House of the Celestials: Crown of Stars Rewrite

Downtown, Chicago

Terra, Gaea Solar system

Neutral Free Zone

January 14th 2019

One thing Emily hated most in the world was lying—especially to Leon. She held her breath, waiting for him to leave the room. When she could no longer sense his presence, Emily pulled out her Zodiak device. She switched it on and accessed the Starlight network. Emily had already sent Ginny images of the strange symbols on the tunnel wall, hoping she could decipher them. But now, she needed Ginny's help with something else. Memories she had pried from the Erlking's mind resurfaced. Searching through the corrupted mind of the Erlking hadn't taken much effort. Emily had encountered minds damaged by Infernal energy before, so delving into his psyche was familiar territory.

One memory had caught her attention—it stood out because she recognized it. It was a standard code used by the Starlight Order for geographical coordinates, written in Celestial runes. What the hell was a Starlight code doing in the mind of a Beastman? Especially one from Terra? Emily knew she should have told Leon about it. They were supposed to be in this together. But then again, there were things neither of them told each other. Ever since they had left Agartha and gone into exile in the Neutral Free Zone, Leon had become more agitated than usual. He tried to mask it, but Emily knew him—maybe better than she knew herself. They had pursued every clue they could find regarding the Fallen Star's whereabouts, yet they always came up short. Leon's obsession with tracking down members of the Fallen Star baffled Emily. She had asked herself the same question for the past eight years: Was it revenge? Was that what drove him to such extremes?

Emily wasn't sure about the coordinates she had extracted from the Erlking's mind, which was why she hadn't told Leon yet. If they were clues, she needed to be certain before involving him. She entered the codes into the location algorithm, praying to the gods that this could finally be the lead they needed. But it came up empty. What the hell? She tried again, and it came up empty once more. Something wasn't right

"Ziron, contact Ginny," Emily commanded the tablet.

"Affirmative," the mechanical voice replied, its tone booming. A flash of light illuminated the room as a hologram of Ginny materialized. She was clad in a white coat, her goggles pushed up onto her forehead. Burn stains marred her face, and her blond hair was disheveled—likely the result of whatever experiment had consumed her attention. Despite her youthful appearance, which made her look like a bratty sixteen-year-old, Emily knew better than to underestimate her.

"Oh gods, it's you, Emily," Ginny said flatly, her tone lacking any trace of enthusiasm. Emily felt a twinge of disappointment at the girl's reaction. Ginny had probably assumed Leon was the one reaching out. Emily couldn't blame her—half their class at the Academy had been infatuated with Leon, and the other half had likely slept with him. Ginny had been no exception to his charms. Clearing her throat, Emily straightened her posture, making it clear she meant business.

"There's something I need you to check out," she said, her voice cold and detached. "I'm sending it to you now." Ginny shuddered slightly at Emily's icy tone as the data transferred from Emily's Zodiak to hers.

"Do you see it?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, some kind of code. A geographical code," Ginny replied impatiently. Her tone hinted that Emily had interrupted something important. "You know you could just use your precious Starlight Network to track this down, right?"

"I already tried that," Emily said curtly. "It looks similar to the coordinates we normally use, but the Network doesn't recognize it." Ginny squinted at the holographic projection of the code, her lips twisting in thought.

"Hmm, that's because these coordinates aren't in Starlight's database," she said matter-of-factly. Then, narrowing her eyes, she added, "Does this have anything to do with that unapproved mission you and Leon are on—or those strange symbols you sent me?" Emily's jaw tightened. She stared at the girl, a faint twitch at the corner of her lips betraying her growing annoyance.

"Yes, it's really important to Leon that we know where the coordinates lead," Emily said, her expression cool as she lied. She had no qualms about using Leon's name to manipulate Ginny into doing what she wanted.

"Hmm. Okay, but make sure you tell him I helped with his mission, alright?" Ginny replied. Emily gave a slight nod. Satisfied, Ginny smiled and turned her attention to the task. It took her about fifteen to twenty minutes before she finally spoke again.

