Chapter 66: Karasu Anthrophocene: The 618th Nest Last Recorded Meeting
"The 618th Nest now commences its 33,899th recorded session. First topic: Confirmation of the Endless Dragon’s reappearance and the emergence of a new entity, codenamed—Nature’s Halo."
The voice came from no single source. It reverberated across a realm suspended in monochrome—black skies swirling with distant script-shaped stars and an ever-shifting horizon of fractal monoliths.
White rivers defied gravity as they flowed in every direction, and sharp beams of logic cut through the mist in geometric patterns. Above, an eclipse hung eternally still, casting neither shadow nor light.
At the center, a round table hovered over a platform composed of mirrored obsidian and silent wind.
Around it sat eight silhouettes. None bore distinct form, only outlines filled with motionless static. Some leaned forward, others reclined. One pulsed with silent flames, another flickered like a candle caught in recursion.
"The reappearance of the Endless Dragon," said the silhouette seated at the far left, its voice cool and exacting, "was confirmed during the distortion event localized to Vaingall’s southern perimeter. As predicted, the Keep relocated upon pre-instability triggers. Unexpectedly, what we found was not only the Dragon, but a second force—Nature’s Halo."
A second silhouette shifted, its form constantly reshaping, like muscle and bone beneath a thin veil of mist. "Preliminary scans support this," it added. "The usual existential signature of the Endless Dragon—designated Hypothesis 21C—has been altered to an untrackable frequency. Our best models attribute this change to the emergence of the Halo."
A third silhouette radiated sharpness, angular lines pulsing faintly with calculated rhythm. "And what of the Nature’s Halo herself?" it asked.
"She exudes authority. Her presence—according to the Solvish field data—is intelligent, observant, and capable of diplomacy," said the second silhouette. "However, embedded communication threads indicate signs of arrogance and theatricality. Possibly a performative nature, likely masking other intents."
"We are dealing with a being that subdued the Endless Dragon," said the fourth silhouette, deeper in tone, seated nearest the center. "The same Dragon that reshaped Vaingall through entropy and will alone, the very calamity that once removed an entire map from Fathomi. This... Nature’s Halo did so in less than one full solar cycle."
"The proposition is that we label her Nihil-Danger class." The fifth silhouette glowed softly, but its edges trembled slightly with discomfort. "Power unknown. Cognition high. Behavior is unpredictable. Origin untraceable. Effectively, she meets the minimum criteria."