High above the Underworld, in what the inhabitants had named the Celestial Palace, over a thousand souls resided within the gilded halls. However, these thousand were in fact too few. Over the course of the palace’s history, more than five times that number had earned the merit required to arrive at the palace.

Five thousand souls out of the hundreds of billions that Irena watched over… only those five thousand had ever earned the overwhelming karma needed to be admitted into the Celestial Palace. Yet only a thousand remained to this day, creating the almost empty feeling within the heavenly abode.

Thane Lorient walked the halls with a solemn expression, thinking about the reason why so many had fallen from the palace. Yes, fallen, not descended. While the option to descend did exist, none had truly taken it. And why would they?

This place was a paradise, one where every need or want could be provided. Servants created by the palace itself flocked to do the bidding of those within, and served only the finest of spiritual cuisine. So what was it that made four fifths of the historic ‘saints’ fall from grace?

It could be said that it was those saints themselves who caused their falls, or rather the nature of the lives they had led before arriving in the palace. Most golden souls earned their karma after personally experiencing the life of those less fortunate. Men and women from the slums, who struggled for a single piece of bread, only to take this food to feed their children or elderly neighbors. Others were heroes that defeated countless evils in the name of protecting those people.

For these people… arriving within the Celestial Palace was both a blessing and a curse. For those unfortunate souls who earned their karma by understanding the lives of the poor, they found wealth and comfort beyond imagining. For those heroes who yearned to battle evil, they found a glittering paradise without corruption.

Thane had seen many souls falling due to this. Those drunk on their newfound wealth who began to mistreat the palace’s servants. The warriors sitting in stagnation desperate for a fight, challenging one another time and again.

Karma was a fickle thing. Simply because they had arrived at the palace did not mean that their stay was guaranteed. As they became more arrogant, more violent, their karma was reflected on their residence. The golden walls became dimmer and dimmer, losing their luster by the day. And once it had fallen too low, once the saint had become a sinner, they simply vanished from the palace.

Thane had asked the servants of the Celestial Palace what happened to these people, concerned for their well-being. In doing so, he learned that those fallen from the palace were reduced to nothing but a common soul, awaiting the day that they are reborn. In a way, this allowed him to feel relief. The souls had not been condemned for falling from grace, but merely ejected from the palace.

However, things were not so kind. Through the servants of the palace, Thane kept a close eye on some of the souls that had been ejected in this manner. After tasting paradise, they could not simply return to a life of hardship. These souls began to prey on those weaker than themselves, either through combat or manipulation, accruing more and more negative karma.

From the four thousand souls that had been ejected over time, over five hundred had already fallen to the black chains. And that was when Thane truly noticed something strange. A fact of the palace that he had not previously been aware of.

The Celestial Palace did not simply create its servants from nowhere. Each servant was the visage of a sinner suffering eternal torment from the accursed chains. Every time someone he watched fell to the chains, he would soon find an exact copy of them appearing within the palace once again.

Unfortunately, these servants were only created in the image of the sinners, and did not hold either their personalities or their memories. A fact Thane was made fully aware of as he watched a human woman walk down the halls towards him.

Like every servant of the palace, she was dressed in golden silk, her delicate frame outlined without a single wrinkle. Her smile was as radiant as the sun, her eyes the same gold as her dress. When she appeared before Thane, she stopped and offered him that gentle, stunning smile. “Master Lorient. Is there anything I can help you with today?”

“There’s nothing for the moment, Julian.” Thane spoke with a sullen sigh, remembering the woman for who she used to be. Julian Sykes, a priestess who devoted her life to serving the poor and disabled. While she was alive, she had hardly given any care to her own safety, trusting herself to the goddess Bihena.

After she died, and was granted access to the palace, she found that there was nobody left to help. Unsure what to do with herself, she gradually began to see this as the reward that the greater pantheon had bestowed her. Instead of her helping others, she thought that they wanted it to be her turn to have others tend to her.

This change was not a fast one, occurring over a number of years. In that time, she and Thane had even entered a relationship themselves. Which made it all the more painful when he watched her become more and more self-serving, to the point where she began to find faults in everything that others did. After finding faults, she would scold them

After scolding came abuse, both of the servants and Thane himself when he tried to stop her. That was when she fell, and the last time he had seen her in person, before she was taken by the black chains. Even now, this wasn’t truly Julian, and he knew this. She did not even have a name, really. He had merely asked her to allow him to call her that. As a resident of the palace, it was within his authority to assign names to the servants if he wished.

Of course, if someone else wished to name Julian as well, she would then have two different names, one for each person. No one resident carried more value than another within the palace.

