Level Up Legacy

1191  An Empyrean Pursuit

The damp forest floor, a patchwork of fallen leaves and moss, was all Oriole could see as he huddled beside Caleb. His makeshift runes flickered weakly, a feeble attempt at shielding them from the relentless psychic storm.

Beside him, the Knight of Courage stood sentinel, the blue glow of her armor a beacon in the gloom. Her focus seemed to waver, the unfamiliar landscape of this world tugging at her senses. Oriole could guess at the questions swirling in her mind – how had they reached a place devoid of the familiar hum of Alka's energies?

"How was the other timeline?" asked Oriole, slicing the silence in half. As his words settled, the Knight of Courage seemed to resurface from the fog of her thoughts. She was different – he could tell.

"I lived my entire life in Alka, but the moment I awakened the memories, I felt like I was in the wrong story. It felt hard at first, feeling like an intruder to a story not mine, but then I found your artifacts, promising me of the familiar companionship."

"I never thought that people would find them, feeling like a fisher throwing baits without catching anything."

"You became more than just a fisher because many people remembered the alternate timeline, including me," said the Knight with a smile. "I became the fuel for your spark, Oriole. I set the world ablaze just to see it burn into the familiar life I lived with you guys."

"How could you be so certain that we weren't just an illusion?"

"I was never certain, even as I sit here and talk to you. I have to see him first, the man who earned my deepest respect, the Seika of Living Beings. And I want to beat him up for leaving me behind."

Oriole stared with a blank face; the words stuck in his throat. After thinking for a bit, he muttered a question.

"How did you reach this timeline? I never heard of someone crossing both time and space back to our world," said Oriole with confusion.

"Another supporter helped with that," said the knight with a grin. "Do you remember Saint Ai? She is already in this world, crossing before I did. She managed to find away to make it through the temporal fissures unharmed, and she shared their secrets."

"…what secret?" asked Oriole as he edged closer, eager. The knight was about to tell him…

But their conversation stalled as a sudden tremor shook the earth. Caleb's limp form writhed, eyes no longer the familiar blue, but shining with malevolent violet light. A gasp escaped him, followed by a voice that chilled Oriole to the bone.

"Cease this futile struggle. You tamper with forces beyond your comprehension, insect. The blood of Yalen shall not be tainted by your rebellion."

The air thrummed with oppressive energy, the empyrean's voice a tangible weight settling on them all. Unlike his initial encounter with Caleb's visions, this wasn't prophecy – this was a direct, horrifying threat.

Oriole cut her off, a chilling certainty in his voice. "There's nowhere to hide in this world. Our enemy is too powerful, his reach absolute. Even if we buried ourselves underground, he would find us."

The Knight paused, her usual decisiveness faltering momentarily. Then a grin bloomed on her face, an unwavering confidence contrasting the bleakness of their situation.

"Then let's use a different world," she declared.

Understanding sparked in Oriole's eyes. Of course! Alka! Fleeing into the world born of his very essence was a gamble, yet their only option against such terrifying odds. But a gnawing worry gnawed at him. "The fissure...the one you came through...we're too far from it. Can we..."

"Any fissure will do," she assured him. "It's the temporal aspect that's vital, the echoes of that first tear. Find one of yours, Oriole, and it will lead us back...though likely not to the exact moment we left."

Oriole nodded grimly. There was a fissure nearby, one he'd used to transport his creations to Alka. Every step towards it was a race against the unseen wrath of the Ancestor, the very ground beneath them trembling with his fury.

The forest crackled with the Empyrean's ominous power as they sprinted forward. Oriole could feel the oppressive weight of his gaze bearing down on them, a constant, terrifying reminder of their desperate flight.

Ahead, the familiar tear in reality shimmered, a swirling vortex of raw energy. He could hear the Empyrean's frustrated roar echo through the trees, the sound of an ancient predator closing in on its prey.

"Hurry!" the Knight urged, her powerful voice slicing through the oppressive fear.

As they neared the fissure, the sky itself exploded in an ominous violet glow. The Empyrean was channeling his power in a desperate attempt to halt their escape, even risking damage to his own territory. The earth rumbled ominously, trees toppling with impossible force.

Oriole's gaze hardened. "We have to keep moving. This is our only chance!"

He surged forward, telekinetically dragging Caleb as the Knight covered their retreat. The fissure loomed closer, its unstable energy a beacon of precarious hope. Sweat stung his eyes, and each breath felt like a battle against the suffocating pressure of the enraged Empyrean.

The Knight of Courage deflected a blast of violet energy with her sword, the impact staggering even her considerable strength. "He's pushing himself to the limit!" she gasped.

With a final burst, Oriole reached the fissure, dragging Caleb through its chaotic heart. The Knight of Courage was an instant behind, her armor gleaming as she turned, defiantly facing the pursuing onslaught of power.

"Go!" she shouted, "Don't look back!"

Oriole turned around with understanding, knowing the knight wanted to hold off the empyrean. However, he would not let her sacrifice herself. As the violet mana rushed toward them, he used his telekinesis to pull the knight before space wrapped around them, transporting them into a different world.