The Vision Enclave
North of San Francisco, California
Silence and darkness pressed in on the five figures seated encircling the large crystal globe. The pristine white cloaks the five wore reflected on the curved surface of the near perfect orb as it floated inches above a shallow reflecting pool. This was a sacred space, or as sacred of a space as most of their breed could conceive of.
“Nothing.” Five voices said at once. The sound haunting and barely above a whisper. The sound of five glass tumblers being set aside on the concrete floor was muted almost to silence; the magic in the room thick enough to muffle it.
“Next.” A single male voice.
“May we see.” The five voices hummed together, the resulting dissonance resonated in the chamber. All at once, they closed their eyes and sipped from their next glass.
Heavy silence bathed the chamber once again. The soft fog inside the globe, which remained unmoving throughout the ceremony, began to churn and undulate. The dim glow emanating from the crystal surface began to burn brighter. Five sets of eyes snapped open.
“Michael.” A singular feminine voice choked. The scent of fear was suddenly a presence in the chamber.
“Patience, Seph. There is more.” Michael replied, his hushed tone not obscuring his own panic.
Long moments passed as the orb’s light gradually pulsed brighter, chasing the shadows from even the furthest corners of the chamber. The five white-clad figures cried out in shock as the final pulse of white light swept out from the globe through them and to the walls. The globe fell dark and sank to rest in the pool.
A quavering male voice broke the silence that followed. “Nothing more to be seen, for now, High Seer.”
“Yes. I can see that, Kale.” Michael replied, frustration coloring his tone. “Ren, please take note of those names.” The soft click of a button being pressed echoed in the chamber and recessed lights glowed to life in the ceiling throughout. “Celest, would you-”
“Verify the donor? Yes.” A warm feminine voice replied quickly.
“Kale, contact Jethro. Have him get Emerson to vet the humans close to the couple. A Guardian must be selected soon.” Michael began noting the specifics of the vision on his tablet as he spoke.
“High Seer, how soon will the Guardian be needed?” Kale asked, voice still shaky.
Michael let loose a heavy sigh. “The Guardian must be in place before the child is born. She must be safeguarded.” He paused, his eyes replaying what the globe revealed to him. “That is, she must be safeguarded until The Order makes a choice.”