All Across the Universe

The moment the Red Plague temporarily escapes from Scarlet Art Asger de Archeron’s body, a strange planet located on the far corner of the universe begins to shift. A planet that has been still for eons with no signs of change and one made entirely of a strange solid red substance. But now the substance can be seen slowly bubbling and turning back into a liquid, yet somehow still in the form of a vast red ocean planet. And soon enough the liquid grows thicker and attains a crimson glow.

Throughout the universe, the most powerful beings all feel a shiver run down their spine at the moment of the liquid’s reawakening.

Within the Farshore, the Fae King Oberon focuses his mind on the mortal universe once more, the realm itself being a quantum realm with no real physical bodies. Only spiritual bodies. And the Fae King’s spiritual form quickly turns red in alarm at the sight of the Red Plague reawakening on the fallen planet.

The demon world of Tartarus stops moving for a few seconds as the Demon King senses the Red Plague, only for him to immediately reenter his self-induced trance the moment the world begins shaking due to his lack of focus.

Meanwhile various seers all around the universe begin foretelling visions about the new encroaching disaster.

Even the void creatures currently devouring one world after another pause as the Voided Overlord’s gaze shifts on the other side of the rift in the void to look in the direction of the Red Plague.

Then the fallen world itself begins to writhe, the red liquid making up the Red Plague shifting and beginning to spread out away from the planet in small droplets, leaving out into space. However, after only a few seconds, the droplets slow down while shaking as if struggling against something. Only to begin moving in a single direction instead of spreading out. And soon enough the entire planet begins to shakingly move along with the droplets.

Towards the planet known as Earth.

The In-Between

Tar watches with worry as Scarlet sleeps on a bed within Amelia’s tower, only to blink as he feels his father calling. So after just one last glance, he immediately moves through the void, pulling on his connection with his father to appear near the royal entrance to the Farshore, where his father is waiting. And just seconds later, he sees all of his siblings appearing around Oberon’s dragon artificial body.

What’s going on… he rarely calls for meetings.

Tar falls in line at the ninth place, representing his position based on Scarlet’s level. And the King doesn’t bother waiting for all of his siblings to fall in line, raising his voice over the area, “A universal emergency has been declared amongst the Fae. The Red Plague has been reawakened and countermeasures must be put into place to deal with it.”

The… wait a second…

All of the fae that were just with their contracted partner turn to look at Tar at the mention of the Red Plague. Then they turn back to Oberon. And this doesn’t go without Oberon’s notice as he too looks at Tar.

“Prince Tarankar, do you know something about this?” his father asks.

Tar takes in a deep breath despite not needing to before he says, “My contracted partner has just earned a new Title.”

His father doesn’t need anymore to be said as his draconic eyes narrow and he says, “Warden of the Red Plague. So it meant that in a literal manner then.”

Tar nods his head, making his father look down in thought.

Silence fills the void as the various fae princes and princesses reveal confused looks. And after several minutes of silence, one of them, the First Princess, finally asks, “Father, what is the Red Plague?”

Oberon raises his head and mutters, “Right. It was before your time…” Then he waves a draconic wing, making a screen appear above them all. One showing a massive planet filled with a liquid that Tar remembers very well from only minutes ago, when Scarlet went unconscious. “The Red Plague is a self-replicating, semi-intelligent plague that runs purely on instinct. It can infect anything, both biological and otherwise, and it is the only plague that can directly rot away reality itself.”

Tar’s eyes widen in shock, and he’s not the only one as all of his siblings show similar reactions.

A plague that can directly rot away the soul… and it’s intelligent?

Tar’s thoughts return to the red liquid fighting against Scarlet’s control even after she woke up and tried to recall it.

“The Red Plague is the most dangerous corruption in all three realms, and the only way we managed to seal it away the last time was thanks to your grandmother,” Oberon says, further shocking all of the princes and princesses. “The plague cannot be fully erased, even with null magic. So she sealed it away on the source planet of the plague.” His eyes narrow a little. “And now that the Demon Princess has become a living prison for the Red Plague, it has awoken sooner than it would’ve otherwise.”

So it would’ve awakened eventually with or without Scarlet’s new skill. That’s good to know. That she isn’t the cause of some sort of calamity.

Oberon focuses on Tar as he says, “Tell your contracted partner that if she wants to save her planet from becoming like the one in that screen, she must grow stronger. Otherwise, the void creatures will be the last of her worries.”

“Understood, father,” Tar says with a nod of his head.

Tar looks at the screen again before his father says, “You are dismissed, Tarankar.”

He looks at his father and salutes him. Then he returns to Scarlet’s side in the tower once more.

Scarlet will need to know about this as soon as she wakes up.

A frown stretches across his tanuki face at the sight of the crimson glow that occasionally surfaces from Scarlet’s veins.

The Red Plague… a frightening thing.