Chapter 3 - Descent

While the assembly, immersed in a dreamlike melancholy, contemplated the end of this memorable spectacle, a strange fuliginous glow had slipped through the doorframe. This opaque form, with indeterminate contours, spread in an inexplicable way—almost as if remotely guided—throughout the sealed module. Its colour, reminiscent of radium, gradually filled the chamber with a spectral hue. At its contact, everything dulled, leaving behind a nebulous trace. Its vibration altered even the atmosphere itself. In place of incense, a suffocating miasma saturated with acridity now reigned. In his state of contemplation, the High Intendant, disturbed in his thoughts, turned slowly. That was when he saw the thing cast its shadow. But he had no time to react. A violent gust abruptly interrupted the ceremony, making the chandelier sway violently. All its prisms shattered in the impact, plunging the room into darkness. In a single motion, the assembly recoiled, overcome with dread. With no remaining light but that of this emanation, they all moved toward the entrance. Guards appeared, deploying around the door that was about to close. It was already too late: they had not seen it slip in, but recognized it instantly when, in a heartbeat, it materialized.

Her presence was nightmarish, distorting the perception of reality itself. Like an entity, she glided across the floor without quite touching it, a long robe concealing her feet. Her limbs stretched beyond all natural proportion, ending in bone-like fingers stained with soot. Tinted a deep garnet, her polished nails unfolded into sharp talons. Short hair, like charcoal seemingly born from flame, framed a harsh face of angular features, sealed by a tight mouth whose corners were permanently pulled downward. A black veil occasionally passed over her luminous eyes. Nothing about her reflected life. On the contrary, everything suggested she consumed it.

Arriving in the center of the room, she stopped. Turning her back to the guests, she scanned her surroundings. Suddenly, her gaze locked onto the viewport above. There was only one left. A single capsule. She raised her head and, without turning around, spoke in a monotone voice.

— I see you have followed none of my advice, she said coldly. Her breathing was heavy, deep, and too controlled.

— You do not give advice. You issue commands, replied the High Intendant.

A satisfied smile stretched her tightly pressed lips.

— Moreover, I do not recall having asked for your opinion, he added.

Turning toward him, she screamed.

— How dare you!

A flash crossed her face.

— Have you not done enough!

— You choose to align yourself with these incapable fools, devoid of intelligence.

— Because you seek nothing but slaves.

— Do not come and complain when, in return, they betray you.

— Enough!

— No one will stop me, she snarled.

Her voice seemed doubled—a second tone, slightly offset, appeared to layer itself over the first. A deep resonance accompanied it, as if her words were passing through water. Turning toward the window, she began to speak in a dark tongue, forbidden words. A piercing scream shattered the furniture, triggering a shockwave. The last capsule was struck, surrounded by the same greenish light.

One of the young dignitaries immediately saw it and rushed without hesitation toward the decompression bay. He pressed his hand with all his strength onto the biometric activation lever. The loading of all his data took an eternity. This was the procedure in case of external intervention: survival suit parameters were calculated down to the finest detail for each individual. It could not be prepared in advance, as every day brought its variations. When the indicator turned green, his hand was released and a mechanical arm descended from the ceiling. Scanning him from head to root, it enclosed him entirely in a membrane with iridescent reflections, along with a propulsion device and an oxygen nozzle designed to stabilize respiratory assistance. Once fully fitted, an opening formed beneath his feet and he launched himself forward.

When she saw him outside, the entity unleashed a swarm of her own shadows in pursuit. She could control them at a distance through thought alone. Their presence weighed down his progress, slowing his run as he crossed the critical phase of the descent—dangerous for the soul. But it was the only way. Otherwise, she would be sent back to where she came from, and it would then take him years to return—a delay beyond human scale.

He activated his accelerator and managed to shake them off. He had to reach her before its opening. Time was running out. He had only one impulse surcharge left, and he had to think about the return. He hesitated for a brief moment when using their bond to amplify his speed of approach. When he finally caught up with her, everything slowed down. It was damaged, but still functional. He brushed past her in passing. And in that contact, something passed between them. In that suspended instant, he transmitted what he had just gone through. Not through words—but through the connection. Then he let her continue her descent. And stepped away. They would retain no memory of it.

But something would remain.