{"product_id":"excalibur-4","title":"Excalibur 4","description":"\u003ch2\u003eFirst of all, you can get all four miniatures together in one bundle. \u003cstrong\u003eMerlin, Arthur, Lancelot and Morgana\u003c\/strong\u003e are all included when you hit the buying button above. 👆👆👆\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eMerlin, 38 mm Premium Resin 3D Printed Miniature, Unpainted\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBring \u003cstrong\u003eMerlin\u003c\/strong\u003e, the wise commander of \u003cstrong\u003eExcalibur 4\u003c\/strong\u003e and future Magister of \u003cstrong\u003eThe Entourage\u003c\/strong\u003e, to your tabletop with this highly detailed 38 mm character miniature, professionally printed in premium quality resin to preserve every element of his majestic design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin is depicted standing proudly upon an ornate scenic base, with one foot raised over a rocky formation and both fists closed in a commanding pose. His powerful physique, swept silver hair, distinguished beard and solemn expression capture the wisdom, authority and immense experience of a Kwasar who has guided warriors, kings and entire civilisations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis body is protected by the magnificent \u003cstrong\u003eSublime Skin\u003c\/strong\u003e, a living pearlescent white symbiotic suit crossed by intricate golden lines and elegant arcane details. Its refined appearance reflects the perfect union between biological power, divine beauty and the countless Vision Powers Merlin has mastered throughout his extraordinarily long existence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe miniature is supplied unpainted, allowing you to customise Merlin with your own colour scheme and painting style. The detailed scenic base shown in the images is included.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlease note that painted images are provided for reference only.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eArthur, 38 mm Premium Resin 3D Printed Miniature, Unpainted\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBring \u003cstrong\u003eArthur\u003c\/strong\u003e, the indomitable guardian and strategic heart of \u003cstrong\u003eExcalibur 4\u003c\/strong\u003e, to your tabletop with this highly detailed 38 mm character miniature, professionally printed in premium quality resin to preserve every element of his imposing design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur is depicted in a powerful heroic stance, standing firmly with both fists closed and his gaze directed towards an approaching threat. His dark flowing hair, full beard, broad shoulders and intensely focused expression capture the strength, discipline and unwavering determination of a warrior who refuses to retreat while others remain under his protection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis pearlescent white \u003cstrong\u003eSublime Skin\u003c\/strong\u003e is decorated with golden trims, reinforced bracers and a radiant star emblem upon his chest. These details represent his commanding presence, his mastery of defensive and physical Vision Powers and his role as the living shield of Excalibur 4.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe miniature is supplied unpainted, allowing you to customise Arthur with your own colour scheme and painting style. The detailed scenic base shown in the images is included.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlease note that painted images are provided for reference only.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eLancelot, 38 mm Premium Resin 3D Printed Miniature, Unpainted\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBring \u003cstrong\u003eLancelot\u003c\/strong\u003e, the swift, fearless and fiercely competitive warrior of \u003cstrong\u003eExcalibur 4\u003c\/strong\u003e, to your tabletop with this highly detailed 38 mm character miniature, professionally printed in premium quality resin to preserve every element of his dynamic design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot is depicted in a disciplined combat stance, with one fist raised defensively and the other prepared to strike. His short blond hair, athletic physique and determined expression reflect the speed, confidence and relentless fighting instinct that make him one of the most dangerous close combat specialists within the Excelsior Brigade.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis fitted white \u003cstrong\u003eSublime Skin\u003c\/strong\u003e is crossed by elegant golden channels that follow the lines of his body and conduct the extraordinary energy generated by Arkana. The design perfectly captures his mastery of movement, aerial combat, Kung Arts, Celeritas and Velox.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe miniature is supplied unpainted, allowing you to customise Lancelot with your own colour scheme and painting style. The detailed scenic base shown in the images is included.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlease note that painted images are provided for reference only.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eMorgana, 38 mm Premium Resin 3D Printed Miniature, Unpainted\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBring \u003cstrong\u003eMorgana\u003c\/strong\u003e, the perceptive, mysterious and extraordinarily powerful member of \u003cstrong\u003eExcalibur 4\u003c\/strong\u003e, to your tabletop with this highly detailed 38 mm character miniature, professionally printed in premium quality resin to preserve every element of her elegant design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana is depicted suspended above a dramatic rocky formation, with her body poised as though she has just descended from the sky or is preparing to rise into battle. Her spectacular flowing silver hair, refined features and composed expression capture the intelligence, confidence and quiet authority of a Kwasar capable of understanding both the visible world and the hidden forces that move behind it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer elegant white \u003cstrong\u003eSublime Skin\u003c\/strong\u003e follows her silhouette like a flawless second skin and is decorated with intricate golden lines across her torso, arms and legs. The design reflects the harmony between beauty and power, while her controlled pose evokes her mastery of Mystica, Silentium, perception, mental discipline and spiritual energy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe miniature is supplied unpainted, allowing you to customise Morgana with your own colour scheme and painting style. The detailed rocky scenic base shown in the images is included.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlease note that painted images are provided for reference only.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eOnce you have discovered the miniatures of \u003cstrong\u003eMerlin, Arthur, Lancelot and Morgana\u003c\/strong\u003e, continue just below to read their incredible story and discover how the legendary members of \u003cstrong\u003eExcalibur 4\u003c\/strong\u003e became the Magisters destined to guide and train \u003cstrong\u003eThe Entourage\u003c\/strong\u003e. 👇👇👇\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eEXCALIBUR 4\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Magisters of the Entourage\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Last Day of the First Cosmic Year\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are dates that belong to history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd there are dates so immense that history itself lives and dies inside them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen \u003cstrong\u003eKronos\u003c\/strong\u003e created \u003cstrong\u003eGenesis\u003c\/strong\u003e, when he shaped the first Sapiens from the sacred clay of \u003cstrong\u003eUrkulo\u003c\/strong\u003e and placed the breath of conscious life within her, the cosmos had barely begun to understand its own existence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was the first day of the first month of the \u003cstrong\u003eFirst Cosmic Year\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe stars were young.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe worlds were unfinished.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe rivers of Urkulo still searched for their oceans.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mountains had not yet learned to resist the wind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere were no Kwasar kingdoms. No Sovereign. No Sovereigness. No lineages. No Brigades. No councils capable of governing the impossible immensity of the Universe of \u003cstrong\u003eTzion\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was only Kronos.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was Genesis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd there was the future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore than twelve thousand million years had passed since that first dawn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow, at last, the final day of the final month of the First Cosmic Year had arrived.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe stars were ancient.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCivilisations had risen, crossed the heavens, fought, loved, evolved and disappeared.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe children of Genesis had spread throughout Tzion, becoming the \u003cstrong\u003eKwasars\u003c\/strong\u003e, the guardians of a Universe whose vastness could no longer be understood by any single mind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey had built cities upon the continents of Urkulo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey had raised sanctuaries inside moons, fortresses between stars and temples upon worlds where no mortal species had ever placed a foot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey had developed governments, hierarchies and sovereign structures capable of maintaining order across distances so great that light itself seemed slow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the summit of that structure stood the \u003cstrong\u003eSovereign\u003c\/strong\u003e and the \u003cstrong\u003eSovereigness\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeneath them existed councils, orders, custodians, Magisters, military authorities and sacred lineages whose duties extended throughout the macro sphere of Tzion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYet the Kwasars no longer lived beneath the direct gaze of their creator.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKronos had not walked among them for billions of years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe had not entered the First Seat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe had not crossed the halls where Genesis had once trained.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe had not manifested a physical body anywhere in the Universe of Tzion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot since \u003cstrong\u003ethe Great Loss\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo Kwasar spoke of the Great Loss without lowering their voice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo archive contained a complete explanation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo Sovereign possessed authority to reveal its truth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome believed an entire people had vanished.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOthers believed that something had been torn from the very structure of creation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere were those who whispered that the Great Loss had not been the destruction of a world, a civilisation or a species, but the loss of someone whose absence had wounded the Architect himself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhatever had happened, it had changed everything.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter the Great Loss, Kronos withdrew from the physical Universe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe returned to \u003cstrong\u003eKokoon\u003c\/strong\u003e, the Antiverse, and resumed the existence that preceded flesh, matter and time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe became \u003cstrong\u003eGodark\u003c\/strong\u003e once more.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom that moment onward, he left the government and protection of Tzion in the hands of the beings he had trained for aeons.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Kwasars.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis children.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis guardians.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis final act of trust.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGodark did not abandon them completely.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe still watched.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe still felt the movements of the Universe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe still perceived possibilities that no Kwasar could recognise.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut he no longer descended from the Antiverse to speak with them in physical form.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen he needed to communicate, he used \u003cstrong\u003eMystica\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMystica was not merely telepathy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was not a voice transmitted through distance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was the sacred resonance between physical consciousness and the spiritual territories of the Antiverse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough Mystica, a Kwasar could perceive echoes beyond matter, communicate with spiritual entities and listen to voices that possessed no tongue, no lungs and no physical location.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd through Mystica, Godark occasionally spoke.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot to everyone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot often.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly when the destiny of Tzion required it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the last day of the First Cosmic Year, he called to \u003cstrong\u003eMerlin\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Mountain of Silence\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin stood alone upon one of the highest ridges of Urkulo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Mother Planet stretched beneath him, immense and luminous, positioned at the centre of the macro sphere of Tzion like the heart of a celestial organism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom that altitude, he could see cloud systems moving around entire mountain chains. Rivers reflected the violet light of distant moons. Great Kwasar cities shone across the valleys, their towers rising from the landscape without violating its ancient beauty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin wore no cloak.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo crown.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo ceremonial armour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis body was covered by the \u003cstrong\u003eSublime Skin\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePearlescent white living matter embraced him from the neck down, flowing over his powerful form as though light itself had learned anatomy. Golden lines crossed his chest, shoulders, arms and legs in immaculate geometries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThose lines were not decoration.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey were the visible architecture of \u003cstrong\u003eArkana\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe white was the memory of Ivoryta.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe gold was her ascension.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTogether, they formed the most sacred symbiotic state known to the Kwasars.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin’s hair and beard were white, although not with the weakness of age. The colour belonged to something older and more solemn. His face carried the strength of a warrior, the patience of a teacher and the fatigue of someone who had watched too many centuries repeat the same mistakes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe had fought across worlds that no longer existed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe had guided kings who had become myths.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe had buried friends whose names survived only in sealed archives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYet nothing in his appearance suggested defeat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin stood with the quiet authority of a mountain that had decided to take human form.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe had climbed the ridge because he had felt something waiting there.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA pressure inside his soul.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA distant movement through the bond between matter and the Antiverse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMystica.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin closed his eyes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe slowed his breathing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe wind continued to move around him, but its sound became distant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe beating of his heart softened.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe physical world withdrew.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor several moments, there was only darkness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen the darkness opened.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin felt himself standing between two realities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis body remained upon Urkulo, beneath the stars of Tzion, but his consciousness touched the threshold of Kokoon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere were no landscapes there.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo ground.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo sky.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly infinite spiritual depth, crossed by currents of violet, black and golden energy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin felt presences moving beyond his perception.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePioneer Spirits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAncient intelligences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEchoes of beings who had never accepted matter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen every presence disappeared.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA silence descended so completely that Merlin felt the entire Antiverse listening.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA light appeared before him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt did not possess a body.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt did not resemble Kronos.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt did not imitate a man.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was a vast concentration of consciousness, darkness and celestial fire. A presence so immense that Merlin’s soul instinctively attempted to kneel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe voice reached him without sound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMerlin.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe name entered his mind, his blood, his memories and the deepest structure of Arkana.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin lowered his head.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“My Architect.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDo not kneel. Listen.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin raised his gaze.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe could not see Godark, but he felt him everywhere.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the silence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the darkness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the laws that kept the worlds from falling into one another.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the hidden wound left by the Great Loss.