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[creators-novel]

As if the day couldn’t get more emotionally charged, Castor realizes that it probably wasn’t the best idea to leave the house without telling anyone. Having concluded his conversation with Ryant, he makes his way back to the base. Considering this isn’t the first time he’s ran away due to emotional unrest; he could only imagine the talking-to he was about to get from the others… Well, it’s not like Aaron would be there to scold him anyway.

…Tap, tap…

Xenos and Delta are the first ones to greet him. Xenos’ face gives off a mix of happiness and relief, all things considered. Delta, on the other hand, is a bit harder to read. He doesn’t say a word, just stares. Castor, feeling the shame and embarrassment setting in, just nods at the two.

“Welcome home…again…”, Delta sighs.

Castor presents the crystals as some sort of token of apology, Xenos is pleased but Delta still seems upset.

“…”

“I’m sorry.”, Castor says outright.

“…Why do you keep leaving?”

“I don’t know…”

“…I know you’ll probably do it again…but… next time you want to run away, can you try not to? Pretty please?”

“I just- I can’t not do something about what happened. There has to be…something I could have done differently…”

“…I can get the weight of the situation”, Xenos chimes in, “There’s a lot of ‘adult’ stuff happening right now. Things are really tough for all of us.”

Castor holds his left arm and looks away from the boys.

“But that’s why we need to stick together, right?”, Xenos asks, “We’re family.”

“Y-…yeah.”

Delta walks up to Castor and hugs him. If nothing else, at least there’s some kind of solace in this troubling time.

But the eye of the storm soon passes.

Later that day, Uriel returns after checking in with Straus and Koto. She and Ex gather everyone up and begin devising their next moves. With Vyz still at large, he could come back and begin terrorizing their World and others at any time. Not only that, but now that news is spreading about DarkClaw’s demise, their normal band of villains could try seizing the opportunity to get a jump on everyone and take the Gaia Crystals from them. And what about the civilians? What about Delta’s mother in the hospital? Will Wraith and the rest of his troops be able to evacuate people in time? Too many questions, not enough answers, and no time to think. There’s only really one conclusion that everyone can come to, though, the normally chipper Ex is the first one to say it out loud:

“…A war is coming.”

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[cosmik-koto]

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[creators-novel]

Elsewhere, a different team had their own issues to overcome. See, when Straus, Koto, Red, and the others recovered from the initial shock of Vyz’s first attack, they soon realized that he could easily do it again whenever he saw fit. Lightverse was already making their plans, they were the epicenter of this whole mess for goodness’s sake! The least that they could do was make their own arrangements. Before getting anyone else involved, the first order of business was reestablishing contact with the other Incarnates and catching them up. To them, their story had continued as normal. It’s understandable, really. As you may recall, their tale loops back around on itself, one minor difference may not be easily detected.

            The group of blue royalty took the news about as well as one would expect. There was anger, sorrow, and grief all around. Red had to make sure Nathaniel and Kali didn’t immediately run off to enact revenge. Koto silently cradled Melanie while Amadi sat with them, numb. And, of course, Straus knew exactly how Nova and Luna were feeling as they cried in Azura’s arms, knowing their friend was lost to the dark. Unfortunately for them, there was no time to properly lament. It was time to take action to ensure their World wouldn’t be caught up in Vyz’s plans again.

            It was simple for Kali and Nathaniel. In their timeline, they were the soul rulers of the land. All they had to do was prepare a strong barricade around their castle. However, Kali did convince her brother to give at least some form of notice to the general populace. Admittedly, the people they oversaw were confused when the usually overbearing King gave out a warning of grave danger. Most assumed he’d finally gone mad from the power, delusional that some unknown force would overtake his throne. But the few that did believe him did start reinforcing their houses. At least they made some attempt at benevolence this time.

            In some ways, arrangements were easier for Amadi and Melanie. They had no kingdom to rule over, so no worries there. Frankly, they only really had one ally; and even she saw them as nothing more than twisted shadows of their former selves. So, they did what they could. They told their friend to hide in a safe place and to let them take care of the clean-up. After all, everyone knew at this point that the Stygians could bite others. No one had tested what would happen if you sunk your teeth into one of them (yet). The umbral siblings ended up settling down for a long nap. They would need the energy for whatever came next.

            Azura, Nova, and Luna had perhaps the most complicated task. They had a team back home, a team that they loved and cherished. Their little family, who they’ve watched suffer over and over and over again. They had to figure out how to tell them about Vyz; they at least owe them this explanation. They didn’t tell them what happened during the Synthis and Jupiter ordeals, how could they? Even if they did, would the nature of their story let them remember any of it? But the blue trio would remember. They remembered everything. To the Azul siblings, the self-awareness that comes with being an Incarnate is a double-edged blade.

“Sooo…how are we gonna do this??”

The three stand outside the front door to their home base: a large, colorful house that stands firm amidst a redwood forest. The light of the full moon beams down, illuminating Nova’s nervous and confused face. Luna anxiously taps her fingers together, “I think…your guess is as good as mine there…” “We tell them the truth, and that’s the end of it…”, Azura says, albeit with slight doubt in himself. “The more we stall, the less time we have to get ready. I’ll do the talking.” The girls look at each other and then nod at their brother. They face the door and open it together. Unsurprisingly, they’re all immediately caught by the rest of the group.

Arin, a young man who wields Cyan magic, jumps at the sound of the door opening. “AH-…see guys, I told you they’d be back! But SOME of you didn’t believe me…”, he slumps back in his chair and rolls his eyes, trying to regain some form of composure.

This alerts Phoenix, the Red Wanderer, and leader of the team. Even though he has a fiery passion for heroism, he often gets caught up in the organization of everything. Who’s doing what, who’s going where, etc. And judging by the stacks of paper surrounding him and how disheveled he looks, it’s pretty obvious the Azuls were out longer than he anticipated.

“Oh, thank goodness you’re back!”, that thankful cheer came from Amber, the girl of Yellow. She quickly runs to the trio and gives them each a loving hug. “We were all so worried!”, she stands on her tip-toes to kiss Azura on the cheek. “What took you so long? Are you hurt?”, she asks, softly holding his hands.

“Will you let them come in the door first? You’re letting in the cold air…” That grumpy fellow in the corner would be Zack, the bearer of Black magic. He’s still getting used to working with everyone. The constant hustle and bustle of “hero life” hasn’t been kind to him, and it shows.

The last member of the crew hops up behind the siblings. “Tell me you didn’t go on some fun adventure without us!” Victor, the Green Wanderer, is the most energetic of the bunch. He’s quick to go on performative tangents and is definitely the most expressive out of them all.

            Nova laughs apprehensively, “We’re sorry we’re home so late.” “I should hope so!”, says Phoenix, nearly tripping on a paper slip. “You and Azura had a scheduled mission earlier. Without both of you here, it completely threw everything off! Oh- and hello Luna…Wait- tsk! This is exactly my point! Is that why you were out? To wait for her? Certainly, we all could have picked her up together AFTER our shifts…!” Victor nonchalantly leans on Phoenix’s shoulder, “What he MEANT to say was that you gotta tell us what happened out there! Did you have a run-in with Mara!?” “Well, no…”, Luna starts, then looks to Nova for guidance. “It’s… a bit more than that.”, Nova continues, “We had to go talk to some friends who are…uhm…” “Not from around here!”, the duo declares in tandem.

…What in the world are they talking about?

“’ Not from around here’…? Really?”, Arin asks, unamused. “Not that I don’t believe you, but I find it hard to believe you have friends from RealWorld besides me and Amber.” Zack leaves his corner of the room and walks forward, “And if memory serves correctly, this isn’t the first time you’ve gone and disappeared with some sort of lame excuse.” “Everyone, please!”, Amber squeaks, “This doesn’t need to become a big thing!” “Oh, it won’t. So long as your ‘king’ fesses up.” Zack stares intently at Azura, “Answers. Now. What are you three hiding?”

            Amber feels Azura’s grip tighten. “Ok, everyone. Back up, and back off. Nova, can you shut the door behind you guys, please?... Azura, if this is important to you, Nova, and Luna, you’re ok to tell us about it. Whatever it is, we’ll make it a team effort and help. Right, you guys?” There’s a pause… then Phoenix sighs, “Yes, right. I’m sorry. But if whatever you’ve been up to deserves our attention, I think we deserve to hear the full truth.”

