Project:Imagine

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long, eerie shadows over the town of Applecrest. The once vibrant streets were now cloaked in twilight, and a chilling stillness settled over the town. The peaceful facade was about to be shattered. Markus and Wallace sprinted through the darkening streets, urgency driving their every step. They had no time to lose; Iris's life hung in the balance.

Unbeknownst to the brothers, high above them in the decrepit clock tower, their adversaries meticulously prepared for the confrontation. Nikolai, with his sharp eyes and sharper mind, finalized the strategy to kill Markus this time. Beside him, Scarlet and Lucia stood ready, the air heavy with anticipation.

“By now, the rest of our troops have made their way. We should depart,” Lucia said, worried over the upcoming confrontation.

“I agree. Open your gate, Lucia. Let us begin the show. Tonight, Noir will secure the first key and kill the Reaper,” Nikolai commanded.

Lucia raised her arms outward as a lime green door manifested itself from the ground, her breath growing and labored with the effort. As the door fully materialized, it swung open, revealing the outside of Iris’s home. The three of them stepped through the gate, only to be met by seven of their remaining forces.

“Where the hell is everyone else?” Nikolai yelled furiously.

“S-Six of us decided to attack the Reaper, and they were quickly killed. As for the o-other twelve, we have no idea. They simply vanished, sir,” the masked soldier stammered, clearly terrified.

Sweat dripped down the masked soldier's forehead as he delivered the grim news. Nikolai's eyes burned with rage, but he restrained himself, channeling his fury into cold resolve.

“I have no time to be angry. Hurry up and deploy the barrier with the artifacts I gave you all,” Nikolai commanded.

The seven masked soldiers obeyed, each pulling out a ring adorned with a purple gemstone, an inscribed rune glowing faintly within. As they placed the rings on their fingers, shadow-like tendrils emerged, embedding themselves into the soldiers' flesh. The rings feasted on their life energy, causing their bodies to wither and decay rapidly. They screamed in agony, desperately trying to remove the rings, but it was futile. One by one, they collapsed to the ground, lifeless. The gemstones shattered, releasing dark shadows that circled the perimeter of Iris’s home.

“Normal humans without aura have no hope of using artifacts without paying extreme consequences. Their sacrifices won't be remembered. None of this will,” Nikolai said coldly, watching the shadows complete their circuit.

“Y-you wouldn't do that to me, r-right, sir?” Lucia asked timidly, her voice quivering.

Nikolai turned his piercing gaze toward her. “You are far more useful to me alive, Lucia.”

Lucia swallowed hard, nodding vigorously. Scarlet remained silent, her eyes fixed on the darkening sky, a smirk playing on her lips. She was eager for the coming battle and to be reunited with Markus.

Meanwhile, Markus and Wallace reached the outskirts of Iris's home, their breaths ragged from the relentless sprint. They could sense the malevolent energy surrounding the house, a horrific barrier that sent chills down their spines.

“What a tricky barrier, to the unawakened anything that happens within the home will go unnoticed. As for the awakened, it will tear apart anyone who tries to destroy it,” Wallace said, his voice tinged with a mix of awe and disgust.

As he studied the barrier, he could hear the faint, agonized screams of those who were sacrificed to create it. Shadowy hands reached out, begging to be saved, only to burn Wallace's hand when he tried to touch them.

“How cruel to toy with people's lives like this. Whoever our enemy is, I'll make sure they pay,” Markus said furiously, his eyes burning with determination.

Inside the house, Iris lay in bed, unaware of the unfolding chaos. She was deep in a restless sleep when a voice called out to her.

“Iris, Iris, please wake up. You must wake up right now,” the voice urged.

Despite never hearing it before, the voice felt warm and familiar to Iris, like a long-lost friend. It filled her with a strange sense of trust and urgency.

As she woke up, her eyes adjusting to the darkness, she noticed her bookmark, a paper butterfly, softly glowing a golden color as it flapped its wings. She felt an inexplicable connection to it and the voice.

“W-who are you? Why did you wake me up?” Iris asked in a soft voice.

The paper butterfly didn’t answer. It simply began to flutter away, leading her out of her room and down the stairs. Intrigued and a little frightened, she followed it, the house eerily quiet except for the soft rustling of its wings.

The butterfly led her to the dining hall, where a small present with a note sat on the table. Iris picked up the note and read it. “Your birthday is coming up soon, right? I hope you enjoy this gift. Please stay downstairs and open it. May this book guide you through the darkest of times. Trust in your strength and the light within. You are stronger than you know, Iris. Please, no matter what, survive.” There was no name on the letter, only a stamp with a butterfly symbol. A small damp spot over the word survive as if a tear had been dropped upon it.

