Chapter 1644 1644: We're Desperate

The chamber she had trapped the trio in didn't look anything like the rest of the mechanized space station.

Outside the metallic corridors, conveyor belts, and cold whirring servos of autonomous droids, this particular room was rounded and minimalist, almost ceremonial.

Blue light beamed from the floor in timed intervals, like the heartbeat of the station itself.

The 16th Commander was seated in the center calmly as she released the force used in immobilising.

Falco who was still recovering from the invisible force she'd used on them moments ago, stood upright with guarded eyes. Aildris slightly leaned forward with a tense expression, while E.E kept his hands at his sides, fingers twitching occasionally, ready to open a dimensional fold at the slightest sign of danger.

The 16th Commander smiled faintly.

"Sit," she demanded while gesturing to the circular cushions that rose from the ground as if responding to her presence.

None of the three moved.

"I said sit," she repeated with a gentle but authoritative voice that didn't come from rank, but from certainty.

A force pressed their shoulders, not harshly, but insistent. Enough that resisting would require effort, enough that pushing back would signal hostility. So, slowly, reluctantly, the three lowered themselves onto the cushions facing her.

Falco's voice broke the silence first.

"You said you're not our enemy," he growled. "Start explaining. Because the last time someone said that to me, they tried to trap me in a dimension of screaming shadows."

Her brows lifted. "I don't use shadow-type abilities. That is your father's specialty, not mine."

Falco's fists tightened.

Aildris leaned forward. "You said you're here to help us. That doesn't just come out of nowhere. Start from the beginning."

Her lips curved faintly... this was a question she had expected.

"Well," she said softly. "It makes sense to begin with the truth you came here looking for. The identity of the Gustavo Alliance's supreme leaders… and their plans."

The room fell cold.

E.E cleared his throat. "So you really do know where they are."

She nodded. "Of course. One of them… is my father."

That statement alone hit the group harder than any attack could have.

Aildris blinked. "Wait—your father is one of the two most powerful men in the Gustavo alliance?"

"Correct."

Falco leaned forward sharply. "Then why help us? You're literally related to them."

"Precisely," she replied. "Which is exactly why I must."

The trio exchanged confused glances.

She continued.

"Because if someone doesn't stop them… the universe will be reshaped in ways that none of you, not even Gustav, can understand. In ways that will spell doom for every world you've ever known."

A heavy silence fell.

Falco's gazed at her deeply. "You're talking about the ritual, aren't you?"

A surprised flicker crossed her eyes. "Ah. So you know about the ritual."

"What ritual?" Aildris questioned.

It seemed as though Falco was the only one who was aware of this.

She inhaled deeply.

"Let me tell you something only two supreme leaders and I know."

The lights dimmed around them. On the floor between them, a projection appeared, displaying an enormous depiction of the universe, threaded with cosmic streams, spirals of energy, and a massive black rift nearly invisible at its center.

Falco stiffened instantly.

The 16th Commander pointed at it.

"The Seal of Yh'Monthel. The lock that keeps the dark dimension separated from ours."

"Impossible," Aildris muttered. "It shouldn't be visible until after the fifth—"

"Premonition, right? You all believe that it could only break under specific circumstances? After the first, second, third, fourth and finally only appearing during the fifth premonition? After the chain of cosmic catastrophes?" she interrupted. "Yes. That was what everyone believed."

Aildris spoke in a low tone. "Then how is it visible? And seemingly starting to take root in our universe?"

"That," she said, "is where the Gustavo Alliance comes in."

The projection shifted, showing silhouettes of alliance ships, armories, battalions, energy collectors, vaults of resources.

"Every member of the Gustavo Alliance… even the commanders… even the ones you interrogated… all believed they were gathering resources for Gustav's use. For the day he would regain his full power as the Outworldly and they would render assistance to their god."

Her voice grew soft.

"But the truth is… those resources were being redirected. Repurposed. Refined."

E.E narrowed his eyes. "For what?"

"For this," she said while tapping the projection.

The rift in the center glowed brighter.

