As Jade collapsed back to the ground, the fabric of her once pure white outfit, now lined with grey, began to constrict around her, cutting into her skin and hindering her blood flow. The outfit's color deepened into a crimson red, mirroring the severity of her wounds as it absorbed the blood spill.
Intriguingly, a network of blood extended, connecting directly to the crystal, forming a lined web that seemed to bridge her life force with the Crystal trying to reconnect.
The Director, his actions swift and deliberate, loosened his tie and made a decisive cut, severing the blood web's connection to the crystal. Jade could only watch as the rest of the six figures surrounding her raised silver talismans, each glowing with an assortment of vivid colors, before darkness claimed her, pulling her into unconsciousness.
What felt like eons passed in mere moments for Jade, who found herself in a stark white room within her mind, the abrupt transition leaving her disoriented and seeking answers. As she surveyed her surroundings, a door materialized out of the nothingness, its wooden frame and golden handle standing in sharp contrast to the purity of the room.
With a mix of curiosity and frustration, she mused, "Well, I guess I have no choice but to see what's on the other side of the door."
Approaching the anomaly with cautious steps, she grasped the handle and pulled the door open, only to be greeted by an onslaught of red. Blood surged from the doorway, flooding the room with its crimson tide, coating everything in a visceral hue before receding as quickly as it had appeared.
Rising from the ground, now drenched in the surreal red liquid, Jade focused on the door still ajar before her, a beacon of gold shining through its threshold.
The allure of the unknown beckoned her closer, the door's other side shrouded in pitch black save for a captivating golden glow at its heart.
With a resolve hardened by her recent trials, Jade steeled herself, thinking, "This is nothing compared to what I've had to deal with up to this point." She inhaled deeply, bracing for the unknown as she stepped forward into the darkness.
Ashaiki's expression shifted to one of confusion, hinting at the complexity and unpredictability of the ritual. "First of all, if you knew you were going to be practically killed you would have tensed up as you were being shone images of loved ones connected by the crystal."
"Second of all, I'm not really sure what you saw, as everyone sees something a bit different. But the most common vision is what they have dubbed the reaper or the collector of souls."
"Sometimes, he will impart people with an essence of himself, especially if he feels there's something to be gained," Ashaiki continued, shedding light on the enigmatic nature of the reaper. "He is unlike the other angelic creatures in that he is constantly monitoring the flow of the universe for signs of a specific creature breaking out."
Jade, still processing the information, voiced her confusion. "If that's the case, then why has he done nothing about the creatures we are forced to fight?"
Ashaiki's chuckle, tinged with both cynicism and insight, prefaced her explanation. "The Angelic beings, as a whole, tend to prioritize their own interests, often ignoring situations unless there's a direct benefit to them.
The plight of mortals, scattered across the universes, generally falls beneath their notice," she elucidated, highlighting a cosmic indifference that pervaded the higher echelons of celestial beings.
Jade, although puzzled by this revelation, decided to shelf her questions for a later time, recognizing the depth of knowledge she had yet to uncover. "So, the creatures invading our world are just a small part of a much larger picture, then?" she surmised, hinting at a desire to delve deeper into this cosmic saga when the time was right.
"But that's a history lesson for another day," Ashaiki agreed, acknowledging the complexity of the universe's dynamics and the significant role Jade might soon play in them.
Before Ashaiki could continue, Jade interjected, her mind racing with the implications of her recent encounter. "You mentioned that the reaper sometimes imparts a gift to certain individuals. After what I experienced, and mentioning Ty, I think he left me with something," she said, piecing together the puzzling events and the cryptic parting gift from the reaper.