In the Universe created by the Architects, everything had an influence on something else.
Whether they be the smallest of small or the largest of the large, they each influenced each other whether they liked it or not.
A collection of ants may gnaw at the wood of a house, unknowingly weakening its supports before its eventual collapse, burying the owner.
The Owner who may have had a job as a janitor in some prestigious academy, causing muck to slowly pile up in the halls unbeknownst to its students.
This muck which slowly built up with the students steps which should've been swept away by the now dead janitor soon caused an accident with a student.
This student being connected to people in high places immediately sued the academy for their injury causing the academy to be marred with a significant mark on its record.
This mark on the record soon caused the academy to soon close its doors, allowing the Celestial Node in its possession to go wild
With the onset of rifts suddenly sprouting around chaotically, monsters influenced by the weave began to harass their surroundings, eventually destroying the city the academy was in.
This city being a space monitoring one, was unable to warn the surrounding cities of a rapidly approaching meteor, causing it to crash into the space port.
Then one thing led to another, and soon enough, the entire planet was rendered a husk of its former self, its only use being a garbage can for the neighbouring planets.
And to think all of these events happened just because a few ants were hungry for the wood of a house.
In essence, like the Architects had decided, everything was connected
The Weave was no exception as it infused everything with celestial aspects, marking children born underneath celestial phenomena with similarly celestial powers
Astra herself was Geo linked to the highest degree, with vibrant brown hair due to be born directly underneath the day the poles changed.
It was something she was rather proud of as her link to the planet was particularly strong, something that not many could brag about.
This was further backed by her high astral affinity that allowed for things like so.
Smiling lightly, Astra twisted her wrist few times and let the Aether flow through her limbs, manifesting spikes of stone underneath the thin layer of trash on the surface.
Boring into the thick hide of the metal beast in the form of a bear, the armor clad beast with a ferociously carnivorous appetite roared in pain as black blood leaked out of its many wounds.
With a viscosity akin to oil, the ground was soon enough slick with the substance.
Clenching her fists, the earthen spikes soon sprouted spikes within the beast, spinning around like blades as they shredded the mineral rich flesh of the metal beast.
Still smiling, Astra felt a distinct joy in her heart as she stared at the life leaving the bears eyes, her heart heating up as it beat swiftly within her chest.
Her heart cooled swiftly once she felt then oh so familiar yet ever so disgusting impure aether surging forth into her body in an attempt to refill what had just been lost.
Smile twitching, her eyes narrowed as she rebuffed the impure aether attempting to fill her reserves, instead opting to slowly filter them.
She more than enough to spare after all.
Turning to the golden sun gang, the three of them exchanged gazes with their sharp yellow eyes, the leader of the trio opening their mouth
"...There is no need to overexert yourself fellow follower of the sun, if you had just asked, we could've helped you take down the beast from hell."
"I didn't want to though?"
Tilting her head, Astra's stormy grey eye swept over the trio causing them to feel a chill to crawl down their spines.
The leader, a woman of darkened skin spoke through the heavy hiss of the respirator, facing against Astra as she did.
"Don't get cocky fellow follower, until you get the leaders personal blessing of the sun, you are nothing more than an external worshipper that has his appreciation, until then, you are a mortal unenlightened like the rest of this world."
"Hispersonal blessing of the sun? What a strange way of saying things, you would think that he owns the sun instead of worships it"
Astra crossed her arms and rested her head on the palm of her head, tilting her head sarcastically.
"Besides, I think I'm pretty enlightened for a group who becomes enlightened by the leaders personal blessing don't you think?"
Gesturing at the carcass of the metal beast, the Surface Nomad guide hired by the Golden Sun felt sweat bead on his forehead.
It was a strange group dynamic
Despite being from the same group as evidenced by their conversation, it was as if they were from completely rival gangs that had a life and death vendetta with each other creating a strange dissonance.
