NOVEL WEB Chapter 35: Chapter Thirty-Five: The Nexus Fractures
The second anomaly brought them to the Fractured Sky, a dimension where gravity behaved unpredictably, and islands of crystal floated in a sea of endless clouds. The team navigated cautiously, Ignis lighting the way as they leapt between the islands.
Kael felt the pull of the ring again, a persistent tug leading them to a massive crystal spire at the dimension's center. The spire pulsed with the same chaotic energy as the fissure in the Obsidian Veil, its glow casting eerie reflections on the surrounding clouds.
"This is it," Kael said, his voice steady despite the tension in the air.
Angelica nodded, her flames igniting. "Let's end this."
As they approached the spire, the air around them shifted. A massive shadowy figure emerged, its form towering over them with jagged edges and piercing red eyes. Unlike the unstable creatures they'd faced before, this one exuded a terrifying, calculated power.
The system chimed: "Anomaly guardian detected. Threat level: critical."
The guardian roared, its voice shaking the dimension as it charged toward them. Kael raised his shield, intercepting the attack with a burst of light that sent shockwaves rippling through the clouds. Angelica retaliated, her fire magic scorching the guardian's dark exterior.
Ignis joined the fray, its flames intertwining with Kael's light and Angelica's fire. Together, they pushed the guardian back, but its power was immense. The battle raged on, the dimension trembling under the strain of their combined magic.
As the guardian faltered, Kael seized the opportunity. Channeling the power of the Ethereal Shard, he unleashed a surge of light that pierced the guardian's core. The creature let out a deafening roar before disintegrating into fragments of shadow and crystal.
The spire dimmed, its chaotic energy fading as the system chimed:
"Anomaly core neutralized. Nexus stabilization in progress."
Angelica collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily. "That was… intense."
Kael helped her to her feet, his light shield flickering. "We're making progress. But these guardians—they're not just protecting the anomalies. They're defending something bigger."
Ignis chirped softly, its feathers dimming slightly from the strain of the battle. Kael stroked the phoenix's head, his mind racing with questions.
Back at the Seekers' base, Kael and Angelica debriefed with Lira and the Silent Citadel's spectral leader. The anomalies were growing stronger, their guardians more organized and deliberate. The figure they'd encountered remained an enigma, but their presence hinted at a force older and more powerful than anything they'd faced before.
The spectral leader spoke, their voice echoing faintly. "The Nexus is not a creation—it is a fragment of something greater. If these anomalies are tied to its origins, then we are facing a threat that predates even the multiverse."
Kael's resolve hardened. "Then we'll face it. Whatever it takes."