Shiny-jr or just shiny, any pronouns are fine too.
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Everything they knew, their home for the last decades, had gone up in flames. Divine flames swallowed up the Furnace and incinerated practically everyone inside. Those handful left, like the Red Thief and Blue Brawler, managed to escape by the skin of their teeth as the gods were too distracted attempting to track down the Ruby Rebel in all the smoke. That was all they had left: (Y/n).
As immortals, they were lucky, because they couldn’t die. Their nastiest burns healed entirely within a few hours of the blast sending them tumbling through one of the Furnace’s exits. The very same blast that separated the duo from (Y/n) and Grim. The exit they fell through had been sealed by rubble, preventing them from diving back inside in their desperate attempt to retrieve the two missing members of their group. Not that they could move much anyways after taking the brunt of the explosive force.
They discovered the Furnace had spat them out south of Hobbletide Shore and east of Chesswick. There was no sign of any nearby survivors, so those that lived must have found different portals. The few that lived. The Pyro Archon would have beheaded anyone that did not escape.
“We have to go back! We can’t just leave them!” Deuce exclaimed, wincing as he pushed himself up. The burn on his leg had singed all the way to the bone, but it had finally healed enough for him to stand on his feet. The brawler was frantic, it wasn’t like the thief didn’t get it. Both lost their home in a snap. It had always been a possibility that the Furnace would be discovered, but for it to be destroyed just like that… “If we leave them, Riddle will—”
“Can you stop talking for one second?” Ace groaned, his mind spinning as he tried to regain his bearing. His ears were still ringing from the blasts, so his sense of hearing had not fully healed yet. At least his fingers were restored, and it was enough to ground himself.
Their entire world had been turned upside down, and he had to sit and listen to this guy’s shouting. The same guy he was cursed to immortality with, nearly executed with, and now stuck once more with. In a way, the other was one of the only things they had left whether they liked it or not. He should have mourned all those he knew but when he thought about them, he just felt… empty. Was the fact that he knew this would happen someday saving him from breaking, or was this whole immortality thing starting to finally dull his senses? Deuce hadn’t mentioned the others either, he noticed. So at least they were somewhat on the same page.
“That tyrant won’t harm a single hair on their pretty head. Didn’t you hear how he was talking to them?” The red fire wielder sat up, noticing parts of his clothes were seared black from the flames that would have devoured any mortal. It was a good thing they were not mortal anymore. “But I don’t even like the thought of them with that monster of an archon.”
“Why are you so calm?” Standing in front of him, the blue fire wielder practically glared down at his fellow lawbreaker. They always argued and now was no exception. “For all we know, they could have been captured and been dragged back with Riddle!”
Ace turned to frown at Deuce as the thief stood up. Part of his leather boot had been burnt, and Deuce’s belongings were hardly better off, but that didn’t stop either of them. It wouldn’t stop Ace from snappily replying, “You seriously think that (Y/n) and Grim would have been captured? Okay, maybe Grim might have been a goner but rebel wouldn’t let that fly. You need to have a little faith in them. Even on the off chance they were captured, it’s not like you can do anything about it.”
“I have faith in them!” Deuce shot back defensively before quickly adding, “And I can do something about it! This time, I don’t need your help since you’d only be dragging me down. With how you’re acting, it’s like you don’t even care to help them!”
His frown deepened, and he scoffed as the two were glaring at each other and exchanging bitter remarks like in the past when they exchanged fiery blows. At this moment, their hits were verbal and not composed of pyro. “Ha! Like you can ever get to them without my help! Go ahead, try to storm the palace and watch what happens. I dare you. Rebel and Grim won’t even be there to save you from a world of hurt once that terrible little tyrant gets his hands on you again.”
“Again? My, how interesting.” The sudden voice cut the two off, catching them off guard as they looked up at the source. Above them was the head of a feline, what looked like a beastman, peering down at them through the foilage. As the rest of the stranger’s body emerged steadily between twirls of smoke, it caused the pair to shout in alarm. As if he didn’t even hear them startle, the feline continued casually. “I’ve never known King Riddle Rosehearts to spare those he gets his hands on the first time.”
Deuce gaped up at the creature, an entity, it must have been. After his decades of meeting all sorts of people, he had never known any mortal that could disappear like that. Not even beastfolk. “W-What? Who—”
“Your friend calls me Chenya.”
Ace scowled up at the odd entity. There was something vaguely familiar about him, like he heard that name once. Was it one of those gods a lawbreaker in the Furnace had been researching? It’s not like he would ever know, given that the evidence of the research had likely been burnt to a crisp alongside the corpse of the researcher. Right now, a random entity was on the very bottom of his list of current concerns. “We’re not friends with that tyrant. Never have been, never will be.”
Chenya shifted so he sat up, now lounging with his back against the tree and his legs laid out on the large branch above their heads. Slowly his ringed tail swished back and forth, and his grin only seemed to widen. “I wasn’t talking about Riddle.”
Realization dawned on both of them, Deuce was the first to act on it. “You know (Y/n) and Grim? Did you see them recently…?!”
“Maybe I know, or maybe I don’t know. Maybe I have, or maybe I haven’t.” As soon as one of them tried to reach for his tail, he vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving them bewildered as the odd entity appeared a few feet behind them. “Why ask?”
The Red Thief whipped around, catching sight of the entity that was now hanging upside down from some more trees. How was he doing that? “We’re looking for them. It’s kinda important.” Entities like these tended to be older than they let on, mysterious and tricking people often for their own entertainment.
“It seems as if everyone is looking for them. They’ve created quite the kerfuffle, a real hullabaloo.” Once they started approaching the feline, as if the entity sensed their intent to force answers out should he not respond, he unhooked his legs from the branch so he landed on the ground in a hand-stand. Then again, he disappeared in the blink of an eye, but his humming was the most obvious sign that he was lingering nearby. “If I were you, I’d start searching right away.”
