#2 Above A Withering Sky

KABOOM

Space beckoned, and fragmented, at the dire maniacal straight of a voice itching out of grotesque mouths echoing in the withering skies, as the fabric of reality in its tangled glory ripped apart.

An explosion parted the clouds, leaving behind cracks in space itself.

The grey skies crackled with arcs of crimson lightning as a mass of laughing faces forcefully stitched together, with stapples and threads looked through the cracks. It’s immunerable number of eyes staring at every conceivable form of life within its gaze. Talking over each other as if they were their own being.

It’s glee ever so present, as was the pain of its existence and the writhing hatred it bore to the world. The sea below shuddered, and the tectonic plates deep below the ocean basin.

Every living creature who met its gaze turned into a feral beast. A complete savage with no regard for consequence than the pleasure of vile slaughter. As, a dragon-like serpent breached the waters, in its mouth a bloodied corpse of its own kin. While it’s eyes like the red pooling beneath was sinister, filled with only a twist of pleasure.

Soon, waves, of these corrupted creatures surfaced into the water as they ripped their own flesh and blood, while the horrors below, who looked at the deity, struggled against the burning insanity, incinerating their minds, only replaced with the hunger for blood, and hatred with no logic.

Still, that wasn’t all behind this entity; there were cracks in the very world itself waiting to be ripped apart, for whatever nightmare decides to descend next onto the material plane.

Small arms, holding the cracks in infinite space open waiting for the deity in its whole entirety to exit its confinement.

Slowly the deity’s head peeked through, as time and light bent around it, it’s disgustingly stitched faces lowering their gaze onto the very world and smeared onto its face where giant threads spliced into a wide forced smile.

“YOU!!! AHAHAHA!!!! YOU!!! EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU!!!” It’s faces now all in sync blamed the very world. As, a God, this twisted isn’t one derived from nature.

“Gyrakth…A stage 3 lower class god,” A figure solemnly muttered, her violet eyes scanning the very soul of the deity. While her opened veil, revealed a pale face, calm and collected. She hovered over the blue oceanic waves. Matter itself flickering, as their molecular bonds destabilizing.

Her black hair seemed to devour light itself just like the abyss, a single tear like rune beneath her right eye. Raiza calmly steeled herself, flipping silver needles adorned with ancient runes around her fingers.

“Let’s see just where your anchor is.” Her white cloak adorned with violet crescent moons fluttered in the wind as she lifted her veil. A dark black triangular prism floating beside her. ‘Normally a god this class shouldn’t be able to bypass the barrier. Just what little shit, caused a distortion.’ She thought briefly.

Around the deity, she saw red threads glistening with malice and yellow threads with complete joy. It’s very particles emitting a diabolical trans mutated presence, fitting the theme of its splintered faces.

“Hah…No wonder these poor animals went insane.” She sighed, and with a wave of her hand, the threads of matter around her twisted and bent. Combining with each other into delicate black threads matching her pitch-black hair.  All circling around her slightly tilting at the drifting wind.

In a flash, with the assistance of the air itself she tied them around the needles. ‘Quick and perfect.’ She dusted her hands in satisfaction.

“HAHAHAHAHAHA” The deity laughed as the cracks in space got wider. Hands all small clawed at their borders. Cutting, marring their skin, revealing the bare flesh underneath.

Rivers of bloodred hatred poured onto the sea below as the hands kept gnawing at reality. Uknown to their own pain, Whilst the laughter of the deity only continued to permeate the air, echoing in this vast withering sky.

The woman’s face remained calm, a spark of unjust sorrow flickering in her dim violet eyes. ‘If that touches the sea, then all life in a 10 km radius will just become feral.’ She thought, waving her hands slowly.

Rows of needles all suspended in the air, shaking violently, unable to contain their excitement at consuming all that pure concept of hatred for themselves.

Their runes churning and tuning, as the droplets of blood never once had the privilege to spread its undying malice towards those below.

