The journey through Ashburn Forest began in silence.
The trees towered like giants overhead, their trunks wide as boulders, roots twisting and sprawling beneath every step. The forest canopy filtered the sunlight into shifting patches of gold and shadow, giving the path ahead a haunting glow.
The Catalysts walked in the center—boxed in tightly by Commander Keith's soldiers. The Obsidian Fang formation was precise, defensive… and nervous. None of them dared lower their weapons completely. They had encircled the group, fingers near triggers, steps calculated. The fear in their eyes was sharp, but so was the discipline that kept them from showing it.
They didn't trust the Catalysts.
And honestly, the Catalysts didn't trust them either.
Leading the march was Commander Keith, his cloak billowing with every long step. His frame towered above the rest, back straight, one hand resting casually on the hilt of his claymore.
It was Jahanox who finally broke the silence.
"So…" he said, hands behind his head, gaze lazily resting on the scarred commander. "Who exactly are you people? And why did you attack us like we were wild beasts?"
Commander Keith didn't slow down. He turned his head just slightly—just enough to look into Jahanox's eyes.
"You really don't know?"
Minos clicked his tongue, stepping forward. "That's what we've been saying this whole damn time. We don't know any of your crap."
Jahanox extended an arm, hand gently resting on Minos's shoulder.
"Calm," he said, his tone lighter now. "Let's not bite before they do."
Keith kept his gaze forward. "I'll answer your questions," he said. "But you'll answer mine too."
Ai, walking beside them, crossed her arms. "That was the deal. We're not breaking it."
Keith let out a breath. "You say you don't know who we are. That's… the strangest part of all this."
Ai's brow furrowed. "What do you mean by that?"
Without replying at first, Keith reached for his cloak and pulled it back.
Beneath the folds of black fabric was a striking symbol etched into a half cape on his back: a gleaming obsidian fang piercing through a swirling galaxy of stars, done in sharp silver lines with flecks of maroon. A brutal insignia—but one crafted with eerie beauty.
Miwa, ever curious, leaned forward as she walked. "Whoa… That's a real cool insignia. Who made it?"
Jennie, walking slightly behind her, leaned in to take a closer look too, her eyes lighting up.
"Is that… an obsidian fang piercing a galaxy?" she asked softly, already picturing the strokes in her mind, her artist's curiosity awakening.
For the first time, Keith's expression softened.
"Good eyes," he said. "Sharp."
Jennie waved a hand sheepishly. "Ah—it's nothing. I just like drawing and painting, that's all."
Keith nodded, then turned his head slightly, his voice lowering into something colder.
"So as I was saying… there's no way anyone wouldn't recognize this insignia."
His boots crunched against dry leaves as he walked ahead again.
His tone grew sharper. "So I'll ask one more time. Who are you people—really?"
Jahanox was about to open his mouth when a new voice cut through the air.
"We aren't from this universe."
It was Zazm.
His voice, like always, was cold. Flat. A statement—not an explanation.
Everyone turned to look at him.
Ai's eyes widened, and she immediately stepped closer, pulling at his elbow as they walked.
"Have you lost your mind?" she whispered urgently. "You're seriously telling him that?"
Zazm didn't answer.
His eyes stayed on Keith's back.
"He already knows," Zazm said, just loud enough for her to hear. "There's no point in pretending."
Ai followed his gaze… and realized what he meant.
Keith hadn't reacted at all. Not with shock. Not with confusion.
He had already suspected.
The silence that followed made even the Obsidian Fang soldiers glance around nervously.
Keith finally responded, still not looking back. "Outer universe, huh…"
He gave a short grunt. "So that's how it is."
Zazm's reply was a single nod. No words. No explanation.
Minos frowned. "You're really not shocked by that?"
Keith finally turned to glance over his shoulder. "Not as much as you think."
His voice was composed. Unreadable. But there was something behind his eyes—like he'd seen stranger things.
"If you're not from this universe," he said, "how is it you possess these abilities? These… powers?"
"Good question," Jahanox replied with a casual shrug. "We don't know either."