"For a ritual capable of bypassing the laws of dimensional prophecy. A ritual strong enough to brute-force the seal open."

Falco felt his heart split for a moment. He knew of the existence of a ritual since he had heard this in passing when he was in the dark dimension but he didn't think anyone was stupid enough to actually go through with it in their universe.

The resources needed were astronomical... as were the sacrifices... it should have been impossible for any one to successfully pull it off... unfortunately, the Gustavo Alliance wasn't just anyone.

"No… Nocturnis can't be freed yet. It's too soon. If he enters the universe now—"

"He won't wait," she replied. "He won't balance himself with cosmic law. He will consume. Until nothing remains but eternal shadow."

Falco swallowed hard.

The deity of shadows... was the most repulsive existence in the universe and no one knew how much disaster his return would wreak.

E.E rubbed his forehead. "So the supreme leaders have devoted the entire Alliance to freeing a bunch of dark dimension monsters and letting them roam free?"

"More than that," she said. "My father believes that the universe does not belong to mortals or mixed bloods or deities like Gustav. He believes the First Deities—the original primordial forces—should reclaim their throne."

"And the other supreme leader?" Aildris asked.

She hesitated. "Even I do not know who they were before they became… what they are now. But they are equally determined."

Falco clenched his fist. "Then tell me. Why do you want to help us? What do you gain by betraying your own father?"

Her expression softened to something unexpectedly human.

"Because my mother died at his hands."

She looked down at her hands.

"The Gustavo alliance did not just come into existence. It had existence long before Gustav was reborn. And in its earlier days, my father tried to sacrifice me to the dark dimension when I was very young. My mother… stopped him. She died resisting him, and he cast me out. Only centuries later did he bring me back when he realized I could be useful as a commander."

Aildris exhaled slowly. "So you've been playing along all this time."

"Waiting," she corrected. "Waiting for someone strong enough… connected enough… determined enough to stop him."

Falco, Aildris, and E.E exchanged looks.

"We're not here because we're strong," E.E muttered. "We're here because we're desperate."

She chuckled. "Desperation is often a better fuel than power."

Falco leaned forward. "Then we need to know where your father is. Where the other supreme leader is. Where the ritual is being carried out."

But she shook her head gently.

"Understand that the ritual is not being carried out by the Alliance... It's only being carried out by those two. The alliance knows nothing of it."

"So they were merely puppets in the grand scheme of things," Aildris muttered.

"Yes," the 16th commander nodded.

Falco pressed. "And the supreme leaders location?"

Her expression turned grave.

"They are on Oblivion-39-A. A rogue star cluster… hidden behind a cosmic veil accessible only through forbidden coordinates known to very few."

E.E frowned. "Coordinates?"

She flicked her fingers and a hexagonal crystal materialized between them.

"These coordinates."

Aildris reached for it, but she closed her hand and the crystal disappeared.

"Not yet," she said. "I will give it to you—but you must understand something first."

They held still.

"My father is aware that someone has been hunting the commanders. Despite how much you all tried to do this under the radar, he suspects an infiltration attempt. If you go after him without a plan… you will die."

Falco narrowed his eyes.

"So give us a plan."

Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"Very well. But it starts with a condition."

The air thickened.

"You will not kill my father."

Falco exploded to his feet.

"ARE YOU INSANE?! He wants to release the dark dimension! He wants to unleash Nocturnis into the universe!"

"I know," she said calmly. "But killing him will trigger a failsafe he installed. If you want to doom the universe, then feel free to kill him."

Falco stopped cold.

"Oh I see... looks like he tied the breaking of the seal to his death," E.E whispered.

She nodded.

"If he dies, everything you fear will happen instantly. You must neutralize him—yes. But not kill him. That doesn't mean the ritual will be averted by neutralising him alone but it does reduce the risk factors."

Aildris breathed deeply. "That complicates everything."

"It always does," she replied. "Now… sit. I will explain the plan."

Falco sat down slowly, reluctantly.

"When we're done here," she said softly, "I will come with you."

"What?" Aildris blinked. "You'll what?"

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