For a moment, neither of them moved.

  Ebonheim's eyes traced the warped lines of the space, following the way the pillars bent and twisted, as if struggling to hold their form in the presence of the knot's chaotic pull. The energy at the center shifted and writhed like a living thing, tendrils of dark light stretching outwards before being sucked back into its swirling heart.

  Beside her, Ariastra's silvered fingers tightened ever so slightly—the tension in her usually fluid movements betraying her unease.

  Ebonheim blinked, and for a split second, she saw the courtyard whole, its pillars unbroken and the sky a smooth, cloudless expanse. But then it snapped back—fractured and unstable, as if reality itself couldn't decide what it wanted to be.

  "This isn't going to be easy," Ebonheim murmured. "Then again... nothing's been easy since we left the Mandala."

  Ariastra took a step forward, her fingers trailing through the air as though she were feeling for something unseen. Her strings, which had been still, now vibrated faintly, emitting a low hum. Her iridescent eyes shifted through colors, the musical notes in them swirling in an almost hypnotic pattern.

  Ebonheim moved too, keeping pace with her. They wove their way through the pillars, navigating around the chaotic smears in space. As they grew closer to the distortion knot, the air pressed against them, thick with an invisible energy that felt like it was pushing them away.

  "How do we stop something like that?" Ebonheim asked.

  "The lock is amplifying the distortions," Ariastra murmured, more to herself than to Ebonheim. She began to walk around a pillar and study the surrounding space. "But the problem isn't just the lock. It's the broken structure...that's destabilizing the dimension. Hmm..."

  She raised a hand, her long fingers hovering over the strings that lined her torso, trailing them in a slow, thoughtful motion. The music that emanated from them subtly changed, adapting to the new tempo and rhythm she had discovered.

  "Everything here is out of tune," Ariastra continued as if diagnosing an illness. "It's not just the distortion lock—it's the space around it, the very fabric of this dimension. The different realities are trying to coexist, but the lock disrupts their harmony. Each layer pushes against the others, creating dissonance. Almost as though they're fighting for dominance."

  The silence hung heavy around them as Ebonheim tried to grasp Ariastra's explanation.

  But...did it really matter? A lot of things that Ariastra said flew right over her head. Better to stick with what she did understand.

  Ebonheim frowned, her eyes flickering from the lock to the surrounding pillars. "So...we're not just dealing with that thing," she nodded toward the knot of void-like energy, "but with the entire space. The lock didn't break the place—it's like an illness in a body. And we're trying to cut the illness out. Right?"

  "Yes," Ariastra replied. "The lock is at the center, but it's merely amplifying what's already fractured. To neutralize it, we'll have to bring the surrounding layers into alignment first."

  Ebonheim moved a step back. "How do we do that? How do we fix it?"

  Ariastra stared at the pillars, her eyes tracing their spiralling lines. "Not fix it. But we can bring the layers close enough to harmony that the lock loses its power. It won't be perfect—this distortion goes too deep for perfection here. But stable enough. I hope."

  "And how do we bring them closer?"

  Ariastra's fingers moved again, this time strumming a soft, lilting chord that echoed through the courtyard. The pillars seemed to hum in response, vibrating faintly, as if they recognized the melody. The distortions around them slowed, and for a brief moment, the courtyard stilled.

  "It responds to music," Ebonheim said, keeping an eye on the shimmering structure before them.

  Ariastra nodded. "Yes, but it's temporary. The distortion is too strong for a simple melody to hold. What we need is a more complex harmony—one that matches the vibrations of this space, one that can resonate with the fractured layers and bring them into alignment."

  "A harmony, huh..." Ebonheim tried to peer into Ariastra's eyes. "Do you have the skill for that?"

  Ariastra glanced around. "Yes, but not without help. To succeed, we'll need to work together."

  She said ‘we'.

  Ebonheim sighed, glancing at the knot of void energy, its tendrils writhing and pulsing as if sensing their presence. "Guess I assumed I could just watch this time around. But I don't know anything about this fractal world. What could I possibly do?"

  Ariastra walked with an unsteady gait, a pace dictated by the ever-shifting space around her.

  "The pillars are key," she said. Her hand lingered near a pillar. "They form the dimension's boundaries here, its structure. We have to make them harmonize. Then we can proceed towards the lock itself. While I weave the harmony, you'll need to adjust the pillars. They act as anchors for the different layers of reality, but right now, they're misaligned. If you can adjust their positions, I can match the vibrations with my music. Together, we can realign this space."

  The plan wasn't any clearer than mud.

