Core blocker. This woman continues to show just how dangerous she really is…’

Zalthia felt incredibly uneasy and sick, now knowing the full extent of this Boundless woman’s power.

“So that’s what you did to my Manifest when we first met. I figured it was some kind of skill related to canceling abilities. Unreal.” Graymoor said, admiring the ominous looking tiara sitting atop Solana’s head.

“Yeah, but this ability isn’t without its flaws. In order for it to activate, I have to get hit by my opponent’s ability at least once so my Manifest can analyze their Core Energy pattern. It also only works against skills generated from a Vesta or a Manifest. Queen’s Dominion has no effect on inanimate objects or man made devices that use Core Energy since they don’t have a Strand within them.” Solana plainly replied.

“I see, so that explains why you purposely took my swords head on in our first fight. You could’ve easily dodged out of the way, but you decided to catch it with your bare hands instead.”

Azhane stepped forward with her arms crossed, piecing everything together as she recalled their first encounter. Solana nodded before letting out a soft chuckle.

“Anyways, enough about me, I think it’s time we decide what to do with Carmen. I’m sure you all noticed, but her Boundless form is incredibly unstable and out of control.”

“Yeah, It’ll definitely be a problem if she doesn’t get a handle on this. Did you have something in mind?” Azhane asked as she looked around at all of the destruction surrounding them.

“I do. If you all don’t mind, I’d like to train Carmen in the Core Depths for a bit. It’ll be easier and safer for her to get used to her Boundless abilities there.” Solana replied.

Azhane took a moment to ponder the idea until she eventually turned to Carmen with a determined expression.

“What do you think, Carmen?”

“Uh, sure. But for how long?”

“I think a week should suffice.” Solana replied. "Any longer than that would just be unnecessary."

An audible gasp could be heard as soon as Solana mentioned the length of time, causing Carmen to look around with great confusion.

“A week!? Are you sure about that?” Zalthia asked, shocked to hear something so ridiculous.

“What’s wrong with a week?” Carmen questioned with a concerned tone.

Zalthia turned to her and sighed before revealing why this was such a wild request.

“Carmen, have you forgotten? Time flows differently in the Core Depths. Seven days here would be equal to 168 days there. You’ll essentially be in the Core Depths for almost six months.”

Carmen’s eyes went wide once she realized what Zalthia was saying, now understanding why everyone seemed so on edge.

“Oh… I see.”

“It may seem like a long time, but I guarantee you that you’ll come out significantly stronger. It’s the best chance you have to really get a handle on your Boundless form and your Dark affinity. So, what do ya say?” Solana asked with a smile as she held out her hand.

Carmen turned her head towards Azhane and Zalthia. They hesitated slightly before giving her a firm nod, assuring her that this would be the right decision. She averted her gaze back to Solana and after a brief ponder, she reached out and took hold of her hand.

“Alright, let’s go.” Solana said, forcefully pulling Carmen closer to her.

“Huh!? We’re leaving right now!? But we-”

As soon as Carmen’s body pressed against Solana’s, the two were suddenly standing in the middle of a grassy field. She frantically looked around with confusion, wondering how they ended up in the Core Depths so quickly.

“How did you do that?” Carmen asked while admiring the golden colored sky greeting them from above.

“Hmm, let’s just say that I have some special ‘privileges’ as the Boundless Queen. I don’t need a portal to enter the Core Depths, so I can come and go as I please.”

“Woah, that’s pretty gnarly.”

“C’mon, let’s get going. There’s much for me to show you.”

Solana motioned for Carmen to follow as she made her way through the lush grass. Carmen nodded and quickly joined her, eager to see what all Solana wanted to show.

image [https://i.imgur.com/d60vRFl.png]

Solana and Carmen traversed the lush landscape of the Core Depths, taking in all of the sights until they crested a hill and looked out at the horizon.

“Ahh, it feels so good to be back home. The air is so crisp and you can practically taste the Core Energy floating around.” Solana said, leaning her head back as she stretched her arms out.

“So, where are you taking me?” Carmen asked while brushing her hair to the side, preventing the gusty wind from blowing it everywhere.

Solana simply pointed to a group of ruins far in the distance.

“We’ll start there. Follow me.”

After walking for quite a while, the two entered a fairly dilapidated cityscape. The multiple collapsed and broken, sandstone colored buildings were completely overrun with vegetation and wildlife. This city clearly hadn’t been touched for hundreds if not thousands of years, not even modern researchers had discovered this place.