"Wow. Whoever created this code was good," Ginny said, sounding impressed.

"But you cracked it?" Emily asked tentatively. Ginny mockingly raised her eyebrows.

"Duh. Of course I did," she said smugly. "It didn't take long to figure out the type of code it was. It's similar to the ones Starlight uses, but there's a slight difference. That's why the system couldn't break it. Whoever made this went to a lot of trouble to hide the location. I tracked it to somewhere in Chicago—not far from where you are. It looks like some kind of facility. I suppose it could be a Starlight outpost, but there's no record of it in the Starlight database. And that's weird. Federation law states that all Starlight Order bases in Neutral Free Zones must be registered. Where exactly did you get this?"

"I can't say right now," Emily replied, her voice guarded. She still couldn't believe that Ginny had managed to hack into the Starlight database system—a network located millions of light-years away.

"Well, whatever it is, it sounds dangerous," Ginny said, her tone shifting to one of caution. "I've sent you the coordinates. Tell Leon to be careful."

"Sure," Emily replied as she glanced at the coordinates. Ginny was right—the location was on this planet. Emily couldn't fathom how the Erlking had obtained this information or why Leon's source had pointed them toward it. That's when something else struck her.

"Hey, do me and Leon a favor," Emily said.

Ginny raised an eyebrow, her impatience becoming more evident. "What now?"

"Contact the Golden Dawn and see if they can send a clean-up crew," Emily said.

"For what?" Ginny asked, frowning.

"We killed an Erlking infected with Infernal energy. There's a chance it left residual energy behind, and it needs to be cleansed," Emily explained. She realized, with a pang of guilt, that in her rush to get out of the sewer, she'd forgotten to perform a purification ritual. The presence of an Abomination in Terra had already been shocking, but if the Infernal energy spread, there was a real risk of a human becoming infected and turning.

Ginny sighed, her irritation barely concealed. "Fine. I'll take care of it. But you owe me."

Emily gave a small nod, her mind already racing with the implications of what they had uncovered.

"That would be kind of great," Emily said.

"Sure, anything for Leon," Ginny said, and with that, she was gone. Emily sighed, turning her attention back to the coordinates. The location was at Promontory Point in Burnham Park. Whatever this was, she needed to check it out herself before involving Leon. She headed back upstairs to change into fresh gear. Fortunately, she had brought two sets of combat attire with her. She slipped into the clean one, leaving the sewer-stained outfit behind. Next, she retrieved the weapons box she had brought along on the mission.

Pressing the activation rune, the box opened with a faint hiss. Inside, an array of daggers of various sizes were meticulously arranged. Each blade was forged from adamant metal, which made them highly conductive to mana. Emily carefully selected as many as her weapons belt could hold, stashing a few extras in the hidden compartments of her combat boots. Finally, she took out a standard Seriphium blade—a short sword with double edges, an onyx guard, and a matching hilt. Its silver blade gleamed faintly, etched with runes that served as conduits for magical energy. The craftsmanship was flawless, and the weapon radiated power. Once Emily felt sufficiently armed, she activated her Exodus. In an instant, the spell transported her directly to the location.

 ****

Atop a meadow in Promontory Point stood a masonry field house, its silhouette stark against the night sky. Emily could smell the lake from where she stood, cloaked within the Grey. The mystical field unique to Terra still felt foreign to her. Terra was the only planet in the Neutral Free Zone with this peculiar attribute, and it was one of the many reasons Emily disliked it. Inside the Grey—hidden and separated from the mundane world—was the outpost. The moment Emily arrived, she felt an unease settle over her. It wasn't just the overwhelming presence of death and decay emanating from the building; it was the absence of a barrier. Most Starlight bases were secured with protective barriers, especially top-secret facilities like this one was supposed to be. Emily approached the front doors cautiously, avoiding the gore scattered across the floor. Though the interior was dim, her vision quickly adjusted. She drew a pair of Adamant daggers from her belt, extending her senses to sweep the building. No signs of life. Only death. The air was heavy with echoes of pain and fear, imprinted into the structure itself. While most of the building's power was down, a faint glow from the lights further down the hallway suggested there was still some backup power.

