Their bodies shuddered beneath the weight of transformation. Bones protested, muscles tightened like coiled springs, and deep within their spirits—ancient, unfathomable energies stirred. It felt as though the very fibers of their being were unspooling, unraveling every thread of who they thought they were, only to be sewn back together by a force older than time itself. Their consciousness flickered on the brink of oblivion, fragments of memory and identity scattering like dust. Then, with a sudden, shuddering release, everything snapped back into place.
They awoke. Not on the familiar rocky hill where they had first gathered. Not even within the nebulous haze of the Dream Realm. Instead, they floated—weightless, breathless, and entirely unbound—in a realm that defied description. Before them stretched an infinite ocean of resplendent spheres drifting through a velvet-black expanse. These were not distant stars but living Bubbles—self-contained realities, each radiating its own unique essence. Some glowed with molten fire, flickering like embers in a cosmic hearth; others pulsed with the steady rhythm of a heartbeat, a gentle thrum that resonated in their bones. And still others swirled with colors they had no names for—hues that danced and shimmered, beyond the spectrum of mortal sight.
The entire expanse thrummed with a presence that transcended sound. It was a symphony of existence itself—a tapestry of sensation that wove through their minds, their souls. They felt the music of creation: notes of birth and death, of balance and upheaval, weaving together in a song of purpose that reached into every corner of reality. For a moment, they stood—no, they were—the music. Then, just as suddenly, it vanished. The song of existence collapsed into silence. There was no cataclysmic crash, no thunderous roar—only the absence of everything they had just known.
And then came the corruption. It seeped into their awareness slowly at first, like ink bleeding through parchment. Between the spaces of the Bubbles—those radiant spheres of existence—red and gold mist slithered, insidious and deliberate. The glowing orbs dimmed as if their inner fires were being smothered; some flickered once, twice, then extinguished altogether, leaving empty husks of potential. Others cracked, spiderweb fractures snaking across their surfaces as crimson-gold tendrils oozed into the void. It was as if candles were being snuffed out in a storm, one by one, until the darkness reigned supreme.
They felt something watching—ancient, boundless, and deeply wrong. No face appeared to greet them, no voice cried out in alarm or triumph, yet its presence pressed against the back of their minds like a weight. Visions flooded them without warning: visions of flawless symmetry devoid of warmth, of order without life; of chaos stripped of freedom, twisting back upon itself in a mockery of creation. Concepts collided, warped, shattered—ideas not meant for mortal comprehension. The observers clutched their heads, and pain—sickening, burning pain—erupted behind their eyes. Blood welled from the corners of their vision as their sanity teetered on the brink.
Then, just as abruptly, the vision was ripped away. They found themselves elsewhere once more, yanked from the sea of possibilities into a cosmos of blinding light. Threads of luminous energy coalesced overhead into a domed tapestry—an intricate lattice of power that hummed and pulsed with unseen energies. Each strand glowed with a different hue, weaving together to form the very fabric of fate. Here, in this place of judgment, they stood at the center of what looked to be destiny itself.
A voice resonated through the light filled world—mechanical, cold, yet tinged with something almost… hopeful. Its tone was unwavering and without warmth:
[THE SCARLET KING HAS EXTENDED HIS BLESSING.]
[WARNING: ACCEPTANCE WILL RESULT IN IRREVERSIBLE CONSEQUENCES.]
[YOU WILL BE MARKED—BY FATE, BY REALITY, BY THE WORLD ITSELF.]
[…DO YOU ACCEPT?]
Even in its mechanical cadence, there was an unspoken plea behind the words—as if, for the first time, this great Spell yearned for genuine choice.
Sunny wiped the rivulets of blood from her cheeks, sneering at the ominous proclamation. "Hated by fate? Give me something new," she spat, defiant as ever.
Nephis said nothing but stepped forward, her cold gaze betraying absolute resolve. Each footfall echoed through the chamber, as if marking the final beat of her prior life.
Cassie shuddered, a fragile smile curling at her lips. "Always… I was always yours," she whispered, voice trembling with both reverence and purpose.
Three voices rose in unison—unyielding, resolute:
"Yes."
At that moment, their minds collapsed into darkness once more. In the void they left behind, the tapestry of fate quivered. One by one, threads turned a deep, burning scarlet—so many threads that they formed a spreading bloom of crimson fire across the design. The threads writhed and twisted, converging into a molten core of light—born not of any world but forged within the very heart of fate. As this core coalesced, a single, chilling echo rippled across the void: a mechanical laugh tinged with victory. Neither joyous nor cruel, it was a triumph cry that resonated through the stillness. The Blessing had been sealed, while fate could only grit its teeth and watch as the Spell laughed.
---
"Ugh… my head…" Sunny groaned, opening her eyes to the familiar cold light of the pale sun entering through the jagged rocks. The ache pulsed behind her skull, a reminder that her transformation was still very real. The world around her felt heavier, as though she carried unseen burdens on her shoulders.
