Chapter 11: Reality VS Illusion Part 1

  The air inside the Flux Citadel was a cacophony of terror. Screams, tectonic explosions, and the rhythmic thud of bodies hitting concrete echoed through the halls. In the center of the atrium, Leeseo was trapped inside an Aion Cage—a shimmering blue prison set up by Wonjung like a leash. She huddled on the floor, crying, watched over like a dog left behind while its owner ran a violent errand.

  Wonjung moved through the halls like a storm of crimson silk. Her eyes were a blinding, pulsating blue as she danced through the ranks of the Flux guards. She was too fast, a blur of motion that left a trail of slashed armor and broken weapons in her wake.

  A Flux soldier with massive, boulder-like shoulders lunged at her. His strength was unnatural, even by Flux standards. He landed a heavy blow that sent Wonjung skidding across the room, but she didn't hit the wall. She stopped mid-air, defying gravity with Mansu’s stolen telekinesis. With a flick of her wrist, she flew back at him, her blade finding the gap in his chest plate before he could even blink.

  A squad of soldiers gathered at the end of the hall, channeling their various elemental powers into a combined blast. Wonjung didn't flinch. She opened her palm, and an orb of Void Energy—massive and swirling with dark gravity—erupted from her hand. It swallowed their attacks whole before detonating, clearing the entire corridor in a single, silent explosion of death.

  A female assassin tried to strike from the shadows, her dagger inches from Wonjung’s spine. Wonjung didn't even turn around. She triggered an illusion so potent the woman began to scream, clawing at her own eyes as she "drowned" in a sea of her own fears, only to be ended by a real blade a second later.

  Wonjung stepped forward, her regal silhouette casting a long shadow over the broken floorboards. Standing in her path was Ren, looking as dull and unimpressed as ever.

  "The butler?" she asked, her voice carrying a hint of amusement.

  Ren let out a weary, familiar sigh. "I am not a butler."

  In the blink of an eye, he was gone. He reappeared inches from her, eyes glowing a sharp, pulsing blue. Before she could weave a single thread of magic, his fist buried itself deep into her abdomen.

  Wonjung gasped, staggering back. She was panting, the air knocked out of her by the sheer physical force. "Daring," she managed, a small, strained smile on her lips. "I can't even use illusions against someone with such a strong-willed mind."

  "Compliments?" Ren sighed, already shifting his weight and pulling back for a second strike. "Really?"

  "I’m sorry, Ren." Wonjung’s eyes flared a brilliant blue. "I've always liked you."

  Jagged spikes erupted from the floorboards, tearing through the wood toward him. Ren didn't flinch. He activated his power—Pulsing Force—sending a shockwave outward that redirected the spikes, shattering them against the walls.

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  Wonjung’s gaze shifted to a predatory Red, charging a scarlet wave to erase his abilities. But Ren was faster. He used a localized blast of force against the ground to launch himself into the air, the wave passing harmlessly beneath him.

  He twisted midair, preparing to counter, but Wonjung was already there—waiting. Her eyes were back to blue, a concentrated Void Ball swirling in her palm.

  Ren’s eyes widened slightly. "That’s not good."

  The Void Ball collided with his chest, the impact sounding like a thunderclap. The force sent Ren crashing through the wall and spiraling out of the building.

  Outside, sprawled in the dirt, Ren groaned and tried to push himself up. His arms gave out, and he collapsed back into the dust. He was battered, broken, and defeated—but he was alive.

  ***

  Miles away, the city’s top warriors—San, Rin, and Seonho—were knee-deep in a brutal firefight against an ANTI cell.

  "They’re just keeping us busy!" Rin shouted, parrying a strike.

  "It’s a decoy," San growled, his claymore humming with corruption. "It's time like this makes me miss Kanghyuk."

  They had been lured far from the Citadel, leaving the heart of Flux defenseless. Or so it seemed. There was still one Elite left to guard the gate.

