Kyra emerged from the Way-Shear first, stepping onto the desolate Inner Realm of the VoidBubble. An endless expanse of light-brown rock stretched before her, punctuated by vast, irregularly shaped holes piercing the terrain. No hills, mountains, or even the slightest wrinkle marred the flat surface. Devoid of any vegetation or life, the dim light cast by the divided sky – one half crimson, the other gray. No clouds, moons, suns, or stars graced the sky, just an unending expanse of red and gray.
Although desolate, the Inner Realm possessed a life-sustaining environment, a fact Kyra had ascertained beforehand using Akashic-Key. She was not one to blindly follow her targets into the unknown. Their presence here confirmed her suspicions – everything was going according to plan.
One by one, her team materialized from the Way-Shear: Igniss, Sena, CodeForger, Gaia, and Selhob with Kira in tow, and finally, Daed. The Way-Shear remained open, locked by Daed's power.
"She's a liability," Gaia stated through the telepathic Mind-Lace, her gaze fixed on Kira.
"I know," Kyra acknowledged, aware of the risks involved.
Turning to the rest of the team, she announced, "Now, back to the mission." They nodded in agreement.
Confidence in her squad surged through Kyra as she watched Gaia, Sena, and CodeForger rise a few inches above the ground before vanishing from sight. They knew their orders and were already executing them.
Daed, accompanied by Kyra and Igniss, scanned their surroundings using Aura-Sight and Acuity, vigilant for any approaching threats. Protecting Daed was paramount. Meanwhile, Selhob remained by Kira's side, tasked with her safety.
Igniss maintained his Aegis-Veil and Aegis-Weave Runes, the hair-thin, transparent shield around him expanding slowly. Gaps in the shield, created to allow passage for the team and the Way-Shear, closed seamlessly once everyone was inside. He also extended the shield to encompass the ground beneath them. Within minutes, the shield formed a protective sphere with a half-mile radius, Igniss standing at its center. The Aegis-Veil of a Dragon was unmatched in its strength.
Using the Convert Rune, Selhob conjured a small orb of light, raising it twenty feet above them. It brightened, illuminating the area like a miniature sun within the bleak landscape.
Daed's lock on the VoidBubble ensured no one could enter or leave without breaking the NexusLock, a feat only possible for Massons or Forgemasters, which their targets were not. Furthermore, breaking the code required merging their Nexus-Keys with the Way-Shear, forcing them to approach Daed. Even then, they would need to subdue Daed and use a Shackled-Sigil to enslave him and compel him to break the lock.
They had to try, though. Remaining trapped was not an option. Kyra knew they would assume she was stalling, waiting for an Ace to arrive and capture them. However, Kyra did not intend to call for backup, at least not yet. Their targets, unaware of this, were on a ticking clock, lacking an Ace within their ranks. Why would an Ace serve such vile beings? The seven Riders were all they had to face.
Kyra smiled at Kira, whose face was alight with fascination as she observed their every move. She seemed in awe of their abilities and the strange environment.
Kira gazed up at the divided sky. "So, this is the land of the Triumvirate!" she exclaimed to Selhob. Using Aegis-Weave, Kyra opened gaps in her Aegis-Veil around her mouth and ears to eavesdrop, as did Daed.
Selhob turned to Kira. "You still believe that? Listen, those fools are not gods, and this is not their homeland. This is the inside of a VoidBubble. But I can't blame you for thinking that."
Well said! Kyra thought, agreeing with Selhob's assessment.
Kira's brow furrowed, confusion clouding her gaze. Selhob noticed and added, "But we do live here," as he activated the Phantasm Rune. A transparent gray orb containing a pitch-black bead materialized above his hand. Flickering white dots appeared within the sphere, except around the black bead. Thirteen scattered white beads formed along the sphere's edges.
Kira leaned closer, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. Kyra smiled. "This is Exoklein," Selhob explained, referring to the gray sphere. "And those thirteen white beads are the Realms of Riders. This is Concord, where the ShadowWeavers live." He zoomed in on one of the beads. "They're my kin, and trust me, they're strange and fickle. In Concord, they have seven kings who rule one Nation in turns, each for a day, according to Concord's time. This cycle repeats endlessly." He zoomed in on another bead. "This is the Dragon Eyries, where the Dragons live. Not the most pleasant company, even for a ShadowWeaver," he added with a jaded expression. He then focused on another bead. "This is the LastBorn Aggregate, where the LastBorn live. A bit naive for Riders, but kind," he said with a smile. "Besides, I want to repay the Captain for saving me."
