Grey Nirmala
"Come on, Grey, get up!"
Hachiko shouted. I tried to move and failed. My eyes searched for my feet, but the feet made of black flames weren't there. I tried to use Aether, but there was almost none left in my body. I arched my head back and funneled the last of my Aether into the muscles of my neck. From my neck to my head I pushed myself off the ground and used the air to spring up. The Black Flames had spread everywhere. I looked to my arms, but the arms made of black flame had vanished too. I drew the Aether out of my neck and sent it to what remained of my legs. Two small, translucent child's legs formed. I dropped to the ground and tried to balance myself, but that wasn't easy with such tiny legs. While I struggled to keep my balance, the world around me kept shaking. I needed more Aether.
"Hachiko, if I've lost my arms, how am I still able to use the power of the runes?"
I asked my companion. It was a crucial question for my situation. I could feel Hachiko's fear of death churning.
"The runes may appear on your hands, but that's just visual. Their true power is distributed throughout your entire body."
I clenched my teeth at Hachiko's answer. When I'd passed through the Black Flames before, I'd managed to draw their Aether into myself, but in my current state, I didn't know if that was possible. I finally stabilized on the little legs and started running straight into the Black Flames. The ceiling began collapsing behind me.
"Shit!"
The ceiling was crashing down fast. But my legs weren't fast enough. I plunged through the first wave of black fire, but it had no effect on my body. Neither harm nor Aether. I kept running, searching for an exit. I didn't care where I was going; every turn I took was random, I'd left everything up to sheer luck. Running without arms was exhausting, and on top of that, these tiny legs were far too small for my upper body. I needed Aether, but there was none, nowhere.
"Aether is everywhere; you just need the right perception. If you widen your perception enough, you can see Aether. Remember why you awakened in the first place, because your perception had expanded."
Hachiko's suggestion made sense, but how was I supposed to expand my perception? I used Aether to expand it, and I was using all the Aether I had to maintain these little legs. I had only seconds to widen my perception and find Aether. The ceiling was collapsing fast behind me. If I lost my legs, I'd hit the ground instantly, and pulling myself together would take time. I had to time all of this perfectly. I had to slow time somehow.
I set one foot forward, one back, and brought Raya's dance to the front of my mind. My movements were slow, but I had to perform them. I would run and dance at the same time. As I ran, I stepped forward and back, sometimes spinning. Each second I passed through the Black Flames I staggered a little, but it wasn't enough to stop me. For seconds upon seconds I repeated the same movements, and finally, I managed it, at least a little. Time slowed. The collapse of the ceiling stretched out over long seconds. But the same effect did not touch the Black Flames, just as I'd noticed before, the Black Flames transcended space and time. Time had only slowed for a few seconds, and once I drew Aether from my legs, I would have only moments. I was all-in on a gamble.
I pulled the Aether out of my legs, and the small, translucent limbs vanished. In that instant, I poured everything into my eyes and devoted my purpose to widening my perception. My field of vision expanded and slipped under the influence of Aether. The color of the world shifted entirely to violet, and for that reason I could see all the hidden Aether around me. In the soil, in the air, even in the Aether composing my own body. I smiled and drew all of it toward myself. Perhaps hundreds of thousands of aetheric particles burst out of stone and soil and flew to me. Golden motes of Aether cloaked my body and then sank into me. I triggered Aether's effect on my flesh instantly, and time resumed its normal flow. An aetheric intent burst from my body, and in a blink my feet, legs, arms, hands, fingers, every damaged part of me, healed. But there were consequences. My vision shrank completely; I could see even less than usual, and my body wasn't in a state to handle this much aether. Even so, I had to find a way out. If I wanted to get out of this damned pit, I had to keep fighting. No matter the cost.
I clasped Destruction and Creation hand in hand and decided to attempt something I'd never tried before. I would move my feet so fast I would break space and time. Of course, to do that, I needed to see how Aether moved along that path, but this wasn't something I'd never seen. I was sure everyone powerful around me had used the same technique. The Organizer, Pronica, Lilith… I didn't know how they used that power, but—
"Zero."
