✧ Chapter 38 ✧

Inside of the hidden fractal hole, Voltaze had been traversing a mysterious area which was beyond the Omniverse. According to the voice in his cell, it was a collective gathering where imagination originated. Time itself couldn’t even be properly measured as chaotic colorful dots flew around in rapid succession. Voltaze remembered what he was told regarding all Ten Eternal Lights. If he were to take them out of Prism, it would obliterate every single layer within the Omniverse. Unfortunately, the time spent in that chamber to formulate a plan didn’t last long before his said execution date was announced. It took years to form a connection with whatever was in there with him in order to even begin processing ideas.

Besides that, the last thing he recalled was surviving the blip which sent him into deep outer space by himself. Currently, he still felt confused as to why the anonymous voice told him to come to this place as of now.

“Hello, you wanted me?!” yelled Voltaze as the sound coming from him stretched like an echo into the vast confines of the bright expanse.

No answer.

“Whatever this is, I’m not in the mood to be played around with,” he further emphasized while waiting for a reply.

Suddenly, the mystery voice from the chamber finally revealed itself with a ginormous booming noise that shook like heartbeats. A circular black dot came from above his viewpoint. It was pulsating rather quickly too.

“New Guardian, welcome to The Ethereal Eye. I am The Lucid Light. You have surpassed The Void and are now in a space that breaks the limitations of existence itself. Such a place is where everything, including yourself, was born from. Now to settle your ambitions, I heard your cries of wanting to be the most feared throughout The Omniverse.”

“Yes, that’s right. That and every other Omniverse if it is possible.”

“There is only one everything. You have many ways to go before it is done. I brung you here to test your potential to fulfill a role harnessable enough to create your Fate. I want to be replaced in power so that I can continue to develop newer separate continuities that have yet to be built. For I have chosen you and another entity to become one if you fight for it. That entity is an intelligent weapon I have named Omnikra originally. It was taken by a girl who you may remember. Most of The Omniverse is oblivious to the history that occurred at the time. However, I did place her there for a reason.”

“Are you saying this is all some sort of simulation? Because if that’s true, then my bigger question is, why me and this weapon? There are infinite possibilities and yet you chose us.”

“If there is one thing I have enjoyed more than anything, it is the prospect of choice. My freedom to choose without being interrupted means no one can alter it. Nothing ever will. However, I have felt pity towards my creation that have yearned to change me in their minuscule brains. Everything I stand for. They will just have to learn their place in this expanse of existence.”

“Ok then… How did you become this?”

“I am that I am because I have always been the greatest absolute infinite to be. Words on a page cannot even express my full capabilities. I am imagination itself. Everything and nothing all at once. I observe every single possibility and create futures that co-exist. However, I admit to staging my biases. I have always had a preference for the most feared of their Omniverse. I see that in you Voltaze as I have when I made you for what you would become. Omnikra is my weapon and tool of creation that exists nowhere else. Your goal is to retrieve it and all Ten Eternal Lights.”

“I still have to go up against Prism though. How am I going to do that if this Styra has reserved power from four out of the six that I have so far?”

“Simple. That is why you are here. To replicate the power in this place and use it to manipulate the Eternal Lights so that they will break their complete bonds with her. In this space, anything is possible. However, there is one thing to note...”

“What’s that?”

“You must sacrifice the parts of you that are. You will feel an unimaginable pain, as if your body and your mind are tearing itself apart completely. Even the dead cannot fathom this ability. I call it… Absolute Agony. I created myself to become the essence of pain through Ethereal Corrosion. Mastering this feeling allowed me to become who I am now. Once you finish it, you are to feel nothingness as I do.”

This was a daring request. Voltaze was stuck wondering if he was ready to face what had scarred him all of those days. It sounded like this was the real deal. He had to be sure.

“So you’re saying I need to destroy myself? That I will be okay to do that in this space because it is possible for me to also resurrect myself?”