He smirked. "That's kind of why we came here in the first place."
The group kept walking.
But the air had changed.
Every step now carried with it a strange truth: the rules of this universe were not the rules of theirs. And though they'd taken the first step in cooperation…
…it was clear they'd just cracked open the first door to something much bigger.
The trail through Ashburn Forest stretched on, winding between towering roots and moss-covered stones, the thick canopy casting dim shadows that danced across everyone's faces. The Obsidian Fang soldiers stayed in formation, circling the Catalysts like a mobile cage—but the atmosphere had softened just a little.
At least no one had blades at their throats now.
Kiyomasa, still walking near the center, looked up toward Commander Keith who was marching ahead. He raised a hand hesitantly.
"So, umm… Mister—"
"It's Keith," the commander cut in flatly without breaking stride.
Kiyomasa blinked. "Huh?"
Keith glanced sideways, the corner of his mouth twitching with the faintest smirk. "Name's Commander Keith Sybrus. Second Star Level soldier. Not that I expect you to understand what that means."
Kiyomasa tilted his head. "Nope. Didn't understand anything except your name—but it's nice to hear it."
There was a short silence… until Kiyomasa's eyes widened in sudden realization. He stepped ahead and pointed straight at Minos.
"That guy!" he declared. "That's Min-Seok!"
Keith furrowed his brow. "Min… Sook?"
"Min-Seok," Kiyomasa repeated, more slowly.
Keith gave it another go. "Min-sawk?"
That did it.
Everyone burst into laughter—even Jennie covered her mouth trying not to giggle, while Ai snorted loudly, not bothering to hide her amusement. Jahanox clapped Keith lightly on the back with a grin.
"Just call him Minos, man. Trust me—it's easier, and honestly, it pisses him off a little, which is always a bonus."
Minos rolled his eyes, clicking his tongue. "Fantastic. Keep mocking my name like that. I live for it."
Still smiling, Jahanox straightened up a bit. "Anyway—I'm Jahanox Nova. Nice to meet ya."
Ai chimed in after him, adjusting her glasses with mock pride. "Ai Hoshino."
Commander Keith looked back briefly, his eyes falling on Jennie who had instinctively tucked her hair behind her ear, a bit startled by the attention.
"You," he said. "The artist. What's your name?"
Jennie quickly straightened up. "Jennie Aurelia, Commander."
"No need for 'Commander,'" Keith said gruffly. "We're just allies. Mutual benefit and all that."
Jennie gave a small nod, her tone still polite. "Sorry, force of habit."
Then Miwa, walking backwards with her hands behind her head, laughed. "You're really stern for an old guy!"
She instantly paused mid-step, realizing what she said.
"I mean, uh, my name's Myeong-hwa! But just call me Miwa! Everyone else does!"
Keith raised an eyebrow but gave her a slight nod of approval.
Finally, his gaze landed on the one person who hadn't said a word this entire stretch.
Zazm.
He was walking with his head down slightly, gaze focused on the trail beneath his boots, completely detached from the conversation—as if the noise around him was just wind in a storm.
Keith narrowed his eyes and asked, "What about you? Your parents didn't give you a name?"
Zazm didn't even glance at him.
He lifted his chin slightly, his voice flat, emotionless.
"Zazm."
Keith tilted his head. "That's it?"
Zazm closed his eyes and gave the slightest nod.
That was all.
No title. No last name. No explanation.
Just Zazm.
The group walked deeper into the forest, their boots crunching softly against the dust-like soil. A slow realization settled over them—everything had changed.
The trees now towered around them like monolithic shadows, each one pitch black, their surfaces cracked and rough like volcanic stone.
Their bark wasn't just charred—it shimmered with veins of matte gray and soft silver, like cooled ash that had once danced with fire. Ash-like particles floated lazily in the air, catching faint rays of sun like soft glitter, drifting weightless… and strangely, not a single one irritated the skin or eyes.
Jahanox raised an eyebrow as he stepped over a twisted root, its surface dark and unnaturally smooth.
"Yo, Commander Keith... what's up with this place? Trees weren't like this before."