Hachiko appeared in my head all at once.
"That ability they use, it has a name: Zero. When you use Zero, you don't actually move physically. You transcend space and time and re-materialize yourself elsewhere in an instant. But I don't know how someone at your level is supposed to use it. If you try Zero without any training, you could do serious damage to your body."
I frowned at Hachiko's explanation. I'd gotten ahead of the collapse, so I paused for a few seconds, resting while I thought about what to do.
"If what you say is true, that power is beyond me. But if I pull it off, I can get out of here however I want. Right?"
Hachiko nodded. I smiled at the answer I got.
"Then I don't care how I pull it off, only that I do."
The collapse had caught up to me, so I started running again. I spread my Aether reserves through my whole body and closed my eyes. Hundreds of aetheric paths unfurled before me. I tried to reach them all, but most were far beyond me; even now those roads were too distant. I could only grasp a handful. I drew a deep breath and reached for the closest path I could touch. I could feel it carrying me somewhere else. The hundreds of paths ahead vanished, replaced by new ones. When I opened my eyes, I found myself far from where I'd just been. I would've celebrated, but a high, brutal kick of backlash slammed into me. I hit the ground and began writhing.
"What's... happening?"
I asked Hachiko through gritted teeth. My whole body shook, and I trembled.
"Your body is experiencing recoil. When you used Zero, you moved yourself outside space and time. Your body isn't used to it, so it's trying to adapt, and while it's doing that, the backlash hits you. That's why using Zero at your level is dangerous."
"Damn it!"
I curled on the ground in pain.
"Ho… how long is this going to last?"
Hachiko didn't answer for a while, as if thinking it over. I could feel he was in pain, too. He'd tried not to reflect it back at me, but it was obvious. He was a part of me, after all. It was normal for him to feel the same pain. At last he replied:
"Until your body adapts."
Hachiko's voice was cold and full of pain. The pain kept growing. It felt like my entire body was coming apart piece by piece. At this rate, I'd black out from it. I started dragging myself forward. My eyes took in as much of my surroundings as they could. I wasn't in a tunnel anymore, but in a cavern choked with green vines. That wasn't the strangest thing, though. Ahead of me, inside the cave, were colossal, hairy spiders with razor legs.
"Fuck."
I hated spiders. All those multiple eyes always got under my skin.
"Hachiko!"
His name tore itself from my mouth with effort.
"I'm going to make you a body. In return, you wipe them all out."
I didn't know how I'd pull it off in this state, but I had no interest in dealing with yet more monsters. Hachiko agreed through the pain, and I directed the Aether. Some time passed, but I finally fixed the shape in my mind. I fused aether and form, and a violet light flared from me. The light drew the spiders attention, but that was fine. When it faded, Hachiko stood in the form of a dragon, staring at the spiders with fury. Upon his great white body, just like in his canine form, golden marks and sigils ran like inlaid light. The pain he felt lessened once I'd given him a body; the same was true for me. The White Dragon roared, and every colossal cave-spider in the cavern began scuttling toward us at speed.
"Don't worry, Monarch of Autism, my dear companion. I'll uproot every last one of these disgusting spiders."
Hachiko said with a laugh, and an Aetheric sphere formed in the majestic, fanged maw of the dragon. He loosed it; the orb blossomed into an explosion and hurtled toward the spiders. Before they could even react, the blast engulfed them. A great violet glare swallowed the cavern. The report could have deafened me, but I had already prepared for it. I drew Aether from my ears and sent it to my eyes, seeing through the purple blaze. Not even remnants of the spiders remained. I withdrew the Aether from my eyes and called to Hachiko. He stood before me and lowered his head. I forced myself to my feet, climbing onto Hachiko's back.
"What do you think, should we just punch a hole straight up and get out of here?"
Hachiko asked, brimming with confidence.
"Do whatever you want. As long as we get out of here."
