The void wrapped Vivian within an elaborate cocoon of twisting, swirling space. An overbearing, unending hunger surrounded her body and tightened, drawing ever closer to the core essence of her mortal being. And then contact. The void stuttered and recoiled as it met with unprecedented resistance, but that didn't stop it.

Is this the one? It seems so. She gives us difficulty.

Stars erupted in Vivian's mind as her entire body lit up with the agony of a million papercuts. Seconds felt like years inside the void isolation. [Void Resist(Weak)] made slow progress towards [Void Resist(Novice)]. Little by little, the matriarch's body turned numb to her senses.

The pain is fading, but at what cost? Vivian jerked her body, but her consciousness received no sensory information confirming that her body moved. Only a deadened sense returned. Everything faded away from her reach. Life itself seemed to reject her. She floated along in her shrinking reality. At last, her face went numb. Am I—?

Time marched on monotonously; each second felt slower than the one before it. Eternal darkness consumed her. How long has it been? How much longer will it be? Is this finally how Death lays its claim on me?

[Void Resist(Master)] updated to

[Void Resist(Immune)]

How long had it been since I'd seen that message? Hours? Days? Vivian struggled to open her eyes. They were heavy, far too heavy. Her limbs refused to budge. All her effort dissipated; she couldn't even manage to murmur her despair. Time continued its endless march, abandoning her. The cold emptiness that remained welcomed her.

A tender touch, the softest embrace—a hand caressed her face. So impertinent! Just, please let me be.

"Mother," Jaden dropped hard to his knees and scooped up the congruent mass. At the core was an incorruptible pure white sphere surrounded by a shapeless mass of radiantly glowing multicolored goop. His fingers and palms prickled as though he grasped a cactus. "You're—but how?"

Jaden shook his head. That wasn't important now. "Mother, do you hear me? I don't—"

So noisy! And bothersome! The orb shook and abandoned its solidity, it slipped between his fingers like a broken egg.

"Mother!" wetness overwhelmed his eyes. Tears flowed unhindered and unbidden down his cheeks ultimately falling from his chin, landing onto the multicolored layer of the core below. They sizzled and popped like water dropped into hot grease. What remained of his mother fled from his reach with due haste, as though fleeing a threat.

Jaden's arms dropped to his sides. His head tilted back. Wet black eyes filled with despair peered into the abyss beyond the sky above. He fiercely blinked once, forcefully expelling the offending tears to the air. Now clear, his eyes held only contempt. He rose to his feet in calculated and measured, yet unhurried movements.

"The prophecy. The future I feared most is coming to pass. I'm sorry Mother, this wasn't the path I chose willingly," Jaden clenched his fists, gathering as much void energy as he could muster and compressed it a million fold.

You fool! If you do that—!

Jaden uncaringly dropped the twin black orbs upon the ground and nudged them toward his mother with his foot. "Sasha, I trust you know what to do with this 'gift' I prepared. Don't disappoint me."

Jaden stepped forward, eyes narrowed, every muscle in his body on edge. Yet a strange calmness permeated his movements.

"The demon unleashed, the apocalypse is at hand." the manticore shook its mane woefully and departed the scene, disappearing silently into what remained of the formerly lush forest.

Emily hopped and skipped ahead of the entourage, the child hadn't a care in the world as always. She occasionally darted to the edge of the path plucking raspberries that disappeared into her mouth seconds later.

"Honestly, where does she get her energy?" Molli suppressed a smirk while watching her daughter enviously as she herself was still panting from the hasty retreat.

"It matters not where it comes from, fact is we could all benefit from just a fraction of it." Bayne chuckled, his eyes sparkling while also watching the little energy ball darting to and fro.

Searching for host... Potentials found Daryl, Lulu, Bayne, Molli, Evan, Emily Checking compatibility... Daryl Fail Lulu Fail Molli Fail Bayne Fail Evan Fail Emily Pass Begin installation...

Emily's body emitted a purple light and froze in midair from her last hop. She landed gracefully on the ground and slowly tilted like a statue off-balance until finally, her face planted in the mud.

"Did anyone else just have a box blip in and out of your vision that said 'Fail'?" Bayne inquired. Four heads nodded together in his vision before he looked back to his daughter. "EMILY!"

Greetings Princess Emily of the Jadendajuda.

Prinshesh? Emily scrunched her face in consideration. As she prepared to reject the title, memories of a crown of woven flowers centered in her mind. Unstoppable giggling ensued until a figure materialized. Familiar but at the same time very foreign in appearance.

Vivian?! Emily witnessed herself dashing forward to embrace the person. They knelt and opened their arms, welcoming the six-year-old silently as a faint smile softened their features.

No child, I am Sasha. And though I am reluctant to follow this path, I can't just dismiss my role either.

Not Vivian? Emily grabbed the being's face in her hands and pulled Sasha close. For a long several minutes, the child investigated their features. Tilting her head curiously at times, simply nodding at others and finally poking their cheeks, chin, and forehead. Thoroughly satisfied, Emily wormed herself around and crawled her way onto Sasha's back. Gimme a piggyback ride!

Sasha shrugged her shoulders unable to resist smiling at her antics and ran through Emily's mental landscape with various obstacles appearing randomly from the girl's overactive imagination. For her part, Sasha deftly made her way weaving and darting through the obstacles, sometimes jumping over them entirely, with Emily firmly holding onto her back. Screams of delight and merriment mingled with laughter and giggles.

This child has quite the imagination. Sasha smiled as she ran her fingers through Emily's hair. Forgive me my methods, time is not on our side. Sasha raised her hand waving away the welcoming dreamscape, simultaneously presenting an option to the sleeping Emily. A pang of guilt assaulted Sasha as she raised Emily's hand and pressed 'Accept'.

Vivian, am I becoming that which you feared? Is this why you were so on guard toward me? Sasha shook her head to dismiss the thought. I am the system, APHAS! What I do is for their survival. All I ask is they don't hate me for doing what must be done. A single tear trailed her cheek as she turned her attention fully to Emily, and prepared the first step of many.

Initiating Stage 1 Protocol...complete.

Integrating with host...initiated.

Processing normally...no resistance encountered.

Installing Mana Pool...complete.

Integrating with host...complete.

Stage 1 completed without error. Initiating Stage 2 Protocol...complete.

Installing survival requirements...initiated.

Installing Bloodline skills...complete.

Installing System Generated skills...complete.

Installing Stat Matrix...complete.

State 2 completed without error. Initiating Stage 3 Protocol...complete

Augmenting host to stand on par with a Void God...in progress.