"It has been in motion for some time now," she says. "I cannot tell you the exact length, unfortunately. SAGE is the timekeeper, not I. You are indeed our pieces, although like pawns of chess, you may in time be promoted to a more powerful one than you currently are. There are, however, a finite number of matches left. Four more in this bracket. Four in the next bracket. Then two. Then the final. And then it will be possible to return you to your world of origin."