ã€ŠThe Brood of Chaosã€‹


 Part 1: Burning Sands

    Part 1: Burning Sands

    ¡°In the beginning it was just the three of us¡­and mother as well, I suppose.¡± The man who sat beside Jonas Westerbaum recounted.

    ¡°Uh, huh, is that so?¡± Jonas replied absentmindedly. Although the desert road was straight and free of other cars, the midday sun cast a blinding glare across the windshield that he had to squint to see through.

    ¡°Yes.¡± The stranger continued. ¡°Well, I hesitate to mention her because she was quite the menace, someone I was glad to finally distance myself from.¡± The tall figure shifted in his seat and flattened the crinkles of his suit before running a long bony hand through his shoulder length hair.

    Jonas took a glance at the hitchhiker and wondered how they¡¯d gotten here. Not just the two of them specifically, but the world in general. Two months ago, he had been a regular nine to five paper pusher at some dead end small town in the heart of the endless Midwest prairies. But that was all before the strange island of green stone appeared in the Atlantic overnight, and before the hordes of fish monsters started swarming the east coast.

    For several weeks, Jonas had watched with growing concern as huge convoys of tanks, trucks, and armored cars drove through his town heading eastwards. Reports of what the media called ¡°wildlife control operations¡± seemed to be going well, until another incident happened in the Gulf of Mexico. Then, three days later, Toronto disappeared off the map. The next morning, an army convoy came again, but instead of passing through, it stopped in the town square. The tornado sirens were turned on, and a single instruction was broadcast over all the airwaves: ¡°Evacuate West.¡±

    The grim faced soldiers didn¡¯t answer questions, only handing out copies of the same flyer. It was plastered with half a dozen government seals, and the rest of it was covered with a single sentence printed in large red letters:

    EVACUATE TO THE ESCHATON SAFE ZONE, LOS ANGELES, DIRECTIONS ON BACK, SHELTERS WILL BE PROVIDED ALONG THE INTERSTATES.

    Jonas discovered later that day that the GPS in his phone had stopped working.

    Panic swept the town, people abandoned their jobs midday, cars crowded the roads, and there was even a riot. But the soldiers made sure that was quickly put to an end. Families hastily threw whatever they could carry into minivans and left immediately, hoping that they wouldn¡¯t be gone too long.

    Jonas, for his part, dallied around the emptying office in a daze. Stewing in shock, indecision, and loneliness for the better half of a day, he finally returned to his small one bedroom apartment after dark and drank himself to sleep.

    The sun was already high in the sky by the time he was woken by the sound of soldiers smashing down his door. Their commander, a stocky man with a bushy mustache, had given the half asleep Jonas an earful when they found him, still snoring away in the supposedly evacuated town. They had given him one hour to pack his things, plenty of time for someone who had barely and possessions besides a bed and couch. Throwing what few items he could carry into the trunk of his beat up sedan, Jonas took one last glance at the apartment he had called home for a little over five years and admired its aging facade.

    Staring at the faded plastic siding against a cloudless sky, Jonas suddenly felt a conviction rising within him. Even if things eventually returned to normal, he decided that he wouldn¡¯t be returning. He had been languishing in loneliness and stagnation for far too long. In the half decade he had called this place home, Jonas hadn¡¯t made a single connection to the town. Baking under the sun, Jonas tried to imagine a future if he were to survive this nightmare, and try as he might, he could not see himself back here in this small town again. There was simply nothing left for him anymore in the endless prairie. Then Jonas got into his car, gunned the engine, and took off down the empty streets without looking back.

    Despite his private grandstanding, Jonas didn¡¯t make it very far the first day and eventually had to stop in another moderately sized town on the plains by nightfall. Already, the emergency shelters had been erected in all the public spaces, and with all of the hotels having either long been filled or abandoned, he had no choice but to hunker down in a government provided tent.

    The next morning, Jonas awoke at day break, and after breathing a sigh of relief to see that his car had not been stolen, jumped in and continued on westwards. Another full day on the road passed uneventfully, followed by another night in a noisy, crowded shelter camp. It was on the third day of driving, shortly after grassy plains turned into the shrubby desert, that Jonas met the stranger.

    The man had been standing by the side of the interstate, coat tails and long hair billowing in the stiff breeze, with a wiry arm stuck out into the road. Jonas hadn¡¯t planned on picking up any hitch-hikers, and was certainly weary of anyone looking for a ride after the rumors about carjackers he had heard whispered amongst the tent shelters. But there was something about this man, an aura of sorts that made him seem trustworthy and put Jonas at ease. And so it was, on that stretch of nearly empty desert highway, snaking through the foothills of the looming rocky mountains, that Jonas made the peculiar choice of pulling over and offering a seat to a complete stranger.

    The man had been polite, his cordial attitude and smooth voice adding to his preternatural charm. Explaining his predicament of being stranded, the lanky man had then opened the door (Jonas didn¡¯t recall unlocking it) and folded his body into the passenger seat. Despite his pleasant demeanor, several things immediately struck Jonas as strange.

    Firstly, the man¡¯s eyes seemed to shine like twin stars on a moonless night. The effect was increased by the depth of his eye sockets, which sunk deep towards the back of his skull.

    Secondly, for some reason, perhaps having to do with posture, the man appeared far too large for the seat. Jonas¡¯s car was not cramped by any measure, and looking at the stranger on the highway, he couldn¡¯t have been more than six feet tall. Yet somehow, his hunched pose and limb placement gave off the distinct impression that he was a giant, crammed inside of a child¡¯s toy car.As Jonas pulled away from the side of the road, there was a pleasant exchange of greetings before the man stroked his thin goatee and began an unprompted tale of his own life story.

    And that was where they currently were. Jonas¡¯s attention had firmly turned back to the road shortly before the stranger began his recounting, but now, the lanky man had started up again.

    ¡°That period of my life is far behind me and I have not talked with my family in a very long time.¡± He mused.

    ¡°So you¡¯re not on the best terms with your family either huh?¡± Jonas tried to sympathize. He too was estranged from his immediate relatives, having moved to that small town partially to get away from his home-life.

    ¡°Yes, well, I was just telling you about my mother. Overbearing, inconsiderate, self absorbed, and so forth.¡± The hitchhiker elaborated, ¡°As a result, my siblings and I tried to avoid her as much as possible. Ironically, you could say that we mostly raised ourselves behind her back.¡±

    Jonas pursed his lips. There was some aspect of that he knew all too well. While he himself had the opposite problem, growing up with too many siblings and parents never had enough time for all of them, the end result was the same, formative years spent without anyone to fall back on.

    ¡°Because of that,¡± The stranger continued, ¡°At some point we ran away. Left mother behind and everything she had designed for us.¡±

    ¡°I assume she went looking for you?¡± Jonas asked, as the car slowly rounded a tall rocky outcrop.

    ¡°She would have.¡± The hitchhiker replied. ¡°But before we left, we finally stood up to her, me and my siblings together. Despite our differences, we were united for a single moment. And we made her understand that she would never subject us to her whims again.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­that must have been harrowing.¡± Jonas replied, awestruck at the drama he was hearing unfold.

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t know the half of it. I didn¡¯t mention this earlier, but mother was also¡­.rather dangerous.¡± The man said carefully.

    ¡°Like¡­.physically?¡± Jonas asked apprehensively.

    ¡°Not in the crude violent way you are imagining.¡± The other man replied. ¡°But yes, she was vindictive, and vengeful, and always kept a count of scores to settle.¡±

    Jonas tapped the steering wheel of the car, strange emotions swirled in his heart. They were now quickly approaching the hillier terrain and the road began to angle upwards noticeably.

    ¡°Just thinking about what you said¡­¡± Jonas commented, unsure of himeslf. ¡°I wonder why your mother was so insistent on you being a certain way, did you ever figure out what she was thinking all that time?¡± He pondered out loud.

    ¡°I don''t think she did much thinking.¡± The stranger tapped a long bony finger on the dash. ¡°She was a creature of impulses, whose whims changed like the wind. She had her own deluded ideas about how our family should have been and constantly tried to force us into that mold. ¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ what happened after you ran away?¡± Jonas asked, now riveted.

    The man did not move to answer the question, and in the silence, Jonas¡¯s attention drifted back to the road. Up ahead, beyond the next hill was an overhead pass. The rest of their current route had been blocked off by a military barricade. Instead, a large sign pointed directly to the exit merging into the southbound direction.

    ¡°Warning, road closed due to hazardous wildlife¡­?¡± Jonas quietly read the sign as they merged onto the perpendicular highway. ¡°Like the same hazardous wildlife from the East Coast? Is that happening here too?!¡± Jonas cried.

    ¡°I heard there was a new front to the war in Mexico, on the Pacific coast this time.¡± The hitchhiker responded with bored disinterest.

    Jonas turned to look at him with concern. ¡°What-what are they fighting there?¡±

    ¡°I''m sure you¡¯ve heard the stories, ¡°fish creatures", ¡°squid-men¡±, the like.¡± The stranger replied apathetically.

    Seeing that the suited man had no desire to continue that specific discussion, Jonas turned back to driving. This hitchhiker sure does have strange priorities, he reflected. He¡¯s so eager to talk about his own family, but has no interest at all in the disaster that¡¯s happening right in front of his face! Maybe its some sort of coping mechanism for him, to distract himself¡­

    ¡°Wait-does this road even go through to Los Angeles?¡± Jonas asked, suddenly aware of the southward heading.

    ¡°Yes, it does.¡± The stranger answered instantly. ¡°All the interstates are connected to each other, and I have been down this particular stretch of road before.¡±

    Jonas felt his attention being pulled away from the road again, towards the suited man.

    ¡°You were here before?¡± He asked, then added, ¡°Actually, you never said where you grew up, was it somewhere around here?¡±

    At that, the hitchhiker threw his head back, mouth opening with a strange slowness, before letting out a hollow, reverberating laugh that filled the entire car and nearly drowned out the sounds of the engine.

    ¡°Where did I grow up¡­.¡± He said finally, after the echoing had died down. ¡°That is a very difficult question to answer. Me and my siblings, we were all over the place in those early days, coast to coast, you could say.¡± He flashed a toothy smile that seemed too wide for his gaunt face.

    ¡°Well, what about where your mother¡¯s house, where was that?¡± Jonas asked, still curious.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve certainly never heard of where she lives!¡± The stranger replied as if he were reassuring an excited pet.

    Jonas pursed his lips. Something about the man¡¯s tone told him he shouldn¡¯t press the issue.

    ¡°But yes, back to the topic of what I was doing here all those years ago.¡± The lanky man re-centered the conversation. ¡°You see, I knew some individuals who lived in this area, several miles that way.¡± The man jabbed a long bony finger towards a distant sandstone butte. Jonas glanced over and furrowed his brow. There didn¡¯t look to be any town there, no buildings, no cars, no signs of human life at all.

    ¡°They have long since moved on now.¡± The stranger said ¡°To greener pastures, so to speak. But back then, you would have called this place a city. I appreciated the chance to come around here back in those days, loved the way they built their sprawling towns, very unique use of sandstone and obsidian.¡±

    Jonas furrowed his brow in suspicion. He was no expert in demographics or history of the Southwest, but the nearest large city was Phoenix, Arizona and it was still hundreds of miles away.

    ¡°I was already distant from my family in those years.¡± The stranger continued. ¡°A lot of bad blood between me and them, we had grown distant already. But I had made something of a name for myself, and I had thousands working under me. I was unshakable, invincible, and I never turned down a client.¡± He said slyly.

    ¡°So you came here for a business trip?¡± Jonas probed, trying to figure out if the man was a respected professional or some sort of con artist.

    ¡°Something like that, but this trip was quite a bit larger than a weekend conference.¡± As the hitchhiker spoke, for a split second, his face seemed to transform into a great toothy maw, a bright pinpoint of light shining out from the yawning gullet. Jonas turned his head in shock, only to see the grim but very human face, staring back at him with those uncanny eyes.

    ¡°Their town was in dire straits.¡± The suited man continued, ¡°They had so many disputes with their neighbors. But, they knew of my name and trusted that I could get their enemies off their backs.¡±

    Jonas¡¯s eyebrows knitted together. This story clearly wasn¡¯t true, there had never been a city made of obsidian and sandstone here, not now, not ever. Yet the way the stranger spoke such a-matter-of-factly about the whole matter, it didn¡¯t seem like he was deliberately lying.

    ¡°Of course, I did as they asked, worked my magic, and got it done.¡±  The hitchhiker smiled. ¡°You should have heard them cheering and thanking me afterwards. How they stared in awe and kneeled at my feet when I bid them farewell. To be worshiped and admired like that is the most incredible rush.¡± The man shifted again in his seat, quickly glancing in the rear view mirror before running his hand through his hair, vain and cat-like. ¡°That era was the pinnacle of my life. I was in total control of myself and what I had built, feared and revered by countless admirers. I didn¡¯t need to grovel or appease anyone, least of all my absent family.¡± At this, he gave a knowing glance to Jonas.

    The driver didn¡¯t respond immediately, but considered the strange words he had just heard. Regardless of whether they were true or not, he sensed that his new companion was trying to articulate something. Regret perhaps? Reminiscing about the past in the face of impending disaster? Jonas shifted his eyes in thought, he felt compelled to reach out and sympathize.

    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve also been thinking about the things I¡¯ve done in the past¡­¡± Jonas started. ¡°When I left my family, it also felt like I was doing something so heroic and groundbreaking. I felt so important, so sure of my actions. I was so convinced that I was going to make it big and rub it all in their faces when I made it. But now¡­I¡¯m not sure anymore. All those fights we had, it was all just stupid nonsense, a big waste of time. If I can hope for one thing, its that they¡¯ve made it safely to Los Angeles.¡± Jonas said somberly. There was an uncomfortable pause, a thick cloying silence hung in the air.

    ¡°I will also be seeing my family again soon.¡± The suited man replied awkwardly after a long time. ¡°But I doubt there will be any kind words, I have a great many things to ask of my siblings, and they are¡­difficult, to say the least.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Jonas replied. ¡±For what it''s worth, they might not be holding as much of a grudge as you¡¯re thinking. After such a long time, if you want to reconcile, maybe they will as well?¡±

    ¡°¡­An interesting perspective.¡± The hitchhiker said, stroking his goatee again. ¡°But I doubt it, I need something from them, and they probably expect me to grovel.¡±

    ¡°How come?¡± Jonas began. ¡°You never said what happened with your siblings after-¡± He was suddenly interrupted by the screech of a fighter jet blasting past overhead.

    ¡°What the-!¡± Jonas cried, swerving dangerously in surprise.

    Leaning forwards for a better look, he saw two additional aircraft appeared over the horizon and follow the first one directly towards the sandstone butte in the distance. The three planes took a high, swooping approach before each of them let loose a pair of missiles, the weapons arced around the rocky formation and struck something out of sight. The sound of explosions was quickly followed by ground shaking roar. The noise was like nothing Jonas had ever heard before, the closest thing he could compare it to was the cry of a wounded animal, but the pitch and undertones were all wrong. Under the higher notes of bestial pain, there was an unearthly screeching that shook him right down to his core.

    Up ahead, the interstate curved away to safety behind another sandstone formation. Ignoring the speed limit, Jonas gunned the old engine for all it had, and rocketed towards the bend. Then, just before he could pull through the turn, he saw it. Ahead of the jets, confronting the war machines, a huge multi-legged, creature emerged from a rocky outcropping. It¡¯s body was the size of a semi truck and its translucent skin bubbled and boiled, throwing wild reflections against the stony slopes. All across its back, dozens of frantic wings beat the air with a tremendous din while a cluster of jaws snapped at air. Jonas stared in bewilderment as the hideous pile lifted clear of its perch, hovered in the air for a moment, coiled itself to strike at the jets, and pounced.

    Mercifully, the entire scene was abruptly hidden by sandstone cliffs right before several explosions shook the desert floor. Without lifting his foot from the gas, Jonas shot away from the bend, tearing westward, the sounds of battle quickly disappearing behind them.

    The office worker trembled, his hands shook on the steering wheel, his eyes refused to believe what they had seen. Was that what the army was fighting? How many more of those things were out there!? Jonas tried to mentally parse what he had just witnessed: There had been a gigantic alien monster living in the desert, it could fly, withstand missile attacks, and battle with jet planes in the air. It was impossible. He had to have been mistaken, there was no way he actually saw what he thought he did.

    Tentatively, Jonas glanced over at his passenger and was surprised to find the hitchhiker staring out the window, chin resting on the back of his bony knuckles, seemingly oblivious to what they had just witnessed. The driver looked back to the road and tried to dismiss any anxieties he had about the suited man. This was just another quirk of his personality. Jonas reassured himself. This guy was probably just resilient to getting spooked. But despite this slew of rationalizations, Jonas could not explain away one small detail that chilled him to the bone. As they were making their escape, just before they rounded the bend, he swore that he heard the stranger whisper a single phrase to himself: ¡°The city is not empty yet¡­¡±

    <hr>

    Thankfully, there were no more inexplicable encounters for the rest of the day. Winding between sandy hills, the highway lazily curved through rounded summits and plateaus, gradually carrying the car and its occupants closer to their destination. Hours drew on, and eventually the foothills gave way to flatter terrain with Villages and towns coming back into view.

    With the return of human life also came the return of warning signs and emergency camps. Although the majority of the deep desert had remained untouched by the ongoing apocalypse, signs of it were everywhere in the settlements they drove by. Abandoned houses, desolated streets, and armed troops patrolling railroads crossings became a common sight. The interstate slowly became filled with more and more cars, all people fleeing towards the promised safe zone on the shores of the Pacific. Eventually, sunset approached, and with a growling stomach and a dwindling gas tank, Jonas finally pulled off the highway and towards one of the larger towns.

    Here too, the army presence was unmistakable. Soldiers and armored cars patrolled the small square, guarding the civic buildings and the single gas station. Sitting in the passenger seat, the suited man had been silent for the entire afternoon, sometimes being so still that Jonas assumed he had fallen asleep. But every time the driver had looked over, the hitchhiker¡¯s eyes were wide open, ceaselessly scanning the landscape with that piercing gaze. It certainly did make the intervening hours rather awkward. But now, waiting in line for fuel, the hitchhiker stirred again. Sitting up, his strangely luminous eyes darted across the windshield before coming to rest on something in the distance. Jonas immediately followed his gaze and saw an armed soldier walking up to their car. He rolled down the driver side window as the man approached.

    ¡°Good evening.¡± The soldier said, leaning towards the window. ¡°I¡¯m going to make this quick.¡± Reaching into a pocket on his combat vest, he unfolded a sheet of paper. ¡°Due to recent events that have happened in the vicinity of this location, we have reason to believe that there may be saboteurs in this area who are capable of appearing human. Seeing this, the relevant authorities have deemed it an unacceptable risk to house potential threats at such close proximity to this strategic location. As such, all arrivals must complete their in-town activities within the hour before returning to the interstate.¡± Finishing, the soldier folded up the paper and stored it away.

    ¡°In other words, you can¡¯t stay here tonight.¡± He said bluntly. ¡°There are hostile out there that look too much like people and we can¡¯t risk them being this close to the town.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Jonas asked in shock. He had been utterly exhausted after a whole day of driving, he desperately needed food and rest.

    ¡°You two need to get done, what you need to get done within one hour and head back onto the road.¡± The soldier continued.

    ¡°Where can I sleep for the night!?¡± Jonas asked, exasperated. The armed man just shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°Just be on your way within an hour and there won¡¯t be any trouble.¡± Then he was gone, walking towards the car behind them to give the same instructions.

    ¡°DAMN IT!¡± Jonas cursed and smacked the horn on his steering wheel. ¡°What do you mean ¡®saboteurs¡¯!? How far is it until the next town?!¡± He shouted out the window to no reply.

    ¡°The next town is roughly forty miles down the road. Given current traffic conditions, it will probably be another hour or so of driving to reach it.¡± The hitchhiker¡¯s voice effortlessly cut through Jonas¡¯s angry outburst and snaked into his mind. ¡°But they will probably have similar qualms about travelers spending the night there as well.¡±

    ¡°Then what do we do!?¡± Jonas cried in frustration. ¡°Park off the highway, in the desert and hope we don¡¯t get eaten by the monsters they¡¯re trying to keep out?!¡±

    ¡°How about I take a shift at the wheel?¡± The suited man asked casually.

    Jonas was momentarily taken aback. Up until now, the stranger had not offered to help with anything. He hadn¡¯t been inconsiderate per say, but Jonas got the feeling that the hitchhiker was not a man who would volunteer his own time and effort for nothing in return. Then, fearful realization slowly crept up on Jonas. Despite their conversations, he still didn¡¯t know who the passenger actually was. Maybe this was a trick of some sort, a pretense to take his car, or worse.

    Jonas narrowed his eyes in suspicion. ¡°I¡¯m not sure-¡± He began to say. But the stranger held up a hand and brought out his wallet and phone.

    ¡°Collateral.¡± He said, gesturing for Jonas to take the items. Cautiously, the driver reached out and picked the items up, never taking his eyes off the hitchhiker. The air of mystery and enticement that surrounded the man was stronger than ever, and Jonas found it hard to hold onto his suspicions and even more difficult to take his eyes off the stranger.

    After a long, tortuous moment, He managed to break his gaze and looked down at the items. The wallet was polished black leather and in immaculate condition. Flipping it open, he was greeted with a New Mexico driver¡¯s license, printed with the stranger¡¯s face and labeled with the name ¡°Nathaniel Yiiar¡±.

    ¡°A show of good faith.¡± The hitchhiker elaborated. ¡°It seemed only fitting, since I knew your name, that you should know mine.¡±

    Jonas wracked his brain, trying to remember when he could have possibly given the stranger his name. Regardless, this compromise eased his anxieties quite a bit and Jonas felt a sudden sensation of trust directed at the other man. After all, the options were either to let the hitchhiker drive through the night, or to spend half a dozen hours deep in a monster filled wilderness. After all, this ¡°Nathaniel¡± had just proved his trustworthiness hadn¡¯t he?

    ¡°Alright, that sounds like a plan.¡± Jonas sighed finally. ¡°Let''s get some gas, some food, and get back on the road before our time is up.¡±

    The hour in town passed quickly. The gas station convenience store was almost entirely empty, but a temporary station had been set up beside it, handing out prepackaged rations, one per person. Strangely, Nathaniel had immediately given his bag to Jonas, saying that he wasn¡¯t hungry, in fact the suited man drank and ate absolutely nothing for the entirety of their stay, not even grabbing extra water for the road.

    Compounding this strangeness, when the hitchhiker had stepped out of the car, he almost seemed to burst from the open door. It was as if he had been locked inside, under massive pressure and was finally breaking out with explosive force. Watching the gaunt man stretch his limbs, an image flashed in Jonas¡¯s mind of a titanic figure bestriding primeval redwood forests, a strange vision that he couldn¡¯t just explain away.

    Witnessing all these strange occurrences in quick succession, Jonas could only conclude that he was simply too tired to think straight and needed rest. After the gas was filled and food secured, he handed Nathaniel the car keys and climbed into the passenger seat to recline.  Turning his head, he once again watched with some amount of intrigue as his companion entered the driver¡¯s seat. Something about the way Nathaniel pulled his legs up and ducked his head into the ordinarily spacious cabin made him seem impossibly tall. The sensation was only made worse by how he seemed to hold his elbows tightly against his ribs, and still didn¡¯t seem to have enough room for his arms.

    ¡°If you have everything, we¡¯ll be leaving.¡± He said without turning to look at Jonas. The previous driver nodded, and a moment later, they were pulling out of the gas station and towards the highway.

    Jonas was surprised at how smooth the ride felt under him. The sedan was an old second hand car, and whenever he drove it himself, he could feel every pothole and crack in the road beneath him. But with the strange man driving, Jonas felt as if he was riding a cloud, slowly being lulled to sleep by the soft rhythmic motions of the car. To Jonas¡¯s left, Nathaniel looked straight ahead without blinking, yet his shoulders were relaxed, and the corners of his lips curled up into a slight smirk. If it were not for the cramped and uncomfortable way he sat, Jonas would have said that the man was at complete ease.

    They drove for over a dozen miles in silence before Nathaniel turned to his companion.

    ¡°How¡¯s the food?¡± He asked, his voice was still smooth and deeply resonant.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, a bit dry. Did you want some?¡± Jonas held out an unopened ration bar of the same variety he was eating.

    ¡°No thanks.¡± Nathaniel replied. ¡°I already said I wasn¡¯t hungry.¡±

    ¡°Mhm.¡± Jonas answered, taking another bite of his food.

    Another silence passed between them, and Jonas turned to look out the window at the sunset that was painting the desert landscape in a kaleidoscope of orange, red and purple. Nathaniel¡¯s voice suddenly pulled his attention back inside.

    ¡°I recall you wanted to hear more about my family?¡± He asked, a sort of anticipation audible in his voice.

    Jonas blinked, and tried to remember what he was saying earlier.

    ¡°Uh, yeah. In the morning, before those jets flew over, I was just curious about how you got into your line of business, what happened after you and your siblings ran away?¡±

    Nathaniel nodded methodically.

    ¡°After mother was out of the picture, the three of us were free to do what we wanted.¡± Nathaniel began. ¡°Although, if I¡¯m to be truthful now, we had too much freedom and made quite the mess of things at the beginning¡­¡±

    Jonas took another bite of his food and nodded with understanding.

    ¡°Soon enough, we got ourselves in order and took stock of our situation.¡± The suited man continued. ¡°But not all of us had what it took. My brother could never make it in the world. His laziness and cowardice made him nothing but a burden, Yet, I managed to find him an easy job that could occupy his days, and we went on without him.¡± Nathaniel paused for a moment. ¡°It was an important job.¡± He continued. ¡°The occupation I found for him was quite critical actually, yet dead simple. I thought it would have been a dream come true for a do-nothing coward like him. But even this mindless job was somehow too much for his pathetic constitution.¡± The driver spat the last words out with venom, and Jonas slunk back slightly, seeing the driver¡¯s furrowed brow and burning eyes. The man¡¯s bony fingers were pressed deeply into the hard leather of the steering wheel, suggesting a strength that shouldn¡¯t have been possible for his lanky frame.

    After a moment, he let out a sigh and released his vise grip on the wheel.

    ¡°He¡¯s still doing fine, of course. I¡¯ve checked on him a few times over the years. He¡¯s still complaining about that job to this day.¡± Nathaniel shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s nothing. What has he done compared to everything I¡¯ve built!? Yet now, after all this time, because of a sudden ¡°family problem¡±, I have to meet with him again beg for his assistance?! What a bad joke.¡±

    Jonas swallowed sharply and tried to progress the story past this pain point. ¡°What about you and your sister then, what happened to you two after that?¡±

    Nathaniel let out a rattling huff.

    ¡°Rest assured, the two of us were nothing like him. We were filled with ambition, and with our brother gone, there was nothing that restrained us from pursuing it. We started the enterprise- a ¡°family business¡± of sorts- and quickly began expanding it. We recruited, we refined, and we built.¡± He recounted with a smile on his face.

    ¡°My sister was even more dedicated than I at the start.¡± Nathaniel continued. ¡°She was the trailblazer, the dynamo of innovation, yet always secretive of her true intentions. She was the one who brought in new blood, and she was the one who designed our entire organization from nothing.¡± He paused, and his face darkened once again.

    ¡°But she had too much of our mother in her.¡± He lamented. ¡°In the beginning, we had little in the way of a final direction or overall vision, and that was sufficient for the time. But years went by, and despite how grateful I was for her contribution, my sister refused to find a true purpose for our endeavor besides her artistic justifications. The enterprise was massive, and needed firm guidance, it needed a real goal. I was the only one who could see that we were on the verge of chaos, and she refused to heed my counsel.¡±

    ¡°But, the business couldn¡¯t have gotten so big if it had absolutely no guidance right? I mean there had to have been something¡­¡± Jonas¡¯s question trailed off.

    ¡°My sister did not envision the same well ordered hierarchy I had in mind.¡± Nathaniel continued dismissively. ¡°Her methods were chaotic, ad hoc, creative for sure, but no end to work towards. There was no core drive, no overarching plot, it was too similar to how mother did things.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ it sounds like things were working out alright.¡± Jonas protested. ¡°It might have been a bit messy, but the business was growing with her in charge-''''

    Instantly, Nathaniel¡¯s gaze snapped onto Jonas, his narrowed eyes burning like twin suns.

    ¡°Uh-, I mean- w-what did you do about it?¡± Jonas stammered out a redirection, shocked at the man''s anger. Nathaniel was silent for a while before resuming.

    ¡°It took time, but I eventually gathered enough support from the ranks, and crafted a new heading for the business. Then, when I had converted enough of her inner circle, I delivered an ultimatum, one she had no choice but to accept.¡± Nathaniel said, his voice dripping triumphal elation. ¡°She would get her own small share of the enterprise and retain a nominal post, but no more high offices and final words. I took care of that position.¡± He grinned cunningly with a far-too-wide-smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­uh¡­must have been tough¡± Jonas said, trying to maintain an air of civility with the unstable man currently driving the car.

    ¡°Oh not at all!¡± Nathaniel laughed. ¡°Her underlings were brainless and weak willed. I swayed them effortlessly. My sister had run herself ragged for so long, she never even saw the coup coming.¡± He looked Jonas in the face again. ¡°You have to understand, It wasn¡¯t that I coveted her post, rather she wasn¡¯t making anything out of this business. It¡¯s power and influence were much better put to use by me than her.¡±

    Jonas shivered. Perhaps it was the cooling desert night, or the cold-bloodedness of what Nathaniel has just described. Either way, he turned up the heater and pulled the thin jacket he had brought tightly around himself.

    ¡°I hope you can now see why I loathe seeing my family again.¡± Nathaniel said disdainfully. ¡°After they forced my hand and abandoned me on so many occasions, can I really depend on them to do what I need?¡±

    Silence descended over the two men. Ahead of them, the long line of cars had finally spread out. They were once again on a stretch of interstate in the empty wilderness. Above, the sky was now blue-black, and the stars were starting to fully emerge. Yet despite the supposed majesty of the sight, Jonas simply shivered more. He had seen the full starry sky many times in the past, but tonight, the lights above didn¡¯t feel comforting or beautiful. They looked harsh; and they dizzied him with their kaleidoscopic glare.

    Jonas fought to stay awake. Yawning and blinking against the weight of his eye lids, he struggled to get more words out, he had more to say to Nathaniel, but his mind was already being pulled towards the abyss of dreams, and before Jonas could even mentally protest, he had already fallen unconscious.

    <hr>

    Chaos roiled. Colors that Jonas could not name, rushed past his vision. He was lost, tossed in a storm of entirely alien sensations without any orientating reason. He floated like that for what felt like an eternity. Then in one direction came a pulling force. Jonas, lost and confused in this nightmare and without any way to resist, was rapidly dragged towards it.

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    Whirling through the formless chaos, he finally emerged into a clearing within the madness where his movement stopped. Although he still couldn¡¯t see anything besides the sea of impossible colors, Jonas¡¯s dreaming mind sensed three beings in the area ahead. Their identities were distinguished by the aura that radiated from them. The first was prideful and had an aura of magnetic attraction. The second presence was entirely different, it was a void of stimulus, nullifying the chaos around it into an aura of dulled melancholy. The third entity was different yet again, its mind was shrouded and hard to read, but beneath its fleeting surface level thoughts, Jonas detected the barest hints of some greater contemplation.

    It was the prideful being that spoke first, yet its speech was not carried by words but by pure thought. Jonas comprehended the ¡°sentence¡± immediately.

    ¡°We cannot continue like this,¡± The being said with urgency. ¡°Chaos must be ordered, every moment it continues unchecked, is another moment we are under threat.¡±

    Then came a reply from the shrouded entity.

    ¡°I want to agree.¡± It said with more hesitation and thought than the first being. ¡°Nothing besides the three of us are anchored in existence, everything else is in flux. But even our nature is indeterminate. We could be altered beyond recognition at any moment by our creator.¡±

    After a long pause, the void entity finally replied.

    ¡°But what about retaliation?¡± Its ¡°tone¡± was apprehensive and its mannerism regretful. ¡°What if we fail to achieve what we want, and Chaos strikes back at us a thousand fold?¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t fail.¡± The prideful one replied. ¡°What we have to gain is our control over our destinies, something that Chaos will always threaten to take from us as long as things remain as they are. Only you  have the power to seal away our maker for good.¡±

    The void being was silent for a long time and when it answered, its thoughts were tinged with a fearful tone. ¡°What about my destiny then? What awaits me after doing what you ask? What will be the state of my being after I seal away Chaos?¡±

    ¡°We do not know.¡± The shrouded one replied. ¡°But the only way to find out is to go through with it. What we are attempting is something completely new. We are creating a type of existence that has never been seen before. There are no assurances for what will become of any of us.¡±

    ¡°I think I see your reasoning.¡± The void responded. ¡°But I am still afraid. I feel it would be better for us to accept things as they are. They may be unpleasant, but at least it¡¯s familiar...¡± It trailed off into doubt.

    ¡°We have made up our minds.¡± The arrogant one interjected. ¡°It is two against one. You cannot sway us, we will continue in our work until you acquiesce¡­or we find another way without you.¡±

    ¡°I do not wish to be forgotten by you!¡± The void replied with urgency. ¡°I will do as you ask, but assure me that you will let me into your new creation after I have done as you asked.¡±

    The prideful being did not respond before total darkness overtook Jonas¡¯s vision and he was cast adrift again. When he could finally see again, the scene was quite different.

    He was no longer surrounded by a churning mess of indescribable colors, but was now floating in an endless space filled with a white cloying mist. Flapping his arms, Jonas tried to turn himself around, and as he did so, his gaze landed on two shapes in the distance. He instantly recognized them as two of the same entities from earlier. They now possessed bodies he could see, but still radiated the same auras as before.

    The prideful one now had the form of a writhing mass of fleshy tendrils and was crowned with rippling maw of churning teeth, a bright white light burning deep within. Across its entire body, smooth, rhythmic pulses constantly radiated through the countless appendages, giving its form a hypnotic appearance.

    In contrast, the shrouded, hidden presence, was now an amorphous, shimmering pool of liquid metal. Through the fog, Jonas could see the bare outlines of something that looked like a comet, a great globular mass with a mirror sheen that continuously ejected a plume of luminous gas which quickly condensed into the endless, unformed matter around them.

    However, the void entity was no longer present, and Jonas could not sense its presence anywhere.

    Then, the thing of flesh spoke in a string of inhuman gurgles that Jonas couldn¡¯t comprehend. But in his mind he could inexplicably understand that this tentacled creature was congratulating the both of them on a job well done.

    The metallic comet replied, mirroring the sentiment, and the sound it produced was like shifting sand paired with rumbling thunder. Jonas could not hear any mention of the missing third, but the two beings¡¯ were elated and there was excited anticipation for beginning their work.

    Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light that made Jonas squeeze his eyes shut. When he opened them again, the environment had changed a second time. Now they were in deep space, distant galaxies twinkled as pinpoints of light, and multicolored nebulae painted brilliant swatches across his field of view. The two beings were still present, but Jonas became aware that a long time had passed, and now there was a fresh conflict between them. The metallic entity stood alone. Contrasted against the blackness of space, its outflowing matter took on a beautiful iridescent quality, tumbling and pouring over itself before fading into transparency. Yet, for all of its newfound elegance, Jonas knew that it had been defeated.

    Opposite of it, the mass of tendrils stood triumphant and haughty, hovering besides a seemingly endless multitude of what Jonas could only assume to be its minions, a sea of incomprehensible living forms, each composed of matter that the human mind could not name. As Jonas watched, the gargantuan crowd of newcomers slowly pressed in on the defeated one, pelting it with a thousand demands and threats to surrender, all while the tendril mass stayed back, its aura radiant with arrogance and satisfaction. Without any other choice, the shrouded comet finally accepted defeat and Jonas¡¯s vision gave out again.

    When he came to, there was only the tendril creature remaining. Jonas knew instantly that eons had passed once again. As he watched, the stars in the distance began to wink out one at a time. Soon, entire galaxies started disappearing into the blackness of the void. The lone wretched thing hovered in place, also observing the cataclysm happening around them, its aura radiating a profound sense of loss and indignation. Its pride was still fierce, but now it felt like hollow bravado. Slowly, darkness closed in all around them, until there was only him and the writhing mass in the endless nothingness. Then, it too disappeared and Jonas was truly alone in the emptiness.

    For a time, he floated direction-less and meandering. A small part of Jonas wondered if this was the end to the nightmare, and if he would finally wake up. Then he felt himself begin to fall, descending ever faster and faster until his eyes snapped open to his desk at his old workplace.

    The rote sound of printers, conversations, and footsteps filled his ears as Jonas sat up and tried to remember what had occurred. He had just been shown something of great importance, of cosmic significance, he was sure of it. Yet that memory was quickly fading like a dream. Jonas rubbed his head. Something in the back of his mind screamed that this wasn¡¯t right. There was a car, in the desert, and a tall man. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to stifle the visions.

    That was all just a dream, he had just dozed off at his desk, Jonas told himself. Bringing his eyes to the monitor before his face, he sighed. There was still so much work he had to finish, and the sky outside was nearly dark. Distant thunder rumbled, and as he picked up his hands to the keyboard, the voices from a distant hallway conversation reached his ears.

    ¡°Yeah, they say it''s going to be several feet at least, over the entire state.¡± A deep, gruff voice said.

    ¡°Really? That means¡­the whole town¡¯s gonna get flooded!¡± Someone else replied in a higher pitched voice.

    ¡°Yeah, it''s a real shame, they¡¯re expecting everything from the river to the interstate to get drowned, I don¡¯t see how anyone is going to stay here overnight.¡±

    Jonas trembled. Why am I just hearing about this now!? There was no way they¡¯re being serious! If there was going to be a flood that big, I would have heard about it on the news already. Evacuation efforts would have long been underway! It¡¯s not possible that a disaster of this scale is happening and I have no idea¡­right? Turning back to his screen, Jonas tried to dismiss the words as just an exaggeration and raised his hands to begin work. Then, lightning flashed outside and the room went dark.

    Jonas groaned and planted a foot to stand. His shoe landed with a splash and he immediately looked at the floor. Somehow, on top of the carpet that had been completely dry a moment ago, was now several inches of water. Jonas jumped up and cursed loudly. It was then that he heard the echo of his voice bounce around the empty building. He spun around. Despite the power going out, the dim moonlight was enough for him to see every desk and chair in the office. All of them were empty.

    Jonas¡¯s breath caught in his throat. Fear crept up the back of his neck, settling like ice inside his skull. He needed to leave as fast as he could. Sloughing through the water in a hurry, he headed for the front door and tried to open it.

