Lucavion felt the pull of the vortex tearing at him, a force so immense that it seemed to distort the very fabric of reality around him. The cold, oppressive energy of the churning abyss seeped into his body, dragging him downward into its chaotic depths. His mind was sharp, but his body felt like it was moving through molasses, the overwhelming pull robbing him of the effortless agility he was accustomed to.
For a moment, his thoughts rewound, replaying the scene that had brought him to this point.
He had been facing the Kraken's thrashing appendages, his blade cutting through the chaos with surgical precision, when he felt it—a sharp, inexplicable tingle in his senses. Turning his head sharply, he saw her. Elara.
She was barely holding herself upright, her frost-coated platform shattering beneath her feet as the vortex began to consume everything around it. Her drained body swayed dangerously close to the edge, her hands scrambling weakly for purchase.
There was no time to think, no time to plan.
A single burst of mana surged through his legs, propelling him toward her with blinding speed. He reached her just as her balance gave way, his hand striking her shoulder and sending her sprawling backward, away from the vortex's pull.
But the force of his own momentum, combined with the relentless suction of the vortex, sealed his fate.
Now, as Lucavion fell, the dark currents twisting and churning around him, he felt a strange calm settle over his mind. His sharp instincts cataloged every detail—the way the vortex distorted light, the sickly blue glow that pulsed faintly at its center, the oppressive energy pressing against him like an unseen weight.
'This is dangerous,' he thought to himself, the faintest flicker of a smirk tugging at his lips, 'but not unexpected.'
Vitaliara's voice surged into his mind, sharp and laced with urgency. [Why did you do that?!]
Lucavion's smirk deepened slightly, even as his body twisted in the vortex's relentless grip. 'Do what?' he replied inwardly, his tone light despite the gravity of the situation.
[You know what!] Vitaliara snapped, her voice trembling with frustration. [Why did you risk your life for her?]
His smirk softened into something quieter, almost wistful. 'I wanted to save a certain daughter,' he said, his voice carrying an undertone of something unspoken. 'And besides, who said I'm risking my life?'
There was a pause, as though Vitaliara were searching for a response. Finally, she sighed, her tone heavy with exasperation and something that sounded suspiciously like affection. [You really are hopeless, Lucavion…]
He chuckled softly, his dark eyes narrowing as he focused on the distorted space around him. 'You've said that before,' he replied, his voice faintly teasing. 'I'm starting to think it's your way of saying you care.'
Before Vitaliara could retort, her voice began to buzz, the connection between them flickering like a weak signal. [Lucavion—] her voice wavered, [I can't—] and then it faded, her presence slipping away entirely.
Lucavion's expression shifted, his smirk fading into a contemplative frown. 'Spatial distortions…' he thought, his sharp mind piecing the situation together. 'The vortex isn't just pulling me down—it's pulling me somewhere else.'
The space around him rippled unnaturally, as though the very air were being bent and twisted by an unseen force. The currents weren't random; they carried a strange rhythm, a pulsation that mirrored the faint resonance of his [Devourer of Stars] core.
As the spatial distortions grew stronger, bending the world around him into an unrecognizable swirl of shadows and refracted light, Lucavion felt it—a strange, profound stillness. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, the constant hum of Vitaliara's voice in his mind was absent. The warmth of her presence, the sharpness of her remarks, the quiet comfort of her company—it was all gone.
The realization settled over him like a weight, yet it didn't crush him. Instead, it felt strange. Different.
'So this was what it's like,' he thought, his smirk fading into a contemplative line. 'No quips, no teasing, no Vitaliara pointing out how reckless I'm being. Just me and my thoughts. I almost forgot, how long has it been.'
The swirling chaos around him seemed to press closer, the distorted space wrapping him in its eerie embrace. The faint hum of his [Devourer of Stars] core pulsed in the silence, a steady rhythm that resonated deep in his chest. The vortex's energy churned like a living thing, alien and unrelenting, and yet Lucavion felt calm, even curious.
"Well," he muttered aloud, his voice swallowed by the twisting void, "this is kind of refreshing."
He let out a soft chuckle, the sound almost lost in the shifting cacophony around him. There was no one to hear it, no one to judge, no one to tease him for finding amusement in the most precarious of situations. Just the empty, distorted world and his own quiet musings.
'How long has it been since I've truly been alone?' he wondered, his dark eyes narrowing as the vortex's energy grew more erratic. Most of his recent days, his battles, his reflections—they had all been shared with Vitaliara. Her presence had become so ingrained in his mind that he had nearly forgotten what solitude felt like.
'Oddly enough,' he thought with a faint smile, 'it doesn't feel bad. No distractions. Just focus.'
The world around him rippled again, the distorted space warping into something darker, deeper, and more unstable. His smirk returned, faint but sharp, as the tug of the unknown pulled at him with increasing urgency.
"Heh…" he murmured, his voice low and tinged with anticipation. "It looks like the second act is about to begin."
Lucavion tightened his grip on his estoc, the faint glow of his [Flame of Equinox] sparking at its edge as though reacting to his rising energy. His [Devourer of Stars] core thrummed in unison with the vortex, a rhythmic beat that felt both alien and familiar, as though the two forces were speaking a language only they understood.
Whatever lay ahead, Lucavion was ready. Alone or not, this was part of the reason he had come here. To face the unknown. To challenge it. To conquer it.
And at the same time of course one another thing.
"Did you fall here this time as well, little Lady Aeliana?"
It was the time to save a certain daughter.
And as the vortex consumed him fully, its chaotic pull giving way to an overwhelming stillness, Lucavion's faint smile lingered.
"Let's see where this leads."
On the other hand, inside another Vortex, the air ripped past her as Aeliana plummeted, the roar of the whirlpool growing deafening.
"You were never meant to survive this long. Your existence… it's a chain. For him. For everyone. You should have died years ago."
The same arms that had pushed her….
"Young Lady… please, just die silently, so that he can finally move on."
That scene…. a constant replay of getting pushed.
Her veil, torn loose by the wind, fluttered briefly above her before vanishing into the chaotic waters below. The icy spray stung her exposed skin, a sharp contrast to the burning sensation that coursed through her veins.
The currents churned violently, dragging her down as soon as her body struck the water.
The impact knocked the air from her lungs. Water rushed into her nose and mouth as she struggled instinctively, her limbs flailing against the crushing pull of the vortex. Her chest screamed for oxygen, but the corrupted mana in the water thrashed against her like a living force, intensifying the pain of her illness.
Her vision blurred, the swirling chaos around her a cacophony of shadows and light. Shattered wood, remnants of broken platforms, and the bodies of adventurers were caught in the whirlpool, spinning alongside her. Each wave-battered her fragile frame, and every surge of mana that collided with her felt like shards of glass slicing through her veins.
The thought was distant, drowned out by the deafening roar of water. Her chest heaved, but the crushing pressure of the depths made it impossible. Darkness encroached on the edges of her vision, the pain in her body threatening to consume her entirely.
'Does it even matter?'
And a thought occurred inside her heart.
A thought that is so dangerous that she knew it would churn her inside.
'Wouldn't it be better if it ends?'