Sen swallowed heavily but forced out his question regardless, his desire to know–to understand overcoming his deeply held timidity around his grandfather. “... But–” He coughed, clearing his suddenly dry throat. “But what about the Chaotic?”

Zenyak spread his fingers, palm up as if uncertain where the question was leading them. “What of him?”

“Well. He was a mortal cultivator.” Senyak clarified, his throat gradually easing as he spoke. “He did what you described, and he lacked most of the characteristics you are seeking to instill into your successor.”

“Indeed...” Zenyak nodded as he confirmed the obvious, then his eyes narrowed in an obvious attempt to guide Sen to the right answer even though the wrong question. “Brundox’s error lay not in the mountain which he climbed, but the path he chose to scale it. Choices–his, our choices. Your choices and the intentions behind them– matter.” Zenyak’s tone held the weight of a mountain as he held his hands out to indicate the iterations all around them, and his cadence quickened with the import of his lecture. “How can they not? It is by the intentions of our choices that Balance judges our actions. Forms our deserved Reality from the Karma we have earned. Thus, our choices are the deepest, most foundational representations of our character, the essence of who we are.”

Zenyak dropped his hands and paused and studied Sen as if looking for outward evidence that his message had gotten through this time. Sen widened his eyes at the deep scrutiny but met his grandfather’s gaze. A small smile crept up on Zenyak’s granite features, followed by a self-reflective expression as he continued. “... I am no less susceptible to Karma and Balance than others in this regard. I hoped that what I am...” Zenyak indicated himself, and Sen knew he meant the complete and powerful Immortal he was “... your father would also become. But my choices in no way moved me to accomplish this because I didn’t shape him with the experiences I have had. My error was of having an intent without choosing the necessary action to bring it about. I fell victim to the simple delusion of a proud father– A delusion that the mortal concept of entropy should have reminded me that such a thing would never happen without a conscious, concerted effort on my part.” Zenyak shifted his eyes to Sen in a manner almost approaching camaraderie. “... if I had even considered it in the first place.” Zenyak exhaled deeply. “...I was wrong to let him focus purely on the Immortal realms. He did so because it was less tedious. As if such a rationale has ever led to meaningful growth. My shortcomings were in wanting my child to be happy to the point that I spoiled him.”

Zenyak pointed at Sen with an index finger resting on his chair’s arm. “Know that what has happened to our family is not uncommon. We are always less when we focus on the Immortal and forget the foundations from where we come and become much more vulnerable to the actions of those who unite both mortal and Immortal knowledge when acting.” Zenyak sighed through parted lips. “... The only reason I dominated the Hegemony when I transcended was that I took it away from privileged Immortals who had similarly forgotten the trials and tribulations of their ancestors. Forgetting the very face of their fathers...” Senyak’s grandfather trailed off.

Sen remained silently stunned at his grandfather’s candor. Did he admit an error ... to me?

As if reading his thoughts, Zenyak winked at Sen, then straightened his back and sat like the ruler he was. “Senyak, you will never reach your goals by doing what comes easily without enduring the necessary hardships. That is mere hope without the proper choice of action. You must strive, fight, struggle, and bleed to achieve anything worth having. Your father and you would have been much better served if I had learned that lesson earlier,” Zenyak trailed off and, for a moment, looked again like an aged grandfather, not the most powerful Immortal in existence.

Sen looked up in the gap. His Grand Patriarch’s admittance momentarily helped him forget his dejected feelings. Sen was further surprised to note a likely rare forlorn expression crossing Zenyak’s features. It was as if his grandfather was reaching back to memories beyond him, hoping for a chance at change, though he knew it was beyond even his vast powers to do so.

Sen mustered the courage to interject the question that had started to spin in his mind. “Grandfather, I understand I failed. To be honest, I have known this for a long time... But what is to become of me?”

Zenyak looked up from his troubled revelry and focused a piercing gaze on Sen. Then he sat straight like the ruler of all Reality that he was. “You are all I have left, Senyak. I am going to have to use you to face what is coming... Not as a tool, or at least not only as a tool but a tool maker. I need you to be my blacksmith, young one...” A hard and calculating look flashed in Zenyak’s eyes. Clearly, he was disappointed with his current assessment of Sen’s worth. “... But not as you are. You will need a complete–what was the mortal term?” Zenyak idly rubbed his bearded chin, “... a Makeover? Yes, that’s it. You need a makeover!”

