THΞ DΔRK SΦSTΞRS

Abbie was, once again, late—or rather, ignoring his work while Bubble had to carry the burden yet again.

It was a good thing she was up against Zip right now, but—

That lazy bastard seriously needed to take his job seriously for once if they wanted to avoid getting locked away.

Little did Bubble know...

One of the Keepers of Balance had finally decided to make her appearance after years of staying dormant within the Multiverse Council.

⋆｡‧˚ʚ🫧ɞ˚‧｡⋆

The storm raged on. Lightning forked across the sky, illuminating the battlefield in fractured bursts of silver light. The wind carried the sharp scent of salt and blood, mixing with the deafening crash of the ocean.

Zip barely dodged as a spear of water lashed out at her, slicing through the air where she had just been. Bubble was toying with her now.

A second attack came—a dozen razor-thin whips of water, twisting and converging toward her from all angles.

Zip swung her sword.

Not just to block—but to cut through.

Her blade shimmered in the storm, slicing the water mid-motion, dispersing the deadly strikes before they could land. But it wasn't enough. Bubble had the entire ocean at her command, and Zip was burning through stamina trying to keep up.

Bubble grinned. "You're slipping, Zip. Getting slow?"

Before Zip could retort, an arrow sliced through the air, embedding itself inches from Bubble's face.

Bubble's grin vanished.

She turned sharply—too late.

A second arrow was already coming, this time aimed at her wrist.

Bubble barely dodged, but she heard it—a sharp, piercing whistle cutting through the storm. A third arrow followed the second, this one with barbed edges, designed to tear through flesh on impact.

Bubble tensed. She recognized that precision.

Edward.

From his perch atop a crumbling ledge, Edward nocked another arrow. His stance was firm, unshaken despite the storm. His bow, sleek and reinforced, was already drawn, the arrowhead glinting with an unnatural shine—enchanted.

"You're loud as always, Bubble," Edward called, voice unwavering. He let the arrow fly.

Bubble dodged again, but Edward was relentless. His shots weren't wild—each one was calculated, aimed not to hit, but to push her exactly where he wanted.