In the ruined corridor, the air burned with tension so heavy it clung to the skin like sweat. Achlys stood unmoving, sword at his side, the cold mist spilling from its blade swirling around his legs like ghostly serpents. Beside him, Saria wavered—her breath ragged, her eyes dim.
"Saria... are you okay?" Achlys asked, his voice low, almost afraid of the answer.
"I'm... in pain," she whispered, hand pressed against the deep wound that carved from her chest to her stomach. Her words cracked under the weight of resignation. "I don't... I don't think I'm making it out of this one."
Before them, Persephone stood—her gaze as sharp as her whip, which writhed with molten spikes. Her voice, once familiar, now sounded distant and cold.
"You should stay out of this... Achlys Yorunium," she warned, the syllables of his supposed surname slicing the air.
"Yorunium? I don't even have a last name," Achlys murmured, but even as confusion rippled through him, the mark on his cheek flared brighter. Mist roared from his sword like breath from a living beast, rolling through the throne room.
He turned his gaze to Saria, but she had gone silent, her chest rising no more.
"Saria...?" he called softly, voice trembling. "Saria...??" He prodded her gently with his foot, desperate for a response that never came.
A single tear fell to the stone, sizzling against the mist.
Then, something inside him snapped.
"SARIAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" His scream split the silence, raw and feral, shaking the walls.
Persephone startled, whip rearing back like a serpent as magma spikes formed behind her.
"PERSEPHONE!!!" Achlys roared, voice thick with grief and rage. "YOU'RE GOING TO DIE FOR THIS!"
He vanished—then reappeared at her side, blade swinging at her neck. She raised her whip just in time, the force of the clash blasting her backwards and sending magma shards flying.
"I never meant to kill her!" Persephone shouted, voice cracking under her own desperation. "She chose duty over family! Over us!"
"And yet you still struck her down!" Achlys bellowed, each word vibrating with hate. His body blurred as he dashed forward, sword trailing mist. "MIST SLASH!"
The blade carved a phantom crescent, but Persephone ducked, magma whip curling to block.
Achlys reappeared behind her, striking again. "You were someone I trusted! Someone who pulled me through the darkness! And now—you chose evil!"
Persephone, chest heaving, lashed out. "I chose to end slavery! To end suffering! The world needs me to do this!"
"It's hopeless!" Achlys snarled, blocking another swing. "There will always be chains somewhere!"
Inside his mind, a dark voice began to whisper.
Kill. Kill her. Murder. Death. End her. Order of swords. Give the order…
"Stop! Shut up!" he screamed into the void of his thoughts. His strikes faltered, growing uneven.
"You're clumsy, Achlys!" Persephone sneered, her whip cracking across his back, his legs, drawing blood. "A failed student!"
The voice thundered now, louder than his heartbeat.
Order me. Order one. Order! Markings!
Achlys staggered, then stood tall, eyes burning. He lifted his blade high above his head, the mark on his cheek shifting into a deep, sinister yellow.
"FIRST…ORDER... FULL MOON!" he roared.
His sword whirled in a wide arc, mist spiraling outward. Persephone raised her whip—but its magma hissed as the blade cut clean through, snapping it in half.
"H-how did you…?" she gasped, stumbling back. Summoning a dagger of molten stone, she rushed him. "I will free the people!"
Achlys' gaze hardened, his voice low as thunder. "First Order: Horizon's Dawn."
He slashed sideways. A massive shockwave of mist crashed toward her, shaking the very ground. Persephone raised her dagger desperately. "WHAT—?!"
The force blasted her back against the marble, leaving her panting and bloodied.
"You're not strong enough, Persephone," Achlys said, his voice chillingly calm. He lifted his sword, mist swirling like coiling dragons. "I'll decide what justice means."
"I decide for myself!" she spat, charging him again.
Steel met molten rock. The blow threw her across the chamber, crashing through columns.
Achlys sprinted, sword aimed as a lance. "First order…"
.............................................................................
In the Throne Room's Shadow, Akatsuki stirred amidst the rubble. He groaned, pain flaring in every bone.
"What... happened here...?"
He forced himself upright, limping toward the door—just as a shockwave blasted through, nearly knocking him off his feet.
"That power... so strong... How?" His eyes widened, breath caught between fear and awe.
.............................................................................
Within the blackened sphere, purple light pulsed, shadows twisting.
"You won't defeat me—or my clone," the demon princess hissed, dashing forward.
Nox summoned a continuous array of thirty-four black shields, but her punch, paired with the headless clone's strike, shattered them, sending cracks spidering through the air.
"Only fourteen percent of my power," she taunted. "But you can stand proud, Nox."
"Appreciate the compliment," Nox chuckled darkly. "But you've walked right into my trap."
