Episode:
20: The Great Monsoon, Part 2
When you can run through portals between dimensions, you start to forget to keep an eye on what's behind you. This is what happens when Adam Butterfly doesn't look back.
Adam, Marco, and Star all remained rooted to the spot behind a large rock. Before them, there was a sizeable Empire outpost. Numerous Empire Knights patrolled the area, their fingers clenched around their swords and their eyes on the Mace Kingdom in the distance. The tents were smaller and shorter than usual, far more unassuming to avoid drawing too much attention.
They were on the plateau hanging above Lake Majoris, where the terrain was nothing but barren, craggy rock. A light veil of heat blanketed the area, clinging to their clothes and squeezing perspiration from their skin. Far above them, the sky was light pink, scored with streaks of yellow sunlight, but there were no visible clouds. A shadow of a storm was brewing in the distance. Vague tendrils of wind vortexes swirled around one another, on the cusp of forming mad dashes of thunder and lightning. A faint smell of blood and alcohol hung in the air, accompanied by the echoes of great salutation from inside the drunken and partying tents.
'So... what's the plan?' asked Marco, peering gingerly over the side of the rock.
Star shrugged. 'Well, we got the element of surprise.'
'Maybe we should take them out quietly,' he said, eyeing the loudest tent in the outpost. He looked over at the other Mewman in the group. 'What do you think, Adam?'
Adam remained transfixed on the outpost ahead. He clenched the side of the rock with an iron grip, a violent storm welling in his eyes. No words. He heard Dark Star's voice in her head. The day Beru died.
You had me going for a moment there. Almost couldn't tell you were a Monster without that hat! I could tell there was a STINK about you, but I assumed that's just what commoners are like. Anyway, time to die.
He saw blood. Blood that wasn't really there. Adam blinked and he was somewhere else entirely. He was in a field of grass, something so eerily familiar. Someone was looking at him. It was kid, about nine-years-old, with ashy blonde hair and hazel eyes. He looked almost entirely Mewman, aside from the set of horns poking out from the crown of his head. The kid hurried up the hill, and suddenly Adam was nine years old, too.
He heard the kid cry, 'Over here! C'mon!'
Adam unknowingly picked up his pace and began running toward him to catch up to him. As he sprinted towards him, though, the kid disappeared behind the hill before Adam could reach him.
As Adam reached the top, the joyful expression on his childish face faded away. Flickering orange light reflected on his face, and a bright inferno was visible in the reflection of his pupils.
He stared ahead widely. A village up in flames before him, engulfed in fire and destruction. Thick plumes of smoke rose out from the fiery mass below. Screaming could be heard echoing from within, although no bodies were visible past the endless amounts of smoke. People ran from hordes of knights, laying waste, snuffing out life like candle from a flame.
As Adam peered back, a splatter of blood suddenly appeared on his face. A gasp erupted from his throat. He screamed.
But his scream was muted. Everything went white and he was harshly brought back to reality.
Marco glanced worriedly at Star.
'Adam...?' Star called, placing a tentative hand on his shoulder.
'Dark Star is in there.' He grinded his teeth. 'I can feel it.'
'Let's not get ahead of ourselves here, Adam,' Marco warned him.
Adam did not budge. 'No.' Star blinked at his abrupt statement. 'This time...I win.' She almost gasped in surprise.
'This isn't about winning,' whispered the princess. 'We're here to save lives!'
'I'm here to get revenge.'
Marco slapped him on the shoulder. 'You're better than that!'
Adam gasped. For a moment, the squire actually thought he'd changed his mind, until the guy said, 'She's here.' He pointed forward.
Sure enough, Dark Star Butterfly was standing on the plateau hanging above Lake Majoris, at the very end of the plateau. She leaned on her right foot. Her head was propped in her hand as she held up her compact device to her ear. Wavering on the spot, she flicked the dirt off her fingertips absentmindedly. Dark Star constantly spared glances to the Mace Kingdom in an attempt to drown out the voice on the other end of the call.
Adam shot up. He took one step forward before someone grabbed him by the wrist. He looked down and glared. His voice was deathly calm.
'Let go of me.'
'I'm not letting you do this!' Star snapped. 'I can't believe I'm the one saying this, but we can't be reckless!'
'Last time I had Dark Star at our mercy, you stopped me,' he reminded, glaring at her. 'I'm not letting you make that mistake again. Never.'
Marco swallowed the saliva in his throat. 'You can't be serious about this, man. Literally every time you've fought her, she's PULVERISED you!'
'Adam, we're a team, remember?' uttered Star, crestfallen. 'We talked about this. We don't do this alone anymore!' She pulled him down to the rock and looked him in the eye. 'Do you think this is what Beru would want?'
Rigid cords formed in Adam's neck, accompanied by a single pulsing vein. A dark, apoplectic glower creased his brow. His voice was quiet, burning with cold fury.
'The dead don't want anything.'
He ripped her wrist out of her grip and immediately disappeared through a golden portal, leaving the two of them to stare on in shock. Star gasped and stood up. She knew he couldn't have possibly meant what he said, but he had said it anyway. And now he was gone. Gone to fight an unstoppable enemy.
Adam appeared out the portal above Dark Star, a crystalline dagger in one hand, and a Solarian Blast being produced from the other. Dark Star felt the hairs creep up her back moments before the Blast hit, giving her enough time to create a forcefield that blocked it. She blinked when the spell managed to create a crack in her forcefield.
Dark Star hurled him back with a blast of air. Whilst in mid-air, Adam responded with a crack. A bright blue Calysto Beam shot out his palm towards her. Dark Star held up a hand.
A bright, swirling portal opened in front of her. The beam went through and hit Star on the other end. She'd only just arrived on the scene to help, but she was immediately out of commission, at least for the moment.
Dark Star smirked, throwing her hands forward. A vortex of swirling blue flames spat out from her fingertips. Adam stood as the wave of fire flew his way. He clasped his hands together and drew it apart.
A small black hole formed in his bare hands. Dark Star's fire was sucked up instantly into the singularity. The princess gave a dissatisfied whimper. Adam sent the black hole back as black disc projectiles towards her. Dark Star put away her wand and threw candy canes in the shape of ninja stars at the projectiles to split them in two.
'Star! Hold on!' cried Marco, punching his way through an onslaught of knights to get to her. 'Hi-ya!'
He leapt up and kicked one of the knights in the face. Another knight came behind him, but he ducked. A sword flew overhead, and the knight leaned uncontrollably over him. Marco spun around and did a sweeping kick, knocking him off their feet.
