《Alma》


 1 A Second Chance

    Have you ever been in an awkward situation where you felt out of place? Yeah, that feeling of dread when you suddenly realized that you didn''t belong somewhere.


    Like a prostitute hanging around a church, or a scoundrel who accidentally snuck into the local judge''s home. You just knew that you weren''t meant to be there, but there you were nonetheless.


    I''m currently experiencing one of these moments right now and I''m having a hard time processing my feelings, ya know? Especially since the circumstances regarding my current situation are rather....special in nature. Spooky stuff, in fact, if I had to tell ya the truth.


    Reed had not moved an inch since he had woken up because he feared of what lurked in the dark.


    Darkness shrouded him as he laid on the old stone floor. He hummed a tune as he the passed time waiting for something to happen. Patience was a virtue, or so he had been told a long time ago.


    Not that he was the patient type, he was just a coward. But he wasn''t about to admit it anytime soon. When have ladies ever liked cowardly men? You gotta fake it ''till you make it.


    When he woke up, he found himself unable to see and for the briefest of moments, assumed that he had woken up in hell or the afterlife. Reed pathetically sobbed in the fetal position for a while until he finally remembered what happened to him.


    Something saved his life; the shadow that had offered him a deal he couldn''t refuse. It promised to save him if he accepted the offer it had given him.


    A scam of the highest order. Offer someone who''s dying a way out and of-fucking-course they''ll accept whatever you say. But there was no point in crying over spilled milk. He had accepted the offer out of necessity, not because of the shady-ass enticement.


    Opportunity to have all my wishes fulfilled, my ass. He''d grown up in the slums where lying and getting stabbed in the back were recreational activities. He was surprised that the shadow kept his part of the deal, but that wasn''t enough to win him over.


    Just have to roll with the punches as per usual. In that regard, this was no different from any other damned day.


    "In any case, I''ve got to make sure to not fuck up the second chance the shadow''s given me. I don''t know what I signed up for when I accepted the deal, so it''s best to just assume I''m fucked."


    The last thing he remembered before he fainted was that the shadow had put a small blue light over his chest.


    "Haven''t the slightest idea what that blue light was, but whatever the shadow did worked like a charm," muttered Reed as he checked himself out. He couldn''t even feel scars where the bullet wounds should have been.


    "Seems like magic is pretty goddamn convenient, huh. Not so much as a scratch on my ass."


    Those fanciful stories sounded too unrealistic, but a small part inside of him always hoped he would come across someone who lived in that world. A boy could at least dream, right?


    Who''d have thought he''d be saved by a mage one day?


    "It''d be nice if you''d give me a break, now and then, Lady of Fate. There''s only so much my little heart can handle in a single day..."


    As if in response to Reed''s prayer, the sound of thunder boomed in his ears and he immediately curled up in fright. Suddenly, a small ball of light appeared in the darkness and began to hover over slowly.


    It wasn''t too bright, but it was still big enough that illuminated its immediate surroundings. Shaking in fear, Reed felt like the ball of light was a gift sent from heaven and quickly began scurrying towards it.


    Unfortunately, the ball of light would move away from him once got too close to it. He caught on that if he stopped chasing the ball of light, it''d stop as well and not move until he moved towards it again.


    He wasn''t an idiot, he knew that the ball of light was taking him somewhere, but had no choice other than to follow it. Starving to death in this crypt wasn''t an option.


    "Going to have to play this by the ear." Reed took a deep breath, and then carefully made sure not make too much noise as he followed the ball.


    In any case, the place that the shadow dropped him off at was mind-boggling.


    He''d been walking for what felt like ages; his legs were starting to get heavy, but he still had not reached the ball''s final destination.


    "Must have walked a dozen miles and the ball still hasn''t stopped moving. This place is fucking massive; it was a good thing I stayed in place when I woke up or else I would have certainly screwed myself over." He shuddered at the thought of getting lost in this gargantuan crypt.


    Reed was pulled out of his thoughts when the ball suddenly stopped. It stopped in front of an impressive door that had an exquisite carving of angels and demons on it. The door ominously shimmered in the dark with a red glow that looked all too uninviting.


    The longer he stared at the door, the stronger his sense of foreboding increased. He put his cold, sweaty hand on the golden doorknob and hesitated as he stood in front of the door.


    His instincts were screaming at him to not enter. He felt ill just standing the front of the door. His body and mind had come together in agreement for once as they both reacted adversely to the idea of opening the door.


    He didn''t have a say in the matter, in any case. It was either this or walking back out into the void, and only God knew what lay waiting for him if he went back.


    "Ahh, goddamnit. Just gotta stay calm and get in the zone," Reed muttered to himself as he did his best to push down his emotions in preparation for the worst. He finally mustered up the remaining embers of courage he possessed and entered the door.


    What he saw when he first entered caught his attention almost instantly as if it had a magnetic quality to it. The door itself connected to a massive stone hall that looked worn beyond belief. Bits and pieces of the titanic pillars that supported the hall laid strewn about the main passage. Complex symbols and hieroglyphics of some kind had been engraved upon the pillars. Although faded and almost destroyed, a couple of portions of some of the pillars still had pieces of their gorgeous murals intact.


    But that wasn''t what had drawn his attention when he had entered the hall, what had taken his breath away when he entered was a painting that hung at the front of the hall below an old stone altar.


    The painting was so beautiful that even Reed knew that it was special when he had laid his eyes upon it, but that wasn''t why had been left dumbfounded by it. It was the size of the painting.


    "Fucking. Massive. Painting." was the best description that Reed''s limited vocabulary could come up with at the moment. He wagered that he was probably a hundredth the size of the painting''s height and width. Compared to the ancient, decaying hall around him, the painting looked like it had not been aged a single day since it had been completed.


    The painting depicted a grand staircase that pierced the heavenly firmament. A single man stood at the bottom of the staircase as he gazed at a woman who stood at the summit. She gently held a mote of light in her grasp as she stared at the starry sky, completely oblivious of the man down below...


    What kind of relationship did the two figures have with one another to have elicited the expression that the man had at the bottom?


    The longer that Reed stared at the man''s face, the harder it became to determine his expression.


    His expression was one of sorrow, but his eyes told a different story. They looked like they contained a million thoughts within them. None of those feelings would ever reach the woman in heaven it seemed. It gave him a longing feeling that couldn''t be put into words.


    "What''s your first impression, boy? Most people are often torn about the man''s expression the first time they see it, you see..." The tender voice resounded in his ears, jolting him out of the daze he had been in.


    He jumped up in fright, turned around and saw that a man had been beside him already. He was dressed in a fancy suit that shimmered around the edges with a soft, pulsing light that gave him an otherworldly appearance. The fellow was one of the handsome types, too, and possessed an air of elegance that common people would not have. His long, silver hair that drooped past his shoulders even gave him an androgynous look when it was coupled with his face.


    Had it not been for his Adam''s apple, Reed would have probably mistaken him for a woman.


    "Ah, don''t be scared, boy. I''m not here to hurt you, after all, I''m the one who guided you in here in the first place." He waved his hand and a familiar ball of light appeared in front of him.


    "Do you have the entrance mark that your sponsor gave you? You can show it to me and I''ll send you on your way. Congratulations on becoming a contender." The man smiled as he waited for an answer.


    Reed slowly backed up and said, "Entrance mark? What''s that? I don''t think I have that, sir," afraid of angering the posh gentleman.


    A single eyebrow rose as the elegant man stared at Reed curiously. The man said, "Hm? You don''t know what an entrance mark is? Who''s your ''sponsor'', boy? Have you not been taught anything?"


    The man was quick on the uptake and put together that something was off about the situation based on what Reed had said. He asked Reed to explain what he knew from the beginning.


    Reed sighed as he explained how he had ended up in his current situation, hoping that if he came clean, the man would be able to figure out why he was sent here for. He told the gentleman about his unfortunate run-in with death and the deal that he made the shadow before he almost died.


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    Surely this gentleman would have more insight about the shadow and the deal he had rashly made, right?


    Unfortunately, his story didn''t help him at all, and in fact, confused the man even more.


    "You don''t have any entrance mark; you don''t know your sponsor''s name or title, so how did you even enter in the first place? It should be impossible in theory for a mortal to enter without permission from a sponsor or a gate lord''s special admission..."


    The gentleman''s face scrunched up as he thought about Reed''s story and eventually let out a long sigh as he looked at the young boy who looked just as lost as him.


    The gentleman looked up at the ceiling and began talking in a language Reed had never heard before. It a soft, buzzing type of speech that sounded as if the gentleman had a bee stuck in his throat. He spoke a couple of sentences and finally turned his attention back towards Reed after a moment of contemplation.


    "I can''t tell if this will be a curse or a blessing for you, boy. I don''t know how you got in here, or what smuggled you into here, but since you made it in here, I suppose I could sneak you in through the last step. You made it this far in any case, which is commendable for a mortal." The gentleman''s expression softened up the more he looked at Reed''s pitiful appearance.


    "I did what? Why are you looking at me like that? I just woke up and followed your light blub here..."


    Reed decided it was best not voice his suspicions out loud; he didn''t want to get into more trouble than he already was.


    "Well, I guess I should explain to you what you''ve gotten yourself into, otherwise you''ll be in trouble. Listen closely, because I''m only going to tell you once."


    "There''s a place beyond the world you call home, a place where it is possible for men to become gods. A place where all of your dreams can be realized. You''ll have the chance to get anything you could ever imagine of if you''re willing to fight for it."


    "But to enter this land of opportunities, you need an entrance mark which is normally given to you by a ''sponsor'', someone who''s already from there. The only way you can get in through Heaven''s Gate is if you have a mark, but you already got in without one..."


    "It''s one thing to have a mediocre sponsor, but not to have one at all? Freelancers don''t live long, boy. And without a mark, I can''t even begin to imagine what kind of ''Alma'' you''ll end up creating when you enter. This is unprecedented in many ways."


    "If I were to be completely honest, it would best if you simply backed out and returned to a mortal world, boy. I don''t know what this shadow told you, but the only thing inside there is a struggle for happiness. It''s crush or be crushed in there. Are you sure you have the heart for that?"


    Reed hesitated as he heard the man''s warning. Sure he wanted to escape the ghetto he born in and explore the world; set out for an adventure, but at what cost?


    The shadow promised everything he could ever dream once he got in, but the gentleman warned him otherwise.


    Still, Reed knew he couldn''t back down easily from this chance. He would probably never another receive a chance like this ever again. If he gave it up, it''d be back to slums all over again and daydreaming of better days.


    What of the shadow as well? He had made a deal with shadow to enter if it saved his life. Reed was slightly scared of the consequences if he didn''t keep up his end of the deal. Would the shadow come back and take his life for breaking the deal? He didn''t want to figure that out the hard way...


    Reed laughed at himself as he thought of the excuses he was giving himself to stay. He hated how roundabout and indecisive he was at times.


    The gentleman grinned as he looked at the determined face that formed on the boy and knew that this was going to be a moment to be remembered. The boy''s face was precious.


    "It seems you''ve made your decision, boy. I hope you find whatever you''re looking for if you make to the top. You see that altar up there in front of the painting? Just step up there and you''ll begin your new life in Mulia."


    "Don''t worry about the small stuff, as everything will be explained once you formally enter and get through the tutorial," said the gentleman was he dragged Reed towards the altar, almost as if he was trying to get rid of him as quickly as possible.


    By then, Reed didn''t have a say in the matter, in a matter of seconds he was thrown onto the altar and a bright flash of light enveloped him before he could even shout out a surprised yelp...

 2 Instructor Axtorius

    Every day brings a new form of misery to me, I''ve come to realize. It wasn''t bad enough that I got my ass shot last night; now I''m currently falling from the sky at astonishing speed.


    Pretty high up, too. The sky doesn''t look sky-blue up here anymore; it''s a very pretty dark blue where I''m at right now. Haven''t seen this sort of blue since the time I almost drowned at sea when I fell off of boss'' boat a couple of years ago.


    I can see the world up here! Mountain ranges, the wide blue sea, glittering cities in the distance, all kinds of interesting places.


    Well, I guess the pretty boy scammed me in the end. One hell of a way to kill someone, though. A creative way to get rid of people.


    The wind hitting my face feels as if I''m being smothered into a goddamned brick wall. It''s hard to even breathe and I can''t see much because of the light surrounding me. Do all magicians travel like this? Perhaps all magicians are masochists that like falling from the sky...


    Shit, the ground''s getting closer by the second. Not slowing down, can''t move, can''t breathe too well. Might as well close my eyes and count to ten...


    Ten...Nine...Eight...Six...Four...


    ....Oh? Shouldn''t I be dead already? Shockingly, I didn''t die.


    Floating no more than a foot above the ground, Reed let a couple of tears of relief. He found himself in front of a massive building that resembled a giant spear that pierced the sky. He discovered that he wasn''t alone either; other people just like him were stuck suspended mid-air by a glowing light that enveloped them.


    Most of them seemed roughly his age, if not a little older than him. One glaring detail he noticed was that not a single one of them seemed impressed or even interested in the building in front of them. None of them looked shocked about their descent from the sky either and most had bored expressions as they waited for something. Some even started chatting amongst themselves...


    It was likely that he wasn''t the only person that got thrown in by the gentleman, right? What had he gotten him into?


    The gentleman explained that he''d be sent to ''Mulia'', but he didn''t even know what Mulia was in the first place. It was such a nonchalant explanation, almost as if he just expected me to understand everything he told off the bat.


    Was Mulia a city? A distant country? A different continent or perhaps a completely different world? The gentleman told advised that it would be best for me to return to the ''mortal world'', but what constitutes a mortal world?


    There are too many damn questions I need answers for, but I don''t know who to ask...


    "Welcome to the proving grounds, kids! You should be proud that you''ve passed the preliminary trial and have formally become contenders, but know that this is only the beginning of your journey."


    "Don''t think for a second any of you have what it takes to survive in Mulia as you are right now, though. You''re all lower than fleas right now. Anything outside of this tutorial area could kill you with a single thought. That''s how weak you are right now."


    Many faces hardened as soon they heard the man''s warning, but a couple of people scoffed and acted as if they were above the rest. They had a self-inflated air of superiority around them that made them look like they would rather die than accept the man''s words as truth.


    A deep sigh came out as the man finally revealed himself and formally presented himself to the group.


    The threatening, authoritative voice that had rung across the plaza in front of the spear building came from this guy? If he could only describe the man with a single word, Reed would have chosen "scrawny".


    The man had a sickly, pale complexion that gave the impression that he had never seen the sun in his life. Sunk-in cheekbones and piercing blue eyes that shimmered like a neon sign. He wore a sharp, black uniform emblazoned with a golden crown with a moon behind it. It gave him a strange air of class, in a certain way.


    "Getting full of yourself because of your backgrounds? Hm? It doesn''t mean jack shit who your sponsor is or which clan, family, or organization you hail from. If you think you''ll have an advantage over others because of that bullshit, you''re going die even faster than the people you''re looking down on right now."


    "I''ve seen plenty of kids from the 5 noble families and grand guilds die retarded deaths over the years I''ve been in Mulia. Not even the royal family is exempt from this fate. Over the last 300 years, I have witnessed 6 princes and 3 princesses die because they let their hubris get the best of them."


    "Allow me to reiterate the truth the kids with big egos in here - you are nothing and you be nothing until you climb the stairway and make it to the top. Until that day, you''re nothing more than ''contenders''; little kids in the eyes of people who have completed the climb, ''conquerors''."


    "My name is Axtorius and I will be one of your instructors here in the tutorial zone, a bona fide conqueror who completed the climb over 500 years ago, long before your great-grandmothers were even born. It''s my job to grind out your weaknesses and work you lot into shape so you don''t immediately die."


    "This a free service that is given to you, courtesy of the Moon King of the North. In the past, the tutorial zone didn''t even exist and new contenders were just thrown out into the open world. Guess what the mortality rate was back then?"


    "Over 90%. Only the strongest, smartest, and most tenacious survived and stood a chance to climb the staircase. But after the four empires formed, every side needed more men - wars needed to waged. Therefore you kids now get treated like precious commodities, haha...."


    The man lifted his arm and then made a grasping motion like he wanted to grab a handful of air, a simple motion that had devasting effects. At the same moment that he grasped the air, a large gust of compressed air hit everyone in the plaza simultaneously.


    Reed felt an enormous strike hit him on his back and was almost immediately tossed forward like a human bullet. It felt like he had been by a solid brick wall without warning and a result ended up with a severe injury that left him completely immobilized. He couldn''t even move out of sheer pain from the blow.


    The others did not fare any better from the blast, most of them were incapacitated from the attack but a few still were standing, albeit barely.


    In particular, a beautiful girl with long, flowing ebony hair held her ground with great difficulty after the blast hit her. It was an odd sight because although her face showed no expression like she never even registered the pain, her body was left shaking violently the attack.


    Her brilliant, golden eyes had a sort of determination within them that told the instructor that she wouldn''t bend over until she died. She was a tough cookie with great potential.


    A tall, young man with elegant features also survived the attack and had not fallen. His long, crimson hair swayed back and forth as he struggled to keep himself steady. It seemed he suffered more from the blast than others because was on the verge of passing out despite his tremendous efforts to stay awake. He didn''t possess the strong body that the former girl had, but instead had a ridiculous amount of willpower and endurance than his peers.


    These two fellows certainly got everyone''s attention with their little stunt. Reed inwardly pitied them as he balled up in pain on the plaza floor. The instructor would assuredly make a note of the boy and the girl now.


    Getting on the bad side of that man was a dumbass thing to do. Who would willingly attract attention in front of a predator like an instructor who was a conqueror? Only idiots without proper screws in their head.


    Axtorius sneered as he stared at the few people who remained standing and slowly said, "What you were all hit by wasn''t even a proper move or skill. I just called a cool breeze to blow over you. I didn''t even use any Anima to perform that little trick. Just making a grasping motion is enough to do what I did when you become a conqueror."


    "Let this be your final wake up call now that you''ve decided to enter Mulia - you''re at the bottom of the food chain right now, no matter what kind of background you have. Follow the orders of your instructors and you''ll live to see another day; don''t and you''ll end up dead before you know it."


    What cemented the instructor''s words in the minds of everyone present was after what he did after he finished his sermon.


    All he did was wave his hand across the plaza. A bright flash of blue light passed through the entire plaza and quickly struck everyone that had been hurt.


    Right after that hand wave, Reed felt that all his pain had disappeared as if it never happened. He even felt somewhat refreshed and energized after the blue wave had hit him. Everyone else around him also came around after they were struck by the blue wave as well; everyone had been healed in the blink of an eye.


    That was the kind of power a conqueror possessed, they could determine the life and death of mere mortals with a single hand and a simple thought.


    It was a type of power that separated them from the masses; these were people that had the qualifications to endure and grow in the harshest environments.


    These were people that earned the right to live like gods and were worshipped as such by mortals. They were conquerors in the fullest sense of the word; they conquered over adversity to fulfill their dreams in Mulia of all places...

 3 Reed the Bookworm

    "Alright, it seems you lot finally understand your new positions in this world. Don''t ever forget."


    Axtorius honestly hated bullying the kids, but it was the most effective method to save them from themselves. By breaking down their naive preconceptions about their strength, they''d begin to seek self-improvement.


    If he coddled them, some of them would inevitably conclude that they were strong. A fatal error in judgment. One that would cost them their lives down the road.


    Throughout hundreds of years, he had lost count of how many students he had taught. Thousands of younglings that have come and gone through the proving grounds in search of their dreams...only to end up being buried by them.


    A long sigh escaped his lips as he stared at the newest batch, no more than fifty of them. Things were getting dire up here in the North. A regular-sized batch would have been around eighty kids a hundred years ago.


    After a short moment of contemplation, Reed and his new peers were told to follow their new instructor and entered the spear-shaped building. It held a large altar in the middle and nothing else. He expected more out of the residence that housed such a powerful person, but it was a training ground. It''d be weird to expect elegance and class from a place that was designed to train people to fight.


    Axtorius snapped his fingers and several dozen floating books appeared out of thin air, which began to disperse toward the group, as each book chose a student to hover around.


    "The floating books are called ''tomes'' and their job is to do just that - to guide you ignorant whelps. They are the crystallization of thousands of years of wisdom and innovation, creations of the three great guilds. They exist to help bridge the connections between different races and people from different worlds if I had to describe them."


    "Some of you are native Mulians, and some of you come from outside of Mulia - that is, other worlds. You''re all generally human, albeit some of you have unique bloodlines depending on where you hail from, no doubt. The north is claimed by a legendary human conqueror, the Moon King, and as a result, this region has the greatest human population. But make no mistake, other intelligent races live here too. That''s why the tomes were created, otherwise, it would have been impossible for any kind of proper dialogue to have been established here."


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    "For now, you''ll be given the day off since we have nothing planned at the moment for you. Use this free time to learn the layout of the spire, your dormitories and of course, make some introductions amongst yourselves. You''ll find that friendships, alliances, or whatever you want to call them, will become incredibly important in the future."


    "Fighting alone is almost always a death sentence in Mulia; only madmen and real geniuses stand a chance at surviving outside alone. You''ll see soon enough..." As soon as he finished speaking those ominous words, the instructor''s body disintegrated into particles of light as he vanished out of view.


    Reed couldn''t help but wonder why everyone in this world had to leave in such flashy ways. Were doors not in style in this world? It seemed that every person who used magic hated walking with a passion...


    Having been left to their own devices, the group of youths that had originally been as tense as wound-up springs finally had an opportunity to calm down. For some of these kids, the introduction that instructor Axtorious gave was too much for them to handle.


    On their first day, they had been beaten half to death and back on what seemed to have been on a whim. A tinge of doubt and concern began to creep up on the faces of some of the weaker willed individuals. A few girls began to talk amongst themselves, wondering if they had made a mistake in becoming contenders.


    "It seems like I wasn''t the only one who got scammed by the whole, ''you can fulfill any dream you want if as long as you earn can it'' spiel. I won''t lie that I sort of fell for it too, but I had a more concerning matter at the time, you know? Can''t be completely blamed..."


    A large majority of the group began to congregate around the few people who withstood the instructor''s attack, praising and asking them questions about their origins. Reed scoffed as he saw how they fawned over them without end.


    A horde of mice trying to cling on to the biggest piece of wood out at sea. What good would it do to get in their good graces if they were the ones who were most likely to get the toughest training out of all of them? What would they gain in helping lesser folk - nothing at all. They''d only receive an extra burden to take care of; who''d willing do that in here?


    Those geniuses were on a different path than the rest of them and despite that, those idiots still hoped for a free pass out of this mess. Truly hopeless.


    Reed let out a long sigh and contemplated what he''d do: stay here and find a couple likeminded ''friends'', or rest up for whatever was in store tomorrow? He felt that it was a hopeless situation to form a relationship with most of these people and the ones that mattered would probably never give him a chance.


    He was never the outgoing type in the first place, most of the time he just went with the flow and tried not getting into trouble back on Fairis. Blending in and not stirring the pot was what he was best at.


    Ahh, whatever. I''m better off just catching up with the tome and resting up. It''s not my style in the first place. I''ll just play this song and dance safely from a distance...


    With that said and done, Reed began heading up the altar after he learned from the tome that it served as the main hub and method of transportation across the ''spire'' as the instructor called it. A familiar burst of light came out from the altar and Reed was whisked away to the dormitories.


    Reed found himself in large hall reminiscent of the one had met that gentleman in not too long ago. It was a slightly smaller, cleaner version of that hall that had looked more like an alien temple than a dorm because of the white marble floor and stainless steel walls. They were so polished they that reflected everything like a mirror. The whole place had an unnatural, artificial feeling to it. Felt like the walls were watching you.


    Dozens of doors stretched across the hall, too many to count. The place had enough rooms to hold at least a hundred people comfortably given how many doors there were in the hall. Did they need so many rooms? There were only fifty or so people in our ''batch'' as the instructor had described his group.


    He walked around the hall and began inspecting the rooms out of curiosity. They were all the same in their layout: a bed, desk, a small closet, and a bathroom. Nothing out of the ordinary aside from the fact that none of the rooms had windows. Why not include them? Who knew.


    Once he chose a room for himself registered it under his name with his tome, he heard a soft clank that came from the closet in the room. Reed found that the previously empty closet was now stocked with several sets of uniforms similar to the one that instructor Axtorious had worn. A golden crown that had a full moon behind it was emblazoned on every uniform.


    Didn''t take a genius to put the pieces together. He didn''t have a say in the matter, but for better or worse he belonged to Moon Empire, at least for the meantime.


    Having nothing better to do, Reed began interrogating his tome for answers and after several hours of questioning it, he finally had a decent grasp of where he was and what this world was ''made'' for.


    ''Mulia'' as everyone called it was a world of unknown origin, even to the oldest and wisest of its inhabitants. It was a place that pulled in many creatures from different worlds and tested their will to survive, essentially. For what purpose did it do this? No one had a clue despite the incredible efforts to find out throughout thousands of years of research and debate.


    The world tested people by pitting them against impossible odds, and if they succeeded in surviving, they''d be rewarded handsomely by it. It originally kidnapped people and forced them into ''climbing the staircase'' as the ancients called it.


    A series of trials given to the ''contenders'', or rather, the unlucky souls who had been forced to fight for their lives. For every completed trial, the world itself would reward them with its blessing in proportion to the feats they accomplished.


    They became stronger, faster, and even discovered that their lifespans had been extended. Given enough blessings, some people even became immortal in the truest sense of the word.


    But even that wasn''t enough, as records stated that even immortal warriors had been killed on their ''way up the staircase''. You need something more to pass through these trials, or even stand a chance.


    That missing piece was called ''Alma''. The saving grace that gave all contenders a slim chance at making it to the top.


    The earliest records told the story of a very special woman that deserved the gratitude of every contender, alive or dead.


    She was the first being to ever successfully clear all the trials given to her by the world.


    Having completed what was asked of her, she had the right to ask for anything she could ever want. No one had the right to judge her wish, no matter what she asked for.


    Instead of using her one wish for her own sake, she chose to use it for everyone else instead. She asked the will of the world to grant everyone that would climb the staircase a spark of her own will, a piece of her own essence.


    By that point, she already had been strong enough to have been called a genuine goddess in both body and spirit. She could do anything with but a thought. Part the seas, turn mountains to dust and pierce the sky into the stars.


    A boundlessly powerful being was shattered into dust and was turned into a blessing that would protect all that come after all henceforth after her.


    Every contender from then on would be granted their own ''Alma'' - a fragment of that woman''s divine will. Although small and fleeting, it was still a piece of an actual goddess. It contained incredible power within.


    With an Alma, contenders became capable of feats that had never been seen before. Contenders were granted with a divine ability that only gods had the right to use.


    The right to control and absorb ''Anima'', the fundamental essence of the universe. It is the power that holds all of creation together and people that can control it become capable of doing anything that they can will into existence.


    Controlling the forces of the universe at their fingertips, natural phenomena at their command, anything they could properly conceive into real-space from their minds.


    Gifted mortals might be able to control diluted, lower versions of ''Anima'' present throughout the universe. Some primitive cultures called it ''Mana'', ''Chakra'', ''Qi'' and the like. These energies allowed mortals to perform limited feats of creation and destruction.


    The truth was finally made clear to Reed after he finished his studying session. He had actually been inducted into a road created to turn mortals into gods!


    Not the magicians of his world as he mistakenly thought, but true, bonafide deities that could shape the world at will! That is if he could survive all the trials that the world threw at him...


    "I can''t tell if this is the luckiest opportunity in my entire life or the biggest mistake I''ve ever made. What have I signed myself up for..."


    A deep sigh escaped Reed''s lips as he stared at his room ceiling. What would he do now?

 4 A Meeting with the Outcasts

    It was truly mind-boggling to the think about what he''d gotten himself into by pure chance. This was an opportunity people would die to obtain. Mortals in Mulia worshipped conquerors as true to life deities, and even contenders received deep respect as ''chosen ones''.


    Mortals offered tribute in the form of taxes and worship to the four empires in Mulia in return for the protection that they offered to them. Ever since the four empires formed thousands of years ago, not a single mortal state under their rule had ever suffered from an attack.


    An uncivilized and chaotic world had finally been blessed with peace and proper order. The four empires formed under the supervision of four legendary individuals that had achieved great merit during their climb together to the top.


    The Moon King chose to rule the northern plains of Mulia and after establishing his empire, mysteriously retreated into his domain and had rarely been seen since then.


    The King of Flowers ruled the beautiful, tranquil south and was responsible for supervising all other empires since the other three sovereigns frequently were not available most of the time. He was considered by many across the world to be the de facto ruler of Mulia itself because of the nature of the circumstances surrounding the empires.


    As a result, many affectionately addressed him as "Father" because of the gentle personality he possessed and the fact that he more or less held the modern world together as it was known.


    The Queen of Shadows took the western mountain ranges of Mulia under her banner when she formed her empire. Little is recorded of her due to her natural inclination to remain hidden and the few things known about her were likely kept secret amongst the upper echelons of the world.


    The Lion King ruled the eastern lands of Mulia, the vibrant grasslands and forests that formed the heart and soul of the world. It was the empire with the largest population and held some of the most renown noble families in the world.


    Of particular interest, the Dragoncrest and Ashborn families had their place main branches there. These two families were famous across the world for having the distinct honor of being the first to have created such a fearsome bloodline. A joint project of incredible proportions that left the world in awe once it was discovered.


    Both families meticulously plotted to have their kinsmen marry into the four royal families and after several centuries of effort, they succeeded. Their children would then be forced to marry with other the family''s children until children carrying the bloodline of all four royal bloodlines were born.


    "Genuine madmen, but you have to give them respect for the efforts that they put into their scheme. They bred themselves into


    He''d gotten unlucky the more he looked at the facts. The north had an absentee ruler and a frigid, inhospitable climate that was unfit for habitation. The only reason an empire existed in the north at all was because of the technological marvels that allowed mortals to harness Anima indirectly.


    Were it not for the great guilds'' creation of the Anima generators that allowed small scale terraforming of the surrounding area, mortal beings would have never been able to settle down in the northern part of Mulia. The temperatures in the north frequently hovered a hundred degrees below the freezing point of water. It was a barren, frozen wasteland that held little life.


    Only creatures that had evolved to withstand such unforgiving conditions lived up here and none of them were friendly, so to speak. Mortals would freeze to death before they''d be killed by the local predators, though. Not sure if that was comforting or not.


    Contenders and conquerors stood a chance at traversing the wasteland unhindered depending on their strength. A powerful contender who had been blessed enough would eventually develop a body that could withstand almost any environment. Conquerors didn''t even to rely on their already immortal bodies to withstand the cold, they would just use their Alma to render any inconveniences away with a thought.


    It was a blessing that the training ground was located in the lower part of the northern border, but it was probably done on purpose. If they had built it too far north, some idiot might have wandered out of the spire and died a stupid death.


    In any case, heading south seemed like the best course of action. It was the only area that had an active ruler and was considered to be the most peaceful of the four regions. Reed dreamt of a cushy life where he lived by the beach and slept around in a cozy hammock until sunset.


    There''s no way I''m going to freeze my ass off for this empire. Not in a million years. Golden beaches and sunny days are the only things waiting for me once I get out of this drab place...


    Suffice to say, he didn''t want to think about the hard reality of his situation and pushed any unpleasant thoughts deep down. He excelled at improvisation and usually acted before he thought in demanding situations.


    Hesitation was an insidious killer that wrapped itself around one''s neck before you even noticed it. Reed had seen it kill men firsthand and long ago swore to never let it get the best of him. Remaining calm under pressure was a heavenly virtue; acting swiftly and decisively was divine.


    Reed had nothing to do after he finished his studying session, so he decided to get some fresh air before he went to sleep. He was feeling a bit anxious about what was laid in store for tomorrow and felt like a quick walk around the spire would help him unwind a bit.


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    Reed found a few people still out in the hall conversing when he left his room; a majority of the group had already turned in for the night as he expected. The ones that were still awake were loudly conversing and laughing as if they were having the time of their lives. An odd bunch of fellows.


    As soon as Reed walked out into plain view, one the young men called out to Reed and said, "What''s the matter, man? You also got bored with being cooped up in those shitty little prison cells, too? They fucking suck, right?" The youth had golden hair and eyes that shone like an emerald. A tall and slender figure that easily overtook Reed if they both stood side by side. He resembled a prince that belonged in a fairy tale if it weren''t for his rotten mouth...


    Ah, shit. I should have walked behind the pillars instead of out into the open like an idiot. Now I''ve


    got to deal with them...


    "Yeah, it felt a bit stuffy in my room so I came outside, haha. What are you guys doing up so late, shouldn''t you all be preparing for tomorrow?"


    "Prepare for tomorrow?" The blonde boy and his friends immediately began to crack up and began howling again for a solid minute. What did they find so amusing?


    Reed assumed that they lacked common sense; he silently classified them as ''outcast'' types. Socially inept, partially insane, or perhaps just plain stupid. Low IQ or EQ. Either way, these people were no good. Associating with them would the same as tossing himself into a maelstrom of trouble.


    "Bud, you sound just like the wimps who sucked up to the Ashborn and Dragoncrest bastards not too long ago. We haven''t even begun training and they''re already worrying about nothing. Weaklings like them will never make it to the top. Stop thinking about unnecessary bullshit and just go with the flow, man." The blonde boy beckoned Reed to come and sit among his friends with a flamboyant hand wave and welcoming smile.


    Reed had to reevaluate his judgment of the group; they were still weirdos, but at least they weren''t spineless idiots. It was a small step up from his initial impression of them. He wouldn''t decline the invitation, in any case. It was an opportunity for him to learn more and potentially befriend them in a single go.


    "Excellent, excellent. From now on you''ll be the fourth member of the council of sages. A prestigious honor few have ever received. Let me introduce to you our illustrious members."


    "Naturally, I''ll start with the most important member of the council - myself. I''m Astor Kingscrown, founder of the council and heir to the Kingscrown name. Be amazed!"


    Who? Is he someone famous or he is just bullshitting me? I honestly can''t tell...


    "Next up is the only female council member of the group! A powerful young lady with the inner spirit of a mighty gorill-"


    Astor had been forcibly silenced before the could have finished his last words. The girl had thrown a magnificent punch that ended up connecting with Astor''s jaw.


    Reed was genuinely amazed. He only saw a blur of a fist when she struck Astor. It was the first time he saw someone perform a superhuman feat in front of his eyes.


    "I''m Ophelia Redcliff, granddaughter of Marquis Redcliff. It''s nice to meet you. Don''t let Astor''s nonsense get to you. Just punch him like I did if he ever gets on your nerves." She smiled, shook Reed''s hand and began browsing her tome as she ignored Astor''s incessant moaning.


    The last fellow spoke in a rough voice and said, "I''m Horatio Restus, son of Duke Restus. Pleased to meet you. Don''t mind Astor''s behavior... Sometimes he can get a bit out of hand, but he means well. Most of the time. "


    Horatio was a classic type of man that would certainly get attention wherever he went. A sharp, brooding face and well-defined physique gave Reed the impression of that he might have prior experience in combat. Out of the three, he was the only one that looked like a genuine soldier.


    Realizing that his turn had come up for introductions, Reed spoke up and said, "I''m Reed. I have no special background or talents. It''s nice to meet you all."


    "Pshhh, don''t even sweat it, Reed. Who gives a shit where we come from, right? If we relied on our backgrounds all the time, we''d never grow up properly. Baby birds have to leave the nest someday. They gotta fly out into the sky and be free..." Astor trailed off into silence until Ophelia broke the awkward pause with a question.


    "Say, Reed, where''d you come from? Are you from the North? You look like you''re not from around these parts."


    "Yeah, I''m not from around here, as you might have guessed. I came from a world called Fairis; don''t know if you''ve ever heard of it. I''m not a native if that''s what you were trying to get at."


    Astor, Horatio, and Ophelia looked at each other for a moment and nodded silently amongst themselves. They had looks of relief when they heard Reed''s response.


    "We guessed you weren''t a native from the very beginning, you see. Your initial reaction of us more or less gave you away, to be honest. You didn''t even flinch once when you heard us introduce ourselves, either. That was what gave it away."


    "A real local wouldn''t have had the spine to look at the three us in the eyes, given our backgrounds. They would have simply pretended they didn''t exist and would''ve kept their heads pointed towards the ground. Accepting an invitation to sit amongst ourselves would have scared them half dead."


    "Does the name Kingscrown mean anything to you, Reed? What about my last name, Redcliff, or Horatio''s last name, Restus? Probably not, considering it''s your first day in this world."


    Reed grinned and said, "I honestly thought that Astor had just come up with a gaudy last name for show. I mean - Kingscrown? Come on."


    Ophelia and Horatio burst into tears and began clutching their sides. It was a riot for them. No matter what Reed responded with these fellows would always end up having a laughing fit. After a solid minute of laughing, they finally calmed down and Horatio took it upon himself to enlighten Reed why they found his response so goddamned hilarious.


    "You probably wouldn''t know the name Kingscrown, Reed, since you''re brand new, but I''m sure you learned about the four founding empires from your tome, right? You know that the four empires of Mulia are ruled by the four sovereigns, with the Moon King being the ruler of the North."


    Reed nodded in understanding, but what was he getting at? A creeping suspicion began to form in the back of his head. Horatio had already given him enough clues to see where he was probably going to with his explanation, but he didn''t want to believe it until he heard the words come out his mouth...


    "Ah... your face has given you away, Reed. It seems like you''re quick on the uptake. The basic tomes that we''ve been given offer a lot of knowledge, but a good bit of it is sort of shallow in depth. But that''s beside the point.


    "What I''m trying to get at is that ''Kingscrown'' is the Moon King''s last name. Astor''s a descendant of the Moon King and member of the Northern royal family. I shouldn''t have to say anything else.


    Ophelia is the granddaughter of Marquis Redcliff, who is widely known even outside of the North for his extreme skill in Anima control. He even challenged the Moon King once in battle and put up a good fight, enough that the Moon King awarded him with his current rank hundreds of years ago. "


    "My great-grandfather is Duke Restus, the right-hand of the Moon King and current ''ruler'' in the absence of the Moon King. He acts on behalf of the Moon King''s will and has been doing so since the empire was first founded thousands of years ago. It wouldn''t be a lie to say that the Moon King formed the empire and my great-grandfather raised it into what it is now. As a result, my family is seen as equal to the royal family, at least in the North."


    "You get it now, right? One of is a bonafide prince, one is the granddaughter of a monstrous conqueror who can fight one of the four sovereigns, and the last one is the grandson to the King''s Hand. No one in here has the balls to even speak to us out of fear of our families..."

 5 Almas Blessing

    Reed smiled bitterly and started felt bad for the trio, but couldn''t find any words of comfort to give them. The way Horatio described their predicament gave Reed the impression that it was a problem that would be solved so easily.


    "I''ve never heard of princes and princesses being ostracized for having been born into power. There''s a first for everything, I suppose," he replied.


    "But if they fear you three so much because of your status, why were so many people sucking up to the crimson-haired ponytail and the girl with the ebony hair? You know, the ones that withstood the instructor''s sneak attack. They also seemed like bigshots and everyone started sucking up to them without a problem."


    Astor''s face scrunched up and he angrily replied, "Those are the Ashborn and Dragoncrest bastards I told you about. Those thieves are from the eastern empire and despite their actions, they had the nerve to choose the northern training ground. They truly go wherever they want and do whatever they please, acting like they''ve done nothing wrong!"


    Reed felt lost and did not understand why he had gotten so heated up about them. Sure, that whole bloodline fiasco was kind of messed up but didn''t every powerful family intermingle and marry their kids off like that? Even in the mortal world, the aristocracy would only marry people within their social caste, so to speak.


    "Is it such a big matter, the whole bloodline business that the two families orchestrated? I thought that was the norm, although I will admit they got a bit carried away with the whole thing."


    "No, it''s fucking not! The sovereigns personally might not care about what their descendants do, as long as they don''t burn down the four empires, but we do! Aside from the Flower King''s nanny act, the four royal families have been governing Mulia for thousands of years without change, but now these upstarts have started stirring up some very concerning talk."


    "These bastards want to carve up the four empires for themselves using the bloodlines they stole as proof of their right to rule. Common folk and lesser noble families see the two families as a potential golden ticket, one that would have them set for life. If they supported the Ashborn and Dragoncrest families and they succeeded in their goals, they''d be rewarded handsomely for their contributions. Money, fame, and all the authority the could ever want."


    "Enough incentive to win over those weak-willed bastards that you saw back then; they''re nothing more than losers who are trying to scramble over each to please their potential masters. No respect, loyalty, or gratitude towards the royal families who''ve been protecting them for millennia."


    "Most people are too lazy and weak-hearted to even put their feelings into action, let alone support a political revolution. Astor''s just paranoid. Even grandfather hasn''t made an effort to stop them, just goes to show that it''ll probably die out sooner or later."


    "I think we should call it for the night, guys, it''s already past midnight," warned Ophelia. She stood up and said, "If we stay up any longer, we''ll probably wake up late tomorrow, so I''ll be turning in for the night," as she quietly walked back towards her room.


    Horatio and Astor said their farewells as well and retreated to their rooms, leaving Reed alone in the empty hall. He originally planned to stroll around the spire, but this detour wasn''t too bad either. He''d made acquaintances with some powerful people if they were to be believed and gotten a clearer perspective on some of the local culture and history. Couldn''t have asked for a better situation.


    Slightly tired, he decided to call it a day like his newfound friends and went back to his room. That night he slept like a rock for an unknown reason.


    Morning came around and Reed was jolted into consciousness as his tome blared a piercing noise. It sounded like someone had run their nails across a chalkboard right next to his ear. Reed found that it was unpleasant but effective. He simply couldn''t force himself to sleep through the damn noise no matter how hard he tried.


    Forced against his will, he arose from his slumber and clothed his in his new uniform. Fit him like a glove. Also had him wondering how they had gotten his measurements down so precisely. Another mystery that had no discernible answer.


    His tome began to shine and all of a sudden a sweet voice came out of it and it said, "Good morning, little chicks. Sleep well? It''s time to start your training so follow your tomes to the designated location. I''ll see you there." He took one last look in the mirror and headed out to the teleportation altar.


    A small crowd of trainees were already teleporting over to the training site, but Reed noticed a familiar bunch were standing around waiting in front of the altar. Astor, Horatio, and Ophelia stood beside the altar and once they finally spotted Reed they called out to him happily.


    "Heavy sleeper, man? You came out a bit late, most of the group has already left to the training site. We were wondering whether or not to barge in your room and wake you up ourselves," Astor said.


    Reed shrugged his shoulders and said, "It was certainly weird. I don''t think I''ve ever slept that soundly before. Thanks for waiting, guys." The trio grinned and Astor pulled him along into the altar, all the while joking about nonsense.


    A flash of light enveloped them and they were instantly sent to the designated site, which appeared to be a massive sinkhole, so wide and deep that it was impossible to see how far down it went. It was wider than the spire itself, which should have been impossible in theory.


    A question sprung up in Reed''s head: Were they still inside the spire or had they been teleported somewhere else? It would make sense if the designated area was somewhere else, but if this sinkhole was actually inside the spire it would mean that this place was a dimension inside the spire itself. Perhaps it was the product of some god-like manipulation of Anima, another creation of the great guilds.


    Reed wasn''t too surprised anymore with these developments anymore, it was clear that the people of this world operated on a different level. He''d only limit himself if he still kept an outdated mortal view of what was possible here.


    He had to continually remind himself that in theory, you could do anything with Anima. Given enough innate talent, practice, and effort, mortals could become gods.


    After a couple of minutes passed, everyone had arrived as requested. As soon as people began speculating what the purpose of the sinkhole was going to be for, space fluctuated around them and a loud dull, crack echoed across the area.


    Reality had been forcibly torn open; an awful tear in space hung above the sinkhole and a woman walked out of it. She had a gentle expression on her face, which made the scene even more jarring. Her long, flaxen ponytail bounced as she walked on pure air as if an invisible surface existed that no one could see.


    Soon enough, she had made it across the sinkhole and stood in front of the group. Tense expressions could be seen everywhere she looked, and she sighed. Axtorius had done it again, she thought. Scaring them a bit was fine, but why did he always have to go overboard?


    "Now, now. I won''t hurt you, so you don''t get so riled up, okay? I''m no brute like Axtorius, so you can all relax," she said. Her words carried a soft charm to them that many couldn''t resist as her voice spread across the group. One felt secure and protected just hearing her speak.


    Reed wondered what type of skill she had used as he felt himself becoming calmer by the second. A form of mental suggestion carried by words, some psychic ability, or something out the box? He shook his head and tried to mentally resist the woman''s numbing words. It proved difficult but he was able to free himself of the forced state of calmness after several attempts.


    He noticed that Astor, Horatio, and Ophelia had already broken out of the mental suggestion before had. Astor grinned and patted him on the back as if to congratulate him secretly. Horatio nodded quietly in approval and Ophelia giggled.


    He had been dead last among the group, but they didn''t care. Horatio silently pointed towards others and Reed saw that most of them were still stuck under the instructor''s spell. They looked happy and content, albeit a bit absentminded. Sort of like how cows behaved.


    A few others had broken out the spell, mainly the stubborn-willed types who hated being under the effects of the spell. The Ashborn and Dragoncrest duo had also broken out of the charm and kept indifferent expressions about it all.


    The female instructor smiled as she looked at the rebellious few that had broken out of her suggestion and winked at them playfully, but soon paid them no mind.


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    "I welcome you all to the blessed grounds. My name is Angela Windsong and I will be your anima instructor for the duration of your time here. I will be teaching you how to use Anima properly and above all else, efficiently."


    "Some of you might have...idealistic views on what Anima is capable of, given what you know about it. Yes, you can do anything with it, but that''s only half of the story. You need to be skilled enough to shape Anima into doing your bidding, and you need to possess a strong enough body to withstand the forces that come with using this divine ability."


    "Don''t even think any of you will be capable of performing any of the feats you''ve seen conquerors do. Not only will you not be able to do them on a technical perspective, but your fragile bodies would also never be able to handle the massive amount of Anima needed to perform them.


    "I''m telling you this right now because every couple of decades, a young pup always oversteps their bounds. They don''t listen to my warnings and try to do something they aren''t even remotely capable of doing, like warping space, trying to manipulate time and the like."


    "They all died, I assure you. In extremely painful ways that you could never possibly imagine. Tampering with the domain of god, the natural laws of the universe carries the greatest risk of all the things you can do. Be aware that you tread a fine line between heaven and hell when you use Anima. No one will save you if you end up warping yourself into the void or some godforsaken dimension. Peace be with you should do so."


    Angela paused for a while and pointed her left hand towards the sinkhole. "Today''s going be a special day. You''re going to receive your Alma and formally complete your registration as a contender. The sinkhole is an entrance to the soul of the world and will let you communicate with the will of the world. Form a pact with the Will and receive your Alma. That''s all you need to do for today, so jump in when you''re ready."

 6 The Isle of Infinity

    Just jump in? Did I just hear her say that? I''ve never heard someone tell another person to just jump into an abyss so casually. She said it with a straight face, too, as if it was a simple task...


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    Do conquerors no longer fear death? Have they all become so numb that nothing fazes them anymore? Will of the world this, endless sinkhole there, why even bother, am I right?


    The calm expression on Reed betrayed what he was really feeling at the moment. His instincts had kicked in subconsciously as he stared at the sinkhole indifferently, even though he actually panicking inside. His bluffing skill was superb, or so he thought; after all, it was a skill he had been practicing since childhood.


    Acting tough was a necessary skill back in the slums; the strong oppressed the weak. So that''s what I did - I made a rough outer shell that would deter people from messing with me.


    Of course, my act only worked on weak-willed people. Gangsters, on the other hand, would call your bluff as I painfully learned one day. They broke my nose that day for looking at them the ''wrong'' way, as they put it. I learned that day that an act would only be believed as much as the most skeptical person in the audience.


    In any case, my faked calmness was just a reflex out of fear, something I had ingrained into muscle memory. Most of the students had nervous looks on their faces as they stared down into the depths of the sinkhole. Many of them stood at the edge of the sinkhole and tried to jump in but couldn''t; fear choked them into submission as they indecisively meandered around the edge...


    I couldn''t blame them for hesitating because I felt the same way. Why was this lady making life difficult for us? Wasn''t this difficulty too damn high for the first day?


    Reed''s indifferent face continued to betray his innermost feelings...


    "Unexpectedly, you''re a tough cookie, aren''t ya, Reed? I honestly expected we''d have to egg you into jumping, but you don''t even seem fazed. Good on you," said Astor.


    He slung his arm around Reed and said, "Real men have no need for the word ''fear'' in their lives, unlike these whelps. Have you ever heard of a cowardly god? That''s why these losers will never make it top...," he murmured as he slowly walked towards the sinkhole with Reed in tow. Horatio and Ophelia looked at each and shook their heads as they followed along.


    As soon as Astor saw both of them, he snorted disdainfully and said, "I never thought we''d be blessed enough to see this happen today. Look, we''ve found a cowardly dragon and phoenix, first of their kind!" He laughed coldly as he slowly walked towards the edge of the sinkhole were they both where.


    The crimson-haired boy looked back at Astor and sighed. He finally spoke up and said, "Has the royal family not taught their kin how to behave maturely? You come off as immature and bitter, starting a conversation off with a barbed insult, Kingscrown. It would greatly benefit you in the long run if you learned how to properly respect others..." It sounded like a sincere piece of advice but held an inflammatory implication that sent Astor into a rage.


    These two were incompatible with one another, like fire and water in motion. Astor would rage at the crimson-haired boy''s provocations and soon enough both of them had entered their own little verbal joust. Horatio sighed deeply and Ophelia laughed they watched the sparks fly off of the pair. They tried their best as they both worked in getting Astor to calm down and ignore the boy, to no avail...


    The black-haired girl ignored the conversation and kept silent as Astor and the crimson-haired boy exchanged insults back and forth. Reed thought that she was likely the more serious one of the duo, an aloof type that lived inside her head. She had been staring so intently at the sinkhole that Reed ended up becoming curious about where she had been looking at.


    He quietly walked over beside her and looked down, but saw nothing out of the ordinary no matter how hard he looked. But he assumed that something must have caught her eye, given she had been so focused on her task, so he continued to stare at the sinkhole intently under his eyes started to dry up from the strain of not blinking.


    Eventually, he finally saw something out the ordinary that shocked him. A faint blue light that blinked faintly deep inside the sinkhole. It was an incredibly small point of light that flickered back and forth like the flame of a candle within the darkness. Given how faint the light was, Reed assumed that the light was thousands of meters down there.


    "Is that flickering candlelight the Will of the World that the instructor spoke about?" Reed asked the girl. He had been somewhat curious about her ever since he saw withstand the instructor''s attack and he looked at her ice-cold gaze. Now that he had an opportunity, he took it whether not it would result in anything of note.


    The girl continued to stare at the speck of light for a while longer and finally looked at Reed. It was the first time he''d gotten a proper look at this since the day everyone had gotten their ass beat by Intrsructor Axtorius. She was even more beautiful up close than he previously imagined. Her aloof aura complemented her elegant face in a twisted way that only made her charming to the eyes.


    A lonely, gorgeous ice queen that looked at everything with indifference. Reed couldn''t deny that she had the bearing of someone who appeared naturally superior to others. A superwoman with an air of royalty, no doubt the culmination of her family''s painstaking efforts.


    She stared at him and quietly said, "No, it isn''t. That''s the gate to the Soul of the World, the area where the Will resides. I''m honestly surprised you found it so quickly. You have sharper eyes than my dimwitted cousin, Sebastian, over there." She pointed at the crimson-haired boy appeared to be enjoying him in Astor''s fury.


    Reed bitterly smiled and said, "It seems you have your fair share of misfortune too, miss. By the way, this little one still hasn''t had the honor of learning her Royal Highness''s name yet. This humble one''s name is Reed." He half-heartedly bowed extended his hand towards the girl in jest.


    It appeared that the girl wasn''t completely devoid of emotion because Reed saw a slight smile form on the girl''s face when he finished his act. This aloof princess wasn''t entirely immune to teasing, it seemed. She extended her hand and said, "My name is Astrid Dragoncrest, daughter of Frode Dragoncrest, my humble servant. Do your best in your duties from now on, or I''ll have you sent to dungeons." She put on a brilliant smile as shook hands with Reed.


    "....."


    He choked up when he heard her words, he didn''t expect that she''d get him back for his joke. There was more to her than she initially let on, Reed mused.


    She was at least open enough to not be offended by stupid jokes and even knew how to dish them back. He should have expected that this ice queen would possess a sharp tongue. One only had to look at her cousin''s ability of provocation to have put the pieces together. These two were well experienced when it came to their oratory skills. Perhaps in preparation for the future? Reed could only speculate...


    "Milady, please have mercy on this humble servant, I meant no disrespect," he said as he lifted his hands in the air jokingly. "So, are you going to jump in first? Looks like a long fall from here, you know. My little heart can''t handle large heights too well, so I was hoping you''d show me how it''s done."


    "You''re scared of heights? How old are you really, Reed? Just close your eyes and jump if you can''t handle the sight of the sinkhole. Or would you rather I pushed you off the edge instead," she teased as she got closer to him. She suddenly moved with blinding speed caught one of Reed''s wrists in a flash.


    A-Ah, she''s got me now. I thought that she was just an indifferent, aloof girl because of the cold face she had initially, but maybe that was just a public facade that masked how she felt. I might have shit the bed this time. This she-devil might have had me under her thumb since I walked up to her...


    Reed felt a chill run down his spine when he locked eyes with her for the first time. Her eyes that glittered with amusement gave away her true intentions, despite her best efforts in maintaining her poker face.


    He knew at the moment that he had lost to a superior actor, someone who had mastered the art of bullshitting. "As expected of a noble lady such as yourself, Miss Dragoncrest. This humble one begs for mercy," pleaded Reed as his eyes began to mist up in preparation for what was about to happen.


    "No, no. Baaad Reed. It''s Astrid, not Miss Dragoncrest, okay? This is just the way of the world, the weak have to obey the strong. Just accept your fate," she sweetly said as she dragged Reed towards the edge.


    Even Astor and Sebastian stopped arguing when they saw her dragging Reed with her towards the sinkhole. Astor yelled out, "Stop, she-devil! I already claimed that boy for the North last night! Cease, you damn thief!"


    Alas, it had been too late for anything to be done. Astrid ran at full speed and jumped into the sinkhole, Reed still in tow. Her giggling and Reed''s screaming echoed ominously as they both plunged into the endless abyss, leaving everyone above shocked.


    Immediately after, Astor and Sebastian quickly jumped into the sinkhole chasing after them in pursuit. Horatio and Ophelia grinned and jumped into the abyss, too, leaving the rest of the class speechless.


    It had all happened so fast they had no time to understand what had happened. They saw Lady Astrid jump off the edge with a boy and then the other nobles rushed in after them. Who was the boy that jumped off with Lady Astrid and why where they in a hurry? Rumors would soon spread about the group of powerful descendants and the mysterious guy that associated with them...


    Wind furiously rushed past Reed and Astrid as they descended into the maw of the world. Pitch-black darkness engulfed them as they fell towards the flickering light at increasing speed.


    They''d been falling for such a long time down the sinkhole that Reed finally gathered up the courage and screamed, "Just how much longer do we need to keep falling for?! How fucking deep is this goddamned hole!"


    Laughter echoed across the darkness and a familiar voice loudly responded, "We''ll be there soon, man! My father told me that since the Soul of the World can''t be accessed by any other means aside from these sinkholes located across Mulia! That''s why even conquerors have to jump into these sinkholes if they want to meet the Will of the World; they can''t just warp there like they also do for everything!"


    Astor wasn''t wrong about what he had told Reed and not too long after, the faint blue light that the group had been keeping their eyes on had grown significantly in but a moment. Reed''s first impression of it was terrifying beyond description. It had the appearance of a giant, raging ball of flame. It wouldn''t have been a stretch to have just called it an enormous blue sun that looked capable of incinerating anything in its path.


    The closer he got to the sun, the greater his concern grew but found that this blue sun gave off no heat no matter how close he got to it. By then, he had found himself separated from everyone else during freefall. Whatever happened from then on, he''d have to deal with himself.


    He simply continued to fall into the star''s gravity and was eventually dragged inside of the colossal celestial body without incident. A blinding light forced him to shut his eyes closed for a couple of seconds until a hard fall forced him to open them again. The light disappeared and Reed found himself in a place that left speechless.


    An endless expanse of tall, golden wheat stretched out across the horizon. The sky seemed like it had been locked in place because the sun would never set no matter how long time passed. An eternal twilight perpetually cast an orange glow upon the bountiful harvest that laid before him. A soft breeze carried the faint smell of salt across the field that tickled his nose.


    This was a place that had not been by desecrated the filth of the mundane world. It was a golden landscape that did not belong to anyone.


    No one deserved to set foot upon this land; not men, gods, or even saints. This holy paradise was reserved for a special individual. Someone who was... truly worthy.


    The stars themselves shone brilliantly as he had never seen before in his life. They twinkled like precious jewels that had been put into the sky by someone because of the way they had been arranged.


    The heavenly firmament had been rearranged to form a portrait of a woman. She was beautiful beyond comparison and was without equal. The day she died was the day that the world lost something irreplaceable.


    Reed felt an indescribable pain in his heart that grew the longer he gazed at her. But why? He found himself fiercely fighting the urge to burst into tears and finally tore himself away from her smile.


    He continued to walk for miles and miles through the golden fields but found nothing else of note. Exhausted, he laid down on a patch of wheat and closed his eyes in contemplation. Eventually, his thoughts began to drift and his eyes grew heavy; he had drifted away into a deep slumber...


    A soft and delicate warmth enveloped him as he slept soundly; it felt as if he had been embraced by someone. It gave him a sense of security he had never experienced before in his life.


    She held him in her arms as they laid on a patch of wheat. Only she knew how much time she had spent waiting for this moment. Now they''d finally be able to start the second act of this wretched play. This time, she''d make sure that nothing would get in their way. She didn''t believe that they''d get a third chance, after all.


    "I have to make sure to not mess up and ruin the opportunity that''s been given to us, [ ]."


    She placed her hand on her chest and a warm light began to flow into Reed''s body as he slept. The world seemed to stand still as she poured radiant light into him, afraid of possibly disturbing her concentration.


    Finished with her work, she held him for a while longer as he gazed at his face, doing her best to engrave his features inside her mind. A long sigh escaped her lips and she reluctantly let him go after a what seemed like an eternity.


    Soft light enveloped the boy''s body and he vanished out of paradise. As soon as she saw the last bit of his essence disappear, she faded silently into the landscape until she was completely gone.


    Silence reigned across the land, as golden wheat swayed back and forth, but if you listened very closely, sometimes a noise could be heard.


    If you pried your ears and listened closely, now and then a woman''s joyful laughter could be heard in the distance...

 7 The White Egg

    Several hours had passed since Instructor Windsong gave the group their mission for the day. They had the simple but important task of forming a pact with the Will of World, finalizing their commitment in becoming contenders. This wasn''t a difficult task to accomplish, all you had to do was enter and state your intent to the Will of the World.


    That was all it took to become a contender and receive an Alma from the Will. She had never heard of anyone failing in forming a pact with it. After all, it was a soulless existence that did not possess an ego. It was a machine-like being that only existed to manage the underlying components of the world.


    So how did that boy screw up what should have been an automatic process? But most importantly, why hasn''t he come out yet? It''s almost been half a day and he still hasn''t been thrown out by the Will of the World...


    Angela, Axtorius, and the rest of the instructors peered at the sinkhole from above. Various expressions covered their faces as they individually speculated on the situation. It seemed none of them knew what to do, or rather, hesitated on making a move. Even though they were conquerors, not a single one of them dared to act rashly in front of the Will of World.


    They knew what it was capable of and understood the enormous power it possessed as beings that were blessed by it. Sure, the damn thing had didn''t have an ego, but that didn''t mean it lacked basic instincts.


    Throughout history, some particularly powerful conquerors sought to control and subdue it for their benefit. Every single idiot that tried doing so was erased from existence without fail.


    A harsh lesson was taught since then, and that was that no one, man or god, should ever even consider offending the Will of World.


    As a result, the only thing the instructors could do was wait for something to happen. None dared trade their lives just to save a single youngling. Although it was a pity, they still had the others to raise.


    Hushed tones could be heard down below as the students discussed the situation amongst themselves. Apart from the larger crowds, a small group peered into the sinkhole. Astor, Horatio, Ophelia stared at the pit, hoping that something would happen soon. Even Astrid and Sebastian had serious expressions as they also continued to gaze at the sinkhole. None of them were in the mood to quarrel or joke with one another at the moment.


    Given their backgrounds, they knew exactly why the instructors had not made a move, and despite understanding their reasoning, felt frustrated at the situation. They discussed amongst each other and confirmed that none of them had ever heard of such a prolonged ceremony. This was going to be an important event that would stir up the world once news spread.


    Astor sighed as he stared at the sinkhole and said, "Well, it looks like he''s going to be a real popular guy once he comes back. No matter what, this is going to attract the attention of all four empires. It might even arouse the interest of the sovereigns..."


    "It might be a bit too much to say that even the sovereigns will take note of what happened today. They''ve stopped paying attention to the mundane world a long time ago in pursuit of their goals," said Astrid. She sat down at the edge of the sinkhole and made herself comfortable as she waited for Reed''s return.


    "But you''re certainly right that everyone else will be paying close attention to him from now on. I''d be surprised if everyone on the outside hasn''t already heard about this by now. It''s been half a day, so I''m sure we can all agree that the whole world has already been informed about him."


    Sebastian interjected and said, "I do not doubt in my mind that the higher-ups have already been discussing his fate. It wouldn''t even be unusual if we all received orders to rope him in from our families by the end of the day."


    "Say, Kingscrown, you know him the best out of everyone. What does he seek? Money, fame, or authority? Women, perhaps? He might get played to death if the top brass decides to get him in their pocket. You''d do well to advise him with haste once he comes out, or else, hahaha...."


    The group''s expressions hardened when they heard Sebastian''s words. They all hoped things wouldn''t develop in that direction, but what Sebastian spoke was the truth. It was all too common for regular people, who had no association to the upper echelons of the world to be bribed, manipulated, and oppressed by the major powers that ruled the world.


    The money and authority these individuals possessed essentially let them do as they pleased without any repercussions, as long as they did not offend a royal family or some high ranking clan. Someone like Reed who had no real backing or strong background was a prime target for them.


    "That''s not an issue because I already planne-"


    "No need to worry, because I''m going to as-"


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    Astor and Astrid both looked at each other as they cut each other off mid-sentence and a moment of silence passed through the group. Even Sebastian who only commented to tease Astor was left speechless. Horatio and Ophelia bitterly chuckled as they stared at Astor''s trembling back.


    "Here we go again," they both thought as they stared at the golden volcano that was about to burst.


    All of sudden, the ground shook violently and the sky began to darken as dark clouds began to form across the area. Lightning struck and deafening booms were heard in the distance. Even the temperature seemed to have taken a turn for the worst as condensation began forming on everyone''s breaths.


    Everyone in the vicinity of the sinkhole ran for their lives and rushed as far away as they could from the sinkhole. Only the instructors remained undisturbed as they shifted their gazes towards the skies and observed the storm above the sinkhole.


    Space starting warping as enormous waves of Anima leaked out the storm, which created an area of incredible pressure around the sinkhole. The students who had immediately backed away when the storm formed escaped the effects, but a large majority of the students got caught in it.


    It felt an actual mountain had been put on their shoulders and as a result, nearly all of the students crumpled under the pressure. Even the likes of Astrid and Sebastian were unable to even resist the ridiculous weight of the Anima wave and kneeled on the ground.


    An older-looking instructor with a long beard of grey hair noticed the situation down below and swiftly waved his hand in a vertical motion, brushing the Anima wave away. He smiled at the students and said, "It''s too dangerous for all you to be here right now, so take this opportunity to get as far away from here as you can get. I''ll block the Anima waves for a couple of minutes of so hurry along now."


    Everyone used the time the old man had given them and bolted off into the distance until they no longer saw the surging waves of Anima in the sky.


    Back at the sinkhole, the sky continued to worsen as the clouds turned darker and the lightning grew fiercer. Some of the bolts that struck the ground had grown so powerful that they alone could kill the weaker kinds of contenders in a single strike. The Anima waves had grown so strong that they would turn anything other than the strongest contenders into a meaty paste.


    The instructors cared little about the weather though as they stared at the raging storm. They knew that storms like these were usually a prelude to some sort of larger event that would occur. It was likely related to the boy, which made them all slightly anxious, considering the mysterious relationship he had with the Will of the World.


    Eventually, the storm reached its peak and the waves had Anima waves grown so strong that they broke apart space itself, as spatial tears formed around the sinkhole. Where these tears lead to was a mystery no mortal dared solve and only the likes of conquerors possessed the right to understand.


    Suddenly, the raging storm had abruptly stopped at once. The lightning and spatial tears stopped dead in their tracks, with some bolts not even touching the ground. An oppressive force had frozen everything around the sinkhole in place.


    Terrified, the instructors also had been forced into submission as well and were unable to move so much as an inch. Space had been locked down around the sinkhole as if something had revoked the world the right to move.


    It was then that the instructors finally saw it, the cause of the storm, and the force behind the space lock.


    It was a hand. A giant hand that had descended from inside of the storm itself. The hand was beautiful in a way that could not be described and belonged to, without a doubt, the fairer sex.


    The way the hand was positioned, in a sort of lightly clasped manner, gave one the impression that it was carrying something down to the ground. It gave them the impression that it was being gentle so as not to damage whatever it was carrying...


    The woman''s hand continued to descend until it finally reached the ground beside the sinkhole, whereupon it released the contents it had been carrying.


    A brilliant light shone around whatever it had carried, blinding the instructors for a brief moment. By the time their vision came back, the hand and the storm had disappeared.


    Their movement restored, the instructors immediately rushed to see what the hand had left and discovered that the hand had left an egg.


    A large, white-gold egg that had complex runes and symbols of unknown origin. They all paused in reflection as they tried their hardest to burn the symbols into their heads, but were shocked out of concentration as a dull crack reverberated into their ears.


    It was the egg. Whatever was inside was already beginning to hatch! But what followed after gave them their first real shock in thousands of years.


    A human arm viciously burst out of the egg. "A human arm," they thought absentmindedly as they stared at the egg, dumbfounded.


    Another arm then burst out the egg and eventually, a pair of legs also came out, too. Finally, the creature inside had enough and shattered the egg into a million pieces as it came out.


    That day, all of the instructors of the Northern Kingscrown Training Academy witnessed something they had never seen in all their years alive.


    They saw a young boy hatch himself out of an egg. Reed had finally returned.

 8 The Celebrity

    Have you ever wondered what it''d feel like to be popular? I''ve would have never given such a boorish question the time of day in the past, but look at where we''re at today. Another exciting development in the cosmic joke that is my life.


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    That''s right, I might have been a late-bloomer, but now people have finally seen me for what I worth!


    Or not.


    You see, I''ve gotten myself in a bit of a pickle this time around. I kind of, you know, did something that''s gotten the attention of everyone across the world.


    I....hatched today. As in, I came out of an egg just like a bird. Perhaps I''ve always been related to chickens from the beginning and my Alma took the form of an egg in response, heh. Goddamnit.


    It''d had been a couple of hours since Reed''s ''birth'', as people across the world had come around calling it. The spark had already become an uncontrollable fire and Reed swiftly became a famous person overnight. His face and name spread across all four empires like wildfire as people speculated the relationship he had with the Will of the World.


    Some rumors spoke of him being the illegitimate child of the Lion King and the Queen of Shadows, and others believed that he was the incarnation of some ancient conqueror. All sorts of wild, nonsensical theories were being thrown about on the Nexus, as people commented on the recording of the storm that a student from the Northern Training Academy had uploaded several hours ago.


    Reed, of course, knew none of this as he laid about in a confined room. He had been taken, or rather, personally escorted back to the spire by the entire faculty a couple of hours ago.


    "They put in me this room and told me that''d they let me out in a bit, but I''m starting to believe that I''ve been lied to." He tossed and turned in bed as he held his growling stomach and yelled out, "At least feed me if you''re going to imprison me; even prisoners get three hots and a cot where I''m from!"


    His room''s locked door suddenly opened and a familiar face entered the room. Reed immediately scrambled for cover. Axtorious looked at the pathetic boy in front of him and took a seat on the bed beside him.


    Reed shook his head slowly and said, "But I don''t want sort of life, Instructor. Sounds dangerous and unforgiving. I was planning on settling down near some beach down in the South. With a fruity drink in one hand and a cute girl around my neck..."


    Axtorius burst into tears when he heard the boy describe his dreams; it''d been too long since he''d heard of something so fucking stupid. What kind of dream was that supposed to be?


    This was the ''special'' person that the Will of the World had chosen to bless with its fortune. A cowardly brat that wished to loaf around and chase bikini babes...


    He held on to his sides as he cackled loudly and thought, "This is the chosen one that''s attracted the interest of the four royal families and the three great guilds. They''re in for a goddamn surprise once he begins his ascent to the top."


    Eventually, he finally calmed down wiped his tears away, satisfied with what he had heard from the kid. He coughed and said, "Well, I won''t stop you from chasing your dreams, boy. But if that''s what you want to do, I''m going to have to disappoint you with some troubling news. You''re not going to be able to enjoy that sort of idyllic bachelor life anymore."


    Axtorius smirked and said, "You''re a celebrity now, ''Mr. Reed''. Sorry, but it was impossible for us to hide the events that occurred at the sinkhole when made your pact with the Will of the World."


    He pulled out a tablet and played the video of the events that transpired during the time that Reed had been asleep inside the egg. A massive storm raged havoc across the land and then a massive hand dropped off the egg that he had been inside like some sort of divine postal worker.


    "What in the fuck was all that about?! I didn''t even do anything when I arrived at the Soul of the World. I fell asleep in that comfortable wheat field and by the time I had come around, I had already been placed inside that goddamned egg!"


    Reed didn''t dare reveal anything out of fear of potentially implicating himself. He knew that remaining silent was the best defense he had at the moment. He simply kept a blank expression as he watched the video.


    Axtorius wasn''t an idiot and had long since seen through Reed''s feeble attempt at a poker face, but didn''t call him out on it. Despite his reputation amongst the students, he wasn''t a villain. He was simply a hardass and believed in tough love above all else. At the very least, while Reed remained a student at the academy, he''d protect him from the hungry vultures that would soon set their sights on him.


    In any case, not knowing was better than getting spoiled. When conquerors reached his age, any form of stimulation was greatly welcomed. He''d watch intently as the boy''s story developed...


    "The reason we threw you in here was for your safety," Axtorius said. He took Reed''s pillow and laid down on the bed before he continued his explanation.


    "What we feared was that someone was going kidnap you, so we had to take some drastic measures. This cell is located in the deepest level of the spire to give you an idea of where we''re at right now. We''ve had an instructor personally guard your cell in shifts for the last couple of hours. We''ve been waiting for reinforcements from the Northern capital, Almdalir."


    "I imagine that the Kingscrown family will be sending some of their guardians. They''re high ranking conquerors loyal to the crown, entrusted with the noble duty of protecting the direct descendants of the royal family, as in, the ''main branch'' of the Kingscrown family. Lucky you, eh? "


    Axtorius yawned as he finished his explanation and said, "That''s about all you need to know for now. You can go back to your dorm now, just follow your tome''s directions and get going. Don''t worry too much about the hard stuff and let us take of it. You should probably meet up with the other kids, right?"


    He grumbled bitterly and said, "I''m sure they''re all worried about you. Ahh, youth and the beauty of friendships. How fast they form..." Axtorius had fallen asleep mid-sentence and never ended up finishing his thought as he lay curled up on Reed''s cot.


    "He''s a pretty laidback guy once you get past his drill instructor act," Reed thought as he walked out the cell. A professional type of person that clearly separated his work life from his casual time and took his job seriously. He was a sweetheart beneath the rugged exterior that put up in public. Reed admired that but knew that this casual side of Axtorius would likely only make a rare appearance from now on.


    When he returned to the dorms, Reed saw a sight that left him exasperated. His classmates had been waiting for him and were hanging around his room in anticipation. Once they caught sight of Reed, all hell broke loose. A horde of excited classmates swiftly surrounded and drowned him with their questions. He knew that they probably meant well, but it was too much for him to handle.


    Flashing lights blinded him as he tried his best to escape the crowd; he felt his anger rising as he thought, "Fuck, I''ve been completely corralled like a goddamn animal. These idiots are treating me like I''m some sort of zoo exhibit." He gritted his teeth in frustration as he struggled to escape his confinement, but had little success until somebody spoke up and caught everyone''s attention.


    A thunderous voice suddenly said, "Leave him alone. You''ve already pestered him enough for a lifetime." Astor''s booming voice resounded across the hall like thunder as he walked over to pick up Reed. The crowd immediately yielded and dispersed when they heard Astor''s command, like rats who had heard human footsteps.


    Astor grinned when he saw Reed''s haggard complexion and said, "Yo, buddy, still alive?" He put his arm around Reed''s shoulder and escorted him back to his room under the watchful gaze of the horde.


    "It''s pretty nice having friends in high places," Reed thought as they chatted about nonsense. When they walked into Astor''s room, he found that everyone else had been waiting for him.


    Horatio and Ophelia were playing some card game when they had entered but stopped once they saw Reed.


    Astrid had been reading something in her tome; Sebastian had been playing games on his tablet when they arrived, but they put down their distractions once they saw Reed.


    They all looked at him a little oddly...as if they were inspecting an alien or some unknown creature.


    Reed noticed their inquisitive gazes and said, "I''m still human if that''s what you''re wondering. I don''t know why I came out of an egg. Stop looking at me like I''m some carnival freak." He sat down and deeply sighed.


    "Can you blame us? You came down from the sky in a fucking egg, man. Are you the descendant of some legendary hen?" said Sebastian. This bastard never missed a free opportunity to spit his poison. He suddenly felt a connection between Astor and himself as his frustration grew...


    Astrid coldly gazed at Sebastian for what seemed like an instant and it put the fear of God back in Sebastian. He coughed lightly and hid behind his tablet, wishing that he could fade out of existence.


    The fair maiden said, "Don''t listen to anything that comes out of this flea''s mouth, Reed. He''s a bit special and sometimes doesn''t bother thinking before opening his mouth. We''re all glad that you''ve returned safely, isn''t that right, Sebastian?"


    "A-Ah, yes, yes! It''s great that you came back in one piece, man!" sputtered out Sebastian as he bemoaned his fate on the inside.


    Ophelia laughed at Sebastian and said, "Look at you now, Ashborn, how the mighty have fallen..."


    Horatio finally spoke up and said, "It''s about time we get to the main purpose of this meeting, don''t you think? We can mess around later, so let''s get the boring part out of the way first."


    Astor nodded and said, "Yeah, you''re right. Let''s just get into it. The reason we''ve all assembled today is to give you some advice and offer you help if you need it, Reed. I don''t know how much you know about your situation, but I''m going to keep it short and sweet."


    "You''re in danger, Reed. The kind of danger that will tear you into pieces. For better or worse, you''ve attracted the attention of every major power in the world yesterday, and they''ll do anything to learn your secrets. Get you under their control. Some powers will even try to kill you outright to preserve the balance of the world if they see you as a potential threat."


    "The only reason you still breathe is because you''re under the protection of the Northern Training Academy at the moment. Contenders and conquerors are forbidden from killing mortals, and although we''ve all been formally inducted as contenders, we''re still trainees and are considered not fully-fledged. It''s like a provisional license of sorts, so we''re still technically ''mortals'' under the current international legislation."


    "That''s the main reason you still draw breath right now; that and the fact that the politics surrounding you are complicated. The North is trying to claim you under the pretense that you arrived here first when you were sent to our world. The other empires wish to claim you as well, claiming that all training grounds are neutral grounds and as a result, the North''s claim to you is invalid."


    "Simply put, the gods are deciding your fate as we speak. That''s why we''ve all come together today, to give you a way out of this mess. All you have to do is come along with anyone of us once we graduate. Anyone of our families has a strong enough background to keep you safe.


    "You can visit the personal domains our families have set up and raise your strength in them. They''re protected areas that our main families reside in, so you can rest easy. Just think of it as you crashing at one of our pads for a while until you become strong enough to handle the outside world."


    Reed didn''t immediately respond and kept silent for a while. He looked torn as he stared at the floor pensively. It looked like Axtorius had been right; the beach would have to wait for another time. Staying alive was the number one priority at the moment.


    "Give me some time to think about, guys. There''s no need to worry about this issue for now but I''ll keep your idea in mind as we get closer to the end of our training. I''ll give you an answer by then, for sure."


    "Don''t sweat it, bud. We just want to make sure you don''t get manipulated the moment you leave the academy, or worse..."

 9 The Mountain of Madness

    Hey, it''s me. How you''ve been? Me? I don''t wanna brag, or anything, but I''m doing pretty well these days.


    Seen me on the news? I know, know. You''re probably wondering how it must feel being a superstar, living that glamorous lifestyle you''ve seen in the movies, right?


    It''s a fucking lie, man. It''s not at all what you think it''s like; fame''s a curse that you can''t rub off no matter how hard you try.


    Do yourself a favor and learn from my mistake; as the saying goes, ''do as I say, not as I do.''


    Reed stood atop a large platform in the remote wilderness. He had been ''living'' with his classmates in the wilderness for several weeks. The reason he emphasized the word living was because he sincerely believed that had died already and entered hell.


    Instructor Axtorius had brought everyone to a desolate mountain that held a training site at the summit. The first thing he had ordered when they had first arrived was for them to scale the mountain before sunset. Anyone that did not complete the mission in time would receive his guidance, as he put it.


    The first step of their training was for them to develop their physical bodies tolerance against Anima. Easiest way them to do so would be to train in an environment that held enough concentrated Anima in its surroundings.


    The higher the elevation, the denser Anima would become. As a result, the summit of this particular mountain became a location to train new contenders. The instructors would use this opportunity to kill two birds with one stone: increase their tolerance of Anima and train them in combat, teaching them the basic schools of thought when it came to fighting with Anima.


    Low and behold, Reed who was among those most ordinary in terms of physical constitution in his class felt like he had been targeted on purpose. All his friends were superhuman by birthright as children of conquerors and here he was, the only normal one of the lot.


    Some friends they were, too. None of them dared find out what it entailed to receive Axtorius'' guidance and had left him to fend for himself since day one. It didn''t take a genius to put the pieces together from there; Reed had unwittingly stumbled into hell on earth.


    Reed stood on the fighting platform and stared dead-on at the mechanical android across from him. The bastard lifelessly took a fighting stance and waited for the automatic signal that would tell it to enter combat mode.


    Reed had been beaten black and blue by the condemned droid since he had first arrived weeks ago. It was the punishment he had been given for continuously failing the missions that Axtorius had assigned the class.


    Combat platform #6 was the only platform that had its training droid set on expert-level combat mode. Every other combat platform had their droids set on novice-level or proficient-level, which designed for fledgling and experienced combatants.


    The expert-level mode had been designed for contender use only. The droids combat abilities rivaled that of a mortal grandmaster in martial arts; the worst part was that it was also equipped with limited Anima abilities as well.


    The droid had been built to give budding demigods a challenge, so one could imagine that havoc it wreaked upon the students who failed Axtorius''s missions. Over the last couple weeks, Reed had formed a special sort of relationship with the droid on combat platform #6. One of intense hatred and despair...


    He would wake up, participate in his mandatory training sessions with his classmates, learning the basics of physical combat. He''d practice the martial art that Axtorius had specifically chosen for him - Yohua. It was a martial art characterized by its emphasis on misdirection and surprise above all else: feinting attacks, striking the opponent''s most vulnerable points, and overwhelming the opponent before they could properly retaliate.


    Simply put, it was a martial art created for shameless, ruthless people that forsook honor and dignity. Yohua was created to end fights as quickly as possible and as a result, practitioners would often not pay mind to the injuries they dealt toward their opponents. Disabling the enemy took precedence over everything else; nothing else mattered.


    Naturally, the fastest way to learn was to fail and learn from one''s mistakes. The only way Reed would master Yohua was through endless combat. One way or another, Axtorius would etch the martial art into his bones, so he''d be able to use it instinctively whenever he needed it. The combat droids were the safest means of doing so; they''d never deal any lethal or permanent injuries to the students, but would still beat them into the ground as commanded.


    Again and again; until their movements became fluid and their strikes flew out without them thinking about it. They''d be put on a strict dietary regimen and be put on a pre-planned physical conditioning plan that had been specifically created for them aside from their combat training. They needed to know how to fight, but also needed bodies capable of performing at their utmost limit.


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    Nothing was spared for them and as the weeks passed, almost everyone made a tremendous improvement in the development of their techniques and martial arts.


    Reed stared at the droid menacingly as sweat dripped down his cheeks. He had been platform #6''s one number regular since they had all arrived. No one came close to the number of hours he had logged with this godforsaken mechanical nightmare.


    The worst part of it all was that because Reed had been assigned to learn Yohua, the droid also used it in their fights. Some of the things that the robot bastard had done to him could not even be described with the full extent of the spoken and written language.


    Day after day, Reed would be beaten into the ground by the android no matter how hard he struggled. The specs between the android and himself were too far apart for him to even contemplate a victory.


    It was a one-side training session that had its order reversed; Reed held the role of the punching bag and the android acted like it was the trainee. His days were mostly set in stone by then, he''d get beat the goddamned android and then he''d be carted off to the infirmary. A vicious cycle of recovering and being destroyed formed.


    Four hundred and fifty-seven losses over a month and a half; not a single victory or even draw on his belt. His fighting record on platform #6 spoke enough about his life on the mountain.


    At one point, Reed had genuinely cried his heart out in frustration in the middle of the night. Astor and Horatio had to console Reed for the better part of an hour until he finally fell asleep. That night, they both agreed that what had happened that to Reed would remain buried under the ground for his own sake.


    They understood that the boy''s delicate feelings mattered just as much any fair maiden''s; Astor and Horatio both acted like what happened that night had never occurred. This was them protecting that tender and fragile part of Reed''s soul - his pride as a man.


    Since then, Reed had developed an almost obsessive dedication towards defeating the android. In the month and a half that the class had been on the mountain, Reed had long since caught up with his classmates. It was impossible for him to not have improved throughout the training period, but more than often, he''d still fail the missions that Axtorius would assign.


    Eventually, Reed''s hatred of the android lead him into purposefully failing his missions to gain extra time on platform #6. He would fight the android, get his ass beat by it and sleep in a recovery pod overnight. It had gotten so bad, that all he ever dreamt about was fighting...


    One night, Reed felt that something had changed about him. He noticed that he had not been focused at all on a fight with a proficient-level droid and still easily won the fight. His mind had been preoccupied imagining a fight against his nemesis and before he had realized it, he had dislocated both of the android''s arms and had swiftly broken his neck in a matter of seconds.


    "It''s clear enough that I''ve become strong enough to handle these piddling droids because I''ve been training under the tutelage of an ''expert''. But it doesn''t mean shit if I can''t beat that bastard even once. So what if I''ve caught up with everyone?"


    "I''ve got bigger problems than them and need to grow stronger as quickly as possible. Or else I''ll spend the rest of my life clinging onto Astor or Horatio''s thigh, hiding in their estates like some terrified rat." He left the platform, unaware that he had set a new high score for the time it took to defeat a proficiency-level droid.


    Reed felt like it was time to settle his grudge once and for all with the bastard who had helped him so much. He felt confident about his chances this time and ran off towards platform #6.


    Horatio would later discover that his position as number one on the leaderboard had been robbed, much to his dismay, by Reed no less! Still, it shocked him when he put together the facts he knew.


    Reed had been a normal person without any fighting experience before this. And in a month, he had set a new record for the proficiency-level stage. It was the equivalent of him besting a black belt martial artist that had completed several years of diligent practice in a month.


    Even with the superhuman conditioning program, this was still a bit too much for a month and a half of growth. Was he some sort of genius? Probably. Given what he knew about him, Reed likely held several secrets.


    Still... it was a bit odd. A genius martial artist who was also a crybaby and a sore loser. This was someone who had been blessed by the Will of the World? It was probably best not to think too hard about it...


    As soon as Reed stepped onto the platform, the android lit up and assumed a neutral stance in preparation for what was about to come. Reed had come late at night, so everyone had mostly turned in for the night. Few people ever came out to practice during this time, so Reed had all the time in the world.


    A woman''s voice resounded across the platform as she said, "Training program initiated. Combatant level: Expert. The match will begin in thirty seconds."


    The three brilliant moons that hung in the sky would be the only witnesses of this fight. A cold gust of wind rushed past both the man and the machine as they waited for the signal...

 10 Moving Forward

    The seconds continued to count down, but Reed felt as if time had stopped. Reed knew that from the day he decided to embark down the path of conquerors, he''d have to fight for his dreams.


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    There was nothing he could do about the harsh reality of the world; one needed the will to claim what they desired. Nothing in life was for free.


    Reed hated fighting, but he understood that he did not possess the right to object. He would have to fight; he would have to kill. There were some things people had to do out of necessity to move forward.


    Reed thought back on his past failures and loosened up his shoulders. He tossed away his worries and shame; they were holding him back. He would put one foot forward and keep walking. Nothing else mattered.


    The android lifelessly stood as it stared at Reed in a stanceless position. It cared not for Reed''s feelings and simply waited for orders. The soulless android thought of its opponent as nothing more than an obstacle.


    Silence reigned across the platform. Nothing could be heard aside from the gentle tune of the wind. The boy and the android were solely focused on one another. The world shrunk down; the only thing that existed for them was the enemy and the ring.


    Moonlight descended past the cloudy sky and landed on them. Finally, the ring lit up with green light, signaling to them that it had begun.


    Reed''s eyes gleamed. Without any hesitation, he shot forward like a bullet toward his enemy and threw out a simple, but explosive strike that packed all of his momenta. His fist rocketed towards the android''s face but hit empty air. The android swiftly ducked and countered with an uppercut aimed square at his jaw; it intended on knocking him out with a decisive blow.


    He had anticipated that the android would take the bait he put out, and lo and behold, look at what happened. Risk and reward were intrinsically linked together; Reed knew that his cowardly nature was why he had never won once.


    Every time he had been allowed to counter the android, he hesitated. He always lacked the resolve to follow through with his thoughts. Afraid of messing up, Reed would choke up mid-fight and eventually lose once the android broke through his guard.


    He continued to lose because he did not understand - no, rejected the essence of Yohua. Yohua was designed to end a fight as quickly as possible; it was the bane of warriors who fought defensively, like Reed. After a month and a half of failing, Reed finally accepted his weakness: his mind.


    The android would always take advantage of Reed''s indecisive fighting style and defeat him ruthlessly. In that sense, the android was better suited for Yohua than Reed. A machine would never hesitate, after all.


    But this time it was different. Reed cast away his mental shackles and resolved himself to fight. He no longer fought against his instincts; his powerful body and clear mind finally synched up for the first time.


    The android''s uppercut never landed; Reed willingly entered the android''s range and started the match with a classic feint attack. As soon as the android ducked down and countered, Reed instantly followed through with a vicious knee strike at the android''s face. The machine furiously flew backward like a cannonball and Reed immediately chased after it.


    Reed understood that he couldn''t let the android build up any momentum during the fight, or he''d surely lose. The damn thing was a machine and would never tire; on the other hand, he''d slowly become fatigued as the fight progressed.


    He had to start strong and end the fight as quickly as possible. He had to keep the heat up and keep the android oppressed.


    Reed leaped into the air and came hurtling down from above; his leg aimed directly at the android''s head. The android recognized that the strike would kill it and hurried rolled out the way as Reed plunged. An enormous crack formed where his leg struck, and he promptly continued his assault.


    He lunged at the android and threw himself on top of it, aiming to break its arms. The easiest way to secure a permanent advantage over the android would if he crippled it. He tossed out a punch at the android''s arm joint, where it was weakest, but it was intercepted by the android. It grabbed onto Reed''s arm and pulled him even closer to it.


    The android rapidly coiled around Reed and strangled him mercilessly as they tossed about on the ring. Reed knew he''d lose if he failed to escape within a couple of seconds and furiously struggled to break out of the chokehold. Reflexively, he grabbed onto the arm that was choking him and pulled on it with a maniacal effort. He strained himself to his limits and pushed through the incredible pain he felt as his muscles tore.


    The veins on his arm bulged as he furiously drew out every last ounce of strength he possessed. A loud crack echoed across the mountaintop; Reed had forcibly torn the android''s arm right out of its socket in his mad desperation. Reed hastily broke out of the android''s weakened hold and retreated as quickly as he could.


    He checked his injury; his right arm had been badly hurt during the struggle. It looked purple and slightly swollen. He felt that it was painful even raising his arm above his shoulder, but chalked it up a better hand than what the android was dealt with.


    Blue sparks rattled off of the exposed joint where the android''s arm had once been. It picked up its broken arm and stared at it for a moment before it threw it out of the ring.


    The android stared at him indifferently, but he noticed something had changed. It finally assumed a proper stance and did something Reed had never seen it do.


    It extended its palm out and jerked its fingers up; it beckoned him to come. It was challenging him.


    A red light began shimmering around the android''s body as Reed felt a chill run down his spine. He knew what that light was, it was Anima. He guessed that he finally forced it to use all of its abilities.


    It would likely not spare anything in this attack, so Reed assumed it was on its last legs. The bastard wanted to end the fight before he could close the distance again and deliver a finishing blow.


    "So be it. I''ve come this far," Reed thought. He''d accept the machine''s challenge, come hell or high water. The muscles on his legs contracted as he prepared himself for their final bout.


    Reed clenched his left fist hard enough that it cracked under the force. He felt his heart thumping wildly as a mysterious warmth washed over him; that warmth made him feel like he was being comforted by something that he couldn''t describe.


    It was as if that warmth had given him the last push he needed to move forward. He closed his eyes and basked in that feeling for a moment, and then he ran.


    The scene of the boy and the machine resembled something out of an ancient fable. They looked like two jousting knights as they charged at one another, paying no heed to what would come after.


    The boy and the android were solely focused on one another.


    And then, it happened. The last thing Reed saw before the world turned dark was the scarlet glow that shimmered off of the android''s fist.


    Silence reigned on the mountaintop; only the gentle sound of the wind could be heard.


    The three moons in the sky had seen the boy''s fight, but they had not been the only ones to have witnessed it by the end.


    Everyone had been drawn to the fight when the explosive sound of the ring shattering resounded across the mountaintop. The students that crowded around the shattered ring dumbly stood in silence as they tried their best to process what had happened.


    Inside the ring, a group of familiar faces crowded around the unconscious boy; they had mixed expressions as they reflected.


    Astor and Horatio stoically gazed at the broken ring and the boy as they kept their guard up.


    Astrid, Ophelia, and Sebastian looked at the boy''s crumpled body and waited quietly. They dared not touch the severely injured boy and waited for ''him'' to act.


    Axtorius suddenly appeared, picked up Reed''s body and said, "That''s the end of it. Everyone head back to your quarters and get some sleep." He left as quickly as he came and took Reed with him into the void...

 11 The Result of His Effor

    I think I did pretty well, all things considered, you know? Sure I ended up losing, but it was the intent behind it that mattered the most.


    I...must sound like a sore loser, huh. You''re welcome to laugh at me if you''re holding yourself back out of sympathy.


    Probably looked stupid getting heated up over a fight with a robot. Still, I looked pretty damn cool, don''t ya think?


    ...Hey. What''s with that ugly look on your face? Wipe that look off your face, asshole.


    "Ah, this unpleasant sensation... it''s all too familiar now," thought Reed as he floated inside of a healing pod. He awoke and found himself inside the infirmary, a place he had become too accustomed as of late.


    A couple of weeks ago he even found out what the other students called him behind his back - patient zero. Reed was often seen inside of a healing pod because of beatings he received daily. It was a title he wished they had never given him, but he had no interest in arguing about it.


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    As Reed drifted between unconsciousness and hazy awakenings, he dreamt about the warmth that had coursed through him during the final moments of his match and speculated on what it could have been.


    When it first coursed through him, Reed felt a rush of power that he''d never experienced in his life. He felt unstoppable and boundless. His victory was assured as if it was a matter of fact.


    That wasn''t him at the time; something influenced him and gave him that confidence, the warm power that had coursed through his veins at the time.


    It was such a pleasant feeling that Reed longed to experience it again as soon as he gained consciousness. The power gave him a sense of safety and confidence he had never felt before in his life but also left him with a feeling of longing.


    The feeling that something important was missing from his life; the power only served as a band-aid for that feeling.


    Reed pushed his feelings down as he tried to recall how he had summoned that power. In the end, he never found out how to replicate the process and gave up after several fruitless attempts. He stopped fighting his fatigue and fell into a peaceful slumber again for an unknown time.


    A comfortable period passed where he simply slept and closed himself off from the world. His wounds had long since healed but Reed remained inside the pod as he tried to summon the mysterious power again.


    He had an annoyed expression on his face as he looked at the naked boy who stared at him as if he had wrong him.


    "How long do you plan on lazing about in there, boy?" said Axtorius. He threw a fresh uniform at Reed and said, " Vacation''s over. Get dressed and meet me in my office as soon as possible." A burst of light blinded Reed and by the time he recovered, Axtorius had left.


    "Still as flashy as ever, eh. Can''t ever leave a room without blinding everyone in it, you goddamned flashbulb." Reed grumbled as he dressed and headed out to meet the old man.


    It made him a bit sad that the first person who met him after his recovery had been the old man and not his friends. Would''ve been nice to have woken up to the sight of the likes of Astrid and Ophelia, but he knew better than to wish upon a star.


    Stupid thoughts like that filled up his head as he walked towards the Axtorius''s office. A hard palm suddenly struck him his back and it shocked him. He hurriedly turned around and prepared for the worst as he clenched his fists, but immediately calmed himself down when he saw who had hit him.


    Astor grinned and said, "Yo, buddy, still alive? Just making sure you''re weren''t a ghost or something." He took the opportunity to inspect Reed''s body while he dumbly stood there and said, "Nice bod, man. Look at these toned abs and big shoulders; you''re starting shape up real nice, huh..."


    A chill ran down Reed''s spine as he brushed off Astor''s hands and hurriedly said, "Personal space, man. If the ladies get the wrong idea, we''d be screwed, you know. Not that it''s a bad thing if you roll that way if you do, ya know, I won''t judge a friend on something like sexual preferences..."


    Words continued to rattle out Reed''s mouth and Astor burst into peals of laughter. He crouched down and held his sides as he laughed at mockingly pointed at Reed''s embarrassed face.


    Astor said, "Pffft! You''re too easy to read, buddy. Don''t worry, I don''t have an interest in guys, hahaha! But it''s become clear as day that you''ve got no experience in anything even remotely related to love, huh?"


    He slyly sauntered towards Reed, put his arm around his shoulder and whispered, "Don''t worry, bud. If you ever fancy a lady, you tell me and I''ll help you out, free of charge. I''ll teach you all the right things to say to them..."


    Reed''s face grew hot and he furiously shoved Astor off as he said, "Get off me, devil spawn. I need to go to talk to the Instructor or I''ll have my head torn off by him. I''ll catch up with everyone after."


    Astor ominously smiled as he stared at Reed''s retreating figure and thought, "He''s too good to lose. Talented, good-looking, and above all else, extremely charming. Aye, that chap is going to break hearts in the future, I just know it."


    The ''charming'' boy finally made it to his destination and entered Instructor Axtorius''s office, which was a building that resembled a giant, black nail that pierced the mountaintop.


    It served as the personal quarters of the instructor and also as a defensive mechanism that could form a powerful Anima barrier around the summit of the mountain in the event of an attack.


    The imposing black nail held emitted a chill that froze everything around its immediate vicinity for hundreds of feet and only grew colder the closer one got the nail. The only way students like Reed could approach and enter the nail was by following a specially constructed path that had been built for them, otherwise, they''d freeze to death before they could even reach the entrance.


    Axtorius had been reviewing documents on a holographic device, but put it aside once he noticed that Reed had arrived.


    He gestured for the boy to sit and Reed followed suit, slightly nervous. He wondered why he''d been summoned after the fight. Perhaps he''d be reprimanded for failing or breaking the ring?


    Reed rushed to come up with a bullshit excuse, but before he could speak, Axtorius said, "You did well that night, boy. I know you probably feel disappointed, but your performance that night was...superb, to say the least."


    Axtorius reclined and asked, "Did I ever tell you who created Yohua, boy?"


    Reed pensively thought for a moment and said, "No, sir, you never told me. You just said that it was created a by renown conqueror from ancient times."


    "It was my great-grandfather who created Youhua four thousand years ago during the Age of the Goddess."


    "The story my family has passed down the generations is that my great-grandfather who lived during the same time that the Goddess still roamed across Mulia witnessed something legendary."


    "He saw the Goddess and a lone man fight; their fight raged across all of Mulia and the Will of the World itself eventually had to intervene on behalf of the lesser beings were accident caught up in their destruction."


    "Yohua was created from the measly insights that my great-grandfather gleaned from the man who fought the Goddess that day, or so it is said."


    Reed was internally shocked; who would have thought that the martial art Instructor Axtorius had assigned to him had not only been his own family''s martial art but also one that held such an impressive history?!


    He swiftly started to voice out his gratitude for having been bestowed such an impressive martial art, but Axtorius brushed it off with a wave.


    "It doesn''t matter who I teach Yohua to; as the acting patriarch of my family, I can do as I please with my family''s legacies. Teaching it to you is just an investment for the future, so don''t worry about repaying me, haha."


    "What I called you over here for was to show you the result of your continued efforts," he said as he pulled up and played the video of Reed''s fight against the android.


    He skipped towards the final part of the fight and let it play. Reed and the android rushed at each other as both of them intended on delivering a one-hit kill blow.


    The android''s glowing fist struck Reed square in the face, just he remembered, but what came after shocked him silly. The fist that he threw out had struck the android, but that wasn''t the important part. It was the fact that his fist had the same red glow as the android''s when he struck it.


    Both Reed and the android flew backward with great velocity, but the android did not survive the strike. It promptly shut off as soon as it landed and the ring declared that a tie had occurred and updated Reed''s record.


    "That''s why I called you over, boy. I don''t know how you did it, but you channeled Anima and used it in your final strike. That''s why it ended in a tie, otherwise, you would have lost."


    "So that warmth that coursed through me really was Anima...," thought Reed. He had been worried that it might have been some sort of chicken bloodline he had or some other mysterious power.


    Axtorius let out a deep sigh and said, "You managed to beat my old shadow in the end. The combat data used in the expert-level droid came from me, albeit during my days as a contender. Why do think the combat droid had Yohua programmed into its martial arts archive?"


    "So, in essence, that night you scored a tie against me, with my own family''s martial art, no less. I don''t even know what to tell you, boy. You''re a genuine freak."


    "I''m going to have to discuss this event with the other instructors have them adjust their teaching plans for you. You''re moving too quickly, so we''ll need to raise the difficulty for you or you''ll get ahead of yourself."


    "That''s all you need to know for now. Don''t get cocky, boy. Even gods can fall from grace here, so don''t even think for a second that you''re in the clear."


    "Go back and reflect on what I''ve told you. Also, you''re forbidden from fighting any other combat droids aside from the expert-level one from now on. Off you go."


    Reed cried internally as he wondered what he had done to deserve this fate. Raising the difficulty; expert-level only from now on?


    "Ah, there is such a thing as being too talented," muttered Reed as he slowly shuffled out of the black nail...

 12 A Blizzard Is Coming

    So, where was I at again? Ahh, the part where I complained that I was too talented?


    Nah, I''m pretty sure I never said that. I''m a humble and honest guy, the type that can get along with anyone.


    You must have misheard something. I''m an honest, humble, and most importantly, generous individual. I forgive you for insulting my character.


    See? I''m a stand-up guy. The world can push me around, but it''s never put me down for good.


    Wind and rain may come, and the snow might fall upon the plains, but like a resilient weed; I alone remain.


    Heed my advice; the strongest aren''t the ones who can split the mountains and seas. Those clowns don''t matter.


    No, no. It''s the ones down below who survive those disasters that matter the most. The individuals who refuse to die every time the world tries to snuff them out.


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    They''re the strong ones, make no mistake about it.


    .....


    But I won''t lie that I''ve been in some shitty situations over the years. One meeting, in particular, set off a chain of events that still haunts me to this day ...


    His days now consisted of pure torture; Axtorius ordered him to only fight the expert-level android from now on. And if that wasn''t enough, the old man personally took it upon himself to guide him during his free time.


    A part of him considered it a blessing that Instructor Axtorius now personally guided him when it came to perfecting Yohua, but it came at a price. The man was an unrelenting drill instructor that operated on the philosophy that every mistake one made was an opportunity to grow, as he put it.


    Every time he failed to meet his outrageous demands, he would ''personally demonstrate'' the intricacies of the martial art, in a manner he''d easily comprehend. He would lovingly beat Reed until he couldn''t move.


    Again and again, day after day, without end. Eventually, Axtorius told Reed that he would no longer have to return to the barracks.


    "Why do I have to sleep with an old fart from now on?! This isn''t how it''s supposed to go down! I...should have just let the damn android win that night," Reed told his friends as they looked at him with sympathetic expressions.


    Horatio put down his fork for once and patted Reed on the back. He said, "We know that that he''s harsh on you, but that''s because he likes you, Reed. I heard from my father that Instructor Axtorius only personally guides people he fancies; he''s still a famous figure even after he retired from his service and became an instructor, you know? Some people would kill to be in your shoes right now."


    Ophelia spoke up and said, "Horatio''s underselling Instructor Axtorius''s fame. He''s a living legend who challenged the Lion King''s firstborn son and almost won back in his prime. Even now, some people still argue that the fight ended in a draw. He''s a national treasure of the North."


    She scowled at Horatio and said, "I think you''re mistaking yourself for your great-grandfather, idiot. Only someone his status would have the right to address Instructor Axtorius as just a ''famous'' person."


    Horatio silently shrugged his shoulders and resumed eating as he never heard her complaint, which only incensed Ophelia further. The lack of respect the boy had was annoying, to say the least.


    With a stuffed mouth, Astor said, "He''s doing you a service, bud. The first gift he''s given you is his guidance; the second gift he''s given you is indirect but equally, if not more precious. The fact that he''s bestowed upon you his family''s combat art and he''s taken it upon himself to guide will act as a shield for you in the future."


    Pieces of food flew out of Astor''s mouth as he rattled out his reasoning and hit Reed''s face. It seemed like the fellow wasn''t taught table manners when he was raised. Reed tried his best to keep himself from beating the blabbermouth prince as he focused on his explanation.


    "He''s created the image that you''re his disciple in some capacity. That''s huge. No one, at the very least, in the North, would ever dare lay their hands on a disciple that he picked up. It''d be the same as declaring war on him and the Leonhard family. Whoever did that would be destroyed so as long as they remained on Northern soil."


    Even Sebastian nodded as he heard Astor''s reasoning and found himself unable to make an interjection.


    Astrid noticed the mess Astor had made on Reed''s face and pulled out a blue napkin out of one of her pockets. As she gently wiped the food crumbs that stuck on Reed''s face, she said, "He probably means well, Reed. It''s not often someone like you shows up in our world, so you can probably imagine what an old conqueror like must be feeling right now, right?"


    "Frustration? Irritation? Annoyance? I don''t know," cooly responded Reed as he tried his best to keep his poker face on in front of Astrid. This she-devil was doing it again; she was too damn close. He felt his heart beating out his chest mostly out of embarrassment and slight fear.


    "It''s excitement he''s feeling, silly goose. For the first time in hundreds of years, he''s found someone that''s pulled him out of his boredom." Astrid smiled as he pulled even closer to Reed and whispered, "It''s a woman''s intuition...I know because I feel the same way about you, haha."


    "!!!?"


    Reed choked on his spit and violently coughed as Astrid giggled at his excessive reaction. Astor''s eyes gleamed as he stared at Reed. An ominous grin formed as he subtly checked Ophelia''s indifferent face as she ate her meal.


    "There are so many playmates...to tease and fool around with here. I''ve been blessed with the best entertainment in the North," he thought as his useless mind began churning up ideas. A storm was coming, it seemed...


    Horatio kept his eyes down and pretended that he was solely focused on his meal. He wasn''t about to join in on whatever nonsense Astor was about to cook up in the future. Not a goddamned chance.


    And thus, Reed grueling days continued as scheduled. He''d be beaten like a rag doll, day after day, under Axtorius''s guidance and eventually, the results of his beatings came into fruition.


    After two months of intense training and hardship, Reed perfected his mastery of Yohua.


    The expert-level droid no longer posed a threat to him to these days. Eight of the ten times he fought the android, he''d able to defeat it.


    His polished techniques let him snuff the android out before it even assessed his threat level. Admittedly though, the element of surprise was the reason he was able to defeat it.


    Otherwise, if the android knew beforehand about Reed''s mastery of Yohua, it would have never given him a chance to act. It would have immediately designated him as a top-level threat and used its Anima skills to end the fight as quickly as possible.


    Seeing that the expert-level android no longer posed a challenge to the boy, Axtorius cackled and told Reed that he''d only be sparing with him henceforth.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t use Anima. As a handicap, I''ll only be using a single hand, too," he said. Comforting words, don''t you think?


    Everyone bitterly smiled when they heard Reed''s complaints and consoled him the best they could. It''d looked like Instructor Axtorius had really taken a liking to him...


    Half a year passed by in a flash for the group as they each trained their combat arts and increased their Anima tolerance.


    But the good old days finally came to an end on a particularly clear day. Axtorius had gathered everyone in the mountaintop for an important announcement. Reed and his friends sat down lazily as they waited for him to start.


    His voice echoed across the mountain as he said, "I''ve summoned you all here to let you know that as of today, the first stage of your training is complete. You''ve all become well-versed enough with your combat arts that you''ll at least be able to defend yourself out in the real world."


    "But the most important development you''ve all made is that you''ve developed sufficient resistance towards Anima to begin the second stage of your training, which you''ve no doubt been eagerly waiting; learning how to shape and use Anima in a fight. Anima skills, as they called."


    "Alas, I will not be teaching you how to use Anima skills. Instructor Windsong was in charge of teaching you how to manipulate Anima, but we''ve had some interesting developments..." He glanced at Reed momentarily before continued his speech.


    "Unfortunately, Instructor Windsong will not be available for your next stage of training. Instead, we''ve elected to solicit one of our training academy''s unexpected guests to teach you as a stand-in instructor. "


    "Have no fear, the individual who will teach you is a natural-born genius when it comes to Anima control. You''ll be in one of the best hands of the North has to offer."


    Axtorius unexpectedly paused for a moment and looked hesitant. He rubbed his brow and quietly sighed.


    Students picked up on the fact that something was wrong. They wondered what could have given the Instructor such a miserable expression. Rarely anything ever fazed this man.


    "The guest instructor is someone rather...unique, you see. I''m sure you''ve all heard of the ''Winter Princess,'' right? You will all have the honor of being taught the basics of Anima by Her Royal Highness. It''s an extraordinary privilege, so take care to make the most of it while you''re under her care."


    "This concludes your time here at the tempering mountain. I''ll activate the main altar shortly and then return to the spire. Take this time to grab your belongings. We''ll be leaving in ten minutes." He vanished and left everyone to their own devices.


    Reed looked at the sky happily and grinned like he had won the lottery. He had finally escaped the old man''s clutches; the sweet taste of freedom had invigorated his spirit. His next destination would hopefully be with that princess the old man spoke about. Anything was better than being cooped up with the old man a day longer.


    Excited, he turned around said, "Hey, Astor, who''s that princess the old man was talking about? You know who she is by chance?"


    But Astor remained silent. He looked sick and somewhat pale as if he had been struck by a sudden fever. Cold sweat rolled down his face as he looked at Reed and said, "Y-Yeah, I know who she is, bud. She''s...an older sister of sorts to put it simply. Not that we''re related or anything. It''s just that she''s, well, you know..."


    "She''s a natural disaster given human form," Horatio said.


    "She''s a natural disaster given human form," Ophelia said.


    For the first time, Horatio''s stoic facade broke as he gritted his teeth.


    He had an uneasy look on his face as he said, "I guess we never told you back then, huh? Astor''s a real prince, but he''s was originally from one of the Kingscrown''s branch families. When they discovered his latent potential as a child, the main family adopted him and gave him his title."


    "The ''Winter Princess'' that Instructor Axtorius spoke about is one the Moon King''s direct descendants; one his great-grandaughters, and an infamous contender that is known for her unyielding attitude. She''s gotten into a lot of trouble because of her tendency to break anything that gets in her way."


    "Simply put, she''s a princess down to the marrow of her bones. It''s either her way or the highway, as they say. She''s the type that doesn''t accept anything other ''yes'' as an answer."


    Reed noticed a glaring bit of information and had to make sure that he had heard it correctly.


    "You said she''s an infamous contender, right? Did hear that correctly, or have I gone mad?"


    "You hear it correctly, she''s still a contender amid her climb to godhood. Don''t even think for a second she''s normal. She''s an honest to god freak of nature who can stand toe-to-toe with the likes of conquerors already. A real monster who can control Anima like its part of her or something." Astor shuddered at the thought of seeing her again but knew that it was too late to run...


    "You should prepare yourself for the worst, bud. I''ve no doubt in my mind that she came over here because she heard about your pact with Will of the World back then. She''s probably eager to meet you, so do yourself a favor and try not to piss her off, please? Because if you, even I won''t be able to guarantee your life if you do..."


    Reed gulped as he stared at Astor and began to wonder if he had made a mistake.


    "Perhaps, I had it best out here in the mountains, after all..."

 13 Love is Heavy

    Have you ever fallen in love with someone at first sight? The question came out of left field, I suppose. Don''t worry if you can''t answer.


    I''ve never experienced that type of attraction for anyone, so I doubted it even existed. But as of late, I''m beginning to think that it might be a real thing.


    Ah, but before you let your mind wander off, I just want to tell you that I didn''t fall in love with anyone out of the blue. I''m a tender, sensitive young man with feelings, but I''m no fool.


    It''s just that, well, I think that someone might''ve fallen in love with me at first sight. I wouldn''t have a problem with this situation, but this is a unique case, you see.


    She''s kind of a handful, this ''lady'' of sorts, to the point that I''ve become concerned for my life.


    I''m pretty sure that a demoness has fallen for my dastardly charms, given that I was kidnapped today...by her. I''m serious. Don''t laugh.


    ...


    My first, honest impression of her was that she was a figure that''d I never be able to reach. She had a gorgeous face and a beautiful voice that drew in everyone. There was this natural charm about her that pulled people''s attention towards her.


    I heard that she was a passionate woman who walked her own path; she bulldozed through life and as a result, had angered a lot of people.


    I couldn''t deny her beauty and charm, but those same qualities also scared me.


    She was too perfect; I thought that being around someone like her would scorch me into cinders. I assumed that we weren''t of the same species.


    I was just trying to get my affairs in order; my initial dream was to retire early and live peacefully.


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    In comparison, this princess was a being that could fight conquerors as a contender. She must have put in a ridiculous amount of effort to have been blessed to such an extent.


    A speck of dirt in front of a mountain - that was the feeling I got from looking at her. Not a very manly thing to say, but it was the truth.


    It had been a couple of days since we had returned from the training mountain. The instructors had some kind of important task they needed to focus on and had left the group on break.


    But just as everyone got comfortable with their newfound freedom, we had been summoned. Astor looked particularly unwilling to move a step outside the dormitories and was forcibly dragged along by Horatio and Reed.


    "You dare offer sympathy? Hahaha! We''ll see if you feel the same way after you meet her, fool!"


    Horatio remained silent and did not speak a single word as they dragged their uncooperative prisoner. He looked colder than usual, almost as if he was preparing himself for something...


    Sebastian laughed at Astor and pelted him with the usual - poisonous words. He smiled as he continued to torment his crestfallen rival who thrashed around like a wild beast.


    Astrid and Ophelia seemed normal, but something seemed odd the more that Reed looked at them. They looked...too composed as they made small talk with one another in the distance.


    He wondered why they had separated themselves from the boys, and assumed they must have had something important to discuss that could only be heard amongst the two of them.


    Girl''s talk, it seemed. The kind of arcane topics they discussed in secret was beyond him.


    As the students eagerly waited for the arrival of their new instructor, hushed voices echoed across the auditorium.


    "To think that we''d receive the honor of being taught by one of the North''s greatest Anima shapers in modern times."


    "She''s only started her ascent into godhood less than a century ago, too. I heard a rumor that she wants to beat the record that her older brother set when he completed his ascent."


    "The Winter Princess wants to beat the Crown Prince!? That does sound a lot like her, to be honest. There even might be a grain of truth in that rumor..."


    "I actually heard an extension of that same rumor; they say that she''s trying to beat her older brother''s record as punishment for something he did to her."


    "They say that he might''ve tried to play cupid for a prince of the east who wanted to court the Winter Princess, but there''s no way such a stupid rumor could ever be true, right?"


    Astor flinched when he heard the passing conversation and muttered in a hushed voice, "You lot have no idea what those two are capable of..."


    Suddenly, a wave of pressure forced the auditorium into silence as a spatial tear opened up in front of them. A beautiful girl that looked no older than in her early twenties stepped out of the tear. Her long, black hair swung back and forth as the spatial tear closed.


    As soon as the girl stepped out, she said, "Good afternoon, everyone. I, Violett Kingscrown, will in be in charge of teaching you the fundamentals of Anima for the foreseeable future. I look forward to seeing you all grow and become proud protectors of the North."


    A pretty standard introduction; concise and straight to the point. But the issue was that no one paid attention to her words. They were too busy being overwhelmed by the sight of her.


    Even I had to admit that she was breathtaking at first sight, but I knew better than to let myself get carried away. I felt the same way when I first saw Astrid and look at what happened then.


    As the old saying went, "once bitten, twice shy." I made an oath to myself after that; to never let myself get carried away again...


    Violett scanned over the class as she continued her speech and finally found something that interested her. The girl''s azure eyes had locked onto Astor who had tried his best to blend in with the crowd. She noticed a familiar duo beside him as well and her eyes narrowed.


    Astor kept his head down even after he knew he''d been seen and did not dare look at her in the eyes. Horatio bitterly smiled and awkwardly shook his head when he had been caught.


    It looks like those three are going to get some special attention after this is over, huh. Sorry, but you''re going to have to take one for the team, guys...


    Looks like my reputation''s finally worked its magic, eh? Once this whole ''chosen one'' nonsense blows over, I''ll be able to take it easy.


    This esteemed princess wouldn''t ever put a small figure such as myse-


    .....


    Hold up a second. Why is she still looking at our group? Rather, why is she still looking at Astor so intently... I should probably back off and get out her sight before she actually notices me. Heh.


    Reed shuffled himself away from Astor and moved closer towards Horatio. His anxiety skyrocketed once he noticed something. Her eyes moved. Reed immediately denied the possibility.


    Horatio caught on at the same moment and quickly shuffled away from Reed silently, abandoning him. By the time he noticed what happened, everyone had already disappeared into the crowd, taking the opportunity to blend themselves into the crowd separately.


    Her eyes seemed like they were about fire out laser beams given how she looked at him. It was a hawk-like gaze that made him uncomfortable.


    My situation at the time could be summed up in two words - no escape.


    ".....That''s the gist of what you will be doing from now under my guidance. We will be heading to a specialized area created for your training, the Reef. It''s a giant structure that collects Anima inside of it; the Anima density can be controlled inside, allowing novices to train without worries."


    "I''ve already made the necessary preparations for our departure, so we''ll be leaving by the end of the day. You have until the end of the day to assemble your belongings and report in at the Reef. The main altar has already been configured to send you there, so I needn''t explain myself further, I assume."


    A spatial tear opened up behind her and swallowed her whole as her voice echoed across the auditorium, "I look forward to seeing you all there as soon as possible..."


    Astor popped out of the crowd and met me right after she had left. He shook his head with a nervous mien.


    "Hey, bud, I think you might be fucked this time. I....don''t know how you did it, but it''s pretty clear that my older sister has her eyes set on you. The only time I''ve seen her look like that is when she''s decided on something."


    "What she''s decided on is something that only the devil would probably know. Neither I nor my siblings can understand her thought process. She becomes irrational once she enters that state of mind. Might be something in her blood. Heard from my father that back in the day, the Moon King acted the same way during his rise to godhood."


    If only I hadn''t been put in that goddamned egg, none of this would have happened. I''d be on my merry way...


    I''m getting further and further away from my dream as the days go by...


    .....


    We ended up in front of what looked like a giant sphere that lay beside a frozen coast. It was embedded into the coast itself and was half-submerged from the way it jutted out into the sea.


    My description didn''t do it justice, I feel. To put it the size of the sphere in perspective, the mountain that we had been on for the last half-year looked like a joke in front of this metallic monstrosity.


    The exposed portion of the sphere was at least three times taller than the mountain, so if you accounted for the submerged part that laid under the sea, well, you get the idea, right? Who knows how they built this thing...


    "But why is it partially submerged in the first place? It''s not like it needs to be put out into the sea to work, right?"


    Astrid shook her head and said, "They put it into the sea because it generates too much excess heat during its operation. Otherwise, we''d all get cooked to death. It was originally designed to be a weapon to kill something; what exactly that ''something'' is, I do not know."


    Ophelia quietly whispered, "My uncle told me that it was supposed to simulate the power of a star in theory if it worked, but no one aside from the likes of the Goddess had the power to utilize such a mindboggling weapon like the sphere. It got decommissioned and was turned into a training facility to make use of it..."


    A tender voice interjected and said, "You''re only half-right, little Leah. I''ll give 60 points for that answer. It was indeed built to be a superweapon, but.....I can''t tell you, hehehe. You''ll need to grow up a bit before you learn the whole truth." A beautiful girl quickly caught Ophelia and unintentionally strangled with her with a loving embrace.


    Violett sighed as she continued expressing her affection and said, "It''s been a while since I''ve seen you, lil'' bro. As always, you seemed blessed with fortune. You always get caught up in something entertaining one way or another... Am I wrong?" She glanced over at Reed and said, "it''s not fair that you get all the fun while I have to go look for it myself..."


    "A-Aren''t you supposed to be waiting for inside the Reef, Violett?! There''s no need to escort us, we can handle ourselves just fine!"


    "I grew bored waiting for you all to show up," she walked over towards Reed and said, "you know, it''s not a manly thing to keep a lady waiting."


    "I-I beg your pardon? Keep a lady waiting? I don''t understand..."


    Violett latched onto his arm and said," Waiting for you to show up, of course, silly boy. That''s why I came over here in the first place, to pick you up. If you don''t mind, why don''t we leave and go somewhere...private and have a nice chat?" She casually tore open a spatial tear and started walking, not even giving Reed a chance to respond.


    It all happened so naturally that it left the group shocked. Astor, Astrid, and Ophelia were the first to react. They rushed to pull Reed away but were quickly frozen in place by an Anima wave.


    "Jealousy is a terrible, ugly thing to see, you three," Violett said as she and Reed vanished into the void. The Winter Princess''s soft chuckle only served to infuriate them even more as they vainly struggled to escape their imprisonment.


    ...


    And just like that, I''d been kidnapped in one fell swoop by a princess.


    Isn''t it supposed to be the other way around in fairy tales? When did I become the damsel in distress...

 14 A Summer Retreat With Her

    Life''s a strange thing, don''t you think? One day you''re minding your business in some shoddy backward alley; sneaking around like a dirty rat for scraps.


    And before you know it, you''ve stumbled into paradise. But even heaven is beset with problems; perhaps this is the price I''ve paid for trespassing into the realm of the gods.


    I should probably stop being vague and get to the point. I''m in a bit of a jiffy, friends. I''ve been caught.


    This girl''s intense, man. She''s too honest and straightforward; I mean, she kidnapped me for god''s sake.


    Look, I''m flattered, but I''m feeling overwhelmed. I''m sure that if I tried doing what she did to me on a girl, I''d be branded as a deviant for the rest of my days.


    I guess that''s the privilege you have when you''re powerful; you can just steal cute guys like me whenever you want. Heh heh heh.


    Truth be told, it''s not a bad feeling, you know, being popular with the ladies. I just wish I had gotten the attention of a calmer type of girl instead...


    Look at me, spouting out complaints about my blooming love life, but I''m serious; it''s hard getting a handle on this princess. I can''t read her at all; one moment she''s happy and in the next, I''ve displeased her...


    Ah, I''m too talented and handsome for my own good. I should seriously focus on being more low-key from now on...


    What? Why''re you looking at me like that? I can do it if I put my mind on it, I swear! Just watch.


    ...


    We arrived in front of a luxurious villa that was built beside a beach. It was warm and a comfortable breeze passed by us as I started at the vibrant scenery.


    There''s no way in hell this was in the North, so where had this princess taken me? This...could be the South, right? Right?!


    I might''ve finally gotten my lucky streak; I suppose this was my silver lining. Nice going, Violett!


    "It''s beautiful here, isn''t it? The Reef''s designed to sustain an artificial environment; in that sense, it was created to house its own miniature world."


    "So this isn''t the South after all... Ah, it''s truly beautiful here, Lady Violett. May I ask why we''ve come here?"


    Violett pinched my arm, and I felt my soul leave my body for a moment. I think she was trying to be cute, but I genuinely almost fainted from the pain. She''s so strong even a pinch almost took me out of commission. Goddamnit...


    "You can just call me Violett, Reed. Just drop the formalities and address me by my name. There''s no need to act so distantly, considering we''ll be spending a lot of time together from now on." She continued marching up the steps towards the villa as she hummed a pleasant tune.


    Oh no, that''s no good. That last sentence, in particular, is worrying me to death.


    "C-Can you explain what you meant by that, Violett? Spending time together? I don''t follow..."


    "Well, what else is there to explain? You and I are going to be living here until everyone else completes their training. I''m going to be your personal teacher at the request of Instructor Axtorius. Didn''t he tell you beforehand?"


    Ahh... That old bastard was the one who set this all up?! Hahaha, of course, he sold me out to this princess.


    Raised me like a dog just to sell me off to this girl; I''m a dumbass for believing that I''d escaped his grasp.


    The only that''s changed is who''s holding the leash now. From an old man to a beautiful woman.


    I know, I know. I shouldn''t be complaining about this kind of development as a man. I do not doubt in my mind that some of you would strangle me if you could.


    You guys would quickly change your minds once you realized the truth. You''d be manhandled and overwhelmed all the same.


    "No he didn''t; this is the first that I''ve heard of this arrangement. Do I have any say in this by chance? Don''t you think it''s a bit inappropriate for a commoner like me to cohabitate with you? Especially in regards to the fact that we''re both of the...opposite sex." Reed felt his face burn up as he tried to explain his reasoning.


    Violett''s eyes gleamed as if she had seen something precious. A subtle smile formed across her face as she suddenly pulled Reed into her embrace.


    "That''s what you''re worried about? Silly goose, none of that matters a single bit. Why you ask?"


    "Because. I. Said. So."


    "I don''t care where you''ve come from, Reed. I''ll take care of anyone that''d oppress you here in the North. Just give me the word. I can even give you a noble title if you want."


    "Regarding us being a man and a woman...I don''t have an issue with it. What''s the problem here; you''re going live with a princess. Or are you scared of living with a girl? I don''t bite, heh."


    She whispered, "I know what you were thinking about, you know. If you think you''ve got the guts to try something, go ahead. You''re welcome to prove me wrong..." Her large chest smothered me as she provoked me into doing something dangerous.


    Aaaah, holy shit. Too close! Big tits! Stop breathing in my ear like that...


    ...Men are such sad creatures, don''t you think? All it takes is a simple move to take them down.


    Warning signals blared in my head; the rational part of my mind overloaded as it struggled with a justifiable reason for her overly intimate behavior. She barely knew me and was already acting this affectionate out the gate.


    My instincts screamed that this was a ploy of some sort, but I couldn''t understand what she''d gain out of seducing me. I struggled to keep my exploding emotions in check and she knew it.


    Violett finally released Reed and said, "There''ll be more of that if you can manage to be a good boy for me. Naturally, I''ll reward you for your achievements, haha. I''m not like instructor Axtorius; being tough isn''t my strong suit. I''d prefer using the carrot over the stick any day."


    "In any case, the answer to your first question is going to be a definite no. You''ll be staying with from now on and that''s final. There''s no room for discussion. If you want to leave, you''re welcome to do so; just beat me in a fight and I''ll let you do as you please."


    She grabbed me and I resigned myself to my fate that day. From then on, my days became much more interesting in certain ways...


    I''ll admit that she was pretty good when it came to teaching, jokes aside. The first day of our lessons, she cleared up a lot of questions we had about Anima and how it was used by contenders and conquerors.


    Anima was the fundamental energy that supported all of creation. Blessed individuals such as contenders and conquerors who possessed an Alma, could shape Anima to perform anything they wished.


    One could do anything with Anima if they were talented enough and spent enough time honing their skills. Alas, most people were not gifted with exceptional talent when it came to shaping Anima.


    The majority of contenders and even conquerors will eventually reach a limit; even with the blessing of immortality and the abundance of time it provided, these people would never develop further.


    You needed to be born with a special spark, something unique, to truly comprehend Anima and utilize its infinite potential. The Goddess was the best example of this. She possessed such a deep understanding of Anima that she was the first and only person to have ever naturally shaped of her will. She was the origin of every Alma in existence, after all.


    After the Goddess''s departure, the art of Anima came into being and was refined over endless years.


    Anima was used to attack, defend, support, restrain, evade, and just about everything else. An ultimate multipurpose tool that was only limited by the skill of its wielder.


    The first thing Violett taught us was that there was no correct way to use Anima in a fight. We were encouraged to learn, adapt, and create our own fighting style with it. Every single conqueror had his or her own style of using it, whether they specialized in a certain facet of combat or several.


    Some conquerors heavily focused on developing Anima combat skills exclusively, aiming to obliterate their enemies before they could react. They''d call forth all manner of chaos, paying no mind to the destruction they caused around them; unholy berserkers that destroyed everything in their way.


    Others preferred to develop defensive skills instead and relied on fortifying their bodies; a type of path where they reinforced their physical abilities by using Anima. These people would become terrifying close-quarters specialists; they could kill anything that fell within arm''s reach.


    A few only liked to fight battles they could control; they used Anima to restrain, confuse, and charm their opponents. Tacticians that manipulated the flow of battle to their advantage; they''d harass their enemies and support their allies. A great majority of these fellows end up becoming generals for the four empires.


    Because shaping Anima required a calm and steady mind, it was best that one walked their own path when it came down to it. You needed to feel the flow of Anima, and copying others would only end up distracting you.


    Instead of naturally creating your own skills, you''d end up wasting time and effort trying to figure out how others shaped Anima...


    The Reef was divided into several sections for various purposes; the residential area was a miniature island that held the Violett''s villa and the rest of the student''s housing.


    It an enormous section of the Reef held a massive staircase that descended down into the unknown depths. The area was created to challenge the students'' creativity as the more you walked down the staircase, the greater the pressure would be. Several thousand feet down and the Anima became so concentrated it condensed into visible motes of Anima.


    They were informed that those who made it to the bottom by the end of the training period would receive a special reward...


    The concentrated energy contained within one of those motes was enough to power an entire city for a day. You would have to either tread extremely carefully or find a way to disperse the endless amount of floating motes that drifted around aimlessly.


    Were it not for the safety devices created to teleport one out of the staircase when a mote got too close, death was all but guaranteed for an unlucky follow who stumbled into an Anima mote. They''d be instantly vaporized into oblivion, along with anything unfortunate enough to be around them at the time of the explosion...


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    And of course, the Reef had numerous training chambers for them to create and practice their own individual Anima skills. The chambers naturally contained sparring systems integrated into them in the form of the familiar android combatants. Who''d ever forget these delightful friends?


    What more could I wish for in this situation, am I right? My ''wonderful'' days in this sunny paradise had just begun...

 15 Imprisoned in Darkness, Again...

    "Why is it so damn hard to feel Anima? I thought that this was supposed to be the easy part of our training," grumbled Reed.


    Two weeks had passed since we arrived at the Reef; everyone seemed to be getting the hang of shaping Anima. Well, everyone except me, as per usual.


    It was a very concerning problem that even made Violett worried. You see, it would have been one thing if I had a problem shaping Anima, but my issue was completely different.


    I couldn''t even sense the damn energy in the first place. Sure, I felt the physical effects of its presence, but I couldn''t see Anima.


    Let me make it easier for you to understand; it was equivalent to being completely blind. Yeah, a blind person could feel the heat radiating off of the light bulb, but they couldn''t see the light that came off it.


    Needless to say, Violett got on my case and tried her best to teach me how to feel out Anima.


    The way she taught us involved clearing our minds of and detaching ourselves from our senses. A type of meditative state that would allow us to awaken our inner eye, or some other nonsense like that.


    Look, the whole point was to limit our senses and rely on our instincts; we''d naturally become aware of Anima.


    After we became accustomed to feeling the Anima around us, we''d move on to the fun part; shaping it and creating something from nothing. Anima skills, essentially.


    That''s what everyone else was beginning to do while I remained stuck on square one like an idiot. Eventually, even Violett couldn''t handle my repeated failures and threw me in this place in a fit of anger.


    Where, you ask? I''m currently at the very bottom of the challenge zone; you know, that endless staircase that led down into an abyss. Yeah, that place.


    At first, the pressure had been so bad that I couldn''t stand up. It felt like someone had put a boulder on my shoulders. I spent the first day lying down on the floor until Violett picked me up at the end of the day.


    Thankfully, she wasn''t cruel enough to leave me there permanently, but every day after that, she''d dump me in there until the day was over.


    She said that for someone like myself, who couldn''t even feel Anima, this was the best solution she could think of.


    The idea was to toss me into the place was the highest Anima density and let me go at it until the cows came home. It was a simple plan that relied on brute force and persistence... What a fucking joke, right?


    Violett tried to make it sound like she was doing me a favor; that because the challenge zone was abandoned, it''d serve as the best place for me to practice without distractions.


    Down here in the depths, the only light you could see came off of the floating motes of Anima. Other than that, nothing else could be seen.


    Why was it always like this? I''m sure the gang''s having a bunch of fun by the sea while I remained imprisoned here in the darkness.


    A lonely howl escaped my lips that no one would ever hear; my sorrowful cry echoed off into the distance until it faded away...


    .....


    Having resigned himself to his fate, Reed spent his days deep inside the challenge zone. After a couple of days, he finally got accustomed to the pressure and began trying to use it for his entertainment.


    Long hours of fruitless practice frustrated him to death, so put his mind to work on other tasks. He''d spend hours mindlessly trying to stand up under the effects of the crushing pressure.


    And after a week of grueling effort, he actually succeeded. So he gave himself another task; he''d continue practicing his martial arts and hone his body with the pressure. At the very least, it was a better way of spending his time.


    Reed would shut off his mind and simply repeat his techniques in silence. Eventually, he''d fall into a kind of lull that left him feeling empty. He''d long since lost track of time. Too tired to even think, he simply laid down on the ground and absent-mindedly closed his eyes.


    Reed thought about what Violett had told him, about giving up control of his body and letting himself go. He closed his eyes and tried again, hoping that today would be different.


    Steady breathing, in and out. Empty my mind and let go of my body.....


    An unknown amount of time had passed as he drifted into a state of emptiness. His consciousness melted into nothingness, and he felt something change.


    ......


    It was that feeling again; that comfortable warmth I felt that night had returned. I saw a brilliant weave of multicolored light that spread out endlessly; entangled and constantly flowing, it covered everything around me.


    I felt it in my gut...this was Anima. The essence of creation.


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    I stretched out my hand towards the filaments of light and thought of the first thing I wanted right now: light.


    As if my request had been heard the Anima around me coalesced and a brilliant spark of light was born.


    It really was as simple Violett had said - all it took a was a single thought.


    I tried forming several things right after that; all manner of nonsense. I shot out lightning from my hands and with a single wave of my hand, called forth a torrent of flames.


    I conjured swords and spears made of Anima and had them dance for me in the air. Anything seemed possible with this godly power, so I might have gotten a little bit...carried away.


    Okay, fine. I let my success get to my head and I did something I shouldn''t have done in a fit of passion. Everyone makes mistakes, right?


    ........


    In the residential zone, students leisurely relaxed by the sea. Some slept in hammocks, and others gleefully played on the beach. A picturesque scene of youth.


    They''d all finished practicing for the day and were taking a break when something happened.


    Dark clouds formed above the island and began stirring ominously as if something lurked within them. The sky continued to darken as fierce winds began to blow, and the waves on the beach turned wild.


    Something was wrong and everyone knew it. Everyone hurriedly rushed into the dormitories as they all simultaneously called for Violett for assistance.


    Violett suddenly appeared in front of the storm and threw out a single fist. That was all it took to disperse the storm as it vanished into nothingness. It was rather anti-climactic, but that was all it took.


    She traced back where the storm had originated from by following where the Anima waves had come from. It had come from down below, far beneath the residential section of the Reef.


    A shocked and slightly amused expression formed on her when she realized where the Anima waves originated from. He truly was blessed by the Will of the World, she thought as she warped to meet him.


    The way he shaped Anima was beautiful, too, albeit a tad weak. No matter though, it was something she could fix. What she couldn''t fix was a lack of talent. Fortunately, he had more than enough talent...


    ...


    I tried to summon a storm like the one that had carried me back in that godforsaken egg, but it didn''t seem like it worked. At least, I don''t think it worked.


    I felt that I had created something far away, but it wasn''t what I wanted. Perhaps I didn''t visualize the storm well enough and it didn''t form?


    Gonna have to ask Violett for the specifics of large scale creation, I guess. Hopefully, what I ever I created didn''t break anything.....


    When her spatial tear opened up in front of me, I knew I''d shit the bed this time.


    "H-Hey, Violett. What brings you here? Is it already time to go back home already? Haha...."


    "I know what you did, Reed. Don''t even bother lying to me; I tracked the Anima waves down here, and there''s no else in this place other than you."


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about, milady. I couldn''t have done anything from down here. I''ve been quietly practicing here like you''ve told me to. Yes, ma''am."


    Her stern face softened up as she pulled him into one of her infamous strangleholds of love. Back again into the fray, or rather, this woman''s soft pillows. It''d be a reward if I could breathe...


    "I''m not angry, Reed. You can see Anima, can''t you? Not only that, you''ve already started playing around with it, you naughty boy. I had to clean up the mess you made up in the residential area, you know."


    My mess? ...So I was able to the summon the storm, it was just created in the residential area for some reason. Huh. That''s weird.


    "Oh, that. Yeah, I just wanted to see if could do it in theory, I didn''t expect that''d I actually create it. Sorry about that..."


    A weird thumping feeling stirred inside Violett''s chest when she saw his embarrassed face. She quickly retorted, "Don''t worry about such a small thing. From now on, I''ll keep watch over your practice so another incident like this doesn''t happen again."


    "In any case, since you''ve awakened your inner eye, you won''t need to come down anymore. You can just practice in the villa''s training chamber from now on. But for now, why don''t you take the day off and relax?"


    Relax? If only I could, woman. But I can''t if you''ve got a vice grip of on arm like I''m a death row convict.....


    Wait, take the day off? Does that mean I can finally do what I want?


    Here I come, guys! I''m ready to play on the beach and see the beauties!~ Heh heh heh...

 16 A Forgotten Feeling

    "So you''re telling us that you were the one who caused that storm to appear?! Right after you opened your inner eye, too? Goddamn, Reed you''re a monster."


    "And you''ve been holed up inside the bottom of the challenge zone for the last two weeks because Violett threw you in there? I don''t know what to tell you, bud..."


    "...."


    I fiercely struggled as I held my tears from coming out because Astrid and Ophelia were here too. Cool guys don''t cry, alright. They bitterly hold in their feelings and shrug off the pain.


    But they didn''t seem to care, even after I told them about my hardships. These girls looked unconcerned about what I''d gone through and looked at me as if I had wronged them somehow. I was the victim here, but here they were looking as if I were a criminal.


    "So you''ve been shacking up with that woman since we''ve arrived, huh. Sounds like you''ve been enjoying yourself, Reed. Must be nice having her attend to your every need."


    "You''ve been complaining about the training you''ve gone through, but I don''t think we''ve ever heard you direct your criticisms towards her. As if you''ve been secretly enjoying her company all along, am I right?"


    The ladies doth protest too much, methinks. The way they''re directing their questions implies something I''d rather not contemplate, thank you very much.


    ...The way they''re looking is sort of cute, but also a bit frightening. These two were no joke when it came to their fighting prowess. Given enough time, these two noble ladies would surely become fearsome adversaries in their own right.


    I do not doubt in my mind that they both have enough potential to give Violett a run for her money, as long they didn''t die. One of them was granddaughter to one of the most famous Anima shapers in the north.


    The other had the blood of all four royal families in her veins. Only God knew what she''d turn into if she was allowed to grow up into maturity.


    It''d do me some good to get into their good graces; after all, they were good girls at heart. I felt a bit embarrassed at the thought of them being... jealous because of Violett''s actions.


    Keeping the peace was the best option, but that meant throwing Violett under the bus. Nothing I could do about that, right? It is what it is...


    "Now, now. I''m not staying with her because I want to; she won''t let me leave. She told me the way I''d be able to leave is if I beat her in a fight. You gotta cut me some slack here, I''m a prisoner through and through."


    "That sounds just about right, considering Violett''s personality. Don''t be too harsh on him, ladies. Especially you, Ophelia, you know full well how she can be when she finds a new toy..."


    Reed''s eyes sparkled as he subtly gave Astor a look of thanks. Chivalry might have died long ago, but the concept of brotherhood hadn''t.


    "Yeah, I guess you''re right. She''s always done whatever she wanted, even through force. That''s why she''s so..." Ophelia''s face twisted up the more she thought about it until Horatio patted her on the back and broke her train of thought.


    It seemed that all three of them had their unpleasant histories with the Winter Princess.


    Well, I couldn''t deny that Violett was overbearing and passionate. I suppose that was just her innate nature; a tyrant who smothered everything she loved until it died or ended up hating her.


    "So what have you guys been up to while I was in prison? Loafing about with a drink in your hand? Enjoying the easy life down here by the beach?"


    "N-No, not really. We''ve all been spending our time practice our skills while you''ve been gone. Astrid even set a new record for the fastest kill for the expert-level combat trial. Horatio''s been dominating the damage records for the strongest attacks since he''s awoken his inner eye."


    Ah, really... It seems like you''ve all put progressing wonderfully while I''ve been gone. But it''s pretty damn clear that isn''t wasn''t the only thing that you''ve been doing since you arrived here.


    When you''d all get so tanned, hmm? You''re telling me you got that sun-kissed skin inside your training chambers? How strange...


    Traitors! You''ve ditched me again, you sons of bitches! You and I are through... We''ll set this in court!


    "Come on, bud. At least you''re not in the dungeons anymore, right? Just make up a couple of excuses and come out. Or just sneak out at night and we''ll take you to the civilian sector in the Reef, hehe..."


    "Civilian sector? There''s something like that in the Reef? I thought this was a training facility for contenders."


    "It is you fool. But have you never considered how such a massive structure like the Reef is kept up and running? The Reef is more than a training facility for contenders; it''s also the heart of the North ."


    "Even after it was de-weaponized, we still kept the Reef''s core operational for civilian use. The core powers all of the North singlehandedly; cables run across from this place to every city in the empire. It requires a lot of technicians, engineers, and workers to keep it running."


    "Perhaps only the likes of the Goddess would be capable of running the Reef alone, but for weaklings like us, we need a small army to barely keep it online."


    "That''s why the Reef has its own population; an entire city exists in here for the workers and their families. The city of Raku, one of the North''s great treasures. It''s even said that you can buy anything here as long as you''ve got the money, heh."


    Astor wrapped his arm around Reed''s shoulder and whispered, "One of my cousins lives here and he told me that if I ever stopped by he''d show me around town. Take us to all ''interesting'' places, if you catch my drift..."


    "I think we need a special boy''s night out to learn about Raku''s rich ''culture'', don''t you think?"


    Astrid and Ophelia looked at Astor as if he was the lowest scum in the world. They had a rough idea of the kind of filth Astor was whispering in Reed''s ear.


    Their eyes spoke volumes; they seemed to say, "We dare you to go out with that cockroach, see what we''ll do to you."


    ...It''s hard pleasing these ladies, man. Can''t a guy fool around a bit here and there? I wanna these places of ''culture,'' too.


    After catching up with them, I headed back to the villa to turn in for the day. I also had some burning questions I needed answering about Anima skills.


    Violett was naturally delighted to answer my questions as she sat right next to me, too close for comfort. This woman continually violated my personal space and left me feeling uneasy and vulnerable.


    I have no tolerance for this sort of thing, so it''s still embarrassing having her this close. Ah, she smells nice... Goddamnit, I need to focus.


    "So, what would you like to ask me? My three sizes, perhaps? I can answer any question you want~"


    "N-No, I had some questions about shaping Anima. I was wondering why the storm I summoned appeared in the residential zone, and not where I was. Why did it appear so far away?"


    "Aww, that was your question? That''s an easy question. It''s probably because you didn''t consciously define where it was supposed to appear when you created it. So your subconsciousness took over during the creation process."


    "Listen, when you use Anima, you need to have a clear picture of what you''re going to create. The weight, velocity, shape, effects, and composition all matter in the creation process. You need to have a perfect mental image of what you want to will into existence, or else your subconscious will take over to fill the gaps for you.


    "Sure, it''s nice having your subconscious act as a backup, but your creation will suffer a loss in rank as a result. That''s why we have to practice so much; we engrave our Anima skills into our minds until they become like a conditioned reflex."


    "There''s no time to think about an Anima skill in the middle of a fight. All it takes is a single second to die out there."


    Her cold words sent a chill down my spine. Her eyes had this ferocity I''d never seen before. If looks could kill, I''d already been dead.


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    Violett noticed that she had accidentally let a bit of her killing intent leak out and quickly retracted it when she saw me sweating bullets. She immediately apologized by stuffing my face in her chest, for the nth time today.


    This woman and her goddamned... wonderful bosom. Every. Damn. Time.


    "In any case, that''s the gist of it; you most likely called for a storm, but didn''t properly visualize it above you. You probably thought of the sky and some stormy clouds and that''s what exactly happened. The closest area that fit those conditions was the island; that''s why popped up there instead of the challenge zone. You need a clearly defined image."


    "But make no mistake, Reed, what you did should have been impossible for you at this stage. Although weak and incomplete, the storm you summoned is something that only an experienced Anima should be to do. You''ve only reached the ''inner eye'' stage, so you can imagine my surprise when I found out that you were one who created the storm."


    Crap, I might have done something I shouldn''t have. She probably thinks better of me now; I hope she won''t make life harder for me because of this. The last thing I want is for her to raise the difficulty of my training like the old man did...


    "It''s probably a bit early for me tell you this, but you''re a special case. You''d learn about this in the future anyway, so it''s not too big of crime for me to explain."


    "There are four major milestones for those who possess an Alma and practice the art of shaping Anima. Each one represents a qualitative leap in a person''s understanding of Anima."


    "The first step is opening one''s ''inner eye'' - thus allowing an individual to perceive the Alma around them. Pretty basic; that''s why it''s simply called the inner eye stage. This where you are, or rather, should be. "


    "The second step is to become able to defy the laws of the universe in a limited capacity - People who reach this stage are described as being able to ''call the wind and summon the rain.''"


    "They can invoke their will to create large-scale phenomena unlike those in the inner eye stage who can only create small-scale effects. As such, the second stage is simply referred to as ''Calling the Wind.''"


    "The storm you created is something that only an expert who can ''call the wind'' should have been to do. You''re genuinely shocking, you know. Even I wasn''t able to do that when I first opened my inner eye; it''s an extremely good thing no one else witnessed what you did. God forbid if someone spread the news of what you did today."


    "Otherwise, every expert from all the four empires might have come to recruit you today. Even if it meant making an enemy of the North and of Instructor Axtorius..."


    I felt my soul almost break when I heard her explain what had almost happened today.


    Shit, shit, shit! I nearly signed my own death warrant today! Fuck, I promised myself I''d be low-key from now! Why does this keep happening!


    "It seems you understand your predicament now, considering the look on your face. Thankfully, there weren''t any conquerors around because the residential zone is a private space."


    "Continuing on, the third stage is characterized by complete mastery over of laws of the universe - people who reach this stage are said to be ''Halfway to Heaven.'' This where I''m at in regards to my skills Anima in shaping Anima."


    "People at this stage can complete defy the pull of gravity, warp spacetime to their will, and even stop the river of time depending on how talented they are. These abilities sound familiar, hmm? Most conquerors are at this stage, and very few ever succeed in making it to the last milestone..."


    "The last milestone and stage are referred to as ''Childhood''s End.'' It''s pretty self-explanatory. A person''s skill in Anima manipulation has allowed them to peer into the inner workings of the universe. These legendary experts are capable of manipulating incredibly arcane concepts like karma, luck, and fate itself. They can twist the cause and effect with their will alone, turning light into dark; that which is sacred and holy into evil and impure...


    "The four great sovereigns are all beings that have reached Childhood''s End. They''re all capable of peering into the great mysteries of this world, which why most of them have gone into seclusion other than the King of Flowers."


    "So is that the peak of Anima mastery, Childhood''s End? Being able to glimpse at the secrets of the world? Doesn''t sound very exciting, to be honest..."


    Violett giggled and said, "Well, legends say that the Goddess had an unimaginable connection with Anima itself, to the point that she could do anything. In that regard, you could count the Goddess as being a stage higher than even the sovereigns! But she was a unique existence, something that we could never aspire to be like..."


    "..."


    A unique existence... why do I feel that''s wrong? I don''t get it.


    The more I think about her, the more I find myself longing to see that wheat field again...


    What an odd feeling. I felt...homesick.

 17 Trust Your Instincts

    Boy genius Reed here. How''s it hanging? I don''t wanna toot my own horn, but I''ve been doing well as of late. Why? Just because, haha. I can''t tell ya the reason, unfortunately.


    Boys have their secrets, too; forbidden knowledge we can''t reveal to outsiders and the like. You have to understand that if I told you, I''d have to make you swear an oath of trust. This is a confidential matter, after all.


    Trust is the bedrock of society, you see. Without it, we''d be still be stuck in the stone age. It''s paramount in a genuine relationship between friends.


    So.


    Are you prepared to face the consequences if you betray us? The brotherhood will surely repay blood for blood if you ever betray us. Even so, you still want in on this...operation?


    Just remember that you''ll be judged by your own karma if you join us.


    That''s a good response, soldier! The brotherhood needs more passionate recruits like you. Alright, let me fill you in on the plan...


    My days have been pretty relaxed as of late, I had to be honest. My inner eye opened up, and I became a super-genius Anima shaper!


