The Immortals of Notoriouslandia
Chapter Fifteen: Crystal Roads and Quiet Nights
The next morning came quietly.The sun crept through the ruined towers of Notoriouslandia, casting soft rays over the scorched stone. The Galactic Sword of Wisdom rested at Descentedrain's side, humming gently—like a heartbeat.
They had won.
But they all knew better.
This was only the calm.
A New Purpose
Descentedrain stood near the city's overlook, the sword's light flickering in his reflection.
The final chain on the Door of Never had cracked.
Septiceye would rise soon.
They weren't ready.
He turned back to the others and spoke clearly:
"We need new power. We need to evolve—because next time, what's coming won't care about what we've survived."
There was silence.
Then Sapphire stepped forward, her smile calm but hopeful.
"Then I know just the place."
She reached into her belt and pulled out a crystalline shard, glowing with dim violet.
"In my universe, there are crystals. Alive. Ancient. Some grant powers. Some awaken who you really are."
"If we reach them, they might enhance what we already have… or change us entirely."
Descentedrain's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"We'll need a portal."
Back to the City
They returned to the outer city—into the semi-functioning sectors of Notoriouslandia where remnants of society still ticked.
Shops still traded. Lights still blinked. Even after a thousand years, some pockets of civilization had endured.
Descentedrain used the last of their credits to reserve two hotel rooms—small, powered by residual energy, but private enough to breathe.
"Shonk, you're bunking with Kukranchunlikryting," Descentedrain said, tossing the keychip to them.
Mr. Shonk fist-pumped.
"YES. Roommates. I call the bed! You can have the toxic corner!"
Kukranchunlikryting hissed.
"You snore and smell like sugar. This will be war."
They vanished into the room laughing and bickering.
Descentedrain paused at the door to his and Sapphire's room, then glanced away.
"I won't be long. I need to gather materials. We'll need a dimensional stabilizer if we're building a portal to your universe."
Sapphire frowned, but nodded.
"Be careful."
"Always."
Inside the Hotel
As Descentedrain vanished into the dusty city, Sapphire sat with the others around a flickering light table, talking softly.
"He's carrying everything," she said after a while. "The sword. The plan. The fear. I worry he'll break before the chain does."
Mr. Shonk nodded while chewing through his third graham bar.
"He's strong. But he's not a machine. Even I take naps between battles."
Kukranchunlikryting sipped a glowing vial and added:
"He needs more than strength. He needs a future. A reason to win."
Sapphire looked toward the window.
"Then we'll be that reason."
Descentedrain's Return
It was deep night when the door opened.
Descentedrain stumbled inside, hands dirty, pockets bulging with scrap tech, glowing orbs, and fractured alloys.
He dropped them all on the table.
"It's enough to build the anchor point."
Sapphire rose from her seat and stepped toward him.
"You look like you wrestled an exhaust beast."
He grinned faintly—then wavered.
She caught him before he fell.
"Okay," she whispered, "no heroics tonight."
"Sleep."
He nodded weakly, too tired to fight it.
They helped him into bed—boots still on, sword leaning against the wall, crystals humming gently in the corner.
The team settled into silence.
Outside, Notoriouslandia breathed.
And somewhere in the world, the Door of Never creaked just a little more.
But tonight…
They slept.
Together.
By dawn, Descentedrain had already constructed the portal—glowing coils of gravitational energy wound with strands of Sapphire's dimensional crystal dust. With the final stabilization anchor placed, the space shimmered open like a veil being pulled back.
Through it was a universe of impossible beauty.
Sapphire's world.
Arrival in Vrystallion
The Unbound Team stepped out into a place unlike anything they'd seen.
Skies tinted a soft indigo shimmered with light-passing comets. Towering crystalline structures stretched into the heavens, reflecting rainbow spectrums that danced on marble streets. Floating islands drifted peacefully overhead, tethered by glistening mineral vines.
This was Vrystallion, the capital of Sapphire's world—a civilization born from the harmony of crystal and mind.
Even Mr. Shonk went quiet.
"It's like walking through a chandelier inside a star…" he whispered.
Sapphire beamed with a mix of pride and nostalgia.
"Welcome home. At least, for me."
The Merchant and the Map
They didn't have to search long.
In the lower ring of the market district, between hovering food stalls and crystal-singing merchants, a hooded figure beckoned them from the corner of an alley.
He was cloaked in violet silk, eyes glowing beneath a polished chrome mask. A merchant, yes—but not a common one.
He spoke without moving his mouth.
"You seek the crystals of fate, yes? Then you are walking paths few survive."
Descentedrain nodded cautiously.
"We're here to grow stronger. Not to steal."
The merchant nodded.
"Then I will give you this—out of kindness, or curiosity."
He handed them a map on silver parchment, etched with flickering coordinates and crystal glyphs.
Then he gestured with a single clawed finger to four spots on the floating map.
The Four Crystals 1) Rubabranas
"A rare crystal forged in the heat of a starfall."
"It grants the bearer command over solar and thermal energy—flames, plasma, and light turned to wrath."
"It burns the unworthy."
2) Daimandrine
"An impossibly rare gem. It shifts colors. It vanishes in thought."
"Grants telekinesis and unimaginable physical strength."
"But only to those who can carry its weight… or break under it."
3) Grandelifer
"A pure crystal of lightning. Found in the ruins of Stormcore."
"It enhances all powers, adding speed and voltage to every ability."
"Uncontrolled, it can rupture your body before you master it."
4) Halrualry
"The oldest crystal, said to whisper secrets of gods."
"It enhances powers and grants extreme intelligence, sometimes too much."
"If you can survive what you understand… it will obey."
The Merchant's Warning
"Each crystal is protected," the merchant said."By guardians—beasts, machines, or riddles. Some demand strength. Others, cleverness.""If you are smart, be smarter. If strong, be relentless."
"You may find one crystal... or none."
Then he vanished—folding into the air like dust in wind.
Strategizing at the Inn
The team moved to a nearby inn built into a sapphire cliffside, where rooms hovered on floating platforms.
They sat in a shared chamber, a flickering map projection dancing on the table.
Descentedrain spoke first.
"We start with the power crystals. Rubabranas and Daimandrine. Then we move to the enhancers."
Mr. Shonk cracked his knuckles.
"Heat powers and super strength? That's my jam."
Kukranchunlikryting hissed in approval.
"I want to see the one that guards a sun crystal. Maybe I'll melt it into breakfast."
Sapphire stood near the balcony, wind in her hair, looking toward the horizon.
"These lands have changed... but the crystals still call. I'll lead the way."
They would set out in the morning.
But for now, beneath the crystalline constellations of Vrystallion—
They rested.
Knowing that tomorrow, the first of many tests would begin.