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin waited.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe spiritual light expanded.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSix distant flames appeared within it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt first they seemed separate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen Merlin perceived something extraordinary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach flame possessed its own colour, rhythm and intensity, but all six were connected by an invisible harmony. Their energies moved around one another as if responding to a music the rest of the cosmos could not hear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA chord made of souls.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What am I seeing?” Merlin asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSix young beings upon the planet known as Earth.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin’s expression changed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Earth?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThey belong to the Oasis branch of the EvoSapiens.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe six flames intensified.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin felt their energy from across the macro sphere.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot their complete power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir possibility.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The Oasis have been seeded across many worlds.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYes.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Why these six?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the first time, Godark remained silent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe silence was not hesitation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was uncertainty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat disturbed Merlin more than any answer could have done.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“My Architect?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eI do not know what they will become.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin stared into the light.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGodark had seen the birth of stars before they ignited.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe had created the laws that governed life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe had perceived possible futures that extended beyond the destruction of worlds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYet now he was admitting that something remained beyond his vision.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe six flames came together again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTheir individual energies are remarkable. Their collective resonance is unlike anything I have perceived among the Oasis. When they stand together, the possibility surrounding them changes. Paths appear where none existed before.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Are they Kwasars?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Will they become Kwasars?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePerhaps.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Something greater?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Antiverse trembled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePerhaps something different.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin remained completely still.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGodark continued.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Universe of Tzion approaches an abyss. The Raptor plague grows beyond every calculation. Worlds are falling faster than the Kwasar orders can protect them. The balance of the macro sphere is weakening. If Tzion collapses, the damage will not remain within its borders. The Cosmos itself may follow.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin felt an old pain awaken inside him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Raptors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven the name carried memories of screams.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Does the Sovereign know?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Sovereign knows what can be known. The Sovereigness prepares the great lineages. The Brigades continue to fight. But the war is changing.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGodark’s presence moved closer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe methods that preserved Tzion until now may not be sufficient to preserve it tomorrow.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin looked at the six flames.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“And these children are the answer?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThey are a possibility.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Nothing more?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePossibility is the beginning of every salvation.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe six flames opened into images.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA dark haired young man surrounded by complex structures of blue light.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA blond warrior moving through the air with instinctive precision.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA young black man standing firm while violent energy gathered around his fists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA woman with long dark hair holding a blade as if she had carried it in another life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA red haired girl burning with fierce intensity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA smaller woman with black hair arranged in two buns, watching everything with eyes far more perceptive than anyone around her understood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin felt their names enter his consciousness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTom. Max. Cass. Vega. Cala. Kira.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe images changed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe saw them laughing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArguing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTraining.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlaying music.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProtecting one another.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStanding together in a room that felt more like a home than any place created for them by the humans.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe final image showed them facing a darkness too immense for their young bodies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey did not retreat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin breathed slowly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“They are children.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSo was Genesis.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe response struck him deeply.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGodark’s voice became more solemn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYou will go to Earth.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin already knew what would follow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You want me to observe them.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eObserve them. Protect them. Guide them.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“And train them.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe six flames burned brighter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTrain them.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin considered the command.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Alone?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFour lights appeared within the darkness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhite.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGold.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAncient.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin recognised them immediately.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTake Excalibur 4.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe name moved through him like the return of an oath.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTell Arthur, Morgana and Lancelot what I have revealed. They will become Magisters to the six. You will prepare the Chosen Ones for whatever waits beyond the paths I can currently see.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The Chosen Ones.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThat is what they are.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin looked once more at the images of the young Oasis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What if they reject us?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThen earn their trust.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What if they are not ready?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThen make them ready.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“And if we fail?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe light of Godark darkened.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor a moment, Merlin felt the full weight of the Cosmos pressing upon him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYou have faced failure before.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mountain disappeared from Merlin’s awareness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn its place, he saw a world covered in black rain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe heard the screams of one hundred Excelsiors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe saw dead Kwasars rise from the ground with darkness inside their eyes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe remembered twenty four hours that had never ended inside him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin’s jaw tightened.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGodark felt the memory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYou survived Serath.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Four of us survived.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThat is why I have chosen you.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin’s eyes hardened.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Survival does not make us worthy.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo. What you chose to become after surviving does.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe six flames returned.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey appeared smaller now.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYoung.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHuman.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFragile.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYet something within them made the Antiverse itself respond.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis will be the most important mission Excalibur 4 has ever received.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin felt the finality in those words.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore important than wars.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore important than fallen worlds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore important than the thousands of Raptors they had destroyed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGodark continued.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGo to Earth. Return to the place where humanity first turned your presence into legend. Remember who you were when power had to remain hidden. Then find the six.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe light began to recede.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin stepped forward.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“My Architect.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGodark paused.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin asked the question he had not intended to speak.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Is this connected to the Great Loss?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe spiritual silence changed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe wound behind Godark’s presence became visible for only one instant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA grief so ancient that Merlin nearly lost the ability to remain within Mystica.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen the connection began to close.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEverything is connected to the Great Loss.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Antiverse vanished.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe wind returned.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin stood upon the mountain of Urkulo, beneath the last dawn of the First Cosmic Year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFar below him, the Kwasar cities continued to shine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe opened his eyes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the first time in many centuries, Merlin felt afraid.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot of death.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot of the Raptors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf hope.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Excelsior Brigade\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Kwasar civilisation contained warriors of almost unimaginable power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome dedicated thousands of years to \u003cstrong\u003eImperium\u003c\/strong\u003e, until entire mountains moved beneath their mental command.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome mastered \u003cstrong\u003eVelox\u003c\/strong\u003e, crossing battlefields so quickly that even other Kwasars perceived only the impact.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome became living fortresses through \u003cstrong\u003eOblivion\u003c\/strong\u003e, allowing worlds to break around them without breaking their bodies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOthers devoted their existence to Pyra, Skimo, Aero, Gea, Hydra, Voltaris, Clipeous, Vitalia, Portalia or the countless other Vision Powers that generations had discovered and refined.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe greatest specialists were incomparable within their chosen discipline.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYet specialists were not what the \u003cstrong\u003eExcelsior Brigade\u003c\/strong\u003e required.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcelsiors were selected from the finest warriors of the \u003cstrong\u003eTwilight\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eUmbra lineages\u003c\/strong\u003e, two bloodlines of vital importance within the structure of Kwasar civilisation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir complete histories were too vast for a single archive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir rivalries had shaped kingdoms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir alliances had saved systems.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir differences reached into the oldest questions of light, shadow, duty, identity and cosmic balance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut there was one principle upon which Twilight and Umbra agreed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Raptors had to be stopped.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Excelsior Brigade had been created for that purpose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts members were not always the greatest masters of a single Vision Power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey were something rarer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey were universal combatants.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKwasars capable of using nearly every known Vision discipline with sufficient mastery to adapt to any battlefield, any enemy and any catastrophe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn Excelsior might not surpass the greatest Imperium Magister in pure telekinetic force.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey might not outrun the finest Velox specialist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey might not produce the most destructive Cannon discharge ever recorded.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut they could combine Imperium, Atlas, Oblivion, Celeritas, Velox, Clipeous, Circuitry, Silentium, Nexo, Energya and the elemental powers within a single battle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey could change methods while an opponent was still learning the first.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey could fight on the ground, in the sky, beneath oceans, inside collapsing cities or across the vacuum between worlds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Brigade existed because a Raptor never remained the enemy it had been at the beginning of the battle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd among the Excelsiors, four names had become inseparable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMerlin.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eArthur.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLancelot.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMorgana.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTogether, they were \u003cstrong\u003eExcalibur 4\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur possessed the physical presence of an ancient king.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis hair and beard were black, his shoulders broad, his body shaped by aeons of war. He carried himself with severe dignity, as though every room became a throne chamber the moment he entered it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe spoke less than Lancelot and doubted more than Merlin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe trusted actions over promises.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe rarely expressed affection through words, but he placed his body between danger and those he loved before anyone else had even recognised the threat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur was the wall of Excalibur 4.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen he activated Atlas, the ground acknowledged him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen he entered Oblivion, destruction lost authority over his flesh.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen his ObiceX expanded into its war form, armies reconsidered whether advancing was still a rational decision.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot appeared younger.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis hair was blond, his face clean shaven and his expression often carried the faint suggestion that he knew exactly how dangerous he was and found the knowledge entertaining.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe moved with almost irritating grace.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was humour in him, impatience, pride and a competitive instinct that had survived every century of his life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYet beneath the confidence existed absolute loyalty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot could mock Arthur through an entire briefing, challenge Morgana simply to see whether she would react, and question Merlin’s plans until the moment battle began.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen he would follow them into death without hesitation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe was movement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCeleritas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVelox.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKung Arts transformed into personality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana was elegance sharpened into a weapon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer hair was long and white, flowing around her like the tail of a comet. Her face carried a beauty that humans had once worshipped, feared and eventually rewritten as wickedness because they had never understood women who possessed power without requesting permission.