Yisini watched as the vile Voidborn continued to pace, more and more agitated that his plan was taking longer than predicted. The pacing was relentless, and recently the Voidborn had taken to holding a white and gold cube and shaking it around, as if to vent its anger. This was probably the worst time for Yisini to make her finale requests before she lost everything she loved, but she was pretty sure she was nearly out of time.
“Ahkron?”
Immediately, the Voidborn turned to Yisini. His tone was forcibly sweet. He may have hated Yisini’s universe but he didn’t hate Yisini. “What do you want?”
“Would I… be able to ask something of you? To… help you earn my favour?”
Ahkron leaned closer. “What is it you desire?”
“I want to tour my universe and see my siblings, one last time.”
The Voidborn grunted, tutted, paced a little more, then sighed. With one hand, he lifted up Yisini’s gilded cage and carried her through his personal spaces, giving the Allbirther a tour of his gold and white ship. Every room looked mainly the same, just with different amounts of white and gold. None of them made much sense, the whole facility was a huge, confusing maze, designed to be beautiful and stunning. Clearly Ahkron was trying to show her what a nice place this was before he showed her the universe Yisini had helped create.
Finally, they reached a balcony. The balcony seemed to be pressed against the external walls of the universe. Clearly Ahkron was not going to let her go back inside.
It was so close, yet so far away.
Yisini gazed into her beloved home, horrible thoughts rushing through her head. She had no idea what was going on in there, but she knew that everything she had ever created… it would all be gone.
“You are visibly upset, my dear.”
“I think you know why…” Yisini snapped. “Do I not get t see my siblings?”
“You may see one of them.”
Ahkron held out the strange, white and gold cube that he had been clinging on to in one of his spare hands. One of the sides began to fade, still present yet transparent, revealing the cube’s insides, which were pitch black. Inside this darkness was the flailing form of Kairos, hopelessly lost inside this dark void, desperately trying to break out.
Yisini sighed to herself.
“You are still not happy?”
The Allbirther nodded. “Can I make… one final request?”
Ahkron grunted. “Depends on what it is.”
“I want to touch it.”
“Touch what.”
“My universe. One last time.”
Ahkron didn’t seem to understand. “You want to touch your universe?”
Yisini nodded. After a moment’s thought, Ahkron decided to let her do it. After all, what harm could it do? She was still trapped outside of it and, while she was here, she lacked the power of the other deities to actually do anything about it.
“Fine. Go ahead and touch it.”
The serpentine goddess hesitated, then reached out of her cage. She pressed her hand into the gaseous walls of her beloved home and closed her eyes. As she did so, she swore she could hear a familiar voice.
“THERE THEY ARE! GO!”
As Yisini opened her eyes, she realised she was no longer in a cage. She was sitting on solid ground. Inside the universe. Right on its edge.
Behind her, just outside the universe’s, something massive exploded.