            “…’ The full truth’… Sure.” Azura takes a deep breath, looks at the girls, then looks away from everyone, and starts from the beginning.

            “The truth is that all of us, not just my sisters and I, are part of something grander. I know none of you will believe it, but we’re not just constructs of DreamWorld’s spirits, even they have a maker behind them. The makers behind all of us, our…Creators, they live in a place that exists outside here, beyond…everything. Just like us, they’re family who take care of each other and strive to protect those they love. And right now, they’re under attack. We didn’t know because the force they’re up against locked us out for a bit. It’s truly unlike anything we’ve witnessed before. And we’ve seen some…’interesting’ battles alongside them in the past… We need to help them again, now more than ever. And they’re going to need your help too.”

…

“It’s official, they’ve lost it.”, Arin says, dumbfounded.

“But he’s being honest!”, Nova defends.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re convinced or not.”, Azura continues, “They’re going to attack either way and we need to be ready. Our whole world and many others are at risk if we don’t stop this. I know it’s a lot to ask of you all, especially coming from me. But I need you to believe me…please. And if nothing happens,”, he smiles slightly and turns his gaze back to the group, “then you can call us crazy after.”

Another moment of silence.

Phoenix’s footsteps break the tension. He walks to Azura’s side and places a hand on his shoulder. “This is a lot… and I don’t know if certain about all of it yet. However, that is the most genuine you’ve been with us in quite a while. That doesn’t come without respect, cousin. Whatever this threat is, we’ll help you defend against it. You have my word.” Azura exhales and relaxes. Thank everything that was enough. Luna smiles and sighs, “Thank you…”

            “If whatever this ‘evil force’ is does appear, how will we know?”, the ever-skeptical Zack wonders. Azura explains, “Truth be told, I haven’t seen them yet. But from what our friends on the outside have said, they all use this dark…void-like energy. Furthermore, there are three levels to this group. First are the basic soldiers, basically blob creatures that can infect you with their bite. People who have been infected are the second group. Finally, there’s their master, Vyz. We’ll be very lucky if he doesn’t show up here.” “Ok, I’ll be honest… that sounds pretty rad!”, Victor states outright, “And any excuse to keep these old fighting skills sharp is fine by me!” “In that case”, says Phoenix, “everyone should go rest as soon as possible. Everyone will have the same mission tomorrow: preparing the citizens for the possible invasion without revealing too many details. And we should also hope Mara doesn’t catch wind of this… we wouldn’t want her getting any bright ideas right now.” Amber beams, “Sounds fine to me!”

            The group separates for now, going about their nighttime routines. Arin is the last one to be left in the room by himself.

“…So wait- were the RealWorld people right?! Is there a god out there or what-!?”

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[creators-novel]

A new dawn arises over Lightverse. Delta, young and naïve as he is, seemed to be the only one to sleep comfortably throughout the night. He was only occasionally woken up by the restless tossing and turning of his older friends.

            It’s probably best to take the opportunity now to explain how a young prodigy such as himself ended up with this band of do-gooders in the first place. A few months before current events, Castor had saved Delta from robotic troops designed by the team’s most prominent nemesis: an evil engineer who wanted to take the power of the Gaia Crystals for himself. Delta became fascinated by the new hero on the block and would watch his exploits from a reasonable distance. When his mother fell into a comatose state one day, Delta turned to the only people he knew that would be able to help. Since then, he had been living with the team, getting accustomed to their daily lives, and had become fast friends with Castor. Of course, even a brotherly relationship like theirs isn’t without flaws. And today would be an example of such a hiccup.

“EXISSY GONE!!”

            Indigo runs into Delta’s room and practically crashes into his wall. Delta sits up in his bed with a start, “Huh-?! What!? Castor’s missing again?!” “Mmm!”, Indigo confirms. “Oh geez-!”, Delta jumps out of bed and throws on his white baseball cap and blue glasses, but doesn’t bother changing out of his pajamas, “Do the others know!?” Indigo nods, “Mm-hm! Big Green tried to talk to him this morning but we saw his room empty!” “Hang on- “, Delta grabs his walkie-talkie and turns it on, “Castor-! Castor, do you read me!?” No response, the kids only hear Delta’s voice coming in from the walkie still in Castor’s room. Delta runs into the room only to see it all for himself. “I just said it was empty.”, Indigo pouts. Nitro comes up behind the two, “Not only that but the Crystals that were in our possession are gone as well.” “Wait what???”, Ex calls out from a different room. Delta’s eyes well up with tears, “Castor… why do you keep doing this?!”, he dashes back into his room and slams the door. Nitro sighs, “Poor kid…”

            A few minutes pass, and Delta hears a light tapping on his door. “Delty???”, Indigo asks. She presses her ear against the door and hears him sniffling. “Indigo, leave me be!”, he wipes his eyes, “It’s embarrassing if a girl sees me cry…” Hearing that, she takes the initiative and opens his door, then walks over and hugs him, “I don’t care about that. You need this.”

            Delta freezes for a moment. After a beat, everything comes crashing in like a tidal wave. All that’s happened over the past day and the reality of it hits him suddenly. And in his friend’s warm embrace, he fully breaks down and clings to her as he cries.

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[creators-novel]

[ Updates ]

Hello, readers!

I figure I owe it to you all to give you guys some general updates on [ Creators ] and where it is currently.

Don't worry, the Novel is not on a permanent hiatus. It's just a very... very long temporary hiatus. .w.;

As most of you are probably already aware, my biggest focus as of late has been animating the sequel to the "Paranormatrix" short film, which will take place during Chapter 4. I began the project in May, and at the time of posting this (late August) it's around halfway done. I'm being kind to myself and aiming to have it done by December, but I'm not going to complain if I get it done sooner.

On a different note, I also started a new job recently in an office. It's a simple part-time gig but it will allow me to have some sort of income while I continue to pursue my creative endeavors. (Don't tell them that I doodle while taking notes... >w>; )

Anywho, once the "Paranormatrix Part 2" animation is complete, I plan to make a separate video in which both parts are combined together along with a fully-animated version of the theme song I composed a few months ago. All three of these segments together should hopefully make a cohesive "pilot episode". I know that sounds like a mouthful but I don't really know how else to put it. ^^;

When the "pilot episode" is 100% done and posted, then I will go back to having the Novel as my top priority and finishing it. We're in the final arc, I would be betraying myself if I abandoned the project now!

I sincerely hope that everything will be worth the wait, and I thank you all for your continued patience.

Have a lovely day!

-Koto

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[creators-novel]

“(Let me…out…)”

It’s unknown to Straus how long he’s been asleep. Days? Weeks? It’s hard to tell. What he does know is that something is forcing him to stay at rest. For the second time in his life, he feels trapped, even hopeless. Not even Para can get him out of this one. He can’t move, can’t speak, can’t do… anything. The only thing he can do is at least try to call out to someone, anyone through his thoughts.

“(Somebody…help us…)”

Luckily for him, this time, he has people in his corner who can answer the call.

Crackle…craaaack…

KER-CRASH!!

From the outside, Pandora has finally managed to kick her way through the dense barrier that surrounds her son’s home. Having gone in from the top, she elegantly lands on the ground, her white dress flowing outwards.

“Phew…finally… ALRIGHT, YOU TWO! I don’t care if you’re going through an “edgy” phase or what. But a MILE-THICK BARRIER around your Space?! I will not tolerate such-! such…”

Such what? What exactly was she looking at? What’s wrong with her son?!

“Oh no… no no no!” Pandora runs over to the siblings and shakes Koto, “Who did this to you!?”

No response.

“Kids, PLEASE!”, She then shakes Straus’ shoulders. “Please, I can’t lose you again, Straus!!”

“(…Mother…?)”, Straus feels his mother’s presence beyond this sick, lockdown void. If he could just…reach…!

Pandora holds both Koto and Straus’ hands and begs once more as she begins to weep, “Please, come back!!”

It takes a moment, but she feels Straus’ hand gently tighten around hers.

“…Mom…?”

She gasps, “Yes-! Yes, it’s me, son!”

