the Unchaining

Prologue

Aster walked down Commissioner Street, the midday heat simmering off the pavement, making the air waver like a living thing. The scent of grilled meat and spices curled through the air from a braai stand at the corner, where a man flipped boerewors over hot coals, chatting with customers in a mix of Zulu and English. The rhythm of the city beat beneath his feet—minibus taxis weaving through traffic with impatient hoots, kwaito music thumping from a passing car, the chatter of street vendors calling out their wares.

Aster walked with his hands in his pockets, his pace steady but unhurried, his gaze drifting over the city around him. The streets pulsed with life—vendors calling out prices for fresh fruit, the distant rhythm of a street performer's drum, the scent of charred meat wafting from a roadside braai stand. Johannesburg moved the way it always did, fast and unrelenting, a city of endlessly shifting currents.

And yet, the feeling lingered.

It wasn't the crowd. He was used to the press of people, the constant movement. This was something else, a presence just beyond the edge of his awareness, threading through his senses like a half-remembered dream.

He paused at the curb, casting a glance over his shoulder. The city sprawled behind him, indifferent, everything as it should be. A group of men loitered outside a spaza shop, heatedly debating the latest Kaizer Chiefs match, their hands waving with bottles of Castle Lager. A woman, crate of fruit balanced on her head, moved with practiced ease through the crowd, heading toward the corner to set up her stall. A taxi honked, irritable at the delay.

Nothing.

And yet, it never left him, that strange weight on his spine, like someone's gaze trailing him just out of sight. Aster exhaled and turned forward again, shaking off the unease. Whatever it was, it was just in his head. It had to be.

Behind him, through the thin veil of reality, the world shifted as another version of Johannesburg slithered and pulsed.

The city remained, its shapes and outlines familiar, but its foundation deepened, unravelling into something older, something unseen.

Matter moved through the busy street as he trailed his target, his presence invisible to the Material world, a shadow behind the veil of the world they knew. His footsteps were soft against the cracked pavement, barely audible over the low, rhythmic pulse of the city. He wore a cloak, the fabric dark enough to blend into the shifting hues of the mist that curled around his legs like a living thing. The mist was thick and undulating, alive in its strange, shifting colors—deep purples, blues, oranges, and more than he cared to name glowing faintly in the dim light. It crept low to the ground, pushing up along the edges of buildings, spilling over the sidewalks in thick blankets—a fluid tapestry that pulsed with a life of its own, never settling, always reaching. It pressed at his cloak, testing its edges, but never quite able to touch him.

Above, the sky churned in an ever-shifting mosaic of unnatural colours. Clouds coiled and unravelled, deep blues bleeding into neon greens and dark purples before collapsing inward, twisting into rusted oranges, vivid pinks, and searing nuclear yellows. Streaks of lightning cracked in colours that had no place in the natural world, illuminating winged shapes that drifted through the storm. Their forms wavered, indistinct, shifting like shadows refusing to be pinned down, impossibly large from so far away.

Strange, bioluminescent flora coiled around buildings, their curling leaves glowing faintly in the mist, tendrils slinking along walls like searching fingers. Their roots clawed at the concrete, creeping along the streets, drawn to the mist, feeding off the strange energy it was made from.

Matter could almost taste the air, thick and heavy with the scent of damp earth and something else—something metallic, a charge in the atmosphere that hummed with energy. The city buzzed, alive with a pulse that thrummed beneath every movement

Insects like, metallic specters darted between the strange flora, feeding on the strange plant matter, while other creatures moved between the branches, unseen behind the thick foliage, their presence barely perceptible but undeniably there as every now and then an insect will venture to close, only to be grabbed in a flash, their insistent buzzing cut off by a large crunch and the sound of feeding. The air was thick with the hum of creatures, their shapes flickering in and out of perception, merging with the swamp's restless energy.

Moving through all this as if it didn't exist, the people didn't notice. They shuffled along, focused on their routines, minds locked into their little worlds. Coffee cups in hand, eyes glued to screens, faces blank with the monotony of life. They moved through it all without noticing the strange world around. Each person was enclosed by a faint, golden orb—their bio-fields—pulsing gently, a barrier that separated them from the alien reality overlaying their own. The shielded barrier kept the two worlds apart, an invisible wall that protected them from the mist curling at their feet, the unnatural growth creeping around buildings, and the creatures lurking just out of sight.

