Out and out the empire stretched, the loss of promise in its wake. For within all those souls stood a statue without one. This statue crumbled and broke, gathered the pieces, and tried again.

This was how Paradise was achieved.

And only her Eternal Imminence could achieve it.

The woman who felt nothing.

Andrew startled awake at his station in the Probability Matrix lab. He was losing so much sleep at home that he’d caught a few power naps at work. Apparently, his clandestine team had let him sleep through the shift this time. All the Cascading Light pods—small chambers of the fire surrounded by nacre glass—were empty.

Lost in trying to interpret his nightmare, Andrew gathered his things, turned off his data projector, and exited his pod.

“You missed your session, so I thought I’d check on you.”

Andrew looked up to find Devis waiting in the amphitheater’s top row. He was sitting cross-legged on a table, posed for meditation, with his dreadlocks forming a curtain around him. When he opened his eyes, they were so like Kyle’s—a forest green—that it instantly disarmed Andrew.

“Hey, man. Sorry. I fell asleep.”

Devis asked, “Are you having trouble finding enough peace to rest?”

All the ancient Progeny went right to the heart of the matter. Andrew took the stairs, climbing the amphitheater as he said, “Yeah. You could say that.” He didn’t feel like baring his soul right now.

Kind and well-meaning, Devis said, “Take a seat, and we’ll continue your lessons.”

Andrew made it to the top and considered his plans for the evening. There wasn’t much going on until tomorrow. He could spare being late for dinner with Lucas in an hour. “Sure.” He took up a spot on the table beside his teacher and closed his eyes.

“As always, we start with the breathing. In through your nose and out your mouth. Inhale calm; exhale stress. Let your heart find a steady rhythm.”

When Andrew opened his eyes, he was at the top of a waterfall. The cliff overlooked a beautiful mountainous gorge beneath a diamond scattered night sky. Unique to Devis’ teaching practice, he took the Progeny to their favorite memory. Apparently, all four of them—Kyle, Tameka, Sagan, and Andrew—chose the gorge in the Rocky Mountains on Earth.

In this zone, Devis’ voice came from the sky as he asked, “What makes you hesitate to use your ability?”

This was easy. Andrew said, “I worry about enslaving people.”

A tinge of sadness deepened Devis’ voice. “Like Celindria.”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“Yes.”

Andrew imagined him nodding before Devis asked, “Why do you hesitate to embrace Cascading Light and manipulating the Probability Matrix?”

“I don’t think we should know our future, and I think trying to mold the best outcomes only fulfills the worst.”

There was respect in Devis’ voice as he said, “You are wise. Caution is never foolish. Breathe deep the fresh air and breathe out your fears. The burdens you carry are heavy, Conscience. It is good to remember you do not carry them alone.”

Xelan.

Tameka.

Kyle.

Sagan.

Lucas.

After a few minutes of this calm, Devis said, “Now embrace a mantra. You are not Celindria. You are free to love, and you love freely.”

Andrew was not Celindria. He was free to love and loved freely.

“I want what you have.”

Terrified, Andrew’s eyes snapped open. Still inside the gorge memory, he found Celindria draped in white and adorned in gold, standing on the cliff in the billowing wind.

“I am bitter and jealous. Angry at all times. I am not free to love, and I cannot love freely.”

Andrew jumped to his feet and stared at Celindria, her bright blue eyes flashing. She was in repose, hands cupped at her waist. Not threatening, but always dangerous. He choked on his first attempt until he could ask, “Is that all you want? To love?”

Celindria shook her head, slowly. “To perfect the worlds, I must first control them. Everyone shall be me, and I shall be Eternal.”

Frowning, Andrew asked, “Why the hell are you telling me?!”

Under the starlight, her dark skin glowed, ethereal. Celindria said, “You can see the Probabilities are shrinking, and you can control others as I can. I want you to understand me—For someone to understand me.”

Cold and scared, Andrew admitted, “I pity you.”

Devis’ voice cut through the scene. “Andrew! Wake up!”

The scene strobed, and for a second, Celindria looked sad. Her last words were a breath on the wind. “I wish I could pity you.”

A shove on Andrew’s shoulder jolted him awake. He opened his eyes to find Lucas standing over him, concern strained his handsome features.

Devis looked equally worried, and Andrew felt like an ass for falling asleep during a meditation session. “I’m sorry.”

The older Progeny unfolded from the table and set down on the floor, extending a hand to Andrew. Devis said, “Get some sleep.”

Andrew took the offered hand and climbed off the table, promising, “I’ll take a day off to catch up.”

“See you at movie night, tomorrow.” Devis gave a wave before leaving the couple alone.

“You’re dreaming of Celindria.” Lucas wasted no time.

Awkwardly rubbing the kink out of his neck, Andrew said, “Yeah. That’s how I knew you weren’t sleeping well, because I’m not sleeping well.”

They headed for the door and to the conduit to Nikki’s Iona. Lucas said, “You can tell me anything. You know I’ll listen.”

“Celindria wants an empire of her. I think that’s what she means by becoming ‘eternal,’ but she needs the Progeny to do it or needs to eliminate us from stopping her—Something.”

Lucas’ voice softened as he asked, “Is that what haunts you?”

Damn. The man could read Andrew so well. Andrew said, “No. I believe she’s doing it all to feel, and that’s what lingers, you know?”

They climbed up into the zeppelin, and Lucas stopped in the doorway to stare down at Andrew from one step higher. He said, “I can see why you pity her.”

“Yeah. It’s not like she’s getting invited to movie nights.”

Andrew’s attempt at levity garnered a gentle smirk from Lucas, who said, “When you were late for your favorite dinner, I knew you’d fallen asleep at work.”

Not at all concerned over the secrecy of the last few weeks, Andrew wrapped his arms around Lucas’ waist from behind. He muttered against his lover’s neck, “My knight in golden armor.”

Softer than Andrew would’ve expected, Lucas asked, “Would you love me if my eyes weren’t gold?”

“That’s a tough one. Would you still be monstrously well-endowed?”

Lucas’ laughter was rich and not at all modest. “Absolutely.”

Andrew kissed his shoulder and said, “Then I’m still yours.”

No more tension. Just good food, good company, and good sex.

Andrew could do without good sleep for a little while longer.