"I know mine too by accident. Well, the First Enlightenment anyways. When I reach the Second, I'll know about it," she replied. "So what do we do now? Elyonari, the twins and Narisva completed their First Sacred Trials. Mine is just sucking my boyfriend's vitality for a year so I'm done too. Only five of you are left."
The room went uncomfortably silent for half a second. No one was surprised Peroncerea had a vitality-draining love life. Vastarael was the one to break the silence, now comfortably slouched on the carpet with his Omniscient lover.
"I'll go after the Tenth Oceanic Beast a few days before the year ends. I'll finish it in one strike if I can. I will destroy the clan alone too. Shouldn't take too long. Maybe a few hours."
Adelasta sighed as she summoned flames on her hands.
"I'll complete the Nyramith Trial before the year ends too. There's only one path left for me to take. Guess I'll swim in lava."
Xander, resting his arms behind his head with a lopsided grin, chuckled.
"Mine's uh, let's just say it's got some confidentiality behind it. It doesn't want me spilling secrets. But yeah, I'll be done before the deadline."
"None of us asked, but okay," Farrynelle muttered. "As for me, I need to master the Skyrover Techniques. All of them. That's my Trial. I'll be done before the year's out too. No choice, really. My sisters would disown me otherwise."
"I'll challenge the Seventh Hydrangea," Eldrigan said simply. Everyone turned to him. "But not early. I'll face him on the last day of the year. I want it to mean something."
"Dramatic much. Bet you'll brag about it too."
Eldrigan didn't respond to Narisva's words, which basically meant yes. Vastarael finally turned to Phaenora, the only one who hadn't spoken up yet.
"When will the girls and Asenane come?"
"When you finish the Nyramith Trial."
"Why?"
"Secret. You've got twelve months left to see them, darling. Better use them wisely. That's your time limit. But don't worry. You'll make it."
"Yeah. I know. Still, I'm glad you're back, Phae."
Phaenora beamed as she hugged him.
"Me too. Don't get mushy, though. You're going to make me cry."
A laugh bubbled out of him and just like that, the tension eased. The lounge settled back into its usual odd balance of chaos and comfort.
-------
A silent ocean stretches infinitely beneath the glassy platform. And floating above it, resting gently in the void, is a white marble belvedere held by nothing and touched by no time. Two chairs face each other. A porcelain teapot releases soft steam between them, rising like smoke that doesn't know where to go.
Thyrexxa, the Primordial of Time, sat in regal poise. Her hair curved along gravity's bend and her emerald eyes with spirals of ancient clocks inside them never looked at the cup she was sipping from. She didn't need to. Time had already tasted it for her. Across from her sat a barefooted blonde woman with eyes that revealed her hair running down past the ocean floor, pooling around her like gold had melted into thread. She held her teacup like it was a toy, spinning it slowly, the tea inside never spilling. She was smiling softly.
"You don't come here often. Why now?"
The woman tilted her head, setting the cup down with a soft clink.
"I'm here to see my Split."
Thyrexxa narrowed her eyes slightly.
"You chose a Split? You out of all of us?"
Destiny gave a light giggle. "Don't act so shocked, darling. You chose yours late than me."
"That was different."
Destiny leaned back and folded her arms behind her head.
"Oh, come off it, Thrry. You like him."
"I respect him. And don't call me Thrry. You're not a child on the Stream of Beginnings anymore."
Destiny leaned forward on her elbows.
"Then act like it. You knew they'd all be curious once you made a Split. The Primordials didn't push that trial onto Vastarael to test you. They tested him to see if he could defend your name. And guess what? He did."
Thyrexxa took another slow sip of her tea.
"I'm not surprised he passed. Eight hundred thousand beings died that day and not a flicker of guilt in his eyes. He chose to do it. He calculated it down to the second. That was his response."
"Right. Your Split is brutal but not evil. That was the whole point. None of them were innocent either. They were just seeds of future war. Narisva was a good candidate. Her elevation was clean but I think they were more fascinated by him defending himself and not denying you as his Split."
Thyrexxa rolled her eyes. "It's foolish. As if I need defending."
"You do. From your pride."
The Primordial of Time placed her cup down and folded her hands in her lap.
"You really haven't changed."
"And you've changed a lot. You used to be cold and distant. Now you're just cold."
"I'm not doing this. You're exhausting."
"Oh, stop acting like you don't enjoy our chats. Or was the belvedere not set up just for two?"
Destiny said, poking the edge of her cup. It rotated on its own and refilled with golden tea.
There was a pause before Thyrexxa finally spoke seriously.
"Sunshine."
Destiny lit up. "Yes?"
"You shouldn't care about what's happening in Spheraphase. That world is beneath you."
"And yet you're watching it every day. Well, time passes faster for us so... weekly?"
Another silence fell but this one was more mutual. They both knew the other was right. Destiny reached for her saucer, balancing it gently on her knee.
"It's been so long since Existence took a Split too. I guess all the Primordials are feeling sentimental. Or competitive."
Thyrexxa snorted. "Existence is just trying to one-up me."
"I know, right?! He always thinks he's so mysterious and whispering in riddles. But at the end of the day, he's just annoyed Time made the first move."
"He won't admit it."
"He never does. But now the entire Sentina Erideae is going to be hounded by Existence from the second to the seventh Sacred Trial. Good luck to them. They're about to enter tests made of truth and annihilation."
"I don't worry for Vastarael. He'll adapt."
"You should let him meet me one day."
"I am not your friend."
"No. But you are his destiny."
Thyrexxa didn't reply, which was a reply in itself.
"Will you ever take another Split? Even Death has one in every Pantheon. Destruction has one in every major galaxy group. Even Creation has—"
"Don't count Creation," Thyrexxa cut in. "He breeds chaos without trying. Besides, you already have a Split."
"You mean the First Hybrid of Spheraphase?"
"Of course."
"That was eras ago."
"And still alive. You chose well."
Destiny sighed dramatically and sank deeper into her chair.
"Fate's the worst of all of us though. Her and her Three Furies from Earth… it's like she's collecting dolls."
"And yet you're jealous."
"A little. I want a fun Split too. Maybe from a higher dimension next time."
"You mean a headache."
"Exactly."
Thyrexxa shook her head with a quiet, resigned sigh.
"You're just like me. Too talkative, too curious, and too stubborn to let go."
"Then we should get along better."
"We do. Which is what worries me."
The two Primordials sipped their tea in synchronized silence. Even the stars paused, uncertain whether to rise or fall. Then, after a moment, Thyrexxa raised her hand. A small glowing circle formed above her palm, etched with incomprehensible markings, each one rotating independently as if even their symbols lived in different timelines. She turned her wrist clockwise. Time bent like an orchestral arrangement resuming at the final crescendo.
The year leapt forward. Destiny blinked.
"So we're skipping to the end of the First Sacred Trials already?"
"I want to see how he did."
Destiny leaned back, a soft admiration in her voice.
"You're scary."
"Only when I care."
The Trial's end began to unfold below.