Destiny: The Legendary Hunter

[Writers-Ablood]

[Tower, Last City]

The Vanguard room was quiet for once. The chatter of techs and footfalls of messengers had faded, replaced by momentary stillness.

Zavala stood at the center of the holo-table with an unreadable expression as the mission report finalized with a chime.

"Strike complete," Ikorra confirmed, her voice even. "Sepiks Prime is down."

Zavala gave a small nod. "Confirmed by multiple teams. It's done."

Cayde leaned back in his chair, boots kicked up. "Well, look at that. I knew the kids had it in 'em." He spun a coin through his fingers, glancing toward the screens showing post-strike telemetry. "Prime servitor of the Devils, wiped out by a bunch of new lights. That's gotta sting."

"More than sting," Ikorra murmured. She turned her gaze to the Cosmodrome's region map now shifting colors. Large zones once marked red were shifting to neutral blue. "With Sepiks gone, their command chain will suffer."

Zavala motioned to the regional overlay. "Which gives us the opportunity to press forward. I want outposts set up around the Steppes and Mothyards."

Ikorra stepped forward, eyes narrowing. "You're planning a full zone sweep?"

"Yes," Zavala confirmed. "We'll dig in. Push them back. The House of Devils has held too much of the Cosmodrome for too long. This is the turning point."

Zavala tapped the console again and began transmitting new directives. Patrol rotations, new bounties, he'd even planned to interrupt glimmer extraction operations by the Devils.

-

[Kings Watch]

Thunder echoed softly as a dim light flickered in a bunker below barren sands of Kings Watch.

Cables slithered like serpents through the metal corridors, connected to makeshift generators. Scavenged tech blinked. Modified Fallen architecture groaned as machines hummed in twisted harmony.

Aksis, Archon Prime of the Devil Splicers, stood unmoving at the center of the repurposed bunker. Red light glinted off the sharp edges of his body, limbs altered beyond anything the Fallen Houses had once considered sacred. His throne pulsed with ether-fed tubing.

A door hissed open. A lone Splicer High Priest entered, his body laced with glowing circuits. He knelt immediately, head low.

"Speak," Aksis ordered.

"As you expected, the City infiltrated Devils Lair" the splicer hesitated. "They took down Sepiks Prime."

Aksis didn't move. "Sepiks… fallen?"

"Yes, Archon. The Devils' Prime was destroyed at the foot of the lair. Its shell remains intact."

Aksis' clawed hand tightened around the throne's arm.

"So," he rumbled, "They could not protect their home, or their own Servitor without us. Weak. Predictable. I had warned them. Urged them to relocate."

The splicer remained kneeling.

Aksis stood, thoughts racing in his head. His towering frame cast jagged shadows across the walls. His voice dropped lower. "This is why they need me. The House of Devils clings to rusted faith and fractured hierarchy. Without Splicers, they are nothing."

He began pacing slowly, deliberate steps echoing through the chamber. "They mocked our progress. They Fear rebirth. But I will show them… I will make them see."

He stopped and turned. "Sepiks remains where it fell?"

"Yes, Archon. Unclaimed."

"Then retrieve it."

The priest hesitated. "There may be resistance from the house—"

"Then cut through it," Aksis snapped. "Bring the husk to me. I will rebuild it. Not as a servitor of the old faith—but as a herald of the new order. Shaped by Splicers. Loyal to me."

The priest nodded and scrambled away, his mechanical feet clicking over the floor.

Aksis turned back to the throne and stared into the flickering monitors. "They will kneel," he muttered. "All of them. Not just the Devils, the Winter, even the Kings. They will kneel… or burn."

He sat, and the cables surged again—feeding him power. All around him, the machines listened.

And in the shadows of King's Watch, a new power began to stir.

-

[Thieves Landing]

Void trudged up the ramp toward the Workshop, boots scraping against the rusted metal. Kaviss was slung over his back like a sack of scrap, tied at the ankles and wrists, his modified armor clicking with each step.

The Fallen captain was still out cold, breath shallow but steady.

The door to the Workshop hissed open. Pahanin stepped out, balancing a crate full of metal bits and vials. He paused mid-step, his eyes narrowing into tiny slits the second he spotted the scene before him.

Void didn't flinch. "I can explain."

Pahanin sighed, shook his head, and softly took a step back.

Void took a step forward.

Pahanin's hand jolted to the panel, and the Workshop door snapped shut. Locks clattered into place.

Then, One, two, five—eight turns of mechanical latches echoed from the other side.

"Fine you dog!" Void sighed and let Kaviss slump onto the deck. He glanced at the door, then at the unconscious captain, then at the sky.

Obsidian flittered beside him his eye blinking gently. "Well?"

"Plan B," Void muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You don't have a Plan B."

"I do now."

Void turned as he grabbed Kaviss by the cape and dragged him along, boots scraping against the dock again as he started the long march toward the edges of Thieves' Landing.

-

[Spiders Hideout]

Spider squinted.

He was lounging in his oversized throne-like chair in his darkened hideout, half-lit by scattered lamp posts and flickering monitors. His four arms were crossed—two on his belly, two resting on the sides.

His gaze shifted to the right, Viper stood across him. Spider looked to the left, an unconscious Fallen captain was tied up at his feet.

Spider's eye twitched. "So?"

Viper exhaled. "I can explain."

Spider gestured at the Fallen captain. "Go ahead."

"I assume you've already heard about the prime Servitor of the Devils?" Viper added.

"Of course. A vicious operation. To think the City managed to locate and destroy it so easily. You've left some of the other Houses in a panic." Spider chuckled.

Viper shrugged, "While the City targeted the Servitor, I went for the splicers."

"Seeing as you've dragged this one along, looks like your infiltration wasn't as successful as you'd hoped." Spider rubbed his chin.

"Unfortunately, you're right." Viper nodded, and shot spider an eerie glare "Almost as if they knew I was coming."

Spider's lips curled into a smile, "Please, I had nothing to do with this. You're far too erratic for me to have ears on."

"I know." Viper shook his head, "I guess whoever is leading the splicers is cautious. Far too cautious."

"Is that why you brought this guy here?" Spider raised a brow as he gestured to Kaviss.

"This one was inside an ether pod. Modified. Splicer tech. He was left behind." Viper answered flatly, "When I finally let him out the ether pod, he'd damn near lost his mind. He'll need healing."

Spider grunted. "And this concerns me?"

"As far as I'm concerned, he's the only link we have to the splicers. If you're willing to squander it, then I can't say much." Viper continued.

Spider leaned forward, frowning as he examined Kaviss more closely. His eyes gleamed. "Modified Splicer metal, deep bone fusions."

Viper nodded. "Can you cure him?"

"I'm not a medic." Spider scoffed and waved his hand as a grunt came scuttling towards him. "Follow me."

Spider paused and looked over his shoulder, a heavy sigh wheezed from Spider's throat. "And don't touch anything."

Spider waddled toward the back of the hideout as the grunt dragged Kaviss along towards a panel in the back. Spider tapped in a code.

With a hiss, the wall split open and revealed a hidden chamber. Inside stood an ether pod. Not just any pod—it was ornamented with polished gold tubing, engraved glyphs, and absurdly plush cushioning. The vents hissed a soft blue mist.

Viper stared. "That's… Extravagant? You've got unique taste."

Spider waved a hand. "Got it off a baron who thought it made him royalty. That bastard always had a knack for collecting shiny things."

The grunt gently placed Kaviss into the pod. The machinery responded immediately—tubes snaked out, latching onto the plugs in Kaviss's armor, then hissed as they began cycling ether through his system.

The captain stirred, but didn't wake.

Spider leaned on the doorframe, arms crossed. "He'll be out a while. Days, maybe. I'll let you know when he's awake."

Viper looked down at the captain. "That's what I'm counting on."

"You planning to break him? Like the other one?" Spider hummed.

Void smirked faintly and turned away. "Nope, we'll just have a small chat and hope he really does remember what the splicers are up to."

"Whatever you say" Spider rolled his eyes, not believing a word.

As the door to the chamber hissed closed, a thought struck Viper as he spoke up, "Ah if he does wake up, he might try escaping. Don't let that happen."

"Hah." Spider grumbled, "I am not some amateur. If he dares to even step outside this base the entire shore would hunt him down."

"Good." Viper reached back into a pouch and chucked an engram towards spider.

"This is?" Spider caught it somewhat hesitantly.

"Payment." Viper replied, "Data collected on the splicer technology. We took everything the Devils had left."

"And what exactly am I supposed to do with this?" Spider was confused, he couldn't just sell it to the market. It'd be shooting himself in the foot. Besides, he wasn't prepared to permanently offend the Devils for a short term profit.

"We've got a workshop don't we?" Viper smiled, "Get me the materials, I'll give your syndicate an edge."

Spider sighed, "Mankind is truly a shrewd inventor. Handing me a supply order and naming it a payment. Aren't you ashamed?"

"So you don't want it?" Viper leaned towards the engram to take it back.

Spider jolted with unnatural agility as he pocketed the engram, "I never said that!"

=
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[Writers-Ablood]

[A week Later]

The high noon's harsh lights filtered through the Vanguard war room, shading it a golden hue. Ikorra stood at the holo-table with her arms crossed, as she listened intently to a report recited by Eris Morn.

"What's the status of the City's Cosmodrome reclamation now?" Ikorra raised a brow.

"It's risen to 30% over the week. Without the Devils to stop us, our patrolling squads are claiming more ground every single day." Eris's lips pressed into a line, "But there is a bigger problem."

Cayde tilted his head in confusion, "That would be?"

Eris frowned as the holo-table projected a new map of rising enemy forces. "The more ground we reclaim, the more enemies we fight. From our limited understanding, what we've gathered is that these enemies, shouldn't be here. We've never seen anything like this."

The small holoprojector on the central table flickered with captured images—Vex patrols warping into Cosmodrome territory, Hive emergence points forming like tumors across the forgotten lands, and even traces of Cabal squads nestled in the outskirts.

"Vex, Cabal and even Hive. Cosmodrome's getting too volatile. " Ikorra said plainly.

Eris nodded, "The Cabal's presence is a direct answer to Rasputin's attacks on Mars and Mercury. But as for the others. Their presence is our own fault. With the House of Devils no longer controlling Devil's Lair and the Steppes, new enemy factions are rearing their head."

Zavala looked up, eyes narrowing slightly. "You mean to say the Devils were cleaning these up before?"

"Yes. We believe that for the sake of maintaining control over their territory, House of Devils was undoubtedly thinning down enemy numbers." Eris spoke up.

Cayde sat up, a single metallic finger raised. "Wait, wait. Are you saying—" He glanced toward Zavala. "We accidentally turned the Devils into the bouncers of the Cosmodrome?"

"So, without the Devils, the gigs only up to us huh." Cayde rubbed his chin.

Ikora gave him a sharp look, but she didn't disagree. "In their own way, yes. With their numbers and Sepiks around, they served as a wall. Now? That wall's broken."

Zavala agreed, "They're getting bold. We've pressed the Devils back—but that's left a vacuum. Now every vermin in the system wants a piece of the Cosmodrome."

Zavala turned from the terminal, his face like stone as he continued, "What about Rasputin? He's still running?"

"Still operational," Ikora confirmed. "He's aggressively defending zones around the Terrestrial Complex and Skywatch, but he doesn't prioritize Vex incursions. He's fighting what he deems the most immediate threats—and for him, that's Cabal. Hive, sometimes. Vex… less so."

Cayde sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Great. The Tyrant's not interested in small fries."

"We've reclaimed territory," Ikorra said carefully. "But we're spread thin. Even with the City's relays restored, we simply can't cover this much ground without creating holes."

Zavala's eyes glanced over the holo-map showing increased Hive activity. His eyes flickered with unease, a twitch jolted across his chest, almost as if his heart had sunk into his stomach.

He moved back toward the table and brought up the tactical map

He gestured at several red-lit zones pulsing with enemy activity. "The Hive numbers...they are increasing faster than anticipated." Zavala's eyes widened as he muttered, "It's as if something is organizing them. "

Ikorra paused and looked closer at the map. Then she spoke, her voice sharper now. "It looks to be, some sort of surge in activity. But...if the Hive are really this active. It must mean they're being pushed to perform."

"Great, so we think someone's pulling their strings again." Cayde clasped his hands and rested his chin, "As far as I know, there's only one damn place where we'll get any answers."

A quiet hush followed his words. No one wanted to say it—but they all knew it.

"Infiltrating the Moon is no light task," Zavala said finally. "It's a tomb of horrors. If we send our teams, we risk losing them. Especially the New Lights. We're already asking too much of them."

"Well…" Cayde looked up, that playful glint back in his eye. "There is one guy crazy enough to pull it off."

Ikorra turned toward him knowingly but she kept silent.

He snapped his fingers. "Come on, you know who I'm talking about."

Zavala frowned slightly. "You think he'd take the mission?"

Cayde shrugged. "I think he's stubborn enough to try."

Zavala sighed. "He's not even on Earth anymore. What has he been doing?"

"I guess it's time to find out." Ikorra turned to Eris, "You've been tracking the New Lights?"

Eris nodded once. "Yes. The Hidden have been observing them carefully."

"And?" Zavala asked.

"They've joined a faction—VENOM. Led by Void, though he calls himself Viper now. The base of operations is in the Tangled Shore."

