Absynthe sprang to her feet, panic twisting through her chest. The warped binoculars slipped from her grasp, crashing to the floor with a hollow thud. She darted toward the exit, focus narrowing to the distant archway.
In her haste, she forgot Synthena was there—until her boot caught hard on her side.
"Wha—?!" Synthena yelped. Absynthe tripped, tumbling over her, sending them both sprawling onto the cold, dusty ground.
"Ouch!" Absynthe winced, rubbing her forehead. The blue rose—Synthena's gift from earlier—had skittered across the floor, coming to a stop inches from the exit.
"Gee, thanks for using me as a landing pad," Synthena muttered, voice edged with exasperation.
Absynthe flushed but didn't linger—her mind was already on escape. She pushed herself up, dusting off her clothes before striding toward the archway.
The hallway beyond was a maze of crumbling cubicles and faded walls, remnants of the ruined office building. Absynthe halted at a shattered elevator, its metal doors hanging ajar. Inside, its control panel was nothing but rust and shattered buttons.
She pressed a hand to her forehead, frustration simmering. "Obviously, the elevator is out of order—ruined building, remember?"
Shaking her head, she pushed forward.
Then—hope flared in her chest.
A door marked EXIT stood at the end of the corridor, the faint symbol of a staircase beneath it.
Her pace quickened.
But—
A deep, echoing thud rumbled from the other side of the door.
She froze mid-step.
Her breath hitched. Fingers hovered over the handle.
Silence stretched too long, too still.
Absynthe's silver veins pulsed wildly, the eerie sensation crawling across her skin, warning her—something was waiting beyond that door.
Slowly, she reached for the knob, twisting just enough to create a sliver of space.
A mutated humanoid figure loomed in the dim light, grotesquely stretched and warped, black tar clinging to its skin. Its jaw hung unhinged, reshaped into something unnatural.
One arm dragged across the floor, unnaturally elongated. The other remained eerily human-like. Wisps of black dust seeped from open spores along its skin.
Its head shifted—slowly, deliberately.
Then—its glowing, golden eyes locked onto hers.
A shudder crawled up her spine.
Absynthe exhaled slowly, barely holding onto composure.
Carefully—quietly—she eased the door shut, pressing her back against it.
"Okay… maybe not that way," she whispered, her voice barely above a breath.
She turned, swallowing the image from her mind.
But—her pace faltered.
Then, she collided into something solid.
Jerking her head up, she stared at the back of another humanoid figure, standing unnaturally still in the ruined hallway.
"Help me… help me… help me…"
The whisper was barely human, broken by strange distortions, layered with unnatural echoes. The figure twisted slowly, and—there were two voices.
A final, rasping breath escaped its lips.
"Starlight… starlight…"
Her veins pulsed violently, flickering like a dying star.
Then—more figures emerged.
From the depths of the shadows, whispering beings crawled forward, their voices uniting in twisted unison.
"Starlight… starlight…"
Some spoke smoothly. Others stuttered, fragmented. Their voices were out of sync—yet eerily connected.
They didn't lunge. They didn't attack.
Instead, they walked toward her, as if seeking refuge.
Their presence was oddly calm—yet deeply unsettling.
Absynthe stepped back, each motion measured, tense, deliberate.
Her back pressed against the exit door she had once feared.
The whispers grew louder, filling her mind, drowning her thoughts.
"Save us!! Save us!!"
Their cries intensified, swelling to unbearable volumes, pounding against her skull. Her vision blurred.
Then—
"Absynthe! Watch out!"
Synthena's sharp voice cut through the chaos, slicing through the noise like lightning.
The stairway door behind her slammed open.
A monstrous roar exploded through the space, furious and feral.
The heavy door shattered, torn apart, splinters raining down as something enormous lunged through.
The creature—the one she had glimpsed before—was now fully revealed.
Black dust poured from its massive form, corrupted energy suffocating the air.
It ran on all fours, limbs moving in unnatural sync as it charged toward her at terrifying speed.
The whispering figures scattered instantly, fleeing into the darkness like fearful ghosts.
Absynthe's chest tightened.
Their fear wasn't directed at her.
They were running from it.
The creature lunged.
Absynthe barely had time to react.
She stumbled back, heart hammering, body screaming to flee—but there was nowhere to go.
I have to fight.
Her veins pulsed, silver energy igniting.
Her right hand materialized a blade—a magnificent weapon formed of pure silver and gold energy, glowing like a celestial star.
She didn't think—she moved.
The creature leapt high, its colossal form soaring over her.
Gravity faded.
For a fleeting moment—she felt weightless.
