Harvey Escher in a somewhat humble but pristinely tidy room. A collection of dioramas are displayed around the room, each speaking of its own tragic tale.
But it is not the dioramas that capture Escher’s interest. A screen stands before him upon the table flashing blue.
‘Enter Password’
“I have spent my fair share of time behind locked doors.” Escher begins, his voice devoid of emotion. “Down on Deathrow, the last sound one hears before the door slams shut on your freedom is the jingling of the warden’s keys in the lock.”
“We sat behind locked doors. We bade out time and waited for a day we knew would never come, when the doors would be unlocked.”
He types a string of numbers, pressing enter. The screen flashes red and displays in large letters…
‘Access Denied’
“I’ve been enjoying the freedom Narcissa pulled me into. A fine wine, a spot of art here and there.” He stares at the screen. “But certain things seem to have escaped me. An entire world of secrets, plans and Zeus knows what else lies behind this screen. But alas, the passkey eludes me.”
He glances over dioramas before him.
Pulling one out of the display, Escher smiles as memories fill his mind.
“She wasn’t blind when I found her. No, it was actually her eyes that I couldn’t get out of my head. The deepest shade of blue, one could lose themselves in. But she definitely was by the time I was finished. I managed to get her eyes out of my head in the end, by getting them out of her own.”
Escher types another passcode…
‘BehindBlueEyes’
‘Access Denied’
A second diorama joins the first.
Three horses each lie maimed and headless, their riders trampled to bloody messes under their hooves. Escher smiles as he gazes upon it.
“Well, wasn’t that just a party? They tried so hard to stop me, but in the end they were just like the rest. Chasing shadows and unable to stop plans that were set in motion.”
Escher seems confident this time…
‘FoolsOnHorseback’
A pause… then.
‘Access Denied’
Escher takes a moment to pause and reflect.
“Occam’s Razor tells us the simplest answer is usually the best. What do prisoners do when they are locked up behind bars?”
“It’s simple, they find a way to get out or die trying. They formulate a plan. If you cannot unlock the door, you break the door down.”
Harvey smiles, suddenly he has remembered his long lost password after all.
“At Ring of Dreams, everything that is complicated becomes simple. We see a door that we want to open, and we find a way to force it open. By stepping over the bodies of Apokalypsis in the process.”
He starts typing…
“The Uprising cannot be stopped. Prison bars could not hold us, so four fools and their keys have no chance. You had your chance to open that door, now step aside while the Uprising break it down.”
‘Password’
A pause. The screen flashes green
‘Access Granted’
Harvey Escher smiles.
“The simplest option is usually the best.”