#imagines-for-elrios

[xaracosmia]

ꕥ — WELCOME TO CATA COSMIA, NOAH EBALON. 🌓

ꕥ  — OOC INFORMATION;

name / alias: Xanthe age: 23 pronouns: no ooc contact: @architectureteam on tumblr other characters in xc: the Saint

ꕥ  — IC INFORMATION;

name: Noah Ebalon (Nyx Pieta) age: 18 pronouns: he/they series: Elsword canon point: Monaterra app triggers: child abuse/neglect, cults, murder/assassination plots, human experimentation, child suicide & suicidal ideation (implied), disease, death, body horror (not gorey), unreality/delusional ways of thinking(?)

personality: Noah Ebalon is a quiet, withdrawn, downtrodden and sad boy. He's quiet and shy, preferring to stick to his own in fear that his presence will burden others. Reach out and welcome him though, and you'll find him a friendly, warming presence, a delight to be around, someone kind to everyone they meet.

Maybe a little too much.

Beneath that shy, anxious and somewhat childlike at times demeanor is a determined, driven young man who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. He's turned his painful past into his drive, an all-consuming desire to help the weak and protect those in need. To make sure nobody suffers as he did. It's a drive so strong it's turned him into a martyr, doing whatever he can to help others, even if it hurts him in the end… or worse.

"To protect this world"… that was Harque's wish. Fuelled by self-flagellation and survivor's guilt, his brother's wish is now his own. It's his duty to uphold Harque's wishes, his legacy and his memory.

Even if he has to sacrifice all he has. Even if he has to sacrifice all he is. It's not fair that he lived and Harque, who carried everyone's hopes and dreams, didn't. This life he doesn't want to live - it belongs to Harque, not him.

So it's only fair he gives it back.

something your muse struggles with: Putting himself before others for a change. He's self-sacrificial to a fault, and doesn't care about what happens to him as long as it can help other people. your muse’s greatest strength: Empathy, kindness and determination. At the same time, these are so strong it directly relates back to his weaknesses.

history / background: Elrianode. The old capital of Elrios. The location of the El - a life-giving crystal granted to humans by their goddess Ishmael. This El required guardians, six masters of each element. Whichever family could produce such an El Master would be granted great fame, respect and prestige - so as you can imagine, the situation was cutthroat. Families would do whatever it would take to reach this fame.

In comes the Ebalon family. This family has long since procured El Masters that specialized in the element of Moon: a magical energy that represented both moonlight and darkness. They have done so generation after generation.

But not this time.

Their oldest son - Harque Ebalon - was born without the ability to control darkness. For the next Master of the Moon, this was inconceivable. Harque was pushed to his very limit, the intense training a future Master receives even further intensified to make up for his shortcomings.

Noah was born later.

Noah, in contrast to Harque, could not control moonlight. Instead, his natural affinity laid in darkness. The source of the Ebalon family's woes was finally discovered - Noah was to blame. He was shunned by his family, punished for the crime of being born and became little more than an afterthought… to everyone but Harque.

The two became incredibly close. Noah was Harque's little moon, and Harque was Noah's beacon within his endless dark.

While the Ebalon family accepted that they'd never create the next Master of the Moon this time, Harque was busy experimenting with the power of the moon. Through this, he discovered the power of time manipulation. Using this power, he intended to become the next Master of the Moon, so that Noah could hopefully live a better life.

Henir's Order, a cult with evil intentions, found out about Harque's discovery, and tried to convince him to join them. When he refused to cooperate, the Order began staging his assassination. On the night it all happened, Harque called Noah to his room, wanting to give him something. However, when Noah arrived, he found not just Harque, but also a mysterious intruder. Harque attempted to run away with Noah, but was attacked by the intruder and killed before he could do so. Noah ran away, crying out for help… but everyone in the house was already so thoroughly manipulated that they turned a blind eye. The mysterious intruder caught up to Noah, put him to sleep, and cast a spell that blocked his memories of the event.

Turns out the reason that the Order kept him alive instead of killing him was because they wanted to use him for an experiment. The mysterious stranger that killed Harque assumed his identity and became the next Master of the Moon. When someone officially becomes a Master, they are given pure elemental energy to inject into themselves to become stronger in their chosen element. However, instead of giving it to himself, the stranger injected Noah with it. This caused him to become incredibly sick, ending up bedridden because his body is unable to contain the power of moonlight. The impostor pretended to take care of Noah while he was sick, but every time he visited was only to further his own experiment.

Bedridden, poor Noah was subject to cruel experiments, and nobody in his family ever cared. This continued on for years, until the machinations of the new "Harque" caused the El to explode in a violent fashion. Noah managed to survive the explosion, as he had stayed at home because of his sickness that fateful day. Trapped under the rubble, he was rescued by some members of the Order… and they proceeded to take the final step in their experiment.

They injected Noah with the power of the sun. The power of the moon and the power of the sun are opposites. This opposition caused the power of darkness within Noah to mutate, turning it into the power of shadow. Though this stabilized his illness, granting him back a modicum of strength, this injection was immensely painful, and after an extended agony, he passed back out.

Soon after this explosion, he was approached by another Henir's Order member. This one had defected after seeing the chaos caused by the Order. She took him to a remote temple hidden somewhere within Elrios. After finally giving Harque's gift to him, a pendant filled with the power to manipulate time, she sealed him within the temple to fulfill Harque's dying wish - to make sure Noah survives.

There he slept, sealed in time, for over five hundred years… until one day, he suddenly awoke.

The very first thing he saw was a strange, sickle-shaped object, reminiscent of a weapon. The very first thing he heard was a scream. He took the weapon and ran. But with everything so new, so unfamiliar, he couldn't arrive in time… he fought off the weapons, but found the source of the scream - a girl that seemed about his age - dead. Then he ran into a camp of people dying from some sort of disease, but he was chased off before he could do anything to help, being accused by a peculiar woman of having killed the girl in the temple.

He tried to return to the temple after some time had passed, but found himself unable to return to the area because it was under lockdown thanks to some mysterious disease. It took several seasons before they cleared the lockdown and he was finally able to come back.

Exploring, he found an abandoned manor overgrown with vines, reclaimed by the passage of time, but couldn't find anything inside. Outside the manor, he stumbled onto the impostor that replaced his brother and managed to kill him, but succumbed to his own injuries soon thereafter.

… he suddenly awoke.

Once again, he was at the temple he was sealed in. Once again, he found a weapon lying on the ground. Once again, he heard the scream. Still struck by anxiety, he was faster, but still hesitated too long. When he arrived, the girl was being attacked by monsters. Noah fought them off, but she was fatally injured. He didn't want to see someone die in front of him again. Forcing himself to use the power of the moon that was forced onto him, he managed to heal her injuries. Though it took its toll on his body, he was happy he managed to save her. He was happy he managed to save someone.

That happiness didn't last long, though. He was reminded of all the times he couldn't prevent people's deaths before, and this filled him with an immense guilt. Had Harque been alive, he would've saved everyone from the very beginning. Now that he has been given this second chance… maybe he can follow the same path his brother would have taken.

He introduced himself to the girl. Her name was Yuria Landar, a powerful mage. She noticed the weapon Noah was carrying around had a sealing spell casted on it, and in exchange for saving her life, offered to unseal it for him. Turns out that after being unsealed, the weapon gained the ability to talk.

To be specific, the weapon had a person sealed inside of it, but Noah completely ignored him because he thought it was really suspicious. The people at the camp were suffering from the same disease they had previously, but this time, with his newfound ability to use moon magic, he healed all their injuries.

He departed after, heading back towards the mansion he had found his first time around. On the way, he finally started speaking to the weapon. The weapon's name was Clamor, and he was a scholar part of a prestigious organization. He was commissioned by Henir's Order to create a specific blueprint, but once he finished it, he was stabbed in the back and trapped within this weapon. Noah promised to protect Clamor and make sure the Order wouldn't hurt him again. It was nice for him to be able to form a bond with someone again, after so long. Someone he can actually protect this time, too.

He arrived back at the manor much earlier this time. It hadn't been overgrown yet by vines, though it still seemed abandoned. Exploring it further, he found out the manor had been used to stage all sorts of horrifying experiments. The monster he found the first time, the monsters he's finding now… they all used to be people.

This revelation broke him. He tried desperately with all his power to heal the experiments, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't help them. He dropped to his knees, even as the manor started collapsing around him, and despite Clamor's fervent pleas to leave and save himself, he didn't budge.

… he suddenly awoke, again.

Once more, he found himself at the temple. Once more, he found the weapon by his side, but it seemed different this time. The core of the sickle, which had always been an eye, was now cracked and an empty sphere. Once more, he heard Yuria call for help, and this time, he managed to save her properly. However, after getting her to unseal the weapon again, Yuria noted the weapon felt empty.

Clamor was no longer there.

He had managed to burn himself out trying desperately to protect Noah. He was gone, and he would never come back ever again.

Noah spent a long time drowning in grief, but then remembered that Clamor tried to tell him something back in the manor.

"It's not your fault. Do not give up. You don't have to carry everything. Don't forget the precious people who protected you…"

It was accompanied by a soft lullaby. So desperately Clamor tried to comfort him, even while his soul was burning out. Even while he was dying.

He thought of his brother. If he was alive because of the people that protected him, then he needs to live for those people. With a newfound determination, he vows to protect the world the way Harque would have wanted. With a smile, he throws himself into an unending vow to save everyone.

… being able to save everyone was an idealistic dream. No matter how many times he tried, no matter how often he awoke in that temple all over again, he couldn't save everyone. He eventually stops trying, starting to feel that the pendant Harque gave him was starting to reach the limit of its power. He built graves for the many people who passed, and who he'd never be able to save.

He couldn't fight back against the cruelty of the world no matter how much he tried. Death comes for everyone. After all his struggles, he was left with nothing but despair and a dead heart. The grief and loss of failing in his one task was unbearable, and he wanted nothing more than to close his eyes forever and join his brother in eternal sleep.

Then he remembered the temple of time. There was a door within the temple that would take someone to the past within their memories, to the time they most regret. Immediately he headed that way, and stepped through the door.

He arrived far in the past, looking down at Harque holding onto and talking to Noah when he was still a tiny baby. Gently, Harque tells him about the cycle of life and the El that makes life possible. But as time passed, Noah noticed the burden and grief Harque carried on his shoulders, the pain and guilt Harque hid from Noah this entire time. This was his shadow, the dark side of the moon Harque had never shown anyone else.

Harque had promised Noah he'd protect the world the two live in, no matter what.

Noah left the memory. Leaving the temple, he walked through the scenery around him. Everything was ravaged, then restored, ravaged again, and restored once more. Although dull and faded, it persevered no matter what.

His resolve hardened. Yes, he'll keep on living, just like Harque wanted him to. He'll do what Harque would have done, and protect the world like he would have. If he can't live for himself, then he'll live for his brother. For his wishes. For the life he wasn't able to have.

"Watch over me, Harque. I will do my best... until the day we meet again."

For the life Noah stole from him.

powers / abilities:

Moon Energy Manipulation: Nyx Pieta's defining feature is his ability to control moon-aligned El energy. This essentially means he has elemental magic within the domain of moonlight, water and ice. As the moon represents rest and restoration, most of his powers fall within a supportive lens, his specialty is controlling the battlefield, healing and buffing his allies and debuffing his enemies. Don't be fooled, though - despite this specialty, he is very much capable of potent offensive magic, and he's a formidable foe to be respected even when caught alone.

Because of the way this type of magic works, he is not limited to specific spells and can instead cast whatever his little heart desires as long as it falls within his elemental domains. He does tend to stick to techniques and spells he's practiced and refined over his years, as pushing past his comfort zone increases the stress his magic puts on his body.

Time Manipulation: Noah has very limited control over the flow of time, thanks to the magic within the pendant that has resonated with his own. He's capable of temporarily slowing down and speeding up time in a small area around him. The practical effects of this are rather limited however, mainly only being able to speed up his reaction times or increase how quickly his magic recovers by slowing down or speeding up time respectively. Maybe he'll be able to learn new tricks, but the odds aren't very high.

inherent abilities:

Energy Sensing: In Noah's universe, everyone and everything is made out of El energy, which can have one of several elemental alignments. With most people these energies are unaspected or completely in balance, but unique cases can be attuned to a specific element, whether by being casters specializing in that certain element or because of other cases, like a racial affinity. For example, Noah is highly attuned to Moon energy, and the El Masters would all be attuned to their own element.

Thanks to his magical capabilities, Noah is capable of picking up strong elemental affinities. Anything more minute (and anything other than elemental energy) however he can't detect, as he's never had proper training in this ability. He could improve in this as well, but without a proper teacher, that's not going to happen.

items / weapons:

Sickle: Very decorated and more of a decorative thing than an actual weapon at this point. He can still use it as a proper weapon if needed, though. Thanks to the mutation caused by his injected sun energy, he can transform the sickle into a massive, powerful bow that Noah is scarily capable with. This bow is his actual weapon of choice.

Moonstones: Small fragments of the El that are imbued with moon energy. Noah uses these as catalysts for his magic. Without them, his magic is far less powerful. He can make new ones out of normal pebbles and stones by infusing them with moon energy, but they won't be nearly as powerful as his actual, pure moonstones. They'd mostly be useful as little trinkets that improve things like your body's capability to naturally regenerate, or grant you a better night's rest. Imagine healing crystals but they actually work.

Relics of Confession & Rest: Magical relics that Noah uses as conduits for his magic. He can channel his magic through these, using them to enlarge or amplify the effects of his magic. They're not necessary, but just like the moonstones, his magic won't be able to reach its potential without them.

Doxology: Noah's pet, essentially. Doxology is an artifact, creatures that were created by the El during a specific festival in response to a person's presence. Though it's debatable whether artifacts are actually alive, they seem to have free will and willingly accompany the person whose presence created them. It's about the size of a puppy from a large dog breed, reaching Noah's knees, just about. It has grown alongside him, and can use his magic to a limited extent, somewhat like a child starting to learn magic.

Harque's Pendant: A pendant pinned to his coat, functioning as a memento of his deceased older brother and a reminder of why Noah still lives on. Though it used to be magically imbued with the secrets of time travel, Nyx Pieta has pushed this pendant past its limit and drained it to the point it's become nothing but a keepsake. Maybe it could be restored one day?

starting ability: Moon Energy Manipulation starting item: Moonstones

would you like this character to be housed upon arrival?: yes!

extra: 

Noah's body is slowly starting to crystallize, a result of the moon energy wreaking havoc on his body every time he tries to use his magic. These crystallized parts of his body are essentially dead and cannot feel anything, even though he can still use these parts like normal.

He has the ability to temporarily age up his body using his moon magic, which allows him to tolerate the power of the moon better than he normally can. While transformed in this way, he looks eerily like his brother. The two are family and you wouldn't be able to tell it looks more like Harque than Noah unless you knew Harque, but…

Noah's immense survivor's guilt is making him act like he is Harque and that Noah died that fateful day instead as a way to cope with everything that's happened to him. It works, but it's not very healthy… and he's genuinely starting to believe it himself.

For examples of his magic, you can look here, here and here, and then scroll down to the skill tree. I am not describing every single skill he has in-game in this app, it's long enough already.

This is what Nyxie looks like, and this is what his aged-up body looks like. I call him Nyxie by the way he's my darling

Noah has been aged up by two years with mod permission and the passage of time in canon. In case you wonder why he's listed as 16 on the wiki but 18 on this app, that's why.

He's spent about one to two years constantly repeating time. It was awful.

discord id: moonlightbaptism

[imagines-for-elrios]

Can we get some headcanons for how each Rose class interacts with their S/O?

Tempest Burster is quite the flamboyant woman. Her s/o will definitely know if she’s there, especially since she can be pretty territorial at times. But sleeping with her is a bit of a challenge since she may suffocate her partner with her… erm… breasts.Black Massacre isn’t one for love, but if someone had managed to drag her into one she’d be very closeted about the relationship. It’s very easy to fluster her by giving her some public affection, though she’d do her best to hide it under her hat instead of facing her emotions.Minerva is a more independent woman, while she does show her affection via cooking or cleaning for her s/o, for the most part she has trouble with the soft things like cuddling and would get flustered if her s/o randomly cuddled her or kissed her. It’s also advised to not mess with her s/o, she’s really fast and would protect them to the very end. Prime Operator is quite the motherly woman, though she prefers to work in a lab she’d be completely fine with going on a date or two with her s/o. Extra brownie points if her s/o decides to help her out with her robots.

