“So, after all this time, you all have no idea?”
Istoria snapped a book shut, then threw it onto a pile of other books. She was angry and tired and pissed off.
“No, Kinisis. We have no idea.”
“No definite idea!” Iatre interjected as he rolled by on a chair, carrying a pile of books and slinging them in Istoria’s direction. “Maybe these ones will help?”
“I’ve already done this one,” Istoria tutted.
“That’s volume three, you read volume two…”
Istoria was not in the mood for Iatre’s playfulness. She growled, hinting that he should bugger off. Iatre immediately got the message and did as he was told, while she turned back to Kinisis.
“We have some vague ideas. Nothing more than that.”
“Is there really nothing in here?” Kinisis asked as she began to wander around. She’d occasionally pick up a book, flick through it then put it back. Istoria wondered whether she was actually reading the books or really just browsing.
“Kinisis, this is the combined knowledge of both this universe and the universe before. There is nothing in here that even mentions the idea of a Stason becoming infected with Corruption. Unless some of our neighbouring universes can give us a hand, I honestly have no idea how to deal with this!”
The Cycle shrugged. Istoria thought she’d be way more concerned with how everything was going.
“You should be scared, Kinisis.”
“I should be. But…” Kinisis shrugged again. “The worst case scenario is that we become corrupted. But the next worst case scenario is that we destroy Stasis and go on without him. Sure, it reduces my existence down to only a few more billion years, but… eh…”
Suddenly, Iatre reappeared out of nowhere. “I have an idea!”
“Your ideas are dumb,” Istoria dismissed her fellow Veth. “Your previous idea was to put Stasis on a rocket and blast him out of the universe.”
“But this one might work!” Iatre protested.
“Your previous idea was to throw Stasis into a star, then quickly dump him in the vacuum of space in order to flash-freeze the corruption inside him.”
Kinisis couldn’t help but giggle as Istoria listed a whole pile of insane ideas that Iatre had come up with.
“But this one might work!” Iatre repeated himself. “It’s worked before!”
“Iatre, in case you missed it, this is the first time in this universe or the last that a Corruption has infected a Stason. You can’t say it’s worked before!”
“But…” Iatre hesitated. “But you said Arkay managed to stab himself with something and that worked…”
“That was different…”
Iatre grunted then stomped off. He was probably just tired.
Kinisis glanced at Istoria.
“What?”
“He might be right, you know.”
Istoria crossed her arms, tutting. “Arkay’s one thing, he’s a part of the Cycle, same as you and me. Stasis is something else entirely! That won’t magically just work!”
“Well, neither of us know for sure, do we?” Kinisis smiled. “Do you have any better ideas?”
“No.”
“Then we’ll…”
Kinisis paused. The ground rumbled. The walls shook. Without thinking, Kinisis grabbed Istoria and charged outside.
In the distance, something erupted from the middle of the Kinigian Ocean. Something big and dark. Something with antlers.
Stasis had broken free from the Space Between Spaces.
“Istoria, call Arkay. Get him to bring his fancy dagger…” Kinisis muttered.
“What about you?”
“I’ll distract him…”