"The ENGINE chooses the worthy, finds the PRIME. The ENGINE chooses the worthy, finds the PRIME. Ohhhhh..oohhh, the ENGINE chooses the worthy, finds the PRIME. The ENGINE chooses the worthy, finds the PRIME," people sang as chosen gazed upwards towards the mechanical god.
"We celebrate PRIME—the century's design. We celebrate PRIME. When a mortal becomes divine," Shiyu sang with eyes closed.
The ENGINE's gears turned as clouds drifted across the mulberry aura around it, distorting the otherwise blue sky. A gentle breeze ruffled Rachel's hair as she gazed at Shiyu, then her brother, who was singing alongside their mother. News reporters interviewed chosen while children looked at the ENGINE with wonder in their eyes. The sun was almost at its highest point in the sky, casting warm sunlight across the countryside.
Elijah smoked a cigarette with Rachel, neither singing nor celebrating. Amos and Alice stood armed, crossed, as they watched Sarah hum along with a wild glint in her eyes. Arthur and Rusev talked to children and other chosen near the farmstead. Lex talked with news reporters, like a peacock parading its magnificence.
The ENGINE gears creaked and grinded as Shiyu positioned herself in front of the home of the previous PRIME.
"Children dream of being chosen artists, builders, minds of steel. But the Engine sees much deeper than the power we can feel.Not the strongest wins the summit, not the smartest breaks the seal.But the one who understands that Gods must know how mortals feel," Shiyu sang as everyone stopped talking as they surrounded her.
Rachel smoked as she wiped her hair out of her face, as the gust of wind swept across the farm. She glanced at Elijah, who stood there unamused as everyone closed their eyes as the Seer performed their sacred ritual. Shiyu tattoos glowed as she glanced up at the sun, then at the ENGINE. She glanced at Elijah and Rachel, who hadn't moved, then looked at everyone circling her. A thin lip smile formed on her face as she waited for them to approach, but they never did.
"We gather today to remember who came before us," Shiyu explained with authority in her voice. She rubbed her hands across the old wooden door, then looked into the crowd. "The ENGINE has blessed me and ninety-nine others with the mask of being chosen. A chance at becoming the next PRIME."
Rachel watched in silence as chosen, children, and merchants moved out of Shiyu's path as she walked towards the middle of the crowd.
"Except one of them isn't here," Elijah muttered as he watched while smoking.
Rachel sighed, then looked up at the ENGINE but did not reply.
"Steven Cloudsmith was a humble farmer," Shiyu explained as she turned her head towards the farmstead behind her. "Not a noble, not a king, not a businessman, and ascended as the previous PRIME. A century of peace swept across the land under his rule, inspired by his humble origins. People focused on family and learned how to live off the land. Children inspired to be farmers, which created a boom of agriculture technology."
Rachel lit a cigarette as she listened to Shiyu speak. Her mulberry eyes drifted towards the grass underneath her boots as trees and flora swayed in the wind. The grinding of the ENGINE's gears reverberated in her eardrums as cigarette smoke swirled towards the sky.
"Let us remember those who came before us, who changed our world for better or worse. Steven PRIME, we honor your service in the grand design," Shiyu said as she closed her eyes and began to pray.
"We honor your service in the grand design, Steven Prime," Chosen prayed as they closed their eyes.
Rachel stood in silence as everyone, but her and Elijah, prayed. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as the ENGINE's gears turned faster as the minutes passed. Shiyu's tattoos glowed brighter than she looked up at the sun as it reached the highest point in the sky.
"Today the cycle turns, the ENGINE's eye discerns. Bestow on us your blessings in your grand design," Shiyu said as the ENGINE started to wake.
Reverb bashed onto Rachel's chest as the ENGINE's mulberry core opened. Trees and grass swayed violently as unworldly bass ripped through the countryside like a hurricane. Chosen began to kneel in the wind as the ENGINE's gears creaked and churned. Rachel's eyes widened as she struggled to stay on her feet, as her cigarette flickered out.
"PRIME - Today the cycle turns. PRIME - The Engine's eye discerns. PRIME - Among us walks the one. PRIME - Whose pilgrimage has begun," chosen sang as the ENGINE awakened.
