The master walks through the bustling streets of the city. They are unaware of the distortion zone that has formed beneath their eyes. Why would they know? They couldn't sense it anyway. His coat ripples slightly as it moves. His flowing silvery black hair moves as if it is floating on the sea.
His facial features however were very much wrong.
"Excuse me, are you?" a young girl taps on the master's shoulders. He turns in a fluid yet rigid motion, his gaze looking directly at the girl.
"Oh sorry. You looked so similar to my friend," the girl laughs to herself, waving her hands, and apologizing profusely. "I'm so sorry."
"No. No. It's just a mistake," the master smiles to himself like he knew this girl for years. The shape of his smile and cadence in his voice felt both familiar yet foreign. His expression felt like it was stitched together like a mannequin. It felt like someone sculpted him out of someone's memory with the details smudged together.
He waves the girl away as if she is a friend he hasn't seen in years. She awkwardly walks away, scolding herself for her mistake. The master's expression falters, as he continues back on his path. He walks past many pedestrians- each one blinking with delayed confusion. None of them saw where he came from. Just that he just walked by without notice.
Meanwhile in the American warden temple- everything is a system-wide sensory spike. Spiritual feedback glows as a crimson red. A junior analyst leans forward, his eyes wide as he sees the unfamiliar glyphs on his screen.
"There appears to be a problem in sector 9A," the kid says to his superior, pointing at the screen in front of him. "It's a spiritual anomaly yet it formed in under five seconds. It's weird."
The superior leans forward to the screen, his eyes analyzing the disturbance. His expression hardens as he sees the complexity of the problem. The alarm sensors start ringing like an arena bell. The room flickers between a deep crimson red. Every screen begins glitching like static.
"Is this another swarm of Elusives?" someone mutters.
"It can't be," Another cutback, challenging his colleague, "Not even the 100,000 Elusives on Sunday in the Crimson PineGlade triggered this much system backlash."
Suddenly.
Warning: Ethereal distortion detected.
Coordinates: Sector 9A- Urban sector
Classification: Unknown.
"Alert the Arbiter and Zhang!," the superior orders everyone in the surveillance room with a fiery intensity. Chairs start screeching across the floor. Papers start flying everywhere as they try to solve the issue unfolding right in front of them.
No one knows what it is yet something is terribly wrong.
Unknown to Kiara, the city seems unnaturally still as she walks back to her home after taking Evander out to see the city. The orange dusk of the evening stretches far in the sky. The Ascendant walks forward with a new hairstyle- far better than his old messy unkempt hair. He has a layered trimmed haircut that still keeps that messy appeal. An odd balance of change and familiarity.
Evander carries two bags of new clothing in his hands while Kiara juggles the rest of his bags in her other hand as she turns the door handle.
"You look good," Kiara compliments as she lays the bags on the couch. Evander feels the back of his head as he follows Kiara inside. A self-conscious look tugs on his face.
"Kiara." Edward walks out of the kitchen, holding the phone near his ear. He is already in his warden uniform as he approaches the two. "Something is happening at the temple. They need everyone including me and you."
"Oh really?," Kiara raises her eyebrow, putting her hands around her hips. Her voice is light yet there is a sense of urgency to it. "What's so urgent?"
"There appears to be a…distortion zone," Edward says with a hint of worry. He slides the phone in his suit pocket. "Haven't been seen in under 200 years."
"A distortion zone?" Kiara's eyes widen, her curiosity peeking under the name alone. She turns her head towards Evander waiting for him to explain what it is. Evander looks on with skepticism as he crosses his arms.
"Change into your uniform. We need to get there quick," Edward utters, holding his hand out. Kiara throws him the keys to the Civic as he walks diligently to the car.
"What's a distortion zone, Evander?" Kiara inquires as she puts her hands into a hand sign. Her regular streetwear is engulfed in a black mist as it transforms them into formal attire. Her katana is strapped next to her side as Kiara checks for anything missing.
"It is...a ripple in reality itself," Evander says, his voice steady but laced with a weight that he is not telling the full story. "It's a big dome area full of negative and natural energy. It's like being trapped in a fog. Not to mention- lots of Elusives."
He shrugs his shoulders as if he is ignoring the implications of what is happening.
"The wardens are probably going to give you a more detailed explanation," Evander's lips twisted slightly, choosing his words. "But since the wardens don't want any trouble. I could probably handle it pretty well just for them."
"Not in a million years," Kiara cuts back, annoying Evander. She points her finger close to him, "If you want to deal with that distortion zone- I'm accompanying you. No matter what. I'm not letting you out of my sight."
Evander opens his mouth but Kiara doesn't give him the chance to argue.
"Please. Do not leave the house when I'm gone," Kiara asks Evander politely as she starts to leave the house. "Try on those new clothes. You'll look cool." She closes the door with a big loud slam.
"Mhmm. Don't try to burn everything when you're at it," Evander says in a mocking-pitched tone. "Annoying girl. Amusing yet somehow…annoying."
