[i][b]Gray Sector[/b] was dead. Nothing remained but a void with a surface of empty matter. [b]Alignment[/b] sat in despair for a long moment. Everything he had worked so hard to restore and protect was gone. On top of that, [b]Dominance[/b] was missing for a while now and [b]Balance[/b] was nowhere to be seen in the desolate land. He truly had nothing but himself. Behind him was the [b]Gray Door[/b], the pathway to other realms, and it was wide open. [b]Alignment[/b] had forgotten to close it after witnessing this tragedy. This allowed a hooded figure that was pursuing [b]Alignment[/b] to walk in the now empty realm. [b]Alignment[/b] noticed and spoke to the figure while sitting with his face buried in his arms.[/i] [b]Alignment[/b]: “If you were trying to sneak up on me, you failed miserably.” [i]The hooded figure did not respond. Instead, it began to slowly walk around the area near [b]Alignment[/b].[/i] [b]Alignment[/b]: “What do you want? If you’ve come to kill me, then stop wasting our time and get it over with.” [i]After looking around the area, the figure walked in front of [b]Alignment[/b]. It knelt down and put its hand on his shoulder. [b]Alignment[/b] slowly looked up at the figure.[/i] [b]???:[/b] “It’s been so long, Professor.” [i]The figure pulled back its hood and revealed its face. It was a girl. A young girl with long hair and eyes full of wonder. [b]Alignment[/b] recognized the girl from long ago. She went by a different name before, but her name now was [b]Unity[/b].[/i] [b]Alignment[/b]: “We all thought you died during the destruction of Paradisum. What happened to you?” [b]Unity[/b]: “I’ll explain that at a later time, but right now, we need to act. Everyone’s in danger. Our friends have been captured.” [b]Alignment[/b]: “...what ‘friends’?” [b]Unity[/b]: “I’m talking about the ones that survived the destruction of Paradisum. You know, Emphasis, Proximity and Repetition.” [i]There was a moment of silence that was quickly broken by [b]Alignment’s[/b] soft chuckle.[/i] [b]Alignment[/b]: “Friends you say. Hilarious.” [b]Unity[/b]: “What do you mean?” [i][b]Alignment[/b] slowly stood up.[/i] [b]Alignment[/b]: “Why would I consider them my ‘friends’ after everything that they’ve done to me? I warned them not to go after the Reckoners, and how do they respond? By attacking me, stealing from me and even calling me a fool. Now you want me to help them? Look around you! This is why we should have lied low so they wouldn’t have found us again! This is why we should have remained hidden! [b]Unity[/b]: “I don’t understand.” [b]Alignment[/b]: “Of course you don’t. It slipped my mind that you have been gone for over 2 years and only now do you return when there is nothing left.” [b]Unity[/b]: “I had no way of making it back here.” [b]Alignment[/b]: “Sure you didn’t. Either way, I’m not helping them. I’m DONE with them.” [b]Unity[/b]: “What’s gotten into you?” [b]Alignment[/b]: “Nothing but the ashes and smoke of everything that I’ve worked for.” [b]Unity[/b]: “So that’s it? You’re just going to abandon them? After everything we’ve all been through, you’re just going to leave them to die.” [b]Alignment[/b]: “I never left them. They left me. They made their choice and now they’re facing the consequences.” [b]Unity[/b]: “What happened to the kind man that I met at Paradisum? Don’t you remember that you made a promise? You promised to protect him with your life!” [b]Alignment[/b]: “...are you talking about Dominance?” [b]Unity[/b]: “If that’s the name he uses, then yes. He’s in the same situation as the others. He’s just another one of Contrast’s slaves.” [b]Alignment[/b]: “Contrast?” [b]Unity[/b]: “I’ll explain it in detail later. All you need to know is that Contrast was a ‘Reckoner’ the entire time. He was never going to raid their ship. He only said that to lure the gullible to the ship and to justify his actions of taking countless resources from countless realms.” [b]Alignment[/b]: “How do you know all of this?” [b]Unity[/b]: “Because all of this time, I’ve been trapped in that ship and stranded in the realm it lies in. I’ve seen what Contrast has been doing this entire time and what he plans on doing, and when he takes action, it will threaten every realm you can imagine.” [i][b]Alignment[/b] remains silent. He wraps his hand around his chin and thinks to himself.[/i] [b]Unity[/b]: “Look, I know it’s a lot to take in, especially after what you’ve just been through, but we still have a chance to win. In order to do that, we must act immediately. Every second, Contrast grows stronger.” [i][b]Alignment[/b] remains silent. After a long moment of thinking, he turns to the door.[/i] [b]Alignment[/b]: “If it means that I have a chance to save Dominance, then so be it. However, we can’t do this alone. Especially not in our current state. We’re going to need supplies... and allies.” [b]Unity[/b]: “Allies?” [i][b]Alignment[/b] walked to the [b]Gray Door[/b] and closed it. He then inserted his keys and twisted them in the key hole.[/i] [b]Alignment[/b]: “I know a few people who might be interested in lending a hand.” [spoiler]RPC will return next week.[/spoiler] [spoiler]Fades Away[/spoiler]