The world whimpered as a mulberry aura radiated from Emily's body. The sky bled like ink. Mulberry and orange clouds hovered in the weeping sky, casting unnatural shadows on the ground. Emily's left eye glowed mulberry while her right eye erupted in a solar orange hue. Flames crackled from her cosmic eyes as she stared at Rachel with an unsettling grin and predatory teeth. A void-like tear trickled down Emily's cheeks as her star-speckled black hoodie, ripped black jeans, and combat boots materialized on her body. P̴̙̘̫̯̯̜͉̖̞̞͚͕̻̻̞̀̈ͩͮ͐́̾̑ͤ͒̏͛ͫ́̽̌̐͜͟͜ŗ̵̡̛̼̙̻͔͚̼͓̺̼̗̟̮̟̪́ͧͩ̒͑̎́ͥ͐̏ͫ̃͑ͪ͊̉̅́̆̀̋͗̈̋̕͢͟ḭ̼̥̗͍̱̏ͪͥ̂m̷̷̛̺̗̣̻͎̮̙͚͖͓ͨͬͥ̄́ͦ̚͜͞ḛ͉̦̫̐́̾̃̊́ͤ͛͛͂͋̈ͯͮ͘͞ appeared on her hoodie in glitch font, as if the universe stamped her nature through a logo.
Stars swirled inside Emily's eyes as the surrounding space glitched with static and code. Animals cried, and the trees groaned and creaked as if Emily's very presence disturbed nature. Tears made of stars trickled down marble statues as they collapsed under the pressure radiating from Emily's body. The very sun shivered as if it wanted to run away instead of radiating its warmth down on the world.
Rachel's heart thumped in her chest as she gazed up at Emily. Her body trembled as Emily stared at her without blinking. She felt a pressure on her chest similar to what she felt when the ENGINE marked her as chosen. A creeping sense of doom dripped down her spine like burning oil as eldritch eyes manifested in the air, gazing down with mulberry menace.
Elijah dropped his cigarette as he stared up at Emily, fixating on the Prime logo on her black hoodie. His fingers trembled, and his eyes dilated as Emily's gaze turned towards him. His body felt heavy and lethargic, as if he had just finished an intense workout.
Sarah's eyes dilated as she dropped her folding fan while debris and rock fell from the sky. Her lips quivered as Emily's eyes drifted toward her, but she could not make eye contact. She gazed down at the ground as she could feel Emily's hands around her neck once more. Primordial fear crept down her back as her mind spiraled into despair. "HA … HAHAHAHAAA… this is it. We are about to die," she laughed as her body shivered while she clutched her head.
Alice cracked under Emily's gaze. Her muscles twitched as her body quivered; her instincts were screaming to run, but she could not move. Gunter stared up in awe, mouth open, while his mind processed what he had just witnessed. The barrier collapsed as he could no longer focus while Emily's eyes drifted towards him.
Emily's eyes started to glow violently as she lifted her arm up towards the heavens. S̨̬̠͇̲̻̰͇͉̥̗̺̗ͦ̅̀̽̓̆̄̀ͨ̉̉̿́ͣ̕͟͝_̨̛̼̠̭̬͉͍ͩ͊͗ͮ͒ͬ͛͡t̷̨̯ͭ͑͊͟͢a̷̧̗̖͇̪̠̣̩ͫͣ̀ͤ̾ͯ̐ͩ̽̓ͧͤ̕͡t̬̭̫͖̥̤̼̋̿̓ͩ̀̍ͧ͑͡ĩ̴̢̢͔̙̖̲͍̪͔̞͛̓ͯ̽͐́ͫ̆_̷̖̫͕̦̱̻͓̝͙̃̒͋͆́̇̆͠c͔̙̘̬̈̆̉̄̀͢_̵̘͉̖̞̖̤ͪ͐͊̽̈ͤͥ͠ͅ Ş̶̴̶̧͎̹̯̯̠̘̝̪̦͎͓͇̟̻͍̤̭̫͙͈̩ͥ̑̐̽͗̈̄͗͒ͣͦ̂ͫ̍̋ͥ̈͂͢͟͢n̢̛̮̥̩̙̞̥̘̪̋̐̆ͤ̊ͭ̍͐̆͂̔̅̚͜͝͝ơ̵̳̯͔̳̹̟̝͍̬͍͉͗̊̿͊ͯ̐ͧ͐̔ͬ͡ẃ̧̩̞̣̘͕̳̳̩̼̫̬ͬ͆͛̾̅̋̀̊̐́̐͊̀͂̽̀̕͝͝͞ͅͅ started to fall from the sky, dripping like corrupted ink on a page. The once pristine blue sky twisted into a bruised-colored palette of doom.