  ***

  Wonjung entered the Great Dojo. The space was vast, empty, and silent. Standing in the center of the polished floor was Gaeul. She wasn't wearing armor. She was dressed simply in a white shirt and black pants, looking more like a civilian than a general. On her fists, she wore brass knuckles tipped with integrated blades.

  "I just got back from the Outlands. Only to find dead soldiers." Gaeul adjusted her knuckles. "You really made your move while I was gone. I gotta say... I am very disappointed."

  Wonjung let out a heavy sigh. "Gaeul..."

  "Wonjung..." Gaeul said, her voice eerily calm. "You were my best friend."

  "I still am," Wonjung replied, her voice echoing in the rafters.

  Gaeul looked at her, her gaze searching. "Are you really a traitor? Or are the ANTIs just playing with your head?"

  Wonjung let out a weary sigh. "Either way, you won't believe me."

  "Then you leave me no choice," Gaeul’s eyes flared a deep, oceanic blue. "I will have to stop you."

  Suddenly, the world fractured. The floorboards divided, the walls began to peel away, and the ceiling spiraled into a vortex. This wasn't an illusion. This was Reality Manipulation. Gaeul was reshaping the very fabric of the room.

  Wonjung’s eyes turned a fierce red. She sent a wave of Scarlet Energy toward Gaeul, intended to erase her presence—but Gaeul simply shifted the coordinates of reality. The wave passed through a space that no longer existed.

  "Wonjung... I hope you thought this through," Gaeul’s voice came from everywhere at once. "I don't want you to..."

  In a blink, Gaeul was inches from her face. A massive punch to the jaw sent Wonjung hurtling through floating platforms. "...die."

  Wonjung couldn't catch her breath. Gaeul was everywhere. She materialized to the left, stabbing Wonjung's arm; then she was at the right, landing a heavy blow. Gaeul was there, and then she wasn't—glitching through the physical world like a ghost.

  Wonjung pulsed a wave of Scarlet to delete Gaeul's powers, only hitting a snowman. The platforms spun. Reality turned surreal—suddenly, dozens of squirrels jumped at Wonjung, distracting her for a split second. She tried to fly up, but a ceiling manifested out of thin air, slamming into her head.

  "ENOUGH!" Wonjung roared. She blasted a massive wave of Void, shattering the manipulated terrain and the snowman.

  Gaeul reacted instantly, manifesting a small room of solid cobblestone to shield herself. Wonjung fired another wave of red to cancel the reality, but Gaeul split into two identical images. The red wave hit neither. The images snapped back together as Gaeul landed a brutal punch to Wonjung’s face.

  Wonjung was exhausted. She summoned thousands of black spikes from the air, a death trap designed to impale everything in the room. Gaeul flicked her wrist, and the spikes turned into colorful confetti that drifted harmlessly to the floor.

  Wonjung began to pulsate with speed, blurring around the room. Gaeul struggled to track her, the physical exertion finally showing on her calm face.

  Suddenly, Wonjung appeared directly in front of her. Her red eyes flashed with an intense, burning light.

  "No..." Gaeul hummed softly. She shifted reality one last time, moving them both to a fair distance.

  But in a quick snap, Wonjung was gone. Gaeul turned, and Wonjung was hovering right behind her. Eye to eye.

  The blue light in Gaeul’s eyes was snuffed out like a candle. Reality snapped back to normal. The platforms vanished, the walls returned to their places, and the dojo was silent once more. Gaeul’s unique powers were gone—erased by the Scarlet Energy.

  "It's over, Gaeul," Wonjung said, her breathing heavy. "Give up. I don't want to kill you, too."

  Gaeul stood up slowly. She didn't look afraid. In fact, she smirked.

  "So, you rid me of my power? You think that’s all I have?" Gaeul stood tall, and suddenly, her brass knuckles began to glow with a steady, fierce blue light. "You have no idea what it means to be a Flux General."

  Dread.