When Avi was back on the spaceship, she immediately headed to the bridge and set a course to the port city. Flying at low altitude, along the shore, she was searching for anything that resembled a tall tower.

“It's impossible to see anything through that mist.” - Avi complained to Luna.

“It would be a good idea to merge with the multitask cell. It will help you to search.” - Luna suggested.

“I don't know if I want to. I still remember the last time.” - Avi pointed out.

“Me too, and you did well...” - Luna stated. - “...and by the way, you don't have to make a full dive this time.”

“What do you mean?”

“Close your eyes.”

“Again? Luna, I don't want to!”

“Avi! It'll be easier this time, I promise. You'll see it yourself soon.” - Luna replied. - “You have to train. You are aware of how important it is.”

“I'm scared.” - Avi responded.

“There is nothing to be afraid of. I'll be holding your hands the whole time.” - Luna added. - “Focus on their warmth, and there will be zero chance that you make a deep dive by accident.”

Avi's heart skipped a beat. She still remembered what happened the last time. - “I'm... still not sure.”

“Just trust me. It'll be fine.”

Avi took Luna's hands, then requested - “Don't let them go.” - and closed her eyes.

“Do you feel the floor beneath your feet? Don't forget this sensation, and imagine standing it shallow waters, while still touching it.”

“Okay...” - Avi said, then began. - “There is... cold tingling in my legs. Luna, I can barely feel my feet!”

“Focus on my hands and don't open your eyes!” - Luna instructed.

Avi's entire body shivered. - “It's cold... so cold... but I can feel them.”

“Now, focus on sensing the floor once more.”

“I feel... little pebbles. They are stabbing into my feet.”

“Slowly open your eyes, let the warmth return to your body.”

Avi listened and allowed the warmth of Luna's hands to gently pass to her fingers, then hands, arms, chest, and stomach, and finally legs. When her eyes opened, she was still on the starship, but it seemed transparent. The mist that covered the city disappeared to her completely, and her vision was a hundred times more accurate, which made the girl slightly startled.

“Luna... what's going on?”

“You have synchronized your senses with multitask cell.” - Luna explained. - “Tell me what you see.”

“Everything, literally everything!”

“That's good. Do you see the lighthouse?”

Avi focused on the shore and noticed a cliff on the other end of the city, where a single structure stood. - “I do.”

“Head there. When we arrive, I'll help you to desynchronize.” - Luna said and waited until the ship was near their destination, then instructed. - “Now, close your eyes and imagine that the pebbles disappear, replaced by the flat floor. Next, imagine that the water clears away and move your toes, until you feel it completely gone.”

Avi did as she was told, and after a moment, her senses were back to normal.

“Luna... that was...” - Avi muttered.

“You'll get used to it.” - Luna said. - “One day, you'll surely learn to do it without my help.”

Avi nodded.

“Do you need to rest?” - Luna asked.

“No, let's land.”

---

Avi and Luna exited the ship and walked along the sandy path, right to the lighthouse. They were greeted by a large stone gate, locked by steel bolts. Luna lifted them one by one and moved aside, while Avi tried to see what was on top of the tower.

“Are you sure that's the correct lighthouse? This planet might have more of them.” - Avi mentioned.

“It's the biggest port city around, and also it's closest to Lethe.” - Luna explained. - “I think we're on the right track.”

Soon, in front of both girls, there was a spiral stone staircase. Its unusually tall steps made the climb uncomfortable, but after five minutes, Avi and Luna were on the first of four floors, which was filled with extinguished candles and cluttered by dusty scrolls. Similarly to the journal, they were undecipherable, but Avi wouldn't give up and kept searching.

“There must be something here!” - Avi said, slightly frustrated.

“...and there is.” - Luna declared, staring at the opened books. - “Come and look.”

“It seems familiar.” - Avi replied, noticing a massive spaceship made of four segments and a cylindrical core in the middle.

“There are more of them, twelve to be precise.” - Luna explained, showing the next sketches. There was a porcelain submarine, a spaceship that resembled an airplane, another spaceship with card symbols, a gargantuan worm, a spiderweb-like structure, a long spaceship made of thrity-four identical segments, a spaceship similar to the one found in the second star system, a steel battleship, a frigate with red sails and a white spaceship with a sleek shape.

“I also recognize the last one.” - Luna added on the next page. - “It's Atala's ship.”