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana observed more than she revealed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe understood emotion, deception, hierarchy and fear with a precision that made even Silentium seem unnecessary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe could dominate minds through Control, but preferred understanding them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe could use Mystica to perceive spiritual disturbances that remained invisible to others.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer humour was quiet, dry and frequently devastating.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Morgana smiled during a disagreement, someone had usually already lost.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd Merlin stood between them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLeader.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMagister.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStrategist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe person capable of containing Arthur’s severity, Lancelot’s impulse and Morgana’s merciless clarity within a single direction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey were not merely companions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey were a family formed across aeons.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA team forged by victories.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd sealed by one defeat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Journey to Earth\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin called the others to a chamber beneath the eastern towers of Urkulo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey arrived wearing their Sublime Skins.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur came first, walking with the controlled heaviness of someone capable of lifting the chamber if the conversation became disappointing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana entered without sound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot appeared last, not through a door, but through a brief Asgardio displacement that left a pulse of white and gold light behind him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur looked at the fading energy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“There was a door.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I know.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You were standing on the other side of it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I know.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You used Asgardio to cross three metres.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot smiled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I felt the entrance needed character.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana looked at Merlin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Godark has spoken.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot’s expression changed immediately.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur said nothing, but the air around him became still.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin explained everything.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe last day of the Cosmic Year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe six Oasis signatures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe uncertainty surrounding their future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe growth of the Raptor plague.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGodark’s command.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen he finished, no one spoke for several moments.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot was the first.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Earth.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yes,” Merlin said.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I thought we had agreed never to return.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We agreed no such thing,” Morgana replied.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We strongly implied it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You strongly complained about the food.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The food was dangerous.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur looked towards Merlin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Why us?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Because Godark commanded it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That explains authority, not reason.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin understood the distinction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“He believes these six may become the last hope of Tzion.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur’s expression did not change, but his attention sharpened.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Six untrained EvoSapiens on an abandoned world.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Against the Raptors.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Perhaps.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur looked away.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot leaned against a column.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What can they do?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We do not know.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Do they know what they are?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Do the humans around them know?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“They understand that the Oasis are different. They do not understand why.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana’s pale eyes narrowed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Who controls them?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The Supranational Union. They live within Arkadia, in District 199, under the Oasis Program.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Observed?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Studied?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Protected?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin hesitated.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That remains to be determined.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana’s expression became colder.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur asked, “When do we leave?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin looked at the three beings who had survived the worst day of his existence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Now.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe four placed themselves at equal distances around the centre of the chamber.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir Sublime Skins began to shine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGolden lines intensified across their bodies as Arkana prepared the crossing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin held the image of Earth within his mind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot merely the planet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exact destination.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn isolated coastline beneath an iron sky.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAncient cliffs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRuined stones.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA cave opening beneath the castle where humanity had once transformed their presence into legend.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTintagel.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Asgardio barriers formed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhite and gold energy sealed around each Kwasar, preserving body, mind, soul, spirit and Arkana as a single existence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe air compressed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpace folded.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor one instant, Urkulo and Earth became adjacent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen Excalibur 4 vanished.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Farthest World\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEarth existed near the outermost reaches of Tzion’s macro sphere.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUrkulo stood at the centre, surrounded by systems, territories and great currents of Asgardio energy that had supported Kwasar civilisation for billions of years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEarth lay almost at the opposite extreme.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA small world orbiting an ordinary star in a region so distant that most Kwasars would never consider visiting it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt possessed no Proferrum.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo known Symbiont Cradle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo great Kwasar sanctuary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo strategic position within the central defence of Tzion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo most cosmic orders, Earth was irrelevant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYet several centuries earlier, Excalibur 4 had received one of the rare missions that brought Kwasars to the planet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHuman civilisation had entered a period of fragmentation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKingdoms fought over land they could barely feed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnowledge disappeared whenever a library burned.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eViolence was mistaken for strength.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAuthority was mistaken for wisdom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe four Excelsiors had been ordered to observe, guide and intervene without revealing the true nature of Tzion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey had descended during an age humans would later call medieval.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey did not wear the Sublime Skin openly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey did not manifest ObiceX.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey did not cross battlefields surrounded by Cannon fire, nor raise castles through Imperium, nor split armies with Atlas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir orders had been absolute.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo display of advanced Kwasar power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo weapons of Proferrum.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo Bio Skin forms visible to human eyes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo divine intervention that might reduce an entire civilisation to worship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey adopted human clothing through Adagio.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey wore armour forged by human hands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey carried swords made from human metals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir blades were not sacred.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir shields were not alive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir armour could rust, bend and break.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir greatest challenge had not been defeating human warriors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt had been restraining themselves enough not to destroy them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur learned to strike with a fraction of his strength.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot learned to move slowly enough for human eyes to follow him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana concealed her perception beneath the behaviour expected of a noblewoman, then dismantled entire conspiracies without anyone realising she had heard the thoughts behind them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin guided rulers through words rather than commands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTogether, they gathered warriors, scholars and leaders around a circular table.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur insisted upon the shape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No head,” he had said.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Every throne has a head,” one human lord replied.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Then this will not be a throne.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe table became a symbol.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe symbol became a story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe story became mythology.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur was remembered as a king.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot became the perfect knight, although humanity added romances, betrayals and tragedies he still found personally offensive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana became a sorceress, a healer, a traitor, a guardian and a villain depending upon which frightened man had written the account.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin became an impossible wizard who lived backwards through time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven their ordinary weapons became divine in human memory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sword called \u003cstrong\u003eExcalibur\u003c\/strong\u003e had not been forged from a star.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt had not been granted by a mystical lake.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was a human blade.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeautifully made.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerfectly balanced.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut human.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sword had become legendary because Arthur had carried it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe miracle had never been the metal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt had been the hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver generations, the truth disappeared beneath stories.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHumanity remembered enough to create a myth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot enough to recognise the beings who had inspired it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow Excalibur 4 returned to the same coastline.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Asgardio crossing ended above the cliffs of Tintagel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFour figures appeared beneath the clouds, surrounded by dying trails of white and gold energy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sea roared below.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ruins of the castle stood against the horizon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin hovered in silence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot looked towards the broken walls.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“They allowed it to collapse.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Everything collapses,” Morgana said.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur studied the coastline.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The land remains.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin descended towards the cliff.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That is enough.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey landed where stone met grass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor a while, none of them spoke.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMemory existed everywhere.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur saw the place where human knights had once trained.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot remembered racing horses along paths too narrow for the speed he had demanded from them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana looked towards a hill where women had secretly gathered to learn medicine, mathematics and languages forbidden to them by their own rulers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin watched the sea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHumans believed they had invented the legends.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn truth, they had only remembered badly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana approached him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Are you regretting this already?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I have not begun.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You began the moment Godark spoke.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur looked towards the ruined castle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We should not remain visible.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot gestured at the empty cliffs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“There is no one here.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“There is always someone somewhere,” Morgana replied.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin looked down towards the coast beneath the castle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe tide had receded.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA dark opening waited within the rock.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis cave.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOr, as humanity remembered it, \u003cstrong\u003eMerlin’s Cave\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Come,” he said. “We will speak below.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey stepped from the cliff.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCeleritas awakened beneath their bodies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe four descended through the air towards the sea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eMerlin’s Cave\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe cave opened beneath Tintagel like the mouth of an ancient memory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWater moved through the entrance in slow silver lines. The walls were dark, wet and carved by centuries of tide. Every sound multiplied within the stone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin entered first.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe others followed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePearlescent light emerged softly from their Sublime Skins, illuminating the cavern without flame.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin walked until the sound of the sea became distant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere, within a chamber hidden from the coastline, Excalibur 4 gathered in a circle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor several moments, they simply looked at one another.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey had planned wars in palaces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey had coordinated planetary defences from command vessels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey had debated the survival of species beneath the authority of Sovereigns.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYet the simplicity of the cave gave the moment greater weight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGodark had not sent them to conquer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe had sent them to teach six young beings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur broke the silence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We need information before contact.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I have gathered what I can,” Merlin said. “The six live together within the Tower of District 199. Their movements are monitored. Their physical and mental development is recorded continuously.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana’s eyes hardened.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Are they prisoners?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not officially.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That was not the question.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin held her gaze.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I do not yet know.