“Hold on!” The humming stopped as Deuce scanned their surroundings, but he couldn’t pinpoint where this entity was. There were so many questions he had but questions took up time, and they did not have the luxury of time. So he settled for the most important one: “How can we find (Y/n) and Grim?”
“Well…” Chenya appeared once more, this time in the corner of their peripheral vision as he pretended to walk this way and that. “Some go this way, some go that way, but as for me, myself, personally, I prefer a shortcut.” In another puff of smoke that made the two cough, the feline entity could be spotted further away, beckoning them deeper south into mysterious woods where no mortal dared venture. “Coming?”
_______________
So much commotion and for what but a single human.
Normally, Lesser Lord Kingscholar would have avoided attending a meeting like this. These sort of gatherings never yielded anything useful, and this would be Leona's first one in quite some time. No doubt the citizens of Pridehaven would be buzzing with opinions, whispering and debating over what was happening behind closed doors. It was annoying, but when his elder brother Falena Kingscholar insisted he join then he heard of the participating party, well… maybe it was worth listening into, at the very least. Afterall, it wasn’t every day an archon sought out a mortal so fervently. There were questions the God of Intellect had about the human named (Y/n) and their guide Grim, questions that even he did not have the answer to. The young Pyro Archon who met the pair first just might be able to reveal an answer.
Lesser Lord Kingscholar only half listened to the formalities playing out between his fellow Geo Archon and the neighboring Pyro Archon. The last time he attended one of these boring meetings was several decades ago, and they’re just as drab as he remembered.
The conference took place in the Altar of Stone at Pridehaven, specifically where the representatives of the tribes in Sunrock Circle tended to meet. Today, there was no tribal representative in the large circular room. It was just the God of Law, the God of Strength, and him of course, the God of Intellect. Each grand deity had their own respective seat, with the God of Strength and God of Law closer to discuss things more deeply. The God of Intellect was cast to the side, as per usual, he thought bitterly.
There wasn’t much mentioned that Leona did not already know. (Y/n) was a human from another world and Grim was a small entity who became their guide. The pair traveled into Chesswick and created quite a stir, inciting a rebellion that was quickly quashed by the very Pyro Archon in the same room as him. Riddle always behaved himself, quelled his little temper here, especially in the presence of a fellow archon that was much older. Not Leona, no, Riddle seemed to care less about Leona’s opinion as he was more focused on keeping an amicable relationship with the Sovereign Falena.
“—So you see, that is why I felt I personally had to come and see to it myself that I tell you this, Sovereign.” As Riddle continued speaking, Leona kept silent. This meeting was proving to be useless, since he learned nothing of the mysterious human. All he could do was sit and wait, patiently, to catch if any sort of useful information would slip out into the open. All good things come to those who wait. “Assuming that they aimed to escape, their only escape routes would be south to your nation or west to Octavinelle. It’s my hope to have them returned to Heartslabyul, before they could spread chaos to other lands and to correct their behavior.”
“I see…” Falena rubbed his chin thoughtfully, appearing openly curious about the matter at hand. It was a topic of conversation not just between gods. Immortals and mortals alike these days were whispering about some Ruby Rebel in Heartslabyul, who not only incited the rebellion but somehow had the ability to cut the Pyro Archon’s Thread of Eternal Fire. “If they were in my home, you know I cannot simply hand them over. That would be for the Sunrock Circle to decide.”
Leona quietly scoffed at that, leaning back in his seat with his arms comfortably crossed and eyes closed. He sensed Falena shaking his head slightly, and Riddle casting a disapproving frown at the younger of the two Kingscholars. That’s something the little king has always loathed, that Savanaclaw wouldn’t kneel in compliance to agree to capture and extradite fleeing lawbreakers from Heartslabyul. Octavinelle happily agreed if they got something out of it, but not Savanaclaw.
The God of Strength proceeded, brushing over his younger brother’s scoff. “But, I also cannot risk anyone stirring up trouble here in Savanaclaw. Especially if what the rumors say is true, that this human from another world cut your thread.”
For a moment, Riddle looked offended but he quickly regained his composure while correcting, “They cut a thread that was a sliver of power borrowed from me, not the real thing… but yes, their skills are exceptional. Given that I taught them only control, they still somehow managed to turn that into a weapon.”
That got Leona to peek an eye open in interest. Not the power part, no. The rumors said all sorts of crazy things, like how the human cut the Pyro Archon’s thread at full power and other similar stories. Which was obviously false. That wasn’t what caught his ear. What garnered his attention was the way Riddle Rosehearts spoke it. Like at the end, there was a mix of admiration, betrayal, worry, and longing. That couldn’t be right… the pyro elemental, the God of Law, King of Heartslabyul, feeling sentimental over a human who he accused of bringing about chaos to his kingdom?
Whether Greater Lord Kingscholar noticed it or not, he did not mention it. The Sovereign only nodded in understanding, “That’s still a noteworthy accomplishment. From my understanding, there’s no mortal or deity alive that has managed that.” When his gaze drifted over to his brother, Lesser Lord Kingscholar could feel Falena’s stare and sense his widening smile before a single word even slipped past his lips. “Leona, do you know anything about this human or their entity friend?”
“No.” He lied. They needn’t know he met (Y/n) and Grim recently. Both human and entity were puzzling creatures, but the human seemed even more intriguing. There was not much he knew about them, and it was starting to infuriate him. “It’s just an entity and a human, so who cares?” Although he kept his eyes closed and appeared outwardly indifferent to the topic, his words held more importance than he would ever let these two deities know. It was just an entity and a human, so why couldn’t he feel as he normally does towards beings like them and just not care?