The squire grabbed a spear from a rack and swung the wooden side at an oncoming Empire Knight. He winded them with the pole, before kneeing them in the face. Another knight appeared to his side, so he kicked them in the stomach and smacked them in the face with the blunt end of the spear.
However, another knight appeared behind him and hit him on the back of the head with their sword. Yet another one struck him in the stomach. He keeled over with a groan, and a hand to the back of his head forced him down onto the floor.
'Star!' he cried, reaching out to her unconscious form. 'St–!' Another blow to the back of the head knocked him into unconsciousness.
Meanwhile, Adam narrowly dodged a barrage of diamond daggers. They struck the rocks behind him, splintering it halfway through. He sent bubbles of Pressure Compression her way, but Dark Star absorbed it with a wave of water.
Adam turned it into ice with a flick of his finger.
'You're oddly silent, aren't you?' commented Dark Star, blasting through the enormous chunk of ice with a series of Solarian Blasts. Adam blocked it with a forcefield, but each one shattered as soon as the Blasts made contact.
'Shut up!'
The rest of the ice turned to shards under Adam's command. He spun his wrists, producing a massive sonic attack that sent the ice fragments screaming toward Dark Star. Dark Star managed to produce an ethereal barrier that turned the ice to powdery snow, but she could not block the sonic wave.
Subsequently, Dark Star was sent barrelling towards the rock formations near the edge of the cliff. She groaned in pain as her back smashed into the rock. Another Calysto Beam shot towards her, a continued stream this time, but she rose a wide pillar of rock to block it.
'You're getting stronger, congrats,' she mocked, flicking some rocks off her shoulders.
She sent eight different beams of razor-sharp cupcakes his way, from all different directions. Adam attempted to block it with a forcefield, but the cupcakes shattered them instantly. He quickly opened eight portals to redirect them.
The cupcakes smashed through those too. Adam's last-ditch attempt was to dodge them manually. Even then, that wasn't enough. One of them struck him in the shoulder. The razor-sharp crystal candy lodged itself in just next to his shoulder bone. Another one hit him in the calf.
Adam howled in pain. He keeled over, clutching the stupid cupcake that had felled him.
Dark Star laughed. 'I knew this was a good idea,' she revelled, beaming to herself. 'Did you know this whole operation was my idea? Yeah, I'm pretty much calling the shots now.' She hummed to herself. 'That little side project in the Spiderbite Kingdom was my idea too…even if it went south. Oh well. Can't make an omelette without cracking a few skulls, right?' The princess bit her lip. 'Mom's been…different, lately. She really doesn't like you. Well, to be fair, neither do I.'
Adam rose steadily to his feet. He bit back the pain in his shoulder and leg. Dark Star pointed her wand at him. A dozen lasers shot out toward him. Adam groaned, but he hadn't lost his edge. He raised a hand, and a hundred floating mirrors appeared in the air around him.
The lasers, which went in all different directions, hit the mirror, and bounced off. They were deflected onto another mirror, and another, and another, until a light show of red lasers flickered among the mirrors. All of them converged into one and hit Dark Star, though she moved out the way enough to sustain only a minor burn injury.
Adam pointed his palm forward. Four snakes slithered out his palm and flopped onto the floor. They hissed and growled, as they glided effortlessly across the rocky ground toward Dark Star. Unimpressed, Dark Star flared her fingertips. She vaporised the serpents in an instant.
Dark Star raised a hand threateningly at him.
Only to be met with a kick to the face from one Marco Ubaldo Diaz. Dark Star screeched in pain, wiping away the blood from her nose. She stumbled backwards, before staring at Marco.
'Marco Diaz!' she screamed, dodging a punch. She seized him by the knee and flipped him over. She took hold of his arm and pushed against the joint of his arm. Marco screamed in pain. But Dark Star kept twisting, pushing it far against where his arm should go.
There was a sickening crack, and Marco's arm shot up at a right angle to his bicep. Dark Star picked him up him one hand and swung him at Star, who was only now getting up from the Calysto Beam. Marco's body winded her in the stomach, whilst Marco screamed in pain.
In an instant, a whole battalion of Empire Knights arrived next them. Star's eyes widened and looked back to Marco.
'You'll be okay, Marco,' she reassured, gently moving him out the way. She took out her wand and stood before the group of knights. 'Bring it on!'
Adam, running enough on adrenaline to ignore his wounds, realised he was back to fighting Dark Star on his own. He smirked, spinning his hands. A powerful tornado escaped his palms, ripping through the fragments of rock toward Dark Star. Adam funnelled Pressure Compression through the wind vortex, creating small wind projectiles that ran as fast as bullets.
Dark Star was nearly winded by the pinpoint wind bullets. She clutched the side of her rib where one of them struck. A forcefield appeared in front of her. Deciding the only way to fight fire, was with fire, Dark Star created her own tumultuous maelstrom of air to fight back.
The two had their own whirlwinds locked in stalemate between them. Finally, Adam chose to speak up.
'Why are you so confident?' he asked. 'The Empire has been doing nothing but losing since this whole war began!'
She smirked. 'All in good time.'
Adam seethed as the injuries in his shoulder and leg flared up. His windstorm became a little more frayed and uneven. Dark Star's more controlled threads of air began to unravel his. He knew he needed to act fast because his current assault was waning.
He poured his energy into one spell. A single glowing green light materialised behind Dark Star. It expanded, taking the shape of a small arrow. Spectral Aim. It twirled in the aim, altering orientation to face Dark Star. With a blink, Adam willed the arrow to move, to glide towards the evil princess. In time, it reached max speed, whipping through the air, rocketing towards Dark Star.
It reached an inch away from her face. It stopped dead in its tracks, caught between Dark Star's fingers. She caught it without much effort and snapped it with even less.
'Did you really think that would work?'
Adam growled. He tried to move forward, but Dark Star whistled at him. She nodded down at his feet, and Adam reluctantly followed it. His foot stood in a glowing magic sigil emanating from the ground.
A rune. When Dark Star had placed it there, or even how, Adam didn't notice. All he could process were a set of chains that sprawled out from the ground. It latched onto his limbs, sealing him in place. His windstorm dispelled, as Adam was painfully forced to his knees.
Dark Star tutted, dispelling her own wind. 'When will you learn, Adam? You can't win. You never will.' She appeared next to him through a portal. 'I'm only humouring you at this point.' Dark Star kicked him in the stomach, before punching him in the face.