As Straus begins to come back in touch with reality, he’s suddenly struck with a stabbing pain through his chest. This was the same thing Koto felt when her World was in danger at the hands of Synthis and Jupiter. But this hurt so much worse because he began to realize what was lost in his absence. Straus, weak and exhausted, begins to cry quietly. He staggers forward into his mother’s arms as she hugs him. “There you are!”, she sighs as she holds him close.

“Mother’s here…it’s ok…shh shhh…”

“H-He’s gone…”

“Who is?”

Noticing that Koto was still stuck, the two turned their attention to her. “Koto-! Koto come back, please!”, Straus calls. With their encouragement, she returns easily, but she’s also hit with the same disorienting feeling as she returns to her senses. Straus holds onto his sister and mother but can’t seem to stop himself from crying more.

“…What…happened?”, Koto asks, “Did we die…?”

“No.”, sighs Straus, “We’re not dead…but Aaron is…”

As the siblings try to get a grasp on what exactly happened, they see a dark purple hue surrounding their Worlds dissipate.  Koto shakily goes around checking on everything, slowly piecing together what’s occurred in their time away. “There was a guy, and… everyone’s so scared… and Lightverse-! It’s in utter chaos!” “He’s gone…!”, Straus whimpers as he just sits down and covers his face. Pandora sits beside him and rubs his back, looking at Koto. “H-hang on!”, Koto stutters, “I can summon Uriel here, we should tell her that we’re ok… (Uriel-!? Uriel, what’s your sta-)” Before Koto has a chance to finish her mental message, Uriel practically crashes into the Space, clinging onto Koto and sobbing, “KOTO!!” Seeing her Creation in such distress, and knowing the gravity of the situation, Koto also breaks down as she hugs Uriel, “I’ve got you… I’ve got you…I’m here…”

            Meanwhile, in another place, Vyz becomes aware that his controls over Straus and Koto’s home have been lost. He grimaces at this revelation; how did they manage to break out so quickly? How could anyone have gotten past his fortifications? They were nigh invincible! Well, no matter, there was still work to be done. And even if they got in the way, it’s not like it would be impossible to deal with them.

“A pity, indeed…I guess I will simply commit to wrecking their World…”

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[creators-novel]

Exisite, DarkClaw, and Uriel awaken in a world that was unfamiliar to them, or perhaps that’s what they wanted to believe. A purple and black void; glowing stalagmites and stalactites, purple, spinning translucent cubes, an unstable wormhole, and the air is still.

Behold

VOIDVERSE.

            The three pick each other up and examine their surroundings. After a moment, a small group of Stygian creatures approach and surround the trio. Exisite sputters, “This is-!” “Exactly like your dream, Castor?”, Vyz interrupts. Uriel grips her sword tight, “(This is getting ridiculous-!)”, she focuses her thoughts and calls out, “(Koto-! Can you hear me? Are you there!?...KOTO!? COME ON MAN, ANSWER ME!!)”

DarkClaw prepares to fire at Vyz, ready to protect his boy, “Stop trying to rope him into your crap.” Vyz sighs, “You and that pup weren’t supposed to be here. But… you could make a nice gourmet meal for my servants… or I could just make you both into servants yourselves… like …his parents.” “…What?”

            The group hears footsteps coming up to them, and two figures appear. One has red hair with white highlights, and the other has white hair with black highlights. Their resemblance to Ex is uncanny, but these two seem barely like people anymore. Uriel remembers what it felt like to be corrupted, to feel like a broken piece of code; but this was something different entirely. Ex’s parents looked sickly, their bodies were coated in the same substance that Vyz’s “servants” were comprised of, and they wore flat expressions. She gulps and a bead of sweat goes down her face. “(Koto and Straus wouldn’t make us lose-! There’s no way this guy was made by them, right?!)”

Vyz reaches a hand out to Exisite, “So, Castor, what shall it be?”

“…No. This is ludicrous. You’re saying all these things like you know anything about me; as if you understand me. And why are you interested in me?”

“When you��ve been discriminated against and locked away for years, and see the same thing happen to someone else, you tend to be sympathetic. You’ll soon see that it’s better to destroy them all.”

“Never…I’m not going to kill anyone.”

“…Then…F a l l.”

            As if on cue, the Stygian beats all lunge at Exisite, baring their teeth and ready to strike until DarkClaw runs up and pushes him out of the way, screaming, “LOOK OUT!” One of the disgusting creatures sinks its jaws into DarkClaw’s arm as he lets out a pained yelp. Uriel, as fast as a lightning bolt, slashes the beast across its torso, releasing him from its grasp. Vyz crosses his arms and raises his eyebrows, “Ohoho… excellent.” Exisite, seeing his friends once again getting themselves hurt for his sake- no- he’s not just his friend, he’s his most trusted ally, his maker, the one who brought him into this world! He’s getting hurt and it’s all his fault- it’s too much. It's.

Too.

MUCH.

“No…no no NO NO NO!!! aAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!”

Exisite’s telekinetic power explodes outwards from him, becoming a blaring red color. Under his mask, his hair turns snow white while his eyes become red and jet black.

“GO AWAAAAAAAYYY!!!”

All of the enemies are blasted back, even Vyz, who didn’t even foresee this happening. Exisite continues to scream as his energy flares up even more, making completely sure that everything was cleared from around them. Uriel was lucky that this didn’t blow her away too! She digs her feet into the ground while supporting DarkClaw and shouts, “EXISITE! Calm down!” After letting out one more emotionally-charged yell, Exisite catches his breath and his excess power dissipates away, returning him to his normal state.

“Hhh…hh…sir?”

            Exisite’s attention is grabbed by DarkClaw’s arm. DarkClaw grabs the area where the creature bit down, it’s obvious it broke the skin but the pain feels like it’s traveling up through his whole body. There’s no doubt about it. Whatever happened to Ex’s parents to make them the way they are now was happening to him. He was infected with whatever this gross purple goop is. “…Oh boy.”, he sighs. Uriel takes note of the despair in her close friend’s eyes and reassures him, “W-We can fix this!” “Like there’s a cure for this…”, DarkClaw turns slightly and sees that the portal to the outside is still accessible, they just need to make it in time before it closes for good, “…Uri. Castor. You should get out of here.” “What-!? No-!”, Uriel clings onto his non-infected arm tightly, “We need you!!” He scoffs, “Pft…With this? Heck no.” Castor stands with Uriel, “We can’t just leave you!” “We have no choice at the moment!”, DarkClaw snaps, “…And I don’t feel like killing you if this takes over.”, he winces as the infection spreads up his arm, onto his hand, and shoulder, creeping up towards his neck, “…Castor. Go.” “No-!” Uriel’s usual demeanor finally falters as she breaks down crying, “PLEASE NO!!”

            Meanwhile, on the outside, the Stygians left in Lightverse begin to retreat, having sensed their master wasn’t nearby anymore. The heroes catch their breaths but they know it’s not over until they can get the others home. “Uri!”, Ex calls to his sister through the portal.

            “Go, now!”, DarkClaw commands, “I’ll fend these off for as long as I’m able!” Seeing the beasts approach, Castor pulls the howling Uriel away from DarkClaw. He leads her to the portal and shoves her through, but not before removing his mask and looking at his maker one last time. This is the first time Castor has experienced anything like this, he feels tears stream down his face. He wants to say so much but he squeaks out one word.

“…Dad…”

DarkClaw smiles at Castor, his proudest creation, and watches him leap through the portal back to their home as it closes. As he promised, he attacks the Stygians for as long as he can. But eventually, the corruption takes him.

The shining red cybernetic solder, a savior of Lightverse, and one of the few brave souls who heralded a new age in the Multiverse was gone. As he stands above the massacred bodies of the beasts that infected him, all that can be seen under his shaded expression are glowing, purple eyes.

            Uriel falls to her knees and cries out in grief as Castor gloomily follows through behind her, resisting the urge to start sobbing himself. It doesn’t take a scientific genius to figure out what’s happened. Nave’s eyes widen, “…Aaron…why…?” Xenos finally lowers his sword as it all hits him, “…He…saved them…” Delta arrives on the scene just in time to see all of his friends tired, emotional, and broken. He approaches Castor and asks, “Castor, what happened?”

Castor looks at his young companion and simply says, “…I failed him.”

