Empyrean

Act II: Solstice

ACT II: Solstice

"When a flicker of past lives ignites, intertwined souls eclipse the night."

Asteria stumbles through the wreckage, her breathing ragged and uneven. The weight of the silence presses down on her, broken only by the distant roars and crashes of the ongoing battle.

"Xavier," she whispers, her voice trembling. She wipes the grime and tears from her face, her vision clearing just enough to see the devastation around her. The building's collapse has created an impassable barrier, separating her from Xavier and the heart of the conflict.

She clutches her guns tighter, her knuckles white with the intensity of her grip. He had pushed her away, sacrificed their proximity to face the Luminivores and the Tezcatlipoca alone. Anger and fear warred within her. How could he think he has to do this alone?

Xavier's light has faded from sight, but she knows she has to find him. Her steps quicken, guided by a fierce determination. As she navigates the debris, she replays his words in her mind, the realization hitting her like a physical blow. Xavier is Lumiere, her masked savior from that moonlit night all those years ago. His words have unlocked memories she didn't even know she had, and now, more than ever, she needs to save him.

"I won't let the shadows touch you," she mutters to herself, the phrase giving her strength. If he has always been her light, she would be his now.

The roar of another collapse echoes nearby, and she knows she is getting closer. The full moon illuminates the path ahead, and the shadows dance with menace. She could see the silhouette of the Tezcatlipoca, the towering creature surrounded by the remaining Luminivores.

Asteria's eyes scan the battlefield ahead, and amidst the chaos, she spots a familiar figure. Xavier is there, his lightblade flickering weakly as he fights off the relentless attackers. She raises her guns, determination fueling her aim. She fires at the Luminivores, her bullets cutting through the air with deadly precision.

As she fights her way to him, several attacks manage to tear at her defense, inflicting cuts and injuries that make her grit her teeth in excruciating pain. But she pushes through, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and hope.

"Thank the stars," she whispers fiercely, rushing to his side and unleashing a barrage of gunfire to cover him. In the brief respite, she helps him stand up, his Hunter uniform torn and bloodied from the fight. "Let's end this," she tells him and they stand back to back, facing the onslaught bravely.

Xavier, his lightblade flickering weakly, nods. "Together."

The air is thick with the stench of burning and decay. Their breaths come in ragged gasps, both of them bloodied and exhausted. Asteria's hands tremble as she reloads her guns, the weight of fatigue pulling at her every movement.

"We can't keep this up," she pants, her eyes darting around, trying to find any opening in the relentless tide of enemies.

Xavier's lightblade flickers weakly in his hand. "Asteria, there's something I need to do," he says, his voice strained and barely above a whisper. "But it will drain me completely."

She spins to face him, her eyes wide with desperation. "No, Xavier. There has to be another way. Use my Evol. We can combine our Evols and obliterate them."

He shakes his head, his expression resolute. "If I use your Evol, it will drain you as well. I can't let that happen."

Asteria grabs his arm, her grip fierce despite her exhaustion. "I don't care about the consequences. We do this together, or not at all."