Far beyond Earth—
beyond known space, beyond recorded existence—
the void bent inward.
Light from countless stars twisted and collapsed, converging into a single point before tearing open reality itself. From that rupture emerged a dead world.
Platy-345X.
A planet where nothing had ever lived.
A place chosen because nothing could witness what was decided there.
At the center of the barren land stood a circular table carved from fractured existence.
Ten thrones surrounded it.
Ten figures sat in absolute silence.
At the center of the circle, one being stood.
He was trembling.
His knees refused to bend.
His voice refused to rise.
Every instinct screamed at him to kneel—
yet his body would not obey.
All ten gazes were fixed on him.
Then a voice broke the silence.
Calm.
Cold.
Unforgiving.
Unknown:
"Tell me what happened."
The standing figure swallowed.
"S-sir… the Authority acted without restraint. After permission was granted, he misused it. He descended for his own amusement."
A pause.
"He sought to punish the mortals who killed his favored slave."
A faint shift rippled across the table.
Unknown:
"And he did not return."
"No, sir."
Silence pressed down harder.
Unknown:
"You were assigned to observe. Not interfere."
Another pause.
"So explain his disappearance."
The figure clenched his fists.
"I was observing clearly. He was destroying the area. He was moments away from killing the boy."
His voice faltered.
"Then… my vision was severed."
The stars above Platy-345X dimmed.
"No signal. No distortion. No warning."
"…Earth vanished."
A heavy silence followed.
"When vision returned," the figure continued quietly,
"everything was already finished."
"The Authority was gone."
"No backlash. No residue."
"…Only absence."
One of the seated figures tightened their grip on the throne.
The Unknown exhaled slowly.
"…Damn it."
The word carried weight.
"He was the next victim of the Dark King."
The standing figure froze.
"The… Dark King?" he whispered.
No one corrected the statement.
Unknown:
"There was no need for you to witness it," the voice continued.
"You would not have survived the sight."
A ripple of unease spread among the thrones.
"And the barrier?" the Unknown asked.
"It remained intact," the figure replied immediately.
Silence.
A dangerous silence.
Unknown:
"If that barrier were gone," the voice said slowly,
"we would already be standing on that world."
His gaze sharpened.
"But as it stands, only lesser entities may enter."
The standing figure's breath hitched.
"Which makes them disposable."
The Unknown rose from his throne.
"Higher Authorities cannot descend."
The air fractured as power shifted.
"But there exists a problem greater than the Dark King."
A pause.
"A variable we cannot control."
The standing figure stiffened.
"The one with crimson eyes."
No name followed.
No history was spoken.
"He is not aligned with us," the Unknown said.
"And he is not aligned with the Dark King."
A colder pause.
"He is the reason this stalemate exists."
The ten figures stood in unison.
"This is no longer observation."
A single command echoed through broken space.
"Find him."
Light exploded outward.
Beams scattered through the void as the figures vanished one by one.
Platy-345X cracked down its center.
The planet collapsed into dust.
And somewhere—
on a small blue world—
three forces moved independently.
One ruled from the shadows.
One judged without mercy.
And one waited to end them both.
End of Chapter 11