            “Ladies and gentlemen. It is a tragic day in the lives of the people who protect our fair city… Aaron Duvall, veteran cybersoldier, has been declared as killed in action by the local military branch. He had fallen to whatever darkness befell the forest today.”

            Ex, Ajax, Xenos, Delta, Indigo, Selena, and Castor watch as the news station broadcasts what they already knew. They lost, for real this time. And Aaron “DarkClaw” Duvall was no more. Uriel stands outside in the hallway, still stunned in disbelief, “(…They wouldn’t do this to us.)”, she thinks to herself. Her disbelief quickly turns to anger. She focuses, steadies her breathing, and with a swing of her arms, catapults herself in a flash of light outside of her World, into Straus and Koto’s Space; to figure out what exactly is going on.

“YOU TWO HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO-…do…no…”

            Straus and Koto stand lifeless. Koto is holding tightly onto Straus’ hands but neither of them moves. They’re not infected like DarkClaw, rather they’re in a trance they can’t break free of. In a similar matter, their World Orbs are surrounded by a purple hue, a lock. No one can get in, no one can get out, it’s a miracle that Uriel was able to even break through the seal. Surrounding the Space is a barrier, one that she can’t hope to break through. Lightverse cannot ask for help, they are alone. Uriel returns home in complete hysterics. While she updates Ex on the current situation, Castor sits alone in his room. His unstable energy causes the objects in his room to float off the ground and hover. In his hands, he holds the Gaia crystals that the team has collected thus far. As if they could hear him, he asks, “I don’t know much about what you are… but please, guide me through this crisis.”

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[creators-novel]

[ Update Follow-up ]

Hi again!

While I haven't had much time to write, I've found myself with ample time to prepare new illustrations. The chapters these drawings will be associated with have been written out for a bit, but have not been posted anywhere yet.

With that being said, expect a couple new chapters in the coming weeks as I continue work on the short film!

(Also, be on the look out for new additions to chapters that have already been posted!)

- Koto

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[creators-novel]

“I am… your time to fall.”

The mysterious man holds out his hand and fires a beam of unstable energy at Nave, but Exisite jumps out at the perfect moment at shoves him out of the way, letting the energy hit a nearby tree instead.

“You-! …You saved me-?”

“Sorry-“

The stranger watches the two curiously. Sensing he’s about to attack again, Exisite springs up and attempts to slash him. But, to his surprise, the menace counters, revealing he also uses claw gauntlets like him. The dark presence smirks as he pushes back against Exisite, “How interesting… you seem surprised, and yet you were scared of this even happening.”

           Delta tries to call in on his walkie talkie but it’s no use. There’s too much interference for them to get through, but they can hear everything going on.

“Castor-!? CASTOR!? DarkClaw what’s happening over there!?”

“I don’t know what’s going on but we’ve got to find out! NITRO!”

Another member of the team, Nitro, leans against the wall. He’s a very old friend of DarkClaw’s from back in his military days, they were both members of the same cybernetics program. He has gray hair, and piercing red eyes, and wears an intimidating green and black uniform.

“I heard every word. Let’s do it.”

           Meanwhile, Exisite and the stranger are locked, claw to claw, neither of them giving up the push against the other. “It’s like you dreamed about this encounter…”, the man hisses. Exisite grits his teeth, “Just- who are you!?” The man laughs and begins putting more pressure on Exisite, as he does the surrounding area begins to shake.

“Come on now… doesn’t the name Vyz ring a bell?”, he looks at Exisite dead in the eyes, his physical form now fully taking shape.

“You’re…!”

“Yes. I’m the one you heard in that ‘dream’… quite convenient that your friends led you right to my resting place, isn’t it, child?”

“Kid-!”, Nave backs up a little, now getting an idea of the extent of Vyz’s power. But Exisite refuses to pull back. As a result, Vyz’s power now explodes out, slowly turning this once beautiful and lush forest into a dry, open field. And this becomes noticeable by everyone.

Indigo sniffles and holds back tears as Selena hurriedly carries her away from the fight, “Our old home…” Selena shakily reassures her child, “It’s ok, sweety. Castor’s got this-!” The mother-daughter-duo run into DarkClaw and Nitro who were speeding their way over toward the battle. DarkClaw skids to a stop, “Sele-! What’s going on?!” Selena catches her breath while keeping Indigo close, “A metal version of your boy showed up and opened a tomb… and what was inside is putting us all in danger!”

DarkClaw, not being surprised by anything anymore, simply sighs, “…Yep.”

           Meanwhile Ex, Uriel, Ajax, and Xenos spot the commotion from another part of the city. “Woah… that- doesn’t seem right”, Ex observes. Uriel points towards the source of the destruction, “Let’s check it out!” “Are we really gonna go over there?”, Xenos asks, with a mix of curiosity and worry. Ajax puts a hand on his little brother’s shoulder, “It looks pretty collateral. We have to.”

Back at the base, Delta clutches his walkie-talkie close, hoping for any sign that his hero friends are ok.

           After a few minutes, the whole team meets up and makes their way into the fray. They’re also joined by the local military branch; headed by Wraith, another cybernetic soldier. The group steals their nerves, summons their weapons, and with DarkClaw at the front, charges in as one unit.

“EXISITE!”, DarkClaw calls out. “Huh-?!”, Exisite’s concentration falters, allowing Vyz to push him away but Nitro catches him, “Gotcha, rookie.” Vyz grits his teeth and grumbles at the sight of more do-gooders trying to get in his way, “Tsk- more stains on the universal carpet…” He turns to face his tomb but his gaze is caught by someone in the crowd. He pauses for a moment, then laughs under his breath. “Well…”, his eyes fully meet with Ex’s, “Who knew that in the time I’ve been caged up… I would remember your face.” Ex grimaces, “You sure you know me? ‘Cause I’m certain we’ve never met.” Vyz shrugs, “Well I’ve certainly met your parents.” “He’s just trying to manipulate you!”, Uriel shouts. He just tilts his head and smirks, “Am I really? … Think. About it. ‘I never knew where my parents went, they just vanished!’ … Don’t you want to know what really happened, Exodus?” Ex’s face goes cold, “Don’t call me that. Ever.” Vyz smiles, “And there’s the stricken nerve!” The rest of the team watches on in confusion, ‘Exodus’? Why didn’t Ex tell them about any of this? He was never open about his past but- why does his family have a connection to this monster!?

There isn’t much time to ponder the specifics.

“ENOUGH OF THIS!”, Wraith calls, “MEN, OPEN FIRE!” “NO- DON’T BE STUPID!”, DarkClaw barks. Wraith’s soldiers fire away at Vyz but nothing they throw at him affects him. Our heroes stand stunned. “Don’t bullets normally…work?”, Xenos asks. Vyz simply sighs and flicks his hand, causing all of the military personnel and their weaponry to be blown away.

“Wastes of space.”

Uriel clenches her firsts and stands tall, “You are a threat to this world! Be gone at once or we will be forced to use other measures!” Vyz scoffs, “Adorable. Children wanting to play a game of ‘saving the world’”. Ex crosses his arms, “We’re pretty capable of it, I wouldn’t judge a book by its cover.” “Well?”, Vyz bows, “Make it happen.” Ajax readies his sword, “Challenge accepted.”

“SO BE IT!”, Uriel flies into the air and calls down a barrage of golden lightning bolts. Vyz looks up, and with a quick flick of his hand, releases a wave of destructive energy that nullifies all of it. Ajax charges forward, “You’re going down, freak!” He slams down on Vyz with his blade but he just catches it as if it were a twig, “Interesting… This weapon is unnatural to this reality… even so, I’ll still crush you.” Xenos, rushes to Vyz’s side and shouts, “Leave him alone!” Vyz turns and grabs Xenos by the face and lifts him, “Children really do think so highly of themselves these days…” and he tosses him aside. Ajax tries to strike him once more but this too does nothing to faze him. Uriel helps Xenos up and scatters lightning bolts toward Vyz while the others begin to charge in. Vyz watches the group begin to close in and for a brief moment, time seems to stop as fury and frustrations fill the eyes of our heroes!

And Vyz laughs.

“I’m surprised! Most of you may not be as dumb as you look. But allow me to humor you all.”

