The wanderers shifted their gazes to the tattered lady resting atop a rock. Asahi rushed to her and tried to wake her up, while Aletha felt suspicious that Narcissa would betray them. Nonetheless, the timer was still ticking down on the device.
(00:29:57)
Asahi pushed his hands against Narcissa's shoulder in a rush and saw her glimmering eyelids part from each other. He gave a sigh of relief, bent down to her, and asked as he lifted her up.
"Narcissa, a-are you okay?"
Her round brown eyes dilated in shock. She hyperventilated and hunched down to the ground, murmuring from her pale, dry lips.
"N-No… I could have sworn I was in my Palace? W-Where am I? Where did everyone go?!"
But then her worried face faded into a relieved one.
"Oh, it's you, Asahi..."
She tilted her head, then gasped in shock as she noticed Aletha standing impatiently behind him.
"W-Who is... that beautiful girl?"
Aletha's face flushed red.
"O-Oh... are you talking about me? D-Did you say... I'm beautiful?"
Aletha's gray eyes sparkled in awe and quickly threw her suspicions away. As Narcissa and she introduced each other, Asahi chuckled lightly and crossed his arms, whispering to himself.
(Well... this confirms it. Narcissa's curse is gone for good. She never said beautiful until... now. But now's not the time...)
Asahi realized what was happening. He could sense the aroma of danger lingering close to the. As they were giving a handshake, Asahi raced to the two and informed them speedily.
"It's good that you introduce and trust each other, but now's not the time. Everyone else had vanished, we searched everywhere in the forest, and that light from the vase reached here. The only place we haven't looked at…."
Asahi led them to the sight of the disk-shaped structure below, engulfed in purple luminance, made of stone and rubble. Narcissa and Aletha's eyes widened. Asahi continued.
"...Is there, And the only way down there is through that cliff. We should get to that place immediately-- I sense hundreds of souls lurking there."
Narcissa and Aletha shuddered in fear just at the thought of that. Hastily, they returned to their seriousness and soon; followed Asahi over the cliff, toward the downside he pointed at.
They slid their feet across the dirt and jolted, hopped, and dodged the debris scattered over the soil. The purple light gleamed brighter. Asahi tilted to the two and hollered.
"Over here!"
Aletha and Narcissa nodded their heads and pulled out their weapons. One, a sword, and the other, a staff. Asahi didn't resist unsheathing his sword as well. The atmosphere of the area shifted to a sinister aura. Their feet skidded across the stone floors. They analyzed their surroundings and saw tall, overgrown concrete walls encircling a massive stone platform, water streams leaking around the circle like a moat.
They heaved and hurdled over a wall and approached the stone platform-- seeing the device count down and unleash small purple pulses; applause followed by a robotic-sounding voice echoed over the walls.
"Well… well… well."
Asahi, Aletha, and Narcissa, froze at the center of the area. They held out their weapons, with the wanderers clutching their swords, while Narcissa emitted a bright brown luminance on the center of her staff.
Narcissa turned to the wanderers and whispered to them in a serious tone.
"I feel… a familiar presence lurking in here. I hear thousands of voices bouncing in my head, screams begging for help and escape. It's that Device. We must shut it down, now."
"D-Do you know what it is?"
(Step)
(Step)
In a rush, as the footsteps grew louder and louder, Narcissa swiftly notified.
"It's a device that I'm familiar with. This happened somewhere else in the world. A few years ago, Rumors spread that it was constructed by a faction called The Ending. It's a destructive device, and if activated fully, it will unleash total destruction in its Dust. Well, that's what they say--
Narcissa got interrupted.
(Clap, clap, clap…)
The aggressive applause forced them to stand still. The incoming voices emerging from the distance robbed Asahi, Aletha, and Narcissa's words.
"Wow! I'm so proud of you, Queen of Narcissa! Not only did you manage to come here of your own will, but you even took your sweet precious time to explain the device. Good job… heh heh…."
