CRYMSON X DAWN

Adriana's eyes gazed blankly as she sank deeper and deeper, her mind consumed by uncertainty. She felt like she was drowning in a sea of self-doubt, unable to find a lifeline to cling to. The sound Antoine's laughter could be heard faintly from the surface , but Adriana's attention was focused inward.

She thought about Kojo, the man she was betrothed to. He was strong, powerful, and confident. His strength pulled other strong individual closer to him. He had people like Sharone by his side, a reliable and skilled warriors who had been by him since he first arrived and had his back. Even his subordinates were strong and capable. She thought of Eden.

Adriana, on the other hand, felt weak and inadequate.

The voices in her head whispered cruel taunts, telling her that she was weak, that she would never amount to anything and hands pulled her deeper still.Adriana felt like she was trapped in a nightmare, unable to wake up. She thought about giving up, about surrendering to her doubts and fears.

Adriana's eyes welled up with tears as she thought about her mother. She felt a pang of sadness, knowing that her mother was no longer with her. But she also felt a sense of determination, knowing that she had to make her mother proud. Still she seemed to have no hope.

Just then, Adriana heard a voice, loud and clear, cutting through the fog of uncertainty. It was her father's voice, calling out to her from outside. Adriana's head jerked up, her eyes focusing on the sound.

Duke Philip,Dona, and Saleem standing outside. The Duke saw Adrianas limo body standing with a bnalk expression on her face.

"Hey Adriana. What do you think you're doing. Stop fooling around and end this quickly. It's unbecoming of the daughter of a noble to be seen in such a state" he said, his voice carrying across the distance.

"You're just like your mother. She wouldn't let some ugly man get the better of her. Now would she? Now snap out if it and show the world the powerful blood that flows through your veins."

Adriana remember the pact she made with Sharone, Koniko,Lin and Sasha.

***

(Past. When they moved into the mansion)

The four women sat in the lavish room having sacked Kojo outside.

Sharone, with a mischievous glint in her eye, broke the silence.

"I think it's time we addressed the elephant in the room," she said, her voice dripping with amusement. " I'll get straight to the point. You all have feelings for Kojo, don't you?"

Koniko's face turned bright red as she hastily denied any romantic feelings towards Kojo. "I-I don't know what you're talking about, Sharone," she stuttered. Lin, too, shook her head, her hair swaying with the motion. "I'm just happy to be his friend," she said, her voice sweet and innocent although she avoided looking into Sharones eyes looking at the wall behind her instead.

Sasha, however, simply smiled, her eyes glinting with excitement. "Oh yes. I'm madly in love with my darling and would kill the world it that were to make him happy." she said, her voice confident.

" Oi,oi you don't have to go that far." Lin said as she gave her a side eye.

Adriana, who had been quiet until now, spoke up, her voice firm and determined. "Kojo is betrothed to me," she said, her eyes flashing with a hint of possessiveness. "I don't know what he thinks. Still....."

Sharone chuckled, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"I knew you'd be my biggest rival, Adriana," she said.

"But I'm not afraid of a little competition. In fact, I think it's time we made things interesting." She paused, a sly grin spreading across her face.

"Let's hold a contest. The winner becomes Kojo's first wife, and she gets to decide whether to share him with the rest of us or monopolize him for herself."

The room fell silent, the only sound the heavy breathing of the four women. Sharone stretched out her hand, her eyes glinting with challenge. "So, do you agree? Or have you already given up in the face of my victory" she taunted.

" Not a chance."Sasha was the first to respond, her hand shooting out to grasp Sharone's.

"I'm in," she said, her voice confident and bold. Lin followed suit, her hand joining the pile. "It'll be fun," she said, her voice bubbly and enthusiastic.Koniko hesitated.

" Is this really nessecary?" She asked. Sasha nodded enthusiastically.

Koniko added her hand to the pile, her face flushing with embarrassment.

"I'm only doing this because you're forcing me to," she muttered, looking away.

The four women turned to Adriana, their eyes expectant. Sharone's grin grew wider, her eyes sparkling with challenge. "So, Adriana, are you in?"

Adriana's face set in a determined expression, her eyes flashing with competitiveness. She added her hand to the pile, her voice firm and resolute. "I'm in," she said, her eyes locked on Sharone's. "And I'm going to win."

" I'm not going to lose!" Adriana yelled breaking out of Antoine's mental improvement and with a quick slashing motion cut an "X" on his chest.

" How?" He asked as blood oozes from his wounds. This was the real world and he didn't have the protective Silvery skin that protected him him his manifest world.

" damn!Damn!!DaMN!! DAMN!!!" He yelled scratching his burned skin. How could someone who's not as beautiful as me do this.

" Have you seen yourelf in a mirror?" Adrian asked.

With a scream he fired beams of psychic power at her but she deflected it with her blades. She still felt the effects of the b ams power but denied them. She fired a bolt of lightning at him.

In desperation Antoine made a mirror and reflected it at her father. Adriana fell back and jumped to deflect it. She made a swing but it was an image.

" Haha,I have you now" Antoine screeched in glee.

He made four mirrors on all sides.

