Fog rolled thick over the battlefield, turning the air into a soupy haze of ash and iron. The clash of swords and the haunting echo of war horns had long died down, leaving only the faint crackling of ruined banners in the distance. Kela stepped forward, each footfall sinking into the blood-soaked mud of the valley. Streams of eerie fluorescent water snaked across the terrain, their glow casting her shadow long against the shattered earth.
She adjusted her grip on her weapon—a bow carved from luminous crystal, humming faintly as if alive. Her outfit, a stunning fusion of warrior practicality and ceremonial grandeur, was a far cry from the shredded rags of the fallen around her. The bodysuit clung to her figure like a living second skin, its sleek design a mesmerizing blend of deep azure streaked with vibrant magenta and pristine white patterns that shimmered when caught by the glow of the streams. While styled as ceremonial armor, every seam looked purpose-built for speed and agility. Her face bore streaks of pink war paint beneath her sharp eyes, matching the geometric designs on her chest plate. Large, mechanical pieces rested on both her ears—headgear crafted from ancient technology that pulsed with faint hints of neon pink energy. They whirred softly, scanning the quiet horizon for danger.
“They won’t forgive you if you fail,” a rasping voice echoed behind her. Kela didn’t turn; she knew the voice belonged to Rizak, the supposed last Seer of the Old Clans. His withered frame emerged from the mist, leaning heavily on a twisted staff of ivory fragments. His hood was patched, a patchwork of goat-skin and fading purple silk, an artifact from another world entirely.
“Failure doesn’t exist anymore, old man,” she answered, her tone hard as flint. “They’re counting on me to return, and I will. This is the last shard we need.”
The distant ruin was ahead now, half-sunken into the ground like the corpse of a long-forgotten god. Towering spires of some alien material—neither stone nor metal—pierced the cloudy sky. The architecture glowed faintly, alive in unnatural, prism-like hues. The ancient doors loomed large before Kela, covered in spiraling runes that seemed to shift under her gaze. She placed a hand on the surface, feeling warmth where there should only be cold.
Rizak hobbled closer. “That shard will demand more than you know. More than you’re prepared to give.”
“Then I’ll find out how much that is,” she replied sharply, pushing against the door. A hiss broke through the silence as the heavy gates split apart like petals under unseen power. Beyond it was a hall that stretched forever, an impossibly large chamber whose walls whispered memories of stars. The soft hum of ancient machinery resonated beneath her feet, a sound that promised both salvation and doom.
Kela stepped inside, her hand tightening on her bow, her other moving to the pack slung over her shoulder. The air here felt different: heavier, like it carried billions of years of history and wouldn’t let anyone tread on it lightly. Lights flickered across the floor as she advanced, forming a path that felt as though some unseen intelligence was guiding her. Her heart pounded—not from fear but a recognition that this was a moment much larger than herself.
The shard itself sat on an ornate pedestal at the far end of the hall, a crystal so pure and radiant it hurt to look at directly. Its energy radiated in pulses that danced across her skin, making her feel like she stood too close to the sun. As Kela approached, she could see her reflection in its surface: the tight-fitted warrior garb with lines of light flowing across its angular designs, her face streaked with grime and war paint, and her hair plastered to her forehead.
“Do you even know what you hold, little warrior?” Rizak’s voice whispered behind her again, this time ominous and laced with sorrow. “This isn’t salvation for your people. It’s extinction.”
“If extinction is the cost of escape,” Kela replied, plucking the shard from its place with one swift motion, “then let the cycle break.”
The hall exploded around her. The ground cracked, ruptured by beams of light erupting from the shard in chaotic bursts. The walls, once solid and whispering mystery, fractured like fragile glass, and the distant glow of the battlefield’s horizon seemed to rush toward her faster than her mind could comprehend.
When her vision cleared, she was no longer in the hall, no longer in the valley. Her bodysuit had dimmed, its glow barely there. Around her stood towering monoliths wrapped in vines bearing deep purple blooms, their petals shimmering with an iridescent sheen. Strange creatures slithered through the underbrush, and the sky above was crowded with three suns burning in hues of green and blood-orange. The shard hummed in her hand, its radiant pulses calming as though it had accomplished its will.
“Where are we?” Rizak, now beside her, gasped. His hood had been torn back, and his old eyes wept in awe of the alien beauty surrounding them.
Kela looked at him, her bow still in hand, the shard clenched tightly. A faint smile touched her lips. “Somewhere we weren’t meant to survive. But we will.”
She faced the twisted forest ahead, her heart pounding louder now as the ground quaked once more. Something large was moving in the distance, snapping trees like twigs. The fight wasn’t over, not by far, but she breathed a deep lungful of the alien air. For once, she felt alive. For once, she felt free.
Kela took her first step forward.
The journey had just begun.
Genre: Dark Fantasy/Futuristic Adventure
The Source…check out the article that inspired this amazing short story: D.Va Overwatch Cosplay Costume in Blue and Pink: Ideas & Inspiration
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