Curiosity piqued, Iris carefully unwrapped the present, her fingers tingling with anticipation. Inside, she discovered a beautiful red book, its cover rich and velvety, embossed with intricate gold patterns. As she marveled at the elegant design, the delicate butterfly that had accompanied her earlier floated down, its wings shimmering in the soft light. It gracefully settled upon the book's cover, transforming once again into a simple yet enchanting bookmark, its intricate details adding an extra touch of magic to the already captivating gift.

Her fingers traced the intricate designs on the book’s cover, feeling an unusual warmth emanating from it.

Outside, Nikolai, Scarlet, and Lucia prepared the formation. Scarlet stood in front of the house, generating a heavy amount of fire. Nikolai watched the barrier, knowing exactly where Markus and Wallace were on the other side. Lucia sat there, tired from her first gate use and uneasy about the upcoming battle.

“Nikolai, all I have to do is burn that room upstairs, right?” Scarlet asked, pointing at Iris’s bedroom window.

“Yes, that is correct. Don't use too much firepower, just enough to light the house on fire,” Nikolai commanded.

“You’re always so serious, boss, but fine, I understand you’re motivated more than any of us for this mission to succeed, No matter what I'll make sure it happens,” Scarlet said, smiling.

The flames she had generated suddenly condensed into a single small orb as she fired it directly into Iris’s bedroom window. The small, condensed orb violently expanded as its flames covered the entire upstairs floor. The clock in Iris’s room fell to the ground as it broke, the time saying 8:00. As Iris sat downstairs at the dining room table looking at the book, a loud crash startled her. She looked up to see flames spreading across the ceiling. She clutched the book tightly, feeling an inexplicable sense of comfort as she heard a voice whisper to her.

“Don't worry, I promise it will be alright,” the warm voice said.

“That might have been a bit too much.” Nikolai sighed, watching the house burn.

Outside the barrier, Markus and Wallace panicked, trying to figure out how to destroy it. Any attack they made would quickly be regenerated as the barrier attempted to pull them into it.

“Wallace, you’re going to hate me for this, but I have a plan,” Markus said.

Before even giving Wallace a chance to respond, he quickly ran to the barrier as the shadows crawled along his arms. Markus, driven by a mix of desperation and determination, pushed through the burning pain as the shadows clawed at his arms, shredding his flesh. Wallace’s frantic shouts barely registered over the throbbing agony.

“Markus, you idiot, stop it!” Wallace’s voice cracked with desperation and fear.

Markus gritted his teeth, his breaths shallow and ragged, his mind focused on one thing: breaking through the barrier. Despite the searing pain, he pressed forward with sheer willpower.

“I've always had a high compatibility with death-type artifacts. That's part of the reason I got this stupid codename… Reaper. Trust me, I could never be done in by a shoddy barrier like this,” Markus managed to growl through the pain, each word a struggle.

With a surge of effort, Markus forcibly opened a wide enough hole in the barrier. Drawing on his ability, he locked the space of the barrier in place long enough for him and Wallace to slip through.

“You stupid idiot, if you try something like that again, I will…” Wallace’s threat hung unfinished as his gaze darted to the burning house and the figures of Nikolai and Scarlet. He quickly focused on healing Markus’s grievously injured arms before pulling two rings from his pocket and sliding them onto his fingers.

The first ring was delicately sculpted into the whimsical form of a rabbit, its ears perked up in perpetual curiosity. Nestled within its tiny paws is a small, clear crystal that catches the light, refracting it into a dazzling array of colors. The second ring is a bold and dynamic contrast, shaped like a gallant horse in mid-gallop. Its powerful form is frozen in motion, and within its open mouth rests a small, vibrant blue crystal, reminiscent of a sapphire glistening in the sunlight.

“I'll deal with them. Save Iris,” Markus ordered, his voice strained but resolute.

Wallace nodded wordlessly, channeling his aura into the horse ring. In an instant, his speed increased exponentially, propelling him past Nikolai and Scarlet as he sprinted toward the engulfed house.

“It's been a while, hasn't it, Markus? The last time we crossed paths was in Egypt. I gave you quite a nasty scar then, didn't I?” Nikolai’s voice carried a hint of amusement, his smile cold and calculating.

