A vast continent, comparable in size to a galaxy, floated gracefully in the vast void of space. Surrounding this continent was an imposing transparent barrier adorned with glowing purple runes and unknown patterns.
The land was vibrant and lush, filled with diverse forests, massive trees, and flourishing plant life. Rivers of cosmic energy flowed through the terrain, nourishing the land and supporting the growth of cosmic herbs with immense value.
A colossal tower stood at the continent's heart, its surface covered in greenery as plants climbed its walls, seamlessly blending into the natural landscape.
Inside the tower was a vast library with countless bookshelves that ascended into the shadows above, their heights seemingly limitless and their ultimate destinations lost to the murky darkness.
A solitary, beautiful woman was at the heart of this labyrinth of shelves, her presence screaming elegance and her beauty otherworldly, a harmony of ancient and timeless.
Her skin glowed faintly, smooth and unblemished. Etched on it were the tracery of law runes that seemed to pulse with the universe's rhythm.
She was the Primordial of Wisdom, Callisthene.
She sat in quiet concentration, meticulously recording her newfound knowledge. The words she inscribed twisted and curled in bizarre unknown patterns, forming a script that only she could comprehend. Each stroke carried meaning beyond any known language.
As she continued writing, a faint flicker of golden light caught her attention. The jade ornament dangling from her waist glowed softly, an unmistakable signal.
Without hesitation, she grasped it, her fingers tightening around its smooth surface and she instilled her consciousness into it.
A deep voice echoed from the jade, breaking the silence of the library, "Callisthene," the voice of Luscith said, though the voice was calm it carried pressing weight. "We need your help. The plans we set in motion have encountered unexpected challenges. Your presence in the dream dimension is vital. Your insight could be the key to turning the tide."
She felt the urgency in Luscith's voice, and without a moment's hesitation, she vanished from the library, leaving behind her continent as she threaded her way through the vast, complicated layers of the deep space.
After days of constantly navigating the deep layers, she arrived at the place the jade arrow had directed her toward. Before her was Lusciths galaxy. The dream laws emanating from it were as clear as crystal, without hesitation, she disappeared merging with the space and then a breath later materialized gracefully within the grand hall.
As her surroundings became clear, she cast her gaze around and looked at the other primordial beings seated in quiet contemplation, their bodies radiating powerful aura instinctively.
Callisthene stepped forward, her presence attracting the attention of the assembled Primordials instantly. "I am here," she announced, her voice calm and resolute. "Tell me what has happened and what must be done."
Luscith gestured his hand to her to take a seat, and as she sat, he began to tell her what they had encountered. She listened, and after Luscith finished, she said, "Listening to you, I gained some new ideas."
"Care to explain your new ideas?" Luscith said as a hint of hope was tinged with his voice. "I should show you," she said as she materialized a stone.
"This stone can merge the consciousness of two entities," she said. They looked at the stone and scanned it, after scanning it, they felt their consciousness having the tendency to merge.
They guessed what she was about to do without her telling them more.
Kismetor and Callisthene entered the chamber, which Vyrinox engraved with deception laws, and they sat cross-legged opposite each other and the stone hovered between them.
They infused their consciousness with the stone, and as their consciousness merged, Kismetor closed his eyes and returned to the river of fate.
Callisthene was now viewing the river of fate from the perspective of Kismetor, her quirk for collecting more knowledge kicking in. However, she quickly calmed herself and thought, "What a pity I can't explore it," as she gazed at the river with greed in her eyes.
Kismetor employed his advanced ability to extend his consciousness into the threads of destiny, trying to explore future possibilities by tapping into a specific strand of destiny.
He could simulate potential future events influenced by various choices. The first simulation he encountered presented a vision of a future scenario in which an attack on Glacethor the primordial of ice was initiated.
At first, everything seemed to go as planned. They struck with overwhelming force, their combined power shaking the very foundations of Glacethor's authority. Yet, something was wrong.
Glacethor did not panic. He did not falter.
Instead, his icy gaze held an unsettling certainty, as if he had foreseen their every move.
Then a surge of energy erupted from the distance, and before they could react, reinforcements emerged from the frozen void, hundreds of primordials who had been hidden and waiting nearby.
It was a trap.
Their assault turned into a desperate struggle for survival. Glacethor's reinforcements struck with precision, cutting off escape routes and overwhelming them in mere moments. They barely managed to flee, but not without cost. Severe injuries marred their bodies, and their energy reserves were dangerously depleted.
The simulation shattered like glass, snapping Kismetor and Callisthene back to reality. Kismetor exhaled sharply, his expression dark.
Kismetor and Callisthene were initially frustrated by the ambush they experienced during the simulation, as it felt uncannily real. The sheer accuracy of the scenario unsettled them—the enemy always knew, always reacted first, and always struck first.
However, rather than succumbing to frustration, they used this setback to refine their strategies, sharpen their instincts, and push the limits of their understanding.
They ran countless simulations, the 2nd simulation they failed followed by 3rd…4th…5th…
By the time they reached their 20th run, the pattern had become unmistakeable,
no matter what simulation they attempted, they were always anticipated, always ambushed.
Callisthene sat in deep thought, her eyes flickering with a white hue as the Law of Wisdom fueled her calculations. Every possible path played out in her mind, shifting, twisting, and reconfiguring in endless streams of probabilities.
After countless days of calculation in the chamber, Callisthene furrowed her brows, her thoughts racing through every scenario they had encountered.
"What do all these situations have in common?"
Every failed simulation had something in common.
Then, like a spark igniting in the void, the realization struck her.
