Ominous Council of Vagueness

Envision the scene. A plain, wooden door. A door so boring that anyone who saw it in the mayor’s office wouldn’t have given it even the smallest of thought. Anyone who did think on it would, at most, assume it to be the door for a broom closet. And yet, were they to open the door, beyond it they would find something that seemed to come out of their dreams.

It’s hard to say which aspect of the dark room beyond that door would be noticed first. Perhaps it would be its size. In the deep shadows that filled the room, it was near impossible to guess how large it was. Or perhaps the observer would be too stunned by sight of stars, nebulas, and galaxies floating in the darkness above them. Once they overcame their awe at the celestial scenery, this observer’s eyes would undoubtedly next be drawn to the sole source of illumination in the room. At the center of the room, resting atop a pedestal, was a glass orb which glowed with a faint blue light. Looking closer into the orb, they would see it was filled gears and pendulums which turned and moved with the rhythm of an alien metronome.

That blue light was just enough to show the silhouettes of the two figures in the room, but not reveal their identities. One, a massive hunched figure, spoke. His voice sounded like the rasping of chains being dragged across bone. It was the sound of mountains eroding, the soft sobs of tortured slaves, the final gasps of broken corpses. It was a voice which echoed silent whispers of dread in your ears long after the speaker had finished.

“Gosh it’s dark in here.” He said. “Can’t we install some more lights or something?”

“NO.” The second figure said. This was a voice filled with power and authority. The stars above them shifted as its sound washed over them. This was a voice which would make the proudest kings bend knee, and which could command thousands of men to throw themselves into fire. “CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW EXPENSIVE IT WOULD BE TO HIRE ENOUGH CONTRACTORS TO LIGHT UP THIS WHOLE PLACE?”

The first speaker shrugged. Money matters weren’t his problem.

“ENOUGH ABOUT LIGHTS. WHAT HAVE YOU OBSERVED?” The second speaker commanded.

“The rumors of the Glitch fragments returning were true. Their presence has been sensed throughout the city. However….” The speaker shuffled his feet, clearly uncomfortable with what he was about to say. “There seems to have been a… complication.”

“WHAT KIND OF… COMPLICATION?”

“It appears a new mahou shoujo has been chosen. She has destroyed one of our Pawns, and already has three pieces of the Glitch in her possession.”

The second figure laughed at that statement, as the stars danced above him. “IS THAT ALL? WE HAVE LONG BEEN PREPARED TO FACE SUCH AN OBSTACLE.” He waved his hand at the door to the room. “ENTER, MY CHILD.”

A third figure appeared in the room. They were shorter than the other two, and spoke with a quieter, feminine voice. But hidden in that softness was an unquenchable hunger; a hunger to control and consume. “Yes, my lord?”

“THE TIME HAS COME FOR OUR FATED BATTLE WITH THE MAHOU SHOJOU. OUR PAWNS WILL NOT BE ENOUGH TO COLLECT THE GLITCH PIECES ANYMORE. WE REQUIRE YOUR EXPERTISE.”

The figure bowed. “I look forward for the chance to test my powers.”

“GOOD. SOON, OUR DREAM WILL FINALLY BE ACHIEVED. I, THE ARCHITECT, COMMAND YOU: FIND THE SHARDS OF THE GLITCH, AND DESTROY ANYONE WHO STANDS IN YOUR WAY.”