"ɆVɆⱤɎ ⱧɄ₦ĐⱤɆĐ ɎɆ₳Ɽ₴, ɎØɄ ₲₳₮ⱧɆⱤɆĐ. ɆVɆⱤɎ ⱧɄ₦ĐⱤɆĐ ɎɆ₳Ɽ₴ ɎØɄ ₴ł₦₲.₩₳₮₵ⱧɆĐ ₮ⱧɆ Ɇ₦₲ł₦Ɇ ₦Ø₮ ₵ⱧØØ₴Ɇ ₮Ø₥ØⱤⱤØ₩. ₴ɆɆ ₩Ⱨ₳₮ ₦Ɇ₩ ₳₲Ɇ ł ₩łⱠⱠ ฿Ɽł₦₲," Emily sang. She stared at Rachel with a stoic expression as she landed on the ground. "₵ⱧłⱠĐⱤɆ₦ ĐⱤɆ₳₥ Ø₣ ฿Ɇł₦₲ ₵ⱧØ₴Ɇ₦ ₳Ɽ₮ł₴₮₴, ฿ɄłⱠĐɆⱤ₴, ₥ł₦Đ₴ Ø₣ ₴₮ɆɆⱠ. ɎØɄ ₮ⱧØɄ₲Ⱨ₮ ₮ⱧɆ Ɇ₦₲ł₦Ɇ ₴₳₩ ₥Ʉ₵Ⱨ ĐɆɆ₱ɆⱤ ₮Ⱨ₳₦ ₮ⱧɆ ₱Ø₩ɆⱤ ɎØɄ ₵ØɄⱠĐ ₣ɆɆⱠ."
Rachel summoned the willpower to speak. "What did you do?"
Emily did not reply.
"All this because I said no?"
Emily did not reply as she stared at Rachel.
Elijah dug into his coat pocket, grabbed a cigarette, and lit it, struggling to keep a grip on it. He looked Emily dead in the eye while his heart pounded in his chest. "Kid, this isn't you."
"Did you just call the PRIME a kid! Are you mad?" Gunter yelled.
"₮Ⱨł₴ ł₴ ₥Ɇ ₴ØɄⱤ₱Ʉ₴₴," Emily replied as she put her hands in her hoodie pocket. "₮ⱧɆ ØⱤ₱Ⱨ₳₦ ₮Ⱨ₳₮ ɎØɄ ₭₦Ø₩ ₩₳₴ ₮ⱧɆ ⱠłɆ."
"I don't believe that," Elijah said, steeling his resolve as he smoked.
"₮ⱧɆ₦ ɎØɄⱤ ⱠɎł₦₲ ₮Ø ɎØɄⱤ₴ɆⱠ₣ JɄ₴₮ ₳₴ ₥Ʉ₵Ⱨ ₳₴ ł ₳₥."
"Maybe, or maybe I believe in the orphan, not whatever the fuck this is."
"We are going to fucking die! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA," Sarah cackled.
Emily glanced at Sarah with an unreadable expression, unbothered by her statement.
"Why all of this if you built the ENGINE? If you were the PRIME all along, then why let everyone believe the ENGINE was God?" Gunter asked.
"฿Ɇ₵₳Ʉ₴Ɇ ł ₩₳₦₮ɆĐ ₮Ø ฿Ɇ Ⱡł₭Ɇ ɎØɄ. ₳ ₥ØⱤ₮₳Ⱡ ₳₦Đ Ɽ₳₵ⱧɆⱠ ⱤɄł₦ɆĐ ł₮."
"So all of this is to find a regent? Every Prime was just filling a throne because you were on vacation," Rachel asked.
"ł₮ ₩Ø₦₮ ฿Ɇ ł₣ ɎØɄ ₳₵₮Ʉ₳ⱠⱠɎ JɄ₴₮ ₳₲ⱤɆɆĐ ฿Ʉ₮ ł₥ JɄ₴₮ ₴ɆⱠ₣ł₴Ⱨ ₳₱₱₳Ɽ₳₦₮ⱠɎ."
years,"You are, and it's pretty clear you never want to be PRIME. One hundred years my ass."
