Randidly’s mind raced as he considered the possibilities of what the Nether Arbiter suggested. The universe around him squeezed his Nether Core, encouraging that he seek out and create the shape she described. The stability he created wouldn’t possess the same sort of immediate sense of power he had felt while forging the Phaea, but it would create that groove for others. The fact that his Muse’s Reverie responded made it seem legitimate.

A new beginning, huh. Reminds me of a very old conversation I once had with Lyra. Randidly’s expression softened as he looked at the Nether Arbiter. She told me to think about myself beyond my body and think about my role: she labeled me the inciting action.

Even here, they need me to take the first step…

Still, he didn’t want to rush to agree without considering Lowanna’s motivations. Yet the more he thought about it, the more pity he felt for her. Obviously, she felt worried about the future of Nether people, but even in the midst of war, she didn’t understand how things would collapse. How the reason that Randidly’s Nether Core appeared so primitive to her was that the rich and full history of Nether… all of it would be ripped up by the roots in the next few hundred years.

However, he forced himself to focus on the consequences of following Lowanna’s advice. First and most obvious, he would need to create and utilize Maala against the people of the Alpha Cosmos. He could toy with the shape, adjust its role a bit, but it would still be a unilateral move. One which reminded him of the very worst of the impulses of the Nexus.

Second… Randidly cleared his throat. This would not be a project he could undertake alone. “And I suppose… you would be the Nether Priestess in this arrangement?”

Lowanna gave him a frank look for a few seconds. Then she snorted and waved her manacled hands at him. “Are you being silly? How could I be a part of the new order, bound like this, locked down by Phaea?”

Randidly opened his mouth and then closed it. She sighed. “I know, it’s a complicated situation. And as much as I dream of creating this alternative… I wouldn’t be able to be a part of it. It is enough for me to guide you through the patterns. Although… as I’m sure you’ve realized, we have a lot to do. Especially with the Maala connection.”

Before Randidly could advance the discussion, Devick in the corner yawned and stretched. She stood and shook her body. After blinking, she frowned over at Randidly and Lowanna. “Are the two of you downplaying with invisible energy? I’m getting hungry.”

“We can take a break for now, I believe. Nether King Hungry Eye and I need to take a lot into consideration. But before anything else, I have a hot chunk of gossip for you,” Lowanna leaned forward, her expression serious. Randidly felt vaguely bewildered but felt exasperated as he listened to her. “While you were focused inward, Hungry Eye attempted to unilaterally devote himself to your service, body and soul, for the rest of his life. No need to thank me, but I prevented him from doing so. I’ll go obtain provisions for our evening meal.”

With a light wave, Lowanna walked out of the room. Devick jerked her thumb after her. “Honestly, I don’t get her sense of humor at all.”

He pursed his lips. “I don’t quite follow her motivations either. But her heart is in the right place.”

“And her stomach.” Devick patted her belly. “You know, you were right; I’ve got the worst sort of indigestion I’ve ever felt, absorbing all this greed. Yet simultaneously, I feel like I could gobble up a herd of ponies.”

Randidly’s lips twitched as he imagined a crazed Devick hunting down and breaking a bunch of wild horses to feed her hunger. Or much more dangerous prey for that matter; if this woman wanted dragons, the scaly bastards would need to curl up in their burrows to avoid the culling. “ Let’s start with a single pony and then work our way up. I’ll cook.”

*****

By mobilizing the resources at their disposal, the Prophet and Elhume stood outside the gates of the Universe Core. Interlocking chains of light stood across the mouth of a cave, mundane in shape but constructed from materials beyond the limits of existence. Even if the Prophet unleashed a full-strength attack, he had no chance of collapsing the entrance. From the corner of a viewer’s eye, the coloration of the stone fluttered and shifted. Behind the two obvious individuals, lurking like an unfortunate smell was Scythe, to prevent any outside influences from affecting Elhume.

And also he came to enjoy the cruelty. For reasons Scythe never explained, it liked nothing so much as when the Prophet lied to those who hadn’t been touched by the light.

Elhume glared. The whole journey he had maintained a surly demeanor, desperate to prove how little he wanted to do with the Cult any longer. “You possessed the capacity to reach here at any point… why did we even fucking need the Nether Arbiter?”

Stolen novel; please report.

“Locating the Universe Core was never the problem. You should know that,” The Prophet said truthfully. The best sort of lies came from reality and the real dirty work got done in the context you built. “As you might have intuited, all those who seek to the Pinnacle will inevitably make it to this place; although our lack of purpose does give us the unusual benefit of seeing the function bereft of formality. What a sad state of affairs to be the greatest treasure in the Nexus to simply be within a cave…The role of the Nether Arbiter would have always been to help open the door. For better or worse, Nether is the superior tool of the thief.”