Above, nine enormous dark axes appeared. "DOWNFALL!"
They fell like falling stars, crashing down and lighting the sphere in a burning starburst.
.............................................................................
In the ruined corridor, the air burned with tension so heavy it clung to the skin like sweat. Achlys stood unmoving, sword at his side, the cold mist spilling from its blade swirling around his legs like ghostly serpents. Beside him, Saria wavered—her breath ragged, her eyes dim.
"Saria... are you okay?" Achlys asked, his voice low, almost afraid of the answer.
"I'm... in pain," she whispered, hand pressed against the deep wound that carved from her chest to her stomach. Her words cracked under the weight of resignation. "I don't... I don't think I'm making it out of this one."
Before them, Persephone stood—her gaze as sharp as her whip, which writhed with molten spikes. Her voice, once familiar, now sounded distant and cold.
"You should stay out of this... Achlys Yorunium," she warned, the syllables of his supposed surname slicing the air.
"Yorunium? I don't even have a last name," Achlys murmured, but even as confusion rippled through him, the mark on his cheek flared brighter. Mist roared from his sword like breath from a living beast, rolling through the throne room.
He turned his gaze to Saria, but she had gone silent, her chest rising no more.
"Saria...?" he called softly, voice trembling. "Saria...??" He prodded her gently with his foot, desperate for a response that never came.
A single tear fell to the stone, sizzling against the mist.
Then, something inside him snapped.
"SARIAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" His scream split the silence, raw and feral, shaking the walls.
Persephone startled, whip rearing back like a serpent as magma spikes formed behind her.
"PERSEPHONE!!!" Achlys roared, voice thick with grief and rage. "YOU'RE GOING TO DIE FOR THIS!"
He vanished—then reappeared at her side, blade swinging at her neck. She raised her whip just in time, the force of the clash blasting her backwards and sending magma shards flying.
"I never meant to kill her!" Persephone shouted, voice cracking under her own desperation. "She chose duty over family! Over us!"
"And yet you still struck her down!" Achlys bellowed, each word vibrating with hate. His body blurred as he dashed forward, sword trailing mist. "MIST SLASH!"
The blade carved a phantom crescent, but Persephone ducked, magma whip curling to block.
Achlys reappeared behind her, striking again. "You were someone I trusted! Someone who pulled me through the darkness! And now—you chose evil!"
Persephone, chest heaving, lashed out. "I chose to end slavery! To end suffering! The world needs me to do this!"
"It's hopeless!" Achlys snarled, blocking another swing. "There will always be chains somewhere!"
Inside his mind, a dark voice began to whisper.
Kill. Kill her. Murder. Death. End her. Order of swords. Give the order…
"Stop! Shut up!" he screamed into the void of his thoughts. His strikes faltered, growing uneven.
"You're clumsy, Achlys!" Persephone sneered, her whip cracking across his back, his legs, drawing blood. "A failed student!"
The voice thundered now, louder than his heartbeat.
Order me. Order one. Order! Markings!
Achlys staggered, then stood tall, eyes burning. He lifted his blade high above his head, the mark on his cheek shifting into a deep, sinister yellow.
"FIRST…ORDER... FULL MOON!" he roared.
His sword whirled in a wide arc, mist spiraling outward. Persephone raised her whip—but its magma hissed as the blade cut clean through, snapping it in half.
"H-how did you…?" she gasped, stumbling back. Summoning a dagger of molten stone, she rushed him. "I will free the people!"
Achlys' gaze hardened, his voice low as thunder. "First Order: Horizon's Dawn."
He slashed sideways. A massive shockwave of mist crashed toward her, shaking the very ground. Persephone raised her dagger desperately. "WHAT—?!"
The force blasted her back against the marble, leaving her panting and bloodied.
"You're not strong enough, Persephone," Achlys said, his voice chillingly calm. He lifted his sword, mist swirling like coiling dragons. "I'll decide what justice means."
"I decide for myself!" she spat, charging him again.
Steel met molten rock. The blow threw her across the chamber, crashing through columns.
Achlys sprinted, sword aimed as a lance. "First order…"
In the Throne Room's Shadow, Akatsuki stirred amidst the rubble. He groaned, pain flaring in every bone.
"What... happened here...?"
He forced himself upright, limping toward the door—just as a shockwave blasted through, nearly knocking him off his feet.
"That power... so strong... How?" His eyes widened, breath caught between fear and awe.
Within the blackened sphere, purple light pulsed, shadows twisting.
"You won't defeat me—or my clone," the demon princess hissed, dashing forward.
Nox summoned a continuous array of thirty-four black shields, but her punch, paired with the headless clone's strike, shattered them, sending cracks spidering through the air.