[els-imagines]

Hello, hello! Just an ask from one imagine blog to another, to spread a bit of joy! ^^ How about a scenario where Doom Bringer, Dominator and Mad Paradox all work in an office together? Make is as crazy as you wish!

Dominic sighed in bliss as he inhaled the scent of coffee, closing his eyes and reveling in the peaceful silence in his secluded workspace.

“DOOM! LUSA! WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO MY OFFICE YOU SHITHEADS?!” A voice demanded angrily, stomping could be heard just outside his office. 

Dominic groaned and set down the mug. Of course, he just had to jinx it didn’t he? He poked his head out of his office’s doorway.

“CAN ALL OF YOU SHUT UP?!” He yelled, a vein popping, honestly, had his co-workers have no shame?

Masi stood in the middle of the hallway, shoulder’s hunched and hair seemingly covered in pieces of what looked like confetti. He growled.

“These two idiots thought it was a good idea to rig my office to explode con-fucking-fetti everywhere when I went inside.”

Doom emerged from Lusa’s office cackling.” Oh my fucking God, it was gold, fucking gold i tell ya.” He wheezed, bending over and slapping his knee.

Lusa came out of the kitchen, munching on a chocolate dougnut.” I didn’t do anything.” but his grin betrayed him.

“ All this screaming is giving me a headache.” A voice muttered. Everyone turned around, Para stood there with crossed arms, cat hoodie pulled up despite the guidelines of proper uniform.

Lusa snorted, tipping back on his heels and leaning on the wall.” Like I give a fuck shorty.”

Everyone froze, no one uttered a word as they stared at Lusa who was still eating his doughnut happily with closed eyes. Nobody mentioned Para’s height, especially not in his face.

The man in question became blank, staring at Lusa. Dominic stared wide-eyed, not daring to breathe. There was a screech and a blur came rushing past him from where he poked his head out the doorway.

He heard Doom yell “Shit!” And someone screaming slam into him. Dominic backpedaled into his office and his back slammed into the table, he hissed in pain, hand flying towards his back only to knock something over and heat to coat his hand.

Dominic screamed and clutched his hand, burned by his mug of coffee. His eyes landed on the mess at his table then-

The documents! They were soaked by the caffeine! Dominic’s face darkened as he slowly looked behind him. Doom paused in rubbing his head, eyes darting from Dominic’s face and his table.

Doom chuckled nervously.”Hehe, whoops?”

Meanwhile, Masi is currently trying in holding back Para, key word ‘tried’ he was only grabbing him by the arms but not pulling him away. Para screeched angrily as he kicked Lusa who blocked him with a panicked look.

“YOU DARE CALL ME SHORT YOU BASTARD?! I OUGHTA HAND YOUR ASS BACK TO YOU ON A SILVER PLATE AND-”

Lusa rolled away, but not before stuffing his doughnut in Para’s jaw, effectively shutting the other up but not for long.

Para spat the sweet back out and glared angrily, opening his mouth to start another rant.

Esper watched all of this unfold with a mad grin from the camera he set up around their floor. The hacker laughed at his co-workers antics and took a sip of the hot chocolate he bought earlier at the cafe nearby.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw someone walking up to their floor. Esper promptly choked on his drink, banging on his chest as he rushed outside his workspace.

“GLAVE!” He hissed loudly, the effect was immediate, everyone started running back to their places. Masi let go of Para and ducked swiftly into his workspace, which was the opposite side of Dominic’s and a few ways to the right. 

Lusa ran back to his own workspace, missing it and slamming to the wall instead. A curse came out as he scrambled to his feet, running back and nearly missing again as his shoes slid across the floor.

Doom muttered a low yes! and ran back to his workspace. Dominic fumed and stomped back to his chair and collapsing on it.

Goddammit, why did lady luck hate him so damn much. The soaked documents lay at his table. Dominic scowled and threw them in he trashcan.

How he ever got used to these daily shenanigans he’ll never know.

[scarletpleonexia]

(Welp, that’s the last time I spend all my money on gatcha rolls and action point refills. 0/10 ikemen dragon was most definitely not worth going bankrupt for; rip wallet-)

[blackmesaerd]

I can believe it.

*he places a sympathetic hand on his back for a moment before pulling his hand away*

The tree told us you were crowned two years before the… accident. Did you get any training prior? What let up to the change of power? I’m having a little bit of a hard time figuring out the timeline. We’re you really unable to see your friends?

I can’t imagine losing my found family in such a strange way… to be so close but so far. *looks over to 💀 and ✨* -❤️

Voxis: The King and Queen choose their successors with the aid of the Elrios Tree... They sense who it will be, but only about a month prior to the exchange of the marks... The gold marks on my face and the purple marks on Valeria’s... There is a lot of training in that month... Everything felt like a whirlwind...

The successors can be any age when chosen, related or not... It was luck that Valeria and I were chosen together. But the reason for the change is so that the previous King and Queen can live the rest of their lives peacefully. Hilvarians naturally live for about 3,000 years give or take. The King and Queen however do not age after they take the marks once they reach 1,000 if they were not already past that age and won’t age a day over the age they are if are older.

The Elrios Tree decides all of this. When to have the successors begin, who they are, everything. But the Elrios Tree has never spoken to me... Nor my sister I presume...

Voxis: Hilvarians grow quickly. We were considered adults at age 16. I know by at least American standards there are differences. But that is how our world worked.

Voxis: I don’t need any... Not like this anyway...

[rainsonata]

Doppelgänger 12/15

Chapter 12: Mirage  

Fandom/Pairing: Elsword; none Rating: T Word Count: 7,924 

Summary: It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one’s reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.   

Alternative Title: Dominator fucked up and now everyone meets their alternative selves    

AO3 Link  I  FF.NET Link

— [Chapter 01] [Chapter 02] [Chapter 03] [Chapter 04] [Chapter 05] [Chapter 06] [Chapter 07] [Chapter 08] [Chapter 09] [Chapter 10] [Chapter 11] [Chapter 12] [Chapter 13] [Chapter 14] [Chapter 15] —  

----------------------------

Class Notes: 

Canon Path: Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen   

Alternative Path: Rune Master, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

---------------------------- 

Doom Bringer

The sky was brimming with stars, a dark celestial canvas interrupted by the numerous portals cracked into tight creases at the edge of their campsite. Moonlight shone over his exposed skin, smooth and free of blemishes from injuries that would have taken days to heal without magic. Older scars cracked over his skin like the faded constellations outlining the night sky. It would appear that the priest took pity and healed him while he was asleep. Bringer imagined the two-faced bastard’s smug expression and chuckling about how rash the brawler was to charge headfirst into battle. He hated that Bluhen was correct. 

Bringer brought his face to the edge of the stream, cupping his hands and washing his face, letting the water drip off his chin and trickling down the lines of his neck. A sigh of relief escaped from his lips, the pain in his throat dulled as he gurgled on water from the stream. His focus sharpened and he closed his eyes to slow down his thoughts.

Ruffled leaves and whispers interrupted Bringer’s train of thought. Irritation was replaced by mild curiosity, Dynamo twirling and searching for the source of the new noises. Careful not to make a sound, he approached from behind with caution and forced Dynamo to hold still. Hiding in a set of shrubs nearby, Bringer kept his head low and leaned in to see three figures talking among themselves between a set of trees. 

“Add?” Crusader-, wait, it was the other lab rat. The voice was too quiet to belong to Crusader, sullen and carried weight.  

Bringer’s shoulders tensed, running through numerous scenarios in his head when he heard his name. A youthful face peeking from the corner of the forest, Phantom looked past Bringer with a serious expression. In his hand was a set of silver shooters fitting snugly between his hands as he tested the trigger with mild interest. Its white and black with electric blue lining physique was enough for Bringer to identify it as a product of Hamel artillery. 

“Are you sure about this?” Phantom asked. 

“Would I joke about something like this?” The man asked. 

His back was turned for Briner to see a power symbol stitched into the back of his white coat. A white fringe swept across the man’s face, hiding a mechanical eye and a scar running down the left side of his face identical to Bringer’s. Sitting opposite to Phantom was Dominator reading off data from a previous battle off of hologram screens.  

“Can’t you return through one of those portals?” Crusader’s brows creased into his forehead with visible worry. 

"There isn’t sufficient data to identify which one of those will lead back to our original dimension.” Dominator explained, “A portal can lead us to a time before any of us were born and create paradoxes. I think you understand our tendency to cause more problems than solve them. Of course, with the twenty-four of us, maybe there’s a higher possibility of arriving at a solution with minimal errors.” 

A scowl formed on Bringer’s face, annoyed by his counterpart’s tangential chatter. This guy was full of it and liked listening to the sound of his own voice. Chuckling to himself, Dominator sat with his legs crossed as he offered his explanation to the lower plebs. It took Bringer a moment to register that the asshole was sitting on Dynamo. The Nasod weapons appeared in the form of six cubes the size of his hands. Not only did they share the same weapon, but had the same power symbol on their clothes. 

“Why does the Demon Realm become unstable if all of you stay here?” Crusader asked. 

“It’s not just here,” Dominator said. “It can impact other dimensions too, including Elrios. Having extra copies of people pushes this dimension at its limit. Adding more people places too much stress and can make it collapse.” 

“Was coming here a mistake?” Phantom whispered, “We already lost Elsword once and we don’t know where the Dark El is. We’re placing others in danger because our existence is making this Demon Realm unstable.” 

“We wouldn’t have met if you hadn't come here. There has to be another way,” Crusader tried to console his alternate with an encouraging smile. “I’m sure we can figure out how to make this work like Dominator said.” 

“I’m not sure if returning to our original dimension would necessarily restore the stability of yours. The damage may or may not be permanent,” Dominator mused. “It’s a shame we have limited information to test the concept.”

“How long does your friend plan to eavesdrop?” Phantom asked. 

“Huh? Who is?” Crusader gawked to where Phantom was pointing with his gloved hand. His eyes followed to where Bringer was and yelped, “How long were you lying there, Add?” 

“He was making so much noise, I could hear him breathing from behind.” Magenta eyes met Bringer’s and Dominator chuckled. “Look who finally woke up.” 

Bringer raised to his feet and glared down at Dominator with his hands clenched into fighting fists. Dynamo shook in anger with its creator, electricity sparked at its ends. The all-knowing smirk and boyish face were irritating, delighted in pointing out the obvious and entertained by Bringer’s existence. 

“It’s good to see you’re okay!” Crusader sensed the tension between the two researchers. “Ain told me you wouldn’t be awake for a while.” 

“It’s the priest’s fault we lost to amateurs,” Bringer said. 

“Is that so?” Ignoring the last part of the insult, Dominator scanned the brawler with newfound interest. “I heard a different story from your healer.”

Crusader’s cries of concern were muted when Dynamo froze. It lowered itself as Bringer rubbed the back of his head before forcing the weapons to levitate back up. His counterpart came into contact with and by El, possibly talked to Bluhen. What kind of information could the priest have possibly shared to Dominator? It was already bad enough to lose to a bunch of copycats that had no right to look like members of the El Search Party. 

“What did the bastard tell you?” Bringer asked. 

“Where did you pick up such vulgar language?” Disapproval played on Dominator’s features. “You passed out because you insulted and ignored your healer.”

Of course that’s what Bluhen told Dominator, Bringer snorted. The brawler was expecting that type of answer from the man who claimed to be a ‘priest’. Despite speaking about a goddess no one in the party had heard of, Bluhen was often caught in the spotlight of being uncertain of the nature of the El. He retained a glass-like gaze when demons were involved and sometimes lost control of his emotions. There was no doubt that Bluhen was motivated in protecting the El Search Party, but he spoke like an old man and never called Bringer by his actual name.  

“Weren’t you the one who brought the entire team to the wrong dimension?” Bringer accused the scientist.

‘Eager to identify my errors?” Dominator said, “I won’t deny that I input the wrong coordinations to overcross your timeline, but this is indeed the Demon Realm and the Dark El is here.”

“We arrived at this dimension before you did,” Bringer said. “You’ll have to look elsewhere for the Dark El.” 

“Hm, I suppose you’re right.” Dominator agreed. Huh? The scientist said, “Which is a real shame because I thought it would be interesting to see all the effects of two timelines crossing. I’m sure you have questioned the same when you did your calculations to go back.”

“What does that mean?” Crusader asked Bringer. “Go back where?” 

Shit, Dominator was going to reveal their identities if he allowed the scientist to keep talking. He didn’t know how much the opposite party knew about Dominator’s-, their past, but it wasn’t a risk he was willing to let loose. Bringer let out a boisterous laugh. Ignoring the stares from Crusader and Phantom, he had his arms crossed to show the markings on his forearms.

“Sounds like to me we share a common interest,” Bringer said. “Both of us are looking for the Dark El, but there is only one in this dimension. You would need to find a different plane of the Demon Realm to acquire it and stabilize the El in your dimension.     

“What are you suggesting?” Dominator asked. 

Analyzing Bringer with attentive eyes, the scientist read his anxiety and let go of the previous comment he made. Not unlike Bluhen, his true intentions were shielded by forced smiles and played confidence. When untampered by others, Dominator had an unreadable expression with a trace of a sober smile   

“We’ll have to look at that machine and figure out the coordinates to get you back to Elrianode and to another dimension of the Demon Realm.” Bringer said. 

“You’re offering your skills?” Dominator looked skeptical. “Do you even know the coordinates for the Elrianode we came from?”    

“N-no.” Bringer turned red. 

“Guess that puts us back to square one, but it was generous of you in wanting to help, Add.” Crusader said. 

The demons that invaded Velder must have found a way to reach Elrios despite having limited resources. Dominator may have entered the wrong dimension, but he was on the right path in discovering an efficient way to travel between timelines. 

“Paradox can manipulate those portals,” Phantom said. “I talked to Elsword and he thinks finding him is the key to getting out of here.”

Opposite to his counterpart, Phantom retained his voice at a lower volume, forcing others to stop talking and listen. His voice rarely went above speaking volume, an admirable feat in the midst of all the screaming idiots from both teams.

“Paradox?” Crusader asked, “The one who kidnapped our Elsword? Elsword said that Paradox tried to get us to fight each other and disappeared as soon as our friends found them. I agree that we should find Paradox, but why would he go through all the trouble of kidnapping Elsword?”

Bringer felt two pairs of eyes looking at him and Dominator, who had an equally confused reaction as the brawler.  

“Why are you looking at us?” Bringer asked. He didn’t like the way they were looking at him and his alternate. 

“I haven’t even met this man yet and you expect me to know what goes through that skull of his?” Dominator let out a long sigh, “You’re so quick to jump to conclusions.” 

“Well, Paradox is both of you.” Crusader said. “Maybe he’s testing out his powers?” 

“His movements were fluid,” Phantom disagreed. “He must have had these powers for at least a few years.” 

“Why does it matter what his motivation is?” Bringer asked, “We find him and we use his powers to bring you back to the other side. Fight first, ask questions later.” 

Talking to Dominator didn’t make it difficult to imagine another version of himself, but to learn that Paradox could control time and space was evidence that time travel was possible. Finding Paradox could be proven useful in providing vital data to use in the future, Bringer thought. The others were already in agreement that chasing after Paradox should be a priority. However, getting Paradox to cooperate would be another matter. He glanced over his shoulder to see Dominator sighing.  

“Meathead,” Dominator scoffed. 

Bringer twitched. Grabbing Dominator by the collar of the turtleneck, the brawler glared at the man in white. “What did you call me?” 

“Do I need to intervene and restrain you both?” Phantom cocked his silver shooter. His icy gaze left little else for interpretation. 

“That won’t be needed,” Dominator laughed as if he wasn’t about to be punched by his counterpart and threatened by a brat shorter than him by almost a head. “I suppose that will give you a chance to test out that new installation I gave you.” 

“Yes and if I remembered correctly, you said you don’t make mistakes,” Phantom said with a rare smile. 

“Let him go, Add!” Crusader rushed over to shake the brawler off of Dominator, which wasn’t hard to do because the younger man had impressive strength most wouldn't have expected from someone of his stature.  

Bringer dropped Dominator and the scientist collapsed, shaking as he cackled while lying on the ground. The other El Search Party was weird, the brawler groaned. They were testing his patience with their weird quirky personalities that were opposite of their alternates while retaining the more annoying characteristics.  

“You really piss me off,” Bringer growled. 

“Yes, and you’re as boorish as you are impatient.” Dominator chuckled, "What kind of name is Doom Bringer? Is that a title you picked out when you were ten?” 

