The seeming calm that reigned over the Multiverse, now reconsolidated after the creation of the buffer space for the Fragmentary Shadow, seemed to be a sign of renewed stability. MaRa and Costelor watched over the complex web of destinies, each temporal string maintaining its harmony. However, deep down they felt that the order was far too fragile. As always, the silence was only the prelude to a new transformation.

The Multiverse had evolved into a Multiple Infinity, a vastness of interconnected realities, but not all consciousnesses were at peace with this new balance. Although the Fragmentary Shadow had been isolated in a separate dimension, a lingering sense of tension had begun to pulse through the thongs again. It was like a silent but powerful vibration coming from a distant place, one that seemed to have been forgotten or ignored for a long time.

"Do you feel that?" MaRa asked, her voice heavy with concern. "It's not just an anomaly. It's something much older, deeper."

CosTelor agreed, looking at the time maps that revealed a strange fluctuation in the quiet background of realities. “It seems to come from an unknown region of the Multiverse. An area I have never fully explored. This is not a mere disturbance, but an echo of an ancient event.”

The two Guardians realized that this signal could not be ignored. If the evolution of the Multiverse was to continue, this source had to be investigated, and the enigma had to be solved.

* * *

As MaRa and CosTelor headed towards the source of the fluctuation, they discovered an unknown region where the structure of the Multiverse seemed different. It was a place where realities did not mesh harmoniously like in the Multiple Infinity. Instead, they seemed to be suspended, like incomplete fragments, each stuck in its own cycle, unable to interact with the others.

“This is an anomaly of a magnitude I've never seen before,” CosTelor said, trying to understand what was happening. “Each of these realities seems to be caught in a loop. They are not part of the Multiple Infinity, but they are not completely isolated either.”

MaRa looked deep into this distorted area. “These realities… were never integrated into the Multiverse. They are the remains of an ancient structure, from before the existence of the Infinite Multiple.”

As they advanced, they sensed an ancient presence, hidden behind these fractured realities. It was something they had never encountered—a force that seemed to be tied to the origins of the Multiverse, a being that had existed since the beginning of creation.

From the darkness of these suspended realities, a voice began to speak. It was deep and resonant, as if coming from the depths of time.

"You are back," said the voice. “You who have played with the fabric of existence. You have come back to me.”

MaRa and Costelor looked around, trying to locate the exact source of that voice. From the shadows of suspended realities, a gigantic but vague entity began to take shape, like a manifestation of all the forgotten temporal fragments. This being was not like the Fragmentary Shadow. She was older and much stronger. It seemed to be the very manifestation of a temporal paradox, one that had been allowed to fester outside the perception of the Multiverse.

"Who are you?" MaRa asked with increased attention.

"I am the Maker of Cycles," the entity replied. “I am the remnant of the first structures of reality, from before the Infinite Multiple was created. Before you brought illusory harmony, I mastered the cycles of existence. But you forgot about me. You chose to isolate me, to ignore me. But I cannot be ignored forever."

MaRa felt a cold shiver. The Cyclicity Maker seemed to have been part of the first attempts to organize the Multiverse, but had been locked away in an isolated corner of reality when the current order was established. Now he was demanding recognition and the restoration of the cycles he had created.

"The Order of the Infinite Multiple was not designed to ignore you," MaRa said. “It evolved to provide balance to all realities. But your cycles are incomplete, caught in endless loops.”

The maker laughed, a sound that vibrated through all the strings around. “And what is your balance, if not a more subtle form of stagnation? Choices, destinies—all are just another form of cyclicality, masked under the illusion of diversity. But you don't understand yet. I do not ask to obey. I ask to continue my cycles, to be part of the structure you have created. You are part of me.”

CosTelor, trying to understand the entity's intentions, became aware of a new threat. “If your cycles reintegrate into the Multiverse unchecked, they will destabilize the entire structure. The Infinite Multiple is based on continuous evolution, not the endless repetition of the same destinies.”

The Maker approached, and the fractured realities around him began to vibrate. “You can't stop me. Cycles must continue. I am what was before, and I will be what comes after. Every beginning brings an end, and every end a new beginning. It's time to restore what was taken from me."

MaRa and Costelor understood that in order to preserve the stability of the Multiverse, they had to find a way to reconcile these old cycles with the new order of the Infinite Multiple. If the Cyclical Maker was to be reinstated, a solution had to be found to avoid repetition and stagnation.

* * *

With deep concentration, the two Guardians began to study the strings that surrounded this region of suspended realities. MaRa felt that the solution was not to block the cycles, but to transform them. If the cycles could be released from their closed loops, they could evolve into a form that would fit the new structure of the Multiverse.

“Maker,” MaRa said calmly, “you must not oppose the current order. Your cycles can continue, but they must be freed from endless repetition. We can offer them a path of evolution, one that allows them to reintegrate without destroying what has been built.”

The maker was silent for a moment, considering the proposition. “And what guarantee do I have that I won't be locked up again? That you will not isolate me, as you have done before?”

"None," answered CosTelor. “But this Multiverse is not the same. We have learned from the mistakes of the past. We are not asking you to obey, but to collaborate. If you want to continue, you have to be part of the evolution, not just a repeater of the old cycles.”

With heavy silence, the Maker began to withdraw the dark tentacles that enveloped the suspended realities. The surrounding time strings began to reconfigure, and the cycles stuck in their loops found a way to unfold in a new direction.

"Very well," said the entity. "I will accept. But never forget—cycles cannot be completely eliminated. They will continue to exist, even in a changed form. And I'll be here, watching."

* * *

MaRa and Costelor watched as the region began to transform and the suspended realities resumed their course, each cycle breaking free from its endless repetition. It was a new victory, but also a new beginning. The Maker of Cyclics had been reintegrated into the Multiverse, but his transformation was not complete. He would be an eternal witness to the flow of time and destiny, and the two Guardians knew that the fragile balance needed to be watched with even greater care.

The Infinite Multiple continued to evolve, and with it, all the challenges and enigmas that came from the depths of time itself.

Explore further… The Fire of Collective Ascension