The intersection where chaos had erupted only days ago had long since returned to normalcy. The sunlight glinted off the newly paved asphalt, and cars sped over the slight bumps and nicks that were the only reminder that it had been visited by the monsters that threatened the fate of the world.
Most of the shopfronts had reopened with gleaming glass windows, with one exception where a clothing store still lay in ruins, a temporary barrier erected at the perimeter of the rubble whilst the city decided whether or not it wanted to dedicate one of its overstretched work crews to rebuild a simple clothing store.
Xylos materialized itself on top of a lamppost, observing the entire scene with its luminous, pinprick white eyes. Its analytical mind pieced together each event in Crimson's report with the traces of said event in the view in front of it: The storefront, which Crimson had been hurled through. The spot where the marble-skinned Rift-Touched had landed after being shot by Gearloose. The center of the spatial tear caused by Calamity.
All of which helped Xylos to confirm that it was in the correct location. Despite the return to normalcy, Xylos could feel the traces of magic still lingering in the air.
With a silent leap, the Celestial descended. Its form landing silently onto the pavement below. Pedestrians continued to walk past them, unable to even perceive their presence.
It locked onto the faint traces of violet magic that it assumed were from the marble-skinned Rift-Touched, and it traced the trajectory from which Crimson had been thrown to a spot with a distinct layer of that violet magic. Chaotic and unstable, Xylos studied these traces with great interest, trying to discern as much as it could from what little they had to work with.
"The energy is⦠unstable, but is similar to other Rift-Touched that have exhibited an affinity for magic. The influence of the Verge is unmistakable, but the samples have been⦠tainted. The overwhelming influence of magics associated with the entity known as Calamity has corrupted all other traces."
A low hum vibrated from Xylos's spectral form. Its eyes scanned the area closely for any other traces of magic it could analyze, as the data it could glean for now was incomplete and fragmented. Influenced by time and the presence of a much stronger magic.
"However, the little data I have shows that this Rift-Touched is similar to many others that were encountered in the past. Suggesting that the entity encountered by Crimson was indeed a Rift-Touched, and not a new subspecies of Verge monster that has yet to be encountered."
"Intelligent behavior has been observed in Rift-Touched before; however, that had always been accompanied by hostility towards Luminaries and a desire for destruction. It had been assumed that this was an inherent characteristic from being influenced by the unstable magic of the Verge, but if Crimson's report is to be believed, this entity bore no hostility towards her and instead expressed concern for her well-being."
Xylos's form shifted slightly as it poured through what available reports it had on previous magic-wielding Rift-Touched encounters, finding a common trend of destruction and combat in every listed report. Alongside whether there was still an outstanding kill order, or if the entity was confirmed to be deceased.
Unable to draw any meaningful conclusions on the marble-skinned Rift-Touched, Xylos decided to switch its focus to the other Rift-Touched whose traces it could feel, Calamity.
It had no difficulty finding traces of their magic in the air, because the entire area was still blanketed in it. Xylos steadied themselves for a moment, then cross-referenced their readings with the data taken from Calamity's last known appearance three years prior.
"The magic color and signature are identical to readings three years ago taken from the entity labelled as 'Calamity'. Energy density is higher than previously recorded, but not significantly so. The magic used appears to have left no permanent damage, a temporary Rift-Disaster field generated in Calamity's vicinity that is consistent with previous appearances. The energy is also consistent with that of the Verge, but appears to be stable for now."
They paused for a moment.
Xylos held deathly still, watching the traces of magic carefully, "The magic appears to be stable. Its behavior is similar to the residue left behind when a Luminary casts magic, being diluted in the air instead of breaking apart like Verge energy usually does."
The implications struck Xylos like a physical blow. It had always been known that magic was far more present in the Verge than it was on a planet like Earth, and thus it had always been a given that monsters and Rift-Touched possessed more raw power than a Luminary of similar combat strength. The difference was that a Luminary's magic was controlled and directed, thus allowing them to match raw strength with sufficient skill and mastery.
But if these readings were to be believed, Calamity's mastery over magic had evolved; they had managed to exert control over the unstable energy of the Verge and were now able to wield that same raw power with the focused skill of a Luminary.
And then a horrifying thought crossed their mind. Calamity's reappearance was due to the need to recover one of their fellow Rift-Touched. What if the marble-skinned one was not merely acquainted with Calamity, but was learning from them?
If Calamity possessed such a mastery over magic, and was now teaching that mastery to other Rift-Touched. Then they posed a much greater threat to the world than they did three years ago.
Xylos's eyes flared with urgency, realizing that the situation was far more dire than they had initially assumed.
Their form began shimmering violently as they reconnected themselves with the greater Celestial consciousness. Sending a direct distress call to the one entity it knew had the resources on hand to deal with a potential apocalyptic threat.