When Riddle placed his palms against the table between them a bit more firmly, not slamming his hands down but creating enough noise to capture the lion’s attention, the Pyro Archon stood from his seat and glared across the space at Leona. Never would the King of Heartslabyul ever knowingly act in a way that would show even the slightest disrespect towards the Sovereign of Savanaclaw, but Leona wasn’t the sovereign. “You have your visions, yes? Well, God of Intellect, I have a query for you—”
“Where are (Y/n) and Grim?” Leona did not open his eyes again, they remained closed, but he could sense all. He knew the exact wording of Riddle’s question, he knew that the King would become aggravated, and he knew that the Sovereign would no doubt step in to mediate the situation. These weren’t just hunches, these were facts only he was privy to thanks to his brief visions. The God of Intellect only offered in response a great big yawn, which earned a frown from Falena and only served to tick off Riddle further, but he didn’t particularly care for either of their feelings. “The answer… must have slipped my mind.” He would never admit to these gods that he could not see (Y/n) or Grim in his visions at all, when such a thing had not occurred even a single time throughout his long life.
Before Riddle could burst a blood vessel, Falena interjected this time, speaking calmly in a tone that sounded like a reprimand to both younger deities. “Leona, do not aggravate our guest. Riddle, my brother’s abilities do not work so easily. He can only see a set amount of time ahead from where he currently is. There’s no way for him to direct his visions toward a target any distance away to tell their future. So unfortunately, you won’t be receiving the answers you seek from the God of Intellect.”
The God of Intellect resisted the urge to snarl when the God of Strength revealed his abilities so flippantly. That was always like Falena, too trusting and quick to let information slip. Well, it’s annoying, but it’s not like Lesser Lord Kingscholar's visions are a complete secret to begin with.
“Of course… my apologies for my outburst. I meant no disrespect.” Riddle managed a nod of his head as he sat back down. Even with his eyes closed, Leona could sense the tremble of his fingers and the heat radiating from him. What exactly did that human do to get the infamous King of Heartslabyul all worked up over them? It was clear that the Pyro Archon did not have an execution in mind for them, or he would have already mentioned it. No, this was an emotion from Riddle Rosehearts that was far worse than wrath.
Leona Kingscholar sighed, finally getting up and casually walking out of the meeting. Under his breath, he muttered, “What a waste of time.” The God of Intellect ignored any words said by the two deities as he took his leave, and reflected on what he learned. The God of Law’s meeting with the God of Strength could actually be used to his advantage. Riddle would leave soon enough, and he won’t be much of an obstacle once the plan went into motion.
As for (Y/n) and Grim, well, there was still plenty left to learn about them.
_______________
Heartslabyul hadn’t seen a day of peace in weeks now.
When (Y/n) was here, it was the calm before the storm. The human from another world accompanied by a troublesome little entity, were enough to keep the King occupied for days on end. Trey had never seen the Pyro Archon take such a shine to any mortal like that. It had never happened in the past, even when Rosehearts was so entirely devoted to upholding the laws as his first worshippers desired. That unwavering devotion Riddle held toward upholding the rules, felt like the same type of devotion the King had for his loyalest subject.
And the King’s Regent understood it.
There was no way others would comprehend it. The pyro elemental and elf differed in their chosen methods, but the elf understood how his pyro elemental friend felt. The King of Heartslabyul would set worlds ablaze and burn down anyone in his path to recover the rebel that ignited such a deadly flame. While the King strived to guide (Y/n) on the path of righteousness and correct the error of their ways, the Marquis desired nothing more but to protect the lost human from this magical world that was just so new and confusing to them. He remembered the first time he stepped out of the serene Cradle of Fables. It must have been like that for (Y/n), but this was another world entirely and there was no way home the human had found. They were alone. Well, (Y/n) had Grim, and there was a chance the lawbreaking duo that must have escaped the carnage within the Furnace would find their way back towards (Y/n) since those two just seemed attracted to trouble.
Trouble… that’s what this was. That’s what the otherworldly human brought, even if they did not entirely intend to.
It must be terribly frightening for them, wherever they are right now. The King’s Regent had to grip his staff tightly, resisting the urge to go out and join the search like the King and Head of Investigation had. Someone needed to hold down the fort, keep the kingdom together. What if (Y/n) and Grim returned back to an empty Fyrosian Palace because he was gone searching too?
That was a fantasy. The otherworldly human and small entity would not come back willingly, not after everything that transpired. The elf had seen how the pair constantly failed to sneak out the front gate and how they always eyed the towering fence as if estimating how much it would take to jump it. They must have come to hate the palace grounds, even for all its splendor, it was a cage to them. They had realized it, and he knew it. However, a cage was safe.
Trey Clover temporarily removed his glasses to rub at the dull ache forming at the center of his skull. There were so many documents and papers to go over, more than usual with everything that had happened. At the moment, he couldn’t focus on the work. It’s like his eyes were even messing with his mind, forming blurs without the lenses, and certain shapes which almost resembled them. That illusion was dashed as soon as he placed his glasses back on, and his vision was restored which gave way to the brutal reality: (Y/n) was not here in the Fyrosian Palace. They hadn’t been here for days.
The Fyrosian Palace was the safest place to be, and (Y/n) was not here. If they were here, they could enjoy the company of three deities and the countless others who lived and worked around the royal estate. With the passage of time, perhaps they would have decided that it was better than their homeworld. At least, that was what Trey hoped for but never dared to voice to anyone.