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot sat upon a section of stone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“How much do they understand about their abilities?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Almost nothing.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Then they have abilities.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What kind?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Enhanced strength, perception, speed, recovery and cognitive capacity. The complete extent remains unknown.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur folded his arms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“And they have survived without Magisters.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“They have had human teachers. Fernand Claes appears to be the most important.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana considered the name.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“A human?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Reliable?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“His records suggest genuine care.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Records suggest what their author wants them to suggest.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin nodded.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That is why we observe.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur looked towards the entrance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“And if the humans refuse access?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We enter without their awareness.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Silentium?” Lancelot asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Only if necessary.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Control?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Only if absolutely necessary.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana looked at him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You have become cautious.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I have always been cautious.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot laughed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur and Morgana looked at him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe stopped.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin continued.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We will conceal the Sublime Skin. Adagio will allow us to manifest human clothing and appearances appropriate to Arkadia. We enter as ordinary inhabitants, study the environment and determine the safest way to approach the six.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur looked at the white and gold skin covering his arms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It has been a long time since we needed to appear ordinary.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Do you remember how?” Morgana asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur gave her a severe look.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I remember everything.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Except humour.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I remember it. I do not value it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot leaned forward.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Do the six have a name for their group?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin looked at him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What is it?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The Entourage.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe word remained in the cave.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana repeated it quietly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The Entourage.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“They formed it through music,” Merlin explained. “Music appears to be one of the strongest structures holding them together.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot smiled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That is promising.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur looked at him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You cannot play an instrument.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I can learn.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You said the same about cooking.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The fire was educational.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana ignored them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Six young beings connected through music, friendship and a shared sense of displacement. They do not know what they are, but they know they are not entirely human.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yes,” Merlin said.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“And Godark believes they may save Tzion.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur lowered his gaze.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe cave fell silent again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe distant sea struck the rocks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sound returned through the chamber like marching feet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin felt the memory before it fully entered him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlack rain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBroken armour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe voices of dead companions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwenty four hours.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana saw the change in his face.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Serath,” she said.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot stopped smiling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur’s body became still.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey did not need Mystica to know that all four had reached the same memory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first true Raptor hunt of Excalibur 4.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mission that had begun with one hundred Excelsiors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd ended with four.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Forbidden Universe\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReader, you believe you understand monsters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou imagine teeth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClaws.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHunger.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou imagine creatures that hunt because their bodies demand flesh.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou imagine enemies born from hatred, madness or ambition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou know nothing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Raptors were not born.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey were occupied.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo understand them, one must first speak of the \u003cstrong\u003eSumaya\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd to speak of the Sumaya is to speak of something even the Astrals did not understand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe known Universes of the Cosmos had been created through Astral design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach existed beside an Antiverse, its spiritual reflection, separated by laws older than matter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUniverse and Antiverse were never meant to become a single undivided realm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMatter required boundary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpirit required boundary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLife required the distance between them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYet beyond the authorised architecture of the Cosmos, another Universe appeared.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo Astral admitted to creating it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo Prime Architect had written its laws.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo record existed of its birth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt had grown spontaneously, like a wound that decided to become a world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt connected itself to the \u003cstrong\u003eCryptoweb\u003c\/strong\u003e and the Astral World without permission.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt existed as Universe and Antiverse simultaneously.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMatter and spirit were not separated there.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey contaminated one another.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhysical law behaved like thought.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThought behaved like disease.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo Astral could enter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo mortal could cross its boundary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo instrument could observe its interior for more than a few moments before the information became corrupted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt became known as \u003cstrong\u003ethe Forbidden Universe\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWithin it existed the Sumaya.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey possessed no natural bodies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey were spiritual entities, but not Pioneer Spirits, not souls and not divine intelligences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey were hunger without flesh.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWill without identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChaos given awareness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey could not materialise naturally within the authorised Universes of the Cosmos.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo they discovered another method.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey stole bodies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Sumaya could not enter a healthy living host whose soul remained completely anchored.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt required death.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA dead Sapiens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA dead animal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA fallen warrior.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Kwasar whose heart had stopped upon the battlefield.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Sumaya entered the corpse through the space left behind when life departed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt moved into the nervous system.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe organs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe muscles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe cells.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe dead body rose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut the being inside it was no longer the person who had lived.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe stolen body became a \u003cstrong\u003eRaptor\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf the host had possessed strength, the Raptor inherited the structure capable of producing it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf the host had wings, it flew.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf the host had claws, it hunted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf the host had been a Kwasar, the result was an abomination capable of using the pathways that Kwasar discipline had spent millennia creating.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Vision Powers remained written in the body.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Symbiont remained connected to the DNA.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArkana still recognised the physical vessel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut the soul that had guided those forces was gone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn its place existed a Sumaya.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo restraint.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo loyalty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo mercy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly stolen power and the intelligence to corrupt it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first confirmed Raptors appeared within Tzion shortly after the Great Loss, around the twenty eighth day of the eighth month of the First Cosmic Year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt first, there were only rumours.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBodies missing from battlefields.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDead soldiers seen walking beyond ruined cities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVoices of lost relatives heard from inside sealed tombs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen an entire world fell.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe plague expanded.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery battle created more bodies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery body became a potential soldier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe stronger the army sent against the Raptors, the stronger the Raptors became if that army failed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey were not merely an enemy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey were war feeding upon itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Kwasars had once guarded the balance of Tzion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter the coming of the Raptors, they were forced to defend the Universe from the corpses of its own protectors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Excelsior Brigade was created because ordinary armies could not survive that horror.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts first great hunts became legends.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts failures became sealed archives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd one of its earliest missions carried one hundred warriors to the planet \u003cstrong\u003eSerath\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSerath\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSerath had once been beautiful.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts cities were built around enormous silver trees whose roots drank from subterranean oceans. At night, the leaves reflected the light of three moons, turning the forests into fields of moving stars.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe inhabitants were scholars, navigators and artists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey had little military power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey believed distance protected them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey were wrong.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA month before the Excelsior deployment, every transmission from Serath stopped.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe final message contained no images.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly breathing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen a voice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA child’s voice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Do not come.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe message ended with laughter that did not belong to a child.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKwasar reconnaissance detected Raptor energy across the northern continent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first estimates suggested thirty hostile entities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA small emerging nest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Excelsior command authorised immediate extermination.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne hundred members of the Brigade were selected.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcalibur 4 travelled among them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey crossed through Asgardio in a single coordinated deployment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeep planetary transportation required an enormous concentration of Arkana. Once the crossing was completed, the Asgardio pathways within their Sublime Skins needed approximately twenty four hours to rebuild the energy, precision and spiritual alignment required for a return journey.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was considered an acceptable restriction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe operation was expected to last less than three hours.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne hundred entered Serath.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFour returned.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHour Zero\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Excelsiors appeared upon a plateau overlooking the capital.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne hundred barriers of white and gold light opened almost simultaneously.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen space sealed behind them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin felt the Asgardio pathways collapse into dormancy within Arkana.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwenty four hours until extraction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBelow them, the capital of Serath remained intact.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo fires.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo collapsed buildings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo visible enemy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe streets were empty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe silver trees moved beneath a wind none of the Kwasars could feel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCommander Caelum, leader of the battalion, raised one hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Formation.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe one hundred Excelsiors divided into five groups.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin activated Nexo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis awareness expanded through the plateau, into the city and beneath the ground.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe expected to find survivors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe found thousands of biological signatures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNone of them were alive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe bodies remained inside the buildings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHomes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSchools.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTransport stations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublic chambers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThousands of corpses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin opened Silentium across the battalion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo living presence detected.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana stood beside him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer eyes had become pale with Mystica.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“There are spirits.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“How many?” Merlin asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe listened.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer expression changed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Too many.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCommander Caelum approached.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Reconnaissance estimated thirty.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Reconnaissance was wrong,” Morgana replied.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first scream came from the city.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen another.