“Indeed. Awareness is key. You must accept that pain is a part of you. When you cannot feel pain while knowing you still exist, you will be feared. Once it is done, you must go and find Styra yourself. Convince the weapon to join you. If you fail this, I cannot help you.”

Voltaze’s thoughts began to finally agree with what The Lucid Light said. He was willing to sacrifice himself in order to be feared. By commanding The Eternal Lights Of Time, Life, Sound, and Energy, a rush of imaginary colorful needles started to deconstruct his body for the first time which was allowing him to break the rules of existence in its entirety.

His mind began to shout in pain as gruesome chaotic unknown entities began to emerge and do unspeakable actions to him inside his head. They teased Voltaze, taking his memories and toying around with who he was. Each passing instance was becoming unbearable at first. The Ethereal Corrosion started to chug slowly throughout his body with white crust forming around himself.

Then after persisting through the numbing experience, it happened.

∗ ∗ ∗

On Wisteliah, Styra and her friends were now teaming up with The Guardian Of Darkness and its remaining Heptarion Force members. At that time, they were working on a plan to divide the tasks into their respective groups.

“Styra, here is the layout. There will be three separate units of our team. The first will be you, Eternika, Chelbie, Compass, and Sapphirion. You will be the alpha group which will be a perfect distraction against the anomaly. Your goal, however, consists of capturing the anomaly,” said Creperus.

“Uh, space octopus? If you don’t mind me asking, what is a Sapphirion?” asked Chelbie with the intention of making The Guardian Of Space angry after hearing about what he did to Styra, Flight, and Hisa.

“With all due respect, Dark One, I fail to see how this will work. I was once Heptarion Commander and successfully led the guardians under my command. Tell me why we would let a reckless group of misfits join our elite force. They serve no real benefit to the operation,” stated Sapphirion.

“Huh?! Hey! You wanna talk ‘bout being reckless?! You’re the spitting image of that! I mean who else would want to be around someone with clunky old ass armor on? Get with the times my guy,” replied Chelbie.

“Want me to tell Prism that both of you were the reason we failed this mission?” asked Creperus sarcastically.

Chelbie and Sapphirion remained silent, not wanting to further discuss their hatred for each other out loud after hearing that. Creperus continued on about the plan.

“Now, before being stupidly interrupted, the next unit will be Flight, Hisa, and Diamondion. You are secondary to finding the origins of the one who created that symbol. They clearly must know about whoever is hiding our guardians from us.”

Diamondion had softened up after what Creperus warned her about. She wasn’t going to let her emotions get in the way of her loyalty to an esteemed Alpha Guardian.

“As you wish Dark One,” she responded.

“Good. Lastly, I will be in The Singularity Stronghold where I will be watching and attempting to assist you in the case of finding the anomaly. Does anyone have any other suggestions besides Chelbie or Sapphirion?”

As everyone agreed with Creperus, a sudden pain swelled in Styra’s heart unexpectedly. She held her hand there before collapsing to the ground as everything looked blurry and monochromatic.

“Styra!” screamed Flight as he saw her eyes opening wider out of this increasing fear that a darkness had consumed her senses.

It was then that something started to come out of her nose fast. She started to cover up her eyes and curl up as if she had seen something more scarier than she could handle.

“Someone get my first aid kit!” he ordered as Hisa and Chelbie were about to work together to get to the STS-0 when Diamondion stopped them.

“Here, I have found it for you already. Save her life,” she answered insistently to them.

They thanked her for getting the medical supplies while rushing back over to help.

Flight tilted Styra’s head back as she had fallen nearly unconscious. Then by using the resources in the kit, he gently wiped her nose. The stuff was coming out a lot faster than expected. Chelbie was horrified while Hisa had tears coming from her eyes at what she saw. Eventually it all stopped as Styra woke up in a frantic panic from the nightmare she experienced. Everyone calmed her down before she felt one last drop of something land on her finger.

“W-what? What is this?” she asked, trembling with fear.