Out there, in this great big world, outside of the warmth of the Fyrosian Palace, was the unknown. (Y/n) and Grim were out there somewhere, and most of the other seven nations were not so friendly, especially with their respective archons. That was what worried him most: others harming them or taking advantage of them. Mortals have always been susceptible to entities. Here he was worrying all over again, precisely because he failed to protect you. If he had succeeded you would be here, and there would be nothing to fret over. However, he failed. The God of the Hearth failed to estimate the success you would have in escape, he failed to protect you from seeing everything that transpired in the Furnace, he failed and now you were lost.
Why, in all his years, was the absence of a human finally affecting him so much? He could hardly think straight! Trey Clover was an elf, he had seen generations of humans come and go. Their lives were as fleeting as fireworks in the sky, bright and brilliant but only for a moment before their light was extinguished by time. Mortals always turned to him in times of need, so he was no stranger to lending some assistance if it meant stability. Right now, he hardly felt stable when his every waking thought was consumed by—
A gentle knock came from behind the wooden door of the study, and he nearly deluded himself into believing it was (Y/n). The voice was what shattered his dream and knocked him back into reality, as one of the members of the staff cleared her throat anxiously. “Marquis Clover?”
Trey lifted his head, readjusting the glasses so they were aligned perfectly. It was his responsibility to keep it together. Forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, the elf turned his full attention to the mortal and away from the sheet at the top of the stack that required his entire attention. Past his lenses, the Marquis noticed a slight tremble in this human’s hand and a frightened look in her eye. Something was amiss. “Yes? Is something the matter?”
Members of the staff and nobles of the court tended to flock to him when there was something wrong, corrections that needed to be made before a law could be broken. It was something he was accustomed to by now, the price to pay for the stability he so craved. All he wanted to do was find (Y/n), but Trey was stuck here.
“There was an unexpected arrival…” The human, a secretary he recognized who often flittered between the Fyrosian Palace and the Monastery of the Divine Flame, anxiously peered down the hallway as if afraid of being overheard. Then she leaned forward past the doorframe, and in a hushed tone proceeded with great uncertainty, “One of the Grand Duke’s personal envoys is here.”
The King’s Regent immediately stood up, taken aback by the announcement. The Grand Duke didn’t have any scheduled meetings with Riddle, so what on earth was he up to? If it was one of the Grand Duke’s personal envoys, that meant there were two options. One of which had been banned from setting foot on Heartslabyul because of the incident at Mimsyford but that ban ended recently, and the other was more manageable but just as much of a danger if not more than the first.
Considering the timing of this unexpected visit, Trey Clover had a very bad feeling about this. “Which one?”
_______________
The desert of Banagi Badlands were no place for an otherworldly mortal. At least, this is what Cater Diamond believed. He couldn’t imagine staying out here himself, and he did not want to even picture you somewhere out in the miles of uninhabitable sand dunes and rocky terrain. This was one of the only places he didn’t have solid connections in. While unlikely the otherworldly human and small feline entity would have ended up out here, he still needed to be sure they weren’t in Fisarun Territory.
As the firefox walked through the streets of the Dwelling of the Wise, he made a mental checklist of every location he’s visited. Knights of the Gavel were on alert all over Heartslabyul and he had checked everywhere from the borders between Brackenreach Highlands and Dwala Grasslands, the mountains of Crown Ridge and Vita Falls, even going so far as to check his contacts to see if they found any sign of the Ruby Rebel. There was no word from Octavinelle, and that was for the best. It would be bad news if they got (Y/n) and Grim only to realize how valuable the pair were.
Technically, Riddle was supposed to be the only one in Savanaclaw to meet with the Sovereign in an attempt to convince them to keep an eye out and extradite the pair back should they appear here. While the King handled that, the Head of Investigation would check with the Fisarun Tribe, as he knew they tended to operate differently from the rest of Savanaclaw.
The firefox avoided the odd stares and kept a tight grip on his valuables. The last time he was here, a bultungin managed to pickpocket him right under his nose. Cater slowed his steps, not just because of the heat beating down on him, although that too was a factor, but mostly because he was abruptly hit with a scent that made him lightheaded. A familiar scent, one that he had been searching days for and it made his heart race. It was faint, but he was certain. He would recognize it anywhere. The distinct scent of them.
Cater nearly broke out into a sprint as he sniffed the air, following the faint trail where it was strongest. It led him straight to the Temple of the Wise, but he didn’t enter immediately. Not when the smell was so subtle he nearly missed it, as if they hadn’t been here in some time. Almost immediately, his green eyes honed in on a familiar figure in the temple’s yard, and he picked up on the scent that stuck to the figure. (Y/n) and Grim had been here, and they had been with him.
The bultungin was beside a board full of papers and notices, one of which stood out from the others. The entity was conversing with members of the Fisarun Tribe who appeared to be explaining something rather frantically, that is, until they spotted the firefox. This caused Ruggie to look over his shoulder as Cater approached with a friendly smile, “Please, don’t stop on my account! I promise, if it’s something I’m not supposed to hear, I won’t tell the Sovereign!”
The hyena folk exchanged uncertain glances, and the Fisarun made themselves scarce once the bultungin gave them a subtle nod to go ahead. Now alone, Ruggie turned to face Cater. Despite being in front of an entity who was not only a good few centuries older but who also held the title of deity, the bultungin didn’t falter. There was no sign of apprehension, but rather, he held a casual air as he hummed. “What’re you doin’ here? Far from your kingdom right now, aren’t you, Cater? It’s been, what? Over ten years, give or take?”
“Hmm, something like that.” The last time Cater was in Savanaclaw was a decade ago. He remembered it vividly, accompanying King Rosehearts during the presentation of the Sovereign Falena’s son Cheka. It was during that trip when Cater made a surprise visit to Banagi Badlands, for work, but also because it was difficult to get any information out of the region if you didn’t have the trust of the Fisarun. And the Fisarun hardly trusted anyone. “You know me, busy as always! I’m just doing some investigation work that led me here, that’s all. Hope you don’t mind.”