“I see.” Julian nodded her head gently. “Well, if you need anything, feel free to call me. I have already prepared your normal viewing channels within your room.”

When he heard that, Thane hesitated. “Actually… would you mind walking with me, Julian? I would like someone to talk to.”

Julian blinked her golden eyes, but responded with another nod. “Certainly, Master Lorient. Are you sure you wish to talk with someone like me, or shall I call another resident for you?” Perhaps one of the saddest things was that the servants were entirely aware of their own status, and fully accepted it. Sometimes, Thane wished that he could ask Julian to pretend to be a resident again, but that was one of the few orders that they could not follow.

“No… I think you would be the best partner for this conversation, Julian.” Thane smiled softly to her, gesturing for her to walk alongside him as he continued down the hall. This hallway was a rather special structure. A sort of therapeutic room for one to wander aimlessly. No matter how long you walked or how many turns you took, you would never reach an end. Only by turning around could you find the exit.

“If you wish, Master Lorient.” Julian turned, and began to walk with him. “What is it you would like to talk about?”

“First… for this conversation, could you please speak casually with me?” It was impossible to request such a change of address to be permanent, as that was one of the ‘rules’ of the palace. As soon as Julian left his side, she would return to calling him ‘Master Lorient’ the next time they met. But, for a single conversation, it was possible to request this.

“Of course, Thane.” Julian spoke in a tone that immediately reminded him of when she had truly walked these halls with him. Her tone had lost most of its servility, taking on the soft and caring voice that he had fallen in love with. “What is troubling you?”

“In a way… you are.” He admitted, earning a curious look from the woman.

“Have I done anything wrong? I hope I haven’t hurt you by mistake…” It was clear that she was worried, and Thane understood this point as well. This was a natural result of the palace servants striving to make the afterlives of residents easier.

“No, no, it’s nothing like that, don’t worry.” He reached out to pat her shoulder as he gave his assurance. “I mean more the entire system. Julian… how many residents are currently living in the palace?”

“Nine hundred and seventy-eight, Thane.” When she reported the number with a smile, Thane couldn’t help but purse his lips into a tight line.

“Another one fell today?”

“Yesterday. Delora Packer entered a blood frenzy while sparring with an instructor provided by the palace.” Julian looked down at the floor when she reported that, clearly saddened by the loss of the resident.

“And… how many of these people have been in the palace for more than twenty years?”

“Counting yourself, Thane?” Julian lifted her head to look into his eyes. “One hundred and five.”

“That is the basis for my worry, Julian. These numbers show a fact that I would hardly have accepted when I first arrived here. Out of nearly five thousand souls that have entered paradise, only two percent have been able to adjust to life here.”

Thane continued to speak in a manner as if he was lecturing a young intern. As he had once run a large company, this was a common method for him to teach others. “It’s a fact that there are more people who fall to the black chains after leaving the palace than there are people that successfully remain. We can both agree on this, yes?”

Julian thought about it for a moment, nodding her head. With a smile, Thane explained. “I think that we should set up an internal system within the palace. But my authority alone is not enough to enact this change, so I can only suggest it to the palace itself, through you.”

Julian blinked in confusion, offering another nod. “If you believe that a change is necessary, you may suggest it. After it has been reviewed, we will poll the opinions of the other residents to determine whether it is something that will be accepted by everyone as a whole.”

“That’s all I want, Julian. I do not necessarily want a way to exchange karma with the palace to provide the goods that you offer freely. That would defeat the point of this place, once karma becomes a currency. Instead, I would like measures to be taken to alter the treatment of servants towards the residents based on their current karma standings.”

“Those who have a spotless record can naturally enjoy the full benefits that we are now given. They will be those at the top of paradise. But, as people succumb to their own desires and sin, the servants should grow more distant. You may still serve them, but do so while reminding them of the potential outcome that awaits them if they continue to fall.”

“If you handle it this way, the people that do still fall will have been mentally prepared for life among the masses again. There will be many that still will not accept such a fate… but it should lessen the number that again fall to the black chains.”

Julian listened to his suggestion, mentally noting it down word for word. After he had finished, they walked in silence for several minutes. “Thane… I’ve finished polling the other residents. Your plan only has a sixty-five percent approval rating. If… if you are truly determined to push this change through, it is possible. But any change with less than a ninety-percent approval will incur an additional cost.”

Thane was prepared to pay a price for this plan, and so he nodded as if it were simply natural. “What is the cost, Julian?”