Only a few creatures had the ability to breach this barrier and influence those hidden within. Matter observed one of the most common of these—the Adgnats— carrying out its programmed nature. It hovered in and out of the crowd like a little firefly, its metallic wings flashing with corporate logos—Samsung, Apple, Burger King—like some twisted advertisement come to life. It didn't fear the bio-fields like the others. No, it was drawn to them. Matter watched it land on a golden shield, its tiny stinger piercing the surface. For a brief moment, the logos flashed across the bio-field, flickering like an old TV screen. It fed, injected its maker's will, and then flew off again, leaving nothing but a subconscious desire in it's victim to purchase the product it was programmed to sell.

Ahead, Matter's target wove further into the shifting crowd, but his presence was impossible to lose. Where others moved encased in steady, golden light, his target's shield wavered—flickering at the edges like a failing bulb. The stable fields around him cast a quiet, even glow, but his pulsed erratically, a beacon of instability against the surrounding calm.

Matter's cyan eyes remained locked onto the failing shield.

'It's weakening again.' He thought. Each flicker, each dimming pulse, marked him. 'The mist would notice soon. It always did', as the golden glow kept dimming until it could barely hold out against the pressure of the mist.

Matter muttered an incantation under his breath, as a glow of light starts building up brighter and brighter in his hand, he curls his finger as he finishes, causing a stream of the golden energy to flow from his hand, attaching itself to the man's flickering bio-field. The field flares brighter and brighter as he transfers the need Karma, pushing back the encroaching mist. "That should hold for a while" Matter hopes, but he could already see the draining of energy continue. A faint trickle—almost imperceptible—kept pouring from the Field into the chest of the man being shielded.

A guttural growl rumbled from within the mist. A shadow coiled, shifted, and then lunged. A blur of darkness surged toward his target, sensing the previous vulnerability in his weakening shield.

'Too late.' Matter smirks.

The golden barrier flared in defence, releasing a sharp crackle of energy. The creature yelped, thrown back into the mist, where it slithered away with a low, frustrated hiss. Hungry. Hunting. Deciding to rather search for something weaker.

Matter barely spared it a further glance. His focus again locked on his target, who hadn't noticed anything wrong and was still making his way blindly through the press of bodies. The crowd was starting to increase, glowing orbs bobbing around him in the mist like lanterns in the deep. More people. More fields. More distractions.

Above, the Aether was growing heavier, the pulse of the sky becoming more erratic.

The air shivered with static, pressing down on the city. The clouds twisted and churned into even more unnatural hues—shades of purple browns, neon greens, and puss yellows—each layer of cloud pressing closer and closer together. It was as if the sky was too full, pressed too tightly together, ready to burst. The air shivers with static, as though everything in the city was holding its breath.

And then, as if on cue, the rain begins. It's not a gentle shower, but a torrential downpour, each drop a tiny spark of electricity, sharp and biting as it strikes the pavement. Matter barely notices storm, his cloak heavy with the weight of the rain as the energy arcs off of his body, his eyes still fixed on the man in front of him.

'Twenty-one years.'

Matter's footsteps were soundless against the cracked pavement as he continued to trail the man ahead, his gaze unwavering from the flickering golden field. The intervals between top-ups were shrinking. Each time, the shield failed faster. Each time, Aster needed more.

'It won't be long now.'

For two decades, Matter had followed him, waiting, watching, feeding just enough Karma into the Bio-Field to keep it intact—but never enough to stop its inevitable decline. It was a slow unravelling, a measured collapse. And soon, after all these years, the journey would reach its end.

He exhaled, steadying his thoughts. The weight of time pressed against him, but he remained patient. He always had been.

'One last stretch.'

Aster turns another corner as he moved out of the bustling area into a dingier one with rubbish littering the sidewalks and abandoned buildings dotting the streets like missing teeth, any open space that could shelter someone from the elements were crowded by those less fortunate.

Seeming to have spotted his destination, Aster crosses the street, quickening his pace as he heads towards a nondescript storefront tucked between two other buildings. From a distance, the store doesn't stand out, its faded sign barely legible under the grime of the streets. But Matter notices something—the faint, sickly pink glow hovering just above the entrance. It flickers, almost like an optical illusion, drawing the eyes.

The lure. He knows it instantly.

'A Scam Angler.'

