You've always dreamt of a future different from this one. You look up and see all those possibilities, those endless, breathtaking horizons that glimmer like the shine of a newly born star. They carried each a dream, ways all this could've been... Yet they were there only for your gaze, not for your reach. Weren't there days you wished you could just feel their warmth, for these horizons and the sunrise that came with them to be closer, to be accessible, or even just linger a little longer?
Well, why not go for it? Why only watch as these horizons fade? Why not fight against the dying of the light? Just because you started from darkness or fell from the light, it is ultimately your decision and your Freedom to decide what is your destiny.
Krystal looked up, her eyes glimmering at the reflection of the beautiful horizon beyond a sea of darkness populated by stars. Reaching that sunrise seemed like an eternity. The stars in that dark ocean spoke of infinite distances, while the universes spoke of impossibility. Yet, the will of the crystal is the will of the laws of existence and inexistence. To a normal person, that distance is beyond existence itself, yet to Krystal, she only needed a single step and the reach of her arm. She not only touched those infinite horizons, but she also kept them burning in their zenith, never fading, never becoming a memory.
Krystal slowly woke up to the splatter of rain on the streets. As her blurred vision slowly faded away, she noticed the disastrous scene around her. Near the corner, both Michalis and Christos lay under blankets that barely covered their bodies. Meanwhile, at the kitchen counter, Ella sat with Demetri, both looking beyond defeated and hungry.
With a slight bit of difficulty, Krystal got up from the mat on which they had laid her. Turning around, she came face-to-face with McCree and Senju, both men trying their best to show her a smile of relief. Yet, due to the current situation, there was barely any hope or fight left in those tired gazes. Then, turning around, she noticed Dane and Nilsson sitting defeated on the debris-ridden floor, both simply acknowledging her but remaining silent.
As Krystal finally stood up, she saw Ulric on the couch, still in a deep sleep as his body tried to heal from his injuries. When Krystal took her first step, the room suddenly shifted their gaze toward her, as if she had just done something she wasn't supposed to. Then, Krystal felt it, the sheer defeat within those eyes that glanced at her. They weren't judging her for breaking the silence, but observing her, hoping that she had a reason to take that step.
[Krystal] - "Thank you, everyone, for what you have done, for what you have sacrificed. "
Said Krystal as she placed her palm on her chest.
The room remained silent aside from the few acknowledging nods and whispers, but that flame that drove these people to stand needed fuel. And for now, Krystal didn't need them to fight anymore; these men had already done their part. It was up to her now to honour their sacrifices. Turning around, Krystal stared at the sky through the shattered wall and noticed how flocks of birds were flying across the sky as if this city was never trapped under a prison. And most crucially, it was raining, which meant this city was no longer a slave to the darkness that condemned it.
While everyone was sitting in the shadows, Krystal stood alone under the rays of daylight. On one side, her crimson eye burned with fury and vengeance, while on the other, her emerald eye shed tears of sadness at everyone's tragedy and misery. Suddenly, the silence was broken once again as footsteps echoed across the streets. There was one, then a hundred, and before long, a thousand pairs of eyes that stared at the hole leading toward the hideout.
On the surface, people gripped their weapons and gritted their teeth, all broken and desperate in their tortured existence. Just one more time, just maybe this time, one of them could slay the target KD-554 designated and finally be freed from this nightmare. Meanwhile, below, Nilsson tried to stand up and reach for his carbine while McCree and Senju crawled to their knees, trying desperately to stand up despite their wounds. Just one more fight, maybe that will be enough to finally allow the rest of the group to survive this onslaught and be freed from this hell.
[Krystal] - "Put down your weapons. This is my battle! "
Commanded Krystal with authority.
The people around Krystal paused as they stared at her. There was an aura of divine will radiating from her as she basked in the light, the wind pushing her coat upward like a pair of dark wings behind her. Though Nilsson wanted to still reach for his weapon, a simple glance from Krystal forced his body to react against his will as he sat back down. With her friends assured, Krystal crawled through the hole in the wall and appeared before the crowd alone. Though many raised their guns and other prepared to strike at her, Krystal's posture was strangely not defensive or offensive, but authoritative as she crossed her arms.