This time, Raiza’s smile twisted, into playful mockery, as she pointed at its failure “Thank you for your patronage.”

The very bonds that held matter itself together, whether it’d be air, water, or the very blood. They all trembled with a simple tug of her black threads. A single connection and touch even indirectly were all she truly needed to alter the entire state of matter of most objects living or not.

The gluttonous needles consumed, and filtered the threads of hatred and joy, their colours turning from a dull silver to individual sets of red and yellow. All aligned neatly, in a system she designed herself.

HAHAHAHAHA

It’s high-pitched laughter, and painful groans grew louder as the surrounding air became thick, filled with the acrid tang of rotting corpses.

The woman watched as the space around the creature fractured and the fabric converged into a dark orange. Her mouth almost opening wide in amazement of such a marvel.

Pieces of space, reminiscent of glass sunk onto its exposed flesh.

Runes systemically glowed around her as the needle wove the black threads into a net. All infused with the very thing it wanted to bring into this world, both Malice, and Joy. ‘Might I say again, A truly diabolical combination.’ She remarked.

Her hands clenched tightly as she held onto the black threads puppeteering them all with finesse. Despite her harsh and maybe brash words, deep inside her eyes were a pity, to the deity. ‘No one chooses to end up like that.’

The net, and it’s black like an all-devouring abyss sucking the very existence around her. Bypassing whatever shroud of protection this deity had.

“A lower-class god of Malice and Joy.” She commented, her ethereal eyes brightly shining as the deity squirmed within the net. It's small hands breaking through all the cracks in the sky. 

It’s grey, almost that of withering decay, as though those cracks were an inkling to the true primal size of what it was. ’Luckily it’s only a fragment of its former self.’

The sea below sprawled with vicious nightmares, all waiting for the woman to plummet and fall. 

“Tsk tsk tsk…You’re really dumb, aren’t you?” She smirked as her figure fell through the skies, deciding it was time to clean up some pests.

With a gentle tap of her leather boots, she landed on the sea’s surface. A calm ripple welcoming her to the chaos below.

Right above the nightmarish storm of jagged teeth too eager for their own good, to get a bite of her flesh.

Waves the size of mountains fell, and rised, to her presence.

They crashed against her still figure, yet she still didn’t move.

Click

The triangular prism around her shifted and snapped into place.

KEKEKE

The deity cackled; it’s voices only a reflection of its darker sense of delight.

The sea continued to violently splash and churn, but no matter what these fiends did, biting, scratching, thrashing, weaponizing the elements.

She stood there like an immovable force, staring at them like they were mere insects.

“Hitra... (Zero Matter)” She murmured as the black prism shook violently, releasing a primal scream.

Its size grew as the matter around her was became only hers control, turning into her fuel. The molecular bonds violently breaking as a series silent explosion within the water rang out. Decimating all around her in a show of absolute dominance.

But, as a show of her work there was no remnant of blood, from these feral marine beasts just the rippling tides, and complete evisceration.

“Excellent work Mistress,” A black moray eel slithered from her black, reminding the woman, “The prism has consumed enough matter.” 

She only smiled, as even though she was below. 

She stood above the withering skies.

BOOM

BOOM

The shattered space started to fix itself as the black threads finely sew them back together. Taking the deity’s myriad hands as its fuel. Releasing countless waves of air combusting as it struggled to keep the shattered space open. 

Raiza rubbed her hands together, the prism humming, as it’s segments continually shifted.

The blood all drained of its colour condensed along with the threads all circling the captured deity. 

And pressed on its hideous faces, first destroying its newly reformed barrier.

Thus, as the plane of reality it used to protect itself shattered so was its anchor to the material plane. As, it was a purely conceptual being. ‘Still, something must’ve invited it here.’ She mused, analysing the threads of matter that made up the deity.

KEKEKEKEKE

It cackled maniacally, as the fibreglass like threads pressed onto the rotting deity’s body.

