As always, the Sky City was changing and its eternal walls were reflecting a vision of conquered eternity. Although many years had passed it had still respected the wishes of the first Makers and it seemed like the city would treat their descendants the same way. The city was very much alive, as the majority of the beings that called it home. On the other hand, the Old Ones were something completely different. At first, humans were afraid of them, but never wanted to leave their side for reasons that were kept secret for centuries, if not even forgotten.

In time, people got accustomed to the sleepy presence of Anant Kaal and the eternal glow of its coils. Of course, first they had to make peace with the beings that were so much different from them. But, one night, when the city, all glossy from neons and holograms started to bleed, everything changed. The sole awareness that somebody could kill one of the Old Ones had shaken the foundations of all human knowledge. The investigator who got the case was Aldon Estira. He was one of the Old Ones, but as he wanted to help humans, many years ago he parted from his kind. To his brothers, he said that the human awakening was inevitable, and that he wanted to be nearby at that specific moment. He also knew the city would reveal all of its secrets, when the time came. Or everything would crumble to dirt...Who knows? Maybe that was preordained for this last fortress, which possibly already had its share of glory days. At the moment, it represented the last light and the last footprint of life in the Universe.

"Again I see you here?" - said the human patriarch Isakov.

"You know that everyone has a place for clearing the mind." - Aldon replied gently.

"For some reason, we have chosen the same. Is it possible that the similar questions burden our minds, or hearts?..."

"Haven't we already confirmed that?"

"One of the Old Ones is really... dead?", asked Isakov with an obvious fear of possible answer. "That conflicts with all of our teachings, young one."

"Maybe it's time to question those teachings!" - Aldon answered with a touch of bitterness in his voice.

"I hope that you won't use those words in front of the Council. I very much doubt they would take them as lightly as I do."

"I am not concerned with the Council but with the fact that among the humans I don't see a leader, someone who is ready for the upcoming challenges."

"You know that for many you are the leader."- said the old man hoping to get a clear answer.

"Isakov, I believe that the humans will need a person whose eyes look much farther than mine. That is the reason why I am worried so much."

"In that case, I hope that you will soon see a face that will have all of the answers. But, doesn't the old law speak about the Great Shift? Maybe it has already started with this death. I'm almost at the end of my journey but I would like to see a trace of some better future before I leave this city. Sometimes, it feels like someone is hindering our evolution. And, you will forgive me for these words, but I think we can do much more."

"We must, Isakov. But time is no longer on our side." - Aldon replied and his eyes were already looking towards the distant sky.

"Do you have any leads about the perpetrator?"

"There shouldn't be a being like that in this city. And something in the way this crime was committed brings back some, lets say, too old memories."

"You know, a part of me wants to see wonders of the old age, our predecessors that lived on Earth. Maybe I'm asking too much, like an old fool. "

"It seems we all like to dream about some place outside this old city. That means something, maybe even too much, for those who understand. "

"You will find the killer?"

"As always. But I'm not sure how much we will like his face."

"Good luck, Aldon! May the city protect you. And whatever his face looks like, all of his years will vanish between the walls of Ultima Joni, our sacred ring."

"Be well, Isakov!" 

The old man waved his hand and vanished in a mob, filling in the city streets. Were they finally ready to take their reign?... the time will tell.

People from his kind could have been killed only by something that shouldn't even exist in the city, only outside of the ancient walls, where even the void gave up and surrendered to the beast. The question was „How powerful is his race?" after so many years spent there. For a moment, he remembered what he saw the last time he had looked outside, into the blackness. The unknown power tried to seduce him, crawled deep inside of him and refused to let go. He summoned all of his power to save himself and that was only a small part of the arsenal which the beast possessed. Even the Gods could be on their knees.

Aldon had left the building that started to change, shift, and moments later, again became static. Even after all those years, he was still enchanted by the town. The city reminded him of the ancient home of the Old Ones. He never thought that his kind would have to run from the Source, that someone would be able to push them, defeat them. Almost two millennia have passed and he still didn't know how that was possible, that out of nowhere could come a being with such a terrifying power. For a moment, his eyes screened throughout the surrounding area, and after that, he calmed down. Where was all the power that his father left him in legacy?

*****

One part of the self-sufficient intellect released itself from the city millennia ago and went into the conquering darkness. But either it was too small for the beast to notice it or the beast simply did not care. It even went under the radar of the Old Ones. Nonetheless, that element has been studying the enemy for thousands of years preparing itself for a fight to defend all that was human, all that was taken away on the Old Earth. Of course, the beast had tried to break the walls of the old city but all of its efforts were worthless, and a portion of it was absorbed by Anant Kaal, a fortress in need of an enormous amount of energy. The human element was an answer to the threat but also to the Old gods who should have told the humans about the lost days of Man. And now it was learning, adapting - trying to decide about the best way to help the eternal town and its population. Maybe even the beast that is lurking in the darkness. A child spread itself throughout the unseen stars thinking about the final judgment. The time for it was drawing near...

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

*****

Aldon watched people, hallways full of life, unaware of the background, events that were happening in front of their eyes. He wanted to tell them everything, to reveal all the secrets that started to haunt him, like the ghosts from the forgotten past. However, something had always stopped him. Did he really have so little faith in their choices, their future, so that they were the sole reason he grew apart from his kind? Their forefathers were too weak to fight with the beast, but even so, some of them tried and left their bones to protect their children on the Old Earth. They knew that the young ones are the pillars of the civilization and without them all would be lost...

