THE CRIMSON VEIL

The crimson moon cast its bloody glow over the still waters within the space. "Isolated Space" was an unfitting name for the meeting of the powers of Opal. It would be called… "The Crimson Veil."

Its seemingly endless expanse was open, with water stretching as far as the eye could see, though it remained calm and still. It appeared red, reflecting the glow of the crimson moon overhead. A red mist swirled around the space. A long table, adorned with intricate carvings, stood at the center, surrounded by chairs that seemed to be crafted from the very essence of the realm itself.

Sharone, resplendent in her white attire, sat at the head of the table, her piercing gaze surveying the gathering. Koniko, Adriana, and Sasha were already seated, their faces illuminated by the soft, ethereal glow of the moon. Lin, the last to arrive, emerged from the mist, her footsteps sending ripples through the water as she made her way to the table. Her dress changed to white before their eyes. It seemed they were mirroring Sharone's taste in white clothing.

The Veil had the ability to tailor itself to the wishes of its master, and while Sharone alone had total control over this subspace, the others had learned to make small changes to the reality manifested within, to some extent. It appeared to be subconscious, and the only change they made was to alter their clothes to matching white robes, similar to what Sharone herself was wearing.

Well, her choice of dress didn't have any special meaning, but they copied it, probably to bring about uniformity since they aimed for the same goal. Not that it mattered.

As she sat, the others turned to her and greeted her, to which she replied in her usual cheerful voice.

"Lin, tell us of your progress in Ezkanur," Sharone asked after the greetings were done.

Lin's eyes locked onto Sharone's, her voice steady. "We arrived at a town and went directly to Eldrida, the capital of Ezkanur, via the teleportation gate."

"And how is Kojo?" Koniko asked.

Lin's hesitation was palpable.

"I...I don't know," Lin admitted, prompting a wave of confusion among the gathering.

Lin's hands fluttered, as if seeking to placate the others, as she told them about the events that occurred at sea and those that led to their separation. "There was a blizzard, and we had to get to the gateway just before it hit and stranded us. We were just about getting to the nearest settlement with a gateway when Kojo... left the camp to take care of... personal matters and hasn't been heard from since. It's already been a week."

The table fell silent, the only sound the soft lapping of the water as it flowed around.

Sharone's voice broke the stillness. "A week, you say? Don't worry, Lin. The magnetic field and Holy Magic enchantments can mess with one's senses. But this is Kojo we're talking about. That won't be enough to stop him."

"Yeah, he's probably goofing around somewhere," Koniko added.

"Or inevitably gotten into some trouble," Adriana added.

The others nodded in agreement, their faces reassuring. Lin's worry, however, lingered. "I know I shouldn't be worried, but... who knows what could happen?"

Sasha's voice, like a gentle breeze, soothed Lin's concerns. "Don't worry. Kojo can use Spatial Magic. If anything, he can warp himself back to Ekron and wait out the storm. It's no big deal."

Sharone smiled in reassurance. Her smile, however, was fleeting. Her expression turned serious, her eyes glinting like rubies in the moonlight.

"Now, to business. Our plans have been set in motion. We're receiving a steady stream of information about the Dark Apostles and their plans, as well as the criminal underworld and their dealings, and we've set up measures to deal with them. Our borders are fortified, and the city has been rebuilt, thanks to Lloyd's diligence in providing us with technology."

Her gaze swept the table, her eyes seeking Lloyd's familiar face. "Where is he, by the way? I thought I invited him to join us."

Adriana spoke up. "He's been working on something he claims is too volatile to take his attention from. He chose not to partake in our meeting in order to make it... stable."

Sharone was about to say something else, but Adriana raised her hand. Sharone's gaze lingered on Adriana before she nodded. "Please, proceed."

Adriana bowed, then spoke, her eyes scanning the gathering. "As you all know, our current plans are well underway. You're already aware of what's been done and what needs to be done, so I won't waste your time and cut to the chase. This project Lloyd's working on... it's the reason I requested we gather. It has the potential to change everything."