Aster strides unaware of the creature, past its lure and into the store, the soft clink of the door's bell echoing in the empty space. Matter follows, his senses heightened, every instinct alert. The shop is nondescript—an old corner store with cluttered shelves, dim lighting, and the faint, musty smell of dust. However, the robed man's senses immediately sharpen. His eyes flick over every corner, the air thick with the subtle hum of strange energy that most would ignore.

Seeing another feint glow in the corner, the man shifts his gaze to the lure source as he sees the creature—its body large and grotesque, its scales shimmering faintly beneath a translucent, slimy skin. Its huge, bulbous eyes stared unblinking, the kind of eyes that seem to see everything and nothing at once. The lure, that sickly pink light, danced hypnotically above its head, drawing anyone nearby closer.

Matter's mind sharpens. Four of them. The presence of one Scam Angler outside the store was one thing, but four in this space? This wasn't a casual encounter. He could feel the weight of the deception throughout the building's atmosphere, a hum of energy feeding the creatures' insidious power. Their very existence thrived off the lies and anger generated by the actions of those who used scams and cons to make a living, helping to draw in unexpected victims — the emotions that would inevitably spiral in a place like this would feed them and help them grow.

He narrows his eyes. Four of them in here. It's rare for the creatures to group like this. There's potent energy being fed off from somewhere in this room, something nefarious enough to attract them all. But the people milling about, each encased in their glowing shields, were blissfully unaware of the creatures' presence.

Aster, still oblivious to the astral dangers, steps deeper into the store, brushing past a shelf of dusty trinkets, making his way to the fridges in the back. His field hums quietly around him, a golden cocoon shielding him from the unseen dangers of this world.

The cloaked figure watches Aster closely, his senses heightened. The glow of his field was already much less brighter than it had been when they walked in. He feels his chest tighten and he fears the worst as he sees Aster's shield start to flicker.

No, no, not now...

Aster's shield, dims even further, as the man steps closer, already starting the incantation, his hand outstretched, ready to recharge the failing orb before it collapses completely. But at that moment Aster brushes against one of the lures of the scam anglers, causing a spark before the glowing field suddenly shatters completely. Instantly the shield that had kept Aster unaware of the Astral Plane evaporates, suddenly plunging Aster into a world of chaos.

The mist, held back by the orb till this point, suddenly rushes into the empty space, the faint haze that had been surrounding him, that he'd never noticed until this point, suddenly floods in. It swirls around him in thick, undulating tendrils, coiling around his legs, crawling around his body like an electric cloying tide. Aster staggers back, his breath catching in his throat as he stumbles and falls into the thick carpet of mist surrounding him.

Gasping, his hand flyout in front of him as though wanting to push the fog away, but it slips through his fingers like smoke, twisting and moving as though it had a mind of its own. Finally getting back to his feet he gasps for air as he emerges from the cloud only to find himself in a twisted version of the convenient store he had entered.

Sensing their prey, the lures of the Scam Anglers flare to life at once, their pink glow pulsing more urgently now. They shift, their grotesque forms now fully visible, their slimy bodies shaking in anticipation in the thick fog. The creatures' eyes—wide, unblinking—lock onto Aster. His chest tightens. His heart beats faster. He feels the primal, insistent tug of the creatures hungry, 'this was something dangerous.'

Then the creatures move.

They are fast—too fast. The first one darts forward, its body slithering toward Aster, the lure above its head glowing bright, its mouth opening wide, sharp teeth flashing in the mist. Aster freezes, unable to comprehend what he's seeing. He has no context for the terror that suddenly appeared in front of him. His breath quickens as the creature's shadow looms larger, and the air grows thick with a low, buzzing hum.

Aster's feet shuffle back, his limbs slow and uncoordinated as if the fog itself was pulling at him, weighing him down. His pulse rings in his ears as he tries to process what was happening— 'Where the hell am I??'.

Before Aster could react from the first, a second creature was already charging from the other side, its lure swinging excitedly. The creature lunges, its body wriggling violently, and Aster falls backward, barely avoiding its grasp. He barely understands the danger as the creature snarls, its mouth opening wider, revealing rows of needle-sharp teeth that gleam in the mist.

His mind races. He can't think, he can't breathe. He's not prepared for this. He's not prepared for the sudden hunger, the desperation that filled the air.

