Shadow of the Abyss

Outside her door to her barracks, frozen in place with a heavy heart, Aurora stood wearing a downcast expression.

"What's wrong?" Talia said from behind, peeping her head over her shoulders.

"... I'm dead." She finally whispered as the meaning sank in. The thought still mystified her as her fingers now began to tremble. "This is my afterlife."

"Or your second life," Talia uttered with a soft grin. "It is for me, Kirr and Jorm, whose lives were considered disposable. Ready to be tossed aside by people we shared blood with." She patted her on the shoulder, shaking her head. " And it's not like you're truly dead. You can still eat, talk, spit, pee, poo, and best thing ever, no more periods."

"Seriously?"

Talia happily nodded. "Yep. We aren't humans anymore, so menstrual issues just up and vanished. Although, it is pretty fun to tease Master about it. Since he lived our lives, he always ends up blushing when we bring it up. He said after the first cramp, he ended up skipping that part of my memory."

Aurora giggled. " Men…" She expressed smiling, gaining a bit more confidence. She opened the door to a few girls in deep discussion.

"Gods, I swear the higher-ups are insane. They're moving a literal island for this sponsorship tournament. It should be here by today." Throa said, "I wish I had that kind of money."

"Girl~ If I had that kind of money, I'd be so fat, they'd have to roll me around." Cina, a blue-haired girl, muttered, flopping onto the bed.

"I've no idea how these rich bitches stay so skinny. It must be nanofibers or enhancements."

"I know, right?" Throa whispered, pursing her lips. "What I would give to have the bodies like those bitches from Battlefield."

"You seriously watch that boring ass sport? I see enough guys trying to kill each other every day. I— Ah! Aurora, your back! You saw Vadi, didn't you? Hehe, how was he?

Did you cum this time around?"

"We keep telling you foreplay is—

Feeling Talia's smirk burrowing through the back of her head, Aurora's expression burned. " Guys! This is Talia." She hurriedly said. "Talia, the girl with pink hair, is Throa, and the blue-haired one's Cina."

"Hello, I'm Talia." The Fallen Shadow kindly greeted, with an acute sense of mystery in her smoldering yellow eyes.

"Tsk… pretty girls always find themselves," Cina said. "We don't have enough space for another pretty bitch! We're full up!"

Talia only grinned. She'd heard no actually ill intent. Not like when she was truly hideous.

"Talia is here to help me collect my stuff," Aurora said. " I'm going to transfer—"

"A-A-Aroura… you're ok?"

A shudder passed through the newly made shadow as she heard his voice, squeezing her heart. Aurora turned to the disheveled boy.

"You're okay. You're really okay!" Vadi cried and whimpered in a breath of relief, charging, ready to fall into her embrace.

"Barrior," Aurora chanted, swiping her finger through the air, conjuring the rune she needed. Suddenly, the mana fluttered, and from nothing came a hexagonal domain that repealed Vadi's advancement.

"Aurora," Vadi cried, clutching his bleeding nose as the force pushed him back an entire meter.

"I'm sending my father the necessary documents to null our contract. Luckily, you were a fiancee." Aurora said, glancing at Talia, who nodded with a bright smile. She left towards her bunk, which was easy to spot with a picture of Vadi and Aurora at a theme park beside her pillow.

"Y-Y-You can't do that!" Vadi squealed as he tried to make himself seem big.

"You tried to sell me. To have me be toyed with by someone." Aurora said calmly, betrayed by the trembling of her shoulders. "We are done. Done. I'll be transferring departs, so we'll never have to meet."

"No… NO!" Vadi cried, banging his fist over the barrier until his knuckles bled. "No, you can't! I—"

Unwilling to hear more, Aurora's fingers spun into the rune of force as she pointed, shooting an invisible beam from her fingertips.

Magic Missile

Propelled through the air by the powerful eruption of force that tore open his rib cage, Vadi crashed into the wall. And soon, he was still as the dead.

"Let's go!" Talia said. " I got everything."

"Go~bad~bitch~go" Cina sang.

***

"Pineapple! Woman, are you mad!" Altair howled.

Matching his energy, Ren adamantly nodded. " Pineapple on pizza works!"

"The hell it does! That's the nastiest shit ever! Kirr, what do you think?"

"Me?" The man-child pointed to himself, grinning. "I like pineapples. And I also like pizza."

"Traitor!" the Prince pointed.

"I'd actually agree with Master on this one. The two don't mix." Jorm joined. "Although… You two can just get the toppings split…"

Realizing that was an option, Altair froze. "Hmmm. I forgot about that…"

"And it's bad for your health to eat pizza in the mornings, my Master. That much carbs might ruin your appetite for lunch."

Altair rolled his eyes. "Ruin my appetite. "He sneered. "Please. That's just another way of saying I'll get full. I can eat an entire cow.

And still have space for a pizza or pancakes."

"Ooohhh! Let's try pancakes!" Ren jumped up. "I've never got to try it. Jorm, you said it was sweet, right? Art, let's try pancakes! We got so much money from Leonie, so let's pig out!"

A little excited, Altair took Ren by the arm and stormed out in a hurry, leaving behind Kirr and Jorm. The two exchanged glances, smiling before fading into dark nodes and returning to their Prince's shadow.

By the time Altair had made it to the commissary blistering with off-duty soldiers, Ren had already polymorphed as he ran towards 'Daybreak,' One of the few breakfast dinners available, and blistering with people so much so that Altair saw a large line of people gathered around the receptionist.