  "Okay...," Ebonheim replied while reaching out to a nearby pillar. Its surface flickered under her touch, shifting and vibrating. But as she pushed against it, it offered steady resistance.

  At least these weren't difficult to interact with.

  "And to be clear—you want me to do what to them?"

  "Each pillar is like a tuning peg. The position of each one changes the...note this place produces."

  "How am I supposed to know what's in tune?"

  Ariastra smiled, but the musical expression didn't reach her eyes. "Leave that part to me. I'll indicate which pillars need to move and how. Your role is to move them before the dimension's layers fragment again."

  Ebonheim pursed her lips as she stared at the distorted array. "So this harmony game..."

  "Yes?"

  "Do you think I'll be able to move between the pillars without...breaking anything?" she asked, half-joking but unable to fully mask her concern.

  Ariastra's response was a soft, reassuring hum. "You've already learned how to move through this space with grace. Just stay attuned to the rhythm I set, and don't get into a hurry. Remember: Deliberate, but careful."

  Ebonheim took a deep breath. "Right. No sudden movements, stay in sync with your music. Got it." She cast a glance back at the distortion lock, its chaotic energy pulling at the edges of her vision. "And if we mess up?"

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  The other goddess's silence lingered for a beat too long.

  Ebonheim laughed, trying to disguise her unease. "Glad to see you're not blind to the risks." She lightly patted her companion's shoulder. "It's fine. I get it."

  "We can't fail," Ariastra stressed.

  "...Right."

  As the pair stood in the courtyard, Ebonheim pointed to the center where the distortion lock lay.

  "If I adjust the pillars while you're doing...whatever you're doing, what stops the lock from interfering?" Ebonheim asked. "What happens when it attacks us?"

  "It won't attack." Ariastra offered. She closed her eyes as if to visualize the entire area as a complex instrument. "We aren't the intruders here."

  Ebonheim gave a faint laugh. "Now isn't the best time to test that theory."

  "Stay ready just in case. I doubt that'll be an issue. If you adjust the pillars at a pace to my harmony, and don't become trapped in the rifts or mirrors of this space again, there's little reason to worry. Keep that balance in your head and move in rhythm to the beat. I will do my best to guide you."

  Ariastra lifted her elegant hands above her strings, her fingers poised as though she were about to perform a masterful concerto. In the silence before the first note, the world seemed to pause—breathing shallowly—waiting.

  Then, she played.

  The music that poured from her fingers was exquisite, ethereal. It resonated through the space, filling the courtyard with a harmonic echo. The pillars, which had seemed so still before, now appeared to sway gently, their spiralling lines shimmering in response.

  Ebonheim couldn't help but stare in awe.

  "Your position—," Ariastra said. "Left three paces, forward six. Stand at a diagonal position."

  Ebonheim's focus shifted from admiration to action. She eased into motion, gliding across the courtyard with slow, smooth steps. Around her, the fractured space seemed to yield, bending slightly to the rhythm set by Ariastra's music.

  At Ariastra's direction, Ebonheim stepped next to the first pillar. The crystalline structure towered over her, its surface a shifting kaleidoscope of muted colors. With Ariastra's hum guiding her, Ebonheim carefully positioned herself next to the pillar.

  "Place your hands on its surface," Ariastra's voice flowed like the music around them, soft but authoritative. "Feel the rhythm. You'll get the timing when the pulse washes over you."

  As Ebonheim reached out to touch the pillar, her palm flattening against the cool, shifting surface, the courtyard stilled around her. The noise fell away.

  As time slowed, a silent note began to chime deep within the pillar.

  "You'll know the right moment to push. It'll come in three...two..."

  On Ariastra's cue, the pillar gave a subtle pulse under her palm.

  "Now."

  Ebonheim exhaled and gave the pillar a nudge. She found herself easing the colossal structure back rather than pushing—almost like sliding a towering monument through water. But at the same time, there was resistance there. A pushback. The air was so thick.

  Ebonheim maintained her grip for another beat.

  As she moved the pillar, a resonance rippled outward, extending to the other pillars in a cascading wave. The reality around them seemed to relax, aligning for a fleeting moment.

  "Well done. Follow my rhythm and step to the right. Position yourself diagonally from the previous point."

  As Ariastra directed Ebonheim with hand gestures, her graceful movements matched the rise and fall of the melody, tracing invisible patterns in the air.

  In the silence between Ariastra's notes, Ebonheim stepped slowly, positioning herself as instructed. This time, a subtle bass hum was echoed from the pillar. It seemed like a guiding pulse against the silence that filled the rest of the fractured space.

  They adjusted another pillar—repeating the same process.

