The ice hills and mountains are giant, I will admit.
But standing on top of the winter beast? They looked like the plains, like farm fields. Equal in height.
Although, that does make the actual ground look like a single enormous chasm of never ending depth and whiteness.
Truly terrifying.
Sure, I can teleport, float, walk on the air itself as if it were the ground.
But the height I stood upon still made my stomach tingle in worry.
Which then of course, vanished as the sudden urge to jump off appeared.
Or sometimes, replaced by intrigue, my mind becoming curious of how long I would fall for.
And then Mirage would come in, to reapply his hexes.
Quite an interesting loop, no?
I would certainly say so.
This time, instead of watching over the world from such an astonishing height.
I sat crossed legged mid air, the space connected with the fellow Titan below me.
It was enough of playing around and resting, it was about time to focus and train.
Or well… think I suppose.
My abilities don't quite require training anymore, seeing as I now possess enough soul essence for the control to not quite matter.
While it was useful, and I would definitely try to further it, it's quite a long process, taking up time.
And time is not one of the things I currently possess.
I'm not meditating or anything either, nor focusing my energy in some sort of way.
I'm brainstorming.
Yes, you heard me right.
An amused chuckle left my lips, mind wandering.
Soon, Mirage would need to do his magic once again.
But that's besides the point!
What I'm brainstorming is quite simple.
What I can do with [Space].
Sure, I have plenty of options already :
Teleportation, space lock, bend space, solidify space, swap space and last and certainly not least because it's one of my favorites, portals, somewhat.
My current arsenal of my dormant ability.
Teleportation is a given, it instantaneously moves the target to my desired location.
Space lock is a bit unique, it quite literally does what I've named it.
Locking the space like a door, acting like a bubble around it.
Meaning the things inside can move inside, but not leave.
And vice versa of course.
Bend space is also unique, it acts like a trampoline, or a slingshot if you will.
I can bend and distort the area of my choosing, in a direction of my choosing.
And then release it back into place.
It's quite taxing, but the damage is devastating.
Swap space is similar to teleportation, yet I felt the need to refer to it in a different manner.
It still teleports the targets, but as the name suggests, it switches two or more separate things.
And sure, you could argue "teleportation switches the target with air."
And that's not entirely wrong, but it doesn't really matter so oh well.
And its uses? I just swapped the entire area with another. The ground, the air, plants and all.
That's basically how I got Mirage into this world too, or realm I guess. Although it was a little more complicated than that.
Onto "solidify space".
By an extremely long margin, my most taxing ability.
Not even close. It uses almost two full cores of essence to even work properly.
And the requirement grows with range.
As the name suggests, and somewhat similar to "lock space", it solidifies the space of my choosing. Literally.
The air becomes solid and all that.
Anyone caught within quite literally, can't move a muscle, or organ, or anything.
Hell, even a Terror died by it, although I'm not quite sure why.
Maybe because it was a sea creature? Who knows.
And now, for the grand finale!
Knockoff portals.
I still haven't quite figured it out completely, so it's kind of acting like a connection between two points. But you still have to travel the distance between them, in a separate space.
It was... Definitely a unique experience the first time I did it.
And with quite a drawback.
If the connection is disrupted. Examples:
If even one of the "portals" is destabilized.
I run out of soul essence to fuel it.
You damage the inside of the "tunnel".
It completely breaks apart.
The space snapping back violently, and completely... atomizing anything inside...
Quite a death eh?
Dying with not even a drop of blood for history to remember you by.
So yeah, I don't use that for travel.
However!
I use it for battle.
Placing one of the portals at a random direction, but far enough so the "snap" would be devastating enough, and then another directly upon the target.
They get inside, I let them understand their predicament if they're intelligent enough, let them walk even, so the force would be even greater of course.
And then I forcefully disrupt the connection to the further portal.
And kaboom, they die.
I even get the fragments for it! Seeing as the soul shards got annihilated too!
So that's very cool, very versatile, unique, and fun!
I want more!
I need more!
All of my abilities can, at most, be used on a squad of people, if they're close together.
Sure, I can probably entrap the Winter Beast in its entire unholyness.
I paused, tapping the Titan's giant body as it let out a noise resembling a scoff.
Then continued on my train of thought.
But needless to say, that would be taxing. Very much so.
With no guarantee it would work completely on a being with such enormous power.
So I needed something that wasn't taxing, or at least, the effect was worth the cost.
And the range to match the gigantic creatures, and armies.
Tapping my chin several times, I continued imagining the possibilities.
Shattering space, while extremely satisfying, especially the sound it made, sounding like a thousand mirrors shattering.
Isn't quite viable.
Because the space itself did not like that.
As well as it being extremely taxing.
I think I exhausted a full core from just shattering a fist size amount of space.
So yeah, maybe later.
Slamming a fist against a palm, my eyes glinting with glee, I shot up from my prone position.
"What if I just flip the area?!"
A vicious grin spread beneath the black and crimson mask, as I started walking in circles above the giant.
Then, turning my attention to it, I asked for it's opinion.
"What do you think If I just flipped the ground?"
It didn't answer, of course it didn't.
But the steps capable of dwarfing whole blocks of infrastructure slowed.
In mere moments, it stopped, its fake head turning upwards to meet eyes with me.
And in that moment, watching the solid blue colored slits that represented the eyes of the Titan, I felt it.
