Chapter 11 – The Anomaly Called Marl
The metal footsteps of the Ancient Sentinel reverberated like thunder through the fractured streets of Morsil. Each strike of its colossal legs shook dust from the crooked towers, each movement echoing through the city as though the world itself feared the giant machine's path. Ren, Miya, and Sissy had been caught like insects—bound by radiant chains of molten energy that burned cold instead of hot, numbing their skin and slowing every twitch of defiance.
Ren's mind raced as they were carried. His teeth clenched at the humiliating way the machine held them in its massive grip, dragging them effortlessly as though they weighed no more than leaves. Miya, despite her calm expression, had a faint crease of worry at her brow, while Sissy's jaw was tight, her Sentient pride wounded by being handled like a prisoner. None of them spoke. The only sound was the endless clang… clang… clang of the Sentinel's march.
Above them, the sky of Morsil split with unnatural light—fractured beams of colors not born in any known universe streaked like veins across the heavens. The city pulsed again, alive, and Ren could swear he felt its heartbeat synced with his own.
Then, at last, the Sentinel stopped.
They had reached a towering skyscraper, one that seemed to climb forever into the distorted sky. Unlike the other crooked ruins, this one stood tall and defiant, its base planted deep into the trembling ground, its frame gleaming with a faint yellow aura. The Sentinel stepped to its base, raised its arm, and the skyscraper's base split apart, opening like jaws.
Without a word, the giant lowered the prisoners into the opening, the molten chains dissolving just long enough to release them. They tumbled forward into darkness before landing on polished, strange metallic flooring that seemed to glow faintly under their weight.
The Sentinel's single crimson slit stared down at them for one long, oppressive second—then it turned and walked away, its footsteps fading until the skyscraper sealed behind it.
Silence.
Ren scrambled up to his feet, scanning the massive chamber they'd landed in. It was vast, stretching wider than the eye could follow, lit by floating orbs of golden light suspended high above. The walls were covered in layered panels that shifted occasionally, as though breathing. In the center of the room stood a single chair—throne-like, but oddly simple, facing away from them.
And then came the sound.
A laugh.
Not a deep, threatening laugh, but a high-pitched, absurdly cheerful one that echoed unnaturally around the chamber.
"Ahahahaha! Finally, finally, the guests arrive! I thought the Sentinel would never get around to it!"
The chair turned slowly, scraping against the floor with an almost theatrical screech. Sitting in it was a man in a yellow shirt, his posture casual, his hair disheveled like he had just woken from a nap. His eyes glowed faintly, golden, yet carried a manic shine that unsettled Ren immediately. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, grinning ear to ear.
"Well, well, well," the man drawled, voice dripping with amusement. "The marked boy, the pendant girl, and oh—my, my—the oh-so-serious Sentient commander herself. What a delightful trio!"
Ren blinked, trying to find his words. Miya stiffened, while Sissy immediately stepped forward, her stance defensive.
"Who are you?" Miya demanded, her voice sharp, unwavering.
"Identify yourself," Sissy barked at the same time, her Sentient authority spilling out like a blade.
The man burst into laughter again, clapping his hands like a delighted child. "Oh, you two are perfect! In sync, like dancers on a stage! Beautiful!"
Ren frowned, unease creeping into his gut. He glanced between them and the man. "…Who the hell are you?"
The man in the yellow shirt rose slowly from his chair, the glowing orbs above bending faintly toward him as if pulled by unseen gravity. He spread his arms wide, his laughter cutting off into an eerie silence.
"Me?" His grin widened into something dangerous, unhinged. "I am Marl."
The name echoed unnaturally in the chamber, carrying weight as though the city itself recognized it. The panels on the walls pulsed faintly in rhythm to the sound, like Morsil itself whispered in acknowledgment.
Ren felt a chill crawl down his spine. "Marl…" he repeated, uncertain, tasting the name like ash.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Marl exclaimed, spinning once in a circle as though giddy at his own introduction. "Marl the wanderer, Marl the anomaly, Marl the… ah, what do they call me now? The mistake that reality forgot? Yes! That's the one."
Sissy's brow furrowed deeply, her expression icy. "Anomaly…? You mean—you're not supposed to exist here."
Marl clapped again, delighted. "Correct! Ten points for the Sentient. I am the blip your neat, little Multiverse radar can't see. The itch at the back of creation's neck. The laughter that never fits the script. I am Marl!"
Ren swallowed hard. His skin prickled at the man's words. "What do you want with us?"
Marl tilted his head, grin never faltering. "Want? Oh, boy, boy, boy—I don't want. I wait. That's all I do. I wait. And finally… finally… the pendant brings you to me. Isn't fate delicious?!"
Miya's eyes narrowed, voice calm but sharp. "You know about the pendant."
"Know about it?" Marl cackled, throwing his head back. "Darling, I sensed it before you were born. That little trinket you cling to—it's not just a flaw in the multiverse. It's the key. The heartbeat. The doorway to the before and the after. And now it sits with you three… oh, how the stories write themselves."
Ren's fists clenched. His instincts screamed not to trust this man, but he couldn't deny the burning curiosity in his chest. "If you know so much—then tell me. Can it bring back my sister?"
The grin faltered. Just for a fraction of a second, Marl's glowing eyes flickered with something darker—something dangerous. Then he chuckled softly, almost pityingly.
"Oh, the boy's heart still aches. Always about the sister, always about what's lost. Tsk tsk. But tell me, Ren—" Marl leaned forward, his face too close, his smile too wide. "—what if bringing her back means undoing everything else?"
Ren froze, breath caught in his throat.
Before he could respond, the ground beneath them trembled. The walls pulsed more violently, the golden lights above flickering. Marl straightened, his grin twisting into wild excitement. "Ohhh… they've noticed. Took them long enough."
Miya's eyes darted around. "What's happening?"
Sissy's wrist communicator crackled violently, suddenly sparking with life. She looked down, and her eyes widened. Streams of unreadable data scrolled across the screen, error after error. One line pulsed red, over and over:
ANOMALY DETECTED. MORSIL BREACH.
Cut to the Sentient headquarters—vast, metallic halls alive with alarms. Commanders rushed between terminals, screens blaring red warnings. The holographic globe of the Multiverse radar spun violently, its smooth structure now marred by a jagged scar of golden light.
Technicians shouted, fear heavy in their voices.
"Unregistered energy signature—impossible readings!"
"Location doesn't align with the timeline map!"
"Commander Sissy's tracker—she's in the breach!"
At the center of it all, the Supreme Council stood frozen, their usual composure fractured by the impossible reading before them. For the first time in centuries, the Multiverse radar had failed.
And on its screen, a single word pulsed over and over:
ANOMALY: MARL.
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