Chapter Text
“Ooh~ wait, is this the little guy you’ve been telling me about Jamato?” A young man stood with an infectious grin spread across his face, his black eyes gleaming with excitement. His messy hair framed his light-medium complexion, giving him a carefree and energetic appearance. A black leather jacket adorned with subtle streaks of red, blue, and yellow rested on his shoulders, paired with ripped black jeans and black-and-white sneakers.
“Indeed, be a little careful with him Spoke. A being of destruction is a little handful” Jamato, a person with eyes dark as the void, deep and unreadable, carrying a quiet intensity that seemed to draw people in. Silver-blond hair fell softly around his face, catching the moonlight with a faint shimmer.
Wrapped around his neck was a red scarf that stood out against the cool tones of his blue cardigan. Blue jeans and polished black Oxford shoes completed his simple yet refined appearance. Despite the darkness in his gaze, a gentle smile rested on his lips, giving him a calm and comforting presence.
The energetic young man, Spoke, kept staring at something called a ‘Soulkin’. A small fairy-like divine being that grants the wielder an Arcana, such as the Necklace where this Soulkin belongs. “Hi hi hi! So what’s your name, little guys?”
The small little voidling looks at their surroundings. They were at the rooftop of a tall building, the night air was cold and steady, carrying the faint echo of the city far below. Bright city lights stretched endlessly in every direction, with streams of cars moving like glowing rivers through the streets.
Distant honks and murmurs of life rose up from the ground, softened by the height, making the world below feel both alive and far away.
Throughout the summer, it had quietly turned into something more than just a meeting place, it was their hidden base, their break between missions, and the one place where the rest of the world felt distant enough to ignore.
In secret, they had been carrying out vigilante work across the city, slipping through the shadows, fixing what no one else noticed, and dealing with problems that never made it into official reports.
During that time, Jamato had also taken on the role of Spoke's trainer. For the past two months, he had been pushing him to improve, refining his control over his abilities and teaching him how to survive in situations where even a moment of hesitation could cost everything.
It wasn't as if Spoke lacked a mentor. Ever since high school, he had been training under one of the Soulkin Guardians, MinuteTech, alongside another student. However, MinuteTech's responsibilities as a guardian had grown increasingly demanding, leaving him with less and less time to personally oversee Spoke's training.
Wanting to continue improving, Spoke turned to his childhood friend, Jamato—the holder of the Voidling Arcana, one of the two most powerful Arcana in existence.
With university approaching in two weeks and Jamato set to leave Capital City in just a month, every training session felt more meaningful than the last. Neither of them ever brought it up, but there was an unspoken countdown hanging over their time together, reminding them that these moments wouldn't last forever.
Together, they were known as the Patchbreakers. Jamato operated under the name Paradox, while Spoke fought under the alias Abyss.exe.
“Ahh they’re a curious one” Spoke commented, while Jamato leaned against the rooftop edge, arms crossed as he stood still, eyes fixed on the exchange unfolding in front of him. “You probably scared them” He grinned making the young man pout but still continued trying to make conversation.
Suddenly, the Soulkin appeared right in front of his face. “Greetings. I am Alt, Soulkin of destruction. Nice to meet you,” it said enthusiastically, raising its small hand for a greeting.
Spoke grinned, clearly pleased that the little being had finally started talking. He carefully reached out and shook its tiny hand. “There we go, now we’re talking,” he said with satisfaction. “Nice to meet you, Alt. I’m sure you’ve heard of me by now? The great unknown vigilante known as Abyss?”
Alt tilted slightly, as if processing the name. “Nope. Never heard of them, actually.”
Spoke immediately flinched at the blunt response. A brief silence followed before Jamato suddenly burst out laughing, unable to hold it in. He looked at Jamato in disbelief as the silver-haired young man casually lifted a hand.
“He’s joking,” Jamato said, his voice calm. “I’ve talked about you lots of times in front of him.” At that, Alt’s expression shifted. The Soulkin’s face slowly curled into a mischievous grin, its eyes glinting with amusement.
Spoke paused for a moment, then exhaled sharply as realization hit him. “…You’re messing with me,” he muttered, narrowing his eyes.
Alt only grinned wider, clearly enjoying itself, while Jamato let out a quiet sigh, as if this was exactly what he had expected to happen.
