SANCTUARY OF BITTER TRUTHS

After several days of a hellish journey, they finally spotted their destination: the Citadel of Eldoria, the sanctuary of healers. Unlike the beleaguered Bastion, this place was a fortress of white marble and crystal towers that glowed with a protective light. They were safe. 

They were greeted at the gates by a girl with energetic fox ears and an outfit that was half priestess robe, half scout uniform. Asimil recognized her instantly. — You are... the presenter of the Pit — he said, surprised. 

The girl gave him a dazzling smile and winked. — In my spare time. My name is Tenshi, and you must be Asimil! My, my, the rumors don't do you justice. You're taller and much better looking in person. —

The flirtation, so direct and playful, took Asimil by surprise and made him blush. Beside him, Luce cleared her throat, crossing her arms and frowning for the first time since they had met. The gesture of jealousy was as subtle as it was unmistakable.

— Don't worry, little fighter — laughed Tenshi, patting Luce on the head, which irritated her even more. — I'm just playing. Thank you for bringing Mio. We were so worried. —

Tenshi's smile faded, and her face took on a somber expression. — Your arrival is timely, but the news we bring is not good. A few hours ago, we received a report from the eastern front. Viper, one of the Firmament Stars, was confronted by General Nyx.  It was a mutual defeat. Both perished. —

The news dropped like a stone in Asimil's stomach. Another fallen Star. A tall, strong man with reddish-black hair and the same fox ears as Tenshi approached and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. It was her partner.

— This is no time for regrets, honey. Mio needs to be taken to intensive care — she said, his voice a grave calm. he turned to them. — I'm glad you've arrived. Seraphina, another of the Stars, will be here soon. —

— Seraphina  I don't know her as a warrior.  ? —

— He is not — explained the fox man. — Her power lies not in a sword, but in her influence, her money and her political power. She is the leader of the largest guild in the Altverse. In this war, armies and supplies are as important as heroes. —

They led Asimil and Luce through the citadel to a building that looked more like a laboratory than a hospital. They took Mio to an intensive care ward, and Tenshi led them to a research area. The place was filled with containment tanks where creatures of the Void floated, connected to strange devices.

— ¡BU! —  A girl with playful cat ears and an old-fashioned lab coat jumped out from behind a tank, startling Luce, who jumped back.

— Hahaha, they always fall! — laughed Tenshi. — Guys, this is Yumi, our lead researcher. A little crazy, but the best at what she does. —

Yumi, the cat girl, suddenly became serious, her expression changing from playful to that of an accomplished scientist.

— Welcome to my zoo of nightmares — she said, pointing to the tanks. — I've been studying them for weeks. And what I've discovered is... disturbing.— He approached a tank where a Void minion was twitching. — Each creature seems to be connected to a central mind. But the strangest thing is that they are evolving. They have almost human features. This one here, he pointed to another, we've heard it whisper words. Names of players it has killed. —

He led them to a larger tank, where a more powerful creature was contained. — And the stronger the creature, the more thoughtful and intelligent it becomes. They imitate our tactics, learn from our defeats. — He turned to them, and in his cat-like eyes there was a gleam of terror and fascination. — My conclusion is inescapable, the Void is not just destroying. It is learning. It learns from the thoughts, memories and emotions of every player it consumes in the Altverse. It's not an army, it's a hive mind that gets smarter with every life it takes. —

The revelation left Asimil and Luce frozen. The enemy they faced was worse than they had ever imagined.

Seeing their pale faces, Tenshi intervened, his tone becoming softer. — It's a lot of information to process. And you two are exhausted. For now, rest up. You are in one of the safest places in the Altverse. Stay a few days, get your strength back, and meet Seraphina when she arrives. You will need him for what is to come. —

He took them to some guest rooms. Asimil lay awake for a long time, Yumi's revelation swirling in his head. The Void didn't just kill. It fed on their souls. And he, for some reason, felt like the main course of their feast.