Chapter 68: A Rift in the Dimensions!
For a moment, a very uncomfortable silence arose as the two trios faced each other after the fight. Everyone, minus maybe Aurorus, wanted to say something, but nobody knew what exactly. And despite this attitude, it was ultimately the Mastermind who spoke up first.

"Alright then! I did what I had to. I'm leaving!"

Not averse to the idea, Aurora said nothing, but she quickly found opposition in the ranks of the elite.

"Now all of a sudden you want to piss off? Are you serious? We still have work to do here!"

The fossil turned abruptly to Darkrai, and Aurora actually saw fear, similar to the one he had shown when he had challenged Kel.

"Be glad that I was willing to do so much to seal Zeta! But you'll never get me to go there again! I may be crazy, but that's too much even for me!"

Before anyone had the chance to reply, he had already disappeared. It would probably be Aurora's last encounter with her former friend. Which was probably a good thing. Now she turned to Darkrai herself.

"You should go back to Kira Town. It's about a two-hour walk from here. And I'm sure Elementareon would be very happy to see you!"

The Plot Warrior noticed that the name of his team leader convinced Darkrai, but he still hesitated.

"I can't just leave like Aurorus did! Besides... how long were we gone in the first place?"
"About three months."

The Black Mage jumped again.

"Shit, really? Then I really have to go back, but..."

Marshadow looked up at the starry sky.

"Darkrai. Head for Kira Town, but come back as soon as you can. The three here will need some rest. In the meantime, I'll explain the situation to them."

A short nod followed before Darkrai also set off. Silence fell again as Marshadow turned to his sister. She hesitated for a moment before finding the right words.

"I... it's great to see you again. I thought you were gone. We have to tell Epsilon and Hail!"

After these words, Marshadow also found words that could express his thoughts.

"Uhm... what?"

They were not elegant words, but they did their job.

"It sounds like you also got quite some explaining to do! And why are there only three of you? Where is..."

Aurora's look obviously said enough.

"Oh... I'm... sorry."

Aurora quickly recovered. Although she still missed her partner and probably always would, the fact that her family was now complete again brought her joy again.

"It's all good. I'll explain later. But now please tell us what exactly happened. Why was Aurorus that scared? Why did the Soul Virus take hold of you?"

Marshadow seemed to think for a moment.

"Sit down, this might take a while..."
"It all started on the day you probably met the author. Darkrai, Aurorus and I had combined our Plot powers to pull the immobile Zeta with us into the portal into a closed dimension. The entrance closed and the four of us found ourselves in an eternal expanse of starlight. A strange place. And an isolated one. Furious about our actions, Zeta refused to give up the fight. But at the same time, he too saw no real meaning in it. We were enemies, but not obstacles. So it came to pass that we all simply existed in that dimension for a while. If our trio crossed paths with Zeta, there would always be a scuffle, but never anything major. Until one day."

"Once again we were all fighting against each other, as so often, after a while almost more as a sport, since there was nothing else to do, when strange noises began to permeate the expanse. From the eternity in which we believed we were alone, a being emerged. We were not alone. As much as we wanted to be. Because... whatever it was. An anomaly! A beast! Words cannot describe this aberration of terror. Whatever it was... it seemed to be partly made of the Soul Virus. And it released the virus to gain control over us! However, it didn't seem to find any use for us back then, so it vanished, leaving the four of us with the Soul Virus inside us, but still in full control."

"Until, after a time that was immeasurable in this world, it returned. And with it, it brought a strange... shape. A kind of crack in the air. A kind of error in reality. Like a Plothole made reality. And that was the moment when the virus took control. It forced the three of us to cross the crack, which was a portal. And it led us into a cave in this area. The virus wanted destruction and we were its means. But the crack was still too small. This being in the other world wanted us to bring it power. Power to break the barrier of the distant dimension faster than it already is. So that Zeta could soon enter this world too. And above all, the beast itself."

Tales from a distant place, empty and yet full of danger.

"The portal is still open and growing bigger as we speak! That's why... we have to go back! We have to go back to the distant dimension and stop the beast!"

Aurora would have to be stupid not to understand the seriousness and danger of the situation. And of course she wouldn't leave Darkrai and Marshadow alone.

"Do you know anything about this monster? Any information that can help to overthrow it?"

Again, her brother thought for a moment.

"It called itself 'Plot Unbound'. I think so, at least. It didn't really talk. And as I said, the Soul Virus is part of it. If I had to guess, based on the name, then this monster is some kind of hybrid of Plot and Soul Virus."

A fusion of two opposing forces. Two of the most powerful forces. If Marshadow was actually right with his estimate, then more than just a fight for life and death would break out in the distant dimension.

