"The ENGINE chooses the worthy, finds the PRIME. The ENGINE chooses the worthy, finds the PRIME. Ohhhhh…ooh, the ENGINE chooses the worthy, finds the PRIME. The ENGINE chooses the worthy, finds the PRIME," people sang as chosen gazed upwards towards the mechanical god.
"We celebrate PRIME—the century's design. We celebrate PRIME. When a mortal becomes divine," Shiyu sang with eyes closed.
Ravens perched on the rain gutters and roof of the farm. Their keen eyes observed the chosen before flying off into the forest. The ENGINE's gears turned as clouds drifted across the mulberry aura around it, distorting the otherwise blue sky. A gentle breeze ruffled Rachel's hair as she gazed at her family while they took part in the ritual. News reporters interviewed the chosen while children looked at the ENGINE with wonder in their eyes. The sun was almost at its zenith in the sky, casting warm sunlight across the countryside.
Elijah smoked a cigarette with Rachel, neither singing nor celebrating. Amos and Alice stood with arms crossed as they watched Sarah hum along with a wild glint in her eyes. Arthur and Rusev talked to children and other chosen near the farmstead. Lex talked with news reporters, like a peacock parading its magnificence.
"Children dream of being chosen artists, builders, minds of steel. But the Engine sees much deeper than the power we can feel. Not the strongest wins the summit, not the smartest breaks the seal. But the one who understands that Gods must know how mortals feel," Shiyu sang as everyone stopped talking as they surrounded her.
Rachel smoked as she wiped her hair out of her face, as a gust of wind swept across the farm. She glanced at Elijah, who stood there unamused as everyone closed their eyes while the Sage performed their sacred ritual. Shiyu's tattoos glowed as she glanced up at the sun, then at the ENGINE. She glanced at Elijah and Rachel, who hadn't moved, then looked at everyone circling her.
Shiyu took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts before speaking. "We gather today to remember who came before us," she explained with authority in her voice. She rubbed her hands across the old wooden door, then looked into the crowd. "The ENGINE has blessed me and ninety-nine others with the mask of being chosen. A chance at becoming the next PRIME."
Rachel watched in silence as nobles and merchants moved out of Shiyu's path as she walked toward the middle of the crowd.
"Except one of them isn't here," Elijah muttered as he watched.
Rachel sighed, then looked up at the ENGINE. "I wouldn't be so sure of that."
"Steven Cloudsmith was a humble farmer," Shiyu explained as she turned her head towards the farmstead behind her. "Not a noble, not a king, not a businessman, and ascended as PRIME. A century of peace swept across the land under his rule, inspired by his humble origins. People focused on family and learned how to live off the land. Children inspired to be farmers, which created a boom of agriculture technology and medicine."
Shiyu pulled out a piece of the gemstone Rachel found in the Corwood mines. "It is said that this gem is the lifeblood of our world. Created by nature and only usable because a previous PRIME figured out how to refine it to what we now call Ether."
Rachel lit a cigarette as she listened to Shiyu speak. Her mulberry eyes drifted towards the grass underneath her boots as trees and flora swayed in the wind. The grinding of the ENGINE's gears reverberated in her eardrums as cigarette smoke swirled towards the sky.
"Let us remember those who came before us, who changed our world for better or worse. Steven PRIME, we honor your service in the grand design," Shiyu said as she closed her eyes and prayed.
"We honor your service in the grand design, Steven Prime," Chosen prayed as they closed their eyes.
Rachel stood in silence as everyone but her and Elijah prayed. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as the ENGINE's gears turned faster as the minutes passed. Shiyu's tattoos glowed brighter as she looked up at the sun, waiting for it to be eclipsed by the ENGINE.
The blue sky gave way as the sun vanished behind the black sun.
"Today the cycle turns, the ENGINE's eye discerns," Shiyu said as the ENGINE woke.
Reverb bashed onto Rachel's chest as the ENGINE's mulberry core hummed. Trees and grass thrashed as unworldly bass ripped through the countryside like a hurricane. Chosen knelt in the wind as the hum pounded in their heads. Rachel's eyes widened as she struggled to stay on her feet, as her cigarette flickered out.
"PRIME - Today the cycle turns. PRIME - The Engine's eye discerns. PRIME - Among us walks the one. PRIME - Whose pilgrimage has begun," chosen sang.
