Birds chirped in the distance—
Their song weaving through the soft rush of the nearby river.
Blue waters sparkled beneath the sun's embrace—
Scattering rays that danced across Absynthe's closed eyes.
Behind her lids—
A faint reddish hue began to glow.
Stirring her awake.
Her mind spun—
Disoriented by the dull ache pounding in her head.
She sat up slowly—
The world swaying for a moment as she took in her surroundings.
"Where... am I?"
Her voice was hoarse, laced with confusion.
As she raised her arms—
Dust-laden light filtered through the air, revealing something new—
Something extraordinary.
Her hands—
Once familiar—now shimmered.
Silver veins pulsed faintly beneath her skin—
Like rivers of starlight, tracing unseen constellations.
The delicate glow extended across her fingers—
Radiating an energy 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 fragile yet powerful.
In that moment—
She resolved not to fear it—
But to wield it.
A soft, melodic snore interrupted her thoughts—
Accompanied by an occasional giggle,
Light. Carefree.
Her head turned sharply toward the sound—
Eyes settling on a figure nearby.
Synthena.
Curled on her side—
Back facing Absynthe.
The faint glow of her crystalline patterns caught the sunlight—
Shimmering softly across her arms and shoulders.
Intricate formations shifted gently—
Between silver and blue—
Like ripples across a moonlit lake.
"Synthena...? Is that you?"
Absynthe whispered,
Voice hesitant.
Her friend didn't stir—
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.
Absynthe reached out tentatively—
Hand trembling as it rested on Synthena's shoulder.
She gave a gentle shake.
At first—
Synthena stirred but refused to wake.
With a second, firmer nudge—
Her friend jolted awake,
Sitting up abruptly—
Her glowing markings catching the light.
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?"
She murmured—
Panic rising in her voice.
"Didn't we die?"
Absynthe watched quietly—
As Synthena's confusion turned to unease.
"Abby… where are we?"
Her voice tightened with urgency.
"I'm unsure, Syn."
Absynthe's tone was soft yet steady.
"But surely, we haven't strayed too far from the school."
Silence wrapped around them.
Synthena's thoughts twisting and turning.
Then—
Her eyes darted toward Absynthe's glowing hands.
"What is wrong with you?! Are you ill? You're glowing like a flickering disco ball!"
She yelped—
Eyes wide, frantic.
"Look at your veins—they're pulsing silver! What's happening to you?"
Absynthe chuckled weakly, shaking her head.
"Perhaps you shouldn't worry so much about me."
Her tone tinged with curiosity.
"Have you seen yourself yet?"
She gestured faintly, lips quirking upward.
"You resemble a painted canvas, adorned with crystallized shards."
Her eyes glinted.
"Your colors are radiant—spectacular, really."
"And your hair…"
She paused, smirking.
"It's blue now."
A teasing lilt crept into her voice.
"Did you sneak off to a cosplay convention while I was asleep?"
Synthena's hands flew to her hair,
Eyes widening—
Scrambling toward the riverbank.
Her reflection greeted her like a stranger—
Crystalline patterns, cosmic hues—
Refracting across the water's rippling surface.
For a moment—
She was speechless.
Fingers tracing the outlines of her shimmering image.
Absynthe followed closely behind—
Gazing down at her own reflection.
The sight of her transformed face—
Her glowing silver veins—
Sent a tremor through her chest.
Her hands shook.
Breath hitched.
She recoiled abruptly—
Gaze snapping upward.
The skies loomed vast and endless—
But their emptiness struck deep.
Like a blade—
The vision pierced her.
Screaming faces.
Crumbling buildings.
Five silhouettes cloaked in darkness.
Entire planets disintegrated into nothingness.
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, ragged.
Despair gripped her like iron chains.
She buried her face in her hands—
Fingers digging into her scalp—
As though to claw the images from her mind.
"Absynthe?! What's wrong?!"
Synthena scrambled toward her friend—
Crystalline markings flaring as she moved.
"Talk to me! You're scaring me!"
Her glowing hands hovered uncertainly—
Tension thickening between them.
Then—
A rustle in the undergrowth shattered the moment.
Their breath hitched.
Muscles taut with anticipation.
Then—
A squirrel darted out from the bushes.
Relief washed over them—too fleeting.
Because the squirrel was wrong.
Its shadow twisted unnaturally in the sunlight.
Its form contorted—
Limbs elongating grotesquely—
Fur sloughing off, replaced by jagged scales.
Then—
It roared.
The birds fell silent.
The river stilled.
The forest held its breath.
And Absynthe & Synthena—
Had nowhere to run.