Emily shrugged. "JɄĐ₲Ɇ ₥Ɇ ₳ⱠⱠ ɎØɄ Ⱡł₭Ɇ. ł ₵ØɄⱠĐ JɄ₴₮ ₥₳₭Ɇ ɎØɄ ฿Ʉ₮ ł V₳ⱠɄɆ ₣ⱤɆɆ ₩łⱠⱠ."
"Rachel, you are literally judging God!" Gunter yelled. "I will not die because of your arrogance."
"ØⱧ ₴ⱧɄ₮ ₮ⱧɆ ₣Ʉ₵₭ Ʉ₱ ØⱠĐ ₥₳₦," Emily groaned. "ł₣ ł ₵₳ⱤɆĐ ₳฿ØɄ₮ ₩ØⱤ₴Ⱨł₱ ØⱤ ₳ⱠⱠ ₮Ⱨł₴ ฿ɄⱠⱠ₴Ⱨł₮ ł ₩ØɄⱠĐ₦₮ ฿Ɇ ฿Ɇ₲₲ł₦₲ ₣ØⱤ Ɽ₳₵ⱧɆⱠ ₮Ø ₮₳₭Ɇ ₥Ɏ JØ฿."
Sarah collected herself and stood upright. "I will do it!"
"₦Ø!" Emily responded.
"No!" Elijah yelled.
"No!" Gunter said.
"No!" Alice replied.
"No," Rachel said.
"But?"
"But nothing, just shut the fuck up!" Elijah replied as he smoked.
Emily sighed, then rubbed her face. "ł ₳₥ ₮łⱤɆĐ Ø₣ ₮Ⱨł₴ Ɽ₳₵ⱧɆⱠ. Ɇł₮ⱧɆⱤ ɎØɄ ₮₳₭Ɇ ₮ⱧɆ ₮ⱧⱤØ₦Ɇ ØⱤ ɆVɆⱤɎ₮Ⱨł₦₲ Ɇ₦Đ₴."
"Please have mercy," Gunter pleaded.
"You're bluffing," Rachel replied.
Emily's eyes widened as she blinked rapidly. Her head tilted slightly as that same unsettling grin stretched across her face. "฿ⱠɄ₣₣ł₦₲? ɎØɄ ₮Ⱨł₦₭ ł ₳₥ ฿ⱠɄ₣₣ł₦₲?"
Elijah shook his head and sighed. "Damnit, Rachel," he muttered as he looked up at the sky.
The stars in Emily's eyes swirled as her pupils dilated to unnatural proportions. Her predator-like smile stretched from ear to ear as the mulberry aura radiating from her body expanded. A sea of mulberry light blinded everyone as marble, trees, and rock levitated in the air. Static crackled in Rachel's eardrums as pulsating bass rumbled against her chest.
"₩Ɇ₳Ɽ ₮ⱧɆ ₵ⱤØ₩₦!" Emily sang as a twisted grin stretched on her face. "₮ⱧⱤɆ₳Đ₴ Ø₣ ₣₳₮Ɇ ₩ØVɆ₦ ₮ł₲Ⱨ₮. ₳ ₵ⱤØ₩₦ Ø₣ ₴₮₳₮ł₵, Ɇ₦ĐⱠɆ₴₴ ₥ł₲Ⱨ₮. ɎØɄ Đ₳₦₵ɆĐ ł₦ ⱠØØ₱₴, ɎØɄ ₣ØɄ₲Ⱨ₮ ₮ⱧɆ ⱧɄ₥ ฿Ʉ₮ ₮ⱧɆ ₵Ɏ₵ⱠɆ ₵₳ⱠⱠ₴, ɎØɄ ₵₳₦'₮ ØɄ₮ⱤɄ₦!"
Rachel blinked as she regained control of her senses. Her eyes widened as she stared up at the starlit, bruised colored sky. Marble statues and temples floated in the fractured space around her. Water, cobblestones, skyscrapers, and bridges hovered over the horizon. Everything looked small compared to her; then she looked at her body and realized she had grown to gigantic proportions.
Her eyes looked down at the chessboard, the size of Leonore in front of her. One by one, the chosen appeared on the massive chessboard. Their masks glowed under Rachel's mulberry gaze. They stared up at her with confusion, then looked at one another with raised eyebrows.
"What the fuck?" Lex muttered as he looked up at the giant-sized Rachel.
"I am too old for this shit," Elijah grumbled as he lit a cigarette, gazing up at Rachel.
"Elijah! What is going on?" Rachel asked as she stared down at the miniature-sized Elijah on the chessboard.