“I remember. The one that killed so many stars.”

“Well, so we've already found something, don't you think? On the upper floors, there must be more.”

Avi nodded and moved with Luna to the second floor, where they continued. The room was filled with many green hourglasses connected by tubes that used to transport the sand. They found nothing else there, so they moved one level higher, where on a large bed, was a skeleton of a one-eyed giant.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Luna leaned down toward it and picked its heavy shackles up, they were chaining the corpse's ankles to the wall. - “He wasn't here by choice.”

“How horrible...” - Avi commented. - “...but I still don't understand why this job would require such a sacrifice. There surely would be volunteers or paid workers.”

“Yeah, I also don't get it.” - Luna replied, then approached a few drawers under the ceiling and opened them one after another. - “Nothing... nothing... nothing...”

Avi, instead, crouched and peeked under the clothing shelves. - “I think... I've found something.”

“Me too.” - Luna added, showing a keychain.

Avi lifted a chain-wrapped journal. - “Oh, do you think it'll fit into the lock?”

“Yes.” - Luna confirmed, then picked the correct key. When the book opened, Avi turned the first page, finding writings in the language that they spoke.

“Luna! It's readable!” - Avi exclaimed.

“That's... weird.”

The first page read. - “The cycle of Pegasus. Fourth sub-interval of half-moon zeta. The star year number twenty-three thousand, one hundred sixteen. Day four hundred eighty-one. Chosen by her silver-crowned majesty, under-scribe of yellow skull rejects their name and begins to serve, from now, until death.”

The next pages were describing days and nights of long lighthouse work, and gave hints on how to operate it.

“Twelve candles, may they remain extinguished forever. The first candle, for Dragon of the Dawn. The second, for Porcelain Submarine. The Third, for Planar Glider. Fourth, for Antinomy. Fifth, for Goliath. Sixth, for the one who devours even the stars. Seventh, for the Scarecrow. Eighth, for Amnesty. Ninth, for Destroyer. Tenth, for Galhadaar. Eleventh, for Paragon. Twelfth, for the one known as the traitor.”

“When their flames flicker once more, those who remain alive will respond to the call. When the day of her vengeance comes, they will fall from the heavens and sink into an ocean of oblivion.”

Luna turned the pages, ignoring the reports about the star movements and their slow death.

“May the sky burn in black fire. Dragon of the Dawn, pierced by the spear of parallel lies, was subjected to the trial and judgment. The samurai's honor lacked faith. When the snake whispered the words of heresy, brother turned on brother, and a son against his father. Drifting through the void, they perished one generation at a time.”

“May the sky conceal the truth in dark clouds. She, whose soul was split in two, and forever trapped in the cage, allowed only to gaze at her mirror image. She was their only path to salvation, but forgotten, the thread in her heart began to open the path for our queen. The fragment that bought her freedom was not given back. Her venom seeped into the cracks, breaking the porcelain. As they perished with their last breath, the fragment was recovered from her dead hand.”

“May the sky replace earth, creating an ocean of black lights. He who once traveled the planes, lured to the gate of the end, will now be a castaway, who forever counts the stars.”

“May the black sky thunder in rage. They, who preached the word of heresy, dancing in the web of madness, rejected the truth, attempting to usurp her throne. They wouldn't notice how far they were from her perfection. When their blood spurted from the cracks of their crimson masks, blossoming like a rose, whispers directed to their puppets stopped. In the whirl of chaos and confusion, they were replaced by her voice. The betrayers, allured by its sweetness, will be tormented until the end of time.”

“May the sky send a wind with the aroma of black ink. Goliath survived, but it'll be judged.”

“May the sky send black locust to tear apart even the one who devours the stars. The last kiss was bestowed upon those who served the queen, not by their choice, but by nature. May they fall into eternal sleep, knowing that this one and only mistake was forgiven in their death.”

“May a black sparrow descend from the sky, and its sharp beak severs the web of Horegon's secrets. Even if the truth was never to be found, the hatred carried by the bird was enough to begin and end the harvest season. When winter came, it was time to count them. The fistful of dust was all that was left, and it was effortlessly crushed under the queen's heel.”

“May a black rain fall from the sky and poison the river of light. Those who pardoned every sin died by their own sins.”