A blurry purple line of light struck Narcissa and tossed her into the air, bashing her head against the walls. Asahi and Aletha's eyes widened in shock.
Who emerged from the smoke, with luminance shining at him like a spotlight, was an individual wearing sleek dark attire, an aggressive devil-shaped helmet, and a cosmic purple cloak.
The wanderers realized that the previous false friendly voice from a distance belonged to this menacing robotic being.
Now, memories of the destroyed village and the wanderers' previous encounters with them flashed into their eyes.
The robotic individual rubbed his hands, grabbed Narcissa by the neck, lifted her up, and choked her to anger the wanderers more. He mocked them as he heard Narcissa struggle and flail her arms.
"Good job… indeed."
The robotic individual ruthlessly discarded her into the wall like a ball. The place trembled, and parts of the wall collapsed.
As the robotic individual slowly tilted back to the wanderers, the wanderers hastily grew alert, stepped forward, and screamed the man's name with rage.
"TEAR!"
He slowly shook his head and clenched his fists, his visor shining a bright purple.
"Oh, don't look at me with those faces. This… should have been expected."
Tear vanished into thin air at a quick glance, then appeared standing over a wall, casually walking on it, defying gravity completely. The wanderers' hearts raced. They tried to reach Narcissa, but bricks were standing in their way.
With no choice, Asahi and Aletha tremblingly tilted up to the walls and saw Tear slowly unsheathing his mighty technological black sword from his pocket.
"Do you realize how much pain… I have endured? Are you two TRYING to become the HEROES of your world? Pathetic. I should've expected better from you."
The wanderers fell silent and slowly stepped forward, following their gaze from Tear's intimidating wall-walking. As he just stood there, grasping his sword and laughing at them, he adjusted his views below and dared Asahi and Aletha with a tone of aggression.
"Oh, don't look at me with those surprised faces. It should have been EXPECTED. After all, if you're just going to be passive, then go right ahead. I know that those trapped souls will be 'thankful' later."
Asahi and Aletha trembled in fear just thinking about all of their friends trapped in one place. Tear announced as he strutted his blade diagonally, threatening them with a deep voice.
"I honestly don't care if both of you die. I could care less either way."
He shrugged his shoulders.
"Who would need gods that abandon their world?"
Asahi and Aletha gritted their teeth, their veins pumping in fury as Tear continued to taunt them.
"Who would need cowards who don't take action and 'save' their 'precious' nation. After all, you standing there just makes my job a lot easier."
He pointed to the timer.
(00:28:22)
"Tick-Tick."
Asahi and Aletha stepped forward and pointed their blades toward Tear's direction without remorse. Tear gasped and clutched his blade, flocking his cosmic cape in the air.
"Oh, being feisty… huh? That's unexpected. I thought you two were wise. But alas, my theory was wrong."
His friendly tone in his voice altered to a more threatening one.
"If one of you two DARE take even just one tiny step, you're willing to deny my offer for you to flee, and instead; challenge me. I destroyed The Great Fountain for a REASON! You know…. I've missed battling for so long-- so don't expect mercy from me if you do choose."
As Tear descended off the walls and planted his strong metal boots on the ground, casting his shadow over the wanderers, he clutched his sword even tighter, sparking a purple luminance between his fingers.
"I have been STARVING for a good battle. No one dared to challenge me because of how powerful I was compared to the others. Flee now, or stand there. I don't care… The timer is ticking."
Tear stepped forward after a moment of silence and screamed at them with frustration, anger, anticipation, speed, and aggression.
"JUST DO IT ALREADY! Take one step; I dare you-- I TRIPLE DARE YOU! Take one more step and 'try' to show me how much of a HERO you two really are. Do it-- I'm waiting! MOVE, FLEE… OR I'LL KILL BOTH OF YOU AND NARCISSA! THIS WORLD DOESN'T EVEN MATTER-- IT'S AN ANOMALY FROM THE START!" His voice ruptured and echoed over every wall from the ruins. Asahi and Aletha's hearts froze.
