1918

  We open up in the past, in the Century Corps, a far different Century Corps. In this time period, The Century Corps were a small local guild with a wise sagely grandmaster. They were hardly the institution they are now, with things not exactly set in stone. The world was so different all those years ago.

  With war waging an ocean away, the Century Corps had those eager to serve, young guns wanting to come out swinging and one afternoon, a choice was made, one that changed the course of events for years to come…

  Acantha: Man, all these people are going to fight for everyone back home but we’re stuck here making sure bakeries don’t get broken into…

  Corcan: Well, those Centennials are heroes, soldiers, they’re trained for conflict and we’re not.

  Acantha: Mankind makes soldiers to fight their wars but doesn’t have the dignity to fight alongside them, what a pathetic joke

  Corcan: I get what you mean, I mean we have these cool powers too

  Acantha: Hey can you do that thing with the red cage?

  Corcan: Sure I can

  Corcan makes his special red light cages, with the red light reflecting off buildings and creating beams

  Acantha: That never gets old

  As Corcan continues making his special beams they are suddenly interrupted by someone yelling at them

  ???: Hey what do you think you’re doing

  The Grandmaster of The Guild walks up to them, a figure bending Green Light around

  Arthanna: What did I say about casually using your magic, you do know that if you keep doing that carefree that something bad is going to happen

  Corcan: I am so sorry Arthanna I just-

  Arthanna: Quiet!!

  Acantha: Ok, so what, you just want us standing around all day?

  Arthanna: You see this town, the people need us to help out however we can. It’s just what they need

  Acantha: Ok ok, well we’re good so can you leave us alone

  Arthanna: Fine, but stay where you are

  Arthanna leaves the two of them alone

  Acantha: What a load of horseshit

  Corcan: Well what are we gonna do about it

  ???: I know a way

  They turn to that mysterious voice peering down the alleyway

  Centus: I could always use some extra hands

  The Present (as of the events of Centennials 1)

  The Century Corps sure has come a long way since then, and now it’s a sprawling local institution that just saved the city from floating off into space. Today the guild is being visited by members who don’t exactly come around often

  Gladian: So when Anmai and Thosmrr visit again, please show them some courtesy and DON’T pin one of them for eating Viridian's jelly beans, Cosma

  Cosma: It was one time

  Viridian: Don’t do it again

  Cosma: What you can’t handle me eating a few jelly beans

  Viridian: There were 900 jelly beans in that jar

  Cosma: So we have different definitions on what quantifies “a few”

  Zaylee: A few normally refers to like 3 or 4 items

  Cosma: Well no one asked you, “Ms. Eternal Star Knowledge”

  Zaylee: Ya know it’s funny I could, ya know what nevermind

  Viridian: Cosma you still ate my jelly beans and never apologized

  Cosma: That’s because I’m not sorry, I would do it again

  Indica: You people really don’t know how to read a room

  Cosma: You read a room and decide violence is the plan

  Shiye: She’s got a point Indica, violence isn’t always the answer

  Indica: You’re right, violence isn’t the answer

  Auralie: Huh?

  Indica: It’s a question and the answer is yes

  Shiye: My my you murder child

  Husk: Those are the small size snacks right?

  Gladian: What the fuck dude

  Husk: Sorry that was uncalled for

  Atoll: Can I leave?? Get some air??

  Gladian: Sure, get some air time Atoll

  Atoll: Thanks man, also can I bring Atlantic with me?

  Gladian: Why do you want to do that?

  Atoll: Adventure??

  Gladian: Fine, you can go on a little “adventure”

  Atoll: Thanks

  Atoll moves into the other room and sees Atlantic with some other Guild Members about their age

  Atlantic: Please put your organs back in your body

  Larkin: No way, this is my style now

  Atlantic: Don’t you need those?

  Larkin: I have super-regeneration

  Atoll: Uhm, Larkin, you’re leaking you goo?

  Atlantic: Oh hey Atoll

  Atoll: Hey do you want to go on a walk?

  Larkin: OOOOOOOOO

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  Neve: Shut up

  Larkin: Oh what are you gonna do? Hop all over me?

  Neve: That’s gotta be a hate crime

  Larkin: I’m sorry?

  Neve: No you’re not

  Atlantic: Ok let’s go…

  Atoll: Yup sounds good, have fun

  Larkin: Yeah have fun on your ‘walk”

  Neve: Green with envy much?

  Larkin: You’re green too!!

