“Si?” Taj projected near him.

  They were on Planet Four.

  Everything had spiraled out of control late in the evening.

  Yesterday, it looked like the situation was good enough. Luna traveled to help in places with distressed children who had lost parents. She couldn’t heal; her energies were not to show, but she could, and did, help with crying kids.

  She went, and her friend Avery joined her.

  Si asked, just in case, for him to be around. Not only as her helper but also as a guard. Avery had passed the tests—he couldn’t do it officially, but Taj arranged tasks that were very similar to the proper exam, and Avery passed them without problems.

  Luna had said some time ago that Avery was careful about his career, and the choices he was making were to direct him more into politics close to Shadows. It was then natural for Si to ask him for it; Avery agreed, and he accompanied Luna, guarding her.

  In the evening, the news came that on Planet Four something strange appeared. Previously, when the epidemic raged across two planets, it was a terrible but curable illness.

  What was spotted, though, was worrying.

  Then Taj sent messages saying that he knew what it was. Plus, minus, as he added.

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  Lukai dismissed it; Taj insisted, and they argued. Then another piece of news came; a few hours later, they had already heated discussions ongoing.

  It was a message from Luna; she wrote that there was a problem. As Si read what she wrote, he felt as if his world was about to collapse.

  Taj dematerialized for around half an hour; he said he needed to check on something in person.

  The face expression Lukai then had. Why? Because Taj did what he said—he didn’t ask for any permission.

  Si the same.

  They both stopped asking for permission. It was as if a bubble of something that was surrounding Lukai just blew up.

  “Si?” It was Taj again.

  “Sorry, I am focused. I will have a problem swirling there; I am quite limited—” Si started to speak, but Taj interrupted.

  “I know. On your messenger you can find a location with very detailed coordinates. Try this. Song always did it like that. It is risky, but I believe in you,” he said.

  Taj continued.

  “We will need to talk to Lukai later. For now, I gave him materials from the Sect, especially those detailing the vivisections. Si, you need to know. What appeared, as I said, I recognize. It is something I remember from the past. We called them ‘creatures.’ I see your look… I know; I didn’t agree with the naming. They were people whose Crystals, how to say it… transformed them? Changed their minds, so their bodies then morphed. The more time, the more Crystals, the worse were the changes. Back then, not now. What happened today, we will need to investigate; I have a suspicion. Not now. Si?” Taj asked, looking serious.

  Si focused.

  “What I am about to do will have consequences. I decided to do it, as I cannot watch transformed people return, witness people being turned into them or killed in fights. I hated it back then. Song would do what I am about to do. He would do it. So, here I am. Si? You go and help Luna and those people she is trapped with. I will join you very soon, but first I will clear the surroundings. I need to assess what is needed to later get rid of it fully. Is it understandable?”

  “So, yes, let’s go,” Si said only this.

  Taj disappeared.

  Si looked at his messenger.

  Indeed, it could even work. He gave it a try.