'Adam!'
She glanced to her side. Star was holding her hand out desperately towards him. A mess of unconscious knights laid around her.
'I don't think so.'
Dark Star closed her fist, and a forcefield cube trapped them in place. Adam choked on air on the realisation. She was using his spell. Barrier Force. But…Adam never gave her the words to that spell. How did she find it? Where?!
Despite his immense pain, Marco shuffled over and began punching the cube with all his might. Small cracks appeared, but it was slow.
'Honestly, I'm doing this world a justice,' she said, sighing. 'I'm carrying out the truth I learned ever since that night in the tower…weakness should be punished.' She sniffed. 'Besides, if not for me, Mom would be trying to destroy you all. I'm trying to subjugate you. Much better!'
'Your way is no better than hers,' he scoffed. 'You're bringing a fate far worse than death.'
'Really?' A horrible, twisted smile tugged at the edges of her cracked lips. 'Maybe for you. After all…' she leaned forward to whisper in his ear. 'I know your weakness.'
Adam frowned. 'What…what are you talking about?'
Dark Star jumped back ebulliently. 'I'm talking about this!' She reached into her pocket and produced something. A rectangular object. Dusty and covered in stone ash.
A book.
There was only one book in existence that could give Adam the reaction that it did. It was undeniable.
'That's…my…!'
His spellbook. The spellbook he considered lost, in the skirmish in the Butterfly Crypt, only a few weeks ago.
'H-How…?'
'How did I find it?' she finished for him, brandishing the spellbook like a weapon. 'Easy, really. You thought it was lost in the rubble, but I found it. I took it from you, Adam. And I've been using it ever since.' She flicked through the pages. 'Admittedly, breaking through all the illusions and magical encryptions took some time, but…nothing is impossible for me. I mean, really, did you think a few safeguards would stop me? Arrogance really is your worst flaw. Well, that, and the ultimate weakness that YOUR book revealed to me.' She leaned forward and looked him straight in the eye. 'Almost every spell I throw at you, you can block, dodge, or absorb. But there is one spell that you can't block. All I had to do was weaken you enough to break through your Instinctive magic defences. Easy. Now…I can remove you from the face of the planet, once and for all.'
Adam immediately began struggling. He desperately wriggled his chains, pulled on them as hard as he could, tried to cast every spell he could think of to break out. But he couldn't. The chains were too strong, he was too weak, and his mana reserves had been depleted. Not even the Seal of Arybailos could save him now.
No. He had to do something. Adam looked around him, eyes scanning every possible location, but the top of the cliff was barren of anything usable.
No, no, no…I won't lose here. I won't give up!
I pledge my soul to the throes of magic…
Star stared on in shock. She had never seen Adam so afraid before. She watched as he moved every which way, trying to find every possible avenue for escape.
Dark Star moved forward and whispered in his ear.
'B̵̼͕͈͙̉̎̋͆̒̽̕r̸̞͌e̵̠̺͑̍̆̔̎̊͗ȧ̸̢̱k̴̶̝̙̩͔̩͔̣̜̤͎͐̅̂͊̈́̈́̉̕͝ͅt̵̰̓́̅ḫ̴̪̯̜̊̃̓̾̒e̸̵͔̥̪̜̫̯͍̓̑͐̎̈͊́̐͜ͅẗ̸̡͈̟͙́͂h̸̨͇͔̬̗͔̓̆̀͑͂̀e̷̷͉̬̪̬̰̼̪̤͋̔́͠f̷̛̣̹̣̪͇̊͐́̓̀̊͜͝a̸̛̯̯̬̕͜b̴̯̉́̒̀͆́r̷̘̉̈́̇͐̾̕̚ḭ̴̯̠̓̕c̵̛͉͈͚̞͍̋̅͝;̴̴̨̻̻̲̲̹͈̜͚̜̈́̈̽̊̓̂̕c̸͖̥̄̐̒͗͝ḽ̶͌͒̈́̍̕͝ȩ̴̢̢̤̼̺̰̿͜ä̵̧̡̬̠̳̣́̈́v̸̨̨̯̼̏̓́è̴̶̛̛̹̻͙͇͍̝̗̞̭̥͙͚̄̈́̍́͆͒̓̇̕͠t̶͙͕͆̀̈́͋̍͠͝ͅh̸̛͙͙̓̐̃͝͝ͅẽ̷̷̢̻͓̖̖͎̪͙̉͘̕̕͝š̷̬͇̋̀̒͋͐̐͌ţ̵̣̼̝̀o̸̡̢̲̭̟̙̐̀̚͘ṅ̷̢̞̗̹͈͌͐̈́ĕ̷̛̳͎̺̆̓͒͠͝s̶̛̪͙̬̝̯͉̟̬̒̆̏́̾̄,̴̶̫̘͖̝̩͍̭̈́͑͌̈́̔͑̍̃͊ṡ̴̜̝͔̻̐̈̓̅̈́t̵̫͈̩̘̻̬̥̊̀̈́̈́̽̆̚̕ͅö̵̧͚͓̺͖p̴̶̨̬̻̗̱̜̔̐̂͐͂̀m̵̛͎͓͂̏ȧ̸̜̜̜̘̙̲͔̃̏̔̋̈͋͝ͅḡ̶͉̝̥͖̍̎̈͌͠ĭ̷̠̳̱̹̍̈́c̴̛͙̬̣͐͆͗́.̴̢̝̗͇͙̻́̒̈' [46]
The effect was instant.
A wave of weakness shook through Adam's body, like a nauseating elixir sinking into his skin. Paralysis struck him, inhibiting every muscle movement and turning his bones into brittle ceramic. Whatever remained of his mana was banished away in an instant.
Ń̵͍̮̅o̴̞̎͠,̸̶͚͚̱͍̜̹̀̽̓̚n̶̦͝ȏ̸̞͆̿,̴̵̛̬̞͈̃̄̑͝ň̴̼͝ô̸̤͕̆̌…̵̡̞͛̂̀
He couldn't even feel it as Dark Star removed the chains around him and grabbed him by the throat. She dragged him to the edge of the cliff, just overlooking Lake Majoris.
