I stared at the sprawling civilization beyond the silver chains while countless cities drifted through the vastness of the Prime Territory. Somewhere beyond those boundaries lay the answers I had come seeking, and now Augustus had casually informed me that entry required permission from the very people I had no intention of asking.
"That sounds like a terrible system," I said while looking toward the distant cities beyond the chains. "You are basically telling me that the Eternals control an entire territory and everyone just accepts it."
Augustus looked almost offended by the statement.
"You make it sound far worse than it actually is."
"Do I?"
"Yes." He adjusted his tie slightly. "The system works remarkably well most of the time."
"For the Eternals perhaps."
"For everyone involved," he replied. "The Null Realm is not some lawless wasteland where the strongest individual wakes up one day and decides he owns a city. Everything here functions because there are agreements in place."
I glanced toward him.
"You know far more than you’re willing to say."
"Usually."
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
"The contract," I said eventually. "Tell me about it. If the Eternals are sitting behind some ancient agreement that lets them control an entire territory then I doubt that information is easy to find."
Augustus immediately shook his head.
"I don’t think I can do that."
I frowned.
"And why not?"
"Because that particular information isn’t mine to hand out freely." He adjusted his tie slightly before continuing. "The contract you’re asking about is not some forgotten document sitting in a public archive. It is one of the foundations upon which an entire territory operates. Information like that comes with consequences, and I would rather avoid creating unnecessary ones."
Aurora snorted softly beside me.
"You’re not getting anything from him without paying for it."
"I prefer the term negotiating," Augustus replied while looking toward her. "It sounds much more respectable."
"Look, Mister Ironhart, I am not refusing because I dislike you or because I enjoy being difficult. Contrary to popular belief, I am actually quite helpful. The problem is that the moment I start giving away information that isn’t mine to distribute, I create problems for myself, for the people involved, and potentially for the realm itself. None of those outcomes particularly appeal to me."
I stared at him for a few seconds.
"So there is a price."
The smile immediately returned to his face.
"Now you’re thinking like a proper negotiator."
"What do you want?"
The smile returned immediately.
"Now we are finally having the correct conversation."
I folded my arms.
"I’m not paying you."
"I wasn’t asking for money."
"Essence then?"
"No."
"Artifacts?"
"No."
"Information?"
"Not particularly."
I narrowed my eyes.
"A favor."
The Gatekeeper’s expression brightened.
"There we go. I knew we’d get there eventually."
"No."
"You haven’t even heard the offer."
"That usually means it’s a bad offer."
"Not this one."
He rested both hands atop his cane and studied me for several seconds.
"One favor in the future. Nothing dangerous. Nothing that harms you. Nothing that harms anyone you care about. Nothing that violates your principles. Just one request."
I remained silent. Augustus continued patiently.
"In return I answer your question."
"Just one question?"
"Well now you’re negotiating too."
I sighed.
"You really enjoy this."
"Immensely."
A strange black contract materialized between us. The parchment appeared ancient beyond reason, its surface covered in silver inscriptions that shifted continuously across the page.
Augustus pointed toward it.
"One favor."
His tone became surprisingly serious.
"One day in the future, I may request assistance from you. The request cannot directly or indirectly harm you. It cannot directly or indirectly harm those you consider important. It cannot force you to violate your own principles."
I read the contract carefully. Every clause reflected exactly what he had said. No traps or hidden wording. At least none I could find.
Aurora stepped closer and examined it as well.
"It’s legitimate."
I looked back toward Augustus.
"One favor. And after that we’re even?"
"We are."
I considered it for several moments. Information was clearly valuable here. More importantly, this contract was connected to the Null Realm itself. If even the Gatekeeper wanted something from me in the future, it likely meant whatever lay ahead was far larger than I currently understood.
Eventually I placed my hand upon the contract. Silver-violet soul force flowed outward. The parchment ignited with black fire before dissolving into countless fragments of light that entered both Augustus and myself.
Immediately afterward I felt a faint connection form somewhere deep within my soul.
The Gatekeeper smiled.
"Pleasure doing business with you."
"I have a feeling I’m going to regret that."
"Most people don’t."
"That wasn’t reassuring."
"It wasn’t intended to be."
I rubbed my forehead.
"Now tell me about the contract."
Augustus nodded.
"That one I can do."
He turned toward the vast Prime Territory again.
"The agreement granting the Eternals authority within the Prime Territory is one of the most unusual active contracts currently recognized by the Null Realm," Augustus said as we continued walking along the floating pathway. "And before either of you ask, no, I do not know who created it."
That answer immediately drew both mine and Aurora’s attention.
"You don’t know?" Aurora asked. "Not even the Wardens know?"
Augustus shook his head slowly.
