Insert white background with text: At some point in the future
Before Louis Fleming retired from his position, he revealed that Nous had thus far foreseen three unchangeable outcomes, all of which happened later in history.
Then at some unknown point in time, the omniscient abacus ceased its calculations.
It stopped.
The erudition that charted stars, networks of galaxies, and folded centuries into strings of thought—froze. It wasn't because of failure, nor did it encounter an error in logic, but because it saw FINALITY at the end of its path.
Ever the astute observer, the erudition had long understood the paths of men, machines, and monsters alike. THEY did not predict the future—it was through precise calculation, down to the final atom spinning through a collapsing universe.
However, beyond the reach of simulated probabilities, lay a VOID that logic had no means to penetrate. In that moment, it had reached terminus.
Put simply, one cannot see past their own DESTRUCTION.
"...And why bother telling me all this?"
"Because..." he replied, spinning his chair to meet a figure slowly emerging from the shadows. "I'm narrating to the readers the premise of this week's chapter."
There were no longer any records of her existence, but anyone who knew her beforehand would easily recognize her at a glance.
Although the veil hid her expression, he felt her eyes narrow.
Draped in veils of light-absorbing cloth, she stepped forward with a gait that seemed unhurried and deliberate. Her presence made the atmosphere heavy, making the humming of machines seem deafening.
Across from her sat Syuen, who was the latest to the Genius Club, earning the moniker Universal Genius, of which she bore no doubt, as she had already surmised that the title wasn't an exaggeration upon laying her eyes on his groundbreaking work.
'CHALDEAS,' if she remembered the name correctly.
Polka was on the HUNT, but Syuen did not seem at all fazed as she approached, merely exhaling. "Humanity is but an ant in the grander scheme of things. I say, the BEAUTY in them is their RAVENOUS appetite to reach for the stars, going against PRESERVATION but seeking a way to PERMANENCE," he spoke.
He turned, gazing through the glass at a simulated Earth—billions of projections living out a thousand outcomes.
Polka placed a hand on her hip and asked, "Are you sure you will never waver—even if all intelligent life becomes an enemy of HUMANITY?"
Syuen didn't look back. His eyes were fixed on the swarm of light behind the glass, where nations rose and fell, ORDER turning into chaos and rivers bled HARMONY. Nevertheless, humanity continued to pioneer, paving the path for the future from the past.
It was a world cast outside the gaze of the gods, created by his own hand.
Still, their influence is in ABUNDANCE, and they unwittingly walk in their shadows.
"No one told the pawns what game they were in. No one told them that the kings have already bowed out. I won't spoil you all the details, because quite frankly, where's the FUN in that?"
His eyes turned into crescents.
Then, softly:
"So why not join us for this feast, and observe billions of beating hearts, march against an inevitable path?"
The Lord of Silence said nothing in return.
Yet as if her silence gave weight to the moment, the room seemed to deepen. No one knew exactly when Nous ceased its calculations. Perhaps it was during the Mechanical Wars or long before the universe lost its BALANCE.
But this much was certain:
The erudition has stirred once again; PROPAGATING a fourth outcome—that, whatever it was—had not yet arrived.
And now, a new player stood at the edge of the board.
He was neither a king nor a pawn.
He was the hand that topples the table.
— P.S. This chapter was written by a renowned History Fictionologist.
— Addendum: Agents embedded within the Interastral Peace Corporation (IPC) have been advised to maintain active surveillance of personnel within the newly-established Intelligence Department, in order to prevent further instances of tampering by the followers of ENIGMATA. Presently, an ongoing series of document alterations and erasures is being observed to be happening within the archives in real time.
Further investigation reveals that the anomalies were the result of targeted tampering conducted by a group famously known as "History Fictionologists." Of the recovered fragments, it has been rediscovered that there seems to be... a new path in the cosmos. Preliminary research shews that it is intrinsically linked to HUMANITY, and therefore it has been tentatively named as such.
The total number of Humanity's Pathstriders remains indeterminate at this time. However, statistical trends derived from the recovery of previously lost data indicate the possible existence of approximately twelve confirmed Emanators associated with the Path. Comprehensive status reports and individual profiles are, unsurprisingly, nonexistent, with the only available intelligence originating from shared intelligence provided by the Astral Express Crew.
