The darkened space around Zordus and Connor warped—ten, maybe fifteen feet ahead, a spiral of blinding white light distorted the air. A being cloaked in flowing silver emerged. No eyes. No mouth. No form beneath the cloth — only presence.
No footsteps. No sound. Not even a breath. Only silence, absolute and divine.
It raises a hand — pale, lifeless, yet unwavering — and in its palm lies the Marble of Betelgeuse. "THE MARBLE OF GENISIS."
"Time's stopped…did you do it?" Connor asked Zordus, standing in alert — his focus fully on the being that emerged from the thin air.
"It was necessary." Zordus spoke, the excitement on his face gone — replaced by a dead serious look. Both their cloaks remained still in the air, the dust and the rocks of the moon froze mid air.
Zordus took a few steps forward, while Connor remained still in his place — his expression neutral, his hands clasped behind his back, yet he was full on guard.
"You didn't take too long… it's impressive how you managed to get what I wanted." Zordus spoke to the being, its hand still stretched out towards Zordus. It held a marble which emitted a bright — almost blinding purple light.
"Even with time frozen... it still glows? Impressive." Zordus lifted his hand as he took the bright purple marble in the palm of his hand. He felt as if an unseen force started weighing down on his very soul, it still surrounded his hand with its energy even though the flow of time was stopped.
The being cloaked in flowing silver pulled back his hand, disappearing as it went back — only the silver cloak remained wrapped around an unseen body.
"It is not in my nature to speak. But beware — the core holds power no mind can fathom, no mind can tame…You who have absolute authority over space and time… I hope you put it into good use." Zordus heard the voice of the being inside of his head, it did not speak directly, but rather transmitted its thoughts with Zordus… and so with Connor.
The silver cloak disappeared without creating any disturbance — as if it wasn't even there to begin with. The rocks and moon dust that froze mid air, slammed back on the surface. Both their cloaks draped back.
"You've started the flow of time again I suppose?" Connor asked, his shoulders visibly relaxing.
"Yes. The time is only stopped to a certain degree around my hand. Come here, take a look." Zordus spoke, his voice carrying a hint of satisfaction.
Connor nodded and took a step closer. He leaned forward slightly, taking a good look at the marble. His expression turned more curious as he looked at the marble. He gazed into it, feeling as if the very presence of it could destroy the moon if even an essence of the marble were to be released.
"The marble of genesis. It's the very core of the betelgeuse. That being… who handed this to me… first stopped the entire flow of time around the universe so that the balance of the universe remains. The being then re-created the birth of the star and continued till it matched with the current one. After that, using its supreme authority over space and gravity. It compressed the original betelgeuse until it was an atomic energy marble." Zordus explained, his gaze still focused on the marble that held in the palm of his hand, ready to obliterate anything in its way.
"But who is this entity? So powerful to even do such a thing?" Connor asked, standing upright.
"Orr'hazem — The Soundless Collapse. An entity beyond dimensions. It does not speak, nor does it think like mortals. When summoned, it does not arrive — space itself becomes its body. Stars dim. Oceans rise. And those who look upon it begin to forget what it means to exist." Zordus spoke, the marble disappearing into a portal that he had opened. He then pulled down his hand.
"You say it cannot speak, nor does it think like a mortal… then why did I hear it talk like one?" Connor asked curiously.
"Yes, it does not speak, it converses through minds, taking the intelligence of the one standing before it. That's how it warned us about the core. That being… we cannot hear its true voice, had we were to do so, our whole existence might erase itself from the reality. That's why it used intelligence and a voice from us. That's why it sounded familiar." Zordus explained, his expression dead serious.
"I see." Connor nodded, trying to fathom the sheer intensity of the being. He let out a sigh, running his fingers through his hair.
Zordus looked at Connor and shook his head as he let out a small chuckle. "Let's go back to earth before your brain gets fried by thinking about it…brother."
Connor nodded politely, knowing better than to who to get annoyed at. "Yes. That'd be better. And we also have a meeting with… someone specific, right?"
"Yes. That's right." Zordus nodded as a portal tore open before them, spilling blue light into the emptiness of space.
The moment after, they both were gone. The portal itself disappeared swiftly.