"Only fourteen percent of my power," she taunted. "But you can stand proud, Nox."
"Appreciate the compliment," Nox chuckled darkly. "But you've walked right into my trap."
Above, nine enormous dark axes appeared. "DOWNFALL!"
They fell like falling stars, crashing down and lighting the sphere in a burning starburst.
Tiabishi emerged from the mist, her figure cut by ice and resolve.
Nox, noticing her, smirked. "I can and will defeat you, princess." He steeled his resolve again.
"Tiabishi! Perfect tim—" Nox began.
But she pressed an ice blade to his neck. "Princess… end him," Tiabishi ordered, her voice eerily calm.
"Tiabishi! What are you—?!" Nox shouted, struggling.
The princess grinned, stepping closer, and the clone reformed. "Sorry, darky. Fun's over. I need Achlys."
Nox sighed, his eyes narrowing. "You shouldn't have said that."
A dark aura—wild, murderous—surged beside him.
"Why shouldn't… I…?" the princess faltered, backing away.
Tiabishi's eyes flared crimson, her voice trembling with rage. "What did you say about my man, you worthless trash of a princess?!"
The Dense Sphere cracked under the pressure of Tiabishi's unleashed fury.
"I'm a demon princess! I follow orders—" she began.
Tiabishi teleported, her gaze inches away. "You're the woman here. You said his name."
She slammed the princess to the ground.
"He's part of our experiment!" the princess retorted, anger boiling.
"Stay. Off. Him." Tiabishi hissed, voice low as death.
.............................................................................
Nox sat heavily on the scorched ground, chuckling tiredly. "Girls... I'll never understand them," he muttered. "I really don't wanna step in…"
The air smelled of frost and fury as the two women glared at each other.
.............................................................................
In the city's frozen ruin, a young boy woke, shivering in the shadow of towering ice. Fire pillars erupted, consuming sky and stone.
"What... is... happening...?" he whispered, tears spilling.
A fireball hurtled toward him. "Mama! Papa!" he screamed.
In the blink of an eye, he stood elsewhere, unharmed.
A golden star glowed above.
"You're safe now, child. Time protects you," a gentle voice said.
The boy turned, eyes wide. Before him stood a tall figure draped in a white-and-gold cloak, its cloth marked with turning clocks. His eyes glowed—two living clocks ticking away.
"Who... are you...?" the boy stammered.
"I am Doviam la Vioda," the man bowed gracefully. "Time Master of Serenity and Balance."
The child fell, scraping his knee. "Ow!"
"May I see?" Doviam asked, and at the boy's nod, he turned his palm clockwise over the wound. The cut closed, as though time itself reversed.
"What's your name, child?"
"Dionysus Gladiura," the boy sniffled.
"M-mister Davio, how did you do that?" Dionysus whispered, eyes wide.
Doviam only smiled. "That... will remain a secret." Daviom winked.
.............................................................................
Above, in the sky, two phoenixes raged in elemental battle.
"Now, who might those two be?" Daviom muttered. "A phoenix and a high human? High elf…?
"You dare interrupt us, mortal?!" Adonis bellowed.
"It's rude to interfere," Cryo echoed, summoning dozens of icicles.
"I come not to fight—but to speak," Doviam intoned, draining the power from their attacks.
"I am Doviam la Vioda. A pleasure."
Adonis, still aflame, nodded. "Adonis. Phoenix of Flame and Freedom."
Cryo dipped his head. "Cryo. Phoenix of Ice, servant to my master."
"A transforming phoenix," Doviam mused. "One of the Twelve Mythical Beasts?"
Cryo chuckled, frost drifting from his mouth. "That name feels old. No... not one of the Twelve. Just a mythical beast."
Adonis paled slightly. "So, you're not the legendary phoenix who can freeze the world?"
"No," Cryo laughed softly. "But perhaps I'm close."
.............................................................................
Persephone blocked a thrust. Achlys's mark flared crimson, dread tendrils creeping up his face.
"FIRST ORDER: ECLIPSE!" he roared, stabbing forward.
Stone walls crumbled, the shockwave tearing through marble and fire alike. Persephone's dagger caught the blow, but she flew backward, crashing into the throne door.
"Garhh!" she groaned. "J-just how many are there?"
Akatsuki flinched, wind whipping past him.
"What is this power...?" he whispered.
Achlys walked towards Persephone, slowly. Each step disturbs the flow of mana itself. "Scared now, are you?"
Through ragged breath and flowing tears, Persephone whispered, "Please... forgive me... my best friend... I never meant... I'm sorry…"
Achlys raised his sword high, mist spiraling like a storm.
"GOODBYE, PERSEPHONE."
.............................................................................