In a large room...
Stone walls wept condensation in the darkness. No windows. No natural light.
Just the sickly purple glow of black candles that burned without consuming their wax, casting shadows.
The throne sat at the chamber's far end.
Hooded figures knelt in a semicircle before it, heads bowed, hands pressed to cold stone.
The air pressed down with weight that had nothing to do with atmosphere. Something vast occupied this space, presence felt rather than seen, existing in the gaps between reality's threads.
When the voice came, it came from everywhere and nowhere. Neither male nor female.
Neither young nor old. It resonated in bone marrow, in the spaces between heartbeats.
"Are things ready?"
One of the kneeling figures raised their head slightly. "Yes. We're just waiting for your order."
"Good."
The temperature in the chamber dropped. Frost formed on stone despite the candle flames.
"Then we proceed."
The shadows around the throne moved.