VOID~
The balcony stretched from the royal wing's second floor, carved from old stone and framed by arches worn by wind and time. Below, waves crashed against the fortified base of the castle — thick slabs of ancient brick, darkened by the salt and storms of centuries.
The ocean was endless from here. Not calm — never calm — but alive, moving, roaring in the distance like a beast with no name.
Void stood still, his figure draped in a long, ornate Duke's coat — deep navy, silver-threaded patterns that flicker like constellations when touched by the moonlight, half-washed in candlelight, half-soaked in moonlight. The glass of red wine in his hand tilted, catching a fragment of the stars… yet untouched.
Behind him, crimson curtains swayed gently, their folds glowing gold under flickering candlelight. The soft rustle of fabric, the rhythmic crashing of the sea — and silence. A silence that belonged to him.
And soon… would belong to her too.
"Ah, I'm so tired." He mused to himself, in a half exhausted tone.
His midnight hair, long and shadow-woven, shifts like liquid midnight as the wind brushes past.
And his eyes... blood-red, yet cold — not with rage, but with a void. A crimson that doesn't burn. It consumes. A piercing gaze.
The glass of wine held in his hand, untouched. The smell — aroma that filled his nostrils.
"Still don't drink…" a soft voice followed his ears, He didn't need to turn to know it was her. He felt it — like the sea felt the pull of the moon.
She stepped into the light, her white hair catching the gold like winter catching fire. The waves didn't stop — but for a moment, it felt like everything else did. A small smile cracked at the corner of his lips as he replied in a gentle and polite tone.
"Well I thought it'd be better if I had someone to accompany me in this lonely space."
A figure appeared from the room, now standing beside him. A girl just entering her twenties — her figure neither too small nor tall, but resting gently above the average. Slim and graceful, like someone carved out of snow with hands that understood silence better than words.
Her hair, finer than freshly fallen snow, spilled like silver silk across her shoulders — icy white, yet warm in its quiet shimmer. And then her eyes...
Two deep blue crystals, catching the crescent moon's light like a still lake beneath the stars. Eyes that didn't need to speak to be heard.
Her skin, delicate and pale — not sickly, but soft like untouched snow. The kind of softness that felt unreachable, like a winter dream you'd never want to wake up from.
"Why would you be lonely when you're surrounded by these many people, Void?"
She asked, her gaze falling down at sight of him holding the glass of wine that was yet to be touched. Her gaze soon followed to his face, a delicate smile formed on her face.
"It is lonely when you don't have the person beside you, who you have deeply engraved in your heart. People say that these are just fleeting moments…but they wouldn't understand…the happiness, the joy of those moments..that one specific person brings to their — my life.."
Void's voice came out softer than intended, his gaze still fixed on the stars, as if he might break the moment he looked at her.
The girl stood there — silently. Listening to him, her expression filled with sadness and longing.
"I know… you don't have to tell me about that person, so that I already know who it is." She replied, trying to mask her feelings with a delicate smile.
Void let out a weary chuckle. Breaking his gaze from the stars, finally looking at her face, followed by an exhausted smile on his face. Their eyes locking with each other, as a comfortable silence fell for a moment between them. A few moments later… Void broke the silence, his hand still held the glass of wine.
"How have you been… Charlotte."
Charlotte's eyes sparkled under the blue light of the crescent moon, her heart fluttered at his tone. Her own voice came out slightly shaky, as if holding her emotions back.
"I - I've…been fine. How about you…Void."
Void let out a sigh, his figure taller than hers. He gazed at her face, his smile never leaving.
"I've been fine as well. It's been almost six months since the last time we met." Void replied.
"Rose's father held a royal banquet, so it was obvious that he'd invite us as well." Charlotte spoke softly, a warm and happy smile on her face.
"Royal privileges." He teased, letting out a soft scoff.
Charlotte looked at him, amused. "Lean down a bit, you're ridiculously tall for me." She asked, her icy white hair waving in the air as the cold night breeze hit their faces.
Void looked at her, pondering for a moment before he set the glass of wine aside on the wall, leaning down forward towards her. "Yes, what is it, milady?"
He asked in a tone that almost felt royal yet bound to duties.
Charlotte lifted her hand up, pinching his cheek gently. "You could've come to meet me, yet here you were, waiting like always. You shouldn't do that to a lady, you mob."