Carmen marveled at the scale of everything and after making note of the architecture, she immediately made the connection that these were Boundless buildings. Solana guided them deeper into the city until they eventually ended at what looked like an armory of sorts. Solana stepped up to the door and placed her hand on a small slate that slightly protruded from the wall.

She concentrated her Core Energy into her palm and after a brief moment, the door unlocked and came to life. It began to slide open, kicking up sandy debris and dust as the air inside was released for the first time in years. Once they entered, multiple white lights illuminated the fairly open foyer. Carmen noticed all of the intricate detailing on the floors and walls. Each design was deeply etched with incredible precision, racing along in all directions to create the shape of a large crystal.

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“Woah, who did all of this?” Carmen asked with wide eyed wonder.

“A Boundless artist by the name of Raphta. She’s also the one that crafted the many statues you see throughout our city.” Solana replied, taking a moment to admire the mural as well.

“One person did all of this?? Unreal…”

“Yeah, Raphta was incredibly talented. She was also a good friend of mine, well… That is until she betrayed me along with the rest of them…”

Solana’s fist tightened as her memories came flooding back. Carmen looked over and noticed the irritated expression forming on Solana’s face, prompting her to shift the topic.

“Uhh, so what did you need from this place?” She asked while stepping away from the wall.

“Oh right, sorry. There’s something below this building that I need for your training. Let’s keep going.”

Solana began navigating the surprisingly large hallways, making her way towards a set of stairs that lead downward. The two proceeded deeper and deeper until they ended up in a massive chamber with six large statues lined up perfectly. Carmen looked up at their faces and was shocked by what she saw.

There stood Moku, Mallie, Lovi, Trion, and Homura towering over them with immaculate detail. She quickly rushed over to Homura’s statue and began admiring it, gently placing her hand against the base.

“Why is there a statue of Homura here?” She asked with a curious tone.

“Because this is their base of operations. All six of my Boundless Generals did their planning and meetings down here. If they weren’t running missions, this is where they stayed.” Solana replied, joining Carmen at Homura’s base.

“All six? But I thought there were only five Boundless Generals?”

“Nope, the five you’re familiar with went over to Briddle’s side, while this one remained loyal to me. I’d imagine Briddle didn’t want to revive him, so It’s no surprise that you two never met.”

Solana looked over at the centermost statue and smirked before walking towards it. Carmen quickly followed after her and waited patiently as Solana stopped her approach, now standing directly in front of the statue. Solana aimed her palm at the base and began exerting her Core Energy.

“Sitri, heed my call, end thy rest, and return to my side, my loyal servant!” She chanted with a strange dialect.

The room began to shake and rumble as Core Energy violently entered into the statue. Carmen was swiftly knocked off of her feet by the force of the sudden earthquake, causing her to brace herself against another statue. The shaking continued for a few more seconds until it ceased completely.

Just as Carmen peeked around the edge of her safe place, thinking the worst was over, a blinding light enveloped the entire room. The amount of Core Energy exploding from the statue sent shivers down Carmen’s spine, immediately putting her on alert.

When the light subsided, a man with short red hair was bowing his head to Solana as he knelt in front of her. He had a very strong and rigid body with the typical Boundless features of pale skin and thin lines racing down his face. His black and red jacket gripped his arms tightly, showing off just how muscular and well kept he was. Curiously, he seemed fairly young, looking no older than mid to late twenties.

“My beloved Master, thank you for ending my slumber. I’ve yearned for your return for so long.” Sitri said, showing an immense amount of gratitude towards Solana.

As he lowered his head further, the piercings along his ears playfully jingled.

“Think nothing of it, sorry for taking so long.” Solana replied with a smile.

“What do you have to be sorry for!? If anyone is sorry, it would be me! Had I not been cornered by Briddle and those five traitors, I would’ve been able to keep you safe! How can you even lay your eyes upon such a failure as I?”

Sitri continued to stare at the floor with a pained grimace, unable to face his Queen head on. Solana let out a simple sigh before extending her hand to him.

“Sitri… You’re not a failure. Fighting six of the strongest Boundless in our ranks at the same time wouldn’t have been easy, so I completely understand why you weren’t able to assist me.” She said, keeping her voice as soft and gentle as possible.

To her surprise, he immediately replied with a fairly sassy tone.