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen hundreds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery corpse began screaming at the same time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sound rose through the capital like a siren made from the dead.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot looked towards the streets.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That is not a warning.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur summoned his ObiceX.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhite and golden structures grew from his Sublime Skin, forming heavy armour across his chest, shoulders and arms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No,” he said. “It is an invitation.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe dead came out of the buildings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWomen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChildren.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnimals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThousands of bodies walking in perfect silence now that the screaming had ended.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome moved slowly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome crawled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome ran upon limbs broken during death.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll looked towards the plateau.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir eyes were black.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCommander Caelum raised his arm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Excelsiors, prepare.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin reached through Mystica.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe spiritual world surrounding the capital opened briefly before him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe saw darkness inside every body.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot thirty Sumaya.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThousands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“They have occupied the entire population,” he said.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCaelum stared at the city.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Can we destroy the hosts?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“And the spirits?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Only during transition. When a body is destroyed, the Sumaya will attempt to escape and enter another corpse.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur looked across the battalion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Then no fallen body can remain intact.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe meaning reached every Excelsior.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot only the enemy dead.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCommander Caelum’s voice entered Silentium.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo Kwasar body will be surrendered. If a member falls, recover them or destroy the vessel.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo one questioned the order.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBelow, the first wave began climbing the plateau.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHour Two\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Excelsiors descended.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCeleritas ignited around one hundred bodies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey struck the advancing dead in five formations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first impacts tore through the Raptor hosts with catastrophic force.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur landed at the centre of the main road.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAtlas surged through his muscles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe drove one fist into the ground.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe road split.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA seismic wave travelled through the city, throwing hundreds of stolen bodies into the air.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana raised both hands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePyra answered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhite flame crossed the street in two vast arcs, consuming bodies before they touched the ground.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs the hosts burned, black shapes erupted from them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSumaya in transition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor an instant, they possessed no flesh.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey resembled distortions in reality, skeletal shadows formed from smoke and screaming faces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin locked them in place through Imperium.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Now.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot vanished.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVelox carried him through the suspended spirits as a streak of golden light.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProferrum blades appeared in both hands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach blade had been reinforced by Arkana, allowing physical force to strike spiritual contamination during the brief transition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot crossed the entire street before the first Sumaya could move.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe spirits split apart behind him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlack fire consumed them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the first hour, the operation seemed possible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Excelsiors advanced district by district.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClipeous barriers protected the formations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCannon discharges cleared the streets.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAero prevented airborne hosts from surrounding them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGea sealed subterranean passages.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSkimo froze entire waves in place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePyra destroyed the bodies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMystica identified the escaping Sumaya.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArkana killed them during transition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe battalion destroyed more than six thousand hosts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly seven Excelsiors were injured.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen the first Kwasar corpse appeared.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt walked from the central temple.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe body wore a damaged Sublime Skin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts golden lines had turned black.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCommander Caelum stopped.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe recognised the face.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Magister Orian.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOrian had disappeared during a previous reconnaissance mission.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis body looked towards the battalion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen it smiled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Commander.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe voice was almost correct.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlmost.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCaelum’s face tightened.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Raptor raised one hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImperium struck the battalion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwenty Excelsiors were lifted from the ground and hurled into the buildings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOrian moved.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVelox.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe crossed the distance instantly and drove his hand through the chest of an Excelsior before anyone understood that the attack had begun.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe dead warrior fell.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Sumaya shadow descended from above.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana screamed through Silentium.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDestroy the body.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur moved first.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe struck the fallen Excelsior with a Cannon discharge at point blank range.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhite and gold energy consumed the corpse a fraction of a second before the Sumaya entered it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe blast left nothing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur remained motionless.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe had known the warrior for eight thousand years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was no time to grieve.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOrian attacked again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis stolen Sublime Skin formed an ObiceX made from black gold.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe battle changed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHour Five\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reconnaissance report had not detected thirty Raptors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt had detected thirty Kwasar Raptors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThirty fallen guardians whose bodies had been brought to Serath from other battlefields.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach retained the physical pathways of multiple Vision Powers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach was controlled by a Sumaya old enough to understand how those powers functioned.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey attacked in coordinated groups.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey used the voices of the dead.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey called the living by name.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey repeated final conversations copied from the biological memories of the stolen brains.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne Raptor wore the body of a woman Morgana had trained centuries earlier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt approached through the smoke with tears running down its face.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Magister.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana froze.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe voice was perfect.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Please.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe creature reached towards her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana entered Mystica.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe searched for the soul she remembered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was nothing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly a Sumaya watching her from inside the corpse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana’s expression emptied.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You should not have used her voice.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Raptor attacked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana allowed the claws to reach her chest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer body distorted through Invisibilia, confusing the creature’s perception for one critical instant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe moved aside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSkimo spread from her hand into the Raptor’s arm, freezing the stolen tissue to the shoulder.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana seized the creature by the throat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eControl entered its nervous system.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Sumaya attempted to invade her mind in return.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor a moment, they stood connected.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana saw the Forbidden Universe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA sky beneath an ocean.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCities made from thought.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpiritual beings hanging inside bodies that had never been alive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSomething immense moving beyond the Sumaya.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSomething that noticed her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana broke the connection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlood ran from her nose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Raptor smiled with her student’s face.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It saw you.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana formed a Cannon sphere against its chest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Then it knows I am coming.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe fired.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe body disintegrated.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe escaping Sumaya lunged towards her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana trapped it within a Clipeous sphere and compressed the barrier until the spirit collapsed into black light.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAcross the capital, the Excelsior formation began to fail.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Raptors did not attack to kill immediately.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey attacked to create bodies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA severed artery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA broken neck.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA heart stopped for three seconds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat was enough.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery fallen Excelsior became a battle over possession.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe living could not retreat without recovering the dead.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe dead could not be recovered while the Raptors continued advancing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome Kwasars chose self destruction when they understood they could not be saved.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey ignited Arkana from within and reduced their own vessels to light before the Sumaya reached them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir final thoughts travelled through Silentium.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNames.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFarewells.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApologies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe number of living Excelsiors fell from one hundred to eighty six.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen seventy nine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen seventy one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach loss increased the strength of the enemy if the body was not destroyed quickly enough.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the beginning, the Raptors had worn civilians.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy the fifth hour, they wore friends.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHour Eight\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe battalion reached the central plaza.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCommander Caelum ordered a defensive circle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe surviving Excelsiors raised layered Clipeous barriers while the Raptors surrounded them through every street.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin counted the living signatures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSixty four.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe looked at the Asgardio cycle within his Sublime Skin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSixteen hours remained.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot stood beside him, covered in blood that was not his.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Tell me you have a plan.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I have several.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Do any involve leaving before the remaining sixteen hours?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Then I dislike all of them.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur landed inside the circle carrying two injured Excelsiors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne had lost an arm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe other was not breathing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur placed the first upon the ground.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe looked at the second.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Sumaya shadow moved above the barrier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur closed his eyes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen he destroyed the body.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo one spoke.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana approached Merlin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The Sumaya are not arriving individually.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What do you mean?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“They are connected.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Through Silentium?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Something deeper. The bodies are separate, but the spirits act as extensions of a collective presence within the Forbidden Universe.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin looked towards the waves of Raptors beyond the barrier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“If we destroy the hosts, the presence remains.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Can it send more?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I believe it already is.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sky above Serath darkened.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA fracture appeared between the three moons.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot a portal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA spiritual wound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlack shapes began descending from it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThousands of Sumaya.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey moved towards the dead bodies across the city.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin felt the scale of the trap.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSerath had never been a nest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was a gate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCommander Caelum heard the conclusion through Silentium.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Can the fracture be sealed?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana looked at it through Mystica.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Perhaps.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“How?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Someone must reach the centre of the spiritual disturbance.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Where?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe pointed towards the palace beyond the plaza.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA black tower rose behind it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin had not seen the tower when they arrived.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt existed partly within the physical Universe and partly within the Forbidden one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCaelum studied the surviving warriors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We divide.