As she passed the scattered bodies, Emily noticed shadows etched into the walls. They weren't normal shadows—they were imprints of the dead's souls lingering in the material world. Through them, she felt the death echoes reverberating throughout the building. The sensation sent a chill down her spine. Her hand instinctively brushed against the necklace around her neck. For a fleeting moment, she considered taking it out and praying. But she stopped herself. Praying was something she had abandoned long ago. Emily took a closer look at her surroundings, noting the layout and details of the building's interior. This appeared to be a Science Division facility. Most of the corpses she passed were wearing white lab coats. In the front hallway, the symbol of the House of Aquarius was etched into the wall. The House of Aquarius was responsible for the science and technology division within Starlight and controlled most tech industries in the Federation. The symbol confirmed her suspicion: this facility belonged to the Starlight Order.

But why would the Order have a facility on this planet? As Ginny had mentioned, according to Federation Constitution 10.2, Starlight Order bases in the Neutral Free Zone were only permitted for monitoring threats and were required to be located off-world—not on the planet itself. This building's very existence violated Federation law. Emily continued exploring until she entered a room filled with containment pods. Most of them were broken, their glass panels shattered and interiors damaged from whatever attack had occurred. More bodies littered the floor. One of them wore a tactical uniform that Emily didn't recognize as being part of the Order. Her thoughts raced. There had to be a network hub somewhere in the facility. She scanned the room and spotted a Zodiak monitor embedded into one of the walls. Retrieving her tablet, Emily approached the monitor, intent on hacking into the facility's network. If she could gain access, maybe she could uncover what this place was—and what the hell had happened here. She activated the Zodiak and began connecting it to her device, her fingers working quickly as she initiated the data transfer.

"Connect me to the main network, Ziron," Emily ordered. A flash of sigils and symbols exploded from her tablet, moving too quickly for her eyes to track. It was an intricate web of data, constantly shifting and reforming.

"Password authentication required," Ziron's monotone voice came through coldly. Emily cursed under her breath. She couldn't afford a wrong guess—one slip and this entire place could go up in flames. She was left with no choice but to call for backup.

"Contact Ginny. Now," Emily ordered, her voice sharp. A few seconds later, Ginny's hologram appeared. She looked even less thrilled than usual—her goggles perched high on her forehead, a hacksaw in one hand. The background behind her was cluttered with tools and half-finished projects.

"You again?" Ginny said with an exaggerated sigh. "You know, this is the most you've ever called on me. And here I thought Leon was the one who couldn't get enough of my genius."

Emily stiffened, the truth stinging more than she cared to admit. "Can you just help me hack into this mainframe? It's for Leon. I sent a link to your Zodiak."

Ginny shot her a deadpan look, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. You're lucky I like him."

Emily didn't have the time or patience for pleasantries. "Can you just do it?"

With a begrudging nod, Ginny set the hacksaw down and grabbed her tablet. Her fingers worked quickly as she cracked her knuckles and started typing.

"Whoa!" Ginny's tone shifted, her casual demeanor evaporating as she stared at the data in front of her. Her voice dropped a notch, more serious than Emily had ever heard it. "What the hell is this?"

"What's going on?" Emily demanded, her urgency rising.

"I've logged into the mainframe, but this... This is something else," Ginny said, her eyebrows knitted together. "The whole network's encrypted with some kind of code I've never seen before. It's next-level, high-end stuff—backed by downright nasty security enchantments. It's gonna take me some time to get through this."

"How long?" Emily pressed, her mind already racing through contingencies.

"I don't know," Ginny admitted, her usual cocky attitude replaced by genuine concern. "A day, maybe two. Worst case, it could take me a week. But one wrong move and the whole system crashes. No pressure, right?"

"Fine. I'll transfer the data to your end so you have full access. You've got all the time you need," Emily said, frustration still simmering in her voice.