Making thousands of thin red lines running across its body splintering it’s already broken faces.

CRACKLE

The sea rippled intensely, as the deity obsessively kept the biggest fracture of all open. Staring in absolute hatred and joy at the woman before her. It may not speak it, but it’s gaze had a fire in them, that will dance as the world burns.

A feeling all too familiar to her.

The net converged, onto its bold attempt increasing the pressure a thousand-fold.

its flesh bulged, as the net grew tighter and tighter.

The faces screamed in pain, but never once begged. An existence always forced to smile.

“You don’t need to smile anymore.” Raiza gently muttered, her smirk replaced by a genuine heartfelt smile, as it’s brains, and faces splattered against the net. Ripping out a significant portion of its body.

The searing pain not stopping its insane laughter from permeating the air.

A titanic hand arose from its sea of faces. Primordial runes constantly shifting in its construction.

it’s faces of hate all directed to the woman in front of them.

Serving as a reminder this was only but a fragment of its rotting body. 

SQUASH

The net condensed, severing its eyes, hands, and bones, precisely spaced cuts.

Almost with terrifying surgical precision. Not giving the deity, a single opening to spread its influence.

“Another job well done...Don’t you think, Mr. Eely?” She asked, her chest heaving with accomplishment, looking at her bloodied spoils. Yet, her heart gnawed at her as she saw that painful smile.

“Mistress if I may?” The moray eel asked, bowing its head.

“Go ahead.” She responded, her gaze still locked onto the deity who remained beyond the boundary.

“There’s no humanity left in them, they’re no Gods but a shadow.” He said, slithering in the air, tipping his hat slightly to the side.

Raiza’s hands clenched, but she was here as an exterminator, a weapon but she knew he was right. It threatened humanity and she was their protector. ‘Just like what happened with Alphy. I’m powerless. Utterly powerless’ Raiza thought, striking her own heart, sighing at her own incompetence.

She bit her lips, and her expression flickered to a chilly cold. Her violet eyes straightening along with her resolve, and her eyes filled with colour looked at the deity like another pest she needed to exterminate.

“Time to finish the job.” She voiced those ethereal violet eyes pierced through all planes. She saw the world at its most basic form the threads, each layer of the fabric infinitely dog piling on top of one another. And the abhorrently fragmented threads of the deity. ‘Just what could cause you to end up that way?’

At every moment she felt the overwhelming joy, twisted by an absolute malice. This was a deity not initial born to corrupt, but too spread joy.

“May the Shepherd herald your soul.” She muttered, staring at the deity’s unbridled emotions with a glimpse of sorrow. ‘Sorry that the world hasn’t been kind to you.’ She apologised, her expression cracking as her lips pressed thinly. While her eyes remained the same, one’s of an exterminator.

Yet, she had to continue, no matter it’s circumstance it threatened the world. Just by existing its influence spread deep through the Cavanian Sea.

So, like always the one who stood at the borders of divinity, quaintly smiled, as with a

SNAP

Off her fingers, a dark circle tore itself from the fabric of its molecules. Their once bright colours, condensing and wrapping around each other at her fingertips. Their colours shifting constantly as gravity itself bent.

The black threads at their most primal happily tearing and consuming it from the inside.

A makeshift event horizon of antimatter right at its guts.

SKREEE

It shrivelled in pain, as it’s uncountable number of faces started to cry. Their crystalline tears, running down one another, hardening hard like diamonds making even their final moments filled with the sadistic thoughts of happily upturning the world. Their resolve, and desire resolute with no hope of change.

Stolen novel; please report.

It’s maddening shrills only growing more eager as it blamed the pain to the world.

The conceptual realm where its body resides, surrounding it in a cloud of red. It laughed, as it saw the torn fabric of the world’s boundary repair itself. Needles, expediting the process, until here it was failing, the holes in the boundary closed, and Gyrakh’s fragment still clawed the boundary with a sadistic smile. ‘EVERYONE SHOULD SUFFER!!’ was the thoughts it tried to convey.

