A vortex opened quickly and Nisorin arrived through it to the preset location Akylos had created for it. The Keepers' Palace in the Era Village -- outside the very flow of time itself. This palace was designed to be destined to no forces. It was outside time and only a select few embodiments had presence in this room -- but they shared it among each other. Control was not of the forces in this room, and nobody would be eavesdropping.
"Welcome to the palace," Akylos greeted. "This isn't the same room as you were in the other day -- a few months a-- You know hell. Time's always confusing. Especially here. In any case, welcome."
The room was completely white, oddly enough. Blank. White furniture, white walls, and white floors. No windows, yet it seemed to radiate a very gold tint... And the source of that was the center of the room. A golden orb floated there... Radiating golden light. It was as bright as a sun, but it would not hurt one's eyes. They'd see if they looked close enough that the light's power was being suppressed by some kind of barrier... No. It was being channeled.
"This," Akylos explained, "Is the core which powers the Era Village. The Midas Core Of Genesis. It preforms a number of functions in powering the village.... Including defense. The truth is, usually, the core's at least two hundred times more powerful than it is right now. It's the core's way of warning us that something's up... It's telling us that Plex, the power Lucifer is promising us, is awakening. I didn't realize it until our match.... This is the reason Lucifer's holding his tournament.
"There are five cores like this. Centuries ago, my brother mentioned it to me. He was part of a group... They called themselves the 'Destiny Lords'. I didn't understand it at the time, but I'm beginning to understand that they were followers of Fatet. Fatet... she feared that some 'great, dark power' was going to rise. It had been predicted to some extent in an ancient prophecy rumored to be as old as the embodiments. She had the Destiny Lords create these five cores, one for each 'Lord', to measure the balance of darkness and light in the dimensional plane.... And, if necessary, to control that balance.
"Lucifer wants the five cores. They're hidden -- spread all throughout the dimensional plane. There are ways to find their locations -- ways not even Lucifer knows of. I think I could help whoever wants to find these orbs... But that's beside the point. The whole reason for this tournament... Was because Lucifer wanted to draw us there. Those of us who have gained the power of the Destiny Lords -- the power to manipulate these orbs. I don't know if he's realized that I'm one of those five who can control the orbs yet, but I plan to change things... I want you to take that power -- not the power of gold, just the power to manipulate these orbs."
