{100 CE}

For millennia, Korac and I devised our revenge. We salvaged old schematics from Xelan's proposals. Weapons, machinery, and genetically modified creatures. Many of which proved useful for our eventual invasion of Earth.

We bade our time.

Paranoid after my brother's betrayal, I infused members of the servant caste with royal blood to act as my council and engineers. I wanted to better represent the concerns of our people in all layers. The moment I suspected ulterior motivation or cunning, I demanded their execution and rotation of members. No Imminent infiltration tolerated.

Without access to human blood, we lived on the brink of starvation. Our scientists gathered enough from Xelan's research to derive a synthetic alternative from dying Vittle crops. I wanted to elevate the entire race to warrior caste, but I couldn't risk the increased appetite during famine. At least as servant caste, they desired less of... well, everything. They also missed Earth less this way.

In my hatred of Celindria, I constructed the Martyr Complex. Fully realized from Xelan's initial configuration and intelligence. We mirrored it after the Pretiosum Cruor's functions. Our salvation. It only lacked her blood.

Korac designed certain features I'll leave unmentioned. Let him tell it in his Verse.

I often found myself in the cavern, staring at the casket. Imagined lowering her into it. Sealing it. Leaving her to sleep as Cinder thrived on the foundation of her suffering.

Damn me.

The Primary vanished. He'd yet to reappear after his witnessed encounter with Celindria. He wasn't far. I sensed him lurking, and I despised it.

I sat on my throne contemplating a new council rotation when Korac entered with less command than usual. I recognized that gait. A harbinger of bad tidings unwilling to take the shot for them.

"Out with it."

He shook his head and swallowed. Speechless.

Oh, it must be truly catastrophic. I descended from the throne and took up at his side. "General, we will work through it."

His jaw flexed as he minced his teeth for the right words. "Your majesty... A cataclysm overtook Thailea with Xelan and Celindria on the planet."

A lead stone sank in my chest. I couldn't breathe. How could he be so calm--

"Xelan is alive. He faces Tribunal on Enki. But..."

No. Impossible. "Nothing could kill her."

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He looked away, sharply. We would never see Earth again.

I barked out a laugh and then another. Hysterical, I broke down as Korac stood sentinel to my delirium. "Of course, she would die before we could take her. That spiteful bitch." I laughed until my ribs hurt despite my nacre.

A sound surprised me. Korac laughed, bitter and spent, joining my own.

We were so tired, Rayne. Tired of losing. Everything.

I flew out of my throne room with the General shouting after me. I would end this. I would die to finish it. Cinder would die with me.

The conduit to Enki welcomed me in the haze of the Weapon's shadow. My eyes shifted chrome in their Atramentous. Blood dripped from my clenched fists. My boot hit solid corrugated metal. Not glass. The entire shrine was encased in the black material. Red perimeter lighting lined the ceilings and floors.

Aggressive. Uninviting.

I took three steps into the construct when Korac knocked me to the floor. An unusual energy zipped over our heads.

"Sire, we must leave. The sentry weapons--" He rolled us out of the way again.

I trained my gaze on a rectangular device with its sights set on us.

He snarled, "Nacre detecting. Nox, get out!"

My internal organs twisted into a knot. I screamed as I collapsed to my knees.

The Primary.

This was surely the end. I writhed in pain as the sentry shot at my helplessness.

Korac's cape swept in my vision. He grunted. I focused on his boots as I passed out, waiting to die.

I woke up on Cinder outside the conduit to Enki. Umbra's Spire loomed over me. I stared at the black waterfall, relearning how to breathe.

A groan drew my attention behind me. There, Korac lay curled on his side. I tried twice to speak, "General?"

His voice was faint and strained. "Your... your majesty."

I crawled to his front. Blood flowed from his chest. I helped apply pressure to the wounds while his nacre-less blood patched him up.

He fought to lessen his sounds. "Forgive me. It refuses to heal fast enough." Korac squeezed his eyes tight. He let out a strangled chuckle. "Before I die, tell me how you make shadows. You can grant me that, can you not?"

Blood. It's always the blood. I bit into my wrist and pressed it to Korac's mouth. "Drink, and I will tell you."

He licked his parched lips and stared at my wrist. "I appreciate the offer, but I never fancied you, sire."

It hurt to laugh. The mongrel fed, and I told him an abbreviated version of the tale I wrote for you.

He choked on his laughter. "Fuck, no wonder you were rubbish with ardent endeavors."

I glared at him. "Soldier..." But the reprimand held no weight. I was too relieved at the sight of his mending injuries. Korac took a shot for me and dragged my unconscious body from danger.

"Thank you."

He rolled onto his back and stared up at Li. "We must save Cinder. I know you are willing to die for it. And one day, I believe you will. But not yet, your majesty."

I stared at the conduit into a war station. "We install mines. No more surprise visits from the Tritans. Cinder is cut off."

"We must inform our spies to avoid any accidents."

I stood. My muscles found my bones almost too heavy to carry in my skin. Exhausted. "Can you fly, General?"

He sprung to his feet and released his wings.

"We return to the castle. Bring me any news of Celindria's descendants." A thought struck me. "Inform me of the situation on Thailea in detail."

In my lifetime, the most bizarre and ambiguous events occurred on that planet. The same planet where my father finished the Ancients in a battle more unusual than my own accounts.

No more coincidences. These were confluences of a conspiracy tracing back to before my conception. I planned to seek it out.

Rayne, read closely. The original foreigner that Elden devoured. The super nova of Li. The failed sphere and my father's ascension. Follow these threads to Enki. Follow them to Thailea.

I believe somewhere in the history of that Ancient race lies the Tritans' unmaking.