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur stepped forward.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That will weaken the circle.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“If we remain here, the gate continues feeding bodies into the battle.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin looked at Excalibur 4.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey understood before he spoke.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We go to the tower.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCommander Caelum nodded.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Take twenty.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No,” Merlin said. “Take none.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot glanced at him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin continued.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The battalion needs every barrier. The four of us can reach the tower faster.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur looked towards the enemy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“And if the tower is another trap?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It is.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana’s eyes remained fixed upon the spiritual wound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That does not make it optional.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCommander Caelum placed one fist against his chest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Seal the gate.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin returned the gesture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hold the plaza.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcalibur 4 left the circle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Black Tower\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot moved first.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVelox carried him through the nearest street before the Raptors could turn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe did not attack every enemy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe created a path.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAero compressed around his body, forming a corridor of violent pressure. The dead were thrown against the walls.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin, Arthur and Morgana followed through Celeritas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRaptor Kwasars intercepted them above the city.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur engaged Oblivion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis body condensed beneath the Sublime Skin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA black Cannon beam struck him in the chest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe did not stop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe energy divided around his body and tore through the buildings behind him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur seized the Raptor by the face.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAtlas ignited.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe drove it downward through twelve floors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana opened Portalia beneath another attacker.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Raptor entered the gateway and emerged directly in front of Merlin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin had already gathered a Cannon sphere between his hands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe fired.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe stolen body vanished.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Sumaya escaped.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt moved towards the nearest corpse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot appeared between them and struck the spirit with Voltaris.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlue white current spread through the black shape, holding it in transition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana completed the destruction with Pyra.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey reached the tower.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts surface was not stone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was made from bodies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThousands had been fused into the structure, their faces visible beneath a translucent black surface.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome mouths moved.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome eyes followed the Kwasars.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe entrance opened like a wound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot stared.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I preferred the castle.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur stepped inside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That is because the castle was not alive.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe interior rejected physical geometry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCorridors turned upward and became floors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWalls breathed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGravity changed direction without warning.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe four remained connected through Silentium.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin used Hyper Sense to interpret movement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana used Mystica to identify spiritual pathways.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur anchored them through Gea whenever the floor attempted to fold.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot moved ahead through Velox, returning each time with information before the structure could alter itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the centre of the tower, they found the gate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA sphere of black spiritual matter hung above a chamber filled with Kwasar corpses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHundreds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe bodies had been collected from battlefields throughout Tzion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome were ancient.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome had fallen only days earlier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll waited to be occupied.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana stopped breathing for a moment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“This is not an army.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin looked at the bodies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It is a reserve.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sphere opened.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA presence looked through it from the Forbidden Universe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot one Sumaya.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSomething larger.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA consciousness assembled from countless spirits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt spoke through every corpse in the chamber.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Children of Kronos.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur’s fists closed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin answered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We are not his children.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe corpses smiled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You carry his fear.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana stepped towards the sphere.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What are you?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe presence moved closer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe chamber filled with images of the Great Loss.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot truth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFragments.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA silhouette falling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKronos screaming.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA light disappearing from Tzion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin felt anger rise.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe presence tasted it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We remember what he lost.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin raised his hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImperium closed around the sphere.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Then you will die remembering it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcalibur 4 attacked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHour Twelve\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe gate resisted physical force.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur struck it with Atlas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe chamber collapsed around the impact, but the sphere remained.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot crossed its surface thousands of times through Velox, each strike reinforced with Voltaris and Cannon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sphere absorbed the energy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana entered Mystica and attempted to separate the spiritual layers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe collective presence reached back through the connection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlack lines spread beneath her Sublime Skin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe screamed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin severed the contact through Silentium and caught her before she fell.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What did you see?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana struggled to focus.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The gate is anchored to the bodies.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur looked around the chamber.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“All of them?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe corpses began opening their eyes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHundreds of dead Kwasars rose simultaneously.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe battle inside the tower became impossible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRaptors activated Vision Powers in every direction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImperium tore sections of the chamber apart.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePyra and Skimo collided.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCannon beams crossed through portals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClipeous barriers formed and shattered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe dead used Celeritas within a space too small for flight, turning their bodies into living projectiles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcalibur 4 fought together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot as four warriors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a single structure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSilentium connected every thought.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur moved before Merlin completed commands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana redirected enemies into Lancelot’s paths.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot carried energy towards Arthur through Circuitry contact.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin controlled the centre, using Imperium to alter trajectories by fractions, enough to transform fatal impacts into survivable ones.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur became the anchor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis ObiceX expanded into a monumental form, covering him in white and gold plates. Oblivion hardened beneath it. He held back entire groups of Raptor Kwasars while Atlas turned each strike into seismic destruction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot became absence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVelox erased him from perception.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe appeared only as impact, blood and broken black gold.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCeleritas carried him through the upper chamber.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAero changed direction around him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVoltaris transformed his body into a moving storm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana became the mind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe sensed the Sumaya before they changed hosts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe used Control not to dominate the spirits, but to interrupt the stolen nervous systems for fragments of a second.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe froze bodies through Skimo, destroyed them through Pyra and sealed escaping entities within barriers of Clipeous.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin became command.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis Silentium reached every companion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis Nexo measured every energy rise.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis Hyper Sense read the battlefield.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis Imperium held collapsing structures above them while his Cannon tore through the gate’s anchors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut there were too many bodies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery corpse in the chamber had once been a Kwasar.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery one had possessed centuries or millennia of training.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe gate continued pouring Sumaya into them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcalibur 4 could not destroy the sphere while defending against the dead.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana saw the answer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The bodies must burn.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur struck a Raptor away.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“There are hundreds.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“All of them.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot appeared beside her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That will require more Pyra than any of us can sustain.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana looked towards the black sphere.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not if we combine it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin understood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Circuitry.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe four moved towards the centre.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur raised a vast Clipeous dome around them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRaptors struck from every side.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe barrier trembled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot placed one hand against Arthur’s back.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana placed hers against Lancelot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin completed the circuit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir Sublime Skins connected.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGolden lines extended across their arms and joined.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCircuitry aligned four Core systems.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur supplied Atlas stability and Oblivion resistance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot accelerated the energy flow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana shaped Pyra.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin controlled the release.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe dome began to crack.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe bodies advanced.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin spoke through Silentium.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNow.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFire erupted from Excalibur 4.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot ordinary flame.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhite and gold Arkana fire.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt filled the chamber without crossing the Clipeous dome.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHundreds of Kwasar bodies ignited.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Sumaya screamed as their available hosts disappeared.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe collective presence within the gate roared.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe tower convulsed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana directed the flame towards the sphere.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe gate began to close.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlack energy struck the dome.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur dropped to one knee.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Continue.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ObiceX across his back shattered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot redirected more energy into him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlood ran from his nose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Arthur.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Continue.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe gate collapsed inward.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin used Imperium to prevent the spiritual mass from escaping.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana forced Mystica through the closing fracture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor one instant, she touched the Forbidden Universe again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe immense presence beyond it looked at her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis time, Morgana did not look away.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We know you exist,” she said.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe presence answered through a thousand dying voices.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“And now we know you.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana closed her fist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe gate sealed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe black tower screamed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen it began to fall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHour Fourteen\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcalibur 4 escaped through Portalia moments before the tower collapsed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey emerged above the central plaza.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe battle below had become a massacre.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe gate was closed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo new Sumaya entered Serath.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut those already present remained.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCommander Caelum’s defensive circle had broken.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly thirty seven Excelsiors remained alive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHundreds of Raptor hosts surrounded them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany wore Kwasar bodies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcalibur 4 descended into the battle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin opened Silentium.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe gate is sealed. Destroy the remaining spirits.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCaelum’s response was weak.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eExtraction?