That earned a stunned silence. Cayde was the first to break it.

"Why do all the interesting people move away?" Cayde groaned. "The Shore? Seriously? You're telling me the guy who ran from the City set up shop in the most pirate-ridden, unpatrolled corner of the Reef?"

Eris leaned forward. "There's more. The weapons the New Lights carry—Ghost scans reveal they were crafted in VENOM's workshop. No trace of our foundry blueprints or energy signatures."

Zavala raised his brows. "Fully independent? How?"

Eris gestured. "Repurposed technology. We do not know how. The Hidden cannot monitor him on the Shore. But the results he's made point towards him making deals with a technician. Someone advanced enough to make weapons from scratch."

Cayde chuckled, "You gotta respect the hustle. Where'd he even find such a guy."

Ikorra nodded. "If he's someone not even on our radar, the technician could be a rogue Fallen."

"Regardless of his current activities, infiltrating the moon is still dangerous." Zavala decided. "We'll send the mission briefing his way. Let him choose. "

Cayde leaned back with a grin. "Relax, he'll say yes. You know he can't resist playing the hero."

As the war room returned to silence, the image of the Cosmodrome pulsed softly on the holotable, but in the back of all their minds, a darker place called out.

The Moon waited.

-

[Spider's Hideout]

Viper stood leaning against the curved wall of a vaulted corridor. His hood hung low.

The sound of ether tubes pulsing rhythmically filled the air.

Kaviss's ether pod stood quietly in the center of the room, its transparent casing glowing faintly with a soft orange hue. Inside, the heavily modified Fallen captain lay unconscious, still recovering from the brutal enhancements the Devil Splicers had forced on him.

Inside the healing pod, Kaviss stirred—his talons twitched, his eyes rolled faintly beneath closed lids—but the ether stream continued its slow, steady cycle.

Spider emerged from the shadows , his rotund frame draped in fine purple silk robe. He stepped beside Viper, one brow raised, and waved a clawed hand at the pod.

"Staring at him won't make it go any faster." he rasped.

Viper didn't turn. "You told me he'd recover."

"I did," Spider muttered, scratching under his chin, "but you might want to temper those expectations. Splicer tech messes with more than the body. It's like trying to unscramble eggs with a wrench. Recovery's taking longer than expected."

Viper lazily looked over at him, "Not like I've got anything else to chase. The Devils are scattered. House of Winter's not playing ball, and the Kings? They've pretty much gone dark."

Spider hummed, adjusting one of his rings. "Indeed, it's a pity."

"Used to be I could track every Devil baron in the Cosmodrome. Now I'm down to rumors and thirdhand sightings." He clicked his tongue, but then a chuckle crept up from his throat, "Still, I made out well, didn't I?"

"Is that why you're dressed like a 19th Century Noble?" Viper shook his head.

Spider let out a short wheezing laugh. "Please, this is old Egyptian silk. Snatched it off a scavengers Ketch as he docked near the shore. Daft fool was using it as a tablecloth."

"Highway robbery, how exciting." Viper rolled his eyes.

Them his wrist buzzed.

Viper's expression sharpened. He tapped the message open. A burst of data flooded his HUD. The encryption melted away almost instantly, revealing the full content.

Viper's brows lowered. He scrolled further. He stared at the message floating in front of him, reading it twice.

Spider leaned over curiously. "Something good?"

Viper didn't answer right away. The weight of the message hung in his mind like a coiled wire.

"No. Just someone asking for a favor." he muttered finally.

Spider scoffed. "Boring."

He turned away from the pod and walked towards the door as he swiped his wrist to access his ship's transmat.

"What, not gonna watch him anymore? I coulda sworn he moved his finger." Spider chuckled as he turned towards the pod.

Viper waved a hand as he stepped out of the doorway, "Just keep me updated."

=
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[Writers-Ablood]

[Orbit, Thieves Landing]

The hum of the ship's engine filled the cabin, steady and rhythmic as Void leaned back in the pilot's chair. The stars outside stretched into cold lines as the ship crossed orbit, heading into the empty space once again.

Obsidian flittered beside him as his eye pulsed.

"Tap into the City's network," Void said, his voice low. "I want to know what's going on in the Cosmodrome. Every frequency. Every report."

Obsidian clicked once and began interfacing. Green data strands scrolled across Void's visor.

The message still echoed in his thoughts.

Ikorra's message, it was short, "I need your eyes on the Moon."

The Vanguard had also sent him a mission briefing, but he didn't bother looking at it. Void already knew what this was about. It was just, that he hadn't expected it. Not yet.

They'd already killed Gotra. That was supposed to buy time. He had thought there would be weeks before anyone even whispered about looking at the Hive again.

But if the Vanguard really sent him of all people something like this. It meant that things were already out of hand.

Obsidian's eye pulsed, "Cross-referencing now," it reported. "Vanguard field relays confirm increasing enemy activity in Old Russia. Multiple signatures—non-Fallen. Significant Hive presence. Moderate Cabal deployments. Sporadic Vex incursions. Pattern suggests a strange convergence by the Hive.."

Void sat up straighter. "Convergence?"

Obsidian paused. "Unusual. The Hive, they're not the Vex and Cabal. Not directly. They're operating in proximity. Ignoring them."

Void frowned. That wasn't right. The Hive didn't cooperate, they didn't ignore, and they certainly didn't tolerate. Something was forcing their hands. Something bigger than territory.

"Pull visuals," he muttered.

A grainy map appeared in front of him. On it, the locations of several factions was marked. As the map moved, he could see that the Hive did their best not to intersect with the Vex or the Cabal. Almost as if they were avoiding them. Intentionally.

Void clenched his jaw. This wasn't something small. No, it was a buildup.

Obsidian drifted closer. "Request from the Ikorra still stands. Mission classified as observation, high-risk. Looks like the City's too scared to send anyone else."

"Of course they are," Void muttered.

It made sense. In the old timeline, a Guardian had died trying to explore the Moon. Alone. Unprepared. The Vanguard hadn't known what was waiting beneath the surface then.

They did now.

Which meant if they were asking him—Void—it was because they thought he was the only one capable enough.

He leaned forward, fingers drumming lightly against the hilt of the sword resting across his lap. The black casing shimmered faintly. Zamyr's presence stirred within.

"You heard all that?" Void asked softly.

Zamyr's voice echoed into his mind, quiet but certain.

~Of course.~

Void exhaled. "What do you think?"

Zamyr paused, his presence seemed to flicker.

~There is no danger yet great enough to end your string. Not unless Crota himself walks. And I do not feel the weight of his soul on this path.~

"Then I won't die."

~Not yet, O brother mine~ Zamyr chuckled to himself.

Void's mouth twitched. 'I guess at least its not a totally doomed.'

'Still, going back to the moon.' Void's eyes narrowed.

There was no telling what had changed down there since the last time. The Hive always moved in silence. When you noticed them, it was already too late.

"Call Pahanin, let him know we'll be busy for a while." Void spoke up.

Obsidian's eye pulsed as a call was made, "Setting it up."

The line connected, as the channel went live, a burst of static flickered on both sides.

"You there?" Void chimed up.

The static flared, then the connection flickered again. A sudden burst of noise filtered through the mic. Hammers banging against metal, guttural Eliksni grunts, and a creaking forge.

"Hah?" Pahanin groaned as he replied, the next second another bang echoed as a hammer sparked against plating, "What do you need?"

"Rude. Can't I call cuz I wanna talk?" Void chuckled.

Pahanin laughed as he swung the hammer, a loud bang reverberated again, "I wasn't born yesterday dumbass."

"What a crude bastard. Here I am, calling because I'm worried, and I get cursed out." Void shook his head.

"A bit too busy to care about your feelings, though I might've given a shit if you weren't the reason I am so f*cked." Pahanin swung the hammer one last time as the plating seemed to flatten out, he heaved a breath and then wiped his brow.

Void shrugged "All I said, was let's research the splicer tech. Didn't know it'd take that long."

"Let's? You daft bastard. You wouldn't know ether-plate from steel if I had them labelled." Pahanin groaned as he hurled the plate to the side and sat on the floor.

"They look the same!" Void grunted.

"Fine, fine. So, what's the deal? Thought you were at Spider's trying to heal up that Fallen Captain."

"As much as I wish I was, I got called." Void replied, he swiped his hand as the Vanguards mission brief got sent to Pahanin, "Unfortunately, the City thinks that the Hive are plotting some sinister shit."

"Understandable decision." Pahanin glossed over the briefing as he nodded.

"Well, someone's gotta check it out. With that said, I'll probably be busy. If you find anything on the splicers, let me know." Void leaned back into his seat.

"To think you'd go back there willingly, you're really a crazy bastard, you know that?" Pahanin frowned. He and Void had shared their stories, and once he'd gotten to know what had really transpired on the moon, he was shaken.

Everything the City had gone through had made sense to him, and at the same time, what Void had gone through was simply incomprehensible. If it had been him...he wasn't so sure he'd be ready to go back again.

"Relax. I got out once didn't I? They don't even have an army this time." Void chuckled.

"Whatever. Stay safe." Pahanin grunted and abruptly cut the call.

Void tilted his head, "That bastard. Guess he's too busy to even talk."

Obsidian floated beside him. "We've got course plotted, hyper jump is ready. Trajectory aligned. Destination: Ocean of Storms."

Void sat up straight, his eye's narrowed. He paused, and then nodded. "Take us in. Quietly."

The ship turned, veering away from the shore's orbit as it warped. Space twisted around him as the thrusters flared to life, boosting through hyperspace. The stars flashed, twisting into curved lines as the ship cut through a wormhole.

Then, space fractured, crumpling and forming into a maw as it spat out the Jumpship to the other side. Finally, the dark silhouette of the Moon came into view.

Void took a breath. His eyes shimmered blue as he glanced at the Lunar surface.

'That sickly green hue, it's no longer there.' Void murmured to himself. 'Is it because Crota's asleep?'

Void knew that after the great disaster, the Hive prince had gone into a deep slumber, preparing to awaken again in order to collect his tributes. As for when he'd awaken? No one could be sure.

The Jumpship soared, cruising towards the Lunar surface. At a distance, it looked calm, and lifeless. But Void knew, that underneath the stillness, the Hive churned.

If the Hive had a plan, and if they really were planning something.

They needed to be cut out.

He sat back down as the Moon grew larger. Obsidian announced. "Approaching ocean of storm. No activity detected yet. Looks like they're not scanning for visitors."

"I guess they thought only someone crazy would try to infiltrate" Void narrowed his eyes. "Start there. But drop me on to the side, not the front. I want to approach from the ridges."

"Got it, I'll tweak the coordinates." Obsidian pulsed.

Silence followed as the final jump drive engaged. The stars snapped away into the black, and the Moon filled every inch of his vision.

Void adjusted his blade. A pale presence seemed to wrap around him.

'Even if I have to walk straight into that pit, I'll figure out their plan.' Void's thoughts raced.

Obsidian's eye flared with urgency, the Jumpship jerked back, thrusters fluttering to a halt mid-air. "There's a problem. Ocean of storms, there's a strange energy barrier blocking entry!"

Void's blade shimmered in its sheath, he raised a brow as he looked outside. His eyes flickered blue. He could see it now. An umbral curtain wrapped around the perimeter.

"Those sly dogs." Void sighed, "Can we break through that?"

~Maybe, but, there is a better way~ Zamyr whispered with an eerie chuckle mixed into his voice.

"Right. What would that be?" Void piloted the ship to glide towards the edge of the barrier.

Zamyr's phantom wrapped around Void as he revealed a fanged grin with a fickle laugh.

~I'll eat it.~

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[Writers-Ablood]

-

Light flickered, small particles seemed to dance wildly as they bounced around and then condensed violently into a form.

Void's boots hit lunar dust with a muffled crunch as his figure emerged beside a jagged ridge on the edge of the Ocean of Storms. Around him, a haze hung in the air, thin and shimmering with strange density.

"Damn" Void labored a breath, "The air itself feels off."

A jolt of unease passed flickered through him. Void looked down at his hands. The Light coursing in his veins seemed to weaken. Almost as if it was suppressed.

"Guess that hasn't changed." Void shook his head and took a few measured steps forward.

In front of him, was a barrier. An unseen barrier that stretched like a thick curtain draped over reality itself, akin to an strange umbral veil. His eyes flickered blue. As he looked at it again, he could see black smoke with viridian tendrils curling around the barriers surface, slow and deliberate.

The closer Void got, the colder it felt.

He stopped a few meters from the curtain's edge, narrowed his eyes, and slowly unsheathed his blade.

Zamyr stirred immediately. The weapon pulsed faintly in his hand, and a low hum vibrated through the hilt.

~Finally~ Zamyr's voice echoed like a whisper inside Void's skull.

Void nodded. "Let's see it then." He stepped forward and held the blade to the veil. Void gently dragged the blade across the edge of the barrier.

The curtain rippled. There was no sound, only the faint shimmer of resistance breaking apart, akin to a frayed cloth being torn to its seams. Black strands of energy writhed wildly as they latched onto the blade's surface, but an instant later, a pale light gleamed at the blade's edge, consuming them completely.

As Void continued to drag his blade, the barrier's energy was drawn into the blade like ink into water.

