The Guild takeover was slow, and then it was very fast. Before the War, the Guild was mostly just a loose global conglomeration of the various organisations each country had to process and regulate cultigens. Once the true scale of Elvar threat was fully understood (after the wholesale slaughter of a continent’s worth of people), each of these organisations was given the highest possible authority. They were given a carte blanche to requisition anything and use every resource available because humanity knew this was a battle for our very existence. These organisations merged in truth, rather than the “cooperation” they had previously engaged in and, in doing so, became the single most powerful entity on the planet, as they controlled every cultigen known to the various government authorities.

After Worldshaker ended the War and the Guild could take credit for it, they started a relatively bloodless transition of power. The Guild council would not relinquish the unprecedented privileges they’d been granted, with every government understanding that there was nothing they could do about it, especially with Worldshaker on their side and the populace viewing them as the organisation that had saved the world. Of course, there were a few notable “disappearances” of leaders who were outspoken with their discontent at the new world order, Rajah Ayyar of the Indo-Aryan Confederation and President Brant of the Democratic Republic of Canada being the most well-known examples, but who could question the official Guild statement of “human traitors” assassinating them with Conceptual abilities that happened to leave no bodies?

Excerpt from “International Relations in the Empowered Era: 5th Edition”

“No.”

“Come on, you haven’t even considered it.”

Freja paused for a moment, looking contemplative.

“No.”

Musa sighed. He was currently trying to convince Freja to let him use her for his plan. An admittedly risky plan, but the only one anyone had come up with that had a chance of working.

“You can feel the Sun dammit, it’s not like you’re going to die. A Graft is our only chance and we’re the only two who can do one.”

After Jas had told them about the “shell” preventing their abilities from manifesting outside their bodies, Musa had tried to extend his Roots and to his surprise, they were unimpeded. Everything they’d learned about Grafts pointed to the fact that the scion and stock became a kind of gestalt before the scion withdrew with the stock’s power. Knowing this, he figured the shell would allow for it as they technically became one soul for a split second, and once he had Freja’s power, he was confident in punching through the shell and the cage with brute force. But of course, the only part of my plan that relies on someone else is the part that’s failing. Ugh.

“Yes but I can’t see the Sun. I know you don’t care much for religion but my parents are Stenari and I agree with them about some aspects. Namely that the only way to fully absorb the Sun’s power is directly, not filtered through some blue snowglobe. I’m not gonna risk my life like this for no reason, especially since we can just sit tight and get found eventually.”

“You’re fine with just sitting here? We have no idea what’s happening outside! Everything could be going wrong! I’d understand anyone else’s hesitation but we’re Sprouts. If there’s a battle going on, we could actually make a difference, no offense guys. We’re obligated to help.”

Jas and Birgitte had stayed silent but Birgitte frowned at Musa’s casual dismissal of their capacity to assist in a battle. Jas just laughed.

“That’s a mighty big ‘If’ you got there. I’m not going to kill myself over an assumption you’ve made. You’re cute, but not that cute.”

“Okay, fine. You do it.”

“I’m not going to kill you over that assumption either.”

“Dammit Freja!”

The argument was going nowhere, so Musa threw his hands up and walked off a short distance. Initially, he’d been fine with just waiting it out, but as time continued passing with no change, he got more and more worried. They’d already been trapped for an hour. The way the cage had muted the sounds and smells of the outside world was unnerving, having just gotten used to his upgraded senses. Not to mention he was sick of the colour blue.

Anything could be happening out there. I refuse to be too late again.

He looked up at the giant hand above him and the blinding ball of light underneath it. The oppressive, ubiquitous blue tinge seemed to dampen the star’s brilliance. It was still incredibly radiant, but its light did not illuminate everything the way it had before whatever trap this was had sprung up around them. In fact, it looked like it was shrinking? Huh?

He shifted his gaze to the huge gauntlet and studied it a little harder. There was nothing visibly disappearing but the knuckle spikes and the sharp points on the fingers had rounded noticeably. He called the others over.

“Guys, something’s happening to mine and Cannon’s abilities. Wasn’t her flail brighter? And my gauntlet is starting to look like someone’s taking a file to it.”

Jas did that creepy thing of his where he looked possessed, his eyes disappearing behind a bright white light. He swept them across the two suspended constructs.

“He’s right. A blue haze appears to have engulfed them and is slowly grinding them down.”

He turned his stare on the group.

“Also, I’m going to ask you not to panic but that same effect has surrounded you and Freja. Birgitte as well, though to a much lesser extent. I cannot tell what it’s doing.”

Musa looked at Freja pointedly. She sighed.

“Okay, we don’t know what it’s doing, but I’m not gonna take the chance that it’s bad while we’re stuck in here. I swear on the Sun, if I don’t wake up, I will fucking haunt you and your descendants forever.”

Musa grinned.

“You won’t die, pinky promise.”

She gave him a flat look for a good five seconds before getting on her knees in front of him. She didn’t glance upwards but likely could feel his widening smile.

“If you say anything crude, I’m walking away. I’m scared enough as it is.”

“Got it, not the time. I hope you know I’ll remind you of this once we get out though.”

“If we get out.”

“Man, I look forward to meeting bubbly, enthusiastic Cannon again. I think we left her by that wall over there.”

“I’m not usually this pessimistic, but I’m suffering from a case of imminent death. I fully intend on going out with as much snark as possible.”

