The air in the chamber hummed with an unnatural energy, a static pulse that flickered in sync with the distant, throbbing rhythm of the city's core. The Rift Maker stood before the vast, shimmering expanse of the rift an open wound in the fabric of the multiverse. His fingers grazed the edges, tracing intricate symbols that shifted and swirled, like patterns in the sand disturbed by an unseen wind. His focus never wavered.
His cloak, made from the dark silk of an ancient void-being, fluttered despite the lack of wind, an echo of his presence in the space between spaces. He was neither here nor there, but somewhere else entirely, caught in the web of fractured possibilities. His eyes, unblinking and endless, flickered with the knowledge of many realities, none of which fully made sense to him, but all of which he must shape.
The plan, Xytheron's plan there was no clarity, no final goal in his mind. Only fragments. Only the pulling of strings, the delicate manipulation of what was known and what was yet to be.
"You feel it, don't you?" The voice came from the shadows, a mere whisper, but the Rift Maker heard it as clearly as if it had been shouted in his ear.
"Yes," he replied, his voice a soft murmur that seemed to vibrate with the rift itself. "But it is more than a feeling, isn't it? It's a purpose. A drive... pulling us all toward it."
He stepped closer, his feet barely making a sound on the shifting floor. The rift grew brighter as his presence swelled within it, and the air crackled with the tension of unreleased potential. The flickering patterns in the rift's depths swirled faster, growing chaotic, unstable yet controlled, perfectly controlled. This was his art, his craft. To weave chaos without letting it consume him.
The Rift Maker glanced over his shoulder toward the shadowed figure. "You still think Xytheron's intentions are clear, do you? That you can see the end before we even reach the beginning?"
The shadowed figure remained silent, a deep, swirling void where the face should have been.
"What will happen to the multiverse when it splits open?" the Rift Maker continued, his tone still measured, almost too calm. "When the threads of existence stretch thin and snap under their own weight? What will it look like then, I wonder?"
A ripple ran through the rift, as if the multiverse itself was listening, waiting for an answer that was never meant to come.
"The plan is not to see it, but to be it." His fingers twitched, and a new symbol etched itself into the space before him. It began to burn with an unearthly glow, casting long shadows that danced on the walls of the chamber.
"You know why I have to do this, right?" The Rift Maker turned slightly, his voice losing its calmness for a fraction of a second. "Because Xytheron knows that the edge of reality is a place where even gods are blind. There is no way forward except through it. Every twist, every unraveling... It's all necessary."
His gaze returned to the rift, narrowing as if he were searching for something someone beyond the void. "And yet, we still don't know if Xytheron is just pushing us toward an end... or if he is setting us free."
He reached into the rift, his hand vanishing into the pulsing void. The space before him shuddered, an ominous groan echoing from the depths. The Rift Maker's expression remained unreadable, his thoughts swirling like the storm in the rift.
"Maybe we are all just parts of a larger game," he murmured, his words not meant for anyone in particular. "Pieces in a puzzle that we can never truly complete."
The rift's light grew more intense, its edges flickering like the final heartbeat of a dying star. The Rift Maker smiled, just a hint of it, as the fabric of the multiverse began to tear.
And then, without warning, he pulled his hand back, empty empty but for the soft sound of something new beginning.
Nyxia's Point of View
He walked beside Dr. Wagner, the man's long coat trailing slightly behind as they moved through the echoing corridors of the Universal Archive. Nyxia didn't usually tag along on Wagner's errands too many books, too little chaos but this time was different. Virdarath had been visiting the Archive more than usual. That was always a red flag.
Dr. Wagner adjusted his glasses and muttered, "He has never read zis much in his entire existence. I am... suspicious."
Nyxia smirked, claws flexing slightly. "You think he's up to something?"
"I know he is up to something," Wagner replied with his usual Germanic bite. "Virdarath is like a child with a reality-warping crayon."
They reached the room Theta-11 a quiet corner meant for ancient records and multiversal blueprints. Wagner scanned his ID crystal, the door slid open...
And there he was.