Zamyr chuckled, pleased. ~Ahh… the wretched magic. How familiar, how delicious.~

Void eyed the opening he'd made as he judged it to be big enough for himself. He pulled the blade back, sheathing it. "We shouldn't cut more. If the the Hive feel that the barrier is weakened, they might just find us out."

Zamyr's amusement faded. ~What a pity. Alas, let's go.~

Void turned, stepping into the curtain. A gelid chill jolted down his spine, his eyes widened. A sinister presence weighed on his soul, Void's muscles tensed, blood rushed his veins, his heart pounded, his chest heaved and then, his mind paused.

A wicked and eerie sense of being watched flooded his brain. Void looked up, his breath hitched. The air twisted, a green mist carrying a harrowing aura wrapped around him, and a dull chill lingered on his skin.

Void twitched, as a pale light emanated from him. A second later, the mist seemed to disappear. The presence watching him seemed confused. Its gaze seemed to soften, it couldn't recognize Void anymore and it glanced over him, thinking of him as nothing more than a fleeting shadow.

"What was that?" Void exhaled a soft breath as he felt the terrifying presence whisk away.

~Omnigul. The witch of souls. Consider us lucky, O brother mine~ Zamyr spoke in a low whisper, afraid the air itself would carry away his words.

Void dryly gulped, his jaw tightened as he trudged forward. "Omnigul? What was she doing?"

~It is odd. At first, she sought to find whoever had disrupted the barrier. But I masked your presence~

"Then?" Void balled his fist, that harrowing sensation he'd felt. It was horrifying. All he felt, was pure dread, trying to tear apart his very soul.

~But then, her magic, it wavered. I took that chance, to whisk away her senses. For now, she no longer knows of us. As for what served to distract her? I do not know~

Void nodded and moved towards a steep incline leading up a cracked ridge. Dust kicked behind every step. He climbed swiftly, boots digging into lunar gravel until he reached the ledge overlooking the Hellmouth.

He looked at the inverted fortress stretching deep into the Moon's core. It still loomed like a scar carved into the Moon's heart. A gust of wind brushed past his face as he felt an eerie whistle whisk past his ears.

Void stood in silence. His eyes glowed faintly blue. He focused.

Layers of the world peeled away from his vision, piercing through the stone and darkness. Deeper—deeper—until he saw the shifting congregation of wizards below.

There—at the deepest point of Hellmouth. Encircled by countless Hive acolytes, knights, wizards in silent formation—was Crota. Or rather, a wisp of him.

Unmoving. Asleep. Resting in the tomb that once served as a war throne.

Void's brow furrowed. Suddenly, things began to fall into place.

"Omnigul. You think she got distracted because she's busy trying to keep Crota safe?" Void muttered.

~Indeed. The prince of ruin slumbers. But his insidious will still keeps watch~

"Looks like that curtain wasn't to keep people out. It was to keep Crota asleep. To let him recover."

He clenched his jaw, taking a step back from the ledge. But then—something flickered. A faint glint in the distance, nestled inside a fracture in the cliffs.

Void's eyes strained as he looked closer.

What he saw, was an old and abandoned colony base. An outpost at the far ends of the Ocean of storms. One overrun by moon dust, meteors and wretched magic.

He cursed under his breath. The last time he'd come to Ocean of Storms was to fight a war, so he nearly forgot it existed.

"The place where it all began." Void raised his brows as he recalled the first ever human outpost on the Lunar surface.

"The Anchor of Light." Void uttered, "Obsidian, what's the status on that outpost?"

Obsidian flittered to his side, his eye pulsing with faint light, "Anchor of Light. Outpost went off grid centuries ago. But, considering its construction, it probably had enough power to keep running."

"Check for sensors, any data we can collect?" Void rubbed his chin.

"Hmm. The outpost was originally made for surveying the Lunar surface. Looks like it might have telemetry. If we can access those records-" Obsidian calculated.

"Then we'll probably be able to retrace Hive movements across the surface. It might just be worthwhile." Void's eyes gleamed, but then he frowned.

Void looked towards the outpost again, something stirred in the distance. He locked onto the swirling energies that danced across the outpost. But, that wasn't Hive.

With a jolt, he turned and bolted. Dust sprayed behind him as he sprinted across the Moon's surface.

"You saw that too?" Void asked, darting.

Obsidian's voice crackled. "Energy readings inconsistent with Hive signatures. Structure reactivated… recently."

"Who's there?"

"Unknown. No idea, we'll need a closer look."

Void nodded, flickering as he appeared atop the Anchor's outer scaffolding. Void hopped down and breached the facility perimeter.

As he walked towards the door, the sensor triggered, and the door softly hissed open.

"Guess the base really does have power." Void stepped inside.

The inner halls of the outpost were trashed. The floors were torn out, the outer metal plating had long since eroded, most of the structure was at the brink of collapse, but the core still remained.

Void walked ahead, his hands brushed against the golden age walls. They were scorched, some were clawed and some looked to be dismantled. The corridor also seemed aged, sections of it lit only by flickering emergency lights.

The halls were quiet.

Too quiet. And as he walked down, Void could see the shadows shift behind him.

'Somebody's definitely here.' He noted. But his instincts told him there wasn't much to fear. Not right now.

Obsidian drifted ahead scanning constantly. "Still registering bio-signs. Odd frequency… similar to Fallen. But…" he paused, "wrong."

Void's shoulders stiffened, "Fallen?"

He racked his brain, were there any Fallen foolish enough to try nesting on the Moon?. He could barely recall.

He swept through empty chambers, his steps echoing. Nothing but dust and rusted terminals.

Finally, he reached the central control room. Somehow it was still mostly intact.

He gestured. "Lets pull logs. Aim for the last two weeks or so. We'll have enough with that duration/"

Obsidian's eye flickered as he plugged into the terminal.

"Working. Last update: seven days ago. Triggered by infra-red motion arrays near Hellmouth. Logs indicate multiple small-scale presences."

"Any data on—"

But before he could finish, Obsidian cut him off. "Something's coming. Bio signals are approach us fast."

Void sighed. He unsheathed his blade.

"Figures."

The room hissed. Doors slid open. Then a skittering noise filled the room. claws clacking against metal. Broken breathing filled the chamber as a dozen Exile Eliksni slithered inside, crawling on limbs that twitched unnaturally.

Their armor was corrupted. Welded with scrap. Their eyes gleamed with erratic hunger. One, larger than the rest—a Captain—stepped forward. A jagged arc shotgun clenched in his twitching hands.

He locked eyes with Void.

Then growled.

Void stepped forward, loose and relaxed as he lowered his blade. Pale arcs of light sparked around his shoulders.

The Captain pumped his shotgun. His troops aimed, twitching in place.

Void raised a single hand and pointed his thumb backward—like he was gesturing behind him. The Captain's brow twitched, he paused, slowly looking back.

"Dumbass."

In a blink, he streaked through them. Lightning cracked as Void swung, cleaving apart the swarm. Void darted towards the surviving Fallen. Slicing them to pieces before they could even blink.

He reappeared in the center of the room, standing amid falling bodies. The Captain roared, and fired wildly, spinning in panic. But he hit nothing. As his vision settled all he saw were just shadows.

His breathing grew frantic as his eyes darted around the room.

Then—tap.

A light touch on his shoulder.

He turned again—and Void was leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

The Captain snarled, raising his weapon—

But Void simply pointed behind him.

But the Captain didn't flinch, and opened fire.

Then-

Zamyr's illusion exploded into reality behind him. A phantom blade tore through the Captain's thoughts, flooding his mind with horror. He staggered—then collapsed, unconscious, twitching.

Void flickered away, exhaled and shrugged, dusting a bit of ash off his cloak, "Really should've listened."

The room went still. The last flickers of Zamyr's power dissipated into the dark.

Obsidian floated down slowly. "Got all the logs. There's a lot to extract. But first, I did find something, interesting."

He projected a holo-map, showing a unique structure close to the Anchor of Light.

"This, weird place There's a lot of activity detected at its perimeter. I'd say that in the last few weeks, the Hive practically huddled around it. If we're trying to find out what they're up to, this has to be the place" Obsidian hummed.

Void raised a brow as he inspected it. A thought flashed in his mind as he recalled what this place was. 'Temple of Crota.'

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[Temple of Crota, Ocean of Storms]

A grim silence had gripped the lunar surface. The horizon had turned dark, clouded by a wicked viridian tide that seemed to hover above Hellmouth. The tide stirred, and thundered akin to a brewing storm. Chains made of sickly green flames whipped at its sides.

But despite all this, there was no sound.

A lull had captured the moon. Even the winds had stopped howling, afraid they'd disturb the slumber of the prince of ruin. As if the world itself had gone quiet, or rather it had been silenced.

Only the soft crunch of Void's boots against the chalky dust seemed to echo for miles.

Each step he took, felt heavier than the last. And as he approached the entrance to the Temple of Crota, a chill ran down Void's spine. The archaic temple loomed ahead like a scar cut into the world—carved into the wide maw of two adjacent cliffs.

A monolithic gate locked the front, resemble a locked jaw, with a mouth filled with jagged onyx teeth. The closer Void got, the more it resembled something that wanted to devour him.

"Talk about a design choice." Void took a short breath.

Void halted a few meters from the gate. His eyes traced its contours as he recognized the wicked artistry of it. It was no coincidence. The gate was made, as if every soul that entered was walking willingly into the belly of a beast.

~Amusing, we face the cradle of ruin itself. It is as harrowing as I had expected~ Zamyr chuckled.

Void shook his head, "Only you could appreciate this horrific look."

Zamyr smiled and flashed a fanged grin, his face forming beside Void's ~What is it they say? Art is subjective, O brother mine~

"Tsk. Your face is as creepy as that gate." Void clicked his tongue and walked closer to the gate.

~Take that back!~ Zamyr barked, but Void grabbed the hilt of his sword, and pushed it into the sheathe, cutting off the Ahamkara's voice.

Void took another breath. The air was thin, stale, and soaked with age-old magic.

He exhaled and vanished.

His form shimmered, cloaking itself in shadow as he activated his Light. The familiar sensation of weightlessness wrapped around him as he prowled forward.

Void moved through the Temple's maw, his form consumed by the darkness inside. Void walked forward, his eyes gleamed as he adjusted to the dark. Then, his descent into the lair of ruin began.

He moved down ancient spiraling stairs that seemed to never end, each step echoing softly into the deep. Faint green flames flickered from old sconces, illuminating narrow hallways laced with Hive runes.

The air grew colder as he continued underground.

Void continued, still trotting down the steps. The faint green flames flickered again.

Time passed. Void walked the steps, descending till the air seemed to grow denser. Till the Lunar soil changed to a murky blood soaked shade of red. He descended till the last ray of light seemed to dissipate into the dark.

Then, he saw green flames flicker ahead.

Void continued, and walked till he was sure he couldn't descend any further, till even the dark itself seemed to hesitate. He walked, till time itself betrayed his senses. He walked till he was forgotten.

Till he was older. Till he was but a pile of bones. Till he was but a wisp of a soul.

Till he took his last step. Then, everything changed.

~Brother~

A sharp whisper filled the abyss beside him and a phantom wrapped around his figure. It called again, but the voice seemed muddy. He couldn't understand a word it said, but it seemed to beckon him.

Void paused. A jolt ran through him, his eyes widened. His chest heaved as the air rushed to his lungs. A burning knot formed in his stomach as he dropped to his knees. His mind reeled, and then, life came rushing back.

Void hitched a breath, "What....happened."

"Void!" Obsidian barked flittering with urgency, "Are you okay?"

Void's vision grew clear as he hastily got to his feet, a burning headache pulsed through his skull.

Zamyr grunted grimly, ~A wicked spell that one.~

"Did we get caught?" Void pinched his forehead.

Obsidian replied, "No. We were descending normally. But you seemed dizzy. Then, you just stood still and your eyes rolled back. As if-"

~As if you'd seen death itself~ Zamyr continued, ~It was a bewitching spell. You were caught in it the moment you saw those flames.~

"I thought I could see the magic, what happened." Void frowned and pressed the side of his head.

~The dark's blessing is strong here. Energies have intertwined and are indistinguishable. As it seems, your sight is of no use against the oldest of magic~ Zamyr replied.

Void nodded, "How'd you get me out?"

~Once the spell activated, it was a simple matter to break it, I just absorbed the flames. But to avoid it entirely is a challenge~ Zamyr answered quietly.

Void looked ahead, the green flames had indeed vanished. This time he walked forward with caution. He passed from shadow to shadow, hiding perfectly.

Moments later Void passed through ancient galleries and hollow stone chambers marked with ritual scars.

"This place wasn't just a stronghold," he muttered, his voice low.

Obsidian hovered beside him, scanning passively. "Mapping shows an interconnected series of structures. Passageways, a lot of narrow passageways. No human could fit into those."

"So it's a network," Void said. "And this was the hub."

Indeed, the Temple of Crota wasn't just a shrine—it was a spider at the center of the Hive's lunar web. A central junction buried under centuries of ash and fear.

Void pressed forward. His instincts flared as he blended into shadow, and send Obsidian away.

An instant later, legions of Acolytes passed by, digging through the tunnels, clicking and hissing. But none noticed him. Their senses dulled to anything not drenched in Hive magic.

Void stayed silent.

