(Note... First-person view chapter)

The chase was long, exceptionally long. Following teleportation signals had always been extremely difficult. They were like small floating buttons on a wide ocean, filled with storms and waves of energy. But it was irrelevant. The hatred was burning too deep, the sheer size of it consuming my very essence. This too, was irrelevant. Havering needed to be punished for what he had done. I clenched my fists with true Xel’Naga fury, as the ocean seemed to shift once more, thus making it more difficult to follow the Timebender’s faster then time it self’s path. Maybe it could not be done... Impossible, everything can be done. I am Eternal Grey. Everything is possible. No, this is not true... I am a fool. I cannot even watch over my people. Adun, save me...
I mustn’t stop now. I am close. I am too far. Why am I thinking 8 things at the same time? Because I am able. Am I going schizophrenic? Impossible, I am God of the Mind. Then why am I thinking too myself? Am I? What do I mean? Am I really thinking to myself? Yes, of course... - - No, I’m not...

I shook my head and closed my eyes... This seemed to become futile. Whenever the location of the teleportation beacons shifted, I started thinking too myself, conflicting with numerous thoughts. Trees crushed as I made my way through forests, scaring away hundreds of birds as I moved forward, only to change of direction again shortly afterwards. I needed to concentrate. My fury... my anger... It was preventing me from thinking normally. What? A darker voice in my head. "Markior, what are you doing? Go after him... Make him pay." A lighter voice... "Think, Markior, think. Don’t let your archon fury take control." The dark voice again. "It’s already too late! Don’t you realize, that your anger is your greatest strength?!" The light voice responded. "Untrue! It is your weakness!" I clenched my eyes shut and shook my head, roaring. "GET OUT!!! Get out of my mind!! NOW!!" The voices merged together, responding simultaneously. "Why banish your consciousness?" This was more then I could bare...

This world, this... Havering... And everything going on here. I couldn’t influence it. I was going crazy. With all my experience, my long life... my deepest emotions... my strongest power. All I could do is sit and watch. Multiple parts of me began to speak to me. It was as if my essence was breaking apart into fragments. And.. even beyond Havering.... Lord Ulrezaj. The mindcontrol of Aurora. The appearance of the Dark Lich, even. So many things... I couldn’t handle. It was... out of my reach.

...........
...........

Impossible. No, far from impossible. I’m a weakling. No, I am strong! I am Eternal Grey! No, I am nothing more then a wannabe perfect lifeform. I can’t... I can... I can’t..... "GET OUT OF MY MIND!!" I widened my eyes and grinned... I knew.

I knew how to stop it all from happening. To bring everyone home to their original place. To stop Havering’s scheme. Why defeat him? Defeating him was Multex’s problem, not mine. All I must do is get my people back to Yoshin, The Star Road, and Earth. If I couldn’t do more then just my duties... I would do nothing more indeed. Heeheehee... they’ll say I am crazy. I am.. I have become crazy. It’s their fault. No, it’s mine. Shut up.

(Note... exit first-person view)

It had been a long time since Markior had used this. His mind was corrupting itself, and his old self was disappearing. Now that he could not find Havering to let him pay, he activated plan B. The destruction of the planet. He floated upwards and began gathering energy... An exhausting and long process. To him, it seemed like the only solution now. The destruction of Zolott would mean that Havering could not get the needed artifacts. If he’d teleport away... it would be Multex’s problem. But where was Multex’s Psionic emanation? Was he still here? Or on another plain? He seemed to be shifting. Markior lowered his disembodied hands for a brief moment, trying to think of the consequences. But his, now corrupted, mind... wouldn’t allow him. He returned to gathering energy, drawing energy from the Psionic field of the planet and surrounding stars. Strange it seemed, that the Manna field of the planet wasn’t attempting to stop him. If anything, the Manna field could detect danger for any planet... but it kept silent. Markior continued, the clouds surrounding the air around him darkening.

If the planet was destroyed, the barrier around it would break. Through a strong Recall, teleportation throughout the multiverse and dimension would be possible. Yet, it would drain him so much.... He would not survive. But that was of no importance, he would die a second time... and a second time means forever, but he would die doing his duty. Protecting his people. But his corrupt mind didn’t allow him to realize this was the wrong way... He continued gathering energy, hours passing. The animals in the forests, the seas, the sky... all could sense the upcoming danger. They ran for shelter, afraid of what their natural sixth sense was telling them. He continued, his eyes burning with grey energy. After everything he had learned, after his entire life.... it would end here. And with it, this planet, and Havering’s scheme of darkness. The sky around him turned grey as well, and a dark spot on the Manna and Psionic field began expanding... time was growing shorter and shorter....

Markior slowly directed his claws downwards, closing his eyes. "En Taro... Zolott." He whispered to himself. He floated upwards, his energies surrounding him radiating slowly, almost pulsating the power away from him. His own power now began to turn against him, knowing this was not the right path to follow. But it made no difference.... He opened his eyes and a small, thin beam erupted from his hands, dashing its way forward. It pierced through the ground, a tremble surging through the planet as it made it’s way inside, penetrating the surface. Small jets of magma began to gush out of the hole in the ground, the grass burning away around it, the dirt blackening under its heat. Then, after a brief moment which seemed like hours, the core of the planet was reached.

The planet shook violently, and noticeable by every creature. Markior’s expression remained untouched, exactly the same... Cold, with a grin of torn-apart madness and anger glued on his translucent face. If left like this, the planet would explode in 4 hours. The planet trembled heavier. The Protoss city began to shake as well, two of the pylons blackening out due to the heavy vibrations on the Psionic field. The fleet, including the Ganthritor II, just arrived at the Protoss city, only to see the zealots and dragoons looking around in what only could be described as fright. Fright in the hearts of true, brave warriors. In the Dark Castle, Aurora and Ulrezaj suddenly looked up, feeling the castle tremble in it’s foundations. The sky was turning grey slowly...

4 Hours....