Kael and Lira stepped out of the temple, the morning sun now climbing higher, its golden rays piercing through the forest canopy. The tension from the battle with the constructs still lingered, but the artifact's revelations weighed heavier on their minds.
"Ok, " Lira said, snapping the silence as she tightened her grip around her saber belt, "war in the cosmos, formless gods, and breaches in existence ripping apart reality. Just another day, right?"
Kael smirked, though his grip on the Starforged Blade betrayed his unease. "The system's never been this… direct. It's like it's piecing things together as we go."
[Statement accurate,] the system interjected. [Current data indicates an escalating pattern of rift activity. Starborne energy signatures point to an organized gradation with a specific goal, to destabilize the material plane. Immediate action required to prevent large-scale consequences.]
Lira raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound ominous at all." She shot Kael a sidelong glance. "Your system sure knows how to sugarcoat things."
Kael exhaled, his eyes fixed on the horizon. "It's not wrong, though. We can't ignore this. If the Order of the Veil is present, they are probably ahead of us. We need to catch up."
Lira stopped, her boots crunching against the forest floor. "Catch up how? We're running on scraps of information, a sentient blade, and a half-dead library."
Kael turned to face her, his expression resolute. "The Codex mentioned a convergence point. If the fissures have anything to do with the Fallen Ones, they must have a "center" from which they can direct their powers. That's where we need to go."
Lira sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "Fine. However, the next time, we can hope to find an opponent who is not trying to shatter the universe into pieces? Or at least one with snacks?"
Kael chuckled softly. "I'll see what I can do."
The journey to the convergence point was not smooth. The forest thinned into rolling plains, and the air grew heavy with the faint hum of energy. It was as if an invisible thread was pulling them forward. The system's alerts intensified, revealing subtle anomalies in the terrain, such as faint scorch marks, uneven patterns in the grass, and whispers of movement just beyond sight.
By late afternoon, they arrived at the edge of a cliff overlooking a sprawling valley. At its center stood a massive stone monolith, its surface etched with glowing runes similar to those in the Astral Codex. Surrounding it were dozens of robed figures, their movements synchronized as they chanted in an ancient tongue.
Lira crouched beside Kael, her expression grim. "Let me guess. The Order of the Veil?"
Kael nodded, his jaw tight. "Looks like it. And they're not wasting any time."
[Observation: Ritual activity detected. Purpose: Amplification of rift energy. Recommendation: Disrupt ritual before completion. Warning: Multiple hostiles detected. Threat level: High.]
"Great," Lira muttered. "Just once, I'd like to find one of these groups planting flowers instead of summoning interdimensional doom. Maybe a bake sale?"
Kael studied the scene, his mind racing. The robed figures were scattered, and their arrangement of positions composed a complex one in the pattern around the monolith. Breaking the ritual would require precision—and a lot of luck.
"We can't take them all head-on," Kael said. "We need to create a distraction. Something to scatter them."
Lira's eyes gleamed with mischief. "Leave that to me. You focus on the monolith."
Before Kael could object, Lira vanished, her actions as quiet as the breeze. He saw her depart, and anxiety coiled its way around his own torso and grew. Trusting her was easy. Letting her put herself in danger was not.
Lira moved silently, disappearing amongst tall grass until she was within reach of the nearest robed being. She analyzed the way they moved, looking forward to when she could intervene. When it came, she struck.
At the edge of a flick of her wrist, a miniature vial of smoke blasted into the figure's feet, smothering the figure with a cloud of smoke. Panic moved through the ranks easily as cultists in surrounding areas broke line, their rhythmic chanting broke down.
Kael, seizing the chance, launched himself toward the monolith, vibrating Starforged Blade singing with anticipation. The system's voice guided his steps.
[Target identified: Central conduit. Strike point located at base of monolith. Caution: Energy feedback anticipated. Prepare for destabilization.]
Reaching the base of the monolith, Kael raised the blade high, its light intensifying. He crashed it to the ground with every one of his fibers, the energy in it, celestial energy, dropping and meeting its accord with the energy of the monolith. The force landed a shockwave that bounced through the valley and threw Kael to the ground.
As the chanting stopped, the monolith split, and cracks branched out, forming a lacy design. The robed figures screamed as their energy backfired, consuming them in bursts of light. The ritual site descended into chaos.
Lira came to Kael's assistance and helped him up. "Nice work, star-child. Now let's get out of here before something worse shows up.".
Kael nodded, his legs unsteady but functional. Why am I hit with the feeling I'm always going to be so horribly wrong?
"Because it does," Lira said with a grin. "And I'm starting to think the universe has a personal grudge against you."
As they retreated, the monolith collapsed with a deafening roar, its energy dissipating into the sky. The threat had been neutralized—for now.
However, while Kael and Lira vanished in the dying twilight, neither could rid himself of the conviction that this victory was just the first step of a much bigger, and much more dangerous.