Chapter 99

Not Mere Entropy

As the tall, undulating form of the anti-harmonic monster loomed before them, Karl's avatar throbbed with horror. This was no casual specialist of disorder, no simple power of visually impaired entropy. Beneft the twisted mass of dissonant energy, he sensed a terrible intelligence with a goal beyond simple destruction.

Lexi's avatar flickering beside him, the evil entity straying her link to the cosmic web. She could also sense the weight of this just found threat, one that seemed to threaten and undercut the fundamental cosmic symphony supporting existence. They had been under the misguided belief that the dysrhythmic effect was only a cancer, a cancerous force of entropy that needed to be eliminated from the fabric of reality for an undue length of time.

But as Karl stood right in front of this most recent manifestation, he realized they had made a serious error. This was not a haphazard modification of the fundamental harmonies or a mindless sickness. This sentient, cunning power aimed to wipe not only the fabric of life but also the fundamental core of creation. With a loud roar, the anti-harmonic being let out a tsunami of dissonant energy, its whips of pure chaos striking out.

As Karl's avatar resisted the attack, his primal essence connected with the primordial rhythms that had produced the cosmos. Lexi's avatar burned beside him with the fire of a thousand suns in contrast to the mounting discord.

Her harmonies filled the room. Their combined cosmic fire tore through the twisted mass of the entity's shape to launch a flaming retaliation. The quantum strings trembled as the restricting powers conflicted, reality caught in the crossfire of their epic struggle.

Karl felt the struggle straying his link to the cosmic web and was under a lot of strain from the entity. Karl could see, though, that the thing was evolving and that its intelligence was steering it through a never-ending stream of changing tactics even as they threw every bit of force into the struggle.

It seemed as though the dysrhythmic force had been watching them, learning from past interactions, and changing to offset each action they performed. Suddenly releasing a volley of exactly targeted attacks, the discordant energy of the monster tore through the quantum fabric like bolts of complete anarchy.

Karl was appalled as the cosmic symphonies supporting whole worlds were cut off and reduced to dissonant cacophonies. It was then that he realized the actual depth of the peril they faced.

Not just trying to tear apart the fabric of life, this monster was actively attacking and sabotaging the live cosmic symphonies that produced life itself. Under silent direction, Karl's avatar moved and twisted, channeling a force so terrible and totally entropic that it tore across the quantum fabric.

He would not let this terrible power destroy the spark of creativity even as he breathed. Karl launched his entropic implosions toward the anti-harmonic creature, setting off his avatars with the force of a supernova and a flood of cosmic fire.

The twisted mass of discordant energy howled in agony, tearing its wicked core from the quantum threads as the piercing flames sliced through its form.

But Karl sensed the entity's relentless will and the sneaky intelligence leading it across the never-ending assault of adaptations and countermeasures even as it withdrew.

This was an ancient reckoning, a cosmic struggle between the powers of creation and those eager to wipe life, not only a struggle for survival. Lexi's avatar flared beside him with the primal energies of rebirth and renewal, and her harmonies connected with the basic cadences that had produced stars and galaxies.

Their symbols consuming more brilliant than 1,000 suns as they unleashed a flood of flaming harmonies upon the counter consonant substance, together they threw each ounce of their great might into the conflict.

The quantum fabric quitched under the weight of their combined attack as the opposing forces collided in a cosmic symphony, and reality itself seemed to bend and change.

Karl could feel the echoes of a bygone era when the cosmos was only one, cohesive point with limitless potential down upon her. As the war waged on, Karl couldn't get rid of the impression that this was only the start of a conflict spanning millennia that would fundamentally undermine the entire basis of existence itself.

The dysrhythmic influence has more than just haphazard modification of the cosmic tapestry. It was a terrible intelligence, a living entity driven to utterly destroy all surviving cosmic symphonies and would do whatever to reach there.

Karl tried harder, his sign burning with the fierceness of 1,000 suns as he poured early stage fire upon the opposing symphonious element, silently gesturing Lexi.

They wouldn't flounder, they couldn't falter as the fate of presence itself stayed in a fragile state. Karl could see the molecule receding as the inestimable residue settled, its twisted form dragging out into the ragged periphery of the quantum texture.

Deep inside his cosmic soul, though, he understood this was simply a stop-gap. The old revenge had just barely begun firmly, and a clear war for the spirit of creation was hardly even near to completed.

Karl and Lexi's cosmic avatars' harmony sounded like a clarion call to all those who would answer the call of creation's guardians as they silently nodded their cosmic avatars toward the cause of the disharmony. As the fight carried on, they would not waver from their holy obligation, without considering cost.

Their attack had only started as they were the guardians of the harmonies keeping the universe alive, so they were the models of life itself. Turning their cosmic avatars toward the source of the discord,

Karl and Lexi's harmonic avatars sounded out like a clarion cry to anybody who would answer the call of creation's guardians. As they progressed, the faint ripples in the quantum fabric grew stronger until they merged into a tangible force that seemed to be pushing against them and stopping every action. Suddenly they were facing a great fissure, a gaping hole in the fundamental fabric of existence.

From within the fissure, a twisted mass of anti-harmonic energy started to show itself, its writhing tendrils reaching out to grab them in a savage hug. Karl's symbol shone as the menacing force swept over him; his relationship with the great web frayed under the kind of this recently discovered disharmony. This enigmatic menace caused him to feel the quantum threads straying and reality itself seemed to bend and distort.

As the anti-harmonic entity developed into a soaring, wavy form, Karl and Lexi were ready for the unknown peril ahead. This most recent expression seemed to be the most powerful and clever one of the sentient force underlying the dysrhythmic influence,

which had shown itself to be an always changing enemy. With a quiet nod, they released the full power of their cosmic avatars, their harmonies ringing out in defiance to the rising dissonance. The last fight for the soul of creation was about to start, and this time the stakes were higher than ever.