'̷̨͓͖̗͚̘̝̬͍͋̉͋̒̽͐́́̑̒̋̔̃̓͑͋́͠͝A̸̡̛͖͍̰͎̟̖̞̣̗̤̱̗͓̳̼͕̜͈̓̈́́̍̓̉́̐͆̌̆D̵̢̛͔͚̹͍̮̬͖̥̰̋̍̈́̾́͋̄̈́͗͑͆͑͊͛̅̂͘͝͝Ä̵̡͕̬͉̯͓̬͆̎͋̋́̉̿̉͠M̷̥̹͙̻̌͌͌̑̆͗̑̆͠!̶̡̞̙͔̼̉̓̌̋̃̽̀́́̾̏̈́̋̂̕'̴͙͈̥̹̂[47]
Was that Star? Adam didn't know anymore. He didn't know anything anymore. His eyes flittered fleetingly to the star-shaped scar in his hand. It lit up yellow, flashing warningly, before the light splintered. It turned black as coal, as dead as roadkill. The mark fractured into a million pieces and faded away into nothingness. Left behind was a simple, unblemished palm, as though the last three years had not happened.
D͒͋͝a͋̽r̓͆͝k͐͑ b̐͑̾l̓̔͝á͑͌c̈́̚͝ḱ͒́ l̈́͘͝i͛̐̔n͐͘͝e͋͊̕s̒͐͝ b̿͌̚e͌͌̕g͋͑̀a̒͝n͒̀͠ s̔͌̚p̓͑̕r̈́͑͒e̐̿̓a͊͒͠d̒̐͝ì͛͑n͋̈́͝g͊́̓ u̾͑̿p̽͊̀ h̽͒͐i͐͛͘s̈́́͊ s̀͋͘k̓̀̈́i͐̔͆ǹ͋͝.͊͑̕ I͐͊̀t̀̈́̒ c̿̿̕r͋̕̕è͌̕p͆̓t͆͑͝ ú͛͝p͛͊̀ h͛͐͠i̿̈́͘s̽͠͠ ä́̚̚r̓͌m̒̕,̐̿̚ s͆̿́p̈́̽̔l̐̈́̀i̔̈́t̿̓t̽̽i͌̾̈́n̒̔̚g͋̽̾ a̓͌p̓̈́a͊͝͝r͘͘̚t͛̿͘ t́͝͝h̿̀͠e͐͆͠ s̾̀̓k̐̒͒i͆͘͠ń͒̐ a̐͘͠n͆͘d́̐͘ m͑͌͛ù̈́͋s̈́͠c͒̚͠l̐̿̓e͛͆͠ a̽͘b͋͝o͆̽̕v͛͑e̽̚͝.̿̾͠[48]
Pitch dark vomit spat out his throat and sprayed onto the floor. It could have been gallons, but there was a noticeable red tint to it. More of the dark liquid spilled out his nostrils and eyes.
G̷̬͈̝̾͠r̷̨͕̮̤̯̱͚̰̍̉̽̃͐͊̑͘̕ͅḙ̴̡̞̦̻͖͕͓̍̑̄̇y̴̘̱͖͈̟̝̼͍͑̇̾̑̇̾̀͜ͅn̴̨̦̫͍̬̮̬͕̙̋̿͜ẽ̵̡̢̡̛̟̤͓̞̝̐̄̈́̏̾͗̏s̸̥̘̪̄s̴̳̰̒̓,̵̣̬̣̮̣̥͎͂͘ ̵̨̫͎͈̠̭̅͐́̉͒͜d̵̫͎̪̱͍̟̳̫̠͋̆́͋̋͛̍̀͘a̷̛̜͕̫͉͓̺̱̰͎̍̐r̶̩̰̰̞̙̃̽̍̐͆͑͝ͅk̵̨͚̩̍̎̒̐̅n̸̯̹̰̘̝̫͓͒̃ͅë̵̝̣̱́̈́̄ͅs̴̡̼͓͙̣̍̽͗͐͆̆̈́̚ͅs̵̗̺̺̹̖͋͐̎,̶̺̈́̈̒̓͑̽̈̇̚ ̷̹̏̅̉́͘ṉ̵̛̼͎̣̝̤͖͒̔̒͛͝͝ọ̷̡̢̖͔̭̺͚̄̈́̇̓̊̓̎ͅt̸̡̢̘̹̫̗͕̉̃͒̇̃h̵̭̹͝í̸̧̮̟͍̲͑̓̈́͛̓n̶̨̞̞̱̂g̶͔̤̩̰͚̮͖̦̓n̸̛̬̽͌́̅͐͆̎̕͘e̸̢͖̮̓ś̸̞͓̺͔͉̓̊s̸̛̛͍̼͆̒̋́̇̆͠…̵̡̙͙͌i̸͕̘̲̮͒̊͛̊͘̕̚t̸̫̗͈̀ ̵̱̱̟̦̖̇̄͝ȧ̸̦̭̟͈l̷̨̗͉̮͕̯̪̠̟̞͗̍̾͗͂l̵͚̳̀̄̒̇̎̒̍͝ ̵͎̤͓̯͋̈́c̸̻̤̦̭̿̏̈́a̴̫͕̫͊̓m̶̧̨͍̙̙̹̼͕̪̲̒͝ȩ̶͖̦̫̈́̉̌̿̌̃͘ ̸͔͓͎̏̌̒͒͊͝ẗ̸̨̩͈͕͍̩̹̤́̆̍͐͠o̸͙͙̖̲̯̟͊̆͗̈͆̈́ ̸̜̥̩̖̼̔ņ̵̧̺̰͔͂̿ŏ̶͔̱̮̀̑̈͠͝ẗ̴̛̟̤͉̟͖͈̟̽͌̇͆h̵̨̘̭̙̞̬̉̾̃̋̓̚͘͜͠i̵̡̪͎̺̭͖̇̐͑͛͌͘͝ñ̴̢̲̗̝̟g̸̨̨̻̭͖̐̑̈̽ͅ.̸̭͉̬̓̍̓̄͒̊ ̵̢̨̤͎̱͚̞̝͐̀̌̓̑̈́͊̄̑̇N̴̼̜̠͔̹͇̔̅͊̓̎̅͂̇͝ơ̶͖͈̈̅͂̑͝ţ̶̳͓̣̻́̓̎͌͗̈̾h̴̨͉̖̬͖͚̲̮͛̒̌̓́i̷̮̽͒n̵̮̥̭͔̫͙͖̻̻̤̋̇́͠ģ̸͇̘͇̱͉̲͈̟̑̓̅̚ͅ ̷̧̧̛̛̺͎͉̥͕̂̋́̌͗͠m̷̹͇͈̓̕o̸̢̪̳̘̜̒̈́̉̔̒́̀r̵̡͉̳̝͎̘̫̱̗̙͂͒͌e̵̡̮̔̍̑̏̀̉̀ ̶̢̠̤̘͇̼̩̩̱͕̆̿̈́̃͗̈́̇͌͗͋t̸͉͍̘̱̙͙͈̻͈̊́̑̿̽̆̄̽͘͜ǫ̷̧͍̺̪͗̀̋͆͆̋̕̚̕ ̸̢̫͛s̶̱͕̜̪͍̍̇̍̈́́̋a̶͈͇̹̗̓̿̓̃̂̚y̵̛̫͖̖̝͉̭̺̐͛̈͂̓̿̇.̶̪͕̹̲͎̏̄͌̀̆̈́͌ ̴̝̒͂̓̏́͆̑͝͝Ṅ̷̯̲̯o̴̡͍̤̪̮̝̩͔͊̒́͘t̵̫̎͌̌͑̂̋̈́h̵̢͔̖̺̘͇̗̦͇̀̔̌͆͒̆͑͗̕ͅî̴̦̪̭̍͋̑͛̑̅̽̀ń̴̰̥̘̠̥̲̟̀̑̆g̵̬̳̼̠͖͖̺̓̀̔̇̾ ̴͙̲̦̠̝̰̼̣̃̔͜m̸̺̺͎̺̿̊̆̐̉̉̓͝ơ̷̛͖̪̲̼̋̽͗̅͜͝͠r̶͎̥̃̆̇̾̒͌̾͋͒ḙ̵̫͕̬̜̋̊͛̇̈́́ ̵͙͎̻̳̇͆̄̂́͋̚ť̴̡̡̧̲̙͙̏͊͆͠ő̵̡͕̮̪̗͚̪͉͎̑̉͂ ̸̨̫̺͔͖̅̔͌̔̈̒̔ͅb̴̜̫̣̰̓͊̑̿̂̒ẹ̴̞̪͌̅͊͌̿̑.̵͎̝͉̩͕̌̈̆[49]