Ruggie’s ears were perked, but he appeared mostly uninterested in the topic. Their lines of work tended to clash often, given that the firefox worked to investigate and enforce the law while the bultungin tended to break it. “Investigatin' without the Sovereign knowing? Aren’t you guys all about rules?”
“Since when do you care about the rules? Much less the Sovereign’s opinion?” Once he heard that, Ruggie couldn’t help but smile and shrug unapologetically even when Cater continued. In the sunlight, the firefox felt his fingertips grow cold as he mentally estimated how many clones he could form. The brutal heat was putting him at a disadvantage, and this was Ruggie’s home turf. “Say, I have some questions for you. Why don’t we make this quick and easy, hm?”
The tension in the air was so thick that it could be cut with a knife. The bultungin was accustomed to being eyed suspiciously, but this time he may have deserved it. Then he noticed the God of Camaraderie’s hand being slowly coated over with cryo ready to form multiple clones at the ready. Raising his hands up in surrender, his ears flattened slightly. “Yikes, okay, fine! Just don’t freeze my tail off.”
It felt like he was going to be sick with jealousy. At this close proximity, Cater could make out the distinct scent of you stuck to Ruggie’s flesh. You had definitely been here, and you had spent time with the bultungin. Either too much time or too intimately, because he could smell your scent practically all over Bucchi. It made him feel nauseous.
As if sensing his thought process, Ruggie kept his hands up in that surrendering gesture, but his grin grew arrogant. “Well? You gonna stand there doin’ nothing or what? Unlike you, I actually got a lot of work to do so can we hurry this along?”
What exactly was (Y/n) doing here with him? It became increasingly difficult for Cater to keep up the dazzling smile with his pearly white teeth, when he was imagining possibilities as to what may have transpired. There wasn’t any scent of their blood, so that was a relief, but he wasn’t sure if the alternatives were any better. “Mind telling me where they are?”
“Depends who we’re talking about.” Playing dumb. Of course Ruggie wasn’t going to answer outright. This made things difficult, especially since Cater knew he possessed no real leverage here. This was Banagi Badlands where even the Lyonis and others constantly struggled to get the Fisarun to cooperate. “You’re going to have to be more specific.”
The Head of Investigation had to grit his teeth, and keep on an obviously strained smile. “Come on, you know who, I know who. They were obviously here. (Y/n) and Grim—”
“Who?" Ruggie Bucchi offered another shrug, that also almost looked like he was gesturing to himself. Like he knew that Cater had caught their scent, and Ruggie was rubbing in the fact that it was all over him and not anyone else. “Do you see them around here? Any real evidence for you to present back to your king? No, right?” That grin had transformed to a full-blown smirk but with his canines it resembled a threat. “Okay, so, what are you still doin’ here? Unlike your little subjects back home, I got no interest in your morality. Scram, shoo, get lost. You already know what we do here to trespassers, so best go on and run back to your little kingdom.”
That one anon that said that riddle scared the shitlings out of them seeing Riddle being mentioned in the newest chapter and being scared all over again 😭😭
Also i was lowkey happy Riddle was mentioned again like, i hope you never find the mc again but i love him sm 🙂↕️
- 🍓 anon
More content to come. Y'all have not seen the last of the Red Thief, Blue Brawler, Head of Investigation, King's Regent, and Pyro Archon.
The boys occasionally watch you do a normal things and a vague memory flashes by. “Hey look at this cool shiny rock over here!” Neither Ace nor Deuce could exactly describe why the red speckled rock made them uneasy, but it did. Occasionally a memory from a past loop gets tangled in the webs of dreams, providing a brief horrifying glimpse of what had occurred. For the overblotters especially, this could be horrifying. He was just getting to know you, even though your presence had felt all so familiar. Like the two of you had met in another life once— a warm comforting embrace. Why did he have that dream? That dripping inky dream filled with your screams and suffering. He wasn’t a bad person, he didn’t want to hurt you!
Riddle retreats further into his rules, if everyone obeys the rules properly then that won’t happen. If everyone works as they are supposed to, adhering to that list that stretches onwards and onwards… then surely you’ll be safe. The little magicless prefect so ignorant of this world.
Leona can’t help but imagine how rotten he is, you were so amusing. For him to have a dream like that— a dream yes, but it felt so real. Tch, he supposes that he’s been cursed to another awful destiny. He doesn’t even look at you anymore, avoids even, but you just had to be so persistent, didn’t ya? You should’ve learn by now, no effort is ever rewarded kindly.
Azul no longer just wants Ramshackled, no. In fine print on the contract you signed lies a clause binding your service to him— I mean Mostro Lounge. Here where he can control every piece, you’ll be safe! You won’t have time to tie yourself up in anymore conflict when you’re busy slaving, working away. You can even board here in Octavinelle, isn’t he so generous? So please, just don’t— don’t even think about saving them.
Jamil double, triple, even quadruple checks his plans, scrutinizing them for any flaws. Any contradictions that could possibly bite him in the rear later. Late at night when everyone had fallen to sleep, he rehearses expressions over and over again until it looks as natural as can be. Surely you understood, what it meant to be powerless and have nothing to your name? To be caught up as a pawn by figures who looked down upon you, surely you would understand why he’s doing what he’s doing.
Vil simply does what he’s always done, throwing his everything into his performance. Mind, body, soul, sanity— anything he can to shine brightly, confound whatever consequences might come. To shine so brightly that he’ll win, he couldn’t be ugly if he did win, right? Muscles cramp and shake after hours of practice, stomach groans for anything of more substance, blot accumulating all the quicker. It’s fine though, to see you cheering for him is enough. It should be enough, but it’s not.