Keith didn't even glance back. "There's a reason this forest is called Ashburn Forest."
The group slowed, curiosity spiking.
"This area used to be one of our outposts," Keith continued, his voice steady. "We defended it during a Remnant raid. We won... but at the cost of nearly forty percent of the forest."
He paused, letting the weight of that number settle.
Ai squinted upward, watching the black branches above sway unnaturally slow in the wind.
"That still doesn't explain why the trees and the ground turned jet black. Or what's with the ash floating everywhere. It's not even irritating—it's like… clean?"
Keith nodded solemnly.
"These trees...." he gestured at the towering forms, "are called Euphoric Trees. They exist only only in a certain part of Euphoria."
He glanced upward briefly. "The smallest among them stand at 400 feet. But they can grow up to a thousand."
Jennie gasped, the sheer scale hitting her like a wave.
"A thousand feet?!"
"Yes," Keith replied simply. "They're highly adaptive. When the outer layers of their bodies were burned during the assault, they responded.
To survive, they changed their entire ecosystem. That's what you're walking through now. The ash is part of their new photosynthetic process, and the black soil?
That's the result of them drawing minerals from the planet and secreting modified compounds to suit their growth."
Minos looked around with a newfound respect, his voice low. "So… they didn't die. They changed."
Keith exhaled a slow breath."They chose to change."
Jahanox grinned, giving the nearest trunk a light knock with his knuckles.
"These trees are metal as hell. Love 'em."
Kiyomasa, eyes wide as he scanned the alien landscape, suddenly asked, "Wait… you said this place is called Euphoria. What is that exactly?"
Ai adjusted her glasses, nodding.
"Yeah. And also… when are you gonna explain what these 'Remnants' even are?"
Keith kept walking, his cloak swaying behind him.
"Euphoria is the planet where you're standing now. I'm assuming you're from Earth. Likely from one of the parallel Earths."
Miwa leaned forward, eyes wide.
"Yeah! We are. You got that right!"
Keith gave a slow nod. "Then understand this Euphoria isn't like Earth. It's a giant. Its radius is twenty-six times greater."
Jennie blinked, confused.
"Wait… twenty-six times…? How big is that exactly?"
Keith gave her a sharp look, the kind that made even the boldest quiet.
But Zazm, who had been walking silently at the rear, finally looked up. His cold voice cut through the haze of confusion like a blade.
"If you hollowed this planet out…" he said, his gaze briefly meeting Jennie's, "you could fit about seventeen thousand five hundred Earths inside it."
Everyone went still.
Minos let out a low whistle, his eyes wide.
"That's not big anymore… that's stupid."
Miwa tilted her head in disbelief.
"Wait… seriously? Is it really that big?"
No one answered immediately.
The only sound was the drifting of ash, the whisper of black leaves rustling far above… and the realization that they were far, far from home.
Keith's boots pressed deep into the ash-covered earth as he responded without looking back,
"Seventeen thousand five hundred seventy-six Earths, to be exact."
Jahanox let out a breathy laugh, resting one hand on his forehead.
"This place is hella huge…"
He looked around at the towering Euphoric trees, their ash-veined trunks curving toward the skies.
"I'm guessing there's a story behind the origin of this planet too?"
Keith didn't answer. Instead, he shifted course, heading toward a darker patch of trees.
"You'll learn everything… eventually. For now, let's go inside."
Jahanox paused, glancing around with a frown.
"Inside what, exactly? I don't see a door marked 'answers.'"
Ai narrowed her eyes and glanced at the terrain. "There's something here. It's faint but… something's off."
Keith slowed slightly, his head turning just enough to catch her in his peripheral vision.
"Your ability is related to sensing… perception, perhaps?"
Ai crossed her arms and stared back at him evenly.
"Does it matter? The real question is, why bring us here?"
Keith finally turned fully toward them. His voice lowered.
"You said your goal is to stop the multiversal distortion, didn't you?"
Kiyomasa stepped forward with firm resolve.
"That's right. We want to fix it—stop whatever's causing the break."