Spoke couldn’t help but laugh, the tension breaking as he shook his head in amusement. Maybe him and this Soulkin would actually get along better than expected. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a rainbow bandana, carefully unfolding it and putting it around his own head as two more Soulkins suddenly appeared beside him.
It was rare for a wielder to possess two Soulkins within a single Arcana, such cases were known as ‘twin Soulkins.’ While one could function without the other, the consequences of going ‘Unstable’ became significantly more severe.
“Meet Glitch and George,” Spoke said with a wide grin. “I don’t know if you’ve met other little guys like yourself, but hey, I hope you all get along and become friends like me and Jamato.”
Glitch and George turned their attention to Alt, who immediately began spinning around them excitedly.
“Ooh, it's been so long since I’ve seen twins before,” Alt said rapidly. “Then again, I’ve seen a lot of Soulkins over the centuries, so I probably have… I just forgot. Hi! I’m the amazing Alt! you know, the most powerful Soulkin. I’m well known. Well I still think I am.”
The more Alt spoke, the more Spoke realized just how much of a handful it was going to be. Glitch and George seemed to come to the same conclusion in silence.
Without warning, George slipped under Spoke’s jacket and reappeared moments later holding a bag of cookies Spoke had hidden away for them. He opened it and, after a brief pause, offered one to Alt.
Alt stared at the cookie for a moment. “…Got any cheese?” it asked.
Spoke froze. He slowly turned his head toward Jamato, who was already struggling to hide his amusement.
“Alt has very… unique demands sometimes,” Jamato said casually. Spoke exhaled, processing the situation. Mischievous, unpredictable, and demanding. He made a mental note of it immediately.
“You really deal with this guy every day?” Spoke said.
“I mean, I deal with you every day. I don’t see the difference,” Jamato replied with a grin as he opened a small box of cheese.
Spoke looked like he wanted to laugh, but quickly forced himself into an exaggerated serious expression. “So not true. I am a very serious person.”
“Yeah? And I’m the president of the Hero Corps,” Jamato shot back. “Face it, you’re not fooling anyone.” Before Spoke could respond, Alt suddenly chimed in, snatching the cheese right out of Jamato’s hand. “He got you there, Spoke.”
Glitch chuckled while munching on a cookie. George simply nodded in agreement, also eating a cookie.
“Nahhh, don’t encourage him!” Spoke protested, pointing at them as if that would fix the situation.
Jamato stepped away from the edge of the rooftop and walked closer to Spoke, still smiling faintly.
“I see you two have been getting along pretty well,” he said. “But actually… Alt and I have been talking about something lately.”
Spoke immediately perked up. “Ooh—are you going to show me your Exploit power again?” His grin widened with excitement.
Jamato and Alt exchanged a brief look before turning back to him, clearly aware of how much he enjoyed seeing it.
“Such a little fanboy,” Glitch commented with a teasing grin. “Well, what do you expect?” George added calmly. “Whenever Spoke uses Copycat, he always chooses the Voidling’s powers.”
‘Copycat’ did exactly what its name suggested. It allowed the wielder to temporarily replicate another Arcana holder’s ability. First, they had to physically touch the target to register their power, and from there, they could copy it perfectly. They could also store powers they have yet to use but can only either use one at a time or a limited amount of time depending on the power.
“I’m amazing, I know,” Alt added proudly. “Who wouldn’t want my powers?” George sighed at that. Glitch snickered.
Spoke, meanwhile, just crossed his arms, still grinning despite himself. “Okay yeah… that one I’ll give you.”
“Exploit,” Alt explained, “the power I grant. It gives the user a chance to break reality itself. duplicating objects, clipping through solid matter, even altering small parts of reality. Blah blah all the cool stuff” he said while devouring the cheese.
Jamato leaned back slightly, arms loosely at his sides. “It’s powerful… but limited.”
Alt nodded. “It can only be used once per activation.”
Still, for Spoke, it was more than enough. Even with its restriction, the ability was undeniably broken in the right moment. And, in his eyes, absolutely incredible.
“Want to try it?” The words left Jamato’s mouth so casually that Spoke was convinced he had misheard them.
For a moment, he simply stared.
“Spoke?”
“Sorry, I thought you asked if I wanted to try it.”
“I did.”
Spoke blinked.
Then blinked again.
For a brief moment, he tried to maintain a composed expression, but the excitement bubbling inside him made that impossible. The grin spreading across his face gave him away instantly.
Glitch and George exchanged amused looks.
