[Ten Million Light-Years Away from Earth - Vhaezora]
The survivors continued moving across Vhaezora, searching the planet for more of their people and for the rulers of the nations who had escaped through the portals.
The unfamiliar world stretched around them beneath its three suns. The survivors had already discovered that Vhaezora was smaller than Orynx, and the slower movement of time had made the planet feel even stranger. They had not only lost their home; they had lost the world that had measured their existence.
Elara walked near the back of the group, her eyes fixed on Elarion. He followed behind the King like a newly appointed guard, his physical body moving calmly among the survivors as though he had not abandoned the spiritual form he once possessed.
Elara's fingers tightened around the hilt of the Crimson Blade.
Eris noticed.
She reached out, held Elara's arm, and gave her a warning look:
Control yourself.
Elara stared at Elarion for another moment. Then she slowly released her grip on the weapon, and the group continued forward.
But the sight of him had already dragged her mind back to the moment they first found him.
Several Minutes Earlier
Elara suddenly launched herself at Elarion.
Red demonic flames erupted across her body as she crossed the distance between them. Her blade moved toward him with enough force to split the ground beneath their feet.
Elarion reacted instantly.
He drew his sword and blocked the attack.
The impact sent a violent tremor through the surrounding land. Several survivors staggered backward while others turned toward the clash in alarm.
Elara glared at him through the tears gathering in her eyes.
"So you're still alive."
Her voice trembled with rage.
Then she drove her blade harder against his sword.
"YOU COULD HAVE BEEN PATIENT AND ALLOWED NOVA TO TRAIN YOU!" she shouted. "BUT INSTEAD, YOU CHOSE TO KILL HIM FOR POWER!"
Elarion's expression remained calm.
"And where is Nova now?"
The question struck Elara like an insult.
Her flames surged violently.
She pushed against his sword, but Elarion's eyes began glowing blue. The light appeared for only a moment before fading again.
In the next instant, Elara found herself several steps away from him.
She had not seen him move.
Before she could understand what had happened, the ground beneath her split open. A sharp line tore through the earth where she had been standing, extending forward like an invisible blade had sliced across the land.
Eris moved immediately.
She seized Elara from behind and pulled her away from the opening before the ground could swallow her.
Elarion looked toward Eris and smiled.
"You're strong," he said. "How did you see that attack?"
Eris kept one arm around Elara, her eyes fixed on him.
"Be careful. I can kill you with a few words."
Elarion smiled wider, but he did not answer her threat. Instead, he turned toward the King of Orynx.
The King studied him with interest.
"You are a spiritual being with a physical body."
Elarion lowered his sword.
"I want to become one of the Harbingers."
The survivors began murmuring among themselves. Some moved farther away from him after witnessing how quickly he had attacked Elara. Others stared at his physical form with disbelief.
The King's lips curved into a pleased smirk.
"We will discuss that later."
Elarion bowed.
Then he walked behind the King and stood there like a silent bodyguard.
The Present
Eris looked toward Elara as they continued walking.
"Someone took something precious from you, didn't they?"
Elara did not answer immediately. Her gaze remained fixed on Elarion's back.
Then she nodded.
"I'm more surprised that he managed to create a physical body."
"Someone may have helped him," Eris replied. "Or he may have discovered the method himself."
Elara's eyes narrowed.
"Either way, he shouldn't be standing there."
They continued across Vhaezora for several hours.
Along the way, they encountered scattered survivors and unfamiliar creatures. Some of the creatures attacked them. Others tried to hide. None of them survived the encounters.
Eventually, the group discovered structures beneath the surface of the planet. What appeared to be an underground city stretched beneath the desert, filled with inhabitants who had never expected an army from another universe to appear above them.
The survivors entered the city and killed everyone they found.
By the time they returned to the surface, the three suns had shifted across the sky.
A demon looked around at the enormous group.
"Why haven't we seen any of the other national rulers during this search?"
A beast standing beside him answered.
"They were supposed to enter the portals last. Their responsibility was to help their people evacuate before leaving."
The demon nodded slowly.
"So they should have been among the final groups to arrive."
"Yes."
The survivors continued until the King finally stopped.
Everyone behind him came to a halt.
The King turned and faced the crowd with a satisfied expression.
"Hello, my people. It appears that there are no more survivors nearby, and this planet is smaller than our home. But that does not matter."
He raised one hand.
"First, we will rebuild our empire!"
A wave of cheers rose from the crowd.
Then Eris stepped forward.
"Shut up!"