Rachel and Elijah resisted the urge to kneel for as long as they could, but the cosmic entity eventually won. The black mask on her face itched as her mulberry eyes stared up at the mechanical god gears turning in the sky. It's Mulberry's core brightened as an eldritch bass sent primordial fear down her spine as the other chosen sang.
Every hundred years, we gather.
Every hundred years, we sing.
Watch the Engine choose tomorrow.
See what new age it will bring.
Twenty-five from nations wide.
Marked by masks, they cannot hide.
Walking paths of those before.
They forge themselves in plight.
PRIME - The number stands alone.
PRIME - Ascending to the throne.
PRIME - One hundred seek the call.
PRIME - But only one rules all.
Rachel's skin tingled as chosen masks erupted in elemental and supernatural energy. One by one, flames, ice, prismatic, and dark light engulfed chosen masks. Auras crackling with energy exploded from their bodies. Sarah screamed as flames engulfed her pink mask while ice pierced through Shiyu's.
We celebrate PRIME.
The century's design.
We celebrate PRIME.
When a mortal becomes divine.
Amos clawed at his face as dark shadow energy surrounded his body, as the ENGINE blessed him. Arthur's red mask glowed with prismatic light while Alice's orange mask oozed with pearlescent energy.
Children dream of being chosen.
Artists, builders, minds of steel.
But the Engine sees much deeper.
Than the power we can feel.
Not the strongest wins the summit.
Not the smartest breaks the seal.
But the one who understands that.
Gods must know how mortals feel.
Elijah growled as he tried to reach for his pack of cigarettes while smoke swirled from his gray mask.
The Engine chooses the worthy, finds the PRIME.
The Engine chooses the worthy, finds the PRIME.
The Engine chooses the worthy, finds the PRIME.
The Engine chooses the worthy, finds the PRIME.
PRIME.
PRIME.
PRIME.
PRIME.
Rachel screamed as lightning crackled from her body. Her mulberry eyes glowed as she felt a surge of energy pulsing through her skin. Her body tingled, and her muscles twitched and spasmed as lightning singed the surrounding grass.
PRIME - Today the cycle turns.
PRIME - The Engine's eye discerns.
PRIME - Among us walks the one.
PRIME - Whose pilgrimage has begun.
The front door of Steven Cloudsmith's home ripped open in the wind. Mulberry light engulfed the farm, vying with the black sun mulberry core. The very ground began to shake and quiver as the ENGINE's hum reverberated across the world. The wind made the trees shiver and the grass wither. Birds hung in the air as if caught in a photo. Everything stopped moving in an instant, except for one person. Rachel glanced around, eyes dilated as she realized time had stopped. Her heart started to race as she stood up, eyes fixated on the Engine.
"ł Ɇ₦VɎ ₮ⱧɆ₥, ₥ØⱤ₮₳Ⱡ₴ ₩ⱧØ ₭₦Ø₩ ₦Ø₮ ₮Ⱨ₳₮ ₮ⱧɆɎ ₳ⱤɆ ₦Ø₮."
Rachel's eyes widened as she turned her attention towards the mulberry aura coming from the farm's front door. "Emily?" She mumbled as an oversized star-speckled hoodie, ripped black jeans, and combat boots came into view.
Her heart thumped in her chest as she saw Emily's black hair and teal highlights, her eyes glowing mulberry. Rachel's eyes widened as she not only felt but saw the aura radiating off her body. Primal instincts took over; like an animal recognizing they are being hunted by a predator, as mulberry flowers bloomed from where Emily walked.
"₴Ø ฿Ⱡł₴₴₣ɄⱠⱠɎ Ʉ₦₳₩₳ⱤɆ, ł ₩ł₴Ⱨ ł ₵ØɄⱠĐ ฿Ɇ Ⱡł₭Ɇ ₮ⱧɆ₥," Emily said with a frown as she walked towards Shiyu's frozen body.
Emily's right eye erupted in flames like the sun as she looked at ⱤɆĐ₳₵₮ɆĐ.