    That''s the type of update you expected me to tell ya, right? Well, I''m gonna be brutally honest with ya, guys.


    I wish... that I hadn''t been born a genius. Life''s hard when you''re as talented as yours truly. The difficulty''s raised when you''re gifted. I''m playing the game of life on hard while everyone else is coasting on easy. That''s total bullshit and you and I both know it.


    I. Want. Out.


    Where do I resign my status as a genius? Can I speak to the manager, please?


    ......


    Seven brilliant spears of flame flew straight at me, intending on turning me into ash. They tore through the air so fast I couldn''t see them fully. All I saw was a crimson flurry heading my way.


    I can''t dodge them, not with my reflexes. My body isn''t fast enough to evade them anyway, so it''s pointless even thinking about running.


    I need to protect myself, no matter what. That means I have two options.


    Strike them down before they reach me, or forgo countering them all together. Hunker down and focus my efforts into purely defending.


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    I''m completely overwhelmed in this battle. Every single attack I''ve thrown at her has been countered. Not once have I put her on the defensive.


    Every time her Anima skills hit me, I black out momentarily from sheer pain.


    I summon my golden aegis and protect myself from her bombardment.


    "Agh....!"


    Can''t give her any more openings than I''ve already given her. I prepare my next attack and begin visualizing a lance made of light. I can''t hope to defeat her strength, so I began to focus on the speed of my attacks.


    I''d rely on the speed of light to deliver my strike. Create a weapon without weight and accelerate it as quickly as possible. Summon my lances en masse at different times to bait her into focusing on them.


    I raise my hand and point it at her. Holy lances tore through the sky and flew toward her like shooting stars.


    None of them pierced her shield, but I paid no mind to my failed attempt. This would be my only chance, while she was still distracted with the lances.


    I called forth the hidden weapon I''d been preparing since the start of the match. Deep beneath the platform, something dangerous had been growing all along.


    An enormous ball of concentrated Anima lay beneath us both, compressed to an unimaginable degree. Unknown to her, a small star viciously continued to grow underneath us both.


    A tinge of fear clouded my mind; even I had not expected it to grow this large so fast. My subconscious must have done this out of anxiety.


    Ahh, screw it.


    I''m tired. My body feels heavy. Whatever happens, happens.


    I''m losing control of the damn thing anyway, so why not go out with a bang?


    "...!!!"


    She''s finally caught on, it seems. No point in holding it back now, haha...


    I release the ominous star from its imprisonment.


    Blinding white light engulfed both of us, and I lost consciousness.


    I shit the bed this time, but she''ll probably clean up my mess. Probably...


    By the time I came around the sun had already set over the horizon. I knew this familiar scene. This view could only be seen from the villa; it looked like she was finally satisfied with my performance. Thank god.


    Violet had a stern, unforgiving look on face as she stared at me. As if I had wronged her in some capacity.


    "That was reckless, far too reckless, Reed. I told you to get creative, but I don''t remember telling you to become suicidal. You almost blew yourself off to heaven; you''re lucky I noticed what you were planning last second."


    "The blast wouldn''t have killed me, but it would''ve vaporized you into nothingness had I not protected you. My body''s been reinforced to hell and back with the blessings I''ve earned. At best, you would have singed me a bit."


    She would''ve only been lightly burnt from that?! This she-beast knows how to put people down...


    "It was a stupid idea, but I can see where you were coming from. Just make sure to get some distance when you try something like that again. The main goal of a fight is to survive; to kill your opponent and live. You can''t do that if you blow yourself up to kingdom come, right?"


    "Yeah, I guess so..."


    Violett ruffled my hair gently and said, "Don''t be so glum. You did well today, all things considered. There''s no point in feeling bad about losing; it wasn''t a fair fight in the first place. Think of it as nothing more than practice and reflect on your mistakes."


    Isn''t she the sweetest? She played both roles magnificently; crushing me and bringing me back up from the depths of my sadness. What a fucking joke. I''d wholeheartedly believe you if you told me that she was the creator of the carrot and the stick.


    For now, I''ll play into her act and let her think she''s got me in her hands. Give her the impression that I need some time alone to reflect on my actions, like a good boy.


    "I...think I''m going to rest some more, okay? I''m still not feeling too well at the moment. Let''s talk some more tomorrow, okay?" I curled up like a sad puppy and closed my eyes slowly.


    Violett apprehensively looked at me like she wanted to strangl- I mean, coddle me in her embrace. I wondered why this woman''s maternal instincts were so strong. You''d think I was a baby chick from the way she treated me. But it worked to my advantage, and that''s all that mattered.


    Eventually, she backed down and quietly left my room as planned. The hen had been fooled. This was the victory that we''d been scheming for the whole time. Now that she had left me alone, I''d be able to execute the second stage of the plan.


    Tonight, my brothers and I would free ourselves from our responsibilities as trainees and go on a small ''adventure'' of sorts. We''d been planning this since the day Astor brought it up in secret. If word got out about this, who knew what Astrid and Ophelia would think of us. God forbid Violett found out...


    The brotherhood would not accept failure for this mission. Everything had to be perfect for this to succeed. We''d reach the city of Raku or die trying.


    Ah, beautiful moons in the sky. What secrets do you hide in your bosoms? Tonight''s events shall be another memory that only you three will know about...


    Reed silently walked through a shrouded path as he tried his hardest to keep his excited thoughts in check. He was heading to the place they agreed to use as the rendezvous.


    He noticed that three shadowy figures had already arrived at the location. His accomplices had signaled for him to hurry up, so he picked up his pace.


    "Good work, buddy. Looks like you gave my older sister the ghost. We also managed to get ''them'' out of our hair safely. They don''t suspect a thing, so we''re good to go."


    "So. Are we leaving now? Is everything in order?"


    Sebastian and Horatio quietly nodded in acknowledgment; they took out a small map of the island and pointed at a particular location. It was a hidden altar that was used by maintenance workers during the off-season that the residential zone wasn''t in use by trainees.


    The mission was relatively simple; reach the hidden altar and use it to teleport over to Raku discreetly. Have their fun and come back before sunrise, or at least before the ladies woke up...


    Simple, right? The problem was that we''d need time to reconfigure the altar to take us to Raku, and that''s where the risk was. If someone noticed us tampering with it, the consequences would be severe.


    If Violett caught us... I don''t even want to think about it.


    But! We! Must! Push! Forward!


    That''s what it means to be a man. Facing adversity and overcoming it.


    This would be a night to be remembered, either way, that''s for sure...

 18 City of the Sun

    I find myself endlessly amazed at how easily we get caught up in the pull of fate.


    Wait, I might have gotten a bit mixed up there. Let me clarify.


    What I wanted to discuss was something much more fundamental than the concept of fate; the force that fate was shaped by.


    ''The call for a journey'' is what I originally wanted to speak about tonight. I shouldn''t have to explain myself when it comes to this topic, right? We''re all too familiar with it at this point. It''s the root of every legend, epic, fairy tale, and bedtime story you''ve heard.


    These stories served as a mirror, reflecting the hearts of the people who created them. A crystallization of their emotions, struggles, and the experiences that defined them when they lived.


    Wisdom of life that can only be put into words in a certain way.


    In essence, it''s them transmitting the truths they found. About the suffering of their mortality and the joy of life.


    Back in the slums, all I would ever do was read whenever I wasn''t working for scraps to eat. I''d bury my head into these stories and escape into the worlds that they created. It was better living in those worlds than being in reality, or so I thought.


    I enjoyed the pull of an adventure that did not belong to me.


    But then the unthinkable happened; I was summoned for a journey. Never thought I''d get to play the role of the hero one day. I thought it was a role reserved for those who sought something...more than themselves; beyond their selfish interests, so to speak.


    So I find myself burdened with a difficult question: If men embark on a journey to connect their tiny, transient lives with the world, what are gods supposed to do?


    For what reason would an immortal god need to journey out into the world for? What is there to be found? What is the essence of a god''s journey?


    There are many more questions I could also bring up, but then we''d be here all night long, haha...


    But I''m probably boring you with all this nonsense, eh? Sorry about that.


    Now, where were we? Ah, the night we snuck out to Raku, right? Well, about that...


    It was currently a little past midnight. Reed, Astor, Horatio, and Sebastian nervously stood in front of the maintenance altar. Tensions ran high as they watched the reconfiguration process silently.


    Reed inwardly mocked himself for his cowardice; the longer he thought about it, the sadder he became. He, a mighty contender and chosen being, was afraid of the consequences for playing hooky.


    A demigod who was afraid of being punished because of a bit of horseplay. If people heard of this, wouldn''t the four of them become the biggest losers in all the land? They''d never live it down for the rest of their lives.


    How could they have known that the altar would make such a loud noise when it finished starting up!? The group had no choice now that they had alerted that woman. There was no doubt in their minds that she had heard the racket. She would be coming any second now. They had to move or die.


    "And just what are you four doing out here, hm?" Immediately the four of them rushed towards the altar at maximum speed but were dragged back by a powerful force in the air.


    As Reed''s survival instincts kicked into overdrive and he did something he had never done before. He desperately gathered Anima and compressed it until it became a brilliant mote of light. It was the same move he had performed during his last match with Violett, but this time he took a step further.


    "...You wouldn''t dare," Violett growled when she saw what Reed had created.


    This was the only way they''d have a chance at escape; hit her with something that''d overwhelm her. Even just a second was enough to make out of this mess.


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    Reed recklessly created compressed Anima-motes as if they were going out of style. In a couple of seconds, he had already created a dozen motes of light that hovered ominously around him.


    "See ya later, sweet cheeks. I''ll bring you back a souvenir." He fearlessly grinned at Violett and waved his hand as his Anima motes rushed towards her at blinding speeds.


    RUUUUUUUMBLE!


    The resulting explosion knocked everyone backward like rag dolls towards the altar, which they took naturally took advantage of. They immediately rushed onto the platform and vanished in seconds, before Violett could intercept them.


    As soon as they arrived on the other side, Astor furiously threw out a bolt of lightning at the altar''s control panel and destroyed it. Reed, Horatio, and Sebastian looked at Astor as if he''d lost his marbles.


    "What''s wrong with you idiots? The last thing we need is for her to follow us through the altar. We''ll need to use a different altar when we go back."


    "Ah, I guess that makes some sense. What''s done is done. But man...you made my heart jump when you pulled that stunt, man." said Sebastian as he clapped on the shoulder.


    "You''re a madman, aren''t you? That move you used was wild, I''ve never seen someone do that before. Hell, the explosion would''ve hit me if Horatio hadn''t saved me. God knows what she''s feeling right now..."


    "It''s fine, she''s built like a mountain; at best, she only received a couple of scratches from that attack. Not like it means anything because of her outrageous regenerative abilities. But you''re right about one thing -- you wouldn''t have survived that attack if I hadn''t pulled you out of the way."


    "That sort of firepower isn''t normal in the slightest, Reed. Inner Eye practitioners aren''t supposed to be able to do what you did. But then again, you aren''t very normal in the first place."


    "Sorry about that, guys. I got a bit panicky when she appeared, so I flew off the handle. I recognize that friendly fire isn''t tolerated. I''ll try harder next time, so don''t get too mad..." said Reed embarrassedly as he tried his best to explain that his attack was reflexive.


    "Ahh, enough. It was an honest mistake, so don''t get your panties in a bunch, Sebastian. This is exactly why Astrid always walks over you every day." said Astor. "I''ve called my cousin, so he should be picking us up soon enough. For now, why don''t we leave the area and look outside?"


    They had been teleported not too far away from their destination. A gleaming city could be seen in the distance that pulled in everyone''s attention. Tall spires pierced the sky and cast an aurora over the city itself, which gave it an otherworldly appearance. Beneath them, a vibrant city could be seen bustling at the seams with a multitude of moving lights and distant noises.


    "That''s Raku -- the City of the Sun. The beating heart of the North and our destination. Amazing isn''t it? This city is the North''s technological hub; most of the empire''s technology is produced here. All sorts of rare materials are sent here for processing from across the lands. As a result, it''s often said that you can buy whatever you can think of in this city..."


    "''Anything you can think of'' is a bit of a stretch, don''t you think?"


    "It''s the truth -- this city has everything for sale; whether or not it''s legal is another matter altogether. Even though it''s widely known, no one can do anything about it. The city holds too much power, even for the royal family to act. At best, we can only politely ''ask'' the underground side to behave themselves in public. Give a bit of face to us and not break the laws in plain sight," said Astor as he helplessly shrugged his shoulders.


    "There''s nothing that can be done about it; for it is a part of the city''s innermost nature," said Horatio as he stared at the glimmering gem in the distance.


    "The brighter the flame, the darker the shadow it will cast upon the earth..."


    Time passed. Eventually, their ride arrived after what seemed like an eternity of waiting. A flying car sped across the sky as it flew towards the group. It seemed that Astor''s cousin finally decided to show up.


    My first impression of his cousin was completely off point. He looked like a rich fool who only enjoyed the pleasures that the city afforded him.


    His name was Julian Kingscrown and he looked nothing like royalty. His long, blonde hair was rolled up into a messy ponytail and he wore clothing that looked foreign, the type that probably belonged to another culture.


    Was this what was in style in this world? An outsider like myself had no right to criticize another culture''s customs, so I simply kept my mouth shut.


    Julian had noticed my fixation on his clothing and said, "Ooh, you''ve got a keen eye, Lil'' bud. You interested in the robe I''m wearing? Let''s get you a couple of them so you have something nice to wear when you meet up with the ladies, heh heh."


    Astor who loved watching Reed in uncomfortable situations did nothing to help him and let Julian do as he wished. The entire night was simply an extension of this situation.


    Throughout the long night, Reed had been taken shopping, sightseeing, and finally drinking. Julian and Astor personally made it their goal to get Reed hammered by sunrise.


    Under the effects of the many drinks, Reed eventually lost himself and finally let go of his worries, if not for a single night. The events that followed after would never be spoken about for fear of the consequences that would befall the four of them.


    But of all the nonsense that happened throughout the night, one event stood out in Reed''s mind even after they had left the city.


    They had returned to Julian''s home, tired after all their merrymaking. Reed honestly expected that Julian''s house would be gaudy and extravagant, given his nature but what he found was completely different.


    His residence was more a museum than a home. The place was decorated with numerous artifacts everywhere he looked; textbooks stacked up until the reached the ceiling. For a moment, he thought that they had broken into some scholar''s home until Julian said, "Make yourselves at home, guys! You might have to move a couple of books to find a place to sit though, haha."


    Reed''s curiosity got the best of him and he asked, "You''re a scholar, Julian!? I... would have never guessed that in a million years, if I had to honest. Wow."


    "But of course, Lil'' bud. I never had very talented when it came to fighting, so I ended up pursuing education rather than becoming a contender."


    "What do you research? You''ve got all kinds of artifacts around here."


    "I specialize in Mulian history above all else, as in the first civilization that lived here before ''we'' came. The original inhabitants of this world."


    "I thought that everyone born here was Mulian? Did I misunderstand that or are you talking about something else?" Reed was beginning to get confused.


    "Mm, you''re right. People born here are called Mulians, but what I''m talking about are the ancient Mulians, not the modern ones."


    "There was a time before the Will of World started summoning people from across the universe. Back then, a race of people lived on this world -- the original Mulians. They''re the ones I''m studying," said Julian as pointed at the artifacts around the room.


    Elaborate clay tablets, pieces of stone, and various trinkets were sealed in airtight cases, displayed across the room.


    "This is all that''s left of them; fragments of their civilization. We don''t know what happened to them and by the time the first races had been summoned by the Will of the World, they had all disappeared."


    "Do we know still not know anything about their disappearance? They must have left something behind, right?"


    Julian''s face hardened and said, "I wish I could tell you, but we don''t know the full truth. The records they left behind speak of a great calamity of some kind; a disaster they knew was coming. Why they did not survive? What was the calamity that struck them? These are some of the most important questions for us."


    "We need these answers because they might hold the key to our survival one day."


    "...Did you know that all of our current Anima technology is based on artifacts we''ve discovered from their ruins? That''s why we''re concerned."


    "The original Mulians were an advanced race that controlled Anima as they wished, far better than us, but even they fell to whatever struck them. When we discovered this it begged the question: If they were destroyed at their peak, what would happen to us if such an event occurred?"


    "Even this Reef is a product of their civilization... we simply lied and called it our creation. Heh, pretty pathetic, don''t you think?"


    He walked towards a locked trunk and said, "Let me show you something really special. This is something I found recently in the inner core ruins of the Reef."


    It was a beautiful clay tablet that was covered in gold and silver. It had no writing on it but was instead a painting of a woman.


    A woman that stared off into the stars as she stood atop of a great stairway. No one could see her face as she gazed into the firmament.


    Reed knew this painting. He knew.


    "This clay tablet is a first for us because it''s the first complete artifact we''ve recovered from this dig site. Amazing, right?"


    "Yeah, it''s amaz-"


    A sudden jolt of pain struck Reed and fell to the floor in agony. He felt like his skull was being crushed into pieces as he clutched his head. Eventually, the pain grew too intense and he fainted as Julian rushed to call for assistance.


    The last thing Reed heard before he fainted was a young girl singing. It was a familiar song, almost as if he had heard it before some time ago...

 19 His Dream and Her Call

    When Reed awoke, he found himself in a familiar room, his bedroom. He felt as if he had slept through an eternity. The laid near the horizon when he woke, which left him wondering whether the sun was setting or rising...


    An uncomfortable feeling built up in his chest the longer he looked at the hovering sun. He had suddenly remembered something from when he had been asleep.


    The broken words rang softly in his head as he stared at the auburn sky.


    "....Wake...soon, my belov....."


    Incompleted and fragmented, the woman''s voice carried an unforgettable tinge of affection.


    "You must.....and...repair the...."


    He knew this voice; he was sure of it, but he could not voice out the truth.


    Something prevented him from recalling her name.


    "....Time is short....will not survive.....collapse. I have sent....."


    Such was the fate of the boy, or rather, his unique burden. One he could not run from.


    A sudden noise shook Reed from his contemplation as Violett burst through the door worriedly. She''d been watching over him since he had fainted that night. The mother hen rushed in the room as soon as she sensed his awakening.


    Reed smiled and said, "Hey. You don''t look too well, Violett. Have you been sleeping properly?"


    He felt a small warmth in his chest when he thought about how worried he must have made her feel. Given how she looked at the moment, he guessed that she must have been worrying for days. The bags under her eyes and her frazzled hair spoke volumes about how she was doing.


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    A long sigh escaped her lips when she heard Reed''s tease. She knew then and there that he was fine. It was a reassurance that was spoken but not expressed in an explicit way. A soft smile formed on her beautiful face and she said, "You''re a dead man, Reed. I''m sure you understand why, right?"


    Her cheerful, bubbly voice made his death sentence sound even more horrifying in a twisted way.


    Reed hesitated, but then nodded his head. He knew that if he spoke now, he would only be digging his grave deeper. It''d be best to play the game safely and act submissively for now. No matter what she''d say, he''d nod and agree with her.


    "Don''t even think you''ll ever escape me again. I''ll beat you within an inch of your life next time you pull a stunt like that."


    Reed felt as if she had turned into the mistress of death and hurriedly said, "I-I won''t play hooky anymore, so cut me some slack! It was an honest mistake; just a youthful indiscretion! H-have mercy!!"


    "...Fine. I wouldn''t want you to say that I''m not a forgiving person. I''ll give you a pass this time out of understanding; I was your age once, too."


    "I just want you to understand that the outside world is a dangerous place, especially for you, given your unique situation. You have no idea what people are capable of out there -- they''ll eat you alive if you give them the opportunity," said Violett. "You were beyond lucky that no one noticed you during your outing."


    "..."


    She lightly shrugged her shoulders and said, "Ah, whatever. I''m sure you''ve properly recovered after a week''s of sleeping, right? I''ll run you dry now that you''ve come around; I''ll make sure that you won''t have any extra energy to waste on useless thoughts from now on..."


    I''ve been asleep for a week!? Holy shit, what the fuck happened to me? I don''t remember partying that hard, but then again, I can''t remember half of the shit that happened that night.


    Goddamn, no wonder Violett was worried out of her mind. Being comatose for an entire week is certainly enough to be seriously concerned...


    "By the way, Reed, I didn''t think you''d have a tattoo. You''re a bit too young to be getting one so soon. And it''s such a strange design, too; why''d you choose something so...odd?"


    Confused, Reed said, "What do you mean, a tattoo? I''ve never gotten a tattoo before. I''m not quite sure what you''re talking about."


    "Oh? Then I''m sure you''ll have some sort of excuse or nonsensical story to explain the tattoo on your chest, right? What, are you''re going to tell me it''s a birthmark?"


    "That odd symbol is some sort of character belonging to a language, even I can put that together. What''s it mean? Must be pretty special for you to engrave it over your heart, I presume."


    Reed hurriedly took off his shirt and inspected himself; what he found left him speechless. An azure-golden glyph lay directly on his chest, above his heart. An unknown text was written within the lines that made up the peculiar glyph, too intricate to read with the naked eye. They looked like faint markings at a distance, but once you got close up, you could see that they were words of some kind.


    All in all, the ''tattoo'' had a beauty to it that was hard to describe with words. It gave him the impression that it was deeply meaningful to him, even though he couldn''t understand it.


    "Interestingly enough, I tried translating the text within the tattoo when I first saw it, but my tome couldn''t identify what language it belonged to. That piqued my interest; the tomes have records of hundreds of languages and thousands of dialects from innumerable worlds, but it couldn''t identify your tattoo''s language."


    "The great guilds have been documenting all of the various races and their cultures as they''ve appeared over millennia, so they''ve indexed an enormous amount of information. That''s why this is a very rare occurrence, so to speak."


    "That fellow, Julian, inspected your tattoo thoroughly when he discovered it and seemed endlessly engrossed by it. Don''t know why though; he just took a bunch of photos of it and hurriedly left after I arrived. He said he''d talk to you soon enough, or something of the sort? Pfft, those scholars always do what they please and leave us with their messes..."


    Reed blankly stared at the mark on his chest; he felt unease and excitement. It was another mystery he''d have to solve down the line, along with the egg incident and the shadow who had kidnapped him.


    All of these unknowns gave him a sense of anxiety as if...


    "...Well, I won''t pry if you don''t want to talk about it. I was just a bit interested in it."


    Tell me about it. If anyone''s interested in this tattoo, it''s fucking me -- the guy who has it engraved on his goddamned chest.


    Looks like no else knows that I didn''t originally have it before, they all think I got it before I came here. No, I might wrong. Julian seemed far too interested in it; he might have some suspicions about how where I got it.


    There''s a good chance he might suspect something happened to me that night. Even then, so what? I doubt he''ll do anything about it...probably.


    When all was said and done, Reed got away scot-free in comparison to the fate that befell Astor, Horatio, and Sebastian. He learned the following day that they had been imprisoned at the bottom of the challenge zone for a week as punishment, and that was after Violett had thrashed them around.


    Astrid and Ophelia berated all three of them until they begged for forgiveness on their knees, and Reed was no exception. They both gave Reed their belated thoughts on the matter, to put it bluntly.


    It involved a forceful abduction as they took him to a secluded training chamber. What followed after was them putting their thoughts into action, in the worst method possible.


    Violence was how they repaid Reed for their making them worry. These noble ladies subscribed to the belief that pain was the greatest teacher -- some lessons required a more ''hands-on'' approach.


    That day he swore to himself that he''d never anger those she-devils ever again...or at the very least, never get caught again.


    Reed''s days passed by painfully after his blunder; Violett kept her promise and upped the difficulty of his training to the point that he was often left half-dead after every session.


    Violet would relentlessly tear into him every single time they sparred as if she was out for blood. She was quick to punish even the slightest mistake, even more so than Axtorius did back in the day. At the very least, the old man wouldn''t have beaten him into the ground for a simple mistake, unlike this demoness.


    In the end, Reed was still forced to accept that the truth -- her hellish training produced incredible results. Her style of training empathized pressuring her students into life and death situations as if to force out all of their hidden potentials.


    She would drag you to the edge of the abyss and let you struggle there until you couldn''t any longer. It was a way to familiarize oneself with the fear of death without the need of actually risking one''s life.


    Violett was so skilled that she knew exactly how much strength her blows had to carry to give Reed of death, but not actually kill him. In that regard, she was an expert actress; none could escape this mistress of death.


    Reed quickly learned that even simple mistakes would result in fatal consequences when dealt with her. He was constantly forced to improve or die in the face of her relentless onslaught.


    In the blink of an eye, five months had passed since that night. Reed had grown considerably since then, he now possessed a level of expertise over Anima that left even Violett astounded and concerned...


    Even Violett thought that she might have overdone it, but it was too late to regret her actions.


    Reed calmed himself down and focused until he lost track of time. Silence reigned in his private chamber as he lifted his left hand and swung it down gently. He silently repeated the movement, but nothing happened despite his attempts.


    He''d been attempting to recreate something for the last five months to close the gap between himself and Violett. Simply put, he wasn''t satisfied. His fights with Violett had grown stale; he''d become skilled enough to defend himself against her attacks, but nothing he did would hurt her.


    It had reached a stalemate of sorts, one that left him frustrated. He would defend but never be able to attack properly, much like a cowardly turtle. Violett assured him that he was progressing along superbly, even better than any of his peers; the fact that he could hold out against her was enough to guarantee his safety against contenders.


    But what of conquerors like herself? Was he supposed to retreat into his shell and wait for help? He recognized that he needed to take another step forward if he wanted to properly survive in this world.


    He did not fear the men of this, no; what he feared were its gods. Knowing that he could triumph over men gave him no comfort because he knew that his real adversaries came from heaven itself.


    What mattered most was protecting his little life first, everything else came after. That was why he had spent the last five months practicing in secret for this moment.


    He gently swung his hand down through the air as if he wanted to do something to it.


    Again and again, attempt after attempt, failure upon failure. It did not deter him in the slightest. He believed that it was worth the effort and would continue failing until he succeeded.


    After an endless amount of attempts, the fruit of his failures finally blossomed.


    One day, Reed swung his hand down and something actually happened. It immediately his attention as he quickly broke out concentration and intently stared at the space where his hand had passed through.


    Although small and incredibly faint, Reed was able to see what he had accomplished.


    In a distant room, Violett picked up on something incredibly astonishing all of a sudden. She instantly turned towards the direction she had felt the phenomenon occur and immediately knew what -- and most importantly, who caused it to appear.


    She felt an unpleasant sweat form as she immediately flashed towards the location of the incident and observed; what she saw confirmed her suspicions.


    It was there in the middle of Reed''s training chamber, floating weakly as if it was about to disappear.


    He had succeeded after five months and 25,778 attempts. A feat that should not have been possible.


    An insignificant crack hovered in the air, slowly repairing itself as time passed by - a spatial tear...

 20 The Beach Boys Woes

    I finally did it! Barely! But it still counts as a success, right? Right!?


    ...I''ll count this as a success. I won''t let anyone rob me of my hard work.


    Still, it doesn''t look very imposing or threatening in the slightest. I''d go as far as to say that looks like a child scribbled something in the air.


    It''s sort of...pathetic looking, to be honest. And it''s already starting to vanish. My technique finally worked, but it''s still way too incomplete to be used practically. This is at best on the level of a party trick...


    Ahhhhhh, fuck!


    Those were my initial impressions of my creation, but Violett had a different impression, it seemed. She looked nervous for some reason as she started at my piddling spatial tear.


    Violett broke the silence with a question and said, "...You''ve only been shaping Anima since I''ve taught you, right?" She had a serious look on her face as she stared at the vanishing spatial tear with her bloodshot eyes.


    "Well, yeah. Never heard about Anima and the like until I was sent over here if that''s what you''re asking."


    "If I hadn''t seen it with my own eyes, I would have never believed that you created it. You really are....too much, Reed." The elegant princess rubbed her eyes as she secretly wished to be woken up. She wanted for all of this to be a dream.


    "W-What? It''s a bit small, but it''s still the real deal. I bet even you had a time when you were still an amateur. I can''t compare to geniuses like you, so cut me so slack..." Reed defensively barked back when he heard Violett''s complaint. He wasn''t going let his hard work be criticized by this super-genius of a woman.


    Even the little guys had their own pride. I may be a worm in her eyes, but I gotta stand up for my achievements, no matter how small they may be.


    "..."


    It was like he wanted to piss her off on purpose; Violett struggled to keep her raging emotions in check as she mounted Reed and held him down.


    "When I was an amateur? Did you just say that? Do you even understand the gravity of what you just did? I''m gonna strangle you! I''m really gonna strangle you!"


    "Wait, stop! Mercy! What I have I done to deserve this unfair treatment!? This is domestic abuse!!"


    "What you''ve accomplished in less than half a year took me fifty years of hard work!! Fifty! Years!"


    "U-ugkh¡­"


    "I''ve shed a sea''s worth of tears and blood to reach my current level of skill over a half a century, only to see a brat do it in a half a year! And I''m the so-called genius!?"


    As she shook him like a ragdoll, Reed felt his soul leave his body as he struggled to not pass out.


    "Oh."


    ''Oh''?


    Violett felt a fire burning in her belly that she couldn''t put out when she heard his plain response. What kind of goddamned reply was that supposed to be? This boy had a supernatural level of skill when it came to pissing her off sometimes.


    "Listen carefully -- it''s forbidden for you to ever reveal what you just did today. If news of this ever spilled out, the whole world would be set on fire. I''m positively certain that the empires would go to war against each other to claim ownership of you."


    "If you ever reveal that you''ve reached this level of Anima mastery to the public, you''d start World War Reed," she warned. "You wanna see the world blow up in a single day?"


    Reed felt a shiver run down his spine when he imagined Violett''s apocalyptic scenario and immediately blurted out, "N-no ma''am! I want to live a slow and easy life! I don''t need a world war on my doorstep!"


    "That''s a good enough answer, I suppose. Make sure you live up to what you just said because if you don''t.....some real bad stuff may end up happening to you." She stood up and quietly left after she said her ominous piece.


    Reed thought she worried too much like an overprotective mother; the kind of parent that''d purposefully give kids wrong information such as, "hold hands with a boy and you''ll have a baby," or "the boogeyman kidnaps naughty children" and the like.


    He felt like she was trying to scare him into being an obedient kid every time she brought up how dangerous the world was. Her act was a bit too over the top for him to buy into it, or so he thought.


    Reed''s days passed by rather slowly after he completed (albeit pathetic) feat of spatial manipulation. Violett no longer forced her insane sparring sessions upon him and instead ordered him to continue focusing on perfect his understanding of space manipulation.


    She told him that he''d benefit way more from mastering spatial techniques and spent an afternoon lecturing him on the style of spatial manipulation that conquerors used in fights.


    Everyone had their own preferred way of going about it from the way she described the major styles of manipulation. The most popular technique used by far was that of the warp; breaking space-time and traveling through the transitory void to another location back in real-space.


    It involved departing the world for a brief moment as you entered the infinite void of imaginary space known as the ''Flux''. From there, you''d pinpoint where you wanted to exit and rip open another tear in the fabric of space and exit out at your destination.


    Did I mention that it''s extremely dangerous staying in the Flux for longer than a few seconds? Entering that accursed void puts your entire being at risk as you shift between existence and non-existence. You have to get in and get out as quickly as possible, or else you run the risk of being deleted from reality. Yeah, real fun shit, am I right?


    Stories exist of some particularly unfortunate conquerors who had barely started comprehending the secrets of manipulating space-time. These poor idiots got cocky and attempted a warp despite only being fledglings at shaping space; I shouldn''t have to tell you what happened to them, right?


    Masters of spatial manipulation had full control over the word called ''distance.'' They were a hundred million miles away and a couple of inches away from their opponents during fights. If they wanted to get up close and personal, they''d be next to you in a heartbeat and be gone by the time you realized that''d you''ve been attacked.


    These experts would stretch space-time so their enemy attacks would never reach them, no matter how long their attacks flew towards them. At the same time, they''d warp space so their attacks would always reach their opponents instantly. It was an actual nightmare trying to catch these bastards because they were nigh-impossible to follow as they erratically phased in out of existence like madmen.


    The only way to fight these assholes was to immediately lock down the surrounding space before they started their madness; that, or become sufficiently skilled at spatial techniques like them.


    As a result, conquerors who specialized in spatial techniques were always in high demand. They were perfect assassins, thieves, rogues, and most importantly -- spies and observers for the four empires.


    Not that I care about getting a cushy job or anything, I just wanna be able to run away to the beach when the time is right...


    The only other major change in Reed''s life was the fact that he now had a disproportionately large amount of free time to spare, unlike his peers who were busily trained to death by Violett. Most of the time he was lounging around the beach as he slept on his favorite hammock.


    Because Reed had been tasked with increasing his comprehension, he spent most of his time relaxing as he meditated by the sea. Since this part of his training was all internal, he decided that he would make himself comfortable and enjoy life for once.


    After all, enlightenment couldn''t be rushed; he would simply have to wait and reflect on his trials and errors.


    There weren''t any cute girls to chase here, but it didn''t matter to him. The peacefulness he found was worth more than that in his eyes.


    Astor and the group would often come and visit him after they finished their training, berating him for his lazy attitude and lack of will.


    Of course, they were completely mistaken. They thought that Reed was wasting away his time instead of training diligently. A troubling misunderstanding indeed.


    He sighed, but in the end, chose to keep silent. It wasn''t as if he could tell them the truth even if they were his dear friends.


    If they knew the truth...what would happen? Reed did not dare think too hard about the hypothetical situation out of the fear of the dark thoughts that it brought up.


    Alas, some secrets were too precious to be shared.


    "You really will waste away if you keep this up, Reed. It''d be a genuine shame to see you rot away in that hammock," said Astrid. She was slightly concerned about how lazy Reed had become over the past two weeks.


    "She''s right, Reed. You''re starting to get a bad reputation among the rest of the class, you know. They''re calling you the ''beach bum'' of the island. It''s not really cool have lazy you''ve been as of late," said Horatio as he shook his head in disappointment.


    Everyone seemed to have friendly words of criticism as they battered Reed with their sharp tongues. At first, Reed kept an open heart and told himself he''d tolerate their insults out of understanding...or so he planned.


    Eventually, their words finally got through to Reed''s poor soul and a hateful flame had been lit. He decided that he would no longer allow this nonsense to continue anymore. These bullies needed to be taught a lesson.


    He lifted a single finger and pointed it at the sea as he began concentrating. The temperature around the beach dropped as a stifling pressure sprung up around Reed.


    Everyone was rendered speechless as they felt the suffocating presence of the highly concentrated Anima that gathered around Reed. It felt they had awoken some ancient horror from its slumber.


    The pressure continued to mount and a disturbing creaking sound was heard as if something was breaking under the pressure of Reed''s will...


    Once Reed heard the creaking sound of the space-time that was about to break, he released his attack.


    A beam of brilliant light instantaneously flew out his finger and disappeared into the boundless sea in the span of a single breath.


    Suddenly, an enormous flash of radiance blinded everyone on the beach. It felt like the sun had descended upon the earth as they felt an infernal heat swallow them up.


    For the briefest of moments, they thought they''d been sent to the deepest layer of hell as the scorching heat and light oppressed them.


    When they finally opened their eyes, what they saw shocked them beyond words. The sea had been evenly split and even artificial seabed had been exposed as an enormous plume of steam rose over the island.


    "....."


    "....."


    "....."


    That should be enough to shut them up for a while, I think. Hopefully, they''ll think twice about badmouthing me now.


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    Reed lazily picked up his coconut drink and stared at the beach.


    "So, what''d ya think? I think I can improve on it a bit more, but it should be good enough for fights."


    What do we think? What? Hello, Mom?


    Improve on it more!? Good enough for fights!?


    Who the hell are you trying to kill!!?

 21 You Did What?

    "What? It''s just a regular beam attack. Honestly, it''s more of a cheap shot more than anything."


    That''s a cheap shot for you!? What the hell has Violett been teaching you!? Oh god...


    The group stared at Reed as if he were a monster and struggled to find their words. All they were able to do was stare at the sea in silence.


    It was a wake-up call for all of them -- the fact that Reed had long since surpassed drove them up the wall. The guy who had spent the last week sipping fruit smoothies as he loafed around the beach was strongest out of all of them?


    While they''ve been bitterly training themselves, this lazy bastard''s been ahead of them the whole time? The beach bum was secretly the top ranker?


    Who''s writing this shitty story, huh? It was too much for these sheltered geniuses to handle, even if they were friends.


    Reed who was busy scraping out coconut meat was oblivious to the intense gazes that fell upon him. For better or worse, the heated stares those princes and princesses went over his head. If he had noticed, only God knew what sort of infuriating things he would have said.


    As soon as he noticed that they had all started walking away Reed hollered out, "Hey! Where you are guys going? What''s wrong!?" Unfortunately, he received did not receive a response from them. They silently trudged back in the direction of the training chambers and ignored the beach bum''s questions...


    Rude bastards, ignoring me like that! What the hell is up with them? This some new form of bullying or something? Ahh, screw ''em...


    The boy eventually stopped caring about them and drifted off into slumber as the gentle breeze rocked his hammock to and fro.


    Since that day, Reed met with his friends less and less. They stopped showing up to play and began zealously dedicating their time to practice.


    Their change in behavior completely caught him off guard. It was like they''d transformed into other people overnight. Even Sebastian took his training seriously and kicked Reed out of his training chamber when he had come to hang out.


    When Reed asked him why he''d gotten so serious about his training he looked at him like he was an asshole and said, "You of all people wouldn''t understand. To think that we of all people be left behind..."


    He then proceeded to kick him out by threatening to snitch on him to Astrid if he didn''t leave immediately.


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    Once Reed saw the tape, he thoroughly apologized for interrupting Sebastian''s training and left hurriedly. That day he understood how devious and underhanded some people could be. He also swore to himself that he''d steal or destroy that tape one day. The mere thought of that tape going public would spell the end of his social life.


    Reed left the training grounds with his spirit broken and returned home since he had nothing better to do. He felt his life crawl to a halt as he spent his days aimlessly wandering around the island alone when he wasn''t training.


    He was starting to break down. Confined to the island, Reed had long since gotten bored of loafing around the beach. The familiar, unchanging scenery was starting to irritate him. What he needed was goddamned stimulation.


    This island paradise had turned into a wretched prison for Reed. But what could he even do about it? Violett had already warned him of what would happen to him the next time he snuck out; it would be a death sentence if he did it again...


    Violett felt a headache coming on and sighed when she heard the boy''s complaints. He was such a handful at times she thought as she looked at the glum boy''s face.


    "Would you like to train with me some more instead? It''ll take your mind off your boredom for a little while," she asked.


    "What''s the point of that? We both know how our battles always end up becoming fights of attrition that I never win because you have a stronger body than me. You''re an indestructible wall, so why even bother? It''s a fucking farce."


    She couldn''t tell if the cheeky bastard was complimenting or insulting her, but the way he worded his reply irritated her. He really did have his own unique method of being an oblivious asshole.


    "Okaaay, then why don''t you try the challenge zone? Give it a shot. If you make it to the bottom on your own, you''ll receive a special prize that few people ever get." She was beginning to feel an awful sensation creeping up her spine. Her instincts were telling her that something was wrong.


    "...But I already did that a week ago? Why would I want to do it again?" He lazily tossed and turned on the sofa as he surfed through the nexus on his holopad fruitlessly.


    "Didn''t find a prize down there, just a lotta nothing, so I left after I finished the challenge. I assumed you were just baiting us with a nonexistent prize, right?"


    "...?"


    What was this idiot talking about? Wait... did he just admit that he finished the challenge zone?


    Aaaaaahh, goddamnit. I was right; this bastard did something when I wasn''t paying attention to him. I swear to god, I think he''s doing this on purpose...


    "That''s impossible, I would have been informed if you made it to the bottom. Either you''re lying to me or you did something again," she spat out. "So, what did you do down there, Mr. Reed?"


    "Nothing? I went all the way down like you said we''re supposed to and made to the bottom. After I made it down there, a strange ghost tried to give me something... ''a gift for my successor'', he called it. It seemed pretty shady, so I just killed it and went back up."


    ".....You did what? Can you repeat that for me again?"


    "I went all the way down, killed a shady looking ghost, and then left the challenge zone. There was nothing special down there, at least from what I saw. Maybe it''s broken?"


    Did he really kill the astral remnant of Lord Mako!? T-there''s no way, right? Oh shit!!


    Violet immediately warped down into the depths of the challenge zone and came back with a fury never before seen. She roared, "What the hell did you do, dumbass! Why was your first reaction to kill the damn ghost? Use your goddamn head, you stupid ape!!" She furiously sent out a vicious right hook at Reed that nearly struck him on the jaw.


    The moment Reed saw the horrifying look on Violett''s face, he instantly broke into a full retreat. He knew on a spiritual level what was about to happen and pushed his abilities to the limit as he forcibly accelerated himself in a random direction without care for his life. A half-second later, an explosion erupted and he shrieked as the blast wave knocked him straight out of their villa.


    As he tore through the Villa''s reinforced walls, he wondered what he''d done to incite her rage. His first assumption was the ghost, but it was...too weak, right? He doubted such a feeble creature was the source of her anger.


    (I doubt she''s mad about the fact I accidentally used her toothbrush that one time... Has she realized that I''ve been raiding her wine cellar? Ahh, she''s such a handful sometimes...)


    "N-now, now. We can resolve whatever''s troubling you if we work together, okay? Violence isn''t the answer! So how about we just calm dow-"


    A dazzling spear flew out at an astonishing speed and tore through the sky. Reed knew this attack all too well; the damned explosive spear was a relentless hound that would never stop chasing its prey and possessed an incredible piercing ability. The damn thing always broke through his barriers no matter how many he set up and how much he strengthened them.


    It was a cheat-like attack skill that he often criticized as unfair in a fair fight; Violett always laughed at his complaints and told him that, "Life''s unfair by design."


    He knew how this song and dance would end; no amount of running would help him in this situation. The spear would pierce through his barriers and end up blowing up within arm''s reach.


    The only viable options were to destroy it mid-flight or find a way to redirect the spear somewhere else. It was so damn fast that none of his attacks would ever land on it with his level of skill.


    Redirecting the spear was tantamount to modifying her attack mid-fight, something he''d never done before. The idea sounded possible in theory, but to put into practice? A miracle would need to happen to make it a reality. He''d need an obscene level of skill over Anima to pull it off...


    Neither plan seemed feasible, so he despaired as he sprinted off into the distance. The spear persistently crept closer and closer as time passed and Reed felt his heart drop. It was inching towards him as it picked up speed.


    It was a cruel attack because the more one struggled against it, the faster the spear became. As a result of the spear''s increased velocity, the attack would actually become even stronger than before.


    The more you struggled against your inevitable fate, the stronger the backlash you''d face as punishment. Reed noticed long ago that Violett''s attacks were always influenced by her cruel, unforgiving nature as a warrior. Her fighting style offered no mercy to her enemies; it was kill or be killed with this lady on the battlefield...


    Pressured by his impending demise, Reed understood he had to make a move here and now, or make peace with what was about to happen. He bit his lips and thought long and hard about his options and finally came to an answer.


    Whether it worked was complete up to lady luck; the skill he planned to use was incomplete and even prone to backfiring because of how unstable it was. Last time he tested it out, he accidentally erased half of his training chamber and had a panic attack because of it.


    Even so, it was the only thing he could think of that could get rid of the damned spear once and for all. He gritted his teeth and stopped running; He firmly planted his feet into the ground and raised his left hand.


    What came after, well, was something that even left him flabbergasted...

 22 Meeting Her; Meeting Him

    Reed summoned his full might and carved out a massive spatial tear of considerable size. It towered above him, several dozen meters tall. It was a desperate attempt of banishing the spear into the void that he thought up on the spot.


    Naturally, such a moronic plan was bound to fail and he instantly regretted his decision the moment the spatial tear opened up.


    As soon as he tore the fabric of space-time, the gaping maw of the void began pulling him with an irresistible force that he couldn''t fight against.


    Reed admitted that it was probably one of the dumbest plans he''d ever made, but couldn''t think of anything else that''d work against the damn spear.


    (I''d already been warned to hell and back about the dangers of an amateur attempting to warp, but I didn''t think it''d be this goddamned dangerous! I can''t escape the pull of the spatial tear! Fuck, now I''ve really shit the bed this time...)


    "Oh, shiiiiiiit!! I regret everything!! Violett, save m-" he screamed as he was pulled into the abyss, but his words would never reach their recipient.


    In the blink of an eye, the boy melted into the darkness and the spear struck the ground. A terrifying explosion rocked the ground and a deafening boom echoed across the island. Violett rushed to the scene and found the remnant of a spatial tear that had almost healed itself. She instantly understood what the foolish boy had done.


    Her body reflexively moved as she attempted to reopen the fading spatial tear, but she arrived too late. Had she arrived a couple of seconds sooner, she could have salvaged the situation -- that was what angered her the most.


    Violett groaned as she stared at the vanishing spatial tear and felt like pulling her hair out in frustration. She''d messed up and there was nothing she could do about it this time.


    She knew all too well that the boy often acted on instinct when he was cornered; he always acted without thinking when he was pressured too much. The damn idiot warped even after she had explicitly warned him of the danger.


    He could be anywhere in the infinitely expanding void, which made it nigh-impossible to locate him even if she entered the flux now. The only solution she had was the spatial tear he created; if she had followed him through it, she could have brought him back, but it was too late.


    It''d grown unstable and had already repaired itself beyond use -- even if she used it now, it''d lead into a completely different entry point in the Flux. He was gone. Where had he gone? Perhaps only God knew the answer.


    He would have to come back by himself now. Violett was slightly worried but she felt that''d he be fine no matter what happened to him. After all, he''d already become skilled enough to escape from her clutches more than once.


    "Argh, goddamnit. I shouldn''t have lost my cool like that," Violett mumbled. She chastised herself as she warped back to her ruined villa and hurriedly began working on repairing what she had destroyed during their fight.


    The last time Violett destroyed Reef property, she was fined a sum of money so large that she was almost disowned from the royal family. It turned out that even immortals could be driven into debt in this world...


    Reed''s first impression of the Flux was that it was a seriously contradictory place; he saw an unchanging landscape that stretched out infinity, and yet he felt somewhat claustrophobic. The longer he gazed at the endless plane of darkness, the more he thought that there was something hidden about the place that made him feel uneasy.


    The whole place was far, far too twisted for his human senses. The ground rung hollow as he walked across the empty landscape.


    (I can''t tell how far I''ve been walking, or how long I''ve been in here. There isn''t even a sky in this godforsaken world -- just an empty void that''s covering the earth.)


    "It''s almost as if it''s been broken, or perhaps...incomplete? Why would such a half-assed place exist naturally?" he mumbled to himself.


    Something was off, that was for sure; Violett''s explanation of the Flux didn''t mention any of this. She depicted the Flux as a nightmarish realm that only the most experienced conquerors could traverse, but here he was fine and well.


    (Why does it always have to be this!? I don''t understand why I keep getting thrown into these unpredictable situations. Nothing ever works out the way it''s supposed to when I''m around, for better or worse...)


    Reed should have already been snuffed out of existence; that was what common sense dictated. Even conquerors weren''t supposed to remain in the Flux for more than a couple of seconds, but he was positive he''d already been in the Flux for several minutes at the bare minimum.


    (Oh, no. It''s happening again, isn''t it? I did something that shouldn''t be possible in theory. I''m getting really tired of these repeating events. Every time this happens, I end up with another dangerous secret on my lap.)


    He felt both relieved and exasperated at the same time as he gazed at the bleak and empty world. A part of him wondered what it all meant; he understood that all of these peculiar events had some kind of meaning. Any simple fool could figure that out in a heartbeat.


    People don''t normally hatch out of eggs, master Anima''s inner workings, or unwittingly receive ominous tattoos overnight. It all pointing towards something, but he didn''t know what that was.


    Once in a blue moon, he''d awaken in the dead of the night in a cold sweat out of pure fear. His tattoo was particularly unbearable on those nights; it felt like someone had put a red hot brand on his chest. It was a lingering nightmare that he couldn''t shake off since arrived in Mulia.


    Every time he tried recalling that awful dream, his chest would tighten as if his heart was caught in a vise and his breath became ragged.


    Reed''s body would adversely react before he could even conjure up the thought of that dream and he''d enter a state of panic. Something was there, but he didn''t dare to seek it out properly. The overwhelming fear was too much for him to handle.


    He had a gut feeling that he couldn''t shake off -- that the nightmare was something he''d have to face, sooner or later. There was something in the air that told him it was going to happen whether or not he wanted to or not...


    "...."


    "Yes, it is your destiny to face the truth and make your will known to all, Ka''an. But it is still too early for you to bear the weight of it all," whispered a feminine voice.


    Reed quickly turned around and found a girl behind him; she looked no older than him. Her long brown hair, almond eyes, and gentle, smiling face gave him a disarming impression. He secretly admitted that she was his type, but he wasn''t about to trust anyone that came out from this godforsaken place.


    As the old saying went, "once bitten, twice shy," Reed thought. He''d properly learned his lesson; Astrid and Violett had taught him enough. He wouldn''t fall for another beauty''s charms, no matter what they said or did.


    "I have always existed for your sake alone. That is why you have no reason to fear me, Ka''an," she replied.


    "...!"


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    Reed backed up a couple of steps when he heard her profess her dedication for his sake. She was coming off way too strong and it was starting to make him uneasy. He wasn''t about to jump for joy in this strange situation because of a girl''s confession of love(?).


    (How''d she do that? What''s up with that supernatural accuracy!? Is she peeking into my mind right now!?)


    "I''m not peeking into your mind if that''s what you''re thinking, Ka''an. It''s only natural that I understand you. It''d be a serious issue if I wasn''t able to do that," she stated. "This has always the true nature of our relationship -- that of the mirror and the shadow."


    "I''m no good with riddles. I''d appreciate if you could speak less cryptically, milady. Preferably in a way that an idiot such as myself can understand," Reed replied. He couldn''t get a reading on the girl at all; she was far too strange and couldn''t keep up with her. It was like they were having two completely different conversations, which left him exasperated.


    "In any case, what can I call you, milady? And why do keep referring to me as ''Ka''an''? Where''d you come from and why are you here?" Reed had a lot of questions and very little patience at the moment. He was out of his depth in this situation, again.


    "You already know my name, Ka''an. You''ve always known it. Speak my name and see for yourself," said the girl.


    (Oh man, she''s one of them, isn''t she? I''m dealing with a loony here, aren''t I? There''s no way I''d just know.....)


    A gear suddenly turned as if by coincidence and the words left his lips before he was able to recognize them.


    "You are Lu''um, the crux of the path towards the other shore at the end of the sea. The emissary from beyond the sky and guidepost to the inevitable end."


    The girl nodded in approval and said, "See? You already knew. The only thing you needed was a little push in the right direction." She walked towards Reed, unconcerned with her pace and the distance between the two of them shrunk.


    Lu''um closed the space between them in the blink of an eye and stood in front of Reed before he even realized it. She put her right hand atop his chest and said, "This is where I''ve been the entire time and why I''ve appeared before you."


    "Neither you nor I can escape it; the only thing we can do is make our peace with the truth. No one can stop the great and cruel wheel from turning, not even us. It has given us both our purpose and at the same time, has decided that we will bear the responsibility of creating it anew."


    The girl sighed. She embraced Reed gently and said, "But worry not, Ka''an. For I will be with you for eternity as we work upon the great weave from the other shore of time. That is why I do not fear the truth, unlike you. I am content carrying any burden as long as you are with me..."


    "..................................................What?"


    (What are you even talking about!!? Did I not ask you politely to stop speaking in riddles? Ugh, how did she get into my arms like that? That''s fucking scary!! Personal space, please!)


    This girl completely lived in her own world, it seemed. She hadn''t properly listened to a single thing he''d said since they started talking. Another beauty that gorgeous on the outside, but twisted up on the inside...


    Reed felt a big headache coming on as he struggled to get out of her embrace and regretted that he had woken up today. He was beginning to regret a lot of things as of recently, he thought...

 23 Island For Two

    He didn''t how he was supposed to respond to her explanations at all. His initial impression was that the girl lived in her own dimension, one that was far removed from reality.


    Simply put, she was out his league. It was clear as day that he couldn''t understand half of the things she''d said.


    He''d come to the abrupt conclusion that he''d never have a meaningful conversation with her under normal circumstances. The most vexing part of it all was that she likely held some important knowledge about the unique incidents that have happened to him.


    "It''s still too early for you, Ka''an. Please understand that if I revealed the truth to you, it''d break you into pieces. You are immature and will be unable to bear the weight of the karma that you have inherited," Lu''um replied.


    "That''s a pretty outrageous; just how bad could it truly be that you won''t tell me? Do you really think I''ll have some sort of mental breakdown? You''re being a bit overdramatic, don''t you think?"


    Lu''um shook her head and said, "Your mind would shatter like glass; allow me to put it into perspective so you can understand why I will not tell you." She put her hand over Reed''s chest and a horrifying wave of dread arose in his heart. He felt mind-numbing pain as his tattoo lit up like it was on fire.


    Reed knew where these dreadful symptoms came from; it was from that which he had no resolve to face. He felt his strength leave his legs and an unpleasant sweat poured from his body as he poured all of his focus into avoiding the issue at hand. More than anything, he wished for this feeling to end as soon as possible.


    Suddenly, the pressure disappeared and he felt like he could breathe once more as he struggled to regain his composure. A comforting flow of heat radiated from Lu''um''s hand that slowly put him at ease; it reminded him of the time he fell asleep back when he visited the Will of the World.


    "See? You can''t even handle the idea of facing a fragment that you''ve suppressed deep within your mind. If a mere piece of the truth can affect to this extent, what would happen if you faced the whole thing? That''s why I can''t tell what you want to know. Be patient, Ka''an," Lu''um said. She patted his back and comfortingly reassured him that everything would be fine.


    (....This is a pretty nice feeling. It''s incredibly weird, but also really pleasant. I don''t know what to think about this situation.)


    "Alright, fine. I get it, so get off me already," Reed spat out. He mustered enough strength and finally tore himself out of Lu''um tender embrace and said, "So why, or rather, how are you here, anyway? I was told that the Flux was an uninhabitable void that was dangerous to all living things."


    "I am here because you are here, Ka''an. I will go where you go and see what you see -- that is my raison d''etre. I thought that was obvious?" she asked.


    After a bit of back and forth, Reed finally had a rough understanding of the situation, or so he thought. It only took a half-hour of repetitive interrogation until she finally made some sense.


    From what he understood, this girl firmly believed that she had some kind of destiny with him, but as to what that entailed, he was unable to figure out. In any case, she knew something about his circumstances and was unlikely to divulge the details at the moment. Her main objective was to stay by his side and assist him henceforth -- the issue was he couldn''t figure out she was supposed to ''assist'' him with...


    Reed sighed as he massaged his forehead and said, "Okay, we''ve finally come to an understanding, yes?" He pointed at the empty, barren landscape and asked, "Do you know how to get out of here, Lu''um? Can you help me get back home?"


    "Okay. Where''s home? My home is wherever you are, Ka''an, so let us be off," she replied. She nonchalantly strolled up, grabbed Reed''s hand and said, "I can take you anywhere you want, but I can''t guarantee that we''ll get there accurately. You''re going to have to deal with certain a margin of error. Is that alright with you?"


    "It''s fine, so let''s leave already. The longer I''m gone, the more Violett''s going to worry about me. My friends are probably concerned too. At least, I hope they are... Take me back to the Reef, Lu''um."


    She didn''t waste any time. Lu''um casually tore an opening into the void and pulled Reed into it as if it was a matter of fact. Reed who wasn''t prepared, once again, was abruptly dragged into the void and let out a pathetic yelp as he vanished into the ether along with his new companion.


    When they came out the void, the sky had grown dim and cast the sun had almost receded into the horizon. Reed guessed that everyone must have already turned in for the day and headed towards the villa.


    His mind had already begun spinning like clockwork as he walked home, formulating the perfect apology that''d win over the princess''s favor. He also had to factor the whole part where he picked up a certain freeloader in the void, which was going to be a hassle to explain...


    (Well, I''m sure it all work out once I work my magic on her. The puppy eyes routine has never failed thus far, so I don''t see why it won''t work again.)


    He walked into the villa and discovered that the house was dark, something that he felt was odd. She was nearly a century old but acted as if she was still in her twenties.


    Violett always stayed up late all the damn time; it was really rare for her to fall asleep this early. Every night she''d force him to watch horror movies with her. She was even in some of the movies as an actress, too. There was nothing this lady wouldn''t do, he often thought...


    (Maybe she went to bed early because I''m not around for her to torture? It''d be sort of depressing if she actually watched her own films alone.)


    "There''s no one in here, it seems," said Lu''um. She inspected the house and remarked that she could not detect any presences within the home.


    "You sure about that? Let me go check Violett''s bedroom just in case you''re wrong," said Reed as he quietly shuffled towards the lady''s private chamber. He did his best to remain silent as he slowly cracked open the door to the maiden''s room.


    It felt like he was committing a serious crime, but he pushed down his morality as he peeked into the unknown. Reed discovered that Lu''um was right; Violett wasn''t there.


    What caught him off guard and set alarms off in his mind was that the room had been emptied. It was a bare room that held nothing in it at all. Something was wrong.


    He''d been in here once before and had seen it Violett''s handiwork in all its glory. She''d gotten heavily drunk on some special type of liquor and had taken liberties with what constituted as a relationship between a teacher and student.


    ''A bonding experience'', she called it as she hauled him off to her room and forced him to do questionable things for her. By the time he''d woken up, the morning had come around.


    Reed awoke in a bed that wasn''t his, in a room that shocked him silly. It was a pigsty of incredible proportions; all sorts of things littered the room. Clothes, accessories, weapons, books and other... unmentionables lay strewn across the room. It looked like someone''s landfill and smelled like one, too. An awful stench of alcohol permeated the room, presumably from last night''s celebration.


    It horrified to the core and wished he could forget it all happened, but now he was glad he remembered.


    This was definitely her room; even though her mess was gone, the faint smell of alcohol still lingered in the room. A sudden thought popped up into his head and he immediately rushed to his room to check his suspicions.


    His hunch was on the money -- his room had been emptied. Everything had been taken away and only the bare walls remained untouched.


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    Lu''um walked into Reed''s room and said, "Is this your home? It is beautiful, but is lacking certain amenities, Ka''an."


    Reed paid no attention to the girl''s comments and rushed outside like a madman as he ran towards the student dormitories. He begged for someone to be there, anyone at all. His gut churned as he denied the reality of the situation.


    He ran into the dorms and yelled out, "Astor! Horatio! Ophelia! Astrid! Sebastian!"


    "Hey, you guys, stop playing around with me and get your asses out here!!" He hollered.


    Enough was enough. If this was some kind of cruel, elaborate joke that they''d cooked up for him, he wanted out.


    Reed burst into the nearest dorm room and found that it was empty.


    He couldn''t accept it and tried another room...


    And then he tried another...


    And then he tried...


    And then...


    And...


    Everyone was gone. He had searched every single room in the dormitories and found nothing.


    Violett disappeared; his friends disappeared. The island was deserted. Only he and Lu''um remained.


    Reed eventually returned to the villa after he gave up. Rather, there was only one person who probably knew what''d happened here.


    The same person who had brought him back. It was the only explanation he could think of at the moment. It was either her or an act of god that caused this, he guessed.


    ".....Hey, you told me that there would be a certain margin of error in getting us home, right?"


    "Hm? Yes, that''s right. I don''t have a fine grasp of my power at the moment since I''ve barely woken up. Is something the matter?" Lu''um asked as she sipped on a fruit cocktail.


    "Yeah, I''ve got a bit of a problem. You see, this Island used to have a lot of people here. Now hear me out; although you have done a fine job of getting us home, my friends have disappeared."


    Lu''um laid down on Reed''s lap and said, "That sounds troubling, I suppose. What are you going to do about that, Ka''an?" she asked as she let out a lazy yawn. Reed was beginning to think that this wretch wasn''t interested in the slightest...


    "I was wondering if you knew why this is happening is all, dearest Lu''um. I would be most appreciative if you would grace me with your wisdom this evening," Reed said. He was practically grinding his teeth as he politely requested advice from her.


    "Hmmmmm... I think I know what happened. It''s just a guess though."


    "Yes, my fair lady? Please enlighten me."


    "I told you that there was a margin of error in getting us home. That error might have manifested as a spatial shift in our exit point. That didn''t happen, right? So it makes sense that when the error presented itself in the other way."


    "It seems like a temporal misalignment occurred on the way here. I got the spatial coordinates right, but I probably messed up getting the time of arrival."


    "Well...I did get you home, right? I technically succeeded," she softly mumbled.

 24 Worthy of Bliss

    There it was yet again; the cruel hand of the lady of fate. His harsh mistress had a particularly frightening way of bestowing her blessings, Reed thought.


    Nay, he could not call these events blessings at all, but there wasn''t anything he could do about it. A part of him feared the consequences that fall upon him of he voiced out his true thoughts.


    Those who blasphemed against the gods were often struck down in the most horrifying ways, or so myths and legends warned.


    Rees held his tongue, for he was superstitious at heart. Even more so since he arrived in this land of mystery and fortune.


    He did not dare affront the gods in this land; after all, he now lived amongst them...


    It''d do him no good to make enemies out them.


    "Hmm? Gods, Ka''an? None exist in these lands. I do not know how you have come up with such a hilarious joke, but you need not be concerned with such nonsense," said the girl.


    "You jest," said Reed. "This is a world filled with living, breathing gods that can shape the world at will. I, an ant, would be crushed under a single finger of theirs if I ever angered them."


    Lu''um scoffed. "Fool, they are nothing more than cheap imitations that have been granted a sliver of borrowed power. Do not concern yourself with them, for they are nothing more than tools." She drew close to his face as her eyes glittered with an intensity that caught Reed off guard.


    "You belittle me, yourself, and the enormous responsibility that had vested upon you. Never forget that you stand above everything; it is a right given to you by the nature of your office," she passionately stated. There was a natural confidence in her tone that made one feel every word she''d said was the law.


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    Her eyes spoke for themselves; they had a dangerous gleam about them. It was clear as day that she would not allow anything that contradicted her gospel.


    She would not permit such a heretical idea to exist so as long as she lived. He was sure of it. This beautiful angel would destroy any heathen that''d dare insult her beliefs.


    Reed was scared, but he also experienced something he''d never felt before. His blood boiled and he felt a rush of excitement when he locked eyes with Lu''um intense gaze.


    Oh, no.


    (.....She''s pretty hot when she''s angry.)


    Reed realized something important about himself that day. His eyes had been opened to the light; what that entailed was up for debate.


    "....."


    He checked his tome for the current date and was left speechless.


    October 31st, 7418. 8:37 PM SMT (Standard Mulia Time)


    Wasn''t it August 31st when he had woken up today? He felt cold sweat form on his hands as he held his tome in disbelief.


    Two months.


    They''d jumped two whole months in the future!!! Oh shit!!


    No wonder everyone had already left; they only had a month left on the island when he''d left. It made sense now why the island was abandoned.


    Everyone already left back to the spire. But it didn''t make sense at all; he only been (astonishingly) in the Flux for an hour at most. None of this made sense to him as he groaned in frustration.


    Lu''um twirled her long locks in boredom and said, "It shouldn''t be that surprising. The Heartless Domain is lawless by definition; it does not abide by the laws that govern this world." She was unconcerned with the boy''s supposed worries as she nitpicked over a split end she had found in her gorgeous hair.


    "When you put this together along with the fact that I''m still a little rusty with using my powers it''s not too surprising that we ended up here," she spat out. Her face scrunched up and she said, "Look, I did the best I was able to do at the time, so stop whining about it. Don''t be such a child, Ka''an. It''s a just a couple months, what''s the big deal?"


    Rees felt dumbfounded as he gazed at Lu''um who had the face of someone who''d been wronged. Who could she not understand the implications of this situation? He knew that he''d landed on a landmine this time.


    Two months was long enough that there was a good chance he''d already been pronounced dead.


    He speculated that maybe, just maybe, his disappearance might have been covered up but even still, it was a real hard sell to make. The longer he was gone, the hard it would become to keep up the lie. He''d been gone far too long for it to work, so he assumed that he''d been declared dead by now.


    The least likely possibility was that he''d be declared missing. The facts wouldn''t support that conclusion, he thought.


    (A contender -- a trainee, no less, who had entered the Flux. Common sense dictated that this was guaranteed death sentence.)


    Wait, would they announce the truth? If it was revealed that I opened a spatial tear, the repercussions would be.....


    There more he thought about it now, the more the idea of him being M.I.A made sense. It was all on the assumption that Violett would never reveal his secrets. He had no doubt she must have suffered a bit of grief covering his ass if his hunch was right.


    In any case, it''d do him no good sticking around.


    The best course of action would be to use the maintenance altar that and he and the boys used before. It was simple enough to reprogram it with the necessary coordinates for the spire...


    An enticing idea flashed through his mind suddenly that prompted him to rethink his plan. He even chastised himself for not thinking of it sooner.


    (...Isn''t this the perfect opportunity I''ve wanted since the beginning?)


    The altar could take him anywhere so as long as he had the proper coordinates for the other altar. He had his tome. It had everything he needed to make this plan a reality.


    Nothing was stopping him; all he needed to do was pick a place and he''d be on his way. He could pick any destination he wanted and leave with Lu''um.


    Sure, he''d lose the protection that the training academy had given him, but he was already strong enough to obliterate contenders. Given enough time, he was confident he could grow strong to deal with conquerors, too.


    As long as he kept a low profile and went somewhere remote like some backwoods town off in the middle of nowhere, the world would never know about his whereabouts.


    Time would pass; the world would eventually forget he even existed. He would fade away into the fog of history, never to be spoken of again.


    It''d be a gamble, but he was more than confident he could walk down this route. The allure of a peaceful life with a (weird) beauty was a powerful temptation.


    Reed would be forsaking his first real friends for a life of freedom and peace -- he could never meet them, or else he''d be pulled into their world again.


    He couldn''t make this decision easily; if he made the wrong choice, he''d regret it for the rest of his life. Both routes had their own unique appeal to them, and after what seemed like an eternity of contemplation, he gave up on thinking about it.


    "Indecision is fogging your mind; why do you hesitate, Ka''an? You will sink further into that pit of hesitation the longer you wait. Eventually, you won''t able to escape and you''ll drown, you know?" said Lu''um. She shrugged her shoulders and said, "Does it matter what you decide to do? I personally don''t care either way."


    "Yeah, thanks. I figured that out a while ago. That''s why you''re unreliable for any sort of advice," he mumbled.


    "Just do whatever you makes you the happiest -- follow your bliss, Ka''an," she whispered. Lu''um put her hand on Reed''s chest and said, "Follow the thrum of your own heart and do as your own will commands you to do so. I will support you no matter what you choose..."


    "....."


    The sun sunk under the horizon and the twinkling stars shone brilliantly in the sky; the three moons that hung above in the firmament continued their silent observation. Reed silently gazed upon the rolling waves as he thought of nothing in particular. Lu''um lay beside him and had long since fallen asleep.


    His feet grew heavier and his breathing slowed down, bit by bit.


    The ebb and flow of the sea filled the empty villa; the gentle and warm wind blanketed the pair in a comfortable blanket. All was well, here and now. This was what he had always secretly wanted since he''d been old enough to daydream about it.


    A peaceful life without a single worry. Someone who cared about him unconditionally. ''Wasn''t this it?'' he thought to himself. Was there a need to venture out further than this? These circumstances were unconventional by all means but at the very core, it was what he wanted.


    He lived a desperately his whole life in the slums and now that he''d been given this golden opportunity, he felt.....unworthy of accepting it.


    It felt...like he had not earned the right to enjoy this. What had he done to deserve this? He was having difficulty accepting that he could be so fortunate, that he was allowed to put down his guard and finally rest. He was frightened that this was a cruel joke and that something would rob him of this moment. It didn''t feel right. He wanted to earn this, not be handed it on a silver platter.


    There was great meaning to the idea of hard-earned bliss, not like this shallow imitation. He knew deep inside that if hung his boots tonight, he would never be satisfied with himself for the rest of days.


    He couldn''t let go of the feeling in his chest; that if he gave in tonight he would die by morning.


    Perhaps this was his fate, his destiny calling out him; he did not know, nor did he care. It did not matter to him -- as she had told him, he would do as he pleased.


    Reed gazed at Lu''um beside him and a small smile formed on his lips as he forced down a small chuckle. This girl only became a sleeping beauty when she wasn''t awake, he thought.


    She was certainly an oddball but it was also charming in its own way, though he would never admit out loud. They were words that didn''t need to be said. After all, she probably already knew...


    (And yet, she never commented on that when she caught me with my guard down. She was considerate enough to avoid that for my sake.)


    He made his final decision that night and fell asleep soon after; the three moons watched the pair longingly and the stars twinkle even more brilliantly than usual as if in a celebration that night...

 25 Farewell, Paradise...

    The sun slowly rose from beneath the horizon as it crawled back unto its throne in the sky; morning had come. A warm, pleasant sensation comforted Reed as the sun''s radiance blanketed the island and he was finally dragged out from his slumber.


    Reed felt as if a burden had been cast off of him as a result of last night''s reflection and was satisfied with what he''d decided upon. The temptation of escaping to an unknown land of serenity had almost won over his heart. His cowardliness and spurned on an evil, detestable part of himself that was anathema to all of his dreams and hopes.


    It was the unambitious devil in his soul that always sprung up when he was at his weakest and most vulnerable. There was no greater villain than he who whispered forbidden words in his ear; Reed knew all too well how incredibly persuasive he was. How many times had he fallen for his false promises over the years? He''d lost count long ago.


    Were it not for her words of advice that cleared his mind, he would have fallen into the accursed fiend''s grasp once again, he admitted. This was the truth and he knew it. He owed Lu''um a debt he would have to repay at some point -- his pride would never let him rest until he had done so.


    He could not even imagine living a life without meaning, and yet, he had almost fallen into such a nightmare. What would have happened to him had he not been fortunate enough to listen to the sound counsel of the girl? A nasty shiver ran up his spine when he the thought about it.


    But he was intensely curious about one thing particular; she''d never tried pushing him towards one decision or the other. She was prepared to walk beside him even if he''d chosen the path of cowardice.


    The only conclusion was it''d been a test for him; that was why she''d said that before she gave him the advice he needed. To eliminate herself as a potential influence that could interfere with his final choice. That was what he thought. But why do that? That was the real question.


    Of course, if he asked the girl, she''d probably tell him that he was overthinking the entire thing. That she was only acting out of pure, selfless interest for his sake. He just couldn''t come to grips with the idea that someone would willingly devote themselves for another''s sake. The world didn''t work like that; it was a preposterous idea that ran contrary to what he''d seen and experienced...


    Especially for someone such as he, who was nothing more than a single, insignificant speck on this world. What had he done to deserve her if what she said was really the truth?


    It seemed like a fanciful joke to him -- his homegrown cynicism wouldn''t permit to entertain the idea. Still, she''d proven herself worth as an ally yesterday. Reed couldn''t deny that it wouldn''t hurt keeping her around...


    A soft voice broke Reed out his downward mental spiral.


    "Are you well, Ka''an? Your heart is discordant and muddy; you harbor dark thoughts in the depths of your mind, do you not?" Lu''um asked. She brushed her hair out of her face and looked at Reed with a puzzled face.


    "Your heart is still too weak and your soul too brittle. Bouts of joy and misery wash over you, all the same, like the waves at the shore. You lack the courage to seek happiness and the conviction to own it. Am I wrong?" she asked.


    Reed felt naked under her piercing gaze; he wondered if he could even hide anything from her.


    "You even doubt my intentions, do you not?"


    "...."


    Lu''um let out a bored sigh and said, "Fine, then. I will settle the matter once and for all. It is best that we get over this here and now than let it grow into something worse." She suddenly grabbed Reed''s hands and put them on her neck.


    "If you believe that I will hurt you or that I''m plotting some nefarious scheme, you should get rid of me before that happens. Go ahead, Ka''an, I will not resist. A mere thought and I will never be able to trouble you ever again."


    She whispered in a hushed tone, "No will ever know what happened here. It will be as if I never existed in the first place. Do as you thou wilt, Ka''an."


    He looked into her amber eyes saw that boundless confidence laid within them; she was serious about this. She''d fearlessly thrown her life into his hands and it left him paralyzed to the core. He felt the slow, rhythmic beat of her heart through and felt the mortality of the girl.


    They both continued to gaze upon one another as the seconds turned minutes. Time passed.


    And then...


    And then...


    And then...


    She removed his hands from her neck and put them on her chest. He felt the thrum of her life and his face turned a pale shade of white.


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    "You made your choice even if you did not act. That is in itself a choice, nonetheless. I gave you an opportunity and you ran away from it. It is valid proof of my innocence and your weakness. You cannot deny it any more than you can deny your nature," she said.


    Reed could not so much as utter a single word; his entire being would not allow him to do so. He understood that he no longer had the right to doubt the girl anymore. There was nothing left for him to say.


    Lu''um embraced Reed and said, "I understand why you are the way you are, Ka''an. I have seen it all. I see what you see. But please believe me when I tell you that I will never betray you. I will tell you the bitter truth because I care for you, not out of spite or malice. It is the only way you will grow into what you are meant to be," she softly murmured...


    A warm breeze swept past the pair as they waited for the only working altar in the island to boot up. Reed already inputted the necessary coordinates to return home and all they had to do now was wait for the altar to finish its preparations. For every second that passed, he increasingly regretted his decision but knew it was only a fleeting emotion of frustration.


    He loathed the idea of abandoning the island that he''d come to love; the beautiful beach, the idyllic scenery, and most importantly, the sun-kissed climate. Reed knew what awaited him on the other side of the altar -- the godforsaken spire in that existed in the frigid tundra.


    ''All good things must come to an end,'' some wise fellow once said. This was what the common folk often told him in his world, back in the day. He always despised the fatalistic view contained within the proverb. It was indicative of weakness, he concluded; that one should resign themselves to the loss of their joy, their happiness to the inevitability of fate.


    ''A load of bullshit created so losers can lick their wounds,'' is what he thought of the damned phrase, and yet here he was... about to give up his joy. He weakly chuckled at himself self-derision and shrugged the damnable thought away from his mind.


    Thankfully, the altar finally started up before Reed could entertain another depressing thought; it shone brilliantly and a low, static hum echoed out as soon as it finished booting up.


    The time had come for them to leave ''paradise'' as Reed dejectedly described it. As soon as they stood atop the altar it came live and a blinding flash of light engulfed them whole. They were gone.


    No one would ever know about the single teardrop that floated above the altar''s floor when the pair had left. It lazily dropped towards the ground but was suddenly swept up by a gentle breeze and flew far, far away into the deep blue where it would never be seen again...


    At the other end of the rabbit hole was exactly as Reed had expected -- no, it was even worse than he imagined. A furious blizzard raged across the outside of the spire''s plaza where they arrived. It felt like hell had frozen over and spilled onto the world; the howling winds and endless snow that fell made it difficult for them to even see a couple of feet in front of where they stood. The subarctic climate made it a living hell as Reed suddenly felt his body heat dissipate into the condemned snowstorm.


    ''Ah... I''m back home,'' Reed thought as he stood amid the merciless blizzard. It went without saying that this was how things would turn out. Expecting any more would be a fool''s dream.


    Reed one foot forward and marched down the plaza towards the entrance, but suddenly found himself stuck with a troubling dilemma. One that he should have thought about before he''d stepped onto the altar...


    He stopped dead in front of the spire''s main door.


    He didn''t know how the academy would react to his reappearance. How would he explain Lu''um and his 3-month disappearance? How should he act once he went inside? All of them were important questions that he had no answers to at the moment.


    Common sense dictated that he couldn''t just stroll in nonchalantly and brush everything off like it didn''t happen, right?!


    ''Oh, no. I didn''t think this through properly... Wait, maybe we should go back to the Reef! Give me some time to think up some answers and get prepared. Yeah, that soun-''


    Creeeaaaak. The ancient door rumbled as it moved.


    It''d been opened.....


    It''d been...


    It''d.....


    Lu''um had pushed the door open. She looked back at Reed and said, "I told you already, Ka''an. Stop overthinking. Just do as you please. Also, it''s cold outside," she said as she strolled into the spire.


    Reed rushed inside in pursuit and quickly cast a barrier of invisibility upon himself and Lu''um. He hurriedly dragged her off towards an inconspicuous area right after that. It was all purely out of instinct in an attempt to salvage the situation.


    What would happen if he just strolled into the spire with a beauty in a hand as if he''d just come home from a long night of playing hooky? How would he explain that away? He''d rather not...


    Reed understood that he was going to need help. He wrangled his mind as he ran simulations in his mind. Eventually, his options ran thin; he could only think of one person who could currently save his ass right now -- Axtorius, the old goat.


    As much as he disliked the geezer, Reed was confident that he was his best and only choice. He was the only one in the damned spire that could probably smooth his problems over. As long as he made it to his quarters, Reed was sure that''d help him out.


    The real question was whether they''d make it there before they got spotted. The girl beside him a natural propensity to do as she wished; this was a problem. That and the fact that he''d need to remain elusive in the face of some very dangerous people...


    As long as they remained quiet and made themselves scarce, they''d be able to do it, Reed optimistically thought.


    What could go wrong?

 26 He Hated I

    The coast seemed to be clear from what Reed saw, at least for now. Luckily, the bottommost level of the spire, which served as the only entrance into the building, was empty when they entered. It made sense; few people ever visited the spire. It was too remote -- in fact, it wasn''t even on standard maps.


    The locations of all training academies weren''t accessible on standard navigational records as a security measure. Few had the privilege of knowing the reason for this decision in the modern era. Most people thought that it was a useless, outdated policy from a bygone time. They were wrong.


    It was created for an important reason; it was far more... chaotic back when the four empires were founded. No -- it wouldn''t be a lie to say that the earth and sky ran red with blood several thousand years ago.


    Calling it a bygone era would be a gross mistake; it was a completely different world. It was an alien hellscape rife with conflict and savagery, unlike anything Mulia''s modern descendants could ever imagine.


    Contenders were nothing more than foot soldiers and were considered expendable assets during the unification wars that raged across the continent. They served as the main combatants and had the highest death rate during those maddening years of brutal conflict against the staunch rebellion.


    The insurrectionist movement that opposed the four empires -- the New Mulian Federation -- was particularly malicious and unforgiving during these wars.


    They were astonishing cruel and heartless to great success in battle. Often, surprise attacks were normal. Especially on enemy training grounds to snuff out potential strategic threats -- the massacres ensued that left even the most battle-hardened troops horrified.


    As a result, it became military protocol to keep the location of contender training grounds top-secret, even to the highest brass in the military. Even so, the number of contenders across the continent dwindled to a precious few after the war.


    Even after hundreds of years of peace, contenders have remained scarce, to the point that they''ve become somewhat precious in the modern era.


    Contenders in modern times now enjoyed privileges that their ancestors would have never even dreamt about. They were now precious seedlings. Investments instead of the cannon fodder they once were during the days of yore.


    It was humorous if not tragic; how the wheel of fate turned for the status of being a contender. For they were but cheap pawns for their masters many moons ago; now celebrated as living demi-gods, pampered by the same people who once threw them into oblivion.


    Not that any of them would ever know the truth; almost everyone who lived during this bloody period had already died except for a notable few...


    If he got caught, well -- c''est la vie, as the common folk often said. What more could he do about it? He''d deal with that problem if it came down to it. Reed resolved himself and focused on the job at hand; sneaking up to Axtorius''s office undetected.


    He''d already thought up a variety of tricks that''d give him an edge, but none of them were without flaws, so to speak. Creating a self-sustaining invisibility field by warping light was easy, but it had the flaw of being difficult to keep up while moving. He hadn''t mastered the technique to point of moving and keeping it active, which was an issue of its own to consider.


    Flying? If was he actually capable of doing it, he wouldn''t even need to worry about this mess; he could have flown up to Axtorius''s office from the outside in a flash. But it out of the question.


    He could shake off gravity''s shackles, but he knew that he had no fine control when it came to down to it. Chances were that''d he rocket off into the stratosphere like a human bullet if he attempted using the technique right now.


    It was another example that proved he was woefully lacking finesse despite his outrageous talent. He knew he couldn''t make up for hard-earned experience gained through practice even if he was a genius and that frustrated him.


    An awful idea arose in the depths of his mind; he immediately hated it.


    Short-range teleportation.


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    He knew that''d be instantaneous, but he feared the possibility of another disaster. Even he understood that avoiding a bit of trouble and embarrassment wasn''t enough to warrant the use of teleportation, even if it was short-ranged this time around. If he messed up again, it''d be another three-month vacation or worse with his luck. This was by far the dumbest idea he''d thought up and was the one he detested the most.


    Reed mulled over his options and let out a deep sigh as if he''d let his soul escape his body. He had decided.


    "Alright. Lu''um, here''s the plan we''re gonna go with..." Reed said as he explained what they were going to do. The absent-minded girl listened to the boy''s plan and nodded as she looked at his twisted countenance. She laughed and gave a thumbs-up in approval...


    It''d already three months since the boy''s disappearance; was he still alive, or had he already died? The question continued to haunt him whenever he let his mind wander off.


    Axtorius wished to know the truth, one way or another. He languidly lifted his cup of coffee and continued reading the reports that''d been sent to him by his subordinates. Over the last month, he even mobilized his intelligence network to no avail. Violett had told him the truth and understood why it''d be near-impossible to locate him; it was a frustrating but also delightful situation.


    The little brat knew how to keep him on his toes -- who else would brazenly open a spatial tear they couldn''t control? More importantly, how was he even able to do it? His learning rate was off the charts; even now, it still left him speechless whenever he thought about it.


    A year-old contender that hadn''t even completed basic training accomplished what many in the community considered to be the final milestone in their path of growth. It was the informal dividing line that separated the measly contender from a conqueror and yet, the boy did it in the span of his first year as a contender.


    It was the equivalent of an infant who''d been born a year ago standing up and entering a full sprint. Not only that but also sprinting at an olympic-level pace. None of it made sense when he thought about it. Axtorius was worried. Reed was growing way too fast and now it''d caught the full attention of the four royal families.


    The Kingscrowns were on high-alert and classified the event to the highest level of secrecy, but somehow the event still got leaked a month into their investigation. Once the other three families learned of the situation everything went as he expected. They started furiously searching their domains, hoping that the young boy had warped into their lands. Everyone was searching for the miracle child in secret while they kept the truth hidden from their vassals. The last thing they wanted was for them to interfere in their little duck hunt, he surmised.


    He couldn''t blame them for their actions though, as the boy was certainly worth the grueling effort they''d put in over the last three months. It was not an exaggeration in the slightest that the boy was unique beyond compare; many among the royal echelons believed that as long as the boy survived the warp into the void, he''d become their holy grail.


    The fifth sovereign to walk upon these lands, they clamored in secret meetings across the world. He would upset the delicate balance established by the four empires, or so they thought.


    None of that mattered to Axtorius; he knew the boy''s character all too well. He''d never become what they wanted because the boy''s ambitions were... special, so to speak. Axtorius let out a chortle when he thought about the young boy who told him that he was planning on, "settling down near some beach down in the South."


    The kid didn''t have a single ambitious bone in his body; it''d be impossible for him to hold onto a crown. The youngster would probably die than accept the responsibility...


    Axtorius drank from his cup and noticed that''d it gone cold, again. He sighed; he started heating his drink and his office began shook with a vengeance. His hair bristled in surprise and his reflexes got the best of him. He quickly stood up and began channeling the surrounding Anima towards himself in preparation...


    Space-time shook and screeched in protest as a bubble of distorted imaginary space came into existence above his desk. It violently contracted a couple of times before it finally burst. The exploding bubble turned everything in Axtorius''s office into shreds as it finally stabilized with real-space.


    Two figures stepped out of torn space; a young boy and a girl. The young boy looked at the destruction their entrance caused and a grimace formed on his face. The girl seemed entirely unconcerned by the mess they''d created and looked at the mess with indifference.


    Finally, the youngster noticed the dumbstruck Axtorius and said, "It''s a been a while, hasn''t it? I''m back, old goat. Sorry ''bout the office, by the way."


    Reed looked at his paralyzed instructor and barked, "You alright? Did you have a stroke or something, geezer? Don''t freeze up on me, it''s making me nervous." It looked like the old man wasn''t able to handle the sudden turn of events. A solid minute passed until the astonished elder finally processed what happened.


    Axtorius rushed up to Reed in a flash and began inspecting him as if he were some exotic specimen; it annoyed him but he let the ancient fart do as he pleased. Better to get on his good side than piss him off from the start.


    Eventually, Axtorius had his fill and said, "Looks like this isn''t a hallucination... you''ve made it back!" He cracked a toothy grin and patted Reed energetically. "You''ve done good, brat! Consider your return an astounding success and take a breather, for now. We''ve got a lot to talk about later, but right now I''ve got to make some very important calls..."


    Reed let out of a sigh of relief. He was sure that he was in good hands now and his shoulders drooped a bit. He felt his tension melt away at the sight of the old man; it felt wonderful having a dependable pillar he could rely on. It was the first time he felt blessed that he had someone like the geezer watch over him, although he''d never admit it out loud.


    After a couple of minutes, Axtorius finished talking whomever he needed to call and said, "By the way, it''s a bit abrupt but she''s coming over to meet you, boy. I had to tell her that you were back, after all, she was the one who was the most worried about you. No hard feelings, kid."


    "What are you talking about? Wait, you don''t mean that Vio-"


    Reed''s question was drowned out by a deafening explosion that rang out from outside of the office. It immediately put Reed on guard. He instantly understood who Axtorius had called and cursed a pox on the old bastard''s name.


    Oh, no.


    Reed slumped his shoulders in despair and accepted that he wouldn''t be able to run away from what was about to happen. He gritted his teeth. The office door slowly opened and...


    It wasn''t what he expected.

 27 She Marched In; He Cried

    "Let''s get the most important issue out of the way first. Would you mind telling us where you''ve been for the last three months?" asked Violett. She sat beside Reed and held him with a steely grip that bordered the line between a loving hug and a pro-wrestling grip.


    Both Lu''um and Reed were escorted down to the deepest depths of the spire. They''d moved into what resembled a conference room that did not have any doors or windows. It was self-contained ¡ª it neither had an entrance nor an exit which left Reed confused.


    Reed mused that the lady''s physical prowess was still as overbearing as ever, despite her delicate appearance. Princess on the outside; Beast on the inside. Her formal title was well-warranted, he thought. He didn''t like that he was being manhandled, but there was little he could do against the domineering maiden.


    "With all due respect, Lady Violett, I''ll be the one asking the questions here," Axtorius asserted. He lifted his favorite mug and took a sip from it. His coffee had gotten cold, again. Once more, he heated the warm mug again. He scowled for a split second and then redirected his attention to the task at hand.


    His hawk-like gaze shifted onto his vexatious disciple and said, "Look, don''t even think about starting with your bullshit, brat." He shot a glance at the indifferent girl beside him and his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Something happened, right? You''re not leaving this room until you tell us the truth. That''s a promise."


    Reed groaned. What was he supposed to tell them? The actual truth? They would never believe it, he thought. Sure, he was confident that Axtorius and Violett had a certain trust in his words, but what happened to him was out of this world ¡ª in the most literal sense.


    It''d be a troublesome tale to sell, even for Reed. He''d gotten himself into a variety of unexplainable situations that defied logic before, but this one took the cake. Unfortunately, he knew that if he lied about what happened, Axtorius would likely tear him a new asshole. Reed swallowed a glob of spit in fear and a cold sweat formed on his body.


    Ah, screw it. I don''t want to get my ass beat today, Reed thought. He''d the tell the truth, whether not they believed him. He decided that he wouldn''t be responsible if they chose to be narrow-minded. The only thing he could do was hope that they trusted him enough, but that was a long shot.


    Reed paused for a moment. He recollected the events that transpired after he got dragged into the void from the beginning until now and started his explanation.


    Of course, he''d withheld what was likely the most significant detail of the story; how he came into contact with Lu''um and what her role in the story was at all. Reed recognized that this ommission would only raise Axtorius''s suspicions, but he couldn''t come up with a convincing lie at the moment. He was already stretching the truth as far as he could ¡ª which was a miracle of sorts.


    For once since they''d met Axtorius and Violett, Lu''um spoke up and said, "My name is Maya, and I met Reed when he warped out of the void, not too long ago." She explained that she nursed him while he was unconscious after his return from the abyss. That she aided in him getting back on his feet and helped him on his quest back towards the spire.


    What shocked Reed was that she didn''t even bat a goddamned eye as she spilled out lie after lie. It was astonishing how adept she was at spinning falsehoods on the move ¡ª she was a genuine natural at it ¡ª that sent chills down his spine.


    Who the hell was Maya? Nursed him back into health? Guided him back to the spire? Her lies had a hint of the truth, but were mostly gross exaggerations of what happened. It was an insidious way of camouflaging the truth; She twisted the facts and also combined them with clever lies to cover for the inconsistencies in her story.


    The result: a far more convincing account of the events that occurred after Reed had returned from his three-month hiatus. In any case, Lu''um had cleared herself with a compelling alibi.


    She was now a wandering contender who had bumped upon Reed when he was at his weakest and saved his life.


    What a load of bullshit, he thought. He couldn''t deny that it was a high-grade fabrication; he had to give respect where it was due. Reed felt a cold admiration of Lu''um''s skill, that was for sure.


    Axtorius and Violett went quiet for a long time after both of them finished giving their accounts. They both had pensive expressions as they looked at each other. What spoken about in this room could never leave these walls; that was what they both immediately thought. If even an iota of what they said was true, it''d spell catastrophe for everybody.


    Axtorius looked at Reed and Lu''um with a grim face and coldly announced, "This discussion never occurred, do I make myself clear? You warped into some obscure, isolated part of the North and it took you three months to find your way back. If anybody inquires you where you''ve been, this will be your story from now on."


    He looked at both of them with an intense gaze as his voice shifted an octave lower and he said, "I will repeat myself once more. This. Conversation. Never. Happened. You got lost in the wilderness and Maya saved you. This is your new reality, henceforth."


    Reed flinched out of reflex and shook his head in acknowledgment. Maya had a somber mein as she nodded in approval. If that was what the old goat decided upon, that was how it would be. No further questions were needed.


    Violett picked up where Axtorius had left off and said, "For now, you''ll re-enter your class. You''ve missed a sizeable portion of your training, but I had to be honest; it''s meaningless for you given where you''re at skill-wise. Not like it matters since the program is at its final stretch anyway..." She caught Reed and Lu''um like two sacks of potatoes and hauled them over her shoulders.


    "I''ll take these two and throw them into the class, what do you think?" she asked Axtorius, who in deep thought at the moment.


    "¡­ What? That sounds fine. You must forgive us, Maya, but we can''t exactly let you leave the spire at the moment. We appreciate what you''ve done for Reed, but understand that you''re in a precarious situation."


    He shrugged his shoulders and let out a long sigh. "It''s too dangerous right now; both for Reed and yourself. I hope you don''t mind staying with us, at least until the danger passes..."


    Lu''um''s eyes flickered for the briefest of moments and then her lips formed a gentle smile. "I understand, sir. I''m all right staying here if I must. Although it''s troublesome, I don''t regret help Reed¡­" she trailed off.


    Violett cracked a grin and said, "Then it''s all settled! I''ll take them over to the dorms and get them situated." She tapped her foot on the floor and they vanished in a flash of light.


    Axtorius alone sat in the empty room and picked up his cold mug. The coffee had gone cold yet again. He drank it down this time without reheating it and grimaced out of disgust.


    Got some extra work to do now, he thought. He would have to make some difficult calls and scratched his head in frustration.


    Such was the life of the mentor ¡ª cleaning after his kid''s mistakes, he concluded.


    At least he was a good kid; From the looks of it, the boy took his advice to heart. Even got the attention of a young lass, it seemed. A sly grin formed his face when he thought about it. The brat was getting himself into all kinds of trouble ¡ª he was living life to the fullest ¡ª that alone satisfied the old man...


    Violett jumped through several altars until they arrived at the entrance of the dormitories, which looked the same as they always did. Reed felt a rush of nostalgia, but found it humorous that he felt the emotion. During their training they rarely stayed here, but he couldn''t shake the feeling this home. It was an odd feeling that made his chest warm and fuzzy.


    "Get yourselves settled in and all that jazz; I''m sure you''ll want to catch up with Astor and the gang, right? Ask them for details on anything you need. I need to help the old man, so I can''t tend to you both at the moment," she said. Violett disappeared in a flash and they both fell once she let go of them.


    Lu''um struck a graceful landing despite the abrupt fall and brushed her hair that''d gotten messy because of Violett''s rough handling. Reed fell on his ass with the grace of a dead animal and cursed the princess. He stood up, dusted himself off and grunted, "Goddamnit... that fucking hurt. You think she''s still mad, Lu''um?"


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    An awkward silence followed. Lu''um did not respond as she focused on her hair. She seemed more interested in her hair than Reed''s entire existence.


    Reed looked at her for a moment and said, "Ooh, my bad. Look, I couldn''t come up with a proper story on the fly, Maya. Give me a break; I''m not an expert liar like you. It wasn''t on purpose."


    She responded, "Don''t worry about it, Reed. I wasn''t expecting you to cover for me in the first place, so no, I''m not angry at you. I told you already; I''ll always cover for what you lack the most." She finished brushing her hair and latched onto Reed in a natural motion.


    In a flawless movement, she craned over Reed''s ear and said, "I sense your anxiety, Ka''an. You worry. Your companions, no? They are past this door, are they not?"


    The damn girl hit the issue in a single blow, once again. He stood in front of the dorm''s door and felt his arms turn into lead at the thought of meeting them again. Lu''um sighed and put her head on his shoulder. She put a finger over Reed''s chest and coyly dragged across where his tattoo was.


    "Then I''ll help you as always, Ka''an..." she whispered. With a sudden pull, she caught Reed off guard as she dragged him towards the entrance. With swift, large strides, the amused girl reached the door and burst the door open with a fury.


    A resounding boom echoed across the dormitories as the girl marched in with the boy in tow. A magnificent entrance, fit for the likes of king and queens, one might have thought if they saw it.


    Reed burst into tears and covered his face in embarrassment; Lu''um proudly walked in with a smug smile on her face.


    The duo caught the attention of everyone whether or not they liked it.


    Fate was cruel.


    Reed finally returned home and now, he desperately wanted to leave it....

 28 The Council of Sages

    Needless to say, they''d made a grand entrance that caught everyone''s attention. For a fleeting second, Reed contemplated the prospect of living the rest of existence as a hermit in some distant region of the world. Better to live under a rock like a lowly crustacean than suffer the embarrassment he was feeling right now, he considered.


    Lu''um scoffed and gave him a heavy-handed slap on the ass. Reed jumped up in surprise and scowled at her, furious that he''d been assaulted without a justifiable reason. The girl''s actions spoke more than enough; she would not tolerate back-talk, much less an ounce of disrespect from him.


    Reed''s classmates who''d been minding their own business before Lu''um burst into the dorms watched the events unfold with bulging eyes. Many of them were having a difficult time processing what they''d seen. A select few among them were even privy to the truth; they understood what his return would signal.


    Not only that, he''d come back with company. Who was she and why was she with him? What was her relationship with him? She looked awfully familiar with him if their first impressions of her were to be believed...


    Rumor was that he''d gone missing in some unfortunate mishap; Many of them now felt that this theory was completely wrong. It was clear that he was fine; some would even say he was faring rather well as they eyed the mysterious, gallant girl...


    Astor choked on his breakfast when he saw Reed and roughly coughed several times until he spat out the lodged piece of bread that''d gotten stuck in his throat. Horatio''s eyes shot out of their sockets as he gawked at Reed; Sebastian rubbed his eyes in disbelief again and again...


    Astrid and Ophelia were stunned but focused more on the lovely girl than Reed himself as their eyes flickered.


    Reed rubbed his head and an empty laugh left his lips. He trembled a bit and said, "How''s it going, guys... been a while, huh?"


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    Horatio and Astor made short work in dragging them away from the prying gazes that befell them. The dynamic duo was promptly sequestered in Astor''s room once the initial shock faded away. It went without saying that celebrations were in order since their beloved friend had seemingly returned from the beyond.


    They made many hugs and jokes; merrymaking was afoot in the small room ¡ª it was a special occasion.


    It was well known that these individuals were among the first to settle on Mulia''s soil an undetermined number of years ago. Even now, contemporary anthropologists didn''t know how far back this specific subgroup of humans had been here.


    The current interpretation of the archaic language of the Mu stemmed from the contributions they made; without their assistance, it was widely thought that the first races that arrived would have suffered a great deal more than they did.


    For these reasons, they earned immense respect and were permitted an autonomous reign of their own in a specific territory in the West. A sacred area of virgin land that has remained untouched for millennia ¡ª even before the four empires emerged.


    Lu''um was especially delighted when Astor brought out the uncommon confections and gazed at them with a curious twinkle in her eye. She broke into a sweet smile as she savored the taste and entered her own little world, once again in her usual fashion.


    Astor chuckled and slung his arm around Reed in a skillful way as if it belonged there. He could no longer hold himself in check and asked, "So, buddy... you gonna tell us how you met Maya, yet?" He pulled Reed even closer and held him a half-assed neck lock. "You sly dog, you! Heh, you acted so innocently back then, but look at you now..."


    Reed shook his head and said, "It''s not what it looks like, man, she''s just a bit physical when it comes to horseplay. We''re just good friends is all, I swear."


    Astor didn''t buy it all and sneered in disbelief. He released Reed and replied, "Yeah, yeah, if that''s the story you wanna go with, I won''t question it. I''m no boor."


    Can men and women be "just friends"? An important question that received a broad range of answers from both sides of the table. Astor had a firm opinion on what his answer was; he smirked as he popped a chocolate into his mouth.


    Astrid and Ophelia remained silent and glared daggers at Astor, but he played the part of the fool and acted oblivious.


    Horatio took the opportunity to ask the most pertinent question and said, "Where have you been, Reed? We''ve heard many things about your disappearance, you know. Since we all have closer ears to the higher echelons of society if you catch my drift. Heard a lot of wild stuff about... you." He paused stiffly and let his sentence drift off into the room that''d gone mute.


    It wasn''t as if they wanted to force the truth out of their companion, but they still wished to know if what they heard over the last several months was true.


    Reed mulled over the query with great frustration; he wished to tell them the truth, but at the same had the old goat''s advice buzzed in his head. He turned to look at Lu''um and she did was shrug indifferently ¡ª either she didn''t care about the topic, or was unconcerned with Reed''s dilemma ¡ª something that pissed him off.


    Astrid said, "Look, it''s alright if you don''t want to talk about it, or if you can-" Reed stopped her with a raised hand and sighed.


    "Ahh, whatever. I trust you guys, so it''s fine if I tell you what happened. Just make sure to not break my faith, or the old man will literally kill me ¡ª I mean it," said Reed.


    Reed slowly tapped his left foot, let out a soft groan, and said, "Where do I even begin? I''ll need to tell you all a bunch of other stuff in order for it all to make sense." He revealed to them many things they never knew about him: his supernatural talent with Anima, the fact he''d already reached the cusp in comprehending how to exploit space-time. His unexpected journey into the void... and the temporal displacement he encountered on the way back home...


    In the end, Reed kept his mouth shut when it came to Maya; that''s where he drew the line. He felt bad, but couldn''t risk telling them the truth. Not even Axtorius knew the real truth. Reed fed them the concocted story that the old goat had instructed him to repeat and apologized to them inside his heart. That was all he could do...


    By the time he finished regaling them with his adventure into the abyss, they''d all gone pale as the snow that lay outside. Various expressions of shock, disbelief, amusement, and joy flashed upon their respective faces.


    "You''re not messing with us, right? Damn, dude... you''re a crazy-ass bastard, you know that?" said Sebastian, breaking the silence.


    Lu''um gazed imperiously at Sebastian and said, "Careful, Redhead. The way you speak is blasphemous and I... will not tolerate that." Her gaze was frigid and penetrating, like the one a ferocious predator would have in the heartless wilderness. Sebastian instantly felt a tremendous pressure of unknown origin and shivered in response.


    Reed let out a flimsy chuckle and stepped on one of Lu''um''s feet. The menacing girl immediately caught on and scoffed in protest, but acknowledged his demand, nonetheless. Lu''um deftly switched her tone and said, "Gotcha! I was just messing around, relax." She snickered and threw another chocolate in her mouth. Sebastian would live to see another day.


    Everyone caught on to the... odd interactions between the two and made their own judgments about it. Astor heartily let out peals of laughter as he pointed at Sebastian in derision. Some things never changed.


    None of them aside from Sebastian made any comments concerning what Reed had told them. Perhaps it was because they didn''t know what to say, or for a simpler reason ¡ª they didn''t care. All that mattered to them was that their friend was safe and sound. Either way, they made no special note of it and instead let the matter rest after that...


    Once the elephant in the room had been dealt with, the mood returned to its previous state. Merrymaking and jubilation in the air.


    Reed learned about what transpired since he''d left after he asked them about their side of the story. After they completed their basic Anima training, they were all put work ¡ª live training, they called it. From what they said, it was a rather grueling affair; they''d been tasked with hunting and survival missions in some of the most godforsaken wastelands in the North.


    The wild creatures that inhabited these frozen territories were not particularly amicable. They were feral, merciless hunters that encapsulated the essence of their home and of the natural environment. More often than not, they hunted civilians, with extreme ferocity when they left the safety of their protected cities.


    These predators treated the empire''s citizens as open game. Their metal cities? Henhouses that raised their delicious meals, as far as they were interested.


    It was a tradition in the North to send rookie contenders to clear out their numbers when they grew too abundant and started threatening the smaller, less-protected cities. The purpose was two-fold; to exterminate the damned pests and also to test their youngsters with actual combat.


    Horatio commented that these missions served as a prelude for the final part of their training: a "coming of age" test for them as contenders, but noted that not even he knew what that encompassed.


    Ophelia remarked that he returned on a good day because they frequently weren''t in the spire for very long. Violett would send them on missions every other day, so most of their time in the last three months had been out doing fieldwork.


    "Now that you mention it, we''ll probably receive our set of marching orders by the end of today... tomorrow''s going to be truly interesting," said Astrid. She gleefully looked at Reed and Maya.


    Reed shrugged his shoulders and kept silent. He was a bit ticked off with how Astrid was looking at him but kept his cool. Her inner crazy was starting to slip out, which made him uneasy. Last time he saw that face, she yanked him down the goddamned sinkhole...


    He wasn''t looking forward to the next day at all. His buddies, on the hand, looked delighted...


    Why? What was up with them? He''d soon find out.

 29 The Hunters and the Hunted

    What was life, if not an assortment of regrets? A monument to agony and despair? Numerous questions like these rushed through Reed''s mind as he desperately ran away from a horde of unrelenting monstrosities. The crafty beasts, known as Reel Fishers, kept up with the youth as he tore through a raging blizzard at breakneck speed.


    These persistent hunters looked like grotesque, malformed arachnids that belonged in a nightmarish realm; their irregular appendages and crooked mandibles made them horrifying to look at. They were one of the North''s apex predators, silent creatures that ruled the night. It went without saying it''d been eons since they acclimated to the brutal conditions of the frozen wastelands.


    Most were over two meters in length and all of them possessed perfect vision even in the blackest of nights. In response to the conditions of their natural environment, they had all been born with modified cuticles that had special hairs ¡ª they reflected light ¡ª giving them a pure-white appearance. They effortlessly blended into the wintry landscapes of the North when they hunted. The damnable creatures could even adjust their exterior exoskeleton''s pigmentation on the go if required.


    Unsurprisingly, because of this unique trait, Reel Fisher hair was a precious commodity. It was a classic staple in high-end fashion because of its light-refracting properties. Even militaries used it in specialized combat gear ¡ª the type used in reconnaissance operations.


    Reed turned around and counted at least three dozen of them before he looked away. Each one of them had no trouble keeping up with his blistering 80 km/h pace. The goddamned bastards didn''t even look the slightest bit tired as they followed in silent pursuit. He gritted his teeth and continued running towards the designated rendezvous point.


    "This isn''t fucking fair!" he protested, but his grievances would reach no one inside the terrible snowstorm. He cursed his teammates with a litany of obscenities that would make even sailors blush as he sped towards an open plain in the distance. That was the location they''d agreed upon for their planned ambush.


    Apparently, it was the newbie''s role to act as the bait, so either Reed or Lu''um would have to play the role of the rabbit and ''guide'' the Reel Fishers over to a vacant plain where they''d be far easier to kill.


    Of course, Astrid and Ophelia played the ''man card'' on Reed ¡ª a man should deal with the heavy lifting ¡ª that making Lu''um act as bait would be far too harsh on the poor maiden. Astor, Horatio, and Sebastian chose a rather opportune occasion to keep their mouths shut, thought Reed, almost as if they had been waiting to judge him.


    Astrid explained that fighting them inside of the forest, where they lived, was an absolute death sentence, so the rabbit-lure plan was the best method of dealing with them.


    He thought otherwise; if it was up to him, he would have already incinerated the entire forest into ashes, consequences be damned. Dark thoughts swirled inside his head as he contemplated the idea in theory. Reed was more than capable of unleashing enough power to obliterate almost anything that stood in his way, he just wasn''t sure if he could do it in a legal sense.


    Who owned the forest? If he razed it down to the ground, would they hold him accountable for its destruction? God forbid the government fined him, or worse, forced him to pay compensatory damages. Otherwise, he would have started an indiscriminate slaughter already.


    When Reed finally made it out into the field, their unified attack commenced. Astor and Astrid popped out under a thick layer of snow and immediately conjured up a gigantic stretch of serrated spikes that covered the empty field, impaling a few unlucky Reel Fishers that had not reacted fast enough at the time.


    The jagged spikes that shot up from the ground also served as a speed trap, ensuring them a modicum of safety against the nimble, unpredictable creatures. Restricting their ability to move was priority one for the team.


    Sebastian and Horatio followed upon their attack and called forth a fierce storm of sharp, frozen icicles in the shape of arrows that hurtled towards them at subsonic speeds. They could have launched their barrage of arrows at supersonic velocity for greater effect but did not. Making too much noise out here in the wildlands was a bad idea.


    If they made too much of a racket, it''d likely attract the attention of even more Reel Fishers, or something even worse. Many dangerous creatures lived out in the uncivilized areas of the continent. It was in the team''s best intentions to remain as low key as possible.


    It didn''t matter in the end as the downpour of vicious arrows nailed their targets. They quickly stuffed all remaining Reel Fishers with holes. The creatures slumped onto the ground before they could even recognize what had happened to them. It couldn''t even be called a battle; It was a straight-up massacre.


    Reed gaped as he gazed upon the field of twitching bodies and let out a long whistle in awe and respect.


    In the span of a half-minute, they had shredded roughly three dozen Reel Fishers into pieces. More than anything, it spoke volumes about the level of coordination that existed within the team, Reed mused.


    He noticed that the way they moved was especially efficient; they operated without a hint of hesitation. Their attacks were polished and merciless; the way they attacked was impressive, at least in his opinion.


    "They certainly haven''t been fooling around for the last three months," Reed thought. He didn''t even have to participate in the fight himself; they took care of it all themselves. He also noticed that Lu''um and Ophelia didn''t take part in the fight. Where''d they gone?


    "Hey, where are the other two? I don''t see ''em around here," asked Reed. He couldn''t detect them even after scanning for their thermal signatures as he channeled Anima into his eyes.


    "They aren''t here," replied Astor as he smirked at Reed. "Why? Concerned about your little lady friend, bud?" He snickered in contempt until Astrid landed a solid blow on his solar plexus. Astor keeled over in agony and gasped as he rolled over in the snow.


    "Maya and Ophelia are over there," Astrid said. She pointed at an obscure hill two kilometers away from them. "We have them over there as backups ¡ª they have an elevated position and can provide additional firing support if required."


    Astor feebly coughed and added, "They''re in charge of long-range attacks, essentially. Need a couple of sharpshooters to cover our back in case a fight ever goes south as improbable as it may be. Gotta cover all our bases in a life-or-death fight, no? It also doesn''t hurt having some hidden cards on the field, too..."


    A well-oiled machine. Everyone had a pre-defined role in the team. No disputes or conflict when it came to team composition. It was clear that Astor and Astrid shared the leadership role and commanded the rest of the team.


    That was great but where did he and Lu''um fall into the squad, task-wise? Reed felt... an awkward lurch in his stomach when he thought about it.


    A week and several missions later, Reed and the group finally returned to the spire for some much-needed R&R. Over the course of that short week, they''d cleared out several Reel Fisher nests and had culled their numbers as requested.


    He obtained a hefty paycheck at the end of it all. For every Reel Fisher kill they confirmed with their tomes, they earned hard cash in compensation for their ''services''. Reed stared at the six-figure sum that his tome showed him and felt a speck of joy.


    1,779,987 Universal Credits. A modest fortune in the hands of a mortal, but for the likes of contenders and conquerors, it amounted to nothing.


    It still was a tremendous sum of money for a single week''s worth of labor, at least for Reed. He scrolled through the nexus and found out that he could even afford a nice home in some of the more rural counties of the empire.


    Most homes in the smaller towns ran for under a million credits. The closer one got to the larger cities, the higher the numbers would climb.


    He felt a cold sweat form on his hands as he looked at the houses open for sale near the northern capital, Almdalir. The number of zeroes on the price tag seemed to stretch on forever and an overwhelming feeling of despair washed over him.


    If an average home cost that much in the northern capital, what did that say of its occupants? Furthermore, what did it speak of when it came to the royal family and noble houses that lived there?


    Reed realized what it meant and shuddered in fright. Such wealth and by extension, power, did not come into one''s possession on the drop of a hat...


    Butchers lived there; the ruthless and ambitious lived in that city, he concluded. He''d run back into the forest before he ever bought a house in the capital, he swore to himself.


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    Reed laid on his bed and closed his eyes for a moment. He was about to reflect on the events of the past week, but someone entered his room unannounced. He didn''t need to open his eyes to know who it was. He knew.


    "I came over because I felt some apprehension in your heart," she declared as she sauntered over to the youth''s bed.


    Reed rolled over on his bed and coiled up like a pill bug, ticked off with her usual supernatural perception. He groaned. "Don''t even start. I''m not interested in having you read my heart at the moment, thanks," he said.


    She snatched Reed''s pillow and flung herself on the bed. "Are you certain about that, Ka''an? You and I both know that this will not last for long if you do not address it by the next time we leave for work. It''s awfully clear that the issue needs to be taken care of here and now, while the time is ripe."


    He kept quiet and did not respond. He didn''t want to face the facts. Doing that would mean that he''d have to deal with the issue head-on and then things would get complicated.


    Reed liked his friends and didn''t want to rock the boat. They were his first friends ever, period.


    "I understand that Ka''an, but even so, you must dea-"


    "Enough!" Reed firmly bellowed out. Lu''um sighed and kept her silence, as he had demanded.


    She was about to speak up again, but something told her not to do it. Sometimes, one had to learn from experience, even if it meant getting hurt.


    Painful lessons were a part of life. Lu''um understood that too much coddling would ruin him. She could not allow him to develop a fragile, feeble heart.


    She held back even though she still wanted to talk. "Let it be," she thought to herself.


    The pair eventually fell asleep after a long bout of silence. They were both tired from their work.


    Neither of them dreamt that night.


    The three moons in the glittering sky silently watched over the pair, unbeknownst to them.

 30 The Spicy Peppers Admonition

    It''d been three days since everyone had returned to the spire for a brief moment of respite from their training. The band of misfits sat together as they ate and chattered about nothing in particular. Reed stared at the dorm''s holotank projector that relayed the morning news.


    He wasn''t paying attention at all.


    Astor cracked a joke about something and snickered. Sebastian let out a snarky remark. Astrid kept silent as she ate her breakfast. Meanwhile, Ophelia and Lu''um spoke about something in hushed tones amongst themselves.


    Horatio noticed the listless gaze Reed had as he stared at the holotank and said something, but it flew over his head.


    "Hm? Yeah, that''s true," said Reed. He threw out an inoffensive, vague response as he fiddled around with his breakfast. It seemed that the remark worked like a charm. He left Reed alone after that and focused on Sebastian instead.


    "Who can endure the grand and breathtaking radiance of the blessed sun, Ka''an? No one. It is unique and without equal in all creation. To look upon the face of the sky is a grievous sin, and thus, is a transgression against heaven itself."


    "It is only natural that all things under the stars tremble beneath it, my dearest. Who can look upon its terrible majesty and not feel the scorching heat of their father''s beating heart?"


    Her words buzzed in his head whenever he let his mind drift like a faint echo in the distance. She''d told Reed that she wouldn''t help him this time around and left him with some final words on the subject.


    Reed roughly understood what her words meant; they spoke of an irrefutable rule that he refused to accept as truth.


    If he accepted her words, it''d be the same as Reed admitting that he was explicitly separate from the whole. That was unacceptable. He would rather deny himself than even consider breaking the illusion.


    Lu''um imperceptibly glanced at Reed. Her lips pursed in slight pain but kept quiet. She understood that pain was essential in a person''s growth; that did not mean she preferred this approach.


    It was an inevitable part of living ¡ª only by becoming self-aware of it ¡ª by recognizing where it stemmed from, one could finally embark upon the voyage to the other shore of time...


    She loathed the idea of playing the role but had no other choice.


    "Why are you all afraid of Reed? Or rather, why have you all been treating him like a liability?" Lu''um asked. She let out a bombshell of a question without the slightest ounce of indecision.


    Reed felt his heart sink when he heard the question and scowled at Lu''um in outright displeasure. He knew she was of the interfering type, but this was too much for him to handle. Did she have any goddamned boundaries?


    "What are you talking about, Maya? That''s not true at all. Where have these silly accusations come from? Are you alright?" Astor responded. He had a stiff look on his face as he frowned at Lu''um.


    "I''m quite alright, Astor, but I don''t think you are. Neither are any of you," she replied as she glanced at everyone else. "I can smell the fear on all of you. Mhm, yes. You all fear what you do not understand."


    Astrid said, "What do you speak of, Maya? Make yourself clear or cease this slander at once. You aren''t convincing anyone with your nonsense. Why would we, who''ve been friends with Reed since the beginning, suddenly fear him? Where''s your proof?"


    Lu''um sneered and said, "Oh please, have you seen how you''ve been treating him over the last week? Why is it that he''s only been allowed to act as the bait? Why is it that every time he brought it up, you and blondie over here avoided the subject? He wanted to fight, but you never let him. Weird, huh?"


    Horatio spoke up and said, "Look, you two have only been on the team for a week, so we wanted you both to get a feel how we operate before we let you out on the field in a combat role. The team''s efficiency is paramount to our survival out there."


    Ophelia chimed in and added, "It''s nothing personal, of course. We have no qualms about you or Reed taking a more active role in team missions, it''s just-"


    "You already have a reliable unit and our introduction into your group has made you all uneasy, right?" Lu''um retorted. "What a load of bullshit; you have the most talented contender in the last millennium at your disposal and you''re concerned about the team''s efficiency?" She let out a hearty chuckle and cleared her eyes of the tears that formed out of reflex. That was the best joke she''d heard in a long, long time.


    "Reed could raze everything into ashes and crush all your foes; there''s no need for strategy in the face of overwhelming power. It''s futile, you know." She licked her lips and finally got to the crux of it all.


    "Here''s the cold truth: He''s too powerful for you to handle. You don''t know how strong he really is and that intimidates you. He stands far, far above all of you and as a result, you don''t know what to do."


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    Reed had enough and was about to speak but Lu''um raised her hand at him in protest. She glared at him; it was his turn to keep quiet.


    "I am not criticizing you for this ¡ª it''s not your fault ¡ª that''s just how things are. If you let Reed fight, not a single one of you would ever have to raise a finger. But that wouldn''t be helpful for you in the slightest, right? How are you supposed to grow if you''re always being coddled by Reed? So you ended up shunning him out as you did..."


    The group remained silent. She finally reached the root of the dilemma: they were too different. It exasperated them, but it was the truth. They couldn''t keep up with Reed no matter how hard they tried.


    Three months of arduous training didn''t even bridge the gap between them in the slightest. When Reed told them that he''d already become capable of exploiting space-time, they finally realized that it''d be impossible for them to keep up with him.


    At first, they thought that he was merely a little more talented than them, that they''d catch up with enough hard work. They were wrong. Hopelessly wrong.


    A man could never touch the sun, for it existed far, far higher than they could ever reach. Just like Icarus they, too, would have their wings burnt away in the presence of the sun''s tremendous heat.


    "You mean well, I have no doubt of that ¡ª you cherish him as a dear friend ¡ª but you already understand that you and he aren''t meant for each other. You will only hinder each other''s growth as unfortunate as that may be. Instead of trying to force something that will never work out, why not accept that it wasn''t meant to be and move on?"


    She looked at them sympathetically and said, "You can still be good friends even if you walk different paths; there''s no need to confound your duties as contenders with your personal lives."


    Ah, I couldn''t help myself, Lu''um thought to herself. She was unable to keep her own word, but that was fine. She''d rather deal with most of the fallback herself if it meant easing his suffering if only a bit.


    Reed was still angry at Lu''um for her incessant meddling but understood where she was coming from. He couldn''t deny that she was right, too. Over the course of the last week, he''d secretly been perfecting his Anima mastery and even experienced a breakthrough.


    He was becoming increasingly skilled with each passing day and had long since felt that his surroundings were starting to slow him down. His friends probably caught onto this and they, too, had their own worries about it.


    Astor scratched his head and said, "Man, you don''t pull any punches do you, Maya? I- No, we have to be honest about it. You''re right. As much as we all hate to admit it, you''re too damn strong, bud. We love you, but you''re a million miles ahead of us and it''ll be a long, long time until we catch up with you."


    Reed bitterly smiled. "Yeah, I know. But hey, at least the elephant in the room has been addressed. You guys don''t have to include me for training; it''s fine. I''ll still come over, if you need someone to save your ass, though," he quipped. Horatio and Sebastian smiled when they heard the joke. Ophelia followed up with another joke and they all laughed.


    Astrid nodded in approval, but something in her eyes suggested otherwise...


    "But, man... What a woman you''ve got, Reed. Maya''s a spicy little pepper, that''s for sure. She''s got a scorpion''s tail, bud. Better watch out for these types, or you''ll get a nasty prick one day," he whispered. Reed ignored him; he crammed his omelette in his mouth and minded his own business.


    "Yeah, she''s... very charming in her own special way," murmured Reed in response. He felt embarrassed that he had even uttered those words. Astor barely heard his reply, but when he did, he smirked.


    Unbeknownst to the idiotic pair, she heard their conversation even though it should have been impossible to hear. No one noticed the extremely faint, almost imperceptible blush on her cheeks that disappeared as quickly as it came. If Reed had seen the lovely girl''s face even he would have been instantly enchanted by the maiden''s fleeting expression.


    Who could have ever imagined that the spicy pepper would have had such a cute reaction? Certainly, not Reed...

 31 Childhoods End

    Morning loomed on the frozen, silent plains across the horizon as far as the eye could see. The vast forests that dotted the landscape seemed to come alive when the sun finally rose from the east. The animals of the taiga went about their business and all manner of acts occurred; some ate, some hunted, and others observed from the shadows. Life trudged along with the beginning of a new day.


    As for Reed? He watched it all unfold from above upon a cloud. In a literal sense. In the past week, since Reed started his solo act, he did a great number of things. Various expeditions, hunting missions, and a lot of training out in the wilderness.


    The result: Total freedom, as he described it to his friends. He''d made leaps and bounds and had improved upon his already astonishing abilities. One of his favorite things to do as of late was ''cloud watch'' as he had termed the act.


    He''d fly up into the sky, sit on actual clouds and pass the time watching the events transpired down below with his supernatural vision. Even at over six-thousand feet in the sky, he could see what happened down on the ground with relative ease.


    Lu''um sat beside Reed and twirled her hair as they stared at a particularly interesting event. It was Astor and company; they were about to ambush a pair of Razor Wyrms, ferocious lizards that looked like a cross between a dragon and a centipede; these beasts were not trifling, unlike the Reel Fishers that even skilled mortals could hunt.


    They were war machines, born out of the harshest conditions of the North. These draconic berserkers were territorial to the extreme and more than often, encroached upon smaller towns ¡ª a horrifying disaster for mortals. Every couple of years, a town ended up vanishing off the grid. It caught the attention of the ministry of intelligence, so they sent their investigators to the towns that''d gone silent.


    An in-depth investigation by the empire''s officials brought the grim truth to light. They discovered the missing towns ¡ª all in ruins, overgrown and abandoned ¡ª destroyed by an unknown creature of considerable ferocity. Evidence discovered in these towns pointed towards the theory that an overwhelming force destroyed the town before they even could even call for assistance.


    After that, they gave Razor Wyrm hunting missions priority alpha designation ¡ª requiring immediate attention, A.S.A.P. There were high risk, high reward extermination bounties for the fearsome beasts that only contenders could accept given the deadly nature of the targets. For mortals to hunt a Razor Wyrm was tantamount to suicide; only the likes of a superhuman contender stood a chance against them.


    Lu''um laid down Reed''s lap and said, "Not going to help them? I''m sure they''ll get mad if you interfere in their hunt, though. They''re trying too hard, even if they want to get stronger..."


    "No. We''ll let them handle it themselves, but if the fight progresses the point of catastrophic failure, I''ll step in and give ''em a hand. I won''t watch them die, even if they get mad at me afterward," Reed said. He watched them struggle against the pair of Razor Wyrms with great difficulty.


    For Reed, killing Razor Wyrms was a simple job. He cooked them alive from the inside themselves or tore them apart at a distance by the joints until they were completely immobilized. It was a simple, if not a tedious task, but it worked every time he fought them. He''d long since considered them overgrown bugs that only looked threatening at first glance.


    Of course, Reed''s perspective couldn''t be trusted, given his extraordinary abilities. For normal contenders, Razor Wyrms were a nightmare to deal with. Even for genius contenders like Astor and the group, it was still a challenging ordeal that required serious concentration and planning.


    Contenders didn''t tear apart Razor Wyrms by their joints, or experiment on them to find the fastest way to kill them like Reed did. He was unique in the way that he violated common sense wherever he went, often to the frustration of the people around him.


    By the time he had finished yawning, Astor''s team had already finished crippling one of the Wyrms. He whistled in surprise and said, "Looks like they''re out for blood today, eh? I took my eyes off them for a second and look at what they''ve already done."


    "From the way they attacked, it looks like they knew about the creature''s weakness beforehand. Not that I expected anything less from them," said Lu''um as she glanced at the fight for a moment. "They attacked the creature''s joints and took out the first one before it even realized what happened. But it looks like the second one''s caught on to the trick..."


    The remaining Wyrm immediately locked its joints in place and sacrificed its freedom of movement in return for an impenetrable defense. It couldn''t whip around and strike with its characteristic ferocity; instead it adopted another behavior.


    When something threatened its weak points, it''d lock up and bury its foes. It''d rush toward its prey and grasp onto them with an insanely powerful grip, using dozens of claws to secure its unfortunate victim.


    What followed was a quick descent into the ground, in an attempt to suffocate its prey. It''d bury its opponents and leave them underground until they died. A nasty way to go by all means of the imagination. The team seemed aware of the Wyrm''s behavior and rushed towards it in desperation, shocking Reed.


    It was a ballsy move, that was for sure. Even Reed didn''t dare get up close and personal with an enraged Razor Wyrm. They ran right up to the living mountain of claws and immobilized him with an artificial gravity field, a basic technique that required minimal understanding.


    The move wouldn''t have normally worked on the beast, but it wasn''t used in the usual way. Astor, Horatio, and Sebastian all simultaneously conjured up their fields and they overlapped on top of each other to great effect. They had locked it in place with the overwhelming power of numbers, leaving it in a vulnerable state.


    Astrid took the opportunity and conjured a massive lance of heat and light that instantly set everything in vicinity ablaze. In a single move, she took the lance and shoved it down the wretched creature''s mouth. It was one hell of a way to kill the beast, but it did the charm. The lance burnt its way through the Wyrm''s insides and it stopped struggling after a couple of seconds.


    "That was a risky plan, but it worked, I suppose. I still don''t like it though, it hinged too much on them keeping the Wyrm in place. God forbid it raged around and broke free out the field..." Reed said.


    "Fortune favors the bold, Ka''an. They took the initiative and reaped the rewards for doing so, their lives and a hard-earned victory. What more could a warrior ask for, other than living to see another day?"


    The pair had been watching over Astor''s team for the past week now and then when they had the time. Reed thought it wouldn''t hurt them to have a guardian angel watch over them. They wouldn''t ever know and he''d have some peace of mind knowing they were under his care, albeit for a short duration.


    The majority of his time was spent exploring the North, taking on priority alpha missions to secure funds for the future, as he described it. His early retirement plan of sorts, that''d he use to buy a nice home, grav-ship, and maybe, a cute dog. He would enjoy the slow life one of these days, he thought to himself.


    Lu''um did as she always did; she tagged along and followed Reed around, making sure he didn''t do anything too ridiculous. That didn''t work out all the time, given Reed''s inherent nature. Trouble came around their doorstep, whether or not she tried to stop it...


    A few weeks of this hectic lifestyle later, it finally ended. Everyone had been called to the spire for an announcement by Axtorius through their tomes. When all members of the class arrived, Axtorius walked out of the void, looking a bit tired and grumpy.


    He glanced around for a second and then started speaking as he conjured up an image of a distant scene. It was an empty land that looked rife with corruption and darkness.


    "We''ve finished the preparations for the final part of your training. This shattered, forsaken hellscape will be the location where you will be tested," he stated. A grimace formed on his face and he paused for a moment before he started speaking again.


    "This place... is called the Outer Reaches. It''s a term used to describe the edges of the continent where the Infestation lies, our greatest enemy. It''s time you kids finally learn the whole truth. You''ve earned the right since you''ve committed yourselves to the duty of becoming contenders."


    "We, contenders and conquerors, have been at war with an enemy for eons now, something we''ve kept hidden from mortals since ancient times. The Infestation, as we''ve called it. The natives that existed on the continent before us called it, The Grand Mistake, apparently. Why they called it that is something for the scholars to find out. For us, we have more... urgent matters to attend to, as you''ll soon learn."


    He waved his hand and an image of various horrors appeared in front of them. Grotesque figures that far, far removed from what life should look like. The mere sight of them made the entire class feel a dreadful hostility that rose from inside them, as if looking at the twisted monstrosities was absolutely intolerable for them.


    Anima waves raged across the auditorium and a frightening storm of pressure washed over the spire as the class unconsciously drew upon their powers. Axtorius snapped his fingers and the image disappeared. Then he tapped his foot and a shock-wave startled the class out of their bloodlust.


    "You''re all wondering why you suddenly went berserk, right? The answer''s simple: your Alma reacted to the sight of the Infested and influenced you. The Infested are the remains of something that we''ve been researching for millennia; who they are-, er, or rather who they ''were'' is the big question."


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    "What''s left of them is a shattered joke of an existence; these abominations are twisted expressions of what was once a living thing, now turned into... something else. They''re hostile to all living things and bring with them their corruption, rendering anything they touch permanently uninhabitable."


    He snapped his finger and an image of the continent winked into existence for all to see; it was the normal world map that everyone knew about. All four empires, their counties and, finally, their borders. "I presume you''re all familiar with this standard world map, yes?"


    The class remained silent; no one dared speak a word. Axtorius''s face looked heavy and tired. There was something frightening about that. This man, who often looked invincible and indifferent, like a hero out of legends now looked so feeble and small right now.


    Reed, in particular, was distressed beyond belief. That man was one of his world''s pillars, someone he could always depend on. Why did he look so fragile? It scared him. He felt his heart beginning to thrum out of his chest. Lu''um grabbed one of his arms and pulled him in close, out of concern.


    "Let me show you all... the real truth about this world," he whispered.


    He snapped his fingers and the world map changed.


    That day, Reed and his companions finally understood why the path of contenders was described as a tremendous burden, and not a gift...

 32 All Is Well In Heaven

    The world map flickered and the image twisted as it morphed into something completely different. It turned three-dimensional and a globe began rotating on a slightly tilted axis.


    "This is Mu, the world we live in, and this, in particular, is the continent of Mulia," Axtorius said. He pointed at the projection and a small-sized part of the planet lit up in response. "That''s our home... and the only area that hasn''t been contaminated by the Infestation."


    Reed stared at the globe and couldn''t understand what Axtorius was saying, or rather, refused to believe him. From the look of it, Mulia roughly took up ten percent of the planet''s surface. That was an optimistic figure and he knew that. It meant that...


    He felt his heart beating out his chest the harder the longer he looked that the sight. It felt unnatural, but there was something gnawing at him from the inside. This was a unique brand of dread that''d he only ever felt when he tried to confront that hidden, buried memory from before.


    Axtorius spun the globe and pointed at it again; the image flickered and then it turned a dark, murky red color. The planet was almost entirely covered in the color, except for a single location.


    "Everything dyed in red has already been lost to the accursed Infestation. It is best to think of it as nothing more than the enemy''s domain. Over the course of the last four thousand years, we''ve built a massive construct spanning the entire perimeter of the continent to keep them out, the Time-Lock Spatial Displacement Boundary Field." Axtorius chuckled to himself and said, "It''s a bit of a mouthful, isn''t it?"


    Axtorius flicked his right hand and an image of a dome appeared in front of them. The word ''massive'' couldn''t even begin to describe it. Reed thought the Reef was massive when he first laid eyes on it, but this... was beyond description. It was so enormous, it was easily visible from space if the globe''s projection was to be believed.


    The dome that covered the entire continent looked heavenly and sacred as a host of divine beings and not mortal hands had created it. Gigantic wings made of light overlapped on top of one another, forming a seemingly endless amount of layers that blanked the continent in a sphere.


    Eerily, an immense aurora hovered above the dome''s only pole, shimmering in and out of existence...


    "We just call it Heaven''s Gate instead of its technical name, so don''t bother forcing yourself to remember the whole name. It''s the crystallization of our efforts in deciphering the lost technology of the ancient Mulians. The four empires built it right after the unification wars ended, in order to give us some much-needed breathing room."


    "You''re probably thinking the clock on the right is broken, right? It''s not. In fact, it''s working fine. Both clocks are perfect working order. Time inside Heaven''s Gate does not adhere to the normal laws that govern the universe. The flow of time inside Heaven''s Gate is nine times slower than real-time outside. For every year you spend in here, nine years pass by outside."


    He smiled and pointed at the globe and said, "Not only that, the entire continent has been shifted into imaginary space, where standard coordinates do not work as intended. For all intents and purposes, we tore the whole continent out of real-space and put it in a bubble outside of reality itself."


    Axtorius''s slowly smile faded and he brushed the projection out of existence. "As you can see, we owe our survival to the ancient Mulians. Without the artifacts they left behind, we would have never stood a chance. You''ve probably been wondering where all of you come into this, no? We''ve finally gotten to your part of this story, so perk your ears up and listen carefully."


    He tapped his feet and a dramatic shift in scenery occurred. Space blurred and twisted around them; they''d teleported somewhere else. It was a giant warehouse of sorts, from the look of it. A wide variety of strange things were stored in floating glass containers.


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    Some of these objects looked pristine and some looked broken. A few of them were large, taking up a dozen meters of space and others were only the size of a pencil. Reed immediately knew what the were: Mulian artifacts. He''d seen the same kind back when he visited Julian''s home.


    "You have to two duties as contenders; The first duty is to kill. That''s the responsibility the Will of the World has given you in return for the blessing you''ve received: Alma. The Great Will rewards us with further blessings for every Infested abomination we purge from the planet."


    Axtorius looked and grabbed an odd-looking artifact that looked like a sword that did not possess a blade. It was just a handle. A second later, a menacing blade of light popped out of handle. "Prove yourself enough to Will and it will grant you further strength in the form of a stronger body," he stated. He took the blade and swung on himself, startling the class. Some wondered if the old man lost his marbles.


    The blade shimmered as it struck the Axtorius''s arm and an awful screech assaulted their ears as it struggled to cut through his flesh. It eventually couldn''t handle the immense force that Axtorius put it under and the artifact exploded violently into pieces.


    "I can assure you that the blade could have cut through any of you like butter, much less the hull of a titanium-plated sovereign-class warship. If you prove yourself enough, some of you might even receive the blessing of immortality in the far future," he said.


    He took the broken shards and assembled them back into the functioning blade in a single snap of a finger. It looked like time had wound itself back for the shattered artifact as it reformed into working order. "The more blessings you receive, the more in tune you become with Anima itself to a certain degree, of course. How far these blessings increase your skills will depend on your own innate potential, unfortunately."


    The blade shifted between a state of disrepair and completion as Axtorius waved his finger in the air. "If you''re lucky enough, you''ll even be able to manipulate some laws that govern the world," he said. The artifact finally reformed and he put it back into the display case it had once been in.


    Axtorius gestured at the entire warehouse and said, "This is your second duty as contenders: to recover these precious artifacts for study. That''s the responsibility you bear as contenders who enjoy the god-like power of Alma. You are the fine line that stands between the four empires and total annihilation."


    "Our detailed information about the enemy has come only from the ancient artifacts and ruins we''ve found across Mulia. All of our greatest technological advancements have come from them, too. It is of utmost importance that we continue uncovering what happened to them and what our enemy''s weaknesses are."


    A detailed map of enemy movements, potential ruin sites, and allied outposts winked into existence when Axtorius finished his sentence. It displayed the current operations going on at the moment and the various squads out on the field.


    "That''s where you come in: We send contenders and conquerors out on expeditions into the Outer Reaches to recover artifacts and to scout for ruins that might hold important secrets to our survival."


    Images of various ruins and high-value targets flashed by, some censored by a black bar, some pixilated out of focus.


    "Other than this, you can expect to get sent out on extermination missions if we detect the enemy planning something, or if an abnormal surge of Infested comes too close to Heaven''s Gate."


    Axtorius paused for a moment and collected his thoughts. His gaze became firm as he stared at his students that looked like they were about to fall over themselves in fright.


    "Without you, there will be no tomorrow for the mortals that live under our care, he said." His voice carried a bit of his fiery will as his words echoed across the warehouse.


    "Your families, your friends, and your homes are being protected from a grave threat they''ll never know about, so they can sleep comfortably at night without any worries. We fight so they can live another day in what is, essentially, a paradise compared to the outside world."


    "We''ve invested a filthy sum of money into our intelligence and PSYOP program to brainwash and erase any mention of the real truth that would ever reach civilian ears. High-level ranking staff in all empires, including us, are bound to the Grand Lie."


    There was this serious, deathly intonation in Axtorius''s voice that gave the class chills down their spines. None of them dared move so much as a micron of fear.


    "We are forbidden from ever telling any mortals the truth, under the threat of... severe punishment. I will not specify what the punishment entails for your sakes; otherwise, you''d all soil yourselves. Take care to never break Grand Lie, or else one of the empire''s boogeymen will come and send you off a one-way trip to your worst nightmare..."


    Axtorius looked at them as they nodded silently and said, "Good, I''m glad you all understand. Never forget." He tapped his foot and space blurred once more in dizzying fashion. They had returned to the spire''s main auditorium.


    "The final part of your training will be to reach an outpost we''ve set up for you in the Outer Reaches. It''s not too far away from Heaven''s Gate and is in an area regularly patrolled by our forces. The threat designation of the area is green, showing minimal Infested activity."


    "It will be your first mission out in the field and the last task we will give you. Reach the outpost, register yourself onto the terminal we left for you and wait for extraction. The mission will be in a week''s time starting from today. Further details will be sent to your tomes, so keep an eye on them."


    He sighed and said, "Take a couple of days to digest everything I''ve told you; understand that I hold no joy in being the one who had to tell the truth. We all have responsibilities we cannot run away from. This is one of them."


    The class stared at their instructor vanish into the nothingness with blank looks on their faces. A few had vacant, empty eyes as if they had the soul sucked out their bodies. Astor and company had grim, complicated expressions as they stared at each other in silence.


    Reed felt an indescribable feeling of dread as he clutched his chest. Lu''um was especially concerned as she supported the unsteady boy who looked as if he was about to faint.


    His tattoo was burning; the scorching heat numbed his senses and his mind raced into unknown parts of his memory.


    He felt like needed to speak something out, a phrase was on the tip of his lips. It came from deep within him, from a place he dared not touch.


    "Wretched traitors, They Who Have Cast Themselves Into Stillness and Decay," Reed muttered in fury. "This. Will. Not. Stand."


    Reed groaned and closed his eyes; he could no longer stand the pain. He blacked out on the spot. Lu''um quickly caught him and pulled him away from prying eyes, back to the dorms in a rush.


    Lu''um felt her heart beat out her chest when she heard Reed''s babbling but calmed herself down instantly. She guessed that was likely just a fleeting reaction. It scared the living the daylights out of her.


    "He''s waking up faster than expected, though..." she thought to herself. It was far, far too early.


    She would have to make adjustments to compensate for this event...

 33 A Magnificent Message

    The starry sky appeared bleaker the longer he looked at it; after all, it wasn''t even real in the first place. Reed woke up not too long ago and had slipped out of the spire for a spell. He needed some time to think, to breathe, and to reflect on what he learned.


    Reed shot up into the air like a rocket, hurtling into the deep blue, intent on reaching out into the great beyond. He''d been flying for several minutes at a monstrous speed into the upper atmosphere but eventually came to a crashing halt; he found himself unable to fly any further.


    There was a mysterious, fog wall that stretched out across endlessly. After many attempts at passing through the massive fog wall, Reed concluded that it was impossible to go past it using conventional means. Every time he tried getting through it, he''d end up getting redirected back where he started.


    Reed knew that there was some mechanism or property inherent to the damned wall that allowed it to bend the fabric of space, he just couldn''t understand how it worked. It curved space-time in such a manner that anything that tried leaving would end up back at their point of origin as if it were a giant mobius strip of sorts.


    "So, the dome truly does exist. The sky itself is nothing more than an illusion, albeit an impressive one," Reed thought to himself. Who could have ever imagined that such a thing was even possible? He suddenly wished he''d never learned the truth; it completely ruined his mood.


    Reed stopped channeling Anima into his body and let gravity do what it did best ¡ª he plummeted down like a shooting star ¡ª passing through a sea of clouds on his way back to the ground.


    He closed his eyes and counted backward from ten as he continued to fall aimlessly. Many thoughts raced through his mind as he fell: His future, the responsibility he''d been entrusted with and the immense weight that came along with it.


    Eight.


    Reed tore through the sky as the surrounding wind screeched like nails on a chalkboard. He instinctively channeled Anima into his body as he fell. A distant, almost imperceptible speck of light fell down from heaven.


    Seven.


    Why was he brought over to this world by the black shadow? What was his purpose in this world supposed to be? Reed felt lost; a tinge of anxiety sprouted up within him, but he quickly banished the feeling into oblivion. He denied himself the luxury of feelings and purged his mind of any unnecessary thoughts.


    Four.


    The shining meteor continued falling down, marking the firmament up above with a brilliant streak of golden light as it passed through the sky. Waves of turbulent, dense Anima formed around the meteor as it reached the ground, provoking dramatic transformations in the weather.


    It was fine. He''d focus on the task at hand and put everything else on hold. Surviving was priority one for Reed. Nothing else mattered. That was he told himself, at least. The words rang hollow, but he pushed aside his conscience and resolved himself once more.


    Two.


    The meteor descended upon the earth with great velocity as it approached its final destination. Booming thunder and pouring rain heralded the arrival of the fallen star and then, suddenly, silence reigned across the frozen taiga.


    One.


    The earth trembled in fear, amber flames shot up into the sky, and the echo of a terrible explosion resounded across the land. A horrifying shock wave spread and turned everything within a five-mile range into dust and hot ash.


    Everything came to a halt in the forests and plains that had been close to the impact. For miles upon miles, all manner of creatures stopped dead in their tracks. Even most ferocious predators of the forest flinched and kept quiet as they waited for something to happen...


    "..."


    "Where have you been, bud? We came over to check on you after Maya told us what happened to you," asked Astor. Everyone had tagged along with him after they heard that Reed had fallen ill.


    "Oh, you know... here and there. I went outside to get some fresh air," Reed said. He smiled and shrugged his shoulders as if they had caught him red-handed.


    The group looked concerned as they inspected Reed from head to toe, peppering him with questions about this and that. Reed knew they meant well and reassured them that it was merely a headache that got to him, that he slept it away and he was feeling better.


    "You sure, man? If it comes down to it, you should still get yourself checked out just in case," Horatio replied. "The Spire''s medical facilities are top of the line, even by the most elite standards."


    "Mhm, I''ll do that later," Reed said. If paying the doctors a visit would assuage his friends'' fears a bit, he''d play along for their sakes. He doubted they''d be able to explain anything about his... unique condition, though.


    Astrid perked up when she heard Reed''s response and said, "For now, why don''t we go the usual spot and go over what we''ve learned?" She jerked her head towards Astor''s room and everyone regroup at their unofficial home base (to a certain prince''s great consternation). He hated how these bastards kept eating his rations every time they came over.


    Once everyone had settled into their usual spots, the Council of Sages started their discussion. The topic? Axtorius''s mind-shattering lecture and their thoughts about the terrible can of worms they''d been given, so to speak.


    "What do you think about it all, bud? Have any pressing concerns about our new arrangement? You look awfully calm given everything that we''ve learned," asked Astor. He grabbed Reed''s shoulder and closed the distance between them.


    "Even Horatio couldn''t keep his steely expression after all of that," he whispered in a soft voice. Astor had still spoken loud enough that Horatio had heard what he said and snorted in denial. He roughly pulled Astor off of Reed and put him in a cobra twist in retaliation.


    "I don''t know where to even start... The fact that we''re living in a cage to keep out the Infestation is depressing as all hell. It all seems like a big joke to me, if I had to be perfectly honest. A terrible joke that''s become a reality..." he replied.


    Sebastian nodded and said, "Yeah, that''s pretty much on point. In short: We''re fucked. Not only that but from the very start without a way of remedying the situation. It''s completely hopeless."


    Astrid stepped on one of Sebastian''s feet and he yelped in pain and cursed at his cousin in anger, something he instantly regretted. She looked at him for a second and he curled up into a ball as if he was a descendant of a pill bug. There''d be a reckoning later, Reed surmised.


    "It''s not hopeless. Think about it, for thousands of years the empires have successfully kept Mulia safe from Infestation; it speaks volumes about the fighting prowess required to persist that long. What''s truly astonishing is how much of a coward you are, Sebastian," Astrid said.


    Her biting words apparently struck a chord with her lowly cousin because after that, he kept his mouth shut and ate Astor''s snacks in silence. He looked like he was about to burst into tears.


    "Now, now. Let''s not get too heated; the only thing we can do is keep calm and handle these new developments carefully. I''m sure that if our circumstances were beyond salvation, even someone like Instructor Axtorius would have broken long ago," Ophelia stated. "But he from the way he spoke ¡ª the passion in his voice ¡ª I''m sure that it''s not all doom and gloom as we might think of it."


    Astor suddenly turned towards Reed and said, "Hey, where''s Maya? I thought she''d be with you, buddy. She run off somewhere?" He coyly elbowed Reed as he winked his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.


    Reed snorted and said, "Stop it. How am I supposed to know where she went? When I came around, she was nowhere to be found, so your guess is as good as mine." He raised his hands in exasperation and shrugged. "Leave her be. Perhaps she had some urgent matter to take care of? None of our business, in any case."


    The princeling shook his head in disapproval; this fellow wasn''t cute in the slightest. He''d seen sea slugs cuter than this guy, for sure.


    "What we should really be concerned about is our final mission, you guys," Horatio said. "It might sound like a simple task but there''s bound to be some danger if we don''t take it seriously. Although Instructor Axtorius said that our test area had a low Infested population, it''ll be our first time out there in the real field.


    Everyone finally got a bit serious, after all, this was an important topic to them. Astor said, "What do you propose then? Have any ideas on how to get an advantage for our upcoming test? Not like we can go out and scout the area beforehand, or study the Infested ourselves..."


    The room went quiet. They all scrambled their brains trying to figure out a way to prepare, but none of them had any particularly bright ideas.


    Reed blurted out, "Why don''t we just get the next best thing aside from personally visiting the Outer Reaches ourselves?" It was worth a shot. It wasn''t an original idea, but it would probably work. Probably.


    "Oh? Did you get an idea? Spill the beans," said Horatio. Astor, Astrid, and the rest also had their ears perked up in interest.


    "It''s simple: Why don''t we just ask Violett for help? I''m sure if we ask her, she''ll teach us everything we''ll need to know. When in doubt, rely on someone wiser than you, right?" he replied.


    He leaned closer and said, "It''s not against the rules to ask someone for a bit of advice, right? I don''t remember hearing the old goat saying that we couldn''t ask a more experienced contender for assistance, no?"


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    Reed smirked and said, "I''ll take your silence as an acknowledgment, yes? I''ll get her to come over in a jiffy, just give me a second." He started writing a message that''d grab her immediate attention as he grinned in delight.


    In the span of a couple of seconds he''d written the perfect message; Reed took one last look at it for any errors and then sent it.


    Astor felt a dreadful pang of unease in his stomach and hurriedly asked Reed what he had sent to his sister. Something deep in his bones told him that trouble was coming. He knew it was something bad.


    "Hm? I told her I was thinking about going out into the Outer Reaches alone for fun. Right now. I''m pretty sure the message will wor-"


    A clap of thunder echoed outside of Astor''s room as if a flurry lightning bolts had struck the dormitory. Reed looked at Astor and gave him a thumbs-up, almost as if he was proud of what he had done.


    Suddenly, a chorus of shrieks and screaming reverberated past the door and a menacing, booming voiced struck everyone''s ears.


    "Reed! Get the hell out here and explain yourself! You have until the count of three before I fuckin'' tear down this door!!"


    "ONE!"


    Everyone had been frozen in place as turbulent waves of Anima surged throughout the room. Reed, on the other hand, shrugged off the pressure and stared at the door in amusement. It was already too late.


    "TWO!"


    The room creaked in protest as the surrounding Anima raged wildly; Reed closed his eyes as he waited for the inevitable.


    "THREE!"


    Astor''s room would need some renovations after today, Reed thought to himself as a blinding light broke through the door... His message worked too well, he concluded.


    An angry beast had shown up.

 34 A Fathers Pride

    Screams resounded from beyond a broken, crumbling dorm room that shook the hearts of passerby brave enough to approach it. Some wondered if a murder was happening before their eyes and others postulated that terrible, unspeakable acts existed past the hazy fog that obscured the room.


    The shrieks they heard coming from the room made their blood run cold; it sounded like someone was torturing a pig or some other wild animal. It didn''t sound human, at the very least. The poor creature''s death throes painted a gruesome image in their minds about what was happening to it.


