A few hours earlier…
/Aether?/
“Tsk, I’ve lost the connection again!” Aria spat, her voice dripping with frustration, as her eyes darted to the words that appeared before her:
[Congratulations on finishing the game~]
Aria barely reacted, her expression stone cold.
She had been through this torturous experience so many times that even the smallest spark of emotion had been snuffed out. If it hadn’t been for Aether… she would have crumbled long ago. The memories, the pain, the mistakes—none of it had mattered until he gave her a reason to endure.
To survive!
To face everything she’d run from!
Aether… her Darling. The only one she needed.
He was the reason she accepted her regrets and mistakes, the only reason she could look back without shattering.
Without him, she’d have been nothing but a hollow shell, but because of him, she embraced everything—the darkness, the failures—all of it.
No… she’d wait a thousand years if it meant seeing him again. Five years in that hellish game meant nothing compared to eternity.
She wouldn’t change a single thing… Because all things that happened in her past were the result now…. him… Meeting him was more important than anything!
‘Time is completely broken here,’ she thought, her mind still reeling. She glanced up, her voice flat as she asked, “So… no prize?” She folded her arms, masking her curiosity with a bored expression.
[Haha… Lady Aria Zephyr, you completed the game… but you did not win. There’s a vast difference between the two.]
Aria’s lips tightened, “Then how does one win?”
However,
[You may leave now…]
Before she could demand answers, her body was pulled through space, and she found herself standing before the summit’s entrance.
“Looks like I’m the only one who made it through first…” Aria muttered, her eyes scanning the area. Not a soul in sight. She gazed at the Peace symbol etched into the wall, but—
Trrrrr!!
Her eyes narrowed as she felt the unmistakable tremor from above. Her head snapped toward the summit as the ground shuddered beneath her feet. Whatever it was, it was massive.
“What the…?” She muttered before her instincts screamed danger. Without wasting another second, she darted forward, rushing up the fleshy stone steps.
She skidded to a halt as chaos unfolded before her eyes…. utter madness.
“What in the gods’ name…?” she whispered, eyes wide.
Before her stretched an endless wave of massive serpents—red, black, and green scales gleaming under the bloody sky. They slithered with lethal precision, their monstrous forms writhing as they tore through the empire’s soldiers and dragons alike. The air was thick with the stench of blood and venom.
The battlefield was a frenzy, but what caught her attention most was the sky above…. It trembled with power, energy bleeding out as though reality itself was on the verge of collapse.
BAGRUUUUUUUHHHHHAAAAAA
A horrifying roar echoed across the heavens, shaking the ground. A violent wave of energy pulsed through the air, making her heart pound in her chest. The weight of it pressed down on her, like an invisible hand ready to crush her where she stood.
“What the hell is happening up there?” she murmured, a flicker of unease twisting in her gut.
Fear? No, it was something different…. A deep foreboding!!
Then—
BOOM!!
“Shit!” she yelled, diving to the side as something massive crashed beside her, the ground shaking beneath its impact.
Aria scrambled to her feet, eyes darting toward the object. “What the…?” Her frown deepened as she saw it—a gigantic bolt, nearly her size, wedged into the earth. It had fallen from the sky.
As she stood there, trying to make sense of it all—
“You’ve already finished the game—WAIT!! What the hell is going on here?”
A familiar, exasperated voice called out. Aria turned to see Nyx Shadowfall stumbling up from the summit, her tired eyes taking in the destruction around them. Her face darkened as she realized the scale of the catastrophe.
Aria shrugged, her expression grim. “Beats me.”
Before they could exchange more words, a massive serpent locked its eyes on them, slithering toward the two women with alarming speed.
“For the love of—!” Nyx threw her hands up in frustration, “Can I not get five damn minutes to breathe?!” Her voice was raw, filled with fatigue and irritation.
She’d had her fill of fighting, but it looked like this was far from over.
Aria’s eyes gleamed with amusement at Nyx’s outburst, but her focus quickly shifted. With a swift motion, she summoned her bow, her fingers dancing over the string as she pulled it back. The bowstring hummed as an arrow of light materialized. With deadly precision, she fired.