Their blades trembled, their hearts raced, and anger crawled on their back.
Though they wanted to save others, they couldn't help but dwell on the thought of abandoning their own world.
All memories from the events experienced so far have hastily flashed in both Asahi and Aletha's minds.
* * * * * * * *
From awakening in the Forest of Plados to traveling to Pladtioa city and meeting new faces. From watching the nation's respected Fountain demolished in front of the citizen's eyes to training with Sadki and discovering their ruined nation lying in the middle of nowhere.
The memories flooded their minds.
Meeting people from lands afar, remembering their past, fighting the Kitsune in the depths of Dreamtoe Forest, seeing the souls of their parents, battling a cursed goblin, seeing Belial transform to a demon, meeting a raven man, sparking an insurgency against the whole nation, and finally… relieving the ruler from a self-devouring curse.
These were the giving memories that pushed Asahi and Aletha to where they were.
And despite all of this, they hadn't found a trace of their lost sister in sight.
But in comparison to their millennia of world-traveling, this adventure was the closest one to their hearts. It transformed the wanderers, awakened them, and invigorated them.
The moment the memories faded away from Asahi and Aletha's eyes, the wanderers stared directly through Tear's visor; as the countdown continued, they leaped and swung their blades at Tear with fury.
"HAAAAHHHHH!"
(Cling)
Tear thwarted the attack with his long black blade, kicked both of the wanderers in the air, then maneuvered back to the walls of The Fountain. As Asahi and Aletha drove themselves up and sprinted down the platform, Tear screamed with anticipation and excitement.
"A Challenge it is! Show me what the gods of this world can REALLY do!"
* * * * * * * *
(00:27:17)
(00:27:16)
(00:27:15)
It happened so quickly that there was only time for them to see it.
Tear had already struck from above long before there was time for them to do anything. He slashed and aggressively clashed his blade against the wanders, kicking them and chipping its material from its complex, vicious swings.
As the wanderers were forced back from the continuous attacks, Tear commented.
"Oh, well, isn't that a pity, huh? I sense no power in you. Go and try, don't even ask about what I did. It was all for a good reason."
Successfully distracting Asahi and Aletha, Tear unexpectedly pulled a trick from his sleeve.
"Take this!"
He threw corrupting coils and wrapped them over their loathsome bodies, crumbling and forcing them to drop their blades.
Echoing in the air, Tear circumnavigated the wanderers, clashing his blade, forming purple sparks in the air and leaving trails of smoke.
"The Fountain was too much for the nation. Don't think you will win. I have slain more than you even realized."
He hacked his blade and pivoted his arm to Asahi's head. Aletha blocked Tear's attack and intertwined her blade with his; Tear's cape flew in the air and kicked Aletha down to the ground. As they struggled to get back up, Tear taunted the wanderers.
"Oh, these attacks. They're so familiar… to... Her. Their hacks, slashes, thrusts… and evasive maneuvers… it's enough to make me 'question' who I'm really serving for."
He pounced his sword toward Asahi and threw corrupting vines toward Aletha, forcing her to fall to the floor.
"Aletha!" Asahi screamed as he blocked and kicked Tear away from him.
She kicked her legs up, got back on her feet, and raced back to Asahi, breathing and sweating heavily.
"I'm fine…." Aletha said as Asahi turned over to her.
"Okay."
(00:24:00)
(00:23:59)
(00:23:58)
The wanderers' bodies felt weighed down by the constant pressure coming from The Device. Asahi and Aletha charged at Tear with aggression and desperation, sprinting in opposite directions, jumping up, and leaving trails of their strikes in the air.
As their blades skimmed only a portion of Tear's armor, he hastily vanished, leaving a purple streak extending toward the opposite end.