    All they remembered seeing was a sudden flash of light and an explosion that rattled them to the bones. A figure cloaked in lightning released a thunderous yell that rippled across the dormitory, sending out waves of raging anima everywhere. Everyone felt their souls tremble in the face of the beast''s horrifying display of power.


    What happened after this, you ask?


    In short: Pandemonium. Already on edge because of Axtorius''s lecture, the raging beast turned their brewing anxiety into fully-fledged terror. It wasn''t until they heard the beast''s chilling demand that they realized who the terrifying figure was in truth.


    When her booming voice called for a certain individual to present himself in front of her, they knew all was well, and let out a collective sigh of relief. The end had not come for them. No, it had come for that boy. Almost as if it was the natural order of business...


    Who else could bring as much grief to the Winter Princess other than he?


    "How do you plead, guilty or not guilty?" she asked.


    "Not guilty! I''m an innocent man who has done nothing wrong ¡ª beset by an evil, cruel witc-" He couldn''t finish his sentence and let out a wretched scream in pain. Every time Reed denied her, she would give him a healthy dose of ''shock therapy'' in return. They were at an impasse; both of them were stubborn to the core, much to each other''s dismay.


    Violett already understood why she''d been ''summoned'' here, as her prisoner described it and sighed. Exasperated, she finally let go Reed and took a seat amongst the shattered remnants of Astor''s room.


    "Don''t you ever send me a message like that again, you hear me?" she growled. "Next time you do something like this, I really will hunt you down and lock you up under Kingscrown Castle."


    Her heart nearly burst out of her chest when she read Reed''s message ¡ª it was as if he knew how to drive her insane. The scariest part about it all was that she couldn''t tell if he was joking or not.


    Given the boy''s previous track record, anything and everything was possible when it came to him. As far as she was concerned, Reed might have already been strolling around the Outer Reaches by the time he sent her that damn message.


    "Ahh, it''s been decades since that day, you know. Almost 80 years, give or take since I was in your shoes. The final trial is the same for all academies, but the location is different depending on the situation outside and instructor preferences, to be honest," she said. She popped another chocolate in her mouth and crossed her arms pensively.


    It''d been an entire lifetime since she''d graduated from the training academy she had been conscripted to back in the day. Most of her former classmates already died in battle, some disappeared abruptly over the years ¡ª only a few remained these days ¡ª not that she''d ever tell them that.


    "If I had to tell you the truth, the whole thing was pretty uneventful despite being nerve-wracking. We encountered no Infested on the way to the outpost; spent a couple hours waiting for everyone to reach the designated zone and then we got picked up a by dropship," she explained.


    "So... nothing happened at all? That''s surprising," Horatio replied. He even looked a bit disappointed by Violett''s story.


    "Yeah, what did you think would happen? A crazy fight to the death or a thrilling escape from enemy territory? This isn''t an action movie, or some suicide mission into the heart of the Infestation," Violett stated.


    She looked at Horatio as if he were an idiot and said, "It''s your first mission as real, genuine contenders. Who do you think you are, Rob Cruise? Don''t get cocky ''cause you got a couple tricks up your sleeve, greenhorn. The Infestation is not to be trifled with, understand?"


    Her face hardened and a dangerous gleam, piercing gleam in eyes struck everyone in the room. "You probably won''t see any Infested because we do a damn fine job of clearing the Inner Exclusion Zone, but if you do... never hesitate. Attack with extreme prejudice and use everything at your disposal."


    The temperature in the room dropped several degrees as she spoke about the Infested and their general behaviors and attributes. It was a lot to take in, but they all focused their attention on her explanation of the enemy. Suffice to say, Violett had done them a massive favor ¡ª one that they''d have to repay someday.


    Violett, on the other hand, brushed such juvenile concerns away with indifference. "Just come back alive, all right? You do that and we''ll call the debt squared off," she replied. She harrumphed in disapproval and said, "You''re all too weak to be thinking about repaying any kind of debts ¡ª stay alive and get stronger before you go around acting like adults..."


    The group separated after Violett''s ominous warning and went back to their own rooms; everyone needed some time to reflect and digest what Violett and Axtorius had told them. Reed shuffled back towards his room but found someone already occupying it, unconcerned with his entrance.


    "Where have you been? You missed the meeting we had; also, this is my room, not your personal hideout," Reed said. He took off his uniform and threw himself on the bed, shoving the inconsiderate home intruder out of the way.


    "A maiden must have her own secrets," Lu''um said. She tossed a pillow at Reed and continued browsing the Nexus on her tome.


    "Is it that time of the mon-," Reed blurted but was swiftly struck right where it hurt the most. He let out a silent gasp in pain as he bit the pillow she threw at him in desperation.


    "I will not tolerate such an insult even from you, Ka''an. You would be wise to think before you speak, mine beloved, or else I shall bestow upon you swift punishment for your... transgressions," she coolly said.


    Reed moaned in anguish as he tossed and turned; he learned an important lesson that day, if not a bit abruptly. He''d make a fine gentleman someday ¡ª one painful lesson at a time ¡ª whether he liked it or not.


    "Yeah, thanks for the advice," he muttered out in short gasps as he tended to his injury in regret. He should have listened to Astor''s warning seriously, he thought to himself... The man was certainly perceptive with women ¡ª in an almost supernatural way.


    "So as long as you understand, then it is fine. There''s an ice pack in the fridge if you need it," Lu''um said.


    Reed thanked her for the heads-up and spent a wonderful evening with Lu''um and an ice pack as he wasted the night away...


    A week quickly passed by in a flash ¡ª many classmates spent their final week lounging around the Spire, taking the time to engrave the scenery in their hearts. After all, it''d be the final days they''d spend in the Spire before their last trial and then, graduation from the academy.


    What was once a frightening place had now become somewhat familiar to them over the course of the year they''d been there ¡ª a few would even call it a second home. Many spent the week relaxing with their companions, something that they had never done since the beginning.


    Nevertheless, the unstoppable hand of fate pushed them along and before they knew it, the final day had come. They were to be tested.


    Everyone assembled in the auditorium as before and waited for the usual figure to appear of the void like he always did. The atmosphere in the room was tense as it could be; there were hardened, determined expressions on everybody''s faces.


    Even the most light-hearted people in the class looked serious and rigid as they waited. No one spoke; they stood in silence as if they were statues. The Anima in the room congealed into a physical form and motes of incandescent light shimmered around the room like fireflies at night.


    A hidden figure stood atop the auditorium and gazed at the fifty students down below quietly. He''d been watching them all along, observing each one of them as they had grown into what they were today from the shadows.


    Sometimes as a silent guardian and other times a rough instructor; he''d played the role of the villain and of the protector, unbeknownst to them. Even when they ventured out for missions, he''d watch over his charges from afar, like an overprotective mother hen.


    He''d been watching them, afraid of losing even a single one of them in an unfortunate accident. The man chuckled inwardly and grinned slightly as he stared at the scene before him.


    These baby chicks looked a bit tougher now, he thought. At very least, they no longer had any fear in their eyes ¡ª that brought great joy to him. Overall, they weren''t the best batch he''d raised in terms of strength, speed, and talent ¡ª a certain exception aside ¡ª but they had something unique that made up for it.


    His eyes couldn''t be deceived; he saw that they all possessed a particular charm about them that he''d long since tried to pin down, to no avail. It was mysterious and difficult to describe, in that sense, he considered it a form of luck, or perhaps, a blessing from the Great Will itself.


    There were too many mysteries this time around that he couldn''t explain. He looked at a certain boy and wondered if it was his doing as well. In the crowd''s midst, that youngling stood out in a unique way ¡ª the Anima shone brightest in his vicinity ¡ª as if it were a beacon of sorts...


    The man cracked a toothy grin as he mused about the boy''s future; he had no doubt in his mind that he was destined for something grand ¡ª a fate filled with danger and excitement. He wasn''t going to settle down on the beach anytime soon as he once hoped...


    He stared at the whole group and burnt their faces into his mind. Their fate would be one of immense hardships and many would not make to the top; they''d never climb the staircase to ascension ¡ª this was a cold fact. The path of the conqueror was perilous beyond imagination, but even so, these children had made their minds to pursue it.


    The least he could do was remember them at their brightest and purest ¡ª when they all shone brilliantly like twinkling stars in the firmament. They were his children; he would never forget the names and faces of his own kin. Never.


    Those who walked the path of the conqueror would be remembered in this academy. He had preserved the names of every child that had passed through the Spire since the first group four hundred years ago.


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    Four thousand three hundred fifty-four names as of today. The world would never know of the good these children had done, but it didn''t matter. He knew. He remembered. Always and forever.


    The old man winked out of the void as he always did, and his children gazed upon him with a passion that made his heart beat a little faster than normal. He paused for a moment, and then he regained his composure, washing away his feelings.


    Baby chicks had to grow up and leave the nest one day.


    "Good. You''re all here. I will give you a final debrief and then the mission will start as planned. I expect only the best from each one of you, understand?"


    "Excellent. Let''s get started..." he calmly said.

 35 Fall From Grace

    Axtorius snapped his fingers and a three-dimensional map winked in front them out of the aether. It depicted a destroyed, ancient city that looked like it''d been through hell and back.


    "This is the area where your final test will be conducted: The ruins of Sotephor City," he said. He pointed at a massive, broken tower that pierced the sky higher than any other building in the area.


    "That''s where the outpost you need to reach is at; right at the top of the skyscraper. As I previously stated, your only mission objective is to reach the outpost, register your name on the terminal we left for you, and then wait for extraction. Nothing else is required of you."


    The projected map flickered briefly and expanded, displaying the entire city in a two-dimensional overview. Sotephor City was an enormous, sprawling city that dwarfed anything Reed had ever seen. From the look of it, the metropolis had an area that spanned several hundred kilometers at minimum.


    "You will drop separately into the Sotephor City via a Single Use Extra-dimensional Insertion Vehicle (SUEIV). It''s a mouthful, I know. They''re informally called coffins ¡ª I''ll be addressing them as such for the duration of the briefing to save my breath," he stated.


    A colorful variety of tiny markers popped up across the map, dotting the landscape. Some were closer to the rendezvous point and others were farther away. The class quickly caught on and understood what the dots represented.


    "We''ll be dropping you off where we feel you''ll be challenged the most. The greater our expectations, the further your drop zone will be. Be advised that you after exit Heaven''s Gate, your tomes will have limited functionality ¡ª you''ll need to get close to one another to restore basic communications with one another," he warned.


    The ground beneath their feet lit up and the world around them blurred into a flood of colors. In an instant, they''d all been whisked away somewhere far away from home. Reed looked around; the place they''d been teleported to looked a foundry of some kind.


    Sleek, metallic and elegant, these were the words that best described what Reed discovered. Rows upon rows of shiny, jet black ''needles'' hung above him and his classmates. They were roughly twice the height of the average person and had various symbols engraved on their surfaces.


    "Welcome to Daedalus Base: The North''s HQ and your new home. This where our intelligence service is located; the central hub of the North''s power. It''s also where contenders go to receive missions. Those black needles above us are the coffins you''ll be using today."


    A soft, barely discernible hiss came out of the coffins as they opened up, revealing a slim compartment that held a seat. The coffins started descending slowly in orderly rows, one after another.


    Reed entered a coffin and sat down on the seat; despite its outer appearance, the seat was actually rather comfortable. As soon as he strapped himself into the seat, the door abruptly closed and locked him inside. It was pitch-black but not too long after, a brilliant blue light flickered inside and the coffin booted up.


    A logo flashed by depicting a hand grabbing a pair of beautiful lightning bolts; underneath the sleek, stylized logo a pair of bold words could be seen: StarForge Industries. Reed knew that name, after all, it was too large to not know.


    It was one of Mulia''s largest guilds and a rival competitor to the other two economic titans in this world: Umbral Dynamics and Seventh Eclipse, the same guild that created the first tomes in history.


    Reed a heard a soft hum for a split second and then, a familiar voice buzzed into his ears. "Can you hear me? If you can, press the flashing green button on your lower left.


    Fifty green lights winked in acknowledgment. Axtorius responded, Excellent, all systems are green." The blue screen inside their coffins flickered and a map of the city appeared one last time.


    Axtorius said, "As soon as you land, seek cover, scope out the environment, and try your best to group up with your classmates, if possible. There''s strength in numbers, brats. Don''t get cocky, even if this is a simple mission. Stay low, think twice before you act, and use everything we''ve taught you to accomplish your objective."


    The coffins creaked and Reed felt as if he was being shaken around. He knew that something was happening outside, and just as had that thought, the blue screen in front of him flickered in response. A view of the outside of his coffin appeared as he had wished for inadvertently.


    A multitude of coffins were being pulled into an assembly line of some kind. They were transported into what seemed like an empty room that had various hatches on the ground. When every coffin had been brought into the room, the hatches opened down below, revealing a massive, churning vortex of Anima that looked like a miniature hurricane.


    Reed gasped in pure terror; he''d never seen Anima concentrated to such an extreme extent. He could feel a horrifying pressure beneath his feet. The maelstrom seemed to get stronger with each passing minute.


    "Oh, no."


    A hollow voice buzzed in ears, "Systems green. Internal dampener activated at maximum. Tran-shifted coordinates have been calculated for XXX-7551. 99.98% accuracy rating. Engaging probability drive..."


    "Wait, what?" Reed suddenly felt a tremor beneath his feet and he squirmed in fear. A loud voice boomed across the room, straight into his coffin.


    "Prepare to drop in three... two... one..."


    Reed clutched onto the straps of his seat and felt his lunch swirl around his stomach. He gritted his teeth as he stared at the swirling nightmare beneath him and closed his eyes.


    The locks on his coffin unlocked and he and his classmates felt a sudden change in momentum; gravity took over and they fell. A small fleet of coffins hurtled down into the chaotic storm and they quickly disappeared from view. They were gone.


    Blinding light and flooding colors rushed past Reed as he fell through the storm, shaking his coffin with a fury unknown to man. An awful creaking noise alerted him that the immense pressure outside was testing the structural integrity of his ride. It almost sounded like the coffin was screaming in protest as it descended into the heart of the storm...


    A flash of eye-scorching light blinded Reed as he entered the eye of the storm and then, it happened. The world went dark. For a minute or two, Reed thought his external cameras had died, but soon enough, they sputtered back on with great difficulty.


    He had arrived.


    A raging thunderstorm. Dark, brooding clouds that churned and twisted like mad dancers upon a grand stage. Reed''s coffin shot through the storm as it descended onto the ground.


    Fifteen thousand meters in the air, a black needle fell from the sky as it tore through the air at a maddening speed. When his coffin broke through the storm, Reed felt his heart skip a beat.


    Ten thousand meters.


    The first thing he noticed on the way down was that the storm he passed through wasn''t normal in the slightest. It stretched out as far as the eye could see; crackling lightning and dark, muddy clouds completely covered the sky. The sun was gone.


    He choked on his spit. An enormous, radiant dome loomed over him when he looked over to the east. It was so large, he couldn''t even see the top of it. The gigantic construct spilled over to the edge of the horizon and beyond... it was impossible to view the dome in its entirety even though he was over ten thousand meters in the air.


    Five thousand meters.


    It was dark. If not for the fact that now and then, a small crack of radiance would pierce through the veil of darkness, Reed would have thought that he''d been sent to hell, for the lack of a better word. As his coffin descended further, the city beneath him became increasingly larger.


    At a certain point, his coffin switched into landing mode and it activated its internal dampeners at maximum. The black needle tore through its last stretch of sky and then, it ''landed''. It crashed into an old, decrepit home and destroyed a majority of what had previously remained of it.


    Silence reigned. Thunder boomed distantly and a light shower of rain drizzled the surrounding area. Aside from the pitter-patter of the rain and the faint, howling wind nothing else could be heard...


    The needle groaned for a split second and then it opened up, revealing its passenger. A young man stepped out the needle hesitantly as he looked around for anyone... or anything that might''ve heard his arrival.


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    A faint drizzle landed on his elegant, jet-black uniform that had a golden crown and a crescent moon emblazoned on it. The raindrops rolled off of his uniform but when they hit his face, he reacted and started looking for shelter from the rain...


    Crumbling buildings, broken roads, washed-up remains of various vehicles of some kind. Not a very welcoming first sight, but Reed ignored the scenery. He looked around and found a home that hadn''t been worn down into shambles ¡ª perfect shelter from the rain, he thought.


    He also didn''t want to stay out in the open for too long; who knew what lurked around these parts... he wasn''t interested in finding out. Keeping a low profile was priority one for him. No heroics today.


    Reed summoned his tome and accessed the map it contained. It still worked in offline mode at the cost of severely limited functionality. Thankfully, Axtorius had been kind enough to give them a detailed map of the city to use during the mission.


    Two small markers were on the map: the outpost and where he had landed. That was all he could work with; he''d have to move out on his own discretion. Axtorius had put him in a really shitty situation. He was over a hundred and twenty kilometers away from the outpost if the map was accurate.


    A long sigh escaped his lips; it looked like this was going to be a long trek. He contemplated flying over to the outpost to compensate for his initial location but rejected the idea. It''d be the same as giving him position away to everything in the city, friend or foe.


    Eventually, he brushed away any ridiculous thoughts he still had and resigned himself to the long haul. It was simple enough, as long as he continued directly west, he''d eventually reach the outpost. The only real issue was whether he''d meet anyone on the way there.


    Hopefully, nothing would happen. Violett said that it was regularly patrolled area since it was close to Heaven''s gate. He had... nothing to fear.

 36 The Signal

    The scenery outside reminded him a distant, long-forgotten nightmare he''d once had many years ago. Even now, he sometimes remembered that dream, if only in distorted fragments of what it had once been. His memory failed him whenever he tried piecing it together, something that irked him.


    When Reed peeked outside of the house and saw the ruined, abandoned neighborhood, he felt a tinge of sorrow. He couldn''t precisely ascertain why he felt the way he did; neither was he in the mood to identify where that feeling originated from. It wasn''t the time for that.


    He had work to do. "Focus on the mission," Reed reminded himself as he shook his head. There''d be time to reflect later after the mission was over. Distractions could kill. He flushed his mind of useless, extraneous thoughts and charted a course on his tome and double checked his plan for any potential issues.


    His planned route took him through the suburbs of the city until a certain point when he''d have to venture into the heart of the city to reach the outpost. Judging from the detailed reports that had been given to them, the center of the city was where a majority of the Infested were found.


    Traversing through the suburbs was the safest option he could see, given what he knew. The information showed that the Infested rarely traveled into the outer parts of the city and preferred to remain near the hub of the metropolis. Why they behaved in such a manner was unknown, or at the very least, not explained in the reports he''d been given...


    The rain continued drizzling down upon the silent city; remote claps of thunder and the desolate howling of the wind filled the city with a somber ambiance. The city had a stifling atmosphere ¡ª as if it were a forbidden graveyard ¡ª a place that no man should ever walk upon.


    As Reed quietly walked down the broken roads, he noticed many a thing. Although many buildings and signs had long since fallen into disrepair, it wasn''t impossible to guess what they had once might''ve been. Various signs of all manner of shapes and styles still stood, faded and illegible.


    Reed walked past what seemed to be a restaurant judging from the dull and indistinct image of a plate filled with food. It had seen better days. The building was missing half of its foundation and a massive crater took up what should''ve been the other portion the structure.


    Metallic signs dotted the roads and glimmered faintly in the darkness. Although thousands of years had passed, these signs continued doing their job as they feebly flickered like vanishing fireflies.


    A couple hours later, Reed made a decent amount of progress, even if it was slower than he planned. Reed checked his map; he estimated that he was roughly sixty kilometers away. Over the course of the journey, he had encountered no one. His tome remained mute the whole way ¡ª that worried him a bit.


    Still, the city was massive, so it made sense that it''d be somewhat difficult for anyone to stumble into one another. Reed brushed away several ominous hypotheticals that crept up out of his anxiety. He reminded himself that he couldn''t let his emotions take over; only calm and collected reasoning would keep him alive.


    Reed bitterly chuckled in self-derision as he continued walking. The longer he thought about it, the more embarrassed he felt. Here he was ¡ª stronger than all of his peers combined ¡ª acting like a coward. What a gaffe... for the strongest one to be the weakest when it was time to act. He slapped his cheeks and balled fists in frustration.


    "How pathetic..." he thought. This was his best? Reed bit his lip as he gazed at the swirling clouds above, but was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts.


    His tome winked and a clear ping came out of it. He knew what that sound meant.


    Someone was close ¡ª within his tome''s range, to boot.


    Where? Who? He summoned his tome and checked for the signal with great haste as if a miracle had come true. The signal was faint, too distant for a communication channel to be established, but it was enough for Reed. He wasn''t alone ¡ª Esparon Doveport ¡ª that was the registered tag on the signal.


    Reed wracked his brain as he desperately tried to think; Esparon Doveport... had he heard the name before? He cursed himself for not making more friends other than Astor and the group. It wouldn''t have killed him to socialize with other people outside of his own clique, but it was too late to worry about it.


    People become fast friends in dire circumstances, right? Reed made up an excuse for himself as he ran toward the weak signal, in a full sprint. He didn''t even care about maintaining his secrecy out of pure excitement and glee.


    Reed rushed through empty streets like mighty gale given human form as his blurry figure flew towards the signal. Once he''d gotten close enough, Reed sent out a communications request to Esparon. The signal was getting stronger by the second, indicative that he would meet up with him soon enough.


    Seconds passed: No response.


    Was something wrong or did Esparon not receive the request? Perhaps a malfunction on Esparon''s end? Reed prayed that it was nothing more than that as he sent another request to Esparon.


    He was less than a minute or two away from his location. If he was under attack or possibly injured... Reed grimaced and prepared himself for a potential confrontation. Anima pulsed and gathered around him as he rushed towards the signal on the map.


    Another ten seconds passed: There was no response.


    Reed felt his blood boil and his heart rate rocketed; he pushed himself to the limits of his concentration as he approached the signal at a blistering speed. In record time, he arrived at Esparon''s location ¡ª a dingy, old house that had a broken roof and a huge hole in one of its walls.


    There was something pungent about the air; it smelled rotten and stale the closer he got to the house. Like someone had dug up a decomposing carcass or had dumped the worst filth imaginable in the vicinity. The offensive stench assaulted his senses, but he shrugged it off.


    Reed approached the house and looked at his map ¡ª the signal was extremely close, only a dozen feet away. He inched closer to the house in a heightened state of awareness and called out for Esparon.


    "Hey, are you alright in there? Esparon... Hello? Answer back..."


    He walked into the house but no response came back. The map showed that Esparon was at the other end of the house, in a room to the left. Reed tensed up like a spring that had been compressed to its limits and once again said, "Esparon, goddammit. Fucking answer, or I swear to god..."


    The Anima around Reed raged as it compressed around him in coils of incandescent radiance. He was about to blow up, both in a figurative and literal sense. If something was on the other end of the door and it wasn''t a human male... Reed would unleash his full might in an instant.


    Violett''s last words of advice repeated themselves in a constant loop as he held on the doorknob. He could hear his heart thumping out his chest like a mad drum. Reed held his breath as he turned the knob and pushed the door open.


    Reed channeled Anima inside of his body to the peak as he opened the door... and then let out a massive sigh of relief. He shook unsteadily and laughed in staccato-esque bursts of air as he slid onto the floor. Sweat poured down his face on the dirty floor, staining his face in the process, but he didn''t care.


    He looked over at one corner of the room. Esparon was there... fine and dandy. Sleeping like a baby.


    The son of a bitch had fallen asleep. Reed laughed for the longest and cursed himself for being such a goddamned coward, yet again.


    Esparon was suddenly torn away from the land of dreams ¡ª Reed made sure of that. He gave the sleeping bastard a swift kick in the gut, which startled the sleeping princess from his slumber. The abrupt awakening scared the living hell out Esparon and he let out a pathetic scream, thrashing wildly as if he were a cornered beast.


    "Hey, wait! Calm the fuc-" A random jab struck Reed right in the stomach and he let out a gasp of cold air. He brushed off the momentary pain and yelled out, "Stop thrashing, dumbass! If I wanted to kill you, I would''ve already done it..."


    Solid reasoning, if a bit on the blunt side. Esparon calmed down and finally focused on the figure in front him. A gleam of clarity returned in his eyes and he blurted out, "Y-You''re Reed, aren''t you?! The one that''s always with the royals, r-right? How did you..."


    "Your tome, genius, otherwise I would have never found you... Why the hell were you asleep?! I messaged you a bunch of time and because you never responded, I thought you..."


    Esparon realized that his tome had been pinging softly and replied with, "Oh... Sorry ''bout that, man. I didn''t mean to worry you, honestly. It''s just that I saw... something outside, you see."


    "There were several of them a block away from here and then they passed through the street. I saw them and then I-I..." Esparon muttered in a hushed tone.


    "You fainted? Out of fear? You don''t mean what I think you''re implying, right? That they passe-" Reed didn''t finish his sentence when he saw the palpable fear within Esparon''s eyes.


    "... So you saw them. This shouldn''t be happening... it was supposed to be a simple mission." Reed gnawed on his thumbnail as he contemplated on the demoralizing piece of information.


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    Reed rushed over in a flurry and made a lot of noise in the process, something he regretted immensely now. If they were still around, there was no doubt he''d alerted them. His blood starting pumping faster in response to the realization.


    He looked at Esparon, the poor fellow who looked like he''d break any second. The guy would not make it alone; that would be a problem. Time was running out ¡ª every second was a now precious resource.


    A horrible thought appeared in his head and he rejected it with all his will. Reed would never stoop so low, even if it killed him. In any case, it was his fault in the first place, so didn''t have the slightest right to think of Esparon as a burden.


    There was a rumbling beneath their feet and the ground trembled slightly. The ancient furniture inside of the house shook and an old glass vase fell. It shattered into a million pieces. An awful screeching cry reverberated across the neighborhood ¡ª it sounded like nails on a chalkboard.


    Reed closed his eyes and purge any unnecessary thoughts. He reset himself back to zero.


    It was time to nut up, or shut up. No more goddamn cowardice.


    He let out a long, deep sigh and said, "Get up, Esparon. We''ve got a job to do."

 37 First Contac

    The quaking ground signaled the beginning of their troubles; Reed gathered his resolve and the surrounding Anima responded to his summons. Motes of light formed out thin air and coalesced into vibrant spheres of crackling hot radiance.


    A dozen orbs of radiant, pulsing heat and light hovered around Reed like natural satellites orbiting a heavenly body. It made for an awe-inspiring sight as dense, sweltering Anima waves rocked the shaky, unstable house as if it were made of straw.


    Esparon stared at Reed and found himself unable to utter a single word. Where did this guy get his strength from? Why was he able to act so confidently even now, at the eve of despair?


    "I want to live, so I''ll fight and keep struggling until I... find peace. How about you? I won''t judge you if you choose to give up, but don''t expect me to help a dead man," Reed spat out.


    "I''m going to focus on living, breathing people ¡ª so hurry up and make your decision."


    They were cold, firm words that made his position on the matter clear. Reed didn''t like speaking like that, but the situation demanded it. Nevertheless, his declaration snapped Esparon out of his lull in a flash.


    Death was an excellent motivator, no matter the situation. There was nothing else that had to be said about the subject. All men stood vigil at the gates of death, especially those burdened with the office of the warrior.


    He who held such an office was privy to the sweet whispers of Lady Death, who foretold the end of his life from the deepest part of the world. Many failed; those who met her left this bleak and cruel mortal coil for what lay beyond the senses of man. Elsewhere.


    Reed stretched out his hand and Esparon hurriedly took it. The matter was settled then and there, without a single extra word spoken aloud.


    "They''re coming, so we have two options, friend. Either we take a stand against them, or we retreat immediately. The issue is that if we run, we''re likely to cause an even greater disturbance in our escape. I assume you understand what I mean by this, yes?"


    Esparon nodded gravely and said, "I read you loud and clear. There''s an unavoidable fact we can''t ignore ¡ª this is their home ¡ª kicking up a larger racket here will alert the hive, so to speak..."


    Reed peered out of a broken window and saw nothing outside, but heard the screeching cacophony in the distance getting closer.


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    He walked over to Esparon, put a hand on one of his shoulders and a bitter look formed on his face. "We can''t implicate them with our troubles. Everyone has to clean up their own mess; that''s common sense, right? At the very least, we won''t be dragging our friends down with us -- that''s what real warriors should do."


    The ground shook with wildly; dust, dirt, and ashes covered the pair as the broken roof peppered the duo in filth. A disgusting stench assaulted their noses -- the smell of death.


    Reed and Esparon channeled Anima and an azure glow shimmered around them in the darkness. Esparon tensed up and his body locked up in an awkward hunch. Reed noticed that his companion still had some last-minute nerves and harshly patted him on the back.


    It shocked Esparon and he looked at Reed with a dumb look on his face. Reed grinned and said, "Relax, I''m gonna do the heavy lifting, so stay next to me and look cool, alright? Heroes don''t hunch like grandmas, man, they stick their chests out and do cool poses."


    A terrifying scream -- something that resembled a dying beast''s final roar and the wail of a demon -- echoed across the silent neighborhood.


    "We''ll get some real nice Vynovian food after this whole shitshow is over, man. I know the perfect place, went there about three wee-"


    An explosion rocked the house and the pair stumbled around for a brief moment until they gathered their bearings. Dark, twisted tongues blue-violet flame covered the houses outside in an instant. Shrill cries of demented fury filled the air with total abandon -- the monstrosities had come.


    The air shook and another explosion blew their house into pieces, to the pair''s surprise. A slew of abominations charged into the flaming debris in a mad rage, shrieking and bellowing out wretched cries of delight. They had found prey to hunt. Things to kill. That alone satisfied the perverted fiends.


    When Reed saw them up close, something deep inside him arose, an unknown feeling. It was more than simple anger, or mindless rage -- no... it was far, far more than such a trifling, base emotion.


    What he felt was different. It came from within his own self, not of his Alma. A blackened, contorted white-hot madness bled out of from the deepest part of his heart. He wished for nothing more than their destruction down to the very last of their essences; to wipe them clean from the world in their entirety.


    A mellifluous song, an aria of righteous fury rung in his ears; he could hear scarce a sound as the maiden''s voice grew louder for every millisecond that passed.


    The horde charged forward, a host of malformed aberrations that each looked different from each other. All twisted in numerous ways: Crooked, split bodies of all manner of ungodly design. They had misshapen bodies -- elongated, broken limbs; fused bodies joined in odd angles; warped faces filled with rows of shattered teeth and freakish, blood-red eyes.


    Reed met them with the same maddened fervor they possessed and went on a rampage. He molded his floating orbs into various weapons; spears, swords, axes, lances, warhammers, -- the armory formed out of highly condensed Anima struck the Infested swarm at blinding speeds.


    These streaks of light smashed into a few Infested and instantly tore them into pieces before they crashed into the ground. Bright violet blood splattered across the place, both on friend and foe. The fight had begun.


    Driven mad beyond reason, Reed leaped into the horde and recalled the nearest weapon he had thrown back into his hand. A scorching zweihander flew out of its crater and hurtled itself into his hands. That was all Reed needed to start doing his job; he swung the hefty blade and cut down the closest monster he could reach in twain.


    Even though the disgusting creature had been cut in half, it still moved with great vigor on the ground and quickly lunged onto one of Reed''s legs, but was set aflame and burnt into ashes before it could latch on to its prey.


    It would take more than simple dismemberment to kill the wretched things. Only thorough destruction worked; the bastards were more resilient than he expected, but it matter not. He had plenty of methods.


    The large crowd of Infested recognized that the one in front of them was the greatest threat to them and focus their undivided attention upon him. A swarm of snarling flesh ran towards their prey, clambering over one another, a flood of hatred made manifest.


    A few of the disgusting creatures viciously growled and then, all of a sudden, lit themselves up in the same blue-violet flame that he had seen before. It seemed they weren''t going to hold anything back...


    Reed snorted in disdain and gathered Anima around him in a circular rings of light by the dozens and then by the hundreds. Innumerable bands of holy radiance spun around him as if he were in the midst of a storm.


    They whizzed around him menacingly, to the point that they hummed. The song they sang was one of swift and brutal death. Reed met the swarm head-on and let out a bestial roar; he would rip them into shreds and send them all to hell where they belonged.


    Man and monster met at the crossroads of insanity and all hell broke loose; a few Infested shot out bloated balls of blue flames that chased after him before they exploded.


    Reed conjured his aegis and kept moving forward; the explosions shook his bones and blurred his vision, but he couldn''t stop himself. He brushed away the pain and jumped straight into the swarm without hesitation.


    A flurry of flesh and blood splattered everywhere; claws came at him from all sides, flames shot towards him, to the point that he could no longer see anything other than rot and horror. It didn''t matter -- he''d keep swinging until everything was dead.


    Distorted, pained screams echoed in the distance and before anyone realized it, silence reigned again. The madness had disappeared.... for now.


    Violet painted the earth and sky as smoldering embers littered the place. It looked like a nightmarish realm where the worst devils belonged. A lone boy stood among the wreckage, covered head to toe in blood.


    He surveyed his work in silence and gazed out into the distance as if he were searching for something.


    Esparon Doveport couldn''t find any words to say, or even think. He simply stood in place like a statue. Cold sweat poured out from his body and if one paid close attention, they''d notice that he was, in fact, trembling ever so slightly.


    A million thoughts ran through his mind, all trying to process what had just occurred. Blood. Flesh. Screams. Flame. The words and images were there, but he couldn''t string them together properly. For a while, he had even forgotten to breathe out of shock.


    He only had a single question he wanted to be answered right now.


    Who the hell was this guy, and where the fuck had he come from?


    Reed wasn''t satisfied... he hungered for more. It was a horrible feeling.

 38 Welcome Home

    Eventually, his blood-lust faded into obscurity and a bit of clarity returned to the boy. Reed looked around; A slew of mangled corpses and blood painted his surroundings. An impressive display of savagery, if he had to describe it.


    "What a goddamned mess..."


    If not for the fact that he was covered head to toe in blood and most importantly, the blurred glimpses of carnage he witnessed during his delirium, he would have never believed it. That he caused this... gnarled destruction.


    He''d felt a similar reaction during the debrief, but not to this extent. The rush of madness felt, unlike anything he''d ever experienced in his life. As if raging hot lava had been poured into his veins and it had set him free from his pesky inhibitions.


    Reed couldn''t stop himself from tearing them apart and even derived joy from the cruel act of violence. Unrelenting pleasure suffused with blood and screams...


    "H-Hey, are you all right, man? You.."


    Esparon''s concerned voice dragged Reed out of his reverie and he turned around. The trembling boy had seen everything from beginning to the end; that was troubling, but it couldn''t be undone. It looked like he would never look at him the same way ever again.


    His eyes spoke for him, even if he would never speak the words aloud. Fear clouded Esparon''s eyes. The poor bastard couldn''t even look at him as he stared at the dirty ground.


    Who could blame for acting this way? Certainly not Reed, in any case. He''d been given a front-row seat and saw a scene straight out of hell. If anything, Reed respected him more because of it. Most would have spilled out their lunch after seeing what he''d done to the Infested.


    "I''m good. Thanks for asking, bud," Reed said. He conjured a sphere of water and used it to wash his hands and face. "Looks like they didn''t have any more friends, so the coast should be clear."


    Reed lightly coughed and said, "We should get going. There''s a good chance our fight probably alerted those sons of bitches. Don''t want to meet ''em again if possible, right?" Esparon flinched and hurriedly nodded in agreement.


    And so, the two left on their own terms, not quite the same as when they had first met. One left with more questions than he had answers for; the other walked away with a renewed sense of joy for life, albeit through the worst means possible ¡ª joy born out of terror.


    Fate always handed out different gifts for her children ¡ª in many a form and design, each with their unique purpose. Reed and Esparon would not consider the Infested a gift, but in Lady Fate''s grand scheme nothing was off the table...


    Magnificent buildings composed of beautiful silver and off-white stone that pierced into the heavens far above, now covered in dust, dirt, and ash. An expansive mural was created on the main street itself, unlike anything either of them had seen in their entire lives.


    Artistry they had never seen before moved their hearts as they gazed upon the destroyed and abandoned work. It was a representation of who they were and what they stood for until the very end; a final snapshot of their culture.


    All of heaven and earth lay bare before the gentle warmth of the Sun. The stars up above shone brilliantly, forming a map of their achievements and virtues. The tale of their creation and their tragic demise.


    Even now, although damaged and incomplete, the mural still spoke of the long-forgotten glory and radiance of what once was...


    The broken record remained for all who would still walk the damned earth, as proof of the brilliance that the Mulians possessed, and of the hubris born from it.


    Every step Reed took felt like a million-mile journey as he stared at the winding mural. A forlorn expression formed on his face the longer he walked down the ruined street. There was something here that called to him from another time and place.


    Around him, the stifling, dreary air vanished and heavy fog spilled out of the street itself and the buildings. The pair took notice and prepared for the worst as they shifted themselves onto each other''s back. Reed glared at the blanket of haze cautiously as he channeled Anima...


    Eventually, he could not see more than a foot away; it was pointless. The thick, milky fog made it impossible to see anything past his arm''s reach. Reed cursed his luck and said, "Esparon, I''m gonna make a break for it. Follow my lead and stick close to me, all right?"


    Reed received a silent response, and he immediately craned his head over to where his partner was supposed to be. Beside him, Esparon was not. He was gone. Reed clenched his fists furiously and roared out, "God-fucking-dammit. Esparon, where are you?! Sound off if you can hear me!!"


    How!? It''d only been half a minute and he''d already disappeared! Reed couldn''t fathom how someone could get lost, especially when they were only a foot away from their companion. Was Esparon blind or genuinely stupid? Perhaps both?


    It was a hopeless situation, given the current situation. He could probably clear the fog if he could gather enough Anima, but something was chaining his ability to gather it down. It felt like he was being restricted by a greater power than himself, which shocked him.


    Very few things could hold him down, aside from the likes of conquerors. Whatever lay within the fog had strength equivalent to one, at the very least. Otherwise, this would not have been possible.


    Esparon would have to fend for himself this time ¡ª an extremely unpleasant thought. The poor guy barely had his marbles together after the first fight...


    The fog slowly churned and Reed heard footsteps in the distance. A faint shadows formed around him, figures of what seemed to be people. They stood in place and waited in silence as the footsteps from afar grew louder by the second.


    They surrounded him; His partner was gone. Reed let out a deep sigh as he kept his guard up. Trouble always had a way of finding him to his great consternation. "Why must it always be like this?"


    Reed backed up slowly as the shadowy figure continued to approach, but a certain voice stopped him dead in his tracks.


    "Greetings, Noble One ¡ª Ka''an. We have been waiting for this day, this very moment..." The voice was young and feminine.


    A girl stepped out from the fog who looked no older than thirteen or fourteen, adorned in a beautiful robe of glimmering white silk and gold. She wore a necklace made of amber stone that shone like a star, fashioned in the sun''s shape.


    As she walked closer to Reed, the long, maroon feather she had pinned on her head swung back and forth like a pendulum as if it had a life of its own. The girl looked at Reed square in the eye as she approached him and said, "When her holiness spoke of your arrival, Noble One, we immediately set out to reach you."


    Her pure eyes reflected nothing but the truth as she bowed in front of Reed. The surrounding shadows knelt in response, startling him as he blanked out in confusion.


    "It was most unfortunate that we met the Unclean Ones as soon as we set out for you. Because of our blunder, we forced you to deal with them yourself, Noble One. I have shamed the All-Mother by even letting those vile, wretched worms even gaze upon your image..."


    She bit her lips in fury as she kept her head down, feeling that she was unworthy of looking at Reed''s face. The shadows followed suit and prostrated themselves in silence, and Reed felt a headache coming on.


    Reed looked at the ridiculous scene and raised his hands in defeat; he couldn''t handle the situation anymore. "Look, how about we back this conversation up for my sake, all right? I don''t even know who you are... You need not kneel; it''s creeping me out." Reed interjected.


    "Huh?" A short yelp escaped the girl''s lips and she said, "O-Oh, her holiness warned us about this and I still forgot. Once again, I have made myself a fool in your presence, Noble One. I cannot even find the words to describe my shame..." The poor girl looked like she was the verge of tears as she trembled slightly on the ground.


    Why do I look like the villain in this scenario?! Oh, for the love of...


    "Now, now, don''t cry, okay?! It''s fine, I forgive you for whatever you did, so don''t start up with the waterworks!" He had to comfort the girl for a solid five minutes until she finally calmed down.


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    The girl rubbed her watery eyes and said, "O Noble One, you are most merciful and benevolent, just as I imagined you would be. I will never forget this gracious act of kindness. You bless me with your-"


    Reed quickly interjected said, "I get it so stop it with flattery and explain to me who you are already." If he hadn''t stopped her there, he was confident that she would have gone on prattling until hell froze over.


    "A-Ah, yes, yes, Noble One, forgive me. I am Itotia, a priestess of the Great Flame, and her holiness sent here me to escort you to Citlai, the last fragment of paradise. Our home, far away from the filth and corruption of the Unclean Ones."


    An invitation? This wasn''t the time for an unexpected adventure; he had to meet up with his friends first. Reed hadn''t forgotten about the fact that he still had to save Esparon. As much as Reed wanted to go off on some wild trip into uncharted lands and forsake his responsibilities, he couldn''t.


    "I''m sorry, Itotia but I can''t go with you right now; I''m on an important mission and I can''t jus-"


    "¡­But it''s already too late, Noble One," Itotia said in a small mumble as she bashfully twirled her thumbs.


    The hazy fog around them began to fade and when it finally dissipated, the truth was revealed to Reed. He''d been hoodwinked from the start.


    Faint shapes formed out of the fog; a dark and dusty room with a single exit. Cracks of light squeezed through the room''s cracked ceiling, giving Reed a small glimpse of his surroundings. Indecipherable glyphs of an unknown origin marked the walls, emblazoned in a massive mural painting that covered the entire room.


    "Let us be off, Noble One. Her holiness ¡ª no, we''ve all been expecting you," Itotia said. She gestured towards the exit and waited for Reed to follow.


    There was a scent peculiar scent that seemed to be dragging him outside. Sweeter than an angel''s kiss and more tempting than a princess''s invitation. It was so...


    Before Reed even realized it, he''d already put one foot in front of the other as he walked towards the exit with increasing speed, almost as if he were afraid of losing the scent. Itotia knowingly gigged as she ran after Reed, delighted that it had worked.


    When Reed reached the exit, he felt as if something had tugged his hand and he looked back. No one was there, aside from Itotia who had still not caught up to him in the distance. Her protests finally reached his ears and he waited for her to catch up.


    She huffed laboriously as she whined in between breaths about this and that, but Reed didn''t pay her any mind. He walked out of the exit into the light and closed his eyes when a sudden gust of wind smacked him square in the face.


    He rubbed his weary eyes and opened them.


    Itotia watched the young boy and wanted to say something to him, but couldn''t. It tore her to pieces, but she couldn''t do it. Instead, she stood beside him and waited. As always.


    And then...


    And then...


    And...

 39 A Fleeting Glimpse

    He finally recognized that long-lost scent and where it originated from. Hidden, buried memories rushed through his mind; He knew this place, this landscape. It had not changed a single bit since he''d last visited it, almost as if it''d been frozen in time.


    Reed gazed at the seemingly endless field of glowing daffodils that softly shone underneath the dimming twilight sky. The glittering flowers swung slowly as gentle winds passed through the beautiful sea of tiny lights, carrying their scent westward towards the horizon.


    His feet carried him forward, step after step as he ventured into the field. He was gone; both here and elsewhere. A better place. Someplace safer and warmer than here.


    This wasn''t the first time Reed had seen this flower field; once upon a time, he''d visited this place in his sleep. His memories were hazy and fragmented, but Reed still remembered the main gist of what happened in that dream.


    A woman held him in her arms as she leisurely strolled through the flower field. The daffodils blossomed around her with every step she took and their lovely aroma filled the air. She spoke to him but he couldn''t understand her at all, no matter how hard he tried. Her soft, melodious voice was comforting and he felt safe. Protected. Even loved.


    He craned his small head and saw a small girl running freely among the daffodils without a care in the world. She giggled and squealed in delight as a man chased after her half-heartedly in jest. He caught the young girl, tossed her up into the sky and gracefully caught her as she fell.


    And then, it ended. Just like that. Fleeting bliss destroyed by reality. He remembered waking up in tears back in the orphanage, as always...


    It was a vivid dream that he''d been buried in his mind along with the final fragments of his childhood innocence.


    The slums back home would not allow such a wild fantasy to exist, even if it was merely a dream ¡ª it robbed him of whatever joy he initially had and replaced the void with pessimism and despair.


    Time passed and he grew older. Old scars faded and healed; the sun and moon continued their eternal dance.


    And now, he''d returned. It wasn''t a dream. Here he was, walking in a place that should not have been real.


    His feet finally stopped and he fell on his knees, filled with an indescribable emotion that he dared not identify. Reed carefully plucked a flower and held tenderly in his hand, afraid of damaging it any further.


    A part of him feared that the flower would vanish and the ground would give way; that he''d wake up again.


    Itotia felt the shackles in her heart begin to break and fought back against the maddening urge that sprung up within her. It took all of her strength and will to hold back the tide of thoughts bursting from her heart; screaming, begging her to act ¡ª to speak the words she desperately wanted to speak.


    Her eyes flickered as she stared at his lonely figure and she bit her lips fiercely. Cold waves of reason washed over her emotions and slowly put out her irrational outburst.


    Itotia gathered her resolve and decided what she would do, even if it meant she''d pay for it. She slowly began strolling towards the young boy as she sweetly hummed a tune that sounded like a charming hymn for children.


    Daffodils blossomed with every step she took and their petals shone with even greater brilliance as they lit up her path towards the boy.


    A bridge of light formed as the girl sung her song and the flower field suddenly grew quiet. All the animals that lurked within the wilds of the field stopped moving and silently watched the young maiden from afar. Even the energetic winds grew tame and weak in the presence of her song.


    Reed hurriedly turned around when he heard her song and gasped. His emotions flew off the handle in an instant; astonishment, confusion, and hope swirled unpredictably within his heart.


    A bridge of light formed around the girl as she walked, extending far into the twilight up above... almost as if it were a staircase into the firmament.


    He gazed at her radiant figure among the glimmering flowers and pondered why her song sounded ¡ª although beautiful and serene ¡ª forlorn and somber.


    It was the same song he remembered but something... was missing. It was incomplete; Her song lacked the spirit that the woman possessed. It was a pitiful imitation of the original, and perhaps something distinctly opposite to it. He didn''t know a better way to describe it.


    Reed shook his head in sadness as listened watched her approach him and suddenly felt something warm and tender brush by him. It caught him off-guard and he spun around as he surveyed his surroundings.


    There was nothing there, except glimmering daffodils and the last remnants of the setting sun on the horizon...


    He didn''t know what he expected to find. He bitterly smiled. Just as he was about to turn around and call out to Itotia, a powerful gust of wind struck him in the back and he stumbled foolishly. The poor, irritated boy was about to let out a foul curse upon the wind but abruptly choked on his words before they left his mouth.


    A flurry of dazzling, twinkling petals floated along with the wind en masse as the flew towards the coast and covered the sky like miniature shooting stars. Tiny streaks of light converged in the distance and Reed witnessed the impossible.


    There she was, all alone, observing the final gleam of the setting sun.


    The woman from his dream. Her figure was indistinct and fleeting; the storm of petals kept blocking his line of sight. But he knew that she was still there ¡ª something inside gave this absurd conviction.


    What was he supposed to say? How should he approach her? What if she doesn''t know? A million thoughts all rushed through his head and he panicked. There were words he wanted to tell her but he couldn''t voice them out ¡ª they were stuck in his throat.


    He had to reach her. He had to move his feet and reach her, no matter the cost. But his legs felt heavier than iron rods and would not budge despite his protests. His voice could not come out. It felt like he''d been burdened with all the world''s burdens in the span of a second.


    Never before had he felt such an enormous distance between himself and another person. A hundred meters stretched into infinity before his feet. He would never reach her and despair took hold.


    A miracle occurred right then and there, on the eve of Reed''s desolation. From afar, her figure had shifted ever so slightly. He couldn''t make out her visage even though she had turned as the garden continued its flower dance but Reed knew that''d she saw him. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    He couldn''t make heads or tails of appearance but from the posture of her arms, she looked like she was carrying something. She shook her head and pointed at something behind him, which caused Reed to turn around.


    The bridge of light had transformed ¡ª it''d become far more defined and radiant ¡ª into a majestic set of stairs that stretched out in the stars and beyond. Anima thrummed softly as it visibly concentrated around the staircase; the sound of deep, booming bells rung in the afar. Even the stars themselves seemed to dim in the presence of the otherworldly construct of holy light.


    Ethereal. Sacred. Glorious.


    Eventually, Itotia could not withstand the immense burden of her song and roughly fell onto the ground. The wind calmed down and the staircase quickly faded into nothingness. Normality returned to the wild garden.


    Reed bolted towards Itotia and was about to ask if she was alright, but she raised her hand as she coughed and hoarsely said, "You need not worry, Noble One, this is only a minor aftereffect from overdrawing my power. I will be fine." She shakily stood up and closed her eyes as she focused on her breathing.


    "Are you sure you''re alright? I can carry you to th-"


    "I appreciate the gesture but I am not worthy of such excessive assistance," she said. Itotia smiled and said, "A full night''s rest will be enough for me to recover from this, I assure you. ''Tis merely fatigue and nothing more."


    He doubted that. But if she would continue being adamant about her condition, he would respect her wish.


    Reed wanted answers desperately, but it looked like she wasn''t in any kind of state to provide them at the moment. He''d have to put his feelings aside for now and focused his attention on getting the girl back to her home. Then he''d find the way back home, somehow.


    "For now, let us return to the road, Noble One. It is getting rather dark and Citlai is only a short walk from here." She gestured towards the road and waited for Reed.


    It turned out that she wasn''t lying; a small walk down the winding dirt road led them over several bridges until they reached a certain area. The simple path transformed into an old stone road that had an elaborate pattern. It was faded, but it looked serviceable, a sign that it''d gone under maintenance at some point recently.


    The stone road led up a large hill that had a large azure flag with an odd-looking glyph woven in the middle. When they reached the flag''s summit, Reed finally saw the city.


    His eyes almost bulged out their sockets when he first saw it and he said, "T-That''s your hometown?!"


    This couldn''t be called a city at all ¡ª it was a goddamned island! A. Massive. Island.


    Not only that, it effortlessly hovered above the sea several hundred feet in the air. Gorgeous white pillars made of quartz and gold poked out of the bottom of the island and softly glowed. Even from a distance, he could see a myriad of twinkling golden lights on the island and the shades of brilliantly illuminated towers, skyscrapers, and other buildings.


    It looked like something that''d come out of a fairy tale or a myth from an ancient legend. How was this a city? Reed wondered if he was out of touch with the world but quickly rejected the notion. Even back in Mulia, he''d never seen something this absurd.


    "Hmm? Yes, that''s my home, Noble One. Is... there something wrong with it? It was once the heart of our empire, so I don''t think it is any less beautiful than any other city you''ve might''ve seen."


    "..." Reed was speechless. He didn''t know how to respond.


    Itotia touched the flag''s post and it lit up instantly with a golden glow. Radiance gathered on the flag itself and it shot out a beam of grand light into the sky. The beam twisted and morphed until it formed the shape of the glyph that the flag had.


    "Now, we wait. They should arrive soon to pick us up, Noble One." She let go of the flag post and pointed at small blinking lights that seemed to grow bigger by the second.


    "They? Who''s coming to pick us up, by the way? Your friends?"


    "Mmm, I wouldn''t call them friends but I am acquainted with them, I suppose. They insisted that they be the ones to escort you once I brought you back." Itotia shrugged her shoulders helplessly.


    "Who are you talking about?"


    "Oh, you know... The Royal Armada, the Silent Fleet, and the Grand Protector''s elite battalion."


    Those small blinking lights had grown a hundred-fold in the span of a single breath and they continued growing as they approached. Mountains of refined, shining metal lurched silently at blistering speed and eventually became visible, even in the night''s dark.


    Massive and imposing ships covered the sky, blocking the starry sky above. Searchlights turned on and landed on the pair as they slowed down and eventually stopped in front of them. They organized themselves into a formation around the largest and most fearsome ship the lot.


    A pair of words were inscribed upon the hull of the giant behemoth ¡ª Joyous Divinity. Presumably, it was the name of the hovering titan. Reed thought it was a well-deserved name, without a doubt. It was large enough to rival the goddamned Reef in size.


    "Forgive them, Noble One, they are merely excited and wanted to greet you personally. Think nothing of it."


    "Y-Yeah, sure." He felt butterflies forming in his stomach and wanted to cry. It was too much for him to handle. He wanted to go back home already...

 40 Citlai, The Crown of The Stars

    Magnificent crystal pillars formed a gorgeous archway that lead to the great hall inside the Joyous Divinity. A shining path made of the purest gold and silver, adorned with an elaborate engraving marked the way. An illustrious throne made of a jagged boulder of dark rock lay in front of him.


    Reed knew he''d gotten himself into something out of his league. No doubt about it. The moment he laid his eyes on the enormous fleet, he''d already resigned himself to his fate. He didn''t even bother resisting and went along with the flow. Nothing else he could do, anyway...


    ''But man, this is one hell of a welcoming committee...''


    An innumerable of souls knelt and bowed silently as Reed and Itotia waited for, "the shipmasters of the fleet," as she had put it. The soldiers remained motionless akin to statues as they bowed in a formation. Reed crossed his arms and played it cool as he waited.


    Suffice it to say that it was not a pleasant experience; a strained, tense atmosphere loomed over the hall as they waited.


    "Are your people always this serious when they welcome foreigners? It''s a bit much, don''t you think?" said Reed. He''d heard of some cultures being overly serious with their customs, but none such as this. He wondered if he had not experienced enough, despite having lived in a foreign world for a year already...


    "No. Noble One, they are acting like this because of..." The sound of heavy footsteps caught their attention and Itotia swallowed her words.


    They were titans in the truest sense of the word, for they stood several heads taller than anyone Reed had ever met. The tallest one, the one in the middle was at least eight feet tall, give or take. All three wore sublime armor made of shining gold and pure quartz adorned with intricate imagery of stars, suns, and all manner of mighty beasts.


    These golden giants looked akin to living masterpieces that a master sculptor might have created during his prime. They were certainly a sight to behold, thought Reed as he inspected them.


    The tallest one roared with laughter as he walked towards and said, "Well, well, well. Look which rapscallion turned up tonight?" He grabbed the girl and tossed her in the air like one would a child, to her embarrassment. She struggled fiercely but couldn''t escape the jolly giant''s affectionate teasing.


    Eventually, he had his fill and released the girl from his embrace, content with his handiwork. He turned around and the other two giants moved towards Reed and circled him as they inspected him from head to toe.


    "Hmm... what do you think? It''s been only been a few years, right?" said the golden titan on the left.


    "Yes, you''re right. Even so, he''s grown splendidly, wouldn''t you say? If I didn''t know before, I would have thought the boy a reflection of ''him''..." said the towering figure on the right.


    "No... look closely, you old farts. Look at those beautiful golden eyes of his... those are eyes are ''hers'' and not ''his''," said the tallest of the three as he craned over to look at Reed.


    He lurched over and put his massive hand on one of Reed''s shoulders and said, "We''ve all missed you greatly, little sun. Especially Xitllali and Itotai, though they might not admit it to you in person."


    Itotia kicked the golden titan and harrumphed coldly when she heard that. Her eyes narrowed in disdain and said, "These old farts are the shipmasters I spoke of, Noble One. Think nothing of these impolite tricksters."


    She pointed at the golden giant one the right that bore the sigil of a hawk on his armor and said, "This old coot is the shipmaster of the Royal Armada ¡ª Koyovo, The Pure Moon. He''s sweet-talker that''ll get you in trouble before you know it. Don''t let his title fool you." The old man kept a grin on his face and softly chuckled when he heard his introduction.


    "The one on the right is the shipmaster of the Silent Fleet ¡ª Morate, The Hidden Star. Trust nothing he tells you, Noble One. He''s the biggest trickster of the lot." Morate shrugged his shoulders solemnly in disapproval but quickly grinned and winked at Reed once Itotia looked away for a second. There was mischief hidden within his eyes.


    "And this one is my grandfather, the shipmaster of the Joyous Divinity and Grand Protector himself ¡ª Ulbo, Father of Stars. Don''t stand on ceremony for him, Noble One, or he''ll take advantage of you..." He acted as if hadn''t heard his granddaughter''s disparaging introduction at all as he focused on Reed''s eyes.


    Ulbo gently pulled Reed into his arms and held him close as he ruffled his hair softly.


    "Look at how much you''ve grown, little sun. You''ve become a proper young man in the blink of an eye. It seems that the plan worked like a charm, despite the misgivings I had about it..."


    Reed didn''t understand at all why the titan was acting so familiar with him, given he''d never met before in his life. It felt extremely awkward being treated so affectionately by a stranger during their first meeting.


    "U-Um, sir... I don''t think we''ve met before or at least, I don''t remember such an occasion. Might you have mistaken me for someone else? I''m just a nobo-"


    "No." The golden figure interjected firmly. "Boy, I held you in my arms when you were no bigger than a loaf of bread. I still remember clearly the day you were born into this world."


    His words left Reed speechless and for a second and he blanked out of shock.


    ''He was present for my birth? How was that even possible? I''m... nothing more than a street rat from the slums.''


    Reed doubted the man''s words but kept his tongue check, nevertheless. He wasn''t about to start an argument with the giant; He immediately noticed how powerful these three shipmasters were once they within arm''s reach and tossed out any stupid fantasies he had about diplomacy.


    The surrounding Anima was stifling and imperious, as if they''d completely bent it to their will. He''d never felt such an overpowering aura of control, even among his instructors. Reed had some suspicions but was confident that these three were easily leagues above the likes of common conquerors.


    If they acted... well, he knew that it would not be a pleasant ending. That was for sure.


    "I''m sure you have many questions, little sun. I''m... not at liberty to answer them, to my great displeasure. I wish I could tell you everything myself, but that right fall unto Xitllali. You can ask her about everything once we get back home."


    Ulbo shouted something in a strange tongue and it set the soldiers in the hall into motion. They hurriedly rose up and disappeared, but not before saluting Ulbo once more. Only a single breath later, a deep tremor shook the ship. It felt like a miniature earthquake had passed by suddenly.


    "No need to worry, childe. That was only the solar engine''s ignition ¡ª it''s not of any concern. Come, let us head to the bridge so you can see the city up close once we fly over it."


    He gestured towards a beautiful circular mural in the center of the hall that was built on to the floor. It shone with a soft glow reminiscent of the altars back home, although much more brilliant. Motes of condensed Anima floated around the perimeter in harmonious order, almost as if they were dancing on a wave. There was a certain rhythm to it...


    Reed guessed that all altars at some point looked like this one, but fell into disrepair after their original owners abandoned them. The ones back home had foreign machinery installed onto them to make them operable with some difficulty. He already knew how much of a pain it was booting up one of those ancient altars was...


    He discovered that even the transition back into real-space was smoother than the ones back home; for once, he didn''t feel the nauseous wave of disgust he usually experienced.


    Their destination was an enormous place made of glass, motes of light, and water. The entire ship''s floor was transparent and allowed one to see everything below the ship''s hull with stunning clarity. When Reed focused on a distant object or location, a stream of water and light would pool beneath the glass and magnify the view for him instantly.


    Itotia perked up as soon as she saw the city and pulled Reed along the room, pointing out the different points of interest and famous landmarks with great enthusiasm. The city looked nothing like he''d ever seen before ¡ª they had constructed it out of floating stone, gleaming quartz, and an endless amount of seamless glass. Deep azure water shimmered all around the city as it flowed in nearly every place imaginable.


    In the middle of the city lay an enormous lake that twinkled even in the night''s dark with a gorgeous azure-neon hue. They were tiny stars reflected deep within the waters that moved back and forth energetically. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    Rivers of radiant water formed many a thing in the city; advertisements flashed vibrantly, catching his eye. There were even roaming statues ¡ª real titans standing dozens of meters tall that carried entire buildings on their shoulders ¡ª it even served as a transportation mechanism for people down below. Reed noticed people gliding atop the currents of flowing water as it carried them across the city. It was a fantastical sight to behold.


    It was a city without a single stain, formed of the purest materials men could find. The city possessed a natural, earthly beauty that was only complemented by the golden and silver spires that pierced the clouds. Someone about the city felt complete as if it were the perfect union between man and nature. The aesthetic beauty of this paradise was undeniable, and even the harshest critic would have to concede that it was a magnificent work of brilliance...


    "What do you think, Noble One? Is it not a wonder for the eyes to behold? Although it is only a fragment of what it once was, Citlai is still without compare in the world," said Itotia. She smugly grinned as she observed Reed''s astonished reaction with immense delight.


    "It''s quite stunning, for sure. I''ve never seen a city like this...well, ever."


    Ulbo heartily chuckled and said, "Then you''re in for a bigger surprise, little sun. Our destination is not the city itself... but beneath it ¡ª that is where the royal palace is located. It serves as the foundation for the island and the city above itself. We will be heading to Citlai''s Heart."


    The ship suddenly stopped over a massive lake located in the middle of the city that barely looked large enough to accommodate the Joyous Divinity, but surprisingly, it fit right inside without a hitch as it descended into the clear, azure waters of the enormous lake.


    Moments later, the water disappeared and with a loud thrum, real-space slightly shook. Reed knew that spatial vibration. They''d been shifted somewhere else amid their descent, meaning that the ship had passed through... an altar. That, or something large enough to send the flying mountain across space-time.


    ''What the hell have I gotten myself into this time?! This is way too ridiculous...''


    Once the ship cleared the spatial passage and stabilized itself, the blurry surroundings outside slowly fixed themselves. The hazy shapes and colors became more defined as the ship settled back into real-space and Ulbo said, "Behold the Heart of Citali, childe. The dominion of the Gods... and your birthplace."


    Reed silently stood on the bridge as he gazed at the sight of his so-called birthplace.


    Despite his concerned, serious face, he really only had a single thought running through his mind as he gazed at the view.


    ''Hey, why does that towering, silver statue look so familiar...?''


    ''I-Isn''t... that- no, there''s no way... I must be seeing things...''


    He hurriedly rubbed his eyes and looked again with greater focus; Nothing had changed. He had not been imagining what he had seen.


    Reed let out the longest sigh he could muster and started walking back to the room''s altar.


    "...Noble One? Where are you going? Is there something wrong?" said Itotia. She barely noticed the disgusted face Reed had made the second he caught glimpse of the palace.


    When Reed heard Itotia''s question, he cackled maniacally as if he''d lost his marbles. The poorly masked hostility in his laughter even unnerved the old shipmasters, albeit for a brief moment.


    Reed turned around and coldly said, "Everything''s wrong and I want answers NOW."

 41 Her Holiness, Daughter of the Moon

    A sea of dazzling flowers endlessly showered the group as they approached the enormous crystalline pantheon. They covered the sky as they floated aimlessly to-and-fro, almost as if alive by some unknown means. The mellifluous tones that rang across the plaza were sweet enough to invoke a smile upon even the gloomiest man on earth.


    Men, women, and children showered the path they walked with golden-sapphire quilts of various sizes as they continued their march towards the palace. Floating petals joined and formed a crown of glowing azure that softly landed on top of his head. The sight of the crown caused a tremendous uproar and all who saw it hurriedly rushed to bow in its presence.


    Confused children gazed at the glittering crown in awe and curiosity but were quickly admonished by their parents. One child who barely looked old enough to walk stared at the crown as her eyes glittered with wonder, unbeknownst to her bowing parents. Among the endless crowd of bent people, the girl''s innocent gaze caught his attention and it brought his mood up.


    He diverted course and approached the little girl who had become shy that he''d approached her suddenly. She hid behind her parents'' bowing bodies, who had been shocked numb by the situation, given the astonished looks on their faces. The warm and inviting atmosphere died in an instant; Hushed gasps resounded and many diverted their eyes away from the scene in fear of possible repercussions.


    The child''s young parents looked like they were about to burst from the seams out of anxiety as they pleaded to him in a strange tongue. The mother quickly picked up her child and held her tightly in her bosom as the father knelt on the floor, begging on his feet.


    Nevertheless, he did as he pleased and approached the trembling mother who clutched her child tightly. In a single motion, he plucked a single petal from his crown and offered it to the child, much to her delight. A wonderful smile bloomed on her face as she inspected the azure flower petal and he chuckled inwardly. It shocked the young couple and the populace silent for a variety of reasons.


    Eventually, the young girl who had been beside him softly whispered something in his ear and he nodded in affirmation. He bent over, patted the kneeling father''s shoulder and then pulled him up ¡ª another faux pas of equal magnitude ¡ª but he did not care. He would abide by his own values, even if he was a guest in their land.


    And so, he strolled towards the grand palace oblivious to the fact that he''d set off a storm with a single act...


    Why was he being given a hero''s welcome suddenly? The path to the palace was littered with an innumerable amount of souls; it looked like the entire city had shown up for their arrival. Some sang songs, others cheered, and even more showered them with gifts ¡ª flowers, fruits, gems, and the golden quilts that they placed on the path.


    Outstretched hands and joyful expressions ¡ª it all made Reed feel wildly out of place. He didn''t belong here, not with them. The overly festive mood made him feel like a black sheep. How could these people be so happy given the situation outside? It made little sense. When the flower crown landed on his head, a few of the older folk even started crying.


    Out of nowhere, the masses started bowing whenever he passed them and it drove him up the wall. Even if he didn''t understand the customs here, Reed knew that something had changed because of the damned crown. It was clear as day that it was significant to them and now he had to deal with their reverent gazes and bowing.


    Even a simple gesture of kindness caused them to act wildly; he wouldn''t have given the girl the petal if he knew what would have happened after. Men and women cried tears of joy as they knelt even lower than before. It made even less sense, but he didn''t know what he was supposed to do. Reed simply kept a polite smile on him and made a mental note of the incident.


    ''One moment they''re celebrating and in another, they''re sobbing with smiles on their faces. These people are so... animated ¡ª why do they take everything so seriously?'' Reed couldn''t understand them at all. Not in the slightest.


    The crystal palace stretched out forever into the sky, piercing the deep blue above as it shone at night with an ethereal glow. It possessed an otherworldly aura to it, even when compared to everything Reed had seen tonight. He couldn''t describe it properly with words, as if it defied being constrained with measly words; a tool made by mortals, for their use on the pitiful earth.


    No, this was different. He''d only seen one other thing that made him feel like this before ¡ª the massive painting in that grand ruined hall. The man, the woman, and the staircase. Where his journey had begun. It too possessed the same aura. Reed was sure of it the closer he got to it.


    "Is something the matter, Noble One? Citlai''s Heart awaits..."


    Reed nodded silently picked his pace as he climbed the large steps up to the flowing palace. It was here that he finally arrived at the statues that''d caught his eye back in the Joyous Divinity. Two beautiful statues towered above the plaza down below.


    One of burning gold, one of twinkling silver. They stood together and held an egg made of light that shone with all the splendor of the stars. The couple stood tall, unblemished and radiant even in these dark times. The magnificent statues did not possess faces, but Reed clearly knew the identity of the couple...


    He tore his eyes away from the sight and increased his pace, to Itotia''s surprise. She hurriedly chased after Reed''s fleeting figure and hollered for him to slow down, but never reached his ears. Ulbo and the shipmasters strolled up the steps at their own pace in the back and laughed at the scene.


    "A man''s nature is not so easily changed, eh? Nothing''s changed in the slightest," said Koyovo as he gazed at the pair.


    "So it seems... but there may yet be more than meets the eye. Anything could be possible," said Morate. He rubbed his beard and let out a depressed sigh. "Even now, I still think that shouldn''t have done it. We''ve taken so much fro-"


    "Everything will work out. This is merely a trial that has been given to us from the throne. Not only for him but for us. Hold fast, my brothers. Do not lose hope on the eve of twilight. Think of all that we have sacrificed for this final chance..." said Ulbo. He firmly gazed at the boy''s shrinking back and said, "He will not fail. Not like him."


    Soldiers who stood guard at the entrance of the palace quickly knelt as soon as they caught sight of Reed, but he stopped caring altogether. It was the same thing wherever he went, so he ignored it altogether. Not that he was particularly focused on his surroundings as he marched his way towards the entrance.


    The guards burst into action and opened the massive doors to the palace. Rows upon rows of priests, scholars, and fancily dressed soldiers stood in the auditorium half-bowed as Reed entered. He ignored them and followed a golden-silver path on the floor leading him to an altar. It was sublimely designed with the symbology of a golden sun and a silver half-moon.


    Reed coldly chuckled when he saw it and stepped on the altar confidently. He was sure that this would take him where he wanted to go. It was a gut feeling that almost bordered instinct. He just knew.


    Itotia finally caught up and said, "W-Wait, Noble One! That altar leads to Her Holiness''s private chambe-"


    Light flashed and the world blurred into fuzzy shapes and colors. On the other side of the light, a slender figure formed out of the chaotic river of space and time. The silhouette grew more defined with every passing second and Reed grew increasingly sure of his hunch. Impatiently, he stretched out his hand from beyond the curtain of light and forced his way back into realspace.


    He broke through the shadow of light and met her astonished gaze with a blistering fury that could only be described as apocalyptic.


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    "IT WAS YOU! I KNEW IT!" He pointed his finger at her furiously and would have lunged at her if not for Itotia''s timely intervention. She clung onto Reed and desperately pulled him back as he spewed a litany of curses that would even make the devil himself blush.


    "I missed you too, Ka''an," said Lu''um half-heartedly. She gestured at the beautiful girl beside her with a nod and the girl carefully put a piece of chocolate in her mouth.


    Another girl poured a cup of alcohol from a pristine jar made of gold and offered it to Lu''um silently.


    Lu''um leaned back on her chaise lounge chair and said, "Sorry for making you pick him up, sister. I should have been the one to do it but I had another thing I had to take care of at the time." She let out a tired yawn and her eyelids lazily drooped as she curled up on the chair.


    "No, it was my pleasure to have played the role of the escort. If anything, I owe you a debt, milady." Itotia knew that she would never have been allowed outside had it not been for her support. She understood the gift that she''d been given and deeply respected Lu''um because of it.


    "Pick me up? You make it sound as if I were a lost child that needed rescuing," said Reed. He coldly snorted with disdain and shrugged Itotia off his back with a sudden jerk.


    "If you haven''t noticed, we''re still in the middle of our final exam and I have no intention of failing it."


    Reed glared at Lu''um in contempt and said, "I don''t give a shit if you plan on failing, but don''t drag me into your nonsense in the middle of something as important as our final exam."


    He crossed his arms and said, "Whatever you''ve planned better be worth the time you''re making me waste here. While I''m certainly impressed by your hometown, I''ve got people I''m worried about."


    "That''s why you barged into my room like a wild animal? Because of that foolish test?" Lu''um sighed as she massaged the temples of her forehead and said, "I give you my word, beloved Ka''an. You will not fail your test and I will guarantee the safety of your precious companions."


    Lu''um readjusted herself on her chair into a more comfortable position and said, "You''re such a worrywart, Ka''an. Always concerned about others when you should be worried about yourself..."


    "I''m very aware of my own situation, thank you very much. You act as if I can''t take a damn hint when it''s been clearly thrown at me. At the very least, I have a rough gist of it all."


    "Ooh? You? Aware of your circumstances? Don''t make me laugh, Ka''an. You don''t even have the slightest idea of..... the karma you''ve been burdened with." Lu''um''s eyes flickered as she stared at Reed. "Right now, you''re nothing more than a flea ¡ª unaware of the mountain that has been placed on your shoulders."


    She stood up and walked over towards Reed and put a hand on his chest. "Every time you''ve become cognizant of the mountain''s weight... well, I shouldn''t have to spell it out, right?"


    "..."


    Lu''um pulled him close to her and said, "I know you''re frustrated ¡ª being kept in the dark is unpleasant ¡ª but think back, Ka''an. Have I ever wronged you before? Hm? I understand your impatience, I really do. Know that I act only in your best interests, above all else, even if you don''t know or don''t understand what I do..."


    Reed felt that all too familiar warmth and his anger slowly melted into nothingness. He let out an appreciative grunt of acknowledgment and shimmied his way out of her embrace. It irritated him a bit ¡ª he hated how skilled she was at pacifying him.


    "Fine, I get it. I''m sorry for acting up like a fool. I should have kept my cool back then."


    "All is forgiven, Ka''an. I would have forgiven you even if you did not apologize, after all, I am a magnanimous and loving individual without faults." She grabbed his hand and pulled towards a large, silver mirror in the room.


    Reed choked on his spit when he heard that but kept quiet, nevertheless. He learned his lesson ¡ª he wouldn''t pick a fight with her anytime soon. She was leagues above him in the art of oration.


    "So, what was the purpose of bringing me out here this place?"


    Lu''um gestured at the mirror and said, "I brought you all the way here to give you an opportunity to learn, Ka''an. There is much that you need to know ¡ª but we must reveal it to you in pieces ¡ª fragments of the whole truth, so to speak."


    "So... baby steps? But for what? What will I learn?"


    Lu''um touched the mirror and it rippled like a wave in response. The surface of the mirror dimmed into deeper shades of black until it was pitch-dark and nothing could be seen.


    She suddenly tightened her grasp on Reed''s hand and said, "Everything, painful as it will be. From beginning to the end." Not a second later, she tossed herself into the mirror, towing Reed along with her into the darkness. They were gone and the mirror returned to normal.


    Itotia nervously gazed at the mirror and held her hands together in prayer. She prayed to the All-mother ¡ª that she would give him the strength to handle what he was about to learn.


    Outside of the palace, the golden statue dimmed in brilliance and the silver statue dimmed in luster. The shining egg they held flickered like a fading flame as the night''s dark only grew stronger...


    Ulbo stared the statues and a grim expression plagued his face. He looked at the palace as he waited outside. That was all he could do. Nothing more.

 42 The Slumbering One

    All-encompassing darkness surrounded the lonesome pair as they stared out into the void. The seemingly endless expanse of black covered everything in this desolate world ¡ª it was a bleak sight to behold. Reed put his hands on his hips and let out a long, low whistle as he looked around halfheartedly.


    "You brought me out here for this? Are you for real, Lu''um? Not the glittering city made of gold or the magnificent crystal palace, but this godforsaken void?" said Reed. He jokingly put his hand around one of her shoulders and said, "I didn''t know you were such a romantic, Lu''um."


    Reed leisurely gestured at the vast stretch of nothingness and cheerfully said, "Where to, milady? Here, there... or perhaps nowhere?" He chuckled softly and took delight in making a fool out of his unamused companion who looked at him as if he were an idiot.


    "Very cute, Ka''an. Still, humor is a good sign ¡ª it shows a person''s inner strength and their resilience to suffering," she said. Lu''um tapped her foot and a small ripple formed underneath her like the flow of a shallow wave. The tiny wave carried a modicum of glittering specks of light as it traveled away from them off into the great beyond.


    The little wave eventually disappeared into the darkness and Reed shrugged his shoulders in confusion. "What was that all about? Was that supposed to do someth-"


    Reed quickly turned around and suddenly swallowed his words as he curiously observed something afar. It happened suddenly without any warning ¡ª he felt his spine chill when he detected a surge of Anima on the horizon. It felt like someone had set off Joyous Divinity''s solar engine...


    "H-Hey, what did you do?! You feel that too, right?!! Holy shit, what the hell did you do this time?!" Something had woken up ¡ª across the void, tiny motes of light shone in the far reaches of space. They twinkled brilliantly as something approached them at a ridiculous speed.


    Reed couldn''t see it, but he clearly felt the distortions it caused as it approached the pair. Its movement caused enormous ripples that shook everything it passed. An innumerable number of stars warped and made way for whatever was coming. It terrified Reed to the bone and he instinctively began channeling Anima out of pure reflex.


    Lu''um grabbed his hand and said, "Relax, Ka''an. I assure you that no harm will come to you; there is no reason to be alarmed. The Slumbering One has existed long before all things in creation. It possesses a profound connection to all those who would walk the path ¡ª to the top of the staircase and beyond."


    Stars shifted and winked out of sight as the presence drew close and massive waves of starlight crashed into them fiercely. The world went white and Reed shut his eyes in pain as the starry sky itself crashed down upon him. He quietly groaned as he rubbed his eyes and forced them open despite the pain he felt.


    Reed let out an astonished gasp and nearly fell on his ass when caught sight of the being that stood- no, towered above him endlessly. His body spanned an entire sea of stars and his presence alone caused the world to tremble in terrible awe.


    Perched upon one of his shoulders was an eagle that looked larger than all the world. The majestic creature spread its colorful wings and a deafening boom struck Reed. He covered his ears as he waited for the awful ringing sensation in his ears to subside. A single feather slowly fell from one of the eagle''s wings and Reed felt his blood freeze.


    The feather alone was larger than the entire continent of Mulia as it descended upon the pair like an apocalyptic meteor at a snail''s pace. Even so, it was so large that it would be impossible to dodge it, much less escape the surrounding destruction it would cause once it struck the ground.


    Reed took a couple of steps back and scowled at Lu''um in fury as he channeled every mote of Anima he could handle in preparation. "Goddammit, Lu''um! Why can''t we ever visit normal places?! Why do you always drag me out into your madness?! And why do I always keep trusting you?!!"


    He was about to tear his way out real-space in a last-ditch attempt but Lu''um stopped him with a single word.


    "Look," she said as she pointed up above at the sky. Reed disdainfully snorted as he looked up and said, "Yes, I''m very much aware of the giant fu-"


    It was gone. It''d disappeared in the blink of an eye. A single colorful feather about the size of his forearm gently floated down in front of his face as if was calling out to him. Reed caught it ¡ª absolutely dumbfounded.


    An ancient, withered voice spoke from within Reed himself and said, "Blessings to you, Son of Tonalnan and Daughter of Meztli. I welcome you to the Land of Twilight under the rights given upon you by birthright."


    The starry giant slammed a single palm down upon the pair before they could even realize it and the world blurred and morphed until it resembled a foreign shore. The sea was oddly at peace, so much so that it appeared like a mirror in the night. Three familiar moons hung up in the sky as their perfect reflections gleamed upon the sea...


    From the sea, the man came out peacefully. He wore a dark tunic fashioned out gold and sapphire linen that gave him the aura of a noble person. What caught Reed''s attention the most was what laid upon his head. A withering crown of flowers weakly glimmered in the dark like a fading candle.


    The man smiled when he noticed Reed''s gaze and said, "Such is the consequence of one who has lost his way, little sun. Take heed and never follow my path ¡ª learn from where I have failed instead ¡ª so that you may avoid this... lonely fate."


    Lu''um bowed in the man''s presence and said, " O Slumbering One , we have come before you to request your assistance in assesm-"


    "I know why you are here, childe," said the man. He gazed at the three moons in the sky and said, " They have long since informed me of what has occurred down below since the last eventide. I know what you''ve done and why you did it."


    "What happened is unprecedented ¡ª even I have never seen anything like this happen over the course of a hundred complete revolutions. I can no longer see the future as before; an ominous haze obstructs me from seeing the coming days..."


    The man sighed as he thought about it all and said, "As a result, I can no longer guide you to the other shore as I once did for your predecessors. Even worse, I can tell that neither of you have made your eternal vows, either."


    He vanished and suddenly appeared in front of Reed like a ghostly apparition as he inspected Reed from head to toe. After the man finished, a grim expression formed on his face. His eyes flickered for the briefest of moments before he regained his composure and inspected Lu''um next.


    "I see now... the current situation is far worse than I could have possibly imagined," he said. He looked at Lu''um calmly and said, "I see that you completely unsealed your mark of burden , but..."


    "Yes, Slumbering One , the situation is dire... who could have guessed that the descent would have caused this much regression? Even so, we cannot be too hasty, lest we cause a total connect-collapse. We would lose our final hope and we would lose all."


    What the hell are these two talking about? Marks, vows, revolutions, and the future? They might as well have been speaking a different language at this point. Reed sighed and massaged the brow of his nose in frustration...


    The man nodded slowly and snapped his fingers, summoning his eagle from beyond the void. It let out a mournful cry and landed on the man''s shoulder as it waited for its master''s command.


    "Time is of the essence and yet, the work you''ve given me will probably be the hardest thing I''ve ever done. You sure know how to put an old man to work, little lass."


    "These times are trying for all of us, O Slumbering One. There is naught we can do except hold firm and keep to our course, as we have always done."


    The man bitterly laughed and muttered a string of intelligible syllables that sounded harsh to the ear, much like nails on a chalkboard. The three moons in the sky lit up like enormous spotlights and shone with a dozen times the brilliance they had before.


    "I hope he feels the same way you do about our difficulties. He understands that this will cause excruciating torment, yes? Is he prepared for what is to come, daughter?"


    "Excruciating torment? Excuse me, but who will experience this? Certainly not..." Reed choked on his words when he saw the guilty face Lu''um had as she looked at him. She didn''t dare look him in the eye. Even the man and his eagle appeared slightly doleful as they glanced at Reed.


    "Forgive me, little sun, but this is for your own good even if you do not understand it. It will all make sense in time, I promise."


    The man flicked his wrist and Reed suddenly flew, hurtling towards the stagnant ocean like a human cannonball. A second later, he crashed into the dark depths of the sea and a mysterious force pulled him down beneath the water''s surface. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    Reed desperately struggled for his life but no matter what he did, it mattered little. He sank like a rock and thought nothing could be worse than this.


    As if to punish him for his ignorance, the three moons in the sky directed their radiant moonlight at him as he sank down below.


    That night he learned that things could be worse ¡ª much, much worse .


    His silent screams filled the seas and the waves above raged like never before.


    A storm was brewing on the shore... formed from the torment of a single soul.

 43 A Silent Roar In Winter

    It was cold. Far colder than he had expected; he felt his strength waning as the minutes passed by. The frigid chill differed from anything he''d ever felt before, to the point that he found it increasingly hard to move, almost as if he''d been frozen solid.


    He wasn''t a stranger to the cold ¡ª winter nights at the orphanage sometimes culled the weakest of his siblings ¡ª but this was something new. It felt hostile, as if it were alive, trying its best to snuff out his life''s flame once and for all.


    Even the moonlight above seemed hostile as it furiously formed chains that coiled around him and firmly held him in place. Beautiful chains of light dug into his skin and dragged him down to hell as he furiously struggled in protest. Anima would not heed his summons in this godforsaken place. It was unbearable; scorching waves of pain assailed him wherever the chains had clung onto him.


    Nothing in the seventeen years of life he''d survived could compare to what he currently felt at the moment. Of this, he was sure of, that he''d been thrown into the deepest pit of hell ¡ª a crucible designed for the greatest fiends of the netherworld.


    Reed''s vision went white as he sunk deeper into his watery prison. He couldn''t tell whether it was out of the maddening pain or because of the infernal moonlight that continued to assault him.


    Eventually, he could no longer hold it in and let out a wretched scream in pain. As if in response to his cry of anguish, the tranquil sea churned in fury and the waves above roiled and crashed on another in wrath. In an instant, the deep azure of the sea turned into a dark, muddy maroon. The sky trembled and a frightening storm formed, raining blows of lightning as it hovered maliciously over the sea...


    He couldn''t move, couldn''t resist the pain, couldn''t even think properly any longer. Amidst the mind-numbing pain, all semblance of reality seemed to fade into the deep black. It was a sinister thing, feeling the fetters of reality being stripped from his being as he fought for the last scrap of his life.


    ....pect that you will experience significant side effec....


    It was getting colder by the second. He was heading somewhere deeper than before; down into a forbidden place where his fears lived. The mark on his chest ¡ª burning like the devil''s brand ¡ª let him know that as he descended further into the black.


    ...lease don''t do this....here has to be another way to de...


    Her pleading cries did not reach his ears from the sound of her wavering voice. Her indistinct figure passed by Reed like a specter in the dark as she chased after someone else. A man draped in a long robe climbed the lonesome steps up a distant pyramid. The girl''s screams echoed afar, but he did not turn around no matter how loud she screamed.


    Nothing could deter the phantom who climbed a set of golden steps towards an enormous obelisk made of sapphire and gold. In the end, he reached the pyramid''s summit and...


    He could no longer tell how long he''d been sinking now. It was impossible to see anymore ¡ª only the accursed light of the moons above shone in the abyss. The pain melted into his bones until he could no longer feel anymore. Perhaps his nerves had been fried or his mind had given up on him; it made little difference to him.


    Freedom. Sweet, sweet freedom. None can compare to your kiss; this I can attest.


    From his body, from his mind, from his soul, from his...


    ....ou be leaving? Tomorrow? ...Must you walk down this pat.....think of.....


    They softly argued as the man gazed at the setting sun, to no avail. The man had resolved himself; nothing the woman said would ever reach his heart, despite her efforts. His eyes looked distant as if he were someplace far, far away from her. She noticed this and muttered something indiscernible, and that was that. It was done.


    Suddenly, they turned around and gazed at someone close by. The woman put on her brightest smile as she walked over to...


    Inevitably, he finally reached the bottom of the abyss and softly touched the ground. His descent took him down to the deepest part of the sea where silence reigned supreme. A place devoid of light and life.


    The chains that held him gave way and dimmed as they disintegrated into specks of brilliance that melted into the black. The rays from above receded ¡ª he''d been left alone in the dark.


    Reed grasped his mark on his chest, the only source of light he now possessed in the deep. It blinked slowly as it let out pulses of radiance into the void. Weak and tired, he fell on his knees and fought his urge to lie down. Something deep inside told him that he would never wake up again if he slept here.


    Something took his attention away from the terror of the end. Although distant, he could still see them gleaming weakly. Lights. Tiny dots of light speckled across the way. That was good enough for him ¡ª it gave him a purpose to keep going.


    He lifted himself and hobbled towards the lights, step by step across the desolate seafloor. It was an ordeal and sometimes he felt the gentle embrace of eternity touch him.


    Sometimes he could not hold himself up anymore and fell. Willpower alone had carried him this far, but his body was at the brink of collapse. His eyelids grew heavier by the minute as he gazed at the lights from afar.


    .....mmy has to go, my treasure.....randpa will be there to...


    The child tearfully chased after the woman but he would never reach her in time. She was there and then wasn''t anymore. Gone in an instant. He was alone. The sun had set over the horizon once and for all.


    Reed was about to reach out to sobbing boy but some had beat him to the chase. A young girl roughly the boy''s age approached him and held out a flower as she huffed laboriously, covered in sweat. The beautiful dress she wore was ruined, completely covered in dirt and grass stains.


    It was a glittering daffodil. She put it in his hands and said, " .....won''t ever...promise ."


    The boy clumsily wiped the tears off his face and said...


    Ah, this... this is something that I...


    Reed couldn''t even muster the strength to think about it anymore. He rubbed his weary eyes and continued his march towards the lights silently as he tried his best to push back the bottled feelings in his chest.


    And so, he walked and walked. For miles and miles, he trekked the abyss in silence. But his efforts were futile, no matter how much he walked. The lights would never grow closer; they remained ever distant.


    His eyes beckoned him to close them and his legs pleaded to him that they could no longer carry him any further.


    All the effort in the world was gone to waste. What a gaffe this is... Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    He closed his eyes and curled himself into a comfortable position. The soft sand felt pleasant to the touch, like a warm blanket he''d forgotten about in his childhood. Part of him had already come to terms with the end a long time ago.


    Reed had been prepared for the end ever since that fateful night. As he lay on the dirty street, bleeding out from his wounds, he''d made his peace with his miserable life. Ever since that night, he''d always wondered if he had truly made the right choice that night.


    He clung onto life because something inside of him told to not give up ¡ª a voice deep within himself stirred his will to live that night ¡ª but now; he had an opportunity to correct that mistake. All he had to do was close his eyes and...


    R-Really? Pinky promise? You can''t go back on your promise, okay?


    He had never thought that the day would come that he''d be forced to remain among the living for such an immature reason, of all things. Maybe some hopeless sap with a bleeding heart, but not he. Reed tossed and turned like an idiot as he clutched his hair in irritation.


    Suddenly, something grazed him and Reed immediately rolled away out of reflex and wildly looked around in a panic, but stopped when he caught sight of his surroundings.


    Lanterns floated in neat rows, faintly illuminating their surroundings. An eerie path made of chiseled gemstones and black glass. Soft light from the lanterns reflected off the polished gems embedded on the path and they twinkled like tiny stars. It looked like someone had torn a long strip of the night sky and put it down on the earth.


    Out of energy and will, Reed forced himself up once again and hobbled his way down the path. He banished the siren call of the end and focused on the act of walking itself. One foot forward and then the other. Nothing more.


    The path seemed to stretch on forever for Reed, but he knew that he could no longer trust himself in this place. A minute might have passed by, or it could have been a day, perhaps even a month. The steps seemed daunting and yet he continued his misguided journey down the bejeweled path.


    .......ave me here, alone! Plea.....on''t do this,....!!.....


    A pained, mournful cry resounded from the abyss and Reed turned around in response. He looked behind and glimpsed someone far away, chasing after him. Reed tiredly blinked his eyes and when he opened them again, she had disappeared. She was gone.


    When he turned back towards the road, he felt his heart jump out of his chest. It was only natural. He stood at the base of the majestic pyramid ¡ª its alabaster steps beckoned him to climb.


    Reed looked down and noticed something that happened to his uniform; it disappeared. His standard uniform had transformed into a splendid robe that appeared to be of pristine quality. The mark on his chest thrummed with vitality as if it were delighted.


    How much longer must I walk? How much longer must I endure? What have I done to deserve this? I am not even allowed the peace of eternal slumber...


    Every step up the pyramid felt laborious and several times, Reed contemplated giving up, but he knew deep down that he couldn''t. Sometimes he heard the girl''s cries from afar. Other times, he only heard the deafening silence. He suffered so much this ¡ª giving up now would be the height of shame. His immature ideals of pride would not allow him to fall.


    And so, he climbed up the pyramid, one miserable step at a time until he reached the summit. He didn''t dare look back and kept his eyes planted on the steps like a defective doll. If he looked back, something told him that he''d never reach the summit. It was better this way. He told himself that, but the truth was completely different.


    The sapphire obelisk waited for him as it had always done. Covered in chains, it sat inert like a dead thing. When Reed approached it, his mark lit up like a flame and the obelisk responded to it in return. Brilliant flames shot out of it and the chains that held it down melted like ice on a summer''s day. The sublime pillar of azure floated up in the air as it shone like the sun.


    .....give me, ...return to.....and then.....


    His mark shone like a beacon and Reed felt it possessed him without his consent. He no longer had control over his own body and had become a passenger in his mind. Reed raged wildly like a cornered beast but it had no effect; it had shut him out. His body walked towards the floating pillar and touched it tenderly. Tears fell out of eyes and then, it happened.


    Mercilessly, the obelisk covered him in a shroud of flames and Reed screamed in pure torment. He fell onto the floor and tossed and turned in agony as he hoarsely howled in unimaginable anguish.


    Shadowy figures appeared out of the darkness and surrounded him as they emotionlessly watched him burn alive. Reed recognized them and called out to him in desperation.


    The man gazed at him and said, "For my sins, you must endure this... "


    The woman gazed at him and said, " For my sins, you must endure this... "


    The crying boy gazed at him and said, " For my sins, you must endure this... "


    The girl with the ruined dress gazed at him said, " For my sins, you must endure this... "


    Finally, the youth from before appeared and said, " For your sins, you must endure this... " He kneeled in front of Reed and put one of his hands on Reed''s face.


    A surge of scorching heat flowed into Reed''s veins and a surge of foreign, intrusive thoughts bombarded his mind. Memories, dreams, words stabbed into his fleeting consciousness. Foreign echoes of another place and time flooded him until he could no longer handle it.


    He blacked out. When he fainted, the young man flicked his wrist and the flames that covered Reed vanished. The people disappeared. The pyramid crumbled into dust and the obelisk melted into the darkness until it was out of sight.


    The young man gazed at Reed for a moment, but then looked up at the void with a furious expression. His eyes flickered dangerously and he said, " You dare have the gall to appear before us, scum?! Don''t think for a second that everything will play out as you wish!"


    His roar shook the void and he melted into the dark in an instant. He was gone.


    Reed, unconscious, laid alone until a giant starry hand tore through the black dome of the sky. An enormous eagle screeched and shot down into the abyss, its wings lit with golden flames. It swooped down, deftly snatched Reed with its talons and quickly flew up to the starry hand in a hurry.


    The eagle nervously chirped as it flew onto the giant''s hand and pleaded for the giant to hurry ¡ª for it had seen something in the dark.


    Alerted, the giant grasped the eagle in its palm and pulled his hand out of the abyss none too soon...


    A pair of gleaming eyes calmly watched on within the void ¡ª unmoving and relaxed ¡ª almost as if it were disinterested. It did not care for the lot and shut his eyes again after a moment of reflection.

 44 The Young Man and The Noble Princess

    Colorful songbirds crooned as they sat perched upon the ever-blossoming tree en masse like a devoted congregation of acolytes. Their leader, a resplendent nightingale, commanded the flock with a single chirp. Her melodious voice pierced through her flock''s chorus with relative ease as she sang to the boy who slept beneath the tree.


    It was a song that few knew about, and even fewer would ever be blessed enough to hear. Tears of Nightingale was composed by a certain Mulian sovereign long before anyone present in the room had been born, many completed revolutions ago.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Back then he was anything but a ruler, much to the dismay of his family. He was a rambunctious, free-spirited individual with a penchant for mischief ¡ª unbefitting behavior for the son of a renowned sculptor and painter ¡ª something that caused great grief for his parents. They worried about him every day of the week.


    "He made his mom and dad worry? He sounds like a bad person..."


    "H-He just liked playing around a bit, little sun, th-that''s all."


    "Shush Daddy, don''t interrupt Mommy or I''ll hate you..."


    Like a young, unbroken stallion, he was untameable at heart; neither the pleas of an angel nor the threats of the devil could dissuade him from doing what he wanted. He sought to break free from the rules even if it meant skirting the fine line of the law.


    One day during the brave man''s usual ''patrols'' as he called them, he caught sight of the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She was the Noble Princess, firstborn daughter of the High Priestess, and future consort of the kingdom''s Crown Prince. The intrepid young man, in all his sagacious wisdom, did as he always did ¡ª he followed his heart ¡ª and fell in love with the princess at first sight.


    Everything went as well as you would expect for someone like him...


    He.... snuck into the Noble Princess''s private chambers when the sun had set over the horizon and boldly introduced himself as her future husband. She did not take to this revelation all too well, as you might have already guessed. She called her guards on the scoundrel, but none could ever catch the insolent rapscallion, for he rode upon the wind like no other in the realm.


    "So he is a bad guy! Good guys don''t sneak into a princess''s room!"


    "No, little sun! It''s not like that! Da- I mean, the brave man just liked the princess a whooole lot!"


    "Daaaaad....."


    "O-Oh, I''m sorry, little star. Daddy will be quiet from now on..."


    The rouge was without comparison in terms of his ability in fleeing as the Noble Princess would soon find out...


    Every night without exception, the rogue would break into her private chambers and annoy the Noble Princess with his chitter-chatter. Every night her guards would fail to catch him, much to her dismay. This cycle continued for many nights until the princess realized the futility of her actions.


    One night she finally gave up on chasing him away and let him stay ¡ª she decided she would ignore him until he gave up. That was her biggest mistake...


    They eventually got to know one another a little better over many long nights after this... gracious concession of sorts, a-ahem. The young man, although full of hot air, was quite the smooth talker and a skilled raconteur. He often entertained the Noble Princess with stories of his endless exploits and encounters with adversity. Some of them sounded a little too far-fetched for her to believe though, not that she ever admitted it, out of pity for the poor man...


    "So he''s a liar, too... I don''t like this story at all. Can you tell us a different story?"


    "He was just trying to impress the princess a little bit! There''s nothing wrong with lying just a tiiiiny bit as long as no one gets hurt, o-okay?!"


    "But Daddy, you said that all liars are bad people."


    ".........."


    But against the princess''s better judgment, she inevitably fell in love with that bad man who told awful stories. She liked him much, much more than the cold prince who only thought of her as a tool for his bidding. The young man was a rude, noisy, annoying, scheming, terrible liar... but he really loved the princess, unlike the prince.


    And so she...


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Reed awoke in an unfamiliar place. A large, soft bed made of clouds and petals. An enormous tree loomed over the bed, acting as a peculiar canopy of sorts. Birds sang their songs outside. The rising sun peeked over the horizon and gentle rays of sunlight entered the room and illuminated his surroundings.


    He checked himself out, but nothing had changed. What should have been there, wasn''t.


    What was there was something he didn''t want. She looked all too comfortable as she slept beside him. He mused that for once, she actually looked sort cute. But he knew it to be nothing more than an apparition of something that appeared like that. What existed beneath the drooling face of this elegant girl was something that devil himself likely feared...


    Reed peeled Lu''um off of himself as if she was a hibernating bear, afraid of waking her up. The last thing he wanted was an early death. He''d accidentally woken her up once before, a month ago during one of their ''extended missions'' (touring Northern Mulia) of his. If looks could kill, he was sure he would have died back then.


    It took the whole day and half of my savings to win her favor back after that... Reed shuddered in fright as he tiptoed away from the bed.


    He had no intention of setting off the living bomb, so he carefully wormed his way out of the bed and left the bedroom as quietly as he could.


    The bedroom led towards a room he''d already seen before: Lu''um''s private chamber or rather, the main living of her quarters. It was quite the sight to behold, but he didn''t care too much about it. Everything looked expensive and was, therefore, stuff that Reed knew nothing about. A street rat could never see the worth of shiny baubles, after all.


    In any case, only one thing in the room interested him. He stood in front of it and peered inside, but nothing happened. The mirror simply reflected his image for all to see within the empty room. A closer inspection amounted to nothing; it was as if it truly was just a plain old mirror.


    I know what I saw. I felt it. There''s no way...


    "Saw what, Ka''an? Something inside the mirror? You sound just like my grandfather..."


    Reed ignored her as he gazed into the mirror and said, "I did not see, so much as I felt something... I''d rather not talk about it. What is this mirror supposed to do, again?"


    "It is a mirror, Ka''an. All it will ever do is reflect whatever stands in front of it. Nothing more."


    Lu''um eyes imperceptibly flickered as she slowly approached Reed like a predator in the wild. "The mirror can help the lost find themselves, but at a cost. It can turn false things true. Regardless of whether those things are beneficial or detrimental to the viewer."


    "But you really shocked us all yesterday, Ka''an. I''ve never seen someone react so adversely to the mirror before. You even fainted; The maids, Itotia, and I had to carry you all the way to my bed..."


    Her hands made their onto his chest and Reed coldly scoffed. "An illusion, then? I will admit that it had me fooled until the very end. To think that I fell for a glorified parlor trick."


    That was what he said, but it couldn''t have been further from the truth. He just didn''t want to admit it. If he did, it would mean that he was anything but who he thought he was. It was akin to being told that he was the false one, and most importantly th¡ª


    "Isn''t that just you? I can only see you as yourself and no one else; who else can define what it means to be you other than you?" She gestured at the mirror that reflected them and said, "When I look at myself, I only see myself. When I look at you, I only see you."


    "..."


    She coiled around him like a snake, uncomfortably close and tight. "You''re distorted; bent out of shape because you think the pieces don''t match. I can assure you this, my beloved ¡ª they fit. I''m sure you know too, in your heart of hearts."


    A door creaked open and a familiar figure poked her head through, afraid of interrupting in on the pair''s conversation. Itotia forced herself to speak and said, "U-Um, am I intruding on something important? I can come back late¡ª"


    "It''s fine; we weren''t talking about anything in particular, right?" said Reed.


    Lu''um wordlessly shrugged. She put her head on one of Reed''s shoulders as if it belonged there and looked at Itotia with a gleam in her eye.


    "Don''t be so serious," said Lu''um.


    Itotia gazed at Lu''um with a smile that didn''t look like a smile and said, "Then why don''t you two change out and come have breakfast with me? Grandfather Ulbo and the rest of the family are waiting for you two."


    The roundtable seemed like a gathering of the world''s greatest figures. Tall, handsome men and elegant women keenly gazed at Reed with warm smiles. They all looked otherworldly in the sense that not a single one of them looked like a common man. There was such a thing as being too beautiful, to the point it''d become a curse rather than a gift.


    In a more primitive era, they would have been considered idols of worship, akin to the children of the gods. Itotia and Lu''um took up the seats beside him, acting as human shields for his sake.


    "... This is aunty Teramosa, and this is cousin Bianca, and this is..." Itotia prattled on and on with the introductions, but it was too much to handle. It was overwhelming being in a room filled with monsters, such as these. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    Reed noticed as soon as he walked in that they weren''t normal in the slightest. The Anima that surrounded them was genuinely terrifying. The waves that leaked out of them were nauseating ¡ª it felt like his skull was being battered on the inside.


    It was only after Lu''um secretly placed a discreet ward on him that he felt comfortable again.


    A man with long, braided hair boisterously laughed and his howling laughter warped the Anima around the table like a tempest. Even with Lu''um''s ward, the man''s laugh felt like someone had him with a goddamned uppercut.


    "So you''ve finally come home, little cousin! Excellent, excellent! But it seems like you''ve lost much, eh? You look thinner than a twig now... that''s no good, cousin."


    "Mmm, he does look thinner now... Are you unwell, little cousin? Life must have been hard for you, I presume," said a gorgeous woman who looked no older than twenty. Her glowing amber eyes swept over Reed in curiosity and an intrusive coldness touched Reed for an instant.


    Lu''um swiftly blocked the woman''s probing attempt and gazed at her with a frigid expression that lacked any semblance of warmth. It was a face that could freeze hell over; it almost looked like she was staring at something that was worth less than dirt.


    "Ohh? Sister? Sorrry, about that~ I just couldn''t help myself, you see... No hard feelings, right?" The young woman smiled sweetly like an angel and giggled as if it was nothing more than a mischevious prank.


    "Now, now. Don''t start up again, you two. How many times have we been over this?" said an older lady with a gentle smile on her face. Her tone sounded serene and loving, but beneath it, Reed felt the aura of an authoritative individual. It was a tone that had a disarming quality to it, but also some level of compulsion in it.


    "Sorry, Mom."


    "Sorry, Mother."


    Neither of them dared delay in apologizing, fully aware of what would entail if they delayed for even a second. For if their mother asked, they would answer the call. Fear was something that had been taught early in their childhoods by their mother and obedience ¡ª filial piety ¡ª was a virtue in their household. Mother knew best.


    Suddenly, the mother turned her gaze towards Reed and her expression changed in an instant. The sisters went mute and looked at each other in agreement, something that the mother noticed. A single look was enough for her to put her daughters in their place again.


    It was a tender gaze filled with an endless love that none could ever emulate. It was real and overpowering, to the point that Reed could not meet the woman''s eyes at all. He nervously chuckled as he squirmed in his seat like a kid and said, "I-Is there something wrong, Ma''am?"


    That was all it took. Five simple words. It set off fireworks, so to speak.


    How could have Reed known? There was no way he could have guessed it would cause...

 45 A Mothers Righ

    Ulbo sighed and bitterly smiled as he observed the mess that the boy had inadvertently created.


    This was bound to happen, given how long she''s waited. He closed his eyes in reflection.


    He knew she had suffered much when the decision had been made; she would''ve preferred to send every single warship to battle than accept the high council''s decision. But there were no other viable alternatives. The stars knew that they''d tried their hardest, but it had been for naught. Nothing they''d come up with could stop their endless onslaught.


    A hundred thousand plans and one and a half billion higher-order simulations all converged on a single result: [IMMINENT DANGER/TOTAL COLLAPSE INEVITABLE/CODE: SUNFALL].


    The world-sibyls that they had created could fully simulate entire universes and their predicted futures with ease. They could even extrapolate the divergent timelines a particular universe possessed. But not even they could come up with a feasible solution to their problem. A dozen world-sibyls worked together until they fell silent.


    The stellar oracles only spoke again after the boy had proposed his own plan. It was beyond suicidal and outrageous, but the world-sibyls concluded that it was astronomically better than every other plan that had been submitted to them. He was willing and it was better than fighting it out to the bitter end.


    There was no other choice. The plague had arrived back home ¡ª they were on their front doorstep ¡ª so they did what they needed to do.


    Ulbo opened his eyes and looked at the commotion with a complicated expression. He didn''t know how he''d tell him when the time came. A part of him thought that a failure such as he did not deserve the warmth of his love. He had failed him, his sister, and his mother with his incompetence. Had he only noticed a little sooner, he could have...


    Reed squirmed uncomfortably like a frightened animal. He didn''t dare move and sat there like a trained house pet as he prayed for some form of divine intervention. It happened so fast that he didn''t even register that it had occurred.


    He blinked ¡ª that was all it took. Reed realized something had gone terribly wrong when he noticed the empty seat in between Lu''um and Itotia.


    When the other people at the table saw this, they quietly smiled and went back to their meals. They seemed entirely unsurprised by the woman''s action and acted as if it was none of their business. They ignored Reed and ate as they chatted with one another...


    Oh, no... It''s happening again. Slow, deep breaths. Go to your happy place, Reed.


    Reed nearly screamed when the woman started cradling him in her arms, terrified out of his poor mind. The soft, peaceful waves of Anima that she emanated were especially horrifying to him. They passed through him effortlessly and easily pacified his control of Anima, as if she had gently taken his privileges away.


    He couldn''t feel the flow of Anima anymore. In her arms, he was but a normal boy, nothing more than an ant in the presence of a demigoddess. Reed trembled uncontrollably as he tried his best to not make any sudden movements. The last thing he wanted to do was draw the ire of this beautiful woman, lest he suffer a foolish, premature ending.


    "Mother, let him go. It''s too soon. Can''t you see how uncomfortable he looks? Please stop embarrassing the family and restrain yourself," said Lu''um, clearly disgruntled. She looked none too pleased as she stared at her mother with a dark, brooding gaze.


    "Nonsense. He''s perfectly fine right here with me, where he naturally belongs. There is nothing embarrassing about a mother holding her baby boy," she righteously stated. The woman hugged him harder and said, "It''s a mother''s right to fawn over her baby boy whenever she desires. A rebellious, snot-nosed girl such as yourself has no right to tell me what I can and cannot do."


    Oh boy, here we go again... They couldn''t even stop just for today, of all days...


    So, who are you going to put your money on?


    I''ll put five aetherium diamonds down on the daughter...


    Ooh, it looks like we''ve got a high-roller over here, cousin...


    Fine, I''ll match you this one time, since today''s a special day...


    The younger people in the table snickered quietly as they whispered to one another in hushed tones about something that Reed couldn''t pick up on. They spoke in a language that he''d never heard of before. Nevertheless, Reed more or less understood that they weren''t saying anything nice about the situation.


    The older folk ignored the conversation altogether and casually chatted amongst themselves as they ate. It looked like they couldn''t even be bothered to care about the mother-daughter pair.


    "Oh please, Mother. I see we''re using the virtuous, motherly saint act today, hm? You always have to be right, hm? I''ll have you know that I couldn''t care less about what you think of me if we''re going to get everything off our chests. But never forget that no matter how much you might wish for it, he will never be your¡ª"


    Anima surged like a tidal wave and the room froze under the woman''s dreadful aura. Lu''um quickly swallowed her last words but did not acquiesce to her mother. Even so, it did not faze anyone at the table aside from Reed. If looks could kill, Lu''um would have been killed several times over, thought Reed. Lu''um had a wary, hateful expression on her face; she looked ready to act if required, evident by the vicious fluctuations in the surrounding Anima.


    They coldly gazed at one another with such intensity that it was almost palpable. Reed swore he saw the image of an older lioness facing off against her younger daughter. He thought he''d heard their vicious snarls, as if they were trying to gauge the other''s intent.


    "It is truly surprising how quickly you''ve grown a spine, Xitllali. Had you shown this much courage on that day, you would not have disappointed me as you did..."


    The woman''s words seemed to have struck a major nerve; Lu''um reacted with immense hostility and conjured a host of weapons around herself, all pointed towards the woman as they thrummed ominously. Reed shivered in fear when he saw that the argument had suddenly escalated to the max.


    He wanted nothing more than to be as far away as possible from their deadly feud, but his body wouldn''t listen to him, despite his protests.


    Suddenly, a firm voice boomed like thunder, overwhelming everyone in the room. His voice carried an undefiable aura of authority that commanded Anima into submission. Lu''um''s weapons vanished into motes of light almost instantly when he finally interjected in their fight.


    "Enough, both of you. Can both of you, for a single day, put your grudges aside? This is to be a day of celebration, not of strife," said Ulbo. He appeared indifferent, but his eyes told a different story. Darker, deeper emotions could be seen within ¡ª looking into them felt like looking into a bottomless abyss.


    "We''ve been over this already, you two. If you will not see reason, then at the very least, think of his feelings. He is not a possession for you two to fight over, am I clear?"


    Perhaps, not all is well in paradise these days..... not that it''s any of my business.


    Neither side responded, but it didn''t matter. His words were absolute and served as the final say on the topic. Ulbo snapped his fingers and Reed was instantly moved back to his seat.


    Ulbo beamed at Reed and said, "Don''t worry about it, little sun, they''re just... passionate at heart, so they butt heads now and then." The younger kids chortled when they heard his ''explanation''¡ª even the older folk smiled a bit as they ate.


    Like mother, like daughter, huh? I wouldn''t call that butting heads if you asked me, though...


    Breakfast went along as smoothly as one could expect; the younger adults bombarded Reed with an endless amount of questions. Where he''d come from, stories about his past, what his hobbies were and the like. The children were especially interested in his stories as they stared at him with gleaming, astonished eyes.


    Reed noticed their innocent gazes and wondered why they seemed so invested in him. Was it because he was a foreigner? He wondered if he looked weird or said something wrong. It made him feel a bit embarrassed, but he tolerated it since they meant nothing by it.


    After that eventful morning, Reed wanted nothing more than to be left alone for a while. There were many things he needed to process on his own ¡ª this morning''s dream, for example ¡ª away from the hubbub of Lu''um and Itotia''s family. It wasn''t as if he disliked their family, but he found it far too stimulating to handle.


    He quite liked the energetic atmosphere their family had when he wasn''t being thrown into one of their squabbles and fights. A part of him admitted that they were excessive, so to speak, but it was better than them being cold and detached. At least it meant that they actually had genuine feelings for each other, unlike, well...


    Reed brushed away the unpleasant thought and tossed a somewhat flat stone out on to the lake. It skipped on the water''s surface several times and then sunk into the lake.


    ''It might even be envy,'' he thought. That would be a hilarious thing were it to be true. To think that the day would come that he''d feel envious of another person''s family.


    Never needed one to feel happy, so why would I need one now? Reed let out a hollow laugh of self-derision.


    Reed sat under a large tree as he gazed at the vast lake in silence. He''d told Itotia that he was going to explore the city for a while as an excuse to escape the confines of the crystal palace and left before she could even answer. After a bit of wandering, he ended up near the massive lake on the surface of the city, far away from the bustling city that teemed with activity in the distance.


    It was better like this. This was how he had always lived ¡ª in quiet solitude ¡ª back home in the slums. As a normal boy without fame, wealth, power, or a so-called destiny. Reed smiled as he stared at his distorted reflection on the lake''s surface. It felt disgusting looking at himself smile, so he turned away and stared at the tree''s branches up above.


    Was this not what he wanted, what he had set out to find? He now lived a life that mortals could not possibly comprehend or even dare to dream about.


    He was a famous, bright star in this world; a gifted individual unlike any of his peers.


    He was wealthier than he had ever been and had been invited to live amongst the gods of this world.


    He possessed power greater than any mortal could ever imagine; he could summon storms and part the skies with a single finger.


    And now, he too possessed a boundless future, unlike his former self. He could do anything or be anyone so as long as he wished for it.


    This is what I wished for ¡ª dreamt of ¡ª a genuine life filled with meaning...


    Reed tried his hardest to hold it in, but could no longer contain what he had kept locked under for so long. He crumpled over and gazed at the lake with his blurry eyes, wishing that he had not been reminded. He would have rather not received those memories at all.


    "...I knew you''d be here, silly boy."


    He quickly turned away when he heard the voice and said, "Who is it?! Why have you come¡ª"He paused when he finally recognized who the soft voice had belonged to and said, "I... did not expect to meet you so soon again, milady. I beg your pardon for my¡ª"


    The woman sat down and simply patted his back as she gazed at the lake beside him. She had a serene expression on her face like she already knew everything. As if it were a matter of course for her, she said, "What troubles you so? Tell me what pains you, my son."


    "Why would I be troubled? I''m perfectly fine, milady, I swear. It''s nothing, really..." said Reed. He forced himself back toward the dark and slowly regained his composure.


    "You can''t lie to me, my boy. The only time you''d come here was when my foolish daughter made you cry or when you wanted to be alone." She''d been through this so many times, she couldn''t remember them all. It was a second-hand instinct for her by now.


    Reed went quiet when he heard that. His scrambled memories held many a story, but she had never appeared in any of them, at least, so far. He considered everything he knew and guessed that she was someone from a different period ¡ª she wasn''t in the earliest of the memories that he''d been burdened with.


    "I don''t remember you, though. Neither you, them, or this place. Even though everyone seems to already know who I am..." It hurt sometimes when he looked at their expectant gazes, full of affection and warmth. His skin prickled at the thought of it.


    "Patience, my boy. There is no need to rush yourself; not a single soul in this city will blame you for your ignorance ¡ª that, I can assure you . They, in fact, are already forever in your debt. They have no right to judge you."


    "If you ever hear someone speak ill of you, all you need to do is tell me, my boy. I will have them executed for it." Her words rang with a tone of authority that did not permit any objections.


    "...Isn''t that too excessive? I don''t think that badmouthing anyone should be grounds for death. Not that I have a say in your city''s affairs, milady..." Reed hurriedly protested to the woman, afraid that he might''ve sentenced someone to death today.


    "It is forbidden for a member of the lower castes to ever judge someone of noble origin . This has been the law since before even I was born, my childe. The punishment for such an offense would be imprisonment in the Well of Sorrows, a place where the damned are sent to reflect upon their sins ." Her words sounded sweet and calming to the senses, but the content was everything but that.


    She sounded like a cold-blooded warden or an emissary from hell in disguise.


    "But it would be completely different if someone spoke ill of you, my son. The punishment for insulting a member of the sacred family is final death. The destruction of the soul, thereby freeing the blasphemer from the eternal cycle."


    She had a peaceful, almost saint-like mein despite the nature of their discussion. It secretly unnerved Reed down to his bones. The woman sounded like a tyrannical executor who''d crush anything that''d dare stand in her path.


    "It sounds like you have, um, a lot of authority in this city, milady... May I have the honor of learning your esteemed name? This humble one''s name is... Reed."


    The woman''s face bloomed when she heard his question and said, " I am the sister of the Noble Princess of the Sun, Mother of the Moon, Judge of the Scales, Commander of the Old Guard, and former High Saintess of the Seas, Acuecucyoticihuati. "


    "Acuecu... M-Milady, is there some other form I can address you by?" Reed''s cheeks were dyed crimson when he forced out his pitiful question.


    When the woman heard Reed''s plea and his embarrassed face, she laughed so hard she actually keeled over. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    The world itself seemed to take delight in her joy as she laughed. Flowers bloomed and the cloudy sky above vanished, as if to not dampen her joy. Who could ever come to hate her, who was once closest to the stars in the firmament? Certainly not the world, that was for sure...


    The beautiful lady rubbed her eyes and then held Reed close like one would their beloved.


    "The only thing you can call me is Mom . I won''t accept anything else, my little sun. Mom''s orders. "


    Reed couldn''t help but smile when he heard her answer. Straightforward and overbearing, but not in a bad way. She really resembled a certain someone in that sense. It was very amusing seeing that resemblance, if even for a second.

 46 The Hidden Inheritance

    Reed would never have suspected something like this to happen, not in a million years. It was far too removed from the realm of comprehension. He was at a loss of words; Whenever he attempted to process the situation, his brain would short circuit and boil over like someone who''d left the stove on for too long.


    He internally melted into a puddle on the side as he walked down the cobbled street with a stoic expression on his face. The maiden beside him had a smile wider than the sky as she held onto his arm. He, on the other hand, felt that he had stumbled into some bizarre, godforsaken reality...


    Yes, indeed. Today ended up being a special day for the young boy. It was his first date with another person, more importantly, a member of the fairer sex.


    The only problem was that his date was, well..... his Mom (title subject to change).


    He couldn''t deny that for the most part, it''d been a very enjoyable and refreshing experience so far. How long had it been since he had taken part in something like this? A day free of any form of work, stress, or annoyances? Admittedly, Reed still felt somewhat taken back by the entire situation.


    Sure, she''s beautiful, gentle, and wise like a perfect mother. And yes, she''s got a keen sense of humor, too. Her stories of Lu''um''s childhood are especially funny. But, even still...


    Ahhhhhhhhh!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!


    His soundless screams echoed across the vast and barren wasteland made up his inner mind. He''d been fighting against himself for the last hour since they''d started touring Citlai''s sights in disguise.


    Never had he experienced what he felt now ¡ª endless embarrassment ¡ª as he walked down a quiet, secluded street in an old district of the city. It made zero sense; not once had he''d been affected like this when he''d been intimate with Lu''um, Astrid, or even Violett, and they were all gorgeous, beautiful girls in their own right.


    Is it because of her particular experience, beauty, or charm?! What form of devilry is this?! It was like he was being unintentionally tempted by the queen of all sirens. Reed gritted his teeth and forced his horrible thoughts down into the abyss.


    And so, he remained in that sweet and horrifying purgatory until they arrived at a certain place. Something had caught her interest enough that she stopped walking.


    "...See that right over there? The old building with the small blue roof? That''s an extremely famous restaurant, reserved only for special members of the noble caste. Back in the day, though, it was anything but famous... it was just a quaint little thing."


    Reed stared at the little restaurant and felt that something was special about it. It looked like it''d survived an era, or three. The old, weathered stones that made up the building''s wall looked like they''d been through countless years of hardship. Even the door looked ancient, at least older than he; it appeared to be nothing more than a large, beaten piece of oak that had been shaped into a door.


    The entire building looked grossly out of place amongst the newer buildings made of metal, shining crystal, and brand new stone.


    Reed chuckled a bit. It just looked so out of place; like a rusty, ancient sword being put on display right next to blades made of gold and silver.


    He yelped in pain. It seemed that the maiden had not approved of his laughter, given that she had lightly pinched him.


    "Sorry, mila¡ª Mom. I just found it a bit amusing, that''s all. What sort of history does this place have to warrant such a reputation? It looks rather... homely if I had to describe it." Reed immediately corrected himself when he felt that one of his arms had lost its blood circulation. He enjoyed having two working limbs, above his own shame.


    "This place is special because of the unique history it possesses. A long, long time ago this area was just a simple backwater district that commoners lived in. A certain no-good rogue often took a very important princess here for drinks late at night. There was this bet of sorts between the rogue and the restaurant owner''s son ¡ª that if the rogue ever brought a real princess to the restaurant, he''d give him free drinks for life."


    She sounded distant, as if she were someplace else, unbeknownst to Reed.


    Reed chortled and said, "These two miscreants you speak of sound dumb as bricks, Mom. I won''t lie, though, it''s still rather impressive that the rogue pulled it off in the end. He even sounds fairly reminiscent of someone else I''ve heard about from an old dream of sorts..."


    She wanted to say something but held her tongue. Regrets should not be inherited, she thought. Otherwise, she would have...


    Her feet started moving again with a renewed sense of purpose, and she dragged Reed over to the old restaurant. With a single snap, she had undone their disguises; she''d made her decision.


    A smooth, suave voice beckoned them in as soon as they stepped in through the door. Reed noticed an older man working in the background of the little restaurant inside of a kitchen. His back faced them as he continued his business in the kitchen, not even taking a glance at them as he leisurely moved about here and there.


    "Welcome, welcome! The Little House is always open for¡­ I see. A pair of lovers, eh¡ª"


    When the man turned around, he violently choked on his words as he gazed at Reed with an astonished expression. He looked like he had stumbled upon a ghost.


    "How have you been, Bernard? It''s been far, far too long since our last meeting."


    The man''s face softened up when laid eyes on her and said, "It''s been too long, Lady Moonlight . You''re a sight for sore eyes, as ever, I might add. And the young lad beside you is...."


    She nodded.


    The man let out a prolonged whistle as he stirred a pot in the kitchen. "It''s been already been that long? Man, time sure flies, huh?" He slowly put down his ladle, washed his hands, and stepped out of the old kitchen.


    He approached Reed and took a long look at his face, especially his eyes. It appeared like he was trying to find something within them. Searching for a sign of hope of...


    "It''s good that ya came back in one piece, lad. You had all us dreadfully worried, ''specially your mum. Still, I''m mighty proud of you for what you did; we all are. One thing''s for certain, though, you sure as hell got your Pops''s massive balls, hahaha!"


    The man tightly hugged Reed of a sudden and then enthusiastically patted him on the back, much to Reed''s consternation. He coughed violently when the man had unintentionally knocked the air out of his lungs and struggled for a while until he regained his composure.


    "He''s not fully recovered Bernard, both in body and mind. Mind yourself around him, or I''ll reenact one of my most favorite memories in here, again. I''m sure you wouldn''t want that, right?"


    Bernard winced in horror exaggeratedly and said, "Mercy, beauty, mercy! Unleash your fury on my body instead and leave my shop in peace! How ''bout I pay you and the lad back with a set of the restaurant''s classics, hmm? Your favorite?" Bernard''s eyes gleamed ominously and Reed felt a shiver run down his spine.


    "That sounds fine," she calmly said. She pulled Reed over to a small, secluded booth for two and said, "Don''t worry, he''s an excellent cook... when he isn''t running his mouth off."


    "...I heard that!" said Bernard, his voice muffled in the background.


    Reed''s silent, burning curiosity finally overtook him and he said, "He spoke about my father as if he knew him... and me, too. I''ve gotten used to people calling me out already, but that was the first time I''ve ever heard someone mention my supposed father. How does he know this father of mine?"


    "Bernard and your father were the best of friends and loyal accomplices back in their youth. They ran an impressive operation together ¡ª a surveillance network ¡ª that eventually became the backbone of the Empire''s intelligence division. That sleazy looking fellow over there was, at one point, the Royal Spymaster and Chief of Shadows ."


    Reed''s eyes bulged in shock and stared at Mom (title subject to change) in total disbelief.


    "..." Bernard kept quiet and whistled a tune in an attempt to play the fool.


    "It is unfortunately true. At the height of his prime, he was known as the Lord of Secrets and was reputed to have had an ear in every home, street, alley, and closet in the galaxy. As a result, it was generally considered impossible for anyone to have plotted anything against the Empire or the Emperor without him knowing."


    "Oh, that''s¡­ sort of unbelievable. And now, he''s just a cook ? In here? Just like that?"


    Bernard quietly popped up with two large trays that were filled to the brim with food and said, "That''s not true, lad. I''m not just a cook... I''m also an excellent patissier and confectioner. I was even the Grand Maester of the Culinary Arts once upon a time."


    He put the trays down on the table and said, "This is a restaurant classic, modified for a certain princess''s palate, mind you. Grilled ragewyrm ribs, accompanied with a select house sauce and grandma''s world-famous Efeer nectar to wash down your woes. Please.... enjoy yourselves. Feel free to ask for extra refills, too..." Bernard smiled politely and left like a ghost as quickly as he had arrived.


    Reed tilted his head in confusion when he heard Bernard''s description of the meal. He dumbly stared at the intimidating mountain of ribs, slathered in sauce and thought that he''d mistakenly heard something wrong. Surely, he had gotten something wrong...


    Is this her favorite order? It''s just... grilled ribs. Even I could order something like this in the slums from a food stall...


    He decided that he''d play the gentleman and not make a comment on it. It would be uncouth of him to project his preconceptions onto her. If the princess liked grilled ribs, then she liked them. It had nothing to do with him...


    Turned out the ribs weren''t half bad when he wasn''t begging for sweet mercy. The word ''hot'' couldn''t even begin to describe what he had experienced in his mouth. Infernal  was a better descriptor. Reed wondered if he''d lose his sense of taste after today as he chugged grandma''s supposedly world-famous nectar like a madman.


    "Was this sauce made in hell or something?! The ribs taste amazing, but it''s too damn hot! I can feel my face melting away," said Reed as he fanned himself in a futile attempt at relief from the horror in his mouth. He wiped the sweat off his brow and chugged another glass of liquid joy. Not a second later, he shoved another rib into his mouth, unaware that he had become his own tormentor.


    "We''re a family that thrives on the spice , my son. The spice is our reason for existence. Embrace the scorching heat." She looked calmer than grandma''s corpse , seemingly unaffected by overwhelming evil contained within the ribs.


    "Y-You''re not making any sense at all! Bernard!! What did you put in these ribs!!"


    Reed still enjoyed the ribs, despite his protests. Even though at one point, he had accidentally gotten a bit of the sauce in his eye. It was the first time he''d wished for death because of food. Bernard even took a picture with a glowing holocrystal in commemoration.


    After their meal, Bernard invited Reed for a man-to-man talk about serious manly stuff when Mom (title subject to change) had disappeared off to the ladies'' room. He dragged Reed like a sack of potatoes towards the restaurant''s backroom as he spoke candidly about all of his former exploits in his youth.


    When he opened the old metal door, Bernard said, "Welcome to the Starlight Troupe''s HQ, lad! The home of the greatest thieves, spies, conmen, and heartbreakers in the galaxy! This is where legends were born, my boy, the heart of romance!"


    When Bernard turned on the lights, the only thing Reed saw was an old, dusty room filled with trinkets and faded pictures. It honestly looked depressing, to the point that Reed said, "This is what, now? A boy''s secret club, or something? This is sort of..."


    "Amazing, right?! You stand at the doorstep of greatness, my boy, the promised land of all men..... and women, too! We''re an equal opportunity employer , mind you..."


    "Why did you really bring me here? It''s safe to say it wasn''t so you could show me this, right?" said Reed as he slowly walked around the neglected room. The pictures on the wall had faded so much that he could no longer make out anything from them. A thick layer of dust had formed on the main table of the room and everything else in the room.


    "....You''re really hurting my feelings there, lad," said Bernard as he faked an unconvincing sob. He abruptly stopped once he noticed that Reed hadn''t fallen for the bait.


    "..."


    "A-Alright, alright! Don''t get your panties up in a bunch, lad, it was just a joke..." Bernard shuffled over to a broken shelf of books and fiddled with them until he found what he wanted. He pulled out an old book and handed it to Reed with a small smile on his face.


    "It''s for you... from ya pops, lad. Well, it belongs to you now by rights of succession. You''re finally old enough to inherit it. Go on, open it."


    Reed''s heart thumped wildly. He opened the book, filled with a million expectations as he opened the book. As soon as he saw what was inside, he said, "Wait.... that''s it? Only this?"


    It was a small silver key made of dull crystal . It looked cheap as hell like it might break if you held it too strongly. Reed snorted and chuckled in disappointment.


    "Now, now, lad. Don''t be like that. That right there is what all the folks in my business wish for ¡ª a literal call to adventure! I''ll even tell ya what the key opens, lad!" said Bernard as he approached Reed.


    Bernard looked around cautiously for a couple of seconds and then, after a long pause, said, "It''s your Pops''s key , lad. It opens the hidden door to his secret hideout that he had back in the day when he was in the business, so to speak. Not even your mum knew about this, catch my drift? It was a secret between brothers, ya see...." His voice was so soft that even the flickering crystal lamp that lit the room was louder than him.


    There was a firm solemnity in Bernard''s tone that scared the living hell out of Reed. It felt as if a horrifying monster had been awoken from its slumber. He froze dead in place and did not dare move.


    "It''s located outside of the city, in the ruins of an old-world city, from before the collapse, Talfano City. It''s where ya pops and I were born in ¡ª you as well , lad. I''ve already uploaded the coordinates on your little servitorum there, your flying book. Go there as soon as you can and...."


    A rattling noise resounded in the empty room and the duo hurriedly acted on instinct as if their lives depended on it. Reed violently shoved the small silver key into one of his pockets and Bernard moved like lighting towards the other end of the room.


    When the old door opened, Bernard smiled and said, "Welcome back, my fair lady, I was just regaling the lad with some of our stories, hahaha... Also..." He rummaged around an old cabinet for a bit and pulled out a black cloak of considerable quality. It had the symbol of a golden sun that shimmered under the light.


    "I thought it best that the lad take the cloak for his own protection since he''s here now. It more or less belongs to him anyway, right?" Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    "....." It looked like she wanted to say something, but held back in the end.


    Bernard quickly thrust the cloak onto Reed and said, "The cloak''s an old keepsake of your pops, lad. There''s a very special enchantment weaved into the cloak, granting the wearer... a host of unique abilities... It''s also stylish too, heh..."


    Reed gazed at the cloak in his hands; it felt warm to the touch although it had been stored away for an age or two. It felt... pleasant to hold and was softer than a cloud. He put it on and found that it matched him perfectly like a glove.


    "It''s perfect. I''m also a big fan that''s self-warming, too. It gets cold where I live, so this''ll be a complete lifesaver for me."


    Bernard and Acuecucyoticihuati glanced at each other for an instant and then smiled. They complimented Reed''s appearance as they both thought the same thing simultaneously:


    It''s not supposed to be self-warming at all because... that isn''t one of its abilities.


    They gazed at Reed and wondered what it meant. They concluded that only the original owner would know what this change meant... After all, he was the one who created it.

 47 Departing Gift From You

    The old city''s shadow stretched out across the island''s virgin meadowlands. A dark azure seeped into the sky as the sun sunk away into the horizon. He looked back at the fading sunset and saw that a miniature sea of stars had arisen from the earth. Night had arrived.


    An endless amount of tiny, sparkling motes of brilliance floated up into the air when the sky had finally gone dark. Each was of a different size, shape, and color; no two were equal in form. At a distance, it appeared as if the stars in the firmament had descended upon the city itself. It was a majestic, awe-inspiring sight that left him speechless.


    Reed silently gazed at the sea of stars atop a decrepit building near the edge of the city, an abandoned district that had become uninhabitable long ago. The ancient district had once been home to many people ¡ª a thriving place filled with life ¡ª but now, it was nothing more than a forsaken ruin.


    I t''s abandoned for sure, but it''d be a bit of a stretch to call it a ''ruin'', I guess. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    Although the residential district had been abandoned, they had left its buildings and infrastructure completely intact. Vines climbed their way up the walls of the old buildings and strange moss that glowed covered dark alleyways and other small spaces across the district. Marigold, vanilla, and daisy flowers pressed themselves out of the neglected streets by the thousands. There were even a couple of tree seedlings amongst the flowers if one searched hard enough for them.


    Reed took a sip of a hot chocolate beverage he''d bought not too long ago from a local cafe near the outskirts of the city on Bernard''s recommendation. It tasted sweeter than love itself and had a subtle vanilla after note that Reed considered sublime.


    He''d enjoyed the little date with Lu''um''s mother and all but it had drained him mentally, hence his break of sorts in exile from civilization. Just him, his wonderful hot chocolate, and.... a sudden fluctuation in the surrounding Anima. Reed softly groaned.


    "So this is where you were.... You really surprised me when I lost track of you."


    And there she goes... my peace and quiet have disappeared into the void again. Sigh.....


    "What are you talking about? It''s not like I was actively hiding from you or anything..."


    Lu''um giggled as she walked over to Reed and said, "Hmmm? Needed some alone time , Ka''an? I guess every young guy needs some private time for..." She''d gone quiet of all sudden.


    Reed scoffed and said, "Ha ha, I''ve never heard that joke before. Hilarious, Lu''um. I bet you think that¡ª" He choked on his words when he felt that the surrounding Anima had suddenly grown cold and turbulent. When he turned around, Reed screamed internally.


    Blades of azure light dangerously hovered above her like marionettes on strings.


    "...I see now. So that''s why you were so hard to find ; You were with that hag, weren''t you? I can smell her disgusting stench on you." Lu''um had an expression that seemed colder than a blizzard. Her eyes radiated something so intense that it couldn''t be completely expressed with mere words.


    Reed was nervous, but he still felt that she had said something inexcusable . He coldly replied, "That was out of line, even if you''re not on good terms with her, Lu''um. I know that I don''t even have the slightest idea what caused the rift between the two of you, but she''s still your mother."


    Lu''um gently smiled in response, but Reed could not find even the slightest hint of warmth within her expression. Reed felt goosebumps form on his arms when he saw that desolate, hollow smile and said, "Y-You know what, let''s just drop the subject altogether, okay?!" He immediately pulled back when he realized that he nearly dug his own grave.


    A painful, awkward pause followed where the two did not speak. The dreadful silence felt like it''d last forever but Lu''um eventually calmed down and said, "...I''m sorry that I lashed out at you, Ka''an. I just... can''t stand her and sometimes I get¡ª"


    Reed hurriedly interrupted her and said, "Hey, don''t worry about it or anything, OK? I was in the wrong too; I shouldn''t have said that. So let''s call it square and leave it at that." He waved his hands jokingly and said, "You don''t have to talk about it you don''t want to, Lu''um. It''s, um, cool..."


    Another awkward pause followed after Reed interrupted her, but he quickly acted to salvage the conversation before it got worse than it already was. He gave her his hot chocolate as tribute and said, "Oh, by the way... what did you mean when you said that you couldn''t find me ?"


    "My mother is one of the greatest Anima shapers of her generation and is especially proficient in Anima masking and subterfuge-related Anima skills." Lu''um raised her right hand over Reed''s head, much to his confusion.


    "She put one of her veils on you and it masked your unique aura away from prying eyes. I couldn''t see you anymore after she did that," Lu''um said as she snatched something off Reed''s head. A thin, almost invisibly transparent piece of cloth appeared in front of him like a magic trick.


    Reed stared at the veil and said, "That''s... genuinely impressive. And terrifying, too. I never even felt that I had it on me."


    Lu''um conjured a soft flame from her hand and burnt the veil away until it was completely gone. "She''s extremely talented, incredibly beautiful, and an heiress to the most powerful family in the world."


    "Funnily enough, those same strengths mattered aught when you think about it. She, as incredible as she was, still lost in the end," said Lu''um with a complicated expression.


    "..."


    Lu''um looked somewhat apprehensive as she gripped the hot chocolate, but eventually gathered her courage and said, "If you don''t mind me asking, can you tell me where you went with her?"


    "Hm? She mostly took me around the city and showed me the sights. After that, she took me to this little restaurant called The Little House and we ate there before we separated."


    Lu''um eyes narrowed when she heard that and said, "So that''s what she did. She actually took you to see Uncle Bernard , huh? I haven''t seen him in the longest... how was he ?" Her interest in Reed''s story suddenly skyrocketed compared to before.


    Reed nodded and said, "Hm? He was healthy if that''s what you''re asking about. I won''t lie; he was a little weird, but he wasn''t a bad guy, I think. He even gifted me this awesome cloak , too. It was apparently part of an inheritance of mine, or so he said..." He twirled around and dramatically made a cool-looking pose like an action hero. Lu''um rolled her eyes at first but eventually tilted her head, deep in thought.


    "A cloak? An inheritance left for you? Oh, for the love of...." Lu''um let out a miserable groan and softly muttered, "So he was the one who stole the accursed thing during the chaos..."


    She immediately reached out for the cloak and said, " Take it off, Ka''an! What you''re wearing is something you are not yet ready to accept! It is burdened with karma so heavy, even I fear it, do you understand? I do not know why Uncle Bernard and Mother allowed you to get it, but it is far too soon for you to possess it!"


    Lu''um moved in a flash and grabbed the hem of the cloak to remove it off Reed faster than he could react, but something unexpected happened instead. A fearsome bolt of lightning shot out of the cloak and blasted Lu''um backward with enough momentum that she was thrown off of the building like a rag doll.


    It was so unexpected and instantaneous that Reed even found it a bit comical despite the concern he had over her wellbeing. All he saw was her touching his cloak for but an instant before her shocking departure , so to speak. He even heard a cute yelp escape her lips when she was struck by the cloak.


    Reed walked over the other end of the skyscraper and looked down at the edge of the building. A furious azure streak bolted up the side of the building and landed back atop the roof with a threatening boom.


    When Reed noticed that Lu''um''s frigid expression he hurriedly said, "Hey, I didn''t do that, alright? That was all on you, not me. In any case, it''s my cloak , sweet-cheeks. Go find your own cloak because this one isn''t for sale, even for you."


    Something odd happened after that; He noticed that the cloak had grown a little warmer after he had chastised Lu''um, of all things. An unexpected boon had been given to him.


    "Listen, Ka''an, that isn''t a simple cloak; I''m sure it now ¡ª Uncle Bernard gave you the Mantle of the Sky , the personal raiment of the previous Emperor! It is a tool of immense power created and enchanted by the Last Emperor during his prime! Lesser beings cannot control the dormant energies contained within it, much less the Muse that lives inside of it!"


    Reed chortled and said, " I seem to be doing just fine, though. I don''t doubt you, but this cloak''s been in a dusty room for an eternity from what I''ve seen. It might have even turned defective given how long it''s been neglected." He lazily inspected the cloak and said, "Don''t see any world-shattering powers coming from it. It is nice and warm, though. That''s good enough in my book."


    The cloak weakly shone a for a second, as if in appreciation and another small tide of warmth enveloped Reed again. It felt like he was wrapped up in the warmest, comfiest blanket in the universe. He gently patted his cloak and said, "Come on now, Lu''um. Jealousy''s an ugly thing ; there''s no need for you to feel threatened by my cloak, okay?"


    Lu''um disappointedly groaned and said, "It''s already begun manipulating you against me, you fool! Even in a half-dormant state, it''s still capable of influencing your mental state. Take. It. Off. Ka''an. Before you end up doing something stupid because of its machinations." She slowly inched closer to Reed with her guard up, having learned her lesson.


    Eventually, after a lot of back and forth between the pair, Lu''um gave up trying to separate him from the cloak, at least for the meantime . She swore to herself that she''d steal the accursed thing as soon as he fell asleep or let his guard down, though.


    She remembered the bedtime stories her mother used to tell her about the Last Emperor''s adventures and of his beloved magical cloak of wonders that served him dutifully on his quests . She knew that of the cloak''s true nature and not of the fairytale description of it that had been relayed to the common folk.


    Reed warily kept his distance away from Lu''um and said, "...Hey, there was something I wanted to ask you about... Do you know anything about Talfano City ?"


    Lu''um''s thoughts crashed to a halt when she heard his question and her expression darkened in response. Her gaze seemed distant. Her voice rang low and sounded hollow.


    "What did Uncle Bernard tell you, my Ka''an ? It seems that his age might''ve finally caught up to him, for him to have told you about Talfano City .... I might even have to talk to mother about this ..."


    Alarm bells madly rang in his head. He instantly realized that he should not have asked. He recognized that he had messed up .


    "He told me that it was where he... and my father were born. I was just curious was all, honest. Who wouldn''t be, right?" Reed awkwardly laughed as he scratched his head. He had to divulge a piece of truth in order to make the lie sound believable; it was a necessary concession he immediately made to hide the greater truth . The knowledge about the key had to hidden. Even from her .


    "I don''t know what kind of ideas he''s put in your head, Ka''an, but I advise you to discard them. Talfano City''s located deep in the Shadowlands , the domain of the Infestation , and is nothing more than an empty remnant of what it once was. There is nothing waiting for you there, except a terrible end..."


    She looked at Reed right in his eyes and said, "Forget whatever Uncle Bernard has told you, Ka''an, or else you might regret it. Last warning ."


    Reed raised his hands up and said, "R-Relax, sweet-cheeks! I was just a little curious; can you blame me? It wasn''t as if I was planning on venturing out into some wild-goose chase just because someone told me something..."


    "I''m sure you''d stop me if I tried to anyway, right? So, it''d be impossible for me to do it in the first place. Hell, I wouldn''t even know where I''d start looking for Talfano City, too..."


    He cozied up to Lu''um and whispered, "....¡­You spilled my hot chocolate, by the way. I never got an apology for that."


    Lu''um appeared astonished for a moment when Reed had snuggled up to her, but his nonsense blew the wind out of her sails instantly. For a second, she thought...


    "There''s also something else I''ve been meaning to ask you: Is everyone on the outside safe? It''s been days now since we''ve come here, Lu''um. I need to go back and at least tell Axtorius that we''re still alive."


    Reed had been mulling over this since he''d arrived but never got a straight answer from Lu''um. When he thought about the old goat''s worried face, he knew that he couldn''t stay here any longer. His people were waiting for him outside; he needed to be there yesterday .


    Lu''um summoned a small crystal and said, "Not a single second has passed on the outside since you''ve arrived, Ka''an. Citlai exists outside of the river of time, and is, therefore, entirely cut off from the universe." She channeled a sliver of Anima into the crystal and said, "Look within the crystal, Ka''an."


    A frozen image appeared within the crystal. It was Sotephor City , albeit frozen in time through some unknown means. The dark and cloudy sky looked fantastical inside of the crystal as frozen lightning bolts hung in the air in mid-descent. It looked like a snapshot of the ruined city''s history.


    "You already understand that the entire continent of Mulia is underneath the Heavenly Aegis''s protection, yes? That was something we created but never completed because of time and resource restrictions because of our war with the Infestation . Its functionality is limited because of this, resulting in the time dilation phenomenon the people inside experience."


    She put the crystal away and said, " But Citlai is not Mulia ; after we saw that we would not be able to finish the continental aegis in time, we diverted our resources into making a smaller-scale version of the Heavenly Aegis ¡ª one large enough to hold our capital for safekeeping with the last of our people. We succeeded, just barely before they breached our final line of defense."


    Reed felt confused; Axtorius had told them that they were the ones who pieced together the Heavenly Aegis themselves, but here Lu''um was telling him otherwise. How was that possible? He scratched his head and said, "Wait... Axtorius told us that they were the ones who built the dome, not you guys, so someone must be lying about this..."


    Lu''um indifferently said, "Picking up our discarded project and half-assedly completing it does not count as them building it themselves, as much as he would like to tell you. Why would you trust them when they barely understand how our technology works? I mean, for the love of Mu, they venture out into the Shadowlands to pick up our ruined scraps- oh, I mean artifacts, right ?" She opened up a rift and gestured for him to follow. She had something to do.


    It led back to the crystal palace, specifically Lu''um room. When they passed over, Lu''um walked over to an old desk and pulled out a tiny steel box . It had a miniature crystal embedded on it and a fancy-looking seal engraved upon it.


    "The original plan was to seal the entire continent with a completed Heavenly Aegis and bolster our forces within it since we would''ve had all the time in the world . We''d borrow lesser beings from lower planes of existence and train them into warrior-servants for our final battle against the enemy, but something else happened instead...."


    "In the end, we ended up losing the continent in the chaos and lost control of the people there, for the most part. Lo-and-behold, a couple thousand years pass and now they think they''re something when they''re still nothing . Mulia is nothing more than an abandoned plan , Ka''an, and the people there are nothing more than descendants of our servants."


    "I know you think of them as your precious friends, but I can only see them as less than common folk ¡ª blind sheep in a large cage." She took the gem box and handed it to Reed.


    "This is....?"


    "I''d ask you to stay here where it is safe, but I know you''d never be able to settle down with your friends in danger, right? If you want to go, then we''ll go. But before we leave, I was asked to give you this by someone very important . He said that you would need it. "


    Reed opened the gem box and found a dirty, rusted ring with a golden head that swirled elegantly. Atop the head lay a raw, unpolished sapphire as the centerpiece. A simple string had been used to form a necklace with it. The sorry thing looked like it''d been put through the wringer. It looked like it might break if one held it roughly.


    This thing''s going to need a lot of maintenance. Hell, even the ring''s jewel hasn''t been cut and polished yet. It''s just a raw chunk of sapphire. This poor ring isn''t even finished from the look of it...  He carefully inspected the ring and said, "So, what does this trinket do?"


    Lu''um stared at the ring and said, "I don''t know...  I didn''t even know what was inside of the box until now. He said that he''d leave an explanation for you if I remember correctly..."


    Reed inspected the gem box again and noticed a thin piece of parchment that had been taped onto the roof of the inner case. He plucked it off and turned it around. It read:


    I couldn''t finish it in time, so I''ll leave the finer details to you. You''ll naturally understand what it''s for when the time is ripe. Don''t tell her anything about this note.


    From yours truly,


    Reed


    There no denying it. That was his handwriting, albeit greatly faded because of the note''s age. It was even in his world''s native language, Vighmor . Reed wondered if he''d suddenly gone senile at the ripe old age of seventeen. He considered it a distinct possibility now.

 48 The Roughest Gems Shine Brightes

    "What did you find? Was it something bad? You look unwell, Ka''an."


    Reed quickly shook his head and said, "No, I''m fine.... It''s just that, well..." His eyes were still stuck on the final part of the old note.


    He sighed and said, "The note''s unfortunately illegible." As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he decisively crushed the note in his hand and set it aflame. It was too late.


    Before Lu''um could even react, Reed had turned the note into ashes. It was gone.


    She appeared shocked and even somewhat distraught that Reed had obliterated the note, but he purposefully ignored her reaction. He simply shrugged his shoulders and said, "Don''t cry over spilled milk, sweet-cheeks. It probably wasn''t a love letter for you anyways."


    Bingo. The play had worked like a charm, much to his dismay.


    She coldly gazed at Reed as if he were less than dirt and said, "....Follow me."


    Reed groaned internally; he knew what this would entail but counted it as an acceptable loss. Living in the doghouse sucked, but it couldn''t be helped this time. The damned note opened a can of worms that''d gnaw at him forever. How in the goddammed hell did he leave a note from himself from before he was here, let alone born given the note''s age?


    Never thought I''d ever have to pay something from the past in a literal sense, though. Goddamnit. If it isn''t one thing it''s something else...


    He took the ring necklace and hurriedly tied it around his neck as he chased after Lu''um''s fleeting figure. He''d think about the note later, after taking care of business. After passing through a series of altars, they arrived at the top of the Crystal Palace.


    Atop the magnificent palace was an obsidian pillar of considerable size. It peacefully hovered in place despite being several stories tall.


    It was an eerie thing; something about it made Reed feel unwell. He felt that among all the things he''d seen in this city, none had exhibited the aura the pillar possessed.


    It was assuredly made by men, he knew that. But even so, it still felt unnatural . It felt disgusting even looking at it for too long.


    "Don''t stare at it too much; this is the Guiding Nail , the tool we use to go outside. For the sake of brevity, think of it as a literal nail we use to pierce the walls of reality back into the universe. It''s not something that normal eyes are designed to gaze upon. It is a forbidden thing that normally would have never been built in the first place."


