Seiraph watched Keiran runaway with an amused expression. He was different from what she observed. It was almost… She shook her head, turning her gaze to Aristel, giving her a gentle  smile. “We'll meet soon…promise.”

She exerted her authority on the surrounding space, throwing spatial coordinates into disarray, and took a few steps toward the familiar energy in the distance.

In a blink, she was standing in the air of the main hall, staring down at the destruction. Rage boiled in her chest. This was one of Veshar's last temples. 

Only death awaited those responsible for this carnage. 

Something moved on the ground, a red metallic mech suit—as they dubbed it—moved around in the rubble. Instantly, Seiraph felt something was completely different and unique from the rest she'd bore witness to thus far.

‘It can't be…’ she thought, frowning deeply. She let the power within her heart run wild. ‘Let’s see…’

Celestial energy brimmed the entire area, rings of isolated spatial densities lining up toward the crimson knight. It seemed to notice the distortion, but it was too late. 

Seiraph flicked her finger, a bulbous ball of her essence flung through the rings, each layer propelling it further like a railgun. 

Just as it was about to collide with the mech, it emitted a white sphere that erased everything enveloped the metallic suit. It appeared and vanished instantaneously, faster than any human instrument could measure, eating away her attack.

A flash of madness draped Seiraph's mind.

Rertion’s authority. She was now certain.

The humans crossed the only line they ever drew for them.

Her celestial energy thickened, crushing everything in its path. The crimson mech struggled to move, it's armour cracking. 

Seiraph gently raised her ghostly finger, reality fizzling away at it's tip. “«Invertion.»” A chill spread the area. Light became dark and dark became light, up became down as down became up…

Good became evil.

Life became death.

“Esare.” 

Nothing became everything.

“Mrofer.”

Everything became nothing.

***

I barreled through the narrow passageway, heart jackhammering in my chest. My right eye throbbed, thick streams of blood running down my cheek.

“Hand that over,” Aristel said, her feet practically gliding on the ground. She reached for the container hosting Veshar's Heart. “Now.”

I choked back an exhausted breath, throwing her the capsule. She smiled smugly, as though she just won some grande prize.

The air suddenly felt heavy, making me lose my breath. I stumbled, tripping and falling to my knees. 

Nauseated by the dense killing intent and exhaustion, I barely swallowed back a mouthful of puke. At the same time, Aristel stopped dead in her tracks.

Her expression hardened.

I wiped my lips, feeling sick to the core. “Don't even think about it.”

“What do you mean?” She asked, hugging the black capsule tighter.

I just shook my head, slowly rising to my feet. “Nothing… Where are the people you were with?”

Aristel sighed, begrudgingly holding my hand and moving deeper into the pathway. “They're getting ready to mobilise…” she said. “Maybe they'll join us soon.”

“Right…” I mumbled. Seiraph had descended a little earlier than she should have, I couldn't be sure how this would end…though I had a guess.

We jogged at a brisk pace for about ten minutes before pausing. Aristel stopped supporting my weight, allowing me to catch my breath. 

I sucked in haggard breaths, watching her feel along the rough walls. Keiran was by no means weak physically—after going through Veshar's insane training regimen—but running that much definitely made me want to puke my guts out.

‘No…’ I thought, clutching my face. ‘It’s backlash?’

The ground split open, revealing a set of descending stairs. “Got it. Come on.” Aristel urged.

I ran down after her, darkness ensuing as the secret opening closed above. Fortunately, a moment later light sparked to life above Aristel's palm, illuminating the wide stairwell.

It took a long moment to reach the bottom.

“Parasocial Ant.” Aristel said, and instantly cool blue neon lights lit up, reflecting off sleek, obsidian surfaces. The space looked like an artsy lounging area, a decor that seemed to scream rich stoner kid.

[Welcome home, Ari.] A robotic voice intoned. [Would you like—]

“Not now,” Aristel snapped, picking up a key and a leather jacket off a nearby counter. Grabbing a side bag out of another room, she then went through one of the larger looking doors,  waving me over.

I passed through the door, entering a large garage. Countless Piix-l model flying cars were parked neatly.

Aristel pressed her remote key, and the most beat down looking one purred to life with a rowdy electrical hum. An opening formed on the further end of the cave, lights beaming up one by one within that tunnel.

“If they managed to get down to the castle,” Aristel said, climbing into the warming up vehicle. She got into the driver's seat, and I saw her pinching the bridge of her nose as I entered the passenger’s seat. “Chances are they are surrounding us from every inch above ground.”

I studied her hardened, savage expression for a moment. “You think you'll ever be able to return?”

“Not a chance.” Aristel said rather lightly. She sighed, then shifted gears as she pressed down on the accelerator. “In the first place, this situation shouldn't even be possible.”

The exhaust pipes burst, emitting a loud pop before the vehicle zoomed into the bright tunnel. The  road inclined upwards the more miles we covered, soon we speedily reached a dead end. 

Aristel pressed harder on the accelerator, she mumbled a few words under her breath and the wall ahead of us split to make way.