“May an endless black ribbon split the sky. There were thirty-four of them, but they died due to the forbidden love of two. Mortals, lift your eyes. You, unworthy, wounded she who doesn't forgive. Remember that her hatred does not distinguish between those who harm and those who are harmed. Enslaved, you served the false kings, but it would be better for you if you had died. You won't be excused.”

“May they be forgotten by the time itself, amidst the blackness of infinite sky. Once, they were powerful rulers, but they sold their souls for false immortality. The death is patient and without a fight, will wait until you're gone.”

“May a black lightning pierce the heavens, striking those who brought false salvation. Their light, forever taken, fades away in the dark silence.”

“Last, may the sky leave a black seal on the one who betrayed the twelve, cursing her forever. They, who were blinded by their own ignorance, focused only on what could be seen. In the last labyrinth, they isolated themselves from the world that they left to perish. She who knows everything will learn the truth behind their machines and machinations, finding the answers in the corpses of their daughters.”

“What is it all supposed to mean?” - Avi uttered quietly.

“Apparently, those are short notes about how the queen fought, and plans to fight her enemies.” - Luna said, concerned. - “It seems... they need someone like me to destroy my creators.”

Avi was silent, she understood the implications.

“Not only does Anaari want me dead.” - Uncertainty could be read from Luna's face. - “Avi... who exactly is our enemy?”

“I don't know...” - Avi uttered. - “...how do you feel about everything we learned?”

“I'm scared.” - Luna replied, although it didn't show.

“I understand.”

“Ehh...” - Luna sighed. - “...but I also know that you don't want to resign yet. I plan to be by your side until the very end, and despite anything that may happen.”

“Luna...”

Luna gazed into Avi's eyes. She, too, was afraid. - “We have to keep on going. It's more important than us.”

Avi nodded, then closed the journal and took it with them. Together with Luna, they both finally arrived at the top of the lighthouse, where under a dome of yellow-blue frescoes of ships and boats on a vast ocean, there was a wide bowl for oil. Around it, there were twelve extinguished candles, each with a symbol.

“They look like the letters below the sketches.” - Luna noticed and borrowed the journal from Avi. She opened it, pointing at the star map. - “If I understand correctly, the candles are used to summon our spaceships to stop in the port systems. Goliath usually stops at the twenty-fourth star. We can ask it to stay there a bit longer.”

“Caleb's home... but should we request such a large spaceship to stop?” - Avi hesitated.

“I won't do any harm.” - Luna stated. - “Unless you prefer to catch it mid-flight.”

“I think I prefer this alternative.” - Avi said. - “...but how will we know, where to find it?”

“The object with its size should block some of the star's light. I'll easily locate it, unless you want to do it by yourself, using the multitask cell. We just need to catch the moment when it passes its stop.”

“Does that mean that, despite everything, you still want to light the candle?” - Avi asked.

“Just for a very short moment, there are accurate instructions here.” - Luna pointed at the symbols that resembled lines and dots. - “Goliath's path starts at the forty-second star and crosses the twenty-fourth star, then makes a wide elliptic arch through the void. I'll just adjust its waypoints, so its silhouette can be seen in the sun.”

“Okay, let's do this.”

“Refill the black oil first, we need to activate the machinery here.”

Avi followed Luna's instructions. Luna, on the other hand, took a jar with silver, spiky crystals from the shelf and emptied it into the liquid inside the bowl. She stirred everything with a wooden ladle until the substance first gained an azure hue, then black.

“The second and fourth valve.” - Luna requested.

Avi pulled the levers and gears under the bowl began turning. The chalice heated up, creating a grey residue on the edge of the black liquid. When that gray soot gradually gained brilliance, Luna approached one of the drawers and took out a green match. She sparked a fire against the edge of the bowl, then let an emerald flame touch the silver ring. The same type of flame illuminated the chalice, which Luna quickly covered with a lid that was suspended on a chain above her.

When she was done, she lit Goliath's candle, then rotated one of the holes in the lid, so it would be directed towards the candle. Finally, she covered the hole for a few longer and shorter moments. The candle's flame went out once the sequence was over.

“Will it work?” - Avi asked.

“I don't see anything scientific about this ritual, mainly due to the lack of presence of any advanced communication technology, but I still followed the instructions as precisely as I could.”

“Okay.” - Avi replied, then added after a pause. - “Do you think that Goliath was what the immortal was looking for?”

“It's one of the alternatives.” - Luna said. - “We should return to the ship and ask Virka.”