His skin turned pallid and grey, like a vampire. All the colour drained away, magic spreading through his body like poison.
H̢͚͇i̫̻͉s̙̟͍ e̼͉̙y̫̠͚e͕̼̠s͚͙ t͙͚͚u̢̠r̠͎͚n͖͎͜e͕͖͍d̢͇̝ d͚͓̫a̺̪r̡͚k̡̼̠ a̡̘n̢͍͎d̼̺̘ b͇̻l͔̝̠a̫̫͜c̡͔͜k̘̻͜,̘̫̠ l̝͚͎i͙̪k͉̪͎e̫͖̞ a͔͖̠n̡͔̘ e̼͎m͇͇͉p̢͓t̝̺̺y̫̪̺,̡̻͔ b̞̪͓o͍̪̻t̢͍̝t̡̘͖o͍̫͚m͇̝͜l̞̦̪e̻̘͕s̼̙̺s̡͎̙,͎̦̺ p̻̫̠i̠̪̞t͓͖̪i͖̝̠l̘͉͕e̙͕͎s͉͕͍s͙͇̫ v̡̪̻o̺̻͎i̦͍̙d̫̠̫.̢̼ N͓̟̝o͙̝̻ l̢̙͕i̡͕̼g̢͕̦h͎͜t͍͔͜ c̢̡̺o̙̟͉u̢͖̟l̡͖͉d͓͕͜ e̡͓̞s̺̦̻c͚̻̙a̪̪͇p̡̘̦e̞͕͍ i̪̠̘t̻̻s̻̘̺ c̻̙̠l͖̫̦u̡̘̼t̢͖͚c̞͍h̝̼͕e̫͕͜s͕͍.͍̟[50]
His cheek marks drained in colour, too, becoming nothing more than empty grey shapes on his face. A moment later, they splintered too, turning into many uncountable fragments. His cheek marks shattered entirely, leaving all trace of magic gone with the wind.
Å̶̦̥͗ ̴̖͍͙̉͘v̴̰͓̽ȁ̷̢̹͍̳s̸͙͙̤̖͂͊t̷̻̭̞̲̯̊̉̒͊͛ ̷̘̻͌ę̵̭̯͂͒̏̏̆m̷̡̲͎̦̩͗̃̃p̸̨̹͂ț̸̉ì̷͎n̴̛̪͕e̶̗͛́̍̅̈́s̵̢̧̭̪̪̏̑s̷͎̟͔̊̑̏͐͘ ̴̛̥̪̈́̈́̍͊͜ç̴̞͈͕̐̓͑́a̸͔̬̘͊̽l̷͈͍̣̳̫̍͐̕l̴̢͔̦̮̮͂̆e̵̻̐̓d̵̛͖̙́̉̿̎ ̸̰͉̈͛͑͝ţ̶̧̧̱͙̿́͂ö̴̧͇̝́̎̕ ̴̝̯̈́̊͐̕͠h̵͎̕į̵̛̠͉͈̅̃͝m̸̭̞̼̉͒ͅ.̴̧̛͚̥͊ ̷̩̔̐̽̓̌I̴̞̥̎͛͘͝t̶̻̣̀̉̈́ ̷̖̟͐̓̎̃̾c̷̪̮͖̜͆́̈́̈ḷ̶̯̫́̈́̎̓a̵̱̍̍͝ẃ̷̯̬̍͂̓̚ȩ̵̥̌́̚d̴̬̮̐̋̇̈͝ ̶̖̹̩͂̈́ì̸̹̀n̷̬̬̰̾͑̀̈́t̴͇̘̹̍̎ò̸͎̙ ̴̫͎̳̟͔̈́ḩ̷͔̙̏̈͒̌̌í̶̘͐͐͗̍m̸͖̲͖͔̀,̴̙̗̀̌ ̸̛̙̗͚̟̿͝r̶͉͆̈́̂i̵̙͌p̷̌̒͜p̴͇͍͍̰͍̾̾̔ḯ̷̡̥͇̦̈̌n̴̤̻̯̣̒̚͝g̴̡͇͉̿ ̶͙̟͆͛̿̕͝a̶̹̻̰͋p̶͕̗̜̄̐̈͠a̸͔̺͙̤͑r̸͇̰̩͓̃̓͠t̵̝͚̭̝̥͂̈́̌̿ ̶̨̗̜͜͝͠h̵͉̼͐̑̀̓͝ī̵͕͈͗̈́ŝ̵̩ ̶̰̾̇̚ś̵̢͚̘̋͋͌͝t̸̮̩͗̓̽r̴͍̈̎̎̍e̴̹͙͎͕̐̿͠ṋ̸͆́g̴̥̬͆̾̂͜ṱ̶̛͎̙̲͖͆̋̒̔h̴̖͒̓ ̶̯̩͔̍̒̈́a̵̧̮̖̬̽͗n̴̡̩̼̹͂̇d̶̛̘͈̽̓͋̃ ̴̧̛̩͐́̀͘͜c̴͎͇͙̹̱͗̉̔̾͐l̷̛͎͎͒̕͝a̷͚̔̊͜͜w̸̥̗̦̟͕̒́i̷̙͙͕̰̒̏͋͝n̷̨̨͓͎͔͐ǵ̴̝͚̆͆́̅ ̸̙͓̠̱̘̅a̴͇͔̖̰̲̅p̸̬̒͆̊͝á̶̼̦̻̬͠r̷̥̋̃̓̂̔t̸̜̱́̚ ̶̫̥͊̅h̵̺̼͓̟̿̒̉͜i̵̛̹͖̱̒̿ͅś̷̢̹͔͋̾̚ͅ ̷̼̂̊̋̽s̷̲͍̏̐k̶̬̪͎̇̇į̷͚̮͊̌ͅn̸̆̅̀͜.̷̖̻͉͔̦͐̈́̚͝[51]
Adam's mind became as dark and vastly empty as his body. All sense of surrounding ceased to exist, aside from Dark Star. She held him up by his decaying throat, aloft over the cliff, above the lake down below. Her face became grey swirls, the sky became blood, and the ground became flesh.