A robed man is suddenly there in an instant, his cloak swirling as he steps between Aster and the creatures. With a flick of his wrist, a shimmering barrier materializes just in time, absorbing the brunt of the first Scam Angler's strike as it slams against the shield with a sickening wet sound, the force of the impact sending a ripple through the mist. The creature lets out a high-pitched screech of frustration, writhing against the invisible force, its body twisting as it attempts to break through. The robed man's eyes narrow, and with a swift motion, he condenses a second barrier, pinning the creature between the two, before suddenly slamming them together, the sickening crunch of the creature's body drowning out it's screams as it's cries is suddenly cut short followed by a torrent of gore as it's remains rained down over the store.

"Move!" the robed man orders sharply, as he tries to fend the creatures off with one hand while reforming the shield around Aster in the other.

Aster doesn't register his word at first. He's too disoriented, too lost in the confusion of the shifting astral world around him. His head spins, the mists swirling like a storm.

The second creature lunges, and the robed man is there again, his movements fluid, his strikes precise. A platform of energy forms beneath his feet, launching him upward as he slams his palm into the second Scam Angler's chest. It lets out a screech and is flung backward into the wall, hitting it with an audible splat, before falling wetly to the ground.

The robed man doesn't have time to rest. He presses forward, his eyes scanning the fog, his senses still attuned to every movement. The creatures are hungry, but they are weak compared to him. Still, the fight is draining, his attention is split—the spell slowly taking shape around Aster, the orb was almost back in place.

Aster's eyes dart around as his vision jumps between the normal convenient store and this twisted version of it as the orb flickers weakly, struggling to reform. The creatures sense this vulnerability. Another Scam Angler—this one larger, with a flickering, elongated lure—slithers through the mist, drawn to the figure in the uncomplete orb.

But the robed man isn't about to let it happen. His free hand moves in a sharp arc, and a blade of golden light slices through the air, splitting the creature in two. It collapses, as it's body slides apart, spilling more gore over the floor.

But there is no time to relish the victory. More creatures were coming. The other two Scam Anglers were already closing in on Aster, their jaws snapping and lures swirling. The robed man leaps forward again, his movements precise, each strike a deadly dance. He steps through the air like walking on thin ice, each motion seamless and fluid.

One of the Scam Anglers attempts to lunge for Aster's exposed back, but the robed man is there, his hand raising sharply to form another platform of force that strikes the creature down mid-lunge. It crashes into the ground with a brutal slam, disorienting the creature momentarily. With a powerful twist, the robed man sends a shockwave of energy toward the creature, sending it sprawling into the far corner of the room.

The fourth Scam Angler, undeterred, takes the opportunity to strike from behind, its large eyes glowing maliciously as it swings its hook-like lure. Aster, still panicking, doesn't see it coming.

The robed man sees it, though. His hand moves faster than a blink, and with a sharp movement, a transparent shield forms in the air, pushing the Scam Angler back with an explosion of force. The creature is slammed into the wall, and before it can react, the robed man closes the distance, his foot planting firmly on its head as he presses down, a cracking sound is swiftly followed by a squelch as the man crushes the creature's skull.

Aster, wide-eyed and shaking, watches in horror, unable to comprehend what's happening—what he's seeing. The world around him jumps in and out of focus, the creatures now scattered across the room in various stages of defeat.

The Scam Angler that had been knocked to the corner, slowly comes back to its feet as it ready's another attack on Aster. The robed man, not allowing it the chance, calls upon more power as he pushes through the strain of protecting Aster to dispatch the creatures. With a final, decisive move, he summons a towering platform of force, the air crackling as it forms in the air above them. With a flick of his hand, he slams the platform down over the remaining Scam Angler, crushing it in a final, horrific burst.

The store falls silent. The creatures are no more, their bodies were already drawing more creatures from outside as their roars could be heard drawing closer. Matter finishes the last part of the spell just in time, and Aster's bio-field flickers back into existence, its protective glow instantly returning, shielding him again from this world, leaving him scared and confused, uncertain if what he had just witnessed was an hallucination.

To the people in the convenience store, Aster appeared as a frantic figure, pacing and wide-eyed, his movements erratic as if dodging invisible threats. His face was pale, his body trembling, as if caught in a panic they couldn't see. They backed away from him, giving him a wide berth, their expressions a mixture of confusion and wariness, assuming he had lost his mind.