[Krystal] - "People of this city, look up to the sky and see! This rain, these birds, this light below which we stand, they are signs that you are all free to leave this place. No more bloodshed, no more pain, no more fear. This is your chance, your opportunity to choose to be humans and not rabid animals. "
The crowd slowly snapped out of their tunnel vision as they gradually noticed the freedom above their head. The rain washed away the blood that had coated the skin of many, while the cold drowned out their rage. For the first time since their imprisonment, these people had a choice. However, many who were unconvinced of Krystal's words still stepped forward with their weapons raised.
[Man] - "I have lost everything! I lost my life, my family, and all that I have! What difference does it make? HUH? WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE IF I CAN LEAVE OR NOT? "
Yelled the man as he rushed toward Krystal with his pistol aimed at her head.
The man pushed through the crowd around Kadyn, his other hand holding the doll his daughter used to play with. Through his torn clothes, the rain dripped through the holes that exposed his bloodied flesh.
[Krystal] - "It proves you're a man; A civilized human capable of choice and thought, and not the automaton KD-554 took you for. Leaving might not change what you've lost, but you can choose what path you take. I'm not a Goddess, nor am I a messiah. I can not mend your wounds or grant you heaven, but I can offer you a choice... "
Said Krystal, unflinching even as the man angrily shoved the tip of his pistol against her head.
[Man] - "What is there to even choose? There is nothing left to choose from! "
Yelled the man in a burst of anger.
[Krystal] - "That is the false illusion KD-554 wants you to believe. On one hand, you could leave this city, restart your life or end it. However, either you live or die once you're outside of this city's grounds, it proves to that monster high up in that tower that you are a man. We're not bloody animals– we're people capable of decision, of free will and deserving of dignity. If you walk away, you deny that monster her victory, and you allow the legacy of those who you lost to live on and not die on these cursed soils that took them. "
Said Krystal as the man's gaze rested on her green iris.
[Krystal] - "Or you can choose to embrace the words of the monster that had robbed you of everything. Choosing the path of the puppet, of the savage animals she subjugated you to be. You can choose to pull the trigger and die a worthless death, while that monster laughs at your death just as she did when she watched you lose your everything. Remind you, I do not show any mercy for those who side with KD-554. "
Said Krystal as the man's gaze shifted toward her crimson iris.
The man breathed heavily, then, with a loud scream, he pulled the trigger. Yet, the bullet never struck Krystal as the man had aimed toward the sky at the last second. With an absent-minded grunt, the man threw away his pistol and knelt before Krystal.
[Man] - "I'll do anything if it means she couldn't win! I'll follow you to the depths of hell if it means she'll pay for what she has done to me and so many others! "
Cried the man in an anguished voice.
As the sound of weapons hitting the ground echoed all around Krystal, a proud smile slowly appeared on her face. KD-554 had lost, because today, people made a choice different from what their supposed nature was. At first, it was a few footsteps, then the crowd began dispersing as many ran toward freedom with abandon. Some began to cry tears of joy, while others extended their arms to welcome the rain as they rushed toward the city's edge, spreading the word across the streets and to other survivors as they moved.
Meanwhile, within KD-554's office, she was just settling down at her desk as she realized what was happening inside her city. In shock, KD-554 yelled in panic and anger before she began to call out to her subordinate through her radio. Yet, at this point, the bleeding could not be stopped. Many leaped across the previous boundary of the city, tasting the sweet smell of nature as they crossed into the farmlands and grassfields at the city's edge.
At the same time, Krystal extended her hand toward the man kneeling before her and pulled him back onto his feet.
[Krystal] - "Go on, now. Join the others in your newfound freedom. "
The man was in tears as he held onto Krystal's hand like a broken child.
[Man] - "Thank you! Thank you for offering me a chance! Just please, promise me you'll avenge our losses! Promise us that the monster gets what she deserves! "
Muttered the man as he shook Krystal's hands.
[Krystal] - "You have my word. "
Said Krystal softly.
With a cry of barely contained relief, the man ran, crashed onto the ground and got up again to continue running. As the man finally disappeared into the fog, Krystal finally turned her gaze toward the Central Tower. With a finger lifted high in the air and pointed directly at KD-554, Krystal furrowed her brows in anger before opening her mouth.
[Krystal] - "Damnation awaits, and I'm its harbinger. "
Announced Krystal with fury in her eyes.