You're still hung up on that! You stupid idiot! You already have. All of you have, Kyra thought, her heart warming at his loyalty.
I chose you, and you chose me. And without you all by my side, I wouldn't have made marshal alone. Memories of their encounters surfaced. Of finding Selhob in the gutters of a Null-Field and extending a helping hand. Freeing Igniss from his imprisonment with a simple invitation. Capturing a rogue Sena through conversation. Fighting Gaia in a duel and rejecting the established rules. Convincing Daed to defy the injustice his kin imposed on Unawakened, to save his soul. Making a deal with CodeForger, the Blacksmith, and accepting his conditions. When we met, I offered you a choice, and you chose your new lives, chose to save yourselves, and chose to follow me. You chose to be part of this family. That alone was enough.
"If you don't live here, where are we? What is this place?" Kira inquired, her keen observation noting the differences between the VoidBubble and the projection.
"I told you, it's a VoidBubble," Selhob reiterated.
Kira blushed, shame evident in her eyes. "I see," she mumbled.
Selhob, sometimes when you act your age, I just want to smack you, Kyra thought with amusement. "Selhob!" she chastised through the Mind-Lace. He turned to her, meeting her disapproving gaze.
"Pfft!" Selhob sighed. "I understand," he said aloud, before turning back to Kira. Pitch-black beads materialized within the gray sphere, connected by black, thread-like roots. "You see, VoidBubbles have Inner Realms within them. These spheres..." Selhob began explaining, captivating Kira's attention once more. Kyra smiled as Selhob continued his lesson. VoidBubbles were perfect black spheres, their size irrelevant. Each one held a unique, endless space within its indestructible layers. These Inner Realms varied in environment, gravity, air density, and other properties. "Think of them as spheres containing infinitely vast micro-realities, like endless Planes with the same environment, like this one," Selhob explained.
Kyra observed Kira, her expression indicating she had not understood a word. Yet, she did not want to offend Selhob, so she simply nodded along. Not yet! Kyra thought, her face beaming.
Selhob zoomed in on one of the black beads representing the VoidBubbles. "See this VoidBubble?" he asked Kira.
"Hmm!" she responded.
He changed the projection to display the space they were currently occupying. "This is where we are now, inside a VoidBubble near your Home Plane." He then switched back to the gray sphere with the black beads, zooming in on the smallest one. "Even a fist-sized VoidBubble contains an endless Inner Realm." He demonstrated this by changing the image to show the interior of the tiny sphere – an endless expanse of brown liquid, nothing more. Selhob continued displaying various VoidBubbles: a black sand desert under a starless sky, an endless red forest with a split green and blue sky, a white void, and an ice field under a bleak white sky. Others contained spaces beyond Kira's comprehension. "One thing's for sure, if you Way-Shear into one, what you see first is what's there," he concluded, dismissing the projection.
Kyra mentally added, Selhob, you forgot a few things. VoidBubbles exist exclusively within the Nexus, and unlike normal space, they have no Planes, stars, moons, or anything resembling celestial objects. Entry is only possible through a Way-Shear, and Inner Realms have no internal Nexus.
"Whoa!" Kira gasped. "You've visited so many places!" she added, giggling.
Selhob blushed at her joyful reaction. Selhob blushed!
Kira then pointed at Daed. "What's he doing?"
"He locked this VoidBubble," Selhob answered. "So no one can come in or out."
Kira turned back to Selhob. "How can you do what you do?"
"Runes," Selhob replied succinctly.
"Which are?"
"Runes are complicated," Selhob said, pointing to the symbols appearing on various parts of his body. "My kin believe they are the letters of the language left behind by the Progenitors, used to define reality. They are the codes that shape what was, what is, and what could be. But different interpretations of the old texts tell other stories. No one knows the truth for sure. Although we could find out if someone were willing to make a Terminus trade and survive."
Kira responded with a smile and reached out to touch the symbol on the right side of Selhob's face. However, his activated Aegis-Veil Rune prevented her from making contact, as if an invisible barrier surrounded him. She retracted her hand. "Wait! I recognize those. I saw them on the blonde woman's hands!" she exclaimed.
"You mean Sena?" Selhob clarified. "Well, she's different. Her back was scarred when she was tortured with Soul-Severs. So, she visited a RiteMaster who helped her use Runes again."