Evander places his arms around his hips looking over the now quiet house. He gives a long deep sigh not knowing what to do now that both Edward and Kiara are gone. The ad on the TV flickers and shifts into a more romantic soulful drama.
"Hmm. That looks like something Kawata would like," Evander smiles to himself, remembering him as one of his comrades. He decides to slouch on the couch and watch through it all.
I wonder if he is free out there, Evander thinks to himself, lazily leaning his head on his shoulder. What about the others–am I the only one freed?
His thoughts were tangled trying to make sense of the whole situation.
The air around Evander starts to grow frigid as the effects of the Distortion zone starts to become more apparent. The floor starts to shake as if an earthquake is happening beneath his feet.
Kawata's eyes widen with an intensity sensing a powerful energy nearby. Hirano glares at his surroundings not knowing what is happening. The people out on the streets start clinging onto nearby objects or seeking shelter thinking an earthquake is happening.
The birds show signs of distress as they try to escape the chaos. They start flying out of their nests shortly after the tremors begin.
Kiara and Edward walk through the temple's central hub. Many recruits and upperclassmen start moving towards the meeting hall as the air thick with tension flickers between them. Edward's face tightens as he scans the area.
"Kiara," Adam utters from the background.
Turning around, Kiara sees her friends walking towards her. The recruits walk around them as the friend group starts to talk about the situation. The familiar faces grounded, even as the threat loomed ahead.
"Did you hear about what's happening," Anby says worryingly, her voice pinched as she holds her sketchbook tightly.
"Yeah I heard it is a distortion zone," Kiara utters, glancing around the courtyard, seeing the royal guards standing like stone statues.
"Let's get going. We're going to get some made stares from people," Adam leans forward with his hands behind his back. "People here don't like line holders."
"Come on. I can maybe squeeze some seats for us," Seth waves his hands. He somehow left the group when no one was watching. Kiara had no time to register that he slipped away.
"Any word on how bad it is?" Anby asked her voice barely a whisper, glancing anxiously at the courtyard.
Kiara shakes her head. "I only heard that it has a lot of Elusives."
The group continues to move into the meeting hall, the architecture interior has an enlarged beautiful canopy above them. A few stunning marbled arches cover the walls and roof. Kiara felt an unease settle in her chest- the first time she had been back at the temple since the evaluation. Despite her attempt to stay focused, she couldn't help but feel everyone's eyes looking at her.
Kiara's attempt on the High Council hasn't been forgotten in the slightest. They stare at her as if she is a fish out of a pond. Their judgement weighs heavily on her yet she tries to ignore it. The Arbiter walks into the room with diligent precision, and everyone in the room bows down to his presence. Kiara rolls her eyes, unamused by his fake theatrical gimmick.
The whispers of the surrounding wardens grow louder with each passing second. Kiara and her group meet up with Seth as they sit down in their seats. Edward, watching from the distance, scans the group, a mixture of emotions crossing his face.
The murmurs settle down as the Arbiter raises his hand. The room falls into an unnatural heavy silence.
"A situation has arisen that requires your immediate attention," the Arbiter begins. "A distortion zone has formed near Sector Zero. It is the first in 200 years. Remember just a week ago- we received reports of 100,000 Elusives being attracted due to a talisman being destroyed."
Kiara's eyes wander around the room- the 100,000 Elusives- the catastrophe they represent were a result of her actions. She tries to maintain a sense of normalcy yet something about the Arbiter's gaze weighs heavy on her. It's like he's testing her.
"Inside the distortion zones are hundreds of Elusives inhabiting inside," the Arbiter pauses, letting his words sink in. "The dome has powerful sources of negative spiritual energy so that means the spirits are extra powerful. According to ancient reports, a zone would have one Elusive that is much more powerful than the others. Destroy it and the zone will collapse entirely."
Zhang steps forward, his presence demanding full attention.
"Luckily for us. The Elusives inside can't escape the dome unless a certain amount of time has passed," Zhang reassures everyone. "We need to eliminate and dismantle the distortion zone before the barriers slowly break and release the spirits to the public."
Kiara tightens her grip. Her mind races as she imagines the terror of fighting a powerful Elusive. The Arbiter gives everyone a stern look as if weighing the cost of what he's about to say.
"All B and A ranks will be needed to assist during the raid," the Arbiter continues, his voice growing colder but with an edge of urgency. "With their help– we can clear the distortion zone in under a couple days."
Alwin Dubois leans next to a stone pillar. He is accompanied by black haired, well groomed warden in a black vest. Alwin does not wear his cloak yet wearing a stylized long black high collar coat while still wearing his rice hat. Edward's eyes darted towards his presence, he felt too calm in this situation.
"Remember to always be afraid," the Arbiter finishes his speech, "You have to remain strong yet humble at the same time. This is a threat we haven't faced in centuries. So stay diligent."
As the meeting concludes, the room remains silent. No one makes a sound. Kiara exchanges glances with Adam, his unease mirrors her own. The distortion zone awaits as the master watches closely from the distance. He smiles amused by the intensity of his creation. His hair and clothes move heavily under the intense violent winds.
This is much better than he expected.