The Original Realm

Thalrien's boots crunched against the shattered stone floor as he strode toward the heart of the sanctum. Around him, the chaos of battle raged unabated. Sylveria's flickering clones darted through the gloom, their blades flashing as they struck at Aldric's glowing fists. Calista's strings whipped and lashed, tearing through Sylveria's illusions and snaking toward Aldric in an attempt to bind him. Each strike and counter-strike reverberated through the sanctum, the raw energy of their Advents distorting the very air.

Thalrien's golden aura pulsed steadily as he advanced. He'd seen enough. Aldric and Sylveria had been working together mere moments ago, their attacks coordinated as they tried to take down Calista. But now, something had shifted. The two had turned on each other without warning, their movements feral and unrestrained—a sudden animosity that seemed to have no origin.

He knew better. Calista's strings had changed.

Thalrien's eyes narrowed as he assessed the scene. Her Ultimate. It had to be. He'd seen the subtle signs: her strings moving faster, their trajectories more precise and erratic at the same time, as though guided by a sentient force. Her control wasn't limited to the physical anymore. She was manipulating bonds—the intangible threads of loyalty, trust, and memory that tied people together. Aldric and Sylveria weren't fighting her because, to them, she wasn't their enemy anymore. She'd erased their bond of cooperation and replaced it with discord.

He tightened his grip on his halberd.

It ends now.

Thalrien's mind focused on his own Advent's pinnacle—an ability he'd rarely ever used in battle. "Collective Memory" wasn't an attack. It was a restoration. With it, he could share his memories with other people and hopefully restore Aldric and Sylveria's alliance. But the cost was steep: it demanded not just energy, but every ounce of his will. He could only hope it would be enough.

---

Calista moved like a spider at the center of a vast, invisible web. Her strings hummed with power, their glowing threads slicing through the air as she directed them with precise flicks of her fingers. Her alabaster skin glowed faintly under the fractured light, and her vivid green eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she watched Aldric and Sylveria clash. Her jet-black hair swayed behind her, mirroring the fluid motion of her strings.

It doesn't matter who wins this free-for-all.

Her thoughts whispered like a chorus in her mind, weaving together into an aria of confidence. No matter the outcome, her victory was inevitable. Her Ultimate, "Eternal Strands," had turned the battlefield into her playground. With it, she could manipulate bonds as easily as puppeteering her strings. Aldric and Sylveria's partnership was powerful in the beginning, but all it had taken was a gentle tug on the threads of their emotions to make them view each other as enemies.

Nature is brutal, she mused, her lips curling into a faint smile. Predators tear each other apart when the balance shifts. Why should humans be any different?

Her fingers twitched, sending a flurry of strings hurtling toward Sylveria's clones. The illusions shimmered and vanished as the strings sliced through them, but Calista wasn't concerned. Sylveria's tricks were an annoyance at best. Her real focus was on maintaining control over the battlefield.

Even if it took time, she had contingencies. The shadow bear would claim the relic if all else failed. She had purposefully chosen it. The beast was to weak to set Aldric off, but strong enough to accomplish its mission. Its blind rage made it the perfect tool for retrieval, and its unnatural resilience ensured that it could outlast even the most determined opponents.

Calista's grin widened. Let them struggle. Let them break themselves against me. In the end, the strands of fate are mine to control.

But then, something shifted.

Aldric's glowing fists connected with Sylveria's blade, the clash sending sparks flying. But instead of retaliating, Sylveria feinted left and darted to Aldric's side. Her blade flashed again, not at Aldric but at Calista. Aldric, too, turned his attention toward her, his strikes now aimed at the strings snaking around him.

Calista's eyes widened in shock. What? No!

The two warriors were moving in perfect synchrony, their attacks coordinated once more. For the first time, Calista's confidence wavered. She lashed out with her strings, trying to disrupt their rhythm, but they dodged and countered with uncanny precision.

Why? Why are they teaming up if they don't see each other as allies?

Her gaze darted across the battlefield, and then she saw him. Thalrien sat at the edge of the fight, his golden aura radiating like a beacon. His expression was calm, his focus unshakable as he meditated. She recognized the subtle shift in the air, the way Aldric and Sylveria's movements became sharper, more purposeful.

He did something. He's undoing my work.

Panic crept into her chest. She redoubled her efforts, her strings moving faster, more erratically, but it was no use. The bond between Aldric and Sylveria had been restored, their teamwork now seamless as they closed in on her.

Sylveria's blade slashed through Calista's robes, drawing a thin line of blood across her arm. Aldric's fists shattered the strings she tried to wrap around him, his raw strength too much for her to control.

Calista growled, her movements becoming desperate. She summoned more strings, a writhing mass that filled the air like a storm. But it wasn't enough. Sylveria's blade cut through the chaos with surgical precision, and Aldric's relentless strikes tore apart what remained.

A sharp pain shot through Calista's shoulder. She looked down to see her arm severed, the wound clean and bloodless. She tried to reattach it, her strings weaving frantically, but Aldric grabbed the limb and held it firm, his strength rendering her attempts useless.

No! This isn't how it ends!

She struggled against him, her strings pulling with all their might, but she couldn't break free. Before she could react, Sylveria's blade flashed again. The world spun, and Calista realized she was seeing everything from a new angle.

Her own decapitated body crumpled to the ground below her.

Calista's head hit the stone floor with a dull thud, her vibrant green eyes dimming as her strings went limp. The cacophony of battle died with her, leaving only the sound of heavy breathing and the whistling of the wind.