“If I'm being honest,” Jamato continued, “it’s not really about trying it.” Spoke's excitement slowly turned into confusion.
“What do you mean?”
Jamato smiled. “I was planning on giving Alt to you.”
The rooftop fell silent.
Spoke's eyes widened.
Even Glitch and George looked completely caught off guard by the sudden announcement. Only Alt seemed unaffected, wearing a smug grin as if this conversation had been planned long before tonight.
The twins immediately reacted. “You can't just get Spoke to replace us!” Glitch protested. “Yeah! We've been his partners for months now!” George added.
Spoke looked down at them. As much as the offer tempted him, they were right.
Glitch and George had been there from the very beginning. They were his Soulkins. His partners.
He shook his head.
“They're right, Jamato. I can't accept this.”
Alt raised an eyebrow.
“Even if I really, really want to,” Spoke admitted. “Glitch and George are different, you know? They have been with me since the start.”
Jamato's smile only softened. “I knew you'd say that.”
Spoke paused.
“But I'm still giving Alt to you.”
“...Wait, what?” Spoke stared at him in confusion.
“Spoke, it was never my intention for you to replace the twins,” Jamato explained. “I know how much they mean to you.” He gently took the necklace connected to Alt and placed it around Spoke's neck.
“What I want is for Alt to be in your care before I leave Capital City.”
The weight of the necklace settled against Spoke's chest. For the first time all night, the reality of Jamato leaving hit him.
A month.
Only a month left.
“Besides,” Jamato continued, “I still have one final lesson to teach you.”
“Jamato, I…” Spoke quickly looked away. His vision was starting to blur, and he refused to cry in front of everyone.
The effort lasted approximately three seconds. “I’m gonna miss you.”
Alt stared at him. “Geez, kid. You really are gonna be a handful.”
Glitch and George looked toward Jamato. “Wait,” Glitch asked, “so you're not making him replace us?”
“Of course not,” Jamato replied. The twins visibly relaxed.
Jamato patiently waited while Spoke finished dramatically mourning a departure that hadn't even happened yet.
Once he finally calmed down, The silver-haired young man folded his arms. “Tell me, Spoke. Ever heard of Unify?”
Spoke thought for a moment. “Well... definitely not—” He stopped. “Ah, wait. That's when two Arcanas become one, right?”
“Correct!” Jamato said proudly. “For your final lesson, I want you to use Unify with the twins and Alt.”
Spoke's eyes lit up. “Seriously?”
“After that,” Jamato continued, “I want you to take it around the city and figure things out yourself. No guidance. No training wheels. Just you.”
For a second, Spoke simply processed what he'd heard. Then a huge grin spread across his face. “Yooo, wait—that actually sounds sick!”
“Before you go, remember. Keep it subtle—”
“Keep it subtle or The U.U. Hero Corps comes after me. Don't go overboard or I'll accumulate too much unstable energy and start shortening my lifespan. Yeah, yeah, I know the rules,” Spoke replied, waving a hand dismissively. “Trust me, I'm way more careful than that time I accidentally let loose the Moo-ing Cat in downtown Capital City.”
“Spoke,” Jamato deadpanned, “Spectrum almost figured out what we were doing because that Moo-ing Cat ran directly toward her.”
Spoke winced.
Spectrum was a fellow Soulkin wielder just like him and Jamato. The difference was that she worked for the largest hero organization in the world—a corporation so influential that its reach stretched from Capital City to the Farlands and even across the Great Sea.
And yet ever since the former president passed away three years ago no one knew who actually replaced them other than they call themselves "The Director".
That alone was suspicious.
Both Spoke and Jamato had spent months trying to understand the organization. Despite its spotless reputation, something about it felt wrong. A global operation with endless resources, the strongest heroes, and for three years no one has seen the face of this person called "The Director"?
Something didn't add up.
Unfortunately, neither of them had any proof. Even Minute, who was a guardian of the arcanas was suspicious and never wanted to be involved with them which made Spoke more weary of the organization.
Spoke rubbed the back of his neck as he remembered desperately trying to convince Spectrum that she had imagined hearing the unnatural phenomenon.
If anyone discovered that the Necklace of the Voidling had been in their possession this entire time, they would be doing a lot more than running.
“She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time!” Spoke defended himself. “How was I supposed to know a Hero Corps member would be patrolling an abandoned district at four in the morning?”
“Spoke.”
“...What?”
“The Twilight Sovereign is literally on our tails.”
Spoke immediately deflated.
