THE ARBITER

𝐖𝐈𝐄𝐋𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐅𝐅. 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐍. 𝐁𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐄𝐃. 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐑.

He raises his hand, drawing entropy into his palm like smoke. @AetherisArbiter

𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐦… The air twists. His head tilts. He pauses mid-step, as if sensing a change in the atmosphere. A grin curls at his lips. “Ah. The scales have sent their blade. Let’s see if it cuts.”

collapse inward. Julian vanishes.

greaves, markings branded into his skin. His eyes go white. “𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝘼𝙍𝙀 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘼𝙍𝘽𝙄𝙏𝙀𝙍. 𝙎𝙏𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙒𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙀 𝙊𝙏𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙎 𝙁𝘼𝙇𝙇. 𝙂𝙊. 𝘿𝙀𝙇𝙄𝙑𝙀𝙍 𝙊𝙍𝘿𝙀𝙍. 𝙊𝙍 𝘽𝙀 𝘽𝙍𝙊𝙆𝙀𝙉 𝘽𝙔 𝙄𝙏𝙎 𝘼𝘽𝙎𝙀𝙉𝘾𝙀.” In a final pulse of energy, the glyphs

The rain outside murmurs like static against his windows. Julian sits cross-legged against his apartment floor, staring at the decorated staff before him. Over the past few days he’d gone through every channel he could find, doing numerous Internet searches on what sort

At least it has good pizza.

He hasn’t stopped looking at the decorated Bo Staff since that weird fever dream he had last night.

It’s prescribed for his anxiety but he over-indulges sometimes. Who doesn’t?

“I had the 𝙛𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 dream from hell yesterday, maybe I did too many drugs.”

He gasps awake — same table, same book, but the staff is still clutched in his shaking hands. That wasn’t a dream… The air feels thinner now, the silence thicker. “…… what?!!”

The staff will not leave you now. It has chosen.” The crown kings of Aetheris speak one last time — three voices as one: 𝘽𝙀𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙀 𝙒𝙃𝘼𝙏 𝙄𝙎 𝙉𝙀𝙀𝘿𝙀𝘿! ————

The book is open beneath his cheek. Julian steers brow furrowing as fluorescent overheads buzz gently. He didn’t mean to fall asleep. Not here. Not 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣. He lifts his head slowly, spine aching from the awkward angle. He blinks, reaching for his glasses – but his