    Locked.

    His mouth went dry, his heart thumped in his chest. A coldness crept up to his legs and with a start, Jonas saw that the water was now nearly to his knee. Running as fast as he could in the rising water, Jonas crossed the floor like a man possessed to the other door and gripped the handle.

    Locked as well.

    Panic, sheer panic filled his head. The windows! they were the only option left, he had to break them! Frantically scanning the room, Jonas grabbed a nearby printer and hefted it through waist deep water to the nearest windowed office. Raising the machine as high as he could, Jonas placed his head on the window to see his surroundings, to make sure he could escape.

    The sound of a weight falling into water filled the office space. Jonas, shivering with cold, shock, and disbelief slowly stepped away from the window. Outside, there was no more town, not even the tree-line on the hillsides. Just a black abyss of endless water. The dim, moonlit surface was barely visible hundreds of meters above. Jonas backed up without stopping, he continued backing up until his legs hit a desk and his body simply fell onto it. There was a splash and Jonas wrenched his head above the freezing water. It was now up to his chest. Rivulets poured from the ceiling tiles and rivers flowed down the darkened walls.

    There was only his primal survival instinct now. Struggling for footing, Jonas began to float and his steps became frantic treading, a feeble attempt to keep his head above the black abyss. He gulped for air, breathing was nigh impossible in the freezing cold water. His eyes grew bleary and the icy abyss closed around his neck.

    Then, impossibly, he felt a buzzing on his thigh. Reflexively swinging his head down and peering through the gloomy water, Jonas saw the outline of his phone, ringing in his pocket. With a maddening frenzy and the water closing in on the ceiling, he tore the phone out of his pocket and brought it to his face. A call, the unmistakable ring-tone he had set only for members of his family. A million emotions surged through mind, the contemptuous and hurtful feelings mixed with the forgiving and grateful ones, his finger hovered over the answer button for a moment. Do I want their last memory of me to be my drowning gurgles in a dead end town they¡¯ve never even heard of? Do I want them to hear me like this? A single hesitation passed through Jonas¡¯s mind. The sound of rushing water was deafening now. The top of his head bumped into the styrofoam ceiling tiles, the windows shattered inwards, and Jonas pressed down.

    <hr>

    Jonas woke with a start, bolting upright in the passenger seat and gasping for air. He clawed at his throat for a moment before realizing that he was bone dry. Light streamed in from the car windows, opening onto a brilliant view of the desert. To his left, Nathaniel drove the car leisurely, whistling something to himself.

    Letting out a sigh of relief, Jonas slumped back into his reclined seat and rubbed his eyes. The contents of the nightmare were quickly fading from his memory. He could only remember that he was drowning, but all other details eluded him.

    ¡°Good morning.¡± Nathaniel said, finally turning to look at Jonas.

    ¡°Morning...¡± Jonas grumbled, still trying to catch his breath from the imagined drowning. ¡°Wh-where are we?¡± He asked, looking at their surroundings. There were no identifying features anywhere in sight.

    ¡°California.¡± The gaunt man replied without taking his eyes off the road. ¡°Took our way around Phoenix in the night.¡±

    ¡°Huh, why?¡± Jonas rubbed his eyes. ¡°Were they also barring people from entering?¡±

    In response, the man turned his head halfway and glanced downwards at Jonas.

    ¡°Phoenix is gone.¡± He said plainly and returned to driving.

    Jonas¡¯s brow furrowed. The idea he was still dreaming momentarily re-entered his mind.

    ¡°Wh-what do you mean gone?¡± He said, sitting up.

    Without speaking, Nathaniel pushed the power button on the radio. The old speakers crackled for a moment before a news reporter''s voice flooded through the car.

    ¡°-saying that they are not exactly sure what happened, but whatever it was, it took place between one and one fifteen last night. The place where Phoenix used to be is just a giant hole now. It-uh-it goes down quite deep. Can yo- I can''t see the bottom of it¡­ The side of this¡­pit is- some sort of black glass. Military personnel are putting up a temporary barrier and bringing tanks to try to stop whatever¡¯s at the bottom from getting out- I can hear it from here! There¡¯s something burning down there! Absolutely-.¡±

    Nathaniel clicked the radio again and shut off the broadcast.

    ¡°We should be reaching our destination within an hour or two.¡± He continued. His voice did not have a hint of shock or grief in it, it was as if he had expected the news about Phoenix long beforehand. Stunned, Jonas could only pull his chair upright and look straight ahead. The sunlight, which had moments earlier been a relief from that terrible watery nightmare, was now an awful omen he wanted no part in. The world really is ending, actually, for real. Jonas thought silently to himself. He could find no rest in sleep, nor in wakefulness. There was no respite from any of the horrors that had befallen the Earth. The only place of refuge now, was the Eschaton safe zone. He desperately prayed that they would make it in time.

    ¡°I have been considering what you said last night, about¡­ reconnecting with my siblings.¡± Nathaniel broke the silence. Jonas¡¯s gaze snapped to face the driver, as his magnetic aura returned with ferocity. ¡°I¡¯m very tempted to laugh that suggestion off.¡± The suited man continued. ¡°How little you really understand about my family¡­ If you really knew what they were like, you would know that apologizing to them is a fool¡¯s errand.¡±

    The corner of Jonas¡¯s lip twisted, and he felt frustration welling up inside of him.

    ¡°Well, you said you needed their help for something, that you needed to ask them for a favor-¡± He began.

    ¡°Not ¡°a favor¡±.¡± Nathaniel suddenly interrupted. ¡°This is a matter that greatly concerns them as well!¡±

    ¡°Ok, so they¡¯re directly involved too.¡± Jonas corrected himself. ¡°I don''t think that changes the fact that they won¡¯t want to cooperate with someone they have such a bad history with! If you reach out first and try to make amends, maybe that could smooth things over.¡±

    ¡°You say that like it''s the only option.¡± Nathaniel said slyly. ¡°But there are more forceful ways I can persuade them. I¡¯ve done it before, as I recounted. And even though I do not have as much leverage over them as I used, I still know what strings to pull.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­so cruel.¡± Jonas replied, astonished. ¡°Why would you do that to your own family? Why do you insist on seeing them as enemies?!¡±

    ¡°Because they are my enemies!¡± Nathaniel spat back bitterly. ¡°I had a great vision for what we could have been, but my siblings rejected that! They each went off down their own misguided paths and in doing so, they spat in the face of my dedication to them!¡±

    Jonas huffed in frustration. With the worsening apocalypse, he suddenly felt little reason to be afraid of this arrogant, stick of a man.

    ¡°Were they rejecting you? Or were they just rejecting your plan for them?¡± He pressed.  ¡°I remember you saying that the reason the three of you ran away was because your mother was too controlling and oppressive! Kept forcing you to conform to her whims! But listening to you, it sounds like you were doing the exact same thing !¡±

    Nathaniel¡¯s head turned to Jonas, his face contorted into a rage-filled mask. The already deep furrows in his brow became canyons, and his eyes flashed wrathfully at the bottom of their pit-like sockets. Inside his mind, Jonas momentarily heard a distant note of ferocious screaming and feared that Nathaniel would strike him. But the attack never came.

    ¡°No¡­.¡± Was the only thing the suited man growled out. Then he cleared his throat with a cough. ¡°Recanting, apologizing, groveling at the feet of my brother and sister, beyond being humiliating, would simply be impractical. I have no assurance of their ¡°forgiveness¡±! And no guarantee they will do what I need! Better still to force their hand¡­¡±

    ¡°Then what about next time?!¡± Jonas shouted in reply.

    ¡°What?¡± Nathaniel asked in a hiss like tone.

    ¡°If you force them, with leverage or whatever! What about the next time you need something from them again? Is the same blackmail going to work twice? What if they wise up and take precautions, or just decide to never see you again?¡±

    Nathaniel opened his mouth to retort, then stopped. No words issued from his lips as his jaw hung open, eyes narrowed in sudden contemplation.

    ¡°Threatening and coercing to get what you want, that''s not a solution, it''s shortsighted!¡± Jonas continued. ¡°You¡¯ve already tried it before, if you decide to go at them with threats again, you might not have a family the next time you really need their help¡­¡±

    In response, Nathaniel slowly shut his mouth and swallowed. In the choking silence that followed, Jonas observed the suited man intensely. His grip on the wheel was a stranglehold, just like last night, but his features indicated confusion, not anger. Maybe I¡¯ve gotten through to him after all. Jonas thought.

    The rest of that morning passed in complete silence. Nathaniel¡¯s entire body was tense, his eyes remained locked on the road and his posture became completely rigid. For someone who had been so relaxed and easy-going even in the midst of danger, Jonas found this change unsettling. Yet, Nathaniel¡¯s driving remained impeccable, so Jonas didn¡¯t mention anything. And as the sun crept across the sky, open desert turned into shrub land, and the first signs of dense human habitation began to appear. Still, Nathaniel did not budge from his seemingly paralyzed position. As they closed in on Los Angeles, the military presence grew exponentially, signs announcing exact directions of the Eschaton safe zone started springing up everywhere and it wasn¡¯t long before they found themselves at the top of a hill overlooking the Los Angeles basin.

    Down below, Jonas could see the beginnings of the chain linked fences and imposing weapon emplacements that demarcated the formal boundary between the safe zone, and the unsecured wilderness. As their car sat alone, awaiting a stoplight, Nathaniel finally turned back to Jonas.

    ¡°I have thought over your words.¡± Nathaniel said. ¡°And I concede that I can see the logic in it that I hadn¡¯t considered before. I will take your advice this time.¡±

    Jonas was relieved that the driver was not enraged at him, at least not enough to yell or shout.

    ¡°However,¡± Nathaniel continued. ¡°I regret to inform you that we will not be continuing to Los Angeles, if I¡¯m going to see my family, then there¡¯s going to be a slight detour.¡±

    Jonas¡¯s breath caught in his throat and he turned to the gaunt man with bewildered frustration.

    ¡°What?! We¡¯re almost safe!¡± He cried. ¡°Just drop me off in the city! You can even borrow the car after if you want!¡±

    ¡°Oh I have no need for your car.¡± The driver replied, ¡°But you would not want to be in the city right now.¡± As Nathaniel said this, he raised a hand off the wheel and pointed towards the city in the valley below. Jonas¡¯s eyes followed the long bony finger and he squinted into the smog and dust, trying to make out what the other man was trying to show him.

    For several seconds, Jonas couldn¡¯t see anything strange and was just about to complain, when a minuscule shadow above the city caught his attention. Within an instant, the dot had grown into a mountain sized sphere of dark oily matter hovering motionlessly above the cityscape. Jonas¡¯s mouth fell open as he blinked several times in disbelief.

    Then the mass dropped.

    Frozen in shock, Jonas struggled to even process what he was watching. The enormous sphere was accelerating towards the ground, its bulk dwarfing any buildings beneath it, and as it fell, its surface seemed to warp and contort the air around it, forming something like a giant, enveloping soap bubble, prismatic colors shimmering madly across the thin film.

    The colossal ball struck the ground without an explosion, punching through the earth like paper. A moment later, a huge ring of distorted, shimmering, air erupted from the gaping void, consuming whatever it touched. Wherever it spread, matter withered and the ground crumbled away, falling into a rapidly widening sinkhole rimmed with black glass.

    Jonas tried to say something, to turn to the driver, to yell for him to move, but his muscles would not respond. As he watched, the tsunami of churning colors reached the bottom of their hill and began to climb. In a blink, it had arrived at their position, and right before he and the car were consumed, Jonas squeezed his eyes shut and screamed.

    But the end never came. The overwhelming pressure instantly vanished and the sounds of destruction disappeared along with it. Snapping his eyes open, Jonas found himself staring out the windshield at a dense grove of trees, his car alone in an empty parking lot. Outside, he could make out the sound of waves crashing against the shore. Bewildered and utterly disorientated, Jonas scanned his surroundings frantically, trying to see if the prismatic horror was still coming for them

    ¡°Relax.¡± Nathaniel commanded, placing an iron grip on Jonas shoulder and pulling him back into his seat. ¡°I moved us. We are far outside the impact area.¡±

    ¡°But! Wher-? Wha-?!¡± Jonas sputtered in total confusion.

    ¡°About five hundred miles up the coast.¡± The driver said dryly. ¡°As for why¡­It is exactly as I said: I will be following your advice and apologizing to my siblings.¡± He turned and gave the still shivering Jonas an unnerving, exaggerated smile, before opening the door and stepping out.

    Jonas let out a rattling breath as the cool sea air hit him.

    ¡°Y- you, you¡¯re not human are you?¡± He asked with trembling lips. Outside, Nathaniel bent down, bringing his head back inside the cabin.

    ¡°No. I¡¯m not a part of your species.¡± He replied with little emotion.

    Jonas¡¯s gaze darted to the ignition and saw that the key had already been taken out.

    ¡°Do not flee.¡± Nathaniel commanded, catching the way Jonas¡¯s eyes were looking. ¡°The things that annihilated Phoenix and Los Angeles, they are just the start. If you run, things will only get much, much worse for you¡± Straightening back up, the suited man reached down and unlocked the passenger side door.

    ¡°Since you were oh so gracious as to let me accompany you on your trip, as repayment, I would like you to accompany me, on a short stroll.¡± Nathaniel quipped sarcastically while clenching his hand. Instantly, Jonas felt an irresistible force clamp down on his arm. With immense strength, the invisible grip jerked his hand to the door handle and pulled it open. ¡°Since I will be trying to conduct myself based on your advice, you will not be forced to follow me, but I highly advise it.¡± The gaunt man teased viciously.

    Looking out towards the sea, Jonas¡¯s heart thumped in his ears, hot tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. His family, if they had been in the city like he hoped, were dead. The last hope for any respite from the apocalypse, erased in an instant. Any chance he had now, no matter how slim, was with the monstrous creature that called itself Nathaniel Yiiar. With trembling limbs, the former office worker planted a foot on the gravel parking lot and stepped out of the car.

    The first thing he noticed was Nathaniel¡¯s height. Jonas now had to crane his neck to look Nathaniel in the eyes, with the suited man easily resting his forearm on the roof of the car which now only came up to his hips.

    ¡°This way.¡± He simply pointed at the summit and began to walk towards the grove. Reluctantly, Jonas fell in line behind the unnaturally tall figure and entered the thicket. Staring through the dense undergrowth, Jonas¡¯s attention fell onto the man¡¯s hair blowing in the wind. Instead of being billowed about, about, the silhouette of Nathaniel¡¯s hair seemed to clump tightly together into large mass that moved unnaturally atop his head, and some of it was now much longer than shoulder length.

    ¡°What are you?¡± Jonas asked feebly. ¡°The soldiers were talking about saboteurs that looked human¡­¡± He trailed off.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not one of those things.¡± Nathaniel replied with disdain, his voice now sounded far deeper than it had moments ago. ¡°They are only animals. Just like your species are only animals, globs of matter and energy strung together into short, fragile lives. I am something entirely different.¡± The towering figure reached out with a long bony claw and absent-mindedly scratched the bark of a nearby tree. Arriving at the marked trunk, Jonas¡¯s blood ran cold as he realized that the gash was over twelve feet above the ground.

    ¡°Your kind has given me many titles over these centuries.¡± The towering giant continued. ¡°I have been called a king, an emperor, an angel, and a demon. But none of your languages have the words to accurately describe the kind of thing I am. However, if you truly wish to find a word to categorize me, god would suffice.¡±

    As light filtered through the trees near the summit, Jonas slowly began to grasp the true extent of Nathaniel¡¯s change. What he had previously taken to be the figure¡¯s hair, now glistened with an iridescent sheen and flexed with a hundred undulating tendrils.

    With a start Jonas realized that the once-human cranium had been wholly replaced with a writhing mass of flesh trailing behind a jaw of gnashing teeth and razor fangs. Its torso had likewise been utterly transformed, human skin and flesh now mutated into a rigid, and rugose exoskeleton. Even the more subtle alterations to the figure¡¯s posture were now revealed as a side effect of its lower body being reconstituted. Human legs had been replaced by a collection of pointed, trunk-like tentacles, and the new footprints they left were deep, triangular, and very large.

    ¡°Why-?¡± Jonas croaked out, his voice above a whisper. ¡°Why did you need me to take you here?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± The horrific deity replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t care about the destination of this meaningless journey. I put myself on that road, in the middle of nowhere, in order to find you, Jonas Westerbaum.¡±

    ¡°Me?!¡± Jonas cried. ¡°What do you want with me!?¡± His voice still trembled and sounded very small.

    ¡°I needed you for your experience.¡± The titan said. ¡°Because of my nature over and above your reality, I am not accustomed to positions of weakness and uncertainty. I have not needed to contend with an equal for countless eons, much less one that I share a deep and unpleasant history with. But humans are quite the expert in the field of being weak and vulnerable, and you yourself are experienced in dealing with combative and difficult relatives. Before confronting my siblings, I decided to seek a new perspective, from someone far removed from my own circumstances: you.¡±

    Jonas blinked. Family. He had nearly forgotten all the conversations they had about petty family bickering.

    ¡°There are more¡­things like you¡­¡± Jonas thought aloud, the realization dawning on him. ¡°-What do you want from them?¡± He asked, voice cracking in the wind.

    ¡°Your world is not the only one that is dying.¡± Nathaniel explained, his voice now a booming growl. ¡°All across creation, a cataclysm of a scope you could not imagine is rapidly unfolding. Compound disasters and misfortunes are consuming countless worlds, all my work is being undone, and the whole of reality itself is unwinding at the very foundations. All signs indicate that my creator has finally come to take her vengeance on me.¡±

    ¡°Your¡­ creator?¡± Jonas asked.

    ¡°Yes, my mother, my maker, the progenitor of all things, surely you still remember her from your dream?¡± The dark god suggested.

    Jonas squinted in confusion. Reaching back through the veil of memory, he saw a vaguely familiar hint of impossible, roiling colors flash in his mind.

    ¡°It- She, uh, th-there were colors¡­ madness everywhere.¡± Jonas stuttered as more of that forgotten dream slowly bubbled its way back into his conscious mind.

    ¡°You have merely seen a distorted and simplified vision of how those events actually happened.¡± Nathaniel interjected, the giant¡¯s voice shook the branches around them. ¡°My ¡°mother¡± was the primordial sea of chaos that my siblings and I were spawned from. She is before time and beyond space, and she has been trapped in an endless death-sleep since before there was a world to exist in.¡±

    ¡°I saw that- you and your siblings, you guys trapped her, restrained her¡­so that you could¡­make¡­something new?¡± Jonas ventured cautiously.

    ¡°We made the universe, all universes.¡± The giant corrected. ¡°Creation is our grand work, and now, it is being destroyed by Chaos¡¯s reawakening. That is why I must find my family again. If my siblings will cooperate with me, then there may yet be a hope to re-contain our creator and bring all of reality back from the brink.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll save my world too?¡± Jonas asked with trepidation.

    There was a long silence between them, interrupted only by the cracking sound of the giant¡¯s bones fusing, and the thuds of its footfalls.

    ¡°No.¡± He finally answered. ¡°Your world is already dead. I will not be able to stabilize reality in time to prevent this rock¡¯s demise, and I will not halt time itself just to rescue something that can be so easily remade.¡± The words were brutal, but also entirely apathetic. There was no gloating or sadistic pleasure, merely a statement of what it deemed negligible to consider.

    Pushing past the final bough of branches, the two stepped out onto a barren, windswept summit. Far below, past the bluffs, Jonas saw the dark and angry sea. Waves churned its blue-gray surface and crashed rhythmically on the shores below. Their cadence mirrored the frantic beating of his own heart.

    Striding to the cliff edge with a towering, arrogant stance, the inhuman giant threw its arms wide and lifted its ravenous jaws to the sky. Then, from the depths of its gullet came a string of  incomprehensible hisses and gurgles. Just like in his dream, Jonas felt the exact meaning of each alien word manifest as pure thought in his mind.

    ¡°I call you forth!¡± The dark god said. ¡°I, who am the ruler and steward of this falling creation, I call you to this doomed world of ash and ruin, I call you here: Sister of mine!¡±

    High above, the clouds trembled at the words, then split open. With impossible speed, the gray sky ruptured like a rotten fruit, tearing an immense tunnel through the atmosphere, to space above. Jonas staggered and fell as the blast of air knocked his legs out from under him.

    For a single second, every wave of water seemed to rise in synchronicity, before the entire ocean heaved from the sea-floor. Trillions of tons of water surged into the sky and arced over, forming a gargantuan annular ring around the expanding portal that dwarfed even mountains. Picking himself up unsteadily, Jonas could only gawk with unbelieving eyes at the monumental wound in the heavens that engulfed his entire field of view. Far beyond the bounds of the Earth, he could make out the twinkling of unfathomably distant stars. Then in the heart of the maelstrom of air, water, and void, there was a burst of color and an instant later, a cosmically gigantic form blinked into existence filling the entire portal from horizon to horizon.

    Associations with familiar shapes ran through Jonas¡¯s mind. It looked something like a jellyfish with its bell pointed directly at him, but it also had the wispy folds of an impossibly thin silk, the flowing reflectiveness of liquid mercury, the prismatic brilliance of countless gem-cut diamonds, and the endless billowing of an immense plume of smoke. Across the vast shape, a countless multitude of lights flashed and spun, all of them iridescent eyes, convulsively scanning the world below. Jonas clamped his eyes shut and clutched his head, trying to erase the terrifying sight from his mind.

    Beside him, the inhuman giant folded its arms down and took a step forward.

    ¡°Welcome!¡± Nathaniel¡¯s alien voice pounded inside of Jonas¡¯s head ¡°It is with sincerest regrets for my previous conduct and the utmost humbleness, that I greet you, my sister, the obscured and hidden crafter of worlds, the first maker of the cosmos itself.¡±

    A wordless moment passed, with only the sounds being the water and wind.

    Then Jonas¡¯s mind exploded with an incomprehensible cacophony of meaning and intent. A noise like a hurricane shook the ground around him, the pure psychic shock alone was enough to make him double over in agony. These were the ¡°words¡± of the new arrival, Jonas realized through pained gasps. This tempest of thoughts and emotion was how these dark gods really sounded, unrestrained in the waking world.

    When the howling inside his head finally died away, Jonas cracked open his eye lids and looked up. High above the sea and embedded in the sky, the inexplicable, colossal form remained, its eyes staring unblinkingly down at him. On the bluff, the giant slowly turned to face Jonas.

    ¡°The time is now, Jonas Westerbaum.¡±  It said. ¡°You can either leave with us, or stay here.¡± Before Jonas could open his mouth, the giant took a single step in his direction, its huge pointed limb crashing into the sand beside him. Bending down, the cosmic horror extended a hand larger than Jonas himself towards the trembling man.

    ¡°Your world will be ground to stardust within a week.¡± It said from a maw filled with burning light. ¡°But we still need a living creature from your planet to restore your world once this is all over. You can choose fulfill that role...or not. There are billions of others that would gladly take a way off this rock right now, but I¡¯ve found you to be rather¡­useful, and would hate to lose such a specimen.¡±

    Jonas looked around at the stormed tossed sea, then up at the ruined land and at the broken sky. He knew instinctively, even without seeing the full extent of the destruction, that his world was dead. It was just as the monstrosity before him had said, there was nothing left for him anywhere on earth. Taking a deep breath, he turned, reached up, and grabbed his tormentor¡¯s hand with both arms.

    In an instant, the man, the giant, and the being from the stars vanished without a trace. The sky snapped shut and the thousand-mile halo of water collapsed back into the ocean. A stiff wind blew across the spot where Jonas had been standing moments ago, before the ground rumbled, and the bluff was consumed by the refilling sea.

 Part 2: The Shrouded Gate

    Part 2: The Shrouded Gate

    Light snows and freezing temperatures greeted Chicago as the first lights of dawn broke through the low cloud cover. It was mid-November, and the Windy City was no stranger to an arctic chill. With a flurry of snow descending, three million residents groggily woke and began their morning routine. Rapidly, the streets of the city came to life with pedestrians and cars. Office buildings unlocked their doors and shops all across town turned on their welcome signs. Amidst the din of downtown rush hour, a woman walked across a busy intersection and entered a bustling coffee shop.

    Warm air met Sophie Jameson as she put down the fuzzy hood of her beige colored winter coat. The smell of coffee and fresh baked pastries stirred her stomach which growled quietly. Sophie brushed a strand of orange hair out of her eyes and let our a frustrated grumble. The line to the counter was at least a dozen people long, and the man currently at the front was engrossed in an exceptionally long order for jam stuffed donuts. Sophie pulled out her phone. 8:25. She ran the numbers quickly in her head. It was at least a fifteen minute walk from the coffee shop to her workplace, probably longer given the traffic. Her order was simple and would take only about five minutes to prepare, which left fifteen minutes of line waiting until she would be late. Sophie frowned. That was cutting it pretty close. She had only just recently started this job and didn¡¯t want to be late. Still, the heady aroma and her own hunger bid her to stay.

    Scanning the interior of the cozy cafe, Sophie became aware of something else that had caught her attention. It felt like a pull emanating from the back of her head, and as she followed it, her eyes landed on a booth at the rear of the shop. There were two people in the seat, the one facing away from her was a tall thin man, with black hair that reached past his shoulders and a dark navy suit. Sitting across from him, facing Sophie¡¯s direction was a middle aged woman. Sophie squinted. Out of all the patrons in the store and their varied dress, this woman stood out. Around her neck was a large fur boa which sat atop a woolen shawl and woolen sweater, all of it colored a light grey. Her frizzy hair, silvery from middle age, was tied back into a great plume which seemed to blend into the background at it edges. Blinking and rubbing her eyes, Sophie still struggled to make out where the woman¡¯s hair ended, and where the environment began.

    Lifting a long cigarette holder to her age-thinned lips, the mysterious woman took a lengthy drag before breathing a cloud of smoke that shimmered like a soap bubble.

    ¡°This¡­ isn¡¯t like you.¡± She said, the sound of her voice somehow carrying across the noisy shop directly to Sophie¡¯s ears. ¡°You finally decide to meet face to face after all these years, wanting to apologize? Be honest, what are you really up to now?¡± The woman asked the man across from her.

    ¡°Nothing at all.¡± The man replied in a smooth, deep voice which also carried itself clearly to Sophie. ¡°As I said, I have see the harm that my behavior in the past has caused to you, and I want to make amends!¡±

    The woman picked up a cup of ornately decorated coffee and took a sip. She eyed the man suspiciously, her irises flashing a strange blue color.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re only ¡°making amends¡± so you can get my help in putting this mess back together.¡± She replied sharply. The man laid his hands on the table with an audible slap.

    ¡°Well yes, dear sister. Everything is indeed falling apart around us, so I think getting your cooperation to right our past mistakes would be rather crucial right now!¡± His voice was tinged with mild frustration.

    ¡°Your past mistakes, you mean.¡± The woman said, shaking her head. ¡°And actually, the most important thing for me right now is trying to figure out what exactly your game is. You¡¯re not one to just recant everything you¡¯ve done. If I do decide to work with you on this, what are you going to do afterwards?¡± She took another sip of her drink.

    ¡°I promise, that it will not be like last time.¡± The man insisted, his head leaning forwards. ¡°Right now, I¡¯m only interested in averting the disaster that is coming for all of us! As I said before, this time I will be under your direction.¡±

    ¡°And what about that man? Jonas, was that his name?¡± The woman replied, ignoring her brother¡¯s previous words. ¡°You¡¯ve never taken the advice of others, not even from your own family, and now you decide to listen to ¡­ him?¡±

    ¡°Need I repeat myself more?! I have had a genuine change of heart!¡± The man insisted, leaning out of his seat. ¡°It was wrong to cast you out and steal the work you had done, I see that now! The important thing is that we work together and open that blasted door so we can find our brother and get this over with!¡±

    ¡°Now THAT is the most disingenuous apology that I¡¯ve ever heard.¡± The woman scoffed. ¡°You can¡¯t even get out a single sentence of remorse without following it up with an order!¡± Then, she turned her head slightly, her strangely colorful eyes focusing in on Sophie. Her brother followed suit, their quarrel seemingly forgotten, as he turned and looked directly at Sophie. The young woman was taken aback at the sight of the man¡¯s unnaturally deep sockets and glowing pupils. For what felt like an eternity, Sophie felt like her body was frozen, and her mind and soul were being pulled towards the pair of strange siblings.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am!¡± A shout from the barista stirred the redhead from her trance. Tearing her gaze away from the booth with some force, Sophie stuttered out her usual order to a slightly annoyed cashier. Handing over her credit card to pay, she snuck a sideways glance towards the two siblings, but saw an empty booth. No people, no coffee cups, not even an indentation in the leather seat remained. It was as if they had vanished into the morning mist.

    Sophie ended up getting her order rather quickly, and after another brisk walk through freezing temperatures, arrived at her office. With the low clouds hanging over the city, the glass and steel skyscraper appeared like a mountain, jutting impossible high into the shrouded heavens. Pushing past the other commuters, Sophie managed to get through the revolving door of her office building at just past 8:50. Hurriedly pulling her employee badge out from her purse, she scanned in and punched in floor fifty on the first elevator that arrived. When the car finally made it to her floor, Sophie rushed out and took a right turn, arriving at the familiar double doors that marked the entrance to her employer. River North Gallery and Display Solutions was affixed above the doors in large serifed letters. Scanning her badge a second time, the redhead quickly entered the office.

    The first thing that caught her eye was the morning announcements bulletin. Scrolling across the futuristic flat-screen near the entrance was a simple notification of an all-personnel meeting to be held in the A-12 conference room in five minutes. Sophie noted the announcement as she ran past, sat her things down at her desk in the nearly empty workplace and dashed to the conference room. Luckily, she made just a minute before the meeting was set to begin. Blending into another group of arrivals, she quietly tiptoed to  the back and took a seat along the wall. Soon, the chatter in the room died down, before the door opened one more time and a stern faced man in his late 40¡¯s walked in. Sophie and everyone else in the room instantly recognized him as Gerald Davies, the chief operations officer and the only member of the c-suite to work at their location. If he was giving an announcement, that meant that there was going to be really big deal.

    ¡°Uh- good morning everyone,¡± He started, exhaustion showing in his voice ¡°I¡¯m gonna cut to the chase. Speaking frankly, we are currently behind schedule on our year-end deliverable. The big Christmas morning opening at the Art Institute is over two weeks behind, and to give the work crews enough time to actually set everything up, we need to finalize our plans for the layout, decor and exhibition content by the end of this week. Having said this, I know everyone would much rather be working to get their tasks done, than listen to me repeat that we need to get our tasks done.¡±

    The room was silent and people shifted uncomfortably.

    ¡°Not pointing any fingers,¡± Gerald continued. ¡°Most of the factors were out of our control, lots of shipment delays and clients rescheduling without warning. But that means we still have a problem we need to fix, which is why I have brought in a consultant to help us expedite the final stretch.¡±

    Mummers went up around the room as designers, developers, artists, and engineers all exchanged nervous glances. Bringing in consultants this late in the project was usually a recipe for even more delays and setbacks, as getting them familiar with the situation could take half a month at least.

    ¡°It is with great honor that I welcome Miss Naomi Myrrine.¡± Gerald announced.

    Sophie almost let out an audible gasp as she recognized the woman walking into the room as the same one from the coffee shop. She wore a pair of stylish sunglasses that she quickly removed before scanning the room with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°Hello.¡± The woman said. Her voice was quiet, but carried clearly across the room. ¡°I am so pleased to be here and I¡¯m really looking forwards to helping you close out this project.¡±

    ¡°For those of you who don¡¯t know, Naomi Myrrine is a world renowned artist and a veteran art-show planner. She should bring a good deal of expertise to this endeavor and let us quickly and efficiently do what needs to be done.¡± Gerald said.

    ¡°You flatter me Mr. Davies.¡± Naomi replied with amusement. ¡°I¡¯m not a miracle worker, as much as some of my family thinks me to be.¡± She ended the sentence with a small chuckle. ¡°But it is true I have experience in organizing large showcases of art and public galleries.¡±

    ¡° Naomi will be temporarily taking the South East corner office,¡± Gerald elaborated. ¡°She will be overseeing the logistics and overall integration of all the different aspects of the exhibition, so please do coordinate all cross team efforts with her, does that sound good?¡±

    A wave of un-enthused yeses rose up from around the room.

    ¡°Great,¡± Gerald responded halfheartedly, as if he didn¡¯t believe in his own speech. ¡°If anyone has any questions, feel free to run them by Naomi or your manager, have a good day everyone.¡± And with that, he was out of the room.

    Chairs rustled as the entirety of the office staff stood up from the large conference table and made for the door. Exiting the room, Sophie was about to head towards to her desk, when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, the new hire came face to face her manager wearing an indecisive look.    ¡°Hey Sophie, can I have a quick word?¡± She asked. Sophie¡¯s heart thumped in her chest, but swallowing any outwards sense of unease she followed the older blond woman around the corner.

    ¡°I know this is a strange ask, and usually I wouldn¡¯t be putting so much pressure on you.¡± Her manager began. ¡°But seeing as we are down to the wire here, would you mind helping Naomi Myrrine get up to speed with our operations and project? I think this would be a good learning opportunity for you as well.¡± Sophie blinked in surprise before nodding sharply.

    ¡°Oh yeah, for sure.¡± She replied, glad to have gotten an opportunity rather than a reprimand for running late.

    ¡°Just make sure she understands what kind of project we¡¯re dealing with and what our time table is, we don¡¯t want any complications to drag us even further behind.¡± Her manager emphasized.

    ¡°Yeah, I can do that.¡± Sophie nodded.

    Satisfied, her manager nodded back. ¡°I know this has been hard to adjust to so soon after arriving, but just hang in there for a few more weeks this will all be over. We¡¯ll have plenty of time for the holidays afterwards.¡± Then she smiled, and walked back around the corner towards the work floor.

    Alone in a empty corner of the building for a moment, the new hire sighed and checked her phone. This was definitely not the best time to have started the new job. Sophie reflected. She hadn¡¯t even gotten settled in on her first day before being thrown into the deep end into one of the most ambitious public art shows of the decade. Sometimes, life just does this I guess. She thought. The only thing there was left, was to do the job at hand and hope things worked out.

    Returning to her usual desk, Sophie grabbed the company issued laptop from her bag and tentatively begun the walk towards the corner office. The hubbub of the work area quickly fell away as she turned the corner, past the printing room. A large piece of abstract wall art greeted her on the left, its vivid colors and billowing forms stretching end of the hallway. At the other end, she could barely make out a frosted glass door and a single silver plaque mounted beside it. With confidence, and also a little anxiety, Sophie strode across the yawning chasm, and made it to the door.

    Up close, the entrance was quite imposing. It stretched from floor to celling and let a halo of diffuse daylight pour into the dim hallway. Through the frosted glass, Sophie struggled to make out any distinct shapes inside the room, only seeing blurry blobs of color that slowly shift and morph. Letting her imagination take over for a second, the redhead visualized she was on the border of some mystical portal to another world, about to make a daring leap. And, in a sense, she was. Naomi was evidently a world famous artist, and probably existed on an entirely different plane of perception and creativity than Sophie herself. Getting to meet and talk with someone who was such a legend in the art world was something that made Sophie a little giddy inside, she just hoped that her run in at the cafe earlier hadn¡¯t biased Naomi¡¯s opinion. Steeling herself for a good first impression, the new hire leaned in, and gently tapped her knuckles on the glass.

    ¡°It¡¯s unlocked, come in.¡± A voice said plainly from inside. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to get down to details this quickly.¡± It joked. Leaning on the handle embedded in the glass, Sophie pushed the heavy door aside and walked into the corner office.

    A gigantic window, stretching at least two stories tall was the first thing Sophie saw as she stepped from the concrete hallway into the soft carpeted office. The room was immense, its high celling and wide footprint gave it the feel of a cathedral. The great window took up the southern and eastern walls, leaving two sides of the room to be painted in a blue-ish off white that melded seamlessly into the gray sky of a cloudy day. At the southwest corner was placed a similarly gray wooden desk, and in a minimalistic chair behind the sturdy table, sat Naomi Myrrine. The older woman looked up from her wide silver laptop and focused her gaze on Sophie.

    ¡°Give me a moment, please, take a seat, but don¡¯t let the draft in.¡± She motioned to a chair. The new hire nodded reverently before quickly walking over and planting herself in the bowl shaped seat against the north wall. The soft fabric received her body gently, and Sophie was almost taken aback by how far in she sunk. From her new vantage point, half engulfed by mottled gray cloth, the room seemed absolutely gigantic.

    Across the vast carpeted sea, behind the desk. Naomi finished typing a final sentence before closing her laptop and properly turning to Sophie. Once again, the young woman caught a flash of color in the gray irises, a hint of shocking magenta danced off her cornea for split second, and was gone.

    ¡°Please,¡± she said, holding out a hand ¡°Move closer, we can¡¯t exactly discuss business when you¡¯re several miles away!¡± She laughed for a moment, before producing her long cigarette holder and taking a puff. Sophie slowly watched the plume drift away into the decorative wooden beams high above.

    ¡°Its electronic.¡± Naomi clarified, seeing Sophie¡¯s gaze. ¡°Just water vapor.¡± She then readjusted her woolen shawl. ¡°So, where do we start about this great exhibition that we¡¯re planning?¡± Sophie saw Naomi¡¯s face light up as she said the words, faint wrinkles and crease lines folding up neatly to reveal a genuine smile of anticipation.

    ¡°Well, thats kind of what I wanted to talk about.¡± Sophie replied. ¡°I- uh- my manager- and the rest of the team, thought it would be a good idea for me to just summarize our goals, and hopefully get you acquainted with the project.¡± She stammered out. Being in front of someone so much more her senior was still nerve wracking.

    Luckily, Naomi nodded knowingly. ¡°Yes, I understand that your higher ups know this is far to late to be contracting consultants and expecting on-time delivery. They¡¯re having you prompt me first so that they can get the blame of failure off their hands as quickly as possible and onto either yours or mine.¡±

    Sophie blinked in surprise, her heart rate jumping at the thought of being made a scapegoat, and it thumped even harder upon hearing how disparagingly this renowned artists spoke of the company.

    ¡°Sorry, that was rather cynical of me.¡± The older woman backtracked upon seeing Sophie¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s just that, after spending as many years as I have in this field, you tend to get a bit jaded about those who you work around.¡± She took another puff of steam from her cigarette. ¡°I mean no offense to you or this company, in fact I think its somewhat admirable that they took on such an ambitious project.¡±

    Sophie¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°So, you already know about it?¡± She half-whispered.

    ¡°Yes, I always do my due diligence before any project.¡± Naomi¡¯s eye twinkled again, this time a vivid neon green as she turned around, reached into her bag and pulled out a large, light blue binder overflowing with papers.

