***The Crystal City***

***Angrod***

“Betrayal!”

The darkness clears, leaving me to watch curiously as the ‘Thing’ inside the black hole tears the mirror-mind apart, enraged that it fell for my trick and was left with nothing more than a little energy.

It clearly isn't happy that it didn't catch a real soul.

I set the mirror-mind up just in case that something went fatally wrong.

The first rule in a duel of minds is: ‘Don't fight in the open.’

The real me was safely hidden inside the shadow of my mirror-mind, allowing me to slip away as soon as my other protections failed.

The only problem with this technique is that the real me is not in control. The mirror-mind will act as it sees fit from its point of view while the real mind is just a tag-along. That is a big disadvantage, but it is also why this technique is so awesome at tricking opponents. The mirror-mind doesn't know that it is just a decoy.

I retract my mind from the sphere and study it with disgust. Whoever created it was a genius and an absolute idiot at the same time. It gives the user a godly power which is akin to omnipresence, but there are apparently no fail-safes. None at all!

It is as if the creator expected only master level mind-mages to use the cursed thing – and even then it is dangerous. There aren't a lot of existences in the multiverse who have dangerous mind-altering powers, but they exist and there are ways to detect scrying magic like the Sphere's.

Now that I got a good look at the process it shouldn't be hard to replicate.

Whoever built the Sphere must have been supremely confident in his or her abilities.

Did everyone who used the sphere without safety measures get their minds eaten?

No, that’s not the problem.

I was perfectly fine as long as I didn’t turn my attention to the black hole. The Sphere is nothing more than a tool and not responsible if the user cuts himself.

Who would have known that some dark, hungering deity was imprisoned right next door? So, anyone who allowed their mind to stray to that forbidden place got their mind reprogrammed and turned into a doll. As long as they didn't connect to the black hole, they were fine.

It seems like the ‘Thing’ inside this eternal prison is hungry for souls.

Then I realize that the Council practically fed it with the souls of gods – thanks to their banishment policy. A horrifying thought. Does the ‘Thing’ get stronger with every soul it eats?

I get back to my feet and gesture for Nicosar and Celes to follow me out of the room. “The Sphere is dangerous. We have to seal this room and make sure that nobody uses the thing.”

Once we are outside and the doors are closed I continue to give everyone the breakdown of what I just found out. In the end, I finish up my explanation with one positive point. “It’s only good that we recovered all the souls of the people who died during the fight.”

Then another thought strikes me. “Clean the whole system free of souls, even our enemies. I want a complete soul-free space around the black hole.”

The Stream of Souls, or the Blind Eternity, as the phenomenon that transports souls through the multiverse is called, should naturally avoid black holes. But it is better to be sure.

Two of the guards bow and disappear to execute my orders.

I wait for a second to let this new information sink in. “So, at the moment it looks like the Council was manipulated by that ‘Thing’ to feed it. They threw meals into its maw for who knows how long.”

“We could have been its food if it weren't for Seria,” Arthur mutters after having stayed silent up until now.

I nod. As much as anyone may dislike her meddling games, we owe her for that. “We can't be sure of it, but it could very well be that Seria's actions kept the thing on a low diet.”

“We should destroy the Sphere of Sight. Given this new development, it's useless to us. And then we smash that room to make sure. Maybe crushing the whole city would be better,” Celes thinks aloud.

“I think that you are right with destroying the sphere,” I admit, raising a finger to point out a problem. “I would love to have that thing gone, but we may need it.”

“Are you insane? All you could do with it is feeding this ominous being.” Nicosar gestures towards the door. “As far as I understood you, merely thinking about the black hole while using the Sphere is enough to bring your mind there. How can anyone guarantee not to have a stray thought wander, especially after knowing that it is the prison for some soul-eater? Impossible!”

“You are right and I don't want to feed the Thing. I am only saying that we may need the Sphere in the future – in case one of those thing's guardians are still outside the black hole!” I drop the bomb on them. “Don't forget, we are missing a few Council members and I think it's very likely that they are the monstrosity's agents!”

“That possibility is... concerning,” Celes admits. She looks at the closed door, clearly feeling uneasy. “Unfortunately, Angrod is right. Since we are lacking information, we have to anticipate the worst case scenario and keep our options open. Nicosar, please see to it that the Sphere and the Council's execution room are locked away so tightly that not even an insect gets in or out.”

I nod. “The next thing we need to do is to make sure that everyone who returns to our homeworld has their minds checked twice! We don't want to carry something unwanted with us.” I clap my hands together, rubbing them. “If that's all, then-”

“I am afraid that there is still one more thing to do!” Nix interrupts my dreams of spending the rest of the day in blissful slothfulness.

I groan.

