By dusk, the three girls finally arrived at the Observatory. A low altitude humidity was gathering in the area, rendering the sky itself devoid of clouds, but quickly filling the forest with a dense fog that made ground-level visibility challenging at best.

Somehow, atop the hill, the humidity felt lost, feeling much more dry than they were used to. At least, Sryine felt so, being suddenly dehydrated from the long hike. Khyzae also seemed to have gotten worn out too by the excursion, leaving only Vwyx with energy to spare. Unfortunately for Sryine, Khyzae at least appeared adjusted to such excursions and had quickly recovered her stamina, leaving Sryine to struggle to keep up with her peers. Khyzae proceeded to unlock the Observatory, guiding their way inside. Any hopes that Sryine might have had in getting an opportunity to rest was shattered once they reached the other side of the observatory. From there, she found stairs leading up the tower, inviting her to an even further climb.

Once at the top level, the three of them entered into a gigantic chamber. At the right side of the room was a gigantic instrument of some unusual design, very possibly like 40Uyn tall. On the other side of the room was a giant circular dais filled with an assorted clutter of paper. Directly across from the stairs was a window, which Sryine went to look out from. Through it, she could see the village far below them, almost dizzyingly so. She couldn’t tell, but they had to be a few hundred Uyn into the air. She turned from the window and directed her attention towards the papers scattered around the room.

Vwyx meanwhile was more intrigued in the largest resident of the room. The gigantic metallic instrument looked far more advanced than anything she had ever beheld in her lifetime. Khyzae sat in a chair before the gigantic monstrosity, and started manipulating it for her own purposes. Vwyx simply decided to watch, as Khyzae got the entire thing moving. The ceiling shuttered with the motion, as the apparatus shifted through the roof above them. Rotating the seat around, Khyzae continued to manipulate the finer touches of the instrument, until it was calibrated to her tastes.

“So, both of you, if you look up out the window there, tell me what you see.” “The stars, of course. From here it’s even a very wonderful view.” “Maybe, but such stars are still far far away, still beyond our reach. Which star in the sky looks the closest of them all?” “Are you talking about the moon? I’ve read that it’s not really a star, it’s something else entirely.” Khyzae’s lesson was lost on Sryine. She had read stories about how the sky above was filled with flames and stones, where only the flames could be typically seen, but the stones were normally too hard to see. The moon was simply glowing by the presence of the flame they knew as the sun, Celese too itself glowed with a daylight brightness by that same flame. Sure, this was only a lesson shared by the Terran Mythos, but it still seemed so easy to believe.

“From here, how would we know for certain? It is not like we have been to the stars. How much can you see of the ground of each star from that window?” “But that’s not how…” “Of course normally such things are denied to Celese, far beyond the reaches of the boundary of our world. But it doesn’t need to be like that. Take one last look at the full moon in the night sky, try to measure whatever details you can from it, and then come sit in this chair.” Khyzae didn’t leave any opportunity for Sryine to finish her statement about a star’s flame. Vwyx however followed the instructions, not being as versed in Terran Mythos and genuinely interested in seeing what the giant instrument was capable of. She glanced up at the moon once more, a pale and featureless dot in the sky, then turned towards the great instrument. Khyzae set her up with the instrument and had her peer through a tiny glass. Through it, she saw something far similar to the pale dot of the sky from before, only much bigger and with considerably more detail. Scattered around were pale hills and valleys, shapes and contours of a single-colored world almost frozen in time. It looked so close, it seemed as if it was currently closer to her than the village below them from the window.

“There is still a huge difference between seeing something and experiencing it, just because you can show us the moon doesn’t actually bring it any closer to us.” Sryine’s ability with illusions gave her a practical outlook of the situation, even if she was still impressed by the view once her turn followed Vwyx. “Everything needs a first step, from there we can take what we’ve learned and find yet another. After all, there are instruments that could send a person from their location to another one can see in the distance. Using such instrumentic principles, we can make use of such detailed visuals to map out a way to pass through the world’s border and reach to other worlds beyond. Somehow, piercing the border of the world has been more challenging than most forms of teleportation, but I think I’ve found a way to bridge an astral rift through the boundary. I’ve been studying it for years, the boundary of the world, and tonight I plan to make full use of that research. It has to be tonight, while the moon remains full like this, giving us enough of an outlet for a destination.” Khyzae was clearly dreaming big. While the other two were trying to figure out a way to escape the bounds of their little village, Khyzae was instead searching for a way to escape Celese as a whole, to find her way towards the moon. Once the moon was an option, the next step would be to clearly enhance the same technique to bridge the gap between other worlds hidden in the sky, and explore the far reaches of the stars beyond.

Khyzae had ensured the quick production of this observatory for this very purpose, not more than days after their arrival. The entire move had interrupted her plans for making use of the previous full moon, but nothing would slow her down this time. She unpacked the barrier kit, a resource which would protect their destination on arrival from any kind of harmful environments the pale world was suffering. It might only last a day or two at worst, but that would provide her ample information to return with and make a second attempt. She also had a beacon instrument ready, something she could leave behind on the moon and make use of to return even without the use of the full moon.