"Shut up, you wouldn't get it." Bringer scowled. 

"Then explain."

Taken back by his alternate’s question, Bringer was speechless in how to answer. He wondered why would someone go by the title Dominator and what that entailed for a man who chose to deviate his path from what Bringer had become. There was a lot about Dominator he didn’t understand and wished to run analysis on the other’s Dynamo to compare differences between their programs.  

“It’s channeling destructive powers and bringing doom to enemies,” Bringer said. 

“If you say so, Doom Doom.” Dominator smirked. “Very cute.” 

Bringer twitched, “Don’t call me that!”  

“Come on, Doom Doom.” Phantom said, “I see Ciel coming towards us. Dinner must be ready.”  

“I’m hungry!” Crusader got up on his feet, “Let’s eat!” 

“I’m not Doom Doom!” Bringer’s cries fell on deaf ears. 

Dominator allowed Crusader and Phantom to walk ahead towards the main part of the camp, keeping a distance from the two protectors of Hamel. His pale face was further illuminated by the lighting of the moon. It was clear that he had something on his mind because he kept looking back to make sure Bringer was following. Once out of their earshot, he turned to the brawler and ushered him to come forward. For once, the scientist had a serious expression and spoke with a light tone in an attempt to reduce the weight in words.  

“Still pursuing that dream?” Dominator sighed, “I knew you were stupid, but I didn’t think you were foolish.” 

“Why does it concern you?” Bringer asked, “You have no involvement in this.” 

“No, but I’ve done the calculation and numbers don’t lie.” Dominator said, “Going back would simply create new timelines, not restore what once was. I think you already know that.” 

Admittedly, Bringer had not stopped to consider the likelihood of creating new timelines out of his planned attempts to return to the past. Dominator saw his hesitance and frowned, visibly judging the brawler. 

“Are you trying to stop me?” Bringer glared. 

“No, but I think it will be important to find Paradox and hear his thoughts on our predicament. I’m sure he’ll have an opinion about time-traveling and dimension-hopping.” Dominator said, “I highly doubt he achieved his goal if he has the time to scare people and kidnap them.” 

“Why haven’t you asked me questions about going back until now?” Bringer asked. 

“Because I know it isn’t your highest priority.” Dominator said, “You wouldn’t be staying with those people if you were truly pursuing that goal.” 

Bringer suddenly became self-conscious. They barely knew each other and he could feel the scientist’s eyes cross-examining him, likely fighting the urge to ask hundreds of questions regarding his physique and the visible Nasod armor merged into the rest of his body. Even more follow up questions about his relationship with El Search Party if he was to go off of Dominator’s last comment.   

“You don’t have to tell me if I’m right or wrong.” Walking past Bringer, Dominator had a genuine smile. “Words are pointless unless you act on them, don’t you think?”

“Whatever,” Bringer shoved his hands into his pockets. “You talk too much.” 

Dominator’s laughter filled the air, but it wasn’t an unkind one. 

---------------------------- 

Knight Emperor

Dinner was uneventful, a rare reminder to what their lives were before they were trampled over by all the responsibilities upon uncovering the El in Elrianode. People sat scattered in circles and in smaller groups in noisy chatter, talking over one another as some scrambled for seconds. They shared a moment of relief when Daybreaker and Chevalier offered to make more food for their growing party after Ishtar and Apsara fought for the last portion.   

Battle tips and crafting recipes were shared among the thrilling stories tailored by exaggerations and excessive gestures. For the first time since they first entered the Demon Realm, there was optimism in people’s tones. Expressions lightened and there was more laughter with the new additional people.

Dominator held up Blade’s Nasod arm to show to Bringer, who was unconvincingly feigning disinterest by straining back a smile. Unbothered by Dominator’s antics, Blade continued eating with his human arm while he and Rage listened to Empire explain a new battle tactic. Flame was pushing Devi to the side and giggling over something the martial artist said, her face was flushed red. Knight spied a map of Varnimyr laid out between a group with Aether, Crusader, Ultimate, and Phantom drawing lines and making plans about tomorrow. Oz, Anemos, and Esencia were pointing out the constellations in the sky and comparing them to those of Elrios.             

Timoria and Abysser spoke enthusiastically about dessert when Knight got up to leave. His mind had already trailed off somewhere in the idle of Richter’s in-depth lecture about the goddess. As much as he liked Richter, the pressure caused by his migraine worsened every time the El was mentioned. Richter abruptly stopped talking and looked mildly insulted when Knight excused himself. Stealing a glance to his counterpart, Bluhen was more concerned and asked if Knight needed to rest. Ignoring the pounding in his head, Knight shook his head and left.  

He felt a pair of eyes bore into his back. 

It was still night when Knight returned to the stream where he washed the wild boar earlier in preparation for dinner. After days of his absence, it felt natural to return to a routine in search for a sense of normalcy. Water dripped between his fingers when he lowered his head to take a drink. One of the moons already disappeared, reminding him of home.     

“It’s like Elrios, don’t you think?” Rune sat beside him. 

“Why are you following me?” Knight asked. 

In the brief moments he interacted with Rune, the leader of the El Search Party learned they were different people diverged from the same roots. In the face of danger, Rune badgered others and tested his boundaries with a hidden motive. There was a wall barricading between Rune and those he talked to. Knight wondered if Rune was aware of it. 

“Was everyone too much for you?” Rune didn’t answer his question. A playful smile teased on his lips, “I can’t imagine you had time to rest since you came back. There’s no end to their questions and there’s always something urgent you need to know.” 

“Yeah,” Knight agreed. “That’s how it always was.” 

“Hm, do they know how you feel about it?” Rune said, “They’re expecting a lot from you.” 

“Everyone is playing their part to work together and find the Dark El,” Knight closed his eyes, “The least I can do is keep them together and make sure no one is left behind.

“A noble commitment,” Rune chuckled. “You really are the perfect leader.” 

Thoughts rushed through Knight’s head, each one clambering over one another until his brain turned to mush. He forgot that Rune was there. Losing sense of himself, Knight saw the trees surrounding them, suddenly taller than he remembered. Rune’s words echoed in the enclaves of his mind like a tattered ad plastered all over Velder walls. His mouth went dry, unable to make sense of himself beyond the raw emotions of anger and restlessness.    

Perfect was a word too many people used without thought or consideration. What did the word mean if it applied to him? A random village boy who happened to be related to the knight captain of the Velder army. There were others like him who would have killed to be in his position, to be granted the responsibility to guard and protect the El. Is that what perfect meant to Rune? He almost lost his sister to the El and his friends because of his decision in Elrianode. Knight didn’t understand why Rune would envy him.   

“I’m not perfect,” Knight gritted his teeth. 

“You mean you’re not?” Rune had his hands on his hips, “You found a way into the Demon Realm without putting your friends in danger. You worked together with Dark Elves to secure an exit for them against an enemy that hasn’t even arrived yet. By all accounts, you’ve done everything I failed to do.” 

“Failed? Aren’t you from the past?” Knight was in a daze, “You’re at least a few weeks behind us.” 

“Yes, but I already failed the first step into getting all of us safety into the Demon Realm.” Rune said with a dry laugh, “This place is becoming unstable because of us. I’m not sure what it will mean for the Demon Realm if we were to keep going and remove the Dark El. They’ve relied on it for years and now we’re taking that away from them.” 

Despite having two demons in his team, Knight never considered how removing the Dark El would impact the Demon Realm. It made sense why Nephilim Lord wasn’t quick to trust them and wanted the El Search Party to take care of the chaos that had plagued Varnimyr. He was surprised to hear Rune’s concern about the Demon Realm inhabitants.  

Their progress was hardly a success if going by Rune’s definition, Knight thought. They found an entrance to the Demon Realm through a loose rift in time and space by sheer luck. It was a one way trip with no certainty on how to return to Elrianode if they needed to deliver a message to the El Masters and priestesses. 

“The Henir cultists might get to the Dark El first even if everything went to plan,” Knight said. “I might hurt my friends again because I’m making them fight something that might be too strong for them.” 

Paradox said he wasn’t strong enough. What did the time traveler know yet refused to speak up when Knight asked? His words haunted the red-haired knight in a condescending tone mixed with bemusement by Knight’s confusion. 

“You’re not making them do anything,” Rune said. “Oh, Knight. Can’t do wrong, hero of Elrios and those that followed him. At least that’s what I believed at first. Your friends aren’t fighting because you’re forcing them. They’re doing it because they believe in you and won’t stop talking about you.” 

“I’m not sure if I deserve it,” Knight leaned forward. “What if I’m making the wrong choice? We already had to fight Ignia once because I thought she was an ally.”

“Isn’t she on your side now with the El Masters and the other priestesses? That counts for something, right?” Rune sighed, “I mean, yeah, it sucks that you got betrayed by her, but it worked out for you.”

“Too many close calls,” Knight shook his head. 

“Isn’t that always the case?” Rune chuckled, “If you wanted to be safe, you would have stayed in Ruben. You did what you thought was the best option for everyone. You’re not tricking anyone into doing something they don’t want to do. The way your friends talk about you makes me a little jealous.” 

It bothered Knight when he saw that Rune always found a way to bring the conversation back to him. They have spent the entire duration talking about Knight when he knew little of his counterpart. Did Rune know these things because they shared these experiences or because he talked to Knight’s friends? It was hard to find Rune before because the rune user serenaded around the different team members to learn their quirks before hopping over to the next person. His devotion to learn everyone’s titles for nicknames was admirable and tiring to watch even for the amicable Knight.       

“Why do you keep doing that?” Knight asked. 

“Doing what?” Rune avoided his eyes. 

“Talking about yourself like that,” Knight said. “Your friends were worried about you. Richter was looking for you earlier and wouldn’t stop asking me about you. Your sister looks at you like you’re the world to her and Phantom, uh…” 

“Okay, okay, that’s enough,” Rune waved his hand at Knight. “You’re not wrong, I get that. It’s just embarrassing when you say it like that.” 

“But it’s true!” Knight exclaimed, “And I’ll keep saying it until you stop talking down on yourself!”

“It’s weird talking to you like this,” Rune said. “I thought it was going to be like having a twin, but you’re more different than I thought. Not a bad thing, just weird.” 

“I can say the same to you,” Knight said. “What’s with the shirt? Is your Elrios warmer than mine? I saw you use runes earlier. Were you raised to use magic instead?” 

Rune lit up to the mention of his runes. Sitting down beside Knight, he rested his hands over the handle of his greatsword. Red lines and marks ran over his arms and lower chest for Knight to see. It was difficult to imagine the effort it took for Rune to gain expertise in rune magic. Knight wasn’t well-versed in the type of training needed to learn magic, but he knew it was a lot of work from the hours Aether spent on mastering new spells. 

“Hard to say if my Elrios is warmer since I haven’t been to yours, but it’s not hard to stay warm when you have fire.” Rune had a thoughtful expression, “I started off with a sword, but I switched to magic because it’s my weakness. There’s magic in the Sieghart line, so I had a jumpstart in rune magic.”

“You and Aisha would get along,” Knight commented. “She always complains about how dense I am about magic.” 

“Heh, it was our team’s Aisha that helped me out when I first tried runes.” Rune said with bemusement. “I must have burned through five gloves that week before finding out I was channeling magic incorrectly. I still practice the way of the sword, but it’s tough finding balance between the two.” 

It was true that their family had access to limited magic, but to think one of them achieved mastery over it. Knight sometimes relied on magic as a diversion to trick enemies in a runaway chase, but he never would have dreamed of relying on it for bigger fights. Witnessing Rune using it out on the battlefield near Shadow Vein against a monster was impressive. Rune made it look effortless the way he swung his blade in one direction to stabilize his weight while hurling fireballs at the enemy. 

“Too bad we’ll have to split up after this,” Knight said with sadness. “I think our teams would work well together.” 

“You know how to get out of here?” Rune asked. 

Knight sighed, “Sorry, I don’t. When you entered the Demon Realm, did you see anything? Like a vision?”

It was dark and filled with beasts of another realm. Knight couldn’t make head or tail of where the beast started and began. In his arms was his sister. Empire collapsed and he was unable to move before Aether snapped him out of his trance. A dream? They were as trapped in the Demon Realm as Rune’s team was until they found another way out.    

“What vision?” Rune had a thoughtful expression. “You can see the future and sense the El? Man, why do you get all the cool stuff? I guess we’re different enough that our futures won’t be the same.”

If Rune didn’t see the same vision as him, what could that mean for him? Was it a warning only for Knight and not to Rune or any other Elsword that may exist in the other timelines? Did Rune avoid getting those visions because he didn’t enter the Demon Realm the same method as him? Knight couldn’t get rid of the fearful thoughts pushing from the sides. 

“I thought you would have known,” Knight said weakly. “That’s why I’m asking you.”

“Then tell me about this vision, future boy.” Rune grinned. “I’m all ears.” 

Knight snorted. His counterpart was so accepting of the strange powers and abilities he had, but he was thankful for Rune’s company. Rune didn’t question why he didn’t talk about his visions to the rest of the El Search Party or why he would be the chosen one with the visions. He wondered if Rune had made the same sacrifice to the El when he reached the same conclusion in a battle against Solace. As he explained what he saw in his vision, he felt a connection from Rune’s level of El resonance.  

----------------------------

Richter

Light shimmered over Richter’s cyan locks, tucked behind one ear and the rest falling over his shoulders. It was no use and the priest considered following Rune’s suggestion on using bobby pins to keep his hair out of his eyes. Rune had sound ideas when it didn’t involve fire. 

People dispersed into smaller groups after their bellies were filled with enough food and desserts to supply an army. It was a cacophonic chatter by different groups and conversations before they succumbed to sleep one by one. It was not long before the late sleepers like Dominator and Bringer ceased talking and went to sleep. 

Unable to sleep, Richter sat up from his sleeping bag and stuck his head out from his tent. The stars were bright tonight. Gathering into celestial light, they called to him in envy for choosing to walk among the humans. They were the same stars Richter saw in Elrios before he and the El Search Party parted Elrianode and left the world they knew behind. The Demon Realm was a mirror to Elrios, flush with life Richter wouldn’t have expected from what was supposed to be the shadow of Elria’s world. 

At the end of the day, members of the two El Search Parties have retreated into their tents and warm under their sleeping bags. Time in the Demon Realm was different than that of Elrios - longer nights and shorter daylight, making it confusing for humans to sleep as they always did. 

It didn’t take long for Richter to reach the end of their campsite where one of the team members volunteered to keep watch. Daybreaker sat crouched over a rock and tensed her muscles to the sound of Richter’s footsteps. She spun around to the sight of Richter fully dressed in armor and tightened her bow and arrow. 

Daybreaker lowered her weapon. “Couldn’t sleep?”

Richter shook a heavy head, nevermind that celestials did not require sleep as organic beings did. Sleep became a habit ingrained in him because of Rune, who always made an effort in finding a safe place for their group to rest for the night. Even Ultimate the Nasod queen used their time of idleness to rest and restore her system. Even if Richter could only close his eyes for a few hours, it gave him time to process the things he had experienced in their travels towards restoring the El. 

“The one who heals sleeps a lot,” Richter said. His counterpart was asleep for hours before waking up and finding Richter talking to Aether. 

“Ain was the most worried about Elsword,” Daybreaker smiled. The elven woman shared tenderness when she spoke of Bluhen, smiling fondly and closing her eyes. “He deserved it after everything he had done for us.” 

“Would it be inconvenient if I joined you?” Richter asked. 

“Not at all!” Daybreaker’s eyes lit up, “It’s good to have company when keeping watch.” 

Having one person keep watch over the team was typically enough for a party of twelve, but with a team double their size, having two to three members awake in shifts was more efficient in detecting intruders. Blade was patrolling out of their sight at the other end of the campsite. The next shift would have Richter and Rage take over for another two hours before the rest of the teams wake up to start the day.          

Richter sat adjacent to Daybreaker. Still in his nightclothes, it was colder when the sun was out of view with the harsh wind tearing through the trees. His skin grew numb and translucent. Richter watched his breath materialize into white frost. The weather didn’t bother him but he had a jacket over his shoulders to shield himself from the worst of the winds. 

“Has it been long since you kept surveillance?” Richter asked. 

“You still have time before your shift,” Daybreaker said. “Is something bothering you to be up at this hour? 

“The Demon Realm is not so different from Elrios,” Richter looked at the stars. A thin line formed upon his lips, pondering on why they were the same as the ones he saw in Elrianode. Was it because the Demon Realm was a byproduct of Elria’s creation of Elrios and the El?