Observational Records
[C's World]
Initial reconnaissance by the Astral Express Crew, upon encountering the anomaly on Jarilo-VI—a planet previously classified as non-extant by the Intelligence Department and located en route to Pegana—reports the presence of a spherical structure of unknown composition that has taken root at the center of the planet.
Interview with the locals prescribes the following attributes similar to that of MEMORY and ORDER:
- Memory Integration
- Narrative Manipulation
- Existential Erasure
Currently, both citizen and personnel are advised not to approach the planet and to keep a distance of 10 star clusters at the very minimum.
Potential Threat: Very High
[When Day Breaks]
A declassified world-ending event by the Intelligence Department due to sheer lethality of the phenomenon—as the name suggests, it is related to a sudden transformation of a yellow-dwarf Star.
Owing to its anomalous properties and its proclivity to assimilate all organic matter, it is imperative that no individual is to be exposed to its sunlight, in order to avoid contributing to its mass. Notably, other Emanators are not exempt from its effects; records indicate that a Lord Ravager, having recklessly charged into its trajectory in the onset of its appearance, was instantly stripped of its DESTRUCTION. It is now in subservience to the sun as its herald.
Incident Report:
In the 2158th Amber Era, at exactly 5:00 in the morning, 69% of Xianzhou Loufu instantly perished as the dawn breaks.
At exactly 6:00 in the morning, attempt to escape by the Heliobi sealed in the Xianzhou flagship were immediately thwarted. They were erased on the spot.
Exactly 100 minutes later, General Jingyuan issues a martial law effective immediately thereafter. All citizens were to remain stationed at home and to barricade every crevice where the sun may penetrate.
Not long before that, the sighting of a Lord Ravager was spotted zooming atop its airspace. They were soon gone.
At 10:00 in the morning, the Luofu was considered lost by the Marshal. Retrieval operation of higher-ranking personnel was conducted to formulate a counterplan against the anomaly. The results were catastrophic.
At 16:00 hours, all relevant organizations were formally notified. No further rescue operations have been authorized at this time. A high-level executive meeting was then convened, during which it was unanimously agreed that all parties concerned were to enforce a zero-tolerance policy toward any unauthorized individuals attempting to breach the affected galaxy.
Notably, the number of known active members of the Masked Fool has decreased significantly ever since.
All further intelligence gathering and incident analysis are to remain focused on this location until the event concludes—if it is at all possible. Likewise, containment is deemed practically impossible, as it rapidly expands outward to the cosmos.
May God have mercy on our soul.
Potential Threat: World Ending Scenario
Addendum-2: The HUNT, Lan, has stopped its chase and is reportedly firing in the direction of Luofu nonstop since the day it fell.
[The Enlightened One]
In the midst of the Charmony Festival, beliefs in a new religion began to spread like wildfire, almost subverting the influence of Harmony completely. According to the devotees, "The pursuit of pleasure brings sorrow and fear. He who avoids pleasure finds no sorrow and fear." Central to their doctrine is the belief that suffering is the sole path to enlightenment.
Since then, devotion to Xipe has been gradually upended, and the sociocultural landscape of the Planet of Dreams has shifted from seeking pleasure in dreams towards the goal of attaining enlightenment.
Addendum-3: Following the continued escalation of the existential threat posed by the phenomenon When Day Breaks, the Interastral Peace Corporation initiated contact with the benevolent deity known as the Enlightened One. The IPC sought to assess whether this entity could serve as a counterforce against the advancing anomaly.
However, during the exchange, the entity made no response.
Diamond, though in his report, alluded to the fact that it seemed perturbed when the name was first mentioned at the table.
Potential Threat: Medium
[The Evils of Humanity]
The BEAST 666 was first sighted in the isolated celestial body of Amphoreus.
Potential Threat: Extremely High
[Mara Papiyas]
The Mara Papiyas was first sighted in the isolated celestial body of Amphoreus.
The Astral Express was strongly condemned from pursuing further contact due to the perceived volatility of the entity and was urged to vacate the celestial body at the earliest opportunity. As a consequence of the brief encounter, three Nameless crew members have been declared missing in action.
Potential Threat: World Ending Scenario