Ginny smirked, her hands flying across the tablet. "Already done. Just sit tight and let me do my thing. This should be fun."

Without waiting for a response, Ginny's image flickered and vanished. Emily exhaled, staring at the now empty air where the hologram had been. She could only hope Ginny was right. With a quick motion, she slid her tablet back into her pocket and took a long look around the dimly lit room. As Emily turned away from the pods, something caught her eye. She moved over to one of the containers and bent down to pick up what looked like an orb. The moment her hand made contact, a sharp burn shot through her palm. She swore, instinctively letting go of it. A faint aura radiated from the orb, and just like that, the energy within it seemed to vanish. Curious but cautious, she reached for it again. This time, the coolness that swept over her was staggering—almost as if the orb were frozen. It must be some kind of mineral ore, she thought, stashing it in the pouch on her weapons belt.

Moving on, Emily continued her exploration of the other rooms. They were all labs, each housing more containment pods, but they were empty—still no clues as to what the scientists had been studying. She felt a growing sense of boredom as she passed the still bodies. After thoroughly checking the upper floors, Emily decided to explore the basement. As she descended the stairs, she sensed movement behind her. Instinctively, she whirled around and executed a swift vertical slash. Her blade cut through flesh with ease, black blood gushing from the severed neck of the figure who had lunged out of the shadows.

A hissing noise echoed from the darkness, and in an instant, a horde of humanoid figures emerged. They were the reanimated corpses of the dead scientists, twisted by some unnatural magic. They came from both the top of the stairs and the basement below. Without hesitation, Emily drew two Adamant daggers, her Mana flowing through her body to enhance her physical abilities. She moved in a fluid battle style, slashing through the first creature with one blade, then quickly decapitating another with the second. The scent of black blood filled the air, but Emily's expression remained unreadable, focused entirely on the task at hand. Her movements were a blur of calculated precision. One of the revenants swung its arm at her, but Emily neatly severed it with a swift slash, then followed up with a brutal kick to its skull, crushing it underfoot. She danced through the horde with fluid grace, her daggers flashing in the dim light of the stairs.

She wasted no energy—every strike was deliberate and efficient. Her breathing was steady, her movements deadly. A revenant tried to grab her leg, but she sidestepped, moving with speed and agility, a streak of blue as she continued to descend the stairs. Decapitation was the only way to stop the necromantic curse that bound these creatures, and Emily knew it well. She made quick work of the horde, each strike decisive, as she moved downward, cutting down the undead with ruthless efficiency.

It didn't take long for Emily to finish cutting them all down. In the end, the piles of corpses lay headless, their once-menacing forms now rendered lifeless. Most of her Adamant daggers were sullied by the black blood, their once-pristine edges corroded by the necromantic magic that had animated the revenants. Her breathing remained steady, but her Internal senses were locked onto the spot below the stairs, where the basement should have been. She abandoned the damaged daggers, the magic within them all but eroded by the cursed blood.

Drawing a fresh dagger, Emily moved toward the strange purple light that had appeared at the base of the stairs. She extended her Internal senses downward but found nothing, no trace of life or magic. She paused, uncertainty creeping in. Was this the right choice? She had already dealt with the aftermath of a necromantic spell—undead reanimated by dark magic. Whatever lay beyond that light, she didn't want to face it alone. She had seen enough to warrant bringing Leon here; together, they could investigate whatever secrets lay hidden below. Just as she was about to take the exit to her left, a sudden vibration rippled through the Odyllic—the World energy around her thickened, and she felt an unnatural pull towards the bottom of the stairs. In the blink of an eye, Emily found herself in a new location.

