The multiverse is alive, restless. Every flicker of energy, every shift of reality, ripples through its endless expanse. Some events pass unnoticed, like whispers in a storm. Others echo through eternity, shaping destinies in ways none can predict. On a dark, desolate planet shrouded in chaos and illusion, a presence moves with purpose.
Min, the goddess of reality, steps through the barren landscape. Her golden eyes, glowing like molten suns, pierce the consuming darkness. Her tall figure radiates command; every step she takes seems to rewrite the lifeless soil beneath her feet. Her silver hair cascades like starlight over her shoulders, catching faint flickers of light from the chaotic sky above. She moves with calm precision, her gaze searching the void.
The planet itself feels alive, but not in the way of thriving ecosystems. Instead, it thrums with unease, as if reality here struggles against its own existence. The twisted horizon is filled with jagged cliffs, rivers of fire, and fleeting illusions—phantasms of places that might have existed or might never have been.
Then, from nowhere and everywhere at once, a voice cuts through the oppressive silence, smooth and sharp like a blade.
Voice: “Min. Why do you seek me? Are you so concerned about what happened in the Summoners' universe? R19N-2, wasn’t it?”
Min halts, her golden eyes narrowing. Her aura intensifies, bending the chaos around her into uneasy stillness. Her voice is measured, steady, but laced with irritation.
Min: “I wasn’t seeking you, Andy. It was you who flooded the Realms of Light with that reckless surge of aura. Almost as if you wanted someone to find you. Stop playing games. Drop the illusions and face me.”
The shadows tremble, folding inward. The fabric of the world twists, and from the flickering firelight ahead, a figure emerges. Andy sits atop a jagged black rock, his posture at once regal and relaxed. His light brown skin gleams faintly in the firelight, a stark contrast to the blood-red outfit he wears—simple yet striking, its intricate patterns glowing faintly with divine energy.
A curved blade rests beside him, its edges faintly pulsing, almost alive. Andy’s crimson left eye burns like a star, radiating an intensity that bends the very space around it. But Min’s sharp gaze is drawn to his right eye—or rather, the absence of it.
Where his right eye once was, there is only an unnatural void. Dark energy swirls within the hollow socket, faintly humming with a power that feels ancient and otherworldly. It seems alive, like a wound that refuses to heal, and its presence warps the air around it.
Min: “Your eye… What have you done, Andy? And your mind? What madness has taken hold of you?”
Andy’s face remains calm, but his crimson eye flares slightly, a ripple of restrained power spreading through the wasteland. His voice is steady but carries the weight of someone who has touched the edge of infinity.
Andy: “I called you here because you’re the only one who can fix what’s left of me. My eye. My mind.”
Min tilts her head slightly, her expression remaining cold but her curiosity unmistakable.
Min: “Your mind? Your eye? Andy, explain yourself. What could possibly force you to mutilate your own soul?”
Andy exhales, his tone sharpening.
Andy: “It’s not madness, Min. It’s the price I paid to touch the truth. To wield an ability that no being—god or mortal—was ever meant to hold.”
He pauses, his crimson eye dimming briefly as though the memory itself burns him.
Andy: “Cosmic awareness.”
The words land heavily, the wasteland seeming to tremble in response. Min’s golden eyes widen ever so slightly. She knows of the ability—an impossible gift that allows one to perceive the entire multiverse in its infinite complexity. But it is more curse than blessing, overwhelming even the most powerful minds.
Min: “You… You actually attempted to wield cosmic awareness? Andy, do you realize what you’ve done? That power destroys everything it touches!”
Andy chuckles faintly, though it carries no humor.
Andy: “It doesn’t destroy, Min. It reveals. And yes, it’s too much for any mind to bear. Every second, I see a thousand truths, a million possibilities. My brain is collapsing under the weight of infinity. But I had to do it.”
Min steps closer, her gaze hardening.
Min: “Why? What could possibly drive you to such madness?”
Andy’s crimson eye glows brighter, casting flickering shadows on the desolate landscape. His voice drops, heavy with conviction.
Andy: “Rain. He’s the reason.”
Min’s expression sharpens, her cold demeanor giving way to a flicker of concern. Rain’s name carries weight—too much weight.
Min: “What do you mean? What did you see, Andy?”
Andy looks away briefly, his gaze lost in the flickering firelight.