This dissonance was exemplified when you noticed that they were complete opposites of each other as the Guide soon noticed.
For one, the woman who had introduced herself as Astra had extremely pale skin only found in the undersurface while the woman from the golden sun had dark skin found only on the surface
A compatriot in that sense.
The thing was, this was where their compatriotenism ended as she had strikingly blonde hair found only in Sun drawn and similarly striking eyes.
It didn't help that she was flanked by two equally as unnerving bodyguards with similar features.
Astra on the other hand was as Geo Linked as they come, with distinct brown hair as pure dirt mud, something that's rare to find nowadays.
With stormy grey eyes, the two groups couldn't be more different.
The fact she wasn't wearing a respirator to filter out the toxic gases omnipresent in the air only aided this dissonance.
'Mother, father, I miss you.'
Regretting the fact that he took the job, he cursed his younger self for not finding it suspicious that this was such a higher paying job.
He could already see the city corner where his younger self caught the attention of the Golden Sun and was tasked with leading them to a certain man's hidden home.
Oh wait, it actually was the city corner where he had found the job listing.
"This is my stop, my job here is complete, now I'll just take my leave.'
Briefly bowing to them, the Guide instantly spun on his feet and tried to escape only to be stopped by a broad hand on his shoulder.
"Wait."
A deep voice of a man.
"..." The guide trembled.
"...You forgot your payment."
"Ah yes, silly me." Inwardly tearing up, the Guide took the bag of artificial food, clean cloth, half filled mid quality aether charge and pure metal, not even bothering to check if it was the correct amount
You could only spend whatever he had if he was alive after all.
Disappearing into the shadows of the city corner, the man returned to the woman's side as Astra silently smiled.
---
"My Lord, I have come to report to you"
The same woman who had just been glaring daggers at Astra for taking advantage of the Leader's appreciation prostrated against the ground, head face down as she faced the very same leader.
Head still face down, it was only when some time had passed in the dark chamber did the Leader respond.
[Speak]
A heavily modulated yet masculine voice filled the chamber.
"Yes Leader, Astra the Tearer continues to doubt your graces majesty and continues to make more and more excuses to avoid taking the leader's baptism"
[It is as expected, anything else?]
"As you have said Leader, Astra the Tearer is indeed acquaintances to Ester the Twilight and Eva the Harmoness."
[Good...] A low throaty chuckle echoed in the chamber as the woman continued to lay face down on the ground.
[Is there anything else that you want to ask me child?]
"...No my lord"
[Do not lie to me child, I can sense the unease within you.]
"As expected of the Leader." Speaking with a voice filled with awe, the woman's chest tightened as she spoke with a distraught voice
"But why do you continue to entertain the Tearer's obvious ploy to take advantage of the Church's resources?"
[Everything has a use in this world my child, like how the sun influences the sea, the moon shall shine light onto the world.]
"But why do you continue to entertain her-?"
[Are you doubting my decision child!?]
The Woman's voice was abruptly cut off by the heavily modulated one interrupted her with an angered tone to it.
[Are you doubting your lord!?]
Thunderous voice echoing in the small chamber, despite it being mechanical in nature, the voice seemed to take over the entire room, making the air heavier than it really is.
"I beg the lord for forgiveness!"
Prostrating herself even deeper, the heavy air disappeared without a trace as if it were never there, a sanctified and forgiving voice echoing heavily in the chamber.
[I forgive you my child, my plans are beyond your understanding after all, just know this my child, everything I do is for the sake of the Sun and in the end, you.]
Speaking softly and soothingly, the woman responded fanatically and half in tears, holding back the sob choking up her throat.
"Yes my lord-!"
[Now leave me my child, I need rest.]
"Yes my lord."
Smiling peacefully, the woman slowly got up from the ground, still bowing her head to the leader and turned to leave the room.
Opening the door to the chamber, a brief glint of a storm flashed by the woman's eyes before disappearing.
+++
Tree