“You’re right,” Daybreaker agreed. “The elders from my home used to speak about this place as a sanctuary for the elves who chose to live in a place of darkness. The inhabitants of the Demon Realm rely on the Dark El as much as we do with the El back home.” 

“Including demons,” Richter mumbled. 

“Richter,” she had a sympathetic expression. “Is this your first time in the Demon Realm?”

Daybreaker took his silence as an answer and had a sad smile. 

Did no one tell Daybreaker? Richter’s core shook at the mention of demons when someone proposed entering the Demon Realm in search for the Dark El. Entering demon territory was an unthinkable thought for the priest. It went against everything he believed in and worse, it forced him to stray from the El’s influence. However, this wasn’t about what he wanted and what he believed in. The El was unstable and needed intervention. It was his duty to restore it with the help of Rune and his friends. 

It was uncomfortable being under Daybreaker’s long-held gaze. Was she waiting for him to say something? Anemos would have filled the silence and let him listen unless he had something to comment on. 

“It was hard for me to believe there was life in this place before coming here,” Daybreaker admitted. “It must be a lot for you to take in.” 

“I was more concerned about finding Elsword than anything concerning demons,” Richter said.    

“I’m sorry for the trouble we have caused,” Daybreaker looked guilty. “We were so caught up in finding our Elsword that we had them mixed up. We misunderstood your intentions and started a fight.” 

He contemplated telling Daybreaker his feelings were spared because it was he who had started the fight but Richter had a feeling that wasn’t the answer she wanted. Telling the elven woman he would have taken Knight if given the chance didn’t seem to be the right answer either. The priest instead offered a solemn nod to show understanding and a serious expression. 

It was enough to satisfy Daybreaker, who lowered her lips to form a question. Richter recognized the hesitance in her reaching out for him, silently debating on whether to comfort the blue-haired man with the kind of care reserved for close friends. He raised his hand to stop her and quickly shook his head. 

“You are making assumptions about me,” Richter said. “I’m not upset. All that matters is that Elsword is back.”

“Sorry,” she apologized again. “It’s hard not to see you as the Ain we know. You share names, but you act like different people.”

“Are you not satisfied with that answer?” Richter asked. 

“No, it just means I should get to know you better.” She said, “I noticed you didn’t eat a lot for dinner. Was the food different than what you’re used to?”  

“I ate a little,” Richter said. “I don’t need to eat as much as you do.” 

He ate out of politeness because Rune said many people worked to make dinner a success. Celestials didn’t need to eat to sustain himself. His unfulfilled mission was what kept him from fading away and guarding the people he had learned to call his friends. From Daybreaker’s confusion, it was clear that Bluhen never had to explain that to the elf.    

Not only did Bluhen look human, but had acted human. He slept when he exhausted his energy and offered to heal past his limits. Bluhen said he ate “for fun”, happily telling Richter about the Soft Sweet Potato Cake Chevalier made for him before interrupted by Knight overhearing their conversation. He was asking for seconds when Richter could barely stomach half of his portion that was generously offered to him by Chevalier. Was his appetite part of pretending to be human or was it due to being a healer? Healing magic required the user to be in tune with the El and relied on mana more than any other type of magic. 

Unused to putting things in his mouth, it was foreign to Richter to feel something warm running down his throat. He took small bites until Rune saw his discomfort and said he didn’t have to finish. Rune had enough of an appetite to eat for the two of them and others needed food more than Richter did. He wasn’t going to force himself to do something that wasn’t natural for himself.  

“I see,” Daybreaker mused. “What do you like to eat?” 

She was asking about his favorite food? Richter paused to think. Usually it was up to someone in the El Search Party to choose what was readily available to eat for the day. This became common after they left Lanox in search of the El Lady. He thought about the last thing they had eaten before they left Elrios. They were simple to prepare because the ingredients were grown at their guild house, but tame and didn’t overwhelm his palate. 

“Snow Pasta and Harmony Pudding,” Richter said. Both had light airy textures and inoffensive tastes.  

“We should make some before you and your friends leave,” Daybreaker suggested. “Maybe after the meeting first thing in the morning? We still need to figure out where Paradox went and how to get you guys home.” 

“Do you think it’s appropriate to return to Elrianode despite having no findings on the Dark El?” Richter asked.  

“We don’t know where it is either,” she admitted. “We still have business to take care. The aura over this part of the Demon Realm has been causing problems for its inhabitants and Nephilim Lord wants us to address it.” 

Richter found it difficult to understand why Daybreaker and the others would make the effort to win the trust of a demon beast. He didn’t know their reasoning beyond Nephilim Lord apparently withholding information regarding the Dark El. Daybreaker must have sensed his skepticism and held back a smile. 

“The Dark Elves see Nephilim Lord as a higher being,” Daybreaker explained. “It oversees this part of the Demon Realm, including the whereabouts of the Dark El.” 

If that was the case, then perhaps it would be in their self-interest to seek the Nephilim Lord in their timeline to extract information about the Dark El. This was important information he had to share with Rune. 

“Thank you,” Richter lowered his head into a short bow to the archer with gratitude. “Why are you telling me all of this?”  

“You and your friends would have done the same if my friends were the ones in your situation,” Daybreaker said. “At least that’s what I would like to believe. It’s the least I can do after the confusion between our friends.” 

A high pitch sound rang in the air. Richter stood up and turned his head towards the sound, jolting his head back and searching for the source of the aura. The ringing grew worse the longer he looked at the forest ahead. Daybreaker asked him what was wrong. Her voice became distant. 

“I sense Henir,” Richter whispered. He drew out his projectile weapons. Blue ribbon twisted around his pendulum and sparks flew from the end of his weapons.   

A glass shard-like substance flew across his vision, blinding him with bright light in purple and magenta. A small shadow darted over his head, landing in a crouched position and keeping their head lowered. Long white hair ran past their ankles and the four tail-like appendages coming from the back of their jacket. Six weapons circled around them and glowed with their owner’s eyes.

“I won’t let you escape this time!” Daybreaker ran her finger over her bow. A barrage of arrows rained down from the elven woman as she pushed her weight down for a high jump kick. 

Mad Paradox backflipped from the arrows to escape through a portal. Reappearing from the other side, the time traveler ignored Daybreaker and darted away from an invisible force unseen by Richter and Daybreaker. A dark blade materialized and swung towards Paradox. The symbol of an eye formed and a dark figure appeared, holding a scythe to reveal that parts of their arms were missing. 

For lack of better words, much of the man’s body was unraveled. The unknown black material covering his exterior couldn’t hide his skin and where it stopped existing. Royal blue etched with bright blue veins popped out from beneath his skin. An eye opened up from his chest resembling the Henir monsters Richter had fought in Elrianode. 

“Mr. Ancient, Elsword has been looking for you.” The man whispered, “Return home.”  

“Mr. Ancient?” Daybreaker repeated and looked at Richter then back to the stranger, “Is that you?”  

Hot anger flashed beneath Richter’s skin. Herrscher’s left eye was covered by a patch, most likely hiding the flawed eye infected by Henir’s influences. Richter unconsciously covered his own left eye. The prickly pain wouldn’t leave in the presence of his other self. 

“Home?” Despite having a scythe below his neck, Paradox sneered. “What would you know about having one?” 

“Those are Elsword's words, not mine.” 

“That’s right, because you’ll obey everything he tells you to do,” Paradox glared. “You’re nothing but a shadow following everywhere he goes. Go away, jellyfish.” 

“It is urgent that you return to Elsword,” Herrscher ignored the insult. “There are important matters we need to discuss.” 

Some parts of Herrscher had bits of his skin peeled away to show the void peering from his existence. He was devoid of the El and lost his physical form because he had denied the Goddess. No longer holding faith in their Goddess, Herrscher had thrown his mission away and everything that kept his body from fading away. Herrscher had strayed from the righteous path. 

A series of spears rose above Richter’s shoulders, shining and pointing down at Herrscher. Darkness surrounded the master of the void and disappeared into the abyss. Richter’s spears crashed and shattered into the ground, sending rumbles rolling through the earth.

Paradox shuddered and shifted into the form of a younger child. A pair of cat ears sat perched on his hoodie and the time traveler leaped away as soon as he saw his chance of escape. Daybreaker was faster this time and chased after Paradox to pin the child against a tree with a dozen arrows shot at her disposal.       

Herrscher materialized behind Richter and swung his scythe, forming black holes and suctioning Richter inward from the pressure. Richter clawed on his fours and dug his spears into the ground to stop himself from succumbing into the void. His mind spun at the chaos created by his alternate as he fought for a place to free his mind of the confusion.   

“Richter, what are you doing?” Daybreaker shouted. 

“He serves Henir,” Richter hovered a spear over Herrscher’s chest.  

Before he could continue, his spear was deflected by a sword, sending his spear flying towards Daybreaker’s direction. Daybreaker dodged the sword with an acrobatic flip and landed with her body lowered. When Richter drew another spear to direct to Herrscher, his attempt was hindered once again. He looked up to see blades raining down on him, throwing himself away from Herrscher and clawing away from the attack. Richter picked up one of the swords to examine. A red sword engraved with gold and black lining. He sensed the Dark El tainting the blade. Who did this belong to?  

“You mind going easy on them?” A new voice caught Richter’s attention. He could hear the smile in the stranger’s voice.  “I’d really appreciate it if you could stop trying to kill my friends. It would really suck if you did.” 

A blood vein burst from the side of Paradox’s head and twitched at the mention of “friends”. Crossing his arms in a tight knot, he pouted and stuck out his tongue when Daybreaker offered to free him from her arrows. 

The voice was male and belonged to a young man. Wielding a sword in each hand, the young man had a short and stocky frame covered by heavy black scaled armor. Black hair streaked red hair mirroring that of his eyes with a yellow hue. He reeked of the Dark El amplified by his El Resonance similar to Knight and Rune.   

“Are you Elsword?” Richter gawked at the red-head. There was a third one?  

“The one and only!” Immortal grinned. “Or that’s what I would have said before I met our Add.” Immortal gestured to Paradox. He directed his smile to Richter, “You must be Ain. Welcome to the madness!”  

“There’s a third path,” Richter realized. 

“So it seems,” Daybreaker sighed. “How many of you are here?” 

“Five if you include Add,” Immortal said. 

“I heard noises, is everyone okay?” Blade ran up to Richter and nodded to Daybreaker. The former mercenary barely broke a sweat in jogging from the opposite side of camp. Richter and Daybreaker both shook their heads. Blade’s eyes fell over to Immortal and Herrscher lying on the floor next to Paradox, “Who are they?” 

“Did we wake up your friends?” Immortal laughed. “Guess we should explain ourselves.” 

“We better go wake up and alert the others,” Daybreaker placed one hand over Richter’s shoulder. “I think it’s important to let them know that we found Paradox.”

Richter nodded. He didn’t trust his voice not to give away his expression of loss on learning about the existence of Immortal’s control over the Dark El. Sensing his discomfort, Daybreaker dropped her hand and had an earnest expression. They were not friends for the same amount of time as they were with their respective teammates, but she understood his experience of being overwhelmed by the influx of new people. She extended a hand and offered Richter a comforting smile. 

“Do you want to help me?” She asked. “It’ll be faster if you joined me. You know your friends better than I do. Blade, you don’t mind keeping an eye on those three, do you?” 

“Not at all,” Blade said.  

Richter was grateful for having an excuse to leave. He didn’t feel sorry for leaving Blade behind talking to the three strangers that looked so much like their friends, one of them being another version of Richter. It looked like the emergency morning meeting Daybreaker mentioned would occur earlier than intended. Sleep and breakfast would have to wait for the organic beings.

[mearta]

A Chevalier's Promise

A Chevalier x Bluhen Royal AU fic

Summary: To the outside world of Elrios, the Steel Queen and the newly appointed Grand Duke Ishmael have announced their engagement. Many speculate it was love at first sight; in reality, they have merely forged a political alliance to stabilize their respective reigns. Ciel, aside from his typical obligations as Her Majesty’s knight, must ensure things go smoothly with the alliance. Yet upon meeting a peculiar fellow, he soon realizes the troubles surrounding the Grand Duke are more than they appear.

Chapter 1: Encounter Amidst the Flowers

 The party’s glitter and laughter was a dream in the distance. Ciel could never stomach the suffocating atmosphere. He stood outside with the warm embrace of moonlight near his shadow. The facades and faux kindness was no different than Lanox’s crime-tainted alleyways. Lu always noticed he was uncomfortable despite his best attempts to hide it. As a result, she allowed him to escape to the serenity of the palace’s garden whenever she hosted a ball. Ciel insisted he could tolerate parties, especially if it meant ensuring her safety. But the Queen was stubborn and reminded him she could defend herself. Ciel strolled past the fountain and into the hedge maze. He memorized the way out long ago. As Ciel turned the corner, a sea of flowers greeted him. In the center stood the largest flower, taller than even he; its purple petals reaching to touch the night.

 In the Demon Realm, the palace’s garden had another name: the Garden of Haures. A maze teeming with flowers from the Demon Realm and Elrios was also home to the famous Haures flowers. Many visitors praised their beauty, but little did they know Ciel was responsible for clearing the pest problem that occurred when the Haures flowers bloom.

 Ciel sighed, recalling the group of monsters that appeared the other day because of the Haures flowers’ scent. He shouldn’t be upset at that damn Annular for planting them; after all, Miss Iblis kept the poor man busy. In the rare chances he had a break, Annular would be here, tending to the garden.

 Ciel approached a patch of iridescent, azure flowers. Under the moon, they looked straight out of an oil painting. Lu liked these flowers in particular because they matched Ciel’s hair color. He cared for this patch personally, and often she would ask for him to prepare bouquets of them to display around the palace.

 “Oh my, shouldn’t a knight be accompanying his master?”

 “Her Majesty is currently with the Grand Duke. Unless you are implying His Lordship cannot protect her,” Ciel said. He turned around and narrowed his eyes.

 The owner of that sing-song voice wore a smirk. Ciel presumed the man in front of him was a noble. With a fur-lined, extravagant coat, he at the very least held some sort of title. However, Ciel did not recall green and black being fashionable colors in Elrios.

 “I was merely trying to begin a conversation. Shall we start over by introducing ourselves?”

 “I am Ciel, servant of Queen Luciela R. Sourcream.”

 “Yes, I know. Nice to meet you, Sir Ciel.” The man‘s smile somehow became more irritating.

 “And what is your name?”

 “Sir Bluhen works just fine.”

 “Well, Sir Bluhen, I do not believe we’ve met before.”

 “Everyone knows of the demonic wench who picked up a half-demon stray.” Seeing Ciel’s hand move toward one of his shotguns, Bluhen giggled. “My apologies.”

 “Your tongue certainly likes to flap.” Ciel relaxed ever so slightly.

 “As long as Richter doesn’t mind-“

 “Disrespecting Her Majesty’s fiancé is no different than disrespecting her.”

 Bluhen waved his hand. “He and I are... what‘a the word... oh, friends. Please be at ease.”

 “Is that so?” Ciel frowned.

 The spies mentioned nothing of friends. The Grand Duchy of Elrianode’s sovereign was either found alone or with the clergy. In addition, Grand Duke Ishmael disliked humans. How could this one be any different? Regardless, no reports contained a description that matched Bluhen. While Ciel mulled over the possibilities, Bluhen moved closer. He squatted down and pointed at the patch of flowers.

 “What are they called?”

 “Lacrimosa Blossoms. Some of the older Demons refer to them as the Flowers of Requiem.”

 “They’re quite nice. Reminds me of forget-me-nots.”

 “Do you like forget-me-nots?”

 After eyeing one of the flowers, Bluhen stood up. “You can say that. Richter is quite fond of them as well. It’s a shame we can’t grow flowers back home.”

 “...Are you really friends with His Lordship?”

 “All right, the truth is I’m his lover.”

 “Excuse me?”

 “Is there a problem?” Bluhen leaned closer to Ciel and whispered, “He can be quite aggressive, but I’m sure Her Majesty can make him submit to her whim.”

 Ciel felt the warm breath against his neck. Bluhen took a step back. He chuckled at Ciel’s expression. “I’m kidding of course.”

 “You...”

 “It was fun talking to you, Sir Ciel. But I’m afraid I have to go. Send Her Majesty my regards.” Bluhen winked before walking away.

