ᴳᵁᴬᴿᴰᴵᴬᴺ ᴼᶠ ᴸᴵᴳᴴᵀ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴰᴬᴿᴷᴺᴱˢˢ

[ᴳᵁᴬᴿᴰᴵᴬᴺ ᴼᶠ ᴸᴵᴳᴴᵀ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴰᴬᴿᴷᴺᴱˢˢ @ReefBxund]

" ᴜʟᴅʀᴇɴ ꜱᴏᴠ...

ɪꜱ ᴍɪɴᴇ... "

[ᴳᵁᴬᴿᴰᴵᴬᴺ ᴼᶠ ᴸᴵᴳᴴᵀ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴰᴬᴿᴷᴺᴱˢˢ @ReefBxund]

// when I come back here, y’all are gonna die, ngl

[ᴳᵁᴬᴿᴰᴵᴬᴺ ᴼᶠ ᴸᴵᴳᴴᵀ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴰᴬᴿᴷᴺᴱˢˢ @ReefBxund]

// yes, pain and misery

[ᴳᵁᴬᴿᴰᴵᴬᴺ ᴼᶠ ᴸᴵᴳᴴᵀ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴰᴬᴿᴷᴺᴱˢˢ @ReefBxund]

// when you wish to come back to verse, but you’re scared to get spoiled because you need a paycheck to buy the new expansion pack—

[ᴳᵁᴬᴿᴰᴵᴬᴺ ᴼᶠ ᴸᴵᴳᴴᵀ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴰᴬᴿᴷᴺᴱˢˢ @ReefBxund]

// hey, uh—

My mom’s currently in the hospital with COVID, and I wanted to send her a rather expensive gift, since she’s going through a lot right now.

Any money put into the fund is appreciated.

https://t.co/kCIPkEIPEi

[ᴳᵁᴬᴿᴰᴵᴬᴺ ᴼᶠ ᴸᴵᴳᴴᵀ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴰᴬᴿᴷᴺᴱˢˢ @ReefBxund]

In an instant, that vein disappeared, her eyes returning back to normal and a seemingly breathless gasp emitting from her.

��� What. . . What happened? “

Looking left and right, only to see Cayde.

“ Is everything alright? “

[ᴳᵁᴬᴿᴰᴵᴬᴺ ᴼᶠ ᴸᴵᴳᴴᵀ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴰᴬᴿᴷᴺᴱˢˢ @ReefBxund]

“ Or perhaps, the great machine wished for you to suffer in this hell for longer than anticipated. “

She wasn’t human anymore. At least, judging by the black, pulsating vein now creeping up her neck.
And her eyes only grew darker.

“ Perhaps it dislikes you. “

[ᴳᵁᴬᴿᴰᴵᴬᴺ ᴼᶠ ᴸᴵᴳᴴᵀ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴰᴬᴿᴷᴺᴱˢˢ @ReefBxund]

Her head raised, just to look at the moonlight above them.

“ We want answers. How is it that you returned from death? “

An almost mechanical voice gave the only response. How odd.

[ᴳᵁᴬᴿᴰᴵᴬᴺ ᴼᶠ ᴸᴵᴳᴴᵀ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴰᴬᴿᴷᴺᴱˢˢ @ReefBxund]

For some reason, there was no response.

No answer was given.

[ᴳᵁᴬᴿᴰᴵᴬᴺ ᴼᶠ ᴸᴵᴳᴴᵀ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴰᴬᴿᴷᴺᴱˢˢ @ReefBxund]

@CRUCIBLEISOPEN // give one moment, plz

[ᴳᵁᴬᴿᴰᴵᴬᴺ ᴼᶠ ᴸᴵᴳᴴᵀ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴰᴬᴿᴷᴺᴱˢˢ @ReefBxund]

// STARES WITH MY MARA ACCOUNT IN THE BACKGROUND

[𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 ! @CRUCIBLEISOPEN]

|| As someone with a soft spot for Mara, i will gladly accept any interactions .

Just saying .

[ᴳᵁᴬᴿᴰᴵᴬᴺ ᴼᶠ ᴸᴵᴳᴴᵀ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴰᴬᴿᴷᴺᴱˢˢ @ReefBxund]

Rocking back and forth on her heels.

Those eyes look dim. . .

[ᴳᵁᴬᴿᴰᴵᴬᴺ ᴼᶠ ᴸᴵᴳᴴᵀ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴰᴬᴿᴷᴺᴱˢˢ @ReefBxund]

— now slumped forward as if she would fall off the wall at any precise moment.

