I got scared, because I was able to hear the thoughts of Heimkehr, Inkehr and Freikehr. But I couldn’t hear the thoughts of the fourth pillar. She was so powerful, I couldn’t perceive it.

Suddenly she got to her feet and jumped down, the hall lit up and the floor, the walls, everything turned into mirrors. It was the moment I finally perceived my new body. I was human no longer. I was a... “Monster.” The voice from the fourth pillar’s mouth sounded almost human. Her silver eyes took me in and I froze. “That is what you want to call yourself? You are not a monster now. You were one before.”

“Leave him,” sounded Heimkehr’s voice. “Stay out of this, child.” The fourth pillar’s voice went through the hall and the thrones, which now consisted of mirrors, too, burst and the presence of the three pillars vanished - together with Inkehr and Freikehr’s laughter.

“As I said, you were already a monster before. Ready to betray every living creature, to take all life, only to satisfy your curiosity. At the same time, you think, it is enough to sacrifice your name to gain all the power you desire.” She circled me, my head followed her and my neck broke several times. But every time it broke, it healed immediately and then broke again. “The creature you call a light hedgehog was a little light dragon, so very young. And you wanted to kill him. Now he is dead.”

I looked at her, confused, if it was possible to discern that under all the pain, but then I understand when I saw my hand and my back. I was terrified of myself. “Do you see? The pillars you begged for power remade your body with the help of the light hedgehog. You are now one. For ever. And always. Because no one knows your name, apart form me. Not even the pillars. Never again will your name be uttered. And your name will cease to exist.”

I smiled because this sounded less than punishment than endless power.

“You smile,” answered Gleichkehr with a smile of her own. “You will not exist in this world any longer. At least, not exactly. Your power is too great to not bear responsibility.”

“What do you mean?” The question escaped my mouth and my body was pressed to the floor and all the bones broke at once, healed and broke again.

“Mind your tone, child,” slipped out of Gleichkehr’s mouth with a murderous voice. “You will have to sacrifice your freedom, do you understand, child? I will create a place where you will be able to satisfy your curiosity forever, but it will know neither time nor space. You will write down what happens in this world, for ever. No manipulation. You will write down everything truthfully. There will be bridges that will reach your library. There you will see humans whose curiosity is not satisfied but awakened.”

“But it has to be satisfied.” Gleichkehr laughed again. “You think that now, child. But what is curiosity when it can never be awakened, because one already knows what happens, when it happens, how, where and why it happens?”

“But...” “You seem to understand.” I was to hear Gleichkehr laugh one last time.

“But no worry, what is your curiosity compared to all you will know, what will come? And now go.”

Gleichkehr snapped her fingers and I flinched, then blinked. Suddenly I found myself chained to a desk and a feather in my hand. In front of me lay a book with the letters: “Origin of Darkness - Birth of Light. The memoirs of Noire Ombrigé.”