The sound of the alarms echoed through the Apeiro Vivliothiki, a haunting wail that signified only one thing: a Leviathan was breaching into reality. Zyren didn't waste a second. He turned sharply on his heel, his combat boots striking the polished floor as he broke into a sprint. Saphielle followed, her white wings trailing behind her as she glided alongside him, her expression sharp with urgency. They navigated the twisting halls of the Time-Keepers' domain at breakneck speed. The suspended pathways and glowing corridors blurred past them as they rushed toward the Vortex Chamber, their movements perfectly synchronized by years of combat experience that made them move as one.
As they neared their destination, Zyren's mind was already racing ahead, his instincts kicking in. What kind of Leviathan? How large was the breach? How much time did they have? They reached the final turn, the reinforced entrance to the Vortex Chamber sliding open at their approach. They rushed in, only to find that someone was already there. Kai stood before one of the control panels, his back turned towards them, his stance firm. His combat suit was already activated, the dark fibers humming with latent temporal energy, glowing faintly at the edges. His broadsword, was already materialized, resting at his side, its obsidian blade glowing with an azure hue. Zyren and Saphielle came to an abrupt stop, momentarily thrown off by Kai's unexpected presence.
For a split second, Zyren didn't speak. He simply studied Kai, and the longer he looked, the more something gnawed at his gut. There was something different about the kid. The aura around him.....it felt sharper, more refined. Like condensed steel, hardened by unseen pressure. His posture was steady, but not tense. It was calm, unnervingly so. And then there was his gaze, when Kai turned to face them at the sound of their arrival, Zyren felt an uncharacteristic unease settle in his chest. Those eyes, they weren't the same. They were still Kai's, yes.....but there was something more. They burned with concentration, with a certainty that Zyren hadn't seen before. Not just resolve...awareness. Control.
For a brief moment, just a flicker, Zyren caught something else. Mistrust.....It was barely there, a glint of suspicion, buried deep within his eyes. But before Zyren could grasp onto it, the look was gone, replaced by something entirely different, an eerie, almost unnatural calm. Something wasn't right. Still, Zyren wasn't one to let tension linger. He stuffed the unease down, flashing his usual half-smirk as he crossed his arms. "Well, would you look at that?" he mused, tilting his head. "Did you happen to hit a growth spurt in your sleep, rookie? You're looking more like a man now." Kai didn't react as expected. No exasperation, no quip, no sarcastic remark. Instead, he simply met Zyren's gaze and said, flatly, "What do you mean by that? I don't feel any different than usual." The deadpan seriousness in his tone caught Zyren slightly off guard. He opened his mouth to press further-
But at that moment, the doors slammed open once more. Selara strode in first, her amber eyes already scanning the room, followed closely by Lorith and Elyssar. The latter looked slightly annoyed, her tail flicking behind her in agitation. "Saphielle," Selara barked, wasting no time. "Have you pinpointed the breach?" Saphielle was already at one of the central panels, her fingers gliding over the glowing runes with practiced efficiency. She didn't even glance up. "It's worse than expected," she said grimly. "It is a Double breach. Two different locations nonetheless." That made the air shift. Selara's expression darkened. Lorith let out a low grunt, crossing his massive arms, while Elyssar exhaled sharply, her ears twitching.
"What are the threat levels?" Selara asked after a beat. Saphielle's fingers hesitated for half a second, before she uttered, "B-Rank, both of them." The room tensed. Zyren clicked his tongue, running a hand through his wild silver hair. A single B-Rank was already a serious threat. Two? In different locations? This wasn't going to be easy. Selara was silent for a long moment, thinking. Then, she made her decision. "We're splitting up," she said. "We don't have a choice." She turned to Zyren. "You, Kai, and Lorith take one breach." Her eyes shifted to Saphielle. "You, Elyssar, and I will take the other." Zyren let out a short exhale, rolling his shoulders as he cracked his neck. "Well, isn't that just lovely," he muttered, half to himself. Then, he glanced at Kai. The younger Time-Keeper stood perfectly still, absorbing the situation with that same quiet sharpness. And for the first time, Zyren found himself wondering. Just who the hell are you, Kai?
