The galaxy trembled as the heavens parted, space shifting apart under the emergence of two dense orbs of burning gold that descended over the galaxy with the blaze of a burning sun.

  Merak stood calmly as time and darkness fled, their laws ceasing to exist under the suffocating gaze of the newly arrived entity. He felt it as death fled soon after, equally vanishing under a look that easily laid complete dominion over the entire Galaxy.

  He gazed down below, through the glows of quickly dimming stars, the dissipation of ancient nebulas, and watched as entire star nations, civilizations that had existed for hundreds of millennia, crumble under a gaze that made most super galaxies seem young in comparison.

  And below it all rested a great hand, so massive the galaxy seemed like a grain of sand hovering over its golden-fingered palm. A grain of sand that was swiftly eroding under the pressure of an overwhelming ancientness.

  Merak turned his gaze back up at the two great super galactic-sized orbs that gazed down on him, each size so big that the galaxy seemed like an island surrounded by a massive ocean.

  Behind him, the other Ascendants were nowhere to be found. Whether alive or dead, they were no longer his concern.

  "Transcendant," he nodded slowly.

  MERAK... OF... OBLIVION a disembodied voice rumbled out slowly, like the roar of a great tide, and the start of a great construct, with words so great no mortal mouth could ever utter. And wherever the sounds passed, concepts were destroyed, shattered into so many pieces that even he doubted he'd be able to fix them back easily.

  WHY... DOES IT NOT BOW? A second voice said just as two more orbs of burning gold joined the ones gazing down over him, carrying with it a distinct note that swiftly revealed its female gender.

  WHY... DO YOU NOT BOW, ASCENDANT? ARE WE NOT WORTHY OF YOUR VENERATION? It rumbled again, and Merak recognized the mocking tone it used when uttering his honorifics.

  One of his eyes twitched, but he stayed calm. Merak folded his arms behind his back and straightened his shoulders as he regarded both entities.

  "I do not bow to anyone."

  He sensed the female about to speak, but she was cut off as the first entity, likely the one with the higher rank, spoke.

  ENOUGH, it said, and even though there wasn't a face to it, Merak could still detect the faint tone of amusement.

  MERAK MIGHT BE A RAT. The male spoke again, and there was no doubt to whom it was referring. BUT HE IS A RAT THAT KNOWS HOW TO BITE. HE HAS EARNED EVERY RESPECT ACCORDED TO HIM.

  "What do you want?"

  Instantly, he felt a chill as the displeasure of the entity washed over him. A cold wind, so ancient the galaxy he stood on seemed but a child in comparison, swept over space, freezing everything in its path and encasing the Galaxy in a solid layer of primordial ice.

  In just a bare instant, the lives of every creature in the galaxy were snuffed out.

  DO NOT MISTAKE MY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FOR COMPLIANCE, ASCENDANT. AS I HAVE DONE TO YOU, YOU WILL ACCORD ME THE RESPECT DUE MY REALM.

  Despite it all, Merak was undeterred. He faced the entities of the beyond and gazed into eyes that could smite him into nothing and he was not afraid.

  "What. Do. You. Want?"

  DISRESPECT ME ONE MORE TIME AND YOU WILL CEASE TO EXIS—

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  It was cut off as from the opposite side of the galaxy, far away from where they were, a section of space erupted in a blaze of burning power just as a raging deluge of misty azure flames poured down through a crack in reality like a waterfall over the cluster of galaxies beneath.

  A rush of power like that would have no doubt erased those galaxies without resistance if their annihilating powers weren't held back by the will of the distant silhouettes that crested its foggy edge.

  The two Transcendants from Order raised their faces, turning blazing orbs up towards the distant azure horizon, and immediately, Merak detected the moment they went into alert mode as the identities of the new arrivals were revealed.

  WHAT DOES YOUR CULT WANT WITH US?

  The Transcendants from Order were silent for a moment, and then the male answered, its voice rumbling out with tense preparedness.

  WE HAVE NO BUSINESS WITH YOU, SAPPHIRE LORDS. OUR BUSINESS LIES WITH MERAK, HERE.

