The Mother and the Father vanished from the boundary at the sa ti.
The Mother reappeared on her side of the Primordial Expanse, standing alone within an endless expanse of radiant white.
The space around her pulsed gently with creative essence, yet the atmosphere felt thinner than it once had.
She stood in silence for a few monts, her long white hair drifting slowly as she gazed out into the emptiness where countless layers of her own creation had once existed.
Then, a soft, knowing chuckle escaped her lips.
"How predictable," she murmured to herself, her voice echoing gently across the white expanse. "He thinks he’s being clever."
While the Mother remained quiet during the Father’s suggestions, she had, in truth, seen through his proposal the mont he presented it.
On the surface, the Father’s suggestions had sounded reasonable — even necessary.
They were crafting vast oceans of essence to stall the decay of the Pri Expanse, rousing their ancient constructs from long slumber, and forging a fragile alliance to wipe out Ash and his clan.
But she saw through it all.
As this was never simply about staying alive.
At its heart, their eternal ga had always been straightforward—one would inevitably consu the other.
The victor would rise above, transforming into sothing far greater than either had ever known.
That had always been the endga.
Now, with the Lower Frawork gone, that goal had beco significantly harder to reach.
By proposing the creation of the Primordial Oceans, the Father was making sure that when the war finally ca to an end and one erged victorious, the winner wouldn’t just be left with the raw resources needed to reconstruct their Lower Frawork.
They’d also have a kind of boost, an extra edge.
And once that base was rebuilt, their ultimate ascension would be far more whole — and far more powerful — than it could ever have been without the oceans.
It was a calculated move.
A long-term investnt disguised as a necessary asure.
The Mother gave a faint smile, her expression a mix of amusent and quiet calculation.
"He really believes... he’s got this ga all wrapped up. Fufufu, how foolish."
Her eyes shifted to the endless white expanse before her.
For a mont, she thought about rejecting the idea entirely. But after a few seconds, she exhaled softly and gave a small shake of her head.
"No... it doesn’t matter."
Whether the Father’s plan was crafted for the day he claid victory or not, she had no plans to lose in the first place.
If creating these oceans could slow the collapse of the Pri Expanse and buy her more ti to prepare, she’d make it happen.
In the end, she would be the one standing victorious, the one to claim the greater ascension.
With a graceful motion, the Mother lifted both hands.
"Well, creating these oceans will take at least several tens of thousands of years..."
In the Pri Expanse, that was an even greater span of ti — precisely 120,000 years.
HUMMMM!
The space before her rippled as she began to weave the foundations of her own Primordial Ocean — a vast, radiant sea of pure creative essence that would soon take shape.
-----
Back in the Pri Expanse, while the Mother and Father worked to slow its deterioration, the ceasefire they had just agreed upon was not sothing they intended to enact until the work on the Primordial Oceans was complete.
This ant that, for the ti being, the ga and the war would press on without pause.
The Threshold of Bulwark stood as the first and most heavily fortified layer of Existence in the Pri Expanse.
Unlike the other Thresholds, this one existed directly adjacent to the colossal Wall of Death — the ancient barrier that held the battlefield that separated the Pri Expanse.
Because of its position, the entire Threshold was reinforced with dense, glowing runes etched into the very fabric of its structures.
These runes pulsed with a steady golden-white light, constantly working to resist the creeping corrosion of Nonexistence that constantly pressed against the Wall.
Enormous floating fortresses and tiered bastions sprawled across countless planes, linked together by bridges ford of dense, crystallized concepts.
The atmosphere was heavy with a controlled, razor-sharp tension, every breath charged with purpose.
Unlike other thresholds.... this wasn’t a place for leisure— it was the frontline of all of existence.
Within one of the largest war halls of the Threshold, thousands of cultivators, Wardens, and Sentinels had gathered.
The hall was vast; its walls lined with glowing runes that humd with protective essence.
The atmosphere was heavy but orderly — these were experienced fighters who understood the weight of their duty.
At the front of the hall stood two won.... two that were very important to a certain man.
Eve, now a Bastion Lord at the 27th Dinsional level, carried herself with an air of calm authority.
Her long golden hair was neatly tied back, and the soft glow of a faint golden halo shimred gently behind her head.
Light golden eyes moved steadily over the assembled forces, their quiet focus speaking volus without a word.
At her side stood Eliya, also Bastion Lord of equal standing.
Her flowing white hair stood out strikingly against the polished silver-white armor she wore, while twelve enormous, pristine wings were folded neatly behind her.
Her sharp, composed expression reflected both strength and unwavering resolve.
Eve was the first to speak, her voice clear and steady as it echoed across the hall.
"There is no need for motivational speaking," she said. "We have done this ti and ti again... And today will be no different from any other deploynt — we hold the line, we push back what tries to cross, and we return. Simple as that."
Eliya stepped forward slightly, her voice carrying a sharper edge.
"However, apparently the battlefield has beco even more hectic over the past two centuries.. Several Warden squads have gone silent in this ti.
We don’t know the cause yet, but we will be operating under the assumption that the horrors have increased their activity."
She swept her gaze across the thousands of gathered fighters.
"Wardens will be deployed in standard formation. Sentinels will provide support and handle any high-threat entities that break through the front lines."
Eve nodded once, then continued.
"We depart in one hour. Use this ti to prepare your gear, stabilize yourselves, and rest if you can. Once we cross the wall, there will be no turning back until the rotation ends."
She paused, letting her words settle over the crowd.
"Stay sharp. That’s all."
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