It’s not like Idia wanted to even do this, sevens he wasn’t even given prior notification that they were going to round up all those normies and he’d be in charge of them. This game of micromanaging the students with the least amount of sanity stats was seriously driving him into overclock mode… He didn’t even have the time to process that bad rng pull of a dream before being summoned for another side task.
And Malleus? Oh he hates it. With Lilia’s time left slowly slipping through his fingers, and the realization that neither Silver or Sebek will live as long as him he’s already on edge. And then he witnesses that dream, his beloved child of man perishing before his very hands. You just need to STAY IN THE DREAM. Stay in the beautiful world he had made for you, where you can’t be hurt anymore or at all.
Might’ve gotten a little carried away with the idea here….
The concept not only allows for plenty of conflict between characters but also self-conflict, both of which you highlight here. Thinking about it, in some cases, it could even affect the characters you haven't even properly interacted with yet.
Imagine perishing late in the story, sometime toward the end of act seven, and having to start all over again when you wake up in the prologue.
First, the mere dread at having to live through everything again. You wake up knowing that if you want any chance to escape this time loop, you had to win by getting to the end of the game. Meaning you have the survive through months of the same traumatic events you had experienced numerous times, in so many various ways, which have already led to an untold amount of deaths.
Second, after accepting it and starting all over, you decide to lay low this time. Lower than before. Maybe, just maybe, you could avoid unnecessary conflicts by keeping to the background until needed. That doesn't work when characters you haven't even met during this run appear drawn to you even if you're a mere stranger to them. There's just something about you...
Ace Trappola spots you for the first time in the prologue during the entrance ceremony. It's like that every time. In every life he's been a constant, for better or for worse. In those past lives he's seen you die too many times to count, he may have even caused some of those deaths, but of course he doesn't remember them. As soon as he spotted you during the ceremony, there was a feeling deep in his heart pulling him to speak to you. Maybe you might meet him not the next morning, but sometime before then. Weird, why is he drawn to some run down old building on campus...?
Deuce Spade sees you for the first time in the prologue at the entrance ceremony too. He's not quite sure why, but seeing you standing in front of the mirror judging your soul, he hopes you get sorted into Heartslabyul. Although something tells him that it won't happen. And if it did happen, it might not end well. Wait, why's he even wanting a stranger he's never even spoken with to end up in the same dorm as him? Well, either way, it doesn't matter. Even if you don't end up with him in Heartslabyul, he has the weirdest feeling that you and him could be great friends. He hopes you share the same as him homeroom too.
Cater Diamond vaguely recognized you from the entrance ceremony, but he meets you during book one. What a cutie, he thinks, which is why he readily snaps a selfie with you and the others to make sure they aren't left out. During lunch, he plans to talk to his two troublesome Heartslabyul juniors. But since you're with them, he'll make himself look like the dependable senior and take the seat beside you (even if Ace and Deuce complain). As he's scrolling through his gallery at night, he saves the selfie as a favorite. Instinctively his thumb continues scrolling as if there were more but that's the only photo he's taken with you... Huh...
Trey Clover caught a glimpse of you at the entrance ceremony, but he meets you during book one. He's heard mention of you from Ace and Deuce, and he finds himself unusually curious. The first time you properly encounter is in the cafeteria. Trey proceeds to explain the workings of the school and dorms in careful detail, just so you're prepared. He felt sick when he began to tell you about the other dorms... Maybe he'll drop by later while Ace and Deuce stay over at Ramshackle for the night because one of them was practically exiled. He'll come by with baked goods to pay you back for letting the pair stay, but it's just an excuse to make sure everything is okay.
Riddle Rosehearts thought you were quite the rule-breaker from his first impression of you at the entrance ceremony. Why, if you were a Heartslabyul student, he would correct you and teach you the proper way forward! A small image flashed in his mind, one of him allowing you to get away with white roses and not the proper red ones. Immediately he shook away the thought, what preposterous notion! Little did he know, he had once allowed white roses to exist because you admired them but that was in another life. If it's true as Cater and Trey reported, the magicless student was providing shelter to the troublemaking Ace and Deuce, then he will drop by between classes. Afterall, the two were still under his command. As for the magicless human, well, they were just... a curious individual.
you know how Yuu gets premonitions via story in game? lowkey…. that concept w the Weird Feelings…. why did Riddle have a nightmare of Leona turning you to dust? why did Idia dream of you in an eternal sleep in a dragon’s tower? ect ect ect do u feel me
I would have to say that the premonitions would be limited to the characters and not to MC.
Personally, I feel that if MC had those premonitions, it wouldn't make it as fun since it would be more like a guessing game, if you get what I mean. I feel that it would be a lot more frightening in the perspective of the MC if they remembered their past lives. At least, until they've had so many attempts that they're starting to blend in with the nightmares of possible endings and paranoid thoughts on the what-if scenarios.
So only the characters would get that weird sense of deja-vu or, as you said, premonitions. It's not like a certainty to them, it's more like a dark thought they assume came out of nowhere but in actuality it happened once before, they just don't remember.
Hi! I've been really wanting to write a series related to your 'we just got a letter' series, I love your imposter au! I didn't want to take inspiration without asking, also this is @includingyuu (sorry! its a sideblog lol)
I admire your writing so much! I had a huge writing blog when I was younger but with school, things sort of fell apart. Your writing makes me want to get good again! thank you!
Sure, go for it! Thank you for asking, I appreciate it. I hope that you have fun with it!
Call me crazy, but I lowkey miss your yandere Peter Pan fic and wanna re-read it. Know it’s never gonna happen tho…💔
Yeah, that story is absolutely dead and buried, anon. Entertaining the notion, I decided to go digging through my drafts to see if it exists somewhere there. Because I still do have copies of some of my long deleted stories, but that story was not among the ones I saved. To be honest, I don't even remember what it was called but that one was nuked out of existence.