“Ah, right. That guy.”
A pause.
“Yeah... we don't talk about him.”
The memory of the purple dragon-like vigilante was enough to make anyone nervous. Spoke quickly turned toward Jamato and clasped his hands together.
“I'm sorrryyy! I promise I'll be extra careful! Super careful! Careful enough that nobody will ever know who I am!”
Jamato raised an eyebrow.
“Okay the last part is off the table but I mean, come on,” Spoke continued. “We've gotten this far, haven't we? We stay in the shadows. Nobody knows about us except some purple guy and the Hero corps who hopefully didn’t look into it too much. What's the worst that could happen?”
Jamato simply stared at him.
The fact that Spoke genuinely thought that was reassuring was concerning.
With a sigh, Jamato pinched the bridge of his nose.
At this point, there wasn't much he could do. He had already decided to entrust Alt and the Necklace of the Voidling to Spoke.
Now all that remained was hoping this wasn't the worst decision he had ever made.
“I'll wait here,” Jamato finally said. “I can't exactly take back what I promised.”
Spoke's eyes immediately lit up.
“LET’S GO!”
Before Jamato could react, Spoke practically launched himself into the air.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you! Jamato, you're seriously the best!”
He bounced around excitedly, already imagining everything he could do with the genuine power of Exploit instead of a temporary Copycat version.
Nearby, Glitch, George, and Alt watched the entire exchange. The three Soulkins slowly looked at one another. None of them had any idea how this was going to end.
Jamato eventually turned toward Alt.
“Alt.”
The Soulkin looked up.
“I think it's time I renounce you.”
For the first time all evening, Alt's grin softened.
“You were fun while it lasted,” Jamato continued. “And I'm glad you understand why I'm doing this.”
Alt nodded. “No hard feelings, Jamato. You can trust me to look after Spoke while you're off traveling the world.”
A brief silence settled between them.
Months of partnership passed in a single glance.
Then—
“WAAAAAAHHHH!”
Everyone turned.
Spoke was dramatically crying into his hands. Glitch had somehow acquired an entire tissue box. George was crying too. Where they had gotten the tissues from remained a mystery.
Neither Jamato nor Alt questioned it. Instead, they exchanged a look before bursting out laughing.
Eventually, Alt floated over to Spoke.
“You ready, kid?”
Spoke immediately wiped his eyes.
“Okay, enough with the kid stuff. I'm literally starting university next week.”
“Well,” Alt replied, folding his tiny arms, “I'm older than your entire civilization.”
Spoke blinked.
“Fair.”
“Several millennia older, actually.”
“Okay, that's excessive.”
“Which means,” Alt continued smugly, “I can call you whatever I want, kid.”
Spoke groaned. The adventure hadn't even started yet, and he was already regretting half of his life choices.
“Want to try transforming with him?” Jamato chimed in, his voice calm—but edged with anticipation.
Spoke’s grin widened instantly. “Say no more, Jamato. What’s the catchphrase?”
“Listen carefully. To transform—say ‘Void awaken.’ To revert—‘Void slumber.’ Understand?”
Spoke’s eyes lit up. “Already burned into my mind… Alt—Void awaken!”
For a split second… the world held its breath.
Then it broke.
Darkness spilled around Spoke like ink poured into water, swallowing the rooftop in a tide of black and crimson. His skin lost all trace of warmth, turning as dark as the void itself, smooth and endless, as though pieces of the night sky had wrapped around his body.
Bright white eyes ignited within the darkness, glowing like twin stars and casting an eerie light across his face. His clothes transformed with him, becoming a sleek, shadow-like attire that seemed woven from living void, broken only by sharp streaks of deep red that ran across his coat and sleeves like cracks in reality.
The air around him grew heavy as a vast, abyssal aura unfurled outward, rippling and distorting the space around him. For a moment, he no longer looked human, he looked like the void had taken shape and learned how to walk.
Spoke’s voice cracked with awe.
“OH—WAIT—WHAT IS THIS?! HOW COOL AM I RIGHT NOW?!”
Jamato exhaled sharply. “Don’t get carried away. You still need to perform Unify.”
A teasing voice drifted through the air. “And here I thought you said you wouldn’t replace us,” Glitch laughed, circling him like a phantom.
George floated beside him, eyes sparkling with fascination. “He really did change…”
Spoke jolted. “I would NEVER! I swear—I’m just—this is just REALLY COOL!”