Keith nodded slowly. "Then that means solving the problems here is part of the path, no?"
Jahanox suddenly clapped his hands together, clicking his tongue.
"Ohhh. I get it now. This forest, this planet… it's not just a pitstop, huh?"
Keith stopped walking. His tone became blunt and direct.
"So… are you willing to join us?"
Silence fell.
Everyone turned slightly, glancing at each other. The wind shifted, carrying ash gently past their shoulders.
Minos finally took a step forward, hands in pockets.
"Join what, exactly?"
Keith raised his right hand.
At once, the entire squad of Obsidian Fang soldiers—previously relaxed and spread out—rushed forward in unison. But instead of attacking… they vanished the moment they touched a particular spot in the air.
Gone. All of them.
Miwa blinked in confusion. "What the—?"
Jahanox tilted his head. "Huh. That was kinda cool."
Keith stood in the same place, now alone in the visible world.
"Follow me."
He was about to take a step when shards erupted from the ground. Ai nodded to Kiyomasa and walked closer to Keith.
"What is the meaning of this?" Keith asked as the shards surrounded him pericing his neck from all sides. If he so much as breathed he would get pierced.
Ai spoke in a rough tone, " That should be my question where are you taking us?"
Before Keith could say something Jahanox walked closer to Kiyomasa and slightly moved him by pushing, "Come on Kiyo get rid of it."
"But...." Kiyomasa retorted but Jahanox put a hand on his shoulder shaking his head a little.
Kiyomasa finally put down those shards and Ai walked a little away from Keith.
"I am sorry for my friends they are quite the over protective." Jahanox walked closer to Keith and apologized.
Keith adjusted his necklace chain or whatever was it on his neck, "No worries it's not like we're trusting you either."
He took one step forward—and vanished too.
Everyone stared.
"…The hell?" Minos muttered, walking a bit closer.
Ai narrowed her eyes and stretched her hand toward the area where Keith disappeared.
"Wait. This isn't teleportation. There's… something here. Something in space. Like a cloaked divider or zone."
Jennie tilted her head. "Like… like a secret passage?"
Jahanox grinned. "Some video game shit, huh?"
Ai nodded absently, stepping forward slowly analyzing.
But before she could finish.....
"NO POINT IN THINKING—!"
Miwa suddenly launched herself forward and vanished.
"MIWA!" Ai shouted, reaching out.
Minos groaned. "Oh my god— wait up, dumbass!"
He sprinted and disappeared right after her.
Ai pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed hard.
"They're going to get themselves killed…"
Jahanox cracked his neck. "Well, no turning back now. Let's go save the babies."
Jennie softly nodded and reached.
Zazm hadn't said a word. He simply stepped into the space and vanished, silent as ever.
Ai took one last breath, muttering to herself.
"Guess I'm next…"
The moment she crossed the invisible barrier she, too, disappeared.
Only the whisper of wind remained, dancing with the ash as the forest fell quiet once again.
---
A low hum echoed beneath their feet—subtle, almost imperceptible—like the faint heartbeat of something immense and ancient. The Catalysts stood still on a curved surface of dark obsidian alloy, a massive ring that arced gently away into the clouds, so far it was impossible to see where it began or ended.
They had just arrived.
There was no wind. No sound beyond the gentle pulse of energy coursing through the ring. Above them, a sky of deep indigo stretched wide, blanketed with stars brighter than any they had ever seen from Earth. Not a single cloud marred the view.
And around them... nothing.
Or so they thought.
Miwa squinted and leaned forward slightly, placing both hands on her knees. "Where... even are we?" she murmured, almost afraid her voice would shatter the silence.
Kiyomasa turned around in a slow circle. "There's... nothing here," he said, confusion coloring his voice. "No buildings, no people, no sound. Just sky and this... floor?"
Minos walked a few steps and peered into the vastness around them. "We're standing on a giant ring," he muttered. "A ring. What kind of place starts like this?"
Jahanox frowned, arms folded. "Something's off. You don't build a structure like this unless there's more. A lot more."