Raiza’s tear-like rune lit up, at the outburst of emotion, as the intense heat of the pain threatened to rip her heat. She breathed, as rows of needles penetrated through the layers of reality. Ignoring the notion of distance itself, and struck the deity blinded with malice. Piercing into its skin, it’s appearance starting to distort, as a pressure descended onto its body.

SQUISH

SQUISH

SQUISH

Even with its God-like powers, it failed to perceive the darkness of anti-matter coalescing a sprinkle on top to what is already one of the strongest natural forces in most realities.

A black hole.

Again, it tore of its incomprehensible macabre of flesh, destroying its body dissecting even it’s supposed ‘invincibility’ from the inside. Her control over matter ignoring and manipulating its tempered emotional shields.

“Mr. Eely do you know a fallen god’s body parts fetch for high prices?” Raiza curiously asked, knowing it knew all the answers.

“Enlighten me Mistress.” The moray eel responded to her playful question.

“It’s because they hold something the Archive calls essence, a complete fragment of a concept at its purest form. It’s what we use to power the more elaborate shields and runes. Just like, these needles.” She replied, her gaze looking pitifully at the lower god’s demise. ‘A metaphysical god can’t die anyway. So, it’s doomed to return one day. Maybe as something different.’ She thought.

The threads that held its physical existence together piece by piece unravelled and dispersed, now like every other thread floating in the fabric awaiting to be tangled with another. Intertwining with the many spires and obelisks shimmering with primordial language. Gyrakh’s very threads, now one with conceptual realm.

Quickly, she pulled at the remaining masses of flesh before they unravelled. Collecting them, as a small ring with a cube similar to bismuth in shape, spun it place. Absorbing the true fallen deity’s body parts.

Once a deity, maybe even a god to some.

Nearly obliterated by a mere mortal of the false road.

“Yes, Mistress, these should sell for quite a price in the Archive.” The abyssal eel answered, its figure inspecting the net. Whilst Raiza looked at her own reflection, almost in longing.

“I’ll see you soon, Alphy…” She murmured, her pale hands gently looping and tying the black threads.

“Oh, right. I must do an environmental inspection. Erase every trace of the damn thing’s presence. “

Raiza’s face turned serious, her violet eyes darted and analyzed the waters as she disappeared into the depths like a ghostly apparition along with her spoils.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

CLANG 

CLANG 

The sound of metal clashing reverberated, sending gusts of wind trembling in droves, the grass painted with an icy edge swaying heavily at the intensity.

“Yusuf, your authority, are you sure it’s just temperature?” Alphonso asked tilting his head, avoiding the volley of hail and fire.

“Al Trust me I tried, but I can’t temper my soul too much. Otherwise, my mind barrier will break.” Yusuf reluctantly admitted as the clouds started to converge with thin lines each traced with layers of natural phenomena.

“The prefix absolute only belongs to the dead true lords after all.” Alphonso said, his breath getting chilly, as a burst of flame and frost so delicate. Coated Yusuf’s frostbitten odachi.

“I know, yours’s belonged to Ellikh,” Yusuf swung his odachi, “The Ascenta family has tried Al, but there are no records of a potential 7th true lord, other than we know there is one, and the fact it’s dead.”

“That’s really all?” Alphonso asked his eyebrows raised, as he jumped and twisted in the air. Hearing the close whistles of icicles and flame birds run past his ears.

“Yeah, all they could find…Sometimes I just think I really am just a sitting duck.” Yusuf remarked, his eyes sullen, whilst his lips pressed thinly releasing frozen vapour. “Doesn’t mean I’ll let you win though.” He smiled, as using the opportunity, his sea-blue eyes narrowed as he weaved a singular flower petal, the temperature became colder and colder until time seemed to slow down. Light cracks in frozen air appeared, covered in frost. While the petal, unravelled and dispersed into his body.

