The room descended into chaos as the newly formed aetherbeasts lunged forward, their crystalline bodies gleaming like shards of ice under the strange, pulsating light of the orb’s shattered remains. Rava braced herself, swinging into action. Her fists collided with one beast, shattering its form into glittering fragments, but three more took its pce, their howls reverberating through the chamber.

  "Vivienne!" Rava shouted again, her voice raw, trying to cut through the unnatural song that seemed to encircle her companion like a shroud. But Vivienne didn’t answer. Her movements were unnaturally fluid, her cws carving through one of the rger beasts with a precision that sent chunks of aether scattering across the room.

  Yet something was wrong. Vivienne wasn’t fighting like herself. She wasn’t struggling. She wasn’t trying to defend Rava or herself—she was reveling in the destruction. Her dark eyes gleamed with something between hunger and ecstasy, her form pulsing faintly as though the energy from the orb had rooted itself within her.

  Rava ducked under the swipe of a beast’s tail, her muscles burning as she drove her knuckles into another crystalline body. It didn’t shatter as easily as the smaller ones, its dense form absorbing much of the impact. She gritted her teeth, stepping into the blow and driving it back with a second strike. But the numbers were overwhelming. She couldn’t keep this up much longer.

  "Vivienne!" she tried again, her voice breaking as another creature surged toward her. It was massive—more complete than the others, a hulking amalgamation of jagged aether and serpentine limbs. Rava barely managed to evade its strike, the force of the blow sending tremors through the floor.

  Vivienne, meanwhile, was ughing—softly at first, then louder, her voice a haunting counterpoint to the beasts’ snarls. She leapt onto one of the rger creatures, tearing into it with savage glee, her cws slicing through its form as though it were paper. The beast crumbled, and Vivienne’s form glowed faintly brighter.

  Rava clenched her fists, her heart pounding as she fought to keep the advancing aetherbeasts at bay. But her attention was divided, her eyes flickering back to Vivienne as her ughter echoed eerily through the chamber. The glow around her companion was intensifying, an unsettling aura that seemed to ripple with power.

  The crystalline aetherbeasts were relentless. Rava dodged a swipe from one of the rger creatures, her feet sliding across the cracked floor as she countered with a punch that splintered its arm. Before she could follow through, another beast surged toward her from the side, its jagged tail catching her off-guard.

  The impact sent her sprawling. Pain exploded through her ribcage as she hit the ground hard, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She forced herself to her knees, clutching her side where blood was beginning to soak through her fur. The beast that had struck her loomed over her, crystalline jaws opening to strike.

  “Vivienne!” she shouted, her voice raw with desperation. “Help me!”

  But Vivienne didn’t respond. She was already moving, but not toward Rava. Her cws were raised, and with a sharp, deliberate motion, she drove them into the ground. The chamber trembled, and a pulse of aether rippled outward from her, like a wave crashing against invisible shores.

  The remaining fragments of shattered beasts on the floor began to stir, their jagged edges reforming and assembling into new shapes. Crystalline limbs sprouted from the ground, their bodies glowing with an unnatural light as Vivienne stood at their center, her bck eyes gleaming with an unearthly intensity.

  Rava stared, her heart sinking. Vivienne wasn’t just fighting the aetherbeasts anymore—she was creating them.

  “Vivienne, stop!” Rava roared, forcing herself to her feet despite the searing pain in her ribs. “This isn’t you! You’re stronger than this!”

  Vivienne turned slowly, her expression unreadable. Her gaze swept over Rava, lingering for a moment before shifting back to the beasts now rising around her. “Stronger?” she repeated, her voice soft, almost thoughtful. “I am stronger, Rava. You are such a silly little thing.”

  The creatures she had summoned turned their glowing eyes toward Rava, their movements disturbingly synchronized. They began to advance, their jagged limbs scraping against the ground as they closed in on her.

  Rava’s fists clenched. The beasts might have been born from Vivienne’s power, but they weren’t invincible. She wasn’t about to give up—no matter how badly she was hurt or how outnumbered she felt.

