“This is it? That’s impossible.”
Hellig looked across the snowy expanse of billowing wind. Even with his armor providing a level of warmth to the three huddled figures, the cold and wind was still biting.
“Hellig, this doesn’t exactly look like it harmonizes with you. Are you really that different from your ancestor?”
Gusto glanced around, shivering in his thinner clothing. He was wearing his usual garb he had while inside Juhend’s Realm, and it was far from the same temperature. Adam, though cold, was at least still bundled up from his time in the Physical World with Hannah.
“No no no, this is wrong. The First Ingredient is tied to the sun and warmth; it is mystically impossible for this Realm to be…this!”
Hellig gestured around, anger present in his face. Taking deep breaths, he attempted to calm down.
After a moment, he sank to his knees and pounded into the snow. A bright flash of light came down from the sky, melting a small area around him. Pounding again and again, Hellig’s fists sent shockwaves through the ground, unbalancing both Adam and Gusto, who were nearby.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck, Fuck, FUCK!!!! ANGELS DAMN IT ALL!”
He stood up rigidly and condensed light in his palm. Shooting it up to the sky, it arced like a bolt of yellow, radiant lightning. Dissipating the cloud system for miles around and warming the air markedly, Hellig panted and hung his head.
“I don’t know why the hell it’s like this. It’s not supposed to be.”
“Hellig. Calm down.”
Adam moved closer, grabbing the shoulder of the Chosen.
“Take a breath, don’t lose your mind, you just expended a lot of energy. Settle down.”
Adam walked Hellig through breathing exercises. After a few moments, Hellig was once again able to rationally think.
“Thanks, Adam.”
“Any time. Now, what are we actually doing here, or is this a sightseeing trip?”
Adam glanced around.
“Because I don’t see many sights.”
Hellig sighed.
“I plan on harmonizing with it.”
“What?”
“What?”
Gusto and Adam both asked the same question at once, dumbfounded.
Hellig smiled wearily.
“My sister mentioned it when we fought her last Adam, do you remember? If that really is what my ancestor did, then, well…”
Adam shook his head.
“Hellig, you CAN NOT be serious right now. It’s impossible to harmonize with more than one Realm. Hrime was lying to you. You’ll misharmonize. We can’t let you try it.”
Hellig smiled and chuckled dryly.
“Adam, even if the two of you could stop me, and let’s say that with the recent training, you maybe could if you got lucky. I already started the minute we set foot here. You don’t need to meditate to harmonize with a Realm. It’s about the sensory experience, remember?”
Gusto’s face went pale, and Adam clenched his fists.
“Hellig, we should leave.”
“Haha, no. You can, though.”
“Hel-”
Adam collapsed to the ground in a fit of oily dizziness.
Gusto and Hellig rushed to help him up, but he was bleeding from his eyes and ears.
Coughing blood, Adam’s mind was in tatters. He saw a man without a face pulling a series of strings. He saw another star bleed into the world. The sun went blood red and bled down to the waters. A series of feathers fell dead in the wind. A shattered sword was drenched in blood.
The oily sensation intensified until Adam thought he was drowning in it. He saw an endless expanse of black, oily waters. And he saw the vague outline of something in those waters getting closer. Its presence, reaching out like the prayers of a billion minds, lightly grazed against the edge of a small pinprick of light, contaminating a couple of small sections with its inky oil.
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His spirit returned to his body abruptly, and he barfed a dark oily substance onto the snow underneath him. Struggling, he coughed up blood, mucus and oily water as he struggled to shout.
“W-we need to run. We need to RUN!”
Adam was half crazed. He clawed at the snow around him for purchase, struggling with all his might. He kicked Gusto off of him first and then twisted through Hellig’s grasp. Panting, he made to sprint away, but instantly halted when he heard a sound of faint clapping.
It was, after all, a logical sequence of events from start to finish.
…
Juhend dashed through the snow and winds. He was on an intercept course, but his divination was tampered with. This unforeseen set of illogical circumstances had led him to willingly deviate from the rest of the group in an attempt at getting to his destination more quickly. He was running out of time.