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin checked the Asgardio cycle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTen hours remained.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNot yet.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe commander laughed once inside their minds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was no humour in it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThen we fight.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHour Sixteen\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThirty seven became twenty nine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwenty nine became twenty two.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Raptors changed tactics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey stopped attempting to overwhelm the survivors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey began separating them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA portal opened beneath one Excelsior and moved her into a distant street.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe survived fourteen seconds alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother Raptor used Control to force a wounded Kwasar to lower his own Clipeous shield.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlack blades entered his body.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe destroyed himself before possession.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA third used Silentium to imitate Commander Caelum’s voice and issue false orders.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin closed the battalion link and rebuilt it using individual spiritual signatures rather than thought alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe survivors gathered beneath the remains of the palace.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur had lost part of his ObiceX.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot’s left arm no longer moved correctly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana’s connection to Mystica had become unstable after contact with the Forbidden presence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin’s Core was approaching depletion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNone of them stopped.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey had eight hours until Asgardio returned.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEight hours had never felt so long.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHour Nineteen\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwelve Excelsiors remained.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe capital was burning.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe silver trees had become pillars of black flame.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe three moons disappeared behind ash.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCommander Caelum stood at the palace entrance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHalf of his Sublime Skin had been corrupted by a Raptor strike.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlack lines moved towards his heart.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana examined them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I cannot remove it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCaelum looked at Merlin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“How long?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Five hours.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe commander smiled faintly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I do not have five hours.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur stepped forward.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We can contain you.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We can try.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe black lines reached Caelum’s neck.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis eyes remained his own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“For the moment.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe looked at the remaining warriors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You will need time.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin understood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Caelum.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I command this battalion.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“There is no battalion left.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Then I command what remains.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe commander turned towards the approaching Raptors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis ObiceX expanded around him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot defensive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery plate opened.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArkana gathered inside his body.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCaelum looked back once.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Go.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot shook his head.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We do not leave our own.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCaelum’s expression softened.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You are not leaving me.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe black corruption reached his jaw.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You are obeying me before I become something that can order you to stay.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin placed his fist against his chest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCaelum returned the gesture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcalibur 4 and the seven remaining Excelsiors retreated through the palace.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBehind them, Commander Caelum entered Hyper Fury.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLevel one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLevel two.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLevel three.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe palace shook.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis aura became a sun beneath the ruins.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Raptor horde reached him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCaelum broke the final seal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTranscendent Fury.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor several seconds, the entire capital became white.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen vision returned, the palace entrance no longer existed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNeither did Commander Caelum.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNeither did the first thousand Raptors behind him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe surviving Kwasars continued moving.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo one spoke.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHour Twenty Two\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeven became six.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSix became five.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe final Excelsior outside Excalibur 4 was named \u003cstrong\u003eSera Valen\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe had fought beside Morgana during the earliest campaigns of the Brigade.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe had mastered Vitalia beyond any of them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThroughout the battle, she had kept the others alive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery healing had cost her energy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy the twenty second hour, almost nothing remained.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey reached the plateau where Asgardio had delivered them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo hours remained.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRaptors surrounded the base of the mountain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSera sat against a broken stone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana knelt beside her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Let me transfer energy.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSera smiled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You cannot use Energya on me without taking what little life remains.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I can control it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No one controls desperation as well as they believe.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana placed her hand over the wound in Sera’s abdomen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVitalia answered weakly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSera stopped her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You need the energy.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“So do you.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I need two hours.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I have minutes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana’s face hardened.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I refuse.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSera looked at her with exhausted affection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You always did confuse refusal with authority.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first Raptors reached the plateau.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur and Lancelot moved to meet them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin raised Clipeous around the injured.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSera looked towards the battle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Destroy my body before they reach me.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana said nothing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Morgana.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You know what happens.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSera reached up and touched her face.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The person you love is already leaving. Do not let the thing that comes after wear her.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana’s eyes filled with tears she did not permit to fall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSera closed her eyes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer final breath left slowly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Sublime Skin dimmed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Sumaya shadow descended through the smoke.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana screamed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePyra erupted around Sera’s body.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhite fire consumed her before the spirit arrived.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Sumaya turned towards Morgana.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe destroyed it with enough force to split the plateau.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen the light faded, there were four.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcalibur 4.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Final Hour\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Raptors climbed from every direction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHundreds remained.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerhaps thousands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe four Kwasars stood around the dormant Asgardio coordinate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne hour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur formed the strongest ObiceX he had ever manifested.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe armour grew across him in monumental layers. Golden structures anchored his legs to the plateau.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe activated Oblivion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis body became a fortress.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe raised Clipeous.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA hemispherical barrier covered the four.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first wave struck.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe shield trembled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot stood behind Arthur.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis damaged arm hung at his side.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe smiled through the blood on his face.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I have had better missions.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur did not look at him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You said that during Serath’s briefing.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I was correct.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You also said three hours.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That estimate came from command.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You repeated it confidently.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Confidence improves information.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana stood beside Merlin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer white hair had turned grey beneath ash and blood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Can Asgardio activate immediately when the cycle completes?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“If our spiritual alignment remains intact.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“And if it does not?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We remain here.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“How encouraging.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin looked at the three.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We must synchronise through Silentium.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Raptors struck the shield again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCracks appeared.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur grunted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Do it quickly.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin opened the deepest Silentium link they had ever shared.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir minds connected.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot merely thoughts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMemory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur’s determination.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot’s refusal to die quietly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana’s grief.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin’s guilt.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey felt one another completely.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe connection could have broken them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInstead, it aligned them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur’s Circuitry fed stability into the group.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot accelerated the shared neural rhythm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana used Mystica to anchor their spirits against Sumaya interference.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin held the Asgardio destination.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUrkulo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHome.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe shield broke.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRaptors entered the plateau.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcalibur 4 fought.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur held the centre.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAtlas multiplied through Hyper Fury.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery punch destroyed a stolen body.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery impact against him strengthened Oblivion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGea rose around his feet, forming walls from the mountain itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot disappeared into Velox.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe crossed between the enemies, destroying bodies before Sumaya could transfer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCeleritas carried him into the air.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe returned as a comet, striking the plateau with a Cannon discharge that sent a ring of white and gold energy through the horde.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana entered Mystica fully.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe physical world became transparent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe saw the Sumaya moving between bodies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough Control, she interrupted the nervous systems of their hosts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough Skimo, she froze them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough Pyra, she destroyed them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough Clipeous, she trapped the spirits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin commanded all of it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImperium held enemies in place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePortalia redirected attacks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVoltaris crossed from his hands into the Raptors surrounding Arthur.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAero prevented the spiritual smoke from reaching fallen bodies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNexo counted every living signature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly four.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe final minute began.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Raptors understood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery stolen face turned towards the centre.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe collective presence beyond the sealed gate spoke through them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You cannot leave.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin answered through Silentium.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWatch us.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe horde attacked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur’s ObiceX shattered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot fell from the sky.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana’s Clipeous spheres broke.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin lost the Urkulo coordinate for one terrifying instant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen the others gave it back to him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot through memory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough their bond.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur remembered the mountains.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot remembered the skies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana remembered the rivers beneath the First Seat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin rebuilt the destination from all four minds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Asgardio pathways awakened.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhite and gold barriers began forming around them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Raptors crossed the final distance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur seized Lancelot and threw him towards the centre.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana used Imperium to pull Arthur after him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin held the barrier open.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Raptor wearing Commander Caelum’s face emerged from the horde.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe body should not have existed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCaelum had destroyed it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYet the Sumaya had built an imitation from memory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt smiled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Go.