Singularity

One of her spheres absorbed the shot, and turned bright red.

“Seems like you can’t tell me what to do or what I have.” Saesquar aimed again and Nia dove to the side. “Your rule-making seems to have rules of its own!”

My rules have closed the gaps where magic operates. Does that mean this world had plasma rifles?

Qiin panted, a new sword in hand. But he didn’t attack.

Nia created a new thick shield between herself and Saesquar.

I can change their projectiles and I can close the gaps for magic. Gun shots are too fast for me to change them.

Saesquar shot past her shield, her finger already pressing the trigger.

We’re under water!

Suddenly, she couldn’t breathe. The shot from the gun fizzled out and a few bubbles of gas rose up toward somewhere.

I can still define what this world is. But it is weird. Everyone is flying, there is no ground, but there’s gravity. And now, we’re all under water.

The dark goddesses’ gun turned into a creature. Half Eel, half shark, lots of teeth and it had at least eight eyes.

The shit’s that? No, wait, it’s a log of wood!

Again nothing happened and the thing ate one of her spheres. Nia took a moment to notice that Saesquar was holding on to the creature.

Remove the water! I need oxygen.

It was too late. The thing had bitten into her hand. Nia screamed and her other self winced as her limb was ripped off. Why wasn’t her subconsciousness helping her?

While the alien eel turned back into a rifle, Nia aimed with a pistol at it and shot. The bullet burned, turned bright red before hitting the goddess in the shoulder.

That’s not normal, is it? Nia shot the remaining seven bullets that burned holes in the dark lady’s body, but Saesquar was still aiming at her.

Nia was panting. Saesquar was panting. The plasma shot passed Nia and ignited it. The plasma rifle ignited. Nia tried to put the flames out, her skin started to tingle. Her eyes burned. Nia summoned a splash of water that doused the flames eating at her hair.

“What … have you done?” Saesquar demanded.

What have I …? I screwed up. This is pure oxygen.

Nia held her breath.

Create a bubble with normal air around me.

Only then did she dare to resume breathing, holding her breath from time to time. Paying attention in that first aid course paid off. Though that was about hyperventilation.

Saesquar and Qiin both turned red. “Pure oxygen is poisonous,” she answered. “Do you give up?”

The goddesses eyes burned with fury and she grabbed a mask out of thin air and put it onto her face.

I guess that’s a no.

Qiin waved his hands and disappeared. He either gave up or she had managed to erase him.

“You wanted to see my light source?” Saesquar screamed and pulled a sun from below her, holding it up. A sun that grew larger and larger, it’s heat burning.

Why’s she not burning herself? I need sunscreen!

A sheet of something black came into existence between her and the goddess while she was also doused in cooling white gel.

It was still unbearably hot and it was getting hotter by the moment. Suddenly gravity started to flip. I need to erase that, but Saesquar is touching it. She’s not letting go … I need something that can erase a sun, a star!

Nia stared with wide eyes at the goddess. She only knew one thing that could erase stars. The biggest eraser the universe knew.

She lowered her gaze and spoke the words that would probably end this: “Black Hole!”

The new pull of gravity intensified. Nia’s hair was pulled upward. Saesquar looked up, her hair was also pulled toward her sun and past it.

Slowly, an accretion disc formed around the singularity as it pulled the plasma of the sun inward. It was the only thing about her attack that was visible.

“Stop it! You’re erasing yourself!” Saesquar shouted.

“Two things.” Nia raised a finger. “If I don’t do this, you’re going to erase me either way.” She raised her second finger. “It won’t erase me. Your sun is also not hurting you.”

Saesquar stared at her. Then she screamed and tried to pull the sun down, to push it against Nia, but the pull of the black hole was too strong.

Nia raised the reloaded pistol in her right hand. “Good bye.”

“I give up. Saesquar let go of the sun and it vanished. The goddess vanished a moment later, before Nia could pull the trigger.

Sighing, Nia looked up at the accretion disk. Its movement stopped. She blinked and it was gone.

“Wow. You’ve pulled out all stops, haven’t you?” Her core was suddenly next to her.

“You could’ve helped me, you know?” Nia looked at her other self.

“I did. Who do you think gave you all those ideas? Even if we’re separated in here, were still connected.”

“It really didn’t feel like it.”

“But it was.” Her core shook her head. “Now all you need to do, is wake up, pull the blade out and repair the rest of your body. Oh, and maybe you should sort out what’s happening out there.”

Nia sighed. “No rest for the wicked, I guess.”