Rachel and Elijah resisted the urge to kneel for as long as they could, but the cosmic entity eventually won. The black mask on her face itched as her mulberry eyes stared up at the mechanical god gears turning in the sky. It's Mulberry's core brightened as an eldritch bass sent primordial fear down her spine as the other chosen began to sing.
Every hundred years, we gather
Every hundred years, we sing
Watch the Engine choose tomorrow
See what new age it will bring
Twenty-five from nations wide
Marked by masks, they cannot hide
Walking paths of those before
They forge themselves in plight
PRIME - The number stands alone
PRIME - Ascending to the throne
PRIME - One hundred seek the call
PRIME - But only one rules all
Rachel's skin tingled as chosen masks erupted in elemental and supernatural energy. One by one, flames, ice, prismatic, and dark light engulfed chosen masks. Auras crackling with energy exploded from their bodies. Sarah screamed as flames engulfed her pink mask while Ice pierced through Shiyu's.
We celebrate PRIME
The century's design
We celebrate PRIME
When a mortal becomes divine
Amos clawed at his face as dark shadow energy surrounded his body, as the ENGINE blessed him. Arthur's red mask glowed with prismatic light while Alice's orange mask oozed with pearlescent energy.
Children dream of being chosen
Artists, builders, minds of steel
But the Engine sees much deeper
Than the power we can feel
Not the strongest wins the summit
Not the smartest breaks the seal
But the one who understands that
Gods must know how mortals feel
Elijah growled as he tried to reach for his pack of cigarettes while smoke swirled from his gray mask.
The Engine chooses the worthy, finds the PRIME
The Engine chooses the worthy, finds the PRIME
The Engine chooses the worthy, finds the PRIME
The Engine chooses the worthy, finds the PRIME
PRIME
PRIME
PRIME
PRIME
Rachel screamed as lightning crackled from her body. Her mulberry eyes throbbed and crackled like they were being shocked continuously by static electricity. Her body tingled, and her muscles twitched and spasmed as lightning singed the grass around her.
PRIME - Today the cycle turns
PRIME - The Engine's eye discerns
PRIME - Among us walks the one
PRIME - Whose pilgrimage has begun
The front door of Steven PRIME's home ripped open in the wind. Mulberry light engulfed the farm as the once blue sky faded to an eerie purple hue. The very ground began to shake and quiver as the ENGINE's hum reverberated across the world. Tress shivered, grass withered, and birds hung in the air like they were caught in a photo. Everything stopped moving in an instant. Rachel glanced around at the frozen chosen with wide eyes. Her heart started to race as she stood up, eyes fixated on the Engine.
"ł Ɇ₦VɎ ₮ⱧɆ₥, ₥ØⱤ₮₳Ⱡ₴ ₩ⱧØ ₭₦Ø₩ ₦Ø₮ ₮Ⱨ₳₮ ₮ⱧɆɎ ₳ⱤɆ ₦Ø₮."
Rachel's eyes widened as she turned her attention towards the mulberry aura coming from the farm's front door. "Emily?" She mumbled as an oversized star-speckled hoodie, ripped black jeans, and combat boots came into view. Her heart thumped in her chest as she saw Emily's black hair and teal highlights, her eyes glowing mulberry.
"₴Ø ฿Ⱡł₴₴₣ɄⱠⱠɎ Ʉ₦₳₩₳ⱤɆ,ł ₩ł₴Ⱨ ł ₵ØɄⱠĐ ฿Ɇ Ⱡł₭Ɇ ₮ⱧɆ₥," Emily said with a frown as she walked towards Shiyu's frozen body.
Emily's right eye erupted in flames like the sun as she looked at ⱤɆĐ₳₵₮ɆĐ.