After a moment, the air before Xylos rippled, and a figure formed in front of them. The new figure looked at Xylos with its own pair of pinprick eyes, but theirs were pink instead of white. They were also a Celestial, but unlike Xylos, they had replaced their original form with a furry body similar to the cats found on Earth. They stretched languidly, tail curling, and offered a yawn that revealed a throat lined with an evershifting series of bright lights that shimmered like a starry night.
"Xylos?" It purred at them with its smooth voice, "Still clinging to your base form after all this time? Honestly, you should take my advice and cuten up your look a little. An adorable appearance does wonders for leaving a good first impression on the younglings of this world."
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"I have not found this form to be a hindrance in the carrying out of my duties, Grand Overseer Lyros."
"And you still talk so stiffly." Lyros hummed at them with a mock shake of their head, "You would think after all these years serving in the field, you would learn how to loosen up a little."
"I have critical intelligence I wish to report, information that I believe necessitates an immediate response." Xylos said, their voice trying to convey the urgency of the matter.
"Of course you do." Lyros purred at them with a hint of annoyance, "Shame on me for expecting my prodigy to call me for a nice morning chat."
"Calamity has recently been sighted in Boston."
Lyros blinked slowly, "Am I supposed to know who that is?"
"Calamity is an Apocalypse-Rated entity that was last seen three years ago in-"
"Ah, that thing." Lyros interrupted, "Weren't they the Rift-Touched who threw a big tantrum a few years back and then toddled off? So, is she throwing another tantrum as we speak right now?"
"No." Xylos answered, slightly taken aback by Lyros's callousness, "Their reappearance was actually two days ago."
"And you felt the need to tell me this now because�"
"Their reappearance isn't the sole concern," Xylos stated, projecting the condensed analysis data they had gathered for Lyros to read. "I believe the entity known as 'Calamity' has grown stronger. The traces of magical residue present suggest a much greater control over magic than was previously thought possible for Rift-Touched. That, combined with their sudden reappearance, suggests that Calamity may be planning something big here. The entire city is potentially at risk, and I would like to request the deployment of a Luminary of sufficient combat strength to prevent such an eventuality."
Lyros examined the data with detached interest, her ears flicking dismissively, "And you have seen this increased 'control over magic' personally during her reappearance?"
"No, but the data-"
"The data does suggest a higher degree of control in Calamity than previously thought possible, but that's all it does, Xylos. Suggests. Not proves." Lyros replied with a shake of their head. "Even if she's gotten stronger, she's just one Apocalypse-Rated Rift-Touched. Do you know how many Apocalypse-Rated entities emerged from the First Rift last month alone?"
"None."
"Oh yeah, it was a quiet month, wasn't it?" Lyros replied with a chuckle, "But the month before that, there were two. Look, my point is. I can't simply pull a Celestial of that caliber off the front lines to sit around waiting for a potential threat to show up again."
"But if Calamity were to strike now, the damage she could inflict would be catastrophic."
"Hence her name," Lyros replied with a laugh, stopping only after they noticed Xylos didn't join in. "Look, Xylos, you oversee a major city, yes. But you must take a step back to look at the 'bigger picture'. We are the last line of defense for this planet, and our priority must always be preventing loss of life on a global scale, not on the local level. Understood?"
"But the situation on the front lines has been stable for quite a while." Xylos protested.
"Because of a proper allocation of available resources. Which do not include pulling our strongest Luminaries to sit around a city waiting for the reappearance of a potential threat. Luminaries were created to respond to actual tragedies, not anticipated ones." Lyros sighed in exasperation, "Xylos, if it makes you feel any better, I will personally allocate part of my consciousness to monitor the situation in Boston. And if Calamity does cause trouble, I will immediately reroute a proper response team to deal with it, okay?"
Xylos stared at Lyros blankly, finding themselves able to read between the lines too clearly. That no help would be sent until the bodies started piling up.
"Now." Lyros voiced cheerfully with a flick of their tail, "Is there anything else you needed to tell me, or shall I end our call here?"
"There was one other anomaly with Calamity's reappearance that I wished to report." Xylos hesitated, unsure if they should bother Lyros with the matter when they were unsure of the implications themselves, "Or rather, to ask you about. There was another Rift-Touched in the incident two days ago, one that was reported to have not acted aggressively toward the Luminary who had encountered them."
Lyros's pink eyes narrowed, all trace of amusement in them vanishing. Its fur seemed to bristle slightly, though they remained seated. "Xylos," its voice dropped, becoming dangerously soft. "And you felt this was worth reporting to me because?"
"I believe there is room for negotiation," Xylos replied with resolve, staring down Lyros intently. "That they could serve as an inroad to Calamity to prevent further unnecessary bloodshed."