Moments later, Nephis and Cassie awoke, each cradling their head, dazed. Before them sat Ares, the Scarlet King, his back turned. His stillness was serene—like a dark silhouette anchored by confidence.
"How do you feel?" Ares asked, his voice calm and smooth, reminiscent of gentle waves brushing against a silent shore.
Sunny shot him a sarcastic look. "Why don't you turn around and see for yourself?" she taunted, grinding her teeth against the lingering headache.
Ares half-smiled at Sunny's bravado. "Nice try. How about dressing Nephis first, smartass?" he replied, gesturing toward the seaweed garments folded neatly at his side.
With a huff, Sunny hopped to her feet and draped the seaweed clothing over Nephis' slender form. To her astonishment, the garments fit Nephis with impossible precision. "Done," she said bluntly.
Ares finally turned, eyes widening slightly at the sight of the three girls. They looked… different. Their skin was smoother, their hair fuller and more vibrant despite the agony they had endured, they also looked....fuller in all the right places.
Cassie's pupils, now patterned with rings, shone with an otherworldly light—so bright and mesmerizing that it made Ares lose focus for a heartbeat, caught in their luminescence. The other two glared at him, equally transformed; their faces could topple nations in his past world.
"The hell, you're looking even more handsome than usual," Sunny muttered. "The future looks bleak," she added to herself with a sigh.
"Hey," Cassie interjected, her gaze locked on Ares. "Well, he is handsome," she said, half-whispered, half-exclaimed, as if both discovery and confession.
"Umu" Nephis simply inclined her head in agreement, her silent approval as clear as any words.
Wait.
Ares turned to Cassie. "You… you can see?" he asked, hope lifting his voice.
Cassie shook her head gently, a mixture of awe and confusion flickering across her face. "It's more than seeing," she began, voice steadying as she spoke. "It's like… I perceive the world two seconds ahead. But it's not a single vision of the future—it's a cascade of possibilities, branching endlessly." She paused, pressing a hand to her temple where the Blessing still pulsed. "I can focus on the most probable one, but even that… it's disorienting. My mind strains to hold onto a path before it changes."
"Don't overuse it," Ares cautioned, concern etched into his features. "Take your time to adjust."
Cassie swallowed, then smiled softly. "I know. I just… I needed to see you." She held his gaze, and Ares felt a tug in his chest as her beautiful blue eyes bore into his own.
She raised a trembling hand, extending her palm toward him. Ares, curious, waited. Then, before his eyes, a delicate flower bloomed in Cassie's hand—petals unfurling in slow, graceful arcs. Its color shifted between rose-gold and deepest violet, seeming to glow from within, changing following her imagination.
"A… flower?" Ares whispered, his voice hushed in wonder.
"Did you become blind or something? There is nothing there!" Sunny jeered from the side, pointing to empty air with a teasing grin.
Cassie chuckled, lifting the flower to Ares's nose. "That's because it's an illusion. I can shape imagery into illusions, this is a flower that my mother loved." she explained, though even she seemed surprised by the effortless illusion, it seemed being blind made the process of imagination easier.
Ares reached out and touched one of the petals, its texture impossibly soft, as if both real and not. "Thank you for being by my side," he murmured, his words warm and sincere. He brushed a strand of hair from her face. Cassie bowed her head into his touch, her cheeks warming. "I should be the one saying that," she whispered, voice barely audible.
A sudden movement caught their attention. Sunny and Ares both glanced sideways to see Nephis holding a small flame that danced and twirled around her fingers. In previous days, that fire would have burned her soul, leaving agony in its wake. But now, as Nephis stared at the flame with a calm, curious expression, it burned with a gentle warmth instead of scorching pain. It hovered above her palm like a living ember, casting flickering shadows across her features.
Ares did not say a word, he just stared at her, after getting their blessings, he knew of their wishes, their dreams and fears, their abilities, their everything.
So he could understand how much pain her flames caused her.
Perhaps she was lucky, his blessing didn't take away their flaws, as they are merged to their existence, to take away their flaws is to shatter their soul.
But, his Blessing did enhance her soul and change the way it works, the flames that used to burn her mortal soul, now only left warmth instead of pain.
Take for example Sunny's clear conscience, his Blessing didn't change anything to make it dissappear or change the way it functioned like what happened to Nephis.
Cassie too was able to bypass her flaw as her ability was enhanced.
Of course, it could be just Sunny being a poor bastard.
Sunny, ever the skeptic, scoffed. "Well, look at that. My shadow aspect seems enhanced too." She pointed at a wisp of shadows that slithered around her feet, coalescing into a smoky tendril that danced in response to her thoughts. It wriggled and twisted playfully, as if eager to obey her commands.
As they explored these newfound powers, Ares spoke again, his voice steady and commanding. "Take a look at your runes."
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