Her voice cut through the celebration.
The crowd fell silent. Several beings stepped away from her while others began murmuring.
"Who is she talking to?"
"Has she lost her mind?"
"What is she planning this time?"
The King looked directly at her.
"What are you trying to do?"
Eris turned toward the crowd.
"How can you celebrate now?" she demanded. "We are doomed!"
Confusion spread through the survivors.
Xyne stood among them, listening carefully. She was one of the first to understand what Eris was trying to say.
Eris raised her voice.
"How are we supposed to survive?"
She pointed toward the world around them.
"Almost half of our population has been destroyed. We no longer have enough Spiritual Energy to sustain ourselves!"
Xyne raised her hand so Eris could see her through the crowd.
"I understand your concern," Xyne said. "But we can survive for thousands, perhaps millions, of years. Time moved much faster on Orynx. Here, it feels far slower."
She looked across the unfamiliar planet.
"That means our energy consumption may also be reduced. We may not need to replenish ourselves as quickly as we did on Orynx."
Eris gave her a humorless smirk.
"Didn't you hear what the King said? He wants us to rebuild the empire. What are we supposed to use to build it?"
Xyne opened her mouth.
"Our ener—"
She stopped.
Her expression changed as she finally understood Eris's point.
"Our energy," Xyne finished more quietly.
Eris folded her arms.
"Exactly."
Xyne glanced over the crowd. Despite everything they had lost, more than five hundred thousand survivors remained.
"But if there are still more than five hundred thousand of us," she said, "we may be able to gather our energy together and rebuild the empire."
Eris's smirk returned.
"Then suit yourselves. I'm not giving up a single portion of my energy. I've already used more than enough."
She turned away from the crowd and walked off.
The King watched her leave, then faced the survivors again.
"Everyone, begin!"
The construction started.
The survivors began gathering their energy, moving materials, and rebuilding the foundations of the empire they had lost.
Vhaezora measured forty-eight hours in a single day. One year on the planet lasted approximately eight hundred and thirty-two Earth days.
Their new lives had begun, but survival would require more than hope.
Earth - United States, Forest Region
"Kick harder! Again!"
The girl's foot slammed into the tree.
Thud!
She struck it again.
Thud! Thud!
"Don't stop!" a man shouted. "Keep going!"
The girl's breathing grew heavy. Her fists were bruised, and the bark beneath her attacks had begun to crack, but she continued striking the tree.
The moment she slowed to recover, two heavy sticks struck her back from opposite sides.
One man stood to her left.
The other stood to her right.
Both held thick wooden staffs with enough weight to cause serious injury.
A third man watched from several steps away.
"If she stops again," he ordered, "beat her until she can't stand."
Then he turned and walked away.
She wiped the sweat from her face and faced the tree again.
She kicked.
She punched.
She drove her elbow into the damaged bark.
Every strike widened the cracks.
Every time her body slowed, the two men attacked her from either side.
The staffs slammed against her back and shoulders, forcing her forward. She endured the impacts without turning around.
Then one of the men lifted his weapon again.
Her eyes opened wider.
She moved.
In a blur, she stepped backward between the two men and shifted behind them. The first man swung at her, but she caught the staff with one hand.
The second man attacked from her left.
She twisted the staff she had captured and broke it across her knee.
Before the second man could recover, she stepped toward him and drove her fist into his face.
The impact shattered his nose.
Blood sprayed across her cheek.
The man staggered, but she did not stop.
She struck him again.
And again.
Each punch drove him farther backward until his face collapsed beneath the assault. His body fell heavily to the ground and stopped moving.
The other man stared at her in horror.
"What are you?"
She turned toward him.
The man dropped what remained of his staff and ran through the trees.
She looked down at one of the broken pieces of wood.
Then she picked it up.
She stepped backward to create distance.
Her left leg moved forward.
Her right leg shifted behind her.
She leaned back, rotated her body, and released the broken staff with every bit of force she possessed.
The weapon shot through the air.
It struck the fleeing man in the back with such speed that he had no time to turn around. The impact threw him forward and crushed his body against the ground.
Silence settled over the forest.
Then applause echoed from behind her.
She turned slowly.
The man who had ordered the training stood several steps away, smiling as he clapped.
"Jane," he said, "so you're this strong."
His smile widened.
"Why did you hide it?"
She remained silent, her fists still clenched and her expression unreadable.
The man stopped clapping.
"Don't relax yet."
He pointed deeper into the forest.
"Next training."
To be continued…