I answered, worn to the bone. My companion laughed and beat his wings, soaring upward. To keep my grip without struggle during flight, I created a small, sturdy saddle and set it on Hachiko's back. I clutched it with both hands, rested my head against his smooth scales, and closed my eyes.
Raya appeared before me. But my dear Raya looked older, more radiant. A sweet smile lit her face, and she looked at me with joyful eyes. A baby's cry drifted from my arms, and all my focus unraveled. I looked down and saw a tiny, newborn, beautiful girl nestled there. The baby's eyes were golden like mine; her hair was sky-blue like Raya's. Raya giggled and leaned against my shoulder. I looked at her, then back at the beautiful child. Tears I couldn't control slipped down my face. I closed my eyes in happiness, only to open them to emptiness. The baby was gone, and Raya, who'd rested on my shoulder, had vanished as well, replaced by soft white scales. I lifted my head, trying to place myself. I rubbed my eyes, and my fingers came away wet. As I stared at the tears with a shock full of meaning, Hachiko's snoring reached my ears. He was still in his dragon form, curled up asleep on the ground. It looked like we'd made it out of the pit, so I slid down from his back and stood before my companion's sleeping head. I set my right hand to Hachiko's brow and my left to his cheek.
"Thanks, Hachiko."
"What a beautiful dragon."
Lilith's lifeless voice came from behind me. I turned slowly and looked at the Dream Princess.
"I know."
I shot Lilith a cold glance. She stepped toward me, but I kept my distance.
"I know you don't trust me, but we both hate Orinn, don't we? If I ever hurted you, I'm sorry, Grey."
I sighed, eyeing the black battle dress clinging to her.
"You don't need to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong to me."
Lilith shook her head.
"You went into a pit and survived. For someone untrained like you, that's a bit too good of a feat. You surprised me. You really surpassed expectations."
I took a breath.
"Yeah. But I can't say it was a good experience."
Just then, that Pink Bunny flashed through my mind.
"Hey, Lilith."
I had a hundred questions for the princess. She lifted one eyebrow, then nodded once.
"Have you ever seen a Pink Bunny that looks like a human inside the pits?"
Lilith tilted her head, not understanding what I just had said:
"In the pits, there are only eclipse-beasts that feed on Aether, and the guilds built there. A Pink Bunny has never been there. What you saw was probably an Awakened wearing a bunny guise."
I frowned and looked up at the dark sky. The light of the Crimson Moon washed over us, and tiny raindrops peppered my shoulders. The eternal rain had started again. I turned back to Lilith.
"Tell me a bit more about these Awakened. My head's still a scrambled mess."
Lilith formed a small, red sphere in her palm and tossed it upward. It burst, and a tiny crimson Aetheric shockwave rippled through the air. The scattered Aether gathered and knit together into images, no, moving scenes. Right in front of me, as if I were watching a film on a phone screen. In one clip, an Awakened flew with the help of Aether; in another, someone conjured food from Aether. After a handful of these vignettes, the visions faded, and Lilith's lifeless face was once again before me.
"As you can see, with Aether you can do anything, so long as you forge the proper connection with your mind," she said. "That's why we call ourselves awakened."
I glanced at her, then at sleeping Hachiko. "So the limit of Aether… is a person's imagination?"
Lilith nodded. "If you form a strong enough bond, you can learn techniques. And if you broaden that bond, you'll attain a Myth."
"A Myth? What's that supposed to be?"
Lilith slipped into a fighting stance, Aether rippling inside the princess like a storm. Glowing crimson runes kindled across her body, and a godlike intent saturated the air.
"Echo Chamber: Echoes of the past rebound in the void of memories to drive anyone insane. That is my Myth."
Her ruby eyes gleamed. "After your Third Awakening, a Branch will appear in your mind. When you master that Branch, a Myth will be bestowed upon you. What the Myth is depends on your character, your thoughts, your aims, your emotions, just like the personal weapon you'll gain at your Third Awakening."
I studied the Dream Princess with curious, intent eyes. "So who created this Aetheric system?"
A small smile tugged at Lilith's lips. She tapped her temple. "Our minds."