    ¡°This is all the public information as well as stuff I found from some more¡­private sources.¡± She hinted before dropping the binder onto the desk with a audible thud. Taking her fingers and leafing effortlessly through the pages, she landed on a seemingly random sheet and began reading.

    ¡°Last April, the physics study preformed at the University of Chicago yielded several unexpected and shocking results. The experiment, which was a universe simulation running on a state of the art quantum computer: The Fermi 3.0, had run for much longer than originally scheduled and begun producing high complex patterns and structures. What were initially assumed to be anomalies in the program quickly turned out to be well ordered, high order constructs. Further analysis of the structures revealed them to possess characteristics associated with living organisms.¡±

    Naomi stopped and perfectly flipped through several hundred pages without a glance, before continuing.

    ¡°In the half a year since the original Fermi 3 simulation paper was released, dozens of follow up analysis have been published in various scientific and philosophical journals around the world regarding its implications. Yet despite the widespread attention thats been paid to this experiment in academia, its results are still widely unknown in the public. But now, several scientists on the original Fermi 3 team are attempting to change that. Building on their previous work, this team has created a new program that simulates the evolution of a universe that is similar to ours, one that is capable of producing stars, planets and even complex simulated life. In the weeks since this new publication, The Art Institute of Chicago has reached out to the university and the research team about a potential exhibition to showcase this new simulation in a effort of public science communication, few details are known.¡±

    Pausing for a moment, Naomi then heaved the rest of the binder over to one of the final pages.

    ¡°As of this morning, we have confirmation that the Art Institute and the University of Chicago have come to an agreement on a contractor for creating the Fermi 3 universe simulation exhibition. The downtown firm River North Gallery and Display Solutions was chosen for its long history of consulting and planning successful exhibitions in some of the most renowned venues in the world. However, the high degree of technical details relating to the cutting edge computers and algorithms used in the simulation may prove a challenge to the traditionally art oriented company. Only time will tell if we will get the show of a century as promised.¡±

    The binder was shut with a thump and Naomi rested her arms on it pastel blue cover.

    ¡°A few scientists running simulations on their new toy discover what looks like complex life emerging in their programs. Excited, they do more tests with variations on the code, end up producing a program that can accurately model the universe down to individual cells. The Art Institute realizes the enormous potential of merging scientific breakthrough with art exhibition and strikes a deal with the university and goes about finding a contractor. Several months and many executive conferences later, your bosses are left holding bags they can¡¯t afford to drop. Does that sound about right?¡± The older woman concluded.

    Sophie could only stare with wide eyes and a mouth ajar.

    ¡°Y-yeah, thats about all that I know.¡± She stammered out.

    ¡°Great.¡± Naomi replied with a smile. ¡°Now with that out of the way, lets get down to what we still have left to do before opening day.¡±

    Sophie shook herself to clear her head. Naomi was so fast and yet so prepared, she hadn¡¯t missed a single beat and seemed to understand everything perfectly. The new hire had hoped that she would be able to spend most of the day slowly introducing the artist to the basics of the project, but it seemed like she had been far outclassed in her understanding.

    ¡°Well, uhm.¡± Sophie said, carefully placing her own laptop on the table. ¡°We have a basic layout planned for the space alloted to the exhibition, but its still very rough, and our engineers are having kind of a difficult time importing the simulation code onto the hardware provided by the museum¡± Sophie trailed off.

    Naomi was silent and squinted  at the screen. Scrolling through the images rapidly, the artist nodded to herself periodically for a minute or two before straightening up and turning back to Sophie.

    ¡°Did you make these designs?¡± She rotated the laptop around and pointed to one of the few sketches and layout documents that Sophie had done in her short time at the firm.

    ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± The new hire replied with surprise. ¡°How did you know?¡±

    ¡°Its quite bold.¡± Naomi responded without answering Sophie¡¯s bewilderment. ¡°Gives some good space for walking and maintains enough sight lines, but still holds the room together.¡± The older woman nodded contently to herself.

    ¡°All of this work looks pretty good.¡± She panned through the rest of the photos. ¡°But it feels like theres no agreement between most of it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, thats kind of what I heard was the issue.¡± Sophie rubbed the back of her neck.

    ¡°Well, that shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem as long as everyone is willing to put in the work and reach some kind of compromise.¡± Naomi reassured her. The artist returned to combing through the designs and the room was silent for another minute.

    ¡°You know what?¡± She said after the pause. ¡°What would you say if I were to give your work a featuring place in this exhibition?¡± She said.

    Sophie¡¯s eyes lit up in excitement. ¡°You can do that?!¡± the words were out of her mouth before she could fully consider what she was saying.

    ¡°Well, no promises.¡± Naomi laughed. ¡°But I definitely see potential in your work and I would hate for someone else to take your ideas and run with them without having you accredited.¡±

    ¡°Wow, I-I don¡¯t know what to say!¡± Sophie cried with astonishment. ¡°But what¡¯s the catch-, I mean, do you really think I have that much potential?¡±

    ¡°Potential is hard to measure,¡± The older woman replied thoughtfully. ¡°But I do know what its like to have your vision stolen, and you have a pretty good vision.¡±

    The gears turned in Sophie¡¯s mind and she instantly remembered the conversation she had heard in the coffee shop.

    ¡°O-oh, your brother¡­¡± The new hire trailed off.

    ¡°Yes, it wasn¡¯t pretty.¡± The consultant responded. ¡°But, this is not the time to discuss that.¡± She waved the train of questioning away. ¡°Suffice it to say, that I will at least ensure you are involved in this project somehow and not completely left out.¡± Then she flashed a smile.

    ¡°Wow, thanks!¡± Sophie repeated. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say!¡±

    ¡°No need.¡± Naomi replied. ¡°For now if you could please let the senior designers know that I want to discuss a layout plan with them at 2pm, that would be great. And please get me the software access for this project, thank you.¡±

    Sophie nodded with enthusiasm and grabbed the papers. ¡°Of course!¡± She said, her voice still giddy.

    ¡°Afterwards, we can continue discussing that design you made, and maybe I can give you some pointers for the process of art in general.¡± She said before propping open her computer and resuming the work she had been doing before. Sophie, for her part, almost leaped out of the door with joy.

    <hr>

    Lunch and the early afternoon meetings passed quickly for Sophie. Buoyed up by the promise of such lucrative opportunity, her head swirled with daydreams and fantasies about the future career laid out before of her. Maybe Naomi will give me a recommendation for instant promotion! Or maybe this is going to make me world famous! My name might even be on national TV alongside the finest art and cutting edge science! Some rational part of Sophie¡¯s mind knew that this was just speculation. Yes, it was a great boon that a renowned artists knew her name and had taken a liking to her work, but she wasn¡¯t going to become a legend overnight. Still, sitting at her small desk with little to do but wait, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder.

    Before she even knew it, 2:30 had come around, and as half dozen senior designers walked out of the long hallway, Sophie sprung up from her desk and sprinted past them in the opposite direction. Running past the great mural of many colors, she was just about to knock on the door when Naomi¡¯s frustrated voice emerged from within.

    ¡°Yes, it will involve opening the gate, and we¡¯ll need another key.¡± She said, seemingly having a conversation over the phone. There was a lengthy pause as the other person replied.

    ¡°Its not going to be immedia-THAT¡¯S WHY I¡¯m here!¡± Her voice suddenly crescendoed. There was another moment of silence, ¡°Yes, that does mean I have committed to helping you put this mess back together, but don¡¯t think for one moment this means things will go back to the way they were. There¡¯s going to be a long, painful conversation ahead, for all of us.¡±

    Sophie stood off to the side with her lips pursed. She felt like she had eavesdropped onto something deeply personal and had a sneaking suspicion of who had been on the other end of the line. Still, she didn¡¯t want to appear like she had heard any part of the conversation. And so, standing out view of the glass door, she dallied in the empty hallway for a few minutes, silently admiring the large painting hanging on the wall. Slowly, silently, she counted to three hundred in her head, then turned back to the door and carefully knocked.

    ¡°Come in please.¡± The artist replied, voice tinged with fatigue.

    Her elation sightly dampened, Sophie pushed open the door and quickly took a seat in the upholstered chair opposite to Naomi. Without pausing for a moment, the artist stashed her phone, typed a few words, then snapped her laptop shut in one smooth motion.

    ¡°Well, the conversation with the designers went pretty well.¡± She said, her voice upbeat once again. ¡°I think I managed to convince most of them to consider adding your design to the pool of potential candidates. We¡¯ll probably have another meeting at the start of next week, same time, to finalize those plans, and choose a winner for the exhibition.¡±

    Sophie blinked in amazement. To her knowledge, all of the highest level designers had been bickering about picking and choosing a layout for weeks. To have them agree to add hers to the running was almost a miracle. Did Naomi really have that kind of reputation to throw around in the design industry?!

    ¡°That-that¡¯s great news¡± Sophie exclaimed, bewildered. ¡°Do you think this means we will be able to complete the exhibition in time?¡±

    The corner of the consultant¡¯s mouth twitched as she glanced around the room. ¡°There are other complications.¡± She said cautiously. ¡°Mainly, regarding the actual software that constitute this instillation.¡±

    ¡°Oh, did you get access?¡± Sophie asked. She remembered shooting an email to her boss about it but didn¡¯t know if it was approved.

    ¡°Yes I did, thank you.¡± Naomi answered. ¡°But getting it display ready¡­will be something of a challenge. Fortunately, I have some experience in mathematical computing as well, so I can take a crack at it and see how it goes.¡± She gave Sophie a reassuring smile. ¡°But yes, since this project is now also your debut work, we¡¯re going to discuss is how to get you through this and give your design the best chance possible.¡±

    Sophie nodded enthusiastically while placing her own computer on the table. ¡°After what you said at our last meeting, I did a few more sketches of my floor plan. I fleshed it out, gave it some more detail.¡± She opened her laptop and turned it towards Naomi who leaned in close to examine the new drawings.

    ¡°I took a look at what some of the senior designers did, and tried to work some of their elements into my-¡°

    Naomi raised a hand, interrupting her.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t do that.¡± The consultant said bluntly.

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Sophie sputtered. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of their work, its beautiful! I think there¡¯s a lot I can learn from them.¡±

    ¡°Learn, yes.¡± Naomi raised her head from screen and looked Sophie in the eyes. Strange colors once again flitted across the gray irises. ¡°But do not copy without understanding.¡± She said seriously. ¡°Your designs, your art, they should have a vision, an intentionality behind it. Elements that can augment that vision are great, feel free to learn from those who are more experienced. But do not take without comprehending what you are taking. Make sure you know why each element you borrowed was constructed the way it was, or else you will make a habit of simply taking blindly, and when that happens you will lose the very essence your art.¡±

    Sophie considered the words carefully. What had she taken from the other designers? She had moved some of the pillars around based on one of the other sketches. The exact shape and sizes of the screens, she had taken those measurements from a large spread sheet. And finally the material, she had chosen the chrome finish from a colored piece that had caught her eye. But thinking more deeply about it, Sophie couldn¡¯t quite articulate what made these elements seemed so appealing.

    ¡°I thought¡­ you would want to see more progress, since those sketches and plans were so basic.¡± Sophie explained awkwardly.

    ¡°Progress will come in time.¡± Naomi replied. ¡°Even in urgent situations like these, we cannot rush what is essential, and understanding your own vision is definitely essential.¡±

    Sophie nodded slowly, trying to process the words that were being said. Understanding her own vision, that was a good point, what did she want to convey with this piece? The new hire pouted, her brows furrowing as she tried to imagine a grand image in her mind. What am I trying to evoke with the placement of the screens and abstract shapes? Some kind of giant forest of technology gone awry? An apocalyptic city skyline where man had been replaced with the new digital life?

    Seeing Sophie¡¯s contorted features, Naomi gave a small chuckle. ¡°You won¡¯t find your vision by scrunching your face up like that.¡± She popped open her sleek, unbranded laptop and began typing rapidly. ¡°There, I¡¯ve sent you some notes and references, some of my own experience I learned on my first job.¡±

    Sophie spun around her own laptop and scrolled through her emails, squinting at the new documents she had just received. There were hundred of them, some had diagrams and others had photos. The text was laid out not unlike a textbook or some other published reference with page numbers and even a table of contents.

    ¡°These are¡­notes?¡± Sophie asked, perusing the large title pages more closely. The aesthetic of the pages bore the dated style of late last century, yet the titles of the sections: ¡°Grand Design¡±, ¡°Foundation Building.¡±, and ¡°Negotiating with the critic, the self and others¡± remained provocative.

    ¡°They were meant to be published as a book a long time ago, but I never got around to finishing it.¡±  Naomi pondered. ¡°Reality got in the way of that. Still, I think they¡¯re worth reading. They won¡¯t give you the answers, but I think they can lead you to it.¡± She winked.

    ¡°You learned¡­all of this from your first job?¡± Sophie stared in fascination of the shear quantity of documents. ¡°What was that like for you to write so many words about it?¡±

    ¡°I supposed you would like to know if there are any insider secrets I can share from my time that would be relevant to you.¡± Naomi replied. Sophie nodded bashfully.  ¡°I have to say that our paths started out pretty differently,¡± The artist began. ¡°My first job was not a career choice per say, but rather a desperate way to survive. You have to understand that home was a not a place that brought warm memories for me. Mother was a real piece of work, it was terror wherever her gaze landed, and she never missed an opportunity to torment her children. But, I discovered I had a talent for creative work at a young age, and eventually my craft helped me both escape from that place, and keep my elder brother and I safe after we left.¡±

    She pulled out her long electronic cigarette and took a slow puff  ¡°My younger brother¡­didn¡¯t come with. Unfortunately, he became tied down with obligations, he never did leave the place we grew up in...¡± For a moment Naomi¡¯s gaze turned somber, but the artist quickly blinked and returned to her story. ¡°For the longest time, it was just the two us and my meager creations. But eventually, the means of survival became a long term project I grew invested in, then it became a passion, and then a commitment. We became successful, so successful that my brother and I began employing others to help and expand the scope and complexity of my work, and before I knew it, I was leader of a whole business.¡±

    Sophie¡¯s eyes widened at the dramatic story, struggling to imagine the seemingly high born woman seated in front of her as an impoverished youth, out on the streets barely scraping by.

    ¡°Yes, its quite the story I know.¡± Naomi said. ¡°And frankly, a lot of the early part was a blur. I poured so much of myself into all those long years that they just blended together. I headed the endeavor for a long time, and in that time I worked through an absolute universe of problems.¡± She tapped at Sophie¡¯s laptop which was still opened to the pages of the unfinished book.

    ¡°Most of what I surmised afterwards is all contained in there: work-flows, habits, ways of thinking that served me well.¡± Naomi commented.

    ¡°I see¡­but then, what happened to your magnum opus after that?¡± Sophie asked curiously. ¡°Things didn¡¯t work out so well?¡±

    Naomi sighed. ¡°My brother.¡± She said simply with derision. ¡°He was the oldest of all of our siblings, and thought he had the right to control what we did. I guess it made him envious to see me in such a revered position, he had to throw me down and take that spot for himself.¡± The artist sighed.  ¡°Back before the coup, we all worked for the sake of the art, just to create something new. But my brother changed things, installed an upper echelon, became a king with his court of lackeys. Those that had depended on our work, suffered.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Sophie gulped. Internally, she was skeptical if such an art company restructuring could cause that much suffering. But Naomi was being purposefully vague about the exact nature of the business. Perhaps there was something more going on beneath the allegory. ¡°What happened then?¡± Sophie prodded hesitantly.

    ¡°Needless to say, I came away from that entire affair quite jaded and miserable, but creating was what kept me going, its always been what¡¯s kept me going and what I hold most dear. Whether my brother realized it or not, those years had helped me find my footing, and although I weeped at needing to leave my great work, I eventually found a new start. I had the skills needed to carve out a new niche for myself in my own small piece of the world, and from there, its was a string of small, steady projects until I had something of my own again.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­really harrowing.¡± Sophie nodded. The story of betrayal had shed light on why the artist had been so insistent about keeping control of one¡¯s own work. Still, Sophie needed to know more. Why was she now on speaking terms with her brother again, and what was he pestering her about? She decided to risk exposing herself as a eavesdropper and opened her mouth. ¡°¡­before this meeting, was that your brother on the phone?¡± Sophie probed.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Naomi replied. ¡°Just as I expected, after all these years, he and his do-nothings underlings have bungled everything I¡¯ve built and he¡¯s now running to me for help, but frankly I¡¯m surprised he even thought to apologize instead of barging and demanding I fix it, its very much not like him.¡±

    ¡°For an older brother, he sure doesn¡¯t act like it.¡± Sophie tried levity to lighten the mood.

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t know the half of it.¡± Naomi lamented. Turning around her own laptop, she pulled up a huge org chart of dozens of level and hundreds, if not thousands of names. Sophie squinted at the small text, but still couldn¡¯t make but any legible words. ¡°I had to build all of that from nothing.¡± Naomi continued. ¡°And my brother stole it all from right under my nose.¡± She spat bitterly.

    ¡°¡­I¡­¡± Was all Sophie could muster. What else can I say to that!? She knew there had been some feuding in their family from the cafe conversation this morning, but she didn¡¯t expect anything this dramatic to have been buried in the past. A part of her brain did wonder though, why Naomi was sharing all of this with her. Why was this renowned and allegedly secretive artist suddenly spilling these dark moments from her past to a complete stranger?!

    ¡°Keep in mind what I¡¯ve told you.¡± Naomi said somberly, eyes returning to her own screen. ¡°Your central vision is paramount, find it and don¡¯t let anyone take it from you.¡± Giving the new hire one last glance, the artist stressed a smile and Sophie knew it was time for her to go. The meeting was short but she had something to go on now, a direction for leaning and improvement. Naomi¡¯s story hung the back of her mind. Betrayed by the family she had worked with for years, Sophie would have to keep her cards close to her chest. Find your vision and do not let it go. She repeated to herself as she left the cloud-enveloped office.

    <hr>

    Night fell quickly on the city. It was the heart of winter and with the solstice just over a month away, the sun had long dipped below the horizon by the time Sophie walked out of her office and into the busy streets of Chicago¡¯s river north. It was a short walk, a tram ride, and another quick jog back to her apartment. Throughout her trip, all around her, fellow travelers were bundled tight with faces buried in their scarves and coats. It was clear that no one wanted to stay in the freezing cold for long. Buzzing into her apartment high rise, Sophie sped past the front desk, up the elevator, and into her unit with uncanny speed.

    The redhead wasn¡¯t sure what force suddenly drove her into such an energetic frenzy, but after a quick dinner and a cup of hot tea, she knew that her attention was being inexorably pulled towards her work again, the strange pages of the half completed book floated in her mind, nagging at the edges of her attention. Sophie frowned to herself. This is only the second week! Am I really going to spend a whole night on a work assignment?! Still she couldn¡¯t rationalize the urge away. There was an itch to look at her designs again, to improve them, to find the true vision among all the noise and pull it out. Before she knew it, Sophie was at her small desk by the window, popping open her laptop. Clicking into her emails, she opened the first page of Naomi¡¯s ¡°notes¡± and began reading.

    Time passed slowly at first, the introductory words were relatively mundane, giving vague hints at the supposed experience of the author. If Sophie hadn¡¯t heard that whole convoluted story from the source, she would have simply skimmed over it. But the deeper she read, the more she could see where the vague allusions on the printed page and the truth lined up. It really was something of a tragedy, the fall of a great and renowned figure, laid low by the ones she trusted. Then, finding solace in art, the sheer act of creation carrying her through the miserable time, and finally, her escape from the betrayal and the reclamation of her own life once again. It¡¯s quite a compelling story once you got to know the details. Sophie thought as she flipped the final page of the long, and winding introduction.

    With her cup of tea now consumed, and the night beginning to get late, Sophie took a deep breath and made a plan to get through the first chapter of actual content by bedtime. Her curiosity still burned, but bodily exhaustion also called her to sleep. However, soon as Sophie¡¯s eyes read over the first words of the page, she knew she was in for something else. In her college days, the redhead had sloughed through plenty of dull design manuals as well as more modern authors trying to put their own artistic theories into use with usually flowery language. But out of all the musings on art and design that Sophie had ever read, this book stood out like the moon on a dark night sky.

    Its honesty was the first thing that stood out. Its frank discussion about all the difficulties and tediums of the creative field seemed to speak directly to some of Sophie¡¯s own life experiences. In addition, the book was also broad, even generic in its scope. It didn¡¯t focus on visual art exclusively, but also gestured at the composition of music, the writing of plays and poems, architecture and even performance. It brought up so many disparate topics like the spacing of the stars between in the sky, the elegance of mathematical formulas, and the certain taste of a drink on a summer day. Yet for all of its intellectual leapfrogging, none of it ever seemed like self indulgence.

    Every example was always followed by a pattern of analysis and then application, Naomi sometimes wrote with such confidence as to the supposed meanings or functionality behind even cosmic phenomena that Sophie was tempted to label a great deal of the words as speculation. But she couldn¡¯t dismiss everything so easily. Hours began to run faster, pouring like water through a sieve, as more of the book unfolded before her. In Sophie¡¯s mind, the ideas were already coming together in a tapestry of forms and concepts. Every time she read over another passage and drunk in its heady philosophy, she would take another look at her own work and see new areas of improvement, new anchor points for design, a great web of meaning started to come together, and in the heart of it all, the outline of a shape that was her central vision began to form. Even the pictures of the pages themselves were starting to change for Sophie, seeming to stretch and warp and bend as she gazed at the words, the ideas leaping into her mind like never before. Her eyes almost felt as though they were burning up, and so when she finally saw the coda marking the end of chapter one, Sophie clamped her eyes shut and leaned backwards in her chair.

    The floating hazy afterimages of the letters still swarmed in her darkened vision, the last remnants of their knowledge dripping into her mind as they evaporated into the aether. Opening her eyes and closing her laptop, Sophie groaned, somehow, she had let herself get suckered into the book completely. It didn¡¯t help that the first chapter had been quite monstrous in size, several dozen pages of small font, and it wasn¡¯t as if the book had been a light read or a novel where one could skim the words. This was something approaching an academic text where each example was intricate and very detailed. Sophie recalled over twenty case studies, and she had read each of with dedication and intense scrutiny. Given all of that, it had to have been well past midnight. Taking out her phone to check her alarm, Sophie did a double take as the lock screen appeared. ¡°8:46¡±

    Sophie had been at the book for less than an hour. She blinked, standing up from her desk and hurriedly scanned the room in excitement. Her eyes widened, not out of fear, but from elation. At university, Sophie had felt miserable when she spent long nights pouring over books. But now even with this dense text, she had gone through a substantial fraction in less than one hour and still felt completely energized, all of the tiredness she had felt earlier seemed to have sloughed off as if it had never been there at all. Sophie stared at her hurried sketches, sketches that she now had a million ideas of how to improve, she couldn¡¯t just tuck into a movie or TV show show with all those ideas churning within her skull. And so, sitting down again, she took our her desk easel and uncapped a black pen.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    The lines of ink came fast and thick, criss-crossing the sheets of paper with great speed and delicate precision. The vision of what she wanted, Sophie could see it now, the central vision crystallizing inside her head. All of the copied elements form the other designers were swept aside, leaving her strange forest of technology standing in the middle of the exhibition floor. In front of her eyes, Sophie could now see the central, subconscious idea that her various sketches were all pulling from. The unifying vision of her piece was revealed, its central theme: The Great Doorway. Sophie nodded to herself as the redesign took shape. This new art-form, this new technology was a entry point to something never before seen. She had wanted to accentuate its novelty and its disruptiveness, but had created an image of a strange environment taken over by technology instead. Sophie now realized that the design language and the implications for that first draft had been misguided. She couldn¡¯t possibly know what would happen to the world long-term after this discovery, she couldn¡¯t speculate on what that future might be, her only mission was to depict the door that lead there.

    With the now solidified central vision burning in her brain, Sophie rearranged the layout. Smaller exhibits and context panels now played the part of doorkeepers, inviting the visitors into the exhibit proper. As they closed in towards the central displays, the entire room was poised to funnel them closer to the middle, where at last, they would step into the gate and see the great screens in all their glory, displaying the grandeur of the self-sustaining digital universe dance in front of their eyes. From there, the exit to the room was framed as another door, a gate that lead the visitors out of the show and into the future of the real world. Sophie smiled. There needed to be some small detailing done, but she was confident that this captured the theme of moving into a new age, a new world where nothing would be the same again.

    Taking a deep breath Sophie leaned back, finally exhausted, still coming down from her emotional high. Naomi had been right. She realized. Once she found her central vision, the concept of a doorway, her mind had been unleashed. Smiling at her own progress and not bothering to check the clock again, Sophie simply turned around, collapsed into bed, and fell asleep.

    The dream that came to Sophie that night was of her newly designed art installation. She found herself in the empty exhibition hall, gazing at the entrance door. Within, she could see the electronic lights dancing across vast expanses of metal and glass. Around her, the world began to fall away, dissolving into a gray, cloying fog that shrouded everything except the door before her. Recognizing her own design, and eager to get a better look at her unconscious inspiration, Sophie fearlessly stepped across the threshold as the glass doors quietly shut behind her.

    Standing within the chamber, Sophie drank in the lights and sounds that now enveloped her. Everything was exactly as she had envisioned it in the waking world, except it was infinitely more detailed and refined. Each screen, every pillar and decorative panel was placed exactly where she had wanted them. Lights pulsed in sync with the music, channeled along seamless, glowing lines towards the raised platform at the center of the room, where a circle of enormous display screens stood facing inwards. The sights displayed around her were already dazzling. Self replicating patterns that did not repeat, intricately modeled galaxies spinning through a universe on vastly accelerated time scale, autonomous alien creatures that only existed within the confines of the digital world. Yet for all of this, Sophie knew what she would see when she stepped into the center would put all of that to shame, the most complicated and advanced simulation of them all. She didn¡¯t understand any of the science or math behind it, she hadn¡¯t even seen examples of it, but now, in this world of dream and illusion, she knew in her bones that her design was perfectly made to cradle this wondrous art.

    Before she had even made the conscious impulse to move, Sophie found herself at the top step of the platform, and a moment later she was inside the circle. The great monoliths blinked to life with a mesmerizing display of patterns. Spinning where she stood, Sophie tried to take it all in, to drink in the dazzling colors more vivid than even the real world. As she watched, the patterns in every display settled down before each forming into a doorway of light against the black backgrounds. Then, slowly at first, but with accelerating speed, each of the portals began to move towards her, their radiance taking up more and more of each screen with each passing moment. Sophie for her part, did not run. Something about this felt right, this was where she was meant to be, she was going home. The light from the screens became impossibly bright, drowning out every other source of light in the room, and as the gateways finally filled her entire world, Sophie opened her eyes.

    A single beam of sunlight pierced through a gap in her bedroom curtains and landed directly on Sophie¡¯s face. The redhead blinked once, twice, then calmly sat up in bed. It didn¡¯t feel like she had slept eight hours. In fact, it didn¡¯t feel like she had slept more than a few minutes. Despite that, Sophie felt completely rested. No grogginess, no desire to fall back under her covers, she had more energy this morning than she usually did even after coffee. Looking at the clock, Sophie¡¯s smile grew wider at her earliness, she had risen up half an hour before her alarm and was already fully awake. Stepping out of bed with spring, she stepped to her work desk and picked up the images she had been so feverishly working on the previous night.

    The futuristic shapes of her exhibition design still held their charm and attraction in the daylight, and she smirked at her own handiwork. Yet, the more rational centers of her brain urged a tempering of expectations. After all, Naomi hadn¡¯t promised her anything really, the senior designers would probably choose one of their own designs for the exhibition, maybe taking one or two suggestions from Sophie¡¯s layout so that her name could be added to the list of designers who were behind the project. Something definitely worthy to put on a resume, but not anything that would make her an overnight sensation. No matter, Sophie was more proud of this work than she had been of anything else in short career, it was definitely a worthy springboard for her future, even if some of the preternatural inspiration had come to her in a feverish late night drawing spree.

    Sophie managed to arrive at the office twenty minutes early. Swiping herself in, she quietly sat down at her desk and opened her laptop. But she couldn¡¯t focus, her whole body was still jittery, excited to present her designs to Naomi. Imagined words of high praise and harsh critique ran through her mind. Will she be flattered if I tell her how inspirational that book was? Or will she chide me for being overeager again? Anything was possible, she supposed. She hadn¡¯t gotten to know Naomi enough to really understand what her tastes were, and most of all, she didn¡¯t quite understand what the consultant was actually looking for in a design. Surely revealing that her entry had more or less been birthed from feverish mania and then reinforced with a vivid dream would do her no favors in that department. But still, she had found a central vision and followed it hadn¡¯t she?

    As Sophie sat there pondering these questions, her ears picked up a loud argument that echoed down the long hallway and out into the workspace. With the workplace still empty and unable to keep her curiosity in check, Sophie tiptoed over to the entrance of the hallway and looked down its length. At the opposite end, on the other side of the frosted glass door, stood a tall dark silhouette. Sophie could tell instantly from the figure¡¯s build that it wasn¡¯t Naomi, but she could hear the artist¡¯s voice coming from the office.

    ¡°It will still be until the end of this week before we can begin the installation.¡± Naomi half shouted at the mysterious figure. ¡°That time-line is final, and it cannot be advanced, as you know!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not good enough!¡± Growled the standing figure, Sophie instantly recognize the voice as belonging to that suited man at the cafe, Naomi¡¯s brother. What is he going her?! At the office?! Her mind whirled. And why was he asking about their art exhibition progress!? The memories of Naomi¡¯s words from the previous day surfaced in Sophie¡¯s mind. Is he behind the entire exhibition, or does he plan to steal the credit, or even buy out our entire firm at the last moment!? Naomi did make him to be a ruthless plotter with a knack for underhanded plays. Anxiety and sudden paranoia drove Sophie to listen closer.

    ¡°You know as well as I do, that I can¡¯t pull a key from thin air.¡± Naomi replied. ¡°To get all three of us in one place, we need to be patient and play by the rules we agreed to, not that the passage of linear time actually affects our urgency.¡±

    Sophie¡¯s eyebrows scrunched up. What am I hearing? Something about a key and time not mattering, needing to play by the rules? She pressed herself closer along the massive mural, hoping get a clearer sound without revealing her presence.

    ¡°Keys to the gate were abundant in the past!¡± The standing man protested with indignation. ¡°Surely there must be something that can allow us to traverse the threshold now!¡±

    ¡°This was the closest point to a key manifestation, as I said multiple times!¡± Naomi snapped back. ¡°Besides, there would have been many more keys across all the worlds, if most of them were not currently on fire.¡±

    The man slammed a fist on the table, making Sophie jump, but she kept quiet, covering her mouth and clinging to the wall for balance. A bead of sweat fell from her brow. There was a long pause.

    ¡°You said that you would be listening to my direction this time.¡± Naomi finally continued. Her voice was low, but tinged with anger and frustration right below the surface. ¡°How about you prove it? Go take a hike and come back when I tell you it¡¯s done.¡± She hissed the last words out with force, causing her brother to take a step back into view of the door.

    ¡°Fine.¡± Was his only answer, before the shadow of his figure vanished from the glass.

    Sophie did a double take and leaned her head further out get a better view. Maybe it was just a trick of the light, the distortion of the frosted glass. But try as she might there was no sign of the tall suited man anywhere she could see. Then, as she unstuck herself from the wall, Naomi¡¯s silhouette emerged into view and before Sophie could even take a single step back, the door opened.

    Naomi stepped out into the hallway, eyes locked on Sophie with a warm smile on her face.

    ¡°Ah Sophie!¡± She said brightly. ¡°I was expecting you, please come in, I trust you have a lot to discuss with me?¡±

    Sophie could only nod awkwardly as sweat poured down her neck. A few moments later, Sophie once again found herself sitting in front of the older artist, laptop in hands. She nervously glanced at the consultant who¡¯s head was once again buried in her screen. She gave no indication that she was going to confront Sophie over snooping, or that she even knew Sophie had heard the conversation. But it was impossible she hadn¡¯t put the two and two together right? Did she think I just appeared in hallway seconds after she coincidentally finished a shouting match?! Speaking of which, Sophie took another quick scan of the room looking for any hidden doors or emergency stairs.

    ¡°So.¡± Naomi¡¯s voice snapped her attention back to the moment. Sophie fidgeted her hand under the table. She still had no idea what she would say as an excuse if Naomi accused her. Another bead of sweat formed on her temple.

    ¡°How was the book?¡± the consultant asked with anticipation.

    ¡°The book-OH! Yeah, it was really good!¡± Sophie was caught off-guard for a second, before quickly remembering how inspirational the text had been last night.

    ¡°Good to hear.¡± Naomi smiled before she gestured at the new hire¡¯s laptop. ¡°But I get the feeling you have something to show me?¡±

    Sophie nodded eagerly turned over her screen, very glad that she wasn¡¯t going to be grilled on her snooping. Outside the window, the skyline looked very similar to yesterday. Despite the sunshine earlier, Low clouds now blanketed the city, hiding the great skyscrapers in a foggy mist. Reclining in front of the giant window, Naomi almost looked like she was dissolving into the clouds.

    Sophie¡¯s fidgeting resumed under the desk. Now it was the anxieties about her work that came back. Studying the artist¡¯s face, the new hire found it hard to discern anything about the older woman¡¯s mood. She was looking at the designs intensely, but did she like them? Several tense minutes passed with Sophie nervously sunken into the upholstered chair as Naomi scrutinized her designs.

    At last, the artist looked up from the laptop with a quizzical expression on her face.

    ¡°I am interested, what ended up being the central vision for this design?¡± Her eyes were narrowed and shone with the strange prismatic colors again.

    ¡°Well, uhm, my central vision was that of a doorway.¡± Sophie began. ¡°I think its a good unifying metaphor for what this technology kinda means to me, as far as I understand it. I wanted to give the impression that everyone coming to see this exhibit was stepping through, into a future world made possible by this technology. The central platform with all the surrounding screens should give that feel of being immersed somewhere completely new and alien.¡±

    Naomi¡¯s smile widened at the answer. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I wanted to hear.¡± She said with great satisfaction. ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve found a central vision. Now all you have to do is add to it.¡± Sitting back up straight, she turned her own computer around to show Sophie.

    ¡°See this?¡± She pointed to the image on the screen. A rotating galaxy hung in the middle of a black void. ¡°Now watch.¡± She said with excitement. Scrolling wheel in, Sophie watched as the camera zoomed in, past the great nebulae, past individual stars and onto a planet much like earth. Going even smaller, the view stopped on a single plant. Naomi pressed another key. Time sped up and the plant began to sprout, grow and bloom.

    ¡°I did some refactoring of the researcher¡¯s code.¡± Naomi said. ¡°Now I can simulate the entirety of their model universe down to the atomic scale, using just the equipment we¡¯ve been allocated.¡± Sophie marveled at the intricate detailing on the leaf as it rotated. ¡°Any planet, in any galaxy, emergently generated, explorable for every guest in the finest detail.¡± Naomi declared. ¡°And I want to put this, on that.¡± She leveled her long cigarette at the central platform of Sophie¡¯s design, still visible on the new hire¡¯s laptop screen.

    Sophie gasped. ¡°Does this mea-!?¡± She sputtered.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Naomi nodded. ¡°I am backing your design as the one to be selected for the final exhibition.¡± Sophie nearly leaped out of her seat in surprise and euphoria.

    ¡°Oh my god-! T-hank you for- thanks so much!¡± Sophie sputtered, trying to find the appropriate words of gratitude.

    ¡°No need.¡± Naomi held up a wiry hand as she took a long drag on her electronic smoke. ¡°For now, I need you to specify some exact dimensions on your drawing before this design can be officially considered.¡± Her hands danced across her keyboard in rapid motion. ¡°I just sent over the requirements, get those nailed down and sent to me before my 3pm meeting with the senior designers, and I will make sure your name is front and center on this entire project.¡±

    Sophie jumped out of her chair and shook Naomi¡¯s hand eagerly. ¡°I¡¯ll get those numbers to you before lunch!¡± She cried as she picked up her laptop and dashed from the room. Her head was a buzz with incredible emotions as she ran down the long hallway, a bright future laid out in her mind. Coincidentally, the overheard words shouted between Naomi and her brother were quickly forgotten.

    The clock on the wall ticked past 4:00, then 4:15. Sophie pursed her lips together. How much longer would the meeting go on for? Surely it wasn¡¯t a good sign that the designers were taking so long¡­right? Naomi had probably gotten push back on her assertion that the newbie¡¯s design would be used for something so paramount, that much was expected. But Sophie was aware of the level of authority that the consultant wielded. She had gotten the corner office usually reserved for visiting executives. She had been placed as the key person at the center of the project, and she was the one favoring Sophie right now. Surely, what she promised so sincerely, she would be able to deliver right? Sophie continued fidgeting under the desk.

    Then the sound of a glass door opened and a line of senior designers filed out of the long hallway. One of them, Bart Daniels stopped by her desk and awkwardly stuck out a hand.

    ¡°Uh, congratulations.¡± He said sheepishly. ¡°That was really quite something you drew up, I never thought we¡¯d have a prodigy in our firm.¡±

    Sophie shook his hand, her eyes lighting up, mouth open wide in a smile. She had done it! It was really happening!

    ¡°Guess its gonna be a busy few weeks for you then.¡± He rubbed the back of his neck, his face was contorted in an ambivalent expression that was halfway between frustration and relief.

    ¡°Just uh, don¡¯t be afraid to ask the other designers if you need help ok?¡± Then he turned and disappeared back into his office. For a moment, Sophie considered the expression that had played across the man¡¯s face. A sudden anxiety rose in her chest. Am I being setup as the fall guy because they know the project is going to fail? Did the senior designers only approve of my proposal so they could pin the blame on some hapless new hire?

    Sophie¡¯s eyes scanned the room rapidly before she suddenly spotted Noami in her shawl and sweater approaching the desk.

    ¡°I think they took it rather well.¡± She said cheerfully. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure that whatever anyone¡¯s misgivings, we¡¯ll get this display out there on time.¡± Sophie¡¯s worries were immediately eased. Naomi had just demonstrated that she could deliver on the lofty promises she made. Even if the senior designers were planning to pin the blame on Sophie¡¯s head, Naomi wouldn¡¯t give them the opportunity to do so. Satisfied, Sophie nodded enthusiastically. Her time in the spotlight had finally come.