“Actually, fighting them all was quite easy. If only that idiot Moku didn’t threaten to self-destruct and destroy half the city, I would’ve won. Can’t stand that suicidal and cowardly cretin…” Sitri muttered, sounding almost offended that Solana would suggest he couldn’t beat his past comrades.

“Uhh, sure…. Now would you please raise your head already?”

After a brief moment, he finally looked up and gazed into Solana’s gray eyes. Once he saw her smile he quickly gripped her hand and brought it close to his forehead.

“Thank you, Master. I swear I will never fail you again.”

Once she accepted his declaration, Sitri got to his feet. He stretched his back a little until he noticed that there was someone else present in the room.

“And who might this be?” He asked with a curious tone, not taking his pale eyes off of her for a second.

“This is my friend Carmen. I wanted to introduce her to you.” Solana replied as she motioned for Carmen to come closer.

“Uhh, hello. I’m Carmen Belouis, it’s nice to meet you.”

Carmen gave a kind smile before respectfully bowing her head. Sitri simply crossed his arms and stared at her, not returning the greeting at all. He looked over at Solana and noticed the irritated expression on her face as she glared at him. Sitri immediately straightened up and quickly introduced himself.

“Hello Carmen, I’m Sitri, Commander of the Boundless Generals. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He replied with an awkward smile, hoping his efforts were enough to quell Solana’s anger.

“Good. Now with that over, it’s time I reveal why I wanted you two to meet. Sitri, I want you to train this girl.”

Carmen and Sitri looked beyond confused by this request.

“I thought you were going to train me?” Carmen quickly asked, not understanding her thought process.

Solana simply shook her head at the question.

“Nope, I’m not much of a teacher. Sitri is much more equipped for the job, so I’d rather he do it.”

“Huh!? But Master, why do you want me to waste my time training this human?” He asked with a slight pout.

“Sitri, don’t tell me your senses have dulled during your slumber. This girl is no mere human.”

He shifted his attention back to Carmen and after staring at her for a moment, his eyes lit up with great surprise. Sitri quickly approached Carmen and began sniffing her hair, as though trying to confirm his curiosity. Carmen snatched her hair away and stepped back, feeling incredibly uncomfortable by his actions.

“Hmm, so you’re a half breed. Very interesting…”

Sitri slowly stroked his chin as he pondered how this could’ve happened. No matter how many scenarios he played out in his mind, he couldn’t quite figure out the answer. He turned to Carmen and posed a question to her, hoping she could enlighten him.

“You clearly weren’t born in the Core Depths and yet you have a strong scent similar to Homura’s on you. Why? That woman would’ve never laid with a human, especially with Briddle around, so there’s no way you’re her child. Tell me, who is your mother?” He asked with a deep tone.

“Uhh, a woman named Cecilia. Apparently she was revived into the modern era and after living on the surface for a time, she met my Father and eventually had me.” Carmen replied.

“Oh, Miss Cecilia!? Now that you mention it, you do share a fairly uncanny resemblance to her!”

“Wait, you knew my mother??” Carmen quickly asked, her curious eyes as wide as they could be.

“Of course, Miss Cecilia would visit our base quite often to bring supplies and food. She was always so kind to everyone, unlike that deviant sister of hers. How is Miss Cecilia these days? I hope she’s well.” Sitri replied.

“Well, uhh… She passed away when I was born. I never actually got to meet her…”

“Oh… I see. That is truly unfortunate.”

Sitri lowered his head and had a brief moment of silence, paying his respects to a fallen comrade. Once he finished, Sitri turned his attention to Solana.

“Master, in what way should I train this child?” He asked with a determined tone.

“I want you to help her get better control of her Boundless form and Dark Affinity. She’s way too unstable and if we don’t take care of it now, it’ll cause some serious problems later on.” Solana replied as she approached Carmen, placing her hand on her shoulder.

“How much time will I have?”

“A little over five months or so. Will that be enough?”

“Plenty. Master, once I’m finished, this child will be nigh unrecognizable!”

“Good, let’s get out of here so you all can get things going.”

Solana started to walk towards the exit, prompting Sitri and Carmen to follow after her. Once they made it outside, Sitri, wearing a devious smirk, turned his attention to Carmen. When their eyes met, shivers quickly went down her spine.

“Well Carmen, shall we get started?” Sitri said with an eager tone as he cracked his knuckles.

“Uhh, yeah. Let’s do it.”

Carmen wasn’t sure what the training would entail, but she knew that whatever it was, it would be necessary for her growth.