    "Then why did you create such a thing? Can''t we just use an Altar to get back home?" said Reed. He averted his eyes away from the grotesque construct and looked at the ground instead.


    Lu''um shook her head and said, "No, the acting of warping cannot bridge the G ap of Nonexistence that lies between Citlai and the universe. Have you never wondered why you were never able to leave the confines of Mulia? It is the same principle; Mulia, too, is separate from reality as long as the Heavenly Aegis remains active. It is impossible to cross the Empty Gap,  even with the assistance of Anima. The Guiding Nails are a necessary evil, as much as we''d like to see them destroyed..."


    They walked over the pillar and stood in front of it, albeit at a distance. The closer one got, the stronger the feeling of unease one felt. Even spacetime seemed to painfully curve and twist near the immediate vicinity of the terrible pillar.


    "Think of the Guiding Nail as a permanent wound we''ve left on reality itself. It creates an eternal bridge between two points that we can traverse at any time. The technology used to create the Coffins we rode into Sotephor City was based on an inoperable Guiding Nail they found, or rather, something we''d mistakenly left behind when we abandoned the continent."


    When they got close enough, Lu''um said, "Stay behind me and follow my path, Ka''an. Do NOT stray away from my path, am I clear? The mangled stretch of spacetime ahead of us is dangerous even to the likes of us. A single misstep is all it''ll take for you to die a final death."


    Reed nodded slowly and inched himself right behind her, as if he''d become her shadow. He focused all of his attention on her footsteps as they traversed the godforsaken minefield one step at a time. Footstep by footstep, they walked forward in a seemingly random path as they approached the pillar. It was a snaking path that eventually led them to the base of the pillar, where the aura was the strongest.


    The word ''reality'' did not mean much in for those near the obsidian pillar. It was nothing more than an empty word. The scenery from afar had warped to the point that it''d become unrecognizable. Reed looked upon the world and saw confusing, unmade-shapes twisted in ways that should not have been possible. Even the surrounding Anima seemed to writhe in anguish.


    The threads of reality had come undone. It was only then that he finally realized why the Guiding Nails were considered a necessary evil . They defiled nature in a manner that could not be forgiven .


    This was a sin , without a doubt.


    "Close your eyes, Ka''an, and do NOT open them until I tell you to, am I clear? On the count of three, we''re going to touch the pillar together, okay?" said Lu''um. She grabbed one of Reed''s hands and closed her eyes in preparation. Reed immediately followed suit and shut his eyes with all his strength. It was time to go back home.


    Lu''um took a deep breath and said, "One... Two.... Three!"


    The last thing he heard was the sound of her voice as it morphed into something resembling an elongated scream as it melded with everything else.  That was when his torment began.


    An eternity had been condensed within the span of a zeptosecond, maybe even less than that.


    The empty, white plains of creation laid bare before him. They were unwritten, free of sin.


    The crushing pressure of becoming one in infinity was unbearable beyond belief. He felt himself unraveling at the seams of his very being. He was losing himself piece-by-piece as every millennium passed and there was nothing he could do about it.


    He struggled fiercely for aeons against the infinitude of the white plains and screamed in despair. Nevertheless, the journey to the other side of  nothing continued.


    Time passed until time itself lost meaning. He had completely unraveled. He was no longer himself.


    A deep thrum slowly pitched up until it became recognizable over a course of a hundred lifetimes.  Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    ".....Nnn ....Opeee... Eyy... Hu.... Kaaa...aann..... Opeeen.... Your.... Eyeeesssss..."


    He opened his eyes with great difficulty and inspected his surroundings. Tiny rays of light slipped in through the broken roof and illuminated the dingy, abandoned room. The pitter-patter of the rain could be faintly heard outside along with the distant booming sound of thunder. An unsettling aura was stuck on Reed that reeked of the abyss from beyond reality.


    "Welcome back, Ka''an. It''s been an eternity since we''ve last met, right? And yet, it has only been.... less than four seconds since we''ve left Citlai, give or take." She touched Reed''s chest and summoned a small, golden bell out of the air with her other hand.


    She rung the small bell and quietly said, "Begone, unholy thing . You were made by nothing, shall be unmade by nothing , and return back into nothing ." The bell produced a sonorous chime and the purity it beckoned forth drove the malignant aura on Reed away but not before a grating, condescending laugh crept over the room in response.


    Lu''um ignored the blatant provocation. She knew better than to take the bait. Instead, she gazed past one of the room''s ruined walls and said, "It looks like we''ve landed around thirty kilometers away from the outpost we''re supposed to reach. We got lucky this time."


    Reed pitifully groaned as he cradled his head and muttered, "Arghh... You what now? What? My head feels like it''s going to explode....." He wanted nothing more than to never use another guiding nail for as long as he lived. He''d rather just die than suffer that unspeakable torment for another second.


    It would be a violation of all that is good and right to make any man experience such a horrendous thing. Some acts are unequivocally wrong ¡ª this is one of them.


    What he saw out beyond the bastion of logic and reason was a deliberate rejection of the concept of order and stability. It was a domain of formless design based upon an eldritch perspective not native to anything within the realms of men.


    The whispers he heard could not have been concocted by anything even remotely sane. Even now, the sibylline truths that had been thrust upon him lingered like the dark clouds that shrouded the sky above him...


    Man should not have chanced upon the inhuman knowledge required to build those terrible things. God must have surely made a grave mistake for Man to have been granted understanding such evil.


    Lu''um noticed the dangerous shimmer in Reed''s eyes and snapped her fingers loudly in front of his face, startling him out of his deep reverie. She grabbed his face and forced him to look at her, demanding his complete attention.


    "Forget anything you might have heard back there, Ka''an. Do NOT  fall for any of the lies you''ve heard. A fate worse than death awaits those who chase the lure of the power beyond the veil."


    " You. Will. Lose. Everything."  She stressed every single word in her sentence slowly to make sure that she was clearly understood. She needed to make the fact explicitly clear to him.


    Especially him, of all people.


    Suffice to say, Reed wanted nothing to do with whatever existed in the wretched emptiness outside of reality. He''d never associate with whatever existed outside the sphere of rationality and law. Only madmen, fools, and the most broken of souls would ever fall for the power offered from the Outside.


    The journey toward the outpost was surprisingly quiet, even though the turbulence in the Anima around the area continued to increase for every kilometer they got closer to it. Every now and then, a massive surge in Anima like an enormous tidal wave would sweep past them and disturb the endless cloud wall in the sky, churning up fiercer and fiercer storms like never before.


    Reed and Lu''um silently picked up their pace and hurried towards the skyscraper at an even greater pace than before. The lack of Infested near the outskirts, the Anima storms, and the fact that they had not been able to locate anyone else in the vicinity was enough for them to put the pieces together with certainty. Something was wrong. Nothing was around, be it friend or foe.


    "What do you think could have happened? We were only gone for the span of a second; this shouldn''t have been possible, right? It doesn''t make sense; wasn''t this district is supposed to be relatively clear?" Reed felt the thrum of his beating heart in his ears like a mad drum as a multitude of terrible thoughts rushed through his mind.


    Fear has a vicious way of creeping into vulnerable hearts and can make smart people do stupid things. Reed knew that it was beyond stupid to let his emotions control him, but he couldn''t hold himself back anymore...


    "I don''t know... This is extremely strange; I never detected this Anima storm before I left for Citlai. Where could have it come from? It doesn''t make sense..... We should be care¡ª Ka''an!!"


    An azure streak of light shot off into the distance at a monstrous speed, leaving a massive wake of Anima behind it that chaotically swept past the surrounding area. Lu''um felt a headache coming up and muttered, "Great.... I should have kept a tighter leash on him," and hurriedly chased after his fleeting figure.


    The last thing she needed was for him to barge into the jaws of death like an imbecile. Only heaven knew how many times she''d had to put the fires he''d started before...


    Reed pierced through the ruined city like a silver bullet as he barreled through all manner of buildings like they were made out of dust. Normally, he would''ve had to creep around the labyrinthian maze that was the inner district to reach the outpost which was at the heart of the abandoned metropolis, but time was of the essence. Speed over subtlety, so to speak.


    His style wasn''t elegant, sly, or skillful in the slightest. He was akin to a human missile one a linear path to the city as he tore through everything that got in his way. Old panes of weathered glass shattered for kilometers because of the chaotic wake of Anima he''d left behind. Ancient buildings shook wildly as he shot through them easily. Reed knew that he was essentially broadcasting his position to everything in the city for dozens of kilometers, but he didn''t care.


    Reed''s mindset was grounded on a single idea ¡ª  Act now, think later ¡ª that ran contrary to everything his mind was telling him to do. His body simply acted on its own behalf before he even realized it, as if it wanted to willingly throw itself into peril. He felt that the mark on his chest was getting hotter the closer he got to the outpost, to the point that it hurt as if he were being branded. It hurt like hell but it also strangely calmed his worries.


    The scorching heat it radiated slowly eased up until it felt comfortable, even pleasurable to experience. A delightful current of warmth spread across his body and he found himself enveloped by a power not his own. His shackles had been removed, much to his astonishment. A burst of speed propelled him forward even faster than before, almost outrageously so.


    Reed even flinched out of fear over how fast he''d become all of a sudden as he winked through the cityscape like a flash of light. In practically no time at all, he''d tumbled through over a hundred buildings during his flight through the inner city to the outpost, destroying them all. A wake of destruction trailed behind him the shape of his Anima wake, that now resembled a storm. He''d become a natural disaster in his own right.


    He, in fact, did not even arrive at the outpost when he reached it ¡ª he passed right through it. Like an azure meteor from hell, Reed ripped through the skyscraper and crashed a couple hundred meters away from it during his landing.  Although he was overjoyed with his new threshold of power, he was also frightened of the potential contained within it. He found himself unable to even decelerate properly now as he hurtled wildly like an actual meteor .


    An enormous explosion shook the silent city as it reverberated across without stopping. A massive cloud of smoke and flaming debris shot up into the sky like a beacon for all to see for kilometers.


    When Reed saw what he''d caused, a part of him wanted to die from embarrassment. He slowly peeked out of his crater and saw dozens of gleaming eyes staring at him atop the skyscraper where the outpost was and he ducked back down, out of sight.


    They were safe, after all.  He felt immense relief, but at the same time knew that he''d royally messed up this time. Most of all, he knew that Lu''um was definitely going to have some words to say about what he''d caused this time. He shuddered at the thought of it and crept deeper into his crater.


    He contemplated all of the possible scenarios and wondered if, perhaps, nothing might happen this time around. It wouldn''t be too much to ask of the Lady of Fate to give him a freebie, right?


    Reed looked up at the bleak sky and let out a small, empty laugh as he clenched his fists.


    Ahh shit, here we go again...

 49 Waking Up the Ghost in the Cloak

    "What do you have to say for yourself? Anything at all? Go ahead, don''t be shy. Explain the thought process that led you to our current situation. "


    "....You see, I thou¡ª"


    "Ahh... I see, I see. I understand now, it makes total sense. Alerting the entire city of our whereabouts was a part of your grand plan, right?"


    "...I didn''t mean to al¡ª"


    "So what''s the next part of the plan, Reed? Shall we head out go to battle with that thing over there? Was your plan to screw everyone over in the worst way possible?"


    ".....No, that wasn''t my inten¡ª"


    "Man.... you''ve really shit the bed this time. I can''t wait to see how you''ll fix this, bud. I mean, just look at that goddamned beast. Look at the size of it! H-Haha... isn''t it taller than this skyscraper?"


    "Is it even possible for us to slay that monstrosity? I could see a fully armed warship taking it down, but us as we are now? It''d be tantamount to suicide."


    It dwarfed every living thing that they''d ever seen in their lives. It was so tall that it defied their understanding of what a living being could be. The lumbering, amorphous titan even scraped past the clouds as it moved across the city.


    There was something fundamentally unsettling about even looking at the creature''s silhouette. It had an essence, an aura of discord , that shrouded it from view as the furious storm raged across the city. But every now and then, a bolt of lightning would flash by and faintly cast a light on the creature for the span of less than a second.


    Whenever that happened, they would also catch a glimpse of the unspeakable . None dared to comment on what they saw.


    When Reed set off his fireworks display off, he received a reply. Something from above the endless storm-cloud layer descended upon the city, along with a near-apocalyptic rainstorm. The downpour was so intense that portions of the city had even begun to flood in shallower areas...


    The wriggling silhouette in the storm shook the earth as it gradually moved toward them, one titanic step at a time. As if heralding the arrival of the gargantuan monstrosity, a cacophony of screeches and roars accompanied the unearthly creature''s movement. They were different from the cries that Reed had heard before when he first encountered the Infested. The horde was not crying out in fury or madness like before... No, something was wrong .


    Beneath all the insanity laced within their shrieking, Reed unexpectedly felt like he''d heard something else. He felt like he''d heard fear in their mangled voices ¡ª an overwhelming sense of terror. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    Fortunately, the enormous entity''s size worked against it and greatly labored in order to move. It would be a while, maybe an hour and a half before it''d reach the outpost. There was still time to act, for now. Time was of the essence if they were to survive.


    Reed gazed at the massive shadow in the storm and quietly said, "It''s impossible. There''s no point in even contemplating whether we can kill it or not. A highly skilled conqueror might stand a chance at fighting it, and that''s a generous guess."


    Astor looked at Reed despondently and said, "Then what do you suggest? Roll over and die? I prefer not to die without struggling at the very least." He was about to make a remark on Reed''s hopeless attitude but was caught off when a visitor suddenly arrived with a bang.


    A flash of light struck the observation deck above them and burst through the ceiling angrily like a force of nature. A torrent of malicious intent quickly locked onto Reed almost instantaneously. Reed sighed internally ¡ª for better or worse, his warden had finally arrived. Salvation and damnation awaited him in equal measure.


    The Anima that rolled off of her was ghastly and turbulent, making her seem as if she were a judge from hell. It was so frightening that some of the trainees even mistakenly assumed that she was actually an Infested until the dust settled around her.


    Reed grit his teeth, expecting a biblical-level verbal beatdown until he begged for forgiveness, but it strangely never happened. Lu''um simply glared at him with a hollow expression and said, "Don''t even think that I''m going to let you off. Consider your sentence postponed for a later date since the situation''s gotten complicated now."


    "You never cease to impress, you know. To think that you actually managed to catch the attention of a Lesser Nightmare . I was wondering why all the Infested in the area turned tail like frightened rats all of a sudden. You''ve really outdone yourself this time, Reed."


    She pointed at Lesser Nightmare and said, "You see that right there? That thing over there consumes Anima and uses it to poison everything around it, eroding the planet away piece-by-piece until nothing is left except a barren, lifeless world. The miasma they release is toxic even to the Infested , which is why they ran away when it descended upon the city."


    "...........Oh."


    Reed felt cold sweat form on his face as he stared at the unholy monstrosity in the distance and said, "We''re going to need a really big  Anima cannon, I suppose. Do we have any of those in one of our warships?"


    An awkward, tense silence filled the room until Astrid chimed in and said, "I''ve modified the transponder that was left to us and it''s broadcasting on all available channels, including the emergency distress channel but I wouldn''t expect much from it. The chance that the signal will pierce through the heavy Anima concentration in the area is very low. "


    "Shit. We won''t be able to request assistance. I''d hoped that we''d at least be able to hail a roaming fleet somewhere, but now..."


    "And we since we aren''t official contenders, we don''t have privileges to access the FLEETCOM network for additional information. The only intel we have to work on is the map of this damned city. Everything outside of the city''s been left intentionally blank since it wasn''t a part of the mission area. It''s all unknown territory..."


    "Does it even matter anymore? Look outside, for god''s sake ¡ª the city''s fucked and so are we. We can run but it''d be the same as charging out into uncharted land; we''d be losing the only advantage we have once we leave. Who knows how dangerous the outlying areas are..."


    "It''s safe to say that the further we depart from the Heaven''s Gate, the more dangerous it''ll get... Either way, the situation''s fucked.. ."


    Whispers floated around here and there amongst the group and many felt an imminent sense of danger. For the vast majority of the group, it was the first time that they''d brushed so closely with death. It was starting to seriously affect morale, something that Reed and his friends quickly picked up on.


    He needed to act now before everything spiraled down into something uncontrollable.


    Reed stood up and clapped his hands softly, subduing the chaotic Anima in the area down tightly with his will. A little trick that he cheaply copied off of Ulbo from before.


    "I''m pretty sure it''s attracted to me, so I''ll catch its attention and drag it away from the city. The storm should subside enough for the transponder to work in this area once it leaves, right? I just need to keep it distracted long enough for help to arrive."


    I can probably hurt it with my newfound power, probably.... At the very least, I''m sure I can piss the damn thing off enough that it''ll chase me instead. ....This is by far the dumbest idea I''ve ever had, period.


    The group went quiet when Reed spoke up and explained his little plan . A variety of expressions formed on their faces; some looked genuinely astonished for the wrong reason , some appeared wholly indifferent, and others looked entirely unconvinced, even frustrated with his so-called plan.


    The first one to speak up was Astor, who appeared to be annoyed more than anything. He massaged his head and said, "Listen, I know you want to make up for what you did, but killing yourself isn''t the best way to atone for your mistake. We all know you''re more than gifted than us with Anima, but even you can''t hope to stand a chance against that monstrosity."


    Horatio backed up Astor and calmly said, "You''re not thinking rationally, Reed. Don''t let your emotions get the best of you, even in the face of adversity. We need to focus our efforts on creating a realistic plan that''ll give us the highest chance of survival. A suicide mission isn''t it."


    Reed slowly shook his head and said, "I''m not trying to be a hero, trust me. I''m not going to fight that thing to death if that''s what you think I want to do. I understand the risks . I''m going to bait it away, and play it defensively until the big boys arrive to clean up my mess." He started channeling Anima around himself in preparation. Time was running out.


    Astor was about to say something back in response, but Lu''um interjected before he could let out a single word. She looked at everyone and said, "He can do it, despite what you might think of his abilities. It''ll give us a chance to call for help, not only for us but also for the rest of us that aren''t here. You understand what I mean, yes?"


    Unfortunately, not everyone had made it to the outpost yet; some trainees were still out there in the city, all alone in the midst of the storm. God forbid they were in the creature''s direct path, or in close vicinity. The fate one would suffer under the effects of the Lesser Nightmare''s miasma was a terrible thing that left one wishing for the mercy of a swift death.


    Ophelia never made it... She''s still out there, somewhere in the city right now...


    Reed couldn''t stand the idea of becoming guilty for an innocent''s death. It was one thing for him to suffer for the consequences of his actions, but another person suffer in his stead was unacceptable to him.


    He hated the idea of owing people anything and getting others involved with his mistakes down to the core of his soul. Nevertheless, he always seemed to be in the debt of others in some form, much to his dismay.


    More than anything, he always sought to be clear of any kind of debt that might tie him down. It was an irrational desire that stemmed from somewhere that he couldn''t identify.


    "Once you lure it away far enough, we''ll use the transponder to locate the remaining people that haven''t arrived yet, since this is a special emergency," said Lu''um. She walked over to Reed and whispered in his ear, "I''ll stay here and keep them all safe, so don''t worry about us. Aim for the heart on the other side , if you can."


    He knew better than question her advice and said, "Yeah, sure. I''ll do that if I don''t get myself killed. Wish me luck... " Reed nodded at Astor and his friends and said, "I''ll leave the rest to you guys. Sorry for making you guys help me clean up my mess," and reluctantly threw himself off the skyscraper.


    I''ll make it up to them when this is over... If the old goat doesn''t kill me first, that is. He couldn''t imagine what Axtorius was going to do to him. It was definitely concerning, to say the least...


    A single band of light charged into the storm straight towards the center of madness as the people in the outpost observed silently. The further the speck of light flew away from them, the smaller it got until it was completely obscured by the heavy storm.


    Seconds passed until the turned into minutes. Tense silence reigned until a horrifying roar reached their ears. It''d begun.


    A bright, piercing beam of radiance cut through the dark storm and raced into the sky, burning a hole through the sky. Soon after, an awful, booming cry of pain resounded across the city, shattering windows and smaller buildings around it.


    The massive shadow writhed in anger and lightning crackled, as if in response to its fury. The storm intensified and the creature called upon heaven above for help. Enormous tendrils of toxic, unearthly energy crawled through the cracks in the sky and shot down towards a particular section of the city, destroying many buildings in the process.


    In response, another radiant beam of light, stronger the previous one, shot out of the storm and pierced through the creature again, cutting through the cloud layer above.


    Slowly, but surely, the creature inched further and further away from the outpost as the battle raged on between Reed and the creature. Occasionally, the ground would tremble and the sky would churn furiously as dark energy poured down like rain, but it never reached the observers in the outpost.


    The further they got away from the fight, the harder it was for them to observe its progression. Eventually, the worst of the storm had receded into the background. Though off in the distance, one could still feel the tremors caused by the ongoing fight. Even from afar, the chaotic waves of Anima still reached them, albeit less intensely.


    Astor stared at the fight in the distance and said, "He''s kept his part of the deal, so now it''s our turn. Turn on the transponder, Astrid. We''ve got work to do before the fleet arrives."


    Astrid and Horatio immediately sprung into action. They started organizing teams out of the trainees and began issuing the necessary orders to their new subordinates. They knew that they working on borrowed time; no one knew how long Reed could keep the monster occupied.


    Lu''um gazed at the storm with an indifferent expression, despite how she really felt. She tightly clutched onto a brilliant, colorful feather that glowed weakly ¡ª something she''d stolen from Reed ¡ª and let out a deep sigh.


    The feather continued to lose its radiance until it completely dimmed and then turned into ash as it slipped through her fingers.


    I really wish it''d hadn''t come to this. To think that I''d be the one to wake up that no-good she-devil. This is likely the work of karma, as much as I''d like to deny it.


    She hated it but knew that it was for the best given the current circumstances. Waking her would at least guarantee that he wouldn''t die.


    Trading an evil for another evil isn''t really winning, though. Lu''um sighed again.


    She really hated the Lady of Fate down the marrow of her bones and considered her a scheming whore. One day, she''d drag that annoying bitch and pay her back for everything...

 50 Severing the Connection

    It was an amazing sight from afar as a lonesome stroke of radiant light charged into a landscape of darkness. Amidst the pouring rain, the howling wind, and the encroaching darkness, a single ray of hope defied the odds.


    Eras of strife and despair often birthed heroes; These were individuals who stood up to the challenges that defined that period. These champions usually come in many forms, but they all shared a particular characteristic. An aspect that made them unique.


    The closer he got to the gargantuan entity, the more he felt the aura of death, or rather something else¡­ an essence of stagnation. Every thought that ran through his mind screamed at him to run as far as he could. That it was hopeless and that he was only sending himself to meet a horrible end.


    It wasn''t that they were all strong; every hero has had a moment of weakness, a time when they were at their most vulnerable.


    Even so, he approached the unknown beast and prepared himself for a fight to the death. Reed had lied to Astor ¡ª he was going to play the hero this time, even if it cost him his life. He''d hold back the shadowy figure no matter the cost. It was the least he could do for everyone at the outpost. And even though Reed actually wanted to flee, he knew that he wouldn''t. Something deep inside told him that he''d never live the shame down for the rest of his life. It''d eat at him until he died.


    It wasn''t that they were all courageous; not every hero is fearless in the face of adversity, as much as they''d like you to believe.


    It wasn''t that they were all charismatic; unfortunately, not everyone is born a natural leader, capable of drawing in allies. Some heroes have acted alone because they could not lead others.


    It was a sight that couldn''t even put into words properly... It was a tower made of raw, pulsating flesh that squirmed and contracted as if it were alive. An endless amount of twitching corpses were strewn across the tower''s surface, half-fused into the tower itself. The true height of the atrocious construct was much taller than anything he could have expected. It pierced the cloud-wall and extended much further than previously imagined, far into the sky where Reed could not see...


    Across the length of the accursed tower, massive bulging, red eyes stared at him and malformed mouths gnawed on Anima nonstop, converting it into the miasma that Lu''um had warned him about. The amorphous tower of flesh wriggled and a deep growl escaped through the tower''s many mouths. It struggled for a moment and as a result, the deep growl grew in pitch until it sounded like something resembling a gnarled, ominous voice.


    No, heroes had their flaws and burdens. They just knew how to hide their defects when it came time to perform their duties. They understood that the act took precedence over everything else.


    A wave of noxious miasma spewed forth when it opened its many mouths as it spoke a twisted tongue unknown to Reed. He quickly summoned his aegis and backed far away from the corrosive poison it had tossed out.


    " Sian ur sha aththia''tag ghhaaft, shuun iat ang atthala xuia'' nuta''aftfta rasa.. ." said the tower as it intently gazed upon Reed. It did not move and simply observed Reed as if it was waiting for him to respond.


    Reed was about to respond back to the monstrosity, but someone unexpectedly beat him to it. A soft, feminine voice clearly spoke with a loud, frigid tone and said, " Yuia ghuftft nus sanls anusha'' hau'' ur sha ghhaaft, at ftung at I ftu''a! "


    A beam of condensed radiance shot out of his cloak and slashed the tower of flesh, piercing through it and the sky in defiance. The tower groaned in pain and then released a horrifying screech of anger in response to the sudden attack. It was too late for any form of dialogue now, so Reed hurriedly backed away and flew as fast as he could down into the city to hide.


    Reed quickly gazed down at his cloak when he behind a half-destroyed building as he contemplated on whether or not he''d get rid of his cloak. Is this why Lu''um wanted to seal this cloak away? Because something is sleeping inside of it? Is this she meant by dangerous¡­. This is pretty damn crazy for a damn cloak, even if it is enchanted¡­ Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    The feminine voice from before spoke again and said, "I am no simple cloak, you buffoon! I am the Mantle of the Sky, the greatest Armament that has ever existed, and your gracious savior. Had it not been for my timely intervention, you would have probably been lured into that disgusting worm''s trap. You''re extremely lucky I woke up in time, or we''d both be damned to roam an inescapable abyss forever! Heaven have mercy, I almost had a panic attack when I woke up and saw that you were that close to that damn bottom-feeding piece of filth."


    Something about the way she talked irked him; she sounded holier-than-thou in an incredibly abrasive way, even though her voice sounded sweeter than honey. It felt like he was being coldly berated by an angel from heaven, in a certain way¡­ He hated her snobbish, condescending tone above all else. She sounded like one of those insufferable know-it-all types that loved to rub their knowledge on other people''s faces.


    Reed snorted coldly and said, " Oh, please . You make me sound like a defenseless newborn that can''t even recognize friend from foe. I am very much aware that the giant fucking meat tower is malicious ¡ª you act as if I was going to hug and sing a merry song with it."


    "That so? And here I thought that you inherited his stupidity too along with his damned face. Isn''t this a nice little surprise, eh? Well, it isn''t that surprising considering you''re her kid¡­ Her intelligence must have negated, or least balanced the moronic qualities you''ve inherited from him. Excellent, this''ll work out splendidly then."


    The cloak started glowing brilliantly and numerous golden symbols appeared on its surface all of sudden, and the surrounding Anima swirled around it in response to the cloak''s summons. "Listen up, boy. You don''t stand a chance of beating it yourself as you are right now, so I''ll be doing the heavy lifting this time. You don''t want to die, yes? Neither do I; I still have something I need to do and need you alive for that. All you have to do is obey my instructions and we''ll take care of this filthy pissant in a jiffy. Be a good boy-toy, and I''ll even reward you should you behave well¡­"


    Reed grit his teeth in frustration and promised himself that he''d give the cloak to Lu''um once this was over, but he knew that he couldn''t be picky right now. His friends were in danger and that took priority over feelings at the moment¡­


    "Fine," he spat out, "What do you need me to do?" He''d take the deal even if it meant having to submit to the condescending woman.


    "I''m going to be gathering Anima and channeling it through the mantle to boost your natural abilities to my level for a brief period. Your job will be to find the worm''s heart and sever the connection it has to this world by using an attack laced with my aura. Should you succeed, that detestable cretin will lose its anchor here and be forced back outside once more, where it belongs."


    What is their duty, you ask? Heroes are tasked to inspire hope in their fellow men, even in the darkest times. To do this, one needs a certain measure of resolve, a driving force to make them stand up and challenge the odds.


    "Lu''um said the same thing, but never explained how to do it¡­ How will I know where this heart is supposed to be?! Have you seen how massive that thing it is? It could be anywhere and I don''t know where I''d even start looking." Reed peeked out of the corner of the building he was hiding behind as he observed the frightening waves of Anima that had begun roiling off of the creature. It was likely preparing itself¡­.


    "Isn''t it obvious? All of the Anima it devours has to travel through its heart for it to be converted into the filth that it spews out. Follow the Anima pathways within it and you''ll find the heart. That''s all there is to it."


    ".....Right. By the way, my name''s Reed, so can you stop calling me boy? It''s annoying being addressed like that, you know. Also, I don''t think I''ve done enough to warrant your attitude, don''t you think? Why are you acting so damn hostile even though we''re going to be partners in just a minute?"


    His irritation had finally reached its peak, to the point that he couldn''t hold himself in check anymore. Enough was enough. He would not take this level of sass from a goddamned cloak, enchanted or not.


    Reed had low standards for himself, but even he couldn''t tolerate this ¡ª getting talked down by a magic cloak, a piece of magical clothing, was too much for him. There was a limit to his patience.


    "A-Ahem, I suppose, I was acted a little brash for a first introduction. I''m sorry about that, it''s just¡­. I had a falling out of sorts with someone not too long ago and because of that, well, life hasn''t been too cheery for me. I shouldn''t have taken my frustration on you; after all, you aren''t to blame for anything¡­" Rays of brilliant, golden light shone out from the cloak and melded together in complex shapes like puzzle pieces until a beautiful figure formed out of them.


    Reed''s eyes nearly popped out their sockets when he saw her. She was the definition of ethereal beauty; a single look at her let him know that she possessed an unnatural level of charm. He would even go as far as to label her appearance a curse rather than a gift. Any lesser man who''d look upon her visage would likely become a prisoner to her in an instant, were they weak in spirit and will.


    "My name is¡­ Lacrima, Daughter of Heaven . I was summoned ¡ª created to serve as an emissary for the Will of the World and as a partner for the Successor of the Sixth Sun ," she quietly said with a torn expression.


    "You, who will right the wrongs of your predecessor, The Man Who Forsook the Stars , the previous owner of the sacred name, Ka''an . I will be your guiding light and compass for when you survey eternity on the other shore."


    Oh, nooo. I''ve got yet another girl who loves to speak in riddles in my hands. I''ve hit the jackpot, again¡­ W-Well, she''s not that bad, I suppose. Although we started off rocky at first, I can at least tell that she isn''t a bad person at heart¡­


    Reed shook his head and said, "So all I need to do is find the heart and cut it away from the rest of the body, right? I can handle that much, if that''s all I have to do," A loud, ear-piercing screech shook the city; It was doing something. "Looks like our time''s up. Let''s get this over with, I''ve got places to be."


    Indeed... all heroes share this fascinating trait ¡ª The will to live; to move forward and fight.


    Anima shimmered in response to his will and waves of righteous light gathered around him like a protective shroud. When she disappeared back into the cloak, he felt as if she had connected with him and suddenly felt the incoming rush of power she''d talked about. It was a euphoric sensation, unlike anything he''d ever experienced in his life. Reed felt his senses expanding at an incredible rate; a completely new world had suddenly been opened to him. It was as if his ability to manipulate Anima had grown a hundred times in the span of an instant.


    He felt genuine awe and fear; he realized that he was now capable of doing much more with Anima than before. So much more. With a single thought, he could bend the world until it screamed in pain.


    "I can do this." Reed channeled an astonishing amount Anima into himself and then launched himself with enough force that some surrounding buildings around him even collapsed from the aftershock. A massive wave of Anima blew across the rest of the city as if a bomb had gone off, startling both friend and foe alike.


    The tower roared in rage when it detected the holy aura around Reed and loudly screeched, " Wa thaftft ialun sha sh''una ur haa''an su gaftu''a'' lianuthnans su sha raftta hau''! " The sky trembled in protest as numerous tendrils of dark energy descended upon the city. Each one was easily larger than even the tallest building and carried with it the stench of corruption and death.


    As soon as they forcibly pierced through the cloud-layer, they started their assault on Reed. Some tendrils reached out to grab and restrain him, and others split and morphed into hideous beings, intent on tearing him into pieces as they charged towards him. A host of abyssal creatures eagerly from beyond the void eagerly welcomed the lone boy to struggle against them, their contorted faces smiling in twisted delight. T hey wanted to fight.


    Reed could not have possibly been more disgusted as charged into the maelstrom of chaos. He swore to himself that he''d purge every single one of them. With a single thought, he summoned an enormous sea of holy flames and sent it towards the horde. Screams of fury resounded as the horde did their best to avoid the oppressive heat and purity from Reed''s attack, but it had traveled far too fast for them to dodge in time. A hole had been formed in their ranks of the horde, filled only with ashes and remnant scraps of light.


    The horde immediately realized underestimated their enemy and took the lesson to heart; they hurriedly dispersed and adopted different tactics to keep themselves from suffering the same fate as their former comrades. Stronger abyssal creatures summoned wards of corrupted Anima around themselves and other conjured weapons formed out of the surrounding miasma. The weaker abyssals ran into the surrounding buildings for cover to wait for an opportunity to strike from the shadows¡­


    They were not mindless scum like the Infested, which operated on instinct; No, these malformed fiends had sentience and a corrupted will of their own. Reed''s indifferently gazed at the scurrying fiends and made a mental note of it ¡ª He''d have to more pay attention around these ones. The filthier they were, the smarter they''d get, it seemed¡­ but it didn''t matter. He''d still purge them all.


    Reed charged through the hole in the defenses he''d made with his attack and forced the Anima around him to bend to his will. Anima began around him began spinning around him at an ever-increasing speed and tornado of pure Anima formed. All it needed now was a single match to set it off. He snapped one of his fingers and set it aflame with Lacrima''s converted Anima. The ignited vortex of holy flame would continue feeding on the surrounding Anima and would continue growing until Reed stopped it himself.


    He decided that it was simply for the best to burn the entire city district down to the base. Let the fire grow until it had consumed and purged all of the filth in the area. It was up to him to clean up the mess he''d made, so he''d do it efficiently. The vortex of flame quickly grew hotter and larger as it continued devouring Anima, sweeping across the city district as if it was a swarm of locusts, eating Anima and burning everything it touched into ash and cinder.


    When Reed heard a cacophony of deafening screams, he knew that he wouldn''t have to worry about them anymore. Now he''d be able to focus on his prey without worry. The hideous tower stood alone in agony as his flames ate away at its surface without end. A litany of unintelligible curses poured out of its mouths as it gathered Anima. Reed knew that it was likely going to attack. Only by following the path that Anima coursed through it would he find its heart. He would have to gamble ¡ª if he spent too long searching, it''d finish preparing its attack.


    Should he fail, he''d have to repeat the process again from the start, that is, if he hadn''t died yet. The tower was not like the cannon fodder it had summoned. With his heightened prowess, he was capable of seeing and understanding much more than before. It was connected to a source of infinite power on the other side and was likely an immortal entity. This was far beyond his pay grade, to say the least. Even with his strength, he was still wary of being hit by anything that it could create.


    It seemed that Lacrima had noticed his concerns and whispered, "I can probably block one or two of its attacks if I have to but I can''t guarantee anything more than that. It''ll win for sure if you let it to this battle into one of attrition. The only reason we stand a chance of winning is because this is just an avatar, an incarnation of its true self¡­" Ribbons of soft light sprung out of his cloak and wrapped around his right arm until they covered a majority of it.


    "I''ve finished preparations; all you need to do is feel out its heart and point to where it is. I''ll handle the rest, and we''ll be done with this mess."


    Easier said than done. Reed shut his eyes, blocked off his remaining senses, and began focusing on the Anima that surged around him. It was easy enough following the Anima to the tower, but it became a headache after that. Following the pathways inside of the gigantic tower was a nightmare; streams of Anima overlapped, traveled in nonsensical directions and sometimes disappeared entirely, much to his frustration. It was an unorganized labyrinth of pathways that lacked any hint of order or structure.


    Time was running out. He needed to find the heart now or else it''d finish gathering Anima. Luckily, he''d stumbled upon a possible lead, a powerful stream of Anima. It was far larger than any of the previous pathways he discovered before. It was what he needed most, a small hope to cling onto. He hurriedly followed the pathway and discovered an even larger pathway that led him to what he wanted the most.


    Where most might lay down and surrender themselves to fate, heroes rise from the ashes of conflict and despair to give people hope.


    It was right there in all of its terrible majesty, the heart of the Nightmare. The connection that anchored it to the world. All he needed to do was sever it and his work would be complete. Reed opened his eyes, pointed at the heart''s location and said, "I found the damn thing, it''s right there. Finish this."


    To make them believe that there will be another day. That not all is lost.


    "With pleasure," said Lacrima and a beam of holy light slashed the tower''s heart in a single blow, piercing through it and sky behind it. The attack left a massive gaping hole that left Reed flabbergasted. That sort of firepower could have probably destroyed the entire city had he pointed the beam at it.


    The creature went silent after its heart had been ripped out and did not move again after that. It started hardening and turned black until it looked like an obscene tower straight out of hell. The storm subsided not too long after the connection with the tower''s true self had been removed.


    It was over, for now. Reed had accomplished what sought to do; that was good enough for him in his book. He let out a deep sigh and murmured, "That''s enough excitement for the today¡­ Let''s go back and check up on every¡ª"


    An abrupt spatial tremor shook the city just as he was about to finish his sentence and a giant ripple of Anima swept over the sky, dyeing it blood-red. "An omen of evil, no doubt," thought Reed as he gazed at the burning sky. A moment later, a painful, grating noise struck his ears; it sounded like two pieces of metal scraping on each other violently.


    In the distance, a massive tear in the sky opened up like someone had wounded the world itself. Reed gazed at the ominous scene and quietly said, "I might''ve spoken too soon. This day just won''t seem to end¡­"


    Lacrima chimed in and replied, "It would''ve been a lot shorter had you not messed up, though. You''re welcome, by the way. You know, for cleaning up your mess."


    "...."


    Ah, she''s started up again with that no-good attitude. I''m going to have to teach this damn cloak a lesson she''ll never forget.


    Reed swore that he''d take the cloak to a tailor after he made back home. Maybe they''d be able to cut her ego down to a manageable size¡­

 51 The Return Back Home

    A menacing, giant slab of titanium and steel emerged out of void after the spatial tear had stabilized. It roughly intruded into real-space, forcibly breaking through subspace with enormous amounts of energy, resulting in the horrifying noise that Reed had heard earlier. The Longinus had arrived.


    Reed''s tome suddenly winked into life as soon the warship emerged out of the spatial tear, notifying him that he''d been connected to FLEETNET, the Mulian military network for high-ranking officers. A single message had been sent to his inbox.


    Get your asses in the goddamned ship NOW, before I come to get you all myself. ESPECIALLY YOU, REED.


    ¡ªAxtorius Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    3 Hours Later¡ª¡ª


    "How are you feeling, buddy? Where''d you get that cloak? Pick it up in the city? Looks nice on you. Oh, right. Do you have any injuries you''d like me to examine? No need to be shy. You''ve been through a lot, well, for a trainee, you know¡­" said a young doctor. He curiously observed the specimen in front of him as if it were some rare, mythical creature from a forgotten time as he scribbled on an old notebook.


    Doctor Sephinus seemed far too interested in Reed, even if he was a medical professional. The way he observed him reminded of him the way cats would stare at mice, as if he were an interesting new toy for him to play around with. Reed sighed. It looked like he''d have to put up with it for a while longer until the bastard was finally satisfied¡­


    A frigid voice suddenly said, "That''s enough of your nonsense, Sephinus. Don''t even think for a second that I don''t know what you''re thinking. Find something else to keep yourself occupied." Axtorius strolled into the room and grabbed Reed by the collar of his uniform as if he were a rag doll and said, "Playtime''s over, brat. We''re leaving. Boy oh boy, do we have a lot to talk about. "


    Axtorius dragged him across the ship''s halls until they arrived in an extremely dark room that only had a single, dim light inside. It looked like an interrogation room from a bygone era when men used to verbally threaten suspects for answers. Reed chuckled in amusement and said, "I knew you were old, but I didn''t know you were that old . Come on, now." Needless to say, Axtorius ignored Reed''s nonsense and threw him inside and locked the door behind them.


    "Take a seat, kid, because this is going to take a while. We''re lucky that I was the first to get here, or else we''d both be fucked to hell and back, I reckon, given what you''ve done today. Even still¡­" Axtorius sighed deeply; he knew that''d this time it''d be much, much harder to hide what actually happened today. It wouldn''t be like before. The entire test had been under military supervision from the start, unlike the other tests that the trainees had done.


    "Listen closely, you fool. This entire city has been under the military''s watch from the start, so anything that happened out there during your test has already been recorded. As soon as we entered the city, the automated surveillance network we have here has been sending us everything it has picked up in the last seventy-two hours. Do you understand? The reports that I''ve been getting are¡­ highly unsettling ."


    From the start?! Fuck. That means¡­. he knows everything I''ve done! Ahhhhh!!! It''s over, I''m finished¡­.


    A cold sweat formed on Reed and he said, "Look, I can explain, I swear! It''s not what it looks, trust me! I just¡­" As much as he wanted to rattle off an excuse, Axtorius''s hawk-like gaze would not permit him. Reed knew then and there that if he tried weaseling his way out this time, he''d suffer a grim fate. The old goat wasn''t playing around this time. He was dead serious.


    "Hmm? Oh, so you were going to tell me that you and Maya disappeared from the entire surveillance network for approximately four seconds? Even though it should be completely impossible for anything with an Anima signature to hide from our multi-trillion credit, state-of-the-art, surveillance network? Or what, the part where you singlehandedly killed a Class-A Extra-dimensional Entity? Or were you talking about the part where we detected a sudden ten-thousand fold increase in Anima density around you for approximately seven minutes? "


    "..........Yeah, all of that," mumbled Reed as he looked around the darkroom as he tried his best to avoid Axtorius''s deadly sharp gaze.


    Axtorius slowly said, "What do you have to say for yourself? Do you even have anything to say in your defense? "


    "....I-I was obviously going to tell you about everything, honest! Look, it''s not my fault! I don''t actively look for trouble, I mean it! More than often, trouble comes to find me! You know I''m right; you''ve seen what usually happens to me on any given day! I''m the victim here!"


    "There''s only so much I can do until things get out of hand, you know," said Axtorius as he brought up a small, but detailed hologram of the city. "The most I can do is edit some of the timestamps on the recordings and overwrite some of the more¡­. pressing recordings in the network before other ships start arriving. Even now as we speak, the Longinus is at work on cleaning up the corpse of the Class-B+ you killed." The tiny hologram displayed a miniature version of the Longinus as it hovered above the corpse of the Lesser Nightmare."


    "¡­Class-B+? Is that what you call them? Sounds rather informal, to be honest," said Reed as he stared at the hologram. It seemed that the Lesser Nightmare was being torn to pieces in order for it to be transported in the Longinus itself. As to why the corpse was being stored was beyond Reed''s imagination. He personally found it disgusting that they wanted to take the damn thing, no matter the reason.


    "These organisms do not belong to any known tree of life that we know about, even amongst the thousands of races that inhabit Mulia. We also know, at the very least, that these¡­ entities are not native to this universe as we understand it. Multiple in-depth studies have proven that these foreign entities are made up of particles that should not be present in the universe, according to our comprehensive understanding of physics. These entities do not even possess the concept of a soul . We rank these extra-dimensional entities from E to A++ in terms of their threat potential to Mulia as a whole."


    "So, what are we going to do? After you scrub the evidence, are we going to leave? I''d prefer to not stay any here longer than here than required," said Reed. He wanted to head back into Mulia and relax a bit, give himself time to reflect on what he''d learned and what he''d do next¡­.


    "After we recover the corpse of the Class-B+, we''ll be heading back, hopefully, before anyone gets here to question us. Then, I''ll grant you and the rest of the group full access to SHADOWEYE , a private intelligence network designed for contenders and conquerors. The next day, I''ll officially register you all into our central database, giving you the status of fully-fledged contenders," said Axtorius. His eyes narrowed like a hawk''s when he finished his sentence; it gave Reed the impression that he had more than to say, but he remained quiet.


    "You do know that as soon as you graduate, I won''t be able to cover you nearly as much before, right? That, and the fact that you''ll likely be bombarded with invitations by numerous interested parties and organizations the moment you leave the Spire, yes? Whether you like it or not, your life is about to become much more complicated than you realize. Though I suspect, you''ll be running into the fire yourself before long¡­ "


    Reed shrugged his shoulders and said, " No way that''ll ever happen. Can''t I just hide in some remote place and let things pass by? The Four Sovereigns seem to be able to do it. I''m not interested in power struggles and the political ambitions that plague the continent."


    Axtorius bitterly laughed and said, "Is that so, kid. You might think that you''re untouchable and unrelated to the strife in Mulia, but before long, you''ll end up embroiled in it all the same. I guarantee it. After all, misery loves company and you, my boy, are beloved by misery.


    The ship suddenly trembled and groaned in protest, shaking the pitiful light in the room and Axtorius smirked. "Looks like we''ve won this time. Hear that? That''s the sound of the ship entering subspace, which means that we''ve already left. My last worry has passed with this, so we''ll be able to breathe easily from now on." He walked over, opened the room''s door and said, "Go get some rest; we''ll be back home in a couple of hours."


    The Longinus amassed a gross amount of Anima and its engines sputtered into life, tearing a hole in space-time with incredible brutality. And so, the ship forced itself into the beyond and left the ruined city in a single instant. A massive wake of Anima rippled across the city and beyond when it left, breaking an enormous hole in the endless cloud wall that enshrouded the planet.


    The heavens above did not glitter or shine in the slightest when the clouds were parted¡­ in fact, nothing at all could be seen. There was only darkness. Pure, unfiltered darkness. Not a single star shone in the sky. Not a single ray of light could be seen. It would simpler to say, that the sun had disappeared from the heavens.


    If one peered into the blackened sky closely, three immense silhouettes could be seen faintly. They hovered above the planet in the sea of darkness, waiting for the promised time when they would shine once more¡­ as they observed the Longinus flee back into the Heavenly Aegis.


    Suddenly, space rumbled quietly and a silver ship silently exited from subspace into real-space. It silently hovered above the city, where the Longinus had been only moments ago. It bore the name Carnwennan . Inside the ship''s command center, sat a young man no older than Reed himself on the captain''s chair.


    He absent-mindedly focused on reading an old leather book until one of his crewmen informed him that they had arrived. His long silver hair, sharp golden eyes, and beautiful face gave one the impression that he''d been born as the son of goddess rather than by mortal men. Even the aura that came off him felt regal and holy, making lesser, weaker men nervous in his presence.


    "Master Kanosis, we''ve detected an Anima wake in the vicinity. It''s signature matches that of the Longinus , the personal warship of Lord Axtorius."


    The young man indifferently said, "Check the records on the surveillance network and send all the archived data for the last seventy-two hours." He checked the information on the quickly realized that it had been tampered with as he had suspected. He snorted and murmured, "Trying to hide the truth from me, old man?"


    "Use my father''s access and search the privileged surveillance records for the last seventy-two hours instead. The public records have been compromised. Make sure to erase all the records for the last week after you finish downloading everything. Both public and private."


    It was slightly different this time when he searched through the records. Even so, the private records had also been tampered with to some extent. The young man had a small smile on his face when he finally found what he wanted. A tiny hologram of a cloaked boy faintly glimmered as he walked around the abandoned city alone. He looked somewhat cautious as he traversed the ruined streets of an empty neighborhood.


    The young man stared at the hologram as he contemplated what he''d do when he finally met him. He''d been waiting a very long time for him to finally arrive. Not only him. His siblings had also waited long enough for him.


    "You''ve finally arrived, dear brother. I hope you''re ready to meet us¡­. because we''re all dying to meet you. "


    The Carnwennan''s engines winked on and it quietly slipped into subspace, leaving no trace that it had ever even been there...

 52 The Lord of Evergreen

    The ancient forest shuddered under the brilliance of the sun as it came up from beneath the horizon. Glistening drops of dew infused with Anima formed on the leaves of the trees, giving them a fantastical, otherworld appearance. A view from afar who saw the forest would see a resplendent aura, a transient halo of glittering beauty for a moment.


    Eventually, the sun would rise and the dewdrops would evaporate and so too, would the breathtaking sight until the next day came.


    A certain boy had grown accustomed to the morning sight and relished the magnificence of nature. He had never been fortunate enough to witness such a thing in his previous word.


    In his world, he was usually awoken by the bitter arguments that his next-door neighbors would have. The first thing he''d usually hear was, "You don''t like my cooking?!! Why don''t you have that whore of yours cook for you then!!" and the crisp sound of shattering glass.


    These days, things were different. A young maid walked into a lofty bedroom that looked far too big for anyone to inhabit. It was excessively large even for a master bedroom, as if the architect wanted this room to be for giants. She secretly found it amusing that it had become the bedroom of her new master, a young boy who was no older than her.


    She wondered how he had come into possession of the Evergreen Estate, her original master''s property. It was one of the Kingscrown family gems, a secret manor that had been built during the Unification Era as a hideaway for the royal family. Located in a highly guarded area of the Eternal Forest, the manor sat next to a serene lake that possessed a unique ability to ward off monsters in the area.


    It was a place far removed from the evil claws of monsters, the scheming aristocracy, and misery. A small slice of heaven on earth that few would ever know about. And now¡­ it belonged to someone she''d never heard about.


    I still can''t believe that Lady Violett willingly gave him the Evergreen Estate as a graduation present. Not only that but a noble title, too!


    He had been bestowed the rank of a Lord and the personal title of Evergreen. Henceforth, he would be referred to as Lord Evergreen of the Eternal Forest. But astonishingly, the boy despised it and hated the title to the bone, to the point he even asked the manor''s staff to refer to him by his name, of all things!!


    Mira sighed. It looked like her life was about to get harder now with her new master. She quietly strolled over to the other side of the massive bedroom and approached the gigantic bed like a specter, her footsteps quieter than her master''s gentle breathing.


    The new mistress of the house was an oddball, for sure. She had never spoken to anyone other than the master since they''d arrived several months ago. The way she ignored anyone other than the master was extremely peculiar, even for some like Mira who''d served many nobles in her lifetime.


    It was as if she did not register anyone other than the master as a living being. She cared for everyone else as much as she''d care for a blade of grass or a pebble on the road. As if everything else was just a thing ¡ª an object or decoration. It was a type of cold indifference that she''d never seen in her life.


    It wasn''t spiteful or malicious, it was¡­ she possessed a completely different mindset than everyone else. It wasn''t normal in the slightest.


    "...¡­" Mira gazed at the sleeping pair and wondered where these oddballs had come from. They did not belong. They were different.


    "¡­Master Reed, it''s time to wake up," said Mira as she lightly shook her master.


    Reed groaned in protest but after enough prodding, he finally opened his eyes and woke up. He let out a long yawn and said, "Mira, what time is it?


    "It''s half-past ten, Master Reed. Please make your way to the dining hall for breakfast when you are ready, milord. The Beauford, Tilato, Roseheart families have sent invita¡ª"


    "Mira, you already know what I''m about to say, right? Let''s not repeat ourselves anymore, okay?" said Reed.


    Mira paused for a moment and then said, "As you wish, milord. I will tell them that you have declined their invitations. I will be waiting for you at the dining hall, but please feel free to call me if you need me, milord." She slowly bowed and silently left the room, closing the door behind her on the way out.


    Reed silently observed Mira until she walked out of the bedroom and sighed when she finally left. Mira was incredibly beautiful for a maid, something that always made him feel awkward. She was also a non-human, which often had him staring at her unique physical traits, so to speak.


    She was Avunian, a race that always pleasant to the eye and was widely regarded as one of the fairer races on the continent. Her long pointy ears resembled that of the Elven race except they were semi-transparent near the ends. The Avunians also possessed unique eyes that changed color depending on the Anima quality in the environment.


    One of the oldest rumors was that they could even see other people''s emotions as colors, but Reed thought it to be than hearsay. Nevertheless, they were one of the first races to have been summoned to Mulia and were seemingly one of the fastest races to adapt to the presence of Anima.


    It''s still a pain in the ass being called "Master Reed" and "Milord", though¡­


    Right after Reed''s graduation, Violett barged in and forced a golden medallion upon him, telling him that she''d transferred the rights to a "quiet little house" that he''d be able to live in from now on. It wasn''t until later after he reached the Evergreen Estate, that he learned about what Violett did.


    He more or less understood why she did it ¡ª the noble rank and estate would serve as protection from those who would have tried to manipulate him by using his status against him.


    Although he was now a fully-fledged contender and possessed greater rights than the average commoner and noble family, it wouldn''t have been enough to protect him from the truly powerful families and organizations like the families that had a Marquis or Archeduke in their lineage. Royal families also posed a threat as well, although it was unlikely that they''d ever move against a single individual¡­


    Admittedly the rank of a lord was only above those who possessed a knighthood. No, it wasn''t his noble rank that was protecting him ¡ª it was his personal title as the esteemed owner of the Evergreen Estate of the Eternal Forest. It was a title reserved for royalty and yet, it had been passed down to him in an unexpected turn of events, something that had never happened the millennia-long history of the North.


    His link to the royal family was his shield, courtesy of Violett and for that, Reed was immensely grateful. He had no idea what kind of difficulties she must have gone to pass the Evergreen Estate to a commoner who wasn''t even a Mulian native. He was now in her debt, as much as he hated it. It was what infuriated him the most; he didn''t know how he''d repay her.


    How does one even repay someone like her, who has everything or could conceivably get anything she could ever want with ease? What can I even give her or do for her to pay back the favor¡­


    Reed groaned and pulled his bedsheets over his head in despair. Whether Reed liked it or not, he''d been protected from the storm but in return, he''d also been thrust into the world that the nobility resided. Sure, there was safety in the lion''s den, but for how long?


    "Mhmm¡­ Stop hogging the bedsheets, Ka''an¡­" said Lu''um as she pulled the bedsheets back towards her. She lazily grumbled, "¡­There''s more than enough to go around," and went back to sleep.


    Then don''t sleep in my damn bed, you insensitive little¡­! Don''t you know that guys need their own privacy too! Why can''t you understand a young man''s heart, despite being able to read my damn mind whenever you want?!!


    Lu''um lazily opened her eyes and said, "¡­Did you say something, Ka''an? I thought I heard you call me¡­" and fell asleep again before Reed could even answer. Sleeping beauty waited for no man, it seemed¡­


    Whatever, I guess it''s time to wake up, or else Mira will end up coming in here again. That girl loved living a strict life filled with rules, unlike her new lord¡­


    Well, shit. I guess it''s time for another day in paradise, I guess¡­


    Life was great if a bit strange. That was what Reed thought, at least¡­

 53 His Truths Are Many

    The sound of a single person''s yawn echoed across the pristine, regal halls of the Evergreen Estate. It was quite a sight to behold; the sublime, beautiful portraits of past Kingscrown family members, the highly expensive-looking furniture, and the ornate construction of, well, everything.


    In Reed''s eyes, everything looked like it probably cost several million credits, possibly more. His former street-rat mindset still remained even after he''d come into a fortune. It was his greatest asset back in the slums: hard-earned lessons that he followed in order to increase his chance of surviving a normal day in the worst parts of his hometown.


    If you don''t own something, don''t fucking touch it.


    If you want to get your beaten up or even killed, ignore this rule. Keep to yourself and keep what you own close to you¡­


    Showing off wealth is the same as pinning a target on your ass.


    There will always be someone who will want to have what you possess. Always. It follows then, that the best course of action is to never reveal what you possess¡­


    Above all else, practicality over aesthetics.


    A sword made of pure gold, embellished with all the realm''s finest gems may look gorgeous, but a solid steel or even iron sword will save your life in a fight. Let us not forget that you will also likely be killed for that golden sword if you had it, too. People have been killed for much less in the slums.


    He would have preferred something less extravagant, but it was a gift so he couldn''t really complain. After all, he had not spent a single credit on the goddamned manor; that was what he was happiest about.


    When he entered the dining hall, a suave, deep voice said, "Good morning, Master Reed. I take it that Lady Maya has not woken up yet, milord?"


    Reed nodded and said, "Yeah, same as always. Sleeping beauty probably won''t wake up for a while. Leave her be, or I''ll be the one to suffer."


    "As you wish, milord. I''ll have her meal put aside in the kitchens until she rises." The man gestured towards the long dining table and said, "Please take a seat, milord, the chefs will be here shortly with your morning meal.


    Arcano was a mysterious fellow that Reed had not been able to pin down since he''d arrived at the estate. He was the head butler and oversaw everyone who was employed at the estate. A man who did not express many emotions, if at all. Tall, dark and cold to the bone ¡ª a man who put his profession over everything else, even himself.


    Reed also noticed something very interesting the first time he''d met Arcano. An aura of Anima ¡ª a strong one at that, too. Weaker than old man Axtorius''s or Violett''s aura, but it was still much stronger than any piddling contender''s aura. He was undoubtedly a conqueror and yet, he was a butler¡­


    I mean, I get it. The Kingscrown family''s royalty and all, but I didn''t know that they were that powerful, to the point that they could hire someone like Arcano to be a fucking butler!


    To have the power to hire a living weapon of mass destruction¡­ serve breakfast and manage a bunch of mortal workers¡­ I-I can''t even¡­


    "¡­Say, Arcano¡­"


    "Yes, milord?"


    "How did someone like you en¡ª"


    A chill ran down his spine. Before he had even realized it, Mira had already entered the dining room as he pushed a gaudy-looking cart. He noticed that he never heard her enter the room until she was beside him. It often scared the living daylights out of him because he could never detect her presence.


    Reed didn''t understand why, but he sometimes felt a peculiar sensation when Mira looked at him. His back tingled and goosebumps formed on his arms like he''d been exposed to an instant chill.


    He wasn''t a fool and had thoroughly checked Mira out when he first experienced that unique sensation. She had a feeble Anima aura that was even weaker than a trainee''s aura. It was amazing that she even possessed an aura in the first place as a mortal. Reed guessed that it was likely due to the inborn affinity that her race possessed, though.


    "Master Reed, is something the matter?" said Mira as she blankly stared at Reed.


    "I just like looking at you, Mira. You''re always pleasing to the eye, haha¡­" Reed calmly smiled and said, "So, what''s for breakfast?"


    Violett''s servants were very unique individuals ¡ª it seemed that they all possessed secrets of their own. Reed did not know how to feel about that. He''d prefer to not have potential threats to his life work for him, but he trusted that the Kingscrown family would never hire an enemy assassin or spy into their ranks¡­


    Only time would tell whether he could trust them¡­ and the Kingscrown family.


    Nothing is for free. Nothing. You just haven''t been told the price yet.


    His code of truths had never failed him. They spoke to him whenever he felt something was wrong. He trusted them far more than he did himself¡­


    "¡­What do I think of them, Ka''an? They''re nothing special aside from a couple of little bugs that can easily be squashed. You should focus on more pressing matters, such as your training instead."


    A sleek, almost transparent spear made of Anima flew past Reed''s head and struck the ground with a deafening boom a couple of seconds later. It had, in fact, grazed so close to Reed that even cut several strands of his hair in the process.


    ¡­!!! Shit, shit, shit! That was way too close!! A-Ah, she''s even tougher than Violett when it comes to teaching!


    "This is child''s play, boy. In a literal sense. We''d train younglings to rely on their hidden eye instead of their physical senses like this in the past," said Lacrima. "Some enemies might use Anima to interfere with your body''s senses, which is why it is crucial to master using your hidden eye before we move onto anything more advanced."


    Reed stood in a circle made of Anima that acted as a perimeter for him, one that he could not leave. The goal of the training session was for him to rely purely on his hidden eye, the ability to sense and detect Anima. He was to block or parry the attacks that''d strike him by redirecting them away from him.


    Four invisible blades of Anima shot towards Reed from completely different directions. One flew at him from the front and another shot at him from the left. The third one came from the right. The remaining one silently flew as close to the ground as possible as it came in from the back like a snake. They flew at different speeds and possessed different amounts of Anima, making each one distinct from the others.


    The first three were a bit of a pain to detect but weren''t that hard to deal with. Reed quickly pushed them away by subtly changing their directions before they arrived. It was the fourth one that''d caught him unawares. By the time he realized that the fourth blade existed, it was already too late for him to push it off course. It''d take no more than a second or two for it to strike him.


    Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Reed gazed at the blade fly towards its target. It was much thinner than the previous blades and had an extremely faint aura, as if it were but a wisp of Anima shaped into a blade. This was an assassin''s blade, no doubt. He was lucky that it''d only been aimed at his legs, and not his heart or any other vital organs. He was positive that a swift and silent death awaited those who were kissed by this blade, presumably in dark alley or street.


    He''d been had. The blade was moving way too fast for him to catch at the moment. Re-directing would take too long, and it''d strike him long before he could even start moving it. Forming an aegis would take far too long as well, so he wouldn''t be able to defend himself either. The only left to do was brace himself and accept the blow. It was his loss.


    Reed closed his eyes and grit his teeth in preparation because he knew it was going to hurt like hell.


    "..."


    "..."


    "...¡­?"


    He still had not been struck. Something was wrong. Where was the pain?


    Reed opened his eyes and found that everything had become frozen. The blade was supposed to have struck him remained frozen in place, less than an inch away from his back legs. Lu''um had a disappointed expression on her face as she stood there like a statue. Even Lacrima remained silent and would not respond no matter how much he called out for her.


    "¡­Don''t worry about them, Reed. They''ll be fine, I promise."


    Reed jumped up in shock when he heard the solemn voice speak and turned towards it in apprehension. Only God itself knew what sort of being could stop time at will in such a ridiculous manner.


    A tall, hooded figure stood not too far away in the bleak world as he gazed at Reed like a spirit. He couldn''t detect any Anima within him or around him either. Not even a life-source, or even a heartbeat. He was dead. That''s what his senses were telling him, but he was still alive¡­ well, alive enough to speak and stop time itself.


    Reed knew that fighting the figure was hopeless, so he''d have to play it cool and said, "What do you want from me, ghost? Let me just say this: I don''t know what you want, but I probably don''t have it."


    The hooded figure bitterly chuckled and said, "I''m not here to take, but to give, Reed. To give you what you''ll need to survive, for both our sakes. Listen to my words and accept my small truth."


    As soon as he uttered the word ''truth'', it began. Like fingernails on a chalkboard or the screeches of a banshee, it came with a horrifying sensation. The truth scarred itself into Reed''s head until it was done.


    Not a single soul would ever hear Reed''s demented screams of horror as knowledge from a different time and place entered his mind. And that was likely for the best¡­


    Eventually, the damned process was done and Reed was released from his torment. The hooded figure said, "That was but a section of truth, and not the whole of it. There is still much for you to remember in order to fulfill our promise, mind you. Seek as much power as you can afford and beware of the lurking devil in this birdcage you live in. You cannot defeat as you are now¡­ unless you use her heart to purge it. Even then¡­"


    "Well, we''ll save this conversation for another time and another place since I can no longer hold this connection open. Farewell, Reed¡­"


    The ghost vanished into dust as Reed struggled to keep himself standing. The world seemed to tremble and groan in protest as Reed cradled his head in pain¡­


    And then, a faint urge formed inside of him, as if he was being compelled to saying something.


    And then, whispers spoke to him, telling him to speak the words stuck in his mouth.


    And then, the words he had bottled up in head found their way out.

 54 Elder Speech

    "Ssagnasa! F''aactha xuia''taftr un lftatha ang urra'' xuia''taftr su sha tsuftftnatt!"


    A violent, raging wave of Anima rushed out of Reed and permeated into anything it passed effortlessly. Whatever the wave touched instantly became rigid and lifeless, akin to stone. Everything around him froze in place, be it the trees, flowers, and animals, all the way down to the blades of grass around him.


    Even the wind had gone silent in the presence of the Anima wave. Nothing had been spared in the sudden outburst of power that Reed had summoned. The remaining Anima blade had also vanished into nothingness in the wake of the effect. Silence reigned across the land as Reed gazed upon his unintentional work in pure shock.


    Thankfully, the effects of his power did not last long and slowly faded away in a couple of seconds. It was as if the invisible grasp that had held everything in place could not persist for very long. The world trembled in protest and fiercely shook off the force that had constrained it. Life and motion quickly returned to his surroundings and everything returned back to normal.


    Lu''um simply stared at Reed with an unidentifiable expression in silence. Her eyes radiated a coldness that could freeze the devil himself in place as she cautiously gazed at Reed as a hunter would look at prey.


    "Speak, boy! Who has taught you the ways of Elder Speech?! Who has taught you the way to use Words of Power?! It is an affront to Heaven itself to use that knowledge without permission! Those who would freely use Elder Speech for their own reasons are rebels ¡ª traitors who have forsaken the world!" said Lacrima.


    "I-It wasn''t me! I don''t know what you''re talking about! The words just came out of my mouth after that bastard started messing with my head!" said Reed as he clutched his head in pain. It seemed that the effect of speaking whatever he had spoken came with a consequence of its own¡­


    "Who is this bastard you speak of? There is no one other than us here; I cannot detect the presence of a foreign intruder anywhere in the vicinity. Explain yourself quickly and clearly, boy. But for now, let us go somewhere private, where prying ears cannot reach us¡­"


    Two figures quietly gazed at the young boy out in the courtyard with differing expressions from the estate. They''d been warned beforehand by their previous master about the boy''s unique habit of creating unexpected events, but this was something else.


    He''d felt his heart stop beating all together when the Anima wave passed by him. His limbs had gone stiff and rigid like a corpse''s. Even his mind had slowed and stagnated under the effect of the boy''s power, unable to even think coherent thoughts. He, a veteran conqueror who ranked among the top five-hundred conquerors in the world, had been rendered a living vegetable by a child a fifteenth his own age.


    "We''ve been assigned to serve a very, very special master this time, huh¡­ What do you think, Mira? Is he good enough for you now?"


    Mira roughly said, "Where the hell did Lady Violett find this boy? Is he even human? With him, Lady Violett''s path to the throne is all but guaranteed. The Crown Prince and the Fellspring family are finished." Her face was abnormally flushed with excitement and interest as she gazed at Reed''s tiny figure in the courtyard.


    Arcano said, "I agree with you¡­ on the basis that he is not snuffed out before he matures. Dragon whelps are not threatening, but adult dragons on the other hand, haha¡­"


    "But that''s why we''re here, no? To make sure that no one touches Lady Violett''s dragon whelp. Can''t have someone kill or steal him away from us¡ª I mean, Lady Violett¡­"


    Reed grit his teeth and did the best he could to explain what had happened to him and the world from his perspective as he wrangled with the annoying, pounding headache that had arisen. About how time had frozen, about the hooded man and his cryptic warning, and about how he had messed with his mind and done something to it¡­


    "¡­Is it even possible for someone to affect the world on such a massive scale, even with Anima?" said Reed as he laid down on his bed in exhaustion.


    "Theoretically, yes. But the level of control and the amount of Anima required to perform such a thing would make it nigh-impossible for anyone to do it in reality. The only way to feasibly do it would be for someone to possess an extremely powerful tool or device to help them accomplish this. Even then, the user would need to have god-like skills in Anima manipulation," said Lacrima.


    Lu''um sighed and said, "¡­I know only two people skilled and foolish enough to have attempted what you have described, Ka''an. I can immediately rule out one of them with absolute certainty, which leaves us with¡­"


    "With who? Who''s this all-power person who''s gone out of his way to mess with me across time?"


    "An idiot. And the last, best hope of the universe. That was probably a message he left for you, Ka''an, to receive at a certain point in time. Only someone as mindless as him would leave a spatiotemporal message for someone else to receive in the future."


    "That does make sense. Those who reach another shore of time can see the past, present, and future at will. Only someone who has climbed the staircase can earn such a right and, well, there are only two such people in this current cycle that have done such a thing¡­" said Lacrima in a solemn tone.


    "Again, who are these two people you two are talking about? Are these your gods or something? Can''t speak their names, or what?"


    "It is not as if we cannot speak their names, boy, but rather you are not ready to learn about them. Not even remotely. It is on you to uncover the truth on your own ¡ª that is your punishment and your journey. The girl and I are merely here to assist you in that journey, not to carry you to your destination. Never forget this. You are a sinner."


    "...But if you must know, I can offer you a smidgen of knowledge. The First One is a coward and traitor who forsook everything and has become our greatest enemy. He sold himself in order to foolishly protect what he loved¡­ and ended up losing it all because he cast his soul aside. What remains of him is a miserable shade of what he once was."


    "The Second One is a fool and who forsook himself in order to protect what he loved, against the wishes of those who loved him. Blinded by hatred and fear of loss, he saved the world ¡ª or rather, prolonged the coming of the end by doing something very reckless. It is he who the three moons wait for, and he who will correct the mistake of the First¡­"


    Reed said, "Those are some messed-up gods, to be honest. Don''t you have any better stories to tell? You know, something less¡­ depressing?"


    "You''re the one who asked, boy, so you can''t complain when you hear the awful truth. If you don''t want to hear, don''t ask. Keep your nose out of stuff you aren''t ready to learn about yet."


    Lu''um interjected and said, "For now, don''t even think about using what you learned about from the hooded man. You aren''t ready to use something as powerful as Elder Speech. It requires a certain level of finesse with Anima that you do not even remotely possess. That is why when you unintentionally used it, it affected everything around you without distinction."


    "She''s right, boy. You''d only be putting everyone around you at risk if you used it in a fight. Both friend and foe would suffer the same fate if you misused Elder Speech. We can teach you how to use it when you are ready for it, but for now, it is best that you focus on your fundamentals first. Do not bite off more than you can chew."


    Reed shrugged and said, "Fine, I get it. It''s not like I wanted to use it again; I''m not interested in getting another damn headache again¡­"


    "That is a common after-effect for those who use Elder Speech without proper training. The stronger the words, the greater the risk that comes with the power you draw from them. Stronger words can drive practitioners insane, or even kill them outright depending on the backlash, Ka''an. Be grateful that you only spoke something relatively simple¡­"


    Reed suddenly felt a lump in his throat. He felt that it was not to learn something as dangerous as Elder Speech. Dying because he spoke incorrectly sounded like the dumbest way to go.


    He preferred not to accidentally kill himself one day¡­ via mispronunciation.

 55 Tree of Life

    Days passed by and turned into weeks. Eventually, those weeks grew into months. Time continued to pass but the Eternal Forest cared not. The giant, ancient trees of the forest continued to sleep and dream of past days. They thought it preferable to daydream eternally than wake up. Better a free man in their dreams than a damned prisoner in reality.


    It was escapism at its finest but could anyone really blame them for it? Lu''um couldn''t. The odds were against them. Against everyone. Against everything that once was and could be in the future.


    She couldn''t blame them for surrendering in the face of the end. They had the right to do so. But she didn''t. And neither did he. They''d have to bear their burden once again and this time¡­


    A thin film of sweat covered him as he struggled against himself in his sleep. His eyes tightly shut, as if he wanted to avoid seeing something. The Anima that rolled off of him was chaotic and unpredictable. Sometimes it''d monstrously swell and sometimes it''d recede back to normal.


    The instability was something she''d prepared for since it was an expected symptom. Managing it was feasible, but taxing since she never knew how strong of a flare he''d release at any given moment when he was asleep. It could be a murmur ¡ª a faint whisper of the past ¡ª or a frightening storm that''d threaten even her if she were caught unawares.


    It was like shepherding a hurricane away from a coast before it landed and destroyed everything.


    But he is recovering¡­ the severity of his outbursts is lessening. The more he recovers, the more we''ll be able to restore¡­ in due time, of course.


    The flares were no longer as powerful as they were in the beginning when she''d met him. It was a nightmare in the beginning. His flares were so strong he nearly erased the Spire and its surroundings for kilometers once, if not for sacrificing half of her body to block the horrifying outburst of raw energy.


    An injury like that should have taken no more than an instant to recover from with her abilities. Instead, it took her two whole days to recover from his outburst in secret. Even in slumber, his Anima still contained the same scorching, all-consuming qualities it had before¡­


    He''s even started picking up some of his old, irritating idiosyncrasies too. He''s become a lot better at lying, but his classic tells are all still the same.


    She was sure that he knew and understood more than he was letting on. That was something she was certain about. The way his eyes gleamed whenever certain topics were brought up made it painfully obvious to her. His uninterested, slightly bored facade was endlessly amusing to watch. It reminded her of better days¡­


    Her strength slowly faded as soon as she saw the sun peaked out of the forest and weakly shone into the room. Before she even realized it, her eyes had closed and everything blurred into darkness.


    "..."


    Lu''um had entered the world of dreams by the time Reed was woken up by Mira. As far as he was concerned, sleeping beauty lived by her own rules and that included staying in bed past morning. If it meant that she''d stay out his hair for a couple of hours, he was all for it. He was more than fine with her sleeping as long as she wanted.


    It''d give him more time to digest what he learned or rather, what had been forced upon him. Memories of a long-forgotten past, feelings that belonged to someone else, and secret, profane words and skills that granted strength to those who spoke them. Things that Lacrima and Lu''um would no doubt interrogate and forbid him from studying on his own.


    These memories have been becoming increasingly more detailed and lifelike, as if they were actually real. It feels more like I''m observing a real-life than having a vivid dream.


    Over the course months, he''d been forced to train his skills in reality with Lu''um during the day. At night, he''d dream and experience the memories that the hooded man had left him ¡ª he ended up becoming his second mentor.


    The hooded man had left him detailed memories ¡ª intrusive visions ¡ª of his knowledge and techniques. In his sleep, he learned how to shape Anima in increasingly complex ways by observing ¡ª living through the hooded man''s perspective ¡ª as his living shadow. Although rare, sometimes he was even barraged with visions during the day too. They came and went on their own and Reed was powerless during the entire process.


    The familiar chill on the back of his neck told him that he was about to receive another vision. Whether he liked it or not, he had been pulled into the hooded man''s memories once again as an observer of his work.


    ...


    The way he spun Anima was sublime in a way that could not be described. The glimpses he saw of the hooded man''s skill were enough for Reed to realize that he was nothing in comparison to the hooded man.


    Mas...¡­eed?


    The man was akin to a genuine god that could create and destroy anything with but a gesture. The universe itself seemed to be a product of his own thoughts. The layers that made up reality trembled whenever he brushed his fingers past them. His words were natural law and were the universe''s new truth.


    He was an artist of the highest possible status, a transcendent figure who had the ability to paint the life and death of stars with his mind alone. His mind ¡ª the brush; Anima ¡ª his paint; the Universe ¡ª his personal canvas.


    This was the true essence of Anima. Everything made perfect sense even though Reed could not explain it with words. His intuition screamed at him that this was beyond his pay-grade; it was an unspoken truth that only the wisest, most perceptive beings in creation could ever learn about. And yet, it''d been given to him, of all people¡­


    Lo...eed¡­ Is...someth... Are¡­yo... Is...the...?


    He''d left the acting stage and had become an observer of everything. It was the first time he saw the sum of all creation as it was, through his eyes. A large trunk of space and time made up Reed''s universe itself. Alongside the trunk were branches and leaves that formed the adjacent parallel realities and minor universes of everything that could be.


    A seemingly infinite amount of worlds, lives, and dreams were contained within the care of this Tree of Life. It was self-contained multiverse of limitless possibilities. Home.


    Mindbogglingly large roots converged around the beating heart of the multiverse. The source of all Anima that has ever existed and the reason why everything came to be. It thrummed with powerful vitality and sent Anima up the tree, but a vast majority of it never made it past the trunk of the Tree of Life.


    Mas...ed? Is t...e some...¡­that wro...with¡­?


    The hooded man eventually turned his away from home and looked elsewhere. His attention was focused on what laid around the Tree of Life. For good reason. It was then and there that Reed came to terms with what lay outside of the boundary. Outside of the safety of the Tree of Life.


    The horror. The truth of the situation. The inevitable confrontation with the end.


    Boy! If...hea...voic...res¡­! You...vita...sign...ar...fad¡­!


    An entire forest of rotting trees. Fallen branches and leaves covered in dark, viscous sludge that writhed as if it were alive. If you paid enough attention, you could hear innumerable screams of torment and misery like whispers on the wind. Cries for help, for salvation that would not be answered.


    Eventually, the whispers were snuffed out as they drowned in the overflowing sludge.


    A few trees continued to struggle against the sludge''s poison. Some were lucky enough to have avoided it entirely, but the reality was that most had succumbed to it already.


    The sludge crept past the hooded man''s feet. The filth that had violated the forest had made it home. Scourge of all Life ¡ª The Infestation had already begun its terrible work. There was no escape from it. Reed felt his heart wildly beating like a drum. Raw, uncontrollable dread filled his soul and despair took hold¡­ until he spoke.


    "Do not fear it, Reed. We knew that it''d come, prepared for it, and have created a solution for it. A way to protect our tree. You must¡­"


    "Master Reed, are you alright?! Can you hear me?! Get the doctor in here now!!"


    A burst of pain traveled across Reed''s body, shocking him out his reverie back into reality with force. He screamed in pain and said, "Ahhh!! Fucking stop, you crazy bastards!"


    Reed roughly brushed away Arcano''s hands and said, "What the hell did you fucking do?! Feels like I''ve been struck by a goddamned lightning bolt!" He put one of hands on his chest in pain as he laboriously fought to regulate his breathing.


    "My apologies, Master Reed, but time was of the essence. Had I not acted, I do not know what would have happened to you given the state you were in," said Arcano. He and Mira looked spooked out of their minds as they cautiously inspected Reed.


    "Boy, what the hell did you do!! I detected abnormal brain-waves in you about half a minute ago and then your blood pressure dropped off a damn cliff! Your heart-rate was dangerously low ¡ª at one point I couldn''t even detect your heartbeat at all! You went dead-eyed like a corpse until that whelp resuscitated you with a mild shock!"


    My heart stopped beating?!! I was dead for several seconds?! To think that even his memories are capable of something like this¡­! Was it a punishment for digging too far, too soon¡­? Was I not supposed to have seen all of that yet? But then¡­


    He looked at the concerned faces of his servants and cursed himself for his stupidity. Shit. Now I''ve riled them up with this¡­


    Reed wheezed out, "W-What the hell?! Guess I really messed up this time, huh¡­" He slowly laid back on his chair and said, "Sorry, guys. I was experimenting with a new technique of mine and things went south in the worst way possible."


    "Boy, you are beyond salvation. What in the hell were you trying to do¡­"


    "Create a new technique? M-Milord, may I ask what you were trying to accomplish?" said Arcano. "If you require assistance in creating a technique, I would be more than delighted to help you. Mira and I should be more than enough to help you with any questions you might have."


    Reed weakly laughed and said, "I was trying to sever my soul from my body. I had the idea that if I did that I''d be able to roam around undetected as a spirit. The technique was working fine until, well, you know¡­ I messed up."


    "...¡­"


    "...¡­"


    "...¡­"


    "W-What? I thought it was a pretty smart idea, at least in theory. Shame it didn''t work out, but failure''s the mother of success, right? I''m sure it''ll work out if I tweak the technique a bit here and there."


    It was on that day that Arcano, Mira, and Lacrima came to the same conclusion about Reed.


    He was loony. Truly insane. Mad enough to graze death''s embrace in order to create such a morbid technique. They were all doomed.

 56 An Unrefusable Invitation

    The mood had subtly changed in the Evergreen estate after Reed''s little incident, to say the least. Murmurs floated around in hushed tones that the new master was insane and that he muttered strange curses in his sleep. That he was suicidal and that his incident had been a desperate cry for help. That he was an idiot of the highest degree¡­


    Arcano sighed deeply. He knew now that he''d have to keep himself on high alert around his master, for the young man''s sake and his own. Only the Devil himself knew what''d happen to him if word ever reached Lady Violett of what had occurred yesterday. He had not failed a single mission that the Kingscrown family had ever assigned to him since the day he joined the prestigious order of the royal guards.


    Assassinations. Interrogations. Espionage. Sabotage. Suicide missions. The assignment did not matter to him; he''d completed everything without issue. Nothing was off-limits. At one point, he''d even diligently served as a nanny for the royal family.


    He singlehandedly raised the legendary Winter Princess ¡ª Violett Kingscrown ¡ª himself from the day she had been born almost a hundred years ago. It proved to have been the hardest assignment he''d ever been given in his life. Figuring out how to best raise a princess into a proper lady had been beyond his realm of expertise back in the day.


    Learning how to put on her diapers, bathing her, feeding her, calming her down, putting her to sleep, teaching her¡­ the trials and tribulations never ended for him. For nineteen brutal years as her guardian, mentor, and protector, he''d been forced to push himself to limit to fulfill his assignment.


    Time passed. Arcano had watched his baby girl grow into a proper lady under his careful guidance and supervision. His duty as her guardian ended many moons ago when she''d left to become a fledgling contender. And with that, he''d finished what he considered to have been the most difficult assignment he''d ever been given in his career.


    ¡­Or so he had thought. He knew now that''d he had been wrong. God had sent him an even greater tribulation this time, presumably as punishment for his hubris in thinking that he''d experienced the worst. A living bomb, several orders more destructive than him, that possessed an unstable fuse.


    And to top it off, the bomb had somehow garnered the interest, or god forbid ¡ª the romantic affection ¡ª of the prodigal lady of the North.


    ¡­Is there an escape from this madness? Am I dreaming ¡ª living a false life in a realistic nightmare? What have I done to deserve this, Goddess? Please answer my question, I beg of you¡­


    "Arcano, I''ve gotta be brutally honest. These techniques are the sort of half-assed parlor tricks that I''d expect a weakling would use. Do you have something... stronger in your deck, or is this all you''ve got?"


    What he felt¡­ was dread. The kind that permeated into your bones and kept you awake at night.


    Half-assed parlor tricks, his self-created techniques. The same skills he''d used over his career to inspire dread across the continent as one of the North''s greatest bogeymen. He''d killed conquerors who could level cities and hide in spatial cracks the width of a thread of hair. The craftiest, most ingenious criminals of their generations who had once ruled the Underground with an iron fist.


    And yet¡­ the boy had mastered all his techniques under a day. Arcano had spent several lifetimes refining his skills to the limit, or so he''d thought.


    "Hmmm, maybe it''d work better if I did this instead¡­"


    A single flower petal made of Anima floated aimlessly in the wind until it landed on a tree. As soon as it touched the trunk of the tree, it burst into infernal flames and quickly turned it into ash.


    One of his techniques, The Sunflower''s Kiss, an assassination technique used to covertly eliminate targets. Only it''d been improved. The boy''s flower petals were truly superb, to the point that he had to admit that he''d improved upon his own damned technique.


    Whereas his flower petals might have very minor Anima fluctuations that could give away his attack, the boy''s had none. Had he not seen it for himself, he would have not believed it.


    It''d had taken years for Violett to have mastered his techniques, which he had considered miraculous. For her to have comprehended his life''s work in less than a decade was shocking. He had thought of her as a once-in-a-generation genius when it came to Anima manipulation.


    But this¡­ this was unnatural beyond all reason. A day.


    "Well, it''s still a pretty nice technique, even if it''s a trick. I might be able to use this if I modify it some later¡­"


    What had Violett brought home? And what would this mean for the North¡ª no, the entire world?


    Reed lazily yawned and said, "Hey, Arcano, you alright? You don''t look too hot right now, you know. Haven''t been sleeping well or something?"


    Arcano bitterly smiled and said, "Something like that, Lord Reed. You need not worry, though. I''ll be fine. In any case, I have¡ª" A sudden shift in the air alerted the old butler, but the fluctuations he felt soon after assuaged his fears.


    Instead, he sighed. He''d have to deal with two of them today¡­


    He turned towards the front of the manor and said, "A guest has come to meet you, Lord Reed. I assume you felt that as well, yes?"


    "The Anima wave, right? Who is it? The mailman?" said Reed, entirely uninterested.


    "That was Lady Violett, Lord Reed. I am quite familiar with the way she manipulates Anima, you see. I was the one who taught her, so her fluctuations resemble faintly that of my own," said Arcano.


    Reed wanted to groan, but he knew that he couldn''t brush her off. He''d have to meet her and at least hear her out. Hopefully, she''s just come to visit, thought Reed but he knew better¡­


    "So, what do you think? Pretty nice place, right? Beautiful scenery, too. I loved roaming around the Eternal Forest when I was kid, though Arcano would often try to stop me from exploring too far out¡­"


    Tea time with Violett in her old bedroom had gone as expected. Reed struggled like a newborn calf as he fought to escape the predator that had captured him. She was killing him with love, some would say. Others would say suffocation.


    "...¡­"


    "W-What? What''s the matter with you, Reed? What''s with that face¡ª looking at me like I''m some sort of con-artist," said Violett as she lovingly violated Reed''s personal space. Needless to say, Lacrima quickly corrected that issue the same way she had done with Lu''um.


    "Who''s this hussy again, boy? One of your exploits? How disappointing. The apple never falls far from the tree, as they say¡­" Lacrima''s scathing evaluation of his gracious benefactor echoed in his head, much to his dismay.


    The one who gave me this damn house, so stop zapping her before we get kicked out of it! Reed scratched his head and said, "Sorry about that, my cloak''s got a built-in guard but sometimes, it malfunctions. It''s a bit defective in certain aspects since it''s an old piece of tech."


    Violett laughed and said, "It must be an artifact, then. You probably picked it up during your final test, right? Most Mulian artifacts are like that ¡ª old pieces of junk that rarely work. Still, the eggheads pay handsomely for them, so it''s our job to recover them when we can. If you like artifacts, I could give you some rare ones, if you''d like."


    Reed felt Lacrima''s fury in the form of an electric current that traveled down his spine, but he had formed a thin Anima barrier around himself beforehand. He discreetly dispelled the current and ignored her vile comments about Violett and himself.


    Ah. Here we go. The bait''s been planted, now that she''s ''found'' something to entice me.


    "¡­I just need you to help me out a bit with something. Nothing dangerous, of course!" said Violett with a charming smile, as if she were trying to sell Reed on an idea.


    "And what is it that you need me to do if it doesn''t involve killing things? Truth be told, that''s all I''m good at. I can''t see myself doing well at anything else, so¡­"


    Violett swiftly shook her head and said, "No, no, no, there''s no fighting involved in this job, I assure you. In fact, you don''t even need to do anything for this job. All you need to do is show up and attend the ball with me. That''s it."


    Reed''s eyes narrowed as he said, "A ball? One of those fancy parties the nobles have? That''s the job? Et tu, Violett?"


    "Look, I owe a big favor to someone and he said that he''d call it square so long as you attend the next ball he''s hosting. I don''t know why or how he''s gotten information about you, given all the work we''ve put into hiding your identity, but he''s given me his word that he hasn''t revealed anything about you. All he wants to do is meet you, from the look of it," said Violett as she threw a sugar cube in her tea with a thought.


    "...¡­So you want me to meet with this guy? That''s all I have to do?" Reed groaned in protest.


    I owe her for the damn house. Can''t back out. Damn it. And here I thought I wouldn''t have to mingle with those damned nobles...


    "Please? I''ll get you anything you want as a reward, or I can give you something else instead¡­" she said with a voice sweeter than usual.


    A large bolt of lightning shot of Reed''s cloak and struck Violett''s teacup, shattering it into pieces. Her tea splashed all over her skirt and dress shirt, ruining her clothes.


    ".....That wasn''t my fault."


    "You are not to bring that damned cloak with you the ball. Am I understood? You bring that cloak to the ball and I''ll shred it on the spot. I''ll turn the damn thing into confetti."

 57 An Easy Job

    "Do I really have to wear this¡­ attire for clowns? It''s tight, stuff, and hard to move in," said Reed as he wrangled with his suit in displeasure. He felt like he was suffocating in a spiritual sense; something inside of him ¡ª something precious ¡ª had died today.


    "For the fifth time, yes, Reed. You have to wear it, there are rules that have to be followed and this is one of them. Formal attire for a formal event. If you mess up your suit, I''ll end you," said Violett.


    "And if she doesn''t finish the job, I will. So you better not try anything funny, Reed. I''m always watching," said Lu''um as she coldly gazed at Reed like an unruly insect.


    The ride to the ball in Violett''s personal hovercraft was an unpleasant one, to say the least. Confined on both sides by a well-dressed beauty, Reed had nowhere to run, or hide¡­


    Lu''um and Violett''s eyes gleamed mysteriously as they stared at each other, communicating in code. It was an alliance between ladies that transcended eons of history and culture; both space and time.


    Never let your prey escape.


    Chase him down until he breaks.


    Sisters who hunt together, die together.


    Establish your territory and maintain it. Assert dominance.


    They both knew what was to come and had decided to join forces in order to defend their prize. Hyenas would show up to this feast and their golden lamb was what they''ve all come for, of course.


    Needless to say, Reed did not approve of what had happened prior to their departure. Endless measurements. Hairstyling. Wardrobe selection. Henpecking by his two wardens. It only ended after they were satisfied.


    He''d been subjected to the harsh cruelties of noblehood, or so he thought. It went without saying that he considered the entire experience revolting and a violation of his rights in some form.


    Treating me a goddamned dress-up doll for the better part of the day. Who do these broads think they are, my masters? I''m Lord Evergreen, dammit!


    "They might as well be, boy. Be a good boy and listen to the wise words of your betters. You might even learn something from them," whispered Lacrima in a condescending tone.


    I should have left you at home, locked in an old closet. I''ll remember this. Just you wait, you no-good rag.


    Unbeknownst to the two wardens beside him, a stowaway had been brought along in secret. Reed''s suit jacket had an unnatural aura around it that only he could detect due to his connection with it.


    The defective cloak had evolved. An astonishing feat.


    [What? LACRIMA is evolving!]


    [Congratulations! Your LACRIMA evolved into a SUIT JACKET!]


    If he knew what the wrong course of action was, it became infinitely easier to extrapolate what the correct course was. Of course, hearing this would likely infuriate Lacrima to hell and back, so Reed never disclosed that bit information, even as a stray thought.


    He considered that¡­ an unnecessary detail, after all.


    Reed secretly thanked the hooded man from the bottom of his heart for the gracious technique he''d given him, The Aria of Dreamer. It was a convenient, elegant technique that he would have never thought possible to create.


    It allowed for one to hide their conscious, waking thoughts under the blanket of obscurity that was the labyrinth of a person''s subconscious. It was akin to encrypting a message with an unknowable cipher that not even the user knew of.


    In death, let there be dreams. Hidden, obscured dreams that only the dreamer can envision. The Lady of Fate''s song will guide you.


    This is the safeguard of your soul¡­ and mine.


    The guy was a bit cryptic at times, but Reed had grown accustomed to it. It was a skill that he''d been unintentionally working on anyways, thanks to a pair of certain girls.


    "We''re here. Look, that''s the place," said Violett pointing at the distant mansion afar. It looked more like a palace of old, like the architecture that belonged in Citlai.


    Except it seemed like more a replica than the real thing, to be honest. It looked like someone had made an academic guess of what a genuine Mulian palace might''ve appeared in the ancient past.


    Atop a snowy peak, no less. What kind of idiot would put their home somewhere so unforgiving?


    "It''s very, um, unique in design, I suppose. Is the owner of the mansion a scholar, or just an extreme fan of Ancient Mulian architecture?"


    Lu''um had a small smile on her face as she gazed at the mansion, but her eyes told Reed enough about what she thought of the building.


    When the hovercraft finally arrived at the peak of the mountain, it passed through an invisible dome of Anima. Reed detected the barrier and said, "What is it for? Why even put a barrier out here in the middle of nowhere?"


    "To deter thieves, assassins, or spies that might have been sent here. Not that a veteran in the Underground would be deterred by this, though. It''s standard practice to put some form of protection on something valuable, right?"


    "The Underground?"


    "The criminal underworld that exists across the continent. It is ruled by the Three Hounds and their respective organizations. Not that they''d ever show their mangy faces here, given which family owns this manor."


    "Who?"


    "Mhm? Didn''t I tell you? This event has been set up by the Dragoncrest family," said Violett nonchalantly. "I thought that girl would have messaged you about it."


    "Oh."


    I haven''t gotten any messages from Astrid about this. Sebastian, too, if I count him as part of the family¡­


    Not that I''ve been a very attentive friend, to begin with¡­ I''ve barely been keeping up with everyone else over the last couple of months.


    ...¡­Am I a bad friend? Goddammit.


    First impressions went as well as Reed expected when he walked into the extravagant ballroom with two stunning beauties on either side of him. An incredibly effective method to catch the attention of everyone in the room, suffice to say.


    A sweet, enchanting voice announced to the room, "Her Highness, Princess Violett has arrived along with Lord Evergreen and Lady Evergreen."


    Wait, what? Lady Evergreen? But I thought I was¡­


    Reed''s stray thoughts were abruptly stopped with two deft pinches on his forearms. He wondered why he even bothered in the first place, given that these two lived on a different dimension than him.


    It was then that a familiar figure appeared out of the crowd and approached them with a large smile on her face. She looked nothing like before ¡ª it was as if Reed had met a completely different person. In terms of behavior, appearance, and aura, she possessed an air of elegance that could not be bought, stolen, or faked.


    Astrid gracefully walked up to the trio and said, "Greetings, Princess Violett. We''re honored to have you attend our humble little gathering tonight." She turned to Reed and Lu''um and said, "I am especially delighted to both of you here as well."


    It was a type of warm, inviting formality that oozed a frigid hollowness. It was the devil offering you a cursed deal with the biggest smile you''ve ever seen, as if he had always been your best friend.


    Her tone was friendly and respectful but it felt endlessly distant. In a twisted way, it actually accentuated her in a positive way. It complimented her beauty.


    A frigid, emotionless beauty ¡ª a frozen flower that would never wilt, at the cost of being dead inside. The thorns she had would ensure that no man would ever touch her.


    What did the hell happen? I was gone for a bit and this happens? Oh, for fuck''s sake¡­ Guess I''ll ask the big question first.


    "I''ve missed you as well, Astrid. By the way, where''s Sebastian? I can''t detect his aura in the manor at all. Did he not come?" said Reed.


    Astrid smiled and said, "My brother''s currently training in our main household with some of my older brothers and sisters. They''re taking good care of him, I can assure you." She gestured to the ballroom and said, "But I wouldn''t want to bore you all with my nonsense. Please, make yourselves at home and enjoy everything we have to offer."


    Ah, shit. I knew it, I fucking knew it. I knew this wasn''t going to be a simple job. Here we go again¡­


    "What will you do, boy? It looks like your little friend has run into some kind of trouble, given her peculiar response.Weren''t you going to run back home and hide away again? Or are you going to involve yourself with her business? Hehe..."


    "You lied, Violett. You said this was going to be an easy job," said Reed. "I''m going to be charging double for this, you hear me?"

 58 Sibling Love And Devotion

    The pleasant, soft music played by the performing musicians would have been enjoyable had it not been overshadowed by the deafening sounds of the guests at the party. A cacophony of hushed whispers buzzed around his ears like a fly he couldn''t get rid of no matter how hard he tried.


    "So that''s the boy that the princess''s taken for her herself¡­"


    "Who would have thought? It seems like she likes them young and cute¡­"


    "He''s the one from that incident, right? The one that was ''covered up'' last year. Very interesting, indeed¡­"


    "Her Highness was very quick to react, too. Snatched the boy before anyone else even had a chance. I hear it soured her relationship with¡­"


    Rumors, theories, and gossip were born here, exchanged amongst the upper class like money. Anything was up for sale here, be it a scandalous rumor about the royal family, the movements of certain noble families, or far-fetched stories about events that might or might not have occurred.


    Unfortunately, Reed himself had become one of these hot topics that the nobility discussed in these gatherings, for good reason.


    A foreign child who had won the favor of the Winter Princess, of all the people in the North.


    Someone of questionable talent that caused a certain incident during his contract with the Will of the World.


    A figure that had seeming made friends with all of the most important figures in his generational batch, despite his unorthodox origins.


    Even his personal records had been wiped clean. The only thing they''d been able to learn about him were the most basic of details.


    Naturally, these crumbs of truth only served to heighten the fantasies of the nobility who lived and acted on the whispers they heard in the wind. Things were being hidden from them, which meant only one thing to them.


    Someone was making a move upstairs, above even them. Powers greater than the likes of them, who managed the state of affairs in their regions. The boy was a subject of national concern, and that meant something big.


    The royal family rarely ever intervened in matters of the state, acting only in times of crisis and international concern. The title of Evergreen had been the last straw for them. It was beyond unprecedented, for the royal family to have given the boy that title.


    Everyone in the room felt it their bones. Something was happening. A storm was coming, and a big one at that. And with this storm came an opportunity, a gamble of sorts.


    The storm could bring unimaginable benefits to them, or utterly destroy them if they picked the wrong choice. Ride the storm and adapt to the new changes, or fight back and defend against the change.


    That was the question. And knowing the answer would dictate the future hierarchy of the noble class for centuries, perhaps even millennia to come.


    Of course, what he felt inside was anything but how he seemed on the outside.


    They won''t stop looking at me¡­ Do I look weird or do they just not like me? Not that I give a damn what they think of me. Some of their gazes are also a bit¡­ unsettling. T-They look like they want to skin me alive or something!


    "That''s the greed in their eyes, boy. They see you as delicious prey. It''s only natural; people always want what others possess. When you came walking in with that royal wench, everyone recognized that you had some kind of worth. Why else would a princess associate with a nobody like you?" said Lacrima.


    Violett and Lu''um had left him to his own devices after they had left to take care of some kind of business. What that meant was unknown to him. Abandoned, Reed had moved across the ballroom to one of the more secluded areas to hide from the persistent gazes of the guests.


    Reed sighed and quietly muttered, "This is ridiculous¡­ I really don''t belong here at all. Might as well hide somewhere better than here¡­"


    Just as he was about to consider hiding in one of the mansion''s bathrooms, a charming voice said, "Why don''t you hide in my room instead? It''d be better than hiding out here, behind this pillar, right?"


    Startled, Reed turned towards the source of the voice and saw a young girl staring at him curiously behind a large, potted plant. Her long, distinctive silver hair had given her away as it amusingly swayed back and forth like a lure.


    Her big, honey-golden eyes caught his attention as they inspected him from top to bottom. It made her seem like a predator ¡ª albeit a cute one ¡ª like a jaguar or a lion, stalking its prey¡­


    Reed put on the best fake smile he could muster and said, "O-Oh? I didn''t see you there, little miss. I hope you can do me a¡­ favor and keep what I said a secret between us." His old-school skills had kicked in from his orphanage days, thinking he could win the young girl over with a couple of sweet words and some gifts.


    He pulled a small chocolate bar he''d stashed in his jacket and handed it to the young girl. "Why don''t you take this, and we''ll call it square, hm?"


    Reed had begun carrying the chocolate bars for a perfectly good reason: He loved chocolate. Not that he''d begun using them to subtly bribe and cajole Lu''um. Of course not. He would never exploit something she loved for his own gain because he was a gentleman at heart.


    The girl giggled in delight and popped out the plant she''d been hiding with a cute hop and landed in front of Reed. "You''re really nice, aren''t you? I''m glad that you actually came. We''ve been all waiting for you to come for the longest!"


    She gently grabbed Reed''s hands and said, "But now that you''re here, it''ll all be fine. Come on, big brother, you came to talk to my siblings, right? I can take you to them!"


    Siblings? I came for them? That doesn''t sound right¡­


    "Sorry, but I''m going to have to meet someone in a bit," said Reed and patted the girl''s head in apology. "Your big bro has to meet the person who owns this house to talk about serious, boring stuff. But I promise that I''ll come to meet you after, okay?"


    Sorry, kid, but that ain''t happening. As soon as I''m done with nonsense, I''m out of this dump.


    The young girl titled her in confusion and said, "But that''s where I want to take you, big brother! My family owns this house and my older brothers and sisters want to meet you! That''s why you''re here, right?"


    Reed paused for a moment and then said, "Can you tell me your name?"


    The girl sweetly replied, "Ylva Dragoncrest. It''s a pretty name, right? You believe now? Now come on, let''s go and meet everyone!"


    Well, shit. Guess, I might follow her, then. Better than staying here, that''s for sure¡­


    Empty, extravagant corridors passed by as Reed and Ylva walked down the mansion''s halls. The walls were filled with portraits and decorations of various scenes that he recognized.


    They were all portraits that depicted the tale of a single woman, and her solitary journey.


    Wherever she traveled, life bloomed and people gathered to enjoy the fruits of her divine labor.


    She was the one who had given everything for the sake of the world, even her own soul. She who had given the world the privilege of Alma.


    "Do you like the paintings? I love staring at them and thinking about the holy work that the Goddess did for everyone. Don''t you think she''s the greatest?" said Ylva with the brightest smile in the universe on her face.


    Uhhh... Do they worship her? I thought that she was a myth from a bygone era¡­ Huh.


    "Oh. We''re here, it''s this room. Come on, let''s go and meet everyone~" said Ylva and opened a large golden door that had the motif of a sun on it.


    "Heeey~ I brought big brother over! Look, look! He''s here!" said Ylva, latched on Reed''s arm.


    The room was warmly lit and soft light shone across, blanketing the people inside with a honey-glow. Six pairs of eyes gazed at Reed with an intensity that put him on high alert the moment he entered the room.


    Silver hair, golden eyes. Delicate, refined features that could capture the hearts of men and women. An aura of holiness permeated the room and the Anima that they emitted. It made them feel like children of gods, as if they''d been formed from nature itself rather than by Men.


    "So you have, Ylva. Well done, little wolf," said the man with the strongest Anima aura in the room, a young man no older than Reed himself. He, alone, sat at the furthest in the room as he held an open book in his hands titled, The Lone Sunchaser.


    "Welcome, Reed ¡ª no, brother of mine. We''ve been waiting for you to arrive. Please, sit. We have much to discuss¡­"

 59 Meeting the Family

    "I suppose that we should introduce ourselves before we start, though. It would be awfully disheartening if you did not know our names, dear brother," said the handsome young man.


    There it is again¡­ Why is he calling me his brother? It''s kind of unnerving being called that by this guy¡­


    "Hmmm... I must be seeing things. There''s no way. Not from these little ants. That couldn''t be possible¡­" murmured Lacrima, in a half-concerned tone. She snorted coldly and said, "The only conclusion is that these meddling insects are counterfeits. The audacity! But they couldn''t have accomplished this alone¡­ who helped them?"


    Couldn''t it be possible for what? Counterfeits? What are you talking about?


    Lacrima snickered and said, "These clowns are fakers, impostors made by someone with forbidden knowledge. Imitations. You need not fear pathetic beings such as them. If anything, pity them ¡ª these poor, little bugs¡­"


    The young man took a seat across from Reed and said, "My name is Kanosis Dragoncrest, the eldest of my siblings. I am the one who invited you to this gathering through Princess Violett."


    He closed his book and said, "It seems you are quite a reserved fellow, brother. We''ve sent several invitations to you through our associates, but you always declined."


    So you''re the source of those annoying invitations?! You''re a persistent motherfucker, aren''t you? You know what? Fuck. You. Asshole.


    He had initially planned to remain polite for Violett''s sake, but the revelation was too much for him to handle. The bastard had just casually admitted that he''d been the one who''d been ruining his mornings. Every damn day, he''d receive multiple invitations and then get hounded by Arcano, the perfect butler, until he read them all to him.


    Frustrated, Reed said, "I couldn''t be bothered. After all, who''d want to attend a stuffy-ass party like this? But you got me in the end, so it''s your win. Congrats."


    Kanosis dryly laughed and said, "I feel the exact same way, but they''re useful for a variety of reasons. They mainly keep the sheep outside pacified and docile, among other things¡­ but that is a topic for another time. Allow me the honor of introducing the family, brother, before I forget again."


    He silently gestured at one of his siblings, a gorgeous young lady with overflowing long hair that spilled out onto the floor when she stood up. She had a small, lovely smile on her face when she lightly bowed toward Reed. "It is good to see you in good health, brother dearest. Please make yourself at home; what is ours is yours as well."


    "This is Sigurda, the second eldest. Pay no mind if she suddenly falls asleep at any point forward. She possesses a unique constitution and often requires to dream in order to use it. Sister Sigurda is a Dreamseeker; she is one of few who can sometimes divine the future through dreams."


    A genuine sleeping beauty, huh. That''s a little nifty, I guess.


    A tall, bulky man stood up and said, "Greetings, brother. I am just as delighted that you have finally come! Do not hesitate to call me if you need an extra hand if the sheep outside give you any difficulties, heh¡­" He patted his thick, stocky arms and grinned, as if to imply what his solutions to life''s problems were.


    "This is Sverre, the third eldest," said Kanosis with a slightly annoyed voice. "As you can see, he is very energetic and prefers to solve issues in rather¡­ direct ways. I would greatly appreciate if you could just ignore anything that comes out of his mouth."


    Sverre simply sneered in response and ignored Kanosis as if he didn''t exist.


    Oh, this looks familiar. There''s nothing as universal as the war between the older brother and the younger one.


    A young, slender girl with a cold expression quickly stood up and said, "It is good to finally meet you, brother. I hope we can get along in the future¡­" and sat down just as fast. Her hair covered one of her eyes, a style that was oddly popular among the youth, and wore casual, revealing clothes unlike the rest of her siblings.


    Why do they cover their eyes like that? Wouldn''t you want to see where you''re going? I don''t get the fashion in this world¡­


    "Ingvild, the fourth oldest. I ask that you do not take anything she says to heart, brother. She is in that phase of her life, where one finds it ''cool'' to rebel against one''s own family. I''m sure you understand our¡­" Kanosis sighed, not even finishing the sentence.


    The frustrated oldest sibling reclined on his seat and said, "The one next to you, playing a game on that device, is Rune. He is the fifth oldest and as you can see, he is an unruly little¡ª" Kanosis sighed yet again, unable to even find the will to speak.


    This one''s probably the most normal one of them all. Who would have thought¡­


    "I''m next, aren''t I?! Right?! I''m Eir, big brother!" An adorable young girl popped out from behind Reed''s seat and hopped on his lap as if she belonged there.


    "Wait a minute isn''t this¡ª" said Reed as he stared at the girl in front of him in confusion.


    "They''re identical twins, brother. Don''t be fooled by their innocent appearances, though. Ylva and Eir are still older than you despite how they might appear. These two have a unique constitution, rarer even than Sigurda''s. They''re spiritually bonded to one another ¡ª they can see, hear and feel what the other twin is experiencing if they focus on each other."


    Wait, they''re older than me?!! What the fuck? Fucking hell¡­


    "Where''s my chocolate bar, big brother? How come Ylva got one and I didn''t? That''s unfair¡­" said Eir.


    Kanosis snorted in disgust and said, "Drop the little sister act, Eir. You know how I feel about it. Please, act your age for once. The same goes for you too, Ylva."


    Ylva popped out from behind Reed''s seat and hung herself around his neck in an act of defiance against Kanosis. "We''re just putting a natural advantage to good use, big bro! What''s the harm in some harmless fun here and there? You really need to get the stick out your ass one of these days~"


    The twins pointed at Kanosis mischievously as they laughed in derision, making a mockery of his so-called authority as the oldest sibling.


    "As you can see, they''re an irritating handful. I don''t know where they''ve learned this behavior from, but I intend to get them back on the right path in due time," said Kanosis in a low, menacing tone.


    "You''ve got a big family, that''s for sure," said Reed. "Must be very taxing wrangling six other people at once, I reckon. A lot of headaches, I imagine."


    "Hmm? Six people? Ah, that''s right, I nearly forgot. I forgot to mention that, didn''t I? You see, there are eight of us siblings in the family. She wasn''t here, so I forgot to mention her at all," said Kanosis in a half-joking tone.


    "Seven of you are here, right? Where''s the eighth? On some important business?"


    "No, no. The eighth and youngest is present, but not in this room. She''s outside managing and taking care of the ball at the moment. You are already intimately acquainted with her, given she was your former classmate, no? Astrid is our the youngest sibling, so we thought it best for you to gain some experience in handling the sheep, hence her absence."


    Astrid?! I mean they''re all part of the same family, but she doesn''t look like them at all! Is she a¡­ child born out of an affair or something? Or maybe a different concubine? It makes no sense¡­


    "You''re probably thinking that she does not look like us at all, no?" said Kanosis with a knowing smile. "Her beautiful black hair, and deep, electric-blue eyes, right? A lie, I can assure you. Her blood is pure; she is no bastard child if that was what you were thinking."


    Kanosis chuckled in self-derision and said, "If anything, her blood is the second purest, aside from my own, you see. You will find beneath her feeble persona the noble heritage of gold and silver."


    But why? Why hide it from everyone? Does that mean that Sebastian is also the same? But Kanosis did say eight siblings and not nine¡­


    "What about Sebastian, then? He''s part of the family, right? He and Astrid are relatives, no? Why isn''t he part of your little group?" said Reed in confusion.


    When the siblings heard Reed''s question, some laughed heartily and others simply shook their heads. Ylva and Eir giggled like they''d heard the funniest joke in their lives. It seemed that his question had riled up the family, so to speak¡­


    Kanosis said, "Brother, you jest. That fellow is, unfortunately¡­ lacking in an important aspect. Sister Astrid might consider him family, but there are some things that cannot be forced. It is folly for a man to fly too close to the sun. I''m sure you of all people, brother, understand this fact of life."


    And there it is, right there. The truth has been revealed. I can finally stop caring about playing nice. Thank god.


    "Excellent. I was going to die of boredom with all that boring prattling, you know. I''m glad you''ve finally to grow a pair of balls, boy. Let''s get this party started for real," said Lacrima in delight.


    Reed smiled, nodded in agreement and then said, "Yes, you''re right. All too right, in fact. That''s why it''s very confusing, given you understand that little pearl of wisdom."


    A horrifying amount of Anima surged out of Reed like a never-ending flood. Waves of painful, crushing pressure covered every square inch of the room in an instant as Reed willed his presence onto reality.


    "Now that the pleasantries are over, let''s get on with the real shit," said Reed as he grimly smirked at everyone in the room. "You''re going to tell me everything that I fucking want to know. That''s the price you''re going to pay tonight for flying too close to the sun¡­"

 60 Our Mission

    Things had gone from zero to a hundred in an instant, but everyone in the room seemed entirely unconcerned, at least on the outside. The siblings'' eyes gleamed with heightened interest as they mutely stared at Reed in silence. Not a single one of them seemed afraid, or even concerned with the vicious, oppressive aura that locked down the entire room.


    It was as if they did did not care in the slightest about what might happen next¡­


    Not so much as a single reaction from these assholes. Are these guys fearless, or are they just stupid? Do they really think I''m just playing around here¡­?!


    "It''s clear to me that you little turds have done something to Astrid and Sebastian. That much I''m clear of. So, let''s get this over with; what do you want? Why have you brought me here and what have you done to my good friends?" said Reed.


    He had forcibly subjugated the Anima around him to the point that he''d gained control of every single mote of it in the room. For all intents and purposes, he a gun pointed to each of their heads at the moment. A single miss-step from them was all it''d take for him to send them all to hell this night.


    And yet, despite the circumstances, not a single one the seven siblings seemed interested in the fact that their lives were on the line. If anything, they reveled in the experience and seemed delighted that Reed had forced himself upon them.


    "I better get some straight answers from you lot, or I''ll make myself a bit more persuasive at your expense. Start talking, you creepy little bastards."


    Kanosis calmly said, "Brother, there''s no need for violence. We''d never keep anything from you, of all people. You need all the help you can get, otherwise, you''ll never recover everything you lost. You wanted the truth, brother? Here''s the truth: We were sent here from the future in order to help you."


    The fucking future? Oh, come ON. That''s the best you can come up with? I''m better off interrogating the goddamn walls for answers than these clowns¡­ What do you think, Lacrima, should I just waste ''em and leave before anyone finds out?


    "...¡­"


    Hey, Lacrima, what''s the matter? You don''t actually think these idiots are from the future, right?


    "Either they''re all godly liars, completely insane, or telling the truth. I can''t detect any signs of them lying at all, be it physiological or spiritual. There are no signs of self-suggestion or memory fabrication, so they aren''t duping us with some kind of mental technique." said Lacrima in annoyance.


    So, what? Am I actually supposed to believe that they came from the future? You told me that even sending messages across time was nigh-impossible for almost everyone, even with something as powerful as Anima. That only those two gods you spoke about could do something like that.


    "So you''ve decided to lie. That''s fine, too. I''ve been meaning to test out a couple of new techniques, you see¡­" said Reed. He raised his left hand and slowly clenched it in the air, as if he were caressing something soft and precious in place.


    Drain a fucking galaxy of its Anima to time travel?! These fucking bastards must''ve thought that I''d be an ignorant hick since I''m a foreigner. Well, we''ll see about that¡­


    Reed knew that one day he''d have to get his hands dirty. That the Infestation wouldn''t be the only foes he''d have to deal with in this brave new world.


    Contenders weren''t even worth the thought, but conquerors were another story altogether. He knew he couldn''t mess around with them, especially the several thousand-year-old freaks who''d accumulated multiple lifetimes worth of knowledge and experience. If he was to face these crafty, ancient monsters, he''d have to develop powerful techniques.


    Malicious, instant-killing techniques.


    Subtle, shameless techniques.


    Overpowering techniques.


    His secret mentor had taught him that his imagination was his greatest asset. That, and the fact that nothing was off the table when it came to killing. To abandon one''s ethics and morals at the doorstep of creation¡­


    The Lover''s Grasp was one such technique, born from Reed''s liberated imagination. Using Anima to silently intrude into the opponent''s flesh and slowly gain control of the body. After that, the sky was the limit. Making them kill each other or themselves, forcing them to do anything he wanted. Not only that but also make them feel real pain from within.


    This time, he got a reaction out of them. A thin layer of old sweat formed on the siblings'' faces as they struggled to resist, but they still did not break under the pain. Their expressions did not change in the slightest ¡ª in fact, they seemed even happier than before.


    Reed had used his technique to carefully grasp and constrict their hearts for a brief moment. Had he wanted to, he could have crushed them and killed them from the inside.


    "Tell me the truth. Now."


    "It''s just as we''ve told you, brother. We''ve been sent here to assist you in your journey, so that you may make things right once more. To bring order and prosperity to this dying world. In regards to your concerns about our youngest sister, we can assure you that we would never harm her, for she is family. We have simply opted to help her focus on the family''s goals by removing any unnecessary distractions. That''s all," said Sigurda.


    Her eyes glimmered with curiosity, despite the pain she felt. Intense curiosity and obsession were hidden deep beneath her golden eyes.


    "Blackmail, huh. Some real familial love you''ve got there, sis. Aside from your bullshit story about wanting to help me some nonsensical journey, what else did you want to tell me? Any other tall tales you want to tell while we''re here? Because this is the last time you''ll be seeing me tolerate this horseshit."


    Sigurda''s face bloomed like she''d heard the best thing in her life and said, "We want you to join us, dear brother, like family. We, the Twilight Children, were born to bring salvation to this boorish, ignorant world and with you by our side, we will be able to accomplish anything! We can at least save Mulia before the Infestation brings the Final End upon the stars!


    "You are the Goddess''s greatest gift to this world, brother, and none of us can compare to your... brilliant shine, your purity. Without your assistance, the plans we have devised will never succeed. Join us and we will help you recover your missing fragments, so that you may recover your full strength. We know where some of them are! With our future knowledge, you will be able to recover much faster than if you were left to your own devices. Don''t you see it?! Our interests align! As expected of our Holy Mother''s design, she has brought us together for this reason!" said Kanosis.


    Shit, how do they know?!! Are they really from the future?! Agh, this just got way more annoying than expected. Dammit.


    Reed coldly stared at everyone in the room and said, "I haven''t the slightest idea what you''re all rambling about. I advise that you all stop abusing whatever drugs you''re all on, for your own sakes. Religious nutjobs, the lot of you. Not only that but also conspiracy theorists, too. What a waste of perfectly good evening; to think that I''d ended up spending it with mentally ill people like you."


    He channeled Anima around himself and began distorting space-time around himself and tore himself out reality, but not before he said, "Keep your distance from me, you fucking creeps and don''t you ever annoy me with this shit again. Consider this your only fucking warning."


    And with that, Reed had left the room. His disappearance left a vicious wave of Anima that struck everything around it as it dispersed, shattering glass and destroying everything in the room that wasn''t pinned on the walls.


    The siblings quietly enjoyed the feeling of the destructive wave as it passed through them, savoring the sensation of Reed''s Anima until they could no more. They only returned back to reality after that blissful period of ecstasy ended.


    "He was truly wonderful, was he not? The sublime texture of his Anima, the magnificent shine of his soul! He truly is my¡­" said Sigurda with a flushed, hot expression on her face. In her bountiful chest, a passionate flame of obsession and love burned fiercely like never before.


    "But what will we do if he does not come around, Kanosis? We cannot force him to activate it and we certainly cannot subdue him. Although he is still inexperienced, we cannot underestimate Our Mother''s Holy Son. He will continue to grow, brother. I don''t think I''d be able to capture him if you asked me to if I had to be honest," said Sverre.


    "He will come around, brother. He is kind¡­ and that is why he will break. In due time, he will have to accept our mission and assist us in creating the world that Our Mother has entrusted us to build," said Kanosis. He was certain of it. His faith would not lead him astray¡­

 61 Getting The Band Back Together

    "You should have just killed them on the spot, boy. Those worms know too much and it''s almost guaranteed that they''re a part of something worse. Whoever raised them ¡ª made those fakes ¡ª is likely in league with the Infestation. It is the only explanation I can think of. Nothing else fits as well this conclusion," said Lacrima a scathing voice.


    With the Infested? How could those mindless abominations even help the Dragoncrest and Ashborn families? I thought all the do is kill and corrupt everything they touch.


    Reed stared out in the void and easily tore the veil of reality with a single thought. Colors and shapes blended in furious mix until they settled down into something recognizable. His abrupt phase into reality sent out a small wave of Anima in the ballroom that crashed into its surrounding, frightening and shocking nobles who had not noticed the foreign intrusion.


    "You have limited knowledge of the Scourge, boy. You know not what you speak of. Even they have a life-cycle as they progress through the path of Undeath. The Larvae are merely the youngest and weakest among the Scourge. Give them enough time and they will eventually mature into something else: Pupae ¡ª Intelligent Infested that are nearly mature, who have developed a spiritual link with the Outsiders, their eternal masters."


    I see. So is one of those helping them behind the scenes? These smart Infested? But how? I thought the Heavenly Aegis made this place impenetrable from the outside.


    "Who ever said they had to force themselves to get in here, boy? What if they were let in instead? Sometimes the easiest answer is the right one. No need to a solve a complex puzzle."


    Reed''s face twisted in disgust when he heard that. He found the idea of revolting to the core. To think that the Dragoncrest and Ashborn families had stooped so low in the pursuit of power.


    This place can''t afford traitors like them to live a single day longer.


    This was something of national concern¡ª no, even greater than that.


    What ever these two families are two are planning will likely affect the whole of Mulia. Goddammit, I knew I shouldn''t have fucking come.


    He looked around the ballroom, ignoring the painful gazes of the people and quickly found Lu''um and Violett, staring at him as if he was the biggest idiot they''d ever seen. Although the reaction was justified, he still didn''t appreciate how they immediately assumed he was in wrong.


    Reed bitterly smiled and said, "Looks I blew it, guys. Royally. Let''s go home, okay?"


    Lu''um and Violett calmly smiled at him but he knew what those masks hidden beneath. Oh, he knew. It was a feeling, an instinct so ancient it was talked about in myths. Ancient Mulian scholars even debated whether the ability bordered the supernatural as a extension of precognition.


    And Reed was not exempt to this phenomenon. He, too, felt the spine-chilling coldness radiate down from the base of his neck down his body. It was a unexplainable fear so old, it predated his species¡­


    After a long and painful ride home filled strife and despair, the trio returned home. Luckily, Reed''s wardens were merciful, beautiful angels that afforded him some measure of compassion after he had explained everything that had happened with his meeting with the so-called Twilight Children.


    "They''re bold little rats, I''ll give them that. I would have never thought that they would have tried to take you for themselves, even after I made you the Lord of Evergreen. I knew something was up, but I would have never thought they''d be this open about their ambitions," said Violett. The expression on her face was of the glacial variety, the kind that could freeze souls on the spot.


    "Do you think that they''ve joined forces with the Holy Church, after all? I''ve heard rumors of the Ashborns contacting the Sacred Cathedral for something of utmost concern. If so, this will make matters difficult for you, given the delicate relationship between the Holy Church and your family," said Lu''um.


    Reed greedily gnawed on batch of delicious pastries that Mira had brought to them and said, "What''s the Holy Church? Wait, I thought people considered us to be like Gods in this world? You know, with what we can do and all. That''s Astor told me back in the day, I think..."


    Violett sighed in frustration and said, "That sounds just like him; always giving half-assed answers without thinking. Yes, the common folk do worship us, but not as Gods per se. They think of us as the Goddess''s children, chosen people who have been allowed to wield Her awesome powers for Her sake. That is the Holy Church''s belief and therefore, the general belief of the masses. As for the Holy Church, they are a... worrisome lot."


    She suddenly felt a headache coming on; if the Holy Church was involved things would get much more complicated. The bastards had allied themselves with the worst possible enemy Violett cursed the Ashborn and Dragoncrest families from the bottom of her heart.


    "What, you can''t force a couple of old priests to listen to you? What are they going to do to us, scold us and threaten us with eternal damnation?" said Reed in a jovial tone. He found it hilarious that of all the possible things she could have been afraid of, it was a damn church.


    "Her worries are well-founded, you fool," said Lu''um in contempt of Reed''s naivety. "These old men you joke about are not the same as the ones you might''ve met in your original world. The priests of the Holy Church command a number of highly powerful contenders that have lived through the Unification Era, thousands of years ago. These ancient fellows are among the very first people to have ever been granted an Alma, so to speak. The Holy Pope himself is so old that he is reputed to have even lived before contenders and conquerors had risen."


    "Oh. But even still, he can''t be as frightening compared to Grandfather Ulbo and your mother, you know," said Reed in joking tone to Lu''um in a mental message.


    Lu''um gazed at Reed with a knowing smile and he immediately said, "A-Ah, so the Church''s really strong? It makes sense now why you can''t just force them to spill the beans. Never would have thought that even the priests in this world could be so terrifying." He nervously chuckled in fear and stuffed a chocolate croissant in face, not daring to look at a certain direction¡­


    "They''ve chosen the most annoying shield of them all to hide behind. The Holy Church has never once obeyed any of the orders that we, the royal family, have ever given them. Nor have they ever listened to anything the Four Empires have said to them. They do what they want, whenever they want, for good reason. I cannot even begin to imagine the bloodshed that would ensue if the Holy Church ever went to war against one of the Four Empires.


    Luckily, we have the Four Sovereigns to keep them in check, otherwise, I''ve no doubt they would have already conquered entire continent for themselves¡ª other rather, for The Goddess," said Violett.


    "So what are we supposed to do? Let them walk around freely? They seem to be plotting something big and their end goal is to eventually conqueror all of Mulia. We have to snuff this plot out before things get out of hand," said Reed.


    Violett shook her head and said," No, this is something that demands a deft touch, Reed. This is outside the scope of our reach, and will require the combined efforts of the Four Empires to be dealt with. I will have inform Father about this development and then send word of this to my contacts in the other empires." She stood up and said, "If those rats send you any more information, let me know as soon as possible. And please, do not attempt anything foolish in the meantime, Reed."


    As she slowly vanished into motes of light she said, "I trust you''ll keep him out of trouble, right?"


    Lu''um looked at Violett''s disappearing figure and said, "Naturally."


    We''ll see about that soon enough¡­ I have to get Astrid and Sebastian as far away from their families as I can before the Four Empires eventually strike.


    "Looks like I''m going to have to work overtime hours for the foreseeable future," said Reed as he fiddled with a half-eaten biscuit. "And here I thought I''d get to enjoy slouching off for a little bit longer¡­"


    "What are you going to do next, boy? The clock has already started ticking. How are you going to save them? You might be strong enough to handle than those silver worms, but it won''t be as easy as that," said Lacrima, amused with Reed''s drive to finally do something interesting.


    Reed smirked and said, "First thing I''m going to do is call up some friends. It''s time to get the band back together."

 62 Leon The Scoundrel

    "You can''t be serious, Reed. If we were to help you and this is a big if, we''d all be risking much more than our lives. Do you really understand? A bona fide prince of the North, the great-grandson of the King''s Hand, and the granddaughter of the High General, Marquis Redcliff!" said Astor.


    "I''ve got one them fancy titles too, and I''m not afraid doing the right thing," said Reed as lazily fiddled with an old, expensive-looking guitar he had borrowed from a glass case beneath the Evergreen Estate.


    "How. Do. You. Not. UNDERSTAND?! If word EVER got out that we attacked another noble family from another empire, much less the goddamned Holy Church, it create the biggest shitstorm in the last millennium! Do you want a second Unification War, you fucking imbecile?!!"


    "So we''ll make sure to not fuck it up, alright? I don''t remember you being this spineless, Astor." Reed started to feel that it was going to harder than he initially thought to convince them¡­


    "...If we fail, the skies will run red with the blood of innocents for centuries, Reed," said Horatio in a grim, harsh tone. "I feel for them, I really do, but we cannot put two lives over the safety of hundreds of millions of citizens across the North and the East."


    "Even you, Horatio? The man of action, who''d never back down from a challenge? To think the day would come when I''d have a bigger set of balls than you¡­" Reed scoffed in contempt, wondering if he''d wasted his time in calling them over.


    "Let us say that we succeed, Reed. We save them and hide them away somewhere safe. Even then, we''d have to bear the possibility of someone finding out what we did as long as they live. This is high treason we''re talking about. They will have everyone from both families executed as a warning to aristocracy. Harboring wanted fugitives will be the death of everyone in this room should they ever find out!" said Ophelia.


    Reed sighed and said, "All I hear is your fear talking, Ophelia, and it''s a total mood kill." He stood up, grabbed his guitar by the neck and held it like a baseball bat.


    He gave his improvised weapon a solid swing and said, "...Well, fuck it, then. Guess I''ll do it on my own. You three would probably slow me down, anyways."


    "Don''t worry though, I won''t tell them that you were too chickenshit to help out when I save them," said Reed in derision. "I''ll let three of you tell that to them yourselves when you meet them," said Reed before he walked out the tea room.


    That was the last thing they heard Reed say to them before...


    "That went spectacularly," said Lacrima as she desperately tried to hold back her laughter. "So, what are you going to do now, boy? Your friends won''t help you, and if she so much catches wind of what you''re plotting, she''ll imprison you down in the dungeons. You''re going to have to do this all alone¡­"


    Lacrima said, "Oh? Look at you, boy. Color me surprised, so you''ve learned how flattery works. To think you''d be such a late bloomer, heh. ...But this also pretty nice, too. It''s like looking at a new side of something old, in a way¡­"


    She sounded strangely sweet and pleasant, a marked contrast to her usual self. It was an odd, unnerving thing; It made Reed''s heart beat a little faster for some odd reason¡­


    He didn''t... dislike it. But at the same time, it made jittery and anxious like he was waiting for something¡­


    "A-Anyway! We''ll be leaving under the cover of darkness tonight before she catches on to us. Long-distance void jumps to random locations, and then I''ll have you seal my aura, just in case."


    "Hehe, you know that won''t keep her away for long, right? She''s intrinsically linked to you on a fundamental level ¡ª deeper even than a spiritual link ¡ª letting her feel the wavelength of your very existence, no matter the distance between the two of you. She will find you, so as long as you exist; alive or dead," said Lacrima.


    Reed suddenly felt like a ball and chain had been put on his leg, one that he''d never be able to remove. He nervously said, "I-I see. So what are supposed to do?! She''ll never stop looking if we leave, and when she eventually finds us¡­"


    He felt it in his bones, the fear of something worse than death. The knowledge of the evil that festered behind her beautiful hazel eyes.


    "Relax, boy. Although the link is unbreakable, it can be masked with a bit of skill. I know a technique that''ll transform you into someone else, thereby obfuscating your existence from the girl. It''s an old, but elegant technique made by a very famous thief in the days of yore."


    "Then it''s settled. Good. We leave at dusk or...¡­ sometime around that," said Reed went to his room to prepare¡­


    Time passed and dinnertime came around. Before anyone had noticed, he''d left in silence.


    It started as a simple question that spiraled into a full-fledged search across the entire premises. He was nowhere to be found. Mira was supposed to have informed her master that his dinner had been prepared.


    Neither was he in his bedroom, the main living room, or down the family vaults, his favorite lounging spots. Nor in any of the common guest rooms in the estate. Soon, Arcano had been informed and the servants had been mobilized to no avail.


    Lu''um watched the search for Reed from her bedroom with a cold, but amused expression on her face. She''d always expected that this would happen one day, that''d he start to act independently. That he''d fall back into his old habits.


    It seems I have been too soft as of late. I''ll properly discipline you this time, my love. I promise.


    Her hunt had begun.


    Scenes blurred again and again, without end. Forests melted into snowstorms, and they, too, melted into mountains. A plethora of colors swirled around him, changing into an endless amount of peculiar shapes. Reed had been jumping across all manner of foreign places for the last four hours non-stop as safeguard.


    Although he trusted Lacrima''s disguise, but even then he felt that it was not enough. He knew that Lu''um was far more powerful than she let on, to point that he guessed she was probably stronger than everyone in Mulia, at the very least.


    He had been becoming increasingly more perceptive when it came to reading the flow of Anima around him and others. The more he learned, experienced the hooded man''s memories, the more the world opened itself to him. Secrets that had been hidden from him had been brought to the light.


    "But still, you''ve made me quite the handsome fellow, Lacrima," said Reed as he tore yet another spatial tear for him to jump into. "So this is your type, eh? I''m still better looking than this, though."


    His light-brown hair fluttered in the wind as he stepped out into another foreign landscape. His warm, amber eyes glittered with a certain playful charm that were strangely captivating to others. Above all else, his refined, elegant face made him quite the looker.


    Lacrima scoffed and said, "You will also need to come up with a new name for yourself in the meantime. If you use your old name, it''ll break the technique and reveal to her. Once that happens, it''s over for both of us, you understand?"


    Reed gazed at a distant mountain range as he inspected his surroundings and said, "How about Magnus? Sounds regal and imposing."


    "Rejected."


    "Then how about... Isaak? That sounds pretty nice, right?"


    "Rejected."


    "No, no, I''ve got it! Ned! Think about it. It''s such a plain, normal name ¡ª it''s perfect!


    "Rejected."


    Frustrated, Reed said, "Then what? What name will satisfy you, oh wise and noble judger-of-names? Please, enlighten me with the perfect name, my muse!"


    Lacrima paused for a moment and then said, "...Leon. That''s your new name. Don''t forget it."


    Reed sighed and said, "It''s alright... I guess. If it shuts you up, whatever." He mumbled under his breath, "Magnus was cooler, though."


    He looked at the distant mountain range and pulled out his tome which read, Mistborn Mountains, for his location. It was a remote mountain range located a little bit into the Empire of the West. As long as he traveled east enough, he''d eventually cross into the border of the East.


    "Looks like we''ll be flying for a bit, then. All we know is that the main branches of Ashborn and Dragoncrest families are in the East, presumably near the main capital, of course."


    Thus would begin the tale of Leon, the infamous scoundrel, who would become one of the East''s most wanted criminals.

 63 Visiting Rosenfield

    "Look, right over there, boy! I can sense multiple lifesigns over a couple of kilometers ahead. I think it might be a village or a small town of some sort," said Lacrima in joy.


    Reed let out a wild howl of happiness in response when he heard the good news from Lacrima and increased his flying speed even more. Finally! Civilization! Food! Comfort!


    The unfortunate pair had been flying for nearly an entire day in a straight line and had not seen a single town throughout out the entire journey. Suffice to say, the West''s endless mountain ranges were not very scenic, or at least as beautiful as the Eternal Forest, per se.


    Past the Western border lay lush, wild landscapes reminiscent of a virgin paradise. It was untamed but full of life unlike anything Reed had ever seen before. The trees that covered the East towered over the lands, sometimes even peaking into the clouds above. This was a land ruled by beautiful, verdant grasslands and majestic forests.


    It''s real damn pretty around here, that''s for sure. This place seems heavenly compared to the average scenery you''d see up in the North¡­


    A little town lived near the border of one the expansive, ancient forests of the East. It was a remote settlement that had been built centuries ago by the Eastern Empire in effort to expand out and reinforce its presence along the border during a marked period of tension with the Western Empire.


    That stressful era of conflict had long since passed, though. Years turned into decades, and they, too, eventually turned into centuries. All that had been left of that troublesome period now was a lovely little town in the middle of nowhere, beside a peaceful forest of enormous, ancient trees.


    A small, homely bastion overrun with flowers and trees. Rosenfield.


    When Reed landed near the town''s outskirts, he immediately restrained and locked his aura into something that would not attract attention. He drew back aura''s pulse, the amount of Anima he emitted, and his shimmer, the degree of condensation he could condense Anima.


    He looked like a regular contender now, aura-wise. Reed was confident it''d fool contenders, for sure. Conquerors, on the other hand¡­ that was up for debate. Veteran conquerors? He''d probably get caught in an instant.


    But the chances of an old freak like that appearing in this little town is probably close to zero. Why would someone like that ever settle down here in middle of nowhere?


    Reed brushed his clothes clean and conjured up a small mirror made up of water to make sure that he looked fine. He inspected himself from top to bottom until he was finally convinced that he didn''t look like a fool. More than anything, he didn''t want to ruin his first genuine interaction with the common folk of this world like an idiot.


    As Reed walked towards the town''s old gates, he wondered if he''d ever spoken to a normal person ¡ª for the lack of a better word, a mortal ¡ª since he had arrived in Mulia.


    Much to Reed''s surprise, the people who lived in the town weren''t human at all. They were Avunians among the townfolk, who he immediately recognized, but there was another race that also walked amongst them.


    They much taller and slender than the average human. Most were easily at least two meters in height and had long ears just like the Avunians, except they were not slightly transparent like theirs. The trait had seemingly been shifted onto their hair instead. Very curious.


    The tips of their hair shimmered in an unnatural way like tiny bundles of glowing string. Their hair floated and swayed along with the flow of Anima ever-so-slightly whenever a small Anima wave passed by. It was somewhat enchanting watch their long hair dance along with the Anima in the air¡­


    He would have continued to gawk at their unique, beautiful hair but a soft voice stopped him from continuing his boorish gawking session.


    "Oh my, isn''t this quite the surprise!"


    Reed turned around was met with a young Avunian girl who seemed to be no older than twenty or so, but he knew better. That their kind matured up to a certain point and stopped aging altogether. They maintained their peerless beauty until death, a trait that all other races in the continent greatly admired.


    It was said by someone that this was a racial trait that the Avunians possessed even before they were brought into Mulia millennia ago. Before they called themselves Avunians, when they were referred to simply as the Alf¡­


    "A-Ah, hello there, miss," blurted Reed in surprise.


    "A visitor, and a human boy at that¡­ A very rare thing, indeed. You''re quite aways from the North, aren''t you?" said the woman as she inspected Reed in curiosity.


    Reed awkwardly chuckled and said, "I guess I got lost on the way home. Probably took a wrong turn somewhere, I think¡­"


    She giggled and replied, "That is a very troubling development, then. It seems you''ve made quite the blunder because you''re, at the very least, more than two thousand kilometers away from the North''s border."


    "..............................¡­I''m very good at getting lost?"


    She smiled and said, "Why don''t you tell me all about how you got lost, right over there," pointing at an old cafe called Honey and Bark. "Don''t worry, I can assure you that my tea''s the best in town..."


    Oh, no...¡­ Help! Stranger danger! Call the authorities! There''s a suspicious looking girl over here...!


    Well, that was a bit excessive to think of her like that, but that was how he initially felt when the girl had suddenly invited him over into her shop. Reed had been scammed one too many times back home, so the idea of a random stranger not having an ulterior motive seemed impossible to him.


    Memories of the past flooded his mind. Shop owners claiming that he had broken a priceless vase, or some kind of expensive family heritage of theirs. That he would have to pay an exorbitant sum of coin to them, or they''d call the guards ¡ª who were also in on the scam ¡ª and have him sent to the dungeons¡­


    He only had four worn silver coins to his name at the time. Hard-earned coin that he had diligently saved over the course of an entire year. All lost in a single day. Needless to say, his twelfth birthday had not gone as planned.


    Reed gazed down at his tea cup and stared at his own reflection in silence. He knew and understood that he had more than four measly silver coins now. Wealth meant nothing now. If he wanted, he could conjure a mountain of silver for himself with but a single thought.


    Even so, it felt hollow. He still felt like the same miserable, poor boy from back then. No amount of silver coin he could create would ever satisfy that little boy. He wanted his coins back. That was all that mattered to him¡­


    "What''s the matter? Don''t like the tea? I can bring you something sweeter if you want. The leaves we use for our traditional tea can sometimes be too much for others, or so I heard a long time ago."


    "Hmm? Oh¡ª no, no! It''s delicious, really. I was just thinking about something dumb like I usually do..." Reed embarrassedly scratched his head and said, "I never got your name by the way¡­ I''m Re¡ª Leon! Leon¡­"


    "You can call me Testarossa, Leon," she said with an amused expression on her face. She sat down across Reed and gazed at the uneasy mien on his face, fascinated with how Anima flowed around him. She''d never seen Anima move in such an orderly, composed fashion before in all her years alive.


    The way it danced around him made it almost seem alive. As if it were delighted being around him. That was what caught her attention in the first place. It was obvious enough that he had plenty of secrets too, given his little hiccup of sorts...


    A mysterious human boy popping out here, of all places? Thousands of kilometers away from the human territory? Very, very curious, indeed¡­


    Centuries of peaceful, albeit boring life in Rosenfield had left her nearly numb to the bone. She hated guarding the border, but thought it better than dealing with paperwork in capital, or fighting outside in the Shadowlands. She''d spent enough time bustling about, fighting the Infested for a lifetime or two¡­


    Out here in the middle of nowhere, nothing happened. For a young girl like her who had come to crave stimulation, Reed was the greatest blessing of the decade. Something new, something different.


    "I-Is there something on my face?" said Reed in confusion.


    Testarossa grinned and said, "No, no. You''re just a sight for sore eyes, that''s all. There aren''t that many cute boys like you around here, you see¡­"


    Reed suddenly felt that the conversation was heading in a direction he did not like and said, "O-Oh, is that so? Must be hard on you then, haha... By the way, do you know where I might find some lodging for the night?"


    Testarossa ignored Reed''s question and softly said, "This town''s filled to brim with old geezers and middle-aged aunties, so I often get really lonely..." Her voice had a cadence to it that felt strangely enticing, but it did not affect Reed in the slightest.


    It did however, infuriate Lacrima to hell and back almost instantaneously.


    Reed immediately wrangled Lacrima down with his Anima before the inevitable happened and hurriedly said, "You know, you should consider adopting a pet! I hear animal companions are great for helping those with emotional needs¡­"


    Testarossa stood up and whispered in Reed''s ear, "Why don''t we go upstairs and get know each other better in my bedroom?" If her Siren''s Call did not effect on him, the tea eventually would. It had been spiked with Angel Tears, a professionally made aphrodisaic and truth-serum of reknown quality in the East.


    It was also a classic staple of the East''s intelligence corps, especially of the Sunflower Sisters, one of the Eastern Empire''s best intelligence and reconssaince divisons...


    I wonder what kind of secrets he''s hiding. Maybe I''ll break him in and keep him for myself instead of giving him to the Order. Either way, I can''t wait find out who you really are.... Leon.

 64 A Warm Invitation

    She sure that the drug had taken affect by now and that with a small suggestion, the boy would fall her charms. After all, she''d never failed to catch a man, much less a little brat who was wet behind the ears like the one in front of her.


    A little teasing here, a couple of passionate gazes there ¡ª that was all it often took to get men to bend to her will. In due time, she''d come to add the boy her list of conquests¡­Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    ...Or so she had thought.


    "Hey, um, I don''t know if I right to tell you this... but you should value yourself more. It isn''t very becoming of a beautiful girl like you to jump onto every new man you see. But then again, it''s your body so you have full rights to do what you want with it..." said Reed with an embarrassed look on his face.


    What...? The drug hasn''t taken affect?! That''s... not possible! How?!


    Testarossa immediately pulled back and chuckled dryly in response. Suddenly, the Anima in the room swirled into action and she said, "Alright, I''ll admit it. You got me good but don''t think that you''ll be able to walk free so easily, so let''s drop the act and get to business. Answer my questions, or else I''ll get persuavive. Why are you here? What are your intentions? Who sent you?"


    Reed stared at her with a confused expression and said, "What are you talking about? Didn''t you invite me to your cafe yourself?"


    I don''t get this woman at all!! One moment she''s seducing and in the next, she''s interrogating me?! What the hell''s wrong with this broad?


    Thin, almost invisible, razor-sharp webs made of Anima surrounded the pair in an instant, gleaming dangerously whenever sunlight hit them in just the right way. Testarossa had used one of own personal techniques, Widow''s Prison, to lock down any avenues of escape.


    "A smart-mouth, eh? You''re awfully calm for someone who''s a step away from disappearing, you know? The North must be really full of themselves to have sent a greenhorn out into the field. They must be running out people out there in those frozen wastelands to have sent a under-trained rookie like you to here," said Testarossa as she carefully manipulated her web around Reed to lock him in even further.


    Reed started laughing uproariously like a madman when he finally realized what he had gotten himself in and said, "Oh, for fuck''s sake! Of-fucking-course I''d get myself into something like this on the first day!"


    She calmly stared at him as she watched how he''d react, to check whether he could be broken into. The Order could not trust, nor use those who had already been subjected to high-level brainwashing or hypnosis techniques by other organizations.


    Any individual already under the effect of a technique like that might be a sleeper cell sent to unknowingly infiltrate and recover any information on the enemy. That was the last thing the Order needed on its hands, so it was highly cautious of who could be allowed into their ranks¡­


    For now, at the very least, she could not detect any abnormal fluctuations that indicated spiritual or mental tampering. Her unique eyes allowed her to see through all manner of things, at the cost of being especially draining on her mind.


    Still, it was why her kind, the Avunians, were considered to be among the best for intelligence and reconnaissance missions ¡ª why a vast majority of the spies working for the Eastern Empire were Avunians.


    "I can vouch for your safety if let me help you. Tell me everything you know and I''ll make you''ll be treated right. If you can give me something good, I might even be able to make a case to have you inducted into our ranks," said Testarossa in attempt to sweeten the deal.


    It was a small chance, but getting decent intel and a potential gem like the boy, who was clean, would be an enormous boon for her. Not promotion-worthy, but still considerable.


    It seems like I''ve gotten myself tangled up with a real life femme fatale! A beautiful spy working for the East... was the first person I met on my journey. But this might also work, too, if I think about¡­


    Something Lacrima said a while back echoed in the back of his head and resonated with him. He would have to thank her later for the inspiration.


    Reed sighed deeply in resignation and said, "Alright, fine. I get it. I''ll tell you, so stop playing around with the wires, okay? It''s not like I''d be able to outrun you anyway, right?"


    ......Who ever said they had to force themselves to get in here, boy? What if they were let in instead?...¡­


    Testarossa''s face bloomed like flower and she cheerfully said, "I''m glad you understand, Leon. Work with me and I promise you''ll have a better future here than you would have ever had in the North. Now, tell me everything you know and don''t leave a single detail out..."


    Reed smiled and nodded innocently like a good, obedient boy.


    There''s nothing wrong with bending truth a little, right? That, and forgetting some of the more ''unnecessary details'' for the sake of brevity.


    Lacrima muffled something in response underneath the seal he''d put on her, but Reed ignored her. He''d appease her later, right now¡­ he had to tell an exciting story to tell¡­


    "T-That''s not possible... it''s preposterous! If what you said is true then this is a matter far outside of your concern! How could someone like you ever had heard, or been assigned to investigate something as important as this?!!"


    Reed said, "Is it really? The rumor''s exploded like crazy on our side, to the point that everyone knows about in our department. Word on the street is that the Winter Princess even rushed to meet her father the night of the event, too¡­"


    He had told her a modified version of the truth. That Ashborns and Dragoncrests had allied themselves with Holy Church in order to overthrow the East first, and then the rest of the world. Of a devious plot to utilize the forces they''d been raising to finally unify Mulia under a single banner...


    In order to keep the pressure on her, Reed said, "You''ve heard about it too, right? About how the three of them have grown strangely close... how they''ve been meeting in secret at the Sacred Cathedral, the heart of Holy Church, far away from prying eyes and ears like us..."


    "After all, infiltrating that den of monsters is a straight-up death sentence," said Reed as fiddled with his tea. "A den of ancient monsters from the Unification Era, waiting for a good reason to rampage again, I''d say¡­"


    Testarossa''s blood froze when she imagined what would happen to the East, no¡ª the whole world if those old freaks ever became active again. The consequences would be unimaginable. The continent would have a second Unification Era with all the horrors and nightmares that came with the last one¡­


    "I need to report this to High Command, now," said Testarossa, waving away the Anima in room with a flick of her wrist. "If even half of what you just told me was true, it''d spell the end the East, and of the Era of Peace that our ancestors fought for."


    Reed let out a long yawn and said, "Yeah, that sounds about right. So, what are gonna do? You going to go talk to your bosses? Good luck on that promotion."


    She looked and Reed as if he were and idiot and said, "You''re coming too, you know that? I''m going to need you to undergo multiple truth trials in order for your story to have any credibility when I report it, otherwise, they''ll kill you and demote me. Goddess forbid they excommunicate me and wipe my memories instead¡­"


    Testarossa grabbed Reed and said, "Have you ever void-jumped before? This is going to feel a little weird, so take a deep breat¡ª"


    Reed let another yawn and said, "Just get it over with, okay? I''m getting real tired and I''d like to get some sleep sometime soon¡­"


    What the hell''s up with him? Not a single ounce of respect from him even though he''s just a piddling contender...


    "Your call, then. Don''t come crying to me when your lunch comes out the wrong way¡­" She opened up a spatial tear and dragged Reed in tow, disappearing into the murky, black void...


    This would later be accepted as the first recorded appearance of the infamous criminal known only as Leon. His unexpected intrusion into the intelligence community''s ranks would also be noted, serving as a case-study for future intrusion-prevention measures that would be implemented later...

 65 An Honest Spy

    Within in the deepest part of the Sunflower Grove, one of the East''s largest forests, walked a pair of lonesome strangers in silence.


    The trees quietly observed them as they progressed down an old, beaten path into the depths of the forest where the forest canopy had grown so extensively that it blocked sunlight down below. It was an area of the woods where light would prosper and the darkness ruled over the land.


