Shadow of the Abyss

The sight of a god, a being of unparalleled strength, bowing down before a mere mortal filled Altair with such elation that he had to force down his smile—a feat that required most of his spirit to suppress such a reaction.

Syris, well-versed in the nuances of Altair's behavior, recognized the familiar glow in his eyes. She'd seen it each time he'd playfully undress her after a long night or when he sought to tease her; that mischievous glint was a telltale sign. She smiled, taking the initiative to say, "Welcome, Karis, it couldn't have been easy finding the time. Please rise."

With a hint of reluctance, Karis obeyed the command to rise.

"Altair, how long do they all have to acquire visas?" Syris asked him, silently elbowing him to pull him from his trance.

Seamlessly, he said, " Thirty days. That's more than enough time. Aurora will aid you, right, Hilida?"

In response to her Master's inquiry, Hilda reached into her robe to her data pad. "Aurora can see you, alongside your people, in about seven days. Until then, you'll be granted a temporary visa." She lifted her eye towards Karis's pristine white mask. "Is that alright with you?"

Karis noted the young lady's odd lack of trepidation or care. She expressed no fear, much less dread. Hilda was strangely passive. Karis felt a little embarrassed, unsure of what she expected in the first place. It certainly was not this.

Grateful for her mask, Karis nodded," that will work. Will you be heading Babels Tower, my Lady?"

"I will. We should be out in about a day, perhaps a day and a half." Syris said in a lilting voice, sounding unsure of herself. She couldn't really recall from last night. Her mind was on the gift Altair had gifted her in the morning hours: A semitransparent white leotard he wanted her to wear tonight.

When she saw it, Syris wondered how such a thing would fit around her, but… she suddenly glanced at him, quickly recognizing his naughty grin.

It was as if he could read her mind as he said, "We'll definitely be back later tonight." And his gaze shifted to Karis. "I can't leave as much as I'd like just yet."

"Then I won't keep you," Karis said, giving her finger a snap; seven ghostly shadows flickered to her side, their bodies carrying the ethereal might of Semi-Transcendents. Each of them was masked and wrapped in the familiar black and white uniform of the GCA.

"Capture those that surrender, kill those that dare to resist."

Carrying on with his trip as the Seven Men and Woman took off in a blinding flash, Altair ignored his surroundings and made his way toward Babel's Tower entrance. The size of it had left him in awe, pressuring the sense of knowing within his mind. The closer he grew, the more he felt the ache in the back of his head begin to writhe against his skull.

Knowing came in a hive of awareness towards the structure. Babel's Tower had been a gate, an entrance towards a new Realm torn open by a madman. Touched by hands predating the nexus of time itself, Babel's Tower held but a singular truth within its depths: Be they father and daughter, mother and son, master and disciple, all are strangers beneath its domain.

As Altair approached the stone steps, he glanced back at his party, confirming their resolve. There was nothing short of excitement.

With nothing else to say, he reached for the door, suddenly sensing the divergence of space shifting around him, transporting him into a starry plane from within space.

[Identity Confirmed]

[Welcome Altair Snow]

Stunned, more so by the message than the situation of being suspended in zero gravity, Altair's expression changed to one of confusion.

He was alone, separated by a fold in space. He could feel Hilda and Vaiga beside him despite the clear absence of their appearance, leading to one conclusion.

[Message from Tenebrae detected]

"Hiya Art! It's Mommy! Just here to tell you to watch out for Truck-Kun. She's a little mad that I didn't tell her about my pregnancy. She's your aunt. A little crazy, but she'll be your greatest asset or pain in the ass. The moment you enter Babel's Tower, she should have been alerted."

It had taken much for Altair to stay, the tears threatening to fall. When was the last time he heard her voice? The last time he heard the teasing in her words.

"Mommy is quite busy right now! Mephisto… that bastard is a real pest. Little shit forgot who trained him. But I hope you're fine. See you on the Tenth Floor. Say Hi to Reina! I left her a message, too.

All the kisses!"

"All the Kisses,' Altair repeated, fiddling his sleeve against his eyes. "Gods, it's good to hear you again."

