Across Eternities

Etria's body trembled as the cosmic winds surged violently around her and Aluren, their shared barrier straining against the onslaught. The shattering heavens above pulsed with unrelenting energy, each crack spreading like a web of lightning across the vast expanse. The weight of the Cosmos pressing down on them felt unbearable, suffocating.

Yet, amidst the storm, their hands remained locked.

Etria turned her gaze toward Aluren. His expression was calm, yet she could see the tension in his clenched jaw, the fire blazing behind his narrowed eyes. He was unyielding, a towering force, but even he could not mask the truth. This wasn't just an assault on their love—this was an act of annihilation against everything they represented.

"Aluren…" Her voice was a whisper, carried by the tumultuous wind. "It's beginning. They're here."

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he focused on fortifying the barrier, the energy radiating from his palms surging with intense light. He tilted his head, sparing her a glance. "I know."

In those two words, there was a lifetime of resignation. A realization that the battle they had dreaded, the one they'd never wanted to face, was now upon them.

Etria felt the air thrum against her skin as cracks appeared in the forest floor. Trees groaned and splintered as the unrelenting forces of the Cosmos tore through them like an unstoppable storm. Her heart pounded as she gripped Aluren's hand tighter, drawing strength from his presence.

"What do we do?" she asked, her voice sharper now, urgency threading through it.

Aluren's gaze darkened, the fire in him flaring. "We don't give in. That's all we can do. If we fall here…" He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't have to.

Suddenly, a violent burst of energy erupted from the sky, tearing through the heavens with a deafening roar. Etria staggered, barely managing to keep her footing as the ground beneath her buckled and heaved. Aluren pulled her closer, shielding her with his frame as a surge of cosmic force hammered into their barrier.

The shield flickered, light dimming for the briefest of moments.

"They're testing us," Aluren said, a grim smile tugging at his lips. "They want to see how far we'll go to survive."

Etria's eyes flashed with defiance. "Then let's show them we won't break."

Without hesitation, she stepped forward, releasing Aluren's hand. Her own energy surged outward, a brilliant gold that intertwined with Aluren's, reinforcing their failing shield. She drew on the strength of the forest beneath her feet, the connection to the realms that pulsed through her veins.

The barrier brightened, solidifying once more.

But the assault didn't relent.

Above them, the skies were torn asunder as a figure emerged from the cascading light. It was a form both familiar and alien, a shape that twisted and shimmered with every breath of existence. Etria's blood ran cold as the figure descended, its presence more oppressive than any force she'd ever encountered.

It was a member of the Cosmic Council, their arbiter of judgment.

"I am Asaryn," the figure intoned, its voice reverberating through the very fabric of reality. "The balance of the Cosmos has been disrupted. You, Etria and Aluren, have been summoned to answer for your transgressions."

Etria clenched her fists. "Transgressions?" she spat. "All we've done is fight for what's ours! You dare call that a crime?"

Asaryn's form twisted, the faint outline of a face betraying neither anger nor compassion. "Love is not forbidden, but imbalance is. You have disrupted the flow of creation. For this, the Cosmos demands recompense."

Aluren stepped forward, placing himself between Etria and the arbiter. His energy flared, a deep, furious crimson. "We owe you nothing. If the Cosmos fears us, it is because it knows we will not bow. We are no longer bound by your decrees."

A flicker of what might have been amusement crossed Asaryn's shifting features. "You speak as though you are gods of your own making. But you are mere fragments of the whole, no more significant than a single star in an endless galaxy."

Etria felt a surge of anger rise in her chest. "And yet a single star can destroy entire worlds," she said fiercely. "Don't underestimate us."

Asaryn's form began to glow brighter, the air around it warping and distorting. "Then prove your worth," it said simply.

The words were a challenge, and before Etria could react, the arbiter struck.

A wave of pure cosmic energy surged toward them, too fast, too powerful. Etria barely had time to brace herself before the force collided with their barrier, shattering it like fragile glass. She was thrown backward, her body slamming into the ground with a sickening thud.

Pain shot through her, but she forced herself to her feet, her vision swimming. "Aluren!" she called out, panic tightening her voice.

"I'm here," he answered, his voice steady despite the blood trickling down his temple.

He stood amidst the chaos, his energy blazing around him like a wildfire. He extended a hand toward Etria, helping her to her feet.

"We won't win this by defending ourselves," he said, his voice low. "We have to fight back."

Etria nodded, determination hardening her features. "Then let's fight."

Together, they faced the arbiter, their combined energies surging in a brilliant display of light and power. The forest around them seemed to respond, the earth trembling beneath their feet as they drew on every ounce of strength the realms could provide.

Asaryn watched them impassively, as though their defiance was nothing more than a minor inconvenience. But Etria could see the faintest flicker of tension in its form, a subtle shift that told her they were making an impact.

"Is this the best the Cosmos can send?" Aluren taunted, a smirk tugging at his lips.

Asaryn's glowing form pulsed, and suddenly, the ground beneath them shattered, fragments of earth rising into the air as gravity itself seemed to dissolve.

Etria and Aluren were flung into the void, their connection to the forest severed. The darkness around them was suffocating, the silence deafening.

And then, a voice echoed in the void, soft yet unyielding.

"You think your love is enough to defy the will of the Cosmos?" Asaryn's voice was everywhere, surrounding them, filling their minds. "You are fools."

Etria gritted her teeth, her energy flaring brighter in defiance. "Maybe we are," she said, her voice cutting through the darkness like a blade. "But I'd rather be a fool than a pawn."

Beside her, Aluren's energy flared to match her own, their combined light banishing the shadows around them.

"We'll burn brighter than you ever imagined," he said, his voice a growl.

The void began to crack, light seeping through the darkness as their power grew. Etria could feel the strain, the cost of pushing herself so far, but she didn't stop. She couldn't.

Together, they shattered the void, returning to the broken forest. Asaryn hovered above them, its form flickering unsteadily.

"You would destroy yourselves for the sake of your defiance," it said, almost mournfully.

"No," Aluren said, his voice resolute. "We would destroy you for the sake of our freedom."

The arbiter faltered, its energy dimming. For the first time, Etria saw something like fear in its shifting form.

But before they could press their advantage, the light of the shattered skies above began to coalesce, forming a massive, spiraling vortex.

Etria's heart sank as she realized what it was.

"The council," she whispered, dread seeping into her voice.

Aluren placed a hand on her shoulder, his grip steady. "Then we'll face them together."

Etria nodded, her resolve unshaken despite the terror clawing at her chest.

The vortex above descended, its light enveloping them. As the world around them dissolved into blinding radiance, Etria and Aluren stood side by side, their energies intertwined, ready to face whatever came next.