“We know,” they said in unison.
“Quit panicking and use it already,” the twins urged, their voices overlapping with excitement. “The night won’t wait forever!”
Spoke froze.
Then slowly turned his gaze toward Jamato.
A silent nod.
That was all he needed.
He inhaled deeply.
“Glitch… George… Alt…” The air shattered. “UNIFY!!”
The void surrounding him suddenly flickered. The once-crimson lines running through his clothing glitched into vibrant bands of rainbow, as though reality itself had failed to decide on a single color. A long rainbow bandana appeared around his forehead, billowing endlessly despite the still air.
Moments later, pointed feline ears pushed through his hair, followed by a sleek tail that lazily swayed behind him. The new additions felt less like a natural transformation and more like reality had rewritten his form.
Spoke staggered slightly, then laughed. “This… this might be the best day of my life.”
Jamato watched him closely. “…Alright. Go on then. Have fun, Abyss.”
At that name—
Spoke froze for a fraction of a second.
Then smiled wider.
Abyss.
He grabbed the massive paintbrush strapped to his back, stepped off the edge—
And fell.
No hesitation. No fear. Only freedom.
Wind howled as he plummeted into the night sky, laughter echoing like a declaration of war against gravity itself.
Behind him, Jamato stood still on the rooftop. Watching. Smiling softly.
But his eyes… lingered longer than they should have.
As if even he wasn’t sure whether he had just created a hero or awakened something far more dangerous.
________________________________________
It had only been three hours since Abyss got access to his new power, and things were already going...
“IT'LL BE EASIER FOR BOTH OF US IF YOU JUST STAY STILL, ABYSS!”
...not so great.
“Why are you even here?! Better yet, how are you even here?!” Abyss shouted as he ducked beneath a massive weapon swinging toward him.
Calling it a hammer felt wrong. It was closer to a giant mace, adorned with glowing purple streaks and a gemstone embedded into its handle, or at least that's what its owner called it.
The Twilight Sovereign.
Abyss hadn't even gotten the chance to properly test the limits of his new Arcana before the dragon Arcana wielder somehow found one of his hiding spots. Again.
Abyss leapt onto the roof of a nearby building, gaining some distance as he quickly scanned his surroundings.
"Where is he...?" he muttered. "Please tell me I lost him."
A voice answered from directly behind him. "Unfortunately not."
Abyss nearly screamed.
Standing there as though he had always been there was the Twilight Sovereign.
The young man possessed an almost otherworldly elegance. Bright purple hair framed a face partially concealed by a smooth mask that stretched across the upper half of it, resembling a blindfold fused with a masquerade mask. Though it completely covered his eyes, a faint pink glow still shone from beneath it.
Resting atop his head was a delicate golden tiara adorned with a brilliant pink gem that caught the light with every movement. He was dressed in regal shades of royal purple, wearing a flowing poet’s shirt beneath a fitted corset, paired with sleek black pants and high-heeled boots
His soft lavender skin, curved horns, dragon-like tail, and majestic wings gave him a regal appearance that would have been mesmerizing if he wasn't currently trying to cave Abyss's skull in.
"OH COME ON!"
Abyss barely managed to dodge as the mace crashed into the rooftop. The impact shattered concrete. Chunks of debris flew everywhere. One particularly large piece almost knocked Abyss off the roof entirely.
Luckily, he caught himself before falling and immediately took off running. Roof after roof blurred beneath his feet while a dragon-shaped maniac chased him through the skyline.
"Dude, we can talk about this!" Abyss yelled.
"Abyss, we both know the havoc you'll cause if you keep that Arcana."
The Twilight Sovereign launched himself into the air, effortlessly keeping pace.
"Bro, I haven't even done anything! I literally got it today!"
"Okay buddy don’t pretend you haven’t been sneaking around with that power for a while now" The dragon dove again.
Abyss groaned.
"Why is that your solution to everything?!"
Twilight's mace descended once more.
This time Abyss grabbed his giant paintbrush and blocked the strike.
The collision sent both of them sliding backward across the rooftop.
As they exchanged blows, Abyss couldn't help but wonder why Twilight was so obsessed with taking the Voidling Arcana.
Normally, the Twilight Sovereign was known for doing whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. Rules didn't seem to apply to him.
Yet for the past two months, he had relentlessly hunted both him and Jamato.
All because the U.U. Hero Corps had become slightly suspicious of them.
Slightly.