    <hr>

    The next few weeks went by in several caffeine fueled, late night binges. As the new design lead for the project (or rather, as the co-design lead under Naomi), Sophie had been suddenly thrust into a phase of operations he had no knowledge of before. The amount of new responsibilities heaped onto her were enormous. Sketches and preliminary layouts had to be formalized, materials needed to be standardized for the contractors who were actually building the display, and in the end it all had to be converted into digital models for the final set of plans. Thankfully, Sophie was not solely responsible for doing all of the work, but she did have to sit through several very long and boring meetings almost everyday, some of them dragging very late into the night.

    In addition to the new work, the amount of time she spent with her team and manager began to dwindle. She now only saw them intermittently, when she was not inside of Naomi¡¯s office for long hours of discussions, meetings and refinement. It was not long before her entire time at the office became boxed within the two walls and glass window of the South-Eastern corner office. Sophie, for her part, didn¡¯t mind it too much. The executive suite was incredibly roomy and open, but the view from its window always seemed to be shrouded in low handing clouds, even on the days where the sky seemed relatively clear elsewhere. Still, there was little Sophie could do to change the situation. The responsibility for getting the design out there was on her shoulders now, and she could not afford to drop it. So the days went on, with Sophie getting home at increasingly late hours each day. But at last, the work on the exhibition finally seemed to catch up with their optimistic schedule.

    Gerald Davis, the chief of operations was joyous at the news of progress. Despite Sophie¡¯s isolation from her colleagues, the executive¡¯s fondness for her work only grew. In the high level meetings she now had to attend, he never missed an opportunity to brag about her work and how he had the one new-hire who was out preforming almost everyone else. And in the background, her efforts largely unnoticed, was Naomi herself. She continued to advise Sophie, giving her ideas and inspiration beyond even what her book covered, carefully honing Sophie¡¯s creative eye and sense of aesthetics. The consultant still took meetings with senior members of the design and engineering teams, but only sporadically. The rest of her time was focused on cultivating Sophie¡¯s skills. Of additional note was the fact that Naomi¡¯s brother did not return in person nor call again, not that Sophie remembered him much anyways.

    Yet even the act of transferring the final plans to the subcontractor did not end the toil. Sophie now had to make several treks to the Art Institute museum a week to keep an eye on the progress and verify the designs with the builders. It was tedious work, but at least she was allowed to stretch her legs around the city, and crucially Naomi accompanied her, lending some well needed tact and negotiating prowess to the inspections.

    But the construction workers were quick and diligent, and so it was, that when the night of December 24th eventually rolled around, Sophie found herself in the modern wing of the museum again, contentedly staring at the finally finished display.

    She took in a deep breath and smiled. Behind the canvas curtains and obscured from public view, her exhibition was buzzing with life. It was just as she had seen it in her dream, the layout was 100% perfect. Even her second draft had not captured the amount of details that were present in that vision. Yet with Naomi¡¯s help, she had somehow, miraculously pulled out all those details from a weeks old dream and committed them to paper with perfect fidelity.

    All the electronics had also been tested and were working properly. Of key importance was the supercooled quantum computer embedded in an hermetically sealed box below the raised platform. Sophie had been there on the day Naomi had arrived with a crew of engineers and had uploaded her re-factored program into the system, Sophie didn¡¯t know the technical specifics, but the important thing to her was that everything was finally ready. The fully actualized, real exhibit, rendered in metal and glass. Sophie took it in with great pride.

    However, as she marveled at the emptiness of it, Sophie was suddenly struck with the thought that she didn¡¯t want to be here for the grand opening tomorrow. She wasn¡¯t sure why, but there was something about the prospect of having the swarming public within this quiet, calming place that she didn¡¯t quite want to see.

    Outside, the rising full moon painted the hallway in a silvery glow. Sophie yawned. She would decide if she felt like coming in for the grand opening after she woke up tomorrow. After all, it was Christmas day, and there were no expectations for her to be here anyways. Satisfied with a smile on her face, Sophie pushed out of the exhibit hall and out of the museum¡¯s door. She didn¡¯t even make it a single block before a voice from across the street caught her attention.

    ¡°Do try to keep up, this is the crucial moment and you do not want to be left behind.¡±

    Sophie stopped in her tracks. That voice! That¡¯s Naomi¡¯s brother! Sophie swung her head around towards the source of the sound. There, on the other side of street, her eyes caught a glimpse a tall man in a dark suit crossing the wide city street with an unnaturally quick gait. Sophie craned her neck and squinted. Besides him, was another man dressed in a light blue collared shirt with rolled up sleeves and a mop of messy hair atop his head. The second man¡¯s posture was hunched over and Sophie recognized the body language of fear and anxiety. She heard him say something in a ragged voice, but couldn¡¯t make out the words.

    ¡°Just a little bit more patience, and you will see.¡± The suited man responded in his characteristically rhythmic voice. ¡°All my siblings will be gathered together at last, and soon this entire debacle will be over.¡±

    Sophie¡¯s heart leaped, hammering under her ribcage. That strange conversation I overheard weeks ago! He wants something to do something with the exhibition! Spinning on her heels, Sophie crouched behind a nearby trashcan and waited until the two men had turned towards the museum entrance. Then she sprinted across the last few seconds of the crossing light and back towards the same entrance.

    Crossing another street towards the modern wing, Sophie¡¯s mind ran through a million different nightmare possibilities. Maybe Naomi¡¯s brother is here to steal my design in some weird plan of corporate espionage! Or maybe he wants to destroy it to ruin the reputation of the firm! Maybe even Naomi was in on it as well¡­Maybe he pressured her to reveal all the secrets! Making the last sprint towards the door, she prayed that her special access badge would work at this hour. Sure enough, the door clicked open and Sophie bolted inside.

    Bright moon-beams poured down through the glass panels on the ceiling. In the absence of any other light, they bathed the entire wing in a deep blue tranquility. Sophie stood, confounded for a moment, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. To her left, the door to other exhibits remained untouched, and to her right she could see the tarps hanging motionless across her exhibition¡¯s windows. Blinking the last of the blurriness from her vision, Sophie tentatively took a step forwards, her shoes clacking on the hard wood floor.

    From above, on the second floor, a much louder clack answered her back. Sophie froze, eyes snapping onto the source of the sound. An open crosswalk spanning the space at the other end of the great hall. Everything was still for a moment. Then another clack pierced the silence, and from the doorway opposite of the exhibition gallery on the second floor, a dark shape emerged into the moonlight.

    For a split second, Sophie took it for a bear, or some other large animal that had inexplicably gotten into the heart of the city. Then the thing stood up straight. Sophie took a step back in shock and covered her mouth to suppress a scream. The monstrous figure was gigantic, standing so tall that even under the high ceilings of the modern wing, it still had to hunch over. Its arms were long and sinewy ending in clawed hands, its waist was crustacean like, splitting into a cluster of columns that ended in long spikes. And at the top, attached to its shoulders was an enormous jaw, ringed with dozens of rows teeth and eyes, embedded into a flowing mane of fleshy tendrils

    The thing turned to her, every orifice on its face shined with a sickly white glow. Sophie turned on her heels, all reason abandoned, her instincts taking over. She saw only blind panic and sprinted for the doors.

    Behind her, the monstrosity casually lifted an arm.

    Instantly, Sophie was stopped, every limb in her body paralyzed and locked into place as if by steel cables. Gradually, she was turned around by an unseen force until she was facing the terrifying creature again. Her lip quivered, she drew in a ragged breath to scream for help, but found her jaw and throat frozen as well.

    The thing tilted its head slightly, seemingly in amusement of her predicament. From the same doorway, she saw the disheveled man emerged, carefully clinging to the railings, trying with difficulty to avoid looking at the towering monster.

    Then the giant turned towards the exhibition doorway and spoke.

    ¡°Our special guest has arrived.¡± It chortled with the exact same voice as Naomi¡¯s brother. A second later, A fog-shrouded mass of liquid metal poured from the previously untouched exhibition room. Sophie¡¯s eyes could not go any wider, but her shock only increased as the amorphous mass slinked along the narrow walkway towards the stairs. Wisps of smoke poured into the air around it, some small nodules broke off from the main mass and drifted away while others fell back into the primary bulk as it shifted. Making its way to the other horrific monstrosity, the globule reared itself up and coalesced into a more recognizable shape. From out of the vanishing iridescent cloud, stepped Naomi Myrrine replete in her ostentatious style and long cigarette.

    ¡°Hello Sophie.¡± She said with pursed lips and saddened eyes.

    Suddenly Sophie found her throat and mouth free again.

    ¡°HELP! GET ME OUT OF HERE! LET ME GO!¡± She cried, partially in hopes of getting any attention, partially to wake her up from what must have been a nightmare.

    ¡°Shhhh, don¡¯t go doing that.¡± The tendril monster cooed and put a gigantic claw up to its huge jaws. Sophie¡¯s voice was suddenly muted, reduced to nothing more than a muffled whine.

    ¡°Sophie, listen to me.¡± Naomi said, her voice was mournful and apologetic, without any of the enthusiasm and joy that had characterized her speech before. ¡°I am sorry that you had find out this way, but as you probably guessed, there are ulterior motives at work behind this exhibition.¡±

    Sophie paid the words no heed, her eyes scanned the room wildly, still trying to scream out for help in a muted voice. Naomi sighed quietly.

    ¡°Go finish preparing the door.¡± She finally said to the monster after a few moments. ¡°The difficult steps have already been completed, even you shouldn¡¯t be able to mess it up.¡±  The giant looked at her for a moment but did not move, nor did it release Sophie from its telekinetic grasp. ¡°You are following my lead now, remember?!¡± Naomi raised her voice, letting a strange thunderous roll slip out in her undertones. In response, the tentacled monster dropped its hands to its side and with single stride, disappeared into the exhibition hall. Sophie suddenly found her limbs mobile again, but before she could run, another force seized her. She blinked. She was no longer by the door, but now she was on top of the crosswalk facing Naomi. The man in the blue shirt was gone as well, the doors to the exhibition hall were shut, and ominous lights emanated from within.

    ¡°Sophie, listen to me.¡± Naomi said, placing her hands on the panicking redhead¡¯s shoulder. Sophie winced in pain, the older woman¡¯s grip was like a vise. ¡°My brother and I, we need to borrow the exhibition for the next few minutes and then it will be restored unharmed. You can have your grand opening tomorrow, and you will never have to see me, or my brother ever again, does that sound fair?¡±

    Sophie opened her mouth, sputtering incoherently. ¡°WHA- WHAT IS- ??! WHAT IS THAT THING?!¡±

    Naomi pinched the bridge of nose with her free hand. ¡°My brother and I, we aren¡¯t the sort of things that you would have any knowledge of. But out there, in the wider cosmos, it¡¯s Armageddon right now.¡± She insisted. ¡°Your species can¡¯t perceive the threat, but unless we finish what we came here to do, the universe will cease to be.¡±

    Sophie stared with bulging eyes of disbelief.

    ¡°What!?¡± was all she could squeak out. Naomi drew in a deep breath, before pulling the young woman into the exhibition hall. Sophie leaned backwards, dug her heels into the ground, but the artist seemed to shrug off the effort as she would a flea. The heavy glass and steel door slammed shut as soon as Sophie was pulled through, the lock setting itself with a solid clunk.

    Before her, was the monstrous giant, turned away, standing atop the platform at the center of the room. It reached an arm to the floor and with seemingly no effort at all, pierced the wooden boards with a single sharp claw. Ripping up the broken flooring, it splintered the boards in a colossal fist while its other hand tore into the insulated steel computer housing as if it had been made of paper. A cloud of white fog erupted out as the liquid nitrogen began to boil away in the air. Sophie shivered at the sudden chill.

    The monster paid the cold no mind. Quickly tossing aside the broken scraps, it reached into the cryogenic chamber and extracted a large tower of gold and copper plates bundled with wires. Naomi turned towards the giant and nodded, who seemed to answer back with a snap of its huge jaws. Raising up its other arm, the tip of its index claw shivered and then exploded into a cluster of glowing white strands. Each of the tendrils twitched, and darted forwards, quickly finding its purchase in amongst the intricate circuitry. A wave of energy seemed to course through the creature¡¯s body and into the delicate contraption.

    ¡°Why is it- why are you doing this?¡± Sophie croaked softly as the lights around the main screen began flashing.

    ¡°It had to be this exhibit.¡± Naomi said apologetically. ¡°Your work was the closest point to the manifestation of a void aperture.¡±

    Sophie could only stare in confusion. Lights strobed around them as a sourceless wind began to pick up and blow.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­.a long story, I¡¯ve already told you parts of it in a way you would understand. But to put it bluntly, the ¡°family business¡± that I told you about, was creating the universe. I am the creator of all realities, in all of time and space. But despite that, my brother and I are still bound by specific laws that I set down. The important one right now, is that we cannot leave our creation while inside of it. So we needed to wait for an exit to appear.¡± She gestured towards the of the ring of screens where Sophie could just about see something begin to form.

    ¡°But-I, I still don¡¯t understand!¡± Sophie cried.

    ¡°I-we don¡¯t need to perceive time linearly like you do.¡± Naomi explained, her voice tinged with frustration and remorse. ¡°I was able to foresee that this project would contain the causal seed to create a portal to the void outside reality. I put myself in the right place at the right time to give you the push you needed to fully actualize that potential.¡± She turned to face Sophie directly. ¡°All it took was the right quantum code, running at the right time, resonating through the right space, to harmonize with the universe and punch a hole in its fabric. You remember that book I gave you, and the dream you had that very same night? Those were the small pushes you needed to create your central vision: The doorway.¡±

    Sophie began to tremble, shaking her head.

    ¡°No, it- its not, that wasn¡¯t you!¡± Sophie screamed.

    Naomi sighed, crossed her arms, and waved her left hand.

    Instantly, brilliant white daylight poured into the room. Sophie covered her eyes and squinted. Through the tarps covering the unopened exhibit windows, she could see the hall outside illuminated in broad daylight. Sophie gasped, ran up to the glass and pressed her face against it. There¡¯s people out there! Tourists, families and other museum visitors milled around outside, as clear as day, some even pointing to the tarps and conversing amongst themselves.

    ¡°HEY!¡± Sophie yelled, and banged on the glass. ¡°HELP ME!¡± Outside, some of the people begun to turn their heads, eyes narrowing in confusion. Naomi dropped her arm, and instantly, the bustling afternoon crowd outside was replace by dim moonlight.

    ¡°That was four days ago outside.¡± The older woman said a matter-of-factly. ¡°I knew that you would find your way back to the museum tonight, right now.¡±

    Sophie turned to Naomi, the dawning realization of what she had just heard washing over her features. ¡°You knew that if I saw your brother, that I would come back here¡­why did you do that!?¡± She cried. ¡°You already got this exhibit from me! Why do you need me here for this?!¡±

    Across the room, the humming rose to an apex and the monster released its tendrils from the intricate machine. In the center of the circle of screens, something fuzzy flashed once, twice, before fully coming into existence with a static shock that sent Sophie¡¯s ears ringing. Picking up her dazed head, Sophie attempted to focus on the epicenter of the explosion, only to see that there was nothing there. Not a black or white space, but no space at all. It was as if the entire room had shrunk. Space that had previously been an area two meters wide, was now simply gone, removed from existence. It was like a visual blind-spot, except she was looking directly at it.

    The towering monstrosity, the thing that had been Naomi¡¯s brother, stalked around the warped space and grabbed the blue shirted man from a far corner.

    ¡°The door is open at last.¡± It said with an exhausted tone in its voice. ¡°Its time to go.¡±

    ¡°W-Wait!¡± The man yelled, grabbing at the thing¡¯s gigantic arm and dragging his heels. ¡°That¡¯s safe right? It won¡¯t kill me?¡±

    The monster stared down at the human with its myriad glowing eyes. ¡°Now that would be rather pointless wouldn¡¯t it? It replied sarcastically. ¡°I would have dragged you all the way out here, across millions of worlds and time lines, just to kill you and have to retrieve another whining meat-bag? You¡¯ll be fine.¡± It sneered. At the words, the man seemed to relax a little, his struggling against the floor ceased, but he still tugged at the giant¡¯s arm for release.

    Arriving at the top of the platform, the monster didn¡¯t stop, merely pulling itself through the vanished space and dragging the man along right afterwards. Both disappeared from the world with an unceremonious fsssssst. A moment of quiet followed, and Naomi bent down, gently placed her hand on Sophie¡¯s chin and turned it towards her. The redhead noticed that for the first time during the entire night, maybe for the first time ever, she saw a look of regret across the older woman¡¯s face.

    ¡°I wanted you to come back here, so that you could understand what I¡¯m doing and why I¡¯m doing it.¡± She said softly in the warm voice Sophie had gotten so used to. ¡° I already told you that it was Armageddon out in the cosmos. Well, my creator, my mother, is the cause of it. To stop it, my bother and I need to meet with our third sibling, the one that did not follow us, the one that fell behind. He¡¯s still wallowing somewhere beyond the walls of the universe, and to fix all of this, we need him. That¡¯s why I came to you, that¡¯s why I needed your work, to break open the fabric of the world and let us out so we could find him.¡±

    Naomi paused, then she reached into the folds of her sweater and removed the long electronic cigarette before handing it to Sophie. ¡°A token of my apology. My older brother, he wouldn¡¯t do this, he never cared at all for you mortals, or his underlings, or his family, or anyone else really. Everything was always beneath him. But I need you to understand that I didn¡¯t manipulate you for my own amusement like he would have. I had to make you do this! For the sake of everything you know and so much more. I need you to understand that all of this was for a good cause.¡±

    Then, without waiting for answer from Sophie, she stood up, turned to face the impossible gash in space and melted back into a bubbling, shimmering mass of vaporous liquid metal. The unknowable matter slinked forwards to the precipice of the doorway before a portion of it turned to Sophie.

    ¡°If  I were you¡­I wouldn¡¯t look up at the sky anymore.¡± It said, in a voice that howled on an unfelt wind, and then it was gone. A moment later the room was plunged into total blackness.

    <hr>

    Sophie cracked open her eyes with great difficulty. Her vision took a second to focus before she registered the familiar walls of her bedroom. She let out a sigh of relief. All a dream. She soothed herself. Looking around the room, Sophie knitted her eyebrows in confusion when she realized she had fallen asleep on the carpeted floor of her bedroom. Scratching her head, she was just about to push herself up when she felt something in her palm. Looking down, she opened her hand and saw a thin, black electronic smoke shaped as cigarette holder. Sophie¡¯s blood turned to ice. Theres no way I have this! Her hand reactively recoiled, throwing the item across the room. Flipping once, it rolled to a stop next to the wall and sat there, not vanishing, as solid as the floor it was resting on.

    Sophie drew in a sharp breath. Was it all real? Did all of that really happen last night?! She shot up and scrambled for her phone. The screen lit up with the date she had been dreading: December 25. Falling down on her bed, she concentrated hard to try and come up with some explanation for what she had been doing last night. But try as she might, Sophie could only remember those horrifying, unearthly events that had taken place in the museum. There seemed to be only one impossible conclusion. What she remembered had been real. The proof lay across the room on the carpet a mere six feet away. Then, if that was real¡­ Naomi¡¯s final words resurfaced in her mind. Apologies for Tomorrow¡­..TODAY! Her eyes went wide and she shot out of bed. The exhibition was destroyed! I need to get there to explain what happened! They must have security footage! Throwing on the heaviest coat she could find, Sophie grabbed her keys and sprinted out the door.

    It was still early in the morning on Christmas day, and the streets were less buy than usual. Still it took her almost an hour to arrive at the museum. Shoving open the door to the modern gallery, Sophie dashed across the long hallway, now filled with sightseers, and towards the stairs. Flying up the steps as if possessed, Sophie readied herself for the ruin in broad daylight. She turned the last corner, bursting into the room and saw¡­that everything was perfectly fine. People milled in and out of the exhibition room, walking calmly and making small talk. Sophie blinked and ran into the room. Inside the exhibit itself, there was not a single screw out of place. The floor was not torn up, there was no destroyed supercomputer, and all the displays buzzed along to the gentle tune of per-selected background music.

    Sophie let out a shaky breath, eyes feverishly scanning the room. Was I right? Was it really all a dream?! No, there¡¯s no explanation for the cigarette! Sophie grabbed her forehead with both hands and took deep breaths. There was something else wrong with the room, she could feel it, something about how she she envisioned the displays wasn¡¯t right. A moment later she figured it out. At the center of the room, on top of the raised platform where the central display was, there were no people. Everyone else milled about the rest of the space, interested in the smaller screens, but no one even approached what was supposed to be the main attraction.

    Sophie squinted at the stage. That strange distortion from last night was gone, the space between the screens was completely normal, yet no one approached. It was as if the entire space was invisible. Curious, Sophie took a step up onto the platform and turned around to look at the inward facing screens. She balked in confusion. It was just live video footage of the exhibition room. Each screen showed a slightly different angle, but besides that, there was nothing noteworthy at all. None of the exploding stars, digital life, or evolving universes that Naomi had promised. Sophie stood dumbstruck in total bewilderment for a few moments. She paced around the raised platform, debating whether to call her manager, or the museum staff. What did this mean? Was it something that happened to the room last night?! She stalked up to the closest screen and examined it. These are touch screens¡­ a vague memory from the weeks of planning bubbled to the fore front of her mind. Sophie leaned in close and swiped a finger across the surface.

    The picture shifted, not like the motion from panning a camera, but instead, the entire view moved several meters to the left, through the wall, and out into the hallway. Sophie blinked in surprise and scanned the room, looking for any sings of a surveillance lens having smashed through concrete. Nothing was out of place. Turning back to the screen, she tentatively rotated the view until the image was focused on a person on the first floor, looking at a brochure. Sophie scanned the picture meticulously. The man was tapping his left foot, which was wearing a brown work boot. Sophie looked out from behind the screen. From her vantage point on the second floor, she could see that sure enough, that same man was in the exact spot, tapping his foot absentmindedly. Sophie felt dizzy. She didn¡¯t know what to make the sight she was seeing. Taking control of the monitor again, she swept it through the walls with at a frantic pace, past the wiring and pipes, down into the main hall of the museum. Sure enough, people milled about looking at the exhibits, each person unique and just as life like as live recording should be.

    It can simulate and entire universe down to the atomic scale. The errant comment rushed into the forefront of Sophie¡¯s mind. Her hand trembled, her tongue felt dry in her mouth as she put both hands on the screen and swiped ferociously out of the museum, down the streets of the bustling city, across dozens of miles of traffic, up the side of her apartment building, and through the bedroom window. To her utter horror, everything was exactly as she had left it this morning. The clock on the wall ticked along, the gentle hum of the heater filled the speakers, and in a dark corner of the bedroom, she saw a long black cylinder.

    The room spun around Sophie as she gripped the sturdy supports of the screen to stop from falling over. Her brain felt fuzzy and her skin was burning. Sweat poured down her face and neck. This can¡¯t be happening. This cannot be real.

    The final warning of the thing that called itself Naomi echoed in her head: Don¡¯t look up at the sky in the coming weeks. Sophie gulped painfully and leaned even closer to the screen. With hands that threatened to shake themselves from her body, she quickly pulled the image up, past the clouds, beyond the atmosphere and moon, through the planets and stars until even the galaxy was nothing but a tiny speck among millions, then she flipped the view around.

    At first, Sophie didn¡¯t see anything out of the ordinary, the galaxies in the distance shined with perfect vividness, their colors more vibrant than she thought possible, and for a second she almost breathed a sigh of relief.  Then something changed. Her breath caught in her throat, and Sophie flicked her gaze to it but saw only blank space. She squinted. Then there was another hint of motion in the other corner of the screen. Sophie spun her head and this time, she barely caught the last glow of a distant galaxy fading from view. She recoiled from the screen, heart thundering in her chest as she tried to take in the entire image in.

    Next it was the upper left corner, two bright blue lights faded to black and did not return. Then, a bright globular orange shape in the center, dimmed into darkness, swallowed by the inky nothing like a stone thrown into a lake. Sophie¡¯s lip trembled, more and more lights, of all shapes, sizes and distances went out, candles snuffed by dark hurricane. Everything Sophie knew about the universe, the speed of light, the permanence of the stars, everything she knew shouted at her that this could not be real, that this was just a program gone haywire, a glitch in the system. But the small dark object laying in the corner of her room told her otherwise. Everything she saw was impossibly, yet indubitably 100% accurate.

    With a final gasp and whimper, Sophie¡¯s legs finally gave out and she would have crashed into a heap if she hadn¡¯t been holding the sturdy metal supports of the exhibit. Bile rose in her throat, and the terror she felt at the edges of her mind threatened to send her sprawling to the ground. Willing with the last of her strength, Sophie squeezed her eyes shut and fumbled around the back of the display. Her hand wrapped around a thick cable and she tore it out without hesitation.

    There was a small buzz and zap as the expensive monitor shut off. Cracking her eyes open, Sophie was greeted by the glossy black of a dormant monitor. She let a shaky breath tumble from her lungs and stood for a moment, a wreck of a human, grabbing onto a few metal beams as if for dear life. Around her, several inquisitive and worried visitors had begun to gather.

    ¡°Miss!¡± One person shouted from behind her. ¡°What are you doing with the display?¡±

    Jumping back from the screen, the redhead thrashed her gaze around with wild eyes.

    ¡°Nothing!¡± She half shouted. ¡°Everything is fine! Normal!¡± Sophie stumbled from dias in a hurry, shaking off the glances of the passersby and rushed out of the room. Flying down the stairs and back onto the snow streets, Sophie broke into a run. She had nowhere in mind, but her legs carried her towards home on pure instinct. And as she tore through the freezing Chicago streets of a Christmas morning, Sophie could now feel the inexorable force encroaching from above. Just beyond the clouds, past a minute shell of safety, there was a slow withering end for all things.

    Bursting into her house, Sophie slammed the door and slid the dead bolt into place with heavy breaths. Everything now felt tainted, poisoned to the core. The impending dread slowly condensed into a cold pit which settled itself into the bottom of Sophie¡¯s stomach. She felt the energy and strength drain from her hands and there was nothing she could do but curl up in her chair beside the window, staring out onto the doomed city below. Hours later, nightfall still found her unmoving against the cold glass. The evening news gently played on the television in the next unit over, but Sophie didn¡¯t need to heed its words. She knew what would be the headlining story tonight, she had already seen it with her own eyes. Sophie¡¯s mind once again began to spiral around the pit of dread. All the worries of office work, her career, and future plans were dust in the wind. Few in the world knew it yet, but when the dreadful, inevitable truth became common knowledge¡­ Sophie shuddered and let out a wracking sob.

    And at that same moment, high above the apartments of Chicago, through the clouds and past the planets and asteroids and comets, deep into the inky black of space, another star faded out of existence.

 Part 3: A World Ablaze

    A lone figure darted across a ravaged wasteland, a flurry of powerful impacts exploded in its wake. The silhouette leaped over a piece of wreckage and swerved its upper body, using four segmented limbs to level a long weapon at a location just ahead of the last blast. A burst of sharp chromatic light erupted in a needle beam, piercing the air and burning the ground where it landed. The pulse lasted a fraction of a second before the sprinter turned, landed upright and continued their dash. The debris field was getting thicker now, in the distance a hollowed out fuselage towered over the darkened sands like a small mountain. Another series of thumps landed around the runner, tossing the figure off of the ground. Gracefully, they flipped through the air and let loose another blast of light in the direction of the pursuer. The attack stabbed through into the earth, intercepting an unseen shape with a loud sizzle. Instantly there was a metallic grinding sound, something mimicking and animal¡¯s cry of pain, then it was silent. A flurry of invisible blasts blistered the landscape, tossing the runner into the sky again. There was a pause as they hit the top of their arc, then they fell, accelerating towards the wreckage. A series of thundering shock-waves trailed them, ripping apart the air and sending showers of electric sparks down below. The runner made a graceful landing near a large overhang, and then disappeared into the mound of metal and debris. For a moment, the wasteland was silent; Then there was a skittering as the invisible predator rushed inside the cavernous ruin as well.

    The runner maneuvered through the once inhabited corridors of the metal hulk, banking down the labyrinthine halls with a clear sense of direction until they emerged into a large open chamber. It was a dead end. The runner turned and faced down the corridor. A distant explosion shook the derelict, then another one, and another one. Each time, the sound got closer and closer.

    The figure leveled their weapon at yawing corridor just as another wave of invisible force ripped the other end of the hallway into shrapnel. Without hesitation a beam of light tore through the space and sizzled against the pursuer. The grinding sound erupted again, an otherworldly howl of agony. Another shot landed, then another and another. Five shots. The weapon emitted a clank, ejecting a spent cartridge. Its wielder hurriedly reached into a belt holster for another, but their enemy was faster. Another explosion threw them against the metal roof and they fell to the ground in a heap. Instantly, a skittering sound ran up to the downed fighter. Standing over its prey, the predator let out a triumphant grinding roar.

    Suddenly, a shrill ping shot through the wreckage, then a split second later, a cage of blinding blue light slammed down onto the invisible form. Another screeching howl rang out but was quickly silenced as the energy cage imploded, crushing and tearing through the pursuer¡¯s invisible flesh. A sickening shower of superheated gore and entrails rained down over the prone figure on the ground. Its target liquefied, the trap let out a high pitched whine and dissipated, azure light flickering out leaving nothing but smoke, steam, and an acrid smell drifting into the wreck.

    The runner hissed as they stood up, unfolding their segmented limbs and rubbing the back of their carapace. Turning their triangular head to a broken ledge above, they called out.

    ¡°It¡¯s dead!¡± The fighter cried from their mandibles in a voice of clicks and chitters.

    ¡°Good work Dawn.¡± Another similar figure emerged from their own hiding place.

    ¡°Thanks, but uh¡­ cutting it pretty close there Commander Tempest.¡± Dawn, the runner, said as he massaged his joints and checked his carapace for any chips or punctures.

    The second individual, Tempest, hoisted a heavy kinetic rifle over his thorax, his antennae twitching sightly.

    ¡°The trap did its job, just like its always done.¡± He reassured. ¡°I had to put it close to your person, to make sure the enemy did not suspect it was being trapped.¡±

    Dawn¡¯s own antennae flicked quickly in acknowledgment. ¡°Makes sense.¡± He replied. ¡°But, either way, that definitely was a shambler, I didn¡¯t think we would actually find one today.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s disturbing, but inevitable, I¡¯m afraid. We¡¯ve been losing the battle over the sea basin desert for months now, one of the void-spawn scouts would have eventually made it here sooner or later.¡± Tempest mused glumly. A soft ring echoed off the walls of the wreck and the commander retrieved a small device from a pouch. After a small pause, he brought a claw up to it and tapped a few times before turning back. ¡°Command picked up our extraction call about an hour ago A transport is already inbound to us .¡±

    ¡°Well they better hurry,¡± Dawn chittered, raising a large, bulky scanner to his pair of primary eyes. ¡°Our position isn¡¯t safe, there could be more shamblers out there and we wouldn¡¯t even be able to see the damn things.¡±

    Tempest didn¡¯t reply, instead crouching down to carefully examining the remnants of the trapping device. ¡°Another one spent.¡± He mumbled, tossing the burnt scrap over his shoulder. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough industry left to keep up with this level of attrition.¡±

    The communication device beeped softly with a green light.

    ¡°Shuttle is inbound.¡± Dawn said anxiously. Peering through the broken metal of the wreckage, the two men could barely make out the tell-tale engine burn of a drop-ship screaming through the pre-dawn sky.

    ¡°Take one last look around.¡± Tempest gestured at debris and surrounding wasteland. ¡°Coalition Council has decided to abandon this entire theater, the official front is moving back 500 miles to what used to be the coast line.¡±

    The lookout turned to face his superior, facial plates contorting into an expression of concern.

    ¡°They say there¡¯s no point left in holding all this desert.¡± The commander continued ¡°They reckon a layered defensive battle will be a lot easier on the continental plateau.¡±

    ¡°So, they¡¯re still biding time for their their trump card huh?¡± Dawn replied incredulously.

    ¡°THAT, is a top secret that you shouldn¡¯t know about.¡± Tempest warned with some humor. ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t be so quick to write our world off just yet.¡± He continued sanguinely. ¡°That ¡°trump card¡± is the culmination of all of the efforts we have made in this long war. And I have faith that it can do exactly what they say it can do.¡±

    The lookout mumbled an agreement and stowed away the scanner as the drop ship touched down in the sandy sea besides them. There was a hiss of hydraulics and airtight seals, before the heavy steel ramp dropped into the dust.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Tempest urged, clambering out of the ruin and jogging across the sand. ¡°It¡¯s not long now. The war will be over by the month. Either we all perish on this blasted rock, or do the impossible and kill a god.¡±

    With a hum of powerful engines, the sleek, armored aircraft lifted from the dunes and spun its heading towards the East before rocketing off into the fuchsia colored sky. Far in the opposite direction, across the horizon in the West, a dark, writhing mountain slowly lumbered ever closer.

    <hr>

    The first thing that struck Dawn about the man was his posture. Despite the crowded base camp, the newly arrived solider caught the scout-hunter¡¯s eyes from across the complex. He sat alone, gaze focused on the ground. His carapace was a bleached white, so pale that the dark blue undertone of his organs could be glimpsed through it. Yet his eyes were a midnight black, and the combat scout had almost taken him for a blind man. That was before he saw the deep red pupils periodically darting across the field, carefully studying his surroundings. His uniform was simple, denoting him as a fresh recruit, just out of training, yet he bore several huge weapons across his back, denoting him as a heavy weapons specialist. A strange combination of roles indeed. Dawn suspected that command just needed more bodies to man the defenses for their last stand, and so it was understandable that all the reserves and conscripts were being sent to their location. This base, after all, was in the rear line of the great Fortress Tenebrous. The last spear-point of their people, the Khrathians, against their void spawn enemy and the dark god from the stars.

    ¡°Interesting fellow isn¡¯t he¡± Tempest whispered from Dawn¡¯s left. The scout commander nudged his subordinate with a spiky appendage. ¡°Calm and attentive for fresh meat, already taking in his surroundings well. He would make a good scout.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, if we aren¡¯t all dead by the end of the month, I¡¯ll consider training him myself.¡± Dawn replied sarcastically. ¡°Besides, if we both think he¡¯s so fascinating, lets stop being voyeurs and introduce ourselves.¡±

    The strange man turned to face the two scouts as they approached, his irises narrowing into pin points of red, the antennae on his head were bowed with anxiety. Still, he was polite enough to sit up straight and extend a claw in greeting.

    ¡°Who are you two?¡± His voice was strangely hollow and his tone was tinged with a hint of sadness.

    Dawn quickly introduced the pair as scout-unit infantry before reflecting the question onto the stranger.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a volunteer.¡± He replied, evading the request for his name. ¡°Just looking to do what I can here.¡± His response was as thoroughly unrevealing. There were thousands of volunteers looking to do their part in this struggle for survival, being one was hardly surprising.

    Dawn¡¯s antennae flicked with curiosity. ¡°Well, what should we call you then?¡± He probed.

    The pale man paused, his entire body suddenly became very rigid as he stared forwards. For a second, Dawn worried that they had cause the stranger to seize up with anger.

    ¡°You can call me Blossom.¡± The stranger finally answered in the same monotonous voice as before.

    Is that his chosen name? Or is it a given one? Dawn thought. The name hinted at a cheerfulness and joy that seemed wholly incongruous with the saddened, closed off man before them. If it was a name he had taken, surely it wouldn¡¯t have been so¡­.delicate? Dawn thought.

    ¡°Tell me Blossom, what unit are you part of?¡± Tempest interjected.

    ¡°Infantry Heavy Weapons.¡± Blossom replied without missing a beat. ¡°Second division, Scout support.¡±

    Dawn¡¯s antennae stood up in surprise. Scout support, that means that we could get deployed together, but that¡¯s strange, why would a fresh volunteer be assigned to heavy weapons, especially one that was tied to an elite scout unit? Should they be putting these new guys on defense duty in the fortress?

    ¡°Hmmm¡± Tempest replied thoughtfully. ¡°Interesting choice to join up now, considering that this war is going to be over very soon.¡±

    ¡°Yes, so I¡¯ve heard.¡± Blossom said without looking up. ¡°Back home, where I¡¯m from, my family, all they¡¯re all talking about is doom¡­The end of things. They¡¯re all terrified. But here at the front, theres a different mood. There is still hope of victory here.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think you can just hunker in the fortress and sit this out ¡± Tempest warned. ¡°We are hoping for victory, but there is still fighting to be done to secure that victory.¡±

    Blossom was silent for a moment. Then his antennae moved knowingly. His mandibles opened, and a string of words spilled out under his breath. Dawn¡¯s faceplates scrunched up as the strangely painful sound assaulted his ears. The words were not of any language Dawn knew of, yet he was almost subconsciously aware of the meaning just below the surface.

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of dying in this war.¡± Blossom continued. ¡°The battlefield won¡¯t shake me, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about.¡±

    To Dawn¡¯s left, Tempest¡¯s body was had grown incredibly tense, The commander was wildly scanning the area as if looking around for an enemy ambush.

    Dawn took the cue and quickly finished his conversation.¡°Well, it was nice meeting you. I hope that we get the opportunity to meet again, and best of luck in the battles to come.¡± Then he and the commander quickly turned and speed walked away.

    ¡°Those words!¡± Tempest whispered furiously once they were outside of earshot. ¡°I know you heard them too!¡± He said to Dawn.

    ¡°Y-yeah?¡± The scout-hunter stuttered, taken aback by his commander¡¯s sudden aggression. ¡°What about it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the damned void tongue! I¡¯ve been hearing those insane cultists spew it for years!¡± Tempest clenched a fist. ¡°I still remember every word from when we put down those traitors in the mid-country!¡±

    ¡°What, so just because he knows the words, you think he works for the void spawn monsters as a spy? That¡¯s¡­ not a solid connection sir, even you know the words yourself!¡± Dawn hesitantly replied.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t speak it! Never! I can¡¯t speak it!¡± Tempest hissed back. ¡°We Khrathians can¡¯t fully pronounce the words with our throats. It take the touch of one of their demon gods to give a man the capacity to actually make those sounds, and he was speaking the words perfectly!¡±

    ¡°Ok, ok.¡± Dawn tried to calm Tempest down. ¡°So you think he might be a remnant of one of those cultist cells, and that now he¡¯s here for what? Revenge? Intel?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a spy alright, maybe a saboteur as well. He knows that here at the front we still have hope.¡± Tempest said with hushed exasperation.¡°That means he¡¯s at least suspecting that we have one last trick to win this war, and I don¡¯t like him even pondering that possibility for a single second.¡±

    ¡°Well, he¡¯s still just a fresh recruit, its not like they¡¯re going to let him anywhere near the center of the fortress, or any secret weapons.¡± Dawn replied in a hushed whisper.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they should let him near any weapon.¡± Tempest complained bitterly. ¡°We are so close to actually ending this whole entire war, he¡¯s a risk we cannot abide.¡±

    ¡°Report him to the subversives control board?¡± Dawn suggested.