Kojo and Black trudged through the blizzard, their footsteps heavy with the weight of the snow. The storm raged around them, its fury unrelenting. Snowflakes stung their faces, and the wind howled like a chorus of the damned. Along the way, Black stumbled, but Kojo steadied him.

"We need to keep moving," Kojo yelled above the din, his eyes fixed on the path ahead.

Black nodded, his face set in determination. They pressed on, their bodies numb from the cold. Just when they thought the storm couldn't get any worse, it suddenly picked up, then they passed out of it, into a calm, serene landscape.

Kojo and Black looked around, confused, their eyes scanning the horizon. The sky was a deep, foreboding grey, but the air was still, and the snow-covered ground was untouched by the storm.

"What in the world...?" Kojo muttered, his gaze drifting back to the wall of clouds that marked the edge of the storm.

He walked back to the cloud wall and stuck his arm in. When he pulled it out, it was covered in ice. Kojo's eyes narrowed, and he stuck his head into the storm. The winds howled around him, and the snow stung his face, but he observed the storm within, his mind racing with questions.

When he pulled his head out and shook the snow off his face before looking up, his gaze traced the cloud wall as it rose into the clouds.

"What in the world...?" he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper.

(I'm currently searching for an answer to this phenomenon in the Babel Archives. It may take a while.)

Black's voice cut through Kojo's reverie. "Kojo, look!" He pointed to some lights in the distance. It was a settlement in a valley.

Kojo's eyes followed Black's finger, and he smiled. "We made it."

He said, lowering his mask and taking his hood off.

He was happy to finally rejoin the others, imagining Lin's face, her eyes blazing with anger at his disappearance. Kojo chuckled, anticipating the lecture he would receive.

But before he could dwell on that thought, a howl pierced the air. They looked around. Then they heard it again.

Kojo turned to see a girl in the distance, climbing up a mountain. Kojo called out to her, but she didn't respond. Black tried to stop him, but he called again. The girl had already disappeared, though.

Without hesitation, Kojo ran towards her, climbing up the mountain. Black yelled after him, "Wait!" but Kojo didn't hear.

Black looked at the highland Kojo was climbing, then at the settlement. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath and followed Kojo.

Kojo climbed up the mountain. He got to a cliff and looked around. Spotting the girl, he hid behind a rock, observing her. The clouds parted, and the moons cast rays of light on the landscape. The girl's pale white skin seemed to glitter, and her blue eyes shone like sapphires. Her hair was translucent white, with streaks of blue that seemed to shimmer in the moonlight.

She appeared to be looking for something, her hands patting the ground. Finally, she found it and dug it out of the snow – a beautiful white and blue flower, a lily that seemed to be made of ice.

Just as Kojo wondered who she was, Black called out, "It's not safe!" and climbed up, startling the girl. She wrapped the flower in a ball of ice and attached it to her waist. Her eyes flashed with anger, and she crouched, touching the ground with her hands. A low growl rumbled in her throat.

Kojo stepped out from behind the rock, his arms raised in front of him. "Hey, hey. Easy. I won't hurt you," he said, trying to reassure her.

But before he could continue, Black staggered towards them, startling the girl. She threw snow at Kojo and disappeared with a loud boom. Kojo ran to the edge of the cliff, his eyes scanning the horizon. His eyes were drawn to a steadily forming line of clouds of snow being thrown into the air, and a grin formed on his face.

Black came beside Kojo and bent down, resting his hands on his knees, panting, his chest heaving.

"Okay, since we're close to a settlement, I'm sure you can take care of yourself from here. Make sure to find a doctor. Here." Kojo pulled out a potion and two bags, one of food and another of money, and pushed them into Black's hands.

"Good luck," he said, before disappearing in a streak of purple lightning, leaving Black frustrated and confused. Black almost threw the potion on the ground but restrained himself, his eyes fixed on the spot where Kojo had vanished.

"He didn't even tell me his name," he muttered.