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[Ishtar Sink, West Vault]
Void landed on the far side of the chasm, boots skidding onto the wet clay as he slid to a stop. His eyes flicked towards the bunker Elsie had marked. A dirt path cut straight through to it. He tipped forward.
Lightning gathered at his heels. His form jolted to blue, and he vanished, racing away from the ivory cliffs till the rugged rock gave way to a barren marsh.
Void braked and walked to the entrance of the old golden age bunker, half-buried in clay. The hatch had rusted into the frame. Void gently set his palms on it, and a faint light trickled down his fingertips.
He pushed, and the metal creaked. Feeling the hatch cave in, Void gripped the handle and yanked it back, and it fell open.
Stale air breathed out, thick with dust and the flat smell of old circuits. The room beyond was a box of dead terminals on one wall, and a cracked map of the Ishtar Sink plastered over the other. A round desk with some chairs sat at the centre of the room.
"Power," Void said, fanning the dust out of his face.
Obsidian flared in his palm and slipped into a corroded panel by the door. For a moment, nothing answered.
A relay sparked. A thin hum crept along the wires. A small lamp flickered to life over the desk and held, throwing a hazy cone of light over the scuffed metal.
"She asked for some time, but there's no exact info when she'll be here. Plus, there's no real way to track her right now," Obsidian chimed in, "We might just have to wait."
"Fine." Void dragged a chair out with his boot. The legs scraped a layer of fine dust off the floor, and a screech reverberated in the old bunker, echoing in its hollow walls.
He leaned forward, elbows on his thighs, as he rested his chin on his hand.
"But that isn't the problem," he said at last. Void's brows furled, and his jaw tightened.
Zamyr whispered back, «You're worried about what she said, O brother mine?»
"I am the one who changed Zamyr." Void paused for a brief second, "That explains everything. It fits the way she reacted to me."
«Yet, that's not why your thoughts are jumbled. There is another reason, I can feel it.»
"The other me. What is he?" Void breathed out.
"Is he the same as me? Or just a twisted reflection?"
Obsidian hummed, a soft balance tone. "What do you mean?"
"Does he have the same goals? Does he know what I know? Or is it just the world creating a replica of me?"
«An interesting question», Zamyr murmured, his words seeping in slowly. «The stranger. Though she wanders through time. Each journey takes her back to a different branch of the world. One she has never seen. And if she has met you at all, it means-»
"It means there's a me out there. In every timeline." Void's frown knit tighter, "I had thought my existence was a bit unique. But I was wrong."
«I do not know. The branches of fate I see only correspond to you. If there are other versions of you, be they twisted reflections, just like you, their future is also uncharted,» Zamyr said. «There is more to consider. The stranger did not recognise me. Which means that the other versions of you did not bind an Ahamkara. Or if they did, it was not me, and it is hiding them.»
Void nodded.
The bunker lamp buzzed a little, arc fizzing through its filament. A soft gust of dust drifted in through the cracked hatch, blowing across the room. A moment later, dark clouds rumbled, and the pitter-patter of rain hit the barren marsh.
"Her description of him was sharp," Obsidian spoke through the slow rain. "Always had a plan. Gave whatever it cost to complete it. That kinda of meticulousness and foresight is not like you."
"Really? Thanks," Void snorted, "That's really reassuring."
Obsidian cleared his throat, " Er...you're quite the spontaneous guy. You always think outside the box. I just meant you're not tied down by plans."
"Save it." Void sighed and shook his head.
The clouds rumbled again, and the rain intensified from a drizzle to a downpour.
Void's thoughts raced. Another him. Judging from what he'd heard, this other version was focused. Did completing the missions of the system drive him? Or was it some other reason? he did not know. Slowly, his thoughts twisted. How had the 'other' him tackled the dark? Had he succeeded against Crota? Versus Oryx? What if he'd failed?
And if he had, did that mean he would fail again?
The anxiety bled into Zamyr.
«Futile,» Zamyr said. «Timelines knot. They do not reconcile. Somewhere you won. Somewhere you broke. Somewhere, you died before even trying. Everything might be true, but none is yours. Do not measure yourself against what you do not know. All you can do is grit your teeth and grow.»
Void breathed out through his nose. "Right. At the end of the day, we're back to square one. Just gotta get stronger."
His eyes flicked to the buzzing lamp as he watched it tremble. The filament glowed a tired yellow. Slowly, his gaze drifted outside. The downpour was strong, and a mist of water blew inside. The cold rain sprayed across him and scattered around the bunker.
Obsidian broke the silence, "Ikorra just messaged," he said. "It's a conclusive report on the Vex and Fallen. They think the House of Winter is withdrawing fast."
Void raised his brows, "That's odd. Maybe the Vex ended up spooking them."
"Can't be sure, the rainstorm's turning up, we'll slowly lose contact with most of our satellites surveying Venus."
"That's fine." Void drummed his fingers on the table, "Let Ikorra know that I'll keep an eye on it when I can." He pursed his lips, watching the rain flood the marsh, the water slowly pooling in the bunker.