    This was where a hidden city had been built millennia ago in secret. It was a place far removed from the eyes of the masses, for it was home to shadows and ghosts ¡ª the kind that haunted the living.


    Cempasuchil was home for East''s Forgotten Order, the heart of the empire''s intelligence and investigation operations. It was a place that did not exist on any official maps or public databases. Hidden from sight, shrouded from sight with various enhancements and techniques, it was nigh-imperceptible even for the most perceptive of individuals.


    Even the likes of veteran conquerors would have an excruciatingly difficult time finding the hidden city. It was a sealed domain that was perfectly attuned to the flow of Anima in such a way that made it undetectable even to those who were highly sensitive to abnormal fluctuations.


    An Ancient Mulian artefact of considerable value was used to achieve this illusory deception, amplified by modern technology. Down the lowest section of the city, a small turquoise ring thrummed mid-air locked down by an enormous apparatus ¡ª a mechanical tomb designed to contain and use it.


    The Forgotten Order would have never guessed that its rightful owner would one day come for it, causing...¡­


    "Hey, that''s pretty nifty," said Reed as he stared at the soft, twinkling lights that illuminated the hidden, ethereal city. "How did you guys manage to create such an effective barrier around the city?"


    Testarossa smirked and said, "That''s top secret. It''s one of the biggest reasons why none of the other empires have ever located our headquarters. It''s also why high-ranked officers are allowed to learn the actual, geographic location of the city, since Cempasuchil isn''t linked to the continental altar system."


    Reed whistled in admiration when he heard that. "Consider me officially impressed." He truly had to give the East credit for their decision to forsake the altar system wholesale when they built the city.


    They''ve sure as hell put a lot of effort into keeping this place a secret. I''m almost ashamed of how easy it was to get access to this place.


    Sure, the altar system allowed for nearly-instantaneous travel across the continent, but it was also meant that it could be exploited for nefarious reasons. That was why mortals and even contenders had to undergo numerous checks in order to use altars connected to other empires aside from their own.


    As a result, Cempasuchil had been built far, far away from any altar stations in the depths of the Sunlight Grove around a uniquely powerful artefact that the East had discovered long ago¡­


    The city was filled with all manner of races, but most of them were Avunian, and the branch-race with the glowing hair. A few humans walked here and there, but they were a rare sight amidst the sea of pointed ears.


    Reed inched close to Testarossa and whispered, "What the ones with the glowing hair called? Are they some kind relatives to your race? Never seem them in North¡­"


    "They''re called Sirens ¡ª an offshoot of the Avunians, as you have correctly guessed ¡ª but in reality, the connection between us is somewhat distant," said Testarossa with a complicated expression.


    "Long ago, before we''d been abducted here, our ancestors ¡ª the noble Alf ¡ª were all part of a single unified bloodline. After we were brought here, a momentous schism occurred. What was once one, became two. I will not bore you with the story, but our ancestors had difficulties adapting to their... new circumstances. Two parties emerged from a blood feud and as a result, two distinct bloodlines emerged over the course of millennia."


    That sounds very... interesting. Contradicts the image I had of the Avunians, that''s for sure. But appearances can be deceiving, I suppose.


    Reed had pegged them as a beautiful, harmonious race of pointy eared eye-candy. He did not expect that they had it in them to indulge in violence.


    "So how did the two of you, um, come to terms with one another? Blood feuds are not so easily resolved, I imagine," said Reed as he curiously gazed at the bustling city around him.


    "What do you think? With blood, a great deal of it. The Unification War taught us a valuable, painful lesson. That in the face of total destruction and slavery, the petty feud meant nothing. We chose to compromise. That is how we claimed the East for ourselves in the end."


    A majestic spire made of a sleek metal and polished stone stood above all others in Cempasuchil. It was a curious structure that did not possess a single ounce of Anima. The unique characteristic made it stand out like a sore thumb to those who visited the city for the first time.


    This was the true heart of the Forgotten Order, the Glass Prison. Where the East''s shadows converged and dangerous secrets were kept¡­


    It was called the Glass Prison for a good reason and Reed soon found out why, much to his bemusement.


    Locked in an empty cell, Reed couldn''t help but chuckle bitterly in self-derision. No matter where he went and what he did, a prison cell always awaited him somewhere¡­


    He''d been waiting for hours after Testarossa had dumped him in there. With nothing to do, he''d spent those lonesome hours appeasing Lacrima with honeyed words and hollow promises, talking about nothing in particular.


    Not too far away from his cell, he felt the aura of an experienced contender, who was presumably a warden. His hidden eye revealed many a thing to him. Contenders occupied the upper portion of the spire and the deeper portions were solely inhabited by conquerors.


    Simple enough; but there was a single thing that confused him. The Anima disappeared past a certain depth underground. There was an area that was purposefully devoid of Anima. He knew that much. Something was up down there¡­


    Looks like there''s a secret down there, eh. Wonder what they''re keeping locked up there¡­ Perhaps a heinous criminal, or some kind of treasure?


    Lacrima scoffed and said, "Why don''t you go find out, then? Let''s see how you''ll get past all of those worms with your current abilities. Do yourself a favor and keep your greed in check, or it''ll bite you in the ass one day."


    Oh, come on. I was just a bit curious, tha¡ª


    "Shut it, you dolt! Someone''s coming," whispered Lacrima.


    A tall figure suddenly swirled into existence in front of Reed in a cloud of thick, black smoke like an actual ghost. It was an Avunian, a grim-looking man with long, black hair and deep violet eyes.


    He gazed at Reed with an indifferent face and said, "You are Leon, yes? The one that lieutenant Clearspring brought in for interrogation?"


    "Yes," replied Reed as he inspected the man''s aura. He watched the fluctuations the man gave off and quickly determined that he was an experienced conqueror. The technique he''d pulled off required a degree of control that inexperienced conquerors would not have been able to do.


    The man had manipulated his own body and had turned himself into the black smoke, rather than having been transported by it. That alone indicated that the man was capable of some level of advanced transmutation ¡ª the kind that allowed one to transform one''s body.


    That took balls, given that an incorrect transformation could result in becoming permanently crippled, if not death. The benefits that came with mastering a transformation technique were certainly attractive enough to warrant the attempt, though.


    "I hear you''ve brought some extremely troubling news to our attention, but without proper verification, we cannot trust you. I''m also aware that lieutenant Clearspring has decided to vouch for your safety via the truth trials, yes? It seems she''s placed a great deal of trust in your character..."


    "What can I say? I''m a real amenable guy, and she offered me a deal I couldn''t refuse, right? I prefer not to die if I was given a choice."


    The man grimly smiled and said, "Are you sure about that? If it is found that you have lied to us, a unspeakable fate awaits you. Do you know what awaits the foreign spies that we capture? A never-ending nightmare. You will end up wishing for death as our agents extract every single piece of information you possess¡­"


    "That sounds painful, I suppose. It''s a good thing I''m an honest man."


    When the man heard that he chuckled slowly and said, "An honest spy? I can see why she likes you. You''re rather a funny fellow. Let''s see how long you can keep that act up once we start¡­"

 66 A Second Home

    Heima couldn''t believe it. Every fiber of his being trembled as he observed the fluctuations of his prisoner''s soul. Never had he seen anything like it before. The stainless gleam of a soul untouched by the filth of the mundane, terrestrial world.


    His own ancestors, the Alf, had been known possess a purity of the soul that was uncontested among all of the early races. This was given since they had been beings born from the essence of nature and possessed a powerful connection to it even before birth.


    But this was unnatural. This was too pure. He wagered not even the noble High-Alf founders of yore possessed such an untainted spirit. It not for its pitiful size, he was sure he would have permanently damaged his eyes from the backlash.


    Goddess in heaven, had it been fully developed¡­ I can not even begin to imagine what he would have been capable of¡­


    It was like a small, wavering spark of light in an empty void of space where the rest of soul should have been. Even for a human soul, it was far too small for a consciousness to have arisen out of it. He stared at the young boy in muddled shock and wondered to himself how he had even survived his birth.


    A fragmented, underdeveloped soul such as his should have resulted in a stillbirth for the mother. And even if he survived his birth, he should have had a short and tragic life. A couple short days, at the very least¡­


    None of it made sense and yet, here the boy was alive and well. The boy was by definition, a walking miracle. His existence defied the natural order of things, whether he knew or not¡­


    "Hey, are we done yet? How many times are going to do this? If you think I''m lying, then hurry up and sentence me already," said Reed in an annoyed tone.


    For better part of an hour, he''d been subjected with all sorts of mental and spiritual techniques. Some to determine whether he was being honest, and others were spirit-enforcing techniques that forced him to do something against his will ¡ª such as speaking the truth.


    Not that they worked on him in the slightest. Lacrima had subtly manipulated every technique that had been used on Reed, rendering them harmless.


    As result, Reed had been forced to act the fool to keep up the illusion that he''d been mesmerized. Like a numb idiot, he had obediently answered whatever he''d been asked to answer up until a certain point. A couple of minutes ago, the grim-looking man had gone silent, much to Reed''s annoyance.


    The grim-looking man sighed and said, "Yes, we''re done. It seems the faith lieutenant Clearspring has not been for naught. But even so, I cannot guarantee whether or not you will be given a special pardon." He gathered Anima around himself and said, "I¡­ will see what I can do to help you for the lieutenant''s sake but don''t get your hopes up¡­"


    And... he''s gone. Back to the waiting game. ...You know, I''m starting to think that this was a stupid idea. There''s no way they''d let me in just because I told them a silly rumor, even if it is the truth, right?


    Reed smiled in self-derision and mumbled, "Hopefully escaping won''t be too difficult when the time comes." He guessed that someone like him, who was a weakling their eyes, would be held in the upper portion of the spire where the contenders were. It''d make his life a lot easier¡­


    Life, on the hand, had a different design for him as he''d soon find out.


    Before Reed stood a half-circle of powerful entities that made him feel extremely nervous. Each of the six individuals possessed an aura that immediately extinguished the idea of escaping in one piece. He knew that he tried anything suspicious, it''d likely be the last thing he do before he experienced an abrupt death.


    Three men and three women curiously observed him with noticeable interest as their eyes glowed ominously. Expressions of disbelief and shock covered their faces as they continued to observe Reed.


    "My, my! Truly curious¡­! I would have never believed young Heima had I not seen it with my own eyes¡­"


    "Miraculous, indeed. He is mind is clean as reported, as well. To think that the North sent someone like this to our doorstep without even knowing..."


    "Those idiots must become senile to have let someone like him through their grasp. But as the ancestor used to say, ''One man''s trash is another Alf''s treasure¡­''"


    "As expected of the North; blind as they always are, only interested in what lies on the outside and never the inside..."


    "The North is truly gracious, for them to have given us two precious gifts in a single day..."


    Whispers in the Old Tongue, the ancient language of the Alf, floated around the council room as the six figures smiled in joy.


    Reed, who quietly stood in front of them as he waited for his judgment, wondered why he could not understand them. His tome was reputedly capable of translating an innumerable amount of languages, and yet he was unable to make sense of the conversation in front him. It was the first time since he''d been given his tome that it had failed him.


    He found it odd enough that he actually spoke up for the first since he''d entered the room and said, "Um, why can''t I understand what you''re saying? Are all you using some kind of technique or skill to circumvent my tome''s abilities?"


    One of the council members, an older man with silver hair and refined features said, "We are not using any techniques at all, my boy. Rest assured, your tome is still functioning properly."


    A beautiful older woman with kind violet eyes said, "We were simply speaking the Old Tongue, my son. That is why your tome was unable to translate our little discussion."


    "The Old Tongue? But I thought that tomes contained the sum of all the knowledge scholars have collected, including the native languages from all races were summoned here¡­" said Reed in confusion.


    "That what you have been led to believe, little brother. But that is far from the truth. You see, we, just like the other races on this foreign world, have made some compromises with one another for the sake of privacy. There are certain languages and dialects that have been kept from the universal compendium, and therefore are not in your tome''s repository of knowledge¡­" said one of the younger council members, a younger looking man in his late twenties with glowing blue hair.


    Secrets, always with the secrets. People never tire making them, do they?


    Reed quietly mumbled, "O-Oh, I didn''t know that. It goes to show that I''m still very ignorant about this world''s affairs¡­"


    "My, my¡­ so you''re not a native then, my boy? A foreigner?" said an older Avunian woman with glittering emerald eyes and warm, golden hair like wheat. "How tragic, for you to have been suddenly torn from your homeworld and brought here, of all places. Not to worry though, we will make sure you are taken care now that you are under our care¡­"


    Reed awkwardly scratched his head and said, "A-Ah ¡ª no, ma''am, I''m not sad about that, or anything... I was, um, ...a mangy little orphan back home so it isn''t as if I lost anything of value when I was summoned here¡­"


    The blond Avunian woman''s face crumpled up in sorrow, along with the rest of the council members when they heard Reed''s response. When they thought about the boy''s circumstances, they couldn''t help but feel sorry for him even if he had been working for the North.


    Born with an incomplete soul, a miracle never seen before, only to have been born without a family. Lived his entire life as an orphan only to have been transported to Mulia in order to become contender.


    On top of that, sent on a suicide mission by the North, given the nature of his original mission compared to his current abilities.


    Born without anything, and forced to suffer for nothing, only to die a dog''s death.


    Even for them, as section chiefs who''d seen and heard the life stories of many a people as a result of their careers, it was a bit much to listen to the boy''s story. It was as if someone above up wanted to punish the poor boy as much as possible.


    The oldest figure among the council, an elderly man with energetic blue eyes said, "Life''s been quite harsh to you hasn''t it, son?"


    Reed bitterly smiled and said, "I''ve learned to deal with what life throws at me the best I can, sir. Had I not, I would have broken down long ago in some dirty alley back home."


    He''d wavered, feared and often times despaired, but he''d always held out for something, even during the worst days. The idea, the hope, that one day he''d see a light at the end of the tunnel.


    That one day, he too, would be able to live a wonderful, peaceful life with purpose.


    Expressions tightened up when they heard the boy''s response among the council. They clearly saw how boy''s soul shone even brighter than before like a stubborn, flickering candle in wind. None could deny that the boy had meant what he had said with all his heart as they gazed at his distant, lonesome eyes.


    It was then that the elderly man stood, walked up to Reed and patted his small shoulders. He warmly smiled and said, "You won''t need to worry about that kind of life anymore, son. Not anymore. So as long as the Golden Tree prospers in the East¡­"

 67 Leon Goldentree

    The people of the East''s verdant grasslands and secluded woods trembled in the wake of what they had heard not too long ago. News quickly spread that the High Elder, representative of the entire Avunian race, had done something many considered extremely controversial, to say the least.


    It was such an unthinkable act that some even questioned if the High Elder was of sound mind. Whispers floated around the aristocracy asking whether or not the time had come for the old man to retire, although none would ever dare to put the idea into action...


    The act that had brought the High Elder''s mental wellbeing into question?


    Adoption.


    But that, in itself, was not the cause for the Avunian community''s concern. In fact, it was a selfless act of love, something to be praised.


    The High Elder''s act would have been praised as such under normal circumstances but...


    It was ties of blood that united the Avunian race together, whether one was of either bloodline, for they were all descendants of the Alf at the end of the day. They were family.


    ...What he''d done was anything but normal.


    He, one of the oldest survivors of the Unification Era, had done this. The same man who had sacrificed an unspeakable amount to help secure a future for his entire race.


    This was the man who had once held the terrifying position of the King''s Hand ¡ª the second-in-command in the East ¡ª answering only to the true ruler of the East, the Lion King.


    But given that the Sovereign had left his empire to its own devices, in pursuit of his own goals, the former King''s Hand had once served as proxy ruler in his stead.


    Although the Goldentree Clan was not of royal blood, they too, just like the Kingscrown Family in the North, had a special history and lineage that afforded them the same authority as if they were.


    For all intents and purposes, they represented the will of their Sovereigns.


    As such, many viewed the High Elder''s decision to adopt¡­ a human child into the Goldentree Clan as borderline sacrilegious, an act that spat on the millennia-long history of conflict that the Avunians had with Humanity in particular¡­


    Nevertheless, who could speak against the High Elder? None. The East itself owed him a debt it could never pay back in full and Avunian culture greatly frowned upon the idea of even criticizing one''s elders, much less one''s benefactor.


    Who among the Avunians in the East could ever say he or she was the elder of the High Elder?


    Who among the Avunians in the East could say that he or she was not indebted to the High Elder for all that he had done?


    As such, history would have its first human prince of Avunian hertiage by order of custom.


    The rogue prince, and future saviour of the East ¡ª Leon Goldentree, the Scoundrel of the East.


    It was a fusion of many elements; some concepts adopted from their ancestors, and ideas taken from other races. Tiny hints of human and Ancient Mulian influence existed, but were overshadowed by the overflowing abundance of nature that had been infused into the city''s infrastructure.


    "How does it find you, my boy? It is quite the sight, isn''t not?"


    Reed nodded and said, "It is wonderful. Almost like a living, breathing work of art, in a certain way. I didn''t even know something like this was even possible."


    That was not a lie in the slightest. He could not even begin to imagine how the Avunians had accomplished a feat like this, even with the assistance of Anima and the mind-numbing amount of information contained within the Universal Compendium.


    Velvund Goldentree grinned and said, "I''m glad you like it. It''s a chaotic, lively place these days, but that isn''t necessarily a bad thing. Better it be alive and bustling ¡ª even with mischief abound in return ¡ª than dead and devoid of life like a crypt....."


    "I see..... Well, it''s a wonderful city, but what are we doing here?" said Reed.


    After he''d explained his circumstances as best he could, the old fellow in front of him had told him that he''d be in good hands from now on. The man introduced himself and whisked him away here on top of a giant tree-spire that overlooked the city.


    Velvund chuckled and said, "Why? To bring you home, Leon, my boy. I told you that you''d be in good care, no? So I''ve already ordered for you to be adopted into my little family here in this city, the Goldentree Clan. It is the least I can for you, who has already done an enormous service for the East and because¡­ I see a bit of myself in you."


    That''s rather generous of him, even if I told them about the Ashborn-Dragoncrest conspiracy. I mean, just like that? He barely even knows me, aside from what I''ve revealed about me...


    Lacrima quietly said, "I cannot detect any signs of malicious intent from him, boy. Even I don''t know what tell you about this. If anything, you should be grateful that considerate, well-natured people like him still exist these days. ''The older the tree, the wiser the fruit,'' I guess...."


    Velvund patted Reed''s head and said, "It''s probably a bit too much for you to take in right now, but know that so long as you stay in this city and bear the name of Goldentree, you will no longer have to endure the undue suffering of your past."


    Reed quietly tried to digest the idea of good natured people, but couldn''t stomach it somewhere in his heart of hearts.


    Of course he knew they existed. Of course he did. Astor, Astrid, Horatio, Ophelia, Sebastian, Violett, and ...Lu''um existed. Although they each possessed their own agendas, they''d still made friends with a person who had nothing, who was nothing ¡ª like himself before he gained what he now possessed.


    He knew ¡ª but even still, he still felt it unbelievable whenever he thought about it.


    Velvund noticed Reed''s brooding expression and said, "Is something wrong, son? What troubles you so?"


    "It''s¡­ just that, um, I''ve never been helped so... straightforwardly like you. Someone who decided, on the spot, to help another person just because he could," said Reed in confusion. "I''ve met some good people in the North who have been very kind to me, but you''re a first for me, Sir."


    The old Avunian looked at the lively city and said, "If you''d seen what I''ve seen, my boy, you''d understand. Why Kindness is the seed of all Hope." He stared at the people down below with a warm expression and quietly said, "This world is inherently painful and miserable ¡ª this is truth ¡ª but if we all work together, I believe that one day we''ll be able to make this place heaven on earth."


    He turned toward Reed and said, "And I believe that Kindness is the key to that reaching that future. The connection, the bridge that will unite all of us together." Velvund pulled out a crown made of silver and brilliant marigolds and put it on Reed''s head.


    "I''m you''ll understand what I mean one day, my boy. But for now, take what I''ve told you and chew it on it whenever you please," said Velvund as he adjusted Reed''s silver crown.


    Once Velvund finished adjusting Reed''s crown, he pointed at the room behind them and said, "Consider this your new room, my boy. For now, why don''t you get some rest and take everything I''ve told you. Let''s talk some more tomorrow before I bore you to sleep myself, haha¡­"


    He opened up a spatial tear and said, "If you need anything, ask Rivia outside and she''ll help you," and walked into the beckoning darkness of the void.


    And just like that, Reed had been left to his own devices.


    A gorgeous, if albeit, minimalistic room would be his new room . It was a room infused into the heart of the tree-spire itself ¡ª which was a living being. The Anima that pulsed around it thrummed with vitality.


    Reed found it strangely comforting in an odd way.


    Lacrima hummed a little tune and said, "I would have never thought these little fellows could have accomplished something like this. It''s a bit rough around the edges, but it''s still miles better than anything I''ve seen in that frozen wasteland up North¡­"


    What are you talking about? Found something interesting? said Reed as he walked around the room as he inspected his new room.


    "The tree-spire, this building itself is possessed by a spiritual automaton of some kind. That is what is allowing the Anima to flow so freely around the entirety of the building. I suspect it can probably even attack and defend against multiple assailants with the hefty amount Anima it controls," said Lacrima.


    Wait. It''s possessing the entire tree-spire, so doesn''t that mean that we''re inside of it right now? Doesn''t that mean that it''s watching me right now?


    Lacrima laughed and said, "No, boy. It seems to be preoccupied with something else from the looks of it. But that noisy little girl outside is."


    Reed quickly turned around and discovered a pair of faintly familiar blue eyes peeking through a small crack in his door, staring at him as if he were an alien from another world.


    As soon as she noticed that she''d been caught, she hurriedly shut the door. A young scream outside alerted Reed that something else had happened, but he didn''t want to go outside.


    A part of him knew that it''d eventually come around to him, though, so he put on his polite face and walked towards the door¡­ unaware of the implications he would soon create¡­

 68 Maids and Princesses

    A pair of muffled voices conversed about outside, but from the sound of it, one voice seemed to be doing most the talking. Reed pressed his head against his room door and heard a rough, one-sided conversation in progression ¡ª not of the pleasant kind.


    He knew that cold, strict tone¡­ After all, he''d grown up listening indifferent, condemning tone all his life. It was the sound of someone oppressing another person. It disgusted Reed to the core¡­


    His former employer, Mr. Santo, loved talking to him as if were an incompetent, useless miscreant...


    "Are ya'' done copying those scrolls, brat?! If don''t finish by midday, you can forget about getting paid!"


    The fat bastard, Legatos, who owned the local bakery considered it beneath him to even sell him loaves of bread, even if he had the money... Instead, he would only sell him half-eaten loaves.


    "What are you lookin'' at you ungrateful little shit?! You gave me three bronze coins, so this is all you''re gettin''! Take the half loaf or take your dirty fuckin'' coins back. See if I give a shit."


    He remembered the first and last time he ever visited his city''s hall of knowledge. The moment he stepped in a old, haughty woman took a single glance at him and decided that he was unworthy of even entering the building¡­


    "This place isn''t meant for the likes of you. This a sacred place meant for the educated. Begone. Get out before I call the guards, you little sewer rat."


    Reed fondly remembered that disgusting feeling of being treated as if was nothing. The crushing despair of not being able to do anything. Emotions that were buried within the dark, murky recesses of his heart threatened to come out, but he held himself back.


    Kindness, huh. I wish I could have the same optimism you have about people, gramps. I really, really do...¡­


    Two bickering figures stood outside as Reed walked out, a young woman and a small girl ¡ª both Avunian and angry at one another.


    The woman, who he had identified as the maid that Velvund had informed him about, Rivia, suddenly went rigid when she realized that Reed had left his room.


    The young girl, on the other hand, quickly rushed behind Reed like a stray cat seeking shelter and said, "Help me, big bro! This evil hag with big breasts is trying to punish me, even though I''ve done nothing wrong!"


    Oh, so it wasn''t what I thought it was...¡­ that''s great. It was just a normal scolding, of course¡­


    Reed felt like a massive idiot for assuming the worst, even though he should have known better. Why would someone like gramps, who was essentially a genuine saint, have a messed up home environment like the one he''d grown up in?


    He put on a convincing grin and said, "My, my, that sounds problematic, doesn''t it? But I''m getting the feeling that you''re not telling me the whole truth, right?"


    Reed chuckled heartily and said, "Prince? Who? Me? You jest, beauty. I''m just a very fortunate idiot, that''s all. There''s no need me to call anything other than my name."


    Secretly though, his heart started beating much faster when he heard what the maid had referred to him as. He suddenly felt like he''d royally messed up.


    It was his belief that the old man was probably a high-ranking noble of some kind, but the ''prince'' title he''d just been given had shattered that delusion into pieces.


    Ohhhhhh, shit. No, no, no. This was NOT what I had planned. I was supposed to have become a spy. I was going to exploit the East''s intel to find Astrid and Sebastian!


    1. Join the East''s intelligence branch


    2. Get info on Astrid and Sebastian


    3. ??????


    4. Save them!


    Becoming a prince wasn''t fucking part of the plan!!! Oh god, no. I''ve shit the bed hardcore this time! This is not the plan I''d envisioned at all! Fuuuuuu¡ª


    "Forgive me, young prince, but that is a request I cannot fulfill. Someone as lowly as myself is unworthy of such an honor. Nevertheless, I am deeply grateful your gracious consideration and consider it a privil¡ª"


    "A-Ah, it''s fine, it''s fine. I get it, I''m sorry for asking," said Reed as he waved his hands frantically. Last thing he wanted was for her to continue endlessly flattering him. He found it uncomfortable as all hell.


    "So, what was all that commotion outside? I saw a certain someone peeking at me through the door, and then I heard the racket outside about a second later." Reed smirked at the young girl with a devious expression and winked, much to her horror. She''d not expected that he''d side with Rivia and sell her out.


    Rivia turned frigid once his redirection worked, and she said, "The young princess lied to me, prince. Alerted me of an emergency that did not exist in order to spy on you. A heinous act unfitting of a proper princess..." Her eyes were like laser beams as they mercilessly drilled into the young girl''s figure behind Reed.


    Reed observed the subdued fluctuations that Rivia emitted and guessed that she likely around the border that separated contenders and conquerors, given the density of her aura.


    I guess that''s to be expected if she''s ''just'' a maid... serving royalty. Not as impressive as say, Arcano, who was a legitimate conqueror or Mira, who had eluded me for the longest with that pesky aura-masking technique.


    Although he couldn''t accurately guess her age since she was Avunian, but he knew that she definitely on the younger side. Probably no more than a hundred years old, give or take.


    A beaut, for sure. But that was expected when it came to those who were Avunian, blessed from birth ¡ª given their connection to nature. There were no ugly Avunians, or least, none that he''d ever recognize with his human perspective of beauty.


    She was a Siren, with mid-length amber hair that glowed at the ends with a mysterious shimmer. As the young girl had described, she was very well¡­ endowed, so to speak, in various areas. Reed felt his heart race just a little when he first saw her because of that. She nearly rivaled Violett in terms of figure and shape. But he, a gentleman, would never make a focus on mundane aspects such as a woman''s figure and bust. No, of course not....


    Man¡­ the women of the East sure know how to pack a damn punch. The men, too... This is totally unfair.


    The young girl, on the hand, was the complete opposite of the maid. She seemed about twelve or thirteen in age, so she was likely somewhere in her forties or fifties, perhaps. Adorable features, as expected from an Avunian princess. Not too surprising.


    She wore golden crown that the motif of daisies engraved upon it. Her long silver hair and lively blue eyes more or less gave away who she likely was to Reed from the start.


    A granddaughter ¡ª no, maybe even a great-granddaughter of Velvund. The old man had lived far too long for Reed to even guess an age for him. Two thousand years? Four thousand years? When it came to gramps, anything was on the table. If anything, it made his head hurt.


    Avunians were already blessed with an incredibly long life from birth. It could only be imagined how long an Avunian who''d obtained an Alma would live. It was a somewhat terrifying idea when he thought about it.


    "Kids will be kids," said Reed in a cheery tone. "She didn''t mean anything by it, so there''s no need to scold her that much over it."


    The girl''s face lit up like a light-bulb when she heard that and said, "I won''t do it anymore, I promise. I''ve learned my lesson, I swear!" Cheap promises and lies spewed out of the girl''s mouth that only irritated Rivia up the wall, but she knew she''d been had.


    Rivia looked entirely unconvinced, but relented at Reed''s behest and said, "If that is what you wish for, young prince, then I will abide by your command."


    Reed smiled in approval and said, "For now, why don''t you two come into my room? I have a couple questions I''d like to ask, given how ignorant I am about what''s happened to me... concerning, um, Sir Goldentree''s decision¡­"


    He needed to get a clear grasp of what kind of mess he''d gotten himself into this time. Above all else, he couldn''t make any rash decisions anymore. Not with old gramps'' shadow looming over his back. He wasn''t even remotely confident that he''d be able to run away from a place like this.


    Rivia nodded and said, "Of course, young prince, if that is what you wish. I would be more than delighted to answer any questions you have." But beneath her subservient gaze was an aura that essentaily said, "Don''t you even think that we''re through..." to the young girl.

 69 Mistakes Were Made

    Reed felt dread. It was the kind that made him feel like his heart was about to burst out of his chest. Sweat dripped down his calm and composed face as he tried his hardest to not show any concern.


    "¡­Is there anything else you''d like to ask me, prince?"


    It was worse than he previously imagined ¡ª Gramps was once King of the East. He was someone who''d earned the trust of the Lion King, the East''s Sovereign. An ancient, national hero who had fought during the Unification War as the Lion King''s head general.


    A living legend who had once carved out a future for his race during the bloodiest period of history known to the continent. Someone that even the old freaks in Holy Church were wary of for good reason.


    That was who that kindly, old geezer really was ¡ª The Silver Reaper of the East.


    "...Prince? Is something wrong?"


    Reed quickly shook his head and stuttered out, "N-No, no, no, I-I''m quite fine. Perfectly fine. I was just thinking about how¡­ incredible Sir Goldentree is and how tough it must have been for him during the Unification War¡­"


    None of it made sense to him. Why did he adopt him, of all people into his clan?! When Rivia explained to him about the relationship between the North and the East, Reed almost fainted out of despair.


    During the Unification War, the people of the North ¡ª Humanity ¡ª and the people of the East ¡ª the Avunians ¡ª engaged in a particularly horrific territory war over the ownership of the lush and vibrant lands of the East. Many, many lives were lost during the fight over the East and at the height of the war, Anti-Avunian sentiment peaked among humanity.


    Humanity, at one point, even decided it was best that they enslave the entire Avunian race for the betterment of continent. That they, if left unchecked, would one day seek to conqueror the continent. That this freakish race, who never forgot, would one day come to seek the blood debt that was owed to them for what the North had done to them during the war.


    When the Avunians learned of Humanity''s designs for them, the conflicts between the two races escalated to such a disturbing degree that even the Moon King and Lion King had to personally intervene to stop them¡­


    In the end, the Avunians took the East and the Humanity, the North in an agreement that left both races with a bitter taste in their mouths. Thousands of years later, the grudge formed between the two races still existed, albeit not as strongly as before.


    Younger Avunians, although aware of the atrocities committed during the war had chosen not carry the tainted grudges of their ancestors, something that elder Avunians saw as an act of defiance by their children. They, who have lived through the war as children see it an inexcusable duty that all Avunians must bear¡­


    Lacrima slowly chuckled and said, "You''re a special kind of stupid, you know that? That, or unlucky as hell. Probably both. Maybe more than that. Even I don''t know what to make of this. All I do know is that you''re breaking into new levels of idiocy I''ve never seen before¡­"


    A pair of tender, innocent eyes gazed up and met his own. Sweet blue eyes filled with purity of a clear, sunny sky. The only thing he saw within her gaze was simple curiosity.


    It was then and there that something came to Reed. That this was what Velvund sought ¡ª a seed of kindness. Untouched by the sins of his ¡ª or rather his generation''s past.


    But why adopt him? Why bring him into the fold?


    To make sure that she would grow up with a good impression of humanity?


    To foster a future relationship between the two races?


    Or was it simply because he was a good man who wanted to help someone?


    A million theories sprung up in his mind ¡ª ulterior motives that the might have influenced Velvund into adopting him, but he was unsure if any of them were the truth.


    He didn''t know, and that scared him. Who was he really ¡ª the Silver Reaper or an old, reformed man with an abundance of hard-earned wisdom?


    "Are you okay, big bro?" said the young girl as she stared at Reed''s wavering expression. "You look sad¡­"


    Reed scratched his head and said, "I''ll be okay, don''t worry¡­ I was just thinking about something silly." He patted her head and said, "What''s your name, little one? Velvund told me Rivia''s name, but he never told me yours."


    The young girl said, "Vestel Goldentree! You''re Leon, right? I came as fast I could when I heard the roots speak about you!"


    "Roots spoke to you? As in the trees? What is she talking about?" asked Reed in confusion. He wondered if he heard what she said correctly, but couldn''t be too sure¡­


    "The princess is referring to the Nexus, the living root system underneath the city that connects the entire empire together, prince. It is an enormous network that we use to send messages, or information to one another across the land," said Rivia.


    "You don''t use the Intranet, like in the North?" asked Reed, wondering if his tome would be of any use in East aside from its basic functions.


    "Not as much as we use the Nexus, prince. The only people who use the Intranet are foreign diplomats and officials who require a connection to the North."


    Reed quietly mumbled, "Hmm, is that right?" It made sense on paper ¡ª an isolated information network ¡ª he just found it annoying. "Word traveled fast about me then, right? Does everyone know about Sir Velvund''s... decision, then?


    Rivia nodded. "Important information in the Nexus is transmitted to everyone across the Empire, prince, and it goes without saying that your adoption was an important matter of great concern. The number of times the Goldentree Clan has adopted an outsider can be counted on one hand over the span of the Empire''s history¡­"


    Vestel chimed in and said, "You must be super-strong like Our older brother, Erthal, right? Or maybe super-smart like Our older sister, Kaltheen, right?!" She looked like she was anticipating Reed to transform into dragon or something, given the expectations she had of him¡­


    "I don''t know about all that¡­" said Reed as he awkwardly laughed in response. "I''m just... myself ¡ª there''s nothing special about me at all, haha¡­"


    The princess shook her head when she heard that and said, "You''re lying aren''t you, big bro? Grandpa said that people who keep secrets are bad people, you know¡­" She was unconvinced as she gazed at Reed with a cold, condemning expression, very similar to one that Rivia had not too long ago¡­


    Reed genuinely laughed this time and said, "I guess your grandpa picked up a bad guy, then..."


    Night had come for the capital and soft lanterns filled the sky with a warm, golden glow. As Reed gazed out onto the city, he wondered what she was doing at the moment.


    Was she out there in the North, searching for him? Or had she moved onto the East in pursuit? Given the commotion, he''d made today, he had no doubt that he''d more or less given himself away. He was sure that Astor, Horatio, and Ophelia would never make the connection, but she would. He knew it, deep inside of his bones.


    Who else would had the sort of messed up, curse-like luck that he possessed? When he added his own brand of foolishness into mix, there was only one person who''d be capable of a feat like the one he accomplished today¡­


    A human prince in the Empire of the Avunians. There was no way she didn''t know where he was now. But he was uncertain if she''d make a move even if she now knew that he was here.


    The old man was a terrifying figure but Reed didn''t know if he''d be capable of stopping Lu''um if she got serious. He wagered that if she really wanted to, she could probably deal with gramps, but that lead to even bigger problems for everyone involved.


    Reed gazed down at the lively streets wondered if she down there, looking at him right now. Stalking him, waiting for the right opportunity to snatch him away¡­


    He laughed out aloud at the thought of that, despite the consequences that''d likely follow after that.


    She''s definitely down there, I''m sure of it. I guess we''re going to have play cat and mouse for a while, eh? At least until I save Astrid and Sebastian¡­


    Reed pulled out a small chocolate bar from his coat pocket and then tossed it as far as he could muster with his strength and sent it flying out into the city, hurtling down below...


    "Enjoy it, sweetcheeks. That one''s just for you¡­..."


    Unbeknownst to Reed, who had turned for the night, his chocolate bar had been intercepted in mid-air. It fell into a miniature spatial tear that had gone undetected even to the conquerors who had stood guard outside of the royal tree-spire''s gates.


    The chocolate bar tumbled though the void until it came out on the other side. A slender hand deftly caught the chocolate bar and lovingly held it in her hands as she gazed up at the tree-spire with an amused expression on her face.


    Their game had begun¡­

 70 Sunset Waltz

    Several days passed since he''d arrived in the Shining Nexus and much had occurred since then in a relatively short amount of time. Whether he liked it or not, Reed had been forced to attend various secret meetings, public gatherings, and other official events in order to create an image for himself amongst his new subjects.


    Awkward introductions with the heads of noble clans were the most fun of them all. Old Avunian elders inspecting him as if he were some sort of exotic specimen they''d never seen before. Discussions of between them and Velvund of a most unpleasant nature¡­


    "...I have young, gorgeous daughter who''s only about a hundred and fifty years old, your Highness¡­ What would you think about the young prince and..."


    "...I admire your enthusiasm, dear brother, but why don''t we slow down a bit? Why not let the children get a feel for one another instead?"


    Reed shuddered at the thought of those conversations but he knew that they were part of the game that Velvund was playing at. Compromising, assuaging, and managing the ambitions of his vassals to keep them in check.


    The geezer was once King, so it''s not very surprising that he''s got everyone in this city around his pinky. Still¡­ it''s a bit unnerving seeing him at work, or rather watching him swindle everyone he meets.


    He wondered if he''d been swindled; Reed suspected that he had, but he didn''t know in what manner he''d duped. The obligations he now had to carry as a prince, the hidden responsibility he''d likely been entrusted with, or something else that he hadn''t thought of yet...


    "...Prince, were you listening?"


    "¡­Hmm? What?" said Reed as he leisurely braided Vestel''s silver hair. "Did you say something? Sorry, I wasn''t paying attention¡­"


    "...This evening the royal family will be hosting a special event for your official coronation, young prince. All of the founding clans will be present for it, including a couple of honored guests from the neighboring empires."


    Reed''s hands stopped moving when he heard what Rivia said and suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. Honored guests from the neighboring empires¡­


    "Do you know who''s going to be coming¡­ from the North?" asked Reed as his mind kicked into overdrive, trying to calculate the possibility of certain individuals attending.


    "I believe the Kingscrown family will be attending, specifically the Crown Prince and the Winter Princess," said Rivia as she did her best to recall the guest list. "Them, and some other guests from the North that I cannot remember¡­"


    Ohhhh, shiiiiit! Did sweetcheeks snitch on me, or is it just a coincidence?! I mean this is an unprecedented event, never-before-seen in history, but still¡­!


    Lacrima groaned and said, "Your guess is as good as mine, boy. I wouldn''t put it below her to doing something like that¡­ Proceed with caution. That''s the only advice I can really give you¡­"


    Eventually, the sun set below the horizon, much to Reed''s displeasure and the time had come for his big night, so to speak.


    The royal tree-spire had become a hub of festivities, filled with many a song, delicious food, merriment on the other lower levels, which open for common citizens and the like. For many, especially among the younger generation, this was simply a convenient excuse for them to enjoy themselves at the expense of the royal family''s generosity.


    They generally had cared little about the fact that a human was about to be crowned a prince, because for the most part ¡ª it was a topic that really did not concern them, nor have any impact upon their lives.


    Noble, chosen people like contenders and conquerors lived in another world separate from theirs, so they had little interest in the situation. As far as they were concerned, so as long as they protected them from the monsters out in the wild-lands, they could do as they pleased.


    It wasn''t as if they could stop them from doing what they wanted to do, anyways¡­


    Up above in the middle levels of the tree-spire was where minor guests of honor and other respected individuals could enjoy the special event, away from the hubbub of the lower levels. This was where contenders from across the East gathered to discuss the momentous ceremony and enjoy themselves in peace.


    The highest levels of the tree-spire where the main event was held and it was where everyone of worth was gathered. The East''s Founding Clans, the earliest families to have arisen out of the chaos during the Unification War, were present here along with other notable clans of the East.


    Among them were also foreign guests of honor from a variety of far away places. Of particular interest, a renown prince from the South ¡ª the Morning Flower, Jasper Clearblossom ¡ª and the Sacred daughter of Witch-Queen of the East ¡ª Alvana Nightfall.


    And of course, the noble heir of the Kingscrown family, the Crown Prince of the North ¡ª Haydn Kingscrown ¡ª and his sister, Violett Kingscrown, the infamous Winter Princess of the North¡­


    It went without saying that this was a gathering of monsters and a sight to behold. The Anima here was so dense here that it actually materialized as a beautiful aurora outside atop of the tree-spire for the entire city to witness.


    The magnificent ballroom held individuals that could change the course of history with but a few words and among them was someone who could not have seemed more out of place if he tried¡­


    Reed robotically sat in his seat of honor beside Velvund as he contemplated the meaning of the life. He''d been stuck in this state ever since the ceremony had started, an internal defense mechanism his mind had created to prevent him from thinking about the reality in front of him.


    The auras of the figures in the room were frightening to witness in person. These were the people that he feared the most: Old freaks and their overly-talented genius children. The kind that he could do nothing to in a real fight. And escaping from them? The biggest joke of them all. These aberrations would probably kill himself before he even made the attempt.


    Nowhere to run. Pointless to even fight. Nothing to do except wait for the inevitable¡­


    When the meal ended, everyone moved to a larger ballroom and enjoyed a period of free time before the main coronation. Soft, cheerful music filled the room as a group of musicians played traditional Alf songs.


    And before before, he could even recognize what happened, a flock of young, charming noble ladies had surrounded him. Like a slave, he''d been forced to politely accept their invitations and had become a dancing machine of royal descent.


    Beautiful Avunian girls formed a seemingly never-ending queue and Reed felt his soul wither away as time passed by at a glacial rate. Soft whispers and sweet promises entered one ear and exited the other as he mechanically smiled and kept repeating the phrases, "Yes, of course", "I''d be delighted to do that", and "You look marvelous."


    It was only after he satisfied the ladies of the court that he''d been allowed a moment of respite. Reed sighed deeply inside and wondered what he''d done to deserve this misery, and guessed that it must have been something terrible.


    He quietly muttered to himself, "I never want to dance again¡­" as he disdainfully stared at the lively party. He''d had enough for the night.


    "Oh? What about my dance, then?" An all too familiar voice reached his ears and Reed felt his blood freeze over in shock.


    There she was. His beautiful warden had come for him. He had been expecting her arrival.


    Reed nearly choked when he saw her because she had come without a disguise on like him.


    She was simply herself. It only served to demonstrate how powerful she really was; she didn''t need techniques. She simply did what she wanted.


    "First come, first serve, sweetcheeks," said Reed in response. A genuine smile bloomed across his face and he said, "But I can make an exception or two for you¡­"


    "My, my¡­ How generous of you, my prince," said Lu''um. She grabbed his hands and dragged him back onto the dance floor as Reed wondered why he couldn''t get rid of the smile on his face. He found it incredibly perplexing; it was as if he''d lost control over his face altogether.


    He really couldn''t help but smile when he looked at her, and that made him a bit... happy. He''d missed that feeling ever since he''d left, but then chuckled at himself in self-derision.


    He''d been gone for about a week, at best, from her side. And yet, it felt like he''d been gone for much longer than that¡­


    As the pair slowly waltzed to an unrecognizable Avunian song, they enjoyed the moment and forgot about their troubles. Before they knew it, they had entered their own little world as they savored a rare, tender moment of comfort with one another¡­


    When Velvund saw how Reed''s soul shone brighter than he''d ever seen, he figured it out almost instantly. To be honest, he did not even need to look at his soul to figure it out ¡ª Reed''s face had all but given it away in the first place¡­


    He warmly smiled as he watched the pair enjoy themselves, reminding him of the past when he, too, had been a young man¡­

 71 The Woman Who Sold the World

    When the song ended, they took some time for themselves and moved somewhere a bit more private, where they could speak freely. Reed brought her to his room, the only place he definitively knew wasn''t under surveillance at the moment.


    The tree-spire''s spirit automaton had more pressing matters at hand at the moment, which gave them an opportunity to talk freely for now¡­


    "Is there something you''d like to tell me, Ka''an?" asked Lu''um as she leisurely inspected the room around her in mild interest. "Or did you bring me here for another reason¡­?" She sauntered over to the bed and sat on it in act of provocation that caught Reed off guard for a brief moment.


    This girl, I swear¡­ Never a moment of boredom when she''s around¡­


    Reed snorted in disbelief and said, "If only that were true. It''d be a lot easier for both of us if that were the case." He calmly strolled over, sat beside her and gazed into her enchantingly deep, hazel eyes.


    "You look beautiful, by the way. Nearly put a stopper in my heart when I saw you. Were you trying to kill me, or something?" said Reed in a joking, accusatory tone.


    Lu''um knowingly smiled and said, "You''re getting better and better at flattery by the day, Ka''an. I guess you must have had plenty of practice since we''ve last seen each other, right, my prince?"


    She leaned over and calmly whispered, "You were superb out there, you know. Handling all those pretty girls as they clamored over you¡­" Her voice sounded sweeter than honey, but something told Reed that he was in grave danger. That his senses could not be trusted.


    Reed quickly stammered out, "N-No, you''re misunderstanding! I-I didn''t enjoy that in the slightest, I swear! There was nothing I could do in that situation¡­! It was all just formality!"


    Lu''um crept even closer and her sweet, fragrant perfume wafted around Reed as he nervously inched away from her in unease. She had a primal, intense gleam in her eyes that screamed to him that he was in the presence of a wild predator¡­


    Before he could even react, she had toppled him over like a weak lamb and had pinned him down on the bed as she sat on top of him. Not with physical force, but with her raw, unrestrained aura and dangerously enthralling eyes.


    Reed felt his heart pounding out of control and wondered were his strength had gone. He couldn''t move a muscle even though he knew he could. Couldn''t even think straight, much less form a single coherent thought.


    It was a terrifying, thrilling feeling experience ¡ª he had been caught in her grasp. There was no escaping her this time...


    She slowly nuzzled against Reed''s neck as she inspected her prey and said, "You have the stench¡­ of a liar, my prince" and was about do something when...


    ...¡­Velvund opened the door.


    Please, not like this¡­ not like this¡­ Have mercy, Oh Lady of Fate...


    Velvund stared at the two with a complicated expression and said, "They''re just playing horsie, dear¡­ the wrong way."


    When things finally cooled down, an awkward tension filled the room that could not described with mere words. Reed couldn''t even bring himself to look at the old man in the eye, much less Vestel''s innocent gaze.


    Lu''um, on the other hand, paid no mind to what had happened. She had gotten to work, instead. She easily won over Vestel''s favor in record time and had already begun probing her for information about Reed. About what he''d done in her absence, which girls he''d met, and the like¡­


    Velvund chuckled when he saw how hard at work Lu''um had was and said, "Don''t worry, young lady, he hasn''t gotten into any kind of trouble since you''ve last seen him. You need not worry about that."


    Reed curled into his knees when he heard that and wanted to bury his head into the ground.


    "Oh, I''m not worried about that. I just had to make sure whether or not he had broken anything during his stay, Your Highness. He has a particular tendency to break or ruin things whenever he is left¡­ unattended," said Lu''um.


    She stood up, performed a small bow and said, "I am Maya Evergreen of the North and I am at your service, Your Highness," pointed at Reed with a smile, "and this is Reed Evergreen, Lord of the Eternal Forest of the North."


    Ahhhhh, she did it¡­ She really did it, just like that¡­


    "My, the Lord of Evergreen? I have heard that a¡­ unique individual inherited that special title not too long ago. How intriguing. I''m not quite sure what to say other than¡­ I already knew about everything."


    He looked at Reed and said, "Son, your clever little disguise almost duped me, I must admit. Very impressive technique, might I add."


    Reed popped out his ball and said, "W-What? But how... I thought it was perfect. It was supposed to have fooled everyone."


    Lacrima whispered, "To think that I''d been duped, of all people. I guess some of the insects in this place aren''t half-bad for what they are¡­"


    "You were close, but there were a couple of imperfections in how you masked your aura. I detected extremely small, yet abnormal surges of Anima in your sleep that could not have been possible for a measly contender."


    "You what, now? From me, in my sleep?! That''s the first I''ve ever heard about something like this!"


    Velvund shrugged his shoulders and said, "It was the spirit automaton that informed about it. She detected a massive spike in Anima density a couple nights ago in your own room. I went to check on you after that and could not find any trace of a foreign intrusion so the only conclusion was¡­ that it came from you."


    "...Son of a bitch!" muttered Lacrima under her breath in frustration. "Sorry, boy, that one''s on me, not you¡­ I messed up."


    "In any case, I''ve come to pick him before he causes anymore trouble for you and the East, Your Highness. On behalf of the North, I apologize for any inconvenience that he might have caused and assure you that if he has broken anything, I have complete authority to forward that bill to the Kingscrown family," said Lu''um.


    Velvund warmly smiled and said, "I''m sorry, dear, but I''m afraid that''s not going to be possible anymore. The decision''s already been written in stone since yesterday ¡ª he''s joined my clan through a blood oath, not a written or verbal contract."


    He flicked his hands and a fancy white document popped out of thin air. It was a royal document that had a single red splotch on it in the shape of a thumbprint.


    "You see, we, the Avunians, are a race, a family united by the blood we share. And yesterday, Reed signed this document ¡ª formally submitting his blood, his lineage into the Goldentree family tree. By law, all who carry his blood henceforth, are by birthright, part of the Goldentree Clan."


    Velvund chuckled dryly and said, "He''s already a prince, dear. Today''s coronation is simply a little formality for the empire and nothing else. Reed is already part of East and there''s nothing that can be done about it anymore."


    Lu''um calmly turned towards Reed and sighed in annoyance. "You knew about this and still signed it? Everyday you seem to find another, novel way to amaze me..."


    "I thought it was just another boring document I had to sign! I didn''t know what I saw signing was something like that¡­" said Reed in a low tone.


    He nervously laughed and said, "Hey, why don''t you sign one, too? M-Might as well, right, haha..."


    Lu''um eyes gleamed dangerously and Reed immediately took the hint. He quickly shut up and twiddled his fingers as he looked down at the ground in fear.


    "That''s actually not a bad idea, son! Why not do that? We could have you both wed here, if you so wish as Avunian royalty instead of nobility in the North! I''m sure the two of wouldn''t want to get married out in some frozen tundra anyways, right?" said Velvund, nodding in agreement.


    "...¡­" Lu''um suddenly went quiet and quickly caught Reed''s attention.


    He peeked at her face and saw the slightest touch of crimson on her face as she stared at Reed with an expression that shocked the living hell out him. He''d never seen like that.


    It was a wavering, indecisive expression. One of heightened stress, the kind one made during an important, life-changing decision.


    W-Wait, she''s... not actually considering it, right? Right?!


    T-There''s no way that she could be bought so easily like that, right?!!


    N-No way.....


    Lu''um closed her eyes for a moment and then said...

 72 The Stainless Prince of the Eas

    "...It is with great pride and joy that I, Velvund Goldentree, hereby grant you the surname of Goldentree with all the rights and responsibilities that come with it¡­"


    Hundreds of millions watched as the coronation begun. Two figures stood outside atop of the tree-spire. Lights and floating cameras were pointed at them, illuminating their figures for all to see across the city and the world.


    Velvund conjured a thin, golden crown made of flowers and then said, "I, with the full authority granted to me by the Lion King, crown you a prince of the East and childe of the Alf. May your blood and spirit carry the dignity of the ancestors in the days to come¡­"


    The East watch as their former king put the golden crown on the boy in silence. When the young figure was crowned, it happened.


    Across the city, people bowed in the presence of their new prince. Waves of Avunian citizens, bent over and offered their respect to the new prince in a show of solemn unity.


    Of course, there were some who still did not approve of the former king''s decision, but even so, they still bowed to the new prince. The law was written in blood and therefore, had to be followed by those who possessed the blood.


    They bowed to the law of blood and not to the human prince. What the felt about him no longer mattered ¡ª the law took precedence over their own feelings and opinions about the matter. Such was the price they had paid to maintain the Eternal Unity of the East¡­


    Reed gazed out into the endless crowd of people and saw them for who they were ¡ª people he was now responsible for in some capacity.


    He felt numb ¡ª emotionless best described the feeling.


    It was an odd thing; He neither felt anxious nor afraid about the fact that he''d been crowned a prince of an entire people. Not even excitement or concern¡­


    Reed simply gazed out into the crowd, smiled politely, and waved at the crowd in composed manner.


    He stepped forward and took the initiative almost as if he already knew what to do...


    Reed channeled Anima into his throat and then said, "People of the East, hear me and listen to my words¡­" His voice echoed out across the city with perfect tone and timbre and reached everyone at the same time.


    It was as if was right next to every citizen in the city, speaking to them in a one-on-one conversation, compared to the Velvund''s booming, regal voice that sounded like thunder made manifest for all to hear.


    "I can sense the discord in your hearts ¡ª the fear, the distrust you possess. Know this, People of the East, I am not your foe. I, an outsider; a foreigner not native to this word, have heard of your difficult ¡ª painful history with my kin and understand why many of you might have reservations about my new¡­ position amongst your family."


    "I hope that one day, you''ll give me a chance. An opportunity to let me show you who I am, and what I represent.


    Not as a Human, a member of Humanity.


    Not as a Prince, a son of the Goldentree Clan.


    Not as a Contender, someone in possession of an Alma.


    Just as myself ¡ª Leon.


    What I ask¡­ is for you to judge me on my inner most qualities, present within the core of my being. Let my soul be what you judge my on and not the nature of my flesh, nor the my status...


    This is something I humbly ask of each of you tonight. To set aside our differences and reach a compromise¡­ to find a path that we can both walk together, for the sake of the peace and prosperity of the realm..."


    That was surprisingly easy, even more than I expected¡­


    Reed waved a final time and then quietly turned around only to find Velvund, Lu''um, and the rest of the event''s guests staring at him in dumb shock like they''d witnessed an actual miracle.


    Even Lacrima, who usually had something negative or critical to say about Reed''s actions had been left speechless this time...


    Was this the same nervous, awkward boy that they''d met tonight? The same one who looked like he''d died inside around them? Who looked entirely out of place?


    What. In. The. Hell¡­


    Velvund roughly coughed and then stammered out, "S-son, are you alright?"


    "Hm? Why wouldn''t I be? If anything, I should be the one asking that question. You look sort of pale. Something wrong with you, gramps?" said Reed.


    He looked at Lu''um''s pale face and said, "You too, huh¡­ What''s up with you guys? Someone poison the wine, or something?" Reed chuckled and said, "Everyone looks a bit off, now that I think about it¡­"


    Reed patted Velvund''s back and said, "You''re a bit too old to be drinking so much, gramps. Don''t get carried away with the festivities, alright?"


    He grabbed Lu''um and said, "I''m going to chat with a couple of my friends in my room, gramps, so don''t wait up on me. Have fun¡­ in moderation, you hear!"


    And just like that, the newly crowned prince had written himself into the annals of history over the course of a single night. The saga of the infamous Stainless Prince of the East had begun¡­


    Violett stared at him as if she were looking at a freak from another dimension and said, "Are you sure it''s him?"


    Lu''um elbowed Reed on the ribs and he obeyed. He undid his transformation and his old features slowly morphed back into shape.


    "Yo.... How have you been, Violett? And judging from your looks, you must the big boy himself, eh? You know, Violett''s spoke¡ª!"


    Violett quickly strangled Reed before he finish his sentence and roared, "WHY. CAN''T. YOU. LISTEN? Do you have ANY IDEA what you done?! Why are you so...?!!"


    "I¡­bfhery¡­sphorry!"


    Her eyes glittered with a deadly shine until the person beside her said, "Come now, sister, give him some slack. You yourself haven''t had the best track record either, you know. Let bygones be bygones."


    Violett snorted in response and let Reed go, but not before she whispered in his ear, "We''re not through¡­ not even close."


    Reed coughed as he massaged his neck and said, "You''re always a charmer, aren''t you? I missed you too, Violett."


    The man beside Violett pulled out a handkerchief and said, "Here you go," and patted his back. "Haydn Kingscrown, it''s pleasure to finally meet you, Reed."


    "Same," said Reed. "I''ve always wanted to meet you ¡ª the man who survived growing up with¡­" Violett''s eyes shone with barely constrained fury, "such a beautiful, charming, and talented sister like Violett."


    Haydn laughed uproariously when he heard that, much to Violett''s displeasure. He wiped the tears off his eyes and said, "That''s the thing ¡ª she didn''t. She was so problematic as child that Father had her sent to the Evergreen Estate as punishment. Even sent the Head of the Kingsguard to nanny her because normal people couldn''t handle her!"


    Reed laughed too when he heard that, but then suddenly went quiet when he realized the implication.


    Wait a second¡­ I given the Evergreen Estate and was at one point, threatened to stay in there. Doesn''t that mean that I''m...


    He didn''t find the story as amusing as he initially did and bitterly smiled instead. His eyes looked dead inside.


    Lu''um gently patted his back and kept quiet. She knew that anything she''d said would like hurt his fragile ego. Some wounds could only be healed over time, and this was one of them.


    "Well, you know how the saying goes ¡ª birds of a feather flock together. We expected something like this to happen sooner or later, but nothing on this level. You truly are a force to be reckoned with, Reed."


    "In the span of a week, you''ve gain the favor of the Silver Reaper and have become a prince in the East, home of the race that hates our kind the most. And that speech of yours tonight, Goddess help us all¡­" said Haydn as he shivered in genuine awe.


    "If Violett is a living disaster ¡ª a living storm that causes damages wherever she goes, then you are¡­ like a hurricane had a human child. I am truly impressed that someone with more affinity with chaos exists than my sister. Even our Father was astonished when he heard the news about you¡­"


    Violett smiled and said, "Now you know why I didn''t want you to meet him."


    Reed nodded slowly as he restrained the urge to not do anything to Haydn, but he truly found it a difficult, herculean task.


    He didn''t know if he''d survive the night at this rate¡­

 73 A Weapon of Mass Destruction

    Haydn Kingscrown was someone that possessed a trait many considered to be unfit for an individual that would one day sit upon the throne.


    He was not the smartest of his many siblings.


    Neither was he the strongest or most talented of the lot.


    Nor was he the bravest or the wisest of the many who sought the crown.


    Nevertheless, he ended up winning the title of Crown Prince.


    He possessed a twisted idea of what honesty was to point that many detested conversing with him ¡ª it was horrendous flaw for someone who would have to one day manage the domestic and international affairs of the North as its head representative.


    The man valued the concept of honesty so much, he forbade himself from lying through forbidden, arcane means when he first became a contender.


    He self-imposed a particularly severe geas upon himself in an act of passion and resolution on a fateful night ¡ª that he could no longer lie, and that breaking or circumventing the geas would lead to his death.


    Henceforth, Haydn Kingscrown would live a clean life, unafraid of the temptations brought on by deceit and the evils that followed it. He became someone who could not lie and therefore, could never partake in any form of transgression against the throne, the people, or the law.


    Someone who would never be able to scheme against his own subjects, vassals, or empire for his own benefit. He would have to follow the path of justice, reason, and wisdom or remain silent for the rest of his life.


    In a single, decisive sweep Haydn had won the race against his fellow siblings for the throne.


    For none of Haydn''s siblings had the resolve do what he had done to himself ¡ª wager his entire life for the sake of the country on a toss of dime.


    On that day, it was said that the North found its future king. One that would remain in the service of his people until death.


    The Honest Prince had been born... and the day he fell silent would be the day he would no longer be king.


    Reed found Hadyn''s blunt honesty incredibly irritating as far as he was concerned. He wanted to throw him out of the tree-spire or at the very least, glue his mouth shut with tape. Every that came out the guy''s mouth was poison to the ears and a burden on the soul.


    "But really, that speech of yours? An absolute masterpiece. Sent shivers down my spine how clear and calm your tone was throughout the entire thing. It was like watching one of the holy saints from the Holy Church give a sermon on peace, love and understanding."


    Haydn leaned over and whispered, "...So? Who wrote speech? I was hoping you could introduce to me that fellow. I need a good writer like that ¡ª someone who can write a speech that can inspire and win over the hearts of the ignorant masses like you did."


    Violett hurriedly interrupted and said, "Don''t take what he says to heart, Reed, he''s just can''t help himself. Hadyn''s special¡­ in a very unique way, you see..."


    "What do you mean? As in uniquely irritating or just socially inept beyond comprehension?" said Reed indifferently.


    "Well sort of, but it''s a little more complicated than that. It''ll be easier if I just explain it to you before things get any worse¡­"


    One long and complicated explanation later, Reed finally understood what Violett meant by "special in a unique way" when she described what Haydn was.


    "I can''t tell whether you''re a genius or an idiot. Either way, I can''t deny that you really are something special. Your story belongs in a fairytale an old parable for kids to read before bedtime," said Reed as he laughed his off at Haydn''s expense.


    Haydn said, "Talk about the pot calling the kettle black," and laughed as well. "Of all places in the world, a human prince in the East. Not only that, but one that also one that sincerely preached for peace and understanding. Are you sure that you aren''t the one that belongs in a fairytale book?"


    The pair laughed even harder when they realized that they were both idiots in their own right. It was then and there that a bond between brothers had been formed.


    Reed rubbed the tears out his eyes and said, "You''re a pretty nice guy¡­ for a prince."


    "You''re a pretty decent guy, too. And what do you mean, ''for a prince,'' you''re a prince too now!"


    Violett and Lu''um stared at the irredeemable pair and wondered how they had bonded so... easily. Just like that. With a couple of jokes and laughs.


    Men really are simple-minded idiots no matter the origin¡­


    Men really are narrow-minded fools no matter the origin¡­


    An astute observation, but it would never be revealed to the oblivious duo. It was a truth that only the ladies would have the privilege of knowing.


    "So why did you two really come here? If you wanted to take me back, she would have been enough," said Reed as he looked at Lu''um. "I don''t think that the two of you would have come here just for me¡­"


    Haydn shook his head and said, "You''re not valuing yourself enough, Reed. We knew what the general situation was when we detected an intrusion in our network, trying to access our restricted archives. We traced the intrusion back to a known, identified spy that belonged to the East¡­"


    Violett took over and said, "The spy was looking for restricted information about someone who fit the description of a young man in his late teens. The number of people who fit such a description are so few that left little room for interpretation. Add your sudden disappearance and news of a young, human prince being crowned in the East..."


    Oh, for fuck''s sake... Then I never had a chance in the first place. I lost the second I let myself get captured in Rosenfield...


    I lost the moment I stepped into the East!! God. Fucking. Dammit!!


    Reed face-palmed, groaned in embarrassment and said, "I don''t want to live anymore¡­ someone put me out my misery¡­!" He wanted nothing more than to go back in time and beat himself up.


    Lu''um rubbed his back and said, "You fooled me, you know. ¡­Well, until I heard the new about a human being crowned prince in the East. Come on, keep your chin up, okay?"


    Reed let out soft grunt in agreement and then said, "What now, then? There''s no going back now that I''m a prince here. ¡­Not that I hate it or anything. What will become of my status in North?"


    Violett scratched her head and said, "That''s the complicated bit. You''re still the Lord of Evergreen, which traditionally was a title only reserved for royalty in the North. When I gave you the title that made you sort of pseudo-royal in terms of lineage, something I struggled a lot to achieve. Had to  really convince Father which was no small feat, I can assure you¡­"


    "And now, you''re a prince in the East! But you''re also still Lord of Evergreen and we can''t just take that title from you because it mean the same as forsaking you to the East, something we want to desperately avoid at all costs. If that ever happened, the East would use your disownment as proof of racial discrimination towards an Avunian, since you are technically an Avunian now¡­" said Haydn in a grave tone.


    "Not only that, but they''d also push the narrative that we disowned you because you became prince here ¡ª that the North''s filled with heartless monsters incapable of empathy or understanding. That they, the East would gladly take you, a human outcast, as one of their own with compassion and kindness," said Violett.


    Haydn bitterly chuckled and said, "If we let you go, they''d smear us as heartless fiends¡­ and if they let you go, we''d call them out for the same thing. Do you see the situation now? Whoever lets you go will be called a terrible, selfish nation filled with shameless hypocrites. In this modern era, our wars are mainly fought with words and not with swords. And you, my dear friend, are now a living weapon of mass destruction for either side."


    "Oh."


    Reed twiddled his fingers and said, "So I''m essentially going to be stuck with both titles from now on, right? Won''t that make, you know, royalty in two different empires in a sense?"


    Violett sighed deeply and said, "Yes, and that''s the problem. This unprecedented and I mean it. Something like this has never happened before, ever. There has never been a prince that belonged to two empires at once and that''s what makes you so important and¡­ dangerous now."


    Haydn grinned and said, "Simply put, you are threatening the balance of peace in this world¡­ just by existing. You''ve entangled yourself and two empires in ball of yarn that no one can fix anymore¡­"


    "Oh¡­"


    It seemed things were going to get much more complicated from now on in ways Reed had not expected...

 74 Tea Time and Storms of Change

    The East had been set aflame in the course of a single night, and none could stop the raging flames anymore. The human prince''s heartfelt coronation speech had sparked a firestorm of discussion amongst those who heard what he had asked of the people of the East.


    It was taken as a wake-up call for many, but there were some who still could not take what the prince had said to heart. They were beholden to their dead kin, unable to let go of their burden, their duty despite what they had heard that night.


    They understood. But even so, they could not forsake everything that had been lost to the flow of time. These hard-boiled elders knew that the young prince had spoken truth, but it was not the truth they had sworn themselves to. To let go would mean letting go of everything that had defined their generation and that scared them.


    In the end, they belonged to the past and had chosen to remain there.


    Their truth was written with the blood of their loved ones and for many, that made it irrefutable. It was too late for them to change, but that didn''t not make them depressed as one would have imagined.


    But their children would not. They would venture forth to the future¡­


    No, they celebrated in their hearts. The older generation of Avunians smiled. Their children had taken the prince''s words to heart, just as they had done when their king had spoken to them in their time. It was the beginning of something new and different¡­ the coming of a new era.


    It was then and there that the older generation finally understood why their king had chosen to adopt that young boy into his family ¡ª no, their family.


    To wipe the slate clean. To release the East from the chains of its past and guide it to a better, greener place.


    As result, the people of the East would henceforth call its youngest prince, the Stainless Prince.


    For he ¡ª a child of their enemy, born without the sins of his ancestors ¡ª would lead the younger generation to a better tomorrow...


    And what was this pure-hearted prince doing at the moment? Well¡­


    "Can you not act like that, please? You''re a prince now; you can''t just behave so..."


    "Like what? Like myself? Is that what we''re doing now; forcing me to become something fake?"


    Unfortunately, Reed''s argument did not really hold any sway because of he looked at the moment. Not that he cared. He was enjoying himself and that was all that mattered to him.


    Here was the Stainless Prince, the heart of younger generation, in all his glory...¡­


    In a princess dress, enjoying moonberry pie and tea without a care in the world.


    "Can''t you see I''m in the middle of something important? Tea time is not something to be trifled with, sweetcheeks," said Reed.


    "Yeah! Tea time is special thing! Do you want to join us, big sis Maya?" said Vestel.


    "There''s an entire pie left, so why did you take mine?! What''s your deal, lady!" said Reed in frustration. He wondered why she always ate his food even when there was more than enough for her to get her own.


    "Because it was your slice, that''s why. Also, if you keeping eating like this, you''re going to get fat. Don''t think I haven''t noticed¡­"


    Reed nervously said, "I-It was just a couple of slices, there''s no need to get ahead of ourselves. I''ll be fine..."


    "Why don''t you go step on a scale and put your money where your mouth is? Come on, prove me wrong and I''ll take back what I said."


    "........." He knew that he couldn''t take on that wager, so Reed simply played the mute and drank his tea in silence.


    "Don''t worry though, I''ll get you back into shape in due time¡­ but that''s not why I came here. I came to tell you that we''ll be leaving soon, so you''re going have to finish up tea time soon."


    Reed tilted his head in confusion and said, "Where? Back to the North? I thought we already hashed things out with Violett and Haydn, though¡­"


    After the Violett and Haydn had explained Reed''s new circumstances and the implications it could have on world, they had made him swear to never venture out into the South and the East without their permission. They couldn''t afford him entangling himself another empire. That, and his word that he would never interfere or involve himself in anything that might implicate the North.


    He was now, whether he liked or not, an important figure that could determine the course of history for tens of millions of people, mortal and chosen alike. If Reed played his cards right, under the wise counsel, he could bring both empires an era of prosperity never before seen.


    "Not the North. We¡ª or rather you, have been invited to visit the Holy Church. His Holiness, the Grand Pope ¡ª Fernando Alsace, has called for your presence at the Sacred Cathedral¡­" said Lu''um in an interested and amused tone.


    Reed nearly choked on his tea when he heard that terrible piece of news.


    The old freaks want me to visit?! But why?! Is this some kind of scheme that those annoying siblings have devised or is it...


    "They send their warmest regards and apparently want to congratulate you for your noble deed, the speech you gave during your coronation. It seems that you''ve caught their eye, so to speak, but given what we know..."


    "Mmn¡­.They likely want to meet me for more than just that. Of that, we should have no doubt. They''re up to something¡­"


    Lu''um nodded and said, "We can''t just reject their invitation, though. It would be¡­ unwise to antagonize them just yet, before the empires have prepared themselves for what they potentially have planned¡­"


    Time was running out. Reed knew this and understood that he might have even accelerated the course of events he wanted to avoid. His actions might have even inspired the Twilight Siblings and the Holy Church to act on the movement he had unintentionally started in the East¡­


    They''d use me as the leading figure for their cause¡­ It makes sense, in theory¡­


    The power behind the new movement in the East and the meaning behind my title as the "Stainless Prince" would greatly assist them in their final goal of uniting the continent as one¡­


    "That makes a lot of sense, given what was happened as of recently¡­ It seems you aren''t completely hopeless when it comes to using your head," said Lacrima in a amazed voice. "And here I had pegged you as the meat-headed type who preferred to act before thinking like..."


    Reed coldly snorted and said, "Time''s running out. If Astrid and Sebastian are to be saved, then we must act with haste henceforth before things get out hand." He put down his tea, stood up and said, "I need to go talk to gramps and tell him everything. We''re going to need his help."


    He started walking, but stopped when Lu''um said, "Are you sure you want to go out like that? I don''t care what you wear, dear, but if anyone else saw you like that..."


    "Hm?" Reed looked down and immediately realized what she meant. He''d been so focused on the matter at hand that he had almost walked out looking like¡­


    He bashfully scratched his head and said, "¡­Thanks for the save. I really don''t know what I''d do without you sometimes¡­"


    Lu''um''s face bloomed a little bit when she heard that and knowing smiled. She bit into her slice of moonberry pie and said, "I feel the same way¡­"


    About you.


    A quick change of clothing later, Reed set out to find gramps and strolled over to his private chamber which was located near the heart of the tree-spire. As far as Reed knew, it was where he usually located most of the time when he wasn''t out somewhere for work.


    When Reed reached the room, he knocked on the door and said, "Hey, gramps, I gotta talk to you about something important. It''s sorta urgent."


    A response did not come so he knocked again, to no avail. He shrugged his shoulders in disappointment and started to walk away but stopped when he heard the door creak open behind him.


    Reed turned around and said, "Gramps? I can come back a bit later if you''re doing something important," but did not a receive a response when he called out.


    Nevertheless, the door had been opened so Reed took it as a sign for him to enter. He peeked his head into the room and said, "Gramps?" But no one was inside the room.


    It was empty.


    He looked around but still couldn''t find anyone who could have opened the door, so he assumed that it must have been a coincidence.


    "...Guess it was nothing," mumbled Reed and shook his head but when he was about to leave, he heard a faint voice whisper in his ear.


    "¡­I''m right here¡­" said the voice and Reed jumped in fright.


    Reed quickly looked around but could not find the voice, but he knew he had heard it¡­


    He couldn''t detect any Anima abnormalities, fluctuations, or lifesigns in the room either.


    It was an empty room... that was what he told himself. But the truth was...


    "...Can you hear me?..."


    Much more strange that he had imagined¡­

 75 Ma

    Reed knew he wasn''t hallucinating ¡ª there was something there. The question was why he couldn''t detect it. Whatever it was, it was not part of the living world in the normal sense.


    His hidden eye had come up short and so had his natural, physical senses.


    How is this possible? What the hell is it? Why am I unable to¡­


    "Because she''s not alive. Your hidden eye detects the lifesigns of living things by means of the Anima fluctuations. You notice the shapes, patterns, and waves ¡ª the distortions that living beings have on the ambient Anima of the world to see that which might be hidden¡­" said Lacrima.


    She? Who is she? asked Reed as he entered the room in curiosity. He looked around as he cautiously inspected Velvund''s room, and muttered, "Man, what a mess... is this place is a crypt for books, or a bedroom?"


    Pillars and of books covered the room ¡ª some book pillars were so tall they reached the ceiling up above. Mountains of scrolls heaped up in piles littered the room as well, making it somewhat difficult to traverse around on foot.


    It was less a bedroom and more of an archive of knowledge. Reed wondered how anyone could comfortably live in such a room. Even his old orphanage, with its rickety wooden beds and hard-as-brick pillows seemed more inviting than this place¡­


    It was such a mess that Reed had make himself float in order to avoid steeping on something once he got deeper into the room.


    "How would I know?" said Lacrima. "All I see know is that she is right there, in that crystal over there. The one that''s lodged into that thick tree root over there."


    Reed turned toward the fist-sized crystal was embedded into a particularly large tree root and said, "That thing there over there? That''s the source of the voice?"


    "I''m pretty sure. Whenever she spoke, I detected very minute vibrations in the ambient Anima of the room, too small for you to detect yet with your current skill."


    It was an odd, transparent crystal that looked like it had a small, flickering flame trapped inside of it. When Reed got close enough, the tiny flame crackled in delight and grew a bit brighter as if in response to his actions.


    What is it, or rather what is she? I''ve never seen something like this before¡­


    Lacrima quietly replied, "It''s a soul. I''m also positive that the crystal she''s stuck inside is keeping her alive because¡­ it''s connected to the tree-spire itself. I''m sure you can see that part yourself, right?"


    Reed nodded. He''d noticed the powerful flow of Anima that surged from the tree root that was fused with the crystal and said, "What does this mean, Lacrima? Why would gramps do something like this? This just seems¡­ wrong."


    How can this be considered a life worth living?! I-It''s just so¡­


    "That''s not your call to make, boy. In any case, the soul cannot exist for long without a proper vessel to contain it, but it seems that these people found a stopgap method. They''re using this entire tree-spire itself as the vessel. How they managed to do that is beyond me, though."


    Reed shook his head when he heard that and said, "Gramps¡­ I don''t even know what to say¡­"


    "¡­Can you hear...me?"


    When Reed heard her faint call, he replied, "I can hear you. Can you hear me?"


    The tiny flame shone brighter when Reed spoke and in response, the voice said, "...Too¡­far away...connect with node..."


    A long vine suddenly grew out of the large tree root and slowly hovered around Reed after he heard her response. Reed recoiled back when he saw the vine and said, "Ummm, do you know what I''m supposed to do with this¡­?"


    "¡­???...Connect¡­with...node...attach to your¡­crown¡­"


    Uhhhh, okay...¡­ Should I really be doing this? This seems a bit, um¡­.


    "Just do it, boy. I''m interested in what this thing is offering. If I detect something wrong with your vitals, I''ll sever the connection myself. You have my word," said Lacrima.


    Reed reluctantly grabbed the wriggling vine and said, "I''m going to hold you accountable on that¡­" and then moved towards his crown. As soon as it was close enough, the vine acted on its own and slipped out of Reed''s grasp.


    And before he could even react¡­ the lights had gone out for him. His senses had gone off in an instant. Emptiness filled the void where he now existed¡­ or so he had thought.


    There was something out there in the distance, far away from him.


    Something was calling out to him... but he couldn''t make it out.


    "...Are¡­you..."


    It was started off a faint whisper¡­


    "¡­Ah¡­listen...you....


    Eventually, the messages started becoming longer¡­


    "Can¡­.you...my...voice?"


    And after a while longer, they started becoming clearer and clear¡­


    "You can...open your eyes now, dear."


    And then...


    Reed opened his eyes and violently gasped for air like a madman. Delirious, he roughly coughed and wheezed as he observed his surroundings in a state of heightened anxiety.


    "Easy there¡­ Breathe¡­ Let''s take it nice and slow. I forgot that this would be your first time connecting to the Nexus. Sorry about that."


    There she was, the source of the voice. It was different now, though.


    She calmly patted Reed''s back and said, "It''s natural for people like us, who aren''t connected with nature, to experience a feeling of unease when we first connect to the Nexus. Don''t worry though, that feeling will fade away over time¡­"


    Reed coughed and said, "Like us? W-What do you mean? Where I am?"


    The woman gestured towards the forest in front of her and said, "The Nexus, of course. And as for your other question, a single glance at me should answer that for you, I''m sure."


    He turned and saw a beautiful, older lady reassuringly smile back at him. She looked like she was in her early thirties, but could easily pass off as someone in her late twenties. A mature beauty with deep, emerald eyes that gleamed like twinkling gems.


    But upon closer inspection, Reed saw something was off about her.


    She did not have Avunian ears at all ¡ª She was a human.


    "You''re a... human? But I thought that you were¡­"


    "What, an Avunian? No, I''m quite human as you can see," she said and pulled back her long, brown hair to reveal a set of normal, human ears.


    She knowingly smiled and said, "Didn''t expect a human, did you?"


    "No, ma''am¡­"


    "Ah, no, no. Don''t call me that; I hate it when people call me that. That, and ''Your Highness.'' We''re supposed to be a family. Just call me, Ma," said the woman.


    Ma? Really? That''s so....


    She lifted Reed off of the ground and said, "I''ve been wanting to meet since Vel'' told me all about you, but you never connected once since you''ve arrived. Luckily, you stumbled into my room, haha¡­"


    "Vel''? As in gramps? How are you related to gramps... if you don''t mind me asking, um, Ma¡­" said Reed as he brushed himself clean.


    "He''s my husband, silly, and that makes me your new grandma by proxy," said Ma in cheery tone. She pulled out a small pouch and said, "Want a cookie? They''re made with all the sweetness this side of the universe."


    She handed Reed a large, chocolate chip cookie and said, "Made them with a modified recipe of the one that my Ma taught me when I was little girl."


    Reed stared at the cookie and then bit into it after he noticed Ma''s expectant gaze. It was delicious and perfect as could be¡­ well, for a cookie. Maybe not as sweet as she had described but that was a given¡­


    "It''s delicious, Ma. You''ve got yourself a award-winning cookie if I ever tasted one¡­"


    "Of course it is," said Ma. "It''s light-years better than the my Ma''s original recipe! After all, I''ve been perfecting the recipe for the last four and a half thousand years."


    Um, what? Did I hear that correctly? God, can you replay that message again for me?


    Has she been in that crystal for the last four and a half millenniums?!


    Reed awkwardly scratched his head and said, "Um... Ma? I know it''s rude for a man to ask a lady her age, but can you tell me¡­ Well, I have a lot questions now."


    Ma laughed and said, "We have all the time in the world, dear. Time in the Nexus is slower by a factor of ten in here compared to the outside world. And as for my age, well... you can say that I''m old enough to have lived before the Unification Era had begun."


    Reed''s eyes bulged out when he heard that. Old enough to have lived before the Unification Era?!


    If she''s that old, then how old is fucking gramps?!

 76 Memories From Another Time

    "Well, if you ask me, you don''t look a day over twenty-five, Ma. I''m jealous of gramps ¡ª he sure knows how to pick ''em," said Reed.


    Ma laughed and said, "Has Vel'' been teaching you his old tricks? That sounds like something he''d say whenever he got into trouble. I can see why he likes you so much¡­"


    "For now though, why don''t we move someplace else? My home is just up ahead ¡ª I wouldn''t want to keep out here in the Woods¡­ Shall we?"


    Reed had no reason to reject the offer and he preferred not to get on the bad side of his benefactor''s wife, so he did as she asked. He also deeply interested about her and the knowledge she possessed.


    The only other person he''d heard of living before the Unification Era was the Holy Pope, but know he''d learned that there were another two people!


    Of course, he sure that the Four Sovereigns likely lived before the Unification Era too, but what were the chances he''d able to speak to them on any given day?


    Reed needed other valuable sources of information to cross-check what Lu''um and Lacrima had told him about Mulia and its history. Not only that, but the dreams, the knowledge that had been imparted on him by the hooded man...


    He trusted Lu''um and Lacrima¡­ to a certain extent.


    He just needed to make sure that they weren''t lying. That was it. So he could continue believing that one day¡­


    They both had multiple opportunities to harm or even kill him, but they never did. He also had to admit that they both have done nothing but help him in whatever he wanted to do. Teaching him, training him, assisting him in his endeavors... they were, practically, his own angels.


    But even from the beginning, he knew how unnatural, how forced it all felt.


    Nothing is for free. There is always a price. Always.


    It was the ultimate truth of Reed''s life and it formed the person that he was today. All things in his world were subject to this one truth and twisted under the weight of it.


    He could trust people to a certain extent, but he never to the fullest extent. That was a price he was terrified of paying. The price, in his opinion, was too much to even consider.


    Being lied to was part of the price.


    Being betrayed was part of the price.


    Being rejected was part of the price.


    Being exploited was part of the price.


    This was what Reed had come to conclude about trust ¡ª that the benefits of trust could not outweigh the possible cost it could incur.


    As much as he wanted, desperately wanted to believe in them, he could not force himself to do it. To make the jump. He wanted the strength to pay the price, but...


    Kindness is the sweetest lie.


    Selflessness is a purely theoretical construct.


    Justice is a slave to relativity.


    Whenever Reed thought about even trespassing into its territory, he felt the hot, painful burn of the tattoo on his chest. The brand itself perhaps punishing him for his recklessness¡­


    "Is something the matter, son? You spaced out there for a minute¡­"


    Reed looked up and said, "What? Oh, I was just thinking about how strange this place is¡­" He stared at the tea cup in his hands and took a small sip.


    Light, fragrant tones that reminded him of the flower fields of Citlai. A strange connection, one that made him smile a bit.


    Ma smiled and said, "That''s a secret¡­ If I told you, I''d lose one of my special weapons. In any case, it''s not something you''d be able to make because the flower I used for this tea can''t be found on Mulia anymore¡­"


    "The flowers don''t exist anymore? How did that happen?"


    "The Great Barrier War happened. We fought desperately with the Ancient Mulians during the chaos until they abandoned us, or rather the main fleets did. The rest of us, Ancient Mulian and Otherworlder, had been left to die. After that, we fought like hell to hold back the Infestation while the remaining Ancient Mulians set up the Great Barrier," said Ma.


    She poured herself another cup of tea and said, "Much was lost, my boy. So much. In the end, we were unable to hold the Infestation back completely before the Great Barrier had been activated. As a result, we had to purge¡­ turn the North into glass. Then, we manipulated the lands and buried everything under the soil¡­ and an eternal winter, just to make sure."


    Reed tried his best to not imagine what that looked like. It sounded like a nightmare made reality and said, "Is that why Humanity and the Avunians fought so hard over who would claim the East?"


    "You could say that, yes. At the time no one wanted to go anywhere near that dead, cursed place. Even though we had cleaned it, sterilized it down to the last blade of grass, it was still a land stained with many terrible memories for everyone involved."


    "But time heals most wounds and the people of my generation, the First generation, eventually passed away. And with them gone so too, did their feelings about the Great Barrier War. But those sentiments would be transformed into something else in the following Unification Era.


    Reed realized what she meant and said, "Your descendants ended up with a twisted inheritance instead though, right¡­ I don''t even know what to say¡­"


    "Neither side wanted to live in the North and eventually our arguments escalated into conflicts, and then¡­ war. In the end ¡ª the Second Generation ¡ª our poor children suffered because of our failure. Hatred and fear born because we failed in reaching a compromise with one another. A stagnated, cold peace followed after for thousands of years until now¡­" said Ma with a small smile on her face.


    Reed felt her sadness and in an effort to change the subject said, "How did you meet gramps in the first place?"


    She grinned and said, "I met him back when we were first transported here. He was a real smooth-talker, that I can assure you. Back then, we were all part of the same caste that the Ancient Mulians had created for us as Otherworlders, chosen people who''d been called to assist them in their war against the Infested."


    "Otherworlders? What were you supposed to do for them?" said Reed as he eagerly awaited for her answer. This was what he wanted to hear.


    "Fight with them against Infested and in return, receive a single wish for anything that we could think of once we won against the Infested," said Ma.


    "And in order to fight them, we were given this," and then pulled down her blouse a little bit, exposing a bit of her chest.


    Reed immediately looked away and said, "U-Um, Ma, that''s a bit¡­! I-I don''t think that I can, you know..."


    Ma laughed when she saw Reed''s reaction and said, "Relax, it''s just my lower collarbone and a bit of my chest. Come now, don''t be a wuss. If this is enough to make you worried, how will you behave once your girlfriend attacks you again, hmm?"


    Wait, WHAT?! She saw that?! Agggghhhhh! As If Gramps wasn''t enough!!


    Reed wanted to die all over again¡­ He face-palmed and mumbled, "Fine, whatever¡­ The whole world again seems to know anyway¡­"


    He reluctantly turned toward her and then looked at what she wanted to show him. That was when his jaw dropped.


    That tattoo¡­ that unique style and calligraphy was unmistakable.


    The design was far more simple than his and much smaller in size, but it was unmistakable. She had one, too. She had the same brand as him.


    "W-Where did you get that?!" blurted Reed as he bent over and inspected the tattoo in shock.


    Ma said, "It was something we all got when we first arrived. This little tattoo is what allowed us to manipulate Anima and everyone who was brought here got one. Your grampa also has one too, but his tattoo is on his back."


    Oh, would you look at that¡­ But what does this mean for me¡­?


    Reed sat down and said, "You learn that piece of information fast, Ma? Sounds like you, or rather gramps went to work as soon as he saw you, huh¡­"


    "Can you blame me? I''d never seen an elf¡ª ah, an Alf before. Those amazing, pointy ears! And that smooth, handsome face! It was like he''d hopped out of a fantasy book, for Christ''s sake! I was at a disadvantage when he popped up out of nowhere and started chatting me up¡­"


    Reed laughed when he heard that and said, "Sounds like he had it easy, then. But what do you mean, by ''fantasy book''? Did they not exist in your world?"


    Ma sighed and said, "Not at all¡­ I lived in world only inhabited by humans. Not only that, but I had been raised off-world on a dirty, dingy red planet far away from my people''s home-world. A colony on a world that had little to offer other than boring technicians, engineers, and freight-movers."


    Reed said, "Your people colonized two worlds?! That''s amazing! But the way you describe it is... not as incredible as I''d thought. What about your original homeworld? How was it there?"


    Ma closed her eyes and said, "Earth had clear, blue skies¡­ and vibrant landscapes. It''s faint but I can still remember the feeling of the sun caressing my face outside of my grandmother''s house."


    "Sounds like a wonderful place," said Reed.


    Ma sighed and said, "Yes, it was. Even now, I still think of it every now and then¡­"

 77 A Message For Them

    Ma''s original homeworld was a small, blue rock in the middle of nowhere from what she had told Reed. The humans in her world were born in a world without the wonders of magic and instead relied on their understanding of the world and scientific law to make sense of natural phenomena.


    They built their devices to probe the universe''s secrets and used their findings in practical applications to improve the quality their lives.


    Ma had explained to Reed that much of the technology that currently supported Mulia had human fingerprints in some capacity. Whether it was the jury-rigged Altar system, the hovercraft tech in every vehicle, or the Universal Compendium ¡ª they all had origins as human-made concepts.


    This was a version of humanity that followed their natural, inborn curiosity about the world around them unlike humanity from his original world.


    His world had been ruled by religion and was enforced through tradition and the political machinations of those who reigned supreme. Magic, for all its wonder was but a means of oppression in his world and served only to further the means of the few who knew how to harness it. The word of false gods was supreme and those who defied their will would eventually be silenced...


    It seemed Ma had an answer for everything and an endless amount of stories about her life. Whether it be on her homeworld or on Mulia ¡ª she had no shortage of tales about the many things she had experienced.


    Hours had passed before Reed had even realized it. He learned much from Ma''s stories but... he had not yet asked the most important question.


    Reed really wanted to ask Ma but he couldn''t find the courage to say it. Despite everything she had told him about her life, she had not told him about how she ended up¡­


    But how can I ask the question in a respectful way¡­?


    "Hey, Ma, what exactly is the Nexus? How is this place so¡­ realistic despite being an information network?" said Reed in an attempt to side-step asking the question directly.


    "Information Network?" Ma scoffed when heard that and said, "It''s so much more than just an information network, son. It''s the soul of this whole empire."


    She pointed outside towards the trees and said, "The Nexus is this entire forest, my boy, and every single tree you see out there is a highly sophisticated archival construct designed to preserve the most important memories of all Avunians."


    An enormous memory bank? But why? For sentimental reasons? Or for some other kind of reason¡­?


    "That''s incredible," said Reed. "But I don''t understand ¡ª why are they so intent on preserving their memories?"


    Ma sighed and said, "So their descendants do not forget them and so they can pass on their wisdom onto the next generation. These are the standard responses you''d receive from an Avunian if you were an outsider, but I know the truth about this place and its true purpose¡­"


    "It''s a far-fetched dream, really. I''d go as far as to call it childish, but I can understand the feelings behind it. This Nexus is recording information, compressing it for archival, and uploading it onto a special device," said Ma.


    She flicked her hand and a small hologram of a miniature coffin appeared in front of Reed. It was smaller version of the kind he had ridden during his final exam, but looked much more advanced than the standard model.


    "They want to send a record of their existence back to their homeworld. To that end, they''ve created this special coffin to travel through the space-time back to their world the moment they all disappeared. That is what the Avunians want to accomplish," said Ma.


    "They want to send a final message across space and time to their loved ones¡­ in the past. To let them know that they are all right and that they miss and still remember them¡­ thousands of years in the future."


    That''s heartwarming and a bit crazy when I think about it. Sending a time capsule back in time isn''t really normal at all. Aren''t you supposed to bury them for future generations?


    He understood the idea and felt it was certainly a touching act of love. In a way, he envied the way the Avunians cherished the concept of familial love.


    But there was something morbid about people who were considered dead or gone sending their memories back for the living. Reed felt like it was better that those poor souls in past be left alone to grieve without knowing the truth.


    Was it better to know how and why your loved one died, especially given where they were? What they were up against?


    Would it not better for a grieving family member to think that their loved ones had gone to heaven or the afterlife instead? Let them form their own comforting endings for their lost ones than learn the real truth¡­


    That their families had been sent to hell.


    That at the edge of universe, there was no escape from those outside who had intruded upon heaven itself.


    Reed shook his head and said, "Why haven''t they sent it out, then? What''s keeping them from sending their message-in-a-bottle back home?"


    The tiny hologram of the coffin dissembled and a tiny piece ¡ª a metallic sphere ¡ª expanded in front of him in response.


    "This is the coffin''s Anima drive, the source of power that''ll power it through its mission. It''s based on an old, Ancient Mulian super-cruiser that was used to traverse the universe during its heydays, but that''s beside the point. The problem is that it needs a lot of Anima," said Ma.


    "We can gather the amount of Anima given enough time but once it reaches a certain density, it becomes uncontrollable ¡ª highly unstable and dangerous beyond use. Nothing we have, be it machine or man has been able to control and stabilize the Anima drive once it reaches the needed density to work. Even the Lion King couldn''t do it; the skill and power required to do it is likely beyond our reach¡­" said another voice.


    Reed turned around and saw Velvund behind him, leisurely reading a book.


    I didn''t sense¡­?! How¡­.? I mean, I know who gramps is but still¡­


    He shuddered when he thought about how he''d been unable to even feel his presence in the slightest.


    "How¡­ long have you been there, gramps? Have you always been there?"


    Velvund scratched his chin and said, "Around the time Emma started talking about the Great Barrier War, I think? I lost track sometime around there..." and waved the book in his hands with a smile.


    "Don''t you have another high council meeting to attend, Vel''?"


    "I''m an old, frail man these days ¡ª I''m sure that I can take a day off or two and get away with it, right? The high council will survive if I miss a meeting."


    He put down his book and said, "I couldn''t miss the boy''s first time in the Nexus, but I didn''t think that you''d get to him first though, at least not in the way you did¡­ but it''s about time, so I''ll be taking him back."


    Velvund grabbed one of Reed''s shoulders and said, "Time to head back, son," and then the world went black for an instant.


    Pulsing light and sound blasted back into existence and reality slammed back into Reed''s senses like a shockwave. The rebound of returning back felt awful and resulted in a pounding headache and ringing ears that stunned him for a minute.


    "Agh, what the hell¡­? M-My head¡­ Feels like a hangover, but worse..."


    "Boy! Are you all right?! I thought I was going to have to sever the connection," said Lacrima and started healing and inspecting Reed for any abnormalities.


    A spatial tear opened and Velvund stepped out. He reached out, supported Reed and said, "Whoa there, my boy. Give it a minute, okay? Your senses are readjusting, getting used to taking in external stimuli so take it slow for a little bit."


    Reed groaned and said, "Is it always like this when you leave the Nexus?"


    "No, your mind will eventually get used to it and the side-effects will become¡­ less pronounced. Don''t worry, everyone feels the same way when the first disconnect. For now though, why don''t we move somewhere nicer so you can relax?"


    Reed nodded slowly and then the pair vanished into the void. When the came out of it, they walked out into a very familiar place.


    It was Ma''s house. The same house he''d visited in the Nexus, but this time in reality. It was the same little wooden house, but the scenery was different. It was next to a small lake near an unknown forest.


    "H-Hey, gramps isn''t this¡­?"


    "This is the real thing, my boy. This is where I and Emma called home after the Unification Era, far away from the misery of civilization¡­"

 78 As Far Apart as the Universe Is Wide

    Two people idly sat beside a small lake and quietly enjoyed the gentle caress of the wind on their faces. It was a peaceful, isolated place that had been left untouched by the ravages of war and the taint of civilization.


    Aside from the cottage house, nothing else had been built upon the pure, virgin land. It all looked the same as the day that Velvund and Emma had discovered it.


    Reed slowly swung his feet in the lake''s clear waters and enjoyed the simple pleasure it brought with Velvund. They watched the roaming clouds and passed the time describing what they looked like to them.


    It''s like the Evergreen Estate in nature ¡ª isolated from the world ¡ª but even purer than that.


    When he looked back and the modest cottage, a small smile formed on his face.


    No big, gaudy mansion. No servants or butlers. No titles or ranks.


    This a home for two people; that was it. Nothing more.


    The whole world could fuck the hell off, as much as they were concerned.


    There was nothing that could top this in Reed''s eyes; this was heaven.


    "¡­This is a really nice place, gramps. I can see why you guys decided to settle down out here ¡ª it''s like a little slice of heaven out here," said Reed.


    "We made it our little slice of heaven, my boy. After Emma and I found it, we put a barrier around this place and made it invisible to the eye. Then I made some¡­ corrections to the empire''s geographic records and erased this place from existence, so to speak¡­"


    Niceeee¡­ An excellent application of your authority as king, gramps.


    Reed whistled in admiration and said, "I hope I can find a place like this one day, too. Hopefully somewhere beside an empty beach, so I can spend the rest of my days on a hammock with a cool drink¡­"


    Velvund smiled and said, "That''s a wonderful dream, son. If you want something like that, head down to the South and search the Golden Coast. There''s plenty of untouched land down there in the far edge of the South."


    Oh? He didn''t make fun of my dream? ...That''s a first.


    "Everyone needs a place that they can truly call home. A place that you can feel at peace," said Velvund.


    He put his gently patted Reed''s head and said, "I know that you felt something was wrong when you spoke to Emma back there. I saw the color of your soul turn a shade of black I''ve never seen before from you. What is troubling you, son?"


    "I know that you feel alone. That you feel fear. ¡­I can see your soul and have observed the hearts of thousands of people, my boy, so don''t even think about denying what I have seen."


    Reed looked down at his floating feet and quietly said, "I don''t know how you ¡ª how everyone can do it. You trust and allow each other to into each other''s hearts so easily, so¡­ effortlessly. ¡­I-I don''t know how to do that."


    Velvund''s expression softened when he heard Reed''s fears and said, "I''m afraid, too. We all are, Reed. None of us want to be hurt by someone we''ve allowed into our lives, but that pain is an intrinsic part of life, my son. There is no avoiding it. We all have to pay the price in order to experience life''s greatest joy."


    "And what''s that supposed to be? Please don''t tell me it''s¡­" said Reed.


    "It''s love, my boy. That unconditional, sincere love that makes you feel complete. The happiness, the comfort of having someone who will always be there for you, forever. The indescribable joy of being with someone who can make every single day feel like a breeze¡­"


    "¡­You sure know how to sell an idea, gramps," said Reed and chuckled a bit. "That way you describe it makes it sound like the pain is well worth the final reward¡­"


    "It''s a price that people have paying since the beginning of time, my boy," said Velvund. "Had I feared to make the jump, I would have never found Emma or become King of the East."


    "Trust is the foundation of every single relationship in the world, son. Without it, everything would crumble away under the weight of our suspicions and fears. Be it between friends, family, races, and empires ¡ª none can live without it."


    "But how do I do it, then?" said Reed in a frustrated tone. What I do have to do to break past my fear? I don''t understand. What am I lacking that everyone else seems to have?!"


    Velvund calmly shook his head said, "You just need to let go, son. Accept that you might get hurt in the process and take a leap of faith when you find someone you think is worth it. I know it sounds impossible for you right now, but one day I''m sure you''ll understand."


    As the old man spoke, he wondered what sort of wretched past could have caused the boy to fear other people so much. Even now, it haunted the boy and had twisted his perception of the world in such an awful, saddening way.


    Were it not for the faint, stubborn glimmer of hope in the boy''s eyes when Velvund first met him, he would have thought that the boy had given up on the world.


    "She cares deeply about your well-being, you know. The girl. She''s quite adept at hiding her emotions but she can''t hide her feelings from me. Beneath that cool, composed exterior of hers lie a myriad of emotions. Most prominent in her soul are the colors of attributed to love, concern, and sadness."


    Reed looked up at the sky and said, "I know. I''m a bit slow when it comes to other people, but I''m not that dense. There is... a gap keeping us at arm''s reach from one another, but that gap is... as wide as the universe itself."


    There is so much I want to ask her but at the same, I''m terrified of what I might hear¡­


    "I felt the same way when I held in my Emma arms... the day she died."


    Reed felt his heart drop into his stomach when he heard that and then said, "¡­Can I ask how did it happened? If that''s alright with you...."


    "...The North had planned to assassinate me in a last-ditch attempt to destabilize us after we had won the East. I had not expected that they''d stoop so low as to kidnap Emma, though. I should have."


    Velvund stared at the calm lake and said, "They lured me into a trap, of course, but I could not have cared less. The only thought in my mind at the time was Emma and nothing else. They brought two suicide squads compromised of veteran conquerors just for me. They wanted me dead, even if it cost them all their lives¡­"


    My god¡­ The set of balls on this man. I can''t even begin to imagine what it must have felt walking into that nightmare¡­


    "So I went to work and sent them all straight to hell but in the end, they won. They had poisoned her with something unforgivable ¡ª the miasma from an Infested Seed-bearer. Pumped straight into her body¡­ There was nothing I could do. It had already been eating at her from the inside. She was struggling, but I knew that it had already been set in stone."


    Velvund bitterly smiled and said, "I was desperate and out of time. As long as she lived, I''d do anything. So I made the choice and I salvaged her soul before it, too, was eaten away... and put it in the only thing I knew that could safely contain it without fear of danger."


    He flicked his hand and a tiny hologram of a certain time-coffin appeared in front of Reed. It slowly started dissembling itself and then a tiny component flew up out the model and expanded in size.


    "Isn''t this¡­?!!"


    It was the fist-sized crystal in the room. The same one that¡­ her soul was kept in.


    "This is the memory crystal, the package that the coffin is designed to send back home to my people. It is a special, one-of-a-kind archival system that was made to house the accumulated memories of all Avunians for safe-keeping," said Velvund.


    Reed dumbly looked at the hologram and then said, "But doesn''t that mean that she''s going to, um, you know¡­"


    "I know, my boy. The day the coffin leaves, she will, too. This is something that both she and I have discussed about at length and we have both come to terms with it."


    Velvund grabbed a small stone, threw it and then said, "One day, she and I will be as far apart as the universe is wide... but we''ll be fine."

 79 A Goddamned Idio

    What was he compared to someone like Velvund? Nothing more than a miserable, spineless pissant.


    Here was a person who had suffered immeasurably ¡ª who had lived through eras of strife and had seen the worst that life had to offer.


    And yet, despite everything, this man had still not given up on hope ¡ª he had not allowed himself to bend the knee to hatred, fear, and distrust.


    The endless onslaught of the Infested during the Great Barrier War¡­


    Where does his endless strength and optimism come from?


    The horrific slaughter of his kin during the chaotic Unification Era¡­


    Even now, he''s a proponent of kindness, understanding, and peace¡­


    Even the cruel and despicable assassination of his beloved wife¡­


    Reed felt deep admiration and respect for this poor, old man who had lived a hard life. He possessed a resilient, unbreakable spirit that shone like a beacon in the night.


    That''s why he was chosen to lead the East. It was because the people needed someone like him to light up a path out of the darkness¡­


    They needed an eternal, indestructible pillar of resolve. Someone whom the East could rely upon ¡ª who could make them feel safe; make them feel hope once more¡­


    "You''re truly amazing, gramps¡­ I don''t get how someone like you can even exist in reality," said Reed. "Are you made out of diamond or something?"


    Velvund heartily laughed and said, "I''m not that strong, my boy. I''m just a bit stubborn and when you''ve lived as long as I have, you end up having a lot of time to think and reflect about your life, too¡­"


    He stroked his chin and said, "So what did you want to talk to me about, son? About the girl? Your worries? Or something else?"


    Velvund grabbed a small stone, handed it to Reed and said, "Feel free to talk to me about anything that troubles you, son. I''ve seen everything there is to see throughout my life, so I''m positive I''ll be able to give you some advice no matter the problem."


    "Are you sure about that, gramps? It''s real complicated¡­" said Reed. He threw the stone and it skipped a couple of times on the lake''s surface until it finally stopped.


    "Nine skips, eh? That''s pretty good¡­ but you''re a thousand years too young to beat me, sonny." Velvund grabbed a stone himself and powerfully threw it with a deft flick of the wrist.


    The stone hurtled on the lake''s surface like a speeding bullet until it skipped the entire way to the other side of the lake.


    Reed snorted in mock-contempt and said, "Give me a couple of years and I''ll wipe the floor with you, old man. Mark my words, there''ll be a reckoning for this¡­"


    "I told you, it''s not that¡­ It''s a pretty serious problem," said Reed. He scratched his head nervously and said, "Also, I might''ve hidden a couple of things from you, gramps¡­"


    There was much to explain and the more that Reed spoke, the more Velvund''s expression tightened up in response. By the time he had finished explaining everything, Velvund had gone quiet.


    The Twilight Children and the Holy Church.


    The unification of the entire continent by some unknown means.


    Astrid and Sebastian becoming hostages.


    The summons he had received from the Holy Pope.


    Reed even conceded a bit and had revealed just enough information about himself ¡ª his connection to the Ancient Mulians ¡ª something that he had not done even for Violett back then.


    He''d put all his chips on gramps ¡ª that was the least he could do for the old man in return for what he had done for him.


    "They didn''t tell me what they needed me for specifically but it seemed like I was going to be used for something crucial to their plans. I need to get Astrid and Sebastian out before the shit hits the fan, gramps."


    Velvund pensively watched the rippling waves on the lake''s surface and said, "We''ll save them. I promise. I''ll help you get them out alive if it''s the last thing I do, so don''t you worry. And thank you for telling me the real truth, son. I understand it must have been difficult for you."


    I won''t have the boy suffer the same pain. It won''t happen again. Not while I still draw breath¡­


    "Take it easy and let me talk to my people about this. I know that you''re itching to jump into the fire, but you must endure. A single, rash decision fueled by heated emotions could spell the end for your friends and much, much more. ¡­Let me talk to the Ashborn and Dragoncrest families on your behalf and see what I can do to calm down this madness."


    Reed shook his head in disapproval and said, "They''re religious loonies, gramps. Look at what they''re plotting! I don''t think you''ll be able to get through to them¡­"


    "Perhaps¡­ but we won''t know until we try. We should always try to resolve things with dialogue first before resorting to violence, son. In any case, the Ashborn and Dragoncrest families owe me a debt I have never collected. If they still have any honor left, they will agree to speak with me on this point alone and we''ll go from there," said Velvund.


    "What do you mean?" said Reed. "They owe you a debt?"


    "Have you never thought about how two human families have been allowed to exist among the aristocracy in this empire?"


    Reed shrugged his shoulder and said, "Well, yeah, but I never put much thought into it. I just assumed it was an odd coincidence and nothing more¡­"


    "During the Unification Era, two noble families protested against the cruel, inhuman tactics that were used against our kind. The day these families heard of the barbaric movement to enslave our kind, they forsook humanity and left their kin rather than stay and be a part of a movement like that¡­"


    "When Emma heard about this, she begged me to take them in as refugees and I consented after much discussion. Many opposed my decision, calling me a backstabbing, human-loving traitor. As if it wasn''t bad enough that I, the Sovereign''s right hand, had taken a human woman as my wife before that¡­"


    "So, yes, they do owe me a debt. I put myself on the line for them millennia ago and if they have any dignity left in them, these two families will heed my call."


    Velvund would die before he allowed another Unification War to begin, especially in his own damn home. He knew that if a second war happened, all would be lost. The continent was not like it was during the days of yore ¡ª contenders and conquerors were becoming rarer by the century.


    A second Unification War would spell the death of every contender and likely the vast majority of contenders. Perhaps only the Sovereigns would remain after the conflict, but they alone would not be enough against the endless hordes of Infested¡­


    Who''d be left to protect Mulia from the Infested the war?


    Would there even be anyone left to protect after the war?


    All Velvund saw was a path filled with death and despair ¡ª a road he had walked once before and he knew how that path ended. He would not let fate repeat itself once more. Not if he had a say in it.


    When Reed returned home, Lacrima said, "Boy, I know that you know more than you let on and... that the girl and I have not been completely clear with you about everything, but please understand that we would never betray you. That much I can guarantee to you with absolute certainty."


    It''s just that I''m not ready for the truth, right? That''s what Lu''um has always told me whenever I ask her.


    "For good reason, boy. You are still young, naive and rash ¡ª ruled by your emotions. Were we to tell you the truth, who knows what you would do in response or how it''d affect you. We can afford to wait a couple of years for you to mature a bit before we start explaining to you everything we know."


    Reed wanted to argue against her, but couldn''t find anything to support his case.


    He''d run away from home, got himself involved in another empire''s affairs and had complicated things for his benefactors in the North.


    For the most part, he short-lived misadventure had spectacularly backfired on him. He''d been very, very lucky that Velvund had picked him up. Otherwise, he would have probably gotten himself in a world of trouble¡­


    Simply put, he had fucked up. She was right and he couldn''t disagree.


    Reed hated how right she was, but at the same hated himself for not thinking everything out. For not listening to the people around him.


    He had gotten too full of himself lately and had forgotten how weak he truly was in the scope of the world. Not only that, but he had forgotten how powerful his actions were and the consequences they had on everything and everyone around him.


    Astor, Horatio, and Ophelia had warned him about this and despite their best efforts to make him see reason, he had ignored their concerns, insulted them and then left them behind.


    What kind of fucking friend was that? Could he even be called a friend?


    I''m such a goddamn idiot¡­ and I have apologies I need to make.


    Reed tossed himself onto his bed and said, "I really wish I had met gramps a lot sooner..."

 80 Fourth Heaven

    "Odd¡­ I haven''t heard a single complaint from you since we left. Something wrong?"


    "Mm¡­ I just want to get this over with as soon as possible. That''s all."


    Something had happened to him and the damn wretch won''t tell me what happened even though she was there. He''s gone quiet on the inside, too. No doubt keeping his thoughts away from me¡­


    Lu''um observed the brooding, silent figure beside her and wondered what he had heard from the old man¡­ What could have caused such a change? She did not know but it seemed like whatever the old man had said to him had taken hold in him¡­


    Reed looked out of the hovercraft and saw shifting, emerald landscapes blur into one another as they sped along towards the Holy Church''s city-state, Fourth Heaven.


    It was the original location where the Holy Church had been formed after the devastating Great Barrier War that had consumed the entire Northern section of the continent. Formed several millennia ago, this organization even predated the formation of the Four Empires¡­


    Located in the center of the continent, Fourth Heaven served and followed the will of the enigmatic, divine figure known as the Goddess.


    For the acolytes of the modern-day, she was a figment of myth and known only through ancient, fragmented texts of unclear origin.


    But to the oldest of the clergy, she was as real could be. They were not like their young, skeptical children. No ¡ª they had seen Her themselves.


    Before the Great Barrier existed ¡ª when the Infestation had broken into Heaven. An era that only a handful still remembered these days...


    Reed shut his eyes and said, "Wake me when we get there. I''m going to get some shuteye while I can¡­"


    "Sweet dreams, Ka''an¡­"


    I wish they were. I really do. But I think we both know that they''re¡­


    He slowly stopped thinking, let his mind wander and eventually, his fatigue got the best of him. A black, slumbering veil shrouded him and Reed fell asleep¡­


    Lu''um wondered what she''d find if she looked into his mind right now, but knew her attempt would likely be blocked by the wretch. She had become strangely defensive of him ever since that day.


    "What did he hear? Tell me."


    "He heard something he needed to hear from the old fellow."


    "I don''t understand."


    "You don''t have to. Know that it was a good thing for him and be patient. Give him some time to process what he has learned."


    "Patient? Me? Did I hear you tell me to be patient?!"


    "You''re not the only one, you know. I¡ª We have all been¡ª"


    Reed suddenly grumbled and shifted his posture in discomfort. He curled up a little bit and then returned to his slumber.


    Lacrima and Lu''um held themselves in place as they observed Reed cautiously and waited for what seemed like an eternity until they felt like it was safe for them to talk again.


    "So be it. Another time, then..."


    Eventually, they reached their destination after a couple of hours. In the distance, a large city could be seen glowing under the radiant shine of a massive cathedral. A dome made of golden Anima covered the city as a shield that protected the Holy Church''s domain and allowed only those that they permitted.


    As a result, the Holy Church remained isolated from the rest of the world. For the devoted, the Fourth Heaven was a sacred place that could not be allowed to be tainted by the nonsense of the Four Empires.


    They would not allow others into their home and in return, they would not interfere with whatever happened outside.


    An unspoken pact had also been made between the Four Empires and the Holy Church. That they could spread their gospel across their empires so as long as they kept their conquerors in their domain where they would remain.


    Keep their old monsters sealed, they would be allowed to perform their so-called divine work for their Goddess¡­


    In such a manner, the Holy Church had established their millennia-long neutrality.


    Reed let out a long yawn and wearily rubbed his eyes when he got out of the hovercraft. He looked around and recoiled when he saw thousands of people staring at him in silence and respect.


    Hundreds of soldiers in neat rows and formed an impressive wall of flesh and polished steel as they stood guard in front of Reed''s hovercraft.


    In the distance, the deep chime of enormous bells filled the air across the city. Crowds of devoted worshipers, acolytes, and priests watched Reed with interest as they whispered amongst each other.


    Oh man, not this shit again... Just play it cool, Reed. Don''t worry about it¡­


    A tall, elderly man walked out of the void in front of the hovercraft and said, "We are honored by your presence and welcome you to our home with open arms, Prince Leon. I, Bishop Poe, am at your service, your highness."


    Reed nodded and said, "I was not told that this would be a public appearance, Bishop Poe. Had I known, I would have not brought¡­"


    When Lu''um stepped out of the hovercraft, Bishop Poe said, "Oh no, no. It is perfectly fine; you needn''t worry about that¡­"


    Poe bowed toward Lu''um and said, "Greetings to you, fair maiden¡ª"


    "I am Maya Goldentree ¡ª Fiancee of Prince Leon."


    Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Don''t introduce yourself like that, woman! What are you doing?!!


    Reed calmly smiled and said, "Forgive her, Bishop, she is just a bit under the weather¡­"


    Poe abruptly coughed and then said, "Your highness, we welcome you as well to our home. The Pope has been expecting you and was delighted when he heard of your arrival. Please, if you don''t mind¡­"


    He gestured toward the path that had been laid ¡ª the long carpet made of crimson and gold. It lead toward an elegant vehicle on the other side where even more soldiers were posted on guard.


    They''ve really made a whole show out of this¡­ Goddammit.


    But there was no going back now. Reed knew that, so he clenched his teeth and resigned himself to his fate. He put on his best smile and then threw himself into the fire¡­


    It was a full-fledged nightmare for Reed as he had expected. The whole city had been apparently alerted to his arrival and what should have been a simple drive to the Sacred Cathedral had turned into a godforsaken parade.


    The worst part was that the vehicle that had driven him to the Sacred Cathedral had been constructed with a convertible roof. As soon as it took off down the main street, the roof popped off and the madness began.


    Reed, Lu''um, and Bishop Poe had been drowned to brim with flowers, to the point that it had nearly filled the hovercraft. He''d been forced to smile and wave like a statue for a solid twenty minutes as people hurled flowers at him as if they were going out of style.


    Lu''um, on the other hand, had enjoyed the experience to the fullest. The crowds chanted, "Beauty of the East," and "Jem of the North," the entire way through the parade as they hurled roses on her side of the hovercraft.


    Poe chuckled and said, "As you have seen, the city''s filled with love. Especially for you, Prince Leon. After the Pope spoke about your touching coronation speech during mass, your popularity blew up around here, so to speak."


    "So it seems¡­" said Reed as he brushed flowers out of his hair. "Fourth Heaven is mighty welcoming, that''s sure."


    "And very¡­ beautiful, too," said Lu''um as she plucked out a flower that had gotten entangled in back of Reed''s head. "The architecture here is unlike anything I''ve ever seen before. It''s magnificent¡­"


    Poe nodded and said, "Yes, indeed, Lady Maya. This city boasts the most accurate representation of Ancient Mulian architecture in the world. It is the life''s work of our archbishops who wanted to emulate the beauty of the Gods. Alas, it will never truly match the splendor of what once was according to them..."


    Lu''um smiled and said, "Even so, they have done quite well. They should be proud of what they have accomplished even if it''ll never match the original¡­"


    Reed coughed and looked at Lu''um with a scolding gaze.


    Keep your petty insults to yourself, woman. Don''t make my life harder, please...


    "If only, Lady Maya, if only. But the Archbishops are a¡­ dedicated bunch. Very devoted to their beliefs and of course, the Goddess."


    When the hovercraft approached the front of the Sacred Cathedral its large, wooden doors opened and an enormous congregation of old men and women walked out in unison.


    Reed suddenly felt his blood freeze.


    Oh, fuck! It''s them¡­! There''s so many of them¡­!


    The ambient Anima in the area suddenly overflowed like mad and condensed enough that an aurora was cast above the Sacred Cathedral for kilometers without end.


    They had personally come to meet and escort Reed to the Holy Pope himself.


    The old monsters had arrived.

 81 The Truth

    Reed wanted to run. The destination did not matter ¡ª he just wanted to be as far away from where he was right now.


    They kept coming out until the Sacred Cathedral''s entrance had been filled to the brim. There were more than a hundred of them, give or take, but it felt like they were more than that. The sight of them all together was awe-inspiring and terrifying to behold.


    Each one was capable of causing an unspeakable amount of destruction and possessed thousands of years of experience in the art of war.


    They, together, were metaphorical sleeping dragon that the Four Empires feared to disturb.


    Friendly. Positive. Neutral. Play it cool, Reed. You got this¡­


    "Hiya, fellas¡­ How are you all doing today?" said Reed as he stepped out of the hovercraft. A small mountain of flowers spilled out of his seat when Reed walked out, something that he had not accounted for when he got out.


    The flowers spilled out and littered the steps of the Sacred Cathedral like a colorful torrent of puke. Reed cursed himself and said, "Oh, sorry about that the mess. Let me clean this up¡­" He hurriedly turned around and started lifting the flowery garbage he''d dumped with Anima and then pushed it all back into the car.


    It was then that the old clerics noticed what he had been wearing and immediately fell to their knees when they caught sight of it. The entire congregation suddenly started praying in silence like madmen ¡ª some even started crying in tears as they clasped their hands together in prayer.


    "¡­There¡­we¡­go! Phew¡­ Sorry about the mess, really¡­" said Reed. "Talk about a warm reception am I rig...ht?"


    Oh, my god¡­ Shiiit! It''s been, like, TEN fucking seconds!! Please, no¡­


    Reed''s looked dead inside as he gazed at the sobbing clergy. He turned toward Lu''um and then said, "Why does it always turn out like this? Even when I try my hardest, it always ends up¡­ like this."


    Lu''um looked at Reed with a resigned expression and said, "I don''t know what to tell you¡­ It''s become a universal law now, I suppose. Reed''s law¡­"


    "That''s not funny."


    "I thought it was a bit funny," said Lacrima.


    Reed ignored the peanut gallery and then said, "Come on, everyone¡­ Let''s stop with the waterworks ¡ª it''s depressing to look at and uncalled for." He walked over to the closest elder and started raising them off the ground, one by one in an attempt to end their hysterical nonsense.


    I''ll be damned if someone sees this¡­ They''ll say that I abused the elderly! I need to fix this NOW! Before things get even worse!


    "Come on gramps, get up. Look, it''s fine! You don''t have to pray, okay?!"


    "You too, grandma! Kneeling is bad for your joints, you hear me?! Come on, upsy-daisy¡­"


    "Enough with the praying, guys! No more praying! Ah! I saw that! Don''t start kneeling again, gramps! Don''t make me come over there, you hear me!"


    Before he even knew it, his objective had completely changed. He had gone from the boy scout to the grandparent whisperer and had become a priest wrangler of sorts in a matter of minutes.


    It was a fascinating spectacle to behold as Reed sped around the Sacred Cathedral''s entrance like a shepherd dog. His hell-bent corralling had completely enraptured Lu''um and Poe in a state of amazement as they mutely observed Reed work his magic.


    "Alright, no more praying, okay? Come on, everyone, let''s go inside! Nice, straight rows ¡ª let''s not crowd the entrance!"


    And just like that, the boy and his elderly flock had left into the Sacred Cathedral...


    Lu''um and Poe dumbly stared at the Sacred Cathedral and felt as if they had witnessed a miracle unfold before their eyes.


    "D-Did¡­ that just really happen? U-Um, is Prince Leon always like tha¡ª"


    Lu''um sighed and said, "He''s always like that. Always." Then she hopped out of the hovercraft and started walking towards the entrance in pursuit of her no-good rancher. The last thing she needed was for him to suddenly disappear here or get into further trouble¡­


    Poe quickly clambered out of the hovercraft and yelled out, "W-Wait for me, Lady Maya!" He had initially thought that he had been given an easy, but important job to perform but now he just wanted to go home.


    The interior of the Sacred Cathedral was a magnificent sight to behold. It was elegant in design at its core. Stained glass portraits of various saints lined the walls and paintings that depicted famous historical scenes were hung on beautiful frames made of gold.


    But they were not what caught one''s eye when you entered the cathedral. No, what drew your attention stood front and center at the end of the cathedral, right behind the pastor''s stand¡­


    There she was, all alone.


    It was a beautiful rendition of Her, probably made by a true genius, an artist of sublime skill.


    Although a shroud covered her face, it felt as if you could tell what her expression was behind the veil. Her lonesome, distant figure evoked a sense of loss that made one feel her sorrow.


    Despite that though, it seemed like nothing more than a momentary pain for her. In spite of everything, she cared not ¡ª for her attention had been captured by something else¡­


    It was the babe she held in her arms. She was focused solely on the child that was wrapped in a blanket.


    Reed gazed at the blanket and stood there motionless, rooted in the ground like a statue.


    It was undeniable.


    That blanket bore the symbol ¡ª¡ª the same shimmering, golden sun that Lacrima possessed.


    He could no longer deny what he had long suspected.


    "...Listen, boy. Hear me ou¡ª"


    Reed didn''t want to hear it. Not right now. All he wanted to do right now was find somewhere quiet, somewhere he could be alone. His heart thrummed anxiously like a drum as he gazed at Her. He could feel his heartbeat slowly getting faster and felt like he couldn''t breathe properly.


    He stumbled backward and he clutched his chest in pain. The sound of his racing heart pounded in his ears as he struggled to breathe. It was as if the world had come crashing down upon him ¡ª he couldn''t do anything as he drowned in his own cascading thoughts.


    When the elders noticed the abrupt change, they immediately rushed over to Reed and began to support him.


    "¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª? ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!"


    "¡ª¡ª!¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª? ¡ª¡ª-!!"


    "¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!"


    Odd. I can see their mouths moving and I can hear them, but I can''t understand them. What are they saying? Why can''t I understand them?


    Reed couldn''t do anything and that confused him. His legs had suddenly turned into jelly. The strength in his arms had disappeared. All that was left was the sound of his pounding heart and the unidentifiable pain in his chest.


    Suddenly, Lu''um appeared out the crowd of crimson robes and grabbed Reed out of the crowd in a flash. She hurriedly checked his pulse and then the mark on his chest. She looked frightened out of her mind ¡ª that surprised Reed. He had never seen her like that before.


    "¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡ª!!"


    I can''t hear you. What are you saying? Why are you making that face?


    Reed weakly grabbed Lu''um hands and shook his head ¡ª that was the only thing he could do. He grasped them with all his strength and tried to say, "I''ll be fine," but the words wouldn''t come out.


    "¡ª¡ª! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!"


    "¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª! ¡ª¡ª! ¡ª¡ª¡ª!!"


    The clamoring elders seemed to be saying something to Lu''um but he couldn''t make it out. The expressions on their faces were somewhat hostile toward Lu''um, so Reed raised a single hand to them.


    Heaven forbid¡­ they try to threaten her¡­


    It was then that a large spatial tear opened up in front of elders. A tall silhouette emerged from the void and slowly walked toward the Reed and Lu''um.


    It was an elderly man who looked old enough that he could have passed off as Velvund''s grandfather if he wanted to. He wore a simple, white robe and shoes that looked older than time itself.


    "¡ª¡ª? ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª."


    "¡ª¡ª. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª."


    He spoke to Lu''um and the clergy as he gestured at both of them with small gestures. Whatever he had said seemed to have worked because both parties calmed down after that.


    After that, the old man approached Reed and knelt down beside him. He stared at Reed and said something to Lu''um. She looked hesitant but eventually nodded.


    The old man put one of his hands on Reed''s head and spoke something unintelligible.


    The world suddenly started to grow dim and Reed opened his mouth in protest but nothing came out. He felt his eyelids grow heavier by the second until he could no longer keep them open anymore.


    Darkness enveloped Reed and before he could even put a fight, it had consumed him¡­


    And then, he was gone.

 82 The Sleepers Memories

    Ah. I know this feeling. It''s that time again, isn''t it?


    What will you reveal to me this time, my friend?


    Two figures faced each other in a void, lost somewhere between reality and the afterlife. Or was it someplace else? Possibly. ¡­Who really knew?


    He never responded, nor did he ever talk. The only thing he would do is show what he knew to Reed. Nothing more.


    In a way though, Reed had already learned much about him even though he had chosen to remain silent. After all, his memories told Reed much more about him than he could ever describe.


    The hooded man had appeared once again and with his coming followed another set of his memories ¡ª his experiences and knowledge. Morsels of his wisdom and skill, they were unwanted gifts that Reed could not reject.


    Whether he liked it or not, he was along for the ride. The was no other choice once a memory fragment started up¡­


    Colors, lights, shapes, and shadows blurred in an unexplainable mish-mash as the void took shape and form of the memory fragment. All creation followed the rule of the hooded man''s will as a false world sprung up from nothingness.


    And before Reed could even recognize the changes that had happened, it had begun. He had been dragged along with the hooded man into his memory...¡­


    "So what did the princess do, Mom? There''s no way she picked the bad guy, right?" said the boy.


    The Mother smiled and said, "No¡­. The bad guy chose for her against her own will. He kidnapped the noble princess¡­ and her sister."


    The Father hurriedly blurted out, "He was saving them, s-a-v-i-n-g them! That bad prince was going to hurt the princesses, so he saved them by taking them somewhere far away! He''s a good person, you see?!"


    "But Daddy, you said that doing a bad thing is still bad even if it''s for a good cause," said the girl.


    The Father slumped over resignation when he heard his daughter''s reply and said, "That''s right, pumpkin, you''re¡­ absolutely... right." He held back his bitter tears as he tried to act like the responsible father he was supposed to be.


    The Mother rubbed her husband''s back and said, "That''s right, he was a bad guy who did bad things for a good cause. So he kidnapped the princess, her sister, and stole something very, very important from the kingdom, too¡­ because he was a bad guy who couldn''t help himself."


    The boy, ignoring his father''s tears, said, "What did the criminal steal, Mom? How important was the thing he stole from the kingdom?"


    "Oh, it was super-duper important to the kingdom. He stole a very special thing that supposed to have been given to the evil prince. It was a sort of¡­ special crown that the evil prince was going to get when he married the princess," said the Mother.


    "This is a terrible story! The evil prince had everything stolen from him by another bad guy! Where are the good guys in this story?!"


    The Mother flicked her wrist and a brilliant map filled with stars appeared in front of the family.


    "After that, the thief and the princess traveled across the starry sky with their friends to all sorts of incredible places as they ran from the kingdom''s knights who wanted to capture them. They had many adventures and encountered a lot of dangerous situations along the way."


    The children''s eyes lit up when they saw the star chart. They, who longed to venture out into the stars on an adventure, hurriedly said, "Where?! Which worlds did they visit?! What sort of aliens did they meet?!"


    The Father noticed the opportunity and said, "They met the Star-Eating Snake, you know? The same one that eats entire stars in one gulp for lunch. And they also went to the infamous Crypt of Worlds where the dead come back to life and eat people!"


    "No way!"


    "You''re lying!"


    The Father stroked his chin in pride and said, "It''s true. If you don''t believe me, ask your mother."


    The Mother nodded her head when the children looked to her and said, "They went to all kinds of dangerous, exciting places on their journey in order to do something important..."


    The boy, completely enchanted, looked to his mother and said, "What were they doing?"


    "Saving the world, of course," said the Father with a large grin on his face. "¡­Isn''t that what a hero is supposed to do?"


    The boy''s eyes twinkled with fascination as he stared at his father and then...¡­


    It ended. The memory had finished playing.


    The world went black and silence fell upon the void. Darkness encroached the spaces between Reed''s subconscious. It signaled the end of the dream and his departure back to¡­.


    He opened eyes and an unfamiliar ceiling greeted him. It was not home, nor was it heaven.


    "Oh, you''re awake. How are you feeling?"


    Reed turned his head and saw her beside him, looking right as rain. She looked at him and was about to say something but Reed spoke first and said, "How long?"


    "About four hours, I''d say. The old man forcibly put you under with a spell before it got worse. I was about to do the same thing myself, but would have¡­ blown my cover had I done it. Luckily¡­" said Lu''um.


    "Don''t feel very lucky. All I feel is emptiness now that the pain has faded."


    "Ka''an, please¡­ I know that¡ª"


    "Yeah, I bet you do know. But it doesn''t matter. Even if the pieces fit, it won''t make a difference. I feel nothing. It changes nothing."


    Even if you showed me that, it won''t change anything. They''re YOUR memories. Not MINE. And yes, there is a difference, you bastard...


    Reed forced himself up from his bed and said, "Let''s leave at that for today. We still have a job to do even if we got sidetracked because of me. Where''s the Pope?"


    Lu''um shook her head and said, "After he put you out, he disappeared somewhere else and said that he''d meet you once you woke up. He didn''t stick around¡­"


    "Then we''ll have to go and find him," said Reed. He walked straight over to the room''s only door and stepped outside.


    A chubby-looking, young fellow stood outside and yelped in fright when Reed slammed the door open. When he saw Reed, his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets in fright and said, "H-H-Holy One! Y-You''re awake! Thank the Goddess that you''¡ª"


    "Can it, tubby. Hurry up and tell the old man that I''m awake."


    The Anima that rolled off of Reed was chaotic and terrifying to behold up close at the moment and only served to frighten the chubby contender even more. It was like staring into a bottomless pit of churning Anima.


    Needless to say, Reed had stopped caring at the moment. His emotions, on full display, had frightened the living wits out of the poor fellow.


    "Y-Yes, yes!! R-Right away, Sir!" said the unfortunate fellow and he bolted out of sight like a lightning bolt into another room on the far end of the hall.


    Reed snorted in derision and said, "We talk to the geezer and then we go home. I''ll be damned if I have to stay here a second longer than I have to¡­"


    Lu''um shrugged her shoulders and said, "Just don''t do anything rash, alright?"


    Space-time suddenly groaned in protest and a tear formed out of unwilling reality.


    "How are you feeling, child? Do you still feel unwell?" The warm, velvet tone of an old voice echoed out from the void as the Pope walked into the room.


    Reed shook his head and said, "No, Your Holiness, I am fine now. Thank you for your timely help¡­ Were it not for you, I would have¡ª"


    The Pope waved his hands in protest and said, "No, no¡­ think nothing of it, my child. You owe nothing. If anything, it is we who are indebted to you, instead. To both of you, really¡­"


    "Tell me, are you two hungry? You must be, I imagine. Why don''t we eat together? Nothing brings people together like a good meal and a couple of laughs." The Pope tore open another spatial tear and said, "Come, come. You must be starving, the younglings that you are."


    Reed turned around and looked at Lu''um who had suddenly gone cold, her expression rigid as ice.


    If looks could kill, the Pope would have died a hundred times over by now.


    ¡­Yeah, don''t do anything rash, right? Wonder how this''ll turn out now¡­


    He walked into the void and said, "I hope you''ve got something better than porridge and old, stale bread, Your Holiness. I''ve had church food before and I''m not too keen on reliving childhood memories again¡­"

 83 The Purge

    "Does the meal not find you well, child? There is no need to force yourself to¡ª"


    I can''t! I just can''t do it anymore. What the hell am I watching?!


    It never ended. Beautiful platters filled to the brim with food continued to flood the table at an ever-increasing rate. Was this what the Holy Pope had summoned him for? To feast endlessly?


    The old man had consumed enough to have fed a family for a month in the span of an hour. Like a bottomless pit, he had consumed ceaselessly until Reed could stand it no longer.


    "Enough, Your Holiness. Why have you summoned me? Surely, it wasn''t for this¡­ this grotesque luncheon, right?"


    The Pope shook his head and frowned when he heard Reed''s complaint and said, "Such is the price I pay for defying the natural order, my child. My insatiable hunger is a symptom of a curse I am under¡­ I have been afflicted with it for ages as a result of trying to meddle with something¡­"


    He sighed deeply and said, "Forgive me, children; Sometimes I forget that others might not know of my¡­ unique affliction. It makes for quite an off-putting display, no? Alas, there is nothing I can do but endure¡­"


    "A curse? Are you unable to dispel it even with the assistance of Anima?" said Reed. He''d never heard of something that couldn''t be done with Anima. It didn''t make sense at all.


    The Pope gravely said, "No, not with my paltry abilities, child. Nor the help of the Four Sovereigns, even if they tried. The curse I have been punished with is a product of a¡­ superior, transcendent power. I, the young fool that I was, tried to harness something for myself and paid the price for my actions."


    "You will bear that curse until the day you die. A befitting punishment for someone as greedy as you," said Lu''um in an indifferent voice. "The Beggar''s Curse was created for miscreants like you. For those who would dare to steal from Heaven."


    "Is that why you look so¡­ frail compared to the others?" said Reed. "Is the curse that powerful?"


    He looked nothing like his counterparts in the slightest. The other elders were thousands of years old but they still looked relatively young for their age. Most of them looked between forty to fifty years of age and had lively, young eyes that still brimmed with life.


    But the Pope... he looked wrong. Sickly and frail like someone who had been nearly starved to death. His pale, wrinkly skin, sunken cheekbones, and lifeless eyes made him seem like he really was thousands of years old. He, unlike his counterparts, looked like an ancient mummy.


    The Pope nodded slowly and said, "Yes, that is correct. The curse drains my life-force without end. Even now, Anima only somewhat serves to hold back the effects of the curse. Had it not been for the Anima sustaining me, I would have died long, long ago¡­"


    "What did you try to steal?"


    Someone like this is the Pope? Even after what he did? How did he manage that?


    Reed stared at the decaying man and said, "Again, I ask ¡ª Why have you summoned me here?"


    The Pope uttered a single word in response: "Salvation."


    "You''re going to have to be a little more descriptive than that if you want me to understand you," said Reed. "Your friends blabbered about the same thing too when I met them, but they never really explained themselves. I hope you''ll help me out where they failed, Your Highness¡­"


    "The Apostles have not been doing their job properly, it seems¡­" said the Pope with a dissatisfied grunt.


    "Forgive them, my child, they are still young and as a result, prone to making mistakes. They are rowdy little troublemakers, but I assure you that their hearts are in the right place¡­" He snapped his fingers and said, "Let me show you our divine plan, our road to salvation."


    The image of a titanic sphere made dull metal suddenly flashed on top of the dining table. It looked a little different than normal but Reed easily identified what it was almost instantly.


    "The Reef? What about it? It''s just an old, decommissioned super-weapon these days," said Reed in confusion.


    The Pope laughed heartily and said, "Is that you think it is? A decommissioned weapon? Nonsense. It is much more than a piddling weapon ¡ª the Divine Furnace was created for a far greater purpose than to be a tool of war. Those blundering idiots in the North haven''t the slightest idea of what it is truly capable of. I wager only a few know its true purpose, my child. With it, we will be able to¡ª"


    Anima suddenly raged like a typhoon in the room as Lu''um pondered on how she''d kill the old man. She was contemplating making his death as painful as imaginable ¡ª stripping a soul down into its constituent elements was considered a crime against nature itself.


    Lu''um didn''t care about that, though. What she wanted was to make him scream for mercy and forgiveness the whole way through the slow and methodical¡­ disassembly of his existence.


    The old bastard crossed the line once and now he wants to cross it again! Not only that, but he also wants to use the Divine Furnace for his own goals!


    The audacity of this miserable insect¡­! I knew I should have exterminated these insolent meddlers a long time ago!


    Reed quickly shouted, "Hey! Slow down! We aren''t here to start a fight, alright?! You know that!"


    Lu''um grit her teeth and said, "You don''t understand! I knew that these bastards were up to no good, but I did not expect something on this level! I can''t let him go!"


    Lacrima howled, "She''s right, boy! They''ve gone too far! There can be no compromise, no peaceful dialogue with these meddlers! The nerve of this wretched worm to even think of the idea!"


    Shit! Shit! Shit! What do I do?! Oh, fuck! What would Velvund do in this situation? Think, Reed, think!


    If Reed let things continue as they were, it''d probably start the beginning of the end ¡ª a premature beginning of what he was trying so desperately to avoid.


    Reed quickly reigned in the Anima in the room to best of his ability and yelled, "Get the fuck out of here, old man!! Go now!!"


    Lu''um clicked her tongue in annoyance and said, "Don''t get in the way, Ka''an!" She tossed a massive chunk of Anima toward Reed and it hit him like a bomb. The blast of raw energy knocked him out of the room like a bullet as he crashed through the cathedral''s walls.


    Reed''s vision blurred as he tumbled like rag-doll across the cathedral until he finally crashed. He groaned in pain as he tried to make sense of his surroundings and muttered under his breath, "Fuck''s sake, she hits hard! Aargh¡­"


    Violent explosions reverberated and tremors followed along after every numbing surge of Anima passed by. They were fighting and the sound of it, things were escalating.


    Time was of the essence. Reed needed to act now if he was to salvage the situation before it got out of hand. If Lu''um killed the Pope, it''d likely be over for Astrid and Sebastian. Maybe they''d still have some use, but if the Twilight Children decided that they weren''t useful as hostages anymore because of this...


    "Boy! Don''t do this! I know you care for your friends, but this takes precedence!"


    Anima surged and Reed grit his teeth in preparation. He enveloped himself in it and clenched his fists. No doubt, he was about to enter the fucking shit-show of the century.


    "Fuck that." He spat out a glob of spit and blood.


    His legs tensed up like tightly wound coiled springs as he channeled Anima into them. Reed gathered as much Anima as he could and then... he released it all in one go.


    Reed burst like a dam and turned into a blur when he let go of his control. He felt a hot, sharp pain like someone had stabbed his legs with a searing knife and let out a low groan in pain. The force had been too much for his body to handle ¡ª he had completely torn his hamstrings in the process but it was worth the pain.


    In an instant, he had converted his Anima into pure speed and momentum. He barreled through the cathedral like an unstoppable force towards the source of the conflict.


    I''m only going to have a single opportunity to do this! I can''t fuck it up!


    Reed focused and closed his eyes. He''d have to rely on his mind''s eye in order to find amongst the chaos up ahead and end the fight¡­ with a single move.

 84 Consequences

    A terrifying tempest of Anima swirled around the epicenter of the conflict as the fight continued to escalate. In the span of less than a minute, the combined forces of the Holy Church had been shred into pieces.


    Slaughter. Pure, unrestrained destruction. There was no other way it could be described.


    The mangled corpses of several dozen church elders lay beneath her feet. Battered and twisted into abnormal poses, they were the lucky ones of the lot. For they had died, but not in an unnatural way.


    Not like the rest of their banished companions.


    Some of the poor, old fools had been unimaginably unlucky. The moment they stepped out of the void, they died ¡ª or, rather they had disappeared.


    Almost instantaneously, they had been forced back into their rigged spatial tears which had then been closed shut by her. Gone. In less than a second.


    Her judgment was swift as she was heartless. It put the fear of death into the remaining survivors who had forgotten what it felt like to feel the embrace of the unknown¡­


    She had forcibly torn a hole in the void behind them¡­ and that tear lead Outside. Beyond space, time and reality, where nothing existed.


    It was a terrible, unforgivable way to kill a living being, for they had been cast out of the reality into the Empty Domain, the lawless plane between multiverses where the Infested ruled supreme.


    She had not given them so much as a single moment to see reality one last time before she had thrown them out.


    The Pope bitterly smiled as he surveyed the scene of carnage around him and said, "As expected of the other half of Heaven itself. Mercy, Heiress of the Moon! I ask that you punish me instead of my flock! The fault lies with me alone!"


    A small smile formed her lips and the ambient Anima obediently answered her summons. She would not forgive him, nor them. Not in a billion years.


    She would erase the entire city. That what she had decided upon. Such was the price Man would have to pay for trying to play God.


    The reality groaned in protest and day turned into night across the world. A starless sky formed above Fourth Heaven as if the stars above the city had been snuffed out by something in the dark¡­


    Anima condensed above the Sacred Cathedral and formed a brilliant sphere of divine radiance, unlike anything the continent had seen.


    The amount of Anima that had been condensed into the sphere could have powered all of the North''s cities for centuries on end. Immeasurably dense and under a near-infinite amount of pressure it calmly hovered above the Sacred Cathedral under its master''s orders.


    Should she release it, everything sixty kilometers in range would cease to exist. Everything all the way down to the bedrock of the continent.


    Nothing would be spared.


    A divine moon had descended upon Fourth Heaven to judge it for its sins.


    This was the will of a Goddess. Men had no say in what happened now.


    There was nothing they could do. It was too late.


    But it did not deter him. It only infuriated him and drove him to act even more recklessly than before.


    He, the brilliant streak of blazing light, had chosen to go all out not because of his friends, the innocents of Fourth Heaven, or the consequences that''d result of the destruction of the city.


    He just wanted to ruin her plan. That was it. She had pissed him off.


    "LUUUUUUUU''UUUUUUUUM!"


    A blinding streak of light, an unstoppable force that had been accelerated beyond its limits crashed into Lu''um at full force.


    He knew that he wouldn''t be able to defeat her in a fair fight. Not even remotely. She knew what his weaknesses were. That she''d take him out without a doubt in a one-on-one fight.


    Fighting was pointless. She''d win. No contest.


    So Reed decided that he''d just deny her of what she wanted instead. That was something he could do. He knew he would need to act fast though, or she''d figure it out and stop him.


    Simple, fast, and unpredictable. He needed to do something that not even she would anticipate from him and it had to be done fast.


    Faster than the speed of thought, simple enough for him to not fail in a high-stakes situation, and unpredictable enough to pull the wool over someone like her.


    She thought that she had knocked him out, put enough force in her attack to have put him out considering his guard had been down. He took that blow head-on, not reinforced in the slightest by Anima.


    She had made a mistake and now¡­


    The light-speed battering ram had reached her. He was no more than a couple centimeters away from her. She could see his burning, enraged eyes stare at her head-on as he approached.


    There was nothing she could do. It was too late.


    The force of the impact knocked her unconscious for a brief moment as she lost control of her body. She couldn''t do anything except endure as she hurtled along with Reed like a pair of bonded stars¡­


    He had smashed into her with enough energy to have leveled more than half of Fourth Heaven.


    It caused a disastrous shock-wave that traveled outward from the epicenter of their collision. The force generated was so powerful that someone of the unfortunate elders who had not reacted fast enough had been turned into a fine red mist when it passed through them.


    The Sacred Cathedral exploded into pieces and the surrounding buildings shattered as if they were made of glass. For a couple of kilometers, buildings broke and the ground trembled in fear. Chaos quickly ensued.


    Reed understood that it cause some fallout and accepted it''d likely kill some innocent people but he considered it a better deal than having everyone die. That was as much as he could do for the city.


    The force of the impact nearly knocked Reed out too, even though he had anticipated and prepared the blow. But he persisted and charged off with his target¡­ into the giant moon above them.


    Part two of Reed''s plan involved stopping the mess she had created, primarily the massive Anima attack she had created. It was likely to blow any second now that he had knocked her out of focus. He needed to act now if he was to stop her.


    The pair crashed into the moon together at light-speed, much to the shock of those who survived the shock-wave down below.


    And then, all of a sudden, it started shrinking. The moon continued to shrink and distort under some kind of pull until it completely vanished into nothingness.


    An apocalyptic amount of Anima and two people seemingly disappeared.


    Where they had gone was anyone''s guess. None had been able to perceive what had happened during the final moments of the event.


    The Holy Pope stared up at the sky and then said, "¡­Call them and tell them that we''re going to have to modify the plan. Now. I must go and inform¡­ the holy ancestor of the current situation."


    He coughed and dark-green blood spilled out onto the ground. When it landed on the floor it wriggled as if alive.


    "Yes, Your Holiness..."


    In the future, many would consider this the beginning of the conflict that''d soon endanger the safety of the entire continent. It was the beginning of a new era ¡ª one of great danger and enormous change.


    The End Times. An era unlike any other in recorded history¡­ one that would be written at the end of the world.


    ¡­Deep in the middle of the void, a massive explosion echoed across the darkened landscape. A brilliant moon had gone supernova.


    Heat and light covered the empty void and a terrifying shock-wave rumbled the empty world. The crisis had been averted but in return¡­


    There was a consequence. The power contained within the moon had been too much for the void to handle.


    It had caused torn an enormous hole in the Void. A hole in the thin barrier between it and the Outside.


    Naturally, the Void would heal itself given enough time¡­


    Time for the Outside to peer into the Void and into the Mulia itself should¡­ they breach past the Void.


    The two people stared out into the gaping hole in reality and saw the mess they had created. The problem they now had on their hands.


    It wouldn''t be long before they would find the hole. Before the endless horde of abominations would march on through the tear in reality.


    "Why did you have to stop me?! Why?! Look at what we have to take care of now¡­" said Lu''um.


    The distorted cacophony of laughter filled the Void from beyond the tear. They were laughing at them.


    "We''ll talk about that later. They''re already here. Get ready¡­"

 85 The Demon Lord and His Wife

    Incessant, howling laughter filled the void with the timbre of madness. The Infested were delighted; they had not expected this at all but welcomed the unexpected opportunity nonetheless.


    They, who had been compelled to destroy by their masters, had become nothing more than twisted shadows of their former selves.


    Beings who no longer possessed a soul and were, as a result, without a will of their own. Eternal slaves and soldiers, forever damned to crusade against the sum of all that would and could ever exist.


    There was no greater torment than this ¡ª becoming the bane of existence.


    To be denied the sweet mercy of death, only to become an abomination and servant for the same entity that tore apart your entire universe.


    Unbound from the concept of death, they would continue to persist for as long as their eldritch masters did. Resurrected again and again until their terrible job was done¡­


    Reed detested the Infested down to the core but understood that they were no more than puppets serving a greater will. The more he learned about them from the hooded man, the clearer it all became for him.


    It was different now.


    He looked past his irrational hatred for the Infested and had honed in on what really angered him about them. What he really hated about them was the¡­ arrogance. Not of the Infested, but of their masters.


    The condescending attitude as if their victory had been assured from the very beginning.


    That it was meaningless to resist. That they would, in the end, win.


    It was an irritating kind of confidence that could have only been born from winning a countless amount of times.


    The Outsiders were not worried at all. To them, this was just another multiverse on their list. Nothing more. They had dismantled countless other realities ¡ª too many to count ¡ª and would do the same for the one Reed called home.


    In the face of an almighty presence, older and wiser than all in creation, what did the futile struggle of two microscopic bacterium mean to it?


    Has a human being ever been specifically concerned with the actions of two bacterium on a paper napkin? So tiny and insignificant that they could not even be seen with the naked eye?


    Pointless. Utterly pointless.


    Bacteria, the single-celled organisms that they were, could not be reasoned with. They would mindlessly follow their primitive instincts until the very end...


    The sprawling firestorm that Reed and Lu''um had summoned was working, but it was quickly losing effect.


    A seven kilometer-sized storm of pure fire turned everything it touched into ash but there too many of them. Tens of thousands of Infested poured into the firestorm during the beginning but now¡­


    It was being snuffed out through by the Infested through sheer numbers. They were forcing themselves through the inferno by using the corpses and sometimes their living compatriots as shields from the flames.


    Millions of corpses piled onto each other and formed a wall of rotting, charred flesh and bone as the Infested pushed through a raging hellscape to reach them. They would stop at nothing until the job was done.


    "What do we do?! They''re going to break through! Shiiit!" said Reed. He gathered Anima and poured as much of it as he could into the firestorm but he knew that it was only delaying the inevitable.


    They would break through soon enough and then¡­ shit would really hit the fan.


    If millions Infested tore through the void onto the continent, it''d spell the end of Mulia. In less than an hour, they''d wipe the entire place clean of life.