Jennie slowly turned her head upward, eyes wide. "The stars… They're so bright. They don't look like any constellations I've seen. Are we even on the same planet?"
Zazm stood silently with his hands in his coat pockets, gaze fixed ahead. He didn't respond. He looked... unreadable. Not awestruck—more like he expected it.
But then Ai stepped forward, her boots clicking gently on the alloy floor. Her brow furrowed slightly as she activated her Catalyst vision. Her pupils narrowed, and the world around her flickered—filters unfolding, one after the other, until she saw the unseen.
And everything changed.
Her body froze. Her breath hitched.
Where the others saw only void and curvature—Ai saw a universe.
Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke. "There's… something out there."
Everyone turned to her.
Miwa blinked. "What?"
Ai didn't look at them. Her hand raised slowly and pointed outward—toward what looked like empty air.
"There's a structure," she said. "A massive one. In the center of this place... it's like a dome. No—more than that. It's enormous. It goes beyond the horizon."
"A dome?" Jahanox echoed, stepping beside her, squinting into the distance. "I don't see anything."
"You can't," Ai said softly. "It's shielded. Or cloaked. I don't know. But I can see the energy outline—lines, pulsing softly like veins. It's almost organic. No... more like a living machine."
She adjusted her glasses slightly, zooming further.
"There are structures floating around it," she said slowly, eyes locked forward. "They look like... petals. Giant ones. And on each one—there's forest, buildings, labs. Greenery. Like each petal is its own city."
Everyone stared at her like she was reading from a fantasy book.
Miwa looked around, still unable to see even a sliver of what Ai described. "You're serious?"
Ai didn't blink. "I've never been more serious."
Zazm spoke then—calm, low. "What else do you see?"
Ai swallowed, then pointed in another direction. "There's an entire zone of towers... tall, spiral-shaped, metal. Hundreds of them. Connected by glowing bridges. Each tower has islands attached to it—huge, flat ones, floating mid-air. They're all lit with blue and orange glows. That has to be some sort of engineering or technological hub."
"Any sign of people?" Jennie asked, still awestruck.
Ai hesitated. "Yes. They're everywhere."
The ring pulsed beneath their feet once again—this time heavier, more urgent.
Before any of the Catalysts could speak, a voice rang out, smooth but laced with calculation.
"Well now," Keith's voice broke the stillness, footsteps echoing softly. "I must admit, I didn't expect anyone to be able to see through Nyxion's veil."
Everyone turned sharply toward the sound.
Ai's eyes widened.
It wasn't just Keith standing there anymore.
Behind him, rows of figures had appeared—dozens. Soldiers in full armor stood in formation, black suits sharp under the starlit sky.
Some hovered slightly off the ground, boots humming. Flying surveillance drones flanked them in the air, their lights scanning softly over the Catalysts. Several weapons, sleek and humming, were pointed directly at the group.
It was like a silent siege—flawless and fast.
The Catalysts instinctively fell into a defensive stance.
Ai stepped forward slightly. "What's the meaning of this?"
Before Keith could answer, a second presence made itself known.
He emerged from behind Keith, not rushing, not hidden—just calmly stepping forward with deliberate grace. His footsteps were silent, but the weight of his presence was deafening.
He was dressed differently from the others.
A high-collared black coat swept down to his calves, tailored and pristine. The edges of a blood-red inner lining flickered like embers beneath the obsidian folds. Across his chest—a simple black vest with a single glowing red neon star burned faintly. His cape moved with him like a tide, slow and commanding. His hair was cleanly cut, not a strand out of place, and his expression… was unreadable.
He looked young—early thirties, perhaps—but his eyes were sharp and impossibly focused. There was no arrogance in his face. Just purpose.
Jennie's mouth opened, then closed.
Even Zazm narrowed his eyes. Something about this man felt different.
Keith stepped aside with a clear gesture of deference.
"Supreme Commander Rhyes Vance," he introduced, "One of the ten leaders of Nyxion."
The air turned dense.
Kiyomasa instinctively took a step forward, his hands glowing faint red—until, just as suddenly, the glow flickered and died.