"You fucked up, that's what!" Elijah yelled, his voice barely reaching Rachel's ears.
"I thought she was bluffing!?"
"Emily doesn't bluff!"
"Emily did this?" Arthur asked, then looked up at Rachel.
"We are all going to fucking die!" Sarah cackled as she gazed at the other chosen on the chessboard. "And it's all your fault, Rachel!"
"What is she going on about?" Arthur asked Elijah.
"There is no ENGINE," Amos said as he gazed up. "How…."
"She ate it," Alice replied as she crossed her arms.
"She what?" Amos replied with wide eyes.
"The ENGINE has forsaken us," Shiyu stated as she materialized on the chessboard. She looked up at Rachel and frowned. "You have doomed us all."
"She didn't do anything," Alice said as he gazed up at Rachel. "We were already fucked."
"The pilgrimage has been revoked, then? No Engine in the sky, my sister is a giant, and the sky is melting." Sylas asked, gazing around at the chosen.
"Fuck me," Rusev grumbled as he stared at Sarah. "Lex, what now?"
Lex did not respond, gazing around the other chosen while he rubbed his neck.
"Lex, what do we do? I signed up for your fucking coalition; now come up with a fucking plan before we all kick the bucket."
"You don't think I fucking know that!?" Lex shouted. "Look around…what the hell do you think I can do?"
"ł'VɆ ₴₱Ʉ₦ ₮ⱧɆ ₮₳ⱠɆ₴, ł'VɆ ₱ɄⱠⱠɆĐ ₮ⱧɆ ₴₮Ɽł₦₲₴," Emily's voice echoed. "฿Ʉ₮ ɆVɆ₦ ₲ØĐ₴ ₲ⱤØ₩ ₮łⱤɆĐ Ø₣ ₮Ⱨł₦₲₴ ₮ⱧɆ ₥ɄⱠ₮łVɆⱤ₴Ɇ ⱧɄ₥₴, ł₮ ฿Ɇ₦Đ₴, ł₮ ฿ⱤɆ₳₭₴ ₦Ø₩ ł₮'₴ ɎØɄⱤ ₮ɄⱤ₦ ₮Ø ₥₳₭Ɇ ØⱤ Ʉ₦₥₳₭Ɇ."
Emily appeared just as gigantic as Rachel on the opposite side of the chessboard.
"ⱤɆ₣Ʉ₴Ɇ ₮ⱧɆ ₵ⱤØ₩₦ ₳₦Đ ₮ⱧɆ ⱧɄ₥ ₩łⱠⱠ Ɽł₴Ɇ! ⱤɆ₣Ʉ₴ł₦₲ ₳₴ ɆӾ₱Ɇ₵₮ɆĐ, ₳ ₥ØⱤ₮₳Ⱡ'₴ ₵ⱤɎ," Emily sang as she stared into Rachel's mulberry eyes. "₱Ø₩ɆⱤ ł₴ Ɇ₳Ɽ₦ɆĐ, ₮ⱧɆ ₵Ɏ₵ⱠɆ ł₴ ₭Ɇ₱₮. ₱Ɽł₥Ɇ Ø₣ ₮ⱧɆ Ɇ₦₲ł₦Ɇ, ₮ⱧɆ ₵₳ⱠⱠ ł₴ ₥Ɇ₮."
Rachel's eyes narrowed as her eyebrows furrowed. She bit the inside of her lip as she looked down at the chosen on the chessboard, then back up at Emily.
"₩ⱧɆⱤɆ ₮ⱧɆ ₴₮₳₮ł₵ ₵ⱤØ₩₦, ⱠɆ₮ ł₮ ⱧɄ₥. ł₦ ₮Ⱨł₴ ₣Ɽ₳₵₮ɄⱤɆĐ ₮ⱧⱤØ₦Ɇ ɎØɄ'ⱠⱠ ฿Ɇ₵Ø₥Ɇ. ₮ⱧɆ ₩Ɇ₳VɆⱤ Ø₣ ₩ØⱤⱠĐ₴, ₮ⱧɆ ฿ⱤɆ₳₭ɆⱤ Ø₣ ₴Ɇ₳₥₴. ØⱤ ₮ⱧɆ ₲ⱧØ₴₮ ł₦ ₮ⱧɆ ₵ØĐɆ ⱠØ₴₮ ł₦ ₲ⱤłɆ₣."
