A dull red sun hovered against a backdrop of inky black. It was an old star, one that had possessed many names, witnessed many things over the course of its long existence. So old it was that light from when it was young had crossed the distance between galaxies many times over. Now, though, none of that glory of old remained. Its surface was cold, its core long past its hydrogen fusing days, well into the heavier elements of silicon and sulfur. Though it had no conscious in the way sentients do, it understood that its time would soon coming. Fusion of iron atoms would mark the end of its current cycle, and a start of a new one.

  Of course, 'soon' in astronomical terms may as well be never to those collections of self-perpetuating chemical reactions that inhabit the motes of dust in orbit. This particular star had long since devoured its planets, rapid expansion of its outer layers sweeping away whatever may have once existed here. Strangely, no starlight broke through the black veil of space either, as though this star hung in a pocket of space, isolated.

  There was a single other object within that space. It hovered, a speck on a speck on a speck compared to the red giant, orbiting the star in a lazy ellipse.

  It was clearly artificial, though it seemed to follow now specific convention with angular designs accompanying smooth edges in a chaotic mess. It's size was nothing too special and it had a central, flattened disc with four protruding columns at the cardinal directions and two pointing 'up' and 'down'. Each column was barely a kilometre in length, making the entire station just over 2 kilometres at its longest.

  At the end of one of those columns, a corridor came to an abrupt stop at a set of wooden doors. They swung open soundlessly to reveal expanses of shelves shrouded in darkness that seemed to resist any forms of penetration - natural or super. At the far end, however, there sat a small table in the middle of a small clearing. Shelves radiating outward in at random angles, no intuitive design jumping out at anyone looking in for the first time. The table was illuminated by a flickering candle, its weak flame crashing against the impenetrable darkness like waves against a diamond cliff. Whether this bothered the creature that sat at the table, it made no indication of it.

  A pile of books, presumably finished, lay in a haphazard pile on one side of the table, while it leafed through the one in its appendages at a precocious speed. Metal rimmed glasses lay on its bulbous head, though there were no eyes to be seen - or any facial features for that matter. Its body was covered in a white cloth and eight tentacles emerged from underneath, pulsing rhythmically with that vibrant blue of bioluminescence. As if this would not have been strange enough, an observant individual might notice that it was not sitting on the chair beneath it, rather hovering a few millimitres above, suspended by an unseen force.

  Perhaps most disconcerting was the symbol of a weeping woman in chains embroidered above its left chest. If one paid close enough attention, they would notice that the shadows that flickered and writhed at the corners of perception leaned away from it in an almost sentient emotion of fear.

  Abruptly, the dense atmosphere was shattered by a thud. The leather bound book had escaped the creature's tentacles grasp, falling to the table face down. Despite a lack of facial features, the nervous twitching of its limbs and adjusting of its glasses betrayed a sense of nervousness.

  "Why is it always me", it grumbled as it got up from the chair with a swish of its robes. The candle extinguished with a flash, leaving only the soft blue glow if its limbs to be seen. It rushed down the aisles, turning at each crossroads with the confidence of one in their most familiar area. Soon enough, it reached a set of wooden doors that swung open seemingly of its own regard, letting the floating creature through before shutting behind it. The few shadows that followed through the entrance were sliced by the closing of the door and writhed before becoming inert and joining the rest of their less conscious brethren cast by harsh white strip lights above.

  It adjusted its glasses in annoyance at the bright glaring lights, a sharp contrast to the comforting(?) darkness of the library. After passing many doors, it reached the end of the long tunnel where it opened up into a wide, circular area. The ground was stone and a figure sat at its centre, his bowed head covering his face with a shock of grey hair.

  Most curiously, a longsword hung vertically in the air in front of him. Its blade was almost a metre and a half in length, with cracks running marring its silver metal like the fractal patterns of lightning. One side of the cross-guard was broken off part way and its handle was made of a black scaly material that reflected no light. It appeared to be floating still, but a closer inspection would reveal that it was vibrating in place as though rebounding against invisible chains.

  The creature adjust its glasses nervously and let out a burble to announce its presence. "Archbishop, I have received a missive." The creature reached a tentacle into its gelatinous head and brought out a scroll seemingly from within and unravelling it before continuing.

  "I know you said to not be disturbed, but this is of utmost importance, Archbishop. The missive comes from Oracle Hathor himself. He has stated that we are to cease all previous activities within the Shattered Belts and that they are directly sending a Cardinal to us for help".

  The grey-haired figure shifted, though he made no move to stand up. A hoarse voice sounded out a single syllable with a seemingly momentous effort, "Who?"

  The tentacles creature flinched and wriggled uncomfortable. The grey-haired figure turned his head, hair shifting away from his face revealing surprisingly young features. A scraggly beard adorned his chin and his eyes were as grey as his hair, fixating upon the shifting creature with intensity.

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  "Who is it, Quatzul", his hoarse voice more forceful.

  "Ah, sorry Archbishop Catrexus", Quatzul burbled nervously. "Just remember I am a very fragile Xelquarian okay?"

  He paused for a few seconds, though the grey-haired figure seemed not to deem that worthy of a response.

  Quatzul cleared his throat and continued, "Oracle Hathor has stated that: 'According to the decree of Pope Alkanarath, of the Pure Ones, and the High and Wise Council of Elders, a suitable candidate has been found for this mission of utmost importance to rendezvous with Archbishop Catrexus at the Deep Citadel. We have chosen Cardinal Gem, to be the envoy of the Unseen. May her path be watched by the Eye.'"

  Quatzul rolled up the scroll and it disappeared back into his head as he fidgeted with his eight limbs.

