2024 - Iraq 

Ayaz stares at his phone, frustration bubbling within him as he struggles to catch a signal bar in this remote part of Iraq. He knows he’s pushing his luck, but the thought of disappearing without a word to Camille gnaws at him. If he survives the Emergence, he imagines her wrath would rival that of a furious deity. Just as he begins to lose hope, a single bar flickers to life, and a smile brightens his face.

But the moment is short-lived; he suddenly feels a familiar presence behind him.

“Breaking up?” Druig teases, poking his head over Ayaz’s shoulder to sneak a glance at the screen. His arm snakes around Ayaz’s waist, an intimate gesture that sends a shiver through Ayaz's body.

“Don’t touch me!” Ayaz snaps, irritation flaring as he steps away, pocketing his phone with an almost childlike huff.

Druig's smile is playful, as if he relishes Ayaz's frustrated attempts to maintain his composure. “Seems a little unfair, don’t you think, my beautiful, beautiful Ayaz?”

Ayaz rolls his eyes, his annoyance only half-hearted. “It’s called karma, and it’s pronounced ha-ha-ha.” He crosses his arms, attempting to shield himself from Druig's magnetic charm, but it’s an effort laden with futility.

“I’m sorry, what are we watching?” Phastos interrupts, his gaze flitting between the two. “Are you two…?”

“Together? I don’t know.” Kingo shrugs, raising an eyebrow. “Messing around behind our backs? Yes, for centuries.”

“Shut up.” Ayaz’s voice is sharp as he rolls his eyes again, cheeks tinged with warmth.

“And now he’s mad at Druig,” Kingo whispers to Phastos, who watches the drama unfold with an amused glint in his eyes.

“Phastos, I need to control the mind of a Celestial,” Druig reminds, changing the subject with a wave of his hand.

“Okay, get ready for it,” Phastos nods, gesturing to a hologram that flickers to life above his workbench. Ten matching gold bracelets float in the air, glimmering with promise.

“Bracelets?” Kingo’s eyebrow arches. “You made us bracelets?”

“Let me give you a little Celestial 101,” Phastos explains, his excitement palpable. “Celestials are the most powerful energy generators in the universe. When Arishem made us, he imbued us with infinite cosmic energy to keep our bodies regenerating. These bracelets, in theory, shut down our regeneration process, allowing our bodies to accumulate extra cosmic energy.”

“What for?” Sersi interjects, confusion evident on her face.

“Well, if the Deviants can absorb our energy, what if we can absorb each other’s energy as well? If I can find a way to connect us all, one of us could become immensely powerful, pulling the accumulated energy from the rest, forming…” Phastos trails off, gesturing toward his invention with pride. “A UniMind. ‘Uni’ meaning ‘one,’ ‘mind’ meaning ‘mind.’”

“Oh, no, we heard you the first time. Terrible name,” Sprite quips, crossing her arms with a knowing smile.

“We’ll brainstorm…” Kingo’s eyes widen suddenly. “Brainstorm! That’s a way better name!”

Phastos shakes his head, stubbornness written all over his face. “No, I invented it, so I’m calling it whatever I want.”

“So suppose Druig can, say… put Tiamut to sleep. Then what?” Ayaz asks, plopping himself onto an ancient throne sitting in the corner of the laboratory, exhaustion creeping in.

“We find humans a new home on another planet,” Hestia replies, her voice steady and authoritative.

“Are we building a big ship, too? Take a pair of each animal?” Ayaz asks, sarcasm dripping from his words as he leans back, placing his feet on the throne's armrest.

“Well, you know what’s never saved the planet? Your sarcasm,” Phastos retorts, and Ayaz throws his hands up in a mock surrender.

“Ayaz is right. Space colonization could take decades,” Sprite adds, her tone serious.

“It can happen quickly with our help,” Sersi interjects, her eyes bright with hope.

“What if we accidentally end up killing Tiamut? We could be responsible for billions of lives not being created across the universe,” Kingo argues, turning to face Ikaris. “Boss, am I right?”

“Say something, Ikaris,” Sprite presses, eyes wide with expectation as the group’s focus shifts to the strongest Eternal, who sits in contemplative silence, deep in thought.

“Ajak chose Sersi to lead us. Sersi should decide,” Ikaris finally responds, his voice steady as he breaks from his thoughts.

“Forget who Ajak chose. You’re the strongest. You should be making this decision,” Sprite insists, frustration building in her tone.

But Ikaris remains quiet, leaving Sprite feeling dismissed.

“Fine. Just keep lying to yourself.” She storms away, refusing to look back, ignoring Ikaris’s calls.

Ayaz watches the tension unfold, a frown tugging at his lips. “That was fun,” he mutters, hopping off the throne to join the remaining group.

“I hope this works well enough to kill a Celestial,” Phastos states, motioning toward his invention with a sense of hope tinged with anxiety.

“Well, Ayaz did absorb the life out of a Deviant,” Druig adds, glancing sidelong at Ayaz, who shifts uncomfortably at the attention.

“I’m sorry, what?” Phastos’s eyes widen, shock etched on his face. “You didn’t want to tell me that?”

“You’ve never been able to do it before,” Makkari signs, her brow raised.

“I don’t know how it happened, okay?” Ayaz replies, throwing his hands in the air in frustration. “And I’m pretty sure I couldn’t do it again.”

Phastos scoffs, determination flickering in his eyes. “Well, now is the time to try, don’t you think?”

“Phastos, that Deviant is dead. The plan is to put Tiamut to sleep, not to kill it,” Ayaz argues, pulling at his golden blond hair, anxiety etched in his features. “Look, my job is freezing things and teleporting. Not soul-sucking. I can’t kill a Celestial!”

“It’s okay, Ayaz,” Druig reassures him, his voice low and soothing as he steps closer, his presence grounding Ayaz. The warmth radiating from Druig’s gaze calms the storm inside Ayaz, the connection between them palpable. “I got this.”

For a moment, the world around them fades away, and all that exists is the unwavering bond that has survived through ages. In Druig's reassuring smile, Ayaz finds a flicker of hope, even amidst the chaos that surrounds them.