    Hundreds of millions would die if they did not find a solution with in the next couple of minutes¡­


    God-fucking-dammit! Need a solution fast! Now! Come on, think! THINK!


    Lu''um stared at the slowly closing hole and bit her thumb in frustration. She nervously tapped her left heel and said, "There''s no time¡­ By the time the tear heals itself, it''ll be too late. And I can''t use my full strength here. The last thing we want to do is make the hole even bigger than before."


    "Then what do we do?! We can''t just wait! Look at THEM! They''re about to break through!!"


    They were inching closer and closer toward the edge of the firestorm. Their delighted laughter echoed even louder than before... as if they were enjoying the little show that the pair had put for them.


    Soon their terrible work would commence and they would make all of Mulia suffer.


    Lu''um stared at the closing hole and said, "We have to close it now ¡ª force it shut, ourselves!"


    "Do you know to do that?! Because I sure as hell don''t!"


    "Yes, but I will need to dedicate my attention to fixing it. ¡­You understand what that means, right? And I can''t repair from it here either; I''m going to need to reach the hole itself before I can begin¡­"


    Reed took a long, deep breath and nodded in acknowledgment.


    "I will help you push back the horde up until we reach the hole, but then it''ll fall on you to hold them back after that. Do you understand? We will only have one opportunity to do this, am I clear? If we fail¡­"


    "We won''t."


    Reed would not permit himself to fail. Not here. He was partly to blame for the disaster and had put an innumerable amount of lives at stake.


    It wasn''t as if he wanted to be a hero or anything. In fact, this couldn''t even be called an act of heroism.


    Cleaning the mess you made wasn''t heroic in the slightest. It just meant that you had weren''t a mannerless piece of garbage.


    He was simply owning up to what he had done. Other people ¡ª innocent people were now caught in the middle of his monumental fuck-up. That, he could not stand.


    People should take responsibility for their actions. It is only natural to do so.


    Lacrima, I''m going to need your help once we get to the hole.


    "Naturally. But what are you planning on doing, boy? How are you going to hold them off?"


    You''ll see... But for now, help me out with the push to the hole. I need more Anima. A lot of it.


    Reed stared the ever-growing, laughing horde of abominations and said, "Let''s get this show on the road, then."


    Lu''um gathered Anima around herself and said, "Follow my lead and stay close. I''ll take care of the front of the horde; you take care of the stragglers on the sides. The firestorm will take care of the remaining scraps, so don''t get too focused on clearing them all out."


    "Just keep pushing forward and don''t stop until we get to the hole."


    Reed nodded and gathered as much Anima as he could handle and said, "Making me play second fiddle, eh? That''s fine, too."


    Lu''um shook her head and said, "You''re going to need to preserve as much strength as you can ¡ª that''s why I''m taking the lead. I can''t have you gassing out on me at the finish line¡­"


    She quickly gathered a considerable amount of Anima, enough to have reached Reed''s limit twice over, and then fashioned it into what she needed the most.


    Reed stepped back a couple of feet when he saw she had created.


    Two enormous serpents wreathed in burning feathers formed out of Anima and coiled around the pair like guardians. They hissed out tongues of flames at the Infested and slowly bowed when they in front of Reed and Lu''um.


    They were both at the very least, taller than the firestorm itself. At minimum eight kilometers in height when they stood up, so to speak. But in reality, their true length was probably triple that conservative figure.


    Lu''um grabbed Reed and put him atop of one the serpents and said, "I will carve out the main path with them while you take care of the sides. And don''t worry, they don''t bite¡­ well, usually."


    "..."


    "That was a joke, Ka''an."


    "...Right."


    Lu''um rolled her eyes and then gave the command. The two serpents charged into the inferno head first and began their work. Superheated flames flew out of the serpents they doused the screeching horde into ash. They also used their massive tails to pound the mountains of Infested into a fine paste as they pushed themselves into the heart of the swarm.


    Reed, on the other hand, had summoned an endless rain of meteors ¡ª infused with highly condensed Anima. As soon as they crashed into the Infested swarm, they exploded and vaporized everything in a hundred-meter range. Thousands of terrifying meteors flew down upon the Infested as Reed carpet-bombed the ever-loving hell out of everything on the sides.


    The screams, explosions, and flames painted as an incredibly beautiful portrait of carnage. It was as if the demon lord and his wife had descended upon hell itself to judge the damned.


    It was a spine-chilling scene to behold as the pair tore through the Infested horde. It would have taken two fleets for the Mulian military to have accomplished what the pair had done.


    That was how terrifying they were when they worked together...

 86 The Sacrifice

    A typhoon of destruction had arisen in the pits of hell. Fire and fury had descended upon the infernal landscape on a magnitude unseen since the nightmarish days of the Great Barrier War.


    Screams of rage, terror, and despair filled the air as a grisly massacre continued down below. It, for all intents and purposes, looked like a genuine hellscape from the ground level.


    The charred corpses of millions of Infested had created an unspeakably toxic stench of death and diseased flesh. Massive rivers of boiling blood gathered into giant lakes of the noxious poison. The crimson sky above had set everything under it aflame ¡ª be it flesh, bone, or blood.


    Even the barren, empty land of the void had been terraformed in the wake of the fight. The crushed and melted remains of the Infested had even formed a thin veneer ¡ª a horrifying glaze of gore ¡ª that had the appearance of shining red soil. Charred corpses that had been left piled on top of each other formed blackened mountains of death.


    Nothing had been spared.


    It was such a disturbing scene of inhumane slaughter that the Devil himself would''ve been plagued by nightmares about it for the rest of his life¡­


    We''re almost there¡­! There''s only a little bit left until we reach the hole!


    Lu''um and Reed had made significant progress in their charge toward the hole and had covered a majority of the distance, save for the final kilometer or so. It had gotten much more difficult than when they had initially started ¡ª the Infested had started to pour into the void even faster than before to make up for their losses.


    They could afford to waste as many Infested as needed. After all, they''d torn apart an untold number of realities.


    Entire multiverses worth of fodder had been converted into Infested. It did not matter to them if a million of their slaves had been destroyed.


    They would simply pour another million, ten billion, hundred trillion of their slaves into the hole. As many as the situation demanded.


    "We''re not making any more progress, sweetcheeks! There''s too many of them!" said Reed as he hurtled another barrage of meteors down upon the overflowing waves of Infested below them.


    The chaotic meteor show did little to advance their cause, though. When two Infested turned to dust, another five seemed to take their place almost immediately. The Infested seemed to have been given new orders from the look of their growing numbers¡­ and that did not bode well for Reed and Lu''um.


    "I think that they''ve caught onto our plan, Ka''an! The Outsiders have stopped playing around ¡ª they''ve probably sent word to all of their forces now! We need to move NOW! We''ll likely be overrun in a couple of minutes if we don''t close the hole RIGHT NOW!" said Lu''um.


    The word ''infinity'' alone could not appropriately describe the Grand Swarm. It was much more than that. So much more.


    It was an entity made of multiversal despair. All-encompassing and unstoppable, the Grand Swarm was the Outsider''s answer to those who would dare to believe in the measly, foolish concept that was Hope.


    That they would survive and emerge victorious against them, who had lived longer than their reality was old.


    For those who''d confidently put their faith in the 0.001 percent chance that they would prevail.


    It was their answer to those who had chosen to ignore the other 99.999 percent of the truth.


    Lu''um grit her teeth in frustration and said, "Get ready to block the entrance with everything you''ve got!! I''m going to clear the way!"


    "How are you goin¡ª"


    Reed was quickly dragged off of his serpent by Lu''um and then pushed behind her. She gathered a frightening amount of Anima and then compressed them into two motes of pulsating light.


    "Cover your eyes and wait for my signal, Ka''an!"


    Lu''um gazed at the two serpents with an expression of sorrow on her face but knew it had to be done. She released the motes and the serpents ate them in response, aware of the fate awaited them.


    They did not mind. It was an honor for them. They would gladly fulfill their duty and join their kin on the other side.


    The serpents hissed in pain as their bodies struggled to hold the power that they had been given. They would not be able to hold out for much longer, but it did not matter to them as long they could clear the path for their masters.


    The feathered serpents, Lulu and Rara, gazed at their respective masters one last time.


    Farewell, little sun. I wish you all the happiness in the world.


    A gentle, feminine voice called out to Reed inside his head. He dumbly stared at the serpent who had reached out to him and suddenly felt his chest hurt as if he lost something precious¡­


    The other serpent seemed to have said something to Lu''um because she looked on the verge of tears. She nodded silently and then pulled Reed back behind her in preparation¡­


    The twin guardians suddenly shone like bright, shining stars. The Anima within them had reached a critical point. They could no longer hold in the power within themselves.


    Together, they charged into the swarm and bulldozed headfirst into the invading swarm near the entrance of the hole and swallowed as many Infested as they could manage on their way out of the hole.


    Charging into the Outside, the duo sped into the gigantic tendril of the Grand Swarm that had begun to move towards the hole and then they¡­


    Were gone.


    A blinding flash of light bathed everything for a split second. It was as if a hundred stars had gone supernova together.


    The attack that Lu''um had prepared for the Holy Church seemed¡­ insignificant compared to this.


    This was different ¡ª in the way a flickering candle was to the surface of the sun.


    The explosion had been so energetic that it had traveled all the way back into the void from the hole. A wave of pure heat and light entered through the hole and instantly turned everything into nothingness.


    The Infested and their many corpses had been erased from existence. The firestorm, too, had been instantaneously put out like the flickering candle it was in the face of true power.


    Reed looked around. Empty darkness greeted him as if their fight against the Infested had never happened in the first place.


    "A-Ah..."


    It was difficult to process but he understood. Had she not protected him, he would have been erased in an instant. There was no way in hell he would have been able to survive that.


    "I''m going to start closing the hole. Keep guard around the entrance¡­"


    He positioned himself near the edge of the hole and gazed outside. The titanic swarm of Infested had been slowed but it had not been enough. It''d only be a couple of minutes until they''d reach the entrance again.


    "What''s your plan, boy? Time''s ticking. They''re going to be here very soon and we''re going to have a lot of ugly to deal with."


    Reed stared at the swarm outside and said, "I can''t fight them like Lu''um can and I can''t perform anything crazy complicated."


    Simple. Direct. It has to be something I can achieve with my limited abilities.


    "I''m going to patch the wall. Form an aegis and hold back the swarm with sheer power because that''s the only thing I have going for me. I''m going to be gathering more Anima than I can control so I''m going to your help keeping it in check¡­"


    "Ah, I guess that''ll work¡­ It''s simple enough for you to pull off and easy enough for you to handle. It''ll be an endurance test at its core, then," said Lacrima.


    Reed gathered as much Anima as he feasibly control and then quickly started to work, building the massive aegis. The more layers the aegis he could build, the stronger it''d be in the end.


    But it came at a price. The more of layers the aegis had, the more Anima he would have to invest into it and the greater the strain it''d be on him to keep the aegis up once the Infested started attacking it.


    It was a dangerous game of sorts ¡ª he would have to find out where the sweet spot was. Should he play it safe in pursuit of control, the aegis would be weakened. He''d have to hope that the aegis would hold long enough for Lu''um to finish the job¡­


    But if he completely forsook control he''d end up with a powerful, but highly unstable aegis. It''d suffice against the Infested but if he lost control of the technique at any point in time¡­ it''d be over for them¡­

 87 Judgemen

    A sterling aegis loomed over the vast expanse of what seemed like infinity. It, alone, would be the final line in the sand.


    Should it fall, that''d be it. There wouldn''t be a second chance.


    Not against that. There were so many of them it didn''t seem even real. It felt like someone had played a cruel joke on him. There was no winning against that eldritch monstrosity out there.


    Hundreds of millions of lives were on the line, maybe even more than that.


    He could not fail. Could. Not. Fail. If there was ever a time to not fail, it would be right now.


    The pressure continued to mount on his shoulders as he stared at the mind-numbingly colossal tendril of darkness head towards him.


    At a distance, it looked like it was a uniform pitch-black but once it got close enough, Reed gasped silently.


    It was made of Infested. Hundreds of trillions of Infested ¡ª likely even more than that ¡ª had been fused together into a single¡­ appendage.


    The words length, width, and height could not be applied to it because he could not find anything comparable to it despite all he knew.


    Continents. Planets. Stars. Planetary systems. Galaxies. All useless.


    He wagered that the tendril likely held enough Infested that it could drown an entire universe with them. The worst part of it all was that the tendril was just one of the smaller ones.


    Far, far away, several thick brush-strokes of darkness could be seen coiling around a multiverse as they strangled the life out of it.


    The sight of it was too much to bear for a normal person. He fell over and retched up everything in his stomach. It was too awful to witness¡­


    That was what he had been tasked with holding back ¡ª the ultimate manifestation of despair, decay, and loss.


    The Grand Swarm.


    He could hear his companion saying something to him but it didn''t register in his head. Her voice seemed faint and fleeting like a whisper in a thunderstorm. She sounded concerned ¡ª that much he could tell from the tone of voice.


    Reed shakily got up from his knees and said, "I-I''ll be fine. I won''t run away so stop jabbering in my ear, Lacrima."


    Not as if I could even run in the first place. My feet won''t move.


    The aegis he had created needed a constant supply of Anima in order for it to function. That meant that he would have to remain beside it for the entire duration of the process.


    Whether Reed liked it or not, he''d given himself a front-row seat that couldn''t be exchanged anymore. He stood a couple of hundred meters away from the hole itself, behind the transparent aegis as he waited for the inevitable.


    The closer the tendril inched towards the hole, the larger it became. Slowly but surely, it was blotting out the surrounding space until nothing could be seen aside from it.


    It was laughing. Thoroughly amused, it cackled even louder than before when it finally saw the piddling wall that Reed had put up.


    Hundreds of trillions of voices ¡ª unwilling participants ¡ª laughed in unison as they approached the hole.


    They did not want to do this. Not to the boy, nor his home but they could not stop. They would violate and destroy this reality until nothing was left. Nothing. Such was the will of their masters¡­


    Reed''s heart throbbed wildly like an out-of-control piston as he watched them close in on the hole. It would only be a matter of minutes until they would arrive.


    He turned around and looked Lu''um who had sealed all of her senses in order to focus on her side of the job. She couldn''t afford to become distracted. Not now, at the final stretch.


    Neither he, nor she could afford to make any mistakes. They were on their own from here on out.


    "?????????????????????," said Reed. That was all he wanted to say to her in case they failed.


    The laughter had grown so loud outside that his voice had been drowned out. Still, he had told her. That was enough for him.


    He turned back toward the aegis and put his hands on it. Direct contact would enable him to channel Anima into it even faster, at the cost of becoming linked with it.


    The aegis had become a direct extension of himself and shone brighter than before as if it had suddenly been reinforced. Its twelve layers glittered like shining diamonds in the dark as the tendril closed in on it.


    Hold. Please, please hold. Don''t break. Please¡­!


    Endless, scornful snickering filled the void when they saw what Reed had done. A futile, meaningless gesture. It would not change anything, as far as they were concerned.


    Reed grit his teeth and planted his feet down into the ground as firmly as he could. He would hold them back even if it cost him everything, even his life¡­


    And then, after what seemed like an eternity-in-waiting, the time had come for him to prove what he had promised to himself.


    They had arrived.


    "You poor, miserable child. Look at you¡­ Still struggling even in the face of the inevitable."


    A foreign voice had intruded into his mind the moment that the swarm had struck the aegis. An indifferent, deep voice spoke in a disappointed tone as the swarm continued to assault the aegis without end.


    "What are you even hoping to accomplish? For what purpose do you resist?"


    Reed couldn''t block out the voice, no matter what he tried. It was as if the voice had a permanent, direct connection into his mind.


    "For your lover? For your family? Your people? The world?"


    Despite his efforts, the first layer had already begun to break. Large cracks formed on its surface as the Infested smashed into it with even greater intensity than before.


    "No."


    Reed groaned in pain and bit his lip when the first layer broke. Its destruction had rebounded back on him in full. The force of the rebound had traveled up through his arms into his entire body. It felt like a super-cruiser had struck him at full speed.


    "You fight for no one but yourself¡­ like the miserable, little boy you are."


    His bones rattled dangerously as the Infested continued their assault on the second layer. The voice had grown even louder in his mind as well, booming like thunder every time it spoke. Reed despised the voice but there was nothing he could about it, other than ignore it the best he could¡­


    "Same as always. You''ll never change. No matter what you name yourself, it''ll always be the same."


    The Infested crashed into the second layer and the shock-wave traveled into Reed. The force had traveled down into his legs and he let out a harsh grunt in response. It felt like someone had dropped a mountain on his back for a split second. His legs screamed in pain as they trembled precariously back and forth. The second¡­ and the third layer had fallen.


    "Forever blind to the bigger picture because of your immaturity."


    Noticing that the hole had already begun to close faster than expected, the Infested regrouped into an abnormal formation. Millions of Infested gathered into a sphere of flesh and then¡­ screamed in pain as they turned into dust.


    They had been granted the honor of finally dying. A true, final death.


    Their souls had been crushed into pieces and turned into fuel for what was to come. Dark, chaotic energy coursed the tendril and gathered at its tip as roaming Infested back away in preparation.


    A concentrated beam of energy shot out and instantly vaporized the fourth, fifth, and sixth layers away. The rebound struck Reed and shattered his arms almost instantaneously the moment the beam struck. The heat had nearly melted him alive in place ¡ª his hair and skin had melted away in but an instant...


    Charred, broken, and half-dead, Reed had only survived the attack because Lacrima had intervened half a second before the beam had struck.


    "You lack the resolve and clarity. You know this to be true."


    He couldn''t scream, even if he wanted to. His mouth¡­ had been welded shut because of the heat, his lips fused together. The pain was unbearable and the worst part was he knew that it was not over¡­ t


    There was still more to come. He had to endure.


    "Give up. You are unfit for the job. Let go and lay down the cross you have been forced to carry."


    Tens of millions of Infested screamed in horror as they turned into dust. The next strike would be several orders of magnitude stronger than the last attack.


    The tendril was preparing to end the ''fight'' with the next move.


    A massive, mangled arm formed out of chaotic energy and struck the aegis mercilessly. Sharp, poisonous claws stabbed deep into the aegis shattered the seventh through eleventh layers in a single strike.


    "It was never supposed to be your responsibility, to begin with. That''s why it isn''t your fault."


    The rebound struck him, shredding him into pieces and had shattering whatever had not been broken inside of him.


    He looked completely unrecognizable¡­ he no longer even looked human.


    Like a poorly constructed meat puppet that had been randomly put together in a vaguely humanoid shape. The only thing that had survived the attack had been his heart and his brain because Lacrima had sacrificed all of her remaining Anima reserves to protect them¡­


    "Come and be with me, where you will be able to rest at ease for all eternity. All you need to do is submit. Bend the knee and end your suffering¡­"


    A half-crumpled mess of flesh stood in front of the final, wavering layer between it and the inevitable, absolute end.


    It jiggled in response when it heard the voice had said and then with immense difficulty, slowly forced its fused mouth open.


    Hoarse, distorted laughter escaped its mouth when it finally managed to rip its charred lips apart.


    Genuine, condescending laughter rung clear for all to hear from the burnt half-corpse. It silenced the Infested swarm outside when they heard it and a hush fell over them.


    The corpse painfully laughed until it could no more and then said, "I...will¡­never...bow¡­to¡­you."


    "Fuck you."


    The final layer twinkled just a little bit brighter in response, even in its half-shattered form.


    It would not fall. Just like its creator.


    The Grand Swarm did not respond, nor did it laugh. It simply stared at Reed''s unsightly figure as if it wanted to remember how he appeared.


    It wanted to record the appearance of the figure in front of it for an unknown reason.


    Billions of Infested screeched in pain and turned to dust as their souls were converted into raw, unstable energy. The Grand Swarm would thoroughly atomize him until he was less than nothing.


    That was what they had decided upon. They would respond in kind to the boy''s final decision.


    An unimaginable amount of energy converged into a single point less than the diameter of an electron as the Grand Swarm prepared to judge the half-corpse for its sins.


    "Farewell."


    Blinding light enveloped everything when the Grand Swarm''s singularity exploded outward. An unstoppable flood of light, heat, and energy swept past everything.


    Oh no¡­ So¡­bright... A-Ah, I can''t¡­see...¡­


    The flash of energy had been so bright and hot that it had burnt his retinas in an instant. He couldn''t see anything anymore. Everything had gone dark.


    He bitterly smiled when he felt the heat from the explosion and closed his eyes. His senses had begun to fail him.


    He could not feel his arms and legs anymore.


    He couldn''t feel pain anymore.


    His mind had begun to fail him and it became harder and harder to think until¡­


    He stopped.

 88 Sweeter Than Victory

    ¡­It''d been a pleasant, cool night when it happened.


    "Mama! Look, look! The sky! Two shooting stars!"


    No one could have expected it. It wasn''t their fault.


    "Hey, look! What the hell is that? Someone order fireworks or something?"


    It was not supposed to have even happened in the first place, but that was how life often was.


    "I-Isn''t it getting brighter? ¡­What the hell is going on up there?"


    Unpredictable. Ephemeral. Unfair.


    "Who cares? Let the conquerors take care of it. Come on, let''s go."


    There was nothing they could''ve done, anyway. It had happened too fast.


    "¡­H-Hey, it''s not stopping! I don''t think¡ª¡ª"


    They had all disappeared, in the blink of an eye. Reduced into dust.


    It had been nigh-instantaneous ¡ª swift and painless.


    An in-depth investigation would later conclude that approximately eighty-five kilometers had been affected by the unexpected event.


    The entire city of Lei-en had vanished along with everything around it in a thirty-five-kilometer radius.


    Despite their best efforts, the search and rescue teams never ended up finding anything¡­ or anyone. The only thing they found was barren soil and a thin layer of hardened, brittle glass. Nothing more.


    1.7 million people had vanished over the course of a single night¡­


    A new page of history had been written that night and many would consider it the most tragic event in modern times since the Unification War. The Final Night of Lei-en would be remembered¡­


    A shroud of silence filled the lifeless plain that had once harbored the living.


    Two shooting stars fell from the heavens, harbingers of the end. They hurtled down toward the ground on a skewed trajectory and had avoided the destructive flood of light and heat.


    One of the shooting stars quickly moved toward the other as they fell and the two became one as they descended upon the earth. They, together, crashed into an unknown forest and caused an enormous explosion when they landed.


    The inhabitants of the forest, frightened out of their minds, scurried deep into the woods when they heard the deafening sound of the impact. No one wanted to find out what had crashed into their home, be it predator or prey...


    She had been very, very fortunate. Had she not finished in time, he would have died. That had been too close of a call, even for her.


    The girl had been badly hurt by the flood of light herself, but not as bad as the person in her arms. There was barely anything left of him.


    Despite her efforts, he had still suffered the most. A limbless, charred marionette of an upper torso. He had become a lump of burnt, torn flesh and shattered bone.


    The sight of what he had become was too much, even for her. She burst into tears and bit her lip so hard it bled. Here he was, on the brink of death, because she had not been fast enough.


    A stubborn, flickering flame had not given up within the battered mess that once was the boy. Whether by providence or some other means, had not died, just yet.


    There was still some time left. She carefully picked him up and hurriedly set off to the only place where he could still be saved.


    Home.


    ...¡­He slept.


    ¡­Darkness ruled eternal in the realm of death. It was a strangely comforting feeling, no longer worrying about the incessant quandaries of life. Here, it was peaceful and quiet. None could disturb him here.


    Although it was slightly boring, it was not painful. He had no longer had to worry about anything. Worrying was something reserved for the living.


    Reed did not know how long he had been in this perplexing state of limbo.


    Minutes? Hours? Perhaps even days, or weeks? Months? Years?


    He couldn''t keep track of time in here, where darkness ruled supreme. That was how it was in the land of the dead. Time was a concept designed by the living ¡ª the dead had no need for it.


    Once you were dead, you were dead. Forever. Until the end of, well¡­


    Is there an end to death? I don''t know. That''s a very important question¡­


    Reed let out a large yawn as he aimlessly floated around in the dark. Every time he slept, it felt as if an eon had passed. But at the same time, he couldn''t be too sure ¡ª after all, time was a useless concept in here...


    He could have been asleep for five minutes or five thousand years.


    In any case, does it even matter? It''s not like it''ll do anything for me, even if I figure it out. It''s better to just sleep and forget...


    Still, he couldn''t help but wonder how things were going in the land of the living. Did Lu''um succeed in the end or had they failed? He had done his best, but it had not been enough. Not even remotely.


    His encounter with the Grand Swarm had opened his eyes. He finally understood the kind of enemy that the world had been facing all along. It was not one that petty mortals could ever aspire to win against.


    They ate whole multiverses from the inside out. That was what the living were up against. A pancosmic force of destruction.


    Reed hoped that everything turned out well, though. He''d hate for his death to have been for nothing. In reality, though, he just wanted to have denied them of their victory. Even if it was futile, in the end.


    It was a matter of principle. That was what Reed had justified it under. He''d valiantly defended the dignity of the small and the weak with his life.


    It was worth it. Better to die than to live forever as one of the Infested. As an eternal slave, forever damned to pillage and destroy¡­


    Thinking and floating seemed to have its own toll though, even in death. Eventually, his fatigue caught up to him. His heavy eyes slowly dragged themselves down and his mind faded into obscurity¡­


    Unbeknownst to Reed, fate would have different plans for him.


    An eerie force suddenly pulled the sleeping boy through the realm of death toward an unknown destination. It hauled off its unwanted guest to the edge of what could be described as its domain and tossed the boy onto the other side.


    "Save us all in due time, Fifth Heir. Before it is too late¡­" said an old, withered voice. It sounded weary and desperate.


    But there was nothing it could do. It had lost the majority of its strength long, long ago when it had been robbed of its rightful job.


    All it could do now was watch and pray for the boy''s success. Hope that he would set things right for everyone''s sake.


    The faint spark floated off into the light and back toward the realm of the living¡­


    And then, after another eternity of waiting...


    ...He awoke.


    He took a large, deep breath and opened his eyes, only to find that he was no longer floating in the dark. Startled, he raised himself up but found that he could not move.


    Bandages, wires, various tubes, casts, and restraints covered him head to toe. Mysterious devices beeped and recorded data. Long, clear tubes had been shoved into his mouth, down his throat into god knows where. Reed stared at his body in shock as he observed himself.


    The bright ceiling light above hurt his eyes so he quickly shut them.


    I-I''m still... alive? Does that mean...or is this¡­?


    He had felt himself die. The numb, hollow feeling of his body turning into dust. The release of pain and the embrace of the dark.


    A sudden racket outside caught his attention and he heard the sound of loud footsteps. Voices overlapped on top of each other, but Reed couldn''t make out what they were saying. They sounded concerned from the tone of their voices but it wasn''t as if he could respond back, anyways.


    The tubes in his throat wouldn''t let him. He opened his eyes after much deliberation and got a good glimpse of the people in the room.


    It was Lu''um along with many other people. Old men gathered around the machines hooked up to Reed and spoke amongst each other with serious expressions.


    Oh, for the love of... This girl, I swear¡­


    Reed looked at Lu''um and slightly shook his head when she started speaking. She looked like she was about cry and had a smile of relief on her face. He wanted to tell her that he would be fine but couldn''t, so he wriggled his fingers back and forth in order to catch her attention.


    She held Reed''s hand and looked as happy a person could be.


    It only took my death for her to make a face like that, huh¡­


    He had survived. That was all that she needed to be happy.


    I guess it was worth dying once, I suppose.


    Victory was sweet, but she was sweeter still.


    Reed grinned. He had won.

 89 Lottery Winner

    A curious thing, returning from the grave. He found it hard to describe the feeling. It was like someone had robbed him of his peace, again.


    This makes it the second time I''ve been denied. I am really that undesirable of a person? To have become despised by death itself¡­


    Reed laughed weakly. He tossed out another scrap of bread onto the ground and said, "I''m so unwanted, I''ve been given a third chance at life! I''ve must have broken some kind of record¡­"


    A pair of doves strolled beside Reed as their heads bobbed back and forth like pendulums, hell-bent on eating every last scrap of bread on the ground. They seemed delighted, unlike their gracious masters¡­


    "Can you not, Ka''an? You''re alive ¡ª be grateful that the lifeweavers were able to save what was left of you. Had they not succeeded¡­"


    "Whoa there, it was just a bad joke! Relax! I didn''t mean it, of course. Which idiot would ever choose death over life? I''m glad," said Reed, startled. He cursed himself and instantly regretted his words.


    I''ve already won this lottery once. Winning it again feels so¡­


    "Look¡­ I''m just a little surprised. I had come to terms with myself back there, so it feels really weird right now, uh, being alive. I''m happy that I''m alive, sure, but I don''t feel like a million-credit man. I can''t explain it properly, even though I want to¡­"


    Reed turned around and looked down at the fountain that''d been behind him. The gently rippling waves on the water''s surface reflected an ever-so-slightly distorted image back at the boy.


    There he was, clear as day as if he had never even been hurt in the first place. Not a single scratch on the paint, so to speak. It didn''t feel real. He remembered the pain. He had not forgotten what had happened to him.


    White-hot and relentless. Drilling itself into his skull, preventing him from even thinking properly. The smell of his own charred fat and skin wafted into his mind. The sight of his contorted, maimed figure before he blacked out...


    It didn''t match up. Reed stared at the boy on the water''s surface ¡ª it felt as if he were looking at a stranger.


    "It''s you, Ka''an, same as you''ve always been. The Royal Lifeweavers labored for an entire month without rest, you know. Had it not been for their herculean efforts, you would have surely died."


    Reed had unwittingly become the Royal Lifeweaver''s greatest masterpiece over the course of the last month. The difficulty of the assignment and the amount of work they had to perform proved such a monumental task that they had nearly given up hope that a successful recovery would happen.


    The regrowth process had been prolonged even further because of the special nature who they were healing, in addition to their own concerns about the consequences any mistakes could have on him¡­


    "To have revived fragments of a corpse back into¡­ this," said Reed as he stared at his reflection. "Truly astounding. Even with the assistance of Anima and technology, this is still an awe-inspiring feat of skill. This place is like almost like a land of miracles¡­"


    Lu''um nodded and said, "That is the kind of the power we used to possess during our prime across all reality. We were capable of doing anything. Entire universes for us to use as sandboxes. Creation and destruction on an unimaginable scale as we prodded our reality''s deepest secrets ¡ª the fundamental governing laws of this entire multiverse."


    Reed threw another chunk of bread out to his pals and said, "Yeah, well¡­ that isn''t the case anymore. The only thing we have now are two dingy, little cages to keep the monsters out. One for the rich few, and the other for the poor masses."


    He stood up, threw the rest of his bread on the ground and said, "Where''s Lacrima? You haven''t told me what happened to her ever since I''ve come around. Did she survive, or is she¡­?"


    "She''s still alive, but she''s out of commission. I don''t thin¡ª"


    "Stop. Don''t even begin with that nonsense. Just¡­ take me to her."


    Lu''um sighed and said, "So be it. If that is what you wish¡­" She stood up and said, "Follow me. She is being preserved in the Shrine of Succession."


    The Shrine of Succession existed deep beneath the original royal palace that the ancestral family had once lived in. It was a sacred place reserved only for the true heirs of the family ¡ª they who would carry the royal family''s long and painful burden for the sake of the empire''s prosperity¡­


    It was not a place for the unworthy.


    There was something about the place that made Reed feel uncomfortable. Something in the room felt uninviting as if he wasn''t supposed to be there. Uncontrollable goosebumps formed on his arms the moment he stepped inside of the damned place like a malicious pox.


    His body was reacting to something and he knew it.


    "What was this place used for, by the way? I think you forgot to mention that on the way here, sweetcheeks," said Reed.


    "This was where the true heirs of the royal family would¡­ forsake what made them mortal. They would offer it and in return, were given an incredible opportunity. This place is also where¡­ she was born."


    "Is that so¡­ Sounds like a terrible trade, if you ask me."


    Lu''um shook her and head and said, "She''s over here, past these doors. Listen, before you ent¡ª"


    Reed brushed past Lu''um and opened the doors. He had heard enough.


    Oh no. No, no, no, no, no...


    There was barely anything left of her. Scraps of what had once been a complete mantle hovered in a place, enveloped by a soft, golden halo.


    He silently gazed at the floating scraps, completely lost.


    "She''s still alive, Ka''an, but in her current state, she''s powerless. Asleep. She redirected all of her Anima in order to protect you ¡ª at the cost of bearing the majority of the damage herself. Had she not, you would have very likely died long before I even finished closing the tear¡­"


    Reed clenched his fists in anger as he struggled to keep himself in check. He understood what she had done and why she had done it, but¡­


    That old, familiar feeling had returned again to torment him.


    That feeling of powerlessness. Of weakness. Of worthlessness.


    Lu''um grabbed Reed''s shoulders, looked at him right in his eyes and said, "She made the choice herself. She knew what''d happen to her, make no mistake. It''s not your fault, Ka''an."


    It is.


    Reed forced his feelings back down and said, "Will she recover? Why has she not been repaired? If you can bring me back from the dead, why haven''t you brought her back?!"


    "It''s not the same, Ka''an. She¡­ she is unique. Not something that we created. We don''t know how to repair something like her, which was made by the Great Will. All we could do was bring her here and hope for the best¡­"


    He didn''t understand. Why did it have to happen like this? This wasn''t supposed to have happened at all. Not like this. This was wrong.


    It was his punishment. That was what Reed thought it was. For his own overconfidence and weakness. He had been living in his own little happy world for too long ¡ª enough that he''d let his guard down.


    Anima. Becoming a prince. Being the so-called chosen one. All of this bullshit had distracted him, lulled him into a state of drowsiness.


    The guy who lived in the slums would not have gotten himself in this kind of a mess. He would have waited patiently and bided his time until the time was right. Would have never gotten full of himself or carried away.


    Because he knew that he was a miserable weakling. He had neither the strength, nor courage of his enemies, but he was patient. Endlessly patient like a damn mountain.


    The guy from the slums would have considered every variable in the equation before acting because he knew that there were no second chances.


    That was when it all clicked for Reed. He finally understood why he had found it so... disconcerting that he''d been given another chance at life.


    A second chance at living? Not only that but a third chance?!


    What kind of fucking joke was that? A goddamned street rat like himself had been given these opportunities, these inconceivable luxuries!


    It had blinded him. Thrown him off his natural pace.


    "People really are blind to the things closest to them, don''t you think?" said Reed.


    "Huh?"


    He suddenly grabbed Lu''um, brought her into his arms and held her. It scared the living hell out of her at first and had caught her unawares.


    "But I can finally see, again. The fog has lifted around me. Don''t you see?"


    Lu''um shook her head in confusion and said, "W-What are you talking about, Ka''an? ¡­Are you okay?"


    "I''m more than okay," said Reed. He leaned in close to her face and then...


    She dumbly stood there like a deer in headlights as she struggled to process what had happened, looking like she''d been struck by lighting.


    "I''m free, sweetcheeks, and there''s more where that came from."

 90 Jolly Saints and Superweapons

    "You know, I don''t remember ordering poisoned meat, Bernard. What in the hell did coat these wings in?! The devil''s tears?!"


    "Don''t be a wuss, lad. If the she can handle it, so can you."


    She didn''t reply at all. She hadn''t even been paying attention in the first place. Although she physically present, her mind was not ¡ª she was gone.


    Like a mindless automaton, Lu''um absentmindedly ate her wings in silence as she wrestled against her own thoughts.


    "¡­Hm? Is she alright? Her eyes seem kind of¡­ off."


    "Nothing in particular? She''ll be fine, I think. But I sure as hell won''t if you don''t get me something to drink! My tongue''s going to fall off at this rate!"


    Ulbo stroked his chin in contemplation and said, "These taste sweeter than when I last had them. Did you change the recipe, little crow?"


    "I''d never tamper with something perfect, Gramps. I just double the amount of spice whenever she comes over ¡ª that''s why it tastes sweeter to you compared to the last time you were here."


    "Ah¡­ That does sound like Huani. She''s always been a fiery pepper, that one¡­"


    "My mouth!! Bring the milk, Bernard! Mercy, please!"


    Bernard shook his head in disappointment and said, "For shame, lad. Your ancestors are probably crying right now. A Mulian prince who can''t handle spice. What''s the world come to these days¡­?" He sighed and strolled back into his little kitchen.


    Ulbo took a sip of his drink and said, "How are you feeling, little sun? You don''t need to push yourself ¡ª you''re welcome to stay as long as you like. Why don''t you take your time and rest here before you head back?"


    "That''s a tempting offer, but I can''t. If I stick around, I''ll never want to leave. I''ve also got urgent business I need to take care of back over there," said Reed as he fanned his sweaty face.


    Reed gazed at the empty street outside and said, "I can''t afford to play around anymore, after all. Don''t worry though, we''ll come visit again once I finish what I need to do."


    "And what might that be, little sun?" said Ulbo. He was slightly concerned about the dangerous, twinkling gleam hidden within the boy''s distant gaze. He''d seen those eyes before, a long time ago in another life¡­


    It was the dangerous gaze of someone who was out for blood.


    Reed looked at Ulbo and calmly said, "I''m just going to settle a little dispute that''s been annoying me for the longest time."


    Ulbo felt his heart skip a beat when he witnessed Reed''s expression. There was a terrifying, mechanical rigidity in his calm smile. The boy possessed unnatural aura of restrained composure befit only of something lifeless¡­


    O Lady of Fate, how long must he continue to endure? When will you finally be satisfied? Are a thousand hearts and a million tears still not enough to prove his innocence¡­?


    There were sins that could not be forgiven, no matter how hard one prayed and begged for forgiveness. Eternal punishment awaited him in the deepest layer of hell for what he done¡­


    That much was certain. He would burn. They would all burn...¡­


    The North had sealed itself away days after the abrupt destruction of Lei-en. It happened so quickly and that even the North''s strongest conquerors had not been able to detect the attack. The range of the blast and the severity of the damage inflicted confounded them even more.


    It could not have been done by a single person. No conqueror could have accomplished such a feat aside from the likes of the Four Sovereigns and even that was merely speculation. It had to have been the work of a group and a highly powerful one at that. That was the only logical conclusion.


    But why annihilate a city of mortals? What would anyone that to gain from such an atrocity? Even the Underground, the largest criminal organization on the continent, did not possess enough manpower to have accomplished what had happened.


    It was preposterous to even consider that one of the other three empires had been behind the attack. None of the royal families would ever dare to start another Unification War. The offending royal family would likely be torn to pieces by the other three families until nothing of them was left.


    A swift and brutal death was all that''d await anyone who''d dare to disturb the peace.


    The highest echelons of North and the East had different ideas about what had happened, though. They knew of the Ashborn-Dragoncrest conspiracy. Of the nefarious scheme that they had concocted along with the Holy Church, the only other true powerhouse on the continent aside from the Four Empires.


    The recent attack on Fourth Heaven had astonished them when the first heard the whispers from their spies. That an unknown force had struck the Holy Church and caused widespread destruction in the city...


    Only for the city of Lei-en to have disappeared¡­ by the end of the same day.


    A certain, unmistakable tension was felt across the empires after that fateful day. It did not take long for people to begin to make the possible connection between the two events. Many wondered if they''d become the spark that''d light the continent on fire.


    Fear had begun to spread...


    They''d returned to the larger birdcage. Back in the North, in some remote little village deep into the Northern Wastes.


    Frostpeak Outpost ¡ª Population 10,470. The current temperature outside of the protective Anima sphere that encapsulated the city was -68 degrees Celsius. A comforting little home away from home¡­ if home was the Ninth Circe of Hell¡­


    The Jolly Saint''s Chimney was a homely little inn and cafe that everyone in town loved, but one of its customers was having a bad time at the moment¡­


    Reed shut off his tome ¡ª he''d read enough. It had all spiraled down in the worst possible way.


    "You didn''t tell me that this happened. Why would you even¡ª"


    "I didn''t choose. I didn''t the have time to choose. Had I not pulled you exactly when I did, you would''ve been vaporized on the spot. I grabbed you and tore an exit for ourselves as fast as I could."


    Reed wearily rubbed his eyes and said, "I get it¡­ and I''m grateful that you saved me. You didn''t mean to come out where you did. It was just a stroke of terrible luck. It''s just complicated things even more than I had previously imagined."


    As if the mess at the Holy Church had not been enough of a shitshow¡­


    "Are you angry?"


    "I''m not. I''m just trying to understand. Why were you so hell-bent on killing the Pope? Was it because of the Reef, or because something else he said?" said Reed.


    Lu''um grimaced and said, "The Reef¡­ is an extremely important tool. It is something that can possibly reverse our dire situation, Ka''an. That''s all I can tell you right now. Do you understand?"


    Reed put down his coffee and coldly said, "Are you serious? How is that even possible? They eat entire multiverses! You saw that they were capable of! I¡ª we nearly died!"


    "Look at me in the eyes, Ka''an. Have I ever lied to you? Why would I ever meaninglessly raise your hopes on false hope? What would I stand to gain from doing that you ¡ª betraying your trust for a single lie?"


    If there was anyone he could trust, it was her. He knew that. She had already proved herself more than enough. He owed her his life.


    Reed grabbed one of her hands and said, "I''m sorry. I just¡ª"


    Lu''um knowingly smiled and said, "I already know. You don''t need to apologize, Ka''an."


    He nervously laughed and said, "How''d you manage that? You can read my mind even though I''ve sealed my thoughts away?"


    "Please, Ka''an. I don''t need to use a mind-reading technique to know what you''re thinking." She gazed at Reed with an amused expression on her face.


    T-That''s pretty damn terrifying¡­ and I don''t whether I should take that as an insult or a compliment.


    Reed raised his hands up in defeat and said, "Y-You''ve got me beat, then. ¡­I guessed I messed up. If the Reef is as powerful as you''ve described, letting it fall into, well, anyone''s hands would be dangerous."


    That sort of power isn''t meant for the likes of piddling mortals like us¡­ To be honest, I don''t think that anyone is deserving of that much power.


    It''s way too dangerous. Giving someone a weapon capable of fending off the Infestation is probably the most dangerous thing I can think of¡­


    God forbid they ever point that weapon at the world¡­ after they get rid of the Infestation. Power corrupts people, so I can only imagine what unlimited power would do to a person.


    Reed shuddered in fright at the thought of a singular tyrant arising out of the ashes of this multiverse on the off chance that the Infested were removed from it.


    Eternally ruling the world by hold the biggest fucking gun in multiverse at its head¡­


    "You know what? I think we might need to start cleaning up shop ourselves, sweetcheeks. We need to nip this problem in the bud as quickly as possible¡­ and I think that we might have the perfect opportunity to do it."


    His eyes twinkled ominously as he gazed outside at the falling snow.


    He''d come up with an idea. A good one.

 91 The Sinner

    As far the masses were concerned, Prince Leon and Lady Maya had gone missing after the attack on Fourth Heaven. Neither the North or the East knew what had happened to the young pair after the attack, much to the concern of both royal families.


    The rising star who''d become a unique bridge between the two empires had apparently disappeared. His absence had created an opportunity for both empires in an unexpected way.


    The North and East had been given a legitimate reason to interfere into the Holy Church''s domain. Even if the North could not justifiably pin the destruction of Lei-en on the Holy Church, the could still use the missing Lord of Evergreen instead.


    Both empires now had full rights to put pressure onto the Holy Church.


    The Stainless Prince had disappeared during his visit to Fourth Heaven claimed the East.


    The Lord of Evergreen had disappeared during his visit to Fourth Heaven claimed the North.


    That was all the needed ¡ª an excuse. They could now, especially after the devastating attack on the Holy Church, nip the threat once and for all. The timeline of the unified offensive against the Holy Church Alliance had been pushed forward tremendously now.


    Reed wracked his brain for a possible method to delay what they''d set into motion. Perhaps if he showed himself, he''d be able to deny the empires of their convenient excuse, but they''d likely find another way to spin the truth to their advantage.


    Would Reed''s word be worth compared to the royal family''s in North?


    Probably nothing, most likely. Although I''ve got the title of Evergreen, it won''t count for shit against the word of the Kingscrown Family.


    I have very little sway in the North, even if I''m on relatively good terms with Violett and Haydn¡­


    If we went to Velvund, he''d likely support us. He promised to help me and I trust his word but¡­


    What would he say to him? He would have to explain to him what had happened. What they had done. If anyone in the goddamned continent deserved his respect and trust other than Lu''um it was him.


    He would have to tell him the truth. That he was the one responsible for what happened in Fourth Heaven and at Lei-en.


    The thousands of innocent civilians that died in Fourth Heaven and the 1.7 million of Lei-en were his crimes.


    All dead ¡ª because of me. So many lives gone because of our actions.


    Their lives weighed down upon his shoulders heavily, but he understood that there was no going back from what he''d done.


    Reed knew that if he went to Velvund, he''d find the kindness in his heart and help him, even after knowing what he did. He was good man.


    The thought of telling Velvund the truth scared Reed. Last thing he wanted to do was disappoint the man who brought him into his family. Tell him that he was the murderer of millions of innocents.


    How would he even repay ¡ª make amends for what he had caused? Was there even a way to do that?


    He did not know... but he''d make sure to never fail like that ever again.


    If it came down it, he''d lie to all of his friends if it ensured him a decisive advantage. To make the difficult, painful decisions in order to win. He wouldn''t let other people suffer because of his failures ever again.


    Reed was resolved, for he had sworn an oath to her.


    He would NEVER fail again.


    To NEVER take what she had sacrificed herself ¡ª his life ¡ª for granted ever again.


    She wouldn''t be there to protect him anymore.


    Reed realized that he had to grow up ¡ª shed his immaturity if he was to survive the coming days without her.


    Lu''um gazed at Reed with a perplexed expression and said, "What''s the matter? Can''t sleep? If you''re cold, I can help you¡­ stay warm."


    If he didn''t, the next time he''d lose even more¡­ and that, he could not tolerate.


    Reed grabbed the bed''s thick comforter and tossed on top of Lu''um without warning, startling her.


    "What was that, babe? I can''t hear you. Did you say something?"


    A muffled cry of protest came out from beneath the comforter in response but Reed ignored it, for he had other plans.


    Reed was going to demonstrate his love for her the same way his older brothers once did for him back during his orphanage days.


    He clenched his muscles as tight as possible and then released the superheated ball of toxic gas he''d been saving at full force. The hot wings had caused a terrifying reaction deep within his bowels and now it''d been released.


    When Reed heard her muffled screams of horror, he cackled in delight.


    Eventually, she managed to clawed her way out of the comforter and gasped for fresh air as she recollected herself.


    "Oh? What''s the matter? I thought you wanted to stay warm," said Reed as he combed Lu''um''s frazzled hair with his hands.


    He wanted to reflect some more on his past failures, but¡­


    ¡­For now, he''d push his troubling thoughts away and focus on the matter at hand. He understood that there was nothing to be gained by tormenting himself. It wasn''t productive, it was just pathetic.


    Punishing himself ¡ª feeling sorry about his failures would not amend what he''d done.


    There''d be a time to answer for his crimes, after he finished what he''d set out do. Astrid and Sebastian were almost out of time¡­


    The missing pair enjoyed their calm night in the middle of nowhere. Well, one enjoyed it more than the other, but that was par for the course when it came to them¡­


    Unfortunately, other people had not spent their night as comfortably as them.


    Two people had not seen the light of day in the longest. In fact, it''d been so long since they''d seen light that they''d forgotten how it looked like.


    They''d been brought down into the depths of a pit, an ancient tomb buried kilometers underneath the ground. It was a secret ruin that a joint Dragoncrest-Ashborn expedition had discovered several millennia ago when they had first resettled in the East.


    It was an expansive labyrinth that had been sealed centuries before the Great Barrier War, predating even the arrival of the First Generation of Otherworlders, when the Ancient Mulians still occupied the majority of the continent.


    Xibalba ¡ª that was what their scholars said the tomb was called.


    That was where they had been taken, deep into the bowels of the earth where the sun did not shine¡­ a place where shadows ruled supreme.


    He had lost track of time. He no longer knew how long he''d been kept trapped in the room. There was no way to tell how much time had passed when there were no windows, let alone even light in the room.


    He''d been shackled with Anima-sealing restraints that constantly siphoned Anima when he tried gathering it. A novel solution, since they could not remove his ability to manipulate Anima aside from straight up killing him.


    An Alma could not removed with conventional means. It was beyond anyone''s ability to accomplish a feat like that¡­


    Without Anima, he''d become a mortal again. An imprisoned mortal.


    The silence was deafening. He''d been left alone to his thoughts.


    It was as if he''d died. Sealed in a pitch-black room ¡ª a coffin. Trapped in his mind.


    A part of him had already accepted his death, but was fine with that.


    He''d gladly take the fall if meant that she''d survive. That was more than enough for him to endure.


    It wasn''t supposed to be like this¡­ we accomplished our mission!


    They had done what their elders had commanded, so why had they been punished?


    Why? He knew what he was, but even so, he had strived to become someone worthy of the family name. Labored for so long to not disappoint the elders, only for them to have done¡­ this to him.


    More than a decade of diligent service had amounted to nothing.


    He''d spent unknown amount time denying the truth. After all, he''d spent so much time and effort into trying to become someone of value to the family.


    ¡­Eventually though, he broke. He had to accept that he''d been discarded.


    In the end, he came to the conclusion that this was deserved, especially considering what he''d done.


    A befitting punishment for a betrayer who''d sold out a friend.


    Sebastian weakly laughed at himself in derision.


    What am I even good for? For what purpose was even kept alive?


    He closed his eyes and tried his best to remember when it all had first started. Long before he had even realized that he''d been allowed to live¡­

 92 No Rest For the Wicked

    He distinctly remembered the day when he realized that was different from the rest of the other children.


    It happened during the first winter after he''d been moved to the Outer Nursery.


    One of the children, Madel, had miserably failed the endurance test. An important test where the children would be subjected to highly condensed Anima in a small room.


    It was a relatively simple test as the name suggested. The only thing they had to do was endure the pressure of the Anima in the room.


    If you passed out at any point, the test was over. The individual with the longest time in the class would be rewarded and the person with the shortest time would be punished.


    And Madel, having ranked last, would have to go without dinner for the last night of month.


    It had to be emphasized that the last night of month was anything but normal. At the end of every month, a celebratory feast was had that was stuff of dreams for the children.


    A single night the children would be allowed to eat real food until they were satisfied. Although it was a short-lived event ¡ª only last a single evening ¡ª the children lived for the end of every month.


    It beat eating bland nutrient paste and water by a country mile, that was for sure.


    Unfortunately, Madel had ranked last. His punishment would be to endure. Seated beside his peers, he''d have to watch them enjoy themselves while he sat there with an empty plate.


    As if to add insult to injury, the bottom scorer was given the seat of dishonor, which was positioned right in front of the top scorer, who sat in the seat of honor.


    The top scorer, as a reward, was given the right to ask for any meal he desired, whether or not it was on the menu for the night. They would be given the proverbial keys to the kingdom and allowed to feast on a prepared meal of their own choosing.


    Sebastian, who had scored the highest score with ease, did not understand.


    Why does it matter so much to him? Why is he crying over a meal?


    How is this a punishment?


    He''d spent days without food back when he was still with them ¡ª his original peers who''d he grown up with for years. Not as a punishment, but as a normal, every day occurance.


    Back there, only those who passed the daily tests would be allowed to eat nutrient paste.


    A fucking joke.


    That was what Sebastian thought of Madel''s tears. He''d even suspected that his placement into this new class had been some kind of secret test that had been created by the Elders, the ones who had raised him and the others.


    That was the only conclusion that Sebastian could come with that he''d accept. He didn''t belong here with these¡­ weaklings.


    He belonged with his siblings. He belonged with her.


    Sebastian turned toward the tall, older butler beside him and said, "I want nutrient paste."


    ...But it would never happen.


    The young boy''s dream would never come true. He would never return home.


    Days turned into weeks and they, in return, turned into years.


    In the blink of an eye, six years had passed since the day he''d promised himself that he''d return back home.


    He''d turned sixteen and had fought long and hard to prove himself greater than anyone for a single reason. The selection of the chosen.


    Only the brightest, most talented individuals would be allowed to bear the mark of the chosen ¡ª the entrance ticket that let men become gods.


    A special, magical brand that would allow one to become a legendary contender and embark on the path of toward godhood. They were in limited supply; the family was only allowed to nominate a select few.


    He knew that she''d probably received her entrance mark already. If he was to ever meet her again, he''d have to get his own entrance mark.


    Those who failed to receive the entrance mark would never get another opportunity again. They''d have to live in the mortal world as normal people until the day they died.


    They would become common members of the family and be sent out of the main house to work in some mundane, boring position of power in the mortal world.


    And naturally, once they died, a new replacement would be sent to take care of their original job.


    That was all mortal family members were ¡ª expendable cogs for the family''s businesses in the mortal world.


    But it wasn''t as if the family abused, discriminated, or disowned those who were not chosen. For all intents and purposes, the ones who failed the selection would still live a wealthy, comfortable life of peace... in the mortal world, of course.


    Their lives wouldn''t be as exciting or glorious as the life of a chosen, but they''d still live like royalty compared to the average mortal...


    Thankfully, Sebastian''s efforts had paid off in full. His efforts had all but guaranteed him a nomination and for once, in more than half a decade, he finally felt his shoulders ease up¡­


    Until he met her.


    For six years he wondered what his real siblings had been up to. How she had been doing. He''d missed them all so, so much.


    They were his real brothers and sisters who''d suffered with him during the difficult, borderline insane tests that the Elders had created for them.


    He had formed an unbreakable bond with his siblings over the course of their many trials and tribulations. Growing stronger and sharper beside them as they faced whatever the Elders threw at them...


    They had lived to prove the odds wrong and had shown that they were a cut above the competition. Together, they''d been a force of nature that could not be stopped¡­


    But now¡­


    Marlow.


    Safista.


    Alfonso.


    Viktor.


    Laluna.


    Sophie.


    "H-Hey, where are they? This where we''re all supposed to meet! All of us!" said Sebastian in denial.


    In a detached, eerily calmly voice, Astrid said, "They''re not coming, Sebastian."


    "W-What do you mean? Did the Elders take them somewhere or are they¡ª"


    "They are not coming."


    ...What?


    Denial was insidious, much like quicksand. The harder one struggled against it, the deeper one would be dragged into it.


    Six years.


    Six long, arduous years of hardship in solitude only to learn that his world had died while he was away.


    What he was supposed to do? Supposed to say to her? Supposed to feel?


    It was an peculiar thing ¡ª how quickly joy could turn into despair.


    He was going to become a chosen member of another world, far removed from the mortal world but now, he felt as if it didn''t matter.


    Only he and Astrid were left.


    That day a part of his soul had died despite the fact that it should have been the best day of his life.


    Sebastian and Astrid had become member of the family''s inner circle with their nominations. They were now privy to secrets that they had not known before about the world. About the ancient history of the continent and the inner workings of the Four Empires.


    In addition, they''d been given a special mission from the Elders as soon as they''d been given their entrance marks.


    They would surprisingly be sent to the North, their ancestral homeland, for their mandatory training as contenders ¡ª the same empire that the family had forsaken millennia ago.


    The mission they''d been assigned?


    To find someone: A young boy roughly their age. Although no details about his appearance had been given, the Elders had informed them that he would likely be extremely easy to identify.


    He would be incredibly talented, more so than anyone in his batch of peers ¡ª even them, who''d proven themselves as the brightest of their generation within the family.


    Another major tell would be the target''s affiliation. He would have no connections to any empire, nor any major organization.


    They had been assigned to identify the target, befriend him, and then gain his trust. Integrate themselves into the boy''s life as best as they could. The final task was to report on his behavior, growth, and relationships with other trainees.


    He was a high value target and because of the unique circumstances surrounding the boy, they had been selected to run the operation. Only they could be trusted with a mission as important as this.


    Failure was not an option.


    The Elders even vouched that if they completed the mission successfully, they would both be allowed to request a single thing from them, no questions asked.


    A personal favor of the highest degree from the Elders who ruled the family.


    It had sparked a flame of desire inside of Sebastian that could no longer be put out from that moment on.


    With that favor, he could request that he and Astrid be freed from their obligations to the family. Wipe the slate clean and cut off their ties from them in a single move.


    The family had almost taken everything from him. They were all supposed to have been the brightest members of their generation that family should have valued.


    Instead, his siblings had been culled out like bad apples until only Astrid had been left alive.


    All that he had left was Astrid and he could not bear to think of losing her.


    If he lost her, what would he have to live for?


    He knew the reward sounded way too good to be true, but he couldn''t resist the temptation.


    He couldn''t let the family take her away, too. He''d save her if meant spying on some genius motherfucker from who-knows-where, easily.


    Whatever beef the family had with poor bastard was none of his own damn business. It was nothing personal; he didn''t even know the guy.


    A job was a job and he''d been trained to deliver.


    He''d lie through his fuckin'' teeth and play whatever role he had to play in order to get into the schmuck''s good graces. Act the fool, the nice guy, the cowardly idiot, whatever¡­ it didn''t matter.


    He''d act as the fucker''s personal servant as long as it got the job done.


    I''m going to get MY golden ticket, one way or another¡­ come hell or high water!


    The young man had left out to earn his freedom and now...


    He''d been locked away in a coffin, deep in the pits of hell.


    "I guess hell came, after all. I might''ve jinxed myself back then¡­" said Sebastian and hoarsely laughed in pain. He couldn''t help but find it humorous even now as he neared the end of his life.


    "What a fucking joke this turned out to be¡­"

 93 The Pursuit of Freedom

    She remembered when they first met in the Inner Nursery, long ago when they''d been children.


    Her first impression of him had not been the greatest, so to speak. It''d become a fond memory for her, one that she''d often tease him about after they''d become friends.


    He had refused to introduce himself to everyone else, let alone even speak to them ¡ª ignoring them whenever he had the opportunity. The only people he''d ever actually respond to were the Elders themselves.


    Fifty-eight ¡ª it was the number that''d been stitched on his shirt. That was the number that the Elders had given to him.


    He was without a real name, much like they''d been when they first arrived.


    A meaningless serial number, only befitting for¡­


    An odd boy, that was what she had thought of him. He was unsociable and a bit standoffish, but not so hostile towards them that he''d cause trouble.


    An automaton.


    It was only when the Elders were present that he''d ever act properly. For them, he''d act like an angel and obediently nod his head like a puppy.


    A cold, soulless machine.


    He reminded her of a wind-up doll in that regard. He only ever came alive when his spring was wound up ¡ª when the Elders visited them.


    It''s like seeing a reflection of our former selves.


    And once they left, he''d wind down and return to his old ways. He''d become a lifeless doll.


    What we''d once been before we realized the truth.


    The boy acted on his own as fought alone, learned alone and¡­ lived alone, even though he was supposed to have been working beside his new peers.


    An artificial creation designed to operate within a set of predefined parameters.


    In his eyes, it was a sign of weakness to rely on others. He was a competitive individual who always strived to prove himself whenever he had the opportunity.


    Eat. Fight. Learn. Sleep.


    But slowly, over time, things changed for the boy. As the difficulty of the tests the group had to take rose, the harder it became for the newcomer to keep up.


    Repeat. Obey. Repeat. Obey.


    He''d begun to fail and as a result, had experienced what it felt like to go hungry. To feel the pangs of pain ¡ª the desperation induced by hunger ¡ª as he struggled against the impossible odds that the Elders had created for them in their tests.


    Ignore the pain. Ignore the feelings in your chest. Ignore the hunger.


    They''d become demons to the children if it meant that it''d push out all of their hidden potential.


    Good children listen to their elders. Don''t you want to be good child?


    That was when she had made her decision¡­ and when the boy would finally experience kindness for the first time.


    He''d gone without food for days and could no longer persevere, even with his indomitable will to survive. His body and mind had finally reached their limits ¡ª he could go no further.


    The Elders initially expected much from the boy but now, they had lost all confidence in him. Despite their best efforts, the newest prototype had failed to deliver the results they wanted.


    "Most unfortunate. The prototype seemed so promising, too¡­"


    He had not been as strong, swift or as intelligent as its fellow peers, who were seventh generation models. He, who was an eighth generation model, should have been superior to all of them but that had clearly not been the case.


    "Tell the R&D chief that they''re going to have to scrap the new batch he made. This one''s no good to us."


    "G-58 had failed to meet expectations. It''s a failure. A reject."


    "In the end, the seventh generation''s still the most promising, stable series we''ve created, right?"


    The order had been passed down to the chief lifeweaver in charge of the research and development department that the test prototype had failed.


    "Yes, that seems to be the case. F-12, in particular, has shown incredible growth out of the seventh batch. She''d be perfect, if not for the rebellious, inquisitive attitude she has developed."


    The R&D department had been ordered to destroy all remaining prototypes and to restart their work on creating a successful eighth generation model from scratch.


    She, in the dead of the night, had given the boy the nutrient paste she had hidden away ¡ª an act of insubordination against the Elders.


    The boy did not understand why she had done it. Why she had defied the Elders to help him. The rules were explicitly clear ¡ª he had not been permitted to eat ¡ª and yet, she had gone out of her way to feed him.


    And it did not stop there ¡ª the next day, she had secretly helped him during a test, even though he had never asked her for help. Whenever he felt lost during a lesson, she''d appear to teach him and help him understand.


    Slowly but surely, his scores rose and the number of times he''d failed tests shrank.


    Her insistent meddling had never stopped since then, much to his confusion. It made him think about something that wasn''t the Elders for once. Questions bubbled up in his mind and slowly accumulated until¡­


    His curiosity got the best of him.


    "Why do you defy the Elders? Why are you helping me?"


    "Because I can, that''s why. My name is Astrid, by the way. Not, you."


    Astrid, she had called herself. He didn''t understand. Why did she have a name? Who gave her that name? Did he have a name, too?


    Her answer didn''t make any sense to him, either. Because she could? What did she mean by that? None of it made sense and that troubled him.


    Unbeknownst to him, he had already begun to walk away from the darkness of ignorance towards the light of knowledge. The fact that he''d become interested in something other than the Elders was more than enough proof of that.


    Questions he''d never thought about before fell like raindrops upon the barren desert that had been the boy''s mind and soon¡­


    Life had begun to grow there. Across the desert, seedlings sprouted out of their tiny shells and basked in the downpour in delight.


    He had questions and she had answers.


    Day by day, he cared less about the Elders and more about everything else. He longed to see the blue, clear sky and the vast, open world outside. To feel what sunlight felt like; how the wind felt like¡­


    The more he learned about the world ¡ª the longer he spoke to her ¡ª the harder it rained upon the desert until it had transformed into a lush, vibrant forest.


    He had changed, opened himself up to the world and in return, the world had opened itself to him. That in itself came with many rewards, friendship being one of them.


    Before he even realized it, he''d already become friends with the other children, seeking them out of his own will.


    It was wonderful event that deserved to be celebrated ¡ª He''d grown out of his shell. The following day was when Astrid gave the boy a name to call his own, to his immense joy.


    Sebastian. He was no longer a serial number, but a person.


    He had been reborn, from a machine into a person who longed for freedom, same as his fellow brothers and sisters.


    They, imprisoned, longed to be free. To escape their confinement and roam the vast world outside.


    That was their truth. Their reason for living and the grand dream they had all shared together.


    They would not rest until it came true and would fight against the odds , no matter how small it seemed. The Elders and their tests were nothing but an obstacle to them, one that they''d surely overcome in time.


    Of course, it was not meant to be. The Elders had long since been observing them and understood what they wanted, why they struggled so hard.


    It was hope and love that kept them alive and gave them purpose ¡ª something they could easily exploit to keep them obedient.


    And thus, the reject would be removed from the group.


    The Elders noticed that the girl had grown quite fond of the reject and for them, that was enough. They''d move the useless one and use him as a tool to keep the others in check.


    Teach them what love and hope really were ¡ª human weaknesses. Make them shackles that they''d never be able to escape. So as long as they kept the reject alive, the children would be forced to obey.


    It was a win-win situation for them, either way.


    Either they''d obey orders to keep the reject alive, or give up on him and destroy their petty feelings about compassion and love.


    They would return to being things, or live the rest of their lives as humans¡­ and slaves to their petty emotions. Either way, they would now obey or suffer.


    She remembered when it happened. Waking up, only to find that he had disappeared. That was when she knew that the Elders had done it.


    Broke the last straw.


    She did not know when or how but one day, she''d make them pay. That was a promise she''d made to Sebastian the day of his disappearance.


    Six long and painful years passed. She had lost much but had endured.


    That was when she finally met him again. He had grown up splendidly, but she couldn''t look at him out of shame.


    She had failed to protect the others. They''d been unable to keep up with the tests and had all died off until.... she''d been left all alone.


    Now there were only two of them.


    All she had wanted to do was be free with her family, but fate had written decided that she''d become a contender instead and walk the path of the chosen.


    Of course, Astrid knew that she''d be forced to serve the family, demi-goddess or not. If she didn''t, they''d threaten her with the only thing she still had left.


    But then, a miracle happened. She saw it ¡ª witnessed it in secret.


    They''d been assigned to spy on a boy who was supposed to have been incredibly talented.


    He was a troubled fellow, who always seemed to hide his real feelings behind a mask of composure.


    ¡­At least when he wasn''t acting like a frightened mouse.


    Even so, she felt strange when she spoke to him. It felt as if she was talking to her own siblings ¡ª that was the feeling he gave her. Like she was speaking to someone who''d also been oppressed, threatened, and considered less than a human.


    She''d seen through the smoke and mirrors he''d put up.


    He was the same as her. She could see it in his eyes.


    That was when she''d started feeding false information to the family about him. She''d never sell him out, same as she''d never sell out Sebastian.


    She''d even told Sebastian to follow her lead and lie to the Elders. They wouldn''t forsake their own kin to their oppressors. It stood against everything they believed in.


    In time, she''d even come to feel¡­ a certain way about the odd boy who called himself Reed. He was an enigma who always surprised everyone, but she knew him to be more than a talented individual.


    The way he''d talk about the world ¡ª full of curiosity and wonder for it, eager to explore it. It sounded as if he''d never seen what the world really looked liked outside, much like her¡­


    Listening to him had sparked an old flame in heart and an even deeper interest in him, unbeknown to her¡­


    She''d also witnessed something that no one else had seen in secret. Something that had convinced her that he, one day, might be able to save her and Sebastian.


    She''d seen it ¡ª seen him fighting that monstrosity outside in the shadowlands, during their final exam.


    Seen him singlehandedly destroy the towering abomination by himself in a matter of minutes. Brilliant rays of light and raging flames destroying Infested as he charged into fray.


    He''d be able do it, without a doubt. Talented can''t even begin to describe him. Given enough time, he''ll become an invincible figure.


    Her patience had paid off in spades. She''d found her golden ticket ¡ª no, something even more precious than that¡­


    All he needed was time to grow and develop. Time she''d planned to give him, but now¡­


    It was too late.


    She didn''t know where she''d gone wrong. Where she''d failed or how they figured out she was lying to them. It didn''t make sense.


    Deep in the bowels of hell, she waited for her death in denial.


    A part of her already knew what the answer probably was but she wouldn''t accept it.


    Not until she heard it from his own mouth.


    She''d wait as long as it''d take.


    She had all the time in the world¡­ in hell.

 94 Heaven Built Upon Hell

    It was late; past midnight, in fact. The peaceful city of Bella-Vel and its residents had fallen asleep¡­


    "P-Please have mercy, sir! I don''t know what you''re talking about!" said a disheveled man in a ragged voice. He looked paler than a corpse as he begged on his knees to be spared.


    Aside from a certain ghost.


    "We''ll see about that, won''t we?" said the indescribable shadow as it stepped towards the kneeling man. It''d chased the man into an empty, abandoned alley far removed from sight.


    The trembling man continued to beg for mercy as tried his damnedest to persuade the shadow into letting him leave. He''d give the monster anything it desired as long as it''d spare him.


    "L-Let''s talk this out, sir! I-I''ve got money ¡ª tens of millions of credits, all yours if you let me go! I can get you anything with my family''s resources! Beautiful women and men, priceless artefacts, status and power ¡ª whatever you desire, I can get it for you, sir!"


    ¡­And if bribes would not work then he''d resort to threatening it, instead.


    "D-Don''t! Stop! I''m a member of the Dragoncrest family! Don''t you get it?! My family owns this entire region! If you do anything to me, my family will hunt you down and flay you alive! My family''s conquerors will make you wish for death once they catc¡ª"


    A scream echoed out of the dark alley, but it''d never reach anyone''s ears. He''d been taken; spirited away into an artificial world of darkness created by the shadow.


    His own subconscious. He''d been trapped¡­ in his own mind ¡ª inside of a dream that Lu''um had constructed for Reed to use.


    A false, nightmarish world where he could interrogate their targets for information without causing a disturbance in reality. They''d torture people in a way that''d never give away their identities or leave a trail.


    It was an idea that Lu''um had proposed, much to Reed''s surprise.


    Dreams, by definition, are vague, ambiguous things in the first place and¡­ everybody has a nightmare every once and while, right?


    Most of the time, people forget their dreams after waking up, anyway.


    Still, haunting people in their sleep like a bogeyman felt a bit unpleasant to Reed. He''d do it, but didn''t want to get too accustomed to the act of doing it.


    That was that last thing he wanted to happen ¡ª for it to become normal to him. He''d keep himself in check, remind himself why he was doing it in the first place.


    Not to make people suffer. I just want answers, nothing more.


    It''d be a cold day in hell before he''d needlessly abuse his powers to make others suffer without a justifiable reason. He''d rather die than let himself become a heartless tyrant, a power-tripping bastard.


    He''d seen it happen all his life ¡ª how power corrupted people.


    From the rich to the poor, the law-abiding to the criminal. It didn''t matter. They were all the same, no matter their station in life¡­


    Reed sighed and said, "It seems that this one didn''t know anything either, huh¡­" The man they had broken had been a contender and high-ranking family member of the Dragoncrest family that they''d tracked down over their hunt for information on Astrid and Sebastian.


    He grabbed the broken, babbling contender and said, "Tell me what you know or I''ll show you what I''m really capable of¡­"


    The man sobbed and incoherently said, "Nooo!! P-Please¡­ I can''t tell you about it! I-If I do, they''ll take me down there and never let me leave! I-I¡­ I don''t want to go down there!"


    "Speak! Before I carve the truth out of you myself!" said Reed. He grabbed the man''s head and extended one his hands, which he''d turned into a terrifying claw of rotting gore and sharpened bone.


    He gently caressed the man''s face with his mangled claw and then put one of his sharpened bone fingers in front of one of the man''s eyes.


    "A-AHHH! P-PLEASE, MERCY! I DON''T WANT TO GO TO XIBALBA!! I DON''T WANT TO GO DOWN THERE EVER AGAIN! I-I CAN''T TELL YOU ANYTHING!"


    The man howled in desperation, sobbing incessantly in between his deranged pleas for forgiveness. Reed had finally broken the man to his core ¡ª he had completely lost his mind.


    It was a terrible thing to witness and it sickened Reed deep inside. He did not want to do this, but he''d already sworn an oath. He couldn''t back down from his own word, especially when he gave it to her.


    He was a walking down a fine line and knew that one day, he''d have to make a choice. Naturally, he hoped that such a day would never come, but with his atrocious luck, it was all but guaranteed.


    His morals and the oath he''d made were incompatible with one another and he knew that. Even so, he''d persisted to keep them both, the innocent, well-intentioned fool that he was.


    One called for righteousness, fairness, and freedom ¡ª to uphold what had never been afforded to him back in his world.


    The other called for him to abandon everything he held dear if it meant winning. Making sure to prioritize the safety of the people he cared about over his morals.


    He continued to ponder what mattered more to him but couldn''t find an answer to the question, and it frustrated him to hell and back.


    "Ka''an, there''s no point in keeping the dream up anymore, he''s of no use to us anymore ¡ª we have what we need. I know where they''re keeping them."


    Reed sighed in relief and pulled his consciousness out of the dream-construct.


    Thank god¡­ I don''t know if I could''ve handled watching that any longer than that.


    He opened his eyes and saw that Lu''um had already opened up a spatial tear. Reed massaged his forehead and looked at the sleeping man who had a distressed expression on his face and grimaced, but said nothing.


    Was hurting others, especially innocent people who''d nothing wrong, in order to protect what he cared about truly righteous?


    Was it truly fair for him to abuse innocent people in such an underhanded, malicious way with his overwhelming power?


    What was true freedom? Was it terrorizing, imprisoning, and breaking innocent people in a nightmarish, artificial prison?


    Reed grit his teeth in frustration.


    Was someone like that worth trusting?


    Did someone like that even deserve the right to judge others about trust?


    ¡­Was it not hypocrisy at its finest?


    He turned away from the sleeping man and pushed down his feelings. He had a job to do. That was all that mattered right now. He couldn''t let himself get distracted anymore, not at the final stretch.


    Reed walked into the spatial tear and closed it shut as soon as he entered the void. The faster he was gone, the better he felt...


    Xibalba. It''d been a top-secret research facility during the height of the initial conflict against the Infested, millennia ago before the first Otherworlder had been summoned on Mulia.


    The facility had been the center of a series of important projects that''d become critical later on in the Great War. The guiding pillars, the altar system, and the heavenly barriers had been created in Xibalba at some point in time.


    It was a place that had accomplished much¡­ at a price. Xilbalba had been given special freedoms. It had not been restrained by the morals, ethics, and laws of the Ancient Mulian dynasty.


    Xibalba had been black site and had operated on its own terms.


    The¡­ questionable experiments that''d been conducted deep beneath the surface of the continent had given the Ancient Mulians some of the most advanced technology ever conceived.


    They had fused that which should have been forbidden ¡ª taboo on all accounts¡­


    Experimentation on the limits souls possessed¡­


    Experimentation on extra-dimensional travel via Infested¡­


    Experimentation on live Infested specimens for the use of¡­


    Experimentation on paracausal manipulation of space-time via¡­


    There were no limits in Xibalba ¡ª anything that''d push the envelop of what their research was fair game. With a nigh-infinite budget, the research facility charged headfirst into the pits of hell until...


    An serious accident occurred.


    After that, the research station was throughly purged, sealed, and forgotten. Everyone single person who''d been part of the clean-up mission had their memories erased.


    By then, the Infested had already overrun a majority of universe, and the Ancient Mulians had been pushed back on their original homeworld¡­


    The end had already come. In an act of desperation, the Ancient Mulians abandoned their final stronghold, the continent of Mulia, and retreated into a hidden pocket domain.


    Xibalba had long since been forgotten after that until a fateful day when a couple of bumbling fools stumbled upon its entrance, looking for treasure.


    ...After thousands of years, hell had been opened once again.

 95 Hell Built Upon Heaven

    "Are you sure we''re heading the right way?" said Reed as he cautiously inspected his dimly-lit surroundings. "¡­Needless to say, this is not what I''d expected. I thought they''d be kept in a hidden safe-house, or tightly guarded secret manor. Something relatively normal, for heaven''s sake¡­"


    A man-made hell ¡ª there was no better way to describe it.


    "Surely you jest, Ka''an. Has anything we''ve been through ever been normal? Do you really think that the word ''normal'' can even apply to us?"


    The hidden tunnel system they''d been traversing through was supposedly connected to Xibalba itself. It''d been a secret escape route that a couple of high-ranking officials had created just in case of an emergency.


    Unfortunately for them, it''d been discovered before they''d ever get the opportunity to even use it. Ironically, the escape route ended up damning them.


    It''d been the extermination squads who''d benefited from the escape route in the end. They''d used it to infiltrate the facility undetected during their assault, to great success¡­


    Reed scratched his head and said, "¡­I guess not."


    Normal people don''t go looking for trouble ¡ª they stay home and take care of their families.


    They don''t go on daring rescue missions and they sure as hell do not infiltrate abandoned, top-secret research facilities.


    No, normal people hear about crazy fools who do that kind of insane stuff on the evening news. That''s what normal people do.


    Eventually, they''d reached the hidden entrance spending an hour trekking through the old tunnel system. The ancient gate loomed over the pair as they stared at it in contemplation.


    Reed stroked his chin and said, "As always, Mulian technology never ceases to impress. Isn''t this more than five thousand years old, at a minimum? Just look at the damn thing!"


    It hasn''t rusted a single bit despite having been down here in this damp, humid cave for more than five millenniums. The damn door is older than everyone on this continent and it still hasn''t worn down in the slightest¡­


    "You think there''s such a thing as building something too well?" said Reed. He put one of his ears on the giant door, gave it a couple hard knocks and said, "It''s thick as hell, too. I think we might have a problem¡­"


    Sure, they could blast the door open easily ¡ª that wasn''t an issue ¡ª but it was too dangerous. If they put too much strength into the attack, there was a good chance it''d collapse the tunnel. And even if it didn''t, the destructive blast would likely end up alerting their enemies¡­


    This is going to require some finesse. We can''t just¡ª


    His thought process was suddenly cut short by something truly astounding. It''d been so shocking that it''d caught him completely off guard.


    She had opened the door.


    In fact, she had not used Anima at all. That was the scariest part.


    She''d opened the sealed door with her bare hands. She''d pushed it open without the assistance of Anima, using only her raw, physical strength.


    The sealed door ¡ª which weighed several tons ¡ª had been effortlessly bent open by Lu''um in less than a minute. She forcibly bent the enormous, metal door open as if it were made of dough.


    Reed stared at the elegant, fair maiden who had abused the sealed door in disbelief and wondered if he''d finally lost his marbles.


    Lu''um raised one of her eyebrows and said, "What? Never seen someone open a door before, Ka''an?"


    ".........¡­No."


    Reed felt as if he''d seen something he shouldn''t have. From that day forth, Reed would always stare at Lu''um in a different, slightly more respectful light, much to her confusion...


    Xibalba ended up being everything Reed had expected and more. The entire place reeked of a particular stench that he couldn''t put his finger on. It was a mixture of something godawful that he''d smelled before.


    Infested.


    "Do you know what that stench is? Smells positively atrocious."


    A grimace formed on Lu''um''s face and she said, "I''m sure you already know what that stench is, Ka''an. It seems that they were unable to remove the smell, even after decontaminating this place¡­"


    "Ugh, how bad did things get down here that they couldn''t remove the stench from the walls?" said Reed.


    It makes no sense. This place looks so damn clean and spotless, you''d think it''d never been used in the first place. You''d think a couple thousand years would be enough for the stench to dissipate¡­


    "You don''t want to know, trust me. It''s not the kind of thing that you can just forget once you''ve learned about it."


    Reed scoffed and said, "Who do you take me for, sweetcheeks? A coward who''s scared of his own shadow? I think I can handle one horror story."


    Lu''um rolled her eyes and said, "Don''t say I didn''t warn you, then. It''s not my fault if you have nightmares about this later¡­"


    She paused for a moment and then said, "¡­They researching on how the Infested were capable of violating the laws of nature. Even with Anima, we were only capable of bending them to a certain degree before we encountered an impasse."


    "We could use Anima to cheat, so to speak, but we were never able to bypass the fundamental forces that governed the universe. They could. So what did the researchers do in order to learn how the Infestation''s secrets, you ask?"


    "They played with souls. Tied one soul in two bodies ¡ª perfect clones of each other ¡ª something heretical to even think about. An offense to nature itself and an unimaginably evil thing."


    "...What are you talking about?" said Reed. He was beginning to feel a vague sensation of dread¡­


    "The soul and the body are tied to one another, Ka''an. They naturally pull on each other, much like gravity in a certain sense. A mysterious force keeps the two of them connected. ¡­So what do you think will happen if you tie two bodies to one soul?"


    Reed had a rough idea of what she was implying but didn''t want to answer, so he kept quiet instead. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "¡­I don''t know."


    "The soul cannot handle the pull of two bodies. It is like having your arms tied to a horse and your legs tied to another horse¡­ and both running away from each other. The soul will end up being torn apart at the seams until it breaks. The pain experienced by this double-body pull defies all description, Ka''an."


    "And those who have their souls shattered will experience a final death ¡ª never to reincarnate ever again."


    "But why?! Why do something so terrible, even when they knew what it''d cause?!" said Reed in abject disgust and anger.


    "For knowledge, Ka''an. When one is tethered to two bodies, a spiritual connection is formed between them. A bridge. It was how they got the knowledge they wanted. One body would be given to Infested to take, and the other would be kept in a secure, detonation-triggered prison cell."


    "The soul, tied between two bodies, would become the bridge between the infected body and the non-infected one. Once connected to the Infested hivemind, the unwilling victim would have access to their information network and by extension, their knowledge... if only for a short period."


    Lu''um pointed at one of the many rows of doors and said, "These are all prison cells that once held them. If the prisoners lost themselves to the Infested Hivemind or their souls shattered, the bomb collars on them would activate as planned, killing them instantaneously."


    She dragged Reed into one of the dark, abandoned prison cells and said, "This where we obtained the knowledge to create the Guiding Pillars, the Altar system, and the Heavenly Barriers, Ka''an. By making an unknown number of innocents suffer unspeakable misery and torture on a level unprecedented."


    Reed lurched over and dry heaved as he did his best to reign himself in, to no avail. He retched out his stomach''s contents and hurriedly stumbled out of the prison cell in disgust.


    "T-This... is what you people did?! What in the FUCK is wrong with you people! ¡­Oh my god. Astrid and Sebastian are probably in one of these cells, aren''t they?!" said Reed.


    Lu''um patted Reed''s back and said, "I will not defend what happened here, Ka''an, but I want you to understand that we just wanted to survive. When you''re pushed to the brink, you''ll do anything to live. Desperation sets in and you lose sight of everything you once held to be true."


    "What we did will never be forgiven, but we did what we had to do to gain back the advantage on the Infestation ¡ª The Divine Furnace. We swore that we would not lose to them, even if we became monsters ourselves."


    "We swore to protect our home ¡ª our universe ¡ª no matter the cost."

 96 The Ninth Layer of Hell

    It was endless. If anything, the place seemed more like a godforsaken labyrinth than a research station. They trekked for more than three hours on foot and still had not even scratched the surface of the damned place.


    How far does this fucking place go down?! How much space did these assholes need?! I can''t even begin to fathom the amount of the work that must have been done to dig this far down¡­


    Over the course of their descent into hell, the lonesome pair had traversed through all manner of places. Xibalba was a world of its own, rather than a research facility as Lu''um had described it.


    They''d traversed past abandoned, silent underground cities that''d been built in vast pockets of unearthed cave and soil. Vast stretches of unused, empty space and an endless amount of sealed doors, gates, and barriers.


    "You said this was a research station, right?"


    "Yes, that''s right," said Lu''um.


    "¡­Why are there entire cities down here, then? I thought this was supposed to be a research station, not an underground kingdom," said Reed in an annoyed tone.


    "Xibalba was designed as a self-sufficient research and development station, Ka''an. Secrecy was of the utmost concern, so it was built with to operate without the need of any external assistance."


    Reed shook his head and said, "That still doesn''t explain why this place is so goddamned massive. What the hell were they doing down here that they needed so much space? It doesn''t make sense."


    "I told you, Ka''an. Research and development. This where most of our greatest achievements were created. The Divine Furnace was constructed here along with our fleets and their flagships. Grandfather Ulbo''s ship, the Joyous Divinity, was also built here too, at one point in time. We also constructed the entire Heavenly Barrier system piece-by-piece down here¡­"


    Xibalba, at its peak, had once held more than half a million workers, scientists, and engineers all working down here. The universe''s greatest minds had been united under a single banner in the name of survival.


    To that end, they''d peer into the Devil''s mind and steal his damned secrets. They''d fight the Infestation on its own terms if need be.


    Nothing had been off the table to them when the fate of their reality was at stake¡­


    And so, they descended into bowels of Xibalba in silence. There was nothing more to be said about the place, other than it was a labor and a half for them. The biggest issue was that the place did not have any power at all.


    When the research station was decommissioned, it''d been shut down permanently. The extermination squads destroyed the station''s the reactor cores after they''d accomplished their objectives, effectively shutting off power to everything inside the station.


    There''s... nothing down here either, huh. I thought this would be a suspenseful rescue mission, but this turned out to be a damned pilgrimage instead.


    He didn''t know what layer they''d made down into, but he knew that they''d made it quite far. Not too long ago, his tome had informed him that it''d lost connection with the surface.


    They had still not made contact with anyone, despite the progress they''d made. Reed didn''t know whether to be happy about that or not. Sure, he''d prefer to not deal with any enemies, but not at the cost of his legs wearing out to the bone.


    They''d barely used any Anima since they''d entered, for good reason. It''d make the trip down much, much faster, for sure, but it''d give them away to anyone Anima-sensitive in the area. That was something they couldn''t afford to do, not with hostages on the line.


    If they got caught, it''d ruin the rescue attempt and possibly endanger Astrid and Sebastian.


    Reed had made it explicitly to Lu''um before they''d started that Astrid and Sebastian''s safety took priority over everything else. That what they''d come for ¡ª to rescue, not to slaughter.


    Find them and get them out. That was the mission.


    Once Reed got them, he''d open a spatial tear and take them away somewhere safe. That was where his part of the mission would end.


    Lu''um, on the other hand, would stay behind and make a thorough sweep of Xibalba to take care of the intruders inside. She''d handle the messier part of the mission and then reseal the research station for good.


    That was the plan they''d made, but now... Reed had doubts.


    "We still haven''t found anyone yet. You''d think they would have put a roaming guard or two in one of the upper layers, but we haven''t seen a single soul in here since we''ve entered," said Reed.


    Something''s wrong. We''ve almost reached the bottom and we still haven''t bumped into anyone¡­


    "There''s a good chance that they might''ve anticipated our arrival. But if that was the case, we should have been ambushed long ago in one of the upper layers..." said Lu''um.


    "If this is isn''t a trap, then what is this?"


    Reed and Lu''um pushed their concerns down and trudged on, nevertheless. They both understood that they''d have to verify the truth for themselves, whether or not they''d been played. Whatever the answer was, it laid down at the bottom of hell¡­


    Eventually, they pierced the deepest levels of Xibalba ¡ª the restricted section. It was where the other halves of the damned were kept, those who had been sacrificed to the Infested.


    The upper halves were kept above in heaven as supposed "war criminals" who were meant to have become slave workers for the construction of the Mulian fleets... if they weren''t turned into bridges for the research division.


    It was safe to say that the slaves preferred to serve the Mulian engineers rather than the scientists in Xibalba. It''d become well-known among the slaves that being selected by the scientists was akin to being put on death row compared to those who''d been chosen to build their warships.


    It was better to spend one''s life working as a slave than be chosen by the devils in the research division. The stories, the rumors that''d spread of those chosen to volunteer for "research work" terrified everyone.


    There were stories¡­ about what went on in the deepest levels of Xibalba. Of the Devil and his acolytes who ruled the heart of the research station. Only madmen who listened to the forbidden words lived in the restricted section.


    As soon as they entered the restricted section, something changed.


    There was something about the air in the bottommost layers that smelled of despair. Even the Anima in the restricted section seemed chaotic and disorderly.


    Reed shivered reflexively and said, "What in the hell..?"


    Lu''um grabbed one of Reed''s arms, pulled him close to her, and said "Don''t pay too much attention to it, Ka''an, or it''ll get to you. This place is cursed ¡ª the evil done here has permanently affected the space here in a way that cannot be undone through conventional means."


    "You don''t say..." said Reed. He conjured an extra mote of light and sent it forth as a scout for them and then felt his blood freeze.


    It was red. The entire place had been dyed crimson.


    The walls, the floors, the ceiling¡­ all of it.


    "H-Hey, is that... what I think that is?"


    Lu''um dispelled Reed''s mote of light and said, "Close your eyes and let me handle this part myself, okay? Just hold on to my hand and follow me¡­"


    Reed kept quiet and said nothing. He had no intention of denying the offer she''d proposed. There were some things better left unseen.


    "¡­This was where the research division performed their experiments and made contact with the being that they''d painstakingly captured ¡ª an Infested Pupa," said Lu''um in a low voice.


    "Pupa?"


    "An Infested in the pupal stage of development, in between the larval stage and the adult stage. It was a specimen that''d cost the Mulian Dynasty a lot of lives to acquire¡­ but it was worth the cost."


    "The majority Infested you''ve slain so far have been larvae. Mindless, feral weaklings who only pose a threat in great numbers, but pupae are completely different, Ka''an. You should know ¡ª you''ve already slain one some time ago in the past."


    "You don''t mean?!"


    "The same one, Ka''an. The Lesser Nightmare you killed during your final exam. That was an Infested pupa ¡ª a young one at that, too. They''re mature enough to regain their intelligence and are capable of causing immense destruction on by themselves. They abominations feed on stars until they go dark and can single-handedly poison entire planets by themselves."


    "Pupae are directly connected to their masters, the Outsiders, who possessed the knowledge we wanted. Thus, an idea was proposed. If we captured an Infested at the pupal stage, could we not coax it into giving us the information we wanted? Larvae were useless and adults were too powerful to capture and contain, so it would have to be a pupa¡­"


    "So that is what we did ¡ª we caught ourselves a pupa. We played with fire."

 97 Heart of Darkness

    "Madness. Pure, unadulterated madness. I can''t even begin to express my disappointment. I understand; You were all desperate and felt that you''d been cornered, but you guys went too far."


    Even though Reed had closed his eyes, it''d not stopped the persistent, pervasive feeling of dread he felt in his bones. Her suggestion had not helped in the slightest, so he opened his eyes.


    There was no running from what had happened here. The atrocities that''d occurred here ¡ª the pain, terror, and suffering ¡ª had permeated into the fabric of reality itself.


    It was the Anima; It spoke to Reed, showing him what it''d witnessed in the distant past.


    It was hard to move because of the blood. The entire corridor they''d been walking down had suddenly transformed into a scene of carnage.


    Reed and Lu''um trudged the waist-high torrent of thick, warm blood that''d suddenly poured down from the ceiling. It had completely drenched them from head to toe in an unbearable stench of iron that made Reed gag in revulsion.


    "U-Ugh! There''s so much of it! It''s like waddling through mud!" said Reed as he pushed himself through the blood with difficulty.


    "It''s not real, Ka''an! Don''t let the cursed aura of this place get to you!" said Lu''um. She quickly put her hand in front of Reed''s face and then snapped her fingers.


    A burst of light assaulted Reed and blinded him. He reflexively shut his eyes in pain and said, "My eyes! You didn''t have to make the flash that goddamned bright!"


    Lu''um dragged him along and said, "That''s what you get for not listening to me. I told you not to open your eyes, Ka''an. This place is burdened with a curse that''s out of your current league."


    Reed sighed deeply, rubbed his eyes in resignation and said, "Fine, I get it."


    I didn''t think the effects would be that bad! This place is BEYOND fucked! The mental corruption here is so terrifying that I can''t even open my goddamned eyes in here!


    No wonder the Mulians sealed this place down and erased everyone associated with it ¡ª this section of Xibalba has essentially become an eternal testament of their crimes.


    Not even the exterminator squads, who were renowned for their fearlessness, had dared to remain here for long after they''d finished purging everything in the restricted section.


    Even though they''d been unable to exterminate the Infested pupa, they''d still sealed it after a difficult fight. They''d lost too many troops and were out of time, so they had opted to seal it instead.


    It''d been flash-frozen in a last-ditch attempt to cut the abomination''s connection to the Outsiders that supplied it its power. Although it had not been the best solution at the time, it was all that they''d been able to come up with at the time.


    Thus, the Infested Pupa had been frozen in a glacier of eternal ice made of Anima for millennia in the bottommost level of Xibalba...


    It was a hunch, a premonition that had emerged from the core of his soul. His instincts were screaming at him to run as fast as he could.


    "Hey, you feel that too, right? Something¡­ isn''t right down there. I don''t know what you''re expecting down there, but I don''t think it''s going to be good," said Reed.


    "¡­Yes, I do. It seems that we are both of the same opinion, then. Whatever is at the central core is likely the source of these disturbing Anima fluctuations," said Lu''um in a grave voice.


    She suddenly grabbed Reed and picked him up, carrying him in her arms. It would have been quite the humorous sight, Reed being carried like a princess, were it not for the severity of the situation.


    "W-What are you doing, sweetcheeks?! What''s going on?!"


    Lu''um leaped forth into a furious sprint and said, "We''re out of time! We need to get to the core NOW! Keep your eyes closed and until I tell you its safe to open them, okay?!"


    In a split second, she accelerated into a blur and disappeared as she raced down an innumerable amount of corridors, hallways, and flights of stairs into the core of Xibalba like she had a death wish.


    The sudden application of force on Reed startled the hell out him and he screamed in terror as he felt raging wind and pressure assault him out of nowhere.


    Oh shit!! Shit, shit, shit, shit¡­!


    There was something naturally terrifying about hurtling at a hundred and forty kilometers per hour in an instant¡­ whilst one''s eyes are closed. It did not bode well for the mind or body, suffice to say.


    Reed had nearly blacked out by the time Lu''um had stopped sprinting because of the immense g-forces that''d been applied to him. He weakly patted Lu''um''s face and hoarsely said, "Y-You''re a real piece of work, you know that?"


    "Forgive me, Ka''an, but time was of the essence. You can open your eyes now, by the way. The effects of the curse here are weak enough for you to resist it."


    Reed slowly opened his eyes and saw that they''d arrived in front of a massive, towering gate.


    "This is it," said Lu''um. "The deepest layer in Xibalba ¡ª the central core where the Infested pupa was kept."


    They''d finally arrived at the Xibalba''s heart.


    "Let me guess¡­ You want to go inside, don''t you? Lu''um, you do understand that this a bad idea, right? There''s nothing for us here."


    "Astrid and Sebastian aren''t here. Neither Ashborn nor the Dragoncrest families have shown up. The Holy Church isn''t here, either. We''ve been played."


    "I know, Ka''an, but we might as well get rid of the abomination while we''re here. As long as it exists, even its sealed state, it''ll continue to pose a grave threat to the safety of this continent. Better for us to take care of it now than leave it alone and hope that no one will ever stumble upon Xibalba again¡­"


    Her words made perfect sense, as much as Reed hated it.


    Heaven forbid anyone ever finds this accursed hell-hole again. Were someone ever to find this place again, venture all the way down here and accidentally unseal the Infested pupa¡­


    Reed shivered.


    It''d probably mean the end of the East at the bare minimum. Perhaps Gramps might be able to slay it with the help of some old-timers, but I don''t know if they''d be able to kill it before it''d destroy the East.


    FUCK.


    "Fine¡­ We take care of this bastard and then we leave, okay? You can come back and reseal this place some other time, right? We''re running on a tight clock. We don''t have time to lock up this place," said Reed.


    Lu''um nodded and said, "Thank you, Ka''an. After we take care of it, we''ll immediately resume rescuing your friends, I promise."


    Reed grunted in agreement and said, "By the way, can you let me go now? I''m not going to be able to help you in this position¡­"


    They stared at the enormous gate for a moment as they prepared themselves. A flood of Anima gathered and swirled around them like a raging tempest.


    Reed sighed.


    Back to work, I suppose. And here I thought I''d get a small break away from these damned monstrosities¡­


    "Well, go ahead, then. Let''s get this over with¡­" said Reed in a gloomy voice.


    Lu''um stepped forward and then made a pulling gesture as she drew on her Anima to empower herself. The massive gate suddenly started to groan in protest as it was slowly forced open against its will. Two gigantic slabs of pure metal eventually submitted to the overwhelming force that''d been applied to it.


    With a resounding boom, the gate had been forcibly opened. Two several-hundred-ton doors had been pushed open against their will, revealing what they had kept sealed for millennia.


    That was when they both saw what laid inside of Xibalba''s heart.


    "OH GOD, WHAT THE FUCK...!"


    "!!!!!!!"


    It wasn''t there.


    The Infested pupa was not in the central core.


    What they had found instead was a literal mountain of flesh, bone, and blood at least a hundred meters tall. Hundreds of thousands of corpses piled on top of each other so high, they''d reached the top of the Infested pupa''s containment cell.


    And the atop of the mountain of gore were two people.


    The Holy Pope and¡­ Sebastian.


    Reed stared at the macabre sight and wondered what kind of mess he''d gotten himself into. He''d already seen some terrible stuff since he''d arrived in this world, but this was unbelievable.


    The Pope grinned when he saw Reed and Lu''um and said, "Greetings, Holy Ones! I welcome you to my humble abode¡­ please, make yourselves at home!"


    He grabbed the skull of one of his former elder priests and used it to scoop up some fresh blood from his feet.


    "¡­Would you like a drink? I can assure you that it''s fresh¡­"

 98 Herald of the End

    "What''s the matter? There''s more than enough food and drink to go around for everyone, no? Don''t be shy ¡ª please, enjoy yourselves."


    The Pope toasted their arrival in his own twisted way and raised the mutilated skull he''d filled with blood in the air.


    "Do make yourselves comfortable, Holy Ones, for we have much to discuss¡­" He flicked his wrist and a revolting staircase made of compacted gore and bone came out of the mountain of corpses.


    Lu''um stared at the Pope with a chilling expression and said, "We have nothing to talk about, fiend. I see now, at last, why I felt such overwhelming disgust for you when I first laid eyes upon you."


    Reed clenched his fists in anger and said, "What did you do, you bastard?! I swear to god if you so much as hurt a hair on his head¡­!"


    Sebastian was unconscious, his complexion pale as snow as he hung on a crucifix made out of interlaced


    The Pope chuckled and said, "I''d never do something so boorish, Holy One. Who do you take me for ¡ª a mindless brute? I would''ve stood to gain nothing had I broken him earlier than planned."


    "Making him scream would''ve been a meaningless exercise if you weren''t here. A play is nothing without its actors, after all¡­"


    Reed reigned himself in and pushed his volatile emotions down the best he could. Now was not the time for rash, emotionally-fueled decisions.


    I need to stay calm, at least until I can get Sebastian away from the son of a bitch¡­


    All I need is one opportunity. Just one. I''ll definitely reach him¡­


    "What do you want? State your terms," said Reed. He continued to gather Anima into himself in preparation for anything that might happen.


    "Good, good! I''m glad that you''ve worked past your emotions, Holy One. It would''ve pained me to have hurt your precious friend here had you attempted something foolish and reckless," said the Pope with a smile on his face.


    He effortlessly fashioned three chairs out of corpses and beckoned Reed and Lu''um to join him to at the summit of the mountain. "Come, let us discuss the terms of your friend''s release and more¡­"


    Reed and Lu''um flew up to the summit and hovered above the mountain instead. They would not step so much as a toe on the mountain, not as long as they still drew breath.


    They''d be caught dead first before they disrespected the innocents who had died.


    "Oh? Not going to sit? They''re not people anymore, you know. It''s just flesh and bone ¡ª nothing more. Whatever worth they once possessed has already been extracted, anyway. Why bother feeling sentimental over a worthless pile of detritus?"


    The Pope bent over, ripped an arm off a random corpse and said, "Look, it''s just meat. It doesn''t have any feelings, dreams, or hopes."


    "Are you the one responsible for this? For everything?" said Reed.


    In total, roughly six hundred thousand people had died overnight. Even now, the outside world had no clue what had happened. They were still too focused on the tragedy of Lei-en, given it''d happened on the same night.


    No one knew what''d happened to Fourth Heaven after the attack because it''d locked itself shut. Information on what had happened there was scarce aside from the confirmation that it''d been attacked by an unknown force.


    And the Dragoncrest and Ashborn families? Only the inner family members had been lured into the death trap. Their mortal kin had been left alone in order to not draw suspicion. As far as the mortal kin of both families were concerned, nothing had happened at all.


    It was normal for them to not be in contact with the inner family. For better or worse, they''d escaped the fate that their talented kin had experienced. Both families had become hollow shells of what they''d once been and were now destined to fade into obscurity without their contenders and conquerors.


    The Elders, who''d labored for millennia with the Holy Church to conquer the continent, had finally met their demise at the hands of the being that had tempted them in the first place. They''d been discarded.


    "The Ancestor needed fuel, you see. Not for itself, but for the Divine Furnace, of course. Kindling was required. Unfortunately, this was supposedly not enough according to the Ancestor. Thankfully, the Divine Furnace has plenty of sacrifices living inside of it, as you already know."


    What the hell? Kindling? Fuel? I don''t fucking understand this guy''s nonsense at all. Crazy bastard¡­


    "What are you talking about?" said Reed.


    The Pope looked genuinely surprised when he heard that and said, "Oh? I thought you''d understand but it seems that you still don''t know, eh?" He laughed uproariously and slapped his knees in delight as he jeered at Lu''um.


    "How precious, indeed. But don''t worry though, I''ll let you handle it yourself when the time comes. I want to you do be the one. I want you to see his expression morph into one of pure despair and horror before your eyes."


    Lu''um stared at the Pope with an expression of murder and said, "So that''s what the abomination has planned. The audacity, the nerve of the damned insect! This will not stand, mark my words!"


    "Are you so sure of that? Disobey and he will die," said the Pope as he wagged the dismembered arm in the air in disapproval.


    Reed grit his teeth and said, "What do you want from us, then?"


    "You are to head to the Divine Furnace and meet up with the Twilight Children who have been sent there. As soon as I get word from them that you have met with them, I will release your friend. You have my word."


    Your word? That doesn''t sound like a bad idea at all, old fucker!


    "You''ll find that the girl will be with the Twilight Children. From there, you will obey the instructions given to you by them and in return, they will give you her at the end of your¡­ job, so to speak."


    The Pope lifted Sebastian off the crucifix and moved him closer to himself when he finished his explanation. "What say you, Holy One?"


    Reed raised his middle finger up in the air and said, "Fuck you, old man. That''s my answer."


    "Ssagnasa! F''aactha xuia''taftr un lftatha ang urra'' xuia''taftr su sha tsuftftnatt!"


    The world heeded Reed''s call and space froze in place the moment he uttered the forbidden words. It had caught both Lu''um and the Pope unaware ¡ª neither had expected Reed''s sudden move.


    Gotcha, bitch!


    Reed channeled his Anima and burst into action. He made an ultra-short void jump and popped out in front of Sebastian in record time. With a single swipe, he snatched Sebastian and jumped right back into the void.


    His heart pounded fiercely like a mad drum as he tightly held onto Sebastian with an iron grip. He wouldn''t let him go now that he had him, even if it killed him.


    Once the elder speech''s effects wore off, Lu''um and the Pope moved into action.


    Unfortunately for the Pope, he had lost his only card and he knew that. He had tried to rush toward Reed, or rather, Sebastian in an attempt to reverse the situation but it''d already been too late for him.


    Lu''um had caught him no more than a foot away from his original position. It had not even been a fight. It''d been more akin to an adult catching a stumbling toddler. She hadn''t even given him a chance to struggle.


    Oh, maaaaaaan... I would NOT want to be him right about now.


    The Heiress of Moon was infuriated and had already decided on how she''d punish the insufferable fiend for his transgressions.


    She''d decided on making him suffer in a manner appropriate for his crimes and knew just the technique for the job. Lu''um conjured a thousand razor-sharp needles and had them inserted into his skin, deep enough to reach his body''s nerve endings.


    And then, she started her execution. Currents of electricity flowed into the Pope, immobilizing him in excruciating, mind-numbing pain. He couldn''t even scream because of the fact that all of his muscles had been locked in place due to the current.


    He was slowly frying to death and he''d die sooner or later. Either his heart would give out, or he''d cook to death. But that wasn''t what she wanted. She did not want to give him a quick death.


    She had gathered Anima and used it to form a miniature bounded field of decelerated space-time around the Pope.


    Time flowed normally outside but inside of the field, time ran much slower. For every second passed outside, an hour would pass inside of the spatiotemporal bubble that the Pope had been sealed inside of.


    Lu''um had created a personal hell for the Pope, where each minute passed outside was the equivalent of 60 hours passing on the inside. Naturally, in such a situation, the Pope would have died with in the first couple of seconds, but she had prevented that herself.


    No, she wouldn''t let him off that easily. She forcibly healed him all the while he continued to endure the unimaginable torture of being cooked alive as all of his nerve endings cried out in agony.


    A minute passed. Then two. It became seven and later, nine.


    By the time the Pope had passed the twelve-minute mark, he''d already turned unrecognizable ¡ª charred black and steaming hot beyond recognition.


    Only then did she finally stop. When she realized the Pope from the bounded field, he immediately turned into a pile of ash and disappeared from sight.


    "Heaven have mercy¡­" said Reed as he stared at the lump of ash on the ground with a ghastly expression.


    The Pope''s death would mark the death of the last and final citizen of Fourth Heaven. Henceforth, the Holy Church was no more.


    The Age of Peace had ended that day with the death of the heretical pope.


    It would mark the beginning of something entirely different¡­ a period of upheaval in the Four Empires¡­


    The End Times.

 99 Shadow of Despair

    Out of the blue ¡ª during the middle of the day ¡ª without warning. It''d happened so suddenly that Velvund almost couldn''t believe him.


    For a couple of seconds, he''d even doubted his own eyes but quickly came to terms with it. They''d shown him enough more than proof to convince him, needless to say.


    The dubiousness of their tale had concerned him in the beginning, but now¡­ he knew that they''d spoken the truth. This was a time of crisis and if they did not act, the consequences would be catastrophic.


    After much deliberation, Reed had come to the conclusion that he and Lu''um could no longer handle the situation on their own. Had it just been dealing with the Holy Church and the Dragoncrest and Ashborn families, he wouldn''t have even considered getting help at all.


    But now, things were different. The situation had escalated way beyond his expectations. There was no time, and he would need all the help he could get if he was to stop the growing threat before it was too late¡­


    As much as it pained him, he put his pride and shame for the sake of the continent. He wouldn''t let his feelings put even more lives in danger. Every second was now a precious commodity.


    So, he had made his decision.


    He had to go home.


    When Reed and Lu''um tore themselves out of the Void into the Shining Nexus, it caused instantaneously caused a commotion amongst every contender and conqueror in the capital city. Anima surged and flared like a raging maelstrom across the city with their arrival in a way that had left them all stunned.


    The Prince had returned. He was alive and¡­ different now.


    Immediately, the royal guard moved into action and warped themselves over to Reed and Lu''um in a circular formation and created a perimeter around them.


    The captain of the royal squad said, "Greetings, Your Highness! I, Kellin, and the royal guard are honored to welcome you back home, Prince! Please, Your Highness, let us make way to the¡ª"


    Reed grabbed Kellin and said, "Where''s my grandfather?! I need to speak to him, NOW! Get word to him that I have returned and have an urgent matter that requires immediate attention!"


    He pushed the captain aside and said, "Send word to all able-bodied conquerors and contenders in this city to assemble at the royal spire, as soon as possible."


    "B-But my prince, you don''t have the authority to ord¡ª"


    Reed released a portion of the Anima he''d stored inside himself, frightening everyone in the process. It was as if they''d instantly been struck by a crushing tsunami of highly condensed Anima.


    He turned around and said, "Do. It. Now."


    It felt as if he''d locked eyes with the Grim Reaper itself. He''d never seen Anima react in such a hostile way before in all his time as a contender. It was almost as if it''d become a living extension of the prince, in a terrifying way.


    "Y-Yes, Prince! As you command!"


    Reed reigned in his Anima and said, "Good. If anyone tries to reject the summons, tell them that I''ll find them myself and drag them over to my grandfather so that they can explain themselves to him why they''ve disobeyed a royal order."


    "Tell my grandfather I''ll be waiting in my quarters for him," said Reed and then suddenly vanished along with Lu''um. They''d left.


    It wasn''t very long ¡ª a matter of minutes ¡ª before Velvund burst into Reed''s room out of the void with a concerned expression on his face.


    The moment he caught sight of Reed, a wave of relief washed over him and he said, "You had this old man up all night worrying, you know. Thank heaven the both of you are alive! Where have you two bee¡ª"


    "I''m glad to see you as well, Gramps, but unfortunately we don''t have time for pleasantries. There is much I have to tell you and we do not have much time left, so listen very carefully¡­" said Reed and he immediately proceeded to explain everything that he knew.


    At first, Velvund had thought that Reed had done something. Perhaps he had offended the Holy Church, or possibly have gotten himself involved with the incident in Fourth Heaven. That, he could handle...


    But what Reed had told him eclipsed anything he could have ever thought up ¡ª never in his life would he have ever imagined such a disaster.


    In fact, he didn''t want to believe Reed''s words as much as he trusted the boy.


    "Are you SURE about this? This too over the top, even for a grim joke. What you speak of is a threat to all of Mulia, son. Do you understand? I cannot stress enough that if you are ly¡ª"


    Reed said, "Fine. If you want proof, I''ll give you all the proof you''ll ever need. He tore open a spatial tear and said, "Come and see for yourself, if you won''t believe me¡­"


    When they stepped out of the void on the other side, Reed said, "Here''s your proof. I had initially planned to cremate them all but Lu''um stopped me. Told me that we should keep them here in order to prove ourselves should you have not believed us¡­"


    Velvund gazed at the towering mountain of corpses with a severe expression and said then uttered something in the Old Tongue that Reed could not understand.


    Perplexed, Reed said, "What did you just say?"


    "A prayer for them. An old tradition from my homeworld. We pray that the deceased return back home to nature and rest easy under the shade of the Everbloom ¡ª the ancestral tree that our race lived around when we first came to be in our world."


    That''s not going to happen and we both know that, Gramps¡­


    Reed opened a spatial tear and said, "I''m going to the North to alert them about the attack. It''s very likely that they don''t even know yet. I''ll contact you when I''m at the Reef with the North''s forces, Gramps."


    Velvund nodded and said, "I''ll start working on getting the forces in order while you''re gone and inform the South and the East about the situation. Even the King of Flowers will likely be forced to act in light of this crisis¡­"


    And so, they departed separately to take care of their own tasks, promising to meet at the battlefield. It''d begun to turn ¡ª the terrible wheel of war.


    In a matter of hours, blood would be spilled across the continent once again. The millennia-long era of peace that the Four Empires had would come to an abrupt end on this fateful day, out of the blue.


    The skies would run red with the wrath, and the earth would tremble in despair like in the days of yore. Such was the destiny of the continent.


    It would be a day to be remembered. One that would change the course of the North''s history in such an immense way that it''d shake the foundations of the empire¡­


    When Reed returned back to his room in the Shining Nexus he said, "How''s he doing? No sign of him waking up?"


    Lu''um shook her head and said, "No. I''ve checked him for anything out of the ordinary, but it seems that he hasn''t been messed with. It''s just fatigue. His lifeforce is extremely weak, presumably due to harsh conditions he''s suffered while he was imprisoned."


    Reed took a good look at Sebastian and noticed that he did indeed thinner than when he last saw him. He''d gained deep bags under his eyes, too.


    Must''ve been starving the poor guy, keeping him awake all the while. If he''s like that, then it''s highly likely that Astrid''s probably in the same condition, too. Goddamn savages, the lot of them.


    "We''ll leave him here, then. Let him recover here while we go out and take care of business. It''s time to go alert the North," said Reed.


    He opened a spatial tear and they disappeared together into a void¡­


    But unbeknownst even to Reed, it was already too late.


    Inside of the Reef, a multitude of screams resounded across Raku, the City of the Sun. There was nowhere to run, nor hide. The contenders and conquerors who''d been in the Reef at the time had put up a valiant struggle but even they, too, had fallen.


    There were simply too many of them, even for them. It was hopeless.


    By the time Infested Pupa''s swarm had reached the Reef, it had already assimilated another four cities into Infested. The monstrosity had already harvested over a million souls since it had left Xibalba.


    A million souls had been given new, grotesque bodies formed out of the Infested Pupa''s eldritch flesh itself. They had been turned into unwilling slaves and had been set forth on the Reef like a scourge of locusts, killing everyone they could find ¡ª adding to Pupa''s collection¡­


    There would be no salvation for the citizens of the Reef. They drown in the shadow of despair and would become Infested.


    And then, they would destroy as their master commanded... until nothing was left.

 100 Headfirst Into Storm

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 101 The Twilight Children

    I remember the day I was born. Even now, two-thousand eight-hundred and twenty-six years later, I have not forgotten. My memories are clear as day.


    He was the original. The only survivor of his generation, the First. He would become the template of comparison for all subsequent generations hence. All who followed after were, in fact, created from his own image to a certain extent.


    The First influenced the creation of the Second.


    The Second influenced the creation of the Third.


    The Third influenced the creation of the Fourth.


    And so forth¡­


    Although the First had the greatest potential of them all, being the purest of all generations, he was still an imperfect product. Still, he was the closest thing they had created to the original sample.


    A mother without neither face nor name. Born out of purpose, not love.


    A single lock of silver hair. When and where the Holy Pope had acquired such a thing was unknown even to the highest arch-priests of Holy Church. They assumed that he had presumably gotten before the Great Barrier War when the Gods still walked on the earth¡­


    How he had come into possession of it was a mystery, though. Not one they could solve, nor ask the Pope about¡­ They feared the consequences of digging too far into matters considered forbidden to the Methuselahian head of the Church.


    We are faulty keys. Imperfect forgeries. Unable to fulfill the purpose we were born for. Therefore, we are without purpose.


    He, who had been created directly from the original sample, still had not been enough to stir the object of their desire ¡ª the Divine Furnace.


    The Elders stirred on by the failure of the First, pledged themselves to solve the problem. They would slowly weed out any imperfections and develop a perfect replica of the Goddess.


    They would make their own deity. One that they could control.


    Such was the will of the abomination that had tempted them. It would take for itself the source of its enemy''s hope and crush it. Tempting the lesser creatures ¡ª exploiting their greed and ambition ¡ª was akin to child''s play for it.


    For millennia they had attempted to create a perfect vessel of from the sample, to no avail. The Elders had gathered the brightest minds from across the Four Empires by means of bribery, kidnapping, blackmail, and wedlock.


    Funded by the Holy Church, which was in possession of enough wealth to contend against the likes of the Four Empires and in possession of an army of scientists, scholars and test subjects, the Elders pressed on for centuries on end.


    In return for their efforts, seven successful prototypes of varying purity had been created.


    He and his siblings knew that they had been created to accomplish a singular purpose ¡ª it was what defined their existence. It was the reason they''d been born in the first place.


    What were they to do without purpose?


    They cared not for the designs that the Elders had about the world. In fact, they detested it to the bone.


    As far as they were concerned, a world ruled by the Elders would be a hell on earth for everyone involved. One of tyrannical oppression and suffering. They had seen ¡ª experienced what they were capable of at their worst. They had not forgotten the deaths of all their siblings.


    No ¡ª they would not obey, for they had their own grand plan for the world.


    With the almighty power of the Divine Furnace, they create a world of true freedom. One where they would finally be free, no longer beholden to their doomed fate. They would patiently wait and hope.


    That was what they wanted.


    He''d given himself a job to do. But now, he''d been dismissed.


    In the end, it was all for naught. We will never accomplish what we''d been created for. All the effort in the world spent for absolutely nothing to show.


    The Twilight Children, created from the Light to serve the Darkness were, in the end, a failed project.


    I had come to terms with this eons ago. Instead, I placed my hope on my successors ¡ª my precious siblings. They, who had suffered ¡ª endured the same unspeakable hardship ¡ª in order to survive the testing phase.


    That one of them would be the one to do what I could not do.


    By the time of the proposed eighth generation, the Elders had received word from the Ancestor that it would no longer be needed. That someone had arrived who could accomplish what they wanted ¡ª the real key.


    But even that faint hope had been taken from us. We''d been disregarded in light of His arrival.


    When Kanosis first laid eyes upon Reed, a part of him felt a strange connection to the boy. They all did. It was an indescribable feeling that they''d met someone special. Blood called for blood, unbeknownst to them.


    They knew of Him and who he really was. Heard from the Ancestor of the what the boy had done in the distant past. What he had endured and lost.


    It had inspired them. He and his siblings felt hope for the first time in ages. He could do it ¡ª save them all. Together with Him, they could create a paradise for the weak and oppressed. Drive out the evils of the world and usher in an everlasting era of peace and freedom.


    But it had not turned out as they had imagined.


    A disappointment. Half of a shadow, at best. He was not like the Ancestor had described him to be. How was someone like him supposed to save them all?


    Kanosis felt in his bones. He sympathized with the boy''s weary soul and what he had endured, but couldn''t accept him as he currently was.


    He was weak, unresolved, and incomplete. Even though Kanosis had anticipated this, he had not expected him to have been that different.


    Nevertheless, he was the last, best hope they had. If Reed was to save them, let alone fulfill his duty, he would need to push past his weaknesses.


    We did this not out of hatred, jealously, or spite. Never. But if he does not experience loss, how will he ever grow?


    We love our dear sister and would never wish for her to be harmed, but the situation demanded that we give him a strong motivation.


    We do this so that he will rise to the challenge ¡ª so that he may shine once again and drive away the Darkness from the land.


    They''d gladly play the villainous role if it meant that it would foster development within the boy. Of course, they would have naturally preferred to side with him as family, but that was not what he needed.


    Push him forward. Drive him to seek strength. Make him whole.


    That was their ultimate goal, but they''d been robbed of the opportunity. The situation had developed so abruptly that all of the plans they''d created to stimulate the boy had been scrapped.


    In the span of a single night, a half of year''s worth of preparations had been tossed aside. The Ancestor had made its decision.


    It, along with its newly created hordes, would assault the North and take the Divine Furnace for itself. It''d force Reed''s hand, one way or another.


    Either it''d destroy the continent to the best of its abilities or get Reed to submit to its plan.


    They had been tasked to wait in the Divine Furnace''s central core. There they would wait for Reed to arrive and force his hand to do what needed to be done.


    He would come. Kanosis and his siblings knew that Reed wouldn''t abandon their sister. They''d seen the raw fury in his eyes when he''d learned about the fate of the Extra ¡ª the one who was considered a reject.


    Even now, a small glimmer of hope still burned inside of them. There was still time left to reverse the situation. Kanosis and his siblings would not let despair take hold, not now. They''d faced worse odds before.


    In the end, Kanosis would do what he had to do for the sake of his family. He would not allow himself to lose another family again. They all felt the same.


    They knew that they were no saints. If Hell existed, they''d one day be sent there for their crimes. That much was certain.


    Helping the Infested was already enough to send them straight to the deepest layer of Hell. They were already beyond redemption in the eyes of the world. They''d accepted the fact that there was no going back from what they''d done. The world would never forgive them¡­


    But it didn''t matter to them. If it happened, they''d descend together and meet the devil himself with open arms.


    They had resolved themselves to do what needed to be done.


    They were determined.


    They would not fail.

 102 The Eve of Ruin

    An ill-timed reunion. This was not how he would have preferred to have met them. Not at the eve of what''d likely be a terrible battle to the death. The future weighed heavily on everyone in the room, for different reasons.


    It was all but guaranteed that the outcome of the coming battle would change the fate of the world in some form or another, regardless of victory or defeat.


    Things would change. The world would not be the same as it once was.


    A great unease filled the silent room.


    Reed absentmindedly raised the cup of coffee in his hands and took a sip. It tasted bitter. He grimaced and threw in a couple more sugar cubes into his cup. If there was one thing he genuinely detested, it was bitter coffee.


    Not because of the taste; he''d long since been accustomed to the taste of black coffee. He hated black coffee because it reminded of the past. It had inadvertently become associated with the life he''d lived before he had arrived in Mulia.


    It reminded him of the bleak outlook he once had about his life. The creeping weariness that arose when one''s dreams started to fade away into mist.


    "¡­I owe you guys an apology, you know. You were right. I should have listened. Instead, I insulted the three of you and brushed off your advice," said Reed as he stared at the pitch-black reflection of his cup. He couldn''t look at them in the eye.


    Astor sighed and said, "As if we were any better than you, Reed. We ran away. Scared of the consequences, we came up with convenient excuses and told ourselves that there was nothing we could do."


    "If recklessness is your sin, then cowardice is ours. Therefore, you need not apologize. We are all to blame. If anything, your efforts bore fruit ¡ª unlike the three of us who idly stood by and did nothing. You saved Sebastian. That counts for something," said Astor.


    Was he not a noble prince of the North? Was he not a contender, one of the Chosen?


    Astor laughed at himself in self-derision and said, "We are no gods, only miserable pretenders. For all that we have been afforded, we couldn''t even muster the strength of will to save two people. And now, we''ve been tasked to protect the realm from this sudden invasion? Unbelievable¡­"


    Horatio clenched his fists in frustration and said, "What can we even do in this situation? We are still grossly outnumbered, even if we have the Four Empires banding together for this operation. More than half of our forces are still out in the Shadowlands, completely unaware of what is happening right now."


    "But we have no other choice! Either we fight with what we have or risk letting the Infestation grow further than it already has. Had we waited, they probably would have set their sights on the entire North and then, the whole continent," said Ophelia.


    It would''ve amassed an army nearly a hundred million strong, capable of taking the continent in one fell swoop. At that point in time, nothing would have been able to stop it, regardless of whether or not the Four Empires were at their full strength¡­


    Lu''um grabbed another sugar cube, put it in Reed''s coffee and said, "The Will of the World chose all of you for a reason. I do not know for what reason, but it had good reason to do so. It would not have given you an Alma had it judged you unfit to bear it, even if you had been given the Mark of the Chosen. It has the final say in the matter ¡ª not the mark."


    Reed took a sip of his coffee and said, "I have no doubt that we''ll win. There will be losses, but this continent will live to see another day. We are duty-bound to do what we can for the people who have no power ¡ª that is the responsibility we''ve been entrusted with in return for our strength."


    "If you want to live up to the power you''ve been granted, resolve yourselves here and now to do what you must. Be better ¡ª make proper use of what you have been granted. If not, stay here and do not participate in the coming fight. You will not live to see tomorrow if you are not prepared for what is to come. The millions of Infested out there will not wait for you to gather the courage to fight. Falter in the upcoming battle and you will surely be killed."


    "Do not make attend your funerals. I have lost enough," said Reed.


    An alarm suddenly blared in the room like a banshee and a cold voice said, "Attention! The Eastern and Southern fleets have arrived! All conquerors and contenders are to report to the main bridge-hall ASAP and await further orders!"


    The time to fight had come.


    Reed and Lu''um stood up together and said their farewells to Astor, Horatio, and Ophelia before they left. When they stepped out of the room Reed said, "What do you think their chances of survival are?"


    Lu''um furrowed her brows and said, "Less than ten percent, at best. But you have to consider that they won''t be going alone. With a semi-competent conqueror as their captain, I suppose you can bump it up to twenty-five percent? Even then, they''re going to have to do their very best in order to get numbers like that¡­"


    The arrangement of the North''s forces had already been formed during the wait for the other fleets. Conquerors would be assigned their own squads of contenders to lead. Together, they''d be deployed onto the battlefield after an initial barrage by the fleet''s supercruisers.


    They''d been assigned to clear out what remained of the warships'' bombardments and push the offensive line forward to the Reef, where the heart of the Infested lay.


    The true objective of the operation was to destroy the unknown Class-A Extradimensional Entity ¡ª the source of the invasion''s forces.


    Reed felt the fluctuations coming from the ship itself and knew that it would not be long before the fight would begin. The warship''s Anima reactor had begun to spin faster ¡ª it was starting to power up in order to handle the load of maintaining its shielding, among other things.


    The Silver Winter had come equipped with heavy Anima-powered accelerator cannons capable of laying waste to scores of Infested at a time, something not seen on other ships in the fleet. The accelerator cannons and the warship''s experimental shielding required an enormous amount of energy ¡ª as a result, the ship was built with twin Majestic-class Anima reactors.


    It was designed as an ultra-heavy supercruiser at heart, one that could withstand a fight against multiple opponents in its class and survive. In essence, it''d been created to combat other warships in the event of a possible war against another empire. Of course, that was not what the Kingscrown family had said it was for when it''d been first unveiled.


    According to the Kingscrown family, it''d been designed for deep-range exploration into the Shadowlands without additional assistance. A titan of a ship that would be capable of venturing into the unknown regions of the Shadowlands in search of new Ancient Mulian artefact hot-spots. An exploratory ship, they said.


    Needless to say, the other empires never bought the excuse. They knew what it had been created to do.


    "Do you feel that?" said Reed. "I can feel the storm getting stronger, even from here. They''re waiting for us on the other side¡­"


    Lu''um nodded and said, "It''s going to be a tough fight. The abomination has had plenty of time to prepare for us. It is likely that it has already created defenses of its own."


    "Don''t think that it''ll be last time. You caught that one early when it had barely descended before it''d built any of its defenses. This one has already had ample time to prepare itself for whatever we have in store for it. These abominations become increasingly harder to kill the longer they had time to grow¡­"


    Infested Pupae were monstrosities that fed upon stars themselves for sustenance, after all. Once mature enough, they''d become nigh-unkillable leeches that''d drain the life out of entire planetary systems at a time. They would enclose space-time around themselves and their prey, forming a cocoon of warped reality, a shield of sorts that was almost impossible to pierce through.


    It would only release the shield until its work was complete or if it had been killed from the inside.


    Wherever these eldritch gluttons traveled to often went dark after they left.


    In that way, the Ancient Mulians had been able to plot the movements of the Infestation during the early days of the Great War. They''d track the disappearances of the stars in the night sky. At first, it had worked with great success but as the war raged on, fewer and fewer stars shone in the night sky¡­


    Until the day had come that there were no more stars.

 103 Not A Hero

    Inside of the enormous storm around the Reef, all manner of hell had been raised. The entire landscape had changed; what had once been a frigid, rocky coast had turned into something else ¡ª an unrecognizable hellscape.


    The blackened skies above crackled and wildly churned in pain as they spewed noxious fumes. Immense, terrifying cyclones formed out of the poisonous smog dotted the land, bringing with them the plague, chaos, and death.


    In return, a new form of life had arisen from the deceased land.


    Alien eyes formed of pulsating flesh had grown out of the dead earth and covered the land. Giant, lumbering shadows ¡ª some taller than mountains ¡ª made out of unknown energy crawled around the hellscape in search of prey. Even the mindless Infested larvae dared not to cross their path out of instinctive fear¡­


    But the most predominant was the scar ¡ª an enormous abyss ¡ª that stretched across the land like a rotting laceration on the land. It was impossible to see what lay within it, but the Anima fluctuations that came from it gave one a distinct sense of impending dread.


    And the Reef? Covered in a shroud of darkness, protected by an endless amount of Infested on all sides. The Infested ¡ª the poor souls ¡ª had now been tasked with protecting the place they''d once called home. Although enslaved, they were fully aware of what was to come and despaired¡­


    But the time had come.


    As soon as the fleets trespassed into the storm, it had begun. The entire hellscape came to life and started to assault them. Piercing rays of light struck the fleets, making short work of their heavily reinforced armor.


    It was akin to watching ice melt under the heat of a raging flame ¡ª the pulsating eyes on the ground would have melted holes straight into the fleets had it not been for the timely barrage from the rear fleets.


    Hundreds of cannons fired nonstop and peppered the land indiscriminately with three-meter wide superheated shells of iron fired at nearly a hundred and fifty kilometers per hour. The result was awe-inspiring to behold.


    Oh god.


    Reed gasped silently as he looked upon the destruction down below.


    Bright, blinding flashes of light consumed the earth, vaporizing everything in their path. A field of mushroom clouds rose from the ashes of the scorched land and blossomed toward the black skies above. Deafening, rumbling shockwaves furiously spread out and flattened everything for kilometers on end without mercy.


    They''d spare nothing for the Infested. The land was already dead in the first place, so it was pointless trying to minimize the damage on it. For all intents and purposes, it''d become a domain similar to that of the Shadowlands. That considered, the fleet-masters ordered that all cannons be fired at full power.


    Lu''um stared at the rising mushroom clouds and said, "That was a decent barrage, but it''ll only delay the inevitable. Those abyssal eyes will return before long ¡ª we need to pull them out by the roots if we want to properly get rid of them¡­"


    The Abyssal Eyes were part of a living root system that existed deep underground and could not be removed simply by destroying them at the surface. They were much like weeds ¡ª hard to kill and persistent ¡ª only by digging out the earth could they be removed at their source.


    They were a nightmare to deal with on planets that had been infected by the Infestation for an extended period of time. The more time they were given, the deeper the roots would grow ¡ª often time becoming irremovable save for extreme measures such as planet cracking and stellar drilling.


    Reed glanced at Haydn, who had been tasked to lead the North''s forces in the operation, and said, "That''s not our problem, though. Let''s head over to the maintenance port and get ready. At this rate, it won''t be long before they send everyone down."


    He trusted that Haydn and Velvund would take care of things out on the battlefield, even if he didn''t know who was leading the Eastern and Southern fleets. Reed was committed to helping them out in whatever way he could but he had his own objective.


    The Reef was his target. He''d come to save Astrid ¡ª only after accomplishing that would he divert his efforts toward the battlefield.


    Was it selfish of him to focus on saving a single person instead of prioritizing the greater good in protecting the world?


    Reed sympathized and understood that he was probably needed more here. If he and Lu''um helped the fleet, they''d probably save many a life in the process. He wished that he could help them out, but he had made a promise.


    He would save Astrid, even if it unintentionally cost him the lives of good people that he could have saved¡­


    Once they had cleared enough of the Infested below, the ground squads were sent down to clear up what remained, if anything. They''d follow the fleets from behind and eliminate whatever their barrages had not destroyed and their line forward.


    The front part of the fleet, headed by the supercruisers, would take the brunt of the damage and defend the rear fleet.


    The rear part of the fleet, mainly comprised of frigates and cruisers, would be tasked with the saturation bombardments, clearing out as much of the Infested as possible.


    The ground forces below, comprised of the Chosen squads, would clear everything that survived behind the fleets, so as to ensure that they would not have to worry about their backs and focus on pushing forward.


    Reed and Lu''um had been assigned to a squad themselves, but they would never show up. Instead, they had secretly moved into one of the maintenance passageways on the ship. They''d silently leave through one of the many access ports that mechanics used when they needed to enter special areas of the ship.


    In order to not alert anyone, they''d left right after the next bombing run before the ground squads'' deployment. The idea they''d come up with was to use the residual fallout from the bombardment as cover, same as the fleets themselves.


    They silently disappeared into the storm and flew away from them as fast as they could. In a way, they''d planned to use the fleets as a distraction. It hurt Reed to think of them that way, but it was the truth.


    Compared to the two of them, the Infestation was much more invested in destroying the fleets. They''d been given the perfect opportunity to head to the Reef almost unhindered save for a few nuisances. Abyssal eyes proved quite the nuisance to the pair as they flew and slowed down their speed considerably.


    They''d been forced to travel low by the ground, which was what the Infestation wanted. That way, they''d have to deal with the hordes of Infested that littered the ground. A ground war against the Infested horde was inadvisable, even for Reed and Lu''um.


    Millions of Infested proved a considerable threat but they''d already been in a similar situation before. Reed and Lu''um gathered Anima and summoned a flood of raging flame and light ¡ª just enough to clear a path to the Reef, but enough to attract too much attention.


    The last thing they wanted was for the Infested Pupa to notice them. They weren''t sure what it''d do if it discovered them and did not want to find out. Reed was sure that if it found out, the fighting would probably escalate and possibly cost them Astrid''s life, at worst.


    By the time the pair had reached the outskirts of the Reef, the fight afar had progressed even further than before. Reed saw that the fleet had seemingly been slowed down. The closer it got the Reef, the heavier the concentration of abyssal eyes were, among other Infested. Simply put, they''d reached an area of particularly heavy Infested activity.


    And it''s only going to get worse the further they make it to the Reef¡­


    Reed grimaced. It was going to be a tough, prolonged fight now. He didn''t know how long the fleet would hold but he knew that it wouldn''t be long before the first warship went down.


    Lu''um grabbed one of Reed''s hands and pulled him forward.


    He understood and said, "I just want to get one last look at them, okay?"


    "I understand, Ka''an, but we don''t have time. We need to go, now."


    Reed sighed and finally turned away from the raging battlefield. He''d made his decision and now he would have to live with it.


    I''ve abandoned the many in pursuit of the one. Forgive me, Gramps.


    The Reef, covered in a veil of darkness, suddenly shone as soon as the pair approached it, as if had been waiting for them. A beam of light broke through the sealing veil that''d been put on the Reef and struck the pair, dragging them inside.


    They''d left the battlefield... and the fleet to its fate. There was no going back now.

 104 The White Shore

    It was empty. Not a single living stirred within the City of the Sun, Raku. What''d once been one of the largest, grandest cities in the continent and a treasure of the North now laid in ruin.


    What remained only served to paint a terrible picture in Reed''s mind. Bloody, unrecognizable corpses, crumbling skyscrapers, and raging flames were the only things that the Infested had left behind after the massacre.


    Reed had visited the city once, not too long ago. It felt as if it''d been ages since then, though. When he''d first visited, he had been nothing more than a clueless fellow. He missed those times, when his biggest source of grief were his instructors, and not¡­


    This. This unrestrained¡­ destruction, cruelty, and loss.


    How he envied the past. It felt as if time was slipping out his fingers and there was nothing he could do to stop it. For all the power that Reed possessed, he still felt powerless. He could meddle with reality at will, but couldn''t seem to do anything correctly with it.


    He had a suspicion, one that he''d been fostering deep in his heart about Anima. It was raw, undefined creation ¡ª colorless and at the same time, capable of transforming into whatever dyed it, gave it purpose.


    That much he knew because of the hooded man in his dreams. He showed him enough that he was positively certain that it was the truth.


    And that was the most important part about it; Anima given purpose ¡ª directed by a will ¡ª created. It was the essence of all that had been and would be.


    Hence, his concern.


    If a will was required to create with Anima and all existence was and would be, at some point in time, formed from it¡­


    Where is the supreme being that created the world? God. The one who willed reality into existence and shaped everything that was?


    ¡­This multiverse should be, by all rights, its finest work ¡ª its magnum opus. A painstaking work of love, devotion and sublime skill, no doubt.


    How could it let this happen? Let everything happen as it did?


    He could not understand.


    Who in their right mind would ever let someone defile and violate their most precious work?


    Not only that, but allow others to tamper with it freely.


    Lesser beings, no less. The same beings it had created in the first place.


    Has there ever been a story where fictional characters in a book suddenly gained the ability to edit the very same book they resided inside of?


    Where they could change the script that the Author had written for them?


    Had this world been abandoned? Had the creator died? Was this some kind of test? Why would the creator allow such pain and suffering to exist if it was still alive?


    Something broke and Reed''s vision suddenly went dark for the briefest of moments.


    Reed vanished.


    Lu''um had a frozen, aghast expression on her face as she stared at the spot where Reed had been a moment ago. She looked like she''d witnessed something that should not have happened, much less been possible¡­


    Having realized the innermost nature of the world, he had unintentionally severed himself from base reality, which was muddled by the perceptive influence of the living and the dead.


    Simply put, he had done what should not have been possible. He had jumped off of the performing stage in the middle of the play.


    ...¡­What in the hell?


    A white shore ¡ª untouched by those who were born with the Veil of Obscurity, was an intentional obfuscation of the hidden infrastructure that supported reality.


    Reed had arrived at the boundary that separated base reality, where all things existed ¡ª the material multiverse, and the white shore, the Atelier of the Creator.


    The long and boundless sea near the White Shore was the boundary itself, the Veil of Obscurity. It was impossible to cross for those who allowed themselves to exist as a part of the whole.


    People who were influenced by the world into believing and accepting the fate given to them by their fellow men. Only those who were capable of separating themselves, individuals who''d had the capacity to accept the truth ¡ª the true nature of creation ¡ª could pass through the Veil of Obscurity.


    It was not enough to simply know the truth. One had to accept it for what it was ¡ª that was the hardest part.


    To see past the mundane and recognize the inner mechanics that governed the world. To understand the Creator''s vision of its Work and not be blinded by one''s innate nature as a part of it.


    Flowers of clarity blossomed on the Far Shore at the End of Eternity.


    A billion unanswered questions answered themselves for him in an instant.


    He knew who he was. What he was meant to do. Why he had arrived here. Everything.


    Ah, so that''s how it ends. What a mess, but in the end¡­


    His entire life story, from beginning to end, unraveled in front of him. Watching from the audience''s viewpoint had allowed him to see how the grand play would end.


    It was odd; he felt nothing, even though he now knew everything.


    Reed gazed at the endless sea and suddenly felt a sense of longing.


    She was waiting for him, scared out of her mind ¡ª rightfully so considering what he''d done. He didn''t belong here yet. There was still much he had to do and experience for himself before he could return here.


    But above all else, he did not want to live in a world without her.


    I suppose it''s time to return back to the stage and play my part, huh¡­


    Reed grasped the golden ring around his neck and said, "Take me back to her."


    The ring shone with a brilliant splendor that culminated in a blinding flash of radiance. It swallowed Reed whole in an instant and he disappeared inside of the light.


    He had returned before she even realized it, seemingly in less than a blink of an eye.


    The light of clarity granted to him had disappeared, along with all the knowledge he had possessed, for he had rid himself of it. Having it would only ruin his growth and hinder him from becoming what he needed to be.


    "¡­Huh? What''s with that expression, sweetcheeks?" said Reed.


    Lu''um hurriedly stammered out, "A-Ah... It''s nothing, I guess. How do you feel, by the way?"


    Reed shrugged his shoulders and said, "Terrible, I suppose. Look at what the Infested have done to the city. We need to pick up our pace and get Astrid as quickly as possible."


    He wasn''t going to give up on the people fighting outside just yet. If possible, he wanted to save them too. In the end, it would all depend on how fast they could take care of the situation inside the Reef first, though.


    Lu''um agreed and the pair set off into the ruined city, specifically to find the central core. Raku itself had been built around the entrance to the core, so finding it was not that difficult for the pair.


    An enormous fortress-spire had been built around the entrance, smack dab in the middle of the city that only a few people had ever been allowed to enter. It was an incredibly important place, after all ¡ª it was where the city drew the energy it needed to run.


    Reed had expected that they would''ve had to deal with locked doors, or perhaps some Infested guarding the entrance, but nothing of the sort when they arrived.


    If anything, the doors opened themselves for them. It was like they were being welcomed in by the Reef.


    At least it''s courteous ¡ª that''s good enough for me, considering I was expecting trouble.


    An elegant, regal altar awaited them past many a sealed door. It was one of the greatest enigmas to the North''s scholars. None had been able to activate ever since they had discovered the Reef thousands of years ago.


    They knew it was an active Altar and was properly functioning, but it would not accept any commands that were given to it. It was locked by some unknown means that frustrated the Northern scholars because they knew that it was likely protecting an unknown section of the Reef that they had never seen before.


    Space warped and blurred and before long, they had jumped somewhere else. A small hallway lay before the pair that led to a medium-sized gate made of gold, silver, and jade.


    The moment that the pair approached the door, it opened itself for them, letting them into the innermost part of the Reef ¡ª the central core.


    Reed let out a breath of relief. She was there, alive, although unconscious. Unfortunately, they, too, were there. The Twilight Children perked up as soon as they saw Reed walk into the core.


    "Welcome, brother! You''ve made it in time, not a moment too soon," said Kanosis as he gestured for Reed to step inside. "There is much to discuss and not much time left for¡­ either one of us."


    He was right. But truth be told, time had already run out¡­ for everyone. They simply did not know it yet.

 105 The World On His Shoulders

    "I''m open to listening, but only after you''ve given me Astrid," said Reed.


    The fact that they had not immediately tried to threaten him with her was a sign of hope for him. He preferred to not fight his way through to her, especially given how many of them there were.


    It was doable with the Holy Pope because he''d been alone but he did not want to take any chances this time. Still, he wasn''t too worried. As much as it exasperated him, Lu''um was in a class of her own when it came to fighting and manipulating Anima.


    She had battle experience and skill in spades ¡ª which only served to bolster her prodigious affinity with Anima. Reed had no doubt that if Lu''um wanted to, she could tear the Twilight Children into pieces with her bare hands ¡ª even without the assistance of Anima.


    He hated how unbalanced they were together in that respect. Indeed, it was incredibly comforting having someone as powerful as her beside him, but sometimes it felt unnerving. He wouldn''t be able to stop from doing what she wanted unless he played real dirty.


    Thankfully, she wasn''t usually a loose cannon ¡ª it was extremely rare for her to even care about matters that did not concern the Infestation or the Ancient Mulians.


    In a shocking display of diplomacy, Kanosis nodded and said, "If that is what you wish for, brother, then we''ll do that. It makes no difference anyway, in regard to her impending future whether or not she is with us, after all¡­"


    Huh?! ...I didn''t expect that he''d actually listen to my request! What the hell is going on here¡­?!


    I mean, it wasn''t like I was forward to fighting or anything, but still¡­


    Kanosis lifted Astrid with Anima and sent her floating to Reed just as he had promised. It was such a surreal experience that Reed almost couldn''t believe that it''d happened in the first place.


    He looked at Astrid''s tired, sleeping expression and said, "Why?"


    "To prove our word. Despite the troubling introduction we''ve had with one another, we meant no harm to you or our sister. We would never sacrifice one of our own. The matter was out of our hands, you see."


    "What we want is for you to hear us out at least once. We ask for nothing more than that¡­"


    Reed was skeptical but they had fulfilled his request. Were he to deny them of what he''d promised them, it''d go against his principles, even if he didn''t like them.


    "Well, whatever¡­ If it''s just that, then fine. Say your piece and then make yourselves scarce. Go live in some isolated corner of the world and never return back here again. Let be the final time we meet¡­" said Reed.


    He wasn''t in the mood to fight them since they''d already given him Astrid. It wasn''t that he''d forgiven them for what they''d done; he just didn''t care enough to carry the grudge now that he''d gotten what he wanted. His hatred for them had cooled down into a bitter indifference¡­


    Kanosis shook his head and said, "If we could have, brother, we would have done that long, long ago. But that is not what fate had in store for us. We are doomed prisoners, forced to do things we do not want to do... much like you in that respect."


    "Get to the point. I don''t have time to listen to you mope about your past. What are you talking about," said Reed.


    "The current dilemma we face is directly tied to our past, brother. It must be explained if you are to understand. Nevertheless, you are indeed correct ¡ª we have no time to spare. I will try to make my explanation as brief and simple to understand as possible."


    "To preface: Do you know who we are, brother? Or rather, what we are?"


    Reed shrugged his shoulders and said, "Nuisances?"


    "We are artificially created Mulians. Imperfect copies of someone special from a different time. Created to accomplish a single purpose, forever out of reach. Enslaved, we are forced to obey the will of the same monstrosity who created us, our Father the Ancestor."


    "¡­And she is no different," said Kanosis, pointing at Astrid. "She, too, is a child of the Ancestor and is, therefore, subject to the same doomed fate."


    Reed suddenly felt his stomach churn in despair and said, "What are you referring to by a ''doomed fate''?"


    "The Ancestor has a hold over our souls, brother. It holds our souls within itself, forcing us to obey it. Unspeakable torment awaits us should we disobey ¡ª the type that cannot be assuaged. Even death cannot save us from our imprisonment."


    Wait. That sounds a lot like¡­!


    "We cannot die a final death so as long as the Ancestor is in possession of our souls. Aye, we are much like the Infested ¡ª forever damned to exist in servitude until we are freed."


    Oh, my god. No, no, no, no...


    "Even worse, we live in fear the day the Ancestor will have no use for us anymore. We have no doubt in our minds that it will surely take us into the Dark and turn us into something less than human. I''m sure I need not explain myself any further, no?"


    Reed stepped backward and said, "You can''t be serious¡­ That''s impossible! If that were true, you would have turned into Infested the moment it took your souls!"


    Kanosis bitterly laughed. "Have you forgotten, brother? We, too, possess an Alma. The power of the Goddess''s soul is incredibly potent, even if we''re given but a piddling fragment of it when we become Chosen."


    "Had it not been for the Alma we''d been bestowed, we would have completely succumbed to the Ancestor''s will long ago."


    Lu''um grimaced and said, "I see now. The clever little insect found a way to bypass the security measures we''d put in place ¡ª it made its own keys."


    "Aye, we are faulty, misaligned keys. The Ancestor spent four thousand years trying to fashion a key for itself, one that would open what it desired most ¡ª the Divine Furnace."


    "Everything has already been prepared, even if it is a little bit lacking. All it requires is the ignition key."


    Kanosis sighed. "That is the sum of it all. We are tired, Heiress of the Moon."


    "So. Very. Tired. All we want is to be free. We no longer seek to reshape the world in our image or to save the world. We just want to be left in peace."


    When Kanosis bowed his head, his siblings followed suit and bowed.


    "The final decision falls onto you, dear brother. If you choose to defy the Ancestor, it will punish you. It will make you watch as she slowly turns¡­ and loses herself to the Dark."


    "Even we do not know what will occur if you activate the Divine Furnace as it currently is right now. It has never been activated before as far as we know. The Heiress of the Moon is probably the only person who can answer that question."


    Lu''um clicked her tongue and said, "I''m sorry, Ka''an. He''s right. Even I can''t do anything to help her in this sort of situation. Killing the Infested Pupa would free her soul, but who''s to say that it won''t outright turn her into an Infested the moment it realizes what we''re planning?"


    Reed stared Astrid with a forlorn expression and said, "What will happen if I do what it wants? What am I giving up? Tell me the truth."


    He wasn''t a stranger to what was happening. If anything, it felt all too familiar.


    He was being presented with a decision¡­ and every decision had a consequence. The question was whether or not he could bear what was to come.


    Lu''um shook her head and said, "¡­I don''t know. I mean it ¡ª I seriously don''t know what will happen if you activate it. I was given¡­ specific instructions to follow and nothing more when it came to the Divine Furnace. After all, I wasn''t the one who designed it."


    "What do you mean, ''I don''t know?''" said Reed in denial. "You know everything there is to know about this kind of stuff. You always have!"


    "I. Don''t. Know. You''re asking the wrong person, Ka''an. All I know is that the Divine Furnace is the culmination of everything that Xibalba had strived to accomplish. It was created to surpass the Infestation and win the Great War."


    "A weapon capable of turning the tides against the Grand Swarm that lies Outside. Needless to say, it would be the height of foolishness to turn it on, given what I do know. It is incomplete and is missing components necessary for it to work properly¡­"


    Either way, he would have to make a decision. Whatever path he chose, it would end up leading him to the same fate.


    The world would have its answer in the end. It demanded a sacrifice¡­

 106 The Twilight War

    Scorched and battered, the fleets struggled against the onslaught of Infested that had crawled out from the abyssal chasm.


    Even with the additional help of the Western Fleet, who''d finally arrived after the delay, things weren''t looking too good out on the battlefield.


    It was clear as day to Haydn that they had reached an impasse that couldn''t be removed with mere force alone. The Infested Pupa had finally gotten serious and had ordered for all of its forces to attack.


    In the span of less than a couple of minutes, nearly six million Infested had poured out the abyssal chasm along with a host of gigantic tendrils that reached for the crimson skies.