The small pocket of reality around them turned still, a moment frozen in time.

There Alphonso was his target moving slowly through the frost of time. The threads of causality, removing the effect Yusuf has placed on him.

Alphonso took a deep breath, his body shaking at the cold touch of air. He brought his scythe over to Yusuf’s torso, and slashed.

Clang

Yusuf skillfully deflected the scythe’s blade, and in that short window he stepped back and slashed forward.

Clang

The sounds of metal against echoed, Yusuf’s smile curving into a frown.

Intending for a clean cut. He appeared beside the young man and deftly swung his odachi. Its Jade blade covered with a thin both ice and fire.

Alphonso looked at Yusuf and only smiled as he saw what lay beyond the world. A singular plane that determines every constant. Causality, the golden threads, shimmered connecting from the source of cause and then the afterward effect. 

Three golden lines appeared, and with a wave of his scythe. The afterward was cut from the threads of causality. 

Reality itself panicked as it tried to fill the severed fabric. Causing the brilliant jade odachi to pass through his skin, as if it never touched him.

“Huff” Breathing in, he took the first note and spun his body to the place of the attacker. Knocking the very wind out of him with the scythe’s handle.

“Cough... Damn, you got me good.” Yusuf on the ground breathed harshly, but Alphonso remained sharp. 

Swish

Yusuf disappeared like the wind, as the temperature now dropped to absolute zero. Alphonso’s chilly breaths echoed in the grassy field as a rain of ice blanketed the field. Time itself physically slowing down, at his command.

Clang

Swiftly, Alphonso rotated his scythe backwards, blocking the blade. His golden eyes shimmering in rapid analysis. Whilst his scythe seared with intense heat and frost.

His hands burned, as he gritted his teeth.

But that was all Yusuf needed, as with a medium the blue icy threads coalesced, entering his circulatory system. With precision he targeted what Alphonso relied on most, the eyes. Freezing the blood vessels just enough for the eyes to start quivering with pain. ‘Slimy bastard.” Alphonso muttered in thought, as his eyes closed minimizing the pain.

Yusuf quickly capitalized on this and delivered a kick to his leg.

Knocking the young man to his feet, with a grunt

Both looked at each other in the eyes each reflecting one another. They nodded as,

THUD

They dropped their weapons, knowing continuing with weapons as lethal as theirs will lead to devastating consequences. 

Settling for a brawl. Eager to finish off his rival, Yusuf threw a straight fist almost in harmony with the frost around him. 

As it inched closer and closer to his face, Alphonso felt frostbite spreading from his cheeks. 

Still, he remained calm, grasping the situation.

He rolled on the ground, narrowly dodging the final blow. 

Alphonso stood back on his feet; he maintained this position as swiftly Yusuf struck his elbow.

The young man winced in pain as he grabbed the very hands that dealt the damage. Twisting them and pulling Yusuf’s body, he slammed him into the ground. Cracks spread across the snow-covered ground, but something was wrong.

A deafening ring continuously rang, echoing in his tired mind. As the barrier containing the soul leaked continuously with Sei, the frozen veins heated up exponentially as a torrent of energy sent his body reeling with pain.

“Rai’s going to scold me for this.” He slumped on the ground beside Yusuf, clutching his own head to quell the pain of his soul trying to break out. 

“All I can say is good luck with your fiancée.” Yusuf reminded him with a light slap on the shoulder.

“Yu...” Alphonso called out his face dyed with a dash of red whilst his listless body remained unable to move.

“Heh Al, despite my gripes, I agree with Raiza you need to relax.” Yusuf smiled, “Without a healthy mind, your barrier will collapse, and damn, I don’t know whether you’ll turn into a husk, phage or your body will just blow up.”

“And I can’t have that happening, alright?” He further added, flicking the young man’s forehead.

“Y-You ugh…Fine, I’ll take a fine rest to take in my surroundings.” Alphonso reluctantly agreed.