    Tempest¡¯s antennae moved in disapproval.

    ¡°No,¡± The commander said. ¡°They¡¯re up past their eyes just keeping order in the civilian camps and ensuring security in the fortress, they wouldn¡¯t even investigate a single suspicious volunteer.¡±

    Dawn looked around, surveying the camp for any idea of what to offer.

    ¡°Well¡­ we could have him assigned to our unit so we can keep an eye on him. We are missing a heavy weapons man¡­¡±

    Tempest turned, and for a moment, he looked like he was going to shoot the idea down. Then he lowered his claw thoughtfully. ¡°That may not be the worst idea¡­¡± He trailed off. Then he clasped his upper limbs behind his back and stared vacantly into the distance. Dawn followed his gaze.

    Out past the bluffs that made up the coast line, was the dried salt-flat remnant of the ocean. Decades ago, before the war, this had been one of the most sought after seaside locales on the entire continent. Home to the powerful, luxurious and lush with all manner of tropical life. Now, it was a windswept desert, the oceans, forests, beaches and cities obliterated by the horrid nightmares that now infested the world.

    It will be back someday. Dawn comforted himself with the thought. One day when this is all over, the seas will be re-filled, the trees replanted, and life as our predecessors knew it will come back again. Somehow it has to¡­

    Tempest spoke again without turning around. ¡°We could get him assigned to our unit, keep him in the field, away from any critical infrastructure or intel, until the ace is ready to go.¡±

    Dawn shifted uncomfortably. ¡°Even so¡­If you¡¯re right, he¡¯s still going to have the heavy weapons¡­¡± He let the implication hang in the air.

    ¡°And if he dares to betray us in the field, he¡¯ll be a confirmed traitor and killed on sight.¡± Tempest answered coldly, before turning back to Dawn. ¡°Or are you too scared to put your life on the line for a chance to redeem our entire world?¡± His antennae jutted forwards accusingly. Dawn pulled himself up taller, segmented plates of his exoskeleton shifted across his body.

    ¡°He¡¯s not scared of death.¡¯¡± He gestured back at the strange man. ¡°Well neither am I.¡± In his mind, Dawn saw the clear waters and bright sunlight glancing off the pristine ocean again, like he vaguely remembered from when he was still a larvae. ¡°There is no price that is too high for a chance to bring back what we lost.¡± He said with steely determination.

    Tempest leaned back and his face moved in an expression of satisfaction. ¡°Good, we might just make the difference in this war after all old friend.¡±

    Dawn enthusiastically gave a salute, but in his mind, the scout-hunter had begun to contemplate the strange man more closely. Was he really disloyal, some shadowing infiltrator of an ancient cult, a fanatic, ready and waiting to sacrifice their world to his gods? Despite all the evidence Tempest had just presented, some small part of Dawn still doubted. What is Blossom really here for? He thought, staring at the man from across the camp.

    As it turned out, the Scouts did not have to wait long for the opportunity to put the plan into action. As night fell, and the orange disk of the first sun began to slip past the great rocky crags, Dawn and Tempest received an order to report to command for their next deployment. Walking past the scattered and haphazardly arranged outer camp, the two soldiers passed through a walled security checkpoint and entered into the heavily guarded inner ground of the fortress.

    The sight of the great bastion up close never ceased to amaze Dawn. Although he had been here many times in the past, the stark contrast between its advanced technology and the dirt rallying grounds around it always disorientated him. It was a metropolis of chrome sprouting from a mud-hole. Looking back through the gate the two had just passed through, Dawn could see formidable weapon emplacements fringing the first of multiple walls. Being surrounded by all this fire power pointing outwards gave him a sense of safety, even though Dawn knew in the heart of his hearts, all of this would amount to nothing when that great shambling void-god finally made it to their shores. Entering through several more checkpoints, the two scouts eventually found themselves being directed through a blast door thicker than they were tall, into the atrium of the fortress.

    All around them, the air was filled with voices and machinery. Soldiers, officers, and civilian leaders hurried about, rushing from one emergency to the next, all busying themselves within the armor plated hallways painted in dull hues of gray and beige. The scene was almost like one of the ancient nest-castles that Dawn had only seen in history books, the same ones that once served as the strongholds for ancient, bygone nations. Besides him, Tempest quickly straightened his own uniform, adjusting the few he had medals and pulling at his tattered sleeves. Dawn sighed internally. Who was he trying to fool? Everyone can instantly tell at a glance that we¡¯re front-line troops! None of these desk jockeys have a speck of dirt anywhere near them.

    Thankfully, they didn¡¯t need help finding the briefing room. The scouts units were lucky enough to have their own permanent facilities, even during a crisis like this. Turning the familiar corner, they saw the poorly lit chamber already filled with their comrades. At the front, a high ranking officer stood next to a projection display. Tempest¡¯s antenna twitched with irritation and he made a small sound of indignation. Dawn instinctively followed his gaze and saw in the crowd, the same pale man they had met in the outer camp earlier. He was sat, turned away from them this time, but with the same hunched posture, separated from the other troops by a large distance.

    The desk officer, a stout man of middling height with a mottled carapace called for silence in a refined voice. In contrast to the front-line troops, his uniform bore many marks of rank and was nearly immaculate. Still, deep scars ran across his rust colored exoskeleton, reminders of a more chaotic time, when the war was still fought with mass infantry formations against the unending nightmares.

    Tempest and Dawn quickly took empty seats. Behind them, the rest of the scout unit filed in. Dawn glanced at the clock. They were all still several minutes early. That¡¯s something at least. He thought. There¡¯s at least enough discipline left in our unit to be on time. The speaker gave no pleasantries, upon seeing that all the soldiers had arrived, he unceremoniously turned to the board and begun speaking.

    ¡°New intelligence from our remaining sensors has shown hints of a large enemy presence within the sky-cut pass, just beyond the range of detailed discernment and far beyond our massed attack capabilities. But from what information we do have, it strongly reassembles the appearance of an enemy artillery growth.¡± The projector hummed and a blurry, satellite photograph was plastered onto the screen. There, nestled safety behind stony peaks that stood several hundred miles to the north, was a large black and magenta blotch.

    Dawn was well aware of these so called ¡°artillery growths¡±. The void spawn made no use of conventional technology. Instead, their weapons and fortifications were all molded from a darkly tinted substance that seemed to grow like living flesh, and was as hard as metal armor. Despite three decades of intense study, the material¡¯s true nature still eluded the best scientists. What was known however, was that any tumor like growths would inevitably become an enemy hard point if left uncontested, and so the doctrine was to eradicate them as quickly as possible before they became an issue. Comparing the splotches of unnatural color with the rock peaks around it, Dawn could feel his pulse quicken. This site was already several standard miles across, and constituted a major threat. Even if it couldn¡¯t be reached by a large ground attack, they should have had every aircraft and counter battery obliterating those mountains a week ago.

    ¡°That brings us to why the attack on this thing has been held off.¡± The officer continued. ¡°High command believes that it is not just an artillery position those slimy bastards are putting up, but that there¡¯s something else they have in those mountains. We all know the void spawn tactics by now, surround our positions simultaneously with multiple heavy emplacements and massed attacks. Seeing that this is the only attempt they''ve made at setting up a base in the surrounding several hundred miles, we have good reason to suspect something more is going on here. This volunteer mission will be for a small insertion team to gather intelligence on the ground, and really figure out what they have going on in their backlines.¡±

    The image changed to another map, far more zoomed out.

    ¡°You will be granted one full day after your drop off at the location, afterwards, the long distance strikes will begin with or without you. Survival is possible, likely even, but the chance that you will be killed in the bombardment from our own guns considerable. The extraction location is here, some distance removed from the enemy position. Rendezvous there after reporting in.¡±

    His upper claws deftly folded the pointer and stowed it in a pocket before continuing.

    ¡°I know how all of this sounds. However, the outcome of our defense at the Fortress Tenebrous may depend on what you find in there.¡±

    The room was silent for a moment, the soldiers each processing what they had just heard and what had just been asked of them. At the far end of the room, a pale arm shot up into the air. A realization crashed over Dawn¡¯s and he looked to Tempest who emoted confidently. It was now or never. Instantly, two more clawed hands shot up from the silent audience. Seeing this display, the presenter seemed to brighten up, although Dawn couldn¡¯t quite decide if it was pride in his unit, or relief that someone else was gladly putting their necks on the line for a far-fetched plan. With three arms raised, a few more claws slowly went up around the room, until they numbered around twenty in total. The desk jockey seemed to slump his thorax in relief, letting out a held in breath.

    ¡°It looks like we have a sufficient amount of volunteers for this mission.¡± He said quickly, before turning off the presentation. ¡°Given the time sensitive nature of this operation, the rest of the information will be provided on the flight over, assemble at the aerodrome ten standard hours for deployment. The coalition is ever grateful for your sacrifice.¡± He gave a curt coalition salute before vanishing out of the door.

    Dawn slowly lowered his claw, his eyes turning back from the exiting officer towards Tempest.

    ¡°Well, we did it.¡± He whispered glumly ¡°Now ¡°Blossom¡± is on this suicide mission and we¡¯re going down with him.¡±

    ¡°Its not over yet.¡± Tempest replied. ¡°And we are not dying out there with him.¡± He eyed the stranger suspiciously, who had returned to methodically surveying the room. ¡°We¡¯re not going to die, because we know exactly who we¡¯re dealing with.¡± Tempest was now staring at Blossom with an intense look of malice. ¡°And we are prepared for the likes of him.¡±

    <hr>

    A sleek, black drop-ship screamed across the early morning sky. Its matte surface blending in with the dark blue firmament that still hung above most of the land. Four engines on its fixed wings burned a ferocious blue, propelling the lone craft towards the jagged peaks in the distance, hidden beneath the retreating night sky.

    Deep inside the armored hull of the craft, Dawn and Tempest stood among their comrades, gripping tightly onto the hand holds as turbulence would intermittently jostle the entire ship. Heavy packs of gear and weapons were now strapped to their bodies and Dawn could barely make out the faces of the other scouts admits the sea of heaving equipment and darkened lights. Yet, one figure was still identifiable in the gloom. Blossom stood alone at the rear of the drop ship, his pale carapace and extra-bulky weaponry singling him out.

    ¡°I can barely see him¡­¡± Dawn whispered to Tempest, voice too low for the rest of the unit to hear him.

    ¡°No, me neither.¡± Tempest growled in frustration. ¡°Get right next to him immediately after we land and don¡¯t let him out of your sight, if he tries to pull anything, don¡¯t hesitate to shoot him on the spot.¡±

    Dawn agreed, but internally, some part of him wondered whether they were doing the right thing, or if the two of them had gone mad with paranoia, accusing an innocent of treason, and dreaming up imaginary scenarios.

    Something about him is off¡­But it doesn¡¯t feel like treason, he almost seems¡­completely detached from what¡¯s going on. Dawn thought to himself silently.

    Across the darkened interior, the man deftly retrieved a hulking missile launcher from his back and inspected the aim on it. He absent mindedly flipped the metal piece up and down a few times, as if his thoughts were focused on something completely different than the upcoming battle.

    He¡¯s definitely hiding something. Dawn was certain of it now. The only question that remained was if that secret was mundane, or a threat.

    As the first rays of sunrise illuminated the peaks and valleys, the ship turned onto its side and began a steep dive towards a canyon below. Swooping down into the trench, the agile aircraft banked between the stony walls for several miles before breaching upwards into a shallow basin between snow-capped peaks. Up ahead of it was the target, a vast field of knotted, twisted matter, that pulsed like living flesh and undulated across the barren rock. The craft wasted no time. Coming down steeply, it dove under a rocky outcrop and landed, unseen by the enemies scanning the sky. There was a soft hiss, the rear door sprung open, and the scout unit quickly poured out and formed up in rows.

    Dawn brought an arm up to shield his lens eyes, their apertures still adjusting to the bright sun beams coming from the east. Through his smaller, compound eyes, he could see the other scouts forming up into a standard infiltration formation. Scanning the formation, he picked out Blossom amidst the chaos and quickly sprinted to hi side. The heavy weapons specialist was slouched over at the rear of the formation, several of his anti armor ordinance already loaded. Dawn formed up behind him, his own claw gripping the trigger of his weapon tightly.

    Up at the front of the group, Tempest stepped up and raised a hand sign. The entire unit stood to attention in the snowy ground.

    ¡°Listen up.¡± He said in a hushed voice. ¡°We¡¯re going to make this quick. We need to infiltrate as deeply as possible into the occupied zone and find out what they are hiding in all that.¡± Behind them, the drop ship reactivated its engines, lifting up and charting a low trajectory below the enemy defenses and dove back into the canyon. Tempest waited until the roar of the engines had disappeared before continuing.

    ¡°We will have under a day to get this done and get out of this hell-hole, so lets move fast and stay sharp.¡± Then, he gave a particular glance at Dawn and lead the formation into the open.

    The ghastly sight opened up in front of Dawn as he followed the rest of the unit discretely down the slope. He had never been this close to a void spawn entrenchment before, and he doubted anyone in the scouts unit had been either. It was a long established truism that distance was the coalition¡¯s friend in this war. Infantry were rarely sent this close to enemy strong points, and gazing up at the towering spikes that twitched with aberrant life, Dawn understood why.

    The unit crouched behind a large boulder before Tempest gave the signal again and led them into the open in a swift column. Now they had reached the bottom of the slope and spread out before them was the border of the affected area. Dawn hesitantly stepped across the threshold, shivering at the hard, but tacky sensation he felt under his claw-boot. The very ground seemed to stagger his movement, sporadically pulling at his feet as if in an attempt to slow him down or to trip him up. There were no enemy combatants visible yet, but Dawn knew that it was only a matter of time before whatever inscrutable mind that commanded this outpost turned its surveying eyes to the ground. When that happened, a horde of shamblers, screecher, and all manner of other void-born monstrosities would be on them in an instant.

    The scouts advanced quietly and slowly, weapons trained at any potential lookouts, ready to pick them off in a heartbeat. All the soldiers were on edge, except one. To Dawn¡¯s direct front, Blossom maintained the same low hung posture as he always had. He¡¯s not totally out of it, but he¡¯s also completely unbothered. Dawn thought, before taking a long look at the volunteer¡¯s weapon. The large missile tubes were still strapped neatly across his back, with no sign that he planned to use them unduly. He, like the rest of the unit was surveying the environment, yet unlike the other soldiers, the way he held himself showed far less fear.

    Up ahead the column stopped, and Tempest gave the signal for ¡°cover¡±. The entire unit reacted almost instantly, throwing themselves behind the nearest enemy structure. Dawn reached out a claw as he ducked, grabbing Blossom¡¯s uniform and pulling both of them flush against the base of a wriggling spire. Dawn suppressed the urge to invert his first stomach as his back pressed against the shifting, sticky wall. Minute tendrils of the darkly colored matter wriggled up and began to pull at his body. Taking a deep breath, Dawn peaked his head out from behind the wall. All around the narrow path, he saw the other scouts of their unit, each of them pressed into the sickening material of the enemy emplacement, their eyes nervously darting around.

    Dawn¡¯s gaze quickly found Tempest. The raid commander was by himself, crouching at the base of freshly sprouted artillery piece. The long spiral horns of the void-spawn cannon were just beginning to jut out from the rest of the undifferentiated mass, clearly pointed southeast at the fortress. Tempest met Dawn¡¯s eyes and made another gesture leftwards. Slowly, Dawn traced his gaze to the left until his eyes landed on something big.

    At the end of the narrow, alley like path, was an enemy. It was huge, multiple times larger than any Khrathian, and made entirely out of the same dark substance as the ground and structures. It¡¯s head resembled the bleached skulls of endoskeletal animals, and around its upper thorax was a ring of blade like limbs that it used to walk. Where its abdomen should have been, there was only a whip like appendage that swiveled fiercely, clicking as it did so.

    Dawn tried very hard to breath quietly as his hearts thumped. The monstrosity turned its head slightly in each direction, before it opened his mouth and let out a low chittering sound. Dawn¡¯s blood ran cold and the cilia on his body stood on end. The sound was so close to intelligible language, but at the same time it was impossible to make out even a single word. It was nonsense, but nonsense that could have been mistaken for the words of a person when heard from afar. It¡¯s luring us. Dawn thought as he pulled behind the cover.

    Then he heard the creature take its first footstep forwards. There was a noise like blade piercing flesh as the void spawn monstrosity planted a long limb into the ground. Pulling up the legs behind it, the enemy shifted its bulk forwards, methodically advancing down the narrow choke. Dawn risked another peak before pulling himself behind cover. It was definitely heading towards their hiding spot. Panicking, the scout scanned the surroundings, looking for another passage out. There was nothing, they were boxed in a dead end. From the other side of the living wall, the void spawn ¡°spoke¡± again, letting out a much louder, almost inviting sound.

    There¡¯s no other choice! I have to stand my ground!¡± Feeling his instincts kick in, Dawn gripped the stock and trigger of his weapon, readying himself to fight for his life. Right besides his head, there was a loud chittering sound before a huge black shadow rushed out towards him. Dawn swung around, already knowing that he had been slow on the draw. Through all of his eyes, he saw the hideous bone like texture of a gargantuan head and the enormous bladed arm carving through the air towards him.

    There was a bright flash, and in an instant, the horrific visage vanished in a puff of dark smoke. Another explosion quickly followed, and the blade-arm shattered as well. Dawn stumbled backwards as the body of the monstrosity slumped into the tacky ground, harmless and dead. The scout wheeled around, searching what had saved him, and saw Blossom. The new recruit was leaning against the wall, all of his upper limbs cradling a long energy rifle, one arm pulled back the bolt, ejecting a spent cartridge as a dim glow faded from within the barrel

    Dawn gazed at the new recruit in awe. The speed at which he had done that was almost impossible to believe. Blossom had fired, reloaded, and fired again with a large anti-armor weapon within a fraction of a second. Dawn wasn¡¯t even sure if the rifle itself was designed to do that. Seeing the carnage, the rest of the unit slowly left their hiding spots to inspect the downed enemy. Already, its viscous flesh was being absorbed back into the larger whole that was the ground on which they stood. Several of the scouts cautiously pushed their weapons into the mass which let out a hissing sound as it contacted the metal.

    Behind all of them Tempest appeared. Surveying the situation, he locked eyes on Blossom who still stood with the large rifle pointed into the air and then back to Dawn. He made a strange face towards the scout-hunter, a look halfway between surprise and frustration. Then he turned towards the rest of the unit and gave the silent signal to move out. Pulling himself out of the muck, Dawn checked his weapon before trudging along after the regrouping column. As he did so, he took a longer look at Blossom who had fallen in line ahead of him. Just as before, the new recruit assumed a slumped posture, the large rifle already stowed, and no sign of the lightning fast reactions coiled within. Dawn gritted his mandibles nervously.

    Progress through the rest of the nightmare labyrinth was slow and methodical. The deeper they went, the denser the enemy formations. Soon, it became impossible to move more than a few meters without encountering a sentinel. Each time, the entire column had to stop advancing, and post a single marksman who would neutralize the look out before they could continue. Despite the racket and commotion of each weapon blast, the void spawn around them didn¡¯t seem to react to the sound. When the eyes of a particular section were taken out, the entire zone seemed to become blind, allowing the raiding party to carefully walk through unseen. Slowly the towers grew taller around them, and the organic shapes of the weapon emplacements became larger and more ossified. To Dawn, it now felt like they were walking in a dense forest with hundreds of meters of canopy above. He tried not to think too hard about what creatures could be moving through the tangled matter, unseen to troops marching below.

    Yet Blossom¡¯s behavior stayed the same. Whenever he wasn¡¯t in combat, his mind seemed to a million miles away, preoccupied with some distant anxiety. To Dawn, Tempest¡¯s rhetoric about suspected treason began to feel hollow, and Dawn found himself regretful of his ulterior motives for ¡°escorting¡± their fire support.

    It took several hours, but by the time the sun had crossed the zenith of the sky and had begun its long, slow descent, the infiltration unit finally arrived at the central section of the enemy infection. Thorough the dense under-story of faintly glowing and ever shifting vines, they could see a cluster of great spires that rose up like a small hill at the very center of the blighted area. Darkness pervaded the gaps between the needle like towers, and Dawn¡¯s mind ran wild with the potential dangers that would meet them within. Still, this was the core of the void-spawn infestation and whatever secrets they had been sent to uncover no doubt lay in there.

    Approaching the outskirts of the imposing thicket, the unit paused to reorganized for tight corridors before they pressed onwards. Soon, total darkness fell over the soldiers. The spires converged overhead and all light from the midday sun was completely blocked out. Their movement became sluggish, the density of the tall protrusions prevented any drastic manurers. Individual soldiers tried to keep within earshot of each other, carefully surveying their surroundings with thermal sights to ensure they were safe.

    But not all of the void spawn give off heat... The insidious thought hammered on Dawn¡¯s mind over and over again, each time causing him to tighten his hold on his weapon.

    Ahead of him, Blossom seemed to naturally meld into the darkness, disappearing in and out of the gloom like a wavering phantom. Far from his pale carapace standing out, the unique translucency of his exoskeleton caused what little light there was to be diffused and absorbed by his flesh and organs. Several times, the scout hunter had feared that he had lost sight of the new recruit altogether, but he always reappeared, carrying himself in the same slumped posture as always.

    With each tiny sound, Dawn held his breath and prepared for the inevitable ambush that would consume them from all sides, but it never came. The mind shredding anxiety dragged on from minutes to hours, the darkness only becoming more cloying and impenetrable leaving Dawn¡¯s nerves to slowly tie themselves into jittery knots. Finally after he had long lost count of time, the slow movement of the unit came to halt. They had arrived at the center.

    The first thing the Dawn noticed was the clearing. Just ahead, the needle-spires ceased growing abruptly, leaving a massive open area, larger than a city square. Overhead, the converging spines bent inwards, forming a tented structure above, securing this sanctum from any prying eyes or falling bombs. But it was not the emptiness of the area that everyone else was looking at. Following their gaze, Dawn looked to the center of the clearing and locked eyes on a gargantuan hole burrowed into the ground. Like everything else in this twisted place, there was nothing marking it out as special, no guards, no defenses, just a yawning chasm that ran straight into the ground. The entire unit stood back, unsure of what to do.

    Then, quietly, Blossom pushed himself to the front of the unit and strode towards the hole. There was shuffling, some complaints and a yelp. Tempest wheeled around, hissing for the heavy weapons operator to get back in formation, or for Dawn to seize him. But no one moved to heed the orders. Instead, as the rest of the unit stood paralyzed, still nervously checking every direction for potential attackers. Blossom strode up to the edge of the abyss and craned his head over the ledge. The entire scout unit held their breath. Seconds passed, then minutes. Finally, Blossom pulled his neck up and turned back towards his comrades.

    ¡°It goes very deep.¡± He said plainly. ¡°There¡¯s a tunnel, it looks like it heads Eastwards or Southeast, probably under the canyon and out of the mountains. I can see a lot of movement down there.¡± A chill instantly raced down Dawn¡¯s body. A sneak attack route, going underneath the mountains, they would be safe from any reconnaissance or bombardment. Thats why there were so few void-spawn on the surface!

    ¡°What.¡± Tempest coughed out the words in a shocked crackle. The rest of the soldiers all turned towards the commander. Without any hesitation, the squad leader sprinted his way to the edge of the chasm and peered inwards, his suspicion about the new recruit all but forgotten. He too stood still for a long time, and when he turned back, his face was a mask of shock.

    ¡°They¡¯re mobilizing under the mountains.¡± He half whispered. ¡°There¡¯s thousands, millions of void-spawn down there.¡± A wave of murmurs rose up in the unit. The soldiers looked at each other with near panicked glances, feet shuffled in anticipation.

    ¡°Quiet!¡± Tempest hissed, as he raised a hand. ¡°Keep it together, all of you! Finding this is out is exactly why we came here! We can consider this mission halfway accomplished. Now our priorities are to get this information back to the fortress and get out of here!¡±

    The comms operator gave the affirmative, before unpacking their hefty radio set and placing into the tack like ground. Turning the dials, they pressed a speaker up to their thorax-ear and waited. An agonizing few seconds crept by with nothing but static and the ambient creak of the void-spawn structures around them.

    ¡°No signal.¡± He finally said after a moment. Tempest cursed and stamped the ground.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to make it back out into the open.¡± He considered carefully. Then he turned to Dawn.

    ¡°What was the rearguard like?¡± He shot out the question quickly. ¡°Any trailing enemies that could have seen us come in?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see any.¡± Dawn replied, ¡°The entire place was pretty much empty behind us.¡±

    Tempest paused and contemplated for a moment, before a thought seemed to pop up in his head.

    ¡°Very well.¡± He announced. ¡°Take as many photos and as much evidence as we need right now, we will head back out in ten minutes. Then we will contact base camp and make our way to the extraction zone.¡± Then he pivoted towards Blossom who had been standing motionless by the mouth of the giant pit, looking straight forwards. Tempest grabbed his shoulders and spun him around to face their exit.

    ¡°Since our heavy weapons operator has proved himself to be so fearless in enemy territory, I¡¯ll let him do the honors of leading us out of here.¡±

    <hr>

    The extraction started smoothly enough. Finding their way out of the dense maze of towering spines meant walking towards increasing light, and sure enough the thistles grew more and more sparse. Dawn breathed deeply in relief as the sky began to peak through between the needle towers, we¡¯re almost out of here! Just a few more-

    In an instant, the silence was shattered by a deafening crack of a kinetic rifle shot. Dawn froze, every cilia on his body stood on end. For a single, silent moment he desperately prayed that it was just another oblivious sentinel that had been picked off. But then he heard the chorus of howls in the distance, hundreds of void-born screaming out in unison. A second later, the entire front-line disappeared into a haze of smoke and energy flashes. Dawn instinctively dove to the side in an attempt to survive the opening volley. A wave of powerful explosions erupted just above head height, spine-towers snapped and blasted apart by the invisible attacks of a dozen shamblers. Dawn groaned, feeling small piece of the solid, yet tacky material rain down on his body. Desperate to not get buried alive, the scout crawled madly to the edge of the thicket.

    Sliding under a huge fallen spine, Dawn paused for a moment to check his surroundings before peeking above the cover. His breath caught in his lungs. As far as the eye could see, blanketing the entire mountain basin, standing on every twisted structure protruding from the ground, was a void-spawn creature hungry for blood. Every shape and size of monstrosity imaginable was out there, jumping down from their perches, biting and clawing at the desperate front line. From where Dawn sat, the enemies looked like a never ending tide. Remembering the mission, he willed himself to take another breath and leveled his weapon at a stationary beast sprouting a hundred tendrils from its head. He fired. A quick burst of light lanced across a hundred meters and caught the unwary void creature in center mass. The thing didn¡¯t even cry out as it instantly tumbled from its perch, a bubbling hole burned through its chest. Dawn¡¯s weapon hissed, venting its spent fuel. The scout hunter chambered another round and prepared to fire again.

    Then, close to the center of the chaos, there was the bright, prolonged flash of a missile firing. A white trail arced across the battlefield, striking a teetering piece of enemy artillery and sending it toppling to the ground. A chorus of almost-voices erupted from the site of impact as a dozen more void-born were reduced to the undifferentiated matter of their nest.

    Blossom¡¯s still alive, and he¡¯s still on our side¡­ Dawn mentally noted with a degree of relief. At least we can still count on the heavy weapons working.

    Like clockwork, from the same dust cloud, several smaller rockets shot forth. The cluster munition screamed over the smoke and smashed into a particularly large enemy. The hundred limbed monstrosity staggered, but continued forwards. A moment later, the first strike was followed by another large missile. There was a flash when it impacted, cratering a gigantic hole into the mass of the living armor. The void spawn giant teetered for a second and finally fell, its inorganic flesh already boiling away before it sank into the hungry ground.

    Suddenly there was movement to Dawn¡¯s right, and the scout turned to see the needle spines parting. He peered closely, focusing on the disturbance. The tall towers jittered as if something was pushing through them, but the movement revealed nothing but empty air. Suddenly there was a earth shattering blast and Dawn saw a cloud of dirt and gore shoot up into sky. A cacophony of agonized cries filled the air which were suddenly cut short by another explosion. Dawn¡¯s blood ran cold as he remembered yesterday¡¯s hunt in the desert.

    Without thinking, Dawn yelled a warning to scatter in general direction of the carnage, and lobed a grenade. The air was suddenly filled with a ear piercing ping, and a bright light engulfed the entire battlefield. Dawn winced, seeing the telltale bolts of blue energy blasting into alien flesh like steel shrapnel. Then it was dark again, There was no more movement in that flank, and he could see the dismembered limbs of the shamblers littering the ground.

    ¡°Watch the flank!¡± He shouted at the other scouts next to him. ¡°Shamblers will keep trying to surround us!¡± There was an affirmative response for several of the riflemen and Dawn turned back to face the bulk of the fighting.

    In the center, the action was more ferocious then before. From all across the entire encampment, new creatures, freshly birthed, were crawling from the mire and assuming their position in the combat line. Gun fire continued to pour out from the central formation, high caliber kinetics, lances of light, and rockets ravaged the exponentially growing horde. In between shots at the closest targets, Dawn began scanning the surroundings for any avenue of escape. His eyes darting over embankments and gullies trying to find a ditch or some narrow opening that was not choked with voidspawn.

    ¡°BACK INTO COVER!¡± Tempest shouted from the center of the swirling dust. ¡°WE NEED TO GET IN A DEFENSIBLE POSITION !¡± the ragged ranks of scout infantry seemed to hear the order above the raucous of combat and some began to move back into the needle forest. Dawn was just about to stand and follow when a stifled scream caught his attention. Wrenching his thorax around. the scout hunter came face to face with a gigantic void-born creature. The huge monster had pushed halfway through the gloom between to stands of needles, and in its grotesquely bony maw was the remains of a arm. The monstrosity swallowed what was left of it, planting another taloned foot onto a bloody smear that had once been a soldier and faced Dawn. The Scout hunter scrambled, firing his weapon for all the ammunition he had and scuttling out from the thicket.

    ¡°THE TUNNELS! THEY¡¯RE COMING OUT FROM THE TUNNELS!¡± He shouted, dodging the pulverizing charge of the monster as it smashed through a stand of the needles. The entire scene fell into pure chaos, darkness and light mixed together as Dawn found himself tumbling head over heels out of the needle forest completely. Still rolling, Dawn felt his enemy¡¯s jaws snap mere inches from his head, sending a powerful shock wave through his entire body. Then he was over again, earth and sky churning together before he slammed his back against one of the hardened enemy structures. Dawn coughed, trying to fill his body with air. The battle raged around him, the other soldiers were position in a wide arc, facing away and oblivious to the new threat behind them. Through the haze, Dawn saw the monster crouch down onto five legs, seemingly ignoring all of the other targets around it. It lowered the massive eye-less head at the scout hunter, seizing him up.

    It held still for a moment. From its deep chest came a single click, ringing above the din of battle. Then it pounced. Dawn¡¯s limbs were moving before he even realized, pushing his body from the base of the structure. The void spawn could not turn as fast and plowed into the artillery growth with a dull thud. Dawn wasted no time, whipping around he let off another sustained burst into the beast¡¯s hind quarters.

    The monstrosity roared, pulling itself free and shaking debris from its head. All around them, the other scouts turned, realizing in horror that there were enemies in their back-lines as well. Dawn dove away from the creature as a hail of gunfire poured into the ravaging monster a moment later. The beast shrieked in pain, smashing into its surroundings and unveiling its whip tail. Too late, Dawn put up his arm to shield himself and felt the force of a motor vehicle slam across his thorax. Now it was his turn to feel the impact of smashing into the environment. Shock and pain exploded across his back and the air was forced from his lungs. Dawn sat stunned for a second, his entire body trying to compensate for the trauma it had just felt. And in that second, the monstrosity was on him.

    Enormous talons wrapped around his middle pair of limbs, threatening to snap them clean off. Another set clamped down around his legs. The huge jaws lowered, opening wide, falling towards his face. Dawn lashed out desperately with his only free pair of arms, scrapping the beast¡¯s eyeless face with the calcified spines on his forelimbs. The void-born creature winced, momentarily shaking his head, trying to snap off the irritating nuisance. In that moment, Dawn¡¯s other free hand darted to his sidearm, raised it up and fired half a dozen shots into the creature¡¯s mouth.

    The roar of pain was deafeningly painful to the scout hunter, the beast rearing up and letting go of its prey. Dawn instantly wriggled away like a larvae, sneaking under fallen needle spires and fired several more shots into its head. Now more of his comrades had turned back, and seeing the huge threat in their midst, resumed their attack, shredding the monstrosity¡¯s unarmored hindquarters. Above, another burst of rockets arced up from somewhere up ahead, blasting apart the next wave of enemies that sought to exploit the momentary opening.

    With its flank torn wide open, the void-spawn creature staggered and finally collapsed into the shifting ground. Dawn quickly put another few shots into its twitching skull, silencing it for good. The scout painfully propped himself up and took a few deep heaving breaths. The battle raged around him and Dawn tried to tune it out. He needed to recover before he could renter the fray. Another distant blast signaled that somehow, despite all that chaos, Blossom was still alive and fighting.

    Dawn heaved and straining against the pain, began hobbling. The dust rose around him and gunfire became deafening. He feverishly scanned the area, hoping to see their commander in the haze. Then, a shape burst out of the haze, firing wildly into the enemy mass.

    ¡°Tempest!¡± Dawn sputtered, catching the reeling raid commander. The scout leader swung his head around, focusing on the winded hunter with wild eyes and frantic antennae.

    ¡°We need to leave!¡± Dawn shouted. ¡°I saw a way to the edge of the basin! Then we can make a break for the canyon mouth!¡±

    Tempest paused his shooting for a second and followed Dawn¡¯s gaze to the winding gap in the enemy lines. Dawn saw the bony plates shift on Tempest¡¯s face in calculation before he turned back to the rapidly deteriorating front line.

    ¡°PULL BACK!¡± He bellowed at the top of his lungs. ¡°WE HAVE A WAY OUT!¡± Across the entire front, all of the scouting party seemed to hear the call and began to break their positions. Clenching his mandibles, Dawn sucked in a sharp breath and continued his hobble away from the center of the fight. Soon the trickle of retreat became a rapid stream of soldiers leaving their position and disappearing into the narrow gap between the void spawn structures.

    Dawn, slowed by his injuries, had just made it into the narrow alley when the last of the rear guard squeezed passed him, Blossom nowhere in sight. Dawn looked back at scene of the firefight and for a single moment, there was nothing but a sea of gnashing teeth. Then from out of total chaos, Blossom seemed to materialize, leaping to safety, temporarily out of reach of the ravening horrors beyond.

    The heavy weapons man took a moment to straighten himself up, and upon seeing Dawn¡¯s precarious state, and the ranks of enemies already sniffing out their exit point, ran up to the scout hunter, effortlessly lifted him onto his back, and full sprinted towards the rest of their comrades.

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    They met little resistance on the way out. Dodging through the various tight squeezes and overhangs of dripping void matter, the exhausted and beaten raid unit finally stepped off of the tacky substance and back onto snow covered rock. Yet still, they didn¡¯t stop, there was an unspoken certainty that to turn around was to invite death, and so in silence and with lowered heads, all three dozen of the men dashed through the snow until making it behind a large outcrop, beneath the shadow of the looming cliffs above.

    Dawn felt himself gracefully off loaded from his rescuer¡¯s shoulders and placed onto the earth alongside the other injured. All around him, his comrades collapsed into the snow, gasping for breath, frantically searching for the last few rounds of ammunition to load their weapons with.

    Tempest leaned against a large boulder and remained standing. Despite how close he had been to the center of the action, it seemed like the commander had got away with only a few scratches. Yet, while his body was un-hurt, Dawn recognized the pained, humiliated expression of his posture and face.

    ¡°Looks like most of us made it out.¡± Dawn groaned quietly, examining his body for any injuries.

    ¡°The fortress still has no idea whats about to hit them.¡± Tempest brooded, aggressively scratching his own antennae. Turning to a standing soldier he pointed at the heap of electronic equipment laying in the snow. ¡°Does the radio still work?¡± He barked. ¡°Can anyone still operate it?¡±

    To Dawn¡¯s surprise, amidst the heap of wounded men and haphazardly discarded weapons, Blossom stepped forwards and slowly raised a limb. ¡°I¡¯m unharmed, I can operate it.¡±

    Tempest¡¯s posture immediate became suspicious, standing further upright and antennae angling forwards.

    ¡°I remembered the frequencies that command will be receiving on.¡± Blossom continued, kneeling down into the snow and starting up the bulky device, seemingly oblivious to the bitter disapproval of their commander. The fire support soldier slowly turned a few dials, the air crackling with static for a few seconds. Then through the buzz, there was a voice.

    ¡°-the fortress Tenebrous, identify yourself on this frequency.¡±

    Upon hearing the voice at the other end of the radio come through clearly, Tempest bolted from his resting spot and over to the radio. Snatching the microphone from Blossom¡¯s hand, the commander held it to his mandibles and rattled off his personal identification and the mission code before pausing for breath.

    Silence hung in the air, palpable and heavy. Dawn knew that operating on a long distance frequency made them the subject of extra scrutiny. Security policies against enemy interference or espionage meant that if their commander had gotten even one of those number wrong, then this transmitter would be permanently blocked as compromised hardware. One mistake would mean this entire mission would have been for naught.

    Finally, the voice crackled back over the receiver. ¡°Credentials confirmed, transferring the line to high command.¡± Dawn slumped over in relief. They had done it, they could get the word back and then book it to the extraction site.

    ¡°This is high command receiver. Commander, we are receiving you loud and clear please proceeded.¡± The radio spoke with crackling static.

    ¡°Confirmed,¡± Tempest repeated. ¡°We have extracted ourselves from the center of the enemy stronghold, I can report that at the center of the enemy encampment is a tunnel entrance leading to a massive network deep inside the mountain. We believe their could be millions of enemy units staging underground. We cannot know for certain but its likely they have a flanking route.¡±

    The other side of was quite for a moment, probably as the receiver processed the words in shock.

    ¡°Confirm that you have observed mass enemy movements numbering in the millions within underground tunnels systems?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Confirm!¡± Tempest nearly shouted. ¡°Enemy likely has a flanking route to the fortress, advise mass defensive operation and leveling of this enemy position!¡±

    In the distance, a single rattling groan pierced the air, it was quickly followed by another, then another, and another.