Almost everything was finished. However, in the planetary shifts, she still had to calculate the right angle for the projected teleport, to measure the exact destination of the moon she should be aiming for. From this distance, that calculation had a precision that was almost insane. Meanwhile, her gateway instrument had still been disassembled after the move. Because of the sheer power demanded by such an instrument, it had layers of gift converters that supplemented stacks of the gift to generate more potential in the gift, but her over usage of such practice effectively made the device very difficult to turn off. Simply having access to a person nearby with a gift would have it constantly operate, draining a small portion of the stamina from anyone nearby. This allowed it to feed without direct focus, which would allow the gateway to remain even as she focused on other matters on the moon. However, it also resulted in an effective need for it to be the last thing assembled in the process. Once she got the data she needed from the moon, she would have to quickly generate calculations and then assemble the instrument based upon those calculations.. and all before the numbers became no longer valid.

Sryine started to skim over all of the assorted pages scattered around the room as Vwyx reviewed the instruments they would be working with. Clearly, Khyzae was far more insane than she had first let on, a mad professor of her field of study, much like the rest of her family. For the other two, this was simply an information overload, as their minds flailed at contemplating what was going on. Vwyx turned to the instrument scheduled for last-minute assembly, a large series of metallic parts with a multitude of strange connections. Khyzae was already starting to make room on the dias for the assembly, setting pieces of the instrument there in an attempt in an ordered process. Sryine eventually found herself migrating across the room with the rest of the paper as Khyzae set the base edges of the instrument in position on marked corners of the dias. Vwyx was startled when Khyzae got the dias itself to rotate slightly, clearly even that was capable of moving around here.

With everything in position, Khyzae grabbed a blueprint for her instrument and went over the assembly process with Vwyx in more detail. It was a very in depth process, but otherwise similar to any of the multitude of furniture items Vwyx had made in the past. What was alarming was the level of precision required by it, and that once some of the base pieces were connected the whole thing would start to drain their stamina. A slight shift of the assembly, and everything would be ruined. The fact this thing turned on before it was completed was also itself alarming, giving a strong urgency in haste for its completion. But what bothered Vwyx the most was that there wasn’t a single wooden part to the entire assembly, thus removing her greatest strength from the entire operation.

Sryine was also not exactly in her element. She had enjoyed exposing herself to thoughts and ideas, novel concepts to spin around in her mind, things she could envision and project. What she had little exposure with was blatant numbers, especially numbers this complicated. She looked over some of the older calculations Khyzae had done in the past, getting dizzy at the sheer trigonometry required in this process. They needed an exact distance of measure from the center of the dias to the surface of the moon in a very exact location, while also being aware of the projection angle required to point at that very location of the moon. Angles were measured based upon the calibration of the giant instrument already present, but the measure of distance was considerably more challenging. Khyzae had produced a vast table of charts that allowed for a measure of distance based upon a measure of the size of the moon using a specific visual augmentation setting. The great instrument was itself also designed to help with such calculations. Sryine would be left to press over the formulas as Khyzae provided the numbers from the instrument for her to complete the calculations with. From there, Khyzae would be setting up her measurement instruments to do final calibrations on the gateway instrument that Vwyx would need to have set up at almost the same time.

A passing regret formed in the thoughts of both Vwyx and Sryine, realizing the tension of the current situation. They both knew this project was absolutely insane, but at the same time.. neither of them were willing to walk away from it. Even at the aptitude of this tension, they were both finding meaning with their passions, realizing a place for their ambitions. If they turned away now, they might not ever get a second chance. Instead, they would be left to resolve their regular lives before all this occurred, where their dreams of something more would remain nothing more than just dreams. The sort of things they were doing at that time, things they weren’t good at, it was exactly what they wished they could become good at. Realizing this, they dismissed the regret that had been forming, the doubt that would only slow them down. This might be the greatest challenge of their lifetime, but it was this moment that would bring meaning and measure to their very lives.

Neither of them knew what costs they would have to pay to earn such a reward.

Khyzae determined the time had come at last. With everything else prepared, she sat down at her seat and started developing the base measurements for Sryine. Sryine made sure she had all of her guides ready for the complex calculation she would be asked to resolve in almost no time at all. Vwyx held two distinct pieces ready for assembly, either of which had the potential to turn on the instrument the moment it was connected, and the rest of the pieces were conveniently nearby. Without further warning, Khyzae started shouting measurements for Sryine, leaving her to rush to record each number in turn and to begin her rapid calculation. Vwyx knew that was also her signal to begin the assembly, as the instrument came to life instantly. The overall project was far more complicated than the bookshelf she had made just earlier today, and she had not even a fragment of the time to complete it. Still, piece after piece came together in quick succession as number after number followed in suit. Khyzae leapt from her seat after her last number was delivered and rushed to the dias to begin her fine adjustments. Vwyx left Khyzae to her work, even compensating for the rotation of the dias she was standing on as Sryine provided some of the angular measures. The last piece of the assembly was set at around the same time as Sryine provided the final distance measure.

