In Camelot's bustling courtyard, villagers went about their day repairing walls and planting new crops, unaware of the catastrophe brewing just beyond the veil of reality. Then, without warning, the air shimmered like a heatwave.
A massive obsidian pillar materialised in the centre of the square, its twisted form pulsating with dark energy. Around it, the grass withered to ash, and the cobblestones cracked as though under immense pressure.
Before the gathered crowd could react, the pillar erupted with a deafening roar. Screams filled the air as people and objects nearest to it began to vaporise, their forms dissolving into nothingness.
Arthur burst onto the scene, Excalibur in hand. "To arms!" he shouted. "The enemy isn't at the gates—they're already here!"
In the great hall of Camelot, the familiar stone walls twisted and warped as elements of Celantheris' throne room began to bleed through. The dark marble of Ghirthal's dais merged grotesquely with the oak beams, and ethereal chandeliers of bone and crystal replaced Camelot's simple iron sconces.
Bandruí stood at the centre of the hall, her fae guardians flitting around her, their lights flickering nervously. "The barriers between worlds are breaking down," she said, her voice tight. "If this continues, neither reality will survive."
Pepsi joined her, her luminous form glowing brighter as she focused on the pulsating energy. "The merge is accelerating. It's not just merging—it's consuming."
Fantasia appeared in the doorway, her alien features grim. "The Reality Engine is pushing both realities to their limits. If we don't shut it down, the overflow will vaporise anything that doesn't fit."
Across Earth, Celantheris' influence erupted in violent bursts.
In London, gothic spires of obsidian rose from the Thames, their shadows stretching unnaturally across the city. A commuter train derailed as a section of track transformed into a flowing river of molten glass.
In the American Midwest, vast plains of wheat gave way to pulsating, flesh-like terrain dotted with glowing crystals. Livestock dissolved upon contact with the alien ground, leaving farmers scrambling to escape.
Meanwhile, in Celantheris, fragments of Earth began to appear. A double-decker bus crashed into the side of a dark cathedral, its passengers stumbling out only to be swept into the hedonistic madness of the Emperor's courtiers.
In Camelot's war room, the Vanguard gathered to formulate a plan.
Fantasia projected a hologram of the Reality Engine, its chaotic energy spilling out in waves. "This machine is the source of the collapse. If we can destroy it, we might be able to stop the merge."
Firebrand leaned over the table, his flames flickering with frustration. "Destroy it? How? It's in another reality."
"We'll have to go there," Bandruí said, her voice steady. "Through one of the breaches."
Arthur nodded. "A small team, then. We can't risk everyone."
Bandruí glanced at her father's map, still charred but faintly glowing with residual energy. "I'll lead the way."
As the team prepared to enter Celantheris, the merge intensified. In Camelot's great hall, the Emperor's twisted throne solidified, its grotesque form a chilling reminder of what awaited them.
From the throne emerged the shadowy projection of Emperor Ghirthal IV, his mad laughter echoing through the chamber. "You cannot stop the inevitable!" he proclaimed, his eyes glowing with manic fervour. "Your world will be mine, as Alora will be mine!"
Arthur stepped forward, his sword drawn. "We'll see about that."
The shadow laughed, then vanished as the merge claimed more of the hall.
The Vanguard moved swiftly to a growing rift near the lakes of the New-Inphel. The air around it shimmered with chaotic energy, and fragments of both realities collided violently within its swirling depths.
Pepsi placed a hand on Bandruí's shoulder. "Once we enter, there's no guarantee we'll make it back."
Bandruí nodded. "Then we don't fail."
Fantasia adjusted her equipment, her hands steady despite the tension. "I can guide us to the Engine, but once we're inside, we'll have to move fast. The collapse is accelerating."
Arthur took one last look at Camelot, then turned to the team. "For Earth. For Celantheris. For the future."
With that, they stepped into the breach, disappearing into the maelstrom.
Back on Earth, the effects of the merge reached critical levels. In New York City, the Statue of Liberty was swallowed by a wave of dark energy, replaced by a grotesque monument of bone and sinew.
In the Sahara, massive crystalline structures erupted from the sand, their jagged forms radiating a deadly heat.
And in Camelot, the remaining citizens huddled together in fear as their home was slowly consumed by the merging realities.
Alora stood atop the walls, her bow drawn, ready to defend what little remained. "Hurry," she whispered, her gaze fixed on the glowing rift. "We're running out of time."