“About that trade, I’ll talk to your sister about it.” His gray hair gently dancing under the now-clear sky. 

“Sure, what do you need them for anyway?” Alphonso asked

“Interdimensional gate automation and protection.” Yusuf explained.

“Look at you taking on responsibilities. I thought that was my thing.” Alphonso teased, tying his long hair into a ponytail.

“Ahh, that’s because I just want experience now.” 

“Oh really?”

“Yeah, I figured it was about time I caught up with you.” Yusuf said, his voice resolute as was his confidence.

They both watched as the bright blue flower, and ouroboros serpent hovering in the air, dispersed their Sei absorbed back into their respective bodies. Rejoining the fabric of reality from whence they came. Ending the duel, as the two participants muttered,

“Taraskh Iram (Thank you)” Ceremonious, the two stood up and gave a light bow to the skies.

Maria watched carefully, still sipping tea from a very fanciful cup.

SNAP

With a simple motion the environment contorted and shifted turning back into what it was once before. A maze that constantly shifted in perpetual motion just like causality itself.

“Alphonso take this.” She tossed a pill it’s outline enchanted with sei, as when he caught it. It glowed almost identically to his authority.

“A mental stabilizer. You think I need one?" Alphonso tilted his head, perplexed.

“I do,” She said curtly, “So hurry up and eat it before I snatch it back. Your barrier looks horrible.”

“So that’s where you got your tongue from Al.” Yusuf absently remarked, his eyes widening on a clever realization.

Hearing those words, the brown-haired woman stopped sipping her tea. Her face irking with annoyance, “Yusuf you don’t want to get bullied, do you? Remember what I did when we were kids hmm.”

“Here we go...” Alphonso stepped back, feeling the very chilling presence of his sister.

“Uh no Ma’am please.” A cold shiver ran down his spine, at the woman’s words.

“Alright, calm down Sis.” Alphonso raised his hands, hesitating at her presence. As, she snapped her head in his direction. ‘Did I just hear a crack? How the fuck?’ He thought, as he saw her have that same fiendish smile.

“Yusuf, I think you’re on your own.” He said, backing away, as he took out a crystal and crushed it. Warping space as he disappeared.

“This brat...” She sighed, turning her gaze towards Yusuf as bright silver threads swirled around the air. Softly gliding as they wrapped around Yusuf’s hands pulling him to the gazebo.

“Now that we’re alone I need to discuss a few things with you...” Maria gently said her vengeful tone quelled by the environment’s warm embrace.

The silver threads of consequence all the while reflecting within her heterochronic eyes. She tapped her hands softly on the table, and the circuits and runes all churned with her authority. The Gazebo creating a still wave of sound proofing.

“It’s about that isn’t it. The growing number of Phages.” Yusuf muttered, taking a seat.

“Yes, it is…” Maria confirmed her voice laced with a hint of bitterness. As they both looked afar just right before the withering skies.

A grey crystal intricately aligned with repeated engravings, appeared out of the young lady’s ring.

“Show us what Raiza is doing.” Maria commanded

Following her words it projected the figure of Raiza walking across the ocean her eyes vastly processing any new details. Noticing their gaze, she turned to look at them waving they watched her fight with a deity as ‘flawless’ with ruthless efficiency. She took it done swiftly, unsurprising to Yusuf and Maria who was analyzing the deity’s corrosive effect on minds.

“Fuck me, the influence of a God sure is scary. But it’s threads they’re unrelated, to the remnants at the northern wasteland, or Mirai City” Yusuf said

“Any idea on who then?” Maria asked the young man

“Nope other than a few brown butterflies and moths there was nothing left.” Yusuf answered reluctantly his eyes narrowing.

“It must be a fragment of a God, that’s the only reasonable explanation, as a god shouldn’t be able to harm the boundary. But that brings the question what anchored it here?” Maria pitched in, as she placed another white crystal atop the table.