  She charged forward, dodging the swipe of one beast’s crystalline cws and driving her fist into its chest with all the force she could muster. The creature shattered, glittering shards of aether scattering like gss, but two more were already closing in. Rava’s vision blurred for a moment, the pain in her side threatening to overwhelm her, but she grit her teeth and fought on.

  “Vivienne!” she shouted again, her voice breaking with desperation. “You have to fight this! Don’t let it control you!”

  “Rava, Rava, Lady Ravanyr!” Vivienne’s voice echoed hauntingly, each word dripping with an unsettling, sing-song lilt. She spun around to face her, her cwed hands glinting with crystalline aether. “Maybe I just need to help you see the truth, hear the symphony!”

  Vivienne’s movements were fluid, almost hypnotic, a dance-like quality to every step. The aura around her pulsed with power, each beat sending waves through the air, pushing Rava back slightly. Before Rava could reply, Vivienne’s hand shot out, and one of the crystalline beasts lunging for her stopped mid-air. Its body froze, suspended in a shimmering cage of aether, before shattering into countless pieces with a flick of Vivienne’s cws.

  The sheer precision of the act made Rava falter. She’d seen Vivienne fight before, seen her unleash terrifying power as a hydra, as a giant, and even in her grudgingly beautiful humanoid form, but this was different. There was no hesitation, no struggle—just pure dominance. The beasts barely had time to form before Vivienne was upon them, tearing through them with a predatory grace that bordered on effortless.

  Rava dodged another swipe, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Every blow she nded felt like a gamble, every step a fight against the agony in her side. But Vivienne—Vivienne moved as if the pain, the chaos, the danger, meant nothing. Her strikes were impossibly quick, her movements eerily calcuted. The creatures didn’t stand a chance against her, and yet more kept coming.

  “You’re holding back, Lady Ravanyr,” Vivienne purred, her tone both mocking and pyful. She gnced over her shoulder, bck eyes glinting. “Why? Afraid to get hurt? Or afraid to hurt me?”

  Rava growled under her breath, lunging to take down another beast, but her mind raced. How long had Vivienne been holding back this strength? And what had changed to unleash it so fully? Her gaze darted toward the shattered remains of another crystalline serpent, Vivienne’s form glowing faintly brighter with every beast she tore apart. It was as if the orb’s power was feeding her, amplifying every bit of her tent potential.

  “Vivienne!” Rava shouted again, forcing herself to keep moving. She ducked beneath the swipe of another creature and drove her fist upward, shattering its head. The effort sent another jolt of pain through her side, nearly dropping her to her knees. “You don’t need this! You’re stronger than this—stronger than it!”

  Vivienne turned fully to face her, stepping lightly over the fragmented remains of another beast. She tilted her head, a smile curling her lips. “Oh, Rava. You don’t understand, do you? I’ve always been strong. You just didn’t see it.”

  Her hand lifted, and as if summoned by her will, another crystalline beast materialized out of thin air. It wasn’t like the others—this one was rger, more defined, its body brimming with raw aether. The creature let out a guttural roar and charged, its jagged cws aimed directly at Rava.

  This time, there was no way to dodge.

  Rava braced herself, raising her arms to shield her head as the crystalline beast smmed into her with the force of a runaway carriage. The impact sent her flying backward, skidding across the ground and smming into a jagged outcrop. Pain exploded through her body as she tried to push herself up, but her limbs screamed in protest. Blood trickled from a cut above her brow, dripping into her eyes and blurring her vision.

  The beast advanced, each step radiating malice as it towered over her. Rava forced herself to move, rolling to the side just as its cws raked down, carving deep grooves into the stone where she had been moments before. She scrambled to her feet, her breathing ragged, her fists raised shakily.

  “Still fighting, Rava?” Vivienne’s voice came from behind the massive beast, her tone almost teasing. “Why don’t you rest? You’ve done enough. Let me take care of things.”

  “Vivienne…” Rava growled through gritted teeth. “This isn’t you.”