She spoke in a mock annoyance, though her words held no real heat behind them.
Void couldn't help but let out a chuckle, feigning hurt. "That's so rude, milady…"
He let out a sigh before continuing again. "Even if I wanted to… I couldn't. You're a Princess of another continent. And I'm just a knight serving a Princess of another continent. I didn't want to get you in trouble, or in any kind of gossip."
Void spoke in a solemn tone — so was the expression on his face.
"I know… I just wanted to lighten up the mood a bit." Charlotte spoke, her voice tinged with longing. Her hand still on his cheek, but caressing his face instead — her touch gentle.
Void's eyes widened a bit, before he closed them, leaning into her touch. Relishing the ever-so-rare moment with her.
She then gently tugged his head, her arms wrapping around his neck, his head coming to rest on her shoulder. He didn't resist, nor did he ever want to. Yet his arms remained slumped down.
She gazed down at his arms, his hands balled into a first. "Why are you hesitating Void? Don't worry, no one will see us… okay? So it's fine…and I don't mind."
Void's head remained on her shoulder, as he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her. His hold on her wasn't tight, nor was it weak, it was just… weary.
She smiled at the feel of his arm around her, her finger running through his midnight hair in a soothing manner. Her own voice felt soothing to him — like always.
Charlotte felt his body tremble slightly in her hold, her expression full of understanding.
"Anything you have on mind? Anything interesting happened to you…hmm? It's not like you to not rant about stuff whenever you get the chance while you're with me, huh?" She asked in a soft tone. The sound of the ocean waves like a soothing balm to their moment.
Void stayed silent for a moment, his cheek pressed against her shoulder as he looked at the ocean behind them, he let out a soft sigh before speaking. "Nothing much, Princess Rose just made a new friend…and that specific friend of hers happened to be a commoner."
"Ah, you mean Gray? Rose told me all about him. Considering what happened to her not too long ago… I was surprised that she actually made a friend. And does it matter if he's a commoner? You shouldn't say that Void. Everyone isn't born into nobility. Considering our past, I never thought you'd ever actually say something like this." Charlotte spoke, her tone somewhat scolding. Her hand paused in his hair.
"I… sorry. It's just that.." Void spoke, trying to form a full sentence.
"It's just that he's also an orphan? Did you happen to forget something Void?" Charlotte's hand resuming her motion his his hair, as she let out a sigh.
"No… I just…" Void spoke, trying to come up with something for the reason of his hatred towards Gray, but failed.
"I know you're not that kind of person, and I know the reason for your words towards him. But listen to me…" she lifted his head from her shoulder, her hands cupping his face as she gazed into his eyes with a soft and reassuring expression.
"You shouldn't say anything like that…they're below you? That doesn't mean they're not human, that they shouldn't be treated right as well. In this society, equality is just a word — made by people. It's just an illusion, that everyone can be treated equally. And you know it. But we can at least try to treat those around us better, so they feel like they're seen as well, right?" She told him with an understanding tone, she understood his reasons and tried to tell him what should be done and not.
"I'm…sorry. I know everything and yet… I just can't come to like these orphans…commoners…but I'll… I'll try… try to talk to him again. If I get that chance to." Void replied, his hands coming to cover her hands that still cupped his face.
"That's what I like to hear. Not everyone is the same you know. So be more polite to him next time." She spoke as she let out a soft chuckle. Her hands squeezing his face in a teasing manner.
"Please don't do this." Void spoke in a goofy tone as his cheeks were squished by her hands. He couldn't help the smile that started forming at the corner of his lips.
The wind breeze was slightly cold due to the ocean behind them, but masked by the warmth of the room and their bodies pressed against each other quickly. They both felt everything around them like a blur, all that mattered was they, both each other for the moment.
GRAY~
Standing outside a building that looked like a herbalist shop in a thin alley, Gray pondered for a moment. "Ugh…I came back a little too late after the time I spent with princess Rose… I don't know if I'll even survive Miss Rebecca's s
colding."
Gray talked to himself, as he felt a hand on his shoulder from behind. "Welcome back Gray." A sound that was soft yet held a dangerous tone behind it… "I'm screwed." Gray thought to himself, turning to look behind...