A lone man knelt at an altar. He was a fairly average sized man, but his surroundings dwarfed him. A cathedral the size of a large city surrounded him, reaching up farther than he could see, lit by an eerie purple glow that permeated everything, despite there being numerous pillars and decorations in the enormous place. Benches stretched far behind him to the back doors, enough benches to accommodate several small villages, and in front of him was a small altar. The altar, engraved with mysterious symbols, was otherwise unremarkable, at least compared to what was beyond it. A vast reach of chairs, screens, and tiny rooms, all used for people just like the man at the altar, separated him from the ultimate focal point of the cathedral and the source of all the light: a dark gem, about the size of a man’s fist. Despite being nearly pitch-black, the light it gave off was unmistakably purple, and it bathed the entire cathedral in its soothing light.

As the man got to his feet, he heard a voice whisper his name. “Kozen….” He turned around, long, black hair whipping in the frenzy of the moment. He almost lost his balance; he was used to bulkier attire, not the traveling clothes he found himself wearing at the moment. In the middle of the benches stood another man of whom Kozen had only heard, but never seen. “Kozen, you must complete your task.” Kozen nodded, and the man continued. “The fate of everything you know relies on it, and if you fail, you may lose more than you suspect.  Your underlings already suspect that something is amiss, so I will take your place while you are gone.”

Kozen was dumbfounded, but years of practice helped him keep his composure. “Yes, certainly, my lord.” As he spoke, the visitor’s shape began to change. At first he was clad only in a plain robe, too plain to have a color. He was bald, large, and muscular, but his shape shifted into that of Kozen, mimicked perfectly except for the hair. Kozen’s hair was black, blacker than most people’s hair. His copy’s hair, however, was even darker. It seemed to absorb everything around it, threatening to engulf the benches surrounding him, Kozen, and the entire cathedral. Not even that mysterious purple light reflected off of it. It was as if he possessed a void around his head instead of hair. Kozen took a step backwards and lost his composure. “My lord, it is an honor, truly, truly I cannot begin to thank-”

“Silence,” spoke the shape shifter. “I am only doing this because I cannot stray too far from our stone. You would do well to remember the consequences of failure on your mission. But fear not - I have great faith in you, Kozen. Farewell.”

“Yes, thank you, but -” Before he could finish speaking, his visitor vanished, leaving Kozen all alone to ponder his journey. Sighing, he walked briskly out of the cathedral and began his mission.