Central Belt, Earth.

  After a heated, nearly hysterical debate, the Council of Civilizations delivers its decision:

  Camilla remains Director of Security, and Nicholas — still Head of Intelligence.

  Balance is restored. On the surface.

  As soon as the decision is announced, Nicholas receives a message.

  “Meet me. Urgent. — I.”

  He instantly checks the time, then strides down the glass corridor leading to the landing pad.

  A shuttle lands quietly, smoothly. Ivor steps out — slightly disheveled, but with a new, almost imperceptible expression. He seems to carry something important, something he’s in a hurry to share.

  — “What’s the rush?” Nicholas greets his friend with a restrained smile, though his voice carries a mix of caution and curiosity.

  — “Long time no see.” Ivor walks toward him, step by step, like an old friend — but something in his eyes glints with an unfamiliar light, making Nicholas truly wary. “I brought you a gift. From Mercury.”

  — “A gift?” Nicholas frowns, instincts kicking in. His hand slides subtly toward his hip, but he doesn’t draw a weapon — only watches.

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  Without a word, Ivor removes the amulet from around his neck. His fingers glide over the artifact as if preparing something important. Then, silently, he places it on Nicholas.

  — “I believe in the god Kairus,” the intelligence chief says, almost automatically.

  He blinks. For a moment, his eyes are swallowed by light — something bright and alien rushes through him. His expression changes. It’s not just a surprise. Not just confusion. It’s something more. Something deeper.

  Acceptance. The sense that his world has shifted.

  — “Perfect,” Ivor says with quiet satisfaction. A cold smile lights his face. “Now take me to Camilla.”

  Corridors of the Security Service.

  The two men walk through sterile white tunnels. No guards in their path. No witnesses. Only the distant echo of other footsteps and the steady hum of ventilation.

  Their steps sound like ticking — counting down the final moments before something inevitable.

  Camilla’s Office.

  Behind the door — silence. Camilla sits in dim light, staring into nothing. Her face shows signs of exhaustion. That look — it knows too much and can change too little.

  She is an observer in a game whose rules she learned long ago.

  The door opens. They enter.

  A pause. Camilla lifts her gaze. Their eyes meet. Ivor steps forward without a word and places the amulet around her neck.

  — “I believe in the god Kairus,” she says calmly, confidently, as if this moment had been foretold.

  This is no longer a surprise. It is acceptance.

  She receives it as something inevitable — part of the path she’s already taken.

  Ivor watches silently. Nicholas, standing beside him, takes a step back. His eyes still search for answers, but he already senses:

  What’s happening cannot be stopped.

  The flame of a new faith is rising. Now it’s on Earth.

  And with every passing moment, it grows.

  No one will ever be the same again.