Abyss was still convinced they had forgotten about the whole exploit thing by now.
Besides, Twilight didn't even work for the Hero Corps.
At this point, the amount of property damage he was causing probably exceeded every crime Abyss had committed combined. Probably.
Abyss needed a way to shake him.
Preferably before another building lost a wall.
"Hey!" Twilight called from above. "Where's that little friend of yours? Paradox, was it?"
Abyss rolled his eyes.
"None of your business, dude. I'm on a solo mission."
"A solo mission?" Twilight repeated.
The way he said it sent an uncomfortable chill down Abyss's spine.
"Wowww." The dragon tilted his head. "So you're all alone?"
That sounded significantly more threatening than it should have. "Dude, you seriously need to work on your tone."
Twilight only smiled.
"What did I even do to you?" Abyss asked while jumping onto another rooftop. "Seriously!"
"Well," Twilight said thoughtfully, "I couldn't help but notice your new look."
Abyss immediately regretted asking.
"It reminds me of Paradox."
There was a pause.
"If a leprechaun threw up a rainbow on him."
Abyss stopped mid-jump.
"...Excuse me?"
"I'm just saying."
"You already know I have the Voidling Arcana! What is your point?!" Abyss shouted before immediately ducking another attack. "EEK!"
"My point," Twilight replied calmly, "is that for everyone's safety, you'll have to give it to me."
"Not a chance!"
Abyss tightened his grip on the paintbrush.
The Voidling Arcana glowed around his neck.
Three hours.
He'd had this thing for three hours.
And somehow he was already being hunted across the city by an overly dramatic dragon with a superiority complex.
But Abyss wasn't going down that easily. Being chased for the past two months had taught him to expect something like this eventually.
With a confident grin, he swung his giant paintbrush and splattered a pool of shimmering paint onto a nearby manhole cover. The colorful paint glitched for a brief moment before the cover clicked open.
Without hesitation, Abyss jumped inside. Just as expected, Twilight dove in after him.
"...Gotcha."
The entrance slammed shut behind the dragon.
"What the—"
Twilight looked around. This wasn't a sewage tunnel.
Instead, he found himself standing inside a sprawling stone labyrinth, its countless corridors twisting in every direction. Every passage looked identical, every turn leading deeper into the maze.
Abyss's laughter echoed through the walls.
"Oh, how the tables have turned. I told you to leave me alone, but now you're the one who's trapped."
"Yeah... this is great," Twilight replied sarcastically as he examined the maze around him. "How did you even make this—"
He paused.
"...Actually, why am I even asking?"
Abyss couldn't help but grin.
"Good luck getting out. If you're lucky, maybe you'll find the exit in about four hours." He casually shrugged. "And don't bother smashing the walls. Trust me, it's not worth your time."
As satisfying as it would've been to watch Twilight wander around helplessly, Abyss had more important things to do.
He quietly slipped out through a hidden exit and headed toward another one of his hideouts.
Finally…
He could test Exploit.
His mind immediately raced with possibilities.
Should he duplicate an entire building? That sounded awesome.
Maybe open a portal?
No.
Jamato had specifically warned him that creating rifts through reality was incredibly dangerous. Probably best not to tempt fate, especially that there’s a different and safer Arcanas who could do that instead somewhere out there.
"...What about wormhole?"
The thought lingered.
Then, without warning, his excitement faded.
Someone came to mind.
An old friend.
Abyss frowned.
He hadn't thought about him in months.
It had already been a year since they went their separate ways back at Lifesteal High. Back then, they had been inseparable, best friends who spent almost every day together.
Until everything fell apart.
Until Abyss became a Soulkin wielder.
He still didn't know why those memories suddenly resurfaced, but somewhere deep down, he missed what they used to have.
Maybe Jamato had been right to worry about giving him this power.
Maybe Twilight wasn't chasing him without reason.
Maybe…
Abyss sighed.
It was honestly a miracle that almost everyone had forgotten about the incident.
Then again, to everyone else, it was just another piece of high school drama.
No one knew the truth.
No one knew that Abyss had already awakened a Soulkin back then.
Or that one careless decision had become the greatest regret of his life.
"I should keep it subtle tonight," Abyss muttered to himself with a small smile as he headed toward the nearby forest. Surely no one would bother him out there.
"Man... I wonder what Mapicc is doing at this hour—"
"Yo, buddy."
Abyss nearly jumped out of his skin.
