The cool evening air, thick with the scent of ozone and the city's endless hum, did little to soothe the tension coiling within Pulse. He stepped out of the Vanguard Bureau building, the reinforced glass doors hissing shut behind him, and immediately felt the familiar itch of unease. Revara, her soft features still smudged with exhaustion despite the freshly laundered, ill-fitting uniform, walked beside him, a pale ghost of her former self. Crystara, a riot of rebellious energy in her usual booty shorts and barely-there top, strode ahead, her iridescent choker catching the last rays of the setting sun.
"Does Celestial Muse really have to rush that much?" Pulse grumbled, watching Crystara's lithe form as she gestured impatiently for a taxi. Her movements were fluid, almost predatory, even when she was just flagging down a cab. He wondered, not for the first time, how much damage that seemingly delicate body could inflict, especially when it shimmered with crystal.
Crystara, without even turning, shot a glance over her shoulder that was sharp enough to cut. "We are dealing with the Revenant Authority, Pulse." She finally turned, leaning against a lamppost, her arms crossed, highlighting the taut muscles of her stomach. "I won't say most of the Revenant Authority are evil assholes. An example is here, Revara." She gestured with a tilt of her head. "You're not evil or an asshole, right, Revara?"
Revara flinched at the sudden attention, her eyes wide. "Of course not." Her voice was barely a whisper, a stark contrast to Crystara's gravelly resonance.
Crystara gave a dismissive shrug. "Exactly. But basically, most of the higher-ups in the Revenant Authority are greedy assholes. They lust so much on power; they wanted their bureau to be the strongest. One time, those assholes blackmailed Celestial Muse to join their bureau, and it didn't go well with them." A grim smile twisted her lips. "Muse doesn't take kindly to threats, especially not when they involve her 'unique talents' or the people around her." Crystara didn't elaborate, but the unspoken implication hung heavy in the air, hinting at the raw power Celestial Muse wielded.
Pulse's spine stiffened. He'd heard whispers, of course, but he'd always dismissed them as inter-bureau gossip. He had more pressing concerns, like affording his next meal. "But the reach of the Revenant Authority is big. Alone, they may be just equal to us Vanguard, but the Revenant Authority has about two allied bureaus in this country. While we only have one ally."
Pulse felt a cold knot tighten in his gut. He knew the rifts, the horrors they spewed, the constant drain on Awakened resources. But the political backstabbing among the bureaus always felt like another world. "I didn't know it was this bad." He ran a hand through his short, dark hair. "Well, I didn't really pay too much attention to social media or politics because poverty is busy beating my ass."
A yellow taxi screeched to a halt in front of them, its engine sputtering. The driver, a weary man with eyes that had seen too much city traffic, gestured for them to enter. Pulse opened the back door, letting Revara slide in first, then followed, his broad shoulders brushing against the roof. Crystara, with a grunt of effort, squeezed in beside him, her thigh pressing against his, the warmth radiating through his light armor. The taxi reeked of stale cigarettes and cheap air freshener.
Pulse looked at Revara, her face pale in the dim light filtering through the tinted windows. Her hair, still damp from the quick shower she'd been given, clung to her forehead. "Are you really alright?" he asked, his voice softer than usual. "You might have changed clothes, but you're still wounded." He could see the faint tremor in her hands, the way she clutched at the fabric of her uniform.
Revara managed a weak smile. "I'm alright. Thanks for worrying."
Crystara, ever the opportunist, caught Pulse's eye and a wicked smirk played on her lips. She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a cutesy, mocking tone that grated on his nerves. "How about me, good knight sir?" Her knee bumped his, a deliberate little nudge. She held his gaze, her eyes sparkling with mischief and something else, a challenge.
Then, her tone shifted, becoming a low growl. "I seriously fucking fought some giant lizards and three disgusting pigs back there, and you never asked me that, bitch." She leaned back, crossing her arms, but the intensity in her gaze didn't waver. He could almost smell the remnants of sweat and adrenaline clinging to her, a faint metallic tang beneath the perfume.
Pulse defended himself. "You seriously do not have a single scratch on you, Crystara." He remembered the sight of her, a literal human crystal, plowing through the mutated beasts, their blood splattering against her shimmering form like crimson rain, only to slide off, leaving her pristine and deadly.
"Right." Crystara scoffed, but the smirk returned, wider this time, revealing a flash of teeth. It was a predatory smile, one that promised both trouble and thrill.
Pulse, feeling the heat of her gaze, opted to look out the window. The city lights blurred past, a kaleidoscope of neon and grime. But then, something caught his eye. From the direction of the Vanguard Bureau building they'd just left, a stream of figures emerged. Many awakened individuals, their forms varied, some in full combat gear, others in more casual attire, but all bearing the distinctive aura of heightened power. They were fanning out, moving with an urgency that spoke of a hunt, heading towards what Pulse knew was the general area of Revara's meager home.