An echoing explosion reverberated behind us.

We made it past the tunnel opening, flying into the night sky, a plum of burning smoke trailing after our vehicle. The wind shield cracked, a drone of sorts smashing against the car.

“Shit,” Aristel cursed, staring out into the blackened sky. Myriads of black drones scanned the entire area, beaming green light to the ground. 

They noticed us as soon as we came up the tunnel, flying in waves in our direction. The bots began firing a hail of bullets, ripping the car apart from from the rear.

“We’re gonna die…!” I yelled, shaking Aristel's shoulder. Hundreds of killer drones speeding in front of us.

She shoved me aside, picking up speed, into a cloud of drones. The sky was lit up by a giant red glare, beeping and buzzing with ominous intent. 

Sweat dripped down Aristel's chin, her lips twisting in a nervous smile as the robotic machines simultaneously readied their mini cannons. 

“Okay, autopilot, lock in.” She said, raising her hands forward. Her eyes began to glow silver, a light that wasn't really luminous but heavy—somehow, denser than normal light.

Shots exploded forward and Aristel shut her palmed into a fist. A thin film of twisting air wrapped around the car like a forcefield, colliding and redirecting the bullets.

My head spun from the noise, the pain deep enough that it felt like my eardrums ruptured.

“Hold on to something!!” Aristel screamed, twisting her fist. The surrounding air became almost solid, crackling and booming as it pressed against itself. 

Then a pulse of light flashed out, bolts of pale blue lightning twisting outward, striking dozens of drones in droves. More and more loud explosions and bright flames spread, disorientating most of my senses. The violent turbulence flung me into the dashboard, hard.

I went blind and deaf for a moment.

Blinking painfully, I turned to Aristel in a daze, watching her struggle to stabilise the momentum of the vehicle. The sharp ringing in my ears subsiding slowly.

We were losing altitude fast, diving head first onto the ground. Aristel cursed, dozens of holographic errors flashing in front of her. She pulled the nose of the vehicle upwards a few angles by some miracle, the car smashing and skidding across the sandy ground a split second later.

A cloud of dust mixed with the pungent dark smoke of the destroyed drones, making the air thick. 

Wheezing and coughing, I leaned out of the wrecked vehicle one shaky foot at a time. The polluted air stung my eyes, making them teary. What kind of fuel powered those things?

[Sarhoil], a screen read, popping up in front of me.

I shook my head, paying no heed. At this point, Aristel was also out of the vehicle. She opened the hood, jumping back an inch at the loud bang that came from what seemed to be the engine.

Breaking the glass rod in her hands in half, she splattered the clear gooey slush contained inside it on the exposed machinery. The goop seeped into the metal instantly, bright sparks flickering around.

“Come closer,” Aristel said, trying to take a deep breath and falling into a fit of coughs. I did so blindly, outstretching my hands to her body. She lifted me by my shoulders, and I could swear I saw a smile on her pale face. “Better?”

The air became lighter, less toxic. I gulped deep breaths down my grated throat, falling to the ground limply as I fought for breath. “Ye-, yeah.” I choked out painfully. “...Thanks.”

“Whatever.”

It took a moment to recover my breath but when I did, I noticed Aristel's pitying gaze latched on me. “...You have something to say?” I asked, slowly standing.

She snorted derisively, averting her gaze. “Don't ever get ahead of yourself again.”

“When have I ever gotten ahead of myself? Also…” Letting out a long exhale, I finally recovered to an extent. “Arrogance doesn't suit you, little star. So just quit it.”

“What did you just call me…?” Aristel asked, eyes frozen cold. She stared at me as if looking at a disease-carrying rodent.

I feigned ignorance, jumping back slightly, making a confused expression. “What? I wasn't even trying to be rude, though?”

Perhaps noticing she overreacted, she simply clicked her tongue and turned to the vehicles sparking engine. “Watch your mouth, I'm eighty years older than you.”

I hummed, looking around. “You don't act like it.”

I tuned out whatever response she said, lost in thought. Of course, this played out as it did in the original plotline… That meant, the Silver Feathers should make the appearance anytime now.

“—that’ll be that, understood?” Aristel was saying. She lifted a brow, expecting a reply. 

“Hmm? Yeah, sure,” I muttered distractedly, and she just pouted. 

I was about to comment on how cute she looked doing that when, without warning, her eyes rolled to the back of her skull. She almost fell flat on her face before I grabbed her into my embrace.

I panicked.

Blood dripped from her nostrils, her jaw was set tight and her entire body broke into a terrible frisson. “Ari! Ari! Snap out of it! Ari?!”

Her body simply spasmed as a response.

And just when I thought things couldn't get worse.

[Scenario compromised because of your intervention.]

Huh?

Around me, the darkness seemed to seeth, twisting and giving the impression that the surrounding electrical fires were snuffing out.

[Contingency Impact Assessment

Continuity Breach: Undefined

Plotline Divergence: Uncertain

Original Narrative Integrity: Inconsequential

Endgame Disruption: Nonexistent]

What is this…? 

