The sky whimpered as a mulberry aura radiated from Emily's body. Mulberry clouds hovered in the sky, casting unnatural shadows on the ground. Solar orange flames crackled from Emily's cosmic eyes as she stared at Rachel with an unsettling grin and predatory teeth. A void-like tear trickled down Emily's cheeks as her star-speckled black hoodie, ripped black jeans, and combat boots materialized on her body. P̴̙̘̫̯̯̜͉̖̞̞͚͕̻̻̞̀̈ͩͮ͐́̾̑ͤ͒̏͛ͫ́̽̌̐͜͟͜ŗ̵̡̛̼̙̻͔͚̼͓̺̼̗̟̮̟̪́ͧͩ̒͑̎́ͥ͐̏ͫ̃͑ͪ͊̉̅́̆̀̋͗̈̋̕͢͟ḭ̼̥̗͍̱̏ͪͥ̂m̷̷̛̺̗̣̻͎̮̙͚͖͓ͨͬͥ̄́ͦ̚͜͞ḛ͉̦̫̐́̾̃̊́ͤ͛͛͂͋̈ͯͮ͘͞ appeared on her hoodie in glitch font, as if the universe stamped her nature through a logo.
Stars swirled inside Emily's eyes as the space around her glitched with static and code. Animals cried, and the trees groaned and creaked as if Emily's very presence disturbed nature. Tears made of stars trickled down marble statues as they collapsed under the pressure radiating from Emily's body. The very sun shivered as if it wanted to run away instead of radiating its warmth down on the world.
Rachel's heart thumped in her chest as she gazed up at Emily. Her body trembled as Emily stared at her without blinking. She felt a pressure on her chest similar to what she felt when the ENGINE marked her as chosen. A creeping sense of doom dripped down her spine like burning oil.
Elijah dropped his cigarette as he stared up at Emily, fixating on the Prime logo on her black hoodie. His fingers trembled, and his eyes dilated as Emily's gaze slowly turned towards him. His body felt heavy and lethargic, as if he had just finished an intense workout.
Sarah's eyes dilated as she dropped her folding fan while debris and rock fell from the sky. Her lips quivered as Emily's eyes drifted toward her, but she was not able to make eye contact. She gazed down at the ground as she could feel Emily's hands around her neck once more. Primordial fear crept down her back as her mind spiraled into despair.
Alice cracked under Emily's gaze, unable to look into her eyes. Her muscles twitched as her body quivered; her instincts were screaming to run. Gunter stared up in awe, mouth open, while his mind processed what he had just witnessed. The barrier collapsed as he could no longer focus while Emily's mulberry eyes drifted towards him.
Emily's eyes started to glow violently as she lifted her arm up towards the heavens. S̨̬̠͇̲̻̰͇͉̥̗̺̗ͦ̅̀̽̓̆̄̀ͨ̉̉̿́ͣ̕͟͝_̨̛̼̠̭̬͉͍ͩ͊͗ͮ͒ͬ͛͡t̷̨̯ͭ͑͊͟͢a̷̧̗̖͇̪̠̣̩ͫͣ̀ͤ̾ͯ̐ͩ̽̓ͧͤ̕͡t̬̭̫͖̥̤̼̋̿̓ͩ̀̍ͧ͑͡ĩ̴̢̢͔̙̖̲͍̪͔̞͛̓ͯ̽͐́ͫ̆_̷̖̫͕̦̱̻͓̝͙̃̒͋͆́̇̆͠c͔̙̘̬̈̆̉̄̀͢_̵̘͉̖̞̖̤ͪ͐͊̽̈ͤͥ͠ͅ Ş̶̴̶̧͎̹̯̯̠̘̝̪̦͎͓͇̟̻͍̤̭̫͙͈̩ͥ̑̐̽͗̈̄͗͒ͣͦ̂ͫ̍̋ͥ̈͂͢͟͢n̢̛̮̥̩̙̞̥̘̪̋̐̆ͤ̊ͭ̍͐̆͂̔̅̚͜͝͝ơ̵̳̯͔̳̹̟̝͍̬͍͉͗̊̿͊ͯ̐ͧ͐̔ͬ͡ẃ̧̩̞̣̘͕̳̳̩̼̫̬ͬ͆͛̾̅̋̀̊̐́̐͊̀͂̽̀̕͝͝͞ͅͅ started to fall from the sky, drifting down like a universe ending weather event. Rachel's eyes widened as the once pristine blue sky twisted into a bruised-colored palette. She ran her hands through her hair as her mulberry eyes focused on Emily as she hovered in the air.
