The Eclipse no longer had a reason to resent the Star. The moment the Herald confirmed what he said was the truth, she released his arm and the blade disappeared from his throat.

“Hah. You take your job seriously at the very least.” The Star caressed his throat. “To think that a Moon trusts a Herald before a Star. A shame that all it took was one Star to ruin our legacy.” He sighed before continuing deeper through the tunnel.

“Stars not all good. War in Heaven proof.” The Eclipse said, following him closely as the Herald idly dragged himself forward, maintaining at a perfect ten meters of distance from them.

“That was long ago. Why blame me for a War I never fought in? Ill stars are only those that stray from the Nexus. The Red Giants are our new traitors. Let’s not fall into their wretched downfall.” The Star suddenly grinned sadistically as they entered the vast, blue-tinted chamber where a Retrofitter once resided. “But it does make me exorbitantly happy to see them grovel at the feet of the Harrowers.”

“Harrowers?” The Eclipse tilted her head in confusion.

She was then answered by a voice that spoke from across the chamber as soon as she entered the light.

“Some Atelier’s personnel. Nothing too serious.” The voice came from a woman with purple hair who carried eyes that pierced through the darkness. Her flesh was tinted a similar color as she donned a pale research gown, going over the rims of the chamber with a checklist in hand. “Don’t use those terms so freely, Star.”

“A Succubus with manners? How rare.” The Star hummed. “No attempt to hide your true form?”

Several giant, dangling instruments shaped like the illicium of an angler fish cast an ominous light upon them. The absence of the Retrofitter caused large patches of darkness to invade the sanctum, and in those places, one could find rusting chunks of moist metal. The rich stench of iron would immediately cause anyone that dared to intrude to drop to their knees, but to them it was but a fragrance.

“Before a Star? Please. What can I possibly hide?” The Succubus chuckled, albeit slightly nervously. “Ahem… So, with all due respect, what brings a Star here to a Retrofitter’s Site?”

The Succubus held a fairly high position within Caldera Industries but worked under the command of ImpulseWorks. She was a Compound Inspector, which was the combination of a Gravity Inspector and a Structural Inspector. Another namesake of hers was also the Head Inspector, at least for H5.

Her role was fairly simple: to inspect all structures engineered by Caldera Industries. Despite how things looked, the chamber fell within acceptable parameters, and she happily ticked off the last of the checklist before burying it within her voluptuous bosom.

“As per the request of the Nexus, I am here to inform the Eclipse of upcoming changes in management. You see, their roles as Assassins no longer have a place in the eye of the Amalgam.” The Star explained to her rather than to the Eclipse like she was a troublesome child. It was clear that the Succubus was in some way the Eclipse’s handler, or at least someone close enough to handle their conversations.

“… Amalgam?” The Succubus blinked with confusion.

“Oh. I forget how woefully ignorant you non-Blessed are.” A long sigh left the lips of the Star. “The Head. You should now be aware of this new body of the Nexus. It serves to keep the Ateliers in line.”

“Me related to this how?” The Eclipse questioned as she pointed at herself with the tip of her barbed tail.

“Moons of the Nexus will be playing dynamic roles, but they will still always be the ones that will fight the Corrupted. Correct me if I’m wrong, but Eclipses are not suited to fight Corrupted.”

The Eclipse nodded, their transparent, blob-like hair bouncing like a spring. “Eternal Night hard. Correct. Moon assassination easy. Never expect it.”

“Changes in management, you said… Is the Head assimilating the Eclipses?” The Succubus immediately knew where this was going, however, a part of her wondered if the Eclipse would end up being slaughtered now that they were effectively useless.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

“ImpulseWorks no need. Amalgam need us?” The Eclipse wanted confirmation, looking to the Herald who nodded just as the Star answered.

“Precisely. I am not alone in our recruitment. Other Eclipses are being assimilated as we speak. The Amalgam seeks specialist Moons. People that can quietly and effectively eliminate troublesome people. Perhaps detain them even. Moons of the Nexus are perfectly capable, but having skilled professionals on day one will benefit the Head greatly.”

“Eclipse can meet the Amalgam?”

“They are loving of all that is Blessed and… non-Blessed.” The Star struggled to utter the last of his sentence, like he was deathly allergic to the concept of showing mercy to such people.

It caused a dangerous chill to run down the Succubus’ spine.