  Vivienne ughed, a haunting, melodic sound that echoed through the chamber. “Oh, but it is. This is what I was meant to be, Rava. You’re just too afraid to see it.”

  Rava swung at the creature, nding a solid punch against its crystalline hide, but the beast barely flinched. It swiped at her again, and this time, its cws found their mark. She felt them tear into her side, sending a fresh wave of agony through her body. She staggered back, clutching the wound, her vision swimming.

  The creature pressed its advantage, and Rava knew she couldn’t take another hit like that. But as she prepared to defend herself, Vivienne raised a hand. “Stop,” she commanded.

  The beast froze instantly, its head snapping toward Vivienne like a dog awaiting orders. She stepped closer to it, her fingers brushing against its glowing body, and it seemed to hum under her touch.

  Rava’s stomach twisted. Vivienne wasn’t just fighting the aetherbeasts anymore—she was controlling them.

  “Vivienne!” Rava shouted, her voice hoarse. “Don’t do this! You’re stronger than this damn orb!”

  Vivienne turned to face her fully, her expression calm but unnervingly detached. “Stronger? No, Rava. I’ve been holding back for far too long. And now… I don’t have to anymore.”

  Her hand lifted, and more aetherbeasts began to materialize, forming around her like soldiers awaiting a queen’s command. Rava’s heart sank as the room filled with the hum of their creation. She couldn’t fight them all—not in her current state. And she wasn’t sure Vivienne would even let her try.

  Rava sighed and shook her head, the weight of the situation pressing down on her. “Then I guess I need to knock some sense into you first.” Her voice was calm but ced with determination. She took a sharp breath, held it for a moment, and exhaled slowly, centering herself as she slid into a powerful stance. Her feet spread apart, her fists raised in front of her like twin hammers, ready to strike.

  “Il caell upholm tate ctolrrm jol,” she intoned, her voice carrying the weight of a nguage that felt ancient and unyielding. Her words reverberated through the chamber, the air around her shifting as power gathered.

  Vivienne tilted her head, her lips curling into a smug smile. “Do you think you can really stop me, my darling Rava?” she cooed, her tone almost affectionate, yet undercut with venom.

  Rava didn’t respond, her focus unshakable as she continued casting. “Embolwh atilc pholwerr.” Her voice grew louder, each sylble ringing out like a hammer striking an anvil.

  Vivienne sighed, shaking her head slowly, almost pityingly. “Why can’t you just see, Rava? You can hear the song, can’t you? Everyone must hear the song.” She stepped closer, her summoned creatures parting for her like a macabre court making way for their queen.

  Rava’s gaze steeled, her eyes locking onto Vivienne with unflinching intensity. “Waetcat me fhell mwh ememilec.” Her words were sharper now, cutting through the tense air like a bde.

  The world seemed to hold its breath. For one terrifying moment, silence reigned, broken only by the faint hum of the crystalline beasts and the subtle thrum of Vivienne’s aura. Then, all at once, Vivienne’s many eyes widened in realization.

  “No—” she began, but her protest was swallowed by the deafening roar of Rava’s spell activating.

  The chamber erupted in a boom, the force of it shaking the very ground. Rava surged forward, her body a blur of motion as she unched herself at the rgest of the crystalline beasts. Her momentum was unstoppable, and the collision was catastrophic. The creature exploded into a shower of jagged fragments on impact, the shards raining down like aetherial gss.

  But Rava didn’t stop. Her movements became a tempest of raw power and precision, each strike shattering a beast before it could fully comprehend her presence. She was relentless, her fists crashing into crystalline forms with devastating force, reducing them to glowing shards that scattered like stars across the chamber floor. Lightning crackled off her skin, leaping from her every motion like serpents of raw energy, illuminating the darkness with each explosive impact. She was the storm itself, a whirlwind of fury and strength that nothing could contain.

  Her blows reverberated through the chamber, the force sending smaller beasts skittering back, their crystalline forms cracking under the sheer intensity of her attacks. She spun, ducked, and struck again, every motion fluid and calcuted, yet fueled by the primal need to protect and survive. Sparks flew as her knuckles connected with another beast, the energy coursing through her leaving behind charred, jagged remnants where once there had been formidable adversaries.