"ɆVɆⱤɎ ⱧɄ₦ĐⱤɆĐ ɎɆ₳Ɽ₴, ɎØɄ ₲₳₮ⱧɆⱤɆĐ. ɆVɆⱤɎ ⱧɄ₦ĐⱤɆĐ ɎɆ₳Ɽ₴ ɎØɄ ₴ł₦₲.₩₳₮₵ⱧɆĐ ₮ⱧɆ Ɇ₦₲ł₦Ɇ ₦Ø₮ ₵ⱧØØ₴Ɇ ₮Ø₥ØⱤⱤØ₩. ₴ɆɆ ₩Ⱨ₳₮ ₦Ɇ₩ ₳₲Ɇ ł ₩łⱠⱠ ฿Ɽł₦₲," Emily sang her voice crackling like it was hooked up to a vocoder. She stared at Rachel with a stoic expression as she landed on the ground. "₵ⱧłⱠĐⱤɆ₦ ĐⱤɆ₳₥ Ø₣ ฿Ɇł₦₲ ₵ⱧØ₴Ɇ₦ ₳Ɽ₮ł₴₮₴, ฿ɄłⱠĐɆⱤ₴, ₥ł₦Đ₴ Ø₣ ₴₮ɆɆⱠ. ɎØɄ ₮ⱧØɄ₲Ⱨ₮ ₮ⱧɆ Ɇ₦₲ł₦Ɇ ₴₳₩ ₥Ʉ₵Ⱨ ĐɆɆ₱ɆⱤ ₮Ⱨ₳₦ ₮ⱧɆ ₱Ø₩ɆⱤ ɎØɄ ₵ØɄⱠĐ ₣ɆɆⱠ. ĐⱤØ₩₦ł₦₲ ł₦ ₴₮₳₮ł₵ ₴₦Ø₩."
"What did you do?" Rachel asked as she looked up at the snow falling from the sky.
Emily did not reply.
"All this because I said no?"
Emily did not reply as she stared at Rachel.
Elijah dug into his coat pocket, grabbed a cigarette, and lit it. "Kid, this isn't you."
"Did you just call the PRIME a kid! Are you mad?" Gunter yelled.
"₮Ⱨł₴ ł₴ ₥Ɇ ₴ØɄⱤ₱Ʉ₴₴," Emily replied as she put her hands in her pocket. "₮ⱧɆ ØⱤ₱Ⱨ₳₦ ₮Ⱨ₳₮ ɎØɄ ₭₦Ø₩ ₩₳₴ ₮ⱧɆ ⱠłɆ."
"I don't believe that."
"₮ⱧɆ₦ ɎØɄⱤ ⱠɎł₦₲ ₮Ø ɎØɄⱤ₴ɆⱠ₣ JɄ₴₮ ₳₴ ₥Ʉ₵Ⱨ ₳₴ ł ₳₥."
"Maybe, or maybe I believe in the orphan, not whatever the fuck this is."
"Why all of this if you built the ENGINE? If you were the PRIME all along, then why let everyone believe the ENGINE was god?" Gunter asked.
"฿Ɇ₵₳Ʉ₴Ɇ ł ₩₳₦₮ɆĐ ₮Ø ฿Ɇ Ⱡł₭Ɇ ɎØɄ. ₳ ₥ØⱤ₮₳Ⱡ ₳₦Đ Ɽ₳₵ⱧɆⱠ ⱤɄł₦ɆĐ ł₮."
"So all of this is to find a regent? Every Prime was just filling a throne because you were on vacation," Rachel asked.
"ł₮ ₩Ø₦₮ ฿Ɇ ł₣ ɎØɄ ₳₵₮Ʉ₳ⱠⱠɎ JɄ₴₮ ₳₲ⱤɆɆĐ ฿Ʉ₮ ł₥ JɄ₴₮ ₴ɆⱠ₣ł₴Ⱨ ₳₱₱₳Ɽ₳₦₮ⱠɎ."