"Ha, don't think it will be THAT easy."
Short, his presence vanished again; and the wanderers were greeted by a surprise attack. They were forced back in the air, crashing toward the walls. Tear asked mockingly as Asahi and Aletha struggled to get up.
"Oh, why so quiet? Did the spike of fear get into your bones? Heh heh… I can feel your anger emerging from your heart. It feels good; I just want to grab ONE OF YOU by the neck and RIP your hearts out!"
Tear caught Asahi's neck in his left hand, trying to squeeze him until he choked.
Asahi struggled like a landed fish as Tear picked him and swung it several times on the solid stone, dropping the boy and constantly slamming him even more.
"ASAHI!" Aletha screamed. In pure fury, as Tear continued to choke Asahi to death, she pushed her feet upward, threw her blade toward Tear's legs, and kicked him straight on the knees. But just as her fist could even skin Tear's armor…
"Don't think that I can focus on you too…."
Aletha's eyes widened, and dread asphyxiated her. She was forced down through the concrete stone, and her legs got pummeled by Tear's boots-- ejecting smudges of Dust out from Aletha's body.
Asahi's eyes shrunk with horror.
"A-A…A…ALETHA!"
(00:18:34)
(00:18:33)
(00:18:32)
Flailing his legs, hearing Tear chuckle as Asahi slowly loses energy, the white-haired boy forced his blade through Tear's metal chest and caused sparks out him.
"AHH! YOU--
Tear hunched to the floor, dropped Asahi, and clenched his fists, unleashing a fit of rage, forming a purple glow.
"Oh, NOW YOU HAVE DONE IT! I wish it didn't come to this… but now I have to use it."
With Dust spilling out from her wound, Asahi pulled Aletha up and whispered as Tear screamed in a fit of rage.
"Sis, are you alright?"
She nodded silently. Asahi smiled.
"G-Good. Stand by me next time."
"O-Okay," Aletha replied while she reached for her sword.
The wanderers urgently pushed themselves up and jolted to Tear.
(00:15:43)
(00:15:42)
(00:15:41)
He struck his arm into the air and unleashed fifteen purple strikes from his hand. The wanderers dodged the lasers, feeling the ground tremble as they crashed down like thunderbolts. They advanced further to Tear, steadily lifting their blades up.
"Stop!"
Tear shook his head and forced another blade out to appear from thin air. He caught and grasped onto it, striking a pose, and tackled the wanderers, forcing five to ten strikes on their faces. Bruises, scars, and marks all form on both the wanderers.
"HAHAHAHA! WEAK! WEAK! WEAK!"
As they felt their bodies crushing down through the solid ground, suddenly, a disembodied voice spoke out to them.
"Don't lose hope…."
Dust spilled out from Asahi and Aletha.
A cyan luminance arose from their bodies and ruthlessly assailed Tear directly on the chest. Tear flew into the air and collided through the walls, forcing chunks of stone into the ground.
Asahi and Aletha's wounds immediately healed; they pushed themselves up, grabbed their blades, and discharged green luminescent arrows from their hands.
They pierced straight through Tear's body and formed more sparks and malfunctions on his armor. His visor beamed dark red; his armor heated up, and his palms illuminated a lethal purple.
(00:12:10)
(00:12:09)
(00:12:08)
Asahi and Aletha felt all feelings of hope rush back into them. Adrenaline pumped in every corner of their bodies, and thousands of voices erupted in their heads.
As the voices echoed in the wanderers' minds, a string of colors emerged from their souls.
Red. "Don't give up. You got this!"
Green. "All of us are counting on you two. Don't be a demon, like I was…."
Pink. "Don't stop now; we are SO close to victory."
Purple. "Buttons and Asahi, listen and don't SCREW up! I'm counting on you hard heads!"
Cyan. "This Universe is compelled with endless elements. And among them, you two are the most important."
Baby Blue. "P-Please… we are all counting on you-- For EVERYONE who has suffered in this nation."