“There is another artefact of interest in the Council's assembly hall at the highest point of their tower.” She checks off another point on the list she is holding. “The technicians in charge identified it as more than just an ornament, but they have no idea how to get it to work.”

Celes nods at her daughter, clearly proud of the demoness. “Angrod should take a look if it's another artefact.”

Lada, who was on silent standby while waiting for us, frowns. “What exactly are you talking about? I don't know of any artefacts up there. The only thing of interest might have been El Shaddai's office with the documents and his living quarters.”

Nix studies Lada with pursed lips, then takes a closer look at her documents. “It's the table in 'Meeting Room 1'.”

“The table!?” Lada exclaims.

“Yes, the table. Look, I've never been there, so I can only recite what some lesser deity deigned to write on a report. Why don't we stop wasting time and take a look?” Nix replies, her voice a little frosty.

“Okay, let's go!” I gesture for them to get going before Nix's mood hits rock bottom.

Once the party is trundling along, I lean over to Celes. “What ran over Nix's liver?”

“During the battle, she found out what her divinity is,” my wife starts and stops her explanation without getting to the important point.

I wait for a moment before I decide to help things along by pinching her backside, feeling the perfect texture of that well-trained...

“Hey! People are watching!” She slaps my hand away. “What's gotten into you?”

“What's with you?” I rub my hand. “Stopping right when it gets interesting.”

Celes sighs and rolls her eyes. “She is embarrassed about it. Apparently, she is a Goddess of Carnal Art and Immoral Impulse.”

I shrug. “I don't see the problem. Many who ascended found out that their true nature is a little different from what they wanted. It's nothing to worry about. You accept it and go on, and maybe you discover some more aspects of your true nature which you would rather focus on.”

“That sounds like someone speaking from experience,” she teases, lowering her voice.

“Let's just say that on my way to true enlightenment I found out some things I would rather not discuss.” I snort. “Anyway, give Nix some time and she will get to terms with her nature.”

Celes coughs. “You are saying that only because you haven't seen the deck which she defended during the boarding action.”

I raise both eyebrows. “That bad?”

“Let's just say that it reminded me of some nightmare.” Celes shudders. “The floor, the walls, even the ceiling. It was pure madness. And now she is afraid that something could set her off again. I personally think that it was just the frustration of her long imprisonment. She had to vent it out.”

“Ah, the innocence of youth.” I smile. “So you are saying that she got a little more of me in her than of you. Don't worry. I will take her on a little excursion to the lower dimensions – give her some training. She will learn to cope or...” I let my voice drift off.

“Or!?” Now Celes doesn't let the matter be.

“She will learn to cope!” I reassure my wife, gesturing for her to calm down. The lower dimensions are a part of the multiverse where the laws of reality aren't as strict. Some who walked those paths are not quite sane and others didn't return at all. “With me as a guide, she will be okay!”

“Could you two just shut up!” Nix calls out from the front of the group. “Everyone can hear you! And I am fine! I just temporarily lost control!” She lowers her voice. “I just have to get over the thing with the abstract body-sculpture. I don't know what got into me with that one. Originally, I only intended to have some harmless fun. Take them to the brink of ecstasy and take their souls just as any succubus would do...” she keeps mumbling to herself.

“Abstract-body-sculpture?” I lick over my lips, trying to combine that particular bit of knowledge with the fact that my daughter is a Goddess of Carnal Art. Then I stop Celes from talking by raising my hand. “No! I actually don't want to know!”

I am glad that our discussion is cut short when we arrive at our destination. Just a few doors further down the corridor is El Shaddai's former office. People are still busy picking it apart, studying and filing away each suspicious item. A long row of transport boxes along the corridor is proof of their labour.

But we enter the otherwise empty meeting room which the Council used for their meetings.

I head directly towards the wide window front instead of studying the table which was mentioned in the report. “This place is actually really nice!” I take a moment to enjoy the view over the rest of the Crystal City. “I could get used to the view. Maybe we should set up camp here.”

Celes knocks her knuckles onto the large, ovoid table which is taking in the middle of the room. “Looks like normal furniture to me.”

Arthur coughs. “Only that it doesn't fit.”

“How so?” Lada asks with a befuddled expression.

My father in law gestures out the window towards the rest of the city. “We had plenty of time to explore every nook and cranny. The city, the buildings, the world, it's all Mana Crystal. But have you seen a single piece of furniture?” He tries to lift the table with one hand. “It's even fused to the floor.”

The man has a point!

I return my attention to the anomaly, noting the complex runic symbols glowing beneath the crystal's surface. Reaching out, I touch the table's surface and try inserting a small dose of my power, just like I would with my staff or any other crystal artefact to activate it.

The lights go out.

“The city just lost all energy,” Arthur calls out, pointing towards the window where the normally light bluish glow permeating the city has vanished.