Interest. Intelligence.
I'm not letting anyone kill it.
I reaffirmed to myself.
Now, I would just need more power. To stand equal or greater to it in status.
Because interest and Intelligence was all I needed from the Titan.
Dismissing the thought, I focused on it again.
"What do you think? Would it be effective?"
It's ice and what looked to be bits of concrete head slightly turned to the side, perhaps thinking.
Alas, it didn't answer, just starting to slowly walk to our destination.
Scratching at the mask, I hummed at the idea.
How would I flip it though?
Maybe like rolling a ball? No, I can already envision the blood leaking from my nose from the strain.
I need it to be instant. Even if it drains far more energy.
Because the alternative is frying my brain with each use.
Like it always has been.
Even when I was just a sleeper, starting my journey.
My mind was the price.
And now, nothing has changed.
And the Spell, made sure I knew that it knew.
Mirage manifested from thin air as he always did, his small crow form appearing on my shoulder.
I felt the hexes take hold, each layer blocking the corruption writhing in my mind.
Each layer, slowing my mind, weakening it.
A double edged sword if you will.
Letting out a Humourless chuckle, I vanished from the Titan's head.
It was time to call my friend, i'm sure he's quite annoyed.
*
Apex swiftly took out his scratched black communicator, calling Sunless.
He held the device just a bit in front of him, not dispersing the mask.
Several long and tense seconds later, the shadow picked up.
Apex didin't speak, only curiously raising an unseen eyebrow at the woman standing slightly behind and to the right of his friend.
Saint Tyris, he realized quickly, growing slightly uneasy.
Her powers are quite unique and her prowess in battle is truly commendable.
Especially her speed, known far and wide.
He turned his attention back to the comparable small figure of Sunny, who was still silent.
"What did you need previously?"
The teenager finally asked, not fond of the silence.
Sunny, as if snapping out of a hex, coughed.
"Uh.."
He paused, turning his attention to the Saint behind him, before slowly turning back.
"You're doing okay?"
He asked, and Apex nearly scoffed outloud.
'Who was he trying to fool?'
He mused inwardly, before answering.
"Quite fine actually, and yourself?"
Before Sunny could answer, Apex continued.
"Oh but where are my manners?"
He cocked his head to the side, his ear nearly touching his shoulder.
The action was unnatural, impossible for a normal human to do.
One that Tyris quickly noted, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.
"Who is your dear friend?"
Apex finally finished, a smile slowly spreading beneath the mask.
Sunny slightly stepped to the side, revealing more of the imposing figure that was the Saint.
He raised a hand towards her, answering.
"This is Saint Tyris of the white feather clan."
Apex nodded, even if he already knew the information.
Inturn, Apex bowed his head slightly.
"It is an honor to meet you, Saint Tyris."
With the formalities that were necessary out of the way, Apex straightened himself and got to business.
"What did you truly call for?"
He asked, his voice lacking all emotion.
Sunless sighed heavily, his shoulder slumping.
"The Winter Beast changed directions abruptly."
His eyes turned suspicious, accusatory even.
"You had something to do with it, didn't you?"
Inturn, Apex rose an eyebrow once more.
He was surprised they even thought of the possibility.
Alas, he wouldn't answer such a sensitive question in front of the Saint, especially one such as Tyris.
He wasn't quite sure he could catch her in his abilities.
"What makes you believe that I would be able to do such a thing?"
Sky Tide closed her amber eyes, before opening them, glaring through the screen.
"I know you did."
Sunny's head snapped towards her, eyes widening.
From the undoubtedly strong pressure that had suddenly appeared.
"I know who you are."
She added after a second, her eyes staring into the mask of Apex as if being able to see through it.
Apex raised his hands in the universal sign of surrender.
"I just annoyed it until it started following me."
He gave in, lying through his teeth with unnerving ease.
The Saint's eyes started to slightly glow, what looked to be miniature lightning bolts dancing in them.
"When will you be arriving at Falcon Scott?"
She asked after a brief pause.
Apex threw back his head, staring into the sky.
"I won't be. I can do much better out here."
He answered softly, yet there was something lingering in his voice. Something unnatural.
In front of Apex stood Mirage, out of the device's sight.
The creature pretending to be a bird laid on the ground, small eyes staring at Apex with extreme focus.
He slowly started trembling, its essence continuously being used on multiple hexes.
Every ten seconds, a new set of hexes were layered upon the boy, the presence of the Saint, even if not physically present, making the corruption writhe more than ever before.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the call.
Sunless and Tyris exchanged looks, Tyris being intrigued, and Sunny getting a sudden feeling of something being wrong.
"I could come pick you up."
Sunny offered, even if he knew such a suggestion would be useless for one such as Apex.
A sound was a response, undeniably being a snort filled with amusement.
Apex didn't look back down, continuing to stare at something out of the communicator's view.
"I have incoming, see you later."
The call ended.
Sunless stared at the device in his palm, one that he was ever so slightly crushing with the force he was gripping it with.
It was getting worse, much worse.
He now realized that Apex was truly and undeniably losing himself.
Tyris stared at the slightly shaking form of Sunny, suspicious.
She had heard of the boy, received a request even, for his capture.
She had denied, she wouldn't fall so low as she had before.
But now, she was interested.
'Just who could he be? To attract such attention from the government and Valor?'
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