  The rger creatures hesitated now, their glowing cores dimming in what almost seemed like fear. But for every beast she felled, another took its pce, born from the endless stream of energy radiating from Vivienne. The tide was unrelenting, and though Rava pushed herself harder with every strike, she felt the weight of it beginning to press down on her. Her breaths came quicker, the pain in her side from earlier fring again, but she ignored it. She had to keep going. She had to stop this.

  Ahead of her, Vivienne stood as if untouched by the chaos, her form radiant and terrible. Her many eyes followed Rava's every move with a detached curiosity, as though the fight were a performance meant only for her amusement.

  “Is that all you’ve got, Lady Ravanyr?” Vivienne’s voice cooed mockingly, her tone carrying over the cacophony. She raised a hand, and another crystalline monstrosity began to take shape, this one rger and more intricate than the others, its form a grotesque mimicry of a knight in shining armor.

  Rava snarled, her lightning-drenched fists clenching tighter. “You’ve no idea what I’ve got,” she growled, pushing forward again. She unched herself at the crystalline knight, her first punch cracking its chest, but it didn’t shatter like the others. It swung its massive arm at her in retaliation, and though she dodged the brunt of the blow, the edge of it caught her shoulder, sending her skidding back with a grunt of pain.

  The knight advanced, swinging again, and this time Rava ducked low, delivering a powerful uppercut that split its head cleanly in two. The beast stumbled but didn’t fall, its core still glowing brightly.

  Behind her, Vivienne ughed—a haunting, melodic sound that seemed to echo through the chamber. “You’re so beautiful when you fight, Rava. But you can’t win this. Why not just join me? We could create a masterpiece together.”

  Rava spat blood onto the ground and straightened, her jaw set with determination. “Not while I’m still standing,” she snapped, charging the knight once more.

  But as the knight swung its arm down to meet her, Rava’s world exploded in pain. A jagged shard from a smaller beast’s cw raked across her back, sending searing agony through her body. She stumbled, her spell faltering for a moment as the relentless tide of aetherbeasts began to overwhelm her.

  Through the haze of pain, Rava’s eyes darted toward Vivienne. Her heart sank as she saw her—radiant, unshaken, and now surrounded by several towering crystalline constructs. Vivienne raised her hands, her aura intensifying, and with a cruel smile, the beasts turned their glowing eyes toward Rava.

  The tide was turning, and not in her favor.

  And Rava did not care. She was the fourth child of Korriva, a name that carried weight and reverence in equal measure. She was more than just a fighter—she was forged in the crucible of battle, trained by her mother, the greatest endomancer to ever walk the realms. She was powerful. She was respected. And she was feared.

  Pain was nothing new to her. She’d felt her bones break, her skin sear, and her soul strain under the weight of impossible challenges. This was just another fight. Another test.

  The glowing beasts closed in, their crystalline forms gleaming like jagged sculptures of light and malice. Rava straightened, ignoring the blood dripping down her back and the sharp, burning ache that spread with every breath. Her eyes burned with a fire that outshone the beasts’ cold light. Her fists, though bruised and battered, clenched with renewed determination.

  She was Korriva’s daughter. A champion of the gods. A force that even nightmares could not tame.

  Rava lunged forward with a roar that echoed through the chamber, her voice cutting through Vivienne’s haunting ughter. Her fist collided with the crystalline knight’s chest, and this time, it did not merely crack—it shattered, her raw power obliterating the beast in a single, devastating blow. Fragments of glowing crystal rained down around her like shards of a broken star, and she wasted no time pivoting to meet the next threat.

  One by one, the beasts fell before her. Her punches were thundercps, her movements a whirlwind of relentless ferocity. She tore through the horde with a single-minded focus, each strike a defiance of the odds stacked against her. The ground beneath her feet was littered with the remains of her enemies, and yet the stream of beasts did not slow.

  “Do you think this will end any differently?” Vivienne’s voice sang out, a mockery ced with chilling glee. “You’re strong, Rava, but you’re not enough.”