"You are, and its pretty clear you never want to be PRIME. One hundred years my ass."
Emily shrugged. "JɄĐ₲Ɇ ₥Ɇ ₳ⱠⱠ ɎØɄ Ⱡł₭Ɇ. ł ₵ØɄⱠĐ JɄ₴₮ ₥₳₭Ɇ ɎØɄ ฿Ʉ₮ ł V₳ⱠɄɆ ₣ⱤɆɆ ₩łⱠⱠ."
"Rachel, you are literally judging god!" Gunter yelled.
"ØⱧ ₴ⱧɄ₮ ₮ⱧɆ ₣Ʉ₵₭ Ʉ₱ ØⱠĐ ₥₳₦," Emily groaned. "ł₣ ł ₵₳ⱤɆĐ ₳฿ØɄ₮ ₩ØⱤ₴Ⱨł₱ ØⱤ ₳ⱠⱠ ₮Ⱨł₴ ฿ɄⱠⱠ₴Ⱨł₮ ł ₩ØɄⱠĐ₦₮ ฿Ɇ ฿Ɇ₲₲ł₦₲ ₣ØⱤ Ɽ₳₵ⱧɆⱠ ₮Ø ₮₳₭Ɇ ₥Ɏ JØ฿."
"I will do it!" Sarah said.
"₦Ø!" Emily responded.
"No!" Elijah yelled.
"No!" Gunter said.
"No!" Alice replied.
"No," Rachel said.
"But?"
"But nothing, just shut the fuck up!" Elijah replied as he smoked.
Emily sighed, then rubbed her face. "ł ₳₥ ₮łⱤɆĐ Ø₣ ₮Ⱨł₴ Ɽ₳₵ⱧɆⱠ. Ɇł₮ⱧɆⱤ ɎØɄ ₮₳₭Ɇ ₮ⱧɆ ₮ⱧⱤØ₦Ɇ ØⱤ ɆVɆⱤɎ₮Ⱨł₦₲ Ɇ₦Đ₴."
"You're bluffing," Rachel replied.
Emily's eyes widened as she blinked rapidly. Her head tilted slightly as that same unsettling grin stretched across her face.
Elijah shook his head and sighed. "Damnit, Rachel," he muttered as he looked up at the sky.
The stars in Emily's eyes swirled as her pupils dilated to unnatural proportions. Her predator-like smile stretched from ear to ear as the mulberry aura radiating from her body expanded. Marble, trees, and rock levitated in the air as everyone was blinded in a sea of mulberry light. Static crackled in Rachel's eardrums as pulsating bass rumbled against her chest.
"₩Ɇ₳Ɽ ₮ⱧɆ ₵ⱤØ₩₦!" Emily's voice said in Rachel's mind.
"₮ⱧⱤɆ₳Đ₴ Ø₣ ₣₳₮Ɇ ₩ØVɆ₦ ₮ł₲Ⱨ₮. ₳ ₵ⱤØ₩₦ Ø₣ ₴₮₳₮ł₵, Ɇ₦ĐⱠɆ₴₴ ₥ł₲Ⱨ₮. ɎØɄ Đ₳₦₵ɆĐ ł₦ ⱠØØ₱₴, ɎØɄ ₣ØɄ₲Ⱨ₮ ₮ⱧɆ ⱧɄ₥ ฿Ʉ₮ ₮ⱧɆ ₵Ɏ₵ⱠɆ ₵₳ⱠⱠ₴, ɎØɄ ₵₳₦'₮ ØɄ₮ⱤɄ₦!"
Rachel blinked as she regained control of her senses. Her mulberry eyes widened as she stared up at the starlit, bruised colored sky. Marble statues and temples floated in the fractured space around her. Water, cobblestone, skyscrapers, and bridges hovered over the horizon. Everything looked small compared to her, then she looked at her body and realized she had grown to gigantic proportions.
Her eyes looked down at the chessboard, the size of Leonore in front of her. One by one, chosen appeared on the massive chessboard. Their masks glowed underneath Rachel's mulberry gaze. They stared up at her with confusion, then looked at one another with raised eyebrows.
