An open-platform satellite drifted in silence above the planet.
With no air, no sound, and only the cold void and the faint glow of Earth below, 14 figures sat around a circular table made of nothing visible, as their forms were swallowed by perfect black silhouettes.
The moon hung behind them at just the right angle, turning every single one of them into a hole cut out of starlight.
The woman at the head of the table spoke first. Her voice arrived directly inside every mind, warm and clear despite the vacuum—as if they possessed a greater will to manifest despite the lack of medium for sound to travel.
"Thank you for coming, Paragons. For once, all fourteen seats are filled with no absences and no proxies. In a way, it is something that is worth celebrating at the next meeting."