What she said to him was all she could hear.
'̵̸̢̟͚̝̝̐̓̿͒͐̕͜F̸̵̠̦͔̘̫͊̐͊͛̓͘͜i̵̵̢͔͉̞͚̐͒̐͊̕̕l̸̸̢̡̠͕͚͚͋͊͘͝ț̴̴̢̘͇̻̈́͒̐͊͝ḧ̴̵͇͇̟̪͚́̿͋̽y̵̴̢͖̙͍͓̞͐̒̓͌̈́͝ c̵̵̼͙͕̙͆̒̒̽̕o̴̵̡̡͉͓̓͊̚͜͝͝m̸̴͇̠̙͎͎̿͑͐͐̚͠m̸̸͖̺̪̻̻͒͑̓́̓͠o̵̵̺̞̟͓͓̪̽̈́̈́͑̔͝n̸̵̢͓̠͕̪͕̽̐͆̕͝͝e̵̸̢̡͚̘̪̓̈́̀͑͜͝r̸̵͖͎͔̻͒͛͌͒͘͜.̸̸͍̟͉̘̟̟̈́̔͆͝͠͝'̸̴̪͍͎̘̪̒͌̐̓̽[52]
She let go.
Adam's necrotic body tumbled down the mountainside. It smashed the rock at one point, somehow just to insult him. Blood was left behind on the rocks, a dirty imprint of the cruelty that had taken place. He crashed into the water below, his body sinking deeper and deeper into the water until it was no longer visible.
Dark Star watched with cruel satisfaction. Star merely stared, a single tear running down her cheek.
'YOU KILLED HIM!' screamed Marco, banging against the forcefield in vain. He choked back a sob.
Dark Star did not even look at them. Her eyes were trained on the lake. She merely raised a finger and said, 'Not yet.'
A tense few seconds passed, as Marco continually struck the forcefield to increase the size of the crack he'd made. He paused and covered his eyes.
A massive explosion erupted from under the lake, sending a torrent of water flying up the side of the cliff. A small wave splashed over Dark Star, prompting a groan.
'Ugh. Wet hair.' She produced her wand from her purse and blasted herself with warm air. In moments, she was bone dry. Pleased, she turned back to Star and Marco. 'Now he's dead.'
In that moment, Dark Star's forcefield shattered. Marco had managed to break through it, despite his busted arm. He turned to his frozen girlfriend.
'Star!' he yelled, shaking her. But she didn't move. She couldn't move. She was just…staring. Staring at the spot at the edge of the cliff where Adam's body had been. Tears flowing down her cheeks, half-forgotten snot oozing out her nostrils.
Dark Star chuckled. 'What are you gonna do?' she teased. 'Are you gonna fight me, Marco? Avenge your fallen friend?' She pursed her lips. 'Tut. I can see why she likes you. Honestly…with all that righteousness, how do you not get tired? It's irritating.'
Marco shook his head, taking out something from his hoodie pocket. He whispered in Star's ear, 'We have to get out of here. Or we're all dead. We can't let Adam die in vain.'
He drew back slightly when she gave no response. Marco bit his lips and grabbed her by the shoulders.
'STAR!'
Star blinked, a half-formed gasp escaping her lips. Her eyes watered still, like a torrential storm wrought through her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut for a second. She stared at Marco, then down at his hands. She swiped his dimensional scissors. He waited for her to open the portal, but she never did.
'Star, what are you doing? We have to go!'
'No…no…I…we have to…we have to save him…'
'If we stay, she'll kill us too!'
Star looked down for a second, her grip on the scissors loosening. Marco grimaced remorsefully.
In one smooth motion, he snatched the scissors from her. Star cried in denial, but she could barely move before Marco opened a portal below her.
'I'm sorry, Star.'
Marco shoulder-barged her through the portal, before jumping through it himself.
Dark Star made no effort to stop them. Instead, she smiled wickedly and muttered something to herself.
'Good. Suffer.'
It was a sunny afternoon in the Butterfly Castle courtyard. The birds chirped and chortled amongst themselves from the well-maintained tree branches. Bright orange leaves hung on the autumn breeze, twirling in the wind, and coming to a rest on the wet apple-smelling grass. The sun shone on the clouds, marinating them in a yellow hue across the Mewnian landscape. Castle gardeners got to work sweeping the crisp orange leaves into piles. Rat-squirrels, essential Mewman fauna, burrowed happily into the furrowed heaps to make new homes.
A tranquil moment should have been rare during wartime, but the stronghold that was the Butterfly Kingdom kept the war out of mind. Reality and fantasy became one in this place, sort of like a hazy dream mimicking utopia.
Not for much longer. The moment a shimmering blue portal opened in the middle of the courtyard, and two teenagers stumbled out of it, everything changed entirely.
Star and Marco fell onto the floor with a thud. The portal shut behind them, as Marco steadily got to his feet. He panted away his exhaustion, trying to process what he had just seen.