Andy: “I saw his plan, Min. The future he’s trying to shape. The truths he’s hiding, even from himself. And if we don’t stop him…”
He doesn’t finish the sentence. He doesn’t need to. The wasteland falls silent, save for the faint crackling of distant fire.
Min steps closer, her presence like a blade poised to strike.
Min: “If you’ve seen so much, Andy, then tell me. What is it that Rain plans to do?”
Andy meets her gaze, his crimson eye burning with the weight of countless universes.
Andy: “Not yet. You’ll understand in time, Min. But for now…” He gestures toward his voided eye, the swirling darkness within pulsing faintly. “You need to fix me before this vision consumes what’s left of my mind.”
Min’s gaze lingers on him, her golden eyes unreadable.
Min: “I’ll help you, Andy. But if you’ve touched something you shouldn’t have, even I may not be able to save you from the consequences.”
Andy’s voice softens, almost imperceptibly.
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Andy: “Consequences, Min? We’ve already crossed the line. Now, all that matters is who survives what comes next.”
While Thalor trained to become strong, pushing the boundaries of his endurance, Min journeyed with Andy through a dimension where light consumed light, birthing darkness itself. Elsewhere, Spark and Lucy debated the ripples of chaos Rain had unleashed, pondering the fragile balance of the multiverse. Events of varying magnitude unfolded across countless universes, but were any of them significant enough to capture the attention of the gods?
Scene shifts to a
Location: The Infinity Forge
The Infinity Forge buzzes with the hum of machinery and mystic energy. Its massive chambers are illuminated by ever-shifting lights that dance between scientific brilliance and arcane hues. Translucent screens display swirling patterns of cosmic energy, while researchers, clad in lab coats and robes, move purposefully through the labyrinthine halls.
A Transversal Gatekeeper, breathless from running through the expansive Forge, enters the central chamber. At the core of the room stands Animo, the Shadow Lord, cloaked in darkness yet radiating a subtle brilliance. His tall figure commands respect, and his calm, calculating demeanor masks the storm of thoughts constantly brewing in his mind.
---
Gatekeeper (panting): "Lord Animo, the flow has been restored. The energy streams connecting the Infinity Spire to the rest of the multiverse have been reactivated. We can now open gates to other universes, and people can traverse into the Spire freely once more."
Animo doesn’t respond immediately. His deep, piercing eyes seem to look beyond the Gatekeeper, processing this information with unnerving precision. His voice finally cuts through the air, calm and deliberate.
Animo: "Restoration of the flow... after all this time. It was supposed to be a failsafe system. If it stopped, something significant must have disrupted its equilibrium. Who restarted it?"
The Gatekeeper fidgets nervously, unsure of how to answer.
Gatekeeper: "I... I am not certain, my lord. The system simply reactivated on its own, without any input from us."
Animo’s eyes narrow.
Animo: "Energy systems as intricate as these do not restart themselves. This is no coincidence."
He turns sharply and walks to a console brimming with data projections, his shadow flickering unnaturally in the Forge’s ambient light. With a wave of his hand, streams of data shift and rearrange, searching for patterns and anomalies.
---
Animo (to himself): "The Spire's flow is the lifeblood of the multiverse's balance. For it to halt—and now resume—without our intervention... it raises questions. Questions I do not like unanswered."
He turns to one of the nearby workers, a young researcher clearly uneasy under Animo’s direct gaze.
Animo: "Send word to the Event Horizon Authority. Have them check the Infinity Annals for any unusual occurrences across the multiverse in the last cycle. We need precise answers—no speculation."
Worker (nervously): "At once, Lord Animo."
The worker scurries away. Animo’s mind races, already calculating potential causes and ramifications.
---
After a moment’s pause, he addresses another researcher.
Animo: "Contact the Ethereal Surveillance Division(ESD). Summon Henry, the Shade Seeker. If there’s been a covert operation or rogue activity, he will find it. Tell him this takes precedence over all else."
The room falls silent as Animo steps away, walking to a massive observation window overlooking the Infinity Spire’s core—a swirling vortex of raw energy. His shadow seems to grow longer and darker, almost alive.
---
Animo (murmuring): "The flow restored... What force has dared tamper with the Spire? Have we invited chaos, or has chaos invited itself? Either way, answers must be found before this becomes another fracture in the multiverse's fragile balance."
He turns back to the Gatekeeper, who remains rooted in place.
Animo: "Monitor every gate connection that reopens. If you see irregularities, report to me immediately."
Gatekeeper: "Yes, my lord."
