Chapter 109: The Collapsed Rift |
Giant Spirit City after the storm resembled a gutted beast carcass, with murky floodwaters flowing through the crevices of collapsed buildings, carrying dark red rust stains. Jonas stepped forward on rotting planks when suddenly a brittle crunch sounded beneath his feet—he bent down to pick up a handful of silver sand that burned faintly in his palm, restless like some living creature.
The trade district's clock tower leaned crookedly amidst the ruins, its shattered glass reflecting three figures. Claude's mechanical arm emitted clicking gear sounds as precision tweezers plucked a grain of silver sand. His gear-shaped left eye glowed eerily blue: "Normal Sands of Time should have perfect dodecahedral facets, but these..." The mechanical arm suddenly trembled violently, nearly dropping the tweezers, "Each facet refracts abyssal energy waveforms, as if someone reforged their molecular structure with chaos."
Veldeline's wings drooped powerlessly on the rubble, purple mucus seeping from her feathers corroding the ground. Her fingertip traced the sand pile when her pupils abruptly contracted to needlepoints: "Listen...they're saying...'the rift...is coming...'" Before she finished speaking, the entire pile of silver sand suddenly levitated, weaving into distorted runes midair. Jonas instinctively stepped back, only to see those runes devouring surrounding light, even shadows turning viscous like tar.
"Veld, control it!" Claude's mechanical arm unfolded into a shield, complex alchemical arrays surfacing on its surface. The elven girl trembled violently, purple aura from her wings spreading like tidal waves as the runes formed from silver sand began materializing—countless distorted human faces with hollow eye sockets streaming black light. Jonas drew his mithril dagger, but the blade shattered into powder upon touching the runes.
"This isn't simple energy corruption." Claude's voice mixed with metallic screeches, "Abyssal creatures couldn't directly alter Sands of Time unless..." His gear-eye suddenly erupted with blinding red light, "Someone opened a passage between reality and the Abyss!"
Veldeline suddenly emitted an inhuman shriek, the purple aura completely engulfing her. Jonas rushed forward to grab her but was repelled by an invisible barrier. The sand-formed faces began wailing mournfully as stone-shifting roars came from the ruins' depths. Claude swiftly carved an alchemical array on the ground, blue light flowing along cracks to temporarily suppress the eerie runes.
"Her core energy is being consumed!" Claude shouted, "This silver sand is some kind of medium forcibly connecting Veld's elven bloodline to the Abyss!" Watching Veldeline's agonized struggles, Jonas suddenly recalled the abnormal storm three days ago—when the sky cracked open, these very same shimmering silver sands had fallen.
From beneath the ruins came the thunderous snap of breaking chains as Claude's alchemical array began cracking. Veldeline's wings abruptly spread wide, the entire silver sand mass forming a massive vortex that engulfed all three. Before losing consciousness, Jonas saw giant scaled claws emerging from the vortex's center, black liquid dripping from their tips corroding bottomless pits into the ground.
When he awoke again, he found himself in Claude's makeshift alchemy tent. The mechanist was adjusting his chest energy core while Veldeline curled in a corner, most of the purple aura faded from her wings but fear still shadowing her eyes. "You were unconscious for twelve hours." Claude handed him steaming medicine, "The silver sand...all disappeared while you were out."
"Claude," he clenched his fist, "remember how you said opening a passage requires a medium? If Veld was the chosen vessel, then this sand..." Before he finished, glass shattered in the distance. They rushed outside to see hundreds of silver streaks across the night sky, falling like meteors across Giant Spirit City.
Veldeline's wings glowed faint purple again as she pointed eastward: "They're calling more...more Abyssal creatures are coming." Claude quickly deployed scanning devices from his mechanical arm, his gear-eye projecting a holographic map with red dots densely clustered around the harbor. Jonas picked up a broken sword fragment, its blade crystallized black with Abyssal energy corrosion.
"We must find the source first." Jonas tightened his grip, "The storm, silver sand, Veld's mutation...these can't be coincidences. Claude, can you track Abyssal energy fluctuations?" The mechanist's gear-eye flashed data streams: "Only to district-level precision, but I need calibration time."
Suddenly the ground quaked violently. An earth-shattering roar came from the harbor as massive black mist surged skyward, enormous tentacles writhing within. Veldeline covered her ears in pain as the silver sand's whispers returned: "The feast...begins..."
