‘I hope he’s alright…’

Maria’s thoughts trailed as she looked carefully at Jared’s body from a close distance.

Something about his pale skin and his barely moving body seemed to signify lifelessness, and it bothered Maria to no end.

It had only been a few minutes since he began his Resonance with Edward and Kuzon, but it felt like an eternity to her.

‘Edward and Kuzon don’t look pale at all. It’s just him!’

Why? She had no idea, and that was what made her fret even more.

“You don’t need to be worried about him, Maria. The dude can take care of himself.” She heard Ana’s voice echo in her ears, and she felt her hand resting on her shoulder.

Maria appreciated the sentiment, but it wasn’t something she could turn on or off.

‘I know he’s very strong and capable. But… seeing him like this is…’ She couldn’t describe it easily.

‘If it was Kuzon, I’m sure you’d feel the same.’

Of course, Maria didn’t dare speak out her thoughts, so she only nodded and smiled as Ana comforted her.

~WHUUUUUUUSSSHHH!~

A sudden gust of wind appeared, and it instantly surrounded all three of the guys who sat in a circle. A bright light also consumed them, shining so brightly that it would blind any man instantly.

“KUZOOOON!” Ana’s voice was the first to peak, as her eyes bulged despite the bright light that just appeared.

However, her shock and worry were only going to be temporary as the next moment, bright light began to emanate from her—as well as everyone else—too.

The gust of wind that swirled around Maria and her comrades felt light, almost pleasant. The light also felt familiar, and it seemed to be guiding her somewhere.

She closed her eyes for a moment, taking in these strangely serene sensations, and the moment she opened them… she was in a completely different realm.

The same went for all her comrades.

No longer were they in the ruined town, or in anywhere resembling an aspect of reality. Instead, they found themselves in an inexplicable realm.

“W-whoah…” Maria mumbled to herself as her eyes took in the marvelous sights before her.

It felt like she was living on a canvas that had been created by converging rainbows.

The palette of colors that filled her eyes caused her heart to race in excitement, and the world itself seemed so vast that it could very well be infinite.

Thankfully, she wasn’t alone in this place.

Looking around her, Maria could see all her friends, all of whom were equally confused as they looked around them.𝚘𝚟𝐋xt.𝗇𝓔t

How had they arrived in this unfamiliar realm? Who was behind this?

And more importantly… who were the twelve colossal entities that now surrounded them?

‘Jared! Where is he?’

As Maria’s eyes widened in shock and worry, she looked all around her, but found no trace of him at all. She couldn’t even find his body!

‘W-where… where is Jared?!’

“Welcome, allies of Jared Leonard.” Upon hearing his name from one of the colossal entities, the one who resembled a humanoid mass of water, Maria turned in that direction.

“Who are you all? Where are we?” Before Maria could utter a word, Serah Crimson yelled out her question.

She had a fiery look in her eyes which Maria greatly appreciated.

‘Yes, Master! Ask them where Jared is too!’ Her thoughts burst out as she tightened both her fists in determination.

Unfortunately, Serah asked no such thing.

“We are—”

“Constellations, huh? I see… it makes sense.” The one who spoke now was Kuzon.

He rubbed his hair a little and then turned in the direction of the massive entity that resembled a lion—well, a lion bathed with cosmic aesthetics.

“Leo, that’s you, right?” He spoke audaciously, now putting both hands in his pockets as he walked closer to the Constellation.

“You should have said somethi—”

~VWUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!~

A sudden pressure filled the room, and Maria felt the urge to kneel instantly.

Everyone instantly fell to their knees and trembled thanks to the abrupt invisible force that kept them down. Their bodies wouldn’t stop shaking, and the current power that overwhelmed their senses only seemed to be rising by the second.

“Your impudence knows no bounds. All of you…” The water-based entity spoke once more.

She was Aquarius, and Maria instantly understood that the moment she concentrated on her and didn’t think of Jared for one second.

The entities around her were Constellations, the most powerful beings in the world.

“Just like Jared Leonard, it seems his friends also lack manners. Are these truly the ones we should bestow our powers to?” Aquarius murmured.

It was impossible to determine if she was frowning or now, but from the tone of her voice, Maria guessed that was the case.

The pressure around her was too much for her to speak her mind, and it troubled her to no end.

‘Jared… what did they do to Jared?’

“Hey! Who do you think lacks manners?!” A sudden voice echoed in the massive space, causing Maria’s eyes to widen.

Someone among them had just spoken, and her loud voice broke through the tense silence like a hot knife through butter.

“You just dragged us all here without proper warning, and without explaining things to us, you’re subjecting us to whatever nonsense you want!”

Maria was bewildered.

Everyone else was on their knees, trembling due to the inescapable power that weighed them down, and yet one of them was standing… spewing words that would only fuel the rage of those who stood above them.

“You’re just bullies! Now stop hurting my Jerr… I mean, my friends…!”

Ciara’s voice stuttered at the last portion of her sentence, but that didn’t seem to be fom nervousness. Both hands were on her hips, and she had a scowl on her face that defied all logic.

Maria was beyond surprised, and so was everyone else.

Even the Constellations.

“You…” Aquarius murmured as she seemed to draw near with her imposing presence.

“… What did you just do?”

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Thank you all for reading!

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