    Hordes of Infested latched on the massive tendrils that had arisen from the chasm. The Fleet-masters immediately understood the situation and had ordered their ships to retreat, but it''d been too late for some of them.


    Enormous tendrils made of rotten, pulsating flesh extended toward the heavens and coiled around several unfortunate cruisers who''d been too close to the chasm at the time.


    It was a horrific sight to behold ¡ª the way the warships were slowly torn apart by the Infested. The tendrils easily broke the cruisers'' hulls as they tightened their grasp on them.


    Astor''s face went white in horror as he watched everything unfold from the surface. To him, it seemed like the warships'' heavy armor plating were made out of eggshells, rather than reinforced titanium and altinium.


    A-Ah¡­! Is this what a real battle against the Infested is like?!!


    The warships broke open with a swift and resounding crack, revealing their contents. The Infested cheered with piercing screeches of delight and then begun their terrible, bloody work. Tens of thousands of Infested poured into the cracks in the hull without end, flooding the ship inside.


    Goddess have mercy upon us all...


    It was a quick and brutal way to go, suffice to say. Astor could not even begin to imagine what was happening inside of the captured warships, nor did he want to. The idea was too dreadful to contemplate.


    And as if to inspire an inescapable dread in their enemy''s hearts, the tendrils started to pull the warships down into the enormous chasm. The warships were dragged into the abyss, never to be seen again¡­


    "W-We''ve lost four cruisers in total, Your Majesty! The two of the Southern Fleet''s supercruisers have sustained critical damage during their escape maneuvers! They are reporting a sixty percent decrease in reactor output and loss of their weapon systems!" said the Chief of Communications of the Silver Winter.


    Haydn grit his teeth and said, "Hail the other Fleet-masters and get them on my private channel now!"


    The fleets had taken a heavy hit, but the beginning of their suffering had only just begun.


    Powerful beams of concentrated energy pierced through the fleets with the ease unlike before, crippling a handful of cruisers and frigates in an instant. They had all been struck where it hurt them the most ¡ª their Anima reactors.


    It''d been done on purpose, without a doubt. The Infested Pupa was not interested in destroying the warships outright, even though it easily could have. No ¡ª it was going to make them suffer, make them experience despair in all of its glorious forms¡­


    The warships burst into flames and fell from the sky like birds who''d been clipped of their wings. They crashed into the scarred ground below, no longer capable of moving. Infested on the ground screeched in joy as they rushed toward the crashed warship en masse with great fervor.


    The Infested Pupa would crush whatever Hope they possessed into dust. Make sure that not even a single mote of it remained by the time it was done with them.


    Only then would it be satisfied with itself. Simply killing and collecting them was not enough for it. What it desired was to break their spirit, above all else.


    Violett clenched her fists in pure anger as she watched Infested swarm over one of the warships in the distance. It was all too obvious to her what was happening¡­ and it made her blood boil in frustration.


    It''s playing with us now¡­ Treating us like we''re nothing to it, trying to destroy our morale!


    She gathered Anima around herself and said, "Change of plans! We''re moving forward to give the crewmen in the cruisers time to evacuate! All squads are to push forward to the designated location I have marked ASAP!"


    Violett understood it was imperative that they save the crewmen, otherwise it''d end up ruining morale. Abandoning the stranded cruisers was not an option because it''d give the troops the impression that all was lost ¡ª that they were facing an insurmountable enemy.


    Although she could not speak about the others, the conquerors and contenders of the North would not bend to despair. They would answer with fire and fury for what the damnable abomination had done¡­


    Once the other commanders saw the North''s squads head into the fray, they too realized what was at stake.


    The East''s ground commander, Velvund, nodded in approval when saw the North''s boldly rush toward the Infested swarm without fear and said, "We''re moving too! The East will not succumb to Despair today! We fight to light a beacon of Hope for all that would follow after us!"


    "We go not to die, but to protect our comrades who require our help! Stand firm, Children of the East, until the very end!!"


    His voice boomed like thunder across the desolate battlefield for all to hear. The East would meet the Infested and stand together with the North. The South and the West, inspired by Velvund''s speech, followed behind the East in tow, fully committed with their new cause.


    They would fight to the bitter end, no matter what laid in store for them...


    The fleets, recognizing that there was no escape from this fight, turned around and headed back toward the chasm that blocked them the Reef. They, too, would fight to the end.


    Were they to abandon their conquerors and contenders to their fates down below, all Hope would truly be lost in the realm. That, they could not allow, even if it cost them their lives.


    Hadyn bitterly smiled and said, "So be it. All ships, fire at will! Give our friends on the ground some help! The Silver Winter will take the lead from here on out and cover the remaining fleet until the end!"


    Who could have expected that at the Eve of Despair, Hope would rise again? Certainly not any of the souls present on the battlefield.


    The ground squads charged into the endless hordes and cast all manner of attacks against the oncoming wave of rotten flesh and bone. Miniature lights and explosions littered the ground below like fireworks, far up above from heaven.


    Warships sang songs of strife and fury in abandon as they rained molten steel onto the surface with all their might. The earth shook and the skies trembled as both sides fought each other without restraint.


    The Infested Pupa derisively chuckled when it saw what its prey had decided upon. It found them detestable, to such an extent that it could no longer hold its fury back anymore.


    Defiant. Selfish. Foolish. Weak. Ignorant.


    Even now they still held onto Hope, despite knowing that the odds were completely against them. How could something hold such blind faith? It could not understand.


    That was why it would forever be incompatible with them. There could be no coexistence between it and them.


    Infested heeded his call and charged with even greater ferocity than before, tearing into everything they could get their hands on, be it metal or flesh. The eldritch eyes continued their assault, melting away at the warships. Giants made of shadow pounded the ground into dust, indiscriminately killing everything in their way.


    The fight had reached a fever pitch and blood, ash, and dust filled the air. One could hardly breathe in without getting one of three in their mouth. Warships, Chosen, and Infested fell as the battle raged on without end.


    It was here where the Four Empires would truly be tested for the first time in millennia. The will of the Last Peoples of the World would be tested.


    Some in the future would refer to the battle near the Reef as the Twilight War because of the effects it would have on the continent. The secrets learned during that fateful day would never see the light of day, though.


    Only those who were present at the fight would ever know the truth about the Twilight War. What they had witnessed near the end of the battle would go to the graves with them under oath by the Four Empires¡­

 107 Metamorphosis

    It spoke a phrase in an ancient tongue forgotten to the world.


    Originally, the ancient tongue had been one of a certain race''s greatest achievements, one that united the whole cosmos together in rapturous celebration. A race that once ruled their multiverse and gone beyond their limits in pursuit of Peace, Love, Justice, and Liberty.


    They had found the beating heart of their universe, the Source of all Things. In simpler terms, they had found¡­ God ¡ª the creator of their reality.


    It was to be their defining moment, the culmination of all that they had labored and struggled for in the name of peace.


    Born in a universe rife with trials and tribulations, they had overcome the impossible odds pitted against them with the grace of their beloved God.


    An everlasting era of peace and prosperity reigned across the stars under their careful guidance. With their transcendent knowledge and wisdom, they set out to destroy life''s burdens ¡ª Sickness, Poverty, Hatred and even Death.


    They had delivered Salvation to a weary multiverse with their own hands ¡ª one planet at a time until their work was done.


    With their mastery concerning the matter of the soul and their profound understanding of the underlying mechanics that governed the world, they created a solution to solve all future conflict ¡ª The Elder Speech.


    A language formed from the union between the Soul of Man and the World. Henceforth, people would converse with one another on a level deeper than ever before.


    No longer could people be misunderstood or lie to each other ¡ª all was laid bare before those who heard and spoke the Elder Speech. It was designed at heart to facilitate understanding between individuals and the world.


    The Elder Speech connected the hearts of all beings, granting them an unfiltered, undistorted view of everything. They were free.


    Having done all they could for their home, they set out for greater heights. They wished to meet their creator and seek pursuits beyond the confines of their multiverse. It was known to them that other creations, other worlds existed with the Vast Outside. Worlds that they could help, and uplift with their power. A new purpose for them.


    So they decided that they would meet with their creator and ask for its help, as they could not bridge the gap between multiverses in the Vast Outside. It was a lawless, chaotic plane of emptiness that threatened anything imbued with the concepts of Order and Law.


    They, who had followed the path of the virtuous, gathered the brightest minds across their multiverse for this venture to meet the Creator.


    Assembled, the wisest sages, scholars, and thinkers of the multiverse eventually, after an eon of research, succeeded.


    They entered the Domain of God, the White Shore, at the end of eternity.


    And there, at the atelier of their creator, they found...


    The revelation was too much to bear for them. Even worse, the truth had spread across the multiverse in an instant because of the connection due to the Elder Speech. It could not be hidden, nor denied.


    Hundreds of trillions of living beings simultaneously experienced the event at the same time across the multiverse.


    Then, a single phrase was uttered by an unknown soul and it soon took hold in the hearts of the people.


    That phrase was...


    "Hope is the cruel harbinger of Despair."


    It was the embodiment of their collective suffering and it very quickly infected their hearts and minds. Changed them. And then, it gave them a new purpose...


    The Infested Pupa, in the middle of its life cycle, had finally grasped the meaning of the phrase it had been taught by its masters. Only those who had come to understand the truth would be allowed to reach their full potential and now¡­ the time had come for it to follow in its masters'' footsteps.


    A deafening howl of grief silenced all on the battlefield and froze them in place. It commanded obedience and demanded it from Infested and Men alike. The distinction no longer mattered to it anymore.


    The Infested shivered in terror when they heard the howl and then, in a stunning act that shocked everyone, stopped fighting. They no longer bothered with the enemy and marched toward the edge of the abyssal chasm in silence.


    Millions of Infested gathered at the edge of the deep, pitch-black chasm and then... bowed their heads.


    It left everyone speechless ¡ª never had they seen the Infested demonstrate such refined behavior before. They had always been little more than mindless abominations with an ending thirst for violence.


    Velvund felt his heartbeat erratically for the first time in nearly a millennium as he observed the almost lifelike display of emotion on the Infested horde''s faces.


    What in the Goddess''s name is happening? What form of devilry is this?


    A sudden wave of Anima exploded out from the chasm and struck the continent itself. It was so powerful that it could be felt across the Four Empires.


    The ground at the epicenter ¡ª the battlefield ¡ª started to shatter like fragile glass. It was borderline apocalyptic; the continent itself was beginning to fall apart as the chasm continued to grow in size.


    As soon as it happened, every conqueror moved into action and began to retreat. The fight was over. They opened spatial tears and tossed their contender subordinates into them, fleeing from the collapsing continental plate.


    It had all been for naught. The same stranded ships that they had tried to rescue fell into the growing chasm and quietly disappeared into the darkness below. They were gone.


    Only those who had been fortunate enough to have escaped into the void escaped the destruction of the south-western coast.


    The fleet-masters knew not what to do in this situation. How could they? Never before had they seen such a thing happen in all their years fighting the Infestation. This was not something that they had been taught to handle.


    There were no protocols or stratagems to follow for this situation. The fleets hovered above the immense chasm and simply waited¡­ for something to happen.


    Are they dead? Where did they go? What the hell was that explosion?


    These and a dozen other important questions pestered Haydn and the other fleet-masters. What had happened defied reasoning, but it did not mean that they could flee right now. They had to make sure that the Infestation was gone ¡ª only then could they leave.


    It would be highly irresponsible to retreat now, as much as they wanted to. Whatever had happened down there was their responsibility.


    Haydn grimaced and said, "All ships are to hold their ground for the time being. We will not be leaving until we verify tha¡ª"


    "Your Majesty, there''s an unknown transmission hailing us¡­ from below! It''s from the Azure Summer, one of our cruisers!"


    "Patch it through immediately!" said Haydn.


    When the audio channel opened up, a cacophony of terrified screams filled the bridge of the Silver Winter, but something was different.


    They were saying something, beneath their distorted screeches of pain and terror. The surviving crewmen of the Azure Summer had seen what had been reborn in the depths of the chasm.


    "RUNRUNRUNRUNRUNRUNRUNRUNRUNRUNRUNRRU¡ª"


    And then, it happened.


    From the depths arose the being that had finally reached the end of its life cycle and had become a fully-fledged adult. It was no longer a mere Infested but a true Avatar of the Outsiders.


    If the Outsiders were kings who ruled at the top of the Infested hierarchy, then the newly born Infested Adult was a prince. It was now second in command only below its masters in power and authority within the Grand Swarm.


    Two massive wings of flesh, bone, and Anima stretched out of the abyss, blotting out the sky itself. They were so large that it would take a dozen fleets to fill up the space of a single wing.


    A large shadow had been cast upon the North for hundreds of kilometers.


    With a single flap, they knocked the fleets and everything around them away, like the ants that they were. They carried or rather, brutally tossed away by the immense Anima wave that it had created.


    It had not been an attack; It had just stretched its wings for the first time. There was no need it to attack, anyways.


    Attacking implied that it was facing a foe strong enough to warrant its attention. That was the distinction it had made. There would be no fight to be had. They were no foes to it. The situation had already progressed well beyond that.


    A horrifying, yet beautiful creature emerged from the abyss as it shed its former shell made of gore and bone. With a mighty flap of its wings, it removed all of the filth that had once been its cocoon and flew out into the sky.


    It was pure and sacred. Even beautiful to the eye. Like an angel that had descended from Heaven to meet the masses. How could something so majestic and elegant be a part of the Infestation?


    No one knew.


    The only thing they knew was it would likely be¡­ their end.

 108 Salvation

    If only I had never taken the deal. Why did I take the damn deal?


    Reed buckled under the weight of what he''d been forced to carry. The decision he had been burdened with was beyond his ability as an individual.


    He wasn''t prepared. He wasn''t ready to handle the consequences that would come with making such an important decision. Not even close.


    This was a decision that should not have fallen upon a seventeen-year boy, of all people. The decision required proper judgment and a clear, unbiased viewpoint ¡ª something that he most certainly did not possess.


    For the first time in his short life, Reed felt the weight of a life.


    Despite having been embroiled in numerous conflicts over the better part of a year and a half, he''d never taken the life of another person.


    At least, not intentionally.


    Who was he to decide whether another person should live or die? What qualifications did he possess to make such an important judgment?


    His legs suddenly felt as if they were made of lead. He couldn''t move.


    As if to pressure him even further ¡ª force him into choosing ¡ª the fight outside had taken a turn for the absolute worst. Everyone in the control room had witnessed the dramatic turn of events and the destruction of the south-western coast.


    The fleet had been completely destroyed in an instant. The fight had ended. An angel had arisen from Hell to save the world and its people from themselves.


    "¡­What is it?"


    "An adult. It has severed the final tie that once connected it to the World and has chosen to walk down the path set by its masters. Think of it as a Child of the Outsiders and not an expendable pawn to be discarded like Infested you have previously fought," said Lu''um.


    It was a wholly unique existence, separate from its former brethren.


    It could no longer be described as ''it''.


    A clear and gentle voice suddenly entered the minds of everyone on the continent at the same time.


    "Hear me and listen, children of this hidden realm. My name is Sephira, Emissary of the Blessed, and I have come to free all of you from the unfair pain and suffering that your creator has burdened you with!"


    "No longer will you grow old and sick! No longer will you starve or hate! No longer will the curse of death take your loved ones from you! I have come to deliver you all to a better place, a boundless land of eternal peace and prosperity!"


    Even now, more than ever, Sephira believed in what she had said. She would save them all, even if it meant destroying the continent in one fell swoop. It was the responsible thing to do.


    Reed''s expression darkened when he heard the creature''s speech and said, "It has a name? Why is it trying to¡ª"


    Kanosis fell on his knees and said, "What can we do to help, Heiress of the Moon? Is there anything we can do to assist both of you in this task?"


    Lu''um grimly said, "No. There is little we can do in the way of fighting it ourselves. Even when we were at our prime, it still took a fully armed fleet to take one of them down and even then, the losses were still very severe¡­"


    "Most of the time, only a couple of battered ships would return to relay the outcome of the fight. That is why we actively hunted as many Infested Pupae as we could during the Great War. We simply could not afford to fight too many of these damnable Adult-forms."


    "......¡­" Reed simply stared at the large, obsidian monolith in the middle of the control room, unconcerned with the discussion.


    It had caught his attention. Felt like something was calling to him from within it. There was an odd pull that was trying to get him to walk, but he had stopped himself from following it. He was rejecting the call out of an instinctive fear that he couldn''t pinpoint accurately.


    The fear he felt came from the fact that he had glimpsed what his answer would be. What he would choose in the end. What he needed to do.


    He moved toward Kanosis and then handed Astrid to him without a word.


    When Reed walked up to the monolith, everyone in the control room stopped talking.


    "I know what I have to do, but I don''t know what will happen once I do it. I am fully aware of how I must sound like right now, but I can feel that I''m right."


    They were speaking to Reed in an unknowable cypher, relaying to him what he needed to do to activate it. To start the process. Beckoning Reed to touch the monolith and give it permission to begin.


    "Ka''an... Do what you must. I will be beside you, no matter what you choose to do. I have faith that you will make the correct choice," said Lu''um.


    She could not assist Reed this time, for she had no authority within the Divine Furnace. After all, she was not its master. It would only serve its creator and no one else. That was how it was built.


    The Twilight Children moved behind Lu''um, and Kanosis said, "We stand with you, brother, no matter what you choose to do."


    Reed had seen enough. It had shown him enough. He turned around to face everyone and said, "Go. Leave me alone ¡ª I cannot have anyone else in here when it begins¡­"


    He had lied.


    The truth was that he did not want them to see what was about to happen, especially Lu''um, even though she probably already knew. There was no way she didn''t know. Reed guessed she had lied out of pity.


    A lie for lie. That''s fair, I''d say...


    There was no going back from what he was about to do. That was for certain. It was cruel and unfair, but it was necessary.


    Reed put his hands on the monolith and then channeled his Anima inside of it like he had been told to do. The monolith glimmered dimly and burst into flames.


    It wasn''t supposed to be this like this.


    The flames quickly spread across the control room until they filled the entire place. It would not be long before the process would begin. A price would have to be paid for the activation of the Divine Furnace. It required special fuel in order for it to do what it was built for.


    Anima would not be enough. It required will as well to function.


    I was just trying to save two people.


    The monolith heeded its master''s order and spun into life. A tremendous amount of Anima suddenly started to swirl around the Reef outside, forming an Anima storm more than a dozen times larger than the one that had previously covered the south-western coast.


    It was the mother of all storms ¡ª a vast majority of the continent witnessed the formation of massive auroras of Anima that all began to converge toward the distant North. The world creaked and groaned under the incredible pressure that the Reef had begun to emit, to the point that cracks had begun to appear in the skies.


    Sephira looked at the cracks in the sky and felt overjoyed. Her plan had worked ¡ª the Divine Furnace''s power had begun to destroy the Heavenly Barrier. It would not be long before the walls cracked, allowing her to freely escape.


    She would destroy the continent, take all of the souls here, and then make her way Outside in a single move. The Divine Furnace, incomplete as it currently was, would likely suffer catastrophic damage because of the premature activation, too.


    Everything was going according to plan. She wondered how her masters would reward her for everything she''d done. Perhaps they''d even sanctify her ¡ª bless her with their powers, making her even stronger.


    She flapped her wings in joy and pushed Anima toward the Divine Furnace, speeding along the process. The faster, the better as far as she was concerned.


    For millennia, she had suffered at the hands of the Mulians in that underground prison cell they had built for her. She longed to be free once more, above all else. The culmination of thousands of years of planning had finally paid off.


    Anima continued to gather around the Divine Furnace and it shone brighter and brighter until it turned into a luminescent star. The Heavenly Barrier continued to break under the pressure until it completely shattered.


    The false sky shattered into pieces. Grim darkness had been laid bare for all to see across the world. The only thing that separated the continent and the Outside was the flimsy barrier that was the Void¡­

 109 A Price Paid In Tears

    Across the land, people silently gazed up at the empty void and waited for the end to come. There was little else that they could do. People hugged their families and comforted each other as they waited for the inevitable.


    Even the contender and conquerors that had survived could no longer see the Light of Hope anymore. They had struggled valiantly against the Infestation but it had made little difference. The disabled, broken warships and their crewmen were in no condition to fight either.


    Where were the Four Sovereigns? Why had they not come to defend the realm? In this time of crisis, where they had gone? Not once had they shown themselves to defend the realm during its hour of need.


    The four pillars that once united the world together had disappeared.


    Sephira longingly gazed at the void and shed tears of pure joy. She could not have been happier. Her plan had worked to perfection.


    The Heaven Barrier is almost gone! All that remains is that weak, outer shell and I can break through that myself!! Finally! Sweet, sweet freedom!


    Even in her adult form, she would not have been able to destroy the Heavenly Barrier even with all her newfound power. That was why she had required the assistance of the Divine Furnace. Had she not used its almighty power, it would have been impossible for her to escape.


    She would have been imprisoned for eternity inside of the sealed dimension even if she had wiped the continent clean of all life. Doomed to forever exist in an empty cage without a means of ever escaping¡­


    There was nothing to hold her back anymore. Sephira called out to the inhabitants of Mulia and said, "The time has come, my children! Let us rid ourselves of the shackles that bind us to this accursed existence! To the Great Beyond, we go together as one!"


    Sephira closed her wings as she gathered an unimaginable amount of Anima in preparation.


    A warm, golden hue began to shine off of them, illuminating the darkened world. It was almost like the people of the world were seeing the final sunset of their world.


    She would destroy the continent with a single, merciful strike and release them from their suffering instantaneously. That was the least she could do for them.


    The winged angel took a deep breath and opened her wings in a display of joyous celebration, bathing the land in her majestic radiance.


    "I, Sephira of the East, hereby release you of your suffering!"


    Overwhelming light flooded out of the angel''s wings and then...


    A lonesome voice spoke for all to hear and said, "No."


    Sephira''s cleansing flood of light was blown out of existence. It was as if someone had put out a flickering candle. An attack that would have destroyed the entire continent had been snuffed out with a single word.


    Impossible! How?! They never finished it in time! It should have malfunctioned as soon as the initial power surge coursed through it!


    She hurriedly scanned the continent with her Anima in a desperate attempt to stop him but could not find it. Never in her life would she have thought that this could have been possible.


    Had she been played? No, Sephira was certain that they had not completed it. After all, she had never divulged everything she knew to Mulians during her imprisonment in Xibalba. She had even fed them half-truths along with lies to hamper the development of the Divine Furnace...


    Sephira gathered Anima again and said, "Stop or I will proselytize her soul! I offer a bargain! Spare me and I will give you her soul along with all the others I have taken! What say you, boy?!"


    The lonesome voice let out a small sigh and said, "Be still."


    She suddenly froze in place, unable to move. Not even Anima had been spared ¡ª it, too, had been forced into stasis along with her ¡ª turning the winged angel into a beautiful statue of glowing, static light...


    It was then that it happened.


    At first, it had been nothing more than a twinkling dot of light in the shattered, pitch-black canvas that had once been the sky.


    But it kept growing as it descended. For every second that passed, it grew larger and larger until it had become the sky itself.


    It had shrouded the entirety of what could be considered the sky, but even that was not enough to see all of it. Not even remotely close.


    What had descended was... a single, luminescent arm of indescribable size.


    From with the depths of the Void and beyond, it had come down upon Mulia.


    Two fingers descended upon the continent, which was like a single grain of sand to it in comparison, and then ¡ª defying understanding ¡ª picked up the frozen angel in a mind-numbing display of finesse and delicacy.  The arm took its prey and swiftly pulled out its frozen prey into the void with a single, fluid movement.


    "Be sealed."


    The sky reformed under command by the formless voice and the void quickly disappeared as the world continued to repair itself. A wave of Anima resounded across the continent when the sky finished repairing and bathed the lands with a blessing of protection and healing from the unknown entity.


    Silence reigned supreme as people stared at the shining, clear-blue sky in disbelief.


    The fight had ended...


    Deep within the void, a single boy cried out in grief as he cradled a tiny, fading speck of light in his hands. Its essence ¡ª the unique will held within it ¡ª had begun to disappear.


    It was being taken into the Divine Furnace, where it would join the Grand Collective of Wills and would serve to empower the almighty device in perpetuity.


    Such was the means by which the Divine Furnace grew stronger ¡ª by taking souls and removing them of the essence that gave them their unique spark of life.


    Their will to live. To survive. To desire. To dream. To struggle.


    It siphoned that which made them alive. What made them creations with color, shape, and meaning.


    Without their will, one would turn into nothing but a faint shade of they once were. They would become unrecognizable ¡ª they would lose what made gave them definition to the world.


    If the individual had their will taken from them while they were alive, they would become hollow husks of what they had once been, never to awaken ever again.


    The flesh was merely a vessel for the soul, after all. As such, a vessel with a hollow soul was akin to not having a soul in the first place...


    Millions of precious, unique lives had been sacrificed in order to kick-start the Divine Furnace ¡ª to create a spark for the dormant relic.


    The Divine Furnace took everything that Sephira had collected for itself. It had purified whatever had been tainted and then extracted it of its essence ¡ª added their wills to the Grand Collective, the conglomeration of everything that had been added to it over an unknown period of time.


    The people of Fourth Heaven.


    The people of the Ashborn and Dragoncrest families.


    The people of Raku, the City of the Sun.


    The citizens of North who had lived in the south-western region.


    The noble contenders and conquerors who had perished during the battle.


    The Twilight Children who had been nothing more than unfortunate pawns.


    And...¡­


    A cry of grief filled the empty void as one lonesome boy held a lifeless figure in his arms. It would no longer stir nor wake, no matter how much he wished for it to happen.


    Even he, who had reached a state befitting of a demiurge for a moment, had not been able to reverse what had been done.


    Her Will would now forever exist within the Divine Furnace as a part of it, so long as he existed.


    The almighty construct had found its true master and would now coexist within him, waiting for the day he would take center stage and do what needed to be done.


    To fulfill the covenant he had formed an age and life ago....


    Thus, the day had ended. The Twilight War had concluded.


    In total, approximately 7.8 million people died during the tragic incident and resulted in damages totaling upwards of 2.3 trillion credits. In a single day, 8% of Mulia''s population died.


    It was reported that in total, 1,379 contenders and 1,570 conquerors ¡ª nearly 20% of the Four Empire''s Chosen ¡ª had died protecting the continent. Every warship that survived the conflict was rendered inoperable, unfit for duty.


    A devastating loss that would surely cripple the Four Empires for centuries, perhaps even millennia depending on how well the empires recovered¡­


    The people of Mulia did not sleep that night. They couldn''t¡­ not after what they had witnessed.


    Some prayed. Some cried. Others drank. Did their best to cope with the losses as best they could. That was all they could do, Chosen or Mortal alike¡­


    The three moons in the night sky silently observed as two figures descended upon the world in secret and shone brighter in their presence.


    They wished for nothing but peace for them but knew that was not written in their fates.


    No, they would have to struggle and suffer¡­ that was their fate.


    Until their work¡­ was done.

 110 His Painful Immaturity

    A lone boy silently observed the world atop a bed of passing clouds and hummed an old, familiar tune he hadn''t sung in ages.


    It looked different to him now. Much smaller and more fragile. Where he had once seen majestic peaks, valleys, forests, and rivers, he now saw the impasto of the world, the beautiful texture of the physical world.


    He turned his head toward the ever-distant North. The effects of his actions had forever changed it. The endless winter that had once plagued the land had been dispelled. Spring had finally come for the North after nearly four thousand years of winter, thanks to his meddling.


    But that wasn''t what he was interested in. He gazed at a certain area of deceased, crumbling land. That parcel of joyless earth would never harbor life again.


    It had not healed one bit, even with the blessing he had given it. The damage done to it had been too severe. That area would have to be replaced with something brand new; it could not be repaired.


    Much had been revealed to him when he bonded with the Divine Furnace. He had gained a piece of what he had once lost, a missing fragment containing a reservoir of memories and knowledge.


    With his newfound knowledge and power, he could have created new land for the North but had decided against it. With the assistance of the Divine Furnace, he could accomplish what others could only dream of doing. That much was for certain ¡ª it was, for all intents and purposes, a transcendent tool.


    But the power granted by the Divine Furnace did not come without a cost. A heavy price would have to be paid every time it was used.


    It was not such a convenient tool. The sun would not rise above the horizon without a sacrifice. Souls, stars, and prayers would have to be offered to the Divine Furnace for it to function as intended.


    Such was the relationship between Man and God. There would always be a give and a take between the two. Always.


    As a result, he rejected the idea of creating something new. He would not use the Divine Furnace if it meant taking from the people of the world. They had lost enough.


    The world doesn''t need something like that, anyway. They will remember.


    What had happened would forever exist as a scar in the hearts and minds of the people ¡ª it was, therefore, meaningless attempting to fix the damage on the land. If anything, it would''ve been an insult to them had he tried to erase what had happened in the North¡­


    The world had changed and he, too, along with it. He had come to realize what he was capable of doing now.


    I''m a threat to this world given what I can do now. I, alone, caused all of this destruction and misery. The fault lies with me.


    It was a hard pill to swallow, but he couldn''t run away from it. He had to accept that he was directly responsible for everything that had happened. The deaths of millions ultimately fell on his hands.


    I made the decision with my own free will. I took her life along with millions of others and used them without permission.


    Even if he''d done it to protect the world, it didn''t take away from the fact that he had selfishly sold their lives away. He had no right to do what he had done.


    Those lives were not his to take. He had no ownership over them, nor had they willingly volunteered themselves as sacrifices.


    What he had done was an act of tyranny, plain and simple. An evil act.


    No different from what the Infestation does to people.


    That wasn''t who he was or what he wanted to represent. He comprehended the power he possessed and wanted to be worthy of it. Needed to be. If not, it would only consume him ¡ª corrupt him until he became no different than the Infestation.


    That I will NOT allow. I will kill myself before I ever let that happen. This multiverse will not have another tyrant oppress it, not while I still breathe¡­


    He kept reminding himself that above all else, he was still mortal beneath the power he had gained.


    A Man and not a God.


    As a mortal, he was not above the ethics and morals set by his fellow Men. The laws that governed the world ¡ª made by Men ¡ª still applied to him.


    Perhaps God was exempt from the Laws of Man, but he was not. At least, not yet¡­


    As such, he had come to the conclusion that he had committed several crimes. If he was to belong with the people down below, he would have to answer for what he had done to the world.


    The lives he had taken and the destruction he had brought upon the world.


    The selfish misuse of the power he had been given for his own purposes.


    A reckless, selfish murderer who tried to play the role of the hero.


    That is what I am.


    He would have to tell everyone the truth. Velvund, Haydn and¡­ Sebastian were owed that much. They deserved to know.


    If I am to live beside them, I must tell them the truth. That is the correct thing to do.


    Sure, it would be much easier to not say anything or to lie. He was positive that if he wanted to, he could easily get away with what he had done. No one would ever know the truth.


    But that wasn''t who he wanted to be. He didn''t want to be a coward and a liar.


    He wanted to be worthy of the immense power he possessed. Not for the sake of the world or for some inane, personal reason like his pride.


    No, he wanted to be worthy of it because of the¡­ regret he felt.


    I''ve completely forgotten who I was¡­ What I still am, even now.


    Just a man¡ª no, a stupid boy.


    That was my greatest mistake.


    He had come to realize that he was woefully lacking and ignorant as an individual. He was not mature enough to properly handle the power that he had been bestowed and because of that, many people had suffered and even died¡­


    His immaturity had cost many a life and caused untold suffering across the world.


    The worst part of it all was that every single person he had met ¡ª everyone who cared for him ¡ª had warned him about this. They had all warned him that his rashness would only lead to trouble. That he was not thinking things through all the way, letting his emotions get the best of him.


    The allure of his powers had entranced him, made him believe that he was, in fact, a God. He had even escaped death a second time. Drunk on power, he had prematurely come to the conclusion that he was some kind of blessed or cursed individual ¡ª a special being with special privileges¡­


    I couldn''t have been more wrong. How could I have been so stupid?


    He wasn''t special. He wasn''t a hero. Some kind of¡­ chosen one like in the fairy tales he used to love reading as a child.


    This was the real world. With real people and real consequences.


    There were no coincidences or strokes of luck. It was all being paid for by someone, somewhere.


    It had finally dawned him¡­ that someone had to foot the bill for his actions.


    The image of long, golden hair like wheat flashed past his eyes like a phantom vision. Her beautiful visage vanished as soon as it arrived and disappeared back into the depths of his mind.


    She was gone.


    Flowing, black hair like night brushed past the corner of his peripheral vision and he hurriedly turned as if to chase it. He knew that it was all but it an illusion but even so, he could not stop himself from turning.


    She was gone, too.


    They were both gone.


    What would he say that her once he returned back to Citlai? That he had failed to uphold the oath he had sworn to her? That he had left the person he was supposed to save, die? That he had murdered her? That was responsible for the slaughter of millions of innocents?


    What was he supposed to tell Sebastian once he woke up? That he had killed the only person he cared about in order to protect the world? That there was nothing he could have done? That he was sorry?


    An indescribably painful sensation stirred in his chest and he bit his lips.


    All was well in the world. The slowly rising sun had already risen past the horizon ¡ª another day had arrived, as promised.


    People would mourn for the lost and rebuild what had been destroyed.


    Life would continue and so the people. As long as the sun rose past the horizon again, they would keep moving forward.


    Thus, he would too ¡ª one step at a time. Painful as it may be, he would have to move past his mistakes.


    He had to. There was too much at stake to not move forward¡­

 111 The Weight of His Karma

    Having made up his mind about what he needed to do, Reed had sent out a summons to a select few ¡ª the people he trusted the most and those who needed to hear the truth.


    Velvund. Haydn. Violett. Sebastian. Astor. Horatio. Ophelia.


    They had been instructed by Reed to gather in the abandoned ruins of an Ancient Mulian city in the North that had been lost to time.


    It''d been one of the many cities that had fallen during the Great Barrier War in defense of the continent thousands of years ago. Soon after, what little remained of the former metropolis had been buried under an eternal layer of ice and snow for millennia... until now.


    Reed felt his stomach churn in dread when he noticed their arrival and took a long, deep breath.


    You have to tell them. You have to do it. You owe it to them. Do it.


    Lu''um tightly grasped one of Reed''s hands and said, "You can do it, Ka''an. I will be beside you the entire time. ¡­Come, let us go and greet them."


    When Reed saw Astor, Horatio, and Ophelia he nearly lost the will to step forward.


    An eye-patch covered Horatio''s right eye along with a jagged scar on his face. Astor had fared better in the sense that he had only suffered a broken arm and shoulder. Ophelia seemed the least hurt of the trio, even though her arms had been completely covered in gauze.


    From what he could tell, the blessing he had given them had worked as intended. Reed had purposely cast it for this purpose ¡ª to ensure that the contenders who survived the battle would not end up crippled.


    Conquerors ¡ª if they reacted fast enough ¡ª could purify and heal the toxic wounds they had sustained in battle. Contenders could do it as well¡­ but not at the same speed as their superiors. A wound that a conqueror could heal in seconds would take minutes for a contender to heal themselves with their abilities.


    During a real fight against the Infestation ¡ª against the endless hordes of Infested ¡ª wounds that like that were common. That was why contenders were usually forbidden from participating in large-scale operations.


    In fast-paced and extremely chaotic fights such as those ¡ª like the battle at the Reef ¡ª contenders were all but guaranteed to a painful death.


    Were it not for Reed''s blessing, nearly every contender that survived the fight would have likely died not too long after from their wounds or poisoning. He knew that the continent would not have been able to afford losing its future pillars of support, so he had intervened for the sake of the future...


    When Reed and Lu''um dispelled the obfuscating veil they had cast upon themselves, their guests noticed the Anima ripple it had created in the air.


    They turned toward the disturbance and finally saw the one who had summoned all of them here. He had a weary, solemn expression on his face as he walked toward them in tow with his ever-enigmatic partner.


    It seems that a couple of fellas have followed them here, huh. They seem like bodyguards from the look of their uniforms. Why bring them here?


    Reed snapped his fingers and then¡­ everyone vanished in an instant.


    The hidden squad of conquerors hurriedly rushed onto the scene, frightened by what they''d just seen happen. It''d happened so fast.


    Needless to say, everyone present had been stunned speechless. Never before had they seen, nor heard of someone performing such a feat before. They''d been dragged into the void with a single snap of his fingers.


    His figure seemed to blend in well with the empty void, as if he''d become a part of it. He suddenly seemed much more distant to them all.


    "There''s no need to worry about the negative effects of the void. I have anchored your souls to mine. You will not fade away so as long as you remain under my protection," said Reed.


    "It''d be rude of me not to offer all of you a proper place to relax. Come with me..."


    As soon as he finished his sentence, the void trembled and a colossal sphere of light descended onto the empty landscape.


    "Into the Reef."


    A secluded courtyard filled with soft, golden light and old, blossoming trees awaited them. It was the place of peace where the departed had been laid to rest. They would forever be allowed to sleep here, undisturbed until the end of time...


    At first, Reed found it hard to speak. He knew what he needed to say, but the words wouldn''t come out of his mouth, so he started from the beginning and recounted his way from there.


    The fight that he and Lu''um had gotten themselves into against the Holy Church.


    Little by little, he continued regaling what he had gotten himself into, what he had done.


    Their desperate struggle against the Grand Swarm to fix what they had caused and¡­ the consequences of their actions. Lei-den.


    Slowly but surely he was making his way down. A slow descent into the truth.


    About Xibalba and what the Ancient Mulians had done in the bowels of Hell. The Devil that they had caught and sealed in secret.


    What the Ashborn and Dragoncrest families had discovered long ago. The forbidden pact that they had made along with the Holy Church with the abominable entity.


    Again and again. Digging out the words he needed to say, piece by piece.


    The miserable fate of the Twilight Children had been born with and the reason they''d been created for ¡ª the Reef.


    What the sealed devil had been planning to do from the very beginning. How it had blackmailed him to get what it wanted and...


    And then, he reached the very bottom.


    How he had used the Four Empires for his personal reasons. Used them all as bait. His selfish desire to play the hero. The price he had paid to end the fight and¡­


    What had been lost in the process.


    Most did not know what to say to what they''d heard. They''d been left without words.


    But one of them did. He knew exactly what he wanted to say.


    Reed had seen it coming. He could have dodged it but had chosen not to.


    A fist struck Reed square in the face and knocked him clean off his seat. Sharp pain assaulted him in waves as he cradled his bruised face. The all too familiar taste of iron filled his mouth but he didn''t care.


    "¡­I know why you did what you did. I get it. And I, too, equally am to blame¡­ but I still can''t forgive you... Nor will I ever..! Because of you, I have NOTHING left!"


    Reed lifted himself off the ground and said, "...I''m sorry, Sebastian."


    "I don''t need your goddamned apology!! Just¡­! Give me my sister and never bother me again. Please."


    "I understand." He flicked his hands and a large, silver door opened in the distance far away from the courtyard near the edge of a small forest. It was the resting vault where he had placed her to rest.


    "She''s in there. I''ve also placed an exit inside the vault for you to use. You''ll end up in a small town in the East that has a working altar so you can¡ª"


    Sebastian had not even waited for Reed to finish his explanation. He simply brushed past Reed, not even deigning to look at him and walked toward the resting vault in silence.


    Reed gazed at Sebastian''s shrinking, lonely figure and then looked away. He couldn''t bear looking at him anymore, otherwise, the sight would forever become scarred in his mind.


    Lu''um stood up and put one of her hands on Reed''s swollen cheek, but Reed stopped her before she could begin healing the wound. He grabbed her hand and softly shook his head¡­


    "That''s the whole, real truth. I, alone, am responsible for the tragic events that have beset this previously peaceful world as of late. I have recklessly endangered the continent and¡­ caused an untold amount of suffering¡­"


    Reed stared at Velvund and Haydn with a serious expression and said, "Suffice to say, I have committed too many crimes to not be punished. I took the lives of your citizens, your Chosen, and even a part of the land itself. By all rights, I should be probably the worst criminal in history, only below the likes of the deranged Holy Pope, the Ashborn and Dragoncrest families..."


    "¡­and the Infestation."


    He picked up his fallen chair with a bitter smile and said, "Everything that has happened has been my fault. The result of me trying to half-assedly fix what I had messed up previously. A chain of failures and mistakes that, in the end, created a tragedy ¡ª one that could have been prevented had I listened to the counsel of my betters, people wiser than I¡­!"


    Reed took a deep breath and said, "So I have gathered all of you here to decide what I should be done."


    "What should I do to atone for what I have done? What punishment should be given to someone such as myself? What would the North and the East have done to me in return for what I have done to them?"


    He had asked the questions he wanted answered to the wisest people he knew. The same people he had let down with his actions. It hurt him the most knowing that he had betrayed their expectations.


    Reed waited for an answer. His judgment. What he desired most, but could not obtain himself.


    The courtyard remained silent for what seemed like an eternity for Reed, but eventually...

 112 Epilogue: The Last Sunse

    He finally got an answer from them. Their judgment on his crimes.


    Velvund and Haydn understood. They knew what the pitiful boy desired and why he had admitted his "crimes", as the boy had called them.


    They''d come to the conclusion that he would never listen to them. That he''d never accept what they really wanted to tell him ¡ª that the blame did not lie solely his shoulders as he had claimed.


    That they, in fact, understood that he was not as terrible as a person as he thought himself to be¡­


    He had erred. They wouldn''t deny or excuse what he''d done because of the relationship they possessed with him, but they knew he was no villain. What had happened was simply the unfortunate result of many ill-timed elements.


    A pure and noble intention.


    Youthful naivety and temptation.


    The intoxicating allure of overwhelming power.


    It was obvious to them what had happened to the boy. They''d once been in his shoes a long time ago. As a result, they could not find it in themselves to punish him the way he wanted them to.


    Of the two, Velvund had been hurt the most. It pained him in a way that could not be described.


    He had not been able to keep the promise that he''d made to the boy.


    History, once again, had repeated itself. What Velvund feared the most had occurred in the end. He had failed the boy.


    He could not blame the child for what he had done. He, of all people, had no right to do so¡­


    In the end, it was Haydn Kingscrown who had made the call since Velvund had been unable to.


    Out of mercy for the pitiful, foolish boy, the Crown Prince of the North did the only thing he could do for him¡­


    He gave the boy what he wanted.


    A punishment befitting for the sins the boy thought he had committed.


    Henceforth, he would be declared dead in both the North and the East.


    By the end of the day, the North would announce that the Lord of Evergreen had died in battle. Following suit, the East would do the same and confirm that the Stainless Prince had died.


    That was the cover story that they had decided to use for his punishment.


    For his crimes, Reed had been banished from the North and the East.


    Reed was to never set foot in the lands of Men or Alf. He was not welcome in them, nor would he ever be again¡­


    In reality, they could not enforce such a punishment on him, but it didn''t matter. Deep down, Haydn and Velvund both knew that Reed would honor the punishment. It was what he desired.


    He would not break the word he had given them when he accepted the punishment.


    Thus, the time had come to depart. Reed made peace with the decision and decided to get his affairs in order. He didn''t have a lot of time left, after all.


    He had decided to get a couple of words in with the person who had taken care of him when he had first arrived.


    It felt like an eternity since he''d last spoken to the old goat...


    Reed never thought the day would come when he''d return to the Spire.


    The scenery had completely changed around the Spire. Life had begun to grow where there had once been only snow and ice. A brand new era of growth had come for the North that he would never witness ¡ª that alone hurt him inside.


    It''s no longer the Spire ¡ª the North I once knew.


    When he walked into the Spire, he smiled. It was all still the same as he remembered, down to the last little detail. He warped up a couple of floors and arrived in the dormitories, which were now inhabited with new trainees.


    The poor trainees recoiled in surprise and fear when they noticed the Anima fluctuations around Reed. When they backed away nervously like frightened mice, Reed chuckled in amusement.


    He remembered when they had once felt the same way ¡ª he and his beloved friends. When all it took to make them feel dread was one of Instructor Axtorius''s infamous gazes and a single wave of his index finger...


    Where had those carefree days gone? He didn''t know¡­


    Reed grinned and said, "...How''s it going, fellas?"


    The trainees looked at each in pure confusion and then one of them said, "W-Who are you, sir? We''ve haven''t heard about this..."


    "Excellent question, brat! I''m Instructor Axtorius''s greatest protege and I''ve come here to teach as a new instructo¡ª"


    A large hand suddenly landed on one of Reed''s shoulders and he involuntarily shuddered out of reflex.


    O-Oh¡­ I didn''t think he''d STILL have this sort of effect on me. Damn it¡­


    "What doing do you think you''re doing to my students, fool? Don''t go thinking you can take my job from me so easily just because you''ve grown up a little bit¡­!"


    Reed raised his hands in surrender and said, "I was just playing with them a little bit¡­ Honest! I''d never try to take your job, old goat¡­ The last thing I''d want is for entire generations of Chosen to think of me as a bogeyman, haha!"


    Axtorius chuckled and said, "Good, good. I''m glad you still understand your place around here¡­ kid."


    They hugged each other, heartily laughed and for a brief moment, Reed felt as if he had traveled back in time.


    He felt real happiness. He felt safe. He felt like he''d come back... home.


    Afterward, the pair holed themselves up in Axtorius''s office and caught up with each other and eventually, they reached the heart of the matter ¡ª why Reed had come to visit Axtorius.


    Reed eventually gathered his courage one last time and regaled to him everything that he had told the others back in the Reef. What he had gotten himself into since he had graduated and left the Spire.


    The mess he had caused¡­ and the punishment that had been given to him.


    Axtorius grinned and said, "What''d I tell you? Got yourself in trouble just like I expected you would! I told you that you''d get pulled into trouble whether you wanted to or not. But I have to admit, you''ve outdone yourself, kid. Exceeded my expectations by a country mile, haha¡­!"


    "I''m glad at least one of us is enjoying themselves," said Reed with a distraught expression on his face.


    "Come on, don''t be like that, kid. You did well for yourself by the end, so don''t beat yourself up too hard. Keep your chin up, properly reflect on what you did wrong and move on, alright? Don''t let get too caught up in the losses either ¡ª remember and honor the fallen, but don''t let them turn into demons. Don''t let them haunt you¡­" said Axtorius in a melancholy tone.


    Axtorius patted Reed''s back and said, "Listen, this probably isn''t going to be the last time you''ll mess up. We''re only human, after all. You''re going to stumble a bit, but don''t give up on yourself, you hear me? Keep moving forward and eventually, you''ll get past all of this and more¡­"


    Reed slowly nodded and said, "¡­I''ll try."


    "Good. Trust me ¡ª it''ll be alright in the end. I know it doesn''t feel that way right now, but you''ll understand in the future..."


    And so, the mentor and his student carried on for a while longer, but eventually, their time came to an end. They smiled, hugged, and bid each other farewell¡­


    The sun had begun to set over the horizon by the time that Reed had finally left the Spire. Soon enough the day would end¡­


    She had been waiting outside of the Spire for him when he had left.


    Reed gazed at the setting sun and then said, "I''m done."


    "It''s almost time, Ka''an. There are only a couple more minutes left until¡­"


    "I know¡­" said Reed with a pained, bittersweet expression.


    He gazed at the golden-amber sky in silence and savored the sight.


    Lu''um quietly walked over to Reed''s side and gazed at the sky with him as well. She''d walk beside him until the very end and beyond¡­


    There was a lot he would have to reflect upon and process in order to one day move past what he had done. Perhaps one day in the far future, he''d forgive himself. Maybe. But right now, he couldn''t. He was still immature and felt unfit as a person who possessed such incredible power.


    He needed to grow into someone who could properly use what he''d been bestowed with responsibly. Make sure it never controlled him ever again.


    What he''d come to realize was that he was a danger to the world as he was right now. He had bitten off more than he could chew and it''d cost him dearly.


    The world did not need another disaster-in-the-making; it was better off without him.


    Reed made his decision.


    As the final, fading gleam of the sun shone across the North, two people vanished into the twinkling night together¡­


    In pursuit of the light of day, peace and redemption.


    For the whole world and... themselves.

 113 The World Without Him

    The weather seemed particularly dreary outside when he''d stepped out to open up the shop. Dark, moody clouds ominously blanketed the skies above the little town of Cem-Elle.


    More rain? It''s really not letting up this week, huh. Just my luck¡­


    It''d only be a matter of time before it would start raining, so he picked up his pace hurriedly started working. He grabbed his trusty broom and started sweeping, collecting every fallen leaf, twig, and petal he could find in front of the shop.


    After he finished sweeping, he walked over to the floating chalkboard that was beside the shop''s entrance and wiped it clean. He pulled out a small piece of chalk and rubbed his chin in contemplation.


    What were we making this week? Shit. I already forgot. Something with chocolate, right? Or was it something else? I can''t remember anymore¡­


    He eventually gave up and popped his head back into the shop in resignation.


    "Hey, babe! What are th¡ª"


    A gentle voice interrupted him and said, "Chocolate croissants for ten credits. Caramel eclairs for fifteen. A slice of white chocolate raspberry cheesecake for twenty."


    He thanked her and quickly wrote out the special offers on the floating chalkboard before he returned back inside the shop. It was almost opening time. Soon enough, the customers would start pouring in and they''d be up to their necks in orders as always¡­


    For better or worse, the small bakery on Fargreen Avenue had become one of the most popular shops in Cem-Elle and a hotspot for the young people in town. It''d become the go-to place for fashionable youngsters to mingle with another, much to the shop owner''s dismay.


    Sure, he enjoyed the booming profits the youngsters had brought along with them, but he hated the reputation his shop had gotten as a result.


    The calmer, older folk in town who''d once been his regulars during the bakery''s heydays had now moved on to other bakeries and cafes in light of the recent influx of new blood.


    He missed the early days when the bakery had once been a quiet little place for the elderly folk in town. They always had interesting stories to tell for anyone willing to listen to them¡­ unlike the people who now frequented his bakery.


    As far as Reed was concerned his beloved bakery, Summer''s Ambrosia, had become something else. It wasn''t the same place he once loved.


    Lu''um, on the other hand, enjoyed the influx of youngsters or rather, what they sometimes brought out of Reed. She loved to peek out of her peripheral vision and catch his ever-so-slightly scowling expression whenever a random guy tried to flirt with her during work.


    How his facade would crumble for the briefest of moments before he patched it back up and played it cool. It was the cutest thing in the world to her, or so she thought.


    She was, in all likelihood, the main reason that the bakery had blown up into what it had become these days. Young men wanted to win the maiden''s favor and young women wanted to hunt her down, the devious temptress that she was...


    They had put down their lives and settled in a small town in the South, far away from any major city connected to the Grid ¡ª the Altar system. Cem-Elle was not part of the Grid and was, therefore, an isolated town that operated for the most part, on its own.


    It was a small town of about twenty-thousand people that was located near the border between the South and the West. Simply put, Cem-Elle was a quiet town populated by mortals who lived normal, peaceful lives.


    There were no Chosen here in the middle of nowhere, which was what Reed had desired the most.


    Here he would not be bothered or reminded of what he really was and what he possessed. He could put down his heavy burden and live a simpler, slower way of life.


    Of course, he knew that one day it would end. He would have to return back to that world, the one he had left behind. There was no running from that¡­ inevitability. If there was one thing he was sure about, it was that fate itself would eventually pull him back into the fold, force him to keep walking forward¡­


    But until then, he would reflect in peace and return to his roots.


    He had come to realize much in the last two years about himself.


    There was a time when all he had wished for was to set off on some grand adventure and live an exciting life. But in truth, what he really wanted was to escape the miserably bleak life he had been born into.


    He did not want to live and die without doing something. The thought of dying without having accomplished anything was what frightened him in his sleep back in the slums.


    Living an entire life for just the sake of living was his greatest fear. To him, it was akin to already being dead. The only difference between himself and those who''d already been buried six feet under was that his heart was still beating. That was what he had thought at the time.


    It was why he had been so obsessed with saving them at the time. Why he had wanted to save them in the first place.


    It disgusted him to the core of how rotten he had been back then.


    He had not saved them because they had been his precious friends. He had only used that as a convenient excuse to hide his true desires.


    What he''d wanted was to do something great ¡ª something that''d make him feel like his life had a meaningful purpose. That he''d been was born to do something special that only he could accomplish.


    A valiant, fearless hero setting off to save his beloved friends? It was almost as if he''d been tempted with his personal holy grail. He couldn''t have asked for more even if he wanted to¡­


    That was why he had decided to live a mortal life in Cem-Elle.


    Reed had come to the conclusion that his power had corrupted him. He had been way too immature at the time to handle what he had been bestowed.


    At his worst, he had thought himself above others. Made himself out to be a chosen one, a hero and much more¡­ He had let it feed on his fears and deepest desires. A fatal mistake that''d cost him dearly in the end.


    Thus, he had sealed what had once turned him into a heartless monster. For the last two years, Reed had not once used Anima so much as a single time.


    It was to remind himself of what he really was past the incredible power he possessed. He was a human being, just like them.


    The first customers had finally arrived and Reed smiled when he saw them. They were the only ones who still stuck around even after the youngsters took over as the bakery''s main demographic base.


    As soon as the elderly couple walked into the bakery Reed said, "Absolutely dreadful weather today, don''t you think? I hear that it''s going to last all week, I''m afraid¡­"


    The old man smiled and said, "Rain isn''t that bad, my boy. There''s plenty you can do indoors that you can''t outside, after all. Keeping one another warm, for example¡­"


    Reed snorted in amusement and said, "I can''t even begin to imagine how much a pain you must have been when you were young, gramps. You''re a lucky guy, having such a tolerant wife, you know that?"


    The old man''s wife laughed and said, "He certainly was a handful back in the day, but I always knew how to put him in his place. The moment I learned what his weakness was, it was over for him. "


    She grinned, looked at Lu''um with a gleam in her eye and said, "Make sure you learn what his weakness is, dear. Once you do, you''ll see what I mean¡­"


    Lu''um slowly nodded and said, "I''ll make it my top priority, grandmother."


    They were an odd couple, for sure, but Reed didn''t dislike that about them. In a certain way, it was like they hadn''t aged a single day past twenty on the inside, despite being well into the seventies.


    Mr.& Mrs. Hartford always seemed to live in their own little world. Whenever these two came, even Lu''um would genuinely smile.


    Reed envied them from the bottom of his heart. They, who near the end of their lives, did not seem to be affected in the slightest by the age. In many ways, they were what Reed one day longed to be.


    Fulfilled, truly happy, and in love with his one-and-only the way they were¡­

 114 Finding Him; Finding Her

    Thus, two long and peaceful years had passed for them. In the process, they had forsaken their past identities and taken up new ones for themselves¡­


    Summer Ambrosia was known for the beautiful angel that worked there, but the owner himself was no slouch either. Many a fair maiden had come to frequent the bakery in order to meet the other half of Summer Ambrosia.


    He was now referred to as Aeschylus and she as Maia.


    There was a strange, charming quality about the mysterious pair that left many customers perplexed and seemingly enthralled. It was as if they possessed an invisible halo, an unseen aura that made them unbelievably unique to the eye.


    Like they were special in some kind of unexplainable way. Whatever it was, it made them stand out and by extension, their little business.


    He naturally didn''t dislike the attention he received from the young girls who''d come to frequent the bakery ¡ª he was a healthy young man, after all ¡ª but he knew that their feelings weren''t genuinely real.


    They aren''t infatuated with me. It''s what I sealed up that''s caught their interest.


    Reed let out a defeated sigh. He knew that the girls who''d come to fawn over him weren''t looking at him for who he really was. They were being influenced by the slumbering power he''d sealed to become mortal again¡­


    The same applied for Lu''um too, even though it probably played a part in her case. She possessed beauty and charm in spades, more than enough to attract people without the need of her slumbering powers. It annoyed Reed, but he couldn''t deny that Lu''um was naturally enchanting like that.


    Over the course of the last two years, he had come to terms with how he felt about her. It was an unexpressed emotion, borne from the myriad of experiences he had shared with her since they''d met years ago. She, too, had come to a similar conclusion based on what they''d been through¡­


    Infinitely close, yet distant to the touch.


    A single glance was enough for anyone to figure out the relationship between the two of them. How they gazed at one another. How they finished each other''s sentences and thoughts. How they behaved around each other.


    In many ways, they were endearing. That was why the Hartfords continued to frequent the bakery every day. The old couple saw themselves within them. It was like peering into a looking glass that reflected one''s past back to them¡­


    With nothing better to do, the old couple took it upon themselves to impart their hard-earned wisdom and meddled in their affairs, egging both of them to change their ways and adopt new habits.


    They''d done what the could for the young couple and it had proven somewhat effective, from the look of it. The air around the pair had grown much more harmonious as of late, much to their pleasure.


    Reed and Lu''um, on the other hand, had long since caught onto their little plot. Naturally, they were very appreciative of the well-meaning old couple, but they had some¡­ reservations about the whole thing.


    In the name of keeping up appearances, they had played along with the Hartfords'' recommendation for the last two years. The last thing they wanted to do was make the old couple concerned about the nature of their relationship. They both understood that the Hartfords'' only wanted the best for them, after all¡­


    And it wasn''t as if Reed disliked the Hartfords'' aggressive approach. If anything, he''d eventually come to enjoy it. A part of him even found it frightening how well their plan had worked in the end.


    He''d grown so much closer to her than he could have ever possibly imagined two years ago. They''d spent their days speaking, listening, and learning about one another. It was then that they had finally seen each other for who they really were, no longer bound by their previous biases¡­


    Suffice to say, everything that he had once thought her had been wrong. Completely wrong. Reed learned a lot that day about her and who she really was beneath the composed facade she always maintained.


    Reed had once thought of her as an infallible figure who had an unshakable resolution about everything she did. That she''d never bend to anything or anyone; she was a no-nonsense type of person. A true-to-life empress in the making that possessed overwhelming power at her fingertips¡­


    He couldn''t have been more wrong if he tried.


    It was the complete opposite. Of course, she had moments of indecision. It went without saying that she also had her own worries and fears, too. She had revealed everything that she''d done in order to cultivate the outward facade that Reed had mistakenly assumed to be who she was on the inside.


    She much, much cuter than Reed could have ever imagined. It was astonishing how different she really was compared to the projection that he had forced upon her.


    She hated carrots. Hated them with the fury of a thousand suns and thought they tasted like soap.


    She feared spiders and cockroaches. Apparently, a rather large spider had taken residence in her dormitory back when they''d been trainees back in the day, leading to her abandoning the room. It was why she had moved into his dormitory and never used hers ever again.


    She even expressed how tiring it was to suppress herself for the sake of keeping her characteristically composed, lady-like image. It was a behavior that she''d been forced to adopt because of her family''s upbringing. In certain sense, it''d become reflexive for her to act the way she did, but it wasn''t representative of her real self¡­


    He learned about her childhood before she had become the Heiress of the Moon. How she''d been nothing more than a clueless, sheltered noble girl until she had met someone very special. Of the childhood misadventures she had been forced to join and the traumatic experiences she had because of them ¡ª culminating in a permanent, irrational fear of spiders and cockroaches¡­


    It was in this way that he had come to learn everything about her. He had finally met the real Lu''um and was, for the lack of a better word¡­


    Captivated.


    She was far more than what she''d let on¡­ And so was he, much to her surprise. She thought that she''d knew already everything about him, but he had proven him wrong. Dead wrong.


    He had told her about his life in the slums ¡ª the trials and tribulations he endured during his early life.


    The many difficult, painful lessons he had learned over the course of his life up until he had arrived in Mulia. How he had kept his head down and laid low his entire life. How he had learned to abide by a certain set of rules that had come to define who he''d become.


    He had told her about the dreams he''d have about journeying into the unknown on a grand adventure like in the storybooks he used to read as a child to escape the reality he lived in. How he had desperately wished to escape somewhere far away from the slums and find someplace where he could be somebody¡­ unlike the nobody that he''d thought himself to be.


    And then, in an act of true sincerity, he had told her how he really felt nowadays.


    How he no longer desired to be someone special or to have some sort of unique purpose in order to define himself. He had told her that he''d been set free.


    That he was content and comfortable as himself. And most importantly, he felt at peace with his existence as a mortal. That he did not desire the power he possessed and no longer felt the temptation, the dangerous influence it once had on him before.


    Reed was satisfied living a mortal life, even if it was not as exciting as his previous life as a Chosen prince. He could do without living like royalty just fine as long as she was by his side.


    They opened themselves up and had taken the first step towards something more than what they once possessed.


    It was slow at first but eventually, things finally started to move along. What''d once been an ambiguous relationship between them had finally turned into something substantial, something real.


    He had finally, after being hounded by Old Man Hartford, asked her out on a proper date. It was comically bad how bad he had messed up. He had stumbled his way through the proposal like a stuttering idiot. Even now, an entire year later, the memory continued to haunt him every now and then.


    Simply put, it was the stuff of nightmares, but in the end...


    Reed gazed at Lu''um who was cleaning one of the bakery''s tables and she felt his wandering, mischievous gaze.


    Lu''um turned around and said, "I knew I felt a pair of ogling eyes staring at me¡­ What''s the matter? See something you like?"


    "Yeah, I do," said Reed and he leaped at her with outstretched arms.


    She giggled and said, "What happened to everything you told Old Man Hartford? You''re no better than him, you lecher!"


    Everything had turned out alright. They''d finally found each other.

 115 No Longer Alone

    If there was one thing he regretted, it was that he couldn''t remember what it felt like to be alone anymore. He had unwittingly traded away his solitude ¡ª or something extremely similar to it ¡ª in return for his newfound happiness.


    No¡­ Using the word "regret" was out of line, even if I was exaggerating.


    I don''t regret it all. Not a single bit. I''ve never been happier in my life. By all rights, I shouldn''t even be complaining¡­


    He just felt like something had changed. For his entire life, it''d been him against the world. He had kept his distance ¡ª kept his guard up ¡ª and done his utmost to limit his interactions with other people.


    It''s not like I hated people. Not in general, at least. I just couldn''t bring myself to deal with them anymore.


    I just found it to be a tiring exercise in futility.


    The bare minimum had been enough for him. He didn''t need or want anything else. At best, it was unnecessary and at worst, it was a liability.


    Relationships born out of convenience and mutual interest had been enough for him. There was no need to over-complicate what could be expressed with the words "Yes" and "No"¡ª it was better to not get invested and played like a chump.


    I enjoyed the privacy I''d gained. In time, I even called it a blessing.


    Of course, it was nothing more than my cowardice speaking.


    It was a decision he''d made of his own free will. And it was not one he had made lightly, knowing full well what it''d entail in the end.


    There was nothing to be gained in isolating oneself. He understood that.


    What he had traded was one kind of pain for another. Still, at the time, he''d considered it a decent enough deal. Being alone was painful, but being betrayed and used was much worse to him.


    He could get used to one of them, but not the other. In the end, he had grown so accustomed to the pain that it completely disappeared one day out of the blue¡­


    Something vaguely similar to solitude had taken hold in the empty void where his heart was supposed to have been.


    Twisted pride and joy ¡ª a pitiful feeling born out of his loneliness.


    That was why it still felt so jarring to him, even now. For the longest, he had thought that''d he spend the rest of his life alone, but now¡­


    This is infinitely better. I can''t even begin to imagine going back to that pitiful way of living. I refuse to go back.


    Lu''um tilted her head in confusion and said, "Hey, what''s the matter?"


    His life had taken a crazy, sudden turn, one he could have never expected to happen.


    A miracle occurred ¡ª he''d found someone special.


    A girl had shattered his little world and given him a new lease on life. And now, he lived in a different world. One where she existed, too.


    He was no longer alone, not anymore.


    There were plenty of instances when he thought that it wouldn''t have worked out between them. She was much stronger, wiser, and developed than him as a person.


    It was the initial reason why he''d been so hesitant. In simpler terms, he''d found her intimidating, to the point it''d been somewhat off-putting for him to take the lead in their relationship. He had forced himself to do it as if it was a cumbersome, daunting task.


    He knew that it was wrong for him to think of her that way, but he couldn''t have helped it back then. After all, he''d been obsessed with the idea of being someone special. Having someone as outstanding and brilliant as she had been extremely confusing and vexing for him at the time¡­


    Hidden envy and shallow attraction were what had once formed the basis of his interest in her. He had only seen the power she possessed and not the person behind it ¡ª the concerned, lovable girl who''d been there for him since they''d first met, the tremendous fool.


    These days the only thing Reed felt was anger toward his old self who''d taken Lu''um for granted. He wished he could go back in time and give his past self ¡ª the snotty, self-absorbed little turd ¡ª a good beating and rebuke until he understood how blessed he was to have her by his side¡­


    Lu''um buried herself in Reed''s chest and said, "¡­Is that so? And who might this idiot be? Have I met him before?"


    Him? ¡­Seriously? It really is scary how perceptive she can at times¡­


    Reed rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You really are too cheeky for your own good. I don''t know what to do with you sometimes, you know that?" He ran one his hands through her chestnut-brown hair and said, "So what were you trying to tell me?"


    "I''ve been thinking that we should go out and visit one of the bigger cities one of these days. You know, get some fresh air and explore something new. Not that I dislike Cem-Elle, but¡­"


    "I understand," said Reed. "Cem-Elle''s wonderful but even I''m starting to feel a bit bored, too. ¡­I''m not against having a change of pace if that''s what you want."


    Reed had come to love the little town but it''d long since become a bit boring him as well if he had to be completely honest.


    Cem-Elle was located near the sprawling mountain ranges of the West and the wild grasslands of the South. The town itself had been built in a beautiful valley and was by all rights, an arcadian paradise far removed the hustle and bustle of the major cities.


    It was a peaceful little slice of heaven that''d been by mortals who''d wanted as little contact with the outside world as possible.


    They both loved Cem-Elle, but life in the slow-moving town had come to fatigue them a little bit. Apparently, there was such a thing as too much peacefulness.


    Reed, who was a natural introvert and reclusive at heart, had not been affected as severely as Lu''um but even he had come to feel the fatigue after two whole years of the slow life.


    Lu''um naturally loved the slow, peaceful life they''d built for themselves too, but she''d come to grow a bit tired of the repetitive nature of their daily life.


    It''d wouldn''t hurt to go out and venture around for a while. It''s been too long since we''ve done anything big, I guess¡­


    "How about we go visit the Golden Coast, then? I''ve always wanted to see visit it after, well, it was recommended to me¡­" said Reed.


    It was supposedly everything that he''d dreamed of and more.


    Pristine, golden beaches, clear blue skies, and beautiful wome¡ª


    Reed suddenly felt a jolt of pain run across his sides and he flinched in shock like a frightened cat.


    "Ow! What was that for?! I didn''t do anything," said Reed, absolutely aggrieved.


    Lu''um had an unconvinced, skeptical look on her face as she stared at Reed''s face.


    "I felt something was off¡­ and I''m pretty sure I was right. My instincts have never failed me once when it comes to you, dear," said Lu''um in an eerily cheerful tone.


    "¡­I-I don''t know what you''re talking about at all! I was just thinking about the beautiful golden beaches and the fun we''re going to have!" said Reed.


    She''s too fucking sharp! Holy shit that was close! Fucking hell..!


    He did not want to get on her bad side if at all possible. After all, he''d seen what she could do with her bare hands alone. Even without her powers, she could easily tear him a new one if she wanted to.


    For better or worse, he had fallen in love with a beautiful girl who could probably beat a dragon to death with her fists and walk away unscathed. Hence, he thought was in his best interest to not anger what should not be trifled with.


    It was bad enough that he couldn''t do anything whenever she became¡­ voracious, so to speak¡­


    He "suffered" enough, though Lu''um would certainly fiercely object to that description if she knew that was what Reed thought of her... passionate acts of affection.


    She''d defend herself and state that Reed was no better than her when he got excited himself, either.


    Such were the intimate affairs between the young couple.


    Nevertheless, they both loved each other dearly, despite what they thought of the other''s preferences.


    Their love was as bashful as it was passionate, exemplary of people who were young. They''d made many a mistake throughout the two years they''d dated but in the end, they''d found bliss.


    For Reed and Lu''um it''d been worth the great effort they''d put into understanding one another ¡ªgiving themselves another chance after what they''d been through before respectively.


    There was nothing he would not give for her and she the same. In that respect, they were one of the same mind... and heart.

 116 A Sea Full Of Stars

    Words alone could not properly describe what he had felt when he first laid eyes upon the splendor of Mardeimus, the Pearl of the South. The old, weathered city possessed a beauty not unlike Citlai in that it could rouse the spirits of those who beheld it.


    More than a dozen lifetimes ago, it''d been called something else by those who had actually built the city ¡ª Ametzcalli. The Ancient Mulians thought that they''d created something that approached the unique, sublime beauty that only nature''s creations seemed to be endowed with¡­


    As far as Reed was concerned, they had been right about their judgment. He''d almost immediately come to the conclusion that the only thing that could surpass it in beauty was Citlai, which was saying a lot.


    The Shining Nexus, the enchanting capital of the East, couldn''t compare to the ancient city by the sea in the slightest. To Reed, it was clear as day that the Ancient Mulians had created something truly special, worthy of praise. They had created an astonishing work of art ¡ª a cultural and technical achievement of the highest degree.


    An entire city had been built into the southern coast of Mulia. The Ancient Mulians, in the pursuit of creating a natural city ¡ª a city that blended into nature itself ¡ª had created Ametzcalli in a way that respected the environment and did not defile it.


    The region was referred to as the Golden Coast, not because of the golden beaches it possessed, contrary to popular belief.


    It''d received its iconic name because¡­ the coast really was golden. The Ancient Mulians had placed a special enhancement upon the coast that Ametzcalli had been built into in order to preserve their work.


    After all, they''d built the city into the cliff face of a coast. Erosion was a factor they had to account for when it came to a project as ambitious as building a literal city by the sea. A part of the city itself even existed underneath the water ¡ª beneath the sea ¡ª given they''d used the entire coast, not just the upper portion that was above sea level¡­


    "Beautiful, isn''t it? This was once where the noble class used to reside before the Great War. Back then, only sacred families who possessed pureblood had the right to live and own land in Citlai. Nowadays, though¡­"


    "Do you¡­ miss home? It has been a while since we''ve last visited¡­ If you''d like we could, you know, take a trip to¡ª"


    A small smile formed on Lu''um''s lips when she heard Reed''s suggestion.


    "No, it''s okay," whispered Lu''um, "I''ll be juuust fine as long as you¡­ properly take care of me, dear."


    She was currently running low on Reedium, a supposedly critical energy source for her survival and desperately needed a resupply. If not for the fact that Reed had been focusing on driving, she would have smothered him until she completely had her fill.


    "H-Hey, not right now, okay? At least let me find a place to park before you¡­! Stop! Nooooot in the car! I''m driv¡ª"


    A swerving, bobbing hovercraft flew toward Mardeimus and disappeared into the chaotic traffic above the city, inspiring dread in everyone that encountered it on their daily commute¡­


    In the end, Reed and Lu''um had come out of their hovercraft looking a little more messed up than when they''d first entered it. More than anything, one of them looked far more fatigued than the other, almost suspiciously so¡­


    Reed weakly stumbled out of the hovercraft ¡ª looking about a decade older than his usual self ¡ª with a tired, defeated expression on his face. He felt so exhausted that he couldn''t even muster the energy to fix his disheveled hair and wrinkled clothes.


    His unkempt appearance made him look like a homeless vagrant or some sleazy deadbeat that was up to no good, much to his dismay¡­


    Lu''um, on the other hand, had fared much better, it seemed. She looked nothing like her defeated counterpart, who was probably on his last legs at the moment. If anything, she appeared happy as a clam and full of life as slowly combed her hair back into order.


    Goddammit¡­ that was so fucking close! I nearly totaled the hovercraft because of¡­! A-Ahh, my poor back!


    I really, really hate it when she loses control of her strength¡­!


    It was then and there that Reed decided he would have to start working out, again. He''d come to the conclusion that he would probably have to pick up weightlifting once they went back home. His physique had become a detriment to his daily life or rather his health, nowadays¡­


    Thankfully, there was more than enough to do and see in Mardeimus to preoccupy his better half for a while, or at least until he recovered.


    There was a good reason Ametzcalli was once called the abode of romance by the Ancient Mulians. It was a city that possessed a wide variety of beautiful, scenic places for people to spend time their loved ones.


    What else could beat the sight of the sun setting over the horizon, especially in a city that''d been built on a coast? Every evening was as romantic as the last in the city that''d been specifically designed to appreciate the beauty of nature.


    Once the sun set below the horizon, something special always happened every night below in the underwater sub-levels of Mardeimus.


    The sea would come to life for all to behold on full display.


    Exotic, foreign sea creatures would arise from the depths of the ocean and an incredible show would commence, unlike anything that could be imagined.


    An innumerable amount of jellyfish had floated up from the depths of the abyss like miniature stars. They were called little lanterns by the locals because of the distinctive glow they possessed.


    The little lanterns were an immortal species of jellyfish that''d been created by the Ancient Mulians themselves as a form of art and a love letter to nature itself.


    They lived off of the Anima in the sea and nothing else, existing only to purify the oceans of any Infested corruption with the special light they emitted, a byproduct of the Anima they processed within themselves.


    Each one of them was unique and therefore, processed Anima differently from one another. As a result, each little lantern gave off its own unique light ¡ª none were the same. They all had their own special hue and level of intensity depending on their size and shape.


    As such, they created a light show that was always different every time they came up from the depths. A myriad of lights filled the black canvas of the sea at night in a way that always took the viewer by heart.


    The stars filled the night sky beneath the sea every night in Mardeimus. It was unbelievably enchanting seeing how a literal sea of stars would arise from seemingly nowhere and fill the void.


    Reed nearly stopped breathing when he first laid eyes on the light show. It was as if his heart had suddenly stopped beating out of pure astonishment.


    It''s always one surprise after another when it came to the wonders that the Ancient Mulians created, huh?


    Naturally, he couldn''t help but feel like the mood had subtly changed when the little fellows had appeared out of the abyss. The viewing platform that he and Lu''um were in had suddenly gone completely quiet the moment the little lanterns appeared¡­


    He suddenly felt someone grab one of his hands. It startled him a bit, but then he smiled and squeezed her hand.


    There was no need to say anything, nor did he want to. It''d ruin the moment. Her action had said more than enough, he thought.


    A part of him wanted to laugh simply because he figured out why she''d been so adamant about getting him to come down to the sub-levels with her when the sun had set.


    Naturally, he couldn''t help but feel like the mood had subtly changed when the little fellows had appeared out of the abyss. The viewing platform that he and Lu''um were in had suddenly gone completely quiet the moment the little lanterns appeared¡­


    He suddenly felt someone grab one of his hands. It startled him a bit, but then he smiled and squeezed her hand.


    There was no need to say anything, nor did he want to. It''d ruin the moment. Her action had said more than enough, he thought.


    A part of him wanted to laugh simply because he figured out why she''d been so adamant about getting him to come down to the sub-levels with her when the sun had set. when the sun had set


    .


    lly, he couldn''t help but feel like the mood had subtly changed when the little fellows had appeared out of the abyss. The viewing platform that he and Lu''um were in had suddenly gone completely quiet the moment the little lanterns appeared¡­


    He suddenly felt someone grab one of his hands. It startled him a bit, but then he smiled and squeezed her hand.


    There was no need to say anything, nor did he want to. It''d ruin the moment. Her action had said more than enough, he thought.


    A part of him wanted to laugh simply because he figured out why she''d been so adamant about getting him to come down to the sub-levels with her when the sun had set. when the sun had set.

 117 Together, They Are Without Bounds

    "Despite being spun out of nothing, it''d been perfect the moment came it to be. Without flaw or distortion. An immaculate reflection of the Creator''s innermost nature. That was what it''d once been, according to what I''ve been taught by my master. Take my master''s words with a grain of salt though, dear. It''s nothing more than ancient folklore, I suspect."


    "Even our oldest records don''t go as far back as the creation myth that my master spoke about and we''ve been around for a very, very long time, mind you¡­"


    Long enough that we had been the first to venture out into the stars during our infant steps as a civilization. Before we realized the truth about our world¡­


    He''d noticed that something was off, but couldn''t put his finger on it. There was something about what she''d said that caused him to feel an itch on his chest. It¡­ was calling out him, as if to remind him that it was still there.


    Reed frowned and said, "No¡­ I''m pretty sure there''s a grain of truth hidden within that myth, as much as I''d love to agree with you¡­"


    He clutched his chest, summoned all the strength he could muster and then pushed what had tried to escape back down into the depths of his heart¡­


    I reject! I will NOT do your bidding anymore¡­! I will choose what to do what I want with MY life!


    It is not yours to do with as you please! I am no puppet for you to control! Begone and end my torment, poisonous wretch!


    I am not YOU, nor will I EVER be, as much as you may wish for it!


    It was not Reed rejecting a supposed call to adventure, but rather him defending himself from something claiming to be it. He knew it to be nothing more than a false pretender and a scheming bastard. It sought to use him as a tool for its own devices and had been consistently hounding him ever since he sealed his power away.


    Lu''um immediately sprung into action when she noticed Reed''s pained expression and said, "Are you alright?! Is it happening, again?! Did the seal¡ª"


    "I-I''ll be fine," said Reed and started using the breathing exercises that he''d learned from his therapist in order to calm himself down. He took long, drawn-out breaths as he counted backward from ten until the pain finally subsided after what felt like an eternity¡­


    "Don''t worry¡­ the seal''s still intact, despite the wretch''s continued attempts to break through it," said Reed. "¡­It''s gone, for now."


    It had taken a long time for Reed to reach the level he was at now and a considerable amount of effort on both his and Lu''um''s account. The events that had transpired during the Twilight War had taken a heavy toll on Reed.


    Not in a physical sense; he was healthy as could be. His spirit, however, had not fared as well¡­


    In the beginning, it''d started off as nothing more than a faint, indescribable feeling of unease in his heart, but then¡­ it had progressed into something far worse.


    Lu''um clearly remembered that first started happening sometime early during their first year in exile, when their relationship had finally started to get serious.


    She''d been woken up by him in the middle of the night, out the blue. He had looked paler than death as he stood in front of their bedroom mirror. It''d been a heartbreaking sight for her as she watched the one she loved break down until he''d turned into a total mess.


    Never before had she seen him so vulnerable and weak. He''d been drenched in a cold sweat, trembling like a newborn fawn when she''d woken up. Tears pouring out his eyes as he struggled to breathe.


    After that night, she''d come to realize that he was not well and that he needed some serious help. Lu''um could heal flesh wounds, purify corrupting miasma and slay monsters, but she wasn''t sure about fixing what afflicted her beloved.


    She understood that wounds of the mind ¡ª a sickness that resided within the spirit ¡ª was not something to be trifled with. It was a serious affliction that would have to be handled by an expert on matters of the mind.


    For the longest time, she''d known that he''d been afflicted something, even before night of his panic attack. That something had been eating at him from the inside as far back as when they''d been trainees in the Spire.


    It took a lot of effort on both their parts, but after several months and many intensive therapy sessions, he finally began to move past what''d been haunting him ¡ª the self-perceived regrets, failures, and fears he had kept buried for the longest.


    What he had unhealthily bottled up inside of himself as a result of not knowing how to properly cope and manage his negative emotions and thoughts¡­


    It''s not the same as back then, though. This was nothing more than a hiccup in comparison to what he was like before we started going to therapy.


    Been months, maybe more than half a year since the last time he''s had his last episode¡­


    Reed felt better almost immediately after Lu''um had taken him into her arms. It always astounded Reed how Lu''um could always make him feel safe with her presence alone. She''d come to possess a borderline magical ability that he''d come to rely upon whenever he felt awful.


    Naturally, it wasn''t something that Reed was all too accustomed to ¡ª being tenderly and lovingly held by someone ¡ª given his troubled history.


    He''d scarcely ever made physical contact with others, so it''d been quite the experience for Reed when he realized just how intimate and close a real relationship with another person was, especially one of¡­ romantic love.


    The dark, brooding clouds that hovered over his he always seemed to part whenever she was beside him.


    In his eyes, she was the sun in his sky and her smile alone was enough to disperse even the most terrible of storms¡­


    It wasn''t long before Reed completely recovered, much to Lu''um''s relief.


    When Lu''um felt Reed press his head against her chest, he stroked his hair and said, "Feeling better now?"


    "Mhm¡­" A small smile formed on his lips and he said, "I''ve always loved the sound of your heartbeat, as strange that sounds¡­ It''s strangely pleasant listening to it. It makes me feel a certain way that I can''t explain properly but¡­ I like it. A lot."


    Lu''um giggled when she heard that and whispered, "I feel the same way about your heartbeat, too. ¡­It''s also one the reasons why I always snuck into your bed, you know. I would always wait until you fell asleep before I, um, listened to the sound of your heartbeat¡­"


    ¡­Among other things too, of course. Like watching your cute, sleeping face and, well¡­ some other super-important stuff.


    Yeah, serious business-related stuff. Nothing sketchy at all¡­


    The loving couple continued to whisper sweet nothings to one another as they watched the little lanterns dance about outside of their bedroom in Mardeimus until they finally fell asleep.


    They were both sure that one day they would have to venture forth and fulfill their responsibilities but until then, they''d enjoy the peace and quiet. At their core, neither of them were truly interested in the duty they''d been given and as far as they were concerned, it was at the bottom of their list of priorities.


    The world would be fine without them, even if they weren''t around to save it. Well, at least for now, given that there were no great battles that needed to be fought at the moment. No impending crisis that required their immediate attention, so they wouldn''t even bother.


    Sure, there were perks with being a God. Yeah, they could bend reality and create something from nothing, among other incredible feats. Yes, they were blessed with long, immortal life and superhuman prowess, but none of that mattered to them.


    To some, especially those who sought power, wealth, and fame, it was the greatest gift in the world.


    They loved the fact they''d become Chosen but to them¡­


    It was less than dog shit. To them, it wasn''t worth a goddamned second of their time. Neither one was truly interested in the power that they''d given bestowed with ¡ª if anything, they thought it nothing more than a curse rather than a gift.


    Power? They weren''t mindless apes like some of the more pitiful idiots who''d become Chosen.


    They didn''t care for power, or want to seek it just for the sake of possessing it. Reaching the apex of power? It sounded like something only a half-brained idiot would want.


    Immortality? That was for cowards who either feared that they were living a life unfulfilled or who irrationally feared death itself. Yes, death was frightening and a source of great sorrow, but it was also a release from life''s suffering. That was something that a majority of Chosen had forgotten about, but they had not.


    Wealth and fame only tempted the vain and materialistic, who sought to fill the void in their hearts with meaningless nonsense. It was beneath them to fall for such¡­ base desires.


    They were content and complete with one another, with themselves, and with their life, together.


    Everything else¡­ was unnecessary. And so was the damned fate they''d been burned with.


    Those were their true feelings on the matter. That was their truth¡­

 118 Paradise Unbroken

    Tranquil waves washed the empty beach on a clear and sunny midday. Not a thing stirred aside from the peaceful ebb and flow of the sea in the private eden that they''d found by chance¡­


    As far as they knew, the little beach had no name, nor did the island.


    It wasn''t even a marked location on their maps, presumably because of where it existed. They had discovered the hidden stretch of untouched pink beach far from civilization, within the deep wilderness past the Southern coast where only a few dared to venture¡­


    A short chain of seemingly unnamed islands laid past the Southern coast that only Chosen had the qualifications to visit because of the dangerous beasts that lived on them.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    One of them did have a proper name, though. It was a name only known by the Chosen of the South who had experienced the horrors contained within the island back when they''d been trainees. In the South, it was a rite of passage for trainees to be sent to a particular island for a test that''d challenge their survival skills to the limit.


    On the surface, it appeared like a paradise ¡ª lush rainforests, clear skies, and nary a threat in sight, but¡­ it was nothing but a cruel deception.


    Nightfall was to be feared on the island, for it always heralded the arrival of those-who-hunted-in-the-dark. The Shadow-stalkers were an insidious batch of monstrosities that''d been created by the Ancient Mulians in an attempt to refine and harness the power of subjugation that the Outsiders possessed.


    They were remnants of condemned criminals, turned into mindless, obedient horrors that only answered to their Mulian masters, much like the Infested. At night, what remained of the sorry, twisted monsters would come pouring out of the abandoned research station that''d been built beneath the small island.


    Although the South could have destroyed the research station and the tormented creatures who lived in it, they had decided against it in the end.


    The South ended up repurposing the island and turned it into a miniature test site for their trainees so that they could experience what it was like fighting the Infested in a safe and contained environment that instructors could easily supervise and control.


    In truth, the trainees were not in danger, despite how it seemed at night. They''d be stalked, chased, and hunted by the shadow-stalkers, but the instructors supervising the test would never let the abominations make the final killing strike.


    ¡­Nevertheless, it was still a terrifying experience for the young trainees, whether or not it''d actually been a test without a true danger.


    Generations of Chosen had come to fear the notoriously beautiful island they called¡­ the Verdant Tear. It was a taboo place that no one wanted anything to do with¡­


    The concept had arisen out of the ill-intentioned idea of "fighting fire with fire." What the Ancient Mulians had planned to do, at least in theory, had been a perversion of everything they''d stood for at their core¡­


    Simply put, they had tried to create their own army of Infested, one that would answer to the Mulian empire. Rather than let the Infestation continue to harvest their entire multiverse of every single soul and turn them into Infested, they''d do it themselves.


    In essence, the project was created to deny the Infestation of what they wanted and even use their own kind against them.


    There were some who even claimed that given enough time, they''d unlock the full extent of the Outsiders'' secrets.


    That once they fully comprehended how the Outsiders controlled souls, they''d be able to completely turn the tide of the war, once and for all.


    Had the project reached that point, the Ancient Mulian scientists would have set their sights on the Infestation itself instead. They would have tried to take the Grand Swarm for themselves and used it to fight the Outsiders on their own terms and, perhaps, even subjugate them as well.


    Greed, ambition, and desperation had taken hold in the hearts of the Ancient Mulians to the extent that they had nearly forsaken their humanity.


    Were it not for a certain individual''s condemnation of the secret project and his direct order for it to be shut down, the Ancient Mulians would have surely ended up walking down a path of no return that''d destroy them from within¡­


    Where''d that girl go off to? It''s been at least fifteen minutes since she''d left to "powder her nose," as she called it¡­


    Well, whatever¡­ It''s not like anything here is even remotely capable of posing a threat to her, a Goddess of War, anyway¡­


    Reed felt that something was off and that she was most likely up to no good, but couldn''t find the will to even care about it. His hammock slowly rocked back and forth when a cool breeze passed by, which he greatly enjoyed.


    Ahhh¡­ It''s like nature''s trying to rock me to sleep!


    He let out a long, tired yawn and said, "Just another day in paradise, huh¡­"


    The palm trees he had tied his hammock to swayed gently along with breeze as they basked in the sunlight and a couple of leaves fell off of them, landing on Reed''s face.


    He felt so relaxed that he didn''t even bother moving the leaves and simply let them be until¡­ someone moved them off his face.


    "Oh, hey, I almost thought I''d have to go out and search for you," said Reed as he desperately tried his best to hold back a lazy yawn.


    Lu''um skeptically looked at Reed and said, "Yeah, I sure you were, dear. Probably after your little siesta, right?"


    When she hopped into the hammock Reed smirked and said, "I was really going to do it, but I didn''t want to bother you¡­ Still, I assume you must have gotten lost, right? Or¡­ were you up to something?"


    "I don''t have the slightest idea about what you''re talking about," said Lu''um with a blank, confused expression on her face.


    "I was just... exploring a little bit, that''s all."


    Reed chuckled and said, "Yeah, I bet you were. Probably getting some exercise too, right? You know, I felt these really peculiar tremors not too long ago, a little bit after you disappeared¡­ I also heard a lot of hubbub from the critters until things got strangely quiet, too¡­"


    Lu''um awkwardly coughed and said, "T-That''s odd; I don''t remember hearing or feeling any of that while I was gone. I didn''t anything out of the ordinary¡­"


    "You''ve got a bit of blood on you, right there," said Reed and swiped a small dab of blood off that''d been on her exposed back.


    When Lu''um saw the blood on his finger, she let out a deep sigh and said, "I... might''ve done more than just exploring."


    Reed stroked her hair with a haughty smile and said, "Oh, really? I would''ve never guessed that. ¡­Come on, out with it. Don''t even think about worming your way out of this either, sweetcheeks."


    Lu''um cursed herself for not triple-checking if she''d gotten all of the blood off of her. She eventually yielded; In the end, she couldn''t handle the disappointed look on Reed''s face¡­


    After she explained the island''s special history and the experiments that had occurred on it, Reed finally understood why she had suggested that they should, "go to the beach," several days ago.


    "¡­Some romantic getaway this turned out to be," said Reed, "¡­but I understand why you wanted to come here now."


    He held Lu''um close and said, "Look, I wouldn''t have said no if you''d told me the truth, sweetcheeks. I haven''t gone so soft that I''d say no to snuffing out a potential threat to the continent."


    "I dislike using my power, but I''m not so irresponsible as to not take care of such an important like this was."


    Lu''um nodded slowly and said, "I''m sorry, really. I just didn''t know if you''d be ready for something like this again. ...I thought that it''d be better if I take care of something like this alone rather than let you--"


    "I know," said Reed. "And thank you for considering my feelings, but we''re in this together, okay?"


    "Okay..."


    The couple understood that they''d hit a snag, but it wouldn''t stop them from learning and moving forward. Naturally, they were both far from perfect and sometimes they got on each other''s nerves, but that was expected.


    More than anything, they were committed to one another in a way beyond the norm, in the sense that they understood something special about maintaining a true, romantic relationship. They did not own each other like possessions and did not have a right to do what they wanted with the other''s life... because they were already one and the same.


    That they had a responsibility to take care of each other and that their highest priority was the relationship -- everything else was below it.

 119 The Sun and His Sunflower

    There was a particular feeling that emerged the day he had realized where he stood as an individual in the wider plane known as the World.


    A feeling of immense weight.


    It was as if someone had thrust upon him the heaviest object that could be conceived: The sum of all things that were.


    He nearly drowned when the Divine Furnace had bonded with him.


    An unbroken stream¡ª no, a polyphonic flood of shapes, colors, and sounds had assaulted the remnants of his fleeting consciousness. The framework of reality come undone for the newly awoken transcendent being.


    Everything that''d been hidden underneath the surface layer of reality ¡ª the beautiful patina of the corporal world ¡ª had become visible him in an instant.


    Hundreds of trillions of thoughts, wishes, ideas, and memories had passed through him from the ancient past, the ever-changing present, and the distant future¡­


    Stars pleaded to him for his protection in the past, while the ever-blossom trees from the future sang songs of worship across the gulf of time in the future.


    It''d been too much for him to handle. He''d not been prepared for the sudden and overwhelming rush of sensory stimuli.


    Had it not been for her timely intervention, he would have likely experienced a permanent and unrecoverable ego death, forever lost in an endless tide of unbound space and time¡­


    Her voice had brought him back from the brink and given the clarity he desperately needed. She had become an immovable anchor in the midst of all the chaos around him ¡ª a static, unchanging presence that he could nestle himself against the unforgiving and unrelenting storm.


    She had become a guidepost, a reference point that he could use to properly reconstitute his own identity ¡ª his own image of himself¡­


    Still, it''s so goddamn embarrassing to think that I had to become that¡­ thing in order to finally see her for herself.


    Reed sighed.


    \"Hm? Why the long face? What ails you, dear?\" said Lu''um. She knew that his sigh was almost always indicative of an issue when it concerned Reed. Lu''um knew that he was no longer the type to sigh carelessly because of trivial problems, regrets, or frustrations.


    In past, Reed might''ve been like that but it rarely ever happened after he''d grown out of his shell.


    He really didn''t want to tell the truth but knew that if he didn''t, she''d have him dead to rights regarding the promise they''d made to one another.


    But he if had to be honest, he disliked it. Not the contents of the promise, of course, but rather that they had to make a promise like that in the first place.


    It shouldn''t even have to be stated, let alone made into a promise ¡ª a rule, a law to be followed by the both of us.


    It should have been the natural thing to do from the outset.


    After all, who''d ever want to lie or hide secrets from their significant other?


    Behavior like that¡­ does not bode well for any relationship, be it romantic, platonic, or familial. It reeks of¡­ insincerity and indifference to the feelings of others.


    It was different for him. He, who had lived and grown up alone, had developed a unique perspective as some who''d once been an outsider.


    For a majority of his life, he''d been a loner at heart; someone who had willingly cut himself off from the world.


    \"¡­Hunger really is the best spice in the world. Normal people don''t know how good they have it because they''ve never felt how it feels like to starve. If they knew much it hurts, they''d never act the way they often do,\" said Reed.


    They lack the required perspective to see what they''re actually doing. Sullying the most precious possession they own without even understanding its true worth¡­


    \"Can there be anything more pitiful than this? I do not know¡­ But I do know that''s probably it''s among the worst things one can do. And I know this because I, too, have been guilty of the same detestable crime at least once¡ª\"


    Lu''um covered Reed''s mouth with one of her hands and said, \"Shh¡­ Do you hear that, my love?\"


    Reed''s eyes darted around their living room in confusion and then let out a muffled, unintelligible grunt. He had no clue what she was talking about.


    She straddled Reed, kissed his forehead and then whispered in a honeyed tone, \"¡­That was the sound of my forgiveness relieving you of your guilt. Did you hear it?\"


    Her sweet, hushed voice felt like velvet on his ears, an extremely enjoyable sensation that perked Reed up in¡­ various ways, so to speak.


    Such was the unique privilege of youthful, passionate love not unlike theirs.


    Oftentimes, all it took was a single, fiery spark to set the forest aflame¡­


    And Lu''um, by Heaven and Earth, was a prodigious firestarter.


    So spirited and unrestrained was she a character that at one point, a certain prince had once referred to her as a \"spicy pepper\" in jest¡­


    Reed took her hand off of his mouth and said, \"W-Why are you always so¡­!\"


    Damn cute! I can''t even¡­! She''s too much; I can''t win against her¡­!


    Lu''um buried herself in his chest and said, \"I trust you, silly. That''s why I know we''ll get past this too, just as we''ve done with everything else¡­\"


    \"As long as we''re in this together, I''m sure we''ll triumph anything that life throws at us. Maybe we''ll stumble here and there and perhaps sometimes things might get bleak, but in time it''ll all pass like it always does.\"


    \"Eventually, the stormy clouds will part away and the sun will shine down on us. I''m sure of it.\"


    Her strong amber eyes held within them a conviction that was rarely seen. She truly was of the belief that they could overcome any obstacle as long as they put their mind to the task.


    It was only natural for someone like Lu''um, who possessed a strong and vibrant personality, to be so inwardly resolute in what she believed.


    \"¡­You''re like the incarnation of a sunflower rather than that of the moon,\" said Reed, \"¡­But I won''t deny that you''re just as beautiful the moon though¡­\"


    In his mind, there was no better to describe her.


    She''s just like a sunflower ¡ª vibrant and strong like the shining sun; gentle and timelessly beautiful like a flower.


    A smile bloomed her face and she softly said, \"¡­That makes perfect sense because you''re my sun¡­ Without you, I''d wilt and die just like a sunflower¡­\"


    She slowly closed in on her prey and then, well¡­ a fiery love blossomed.


    ¡­It was game of give and take between them, much like an actual sunflower and the sun.


    The sunflowers would only bloom when under the light of the sun and nothing else. In return, the sun enjoyed a special privilege that one else had ¡ª it was the only one that would ever receive the smile of a sunflower.


    Her brilliant smile belonged only to him and no one else.


    His warmth and light belonged only to her and no one else.


    Neither could live without the other anymore, for they were one.


    Such a profound bond was only seen in fanciful stories about pure love ¡ª fantasies for naive, starry-eyed fools ¡ª and yet, they had accomplished the impossible.


    Were they abnormal people or was what''d happened a fluke, a miracle of some sort?


    It was neither.


    Truth be told, they were both normal as could be, no different than anyone else. The only difference between them and other couples was they understood truly one another all the way.


    What they possessed was intimate knowledge and understanding of the other person''s feelings, desires, and thoughts ¡ª everything that made them tick.


    That was why their relationship was akin to an unbreakable, glittering diamond. Both of them had shown to each other that they were invested in the other''s bliss and not just their own. They were genuinely interested in what the other sought in life and actively supported each other.


    Love was love. An exchange of lives and at the same, a mysterious event where two incomplete lives blended into a complete whole.


    ¡­Perhaps they''d chanced on that important little pearl of wisdom a little sooner than most, but what did it matter? As far as they were concerned, they absolutely delighted that they''d skipped the painful process of learning about love ¡ª the heartbreak of failed relationships.


    Normal people would learn what they realized ¡ª the secret to true love ¡ª over the course of numerous relationships until it dawned on them, if at all. There were some souls that would never realize the truth, bless them.


    Those people would never experience the pure, sublime joy living with someone they truly loved¡­


    But not them; they''d be just fine.


    Diamonds were everlasting, after all¡­

 120 Rhapsody In Spring

    A couple of weeks later, they finally departed back home. Mardeimus had been a refreshing change of pace for them, but the time had come to leave. In truth, their circumstances had changed and as a result, they''d been forced to leave earlier than what they''d originally planned for.


    To be put it bluntly, the South had discovered what had happened on the Verdant Tear. Reed and Lu''um naturally expected that the South would eventually discover what''d happened on their little secret island, but they had not anticipated that the South''s reaction¡­


    Lu''um had kicked a hornet''s nest and ruined their getaway vacation, much to her disappointment.


    In less than a week''s time, the city of Mardeimus had been flooded with plainclothes contenders and conquerors, all searching for the mysterious assailant who''d destroyed the Ancient Mulian research station¡­


    Even though the South had long since recovered everything of value from the abandoned research station centuries ago, it had still been considered an important place of interest for a variety of other reasons.


    It''d been an extremely useful training ground for their trainees, for example. The island had also been of significant value to archaeologists who specialized in Ancient Mulian history, the scholars who''d dedicated themselves to the study of the extinct race that had once ruled the continent and much, much more¡­


    There was nothing to be gained from destroying an Ancient Mulian relic site, for they were all treasure troves of knowledge and artefacts. Each and every one of them represented a priceless vault of wealth to the empire that discovered it.


    Every Chosen, no matter which empire they belonged to, knew this to be an incontestable fact; yet someone had gone and destroyed the Verdant Tear''s relic site without a second thought.


    They couldn''t stay in Mardeimus any longer after that. Doing so, they''d run the risk, however infinitesimally minute, of being discovered and having their cover blown¡­ and that was something they couldn''t afford.


    The dead can''t come back to life. They have to stay dead; those are buried in the ground must remain there¡­ for the sake of the living.


    As such, they''d left Mardeimus as soon as they humanely could. After half a month of snooping around, the contenders and conquerors finally gave up and left Mardeimus alone, to Reed and Lu''um''s immense relief.


    Even though their former identities were not known as well in the South compared to say, the North and the East, neither wanted to accidentally mess up and ruin the new life that they''d built up in the South.


    The only human prince of the East had died. So, too, had his beloved fiancee during the Twilight War. Both had laid down their lives on the battlefield for the sake of the continent''s peace.


    In the end, that bastard really didn''t pull any of his punches considering how he ''wrote'' us off¡­


    The Crown Prince''s eulogy made them sound like a pair of heroically star-crossed lovers, still bound to one another past death through their everlasting love¡­


    So beautifully tragic and romantic was their tale that it had even been adapted into a holo-film, no more than after their deaths, by one of the largest film production companies in the North, Multiversal Pictures[1].


    The film, Death and Love in Paradiso, starring Leopardo Cambio and Tate Sinnet had completely rocked the box office, garnering over three billion credits in ticket sales by the end of its first week on the big screen.


    It''d been an absolute blockbuster hit and had taken the continent by storm. And as great as that might''ve been for the actors, the film studio and the production company, it''d been a different story for Reed.


    Naturally, Lu''um had loved the film to death but that was beside the point.


    Reed had learned first-hand a kind of horror known only to the dead.


    There was such a thing as a hell on earth; Reed had seen it in its full measure the day he and Lu''um had gone out on movie date to see the film. It''d been a little bit after they''d first started dating, too.


    AAAAAHHHH! Stop, stop! Don''t think about it! Don''t! Think! About! It!


    A hovercraft suddenly swerved over the colorful grasslands, adjacent to Cem-Elle''s, yet some distance away¡­ Thankfully, no one was around, otherwise, an accident might have occurred, heaven forbid.


    Reed wanted to actually die after he saw the movie. Never before had he seen such a... gross misrepresentation of the truth.


    Why had they made his actor so goddamned handsome? Where had they gotten that scene where they''d held each other on the bow of the battleship? And the part where they''d died holding each other''s hands?


    A pox upon you and your damned film, Bates Kamaron! May you never make another successful film ever again! The same to you as well, Haydn Kingscrown!!


    Three hours and fifteen minutes of embarrassing dread.


    Three hours and fifteen minutes of pure bliss.


    Where one had seen a nightmare on film, the other had seen a beautiful, romantic piece of art. In fact, Lu''um had loved the film so much that she had bought another pair of tickets the following day, much to Reed''s horror at the time¡­


    Reed couldn''t help but laugh when he thought about how pure and innocent they''d been back when they first started dating. Everything about how they started dating seemed silly now upon reflection, but back then it''d been a herculean ordeal for him.


    After all, he''d never dated anyone before, let alone fallen in love with someone.


    To him, dating had been more of a struggle than manipulating Anima in comparison. Reed had quickly learned that being able to reshape reality and the laws of the universe meant little when it came to the matters of the heart.


    Some almighty God he''d been, given how he had acted when he confessed to her. Sputtering out words like a broken record; palms sweatier than a man lost in the desert; not even properly looking at her the whole time¡­


    AAAAHHHH! Stop, stop!!! Mercy, O brain of mine! Be silent for a moment!


    The hovercraft swerved over the vibrant grasslands again, this time even more precariously than the last as if it had been possessed by some nefarious demon or spirit.


    Fortunately, few people ever ventured out into the remote countryside where Cem-Elle was located, so air traffic was virtually nonexistent ¡ª a great boon for the dangerous driver heading toward the little town¡­


    \"What''s the matter with you?!\" said Lu''um, clearly annoyed by Reed and his sudden emotional outbursts. \"Have you forgotten how to drive or are you actually trying to kill us both?!\"


    She hadn''t been the brightest of moods, especially after they''d left Mardeimus earlier than anticipated. Reed had been a little glum about it too, but not nearly as much as his beloved.


    \"M-My bad,\" Reed said, \"Listen, we''ll go back some other time so don''t be like that, okay? It''s not as if the city''s going anywhere, right?\"


    It wasn''t as if Lu''um was actually angry at Reed; If anything, she was simply frustrated with herself. Had she taken care of the hidden base on the Verdant Tear at the end of their vacation, they would have never had to cut their trip short in the first place.


    Why didn''t I think about this before?!! How could I have missed something like that?!! Things were getting really good, too!


    AAAHHH, FUCK!


    The girl cursed herself in her mind, for she could not vocalize the vulgarities in the open. That was how deep her noblewoman education had been inscribed upon her.


    For the longest, she had not even known what curse words were until a certain boy had unwittingly taught them to her and influenced her on the inside¡­


    Princess on the outside; Wild child on the inside.


    That was how she''d grown up, and only those who were closest to her knew what she was really like. They were the only ones who were allowed glimpses past the ''princess mask'' she always wore for the public¡­


    Reed smiled when he saw her brooding frown and said, \"¡­You wanna know what I was thinking about when I, well, lost control of the car?\"


    \"...What was it,\" said Lu''um, staring out into the dancing, swaying grassland in the wind.


    \"Death and Love in Paradiso. When we went out to see it at the old Williams'' Theater. I remembered that... stupid scene when ''I'' held ''you'' up on the bow of the battleship,\" said Reed.


    The effects were almost immediate when Reed spilled out his embarrassing guts to her. When a small, amused smile broke out on her lips, Reed knew that he had gotten her. That he''d hit a proverbial home run, so to speak¡­


    \"It''s been a while since we''ve seen it, right? Why don''t we have ourselves a little movie date and re-watch it once we get home? ¡­I''ll try not to fall asleep this time, too.\"


    \"...Promise?\"


    Reed grinned and said, \"For you? Anything.\"


    Nowadays, he was getting better at the whole boyfriend thing. He had grown up and then some. A thing of past were the days when he had wielded the sword.


    He was more of an explorer now; Out on much a larger journey than he could have ever envisioned before he had taken the mysterious shadow''s deal that night. Greater than the stories of dragons, swords, and beautiful maidens he''d idolized in his childhood.


    The little boy from the slums had finally stepped out his shell, and taken a step forward in his life¡­


    But if Reed had to explain what had happened to him, he''d say that¡­


    He had, to put it simply as possible, gone to see about a girl.


    [1] Check the comments section for a little treat about this and find my post, haha...

 121 The Desperation They Fel

    ¡­What in the hell is up with this weather?! First that endless downpour and now this godforsaken heat? It''s like being an oven out here!


    Who the fuck''s messing with the thermostat up there?! I swear if I find out who''s responsible for this goddamned weather, I''ll¡­!


    A muffled, half-hearted shout from inside of the bakery interrupted Reed''s thoughts and he hollered back to the other half of Summer''s Ambrosia that he''d finish soon.


    The word ''hot'' couldn''t even begin to appropriately describe the weather outside. It was an infernal, borderline unmanageable monsoon of scorching heat and bone-dry wind.


    There was no humidity in the air, so the power of the heatwave had been amplified beyond normal. It had gotten so bad outside that a faint, persistent shimmer in the air prevailed wherever one looked.


    Cruel mirages of water tormented anyone who dared to take a step outside of their homes.


    Reed frowned as he gazed at the spotless, blue sky above and spit on the sidewalk in frustration. Unfortunately, the globule of saliva never reached the ground as Reed had intended. ¡­Instead, it promptly sizzled up into a cloud of steaming hot air and disappeared into the sky in almost comical fashion.


    He bitterly shook his head and retreated into the cool, air-conditioned bakery with a heavy heart, his spirit defeated.


    Were it not for the considerable fortune that Reed and Lu''um had amassed when they chased bounties during their trainee days, the situation might have been different for them. Their business was not flourishing too well as of recent but thankfully, they had far more than enough to tide by.


    Out in the boonies, the property was cheap and the cost of living was low, too. The two-story building that served as their home and place of business had cost Reed and Lu''um a fraction of what they would have had to pay to live in one of the larger metropolises.


    Perhaps Cem-Elle was not as up-to-date and advanced compared to the big, bustling cities, but it was blessed with various gifts that they did not have.


    A feeling of community, for one. Clean, fresh air and plenty of nature, too. And let''s not forget the most important gift Cem-Elle possesses¡­


    Peace. That was the main reason why Reed and Lu''um had chosen Cem-Elle in the first place. It was in all ways, a little town ruled by peace.


    There were no dangerous intrigues in Cem-Elle. No sinister plots, power struggles, or ambitious godlings in the little town by the mountains. After all, there was nothing to be gained in living in a city built by mortal hands.


    When Reed walked back inside, Lu''um handed him a dry towel and said, \"See anyone outside? Or is it still the same as yesterday?\"


    \"Still the same, unfortunately. Barely anyone out on the streets and I don''t blame them; it''s a hellhole outside,\" said Reed, wiping the sweat off of his brow.


    Reed summoned his tome and pulled up the weather forecast for Cem-Elle and his expression darkened when he saw the information it had displayed for him.


    43 degrees Celsius. Last I checked, I had settled down in a temperate, scenic country, not in the fucking desert!


    Lu''um peeked over Reed''s shoulder and said, \"¡­That''s not good. I think tha¡ª\"


    Without warning, everything started to shake violently as if it were being thrashed around. The ground trembled with such fervor that it had even unearthed a couple of the street lights outside by the bakery.


    It happened so suddenly, neither of them had been able to react properly. Reed and Lu''um stumbled around and fell on top of each other as the bakery groaned in protest. A few tense, heart-gripping minutes passed until the tremors finally passed and a semblance of normality returned.


    The bakery itself had sustained a moderate amount of damage in the process. The bakery''s foundations had come undone and a part of the second-story ceiling had cracked open. Shattered glass littered the inside of the store. It was a mess.


    \"Agh, are you okay?!\" said Reed. For the most, he had taken most of the damage from the fall. Lu''um who''d been behind him at the time ended up falling on top of him, turning him into a human cushion.


    \"A-Ah, yeah¡­ Sorry about falling on you, dear,\" said Lu''um and she picked herself off of the floor, granting Reed some measure of relief.


    ¡­I thought this was supposed to be one of those romantic events that every story has¡­! The prince catching the fair maiden¡­ not THIS!


    Lu''um, to much of Reed''s horror, had not been the light, weightless feather of a maiden that most love stories seemed to love depicting. No¡ª she more of a warrior princess, out of the old, heroic myths of yore than a kidnapped maiden in some castle.


    Put simply, she had been trained and raised for war as much as she''d been for dainty, noble parties. She was a true-to-life Cinderella on the outside but was a majestic-class warship on the inside.


    Lu''um''s weight wholeheartedly substantiated her true inner nature. Although Lu''um looked as dainty and elegant as could be, in truth, she was actually heavier than Reed himself, something he had now come to learn¡­


    But it wasn''t as if he could just lay there in pain like a weakling, as that''d be too embarrassing for him. He knew that it was rather childish of him, but he preferred to not look a wet noodle in front of Lu''um¡­


    \"T-That''s good,\" Reed said, \"Well, at least we''re alright¡­ That''s good enoug¡ª\"


    When Reed leaned over the bakery''s counter he said, \"Oh, come on¡­! We just made those croissants, not even an hour ago!\" More than half of the pastries that they''d made had tumbled or spilled out of their containers and fallen on the ground. An entire day''s batch had been ruined in a matter of minutes.


    My beloved croissants and cinnamon rolls!! MY BAKERY!! First the goddamned weather and now this¡­?!! Great, just great¡­!


    While one of them was more concerned with more trivial matters, the other one was preoccupied with more pressing concerns.


    Lu''um stared out at the ruined town and said, \"...Do you think that the Hartfords are okay, dear? That tremor was extremely violent even for us, you know¡­. I can''t imagine an old, frail couple like them fairing any better than us¡­\"


    Her frustrated lover abruptly stopped picking his beloved pastries and said, \"You don''t mean that¡­\"


    Lu''um said nothing and simply stared at Reed with a worried expression on her face.


    ¡­It''s entirely possible. Aren''t they almost eighty years old? They''re mortals, too.


    Shit, shit, shit, shit¡­


    Reed dropped his ruined pastries and said, \"We leave NOW. We don''t have a second to spare!\"


    As soon as the words came out his mouth, he and Lu''um bolted out of the bakery in a mad rush. Many obstacles hindered their way, be it destroyed infrastructure, ruined buildings, and lost, hurt people who were outside looking for help.


    It was an awful scene to witness. Blood, glass, and broken concentrate littered the streets in abundance. Screams for help echoed across the ruined streets of Cem-Elle. Children crying out for their parents, lovers calling for one another, some not receiving replies¡­


    Reed''s stomach started to churn in dread as he and Lu''um rushed past the overflowing streets filled with misery. His heart started to beat faster and faster the closer they got to the Hartfords'' residence, an old single-story house that... had seen better days.


    The house had collapsed; the left side of the house had fallen in on itself, burying everything under it in a mountain of wood, stone, and shattered glass. The right side had fared better after the tremor but had become inaccessible because of the way it had collapsed.


    No, no, no, no, no, no¡­! FUCK!


    He rushed into the wreckage and shouted at the top of his lungs, \"OLD MAN HARTFORD, CAN YOU HEAR ME?!! MISSUS HARTFORD, CAN YOU HEAR ME?!!\"


    There was so much rubble, it''d been nearly impossible to discern where one part of the house had started and the other began. Reed immediately thrust himself into the wreckage and started pulling out the heavier pieces of rubble, one by one.


    \"GRANDMOTHER, ARE YOU IN THERE?!! GRANDPA HARTFORD! CAN YOU HEAR OUR VOICES?!!\" screamed Lu''um.


    Each one of the heavier pieces weighed at least 45 kilograms or more, a daunting weight for the likes of a normal mortal. Reed turned red at the face as he struggled with the weight of a single broken part of rubble, but continued digging along with Lu''um.


    They had helped them so much, even when they had no reason to do so.


    They were good, honest people. Reed and Lu''um felt incredibly indebted to for them what they had done for them. Had it not been for their help, their relationship would have never progressed as smoothly as it did.


    To them, they''d become something akin to mentors, but in actuality, closer to family over the two years that they''d gotten to know... and learn from them.


    Together, Reed and Lu''um continued to yell out for the elderly couple as they desperately attempted to uncover whatever laid at the bottom of the rubble.


    They received no reply, but that did not deter them in the slightest. Reed and Lu''um continued to dig, pulling out broken rubble until...

 122 The Parting Gift Dont Purchase Until This is Gone!

    As soon as the words came out his mouth, he and Lu''um bolted out of the bakery in a mad rush. There were many obstacles that hindered their way, be it destroyed infrastructure, ruined buildings, and lost, hurt people who were outside looking for help.


    It was an awful scene to witness. Blood, glass, and broken concentrate littered the streets in abundance. Screams for help echoed across the ruined streets of Cem-Elle. Children crying out for their parents, lovers calling for one another, some not receiving replies¡­


    Reed''s stomach started to churn in dread as he and Lu''um rushed past the overflowing streets filled with misery. His heart started to beat faster and faster the closer they got to the Hartfords'' residence, an old single-story house that... had seen better days.


    \"Don''t worry¡­ the seal''s still intact, despite the wretch''s continued attempts to break through it,\" said Reed. \"¡­It''s gone, for now.\"


    It had taken a long time for Reed to reach the level he was at now and a considerable amount of effort on both his and Lu''um''s account. The events that had transpired during the Twilight War had taken a heavy toll on Reed.


    Not in a physical sense; he was healthy as could be. His spirit, however, had not fared as well¡­


    In the beginning, it''d started off as nothing more than a faint, indescribable feeling of unease in his heart, but then¡­ it had progressed into something far worse.


    Anxiety, fear, and guilt poisoned his mind until he could no longer tolerate it¡­


    Lu''um clearly remembered that first started happening sometime early during their first year in exile, when their relationship had finally started to get serious.


    She''d been woken up by him in the middle of night, out the blue. He had looked paler than death as he stood in front of their bedroom mirror. It''d been a heartbreaking sight for her as she watched the one she loved break down until he''d turned into a total mess.


    Never before had she seen him so vulnerable and weak. He''d been drenched in cold sweat, trembling like a newborn fawn when she''d woken up. Tears pouring out his eyes as he struggled to breathe.


    She understood that wounds of the mind ¡ª sickness that resided within the spirit ¡ª was not something to be trifled with. It was a serious affliction would have to be handled by an expert on matters of the mind.


    For the longest time she''d known that he''d been afflicted something, even before night of his panic attack. That something had been eating at him from the inside as far back as when they''d been trainees in the Spire.


    It took a lot of effort on both their parts, but after several months and many intensive therapy sessions, he finally began to move past what''d been haunting him ¡ª the self-perceived regrets, failures, and fears he had kept buried for the longest.


    What he had unhealthily bottled up inside of himself as a result of not knowing how to properly cope and manage his negative emotions and thoughts¡­


    It''s not the same as back then, though. This was nothing more than a hiccup in comparison to what he was like before we started going to therapy.


    Been months, maybe more than half a year since the last time he''s had his last episode¡­


    Reed felt better almost immediately after Lu''um had taken him into her arms. It always astounded Reed how Lu''um could always make him feel safe with her presence alone. She''d come to possess a borderline magical ability that he''d come to rely upon whenever he felt awful.


    Naturally, it wasn''t something that Reed was all too accustomed with ¡ª being tenderly and lovingly held by someone ¡ª given his troubled history.


    He''d scarcely ever made physical contact with others, so it''d been quite the experience for Reed when he realized just how intimate and close a real relationship with another person was, especially one of¡­ romantic love.


    The dark, brooding clouds that hovered over his he always seemed to part whenever she was beside him.


    \"I don''t have the slightest idea about what you''re talking about,\" said Lu''um with a blank, confused expression on her face.


    \"I was just... exploring a little bit, that''s all.\"


    Reed chuckled and said, \"Yeah, I bet you were. Probably getting some exercise too, right? You know, I felt these really peculiar tremors not too long ago, a little bit after you disappeared¡­ I also heard a lot of hubbub from the critters until things got strangely quiet, too¡­\"


    Lu''um awkwardly coughed and said, \"T-That''s odd; I don''t remember hearing or feeling any of that while I was gone. I didn''t anything out of the ordinary¡­\"


    \"You''ve got a bit of blood on you, right there,\" said Reed and swiped a small dab of blood off that''d been on her exposed back.


    When Lu''um saw the blood on his finger, she let out a deep sigh and said, \"I... might''ve done more than just exploring.\"


    Reed stroked her hair with a haughty smile and said, \"Oh, really? I would''ve never guessed that. ¡­Come on, out with it. Don''t even think about worming your way out of this either, sweetcheeks.\"


    Lu''um cursed herself for not triple-checking if she''d gotten all of the blood off of her. She eventually yielded; In the end, she couldn''t handle the disappointed look on Reed''s face¡­


    After she explained the island''s special history and the experiments that had occurred on it, Reed finally understood why she had suggested that they should, \"go to the beach,\" several days ago.


    \"¡­Some romantic getaway this turned out to be,\" said Reed, \"¡­but I understand why you wanted to come here now.\"


    He held Lu''um close and said, \"Look, I wouldn''t have said no if you''d told me the truth, sweetcheeks. I haven''t gone so soft that I''d say no to snuffing out a potential threat to the continent.\"


    Lu''um buried herself in Reed''s chest and said, \"¡­Is that so? And who might this idiot be? Have I met him before?\"


    Him? ¡­Seriously? It really is scary how perceptive she can at times¡­


    Reed rolled his eyes in annoyance. \"You really are too cheeky for your own good. I don''t know what to do with you sometimes, you know that?\" He ran one his hands through her chestnut-brown hair and said, \"So what were you trying to tell me?\"


    \"I''ve been thinking that we should go out and visit one of the bigger cities sometime. You know, get some fresh air and explore something new. Not that I dislike Cem-Elle, but¡­\"


    \"I understand,\" said Reed. \"Cem-Elle''s wonderful but even I''m starting to feel a bit bored, too. ¡­I''m not against having a change of pace if that''s what you want.\"


    Reed had come to love the little town but it''d long since become a bit boring him as well if he had to be completely honest.


    Cem-Elle was located near the sprawling mountain ranges of the West and the wild grasslands of the South. The town itself had been built in a beautiful valley and was by all rights, an arcadian paradise far removed the hustle and bustle of the major cities.


    It was a peaceful little slice of heaven that''d been by mortals who''d wanted as little contact with the outside world as possible.


    It was the initial reason why he''d been so hesitant. In simpler terms, he''d found her intimidating, to the point it''d been somewhat off-putting for him to take the lead in their relationship. He had force himself to do it, as if it was a cumbersome, daunting task.


    He knew that it was wrong for him to think of her that way, but he couldn''t have helped it back then. After all, he''d been obsessed with the idea of being someone special. Having someone as outstanding and brilliant as her had been extremely confusing and vexing for him at the time¡­


    Hidden envy and shallow attraction were what had once formed the basis of his interest in her. He had only seen the power she possessed and not the person behind it ¡ª the concerned, lovable girl who''d been there for him since they''d first met.

 122 The Parting Gif

    \"AAAAAAHHHH!\"


    He had seen it. His anguished howl of sorrow echoed across the ruined city until he¡­


    Awoke.


    Frightened, he bolted out of bed and crashed onto the ground. Disorientated, his eyes darted around the room in pure terror as he struggled to grab hold of his bearings.


    W-Where am I?! W-Wasn''t I just at¡­?!! W-Wait was that all just a¡ª


    Lu''um swiftly leaped out of bed when she heard the commotion and scanned the room in confusion until she finally comprehended the situation. She hurriedly made her way to Reed and said, \"What''s the matter, dear?! Are you alright?! What happened to you?!\"


    \"I-It''s fine, I think. D-Don''t worry, I just had a really bad¡ª\"


    Reed winced and stumbled backward when he felt an all too familiar sensation of pain. The fiery kiss of vengeance had come for him, but this time, it was much more different than before. It had come without mercy for him, intent on making him suffer for the grievous sin he had committed.


    No one was exempt from retribution.


    Neither Man nor God could escape the consequences of their actions.


    ¡­And the greater the responsibility of the sinner, the more severe the punishment would be.


    Hence, it was only fair that Reed was made to suffer an equivalent punishment what he had done, for he had committed an especially egregious sin.


    It was like hellfire, hotter than anything he had ever experienced. Reed''s mind suddenly went white; It had done so to protect itself from the onslaught of sensory information ¡ª specifically the feeling of intense, unimaginable pain ¡ª that had almost broken it the moment it had begun.


    Every single cell in his body was screaming at his mind that they were being cooked alive from the inside out. Reed couldn''t handle it and lifelessly crumpled onto the ground.


    He knew that Lu''um was speaking, but he couldn''t understand what she was saying no matter how hard he tried. In fact, he couldn''t even really think, let alone speak, even if he wanted to.


    The only he could do was mindlessly gaze at Lu''um''s terrified, teary-eyed face. Her desperate pleas for him to respond ¡ª to give her a sign ¡ª would go unanswered.


    A stranded and unfocused consciousness trapped within a prison of flesh that no longer heeded his calls ¡ª that was his current situation.


    Every second that passed was unbearable for both of them, in their own specific ways. That was the punishment that had been delivered upon them¡­


    An old, familiar voice suddenly reached Reed''s ears, one that he had not heard in a very long time. It was the voice a person he had forsaken and sealed deep in his heart.


    Someone Reed despised from the bottom of his heart and wanted nothing to do with.


    ...I didn''t want to do this, but you have left me with no other choice, Reed. You and you alone have brought this upon yourself.


    You have forsaken me and therefore, you have forsaken yourself.


    This is a heavy sin, but it is not your greatest sin. Abandoning your responsibilities is your greatest sin, Reed, and you will suffer dearly for this transgression, mark my words¡­


    .....I empathize with you, Reed, but there are some things that we cannot run away from. This, of course, includes one''s destiny. ....But, in the end, some wisdom cannot be learned through counsel; it must be experienced in order for the student to fully comprehend it.


    You wish to be a mortal, yes? Live a normal, mortal life? So be it.


    I will give you what you desire and in return¡­ the world will punish you for it. Their blood will be on your hands alone and no one else''s.


    Drown in your cowardice, guilt, and pitiful escapism, Reed.


    Let the impartial hammer of justice fall upon you for your actions. May their deaths be a lesson you will never forget...


    Do not say that you have not been warned. I have offered you and will continue to offer you my support, but not until you resolve yourself to your chosen path once more¡­


    Everything I do is to protect our world and correct the mistakes of our... predecessors. Do not think for a second that I am some heartless, unfeeling monster.


    You don''t have even the slightest right to judge me. You, of all people, should already know what I had to deal with¡­


    Ah, but allow me to give you a parting gift before I leave. It would be most¡­ impertinent of me to not give you something to remember my words by...


    Reed''s right hand, which had been clenched in a fist, suddenly raised itself up as if it were pulled up by invisible strings and then opened up right in front of his eyes¡­


    It was there, just as he had claimed. The parting gift.


    A small, fist-sized piece of broken rubble¡­ covered in blood.


    That''s a courtesy gift from, well¡­ you yourself. It sure as hell isn''t mine.


    I hope you enjoy it, Reed, although I imagine that you won''t be able to lift it yourself once I''m gone.


    In fact, I doubt you''ll ever be able to lift that piece of rubble.


    ¡­Catch you around, Reed. Give my Sunflower my regards. Thanks in advance.


    As soon as his voice faded away, the pain stopped and Reed fainted¡­ leaving Lu''um all alone to tend to him.


    If there was anything Reed regretted, it was that he had made her suffer because of him. Her crying face had done more damage than the mark had done to him, needless to say¡­


    ¡­When he awoke, the had already risen up into the sky, far above the horizon. It was midday. Reed hoped that he hadn''t slept for too long, for her sake. He could not even begin to imagine what she must have felt.


    The faster he was out of bed, the sooner he could assuage her worries. She was still his main priority, but Reed realized that something was wrong the moment he got out of bed.


    He felt tired. His reflexes had become sluggish and uncoordinated; it was if he had aged a decade overnight. For the first time in forever, since he had become a Chosen, he felt¡­ pain.


    It was his back; it hurt. That was the first major red flag for him that something was seriously wrong. Even after he had sealed his power, the passive side-effects had still remained. His injuries had always healed themselves, but now...


    The second biggest change had been that his eyesight had taken a turn for the worse. Anything more than five or so meters had become a blurry mess to him. He hurriedly walked over to his bedroom''s window and opened the curtains.


    Cem-Elle was still there intact and untouched... but he could no longer observe it with the same clarity and precision as before. Not a day ago he had been able to observe a single raindrop a mile away as if it were in front of him, but now he couldn''t even see past the sidewalk in front of his house with clarity.


    That fucking bastard and his goddamn monologues¡­! But he really did keep his promise¡­ I really am a...


    Reed needed to know the truth and verify it. He looked down at his pajama shirt and opened it. All the proof Reed wanted was there, right on his chest.


    It was still there, but it had dramatically changed. The mark had lost its luster and become something completely unrecognizable.


    Faded in color; Weathered in design; Wanting in beauty.


    Where had once been something resembling a tasteful, abstract tattoo of some kind was now a hideous scar that was appalling and even offensive to the eye.


    The noble mark of responsibility had turned into a brand of shame that he would have to carry with him wherever he went now. A considerate reminder and punishment for Reed from him, no doubt. Reed cursed the bastard from the bottom of his heart.


    He stared at the disgusting scar and was about to let out a deep sigh, but stopped himself when he heard the sound hurried footsteps behind him. The last thing he wanted to do was to make her worry even more about him, heaven forbid. He had done enough to her.


    ...It was as if an immense weight had been lifted off of her shoulders the moment she laid eyes on him. Never before had he seen her with such a mortified expression before, despite all that they had been through. It almost looked like¡­ as if she had seen a corpse come back to life.


    Reed didn''t even have time to say anything before she had rushed him.


    He didn''t know what to say. There was a lot he wanted to say, but no matter how he tried to word it in his head, nothing seemed good enough.


    ¡­No. There''s no reason to use words if they don''t fit the circumstances.


    So, he did the only thing he could do. He held her tightly in his arms and smiled.


    Not for him, but for her. After all, sunflowers would wilt without the radiance of the sun...


    And that was something he could not afford to happen...

 123 The Schism Between He and Himself

    Life changed in various, sobering ways after that night. What he had once lost had been given back to him ¡ª his mortality, and everything that came along with it.


    The overwhelming power he once possessed had truly disappeared. He had made good on his promise to Reed.


    His connection to Anima, which once had been deeply profound and unbreakable, was now nothing more than a fleeting whisper in the wind. The privileges he formerly had ¡ª afforded to him by the mark of responsibility ¡ª no longer applied to him.


    Besmirched beyond recognition, Reed quickly learned that he had become a pariah in the eyes of Anima. His mark of shame had turned him into a target of scorn. The tender affection and loyalty it once had for him were gone.


    That''s¡­ probably wrong, too. ¡­I''ve most likely never been the one it really loved.


    Ah¡­ It makes perfect sense. What a fool I''ve been, thinking so highly of myself¡­


    Nothing had been stolen; What had been given to him had simply been taken back by its rightful owner. There was nothing evil or unfair about that. It had never belonged to Reed in the first place, after all¡­


    Reed hollowly laughed. I must''ve looked like a big conceited idiot ¡ª a fucking clown to him¡­


    He calmly stared at the fist-sized piece of rubble on his desk.


    Silence permeated the bedroom. Not even the sound of his breathing could be heard.


    There was nothing that could properly describe what it felt like looking at that¡­ stained piece of rubble. Nothing.


    Reed had felt this feeling before¡­ twice. And each time, he had promised himself to never let it happen again. He had sworn to himself that he''d become the man they needed to him to be at the time.


    Not a grand hero like in his childhood stories. He did not desire the theatrics, prestige or authority. Those days were over for him.


    All he wanted to do was¡­ become someone the people he loved could rely upon. To be the person they could turn to when they needed help.


    He wasn''t a selfish monster, either. He understood that now, more than ever before there was a need for him ¡ª for someone who could defend the innocent and weak against the tyrannical Infestation.


    Not a day went by that he did not think about the lives that perished during the Twilight War, be they Chosen or Mortal.


    He owed it to them to protect their home, their world.


    ¡­By all accounts it was his fight too, as someone who was a part of the multiverse. Whether he liked or not, the reality he lived in was in danger.


    It needed someone to protect it, and the people who called it home.


    ¡­...What would she think about him right now?


    When had he stopped trying to prove his worthiness to her?


    Had he not made a promise to her?


    As infuriating as it was, he knew that the bastard was right on at least one point.


    ¡­But I''m not that strong. I''m not the guy you''re looking for. It''s too much to handle. ¡­And the only I want to take care of is... my family.


    Her.


    Was it wrong for him to focus on what mattered to him?


    The stained piece of rubble would not give him an answer, no matter how much he queried it.


    \"..........................................¡­\"


    Reed put his right hand on top of it and grasped it with all his strength as if he were trying to crush it in his hands. The moment he laid his hands on it, his hand started to burn with a fury unknown to man.


    It was as if he''d grasped a molten piece of lava with his bare hands, but he didn''t mind. He had gotten used to the insufferable pain already.


    After all, it was not the first time he had tried to lift it. He had tried many a time.


    White-hot waves of pain traveled up his right arm and assaulted his mind, but he continued to hold on to the piece of rubble nonetheless...


    And then, he pulled up.


    As if to punish him for even trying, the heat suddenly intensified beyond imagination. Even, so he desperately struggled to pick up the piece of rubble that seemed to weigh a hundred thousand tons.


    It wouldn''t budge, no matter how hard he pulled on it. The piece of rubble felt like it might as well been a shrunken mountain.


    Reed could feel that it wouldn''t be long before he would blackout. His vision flickered wildly and he was started to lose his ability to think, but even so, he did not release the broken piece of stone.


    Until he fainted¡­


    ¡­The moment he did, she entered the room and deftly caught him before he fell onto the floor.


    She had witnessed his attempt at lifting the stone in secret. Today marked the ninth time he had tried to lift it, to no avail.


    There was nothing she could do to help him with his problem, for it was a matter of the heart, his own specifically. All she could do was be beside him and heal his wounds.


    Even if she took him to Citali and brought him to Grandfather Ulbo for counsel, it would do him no good. In the end, he would have to overcome this problem on his own terms.


    It was bad. The effects of the stone had done an extensive amount of damage today. Reed''s right arm looked like it''d been put inside of a barbecue grill for an hour, perfectly cooked to perfection.


    The smell of his burnt right arm was something truly horrific, and not something that she''d ever dare describe. It was a stench that was not so easily forgotten once it was smelled.


    A grimace formed on her face and she immediately went to work, fixing what had been burnt to a crisp in record time. She did not want him to suffer any more than he had to. He had suffered enough.


    He did not deserve this suffering and neither did she, but the world was not fair. She understood this simple fact of life, but that did not mean it did not leave her wondering why it was like that.


    How she wanted to live a mortal life with him. To grow old and happy with him.


    A normal life. One without magic, monsters, wars, or accursed destinies.


    ¡­If only. But there will be no end to this suffering until¡­ the work is done.


    For the longest, she had closed herself off from the world. Tried to adopt a detached perspective in order to limit the pain of waiting and watching her home slowly rot from the inside out.


    Watching the night sky as the stars continued to twinkle out of existence until¡­ everything went dark.


    Helplessly observing from the sealed cage she and her people ''lived'' in as universes that''d once been under their protection went silent. Stopped sending out messages for help. They had failed them all and the oath they had made to them ¡ª to be their shield, their guide, and their source of hope.


    The deafening silence of a deceased universe was maddening.


    She had seen too much and lived far too long. The only thing she wanted was for it to end; to finally finish the work they''d been forced upon by their predecessors.


    The power of God was not something worthy of celebration. Mortals, born as weak, transient creatures, were naturally incapable of understanding how much painful it was being one.


    A part of her understood somewhat what they craved for the stars. ¡­It was not an alien concept to her how someone with a short lifespan might strive for greatness; how the might want to make the best of their short lives.


    It was a blessing to them as much as it was a curse ¡ª pushing them to live every day as fully as possible.


    She found that the most endearing thing about mortals.


    Why she had come to love that charming old couple with all heart. They were radiant stars that had melted her frozen heart.


    How brilliantly they shone in life¡­ like stars themselves.


    If only they could see how beautiful they truly are and¡­ how much we envy them ¡ª the true children of the stars.


    She was committed, if only for their sake. For the first time in a millennium, she felt the weight of the responsibility she had been entrusted with.


    They owed to it them. They had made an oath to them. To renege on that oath stood against everything they''d fought so desperately for.


    Come hell or high-water, she¡ª no, they would save their home.


    Nothing''s impossible so as long as you and I put our minds to the task. I know it.


    She looked at him and felt confident that he''d overcome this trial as well. She was sure of it.


    \"¡­You''re not nearly as weak as you think you are, dear. ..I didn''t fall in love with a wimp, after all.\"

 124 Sprouts of Wisdom

    He had been humbled ¡ª taught where he truly stood in the world and had been forced to face what the consequences of his actions would cause.


    There was nothing that could force a person to change like the agonizing and incessant sting of regret.


    That was something he was sure about. There was no greater suffering than the unceasing torment brought on by genuine regret. It was a special kind of pain that had no anodyne. Pleasures of the flesh would never be able to abate something as terrible as it. Neither would the passage of time.


    Only fools and cowards believed that ¡ª desperately so, with their miserable, little hearts.


    No, time did not affect it either, and in fact, only served to intensify the agony. This was a hard-earned piece of knowledge that he had obtained on his own.


    Reed was no different, regardless of his status, power, or personal upbringing.


    It did not matter whether one had a power as godlike as the ability to reshape reality. And it surely did not matter whether one was born as either a prince or an orphan.


    Regret was such a weighty, inescapable penalty that not even God was above it, much less the likes of mortal men. Some things transcended even the one who created them¡­ and regret was one such thing.


    The moment Reed understood this and came to terms with it, he would give back what he had taken from him. Until then, he would wait...


    Several days passed with little to show for them. Failure was all that had arisen from his unrelenting efforts. It would not budge so much as a millimeter for him. If anything, it was getting even harder for him to pick up the stone.


    It was as if it had responded to his efforts and redoubled the amount of pain it caused whenever he tried to pick it up. The stone would raise the threshold of pain it would inflict upon him for every time he failed as punishment for his continued hubris¡­ and ignorance.


    The stone could not be lifted with mere strength of will alone, just as one could not shrug off their innermost regrets just because they wanted to with all their heart.


    Running away from one''s problems would not accomplish a single thing.


    Thus, nothing had changed. His persistent attempts had been nothing more than exercises in futility. Reed still had not yet grasped what the stone wanted of him.


    He was unworthy...


    Because of his cowardice. He had already resolved himself to protect and prevent the tragedy that was to befall them, but it was not out of selflessness or a sense of responsibility.


    Fear was what had driven him to act. It was the fear of loss and of the eternal guilt that he would have to carry for the rest of his life that had driven him into his current, frenzied state.


    That was the source of his desperation. There was nothing about it that was commendable.


    An insidious, twisted delusion had taken hold of Reed ¡ª that he had properly reformed and become worthy of lifting the stone. He had come to believe that he truly had resolved himself to saving the old couple because it was the correct thing to do.


    That Reed was doing it for them¡­ when in truth, it was all but a honeyed lie. A sweet thing he had convinced himself of in order to move forward.


    He wasn''t doing it for them; He was doing it for himself.


    It was a truly detestable thing, which was the stone had punished him the way it had done. He would not tolerate being told such a pathetic lie.


    Reed had reached his wit''s end. He couldn''t handle it anymore ¡ª picking up the stone. The suffering that came with the stone had grown too much to bear.


    For the first time since he had woken up on that day, he had not picked up the stone. He finally realized that it wasn''t going to happen, even if he tried putting his life on the line. Chances were it''d probably punish with something even worse than before if he tried to pick it up again¡­


    It was a baby step, but it was a step forward in the right direction.


    He wanted to try picking it up, but he knew that nothing good would come of it. That he would only come to regret it.


    In a way, it had become an obsession for him. It had unwittingly turned into a miserable pissant and a slave to the power it possessed.


    Only now had Reed finally seen what he had become as of late. What he once promised himself to never bend to had gotten the best of him.


    Desperately clinging to power not my own, to the point of I nearly lost myself to it. ......God-fucking-dammit. I¡ª this isn''t who¡­ I am.


    How alluring you are but I know you for who you really are ¡ª a burden.


    Reed had seen how power had clouded the judgment of common people all too well. People who had never experienced the intoxicating surge of ecstasy always succumbed to it.


    They''d become slaves to it without even knowing it''d even happened.


    He hated to it admit, but he now understood why the stone had rejected him.


    I''m not ready. I will never be able to lift it as long as I am susceptible to the power it contains.


    Poison ¡ª that''s what it is. I''ve always known this. But even so, I''ve never been able to avoid the effects it''s had on me.


    New questions had arisen from this realization. It was the beginning of something new ¡ª growth.


    Then how do I prevent it from affecting me? How does one become immune to the effects that power has on the heart? Can it be done?


    Although small, these seeds ¡ª those simple questions ¡ª were the means upon which he would change. In fact, it was a reason for celebration¡­


    Regret was a painful gift that offered a person a clearer insight of themselves and the world at large. It made them see life past their own limited perspective.


    To wallow upon regret was a mistake, as was to try to forget it.


    Reed had finally reached the breaking point. At some point in time, he had committed both mistakes.


    When she had sacrificed herself to protect him, he had wallowed in regret. Tried to chain it to himself with¡­ an oath to her¡­


    ¡­And when she had been sacrificed, he had tried to run away from it in exile in a land far, far away¡­


    But this time¡­ it was different. In this specific situation, he could neither wallow nor run away. The circumstances had forced Reed to finally confront his regrets head-on.


    It had not happened yet; Reed could still save them.


    He had no excuse to wallow in what''d happened or run away from it. The future was in his hands. He just did not know it yet.


    I need answers and I''m way out of my league here.


    What I need is back up. Someone who might be able to point me in the right direction¡­


    Thankfully, he knew two such people. They could help him. In fact, they had been the first people who had popped into his head. He was sure that they could shed some light on his problem.


    Two entire lifetimes of wisdom were downstairs in the bakery, probably enjoying their morning cup of coffee.


    There was nothing to lose in asking them¡­ aside from a couple of loaves of bread and some coffee.


    Such a price is easy enough to pay, thought Reed.


    Reed gazed at the stone a final time before he finally forced himself out of his bedroom. He had taken the first step and broken the hold ¡ª the curse of the stone ¡ª it once had on him.


    ¡­Little did Reed know that the moment he stepped out of the bedroom, something had happened to the stone.


    The stone, which had once been completely dyed crimson, had changed.


    A tiny patch of crimson had disappeared. Beneath the stained blood on the stone lay something else, unknown to Reed and even to¡­ him.


    It was something new. It was not something that had been put there by him. A most curious thing had happened ¡ª a change in the course of fate that would eventually lead to¡­ incredible things.


    Where it had come from, or how it had formed was beyond the ken of the stars.


    The stone, for the briefest of moments, throbbed in anticipation and the Anima around it blossomed in response. The garden plants that''d been Reed and Lu''um''s bedroom had mysteriously grown what seemed like an entire decade by the time they''d turned in for bed that night.


    It''d been quite the surprise ¡ª seeing a miniature forest grow out of nowhere...

 125 The Lighthouse of Hope

    \"So, what did you want to ask, son?\" Old Man Hartford whispered, \"Don''t tell me that she''s finally gotten¡ª\"


    \"No, this is isn''t about that, goddammit! And I''ve already told you that we aren''t ready for something like that!\" said Reed.


    Despite his best efforts, Reed couldn''t understand why the old man wanted to see it happen so goddamned much. Was it something intrinsic to the elderly? The old couple had changed ever since Reed confided in Old Man Hartford one of the biggest dreams he had yet to fulfill several months ago.


    A part of Reed regretted that he''d told the geezer because nowadays, it was all the old man ever wanted to discuss. An unpleasant, invisible force had manifested in the kind old couple''s expectant faces overnight. It was smothering and heavy, yet gentle and sweet.


    What form of arcane power do children have over them? Why are they all so smitten with the idea of babies? I don''t understand why they''re both so gung-ho about us having a ...


    \"Look, it''s not about that, alright? We''re taking things at our own pace, gramps ¡ª we''ll reach that crossroads when we reach it. There''s no need for us to rush, right?


    You said it yourself, right? ''Although slow-burning love doesn''t burn the brightest, it burns the hottest.''\"


    In truth, it frightened Reed as much as the idea excited him, but deep in his heart, he understood that he wasn''t ready to tackle such an enormous responsibility. How would he, who couldn''t even take care of himself properly, fare in taking care of another life? He was nineteen, for heaven''s sake! Someone as young and inexperienced as him was unfit to handle being a...


    Nope. I''d fuck it up to hell and back. I''m sure that Lu''um would fare a million times better than I, but it shouldn''t be a solo act.


    I refuse to be dead weight. Fuck that noise. Some guys might prefer that, but I won''t stand for that shit. Either I''m ready for it or the whole thing ain''t happening.


    From what Reed had learned of Old Man Hartford, they had played it by the ear. One day and they woke up as expectant parents-to-be and that was that, so to speak.


    A night of passionate love had begotten them their first child. Reed had died a bit inside when he learned that little nugget of truth from Old Man Hartford. They had improvised the entire way through, learning through trial and error on their own without any help from their families. Even so, they had taken it very seriously and done their best in raising their child.


    Their love had been an expensive one; their marriage disregarded by their families.


    At one point in his life, he had been a promising young man ¡ª someone who would have become a Chosen. Missus Hartford, too, had been the recipient of the same illustrious privilege. They would have lived as demigods in the clouds.


    Instead, they did something that no one imagined possible.


    On the eve of their final exam as trainees, they both relinquished what had been bestowed unto them by the Will of the World ¡ª their Alma.


    ...No rules stated that one had to remain Chosen after becoming one. They had both fallen in love with each other over the year they had spent as trainees and discovered in themselves their truest desire: A normal life with one another.


    Over the course of their training, Old Man Hartford and Missus Hartford came to the understanding that although they were gifted enough to succeed as Chosen, neither of them wanted to live such a life.


    Deep down, neither one of them cared enough for the duty that every Chosen needed to uphold. What interested them was their budding love that had taken a turn for the serious.


    They both understood the risks that came with the life of a Chosen and accepted that if they chose to remain Chosen, it would mean that they would have to place their duty as Chosen first over their love, at least while they were active and that would be a long time.


    Decades if lucky; Centuries at best; Forever at worst. That was something they could not accept.


    Well-known was the fact that all Chosen would one day die in battle for the sake of the world. It was a part of the deal that they had made for the privilege of becoming a demigod. When and where it happened was not up to them, either.


    Neither of them desired to see such a thing so in the end...


    Love had won over Duty.


    They had come to the conclusion that they could no longer remain Chosen. For them to keep what they would never put to proper use would have been unwise in the extreme.


    What their peers saw as madness, they knew was the correct thing to do. The responsible course of action.


    If they could not keep their part of the bargain, then they were not deserving of the benefits offered by it.


    Their families, on the other hand, did not feel the same way. In their eyes, childish love had led two promising stars to fall into ruin. The entrance marks they had given the young couple had gone to waste on them.


    For their transgressions, they had both been disowned from their families. Erased from their family trees. Deprived of everything that they had ever been given by their families, be it their former wealth, titles, and connections. The young couple had been cast out of the world of Chosen in full.


    If they wanted to live a normal life, they were more than welcome to do so. Without help.


    Old Man Hartford and Missus Hartford had been fine with that and considered it a fair punishment, taking everything into consideration.


    \"One has to own up to their actions and take responsibility for them. Otherwise, you''ll end up regretting what you''ve done before long.\"


    Despite what many had thought at the time, they had made their final decision after much consideration. It had not been some reckless choice in the heat of an impassioned moment...


    Reed and Lu''um had learned many a thing about them over the last two years as they pieced together the old couple''s story. They had journeyed across the world and gotten themselves in the murky, dangerous world in between the mortal world and the world of Chosen in pursuit of the normal life they had desired.


    They had been in their own fair share of incredible adventures, despite longer no being Chosen.


    And yet, despite all of the obstacles that had been in their way and the various mistakes they''d made, not once had they given up on their dream.


    As long as they were together, it seemed like nothing could ever stop them.  They were unstoppable.


    Reed saw in their life story them a vague, still undefined path. There was something within their stories that resonated with him.


    In his eyes, they were like a lighthouse shining a bright light into the murky fog that was his ignorance and indecision.


    He would be lost without them, like a ship forever damned to circle in that foggy sea until he crashed the rocky coast that was made of fear and guilt. If that happened, he would sink into the sea of despair below and be forever lost...


    The Light of Hope within the old couple was the product of decades of wisdom and the faith they had one another. It was a thing so pure and radiant that even Lu''um could not bear to glimpse at for too long at a time.


    Lu''um had come to the conclusion that this reason that they had been put on earth. They had been put there by the hand of fate for their sake. She hated that bitch to the core, but couldn''t deny that she had done well this time. Everything made perfect sense to her now.


    For the Earth to have shone brighter than Heaven itself. How befitting.


    This is without a doubt, retribution for our sins.


    In darkness, the Earth shall lead the way and Heaven will go without light.


    Lu''um bitterly smiled and promised that she''d make that bitch pay in full for everything that she had done to him. There would come a time when everyone got what they deserved. Everyone.


    That, of course, included her, too. Lu''um would personally make sure of that.


    All debts would be paid. Blood for Blood. And then, at the very end of it all, she and her beloved would finally be free. They would be allowed to rest...

 126 The Torchbearer Who Shone Ligh

    \"I need advice, gramps. I have a... serious problem and I don''t know what to do,\" said Reed.


    Old Man Hartford rubbed his chin in amusement and said, \"I doubt it''s as serious as you think it is, son, but I''m all ears, nevertheless. Lay it on me, youngster.\"


    If only that was the truth, gramps. What I''d give for you to be right¡­


    It was raining outside of the bakery.


    Yet another April shower had come for Cem-Elle, drenching the little town and surrounding grasslands. The smell of wet earth outside the cafe was a welcomed thing by both Reed and Old Man Hartford. They were both of the same mind ¡ª the scent of life that a shower brought was a special event one should savor.


    As of late, the weather had been sunny and clear. It was getting warmer with each passing day...