'Noo~" Ren moaned, on top of her Prince's head, pawing at his brows. "Art! Art, we've been betrayed." she cried out when her nose suddenly perked, and her eyes flashed. She leaped off of Altair's head, darting through the crowd to a masked maiden suddenly in a booth alone. "Teach!"

"What fresh hell is this?" Iliana muttered. When she noticed Altair slide into the booth across from her, alongside Ren. "You two…"

"Ah~Master!" Altair shamelessly greeted. "How have you been?" He singled out one of the waiters, who immediately noticed his charming physique. "Everything, please. Yes. Everything. We'll pay in advance if that's an issue.

" And he turned back to Iliana. "How've you been."

"You… Shameless." Iliana muttered, lowering her fork over her omelet. "Aren't you supposed to be training or something?"

"One last meal." Ren cheered. "So what's up, Teach? What do you have in store for us today?"

'... Curse you, Tenebrae…' Iliana thought but said. "Mana training… Alongside a few spells since it's important to learn how they all work. Even if it's the basics, so I'll teach you two Abyssal and give you a few spells."

"What about a technique to increase my physical prowess." The Prince inquired.

The Abyssal smirked beneath her mask. "Is that what you are after? Well, I could create one for you. But you need to impress me." she said, tapping her fingers against the desk. "I want you to challenge me to a fight after a few months of training. If you manage to make me smile, I'll give you what you want."

That made the prince frown. " That hardly seems fair."

"You needn't worry. I'll match your attributes." Iliana promised, enjoying the glow of confidence filling her disciple's eye. She smirked and turned to Ren. "Why are you still a pup? I already registered your name a day and a half ago."

Ren glanced at Altair, whose shadow seemed to carry a cold edge.

"I—"

"Ensign, " Came a chilling voice.

Altair lifted his gaze towards the stranger to a stunning woman with pink hair and red eyes. She was somewhat short, with a blood-red and black great axe strapped on her back, bearing the commander insignia on her chest.

"Yes?" Altair calmly inquired.

"Commander Hilda Strob," The woman greeted with a fiery gleam in her eyes. Behind her stood three officers, watching with faint smiles, waiting for him to rise and salute as so many others did. But the salute never came.

Hilda's lips tugged downwards, and she glanced at the masked woman, bearing a regal aura. One that made her tense.

"Do you not know about the chain of command?" Hilda said to Altair, frowning.

"Quite. But I've been instructed to have as little interaction with you as possible. " Altair lied, glancing her way as if to measure her reaction. One that didn't disappoint.

Hilda's jaw tensed, and her brow creased ever so slightly with anger. "And who gave you such a command?"

"I did." Iliana calmly said. "Now, if you'll be so kind as to leave my disciple alone. We were in the midst of a conversation."

"Master…" Altair began, but Iliana merely slid her gaze to him, silencing him.

"And who might you be?" One of the officers to Hilda's rear barked, turning the restaurant to silence ruining the ambiance.

"Art… the food," Ren muttered, with priorities somewhat off track.

"She is the newest commander and my Master." Altair introduced, wondering what she had planned. And why he sensed misfortune whispering his name on the horizon. He grew guarded.

"Ah, Iliana…" Hilda hissed, recalling her name being mentioned in passing. But she heard Fat Mike wasn't too happy about it. "A no-name officer that came out of nowhere. Where are you even from, and why are you wearing that mask?"

"I don't believe I owe you a response, do I? Now. I'm eating, so if you don't have business, leave."

"I do have business." Hilda fired back, snapping her eyes to Altair. "Did you kill Jor?"

"Who?"

The silence became whispers. Everyone had all but heard of the assassination of Jor Silman. It was the talk of the base since it happened nearly three days ago.

"The Junior Lieutenant who attacked you—"

"That's funny… especially since the reports have your name as the prime suspect. I'm sure Inspector Lue will—

Erupting in a combative presence, Hilda glared down at Altair with a look that could kill.

'Another mindless one… how boring.... though something feels off.,' the Prince thought, unimpressed by her presence that felt like a gentle breeze. He sighed and said. " Woman… fuck off. Get yourself laid or something. And leave me alone."

Onlookers who appeared stiff from Hilda's presence gasped, petrified, sensing her mana begin to leak. Slowly, the restaurant began to empty itself out.

"I wonder if that'll get our food faster,' Ren prayed in a whisper that caught everyone's ears.

"That'll be enough, " Iliana said with a chuckle. She slid her glance to Hilda. "If you've got an issue with Altair. Challenge him."

"Eh?" Altair snapped his gaze at her, feeling his eyes widen.

But Hilda all but sneered. "Me… a Sixth Circle challenge, a First Circle boy barely twelve?"

"Then send out a representative. But Altair is accepting all challenges. And if he loses… Well. you can have him." Iliana said, with smiling eyes. "I'm sure he'll make a good pet."

"I will do no such thing." Altair said, sneering. " not without a proper payment. Ten sols per battle, with a times ten multiplier per circle.

"..."

[Divine Being, 'She Who Hunts' roars with laughter.]

[Divine Sin, 'Archeon' commends your bravery.]

[Divine being, Piercing Owl' ponders who's shameless enough to challenge a twelve-year-old.]

[Divine Being, 'Titan Falls,' believes you are opening yourself up for conflict.]

"Ren is never gonna eat, is she?"