Virdarath, in his chaotic, whimsical form oversized candy-colored jacket, mismatched socks, star-shaped sunglasses lounging in a beanbag chair surrounded by open chip bags and soda cans. On a floating screen was Mob Psycho 100, its vibrant, psychic battle flashing wildly.
"Oh hey guys," Virdarath said with a wide grin, not even looking away from the screen. "You know when that rift connected to Earth? I decided to research it and I found something called anime. It's really interesting. Also, I realized why Chloe's universe is called the Kingdom of Ruin. Makes total sense now."
Nyxia blinked, eyebrows furrowing. "You can do that?"
Dr. Wagner sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead. "Nyxia, I am not surprised you don't know that, but Virdarath you have been here for half the lifetime of Evolto City. You could have just used your TV."
Virdarath looked stunned for a beat. Then slowly took off his sunglasses. "…Wait. Really? I thought it only played the boring news."
Wagner groaned. "Mein Gott."
Nyxia just crossed his arms, staring at the mountain of chip bags. "What even is Mob Psycho 100?"
Virdarath grinned. "It's about a superpowered kid who bottles up all his emotions until he explodes into a god-tier psychic.
Nyxia tilted his head, eyes still fixed on the screen. "That's interesting. Can I join?"
Virdarath beamed, scooting to the side and patting the beanbag. "Yeah, sure! There's room for two, and I got spicy chips."
Just as Nyxia took a step forward, Dr. Wagner immediately cut in, his voice sharp with his thick German accent. "Nein, nein, nein! You can watch it at your home, Nyxia! Zis place is for people researching before a mission! You can't just take up a classified room because you vant to binge anime like... like a teenager!"
Virdarath held up a chip bag defensively. "To be fair, I am technically ageless."
Wagner scowled. "Zat is not helping your case."
Then Wagner pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly at his limit. "And again how do you not know about anime? I'm pretty sure every time Zalthorion sends you on a mission, the briefing says: 'Universe then some anime name!'"
Nyxia frowned. "It does?"
"Ja! I'm almost certain he sent you to zat universe… what was it called…" Wagner tapped his temple, then snapped his fingers. "Gintama! Zat show literally acknowledges it is an anime. Zey talk to the camera, have filler episodes about filler episodes!"
Virdarath nodded, still munching chips. "Yeah, that one broke the fourth wall so hard, it hit a fifth wall behind it."
Nyxia folded his arms again, muttering, "...I just thought that was how that universe was."
Wagner turned toward the hallway, muttering in exasperation. "Zalthorion help me… I am surrounded by lunatics."
Virdarath offered him a chip. "Want to sit down and watch? It's the episode where Mob goes full psycho."
Wagner did not respond. He was already halfway out the door.
As Dr. Wagner stormed out of the room, the relaxed atmosphere of the Universal Archive was shattered by a sudden, ear-splitting alarm. The blaring siren echoed down the long corridors, a red light flashing overhead.
"ATTENTION. SECTOR 14 IS BEING ATTACKED BY THE XERATHIAN ALIEN ARMY. ALL COMBAT-READY AGENTS, COME OUT AND FIGHT THE ENEMY. ALL NON-COMBATANTS, PLEASE PROCEED TO THE SHELTERS. I REPEAT..."
Virdarath sat up, his playful grin instantly replaced with a focused smirk. The chips scattered across the beanbag as he rose, eyes gleaming. "Guess it's time to punch something."
Nyxia, without missing a beat, flexed his claws, his smirk matching Virdarath's. "Looks like we'll have to finish the anime later."
Dr. Wagner's voice echoed from the hallway. "Zat's what I'm talking about! Get out there, now!"
Virdarath shrugged, casually tossing a final chip into his mouth as he moved toward the door. "Yeah, yeah. I'll save the day again. You coming, Nyxia?"
Nyxia nodded, moving to follow. "I'll handle the heavy lifting."
As they made their way down the corridor, the announcement continued to repeat, the gravity of the situation setting in. But just as the door to the Archive sealed behind them, Virdarath paused, glancing back at the screen, where Mob Psycho 100 continued to run in the background.
"To be continued..." he muttered with a grin. "Guess this'll have to wait."
To be continued…