"What if…" she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper, "what if the one attacking isn't a primordial… but a weak Ascendant ?"
Kismetor's gaze sharpened as he processed her words. Without hesitation, he reached toward the river of fate, seeking out the timeline where an Ascendant made the first move against a primordial.
The moment his consciousness touched the thread, his vision shifted.
He saw himself, alongside the others, controlling an Ascendant, using it as a pawn to strike against a primordial.
The result was predictable.
The Ascendant died instantly—one strike. Absolute annihilation.
Kismetor's vision flickered as he rewound the moment, studying it repeatedly.
Then he discovered the crucial detail that he had missed.
The Origin Law did not warn the primordial against the attack. It had not accounted for the Ascendant's attack.
Kismetor's eyes widened.
"That's it…" he muttered, his voice laced with disbelief.
Callisthene leaned in, waiting for his explanation.
He turned to her, his voice calm as he explained.
"The Origin Law treats us as part of its balance. It notices our movements, our conflicts, and it corrects for them."
"But the Ascendants… they are beneath its notice as they are weak to even try to destabilize the universe's law and order.
A slow, knowing smile crept onto Callisthene's face. "Then we've found our knife, haven't we?"
Kismetor laughed when he heard her remark. His sharp eyes gleamed with a mix of anticipation and excitement. "This plan is somewhat feasible," he thought, his mind already dissecting the details with calculating precision.
They instantly returned to the grand hall, their minds buzzing with their discovery. As they took their seats, Callisthene wasted no time.
"Here's what we'll do," she began, her voice sharp with certainty.
The others leaned in, awaiting her strategy.
"The most feasible plan," she continued, "is to use a borrowed knife to eliminate the Primordials and then through the borrowed knife devour the laws and their essence."
A moment of silence followed. Then, Noctyra furrowed his brows, a hint of fear creeping into his voice.
"Don't tell me…the knife is the Celestial Mandate?"
Callisthene immediately interjected, shaking her head.
"Of course not," she said, dismissing the idea with a wave. "We're not that strong, yet."
"If we are not using the Celestial Mandate, then what… or who…are we planning to use as the knife?" Noctyra asked.
The Primordials exchanged glances, their expressions shifting from determination to a deeper, more unsettling realization. The air in the grand hall grew heavier, charged with an unspoken tension.
Each of them, in their own way, felt the gravity of the unspoken thought pressing upon them.
"If it is not the Celestial Mandate… then it can only be…" Ashrel said.
Callisthene watched as the others' thoughts spiraled, their minds racing toward the most obvious conclusion—Lex.
She sighed inwardly as she saw the looks exchanged between them, the barely concealed speculation. "Fools," she said inwardly.
Before they could voice their misguided theories, she lifted a hand, her tone sharp but steady. "Stop."
The gravity of her command stilled the hall. "Do not waste your thoughts on the impossible." Her eyes swept across them, her expression unreadable. "He is not a factor in our schemes."
Silence.
Noctyra's brow furrowed, his shadowy form shifting. "And how can you be so sure?"
Callisthene allowed herself a faint, humorless smile. "Because I do not entertain fantasies."
She leaned forward, her presence imposing without force. "It would be magnificent, wouldn't it? To manipulate the Creator into becoming our borrowed knife. To twist his vast authority to serve our purpose." She tilted her head slightly. "But reality is never that kind."
Her words hung heavy in the air as she continued. "He does not move by our designs, nor will he be swayed by mere maneuvering. If he interferes, it will not be at our convenience—it will be at his will, and in a way none of us could ever anticipate. To even consider him in our strategies is to plan for failure."
Luscith exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples. "Then who?"
"Ascendant," Callisthene answered.
The hall fell into silence for minutes.
Uhtred was the first to break it, his expression skeptical. "How?" His tone carried disbelief, bordering on dismissal.
"Ascendants are far too weak to even stand in our presence, let alone challenge us. Their very existence is bound by the limitations of time and decay while we transcend such trivialities. Even if they attacked, their actions would never reach us—we exist on a plane beyond their comprehension."
His words were met with nods from the others, their agreement evident.
But Callisthene remained composed as she said, "You have strayed from the true intent of my words."
She then leaned forward slightly, her fingers tapping rhythmically against the table and she intoned. "Though they are but fleeting creatures, their lives mere sparks against the backdrop of our eternity… some among them are different, some marked by something greater…?"
She let the words settle before continuing. "And these ones have a destiny that rivals us, and with us as their backing, we can make them powerful enough to threaten a primordial."
Luscith's eyes narrowed. "What are you implying?"
Callisthene allowed a slight, knowing smile. "I am saying that we should make the borrowed knife strong enough."
Zarrakis scoffed, crossing his arms. "Make the borrowed knife strong? A roach may dream of reaching the heavens, but no matter how high it jumps, it remains a roach."
Callisthene turned to him, unbothered. "And yet, a swarm can devour titans."
The hall grew even quieter.
She continued, "Think about it. The laws that govern the Ascendants are not absolute. Unlike us, they are not bound by a singular purpose. They adapt and evolve."
Her gaze swept across the room. "We have spent too long looking at them as lesser beings. But something—someone—is pushing them beyond their natural limits. They are moving as if guided. That is why I think that using them would likely succeed."
Ashrel exhaled sharply, still unconvinced. "Even if this were true, it changes nothing. They are still weak, and we are still beyond them," he said, not even entertaining the possibility of the Ascendants threatening them when they become strong enough to rival a primordial.
Callisthene's eyes gleamed as she said. "For now."