The Imperial Palace was quiet that evening.
Outside the enormous windows of Kael Veyris's private study, floating islands drifted across the golden sky. Crystal towers reflected the last light of the setting sun, while the gardens below glowed with the gentle radiance of magical flowers.
Kael sat behind his desk, examining the mysterious book that had appeared the previous night.
Seven silver lines decorated its black cover.
He had already examined its history, origin, and connection to the Infinite Library.
The results were unusual.
The book had no recorded creator.
It had no place of origin.
And according to the Infinite Library, it had never existed before the seven women departed from the Veyris Empire.
Kael turned another page.
A sentence appeared.
WHEN THE SEVEN PATHS SEPARATE, THE NAME BENEATH THE ABYSS SHALL BE REMEMBERED.
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"The name beneath the Abyss?"
He leaned back in his chair.
"That sounds unnecessarily dramatic."
A familiar voice came from the doorway.
"Are you talking to your books again?"
Kael looked up.
Abyssal stood at the entrance.
She was known throughout certain ancient realms as the Primordial Outer Goddess, a being whose existence was associated with the deepest mysteries beyond ordinary cosmological structures.
Her long hair flowed behind her like a dark celestial river, and her eyes carried a strange depth that seemed to reflect places untouched by time.
Despite her overwhelming nature, she had a calm and composed presence.
Kael gestured toward the chair across from him.
"Come in. I was just reading something interesting."
Abyssal entered and sat down.
"What did you find?"
Kael showed her the book.
She read the sentence.
For the briefest moment, her expression changed.
It was subtle.
Almost impossible for an ordinary observer to notice.
But Kael noticed.
He closed the book.
"You recognize it."
Abyssal remained silent.
"Abyssal?"
She looked toward the window.
"That name belongs to an old story."
"What story?"
"One that should have remained forgotten."
Kael studied her face.
Then, instead of questioning her further, he poured another cup of tea.
"Would you like some?"
Abyssal blinked.
"...You aren't going to ask me anything else?"
"I could."
"And?"
"And you clearly aren't ready to tell me."
He placed the cup before her.
"So we'll drink tea first."
For several seconds, Abyssal simply stared at him.
Then she laughed softly.
"You really are strange, Kael Veyris."
"I've been told."
"By whom?"
"Quite a few people."
She accepted the tea.
For the moment, the mysterious book remained closed.
But the name written within its message lingered in her thoughts.
A name she had not heard spoken in an age beyond counting.
Her own.
The two sat together for some time.
Kael drank his tea while Abyssal gazed into the garden.
Eventually, he placed his cup on the table.
"Can I ask you something?"
"You may."
"Is Abyssal your real name?"
Her fingers stopped moving around the teacup.
The question was simple.
Yet her silence made it clear that the answer was not.
"Abyssal," she finally said, "is the name most beings know me by."
"That wasn't quite what I asked."
"I know."
Kael waited patiently.
He had no intention of forcing an answer from her. If she wished to remain silent, he would respect that decision.
But after a long pause, Abyssal looked directly at him.
"My real name..."
Her voice became quieter.
"...is Abyssara."
The name hung between them.
For an instant, the room seemed to grow still.
Not because Kael had released any power, nor because the laws of reality had changed.
It was simply the significance of a name that had remained unspoken for an immeasurable age.
Abyssara.
The name she had possessed before countless civilizations knew her as Abyssal.
The name she had buried beneath titles, duties, and the weight of being a Primordial Outer Goddess.
Kael repeated it.
"Abyssara."
She watched him carefully.
"Yes."
He smiled.
"That's a pretty name."
Abyssara stared at him.
"...What?"
"I said it's a pretty name."
She had expected questions.
Perhaps surprise.
Perhaps an inquiry into the origin of her name or the ancient events that had caused her to abandon it.
Instead, Kael had complimented her.
Just like that.
Abyssara lowered her gaze toward her tea.
"You are the first person in an extremely long time to say that."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Then everyone else has been missing an opportunity."
She laughed again.
This time, the sound was genuine.
"You haven't changed at all."
"Should I have?"
"No."
She looked at him with a small smile.
"I think that is why I can speak to you."
Kael rested his chin against one hand.
"Then, Abyssara, would you like me to call you that from now on?"
She considered the question.
For so long, the name had been connected to memories she preferred not to revisit.
Yet hearing it spoken by Kael did not feel painful.
It felt different.
As though the name belonged to someone who could still exist beyond the role she had been forced to carry.
"Yes," she answered.
"Then Abyssara it is."
Kael picked up his teacup.
"And now, would you like another cup?"
She smiled.
"You're impossible."
"That's another thing I've been told."
For the first time in ages, Abyssara felt comfortable hearing her true name.