 Lu and the Grand Duke were still together when Ciel entered the ballroom. The event had ended and the servants started to clean up. Leftover food was to be given away, decorations to be stored until next time, and any messes were to be eliminated. Ciel watched the maids and footmen to ensure they didn’t slack off. It would be a few weeks before the marble tiles saw another evening of dancing. Then his attention turned to the couple. To match Grand Duke Ishmael’s white clothes, she wore a white, backless dress. Embroidered patterns of gold lines the sleeves.

 The couple looked good together albeit funny. Lu was the shorter one between her and the Grand Duke. Wearing high-heeled shoes helped to an extent. Ciel couldn’t imagine the Grand Duke acknowledging the obvious height difference. Neither could anyone else, yet the Grand Duke always leaned down to be within reach. Perhaps their alliance was too important to lose.

 Lu touched the Grand Duke’s face.

 “It’s okay to admit you’re tired.” Her voice was soft. She caressed his cheek until he caught her wrist.

 “What about you, Luciela?”

 “I’m used to faking smiles all the time.”

 “You do not have to do so in front of me.”

 Ciel was unaffected by their exchange of sweet words. He glanced at the servants. They continued to do their duties, but once the couple was away, they would start to gossip.

 Ciel cleared his throat. “Your Majesty, please return to your room. Your Grace, I have also prepared a room for you to stay in.”

 “Nonsense, Ciel. We’ll be sharing a room,” Lu said.

 “Understood. Allow me to escort you back  then.”

 The two followed Ciel. He had a feeling the couple were holding hands while their footsteps echoed through the empty halls.  The Palace of Abaddon was a wonder of architecture. Guests would often stop to marvel at the paintings, but Grand Duke Ishmael didn’t bat an eye. Ciel opened the door to Lu’s bedchambers. He was the last one to enter and closed the door behind him.

 “You may stop pretending now,” Ciel stated.

 Lu sighed in relief. She sat on the edge of bed. “Hey Ciel, what do you think?”

 “Of what?”

 She gestured to the Grand Duke who stood on the other side of the room. “I feel he needs to be more expressive.”

 “I believe our performance is adequate enough for the public.” Any semblance of gentleness had been replaced with the cold, monotone, real authority belonging to the Grand Duke.

 Ciel scratched his head. “The narrative we agreed to wasn’t violated as far as I could tell.”

 The Steel Queen and the Grand Duke had a chance encounter, and multiple rendezvous were enough to break through the defenses around their hearts. Some nobles liked the idea of a love which transcended race, so the story spread throughout the Demon Realm. Of course, the people outside the Demon Realm were another story. A follower of Goddess Ishmael falling in love with not just a Demon, but the Steel Queen herself was unbelievable. That was another issue they needed to address. At the very least, there was time to change public opinion.

 Ciel scrutinized the Grand Duke. The Grand Duchy of Elrianode was without a sovereign for centuries; according to various reports, the Lady of El and her El Masters were the government in the past. Then, the region and more was known merely as Elrianode. Yet one of the El Masters betrayed the Lady of El and his fellow Masters, leading to the explosion of the Giant El. The destruction ruined Elrianode and the land. Now the grand name of Elrianode was a shadow of its former splendor. Lu and Ciel speculated many times why the priestesses, the remains of Elrianode’s past, agreed to elect someone to take the mantle of Grand Duke. They thought of many reasons, but none of them held definitive weight.

 “What is it, Mr. Half-Demon?” Grand Duke Ishmael glared at him.

 The Grand Duke’s dislike of anything related to Demons was just as palpable as his distaste for humans. Ciel withheld his exasperation. “Do you know of Sir Bluhen?”

 “Is he your knight?” Lu asked.

 “Sir... Bluhen is often tasked with handling domestic affairs. Because he had spare time, he insisted on following me here.”

 Lu nodded. “Does he know?”

 “He is aware. Regardless, I would like to act upon the conditions we set before.”

 “...I suspected as much.” Lu sighed. “Well then, Grand Duke Ishmael. What can I do to ease your burdens?”

 “Give Sir Ciel to me.”

[overanalyzingelswordiswhatido]

About Chung's Wolf Motif

​So, my mom just came up with a theory that I really like. Most of it is based on speculation and tangential evidence but since I doubt we're getting anymore story updates, it's perfectly plausible. And the RIDICULOUS amount of story potential it has makes it a theory I'm willing to accept.

So, we found out in Laby's story that White Ghost Aegrip sent their forces to Elrios a while ago to integrate and coexist with humans up in Northern Fluone. And while they are furries, Callone proves that they can take human form. So since they've been coexisting with humans for a while it could be entirely possible that there were half demons born at some point. And presumably some of those half demons had kids and those kids had kids and blah blah for however long they've existed for.

Anyway, what if, at some point, a family carrying thay demonic furry blood came on down to Hamel. Let's imagine for a moment, that that was Chung's mother's family. This is where all the tangential evidence comes in. In his wiki it is stated that Chung's main design motif is a wolf, not only visually but even character wise. He's tenacious and loyal almost to a fault. His loyalty to his father and to Hamel is most likely exactly what made the Fatal Phantom route possible. Not only that, wolves are endurance predators, able to chase prey for MILES if need be. Guess who else is an endurance predator? Fatal Phantom. Chung is literally called The White Wolf of Hamel according to his wiki. Then, of course, there comes all the physical tangential evidence. He's got his weird ear??? things and his pupils are designed in the shape of a paw print. Also, VERY tangentially, his nickname is from Northern Fluone.

Obviously, Chung doesn't know. Maybe his mother doesn't even know. You'd be surprised how quickly information can be lost to generations, especially since the demons couldn't really announce their existence to people.

Elsword, Elesis and Aisha are all pretty normal design wise. Rena is an elf. Raven has his Nasod arm and Eve IS a Nasod. Add has Dynamo and was experimented on using Nasod technology by his father. Ara has Eun. Lu is a demon queen and Ciel is in a contract with her and so part demon himself. Ain is an angel created by a goddess. Rose is from an entirely different world/realm. And Laby is something weird that we don't really know yet. But we know she's not human. So, while everything I've mentioned may just be the design motif, it's a bit suspicious that Chung is the only character whose design DOESN'T have an in-universe explanation yet as far as I know.

[glimmericious]

I've always thought that Add would be hyped as hell about holidays. It's really easy to imagine a tiny Add and Grace celebrating whatever the Elrios equivalent of Christmas could be together, or Add as a kid putting on silly costumes to scare Grace on Halloween, especially earlier in Add's childhood, and I think Add would look back really fondly on that.

He would keep his enjoyment lowkey around the El Search Party and definitely would have a really old-fashioned way of celebrating said holidays if he did wind up trying to for some reason, courtesy of being 'Mr Ancient', and he'd have a lot to learn when holidays started coming around, but it's always been cute to think about. He'd never vocalize his enjoyment of the holidays, but damned if you couldn't get him to wear a mask on Halloween or put on a Santa hat on Christmas.

Maybe Mad Paradox could even get in on the festivities, creating a Christmas hat and floating around alone in the void, crying by himself because he misses Grace and wants to celebrate holidays with only her.

[aingelic]

Ciel, while still being in the mafia, heard about the ElGang as "the blessed, strongest heroes who are saving Elrios from the demons", praised and good-talked by everyone, with accurate and not-so-accurate stories about them and when he meets them with Lu he's SHOOK he just finds a whole group of dumbasses trying their best

oh i love it....... imagine hearing something like “led by the warrior elsword” and hearing stories about him and everyone else and ending up seeing him carried around by the scruff of his neck by his sister and also babysitting like 6 more kids along with lu

[mamaeldritch]

More wips yaaaay

Im dead set on writing this owo

long so under the cut

February 15th, XXXX The ERM Basliscom in Westyra

.

.

.

.

.

.

….

[Doctor Natasha “Bun” Fallon - Given Document Observation Privileges by Doctor Gracelynn “Healios” Keyteb]

.

.

[Given access to Dr. Gracelynn’s personal records of a classified operation documented on November 11th, XXXX]

.

.

[Document Titled: The New Aegis Lab Disaster]

.

.

3 children were found in the destroyed lab according to the Rescue Team sent in by Venssesa , Ashlee, and I. two girls and a boy. Were thinking their siblings by the way they all look the same, even know they have been through enough genetic reformatting and radiation exposure that they shouldn't be fucking human, they still look and are human. For the most part. What we could salvage from the debris of the lab is that the oldest Girl is named Danyella Brenn, a 19 year old Girl originally from North Tirisbane, Gamindustri, Along with the two others named Axle and Cassi. Axle age 16, Cassi age 17. More of Danyealla’s or as they referred to her as “PROJECT: BIOHAZARD ''(or “Danni” as Ash had called her) base files had survived than the other two. The “experiment” files however they hid away deep within the facility probably so they would survive this. Ash and Matthuie both asked what I thought of the absolute hellscape we found in there. And to be honest, I dont know what to think. Obviously what happened should never have happened, but its just bizarre all around. Normally when splinter groups move away from the main kingdom on their own they dont bother with Elrios. But this was far worse than we could have ever imagined.

.

.

.

.

[CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE NEW AEGIS DISASTER : derivative :LAB EXPLOSION FILE REMNANTS : derivative : THE REMAINING 3 TEST SUBJECTS : derivative : PROFILES ]

.

.

.

.

.

[PROFILE : derivative : Danyella Natashaa Brenn (PROJECT BIOHAZARD)]

.

.

.

.

Age: 19

Gender: Female

Species: Mortal Human

Status: Active - Alive

Birthmoon: Alkane Moon

God/Goddess Blessing: Natureua Venus

Welkend Aleingend: No

Birthdate: August 22nd, XXXX

Element Alignment: Water

Experiment Protocol:

Gene splicing with radioactive DNA from other Fruitful Non Active Experiments

Enhanced Vision in the dark and the void

Waterbreathing

Heartbeat erasure

Complete invurnalbilty to Radiation and Poison elements and effects

Emotion erasure

Dischargeable Nuclear waste from mouth(Spit) and Fingers

Vocal Removal.

Nuclear Cryostasis Adaption

Organ Adaptation to nuclear Radiation and Poison/Toxins

Memorie Removal

Soul Removal

.

.

.

.

[PROFILE : derivative : Axle Tyler Brenn (PROJECT ACID)]

Age: 15

Gender: Male

Species: Mortal Human

Status: Active - Alive

Birthmoon: Athereal Moon

God/Goddess Blessing: Dark Solarium

Welkend Aleingend: Yes

Birthdate: November 13th, XXXX

Element Alignment: Dark Fire + Fire

Experiment Protocol:

Gene splicing with radioactive DNA from other Fruitful Non Active Experiments

Enhanced Vision in the dark and the void

Waterbreathing

Heartbeat erasure

Complete invurnalbilty to Radiation and Poison elements and effects

Emotion erasure

Dischargeable Nuclear waste from mouth(Spit) and Fingers

Vocal Removal.

Nuclear Cryostasis Adaption

Organ Adaptation to nuclear Radiation and Poison/Toxins

Memorie Removal

Soul Removal

.

.

.

.

[PROFILE : derivative : Cassi(Cassandra)Nova Brenn (PROJECT NAPALM)]

Age: 17

Gender: Female

Species: Mortal Human

Status: Active - Alive

Birthmoon: Padomayic Sun

God/Goddess Blessing: Empires Valor

Welkend Aleingend: No

Birthdate: July 4th, XXXX

Element Alignment: Cosmos

Experiment Protocol:

Gene splicing with radioactive DNA from other Fruitful Non Active Experiments

Enhanced Vision in the dark and the void

Waterbreathing

Heartbeat erasure

Complete invurnalbilty to Radiation and Poison elements and effects

Emotion erasure

Dischargeable Nuclear waste from mouth(Spit) and Fingers

Vocal Removal.

Nuclear Cryostasis Adaption

Organ Adaptation to nuclear Radiation and Poison/Toxins

Memorie Removal

Soul Removal

.

.

.

[CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE NEW AEGIS DISASTER : derivative :LAB EXPLOSION FILE REMNANTS : derivative : PROJECT XXXX: derivative : PROCEDURES REGARDING PROJECT XXXX]

.

.

.

[PROJECT LEAD: DR.Laurie “Mother” Stalma]

[imagines-for-elrios]

please,,,ishmael,,,anything with her

"Ishmael, I...” 

“Ishmael?”

The soft, melodic voice of the fragile-looking young woman standing across the room seemed to melt into the angel’s ears. As usual, he stood as stiff as a plank, for he was merely a messenger, her servant. He had taught himself to be as formal as he could, to carry her message onto the humans, without her even requesting it. Nevertheless, in exchange, she had given him divine power.

He felt closer to her than ever before. And he felt honored.

“Yes... Ishmael.” His eyes deviated for a mere second, flickering with hesitation. “The humans... Seem to have been starting an uprising against the demons. Isn’t that our job, to keep them safe?”

Ishmael laughed softly and approached the teenager.

“Executor... You still have so much to learn.” She took his chin and gently brushed the hair out of his eye. He seemed to like it that way; as long as he felt good in his skin, she was happy. “Humans are stronger than they look... Their emotions carry them to achieve great things. You’d be surprised to see what they can do...”

“Then... We won’t help them?” Executor seemed a bit unsure about this line of actions, or rather lack of it, that his goddess was suggesting. She was wise and knew better than him, but it still seemed rather strange for her to say so. “From what I have seen, they are weak, thoughtless creatures, who are most likely to stray towards evil than good...” His expression hardened a bit at the thought of what he had experienced when joining the Elgang.

“Desperation can lead to great things, Ainchase.” She smiled and let his chin go (which caused Executor to huff in slight disappointment, he liked her proximity and affection), straightening up. “Sometimes, the best thing for us celestial creatures to do is to take a step back and just watch... There are things humans can handle with more ease than you’d expect.”

“But they’re useless! There is no way they can defeat a demon lord, they’re- Mhm!” He shut up when the divinity put a finger to his lips, but pouted, puffing out his cheeks slightly.

“You’re underestimating them, Ainchase... I can feel it. They’re still young... Just wait a few years. Until then, focus on getting stronger... For your own good, and for theirs.” She gently removed her finger from his lips, instead cupping his cheek in her hand. “Is there anything else you wanted to talk to me about?”

Executor paused for a second, just gaping up at her sheepishly.

“No, Ishmael...”

“Then how about you go outside and look if anybody requires your assistance? Great things await you, Ainchase. Your adventure has only just started.” She gestured at the big doors behind them. “Just outside that door starts the next chapter of your very own story.”

With nothing more than a nod and a bow, the boy said goodbye to his one and only reason for existing, and exited the room, leaving the goddess to be by herself again.

[imagines-for-elrios]

(Awh, this is so cute OwO

NOW WE ARE BOTH VICTIMS, SEI

-Mod Lusa)

Hey, sooo Lusa told us to go bother sei instead soo, can i get a scenario where Lusa meets the other mods at els imagines, thanks. The willpower of mod lusa to write mod x mod ask is admirable

Damn Lusa for telling you that. But here you go anon. - a disgruntled Sei who needs sleep

Sonia followed awkwardly behind him as he opened the door to the club room. Sei flicked the lights open, revealing the large room that was divided into seperate ones, kind of like an office floor.

“Welcome to Els Imagines’ club room.” Sei yelled half-heartedly, gesturing to the room with an arm.

Sonia looks around as she follows the black-haired teen. There were eight offices in total, each divided by wood and metal. On the left was an office space with thirteen unopened letters on the table, beside the pile was a small box labeled “shipping memes”.

She hurries to follow Sei who’s nearing the back of the room. Along the way, she takes notes of the rest of the office.

Two of the offices seemed new, and empty, no envelopes, pencils, or anything that shows there was a Mod using the space.

One office had a some opened letters and when she looked closer there were dialogues written for the request, some already being edited.

There was a larger one, shared by two, she guessed by the amount of envelopes, pens, papers and the two chairs sitting back to back.“Done looking around?” Sei’s voice suddenly cut her from her observation, there was a hint of amusement in the male’s voice.

Sonia pauses before gesturing wildly around the room. “How the heck were you guys able to do this?!” She yells in surprise, eyes sparkling.

Sei laughs in response and sat down in the swivel seat at his own office which, she noticed, had a few letters opened and already being started on.

Sonia suddenly looked back at him, eyes confused. “Where are the others though?”

Sei spins in his seat so he faced away from the blonde and leaned back on his chair, kicking his feet up and placing the on the desk. “Busy.” He replies in response.

At the same moment, the door slams open and a blur rushes in.