The voice in her mind echoed through her veins.
"It's… time."
She swung.
Silver light spilled outward, wrapping her in its celestial glow.
The blade cut through corrupted flesh.
The monster faltered, body twisting unnaturally before crashing backward through the wreckage.
For a moment—silence.
Then—it roared in fury.
Absynthe steadied her stance.
It wasn't done.
And neither was she.
***************************************************************************************
The battlefield lay in ruins. Smoke curled into the air, twisting and warping the fractured sky above. The shattered remains of buildings stood as silent witnesses to the chaos that had unfolded, their jagged edges casting eerie shadows beneath the dim glow of the stars.
Synthena stood a few meters behind Absynthe, her breath ragged, her energy flickering like a dying flame. But Absynthe held the frontal position—steadfast, unyielding—a silent signal of leadership. Her stance was tense, her grip tight on her weapon despite the tremor in her fingers.
Their bodies shook, spent beyond measure, yet some force—undeniable will—kept them standing. The weight of their battle pressed against them, daring them to fall.
But they didn't. Not yet.
Breathless. Battered. But unbroken.
Synthena swayed, her vision blurred. Blood streaked her cheek, bruises carving deep into her skin. She staggered but refused to collapse.
"He's... he's still standing," she gasped, disbelief cracking through exhaustion.
"How? We—"
Her knees buckled, and she caught herself with sheer will.
"It should be down by now!" she snapped, frustration bubbling beneath the weight of her fatigue.
Absynthe said nothing. Her body spoke for her.
She stood, weapon barely raised, its tip trembling as it hovered between her and the monster that refused to fall.
Her left eye was swollen shut, bruises peppering her arms and face. The deep ache in her limbs made her feel weightless, as if her body no longer belonged to her.
Still—she stood.
The monster roared.
A deafening, bone-shaking cry tore through the ruined battlefield, reverberating into the darkened sky. Unyielding. Undeterred. Malice burned within it, unfazed despite everything they had thrown at it.
The scars of their fight meant nothing to the beast before them.
Absynthe's breath hitched, fear coiling tight around her ribs.
What do we do? I'm almost spent.
Her legs shook as she struck again. The monster lashed back—its arm tearing through the air toward her.
She leapt back—barely dodging, her body too weak to react again.
The second strike came—she couldn't move.
A shield of blue dust solidified in front of her, blocking the monstrous blow.
Synthena had saved her.
The shield shuddered, cracks forming instantly.
Synthena didn't hesitate—she shattered the barrier herself, breaking it with her red dust and reshaping it into a pentagon-shaped globe, trapping the monster inside.
The creature howled, thrashing against its prison, sending shockwaves through the battlefield.
"Abby—quickly!" Synthena screamed, voice breaking under pressure.
"I can't hold it much longer—do something!"
Her hands shook, sweat slicking her skin, breath coming in broken gasps.
Absynthe fell to one knee.
Her right arm hung limp, her sword barely clinging to her grip.
Her vision blurred.
The world around her dimmed.
Her mind raced—desperate. Searching. But no strategy felt right, and Synthena's cries grew more frantic.
Then—
"Use the stars... Use the stars..."
The voice—the one that had been guiding her since the beginning—returned, firm yet urgent.
"Raise your sword to the sky and call upon them."
Absynthe exhaled sharply.
Her grip tightened.
Her body was failing—but she stood anyway, using her sword as a cane, trembling yet resolute.
Slowly, she raised her blade.
Its tip pointed toward the heavens.
Synthena paused.
Her tear-streaked face lifted, watching Absynthe's stance.
Something shifted within her.
She wiped her face, then stood taller. Determination replaced despair.
Absynthe's voice rang across the battlefield, steeped in unwavering command.
"I call upon the stars—the skies filled with a thousand suns."
Her eyes ignited, brighter than ever—but this time, she was fully present.
"Shoot your light, like a million shining daggers."
The sky answered.
Bright silver flooded the heavens.
Stars tore themselves from their celestial homes—streaking through the night in blazing arcs, aimed toward the monster below.
Synthena moved.
She shattered the prison, her power colliding with the monster's freedom.
She ran toward Absynthe, conjuring a final protective shield around them both.
The monster roared—a final, maddened cry—its golden eyes widening in realization.
Then—
The stars fell.
A rain of celestial blades tore through the earth, striking the creature with unrelenting force.
It collapsed, consumed by light, its form breaking apart beneath the cosmic storm.
And as the last star found its mark—
The monster was no more.
The night stilled.
The energy faded.
The first light of dawn crept across the ruined landscape.