           Vyz stands up straight, bows his head, and thrusts his arms out. Everyone else skids to a halt and stops their attacks as the portal in Vyz’s tomb once again sparks up with malicious energies. From within, dozens of creatures begin to pour out. They appear humanoid but they shamble on their hands and feet like wounded animals. They speak with pained gurgling noises and leave behind a trail of black and dark purple muck in their wake. Their faces only carry an expression of violent intent, and it’s directed right at the band of saviors; the only people standing in the way of a total invasion by Vyz and these Stygian nightmares.

           “(These are the same creatures from my dream…!)”, Exisite thinks. He stands there, not fully processing what’s happening. For him, everything feels like it’s in slow motion. Why is this happening!? HOW is this happening!?

As I said, there was no time to think about the specifics.

“Slay them.”, Vyz commands. The beats charge forward and everyone dives in to take them out. Wraith commanding his small battalion, Uriel calling down a mighty storm of electrifying magic, Ajax and Xenos defending themselves and working together with Nitro as backup, and Ex, DarkClaw, and Nave working together for the first time in what felt like years. And all poor Exisite can do is watch as more and more of the creatures scuttle in from the portal. Vyz catches his eyes and tilts his head towards the young man, “Really shows how much we’re connected. Doesn’t it, Castor?” Exisite flinches and readies himself for another attack, “H-How do you know all of this about us!? What ARE you?!” Uriel jumps back as she zaps more of the Stygians and calls out to Exisite, “Don’t pay attention to him and focus on the fight! He’s just playing mind games with us!” Vyz chuckles,

“Just like the gods who command you?”

And in a flash, he appears right in front of Uriel, whose expression goes blank. Realizing his friend is in danger, Exisite runs up and strikes at Vyz from the side, but he quickly turns and clashes with the young prodigy. “Think about it, Exisite? What has the path given you other than discrimination?” Exisite jumps back, what Vyz was saying wasn’t incorrect. DarkClaw, quite literally, made him to be a hero, a successor to some sort of greater good. But it seemed like ever since he was ready to take on missions, his presence was always met with negative responses from the public. The life of a “hero” isn’t easy, but nobody ever said it would be this frustrating! If only he could just- “STOP THIS!”, Uriel screams as she dashes behind Vyz and lands a hit on his back. “Hm-! False god following PUPPY.”, he turns and sucker punches Uriel in the face, knocking her back. She gets up and angrily wipes blood from her upper lip, “How…how DARE YOU!” “URI!”, Ex jumps up and hones in on Vyz, but he just catches him and flicks him away, “This is all the Shade family has to offer now? …It’s pitiful. Even back then, your parents offered more of a challenge.” Ajax and Xenos try a dual attack at Vyz’s legs, but of course, he just counters and kicks them away. Exisite’s breathing begins to quicken, “(They’re all getting hurt… and I can’t stop him-!)”

           By this time, a helicopter from the local news station had begun hovering outside the perimeter of the battlefield. Everyone in the city watches with bated breath to see if this new villain will be defeated. Delta, now joined by Indigo and Selena at the base, don’t take their eyes off the television.

Vyz takes a moment and stretches, rolling his shoulders and popping his neck. “You know, Castor…I’ve seen you grow into what you are now. But you could be so much more. Let me show you.” With a snap of his fingers, the portal…reverses!? Instead of releasing more monsters, it begins to pull Exisite in like a vacuum. Everyone at home watches as the news broadcast shows him holding onto dear life on a tree branch for a moment before he loses his grip. He yells in fear but DarkClaw catches him; they both try to hold on but it’s no use as the strength of the portal slowly starts to pull them closer. With the others occupied by the Stygians, Uriel flies over and tries to pull them back but nothing works! They’re not strong enough! Ex, Ajax, Xenos, Nave, Nitro, Wraith, and all the citizens of the city breathlessly watch as the trio is yanked through the portal. Vyz gives one last smile to Ex before following them in. The team yells out in disbelief as they continue to fight for their lives, not at all knowing what their dear friends could be facing on the other side.

Whatever they were thinking, what was about to happen would be so much worse.

#creators #chapter 51 #digital art #tw eye contact #tw scopophobia #void stuff #creators novel #creators-novel.tumblr.com #original character #original story #original fiction #art #group pic #oc art #oc #character art

[creators-novel]

Despite what had just occurred, the Worlds made by Koto and Straus were not in a frozen state like them. In fact, from their perspectives, it was just an ordinary day.

Within Lightverse, DarkClaw and Ex conversate at their base about the team’s current mission: to collect a priceless group of gems that can help them get the advantage in the fight against their foes:

The Gaia Crystals.

See, Lightverse is home to three distinct sets of jewels that can grant immense power to their wielders. The Gaia Crystals are one, and Uriel’s Angel Pearls are another. Since there are quite a few Gaia Crystals, there are always multiple parties trying to go after them; whether for benevolent or nefarious purposes. That being said, let’s check in on our heroes.

“Yo, Ex!”

“Ey! What up?”

“How many of those crystals are there again?”

“According to legends? There’s seven of ‘em.”

“Since we have one already, think it’d be a good idea to find the rest of ‘em?”

“We can do that together if you want to.”

“Nah! You gotta look after the city, buddy. I can’t keep ya from that. I’ll let Castor do it.”, DarkClaw gleefully turns around and calls down the hallway, “AY CASTOR!”

Hearing his maker’s call, Castor drowsily leaves his room. “Sir?”, he yawns and rubs his eyes as he goes over to DarkClaw.

“I got a mission for ya- Woah. You ok?”

“Mm-hm… why?”

“You look like you didn’t sleep at all.”

“…What’s the mission for today?”

“You sure you’re fine-?”

“Yes.”

DarkClaw hesitates before continuing, “…Mmmok- well. We need to find more of these crystals. There are seven according to Ex. So, let’s see if we can find the others unless that mean ol’ ‘scientist’ has some himself.” Thinking fast, he calls upon two others, “AY! INDIGO AND SELENA!”

From another part of the house enters two devils; one is Selena, a tall woman with shoulder-length, fluffy black hair, and eyes like pastel sapphires. She sports wings and horns that curl up and out. Accompanying her is her young daughter, Indigo. She’s a small and energetic thing with white hair tied in a messy ponytail, light blue eyes, and little, light blue horns and wings. They had helped Castor in the past with controlling his, sometimes unstable, abilities. Over time they became crucial and reliable members of the team, among a few others we’ll meet in due time.

Indigo smiles, waves to her friends, and says, “HALLO!”

DarkClaw waves back, “I need you two to join Castor on his mission today. You both know a bit about the crystals, yes?”

“Yeyeyeye! Mommy knows lots about them!”

“Off you go then!”

And so, the trio get themselves ready and head out; but not before Castor throws on a specially engineered suit that DarkClaw made him for just such an occasion. His “hero suit”, as a young friend of theirs calls it. And with that, he assumes his benevolent alter ego, Exisite, and heads out with Selena and Indigo.

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[creators-novel]

Greetings, multiversal travelers!

Welcome to the [ Creators ] Novel Project.

If you’re a fan of magic, mystery, colorful characters, found families, fantastical fight scenes, tragic backstories, and some good old fashioned angst, then this is the story for you!

Since August of 2020, I have been committed to writing this light novel based on an original script by myself and my co-creator and best friend, @ask-chaosatem Each chapter is only a few pages long, and accompanied by at least one original illustration by yours truly.  This has truly been a passion project and one I will never forget, and I thank everyone who has shown their support over the years. 💙💜

Click below for the full list of chapters, and happy reading!

- @cosmik-koto ✨

[ CHAPTER LIST ]

[Arc 1 - Complete] Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 [ Arc 2 - Complete ] Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29

[ Arc 3 - Complete ] Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40

[ Arc 4 - Complete ] Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48

[ Arc 5 - In Progress ] Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60

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[creators-novel]

The Void is a strange place.

            That’s become incredibly apparent at this point. It’s not an afterlife, and it’s not a place that harbors the right conditions for any life outside of the Stygian race and Vyz. It doesn’t exist, and yet can somehow exist anywhere Vyz wills it to be. Recall that he was able to pull Straus and Koto into it easily, but it also couldn’t connect to one of their Worlds without him hijacking it, and them, first. This “Voidverse” is an absolute anomaly, much like Vyz himself. Someone who claims to have borne witness to the wrongs of Jupiter’s rule, but didn’t take any direct action until she was gone. Maybe he was influencing outcomes without anyone knowing? And why is he so obsessed with Straus in the first place? Why ask him of all people to join in his cause? Perhaps…perhaps some mysteries in the Multiverse aren’t so easily solved. Only time will tell, one can suppose.