Sena of Talos, a Rider of the Abyssal, the wisest yet least respected of the SixOriginals.
"I see!" Kira said. "And what else can you do?"
Selhob activated his Kin Rune, the symbol appearing on the back of his neck. Like clay, he morphed and changed shape, taking on Kira's form and clothes within seconds.
He must have touched her after activating his Kin Rune during the Ride, Kyra realized.
Kira was captivated, hesitantly reaching out towards him before pulling her hand back. "Too bad, I wanted to take your father's form. Alas, I guess!" Selhob said, mimicking Kira's voice.
Kira looked away, troubled by his words.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I thought it would make you feel better!" Selhob stammered. "I lost my folks, too. But we must live, we must not dwell on those we've left behind. When we choose a path, we must only look forward," he added, his tone serious.
It was rare to hear Selhob speak so earnestly. I will not interfere, Kyra decided.
"That's a sad thing to say!" Kira replied, fighting back tears.
"Feeling sad about the past is pointless. We need to move on to live. We need to forget, to survive," Selhob insisted, transforming back into his ShadowWeaver boy form.
Kira's sadness deepened, her lips pressed tightly together as she sniffled.
Igniss, who had been listening to their exchange, turned to look at them. "Selhob! Stop playing with my food," he boomed.
Kira's eyes widened in fear as she stammered, "Food! Am I food?"
"He's joking," Kyra shouted from afar, glaring at Igniss, who quickly averted his gaze. He was always awkward around strangers, but his intentions were never malicious.
"Captain!" CodeForger's voice suddenly cut through the Mind-Lace, his thoughts broadcasting to his teammates. Igniss, with his vast reach, received them first and relayed them to the others within his range.
"CodeForger?!" Kyra responded, surprised by his early return. He was not supposed to be back until he found their targets, but it was too soon. They must have escaped far. Kyra was prepared to wait for days. "What is it?!"
"We have a problem," CodeForger reported. "When I moved further from the Way-Shear, I discovered this Inner Realm is just bleak, flat stone. Completely barren. The holes we saw near the Way-Shear aren't part of it. They exist only around that location."
"We already know that!" Kyra replied. She had extracted information about the VoidBubble and its Inner Realm from the Akashic Records. They had deduced that the targets had created the holes using Alkahest and Convert, forming a network of tunnels for escape or hiding in case they were followed.
"Captain, Codex-7 didn't detect any StreamBreath residue from those holes. That means they're either part of the Inner Realm, made manually, or were left by THEM," CodeForger added, his voice grim.
Kyra realized why she had not detected any StreamBreath residue with Aura-Sight. She had assumed the targets had created the holes long ago, causing any traces of StreamBreath to dissipate over time. But reduced presence and no presence were not the same. I screwed up! I misjudged them! She thought, berating herself for underestimating her targets. She had assumed they were too cowardly and cautious to venture into a place inhabited by THEM. Furthermore, the Akashic Records had not mentioned their presence in this Inner Realm, as it never provided such information in bulk. Kyra would have needed to make a separate trade for that higher-classified information, which she had not done. A grave mistake.
"Come back, all three of you. We need your assistance," she ordered.
"Way ahead of you, Captain. I'm already on my way," CodeForger responded. "I'll inform Sena and Gaia."
"No need," Gaia and Sena spoke simultaneously through the Mind-Lace. "Mnemonic-Transfer," Gaia continued.
They all activated the Mnemonic-Transfer Rune for a brief moment before deactivating it.
The two women were within Igniss's reach, so CodeForger did not need to inform them directly. Igniss had already connected everyone, and through Mnemonic-Transfer, the women transmitted their findings to him: some of the distant holes bore bite marks, suggesting the presence of THEM.
The realization struck them all at once – they were in grave danger. This was why their targets chose this place! I should not have underestimated them, Kyra thought, her heart pounding. But, she could not afford to let anything distract her from pure focus. One wrong move, and she and her team would perish. The worst possible enemy left those holes.
"This location is compromised. It must be swarming with them. Igniss! Daed! Selhob! Be ready for Nexus-Spawn contact," Kyra warned through the Mind-Lace.
The four heightened their senses, weapons at the ready. They monitored the slightest changes in air pressure, temperature, and vibrations, searching for any subtle hints of their presence. Their targets were no longer their primary concern.
Should we leave now and hunt them another way, another time? No. We may never get another opportunity like this, Kyra decided. They needed to leave this area, move far away from the holes.
The attack was imminent.