“Okay, you two stand back, probably on the other side of the room. I’ve never done this before, so we don’t know for certain what is about to happen.” Khyzae passed a few final directions as she calibrated the distance for the process. She also ensured that some of her other instruments were active, most especially the barrier. The other two waited apprehensively as the moment of truth arrived. Khyzae activated the gateway and collessed the opening to form as directed. At first, nothing happened, as even this instrument was having struggles to pierce the border of the world. Khyzae however had planned for this, she had planned so much over so many years, and had held intent for this very moment of discovery. The only thing Khyzae failed to account for was that her instrument was not designed to pierce the physical border of the world, the filament she had aimed to pierce was of a much different design. Khyzae was still unaware that she herself had discovered the world’s veil, a dimensional gateway of worlds, and what might occur by piercing through it so brutally.

A dark rift surged through the center of the gateway, which itself might not be an unwanted turn. Following it though was an endless surge of the astral flame, having already pierced the barrier on the other side. The barrier on this side still held, but the purple flames surged relentlessly against the barrier. Khyzae quickly realized that she had made a terrible mistake somewhere in her planning, she couldn’t even blame this on the others. The dias itself crumbled under the intensity of the flame, tipping sideways. Khyzae knew that the only thing keeping this raging torrent back was the barrier, itself powered by her own gift. If she tried to leave, the flames would rage upon her. The gateway itself was within the barrier, and there was no way to turn it off. Khyzae knew in that moment that her life was forfeit for her mistake, but she wasn’t going to let such a price extend to her peers.

“Both of you, get out of here, now. This isn’t what was supposed to happen, we have to run. Head down the stairs and try to reach the fog below, then get as far away from the observatory as possible.” Khyzae however didn’t move, she stayed focused on the barrier. Vwyx and Sryine were pretty certain of what wasn’t being said. Khyzae was going to sacrifice herself so that they could escape. However, neither of them knew a way to save her, they didn’t have a choice in the matter. Both of them ran for the stairs passing a desperate glance back to Khyzae in hopes that she still had some plan left in this hopeless situation. Khyzae however was running out of time, the barrier was going to break at any moment.

“.. and here I thought I was forging my own path. To think I was instead following in Liyuzhe’s footsteps. The wrong border.. I can’t believe I made such a stupid mistake in the end. Liyuzhe is going to have a field day when she learns about this, and I won’t even be around to tell her how stupid such an idea really is. If she thinks she can control the Astral Flame… Nothing can control a flame like this. Well, on the bright side, maybe I can not let this be a complete waste. I hope father truly appreciates the degree of sacrifice involved here, my unresolved dreams hopefully working to accomplish his own.” Khyzae sighed as she started to step away from the barrier. Rather than heading towards the stairs, she made her way towards the window. Peering outside, she measured that no matter how lucky she might be, there was no way she was going to survive this. If the Astral Flame didn’t completely consume her, the fall would at least end her. That didn’t matter, she already understood she was going to die. What mattered was that her plans would continue beyond her death, for better or worse. Dreams like her’s weren’t going to be stopped by mortal limitations like death. Khyzae closed her eyes in resolution of the inevitable, as the barrier finally ripped apart.

An explosion rippled in the levels above them as Vwyx and Sryine raced down the stairwell. The walls began to burn a faint purple, totally devoid of any heat. Nearing the bottom level, flames leapt from the walls and burned into their flesh, leaving their skin a pale ash in turn without any semblance of pain. The flames caught on their cotton-like clothes, casual emerald blouses and with tawny pants popular within their village. The clothes did not burn, not like flames usually would, but instead it seemed as if the material lost all color and began to fade into patches of nothingness. The two of them exited the observatory, but the flame was still surging around them. Diving into the ground to roll in the dirt would do nothing, it truly was no ordinary flame. However, as they put some distance between them and the source, the flame began to diminish in its intensity, the dark fog almost seeming to work to smother the flame. They both continued to run until the flame disappeared completely, at the far base of the hill. There, they found a semi-familiar corpse, thrown far from the upper level of the observatory to the distant ground far below in that initial explosion of flame. Fully engulfed by the flame, the body before them was completely devoid of all color, a white husk, broken and battered further by the fall. Before any sense of nausea could overcome them, the last of their consciousness escaped them, and they collapsed with Khyzae’s corpse. Having slightly more stamina to spare, Vwyx managed a few more fragments of consciousness.. enough at least to see Khyzae’s parents rushing to the scene. Vwyx realized that by the end of the day, the only regret she had was that she couldn’t have saved the friend she now owed her life to.. if her own injuries didn’t claim herself as well.

Hidden unseen in the aftermath of the flame, three otherworldly essences clung to the essences of those who had passed near them. The essences they found were broken fragments consumed by the astral flame, but were otherwise their only hope at a continued existence in a world quite unlike the one they came from.