“Seeiiiiii!” A girl yells. “Have you met the new Mod yet?!”

The mod falls down from his seat in a painful sounding crash that made Sonia wince. Sei, scrambles up to a sitting position, eyes wide.

“Who-wha-where-when-”

The girl laughs and ruffles his hair before she noticed Sonia. “Is this the one you get shipped with?“

Sei sputters, and jumps up to his feet. “Well!”

Sonia stared before awkwardly holding a hand up. “I’m mod Lusa.” She gives a tiny nervous smile. “From Imagines for Elrios, but you can call me Sonia.”

“I’m Mod-”

“Ohoho what’s this what’s this?”

The new comer, she found out was Mod Alexander, and Sonia wonders though. “Why the heck do you guys keep yelling “well” everytime she,“ Sonia points at the girl who appeared first. “Says something completely normal?!”

A beat of silence, everyone stared at her. Before Alex fell down from her perch from the desk, cackling. Sei doubled over and wheezed.

Sonia blinked, ears turning red. Did she say something wrong? The girl who she still didn’t know the name of grinned.

“Because that’s my name!”

Sonia stared, before her jaw dropped. That made Sei wheeze even more. “That’s Mod Well.” He says.

“Oh…”

An older girl suddenly appeared by the doorway, glasses perched on her nose.

“I leave for one minute and this happens?” She raises an eyebrow, a small smile twitching on her lips/

“Katy!” Sei, Well and Alex chorused.

“It seems like we have a visitor.”, she eyes Sonia. “Hello, nice to meet you. I’m Mod Katy, the head of this club.”

“It’s great to see you, Katy.”, Sonia offers a hand shake. “I’m Mod Lusa, from Imagines for Elrios.”

Katy accepts the handshake, smiling. “Oh, right. Everyone, we have a new Mod.”

“I just heard from Well.”, Sei scratches his head a bit. “Who is it?”

Katy looks behind her, gesturing a person to come to the front.

A teenage girl, quite short. Her eyes are small, a dark brown color and her long black hair is tied into a low ponytail.

“Greetings.”, she bows nervously. “I’m Mod Meap, nice to meet you all. I’m sorry if my Mod Name sounds weird, you can call me Amy.”

“Relax, we’re quite laid-back about stuff.”, Well laughs a bit. “I’m Mod Well.”

“Yeah, we sure do.”, Alex reassures. “Mod Alexander, nice to meet you.”

“Thank you.”, she straightens up and smiles.

“Your name sounds quite familiar…”, Sei stands up. “I’m Mod Sei, nice to meet you.”

“Amy…”, Sonia ponders a bit and realization hits her. “Ah, aren’t you Amy Valikie?”

“Yes, I am.”, she replies. “May I ask if… I know you?”

“I’m Sonia, Mod Lusa from Imagines for Elrios.”, she smiles brightly. “I definitely noticed the amount of support you give us, you’re our number one fan right now.”

“You’re Mod Lusa? Oh my Lord I’m so happy, I’ve always wanted to talk to the writers in person.”, she almost squealed. “I love your club, keep up the great work.”

“Thanks!”, Sonia beamed. “I’m glad you joined our Discord chat, along with Sei.”

“I’m glad I joined too.”, she chuckles. “It’s very fun.”

“No wonder why.”, Sei speaks after a while. “I met Amy on Discord and just like Sonia’s club, I noticed the amount of support she gave us.”

“I love Imagine clubs.”, Amy starts talking more. “Their writing is just great, even though I wouldn’t be able to really give that much support, now that I’m a Mod… I’ll still give as much as I can.”

“I’m looking forward to working with you, Amy.”, Katy smiles happily. “I’m glad we’ve got more help with this condition we’re in.”

“I’m happy that I can help, too.”, the new Mod smiles brightly.

The door opens and in it’s place, there’s another female. “Did I miss something?”

“Welcome back, Niki.”, Katy gets her inside. “We have a visitor, Mod Lusa from Imagines for Elrios and a new Mod, Mod Meap.”

“Oh, hello.”, she greets. “I’m Mod Niki, nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too.”, Sonia steps forward. “I’m Mod Lusa, you can call me Sonia.”

“I’m Mod Meap, nice to meet you.”, Amy bows. “Sorry if my Mod Name sounds weird, you can call me Amy.”

“It’s great to meet both of you.”, Niki chuckles.

“Now then.”, Katy claps her hands together. “How about we have some fun together?”

Everyone cheers and agrees, it’s been a while since this club was lively.

(Is this okay? ^^;

- Mod Meap)

[elsword-x-aisha-oneshots]

Confession (A Valentine Special)

Characters:

Elsword (Lord Knight)

Aisha (Elemental Master)

Rena (Grand Archer)

Elesis (Grand Master)

Story:

To be honest, Elsword would rather face an army of Demons, gods or even a freaking monster; rather than waiting for her to be disappointed for his attempt to make this the best day ever.

You’re probably wondering what’s going on. I’ll tell you what happened.

[Earlier]

Aisha was reading a book about Elemental Magic, hoping to enhance her powers when suddenly, Elsword knocked on her door. She open the door with an annoyed look.

“What do you want?”

Elsword on the other hand, was nervous. He want to ask this question for a long time now, but he couldn’t get the opportunity. Because either A: The world was in danger; or B: Afraid of rejection... it’s mostly B. But today, he has to try.

“W-will...will...”

“Will what?” Aisha said.

“...W-will you be free tomorrow?” Elsword asked.

Aisha sighed and replied, “I was planning to go to the library and grab a book about some new magic.”

“Oh...” Elsword said with a sad look. Aisha however saw it and just replied.

“But, I can be open for tomorrow. Depends on what you want though?”

Elsword eyes sparkled with joy and said, “I just wanna spend time with you.”

“Huh?!” Aisha said with a blushing face. Elsword realized what he said and try to recover himself.

“I-I mean that since the world is at peace, I was hoping we could head out and just relax, you know?”

“Oh... I guess I could go,” She answered.

“Really?!”

“Sure,” She said with a smile. The very same smile that made Elsword fall head over heels in love with her. There’s nothing he want more but to make her the happiest girl in the world. He wants to hold her hands, hug her, kiss her, etc. But he fear that Aisha doesn’t feel the same. However, these weeks could be the last week before everyone goes their separate ways and Elsword must confess his love to her before that happens.

“O-okay, I’ll see you tomorrow then, near that Sakura tree.”

“Yeah.”

[Present]

Elsword waited near the Sakura tree that was on top of a hill. He dressed in casual clothes rather then his armor and left his sword back at the inn. He was wearing a red and white hoodie with a black shirt, casual pants and red and white sneakers. He arrived about an hour early, preparing everything for the day. 

“Elsword!” He heard his name from the person he longs for. She was wearing a white blouse with a purple vest and skirt, purple dress shoes with high white socks and a bow tie on her neck. To Elsword, she looks like an angel.

“Aisha, you came!”

“Of course, you idiot! Unlike you, I arrive on time,” She said with a smirk.

“Hey! I was here an hour earlier then you!”

“I bet you overslept and rapidly put everything together,”

As the two argues, we see two figures hiding behind a bush near the hill with the perfect view of the two.

“Rena, are you sure we should be doing this?”

“We have to Elesis. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to finally see the two together.”

“But, shouldn’t we let them have their privacy. I mean... what if-“

“What if Aisha rejects his feelings?” Rena finished. “That’ll never happen, you and I both know that she deeply cares for him. She tries to hide it, but she’s definitely in love with him. This date could actually-”

BOOM

The two looked back only to see a big mushroom of smoke.

“-be a disaster,” Elesis said.

As the smoke cleared out, we see Elsword and Aisha both covered in smoke. Then Elsword laughed.

“What?” Aisha said.

“Nothing... it just that... you never changed. You’re still that crazy exploding magic girl.”

“Are you making fun of me?!”

Elsword shook his head, “No, I’m just happy that you’ll never change.”

Elsword smiled, which made Aisha blushed. The two headed back to the Sakura tree and just relax there with some lunch made from Rena. Elsword and Aisha talked about some old memories they had together. From their first meeting back at Ruben, to saving the El in Elrios.

“You know... been through a lot, together.”

Aisha replied, “Yeah... and you made me worried non-stop. I swear, I’m surprised you lived this long with that brain of yours.”

Elsword pouted, “That’s because there wasn’t an enemy that was strong enough to beat us.”

Aisha sighed, “Well, at least you’re alive and well. Despite your boyish acts and dense mind, this adventure wouldn’t been this fun.”

The two then sat down in silence as the see look out at the sky, underneath the Sakura tree. Elsword knew he must do it now, or else he’ll never have another chance like this.

“Hey Aisha?”

“Yeah?

“Well... have you heard of the tale about the teddy bear confession?”

“No?”

“Well... they said that if you give the person you love a teddy bear made from yourself, and that person name the bear after the the giver, their love will forever grow.”

“R-really?” Aisha said. The truth is, she made a bear for Elsword a long time ago, but she never gave it to him. She feared he would reject her feelings. Since then, its been in her room this entire time.

“Yeah... Back then... I never thought about love. All I care about was being strong and seeing Sis again. But when you and Rena came by... I felt no longer alone. I felt like I was needed in this world, and it made me happy. You guys brought me warmth and love. That’s why I was reckless, I want to protect you all. Lu, Ciel, Add, Ara, Chung, Sis, Eve, Raven, Rena and...”

“...Elsword?”

Elsword went to grab something in the basket that was with the food.

“I also wanted to protect you as well. I know that you’re the strongest mage, but I don’t want see you get hurt. You’re important to me... in more then a friend.”

Aisha was breathless, she was also blushing. She didn’t want to believe what he said, but she hopes for this to happen. 

“The thought of a world without you... it me. It hurts so much, and I don’t want to ever happen. That’s why...”

Elsword took out a bear that was red and handed it to Aisha.

“Aisha... I love you... I’ve been in love with you for some time now. I want to say this, before we part ways. I want you know how I feel, even if you don’t feel the same.”

Aisha was quiet, and her hair was covering her expression. This silence made Elsword nervous. Suddenly, Aisha stood up and gave the bear back to Elsword.

“Wait here!”

And ran off somewhere. The longer she was gone, the more determine Elsword is to believe that she doesn’t feel the same. It’s been about 30 minutes before he decided to get up and head back, when suddenly,

“ELSWORD!”

Aisha came back, with something on her arms. She ran as fast as she could, for she was determined to tell him how SHE feels.

“Aisha?”

“Elsword... When I thought you were gonna die in Velder, I imagined a world without you; and I realized that it wouldn’t be the same without you... Without you being there for me. Elsword...”

She brought out the bear that she once made for Elsword; it was purple with wings.

“I love you...”

The wind came and blew many leaves from the tree as she confessed her feelings to him and handing the bear to him.

“...Can I name it after you?” 

Aisha looked up only to see a smiling Elsword. Blushing, she nodded and ask,

“Can I name your’s after you?”

“Yeah...”

Elsword hugged Aisha.

“Aisha... I love you...”

“I love you too... Elsword...”

“I promise... I’ll never leave you again like I did after we fought Solace... never again...”

“Promise?” Aisha said, looking up at Elsword with many love.

“I promise...”

Elsword leaned toward Aisha. Both of them closed their eyes... and connected their lips to each other. While the two kiss, Elesis and Rena are watching from afar. Rena was silently squealing while Elesis was smiling.

‘Good for you, Elsword. I’m happy for you.’

Elsword and Aisha held each other closely, never letting each other go. They want this moment to stay forever. Cuddling with the one they love, their bears sitting together, all of this happening... under a Sakura Tree...

[Play Music Video]

I kinda based this story to Cardcaptor Sakura. I recommend this anime if you want some sweetness in your life. Trust me... everyone want’s that one person to give that ‘bear’ to. And I believe that someday you will...

Until next update. ^~^

[imagineelrios]

DW hates Hennon but imagine if DW's like a Henir Lady or something and her body's going to be used so Henir can descend on Elrios?

They keep telling her it’s an honour to be the Lady of Darkness.

Aisha is more than a little against the whole matter. 

She may be a master of time and space, but to be abducted against her will and thrown into “the highest position within the cloister of Henir” is a little terrifying.

Hennon comes, day after day, to try and scare her into submission, but Aisha has learned to deal with him. He snarls at her, she smiles back innocently. He swings his arm at her, she freezes him in place and walks away.

They chose her for this role because she was the most powerful. Aisha is going to use that to her advantage for as long as she can.

“Three days until we bring forth the mighty Henir,” Hennon tells her one day, after she teleports safely into the rafters of her room/prison. “Then you will see why we chose you.”

Aisha really hopes her friends will get her message before then.

She does not want to be the sacrificial lamb that brings about the apocalypse.

[rainsonata]

Doppelgänger 10/15

Chapter 10: Reflection  

Fandom/Pairing: Elsword; none Rating: T Word Count: 7,347 

Summary: It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one’s reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.   

Alternative Title: Dominator fucked up and now everyone meets their alternative selves   

AO3 Link / FF.NET Link

— [Chapter 01] [Chapter 02] [Chapter 03] [Chapter 04] [Chapter 05] [Chapter 06] [Chapter 07] [Chapter 08] [Chapter 09] [Chapter 10] [Chapter 11] [Chapter 12] [Chapter 13] [Chapter 14] [Chapter 15] —  

----------------------------

Class Notes: 

Canon Path: Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen   

Alternative Path: Rune Slayer, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

---------------------------- 

Code: Esencia

Lines of commands flooded back into her vision, her sensors returning in response to her circuits activating. Protocols lined up, waiting to be accepted by Esencia as she ran through the mandatory scans. She let them run in the background as she prioritized assessing her environment. 

In front of her was a campfire emitting its heat, its flames being fed by Rage Hearts tossing in dried leaves and tree branches to soothe its hunger. Data flashed through Esencia’s optic lens as she filtered through the information she already knew about her teammate. Did Rage carry her back to camp? Her navigator protocol announced they were close to the entrance of a cavern called Shadow Vein. She checked her memory bank for more information but was met with distorted data. It wasn’t often that she experienced a forced shutdown. Her memory backup should be finished updating in a few minutes. 

“Eve!” Rage breathed a sigh of relief, “We were beginning to worry you wouldn’t wake up. Are you okay?”

We? There was another person, her sensors alerted her. 

“Code: Esencia. That is the name of your program, is it not?” 

Esencia turned to the sound of her program’s name, a thin airy feminine voice that called for her attention. Covered in black armor, the new Nasod presented herself with the appearance of a young woman. Resting one leg over the other, she sat beside Rage as if in the middle of a conversation before Esencia was acknowledged. A pale face marked by blue lines across the cheeks and orange eyes identical to Esencia’s. The resemblance was unmistakable. 

“You’re Eve,” Esencia stated. 

“Yes, I am.” Her alternate offered a tiny smile, “I did not expect to meet someone else that shares the same core as us.”   

Esencia stared at her own face, unwavered by the existence of the other Nasod queen. At last, they have met, no longer separated by circumstances that would have forced them to fight. Anemos had mentioned the other Eve, comparing them because humans were comfortable looking at something they were familiar with. There were similarities, but the mechanical wings extending out from her alternate’s back suggested that at some point, their paths had begun to branch out.  

“What program have you undergone?” Esencia was curious. 

“Code: Ultimate, a hidden code meant to override the limit most Nasods have.” She was just as interested in Esencia. “I see you have chosen to rely on your servants for strength. They are being repaired right now.” 

“How severe is the damage?” Esencia asked with concern. 

Not as sturdy as their queen, she was aware of the time it would take to restore her servants to fighting form. Ferdinand would take the longest because he was not meant to fight past a certain time limit and his parts were harder to find.  

“They won’t be able to move properly until Moby and Remy find the spare parts needed.” Ultimate said, “It is estimated that it will take four hours and three minutes for them to be functional again. I recommend you don’t fight until then.” 

“That is to be expected,” Esencia agreed. Her eyes flickered over to Rage, who patiently sat through their technical conversation with his human arm over his lap. “What happened after I was deactivated?”

Her datalog’s last record was the battle they had against the opposite El Search Party. Ultimate’s assistance gave little information on the outcome of that battle on whether or not the two parties had arrived at a compromise. 

“I’m not sure,” Rage shrugged. “With the party split up, there were many things going on that even I don’t understand. By the time I arrived here, both Elswords had returned and I was told that we were no longer fighting.” 

“I arrived at the same time as Rage. The information I can provide will be similar.” Ultimate said, “You arrived to camp in a battle-worn state, but most of the damage has been repaired. You are lucky your opponent is keen on minimizing the damage on you.”