Behind him, vast plumes of snow rocketed upwards. He was, afterall, going faster than sound.
…
“I had not thought you would be capable of surviving it. I shall remember your face until the end of the world.”
In front of Adam stood a figure garbed in a pristine white cloak. He had no face, merely a head devoid of features. Wearing black gloves, it seemed as if Adam was looking at an unpainted figurine.
The being spoke once again.
“Adam Broek. Congratulations. I have been watching you since the bookstore. You could say I’m a fan.”
Adam shivered. Hellig, his halberd already raised, inched closer to Adam as Gusto shimmied his way into a better line of sight.
“Who are you?”
The being’s words resounded from all directions in a mocking reply.
“Why, I’m the chosen one after all. Are you not aware of the prophecy? He should have told you when you each became part of that little task force of yours.”
Adam scoffed. Reaching into his pocket, he clutched at the envelope of herbs Juhend had given him. He hadn’t had the chance to properly use them during his encounter with Hrime. Stalling for an opportunity, he elected to continue the conversation.
“What prophecy?”
The being before him laughed.
“The rivers shall run as blood; the stars shall dim without their souls. Brother against brother, Mortal will become unto God. That which is Outside shall be drawn towards the Harvest, woe upon ye Angels, for ye are least pure in God.”
The words reverberated through the air and ground. The snow shuttered in its place, the sky became foggier, the air became heavier… oilier.
“Rejoice. For you have the honor of meeting one of prophecy. I shall become unto God as He draws near from Outside.”
The figure took a step forward. Hellig, Adam and Gusto took a step backwards.
“It has already begun, have you felt it? The Angels are starting to go mad. Hahaha! They bleed into the Physical World, their impurities lay clear for all to see. But they still have their part to play, you know.”
The being held up one of its gloved fingers.
“After all, who would rear the harvest if not the false divinities? Haha! The war has already begun to my expectations. Martes, then Viernes, then the entire world shall be engulfed in warfare. Soon, very soon, even that detestable Diell City will be a ruin. And with it-”
He outstretched his other hand. A sonic boom was heard as a figure in a suit swung a cane with extreme force towards the cloaked figure’s skull. Stopping in place abruptly, and without any ceremony, Juhend Sureb’s attack was blocked with one arm. A logical sequence of events.
“My father.”
Sequence turned to face Juhend Sureb.
“Hello, Father.”
Juhend jumped backwards faster than Adam could follow. Holding his cane in a defensive poster, he didn’t spare the mortals so much as a glance.
“Hello, Sangar. Or do I call you Sequence now?”
…
Emperor Vendos Aurelius, alongside Streng Ezel, Bruenor Flos and the one thousand royal guards of the Diell Empire, sped through the snow. Following the exaggeratedly large trail of Juhend Sureb ahead of them, they made quick progress. Everyone’s mind was screaming the same thing.
He’s a demigod!
The realization had taken everyone by surprise, except the emperor of course. Still, seeing the speed and force with which his comrade had blitzed through the terrain left Vendos feeling a sense of inferiority. His power was largely concentrated in Diell City itself, in his tower. The might he could bring to bear outside of the Physical World was less potent than that of Juhend’s power. Even in his tower, it would be a difficult fight to win without the element of surprise.
Slowly, he guided his forces to halt. Feeling a mounting spiritual pressure on all sides, he looked to Ezel and Bruenor, who were on either side of him.
“Prepare for battle, a divinity approaches.”
It was a rather logical sequence of events, all things considered.
…
The Composer of the Corpse Symphony was confused.
He had meant to Shift to the Realm of the Ever-Decaying Lord but instead found himself in the midst of a Realm of ice and billowing snow. His confusion was swiftly replaced with glee, however, as he sensed an imposingly disciplined presence a few dozen miles away.
His face contorted into a massive, many toothed smile well behind his ears as he shot off like a train towards Vendos Aurelius. Paying no heed to the spiritual auras of the lesser beings around the emperor.
It was a rather logical sequence of events, all things considered.