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe false voice almost broke them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana looked at it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe fired a single Cannon beam through its head.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Asgardio barriers sealed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe collective presence screamed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpace folded.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA black hand entered the light and closed around Merlin’s arm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur seized Merlin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot seized Arthur.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana placed both hands against the barrier and forced Mystica outward, striking the Sumaya connection directly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Release him.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe darkness pulled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana opened every remaining channel of Arkana.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Release my Magister.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe black hand burned.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin tore free.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAsgardio completed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSerath vanished.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFour Returned\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcalibur 4 appeared inside the Urkulo command sanctuary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey did not land with dignity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot struck the floor first.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur fell beside him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana remained standing for one second before her legs failed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin appeared last, one arm covered in black spiritual burns.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sanctuary healers rushed towards them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin looked around.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe expected others.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA second Asgardio arrival.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA third.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCommander Caelum.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSera.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnyone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe chamber remained empty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne hundred Excelsiors had entered Serath.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFour returned.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mission changed the Brigade.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt changed Kwasar warfare.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom that day onward, no body was left unguarded upon a Raptor battlefield.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe dead were recovered, protected or destroyed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery Excelsior learned that defeat did not end when the heart stopped.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery Kwasar learned to fear the voice of someone they had loved.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut the mission changed Excalibur 4 more than anyone understood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur became even more protective, because he had discovered that strength could not save everyone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot laughed more often, because silence reminded him of the hours between deaths.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana became cautious with Mystica, because something within the Forbidden Universe had looked through her eyes and learned her name.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin carried the weight of command, although Commander Caelum had been the one who issued the final orders.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey never stopped fighting the Raptors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey became stronger.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWiser.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore dangerous.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAcross thousands of years, Excalibur 4 hunted Raptor legions throughout Tzion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey destroyed nests.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSealed fractures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRecovered fallen bodies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSaved worlds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir names became known within the Excelsior Brigade as a promise that some missions could still end with survivors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYet Serath remained within them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne hundred entered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFour returned.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Cave Again\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe memory released them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sound of the sea returned to Merlin’s Cave.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo one had moved.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot sat upon the same stone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur remained with his arms folded.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana watched the pale light moving across the water.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin looked at his companions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We survived Serath because we knew one another completely.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur nodded.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We survived because Caelum and the others bought our return.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana turned towards Merlin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“And now Godark has placed six children in our hands.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not children for much longer,” Lancelot said.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur’s gaze remained severe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“They will face the Raptors.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was not a question.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin looked towards the cave entrance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“If Godark’s fear becomes reality, yes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Then we tell them everything,” Arthur said.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not immediately.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur looked at him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“They need to understand the enemy.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“They first need to understand themselves.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana agreed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“If we tell six young beings that they may be the final hope of the Cosmos before they know why they feel different from the humans around them, we will not inspire them. We will crush them.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot leaned forward.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Then we begin with training.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We begin with trust,” Merlin replied.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Training creates trust.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“So does honesty.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur looked towards the sea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What exactly did Godark ask of us?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“To watch them. Guide them. Protect them. Train them.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“And transform them into warriors.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin considered the word.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur’s expression hardened.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Then we cannot treat them gently.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana looked at him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We should treat them intelligently.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The Raptors will not.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The Raptors are not Magisters.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur turned towards her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No. They are what happens when the Magisters fail.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe words struck the cave.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot’s humour disappeared.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin approached the centre of the circle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“This mission is not Serath.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur looked at him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It cannot become Serath.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We are not leading one hundred trained Excelsiors into a known war zone. We are approaching six young beings who have spent their lives under human observation. They have friendships, fears, loyalties and a world they believe they understand.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana spoke softly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“A world that has never explained why they do not belong within it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin nodded.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We cannot arrive as gods.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot looked at his Sublime Skin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That would certainly attract attention.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We enter as humans,” Merlin said. “We observe the Tower. We study Fernand Claes. We determine who within the Oasis Program can be trusted. Then we approach the six.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur considered the plan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“And if they discover us first?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin almost smiled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Then perhaps Godark chose well.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana rose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe golden lines of her Sublime Skin moved beneath the pearlescent white.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Human forms.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What period?” Lancelot asked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Current Arkadian clothing.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot looked disappointed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I was hoping for armour.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur stared at him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We are infiltrating a city.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Armour can be subtle.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not your armour.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana stepped away from the group.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Adagio.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer Sublime Skin responded.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe golden lines faded first.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe pearlescent white softened and withdrew beneath her natural skin. Ivoryta did not leave her body. Arkana did not disappear. The symbiont returned to the molecular sanctuary of her cells and DNA.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHuman clothing emerged in its place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA long dark coat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA fitted high neck garment beneath it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eElegant trousers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoots appropriate to the streets of Arkadia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer white hair remained visible, flowing over her shoulders.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe looked completely human.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcept for the eyes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe eyes still suggested that she knew too much.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot stood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis Sublime Skin transformed into dark urban clothing, a fitted jacket, simple shirt, trousers and boots.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe looked down at himself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I appear ordinary.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You have never appeared ordinary,” Morgana replied.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I choose to accept that as praise.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur activated Adagio.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis monumental white and gold form disappeared beneath human skin and restrained clothing. A dark coat covered his broad shoulders. His black hair and beard made him appear like a severe human commander attempting to pretend he had never commanded anything.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot looked at him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You still look like a king.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur adjusted one sleeve.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I cannot control the limitations of the observer.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFinally, Merlin concealed his Sublime Skin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe gold withdrew.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe pearlescent white vanished from sight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA human garment formed around him, dark, simple and dignified.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis white hair and beard remained.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor a moment, he looked less like a cosmic warrior and more like the distant human memory of the wizard he had once inspired.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana studied him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That may be a problem.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You look exactly like Merlin.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I am Merlin.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yes. Humans occasionally notice obvious things.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot smiled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Rarely.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin looked towards the cave entrance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeyond the coastline, far beyond the sea, waited \u003cstrong\u003eArkadia\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA city archipelago built from human technology, ambition and fear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWithin District 199 stood the Tower.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWithin the Tower lived six EvoSapiens who believed music had brought them together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMax.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVega.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCala.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKira.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey called themselves \u003cstrong\u003eThe Entourage\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey did not know that Godark had felt their energy from the Antiverse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey did not know that the most dangerous Brigade in Kwasar history had returned to Earth for them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey did not know that four beings from humanity’s oldest legends were about to walk into their lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur approached Merlin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Before we go, answer one question.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin waited.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Do you believe they can do it?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin looked into the distance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe remembered the six flames.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeparate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen united.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA harmony strong enough to create futures Godark could not see.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I believe they can become capable of doing it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArthur accepted the distinction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLancelot moved towards the entrance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That sounds like training.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMorgana followed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It sounds like work.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin remained behind for one final moment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe touched the wall of the cave.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCenturies earlier, humans had listened to his voice echo through this chamber and believed they were hearing prophecy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow, on the last day of the First Cosmic Year, Merlin had no prophecy to give.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly a mission.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly six young lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly the possibility that hope might succeed where power had failed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe closed his eyes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor a moment, he thought he felt Godark listening through Mystica.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerlin whispered into the darkness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“We will prepare them.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe cave returned his words.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot as an echo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs an oath.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcalibur 4 stepped into the light.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCeleritas awakened around them, concealed beneath Adagio and the Hidden Skin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey rose from the coast without wings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFour ancient Magisters crossed the sky towards Arkadia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTowards the Tower.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTowards six young beings who were laughing, arguing and making music, completely unaware that the legends of Earth were coming to find them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBehind them, Tintagel remained upon the cliffs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBefore them, the future waited.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe First Cosmic Year was ending.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd the age of the Chosen Ones was about to begin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ARCADERS","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55986526847316,"sku":null,"price":29.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0800\/1886\/6516\/files\/CopyofAquitienesunpromptlistoparausarPromptTransformtheprovidedimageintoacleanblack-and-whitecoloringbookpage_preservingtheexactoriginalcomposition_characters_typography-2_ab503307-c315-490d-bb53-83e74c6768a4.jpg?v=1785913018","url":"https:\/\/arkaders.com\/products\/excalibur-4","provider":"ARCADERS","version":"1.0","type":"link"}