\\ DUSK\\ Fantasy AU \ ATEEZ Fanfic

// Chapter 43 \\

The lovely, elegant, Aurora of mystery who was said to have been captured by Takers was one herself. That was because she had deceived the High Monarch of Dawn Court for the Code of the Chroniki. It was to lure out Seonghwa because it was known he was a Crescent wielder: the Imaginer, controller of the Dream Realm. The Code set forth that I would ambush him and take his powers, then the Chroniki would take Dawn Court. However, nothing went according to plan at Malli and it was all because of Aurora.

I knew she did it for more than the Code— seducing the High Monarch. She wanted to prove herself and be a better deceptor than me. Her deception worked too well, but I doubt her actions got her far with the Chroniki. Aurora wasn't even her true name. Gardenia Hala was the younger twin who had always lived in my shadow and desperately wanted what I had. It was a fierce competition between us of who was the better vessel to wield the Crescent and I was leagues ahead of her. I was already chosen to take the Crescent powers, but that didn't stop Gardenia in her endeavors.

"Gardenia." I spoke my sister's name as I eyed her warily. It had been more than a year since I've faced her and I had no doubt of what she set out to do here.

Gardenia slightly narrowed her eyes, the smile leaving her face and replaced with a cold expression. The chocolate brown of her eyes became a burning hot pink, "I see you've been well frolicking in the broken world like a fool."

Her words sent a guilted twist through my gut, but my words hurt me more. I cooly spoke, "The broken world has gotten me where I am with the Code."

Her nostrils flared, "It did, didn't it?" She walked slowly towards me then, stopping a couple paces away. She smiled, "It's gotten me where I am too."

I couldn't even blink as she thrusted the gold-pointed black spear towards me with a cry. Gardenia had an unmatchable speed out of many Takers, but so did I. I quickly ducked and sent out my leg towards her feet in an attempt to trip her, but she'd already jumped, a backflip that arched over me. She thrusted her spear out once more before she landed but I quickly formed a white and silver sword in my hand and deflected the metal with a clang. I quickly took the chance to get to my feet, just as she did.

Gardenia chuckled. "That glass made you rusty." She delightfully commented, gritting her teeth as she thrusted the spear that collided with my sword once more. "It made you soft."

I danced backwards, trying to give some distance, but I heard a crack. I looked down to where I heard the noise, only to find multiple cracks etched along my blade, before it shattered entirely, the magic immediately disappearing into thin air.

My eyes widened as I looked back at Gardenia who was smirking, twirling the spear in her hand. I noted its golden point once more. The spear wasn't magically made. It was a physical weapon. Just like the bow, they were physical weapons of the Chroniki.

The black metal called craytier, a material that was the husk of what it had once been in Chronos, except for the golden bits salvaged by the Courts of the broken world. The husk of the metal could cut through anything except for the one thing the full golden form of it could. The gold could slash through the strings and fabric of creation. Any weapon I formed with my magic wouldn't stand a chance.