He wove through them, like wind through a ruin, moving deeper until he arrived at a large junction chamber. It was a sinister chamber, carved beautifully into volcanic moon rock. At the chambers end, were ancient tunnels that branched outward like roots stretching into the dark.

"Obsidian," he whispered. "Keep mapping. Get everything."

"On it."

Void studied the paths. One seethed with activity—ritual magic and heat signatures. Another reeked of blood and chittering. The last was quiet. Too quiet.

Void's eyes narrowed. He followed it.

The path led into a large hall, filled with strange stone pillars covered with wax and blood.

As he walked inside, he realized what the place was. It was a catacomb—massive open, and filled with tombs sealed in ancient Hive wax and stone.

Void slowed, eyes sweeping the chamber. Large black crystals jutted from the walls. Each tomb was flanked by bone-carved obelisks inscribed with Hive incantations.

"Didn't think the Hive buried their dead." he muttered.

Zamyr's voice echoed in his ear.

~A ritual. Their rest is wicked. They sleep only to be used again.~

Void's senses tingled, he felt something watching him for an instant, and just then the presence stirred, fleeing deeper into the dark.

"Something saw me!" Void's senses flared.

~Find it, Omnigul must not know we are here.~ Zamyr growled.

Void's body snapped to motion, he darted and rounded a corner, then saw it—hovering in the shadows. A creature cloaked in billowing rags of bone and ethereal flame.

Vurok, Spawn of Eir.

Its presence was oppressive, its eyes aglow with necrotic light.

Void's interface lit up. A mission prompt snapped into his vision.

-

Special Mission: Toll the Dead!
Objective: Defeat Vurok, Eir Spawn before it contacts the Ascendant Omnigul!
Rewards: +1 Light Mastery Level.
Remarks: Nothing personal, just business. Let em have it!

-

Void's eyes narrowed. "Zamyr, that dog is summoning!"

Then Vurok raised its staff. The catacombs began to tremble as Void shielded his face. A haunting, otherworldly dirge filled the air. It vibrated through stone seeking to leak out.

But the air ruptured and pale light filled the catacombs. The spell flickered, as Void unsheathed his blade. An Ahamkara's phantom flared to life and shrieked!

Zamy'r phantom tore through the weave of magic.

Vurok panicked, seeing its spell destroyed so easily, the Hive wizard roared, sending out dark miasma as it sought to escape.

Void darted to the side, cleaving through the miasma, he jolted forwards, zipping towards Vurok. Void flickered, an inch away from Vurok's face as he swung his sword.

The blade clashed against an onyx shield as Vurok flung him back. Vurok unleashed his magic. The catacombs trembled again, but this, it was different.

The mummified Wizards began to writhe in their tombs. Cracks split the wax and stone. Then—with a horrifying wail—they burst free.

Dozens of undead Hive Wizards floated upward, bound by Vurok's cries. Their eyes glowed with unnatural fury.

"Son of a bit*h", Void readied his blade, lightning wreathed around him as he used his light to the extreme.

Vurok flew up, hurling a sphere of sickly green energy. The Hive wizards followed, conjuring chains of that slithered toward him, seeking to bind his limbs.

Void vanished mid-dodge, flickering past a column as lightning surged in his veins. He dashed left, zipped right and swung, cutting down a charging wizard with a clean upward slash. But the rest kept coming.

More spells. More chains. The ground buckled.

Knights formed in the far chamber. Gate spells crackled.

Zamyr screamed in his mind. ~Do it, now!~

Void growled, slashing through a wave of chains. He dashed between pillars, his sword lighting the dark.

"I KNOW."

A blast from Vurok barely grazed his side. Void stumbled. He looked up, his eyes darted from side to side.

Twenty Hive Wizards loomed ahead, led by Vurok. As they raised their palms, wicked green fire conjured on their palms.

Void grit his teeth, the storm inside him swelled. He snapped his blade to the ground., glowing arcs of lightning snapped across its surface.

Void lunged forward, blade roaring like a storm. He cleaved through the first wave, then the second. Each swing tore through souls, ripping energy from the Wizards and feeding Zamyr.

Vurok screeched, the wizards followed, launching spell after spell—but Void didn't stop.

He leapt, spiraling mid-air. Arc trails followed him. The blade crashed down.

A tremor exploded across the chamber. The catacomb's floor cracked. With each swing of his blade, Void killed the wizards, and their souls were consumed by Zamyr's hunger.

Vurok staggered, momentarily stunned as he saw the Ahamkara's phantom coming to life.

Void dashed in. A pale light surged around him. Shadow and dust arced around his blade as he swung.

The world shattered, light and dark coalesced as Zamyr roared, a crushing shockwave spread outwards. The blades tide struck Vurok, and the wizard et out a shriek of pure rage before collapsing into dust and shadow.

As the tremors died down, the hive magic finally dissipated.

Void stood alone, sword humming quietly. He panted for breaths, and dug his blade into the ground, supporting himself. Void looked up, and the system's screen flashed.

[Mission Complete!]

[Applying rewards.....]

[Light Mastery (Lv1 --> Lv2) !]

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As the final tremor subsided, Void heaved a breath. The air was heavy, but it no longer resisted him. He stood amidst the remnants of what had once been a hive of death, now reduced to silence and ash.

Void flexed his hand and looked up, reading his status screen.

-

{Legendary Guardian System}

Name: Void Blade

Level: 40 (Max Lv.) (Restricted)

Light Level: 248

Subclass: Bladedancer (Lv 2/10) (Arc Blade)| Nightstalker Shadowfiend (Lv 10/10) (Shadowshot Deadfall/Spectral Blades)

[Weapons]:

Primary: Vestian Dynasty (Sidearm)

Secondary: Grimm Citizen III (Auto Rifle)

Heavy: Zamyr's Requiem (Sword)

[Gear]:

Helmet: Skull of Bones (220 LL)

Grips: Young Ahamkara Spine (214 LL)

Chest: Vest of the Great Hunt (220 LL)

Strides: Boots of Eao (224 LL)

Class Item: Cloak of the Great Hunt (230 LL)

=

Combat Perks: (10 Unlocked)

~Spectral Mastery: During combat, move with a flurry of dashes, your figure flickers, confusing your enemies.

~Spectral Shade: In combat, enemies have a higher probability of losing your presence if you break line of sight.

~Sixth Sense: As a hunter, you're able to sense danger a fraction of a second before it occurs.

~ Dagger mastery: As a skilled blade master you're able to masterfully wield daggers whether it is in long or short range encounters.

~Void Imbalance: Grenades are likely to explode immediately when shot with void weapons or void energy.

~Acrobats Dodge: Masterfully dodge your opponents, successful attack dodges allow instant counters and parries.

~Advanced Agility: You move fast guardian!

~Triple Jump: Jump twice in the air using an intermediate mastery of light.

~Gilded Blade: Your melee attacks have a chance to trigger void singe on champion enemies

~Void Sense: Your glare pierces through the enemies, revealing their weaknesses, highlighting critical spots.

[Passive Perks]: (4 unlocked)

~Times Tempo

Remarks: Just when it matters most, time's tempo randomly matches your own.

~ Crafting Lv. 5/10

Remarks: Mediocre, but at least something.

~ True Sight Lv. Max

Remarks: Perceive the world for what it is, perception is immune to mental and psychological attacks. Your gaze pierces through the unknown.

~Light Mastery Lv 2/10

Remarks: Master yourself, master the enemy. For now, thy meagre mastery is not worth mentioning.

-

'Light mastery finally went up.' Void smiled, and a sudden jolt ran through his hand.

[Your Light Mastery has increased!]

[The lightning responds to your stronger mastery!]

[Blade dancer Lv2 --> Lv3]

Arcs of lightning sparked across his fingers, dancing with fluid grace. Void stared at his hand, slightly surprised.

[Melee Ability: Thundering Strike unlocked!]

He raised his palm and flicked his fingers outward—six bolts of pure electricity lanced out from his hand and struck a far-off wall, searing molten cracks across its surface.

"That's new." Void smiled.

A deep pulse from Zamyr resonated through him, something between satisfaction and hunger sated—for now. With each soul taken, the blade grew, not just in power but in awareness. Its presence was more palpable, and oddly calmer, as if the souls had momentarily appeased its endless appetite.

~We shouldn't linger too long. I've hidden the traces of battle. But Omnigul is still vigilant~

"Got it, where are we going next?" Void sheathed the sword. Lightning still flickered faintly along his forearm, reluctant to fade entirely.

Obsidian flittered beside him as he continued to analyze the internal structure of the Catacombs, "These catacombs really are fascinating. Half of this stuff is older than the golden age itself. To think the Hive where here for so long. But stayed dormant."

"Not that surprised, all they do is sleep underground till its time to show up." Void shrugged, looking around for a way forwards, "Any of these halls lead anywhere?"

"Hmm, looks like this place was constructure like an inverted spire. The deeper we go, the more places to explore. " Obsidian's eye pulsed as he analyzed the construction again, this time mapping out the possible exits.

"There is a place to go. But, looks like its sealed up." Obsidian floated towards a wall nestled between the pillars of stone, "Strange, there is an empty space behind this, but the walls been reconstructed."

Void walked over and brushed his hand against the wall, "Seems a bit sturdy. You sure there's something back here?"

"Positive, echo-location reveals that there's a maze of chambers further down. It seems to be a large area." Obsidian nodded.

"Alright then." Void balled his fist and prepared to swing as lightning wrapped around his hand, "Are we free to make some noise?"

~I'll take care of it~ Zamyr replied.

-

[Core, Hellmouth]

Situated at the core of the necropolis, beneath the inverted cathedral carved of onyx bone, was a chamber even light dared not reach, a chamber where the dark itself seemed to reel in fright.

Cracked rock glowed faintly with unholy green light. Black rot dripped from the ceiling in slow, viscous strands, collecting in pools that shimmered with whispers. Floating at the center, pulsing with a low, eternal heartbeat, was a massive crystal sarcophagus.

Inside it, was a small shimmering light. A soul. Or rather, a wisp of it, one that connected the ascendant plan to the mortal realm.

Eerie shadows seemed to gather around the crystal, as if nurturing it from the dark. Naturally, the soul inside the crystal was Crota.

The Prince of Ruin had entered a slumber and gone back to his throne world in order to recover. The war had taken a toll on him. Though he hadn't planned on acting himself, his extended use of his powers, coupled with the loss of tithes to the deathsong was a devastating blow.

The Hive gathered strength through sword logic, and tithes. Without souls to claim, the prince of ruin had exhausted his mortal might.

Within the crystal, his towering form lay dormant, arms crossed over his chest. A faint rhythm beat from within him—slow, but unmistakable. The heartbeat of a prince not yet dead. Not yet awake.

And beside him…

She stood.

Omnigul.

The Ascendant Witch. Consort to Crota, disciple of the Worldbreaker, harbinger of screams.

Her ethereal shroud drifted unnaturally around her, carrying whispers of her king from the ascendant plane that twisted even the stillness of the air. Crota's voice echoed in her ears, and she obeyed.

She circled the crystal like a vulture watching over its sacred carrion. Her clawed hands hovered over the surface, drawing sigils in the air with gestures older than memory.

Green flames followed her fingers, drawn to the crystal as she carefully renewed warding spells and protective incantations.

Her voice, when it came, was like a blade dragging across stone.

"Nothing will touch you, my prince. The veil will hold. The light shall not reach you."

Her words were not worship, nor were they commands. They were oaths. Binding and unshakable. There was no room for doubt in her ritual. For her, Crota was everything. For her, he would one day be king.

She could afford no mistakes in caring for the prince.

And yet—something stirred.

There was a flutter in her perception.

Something unseen… brushing against her awareness. Her body froze mid-motion.

Her head snapped toward the high archway at the far end of the chamber. Her eyes gleamed with wicked magic as her gaze pierced through space and searched the dark. Nothing could block her perception. Without a doubt, the entire lunar surface answered to her magic.

Yet she saw nothing. She could see no intruders, she could hear no footsteps. But why did her instincts deny it? Why was her magic telling her otherwise? Omnigul continued weaving spells as she caressed the crystal.

Still, her fingers tensed. The ritual paused.

Something was wrong.

Not near—no, not here. Somewhere else. There was a disruption. It was unmistakable, she was sure of it.

As for what it was? She didn't know. It was almost as if an invisible hand had twisted the flow of fate, clouding what should have been seen. Her mind reached through the Ascendant tether, attempting to discern the source.

But it was like staring at a hole cut into reality.

'It hides…The world hides it.' The thought echoed endlessly in her mind.

She didn't understand. No, she couldn't understand. It, was beyond her.

Not because it was strong. Not because it was distant. But because it was something else. Something beyond perception, beyond understanding, beyond reality. As if the entire world sought nothing but to scheme against her.

A spark of fury ignited in her chest. But she quelled it just as fast. But then an eerie voice boomed in her mind, she stumbled.

'My prince.'

Not now.

No.

It was not her concern.

She turned back to the crystal, resuming her motion, letting the sensation fade.

Her focus was absolute. Whatever strange existence wandered the lunar surface above was not worth diverting her wrath.

Not when Crota slept so close to awakening. Not when his return would rend the Light from the world in waves of ruin and fire. She would not fail him.

She could not.

And so Omnigul watched.

And the heartbeat continued.
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Void raised his hand, lightning dancing across his fingertips. With a sharp exhale, he thrust his fist forward.