'No…no…no!' screamed Star, leaning over on her knees. She banged her fists onto the dirt. 'We…we have to go back!'
'Star…we-we can't,' he stuttered. 'It's…it's too dangerous!'
'NO!' Star jumped to her feet and tackled him to the ground. 'We left him behind! We have to save him!' She tried to reach for his dimensional scissors, but Marco held it away from her. 'We left Adam behind!'
'Adam's dead!' he cried, trying to blink away his tears. 'We…we saw it! He…he disintegrated. Then he fell into the lake and exploded!'
'It was just an explosion!' she pleaded. 'He could have survived! We need to find him! If you…if you just let me go! Let me find him! PLEASE!' She started banging him on the chest. 'YOU HAVE TO TAKE ME BACK! TAKE ME BACK NOW! TAKE ME BA-ACK…! PLE-EA-ASEEE!'
She screamed until her voice went raw. Marco held her with his non-broken arm and let her sob. Her cheeks turned red and blotchy, sore, and swollen to the touch. Gently, Marco rocked her back and forth, trying to keep himself calm at the same time.
'I'm sorry…' he muttered, sitting up with her. 'I'm so sorry…'
'G-Guys…?'
Star stopped crying for a moment and looked up. Marco loosened her from his hug and turned to see.
Janna stood half a foot away, staring. She wavered uncomfortably on the spot, a half-horrified look on her face. Her arms trembled, erratically reaching out and retracting a hand.
'I…I heard yelling.'
Neither Star nor Marco could stomach the strength to say anything to her. Janna looked at them, silent for a few more moments. Her eyes wandered. She looked around slowly. Perturbed.
'Wait…wh-where's Adam?'
Marco tried to look her in the eye. He really did. He sniffed and choked back a tear. The most he could manage was looking in her vague direction. He shook his head tearfully.
The girl took a sharp intake of breath. She staggered back and shook her head frantically. Marco nodded slightly. Janna dropped to her knees. Her heartbeat began racing, pounding her chest. Hyperventilation overtook her, short, frayed gasps that swiftly grew out of control.
The entire world fell silent, turned dark, as the girl began to sob.
Domesticated murdercrows squawked on the branches outside the Capitol City throne room. They searched for anything to eat, anything non-humanoid, with salivating patience. Several of them fought over the same branch, nipping each other with an ear-piercing screech.
The doors to the throne room swung open. Empire Knights shuffled abruptly out of the way to avoid being smacked in the face. Dark Star waltzed into the room, flipping her wand in her hand. The knights immediately left the room, sparing uncertain glances at one another.
'It's done. Adam Butterfly is dead.'
The Red Queen, who was sitting on her throne, shifted in her seat The thrones next to her were absent, leaving Dark Moon to her own reign. Her long flowing red hair was slightly frayed, a few hairs sticking out from her otherwise pristine appearance. Makeup covered the bags under her eyes, and magic banished away the bloodshot truth hiding in her eyes. She raised an eyebrow.
'Did you check, Star?'
'Uh, yeah, he died in a massive explosion.' Dark Star folded her arms matter-of-factly. 'I'm pretty certain, Mom.'
'The man with the magic is not so easily vanquished,' said the Red Queen. 'You must be mistaken.'
'I KNOW WHAT I SAW!' she snapped. 'Why can't you just trust me for once? How could he possibly have survived?'
Dark Moon rose from her throne. She walked over to the nearby window, watching the murdercrows fight over which branch was theirs. A thin sigh escaped through her lips.
'The prophecy.'
Dark Star frowned. 'Prophecy? What prophecy?'
'Seth of Septarsis,' she replied. 'His dying words claimed that I would meet my downfall at the hands of the "man with the magic".'
'That's it?' scoffed her daughter, wandering over to her princess throne and sinking onto it. 'Some stupid lizard's last words are what convinced you that Adam was some big threat? Seriously? I mean…how do you even know it's a prophecy?'
'What do you remember of Glossaryck's siblings?'
Dark Star snorted in surprise. She scratched the back of her scalp, saying, 'I don't really remember them. And Glossaryck hardly spoke of them.'
'Unlike Glossaryck, they weren't bound to our service.' The Red Queen briefly turned to look at her. 'They disapproved of us. They left the universe not long after Hermia's reign, frustrated with our…methods. But I needed answers for what Seth had told me…so I drew them back. The others escaped, but I forcibly trapped Tableaucontenta in our universe.'
Dark Star groaned impatiently. Her mother shot her a disapproving look, but the princess remained bored.
'Pay attention, child,' she scolded, looking away. 'Tableaucontenta's abilities to witness universes in her book became important. We scalped her brain, harnessed its power…and opened a Shatterpoint.'
Dark Star practically leapt out her seat. She choked on the air. 'A Shatterpoint?!' she exclaimed in shock. 'But…how? I…I've never managed to do that!'
'You have much to learn, Star,' her mother reminded her. Dark Star rolled her eyes, but she still cocked her head to the side.
'What did you see in that Shatterpoint?'
'Everything.' Dark Star's eyes narrowed at the vague description. 'I viewed infinite timelines, streamed into my head. A thousand voices speaking; a million images moving past my eyes at the speed of sound. So many possibilities, from all across the multiverse. It seemed so…daunting, I suppose. Perhaps, now I understand why only fifth-dimensional beings such as Tableaucontenta were fit to wield such power.
'I heard the prophecy with my own voice: "Beware the man with the magic. Born out of wedlock, he contains a power you will never understand. First, he will take one of your own. Then, he will set into motion a series of events that will overturn your rule. You will be struck down by your greatest enemy."
'This Adam Butterfly…he is the man this prophecy speaks of. I knew it from the moment he defeated the knight patrol with magic. He is the first male sorcerer I have ever encountered. When he killed Lekmet, I knew for certain who he was. He matches the prophecy. I cannot allow him to be the cause of my fall. I must prevent this prophecy from coming true.' She swallowed the air in her throat. 'It matters not if you think you killed him, Star, for the prophecy is still coming true. We must be prepared!'
Dark Star's eyes widened. She looked down, frowning in thought. Her eyes glazed over, becoming slightly distant. Her voice went quiet, almost tentative to her realisation.
'You're afraid.'
Dark Moon frowned. 'Hmm? Speak up, Star.'
'Fear is weak, Mom. Weakness must be purged.' She looked her mother in the eye. 'You taught me that.'
'Mind your tongue, child. Do not insult me.'