KD-554 stared back at Krystal through one of her cameras in disbelief. She should've had broken Kadyn, completely and utterly, yet she was standing there with the fury and defiance of an undamaged soul. When Krystal uttered her challenge to KD-554, she felt a hint of fear, as if something even more terrifying than what meets the eye were staring at her through the camera's lens. With a burst of light from the blackened crystal on Krystal's chest, she uttered the words that shot through the realms like a pillar of eternal light.
[Krystal] - "Trial Access: Zenith of A Thousand Horizons! "
In an instant, the world and reality as we knew it split open and swallowed both Krystal and Ari from within her room.
There was a beach where Kadyn and her sisters played together. Even as adults, they laughed with the same silly and joyful tone as children. Emilia was never killed in her home, as she waved at her family sitting afar. Ari was never tortured and broken beyond repair, and was instead splashing her sisters from an ambush position with her water gun. Julia never became a martyr, as she gracefully dodged the splashes from Ari while her erotic swimsuit attracted the gaze of many onlookers. As for Kadyn, who could have the same joyous smile that melted hearts like hers as she prepared to strike at Ari with her little squad of children.
Krystal, meanwhile, strolled through the beach like a ghost, the sisters and people never witnessing her presence as she passed beside them. Everyone was blissfully unaware of the true fate that befell them, aside from Krystal. Yet, she alone was invisible in this gathering, never being allowed to join in the fun or laugh alongside her sisters. As Krystal stepped in front of Ari, the spell finally broke when she reached her hand toward her.
[Krystal] - "Time to come home, sister. "
After a short fall through and endless black void, shadowed by the sight of endless new horizons full of possibilities in all directions, Krystal landed back inside her domain, the Quantum Palace. As Krystal stepped on the crystalline floor of her throne room, her outfit also changed back to her ornate dress. Turning around, she saw Mike casually sitting on her throne as he watched her naked body being slowly covered by her manifesting dress.
[Mike] - "Your throne is so bloody uncomfortable, you know? You need a cushion or something. "
Krystal rolled her eyes playfully before quickly moving away in a hurry to finish what she started.
[Krystal] - "You are my cushion, so what's the point of getting more? "
Said Krystal with a grimace.
With a leap, Krystal jumped through the floor into the darkness below. As she fell, the reality around her began to change according to her desire, before she landed in the old barracks where she and her sisters used to live. With a step back, Krystal caught Ari just in time as she fell into her arms. After dragging her sister onto the seat where she used to sit at the table, Krystal sat down across from her. With a deep breath, Krystal extended her arm toward Ari and touched her blank face.
[Krystal] - "May you forget all the pain you have endured, and gain a new beginning under a different path. Let your present self be history and arise as the new Ari of yesterday. Let all our best memories be the only ones you bear, and the darkness be a past you never experience... Speak to me anew, big sis. "
Said Krystal, with her words carrying a hint of sadness at the end.
For the first few seconds, there was still no hint of consciousness on Ari's part. Then, suddenly, Ari's scarred skin reverted to a youthful shade and consistency, followed by the colour in her eyes slowly returning. Through Krystal's ability, the current body was discarded while the soul of the affected person was merged back with a previous version of their body in history. However, it would also set their memories back to only what the previous body knew.
Before long, the Ari of today was replaced by the Ari that existed nine years ago. As if it were a memory preserved in that exact place and moment, Ari was in the middle of sipping on her drink at that exact time in history. As she realized that she was slurping on nothing, Ari jolted in confusion as she looked for her drink.
[Ari] - "Oh, there you are, Kadyn. Have you seen my drink– "
Before she could finish her sentence, Krystal leaped across the table and embraced her sister with tears in her eyes.
[Krystal] - "I can't believe it! You're finally here... Big sis! "
Cried Krystal like a big baby as she hugged her sister tightly.
Krystal could not stop the tears from flowing as she kept rubbing her face against Ari's shoulder, while Ari herself was beyond confused by Krystal's action.
[Ari] - "Hey! Come on, what's the issue? Why are you like this? Did something happen? You were fine just a moment ago. "
[Krystal] - "I missed you, I missed you so much... You have no idea... I thought I lost everyone. "
Cried Krystal while Ari caressed her head.
