This wasn't good. Not at all. The presence in the room had shifted completely... Gone was the warped Sol, replaced by something worse: nothing. Kaiser felt it at once. Where once there was power, now there was only a void, just like he'd felt back in his old world. He gripped his sword tighter. Whatever stood before him now, it wasn't just some pawn. He didn't need an introduction to recognize it—this was most likely a Herald.

In moments like these, Kaiser's mind broke the world down to variables and consequences. Herald or not, it was still a being in front of him, one he'd strip for weaknesses

The body in front of him lowered itself, knees folding with a sick, unnatural grace, until it sat on the ruined floor. The purple lights in its eyes watched him with calm impatience, like a teacher waiting for a child to catch up. It didn't bother with threats or theatrics. Instead, it simply raised a hand, palm open, and motioned for Kaiser to sit.

Kaiser didn't move an inch from his disciplined stance; he didn't soften, didn't yield, didn't lower his guard even slightly. His gaze remained fixed downward upon the calmly seated Unborn, eyes sharp and wary. The Herald sighed lightly, a sound tinged with a gentle disappointment, like a parent observing a stubborn child.

"Truly unfortunate," the Herald began smoothly, voice rich with sincerity. "You remain so wary, so guarded. Such a shame."

Kaiser's response was immediate and dry, voice edged with a carefully controlled disdain. "I haven't exactly heard glowing reviews about your kind," he replied, his tone flat yet carrying the faintest hint of sarcasm. "You shouldn't be shocked that we're not exactly best friends."

A brief pause hung in the air before the Herald chuckled, an eerie yet oddly genuine sound, mingled amusement and warmth spilling out into the tense room. "Ah, but I have a feeling, Kaiser Dios, that you and I may yet become great, great friends."

Friendship was a word Kaiser had long ago burned from his vocabulary. He'd learned that trust was just a weapon others wielded against you, and sentiment was weakness to be carved out and discarded. Kaiser's eyes narrowed suspiciously, the muscles in his jaw tightening slightly. "And what makes you believe that?" he questioned cautiously, suspicion coiling through his chest. There was always a catch.

The Herald leaned slightly forward, the black eyes glittering with subtle confidence. Its voice dropped, velvet-soft yet charged with an undeniable sense of power. "Perhaps because I know the location of a certain white-haired king,one from another world entirely that is."

The silence that followed was absolute and more intense than any before it. It filled every inch of space, suffocating and impenetrable. The effect of those words struck Kaiser like a physical blow, and in less than an instant, his surroundings responded to the violent upheaval within him.

Ice surged from his very presence, erupting in a breathtaking explosion of frost that raced across the floor, up the walls, and enveloped the entire room. It consumed everything—splintered wood, shattered furniture, even dust—freezing the entire interior in a shimmering, crystalline embrace. Jagged spikes of ice grew, climbing swiftly and mercilessly to the ceiling, turning the ordinary room into a haunting, frozen cathedral.

But Kaiser seemed utterly unaware or unconcerned by this sudden manifestation. His eyes had become different: sharp, predatory, and filled with a hunger so deep it surpassed mere desire and bordered on obsession. The disciplined stance finally fractured, tension breaking into action as he slowly lifted his hand, now utterly encased in thick, transparent ice.

Kaiser regarded his frozen limb curiously, almost distantly, as though it belonged to another man entirely. With a calculated and powerful movement, he flexed his fingers, deliberately shattering the thick layer of ice that encased them. It fell away in glittering shards, except for the ice surrounding his index and middle fingers, leaving them dangerously pointed, like ice picks.

Then, in a single, decisive motion, calm, deliberate, and terrifyingly precise, he closed his eyes. Without hesitation, without flinching, he plunged the icy spikes directly through his own closed eyelids, puncturing his eyeballs with certainty. The Viz-Bots embedded in his eyes shattered utterly, disabled permanently by the self-inflicted wound.

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Blood trickled slowly down his cheeks, mixing with remnants of frost, creating a stark and gruesome sight. Yet Kaiser, stoic and eerily composed, did not cry out or falter. He lowered his hand slowly, deliberately, still gripping the hilt of his sword firmly in the other.

Without a word, without hesitation, Kaiser stepped forward and calmly sat cross-legged directly across from the Herald. The Unborn emissary regarded him quietly, its dark, fathomless eyes betraying no shock, no fear, only a subtle gleam of intrigue and respect for the dramatic act of commitment Kaiser had displayed.