Crack.

The stone groaned violently as Void's thundering strike ruptured it from its center. A web of glowing fractures spread across the surface before it shattered entirely.

Dust and debris collapsed inward, revealing a set of stairs carved from lunar rock, spiraling down into the abyss below. Cold air leaked out of the opening, spreading a sickly chill that seemed to seep into his skin through the armor.

He shivered slightly.

Void rubbed his hands together as he exhaled, his breath condensing to a white fog as it scattered. Void walked forward, and descended. Step by step, he continued downwards.

Obsidian followed behind him in silent vigilance, occasionally scanning the structure, silently pulsing with curiosity.

The deeper Void went, the quieter it became—until even the sound of his own footsteps seemed to fade into the dark.

Eventually, the spiraling steps seemed to end, replaced by a marbled floor and an opening that seemed to stretch into the distance.

Void eyes widened as he arrived at a massive chamber, so vast it disappeared into darkness in every direction. The floor was flattened into blackened stone, the walls of the chamber were hollowed out, replaced by archaic ledges.

Void stumbled forward, gazing in awe as his attention went towards the towering walls. They stretched up higher than he could see, each one carved with recessed grooves forming thousands upon thousands of shelves. And on those shelves, he saw it.

'Scrolls. Millions of them.' Void's brows furrowed.

He approached cautiously, each step echoing into the abyss ahead, his presence itself felt like a challenge to the silence. Void reached the rocky shelves, and as he stood before them, his eyes flickered.

The scroll, was breathing. He could see it. He was sure of it. It was as if the scroll itself was alive.

"What...is this?" Void placed his hand on the shelf, softly brushing through the dust caking the scroll's parchment.

But as his fingers brushed the tanned and bruised parchment of the scroll. A sudden chill jolted through his chest, eerie whispers echoed in his ears, his throat dried up, his fingers twitched, his hands trembled.

"Ungh!" He jerked his hand back, heaving a soft breath as he recalled the sensation on his fingers.

The scrolls were made of something not quite parchment—tanned, twisted, and strangely pulsing. Its surface felt like a mix of leather and something wrong. Void examined it closer, carved into it were runes, ancient and unsettling.

"Scan the scrolls." Void rubbed his finger as he glanced at the pulsing scrolls.

Obsidian scanned it but stuttered. "The symbols aren't in any of the city's archives. This, is a language. But It's older than old. It's beyond ancient. There's not a record of a language like this that we know of."

Void nodded as he took another look at the runes etched into the odd parchment.

Then, Zamyr stirred.

~That's because it's not meant to be read~

The voice curling around Void, ~This, is the language of the soul.~

Void raised a brow, "The soul. But if its still a language, that means we can decipher it, can we not?"

Zamyr chuckled as if he'd heard a ridiculous notion.

~The language of souls stands through time. Nothing can break it. It does not need deciphering. You must experience it yourself.~ Zamyr's voice faded as a pale light curled around the scroll, nudging it outwards.

~Feed it. Just a flicker. Let the Light kiss the surface~

Void hesitated. Then, cautiously, he held out his hand and let a tiny arc of Light crackle from his palm into the scroll.

The effect was immediate. The scroll shimmered, dark energy fogged up from its surface like smoke from embers. The runes detached from the scroll and coiled around Void's form in concentric spirals. He stiffened as a flood of images surged into his mind.

Void's breath quickened. His eyes, teared with blood. He reached to wipe his tears, but then his vision flickered.

He wasn't standing in the World's Grave anymore.

His vision blurred into chaos. Fires raged across alien skies. Cities crumbled. Great ships fell like dying stars. Species he had never seen were being slaughtered, enslaved, or annihilated.

His heart pounded. Void whipped around to see a legion sauntering towards him. The earth trembled as they walked. The air stirred with their magic, and as the unsheathed their blades, life itself quivered with fear.

The vision continued.

The Hive marched—unyielding, methodical, ravenous. Void watched how they evolved, how they fought through sheer brutality, not only surviving their conquests but transforming through them, growing stronger by killing.

Void watched them, conquer and decimate the stars of the galaxy. Going from world to world, laying ruin to them all. The images seeped into his mind, etching them into his psyche.

A crushing headache pulsed as he was thrown out, his vision blurred again. Void winced in pain, the world flickered.

He was back.

The scroll had shown him just one of their worlds. One galaxy, one extinction.

And it was only a sliver.

Void gasped, staggering back as the scroll floated to the shelf like nothing had happened.

He stood in silence, shaken.

Zamyr was the one to say it first.

~You've found it. The World's Grave.~

Void looked up.

Endless scrolls. Each one, a story. Each one, a star the Hive had extinguished.

"The greatest archive the Hive have ever built. To think we found it so fast." A grim look colored his face. What he remember of the World's Grave, was nothing like reality.

Void rubbed his finger again, his eyes darkening as his thoughts stirred. "That scroll. It was carved onto skin wasn't it?"

~Indeed, O brother mine~

This place wasn't just an archive. It was the sum total of the Hive's truth. Their Sword Logic immortalized—every victory, every conquest, every betrayal etched into the very skin of their victims. A vast library of genocide. Of ideology. Of power.

Void stared at the countless shelves before him. His thoughts raced again as he realized what the World's Grave represented.

Every scroll might hold knowledge about Hive rituals, secrets, structures. And maybe, just maybe even their weaknesses. Void's eyes gleamed, a flicker of hope bloomed in them. Perhaps, the world's grave would give birth be very place that spelled the Hive's demise.

Perhaps, something beyond death would spell the ruin of the undead.

"To think the Hive really wrote of everything they've ever done" Void whispered.

Obsidian flickered. "Should we… document it?"

"Everything," Void said. "As much as we can."

Zamyr hummed. ~Be cautious. Not every scroll has history. This is sacred ground to them.~

"Which makes it even more important we steal it. If we're lucky, we might just find their plans." Void nodded.

He moved quickly, scanning shelf after shelf. Some scrolls pulsed with magic too thick to touch. Others felt dormant, cold, long forgotten. But many responded to his presence. He began selecting them, laying them out in rows. Obsidian floated over each, creating digital imprints, analyzing aura density, tagging for translation later.

Then Void paused.

"We'll need to find the scrolls related to earth too." He said. "Look for anything they have on us."

Zamyr nodded as his presence scattered through the archive, looking for even a sliver of knowledge that the Hive had hidden.

For hours—maybe days—he poured through them. Each Light-fed scroll assaulted his mind with a new history. One showed the Hive's first attempts to infiltrate the Sol system, thwarted by a Vex force they couldn't overpower. Another revealed the original rituals performed in the Hellmouth during its construction on the moon.

Another depicted the carving of a Hive rune deep in the Martian mountains—an anchor point for dark travel.

Scroll after scroll. Vision after vision. Void began to piece together something larger. Rather, he began to finally cement what he already knew.

The Hive didn't act randomly. They followed specific plans. Every step they took was calculated centuries in advance.

This was strategy. They were never as mindless as everyone had thought. Rather, their plans had always stretched for centuries, never making sense in the short term.

He grit his teeth and kept going. But his eyes scanned the dark. Darting from corner to corner.

At one point, Zamyr's voice cut through his focus. ~You're looking for the Keeper, aren't you.~

Void paused.

'Yes.'

From what he remembered, the World's Grave was not unguarded. Somewhere within its maze of records was a singular Knight—immortal, eternal, silent. The one responsible for organizing the scrolls. A witness to all things.

But Void had seen no sign of him.

"Why hasn't he shown up?" Void asked.

~Because you haven't broken the rules yet~ Zamyr replied coolly.

Void frowned. "Rules?"

~You've been watching. Observing. With the Knight not being able to distinguish your presence, he thinks of you as just another wretched wizard, here for knowledge. But the moment you take something from this place… really take it—~

Zamyr left the rest unsaid.

Void glanced at the shelves again. So many truths, hidden in flesh and spell.

He turned to Obsidian.

"Keep scanning. Prioritize Earth-related records. Anything with lunar glyphs, Cosmodrome alignments, or Traveler sigils."

Obsidian nodded.

And so, Void worked.

And worked.

And worked.

He didn't sleep. He didn't eat. The World's Grave offered no comfort, no passage of time. Only an unending cold. A silence broken only by the quiet whisper of unraveling scrolls and the ghostly memories of species long gone.

Void's armor grew stained with the dust of bones and blood. His eyes hollowed from too many visions. But he kept going.

Every insight he gathered brought clarity. With the timelines shifted from its axis, this was the only way to make sure he was on the right track.

Every scroll he watched deepened his understanding—not only of Hive sorcery, but of their psychology. Their religion. Their inevitable trajectory.

He would understand this knowledge. Truly understand it. Make it his own.

And when the Hive came again? He would be ready.
=
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[Writers-Ablood]

[Tower, Last City]

Ikorra's eyes darted back to the terminal again.

The soft glow of the message feed bathed her face in flickers. Her fingers hovered over the control keys, but there was nothing new. Just the same final ping they had received from Void's ship entering lunar orbit.

Her eyes narrowed, as she tapped the screen, hoping for it somehow make a difference. But as the data remain unchanged, Ikorra's face seemed to pale.

"You're gonna wear a hole in that console if you keep staring at it like that," Cayde said from behind, arms folded, his voice laced with that usual blend of dry humor and concern.

Ikorra didn't look away. "It's been four days."

Cayde stepped closer. "You said yourself that he's reliable. He's probably the only one who can do this."

"Besides." Cayde paused, leaning forwards as he too sneaked a glance at the console, "He made it through that horrific war without a scratch, went toe to toe with that abomination with a sword."

He chuckled softly, "I think he's fine."

"This is different," she replied, finally turning. "He wasn't supposed to go silent."

Zavala's footsteps echoed softly through the command chamber as he approached, a data pad in hand. His face was more stern than usual. "There's no trace of his ship on any of the long-range scanners. No outbound transmissions. No sign of engagement. It's like he… disappeared."

Ikorra's jaw clenched. "He didn't disappear. He's either buried under a Hive tomb or he's deep enough to not risk comms. But either way, we can't just wait."

Zavala exhaled slowly, then nodded. "Agreed."

Cayde's quip was gone now. He looked between the two. "You're really thinking of sending someone?"

"Wasn't the whole gist that it was too dangerous? Come on people, have some faith!" Cayde spoke up as he tapped the table loudly.

"Fine." Ikorra said. "We won't go ourselves. But sending the New Lights to check in is fine isn't it? They're capable. Just have them search for his signal. Nothing too deep."

Zavala's eyes narrowed as he considered it. "If Void really has been compromised, they might be our only chance. But we need to keep this quiet. If the Nightstalkers find out that he's on the moon, they'd launch a full-blown search party. We can't afford too many squads on the moon."

"Then we do it fast," Ikorra said, already turning back to her terminal. "I'll prep the intel package. You issue the mission. And Cayde… promise them some loot, something that'll help them keep it on the low."

Cayde smiled. "Always do."

Zavala's deep voice filled the chamber as he turned toward the central broadcast hub. "To all New Light operatives. A Vanguard asset is currently missing in action after deploying to the Moon to investigate Hive movement. Signal has been lost. Mission parameters: locate the operative, secure intel. Moon deployment now authorized. Stand by… and keep your eyes open, Guardian. The Moon, is not a simple place."

Zavala's voice echoed over the Vanguard's holo table as the mission parameters were sent to hundreds of ghosts at once.

-

[The Cosmodrome | Mothyards Outpost]

A cloud of dust kicked up as BearSpray slammed his sparrow into a half-ruined wall as he tried to boost onto a ramp, prompting a series of laughter and exasperated shouting from the others.

"Bro, that's the third try you've done. Give up." Dumbledore groaned.

"I swear I saw it! I am telling you, its just the speed. You gotta get it right. The alignment is also important. I think its wrong." BearSpray muttered, dusting off his armor.

"Maybe it's your brains alignment," Waffles snorted as she leaned against the cliff face.

"Look, believe it or not, you ride your sparrow onto that ramp, drive up and then jump, you'll get to the top of the cliff." BearSpray

"Okay, where the hell did you even see it?" TheOneWhoKnocks asked, his helmet tilted toward the sky.

"FreakyFeet, I saw that sneaky bastard do the trick, think I even heard a chest open at the top. Look bro, there's definitely something up there." BearSpray pointed to the cliff's top. The edge was just out of their jump range.

"FreakyFeet? Nah bro give up, you ain't freaky like him." Undecided shook his head.

"Relax, I'll do it. One more try. No cap." BearSpray summoned his sparrow again, circling back to a clearing so he could build up speed.

"Full cap, that man there is mentally challenged." Waffles grunted and opened the director, looking for something to do.

"Yeah, well," IEatPaint replied, "Not like we got something else right now. No new strikes, no missions. Bounties are already full for this week."

"Notice how you didn't say crucible?" Undecided pointed out, checking his loadout screen.

IEatPaint retorted, "Clash 6v6 is the bottom of the barrel. You dogs just spawn camp."

"Still better than patrol farming," muttered IloveLoot as he checked his glimmer totals.

LeroyJenkins laughed. "Y'all say that but I saw you spawn kill the same Fallen captain like four times."

"Dude, it says there's a chance he'll drop a legendary leg armor." TheOneWhoKnocks shrugged.