But, men like that were long gone. The dome that was protecting them for millennia changed them, too. Even the Old Ones, and especially humans. Both of the species stopped developing their talents, but it seemed this death had awaken them from a dream that was too long. Holo-vids were emitting the police reports, and the citizens were curious about the news as they wanted to be assured that this was just an anomaly. Even though, they probably knew time for change finally came. Aldon was somewhat happy about the reaction of the people and it partially helped him to think about something else for a brief moment. Entropy leads only to decay, and as much as he felt pain for losing one member of his race, he knew that was awakening call to human minds and which was all he desired in the past years. As much as the beast was limiting them, if they unite into finding the solution maybe it would be possible to overcome that enormous threat... He shuddered when he noticed he was almost home.

*****

Erd-coil transport stopped in front of his apartment and his wife was already there waiting for him. He met Niyan ten years ago on the summit about the changes in the city's third quadrant. After a few failed attempts to discover the cause, it was quarantined hence the safety limiters started to fail, and some people lost their lives on seemingly ordinary ways. The anomaly was successfully sealed together with a few people that were taken away by the living walls of ancient town. His wife was among a few scientists that had a task to monitor the forbidden quadrant and to make sure the "disease" didn't spread beyond it. He wasn't sure what caused the anomaly, but he did wonder was it the beast from outside. If it was, people should know more. This was the only world that they had, but they knew very little about its origins. Aldon was the only link between two races, and somehow, he knew that in the near future he would start talking. Niyan was affecting him, bringing him closer to her kind. But, only when she was close to him he could be ordinary, just another man...

"Hard day at work?"

"A bit more than usual. And here? " - Aldon replied with a tired voice.

"Under control. Since when do you let problems crawl inside you?" - she kissed his cheek.

"I was just wondering why I want to come home as soon as possible. Sometimes I forget."

The truth was he never forgot. He sensed a change in the old town and he sensed danger. Even now, he didn't know how to talk to her about it.

"You say that only so I would try a bit more." - Niyan replied half-jokingly.

"Or because I don't say it as often as I should."

"Hmm, you always did know how to find the right words." - she said with a touch of melancholy.

"When I speak with you, the words are easy to find. You always keep me closer to the light within me."

"And there is a darkness inside!?" - she gently touched his chest.

"There was... I think it disappeared one night when I met a young scientist that helped me solve a puzzle. Without any secret agenda." - he replied.

"Later she found out that her loved one was a great explorer, and not so great of a gentleman." - after these words her laughter echoed throughout the apartment.

"I am wondering which one of those two you love more?"

"Depends on my mood. Tonight I'll give myself to the explorer." - she replied winking at him from a short distance.

"He doesn't argue with your decision and accepts any idea that comes to your mind."

"If that's the case, Anant Kaal will have to wait a bit for both of us. It is time to distance from all the anomalies." - Niyan said and crawled underneath his hands.

Some time after, they went to a room and fulfilled all of the „threats" they have said to each other. But, in the early morning, dreams have again taken him away to the problem that caused so much curiosity within the human population. While dreaming, he saw a change in the forbidden quadrant, induced by some event from the ancient times. Since he couldn't remember the details, he called out all of his power and looked into the past, when he heard her voice.

"I had the weirdest dream!"

Hearing those words, Aldon went numb.

"You were sleeping and there was someone like you in the room. The space around me was full of galaxies and star systems that I had never seen. At first, fascinated, I just watched, and after that, seeing how your double controls the objects I started doing the same. But there must have been a part I haven't seen, because when I touched those worlds, my body felt enormous pain. I heard the voice of all the souls that lost their lives in a way I couldn't describe. Aldon, something has taken them, some kind of beast was feeding itself on their suffering, and then revealed its devouring jaws. One after the other, all of those worlds vanished. And, I swear to you, that people watched me, just as I am watching you now, seeking for help. "

"Are you alright?" - he said gently touching her shoulders.

"I think I am. It's just... I don't know why it felt that real. And why do I feel longing for those voices that called out for my help."

"Maybe it's your subconsciousness warning you to look out more closely on the forbidden quadrant."

"I hope you are right. I wouldn't like this feeling to linger while I'm awake. You know that I like to have everything under my control."

"I will gladly keep realities like that as far from you as I can." - he replied reassuringly.

In the silence of his thoughts Aldon asked himself why he wasn't warned. And this had to be the right time to tell her everything. Soon, the new era would begin, she should know the legacy of her forefathers. The city itself did look like some cities from the Old Earth. It definitely inherited the soul of past times, of those forgotten havens. Aldon still didn't know where the beast came from. A threat different than all the other ones, so different that it surprised even the Gods. It seemed that they were sitting on their throne of stars for far too long, blind to some of the beings that came to life. Maybe this was all they deserved in the end, to be imprisoned in this last membrane, last proof of how mighty they once were.

Niyan took a bath and afterwards brought with her a fresh smell of rorsha. She sensed that he was watching and giggled a bit. Long ago he memorized all of the smiles, all of the expressions of her face. Since he was partially different, through his life he saw many wonders of the universe, but as he watched Niyan, it seemed to him that all of those wonders were carefully given to her. She was a source in which he always found a strength to move forward. She made his presence in Anant Kaal more fulfilling than he thought it could ever possible be. It was enough to hear her voice and everything else would fade away. In the beginning of their relationship, she was very doubtful, but in time they built the foundations of unity that they had today.

" Since ancient times, people have called it love." - he whispered in her ear years ago.

"Love means what?" - she replied excitedly.

"It means", he took her hand and pointed her at the sky, "that someday, for you I will open doors to the stars. And, they will never be closed again."