[Ari] - "Hey, come on, explain to me what's wrong. Big sis will handle it for you! "
Said Ari with a confident smirk.
Krystal remained in Ari's embrace for a long moment. Having finally cried all her pain and frustration away, Krystal slowly pulled back and wiped the tears off her eyes.
[Krystal] - "I would've liked to have her meet you instead of me, but it's a bit urgent what I have to tell you. "
Whispered Krystal in scrambled words.
[Ari] - "Huh? What do you mean? "
[Krystal] - "Nothing... You'll understand after. "
Said Krystal with a sniff.
As Krystal explained to Ari everything about her fate in the real timeline, about herself and KD-554, and then about the current situation in Light City, Ari seemed initially overwhelmed with confusion and doubt. Yet, even though the new reality was hard to accept for Ari, with how she was sipping bubble tea and chatting with her little sister the previous second, to her little sister having aged nine years and is now explaining to her how everything went to shit in the world, she nonetheless agreed to follow Krystal around to be shown more proof.
Luckily for Krystal, time was not an issue for her, as her ability existed in a gap between time and space. When she activates her ability fully, everything that occurs in this fracture in reality will not use up time in real life, meaning she can have a full conversation in her palace and be back to where she left off when she first activated her ability.
So the sisters talked and visited different places. Though no other living things exist within Krystal's ability unless she invites them in, the places she conjures will nonetheless keep their appearance in the timeline she manifests them in. Each location Krystal took Ari to told a story she had to explain using her own words. Eventually, Ari was fully convinced of the stories Krystal told her. The nine years had been a true emotional rollercoaster, with Krystal often crying while telling her own painful stories, while Ari occasionally wept at the tragedies.
By the time the sisters stepped back into the palace, their resolve was as solid as steel. In truth, Krystal needed Ari's help if she wanted to defeat KD-554. Back when Krystal fought a vision of KD-554 with Kadyn's help, she got proof that it was possible to take her down with a bit of help from another one of her kin. As for Ari, despite the weight of the new reality she had to grow accustomed to, she was nonetheless very on board with the idea of destroying KD-554.
[Ari] - "I seriously don't believe it. All this happened while I was brain-dead? "
Said Ari as she walked beside Krystal.
[Krystal] - "The world moves with terrifying speed and unpredictability. "
[Ari] - "Yeah, but your husband, how the actual fuck can he even die with how powerful he is? "
[Krystal] - "He's right there if you don't believe me. But I just won't let him leave me, so I trapped his soul inside my ability. "
Said Krystal proudly with a smile while pointing at Mike on her throne.
[Ari] - "What? Just how obsessed are you with him for this to happen? "
Screamed Ari, flabbergasted by the sight.
[Krystal] - "I'm so obsessed that once I also revive him, he won't get out of my sight 24/7, and we'll have so many children that we'll need a mansion just to live properly. "
Said Krystal with dilated pupils.
Krystal jumped playfully up to her throne and sat on Mike's lap as if it were her birthright.
[Krystal] - "He'll have to also cook meals for me, have mandatory movie nights weekly and also satiate me every night in bed. "
Said Krystal as she wrapped Mike's arms around her waist.
[Ari] - "It's unbelievable... "
Sighed Ari as she pinched her nose.
[Mike] - "See what I have to deal with? "
Said Mike with a frown.
[Ari] - "...How lucky you are, Mike, to have such a woman by your side. My fucking husband is still dead, and no one is out here holding his soul. "
Said Ari as she winked at Krystal.
[Krystal] - "You'd be so dead wrong if you think my own sister would side against me. "
Said Krystal with a grimace while laughing at Mike.
[Ari] - "I'm serious, Mike! Once your ass is out of this realm, you'd better treat my sister like a princess! I'm not going to show restraint if you make her cry, you ungrateful asshole! "
Said Ari as she showed Mike her fist.
[Krystal] - "However! That's a thought for later. Let's first deal with our bitch of a sister. "
Said Krystal as she leaped off Mike's lap.
After descending the stairs to her throne, Krystal was suddenly stopped by Ari.
[Ari] - "Are you sure I'm still going to be the me I am right now when we exit? "
Said Ari with a worried look on her face.
[Krystal] - "You'll be fine! No matter what, I'll be right beside you, sis. "
Said Krystal with an assuring smile.
