"Strength and weakness needs each other ."
---
The moonlight slanted through the cracked windows of the ruined chapel, silver threads stitching together the remnants of a broken night. Wind whispered through the cracks in the walls, stirring dust and shattered stone. A faint smell of burnt ozone hung in the air—a warning, a trace of energy that hadn't yet dissipated. Juno Luminara shifted her stance, her boots crunching against the ruined floor.
Selene stirred on the old cloaks, a sharp intake of breath cutting through the silence. Then, in a fluid, almost unnatural motion, she shot to her feet, as if her muscles hadn't registered they'd been still moments ago. Her silver hair streamed behind her, wild and tangled, catching the light like fragments of a shattered moon.
"Selene—" Juno began, but the words stuck. Too late.
The moment Selene's feet hit the ground, her hands ignited with starfire, and in a flash, two crescent-shaped blades materialized in her grip. One shone like crystallized moonlight, while the other was obsidian-dark, its edge rippling with faint arcs of black lightning. Runic inscriptions along the blades shimmered in cosmic patterns, glowing and shifting as though they were alive. These were no ordinary weapons—these were artifacts wielded only by the most dangerous beings.
"S-Class. Exile of the Stars."
Selene's glare fixed on the man standing at the chapel's entrance. Exos stood tall, draped in raven-black armor with shards of amethyst embedded into the plating. Each step he took made those crystals hum with power, vibrating as if connected to some unseen storm. His violet eyes gleamed with quiet menace, lips curling into a smile that didn't reach his gaze.
"You again." Selene's voice was sharp, a blade itself. "Still stalking me?"
"Stalking?" Exos's expression remained cold. "More like... observing." His words were smooth, each syllable deliberate, like he was savoring the moment. "And, let's not forget—I wouldn't have had to track you down if you'd just cooperated."
Selene scoffed, tightening her grip on her crescent blades. "What? Cooperate so you could *steal* my powers? Like hell I'm letting anyone else walk away with the Thunderfang Alpha's lightning."
Juno blinked. Wait—what? That was new.
Selene rolled her shoulders, her crescent blades spinning in her hands, sending arcs of electricity crackling through the air. "I killed that overgrown lightning wolf myself, and if you think for one second I'm handing over that power, you're delusional."
Exos sighed as if explaining something to a stubborn child. "Selene, I don't want your stupid lightning powers. I don't need them. You think I'd degrade myself with that flashy nonsense?" His tone dripped with boredom. "All I care about is knowing where the Void Rifts are."
Juno's lips twitched involuntarily, and she fought the urge to laugh. These two are going to kill each other over this nonsense, aren't they?
Selene's expression darkened, and the temperature in the room dropped. She spun her weapons again, her body lowering into a fighter's stance, muscles coiled tight like a cat about to pounce. "You think you're better than me, Exos? Let's find out."
"Sure. S Class. Warden of Blades."
With a crackling snap, she lunged, faster than Juno could follow. Her blades cut through the air, glowing trails in the dim light. Exos didn't even flinch; his body blurred with inhuman speed, stepping out of the way at the last second. A flick of his wrist, and a metal spear shot forward, aimed directly at Selene's throat.
Selene twisted mid-air, knocking the projectile away with the back of her crescent blade. The impact sent sparks flying, tiny starbursts of light that scattered like fireflies. She landed gracefully, already spinning for another strike.
Juno's heart pounded. She knew she had to stop them before things spiraled out of control—but how do you stop two powerhouses like these?
Okay, think, Juno. You're not fast, you're not strong, but you have something they don't. Time.
Her hand snapped to the Chronosword at her back. The blade responded instantly, rippling to life as it materialized in her grip. The weapon gleamed with a ghostly shimmer, as if the fabric of time itself ran along its edge. Juno didn't hesitate—she raised it high and slashed downward.
[System Alert: New Ability unlocked: Time Snap. Immobilization: 1 second.]
1 second. Alright.
"Time Snap!"
The moment the words left her mouth, reality folded inward.
The world shuddered to a halt. Selene and Exos froze mid-motion—Selene's blade a hair's breadth from Exos's throat, Exos's fingers twitching toward another spell.