Elijah levitated in the air as Emily lifted her hand and placed him in the king position on her side of the chessboard. She then did the same with Gunter and placed him in the queen's position. Gunter looked up at Emily with a baffled expression.
"₱ł₵₭ ɎØɄⱤ ₭ł₦₲ ₳₦Đ QɄɆɆ₦," Emily instructed.
"I am not playing your game, Emily," Rachel replied.
Emily blinked slowly, then gazed down at the chessboard. Her eyes locked onto Rachel's fiancé, Mike. A blood-curdling bass reverberated from the heavens, followed by a static-drenched scream from Mike. Mulberry crawled up his skin like an infection. His eyes were hollow, veins spider webbing like cracked glass. Mike's head jerked toward Rachel. A static screech ripped from his throat—BRRRZZZT. The static screech tore through the air, vibrating in Rachel's teeth. Mike's veins blackened, spreading like ink through water, before he crumpled—a puppet with severed strings.
"She hollowed him," Gunter said.
The rest of the chosen stared with wild eyes as his green mask cracked and then fell off his face. They looked up at Emily with prey-like eyes as they recoiled from Mike's body as it dissolved into s͉̝̻̓ͦͦ̄͜͟t̶̸̶̵̶̸̨̡̧̞͖̹̙̘͙̠̖̝̝̼̓ͦͧ́̑̌̀̀̍͒ͤ̇͢͝ͅa̼̺̺̱̼̫ͤ̋ͪͭͮ̆͌ͣ̑t̷̗͇̗͛̄ͭ̒ị̭̝̮͌c̴̰͕͇͈͙̈͂̎ͧͥ̿̚̕͜͜͞ s̸̡̧̛̟̲̘̞̣̰̖͚͍̿̈͛̌̒ͦͩ̅͋̈ͦ͌ͦ̃ͣ͒̎ͬ̀ͧ͌͆ͪ̈ͬͫ̔͘͘̚͜͜n̵̴̡̡̨̧̢̖͔̱͖̮͉͔̫͈͔̙̥͔͈̞͎͖̩͆̆ͨ͂̍̔͂́̔̍ͫ͗̀̈ͯͮ̈́͆̄̚͜͡o̷̡̢̤͖̻͉̪̤̜̝̭͐̓̄́̀̀́͒̌ͯ͗ͣͫ͌ͨ̽̊̕͜w̨͙̻̤͙͕̥̆̈́̓͗ͭ͗ͪ͌̽̂̑̚͜_̛̛̥̺͈̤ͩͤ͐͑ͤͬͪͩ̊ͬ̊̔͐̕̕̕͡ͅ.̸̵͔̯͕͈̮͉̖̞̯̰͆͋͒ͭ̓ͭ͋ͭ́̒͘̕.Rachel mouth dropped, her eyes dilated with horror as the snow drifted through the air.
"₱ł₵₭ ɎØɄⱤ ₭ł₦₲ ₳₦Đ QɄɆɆ₦," Emily instructed Rachel once more.
Rachel clutched her head as her body trembled. She rubbed her face as tears trickled down her face. Emily stared at her for several seconds, then looked back down at the chessboard. A static drench scream rippled from Lex's throat as his eyes went hollow and his veins spider-webbed like cracked glass.
BRRRZZZT.
The static screech tore through the chessboard as Lex's golden mask fell off his face before he collapsed to the ground. Chosen screamed, cried, and recoiled to the edge of the chessboard. Some attempted to escape the chessboard using their abilities, while some tried to attack Emily, but it was all for naught.
"Please stop," Rachel cried as she pulled at her hair. Her eyes started to glow as she attempted to rewind time to bring back Mike and Lex, but it failed. Each time she rewound time, the outcome was the same. She tried to push further back in time, but no matter how far she went back, she found herself in the same position.
" H̸̩̞A͔ͅH̵̺̲̣̔͋A̴̰̠ͮͧH̪͚̙A͌̎͆H̶̯̙A̶̖̅H̪̾̌̂A̳ͭͬA͇͚̮̔. Re͉ͩ̕w̤ͮį͂n̥̱d the tap̛e,̴̭̲ bͬ͌͐ũ̥̕t t̯ḫ_͌ẻ̯ eņ͙̻d̿'̵̫ͅs͓̆ tͥ͒h̊e͟ șa̰ͯmė̃," Emily said, her expression unreadable. "₱ł₵₭ ɎØɄⱤ ₭ł₦₲ ₳₦Đ QɄɆɆ₦," Emily instructed Rachel again.