Markus’s expression hardened, his gaze unwavering. “Sure, that's true. But I gave you one as well, you bastard.”

“Now, I must ask,” Nikolai continued casually, “why are the famed Reaper and Saint here to collect this child? You typically only appear for combat missions or when an awakened is unstable. Yet this child hasn't even awakened to her abilities.”

“The Bookkeeper requested our presence here. Since I've answered your question, how about you answer mine? Why are you here to kill Iris?” Markus demanded, his tone laced with anger.

“How odd. I thought that damned Bookkeeper wasn't allowed to foresee the keys' futures. He must have found some sort of loophole. I'll have to inform Pandora about it,” Nikolai sighed, his demeanor shifting subtly.

“So you won't answer this question, that's fine,” Markus sighed.

Markus, fueled by anger and determination, moved with lethal speed. A knife materialized in his hand as he teleported directly in front of Nikolai, slashing at his neck with a swift, precise motion. The blade cut deep, drawing blood and causing Nikolai to stagger back, surprise flickering across his face.

Scarlet reacted instantly, conjuring flames around Markus in an attempt to drive him back. Markus, undeterred, leaped away from the flames, his mind focused solely on his next move. He knew this confrontation was far from over, even as Wallace raced into the burning house to find Iris.

“Always so violent. Here, I thought two old friends could have a nice chat,” Nikolai said, holding his now bleeding neck.

“You’re powerful, I admit that. But you can't beat me. That ability of yours to manipulate metal could never beat my Authority of Space,” Markus retorted, his voice brimming with confidence.

“You’re right, metal manipulation alone could never win against you,” Nikolai said with a crazed smile.

The space around Nikolai's neck began to warp as if reality itself glitched as he said, “Authority of Error, error of time”, in an instant, the wound inflicted by Markus disappeared as if it had never happened.

“Authority? Since when do you have an authority-type ability?” Markus asked, utterly shocked by this revelation.

“Enough talk. It's time for the reaper to be reaped,” Nikolai declared, a long black katana appearing from a ring he wore.

As the intense battle outside raged on between Markus and Nikolai, the air crackled with tension. Nikolai’s katana, an elegant and lethal blade, gleamed ominously in the dim light. Its formidable length stretched over three feet, the deep, lustrous black surface absorbing light like a void in space. Intricate crimson waves and whorls danced along its edge, adding to its ominous presence. A faint, eerie scream seemed to echo from the depths of the blade, hinting at its malevolent power.

Markus, undeterred by the overwhelming aura of Nikolai’s artifact, pressed forward with determination.

“Fine then, just answer me this question. You didn't the last time I asked you. Why did you leave A.E.G.I.S.? This goes for both of you. Scarlet, why did you betray us?” Markus demanded, his voice heavy with sorrow and accusation.

Scarlet, unable to meet Markus’s gaze, remained silent, her conflicted emotions visible.

“You know why we left. It had to be done after what happened. Now let's end this. Error of location,” Nikolai interjected abruptly, teleporting with astonishing speed in front of Markus and swinging his katana directly at Markus’s head.

Markus reacted swiftly, his instincts guiding him to raise his knife in defense. The clash of metal rang out sharply in the tense air, the force of Nikolai’s strike sending Markus stumbling back, his arm stinging from the impact.

“Using your signature artifact against me while I’m stuck with this shoddy knife is quite unfair,” Markus retorted, gritting his teeth against the pain radiating from his arm.

“You’re right. Allowing you to keep that knife was a mistake. Now, fuse—Authority of Error and Metal Manipulation,” Nikolai declared calmly, his arm extending as reality once again began to warp around him.

In an instant, Markus watched in disbelief as his knife’s blade began to corrode and rust away until only the handle remained in his grip.

Meanwhile, inside the engulfed house, flames roared hungrily through each room as if driven by an unseen force. Iris cowered in the dining room, tears streaming down her cheeks as the heat intensified and all escape routes seemed blocked.

“Open me, you have to open me,” a voice called out from the book in Iris’s trembling hands. Unlike the earlier soothing voice of the butterfly, this one sounded urgent, resembling that of a young woman.

Driven by desperation, Iris obeyed, opening the book with trembling hands. A radiant golden light burst forth, enveloping her in a protective glow. Miraculously, the fire seemed to falter and retreat, repelled by the luminous aura emanating from the pages. The book turned its pages on its own accord, stopping at an illustration of a butterfly surrounded by flames. Iris traced the image with her fingers, feeling a surge of unknown power coursing through her.

