Sloshing in their remains were the satisfied and bloated Puff Puffs, who rolled back to the girl’s side with glimmers in their eyes.
Blood trickled onto her as she reached down to pick one up. The blood-soaked Puff Puff nuzzled with her, smearing bloodstains onto her innocent face.
“Berries? You’re so full! How many did you find? So plump and fat! Did you really just eat berries?”
She was about to swipe some on her hands and take a taste, but she was suddenly stopped by the hand of a familiar presence. A black-suited woman far taller than her with short, black hair and red eyes plucked the bloody Puff Puff with two fingers and held it like a dirty rag.
“You’re awake again.” The woman spoke with a hint of annoyance. It wasn’t directed to the girl, but rather to the bloody Puff Puff that had stained her.
She brushed a thumb across her cheek, then, she licked it off.
“… It was berries after all.” She lied.
“Vampyria~! Did you come here to see the Puff Puffs!?”
“They’re rather unsettled tonight. I was worried that they might overwhelm you. The Magicalis of the Nexus aren’t as innocent as they appear.” She flicked the forehead of the Puff Puff, scowling at it with a piercing gaze. “Little ball of fur. At times like these I wonder if possessing [Rupture] like an Honored One would help keep them tamed. I wonder if giving out the troublesome ones to the Eye of the Head as a painting material would help keep them in line.”
The Puff Puffs trembled, aside from the one that was still cuddled beside the girl. Perhaps due to their proximity they could stare defiantly at the Star, as if saying: “You wouldn’t dare. Not in front of her.”
“Don’t. All creatures of the Nexus are precious to us.”
“Does it seem that way to you?”
“Well, I wouldn’t be able to tell, would I?” The girl giggled, tapping her blindfold.
“Neither would that blind child from the Derma Layer, haah. It’s been an unusually noisy night. It might come as a surprise, but these little things made a mess of a few of our crystals.”
“Oh no, are they ok?”
“Yes, the crystals are fine. They just need to be replaced.” Vampyria said, catching the trembling glares of a hundred Puff Puffs.
“You know I didn’t mean that.” The girl pouted, only to be diffused by Vampyira’s headpat. “… I guess that means Stella won’t be able to visit for a while. It’ll be dangerous for anyone to come here if there’s broken crystals… I couldn’t sleep. I just had to check on the crystals again. It feels like I haven’t done enough…”
“Hmm.” Vampyria groaned, concealing the sound of other Stars who dragged the bloated bodies of the Virtuosos.
Shards of crystals grew out from their bodies. One of the side effects of inhaling the crystal dust, especially from immature crystals, was that they could solidify and expand within a person’s body. Due to the nature of how crystals grew, it was an utterly excruciating process.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
The Virtuosos didn’t even have a chance to escape. Nor could they escape if they wanted to. The crystals had invaded their bloodstream, and it grew in their capillaries, coronary arteries, the valves of their hearts – even their brains.
A Black Wing who was carried on the back of white-furred, wolf-Beastkin Star of the Nexus passed by. They were not here to administer first aid. Not at all. The Black Wing was here to provide the bare minimum required to keep them alive.
“Imbeciles. The lot of them. Ya think they’d know better than to break the crystals. Isn’t the Brightest Star or whatever dumb ass name they gave that cunt an Apostle of Galia? Surely, that fucker wouldn’t let them come here and warn them not to break these crystals?” The Black Wing crudely spoke with an odd accent.
She hopped off the back of the Star and squatted over the bodies of the Virtuosos, prodding them with the end of her Talon like a dead corpse.
“If I may intrude –” The wolf-Beastkin said formally with proper etiquette, only to be shut down by the Black Wing.
“I didn’t ask, politely speaking.” The Black Wing said wholeheartedly. She clearly respected the Star and saw him as a superior. It was just that her way of speaking was a little… brash. It was more befitting the Beastkin than a woman like her.
“Also, don’t breathe in too much, hey? I got some proper levels in [Corporeal Restoration], but that doesn’t mean I won’t butcher your regeneration. Kapeshe? But you’re a smart Star, so no point in tellin’ ya what you already know.”
“Understandable. Talking is good exercise to maintain your composure. Time of crisis – 0430 hours. 54 minutes. 21 seconds. Location: Middle Sanctum, 23rd Layer. North-wise landmass. Damage pending.” He spoke with the same mannerisms as Act X members and Moons. “Six Stars of the Nexus on site. Stationed Eclipses Deployed.”
* * *
“Is… something wrong?” The Sacral Appraiser asked Vampyria, only for her to place a finger on her lips to hush her.
“I think you should go back to sleep.”
“Mm? But…”
Suddenly, Vampyria slashed her finger on a tooth before placing it on the girl’s lips again. Her eyes steadily sealed shut the moment the blood touched the tip of her tongue. Before long, she collapsed limply in the Star’s arms, cradled closely to support her head.
“Sleep. Forget about your compulsions for tonight. Hah. Nothing quite like the Forbidden Nectar of the Amalgam, or its diluted forms in the Requiem. But so long as it comes from me, then I can at least bring you some ease. Sleep well… as for you inferior things, how dare you allow them to come so close to her?”
She then scooped the girl into her arms into a bridal carry. Were she still a vampire with insatiable needs, then she would have drained the girl dry. The virtue of being a Star dispelled such worldly desires and thoughts, and yet still the Star could not help but be drawn to her.
Speaking of which, I don’t believe I’m the only one displaying such affection for people in the Nexus. But that’s another story. At the very least I do try to keep it hidden… Ah, I believe I’m like this because the Nexus was invaded. Heated and angered. But then again, it could also be because something I favor was in danger.
I thought Stars weren’t allowed to experience this again.
The Puff Puffs ran into her – a Star of the Nexus of all things – as if wanting to take back the girl. The Magicalis of the Nexus adored the Sacral Appraisers, the Healers and certain Moons, whereas they were openly mischievous to others.
“Magicalis may come from the Nexus, but we are not beholden to you. Not unless She declares it. Amazing, how her majesty the Amalgam allows us to react as though we are an extension of her.”
The Puff Puffs seemed to tilt their head to the side, as if to say: “What about us?”
Magicalis were beings created by the Nexus, but there was no clear relationship between them and the Amalgam. Still, because the Advent of Amalgamation belonged to the Amalgam, they considered her their master.
Perhaps like the Stars, they too could sense the throes of the Nexus – though it wasn’t clear if this was the case.
They responded quickly and en masse. I might be true after all.
“Regretfully… I suppose we’re not so different in that regard.” She gave her parting words and stared up at the underside of the next layer, seeing artificial stars twinkle in the ever-present darkness. “The Moons can call the Nexus home as much as they like, but we Stars consider it more than just a home. Iscario. To think a Star would turn their back on the very thing that saved them. You can fall further. Tsk. Now then… I must postpone my appointment with Enoch.”
The Middle Sanctum was under their control again.