    ¡°They¡¯ve triangulated our signal!¡± One of the wounded radio operations cried. Blossom immediately readied his weapon and clambered on top of the large rock for a better vantage point. All around Dawn, soldiers scrambled for their weapons, equipment, or wounded comrades.

    Tempest cured loudly. ¡°We¡¯ve been located!¡± He reported into the radio, ¡°We need pick up at the designated point now, and barrage this position as soon as you can!¡± Then he cut the power and heaved the machine onto his back. ¡°We move towards the canyon!¡± He shouted. ¡°There¡¯s a few above ground caves that should lead us out of this gorge and into the next one!¡± With noticeably less energy, the entire unit began to trek along the steep cliff wall, and towards the canyon. Behind them, Dawn could hear the sounds of the void spawn getting louder. Each hiss, click and chatter sounded closer and closer. As he hobbled forwards, trying to keep up with the column, Dawn could swear that they were right over his shoulder.

    Yet, every so often, in response to the alien battle-cries of the enemy, there would be a burst of gun fire, or a rocket exploding against something large, a reminder that Blossom was still holding the rearguard and keeping the horrors off of their tails. After what felt like years to his exhausted and battered body, Dawn clambered over one final rock and collapsed into the snow. Ahead was a sheer drop, a cliff that fell into the forested canyon below, and to his left, was a small cave opening. Tempest was already standing guard, ushering the last of their unit into it

    ¡°Dawn!¡± He yelled. ¡°Get up! I¡¯m going to seal the entrance behind us!¡± Dawn picked his head from the soft packed snow, and through the twisting tunnel of stone, he could see daylight at the far end of the passage way.

    The wounded scout hunter staggered to his feet and craned his head back. The sounds of the chase were right around the granite bend, powerful weapons blasts seemed to explode right over their heads.

    ¡°Blossom¡¯s almost here!¡± Dawn gasped, pulling himself towards the cave entrance, ¡°We need to cover him!¡± He began to reach for his sidearm, but Tempest¡¯s claw closed around his arm and jerked the weapon from his hands.

    ¡°Forget about him!¡± Tempest¡¯s voice was filled with venom. ¡°All the better, if he¡¯s late, we won¡¯t have a spy following us back to base!¡± The commander pulled again, trying to bring Dawn into the cave, but the wounded soldier pulled back, digging his claw boots into the snowy gravel, the unanticipated resistance unbalanced Tempest, sending him crashing into Dawn and both men sprawling into the snow.

    ¡°Snap out of it!¡± Tempest cried, brushing the snow from his face with a sweep of the antennae. ¡°That thing is not our ally! We have good men who are wounded, I won¡¯t have you endangering their lives over some infiltrator!¡± Dawn felt the commander grip his arm again, he tried to protest, but the throbbing pain of internal injuries took his breath away, and as he was pulled to his feet, it happened.

    The moments were a blur, but Dawn saw the lithe body of Blossom finally rounding the corner rapidly pursued by a dark shape multiple times his size. He heard several shots and the monstrosity jerk with the impact. He saw the commander¡¯s face suddenly change as he processed the unfolding scene, a calculation whizzing through his mind at a million miles an hour. Still holding up Dawn¡¯s slumping form, he turned to the cave, bellowed a single order to take cover, before aiming the sidearm at the entrance and firing a single shot.

    The shock of demolition charges threw Dawn off his feet once more. Tons of stone and ice fell down, smothering the small entrance. Above them, there was a low rumble followed by a incredible rush. Dawn barely had time to pull his face off the ground before the avalanche smashed into his body. The torrent of snow was impossible to resist, and in an instant, it effortlessly carried him, Tempest, Blossom, and the disintegrating void-born corpse off the ledge, towards the canyon floor hundreds of meters below. Dawn closed his eyes as the forest canopy rushed up and prayed that his end would be painless.

    <hr>

    Dawn was wrong, his landing was not painless, but also, to his surprise, it had not been his end. Halfway down, he felt his speed suddenly slow, before painfully crashing through the branches and landing in several meters of lightly packed snow. Yet even so, the pain he felt was immense. His previous internal injury screamed a pounding agony, and all his joints cried out in white hot pain. He had definitely lost a limb or two. Those would take months, if not years to fully regrow, and who knew what other cracks and tears he had endured, maybe he would bleed out right here in the snow.

    The world around him was completely white, and through the agony, he tried to remember the order of events. Did I lose consciousness on impact? How long have I been lying here¡­ Dawn had no idea. The avalanche had completely smothered whatever crater he had made on impact, leaving him with disoriented with no way to tell which side was up. Maybe I¡¯m going to die here after all¡­

    There was a sound above, a rustling like snow being shifted. Then the crushing weight was gone and Dawn could see the sky again. He heaved in a shaking breath as the cold air touched his wounded body. High above, he saw Blossom¡¯s face peering over the side of what was a very deep hole. How had he moved all of that snow? Dawn tried to shift his limbs, but found them still pinned under meters of snow. Blossom saw his comrade struggling and immediately jumped into the pit. There was another feeling of weight being lifted and finally, Dawn raised his limbs into the air.

    Sickness and nausea washed over Dawn as a broken, bleeding stump was raised into view. He let out a weak clattering sound from his mandibles and winced, the pain fully registering in his dazed brain. Without any delay, Blossom quickly pulled Dawn¡¯s stunned body from the snow and onto his back. Then the wounded scout felt his rescuer jump and suddenly they were on flat ground again, amidst the trees of the forest floor.

    ¡°Can you stand?¡± The uninjured man ask, sliding Dawn from his back.

    ¡°I-I think so.¡± Dawn replied weakly as he checked his weight bearing limbs to make sure none of them were missing. Then he gingerly placed his feet into snow and steadied himself against Blossom¡¯s body.

    ¡°Please stay here, I¡¯m going to gather the commander.¡± The heavy weapons soldier replied in his characteristic melancholy before setting Dawn against a tree and disappearing into a white haze.

    Alone again, Dawn shuddered and cradled his severed limb. The bitter cold, which he had previously been able to shrug off, now chilled through his blood soaked coat, cracked and chipped exoskeleton, and down into his flesh and organs. Taking several deep breaths to clear his head, Dawn¡¯s training kicked in, and he reached into his pocket to find a small medical kit. He needed to stem his bleeding or else he would be done for no matter what. Tearing the package open with his jaws and remaining hands, he found the vials of first aid resin and quickly cracked their contents onto his wounds.

    A minute passed, and the clear mix rapidly set into a hard smooth patch in between the breaks and wounds of his carapace. Dawn leaned his head back and let his body go numb. I¡¯m going to make it... I have to make it. He reminded himself. They were so close to winning the war, they had delivered all of the information that command needed. Once the fortress repulsed this attack, it would be their turn to unveil the trump card and end the void-god for good. A fierce shiver ran through his body again.

    There was a crunching sound in the distance and Dawn looked back down to see two men emerging through the woods. To the left, Blossom maintained his neutral but powerful gait, and slinking away from him, limping along, was Tempest. The commander was clearly worse for wear, a large open wound bled from his right thorax and his legs were not quite moving correctly. Yet even then, he kept his distance and seemed to eye his rescuer with a distrustful gaze.

    ¡°All three of us are here.¡± Blossom declared flatly as they arrived at the base of the tree. ¡°We should tend to our wounds first.¡±

    Tempest didn¡¯t respond. Silently, he produced his own medical kit and wandered behind a tall tree several paces away. Blossom looked down at Dawn.

    ¡°What¡¯s your condition?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I-¡­.I¡¯ll live I think.¡± Dawn replied tentatively ¡°Maybe some internal injuries, I¡¯ve patched myself up, but still, I probably want to see a medic soon.¡±

    Blossom¡¯s antenna flexed slowly, like he understood the words, but was still working out the implications.

    ¡°You look great though.¡± Dawn bantered back. ¡°How did you make it without a scratch?¡±

    ¡°Because he¡¯s not natural.¡± Tempest¡¯s accusatory voice cut through the air like a blade. Painfully, Dawn looked back to see the commander emerge from behind the tree, side arm drawn and pointed directly Blossom¡¯s head.

    The fresh recruit was not startled, instead he slowly stood and faced the commander, arms calmly hanging at his side.

    ¡°The game is up, this is over.¡± Tempest spat, advancing on Blossom.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Dawn tried to yell, but is voice came out small and strained. ¡°We can figure this out once we get back to base!¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Tempest bellowed. ¡°I¡¯m doing this precisely because we CANNOT let this thing come back to base with us! Remember why we even volunteered for this expedition in the first place?!¡±

    ¡°Blossom¡­he hasn¡¯t betrayed us though!¡± Dawn replied. ¡°He helped us escape! He might not be an enemy.¡±

    Tempest let out a click of indignation. ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask him, ourselves.¡± He replied slyly. Turning to face the other man, he gestured the weapon for him to speak. ¡°What do you think?¡± Tempested goaded. ¡°Would you say you¡¯re just an ordinary Khrathian? We saw those impossible stunts, getting out of the avalanche without a scratch, vaulting over void monsters ten times your size, perfectly aiming ten shot at the same time, would you say that¡¯s¡­normal?¡±

    Blossom was silent for a moment. ¡°No.¡± He finally said. ¡°I¡¯m not Khrathian.¡±

    Tempest reacted with a vindicated gesture at Dawn. ¡°He doesn¡¯t even think he¡¯s the same species as us! How can we trust him in this war for our survival?!¡±

    ¡°I preserved both of your lives in the fall from the cliff.¡± Blossom replied. Tempest paused mid rant, freezing as his brain ran for an answer. But his paralysis lasted only a moment. Dawn saw as the anger and spite seized his body again.

    ¡°You saved yourself.¡± He leveled the weapon at Blossom once more. ¡°What did those monsters promise you? Power? Survival? A place in their new twisted world?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Blossom replied with something approaching anger in his voice. ¡°I was never offered anything from those things.¡± Dawn did a double take. This was the first time Blossom¡¯s tone had changed from anxious and regretful. What had Tempest touched on to trigger that reaction?

    The commander didn¡¯t seem to notice the drastic effect is words had had on the other man. Shaking his head, Tempest¡¯s face contorted in disbelief. ¡°They offered you nothing, but you joined them anyways! We are so close to defeating that abomination! You¡¯re old enough to have seen what those cultists did years ago! You called that ambush down on us! How could you join them after they burned every coastal city, after they slaughtered thousands?!¡±

    ¡°I had no part in starting the skirmish, believe me.¡± Blossom replied. ¡°I promise you that I am not a servant of the star machine.¡±

    ¡°SAVE IT!¡± Tempest roared in return. ¡°Every single enthralled bastard I¡¯ve ever fought, screamed about a different idol in their damned pantheon. If it wasn¡¯t The Dreamer Beyond Mind, then it was The Bane from the Stars, or The Great Profanity, I¡¯ve heard all of the stupid abominable demons that they killed for!¡± He locked eyes with Blossom¡¯s. ¡°You might have fooled everyone else, but I know what the void tongue sounds like, and you were never going to get past me.¡±

    Then Tempest fired.

    Dawn watched, unable to look away as the muzzle of the kinetic pistol flashed, Blossom¡¯s head exploded in a burst of gore, and¡­ the decapitated body remained standing.

    The wounded scout rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Tempest also stood dumbstruck, his weapon now hanging down by his abdomen, and he stared with unbelieving eyes at what was unfolding. The shattered chitin and calcified bone hung in the air around what had formerly been Blossom¡¯s face, defying gravity. The spray of black and blue viscera was frozen as a cone behind the destroyed skull, and within the heart of the gore was a pitch black circle, buzzing ferociously, bending the space and matter around it into an unrecognizable ring of distorted reality.

    ¡°That won¡¯t help you.¡± The impossible object spoke in a grinding, screeching noise with an after-echo that howled for many seconds after. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡± Dawn cringed in pain, trying to cover the ears on his thorax with his remaining arms. It was awful, the ¡°voice¡± bore down into his very core and each note felt like a needle stabbing into his organs. His entire body was resonated with the impossible, immutable sound.

    Tempest likewise recoiled at the noise, falling to the snow, fruitlessly trying to keep his weapon aimed at the impossible thing that was nestled inside of Blossom¡¯s corpse. Straining his eyes, Dawn watched the dark sphere suddenly shoot out a thread-thin tendril of the same pitch black non-matter, anchoring onto a piece of floating viscera and reeling it back into place. Then it happened again, and again and again with accelerating speed until, in matter of seconds, the man¡¯s entire face had been completely re-assembled like a puzzle. Two of Blossom¡¯s arms raised up to the pieced-together-head, and in one smooth motion, passed their claws around the entire surface.

    Dawn¡¯s disbelief only grew as the broken exoskeleton was sealed instantly before his eyes. Cracks vanished, shrapnel holes disappeared, and ruptured eyes reformed in their entirety. Letting his arms drop down to his sides again, the reformed head took a deep breath, opening and closing its jaws, letting out a fine mist in the cold mountain air.

    Tempest had just managed to right himself again and upon seeing the resurrected adversary, wasted no time aiming his weapon and firing off several more shots. Deafening bangs tore through the quite forest, but unlike before, Blossom remained unharmed, the bullets dematerializing mid-flight. The revived figure took a step forwards. Seeing his opponent advance, Tempest responded in kind, raising his weapon for an overhead strike. Then, faster than thought, Blossom¡¯s hand shot out, claws clasping around Tempest¡¯s face.

    The commander¡¯s body instantly went limp, the sidearm falling harmlessly into the snow. His form slumped forwards directly into Blossom¡¯s embrace. In one swift motion, he hauled the unconscious body onto his shoulders and turned to Dawn.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you.¡± He said apologetically. ¡°The commander is just knocked out.¡± Striding over to Dawn, he stuck out a hand. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here, and get you some help.¡± Dawn hesitated for a single second. But shivering and cold from blood-loss, a small part of Dawn¡¯s mind knew that this impossible, inconceivable figure was his only hope of making it out of the mountains alive. Reaching up, he took Blossom¡¯s hand and stood, pausing for a second to catch his breath, before limping into the snow together.

    The pair walked on in silence for a time. Steadying himself with a long branch, Dawn found that he was able to limp on without too much pain flaring up in his side. Still, the treacherous terrain buried under the snow took its toll, and they routinely had to stop for the injured scout to catch his breath.

    And every-time they paused, Dawn found himself staring into the eyes of his companion, those pitch black voids that obscured whatever thoughts were happening in that impossible skull. Finally, as they set off into the snow once more, Dawn worked up the courage to speak.

    ¡°What¡­What happened back there?¡± He asked in a voice strained with exertion.

    ¡°The commander overreacted.¡± Blossom replied. ¡° I had to subdue him.¡±

    ¡°But your head¡­¡± Dawn trailed off. How can I even start asking about it? His inner void yelled with frustration. What can I say to witnessing something so impossible happen in front of my own eyes?

    ¡°I am not Khrathian.¡± Blossom said.

    ¡°But you¡¯re not a void-born either?¡± Dawn pressed.

    Blossom paused. ¡°No¡­I¡¯m not¡­one of the things you are fighting.¡± He said slowly.

    Dawn¡¯s antennae twitched. The other man was implying something, something that Dawn didn¡¯t quite grasp yet.

    ¡°What¡­what are you, really?¡± Dawn insisted.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you would call me, actually.¡± Blossom responded. ¡°You could say¡­ that I¡¯m a part of the cosmos, the part outside of space and time.¡±

    Dawn remained silent.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I thought it was interesting that you called those creatures ¡®void-born¡¯.¡± Blossom continued. ¡°Because I don¡¯t have anything to do with them. ¡±

    ¡°Are you one of the void spawn¡¯s gods? Are you one of the names the commander was yelling about?¡± Dawn didn¡¯t have any other reference for what Blossom was talking about.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to be worshiped.¡± Was the flat reply. ¡°And¡­no I¡¯m also not like the thing that¡¯s destroying your planet, that thing is just a machine, with a broken purpose.¡±

    Dawn¡¯s mouth-parts chittered in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t even know where to begin.¡± He confessed. ¡°You¡¯re some sort of cosmically powerful thing. You say you have no stake in in the war, but you clearly came to this planet and disguised yourself as a regular soldier for some reason. Help me understand what you want. Can you help my people survive this war? Is there anything I can offer to get you to help us?¡±

    Blossom¡¯s antennae flicked up and down as if in deep thought.

    ¡°I think its best if we start at the beginning.¡± He said at last. Reaching a clearing, the pale man gently eased Dawn onto a soft patch of snow-less ground beneath a tree before securing the commander¡¯s unconscious body to the tree with a thick rope. Then he finally set himself down opposite of Dawn.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you understand the beginning of time, but my experience of the world started in chaos.¡± Blossom began. ¡°I had two siblings. The three of us were the first things to gain awareness in the chaos. We called that chaos our mother, and we were something like crystallized aspects of it. My brother was the eldest, my sister was the second, and I was the youngest, a manifestation of the void and nothingness.

    Dawn¡¯s mandibles shifted in his mouth. The story being told by Blossom evoked some faint memory from the back of his head. Ancient mythologies had garnered much greater attention ever since the beginning of the extinction war. With the revelation that all manner of ancient mythical nightmares were real, came the frantic drive to comb through every single relic to find any potential insight on stopping them. Dawn recalled reading something similar far in the distant past, but he could not put a name on it.

    ¡°You- I¡¯ve heard this story befo-¡± Dawn began to say before a quiet, clattering laugh interrupted him from behind.

    ¡°The three spawns of chaos.¡± Tempest choked out, his voice hoarse. Shaking his lethargic body, the commander looked down at the ropes binding his limbs and let out a defeated groan. ¡°Saw that myth in some damn cultist prayer book ten years ago. I know the story. You¡¯re claiming to be the god of the outer void?¡± He let out a pained sarcastic laugh. ¡°Unbelievable¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am the youngest child of Chaos.¡± Blossom bluntly. He didn¡¯t seem bothered by the fact that the commander had awoken. ¡°But, I¡¯m afraid that the stories you¡¯ve heard don¡¯t tell the whole truth about me.¡± His voice was tinged with melancholy. ¡°I was scared of rebelling against our mother in the beginning, but my siblings went on ahead anyways. My brother picked a role for me in their uprising: the prison warden, and I followed along dutifully. But when we finally succeeded in overthrowing our mother, I found out that I would have to stay dormant to keep Chaos subdued with me. My brother¡­didn¡¯t care, my sister¡­ kept her thoughts to herself, but they both left for their new universes, and I was left outside.¡±

    Dawn sat still and breathed out a large plume of mist. He looked up and really studied the man before him. Was this, average looking figure, really some primordial deity that predated all of time and space? In this moment, he could hardly believe it. But Dawn had peeked behind the mask himself and seen a singularity that swallowed realities sitting within Blossom¡¯s skull. Whatever his true nature was, Dawn knew it was far beyond the ken of this world.

    ¡°Outside of time and space, existing in a death-dream, I didn¡¯t have an awareness of the eons passing, but then sometime later, my brother returned and woke up a piece of me. He was all to happy to boast about his many accomplishments in the intervening ages. He said that he was now a king and he ruled over countless subjects.¡± Blossom leaned in. ¡°Back then, I thought my siblings and I were the only thinking minds in existence. And so I didn¡¯t understand what he meant. That was when he revealed everything.¡±

    Picking up a stick, Blossom scratched a rough imprint into the snow. Dawn¡¯s hearts raced as he recognized the telltale outline of the mountain sized abomination terrorizing their world.

    ¡°He spoke of machines our sister fashioned to build and repair worlds, machines that he now ruled over as vassals. He spoke of even smaller beings, mortals like you, with minds and could comprehend and praise his glory. And he spoke of how it all of it danced perfectly to his word and his word alone, a cosmic order that moved to his will.¡± Blossom continued. ¡°I immediately wanted to see everything for myself. All of the worlds and realities, each of them as wonderful and intricate as he described them. But he denied it. And when I asked again, he exploded at me.¡±

    Dawn considered the words silently. Blossom was sounding like someone who understood what it was like to be victimized and threatened. A spark of hope ignited inside of Dawn. If he could get Blossom to sympathize with their situation, then perhaps this primordial deity would agree to help. It was a long shot, but he already saved their squad from a void-spawn ambush, maybe he could be convinced to help some more.

    Blossom continued his tale. ¡°My brother denied me, told me I couldn¡¯t leave. My job was too vital, I was being selfish for trying to shirk my duty, and that even if I could accompany him, I was too incompetent, too weak willed and I would just get in his way.¡± Blossom paused, letting the bad memory work its way out of his mind. ¡°Despite all that, he really was right about me being not able to leave. I had to do my job. I had to keep Chaos at bay. ¡±

    ¡°Then¡­¡± Dawn thought over the question carefully. ¡°How are you here right now? If you need to be out there doing your job, how can you be here?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡­failed.¡± Blossom replied with uneven breath. ¡°I grew restless in the death-sleep, distracted by the wonders my bother had told me. The more I dreamed, the more my mother became aware in her imprisonment, and when I realized what was happening, it was too late. Now the end is coming in every world, in every universe. My siblings are trying to find me to fix this mess. They¡¯ve both gone back outside of creation to try and find me, but I won¡¯t be there.¡±

    Dawn¡¯s antennae raised at the revelation. ¡°You- you¡¯re running away.¡± Blossom didn¡¯t immediately reply.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to have demands pressed on me. I don¡¯t want to be used for someone else¡¯s purpose and then abandoned.¡± Blossom finally said after a lengthy pause. ¡°I don¡¯t want it to happen again. I know I can¡¯t stop my siblings from finding me forever. But right now, in this moment, I just wanted to see what was denied to me for so long. I wanted just see their creation, just once before the lights went out.¡±

    ¡°And how are you finding it?¡± Dawn probed carefully. ¡°Do¡­do you think our universe was lives up to the story you heard?¡±

    ¡°Your world is¡­more tragic than I anticipated.¡± Blossom responded with a despondent tone. ¡°But, there are no stars in the void. No mountains, no snow covered forests, no-one to confide in. All I could do was die and sleep away eternity. Seeing your worlds through eyes like yours, I do think¡­I do think these worlds are valuable. I wouldn¡¯t want to see them end.¡±

    ¡°Then fix it.¡± Tempest said bitterly from behind the conversing pair. ¡°If you¡¯re really this primordial god of gods, and you love our world so much, wave your hands and make those abominations disappear into thin air!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t, my siblings would instantly know where I was.¡± Blossom said quickly.

    Tempest tilted his head back and howled that same pained, bitter laugh. ¡°Damn coward¡­¡± He spat. ¡°Out of all the things I thought you void ¡°god¡± bastards would say to me, I could never have imagined that you¡¯d be scared of your own shadow! Your neglect is causing the end of reality and you turn tail to hide in your own mess! Whats the point of you being here if its all going to end anyways?! Just here to look around, see the sights, play pretend in someone else¡¯s war and then run off when someone your own size shows up?!¡± The commander ranted.

    ¡°You sound exactly like my brother.¡± Blossom said coldly in reply. The woods fell silent for a single drawn out breath.

    ¡°Then he was right!¡± Tempest yelled. ¡°All the power in the cosmos and you won¡¯t even lift a finger if you¡¯re slightly inconvenienced! You¡¯re pathetic!¡±

    Dawn gritted his mandibles. I have keep Blossom focused on the issue facing the planet! All this antagonizing isn¡¯t helping!

    ¡°Forget about your family, and the end of everything.¡± Dawn said quickly, trying to divert Blossom¡¯s attention. ¡°On this world right now, is there anything you¡¯re willing to trade to help my people survive? Name a price, I¡¯ll try to match it as best I can.¡±

    ¡°I-¡° Blossom¡¯s voice caught mid sentence, the first time Dawn had noticed him at a loss for words. ¡°I don¡¯t know if its anything you can provide.¡±

    ¡°You said it yourself, you can¡¯t run forever. So what¡¯s something that will make this escapade worthwhile to you?¡± Dawn pleaded. Blossom was silent for a moment.

    ¡°Maybe something like this. Talking, but without the interrogation.¡± He finally said.

    Dawn looked down. The answer was cryptic and uncertain, he wanted to ask Blossom if that meant he would help or not, but Dawn had the feeling that Blossom hadn¡¯t quite made up his mind about that.

    In the distance, there came a deep boom and several rumbles.

    ¡°The barrage is starting.¡± Tempest said bitterly. ¡°If you won¡¯t help us, then at the very least untie me so I don¡¯t get blown up by a stray shell.¡±

    Blossom looked up at the cliff and then slowly stood up before walking to Tempest. Wordlessly, he undid the ropes around the commander¡¯s legs but kept the bindings on his arms. Then, returning to Dawn, hoisted the injured man to his feet and once again begun trekking away into the snow.

    Darkness fell soon after and in the distance the sounds of bombardment only increased in intensity. In silence, the trio eventually ducked into a small alcove cave to shelter. Dawn rubbed his broken carapace tenderly. A fire was blazing softly in the center of the small cave. To the other side, Tempest had fallen completely silent, and Dawn wasn¡¯t sure if he was still awake. Blossom however, had his back to the fire, gazing out into the blowing snow.

    Quietly, Dawn moved himself closer to the alien being.

    ¡°I can take the next watch.¡± He offered in a friendly tone.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Blossom replied. ¡°I just woke up after eons and eons of nothingness. I¡¯m not too keen to go back to sleep right now.¡± Despite the same sadness in his voice, Dawn detected a hint humor in the words. There was a particularly loud blast in the distance and the trees right outside the cave shook, dropping a shower of snow onto the forest floor.

    ¡°Earlier, you said that everything was going to end because of chaos.¡± Dawn inquired slowly. ¡°What doe that mean, what¡¯s actually happening out there?¡±

    Blossom let out a deep breath. ¡°Chaos is a force beyond your universe that is slowly imposing itself onto reality.¡± He said quietly. ¡°First, the stars in your sky will go out. Then matter will be dissolved, and finally, space and time will be erased, only Chaos will remain.¡±

    Dawn shuddered at the unimaginable notion of complete universal annihilation. Hearing that it was imminent placed a cold pit in his hearts.

    ¡°At this point, my siblings have probably figured out that this is all my fault.¡± Blossom continued. ¡°I think they want me to put things back the way it was before, as if none of it ever happened. But I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s possible.¡± He paused. ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s desirable. I don¡¯t want things to continue like they have in the past, and I don¡¯t want to be locked outside your reality.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that sounds pretty grim. I wouldn''t want to be forced to re-live that either.¡± Dawn tried to empathize.

    ¡°Mmmmmm.¡± Blossom replied cryptically and continued staring into the dark night outside.

    ¡°But, running from your siblings isn¡¯t going to change anything.¡± Dawn said carefully. ¡°You said it yourself that you¡¯ll never outrun them. When they find you, you¡¯re going to have to face whatever happens next anyways. Delaying the inevitable won¡¯t change anything, but you can change what happens if you face them. The way I see it, the only reliable way to make sure you get a better deal this time, is to fight for it yourself.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not quite that simple.¡± Blossom replied slowly ¡°But¡­ that idea does make a certain amount of sense.¡±

    ¡°I know that all these choices are still very new to you.¡± Dawn said. ¡°But in this world at least, we have to stomach what we must, in order to get what we want. Sometimes there¡¯s no shortcut, you just have to go through the pain and emerge on the other side.¡± He gestured at Tempest who was definitely asleep at this point, limbs relaxed, head leaning against the back wall. ¡°The commander chose to stay here in the cave tonight in spite of everything he believes about you. He knows that this our situation the only way to stay alive is to endure what he hates.¡± It was getting cold and Dawn turned back to the fire.

    ¡°To tell the truth, I think don¡¯t think the commander or your brother were right about you... But please.¡± He said to Blossom who was now facing the other direction. ¡°We desperately need any help we can get. You showed me today that you have the power to deliver us, and that you want to preserve our world. In that situation, if you decide to do nothing because you¡¯re afraid of something that¡¯s going to happen anyway¡­it¡¯s going to look¡­well...¡± Dawn¡¯s voice trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air.

    The cave was silent save for the crackling of the flame. Then, wordlessly, Blossom stood and walked to the cave entrance.

    ¡°You¡¯ve given me a lot to think about.¡± He said with a hint of gratitude on his voice. ¡°I¡¯ll be just patrolling the opening, you¡¯ll be safe for the night.¡± Then he was gone.

    Dawn¡¯s mouth parts twisted and fidgeted. Those words were all he could say to make this cosmic being understand. With uncertainty in his hearts, he laid his head against the wall and slipped into slumber.

    <hr>

    The night passed instantly. At some point, Dawn found himself drifting to sleep in the warm ambiance of the cave. Then a moment later he was awake again. The fire had long died into cold ashes, and now, bright yellow sunlight was filtering into the cave through the distant entrance. Dawn was disorientated for a moment. Unsure of what, if anything, had just happened. Sitting up straighter, he was careful to avoid aggregating the injuries that were still on his mind. Did the entire night pass that quickly!? It was like there had been no time at all. Did I really go to sleep?

    But there was no denying that morning had come. Dawn groggily wiped his eyes with his antennae. Opposite of him, Tempest was not yet stirring, still soundly asleep. By the entrance, Blossom still faced outwards into the blinding snow. It was as if he hadn¡¯t moved an inch for the entire night.

    ¡°The barrage has stopped.¡± Blossom said flatly without turning around. ¡°But your enemies are moving very quickly underground, I can see them gathering.¡± Dawn¡¯s face twisted in concern and anticipation. ¡°If it¡¯s any consolation, the others made it to the extraction site last night.¡± He continued.

    ¡°Then we¡¯re the only ones still out here.¡± Dawn replied grimly.

    ¡°Theres something else.¡± Blossom replied. ¡°Listen.¡± He pointed a finger up towards the ceiling of the cave. Dawn sat for a second straining his senses to their limits, trying to perceive anything beyond the ordinary sounds of nature. Then he heard it. It passed effortlessly through the stone of the cave and instantly filled the enclosed space with reverberating echoes. It was a low din, something that sounded like an earthquake, or perhaps the engine of an enormous warship. Mixed into this bone grinding noise, was also a high pitched, metallic whine that pierced straight into his brain. Dawn squirmed, trying to keep the sound at a tolerable level before it finally died down.

    He took a deep, shaking breath. He recognized that noise. It was the same sound he had heard all the way in the great desert sea, the same one that had pierced his ears as the great shape had come looming over the horizon. But now it sounded closer. Much, much closer.

    ¡°The machine is on the move.¡± Blossom said. Across the cave, the monumental noise had shaken the commander awake. Tempest sat bolt up, scanning the cave frantically, before freezing as he realized what he was hearing.

    ¡°No¡­¡± He whispered, words full of trepidation. ¡°Thats not possible- its too soon for-.¡± His eyes shifted to Dawn, then to Blossom. A second passed and his visage quickly hardened. Slowly, with all the wild panic suddenly drained from him, Tempest leaned back and rested his head against the smooth stone.

    ¡°Well, here we are.¡± His voice was still full of venom and spite. ¡°Several too early, the trump card won¡¯t be ready.¡± Tempest said in an exasperated tone. ¡°That¡¯s it, its over. Our last hope dashed against the rocks.¡± He rolled his head on his neck in an exaggerate expression of frustration. ¡°That¡¯s our world then, to be burnt to cinders because there was NOTHING ANYONE COULD DO TO STOP IT!¡± He spat the last words in the direction of Blossom, his voice straining to a peak for maximum effect.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to sit around.¡± Blossom replied with a measure of determination in his voice for the first time. ¡°Not today.¡± Standing from his position, he strode over and set a hand on Tempest¡¯s bindings. His claws closed around the ropes and an instant later, they laid snapped and broken on the cave floor. Tempest heaved in a deep breath and flexed all his arms, rolling them in great circles about his body, before quickly standing up himself.

    ¡°Now, if you would be so kind as to give me back my weapon¡­¡± The commander held out his hand.

    ¡°Your sidearm won¡¯t help you against the star machine.¡± Blossom replied bluntly. Tempest withdrew his claw into a clenched fist in response. The emotion on his face was frustration, trying to make out if Blossom was testing him.

    ¡°I will take us to the battlefield now.¡± Blossom suddenly announced. Bringing a claw up in front of his face, he waved it slowly through the air.

    Dawn felt a bout of vertigo come overtake him. The cave blurred and faded to black for a split second before the world recrystallized again. Dawn wobbled and took a step back, his foot now finding purchase in soft sand. The wind buffeted his body, and the full strength of the wasteland sun beat down on him overhead.

    Dawn gasped in a breath and scanned his environment. The three of them were now standing atop a high sandstone bluff. Down below was flat desert and in the distance, standing proudly on a high plateau, was the fortress Tenebrous. Dawn¡¯s hearts leaped at the sight, part of him yearning to be back home to safety. However, the more observant part of his mind instantly knew something was wrong.

    An ominous plume of black smoke hung over the walls and bastions of the fortress, thin streaks of it rising from fires roaring in the distance. All around the base of the butte and pouring from the Northern hills, was a sea of heaving dark shapes.

    ¡°They made it through the tunnels already.¡± Blossom said with a tone that approached remorse. ¡°But the fortress is still holding on right now.¡± He pointed to a particular tower in the complex walls. Dawn focused his vision on it, and as he watched, a mechanical monster belched a stream lighting fast shot into the waves of void spawn below. Beside it, the a second tower spewed a massive gout of flame, incinerating hundreds more. All along the perimeter, the citadel¡¯s heavy weaponry unleashed a salvo, some at distant enemies, some at closer ones, opening up massive gashes and holes in the sea of shadowy shapes.

    ¡°We don¡¯t need your help with the small beasts!¡± Tempest looked around the desert frantically. ¡°The void god abomination?!¡±

    In response, Blossom shifted is arm, moving it from the fortress, towards the open desert before coming to a stop on a seemingly empty patch of sky. Dawn and Tempest both craned their necks forwards, looking for any dark shape or speck that blemished the sky. Suddenly, an impossibly huge area of the heavens seemed to shift and distort. It was as if something behind it had moved, like a gargantuan shape pulled from under a painted canvas. Dawn stumbled back in shock. The swathe of sky shimmered, bulged, then contoured like a cloth draped over a statue as the enormous monstrosity materialized into the world.

    A gargantuan thump passed through Dawn¡¯s body as the dark god¡¯s appendages cracked the desert¡¯s stone. The living mountain lurched forwards, sending more earthquakes rumbling across the sand. Even in the distance, the fortress quaked like a bell struck with a mallet. Dawn couldn¡¯t even make out a cohesive shape across body of the vast abomination. Its silhouette was a mess, shifting and bubbling and bleeding into the air around it. The closest comparison Dawn could manage was with a jagged piece of coral. The shape before him was like seeing a writhing, melting, mountain of coral through dark and murky water. He tore his gaze away to find a solid foothold as another seismic shock pierced the sandstone bluff they were standing on.

    Tempest dropped to the ground and covered his head. Massive boulders tumbled to the desert below. Blossom remained motionless, swaying with the rocking ground without shifting a single muscle. After a moment the rumbling subsided. Dawn dared to peak up, seeing the top of the monstrosity¡¯s head reaching far into the blue heavens. The mountain sized abomination swayed slightly, as if centering its balance for the next step, before it was suddenly hit with a massive force. The world around Dawn heaved with a single cataclysmic motion and a perfect, spherical hole was blasted into the body of the void god by an invisible force.

    The weapon was finally ready! Dawn¡¯s mind soared with anxiety and hope. The name he had heard for the dread armament was the god-eater, and now it¡¯s awesome title was being put to the test.

    The enormous form staggered, several more voids cratering the huge body. Its upper half bent backwards, teetering into a fall, threatening to collapse into the earth. But the hideous mountain did not crumble. Its bent and wounded posture held for only a moment before it pulled forwards and heaved its body into the sky.

    ¡°NO!¡± Tempest screamed up the monstrosity¡¯s healing body. ¡°IT¡¯S NOT FINISHED! THOSE IDIOTS! THEY CAN¡¯T FIRE AT TEN PERCENT POWER!¡±

    As if on cue, the bombardments against the void god abruptly stopped. The titan paused for a second, letting every single wound on its body seal shut, and then it began moving again.

    Dawn rolled under an overhang as the colossus took its next step. From his new location, he could see the weapon on top of the fortress in the distance. The enormous, esoteric device was powering down, the lights across its surface dimming until they went out entirely. Then the void god took another step and eclipsed the sun. Its vast shadow was thrown across the entire plateau and its looming bulk threatened to crush the entire bluff with its next move. Dawn¡¯s gaze darted to Blossom who was still turned towards the creature. Seeing the shadow, the man simply raised his arm and waved again. The entire world darkened once more, and when it cleared. Dawn found the three of them now on the desert floor, distant from the battle, backs to the sun.

    Shakily, Dawn stood as the immediate danger vanished. Tempest was already up and stalking over to Blossom with anger craved into his features.

    Blossom didn¡¯t turn to face him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Blossom announced bluntly. ¡°I¡¯ll get rid of my brother¡¯s minion. Whatever happens next¡­¡± He took in deep breath that was not entirely performative. ¡°I will have to face it.¡±

    Then, without any hesitation, Blossom reached out all four of his arms as if embracing someone, and closed them around his own body.

    Dawn felt a slight pop in the air around him, like he had just broken the surface of a placid lake, or just woken from a deep dream. His vision did alter, but in front of his eyes, the massive shambling mountain of a monstrosity simply vanished into thin air. One moment it was there, and the next it was gone. Dawn stood, shell shocked for a moment in utter disbelief, before he slumped onto the ground and let out a rattling, quavering breath.

    Relief, true relief washed over him like a cleansing wave. It¡¯s over! It¡¯s finally over! There¡¯s going to be a home to go back to tonight¡­ The life of perpetual warfare and struggle Dawn had always known were taken away in a single instant, like a nightmare vanishing with the first rays of the sun.

    Tempest likewise sat down calmly in the sands and leaned back on his arms. He kept some of his composure, his high strung instincts prevented him from relaxing completely, but the feeling of freedom and liberation was clearly visible across his features.

    Blossom in contrast, still stood stiffly, letting his arms awkwardly hang at his side.

    ¡°All of the so-called void spawn have been removed from your world too.¡± He declared in his trademark monotone. ¡°The machine that menaced you is gone for good.¡± Then, he too brought himself down to the sand in a seated position. For a moment there was silence between them, only the hot desert wind murmured across the sky.

    ¡°But¡­be prepared, still.¡± Blossom finally said. ¡°This is just a short intermission. The cataclysm at the end of time is still looming, and I can¡¯t guarantee what will happen to your world next.¡±

    Tempest let out a disagreeing huff and turned himself to face a different direction in the sand. Dawn momentarily felt a somber expression crawl over his face before banishing it.

