A phone lay disregarded and abandoned under the murky dark of an uninhabited cavern. Small glimmers of light shone through the cave entrance, reflecting off the odd stalactites, made of material reminiscent of obsidian. The cave had no sign of life, bar the collection of foot tracks centered around the phone.
It turned on, as if controlled by a magical force. Its screen flashed open, the light glowing brighter and brighter... until suddenly, something was ejected out of the small smartphone.
Two somethings, actually.
Streams of data coalesced around the phone, taking the shape of two figures. The first was a petite girl with gray hair tied into a drill, dressed as a punk with an unfeeling gaze scanning the cavern. Silver Wolf's gray eyes turned towards the cave entrance.
An uninhabited world. Not after what had once happened on this planet, at least. As far as Silver Wolf knew, multiple high Category Nightmare Gates opened on this world's surface, wreaking havoc on the civilization that once lived here.
And by multiple, Silver Wolf meant thousands of Nightmare Gates. Millions of Nightmare Creatures from the first five Ranks — perhaps a Cursed One was present, as well, but this planet would have been wiped out if that were the case. Or maybe it was still hiding on the surface.
Well, that was assuming there was one, at least.
She certainly hoped not.
Outside, the structure of the world was... odd. Crystalline blades pierced out from the planet's mantle, so large that their shadow could encapsulate a small town. The clouds up high were dyed a crimson hue, and whenever rain came around... well, it wasn't water.
The surface of this barren planet was christened with blood, even after all life went extinct.
With so many Nightmare Gates opened, a planetary war started. The humans tried to fight back, but they got wiped out within days. Afterwards, it was an all-out, chaotic battle between thousands of different Nightmare Species, ripping and tearing into each other in their mad frenzy, attempting to expand their territories like the rabid animals they were.
So, when Elio told her to set up her Dungeon here after her Second Nightmare — which she totally soloed, by the way — she had expected to see abomination after abomination. Instead, she got... this. An empty playground, all for her.
Silver Wolf didn't know why there wasn't anything left. Perhaps the last of the Nightmare Creatures drove each other to extinction, and the remaining ones starved to death.
...That was the Fate of the world. Two worlds, even. Without a Messiah, humanity would devour itself in War, even without the interference of Nightmare Creatures or the Paths. The same could be said for the Dream Realm's monstrosities, drowning in their ravenous hunger for souls and Fire.
This Furnace was doomed to fail.
She wondered if all the other Furnaces were the same.
[For pondering on the nature of the Universe and Honkai, an uncharacteristically insightful act, your Wisdom has increased by 1!]
Silver Wolf's face conveyed all her unappreciation. Was she being called stupid by her own Aspect?
Beside her, Firefly's towering form constructed itself from data. The scarce light glistened off the plates of her intricate suit of armor, almost seeming brighter. The menacing glow of deep emerald flickered as SAM's helmet stoically turned to look down on her.
"You fail to hide your thoughts."
Silver Wolf glanced back forcing her eye to not twitch. Then, she failed, replying with thick sarcasm. Which was likely to be unnoticed by this blunt tool of a human.
"Well? What is it that I'm thinking, Sir Firefly?"
The steel knight's posture radiated a faint sense of juvenile joy.
"Cake, naturally."
She paused. Silver Wolf already knew that she was licking her lips at the thought.
'Not all of us share the same braincell keeping your sorry excuse of a mind together, fatass.'
Firefly continued with the same deep, modulated voice that sounded way too sexy.
"My target is a confection of remarkable quality. A sponge of exceptional lightness forms its foundation, yielding beneath the slightest pressure while retaining enough structure to cradle its fillings without collapse. Between each layer rests a measured spread of buttercream, whipped to a consistency that favors refinement over indulgence, accompanied by fresh fruit selected for its balance of sweetness and acidity rather than mere appearance. The exterior has been finished with restrained precision, every stroke deliberate, every garnish placed with purpose. Its fragrance carries notes of vanilla, cream, and warm pastry — subtle enough to invite curiosity rather than overwhelm it. In summary... it is mine, so don't even think about taking it, Silver Wolf."
The girl scoffed as she walked a few steps away from her phone portal, which was now shutting down. Suddenly, a window popped up before her.
[Enter Personal Dungeon: "Wolves' Den?"]
"Yeah."
She grabbed Firefly's forearm, and a moment later, space distorted...
And they were gone.
***
Silver Wolf stared blankly at the message Kafka had just sent her.
Kafka: "Bladie just got a letter. Come pick us up the day after tomorrow. Don't come to the Luofu today or tomorrow no matter what. Luofu time. Do your homework. Give Firefly a cookie I stashed away. Don't talk to the person you are meant to be watching. Because I do see everything."
She resisted the urge to pull her hair and scream. Who did she think she was, bossing her around? She was an adult! And since when did the mindless pyromaniac next to her deserve cookies?! While stuffing her face full of cake?!
With her bare hands!
'Oh, look at me, I'm Kafka. I love controlling people because I fall into the dommy mommy character archetype (duh), but Firefly and Sunny get the pass because I think one is adorable and the other is mad groomable. And screw Silver Wolf. Did I forget to say that I'm a pedophile, as well as a supporter of domestic abuse?'
She paused for a moment, before looking up at Firefly. They were in her room, which... was relatively basic. A desk and a chair, which the super soldier was currently sitting in, an unused bed pressed against one of the walls next to a closet, and a medical pod against another.
The only signs of decoration were the multitudes of 'cute' outfits hanging around in her closet, never to see the light of day unless Firefly wanted to impress a certain femboy, and a particular photo framed on her desk.
Feeling Silver Wolf's stare, the resident nuclear weapon looked up from her cake — not just a slice or two, mind you. Firefly blinked a few times with her sunset coded eyes, before revealing a bright smile, cake and icing acting as dimples.
"Wanna do the thing?"
"What thing?"
"The thing where you lick the cake of my face—"
"Fuck you."
"...Never mind? Yeah, never mind. Actually, I'll just lick it myself."
Silver Wolf thought she looked stupid, trying to get her tongue to reach her cheek. Then, she sighed.
'Holy shit...'
Firefly was a pedo too!
[For finally realizing that an ancient relic from the Nightmare Era has no business going after teenagers, your Intelligence has increased by 1!]
'Ugh...'