[Authority Detected: Altair Snow identity will be hidden]

Through his spatial awareness, it wasn't long for Altair to sense the shifting in space once more, propelling him through various folds in time and space. He was dragged, nearly made to kneel like a common worm, before three strange entities upon silvery thrones: A linen cloth shielded their eyes, possessing an archaic sigil of the All-Seeing Eye over the cloth.

'He does not bow,' The Central High Lord said.

"He does not bow," said the Upper Left and Right High Lord, parroting the center Lord.

As Altair's expression sank, he composed himself and surveyed his surroundings carefully. The court he found himself in was a magnificent multi-level structure, with Altair standing on the first floor. Above him, he saw countless unknown beings who were watching him with fascination, as though he was a captivating spectacle.

They were pointing and smiling at him, with their eyes covered by a linen cloth.

It was not just him, but even his Sword Maids appeared to be receiving similar treatment.

"What is this?" Altair calmly said.

The Central High Lord was taken aback, his voice betraying his disbelief as he exclaimed, "He speaks!" This was a clear indication that the person being referred to had surpassed the expectations of those around him, and his authority was beyond what people had imagined.

Elation swept through the upper echelon of the courts, leaving many breathless.

"House Master," a strangely calmly familiar voice, yet unfamiliar one, came across Altair's ear. "Will you not let Lord Altair Blackwood off?"

"Archeon…" Someone in the crowd whispered in terror, untethered fear echoing their fears.

Altair shuddered, turning towards the source to see a horned man unbound by the linen cloth. His blood-red eyes found Altairs, amusement playing across his lips.

"You sponsor this abomination?" the Upper Left HighLord spat.

'Abomination?' Altair thought, wondering what they meant. As far as he knew, no one was aware of who or what he was. Even Zero had hinted as much. He was rather suspicious of anyone else's ability to peer through his identity.

"I've come in my Master's name, Lord of the Flies," Said Archeon, narrowing his eye toward the Lords. "Altair Blackwood is to be allowed unfeathered access."

"That is not how this works," said the Central Lord, his voice now an icy mix of death and fury. "The Abomination needs to be analyzed."

The various Gods all had smiles, electing to be silent.

"I see," said Archeon. "Then there isn't a need for you to continue living." he snapped his finger.

Before the Upper Lords could speak, a mist of red whipped across their faces as the Central Lord convulsed and exploded into a gorey mist.

Such an act left the court stun-locked, their jaws opening like a startled fawn.

Archeon continued, 'The Lord of Flies, Beelzebub, and her majesty, the wielder of the Compendium of the Hells, Gremory, seek no harm befall Lord Blackwood over such foolishness and greed. Authority has been procured by Her Majesty the Mother of Night."

"Mother?" Altair muttered.

"We got the message the moment you entered Babels Tower," said Archeon, throwing Altair off for a bit, especially since Tenebrae was still encased within the Palace of Stygian.

It would only make sense to assume Tenebrae had foresaw such a scene.

'But Gremory?' Altair thought. 'How does she come into play? I'd not even heard of her before. Ah, so that's why Tasha was specifically chosen. Gremory ran a game on Asteroth. She was never there to kill me.

No. She probably was; she just wasn't aware of her master's intentions.'

And he smiled, curious how far ahead Tenebrae actually saw. Who was Gremory to her? The more he thought about it, the more his smile grew.

'Still, why did they call me an abomination?' he asked himself, sensing the tension.

"If the Upper Moons see to find my action deplorable, tell them Mythos is more than willing to wipe them out," The Duke of Hell said, turning an eye towards Altair, "Altair… I expect an invite to your opening World."

Before Altair could respond, space shifted, distorting all around him, transporting him to a forest region, where Syris, Zagreus, and his Swords Maids idle awaited his arrival. Around them, unfamiliar faces and races stood erect, arms upon weapons outside the temple.

"Master!" Hilda said, covering her mouth. " I mean Altair." A little embarrassed, she coughed into her palm. "What took you? We were worried."

Amused, Altair touched his chin. "Not sure myself… Zag… Who are the Upper Moons?"