Taking Ari's hand, Krystal began to run with her sister. It was just like before, when both of them used to be young and innocent, two young girls running through the endless field of flowers, then across the beaches, before finally disappearing into the horizon. The sisters were laughing as they lived for a brief moment, the life they never had before everything faded to dark.
In a jolt, Krystal woke up exactly where she stood, still with the same gesture from when she activated her ability. Back in real life, despite having spent days talking with her sister, not a single second has elapsed, but all the memories remain. Slowly, Krystal took a seat on some stairs, staring up at the sky as the rain coated her face. Then, the shadow of an umbrella suddenly appeared above her, shielding her from the rain. Looking up, Krystal was met with a familiar face that smiled down at her.
[Ari] - "It's good to be back, sis. "
Said Ari with a smile.
Just like how she was within Krystal's ability, Ari was returned to a past version of herself while retaining all the new information conveyed to her in the ability. Gone were the empty eyes and scarred skin as Ari stood lively as ever. Though Krystal had already overcome the emotional whiplash of seeing her sister alive and well again, she couldn't help but still cry a little when she saw her sister once again here.
[Krystal] - "I was still worried for a moment, haha... "
Said Krystal as she wiped her tears away.
After standing up, Krystal leaned forward and gently hugged her sister.
[Krystal] - "Welcome back, Ari. "
As the sisters walked under the rain toward the looming Central Tower in the distance, people were still constantly passing by them without a care for KD-554's cries to attack Krystal. At this point, KD-554's authority had all but evaporated. The city no longer listened to her, as every single man and woman made a conscious choice to be a human and not a rabid animal.
[Ari] - "Say, I think the dress you wore just a moment ago was much better than what you're wearing now. "
Said Ari as she pulled on Krystal's coat.
With how much damage it had received throughout the years, it resembled more of a dirty black blanket than a proper designer coat. Yet, Krystal was smiling proudly even as Ari showed a disgusted look at the dirty fabric.
[Krystal] - "Can't complain much. My husband's coat means more to me than any pretty dress. "
Said Krystal as she pulled it tighter around her shoulders.
[Ari] - "Even if you eventually bring him back like me? "
[Krystal] - "That would be a different story. By then, it will be up to Kadyn to decide what to do with the coat. "
[Ari] - "It's not like you would stop existing because you hand your body back to Kadyn. You still count as 50%, so you should also get a say in it, no? "
[Krystal] - "I wish to seal myself away from the life Kadyn will have after this. I exist to bear the darkness that befell her, so my continued existence would defeat that purpose. I exist to protect Kadyn, to make sure she can live the life she wanted unbothered. "
Ari suddenly punched Krystal on the shoulder.
[Ari] - "Don't say that. If you never told me, I would've just thought you were Kadyn this whole time. You deserve to live just as Kadyn does, because you are her, just as she is you. "
[Krystal] - "That might be, but that means I also share her desires. That means I want to be a normal girl, not a bioengineered killer. I want to be a mom whose children can grow up ignorant of her burden. Some stories don't deserve to survive; they deserve to be buried. "
Said Krystal with a sad face.
Ari smiled before she pulled Krystal toward her and wrapped her arm around her shoulders like the cuddly big sister she is.
[Ari] - "Then let Kadyn live that life. When you're with Mike or me, you can still manifest and live a little. "
[Krystal] - "You think this kind of arrangement can work? "
Said Krystal, her eyes shining with hope.
[Ari] - "Family never abandon each other. Either it be Kadyn, or you, Krystal, what difference is there? Let Kadyn tell the story of the future, while you can still share the past with us, the people who understand you. "
Krystal smiled as Ari tapped her on the shoulder, relieved that there was also a future waiting for her afterward. Deep down, Krystal, being a side of Kadyn, also wanted the life Kadyn would have. However, instead of having to erase herself, Krystal now had a very acceptable compromise.
[Krystal] - "Say, sis, now that you're technically nine years younger than me, would that make me or you the big sister? "
[Ari] - "I was still alive when you turned me back, so I still would be older than you by the time I existed on this earth. So no, you have to stay my little sister despite our age difference. "
[Krystal] - "Aww... I was hoping to be the big sister now. "
Said Krystal, disappointed.