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Zenyak’s usual fierce energy returned to him. “You must start over with zero tiers of cultivation and begin again. If you can restore yourself with the appropriate foundational support, you will inherit the entire Marztanak Hegemony as its sole heir. Then, with the proper foundation, my greatest hope is that you will have the strength to rebuild what has fallen. If not... you will perish.”

Zenyak trailed off with an unwavering gaze that left no doubt in Sen’s mind that his grandfather was not exaggerating.

At Senyak’s considering silence, his grandfather offered a last option. “... Your only other choice is to be cast adrift from the Hegemony... Banished from our family, our iterations of origin and all support. That path too– with its hardships– may yet guide you to the necessary experiences and understandings to be more ... than you currently are.” The pruned look of Zenyak’s dissatisfaction left no doubt in Sen’s mind what he thought of his current abilities.

Senyak gulped in a dry throat at that. But his wide-open eyes remained fixed on his grandfather as he spoke again. “I won’t lie to you; this has already been the fate of your seeded siblings. Most of their failures were so great I simply banished them from family resources. The very few that did qualify for my generous offer of… patriarchal rehabilitation have refused it...” Zenyak puffed out a breath and waved his hand’s palm down once in front of his chest as he tisked. “Instead, they each shall endure the second option I mentioned, rehabilitation via natural consequences...”

Then the grand patriarch of the Marztanak Hegemony stood and smoothed his robes, indicating the meeting was over. “... Senyak, the choice is yours.” Thick gray brows lifted to Sen, indicating very clearly to Sen that he needed to choose now. “... If you prefer to continue an unsupported Immortal life, I will let you keep your Ka. You are already at the fourth tier...” Zenyak raised his shoulders quizzically, “... Who knows? Perhaps you could continue on your own through the last three tiers or even beyond...” Silence fell over the front of the bridge.

The crew milling around during their conversation had the common sense to keep back and quiet, obviously knowing that what was being discussed was far beyond them.

Zenyak straightened, his tone becoming formal and dictatorial. “... Senyak, only remaining seeded heir of the Marztanak Hegemony, what choose you? Do you wish to continue in the seedency? To try again? To grow with the proper foundation? Or will you be cast out from the family to find your own way?”

Time was up.

Of all the things he had expected, nothing had prepared him for this. He had even asked his Combi to calculate the multitude of probabilities in regard to his choice. But it had quickly become apparent that Zenyak had cut him off from his Combi during their conversation.

Sen’s mind whirled... Senyak was well past the midpoint of his fourth tier. It had taken him one hundred and twenty thousand Ka nexus cycles, and it would take much more to get to his current standing with the ‘proper foundation’ his grandfather was talking about. Even with the tremendous support structure the Marztanak family provided their scions, the task was daunting, to say the least. He didn’t even know what would be needed to start building such a foundation. Perhaps his Combi could help him when he could access it again. Sen’s alternative of going on alone? That was terrifying as well, but not impossible. His Immortal foundation was solid, and he had already benefited from his family resources thus far. Sen might be able to make his way if he could gain support from an independent combat specialist society or clan...

But, going off on my own…

... It just wasn’t him.

If Senyak was anything, he was loyal to his family. He was grateful for the support that he had received from them. Searching deep, Sen realized he was willing to sacrifice his four tiers of cultivation for his makeover if necessary to help him regain his place among them.

His choice made, Sen bowed at the waist to his grandfather and spoke without rising. “I will continue my seedency. I choose the ‘makeover’. I will not let you down. I will cultivate my Ka growth with the proper foundation to face what is coming.”

His mindset had never been more determined.

“Excellent choice, child. So, it is decided. So, it shall be.”

Sen stood tall and straightened his clothing. “I’ll return to the Polar Neutral Ka nexus immediately for retraining...” Sen’s voice trailed off as he saw his grandfather’s head shaking in the negative with a mischievous smile spreading across his face.

“No, child, that is unnecessary. To be sure, you are starting over, but not as an Immortal. You are returning to a prime-material iteration to begin cultivating as a mortal. From there, you must rise to the Immortal realms and beyond. Just as I did. The quality that has most been lacking in my descendants is humility, and thus you will be humbled. Learn your lessons well, child. Blessings to your cultivations, young one!”

Say what?!?

Only then did Senyak see the schadenfreude in his grandfather’s twinkling eyes. The next instant, the entire world disappeared without giving Sen a pause to rally his thoughts or even call his grandfather the deceitful and conniving old bastard he was.

The next thing Sen heard was a groggy but recognizable voice. “Wha... What the hell is going on... Who was that old guy?”

“Joshua?”