            Vyz stands at the precipice of his realm, overlooking the writhing masses of lesser beings below him. Although his posture would read as confident, he finds himself still winded from his tussle with Straus.

“hhh…Well. That was…different.”

A slightly more sentient Stygian hobbles up to Vyz and asks, “What do we do now, Master?”

“Eventually, they’re going to make their way here. And we can’t have that… we need to expand our realm further than our current location to throw them off the path…we need to overtake the Kingdom Jupiter once held…We’ve lost some a large number of assets in that battle but give it time…we will allow our realm to expand…past Jupiter…past Feros…”

“Of course, Master.”

Vyz outstretches his hands and pushes them forward. As he does, a flood of Stygians begins to stampede from all corners of the land. And with them, Voidverse begins to claim new territory. It’s not apparent at first, but soon, several areas across the Multiverse begin to witness the same sight: an oncoming darkness with a sense of dread and hopelessness, accompanied by a dark purple sky, and bright purple cracks striking through the ground, making it crumble and shift in unnatural ways.

“Gotta admit, sister,”, says Venus, taking in the sights of Gaia’s castle, “it must’ve been nice having your own palace for all these years.” “It was certainly…quiet.”, chuckles Gaia, not wanting to admit how lonely she had felt. Crescent, standing at a window, gets their attention, “Sisters…what is that?”

It came suddenly. Even Royal Creators were unable to sense it before it was too late.

“Huh-?”, Gaia looks outside and is shocked to see her home being torn asunder by such power. Venus, not wanting to see what happens next, grabs her sisters’ hands and gets them all through a portal just as the castle’s foundation begins to fall apart.

            Elsewhere, Saturn watches the same thing begin to happen outside the abode his spouse once held dominion over. “I dreaded this day would come around…”, he sighs, watching the masses begin to panic and scatter.

It seemed like the end of days.

“Straus!”, calls out Ajax, coming in from patrol. “What’s up, Ajax?”, asks Koto, concerned considering she’s never seen him this rattled. “The age of darkness has come, apparently!” Straus, Koto, and Red join him in looking outside. “Oh…it’s dankness.”, states Straus, nonchalantly. Koto frowns, “Gee, I wonder who could’ve done this?” “No doubt, it’s him. Just when I thought we could all rest for a minute.” “Is this the thing you two saw during our little… Feros expedition?”, Red wonders. “Could very well be…it looks the same to me.”, observes Koto, “…What’re we supposed to do?” “It’s hard to tell.”, Ajax sneers, “It’s like everything around us has been overtaken by some psychedelic subspace.” “Then we’ll have to reach the source.”, Straus concludes, “This fight has literally moved onto our home now.” Koto shudders, “We’d just have to make sure he doesn’t put us in that trance again. Who knows what’d happen…” “It won’t happen.”, Straus declares, leading the others back inside.

All of the usual suspects are summoned to the Space. A nervous chatter from everyone resounds throughout. No one foresaw something like this happening, at least not so soon after Straus dealt such a heavy blow to Vyz (and his ego).

“What’s been happening here?”

“It’s a war, it’s serious!”

“And here I thought the Followers were bad.”

“Gotta agree on that.”

“This is nothing to me.”

“Everyone, let’s focus.”, Koto announces, trying to get everybody to settle. “Vyz is a powerful entity that will not listen to reason. This fight will be the most challenging one for any of us.” “What else is new?”, Red shrugs.

“Straus?”, Castor pipes in, “This…is your home, right?”

“Well-…it’s seen better days… Also- where’s DarkClaw?”

“He’s taking time to heal. I’m here in his stead. And he…looked like he needed it, to be honest with you.”

“You understand what we’re getting into, right?”

“I do. And I’m not backing down now. I’m doing this for Delta, and to keep all of us safe.”

“…Ok.”

            It’s then that Gaia, Venus, and Crescent arrive. Saturn sighs with relief upon seeing them. “Ah… everyone’s here.”, Gaia breathes, “That tells me you all already know what’s going on.” “Yeah, are you all ok?”, Koto inquires. “We’re fine.”, grumbles Venus, “Whatever this is you’re dealing with, you’re going to need our assistance.” Crescent nods in agreeance. Koto smiles at the sisters, “Thank you.” “Appreciated.”, Straus adds.

“We shouldn’t delay further, guys.”, Ex chimes. “You guys ready?”, Koto asks. Uriel nods, “Always.” Zeus holds Pandora’s hand and says to Straus, “We’ll help get people to safety while we’re ahead. Just be safe, son.” Straus gives a thumbs up to his parents and mentors, then faces his friends, “Let’s get going.”

On the way out, Gaia gives a glace to Red, who awkwardly looks away before joining the others.

#creators #digital art #creators novel #original story #creators-novel.tumblr.com #my art #original character #original fiction #novel #void #chapter 61

[creators-novel]

The following chapters have received new illustrations:

Chapter 9

Chapter 12

Chapter 31

Chapter 35

We're in the final stretch now! The final battle against Vyz commences soon!

-Koto

#creators #creators novel #creators-novel.tumblr.com #updates

[creators-novel]

DarkClaw is thrown back. The battlefield has gone quiet for just a moment, but Vyz’s eyes glint with excitement at the sight of it all. Surrounded by divine light, the Kurai siblings stand side-by-side, ready to join in.

“Well, well…glad to see you finally made it…Straus.”

Not missing a beat, Straus glares at Vyz, “You did this to him.”, he points at DarkClaw, who’s sprawled out on the forest floor, “You took my best friend…you won’t be taking another soul.”

Exisite looks up at Straus in awe and surprise, whose eyes soften upon seeing his successor. “…I’m so sorry for everything you’ve gone through…But I’ll make it better. I promise.” “Wha-?”, Exisite tries to pull himself back up. As he does, Vyz interjects, “By saying that, Straus, you’ve already done more than I expected you to…but that aside-“

“Stop speaking.”

            Wasting no time, Straus rushes Vyz; their fists clash but the sheer force is enough to knock Vyz into the wall of his tomb. They push against each other, their abilities matched. Vyz laughs, “Such wonderful power at your disposal. And yet, you waste it on humility.” “Shut your mouth already!” “Oh, come on… you know you want to do what Red does to all the foes you face.”

What did he just say?! In a blink, Straus activates Divine Paranormatrix.

“You don’t have a blue clue do you!?”

            As the rival powers continue their confrontation, Koto catches a glimpse at DarkClaw…gods, it’s worse than she thought. He looks awful. Uriel runs up to her and holds her hand, “I know it looks bad but…look out-!” DarkClaw roars and lunges towards the girls. Exisite jumps between them just in time and shoves him away, “STOP IT!” “Do we know how to save him yet-?!”, Koto asks. “What do you think!?”, Uriel yips. “aaaAAAAAA!!”, DarkClaw furiously tries to break away from Exisite as he keeps him from singling out anyone else.  Just then, in another beam of light, Red appears, “Koto!” She turns around, “Red-!”, but taking her eyes off the fight was a big mistake. DarkClaw tosses Exisite to the side and rushes towards Koto! But! Just when it seems like she’ll be the next victim of corruption, a different scarlet streak strikes DarkClaw point blank, knocking him out.

Ex flips and lands on his feet, then flashes the others a confident smile, “Told ya I’d make it!”

“Right on time, big brother…”, sighs Uriel.

Vyz pushes Straus away and tries to strike him, but Straus ducks, grabs his arm and slams him overhead into the ground. When he spots Koto about to be hurt, his focus wanes, allowing Vyz to get the upper hand. He barrages Straus with an unending flurry of attacks. Getting her mind back to the fight, Koto steps in and summons a barrier between them. “Thank you…”, Straus huffs, “He’s…crazy.” “In a cold sweat, are you?”, Vyz catches his breath and stretches. Koto summons her knife and lowers the barrier.

Vyz cackles, “Hmhm… and here I thought that you wouldn’t be holding back.”