Esencia didn’t think Ultimate would be one to use words like “lucky”. The irrational emotion of irritation rose again at the mention of Dominator. Bringer was not subtle in his interest in her codes, so Dominator approaching her was just as likely, but did not make it any less inconvenient in having to fight the scientist. 

“Add is not present,” Ultimate said. “You do not have to worry about talking to him. I made sure of that.”    

“How did you get to the Demon Realm?” Rage asked Ultimate. 

“Add,” a look of disdain was visible on her face. It was the most human expression Esencia had seen from the Black Queen of Destruction. “He said he knew a way to enter into the Demon Realm from Elrianode. Our Elsword encouraged him.” 

“Did he use a device that opened portals for travel?” Esencia asked. 

“Yes,” Ultimate sighed. 

Esencia nodded, “The Add from our party suggested the same thing, but he did not have the coordinates. We opted for a different method of travel.”

So Dominator and Bringer arrived at the same conclusion, except Bringer had Esencia to troubleshoot his plan. The portal device must have brought the entire El Search Party into the same dimension as them. Although Dominator had hit the wrong mark, Esencia reluctantly gave the scientist credit for arriving in a Demon Realm. Luck seemed to travel with Rune’s friends as well.  

“How did you arrive to the Demon Realm?” Ultimate wanted to know. 

“It was an accident by one of our friends,” Esencia explained. “We would have to find a new way to get back to Elrianode.”  

“We've been lucky,” Rage admitted. “I’m not sure if that will be the case next time.” 

“Was it you who brought me back to be repaired?” Esencia asked Rage, frowning when she discovered that her backup memory stopped saving up to the point where she lost her battle.  

“No.” Rage said in a quiet voice, “That was Blade, my other self. He’s nearby if you want to talk to him.”

Carved by scars running down his face, Blade was taller than average for a human male. Dressed in white, what made the swordsman stand out was not the prominent stern expression he held but the Nasod arm. Made of the same material used for Dominator’s drones, the Nasod arm was lightweight for battles but sturdy to maintain its structure and integrity to carry a blade. 

Blade sat at the edge of the cliff, observing the miles of canyons and dense forests from below, a bright palette of vibrant colors that did not exist in Elrios. The sound of gravel grated against his feet as the swordsman stood up to face Esencia and Rage. Although he was mostly human, his senses were as acute as Rage’s in ways that surprised the Nasod queen. Humans had the ability to train and condition themselves to sharpen their senses to compensate for their weaknesses. 

“Ah, you’re awake.” Blade lowered his head with an awkward smile, something humans did when they sensed discomfort from others. “I’m glad to see Eve was able to repair most of the damage.” 

“That’s to be expected,” Rage rubbed his face. “Demons will hit harder than that if we’re not careful.” 

“Is that what you’ve been doing?” Blade asked, “I can’t imagine coming here was easy.” 

They were fortunate that Apsara found the passage that led them to what the Dark Elves referred to their home as Varnimyr. It was uncertain what would be done if they have failed to enter Demon Realm based on their new objective to find the Dark El. They might have had to resort to the portal device as the other El Search Party did. 

“There were many barriers to overcome before we found an entrance into Demon Realm.” Esencia said. “Why did you spare me?”

“It doesn’t feel right not to,” Blade said. “We did what we thought would get us closer to Elsword. We wanted to slow down your progress so we could catch up, not kill you.” 

“I suppose that’s kinda my fault,” Rage grinned. “Running off with Rune makes us look like the bad guys.”

“Rune agreed to join the party,” Esencia corrected him. “He was willing to cooperate.” 

“He must trust you if that’s the case.” Blade asked, “Did he say why?” 

“No,” Esencia said. 

It did not matter to her as much as it did for others. She did not know Rune and he was not going to open to people he was not familiar with. However, Esencia understood that Blade’s question was not asked out of the need for information, but for reassurance.

“Only Rune can answer those questions,” Esencia said. “Why don’t you talk to him?”

“I went into this mission with the assumption of having to fight myself,” Blade pressed his forehead against his Nasod arm. Unlike Rage’s, it had a high resemblance to a human hand if not for the artificial covering over it. “I thought that fighting was the only option. What a fool I was. I didn’t learn from my failure in Altera.”

“All of this unnecessary fighting over a misunderstanding because we mixed up two Elswords.” Rage wore a similar expression to Blade, a prominent scowl that left a dent on his features.   

Regret was apparent from Rage’s tone, a familiar emotion Esencia sensed in many of the humans she encountered during her journey. Even Adrian, the father of Nasods, was not spared from that common emotion. Esencia did what humans did when they saw another distressed and placed her hand over his human arm. 

“Elsword would not be here if we did not encounter the other party,” Esencia said in a gentle voice. “We are no longer fighting and will find a way to help them in return.”  

“We came here to retrieve the Dark El,” Blade shook his head. “We’re not leaving until we find clues on how to stabilize the El.” 

“You too?” Rage looked at Blade in wonder, “and here I was thinking we were the only ones crazy enough to try it.” 

“Explain,” Esencia looked to Blade for further explanation. “What happened to the El in your Elrios?” 

“Our Elsword used himself as an energy source to stabilize it until we pulled him out of it,” Blade said. “We discovered that the Dark El is the El’s counterpart and may help stabilize it, which is in the Demon Realm.”

A sad smile graced upon Esencia’s lips. Her presumption was correct. It was almost identical to the dilemma the original El Search Party found themselves in, an attempt to restore the El that led them to the Demon Realm. An act of desperation that led to the opposite party overlooking a human error in search of the Dark El.  

“You’re here because of the other Add, right?” Rage asked. 

“That’s right.” Blade mumbled something about time machines and mosquitoes. He coughed when he turned to Esencia, “Thank you for taking care of Elsword. I hope he did not trouble you with his antics.” 

“Rune had many interesting stories to tell us,” Esencia said. Some she had difficulty in believing because Rune claimed he and his sister were forced to dance alongside a zombie king with a pink afro.  

“He asked why I didn’t have a shirt on,” Rage deadpanned. 

Esencia did not understand why the comment bothered Rage when he did in fact lack a shirt to cover his upper body. Much of his body heat was regulated by the Nasod arm. Wearing additional clothing was more of a preference than a need for the former mercenary. Was his embarrassment because Rune was a person he was not well-acquainted with?   

“Well, I suppose we should welcome you to the team.” Rage tilted his head back against his hands. “Our party is already as big as it is. What’s another dozen to us?” 

“Collaborating may be beneficial,” Esencia agreed. “Working together may make it easier to find a way to restore the El for both parties.”

“Unless Paradox comes back,” Rage added. “Do you know who he is?” 

“Of course, not.” Blade crossed his arms, “I wasn’t even aware of his existence until someone from your team described him to me.”  

Rage had provided Esencia with a summary of what had happened while she was deactivated and Ultimate had offered her data to store in her memory. Identified as a temporal enigma with a connection to time and space, Paradox had an inconsistent pattern in movement and fighting. It could be challenging to predict what his next move would be.  

“He’s Add,” Esencia stated. The description of Knight’s kidnapper brought her attention when she scanned the datalog Ultimate provided to her during the repairs. The six pieces floating around Paradox were magic-based and resembled the weapons Bringer used for battle.

“There’s three of them,” Blade closed his eyes. Esencia saw bags forming under his eyes. She noticed a strand of white hair poking from the side of his bangs.  

“At least there’s more of us now, so it’ll be harder for Paradox to take us down.” Rage frowned, “You alright? You look like you haven’t slept in days.” 

“It’s hard to sleep when there’s much to do,” Blade said. “We just found Elsword and need a plan.” 

“I get that, but no point in losing sleep over it.” Rage softened his expression, “You’re not the only one worried about Rune. You don’t have to carry everyone’s burden.” 

“It’s strange getting advice from myself.” Blade laughed. 

“It’s strange talking to myself,” Rage mirrored and joined in.  

“We should prioritize regrouping with our friends to discuss our next decision,” Esencia said.  

Both Ravens looked at each other before turning to the Nasod queen. 

“I would like that,” Blade smiled. 

“Sounds good to me,” Rage nodded. 

Esencia looked at the two smiling men and questioned the practicality of housing twenty-four people in shared space. While it would drive away people like Paradox, the sheer size of their team would act as a beacon for demons to see them as a threat when most of them weren’t native to the Demon Realm. Having a bigger group was going to be a change she would have to get used to. Until they find a way for Rune’s friends to get home, the extra twelve people will be their new teammates.  

---------------------------- 

Rune Master

“Come back!” Empire cried. “Elsword! No, Rune! Wait!” 

Rune went into a mad dash and sprinted ahead, refusing to look back to see if she was following him.  

After hours of waiting and doing what he could to help around the campsite, Rune volunteered to search for the missing party members trapped inside the Shadow Vein. He didn’t think they would find the exit so quickly, nor did he expect Empire to be the first to emerge from the cavern. Her knee-jerk reaction made Rune regret coming into contact with the red knight. People have compared Rune to his counterpart and have mistaken him as Knight, but she didn’t need to rub it in. He didn’t need reminders that they were supposed to be the same.    

“Are you okay?” Flame looked up from the cutting board. Abysser must have put her on lunch duty.  Setting her knife down, she looked at him with alarm and placed her hand over his forehead, “You don’t look so good.” 

“I know this is going to sound weird, but I’m hiding from the other you.” Rune caught his breath. How could he keep up with monsters in the battlefield, but have his heart pounding against this ribcage like he was asked to fight Solace again because of someone who looked like his sister?  

“The other me, what are you, oooooh.” Her lips rounded into a perfect circle and nodded in understanding. Rune was grateful for Flame not questioning the strangeness of talking about herself from another lifetime. “Gotcha. Is there anything I can do to help?” 

“Talk to me,” Rune said. He needed to talk to someone he knew to stay sane. If he saw one more person who looked like someone from his team, he was going to burst into flames. “Pretend we’re not in the wrong dimension because there are twelve people that look like us and I messed up big time.”

“Hey, don’t call it a mess up.” Flame waved her hand in disagreement, “We’re in Demon Realm! Maybe not the one we were supposed to be in, but it’s still Demon Realm. How is that a problem?” 

“The other El Search Party is trying to look for the Dark El for similar reasons as we are,” Rune explained. “We can’t just take it from them. They need it too!”

At first, Rune thought it was cool to meet people like him. It was amazing that they all shared the same passion and dreams as their counterparts, but then the sky started turning into different colors. Portals forming cracks in the sky, webbing over one another and causing headache for the rune user. El resonance levels elevated inconsistently whenever a bigger portal was formed. Was this all because of him? 

What would happen if they retrieved the Dark El instead of Knight’s friends? What would happen to Knight’s Elrios? Would their El continue to be unstable and corrupted because of their selfish actions? Rune wasn’t sure if he could live with the guilt of taking something from someone else. It was why they were forced to travel into the Demon Realm, because Rune couldn’t bear the grief of throwing others off a bridge, even if it was for the sake of the world.    

“Wow, that’s a lot to think about.” Flame whistled. “Why are you running away from her? Was she cruel?”

“No,” Rune joined his sister and pulled out a cutting board to begin skinning and peeling vegetables. He could argue that Empire was the complete opposite for taking the initiative and leading a team when its leader went missing. 

“Did she make you do something you didn’t want to do?” Flame asked. 

“No!” 

“Then what?”  

“She thought I was her brother,” Rune said. 

It was uncomfortable watching the pain twist in her features at the realization that she had the wrong person. Even though he and Knight were technically the same person, he didn’t grow up with Empire the same way he did with Flame. He didn’t want to stop to listen to Emipre’s pleads or apologies. Empire kept an amicable front, but kept her distance from others and was intimidating to approach. Rune wasn’t sure if he could look at her in the eye after the outburst she had outside of the Shadow Vein.  

“Aren’t you?” Flame asked. 

“Well, yes.” Rune said, “but I’m not specifically him.”  

“Els… talking about yourself is going to drive you crazy.” Flame shook her head, “I never met her, but this is probably hurting her as much as it is for you. Besides, if she’s me, she’s probably worried about you.” 

“How would you know?”

“Because that’s what sisters do,” she laughed. “Now unless you plan to help me with lunch, you should get going. You’re making her wait.” 

Metal boots clanged against the gravel at their feet, a pair of identical eyes met with Rune’s, somber and apologetic. Crouching behind one of the boulders occupying their campsite, Empire Sword had her head leaning forward, completely still and wide-eyed on being called out. Her face glowed from the campfire, devoid of its warmth.      

“Hope my brother didn’t cause you and your friends too much trouble,” Flame teased as if she didn’t just catch her counterpart eavesdropping into their conversation. “You look like you had something to say.”

“Not at all,” Empire gave an embarrassed smile. “He was cooperative and did more than enough to help us. I apologize for intruding.” 

“It’s all good!” Flame beamed and grabbed Rune by the arm, “Don’t be afraid to talk to him. He’s a good kid and means well.” 

“I know,” Empire lowered her head. “I won’t take up too much of your time.” 

“Huh?” Rune stuttered, “Wait-” 

Flame cheerfully threw Rune into Empire’s direction, waving at them with a knife in her hand. Stumbling back by a few steps, Rune lifted his head up to see Empire pulling her arm back, suddenly uncertain on what to do with the rune user. All signs of formality from before had dissipated and was replaced by awkwardness that reminded Rune of her age. She was barely half the age of her superiors in Velder. 

Rune saw the discomfort in Empire and let out a dark laugh. Silence rippled through the air, only interrupted by the sound of Flame chopping vegetables and from the campfire crackling. How much did Empire hear from his conversation with Flame? 

“I’m sorry,” Empire started. “I didn’t mean to make you upset.” 

“You don’t need to apologize,” Rune raised his hand. “You don’t have to talk about it.”

“What if I want to talk about it?” Empire asked. “I don’t have the right to be asking for forgiveness after everything you went through, but I still want to talk.”

Her voice remained steady, but her hands were visibly shaking, clenched into tight fists. Bangs fell over, hiding her face from view. Covered in grime and dust, Empire was short of looking like Rune when he was first discovered by the El Search Party. Her ponytail became undone and slid down past her forearm. 

“Like being kidnapped and carried off like a princess?” 

Empire raised her head with confusion on her features, “a princess?”

“That’s what Paradox called Knight,” Rune shrugged. He softened his hardened expression, “You don’t need to worry about me. You should worry about your brother.” 

“You are my brother.” She said, “you’re still Elsword.” 

“Maybe,” he hesitated. “Or are you saying that we look the same? I’m not sure if I can be compared to him.”     

Knight was the leader the El Search Party deserved. Hardworking and placed others before himself. He even checked on Rune despite the crude thoughts the rune user kept to himself, afraid to admit the unpleasant thoughts that plagued him. Empire recognized that and widened her eyes. 

“You’re jealous of Elsword?” Empire was shocked.

“Does that make me a bad person?” Rune threw his head back and chuckled darkly, “Both of us failed to restore the El, yet I’m the one who threw my team into the wrong Demon Realm. We caused this mess because we weren’t supposed to be here. The sky is falling apart. Is that what a leader does?” 

Yes, Rune was bitter. Five years of traveling outside his hometown with the intent of finding his sister, only to be told that he was special. Somehow, a link between him and the El was apparent and it was up to him, a seventeen-year-old, to decide on the fate of Elrios and its inhabitants. Solace saw that. His friends trusted him. He was told by numerous enemies that he had the power, yet he was still powerless from stopping the El from collapsing on itself. 

He gave himself to the El with the intent of restoring it, offering what was left of himself because he was a mere village boy. Some other adventurers could pick up from where he left. Rune wasn’t the only swordsman from Ruben. If not, Flame or Blade could become the new leader of their not-so-little gang. They easily had more experience than him and his older sister had a connection to the El if something was to happen to it. He gasped when his state of mind rose from the subconscious to take his first breath and realized he was alive, the El unstable once more.      

“Stop it,” Empire snapped. 

“Or what?” Rune jeered, “Surely you realized that with two teams, both of us can’t take the Dark El back to fix what was broken. One of us has to leave.” 

“There has to be another way,” she said. “We’re not letting you go back without finding a way to stabilize the El.” 

Empire was so determined that he almost believed it whole-heartedly without question. He tried to dislike her, but her reassurance was all it took for him to reassess himself. Would it be possible to find another way to restore the El? Rune didn’t understand the link between himself and the El, but there was always the drive to keep it safe, even if it cost his life. He wondered if that was why Empire and Flame never blamed him for making his decision in Elrianode, rarely showing anger when he was blinded by his emotions. 