"What the fuck?" Lex muttered as he looked up at the giant-sized Rachel.
"I am too old for this shit," Elijah grumbled as he lit a cigarette, gazing up at Rachel.
"Elijah! What is going on?" Rachel asked as she stared down at the miniature-sized Elijah on the chessboard.
"You fucked up, that's what!" Elijah yelled, his voice barely reaching Rachel's ears.
"I thought she was bluffing!?"
"Emily doesn't bluff!"
"Emily did this?" Arthur asked, then looked up at Rachel.
"We are all going to fucking die!" Sarah cackled as she gazed at the other chosen on the chessboard. "And it's all your fault, Rachel!"
"What is she going on about?" Arthur asked Elijah.
"There is no ENGINE," Amos said as he gazed up.
"She ate it," Alice replied as she crossed her arms.
"She what?" Amos replied with wide eyes.
"The ENGINE has forsaken us," Shiyu stated as she materialized on the chessboard. She looked up at Rachel and frowned. "You doomed us all."
"She didn't do anything," Alice said as he gazed up at Rachel. "We were already marked for death."
"So the pilgrimage has begun. But where is the ENGINE and why is my sister a giant?" Sylas asked, gazing around at the chosen.
"Fuck me," Rusev grumbled as he stared at Sarah. "Lex, what now?"
Lex did not respond, gazing around the other chosen while he rubbed his neck.
"ł'VɆ ₴₱Ʉ₦ ₮ⱧɆ ₮₳ⱠɆ₴, ł'VɆ ₱ɄⱠⱠɆĐ ₮ⱧɆ ₴₮Ɽł₦₲₴," Emily voice echoed. "฿Ʉ₮ ɆVɆ₦ ₲ØĐ₴ ₲ⱤØ₩ ₮łⱤɆĐ Ø₣ ₮Ⱨł₦₲₴ ₮ⱧɆ ₥ɄⱠ₮łVɆⱤ₴Ɇ ⱧɄ₥₴, ł₮ ฿Ɇ₦Đ₴, ł₮ ฿ⱤɆ₳₭₴ ₦Ø₩ ł₮'₴ ɎØɄⱤ ₮ɄⱤ₦ ₮Ø ₥₳₭Ɇ ØⱤ Ʉ₦₥₳₭Ɇ."
Emily appeared just as gigantic as Rachel on the opposite side of the chessboard.
"ⱤɆ₣Ʉ₴Ɇ ₮ⱧɆ ₵ⱤØ₩₦ ₳₦Đ ₮ⱧɆ ⱧɄ₥ ₩łⱠⱠ Ɽł₴Ɇ! ⱤɆ₣Ʉ₴ł₦₲ ₳₴ ɆӾ₱Ɇ₵₮ɆĐ, ₳ ₥ØⱤ₮₳Ⱡ'₴ ₵ⱤɎ," Emily sang as she stared into Rachel's mulberry eyes. "₱Ø₩ɆⱤ ł₴ Ɇ₳Ɽ₦ɆĐ, ₮ⱧɆ ₵Ɏ₵ⱠɆ ł₴ ₭Ɇ₱₮. ₱Ɽł₥Ɇ Ø₣ ₮ⱧɆ Ɇ₦₲ł₦Ɇ, ₮ⱧɆ ₵₳ⱠⱠ ł₴ ₥Ɇ₮."
Rachel's eyes narrowed as her eyebrows furrowed. She bit the inside of her lip as she looked down at the chosen on the chessboard, then back up at Emily.
"₩ⱧɆⱤɆ ₮ⱧɆ ₴₮₳₮ł₵ ₵ⱤØ₩₦, ⱠɆ₮ ł₮ ⱧɄ₥. ł₦ ₮Ⱨł₴ ₣Ɽ₳₵₮ɄⱤɆĐ ₮ⱧⱤØ₦Ɇ ɎØɄ'ⱠⱠ ฿Ɇ₵Ø₥Ɇ. ₮ⱧɆ ₩Ɇ₳VɆⱤ Ø₣ ₩ØⱤⱠĐ₴, ₮ⱧɆ ฿ⱤɆ₳₭ɆⱤ Ø₣ ₴Ɇ₳₥₴. ØⱤ ₮ⱧɆ ₲ⱧØ₴₮ ł₦ ₮ⱧɆ ₵ØĐɆ ⱠØ₴₮ ł₦ ₲ⱤłɆ₣."