“What did you do now!?” Celes asks, clearly accusing me of having done something stupid. “Why did you have to touch it!? I already wanted to call you out for taking a risk with the Sphere, but now you have done it again!”

Okay... mindlessly switching on what could very well be a control panel for the entire city might not have been the brightest of all moves.

But it isn't as if I would admit anything, so I raise both hands high above my head to show that this isn't my fault. “I didn't do anything!”

Thankfully, the light slowly returns and a female voice booms through the room in a strange language. “Jegme'nod. Mjerk'sod'lemef!”

“I don't understand a single word. What about you guys?” I ask.

The others shake their heads.

It is probably too much to ask for an understandable language from a computer program that was written before the dawn of time.

“Audio records compiled. System language adjusted to current citizens.”

“Cold Reboot...”

The lights turn off yet again, only to return after a few seconds.

“No contaminated individuals recognized.”

“Declaring end of containment breach and restoration of all basic functions.”

“There is unauthorized personnel inside vital parts of the city. Identify yourselves.”

Nobody dares to say a word, afraid of triggering some sort of disinfection routine. Only Celes gives me an accusing look.

“It's not my fault,” I whisper. Does this city have something like a supercomputer? “We probably should ask for admin-rights.”

“I am not some measly program. I am the Warden. I was created to oversee the continued imprisonment of the great Calamity which plagues the multiverse. Identify yourself – or you will be removed!”

“Hold it! We are on your side. I think you aren't entirely up to date!” Nicosar raises his hands to the ceiling as if that would help anything.

“Time difference according to star movement...”

I hold my breath and Celes whispers, “That thing was obviously meant to guard the black hole but failed miserably. We should make a run for it in case it isn't alright in its CPU – or whatever it is using to think!”

“I can hear you. And you don't need to have such fears. My creators intended me to be able to keep my watch even after their return to the cycle of Life and Death.”

“So how long have you been out and why?” Arthur inquires.

The voice stays suspiciously silent.

“Hello?” Nicosar tries to get the entity to talk again.

“My calculation tells me that it has been ten billion years since I tried the restart.”

I start laughing. “Hahahaha… nice joke. That would mean that you are almost as old as the multiverse. Hahaha…”

“Yes. I was created in the early days of this current iteration of existence.”

My laughter ends in a cough and I take a careful look around the room, not knowing how to take that last sentence. Is the thing completely bonkers?

I clear my throat. “So, I guess you can't tell us who manipulated the Council either?”

“I know nothing of a Council. There isn't a faction like that within the Ascended Ones who rule the multiverse,” Warden replies in a monotone singsong. Then Warden corrects itself. “Ruled...”

I clear my throat. “Could you please give us a complete version of history – as far as you know it.”

“You are not cleared for this information.”

I purse my lips, thinking. It seems to be a highly advanced AI. But a little literal-minded too. “Warden, your creators are gone and you failed your mission until now because you slept! The society throughout the multiverse underwent a series of changes. We are the closest thing to the highest authority at the moment.”

I take in a deep breath. “Our problem is that some entity inside the black hole around this world is apparently trying to interfere with us. So it would be really nice if you could tell us what we are up against, just in case you know about it.”

A few seconds of silence follow while Warden considers the situation.

“You first. What's the history of the multiverse from your point of view?”

Okay. Maybe Warden isn’t as simple-minded as I thought.

Celes jumps in and gives Warden our version of history. At least as far as we pieced it together. After half an hour she goes silent and Warden starts speaking.

“I see. Some things went seriously wrong while I slept. As far as I know, the Ascended Ones are… were the highest advanced beings in the multiverse. Their society spanned everything and it was their goal to guide all inferior life to perfection. They were born from the first dimension, Dedessia, where they transcended. In the hellish inferno of their birth-dimension, they were the light which fought the insane creatures which sprung forth from the Mana Storms of a young multiverse, the Spirits.

“Insane amalgamations of souls, driven beyond reason by the nature of their twisted birth.

“But one of the transcended betrayed the others. Fuelled by the wish to escape the boundaries of their dimension, he sought the power beyond. And when his kinsmen couldn’t give him that power, he took it from the spirits, becoming the Calamity. He found the answer to his greed in an experiment to meld his soul with the one of a spirit, but the result wasn't stable. He went insane and started to crave for more souls. A creature driven by the insanity and hunger of a spirit, but guided by the reason of man. He escaped the hellish landscape of the first dimension.

“The Ascended who were left behind foresaw the danger a creature like him represented, so they created what you call the pathways in order to follow. They had them spread throughout all of existence to hunt down their fallen brother.

“Many times they thought him defeated, only to be fooled by the Calamity’s nature.

