Everyone else inside the ship was asleep, or at least pretending to be for some, but outside, five identical silhouettes stood in a loose arc across the landing platform.
I hovered just off the ground. Being in multiple fragments was becoming second nature to me yet seeing five Veneris standing in front of me was still unsettling in a way I would never admit aloud. Each of them felt and sounded like him.
"Well then, now that you literally multiplied yourself, we would be fools not to use it properly."
Love Veneri gave me a small smile, while Justice merely raised an eyebrow. Protection stood as still as a statue and Time's form flickered faintly at the edges as if he were slightly out of phase with the present moment. Water looked relaxed.
"Now that your bodies are split, you be in different places at once. We still need to save the Sentina Erideae from being consumed by the Timekeeping. If we remain together, we risk losing someone to a sudden Timeskip and having no one nearby to intervene. If we divide ourselves across the realms of the Hidden Citadel, we minimize that risk."
Protection Veneri nodded once.
"Agreed. Spreading out also accelerates retrieval and stabilization. We can't afford delays. I will go to Technographia. The Richinaria Dynasty is there. The Divines remain fragmented after the last conflict. The Unification of the Divines of Richinaria must be completed. Without it, they won't be able to mobilize effectively if war begins."
That was exactly what I expected him to say. If anyone was suited to bringing an entire dynasty of proud, stubborn Divines into alignment, it was the embodiment of Protection itself.
Justice Veneri cleared his throat next. "I will go to Convergence. Narisva's there."
All four of his counterparts turned to look at him immediately. Water Veneri snorted softly.
"You sure about that? You're the weakest one among us right now."
Justice did not look offended. If anything, he seemed mildly amused by the bluntness.
"Which is precisely why it is the most logical decision. Nari is the strongest Divine of the Third Generation. Statistically, being with her offers the highest survival probability."
Love chuckled. "So you're hiding behind her."
"I am optimizing my survival conditions, handsome freak. Also, she's less likely to allow a Timeskip to claim her if I'm physically present in front of her."
Protection gave a short nod. "It is tactically sound."
Time Veneri had been silent until then. When he finally spoke, his voice sounded distant.
"I'll go to the Gardens of Asphodelia. Leon and Throenia are there, along with Hanabas and Ceres."
I tilted my head slightly. "That realm again… You a bad feeling about it, don't you?"
He nodded once. "Yes. Something is… wrong with that place. If a catastrophic Timeskip occurs, it will likely begin there. Since this is related to time, it's best I go there."
That was all the justification he needed. None of the others questioned him further.
Water Veneri stretched his arms over his head lazily. "Then I'll take the Graveyard of Bones."
"That sounds like the most obviously dangerous realm in this entire Citadel."
"Exactly, Phae. Which is why someone durable should go there. Besides, if something goes wrong, I'd rather it happen to a version of us that can regenerate from being reduced to vapor."
The others nodded in agreement. It was hard to argue with that kind of reasoning. Finally, Love Veneri stepped forward.
"I'll go help Ely. She's trying to get Celadille back from Greshina. With Ely at the Fifth Enlightenment, we actually have a chance of defeating her this time."
I felt a flicker of relief at that. Elyo facing Greshina alone was a scenario I deeply disliked. Ely might not show it but she hates Greshina got killing hundreds of thousands of elves.
"There's Andelaris," I pointed out. "We have not assigned anyone to them. Vazakiel can handle themselves. Also, I don't think that Adelasta would like it if we helped them."
Protection shook his head. "Denisia and Natalis are Heavenly Beings. Even if they undergo a Timeskipping, the probability of it being fatal is extremely low."
At that moment, another voice echoed through the docking bay, calm and omniscient as always.
"Indeed."
Natas materialized beside us without notice. It felt as if he was standing there the entire time and we just noticed him.
"The Sentina Erideae are where their Timeskipping is most volatile. The Angels are currently in the Central Station. It's the safest realm structurally, but they still require protection."
Veneri—rather, all five of him—turned toward me simultaneously.
"Phae," Love said gently, "send Shimmer, Runner, and Biolumine there. Biolumine shares my Divinities. She can stabilize their temporal state if something goes wrong."
I sighed, already knowing the girls would be thrilled rather than concerned. Closing my eyes, I extended my consciousness outward through their systems until I located the familiar signatures of two reckless princesses drifting through the Sinking Void.
My voice reached them as a whisper inside their minds.
"Shimmer, Runner… I have excellent news for you. You're about to have an adventure. Go to the Central Station and meet the angels. Protect them if necessary."
Their responses were immediate and loud enough to make me wince.
Back on us, all five Veneris raised their heads in unison and called out,
"Natas."
The Omniscient of History folded his arms. "What?"
Justice gestured vaguely at the situation. "We need transportation."
Natas' gaze swept across the five identical faces. He stared for a few seconds, then sighed deeply, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"You really are a genius, you know that? Using the Splitting technique to accelerate your path to the Fifth Enlightenment is reckless, illogical and yet, undeniably effective."
Protection crossed his arms. "Are you done praising me or will you help us?"
Natas rolled his eyes. "What exactly do you want, Aeterium?"
They explained the plan to him. As they spoke, Natas' expression shifted from irritation to reluctant approval.
"Very well. Your arrangement is optimal. I can bypass EPOCH's influence for a short duration and teleport each of you directly into your chosen realms. However, you will not have long before the system attempts to correct the anomaly."
"That won't be an issue," Time replied.
I exhaled slowly, then did what I usually did. I split my own consciousness.
The sensation was like tearing pages from a book and forcing them to continue reading different stories at once. Five fragments of my awareness detached from my original self and drifted toward each Veneri, merging into their minds so that each of them carried a piece of me with them. Still, I kept my primary consciousness beside Love Veneri.
Natas lifted his hand.
The slight breeze went silent. His fingers traced a simple gesture through empty space, yet it carved open five distinct spatial rifts.
"Do not die. Vasreveilder's plan needs you."
Light swallowed Protection, Time, Water, and Justice Veneri in four separate flashes that shot into their respective portals. Only Love Veneri and I remained, standing beneath the dim lights of the ship.