"What the fuck is going on?" Pulse muttered, a sudden chill creeping down his spine. The city, usually a chaotic symphony, now felt like a predatory beast holding its breath.
Just then, Crystara's comm-link buzzed. She answered it, her expression hardening instantly. It was Celestial Muse.
"Keep Revara in the Vanguard Building," Celestial Muse's voice, usually a melodic purr even when issuing orders, was now laced with an icy edge of command. "Things are getting out of hand. They're getting desperate in getting Revara for some whatever reasons."
Pulse didn't wait for Crystara to finish the call. Swiveling in his seat, he slammed his hand against the partition separating them from the driver. "Go back to the Vanguard building! Now!" The taxi driver, who had clearly been eavesdropping, jolted, his eyes wide in the rearview mirror. "Okay, okay, calm down!" he stammered, his foot pressing harder on the accelerator.
Crystara ended the call, her gaze piercing Revara. "What is going on exactly, Revara?" Her tone was no longer mocking, but sharp, demanding answers.
Revara shook her head frantically, tears welling in her eyes. "I don't know! I swear, I've told you everything I know! I'm also just a new recruit in the Revenant Authority! I only joined a week ago, trying to make ends meet after… after everything." Her voice cracked, a fragile tremor.
Pulse's mind raced, connecting the dots of desperation and secrecy. An older, more experienced Awakened might have deep secrets, but a new recruit? Who could the revenant possibly want so desperately to be young again?... "Does Revenant Authority have an incredibly important old ass person that they wanted to be young again?" The thought, outlandish as it seemed, clicked into place with the desperate urgency of the Revenant agents.
Crystara's eyes widened, a flicker of comprehension passing through them. Her voice was barely a whisper, laden with a chilling realization. "The Revenant Circle."
Before anyone could fully process the implications, the world outside exploded.
A colossal, blinding beam of pure energy tore through the twilight sky. It wasn't a flash, but a sustained, screaming pillar of light, so potent that it sliced through a massive swathe of clouds, leaving a gaping, perfectly carved void in the heavens. The sheer power radiating from it made the very air crackle, sending a shudder through the taxi's frame. The light was so bright it seared Pulse's retinas, even through the tinted windows, painting the taxi's interior in a terrifying, ethereal glow. The sound followed, a deafening roar that vibrated through their bones, a sonic boom that echoed the sky's violent tear.
Revara gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "Was… was that Celestial Muse?" Her voice was choked with a mixture of awe and terror.
Crystara's face, usually a mask of sarcastic bravado, was bleached of all color. Her eyes were fixed on the sky, a primal fear swirling within them. "We have to go," she hissed, her voice tight with panic. "Drive faster! I'll pay if you get fined! Just fucking go!"
The taxi driver, already pushing the aging vehicle to its limit, swallowed hard, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. He glanced nervously at the sky, then back at the road.
Suddenly, the world twisted again. A horrifying THUD rattled the taxi, like a grotesque meteor striking pavement. The vehicle screeched, fishtailing violently as the driver slammed on the brakes, sending them lurching forward, seatbelts locking painfully.
Someone had dropped directly in front of their taxi.
The driver, his face contorted in a mask of pure terror, screamed, "What in the actual fuck is wrong with you to land in the middle of the road so fucking suddenly?!" He was shaking, hyperventilating.
Crystara didn't hesitate. Her gaze snapped from the crumpled figure on the asphalt to Pulse and Revara. "We have to go now!" she roared, her command cutting through the driver's panicked cries.
Before Pulse could react, her body began to change. The skin of her arms shimmered, then hardened, not just metaphorically, but literally. Flecks of iridescent crystal erupted from her flesh, coalescing into razor-sharp plates. Her choker tightened, blending into the rising crystalline armor that encased her neck and shoulders. Her eyes glowed with an inner light, her pupils contracting into pinpricks of raw power.
With a strength that defied her frame, she grabbed Pulse's arm in one hand, her crystal-hardened fingers digging into his bicep, and Revara's arm in the other. With a single, explosive pull, she yanked them both out of the taxi, practically ripping them through the door that the driver had flung open in his terror. Pulse stumbled, but Crystara's grip was unyielding.
They landed hard on the asphalt, the smell of burning rubber and fear thick in the air. The man who had dropped in front of the taxi was already beginning to move. His limbs twitched, his back arching with an unnatural cracking sound. Flesh rippled and tore beneath his clothes as his body swelled, growing larger, more grotesque. Bones popped and snapped, reforming into something monstrous, his skin stretching taut, then erupting into coarse, dark scales. A guttural snarl ripped from his expanding jaw as his face elongated into that of a reptilian beast, thick, mucus-like saliva dripping from newly sharpened fangs.
Then, from the surrounding rooftops, figures flickered into view. Awakened, dozens of them, leaping, gliding, some with wings of shadow, others manifesting bursts of propulsion. They were all converging, a predatory swarm, their gazes fixed on one person: Revara. They descended like vultures, their intent clear, their movements swift and precise. The ambush was sprung, and they were at the heart of it.