'We are losing this war, mother!' Dark Star argued. 'Your paranoid compulsion to destroy Positive Mewni exacerbates things!'
'I am acting in the best interests of my Empire!' snapped the Red Queen. 'I am preventing the plague from tainting us further. I am doing us all a favour by ensuring that this impoverished, sickened world never touches us!'
'You act purely out of weakness!' she yelled back. 'I have done more in two hours than you have in two years! Yet you do nothing but criticise me at every turn. You've never appreciated what I have done for this Empire!'
Dark Moon spun around and glared at her. She bounded towards her, her towering height casting a shadow over her daughter.
'Do not speak out of term. I would advise you choose your next words VERY carefully.'
Dark Star snorted. 'What are you gonna do? Whine about me not doing exactly what you want me to? Like you always do?'
Dark Moon responded by smacking her across the face with the back of her hand. Dark Star stumbled backwards, biting back a groan of pain. Her mother turned her back to her daughter in disappointment. For a brief moment, Dark Star twitched submissively.
'I will not warn you again. Mind. Your. Tongue.'
'No.' She glowered back at her mother. 'I no longer act under your jurisdiction, mother. You've shown nothing but frailty and weakness in your paranoid and fear. The weak must be culled. It is the lesson I learned as a child.'
In a crack of wind, she pulled out her wand and pointed it at her mother. A bright yellow Solarian Blast burst out of the crystal. It raced towards the Red Queen, coming close to hitting her.
The Solarian Blast struck a ruby forcefield instead. Dark Moon turned, her lips thinning in disappointment. The forcefield barely splintered.
'Disappointing.'
She flared her fingers and shot a bright crimson beam of light through the forcefield. It tore through the air with a thunderous boom. Dark Star formed a forcefield in front of her, but the beam broke through it.
A massive explosion erupted in the throne room. The stone floor was splintered and fragmented, kicking up plumes of smoke and ash. A mist of stony ash blanketed the area, blocking Dark Moon's view. She hummed unhappily. When the dust finally cleared, she frowned.
Dark Star stood there, untouched by the world. She was placid and unfazed, twirling her wand between her fingers.
'What is the meaning of this?!' growled Dark Moon. Dark Star smirked.
'Oh, it's very simple.'
Someone reached around her. Dark Moon gasped for air. Her neck was seized by an exterior force. It was twisted around in one snap. There was a sickening crack that echoed through the room. One last groan escaped her lips before she slumped to the ground, dead.
Her crown slipped off her head and tumbled to the ground. The ding of metal against stone reverberated across the floor.
Dark Star appeared behind her. The illusion of herself disappeared, and now she stood over her mother's dead body. She stood over her corpse and grinned wickedly.
'I learnt that trick from a good enemy.' She breathed a sigh of content. 'He's gone now, and so are you.'
The doors to the throne room swerved open with a loud creak. A dozen guards stormed into the room, pointing their swords and spears at her. They looked at one another in uncertainty, their grip on their weapons wavering.
'St-stay where you are!'
Dark Star smirked. Instead of even acknowledging the guards, she merely stepped across Dark Moon's corpse. She bent down to pick up something. She plucked her mother's crown neatly off the ground. The guards stared onwards as she placed the crown perfectly on the top of her head.
Satisfied, she walked over to her mother's former throne and casually sat down upon it.
'Princess Star –!'
'You will address me as Queen Star,' she cut off. 'You now serve me, Star the Unforgiving. The Empire belongs to me. Bow down to your new ruler. Now!''
The guards stared at one another, dropping their weapons reluctantly. Dark Star glared at them. One by one, the guards got down their knees and bowed with fearful respect.
'ALL HAIL QUEEN STAR THE UNFORGIVING! ALL HAIL QUEEN STAR THE UNFORGIVING! ALL HAIL QUEEN STAR THE UNFORGIVING! ALL HAIL…'
Their voices trailed off into nothingness. As they continued to chant their fealty, Queen Star the Unforgiving grinned with wicked satisfaction.
All was truly right with the world.
[46]This says, 'Break the bonds, tear the fabric; cleave the stones, stop the magic.'
[47]'ADAM!'
[48]'Dark black lines began spreading up his skin. It crept up his arm, splitting apart the skin and muscle above.'
[49]'Greyness…darkness…nothingness…it all came to nothing. Nothing more to say. Nothing more to be.'
[50]'His eyes turned dark and black, like an empty, bottomless, pitiless void. No light could escape its clutches.'
[51]'A vast emptiness called to him. It clawed into him, ripping apart his strength and clawing apart his skin.'
[52]'Filthy commoner.'
Whoops, I just killed off the main character.
And the up-to-now overarching antagonist.
Cue "For the Damaged Coda" when Adam falls down the cliffside.
Now I bet you weren't expecting that, huh? Well, it's always been my intention. Red Glossaryck mentioned in Chapter 3 that the Whispering Spell would be the only effective way of killing him. And Dark Star stole his spellbook and found this out, or rather figured it out from his notes about the Whispering Spell. Adam's lust for revenge, his overwhelming obsession for it, finally gets the best of him and leads to his death. And for the record, yes, Adam was in fact killed by the Whispering Spell. But the show must go on.
And finally, the other thing I've been building towards in this story happened: matricide. Dark Star murdered her own mother to usurp the throne, as she has always dreamed of doing. She could never do it before this because of how tight of a grip the Red Queen had on her and the Empire. She was too powerful, but her paranoia in recent years has debilitated her mental state to the point she was vulnerable to an illusion by Dark Star, allowing her to finally murder the queen and take the throne for herself. Officially, Dark Star's title is "Star the Unforgiving", an obvious parallel to "Star the Underestimated". I never noticed how many of the titles start with the letter U. Moon the Undaunted, too.
It's gonna be a while until the next chapter. This chapter was a doozy after all. I wanted to lead to a kind of fake climax in the Great Monsoon, with the previous finale episodes leading to this moment where it looks like the end is in the sight, but then it surprisingly isn't, as Adam dies. I also got a little flashback in, since there's actually been little vivid focus on Adam's past with the destruction of his village and the death of Beru. Future chapters will pay attention to this, I promise I've been saving it for later.
As promised, Glossaryck's siblings are mentioned. And Tableaucontenta actually played a posthumous role in the story, though I perhaps overplayed it a little. I implied that Tableaucontenta had some kind of ability to read the future from her book (hence the name), which the Red Queen tried to take advantage of, hence leading to her opening and viewing a Shatterpoint in time.
Well, anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading, and thank you for all the support!