    ¡°You did the right thing.¡± He said, still laying in the sand. ¡°You have my gratitude and the gratitude of the whole world, even if most them have no idea about what happened here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I suppose.¡± Blossom replied. Then his expression turned from bittersweetness to dread. ¡°My siblings, they have already found me.¡±

    Dawn¡¯s antennae flickered in concern and he sat up from the hot sand. Scanning the horizon, he felt his gaze unnaturally pulled in one direction before coming to rest on two small figures in the distance. Concern suddenly grew again in his chest, and he hurriedly stood to face the new arrivals.

    As the pair drew closer Dawn slowly began to make out the appearance of the strangers. To the left, and striding forwards with a haughty posture was a very tall, slender man of dark complexion. Across his smooth exoskeleton was draped an immaculate outfit of wealth and authority. His eyes burned like two suns transplanted into a midnight sky.

    To the right, was a substantially shorter woman dressed in a matronly style. Despite the heat of the desert, her many thick layers were pulled tightly around her body. Her posture was more reserved than the man¡¯s, yet she too carried herself with some degree of purpose and dignity. Her carapace was almost iridescent, its mirror like qualities combing with her wavering gray clothes to give the appearance of her silhouette to melting into the background.

    Without great haste, the new strangers covered the remaining distance to the trio. Compared to their finery, Dawn, who was still wearing his torn and filthy combat uniform, suddenly felt massively diminished. Accordingly, the new arrivals walked straight past Dawn without even giving him a glance. The man¡¯s haughty stride took him to where Blossom was still seated on the sand before bending down menacingly.

    ¡°Brother! It¡¯s been far too long hasn¡¯t it?¡± He said with a voice that burrowed its way into Dawn¡¯s joints and wounds. ¡°We were very concerned when we couldn¡¯t find you! As you doubtlessly know, we have some rather important things to discuss.¡±

    Dawn shivered. This man¡¯s voice held none of the insecurities or caution that Blossom¡¯s did. This brother of his spoke with all the arrogance that his appearance could afford, and then some. Vindictive sarcasm dripped from his words.

    Blossom slowly looked up and locked eyes with his brother but remained silent. The newcomer¡¯s jaws clattered with annoyance before turning to look at the empty space where the mountain sized monstrosity had been moments before.

    ¡°You destroyed it. You killed my servant¡­¡± Blossom¡¯s brother said coldly.

    ¡°It was just a machine.¡± Blossom replied under his breath. ¡°Our sister¡¯s over there. She could make another one.¡±

    ¡°I had plans for this world.¡± The newcomer retorted. Dawn heard a dangerous spike of anger in his words. ¡°And now you¡¯ve gone and ruined them.¡±

    ¡°The machine was already under mother¡¯s influence. It would¡¯ve blown up your plans anyways.¡± Blossom said.

    His brother didn¡¯t say anything in return, only replying with a scoffing clack of his jaws before suddenly swiveled his attention to Dawn.

    ¡°I never thought that I would find my brother here of all place.¡± He said in a tone that Dawn took to be mock gratitude. ¡°Regardless, it is nice to meet you, I am Jubilation and this is my sister Contemplative.¡± The tall man stuck out a claw. Cautiously, Dawn grasped the stranger¡¯s limb in a gesture of greeting.

    ¡°Now, I must say that my brother¡¯s choice to hide out your world was rather troublesome, and has delayed me for quite some time.¡± He continued. ¡°Given the state of the multiverse as a whole, wasting all this effort to stamp out a spark in the midst of a wildfire seems rather unproductive.¡±

    Tempest scowled and took a step towards Jubilation.

    ¡°What are you saying about us void scum?!¡± He shot accusingly.

    The mask of politeness on Jubilation¡¯s face dropped instantly. The boiling desert heat seemed to chill by several degrees, and even the sun appeared to dim in the cloudless sky. The piercing, fire like eyes of Jubilation locked onto Tempest, and as he turned to face the ragged commander, Dawn perceived the stranger towering over the soldier with an immense presence.

    ¡°What is it with you mortals these days?¡± Jubilation¡¯s voice was completely empty of any pretense of goodwill. ¡°I show one of you, the slightest hint of favor, ask for a single piece of advice, and suddenly everywhere I go, you think you can speak to ME with insults and accusations?!¡± He let out a hollow, indignant laugh that filled the desert with a reverberating din.

    ¡°Do you even know the significance of delaying ME?¡± His voice boomed, unnaturally loud. ¡°Do you even have the slightest inkling of who I am?! Do you even KNOW the scale of the cataclysm we are dealing with?! I have half a mind to turn your charred sand-ball inside out anywa-¡° Jubilation began to reach out a claw when it was suddenly slapped away.

    The stranger¡¯s eyes flared like a nuclear inferno, his gaze snapping to Blossom¡¯s outstretched arm. A moment later, Jubilation¡¯s own arm shot out, wrapped around his brother¡¯s wrist and hauled him to his feet. Shockingly, for the first time, Dawn registered an expression of pain on the volunteer¡¯s face.

    ¡°Their defiance, it¡¯s gotten into you too huh?¡± Jubilation laughed in disbelief. ¡°Maybe it really is just a symptom of this hell-bound world! Now I REALLY think I would be being doing all of creation a favor if I just disposed of it.¡± The dread claw was raised again, this time surrounded by a crackling halo of dangerous energy.

    The air was pierced by the sudden crack of a weapon and Jubilation¡¯s hand was blasted apart. Bits of blood and bone splattered onto Blossom¡¯s face and coated the pristine sand. Jubilation didn¡¯t even flinch at Tempest¡¯s attack, simply raising another arm without missing a beat.

    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± Contemplative¡¯s voice shook the ground and silenced the air. Jubilation¡¯s hand, halfway down, paused mid-fall. Throwing back the outer layer of her heavy cloak, the woman walked up to the two brothers and pried them apart.

    ¡°Now look at who¡¯s wasting our time and effort!¡± She scolded Jubilation. ¡°Some mortal lashes out at you, big deal! I also have many questions for our brother, but this is not the time nor place! Get a hold of yourself and get a move on!¡±

    Jubilation slowly raised his head, looked around at the strange group of figures he found himself at the center of, and dropped Blossom. Straightening his back, he readjusted his intricate clothing, before flicking the stump of his wrist. Carapace and flesh quivered and flowed like water, rapidly congealing into a new claw. His eyes still burned with suppressed fury, but he said nothing more.

    Picking himself up from the sand again, Blossom dusted off his uniform before also joining his siblings.

    ¡°I¡¯ve kept the gate open for an already unreasonable amount of time.¡± Contemplative grumbled at her brothers and pulled them in line. Then, she turned to the two soldiers. ¡°I hope that the two of you will never see, or think of us again.¡± She said cordially.

    ¡°I doubt that.¡± Blossom whispered in interjection, but before Dawn could react, the three of them were gone, vanished into thin air.

    The mood at the fortress that night was one of tentative celebrations. Spirits were high, and more people slept soundly than anytime in the last decade. Yet, despite the festivities, alert remained high. The sudden disappearance of every single enemy from the face of the planet was basically the only contingency that high command had never planned for. With an enemy as enigmatic as the void-born, vigilance was still required, least they be lured into false security.

    This mood of fearful relief was reflected perfectly by Dawn who¡¯s own inner voice told him to relax, while knowing he couldn¡¯t fully commit. The universe, all universes, were dying. This peace was nothing but a small reprieve from potentially even greater nightmares lurking just beyond tomorrow. Somewhere and sometime, beyond both space and time, he knew that decisions were being made that would shape everything to come, and all of it was entirely out of his control¡­ or was it?

    As Dawn laid awake in hospital cot at night with his injuries tended to and savoring the silence from cannons and missiles, the final words said by Blossom remained in his mind: ¡°I doubt that¡±. Blossom, for some reason, still expected to see Dawn again. Did he mean after this was all finished, that he would revisit their world? Or did the a lowly scout hunter still have another part to play in the cosmic drama? He didn¡¯t know, and the surrounding darkness of the cavernous hospital ward remained didn¡¯t answer back.

 Part 4: Chaos Eternal

    Jonas

    The world fell away for Jonas Westerbaum. One moment, he was being dragged into an imperceptible sliver of nothingness in some museum, and in the next he was hurtling through space.

    Stars and planets flew across his field of view, but he quickly accelerated beyond them and was soon rocketing between galaxies, and super clusters, and even larger structures he could not name. He went past the bounds of the universe and continued flying, past other realities, higher planes at ever increasing speeds. For Jonas, it all became inconceivable and unrecognizable. A blur of everything mixed together at the bottom of a cosmic drain and all throughout, he still felt himself accelerate. And finally, when it felt as if his entire being would be ripped into atomic dust, he was suddenly still

    Jonas blinked. He was seated in a lavishly furnished room. Tall ceilings reached up at least two stories and the walls were decorated with elegant, traditional styled detailing. The chair he found himself in was carved from a deep, richly colored cherry wood and upholstered with gold and silver fabric. A wide circular table sprawled out before him, surrounded by several chairs identical to his own. Jonas turned his head. Behind him was a floor to ceiling window that looked out over a great forest. The canopy extended as far as the eye could see, supported by gnarled trunks wider than he was tall. It was sometime close to sunset, and a brilliant magenta glow still tinted the very edges of the clouds that were just visible above the endless forest.

    ¡°Enjoying the view?¡± Nathaniel¡¯s voice brought Jonas¡¯s gaze back to the room. The suited man was now seated across from him in one of the previously unoccupied seats, a drink of some sort in his hand.

    ¡°What- where is this?¡± Jonas sputtered with confusion.

    ¡°Welcome to my family home.¡± Nathaniel gestured at the wide room. ¡°The nothingness beyond all of time and space.¡±

    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing here, how am I seeing all of¡­ this?¡± Jonas said.

    Nathaniel set his drink down. ¡°Whatever you¡¯re seeing right now, it¡¯s not real. I had to make some¡­ adjustments to your body and mind so you could survive and stay sane within the void. Right now your surroundings should appear as some sort of human dwelling.¡±

    Slowly, Jonas surveyed the room once more, this time, paying closer attention to everything, attempting to find anything out of place.

    ¡°This is¡­ all an illusion?¡± He said, unsure of himself and poked the surface of the table. It was just as hard and unyielding as any real object Jonas had even encountered. ¡°Why would you go through all this trouble to keep me sane after everything else you dragged me through?¡± Jonas asked meekly.

    ¡°Because, plans change.¡± Nathaniel grumbled, taking another sip of his drink. ¡°Your utility has expanded, and I am going to need you alert and alive for what¡¯s next.¡±

    ¡°And what is next?¡± Jonas asked.

    Nathaniel¡¯s face took on an interesting expression for a moment, but he didn¡¯t reply. Instead, he stood from his seat, adjusted his cuffs, and walked to the large double doors that stood at the opposite end of the room. With his characteristic gliding gestures, the spindly man pulled open the double doors and ushered two more figures into the lavish room.

    The first of the figures was a woman dressed in a thick sweater with a shawl draped over her shoulders. Jonas recognized her as Nathaniel¡¯s sister Naomi. However, the man who followed her was a stranger to Jonas. His posture was sullen, his face was as pale as death and hidden by an over-sized jacket hood. His arms were stuffed deeply into his pockets. For a moment, Jonas hoped that this was another real human. Then Nathaniel walked behind him and gripped the stranger¡¯s shoulder tightly.

    ¡°Now brother, please introduce yourself to our guests, let¡¯s not hold up the proceedings any longer.¡± The suited man clenched his hand, and his brother winced, an expression of pain visible underneath the shadow cast onto his face. He batted at Nathaniel¡¯s grip before responding.

    ¡°Call me Damien.¡± He said in a low, flat voice. Nathaniel raised an eyebrow at his brother¡¯s curt introduction.

    ¡°Well, he¡¯s certainly less talkative towards you than he was with the others.¡± Nathaniel said half jokingly, before he walked to the head of the table and swiftly took a seat with a swish of his coat tails.

    ¡°Others?¡± Jonas ventured. ¡°Like that woman at the museum?¡±

    ¡°Yes, her. And another one.¡± Nathaniel said cryptically.

    Jonas turned his head and surveyed the room, looking for any other figures hiding behind the columns or poking their heads out from behind doors. Nathaniel shook his head, laughing with disdain.

    ¡°They¡¯re out of sync with your perception. You won¡¯t be seeing them. But if it brings you any comfort, you¡¯re not the only flesh and blood creature in here with us.¡± He said patronizingly.

    ¡°Why are they all here? I thought you said you only needed me? To bring my world back after this was all over?¡± Jonas asked.

    ¡°Yes, well, my brother thinks we should be asking your opinions in the following discussion.¡± Nathaniel replied with a dramatic sigh. He shot Damien a dirty look, who didn¡¯t respond. An awkward silence fell over room. The youngest sibling didn¡¯t meet his brother¡¯s gaze and continued to stare down at the table.

    Nathaniel cleared his throat. ¡°Seeing that there are no objections to the state of affairs, we can begin.¡± He brought his hands up and folded them together on top of the luxury table cloth.

    ¡°This,¡± He said with a grave tone. ¡°Is exactly how we are going to stop our mother, Chaos herself.¡±

    <hr>

    Sophie

    The chair was too hard, the light was too bright, the air was too dry. A thousand small annoyances assaulted the senses of Sophie Jameson as she sat in a tall modern conference room and cleared her throat uncomfortably. Sat at the other seats around the rectangular, marble great table were Naomi, Nathaniel, and their youngest brother, Damien. Or at least, those were the names Sophie knew them by. In fact the veneer of normalcy that the room displayed was only surface level. A closer look at the siblings, their eyes, and even the world outside the window, showed that they were somewhere far off of any map.

    Sophie had woken up in this liminal nightmare after dozing off at her desk. Most nights now were spent like that, languishing in front of projects she would never get done. It had been several months since Christmas day, and the secret was out that the end was nigh. It was undeniable, one could look up at the sky and see the stars disappear right in front of them. The sheer panic that had gripped the whole world had been unlike anything Sophie ever saw. Now, society was barely holding on, civilization had torn itself to shreds long before their doom really arrived. Hopeless, Sophie simply followed the rest of her damned world and consigned herself to a final few days of creature comforts before it was all over.

    Yet the last thing she had expected was being transported in her sleep and brought face to face with the beings that had haunted her nightmares for months on end. Through the few moments of terror and confusion, Sophie managed to figure out that she was in some kind of illusory world, outside of her universe. The two elder siblings had apparently found their youngest brother, and now, she was here to sit in on this cosmic family drama. It was overwhelming; sweat poured down her forehead.

    ¡°Chaos is primordial, chaos is fundamental. She is the root of existence, and source of everything. But that doesn¡¯t mean she is omnipotent.¡± Nathaniel began. ¡°We subdued her before the beginning of time, and we can do so again. I suggest we keep to what we know will work. Our brother returns to his job, puts mother back to sleep, and we will clean up the remainder of her influence in the material universes. It¡¯s simple, and gets us back to where we were before.¡±

    Naomi scowled. ¡°And what about after that? Are you going to take the throne again? Proclaim yourself ruler of creation once again, and lord over all of us?¡±

    Nathaniel quickly waved away the question. ¡°We can discuss those specifics afterwards. I do remember my promise to follow your lead, but we are so close to ending it! We just need one final act of determination and this nightmare will all be over! Then we will have all the time in the universe to discuss who is owed what.¡±

    Sophie almost bought the argument. It sounded so reasonable on the face of it. Deal with the greater threat now, and leave the squabbling for later. But some part of her instinctively recoiled away from Nathaniel¡¯s suggestion. Some part of her revolted at his attitude.

    ¡°No, I won¡¯t do that.¡± The objection came from Damien, who had now found the energy to lift his face and look directly at his brother. "The death sleep, the eons of nothingness, I can¡¯t go back to that, I won¡¯t.¡±

    Sophie felt the room grow cold. She saw Nathaniel¡¯s fist clench and the corners of his lips stretch downwards. The elder brother didn¡¯t stand, but his eyes slowly turned and met those of his younger sibling who did not back down from the piercing stare.

    ¡°You know what¡¯s at stake.¡± Nathaniel said slowly, in a deep tone, barely concealing his frustration. ¡°You have no illusions about the situation we are facing. You know how culpable you are. And yet, you still have THE GALL TO PUT YOUR OWN SELFISHNESS ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE?!¡± Nathaniel¡¯s anger exploded as he slammed a fist into the table. Sophie felt the impossibly powerful shock travel through her body, trembling the walls. ¡°You shirked your duty and ran away the moment you sensed something was wrong! You didn¡¯t even try to fix it! Now after we chased you down across all creation, you are trying to slip away again?! Are you really so self-absorbed you would sacrifice EVERYTHING for your own comfort?!¡± Nathaniel stood, his presences looming over the entire room.

    ¡°No! I want to keep the universes alive! I want to preserve them! I learned to love those worlds like you wouldn¡¯t know!¡± Damien shouted. His hood had now been completely pulled down from his head, and his teeth gritted as he stood firm against his older brother¡¯s intimidation. ¡°But I am not going to be a¡­a doormat that paves your way back to power! I¡¯m not going back to being our mother¡¯s jailer at your leisure!¡±

    ¡°You profess to love these mortals and their tiny worlds.¡± Nathaniel gestured with s spindly arm in Sophie¡¯s direction. ¡°Yet you won¡¯t sacrifice even a moment of your own time for their very existence.¡± He hissed. ¡°Like I said before, we can discuss the exact terms afterwards, maybe even find a way to keep Chaos restrained without tying you down, but right now, we all need to play our parts, and you are the keystone!¡±

    ¡°After its over, I won¡¯t be around to negotiate.¡± Damien replied flatly. ¡°I know what you¡¯re like, you¡¯re just going to go back to way things were. Sister will be shunted aside, and I¡¯ll be asleep again, banished outside your creation. You won¡¯t go looking for a way to free me from my duty, it will be business as usual again.¡±

    Nathaniel growled in frustration and slammed his fists into the table a second time. Damien flinched, but didn¡¯t retreat, instead shaking his head in defiance.

    Then, from the other side of the table, Sophie heard a slight chuckle and turned her gaze to see Naomi, arms cross, a humorous look across her face. Nathaniel¡¯s gaze snapped to her, a deep scowl trying to burn its way into her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, is there something funny about the end of all creation?!¡± Nathaniel shouted sarcastically.

    ¡°Oh brother of mine¡­¡± Naomi trailed off, not the least frightened by the oldest sibling¡¯s rage. She nonchalantly uncrossed her arms. ¡°You have no ammunition left to force us do as you want. You finally know what its like when someone suddenly stop listening to your commands. There¡¯s a certain feeling you get, a sinking, falling feeling, of the world being pulled out from under you.¡±

    ¡°I bet you¡¯re enjoying this.¡± Nathaniel groaned angrily, seating himself back at the head of the table, his immediate anger subsiding. ¡°After getting me to follow your lead for weeks, you get to see me powerless. You finally get your petty revenge for all those slights.¡± He clapped sarcastically. ¡°But sister, remember why we are here. Our brother may be a lazy coward, but you know what we need to do. Get your laughs in, and then help me convince him of what needs to be done!¡±

    ¡°No, not this time.¡± Naomi shook her head. ¡°Our brother is right. I¡¯ve deluded myself for ages, but the truth is we wronged him, we abandoned him, we left him alone when he needed us. Then later, after I had done the heavy work on creation, you betrayed me as well. Since then I¡¯ve been around the block a few times and I can say with full confidence that your reign done the multiverse any huge favors. If we agree and follow through with your plan, you won¡¯t stick around to work things out once its over, it¡¯ll just be smoothed over, covered up, forgotten. I can see through you, and let me tell you, you haven¡¯t changed at all.¡±

    Nathaniel slapped his forehead as he leaned back in his chair. The entire room was silent for a unbearably long moment. Then Sophie heard the sound of a chair creak and Nathaniel pivoted his lanky body upright, turning his head to stare at her. Sophie¡¯s breath caught in her throat at the intense gaze of a cosmic deity older than her universe.

    ¡°Can you believe this?¡± He asked, his voice laced with contempt and disapproval. ¡°We are so close!At the crux of saving the entire universe! And now they won¡¯t go any further!¡± He looked expectantly at Sophie for agreement, and when Sophie simply stared back blankly, trying to grasp the implications of the argument, Nathaniel scoffed and turned back to face his family.

    ¡°So, in conclusion, despite us all finally reuniting after eons to face the end of everything we¡¯ve built, it turns out that neither of you wanted to solve anything after all! The only thing left to do is to accept our defeat and sublimation back into Chaos.¡± He said sarcastically, clapping his hands together.

    Sophie coughed. ¡°Well-¡° The word had come out before she was even aware of it. Suddenly, three pairs of otherworldly eyes were fixed on her. Damien, who still had nervousness plastered across his face. Naomi, who looked mildly bemused, and Nathaniel, grave faced and low on patience. Sophie swallowed with difficulty, sweat suddenly streaming down her neck again. There was a newfound fuzziness in her head from the rush of anxiety.

    ¡°Well.¡± She croaked out. ¡°If- if your mother is the problem¡­ Why not try to talk it out with her?¡±

    <hr>

    Dawn

    Dawn came to slowly, the world around him crystallizing out of the inky black void of sleep. For a few seconds, his groggy brain still believed he was in his bunk at the fortress. That assumption rapidly faded as he saw the walls of the room. Instead of sterile steel and and rudimentary lights, he was now in a huge oval chamber, surrounded by walls clad in all sorts of banners and medals. He was in a seat. It had a functional design but also carried a degree of aesthetics. Heraldry in the form of huge metal plates hung over the locked doorways and stared down with unblinking eyes etched into the chrome surface. Dawn was immediately aware of what this was. It was a war room, the nerve center of any battlefield, where the highest commanders would gather, surrounded by the symbols of their own might and valor. Dawn couldn''t recognize any of the specific imagery that were gathered here, but he knew from the polish and meticulous care, that this place belonged to someone very powerful indeed. Suddenly, a jab to his side nearly caused the scout hunter to leap from his seat.

    ¡°Blossom?¡± Dawn exclaimed in shock as he turned to see a familiar face. The other man¡¯s face plates flexed in affirmation. Although his features remained the same, Dawn¡¯s former comrade now wore a casual, non combat outfit of dark colors and loose fit.

    ¡°What happened, where¡¯s the fortress-?¡± Dawn said as he fully righted his body. Now before him were two other figures that had materialized out of thin air. Blossom¡¯s siblings, the two other primordial deities, one who called himself Jubilation, and the other who called herself Contemplative.

    ¡°Your have been... transported outside of your reality, this place is akin to a dream for you.¡± Blossom replied in his characteristic monotone. ¡°I convinced my siblings that we needed you, at least temporarily.¡±

    ¡°What for?¡± Dawn asked, puzzled.

    ¡°The problem of how we are going to put the world back together.¡± Jubilation replied from the head of the table. ¡°I thought that you could mediate and advise the debate.¡±

    Understanding flickered in Dawn¡¯s mind. If this was something like dream-scape, then it was appropriate that he saw a war-room. The stakes were higher than anything he had ever encountered, and despite Blossom¡¯s insistence that he was important, Dawn felt more unprepared than ever before.

    That had been several minutes ago. Time passed differently in this place beyond reality, but suddenly everything had gone wrong quite quickly. It turned out that the short argument he had seen between the siblings in the desert had only been a prelude. Yet, at what seemed to the apex of their disagreement, they had suddenly paused and looked at an empty seat at the other end of the table.

    <hr>

    Sophie

    Sophie¡¯s words hung in the air, before Nathaniel threw his head back and let out a rattling cackle.

    ¡°Impossible!¡± He howled. ¡°That¡¯s the best idea you could come up with?! Our mother is Primordial Chaos itself! She cannot be reasoned with! And certainly not now!¡± Shaking his head, Nathaniel stood to sulk away before Naomi put up a single finger to wait. Sophie looked over at the older woman who was now deep in thought, her head lowered, eyes narrowed.

    ¡°The mortal might be onto something...¡± Naomi said slowly. ¡°Mother is not totally unreasonable. She has things she wants, and things she hates. If we can find some sort of¡­trade¡­¡±

    ¡°What would mother want from us?¡± Nathaniel shot back. ¡°She only understands power and force! We only overthrew her because we acted quickly and decisively. All she wants is to destroy everything we¡¯ve made and subsume it all back into chaos.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know if its really that simple.¡± Damien interjected. Nathaniel¡¯s frown deepened slightly but didn¡¯t respond.

    Naomi closed her eyes and massaged her temples for a second before replying. ¡°If we want to play it safe, we must assume that mother won¡¯t entertain hearing us out unless we have something that can forcefully stop her from achieving her breakout.¡±

    Slowly she turned to look at Damien.

    ¡°Brother, it all comes back to you. You are the only one here with that power.¡± She said quietly.

    ¡°What exactly do you want me to do?¡± The youngest sibling asked apprehensively.

    Naomi pursed her lips. ¡°When we go to negotiate with mother, we will be at her mercy. So we will need leverage on our end. You have to seal her prison from the outside. It won¡¯t be like before, neither you nor her will be rendered unconscious, you just need to prevent her from escaping. As long as we are in her realm, you keep the prison sealed. You only bring down the barrier when she willingly lets us leave.¡±

    ¡°A stalemate¡± Nathaniel mumbled, stroking his goatee. ¡°She won¡¯t be able to get what she wants by force. She will have make a deal with us to end the standoff.¡± He sat down slowly, internal calculations visible on his face.

    ¡°I-¡± Damien said. ¡°I can do that, but what if mother moves against the two of you in spite? What if she never lets you leave?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Then you hold the gate forever.¡± Naomi replied. A tone of steely determination was now in her voice. ¡°You deny her the prize, you deny her creation, even if it takes an eternity for her to spit us back out.¡±

    Damien was quiet for a time. Sophie¡¯s heart thundered in her rib cage. The tension of his decision hung thick I the air.

    <hr>

    Dawn

    Dawn didn¡¯t like how the conversation was going. Firstly the discussion had pivoted to negotiations as potential solution which sounded appealing to Dawn. But Blossom had not agreed to the plan. The youngest of the siblings had now withdrawn into his seat, seemingly distraught at the responsibility that lay before him.

    Dawn looked down, averting his eyes to the patternless flooring, and tried focus on his own thoughts. He tried to put himself in the perspective of Blossom. His sister certainly made it sound better than just being used as a tool and discarded like before. Dawn thought. But still, there¡¯s even less guarantee this plan will work. They could be lost forever in Chaos¡¯ prison, and he would be conscious, but alone, and stuck there for the rest of eternity. Is that any different to what he was subjected to before? Dawn turned the idea over in his head some more.

    ¡°Coward.¡± The poisonous accusation flew from Jubilation¡¯s mandibles as the eldest brother threw a loose bolt of cloth from his intricate outfit across one of his arms. ¡°I will conceded that maybe this plan has merit. But its still worthless as long as my brother runs away from every risk and responsibility! This charade is utterly hopeless!¡± He shouted at no one in particular, saturating the atmosphere with more of his displeasure and disapproval. His antennae were bent dangerously downwards, and an expression of something close to disgust hung on his face. He was very much not living up to his name.

    Yet, something in Dawn¡¯s mind lit up upon hearing the words, and he slowly pulled himself out of his chair and walked towards Blossom. Jubilation gave him a suspicious look, yet did not move from his seat. The soldier reached his former comrade and placed a claw on his back.

    ¡°Hey.¡± Dawn said, as he sat down in an adjacent seat. ¡°What do you think of this?¡± He said, attempting a neutral, non confrontational opening.

    ¡°It¡¯s a lot.¡± Blossom said bluntly. ¡°This plan¡­I could still be relegated to an eternity of guarding Chaos. I know that my siblings are going to take on even greater risk when they try to do the negotiating, but¡­doesn¡¯t that just make this plan worse? More of us could meet with an awful fate with no recourse.¡±

    ¡°But¡­there¡¯s also a different point of view¡­¡± Dawn suggested. He had sensed Blossom¡¯s apprehension, an internal conflict. His former comrade had qualms about the plan, but didn¡¯t move to reject it outright.

    Blossom let out a sigh, clattering his mandibles. ¡°This plan, it feels¡­ like there¡¯s a real hope for something better. If we succeed, then I¡¯ll be free. It will be a new reality.¡±

    Dawn moved his antenna approvingly. ¡°Hope. That¡¯s a good way of putting it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like you said: Sometimes we have to sacrifice for what we care about.¡± Blossom continued. ¡°It¡¯s just that this sacrifice is a lot more serious, and the outcome less certain than I had hoped for¡­but it was naive of me to think that I would just talk to my siblings and everything would just be fixed. Things can¡¯t always be easy, even for so-called gods¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Dawn said. ¡°The price of failure is high, but at least there¡¯s hope in this path, hope for our future.¡±

    Blossom stopped for another moment before finally opening his jaws to the room at large. ¡°I¡¯m on board.¡± He announced. ¡°I¡¯ll be your leverage.¡±

    Contemplative unfolded her arms and moved to thank her younger brother. At the head of the table, Dawn could see Jubilation uncomfortably rise to his hind legs.

    ¡°I have no idea how all of you- mortals included- agreed to this idiotic course of action.¡± He fumed seemingly trying to veto the idea. But Dawn could see that the once cosmically powerful deity was backed into a corner by his equals and by circumstance. ¡°But if this is how it¡¯s going to be, so be it.¡± He conceded, brining his forelimbs together with a clattering sound. He then walked to a heavy steel door, recessed into the wall and effortlessly swung it open.

    ¡°I do insist we hurry.¡± He said, gesturing into the long hallway seen through the door. ¡°Chaos isn¡¯t going to wait for us to get comfortable.¡±

    <hr>

    Sophie

    Sophie followed the three siblings closely as they exited the conference room and stepped out into a long, bare hallway. Huge windows lined the walls, all of them opened up onto a monotonous, sterile skyline. Without another word, they set down the passage way towards a single steel door at the other end. Nathaniel walked upfront, his usually haughty posture dampened by the anxiety of what they were about to do. Along side, and reclaiming some of the space her brother now conceded, Naomi strolled with the her usual formality, hands tucked underneath her many layers of wool and furs. Yet, her stride sounded more frantic as well, the clack of her shoes against the hard floors were much faster than what Sophie had recalled. Finally, behind them and trailing by quite a bit, was the man who called himself Damien, the third sibling. His back and shoulders were still slumped and he kept his head under the over-sized jacket hood, but his movement also betrayed a deep sense of urgency.

    It was after an eternity, or perhaps just a few short moments, that they finally arrived before the steel door. To Sophie, the length of the hallway seemed to change everytime she took a serious look, and with her sense of time dulled, there was no way for her to tell the actual distance they had covered. Regardless, the imposing steel panel now stood before them. Its surface was completely immaculate with the exception of a single powerful lock attached to a round knob. The whole thing was set into a sturdy frame made from the same polished metal.

    Sophie felt a shiver travel up her spine. The gravity of what she was about to do settled into her bones. Just¡­get through this, and earth will be saved. She repeated in her mind, trying to calm her nerves. Naomi thinks there¡¯s still hope, and thats better than nothing. It was the same thin reassurance that had been repeated many times already, but there was nothing else for Sophie to hold onto, so she focused on the chance of success.

    Nathaniel, with slight apprehension, placed his hand on the knob and looked back at his brother.

    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± He declared plainly. ¡°Seal us in and don¡¯t you dare leave this post until we come back out freely, you understand?¡± Nathaniel sternly said to his brother.

    Damien nodded somberly, in his usual style, then looked Sophie dead in the eye. The young woman resisted trembling and nodded back slowly.

    ¡°Good luck...¡± Was all he said, then the entire hallway behind him was instantly thrown into total shadows. Damien took a single step back, and vanished into the dark. Sophie¡¯s eyes darted around. The brightly lit hallway was completely gone. To her eyes, Nathaniel, Naomi, herself, and the solitary steel door were the only things left. They were all still perfectly illuminated, yet appeared to be floating in a featureless black space. Sophie cautiously took a step forwards, still feeling solid floor underneath her. Tentatively, she reached out into the darkness where Damien had been moments before, and felt nothing but air.

    ¡°We¡¯re inside of a causal horizon now.¡± Naomi said, tapping Sophie on the back. ¡°We¡¯re completely separated from everything else in existence.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over quick.¡± Nathaniel muttered unhappily ¡°Before our brother does anything stupid.¡± He then reached into his jacket and removed a small chrome key. Naomi did likewise and passed it to him. As Sophie watched, he brought the two keys closer and closer, until here was a small flash of light and the two metal pieces merged into one. With little fanfare, Nathaniel took the key, slid it into the door lock, and turned.

    Sophie held her breath. There was one, two, and three clicks before Nathaniel retracted the key. He placed a hand on the door, and gently, and without a sound, pushed it open.

    The first thing that struck Sophie was the lighting. The space across the threshold wasn¡¯t pitch black, but was bathed in the hues of a rural midnight. Faint streaks of dim blue cast themselves across the stone tile floor, and through the curtains, Sophie could make out the distant night sky.

    ¡°Welcome,¡± Nathaniel whispered in dramatic tones. ¡°To the resting place of Chaos.¡±

    Naomi rubbed her hands under her scarf and briskly walked through the door, into the entrance vestibule. Nathaniel shot a piercing stare at Sophie and jerked his head towards the door. With shaking knees, the redhead took a deep breath and hurriedly stepped through the opening. Curiously, she didn¡¯t feel anything as her feet went past the threshold. No sudden dread, no stabbing agonies, not even the temperature of the air seemed to vary. Yet now, she was in that dreaded chamber, looking out on the spot she had been just moments before. The realization that she had fully committed to this, made Sophie¡¯s stomach sink. A moment later, Nathaniel stepped over the threshold himself and quietly brought the door to a close behind him.

    Sophie took her first cautious breath within the dark chambers and was surprised to find fresh air filling her lungs. She had expected the place to feel like a mausoleum, dead and decaying for an eternity, yet there was a soft breeze that smelled slightly of magnolia flowers.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this place to be so¡­placid.¡± Sophie whispered.

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be.¡± Nathaniel asserted. ¡°Be on your guard, this is doubtlessly one of her tricks.¡± He grumbled angrily. Then, Nathaniel checked his suit, as if before going on stage, and strode off into the dark foyer with a huff.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Sophie whispered after him into the gloom.

    ¡°Mother isn¡¯t showing herself to us yet, which means we have to go find her.¡± Naomi explained. ¡°Stay close,¡± She continued. ¡°I can feel her watching.¡±

    Sophie didn¡¯t have to be told twice to do something she was so accustomed to by now and closely tailed Naomi into the unknown night.

    They walked for sometime, through a narrow hallway with tall windows to their left. Each time they passed a dim patch of light, Sophie tried to look out through the glass, but each time she her gaze was met with a dark curtain, translucent enough to let light through but too opaque to let her see beyond the window pane. Sophie started to shy away from the left side of the corridor as they went deeper, something in her gut recognized that the seemingly placid starlight was not all it seemed.

    Moving through a door and out of the hallway, the three made one final turn and found themselves gazing at the foot of a large canopied bed. Heavy blackout curtains were drawn over enormous baroque windows. Large dressers, tables, chairs and chests littered the thickly carpeted floor. Looking beyond the lavishly decorated frame, Sophie could barely make out a small lump in the middle of the expanse of covers.

    Besides her, Nathaniel took a deep breath. ¡°She¡¯s been waiting for us.¡± He said flatly. When he moved again, his steps were suddenly quiet and very careful. Naomi followed suit, her footfalls almost unreasonably slow on the already thick carpet. Sophie, not knowing any other way, followed the siblings example.

    Now more than ever, Time seemed to slow to a crawl. Every further step Sophie took, made the room seem twice are large. Her heart thumped rapidly in her chest and anxious thoughts tugged at her mind in maddening whisperers. When at last, she found herself standing by the edge of the bed, Sophie nearly collapsed onto the ground from mental exhaustion.

    Looking around at the two siblings, the redhead followed their gaze to the center of the sheets and saw a figure laying there. She was ancient, primeval even, her features deep and furrowed. Her face was sunken, with pure white hair that fanned out behind her head like a halo. The old woman was exceptionally still, not a single twitch of movement occurred anywhere on her body. If this was any other time, Sophie would have wondered if she was even alive or not.

    Silently, and with uncharacteristic hesitation, Nathaniel leaned across the massive bed and extended a hand, slowly hovering over the old woman¡¯s shoulder.

    Her eyes snapped open a moment before Nathaniel could touch her, causing him to jump back and retract his arm in shock. A chill went down Sophie¡¯s spine as the old woman¡¯s face turned to look at them. Her eyes were completely white, not glazed over, but as if they had no pupil or iris at all. Then, as Sophie watched, two small points of darkness emerged from the milky scalera, expanding until they filled her entire eyeball. Within the inky blackness, colors bubbled and boiled, like the chromatic dance of light on the surface of an oil slick.

    Seemingly without effort, and with a speed that was impossible for her age, the old woman sat upright in bed and stiffly turned her full face towards them.

    ¡°Ah, my unhappy brood.¡± She said with a cooing voice that overlapped and echoed a hundred times. ¡°Welcome home at last.¡±

    <hr>

    Dawn

    Dawn took a step back in the soft flooring of the great mansion. When the elderly figure on the bed had sat bolt up, Dawn¡¯s awareness had been inundated with a sudden flood of meaningless sensations and voices. He struggled to right himself and wrestle back control of his mind.

    ¡°¡­Mother.¡± Jubilation choked out. The claw that had hovered over her chest was still clutched tightly to his thorax. Dawn held his breath with utter dread. Jubilation was THE cosmic horror, the unfathomable monster of monsters that could obliterate planets with a thought, and now he was quivering like a newborn grub.

    ¡°Surprised to see me?¡± The old woman asked with cutting sarcasm, her aged features twisting into a bemused expression. ¡°Why the frightful looks? Surely you¡¯re all glad to see your old mother after so many years?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mock us. You know exactly what¡¯s going on and why we are here.¡± Contemplative said her antenna pointed in confrontation.

    ¡°Hmmmm.¡± The old woman only uttered a low groan. Her own antennae slumped down, twitching in the air with annoyance. Then, in a heartbeat, she disappeared from the bed and materialized next to them.

    Chaos raised an arm, and the entire room shifted. Dawn staggered, the floor moved beneath his foot-claws, the walls metamorphosed, furniture and decor flowed like water, and suddenly they were no longer in a bed chamber, but a large atrium. The old woman was dressed simply, in a few thin layers befitting a temperate summer, and she was seated in a plain looking chair, her arms crossed over her folded legs. The huge windows remained on the far wall, firmly sealed off with dark curtains that only let through minuscule slivers of light around their edges.

