Infinite Realm: Monsters & Legends

Chapter 295: Selia and Ryun

Selia

She sat up in the bed, startled, breathing heavily, her mind forgetting that she hadnt needed to do that for a long time. She calmed down as she looked around, and figure out where she was and what had caused her state. In a split second she realized that she had been dreaming, though she didnt remember the dream. She was in bed, in her home in the city of Consequence. Erdania was sleeping next to her. The two of them had learned long ago how to force their bodies to sleep, even though they didnt need it. It relaxed the mind, but it also allowed them intimacy, time in private spent together. She looked up, and saw the other person in their room.

Ryun sat on the floor, his legs crossed and a small sphere in between the palms of his hands. He didnt sleep nearly as often as the two of them did, he didnt think that it was useful. But he still spent this time with them, he just made it more productive. He had one eye open, looking at her.

Did you did you say anything? Selia whispered to him, barely audible enough to be even considered speaking out loud. She knew that he would hear regardless.

He shook his head, and she frowned.

She couldve sworn that she had heard his voice. She focused on the bond inside her mind, tried to get any insight from it, but it was as it had always been. His emotions muffled, after the fight with the Dome Leader they had become closer, talking in person more.

Still, she felt like she could almost remember her dream. It was as if it was just there for her to reach out to, to take it. But she was drawing a blank, feeling as if it was slowly drifting away. She shook her head, then forced herself to relax. She laid back down and forced herself to sleep again. The last thing she saw before closing her eyes was Ryuns eyes looking at her.

She read the message again, just to make sure that she understood. Sigmund had spent the last few years consolidating power, filling the vacuum left by the Cabal and the death of so many High Rankers. The core was united, many of the powerful factions were in fact beholden to Sigmunds. And those that werent were led by people that he had influence over. Stability, it was something that Seila had feared wouldnt ever happen. Now, he was finally ready to move on the other domes. Selia didnt know how she felt about it. He wanted to open others before they did so on their own. On one side, she knew that the domes had to be dealt with. On the other she shook her head.

You disagree with him? Erdania asked.

Selia glanced at her, then Ryun, who was sitting at the edge of the balcony with the sphere in his handscycling Essence, as he did most of the time.

I dont know if I disagree. What I have trouble accepting is the fact that he wants us to stay here, Selia responded. We have experience, we should be there.

Eratemus and Maleatus will go with him, Erdania said. I get why he wants us here, cant afford to have all of us go in case things turn bad.

Selia grimaced and glanced away, looking over the balcony at the city below them. There was a crowd beneath, merchant carriages parked at the edge of a big square, and people walking everywhere, browsing the goods. A few caravans had reached them recently, now that the trade with the core was finally recovered, many wanted to trade with Twilight Melody Sect. They had grown fast in the last few years, and they had expanded.

In the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of yellow in the crowd, and something about it drew her mind, but she lost sight before she could dwell on it. She turned around and looked at Ryun. She didnt speak at him, but he opened his eyes and met hers regardless. His sense was scary, it meant that there was no privacy for anyone in the city, beyond it even. If someone else had that skill, it probably wouldve been a lot different.

There were many people that had skills similar to him, though she hadnt heard about anyone who had a skill on such a scale, with his insane range and precision. It was a sign of great willpower. Not something that many others could achieve.

What do you think? She asked his opinion. The three of them had become a strong unit, even though they were each very different people.

Ryun shrugged, as she had expected him to.

I went to the Empire because I wanted to protect my people and repay a debt. The other domes arent open yet, they are not a threat at the moment. I see the value in trying to open and deal with them, but I am not eager to go and do it when there was no real need.

Selia looked away. Ryun was always like that, reactionary, willing to live in the moment and deal with things as they become problems. She had seen him deal with the people in his sect, the criminals and traitors. With his skill he often knew about their crimes even before they committed them. Anybody else wouldve captured them and tried them on intent alone. Not Ryun. Actions were what mattered to him the most. He let them act on their choice before he gave out punishment. To him, the domes might not even exist until they opened and the danger manifested.

She couldnt live like that. She was a planner, she looked to the future. Erdania was the easy going one, willing to enjoy life without many worries. Ryun and her were similar in that regard, though he He had only a few things that he really cared about, the rest it might as well all burn for all that he would care.

What is really bothering you Selia? Ryun asked. We have all that we can possibly desire, what more do you want?

She closed her eyes. It was hard living with the two of them, it meant that she had to play the role of the one who worried all the time.

I am simply looking out for the future, I want us all to be safe, to be happy, Selia told them. I want a family, children. It was all that she ever wanted. She dreamed of it, to have a bright future, family. They all deserved it. She looked at Ryun, focused on their bond. Erdania already knew what Selia wanted, but this was the first time that she voiced it to Ryun. She wanted to know his reaction.

They hadnt focused much on the bond between them, in the recent years, but she could still feel his emotions when she tried. Now she felt nothing.