And for the first time in ages, she did not feel the need to hide it.
Later, Abyssara stood with Kael on the palace balcony.
The sky had darkened, revealing countless stars scattered across the heavens.
She looked toward the distant horizon.
"There is something you should understand," she said.
Kael turned toward her.
"Go ahead."
"The Primordial Abyss existed before many of the realms that now claim to understand it. Its deepest regions contain remnants of ancient existence, forgotten histories, and things that even the oldest gods cannot comprehend."
"I know."
"Of course you do."
She gave him a sideways glance.
"Sometimes I forget who I'm talking to."
Kael chuckled.
Abyssara continued.
"My name was not always Abyssal. That title came later, after I accepted responsibilities that connected me to the Primordial Abyss."
"And Abyssara?"
"That was the name I had before those responsibilities defined my existence."
She paused.
"I thought abandoning it would make the past easier to leave behind."
"Did it?"
"No."
Her answer was immediate.
Kael nodded.
"Names can carry a lot of memories."
"Especially for beings like us."
Abyssara looked at the stars.
"I have existed through eras that no longer have names. I have watched civilizations emerge from nothing and disappear into forgotten history. Eventually, I became accustomed to being addressed by titles rather than by the name I chose for myself."
"And you don't have to keep doing that."
She turned toward him.
"What do you mean?"
"You can still be the Primordial Outer Goddess. You can still fulfill your responsibilities. But you can also be Abyssara."
Kael spoke without ceremony.
"One doesn't erase the other."
For a long time, she said nothing.
Then her eyes softened.
"You make it sound so simple."
"Sometimes, it is."
"And when it isn't?"
"Then you take your time figuring it out."
Abyssara looked at him for several seconds.
Finally, she smiled.
"Thank you, Kael."
He nodded.
"You're welcome, Abyssara."
The name sounded natural when he said it.
And she found herself hoping that she would hear it again.
Far away from the peaceful balcony of the Veyris Palace, another mystery was unfolding.
Beneath the crimson mountains of Draktharion, Neferet Raemora stood inside the ancient sanctuary.
The missing tablet remained undiscovered.
The jackal-headed guardian had returned to its position before the sealed chamber, but its eyes now glowed with an unfamiliar golden light.
Neferet studied the symbols carved into the surrounding walls.
Something had changed since her previous visit.
She could feel it.
The sanctuary was responding to something beyond its boundaries.
Or someone.
"Guardian," she said, "has anything entered this chamber since my departure?"
The ancient figure slowly turned its head.
"Something has passed through the forgotten threshold."
Neferet's expression sharpened.
"What was it?"
"A presence without a recorded beginning."
She became still.
The guardian continued.
"It did not break the seal. It did not open the door. Yet the ancient sanctuary recognized it."
Neferet glanced toward the sealed chamber.
"Did it take the tablet?"
"No."
"Then what did it take?"
The guardian's golden eyes dimmed.
"A name."
Silence followed.
Neferet stared at it.
"A name?"
"One that had been buried beneath the history of the Primordial Abyss."
For the first time that evening, Neferet felt a chill of uncertainty.
She knew the ancient stories.
She knew the First Covenant.
And she knew that names carried particular importance among primordial beings.
But the Primordial Abyss had always been a subject of conflicting accounts.
Some claimed it was the birthplace of forgotten gods.
Others believed it was a repository of discarded realities.
A few ancient records described it as something older than the concepts used to define it.
Neferet had never trusted those accounts completely.
Now she wondered whether they had concealed more truth than she realized.
"Guardian," she said carefully, "do you know the name?"
The ancient figure bowed its head.
"Abyssara."
Neferet's eyes widened slightly.
She had heard that name once before.
It appeared in a damaged record preserved in Aaru, hidden among the oldest writings concerning the First Covenant.
The record contained no description of Abyssara's appearance.
No clear account of her deeds.
Only a warning.
When the forgotten name returns, do not mistake the silence that follows for peace.
Neferet slowly exhaled.
"What exactly is awakening?"
The guardian offered no answer.
Instead, a faint light appeared upon the sealed chamber.
Seven silver lines formed across its surface.
Neferet recognized the symbol.
She had seen it in an ancient inscription before leaving Aaru.
Seven paths.
Seven thrones.
One forgotten name.
Her thoughts returned to the mysterious traveler she had met in Draktharion.
Kael Veyris.
He had appeared at the sanctuary without demanding answers, without forcing her to reveal her identity, and without treating her as an enemy.
She had not yet determined how much he knew.
But she was beginning to suspect that his involvement in these events was far from accidental.
"Kael Veyris," she murmured.
The guardian turned toward her.
"You know the Architect?"
"I have met him."
"Then you have met someone who stands beyond the reach of ordinary histories."
