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The original was posted on /r/hfy by /u/Khenal on 2026-04-16 19:57:08+00:00.
Unseen
As the Harbingers move, so too does the Unseen. It must be careful to avoid notice, even as the enemy scions scramble to deal with the threats. And as the Harbingers have their challenges, so too does the Unseen.
The Sanctum is guarded by a strange variety of dragon, and it is diligent. Even more, there are precious few shadows to be had, so precious few places to slip in. Yet the Harbingers are doing their jobs, the Guardian gazing into the distance, tense as the battles wage, unaware of the true threat so close.
It emerges onto a small statue on a pedestal, moving slowly so as to not draw attention. There is little sound to mask it, so it must walk to its target, instead of flying. Annoying, but not the first time the Unseen has had to creep toward its objective, rather than fly.
On the other hand, it’s so close to the core. Could it simply make the short distance before the Guardian can react? It pauses, gauging the situation, confident the Harbingers will hold the dungeon’s attention for enough time.
The dragon is huge, but the way it stands speaks of surprising reach and agility. It has its tail curled around the base of the core as well, likely prepared to physically pull it away from anything that may get past it. It will have to crawl over the tail if it intends to stay grounded, but scales are much less sensitive than hairs. It should have no trouble staying unnoticed for the traversal.
However, there is an area where the tail doesn’t reach all the way around. That will be the Unseen’s route. Scales are unlikely to notice it, but why even take that chance? And when the Guardian tries to haul the core out of danger, the Unseen will still be there, draining it without the dragon able to identify the source before it’s too late.
Plan in mind, it creeps down the pedestal and toward the large orange sphere, radiating with the grating movement the Master despises! Will it get to becalm the entire hive of noise and motion, once the sanctuary is silenced? Or will it be tasked with returning the bounty to let the Master properly cow and still it, further increasing the Master’s strength?
It will most likely need to return, it decides. The Harbingers are better equipped to still the chaotic mana of this place, though the Master may recall them quickly, too. The Master’s plans are preceding well, but the Unseen has been told many times to not act hastily. How tragic would it be for the plans of aeons to be ruined because of poor timing?
It will be difficult to restrain itself, but the Unseen will hurry back with the bounty once the core is drained. It creeps along the floor, its multifaceted eyes watching the Guardian and the surroundings at once. It will not be taken by surprise by some other protector hiding, letting the large dragon draw the eye and prepare an ambush.
It even peeks at Fate to check the plan, and pauses as possibilities swirl. The dungeon isn’t without contingencies, it seems, but though it appears the Harbingers may be sacrificed, it appears to be none the wiser about the Unseen almost upon its core.
It almost flies away on reflex as it feels something trying to push it away, but it manages to keep its focus and evaluate. If it was discovered, the Guardian would have attacked. It feels at the force, some kind of kinetic trap? It’s linked to the Guardian, but it’s not something being delicately controlled. No, it’s almost an aura, something trying to shove away anything that might come near. The Unseen would smile if it could. A valiant effort, but too little. There is no difference between crawling against the force than climbing up a wall!
It continues, its confidence wavering as the force only increases the closer it gets to the core. It must draw on the Master’s mana to continue, and it is relieved to receive permission to do so. Eliminating the sanctuary is worth the small expenditure. And small it must remain, as to draw the full might of the Master would be to draw the full attention of the sanctuary, and though the Master could destroy it with but a thought, the Unseen is less skilled with such perfect might.
It strains to advance, less than a foot away now, yet it feels like it’s trying to drag a Harbinger behind it! What sort of kinetic trap is this?! It will scour the mind of the sanctuary before it vanishes for the answer. It will be another prize to present to the Master!
It is forced to buzz its wings for extra strength, the core only inches away now! It calls to the Unseen, a beacon blazing brightly, a bounty to bring back to the Master! The Guardian is still distracted! It just needs to reach…
The Guardian is looking at it. It’s smiling.
Panicked, the Unseen draws every last drop it has been allocated, straining against the force that tries to keep it from the core! And then it vanishes.
The core, and the force keeping the Unseen from moving. With nothing to stop it, it barrels forward into a web that wasn’t there an instant ago. The threads stick it fast, but it slips into shadow to escape.
Only to discover the threads bind it, even in shadow. It struggles, begging the Master for more, begging to lay the sanctuary low for the Master! But the answer is no. The Unseen will die and respawn, and the Master will plan from there.
The Unseen allows itself to be drawn into the light, a second Guardian standing beside the first, possibly even larger! An enormous spider watches the Unseen and it fumes at the affront. It is Unseen! Stop looking at it! But the Guardian doesn’t listen, and instead continues to weave threads of more than mere silk around the Unseen, and it finally sees what was hidden.
It knew. A spider with Fate affinity. Strong Fate affinity to not only hide its trap, but to be the perfect counter to the Unseen. Did the sanctuary suspect from the very beginning? Has it been planning this the entire time? How old is it, truly? The core has all the markings of a young one, but the Unseen has never witnessed one so large, with so many scions. What seemed like waste and frivolity may be a careful trap laid for the Master!
A rat steps out of nothingness and smiles at the Unseen. “Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly. And here you are.”
Kill it!
“Kill you? And send you right back to the Betrayer? How about no? Boss has a much better idea for dealing with you and those Harbingers. So you just sit tight. You’re going to be a bit sideways for a while.”
The Unseen is confused at that statement, but the intent is made clear as things suddenly shift in ways that shouldn’t be possible. It doesn’t know how long the disorientation lasts, but one realization gives it terrifying clarity.
It can’t feel the Master as it should. The connection is still there, but nothing useful is coming through. No intention. No instruction. No orders. It tries to curl in on itself, but the webbing prevents even that. All it can do is float in the night sky, the harbingers somehow floating nearby, also wrapped in silk and Fate.
It doesn’t know how long it drifts before it feels something, and desperately wishes for whatever it is to go away. But no, orange slowly sweeps across the stars before a terrifying void dominates the Unseen’s vision. And despite the physical nothingness there, it knows it is being examined.
“There you are. I guess I’m not the first to realize a strong scion doesn’t need to be anything flashy. It’s hard to imagine anything less flashy than a fly.” The void reaches over and examines the Harbingers as well. “Yep, still abominations. These ones don’t seem as smart as the last one, though that one did just eat a dungeon.”
The Unseen desperately struggles, trying to slip into shadows, to escape the bindings, to do anything, but all is for naught as the void plucks it out from among the stars.
“None of that now. Hmm?” The Unseen would shriek in terror if it could, as it feels something orange along the connection to the Master. “Good, no bars. Your connection’s stronger than theirs, probably because you’re a Conduit.”
The void nods to itself and sticks the harbingers together, then attaches the Unseen as well, before somehow fastening them all in place. “You guys stay right there. I have some friends coming over that are going to want a look at you. Should be fun.”
The Unseen can feel the void smiling. “Probably not for you, though. We need to know how you tick, and how to get to the Betrayer. They only sealed him last time, but he’s still causing trouble. I think it’s time to do to him what he tried to do to me.”
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