Straus grits his teeth, “We aren’t psychos like-“

“Like you?”

“Enough chatter!”, Koto snaps, “Listen- just put this World back to the way it was and we can settle all of this peacefully!”

“Oh, dear Koto…”, Vyz leans down to meet her glare, “…you can’t fathom what little tolerance I have for peace.”

“Yeah, whatever man.”, Straus mutters, “So you messed up our world for giggles? Or are you just another of Jupiter’s friends?”

“I’m no friend of hers. But it was funny to see how she handled dealing with you all plaguing her mind. You did the job for me~”

“Well, she’s dead now, and we can’t change that!” Straus once again charges into Vyz, this time sending him soaring into a wall of the tomb, which cracks on impact. “Just stand down, Vyz!”, Koto demands.

Vyz staggers back to his feet, “Is that any way to say ‘thank you’, Koto? After I dealt with that scientist for you?”

Straus blinks in surprise, “You what-?”

“You- you killed Feros?!”

“You’re welcome.”, Vyz teases.

Koto trips on her response, “But- but that’s no excuse for what you’ve done here!”

Vyz rolls his eyes, “Do you know how many people have felt like this throughout Jupiter’s rule? For thousands of years, they targeted countless worlds just like this one.”

“Yeah, we know.”, interrupts Ex, remembering what happened when everyone first encountered Jupiter and Synthis.

Vyz frowns, “…If there’s anyone you should be angry at. It’s the people who run that kingdom.”

“Clearly you did something to hurt them if you’ve been hiding away for so long.”, Straus reasons.

“I just wanted to live. But they wouldn’t have that… they targeted me because I’m like you…

Different.”

“-!?”

“I’m not trying to kill you, Straus. Because I can see that you and I are identical.

Help me show this stupid realm what it means to be the victim.”

“…”

Is he being honest? Vyz did all of this, the corruption and lockdown of their Worlds and their minds, going after their loved ones, and nearly torturing those brave enough to stand up to him…because he and Straus are the same? Could he sympathize with all that he’s gone through? Does he understand what being Impure in the eyes of a higher power means? Maybe… maybe he’s onto something?

“HE’S NOT GOING ANYWHERE WITH YOU!!”, Koto wails.

She feels a hand on her shoulder.

“…You wanna know what I think of that?”, Straus asks.

He moves Koto behind him, his tails glow, and he begins conjuring an immense amount of magical energy into his mouth. It feels like the moment slows to a halt, and yet also goes by in an instant. The people of Lightverse, even on the outskirts of the city, notice a blue light begin to shine from the forest. And Straus feels a voice calling out to him from his very soul.

“(Blow him up, kiddo.)”, says Para.

Before Vyz has a chance to counter, the force of Straus’ beam fires him into the tomb, making the entire thing collapse around him. No more Stygians emerge, they can’t come through even if they wanted to. The portal’s been cut off for good. Koto and Red catch Straus as the attack finishes. “You ok?”, asks Red, worried. “Mm… I used a lot for that.”, answers Straus with a cough. “What the…”, Castor diverts everyone’s attention to something new. With Vyz down and the portal gone, the corruption holding onto DarkClaw and the others crumbles away. “Mmmh-“, DarkClaw sits up, dazed. “Da-…sir?”, Castor sits next to him. Uriel also approaches, “DarkClaw…?” “Fffffffriggin…”, he shakes his head as his red lights flicker back on. Castor and Uriel look at each other and then back at him. “Sorrryyy I kinda fell asleep after you guys lef-“ “You’re back!!”, Uriel tackle-hugs him. “HCK-!”, DarkClaw falls over from the shock.

Koto looks to Straus and smiles, “You did it!” “Mm-!”, Straus nods, still a bit tuckered out.

“Celebrations are not necessary…”, Vyz says as he dusts the rubble off of his coat, “Don’t worry, children. You won’t be dying…for now anyway. Though, I have to give Straus credit.”, he pulls his hand away from his arm, revealing a bloody wound. “That did, in fact, hurt…We’ll settle this someplace else… but until then, see you all soon.”, and he vanishes through a dark portal. “…He’s not gonna stop.”, Castor realizes. “I doubt he will.”, Straus groans.

            Later that night, the trio of Straus, Red, and Koto finally have a decent night’s rest after all that’s been occurring. Well, not quite yet. Koto lies away from the others, staring up at the unending sky of their Space. Instead of counting sheep, she tries to count all the potential Worlds that orbit around them.

“(Is something troubling you, Mistress?)”, wonders Illumi.

“(Eh…I’m just… thinking about what could happen next. There’re so many possibilities… and in any given situation, we could either win like we normally do…or… die. Just like he said we would.)”

“(…In that case, Mistress, you should try to rest in the event that something does happen. You need your strength, and the others will need your help.)”

“(Yeah…you’re right.)”, Koto turns over and gives a soft look to her friends before drifting off.

#creators #digital art #creators novel #original story #creators-novel.tumblr.com #my art #original character #original fiction #novel #Chapter 60 #We made it!!

[creators-novel]

The day has arrived. 24 hours come and gone.

            From the base of Vyz’s tomb, dark clouds loom overhead and spread through the area. The heroes of Lightverse congregate between the city and the tomb’s location. The last one to arrive is Uriel, appearing in a beam of blue light. “Vyz’ll be here soon then?”, she asks. “Yeah.”, Ex groans, “And how about ‘them’?” “They’ll be here later.”, Uriel nods, “They have to make sure everyone else is ok first.”

The group hears a low rumbling in the distance. Recognizing the noise, Exisite dashes off towards the tomb, with Nitro following close behind. Ex watches them leave and says, “I’ll try to run down the old man. God forbid he’s probably on the hunt at this point.” “I’ll join you then.”, Nave volunteers, “Given your luck, you’ll need the help.” “I’ll catch up with Exisite and Nitro then!”, declares Uriel. Ex looks over the horizon, the ground shakes and more clouds billow out from the woods, “Looks like they’re starting. I’ll catch up soon.” “Let’s not take long then.”, says Nave, before taking off to the city. Ex and Uriel give each other a fist bump and split off from each other. “We’ll show them what we’re made of!”, Uriel calls out.

By the time Exisite arrives at the tomb with Nitro, his powers are already sparking to life with malicious intent. White hair and red eyes, just like before. And as the tomb opens, the duo stands tall. Nitro grits his teeth, “Finally shows his cowardly face…”, he spits. And out steps Vyz, his hands confidently positioned behind his back and he walks with a regal disposition. “Hello, Nitro…Castor…”, he seems confused for a moment, “Is it just you two today?”, he asks, pointing a teasing finger at them. “It would have been three”, Nitro snarls, “but you know what you did.” Vyz chuckles, “Hmhm…come now. Let’s not blame just me. It is a shame that Ex isn’t here, I brought some guests that he may be familiar with. As well as an extra special one for you two.” He snaps his finger, and three figures come forth from the portal. Two of them seem to bear a resemblance to Ex, albeit a bit older? It’s hard to tell. You’d have to squint to make out any of the finer details; it’s clear these folks have been corrupted for quite some time. The other, however…

Well, it’s only been a couple of days, but this one looks like just another mindless creature of the void. He’d probably look like any other corrupted soul if not for his recognizable claw arm.

Uriel arrives just in time to see the scene playing out before her. Nitro flinches, having seen the effects of the void corruption for the first time, “Aaron!?”

Vyz leans forward and grins, “Happy to see him again, right?”

“Could you be any more of a monster?!”, asks Exisite.

“Oh yes- ‘monster.’ Me. That’s ironic coming from a construct like yourself, Castor. Just like all of you, and this world you stand upon. Constructs mad by maddened children.”

“Pay no mind to him!”, orders Uriel, “He’s TRYING to get a rise out of us! Don’t fall for his tricks!”

Vyz looks at the group disapprovingly and sighs, “My Stygians. Help out our new friends, and have fun…” With another snap, dozens of voidlings emerge and charge alongside the “esteemed guests”. “Uriel, lightning!”, calls Nitro. In response, she summons her sword and holds it up towards the clouds. In a flash, lightning is channeled through the blade; and with a mighty shout, she throws the lightning down in a scattered attack. In an instant, several of the Stygians are obliterated as thunder shakes the terrain!