Absynthe lowered her blade, the silver glow dimming, exhaustion finally claiming her.
Synthena let out a breath, staggering slightly.
They locked eyes.
The battle was done.
They had won.
*****************************************************************************
The ground trembled.
Cracks split through the weakened earth.
The battlefield could no longer support itself.
Then—the ruin collapsed.
Stone fractured, steel buckled, the walls tumbled inward, cascading shards in every direction.
Gravity seized them.
Absynthe and Synthena fell.
Synthena reacted instantly, throwing up a barrier of blue dust, enclosing them in a protective sphere.
Dust swirled, fragments of stone and glass spiraled around them.
Synthena gritted her teeth, holding firm, keeping them from being torn apart in the descent.
Seconds passed like eternity.
Then—silence.
The collapse ceased.
The world settled into eerie stillness.
Absynthe, still inside the barrier, exhaled sharply.
"Make a small opening," she instructed.
Synthena hesitated only for a moment, releasing her red dust, creating just enough space for Absynthe to clear the rubble.
Dust shifted.
And then—
The first light of morning pierced through.
****************************************************************************************
The last of the rubble shifted, revealing the first light of dawn.
They climbed relentlessly, forcing their way through gravel with aching limbs.
Then—
They emerged.
And as the sunlight touched their skin, they froze.
The monster's twisted form lay crumpled beneath the ruins, its corrupted body crushed under the weight of the collapsed building.
Black dust, tinged with red, seeped from its remains, swirling in the faint morning breeze.
Then—as if sensing its final defeat—
The creature's shape dissolved.
Fragment by fragment—vanishing into nothingness.
Absynthe and Synthena shuddered, watching the last traces of their adversary disintegrate.
And then—
The tension snapped.
Laughter.
Yelling.
Joy.
The realization that they were still standing—still alive—exploded between them.
They cheered, voices breaking with exhilaration, exhaustion momentarily forgotten.
But as the celebration faded—something shifted.
A presence.
Both turned, eyes widening—only to come face-to-face with the figures from the office incident.
They stood calmly, silhouetted against the rising sun.
As light stretched across the battlefield, their forms became more distinct, revealing shadowy, humanoid frames.
Absynthe's breath hitched as whispers began—soft, wavering voices only she could hear.
"Thank you..."
The voices spoke in unison.
Among them, the second figure—the one she had encountered before the ferocious attack— stood taller, more defined.
It was both menacing and calming, a presence woven between dread and reverence.
Its hollow, white eyes locked onto Absynthe's gaze.
Her body tensed. She stood in a protective stance, muscles primed for action.
Synthena, sensing the shift, instinctively moved behind her, posture cautious.
The figure slowly lifted a hand, deliberate—offering something.
A small rock, pulsing with blue dust, rested in its palm.
Its aura was mesmerizing—radiant yet delicate, a beauty that even a geologist would marvel at.
Absynthe hesitated.
Then—carefully—she reached out.
Fingers grazed the smooth, glowing surface as she took the gift from its shadowy grasp.
She turned it over, watching as the dust shimmered like captured starlight.
Then—she looked back up.
The figure's voice, barely above a whisper—
"Geneara needs you..."
The words carried on the wind like an echo, weighty, charged.
The figure stared—silent.
Then, with one last glance—it dissolved into shadow, vanishing into the already-lit world.
The remaining figures followed, fading like mist, leaving nothing behind but the memory of their arrival.
Absynthe turned toward Synthena.
The glowing rock rested in her palm, its beauty unmatched.
It twinkled like the stars above.
Synthena blinked—then tilted her head.
"What is that?" she asked, curiosity buzzing in her voice.
Without hesitation, she manifested an eyeglass, pressing it against her face in a sleuth-like examination.
She squinted, as if decoding some grand mystery, her energy alive with excitement.
Absynthe chuckled, watching Synthena's playful antics.
Then—gripping the rock a little tighter—she declared with unwavering confidence:
"I don't know… but we're about to find out."
She turned her gaze toward the horizon.
"First, we find Celestia."
Synthena grinned, bouncing on her heels—energy returning to her voice.
"Yes! Yes!"
As Absynthe stepped forward, embracing the triumph of her victory, her body betrayed her. Her legs wobbled, her vision blurred, and exhaustion—merciless and unrelenting—ripped through her like a tidal wave.
She stumbled, her balance lost, and before she could catch herself, she crashed forward.
Face-first into the concrete.
The impact sent a dull, reverberating shock through her limbs.
Synthena paused, eyes wide, cringing at the sight of her collapse.
"Oof… that has to hurt," Not a very heroic ending, huh?"