  Atoll and Atlantic leave the guild building and begin walking down the streets

  Atoll: All that crazy in there, if I stayed in there any longer I might have decided to play hooky with Husk and Falconer on one of their “detective runs”

  Atlantic: I mean it’s crazy but it’s our crazy

  Atoll: We wouldn’t have anywhere else to go so i wouldn’t be anywhere else

  Atlantic: A professional orphanage for child soldiers is what that place is when you think about it

  Atoll: Wow that feels weird to say

  Atlantic: Well yeah, there’s a lot of people our age there

  Atoll: I wish they didn’t act like our age

  Atlantic: Larkin?

  Atoll: Yeah

  After another solid minute of walking, they run into other Guild Members in armor, the same as them

  Atlantic: Oh hey, I don’t think we’ve seen you guys around

  Anmai: Yeah you wouldn’t, we’re almost never in town

  Atoll: Ok so, one of you must be the jelly bean eater

  Thosmrr: Cosma is a dirty liar and she threw me under the bus

  Atoll: Yeah she came clean about that

  Thosmrr: That rotten scoundrel!!

  Anmai: So you are?

  Atoll: Atoll, and the girl next to me is Atlantic

  Atlantic: I can introduce myself!

  Anmai: Pleasure to meet you

  Thosmrr: So clearly you’re not here to bring us back to the Guild?

  Atoll: Nope, we’re just on a walk

  Atlantic: Hey I have a question?

  Anmai: Ask

  Atlantic: What’s with the big red crest?

  Anmai: Oh, well have you talked to Zaylee yet about her abilities?

  Atlantic: She draws her power from a far away star or something?

  Anmai: Ok, well I draw magic abilities from the planet Mars

  Atoll: Neat

  Atlantic: Ah gotcha

  Thosmrr: Hey my magic is cool too

  Atoll: You just sling disks?

  Thosmrr: Hell yeah I do

  Anmai: Hold on, I sense a strong magical energy now

  Atlantic: Are you sure it’s not just because Mars is in conjunction with the Moon?

  Anmai: No, it’s something else?

  Thosmrr: Yeah I feel it too

  Atoll: We might be near the church Sien got killed at?

  Thosmrr: He’s dead?? That sucks?

  Anmai: Well let’s go to this church?

  Suddenly a massive portal opens up through the ground

  Anmai: Holy shit

  Atlantic: What is “shit”

  Atoll: Wait I know what this is

  A red cage moves up through the ground

  Corcan: Hello Atoll

  Atoll: What do you want?

  Anmai: Wait, is that Century Corps legend Corcan?

  Corcan: Your eyes do not deceive you

  Atlantic: Atoll do you know this guy?

  Atoll: Yeah he took me into his red realm?

  Anmai: You’re still alive?

  Corcan: I made the Red Realm my home in my old age, Acantha’s instructions

  Thosmrr: So why are you here now?

  Corcan: Someone is trying to break into the red realm through a gateway in the city

  Thosmrr: The Red Realm?

  Atoll: It’s his weirdo place

  Corcan: The Red Ream is a place beyond space and time where souls and odds are stored, the Red Realm is the domain of Gruveal

  Atlantic: Gruveal?

  Corcan: An entity of eternity

  Anmai: Ok this is confusing, who is even trying to break into the Red Realm?

  Corcan: They want Optica’s accursed soul

  Atoll: You mean what we stored in the Idol of Light?

  Atlantic: I’m confused

  Thosmrr: Me too

  Corcan: We can’t let them in

  Anmai: Who’s them

  Suddenly, a horde of light monsters appear before the group

  Thosmrr: I see, let’s rip through them

  Anmai, Thosmrr, Atoll and Atlantic have joined the party

  Fight the Light Monsters

  When you win

  Thosmrr: Ok, so what now?

  Anmai: We go to that church I think?

  Atlantic: So what’s so bad about stealing Optica’s soul?

  Corcan: If they do that they can connect it back to her body, resurrecting an all powerful light deity in her prime

  Atlantic: That sounds bad….

  Atoll: Well we have little time to waste

  Begin District 3

  When you are halfway through it

  Thosmrr: So I have a brief question?

  Corcan: I may have a brief answer

  Thosmrr: So where did you go when you deserted the Century Corps to go fight in that war?

  Corcan: Dawn Island…

  Thosmrr: Where?

