Birds chirped in the distance, their song weaving through the gentle murmur of the nearby river. The blue water sparkled beneath the sun's embrace, scattering rays that danced across Absinthe's closed eyes. Behind her lids, a faint reddish hue began to glow, stirring her awake. A dull ache pounded in her head as she sat up slowly, the world swaying for a moment.
"Where... am I?" she murmured, her voice hoarse with confusion.
As she raised her arms, the light filtering through the dust-laden air revealed something extraordinary. Her hands, once familiar, now shimmered with an otherworldly beauty—silver veins pulsed faintly beneath her skin, like rivers of starlight tracing unseen constellations. The delicate glow extended across her fingers, radiating an energy that felt both alien and eternal.
She stared in awe, breath catching. This was no mere scar or anomaly. The comet's touch had marked her, reshaping her into something both fragile and powerful. In that moment, Absinthe resolved not to fear it—but to wield it.
A soft, melodic snore interrupted her thoughts, followed by a quiet giggle—light, carefree. Her head turned sharply toward the sound.
Synthena lay curled on her side, her back facing Absinthe. The faint glow of her crystalline patterns caught the sunlight, shimmering softly across her arms and shoulders. The intricate formations seemed alive, shifting gently between silver and blue—like ripples across a moonlit lake.
"Synthena...? Is that you?" Absinthe whispered, hesitant.
Her friend gave no response, lost in a dream that painted her lips with the hint of a smile. Her hair, streaked with cosmic blue, spilled in waves across the ground, glittering as though spun from starlight itself. Even in sleep, Synthena radiated an otherworldly grace—a quiet, haunting reminder of the comet's touch.
Absinthe reached out tentatively, her hand trembling as it rested on Synthena's shoulder. She gave her a gentle shake. At first, Synthena stirred but refused to wake. With a second, firmer nudge, her friend jolted upright, blinking groggily.
Synthena rubbed her eyes, taking in the riverbed and open forest around them. "Wait... weren't we in the basement of the school? What happened?" she murmured, panic rising in her voice.
Absinthe sat calmly beside her, watching as Synthena's confusion turned to unease. "Abby, where are we?" she asked, voice tight with urgency.
"I'm unsure, Syn," Absinthe admitted, her voice soft yet steady. "But surely, we haven't strayed too far from the school."
Synthena fell silent, her thoughts twisting like leaves in the wind. Then her eyes narrowed, darting toward Absinthe's glowing hands. "What is wrong with you? Are you ill? You're glowing like... like a flickering disco ball! Look at your veins—they're pulsing silver! What's happening to you?"
Absinthe chuckled weakly, shaking her head. "Perhaps you shouldn't worry so much about me," she said, curiosity lacing her tone. "Have you seen yourself yet? You resemble a painted canvas, adorned with crystallized shards. Your colors are radiant—spectacular, really. And your hair..." She gestured faintly, lips quirking upward. "It's blue now. Did you sneak off to a cosplay convention while I was asleep?"
Synthena's hands flew to her hair, eyes widening as she scrambled toward the riverbank. Her reflection greeted her like a stranger—crystalline patterns and cosmic hues refracting in the water's rippling surface. For a moment, she was speechless, fingers tracing the outlines of her shimmering image.
Absinthe followed closely behind, gazing down at her own reflection. The sight of her transformed face, glowing silver veins, sent a tremor through her chest. Her hands began to shake, breath hitching.
She recoiled abruptly, trembling hands dropping as her gaze instinctively turned upward. The skies loomed vast and endless, but their emptiness pierced her.
Then—a vision struck.
Screaming faces. Crumbling buildings. Five silhouettes cloaked in darkness. Entire planets disintegrating into nothingness. And in the light of their sacrifice, she saw friends, family—everything she loved—reduced to dust.
The vision released her with a jolt, slamming her back into reality. Her chest heaved, breaths shallow and ragged. Despair gripped her like iron chains, pulling her into its shadow. She buried her face in her hands, fingers digging into her scalp as though to claw the images from her mind.
Synthena watched from the riverbed, alarm replacing her serenity. She scrambled toward Absinthe, crystalline markings catching the light as she moved.
"Absinthe? What's wrong?" Synthena's voice was soft but urgent, laced with concern. She knelt beside her friend, glowing hands hovering uncertainly over Absinthe's trembling form. "Talk to me. You're scaring me."
The silence stretched, broken only by the river's gentle current and the whisper of rustling leaves. Synthena hesitated, unsure how to approach her friend's sudden despair.
"Abby," Synthena said softly, voice hesitant but laced with concern. "What's going on? You're scaring me."
Absinthe didn't respond at first, gaze locked on the shimmering water as if searching for answers in its reflection. The soft glow of her silver veins dimmed slightly, trembling hands resting against her head.
"I... I don't know," Absinthe admitted finally, voice fragile, teetering on the edge of breaking. Her gaze drifted upward, locking onto the sky. "I saw something... something malicious," she continued, tone faltering. "It struck me like lightning—something I can't describe."
Her silver-veined arms caught her attention again. As Synthena sat patiently nearby, Absinthe turned her focus inward. Could this strange transformation... these glowing veins... have something to do with what I saw? she wondered silently.
Suddenly, a sharp rustle in the nearby undergrowth shattered the stillness. The sound echoed like a warning, cutting through the natural harmony of the forest. Absinthe snapped upright, body instinctively shifting into a protective stance. Synthena followed suit, cosmic-blue hair falling forward as she crouched defensively.
Both fixed their eyes on the trembling bush, tension thickening like a coiled spring.
The rustling continued, suspense climbing with each second.
Then—a squirrel darted out, its movements quick and chaotic. Relief washed over them, their guard dropping.
Absinthe exhaled sharply, lips curling into a laugh she couldn't suppress. Synthena chuckled alongside her, shaking her head.
But as their laughter faded, something about the squirrel felt wrong.
Its aura twisted, unnervingly dark. Its fur blackened, uneven, movements erratic. They froze as its body shifted before their eyes.
Limbs elongated grotesquely, bones cracking at alarming speeds. Fur sloughed off, replaced by jagged scales gleaming with a sinister sheen. The transformation was horrifyingly rapid.
Then—the mutated creature let out a mighty roar, primal and jarring, silencing the birds and the river's gentle current.
Both leaped to their feet, instincts driving them into a protective stance.
Synthena grabbed Absinthe's arm, crystalline patterns shimmering. "Run!"
They dashed through the forest, breaths labored, but the creature was faster—its mutated limbs pounding against the earth.
Before they could find cover, a massive limb swung down, its shadow swallowing the ground beneath them.
The blow was aimed straight at Synthena.
"Synthena!" Absinthe's cry tore through the air.
Desperation surged through her, a fire igniting deep within.
Her silver-veined hands began to glow fiercely, light spreading up her arms like a galaxy coming to life.
Then— darkness*