A faint, ironic smile curled on the Herald's borrowed lips as it regarded him. "Impressive," it remarked quietly, genuine admiration mingling with amused irony. "Such conviction is rare indeed. Shall we talk, then, friend?"

Kaiser's lips twitched slightly, the corners lifting into a cold, ironic smirk. His now-blinded eyes, darkly empty yet filled with hidden intent, fixed directly onto the Herald as if he could still see clearly. "Yes," he replied simply, voice calm, deadly, and unwavering. "I think we shall."

The Unborn leaned slightly closer, his borrowed features glowing subtly under the strange sunset. "Truthfully, I'm not all that shocked you're willing to hear me out," he began smoothly, a gentle amusement threaded through his words. "In fact, it's precisely why I chose this moment to reveal myself."

Kaiser's expression remained composed, though an obvious hunger still flickered beneath the calm surface. The ice around them crackled quietly, reinforcing his restrained fury. "You're observant," Kaiser replied dryly. "Though I'm more interested in answers than compliments."

The Herald's eyes flickered with appreciation at Kaiser's bluntness. "Fair enough. Seeing as we're allies now, introductions are in order. I am Maximilian Umper, a Herald of the Doctor," he announced his title full of pride, leaning back slightly as the violet translucence in his borrowed body deepened. "Regrettably, I lost track of you before your arrival in this world."

Kaiser's breath caught subtly, realization striking. The implications were unmistakable. These beings, these Unborn, they had connections stretching back to Shabab, possibly even Nebrosa. He recalled Sabel's wary expression during their last encounter, particularly at the mention of 'Origin.' That bastard had known, hadn't he? How else could he had known...

The wooden floor beneath them abruptly warped and sagged, bending impossibly inward, creating a deep, surreal crater. It should have splintered apart violently, yet instead, it curved gently, like cloth pulled tight by an unseen force. Maximilian raised an eyebrow in mild surprise, though Kaiser remained oblivious to the fact that Maximilian's temporary body was beginning to deteriorate. Bones glowed eerily through translucent skin, the flesh gradually becoming ethereal purple mist.

A faint, polite cough from Maximilian snapped Kaiser back to the present, dissipating the unnatural pressure that had filled the room. Kaiser refocused sharply, voice cool but purposeful. "Shabab, correct?"

Maximilian's smile widened. "Indeed. And Nebrosa too, to some extent. Though our primary base was a rather special structure beneath the waves, near Shabab's capital city."

Before Kaiser could voice suspicion, Maximilian preempted smoothly, "We didn't meddle much, mind you. Just some minor interactions—mostly with Sabel, who discovered us about four years ago."

At the mention of Sabel's name, Kaiser growled softly. "Of course he did," he muttered, the disdain unmistakable. Still, he steadied himself swiftly. "You Unborn... You intrigue me. Particularly with beings of intellect among you. I could see potential for cooperation," Kaiser admitted coldly. "But first, I want answers. Who precisely worked with Sabel, and how exactly did you breach my world?"

Maximilian tilted his head curiously, surprise evident in his fading features. "Haven't pieced it together yet? Ooooh, you're missing quite the significant piece of the puzzle. Once you discover that man's identity, everything will become clear," Maximilian teased lightly, genuine amusement coloring his tone. "Unfortunately, The Elder himself forbade revealing that name. So my lips, as they say, remain sealed."

Frustration flickered behind Kaiser's blind, damaged eyes, but he hid it masterfully. "Fine. Then how did you learn about my world?"

Maximilian smiled enigmatically. "A friend of my lord had knowledge of its existence. Let's leave it at that."

Kaiser's jaw tightened subtly, irritation pressing against his self-control. "Who led the infiltration into my world?"

"The Elder," Maximilian answered plainly, meeting Kaiser's suspicion with calm honesty. Kaiser laughed once, short and bitterly amused. "And who exactly is this Elder?"

Maximilian paused, genuinely taken aback by Kaiser's ignorance. "You truly don't know?" he questioned softly, eyes wide with genuine curiosity. "The Elder is the foremost Overlord, our current supreme leader among the Unborn. There are four Heralds, myself included, and seven Overlords whose true names are long forgotten. Now they carry only titles: The Elder, The Doctor, The Coin, The Faceless, The Watcher, The Child, and The Exile."

Kaiser quietly absorbed this revelation, storing each title methodically within his mind. Yet suspicion lingered clearly in his voice as he spoke again. "Why reveal all this to me?"

Maximilian chuckled darkly, honesty brutal and raw in his reply. "Because I wish to make a deal with you, Kaiser Dios. The Elder sits atop our hierarchy. He is absolute, and I want him gone."

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