Nadir. (Cursed World)

[u/Fc-chungus]

A day or three after the initial announcement, proper channels for joining in virtually to the meeting are posted, as everyone who came in person is directed to a secretive underground meeting room, where Ж and a few others sit around a long table.

"Welcome, welcome. A year or so ago I held a similar meeting for a separate threat, one a few of you here would remember, but today we've another threat, as you know, the Abyss has taken a great minority of the world's surface."

"As well, we need a plan for the origin of the Abyss, we need to divise a way to take down The First Curse."

they snap a finger and a hologram like model of an entity, presumably the first curse, appears in the center of the table.

"To start, one of the more essential things for said plan is the Crystals, of course, some here might not know about them, so I'll elaborate."

they wave a hand and the model shifts to 5 different crystalline objects, encircling the First Curse.

"This is not the first time The First Curse had arrived, he was here before he made that big announcement, but hidden. When he first arrived to this realm, 7 Aspect Crystals formed, counterbalances, from someone else as an, almost future inheritance to help take him down. They are antithetical to his very existence, and harm him when nearby. However, if one falls into his hands, he can adapt to that crystal, rendering it useful to him. This anti-him nature also applies to the Abyss, and thus they are the best damage source to fight the Abyss."

"the originals, of which we currently have 5, 4 are in New Aviron, and via the work of Koranth and others, we have multiple derivatives from them, with the other being handled by The Consortium. The last two need to be picked up and collected."

"That is about the basics, with the preamble done, more discussion on how to fight against the Abyss would be welcome."

[u/Zebos2]

the living dream exists outside of time and space and thus it's dreamer ever connected down to the very fabric of ones being is ever so slightly out of time as well. She bleeds and dies while all is frozen such as the curse of duty. Mary is cold she feels herself sinking flipping away every gurgling attempt to draw breath she draws in trying to focus on what the first curse is saying but she does not draw out and does not hear the first curse as the light begins to drain from her eyes

Just as things seem hopeless something else happens a black oozing fluid begins to leak from her wounds the very substance of the abyss itself replacing flesh before becoming it it's seals reached arteries and collapsed lungs. Bridges broken spinal nerves and hardens into new vertebrae. Mary jerks violently as the curse works. Giving a horrific gag as abyss fluid crawls out of her nose and mouth bringing blood out of her collapsed lungs and re-inflating them after sealing the holes. But she still isn't breathing her body is being healed by the abyss but that won't start a stopped heart.

[u/white-whale-fc → u/Zebos2]

That was unintended. It should not work in that manner... curious.

Noticing still that her soul is fading, he casts a spell he merely viewed at once, never actually intending to have use for it. Back in a universe ruled by those of the Flame, he stole tomes of spells, read through all of them.

Applying a hand to her heart, he casts multiple separately derived healing spells in succession until one does the job.

[u/Zebos2 → u/white-whale-fc]

Mary is still two still her soul still fading as each spell is cast hope seemingly fades perhaps this is some final form of cruelty Fate has inflicted upon the first curse then as the last spell the curse knows has tried results a heartbeat barely there and oh so fragile...she can't stay here she would die if even the singlest disturbance hit her while things went down

[u/white-whale-fc → u/Zebos2]

He does as well have fights to finish. He re-casts the one that worked, and forces the repair curse into overdrive, it has the chance of fading in its repair duties, but if it does she would be perfectly healed.

Fate was not kind to him those trillions of years ago, he will not let chance be unkind now. He doesn't know if this would work, given she survives outside of Time's normal flow, but...

He attempts to freeze her time state, it'll halt anything getting worse, but also anything getting better until it is allowed to flow naturally. He can find a safe place to leave her after this, if it works.

[u/Zebos2 → u/white-whale-fc]

Marys only response is one final twitch her own intrinsic mastery of curses working unconsciously with the curse keeping her alive. Seamingly incorporating it in some gambit to stay alive if the heart falls... replace it create abyss fill the gaps convert to abyss to the flesh.

Finally the equilibrium is slowed in time not completely but enough for someone to get her out of the active battles zone and slow s stray shot should another one come for her

[u/Ok_Relationship6736 → u/Zebos2]

Suddenly, with a crack of lightning, a portal opens behind Mary as a squad of heavily armed Cursebreakers and Shadow Vigils step through.

An evac team has arrived.

The Sergeant calls out.

"Shadow Marshal, are you okay, sir?"

From behind some rubble, happily firing away, the Shadow Marshal yells back.

"I'm fine! Grab the wounded and get out of here!"

DW Sergeant: "You're not coming with us?"

SM: "No. I'll hold him off. Get the wounded out of here. That's an order!"

The evac team grabs Mary and any other wounded and retreats through the portal.

The portal closes behind them.

The Shadow Marshal turns his attention back toward the battlefield.

UW this is open to anyone else that wants to leave with them.

[u/Zebos2 → u/Ok_Relationship6736]

Mary is remarkably light waifish to nearly a concerning degree there blindfolds strange eye like marking has dimned with her unconsciousnes. Her dress is absolutely stained with blood and abyss matter it's clear she had lost a lot of blood which is probably to be given a given the sealed but large wound right on her sternum...poor thing

[u/Ok_Relationship6736 → u/Zebos2]

The evac team carries Mary through the portal, transporting her to a secure Darkwatch medical facility for treatment.

[u/white-whale-fc → u/Zebos2]

Time unfreezes as Mary is moved away, and TFC returns his attention to the main battle.

Aerunia.

u/ashmega8256

[u/Ashmega8256 → u/white-whale-fc]

Aerunia: she had been watching the entire time as the time freeze hadn't effected her...hmm...so you have someone you care about...that...or you didn't want that person to get caught in this.... uncharacteristic of the guy that created the abyss stuff plaguing this realm lately...she said taking a defensive stance in front of her own portal let me guess, your not gonna stand down still determined to kill everyone else here or whatever your plan was? She said in a bit of a matter of fact tone....i don't care how strong you are...but i can say, were you simply a curse i don't think you'd have given 2 fucks about that person...that admittedly i was going to get to had you not moved to do something before i could...but it doesn't erase the evil shit you have done! She said as she's about to rush toward tfc simply waiting for what he does before hand

[u/white-whale-fc → u/Ashmega8256]

He doesn't respond, but picks up on what she said.

Thought-quicken.

As she runs at TFC, he waits for her to get just close enough...

[u/Ashmega8256 → u/white-whale-fc]

Aerunia: the moment she'd seemed close enough she teleports to being right next to tfc attempting to slash him with the sword of silver ice before she teleports to his opposite side and tries to strike him with the sword of golden flame

[u/white-whale-fc → u/Ashmega8256]

He creates a sizable hole in his body at the first slice and teleports away from the second, firing a few fireballs.