  Before he could breathe any sigh of relief however, Catrexus shifted. As he got to his feet, an invisible pressure seemed to blanket out as though gravity were enhanced a hundred fold. Quatzul's blue patterns flashed with increased speed and its skin rippled as it fought to stay aloft under the weight of several tons.

  Caterexus, however, moved leisurely, reaching forward to grasped the grip of the sword floating in front of him with a single hand. Just as he did so, the pressure vanished as though it were never there. He moved the sword to his waist, where it hovered at his side upheld by an invisible force.

  He brushed his long hair back and gazed up at the ceiling in an expression of profound sorrow.

  "Damn", he sighed, his hoarse voice now seeming as though not a single iota of optimism remained within. "I appreciate the heads up, Quatzul, sorry about the sword - you know how it gets."

  Quatzul waved a tentacle dismissively, "I get it. And I may have gotten distracted reading and gotten the message late so we don't have as long before she arrives".

  "What do you mean", Catrexus spoke with a novel note of urgency. "How long do we have"

  Just as he finished his words, an alarm blared across the room and the colour from Catrexus' face drained.

  "I suppose she is already here. I better get back then - ancient tomes won't catalogue themselves", Quatzul's blue patterns undulated with schadenfreude as he made his escape, moving at an incredible speed back down the corridor towards his homely(?) and benign(??) library.

  Catrexus barely had the time to take not of the fact as a vertical tear opened up in front of him. A chill emanated from it, casting a layer of frost that spread across the stone floor and causing his breath to mist in front of his face.

  From out of the rip stepped a woman clad in white ceremonial garb, the inverted pyramid embroidered on her chest the only adornment on the otherwise plain clothes. Her crystalline green eyes surveyed the room before eyeing Catrexus in a manner that dwarfed the frost coating the floor in cold.

  "Catrexus", she spoke before pausing, the tear sealing up behind her like a zipper. "It's been a while"

  "Indeed it has", Catrexus chuckled mirthlessly. "Strange that it would come to this after so long"

  "The path before us is shrouded. It is our duty to walk it firmly, no matter where it may lead", Gem replied, her eyes distant for a moment before refocusing their crystalline gaze onto Catrexus' with startling intensity. "And the path ahead of us will be like nothing ever before".

  Catrexus raised an eyebrow at this, "For it to get you this excited...", he let out a groan. "This is gonna be so much work, isn't it"

  "Work? Is not our greatest joy fulfilling our purpose and striving towards our Holy Decree?"

  "Yeah, yeah", Catrexus waved his hand dismissively and grumbled "You keep telling yourself that, damn adrenaline-junkie"

  Cardinal Gem's lips twitched in what may have been a fraction of a grin before quickly being suppressed.

  "Trust me, Catrexus. Once you hear what I've got to say, you'll be right along with me"

  At this, for the first time, Catrexus' eyes shone with a glint of honest curiosity. His left hand drifted down to rest of the pommel of his blade unconsciously as he replied.

  "Well then, explain away. What could possibly be so important they'd send both of us in such urgency?"

  "A prophecy. One that bestowed upon Pope Alkanarath by the Unseen themselves."

  "No wonder they're sending both of us." Catrexus' grip on the pommel of his sword tightened imperceptibly. "This is not just unprecedented, this is on the level of the Holy Decree itself."

  He looked back at Gem before sighing. "Well, you always did lament the 'peace' of our times"

  Whether she took notice of Catrexus' derision, Gem made no indication of it. If anything, the glint in her eyes intensified.

  "Don't you understand? This is it, this is history. We stand at the summit of a mountain thousands of years in the making, how can you not be overjoyed?". Her incredulity seemed genuine, to which Catrexus could only let out another hapless sigh.

  "Well, whatever. I don't think we're gonna see eye to eye on this any time soon. What's our next step, then?"

  Cardinal Gem retrieved a marble disc from the folds of her robe, holding it carefully as one might hold a newborn child. She turned over the Pope's Seal in her hand and a holographic projection appeared in the air before her.

  "The Colosseum Igni in the Uncharted Zones." The hologram rotated and zoomed in, revealing a sector on one corner of Alliance territory highlighted in red. "That's our only clue, apparently the language of the prophecy was similar."

  Catrexus was broken from his reverie with the marble disc in confusion.

  "A language?", he asked. "The prophecy was a spoken word?"

  "Not just any words - a riddle", Cardinal Gem replied.

  "A riddle?", Catrexus' confusion only mounted. "Any idea on the answer?", he asked hopefully.

  Cardinal Gem could only shrug half-heartedly and spoke, "You know that's not my area of expertise".

  "I don't even know why I bothered to ask", Catrexus muttered despondently under his breath. "Well have you decided when we're setting off?"

  Cardinal Gem flipped the marble disc over, vanishing it into the folds of her robes and disappearing the hologram,

  "I'd suggest that we go first ourselves. If we need any personnel that I can always return to Arklight to conscript a few more."

  "I see", Catrexus mused, tapping a foot idly against the stony floor. The frost had yet to dissipate, though neither of the two there seemed bothered by the drop in temperature. "May be worth bringing Quatzul along, he spends far too much time with his books anyways. And he'll be a lot more help on deciphering the riddle than any of us".

  "Quatzul, huh", Cardinal Gem deliberated for a few seconds. "He sure was quick to run away as I was arriving. Perhaps you may be right, I'm sure his intelligence would be a great asset to our cause". Catrexus recognised that sadistic glint in her eyes and muttered a silent apology for the Xelquarian, up whose non-existent spine a shiver climbed at that exact moment.