Vortimer got the Space Stone in his hand. Aldred approached him and was about to take it until Vortimer retracted the stone.
"If I give you this. What will I get? Your power are different now. I am assuming our last deal won't be so fair."
Aldred smiled. "You said you wanted to destroy the galaxy. But I am offering you something better."
"What can be better than destroying it?"
"Uniting it," Aldred said. "No matter the race, no matter the origin. I will help you unite every creature and every species proliferating in the galaxy."
Vortimer was silent and then he burst into a weird, robotic laughter. "Uniting the galaxy? How do you plan to do that?"
"We have the Stones of the Immaterium. With your army and my strength, I believe we can do it."
Vortimer pushed Aldred by the chest and grabbed his collar as his robotic green eyes stared deep into Aldred's. "You think it's easy to unite so many different species? You speak as if it's easier than lifting a finger! What you spout is nonsense and impossible! The Imperium is still guarded by the Emperor and his Holy Sons! Not to mention the elven race has their Heavenly Heroes and the Elven Pantheon! I only mention two and there are dozens if not hundreds of powerful species that is powerful enough to contend with me in the galaxy."
Aldred scoffed and slapped Vortimer's hand away. "You said it yourself. The galaxy has too much powerful entities. If your goal is destroying the galaxy, are you powerful enough to fight them all?"
Vortimer's robotic eyes flickered.
"On other hand, if your plan is to unite the galaxy, there might be some who are crazy enough to join you. The number will be very little, however, it's much better than doing it alone."
Aldred circled around him with a smile. "The galaxy has been at war for millenniums. Countless stars and planets died all for nothing. The galaxy is vast and yet people lived in overcrowded cities devoid of resources, forcing them to starve."
"There are many of such worlds," Aldred said. "The people of those worlds who suffered the most will gladly join you in your mission. No matter what their species are."
Aldred scanned Vortimer with his godly eyes. There were changes of energy happening from within that metallic body. He could also see an invisible connection between Vortimer and an entity located outside the Veil.
'That must be his true body,' Aldred thought.
As Aldred was analyzing Vortimer, however, there was a dot of darkness nearby.
"Who are you!" Aldred moved quickly and grabbed onto the dot.
It tried to run away, but Aldred yanked it out and slammed it on the floor.
"Tell me who you are or I will exterminate you!"
The dot expand, becoming bigger and bigger, slowly transforming into the shape of a human with long hair. However, even though it had a human form with two legs and two arms, and a face, it was still made out of darkness with some speck of lights like stars in the void of space.
"Ouch." The dark figure rubbed its own head.
From what Aldred could see, it seemed to be the feminine type.
"What are you?"
"Can you not be so rude?" The figure put both hands on its waist and pouted at him.
Aldred was slightly taken aback by that. "You haven't answered my question."
"Geez! What a big L! Did you momma taught you to speak like that?"
"Huh?" Aldred was genuinely confused. What the hell was she saying, and what kind of accent was that?
"Ugh, what a geezer. You're only 90 years old, but you didn't know the latest slang and swag."
"What are you talking about? I am less than 30 years old!"
Eclipsea laughed. "Time works differently in this place, bruh. You might feel only a few years have passed, but in real-space, it's been decades."
Aldred's eyes widened. If decades passed in real-space of this universe, then how much time had passed in the universe where his wives were?
"Fuck! Are you serious?"
"Fo real! No cap, bruh!"
"Can you stop talking like that?"
Eclipsea rolled her eyes. "Fine!"
Aldred looked at her. "First. Tell me who you are."
Eclipsea smiled. "So curios of me, huh. Well, I guess a young man like you can't help it."
'Didn't she said that I was 90 years old? Perhaps that means young for her.'
"Well, let me introduce myeself to thee."
"Behold! I stand as one of the primordial entities birthed from the very Veil of Shadows. A guardian of clandestine lore and architect of obscurity am I. I bear the mantle of deity over mysteries profound and the dominion of shadow. In my presence, do thee find cause for reverence and awe! My name is Eclipsea!"
She then laughed dramatically which caused Aldred and Vortimer looked at each other.
"She's a weird one," Aldred said.
"I agree." Vortimer nodded.
"What's your purpose here?"
Eclipsea smirked. "Oh, I'm just lurking around, watching the cosmic soap opera unfold. Your little drama here caught my attention, so I thought I'd drop by and add a bit of flair."
Vortimer, still holding the Space Stone, looked at Eclipsea with a hint of suspicion. "What's your game, shadow deity? Do you seek to steal our stones?"
Eclipsea twirled a strand of her dark, star-speckled hair. "No games, metallic man and those little stones of yours will do nothing for me. I just find these celestial struggles amusing. But since I'm feeling generous, I might throw in a piece of advice for free."
Both Aldred and Vortimer eyed her warily, waiting for the so-called advice.
Eclipsea leaned in and whispered, "Why fight when you can dance? Unite the galaxy in a cosmic waltz, my friends. It's more entertaining than all this destructive chaos. I am bored of everyone just randomly attacking each other indiscriminately. It will be so much fun if a figure or a group tried to unite them all!"
"So you agree with him?" Vortimer said.
Eclipsea, satisfied with her cryptic guidance, giggled and morphed back into a dot of darkness.
"Unite the galaxy in a cosmic waltz?" Aldred mused. "Well, that's certainly a unique approach."
Vortimer grunted. "She's either utterly insane or knows something we don't. But with that shadowy demeanor, who can tell?"
The Space Stone in Vortimer's hand pulsed with a subtle energy. He turned to Aldred, a reluctant expression on his metallic face.
"I'll consider your proposal, Aldred. But remember, I won't be played for a fool."
"Hehe. Now that I see things clearly and understand your power, I won't dare to do you dirty the second time," Aldred said.