Juno exhaled through gritted teeth, her muscles already burning from the strain of the power. One second. Make it count.
Time resumed. The sudden momentum jerked both Selene and Exos off balance. They tumbled to the ground in a clumsy heap, a tangle of limbs, weapons, and bruised egos.
Exos hit the ground first with a muted thud, Selene landing right on top of him with an audible grunt. For a split second, everything was silent—until Selene groaned and tried to shove herself off him.
"Get off me," Exos muttered, glaring up at her.
"Gladly," Selene shot back, rolling to the side with a scowl.
Juno couldn't help it this time—she burst out laughing. The absurdity of the situation was too much. Two of the most powerful beings she'd ever met, reduced to a mess on the floor over an argument about lightning powers.
Selene shot her a death glare. "You think this is funny?"
Juno wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, struggling to catch her breath. "Oh, it's hilarious. You two are like a bad soap opera."
Exos sat up, dusting off his armor with an air of indignation. "This is your fault, you know," he muttered to Selene. "If you'd just talked instead of attacked—"
Selene scoffed, dragging herself to her feet. "Don't act like you didn't want this fight. You live for this."
Juno sighed, the weight of exhaustion settling over her again. "Okay, both of you, listen. I get it—you've got history. You've got unresolved grudges and ridiculous egos. But right now? I need you both to stop trying to kill each other."
She looked between them, heart still racing. "We have bigger problems than who stole whose powers or who's better at dodging attacks. If we don't work together, the next Rift that opens will tear us all apart."
Selene crossed her arms, her crescent blades flickering out of existence. "Fine. But if he pulls anything, I'm not holding back."
Exos gave a nonchalant shrug. "Same."
Juno rubbed her temples, the weight of the situation finally catching up to her. These two could squash me like a bug if they wanted. I'm nowhere near their level.
---
[Inventory:]
- Chronosword (active, returning to dormant state)
[Status:]
- HP: 82% (minor fatigue)
- Chronoenergy: 9% (critical)
---
The crystalline world shimmered under the three moons suspended like pale lanterns in the sky. The jagged surfaces around them refracted light into shards of cold brilliance, casting eerie shapes across the ground. Each step felt like treading on a sea of broken glass—silent, sharp, and beautiful. Juno pulled her hood up against a bitter breeze that swirled from nowhere, her thoughts spiraling deeper into the unease she'd carried since waking up.
Selene tightened her gloves, her lips pulling into a frown as she watched Juno walk a few steps ahead, leading them deeper into the labyrinth of glowing spires. "How exactly are you doing this?" Selene asked, suspicion creeping into her voice. "You've never been here before."
Juno turned her head slightly, her gaze half-hidden beneath the cowl. "I saw the path. When I touched your hand earlier."
"You what?" Selene's steps faltered. "What do you mean you saw the path?"
Juno exhaled slowly. She hated explaining things—especially things that even she didn't fully understand. "When you were asleep, I reached for your hand, and... something clicked, but in just seconds. I saw everything—the layout of this world, the rift's location, even the way to reach it."
"You used my ability?" Selene crossed her arms, skepticism burning in her silver-blue eyes. "That's not how it works. Star Divination isn't some cheat code you can unlock because you felt like it."
"It was brief, but it was real," Juno replied evenly. She didn't blame Selene for doubting her—hell, Juno wasn't even sure herself. She just knew it happened. The moment she touched Selene's hand, the stars in her mind had aligned in a burst of dizzying clarity, showing her the way like a constellation etched directly onto her soul.
"I believe her," Exos added in his usual detached tone, not even looking up from the obsidian blade he was inspecting. "When she touched your hand, her eyes turned white the way your eyes does."
Selene shot him a glare. "You're just saying that to annoy me."
"Maybe," Exos murmured, his lips twitching into a sly grin.
"Fine." Selene sighed, pushing a hand through her platinum hair. "Let's see if you're right." She closed her eyes, and an ethereal hum thrummed in the air around her.
"Star Divination: Astral Sight."
Her irises bled to pure white as starlight burst from her pupils, expanding outward in delicate threads. Time seemed to slow as the web of cosmic threads mapped itself before her eyes. She saw every crystalline tower, every jagged precipice, every winding path that could lead them astray. Then she saw it—the unmistakable pulse of a rift, exactly where Juno was heading.