‘ Something happened after the Black Garden’s heart was destroyed. I don’t know fully, but from what I heard, she’s been corrupted by remnants of its existence. ‘

[ᴳᵁᴬᴿᴰᴵᴬᴺ ᴼᶠ ᴸᴵᴳᴴᵀ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴰᴬᴿᴷᴺᴱˢˢ @ReefBxund]

An audible ticking came from the cracked Ghost, attempting to do its own assessment of damages and finding only external ones.

‘ She’s been like this for a while now. A guardian named Corion and The Crow were the only two who knew about this. ‘

Celeste almost looked dead, —

[𝕷𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐅𝐄𝐑 ✦ 𝕬𝐋𝐄𝐗𝐄𝐈𝐄𝐕𝐀 。 @ahyognglui]

ᅟ ‍ ‍ ᅟ
ᅟ ‍ ‍ ᅟIt happened so fast but he quickly reacted to what was happening before him. He didn't expect for her to shift into whatever this is.

ᅟ ‍ ‍ ᅟHis hand immediately reached for the Ghost and snatched it out of her hand. Looking at the cracks on the shell.
ᅟ ‍

[ᴳᵁᴬᴿᴰᴵᴬᴺ ᴼᶠ ᴸᴵᴳᴴᵀ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴰᴬᴿᴷᴺᴱˢˢ @ReefBxund]

“ Don’t call me ‘guardian’. And it was just a fight, nothing more. “

[ᴳᵁᴬᴿᴰᴵᴬᴺ ᴼᶠ ᴸᴵᴳᴴᵀ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴰᴬᴿᴷᴺᴱˢˢ @ReefBxund]

— Snatching the Ghost in her hand and beginning to crush it.

‘ CELESTE! STOP IT! ‘

Pendant couldn’t fight back, unable to escape the hold she had.

‘ A LITTLE HELP HERE?! ‘

Cracking could be heard. The breaking of the poor Ghost’s exterior shell.
It wouldn’t last long.

[ᴳᵁᴬᴿᴰᴵᴬᴺ ᴼᶠ ᴸᴵᴳᴴᵀ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴰᴬᴿᴷᴺᴱˢˢ @ReefBxund]

In almost an instant, her demeanor changed. She shifted from a normal guardian, unamused by many of her deeds, to someone who wasn’t a person at all. His words meant nothing.

Eyes dulled, turning to a grey hue while a hand reached up, covered in what appeared to be black veins.—

[𝕷𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐅𝐄𝐑 ✦ 𝕬𝐋𝐄𝐗𝐄𝐈𝐄𝐕𝐀 。 @ahyognglui]

ᅟ ‍ ‍ ᅟ
ᅟ ‍ ‍ ᅟThere was no empathy and sympathy from him. He watched on as she wiped away those tears. What was he supposed to do but remain talking with them?

ᅟ ‍ ‍ ᅟ❝ Then take that time, find that time, embrace that time you so desperately need. We have all done
ᅟ ‍

[ᴳᵁᴬᴿᴰᴵᴬᴺ ᴼᶠ ᴸᴵᴳᴴᵀ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴰᴬᴿᴷᴺᴱˢˢ @ReefBxund]

— assessing what damage had been done.

‘ You can’t just ignore this, Celeste. It won’t go away on its own. Corion told you that— ‘

“ Pendant, please. . . I know what he told me, but it’s not worth the risk. Even if it worked, it could end in war. “

[ᴳᵁᴬᴿᴰᴵᴬᴺ ᴼᶠ ᴸᴵᴳᴴᵀ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴰᴬᴿᴷᴺᴱˢˢ @ReefBxund]

A tear did fall from her eye at his response, but she swiped it away almost instantly.

“ I don’t need anything but time. Time to recover. Time to think. Time to reflect on what I’ve done as a guardian. “

Pendant, her silver-shelled Ghost, hovered beside the awoken warrior, —

[𝕷𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐅𝐄𝐑 ✦ 𝕬𝐋𝐄𝐗𝐄𝐈𝐄𝐕𝐀 。 @ahyognglui]

ᅟ ‍ ‍ ᅟ
ᅟ ‍ ‍ ᅟA sigh is all that leaves him as he heard her answer.

ᅟ ‍ ‍ ᅟ❝ I won't pry but be careful next time. Dying isn't a pretty thing. ❞

ᅟ ‍ ‍ ᅟCold but he wasn't dry towards her. He only made sure she understood the implications.

ᅟ ‍ ‍ ᅟ❝ You better
ᅟ ‍

[ᴳᵁᴬᴿᴰᴵᴬᴺ ᴼᶠ ᴸᴵᴳᴴᵀ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴰᴬᴿᴷᴺᴱˢˢ @ReefBxund]

// 👀👀👀

[ᴳᵁᴬᴿᴰᴵᴬᴺ ᴼᶠ ᴸᴵᴳᴴᵀ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴰᴬᴿᴷᴺᴱˢˢ @ReefBxund]

Is something wrong, Eris?