Sssshhhh
The arrow found its mark, embedding itself deep in the serpent’s scales. But to Aria’s surprise, the creature barely faltered.
Instead, it writhed in pain and hissed furiously, its movements becoming even more aggressive.
“Hm…” Aria narrowed her eyes. That attack should have been enough to kill a monster twice that size.
Something was wrong.
Without hesitation, she pulled the string, this time conjuring a black one that radiated dark energy. She released it with deadly calm, watching as the snake, now more aware, tried to dodge.
A smirk tugged at her lips. “Not bad… but still just a monster.”
The snake dodged, but it wasn’t fast enough. The arrow twisted in midair, homing in on the snake’s head before detonating on impact, sending fragments of its skull flying in all directions.
The creature’s body crumpled to the ground, dead.
Aria bent down, retrieving the crystal that fell from the remains of the beast. She studied it, her brow furrowing at its strange rainbow hue crystal, marked with a single star.
Nyx approached, her frown deepening as she examined the crystal, “I’ve never seen or heard of a rainbow crystal like this.”
“Neither have I,” Aria replied, her voice tinged with suspicion. Not even in the ancient records of the Chosen ones had she read of such a thing.
Something was terribly wrong.
“Something’s… off,” Nyx murmured, her gaze growing distant, her voice laced with unease.
“I agree, but what—”
“No, not that.” Nyx cut her off, pointing to a figure emerging from the shadows of the summit.
Jack Sparrow.
Aria’s blood ran cold. She didn’t know why, but something about him felt… wrong. Different.
Jack walked toward them slowly, his expression calm, almost serene. But when he spoke, his voice was as cold as death. “Nyx, I’ll give you one second. Because we’re from the same empire, I’ll let you live… a little longer. Now, go.”
His words were like ice, devoid of any humanity.
Nyx hesitated, her eyes narrowing. But as she looked around at the destruction, the blood, the chaos… she made her decision. Without a word, she turned and fled, unwilling to gamble her life.
Jack turned his gaze to Aria, his eyes darkening. “Last time, you escaped.”
“What do you mean?”
Jack’s lips curled into a cruel smirk, “You should have died in the contest.”
Aria’s eyes widened, “You’re the—” Her words were cut off as a torrent of black flames erupted toward her.
She raised her hand to block them, but the flames exploded midair, sending a shockwave through the battlefield. Aria was flung backwards, crashing into the earth, skidding several meters before catching herself.
Tang!
Before she could catch her breath, a blade slashed toward her throat. She swiftly blocked it with her bow, glaring at her assailant…. A man… who looked different.
“Who the hell are you?” Aria growled, fury flaring in her eyes.
The clone, J1, smirked. “Nothing personal. Just following orders.” His voice was laced with arrogance as he pushed against her, trying to overpower her.
Aria snarled, locking his weapon with her bowstring before throwing him aside with a forceful shove. She spun, ready to fire another arrow when—
Ting!!
Another attack. This time from her left. She barely managed to block it, her gaze snapping to yet another Jack clone.
“What the hell is going on?!” she hissed through gritted teeth, her mind racing. But neither of them answered. Instead, they moved in unison, deadly intent clear in their eyes as they came at her with full force.
Meanwhile, high above them, the real Jack Sparrow watched the blood-soaked battlefield with a twisted smile. The sight of the carnage, the smell of death… it filled him with a dark satisfaction.
“Haha… Hahaha… Look at them. These filthy creatures… fighting for their pathetic lives!” Jack roared, his laughter wild and unhinged. The scent of blood drove him into a frenzy.
He could feel his mind slipping, but for the first time, he didn’t care. No… he relished it!!
This game had awakened his true self. Until now, he had acted like a child, but after spending ten years in the game and witnessing the consequences of his actions, he knew exactly what kind of man he was… and he embraced it!
“I need to kill the Chosen ones before the time, otherwise Master will get angry~” He mumbled.
With a snap of his fingers, his body was engulfed in black flames as he leaped down, heading toward… Aurelia, who had also finished the game and was fighting alongside Selene.