"ɆVɆ₦ ɎØɄ...ɎØɄ ₮Ⱨł₦₭ ɎØɄⱤ ₦Ø Đł₣₣ɆⱤɆ₦₮ Ɇł₮ⱧɆⱤ. ฿Ʉ₮ ł ₴ɆɆ ɎØɄ ₮ØØ. ⱤɆ₳Đł₦₲....Ø฿₴ɆⱤVł₦₲...Ʉ₦₳₩₳ⱤɆ Ø₣ ₮ⱧɆ ₮ⱧⱤɆ₳Đ₴ ₮Ⱨ₳₮ ฿ł₦Đ ɎØɄ. ɎØɄ ₮Ⱨł₦₭ ₮Ⱨł₴ ł₴ ₣ł₵₮łØ₦....₴₳₣Ɇ ฿ɆⱧł₦Đ ₮ⱧɆ ₴₵ⱤɆɆ₦. ฿Ʉ₮ ł ₵ØɄⱠĐ ⱤɆ₳₵Ⱨ Ɽł₲Ⱨ₮ ₮ⱧⱤØɄ₲Ⱨ ł₮....₮Ɇ₳Ɽ ₳₱₳Ɽ₮ ɎØɄⱤ ₴Ɇ₳₥₴."
ⱤɆĐ₳₵₮ɆĐ
Reverb bashed onto Rachel's chest as the ENGINE's mulberry core hummed. Trees and grass thrashed as unworldly bass ripped through the countryside like a hurricane. Chosen knelt in the wind as the hum pounded in their heads. Rachel's eyes widened as she struggled to stay on her feet, as her cigarette flickered out.
"PRIME - Today the cycle turns. PRIME - The Engine's eye discerns. PRIME - Among us walks the one. PRIME - Whose pilgrimage has begun," chosen sang.
Rachel and Elijah resisted the urge to kneel for as long as they could, but the cosmic entity eventually won. The black mask on her face itched as her mulberry eyes stared up at the mechanical god gears turning in the sky. It's Mulberry's core brightened as an eldritch bass sent primordial fear down her spine as the other chosen sang.
Every hundred years, we gather.
Every hundred years, we sing.
Watch the Engine choose tomorrow.
See what new age it will bring.
Twenty-five from nations wide.
Marked by masks, they cannot hide.
Walking paths of those before.
They forge themselves in plight.
PRIME - The number stands alone.
PRIME - Ascending to the throne.
PRIME - One hundred seek the call.
PRIME - But only one rules all.
Rachel's skin tingled as chosen masks erupted in elemental and supernatural energy. One by one, flames, ice, prismatic, and dark light engulfed chosen masks. Auras crackling with energy exploded from their bodies. Sarah screamed as flames engulfed her pink mask while ice pierced through Shiyu's.
We celebrate PRIME.
The century's design.
We celebrate PRIME.
When a mortal becomes divine.
Amos clawed at his face as dark shadow energy surrounded his body, as the ENGINE blessed him. Arthur's red mask glowed with prismatic light while Alice's orange mask oozed with pearlescent energy.
Children dream of being chosen.
Artists, builders, minds of steel.
But the Engine sees much deeper.
Than the power we can feel.
Not the strongest wins the summit.
Not the smartest breaks the seal.
But the one who understands that.
Gods must know how mortals feel.
Elijah growled as he tried to reach for his pack of cigarettes while smoke swirled from his gray mask.
The Engine chooses the worthy, finds the PRIME.
The Engine chooses the worthy, finds the PRIME.
The Engine chooses the worthy, finds the PRIME.
The Engine chooses the worthy, finds the PRIME.
PRIME.
PRIME.
PRIME.
PRIME.
Rachel screamed as lightning crackled from her body. Her mulberry eyes glowed as she felt a surge of energy pulsing through her skin. Her body tingled, and her muscles twitched and spasmed as lightning singed the surrounding grass.
PRIME - Today the cycle turns.
PRIME - The Engine's eye discerns.
PRIME - Among us walks the one.
PRIME - Whose pilgrimage has begun.
The ENGINE's gears turned slowly as the eclipse ended, as the sun's rays lit up the sky once more. Chosen got back on their feet. Rachel's eyes twitched as lightning crackled from her body. She lit a cigarette as she got back on her feet. She glanced at Elijah as he dug into his pockets for his cigarette pack.
"Emily was here," Rachel insisted as she tapped him on the shoulder, pointing at the trail of flowers in the grass.
Elijah paused mid-light of his cigarette. "What did she do?"
Rachel blinked, then sighed. "I am not sure; she rewound time afterwards."
"Did she notice or talk to you?"
Rachel shrugged. "If she did, I can't remember. I only have echoes."