Perched comfortably on a tree branch above him sat the all-too-familiar figure dressed in shades of royal purple.
"..."
"..."
"YOU ESCAPED THE MAZE?!"
Abyss frantically pointed between Twilight and the underground labyrinth hidden beneath the city.
"DUDE! That was my best trap yet!"
Twilight simply rested his mace on his shoulder. "I've seen worse."
"No you didn’t stop trying to aura farm!"
The dragon slowly raised his mace.
Abyss immediately understood the message. "Right! Running it is!" He bolted deeper into the forest.
Twilight launched after him, effortlessly weaving through the trees with his wings spread wide while dodging every branch through the quiet woods, the pair passed two unknown people peacefully stargazing in a nearby clearing.
Twilight didn’t care about insignificant witnesses. Abyss, meanwhile, was too busy complaining.
"So... about you escaping my amazing, carefully crafted, incredibly time-consuming masterpiece..." he called over his shoulder while leaping from branch to branch. "You know, I'm actually being very mature and nonchalant about this."
"Yeah," Twilight replied, closing the distance between them, "keep telling yourself that."
"I am!"
"No, you're coping."
"I am coping very maturely."
Twilight couldn't help but chuckle.
The gap between them shrank.
Just as Twilight reached out to grab him, Abyss snapped his fingers.
"Copycat."
Rainbow-colored energy burst around him, briefly forming the silhouette of a rabbit before disappearing.
It was the power he had copied from the Pink Phantom Hare several days earlier.
Twilight's hand closed around…
Nothing.
"...What?"
He looked around.
Silence.
There wasn't a single trace of Abyss anywhere.
For the next thirty minutes, Twilight searched every inch of the surrounding forest.
Nothing.
Not even a footprint.
Finally, he sighed and tapped the earpiece hidden beneath his hair.
"...I lost him." A brief pause. "I'm heading back."
_____________________________________________
Spoke had already returned to the rooftop where Jamato was casually sitting on the ledge, scrolling through his phone while listening to Spoke vent.
"I didn't even want to use that power!" Spoke groaned dramatically. "I was saving it in case I ran into a Hero Corps member, but he left me no choice!"
"Mhm." Jamato didn't even glance up.
"How did he even escape it?!"
"Luck"
"I was the only one who knew the layout of that maze!"
"Bet you are"
"Any normal person would've been trapped for at least four hours!"
"I see"
"...Are you even listening?"
"I heard 'maze' about seven times."
"...Fair."
A short distance away, Glitch, George, and Alt sat together enjoying a small pile of snacks while recovering their energy.
Glitch and George had long since accepted that listening to Spoke complain was simply part of life and Alt was realizing that this will happen more often.
"Like, dude..." Spoke sighed dramatically as he flopped onto the rooftop. "There's actually no way."
Alt floated over before gently landing on Spoke's forehead, happily nibbling on a piece of cheese.
"Well... he could've gotten help from a third-party source."
"Third party?" Spoke frowned. "I've never seen that guy with friends."
Alt shrugged.
"There are other Arcanas that could've helped. The Squid Arcana can perfectly navigate locations..." He took another bite of cheese. "Although you sealed the entrance after he went in, so probably not that one."
He thought for a moment. "...Actually, the Arcana of the Angel seems more likely."
Spoke tilted his head.
"The Angel?"
"From what I remember, it grants something close to omniscience. An all-seeing something"
"Huh..."
Spoke stared at the sky.
"Still sounds pretty unlikely that Twilight, of all people, would have connections to someone who has that."
He sighed so dramatically that even Glitch rolled his eyes.
"What a waste of an evening..."
Jamato finally looked up from his phone. "I think..." he said quietly as he crouched beside Spoke, "...you have bigger problems." He turned his phone so Spoke could see the screen.
Spoke looked at it with mild curiosity.
"...Huh?"
His expression slowly changed.
Curiosity became confusion.
Confusion became horror.
"..."
"...You've got to be kidding me."
The headline on the screen read:
‘Mysterious Rainbow Vigilante Leads High-Speed Chase Across Capital City Alongside the Twilight Sovereign.’
‘Reality breaking Soulkin user spotted’
Beneath it was a blurry photo when he was in the forest.
It was unmistakably him.
"...Jamato."
"Yeah?"
"...How bad is this?"
Jamato silently scrolled down.
"well..." He showed Spoke who took the photo.
It was from someone who has the alias, X2
“...”