Lyros remained quiet for a while, merely watching Xylos with a look of disgust. "Follow me." They eventually ordered, seemingly walking towards nowhere in particular.
Xylos tailed behind Lyros until they reached one of the points where the Verge energies felt the strongest. Xylos felt their form flicker as the residue of the Verge brushed against their body.
"Can you feel that Xylos? The corruption of the Verge." Lyros asked without looking back.
"Yes."
"Do you know what the Verge does to worlds?" Lyros asked without any desire for an answer. "The Verge pulls everything into its grasp, turning entire worlds into a cruel mockery of what they used to be." Lyros turned to stare directly at Xylos, "That is who our enemy is Xylos. A force of nature. A corruption of the very world itself."
Lyros pointed at the ground in front of them.
"Even if the entities it produces appear to be able to be reasoned with, you must remember that the entity that produced them cannot be reasoned with. There is no middle ground that can be reached with the Verge's corruption. Either we purge every last trace of it from this world, or we watch it be consumed by it."
Lyros stepped closer until its form could nearly brush against Xylos's.
"Do I make myself clear, Xylos?" The finality in its tone felt absolute.
"Of course. Grand Overseer Lyros." Xylos replied, its voice flat.
"Good." Lyros leaned back, readopting its more upbeat attitude, "Well, that was a productive little chat. I'll keep an eye on your city as promised Xylos, and if you have any more doubts about your duties, please feel free to call me again."
Xylos's form returned to normal as they disengaged themselves from the greater Celestial consciousness.
For a while, they merely stared at the spot where Lyros had previously sat, the many doubts they had still swimming in their mind.
Despite those doubts, they opted not to call Lyros again. Instead, vanishing from the repaired intersection in a small flash of light.
-
Xylos rematerialized in a small, dimly lit apartment. Their form seating itself on a simple wooden table that occupied the center of the small living room. There they sat with their tail curled around their back, front limbs planted firmly in front of them, and simply waited.
There they sat as time passed them by. Each moment being counted by the ticking of a clock hanging on one of the room's walls. Eventually, a door creaked open, and a young woman emerged. Her hair was a messy cascade of sleep-tousled blue, her glowing blue eyes locking onto Xylos the moment she stepped into the room.
"Xylos," she murmured, her voice still husky with sleep. "Is it urgent?"
"Not to my knowledge, no," Xylos replied with a soft chime.
"Then I shall grab breakfast first." The woman replied softly, "Did you want any?"
"I do not require sustenance. You know this, Sapphire." Xylos replied with a hint of amusement.
"But did you want some anyway?"
"I shall pass on the offer."
The woman nodded and made her way over to the kitchen. Once there, she opened a cupboard and pulled out a plain bag of sliced whole wheat bread. She brought it back to the table and sat herself right in front of Xylos.
She pulled out a single slice, tore off a chunk with her fingers, and popped it straight into her mouth. "Alright," she said whilst chewing, "Go ahead."
"Calamity has resurfaced," Xylos stated simply, "Confirmed sighting by one of my Luminaries, and I have personally confirmed traces of their magical signature."
Sapphire tore off another chunk and popped it into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "I don't feel her presence currently."
"Their last known sighting was approximately two days ago." Xylos clarified, "We are currently unsure of what their plan is."
"I see." She tied the bag of bread back up and placed it down gently on the table. Finishing her last bite slowly. "You know I am still retired, right?" She stated flatly.
"I know, Sapphire. My purpose in telling you this is not to pull you out of retirement to start a fight, but to ask for your help if that fight becomes inevitable." Xylos paused for a moment, meeting Sapphire's gaze directly, "Should Calamity initiate hostilities and threaten a catastrophic loss of life or target Luminaries directly⦠can I count on you to intervene?"
Silence descended, thicker than before. The minutes ticked by as Sapphire sat there in silence, her eyes staring blankly out the window, her gaze distant.
"The collateral damage from such a fight would be immense." She finally mumbled.
"But the damage Calamity could cause if left unchecked would be far worse." Xylos chimed softly, "I understand that you have your reservations, given your history with your original Celestial overseer, but I hope you trust me when I say I wouldn't have asked this of you if I had any other choice."
Sapphire looked back to stare at the Celestial directly, her eyes studying them with emotionless intensity. Finally, she replied after a deep breath, "Okay."
A subtle warmth, alien yet distinct, pulsed within Xylos's form. "So you will help?"
Sapphire nodded. "But only if Calamity is the one to initiate." She clarified shortly after that nod. "In case any of your friends think they can play me against her."
"I will keep that in mind, Sapphire. Thank you." Xylos whispered to her softly.
And with that loose promise secured, Xylos dematerialized, leaving Sapphire sitting alone in her apartment once more. There, she sat for the rest of the morning, staring blankly at the spot where Xylos had been sitting only moments ago.