"You can definitely count on me! I'm coming with you!"
"I expected that much. Zeraora, Tyrantrum, what about you? No one would blame you if you didn't jump into the lion's den with us."

No member of Polarna vatra would ever act based on the opinion of others. Their own morals came first.

"What's the point of us fleeing now? The problem would just come here! Of course we're in!"
"I don't really like that Tyrantrum is speaking for both of us, but... well he's right."

Marshadow nodded contentedly.

"Even if Kel is no longer here, Team Polarna vatra is still the same as before, as I see. Very nice. Then we still have some time, so... please explain to me what happened in this world."

Aurora told the story of peace in the world, until a few hours later Darkrai arrived again... but he was not alone.

"Elementareon? What are you doing here? Don't you have to take care of the tournament?", Aurora asked in confusion.
"The rest of my team can take care of the tournament. And I've postponed the champion duel. After everything Darkrai told me, this is clearly a priority! And I'm not letting him run into danger alone again!"

Aurora questioned the sudden change of opinion about joining the journey, but she wouldn't complain. Especially in a fight for life and death, the companionship of one of the strongest fighters would definitely be helpful. And ultimately she was right. The Champion's Duel would have to wait, because saving the world was clearly more important!

"Well then. Darkrai, Marshadow, lead us to the rift in the distant dimension!", Aurora commanded.

Darkrai briefly looked at the second shadow in the group before nodding.

"Good. Follow me."

The group was on the move for a few minutes. Elementareon used the time to question the exact circumstances again.
"This place where we were just now... was it an arena made of stars? Like the one where you met the author, Aurora?"
"Not just like. It's the same. The author must have left it to us."

The Eeveelution turned around again and looked at the arena, which was now a little further away.

"If the author really gave it to us as a kind of gift, then we could certainly use it somehow for the league when this is over, right?"

The idea made sense and Aurora had already considered the same, but she decided to remain very neutral.

"Well, I don't think anyone else will claim it. If you can think of something you could use it for, then you're free to act."

Darkrai turned around as he came to a stop in front of a large tree.

"First of all, we have other worries! This goes far beyond the League. Perhaps beyond Epsilon! So please focus on this!"

He turned back to the tree and moved a huge root, which from the outside had looked as if it was firmly rooted in the ground. The large piece of wood now revealed a passage.

"It's down there."

Slowly, Darkrai at the front, Marshadow at the back, the group made their way through the narrow corridor in a line. It was not long, and did not go deep. They quickly reached a small, wider room. And an incredible sight presented itself. It was exactly as Marshadow had described it. The strange crack, which represented the way to a foreign dimension, hovered like a crack in reality. A strange aura emanated from it. Something foreign, but at the same time it triggered familiar feelings in Aurora that she could not even identify. There was something there...

"So, here it is. That's why we were able to return to this world. And now we're going back again..."

The shadow of Nordika fell silent for a moment and took a deep breath.

"You all know that you may be on a path of no return, right?"

The question was obviously rhetorical. No one who was part of this elite squad would be naive enough not to know what they were getting into.

"We must also not forget... if we're unlucky, Plot Unbound won't be our only hurdle. It could send Zeta after us. And this time we couldn't just seal him away.", Marshadow added.

As if one battle against godly forces were not enough... it would have to be at least two. What else was to come? Another meeting with the author? The hurdles in the near future were great, but they were equally uncertain. But at least they were all used to that... unforeseeable danger. And Team Polarna vatra, Elementareon and Darkrai were accordingly prepared.

"So, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

One after the other, they climbed through the reality rift. Aurora was the second to last, followed only by her brother. And when she reached the distant dimension, the others were already waiting for her, as was an unspeakable sight. When Marshadow had told her about an eternal expanse like the starry sky, she had already had a clear picture in her mind. Eternal blue, white dots that covered everything. But this place was different. Truly, they were stars like one rarely sees. Curved flames glided across the ground, but didn't seem to radiate any heat. Huge fireballs floated everywhere in the eternal black of this place. Stars as close as you could imagine. So instead of the expanse of unity and relaxation, this place became an almost hellish spectacle in the dance of flames and darkness.

"Unfortunately, I have no idea where Plot Unbound is. And as you can see, there are few landmarks.", Marshadow told the group.
"So we just have to walk and hope that we find something? And if not, how do we get back?", Elementareon worried.

The question was quite logical. But Zeraora answered as Aurora thought.

"Is that important right now? Our highest priority must be saving the world! A way will probably present itself anyway if we are victorious!" "Are you sure? And what if this rift simply closes and traps us all here?"

The big problem with this question was: It was justified. According to everything the group had learned, the monster was probably the origin of the passage. If it fell, the only way out could disappear. Yet Aurora would not waver!

"If that happens, then so be it. If you still want to leave, you are free to do so! But I will fight! Even if this is my sacrifice!"