—The air stirred, a loud crack resounding as something collided with the ground. Fragments of small rocks bounced off my skin, the air-barrier created by Aristel gone.

I coughed, staring up at the hulking figure within the smoke and dust. It inched in closer, revealing a hunk of human shaped metal.

That's when I remembered a chilling line of texts from Fable.

[Seiraph spoke her Epithet. And when all was said, simultaneously, it was done. The Mech Suit and it's pilot that had raped Vesh’s temple lay on the ground.

Broken.

Synthetic and biological fluids of all kinds leaked from the mangled and distorted metal. It looked as though it was picked apart and put together by a toddler. Or rather.

It looked as though a god of death and destruction played around with the precious concept behind Creation. Bringing the metallic horror to life.]

A suit of crimson and silver, mangled beyond belief stood in front of me. Staring down with silent maleficent intent.

“It survived ‘Inversion’?!” I yelped, crawling back, Aristel held tightly in my embrace. ‘But no, that's not it…’

"Rest assured," the pilot's voice resonated, a soothing melody laced with endless sarcasm and a hint of narcissism. "This unfortunate soul undoubtedly met their demise. No one could endure being turned inside out across multiple planes of existence. If only it were that simple."

He laughed, cackled madly, as if that was his best inside joke. 

“You—”

“Me?” He said, chuckling. 

“...What are you?” 

There was a silence. An unnatural one that smouldered everything. Including the warped darkness.

“You mean to tell me, you have no clue?” the man—no, creature—asked softly, masking disappointment with a playful tone of voice. “Ah. Nevermind, there's never a dull moment when I talk about myself anyway.”

He cleared his throat.

“I’m an enigma of sorts. A handsome lad with a giant father-complex and an even bigger god-complex. Usually, I play around by drawing up schemes and then throwing them into chaos…”

A bad feeling bubbled in the pits of my guts.

“When I get bored…I certainly don't laugh myself to oblivion.” It paused. “Can't say the same about everyone else, though.”

I let out a long, tired breath. “You're the Fool, Atharit eri Asen.”

There was a deep whistle in appreciation. “My second oldest name. I knew it. You are an irregularity.”

Great. If he sensed my presence. The 0th definitely did too. I clicked my tongue, fear gripping my throat. At least that proved it wasn't reading my mind. Yet.

“...You think so? I just assumed you wouldn't like me calling you by your oldest and truest name.”

A crack fissured across the mech suit, exposing the brilliant radiance within. The light sucked away my sense of self, wrapping around my psyche. “I would not.”

In the presence of that boundless luminosity, I found myself reduced to insignificance, a mere mote in its resplendent radiance. Its brilliance, capable of illuminating the cosmos in its entirety, was undeniable. 

I..I…

Had to…

[Sub authority: Characterise active. Due to the nature of the being you're faced with, you're unable to comprehend its true size and or nature, chalking it up to being ‘Intransigent’.]

I coughed up a mouthful of blood, reeling from nausea. My insides felt molten, blood slowly dripping out of every orifice. “...Ba-bastard. Stop. It!!” 

“You resisted my Effulgence. Denied me a peek at your existence?” It said, the metal of its knees cracking and sparking as it squatted. That brilliance beamed with boundless excitement. “I’ve decided.”

The light running across its chest dimmed, and the disfigured giant let out a loud groan as it tumbled backward.

Aristel stopped twitching immediately, but didn't wake up. It was better that way. She couldn't see me trembling in fear.

‘Well, that's just bullshit.’

I raised my arm, squinting at the crimson wave pulsating towards me. Killer drones. Their distant hum resembled a swarm of mosquitoes.

…Were they still coming?

Green beams rained down, scanning the ground as they flew over. They were on us… Thirty seconds, and we'd be dead.

I sucked in a pained breath, standing slowly. There was nothing I could do. Not at this stage, but I couldn't just sit here and die.

“Come at me you fuckers!”

The synthetic light turned red as soon as it touched my skin. I triggered the Voidlord’s eye, immediately feeling my head splinter.

[Fractal Fragment exhausted.]

I ranched, my body stiffening as I heard gunfire. Blood oozed from my nose and ears, spurting out, my blindness spreading to my left eye.

Something ripped away my arm. The pain didn't register, just the sense I lost something very important. 

A loud crack, then the sound of explosions. I slowly blinked, body sucked dry of any energy, wondering how I was still alive.

The oppressive shroud of darkness steadily dispersed, revealing a stark contrast of black and fiery orange, a dance between night and flame that painted the area with an otherworldly radiance.

Above me, killer drones blew up one by one, flaring up the sky as they crashed. A bulky mech blasted into the metallic cloud, flying through hundreds of bots instantly.

I croaked out more blood. How wasn't I dead from blood loss?

I felt someone touch my head. Tentatively, I tried staring up, catching the figure of a purple robotic suite. One the six, I was sure from the complex sigil etched on the entirety of their chest.

“...You're late,” I mumbled, doubtful if they heard me. My consciousness faltered, fading away. The pain deeper than anything I felt in my past lifetime.