KRA-KA-BOOOOOOOOM!!

Rumble, rumble…

Xenos holds a crying Indigo in the dark as the house shakes, “We’ll be ok! It’s ok…”

“No, it won’t be! We should help ‘em! Exisy needs us!!”

“No, please! We have to stay here!”

“Then I’LL go! I’m not about to lose my best friend because a dark meanie hates friendship!”

“Indi, no!!”

Indigo frees herself from Xenos’ grasp and rushes out of the door, claws drawn.

“INDIGO!!”, he shouts and gives chase.

            Nitro finds himself facing off against the mysterious duo. He swiftly counters their attacks, trying his best to evade their corrosive bites. “You two need help, and I can offer. If you would just let me-!”, he’s cut off by them lunging simultaneously, to which he jumps back. “You know what- forget it.”

            Exisite finds himself locked in combat with DarkClaw. The two are evenly matched, but this isn’t like their training sessions of the past. No, without anything to hold him back, DarkClaw attacks mercilessly. Less like an honorable soldier, more like a wild beast. “Sir, please!”, Exisite begs, “You must stop this!”

            Uriel keeps her focus on the foot soldiers. Now that she’s fought them once, she knows she has to stay in the air and strike from above. It’s been simple enough so far, but how much more can she take before she has to go all out? What if she puts the others in danger!? She knows they can’t keep going like this!

“(C’mon, guys…where are you!?)”

            “Don’t you hear me!?”, Exisite cries. “He can’t.”, Vyz slyly exclaims, “The infection, along with my influence, has nulled everything you once knew about him…all he knows now is violence.”

“Sir-…Dad…! Wake up!!”

“Him? ‘Dad’? Pitiful.”, Vyz laughs.

The Stygians, desperate to hold their ground, climb on top of each other in strange tower formations to try and reach Uriel. If she wasn’t already panicking from trying to make sure her friends didn’t get hurt, she certainly had to come up with a new plan now!  In her moment of distress, she boldly activates her own powered-up form as she SCREAMS. The blast obliterates the Stygians in the general vicinity but thankfully doesn’t reach her allies on the ground. Thunder once again rings out from the battlefield…

Rumble…RUMBLE…KA-BOOOOOOM!!

“(How is she so fast!?)”, Xenos thinks as he chases Indigo through the forest, “(I wish I could teleport…!) INDI! Oh boy-!” In the distance, he spots the lightning and tries one more time to catch up to the young hero. “INDI, COME BACK PLEASE!”

            As the thunder settles, Indigo rushes onto the scene ready to fight! “Kid-!?”, Nitro gulps as he pushes back against the corrupted soldiers. “I’m sorry, sir-!”, Xenos huffs as he arrives, “She got away from me!” “Get out of here, both of you!”, Nitro yells. “NO!! I WILL HELP!”, Indigo roars, jumping into the fray! When her weapons collide with the ground, they send out a blue wave of energy that knocks back DarkClaw and the other corrupted. Exisite takes the moment to catch is breath but is nonetheless surprised. “Indigo??”, he squints, beside his little friend, he sees some random man appear from the blue mist…a summon? When could…how could…? His head is spinning… his mouth is dry but his face is covered with sweat, this is…exhausting. He watches as Indigo with her new friend assists Nitro in dealing with the enemy forces. This fight might still be theirs they just need-

DarkClaw tackles Exisite to the ground. The two tumbles through the dirt but quickly hops back to their feet. How much longer do they have to do this?! They continue to clash, but DarkClaw shows zero signs of stopping now. Vyz walks closer to the two, “Pests… Well, Castor, any more tricks up your sleeve?” Castor grunts as he begins to get pushed into the ground, seemingly powerless to stop his maker. “Guess not”, Vyz sighs in disappointment, “Well, I suppose we always have room for a runt like yourself amongst my ranks.” DarkClaw raises his arm, his metallic claw glistening in whatever sunlight remains here. It glows with an infectious, choking, disgusting purple hue.

And he swipes down.

…

…

…

“No.”

Another hand has grabbed DarkClaw’s, the magic radiating from it is otherworldly… powerful…godly.

“NOT. HIM.”

#creators #digital art #creators novel #original story #creators-novel.tumblr.com #my art #original character #original fiction #novel #Chapter 59 #void #tw eye strain

[creators-novel]

24 hours.

24 hours was the prep time allotted to everyone. More than enough for some, next to nothing for others. Nevertheless, all of the teams had their own plans that they were putting into action. Team Lightverse, perhaps, had the most stressful time. They were the prime targets, after all. Planning escape routes, making sure the Crystals were safe, keeping an eye on their enemies, losing sleep, trying not to panic, and even convincing Nave to join up with them felt like its own battle. Plus, their reputation as heroes was already shaky. If they failed their city again, who knows what people would think of them? But, as the sun rises over the new day, the group awakens and gathers up to go over everything one more time.

Nitro starts, “Without DC, it’s a bit complicated to strategize how to beat these monsters. We have no idea when Vyz will strike again… it could be on an even grander scale, meaning more casualties.” Ex pipes up, “Get Wraith to start the evacuations now then, just in case. Don’t wanna risk lives if this fighting reaches the city. And I’ll handle the Crystals, the old man is no issue.” “Says you.”, Nave scoffs, “He could have metal replicas of any of us with him. Nothing about this is a cakewalk…” “I wanna help too!”, whines Indigo. Nave grumbles, “This is no place for you, child.” Delta steps in to defend her, “DarkClaw was our friend too!” Xenos pulls the kids back, “No, guys. He’s right.” “Why are you allowed to fight with them then!?”, shrieks Delta. “Because he’s in training.”, adds Ajax, “But this might be too much for him at this point.”

“But I can help!”, shouts Indigo.

“NO.”, asserts Nave. The other adults in the room shoot him a look.

Indigo takes a fearful step back.

“Know your boundaries, kid.”

Indigo looks to Trenity for some kind of reassurance, but she can tell her mother is focused on other things right now. (Specifically, trying not to slap some sense into a certain fox boy.)

Nitro tries to get everyone back on track, “Anyway. I’ll contact Wraith to start getting people ready… this poor city has seen too many battles.”

“You can’t save it, Nitro.”, says Nave, “Don’t feel pity for it.”

“Stop. Talking.”

…

“…Just- make sure Mom gets out ok.”, Delta squeaks. Nitro looks at the young prodigy with a sting of pity, but then he gets an idea. “You should look after her during the evacuation. I’m sure Castor will be fine.” Delta’s eyes widen, and he nods in agreement. Good. That will at least have one of the children taken care of.

It’s about mid-afternoon now. Wraith and his troops started escorting people out of the city to higher grounds not long ago, and not a moment too soon. Everyone could feel it, there was a change in the air. The more observant citizens catch a glimpse of the fledgling hero, Exisite, escorting what they can only assume is a lost child to the group heading out of the hospital.

The last time Delta saw his mother, she was asleep. She’s been asleep for a while; it’s why he’s been with Castor and the others all this time. So, you could understand his shock when he saw his mother, not in bed, but up! Awake, walking, calling out his name, looking for him! Exisite solemnly watches as his young friend returns to his mother. He feels numb during most of the interaction with her that follows, but he does smile when Delta gives him one more hug goodbye. Exisite watches them leave with the rest of the people, then looks out over the city he calls home, the soon-to-be warzone.

Meanwhile, with all the grown-ups off and about, it leaves Xenos and Indigo back at the house. Xenos sits near her but still makes sure she has her space.

“Hey, Indigo-“

“MM!?”

“Listen- I know you wanna fight… I kinda want to as well. But y’know what? We’ve got the best job out of everybody!”

“Wha?”

He dramatically flares his hands out as he declares, “We get to protect the house!”

She only pouts more. “Hmm!!... They give me no credit! I can use claws like Exisy! They won’t give me a chance!”

“Aw, Indi! C’mon…”, he smirks, “If you’re not here to guard the house with me, who am I gonna eat all of the snacks with?”

“…mmm- Okie fine, you win!”

“Heh.”

As the two hunker down, the air outside continues to change, churning with a dark presence. It won’t be long now.

#creators #digital art #creators novel #original story #creators-novel.tumblr.com #my art #original character #original fiction #novel