Suddenly, a sharp ping rang across all their HUDs. The light dimmed slightly as a message began to scroll across their vision.

-

[New Mission Unlocked: Shadow's Wake]
Objective: Help gather intel and track down a missing Vanguard asset deep in the Hive's territory.
Recommended: Lv (15)
Location: Ocean of Storms, Moon

-

They all stopped moving.

Waffles blinked. "Wait. We can go to the Moon now?"

ThunderClappin whistled. "Finally. The director always had the moon written on the map, but looks like its unlocked now."

"Yo, is that a cutscene—?" LeroyJenkins asked, hovering over the moon on the Director.

The moon's icon glowed faintly, pulsing as they hovered over it. A small star icon was placed on top with a Destiny icon on the side.

"Looks like they marked it down as a story mission. I guess we start it now." Dumbledore nodded.

"Sure, where's Gandalf?" Undecided replied.

"Real. Prob still at school." BearSpray answered.

"He's IN SCHOOL?" TheOneWhoKnocks raised a brow.

Undecided shrugged, "Huh? I mean yeah, dude's like fifteen."

"He's WHAT!" Waffles immediately spoke up.

"What? How old are you dude?" BearSpray questionned.

"I'd rather not say." Waffles clicked her tongue and sent a fireteam invite to IEatPaint and TheOneWhoKnocks.

"So we doing this without him or?" Undecided looked around.

Dumbledore frowned, "I mean I've got work later, so I'd rather do it now."

"Later? What do you even do?" Waffles shot him a glance.

"Don't worry about it."

The players skipped the chatter as they all clicked on the mission.

The sky went dark.

The screen flickered as a scene played.

It opened with a slow pan across the lunar surface. Jagged cliffs, endless shadows. Whispering winds that didn't belong in a vacuum. Something old and hateful slumbered beneath the ground. A heartbeat. Not literal, but felt.

A narrator—Zavala's voice—echoed:

"There are places in our system where the Light does not reach. Places where Darkness thrives. It rules, and its echoes are felt everywhere. As the light grows stronger, so does the dark. And now? It hungers."

The screen shifted, an eerie green flame consumed the horizon as the necropolis of Hellmouth came into view, its foundations stretching deep underground, where a dark and sinister power seemed to stir.

"Be warned, Guardian. What stirs beneath its surface is not just Hive. It is their past. Their faith. Their grave."

Zavala paused, his Voice shifted as it went lower, "The Dark below, is something that threatens to consume the very world as we see it. Keep your eyes sharp guardian, the light cannot afford to lose more than we already have."

The cutscene faded. The player HUD returned.

No one said a word for a second.

"Okay that… was sick," said IEatPaint, breaking the silence.

IloveLoot grinned. "Time to bust some Hive on the Moon."

As their transmats triggered, their fireteams synced.

For a moment, the Mothyards fell quiet as streaks of blue light carried them upward, away from the Cosmodrome and towards orbit. Then, the Jumpships flickered, warping through hyperspace as they shot towards the moon.

"Alright, boys," Dumbledore said. "Let's go."

"I definitely wanna look at that weird castle." Waffles nodded.

As the stars above twisted and the Moon's pale surface began to come into view, their radars blurred. An aurora of sickly green flame seemed to spread around the moon. Just as they had seen.

The Jumpships crept closer to docking on the moon. The music shifted. An orchestra of wails, masked by a sharp and eerie tune played in their eyes. A shive ran through them as the players finally landed on the moon.

Their figures flickered as the fireteams transmatted to the Moon's surface. As they stood atop the ridges of the Ocean of Storms, facing the inverted necropolis of Hellmouth. The players were in awe.
=
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[Writers-Ablood]

=

[World's Grave]

The silence of the World's Grave was absolute.

Only the dry shuffle of Void's boots against ancient stone echoed through the darkness. But ever so often, a pained and frustrated grunt would reverberate across the ancient halls.

Void cursed as he slapped a the roll of parchment away.

The scroll hit the floor beside him and with a defeated sigh Void slumped down against the side of one of the grotesquely-carved bone-walls, exhaling sharply through his teeth.

"There's too many." Void held his head as a jolt of pain pulsed through it, "And none of it is useful!"

There were hundreds, maybe even thousands of scrolls stretched across the nightmarish library , and each was more indecipherable than the last. Obsidian hovered quietly at his side, faintly humming as he floated with a soft blue glow. He'd done all he could to scan them, but the scrolls refused to cooperate with traditional decryption.

The problem was clear. The scrolls weren't written in a readable language at all. They were magic containers, and acted more like compressed, living memories than any script.

To extract their knowledge, Void had to channel a trickle of Light into each one, triggering a playback of its encoded contents. The scroll would then lash his senses with ancient visions and whisper truths no soul was ever meant to hear.

And only after all that could Obsidian record the details as Void dictated to him.

"This is f**king ridiculous" Void muttered, throwing his head back against the wall. "This is the worst archival system in the galaxy."

Zamyr's voice drifted in with a teasing chuckle, ~I don't suppose you took the Hive as esteemed scholars~

Void squinted up at Zamyr's translucent spirit drifting near the high vaults of the chamber.

Zamyr had been quiet for a while, content to observe Void as he read through the scrolls. But now he hovered with more interest, his coiling form weaving through the air like a phantom.

~I'll admit~ Zamyr said, ~I'm rather impressed. You've waded through the filth of Hive memory longer than most would endure. O brother mine.~

Void's eyes gleamed in the low light, fatigue clear under his focused gaze. He exhaled another sigh, "Not much else can be done. I've seen hundreds of their stories now. Their wars. Their ascension rituals. How they… grow." He clenched a hand. "And I think I'm starting to understand their Sword Logic."

Zamyr's expression sharpened, his luminous eyes narrowing with amusement. ~Oh? Do tell.~

Void inhaled, his tone shifting as he leaned forward, energized by a dark curiosity that overpowered his exhaustion.

"It's all about survival," he said. "That much is obvious. But it's more than just surviving. It's about proving. To exist, you must struggle. Weak versus strong. Strong versus stronger. Every challenge is a test, and if you win, you claim the power of your enemy. If you lose, you feed the logic. You become a stepping stone."

Zamyr nodded slowly, his face twisting into an eerie grin.

He whispered as his sharp voice echoed, ~The Hive believe that existence itself is only justified through triumph. They see death not as an end, but as a transaction."

Void raised a brow, "Yeah. I did find that out. But, how do you know that?"

~I know, what you know. Except, I gaze into the branching realities that intertwines with our fate. Before you found out, I was also clueless. But now? I see countless realities of this knowledge. I see, what is unsaid.~

Void slowly nodded understanding how Zamyr's perception worked.

"Oddly, sword logic is something that rewards the soul. Something that can only be achieved when one believes in their own strength. In the end, you must risk your own soul to rightfully through battle."

Zamyr's eyes burned brighter. ~A stark contrast to the Light.~

Void nodded grimly. "The Traveler gives freely. It empowers us without demanding we take anything. Sword Logic says that's weakness. That to accept power is heresy."

He looked up, and rubbed his chin. "If that's the rule, then how do the Hive even see us? Its ironic that we are the abominations to them. We fight, we kill—but we do it with borrowed Light. To them, we're… broken. Liars. Cheats."

Zamyr's voice deepened, a solemn echo rising from his chest. ~And yet you win. That alone challenges their truth. It challenges everything they stand for.~

Zamyr paused, his eyes narrowed. ~And as you already suspect… only a being born of Light, who embraces the Dark, could try to embrace sword logic.~

Void fell silent only replying with a curt nod. The implication hung in the air between them, charged and unspoken.

He shifted the topic. "The magic's harder to grasp. It's not a belief system like the logic—it's… twisted. Messy. A corruption of natural laws."

~Indeed. Their magic is harder to grasp~

The air shifted. A tremor rippled through the World's Grave. The scroll racks rattled faintly. Dust and ash rained from the top of the towering shelves. Void tensed immediately, a shiver ran down his spine as his hand rested on Zamyr's hilt.

Zamyr's tone sharpened, his voice strained ~Something's changed. Omnigul the witch has sensed something.~

Void's eyes narrowed as he looked around. "I haven't triggered any wards. I've been careful."

~Indeed. But its not you, o brother mine~

Zamyrs eyes turned skyward. His phantom shivered as he snuck a peek at the surface.

~The surface stirs. Someone has come!~

Obsidian blinked to life, blinking in rapid diagnostic patterns. "Incoming Hive activity spike detected. Significant surface-level movement. Multiple rituals. High-power signatures."

Void's heart sunk as he kicked off the ground. "What changed?"

Obsidian's voice dipped as his eyes pulsed. "The Vanguard.....looks like the city sent in extraction teams. New Lights."

Void's eyes widened. "What? Now?"

Obsidian spun in a worried arc. "I wasn't monitoring comms, we're too deep to risk detection. But now that the silence is broken, looks like a full fireteam arrived on the moon less than ten minutes ago."

Void cursed under his breath.

Zamyr's phantom stilled, as if he was glancing at something beyond reality, something beyond the seams of the world.

~You must stop this, O brother mine. Omnigul must not leave the fortress, not now.~

Void's stomach twisted he nodded as he felt the urgency in the Ahamkara's voice.

He didn't know what the Ahamkara had seen, but suffice to say, he couldn't let that happen.

A second tremor hit, this one sharper—accompanied by a distant moan of displaced stone. Somewhere above, Hive shrieked.

Void's figure blurred in the dimness, he darted across the halls, rushing to get to the surface.

"Obsidian! Log the location." Void's eyes gleamed with urgency. "We'll come back later."

Void vaulted over bone-formed ledges and bolted through tunnels, shadows clinging to his heels. The winding stairs of the Temple of Crota loomed again ahead. Light flickered on his soles as Void sprang forth with a leap.

-

[Ocean of Storms]

Eight transmats triggered as figures of light appeared onto a slope overlooking the desolate plains of the Moon, their boots crunching into the lunar soil.

IEatPaint stepped forward first, his helmet angled upward as he took in the massive curtain of darkness looming before them.

The Umbral Veil, thick as a wall and black as darkness. As the players stepped crept close, it rippled like liquid shadow in the sky, its presence cutting a jagged scar through the lunar landscape.

"Yo," BearSpray chuckled "Anyone else feel like we're about to die horribly?"

"That's exactly the vibes I am getting." TheOneWhoKnocks replied as he looked at the Veil.

"I think it's beautiful," Dumbledore murmured, and gestured to the pulsing veil. "Imagine a shader of that color for my robes. The drip would be, exquisite."

"True, but anyway." ThunderClappin groaned, hefting his pulse rifle. "Let's just find this 'asset' and get the hell out."

The Umbral Veil shifted slightly.

As the players walked forwards, their light illuminated the dark veil, revealing a narrow seam where the veil had been cut. The edges of the tear shimmered with pulsing static, like something had burned through the dark.

Waffles crouched beside the seam, scanning it. "Damn that's clean cut."

"Who the hell managed to cut through this though?" ILoveLoot was in awe as he saw the sheer scale of the Veil.

"I don't know man" Undecided, looked peeked through the gaps as his gaze settled on Hellmouth. "But that shi*, is the creepiest thing I've seen."

Moments later, the eight players cautiously slipped through the tear. But as they reached the other side, the Moon changed.

It was as if everything outside the Veil, was an illusion. What they saw inside, was a dark aura looming over the horizon. The sheer suppression had turned their HUD's dark. The color had bled from the lunar soil, replaced with pale ash.

They players didn't say a word, awed by what they were witnessing. They quietly walked along the fractured roads leading up to the ridges. But with each step, eerie whispers seemed to gnaw at their ears.

Strange screams and voices seemed to echo, and as they finally stood atop a ridge, overlooking the vast hollow of the Ocean of Storms, they saw a great fortress in the distance. An inverted fortress, that seemed to stretch deep into the ground.

Like a wound gouged into the Moon itself. It stretched like a monstrous eye in the distance, a labyrinthine pit ringed by hive towers, their spires bent and broken like rusted teeth.

"What the f*ck is that." Waffles spoke up, flabbergasted.

"Dude..." TheOneWhoKnocks looked at the towers, "That's the coolest f*cking thing I've seen."

"Uhuh." Undecided nodded, "As long as I don't have to go in there, its cool."

"Just me or the skies getting....kinda active?" Dumbledore looked at the horizon.

A haunting glow spilled across it as a pillar of emerald flame erupted from the Hellmouth's depths. The air trembled.

"Is that...normal?" IEatPaint looked around.

"F*ck if I know. Entire place looks like haunted." Waffles shivered with unease.

"Welp," LeroyJenkins muttered, "where we going though?"

No objective markers pinged on their HUDs. No navpoints. No map guidance. Just open space, and an instinctual pulse in their Ghosts that something was here. The players shared a glance.

"So? Whats the next step?" TheOneWhoKnocks asked.

"There is no next step." said Dumbledore. "Looks like the we gotta figure this out the hard way."

"Figure it out?" Undecided muttered as he looked ahead, "There's a haunted castle, and a f*cking desert around us. Figure what out?"

LeroyJenkins chimed in, "Hey, maybe this Vanguard asset is in the castle? So like, rescue the princess typa shit? Classic fantasy you know?"

"Slight correction." BearSpray cleared his throat, "That's a f*cking hellhole, not a castle."