“Heroic Descent.” Her voice became small and sad as she spoke. “You will leave the palace and descend upon the world in a place of your choosing, to live out a natural life. As this is a Heroic Descent as opposed to a normal rebirth, we will not take away any of your memories or experiences. However… your karma will be wiped.”

“If you truly want this change to occur, this cost will also be your trial. When you eventually die, if your karma has risen to the point where you can be accepted back within the palace, the rules of the palace will be changed per your request.”

Thane thought about this cost, finding it quite surprising. “I wasn’t aware that there could be deals like that. May I ask… what are the thresholds for approval ratings and their costs?”

Julian looked up, giving him a small smile. “Are you hoping to negotiate with the other residents to increase the approval rating for a more acceptable cost?”

However, to her surprise, Thane shook his head. “No, I fully intend to accept the cost as you’ve stated it, unless I am just shy of a better deal.”

Julian blinked in surprise at that, before beginning to explain. “Well… the smallest cost is a reduction of karma, making your stay within the palace more likely to be terminated. Beneath eighty-percent approval, the cost is to allow yourself to be cast out of the palace. However, at this stage the change will be immediately enacted, without requiring a trial.”

“Beneath seventy-percent is the trial that you have been given. It is meant to show that only those who can prove themselves worthy of making this request can enact a change. Beneath sixty percent is another trial, much like the one I gave you, but with your memories reset.”

“And finally… between fifty-five and forty-five percent is the final threshold. To push a change at this level, one must be willing to condemn themselves to the black chains for a hundred years before re-entering the cycle of souls. If they agree to those terms, a new poll will be provided to the residents, with this stipulation included. As long as the approval rating exceeds fifty percent in the second poll, the resident will be sent to the chains while the change is enacted in the palace.”

Thane thought about that, smiling slightly. “I see. So, the residents do have some way to influence the functions of the palace. Then… can one of these requests be to free a certain individual from the chains?”

Seeing how Thane was looking pointedly at Julian, she had the decency to blush, knowing that he meant the original owner of her form. “It is possible. They will be allowed to make a case for this person, and it will come to a poll again. However, even if a person is freed from the chains, they will not be permitted entry into the palace without the right amount of karma.”

“I never expected they would be.” Thane said with a resigned sigh, stopping his steps to turn and fully face Julian. “I would like to accept the terms you’ve given me, Julian. If I may be so bold, I would like my emergence point to be the palace of the human kingdom, Hanbei. Using the wealth of knowledge I have developed over my life, I would devote myself to ensuring a safer environment for those under the rule of its queen.”

“You know that you cannot seek to ascend and become a god if you do this, right?” Julian asked once again, a tone of worry in her voice. “If you do that, your soul will be removed from the cycle, and no longer permitted to return. You must live and die as an imperfect mortal.”

“I know.” Thane nodded his head, agreeing readily as he felt a golden light slowly enveloping his body. “And Julian… if I manage to see you again, I hope you’ll still let me call you by name.”

Julian’s eyes went somewhat wide at that, watching him vanish. Then, after he was gone, she assumed a more gentle smile. “Always, my Thane.”

Julian closed her eyes, wiping a tear from her cheeks as she connected with the citadel. Thane has left, as per his deal.

Instead of a single, authoritative voice, she was met with hundreds of consoling tones, each another servant within the palace.

I’m sorry, Julian. I know you liked him.

He’s really brave, even giving up paradise to stop more cases like us.

Brave? He should have spent that time with Julian.

You know we can’t do that. Don’t worry, Julian, he’ll be back eventually.

Trust him. He has been here longer than almost everyone. If anyone can make it back, it will be him.

Thane’s research wasn’t entirely accurate. Or rather, it should be said that there was information hidden from him. Hidden from everyone, to ensure the sanctity of paradise. The servants, the Caretakers, were more than simply the visage of sinners. Their souls were cleansed by the black chains, their evils removed before being brought back to the Realm of Eternity.

However, their actions were limited in the presence of residents. They must obey any resident’s requests, as long as it did not violate the rules of the Celestial Palace. They must not reveal their past memories, in case the memories of one who fell to the deepest sin may cause the fall of others. They could only truly share their voice with others like themselves, other souls that had been cleansed by the black chains.

Of course, that is not to say that they were not punished. Even now, when she walked the halls of the Celestial Palace, Julian could feel her every limb pierced by burning chains. Her body was constantly being broken and repaired in a faraway place, the eternal punishment persisting in the back of her mind. This served to constantly cleanse her mind of any wicked desires that could appear.

Thank you, everyone. I know that I’ll meet him again, eventually. My Thane is truly a special soul, and we have all the time in the world to wait...