The hours also seemed to pool, and Void let them.
He sat in the chair, contemplating, elbows to knees, a soft gaze settled on the lamp, and he wordlessly watched it flicker on and off.
That was when the light shifted.
It was a strange pattern. As if light itself had become hazy. The air in the centre of the bunker tightened like a muscle and then let go. The lamp dimmed a fraction without flickering. The rain paused. The temperature dropped half a degree.
A pale shape traced itself into the room and slowly walked towards the table.
Elsie stood in the centre, as still as if she had always been there. The rain continued, and the lamp flickered back on.
Watching her appear, Void straightened in the chair. His legs creaked in protest as he set the chair straight, put his boots square on the floor, and met her gaze.
"You waited," Her voice had that ground-glass calm again, only the edges a touch rougher from a run through the Sink.
"I did."
She glanced at the pouring rain, walked towards the entrance, and looked down at the broken hatch. A faint hint of emotion flickered in her eyes, but it quickly faded away.
"Good," she said. "Let's continue."
-
Void and Elsie sat across from each other at the table. Both sides eyed the other while struggling with their jumbled thoughts.
"You said you wanted to help humanity." Elsie spoke first, "And that the knowledge you got pointed to me."
Void nodded quietly.
"What's the extent of your knowledge?" Elsie leaned forward.
"The knowledge granted to me covers a lot. More than I could understand. However, it comes with many restrictions." Void locked eyes with Elsie, "Sorry, but I cannot answer that question."
"You said last time you can't share any of it." Elsie bundled her fist, "I suppose the shrewd Ahamkara wouldn't allow a wish like that without such a restriction anyway."
"Since your knowledge led you to me. There is only one thing I can think of that will help you." Elsie's expression turned grim.
She took in a breath.
"It was a major event. One that toppled the scales in the dark's favour. It started small, undetectable, untraceable. It's probably already begun; in a year or two, its effects will become apparent. The Traveler's light will weaken, and slowly the guardians will too."
Void's brows tensed. He already knew what event she was talking about.
'The Black Heart.' He thought to himself.
A strange Vex ritual that managed to not only counteract the Traveler but also suppress its blessings. He knew what it was. He even knew where it would show up, hidden deep inside the birthplace of the Vex.
A place beyond space and time. 'The Black Garden'
If Elsie was mentioning something like this, then it truly meant it had started.
Seeing Void's reaction, Elsie knew that his 'Knowledge' had probably informed him of what it was.
"No one knows exactly where it ended up. All I found out was that a stranded fireteam fighting the Vex had chanced upon it on Mars. A black heart, they called it. But at that point, it was too late. They were unable to destroy it; the Vex were too prepared. In the end, this black heart continued to sap away the Traveller's light."
She finally set her hands on the table, "I do not doubt that if such a thing is found and destroyed, our chances of victory against the dark will double."
"If. You say." Void played along.
"Could you not search for it using your powers?" He questioned, "I'd think being able to cross time was a significant advantage in such a search."
"It's not that simple. For now, I have many events to take care of. To record and to understand. If I miss even a single one, it'd make things difficult." She frowned.
Void clicked his tongue, "What I understand is that you want me to find something that was hinted to be near Mars. With only that information, I'd be hard pressed to locate anything."
He already knew that trying to find the Black Garden alone was futile. It was in a place that could only be accessed by a Vex Gate lord's eye. But finding a Vex Gate lord? That was impossible. Void knew from experience, this wasn't like the game. The Vex wouldn't be stupid enough to send out someone with that kind of vulnerability.
There was no "mission" he could do to just unlock the place. No, he had to claw his way there.
"I thought you said you were fine with not knowing things?" Elsie chuckled, "I can't help but think you're going back on your words."
"I can't help but think you're just dumping useless info on me." Void shrugged, "Besides, surely you're not that busy."
"Unfortunately, I am." Elsie cut in. "I am also monitoring and responding to Vex activity on Venus."
"You're the one responding?" Void's eyes widened, and he chortled. "I just spent a good few hours cleaning them up."
"That was a welcome change of pace." Elsie couldn't help but nod.
"Fine. Since you don't know more, I'll take care of it myself." Void waved her off. If she truly didn't have a way to find the Black Garden, he was just an unfortunate bastard.
"But what after it? What exactly happens?" He probed further, trying to discern how the timelines had changed with his appearance.
"Hmm." Elsie brooded.
But before any words came out, the pouring rain lulled, the clouds above rumbled and split. The next instant, a horrifying shockwave erupted from the academy and tore towards the marshlands, releasing tremors that cracked open fissures in the ground and flung both Elsie and Void out of their chairs to slam into the wall.
It all happened in the blink of an eye. An intense and bright flash bloomed in the distance, and a blast radiated outwards as Void's ears ruptured.
"What the hell..." His vision still felt hazy. Void shook off the nausea and groaned as he got to his feet. Void coughed and grabbed the broken hatch to push himself out. But as he looked up, his eyes widened.
Half of the academy had been blown apart, and a deep crater now filled its place. One that seemed to stretch down into the dark.