The pain of loss and remembrance is horrible, but if you ever have a chance to make it better, always take it, so you don't regret it for the rest of your life.
Location: Nova Concordia Nexus | NT Section - Café Amara:
The soft sounds of clinking dishes and quiet conversation filled the cozy café run by Ceri, Gem, and a few village residents. The rain gently fell outside the large windows, but the warm lights inside made it feel far away.
At a corner table, Hoshina sat across from Abstra, sipping her tea quietly.
"You seem tired," Abstra observed.
Hoshina gave a weak smile but didn't answer. Then, suddenly, her body tensed.
Her breathing hitched.
Her pupils dilated.
Her heartbeat pounded loudly in her ears.
She clutched at her chest, her face twisting in raw agony.
"A-Abstra..." she croaked, voice breaking. "S-something horrible... it's Rikushi... something's happened..."
Before Abstra could react, Hoshina collapsed, falling sideways out of her chair. She gasped for air, clutching her chest harder, her body trembling violently.
Her magic flared involuntarily, flames bursting in small uncontrolled sparks around her as raw, agonizing energy leaked from her core.
Her voice turned into a desperate, blood-curdling scream:
"HE'S GONE--!!"
The café went dead silent as everyone froze.
Glasses shattered. The air grew thick with Hoshina's magic destabilizing.
Abstra rushed forward, placing two fingers against Hoshina's neck. "Forgive me," she whispered.
With one precise strike to a pressure point, Abstra knocked her unconscious instantly. The flames extinguished, leaving only the trembling breaths of those watching.
Location: Nova Concordia Nexus | NT Section - Meeting Hall:
Within minutes, an emergency meeting was called. The tension was suffocating inside the circular chamber as Glonk, Beau, Abstra, Tyrant, TLK, Jin, Ceri, Gem, Davie, and Reiku gathered.
Beau slammed his fist into the table. "We can't waste time. Something attacked them. Something unplanned for."
Jin, arms folded, eyes closed, spoke calmly but firmly. "If Hoshina's connection was that strong... this isn't just an injury. Something catastrophic happened."
TLK's voice was low, concerned. "We all felt the tremors. Something shifted in the magic fields. Something... unnatural."
Tyrant adjusted his Tesla-Gun. "Then we go. NOW!"
Davie stood up. "I'm in."
Abstra nodded. "We strike quickly. The longer we wait, the worse this will become."
Glonk clenched his fists. "We bring them home."
They quickly formed a rescue team:
Davie, Glonk, Abstra, TLK, and Tyrant.
As they prepped the emergency airship, Davie addressed the others who watched from the docking bay:
"If we don't return... do not send anyone else. Rebuild what was lost and continue starward."
With the engines roaring, the airship lifted into the snowy sky, speeding toward the frozen hell where Zavren awaited.
Location: Gelu Dungeon Complex - Zavren's Domain:
The air here was different--thick, damp, unnatural. Dark stone structures pulsed with faint red lights. Dozens of Zavren's minions worked in grim silence, surrounding a twisted, horrifying sight.
Suspended by chains, wires, and pulsating tubes was Rikushi--his body mangled, chest punctured, bones cracked. His wounds were brutal, but he was not dead.
Pipes connected to his lungs, heart, and spine, keeping what little life he had flickering. Strange mechanical and biological apparatuses hummed and dripped viscous fluids into his veins. A gaping hole remained in his chest, sealed only partially by layers of stitched flesh. His hair turned black, his eyes dark purple, and his skin as dark as the void.
One daemon whispered as it adjusted a mechanical valve:
"It's working... the vessel still lives."
Another daemon, leaning in closely, hissed:
"Reconnect the breathing tube and do it steady."
Small monitors showed the faint but steady pulse--a heartbeat.
thump... thump... thump...
Zavren stood behind them, four massive arms crossed, watching like a craftsman admiring his creation.
"The flame burns faintly," Zavren muttered.
"But soon... it will be ours. He. Will be ours."
The daemon horde around him whispered in reverence:
"We shall crown him... the next King..."
The room filled with soft mechanical whirring, gurgling tubes, and the haunting sound of Rikushi's fragile breathing--balancing between life and death, with it tipping slowly to one side.