The room she now stood in was vast and circular, with six massive columns supporting the ceiling. The walls were composed of an unfamiliar purple material that glowed faintly, casting eerie light throughout the space. The World energy in the room felt strange—charged with a subtle, almost sentient force. Emily tried to sense her surroundings, but the energy felt isolating as if the room were severed from the rest of the facility. She couldn't detect any other exit or source of life. She didn't understand how she had gotten here, but she pressed forward, her instincts urging her to investigate. In the center of the room, an open space stretched out, revealing a massive magic circle etched into the floor. It was a pentacle, inscribed with strange runic symbols. Hovering above the circle was a silver-colored monolith, surrounded by a violet barrier, its presence commanding and otherworldly

"Dimensional Magic," Emily noted, her eyes narrowing as she observed the pentacle. "This whole room is a pocket space." Something here had dragged her into this separate dimension, far removed from the research base. Her attention shifted to the monolith hovering above the pentacle. The surface of the monolith bore the same symbols she had seen on the wall in the sewer—the symbols the Erlking had been guarding. Emily stared at them, still unable to decipher their meaning. They resembled the runic language used by the Federation, but there were subtle distinctions. Anyone unfamiliar with the Annunaki dialect would mistake them for the familiar script, but Emily, a diligent student of the language, knew this wasn't it.

She couldn't understand the symbols, but there was something unsettlingly familiar about them. They seemed to tell a story, much like the ones etched on the wall in the sewer. If only she could read them. As Emily stretched out her hand to touch the monolith, she suddenly sensed a presence. Someone was behind her. In an instant, a flash of blue light shot toward her, and her dagger—held defensively in her hand—was ripped from her grasp. Without hesitation, Emily moved, her body shifting behind a nearby column, using it as cover. She drew her Seriphium shortsword, her instincts on high alert. Though she couldn't sense the presence directly, something in the darkness told her that danger was closing in. Another flash of blue light shot around the pillar, heading straight for her. Emily reacted just in time, diving aside to avoid the blast.

"What the hell?" she muttered under her breath.

Two more shots followed, but Emily had already started calculating the trajectory. She focused on the energy behind the attack, predicting its path. Her body moved fluidly, her blade cutting an arc through the air as she dispelled the incoming strike. As the blue light dissipated, a shadowy figure materialized before her, firing arrows of concentrated Mana. The force behind each shot was enough to break through her defenses, but Emily was quick, her reflexes honed from years of combat. The presence wasn't Infernal, but it certainly wasn't friendly either. Springing off the floor, Emily hurled three more daggers at her opponent. The figure, humanoid in shape, was cloaked in some form of concealment magic. The shadows seemed to cling to her, enhancing her stealth. Emily had encountered such enchantments before—shadow cloaks, worn by those skilled in the art of blending with darkness.

This time, however, the wearer was no mere assassin. Emily's sensory abilities were second to none, and she quickly adjusted to the cloak's magic, pinpointing the source of the danger. The shadow narrowly dodged each of her attacks, its movements smooth and calculated. Breathing steadily, Emily maintained her calm. She knew the key to survival in a fight like this was not just speed or strength but reading her opponent's intentions. Her foe manifested two blades made purely of Mana, their shimmering edges reflecting the faint purple glow of the room. The shadow-wielder took up a combat stance, her body poised, her intent unmistakable: to kill.

They circled each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Emily's perceptive abilities allowed her to read the flow of energy, anticipating each strike before it happened. Even without directly sensing the mana, she could predict the movement. The first blade thrust at her—fast and with great force. Emily deflected it with ease, maintaining a safe distance while analyzing her opponent's rhythm. Each thrust came faster than the last, but Emily's agility allowed her to evade the worst of it. She countered with a feint, a quick attack to the right, before launching a frontal assault. Her blade cut through the air with precision, but the shadow-wielder anticipated it, moving faster than Emily had anticipated.

"What the hell?" Emily muttered under her breath. She'd never encountered anyone as fast as Leon—until now. Her opponent's speed was extraordinary. It was only because of her perceptive senses that she managed to avoid the blows that came at her relentlessly. The two danced across the room, trading blows, one moment the shadow-wielder pushing Emily back, and the next, Emily gaining the upper hand. Emily's fluid combat style allowed her to switch effortlessly from defense to offense. Despite her skill, the shortsword she wielded put her at a disadvantage. Her opponent was using dual blades, each one forged from pure Mana. Their weight and power outmatched her smaller weapon.

