Within the walls of the citadel, Gene’s unease grew with every step. An incessant chime rang in the back of his head as they ascended through the wrecked tower. It was devoid of life and unlife. No wraith dared step foot in this place and a cursory scan revealed to Gene that they were all scattered in a perfect circle around the citadel.

  Again and again, the hero system began to speak but every time he focused on it, there was no message. He found himself testing his powers every few seconds to make sure he still had them. Stones floated through the air lazily, he levitated them up each floor as they explored, and checked in on everyone’s emotional state.

  When Kyrie looked back at him, he realized just how erratic his emotional state had become. Winnie was so focused on the ritual that both men avoided speaking out loud but Kyrie’s thoughts were loud and clear.

  “Are you going to tell me what’s going on now or wait until the climatic moment as dictated by the hero system?”

  The tone of his thoughts were biting and Gene felt a pang of regret in his chest. He thought once again about his omission of the cost of his power stunts and how the revelation stung his lover.

  “I–no, I’m sorry.”

  Gene’s thoughts were timid, his inner voice small, and Kyrie noticed the subtle difference. He slowed his pace to walk beside Gene, watching him gently lift debris out of their path. His distraction was palpable and Kyrie found himself reaching out to take Gene’s hand.

  “What’s wrong?” whispered Kyrie. He glanced at Winnie but she was lost in thought in recitation.

  He looked back at Gene and he saw tension mounting in his expression.

  “Something’s wrong,” whispered Gene in reply. “I keep hearing the hero system speak but it’s not saying anything or replying to my thoughts. It feels strange, like if you had a stray thought floating around in the back of your mind that you couldn’t pull to the forefront.”

  Kyrie winced. He knew that feeling all too well. When Verdant’s powers overtook his will, he fought, kicked, and screamed in his mind but he couldn’t access any of those thoughts or emotions. He understood Gene’s distress and squeezed his hand tighter to comfort him.

  Winnie let out a small gasp when they ascended the staircase to a grand hall to see six 30-foot tall circular doors surrounding them.

  “It’s here,” she said, her voice no more than a squeak. “Liris’s records show that any time they needed to experiment with ritual magic, Baloran mages used these warded chambers to contain them. They were said to have the power to house spells of catastrophic magnitudes.”

  Her words trailed off but what was unsaid hung in the air. How powerful was this aeon if their wards couldn’t contain it?

  They went from room to room and Gene’s anxiety mounted with each step. The failed notification of his system began to sound with such frequency and urgency that for once, he had to push himself to keep moving. They couldn’t stop now, knowing the wraiths were close to breaking free.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Drawn on the thread of her pact sense, Winnie guided them to the wreckage of a doorway. With a thought, Gene reached out with his mind, using his telekinesis. He effortlessly lifted the massive doors and debris out of the way and when his eyes adjusted to the light, he regretted ever setting foot in Balora.

  In the center of the ritual room kneeled a figure, frozen in an agonizing scream and the source of its terror loomed above it. Through a tear in reality extended a grey arm of titanic proportions. Suspended in time, its pointed finger extended down to the figure whose skin flaked away and hung in the air like motes of dust. Countless red and black eyes of varying shapes and sizes peered down at the figure.

  Gene dropped the doors at the sickening sight and covered his mouth in horror.

  “No!” screamed Winnie as she recoiled from the room.

  “Winnie, what is this?” asked Kyrie as he tried to shake off the shock.

  “So this is–this what happens when you fail to complete a pact with an abstract concept…” said Winnie as she shook her head in disbelief and backed away from the room.

  Gene reached out to steady her and said, “Winnie, be calm. We can do this.”

  She stopped and looked at him in bewilderment. Gene gave her a sympathetic look. He understood her panic and fear, he was fighting it himself, but looking at the horrific sight before him, he knew they had to finish this.

  He squeezed her shoulder and said, “We have to do this.”

  She took steadying breaths and nodded. She formed a ring with her index finger and thumb, scanning the room as she tried to steady her nerves. Her eyes traced the runes and wards that were layered around the room and she felt a cold sweat take hold.

  “The wards. This is a stasis spell but something’s wrong.”

  Her interest overtook her fear and she found herself stepping closer to the room to examine the spells.

  “There’s a multilayered stasis and energy dispersing spell in here but it’s leaking. Whatever that thing is, it was fast enough to unleash its power before the wards could be sprung,” she said before she looked at the ground and gasped, “After all this time, the ritual’s still active.”

  She started hyperventilating but she didn’t back down. Her mind raced trying to understand what was happening and what needed to happen.

  She looked back at Gene and Kyrie before saying, “I’m going to have to hijack the ritual.”

  They both looked at her, confused, and she said, “The energy from this ritual can’t just be safely dissipated because of the stasis spell. If we tried to end it and restart, we’d end up allowing this thing into our world the second the stasis spell ended.”

  Her hands shook violently as she pulled a bundle out of her hoarder’s handbag. Several times, she had to dry her hands before she could open her toolkit. Vials of liquids, salts, an ornate dagger, and candles filled what Gene assumed to be her ritual kit.

  She muttered to herself as she checked her kit, repeating practiced prayers and ensuring she had the correct items to begin the ritual.

  She steeled her resolve and said, “I’m ready.”

  They entered the room and all stopped in place when the eyes of the aeon suddenly shifted to lock onto them. The void swirled and then a massive row of endless teeth and fangs spread into a crooked smile before the creature spoke.

  “Oh hello there,” it said, its voice a cacophony of screams, laughter, and forbidden secrets. “If I had known there were guests coming I would have tidied up the place.”

  “Inconceivable! It’s moving in the stasis spell!” thought Winnie, her thoughts ablaze with fascination and abject terror.

  Gene took a half step back until he heard the voice of the hero system again.

  Hero System Notification: New Mission…Survive.

  Everysekai

  by Bluesycobalt

  > Female Lead with cast of developed side-characters

  > A lot of poking at Isekai tropes

  > Rational and Underpowered Protagonist fighting for her life

  > 1500-2500 Word Chapters

  Updates MWF at 7:10pm EST