The night in Vrasnia was alive with colors. Curtains of aurora borealis draped across the heavens, spilling violet and green across the obsidian sky. The purple moon hung heavy, bathing the palace grounds in a soft, ethereal glow.
Outside, near the statue of Karah, Tyrone and Lihanna sat quietly, taking in the view. The cold stone glimmered beneath the moonlight, its surface kissed by the shifting lights of the aurora.
From the shadows, Vanessa approached—her steps calm, her pale-blue hair catching the lunar glow. When the pair noticed her, Tyrone stood, smiling."Hi," he said.
Vanessa offered a small smirk and raised one hand in a wave. "Hey. You two enjoying the night?"
Tyrone tilted his head back toward the sky. "Yeah. The aurora borealis is… unreal. Who wouldn't want to just sit here and look at this? This place doesn't even feel real compared to Earth. It's beautiful… hard to believe it was once devastated."
Vanessa lowered herself onto the steps beside them, choosing the opposite side of Tyrone, who now sat between both women. Together, they gazed upward.
Lihanna's voice was soft, reflective. "I was told Nullity was a curse… something meant for destruction. But looking at this—at the home of disciples of Nebula—it's not ugly at all. It's… beautiful."
Vanessa's gaze shifted toward her, eyes glowing faintly in the moonlight. "That's expected. Nullity is evil, but it isn't ugly. It's beautiful—divine, even. I'm sure when you saw Kazimir's abilities, you felt the weight of darkness. But if you looked closely, you saw beauty."
Tyrone turned to her, intrigued. "I haven't seen much of yours yet… except it looks like water—an abyss. Dark. Flowing."
Vanessa's lips curved in a faint smile. "Yes. Kazimir and I are different. The only thing we share is space distortion. But the abyss… that's mine."
Tyrone hesitated, then leaned forward, his tone curious but excited. "This might sound stupid, but… can you show us? Something that'll blow my mind. I've seen lightning. But I wanna see the depths."
Lihanna shot him a look. "I knew you'd say something like that."
Vanessa chuckled softly, her smile gentle. "Sure."
She rose, her body floating upward until she hovered above the ground. Closing her eyes, she pressed her hands together. Immediately, a dark current swirled into being—an abyssal water tinged with blue and purple, circling around her like a living storm. Faint silhouettes of glowing fish darted inside the currents, their scales catching the moonlight as they swam.
Tyrone and Lihanna's jaws slackened, eyes wide as the sky itself seemed to shift around them. Suddenly, a spiral of water coiled beneath their feet, lifting them off the ground.
"Wait—huh?!" Tyrone yelped, clutching his knees as the current carried him higher.
Lihanna stared upward, captivated. Vanessa's pale hair billowed, flowing like liquid silver under the purple moon. When Tyrone and Lihanna reached her level, she placed two fingers gently against their lips.
"Stay right here," she whispered with a smile.
Then, without another word, she drifted back, turning her back to them. The abyssal waters surged—expanding, swallowing them whole.
Their hearts leapt as everything went dark.
When their eyes opened, they gasped.
They were underwater.
Endless, abyssal ocean stretched in every direction. Marine life glided gracefully around them—schools of luminous fish, sleek sharks circling at a distance, rays cutting through the water like blades of light.
Lihanna instinctively held her breath, but Vanessa glanced back at her. "It's okay. You can speak here. You won't drown."
Tyrone inhaled sharply. "Holy shit… we're really underwater. And—wait—" he looked around, eyes darting between the creatures. "We're moving. The fish… they're moving with us."
Lihanna turned to him, voice breathless. "Then maybe… look down."
He did. And his heart nearly exploded."NO FUCKING WAY—WE'RE RIDING A WHALE?!"
Vanessa only smiled, her eyes shimmering in the abyss. "Now look behind you."
Both of them twisted in awe—behind and beneath, a family of whales swam together, their massive bodies gliding effortlessly through the deep. Their haunting songs reverberated through the abyss, a low, resonant music that shook Tyrone's chest.
He and Lihanna were speechless. Neither had ever seen something so vast, so alien—and so breathtaking.
Moments later, the current pulled them upward. They breached the surface—and there, upon the back of the colossal whale, they stood. The abyss reflected the galaxy above—rivers of stars, endless constellations, the moon glowing like an amethyst sun.
Birds—creatures of light and water—soared across the horizon. The entire ocean glimmered like glass, each ripple catching a star's reflection.
Vanessa floated just ahead of them, her voice soft. "Did I meet your expectations?"
Tyrone laughed breathlessly, nearly falling to his knees. "You didn't just meet them—you shattered them. Kazimir never showed us anything like this."
Lihanna nodded furiously, eyes shining. "This is insane… it's beautiful. Oh my god—there are even birds—"
Vanessa's expression softened, a shadow of wistfulness passing across her face. "None of this is real. It's all my imagination, forged by my power."
Their eyes widened.
"You created… all of this?" Lihanna whispered.
Vanessa nodded. "Yes. Every current. Every creature. Every star."
Tyrone shook his head in disbelief. "That's… cool doesn't even cut it. Wait—can Kazimir do this too?"
Her voice lowered, thoughtful. "Yes. But only Neve, Jessie, Riah, Gendai, Raijin, and… the two friends who died experienced it. When Kazimir first defeated the dynasty that severed Karah's head, he destroyed its realm. And in its place, he created something new—a beach at twilight. The night sky was filled with stars, a moon and a sun. And as they came together on the horizon, they formed a solar eclipse. It was the moment he and Riah became a couple."
Tyrone's eyes widened. "I didn't know about this. That's… lore."
"Same," Lihanna admitted. "First time I'm hearing it."
Vanessa tilted her head back, her gaze on the infinite stars she had conjured. The whale sang again, a haunting melody beneath them as the soft wind carried the scent of ocean spray.
"I know," she said quietly. "It was truly romantic."
The three of them stood in silence, gazing at the impossible sky Vanessa had woven from nothingness—a sky more beautiful than Earth, more eternal than dreams.