The voice from within the book continued to speak, its words muffled yet strangely familiar, resonating deep within Iris’s soul. As she read the page the book had revealed to her, swarms of butterflies emerged from the book as they formed a barrier to protect Iris.

Outside, Markus and Nikolai continued their deadly dance, each move calculated and precise. As Wallace desperately searched through the engulfed house, flames licking at every corner, he called out Iris's name with mounting fear. His voice echoed through the smoke-filled rooms, each second ticking by with agonizing slowness. Then, a faint response pierced through the chaos.

“I'm here, w-who are you?” Iris's voice trembled from under the dining room table, hidden safely behind the barrier conjured by the book.

Relief flooded Wallace as he hurried towards her voice, his body racked with burns that he constantly healed on the go. Smoke clawed at his throat and lungs, but he pushed through, fueled by the need to rescue Iris. He finally spotted her, clutching the old and worn book tightly, seemingly unaware of the protective barrier surrounding her.

“Good, I’m not too late. I’m here to save you. Just go to sleep for now, alright? Everything will be fine when you wake up,” Wallace urged gently, extending his hand towards her.

A pale white light emanated from the crystal on the rabbit-shaped ring as Iris, exhausted and overwhelmed, succumbed to sleep. Wallace carefully lifted her into his arms, noticing with surprise that the flames no longer harmed him, though he couldn't fathom why.

Outside, the fierce battle between Markus and Nikolai raged on, each move a deadly dance of strategy and power. Scarlet and Lucia watched anxiously from the sidelines, witnessing the conflict unfold with grim determination. Nikolai, gradually gaining the upper hand, pressed his advantage against Markus, his movements swift and precise.

“Markus, we have to get out of here now!” Wallace's urgent voice cut through the chaos as he emerged from the burning house with Iris in his arms.

“Damn it, Wally, get out of there!” Scarlet shouted, launching fiery projectiles towards Wallace and Iris in a desperate attempt to halt their escape.

Markus reacted swiftly, teleporting to intercept the fireballs and erecting a barrier to shield them. In that split second, Nikolai seized the opportunity, teleporting behind Markus with lethal intent, his katana poised to strike. Markus barely managed to conjure another barrier in time to deflect the attack, the clash of energies reverberating through the air.

“This battle is taking too long. It's time I finished it. Lucia, prepare the gate. We’ll be gone very soon,” Nikolai declared, his voice cutting through the chaos of the battlefield with icy determination. His gaze remained fixed on Markus, who stood opposite him, wearied but resolute.

Lucia, visibly fatigued from her earlier use of the gate ability, nodded silently. She raised her arms, the air around her shimmering as she summoned a lime-green portal.

Nikolai lifted his katana to his neck, the blade glinting ominously in the dim light. Blood trickled slowly down its edge, its presence seemingly amplifying the eerie whispers emanating from its steel.

“Release your true form, grade 0 artifact, Fang of the Gluttonous Monarch,” Nikolai exclaimed, a burst of manic laughter escaping his lips.

The katana seemed to liquefy into shadowy tendrils, crawling along Nikolai’s arm until they covered half his body, merging with his dark hair. Simultaneously, his outstretched hand caused fractured gem fragments to tremble violently.

“Come back and reform, grade 0 artifact, Left Eye of the Gluttonous Monarch,” he commanded, the gem fragments fusing onto a ring adorning his finger.

The ring transformed its surface into a sleek metallic sheen that seemed to meld with Nikolai’s skin. Its edge, however, revealed a hidden danger, a fine blade that could easily slice through flesh, adorned with a deep purple gemstone pulsing with power. A cryptic rune etched upon it glowed faintly. Worn on his left hand, the ring exuded an aura of unsettling horror, amplifying the tension in the air.

Markus, observing Nikolai’s transformation, felt a chill of dread settle in his heart. “This fight is unwinnable,” he thought grimly. Nikolai, already a formidable adversary, now possessed not one but two grade 0 artifacts. The mere possession of one was enough to massacre an untold number of people A.E.G.I.S estimated, but two of them, especially from what seemed to be a matching set, spelled an utterly hopeless situation.

“Wallace, run,” Markus commanded abruptly, breaking the tense silence. His voice was firm, betraying no hesitation. “Get Iris to safety. I’ll hold them off for as long as I can. Even if it costs me my life, do not look back.”

“I can’t…” Wallace’s voice cracked, a single tear tracing its path down his cheek. “You’re all I have left. I can’t lose you too.”