Orange. "You two have proven your beauty and changed me as a whole. Failure is the best teacher, and we faced many problems, but even after that… we still managed to become closer."
Yellow. "You got this fece-face! Though there are many times to joke around, this is not one. TEACH 'EM WHO'S BOSS!"
As the storm of colors encircled Asahi and Aletha, they opened their eyes and felt encouragement run down their bodies; the lights forced into Asahi and Aletha, reinvigorating and amplifying their strength.
Tear shook his head, clutched his blades, and jolted to the wanderers, forcing roots to emerge from the floor. Asahi and Aletha grabbed their swords in one hand, and a magical essence ran through their other.
(00:10:12)
(00:10:11)
(00:10:10)
Asahi and Aletha charged at Tear, but suddenly, their legs moved faster than usual; they felt their body toughen and strengthen; they were nourished with the soul's powers and showered in blessings.
All powers erupted at once.
In eight major blows… a gust of wind propelled Tear back, purple lightning bolts struck his side, and green luminescent thorns emerged from the ground and struck his neck.
Tear tried to move his blade, but the wanderers managed to strike his swords to the ground.
"Not today."
But even with that power, it wasn't enough to stop Tear; as he was seen slowly lifting back up.
(00:08:59)
(00:08:58)
(00:08:57)
The timer was nearing zero. All fifteen blows were struck against Tear, tossing him from side to side like a ragdoll.
"AGH, AGH AGH!"
He forced his fist through the floor and chuckled.
"Heh…heh… heh… I see. I guess you two are stronger than I thought you were. No matter, that was nothing but a smidge of my ability. FACE MY TRUE POWER!"
(BOOM!)
The sky thundered from above… a barrage of flying purple meteors descended from the sky. Asahi and Aletha tilted up and clenched their fists.
They hastily grasped their blades and jolted at Tear, striking and shunning his hips, damaging and denting his armor.
They hear the tiny meteors growing closer, and instantly, eighty luminescent white strings emerge from their bodies and pierce through all the falling rocks, forcing chunks of them to rain down onto the ground like snowflakes.
Having realized that his attack backfired, Tear adjusted his suit and transformed his arm into a blaster.
"Take this!"
(00:04:27)
(00:04:26)
(00:04:25)
A massive lethal long-lasting purple laser beam struck through the wall and glid slowly across the Fountain, leaving an enormous trail of burn marks in its tracks.
As Tear noticed that the wanderers dodged the attack, he hastily returned to his arm, grasped his two blades, and swung at Asahi and Aletha repeatedly.
One of their devices dropped from his hands. Tear's arms appeared to be fastened to his sides. The wanderers' legs intertwined, and their feet disappeared from the smoke. They lost their blades and were forced to use their given powers, but suddenly all of them vanished.
"H-Huh?"
(00:02:22)
Tear was giving his life up, throwing all concerns aside, and using all the power he had. He couldn't afford to give up… not yet; he just had to endure the pain until that timer on the device reached zero.
(00:02:00)
After the wanderers and Tear struck, clashed, and battled around the ruins of The Great Fountain, a white emergence bloomed and sprouted over Asahi and Aletha. Though shocked, he persisted in fighting, flinging his swords out of frustration. As he stood in front of the wanderers… gargantuan beam summoned and burst from their palms and struck barbarically through Tear's armor.
The force of the white laser pushed him so hard that his armor started to crush and deactivate.
He was hurled through the wall, denting every surface of the dark armor and forcing rocks to crumble on his body. A cloud of Dust fogged up the area, with the purple light glistening.
And yet, this was just a tiny portion of the wanderers' true power.
* * * * * * * *
Silence.
They panted, sweated, breathed heavily, and slowly fell down to their knees. Their swords slipped out of their clammy hands and toppled down on the floor. Their eyes trembled in disbelief, and their skin was caked in bruises.