Among searching for it, as I said, I found a few copies of other works I deleted years ago along with projects that never really took off. My motivation for Empyrean is a little low at the current moment, so I've been trying to see if I can write for anything else which includes unpublished projects. Will they ever be posted publicly? Eh, who knows?
Funnily enough, the three OC stories I've written for recently all follow the same trope of: large scary not-human yandere who has committed possible war crimes and ruined the MC's life while being obsessed with a plucky MC who wants to off the yandere. Perhaps I am unoriginal.
Tbh with you, i discovered your fanfics through your yandere male cruella x reader as well as the corpse groom since corpse bride and haunted masnion were my fav fils as a kid and really enjoyed reading it at the time (I was also getting into Twisted Wonderland at the same time) and didn't even know the damnation quiz was also by the same author haha. But yeah, I've been recently catching up to your recent fanfic; the empyrean au since i was a former genshin fan, but stopped playing. Such nostalgic reads 📚
Not a question, but a comment to let you how your work is immaculate and inspiring 🌟
I'm always flattered and amazed by the fact that some of y'all have seen my old cringe stuff and still decide to take an interest in what I make. Please, continue allowing me the chance to show that I've improved. I swear I can make actually decent content now.
Anyways, in all seriousness, thank you, anon. I always appreciate a kind message ✨.
hello! i have two questions kinda cuz i was looking earlier and did not find it but what's the "shiny method" for gacha pulling? also what do you think about deuce spade's new birthday card? both the groovy and non groovy?
im lowk asking for the method deets cuz i'm gonna pull for him even tho i just started really recently with only like 42~ pulls
Sorry for the late response, anon. Basically, the "shiny method" is more like a joke/ritual I do before wishing for characters I want, and it's worked most of the time.
I've only done it for TWST but it works like this: let's say I'm wishing for Ace. While I have the TWST app open on my phone and ready to wish, I'll have another device open and playing whatever songs Ace may be in. Then I wish as the song is playing. I did this for Ruggie, Epel, and Jamil. Each of those times it worked. It's just a fun thing to do.
As for Deuce's new birthday card... which one? New on the English server or Japanese server? If we're talking about the sleepwear, I think it's cute as hell. If we're talking about the bonbonniere one... to be honest, I kinda hate the whole series so sorry Deuce. I just don't think any of those bonbonniere cards are particularly good on any characters.
I like to imagine that the MC is not actually a different person but that they decided to work on growing their confidence. Like after all the BS with Riddle, they were like, "Well, that went really badly. This time I'm going to try asserting myself, and hopefully nothing will blow up." Everything is still going to blow up, but they're trying their best.
(Also your writing is incredible. I binge read the whole thing this past week whenever I had work breaks, and now it's all I can think about)
Oh? Interesting take, anon. Also, thank you! That's a lot to binge read, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Hi 🪼anon here, thanks for clearing up the misunderstanding lol, sorry for the confusion Shiny and 🦑anon. I’m glad everything could be resolved.
On to the more fun stuff, Falena is definitely considering throw us back into Heartslabyul.
1) To maintain country relations.
2) I’m pretty sure Riddle twisted some of the Mc’s actions into his favour.
I’m assuming Falena just wants to give us a chance on whether or not we are actually what Riddle claims we are. Since even though we don’t know much about him, I don’t think he is THAT brutal to just throw us to the foxes immediately. But it’s also hard to say considering how it’s clear he’s willing to give up on certain citizens to appease the masses in a way. (Cough cough, the hyenas)
So I think when we meet Falena and are likely in the process of being shipped or smth. Either Leona or Jack steps in to help us. Alternatively though they could also step in earlier when we’re talking to Falena, Jack because of his sense of justice(I highly doubt he’d say much though, mostly just that one pikachu face since he is just a guard captain.) or Leona so that we can be used for some part of his plan, I’m not saying that Leona dosent care about people getting wrongly accused by he feels more calculating in my opinion so I don’t think he’d straight up just excuse us entirely publicly.
Tbf, we could also potentially break ourselves out and become a fugitive with or without their help depending on how strong we are. (Wouldn’t be the first or last time the traveler becomes one.)
I’m assuming at the very least that smth bad happens to Falena because whilst Leona does canonly care for his family, this version of Leona seems to be more willing to take action for his people(Ex: Giving the Hyena folk a way to defend themselves.) So I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s planning to weaken Falena in some way so he step in. This is all I have for now, I just wanted to share some pretty basic theories lmao.
-🪼anon
It's no issue, anon. Thank you for coming by again!
So I don't like to give too much away, but I do like to try and respond to these long theory messages in some way, shape, or form. I will confirm: readers will get to see Falena. Nothing more on that.
Also! I do want to reiterate something I've mentioned in a separate ask, and something that is only subtly implied. The MCs are not much of a fighter. This second act's MC is plucky and is willing to throw down in a normal magic-less simple fight, but none of the MCs are meant to be these crazy fighters. They're from modern worlds where fighting skills are not exactly necessary, hence why a lot of the times the MC will have to depend more on their wits. Just thought I would throw that out there again.
Anyways, you present some interesting theories, anon! We're getting to the point of the act's climax soon, and I'm very eager to share it with you all.
I hope for you to do more for Empyrean!Riddle after act 1
I'd munch on many headcanons and drabbles of him
I'm always willing to write extra scenes for the series (as I have before), and that's for any character! Of course, I just need inspiration, time, and motivation to do so.
On Day 21 in the Month of Tourmaline, Year 7000, the youngest prince of the Kingscholars was attacked.