Jonas pulled her up, looking at Claude: "No time. Veld can sense the sand's locations—we follow her. Claude, cover our rear." The mechanist's arm transformed into artillery: "Remember, retreat immediately if we encounter complete Abyssal creatures. Our current gear can't even breach their defenses."
Navigating twisted streets, they saw buildings being consumed by black substances. Silver sand runes covered walls, making Veldeline tremble worse with each passing. Near the harbor, the air's stench thickened to tangibility as countless sharp shrieks came from the black mist.
Claude suddenly grabbed Jonas' shoulder: "Wait! Energy readings show something moving underground—bigger than we thought!" The ground exploded as a silver-armored monstrosity emerged—compound eyes covered its head, barbed tentacles extending from multiple mouths, their tips glowing like the silver sand.
"An Abyssal Mutant!" Claude shouted, "Veld, find its weakness!" The elf gritted through pain, purple light swirling in her eyes: "Its core...below the third pair of ventral limbs! But..." Her voice faltered, "Its body flows with endless silver sand, like..."
The creature's tentacles lashed out as Claude's artillery fired. Blue energy bolts left mere dents on its armor. Jonas blocked a tentacle with his broken sword, black crystals instantly spreading up his arm. Gritting teeth, he severed the tentacle, his skin turning sickly gray-purple at the wound.
"This won't work!" Claude's overheating arm smoked, "We must force it airborne!" Jonas noticed thinner silver sand covering its leg joints: "Claude, target its joints! Veld, disrupt its balance with wind blades!"
Their coordinated attacks worked—Veldeline's wind blades drew its gaze skyward while Claude's bolts struck joints precisely, letting Jonas leap onto its back. Driving the broken sword into a silver sand gap, the creature roared deafeningly as it tilted. Sliding along armor grooves, Jonas finally reached the core position Veldeline indicated.
"Now!" He plunged the sword deep, Abyssal energy flooding through him. The mutant thrashed wildly, its shockwave sending Claude and Veldeline flying. Clutching the hilt, Jonas watched its inner silver sand boil until—BOOM—it exploded into fragments.
But the battle wasn't over. More black mist surged from the harbor as ground runes glowed blindingly. Veldeline suddenly dashed seaward, purple aura returning: "The source...is in the ocean..." Jonas and Claude exchanged glances before following. What they saw at shore defied reason—
A silver sand tower floated on the horizon, wrapped in Abyssal energy chains. At its peak, a black-robed figure chanted ancient incantations as countless silver sands rose from the sea, forming a massive summoning circle midair. Veldeline's wings uncontrollably flew toward the tower while Jonas and Claude were held back by invisible forces.
"That's...the Silver Sand Cult's High Priest!" Claude's gear-eye flickered wildly, "Rumored half a year ago to have fallen into the Abyss—he was preparing this all along!" The robed figure stopped chanting, turning to reveal a face veined with silver, lips twisting into a smile. He summoned a silver sand deluge, pulling Veldeline into the summoning circle's center.
Jonas clenched his fist, the Abyssal energy within resonating with his broken sword: "Claude, this time we destroy that monster together." The mechanist's arm reformed into a massive energy blade: "My thoughts exactly. Remember—retreat immediately if Veld's vitals drop." Charging into the silver storm, neither realized the true crisis was just awakening within the tower.
The silver deluge carried piercing cold—Jonas rolled aside, but his sword's energy slash was instantly devoured. The High Priest's laughter mixed with Abyssal whispers echoed: "You think you can stop the 'Eternal Night Hourglass'? These Abyss-touched Sands of Time have already woven Giant Spirit City's timeline into sacrifice!"
Claude's energy blade cleaved the flood when his gear-eye suddenly flashed red: "Careful! He's rewriting spatial rules!" The ground beneath Jonas inverted, plunging him into a silver sand vortex. Countless grains seeped into his armor, burning like acid. Dazed, he saw Veldeline suspended at the circle's core, her purple cocoon being consumed by silver sand.
"Jonas! Catch!" Claude's mechanical arm shot a chain around his waist, yanking him out. The mechanist's energy core flickered unstable blue: "This sand constructs Abyssal domains—every attack strengthens it. We must sever the energy source completely."
As the High Priest summoned a silver sand hammer, Jonas dragged Claude over newly formed Abyssal cracks when Veldeline's wings suddenly blazed violet. Her voice pierced through chaos: "They...fear pure Sands of Time!"
Claude's gear-eye spun wildly: "The clock tower's depths hold the 'Time's Anchor'—forged by Giant Spirit City's first lord from pure Sands! But..." Roars drowned his voice, "We can't breach the current domain barrier!"
