The ancient trial had entered its final stage. The old man slowly waved one hand and reality disappeared. Kael found himself standing atop an endless cliff with the wind carrying the quality of wind that existed in places outside ordinary space. Before him, two futures unfolded simultaneously.
The first future glowed brilliantly with the light of something established, certain, moving toward conclusions it had already defined for itself. Kael saw himself older, powerful, standing at the apex of something vast. The first true Eclipse Sovereign — the title carried weight beyond what titles usually carried, suggesting a position that had never been filled before, a role that required capabilities that no one currently possessed. Worlds united beneath balanced judgment. History remembered him forever. Everything appeared perfect in the way that things appear perfect when all uncertainty has been removed and you know exactly what every moment coming will bring.