  Corcan: You wouldn’t find it on any map…

  Resume District 3

  When you are at the end of it, the church where Sien died is right on the end

  Thosmrr: Well I’ve got a shit feeling about this

  Atlantic: What is “shit”

  Atoll: Not the time for your profanity lesson friend

  Anmai: Wait guys, there’s a magical seal on the door

  Corcan: It looks like you can open it

  Anmai: Alright

  Anmai taps into the magic around her and blasts the seal open, revealing a front of stars emanating from the door

  Corcan: This is bad?

  Anmai: How bad?

  Atoll: It can’t be that bad?

  Corcan: We need to move

  Atlantic: Gotcha

  Begin traversing The Celestial Front

  When you are ten percent through the front

  Atlantic: So what am I witnessing?

  Corcan: A celestial choice is being made

  Suddenly, a barrage of stars fly past them

  Atoll: What does this mean?

  Anmai: I think these flickering lights are about to make a judgment

  The walls around them begin bellowing

  Chorus of Stars: Hedal has invoked the rite of passage to the Red Realm, we will now decide if they are allowed to pass through

  Corcan: Normally they can’t pass unless a natural gateway presents itself, but getting the Chorus of Stars to add a gateway here gets around that?

  Anmai: The Chorus of Stars?

  Atoll: It looks like you have to ask the universe itself if you can leave at this junction?

  Thosmrr: Well we need to stop their departure

  Resume The Celestial Front

  When you are twenty percent through the front, a bunch of stars around begin flickering rapidly

  Corcan: A judgment is soon, we must make haste

  Atoll: Wait, how can we stop this?

  Corcan: Maybe do something of your own?

  Atoll: HEY STARS

  Atlantic: Atoll what are you doing

  Atoll: I INVOKE THIS JUNCTURE BE CLOSED

  Corcan: Are you just shouting a-

  Chorus of Stars: Who invokes us?

  Atoll: Uh…I do? Close this front please?

  Anmai: Wait, you just asked it to close?

  Chorus of Stars: Atoll Aerenfall has invoked this juncture be closed

  Thosmrr: Ok so, what now?

  Atoll: We simply go after whoever opened this juncture and attack them

  Resume Celestial Front

  When you are 50% through the Front

  Thosmrr: Corcan, how long before they reach a judgment?

  Corcan: I have no idea? I’m not a whisperer of the stars?

  Anmai: Not enough time

  Chorus of Stars: Our judgments cannot be rushed

  Continue the Celestial Front

  When you are 65% complete the front, the stars begin glimmering brightly

  Thosmrr: Turn it off, it hurts to look at

  Corcan: If I had to guess it looks like a judgment is close

  Anmai: Seems about right

  Atoll: Let’s move then

  Atlantic: They’re gonna be sorry they messed with us

  Thosmrr: Technically we are messing with them

  Atoll: Who cares? Move move move

  Resume the Celestial Front

  When you are 80% complete the front, two light silhouettes appear before the party before sparkling brightly and revealing two figures

  Hedal: So a warden of the Red Realm has sent Century Corps members after us?

  Phote: Sounds like someone caught wind of our plan and that bratt (points to Atoll) told the Court to cancel our two way travel to the Red Realm

  Atoll: Sorry who are you?

  Phote: I am Phote

  Hedal: And I am Hedal, two of Optica’s strongest lieutenants

  Corcan: I’m not allowing you to bring your boss back at full strength

  Phote: You can kill our boss by rending her body into dust but we’ll still find a way to bring on her ultimate plan

  Atoll: Ultimate plan?

  Anmai: I’m confused

  Thosmrr: Same

  Atlantic: Same

  Hedal: We’ll bring the Queen of The White World back to full power and pull the Earth into her domain

  Corcan: You’re ride ends here

  Phote: Doubtful

  The front of stars begins glowing with even greater intensity

  Court of Stars: Our judgment will be to complete the gateway to the Red Realm, sealed under the bottom of this church where the Warden outstretched his hand. If Corcan Coelius can be in this realm then others will be granted passage into the Red Realm

  The front suddenly collapses in on itself before anyone can say a word, and a glowing red portal appears above everybody

  Phote: Optica’s soul is located there and…

  Hedal opens a chest, revealing Optica’s still body

  Hedal: I put it back together

  Atoll: It was turned into dust

  Hedal: Watch this

  Hedal reveals a needle made of light, he threads light beams to connect Anmai and Thosmrr together before disappearing into the portal with Phote

  Anmai: Ouch

  Thosmrr: That hurt

  Corcan: I’ll sever this

  Corcan severs the thread of light between the two

  Atlantic: So what now

  The portal continues to grow, enveloping the entire room

  Atoll: Don’t let go of th-

  Everyone falls into the portal, entering the Red Realm