  MERAK... IS ONE OF US. AN ISSUE WITH HIM IS AN ISSUE WITH US. ASK YOUR QUESTION AND BEGONE.

  Cracks ran against the membrane of reality as misty azure contended against blazing gold, each finding itself on equal footing. Eventually, the Transcendants of Order turned back to him.

  WHAT... IS YOUR BUSINESS IN THIS LAYER, ASCENDANT?

  Merak's features were unchanged. "I don't believe my movements is of any business to your Cult."

  Oh, how he sensed their rage, their displeasure at his blatant disregard of their authority. But they couldn't do anything, not with the presence of the Sapphire Lords of Oblivion hanging over their heads like a guillotine waiting to drop at the slightest hint of aggression.

  The burning golden haze that blanketed one side of space retreated slowly as the Transcendants reined in their displeasure, and then the male spoke again.

  THE EVENTS THAT HAVE TRANSPIRED IN THIS GALAXY HAVE BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR AND ALL PARTIES REVEALED.

  His eyes widened as amusement returned to its voice.

  BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE JURY, YOU WILL CEASE ALL ACTIVITIES IN THIS PLACE AND STAY YOUR HANDS FROM ANY FORM OF INTERFERENCE.

  Its next words made Merak realize that he'd just been had, and was going to feel the sting of this command sooner rather than later.

  THE EVENTS THEREAFTER HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED AND THEIR FUTURE EFFECTS REALIZED. NO ONE, NOT EVEN YOU, this time it gazed up at the hazy silhouettes in the distance, IS TO INTERFERE.

  Merak grimaced and his hands tightened into fists as those burning orbs turned back to him. TOSAL... WILL BE DISPATCHED SHORTLY TO SEE TO YOUR FULL COMPLIANCE. Amusement practically rained down from it. I HOPE YOU HAVE A PLEASANT MEETING.

  And then as quickly as they'd arrived, they vanished. Their burning orbs disappeared, and their suffocating, annihilating presence left the galaxy once more in cold, utter darkness, lit only by the glow of the brightening stars.

  They were soon followed after by the Sapphire Lords as their flaming azure power retreated into the crack above, leaving behind the river of time that flowed back in, bringing with it a second restoration of all that was.

  ***

  In a distant corner of the fringe, far from the Lese World Cities and over the large expanse of a nebula, three beings hovered.

  "I never imagined that Ra'poth's sacrifice would be so... Effective," the deep smooth voice of the Emperor echoed out with pleasure.

  "Same as I, brother," another being said, and Primarch Ko'seth's wings fluttered. Whether in excitement or something else, Na'roth couldn't tell. "It came as a shock to me that the sacrifice of a Divine King, one as weak as Ra'poth, would have such effect that it brought House Verrille to its knees. But brother, you know very well that they will be coming for us. Attrevia does not need evidence to act, especially in a situation that almost resulted in the death of her daughter."

  "I am aware," Ty'ranth said. "Right now, she needs to take stock of her House and flush out the traitor that seems to dwell in their midst," he chuckled. "A boon in our favor, I should say. Without one of its pillars at full power, Lese wobbles, like a chair with a broken leg. I will take this opportunity and retrieve my property."

  "What about Order?"

  "The Cults will not intervene in local matters, it is against their core tenets. But just in case, you will hire the Black Axe. Order will think twice before they decide to interfere."

  The Emperor turned to regard No'reth, who stood behind them, wings tucked in and head bowed.

  "You, Divine King, will carry out my will. Go and prepare the armadas. Lese is weakened, you will invade the House Verrille and take back what is mine, even if you have to bring it alongside the shard of their dead World."

  No'reth bowed. "Your will be done, Emperor."

  "Good," the Primarch nodded as he turned away. "I have a list. You will coordinate with Shadow Hall, who are tracking them as we speak, and you will bring those three to me."

  "Your will be done, Emperor."

  Thrones & Seals. For those that have stuck with me all this while and will continue to do so, I say Thank You. And for those who do not wish to continue, I still say Thank You.

  shall invade your Follow list, hehe.