(00:01:59)
The countdown was near its end. Asahi and Aletha didn't have a smidge of time to react. They were extremely exhausted and felt everything in their bodies shut down.
Yet despite this… they crawled and dragged themselves toward the device.
"C…Come…o-on… just…."
They dragged over the floor, lifted themselves over the device, and saw a small pink button on the bottom of its black exterior. Their eyes widened in relief, finally feeling hope surge back into them.
"Pr…ess…it…."
(00:01:05)
(00:01:04)
(00:01:03)
The device hummed, with pink sparks fuming over. Their fingers slid and skimmed over the button.
"Al…most…"
As their hands were about to slowly put pressure onto the button, their arms were pushed away from it. Their hands trembled, but they were so exhausted they couldn't be angry. It felt like a needle pierced their hearts once they saw who pushed their hands.
(00:00:59)
(00:00:47)
(00:00:42)
Narcissa tremblingly muttered.
"I-I'm… sorry… I don't know what's happening to me…."
A woman with tattered bruise marks, messy brown hair, and fearful coffee-colored eyes obstructed the button's reach. Asahi wailed.
"Narcissa, w…what are you doing?!"
She trembled.
"Please… I don't know what's going on. I feel this power; something is controlling me; I don't know what it is. It feels peaceful. It feels like I'm finally free from the shackles of reality. I can breathe, I can move… I don't want to let go."
(Save the nation)
A sudden burst of energy erupted from Asahi and Aletha.
They swiftly pushed themselves up and pushed Narcissa away. However, she returned to her position and blocked the wanderers from going. Asahi clenched his fists, resisting the urge to attack Narcissa.
"Please… just move… Why are you doing this? After all, I did for you, this is what you repay me…?!"
Tears flew down Narcissa's face.
"N-No… it's all wrong. When I touch this, I see the truth. Everything… all of it… I don't want to let go, I don't want to let go, I don't want to--
. . .
The world slowed down.
Their eyes lowered.
Dust gushed out from the wound like blood, and the silver blade was dragged out of her. She collapsed to the ground and dissipated into dust.
The wanderers gasped.
A dark silhouette emerged from the smoke.
The boy took slow footsteps, his legs extended, and grew.
Asahi and Aletha slowly backed away and saw the person brush his slender fingers on the ground.
His long silver hair flocked from the gusts, his eyes were filled with a color of lavender and blue, and his skin was blindingly pale, with a black streak extending down to his cheek. His dark armor crumbled and crashed onto the floor, echoing over the silent walls.
A luminance enshrouded him with the outline of his appearance rapidly growing. His silver hair grew longer, his tail flocked faster, and his claws enlarged outward.
"Don't meddle in my duty."
A click sounded from the device. A sonic boom enshrouded the land, forcing trees to crumble and propelling a massive shockwave that bolted over the ocean.
Asahi and Aletha reacted by ducking over; dirt pellets flew overhead like a flock of birds. Their hearts skipped a beat, growing weary and planting their arms over the grass.
They had an urge to speak, but a resistance to fight.
Never would they have thought that Tear; their sworn enemy, the one that destroyed the village, demolished the prized Fountain, and ambushed the city— was the kind, prudent Sadiki himself.
Ignoring the voices, they stepped forward and watched the shimmering brown dust fall to the sleek, cracked floor— Narcissa's blood.
"Huh?"
Asahi and Aletha's hearts thumped rapidly, their clammy hands muttered, and their eyes rapidly flew left and right.
Right in front of them was a floating dark figure, traced by his long silver hair, tainted in a purple; a blue swirl orbiting his chest, and last but not least the black mist that touched his feet.
"Behold… my true… form…"
Sadiki insisted as he grasped his blade.
"Remember me?"
His eyes looked different like it was fogged up by the preliminary aspects of a dark purple. Asahi squinted at him and yanked Aletha away, whispering.