---
Animo’s mind drifts, recalling the teachings of Rain and his own philosophical musings.
Animo (to himself): "The Spire's flow exists because chaos demands order, and order cannot exist without chaos. But which side has tipped the scales this time?"
As the room bursts into activity under his command, Animo’s shadow lingers, larger than before—a silent witness to the unfolding mystery.
Location: Infinity Spire – High Command Meeting Room
The meeting room in the Infinity Spire exudes authority and gravitas. Massive, holographic projections of multiversal maps and energy flows dominate the walls, their intricate patterns shifting with a life of their own. Around a grand circular table sit the commanding officers of the Event Horizon Authority, Transversal Gatekeepers, and Ethereal Surveillance Division (ESD). Among them is Animo, the Shadow Lord, whose presence silences even the most talkative of commanders.
The dim light reflects off Animo’s dark, shimmering cloak as he rises, his deep voice commanding attention.
---
Animo: "Let us dispense with pleasantries. Skylight, Event Sentinel, you have been called here for one reason. Tell me about every significant event that has transpired across the multiverse recently. Leave nothing out."
All eyes turn to Skylight, a tall, composed figure with piercing silver eyes that seem to see beyond dimensions. Skylight, known as one of the most accomplished Event Sentinels, stands confidently.
---
Skylight: "Mr. Shadow, there’s no need to ask for every event. I already know exactly which ones you’re expecting to hear about. There are only two events worthy of your attention. And both occurred in the same universe—Summoners' Universe R19N-2."
A murmur spreads through the room. The Summoners’ Universe has long been a focal point for irregularities.
---
Animo (leaning forward): "Then tell me, Skylight."
Skylight: "The first event occurred several weeks ago in Spire time. In the Summoners’ Universe, years have passed since then. The energy destabilization caused by that event persists even now. The disturbance was caused by an undetectable entity. This entity destroyed some of the greatest Summoners ever known. Its aura was so unique and chaotic that not even our Eternal Scopes could track it."
The room falls silent. The mere mention of an entity undetectable to the Spire’s most advanced technology sends shivers through the officers.
---
Animo: "An undetectable entity... Go on."
Skylight: "The second event occurred nearly simultaneously. A battle erupted between two immensely powerful beings, causing an aura destabilization that rippled into neighboring universes. Our initial investigations revealed the combatants' aura signatures—Lucy and Spark."
Gasps echo in the chamber. Skylight pauses, letting the weight of the revelation settle before continuing.
Skylight: "Their clash was of such magnitude that it interacted with the already unstable energy flows of R19N-2, amplifying the chaos. However, I could not identify the first entity. Its aura defies classification, almost as if it exists outside the conventional multiversal framework."
---
Animo’s expression remains unreadable, but his eyes gleam with a flicker of understanding. Though he says nothing, his thoughts race.
That entity... Could it be him?
His shadow ripples unnaturally for a moment, as if reacting to his unspoken suspicion.
---
Animo (calmly): "Good work, Skylight. Your findings are invaluable. I trust you’ll assist in the next steps."
Skylight (bowing slightly): "Of course, Mr. Shadow."
Animo turns his attention to Henry, a seasoned Shade Seeker from the ESD Division. Henry, known for his sharp instincts and relentless pursuit of targets, straightens in his chair.
---
Animo: "Henry, assemble a team of your best operatives. Your task is simple but monumental: track all Nine Superiors. It’s time to locate them and bring them back to the Spire. Begin with Spark and Lucy. Skylight has already identified their probable locations. Work together to secure their cooperation—or ensure their return by any means necessary."
Henry (nodding): "Understood, my lord. I will prepare immediately."
---
The room’s tension thickens as Animo addresses everyone present.
Animo: "These events in the Summoners' Universe are not isolated incidents. They are threads in a larger tapestry of chaos. The Nine Superiors must be accounted for. Their absence is a liability we can no longer afford."
His shadow elongates, casting an imposing figure across the room.
Animo: "Prepare for the possibility that this is only the beginning. Whatever caused the flow to restart will have consequences. And we, as the guardians of balance, cannot afford to be caught unaware."
---
As the meeting adjourns, Animo lingers, staring into a projection of the Summoners’ Universe. The flickering map reflects in his reddish-black eyes, a silent testament to his resolve.
---
Animo (whispering to himself): "The first entity... I already know who you are. And if you are who I suspect, your return heralds more than just chaos—it heralds inevitability."