But Emily's experience and mastery of her battle style kept her in the game. For a while, anyway. Then, things shifted. The shadow-wielder vanished from her sight. Emily scanned the room, her senses alert. Up. Down. Left. Right. She couldn't afford to miss the slightest movement. And then it came. A sharp kick caught her square on the left cheek, sending her crashing to the ceiling. Pain shot through her body as her back slammed against the surface. For a brief moment, everything went blurry. She tasted the metallic tang of blood in her mouth. Her body twisted in midair as she fell back to the floor, landing with a heavy thud. The pain was intense, but Emily's resolve was stronger.

She pulled out another dagger, mentally blocking out the pain. Her attacker had disappeared back into the shadows. Her back was stiff, her jaw throbbing from the force of the kick, but her defense held. The fracture in her jaw had already mended, the healing magic woven into her body doing its work. Emily knew she was at a disadvantage. Her opponent was faster, stronger, and seemed to be gaining the upper hand in every exchange. Even with the Mana reinforcement aiding her body, this fight wasn't going to be easy. The shadow-wielder stepped out of the darkness once again. This time, Emily saw her fully. Her black combat gear was similar to Emily's, but with one key difference: Emily's suit bore the starlight symbol, while her opponent's was plain. Emily's keen eyes scanned her foe, noticing the lean, muscular build of her body. Though she couldn't sense her Odic force within the Odyllic, the sheer presence of this woman spoke volumes. She was strong—dangerously strong.

Something about her felt familiar. The way she moved. The grace and power in her every step. Without warning, the woman attacked, sending a barrage of Mana blades hurtling toward Emily. In response, Emily quickly began chanting, weaving an incantation with the precision of a master. As the World energy resisted her spell, Emily felt the oppressive will of the environment pushing back, trying to destabilize her formula. But Emily's Arcane skill was unmatched. She pushed through the resistance, her will stronger than the forces working against her.

[Water Creation - Waterfall Descent.]

Emily pointed the index and middle fingers of both hands toward the ground in front of her, channeling Mana through her fingertips to manifest a magic circle. Runes shimmered within the circle as the spell formula converted her Mana into elemental water. A surge of liquid erupted from the ground, forming a towering barrier that intercepted the incoming Mana blades. The clash triggered a burst of steam, and Emily seized the opening created by the explosion.

[Water Creation - Sea Serpent Strike.]

Emily commanded the steam to condense back into liquid, shaping it into a massive water serpent. The serpent surged forward, crashing into her opponent and sending her hurtling through the room's stone pillars. However, the enemy wasn't easily subdued. With a precise slash, she shattered the water construct, flipping through the air and retaliating with slashes of blue light.

Emily reacted instantly, activating Rapid Step, a movement skill, to evade the attacks. She countered with her own strikes, her Seriphium shortsword moving like a blur. But her opponent, wielding a sword of glowing blue energy, deflected every blow with remarkable speed and technique. Emily's face betrayed no emotion, though she couldn't help but feel impressed. Their battle continued atop the ruined pillars, the two combatants standing horizontally as if gravity bent to their wills. Each sought an opening in the other's defenses, the clash of their weapons filling the chamber. The enemy's speed and strength gave her an edge, but Emily's heightened senses allowed her to predict the flow of attacks, adjusting her fighting style to keep pace. Even so, she couldn't entirely avoid injury. Thin cuts marked her cheeks, arms, and thighs. Her Mana skin, a protective reinforcement, was no match for the sheer power of the enemy's blade.

"What are you doing?" the enemy suddenly spoke, her voice neither cold nor warm, but carrying a strange familiarity that unsettled Emily. "Is this all you're capable of, Legens?"