Her answer made me smile back. I stepped closer to the Dream Princess and offered her my hand.
"We're going to stand against Orinn Legia, together. I promise you, I want that man dead as much as you do. So right now, it's him against us."
Lilith's smile darkened, and she clasped my hand, squeezing. "I trust you, Grey Nirmala, Fates Masterpiece."
I fixed her with a steady look. "I'm not Fates Masterpiece."
Lilith peered at me, intrigued. "Then what should I call you, Grey? Everyone has a epithet, a sacred, singular name."
I wiped the smile from my face and narrowed my eyes. "I don't need a name to fight."
"No," Lilith said, shaking her head. "Everyone needs to have a epithet. And if you want to be a rival to the Dream King, you need a name that stirs people's hearts. Epithets are not mere labels. People will call you by that name."
I inclined my head. "If that's the case, fine. I'll give you one. But first, tell me where Orinn Legia is."
Lilith let out a soft, amused sound. "In the heart of Storm City, beside my brother and the marshals, giving a speech about the Dream Realm's future. You're part of that speech, Grey."
I smiled at her. "Then that's where we go next."
I hadn't started out with any intention of killing Orinn, but either he would die, or I would. Orinn would keep coming after me, and I was done enduring it. I knew he was both stronger and smarter than me, but I'd had enough. No more games. One of us would rise, and one of us would fall.
Arinn Legia
I stood at my father's right, listening closely to the speech he gave for the Dream Realm. The People of the Storm City had fallen silent, hanging on his every word. They had to. We had devoted our lives for them. They were bound to do as we said. On his left, the four marshals waited at attention for his command. The four marshals were the strongest soldiers in Storm City. The pinnacles of power.
"Im here thanks to all of you, my people. But lastly, my great marshalls have discovered a break point between us and the other realms. As you all know this speech is broadcasted to all of Dream Realm. My dear people after two-thousand and eighteen years later a person has breached across realms. Grey Nirmala, Fates Masterpiece and The Chosen Flaw of Aether. He waits to strike at the worst moment. If he has come, then rest of his people can too. Us, The People Of Death, Subjects Of Tarn have gone through great and ruthless battles. So I ask all of you this: Why do we let them come? Why dont we fight back? We will fight! We will bring the war to them!"
The crowd broke into applause at My fathers words, and cries of elation filled the entire plaza.
"Us against them. The People Of Death against The People Of Destruction. The ones that live across a realm, the Green Realm. Children of Planet Earth. This is not a celebration or a preparation, this is a declaration of war! We will rise to the peak and they will fall to the pit."
At my father's final words, the crowd could no longer stand still. I could hear cheers from every corner of the Dream Realm. I began to applaud my father. Not even the pounding rain could drown out our voices. Along with me, the entire crowd applauded the Great Dream King. I looked at my father; he looked back at me. He grinned.
"Right on time."
And as he said it, a roar from the sky shook the entire center. Everyone but my father lifted their eyes to the sky in awe, and I saw him. A colossal, pure-white dragon traced with golden patterns hovered above us, and astride he sat, Grey Nirmala.
"People of Storm City!"
Fates Masterpiece roared. We all froze where we stood. The marshals prepared to take flight and battle him, but my father halted them with a single raised hand.
"My name is Grey Nirmala, The Legacy and Destruction itself. And my word is mine only."
Dozens of golden aetheric blades materialized around Fates Masterpiece.
"Orinn Legia! I challenge you to a duel to the death. Now and now only. I came here to cut you down before your very people."
"Fool!" I screamed at the brat. "Do you really believe that you can kill the Mighty Dream King yourself?"
My father set a hand on my shoulder, then ascended from the ground.
"Do not worry, Arinn. The battle is only beginning."
He spoke, and then used Zero to appear before Grey Nirmala.
"I accept your duel. But… I give you time for preparation. Exactly four weeks from now, we will fight at the Mountain of Destiny. Then we'll see who wins. Do you accept?"
Grey Nirmala frowned, then nodded eagerly.
"I accept."