  Rava’s lips curled into a snarl, the lightning dancing off her skin fring brighter. “Then I’ll just keep going until I am.”

  A monstrous creature loomed before her, its crystalline body rger and more intricate than any she’d faced yet. It roared, a sound like gss grinding against stone, and lunged with terrifying speed. Rava dodged, barely escaping the swipe of its razor-like cws, and countered with a blow that sent a shockwave rippling through the chamber. The beast staggered but held firm, its glowing core pulsing furiously.

  Rava gritted her teeth, unching a flurry of strikes, each one cracking its crystalline armor further. It retaliated, its cws grazing her arm and leaving a jagged wound, but she didn’t falter. Pain was a distraction she couldn’t afford. She drove her knee into its core, the force shattering it completely, and the beast crumbled into lifeless fragments.

  She turned to face the next wave, her chest heaving, her muscles screaming for respite. Still, she stood tall, defiant.

  Vivienne tilted her head, her many eyes narrowing as she watched Rava with an unsettling mixture of amusement and curiosity. “You’re so stubborn, Rava. So… predictable.” Her voice dropped to a sultry whisper, her aura fring as she raised a hand. “But let’s see how you handle this.”

  With a gesture, Vivienne summoned more beasts, their forms rger and more horrifying than before. The chamber trembled under their combined presence, crystalline forms humming with an otherworldly energy. The creatures circled Vivienne like guardians, jagged cws poised to strike.

  The tide was relentless.

  And still, Rava refused to yield.

  Even when she was betrayed, when she had an army at her heels, when they cmped that cursed colr around her neck and dragged her through her own personal hell—she did not yield. She had cwed her way back from worse, from depths of despair and pain that would have broken anyone else.

  This? This was another battle. And she would win.

  Her gaze locked on Vivienne, who stood at the center of the chaos. Her dark eyes shimmered with an unnatural glow, and her ughter was a melody of madness. The beasts were distractions, but the true threat was the woman she had fought beside, trusted, and maybe even started to care for.

  Rava shifted her stance, electricity crackling faintly at her knuckles as her endomantic power built. She darted forward, not toward the beasts but straight for Vivienne.

  The nightmare’s cws twitched in surprise as Rava closed the distance with lightning speed, weaving through the crystalline horde. A massive beast lunged at her, but Rava sidestepped with ease, pnting her foot on its back and vaulting into the air. She nded just in front of Vivienne, who raised her hand to summon more creatures, but Rava didn’t give her the chance.

  Her hand shot out, gripping Vivienne’s wrist in an iron vice. “Enough!” she snarled, her voice a storm.

  “What are you—” Vivienne started, but Rava didn’t wait for her to finish.

  With a burst of strength, she yanked Vivienne forward, slinging her over her shoulder as though she weighed nothing. Vivienne thrashed, her cws scraping at Rava’s back and shoulders, but the lekine didn’t falter. She surged through the ruins, crystalline beasts screeching in pursuit but struggling to keep up with her sheer speed.

  Stone walls blurred as Rava pushed deeper into the ancient structure, her movements a mix of raw power and calcuted precision. Finally, she reached a dimly lit chamber far from the main hall, the oppressive hum of the orb’s power a faint echo here. She hurled Vivienne to the ground, her movements sharp and decisive.

  Vivienne nded with a thud, her dark eyes bzing as she scrambled to her feet. “Rava, you have no idea what you’re doing,” she said, her tone icy.

  Rava stood tall, her fists clenched, her breathing heavy but controlled. “You’re right—I have no idea why you’re acting like this. But I’m going to stop it.”

  Vivienne brushed herself off, her expression shifting into a dangerous smile. “You can’t stop what’s already in motion. The song is part of me now.”

  Rava’s eyes narrowed. “Then I’ll break you free from it. Even if I have to beat it out of you.”

  Vivienne’s ughter echoed in the chamber, soft and mocking. “Oh, Rava. You always were so stubborn.”