Within the projection, there was a man dressed in formal attire. His suit and posture confident as he walked around the city streets, but curiously he noticed a butterfly spaced evenly across the street and buildings. His smile as bright as the ray of sunshine colouring the streets.

“Must be someone’s authority acting up.” The man shrugged, but suddenly his actions seemed lost, his sense of direction becoming more and more convoluted before he screamed in agony.

“His mind barrier is destabilizing,” Maria using her sight, determined the exact consequence, and therefore it’s cause. Furthermore, the very soul of the man shook violently, without its container, sending an abundance of energy flowing through his veins. Burning them from the inside, his mind struggling to divert its efforts.

He mumbled unintelligibly, his feet tapping on the ground, before his screams, became shrieks.

Following protocol, the citizens all activated a secondary layer of shields from their authorities and ran in the opposite direction away from the potential phage, but as a ward against a deity’s corruptive influence.

Pausing the video Maria took a few breathes, her forehead creasing.

“Yusuf...did you notice?” She asked

“His Sei fluctuated violently,” Yusuf nodded, “His mind barrier collapsed, and his corroded soul now controls his body.”

“The formation of a phage, right down to a tea.” She finished, resuming the video.

The brown butterflies and moths then fluttered light itself corroding around them. Whilst the man rolled on the ground repeatedly on-lookers seated far away started to activate their own shields. Knowing full well it was phage in the making. They ran, but something inside of them a seed. One planted in them maybe even weeks back. Distorted their thoughts, as people started to run over each other. Some panicking while others cried, holding their knees close breaking the protocol set by the I.A.

That was how truly dangerous being exposed to the wrong deity was. Whatever fragment the God had sent was having fun slowly corrupting their minds. Then just outright driving them to insanity, it wanted results. A tried-and-true method of decaying the essence of what makes a human being, a human being.

This realization donned on the two, as Maria’s eyes glowed showing the potential paths and consequences such a monstrosity had.

“It’s a God of the false road,” Maria stated her agitation growing despite her serene calm, “Which is why it has such a level of deliberate planning.”

“As only the false road offers control over a concept without losing your humanity.” Yusuf further commented recalling a few teachings he had in the past.

KREEEEEE

The man now phage growled, as a series of runes activated suppressing and binding it to the ground.

Tendrils of pale white shot from its back piercing through their shields attaching directly to their minds and consequently their minds. Siphoning what little mental energy they had left. Leaving their mind barriers to break under their own thoughts letting the soul loose. Turning them into Phages, like an airborne virus.

Tens of people rolled in agony, as blood leaked from their eyes, their skin rapidly drying and flaking off. Revealing a mass of hard rocky flesh growing beneath.

“Please help me...” One of them begged, the top half of his head collapsing, as a series of vein-like protrusions took the place of his hair. The glint of consciousness eyes forcibly blown out, by the winds of corrosion cracking his mind.

Alarms blared and sirens rang, as another series of runes all over the city block glowed. Forming highly condensed cubes of Sei. Putting them into quarantine and cutting off their main source of nourishments, as they flailed in pain their tendrils dissipating, while their hair erupted into pale white flames. Each transformation was as unique as the abilities they held.

Ten figures appeared, and chanted restricting them further, many of them looking with saddened faces as the eyes of the phages were still human. Somewhere inside they were still who they once were. Their conscience buried too deeply to be pulled out. Their bodies moving all on their own, but still, they could see and are aware. Forced to watch themselves become beasts.

The enforcers each with their own authority. Summoned a series of threads binding them and suppressing the phages bodily functions and control. Some controlled the wind and struck the beasts who got close. Sending them crashing against shield after shield their bodies beaten and battered, as tears of pain ran down their eyes.

Thud

One of the enforcers, hidden by a dark robe inscribed with white patterns of gems. Plunged her feet deep into the ground, cracking it, gaining attention from the beasts.

White threads, spread from the cracks converging like a viscous liquid, filled with serene tranquility. The very sounds, of deafening screams replaced by the sound of running water and trees swaying in the wind.