"Zero Canon Eos"

The erasing energy if the spell engulfed Adriana sending a beam into the sky.

" Adriana!" The Duke yelled taking a step forward but Dona stopped him.

Within the blast Adriana tried to resist with a barrier while her emotions maxed out and her head was a mealstrom of pain. The barrier cracked. She looked around her hopelessly and made a choice. She dropped the barrier instead choosing to accept all the negativity.

" Yes I'm weaker than the others. I was prideful in thinking I could be equal with them but .....I'm not the most adept at using magic and they have far more experience than me" she those to herself as her form began to fade.

" But that's what makes me unique and once I'm determined not to give up, I haven't lost yet."

Antoine laughed manaically when a shockwave dissipates his attack causing a wave of energy to wash over the entire city.

Adrian stood unaffected by the blast yet she seemed different. Her energy burst forth manifesting as a rainbow coloured aura flared around her body,thecolors constantly shifting shades as if they were alive. And yet she was calm and still her expression was cold and indifferent.

" Saleem...." Dona said.

" Yes mistress." Saleem agreed without even saying a word.

""It's a rare phenomenon indeed, for a being to let go of their ego and attain a higher level of consciousness. "

" What?" The Duke asked confused. He has a concerned expression as he worried about his daughter.

"Most beings are unable to reach this level," Dona continued.

"Clinging to the world that rejects them and denying reality even when it's staring them right in the face. They become mired in their own attachments, fears, and desires, unable to see the world for what it truly is. I never expected her to reach this level. And at such a young age too."

" Tell me what's going on." The Duke demanded.

" Can't you see." Dona pointed at Adriana.

"She's acknowledged imperfection and accepted the world's rejection through which she has crossed the threshold and gained understanding." Dina looked at the duke.

" Congratulations. Your daughter has attained Transcendence."

" No!No!!Non!!!No!!!!No!!!!!" Antoine said preparing to attack her.

Adrian raised her hand to attack him but Sid who has escaped jumped over the Duke and Dona with an arm that has been enlarged with rock to twice his size. He yelled and brought his fist down.

" Those fools thought that Golem was me. I'm going to kill you first and then kill the rest of them." Sid yelled with glee and struck Adriana with his stone gauntlet. The Adriana he thought he struck was actually a barrier given the attributes of water magic to form a clone. The world seemed to slow as he turned his head to see Adriana standings beside him,her eyes still on Antoine. He made an attempt to attack her but the liquid barrier expanded ,impaling him. He coughed out blood as blood trickles down the frozen branches that held him up

Elsewhere Astelsea was having a cup of tea when she suddenly senses it.

" Sid?..... SID!" She screamed as she felt her brothers life force disappear.

"Eos Dawn." A giant mirror that spanned the entire length of the city manefest Ekron as Antoine sought to kill Adriana. It's attack was more powerful than several nukes capable of not only taking out the entire province but part of the Kingdom of Archadia and it's surroundings .

The powerful,beam shot towards the ground like light about to engulf darkness.

Adrian looked up at it as she able to perceive the light as moving slowly. She let out a cold breath and gathered her energy

"Dead Winter"

A cold blast shot omnidirectionally in the ground while aura shot upward turning white when it was a few meters above her freezing and breaking through the attack and striking the mirror cracking and breaking it and forming a Giant Stellar Dendrite Snowflake in the sky before explosions showering the hole province with glitter.

The blast had frozen Antoine and his frozen body cracked and broke into pieces. She turned and way away from Sids body which had dropped to the friyafter the ice tree holding him disappeared.

Sol and the others rushed there only to see a pool of blood under Sids body.

Jack wanted to say something but noticed something white Infront of his eyes.

It had began to snow. Adriana's spell had not only affected the city but altered the weather pattern of the continent causing winter to come a month earlier.

She walked closer to her father and was about to say something when she collapsed into his arms.

" She's only lost energy. Transcending drained a lot of her arcana. She should rest for a few-" Dona trailed off and turned to face a her leftside. That was where Sasha had used her attack,the rip in space still not repaired yet. Infact it seemed to be expanding.

Kojo pulled out Caliburn and pointed both his blades at the rift. Fausts body had been blown into it and he was admiring the light show from outside the city while Sasha helped Koniko move the rest of the prisoners back to the city when he sensed a very powerful being approaching from the other side of the tear in space. It had so much power that the tear opened up to accommodate the large amount of Arcana passing through. Kojo peered beyond the horizon. He had not reached the level of existence where he could comprehend what lay beyond the void so he only saw glitches and blurry. A large notification appeared in his vision

Error it said as he tried to see what was happening.

" Now's not the time to be fooling around Sysia." He said. His heard suddenly ached as if it was about to split in two.

The notification changed from

Error to Warning!

" Whats happening?" He wondered wincing in pain.

( It's your danger sense . The approaching threat is too much. Even for you. You have to run away.)

" You don't have to tell me twice." Kojo said turning to leave but just then he was pinned to his position by an overwhelming aura. A showy figure materialized in the distance of the rift growing bigger and bigger until finally stepping out into their world. Kojo's eyes widened.

" Oh shit." He said sensing his energy.

( There no doubt about it. This man. Is a god)