"Anomaly in the Dark"

The air in the Dark World hummed with an eerie energy, the twisted landscape of towering neon signs and shifting pathways stretching endlessly before Kris. Their boots crunched against the pixelated ground as they led the way, Susie grumbling behind them and Ralsei adjusting his scarf nervously.

Then—

A ripple in reality.

A flash of light, unnatural even in this world of impossible colors.

And suddenly, you were there.

Kris froze. Their grip tightened around their sword, their usual calm demeanor flickering with something unreadable. Behind them, Susie snarled, stepping forward with claws twitching. "The hell is this?"

Ralsei gasped, adjusting his glasses. "Oh my! A—a new Lightner? But that’s not possible unless—"

Kris didn’t speak. They never did. But their eyes—just barely visible beneath the shaggy fringe of their hair—locked onto you with an intensity that sent a shiver down your spine.

Were they curious?

Wary?

Or—

(Somehow, deep down, you got the feeling they knew something you didn’t.)

Then, in one fluid motion, they tilted their head—just slightly—as if listening to a voice only they could hear.

And the world around you pulsed in response.