Mutation and Shadows

The temple entrance was hidden inside an abandoned subway station, far from the city.An old corridor, blocked by a rusty gate.
But as the four teenagers approached, the gate dissolved.
A warm breath rose from the depths. The ground vibrated.The tunnel descended… and kept going deeper.
After an hour of walking, they encountered a silhouette.
A man. Deformed. Not quite human, not quite monster.Cables protruded from his skin. His eyes were covered in glyphs.
He recognized them.
— …the Guardians… you’re late… he’s already here… he’s waiting for you…
Then he screamed. And transformed.
An abomination—part man, part machine, part raw magic.A new battle began.
This time, the terrain was unstable.The walls contracted, as if breathing. The floor shifted shape according to the group’s emotions.
Akaru fell. Lyana lost her barrier. Mira nearly fainted.
But Theo, focused, used his mark to reverse the monster’s energy.A magic circle appeared, trapped it, and slowly disintegrated it.
After the fight, silence.
And a heavy question:
— How many more like him?— And… what if it happens to us?



The heart of the temple was beating. Literally.
Each step brought them closer to a round chamber, carved from an unknown material.At the center: a pillar. Upon its surface, the symbols they had seen on Riven’s body.
— This is it, said Lyana.
Hayato, who had stayed on the surface, had given them one final object: a stabilizing medallion.An ancient artifact meant to protect them against “emotional distortion.”
— Once you enter Inverso, everything can shift based on what you feel, he had warned. Never lose control.
They stepped across the threshold.
And the world… flipped.



Space inverted. The ground became sky.Colors twisted. Time slowed.
Akaru screamed. His blade vibrated wildly.Mira felt as if she had three bodies.Lyana saw memories she’d never lived.Theo heard voices in his language… and another.
Then everything calmed.
They were in a city. But not Tokyo. An inverted Tokyo.
Silent. Frozen. Bluish.Buildings leaned. The sky was a mirror.Faceless shadows walked in endless loops.
And ahead of them, on a floating walkway: a girl.
White hair. School uniform. Barefoot.She smiled.
— Welcome to Inverso, she said. I’ve been waiting for you.