Markus’s gaze softened momentarily before hardening again with resolve. “We can’t win this,” he said quietly, almost as if to himself. “But with that artifact of Yours, you and Iris stand a chance at escaping. Please, Wallace, survive.”

Before Wallace could respond, a spear of pure darkness pierced through the barrier surrounding them with eerie silence. The obsidian-colored shaft materialized out of nothingness, aimed unerringly at Nikolai's back. With a sickening thud, it plunged into his flesh, piercing through his body as if it were mere mist.

Nikolai's eyes widened in shock as the spear sank deep into his back, its malevolent energy coursing through him like icy tendrils of despair. A sharp gasp escaped his lips, blending pain and anger as he staggered forward.

Wallace's heart raced as he witnessed the unexpected assault, his mind racing to comprehend where this attack came from. The scene unfolded in surreal slow motion before him, each detail etching itself into his memory with vivid clarity.

Nikolai swiftly extracted the spear lodged in him, utilizing his Authority to heal himself. But before he could fully recover, seven more spears materialized from beyond the barrier, raining down on the members of Noir. Scarlet reacted with instinctive speed, conjuring a wall of searing flames to shield herself and her allies. Yet, one of the spears pierced through the fiery barrier, grievously injuring her as her arm fell to the ground.

Markus seized the moment, grabbing Wallace as he held Iris in his arms, in a desperate sprint for escape. As they dashed, another spear whizzed past Markus’s head, punching through the barrier and creating a temporary opening for their retreat.

Glancing back, Wallace caught sight of the figure responsible for the barrage of spears. The man wore a dark cloak adorned with white roses, a hauntingly crude mixture of beauty and madness. Despite the emotionless mask covering his face, a single emotion consumed everyone present, fear.

The hole torn open by the spears in the barrier refused to regenerate, allowing the cloaked figure to leap down from his rooftop vantage point and pass through unimpeded. Nikolai, quickly healing Scarlet’s wounds, turned to confront the newcomer, only to receive a fierce punch to the face that sent him reeling backward.

Scarlet, recovering from her injuries, prepared to unleash a torrent of flames at the cloaked figure. But when their eyes met, his gaze locked onto hers with a chilling intensity, freezing her in place with a fear she hadn’t felt in years.

“Hello there, Mr. Dostoevsky. I have a proposition for you. Surrender today, abandon your pursuit of the key, and I promise you will live to see another day,” the cloaked man spoke, his voice carrying a weight of authority that matched his commanding presence.

“Who are you? And how did you learn of our operation?” Nikolai demanded, his voice strained from the blow he had just received.

“I won't answer the second question, but you may call me Nihil,” the cloaked man replied, his tone resonating with a sense of finality that brooked no argument.

The tense standoff between Noir and the mysterious figure named Nihil hung heavy in the air, the battlefield momentarily frozen in anticipation of what would happen next.

Nikolai’s fist surged with shadows, swelling in size as it connected with Nihil’s form. In an instant, Nihil was reduced to a splatter on the ground, broken mask shards and blood staining the pavement.

Nikolai chuckled to himself, reveling in his apparent victory. But his laughter faltered as he blinked, the blood and shards disappearing. Before he could react, Nihil stood behind him, a mocking laughter echoing softly.

“Always so prideful, Nikolai. You still have use to me, so I suggest you run while you still can,” Nihil whispered into Nikolai's ear, his voice carrying a chilling undertone.

Without a word, Nikolai gestured to Scarlet and Lucia, ordering them to evacuate as he led the way through the gate. The two women followed swiftly, casting wary glances back at the enigmatic figure who had effortlessly bested their leader.

“What a night this has been. The second key is likely in A.E.G.I.S’s custody by now. I’ll pay them a visit in the morning,” Nihil mused to himself, his voice barely audible as he faded into the shadows, dissolving the barrier around the burning house.

Meanwhile, Markus and Wallace continued their desperate flight, their hearts pounding from the exertion. They slowed only when they noticed the barrier dissipating behind them.

“Contact headquarters. We need a gate ability to get us out of here,” Markus gasped, his breath ragged after the prolonged chase.

“On it. They should be here soon,” Wallace replied, already initiating the call for extraction.

Moments later, an orange gate shimmered into existence before them. A women wearing a black suit and red tie stepped out gesturing them inside. Without hesitation, Markus and Wallace stepped through, finding themselves transported to the secure confines of A.E.G.I.S’s Alpha Facility, where their next steps awaited them.