Elhume’s grim mood didn’t waver at the attempt at levity, but the Prophet admitted it was not his strongest attempt. With a flourish, he produced a dense triangle of crackling energy. With a flick, he set it in motion toward the meshwork of light chains. His eyes followed its travel closely. “As it was… it is possible for us to force the issue. Significance is required. And for us, the only other method to accumulate the request meaning is through the sacrifice of lives.”

“What?” Elhume’s eyes widened, finally breaking his glower.

“Our cult’s purpose is to save the universe. To spread the purity of the light holy to every corner of existence. For such a lofty goal, our initiates are willing to give up that and more.” Very cool, the Prophet pivoted and looked at Elhume. All these statements were true but stated at a time to imply something very false. Now for a slight diversion. “Would not you be willing to make similar sacrifices in order to save your son?”

As Elhume bit his lip, Scythe silently cackled. The tool of the Cult of the Savior, after all, had been the one to gather the lives they now used to pry open the Core. Not from the Cult of the Savior initiates, as implied, but instead from whoever had the misfortune of stumbling across his path over the last few weeks.

The life essence of civilians would be worth much less than initiates, perhaps a thousand to one, but they were also cheap during the war. Whereas in normal circumstances so many disappearances would have brought an investigation into the area, now it was just another inexplicable tragedy of war.

In such environments, Scythe did its best work. It savored the labor and came back to the Cult’s base smelling of blood.

The triangle of life energy began to grind against the network of light protecting its entrance. The Prophet knew that Elhume would be able to go in himself, but he would not be able to follow that process. And due to the interference of Nether King Hungry Eye, they needed to rely on other methods to convince Elhume to nudge the universe into allowing certain elements into existence. A demonstration of power would be a solid first step.

The noise of lives being slammed into the natural laws of the universe sounded horrid. Next to him, Elhume winced. But they had gathered plenty of lives. In only a few seconds, the barrier waved and began to recede.

That is the great weakness of a universe without a guide, The Prophet observed. Under the concerted weight of even of a fraction of its populous, it begins to give. Against the corrupting stories of living beings, it is weak.

Which is why we need structure and illumination. To prevent rot.

The Prophet gestured and the three hurried through the opening; it would only last a short while. A great blue expanse waited beyond the barrier, as the literal became metaphysical. The trio traveled to the core of the universe, where the Soul of Pine slept and steadily accumulated the character of those within it, where all of the tools used to fashion the universe either were stored or at least maintained a connection.

The Prophet knew the hierarchies used to create this universe based on the Prophecy given to him, but it would be good to confirm their presence. And also to make sure no others had been removed from their places.

An unaccounted Hierarchy could be a very dangerous thing.

Space fizzled around them, the Universe Soul struggling to conceptualize what happened; they went to a space within it that didn’t exist. For a few seconds they simply hung there, the vicious bite of entropy seizing upon all of them as they remained fixed. The void, the universe that might but didn’t exist, clung onto them and sapped away their warmth, their life, their ideas. In a very real way, you could be killed from prolonged exposure to the void.

You wouldn’t even die. You would cease to exist, although powerful individuals might be able to grip onto memories of you. As far as ends went, it was the most vicious, utilized only in cases of extremely dangerous individuals.

After a few seconds, the Prophet began to frown. The universe should have folded and allowed them into its core by now. The chill crept deeper and deeper into his body. The light of El-Kedec flared in defiant response, which slowed the process. However, even the light couldn’t resist the void forever. Space trembled around them as the Universe Soul struggled. Strange. This- has the Universe Soul taken damage for another reason? If it collapses now-

Just as the seed of worry in the Prophet’s chest began to germinate, the Universe Soul groaned into motion. It created a real space to represent a figurative one, plucking them out of the void. Elhume landed on the ground and collapsed. Even the Prophet swayed a bit, before examining the surroundings.

In the center, a pedestal stretched almost ten meters up into the air. A spiral staircase of shimmering crystal led around and up to its side. Across the flat ground of the area, there were five altars, each inscribed with a different symbol.

As expected, five Hierarchies. Burden, Margins, Current, and Finality, the base four for universe creation, and then the Hierarchy of Will… interesting. The Prophet hummed to himself as he examined each in turn. Both the Hierarchy of Finality and the Hierarchy of Burden weren’t present, which made the Prophet scowl. The first they had liberated to create Duo, but the second meant interference. And since it had been present in the prophecy, it could only be Nether King Hungry Eye.

The Prophet felt his resolve set and harden. No matter what, he must convince Elhume.

“We are back,” Elhume whispered as he pushed up off the ground. He looked around with awe, then his eyes went up the crystal staircase to the bright orb on the central pedestal. “I… I had thought-”

“Since we are here,” The Prophet’s eyes smiled. “Let’s check in on Pine. Perhaps when you see his state, you’ll believe my words.”