  The tension between them snapped like a taut wire. Vivienne darted forward, her cws sshing toward Rava’s face. Rava twisted, catching Vivienne’s wrist and spinning her momentum into a throw. Vivienne hit the ground but rolled back to her feet with unnatural grace, her movements almost hypnotic.

  “Fast,” Vivienne noted, her smile widening. “But not fast enough.”

  She lunged again, her strikes precise and unrelenting, but Rava met her head-on, blocking and countering with a ferocity that matched Vivienne’s newfound power. Their csh sent shockwaves through the chamber, the faint glow of the aether veins flickering with each impact.

  Rava’s fists collided with Vivienne’s cws in a symphony of force and speed. Sparks erupted as cws met flesh, and the air crackled with the energy of their blows. The chamber shuddered under the intensity of their csh, ancient stone groaning as if alive.

  Rava swung low, aiming for Vivienne’s legs, but Vivienne leapt with uncanny grace, flipping over her and sshing downward. Rava twisted, narrowly avoiding the strike, and retaliated with an uppercut that caught Vivienne mid-air. The impact sent her flying back, but Vivienne nded in a crouch, unshaken, her dark eyes gleaming with predatory amusement.

  “You’re holding back, Rava,” Vivienne said, her voice lilting, almost pyful. “You’ll never win if you don’t fight me seriously.”

  Rava gritted her teeth, lightning crackling at her fingertips. “I’m not fighting to win. I’m fighting to save you.”

  She charged forward, her movements a blur as she unleashed a flurry of blows. Vivienne dodged and parried with terrifying ease, her cws sshing through the air like deadly ribbons. One strike grazed Rava’s arm, drawing blood, but she didn’t falter. She pnted her foot and delivered a devastating hook to Vivienne’s ribs, the force enough to send cracks spidering through the floor beneath them.

  Vivienne staggered but quickly recovered, her ughter echoing through the chamber. “Is that all you’ve got? Come on, Rava, show me the storm.”

  Rava’s frustration boiled over, and she began to chant, her voice resonating with the power of her endomancy. “Embolwh atilc pholwerr... Waetcat me fhell mwh ememilec!”

  The room seemed to freeze as her spell took hold, the air around her electrifying. Lightning erupted from her body in a blinding surge, arcing toward Vivienne with the force of a tempest. The spell smmed into her, throwing her back against the chamber wall.

  For a moment, everything was still.

  But then Vivienne stood, brushing off the rubble as if it were dust. Her smile was sharper now, more menacing. “Impressive. But you’ve barely scratched the surface.”

  Rava’s heart sank. She had poured everything into that spell, and Vivienne had taken it like a mere inconvenience. She didn’t want to admit it, but Vivienne wasn’t just powerful—she was beyond anything Rava had ever faced.

  As Vivienne began to advance, her aura swelling with raw aetheric energy, Rava realized brute force wouldn’t work. Not against this.

  “Vivienne, stop,” Rava said, her voice cutting through the tension. She dropped her stance, her fists lowering. “Listen to me. You’re better than this. I know you are.”

  Vivienne’s steps slowed, her expression faltering for a split second before the cold smile returned. “Better? This is me, Rava. This is what I was meant to be. You just can’t see it yet.”

  Rava shook her head, stepping closer, her movements careful. “I see you. I’ve always seen you. The real you. The one who fights for others, who protects those who can’t protect themselves. The one who cares.”

  Vivienne hesitated, the glow in her eyes dimming slightly.

  “And what about your children, Vivienne?” Rava’s voice cracked, but she pressed on. “Would they recognize this version of you? Would they be proud of who you’ve become?”

  The words hit like a hammer. Vivienne’s aura flickered, her cws lowering slightly as her expression twisted into something pained. “My… children?”

  “Yes,” Rava said, her voice steady but urgent. “Think of them. Think of what you’re fighting for. Is this who you want to be?”

  For the first time, the ughter stopped. Vivienne’s gaze dropped to the ground, her cws trembling. The crystalline beasts around them faltered, their forms wavering as if caught between reality and dissolution.

  SupernovaSymphony