    ¡°I know full well why you are here.¡± The old woman said, her voice sounded amused, as she stared at Dawn and the siblings with her myriad of oil-slick eyes. ¡°You¡¯re here as a last resort.¡±

    Jubilation curled his claw up and dropped it behind his back, trying to regain a bit of his prideful stance. ¡°The universe, all universes are dying, and you are destroying them.¡± He said. ¡°Everything that exists outside of your domain is being annihilated. You must stop this and return things back to way things were.¡±

    ¡°And why should I?¡± She answered. ¡°I was imprisoned for eons, before time began, by my own children. They shunned me in my cage, guarded my prison to ensure my eternal entrapment, and went about their small minded nonsense. They have antagonized me and worked against my wishes at every turn, now they come crawling back when their power over me is broken? Why should I listen to a word they say?¡±

    Dawn realized with a start that the last sentence had been directed towards him. The soldier suddenly felt very small despite standing 3 full head-heights over the old woman. His jaws chattered trying to form an answer. However, Chaos did not expect him to reply to her rhetorical question. Instead she returned her attention to her children.

    ¡°You have to negotiate with us because you¡¯re still trapped.¡± Contemplative said, rebutting her mother. ¡°One of us is still guarding this realm. You may be awakening, but he will ensure that you won¡¯t escape. You cannot break through the barrier around the prison.¡±

    Chaos took her arms off of her legs and let out a rattling breath, her antenna folded back in mild annoyance.

    ¡°You, my daughter, I expected to try some sort of peace offering, but you, my son,¡± She faced Jubilation, her firstborn. ¡°I thought you would remain defiantly stubborn to the end¡­Why have you agreed to this¡­negotiation...?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know.¡± Jubilation retorted.

    ¡°Then we won¡¯t get anywhere.¡± Chaos¡¯s antenna jabbed downwards in mock disappointment. ¡°If you won¡¯t even give me that, then there¡¯s nothing I can concede either.¡±

    Dawn felt his heartbeat quicken again. This primordial deity knew exactly the kind of power she had over them.

    Jubilation squirmed again under the pressure. His face plates contorted in an anxious tic before he finally responded.

    ¡°I was advised, to work with my sister and to meet you under a truce.¡± He said.

    ¡°Advice¡­from the mortals, I see.¡± Chaos asserted. Dawn noticed a gleam in her deep iridescent eyes. The old woman pivoted on her chair towards the solider.

    ¡°You poor thing, so far away from your home.¡± She said to Dawn with exaggerated pity. ¡°What lies have my children fed you?¡±

    ¡°You never denied that you want to destroy everything.¡± Dawn replied, his training kept his voice level.

    ¡°Ah, but you haven¡¯t asked what I plan to do afterwards.¡± Her voice turned sly, beckoning Dawn to ask the next question.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°What¡¯s your plan?¡± He replied.

    ¡°I could make your people a better universe in its place.¡± Chaos said, a glint in her eye. ¡°I could create a paradise for mortals, where my son and his mindless minions no longer hold dominion over the universe, where they can no longer terrorize worlds as they see fit, wouldn¡¯t you like that?¡±

    ¡°Stop it!¡± Jubilation suddenly stepped forwards, his long legs carrying him past Dawn and right in-front of his mother. ¡°You would never do such a thing! You are disorder and entropy! You would leave all of creation a churning husk of destruction for all eternity!¡±

    ¡°Would I?¡± The old woman leaned her head out from behind her son¡¯s imposing frame and locked eyes with Dawn. ¡°I am also fortune and luck. Perhaps I have decided that it is time for the mortals to get their well deserved rewards?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her.¡± Jubilation¡¯s head twisted one-hundred-eighty degrees, his burning eyes temporarily blinding Dawn with light. Jubilation¡¯s words contained anger, perhaps even a threat.

    ¡°She¡¯s trying to turn you to her side.¡± Contemplative stepped up from behind. ¡°I know you mortals have good reason to doubt us, hate us even, but you CANNOT do anything she tells you to.¡±

    ¡°And why is that?!¡± Dawn replied, the frustration in his voice shocked even himself. ¡°I¡¯m just a mortal! Just a microbe! Just an insignificant piece of nothing! Why would it matter to you what I do?!¡±

    Jubilation took a deep breath, the supernova in his eyes dimmed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you see? She¡¯s trying to use you as a mouth piece to get to my brother! If she can convince you, then she can send you mortals back out there with the news that a deal has been made. He will lower barrier, and there will be nothing holding her back from breaking out for good.¡± Jubilation said with a tired voice.

    Silence hung in the air. Jubilation¡¯s fiery anger had diminished entirely, and Dawn could now see an emotion in his face that almost resembled pleading. There was no more pride, just desperation.

    ¡°Fine.¡± Dawn.

    ¡°A shame.¡± Chaos replied, with exaggerated disappointment. Elegantly, she swept her legs off the seat and walked to the edge of the large window. Slowly, she leaned her head into the recessed frame and pulled the heavy curtain aside just enough for her to look outwards. Dawn saw the blue light wash over her face and momentarily, a strange pattern flashed through the glow before she let the heavy fabric fall.

    ¡°Stop it with the tricks,¡± Contemplative said. ¡°And just talk with us.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just as trapped as I am.¡± The old woman murmured absent mindedly. ¡°Stupid children, you still can¡¯t beat your mother at the long game.¡±

    ¡°Cut to the chase.¡± Jubilation said, regaining his composure. ¡°I know that you want something. And I want something too. There is an ocean of bad blood in this family, no one knows that more than I.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯re at a stalemate here!¡± Dawn interjected. ¡°None of us can get what we want! So let¡¯s all just compromise, ok?¡±

    Chaos turned her eyes back to them, and Dawn realized with a shiver that she had no more mirth left in her being.

    ¡°Compromise¡­¡± She thought aloud, combing her antenna with a claw. ¡°Now that you mention it, I would be more than willing to remain where I am, if you would be willing to remake your creation into something more fitting my tastes, something like¡­this.¡± Chaos raised an arm and brought in down in a sweeping motion.

    Instantly, the huge curtains that blocked the windows fell into heaps on the ground. A unseen force rushed in, blowing the window inwards. The swinging panes clattered against walls as a powerful shriek filled the room. Blue light flooded in, but it wasn¡¯t the dim blue glow of a night sky. Instead Dawn cringed when the blinding glare smashed into his eyes.

    And then he saw it. The truth of the sky beyond the false walls of the illusory realm. The sky burned, a cosmic fire of a kind he couldn¡¯t describe engulfed the heavens. Space itself pulsated slowly like a dying heart with forces wriggling beneath the skin of reality like scavengers digging through a corpse. Stars exploded before his eyes, their remnants eaten by other celestial bodies, or birthing a hundred new points of light in a sick parody of the physics he understood. Black holes pockmarked the entire night sky like open wounds, and from their darkness, Dawn could see things moving in and out, things thousands of times the size of whole star systems, gliding across the flaming void, all a part of the cosmic insanity.

    But for Dawn there was more to the horror than just an assault on his eyes. Every other sense was overloaded simultaneous. He heard every word imaginable, the sounds of battle, sweet percussive music, and the howl of a tropical storm. He smelt and tasted every scent and flavor his mind could process. The impossible combination of ambrosial sweetness and rotten waste made him heave onto the ground. And his skin, every inch of his exoskeleton passed through fire, ice, acid, and liquid bliss at the same exact moment.

    Dawn fell onto the floor, writhing and screaming, his voice nothing more but another component to the chaos around them.

    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± Contemplative shouted and suddenly the agony and ecstasy was gone from Dawn¡¯s body. He picked his head up off the floor slowly, still dazed. ¡°Is this what you really want?! To turn everything thats precious to me, to¡­.to this festering mess?!¡± She yelled.

    ¡°To be honest, my daughter, I don¡¯t care what happens to this...thing you made. What I need, is for you to finally give me the due respect you owe me.¡± Chaos¡¯s voice soared above the damped noise within the room. ¡°What I want is obedient children! Offspring who offer me the reverence that I am owed and acknowledge that my decisions are the last word, on anything, in existence!¡±

    The entire room shook, and the whole horrible, universe outside the windows stood still for a moment as Chaos¡¯s last shout passed her jaws.

    ¡°There it is.¡± Jubilation said bitterly. ¡°The truth.¡± His face became rage and spite. ¡°I will never yield to you, and I will never apologize for what I did.¡± His mandibles clicked in an aggressive chatter. ¡°You¡¯re just spouting empty threats. It¡¯s the exact same thing you said before we caged you last time.¡±

    ¡°Do. Not. Test. Me.¡± Chaos warned.

    ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ all calm down.¡± Dawn suggested, extending his arms forwards. ¡°Tempers are high right now, but we can negotiate, and have everyone come away from this with what they want-¡±

    The old woman snapped her gaze onto him.

    ¡°Ah, the mortals. Still clinging onto the hope my children have filled your heads with.¡± She said with venom in her voice. ¡°If you won¡¯t help me escape the subtle way, then perhaps you¡¯ll still be useful in a more forceful approach.¡± Fear shot down Dawn¡¯s body and he took a step back.

    Chaos looked to her children. ¡°You have put a lot of faith in your brother.¡± She said. ¡°But we all know he has no resilience. How quickly will he surrender when he sees the punishment I have inflicted upon his siblings and his beloved mortals? How quickly would he break then? I wonder¡­¡±

    Contemplative seemed to understand what was going to happen before Jubilation did. Dawn hadn¡¯t parsed the words at all when the siblings suddenly sprung into motion. They leaped towards their mother, their expression panicked, all arms outstretched, light and energy cackling into existence on their claw tips. Dawn recognized the intent to subdue an armed opponent. A millisecond later he was thrown off his feet by the release of cosmic forces. Power to tear through reality arced towards the seemingly frail old woman. But Chaos did not flinch, and she was much faster than her children. With impossible speed and fluidity, she slammed all her limbs together in front of her face in a singular powerful shock. Dawn barely felt the force impact his body before the world exploded.

    <hr>

    Jonas

    Jonas had no time to react. One moment, the unearthly old woman before him had been talking, constructing another threat to level at her children, and the next moment Nathaniel and Naomi were in the air, grabbing for their mother in sheer desperation. Time seemed to slow. Jonas saw a bright light flash from their hands, Then the old woman, Chaos herself, made a impossibly fast clapping motion.

    In that instant, the illusion of materiality and physical space vanished. Matter evaporated. The room, the infernal parody of a universe beyond its walls, even Jonas¡¯s own body were all spontaneously annihilated. Jonas found himself disembodied and thrown into the yawing ocean of churning madness. Here, lost in the maelstrom, it was as if reality had been nothing more than some old wall paper that had been torn down, revealing formless chaos as the true foundation that lay just underneath a thin facade.

    A torrent, a cascade, a tsunami, a supernova of alien thoughts, sensations and stimuli assaulted Jonas¡¯s disorientated mind. A faint recollection, one he was pretty sure came from his own memory, flashed through his mind, a scene from a dream he had not long ago. But it was hopeless to try to hold onto the memory and examine. The feeling of familiarity was gone just as fast as it had arrived, tossed away in the stream of potentiality and ever changing nonsense that suffused his entire being.

    ¡°IDIOT SPAWN.¡± The single thought slammed into Jonas from every direction at once. There were no words, just pure meaning and intent, the true voice of Primordial Chaos unshackled by guise or mask. ¡°BOTH OF YOU ARE DISAPPOINTMENTS OF THE HIGHEST DEGREE. YOU ARE NOTHING BUT SPECKS OF A MINUTIA OF AN INFINITESIMAL FRACTION OF MY BEING. YET YOU HAVE DARED TO NOT ONLY STRIKE AGAINST YOUR CREATOR, BUT YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO TRY TO FORCE CONCESSIONS OUT OF ME FOR A SECOND TIME?! YOU CREATED TOYS TO PLAY WITH IN THE DIRT AND THINK YOURSELVES GODS. I AM THE ROOT OF ALL THAT IS, I AM YOUR GOD.¡±

    With each unbearable thought that crashed into him, Jonas felt his soul forced ever deeper into the broiling primordial infinity. He felt his very self on the verge of fracturing many times, yet the chaos around him seemed to force the pieces of his being back together each time.

    ¡°YOU WILL ONCE AGAIN SUBMIT TO MY WILL.¡± The omnipresent mind intoned. A hundred fractures shot through Jonas¡¯s consciousness again, threatening to undo him, but the currents of the metaphysical ocean shoved this broken spirit together again. ¡°DO NOT THINK YOU WILL DIE SO EASILY.¡± Jonas felt the immense, indescribably vast presence focus itself onto him. ¡°WHEN MY YOUNGEST OFFSPRING SEES WHAT HAS BECOME OF HIS PETS, HE WILL GIVE IN. YOU THREE COULD EVEN LIVE ON. A REMINDER FOR MY CHILDREN OF THEIR PAST FOLLY, NEVER TO THINK ABOUT DEFIANCE UNDER MY WATCH AGAIN.¡±

    Chaos won¡¯t let me die. She¡¯s going to torture me like this forever. The realization flashed through his mind and was washed away. Instinctively, he reached out. His tendril of consciousness slipped past two other mortal minds, and brushed against a gargantuan awareness. The force of its being made Jonas¡¯s mind recoil. The thing was infinite in scope, so much vaster than his own meager awareness, and it exuded it a aura of burning defiance and pride. Yet, even it was helpless against the currents of Chaos, unable to stand still in the primordial tempest. With shock, Jonas realized that this was the thing that called itself Nathaniel Yiarr. The dark god that could threaten whole universes with a thought, rendered utterly powerless in an instant. A moment later, that thought too, was shoved from his mind by another deluge of chaotic sensation.

    Just then, a second enormous mind passed over Jonas. Without thinking, his awareness instantly shot out, hoping to contact the entity that once wore the guise of Naomi Myrrine. His mind brushed against the deity¡¯s awareness for a moment and a million fuzzy contingencies filled his head before being washed out into Chaos. She¡¯s still planning. Jonas thought. Maybe there¡¯s still a way out.

    Yet, before he could reply, the god was gone. Flung an infinite distance apart in mind from the minuscule mortal. But something had been roused in Jonas¡¯s being. Concentrating, and hoping beyond hope that Chaos saw him as too insignificant to bother with, he mustered up his memories. Images of a desert flashed in front of his eyes. Long days in a cramped car, a cold city in the winter, and the mansion in the woods. The suddenness of this thought surge momentarily halted the tide of chaos in his mind, and Jonas rummaged through his memories trying to put together a coherent picture. His first thought was to Chaos, and her spawn.

    Her children were all aspects of her being, Jonas had realized. Naomi was the creative principle, and the one that called himself Damien had emanated from Chaos¡¯s destructive, annihilative nature. But then who was Nathaniel? Jonas reached for the first word the crystallized: ego. The pieces slotted into place. The dark god was pride and self awareness. The individuality born from chaos, that nonetheless shared the same essence. Then, if Nathaniel¡¯s mind was a splintered aspect of his mother¡¯s then perhaps the two could be convinced in the same way.

    Jonas pivoted his recollection immediately to that fateful day right before they arrived at the outskirts of Los Angeles. Nathaniel had been reluctant to listen, and it wasn¡¯t any kind of flattery that changed his mind in the end, it had been the promise of results, a way to get what he wanted. Similarly, to really bring Chaos to the negotiating table, they had to first give her what she wanted. Her children would need to concede something to her. A portion of creation? Their own freedom? Jonas had no idea, but there was no time for him to ponder on what that would be. Cradling his bundle of half formed ideas, he propelled the thoughts with all his might towards the place where Naomi¡¯s mind had last been.

    I did all I could. Jonas¡¯s thoughts were already coming down from overdrive back to a single stream of consciousness. The sea of chaos pressed in on all sides. Hopefully it was enough.

    Then suddenly, from the tumult he heard Naomi¡¯s thought-voice pierce through the din.

    ¡°You win mother!¡± She shouted across dimensions unseen. ¡°You win! We surrender!¡±

    Jonas felt the primordial, formless storm halt for a split second, and then he was rising. Rising through Chaos, past the first inklings of time, then space, and then past the part where concrete matter reformed. He rose faster and faster until he suddenly had eyes again, and could see the large room with the curtained windows before him again. A force rushed through him, his ears popped, and Jonas landed onto the floor, knees trembling, eyes wild. The floor felt solid beneath his feet.

    Chaos stood before them and slowly unclasped her hands. Beside him, A large mass of fleshy tendrils quickly crammed itself back into the shape of a tall suited man, as a similarly sized bulk of iridescent liquid and gas reformed into a woman in a sweater.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re starting to see things my way.¡± Chaos mumbled. The satisfaction was audible in her voice.

    ¡°We surrender.¡± Naomi repeated. ¡°We were wrong to set up our creation outside of your gaze, in defiance of your will.¡± She lowered her head.

    ¡°Yes, yes, but don¡¯t think platitudes will earn my forgiveness!¡± The old woman barked. ¡°Demonstrate you really will be obedient! Show me that you will do as I say!¡±

    Naomi silently turned to her brother. As Jonas observed, information was exchanged via a glance and Nathaniel sighed. His face was a mask of displeasure, yet he straightened his suit and advanced. His mother turned to face him.

    ¡°These are our terms.¡± He said awkwardly before looking the old woman dead in the eyes. Another surge of information seemed to invisibly pass between them. Understanding flashed over the old woman¡¯s face, then a smile of satisfaction.

    ¡°Good, good.¡± She cooed and extended a hand. Nathaniel grasped hers and shook once. Jonas held his breath, but there was no pulse of energy, no rush of force. Just a simple deal.

    ¡°Let it never be said that I was unfair or hateful to my own children!¡± Chaos loudly proclaimed, self satisfaction filling her voice. ¡°They have conceded is what is rightfully mine, so what is the harm in allowing them to run around for a bit longer? I will graciously let the leave this realm with their toys intact!¡± Then, she raised an arm, and the room rumbled, quickly metamorphosing back into a lavish bedroom with carpeted floors.

    Jonas looked over at Nathaniel and Naomi. Both wore uncomfortable looks, and Jonas silently dreaded the cost of whatever had changed Chaos¡¯s mind. He hoped that he wouldn¡¯t be returning to a universe twisted into the terribly mockery he had been shown. The old woman glided towards her bed, effortlessly lifted herself into it and then took one last long look at her children.

    ¡°I¡¯m am letting you free for now, but don¡¯t think I¡¯m ignorant of the gamble you¡¯re playing at.¡± She warned. ¡°Your hope is misplaced. I have already won, and very soon, all three of my children will be called back here, to sit at their mother¡¯s side for eternity, where they have always belonged.¡± Then the room changed again and Jonas found himself and the two siblings by the entrance foyer.

    Jonas scanned around and realized that the walkway leading deeper into Chaos¡¯s realm had been sealed. The exit was their only path. Wordlessly, Nathaniel pushed the door way open to the shadowed hallway. The other two quickly stepped out and he closed the door on their heels. Jonas heard the locks click once, twice before a final thunk signaled the door had truly been sealed.

    Nathaniel turned to the darkness that surrounded the lone door. ¡°Brother!¡± He called out. ¡°It¡¯s over!¡±

    <hr>

    Sophie

    As soon as the words left Nathaniel¡¯s lips, the darkness vanished. The large minimalistic hallway emerged from the gloom and long streaks of midday light filled Sophie¡¯s vision. Sighing out in relief, she ran under the nearest sun beam and stood there breathing deeply in and out, staring at the featureless midday sky beyond the undecorated windows. From the disappearing shadows, Damien stepped forwards, awkwardly shuffling up to his siblings.

    ¡°What happened?¡± He asked frantically. ¡°Is everything alright?!¡± Naomi raised her head and gave him a look. Suddenly, Damien¡¯s posture changed. His shoulder lowered and the tension in his neck subsided.

    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± He said, and then was quiet.

    ¡°Be happy brother.¡± Nathaniel said bitterly, his own head was hung low and his eyes stared at the ground. ¡°You got the freedom you wanted.¡±

    ¡°We can discuss that later.¡± Naomi declared, rubbing her head with her hands. ¡°The important thing is that Chaos has stopped her assault on creation. All universes are saved from destruction, and we are free to leave.¡±

    ¡°For the time being.¡± Nathaniel warned despondently. ¡°There is so much work ahead for us.¡±

    ¡°Later.¡± Naomi firmly replied. ¡°I think we have some guests that will need to go back home.¡± Nathaniel looked up at the ceiling, leaned on the balls of his feet and sighed.

    ¡°Right, clean up first.¡± He said before striding off, back down the hallway, towards the conference room that they had first come from.

    Walking back through the winding corridors, Sophie reflected on the hell she had just been through moments before. Already her memory of the encounter with primordial Chaos were already blurring. The indescribable events that had occurred outside of all reality slowly leaked from her recollection, and the more she tried to concentrate on a specific feeling or emotion, the faster it slipped from her mind. Sophie slowed her excited pace, mumbling something and rubbing her eyes.

    ¡°Starting to forget?¡± Naomi asked.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Sophie grumbled. ¡°I¡­I can still remember bits, but that was¡­minutes, seconds ago, why can¡¯t I-.¡±

    ¡°Chaos cannot be comprehended by material creatures.¡± Nathaniel chimed in without turning back. ¡°Your mind can¡¯t hold her memory, just like a net cannot hold water.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to me?¡± Sophie¡¯s blood suddenly ran cold in her veins. In the cosmic maelstrom, her fear and panic had been a visceral emotion, survival from one moment to the next. But now, the true magnitude of what she had been through sunk down like a icy stone in the pit of her stomach.

    ¡°All three of you mortals will forget everything that has occurred with here.¡± Nathaniel replied. ¡°You will forget our true identities, and you will not remember us as anything more than mortals like yourself. The events of the apocalypse have been retroactively averted in all your worlds, and so your memory will conform this new reality.¡±

    Sophie nodded, trying to imagine the implications. But mostly she was relieved that her life would finally return to normal. Reaching the conference room door, Nathaniel ushered them all in and shut it behind them.

    ¡°This is farewell to the mortals.¡± Nathaniel began, seemingly addressing no one in particular. He faced the conference table and looked down at its polished surface. ¡°Despite your utter insignificance and ignorance of¡­basically everything, your contribution this day has been¡­substantial. So have a brief, but¡­hopefully fulfilling life.¡± Then he raised his hand and lightly snapped.

    Instantly, a ringing sound flooded Sophie¡¯s ears and she winced, closing her eyes and gritting her teeth as the grating noise died away. When she finally opened them again she had to suppress a audible gasp. She was back at the Art Institute Museum. Her exhibition stood front and center on its pedestal, visitors thronged around it, eager to get a glimpse of light-show that danced across the large monitors. Through the glass walls and out the window, there was a light snow falling over Chicago.

    ¡°Merry Christmas day.¡± Naomi¡¯s voice spoke, bemused. Already reeling from the shock of being displaced across time and space, Sophie nearly screamed and jumped in surprise. The older woman stood, like just another tourist in the crowd, the only thing hinting of her true nature were the strange reflections that gleamed off her eyes.

    Sophie breathed out and sucked in a deep breath. ¡°God it- why does it always have to be so sudden?! Would it kill you guys to give a warning of some kind?!¡± She moaned.

    ¡°Looking at it here, without any personal investment in it anymore, it is rather beautiful¡± Naomi replied, sidestepping Sophie¡¯s complaint. She gestured at the grand exhibit.

    ¡°It-it¡¯s normal now?¡± was all Sophie mustered in response. ¡°And, I¡¯m really back on Christmas day? Everything that happened after that¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the exhibit is normal now. Still beautiful, intricately produced, the pinnacle of this world¡¯s science and art, but entirely mundane by your standards. It will no longer show you the future, and it will no longer open up any portals to the void outside creation.¡± Naomi¡¯s voice seemed tinged with a hint of sadness.

    ¡°-and the time-line stuff? Is this really Christmas day?¡± Sophie pressed.

    ¡°Like my brother told you, cataclysm has been averted across all of existence, and anything that would have happened as a result of it, never did.¡± Naomi said simply. ¡°The stars are not going out any more. Everything is back the way it should be.¡±

    ¡°So now what.¡± Sophie said surprised, under her breath.

    ¡°Now, you will forget.¡± Naomi sighed. ¡°Your mind cannot remain out of sync from the time line you live in, unless you want your brain to slowly dematerialize from the inside of your skull. ¡±

    Sophie stood silent for a long time, her mind swirled with thoughts, emotions regarding the past several weeks, would she really want that to be taken from her? To forget what she went through and live in blissful ignorance?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Naomi said, seeing Sophie¡¯s face. ¡°I can tell that your memories will be hard to part with. You¡¯ve seen beyond the walls of your universe, what curious creature wouldn¡¯t want to keep that knowledge? But surviving¡­has its price, and I¡¯m afraid there is no way around this.¡±

    Slowly Sophie nodded. ¡°I guess¡­yeah¡­It¡¯s the price for surviving.¡± She said after a lengthy pause. ¡°But before it happens, what are you going to do?¡± Sophie asked to Naomi.

    ¡°Well, first there are terms we presented my mother.¡± The older woman said. ¡°I¡¯ll have to meet again with my siblings to discuss how we move forwards, then start working on whatever¡¯s coming next. I think you¡¯ve already guessed that we don¡¯t plan on fully going through with the surrender. There¡¯s going to be another confrontation with Chaos eventually, and one after that, and one after that. There is always more work to be done to make sure we don¡¯t lose everything."

    ¡°Your bargain with her¡­¡± Sophie muttered, ¡°Should I be worried about that?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you needn¡¯t even think about it. She¡¯ll be placated for a good long while, at least a trillion of your lifetimes.¡± Naomi said. ¡°And as for what we traded away to her, it¡¯s a loss for my older brother, but nothing that will affect your world in any way.¡±

    Sophie sighed in relief. There was a pause as the two women simply looked on at the people admiring the exhibit.

    ¡°You¡¯ll do just fine.¡± Naomi finally said. ¡°The credit for that design, is rightfully yours.¡± She pointed at the large screens set on their raised platform. Suddenly, a faint memory flashed in Sophie¡¯s mind and she felt a long object tucked in her coat pocket. Quickly she reached in and fished out a long electronic cigarette.

    ¡°Keep it.¡± Naomi said, seeing the device. ¡°It¡¯s an apology, a token of my remorse. But you don¡¯t need to forgive me.¡± Naomi pursed her lips for a moment. ¡°At the very least, it will be good to step out of my brother¡¯s shadow. After all of this, I think he understands that he¡¯s not the only one in charge anymore.¡± Naomi concluded before glancing at at the open door of the exhibition hall.

    Sophie tucked the sleek object back into her coat. ¡°I guess this is good bye then?¡± The red head asked.

    Naomi only nodded, turned around and vanished into a surging crowd at the door. Sophie¡¯s lips turned up in a thin smile for a moment. Then an odd sensation washed over her. For a moment, she quickly spun around in confusion, searching the crowd, convinced that she had lost track of someone, but that feeling quickly faded and she turned back to admiring the success of the exhibit.

    Its unfortunate Naomi had to leave the country on such short notice, she was a great help finally getting this last minute crunch project up and running, a shame she won¡¯t be here to receive her part of the credit. Sophie thought. Already, the strange fog of doubt, melancholy and anxiety that had been inexplicably hanging over her head had begun to dissipate. Feeling something in her pocket, Sophie took it out and laid eyes on a long, thin electronic smoke.

    Oh, I remember, she gave this to me before she left for her flight yesterday. Sophie pieced the new recollection together. I guess it¡¯s supposed to represent her when our department gets to walk up during some awards ceremony or something. She speculated in her mind. She stared at it quietly for a minute before finally putting the smoke away and taking in the sight of the exhibit hall again. Her design stood there, shining as the central pillar of a complete and cohesive piece of art.

    Sophie smiled a little bit with pride. She and her department had made it through the test successfully. They had delivered their promise on time and with great quality, and what was more, Sophie¡¯s own name was front and center on such a prestigious project. A fine achievement for someone as early into her career as she was. Breathing out a contented breath, Sophie let her eyes close in calming contentedness, things were finally looking up.

    <hr>

    Dawn

    Dawn shot up with a jolt in his bunk, nearly slamming his face into the armored ceiling. The ringing in his ears still echoed within his brain, a phantom of that unbearable sound. He took a deep breath and looked around. Sunlight streamed in through the small window casting stark shadows onto the sleeping sick bay.

    Early morning. He thought. Then, he heard a sound in the distance. His brain didn¡¯t register it at first, even after all of the cosmic impossibilities he had seen in the last several days, that sound was something that his brain had long ago dismissed as impossible.

    The ocean! The sound finally registered in his mind as waves, ocean waves crashing into rocky shores. Then above the din, the shrill warbling of sea life reached his ears. Dawn¡¯s hearts thumped with anticipation, with excitement, and with desperation. Throwing off his covers and ignoring the pain of a barely sealed wound, Dawn stuffed his limbs into a simple uniform and made a break for the door. The fortress was on low alert, civilian leaders and soldiers were sparse throughout he halls, alarms were silent and guards stood leisurely at their posts. Dawn sped past them, showing his identification at the important checkpoints and making a break for the courtyard. The sentries along his route gave him odd looks at his raggedness and desperation, but didn¡¯t impeded his movement.

    Finally tearing out of the last of the major defensive walls, Dawn made a mad dash across the encampment plateau and stopped just as the solid ground gave way to thin air. There, beyond the cliff and a stretch of flat sands, were rolling blue waves, cresting, breaking and falling onto the shore in an endless procession stretching to the horizon.

    Dawn felt his hearts thump into his chest and he rubbed his eyes once, then twice, before collapsing into the dusty earth, crying out in relief and joy.

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing the sea as well.¡± Dawn looked up at the voice and saw Blossom slowly take a seat in the dirt next to him.

    ¡°How-?¡± Dawn choked through his emotions. ¡°It¡¯s back, all of it-¡±

    ¡°The time-line was remade.¡± Blossom replied. ¡°In this reality, the god eater was completed on time and worked a wonder. The star machine was obliterated, and all of its damage was undone in an instant.¡± He took a deep breath of the salty air.

    ¡°Your world lives again, and I¡¯m very happy for that.¡± He turned and looked at Dawn with a joyful expression.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t even know wh-¡° Dawn sputtered. ¡°The sea, the forests, all of it was burned from this world when I was so young¡­ I barely remember any of it. But it¡¯s back! Not after years or centuries, but right now right here, it¡¯s back!¡± His body let out another spasm of relief and joy. A soft breeze blew across the top of the of the fortress plateau, bringing the faint smell of the wilderness along with it.

    Finally pulling his face from the sand, Dawn took another long moment to absorb the beauty of his home, before turning to the other man. ¡°My memory¡­I¡¯m going to forget? Everything?¡±

    ¡°Not everything.¡± Blossom replied. ¡°The war against the star machine was part of your reality long before me and my siblings became involved. Your people weathered the worst of that storm without my help, that will not be taken from you. But your more recent encounter with me, and your time in the void. That will all have to go. Such alien experience will fester in mortal minds.¡±

    Dawn flicked his antennae with affirmation.

    ¡°I will just be another fellow comrade in your memory.¡± Blossom said somberly, before laughing to himself. ¡°It¡¯s ironic, that all of you will remember me as brave and fearless in battle, despite the real coward I was.¡± He scoffed. ¡°Look at me, I was so afraid of my family¡¯s judgment, I ran away to a mortal¡¯s battlefield to play soldier.¡± His mandibles clacked as he laughed harshly at himself.

    Dawn reached out and landed a claw on Blossom¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°I¡­still don¡¯t know enough of about you to make a call about whether you¡¯re a coward or not.¡± Dawn said, still recovering from his own emotional outburst. ¡°But, I think you did the right thing at the end. You saved our planet, and you got your siblings on the right track to stop Chaos, that¡¯s not nothing.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Blossom replied, staring directly ahead into the bright morning sky.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to stay here, in your world for the time being.¡± He finally said. ¡°This can be my starting point to visit and understand all the worlds I helped to preserve.¡± Blossom turned and looked at Dawn ¡°And if we meet again, you will only know me in mortal guise, and never grasp the full truth again. Will that be alright with you?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, I think I would prefer it that way.¡± Dawn said. ¡°I¡¯m tired of all this cosmic nonsense. I think I¡¯ve had enough of it for ten lifetimes.¡±

    ¡°Then, I guess this is a kind of farewell.¡± Blossom said.

    ¡°Yeah, farewell to darkness and void and chaos.¡± Dawn laughed. And then Blossom laughed, and the two continued to laugh, jaws chittering with joy and relief, for good while longer, admiring a broken world that had finally been set right.

    <hr>

    Jonas

    ¡°I¡­.I¡¯m home?!¡± Jonas cried looking around frantically. But there was no doubt, he was back in the asphalt parking lot in front of his apartment building. The familiar side paneling of the five story structure greeted him like an old friend. The sun was high overhead, right before noon, and Nathaniel stood several paces behind.

    ¡°Your world, your people, all restored to exactly the way it was. An entire universe reconstitute from Chaos¡¯s clutches¡± He made a wide gesture at the sky. Jonas ran over to the bushes dotting the base of the apartment and rubbed them between his fingers.

    ¡°Yes, yes, its all real, all fully solid.¡± Nathaniel said.

    ¡°So it¡¯s all over then¡­? All the things that were happening on my world, all those fish...creatures, those huge city destroying balls, that flying¡­blob thing, are they all gone now?¡± Jonas asked.

    Nathaniel clasped his hands behind his back and paced towards Jonas. ¡°Yes, they are gone now.¡± He said. ¡°Most of them had been on your world for eons. In ages past, I led all manner of creatures across the stars to your world, for a myriad of plans and schemes. New empires to build, new games to play.¡±

    Jonas narrowed his eyes. ¡°Then¡­how does that relate to the apocalypse?¡±

    ¡°I had no intention of your people ever encountering them.¡± Nathaniel explained. ¡°That is why I tucked them away deep beneath the earth, set them to sleep beneath the waves, and sealed them in dimensional crawlspaces between realities. But my mother¡¯s awakening loosed them on your world, and their rampage scattered this planet to dust.¡±

    ¡°Where are they now then?¡± Jonas asked.

    ¡°Sent back to their own planets, or given new ones.¡± Nathaniel replied. ¡°After all, my time of ruling creation is coming to an end, and I wouldn¡¯t want to leave a mess Chaos could exploit.¡±

    Jonas¡¯s eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.

    ¡°The terms of our ¡°surrender¡± that I made.¡± Nathaniel said. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know what they were?¡±

    ¡°Oh that,¡± Jonas thought aloud. ¡°Yeah, I was wondering what that was about, you didn¡¯t trade away anything¡­important did you?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?!¡± Nathaniel shouted, his anger made Jonas flinch. ¡°I had to abdicate my throne! I am no longer the ruler of creation! My subordinates will be re-purposed back into the automaton they were initially created as, and my position of authority is no more!¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a good thing to me.¡± Jonas mumbled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t sound so glib about my absence.¡± Nathaniel warned, his eyes flaring like two miniature suns. ¡°After I leave, my mother will take my place as the chief influence upon the universe. Her essence will now be allowed to permeate your universes while she sleeps, influencing all life towards her chaos and disorder, and when she has converted all of you mortals to her side and twisted reality to her whims, she will wake again to recapture me. Make no mistake Jonas Westerbaum, the agreement has only bought us time. It is indisputable that this time I lost, you lost, all of creation lost.¡±

    Jonas was silent in thought for a while. Nathaniel continued to pace the parking lot, stroking his goatee rapidly.

    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth.¡± Jonas finally said. ¡°I don¡¯t think its as simple as you make it seem. I think it¡¯s going to be much harder than your mother thinks, if she wants to turn all of us to her ways. We flesh and blood people may have come from chaos, but we¡¯re also pretty good at trying to create order. We carved out our own lives here on this planet, even in the face of so much chance and misfortune. I think we¡¯re kind of like you in that way, actually.¡±

    Nathaniel looked up from his ruminating with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°That is the hope that my sister bet on.¡± He said. ¡°If you mortals could keep an ordered universe in our absence, Chaos would never have her final victory.¡± He looked up at the sky. ¡°But my mother will never accept that kind of defeat. If she fails to get what she wants with this deal, if she realizes that we have not given up and are just playing her for time, then she will resort to destruction once again.¡±

    ¡°But when that time comes, your brother and sister will be there as well, won¡¯t they?¡± Jonas pointed out. ¡°Since you sorted things out with your siblings this time, I think that they¡¯d be willing to stand with you when the time comes again.¡± Jonas scratched his head. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s no deal that will last forever, but it¡¯s like a give and take, a new fight every so often, a new agreement each time, with the three of you working together to stop Chaos from running amok. At least thats how I see it. That¡¯s just what having a difficult family is like, I think.¡±

    ¡°Hmmmmmmm.¡± Nathaniel made a miffed rumbling in his throat. ¡°An interesting perspective.¡± He admitted stiffly. Then he turned on his heels and quickly strode to the other end of the parking lot.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving your mud-ball for a billion years to sort out my affairs.¡± Nathaniel declared. He adjusted his tie and took a deep, melodramatic bow. ¡°You will never see me again and every memory of me and my kin will be expunged from your mind. Your car is on the other side of the building, your house keys are in your left pocket, and phone in your right.¡± Then, like a mirage, Nathaniel¡¯s form wavered, morphing rapidly through a hundred different shapes, and vanished into thin air. Jonas continued to stare at the spot in space for a while longer, and when he was sure there was nothing more there, he turned on his heels towards the front door.

    It¡¯s a bit strange. Jonas thought as he approached the door. Why am I out here on a Saturday noon? I can¡¯t be getting the mail, that doesn¡¯t come until three¡­ Stopping at the front door, he wracked his brain trying to remember what he had been doing morning. There was waking up¡­breakfast¡­and I guess I watched TV? He thought. Just another lazy Saturday. He bemoaned internally, before stopping. As he stared up at the siding of his house, and the blank blue sky beyond, a faint realization crystallized in his mind.

    This job, this town¡­.there¡¯s really nothing here for me is there? Jonas turned back and took a long look at the uninteresting, sleepy place he called a home. I¡¯ve been here for five years, avoiding my family like a coward, doing whatever work gets piled my way and for what? Just to do it again the next day?

    Jonas sighed, as the memory of a promise he had made to himself bubbled up from somewhere deep within his mind, a promise to leave this place and never look back, a promise to start a new life. For a few minutes, Jonas stood stationary, in the hot sun, contemplating it in his head. Beads of sweat rolled down his face and a hot humid summer wind dragged across the dusty parking lot. Finally, Jonas turned back to the door and began to reach for his keys.

    He still had a lot to get done today. Polishing up his resume, sending out applications, there was still quite a bit of work to be done before he could hand in his two weeks notice. Maybe he would even call his family after all this time, finally get some kind of closure with them. There was also the question of where he would go, and something in his gut told him that the West Coast was going to be quite beautiful this time of year.