“How can you be so sure?” Rune asked. 

“I’m not,” Empire placed her hands over her lap. “But if there’s one thing I learned from you and your friends, there is more than one path to doing things. I never thought of meeting someone who understands Elsword as much as you do.” 

“What does that mean?” 

“My brother hides things from me too,” she gave Rune a sad smile. “I know Elsword has been struggling. He’s always lost in thought, but very little of those thoughts reach me. I don’t think even Ain truly knows what’s on his mind. Talking to you made me realize how little I understand him. It makes me wonder if it was something I did wrong...” 

“It’s not you,” Rune disagreed. So even Knight had trouble sharing his thoughts. They really were the same side of the coin. “He’s doing it because he’s scared of worrying you. He doesn’t want to see you get hurt and burden you with his troubles.”

“That sounds like him,” she sighed. “He grew up to be so responsible. I feel like I wasn’t there enough for him.” 

“Let him know that,” Rune said. What was he doing giving advice to his sister’s lookalike? None of this felt real. “I think he’ll be happy to know how much you care about him. I know I would.” 

Rune wasn’t about to spout to Empire about his sister being gone for most of his life up until he was sixteen, but he sympathized with her. Sure, he was envious of Flame for always traveling and fighting bad guys as a child, but he understood her better once he started his journey and learned how time-consuming and draining it was to maintain peace. The last few years he spent with Flame and his friends were easily the best years of his life. Rune doubted Knight would have bore a grudge against Empire’s absence.   

“I think you’re right,” Empire said. “Thank you. You’re kinder than you make yourself seem.” 

Rune blinked. Okay, maybe he was rough around the edges, but was he that bad? Some of Dominator must be rubbing off on him, Rune rubbed his eyes. His body ached in protest in having to move, but there was so much to do. They still didn’t know where Mad Paradox went or what their next move was in finding a way back to their dimension, if that was possible. 

“This is a lot to take in,” Rune remarked. “I’m starting to think we’ve been hanging out with Glave too much.” 

“This does sound like something he would do,” Empire agreed. “But I’m glad it’s with you and your friends instead of the usual monsters and demons.” 

“Heh, sounds like fun, actually.” Rune snickered, “you think there’s a dimension where I’m a little taller and have two swords?”

“You’ll have to be more creative than that,” Empire chided with a bemusement. “We should head back. I’m sure they could use more help in moving things along.” 

“Right,” Rune closed his eyes. “We wouldn’t want to think our pretty faces were eaten by demons.” 

Empire elbowed him with a gleam in her eyes, snorting when he choked on his saliva and joined in. Alternate dimension or not, Empire was pretty cool. After all, she was still his sister and was good at cheering him up.  

----------------------------

Bluhen

It was daybreak when Bluhen was summoned to the front of the cavern’s entrance, well, what was left of it anyway. The cavern’s entrance had collapsed from the brief, but deadly battle between the two El Search Parties. Its purple peak reached beyond the horizon and was the first landmark Bluhen noticed when they arrived into Demon Realm. He heard its name being dropped into conversation by the dark elves when he asked about it. Shadow Vein, an intimidating but suiting name in how much trouble it had caused for them all. 

Green light glowed as he mended a cut gashed into Knight’s lower thigh. He would have lost more blood if the cut had been any deeper, a thought Bluhen fought to ignore and focused on applying ointment to the area. People relied on him too much and forgot that there were limits to being a healer. Magic didn’t fix injuries, but encouraged the body to repair itself. He wished Knight knew that and stopped seeing him as an answer to everything relating to injuries. It was exhausting agreeing to heal every time someone failed to dodge an attack. It’s like no one knew how valuable their life was.    

“Thank you,” Knight lifted his head to give Bluhen a sheepish smile. 

“It’s to be expected,” Bluhen said with exhaustion in his voice. 

Bluhen wiped his forehead out of habit, but that was all for show. If he had been more human, he would have sweated and let out a sigh. Being an unworldly being, all of that was unnecessary and excessive for being the Goddess’s agent with a human husk.      

“What is?” Knight asked. 

“Keeping you safe,” Bluhen looked at his friend in surprise for asking something so obvious. He couldn’t understand how Knight could be oblivious to how important he was to others. “Now that you’re here, we can get back to finding the Dark El.” 

“We still need to wait for everyone,” Knight said. “Lu said she was bringing back the others.” 

“Who are the others?”

“Uhh… Ara, Eve, Ciel, and Lu.” Knight counted with his fingers. “She’s also bringing people from the other party. I think she mentioned Raven, there might be more.” 

Bluhen was careful not to apply too much pressure when he placed a bandage over Knight’s left shoulder. None of his vital organs were impacted, but Knight had sustained many injuries. Every battle resulted in cuts and bruises, but it was Bluhen’s job to minimize them. This could have been prevented if Knight wasn’t abducted by the strange man who called himself Paradox. Bluhen had never heard of that name, yet there was something familiar about the kidnapper. Red flashed in his vision as Bluhen swallowed his anger, unwilling to let it bubble up from the pit of his stomach that threatened to erupt and overflow. All of this was caused by Paradox…   

“Does it hurt?” Bluhen asked. 

“Not a bit!” Knight beamed, “Feels like it never happened!”

Bluhen ducked his head low and hid his face behind his bangs. He thought he knew and understood Knight, but he still struggled in reading the emotions of others. Knight smiled, but it felt plastic and artificial as the Nasods Bringer was so fascinated about. Didn’t it hurt pretending to be happy all the time? Or was it a force of habit? He was perplexed and concerned. Knight was hiding something again. The young man had been acting strange ever since they arrived to the Demon Realm. What was Knight hiding? 

“Are you sure?” Bluhen asked, “How much did Paradox hurt you?”

“I’m fine,” Knight insisted. “Are Add and Ciel okay?”

“They’ll recover,” Bluhen said. “There’s nothing concerning.”  

Bluhen had checked on Abysser and Bringer out of Knight’s insistence, nevermind that one of them wasn’t part of the original El Search Party. Both were unconscious and stirred slightly when Bluhen had Rage move them into sitting upright. Their wounds have already healed from his magic and they just needed rest. 

“When I was with Paradox… he made me watch you guys fight.” Knight was hesitant, eyes averting and looking down at his hands. “I saw your other self fighting Lu and Ciel. This wouldn’t have happened if I was there to stop it-”

“None of this is your fault,” Bluhen didn’t let him finish. He looked up from his healing station and placed his hands over his lap. “It was our decision to resolve this by fighting.” 

“I suppose so... ,” Knight mumbled. “He said strange things when we fought, like how different I was from the other Elsword. Do you think there are others like us?” 

“What do you mean?” Bluhen asked, “Haven’t we already met them?”

And fought them, Bluhen added. It was odd to help the very same people they have fought just hours ago. 

“Paradox seems to know a lot about us, even though we have never met,” Knight said.  “I mean… Paradox is Add. Do you think his friends are different versions of us and might be here?” 

“It’s possible, but I have yet to hear reports of them being sighted.” Bluhen shook his head in wonder. Alternates of themselves? He wasn’t sure if he was ready to meet himself from another life. What would they even talk about?    

Bluhen didn’t hate Bringer, but it was difficult to cooperate with someone who was so stubborn. To learn that Bringer’s alternate was the cause of their troubles opened a door to a million possibilities and few answers to the situation. This was the type of topic Bringer would voice his opinions on, but alas, the brawler was unconscious. 

At a nearby stream, Bluhen emptied and rinsed the potion bottles with a cleaning solution, smelling its light citrus scent as he wiped it dry with a washcloth. Ice cold water froze his hands when he swooped down to wash his face. Extra bandages and remedies were tossed into the bag for later use. 

An eerie silence settled over the edge of the horizon, absent of the chatter and clash of blades that once took place over the two El Search Parties. Sharp edges cut into the pale rose sky, outlined by the crystalline material composing Paradox’s portals. Dozens of portals were erratically growing and shrinking, cackling and imposing themselves over one another. Most of them were too small for a human to fit through, but it was a matter of time before that was to change. 

“You see them too?” Knight looked up.    

“How long were they here?” Bluhen asked. 

“I don’t know,” Knight shrugged. “Maybe after Paradox left?” 

The portals were echoes of the ones formed by Paradox in the battle against the Dark Agate, smaller and temporary. Trailing through the skies, they disappeared before reforming minutes later. Bluhen didn’t remember seeing them when they initially entered the Demon Realm. What could the portals mean and what kind of impact would they have on their journey? Looking at them made him feel sick.   

Knight looked at Bluhen with worried eyes, “You should rest, you look horrible. I’ll be around camp when you wake up.”

Shouldn’t Bluhen be the one reassuring his friend? He looked at Knight in disbelief, driven to madness by the apologetic look he was receiving. Covered in thin-lined scars and bruises still healing, Knight had an unfocused gaze and bags under his eyes. Bluhen laughed at the irony, unable to contain himself and sighed. What kind of friend was he to find relief in being comforted when he should be the one helping Knight? He wanted to tell Knight everything would be all right and that things would sort themselves out, but he didn’t want to feed his friend empty promises.     

It was childish to fear that Knight would disappear in his sleep. Was this how Knight felt when he disappeared for periods of time? Bluhen’s body protested, aching muscles urging him to cave him and succumb to Knight’s wish. He stumbled over on his fours and felt his body surrender, resting his head on the grass in a bliss comparable to sleeping at one of the grandest hotels in Hamel.

Cool air caressed Bluhen when he woke up to a velvet blue sky. White clouds huddled overhead with faded outlines of the portals from before. The portals opened to dark interiors obscured by the cloud. So it wasn’t a dream…  

Where was Knight? Uncertainty clouded Bluhen’s judgment, standing up without his mind ordering his body to do so in the search of his friend. His belongings sat in the grassy patch beside him, undisturbed and waiting for its owner to return. In dim lighting, Bluhen was able to make out new silhouettes approaching.  

“You can’t be serious!” A short figure threw their head down in defeat. Aether raised her staff in exasperation. “Is this some kind of joke?” 

“I don’t heal.” It was a man’s voice, quiet and melodic yet it was clear that he was irritated by the way he shielded his face from view. Wait, was that his voice? Bluhen leaned forward to listen in to the man that shared his voice.   

“What do you mean you don’t heal?” Aether threw her hands down. 

“It means I don’t heal,” he replied. “I am incapable of using magic to repair wounds.” 

In the darkness, Bluhen stared, unable to take his eyes away from the man with cyan-colored hair. Adorned in white robes billowing in the wind, Richter resembled the celestials depicted in murals and stained glass art in churches. His features were void of strong emotions, numbed from being placed on the spot by an impatient mage who barely reached up to his chin in height.       

“Then what do you do?” Aether scowled. 

“Bring divine judgment and serve as the voice of the Goddess,” Richter said.

“...you’re somehow weirder than Ain.” 

Confusion formed in Aether’s brows, creasing into a deep indentation with the mage sighing and rubbing her forehead. A clean cloth wrapped over her right elbow and over the opposite of her shoulder into a make-shift arm sling. Bluhen recognized it to be the work of Mr. Half-Demon and shifted his eyes in search of the butler.  Had Chevalier and Ishtar returned with the rest of the group?  

Richter looked straight into where Bluhen stood. Their faces were the same, but everything was different in pigment. Cyan eyes locked into Bluhen’s with recognition. Aether noticed and followed his gaze.  

“Hello, Ms. Mage.” Bluhen waved at his teammate and added. “And me…  I heard my name in passing. Is there something you want from me?”  

“Call me Richter,” he insisted. “I see you are awake.” 

“Yes I am,” Bluhen replied.

“I was hoping you could help me with this,” Aether turned to show her arm. At closer glance, her arm was wrapped in an old shirt washed out by the sun. Humans were so creative when they wanted to stay alive.  

“Pray tell how you broke that arm,” Bluhen gently placed his hand over the broken arm to examine, feeling for broken bones or joints. 

“Elsword crushed my arm.” She glared, “Don’t give me that look!”

“I’m not allowed to say it’s funny?” Bluhen smiled.

“Absolutely not!”   

“I’ll take a look at it in a bit,” Bluhen chuckled and turned to look at Richter. “I want to talk to him first.”

“Huh? Oh!” Aether looked between the two men and nodded, “Sure! You don’t have to rush! I’ll be checking on the supplies and helping Ciel. He looked busy.” 

Aether ran over to Bluhen with her uninjured arm lifted over her head to lean forward to scan the area. A trail of tents lined up and formed a path lit up by campfires that smelled of smoked meats and herbs. She looked at Bluhen with sympathy. 

“You’re okay talking to him by yourself?” She asked. 

“It’s fine,” Bluhen waved his hand. “I’ll find you when I’m done.” 

He watched Aether running through the grass with her staff tucked behind her back. The mage saw another teammate walk by and waved to get their attention. She’s going to be okay, Bluhen thought. There were more than enough people to make sure of that.  

“You wish to speak to me?” Richter asked. 

Millions of questions flooded into Bluhen’s mind about Richter’s existence, flabbergasted at the implications of it all. What did it mean for both of them to cohabit in the same plane of existence? Did Richter understand the cause of the portals rippling through the skies? What was his relation to Paradox if he had one? 

Richter reminded him of a fish. Empty eyes gazing back, the blue-haired priest betrayed little emotion, yet reminiscence of regret lingered in his presence. It was strange to meet another being like himself when his existence was meant to be an exception by the Goddess. Bluhen pressed his fingers over to Richter’s.   

“How are you me?” Bluhen asked aloud. 

“I would like to ask the same,” Richter mirrored his question back. 

“I was created by the Goddess to restore the El,” Bluhen said. “but I made the decision to form a new purpose for myself and protect my friends to indirectly help the El.” He gestured to his counterpart, “your turn.   

“I also serve the Goddess and act as her catalyst by striking down those that choose to defy her judgment.” Richter said. 

By Goddess, was he really come off as pretentious to other people? What was this prickly feeling he was experiencing? Bluhen stared at Richter with a mixture of bewilderment and exasperation, unsure what to make of his alternate. He silently counted his blessing that Knight and his friends were ever so patient with his ignorance. 

“You can be rest assured that your Elsword is safe,” Bluhen tried to change the subject. 

“I know,” Richter said. “I saw him being pursued by Empire. She did not look happy.”

“Aren’t you worried?” Bluhen tried to understand his counterpart’s reaction, puzzled by how calm Richter was about Rune being chased by his sister’s alternate. 

“How I feel does not concern Elsword,” Richter said. “He is capable of making his own decisions.” 

Like sacrificing himself to the El? Bluhen thought warily. His memories were blurred about the specific event, during a time when his physical form was barely maintained by his purpose to serve the Goddess Ishmael. With the El temporarily restored, Bluhen lost his physical form and everything that came with living, no longer a person but barely a memory. 

“I assume yours merged with the El as well?”

Bluhen nodded. His body went cold. Again?  

“This won’t get easier,” Richter’s lips formed into a straight line. “Elsword will continue to make difficult decisions you may not agree with and you cannot stop him.”

“How would you know?” Bluhen asked weakly. “You haven’t talked to him.” 

“No, but I have talked to Ishtar and Chevalier.” Richter said, “I know he is a selfless person and would feel guilty for making you react like this.”

“He was my first friend,” Bluhen choked. “I followed him and still lost him.” 

“You cannot protect him from everything,” Richter said. “He will be upset if you do.”

“I know. That’s why he’s in this mess.” Bluhen laughed dryly. “Thank you… It was interesting talking to you. I was not expecting to meet you like this.” 

“You should help Aether,” Richter said. “She was not happy when I told her I could not heal.” 

“So I gathered,” Bluhen snickered. “Where will you go?”

“Back to Elsword,” he said. “I said I would wait for him.” 

Of course, Bluhen thought. Despite the cold front and being straight-faced, in the end, Richter had a soft spot for Rune. It must have been painful for Richter to see Rune siding with their El Search Party, which led to a misunderstanding and a chaotic fight that fractured their forces on both sides. Before Bluhen left to search for Aether, he was stopped by his counterpart. 

“What should I call you?’ Richter asked.

“Me?” The priest placed a finger over his lips, “call me Bluhen.”     

----------------------------

Author Notes: Now that the fighting is over, it’s time for obligatory everyone’s gotta talk to themselves (because this fic is 100% self-indulgent and I enjoy writing the two paths talking). Will third paths show up or will Paradox remain a sad cat? Yes.