Selene blinked, and the glow in her eyes flickered out. "She's right," she muttered, reluctant admiration creeping into her voice. "We're going the right way."
Juno allowed herself a small, fleeting smile. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep the doubt at bay—for now.
The silence between them was broken only by the crunch of their boots against the crystalline ground. The world grew darker as they descended into a canyon, the jagged spires blocking out most of the moons' light. A faint hum of energy tickled the edge of Juno's senses—a warning that something wasn't right.
Then she saw them.
A mass of bodies—soldiers and knights, draped in rusted armor, their flesh pale and withered, leaking streams of thick, violet mist from their eyes and mouths. They stood in eerie stillness, as if waiting for something. Their armor clinked softly as they shifted, weapons dragging behind them with the sound of grinding steel.
Selene's eyes narrowed. "What the hell are those?"
"Corrupted dead," Exos replied without missing a beat, his tone unnervingly casual. "Their souls were devoured by Void energy. Someone—no, something—turned them into puppets."
As if on cue, the corrupted soldiers stirred. Their movements were jerky, disjointed, like marionettes with tangled strings. The void energy within them pulsed, growing darker and thicker by the second.
"There's a Void Lord here," Exos continued, tilting his head toward the distant horizon. "It's hiding somewhere in the crystalline temple. As long as it's alive, rifts will keep appearing, and the dead will keep rising."
Before Juno could process his words, the horde surged toward them, weapons raised. Their hollow eyes burned with a violet fury, their twisted mouths releasing guttural, inhuman cries.
"Storm's coming," Selene whispered, her grin sharp as lightning danced across her fingertips.
"Stellar Blades: Dual Celestial Fang!"
In a flash, her twin blades materialized in her hands—gleaming silver with streaks of violet, radiating sparks of electric energy. She lunged forward with the grace of a dancer, her blades slicing through armor and flesh with impossible precision. Each strike crackled with electricity, leaving trails of sizzling void mist in the air.
Juno watched in awe as Selene moved—fluid, deadly, beautiful. Her blades cut through the undead like ribbons, arcs of starlight trailing behind every movement.
"Starstorm Slash!" Selene shouted, spinning in a deadly arc, sending a burst of starlight and electricity outward, eradicating several knights at once.
Exos stepped forward next, rolling his shoulders lazily. He raised a single hand, and swords began to materialize in the air around him—hundreds of them, each blade humming with dark energy.
"Domain of a Thousand Blades."
With a flick of his wrist, the swords rained down like a storm of steel, impaling the undead with brutal efficiency. The air filled with the sound of metal tearing through flesh and bone.
Juno clenched her fists, feeling the familiar weight of inadequacy settle over her. Everyone around her was so… capable.
"Chronosword, I need you."
[Summoning Chronosword]
The air shimmered as her weapon appeared—a long, curved blade with a fractured clock embedded in its hilt, ticking erratically. Juno charged forward, swinging the Chronosword with all her strength. But her movements felt sluggish compared to the others. Every strike took too long, every dodge was a second too late.
The knights kept falling, but not by her hand. She glanced at Selene and Exos, effortlessly cutting down enemies, their abilities flowing like second nature.
She wasn't fast enough. Not strong enough. And no matter how hard she tried, she felt like she was always three steps behind.
As the last corrupted knight fell, Juno stood amidst the carnage, her breath ragged, her sword heavy in her hand. She looked down at her reflection in the blade—at the girl who was supposed to be the Timekeeper, chosen by fate to stand against the Void.
And all she saw was someone desperately trying to keep up.
What if she wasn't enough? What if no amount of training would ever be enough?
"Why do I feel so... broken?" she whispered under her breath.
Juno bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. She couldn't stop now. She wouldn't stop now.
"Come on," Exos called from ahead, his voice drifting lazily over his shoulder. "The temple's not far. And if we don't move fast, the Void Lord will know we're coming."
Juno gripped the Chronosword tighter, ignoring the ache in her arms. Weak or not, she would keep going. Because if she stopped, if she let the doubt win, the Void would swallow everything.
And she had nothing left to lose.