Elijah levitated in the air as Emily lifted her hand and placed him in the king position on her side of the chessboard. She then did the same with Alice and placed her in the queen position.
"₱ł₵₭ ɎØɄⱤ ₭ł₦₲ ₳₦Đ QɄɆɆ₦," Emily instructed.
"I am not playing your game, Emily," Rachel replied.
Emily blinked slowly, then gazed down at the chessboard. Her eyes locked onto Rachel's fiancé, Mike. A blood-curdling bass reverberated from the heavens, followed by a static-drenched scream from Mike. Mulberry crawled up his skin like an infection. His eyes were hollow, veins spiderwebbing like cracked glass. Mike's head jerked toward Rachel. A static screech ripped from his throat—BRRRZZZT. The static screech tore through the air, vibrating in Rachel's teeth. Mike's veins blackened, spreading like ink through water, before he crumpled—a puppet with severed strings.
The rest of the chosen stared with wild eyes as his green mask cracked and then fell off his face. They looked up at Emily with prey-like eyes as they recoiled from Mike's body as it dissolved into s͉̝̻̓ͦͦ̄͜͟t̶̸̶̵̶̸̨̡̧̞͖̹̙̘͙̠̖̝̝̼̓ͦͧ́̑̌̀̀̍͒ͤ̇͢͝ͅa̼̺̺̱̼̫ͤ̋ͪͭͮ̆͌ͣ̑t̷̗͇̗͛̄ͭ̒ị̭̝̮͌c̴̰͕͇͈͙̈͂̎ͧͥ̿̚̕͜͜͞ s̸̡̧̛̟̲̘̞̣̰̖͚͍̿̈͛̌̒ͦͩ̅͋̈ͦ͌ͦ̃ͣ͒̎ͬ̀ͧ͌͆ͪ̈ͬͫ̔͘͘̚͜͜n̵̴̡̡̨̧̢̖͔̱͖̮͉͔̫͈͔̙̥͔͈̞͎͖̩͆̆ͨ͂̍̔͂́̔̍ͫ͗̀̈ͯͮ̈́͆̄̚͜͡o̷̡̢̤͖̻͉̪̤̜̝̭͐̓̄́̀̀́͒̌ͯ͗ͣͫ͌ͨ̽̊̕͜w̨͙̻̤͙͕̥̆̈́̓͗ͭ͗ͪ͌̽̂̑̚͜_̛̛̥̺͈̤ͩͤ͐͑ͤͬͪͩ̊ͬ̊̔͐̕̕̕͡ͅ.̸̵͔̯͕͈̮͉̖̞̯̰͆͋͒ͭ̓ͭ͋ͭ́̒͘̕.Rachel mouth dropped, her eyes dilated with horror as the snow drifted through the air.
"₱ł₵₭ ɎØɄⱤ ₭ł₦₲ ₳₦Đ QɄɆɆ₦," Emily instructed Rachel once more.
Rachel clutched her head as her body trembled. She rubbed her face as tears trickled down her face. Emily stared at her for several seconds, then looked back down at the chessboard. A static drench scream rippled from Lex's throat as his eyes went hollow and his veins spiderwebbed like cracked glass.
BRRRZZZT.
The static screech tore through the chessboard as Lex's golden mask fell off his face before he collapsed to the ground. Chosen screamed, cried, and recoiled to the edge of the chessboard. Some attempted to escape the chessboard using their abilities, while some tried to attack Emily, but it was all for naught.
"Please stop," Rachel cried as she pulled at her strawberry blonde hair. She attempted to rewind time to bring back Mike and Lex, but it failed as if the rules of time no longer applied.
Emily blinked slowly at Rachel, her expression unreadable. "₱ł₵₭ ɎØɄⱤ ₭ł₦₲ ₳₦Đ QɄɆɆ₦," Emily instructed Rachel again.