Chapter 97

Cosmic Devastation

The tangled mass of anti-harmonic energy encircled Lexi and Karl in a violent hug; its wriggling tendrils reached out to them.
They had assumed the purifying genesis waves would eliminate the dysrhythmic impact, but instead they simply shifted it away; now it was back, more terrible than ever. Lexi's sign started with the last ashes of creation's fire, her connection with the endless web weakening under the kind of the cacophony that took steps to unwind the actual texture of the real universe.
She could see the harmony disintegrating from the delicate equilibrium they had worked so hard to preserve. Karl's transcending framework exuded unwavering confidence, yet even his early stage poise seemed to be dominated by the pure enormity of the risk they faced. Its curving form a parody of the celestial orchestras that had formerly supported the universe, the counter symphonious element pounded with a covetous long for entropy.

As the monster launched a flood of anti-harmonic energy, Lexi and Karl answered in kind, focusing the whole strength of their cosmic avatars into a blazing counter-offensive.
Reality caught in the crossfire of their epic struggle as the other forces collided and shook the quantum strands. Still, Lexi saw that the harmony was failing and that the cosmic tapestry was disintegrating rapidly even as they gave every bit of their force to fight. Growing too deeply, the entropic tendrils of the dysrhythmic influence were chewing their way through the very basis of life.
Lexi suddenly came to a horrible awareness. Not only would they have to contain or isolate the evil energy, but they would have to sacrifice whole global realms to stop the utter collapse of reality itself. Such a horrific occurrence devastated Lexi's heart since it ruined the concept of numerous universes, opportunities, and potentials.
Deep inside her cosmic soul, she knew, nonetheless, that there was no alternative. The cancer had to be taken out regardless of the expenses. Her symbol thumping silently, she went to Karl and he greeted her with a somber gesture.

Both of them knew how much responsibility they bore for the entire universe and how crucial the decision they were about to take was. Lexi connected strongly with Karl in that moment that beyond their outward look or emotional relationship.
They were sentinels of creation, protectors of the harmony of creation, and they would do all to preserve the delicate equilibrium. Karl's avatar started to change and twist silently, channeling a force so terrible and entirely entropic that it tore across the quantum fabric.
Lexi could sense the force building, a whirl of great distances meant to swallow all in its path. Then Karl released his terrible explosives with a violent howl that rocked the very fabric of life.
As they stretched out, the entropic waves ate whole universe domains. Lexi gazed in awe and terribleness as limitless worlds were obliterated, their whole chronicles and fates eliminated from the great needlework in a matter of seconds.

Her avatar started to cry as she saw the cosmic destruction, losing a dream or a child before it could have ever started to take shape.
She felt her heart tear for the possibilities lost though she knew this was the only way to salvage what remained of creation. Karl's implosions tore through the distorted shape of the anti-harmonic creature, severing its wicked essence from the quantum threads, and the entity howled in suffering. Lexi could sense the harmony returning to normal and the frayed edges of reality reining together as the cancer was eliminated.
Lexi knew, meantime, the toll the destruction had done on the fabric of life even as the universe lost the final traces of the dysrhythmic effect.
The quantum tapestry was full with holes, vast stretches of nothingness from which once whole universes sprang. Lexi and Karl had permanently altered the cosmos, and as the dust settled they discovered they were lost in a quite different reality.

Salvation had been costly, and the marks of penance will always severely distort the essence of creation. Karl's avatar approached Lexi's, and the two of them softly hugged her essence merging with Karl's.
At what expense, though, had they prevented complete collapse? Their decision would have to pay for itself for the rest of their lifetime. Looking across the changed universe, Lexi couldn't help but wonder what fresh difficulties were ahead.

They had removed the dysrhythmic impact, but had they only traded one existential menace for another? Their damage degraded the harmony of the quantum fabric. Lexi could sense the stirrings of a novel force beyond anything they had ever known. Every element of life seemed to have this presence, a faint discord that threatened the steadiness they had so labored to reach.
As the menacing whispers swelled in intensity, Lexi and Karl ready themselves for the next episode in their never-ending vigil. The fight to preserve the delicate equilibrium of creation was far from finished, hence they would have to remain always alert in case a fresh threat surfaced from the ashes of the cosmic destruction.

Their harmonies sounded to all those who would answer the summons of creation's guardians as they silently nodded their cosmic avatars toward the source of the dissonance.
Like a clarion call. Though the war raged on and the fight had been won, they would not waver from their holy responsibility, no matter the cost.
Turning their cosmic avatars toward the source of the discord, Lexi and Karl's harmonic avatars sounded out like a clarion cry to anybody who would answer the call of creation's guardians.
The unprofitious whispers grew louder as they moved forward, the subtle discord working to untangle the earned soundness. Suddenly they found themselves facing a large fracture, a gaping hole in the very fabric of reality.

Trapped in a painful embrace ringlets joining, a pulsating energy signature unlike anything they had encountered began to show from within the crevice. The unusual energy swept over Lexi caused her link to the cosmic network to fade from this new discord. Her avatar flashed. She could see the quantum strings shifting and warping reality itself, this perplexing power seeming to twist and turn things. As the energy signature merged into a huge, wavy form, Lexi and Karl were ready for the unidentified threat hovering before them.
Only they could keep the rebuilt universe from going extinct.
Their future looked uncertain. With a silent nod, they released the full force of their cosmic avatars, their harmonies ringing out in defiance to the mounting dissonance. The stakes were never more; the ultimate war for the spirit of creation was about to start.