Page 52 of The Light Within

IT COULD BE YOUR WORLD

Was it as they’d theorised? A prophetic glimpse into the planet’s destiny?

“Like, the future?”

WHAT YOU CALL THE SHADOWREALM CAN BE OF PAST

AND OF FUTURE

There were three separate umbraphages writhing in the red, hazy sky. The one Cinn banished had returned, or perhaps a new one had joined them—Julien couldn’t recognise one from another and he didn’t care to learn.

WE ARE HERE TO WARN

THE SANDS OF TIME SLIP AWAY

Cinn scoffed. “Why should we listen to you? All you do is go around murdering people and causing earthquakes and tidal waves and whatever the fuck you do!”

NOT US

MOTHER EARTH IS UNBALANCED

SHE HURTS

SHE CRIES

WE ONLY COME TO WARN

“There’s about ten dead bodies on Westminster Bridge!” said Julien, dripping incredulity into his voice. “That, my friends, is not only coming to warn.”

HUMANS RESPOND BEST TO VIOLENCE

Did the umbraphages sound puzzled by Julien’s comment?

THE POWER YOU CALL MOTE IS UNBALANCING MOTHER

God, if only the Arcane Purifiers were here. They’d be frothing at the mouth to hear all this.

But it was one thing hearing the idea abstractly, and another from the horse’s mouth.

Were the umbraphages really saying that they needed to stop all use of motes? It would be nigh on impossible for moteblessed channellers—the need to channel was built into their very DNA. The years Julien had resisted had carved scars into him that would never heal. Not to mention the motetech embedded in millions of materials and objects all over the world.

THE POWER WAS A GIFT

A GIFT TO CHERISH

A GIFT TO PROVIDE

NOT TO BE MISUSED FOR HUMAN GREED

“Why are you tellingusall this?”

Impatience spiking, Julien reached out with his sixth sense, feeling the air around him for the elusive motes he knew would be there. His skin prickled as he made contact with the tiny, pulsating specks of energy. Without conscious effort, he tugged on a few, the warm, comforting thrum resonating through his body like a soothing balm. The motes responded, vibrating with promises of untapped potential.

STOP

YOU WILL LISTEN

They sounded pissed. He sent a pulse of energy towards the umbraphages, the motes surging forward, crackling with intense, barely contained power that shimmered in the air.

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