A/N: This is just a preview. When I come back from exams, I will edit some parts of this chapter and the next chapter. Right now, I am publishing it for some other reasons.
Enjoy!
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At the edge of the universe, where silence reigns and stars rarely tread, two brilliant streaks of light tore through the void, colliding again and again. Each impact sent shockwaves so immense that they could be felt across the cosmos.
Though this battle raged at the very brink of existence, even planets over ten trillion light years away were obliterated by the force. Reality itself trembled. Cracks formed in the fabric of space, bleeding strange, unknown energies from the void—energies not meant for this universe.
The storm of collisions gradually slowed.
One of the lights flickered. Then, it moved with purpose. A strange energy began to gather around it—a swirl of all colors, merging into a single, unified force. It wasn't a mix of different energies, but something whole. Pure. Singular. Chaotic. Destructive.
Then, in a flash, it surged forward.
With one final, blinding collision, the two lights met. The resulting explosion didn't just destroy—it unraveled. A blast of color tore through the stars, shaking the very foundation of dimensions themselves. Space shattered. Time buckled. The boundary between realities broke.
And a shockwave of color swept across the universe.
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In a forest far from any city, the world felt still. Trees of all kinds stretched toward the sky, their leaves rustling gently in the breeze. Birds chirped and sang, their songs weaving into the quiet rhythm of nature.
That peace shattered in an instant.
A massive ice spike burst from the ground, followed by a thunderous explosion that sent snow and debris scattering through the trees. Flames roared in retaliation, painting the surroundings in orange light.
In the clearing stood three girls, around nineteen or twenty. Two of them clashed fiercely—one with crimson hair and blazing red eyes, her fists wreathed in fire; the other with flowing blue hair and piercing sapphire eyes, commanding the cold with every move. Their names were Kaelith and Sera.
Off to the side, lounging against a tree stump with a bucket of popcorn in her lap, sat the third—Alisha. Her relaxed posture didn't match the intensity in her gaze as she watched each blow, each counter, each eruption of raw power.
Kaelith smirked. "That was a solid strike. Didn't expect you to implement some of the earth aether's logic with ice aether. Mixing elements now?"
Sera flicked her fingers, mist coiling around them like lazy serpents. "Please. As if a hammerhead like you could grasp something that advanced."
Kaelith's eye twitched. "What did you just—"
Suddenly, frost bloomed under her boots. She leapt back just in time as the ground froze solid where she stood.
"You're really starting to piss me off," Kaelith growled.
Sera raised her chin with a sly grin. "Thank you. But don't lose focus—"
A jagged spike of ice erupted from the ground to Kaelith's right. She twisted, barely dodging as another followed. Then another.
A flurry of ice attacks came from every angle. Kaelith ducked, rolled, and weaved through them, but each one came closer than the last. The rhythm continued—Kaelith kept dodging & Sera kept pressing forward without pause.
After a while, Kaelith's breaths grew sharp and shallow. She was panting heavily, sweat mixing with the chill in the air.
Sera's voice cut through the clearing. "Well? Will you surrender?"
Kaelith, panting, suddenly grinned. "As you said… don't lose focus."
Sera noticed something strange, but it was too late. The ground beneath Sera began to shimmer.
Alisha leaned forward, her mouth full of popcorn. "Ohhh… Nice one."
Kaelith bolted out of the radius just as dozens of small flame glyphs embedded in the dirt ignited. A flash—then a boom. Sera was thrown backward in a spray of steam and embers.
As the smoke cleared, she stirred, coughing, only to see Kaelith standing over her.
"Now," Kaelith said smugly, "Who's the better tactician now?"
Sera, bruised but smiling, wiped soot from her cheek. "I admit defeat… but don't think this is over."
"You're both definitely getting better," Alisha said as she strolled over, casually munching on popcorn. "Keep this up, and you might actually stand a chance against me someday."
Alisha gave a light stretch and said, "You should take a breather now. That looked intense."
Both Kaelith and Sera sank to the ground with tired smiles. "Yeah... you're right," they said in unison.
After a short rest, Alisha stood up, brushing popcorn dust from her hands. A confident smirk curled her lips.
"Alright, you two," Alisha said with a grin, cracking her knuckles. "Let's see what you've got. Me versus both of you."
Kaelith and Sera exchanged a quick glance, then smirked. "Don't go crying when we beat you," they said together.
Just as Alisha raised her hand, the air around her shimmered. Space twisted—like a ripple in glass—then snapped.
A figure shot out from the distortion with blinding speed.
And before Alisha could react—
BAM!
A foot slammed into her face, sending her flying backward into a tree.
Silence followed. The forest birds had vanished.
A boy now stood where space had torn. Jet-black hair tousled by the wind, a strange energy radiating from him, as if he didn't quite belong here. He looked around, mildly confused.
"...Oops."