Neferet folded her arms.
"That much has become increasingly obvious."
She looked at the seven silver lines.
"If the ancient records are correct, the First Covenant may be connected to something far older than the Egyptian Pantheon."
"And if they are incorrect?" the guardian asked.
Neferet's lips curved into a faint, determined smile.
"Then I will discover the truth myself."
She turned toward the exit.
Her mission had changed.
Finding the missing tablet was no longer enough.
She needed to understand why the sanctuary had begun responding to Abyssara's forgotten name and what that response meant for the First Covenant.
The following morning, Kael was having breakfast when Shalya announced an unexpected visitor.
"Your Majesty, Neferet Raemora has arrived."
Kael paused with his teacup halfway to his lips.
"Neferet?"
"Yes. She says she would appreciate a conversation."
Kael smiled.
"Of course. Please show her in."
A few moments later, Neferet entered the room.
She wore her usual black-and-gold dress, its ancient motifs catching the morning sunlight. Her long crimson hair fell over her shoulders, and her golden-amber eyes carefully observed the room.
She had visited many divine palaces throughout her existence.
The Veyris Palace remained unusual.
Despite its grandeur, there was no oppressive atmosphere, no endless line of servants bowing in fear, and no requirement that visitors surrender their dignity before approaching its ruler.
Kael gestured toward a chair.
"Good morning, Neferet. Would you like some tea?"
"Good morning, Kael. Tea would be appreciated."
Shalya prepared another cup.
Neferet sat opposite him.
For several moments, they exchanged ordinary pleasantries.
Then Neferet placed a small piece of parchment on the table.
"I believe the ancient sanctuary beneath Draktharion is connected to a larger mystery."
Kael examined the parchment.
Seven silver lines had been drawn across it.
He recognized the symbol immediately.
"The same mark that appeared in the book."
Neferet's eyes narrowed.
"What book?"
Kael looked at her.
"The one that appeared in my study."
He explained what had happened, including the message concerning seven paths and the name beneath the Abyss.
Neferet listened carefully.
When he finished, she asked, "Have you heard the name Abyssara before?"
"Yes."
His answer came without hesitation.
Neferet leaned forward slightly.
"Who is she?"
Kael took a moment to consider his words.
"Abyssara is the true name of someone I know."
"Someone connected to the Primordial Abyss?"
"Yes."
"Someone powerful enough for an ancient sanctuary to recognize her name?"
Kael smiled faintly.
"That would be an understatement."
Neferet studied him.
He was clearly withholding some information, but not in a manner intended to deceive her.
Rather, he seemed unwilling to speak on behalf of someone whose story was not his to tell.
She understood the distinction.
"I will not ask you to reveal anything she has chosen to keep private," Neferet said. "But I need to understand why her name appears in the records of the First Covenant."
"Then perhaps we should investigate the sanctuary together."
Neferet blinked.
"You would accompany me?"
"If you want me to."
"And if I decline?"
"Then I'll finish my breakfast."
For a moment, Neferet simply stared at him.
Then she laughed.
"You really are an unusual emperor."
"So I've heard."
She looked down at the parchment.
"I accept your offer. But I have one condition."
"Which is?"
"I want to investigate the sanctuary on its own merits. I don't want you to solve the mystery simply because you can."
Kael's smile widened.
"Agreed."
Neferet seemed surprised by how quickly he answered.
"You won't argue?"
"Why would I? You want to discover the truth yourself. I understand that."
She slowly nodded.
"Then we have an agreement."
Outside, sunlight spread across the palace gardens.
Two mysteries had begun to converge.
One concerned the forgotten name of a primordial goddess.
The other concerned an ancient covenant that had once defined the relationship between gods and civilizations.
Neither Kael nor Neferet yet knew how deeply the two were connected.
But somewhere beyond the known cosmology, the seven empty thrones continued to glow.
And beneath them, an ancient door began to open.
That evening, the mysterious book in Kael's study opened by itself.
Its pages turned until they reached a section that had previously been blank.
A new line appeared.
THE FIRST SEVEN HAVE DEPARTED.
Below it, another sentence slowly formed.
THE EIGHTH WAS NEVER INVITED.
The ink darkened.
A final message appeared beneath the others.
AND YET, SHE HAS ALREADY RETURNED.
The book closed.
Far away, deep within a realm that had been erased from ordinary records, a woman opened her eyes.
She sat upon a throne surrounded by seven empty seats.
Her face remained hidden behind a veil of silver light.
She looked toward the distant darkness.
"So," she whispered, "Abyssara has remembered her name."
A faint smile crossed her lips.
"Then perhaps it is time for everyone else to remember theirs."
The eight thrones began to shine.
And for the first time since the end of the ancient age, a forgotten realm stirred back to life.