“That’s called blood Styra. I don’t understand it though. At first you were bleeding this white glowing stuff. Now, it’s red.”

“R-red?”

As she tried to use The Eternal Light Of Life to heal her nose, she suddenly couldn’t feel anything. Mildly baffled, she tried to use The Kra Force to fly and see what was going on. Instead, her own two feet jumped a small distance from off the ground.

“What? What has happened to me? What happened to my powers?”

Creperus saw exactly what was going on with her. There was only one way this could have happened.

“I believe the anomaly has taken the rest of your power. When more than one Eternal Light is taken out of a body, it condenses you back into your true form. Guardians like us are designed for that change when it happens, but since you aren’t, it is affecting who you are.”

Left in shambles, Styra realized that this meant she wouldn’t ever get her powers back again. In fact, there was another concerning conclusion. She wasn’t going to be able to fight back against the anomaly. If it was strong enough to zap everything out of her, she would die instantly. Worse though, Perenorbius was left unprotected again.

Pausing in silence, she sat alone in herself for a while with Eternika trying to comfort her. That was until Hisa came up with a suggestion.

“We can’t give up on her. Styra never deserved this after saving us all. Maybe we can give the power from the Surreality Shard within us to her.”

As Hisa touched Styra’s hand, they looked at each other as if there was something that occurred between them. A sense of trust was built between the two. Flight also proceeded to contribute his reassurance on the matter.

“Let’s do it,” he said while nodding his head in acknowledgment with Hisa.

They both smiled and activated their powers together. However, as soon as they did this, Styra’s body began to burn upon their energy touching her skin.

“Ow! Stop, stop, stop!”

When Flight and Hisa stopped, her finger was in excruciating pain.

“Damn. Did Styra actually become human? Like, that’s very messed up.” remarked Chelbie.

Feeling ashamed from hearing what Chelbie said, Styra started to silently cry a stream of tears as she ran towards the STS-0.

Huddling up on top of the toilet in the aircraft’s lavatory by herself, someone started to knock on the locked door.

“Are you okay in there?” asked Hisa.

“I… I don’t know anymore. It’s all my fault. P-Perenorbius is in danger and I am not going to be able to do anything about it. I am worried because now seeing what I actually was, I realize that I took my powers for granted. I am a fool.”

Hisa began to sit to the back of the door, crossing her hands in front of her legs.

“We all do foolish things Styra. It’s a part of growing up when you find ways to even the odds you’re up against. It can be scary, but that fear is you holding back yourself. Maybe it’s a feeling. Something that violates who you believe you are. Or perhaps you’re also not really sure how to express yourself because you know you’ll be ridiculed for being yourself.”

“How can I possibly be myself when all of the pressure to not fail is on me? I am already hated so much that I even hate myself.”

“Hate by itself is never as justified as anyone thinks it is. It takes understanding the damage done to themselves and others when they’ve lost their way into that darkness. I used to hate what happened to my brother when the machines took him for dead. Do you know what I got in return?”

“No…”

“Nothing. Life doesn’t give anyone anything for it. The circumstances of those that reward themselves in a way that directly ties to contributing towards someone’s suffering is not going to find any sort of closure that they wanted. Closure through all things in your life is the only real way you’ll know you’ve survived the best you possibly could. Without that, they are trapped in this never-ending cycle repeatedly reacting against itself. That is why hate by itself, never wins.”

The ship had a subtle sense of quiet reflections. As Hisa was ready to walk away from how distant she felt in this conversation and leave her alone, the door from behind her gently opened up.

Styra was done crying. There was no need for a pity party at a time like this. She couldn’t deny that it wasn’t going to be easy having to deal with who she really was in such a painful way. However, it made her more ambitious. She had to push aside her fears and find ways to make it happen.

“Thank you Hisa. Thanks for everything,” she said, hugging Hisa tightly like a loving child next to their mother.

The journey would soon start in a minute. If she wanted to prove that she was still who she was with or without her powers, this was the moment to show it.

The chance to be who she really was.