Musa snorted. He wouldn’t admit it, but she had planted a seed of doubt in his mind. There really was no guarantee the Sun would keep her alive through the bubble walls. His self-doubt had made him too late to save Mike though. He still berated himself constantly for wasting time feeling sorry for himself in the Burrow instead of continuing his search. Hesitation helped no one and it certainly wouldn’t help here. So he placed his hand on the top of her head, and extended his Roots into her.

~~~

Birgitte watched as Musa put his hand on Freja’s head. He closed his eyes and a visceral reverberation shook her soul. Streamers of multicoloured energy appeared to rise from inside them and swam across their bodies, sharply contrasting against Musa’s dark skin, dancing in time with the thrumming in her Seed. Shouldn’t those be in the air?

Her Seed, resonating with the power the two were producing together, seemed to carry on singing for slightly too long. Both Musa and Freja’s skin began shining, looking like they were being illuminated from within.

“Jas, I think something’s wrong.”

“Indeed. I’m no Grafting expert but the few I’ve witnessed personally went nothing like this.”

The energies racing across their skin began bulging outwards from their bodies, trying to escape but prevented by something. The shell. Shit.

“We have to stop this.”

She started towards them, but Jas held her arm, shaking his head.

“We have no idea what will happen in these unique circumstances, but if you separate them, they will die. It’s hard, yes, but waiting is the only thing we can do right now, Birgitte.”

She glanced back at them worriedly, the myriad energies now racing even faster. She’d noticed Jas only used her name when shit hit the fan. He had a never-ending stream of annoying pet names but when he was deadly serious, her name would finally grace his stupid Elvan mouth. This just made her worry even more.

Jas had turned his demon eyes on and was following what was happening, his lips in a firm line and only getting firmer. Birgitte turned back to them and the brightness under their skin had gotten stronger. She caught the scent of ozone in the air. Jas gasped.

Suddenly, a thick beam of pure Sunlight burst out of Musa’s chest, angled upwards and towards where she could feel the Sun was. Freja fell away to the side, unresponsive, but breathing, her skin no longer lit up. The beam continued up until it met the barrier and punched through like it was nothing. Cracks spiderwebbed around the hole and pieces of the wall fell down, dissipating before hitting the ground.

She heard cheers from behind, the other students assuming this was all part of their escape plan. Musa actually got brighter, the beam coming out of his chest getting thicker and thicker until he abruptly winked out and also fell to the ground unconscious.

Birgitte rushed over.

While the beam had shut off, actual rays of Sunlight were streaming in through the hole it had made, shining directly onto Musa and Freja. She could feel that her abilities would work now, not even needing Jas to tell her the shells were gone. The cracks around the hole spread even further and more pieces started falling and disappearing as Sunlight shone in through the apertures, giving the monotonous blue world a splash of colour. They had done it. But at what cost?

Musa was breathing but barely, despite the Sunlight. He had no physical injuries, so Birgitte was at a loss. How do I help? I must be able to do something.

He stopped breathing. Oh fuck. She dropped to her knees and put her lips to his, giving him artificial ventilation. Her lungs weren’t strong enough to open his tough airways, so she thought fast.

“Jas, knife!”

“Wha-“

“GIVE ME YOUR FUCKING KNIFE JAS!”

The elf handed his new crystal dagger over promptly. Birgitte grabbed it by the blade, turned it around in her hand, and leveraging her weight, stabbed straight through Musa’s sternum.

“Whoa, what th-“

“Shut the fuck up, Jas, I’m saving his life.”

She pulled the dagger out and the Sunlight stopped the bleeding, but not before Birgitte had stuffed her finger in the hole, his wound closing around it. She started using her Seed on the air in his trachea, hoping there was just enough oxygen in there to keep him alive along with the Sunlight. His chest rose and he sighed continuously, expelling the replicated air in one extended exhalation.

Enough of the blue cage had broken off that they could clearly see they were still in the multi-purpose hall. The giant metal glove and mini-sun above her both started fading, dissipating into the air. The sounds of outside became audible: birds, other campus students, Mrs Fletcher. Wait, what?

The Chancellor herself was there, blasting away parts of the walls herself. She carved a makeshift doorway and strode through, heading directly towards them. She didn’t look happy. We might have fucked this up.

She walked up and took in the scene. Jas standing looking sheepish, Freja laying out cold on the ground, Musa the same, but with Birgitte straddling him, feeling his insides.

“Of course, it’s you three. I’m somehow not even surprised. And you’ve roped Miss Gunnarsdottir into this insanity as well. I’m guessing her and the Mirzadeh boy triggered the Peaceful zone?”

“Peaceful zone? No fuc- no way, ma’am, it was doing something to us. Tell her, Jas.”

“The zone was indeed manifesting some sort of effect on these two and Birgitte, Madam Chancellor. I didn’t look but I’d wager the same was happening to every other student. We didn’t know what was going on, so we decided we had to break out before whatever was going to occur, occurred.”

“What was going to occur, Prince Everradiant, is that you would have been transported to your rooms. The Peaceful zone gets triggered before critical structural damage is done to any building on campus. If you weren’t students, it would have transported you to our reinforced holding cells. This is something we induct all of you on when your class reaches Sprout, because first-years aren’t supposed to be able to output enough power to even trigger it, let alone break it. I am going to kill Juggernaut. Pick those two up and come with me.”

Jas and Birgitte shared a look, neither of them saying a word, but their thoughts perfectly in sync.

Fuck.