"Some things are eventually lost regardless of how old a civilization becomes. The creator of that contract is one of them." His gaze drifted toward the distant cities hanging beneath the silver oceans above us. "Most contracts are important to the people involved when they are signed and then slowly fade into obscurity over time. This one followed the opposite path. The older it became, the more significant it grew."
I listened carefully while he continued.
"Today it has become less of an agreement and more of a historical institution. Entire systems inside the Prime Territory operate because of it. Entire organizations derive authority from it. Remove it suddenly and you would create chaos on a scale few people can imagine."
"That still doesn’t explain why the Eternals have so much control," I said.
"It explains part of it." Augustus nodded. "The contract exists in seven separate fragments. No single individual, organization, or faction possesses all of them, and that arrangement is very much intentional."
"Why split it in the first place?" I asked.
"Because no one was ever supposed to hold complete authority over something this significant." He glanced toward me briefly. "Power becomes dangerous when concentrated. The creators of the agreement understood that."
Aurora folded her arms.
"And what exactly does the contract grant?"
"Administrative authority." Augustus paused before continuing. "Not ownership. That’s an important distinction. The Eternals do not own the Prime Territory. They cannot sell it, destroy it, or claim it as private property. What they possess is the legal authority to manage large portions of it."
"Which sounds suspiciously close to ownership," I said.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Many residents of the territory would agree with you."
I looked back toward the vast civilization beyond the chains.
"And if someone gathers all seven fragments?"
"That person gains standing before a Warden Tribunal." Augustus’ voice grew slightly more serious. "More importantly, they gain the right to propose modifications to the contract itself."
My attention sharpened immediately.
"Modifications?"
"Yes."
"Meaning they could change the agreement?"
"To a degree."
"Could they destroy it?"
"No."
"Cancel it entirely?"
"No."
Augustus shook his head before continuing.
"You are thinking about it like a contract created by mortals. Null Contracts do not work that way. They are woven directly into the structure of the realm itself. Once established, they become part of the system they govern."
"Then what can be changed?"
"The clauses." He pointed his cane toward the distant territory. "The rules. The permissions. The restrictions. The obligations. If you possessed all seven fragments, you could stand before a Tribunal and argue that a particular clause should be rewritten."
I remained silent for several moments. That was far more useful than I had expected.
Because rewriting a clause was not the same as destroying a contract. But depending on which clause was changed, it could accomplish almost the same thing.
Ancient contract. Unknown creator. Seven fragments.
And the Eternals sitting comfortably behind it. None of that sounded accidental. Eventually another problem surfaced.
"How exactly am I supposed to enter the Prime Territory without authorization?" I asked.
Augustus smiled slightly.
"The Dex Witches."
I frowned.
"The name sounds ridiculous."
"They are considerably less ridiculous than their name suggests," he replied. "Smugglers, traffickers, black market brokers, memory thieves and pirates. If someone can move people or goods across a boundary they shouldn’t cross, chances are the Dex Witches are involved."
"And they can get me inside?"
"They can get anyone inside. Convincing them to do it is your problem."
Augustus’ expression became more serious.
"One more thing. You are alive, everyone else here is not. Remember that. Any wound you receive here is inflicted directly upon your soul. There is no separation between body and spirit inside the Null Realm. Lose an arm and your soul loses an arm. Lose your soul and there is no resurrection waiting afterward."
I nodded slowly. Real death.
The Gatekeeper seemed satisfied before smiling again.
"Fortunately, your first destination is relatively safe."
"Where exactly are you sending me?"
"To the Dex Armada."
I blinked.
"Armada?"
For some reason I had imagined a hidden tavern or perhaps a secret city. Not an entire fleet.
The Gatekeeper looked amused by my confusion. Then he raised his cane. Reality shifted around us instantly. The endless civilizations vanished. The silver chains disappeared.
The vast Prime Territory dissolved into mist.
A moment later I found myself standing upon the edge of an impossibly large ocean. An endless sea of luminous silver stretched beyond every horizon while gigantic waves moved beneath a sky filled with floating lanterns and drifting stars.
Ships sailed across those waters.
Thousands of them.
No—
Tens of thousands.
Entire floating cities moved through the ocean in organized formations. Massive black vessels drifted between fleets while crimson banners fluttered from towering masts.
Cannons lined their sides. Fortresses sat upon their decks. Entire populations appeared to live aboard them.
The scale made ordinary pirate fleets look like children’s toys.
Augustus smiled.
"Welcome."
I stared at the impossible armada stretching endlessly across the silver sea.
"To the Dex Witches."
Then before I could ask another question, the world shifted again and I found myself descending toward one of the colossal black ships sailing beneath us, its crimson sails stretched across the sky while countless figures moved across its decks.