On the Road to Doomsday

The Pope's reaction left the Truth Priest beside him somewhat puzzled. He cautiously spoke up. "...The whole world won't freeze just because the sun has 'disappeared' for an extended period. Isn't that good news?"

"Taken by itself, it is certainly good news," Rune said, gently shaking his head. "But what if we consider the power the sun should have possessed? What if we consider our knowledge and understanding of this world, the laws that things 'should have followed'?"

The middle-aged priest frowned slightly, then suddenly understood what the Pope was worried about.

"The sun brings light and heat. When it rises, the day gradually grows warmer, and when it sets, the night gradually cools—if sunlight remains absent long enough, even the Boundless Sea will freeze over. This is how things are supposed to work, as simple and obvious as ice melting in fire. But now... the nighttime cooling curve seems to have become unrelated to the sun," Rune said gravely. "Do you know what that reminds me of?"

He did not wait for the middle-aged priest's answer. After a brief pause, he continued, "A machine possessed by evil—like an axle that keeps turning after its steam core has cooled, like a Difference Engine that keeps spitting out paper tape after its gears have jammed. The process by which things operate and the results of their operation are gradually separating. Some laws that were once taken for granted... are failing."

An uneasy silence fell over the sanctuary. After a long while, the middle-aged priest finally broke it. "We should contact the other three arks..."

"They are also watching these changes. They probably do not need our reminder," Rune said. "More importantly... has our Border fleet set out?"

The middle-aged priest immediately nodded. "Yes. They entered the Curtain's range an hour ago,