"Aletha, ignore him. Just follow me! Don't even try to help Sadiki. He's far more corrupt than what it seemed."
Aletha nodded with a trembling smile.
"Okay…" She mumbled.
In token of their confusion, the wanderers grasped their focus; tremblingly gripped on their blades, and raced away from the Fountain as fast as they could. The Destructive Device began to count down to the final number.
"Ten…"
Asahi and Aletha were so paranoid, that they utterly forgot that it was still there; yet they continued to flee from the ruins.
"Nine…"
Adrenaline rushed through their hearts. They felt their feet slip on the muddy ground. Streams of water ushered from the ground, forcing all hills to slope downwards toward The Fountain. They had no choice… but to interfere.
"Eight…"
That number… It reminded The Wanderers of the intelligent, confident, genius of Akwan. They recollected all the adventures they had with him, Drimi, Belial, and Sally. Despite going through a different route, the wanderers still reached their destination.
"Seven…"
All the hearts of Pladtioa thumped as one. The wanderers felt all of their faith coursing through their veins, their legs, their heart, and finally their mind. It sparked a devastating uproar of determination.
"Six…"
The ground trembled, matching the magnitude of a 10.0 earthquake. Despite the destruction, trees were seen to emerge from the ground as if it was thriving in the lands' own annihilation; followed by crumbling mountains rising. Pladtioa City didn't seem to be affected either. Asahi and Aletha tried to escape, but the device increased pressure.
"Five…"
A strange, grueling sound emitted from the device. Sadiki didn't even bear to fight; he was just embracing the last moments of the fight. The wanderers stared deeply at the counter, feeling the sky crumble above them; as if it was a solid, tangible object.
"Four…"
Pulses flew about, Asahi and Aletha felt their feet slowly rising upward. Dirt, rocks, bushes, ferns, and even the smoldering remains of the ruins of The Great Fountain seem to all be levitating to the sky. Aletha panicked.
"W-What's happening…"
Asahi was too afraid to even speak.
"Three… Two…"
Time felt like it slowed down as they saw Sadiki standing on the rising platform with the wanderers. He still grasped his blade, his dark corrupted eyes met with the wanderers; swiftly he charged. They clutched their swords and flew toward Sadiki, clashing, and jolting as the platform continued to rise with floating trees.
"One…"
(BOOM)
The speed of the calamity was so quick that not even sound could catch up to it.
A giant magenta and blue-colored laser shot up at the sky, lighting up the night into daylight, breaking clouds, and shriveling the stars. It looked like the sky was fighting back the beacon of light; forming a wall of hundreds upon thousands of clouds and rippling the heavens like water.
The sheet of clouds neared ever so closer to Asahi and Aletha. The beacon of light shone over the nation of Pladtioa as if it was the gleaming rays of sunlight. Time froze and only their eyes cooperated to take a mental picture of what was beyond that thick fleet of clouds. It certainly wasn't the stars.
Dark mist suffocated their vision. Sadiki held on to the platform, trying not to fall, dropping his blade, and coughing up parts of dark, slimy mucus.
"This… wasn't what was described… when The Ending gave me the device."
From the pulsating densely clouded area, a massive black pillar detached from the fog and sunk down to the world. The mysterious object is outlined with traces of black and white; with bleached luminescent lines stretching down from the bottom to the circular top. It looked far too advanced for this world; like an object alien to this world.
The wind from below propelled the platform, followed by the device enhancing its pulsating tower of purple. Asahi jolted to Aletha.
"Hold on tight…"
They clutched their hands, hunched over, grabbed onto the platform, and felt a freezing gust blow from the foggy area. But beyond the massive wall of clouds, looked to be industrial towers extending upside down.
As fragments of the clouds got mangled and pulverized from the immense force of power coming from the black pillar; the platform along with the flow of gravity slanted, the wanderers grew dizzy, and just as night turned to... day as they passed through the horizon of clouds; their vision flashed to darkness.