Jonas watched the nearly complete summoning circle revealing the Abyss's outline. Channeling the Abyssal energy within, he gripped his sword: "Keep the High Priest busy—I'll retrieve the Anchor. Veld said the sand speaks to her—perhaps..." Determination flashed, "Perhaps I can use that."
Before Claude objected, Jonas charged into the silver storm. Memory fragments flooded him—the falling sand during the storm, ancient altars beneath trade district ruins, the persistent purple hue on Veldeline's wings. Stumbling against a wall, his fingers found the bricks turning to sand.
"Think you can pass?" The High Priest's phantom materialized, "Then see how much Abyssal 'gifts' you can endure." Jonas was dragged into darkness surrounded by silver sand mirrors—each reflecting different futures: Giant Spirit City consumed by the Abyss, Claude's mechanical body shattered, Veldeline becoming the cult's puppet.
"This is your fate." The Priest's voice twisted with glee, "But you could join us as the Eternal Hourglass's guardian." Jonas thrust his sword through the nearest mirror: "True fate is what we sever ourselves." Agony spread as the mirrors retaliated, silver sand invading his veins.
Suddenly Veldeline's voice rang clear: "Left! Beneath the third pillar—a teleportation array!" Following her guidance, Jonas activated the hidden array just as he saw Claude entangled by a silver sand serpent, his energy blade flickering.
"Hang on!" Jonas emerged from the array, driving his sword into the serpent's weak spot. Empowered by Abyssal energy, the blade finally showed its might—the serpent disintegrated. Claude seized the chance to activate overload, his energy wave momentarily repelling the High Priest.
"Go to the clock tower!" Claude's core alarms blared, "Overload lasts three minutes max!" Jonas sprinted toward the tower as internal silver sand grew more agitated, resisting the pure Sands' call. Bursting through the clock tower doors, he found a cobwebbed chamber where the softly glowing Time's Anchor rotated on a central pedestal.
"Finally arrived." The High Priest emerged from shadows wielding a silver sand scepter, "But too late." He waved the scepter—walls collapsed as silver chains bound Jonas. "Think pure Sands can reverse this? My tainted Sands have already consumed seven cities' timelines!"
Struggling, Jonas suddenly felt the Anchor resonate. Remembering Veldeline's "conversation," he focused on communicating with the internal sand. As it calmed, the Priest's memories surfaced—twenty years prior, a young alchemist entered the Abyss to resurrect his dead wife, only to become the silver sand's puppet.
"You're no High Priest." Jonas gasped, "Just the Abyss's sand-controlled puppet!" The Priest's expression cracked first, then his chains loosened. Jonas broke free, grabbing the Anchor and charging toward the summoning circle.
Now nearly complete, only a thin layer remained of Veldeline's cocoon. Jonas hurled the Anchor into the circle's core—pure light clashed violently with dark sand. The Priest frantically chanted as more Abyssal creatures emerged.
"Claude! Cover me!" Jonas yelled. The mechanist activated final protocols—his arms becoming an energy barrier holding back the monster tide. Jonas reached Veldeline in the circle, grasping her hand. As their combined power resonated with the pure Sands, a luminous pillar shot skyward.
"No!" The Priest lunged but disintegrated into silver sand upon contact. The expanding light reversed the tainted Sands' corruption, slowly sealing Abyssal rifts. When the last creature vanished, Jonas and Veldeline collapsed exhausted near Claude's ruined mechanical body.
"Repair...protocols...initiating..." Claude's voice sputtered weakly. Jonas grinned, patting his shoulder: "Next dangerous experiment, invite us first." Veldeline weakly rose, her wings regaining vitality: "The sand...is quiet now. But the Abyss won't relent."
Dawn broke over Giant Spirit City's ruins, bathing them in gentle light. Jonas gripped his reforged sword, the Anchor's glow swirling on its hilt. Perhaps this was just the beginning of a long war against the Abyss—but as long as they stood guard, this city's time wouldn't be swallowed by darkness.
Salty sea winds carried survivors' distant cheers. Claude struggled up, his arm reassembling: "Incidentally, I glimpsed something interesting in the Priest's memories. Perhaps we should seek the true source of pure Sands."
Jonas and Veldeline exchanged smiles. The first true sunlight pierced clouds, illuminating their path forward. Yet in some Abyssal corner, silver sands gathered anew—another scheme quietly brewing in the dark...