Prince Cheka Kingscholar had requested his caretakers escort him to towns and villages in the north. An elite team of Guards of Haven accompanied him, but it is no small task to guard a young royal entity. Especially Prince Cheka, son of Sovereign Falena Kingscholar, who is notorious for causing destructive accidents in the city and somehow slips past the most vigilant of guards.
Ahadi’s Maws, birthplace of the Kingscholar brothers and other great deities before them, is supposedly where the young prince intended to go. Every citizen of Savanaclaw knows the dangers of Ahadi’s Maws, but to those who do not know, Ahadi’s Maws is a chasm rich in resources but also home to wild entities that lurk in its untold depths. It remains operational as a mine but only at certain depths, anything beyond that is uncharted territory with caves and passages that stretch for miles upon miles in different directions.
These underground passages are most likely how the prince ended up in Fisarun territory, within Banagi Badlands, upon getting lost and digging his way to the surface for a way out. Reportedly, this led him straight to a camp where a faction of the Baasho Band resided. The Fisarun who spotted him attacked, but when Greater Lord Kingscholar arrived, the hyena-folk claimed to not have known that the entity they were chasing was the crown prince. A majority of the Fisarun involved were gravely injured by the strength of the Sovereign, while Prince Cheka was unharmed and returned promptly to Pridehaven.
I'm so so glad to find out I'm not the only reader who got creeped the hell out when Riddle arrived in the Furnace. When I read he followed Rebel!MC into the hole, I GENUINELY had to stop using my phone and mull over that part in my head over and over again just thinking how it happened and what could possibly happen after. In fact, I think I got even more goosebumps than the MC themself when Riddle was mentioned in the recent chapter?! I was just anticipating the moment Jack would give me relief and say we weren't being hunted down by the guards
Anywho, absolutely love your work as always! I cannot wait for the next chapter and Act 3!!
- Orca Anon
So, I got a few asks mentioning that fear or discomfort of Empyrean Riddle and to that I say... GOOD. I'm glad. That means my writing was effective. Yapping a bit more about this (about Riddle and Leona), talking a tiny bit about act three, and adding some more character concept art at the end.
Actually, I had a whole self-monologue with myself, because I tend to create voice notes for my own use when I need to voice my thoughts aloud or just make reminders. The topic of a very recent one was my concern over how the major characters will be viewed or interpreted. Part of which was comparing the major differences and some similarities between Riddle and Leona.
In that same voice note, I admit to myself that I am concerned with how Leona will be interpreted and if act two overall will be as good as act one. However, I recall having this same exact fear when it came to Damnation. At the time of posting those first Damnation results, after seeing how readers appeared to adore the Heartslabyul result, I worried a lot that Savanaclaw's result would never live up to it. While I do think Heartslabyul is the fan favorite of Damnation by far, Savanaclaw was still very well received and I was quite proud of it in the end. So I'm hoping that happens here with Empyrean, where it's just the case of me being too anxious.
That is to say, in a way, I hope Leona causes you all just as much grief as Riddle does, if not more. Here is something I will admit that I don't believe I've stated before...
There are about four or five characters I've written for so far in Empyrean that have made me viscerally react, either because I was rereading a part and got worked up or because I was actually writing a scene and got worked up (by worked up, I mean annoyed or irritated sometimes to the point of having to take breaks). Riddle was not on that list. Leona is, without a shadow of a doubt, on the top of that list for characters that made me get worked up in the story I wrote. I reread act two and he STILL bothers me. Use with that info what you will.
In a separate voice note, I was pondering why act three was my favorite so far and I believe I finally reached a conclusion. It is because act three feels like a culmination of the previous two acts, and takes the stakes a bit to the next level. At least, this is my current running theory. I wish I could go more into depth, but unfortunately, I cannot without getting into spoiler territory. So that will have to wait.
Anyways, concept art! So, since Jack Howl was formally introduced in the latest chapter, I can share what he looks like! Leona and Ruggie have had their concept arts shared, now it's Jack's turn.
Jack's first concept art was created in October 2025, I believe. But I drew it in a mostly dark room, so it's not the best. That's why I recently redrew some concept art for him yesterday, same design, this time in a setting with lights so it would actually be a doodle I believed looked at least decent enough to share.
Anyways, that's all! Remember, I write, I don't draw. So sorry if it's wonky. It's not my specialty.
All the remains have been collected. It will take much longer to identify them. His Majesty was gracious enough to leave the Furnace stable. We moved quickly to investigate and recover what we could before the pocket of space will be completely destroyed upon His Majesty’s return.
Our teams are working day and night, rest assured. It is very gracious of His Majesty to allow the identifications to be made, however, due to the intense heat of his divine flames, I fear that a majority of those executed will be difficult to distinguish from one another. In the wreckage, we discovered evidence of some bones reduced to ash. Meaning the true number of executed lawbreakers may never be known unless one of the escapees is caught and interrogated. However, we estimate that the number is in the hundreds. This level of fiery destruction hasn’t been seen since the Day of Raining Hell, and even back then there were countless more casualties and more never to be found again.
They are starting to refer to it now as The Burning of the Furnace. I must warn His Majesty and his advisers, that news is spreading as rapidly as wildfire. This is not the type of event that can be covered up. I am certain that word has already spread past the stone walls of Chesswick, and soon past our borders. They will not understand, but we do. We await our next command, and will continue to send daily reports.
Do you think you’ll ever write a oneshot based on your TWST time loop idea?
Perhaps. Although, if I ever did, it would have to be a series. A oneshot would not be long enough for what I have in mind. But because I have so many current projects I'm working on, I'm not exactly eager to start another.
However, I did come up with a possible title for the idea. I was thinking something like: Time and Time Again. Thoughts?