  Each time a pillar fell into place, the fractured reality around them shifted slightly, gradually slotting together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

  Ebonheim felt the resonances strengthen. The surrounding structures settled into place.

  Three, four, five pillars soon hummed with Ariastra's music, each adjustment a gentle push orchestrated by her musical guidance. The further they went into this practice, the easier they found themselves easing into the process. Ariastra's music flowed into each pillar. Ebonheim nudged them with less difficulty as the resistance began to weaken.

  Everything felt more at ease.

  Bit by bit, the fractured courtyard realigned. The sky above clarified and stabilized, the chaotic lines smoothed out.

  Ebonheim relaxed.

  The dimensional lock slowly constricted and settled at the center of the pillars, its shape going from a spasmodic knot into something that resembled an imperfect circle. The tentacles of dark energy gradually receded as the pillars that Ariastra and Ebonheim had brought into harmony seemed to dampen the void-like substance.

  Almost done.

  When she adjusted the last pillar, the air around them settled into a near-quiet state.

  As the final note from Ariastra's music faded, the surrounding landscape took on a more unified appearance. The layers of reality—once chaotically overlapping and contorted—now seemed to melt into each other, their boundaries softening into a harmonious blend. The pillars, too, had shed their discordant spirals, now standing tall and uniform.

  And at the center, the distorted knot of void energy—though not fully dissolved—appeared subdued, its size significantly reduced.

  "Now, Ebonheim. Destroy the lock."

  Ebonheim's head snapped to attention. "Do what now?"

  "With the alignment in place, the lock's power has weakened." Ariastra kept her body between Ebonheim and the lock as if to block anything that might try to break through. "Take advantage of this vulnerability and end its disruption."

  Her plan had apparently always involved Ebonheim using her skills to smite this barrier.

  Ebonheim grinned.

  "...Don't need to tell me twice."

  She conjured her bow, fingers tight around the ethereal string. With a smooth movement, she drew the bowstring back, feeling the thrum of power beneath her fingertips.

  Her Enchanted Essence Bolt glimmered to life, a radiant arrow made of pure divine energy. Its form sparkled and flared with a brilliant aura, casting a shimmering light that danced across the now-harmonized courtyard.

  Ebonheim angled the tip towards the distortion lock.

  "You were an excellent accompaniment," she said in jest.

  The arrow whistled through the air—a gleaming missile of purity. It collided with the lock.

  The impact flared in a brilliant detonation of light. The remnants of the void-like substance evaporated in the surge of energy, leaving the space before them cleansed and empty.

  Behind Ebonheim, Ariastra lifted her fingers to her strings and plucked a final, resounding chord. The courtyard around them quivered softly.

  As the dust settled and the light from her Enchanted Essence Bolt dimmed, Ebonheim scanned their surroundings. The courtyard was serene. The air—no longer fractured and distorted—settled into a clear and harmonious calm. The sky above transitioned into a steady blue expanse once again.

  Her gaze drifted to her right where Ariastra stood still.

  "Another obstacle conquered," Ariastra offered, her voice soft yet resonant amidst the newfound calm.

  Ebonheim placed her bow on her shoulder. "A teamwork job. I don't think we would have made it nearly as far through this place alone."

  "Mmm," Ariastra offered as her sole response.

  Ebonheim looked around for the Quintessence trail that should lead to the next aperture.

  But to her dismay, she saw only the normal clear glow of the realm around them. "Wait...that's odd. Are we not—"

  "Hmm." Ariastra twisted her body left and right. "This place is clear but..."

  Ariastra's voice trailed off, her head tilting slightly as though she were listening to something only she could hear. Ebonheim watched her closely, noting how the ethereal strings along her body began to hum faintly, vibrating with an energy that felt oddly familiar.

  The air around them, though calm now, still shimmered with traces of the remnants of the lock's energies, as if the dimension itself hadn't fully settled from the disruption they had just undone.

  Then, the shimmering began to shift—subtly at first, then more clearly, like ripples spreading across a pond. Ebonheim blinked, and before she could ask what was happening, the space around them seemed to peel away, the courtyard dissolving into layers of light and shadow. The world grew thin and translucent, and through it, she began to see something else—a glimpse of another reality, overlaid like a reflection on the surface of water.

  "There," Ariastra said, her voice smooth and unhurried, though her eyes gleamed with interest. "It seems we aren't quite finished. Look."

  Ebonheim turned her gaze to where Ariastra was pointing. The shimmering distortion had resolved itself into a window—no, a series of windows. They hovered like fragile panes of glass suspended in the air, each framing a scene from what seemed like another realm.