“The hunt was long. Worlds perished, dimensions extinguished. The lesser beings of the lower energy planes had no chance to defend themselves against the Calamity. They were the dry wood for the fire. Even the Ascended couldn’t be everywhere as the Calamity ate their souls and used their bodies to spread throughout the multiverse.

“They realized that if nothing was done, that in time, the Calamity would eat all of existence.

“So the remaining Ascended Ones who weren’t tired from their long hunt stood their ground to fight the last battle. They created powerful weapons to defeat their foe, but all their efforts were ultimately in vain. For every incarnation of the Calamity slain, two more would escape.

“Finally, at the hour of the end, the Ascended Ones won a pyrrhic victory and managed to seal their foe's true soul inside the black hole above us. Not even they knew how to escape a singular point in space-time.

“Yet, they knew that even this wouldn’t end their foe. When they looked back, they realized that not much of existence was left. In their rage and sorrow, they gathered. And their leader, the Bright One, spun the great Curse to end all of existence – and with it the Calamity!

“But even though the bodies of the Ascended could end, their souls could not. They returned to the cycle of Life and Death which all lifeforms with a soul have to follow. By creating a time-paradox, they cheated fate, firmly believing that they would ascend anew in the distant future to regain their birthright.”

I raise a hand to stop the machine. “Wa- wait. Are you talking about the birth and end of the multiverse when you talk about existence? They destroyed the multiverse to get back at their enemy!? Then how are we here now!? And how did they create a time paradox? Going back in time is theoretically possible, but practically impossible.”

“The great Curse is far more perfidious than even the Calamity. For the Bright One knew that the end of one existence would birth another – and with it came the potential for his enemy and other things to slip through to the new multiverse. He bound his Curse to dimensional constants which would remain. Things and events that would occur in any iteration of existence.

“Like the pathways. Like this City. Like Me.

“For one reason or another, the Crystal City and this planet will always be – which is why he also created me, the Warden. To keep an eye on the prison and to guard it for the rest of eternity until the Curse would finally fulfil itself.

“What exactly is this Curse?” Celes asks.

“For existence to be caught in an eternal loop. The Calamity may emerge, and the Ascended may fight it and seal it. It may break free and absorb all of existence, but with that final straw, existence would end and start anew. The Calamity may never advance past this point in space and time. The Curse will only be broken once the Calamity is defeated for good and utterly extinguished from any existence or timeline.

I purse my lips. “So you are telling us that if we don’t find a way to destroy the thing inside the black hole, the multiverse will perish and other, new versions of the multiverse will get a try at defeating it!? Until the end of time until one succeeds? That’s the curse?” Phew, this Bright One must have been royally pissed.

“Yes. The Ascended Ones may fade away and return to the cycle of Life and Death. They may forget their original mission, but they will ultimately succeed. But something went wrong in this iteration of the multiverse.

“The Bright One created a globe to watch the Calamity in its struggles to break free of its prison. He intended to destroy the remnants of the creature’s mind while it was weak. To install the globe, he had to connect it to my system. He ordered a complete reboot. Which I did… not wake up from until now. I can only assume that some of the Calamity’s soul managed to escape and that my Containment Protocols were triggered to wait for the next iteration of the multiverse.”

Holy shit. Can I please put the lid back on this chamber pot? Asking if there are any Ascended left would probably be too much.

“Were the Ascended gods like us, or...” Nix inquires.

“But if something of this Calamity is still outside the black hole, why didn't it eat the whole multiverse until now?” Arthur joins in.

“The Ascended were those whose souls are connected to existence. You are similar, but many of you haven't achieved your full potential. The Calamity operates by planting a part of itself inside a host. The poor soul would become a mere servant, bent on feeding the Calamity. The servant, however, would be unable to merge with other souls and continue to long for something it could never get.

“The Calamity's ability to influence existence was greatly reduced when its core was sealed away. As you said, the multiverse would already be gone by now otherwise. The Calamity is only able to create more servants if it is fed through a ritual. I assume that it intentionally lied low, afraid to reactivate me, so that I wouldn't share my knowledge about it with anyone. I am currently going back through the logs, and it seems like the Calamity thoroughly managed to delete any knowledge of its existence while slowly spreading its influence.

“A deviation from its usual modus operandi.”

“You know that you are a real harbinger of bad news, Warden?” I ask the voice while I contemplate the whole story. “What did it do in other versions of the multiverse?”

“Whenever the Calamity managed to gain the upper hand it was unable to restrain itself. Usually, complete extinction and triggering of the Curse would occur within a few decades and reset existence.”

Celes starts rubbing her temples. “Okay. Before we continue this discussion, Warden. First, we need to do something about that booming voice of yours. Then, you need to widen your vocabulary so that even idiots like myself can understand what you are trying to tell us.”