“Looks like the rookie decided to come.” A figure said, patting her by the shoulder.

Her body not moving a single inch, as a whistle, akin to a gentle lullaby fell from her lips. Like an angel, her voice controlled the white threads, restraining, and holding down the phages to the seemingly soft ground.

Bringing peace to their troubled hearts, as a sense of warmth akin to a hug touched their very souls.

She sang, and whistled, her lullaby putting the phages into a shallow slumber.

The figure offered them comfort despite the monsters they became. With just her voice she the butterflies and moths fell. Their lifeless bodies remaining sprawled.

“Huff…Huff.” She breathed raggedly, her hands clasping together, as the team of enforcers followed suit. Then she continued to sing the lullaby once more, neglecting her throat, as they needed it far more than her.

“May the Shepherd herald your soul.” They all said in unison clasping their hands at their fallen fellow humans.

“Ethan!!!” A woman screamed as she ran towards the body of the suited man. His bright eyes dimming as for a moment his humanity returned. He weakly gave her the same confident smile, he had earlier. The same one he held for her when she bought him that suit.

“You promised!! You promised you were going to work hard for us!” She yelled embracing the already dying man.

“We were going to have a nice family. A very nice family” Her voice quieted, her sniffling never once stopping as she refused to let go, her embrace of the cold body an attempt to restore its warmth. “You’ve always liked it when I held you close...”

While the figure kept singing, the cries of a woman who had lost her partner echoed deeply in all their hearts. Her sobs, and brief outbursts stabbing the enforcers at their own shortcomings.

Till the end, the phage, no Ethan moved his twitching hands brushing his wife’s hair. His smile growing wider, as he succumbed to the voice. “Sniff…M-May the s-hepherd herald your soul.” She prayed her voice slowly breaking apart as she uttered ever word, as she knew that smile. The same one he had when even he had trouble letting go, a mirror of hers.

His hands clenched tightly, an aftermath his emotional mind refused to let go.

“I’ve never seen that authority,” Yusuf remarked his voice cracking, “But how is a fragment able to do all of this even if they’re a false god.”

“I don’t know. All we can do is keep digging for answers, there must be a medium.” Maria reluctantly admitted, as her heart turned cold. No matter how much they saw this. The scars these moments left with them was always there.

“Inform the I.A. of our input regarding the matter.” She told Yusuf, who nodded disappearing from the gazebo.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

RING

RING

The runes of communication embedded in Alphonso’s arms rang, “Yes who is it?”

“The Interdimensional Archive. Want you to protect, a walker between worlds.” A cold voice muttered, without any hesitancy.

“A strider huh? Why would you need trouble?” He asked, looking at the light streaming him from the window.

“No…you must protect the child. And monitor her for us. For that soul has information even the gods would kill for. And an authority that could really help us right now.” The caller responded curtly.

“Ohh?” Alphonso, muttered in realization his laid back, straightening.

“We’re not so sure ourselves. No being seems keen on it. It’s almost repulsive to them. Keeping them entirely from trying to gleam the strider. But quite a few deities remain. And strangely the world boundary wasn’t affected in the slightest. Which brings us to the next point, collect what information you can.”

After hearing that Alphonso sighed for a moment pondering whether he should or he shouldn’t accept this mission. ‘A strider huh…an unstable existence that has a soul too unbearable for any physical body. Most bodies end up phages feeding and siphoning Sei from living beings.’ A desire so strong to reality that it corrupts the world boundary and keeps the soul from ever departing. ‘There had to be a catch.’ He thought.

“Alright I’ll accept it, just make sure to inform that to the Reinheit family as an official request.” Alphonso accepted his mind wandering exactly what drew him to this peculiar existence. As, getting involved with one can go multiple ways.

His golden eyes ethereally sparked, as he saw how twisted their causality really is… ‘Why did it have to be a little kid?’ He sighed inwardly, resting his head on the table.