With a swipe of her blade, the enemy sent Emily flying. The sheer force of the attack shattered the dagger in Emily's left hand, and only her Seriphium blade absorbed enough of the impact to save her life. Emily's body smashed through several pillars before crashing to the purple ground. She rolled to a stop, groaning in pain as she spat blood from her mouth. Her respite was short-lived. Blue arrows of Mana trailed after her, forcing her to leap to her feet and evade. She twisted and darted between the attacks, parrying a few with her shortsword. As she moved, Emily tightened her grip on her blade, pouring more Mana into its edge. Taking a defensive stance, she concentrated, compressing her Mana within the sword. With a sharp slash, she released it in a crescent-shaped arc of white light, her Fang Slash technique. The crescent streaked toward her opponent, but the enemy effortlessly tore through it with a single swing of her glowing blade.

"Damn it," Emily muttered through gritted teeth. Even her Mana Art couldn't land a decisive blow. She darted away as a volley of arrows shattered the ground where she had stood moments before. The enemy was relentless, her twin Mana blades gleaming as she closed the distance.

Emily dashed around the pillars, her mind racing for a solution. The space was sealed; no exit was in sight. Worse, her Mana reserves were dangerously low. Her opponent's strikes came faster, her intent to kill clear in every movement. Emily narrowly evaded another jab, her breath quickening.

Think, Emily, think! she urged herself. None of her techniques had pierced the enemy's defenses. She needed something unpredictable—something her opponent couldn't anticipate. Then it struck her. She remembered a forbidden art: Blood Werk, a branch of magic frowned upon by the Starlight organization and condemned by the Annunaki religion for its ties to Black Magic. Desperation outweighed hesitation.

Irkalla, forgive me, she thought, summoning her resolve. Emily reached out with her Mana, connecting to the flow of blood within her enemy's veins. She felt it—a rhythm she could command. With a single thought, she reversed the flow.Her opponent gasped, her body collapsing to its knees as pain overtook her. For the first time in their battle, the enemy seemed vulnerable. Emily stared down at her, the realization settling in: her foe's life now rested entirely in her hands.

"Who are you, and how do you know my name?" Emily demanded, her voice sharp and unyielding. She wasted no time, pressing her questions forward. "What is this space?"

As she spoke, Emily tightened her grip on the blood flowing through her enemy's veins, eliciting a sharp gasp of pain. The pressure she applied sent shadows peeling away from her opponent's cloak. Slowly, the darkness concealing her enemy's face dissipated, revealing a black mask etched with crimson sigils. Two horns, shaped like antlers, protruded from the mask's forehead, giving the figure an otherworldly presence.

"How do I get out of here?" Emily's tone turned colder as she exerted even more control over the blood flow. She could feel the arteries straining under her will, the life pulsing in her grasp. If she wanted to, she could burst a vein in her opponent's head, inducing an aneurysm. Perhaps more pain would break her enemy's resolve—

"I'm quite disappointed," the enemy interrupted, her voice calm, unshaken. She stood upright, brushing off the pain as if it were a mere annoyance. "Blood Werk is an impressive skill for a novice Sorcerer, but… still so mediocre. I expected more." Emily's eyes widened as the woman slammed her fist into the ground. A surge of electric energy erupted from the point of impact, spreading outward in a massive web-like tide. The currents crackled and sparked, washing over the space like an unrelenting ocean wave.

"Fuck!" Emily cursed, realizing there was no escape. The attack was too fast, too wide. The electricity surged through her body, frying her nerves and leaving her limbs numb. The force of the blast hurled her across the room, slamming her into the ground. Before she could recover, a sharp, searing pain pierced her gut. Emily's breath hitched as she looked down to see the glowing blue Mana blade lodged deep in her abdomen. Blood seeped from the wound, pooling beneath her as her opponent loomed over her broken form.

"I expected more from you, Emily Legens," the enemy said, her tone cold and laced with disappointment. A swirling black void opened beneath Emily, its edges crackling with unstable energy. Before she could comprehend what was happening, the void consumed her, dragging her out of the space. The last thing Emily saw was the enemy's masked face, framed by those haunting antler-like horns. Then, darkness overtook her. When she awoke, it was to the sterile glow of fluorescent lights. She lay sprawled on the cold floor of the research lab, her body battered and bleeding, her consciousness barely clinging to reality before fading again into the abyss.