I understand, Selia, he said. Giving her a warm smile. She still felt nothing from their bond. I want that too.

She frowned, then glanced at Erdania who had the same type of a smile on her face.

You dont need to worry, Erdania said. Everything is going to be fine.

Her words were reassuring, but something inside of Selias mind was making her feel anything but. It was as if she could hear a voice. A gentle and melodic voice, speaking in tones and words that she couldnt comprehend, but she got the intent anyway. Something was wrong.

Ryun? She whispered through the bond, and watched as he didnt react at all.

Selia? His voice came through, as if from far away. And then the bond was muffled, as if something was trying to come in between them.

Erdania and Ryun froze with their smiles still on their face. She looked around, realizing that all sound had stopped, the people in the city below her had frozen as well.

Again, a voice said from behind her, making her twist around her power ready to be unleashed. She was faced with a person, no taller than she was, wearing a yellow robe. A wooden mask covered the face beneath the hood, two points of light glowing from behind the mask. It was you this time.

The realization came to her almost immediately, and she remembered her dream, or at least what had caused her to wake up.

We didnt win.

Ryun had spoken to her through their bond. None of this was real. For a moment she struggled to accept that. She had lived for years, she knew it, she was certain that she had experienced every single moment. And yet it wasnt real.

Hastur, Selia said, slowly, terror filling her heart. They didnt win, and that meant that they were all in terrible danger. The Dome Leader had them. She tried to remember what happened, when it happened. But all of her memories were there, unbroken, nothing that would indicate what happened. It they had underestimated their opponent. They didnt know, how could they have known? She tried to think of anything that she could do to escape. Her Qi filled her, and she turned her willpower on it. Will was an amazing thing, and her Qi was made to help hone it. If only she could breaka weight of an entire world settled on her mind, she gasped and fell down to her knees. It was as if she was being smothered by a will far greater than her own. Never in her entire life had she felt anything that powerful.

A moment after it abated and she raised her head. She had been honing her willpower since she was a child. Her Path relied on Qi that improved and helped her develop her willpower. She did not have skills, but that did not mean that her willpower was weak. Other focuses used it too. But this it was unlike anything that she had ever experienced, that she ever thought was even possible.

Irritating, the Dome Leader said. Your perk is bothersome. It should not be.

Selia understood. Ryun had told her that this perk came from something that shouldnt exist in this world. It was unique, its limits were beyond it. The pieces of the Twin Aspects of True Death, the remnants of two beings that were two sides of the same whole. There were no physical manifestations of Aspects in the Infinite Realm, nothing greater than elementals, but those were not even close. From what Ryun had told her, what he encountered was something greater.

It interferes with the process, Hastur said. A new solution is needed.

Selia tried to use her powers, but nothing seemed to work. She realized then that she was fully under Hasturs illusion, trapped, before she could do whatever she wanted because it was all part of the dream, now its controller didnt want her to be able to do anything. Her willpower was not enough.

Perhaps together, next time, Hastur said.

Selia could barely move, and then darkness swallowed her whole.

Ryun

He fired a {Void Beam} straight at the Dome Leader. His attack joining another from Eratemus. They hit Hastur, and the combined might of their attacks pushed the Dome Leader into the ground. A thousand glowing silver spears fell from the sky, impaling Hastur and shattering the ground. Ryun turned his head and met Selias eyes.

It is still alive, Ryun sent to her. Their bond was fully open, their emotions, and even intent, were coming through clearly. It was hard to describe, but it made him able to feel her throughout the fight, as if they were perfectly in sync.

Get ready, Selia sent, and then a large blade formed above her. A moment later she sent it spinning through the air, straight at the Dome Leader.

Tendrils blasted out of the crater where it had been lying, her spears still impaling it as it jumped out and dashed away even as it tried to swipe her attack away.

Ryun was already moving, running down the steps he crafted in an instant. Heading straight for the Dome Leader. Selia moved her blade, following Hastur, it tried to catch it, but her blade suddenly blazed with light and suddenly there were thousands of blades. They shredded the Dome Leader, its tendrils cut off and falling to the ground. Ryun followed behind them, in the confusion, he reached Hastur and bit down its torso with his maw, then he let his {Staggered End} out, and blasted the injured Dome Leader to nothingness.

He was lying on the ground, trying to recover from the fight. It had been hard, but in the end they had won, the Dome Leader was dead. He kept his eyes closed, but he sensed Selia approach. She knelt next to him, then sat down and leaned her head on her knees.

We won, she said, and he could feel her tiredness through the bond.

We did, he added.

Something nagged at him in the back of his head, but he couldnt figure out what. He opened his eyes and looked at her. The bond between them was fully open, he felt what she felt, and she the same. He put it out of his mind and stood up, looking around the battlefield. The others were injured, tired, but they had survived. It was a hard fight, but in the end, they had won.

They had won.

And somehow, he felt like everything was going to be alright.

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