[Ari] - "You already have sick ass names like 'Arch-mother' and 'Dark Angel of Retribution', so stop being so greedy for another title, you ungrateful little shit! "
Said Ari as she gently hit Krystal on the head.
As the duo neared the Central Tower, both looked up at the imposing structure. Yet, there was no fear or doubt in their eyes as they stood in the building's shadow. This is where it will end, this is where the Goddess of Hate will die, and there will be no escape.
To be continued...
*EXTRA
- Profile: Kadyn/Krystal
- Ability: [Paused Under The Emerald Lens / Zenith of A Thousand Horizons]: "A Trial Access type ability born from an exfoliated crystal that is connected directly to the Untangible Concept of Freedom, the direct opposite of the Untangible Concept of Fate, thus could affect more than tangible reality. "
[Paused Under The Emerald Lens]:
"Under Kadyn, the ability's main domain manifests as a campfire with logs for seats surrounded by an unending darkness. Within it, Kadyn possess limited control over travel between different locations from her past memories and a murky knowledge of its other powers, being herself more like a visitor than the master of her own ability. Overall, the version Kadyn holds is a pocket dimension that doesn't halt the flow of time when active. "
[Zenith of A Thousand Horizons]:
"Under Krystal, with a rawer will to dominate and win, she could fully master and know the functions of her ability. The main domain reflects Krystal's mastery of her ability, being an endlessly huge palace in a sea of countless stars called the Quantum Palace. When active, Krystal could drag herself and anyone within a certain range of her into her domain. While the ability is active, Krystal and her targets exist in a place between space and time, and thus will not be subjected to the flow of time. On top of that, any damage taken within the ability will be reflected in real life to the affected target. In total, Krystal possesses three techniques within her ability: "
[Nostalgic Horizons] "Being the primary technique used by Krystal, she can freely manifest locations from her memory or from anywhere in the world throughout history and force anyone within her ability to be transported to said place. However, all her manifestations exist as realities paused in time, without any life beyond that she allows within her ability. Where Krystal takes a target depends on her will. When existing in any place away from her main domain, the target will experience time dilation in relation to the main domain. For each universe away from the main domain, the target will experience an exponential time dilation, with 1 second in the domain being equal to 240 hours in the 4th-universal layer. Escape is theoretically impossible, as first, one must possess the power to jump through actual universes. Then, with each universe bypassed, the target will only find itself in the next universe, now exponentially bigger than the previous one and experiencing even worse time dialation. Then, there is also no understandable limit to the number of universes that exist within the ability. Overall, the only methods of escape are from either Krystal unbanning the target, exiting the ability or dying. "
[Newfound Horizons] "When a target exists within the ability, Krystal could offer them the choice to be reverted back to a previous form in their existence. However, the technique could only work if the target consents to the transformation. Once agreed, the soul of the target will be bound to a past version of themselves that will replace their current body. In this new form, the reverted target will only remember what they know by that moment in time and lose all the memories past that point in time. "
[Existential Judgement: Imaginary Dimension] "Krystal knew about the existence of a powerful attack she could execute, and even gave it a name based on Mike's naming convention for his Existential Judgement techniques. However, the knowledge associated with this technique breaks the boundary of known physics, which is why Krystal will refrain from using this technique due to the associated dangers. When active, Krystal will be able to pull the affected target's axes of X, Y and Z into negative values, meaning mass and speed could be pulled into impossible minus values. This, in turn, will annihilate the impossible qualities of affected matter, erasing it across time and space as reality corrects itself. The erasure also removes the affected matter in all memories and current interactions. For example, if Krystal removes a piece of a chair, the rest of the matter will merge with the void and fill in where matter no longer exists, creating a deformed and ugly chair. Coincidentally, all witnesses to the chair's prior state will also be altered to acknowledge this new form. Either mind, camera recording or existing photos, all will show or remember the chair as deformed. "
- Ability Stats:
[Paused Under The Emerald Lens]:
Power - None
Speed of ability - A
Speed granted - None
Range - E
Durability of the ability - S
Durability Granted - None
Precision - D
Potential - D
--------------
[Zenith of A Thousand Horizons]:
Power - S
Speed of ability - S
Speed granted - C
Range - C
Durability of ability - S
Durability granted - Undefined
Precision - S
Potential - A