"ɆVɆ₦ ɎØɄ...ɎØɄ ₮Ⱨł₦₭ ɎØɄⱤ ₦Ø Đł₣₣ɆⱤɆ₦₮ Ɇł₮ⱧɆⱤ. ฿Ʉ₮ ł ₴ɆɆ ɎØɄ ₮ØØ. ⱤɆ₳Đł₦₲....Ø฿₴ɆⱤVł₦₲...Ʉ₦₳₩₳ⱤɆ Ø₣ ₮ⱧɆ ₮ⱧⱤɆ₳Đ₴ ₮Ⱨ₳₮ ฿ł₦Đ ɎØɄ. ɎØɄ ₮Ⱨł₦₭ ₮Ⱨł₴ ł₴ ₣ł₵₮łØ₦....₴₳₣Ɇ ฿ɆⱧł₦Đ ₮ⱧɆ ₴₵ⱤɆɆ₦. ฿Ʉ₮ ł ₵ØɄⱠĐ ⱤɆ₳₵Ⱨ Ɽł₲Ⱨ₮ ₮ⱧⱤØɄ₲Ⱨ ł₮....₮Ɇ₳Ɽ ₳₱₳Ɽ₮ ɎØɄⱤ ₴Ɇ₳₥₴."
ⱤɆĐ₳₵₮ɆĐ
Reverb bashed onto Rachel's chest as the ENGINE's mulberry core opened. Trees and grass swayed violently as unworldly bass ripped through the countryside like a hurricane. Chosen began to kneel in the wind as the ENGINE's gears creaked and churned. Rachel's eyes widened as she struggled to stay on her feet, as her cigarette flickered out.
"PRIME - Today the cycle turns. PRIME - The Engine's eye discerns. PRIME - Among us walks the one. PRIME - Whose pilgrimage has begun," chosen sang as the ENGINE awakened.
Rachel and Elijah resisted the urge to kneel for as long as they could, but the cosmic entity eventually won. The black mask on her face itched as her mulberry eyes stared up at the mechanical god gears turning in the sky. It's Mulberry's core brightened as an eldritch bass sent primordial fear down her spine as the other chosen began to sing.
Every hundred years, we gather
Every hundred years, we sing
Watch the Engine choose tomorrow
See what new age it will bring
Twenty-five from nations wide
Marked by masks, they cannot hide
Walking paths of those before
They forge themselves in plight
PRIME - The number stands alone
PRIME - Ascending to the throne
PRIME - One hundred seek the call
PRIME - But only one rules all
Rachel's skin tingled as chosen masks erupted in elemental and supernatural energy. One by one, flames, ice, prismatic, and dark light engulfed chosen masks. Auras crackling with energy exploded from their bodies. Sarah screamed as flames engulfed her pink mask while Ice pierced through Shiyu's.
We celebrate PRIME
The century's design
We celebrate PRIME
When a mortal becomes divine
Amos clawed at his face as dark shadow energy surrounded his body, as the ENGINE blessed him. Arthur's red mask glowed with prismatic light while Alice's orange mask oozed with pearlescent energy.
Children dream of being chosen
Artists, builders, minds of steel
But the Engine sees much deeper
Than the power we can feel
Not the strongest wins the summit
Not the smartest breaks the seal
But the one who understands that
Gods must know how mortals feel
Elijah growled as he tried to reach for his pack of cigarettes while smoke swirled from his gray mask.
The Engine chooses the worthy, finds the PRIME
The Engine chooses the worthy, finds the PRIME
The Engine chooses the worthy, finds the PRIME
The Engine chooses the worthy, finds the PRIME
PRIME
PRIME
PRIME
PRIME
Rachel screamed as lightning crackled from her body. Her mulberry eyes throbbed and crackled like they were being shocked continuously by static electricity. Her body tingled, and her muscles twitched and spasmed as lightning singed the grass around her. Deja vu tingled down her spine, echoing visions of Emily as she stared at the farm.
PRIME - Today the cycle turns
PRIME - The Engine's eye discerns
PRIME - Among us walks the one
PRIME - Whose pilgrimage has begun
The ENGINE's gears turned slowly as its eye closed. Chosen started to get back on their feet. Rachel's eyes twitched as lightning crackled from her body. She lit a cigarette as she got back on her feet. She glanced at Elijah as he dug into his pockets for his cigarette pack.
"Emily was here," Rachel insisted as she tapped him on the shoulder.
Elijah paused mid-light of his cigarette. "What did she do?"
Rachel blinked, then sighed. "I am not sure, but she rewound time afterwards."