The Battleborn Trio
Podrin, Maria, and Danti soared through the endless vacuum of space, their figures wreathed in the glow of the energy they wielded. The black, infinite expanse was punctuated only by the cold, distant gleam of stars and the hulking shadows of uninhabited planets drifting in silent isolation. Their laughter echoed through the comms as they raced each other, bursts of energy trailing in their wake like meteor flares.
Danti, his ash-colored hair streaming like a banner in the zero-gravity environment, unleashed a kinetic pulse from his hands. The blast seared through the void, striking a planet covered in jagged purple mountain ranges. The resulting explosion lit up the space around them, a brilliant display of splintering rock and erupting gas. The planet's core glowed with an angry red before shattering into countless fragments that spun off into the cosmos.
"Did you see that?" Danti's voice crackled over the comms, triumphant and full of pride. "Top that, Podrin!"
Podrin grinned, his soft red eyes narrowing with competitive fire. Energy crackled around his fists, purple streaks flickering like tongues of lightning. He launched forward, channeling his power into a single point and releasing it in a concentrated blast. The force shot across the void, colliding with a moon-sized, iron-rich planet. The surface caved inward before the entire sphere collapsed, the impact sending shockwaves that rippled across space.
Maria laughed, her golden locks framing her face like a halo. "Impressive, but not enough," she teased, releasing a burst of orange energy that raced past them and struck another barren world. This time, the explosion was so intense that even the light from nearby stars seemed to dim momentarily.
Podrin's laughter joined the others, echoing with a thrill that only destruction could provide. The trio glided through the debris field, surrounded by a symphony of silence and drifting shards of their conquests.
A Turn to Darkness
They veered into hyperspace, their forms blurring into streaks of light that shot through the fabric of the galaxy. Moments later, they emerged in a system with habitable planets, worlds teeming with life and intelligent beings unaware of the doom approaching. These planets were lush with verdant forests, cerulean oceans, and sprawling cities that glittered with the technology of alien civilizations.
Danti hovered above the largest of the planets, his eyes taking in the sight of its spired metropolises. "A shame they exist only to be obliterated," he said, mockingly mournful.
Maria rolled her eyes but smirked. "Shall we show them the power of their betters?"
Without waiting for a response, Danti released a wave of energy that cut through the atmosphere and struck the heart of a city. The buildings crumbled like sandcastles under the force of the blast, their once-grand structures reduced to fire and smoke. Screams echoed through the city as its inhabitants fled in vain, eyes wide with terror as they gazed up at the sky that had become a canvas for their end.
Podrin hesitated for a fraction of a second, memories bubbling to the surface. He remembered the cries of his own people as they were slaughtered by the Sootre Empire. His father, a king adorned in ceremonial armor, fighting desperately until he was impaled by a spear of anti-matter. His mother's final embrace as she whispered her love before the light in her eyes faded.
"Podrin!" Maria's voice pulled him back to the present, sharp and full of command.
He blinked, the memory dissolving into the present chaos. A deep-seated fury burned in his chest, and he summoned that rage, channeling it into his palms. A purple energy blast coalesced, flickering with a darker, more ominous hue. He hurled it at the planet's core, and the ground beneath the alien city fractured. Fiery cracks spread like veins across the surface, and within moments, the planet imploded, sending shockwaves that flattened nearby moons.
The trio watched as the last remnants of the city were consumed by fire and smoke. The alien faces, their expressions of horror and helplessness, were imprinted on Podrin's mind for only a heartbeat before they were gone forever.
"They were never more than vermin," Danti said, chuckling.
Maria gave a satisfied nod, her eyes glowing with a predatory gleam. "And we are their gods."
Return to Chiantan
The trio descended upon the golden spires of the Chiantan capital, the city alive with the symphony of life. Crowds moved along the gleaming walkways beneath their arrival, barely noticing the warriors overhead. The three of them touched down in a private courtyard adorned with crystalline fountains and lush gardens. Servants, clad in silver and blue tunics, rushed forward with trays of nectar and fruit, bowing so low their foreheads brushed the marble floor.
Podrin stretched his arms, the adrenaline of battle slowly ebbing away. He cast a glance at Maria, who smirked back at him, eyes full of mischief.
"Quite the show, wasn't it?" she said, taking a crystal goblet from a servant without so much as a glance.
"It was more than that," Danti interjected, running a hand through his hair. "It was a reminder of our place in the galaxy."
Podrin nodded, though his eyes wandered past them to a scene that made his blood turn cold. Across the courtyard, a Neutron Star person stood with Maria's personal retinue. He was tall and lean, his white skin almost shimmering under the afternoon sun. His eyes, a striking blue, were locked on Maria with an intensity that sparked something primal in Podrin.
He watched as the Neutron, oblivious to the death sentence in Podrin's gaze, reached out to touch Maria's arm, laughing at something she said. The sound of her laughter was the final straw.
Later that evening, under the cover of darkness, Podrin cornered the Neutron in one of the palace's secluded halls. The servant's eyes widened with recognition and confusion, but before he could utter a word, Podrin's hand shot forward. He grasped the Neutron's head, fingers digging into the pale skin.
"You dare," Podrin hissed, tightening his grip until a sickening crack filled the silence. The Neutron's lifeless body slumped to the floor, and Podrin stepped back, breathing heavily as satisfaction coursed through him. He looked down at the corpse with disdain. "A bug."
When he returned to his chambers, Maria was waiting for him, a knowing smile playing on her lips. She stepped forward, tracing a finger along his jawline. "I know what you did."
Podrin's eyes narrowed. "And does it displease you?"
She tilted her head, eyes gleaming with dark delight. "No, Podrin. It only makes me love you more."
They moved together, drawn by the same cruel fire that burned within them both. The night was theirs, filled with whispered confessions and the hunger of shared power.