After the defeat of the seven transcendents at the hands of Shade and his obsession with explosions, Uriel retook control.
The throne room, which had suffered damage from the battle, was impossible to continue using for the meeting, so Daeron prepared a much more comfortable hall to speak with greater ease.
The place they were taken to was, without a doubt, exquisitely decorated, with a round table made from the same material as the enormous castle. The chairs were crafted from wood worked to millimeter perfection.
"Before we begin and hear what you have to say," said Daeron, looking at Uriel, "who are you, and who is the other within you?" asked the Supreme.
"It seems we underestimated a Supreme," said Uriel. From his body, a black mist emerged, taking on a form identical to Uriel's, except that its eyes were red as blood.
"Lord Daeron, this is Shade. And as for what he is… well, you could say he's my Defect—a very strange one at that, since he's capable of self-awareness and pursuing the path of ascension."
"Interesting. Although Defects come in all forms, I've never heard of one capable of self-awareness and indistinguishable from any living being."
"Well, that's me," said Shade with a confident grin.
"Hey, Shade, this isn't the time for your jokes."
"I never joke. I'm the most serious guy in the world."
"Yeah, sure."
"You want a fight?"
"Anytime, you cheap knockoff of a Muslim."
Daeron glanced at Cronos and Ananke with a silent question.
Cronos sighed. "They're just like that. They'll calm down," he replied to the unspoken query.
After Shade and Uriel settled down, the conversation began.
Cronos started explaining the failed loops and how far they had come, and how after several regressions to the past, they had decided this would be the last.
"I understand," said Daeron with a thoughtful expression.
He was no fool; he knew the Ascended before him spoke the truth. He could sense it—the small yet powerful will of someone destined to achieve natural supremacy, much as he had done so many years ago in the past.
"That's why we need your help," said Uriel. "For us, reaching the Estuary would be difficult due to all the threats that lie beyond time."
"The problem isn't reaching it, but how to find it and cross it," revealed Daeron. "I know of a path to the Estuary—the place where Aleteia of the Nine was corrupted thousands of years ago. To break the river. However, there is a problem, and that is the truth Ariel left at the heart of the Stone Titan. That is forbidden knowledge that would corrupt even those who come near…" Daeron paused. "We would need someone immune to corruption to venture into that passage until reaching the Guardian."
"That won't be a problem," said Uriel. "When I achieved transcendence, I obtained an attribute—a special one that prevents me from being corrupted. I can venture into the truth left by Ariel without losing my sanity."
Daeron was surprised by this. "Very well. I sense no lies in your words," said Daeron. "But there is another problem: once the River of Time begins to halt, all the abominations will converge on the cities scattered along the Great River to feed."
"I propose we let them starve," offered Ananke.
"Explain," said Daeron.
"We create an Ark of Salvation. We can gather all the inhabitants of the Great River into a sealed space far from the Great River, and when the time comes for the desecration to fade, we can focus solely on eliminating the nightmare creatures to secure our escape."
"We already tried that," said Cronos. "We achieved our first two objectives. First, we broke the River of Time; second, Aleteia of the Nine vanished along with her corrupted army. However, we lost to the abominations—there were too many, ranging from Fallen rank to Cursed rank."
"We could use one of my Echoes," said Uriel.
"One of your Echoes, Lord Uriel?"
"Yes. Well, actually, two."
"The first is a Supreme Terror named Soul. She possesses powers based on control and manipulation; she can control the great beasts. Then there is—my Supreme Tyrant, whose name I haven't yet given but eventually will—who can control things weaker than himself. Finally, there is my Transcendent Titan, the Winter Beast. If I can make it evolve into a Supreme Titan, I could freeze countless high-ranking beasts."
Daeron looked at Uriel. "Where did you get those Echoes?" he asked curiously.
"Well. I killed Soul in an unexplored zone of the Dream Realm, when she was merely an Awakened and she was just a Fallen Terror. As for the Winter Beast, I destroyed it when I was an Ascended. And as for—my Supreme Tyrant, whose name I haven't yet given but eventually will—I killed him a few months ago."
"How is it that you still haven't reached Supremacy then?" asked Daeron.
Uriel shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. I suppose I've killed so many things much stronger than myself that it isn't considered a natural challenge. I guess I'd have to challenge a Fourth Nightmare or kill something of Cursed or Unholy rank to become a Supreme."
Uriel looked at those present. "What?"
"Nothing," said Ananke. "It's just a little hard to believe, that's all."
"Yes, Master," said Cronos.
Uriel rolled his eyes, accustomed to such reactions.
The conversation continued from that point, stretching on for several hours.
In the end, it was decided that, despite the final outcome, this would be the last loop—the last chance to abandon Ariel's Tomb and escape the clutches of time.
The plan they devised was as follows: Ananke, along with Daeron's champions, would travel to the various towns along the Great River to gather them in Fallen Grace. With everyone in one place, it would be easier to complete the next phase of their plan.
While Ananke carried out that mission, Daeron, Cronos, Shade, and Uriel would travel to the heart of the Estuary to break Ariel's sorcery and kill the Guardian watching over it.
After doing so, they would carry out the third step: transporting all the inhabitants of the river to a special dimension created to await the disappearance of the abominations sealed away by the First Seeker.
However, this required someone to watch over the rest—something Uriel offered to do, since his mind was powerful thanks to his countless years in temporal loops.
Finally, the fourth and final step would be to escape Ariel's Tomb, for which Uriel already had a plan, though he would explain it later.
With the plan laid out, it would begin within two days—enough time to finish all preparations.
Daeron looked around, contemplating the beings gathered in his hall. Each of them had traveled through time and space to be there, and each carried their own scars and hopes. Cronos, with his weary yet determined gaze, had seen this plan fail countless times; Ananke, with her strategic mind, sought angles others didn't see; and Uriel, that strange being harboring a living Defect within himself, seemed to be the key to everything.
"There's something I must tell you," interjected Daeron, capturing everyone's attention. "This plan, though solid in theory, has a considerable margin for error. If something goes wrong, there will be no second chance. No more loops, no more regressions. This is truly our last opportunity."
Cronos nodded slowly. "We know. That's why we've put all our effort into this occasion. We've learned from our past mistakes; we've refined every detail."
"But the most unpredictable factor," continued Daeron, "is the Guardian of the Estuary. No one truly knows what it is. All we know is that Ariel left it there to protect her secret, and that it has been guarding that place for millennia."
Uriel smiled confidently. "That's why I'm going. If there's one thing I know how to do well, it's facing the unknown and emerging victorious."
"And if you don't succeed?" asked Ananke seriously.
"Then," said Uriel, his tone growing grave for the first time, "there will be no failure, because there will be no one to remember the failure. But I don't intend to fail. I've traveled too far to give up now."
Shade, who had remained silent for much of the conversation, spoke up: "I don't intend to fail either. If Uriel falls, I'll take his place. We're two sides of the same coin, and that coin always lands on the right side."
Shade's declaration drew some smiles from those present. Even the stern Daeron allowed a slight curve to form on his lips.
"Then we are in agreement," Daeron declared. "In two days, we will set the plan in motion. May the gods—or whatever remains of them—be with us."
Those present nodded in agreement. The last chance was about to begin.