“The T-4 Artificers have made arrangements already. Currently, you serve no one.” The Herald added. “It’s wonderous what happens up there behind closed doors. The Nexus and Act X operate so similarly, don’t they?”

“Comparing the Nexus to the metal clambers your broken doll of a Beholder interprets is an insult of the highest order.” The Star hummed, bloodlust oozing from his permanent smile. “Your kind relies on Scripts because you yourself cannot hear whatever cacophony the machines in the sky create. Driven by the tug of strings not of your own. Your interpretations don’t even come from yourself. Don’t speak about the similarities of us. There are none you purposeless puppet.”

The Herald’s soft smile disappeared as a wave of terror engulfed them. They were the lowest of all messengers of Act X, and in spite of how untouchable they seemed, they were constantly at risk depending on the message they carried. The term shooting the messenger fit them well.

“That means you already consider the Eclipse as part of the Head.” The Succubus deducted, greatly pleasing the Star. “No one in their right mind’s going to refuse. Besides, no one just comes here to inform anyone of a sudden change in management without additional instructions. ImpulseWorks or a Herald could have told us otherwise.”

“Star means big news or orders. Serving the Nexus again…” The Eclipse spoke fondly, but there was also an air of uncertainty surrounding her words. “… Meet Amalgam?”

“It will happen.” The Star promised, raising a finger to the sky as it glowed a bright orange. “So long as you can fulfill an introductory mission. It will serve as your induction. And Succubus. You’re involved.”

“I’m Sorry? I’m Caldera Industries’ property. I cannot –”

“You belong to ImpulseWorks so long as you are inside of the Nex Megalopolis.” The Star reminded, hushing her as her body trembled. “The Artificer of Rupturing gave me a stern reminder. How frightening that person was. She may be the only non-Blessed I could care to respect. You are a tool. Tools don’t speak. Make yourself useful and take the form of a healer.”

“… purpose?” The Eclipse wondered, all the while the Succubus couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“There’s a Syndicate causing trouble in D9 amongst the reparation efforts. The Head wants someone inside to place them precisely where she wants for an upcoming spectacle. They will serve as both training and an example of the Head’s reach.”

“Amalgam wants an Eclipse to fight a Syndicate? Overkill? Send Association.”

The Star then clarified for the Eclipse:

“It indeed would be overkill. A single Color is enough to take them down. The Amalgam chooses to use a more appropriate force. Healers.”

“… what…?” The Succubus blankly blinked, the shock allowing her to speak over her paralyzing fear. “H-Healers…?”

“Combat Healers.” He corrected, making his exit as he approached the Herald. “The Amalgam’s Black Wings. You will get them into place. Gather them neatly for the first showing of the Amalgam’s reach. Those of us in higher places have no need to fight such lowly organizations.”

“… I’m going to be bait?” The Succubus wondered.

“Whatever you want to call it. The methodology you use is not up to me. We only want results. Oh, but you will be rewarded for your efforts. Now then… to see the faces of the Red Giants.” He hummed, passing by the Herald as he held his glowing finger just before his face. “Good puppet. Be the loyal dog to the Scripts. They’ve been interpreted over and over, and yet you call it the truth? A shame. Loyalists like you would make good Stars in a perfect world…”

Any closer and his eyes would have been plucked. Thankfully, the Star left the Herald alone and proceeded into the darkness, his sole light barely able to illuminate the halls.

“… But this is not a perfect world. Keep this in mind, Herald. Act X will only exist for a predetermined amount of time. When the curtains fall and the show ends, there will be no encore. Your time is limited.”

The Herald trembled, leaning against his blade as he desperately held back the urge to vomit.

“That’s… not true…” He gasped, breaking character entirely.

The Star left them all aside from the Eclipse in a miserable state, and none could voice their displeasure.

“Wanted again… happy.” The Eclipse nodded to herself, softly smiling whilst the other two wretched forward, clutching at their heads and stomachs. “Go now. Hurry. Pain temporary. Death forever.”

“… Yeah. Yeah… I really didn’t want to shapeshift anytime soon. I thought joining Caldera Industries would have spared me from it. Fuck. Shit… I fucking hate it.” The Succubus growled through clenched teeth. “Now that you’re no longer part of ImpulseWorks I guess I can freely say ‘fuck them’ out loud. Dammit…”

“We go?” The Eclipse didn’t seem to understand why the Succubus seemed to hurt as she eagerly egged her to move on.

“… monsters. All of you. Yeah. Let’s go.”