"Uhuh, what else? The marker says search for and extract the asset. There's nothing else bro." ILoveLoot shrugged.

"Good thing we're professionals," Waffles shook her head "Let's do what we do best."

"F*ck around and find out?" Undecided chimed up.

"Yep, f*ck around and find out." Waffles summoned her sparrow as she rode down the ridge.

As the fireteams descended from the ridge. Their sparrows kicked up a wave of dust, revealing corpses and discarded bones underneath the lunar soil. The players moved deeper into the Ocean of Storms, they passed twisted monuments and runes etched in blood.

But no matter how far in they went, their HUDs never updated. There was no new objective, no trail to follow.

"Man, is this bugged?" IEatPaint sighed as he circled the same dune for the fourth time.

"Shit, could be." Undecided shrugged as he crouched atop the bones of an Ogre. It's massive rotting ribcage lay flat on the sand.

But just as the players eased into the routine of going around craters searching for hints. A strange mist began forming in the distance.

From the mist , emerged a line of Hive wizards in shrouded robes, flanked by towering Knights wielding axes crusted in bone.

"Yo! We found em." IEatPaint yelled as he took cover and aimed down sights.

Waffles and TheOneWhoKnocks flanked right, unloading shots into the Wizards as they ascended above the fray. BearSpray threw a grenade. Dumbledore shoot out rockets into the Knights.

But it wasn't enough.

For every Hive they killed, another seemed to spawn from the mist. And as their battle lengthened, the mist seemed to almost encircle them, trapping them in a ritual circle with an an unending stream of Hive Knights.

"This is too much!" ILoveLoot shouted.

"We can't break through!" ThunderClappin yelled. "That mist is expanding!"

Undecided glanced backwards, only a small section of their retreat was open. Seconds later, the other players had also realized the trap.

And the moment the players realized they couldn't win, they switched tactics and began to utilize the oldest and most effective commandment of warfare.

"F*ck it, RUN!"

=

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[Writers-Ablood]

[A few minutes earlier]

Under the necropolis of hellmouth, where light didn't dare shine, under the cathedral of onyx bones, Omnigul stood at the center of a chamber illuminated only by a sickly green flame.

She was surrounded by floating arcane sigils and spiraling ash. She moved with purpose, weaving threads of Hive magic into a tapestry of malice as it encircled the Crystal containing Crota's essence.

Her eyes flicked to the surface. They gleamed with darkness as she saw through the stone, peering through the dark using magic. Omnigul's heart stirred as she sensed something shifting on the Moon's exterior.

It was different now. There were no more distant whispers hidden within the seams of reality, no more phantoms she couldn't chase. No, there was only a sudden burst of Light.

Omnigul's mind snapped upright, she could finally sense it. Someone really had breached the periphery, and managed to move past the Umbral Veil. She narrowed her vision into a burning focus.

'Lightbearers.' Her lips parted.

A chant muttered from her core. The sigils flared. Below her, walls etched with Crota's glyphs began to drip with black ichor. And then she spoke.

"Bring me their souls."

Her command echoed through the Hive's underlayers, shaking the depths of Hellmouth. Far above, in the tunnels leading to the surface distant shapes stirred.

Hive Wizards responded to her call, their robes fluttered as magic coursed through their veins. They bowed as space fractured, and they flickered away.

Besides them, the darkness stirred again. This time, it converged, making portals that connected to an army of Knights. Then, tunnels stirred once more. This time, the soil itself seemed to tremble as it was dug out, revealing thousands of dark cocoons.

Omnigul's voice echoed again, birthing a legion of acolytes as they surged to the surface.

Finally, the dark seemed to settle. But at the very core of Hellmouth, something sinister was still moving. At the very core of the dark pits, caged within sorcery and blood were hundreds of Ogres.

The hulking fiends seemed to jolt, Omnigul's eerie whispers racing through their minds. born blinked awake. The Ogres blinked awake, and the chains caging them unraveled. As they realized they had been set free, their hands shivered.

A horrifying shriek reverberated in the depths of the pits.

Then. the Ogres lunged upwards.

-

[Ocean of Storms]

Above, racing through the Lunar desert, the players desperately ran across scorched ridges toward, hoping to find respite.

Their breaths wheezed through comms. Their HUDs blinked. But there was no clarity—only the logic of survival.

"Keep running!" IEatPaint barked as he fully pulled the throttle, the sparrows thrusters flared as he rode beside ThunderClappin.

"We can't go any faster!" Waffles tailed him but the Acolytes were closing in, "Where are the others."

"Behind you keep going!" Undecided shouted as he streaked across a dune, followed by BearSpray and TheOneWhoKnocks, the three hunters zipped across the sands, twisting and turning as they tried their best to dodge the orbs of magic being hurled towards them by a cohort of Hive Wizards.

Dumbledore screamed, inches away from the Horde of Knight as he barely caught up with LeroyJenkins and ILoveLoot trailing ahead. "THIS IS NOT GREAT, NOT GREAT!"

"F*ck, throw A GRENADE!" ILoveLoot grunted!

LeroyJenkins raced forwards, "I can't! Weapons aren't enabled on a sparrow!"

"What! Who the F*ck decided that? This is stupid, STUPID!" Dumbledore cursed out the developers with all his heart, preparing to write a long worded email to their community forums.

"Keep up dogs! I see something there!" Waffles screamed over the comms as IEatPaint and her spotted dilapidated and old outpost in the distance.

The wind brushed past IEatPaint's face, his eyes narrowed as he surveyed the place. His HUD updated as the locations name became visible at the bottom left.

'Anchor of Light.'

"It's an abandoned outpost! GO inside!" He shouted, his sparrows thursters flared as he got closer and, once more as he drifted, slamming the sonic brakes, IEatPaint leapt off and grabbed his shotgun.

He raced towards the approaching Knights, ThunderClappin also jumped off, running beside him.

TheOneWhoKnocks, LeroyJenkins, ILoveloot, BearSpray, Undecided, Dumbledore and Waffles sped past them as the seven took cover.

The two titans stood side by side, ThunderClappin erected a large barricade as IEatpaint switch to his rockets. The duo fired relentlessly into the approaching army. Thinning their numbers as explosion erupted.

As for the seven that had reached the structure, all they found inside were shattered walls glowing with ghost-light. But the chamber offered no sanctuary. The walls stank of burnt oil and bone. The corridors were broken, as if torn apart by a thunderstorm.

The players scrambled to find a place to hide, but Anchor of Light wasn't a place that could hide them.

As IEatPaint and ThunderClappin held the line, the remaining seven climbed atop the roofs, looking at the approaching Hive army.

Screams and primal roars echoed beneath the bruise-colored sky, as figures crawled into view. A Legion of Hive Knights crested the dunes. Thralls poured over ridges like blackened insects. Wizards stood at broken arches where their robes billowed in unnatural wind.

As the players finally grasped the scale of the fight, they'd realized, that it was too late. They were not prepared for such a fight.

"What! Search and extract my as*. This is mission is a full on assault!" TheOneWhoKnocks grunted as he looked through his sniper scope.

With the Hive army marching closer, the player's HUDs flared once more. This time, their stagnant objective finally changed.

[New Objective: Survive.]

Druidic whispers of Wizards echoed in the distance as the legion of Knights marched closer.

IEatPaint and ThunderClappin had already ran back to the Anchors roof, unable to hold any longer.

Moments later, a wave of thralls clawed at the base beneath them. Amid the howl of wretched magic, and the endless waves of thralls, the players took their last stand.

The ridge around them collapsed into dust as a huge skirmish broke out.

They fought back-to-back.

TheOneWhoKnocks unleashed precision shots into the Wizards cohorts. Waffles hurled a Nova bomb at the feet of the Knights. Flames erupted as undecided unleashed his golden gun.

No matter how many times they died, the group of players managed to grab a revive and regroup atop the Anchor of Light.

"Hold them back!" Undecided yelled.

It was carnage. Wizards rained bursting spells; Knights charged in with cleavers raised; thralls swarmed in clouds. Every inch of sand was covered with bodies.

Finally, the players couldn't hold any longer.

[Mission Failed]

They died.

"NOOOOOOO!" Dumbledore groaned.

"This mission, it has to be bugged, IT HAS TO BE." Waffles raged as she saw their results

"Wait. WAIT!" Undecided closely examined the missions final reports. They did fail, but what really caught his eye was the small number at the top right.

[Checkpoint: 3/5]

"You see this?" He pointed it out, "We were close, we were VERY close."

"I mean, we are like level ten. The mission is level fifteen. I didn't think it'd be easy, but that shi* was too much." BearSpray shook his head.

"Look, just lock in." LeroyJenkins retorted.

"Let's try one more time. Anchor of Light is a checkpoint. All we gotta do is hold off till help arrives." Undecided nodded.

"If we do this mission in the next thirty minutes, its good. I have work later." Dumbledore chimed in.

Everyone agreed.

Then their screens flickered as they continued from the last checkpoint.

The world seemed to pause, as if they'd never failed. As if they were the anchor of reality. As the players attempted, they were back at the Anchor of Light, and the army was still approaching.

But just as they kept trying, they failed. They died, tried again, and died.

Three times in five minutes. But still, the players, did not give up.

In their last run, just as the pushed their limits and held on for ten minutes, without ceremony, the Ogres arrived.

Fifteen feet tall, and carrying an infernal gaze as they shot out fiend fire from their eyes into the Outposts walls. The wall crumbled, showers of debris cascading at their feet. Three of the players were knocked off-balance; one staggered into open ground.

Dumbledore's nova bomb collided directly into the Ogre's chest as the beast stumbled. IEatPaint roared as he ran straight ahead, thunder crashing into its eye.

Waffles leapt and glided as she rocked the Ogre's body with rockets. Until one Ogre fell.

But another wave marched in, three Ogres now.

"F*ck, WHERES THE HELP!" Undecided roared as he struggled to roll out of an Ogre's beam.

The players struggled, fighting tooth and nail with each passing second. But the mist seeped in closer, encircling them. The Hive armies marched, legions of Knights brandished their accursed swords and the Wizards wove their wicked magic.

The Players were now scattered into the Anchor of Light, fighting behind crumbling walls. And then, behind them, the mist parted. Or rather, it was consumed, by something unseen.

Their HUDs flared, Waffles blinked as she looked back. A blue spectre seemed to race towards them.

[New Objective: Hold back the Hive army with VENOM]

A black silhouette streaked past the players. Light coursing in his palms. Void darted towards the approaching Legions.

"Zamyr."

He unsheathed his blade, as a phantom swirled around his figure. An eerie grin etched on its face. Void swung, the lightning around him bled till it faded to a pale grey, thundering across the battlefield as his sword's strike shrieked, tearing through the dirt.

A storm surged, crashing into the legion of Knights as it consumed them whole, shattering them like glass. Void breathed as he brushed his fingers on the edge of his sword.

The Hive reeled, witnessing the uncanny phantom, unable to distinguish its power. And then, a silence gripped the battlefield.

"That's f*cking cool." TheOneWhoKnocks stood in awe as he saw the marching army halt.

"Remind me to get a sword." Dumbledore nodded.

Undecided agreed, "Bro has aura."
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[Writers-Ablood]

Void rose, cloak fluttering behind him in the storm. He turned his head slightly to glance back at them.

"There's no time to explain. I'll hold them off, get your jumpships." Void spun his blade in his hand as he turned back to face the army.

A legion of Knights shifted with unease as they saw his cloak billow in the roaring winds. Even the thralls seemed to shiver for an instant. One thing was for certain, whatever power he was using, was dangerous.

As the pale storm passed and the Wizards felt their magic return to them, arcane sigils glowed in their palms. The Hive wizards were shrewd, seeing Void's display of power, they knew that victory, wasn't certain.

The wizards raised their hands to the lunar horizon. A wicked magic brewed as clouds of viridian flames coiled overhead, looming above the battlefield.

The HUD flickered.

[Objective Updated: "Survive" → "Help Venom push back the army!"]

"No way!" BearSpray said, a crooked grin forming beneath his helmet. "We're not leaving this party early."

"Help Venom? Vipers the only one here?" Waffles was puzzled as he read the objective update.

TheOneWhoKnocks nodded, but before the rest of the players could react. The battlefield seemed to stir as they immediately scuttled to the side, ready to observe.

Void took in a breath, his eyes gleamed as he saw the magic brew above. The shadows beneath his feet seemed to shiver in anticipation. He raised a foot.

And took a step forward.

A grim aura rushed forwards and gripped the surface of the moon, Void's presence dominated as Zamyr screamed from within the blade, making their magic itself shudder. As Zamyr's phantom seemed to envelop Void's figure, their auras merged.

But with Void's form already wreathed in azure lightning, Zamyr's pesence turned the lightning a dark shade of gray. As if the power Void wielded was neither light, nor dark, but something in the middle.

And as his figure flickered, Void put another foot forward.

The hive army tensed, Knights raised their onyx shields, the Ogres roared as fiend fire beamed ahead and the Wizards shrieked and shot out necrotic chains that slithered, ready to bind.

But none of that mattered, Void had vanished.

Then, there was a sonic crack.

Void tore towards the Wizards, darting with all his might as he zipped through everything. The speed he had harnessed, was beyond perception.