"…What?"
He looked at his hands. Nothing. No warmth. No fire.
Miwa tried her telepathy. Nothing responded.
Minos clenched his fists — no trace of his matter spheres. Even Jennie's illusion screen refused to spark. Panic set in like a slow drop of poison.
"You won't be able to use any of your abilities here," Rhyes stated plainly. "Not even a flicker."
Everyone froze.
"This place," Rhyes continued, "suppresses all extranormal energy within its sphere.
Regardless of how strong you are. Even class-zero level threats like yourselves."
His words made everyone freeze. Ai's eyes widened. Jahanox clenched his jaw slightly. Even Jennie took a step back, unsure.
"This place suppresses extranormal energy entirely," Rhyes continued. "Even class-zero level threats like yourselves."
There was no pride in his tone. Only fact.
Rhyes folded his hands behind his back. "Now then. Which one of you is the leader?"
Ai opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say a word, Zazm stepped forward.
His hands were still tucked in his pockets. Calmly, he pulled them out and lifted them ever so slightly.
"He's the leader," Ai muttered under her breath.
Zazm spoke evenly, "That'd be me."
Rhyes nodded once. "Then I'll ask you just one question."
He looked Zazm in the eyes.
"Whose side are you on?"
Zazm blinked. "I don't even know what you're talking about."
"My apologies," Rhyes said, voice still calm. "Let me rephrase."
He took one step forward, hands still behind his back.
"Is your purpose for coming here saving the multiverse?"
Zazm nodded. "That's our purpose."
"Then," Rhyes said, "can we consider you all our allies?"
Zazm narrowed his eyes slightly. "Why are you talking like we've committed some crime? We're here to fix the problem."
"You don't know anything yet," Rhyes replied. "But you will."
He stepped closer, pointing to the glowing city beyond the rim of the ring.
"This place holds over ten billion people. Civilians. Scientists. Children. Bringing you here was a gamble. A risk we had to take."
Zazm stared directly at him. "What are you talking about?"
"You seem like a good leader," Rhyes said. "And I know fighting won't get us anywhere."
From behind, Minos finally snapped.
"We aren't fighting to begin with, you assholes!"
But Zazm raised one hand silently. Minos stopped instantly, lowering his gaze.
Zazm turned to Rhyes. "You're right. We're not here to fight."
"Then," Rhyes said, "can we trust you once?"
Zazm raised a brow.
Keith stepped forward and pulled out a small round device—sleek silver, softly glowing blue.
He held it in his palm. "This is an energy suppression module. It'll go on your forehead. You won't be able to use your powers at all."
Ai stepped forward, voice sharp. "This is suicide! You want us to disable ourselves while being surrounded?"
"Calm down," Jahanox said, stepping beside her. "Let him speak."
Ai looked at Jahanox, "If we put those on we'll be in a deadlock."
Jahanox shook her calming her down, "We're already in a dead lock, Ai."
"To you," Rhyes said, "this might look strange. But for us, it's the only way we can ensure the safety of our people."
Zazm stared at the sphere in Keith's hand. He didn't speak for a while.
Then he finally said, quietly, "You're right. If I was in your place… I would've done the same."
Rhyes's gaze scanned him carefully.
Zazm took the module from Keith's hand and examined it.
"What's this called?" he asked.
"Energy Suppressing Module," Rhyes answered. "Or more accurately… it works like handcuffs."
Zazm nodded. "We'll put them on. But can you assure our safety?"
The words hit the air with weight. The Catalysts turned to him with wide eyes.
Zazm looked directly at Rhyes again.
"Supreme Commander Rhyes… can you guarantee our survival if we were to put these on?"
Keith stepped forward again, scoffing.
"Do you think you can survive? You can't use your powers anyway. Your only option is to surrender."
But Rhyes raised a hand, silencing him instantly.
He looked back at Zazm.
Then he spoke with calm finality.
"As long as you are not a threat to humanity…"
His voice now louder and filled with commitment, "....I will guarantee your survival over my own."
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