LILIANA

"Look at this!"

Jace enthused like a schoolboy when he leaned over with the book that he had been wholly absorbed in for at least the past hour. They were in Liliana's sanctum, seated at the table together and surrounded by books, taking copious notes. Jace was by far the better note-taker, even drawing diagrams. Liliana was impressed, but not nearly as interested as him. She hoped this time he had something that wouldn't take too much energy to process.

"Did you find something exciting, kiddo?"

He gave her a look.

"What?" she shrugged, holding out her hands. "Sometimes you remind me of my students—although, you're a way better student than all of them combined, I think. It's cute, though, the way you get so excited as they do."

"They get excited when they manage to move a pencil with their mind. This is far more complex and interesting."

She leaned over, and asked, "So, what have you got?"

"Okay, I'm not sure exactly how it's connected yet—I'm not even sure how to formulate this into words, in fact. But see here," he pointed to a passage in the tome, "I've been reading about the Phyrexians and their advanced technology."

Liliana perked up. "Phyrexians?" That was interesting.

Jace seemed surprised by her sudden attention. "You know of them?"

"Of course. Every Dominarian knows about them. I learned all about the Phyrexian invasion as a girl. We all knew the tales. It's an important part of Dominaria's history."

"Yes, well then, perhaps you know about the interplanar portal that was opened by the evil genius, Yawgmoth, in his attempt to become a planeswalker."

"He didn't just want to be a planeswalker. He wanted to be a god."

"Didn't you say there was once a time they were not much different?"

"Yes, I suppose that's true. But Jace," she said, "there's no proof any of that actually happened. It's generally considered legend; not actual history."

"Not according to this," he indicated the book in his hands. "This is a memoir written by Urza himself, toward the end of his life."

"Impossible."

"Just listen." Then he read aloud: "The portal to Phyrexia was unwittingly discovered within the Caves of Koilos by myself and my brother, Mishra, accompanied by our mentor Tocasia. Had we any idea what it was we had discovered, we might have walked away and made sure no one ever stumbled upon that hidden chamber again. It would have saved many lives and I have regretted my curiosity getting the better of me ever since."

"Let me see that," said Liliana, staring at the book in amazement.

While she examined it, Jace said, "It goes on to explain in great detail the way the portal was created and how it works…"

She shook her head. "How is it I've never heard of this…? A codex written by Urza himself. Do you think it's authentic?"

Jace shrugged. "Why would someone bother creating a forgery just to hide it away here, never to be seen for centuries? Lili, I think it's the real thing. Urza was the greatest scholar of Thran artifice in the Multiverse. No one else could have written about the portal to Phyrexia in such detail. It's too technical to be written by someone who doesn't understand what they are talking about—and again, nobody would bother with this just to hide it away."

"Even so," said Liliana said skeptically, "the portal only connected Dominaria to Phyrexia. That doesn't even begin to compare to Tezzeret's Planar Bridge."

"No, but it does—it's not as sophisticated, that's true. But there are a striking number of similarities and I think they can't be ignored, if we are ever to understand how it works. Just as the portal could be used to seal away Yawgmoth and his artificial plane, I think the Planar Bridge can be used against Tezzeret."

"You mean use it to trap him somehow? Won't that leave him open to return again, the same way Yawgmoth and the Phyrexians were able to do when they invaded Dominaria?"

Jace paused, and then seemed to have an idea. "Lili, I think I may have figured out where Tezzeret may have gone, and what he could be planning."

Liliana gasped, as she made the connection. "Phyrexia? You think he's going to try to use the Phyrexians to take over the Multiverse? How would he do that? Yawgmoth is dead. The Phyrexian threat has long been eliminated."

"What if it hasn't?" suggested Jace. "And what if Yawgmoth isn't dead?"

Rubbing her forehead tiredly, Liliana sighed. "What makes you think he is still alive?"

"Here," he said, manically flipping through the pages until he had found what he was looking for, "read this passage. Urza himself seemed to imply Yawgmoth had achieved immortality."

Liliana took the book and read the section Jace had pointed out. Her head was aching, and she had to read it several times to take it all in. It was late; they had been at this for too long.

"Okay, even if Yawgmoth is still alive—and that's highly unlikely—what's to stop him from killing Tezzeret the moment he steps foot on his plane?"

"You're really tired, aren't you?"

"You think?" she asked sarcastically.

"Okay," Jace sighed. "Yawgmoth is one of the most intelligent people to have ever existed. He knew better than Bolas how to manipulate and exploit people for their usefulness. What is more useful to a power hungry, narcissistic, self-made god with aspirations of taking over the Multiverse, than a planeswalker who has an interplanar portal literally built into him?"

"But Tezzeret's finally free of Bolas. Why would he swear himself to another master?"

"You know how arrogant he is—I'm sure he thinks he can use Yawgmoth as much as Yawgmoth is certain he could use him. It would be a match made in…"

"The Nine Hells?" she finished.

Their eyes met with the horrifying realization that if all this was true, the Multiverse might be under a far greater threat than either of them had ever imagined.