The instant Void's figure flickered by their side, the Wizards had already lost. Void's hand coiled back, lightning danced on his fingertips as he stabbed forward. A jolt ran through him as it formed into a lance, thrusting forwards.

The lightning lance blasted through the Wizards, tearing them apart. Void's eye darted to the side. An Ogre hunkered as it whipped towards him, fire condensing at the core of its mind.

Void took in a sharp breath, the fiendish beam surged, only inches away from his face. His figure crackled with lightning, Void jolted to the side, barely grazed as the beam fired off.

Void darted rapidly, finding his footing as a horde of thralls rushed up to him. His blade gleamed as he flicked his wrist, and swiped across. A swift cut cleaved them all in half.

As Void skidded backwards, he swiftly got to his feet. But then, his eyes widened as he held his blade closer. The mist that previously just curled around Anchor of Light had grown darker.

Like a predator circling its prey, the mist prowled at the perimeter of the battlefield. But this time, it bellowed. A dark power echoed from within as faint Hive screeches howled through it.

~Omingul, she's played her hand~ Zamyr's whispered in Void's ears.

IEatPaint, TheOneWhoKnocks, Dumbledore, BearSpray, ThunderClappin, Waffles, ILoveLoot, LeroyJenkins, and Undecided stood stunned as he saw the world around them changing. With Void was busy holding off the army on his own, they'd forgotten all about the mist.

"F*ck. Burn it, BURN THAT SHI*" Waffles barked as TheOneWhoKnocks threw in a firebolt grenade, but the fire immediately sputtered out as it touched the dense fog.

Void looked back at the players and as he saw the light fade out, his eyes narrowed.

"That fog, it's imbued with darkness. Looks like Omnigul really wants us gone." Void's jaw tightened.

Crota had used the same darkness to suppress the light of thousands during the war. He didn't know if Omnigul could use it at the same scale, but if that mist really managed to close in.....

Void exhaled, 'The only way is to run before it closes in further.'

The world paused. Everything stopped. Void whipped back to the battlefield. Fiendish fire clawed at his figure, inches away from his face.

"You sneaky dogs." Void smirked as he eyed two rampaging Ogres trying to attack his back. An arc flared through him. Void coiled, preparing to jump. And then, the gears of time turned again.

He flickered, leaping to the sky, the fire burned a hole just where he had stood. Void twisted mid air, his aura shifted to lilac. His hands arced as light curved into a bow.

The next instant, Void flipped back, a shadowshot crashed on Ogres as tethers of dark chained them down, sucking out their vitality. With that, the Hive army had lost its momentum.

But with the mist in the distance, it was only a matter of time before more came marching forwards.

Then, Void's senses tingled. He looked up.

Far above the Umbral Veil, a Jumpship tore across the sky. Flying closer and closer to the dark curtain. A gleaming silver specters transmatted mid-air, diving towards the veil, his silhouette parting into six.

"You crazy dog." Void whispered to himself.

The specters descended like a comet, blades flashing from their scabbards as they all struck the same spot at the Veil.

-Clink-

Slashes tore towards the veil as they cleaved a glowing line through the Veil's edge. A dark shriek reverberated as the lunar surface shook as fragments of the Veil crumbled facing the flurry of slashes.

Silver light seemed to seep in through the cracks, and eyes turned up.

The Specters scattered, shooting towards the front.

But one landed hard beside Void, scattering dust as he grinded to a stop.

He looked over, grinning under his hood. "You crazy bastard. An army on the moon, but you just weren't gonna call, huh?"

Void chuckled once, "Quite the entrance, but I wasn't sure you were up for field work. Thought you'd gotten soft."

"I've haven't lost my edge yet. Besides, can't lose my only customers" Pahanin looked back at the new lights huddled together as they watched the battle. he sauntered forwards as his clones surrounded the remaining Hive forces.

The ground quaked. The dark mist seemed to rumble as hoards of Thralls, and a new legion of Knights rushed out.

"Guess I am right on time." Pahanin muttered, "You still remember Mars?"

Void nodded, cracking his neck as a memory flashed in his mind. "Couldn't forget if I tried."

The Hive rushed forward.

"Let's see if you can keep up this time." Pahanin stretched his arm as he played with his sword.

The next second, the battle erupted like a detonation.

The players didn't stay still, rushing in to flank the incoming Hive. ThunderClappin erected a large barrier, blocking off incoming damage as Dumbledore unleashed Nova Bombs into the pack, IEatPaint blasted through Thralls with his thunderous shotguns, BearSpray conjured his own golden gun and began sniping off any Knight that dared to peek through its shield.

Waffles and Undecided flanked right, laying cover fire as ILoveLoot and LeroyJenkins went left with Void, cutting a path through the swelling tide of green-tinged darkness.

Pahanin's clones darted in a frenzy, synchronising slashes as they tangoed through the battle. And at the center of it all, Void thundered like a lightning storm, arc bolts dancing on his fingers as he sliced through Knights.
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[Writers-Ablood]

Void and Pahanin raced through the battlefield, zipping and jolting as they cut apart the hive with a flurry of slashes. Their figures blurred at breakneck speeds as they dashed around in a frenzy, fighting tooth and nail with the emerging Hive forces.

IEatPaint, TheOneWhoKnocks and Waffles rushed towards the perimeter, gunning down the approaching thralls.

Undecided and Dumbledore began sniping those they could, while ILoveLoot and LeroyJenkins chucked healing grenades nearby to maintain their health bars.

Moments later, a shrieking cohort of wizards emerged from the light, and the magic brewing above gleamed with a dark power. The battlefield was gripped by a dreadful cry as the viridian clouds split apart, raining down arrows of wicked flame.

Thousands of arrows shot towards the Anchor of Light; the sheer numbers blotted out the horizon. Void's eyes widened as he quickened his pace, weaving through the attacks. He looked ahead. Pahanin's clones were already rushing to intercept the attack.

The clones leapt, slashing forwards as their attacks cut through some arrows, but it simply wasn't enough.

With a storm of arrows still inches above them, ThunderClapping surged with Light, shaping it into a bubble as he triggered his ward of dawn, encompassing everyone around him.

Thousands of arrows rained down on the ward as their cursed flame began to burn through and eat away at the ward's light. ThunderClapping looked up. The rains of arrows were relentless.

'F*ck' His eyes widened as he immediately realised the ward wouldn't last.

Before he could say a word, a massive aura of lilac light flickered ahead. Void kneeled on the ground, tugging against his light as he'd condensed a cataclysmic shadowshot at the tip of his bow.

As he tugged again, the shadowshot shivered, energy stirred as it flared around the arrow. Void looked up, aimed and let go.

The shadowshot whistled past, a single flicker of lilac tore towards a sea of green flames raining down. But as the arrow clashed, it erupted.

Tendrils of lilac light slithered outwards, devouring everything that lay in its way till the shadowshot itself collapsed, turning into a singularity of green and dark that continued sucking in the cursed flames.

As the rain of fire withered away, the singularity flared, compressing everything it had devoured into a single point until it could no longer contain it.

"Duck!" Void braced, shielding his eyes.

Instantly, everyone followed.

The next second, it imploded, sending a devastating shockwave and kicking up a gargantuan dust cloud.

The surface of the moon cracked. Fissures tore through it all, glowing hellish green as the ground shook beneath Anchor of Light.

When the dust settled, all they could see were wounds in the Moon's surface, scars that were carved deep, almost as if they had no end.

But everyone present knew it wasn't over.

Hive poured from the cracks, like blood from a wound. Thralls in swarms, Knights in phalanx formation, Ogres howling with rage, and a hymn echoed as a new trio of Wizards drifted overhead.

Void and Pahanin stood at the crater's edge, staring down the tidal wave of death.

Mist slithered across the battlefield like a curse, thickening with each passing moment. Void could feel it; this battle would never stop till it grew bitter. Like a subtle pressure that built around the eyes, like a sour lump forming in the throat.

Whatever curse they were under was not simple.

"I'm out of rockets!" Dumbledore barked, reloading a sidearm as he saw the Hive respawning.

"Those dogs! What is this mission! They just keep coming back!" Waffles panted, entirely exhausted as she saw her super bar drop to zero. "I got nothing left!"

"They're literally endless!" BearSpray loaded his last special ammo into his sniper and yelled. "We got other plans?"

Undecided shook his head as he saw more Ogres climb out of the Fissures.

Void grits his teeth, light arcing off his body.

He leapt and slammed down into the first Ogre, sending out a thunderclap that split the ground beneath his feet. Arc energy detonated outward in a perfect ring, vaporising a full squad of Thrall mid-lunge.

The other Ogres reeled. Void twisted, spun under its arm, and drove the blade into its gut with both hands. Lightning tore through its insides, blowing the creature apart from the ribcage out.

Pahanin darted beside him, this time wielding silver knives that he chucked amidst the chaos.

One, two, three enemies fell before he even drew a breath. Then he blurred and reappeared, stabbing a Knight through the back of the skull with an arcing flourish.

Pahanin directed his clones towards the centre as he called out, spinning to hurl a grenade. "Clear the Wizards!"

"On it!"

Void raised his hand, and a ripple of arc exploded out. The energy leapt from Hive to Hive, frying them instantly.

Still, the fog thickened.

The players rallied with whatever they could. ThunderClappin lobbing blind grenades into the dark, TheOneWhoKnocks continued sniping down cursed Thralls before they could reach the fireteam.

Void darted through the air, chasing a Wizard mid-flight, blasting it with his lightning till it charred.

Its corpse spiralled into the dirt, disintegrating on impact. His eyes flared as Void landed on his feet. He ducked, swiping upwards to match the blow of Knight. He flickered, then drove a dagger into its knees, crippling it instantly.

"Keep it coming!" BearSpray roared as he charged with his assault rifle.

IEatPaint shifted, charging from side to side till his super bar glowed a faint yellow. He didn't hesitate, instantly thundercrashing into a wave of Knights.

"Void!" Pahanin barked as another wave poured through the broken fissures. "We need to leave!"

Void stabbed his sword into the ground, sending out a wave of lightning around him that momentarily jolted the Hive.

"I know!" he shouted. "We can't hold this forever!"

Pahanin threw a knife behind his back, impaling a leaping Thrall without looking. "I wasn't planning to!"

He deftly tapped his wrist, bobbing through a Knight's slash.

Void chuckled as his blade glinted with faint lightning. He blinked across, beheading the Knight, "Do you even have a plan?"

"Almost. Just leave it to me!" Pahanin shouted as he sheathed his sword and vanished.

Void fought three knights at once, parrying their strikes. Then, as if answering the call, the moon seemed to rumble as everyone felt a tremor.

Void's eyes narrowed, 'No, it was different this time.'

His eyes darted as he searched for the source, and as he looked up, he finally saw it.

Far above, something had entered the moon's orbit with a deafening roar as its shadow tore across the sky, eclipsing the Moon's Horizon.

"What in the.." Void's eyes widened as he realised what the shadow belonged to.

The roar reverberated. And a hulking Fallen Ketch sailed above the horizon, turning towards them. It was massive and bristling with jagged cannons.

As it descended, the Ketch's engines spluttered and howled, spitting flame and smoke with every sputtering cough. The massive ship dropped fast, its hull shuddering as it tore through the thinning clouds—chimneys bellowing thick plumes into the mist-choked sky.

A low, metallic bell tolled from somewhere deep within the vessel.

Pahanin appeared at Void's side, a wry smile curling his lips. "That's ours."

He pointed towards the hull, where a crude ring of coiled snakes had been sloppily painted in dark black, unmistakable.

"I can f*cking see that." Void shook his head in disbelief.

Then, with a seismic KA-CHUNG, the anchor chain dropped, slamming into the ground just shy of the Umbral Veil, cracking the stone and tearing through what little order remained of the Hive line.

Void whipped towards the players and began racing towards the Veil, "GO, go, go now!"

He dashed towards the Veil with Pahanin by his side, "Zamyr! Break it!"

Void shouted, and his blade flared.

~As you wish!~ Zamnyr cackled, gleaming with a newfound power. His phantom rushed to the Veil, crashing into it as he took a bite, violently eating away the umbral curtain to leave behind a gaping maw.

With the way clear, the players immediately jolted.

"Let's go!" Void halted beside the chain, looking back as he and Pahanin covered their retreat.

The Anchor was inches away.

Hearing Voids' shouts, Waffles darted and grabbed it, climbing up to the Ketch.

ThunderClappin followed, shielding Dumbledore as they ascended. TheOneWhoKnocks and ILoveLoot laid suppressing fire while Undecided tossed wave after wave of solar grenades into the mist, eventually climbing up as well.

BearSpray raced back, but caught a hex straight to the chest and stumbled. Void immediately grabbed him by the arm, hauled him upright, and practically threw him onto the chain.

"Move!"

Void turned to Pahanin, who deflected one more of the Wizard's barrage of hexes.

"After you!" Pahanin said with a wink.

Void just vaulted upward, and Pahanin's clones flickered back, shielding his main body as he climbed up.

As the two latched onto the chain, the Ketch's chimney bellowed, and it began to rise.

Below them, the Hive screamed, held back by Pahanin's clones.

As the anchor reeled in, the hatch slid open, pulling everyone into the belly of the ship. The moment the last Pahanin crossed the threshold, his clones faded, the doors slammed shut, and the Ketch roared, sailing out of the Moon's orbit.

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