The Vortex Chamber pulsed with an eerie glow as Saphielle's fingers skimmed over the console, weaving patterns of shifting light into the platform's framework. The air trembled as reality itself twisted, the shimmering rift before them widening into an unstable gateway. The resonance of its activation sent ripples through the chamber, making the very space hum with anticipation. She exhaled sharply and, without looking up, instructed, "Zyren, Lorith, Kai, you three are up first." Kai didn't hesitate. With an unnatural calm, he stepped forward, his stride smooth and deliberate as he passed through the rift without a flicker of hesitation. No second thoughts. No tension. Just sheer, unwavering confidence.
Zyren, standing just behind him, frowned slightly. Something about Kai was...off. The calmness wasn't normal. The way his shoulders squared, the way his presence felt more condensed, more absolute, it nagged at him. Was it the even same guy from before? Shaking the thought away, Zyren gave Saphielle a two-fingered salute before stepping into the swirling abyss after Kai. Lorith followed last, his massive crystalline frame moving with effortless power, the weight of his presence making the floor groan slightly beneath his step. The moment they emerged on the other side, the stark contrast was almost disorienting. They had left behind the structured, glowing halls of the Primarium Castrum, stepping into the World Beyond: multiple desolate stretches of cracked, blackened grounds, tough as obsidian, under a sky that churned with shifting, unnatural hues. The floating islands were fractured, as though time had splintered it apart, and across each of them, massive jagged rock formations jutted toward the heavens like the bones of a long-dead colossus. The air was thick with energy, the scent of something wrong lingering like a whisper at the edge of perception. Without wasting time, Zyren flexed his hand, manifesting his Hex.
His weapon, resembling Japanese Kusarigama, materialized in his grip. Its large scarlet blade gleaming dangerously as it curved from the silver handle. A long black chain unraveled from its end, the links clinking softly as it stretched into the air. The chain extended to an orb, slightly larger than a tennis ball, its translucent surface resembling fragile glass. Zyren gripped the silver handle firmly with his right hand, as he spun the orb by the chain attached to it with his left hand, channeling his energy into the weapon. The moment his scarlet energy surged into it, the orb ignited like a miniature star, flaring with violent intensity, its glow casting flickering red embers across his silver skin. Next to him, Kai was already in position, sword in hand, stance solid.
The black blade of Hex gleamed with a faint azure glow as temporal energy pulsed along its edge. He held it tightly with both hands, his expression unreadable, his eyes locked onto the empty space before them as if he already knew what was coming. Lorith, standing slightly behind, rolled his shoulders, his massive crystalline form gleaming faintly under the unnatural sky. His greatsword rested over his shoulder, a monolithic slab of jagged crystal that pulsed with raw power. His eyes flicked over the landscape, scanning, waiting. Then, within an instant, a rift tore open a few feet in front of them. With a sickening, guttural howl, a Leviathan surged through the breach. It landed with a ground-shaking thud, claws carving deep gouges into the earth. The beast moved on four massive legs, each limb packed with corded muscle, ending in monstrous talons that sank into the cracked soil like blades through flesh.
Its wings unfurled: jagged, uneven, and riddled with spikes that ran in chaotic rows down its spine. The leathery membrane stretched, tattered yet strong, as it shifted, adjusting to the new plane. Its tail lashed behind it, long and segmented, ending in a brutal cluster of jagged spikes that pulsed with a faint, eerie glow. It moved around it's massive oval-shaped shaped head, a pair of pointed horns curling from the top, as it looked around. For a moment, it was still. Then, its eyes, dark voids brimming with unfathomable hunger, locked onto them. It let out another guttural howl, revealing two rows of long, triangular and wickedly sharp teeth along with a pair of long jagged canines on each jaw.
Zyren exhaled, spinning the orb of his Hex faster as he settled into a loose stance, positioning the other part of the weapon in his right hand in front of him. His lips curled into a smirk, as he regarded the Leviathan with narrowed eyes. "Well, then" he muttered, scarlet energy crackling through the air as the orb at the end of his chain flared brighter. "Time to put down this rabid monstrosity."