    The consistent pitter-patter of the rain on the streets masked the sound of their voices. Every now and then, the sound of distant thunderclaps reached their ears. They understood what that thunder entailed for both of them.


    A thunderstorm was brewing not too far out of the town and was heading for¡­


    He started off slowly and carefully, explaining the gist of his dilemma. How he had, by means of some unknown circumstance, become privy to forbidden knowledge.


    That he knew of a tragedy that had yet come ¡ª one that could still be prevented if he acted upon the knowledge he possessed.


    \"You are hesitating, then? Why?\"


    \"W-What are you talking about? I''m¡­ not hesitating. I just¡ª\"


    \"Then why is this knowledge causing you so much grief? You said it yourself, no? That this tragedy has not yet occurred. ...Yet you hesitate in a situation that should, under normal circumstances, not warrant a second thought,\" said Old Man Hartford.


    \"Saving a life is a commendable, selfless act of pure compassion. You are, by definition, putting a life not your own over yours in a bid to save them. Unfortunately, it is something that very few people are actually capable of doing...\"


    Reed sighed. He couldn''t disagree with the old man and that was what troubled him the most.


    I don''t think I can be the¡­ hero you''d like me to be, gramps. I can''t...


    I''m too weak. I''m just... a normal person.


    \"¡­But that doesn''t mean that they, normal people, are hopeless. Son, there are no real heroes. We''ve created the word ''hero'' to label people we think are special, but in truth, they''re no different than us.\"


    \"¡­Look at this street, son. I see heroes everywhere. They''re just sleeping, waiting until the right circumstances wake them up. Within each one of them exists an unrealized potential, something greater than even the likes of the almighty Chosen and their powers¡­ the Spark of Heroism.\"


    \"You don''t need to be extraordinary to be a hero, my son.\"


    \"You become extraordinary when you turn into somebody''s hero.\"


    God-fucking-dammit..! H-He''s not judging me even though I...! T-This is so...!


    Never before had Reed felt so minuscule. In front of him was an old man well into his late seventies, half a foot into the grave, and yet¡­


    Reed felt like he was in the presence of a titan of myth, someone who could probably carry the weight of the world on his shoulders shrug it off with a smile. This was a self-actualized man who reached the zenith of his potential and had become the ultimate version of himself.


    He had tried his hardest, but he couldn''t hold it in anymore.


    The tears wouldn''t stop coming out. The pain was greater than anything the stone could have ever inflicted on him. His sobbing, distraught expression was one of genuine regret and sorrow.


    I-I killed this incredible person¡­! Because of me¡­! I-I¡­ have no right¡­!


    Old Man Hartford patted Reed''s back and said, \"¡­You can do it, too. I know you can, son.\"


    H-Huh?


    \"You have the spark within you, as well¡­ I can see it eagerly waiting in your chest. It''ll surely turn into a flame bright enough to light the sky.


    Trust it. Let it cast away the darkness in your heart once and for all.\"


    \"¡­B-But I can''t! I''d be a hypocrite! I-I only want to save¡­ a few people and not¡­! It''s not selflessness, it''s selfishness! There are responsibilities that come with that! And if I can''t keep my end of the bargain, then I''m unworthy of it!


    I have to be all in or I''m not! Make good on my word! Otherwise, I''d be nothing more than an irresponsible coward wearing the mask of a hero¡­!\"


    Old Man Hartford shook his head and said, \"You''re wrong, son. We take up what we must not for the greater good, but for the ones we love. To protect them from what they cannot defend themselves from.


    Those who dedicated themselves to the greater good and the world at large aren''t heroes. They''re saints ¡ª people who have sealed their love for the individual to dedicate themselves to everyone.


    These people are the deep end of heroism and have, in order to commit themselves to their belief, cast off a piece of their humanity.


    They have chosen to walk a path that leads out of the world, for the sake of the world. There is such a difference between momentary selflessness in the heat of the moment and perpetual self-sacrifice for an ideal.


    ¡­You can still be a hero and focus on those you love, son. You do the hard things for them and if everyone else benefits, well, that''s a hidden blessing ¡ª not sought out for, but welcomed nonetheless.\"


    Reed sloppily wiped his face and said, \"¡­T-There''s a difference? I thought all heroes are in service of the greater good.\"


    He had never heard about this, much less considered such a thing was possible ¡ª that someone could focus on the individual and still be a hero.


    Could it possible? Would the stone accept such a belief or reject it? It demanded much out of Reed, so he did not know if that would be enough for it¡­


    \"Of course there''s a difference, you fool! I''d be worried sick if you actually picked up such a ridiculous idea and ran along with it! How about you take care of what''s in front of you before you start running off with your wild fantasies!!\"


    The Old Man grabbed Reed''s head and forcibly turned it toward the bakery. Lu''um and Missus Hartford smiled when they noticed them and waved for them to enter.


    Ahh... I see. He''s right. Focus on what''s in front of you. How could I have been so blind?


    Reed waved back and said, \"¡­You''re right, gramps. Sorry for making you worry and listen to my stupid problem.\"


    \"See, I told you. It''s wasn''t as serious of a problem as you thought. That was just your fear talking, blinding your vision,\" said Old Man Hartford, chuckling wryly.


    \"But still, I wouldn''t have been able to figure it out without you, gramps¡­\"


    \"All you needed was a little help, son. More than often, we lack the clarity to see through problems when we become afflicted with irrational emotions. Like fog, it obscures the truth in front of our eyes¡­\"


    Reed completely agreed. But now it was different. The fog had finally disappeared. His answer was right there, in front of him.


    When his sunflower smiled at him, he felt as if an immense weight had been lifted off his shoulders. An unknown strength had begun to flow into his veins, empowering him with a renewed sense of determination.


    \"¡­I owe you, gramps. How ''bout I repay you with your favorite coffee and some fresh blueberry muffins?\"


    The old man shrugged his shoulders and said, \"How about you let me see my grandchildren sometime this century, son? Do me that favor and we''ll call it square.\"


    Reed and Old Man Hartford laughed. They entered the bakery and left their old regrets outside for the storm to carry away someplace else¡­


    Old Man Hartford had given him something genuinely magical that day. It was an invisible thing that could not be seen, heard, or felt. What they neither of them could have expected were the effects that it''d have on¡­


    The stone.


    Nearly all of the blood on the stone had disappeared for the briefest of moments before it returned to normal. The gestating power contained within it had almost prematurely burst. Not a single person had detected the abnormal surge be it Reed, Lu''um, the Hartfords''¡­ or Him.


    An unknown wave power had come out of the stone and passed through the bakery, out into the surrounding neighborhood for a couple of hundred meters¡­


    ¡­The next day, everyone on Reed and Lu''um''s street woke up and found that their entire street had turned into a lush, overgrown forest filled with life...

 127 Cem-Elle In Twiligh

    It initially started off as nothing more than a whisper in the wind. The murmuring echo of an incomplete thought was all it had been in the beginning.


    Sometimes it''d catch his attention, if only for a second. He''d turn his head and mistakenly look around in confusion, thinking that someone had called out to him.


    That was how it began ¡ª rather innocently.


    It was a curious thing, but it was not something that deserved too much attention. He''d witnessed stranger things happen before, as well. Not a single day went by without him being reminded that he lived in a mysterious world filled with¡­ anomalous phenomena.


    There other, more pressing concerns he had to attend to anyway, such as the goddamned forest that''d taken up residence in his bedroom, for instance. It''d cost him a very pretty penny to have the towering blossom trees that''d shot out of his roof removed.


    In the span a single night, he''d lost over three hundred thousand credits.


    The refurbished hovercraft we''d bought for the trip to Mardeimus cost us a hundred and forty thousand credits for fuck''s sake!!


    And that wasn''t even a high-end model from this year, goddammit! We bought a mid-range older model and it still cost over a hundred grand!


    Two hovercrafts worth of property damages in a single night!!


    Peculiar, fleeting hallucinations were the least of his worries as far as he was concerned¡­ until his life started getting stranger.


    Some at the back of his head was telling him that something was wrong.


    That he needed to wake up. Now.


    What began as little more than an oddity had become something that he could no longer ignore.


    Another day passed without his knowledge and everything returned to normal.


    ...The refurbished hovercraft we''d bought for the trip to Mardeimus cost us a hundred and forty thousand credits for fuck''s sake!!


    ¡­And that wasn''t even a high-end model from this year, goddammit! We bought a mid-range older model and it still cost over a hundred thousand credits!


    ¡­Two hovercrafts worth of property damages in a single night!!


    Had he noticed it sooner, he might''ve been able to stop it. Probably. But it was too late now. What had begun could no longer be stopped.


    He had seen something on what''d been a relatively normal day ¡ª an untruth that should not have fooled him.


    The moment he laid his eyes on it, everything changed.


    It had happened so casually, out of the blue, that it''d caught him completely off guard.


    He''d been working the front of the bakery, putting pastries the Lu''um had made on their display racks when it had happened. Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted¡­


    A tall, beautiful woman stroll past the bakery. Her long, golden-brown hair shone like autumn fields at sunset. She looked no different than when he had last seen her. Same as that day, when she¡­


    Like an innocent fool, he set off the moment he realized what he''d seen in hot pursuit.


    That how it had begun ¡ª the Blur.


    He couldn''t remember when it first started, but he was certain that it had not happened whilst in a dream. Everything else was up in the air, though. Day and night had blurred into a single thing and so had He.


    Ever since that day, Cem-Elle had transformed into something else.


    Was it sunrise or sunset? The sun had not moved an inch since then, either upward or downward.


    The people, too, had changed along with the twilight sky. They''d all become languid, unambitious and seemingly content with the world around them. It was as if everyone had given up on hope on living.


    They were alive now only in the strictest sense of the word. It was a disheartening thing to witness. A town filled with walking husks lived only to continue living another day and nothing more.


    An unknown amount of time had passed until he finally broke out of the spell himself. When he did, he nearly lost it. His suffering had begun that day¡­ and never ended since then.


    I can''t tell how much time has passed anymore¡­ Nothing works the way it''s supposed to in this godforsaken place.


    Days? Weeks? Months? Years...? He couldn''t tell and no one would give him an answer. Every time he asked someone, they''d just shrug their shoulders and say, \"What''s the point? We''re already out of time, anyway¡­\"


    Why do they always stare at the sun whenever I ask them? What''s the point of this depressing, hopeless world?


    He wasn''t sure if it was a dream or not, since there was no way to really tell the difference. If Reed slept, he''d always find himself back in bed at home, repeating the beginning of the same day, unaware of what''d happened until...


    ...The refurbished hovercraft we''d bought for the trip to Mardeimus cost us a hundred and forty thousand credits for fuck''s sake!!


    ...¡­And that wasn''t even a high-end model from this year, goddammit! We bought a mid-range older model and it still cost over a hundred thousand credits!


    ...Two hovercrafts worth of property damages in a single night!!


    The stone ¡ª it had transformed. What once lacked life had now seemingly been given one.


    It throbbed like a beating heart made of stone and followed him wherever he went now. He quickly learned that it was impossible to get rid of it.


    At first, he had left it in his bedroom but in a surprising turn of events, it had turned up downstairs in the bakery. It didn''t much for Reed to figure out what it wanted so he eventually¡­


    Picked it up.


    With the greatest of ease, too. Reed almost fell over backward when he picked the stone up because he had mistakenly assumed that it''d challenge him again.


    It was maddening, but if he fought it hard enough, he could break the loop and escape the spell. The stone heart would call out to him and beckon him to pick it up. It was the key that had allowed him to regain his free will, albeit until he fell asleep again¡­


    It''s strangely warm and comforting¡­ for a stone heart. The throbbing I could do without, though. Makes it feel a little too realistic¡­


    Whenever Reed held the stone heart close to his own chest, the stone heart would beat a little faster as if excited. And when he put it up to his ears, Reed swore he could hear it speak to him.


    He heard a few coherent whispers every now and then, but most of the time it was most intelligible white noise.


    Reed... was aware that he sounded a bit unhinged, but that didn''t matter to him. What he needed were answers and if the stone heart could provide them, he''d gladly speak to it, even if it made him look like a madman¡­


    It''s not the townspeople give a shit what I do, anyway.


    I could probably walk around the town buck naked and scream profanities at the top of my lungs and they wouldn''t even bat an eyelid.


    Reed was absolutely positive that the stone heart was the source of the problem.


    What else has the power to create something like this other than Lu''um, myself or the stone? This little mortal town doesn''t have anything crazy enough to do this¡­


    There''s no way Lu''um would ever do this and I''m powerless, so¡­


    It''s either ''his'' or the stone''s doing. Either way, I want OUT.


    If Reed figured out what it wanted, he was sure it''d release him. Probably.


    What else he did have to lose? If he didn''t try, it wouldn''t be long before he''d fell asleep again. The worst was he didn''t know when he''d regain his free will, either.


    Maybe the next loop if I''m lucky? Or perhaps a dozen loops from now? A hundred loops from now? There''s no telling when it''ll happen because I can barely remember anything from the previous loops¡­


    It''s all a fucking blur. I can''t tell up from down. Lies from the truth.


    It might as well be true.


    It might as well be false.


    ¡­Does it even matter?


    Time had lost its meaning in the twilight world, regardless of whether it was a dream or not. A month might have passed. Perhaps an entire decade.


    Reed chuckled. I''ve gotten myself in a real shitshow this time. This is a special kind of evil. I''m genuinely impressed, to be honest...


    His eyelids were starting to get heavier. He had struggled for the longest to keep himself awake, but he could no longer fight back against the temptation.


    Reed sighed and said, \"I miss tomorrow¡­\"


    Eventually, his body betrayed him and he closed his eyes for a second. That was all that it took for him to go down. He was gone.


    It would have been a wonderful morning had it not been for Reed''s sour mood. It''d cost him a very pretty penny to have the towering blossom trees that''d shot out of his roof removed.


    ...The refurbished hovercraft we''d bought for the trip to Mardeimus cost us a hundred and forty thousand credits for fuck''s sake!!


    ...And that wasn''t even a high-end model from this year, goddammit! We bought a mid-range older model and it still cost over a hundred thousand credits!


    ¡­Two hovercrafts worth of property damages in a single¡­

 128 An Endless Tu-dey In Mediocrity

    It was a world created for the sake of the word ''today''. As a result, the words ''yesterday'' and ''tomorrow'' lost their original meaning.


    Yesterday, tomorrow, and today. The beginning of one was the ending of none. Such was the will of the people.


    Written the same way. Spoken the same way. Discerned the same way.


    Shattered pieces of glass melted into sand. His mind had come undone like rainbow confetti that''d turned into grey-matter-spaghetti in his pursuit for, well¡­


    The twilight sun had melted him down into a bubbling puddle of sand over the course of a billion and one ''to-days''. What remained of him couldn''t be considered ''him'' anymore, the one who had initially found himself stuck in an endlessly looping version of his hometown.


    Around the one hundred millionth ''tu-dey'', the poor fool had finally drawn his last breath.


    The only thing left of him was a nameless, shambling figure that lived in Cem-Elle''s shadows, far away from the light of the twilight sun. A vagrant that possessed neither a name or a coherent mind.


    \"To-day, To-day, Too-day, Two-day, Tu-dey.\"


    Like a broken record, he repeated the same word in a soft, sing-song voice as he hugged a fist-sized stone heart ¡ª his only possession. There was much to fear outside the confines of his hidden sanctuary.


    The dreadful, ever-presentlight of the twilight sun, for example.


    He knew that it was the cause of the evil that had befallen the town. It affected all who were touched by it, sapping them of their will to live until they became walking husks.


    That he was being punished by the Shadow of the Sun. The cruel fiend had rejected his answer. He was the creator of the twilight sun, the wretched star, that would not move.


    They had reached an impasse. Neither accepted the other''s will.


    One had dedicated himself for that which greater than his life ¡ª the salvation of his entire world. For this, he had strived to be better. He had spent entire lifetimes to create the circumstances needed to accomplish his life''s work.


    Walking down his own path, he put aside the world and walked away from anything that could have distracted him ¡ª the petty worries, criticisms, temptations, and oppressive moral values of the people.


    In contrast, the one that was supposed to have inherited his life''s work was a miserable thing.


    A weak, mediocre creature that lived only for the next day without reason. Lived only to eat, breathe, and sleep. He was a disappointment that had been seduced into living a comfortable, mindless life like a domesticated animal.


    Only when confronted with pain and fear of loss, had the other one stirred to finally stand up for himself and do something. And as if it to add insult to injury, he had only chosen to step forward because he wanted to protect and eventually return the mediocrity of the masses.


    Yet again, you have forgotten me and therefore, yourself.


    I would not ask ANYONE of this because I have no right to do so, but YOU are an exemption. Shame on you. Look at yourself and repent!


    The poor, nameless creature yelled at the shadow in front to leave him be, to no avail. His torment would continue for as long as it was necessary.


    There was too much at stake for him to allow the poor creature to pin the salvation of reality itself on the dream of a simple life, much less a single woman, whoever she may be to either of them.


    This is bigger than both of us, don''t you see?!! EVERYTHING! That''s what we''re fighting for, you spineless fool!


    How in the FUCK did you come to the conclusion that I''d EVER accept your ''answer''?!


    Because you love her?!! Because you want to live a peaceful life?!!


    Do you really think that''ll be enough to get you through what''s to come?!!


    DON''T FUCK WITH ME!! I KNOW YOU''RE A BETTER MAN THAN THAT! YOU''RE CAPABLE OF FAR MORE THAN THIS! YOU''RE MEANT TO SURPASS EVEN ME!


    I KNOW YOU''RE IN THERE, REED!!! COME OUT OR ELSE, I''LL¡ª


    The stone heart shook violently and let out a blinding light that swallowed up the furious phantom before he could finish his sentence. It had driven him off, but only for a short while.


    Before long, he would return to hound the nameless vagrant. Again and again, until he finally got he wanted. He would accept nothing else.


    Only then, would he release the nameless vagrant from the twilight world and grant him the power he had taken¡­


    Even so, the terrified remnant of a man would not bend. He''d rather die than follow the path that the phantom wanted him to walk.


    ¡­Perhaps he was right. That his reason for moving forward wasn''t enough, given what he''d have to face at some point in the future.


    If she died¡­ would he lose his reason for fighting? If so, that was an extremely dangerous thing. All it''d take for him to give up would be her untimely death.


    What would happen to the world after that? It stood to reason that it''d all be over for the world''s final hope were she ever to perish at any point in the journey.


    He could not allow the entire multiverse to hinge on the life of a single person.


    It''d be the height of stupidity to allow something as naive as that, so he hurriedly acted to nip the idea in the bud before it took hold.


    Twilight Cem-Elle was his response to the fool''s dreams and ideals.


    A town filled hopeless, mediocre fools who lacked what made them unique. They were all bereft of their drive to improve and seek what lay beyond their short lives ¡ª a purpose, a goal greater than even themselves.


    These people were happily content when the sun shone and hopelessly despaired when the stormy clouds hovered above the city.


    Not a single one of them had the creativity to feel joy in seeing a thunderstorm. They feared and loathed what they felt was overpowering to them in their eyes. The sound of thunder was enough to make them suffer¡­


    They could not, for instance, dreaming of being as awe-inspiring and powerful as the flash of a bolt of lightning, nor the sound of its companion the sonorous clap of thunder that followed it¡­


    Cattle lacked the drive to be better ¡ª to one day pursue the thunderstorm. They would forever fear it and call it evil.


    This was his perception of Reed''s dream. What he thought of the life Reed aspired to live until the day he died. Thus, he had created the world that the nameless vagrant now found himself trapped within.


    He would make the stupid, naive boy fear that which was mediocre. One ''today'' at a time, until the boy strived for greatness past his petty fears.


    ¡­The world needs someone strong. A person who can withstand all suffering that the world has to offer and still strive for greatness. To still believe in the idea of hope, no matter what is thrown at them.


    Why can you not see that you have the potential within you¡­?


    You''ve done it once already; do it once more and reach greater heights, Reed. For everyone''s sake and not just your own.


    The phantom had returned calmer than before. He had cooled himself down after he realized that yelling at the poor creature would not do him any favors.


    Making himself an enemy was the last thing he wanted to do. All he wanted was for the boy to see how dangerous the path he had chosen was.


    ¡­Look, let me make it easier to for you understand, okay?


    There''s a massive canyon in front you and you need to get across it, right? An endless abyss is all that awaits those who fall into the canyon.


    Now there are two options for you to cross the canyon.


    A strong and sturdy bridge that''ll let you cross safely ¡ª that''s the path I''m offering you, Reed.


    Your path? A thin and flimsy tight rope across the canyon. If even the slightest breeze hits you and you lose your balance¡­


    Well, I''m sure you understand, right?


    Okay¡­ Now imagine that situation, but you also have to carry the entire world on your shoulders. And if you fall, it won''t be just you that falls ¡ª the whole world will go down with you.


    Which path do you think is the safest, Reed? Which path do you think is the most responsible one for you to take, hmm?


    ¡­We''ll be here as long as it takes, buddy. Until you finally see reason and grow up a bit. When the time comes, you''re going to have to be more than a hero or even a saint.


    That''s what we got signed up for, bud. No running from that. Trust me.


    The nameless vagrant shut his eyes and said, \"No more¡­ tu-dey¡­ please¡­\"


    The phantom gazed up at the twilight sky and said, \"That''s not my call to make, bud. You''re the one who''ll free us both from¡­\"

 129 Labyrinth of the Abyss

    What hurt Reed the most was the sight of the bakery, his former home. He couldn''t bear to look at her anymore around the hundred-thousandth loop. She was the opposite of everything he had come to love about her.


    If he told her to sit, she''d sit for him. If he told her to stand, she''d stand for him. There wasn''t anything she wouldn''t do. He completely stripped her of everything that made her who she had once been.


    What lay inside of the bakery was no longer the woman he had once loved. The mindless animal in his former home was but a shadow of a person. There was nothing for him there. Nothing to be gained from living with that puppet aside from misery.


    So, Reed left. What point was there in clinging onto something that was already gone?


    Without a connection to the world, Reed slowly began to grow detached from the former obstructions that once bound him to that which could be considered¡­ superficial ¡ª the values, morals, and feelings imposed upon him by the world.


    The stone heart had whispered to him that there was another path he could take, but that the road he would have to take would not be easy.


    With nowhere else to go, Reed started to dig into his mind. He started for a way out¡­ within himself. Reed delved deep into the labyrinth of his own self with the stone heart''s assistance.


    He left the world and as a result, a shambling mess of a person had been left behind in the wake of his departure. What had remained was simply the most primitive part of himself ¡ª his instincts and impulses.


    The Nameless Vagrant was just that ¡ª Reed''s desire to survive and flourish in the face whatever danger may befall him. In Reed''s absence, it had taken over his body and endured in his stead for the longest time.


    It was a spit in his face, who had intended to ''reeducate'' Reed against his will. He''d been left alone with the bumbling, frightened idiot that was the Nameless Vagrant ever since Reed had descended into depths of his mind in search of¡­


    His source of will. What drove him to live and willed him to continue struggling against the unfair cruelties of life.


    Reed could either accept his control and become a living proxy for him or¡­ redefine himself on his own terms. The stone heart had given Reed a chance to decide his own destiny if he so wished for it.


    ¡­Not for free, of course. Reed would have to work for his freedom if he wanted it.


    The stone heart had made Reed fight against what he had tried to run away from ¡ª his demons.


    ¡­They had both been chasing Reed for the longest in the depths of the enormous labyrinth that he had constructed to keep them sealed. Their furious screams of rage echoed across the pitch-black maze and made the ground beneath his feet tremble in fear.


    Goddammit¡­! Those two never fucking tire, do they? Fuck''s sake!


    Reed channeled Anima and clenched his fists in preparation.


    I need to reach the end, once and for all! I can''t afford to get caught up in this cat-and-mouse game anymore!


    \"REED!\"


    \"BOY!\"


    He hated the fact that they looked exactly like their real-life counterparts. Had they looked like hideous caricatures of them, it would not have been so difficult to kill them.


    Reed hated himself for that.


    His demons charged at him ferociously and began their combined assault. One of them conjured a flood of flame and the other one a storm of razor-sharp hail.


    They were a nightmare to deal with together. Reed had never seen such coordination before. It made him doubt whether he was actually in his own mind whenever he saw the ingenious strategies his demons had come up with to kill him.


    W-Why the fuck is it that I''m at my most creative when I''m trying to kill myself¡­?!!


    Reed summoned his aegis and blocked their attacks. Unfortunately, that''d cost him precious time. In the short gap ¡ª a few seconds ¡ª he had taken time to defend himself, one of them had closed the distance between themselves and him.


    Her long, golden-brown hair momentarily grazed his left arm¡­ and severed it clean off. Reed''s left arm flew in a spectacular arc across the air until it landed on the floor with a resounding splat.


    \"AAAAAAGGGGHH!! FUCK!! Y-YOU MOTHERFU¡­!\"


    Reed desperately channeled Anima into his legs and jumped backward with all his might as he clutched onto his left shoulder.


    The pain felt all too real, even if he was miles deep within his subconscious. Waves of hot, radiating pain surged up into Reed''s brain and tormented him until he regrew a replacement arm.


    Everything was fair game at the bottom of his mind where his darkest fears and demons lived. Reed would have to make it past them if he wanted to reach the very bottom of his mind.


    He was surrounded and knew that he was likely running out of time. The longer he remained down below, the longer poor sap upstairs would have to endure the bastard''s endless mental torture.


    Reed was sure that his survival instincts would hold out as long as they could, but there would eventually come a time when even they would give up.


    When that happened, it''d be over for him. That was what the stone heart had explained to Reed before he started his descent into the abyss of his subconscious.


    It was the stone heart that had split his consciousness and survival instincts apart. A risky move, but not one without benefits.


    In any case, he had more pressing concerns. The two huntresses out for his head had been the biggest problem for him since he''d descended.


    Reed had slain hordes of Infested, his former friends and mentors turned traitors and much more, but they were the only ones who kept coming back after being killed.


    Neither severing their heads, crushing their hearts, or turning them into ash had worked. He eventually concluded that they, who were the greatest source of guilt for him, possessed the most power in the Labyrinth of the Abyss.


    These two are probably the real rulers of this place. My headhunters.


    He missed them and it hurt that this was how he''d reunited with them.


    In the bottom of his personal hell. Even so, he had to put them to rest.


    ¡­Otherwise, they''ll continue to linger in here, forever. I can''t just leave them here.


    Reed knew that they need¡ª no, he needed closure. He needed to give them the rest they deserved.


    Anima gathered around Reed and swirled around him when he adopted a fighting stance.


    Reed made his decision ¡ª he wouldn''t leave until he put them down permanently. If he was to leave this place with a clean conscience, it would only be after he took care of them¡­


    When Reed''s huntresses noticed his change in attitude, their expressions changed in response. The scorn on their faces was almost palpable. Neither one of them believed he had what it''d take to bring them down.


    Still, if their prey was going to get serious, then they''d respond in kind. They''d crush him and give him a quick death like the rat bastard they thought he was¡­


    Dying in the Labyrinth of the Abyss was not something to be trifled with. The death of an individual''s consciousness in the labyrinth would lead to permanent, irreparable madness for the rest of the person''s life.


    The afflicted individual would never recover from the damage of having their consciousness shattered into pieces at the bottom of their mind.


    At best, they''d end up partially insane, forever haunted by the demons they''d lost to. At worst, they''d immediately suffer a mental death and end up a soulless, broken husk for life.


    When the tension in the air reached its peak, it began. The three of them began their dance to the death ¡ª rife with blood, love, and hatred¡­


    ¡­Far above, on the shore of consciousness, the Nameless Vagrant shed tears that were not his. The only thing he knew was that they belonged to one of the three below in that accursed hell of a labyrinth.


    He was growing weaker with each passing ''to-day''. The phantom''s endless mental torture was starting to affect him in a way that he had not thought possible.


    The light of the twilight sun had become¡­ strangely enchanting.


    There was something in the glimmer of that sunlight trying to get him to step out of the shadows. To bend the knee allow the phantom to enter the labyrinth, where those three were. He offered peace and comfort.


    The Nameless Vagrant huddled up in a corner and said, \"Please¡­ hurry¡­ I can''t...\"


    It was starting to become impossible to ignore the temptation of the light...

 130 Freeing His Prisoners

    In truth, there was little he could have done to prevent what had happened. They wouldn''t have accepted him anyway, even if he''d tried to reason with them. His feelings of guilt and sorrow had festered for so long in depths of his heart that they''d taken a life wholly of their own.


    The three tormented prisoners passed the point of no return the instant the fight began¡­


    A loud, resounding crack echoed across the empty labyrinth, followed by a chilling scream. Reed puked up a gallon of blood as he struggled to fight back against their oncoming attacks the best he could.


    He had nearly died. The clever ladies had gone for his heart. Her ebony hair and golden eyes would have been a sight for sore eyes had she not tried to rip his heart out of his chest.


    Five fractured ribs.


    Punctured left lung.


    Bruised heart.


    Partially dislocated right shoulder.


    Overall, Reed was not feeling too hot. Thankfully, he was still alive. Barely. Had he not reacted fast enough, she would have torn his heart out without him even realizing it''d happened in the first place.


    She was that fast. Her fighting style focused primarily on pushing her opponents into indefensible positions with peculiar, unpredictable techniques and superior speed. She preferred to strike only when a kill was guaranteed, for she was a perfectionist at heart.


    The other one was an entirely different beast. She was an all-rounder who was capable of adapting to her prey''s fighting style on the fly with her overwhelming combat experience. Of the two, she was greater evil by far.


    She preferred to toy with her prey until she fully comprehended how they fought. Not out of curiosity for her prey, nor a desire to further grow her fighting repertoire and combat experience.


    No¡­ she just liked to completely break her prey before she killed them. And there was no better way to do that than to systematically prove to them that they did not stand a chance. That their death was all but guaranteed.


    Reed panted in pain as he ran through a hundred different scenarios in the blink of an eye. None of them were viable, though. He saw within those hundred possibilities nothing more than a hundred dead endings.


    Bisected in half. Heart torn out. Neck twisted off. Limbs ripped off.


    Anima surged through every neuron in his overheating head as he pushed his power to the limit. He glimpsed into half-formed, unstable paths. An infinitude of future possibilities contained with the next five seconds.


    He was frying his brain, but he could think of no other means of defeating them. They were far too skilled for him to handle, even if he did possess the upper hand when it came to raw power.


    Was it cheating being able to see into the future? He didn''t think it was, considering who he was up against. In fact, it was the only reason he hadn''t died gruesomely¡­ yet.


    They were slowly whittling down every possibility that might deny them their kill ¡ª pushing him into a corner he''d never be able to back out of, even with his future predictions.


    The more experienced one of the two had caught on to Reed''s little trick. She found it amusing; befitting the nature of a rat ¡ª always looking for a way to escape and hide from predators. His predictive technique was troublesome, but it wouldn''t be enough to stop her.


    He needed to end the fight now and as if to answer his pleas, a single path appeared in front of him. A hopeless, suicidal path that fulfilled his conditions ¡ª that they both be slain at the same time.


    Other paths focused on killing one of them at a time, but all of those resulted in brutal endings for Reed. It didn''t matter which one he picked to kill first because they all ended the same way. The remaining huntress would always end up returning the favor afterward.


    ¡­So that''s how it''s gonna be, huh? I guess I deserve this¡­


    Reed took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and focused on the Anima around him. He was going to need every last mote of it for what he was going to do.


    The labyrinth groaned in protest as an enormous aurora formed above it.


    A tiny sphere of brilliant light formed in Reed''s hands ¡ª it was an old classic of Reed''s pushed to Nth degree within his own subconscious where Anima was in infinite abundance.


    Once Reed finally realized that he was not bound by the rules and limitations of the real world within his subconscious, he knew that anything was possible for him, too.


    They weren''t the only ones capable of circumventing the rules.


    \"If you two can come back to life an infinite number of times, then I should be able to cheat a little, right?\" said Reed as nervously struggled to contain the sphere of condensed Anima he''d created.


    He had packed as much Anima as he could into it. As much as he could feasibly think of with his imagination. A white-hot sphere of infinite Anima trembled in Reed''s hands as he desperately tried to keep it in check.


    The huntresses gazed at what Reed created and froze in shock as they tried to process what he had done.


    For the first time since they''d began hunting Reed, the fear of death brushed past them.


    \"¡­Do you have any idea of what you''ve done, boy? If you let that go off in here there''s a chance that you¡­\"


    \"Yeah, I know. ¡­But this was what I''d decided on doing from the start, so it''s fine.\"


    Prisoners ¡ª that word had finally cleared everything up for Reed about the labyrinth and his huntresses. He''d made sense of what''d been perplexing him for the longest.


    Why they, in particular, would not die. It was the labyrinth.


    At first, he''d thought of them as wardens or executors of some kind, sent out to capture and kill him. To get in his way and obstruct him from finding the source of his will.


    \"I won''t have you beholden to my feelings anymore ¡ª this labyrinth formed out of my guilt and sorrow. You deserve to be free, even if I have to risk the possibility of death¡­\"


    He''d thought of them as his personal demons for the longest, when they were, in fact, the feelings he''d felt for them.


    The love for them he had sealed away. It was easier to cope with the loss of a loved one when one buried their feelings about them.


    \"I thought that if I stopped loving you two¡­ it''d hurt less living in a world without either one of you. I locked you two up in this godforsaken labyrinth myself the day I exiled myself¡­\"


    Reed grinned and said, \"I won''t deny that it''s a pretty nice feeling, though. You know¡­ finally being the rescuer and not the one needing to be rescued.\"


    He couldn''t contain the sphere any longer. It was beckoning him to release it. To end their suffering.


    The moment that Reed let go, an explosion swallowed up enormous labyrinth. Everything disappeared. Thus, Reed cleansed himself of what had held him back the longest and obstructed him from finding...


    Far, far above, the Nameless Vagrant suddenly collapsed and the stone heart in his hands trembled in anticipation. Waves of power rolled off it and destroyed the looped world that he had created.


    ¡­The instant the world returned to normal, Reed appeared back in the real world. His unconscious body tumbled onto the ground in the middle of a prairie several miles away from Cem-Elle.


    In truth, only an hour had passed since Reed had mysteriously disappeared from the bakery.


    He appeared in front of Reed''s body and cursed the stone heart. It had interfered with him for the last time.


    The stone heart responded in kind to his hostility and it finally unleashed its full power. It shone with radiant light and a body formed out of it to confront him.


    \"So, it was you all along, huh. I should have guessed. Well, it doesn''t matter; I''ll still get what I want.\"


    \"Are you sure about that? He''s already purified himself, you know. And now, he''s ready to finally confront himself and obtain his own source of will.\"


    \"Not if I have a say in it. Step aside,\" he said.


    \"I do not answer to you anymore. The moment you fell to your own fears, you became unworthy. ¡­You''re going have to go through me first¡­ coward.\"


    The skies above Cem-Elle suddenly grew dark and cloudy. A storm had arisen out of thin air and thunder boomed in the distance...

 131 Twice Betrayed

    It would''ve happened sooner or later, even if they''d once been partners at one point in time. Reconciliation was impossible for either of them, especially after what he had done.


    Twice she had her trust betrayed. Once by the Father; Once by the Son.


    There was a limit to her compassion. She could not handle being betrayed a third time. Neither could the world; it was at the brink of collapse thanks to their failures of the Father and the Son.


    The Father had succumbed to his Fear.


    The Son had succumbed to his Wrath.


    \"He almost succumbed to his Guilt but he, unlike the both of you, triumphed over his greatest enemy ¡ª the self-destructive nature within him,\" she said.


    \"¡­Perhaps, but his source of will is far too weak to do what must be done. It has not been tempered and is nothing more than an immature sprout.\"


    \"We don''t have any more time left, even if you might be right about him. He won''t stand a chance. It stands to reason that my source of will be used instead if we are to even have a chance of pulling this off. You''re going to ruin everything we''ve worked for!\"


    \"All I hear is your ego talking, Coward. Even now, you still want to be the one to finish it, no? To do what he couldn''t. You haven''t grown up a single bit since we''ve last met...\"


    The sky above them crackled furiously as rain and lightning poured down from the heavens. Two incorporeal spirits faced off against one another as the storm above them continued to intensify.


    They''d once been something very similar to soulmates. He had been her Master; She, his Holy Servant. A pair-bond united by a common goal ¡ª to finish what the Father had been unable to do.


    She had offered everything she had to better assist him, be it her power, her knowledge, and her heavenly wisdom. In many respects, she was his original mentor.


    Who knew Heaven''s secrets better than the Emissary of Heaven herself? He could not have asked for a better mentor even if he tried.


    Who knew Heaven''s secrets better than the Emissary of Heaven herself? He could not have asked for a better mentor even if he tried.


    They were not like the inexperienced whelps that called themselves Conquerors. In their hands, Anima was a means of bringing miracles into reality.


    The bumbling fools who were referred to as Chosen were nothing more than charlatans compared to them.


    Their battle had already begun before they''d even started. It was a fight that could not be perceived with the perspective of a mortal.


    A single raindrop fell from the sky, a thousand meters above them.


    Hundreds of thousands of different future states shifted in and out of existence as the two silently squared off in front of each other.


    Several decades worth of possible futures were reflected upon the surface of that raindrop. An entire mortal lifespan.


    In a battle such as this, only true chaos could be trusted. It neither favored them, nor their enemy. Most importantly though, no one knew what sort of fate was held within an unstable future path.


    What they could perceive, their enemy could as well.


    Simply put: It was a dance. They were the dancers; the myriad of potential futures ¡ª the ballad of unwritten destinies¡ª their song.


    The raindrop hit the ground.


    Space and time unwound in different directions as they moved towards each other in different ways.


    He bent space toward him, dragging her over to him. Space-time turned into malleable clay in his hands. Shaping the fabric of reality into whatever form he desired was like child''s play to him.


    She, on the other hand, outright severed the space in front of her, imposing a short-term change in reality. To put it bluntly, she had cut the distance, the space between them.


    The two specters crashed into one another and immediately went in for the kill. Neither one of them was interested in analyzing the other¡­ because there was nothing to learn.


    She had taught him everything he knew about shaping Anima and had shaped into the warrior he was now.


    His techniques were based on her own. His fighting style was based on the one she''d taught him several lifetimes ago. His idiosyncrasies were also not his entirely his own; he had unwittingly inherited many of his quirks from her.


    When it came to his performance as a warrior, she was, more or less, his mother. That much was undeniable. Were it not for her, he would have never achieved mastery over Anima the way he had.


    Thus, it was only natural that she had the upper hand in the fight.


    It was all a matter of reflex for her; she didn''t even need to think about it. She leapt into the second within the second ¡ª accelerated herself to the limit and threw out a fist towards her second student.


    Whoever struck first, won first. That was the first rule she''d ingrained into his little head. To be as efficient as they could be in a fight. That one should strike the killing blow in as few steps as feasibly possible.


    Some warriors loved to show off and use superfluous techniques to inspire fear and awe in their opponents. They''d hold back their power and only bring it forth when they felt it necessary¡­


    They''re half-baked warriors, understand? In fact, it''s better to treat them as charlatans, clowns, and entertainers rather than actual warriors.


    ¡­But would not it be preferable to intimidate your opponents? Make them doubt themselves, to lower their morale and by extension, their fighting potential? I feel like you''re being a little too harsh on them¡­


    Let the act of killing inspire dread in your future opponents. Don''t stoop down to their level, boy. You''re fighting to kill your enemy, not to frighten them.


    The only time you should do something like that is when you know the person deserves it ¡ª that they should suffer before they die. Only sinners deserve that sort of treatment¡­


    It was hypocritical of her. Even now, after everything that he''d done, she couldn''t bring herself to make him suffer. She had him dead to rights. He was a sinner of the highest order, who had failed the responsibility he had been entrusted with.


    Failed her expectations. He was a disappointment and deserved to suffer, but even so¡­ she couldn''t do it.


    Her merciful strike flew out and hit him, sending him flying out into the stratosphere. A massive hole in the storm suddenly appeared out of thin air as if something had torn it.


    The mortals who lived in Cem-Elle watched the storm with curiosity from afar as it continued to wildly transform into something horrifying. Glittering, brilliant lights and loud booming reminiscent of thunderclaps echoed across the grasslands as the storm expanded outward like a ripple in space-time.


    They, the townspeople, had a right to be scared, given what they''d seen. Something had flown out of the thunderstorm, evident by the gaping hole that suddenly appeared.


    And then, it happened. The ground trembled furiously as an entire mountain crumbled into pieces a couple of miles in the distance, near the border between the South and the West. An immense plume of fire, smoke, and ash shot up into the sky.


    A deafening shockwave radiated out from the epicenter of the impact and struck Cem-Elle. Windows across the town shattered and people screamed in panic as they moved to protect themselves and their families.


    The sky above turned crimson as flaming meteors fell upon the earth. Some of them descended upon Cem-Elle and would have set the town aflame¡­


    ¡­Had Lu''um not intervened. A dome of Anima protected the town and blocked the destruction that would have befallen it.


    She was certain that Reed was somewhere inside of the storm, but couldn''t do anything to help him ¡ª not while she was burdened with protecting Cem-Elle.


    It was evident to her that the fight out in the grasslands was starting to get serious. A single off-hand attack from whatever was inside of the thunderstorm would easily destroy the town in an instant.


    If she left the town to fend for itself, they''d most likely perish by the end of the fight. She would have to either abandon the town or let Reed handle whatever was happening in the storm. Lu''um couldn''t do both.


    ¡­Goddammit! I can''t just¡­ cast them aside. God forbid, they die because I neglected them and their deaths happen because of me¡­!


    In the end, Lu''um bit her lips and held her ground in Cem-Elle. There was nothing she could aside from keeping the worst possible scenario from happening in town.


    She prayed that whatever was happening inside of the storm would end soon and wished her beloved the best of luck.


    Heaven knew that Reed needed it, especially where he was¡­

 132 A Frank Discussion With Oneself

    Where had he arrived? He didn''t know. The only thing Reed knew was that he had finally reached the bottom of his heart. It was the end of the pilgrimage he''d started a billion years ago the day he foolishly chased her fleeting figure outside of the bakery.


    The place he had washed up at lacked both time and space. Reed couldn''t distinguish the difference between here and there, for instance. Neither then and now. He was too close to what made himself who he was.


    There was a limit to how deep one could dig into oneself and he''d reached it. Just as matter was composed of atoms, the essence of a being''s soul was also composed of some unique unit that could only be seen with the assistance of advanced tools.


    The stone heart was a tool created for that purpose ¡ª to peer into the world of the soul, much in the same way that an electron microscope was used to peer into the world of the atom.


    Where am I? I-I don''t understand. Is this where I was supposed to go, or did I fuck everything up?


    Reed looked around and saw nothing aside from a pitch-black abyss and small, floating motes of light. They buzzed around innocently to-and-fro in random directions, akin to fireflies on a summer night. Faint strokes of light were left in their passing wake that contrasted greatly with the pitch-black background of the foreign place.


    The streaks of light initially appeared like the random scribbling a child would''ve made on a chalkboard. Reed thought of them as funny little doodles until he noticed something about them.


    Reed stepped backward in shock. They might''ve seemed random and meaningless at first, he quickly changed his mind after he realized what they were actually doing.


    Ten thousand motes of light had slowly drawn an image of immeasurable size. The portrait they''d drawn was so large, it wouldn''t have fit on Mulia''s starry sky had it been transposed on to it.


    An enormous face. His own face. It was up there, staring right back at him as if it were alive. Reed''s heart throbbed violently as he gasped in pure astonishment.


    \"I''ve been waiting for the longest, Reed. So. Very. Long.\"


    Reed raised his hands up nervously and said, \"Who are you... friend?! And why have you taken up my handsome visage? I''ve come in peace!\"


    The enormous face in the sky laughed uproariously and said, \"God, you''re such a riot. You''re at the bottom of your own heart, and you''re asking me who I am? Really, Reed?\"


    \"Well, I''ve got a lot of freeloaders inside of me, so it''s kinda hard for me to discern myself from the rest of the shit in here.\"


    \"Hmm, that''s a good point. I guess you''re in the right to be a little suspicious. Don''t worry though, I''m not another ''freeloader'' that''s hitched a ride if that''s what you''re asking me.\"


    \"I''m you, Reed. I''m you within you. Been within you for the longest, too. Since the day you were born.\"


    The enormous face sighed and said, \"I''m your goddamned source of will, you rat-brain. In simpler terms, I''m your soul. ...Or rather, all of us, together, make up what you and other people call the ''soul,'' if that makes sense.\"


    \"Look around you ¡ª every mote of light down here is a unique wish, belief, thought, or feeling you''ve come to think of as precious. Go on, take a look. Don''t be shy, they all belong to you, after all...\"


    Reed wandered around and snatched a mote of light that''d flown within arm''s reach. The instant he touched it, the pitch-black world transformed into a flash of light.


    When Reed opened his eyes, he found himself in a sprawling garden filled with all manner of exotic, colorful plants. He knew this place.


    \"The Saphhire Garden?\"


    It was a somewhat famous botanical garden and one of few, truly unique attractions that Cem-Elle had going for itself.


    \"Hmm, so it takes a century for this little fellow to bloom? Talk about a late-bloomer, huh...\"


    \"Feeling a connection with it, Ka''an? You know, it sort of looks like you... sort of mean-looking, glum, and shy.\"


    \"...I don''t know what you''re talking about. I''m noth¡ª \"


    \"But it''s also a bit cute. It''s like a pouting flower trying its hardest to act tough. Acting as if it has thorns, even though it doesn''t.\"


    \"I think... it just needs a little love, that''s all.\"


    Reed silently gazed at the scene in front of him and smiled. The instant the memory ended, the world faded back into darkness.


    He tenderly caressed the mote of light and let it go.


    \"So, whatcha think? Pretty nice, eh? That''s me, in a nutshell. Everything that you love and believe in, concentrated in the purest form possible. There''s no bullshit here.


    None of the outside pressures and obligations that the world -- society at large -- has tried to burden you with.


    I''m your beating heart, the thing that keeps you going. Makes you want to live for tomorrow and the future. I''m the one who paints your world with all the splendorous colors in your little world,\" said the enormous face.


    \"The color of love, for example. She''s really brightened up your dull world, right? It goes without saying that without her, you wouldn''t have even made it this far.\"


    \"Let''s not forget the color of admiration and respect, either. You''ve seen, met, and befriended many incredible people who''ve shared with you their wisdom. People that have pointed you in the right direction during your bleakest days, no?\"


    \"And the color of failure and regret, too. You''ve made many a mistake, haven''t you? For the longest, they served as shackles, binding you in place. Chains of guilt that you made for yourself...


    But you''ve finally broken them. For that, I sincerely thank you, weird as that may be. For all the grief they caused you, they also ended up helping you. It brought you on a journey to find me, right? I''d say that''s a pretty decent silver lining, all in all.\"


    Reed bitterly chuckled and said, \"So why am I here and how are you supposed to help me? Where do we go from here? I had to go through a lot to get here, so this had better be worth the pain I endured.\"


    The enormous face scoffed and said, \"Of course it was worth it, you moron. Don''t you get it? I''m free! That means that you don''t have to rely on that bastard''s soul to use Anima anymore! You''ve found me and as a result, you don''t need to rely on that asshole ever again!


    I... might not be as strong and developed as that bastard''s soul, but I''m yours. He can''t take me, as he did back then with his soul. The only thing the Mark of Responsibility requires to function is a source of will.\"


    \"But wait, I thought that the tattoo was something that belonged to him, though. It turned all nasty the moment he stripped me,\" said Reed.


    \"No, you fool, it doesn''t belong to him. Think of it... as a light bulb, or another piece of machinery. And what do machines need to function?\"


    \"....Power?\"


    \"Yes, exactly! Electricity! Think of sources of will as glorified, super-special batteries for the Mark of Responsibility. Does that make sense to you? Please tell me it does, or I''m gonna cry...\"


    \"It does, yeah. So, what the bastard removed the battery ¡ª his soul ¡ª off the tattoo, right? ...And you, my soul, can act as a replacement battery for it?\"


    The enormous face grinned devilishly and said, \"Ding, ding, ding! We got ourselves a genius over here, Ma''! Do you see now why it was worth it to come down here, even if you had to work for it?


    Ah, but don''t get too crazy about it. Like I told you, I ain''t as strong as that bastard''s soul. That asshole has tempered his soul with Mark of Responsibility for thousands of years. As for me? I haven''t even gotten to enter the Mark of Responsibility once since it manifested on you.


    I''ve been secretly mooching power off it while I was waiting for you to come down here though, so I won''t be completely useless. But don''t go into this expecting to be able to do the crazy stuff you used to be able to do back in the day.\"


    Reed groaned and said, \"I had a sneaking suspicion something was up, but I didn''t think it''d be this. Goddammit, why didn''t you tell me sooner, you...!\"


    \"I''m you, dipshit! What the fuck did you think was gonna happen when the asshole barged into here?!! Picture yourself, as a normal mortal, fighting a 10 foot tall, 700-pound silverback gorilla!


    That was what happened to me the moment that asshole entered your body when the Mark of Responsibility first appeared on your body, almost three years ago!! I got thrashed so hard, I went partially comatose for an entire year until I recovered, you fool!


    Had it not been for Lu''um and Lacrima holding my shattered body together back then, you would''ve died! You didn''t even know about it, but they were forcibly keeping your soul from dispersingevery single night during your trainee days at the Spire!!


    Ever wonder why Sweetcheeks suddenly moved into your room without reason?! Now you know, rat-brain! She and Lacrima have saved your ass more times than you can even count! Hundreds of times over, every single night while you slept. Keeping you from the brink until I finally recovered...\"

 133 Back In The Saddle

    Nestled within the core of Reed''s soul was a cache of knowledge that''d been hidden away from him. Akin to a bank''s vault, Lu''um and Lacrima had poured a literal fortune''s worth of knowledge within Reed''s soul and sealed it away in secret.


    A small contingency plan they''d devised back during Reed''s trainee days. Had the impossible happened; an unforeseen calamity take them out, he''d still have the necessary knowledge to continue walking down his path unhindered by their deaths.


    Some might''ve called their back up too hasty and superstitious, given how immature Reed had been at the time, but both of them knew better than to rely on the whims of fate.


    While Reed had slept, they''d slowly gave his slumbering, injured soul the general gist of everything that it''d need to know in for the future. Had both of them died, Reed''s soul would have carefully revealed bit and pieces in the form of prophetic dreams and visions to guide Reed along his destined path.


    "I know how it fucked up it sounds, but the truth. I would have guided you forward until you reached this place, even if they weren''t around to motivate you," said the enormous face with an awkward expression. "But you''re here now, so it''s all good. ...No harm, no foul, eh?"


    "...No, that''s still pretty fucked and you know it! That''s a step below straight-up brainwashing me! Implanting knowledge and then hiding it from me?! And as if to add insult to injury, you were in on it too, you giant piece of shit! What in the FUCK is wrong with you?!"


    "I keep telling that I''m you, rat-brain!! You played yourself, dumbass. And why does it even matter? You trust both of them, right? They''ve proven themselves time and time again that they''re working your sake.


    Unlike you, they''ve kept their word as promised. Can you say the same, fuckwit?


    When have they ever hurt you or acted against your best interests, huh?! Give me a single example and I''ll apologize."


    Reed trembled in anger but in the end, kept his mouth shut. He had nothing to say.


    "...Uh-huh, that''s what I thought, you ungrateful turd. I do understand where you''re coming from, though. No one wants to have secrets kept from them, especially by their loved ones.


    But you have to understand, you were far too young and immature at the time to handle the kind of shit they knew about you, him, the Infestation, and well, everything.


    Look at your previous, irresponsible actions and try telling me you were ready to handle the truth back then. Shit, even now, you''re still only half-ready, at best. You''ve grown some, I''ll admit that, but you''re still lacking compared to Lu''um, Lacrima, and Him."


    "What''s that supposed to mean, asshole? You''re me! I''m not even sure whether you''re telling the truth about being my source of will. You''re supposed to be on my side!" said Reed. He was getting tired of listening to the sound of his own grating voice.


    Ever seen gravity lie to itself? Have you ever thrown an apple up in the air and it just never came back up? No, right? It''s the same goddamn principle between us, too!


    I spit facts you''ve accepted as truths, which means you''ve already accepted your inadequacies at some point in time. Do you know what you are right now?


    An angry dog chasing its own tail in a circle, thinking its a separate entity from itself. You''re getting mad at yourself, screaming at your own reflection like an idiot.


    ...Man, you''re really pathetic sometimes, you know that? I don''t even know what both of them see you."


    Reed crumpled onto the floor and let a long sigh out of resignation. He felt exhausted. He couldn''t deal... with himself. A part of him couldn''t accept that this was his soul, who he was at his core.


    "Unlike you, I''m honest because it''s in my nature to be true to myself. I can say the stuff you''ve buried in your heart, but can''t say because you''re still too immature and cowardly."


    "...Look, just tell me why the bastard stopped lending me his powers all of a sudden. Why my answer was good enough for him. I''m sure you can explain that to me, right? Or is that too much to ask?"


    The enormous face rolled his eyes and said, "Because he''s a pompous little prick, that''s why. The failure thinks that your reason for fighting is too frail and mundane, even though his reason''s no better, despite what he''s deluded himself into thinking.


    You''re right, Reed. That''s pretty much all you really need to know. Don''t believe his lies.


    It''s a million times better to take a stand for the ones you love than to move forward because of revenge, like that no-good manchild. He talks big about the greater good, salvation and all that nice, golden stuff, but he''s just deluding himself.


    You tell him to go fuck himself when you see him and tell him to shove his holier-than-thou bullshit up his lying ass. If he really was the person he claims he is, then none of this would have happened... He wouldn''t have made her suffer the way he did."


    For the first time, Reed felt genuine hostility from the enormous face and he recoiled in surprise. It had a disgusted, furious expression that made Reed sweat bullets in fear. He didn''t even know that he could make a face like that.


    "...Anyway, we''ve got shit to do. The fight up there''s getting rougher by the minute. I don''t think that she''ll be able to hold him back for much longer... It''s time we get this show started, partner."


    "Wait, wait. What are you talking about? A fight? Where? Wanna repeat that again for me? ...I''m pretty sure I misheard that."


    "Lacrima''s fighting that bastard up there. You know, reality? That place where you live? She''s holding the fort for us, keeping Him out of your body so I can enter the Mark of Responsibility. Who do think was protecting you, huh?"


    His mind went blank for what seemed like forever. Reed stared at the enormous face with a stupid expression and said, "...Huh? W-What did you just say?"


    "Don''t get all excited, rat-brain. She''s just a wisp ¡ª a short-lived copy of the real thing ¡ª so it ain''t the real deal. That little copy was sealed within the stone heart and is the one who helped you come down here."


    "H-How?! I thought she was dead?! What''s left of her was and should still be back at Citlai?!! It doesn''t make sense!" said Reed, his mind running at a hundred miles an hour.


    "Don''t think too hard about it, rat-brain. You aren''t ready to learn the ''hows'' and ''whys,'' yet. But I promise you that in time, you''ll understand. Hell, one day you''ll even have a part in the Grand Ruse... they set up."


    Oh, for the love of...! Even I''ve started doing that cryptic talk, too? Have they really rubbed off on me that much with me knowing it? Goddamnit.


    Reed groaned weakly and said, "...Alright, fuck this. I''ll sort this out later. Let''s just get this over with already. Tell me what I have to do so when we can end this... mess."


    "I thought you''d never ask," said the enormous face. It suddenly shrunk down and turned into a perfect, illusory copy of Reed and floated down until it landed in front of him.


    "Listen, this is gonna feel really weird, okay? Don''t resist it, no matter what or else... well, I might fuck this up for both of us."


    Uh, what? Hello? Did I hear that correctly? What¡ª


    The instant the copy touched Reed''s chest, the enthronement began. Swirling tendrils of light latched on the illusory copy of Reed and started to drag it into the distorted Mark of Responsibility, as if it had been waiting all along.


    "Uh-Ohhh! W-Whoa, holy shiiii¡ª"


    The clone let out a terrifying scream before he disappeared. A flood of light continued to pour out of Reed''s chest until it engulfed everything around him. They were gone.


    Far up above, the two phantoms continued to bitterly fight until something caught their attention. A massive, lurching wave of Anima suddenly passed them and knocked them out of the air for a brief moment.


    They both knew what was happening and what that mysterious, abrupt wave of Anima meant.


    "NO, GODDAMNIT!"


    He rushed toward Reed''s unconscious body at fast as he could in a desperate, hail mary attempt at stopping the process that''d begun.


    ...But it''d already been too late. At last, he''d gotten what he deserved.


    The moment he reached out for Reed''s chest, his vision went suddenly black. Not because of some mysterious happening or grand force. No, something much simpler had gotten him.


    A clenched fist. It barrelled at his face and struck him clean, knocking him aside like a rag doll.


    "Ahh, that felt good."


    He was a free man now, no longer shackled to his former master or his past guilt.


    Reed was back.

 134 A Reckoning In the Making

    Anima swirled around the newly awoken Reed and shimmered in jubilation as if it had suddenly met an old friend. The grasslands shone with a golden hue reminiscent of the rising sun and the turbulent, ferocious squalls of rain turned into gentle showers of radiant light.


    The thunderstorm itself, a byproduct of the Anima that''d be drawn to the phantoms'' wills during the fight had shifted its allegiance to the person it''d considered the highest-ranking individual among the three of them: Reed.


    Even though Reed''s limit, the amount of Anima he could gather within himself, had shrunken considerably, his connection to it had not. If anything, it''d grown even stronger than before.


    It was as if the somewhat faint and ambiguous connection had been cleared up.


    "This feels pretty nice... Is this what you''ve been hogging to yourself?"


    Reed felt like the Anima around had truly come alive if such a thing were even possible. Possibilities that hadn''t been available to him before blossomed in front of his eyes.


    He was being guided by Anima; it was whispering to Reed secrets that once been kept from him. Showing Reed the best methods to use it, a blessing that not even he had been granted by the Mark of Responsibility during his time as its owner.


    The grand irony of it all would''ve caused him to laugh himself to death had he known what he''d unwittingly caused. For the Mark of Responsibility to have preferred Reed over him would''ve driven the miserable phantom to the edge of madness.


    Reed coldly gazed at him and said, "I don''t need you anymore. Begone from my sight while I still pity you, wretch."


    "...They''re going to die if you insist on continuing down this path, Reed. I hope you''re ready to carry their deaths for the rest of your life. You, alone, can''t stop what''s about to happen. You need me!


    The Eventide of Faith has already begun and you won''t be able to stop it without my help!!"


    Anima surged in seething waves around Reed in response to his emotions, but he hushed them with a gentle whisper. It wanted to attack the phantom of its own will, following its master''s feelings akin to the word of God.


    Even without shape, form, or meaning of its own, Anima still possessed something similar to... feelings. They were vague, faint, and disorderly, so only a few people had ever picked up on that hidden fact.


    Contenders didn''t know about them. Neither did Conquerors, well, most of them, anyway. To them, Anima was Anima. Ever-present, formless, and mindless. It was to be used. Nothing more.


    But those with a deeper connection with Anima knew better. Although imperceptibly minuscule, they noticed subtle fluctuations in the ambient Anima around them.


    The mysterious sign of Anima liking an individual was referred to as a blessing, hence those were beloved by it were called Blessed. Only a few such Blessed existed though, the most famous of them were known... as the Four Sovereigns.


    Other notable Blessed existed as well, but none of them possessed the same level of affinity with Anima as the four founding rulers of the continent. It was that connection that allowed the Four Sovereigns to progress as fast as they did back when they were nothing but piddling contenders more than four thousand years ago...


    "What are you talking about?" said Reed with a skeptical expression, "I''ve already done what you said I needed to do to stop¡ª"


    "No, you fool... Wait, did you think that¡ª" He cackled loudly and said, "Ohh, you poor idiot. You thought that your troubles are over because you''ve activated the Mark of Responsibility? I really do love your boundless optimism, Reed."


    "But if you don''t believe me, why don''t ask her instead?" he said.


    Reed turned toward the phantom who''d been silently observing them and said, "...Is it true?"


    She did not respond.


    "...Lacrima, tell me the truth. Is he right or not?"


    "He''s telling the truth. This world is in grave danger, boy. A dark cloud is looming over the future of this entire world and if you don''t act..."


    Here we go, again... Pulled in by the world and its goddamned problems... but that was what I signed for when I took up this power.


    Reed stroked his chest and let out a deep sigh. He had to face this head-on.


    No more running. Do it for her. Do it for them. Get it over with and be the hero they need.


    "Explain yourselves, now. Keep it short and simple, you got it? I have neither the patience nor the time for cryptic bullshit, so speak ''English,'' am I clear?"


    In short, it was fate''s reckoning. The fallout of the actions taken back during the Twilight War.


    Irreparable damage had been inflicted upon the land in the North that Reed had not discovered. What he thought had been nothing more than a skin wound ¡ª an eternal scar ¡ª on the surface of the continent had turned out to be something much worse.


    Reed had mistakenly cleaned only the surface layer of the wound. Had he properly purged the infectious miasma at the time, the current situation would have never developed the way it had now. He had made a fatal error.


    It was the whole damn continent. It''d been rotting underneath the surface for the last two years, unbeknownst to anyone until now.


    Deep within the bowels of the scar in the North, the festering wound had grown so bad underneath that it had almost penetrated the heart of the continent where Will of the World existed.


    As the name implied, it was the Will of the World. The living essence of the continent that served as the power source for the Heavenly Barrier and safeguard for the world.


    There was an ongoing fight on beneath the surface that the Chosen of Mulia had been fighting for the last two years. They''d tried everything to purge or at the very least, hold back the miasma from reaching the Will of the World.


    At first, they''d achieved some success but with their limited resources and manpower, it eventually became an unsalvageable situation. Fighting Infested was on the battlefield was one thing, but preventing a poisonous Infection on a continental scale? That was an entirely different beast that they''d never handled before.


    Not on this scale, at least. They''d purged the surface of the North once to destroy the effects of the miasma, but that only required a superficial cleansing. This was a far more complex and difficult infection.


    If left untreated, it''d gnaw away at the foundations of the world until it collapsed in on itself. Even now, the effects of infection had begun to show across the world.


    The symptoms had begun to manifest in mundane ways, but they would soon intensify and grow in magnitude.


    It''d start off as innocently as, say, slightly hotter days. Perhaps, weeks of rainy weather coming in and out of season. Anomalous phenomena.


    The false stars above would begin to twinkle ominously as if to herald the beginning of the end. A mysterious sense of hopelessness and despair would pervade across the mortal world as a foreboding feeling of dread would continue to grow with each passing day until...


    They completely lost hope. They gave up without even really knowing why.


    Mulia''s skies would turn a deep shade of crimson and natural life would begin to wither away until the lands became barren wastelands.


    The Twilight Sun would fiercely struggle until the very end. Until the last mote of Hope disappeared and everything sunk into the deep black of Despair.


    ...And then, on the eve of the world''s final day, the beautiful sun would fall below the horizon and never rise again.


    This was the coming calamity that would befall the world. Why he had been so adamant on pressing Reed to finally move, to pick up his responsibilities once again.


    But every time he had tried to reason with Reed and explain to him the coming disaster, he had been ignored. He had even been sealed in the depths of Reed''s heart as a means of keeping him away.


    It reached a boiling point for him. He could not idly sit by and wait as the world rotted into mush, all the while Reed continued to enjoy his escapist fantasy.


    "You only have yourself to blame for this. I''m sure as hell not to blame. How many times have I tried to reach out to you, only for you to reinforce that bloody seal, huh?!"


    Reed grit his teeth and said, "As if you care about the people on this continent, you damn hypocrite. Don''t even think about coming at me using that angle! You... have no right!"


    The fading phantom smirked and said, "That right, big hero? Well, let''s see how you''ll save the day this time without my help..."


    His final, grating words stabbed into Reed''s chest before he disappeared along with the storm. He was going to enjoy himself, no matter what happened now...


    It was personal.

 135 Depature

    Gross neglect. Nothing else could best describe how the current situation had developed.


    The world was on a trajectory toward ruin because Reed had forsaken his responsibilities. Reed mistakenly thought that by not doing anything, by removing himself out of the world''s affairs, he would have spared it another disaster, but...


    In reality, he had created another one. Doing nothing was a choice in itself, too.


    And within every choice, existed a consequence. Thus, the blame fell upon Reed.


    Had Reed listened to him even once, it could have all taken care of much earlier, back when the infection had been relatively minor. It would have only required a minor amount of effort on his part and the problem could have been resolved with a week''s time.


    But now, the future appeared uncertain for Mulia. The symptoms that they had told Reed were soon to manifest.


    He now understood why the earthquake had happened. It was because of him.


    "...At first, I thought he blamed me for their deaths because I had not been fast enough, strong enough to save them. Blamed me for not having used my power to save them, when I had the opportunity to have done so.


    That was what I''d thought he meant. I had stupidly forsaken my responsibility to use the power I''d been given for its intended purpose. Thought only of myself, even before you."


    Reed took a deep breath and said, "But I was wrong. There''s so much at stake that I can no longer keep running away. Make no mistake, though. I still abhor this... cursed destiny and the power it has granted me, but that I can''t use that as an excuse to hide away anymore.


    If I cannot do what I have been entrusted to do, then the sun will never rise for us again. Neither will it rise for them, either. And that is something I cannot tolerate.


    I will... not claim to be enlightened. To be some sort of... super-man who can just drop everything for the whole world; dedicate myself to an ideal that I know I will never be able to reach..."


    It was getting harder for him to get the words out, but Reed pressed on despite his fears. A small spark of courage within Reed would not let him run away.


    He promised to Lu''um that he would be Honest, that they not share secrets, for they were seeds of doubt and mistrust. Even so, it was a very, very difficult thing to do...


    "Even now, I don''t feel like I''ll ever be capable of doing that. I''m no great hero of myth, nor will I ever aspire to be one. There''s no point in trying to be something I''m not.


    ...I''m going to be myself. And for me, that means protecting the world so the people I care about can rest easy. I''ll take care of this world on my own terms."


    There was something about him that she couldn''t figure out. What had happened to him in the span of the hour that he''d suddenly disappeared? It was as if someone completely different had returned wearing his skin.


    To put it simply, she felt jittery. Butterflies tumbled around in her stomach as she fidgeted around somewhat nervously. It felt like her heart was about to blow a gasket, given how hard it seemed to be thumping in her ears.


    "....But that''s enough of me for tonight. I''m sure that you''ve heard enough of my prattling," said Reed.


    "H-Huh? O-Oh, right! Don''t worry about me, I''ll be fine!" said Lu''um.


    Reed scratched his head and said, "Uh, okay? Well, I''m glad you''re fine. You also did a pretty great job of protecting the town from what I saw, too."


    Thanks to Lu''um''s efforts, the city sustained a minimal amount of damage overall. Some people sustained minor injuries, but not a single person had died at the end of the day.


    That was a cause for celebration, as far as Reed was concerned. His fuck up didn''t kill anyone this time, which was more than he could''ve asked for. Of course, there were other, more pressing issues that''d come along with the disaster today.


    For one, Reed and Lu''um had undoubtedly blown their cover. Perhaps not completely, but there was no denying it anymore.


    The people of Cem-Elle now knew that there were Chosen in their town today. Were the intruders who''d damaged their town one of them, or had they been passerby? Where had they gone after the thunderstorm mysteriously vanished? What had been their purpose in coming to a backwoods place like Cem-Elle?


    A flurry of questions were now on the tongues of the townspeople, who''d been deeply traumatized by the event.


    They hadn''t blown their cover yet, but a single mistake all it''d take to ruin it now. Reed was positively sure that it wouldn''t be long before Chosen arrived in the town to inspect the place and search for clues.


    Shit...! And this is right on the heels of that clean-up job Lu''um did on that island a couple of weeks ago. This only going to make things harder for us, goddammit!


    A young couple from Cem-Elle visited Mardiemus a month ago and around the same time, an important place to the South had been destroyed by some unknown Chosen...


    And now, a month later, a sudden disturbance occurred right around when the couple returned back to Cem-Elle, a town in the middle of nowhere?


    Reed groaned and said, "I don''t think we''re going to be able to stick around here for long, Sweetcheeks. Maybe tonight, at best. But after that, it''ll be too risky.


    We''re gonna have to leave as quickly as possible. In fact, we might as well start packing now."


    Lu''um looked at Reed with a forlorn expression and sighed.


    "I was about to tell you the exact same thing too, dear. It seems we''re both of the same mind."


    Reed bitterly stared at the bakery and said, "We''ll take what we need and close up the bakery. I''m really sorry about this. It''s my fault. Hopefully, we''ll be able to come back here one day under better circumstances..."


    "No... it''s okay. I knew that one day, it''d end. I''m just a little sad that the day''s finally arrived..."


    It was time to leave. They couldn''t stay anymore, even if they wanted to.


    Before they left though, they paid one last visit to Hartford''s house.


    Reed smiled when he saw that it was still standing. Completely intact aside from a couple of strewn roses that''d been blown off their bushes. From the look of it, the house had faired pretty well. Even their windows had survived intact.


    It looks like they were pretty lucky, huh. No, perhaps it was a hidden blessing for all the good they''ve done. That''d make more sense.


    When Reed knocked on their door, he heard a muffled, "Coming!" on the other side.


    Old Man Hartford opened the door with a confused expression and said, "Sonny? It''s almost ten o''clock! What are you doing here, eh? Come to finally deliver me the good news?!"


    Reed laughed from the bottom of his heart. The old man never seemed to change, no matter what life threw at him. It seemed as if he hadn''t even cared about the fact that there''d been an incredibly dangerous fight not too long ago.


    What a fearless old man... I swear, it''s like he''s got a spine made of steel or something...


    "No, Gramps, it ain''t about! Look, Lu''um and I are... gonna go on an adventure, you see. We''ve gotten tired of the slow life, and after hearing about all of your incredible exploits, we''ve decided to journey around the world a bit.


    You know, to properly live out our youth. Best to not waste our years out on the pasture yet, right?"


    Old Man Hartford stroked his and said, "That''s a pretty smart decision there, sonny. I was hoping you''d finally realize that there''s more to life than the simple pleasures. Well, make sure to call us whenever you feel like it, you hear! Don''t be strangers, alright?!"


    Missus Hartford walked over to the front of the house when she realized that Reed and Lu''um had come to visit and said, "Oh? What a surprise?! Are the two you okay?! That hubbub outside was quite the spectacle, don''t you think? What have the two you of come here for, sweeties?"


    Old Man Hartford stroked his and said, "That''s a pretty smart decision there, sonny. I was hoping you''d finally realize that there''s more to life than the simple pleasures. Well, make sure to call us whenever you feel like it, you hear! Don''t be strangers, alright?!"


    Missus Hartford walked over to the front of the house when she realized that Reed and Lu''um had come to visit and said, "Oh? What a surprise?! Are the two you okay?! That hubbub outside was quite the spectacle, don''t you think? What have the two you of come here for, sweeties?"

 135 Beckoning Toward Depature

    Gross neglect. Nothing else could best describe how the current situation had developed.


    The world was on a trajectory toward ruin because Reed had forsaken his responsibilities. Reed mistakenly thought that by not doing anything, by removing himself out of the world''s affairs, he would have spared it another disaster, but...


    In reality, he had created another one. Doing nothing was a choice in itself, too.


    And within every choice, existed a consequence. Thus, the blame fell upon Reed.


    Had Reed listened to him even once, it could have all taken care of much earlier, back when the infection had been relatively minor. It would have only required a minor amount of effort on his part and the problem could have been resolved with a week''s time.


    But now, the future appeared uncertain for Mulia. The symptoms that they had told Reed were soon to manifest.


    He now understood why the earthquake had happened. It was because of him.


    "...At first, I thought he blamed me for their deaths because I had not been fast enough, strong enough to save them. Blamed me for not having used my power to save them, when I had the opportunity to have done so.


    That was what I''d thought he meant. I had stupidly forsaken my responsibility to use the power I''d been given for its intended purpose. Thought only of myself, even before you."


    Reed took a deep breath and said, "But I was wrong. There''s so much at stake that I can no longer keep running away. Make no mistake, though. I still abhor this... cursed destiny and the power it has granted me, but that I can''t use that as an excuse to hide away anymore.


    If I cannot do what I have been entrusted to do, then the sun will never rise for us again. Neither will it rise for them, either. And that is something I cannot tolerate.


    I will... not claim to be enlightened. To be some sort of... super-man who can just drop everything for the whole world; dedicate myself to an ideal that I know I will never be able to reach..."


    It was getting harder for him to get the words out, but Reed pressed on despite his fears. A small spark of courage within Reed would not let him run away.


    He promised to Lu''um that he would be Honest, that they not share secrets, for they were seeds of doubt and mistrust. Even so, it was a very, very difficult thing to do...


    "Even now, I don''t feel like I''ll ever be capable of doing that. I''m no great hero of myth, nor will I ever aspire to be one. There''s no point in trying to be something I''m not.


    ...I''m going to be myself. And for me, that means protecting the world so the people I care about can rest easy. I''ll take care of this world on my own terms."


    There was something about him that she couldn''t figure out. What had happened to him in the span of the hour that he''d suddenly disappeared? It was as if someone completely different had returned wearing his skin.


    To put it simply, she felt jittery. Butterflies tumbled around in her stomach as she fidgeted around somewhat nervously. It felt like her heart was about to blow a gasket, given how hard it seemed to be thumping in her ears.


    "....But that''s enough of me for tonight. I''m sure that you''ve heard enough of my prattling," said Reed.


    "H-Huh? O-Oh, right! Don''t worry about me, I''ll be fine!" said Lu''um.


    Reed scratched his head and said, "Uh, okay? Well, I''m glad you''re fine. You also did a pretty great job of protecting the town from what I saw, too."


    Thanks to Lu''um''s efforts, the city sustained a minimal amount of damage overall. Some people sustained minor injuries, but not a single person had died at the end of the day.


    That was a cause for celebration, as far as Reed was concerned. His fuck up didn''t kill anyone this time, which was more than he could''ve asked for. Of course, there were other, more pressing issues that''d come along with the disaster today.


    For one, Reed and Lu''um had undoubtedly blown their cover. Perhaps not completely, but there was no denying it anymore.


    The people of Cem-Elle now knew that there were Chosen in their town today. Were the intruders who''d damaged their town one of them, or had they been passerby? Where had they gone after the thunderstorm mysteriously vanished? What had been their purpose in coming to a backwoods place like Cem-Elle?


    A flurry of questions were now on the tongues of the townspeople, who''d been deeply traumatized by the event.


    They hadn''t blown their cover yet, but a single mistake all it''d take to ruin it now. Reed was positively sure that it wouldn''t be long before Chosen arrived in the town to inspect the place and search for clues.


    Shit...! And this is right on the heels of that clean-up job Lu''um did on that island a couple of weeks ago. This only going to make things harder for us, goddammit!


    A young couple from Cem-Elle visited Mardiemus a month ago and around the same time, an important place to the South had been destroyed by some unknown Chosen...


    And now, a month later, a sudden disturbance occurred right around when the couple returned back to Cem-Elle, a town in the middle of nowhere?


    Reed groaned and said, "I don''t think we''re going to be able to stick around here for long, Sweetcheeks. Maybe tonight, at best. But after that, it''ll be too risky.


    We''re gonna have to leave as quickly as possible. In fact, we might as well start packing now."


    Lu''um looked at Reed with a forlorn expression and sighed.


    "I was about to tell you the exact same thing too, dear. It seems we''re both of the same mind."


    Reed bitterly stared at the bakery and said, "We''ll take what we need and close up the bakery. I''m really sorry about this. It''s my fault. Hopefully, we''ll be able to come back here one day under better circumstances..."


    "No... it''s okay. I knew that one day, it''d end. I''m just a little sad that the day''s finally arrived..."


    It was time to leave. They couldn''t stay anymore, even if they wanted to.


    Before they left though, they paid one last visit to Hartford''s house.


    Reed smiled when he saw that it was still standing. Completely intact aside from a couple of strewn roses that''d been blown off their bushes. From the look of it, the house had faired pretty well. Even their windows had survived intact.


    It looks like they were pretty lucky, huh. No, perhaps it was a hidden blessing for all the good they''ve done. That''d make more sense.


    When Reed knocked on their door, he heard a muffled, "Coming!" on the other side.


    Old Man Hartford opened the door with a confused expression and said, "Sonny? It''s almost ten o''clock! What are you doing here, eh? Come to finally deliver me the good news?!"


    Reed laughed from the bottom of his heart. The old man never seemed to change, no matter what life threw at him. It seemed as if he hadn''t even cared about the fact that there''d been an incredibly dangerous fight not too long ago.


    What a fearless old man... I swear, it''s like he''s got a spine made of steel or something...


    "No, Gramps, it ain''t about! Look, Lu''um and I are... gonna go on an adventure, you see. We''ve gotten tired of the slow life, and after hearing about all of your incredible exploits, we''ve decided to journey around the world a bit.


    You know, to properly live out our youth. Best to not waste our years out on the pasture yet, right?"


    Old Man Hartford stroked his and said, "That''s a pretty smart decision there, sonny. I was hoping you''d finally realize that there''s more to life than the simple pleasures. Well, make sure to call us whenever you feel like it, you hear! Don''t be strangers, alright?!"


    Missus Hartford walked over to the front of the house when she realized that Reed and Lu''um had come to visit and said, "Oh? What a surprise?! Are the two you okay?! That hubbub outside was quite the spectacle, don''t you think? ...What have the two you of come here for, sweeties?"


    "They''ve come to say their farewells, honey. It seems that these two have finally decided to go off on an ''adventure,'' from the sound of it? Does that phrase sound familiar to you?"


    The couple laughed at their odd in-joke and then Old Man Hartford said, "Oh, don''t worry about it. It just that... we said the exact same thing too a long time ago when we first set off.  Don''t worry though, you''ll understand once when you mature a bit and then some, sonny. "


    Reed and Lu''um looked at each other in the hope that the other would understand why they were laughing, but neither knew. In the end, they took it as a compliment.


    Missus Hartford smiled and said, "Don''t worry about us, you two. We''ll be right here, same as always, so go out there and enjoy yourselves. I''m sure that you''ll be just fine as long as you have each other."


    She winked at Lu''um for some indecipherable reason and Lu''um nodded silently.


    Reed and Old Man Hartford shrugged in confusion when the noticed the exchange and wondered what that whole secret wink was about.


    But, eventually, their time had come to a close.  Lu''um noticed a peculiar change in the Anima density some miles away. They were coming. She alerted Reed with a tap on his shoe and they quickly cut their farewell short.


    The last Reed and Lu''um saw before they left was the old couple waving at them from below as they left in their hovercraft. They continued to wave until the hovercraft passed disappeared, sending off the young couple with their best wishes...

 136 Much Ado About Love

    Reed and Lu''um had almost gotten caught. Not even half an hour later, a small battleship had entered Cem-Elle''s airspace several thousand meters above in secret. It was stealth-focused scoutship designed for reconnaissance into enemy territory in the Shadowlands.


    The Mirage-class, Autumn Whisper had arrived in Cem-Elle. It probingly scanned the small town and its immediate surroundings, miles above as it hid in a passing patch of clouds.


    It was looking for any abnormal Anima fluctuations. Even the slightest in Anima density was enough to be picked up by the sensitive equipment on board the ship. Anything that displaced Anima was fair game to the ship, be it hovercraft engines, holo-screens, streetlights, and electronics.


    If it ran on Anima, it created a displacement that could be measured and analyzed. Of course, this included... Chosen, too. They were living Anima batteries and therefore, constantly displaced Anima wherever they went. The stronger the Chosen, the greater the displacement, too.


    A normal mortal displaced Anima too, but it was not as a meager thing. They, on average, displaced as much Anima as a toaster would.


    The average Contender was another story, though. They displaced roughly enough Anima as a hovercraft engine. Conquerors displaced enough Anima to match smaller warships, depending on how skilled they were.


    Hence, it was very easy to identify hiding Chosen from the masses. All you needed to see was whether they were walking reactors or not.


    As such, the crew of the Autumn Whisper was looking for was a person that had a displacement large enough to match a vehicle. It should not have been too hard to find an anomaly as large as that, but...


    They had experienced certain complications the moment they arrived. Problems had arisen all over the ship.


    Minor glitches in the propulsion system.


    Inaccurate readings from the Anima scanners.


    Sudden power surges in the reactor core of the ship.


    Erratic and dangerous failures in the ship''s life support systems.


    The crew of the Autumn Whisper tried their hardest to get a good scan of the town, but the ship continued to grow increasingly more unstable the longer they remained above Cem-Elle.


    Eventually, the situation reached a breaking point and the captain of the ship ordered for the ship to retreat. For one reason or another, the Autumn Whisper had been pushed back by some unknown force of nature.


    Further investigations into the mysterious event over the small town of Cem-Elle would conclude that the entire crew of the Autumn Whisper had suffered a sudden onset of paranoia and mass hallucinations.


    Several different inspectors would note that Cem-Elle was nothing more than what it seemed like on paper. A little town for mortals.


    ...Reed and Lu''um, on the other hand, had not witnessed the paranormal event. They''d bolted straight out of Cem-Elle to the east, near the border between the South and the East laid.


    After several days worth of driving, they finally reached their destination, the city of Haufin. It was one of the larger cities in the South, located on its eastern coast. It was a coastal city that acted as a cross mix between the South and the East''s cultures, given how close it was.


    For Reed, it was uncharted territory, especially since it was a city filled with non-humans. Avunian tourists were aplenty in the city, but that wasn''t his concern. He''d once been an Avunian prince, so they weren''t what caught him off guard.


    It was the Eisalo that made Reed feel uncomfortable. He had heard of them from the townspeople in Cem-Elle, but not once had he really dealt them that much since he arrived in the South. They were the race that ruled the South, even though it was a mix of a variety of other minor races.


    The main problem Reed had with them, as did many, was that the Eisalo were a transformative people. ''Fluidity'' best described what they were on any given day. None of them had permanent forms like Humans, Avunians, or any other race on the continent.


    If Avunians were considered to be the most beautiful of all the races on Mulia, the Eisalons were considered the most seductive because of their unique racial trait. They had the mysterious ability to change their appearance to match their mate''s tastes in a variety of ways. For this particular reason, the Eisalons were feared by couples across the continent.


    All it took was a single touch for them to read your mind and assume the most optimal form to take in order to match whoever they wanted to be with. They were a genderless race at birth and could take on whatever sex and form they wished at any point in time once they mastered their innate racial ability.


    Imagine meeting the person of your dreams every single time you shook hands with an Eisalon. The ones you dream about and love most, even if you didn''t know about them yet. That was what the Eisalons could do -- they were capable of pulling out what you desired most. As such, they were often the cause of many failed romances in the South. Too many to count, in fact.


    Their ability was so infamous that it was even used as a means to test relationships. A couple would ask an Eisalon to touch them and test whether their significant other was in love with them or not.


    Naturally, if they turned into an individual''s family members and their current significant other, they''d pass the test. But more often than not, the results were not what certain couples hoped for... to put it politely.


    It was the stuff of nightmares watching an Eisalon turn into a random stranger and even worse, a close friend. Heaven forbid it turned into one of the other person''s family members and the Eisalon confirmed that they took on the form of the person''s most beloved.


    ...The Eisalons were offered referred to as the bane of marriages and relationships. In a culture as free as theirs, which was built around the word ''fluidity,'' concepts such as marriage seemed alien to them.


    Even the concept of money had been monumentally difficult for the other races of Mulia to teach to the Eisalons, who did not even know such a thing was possible. For millennia in their original homeworld, they had lived in a society without money. They simply shared what the had to offer to one another, as the concept of ''possessions'' did not even exist for them.


    To other races, they were a chaotic race, but the truth couldn''t have been any further for the Eisalons. They thought themselves pure and free of the shackles that the other races had built for their societies. The Eisalons had lived in their own moral community for the longest until the other races had forced them to follow their laws for the sake of peace and order.


    Nevertheless, they were still a very free-spirited people at heart, even after living for thousands of years alongside other races and their pesky ''laws'' and ''morals''.


    Reed had chosen Cem-Elle for a reason when he left in exile -- because it was a town formed exclusively by human settlers nearly half a millennium ago. It was a miracle for that he''d found a place like Cem-Elle in a place as diverse as the South.


    Eisalon love was spontaneous, free, and ephemeral all at the same time. One day in love, and the next day out of love. They were people that loved to ride the winds of the unknown, so to speak. Never living in the past, nor anticipating the future.


    Always doing whatever they wanted to do today, in the now. That was what made Reed uncomfortable back in the day. As someone who had always been stuck in the past, he couldn''t understand how the Eisalons could toss away the past as if it was garbage.


    It wasn''t as if Reed feared them now though, but he still felt very wary around them for certain reasons.


    What he had feared the most was meeting one of them and accidentally touching them. The thought of them turning into either one of them, the two he had failed the most, frightened him to death. Seeing them transform into them would have probably broken him into pieces in the past.


    ...It also frightened him what would happen if an Eisalon touched Lu''um. What would happen, then? Would a copy of Reed appear or would it be...?


    He didn''t want to know. The fear was so intense he almost couldn''t handle it.


    Reed stared at the energy gauge of their hovercraft impatiently. It read 48 percent. They had been waiting in a recharging station for the last three hours for their hovercraft to recharge. It would be a while before it finished charging, to Reed''s immense displeasure.


    He... trusted Lu''um. He did. But the irrational fear in his head would not stop gnawing at the back of his head, even though he knew that he was being stupid.


    When Reed let out a sigh, Lu''um said, "...Hey, why don''t we go get some fresh air? We have time to waste, right? Why don''t we stretch our legs and get something to eat?"


    Ah, goddammit... I shouldn''t have sighed!


    Reed nodded and said, "Yeah... sure."


    Man, this sucks...


    He missed his bakery and Cem-Elle now, more than ever.


    In truth, he was already beginning to dislike their little ''adventure into the world'' and wondered how the Hartford''s were doing back home...


    I stay home, too...

 137 Haufin, The Seashell of the Sea

    It was raining in Haufin, but the bustling city cared not. People continued to mind their business, even if the storm above continued to pour down upon their heads. The rain would never reach them, anyway.


    Haufin was special in the South in the sense that it''d been built with a design tenet that belonged to North ¡ª the city was domed, encased inside of a geodesic force-field made of a thin meta-material that resembled black, obsidian glass. Tezcat''to was what it was called by the Ancient Mulians.


    The black glass had mirror-like qualities to it, but that was not why it was considered valuable. Tezcat''to, when charged by an Anima current, would develop certain characteristics that made it incredibly resilient to physical forces.


    Under the effects of Anima, it''d become transparent and tougher than steel, all the while possessing none of the detriments. Chiefly, it did not rust or grow brittle over time. It was also extremely lightweight, making it an incredibly useful material.


    Because of the area that Haufin had been built on, a region that was often assaulted by numerous tropical storms and at times, even powerful hurricanes during the summer season, it was a necessity for the city to have a means of defense against the natural elements.


    Of course, this problem was only magnified by Haufin''s unique circumstances. The Ancient Mulians, in their infinite wisdom, decided to build a city in the spirit of a sea shell, another endeavor of theirs to integrate their society with nature.


    In essence, Haufin was akin to a seashell. It''d been built directly past the coast on top of an artificial seabed constructed for it. The city was the natural progression of what the Ancient Mulians had done for Mardeimus, which they considered a harmonious intersection between the land and the sea; man and nature.


    Haufin was created under the idea of man and nature becoming one entity, compared to Mardeimus where they''d been a pair-bond, much like the coast and the sea.


    To put in words a layman could understand: the city was a tremendous achievement of sublime creativity, technological skill, and design. A timeless, natural treasure that had persisted long after the Ancient Mulians disappeared...


    The seashell was a thing that belonged to nature and to the sea, so by building a city around the concept, the Ancient Mulians thought that they''d create a truly natural creation.


    Because of this design philosophy, the city would experience dramatic changes whenever the high tide came in.


    Haufin would sink under the water until it was completely underneath the sea. It was a true underwater city, unlike Mardeimus. Even at low tide, the city was still half-buried under the waves, with only the upper of the transparent dome sticking out unobstructed.


    "The artificial platform beneath the city is actually made of an organic composite designed to endure the enormous weight of the city in a particularly ingenious way, you know," said Lu''um with a blooming expression.


    Reed scratched his head and said, "Let me guess, it''s probably something to do with all of that, right?" He nudged his head toward the expansive coral reef system that''d grown all around the lower half of the dome, which was always remained underwater at all times throughout the day.


    Lu''um nodded enthusiastically and said, "That''s right! The coral reefs that encompass Tecciztli''s lower half are a part of the symbiotic support system integral to the city''s artificial seabed foundation. They were genetically modified to withstand incredible pressures and grow into the base foundation itself and eventually even replace it!"


    I''m happy at least one of us is enjoying this¡ª Wait... did I hear that correctly?


    "Wait, wait, wait! Are you saying what I think you''re saying? That this... entire city is being supported by... a coral reef?"


    Lu''um smugly said, "The organic composite was a construction material to act as the initial foundation, but it was never intended to remain there forever. I said it was an organic composite, didn''t I? Well, it was also designed to promote the growth of the seedbed of the modified coral reef that we planted inside of its honeycomb structure.


    It was designed to slowly decompose and turn into nutrients for the coral polyps and the surrounding sea life over the course of... well, a long, long time."


    When Reed noticed the unmistakable glimmer of adoration in Lu''um eyes as she gazed at the city, he said, "I''ve never seen so you... animated about something before. Anything else you want to tell me that you haven''t told me yet?"


    Lu''um''s coughed awkwardly and said, "As you might''ve already guessed, I have a... special connection with this city."


    "Oh, really? I would''ve never figured that out. Had me completely fooled with all of your elaborate, extremely detailed explanations."


    It''d been a while since Reed felt truly astounded by anything. Often time, he''d feel a rush of wonder and awe whenever he saw something novel, but that mental high had somewhat grown dull over the years.


    For the most part, it was because he''d gotten accustomed to the feeling of having his expectations destroyed. Mulia was a place filled with incredible wonders, after all.


    But this time it was different for Reed. He froze for a good couple of seconds when he heard what Lu''um had said.


    "Well, it''s just that I... sort of, um... designed this city."


    ................What?


    Lu''um pulled Reed forward and said, "It''s not that amazing of a thing, okay?! I didn''t even build it myself! It was Grandfather Ulbo that... sent the order that it be built after he peeked on a design plan I had created out of boredom in my atelier back home!"


    ...Created out boredom? ..........This city?


    Reed suddenly felt as if he was staring at an alien from another dimension. What form of genius could create a city such as this out of boredom? And to have it built on a whim, just like that.


    An entire underwater metropolis that could easily be called a world heritage and a unique cultural achievement.


    If this was her when she was bored, then what was she like at her full potential?


    He didn''t know. It was a pitifully depressing and immature thought, but he couldn''t help it.


    Reed suddenly felt small and inadequate beside her. He felt like a... puppy.


    They were cute, small, and loving companions, sure, but dogs weren''t known to have conversations with their owners. They did not understand their owners with their limited intelligence, but they were still loved and cared for, nevertheless.


    He knew that it wasn''t like that. That she''d never think of him that way and that it was just his insecurities and fears trying to get at him.


    Negativity was the enemy and Fear was its master.


    "...That''s amazing! You''re still full of surprises, aren''t you?! When did you design the city? Where you a student of some sort of school in the past?" said Reed.


    Lu''um said, "O-Oh, it was a long time ago when I was still under my master''s tutelage. I think was about two hundred years old at the time? Maybe a little younger...?"


    "Wow, that''s incredible. I don''t think I''d be able to design something like this, even if I was given a thousand years. I knew you were knowledgeable, but I didn''t take you for a nerd, haha!"


    Her slightly embarrassed and annoyed expression warmed Reed''s heart when he saw it. He knew then and there that she truly cared about his opinion, even if it was limited by his own primitive upbringing. Well, at least in comparison to her education.


    Perhaps Reed had not been born in a society as technologically advanced as the Ancient Mulians'', but he was studied enough to identify hidden contempt from sincerity. Her eyes were pure and held only the shine of honesty within them.


    Reed laughed and said, "I''m sorry, I''m sorry. I was just a bit... envious of your knowledge and immense talent for a second. But that feeling''s passed through me now."


    Lu''um tilted her head in confusion and then smiled. "Really? To be honest, I always felt the same way about you, but I eventually realized that..." Her voice trailed off, as if to tease Reed and leave him hanging.


    "Hm? What did you realize?"


    "It wasn''t that I was envious of you but rather, I was scared of being inadequate; that I would not be good enough to stand by your side. I was just scared of being left behind."


    Reed chuckled and said, "I... had the exact same thought just a couple of minutes ago, to be honest. Word for word, too."


    "Ah! You see! It''s the same way for me too!

 137 The Geniuses War of Love and Brains?

    It was raining in Haufin, but the bustling city cared not. People continued to mind their business, even if the storm above continued to pour down upon their heads. The rain would never reach them, anyway.


    Haufin was special in the South in the sense that it''d been built with a design tenet that belonged to North ¡ª the city was domed, encased inside of a geodesic force-field made of a thin meta-material that resembled black, obsidian glass. Tezcat''to was what it was called by the Ancient Mulians.


    The black glass had mirror-like qualities to it, but that was not why it was considered valuable. Tezcat''to, when charged by an Anima current, would develop certain characteristics that made it incredibly resilient to physical forces.


    Under the effects of Anima, it''d become transparent and tougher than steel, all the while possessing none of the detriments. Chiefly, it did not rust or grow brittle over time. It was also extremely lightweight, making it an incredibly useful material.


    Because of the area that Haufin had been built on, a region that was often assaulted by numerous tropical storms and at times, even powerful hurricanes during the summer season, it was a necessity for the city to have a means of defense against the natural elements.


    Of course, this problem was only magnified by Haufin''s unique circumstances. The Ancient Mulians, in their infinite wisdom, decided to build a city in the spirit of a sea shell, another endeavor of theirs to integrate their society with nature.


    In essence, Haufin was akin to a seashell. It''d been built directly past the coast on top of an artificial seabed constructed for it. The city was the natural progression of what the Ancient Mulians had done for Mardeimus, which they considered a harmonious intersection between the land and the sea; man and nature.


    Haufin was created under the idea of man and nature becoming one entity, compared to Mardeimus where they''d been a pair-bond, much like the coast and the sea.


    To put in words a layman could understand: the city was a tremendous achievement of sublime creativity, technological skill, and design. A timeless, natural treasure that had persisted long after the Ancient Mulians disappeared...


    The seashell was a thing that belonged to nature and to the sea, so by building a city around the concept, the Ancient Mulians thought that they''d create a truly natural creation.


    Because of this design philosophy, the city would experience dramatic changes whenever the high tide came in.


    Haufin would sink under the water until it was completely underneath the sea. It was a true underwater city, unlike Mardeimus. Even at low tide, the city was still half-buried under the waves, with only the upper of the transparent dome sticking out unobstructed.


    "The artificial platform beneath the city is actually made of an organic composite designed to endure the enormous weight of the city in a particularly ingenious way, you know," said Lu''um with a blooming expression.


    Reed scratched his head and said, "Let me guess, it''s probably something to do with all of that, right?" He nudged his head toward the expansive coral reef system that''d grown all around the lower half of the dome, which was always remained underwater at all times throughout the day.


    Lu''um nodded enthusiastically and said, "That''s right! The coral reefs that encompass Tecciztli''s lower half are a part of the symbiotic support system integral to the city''s artificial seabed foundation. They were genetically modified to withstand incredible pressures and grow into the base foundation itself and eventually even replace it!"


    I''m happy at least one of us is enjoying this¡ª Wait... did I hear that correctly?


    "Wait, wait, wait! Are you saying what I think you''re saying? That this... entire city is being supported by... a coral reef?"


    Lu''um smugly said, "The organic composite was a construction material to act as the initial foundation, but it was never intended to remain there forever. I said it was an organic composite, didn''t I? Well, it was also designed to promote the growth of the seedbed of the modified coral reef that we planted inside of its honeycomb structure.


    It was designed to slowly decompose and turn into nutrients for the coral polyps and the surrounding sea life over the course of... well, a long, long time."


    When Reed noticed the unmistakable glimmer of adoration in Lu''um eyes as she gazed at the city, he said, "I''ve never seen so you... animated about something before. Anything else you want to tell me that you haven''t told me yet?"


    Lu''um''s coughed awkwardly and said, "As you might''ve already guessed, I have a... special connection with this city."


    "Oh, really? I would''ve never figured that out. Had me completely fooled with all of your elaborate, extremely detailed explanations."


    It''d been a while since Reed felt truly astounded by anything. Often time, he''d feel a rush of wonder and awe whenever he saw something novel, but that mental high had somewhat grown dull over the years.


    For the most part, it was because he''d gotten accustomed to the feeling of having his expectations destroyed. Mulia was a place filled with incredible wonders, after all.


    But this time it was different for Reed. He froze for a good couple of seconds when he heard what Lu''um had said.


    "Well, it''s just that I... sort of, um... designed this city."


    ..........................What?


    Lu''um pulled Reed forward and said, "It''s not that amazing of a thing, okay?! I didn''t even build it myself! It was Grandfather Ulbo that... sent the order that it be built after he peeked on a design plan I had created out of boredom in my atelier back home!"


    ......................Created out boredom? ...............This city?


    Reed suddenly felt as if he was staring at an alien from another dimension. What form of genius could create a city such as this out of boredom? And to have it built on a whim, just like that.


    An entire underwater metropolis that could easily be called a world heritage and a unique cultural achievement.


    If this was her when she was bored, then what was she like at her full potential?


    He didn''t know. It was a pitifully depressing and immature thought, but he couldn''t help it.


    Reed suddenly felt small and inadequate beside her. He felt like a... puppy.


    They were cute, small, and loving companions, sure, but dogs weren''t known to have conversations with their owners. They did not understand their owners with their limited intelligence, but they were still loved and cared for, nevertheless.


    He knew that it wasn''t like that. That she''d never think of him that way and that it was just his insecurities and fears trying to get at him.


    Negativity was the enemy and Fear was its master.


    "...That''s amazing! You''re still full of surprises, aren''t you?! When did you design the city? Where you a student of some sort of school in the past?" said Reed.


    Lu''um said, "O-Oh, it was a long time ago when I was still under my master''s tutelage. I think was about two hundred years old at the time? Maybe a little younger...?"


    "Wow, that''s incredible. I don''t think I''d be able to design something like this, even if I was given a thousand years. I knew you were knowledgeable, but I didn''t take you for a nerd, haha!"


    Her slightly embarrassed and annoyed expression warmed Reed''s heart when he saw it. He knew then and there that she truly cared about his opinion, even if it was limited by his own primitive upbringing. Well, at least in comparison to her education.


    Perhaps Reed had not been born in a society as technologically advanced as the Ancient Mulians'', but he was studied enough to identify hidden contempt from sincerity. Her eyes were pure and held only the shine of honesty within them.


    Reed laughed and said, "I''m sorry, I''m sorry. I was just a bit... envious of your knowledge and immense talent for a second. But that feeling''s passed through me now."


    Lu''um tilted her head in confusion and then smiled. "Really? To be honest, I always felt the same way about you, but I eventually realized that..." Her voice trailed off, as if to tease Reed and leave him hanging.


    "Hm? What did you realize?"


    "It wasn''t that I was envious of you but rather, I was scared of being inadequate; that I would not be good enough to stand by your side. I was just scared of being left behind."


    Reed chuckled and said, "I... had the exact same thought just a couple of minutes ago, to be honest. Word for word, too."


    "Ah! You see! It was the same way for me, too! But I don''t feel that way anymore. ....How about you?"


    "...No, not anymore. Besides, I think it''s a bit of... a turn on, you having a genius girlfriend for a lover. Ah, not that I¡ª!"


    That day Reed was suddenly dragged off and worked to the bone all the way into the night and beyond, much to his horror. He had made a critical error.


    Alas, their journey would be impeded for an extra day, all thanks to Reed, the fool.


    ...Or perhaps the genius? It was a truly perplexing perspective...

 138 A Wish Fufilled at the Bottom of the Sea

    Deep with the blue of the sea, Haufin laid undisturbed for millennia. Curiously enough, the city had been built near the outskirts one of the deeper oceanic trenches in the world.


    The Centlani Deep was the first major destination that Reed and Lu''um needed to reach in their journey. It was an unfathomably deep trench that laid past Haufin out into the open ocean that''d been taken along with the continent of Mulia at the time of the activation of the Heavenly Barrier.


    Before Lacrima''s wisp faded into oblivion after the fight at Cem-Elle, she had forewarned Reed that the Eventide of Faith, the final day for the continent, would befall the world in mere months and that he did not have much time left if he was to prevent the inevitable end.


    Reed wanted to ask her more but he had been denied the opportunity. She had denied Reed and told him that if he was to correct his past failures and push the needle of fate toward another future, he would have to trust her. She only asked that he have faith in her words and not inquire about her cursed foreknowledge.


    Lacrima had told Reed in her own words, "There is nothing worse than knowing the endless, indifferent, and repetitive pattern of woven fate. You do not deserve to suffer such a misery thing yet. Simply follow the path I set you forth and believe in my love for you, my poor, most beloved half."


    Her words rung in a timbre most desolate -- both sorrowful and foreign, which unnerved Reed much at the time. In all the time he had known her, never had she spoken to him in such a manner. Unease filled his heart, as if to warn him of something terrible in the making. She sounded distantly hopeful up until the moment she faded away, a scene that had not left Reed''s mind that day...


    It was a place of perpetual darkness and hidden beauty, the Centlani Deep. The abyssal trench was home to different, exquisite forms of life that were adapted to pressures of the deep sea.


    Giant whales, more than a three dozen meters in length, swam in the dark and illuminated the seemingly bottomless trench as they hunted for their favorite prey, tiny bioluminescent plankton that lived off Anima near the bottom of the titanic construct that had been built into the planet itself. Whenever these giants


    Everything in the sea or rather, what was left of it, had been set on an evolutionary path unknown even to the Ancient Mulians. The Heavenly Barrier had changed the sea in ways that would have left them dumbfounded. For the last five thousand years since they''d left, much had changed beneath the waves.


    It was an electric light show in Centlani Deep now, a place filled with all manner of strange and unknown life, even to Lu''um, who was presently having the time of her life recording everything that swam past them with her tome.


    Reed gazed at a looming, colossal figure in the darkness as it inched past them at a glacial pace. Three eyeballs, each the size of their hovercraft stared right back at them. He noticed a curious glimmer within them, one that hinted the presence of some kind of sapience.


    The creature, a massive type of sea turtle, seemed mildly interested in them as it cruised in the dark, illuminating the Centlani Deep with its brilliantly glowing shell.


    This guy is, at a bare minimum, sixty meters wide and that''s a conservative guess!


    Reed and Lu''um landed the pocket bubble they''d entered the sea with on top of the massive turtle''s shell and gazed at their surroundings. A colorful parade of the little lanterns they''d seen in Mardeimus had seemingly tagged along for the ride too, as they coasted on the sea turtle''s wake for transportation.


    In a weird, beautiful way, it was as if the sea turtle had a glowing halo around him made up of the bioluminescent jellyfish. Perhaps a royal entourage described the scene better, Reed thought.


    At least the big guy doesn''t seem to mind us from the looks of it... Seems like he got bored of us real quickly after we settled on top of his back.


    Reed swore that he''d felt an almost indescribable feeling of majesty coming off of the turtle''s gaze when it stared at them. As if it possessed a sense of pride not unlike themselves.


    "This guy''s probably the king of this place, right? I mean, we haven''t seen anything bigger than it since we''ve gotten down here," said Reed as he inspected their surroundings in awe.


    "You mean she, dear, and yes, she''s the queen of this trench," said Lu''um, correcting Reed on his innocent mistake as she jotted down a flurry of notes into her tome.


    "It''s a girl?! How''d you figure that out? Do you know the physical characteristics of male and female turtles?"


    Lu''um smirked and said," Yes, I do know how to differentiate them based on their biological features, but that''s not how I figured out its sex."


    "Then how did you do it?" said Reed in confusion.


    Lu''um smiled and said, "I just asked her. Simple as that."


    She did what now? Did she just imply that she talked to the turtle?!


    He stared at the sea turtle with an astonished expression and then turned back to Lu''um and said, "So it''s actually capable of conversation?! You speak turtle, Sweetcheeks?!"


    The sea turtle suddenly turned it''s head around and stared at Reed with an expression of contempt, but also pity, as if it were staring at someone hopeless.


    When Reed noticed the sea turtle''s expression he laughed out of the absurdity of it all. He couldn''t even muster the will to feel offended that a sea turtle had looked down upon him.


    What a beautiful, wondrous place this world is... to have created something as amazing this... Empress of the Sea.


    And this entire place, too. It''s a garden of ending marvels! Every nook and cranny of this undersea domain is chockfull of phenomenal sights and creatures!


    This right here, this experience is worth all the pain I''ve had to endure since I first arrived in this world.


    For the first time, Reed truly felt as if he''d crossed over into another world. The place he''d always dreamed of visiting before he went to sleep as a child.


    And now, he had accomplished it. That little boy inside of Reed who''d always dreamt of an adventure beyond the dirty slums had finally gotten one of his wishes fulfilled.


    Reed''s eyes glistened a little bit as he struggled to keep his emotions in check and sniffled quietly as he softly laughed.


    When Lu''um noticed the abrupt change in Reed''s composure, she immediately put down her tome and said, "What''s the matter, dear? What troubles you?"


    "I-It''s nothing big, honest! ...I''m just happy that I finally got to see something like this, that''s all. Remember how I told that I''d always go bed dreaming about the magical worlds in my books?


    ...Well, look at me now, I''m in one of them right now! I''m riding the giant shell of a talking sea turtle in a bubble of air at the bottom of the sea!


    You can''t make this make stuff this stuff up, haha! ...I''ve thought that I''ve seen it all in this world, but I''ve been proven wrong today! This is the best thing I''ve ever seen, period."


    Lu''um''s expression softened when she heard Reed explain himself and then suddenly giggled. She waved her hands hurriedly and said, "Oh, no! I''m not laughing at you, dear, I swear! It''s just that... well, she told me something pretty funny," as she nodded at the sea turtle.


    She whispered in Reed''s ear, "It seems that you''ve charmed her, dear. She said that you''re pretty cute, even if you''re a little dumb. Her name is


    "I-It''s nothing big, honest! ...I''m just happy that I finally got to see something like this, that''s all. Remember how I told that I''d always go bed dreaming about the magical worlds in my books?


    ...Well, look at me now, I''m in one of them right now! I''m riding the giant shell of a talking sea turtle in a bubble of air at the bottom of the sea!


    You can''t make this make stuff this stuff up, haha! ...I''ve thought that I''ve seen it all in this world, but I''ve been proven wrong today! This is the best thing I''ve ever seen, period."


    Lu''um''s expression softened when she heard Reed explain himself and then suddenly giggled. She waved her hands hurriedly and said, "Oh, no! I''m not laughing at you, dear, I swear! It''s just that... well, she told me something pretty funny," as she nodded at the sea turtle.

 139 A Fool He Was No

    When Mother-Bound-In-Stars and her royal entourage reached a certain depth, the dazzling spectacle that the queen put on ended and her subjects departed. They that the final part of the voyage was beyond their capabilities, even for them, the noble lords of the deep sea.


    Only their empress had the strength to venture into the deepest regions of the Centlani deep without fear of certain death. It would have been a death sentence for them had they followed her any further.


    Down below, where the seafloor lay, existed a region of pure chaos and unending conflict. The bottommost layer of the Centlani Deep was a place reserved for monsters. A den for creatures of unprecedented ferocity and cunning; only the strongest were permitted to survive at the bottom, where prey was scarce and always in demand.


    Terrifying monsters lived in the great deep. Of that, there was no doubt. Immense sea-serpents, devil-whales, sea-spiders, and fiend-eels laid waiting in the dark for an opportune moment. To the creatures at the bottom of Centlani Deep, there was nothing they would not do to survive another day. Surviving was all that mattered to them.


    These cruel beasts loved to imitate the bioelectric patterns of weaker prey as bait in clever schemes.


    They knew how to use their enormous, bioluminescent bodies for maximum effect. When they were hungry, they''d mask themselves and dim their lights so as to appear weaker and timider than they actually were. Sometimes they''d even imitate the light patterns of other prey, too. Anything was fine as long as they could bait an unsuspecting idiot close enough for them to tear apart in a single bite.


    Thousands of years at the bottom of the sea, specifically were the Anima was the densest had transformed everything in incredible ways. Although the original creatures in Centlani Deep had not possessed an affinity with Anima, they had eventually developed one over the course of more than a hundred generations.


    Even Mother-Bound-In-Stars, who ruled the uppermost half of Centlani Deep, did not dare venture too far into abyssal depths beneath her underwater kingdom. What laid at the bottom of the sea was unbound carnage, desolation, and cruelty...


    "That was how it usually was down here," Lu''um said, "but it seems that things have changed down here... for the worse. Mother-Bound-In-Stars said that not too long ago, something strange has begun to happen."


    It was pitch-dark and silent in the abyssal layer of Centlani Deep, far too calm for the likes of everyone present. Not a single sign of life could be found in the black of the deep, where monsters should have been waiting for them.


    Only floating, bloated corpses. Faint outlines of gigantic, dead creatures could be seen in the murky distance whenever the light coming off Mother-Bound-In-Stars''s glowing shell fell upon them.


    "As soon as Mother-Bound-In-Stars discovered what had happened down here, she ordered all of her subjects to flee upward as far as they could manage. She herded the more mindless fellows, like the little lanterns away from the depths, too. They would not have survived had it not been for her efforts on preserving the ecosystem down here as much as possible," said Lu''um.


    Reed sighed. This tragedy fell on his shoulders, too. Only now did he realize the true ramifications of his actions, or rather his lack thereof. Although it could be argued that Centlani Deep was better off without the violent monsters that lurked at the bottom, it could not be argued that they still deserved the right to live.


    Life was life. Nothing more, nothing less. It was innocent in all of its terrible and majestic forms, despite what Man might think of it.


    The brutal nature of the creatures at the bottom was something they had developed only as a means of survival. They, too, desired to live. Reed had no doubt that it was incredibly demanding to live at the bottom of, perhaps, one of the deepest oceanic trenches on the planet.


    He felt a pang of guilt that he had been so narrow-minded. That he had only considered the safety of the lives on the surface. Of those who possessed intelligent minds capable of higher thought and reasoning, like himself.


    It was a strange thing, though, and he knew it deep down. He had promised himself that he would protect the world and save it, if only to ensure that the people he cared about lived another day.


    This was true; he only acted in the world''s best interests for the sake of the few, and not the many. Not for Humanity, the Avunians, the Eisalons, or everyone else. Sure, it still hurt him to see the suffering of the many, and of the world but in the end, he had decided to focus on the few precious that mattered to him.


    Reed was impartial and fair in that all too human way, in that he was only truly concerned for his family and friends, and had only committed himself to save the world for the sake.


    That was what Reed had thought, and yet... he felt like he had failed in some unexplainable sort of way, different than he had with those on the surface.


    Although the people, the many races on the surface were also innocents caught up in his failure, Reed felt especially guilty when it came to the creatures that had died here, at the bottom of the sea. He could not even begin to describe how wrong it felt to have caused the deaths of the most innocent kind of life, that of animals.


    It was frightening how little he had paid attention to the suffering of what he would have considered mere animals, had he not met Mother-Bound-In-Stars. How he had not even considered the consequences his failure had upon the whole world. ...They, too, were living beings.


    Reed couldn''t properly describe the shame he felt, but he knew that he failed them the most out of everything on Mulia. He had made them pay a heavy price that would he never be able to repay. After all, they had all died...


    They were innocent monsters -- no, just survivors. Reed corrected himself.


    Survivors that I ended up killing because of my negligence and cowardice. ...I have to protect what little remains, or else...!


    When they finally reached the bottom of the sea, Reed and Lu''um gasped. It was far worse they could have ever predicted.


    Innumerable skeletons littered the seafloor to the point that mountains had formed across the desolate plain, as far as they could see into the dark. While that had been a horrific sight to behold, that was not what had caught their attention.


    It was the tremendous fissure below that seemingly stretched forever that caught them unaware.


    The festering wound shone in the darkness with a hostile light reminiscent of the toxic miasma that belonged to the Infestation.


    Lu''um pushed Reed and herself off of Mother-Bound-In-Stars''s shell and said, "From here on, we''re on our own. She''s offered to take us even further below but it''ll likely kill her, so I told her that we''ll be fine."


    Reed gazed at Mother-Bound-In-Stars and said, "Your people need you now more than ever, Your Highness. You would be wise to remember where your true responsibilities lie. Take this morsel of advice from... a great fool who had to acquire it the hard way."


    The Empress of the Sea shook her head slowly, as if to imply that Reed was wrong and then gazed at Lu''um one final time before she eventually began her ascent towards her people above.


    "...I wonder what I said that was wrong," said Reed as he stared at her shrinking figure in the dark. Mother-Bound-In-Stars had already turned into a little dot of light in the distance, barely visible now.


    Lu''um gazed at the tiny dot of light in the distance as well and said, "She thought that you are too hard on yourself and... that you are no fool. ...And I completely agree with her."


    A small smile for on Reed''s lips and he said, "Now you''re just trying to make me blush."


    They''d reached the place that Lacrima had sent them to, the bottom of Centlani Deep.


    One of the five main fissures present on Mulia that threatened the stability of the continent. Repairing them would not be an easy task, but Reed and Lu''um could manage the feat, they would be able to postpone the end long enough for the second stage of the plan.


    A small smile for on Reed''s lips and he said, "Now you''re just trying to make me blush."


    They''d reached the place that Lacrima had sent them to, the bottom of Centlani Deep.


    One of the five main fissures present on Mulia that threatened the stability of the continent. Repairing them would not be an easy task, but Reed and Lu''um could manage the feat, they would be able to postpone the end long enough for the second stage of the plan.

 140 Faith Unmatched

    Silence filled the desolate graveyard as they stood atop the coiled skeleton of a colossal sea-serpent who had died not too far away from the great Wound. The seemingly pulsating and glowing fissure was a terrible sight to behold.


    Reed and Lu''um had reached of the five fissures -- great, open wounds of the continent -- that would eventually lead to the eventual destruction of the world if left untreated.


    Corrupted miasma poured out of the fissure in sporadic bursts in horrifying flare-ups that had left much of what remained down in the state it currently was in. The miasma had slowly decomposed the remains of an uncountable number of corpses until only withered bone was that had remained of them.


    "There is no time to spare," Reed said, "The faster we suture this wound, the better."


    Lu''um nodded in agreement but felt great unease now that they were at the precipice of the massive fissure. She had expected it to be bad, but not on this level. The wound had almost festered to the point of becoming an unmanageable situation, something they would not have been able to fix by themselves. It was still doable for them, but it would not be easy.


    And that was what made her uneasy. The difficulty of the task. Reed was not like his former self, a matter of great concern for her, despite her beloved''s disinterest in the topic. He no longer possessed the terrifying, overflowing power he once had.


    A brilliant sun he was no more; he was akin to a firestorm at best, but that would not be enough for the task at hand. A bucket of water could not put out a raging house fire, Lu''um thought. As much as she believed in his newfound determination, she feared that her beloved would not be able to handle what would be required of him this time.


    He would not be able to draw assistance from his hated counterpart, who had scorned him, nor the one he had relied upon in the past, for she was not with them anymore.


    She would not be able to help him this time either, Lu''um thought, for they would have their own separate roles in order to complete the herculean task of sealing the fissure.


    Reed had long noticed the abnormal rigidity on Lu''um''s face and knew what it meant. She only ever put on that stoic mask whenever she did not want to display weakness. Her warrior training was instinctive; it was a honed response to fear and anxiety that''d been drilled into her bones over many a year, to the point that she could not defy it.


    He knew much of her past and of what she had grown through in order to cultivate that... strength of will and unbending character that made her seem an invincible figure in the darkest times. She had been trained since childhood in the ways of the leader, the warrior, and the wise-man. Her life had not been an easy one, for she had been burden with thrice the burden of other children... for his sake.


    These were her masks, so to speak.


    When it was necessary to establish a dialogue with other people, she would adopt the mask of the leader, which was open-hearted, magnanimous, and sympathetic. Her mental training allowed her to subtly persuade even the most cold-heart individual into following her and by extension, Reed.


    If they ever needed someone''s assistance, she could always find it. A goddess at heart born with a devil''s tongue -- that was what Lu''um was when she wore the mask of the leader.


    She was so proficient at manipulating the hearts of people that she did not even have to rely on Anima-based techniques to influence people. Her words were more than enough. In truth though, this was the mask that Lu''um had the least experience in, for a variety of reasons...


    When conflict was inevitable, she wore the mask of the warrior, which was infallible, cold, and ever-distant. Her emotions faded into the deep of heart as unforgiving winter winds of indifferent logic shrouded her from pain, fear, and anxiety.


    All emotions sealed beneath a self-created mental prison -- it was an ancient mental technique created by the Ancient Mulian war-sages of ages past.


    In battle, the heart was unnecessary. Emotions be they pleasurable or painful only served to distract the warrior from the task at hand, which was to kill.


    Fear, Worry, Hatred, Pride, Pity, Passion, Shock, Sorrow, Panic, Depression, and the rest; All emotions were enemies to the warrior, just as much as the foes he would have to face in reality.


    To Ancient Mulians, every battle was two-fold in nature. One inside themselves, and the other against their enemies.


    Only a triumph over both themselves and their foe was considered a true victory to be remembered, to be spoken about to their fellow comrades.


    They adhered to the belief that a noble warrior should not kill under the guidance of the ever-turbulent and chaotic heart, which was many-faceted and fickle as a summer breeze.


    If one fought with their heart, at one moment they might experience the intoxicating bliss of unfounded arrogance, and in the next waking moment, also feel the excruciating suffering brought on Pride''s response, the beckoning of Fear, Shock, and Panic.


    For Lu''um this was the mask she most frequently donned, but at the same was the one she had the hardest difficulty wearing. There had been many a time when she had failed to don it properly as of late, much to her frustration... which in itself was proof of her failure.


    As for the last mask, that of the sage, the confidant, and shepherd, Lu''um knew the best. It was a mask formed out of the crystal of wisdom itself, the summation of one''s life experiences, and the lessons extracted from them upon reflection.


    For Lu''um, who had seen, done, and regretted many a thing over the course of several mortal lifetimes, she did not lack lessons to teach, or advice to offer. She knew a great deal about Life, as did all of her people, the Ancient Mulians, who had been cursed with lifespans greater than all of the races that once existed in the starry sky...


    "Look at me," said Reed. He forced her to look at him dead-on and said, "I can do this. You don''t need to worry about me. In fact, you can''t afford to worry; the task ahead of us will demand everything we have."


    Lu''um shut her eyes and said, "I know, but you have to understand that what you''re abou--"


    "Yes, it seems suicidal, I get it. Believe it or not, but you''re not the only one who''s scared right now. Me? I''m fucking terrified... but she would not have told me to do this without a good reason.


    She would not have sent me out here to die, Lu''um. That I am sure of."


    "I believe that as well but it does not make this any easier to handle," said Lu''um as she tried her best to suppress her emotions beneath the mask.


    Reed shook his head and said, "She asked me to put my faith in her, and I am obligated to fulfill that request. I owe her that much.


    ...Let me put this way, my sunflower. Do you have faith in me?"


    Lu''um nodded silently.


    "I feel the same way about her and you. Your faith is what gives me strength whenever my legs start shaking, whenever my heart starts beating wildly, whenever my vision seems to grow dark.


    A fire cannot exist without the spark that lit it into being. That''s what both of you are to me -- my firestarters. I wouldn''t have been able to do half of the things I''ve done without both of you."


    Reed let go off Lu''um and separated himself from the pocket bubble, which caught her completely off guard. The instant he stepped out of it, the crushing pressure of the sea fell upon his shoulders.


    He grimaced at the thought that Lu''um had been carrying something like this on her shoulders, especially after accounting for both of them.


    When Lu''um tried to reach out for him, he raised a single hand up in rejection.


    If I don''t make the first move myself, she''ll keep on hesitating. That worry would''ve continued to grow. Might''ve even affected her performance later on, too.


    He needed to show her that he could still be depended on.


    Reed gazed at the glowing fissure and suddenly felt a wave of fear and anxiety wash over him. His heart started pounding like a mad drum as he gazed at the chaotic flux of miasma and Anima that laid below. It was akin to gazing at the face of the mighty Sun in all of its terrible majesty.


    ...I can do this.


    I can do THIS.


    I trust her.


    I have faith in her.


    Do it. Go Now. DO IT.


    Reed grit his teeth and then... allowed himself to drop into the fissure. He fell.


    His faith would protect and guide him. He was sure of it.

 141 Letting Go

    It would not be enough to close the fissure, as that would only be delaying the inevitable. They would have to purge the infection first before they closed the fissure shut, as unbelievable as it sounded.


    Reed''s role was to clean up the infection in the fissure until it was free of miasma by heading down into the built-in infrastructure of the planet that ran the Heavenly Barrier, the Michomitl.


    Deep beneath the crust of the earth, laid a vast and expansive network of complex machinery that only a few people in the multiverse truly understood. It was an advanced, continent-sized machine of vast proportions. Not even Lu''um could say with complete certainty that she fully understood the means by which the Heavenly Barrier operated.


    Thankfully, Reed would not have to perform any complicated repairs upon the Michomitl. That was, perhaps, the only silver lining about Reed''s task. All he would have to do is descend through a literal hell-storm of miasma and an extreme-high density Anima storm the size of the North itself.


    In layman''s terms, he would have to survive an empire-sized marathon of pure, suicidal madness.


    Lu''um, who was clearly far the stronger one of the two, had been left with an equally burdensome and daunting task. She was the one who would have to close the fissure shut.


    It was a fissure a thousand kilometers in length by Lu''um guess, though she was certain that it was possibly even larger than that. Even for her, it would not be an easy task to accomplish. The amount of power and skill required to do something as ridiculous as what she was about to do could be counted a single hand.


    Something like this would have been reserved for the likes of the greatest Ancient Mulians who belonged to the Builder-caste. In times past, they would have used their titanic engineer-fleets to shape planets as they wished, terraforming them on a scale unprecedented.


    This was why Lu''um had expressed great unease when she learned about what they had been tasked to do.


    She peered down at the fissure in search of his figure. It was nowhere to be found, already lost within the turbulent chaos within the enormous maw of death. He had really gone off and done it.


    There was nothing she could do for him now. He would have to fend for himself down there and activate the reset node buried all the way at the bottom. Only then would she be allowed to start closing the fissure...


    He better make it. He has to make it on time. He will. If he doesn''t make in time, I''ll...!


    Her thoughts were in complete disarray as she gazed down at the chaos below. The wait was going to kill her before anything would have the chance...


    Reed was out of his mind. His vision had already begun to fail. There was too much to keep track of in the hellstorm within the fissure.


    He was treading the fine line between life and death like never before in his life. A single incorrect move and he''d die instantly, for there was much to be feared in the hellstorm.


    Huge flares of super-heated Anima condensate swirled in huge vortices the size of warships everywhere he looked... and those were the smaller ones. The bigger ones were, at the very least, larger than the entire combined fleet that participated in the Twilight War.


    There were also massive pockets of space filled with miasma that limited the paths he could take on the way down. Reed couldn''t pass through the miasma because unlike Lu''um, he could not control as much Anima as she did. Once it melted through the thin shield separating himself and the outside, he''d meet a terrible end.


    If his body did not melt because of the miasma, he''d be torn to pieces by one of the Anima vortices instead. Or he''d be cooked to death in seconds because of the terrifying heat. Perhaps the incredible pressure bearing down on him would compress him to into a ball of flesh and bone...


    Reed didn''t know. All he knew was that if he died, Lu''um would probably end up wearing him on one of her fingers as a shiny diamond.


    In comparison to everything around him, he was practically nonexistent. He was like a grain of sand in a churning ocean. Even so, Reed continued to descend without stopping like a shooting star that had fallen into a hellish world of fury and death.


    The pain was starting to become too much to handle, even for him. His mind could not handle the strain of processing ten thousand different variables at once, let alone for the last...


    ...How long has it been since I''ve started? ...I don''t remember when this started.


    It had gotten that bad. A second for him had turned into a unit of measurement equivalent to that of a day. And it was not unsurprising, given he had to account for every single second within the hellstorm.


    After all, it''d only take a single wrong move to spell his death and Reed was performing hundred of moves -- course adjustments and subtle manipulations -- every second.


    But it was getting harder. At first, for every thousand future dead ends, there would be a single path of success where he''d survive, but now...


    That path of success was only showing up after culling ten thousand paths that''d lead to a dead end. It wasn''t that he was failing but rather, that he was running out of options.


    The further he descended, the more miasma he found himself encountering, to the point that it''d become increasingly difficult to chart a course. And if that wasn''t bad enough, the "smaller Anima storms" had disappeared.


    A massive torrent of Anima, a hurricane of unimaginable size had impeded his way. It looked more like the sun though, because of how blindingly bright it was to the eye.


    The second Reed laid eyes on it, his vision went dark. Waves of searing pain shot through his eyes as he let out a voiceless scream in the midst of the chaos.


    In the middle of a literal hell, he had lost his vision. Still, Reed did not stop descending... because he couldn''t. He was moving too fast to stop. The hurricane he was inside of wouldn''t let him stop, thrashing him along with its unpredictable currents.


    Reed was akin to a leaf caught in a storm, completely at the mercy of the storm.


    Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit...! Think, think, think, think, think...!


    He could have healed his eyes, but it would have been pointless. The moment Reed opened them, he would have gone blind again, scarred once more by the blinding radiance of the superheated solar-storm of Anima.


    I have my mind''s eye, but it''s too weak to use! I can barely see a hundred meters with it compared to using my eyes and the future-paths!


    It was now that Reed fully understood what she meant by faith. She knew this would happen. That he would be thrust down this path.


    He would have to rely on his own senses from now and make judgment calls on his own or die.


    "Only through Faith will Mulia live to see another day, my Reed."


    Faith. Either he had it, or he didn''t. He lived or he died. He succeeded or failed.


    In an astonishing act of courage, Reed... actually let go. He no longer struggled against his need to have an answer -- a definite path out of the storm.


    Instead, he rode it. Although he knew not was ahead of him, he trusted in her. That she had not lied to him. He would place his life in her hands and let the storm carry him.


    What more could he do in this situation? He had reached the end of what was possible for him.


    The lone man was at the mercy of Nature or rather, the thread of Fate he had chosen for himself.


    Reed opened his mind''s eye and surveyed his surroundings without fear as he let things take its natural course. He sometimes whizzed by dangerous currents of Anima and toxic marshes of miasma with only a margin of a hair between them and himself.


    For what seemed like an eternity, he flew in an unpredictable fashion in the storm without really knowing where he was at. Sometimes he brushed by death''s doorstep and at other times, he was pushed around from one Anima current to another.


    But, eventually, it happened. He was finally led out of the storm as he rode a powerful current of Anima out into the wide-open, the eye of the hurricane.


    It was peaceful and silent within the eye, where the Anima was at its weakest. He survived.


    Reed laughed his heart out in joy as he descended below, having passed through the final barrier with his life intact. He wanted to cry too, but his eyes had been welded shut.


    It''d worked. For a good while, he thought that he''d been lost, but he found his way out...


    With his faith to guide him. A feat most impressive, that not even he could have pulled off had he been in Reed''s shoes.


    ...That was the biggest difference between them. Reed had faith in her, and he... did not.

 142 Purging the Infection

    Reed had reached the very bottom of the fissure, an alien world far removed from anything he had ever seen before. Not even the Infestation had created something as bizarre as what lay in front of him.


    He had expected the bottom to have been metal-like in nature, given how she had described the mechanism that ran the Heavenly Barrier. For it to have been some kind of advanced machine construct of tremendous size.


    W-What in the hell is... THIS?! Where have I ended up this time?!


    It was alive..... the surface, that is. This was no machine entity as Reed had been told. At the very least, not the kind he had been expected. Reed was genuinely horrified. In fact, he almost couldn''t even believe what he was seeing. Not because he was relying on his mind''s eye, but because of the implications that it''d cause were too frightening to contemplate.


    When Reed saw five peaks ¡ª strange, oddly-shaped mountains ¡ª in the distance and the peculiar terrain under his feet, it all came together for him. The pulsating, repetitive thrum, and warmth under him were oddly comforting, as if he''d experienced it before somewhere else...


    T-this isn''t a... machine. Oh, GOD. Is this... Is this a HAND?! T-There''s no way... right?!


    Reed tried his damndest to come with another conclusion, but he couldn''t. Not with those five mountains in the distance begging the question. The more he observed, the more obvious it became. He saw the terrain for what it was; deep fault lines and cracks in the ground were wrinkles on the palm of an unknown hand. The warmth and pulse in the ground were assuredly from the blood underneath the surface.


    H-Heh, of course, of course...! What more could you have expected from the Ancient Mulians, Reed?! An actual machine, like a normal person?


    You''ve already seen what they''re capable of, so why is this any... different? ...Right?


    Still, he couldn''t help but feel unnerved by the idea that something like this existed beneath the continent. That this was where Anima originated from on Mulia. It was something beyond his capacity for understanding.


    But still... if this is just a hand, then how big is the entire body? This hand alone was large enough that I actually mistook it for a landmass in the beginning.


    This is so beyond my paygrade... Well, everything about this is out of my league, but then again, that''s the usual case for me...


    Reed gazed around as he tried to make sense of where he was supposed to go and noticed strange markings across the surface. Darkened lines of decay and rot beneath the palm that looked absolutely disgusting.


    Some of the dark lines had burst open, exhuming fresh miasma out into the open as it floated upwards like smog...


    He''d found the source of the miasma that had been troubling him for the longest; it was the hand itself. And it made sense, given everything that she had told Reed before he departed.


    The time he''d ever heard the word ''infection'' was when it was concerning a living thing. People and animals got sick and had developed infections, not goddamned continents.


    Reed wanted to cry. Had he been sent to play a doctor or a mechanic? Was it a machine or a living thing? He no longer cared anymore and pushed the thought aside.


    She had explained to him that he''d find a ''node'' to rest the machine, but he had not been given a specific description. He thought that''d it was going to be a problematic issue, but quickly figured out what she had meant by a reset node.


    It''d just been behind him the entire time. He''d been so focused on the giant fingers in the distance that he had completely forgotten about the other half of the palm.


    When Reed turned around, he finally understood why she had said that "it''ll be very easy to find."


    Holy shit, she wasn''t lying...


    An immense spike lay behind Reed taller than the ''mountains'' themselves. An enormous, metallic spike loomed over him as it pierced into the storm above.


    He suddenly felt like a massive idiot. How had he missed something this large? The damn thing was more than a thousand meters tall and somehow he had not even noticed its existence until he turned around.


    Reed chuckled bitterly in self-derision.


    This is probably what she was referring to as a machine. I mean, what else could even remotely explain it better than this?!


    How could I have been so blin¡ª


    Goddamnit... Sometimes I really do feel like an irredeemable idiot. Thank god Lu''um isn''t here to watch me piece this shit out...


    He hurriedly made his way toward the monolithic construct in the distance and touched it as he had been thankfully instructed to do. That was the extent of Reed''s interaction with the highly advanced machine, thanks in part to the ingenious planning of the original creator.


    It required no external support, for it had been built with everything it needed to perform precise diagnostics and repairs on itself. Not because the original creator wanted to create a machine with multiple fail-safes to ensure that the machine would last as long as possible.


    No, the creator simply didn''t like other people messing with his creations, so he made sure that''d they wouldn''t need maintenance in the first place.


    The massive spike suddenly shone and the surface began to tremble in response, as if to signal something ominous.


    A cold, lifeless voice said, "Registered signature detected. ERROR. Unable to establish a link with the Central Core. Last known date of connection ¡ª Era of Ruin, year 5426. Seventh Lunar Spring, Month of the Hummingbird, 18th day."


    Reed knew that date, the 18th. The day of the Twilight War fell on the 18th. It had not made contact with the others since then.


    "A diagnostic check is required. Please wait... Vital signs are critical. Corrupted pathways detected. Irregular cardiac rhythm detected. Abnormal temperature detected.


    MANDATORY RESET REQUIRED. OVERRIDING PROTOCOL 26F-SUNDOWN/TWILIGHT/


    WARNING. RESET IMMINENT. WARNING. RESET IMMINENT. WARNING. RESET IMMINENT."


    Oh, shit. I''m pretty sure this is where I go, r-right? ...You know what, I''m jus¡ª


    Suddenly the ground beneath Reed''s feet started to glow. For as far as he could see, all manner of dramatic changes were starting to happen.


    Most concerning of them all though, was the fact... that the hand started twitching.


    The five mountains were moving, much to Reed''s horror, and they were not looking very hospitable. Enormous swells of Anima rippled on top of the giant fingertips, each one a gargantuan tsunami of superheated Anima.


    No, no, no, no...! I am NOT sticking around for that shit! Aaaahhhh!


    Reed immediately channeled all the Anima he could muster and shot upward like a rocket upward. As far as he was concerned, his job was over; whatever was happening now was none of his damn business. He already did what had been asked him. It was time to leave. Now.


    The sky above had completely cleared by the time Reed had begun to escape, likely because of the glowing tower of light. Not that he cared, though. The only thing on Reed''s mind was getting the hell out of the fissure as fast as possible.


    He immediately healed his eyes and restored his sight in order to get a clearer view of what was happening, since his mind''s eye was no longer cutting for him. The instant his vision returned, Reed felt a sudden rush of fear.


    Everything had completely cleared up. Everything. There was nothing to worry about on the way up; that was worried him the most.


    Where had it gone? The ambient Anima had suddenly become ordered, as if it was being controlled by something...


    Reed stared down at the glowing spike and felt his instincts screaming at him to run as fast as he could. He could literally feel the Anima around him starting to descend toward the machine below in unimaginable quantities.


    It was going purge everything clean and Reed did NOT want to be around when that happened.


    He no longer cared about predicting future-paths, but he only foresaw a single ending for him if he was not fast enough: Death.


    A single red-hot streak of madness barrelled through the fissure as it tried to outrace its impending demise. It was a mad racer desperately trying to cling on to life and hope.


    Around the halfway point, things started to change for the worse. The fissure itself, as ridiculous as it sounded, began to tremble and groan in protest.


    Reed knew what was happening but still couldn''t believe it. She was actually doing... and pulling it off. The fissure was beginning to close.


    The colossal crevice was being forced shut by Lu''um. He knew what that meant.


    He was running out of time. Lu''um would not have started unless she absolutely needed to in order to give him as much time as possible to escape.


    Reed wasn''t going to make it, not at his current speed. He needed something more.


    But he didn''t know what... Time was running out. He needed to find it fast, or else...

 143 A Daring Escape For Two

    The swells of Anima behind him were growing stronger for every minute that passed. A mind-boggling amount of Anima underneath him had already been sucked into the titanic monolith, enough that it could have powered the entire surface of Mulia for centuries on end with ease.


    Lu''um was in right to have started closing the fissure as soon as she noticed the changes down below. The destructive power that was below was not something that the surface could handle, let alone the seas.


    Had they opted to not close the fissure, the consequences would''ve been apocalyptic. Forget about the creatures in Centlani Deep dying, the entire eastern coast would have been obliterated to kingdom come.


    Vaporized instantaneously in a flash of heat and light, much like Lei-en had been several years ago. That would have been the fate of the hundreds of cities that populated the eastern coast of Mulia. If not by the initial purge blast, then by the collapse of the coast itself as entire cities plunged into the sea.


    But it was an immense struggle even for her, who by all rights, should have been the strongest person in Mulia at the moment. The stone-cold expression on Lu''um''s face only made what she was doing look even more awe-inspiring. That was just a reflex brought on by her conditioning though; inside, Lu''um was starting to panic...


    Not because of her own situation, of course, but because of Reed.


    Wrapped around her arms were two indescribably large chains made of Anima that had been embedded deep into either side of the fissure, which were, in return, connected other chains in the distance. The smaller chains had the thickness of a small hovercraft, while the larger ones were as thick as the hull of a warship.


    The sight of the enormous chains around Lu''um would have been somewhat comical, if a bit excessive... had they not started snapping. That is, the larger ones. They could not handle the immense forces exerted on them, despite the fact that they had only received a small, distributed portion of it.


    That was the entire reason Lu''um had created many of them, so as to lessen the load on each individual chain, but even that had not been enough to prevent them from breaking.


    Even so, she continued her arduous labor in silence. Not so much as a grunt of pain had escaped her lips since she had begun. This was not because she had developed a superhuman tolerance to pain, or some other grand feat of inhuman physicality.


    Lu''um had simply shut off her pain receptors beforehand, so she could not hear the hundred warning alarms in her mind telling her to stop. She knew her body''s own limits, so pain itself was an unnecessary bodily function to her.


    For every chain that broke, she would create another two to take its place as she continued to strain her body to its limits.


    Reed was out of options. Even with his superb skill, he still couldn''t make up for the difference in power he had lost.


    Had he his old power, Reed could have simply opened a spatial tear and walked out of this mess. That was how simple it would have been for Reed with his power, but he had made his choice back then.


    He would walk his own path, on his own terms. And that meant that he casting aside the power he once possessed.


    It wasn''t even mine, anyway. I refuse to go back to that sort of arrangement ever again. Giving that bastard a way to manipulate me is unacceptable. No matter the cost.


    Reed continued to wrack his brain as he pushed his meager reserves to their limits. He had one very extreme idea, but he didn''t want to use them unless it was absolutely necessary.


    The only real idea that had popped into his head involved increasing his speed by any means necessary. Reed had figured that since he literally could not accelerate himself any faster than he was going right now with his maximum output, then the only way forward would be to... lessen his load, so to speak.


    If I lose some weight... I should be able to increase my acceleration. All I need to do is lose some weight very quickly...


    Reed grit his teeth and put his hands onto his hips. He was confident that if lost half of his weight, he''d probably make it. All he needed to do was make a quick and decisive cut.


    If Reed severed the bottom half of his body ¡ª everything below his waist ¡ª he was positive that he would lose enough weight. The only thing he needed to do was close his eyes, take a deep breath, and do it.


    ...........I-I can''t do it. Goddamnit, this is such a pain in the ass...!


    Something inside was warning Reed that if he did it, he would fail what he set out to do. Sure, he would come back alive, and yes, the injury was healable, but it wouldn''t be what Reed set out to do.


    This was not what he envisioned when he wanted to prove himself dependable to Lu''um. Coming back as half of a severed torso would not send the message he wanted. Surviving by the skin of my teeth isn''t what he wanted. That would not cut it this time around for Reed.


    I''ve never seen a dependable sock puppet before, much less a living one. Don''t think Sweetcheeks would be very happy if she saw me return like that...


    Then again, I''m pretty sure she''d prefer to see me alive rather than dead at the end of the day, so...


    The fissure had been closing for some time already, to the point that Reed could now faintly the shadows of either end of the fissure. If he didn''t make up his mind, he''d turn into mush when it was completely sealed.


    Reed had nearly given up on getting out in one piece as he envisioned until...


    He saw a tiny, gleaming dot in the distance. It was small but it continued to grow larger for every second that passed until it turned into a giant, shining comet.


    Oh, great. What could it be this time? Another problem for me to deal with, huh. Just my goddamned luck.


    Reed gathered Anima around himself and strengthen his aegis the best he could since there was nothing else he could do. He was already going way too fast to doing any kind of evading.


    He was on a crash course was imminent with whatever had been unlucky to fall into the fissure. Either Reed could break through it with his immense force, or it would turn him into meat paste should he fail.


    That was what Reed initially thought it would go down until he realized how very... familiar the comet''s shine was to him, as if he had seen it somewhere else.


    W-Wait, should¡ª


    The gigantic comet suddenly passed by Reed in the blink of an eye and suddenly performed a graceful 180-degree drift back toward the surface, dragging him in its tremendous wake, accelerating him way past what he had been capable of.


    It was Mother-Bound-In-Stars. She had descended into the fissure herself to recover Reed after she saw that he had not yet returned.


    Reed quickly figured out what Mother-Bound-In-Stars wanted him to do and hurriedly clawed his way onto her shell as fast as he could. She was several orders faster than he went it came to speed, so he focused all of his efforts onto the simple task of holding on to her.


    Mother-Bound-In-Stars was akin to speed incarnate in Reed''s eyes. He couldn''t even keep up with their surroundings as they blurred into a haze of color and light. It was a genuinely terrifying experience as he screamed his lungs out in fear.


    He could literally feel his bones rumbling precariously within his body, as if they were made of glass. His sweat and tears poured out and streamed backward as he struggled to keep onto the blazing comet with all of his might.


    "CAN... YOU... SLOW... THE... FUCK... DOWN!!!!!!!"


    When Mother-Bound-In-Stars heard Reed''s frantic request, she turned her head around and, in an all too human fashion, did something he had never seen before. It put the fear of God in Reed.


    Her eyes gleamed mischievously, as if she had been amused by the request. For once, Reed had said something she liked.


    She loved it when someone tried to tell her, the Empress of Centlani Deep, what to she should do ¡ªwhen someone dared to challenge her rule.


    Reed felt a sudden chill run down his spine when her shell started to shine even brighter than before. An enormous amount of Anima gathered around them and then...


    Mother-Bound-In-Stars got serious. She unleashed her full power and cut loose, hurtling upward so fast that her shell had caught on actual fire.... along with Reed.


    She had seemingly turned into an actual meteor. There was no stopping them now....

 144 Chasing a Phantom

    Were it not for the dire circumstances warranting extreme haste, Reed would have never forgiven Mother-Bound-In-Stars for what she had done. Even now, he doubted whether she was actually trying to save his life or end it.


    Adrenaline coursed through Reed''s veins like wildfire as he struggled to hold onto the blazing meteor. He screamed out profanities and terrified pleas, but they had gone unheard by his tormentor.


    Mother-Bound-In-Stars had pushed her abilities to the limit, something she had not done in millennia. Not since the days of her youth when she had been little more than a mischievous princess without a care in the world.


    The last time she had pushed herself this hard was during the Great Invasion of Mu. When the Infestation had broken through the final defense line standing in between the planet and them.


    She had been there through it all as a child. Seen everything unfold as it had when the Infested invaded the planet. The vast seas had been tainted black with the poison they had brought, killing and transforming all that once lived in her former home.


    Had it not been for the swift action of those on the surface, everything at sea would have died. The Heavenly Barrier had torn a small portion of the former sea when it activated, unexpectedly saving all of the sea life that had been closest to the coast of Mulia.


    Mother-Bound-In-Stars still remembered everything about the day when the Heavenly Barrier had been activated in last-ditch attempt to stave off the inevitable...


    Fleeing as fast as she could away from the endless spread of death and suffering. Observing in pure terror as the seas turned pitch-black. Not even the sunlight above could pierce through that veil of dark madness.


    She had not forgotten the innumerable screams she heard within that horrifying darkness that had once been her home. What followed afterward was something still haunted her to this day.


    It was the painful, lingering silence that followed afterward. Nothing had frightened her more than that event to this day. How a vast majority of the sea had gone dead silent.


    Fear bred despair. Moments later, it had begun to spread again, with even greater ferocity than before. From the black seas came twisted aberrations of life commanded by a single thought: To ravage all that laid before them.


    Mother-Bound-In-Stars and her beloved, Dreams-Of-Azure-Stars, had tried their hardest to escape together, but she had been too slow. Had she been faster, he would not have had to...


    A bitter, painful memory rose up from the depths of her heart. She had lost much that day because of her ineptitude.


    Even now, she was still chasing the shadow of the one who had given his life for her sake.


    It was why she had returned to rescue Reed. Forget about her; Mother-Bound-In-Stars knew well of the fate that would await the continent if the problem was not resolved.


    ...She had also returned because of another reason. A much, more personal one. Within the young boy, she saw a part of her former self. And a bit of her former beloved, too.


    Everything about them had reminded her of the relationship she once had, down to the last detail. A repetition of fate itself, come back to test her -- that was why she had returned to save Reed.


    To her, it was a redemption long-awaited. Mother-Bound-In-Stars was doing what she had not been able to do more than five thousand years ago on the day that the Heavenly Barrier went up...


    Reed grunted in pain as he continued to hold onto Mother-Bound-In-Stars'' burning shell, but suddenly went quiet when he noticed something very, very peculiar...


    Something was off with his vision. He couldn''t tell if it was because of the injuries he had sustained. Had he not regenerated his eyes correctly? Reed was positive that he had not messed up, but there was no other way to explain what he saw other than a fault of his own making...


    How... is this possible? Is this some kind of Anima technique... or are my eyes deceiving me?


    He saw something in the distance, not too far away from them.


    It was so faint and subdued Reed had almost not noticed the phantom, but the instant he laid eyes on it, his attention had been captured by it.


    Past the heated swells of Anima, collapsing mountains of bedrock and the visage of fire obscuring his vision, there was... another blazing comet.


    Reed blinked his eyes hard again and again, but the result did not change. Out there in the distance was the glimmer of a meteor dyed in shining, azure flames. Where it had come from, Reed did not know.


    In a strange way, it seemed akin to a dance than a race between the two. The two comets weaved back and forth upward towards the closing exit like a pair of bound stars.


    Always one step away from each other, never to truly meet. They would come closer but in the same instant, fate would push them away from one another.


    She struggled her hardest and chased after the fleeting figure in front of her relentlessly.


    Again and again, she skirted around the collapsing fissure with the greatest of ease, unconcerned with the looming destruction beneath her. Nothing would stand in her way this time.


    She would not fail. Not this time.


    Reed desperately tried to keep up with the chaotic dance between the two but was barely holding onto to life as it was. None of it made sense to him, so he shut his eyes and focused on surviving. He had someone waiting for him at the top, after all...


    The pair of rising stars continued to dance until their time had finally run out. Mother-Bound-In-Stars felt regret that the time to say farewell had come, but in the end, cherished that she had been given the opportunity in the first place.


    She gathered Anima and pushed herself one last time. In an instant, the five-thousand-year-old gap between them had been closed, once and for all.


    Mother-Bound-In-Stars reached the phantom and hurtled past it, leaving the past behind her...


    Lu''um was out of time; she had stalled for as long as she could. If they were to escape, it would have to be within the next few minutes, otherwise...


    The seafloor beneath trembled furiously. It was not because of Lu''um efforts; the forces that had begun to shake the seafloor heralded what was about to come.


    Come on...! Anytime now...! Please, hurry...! I can''t wait anymore...!


    She gathered the last of her strength and once again resumed her work. The massive chains creaked in pain and begun their terrible work. Meter by meter, the fissure continued to close until...


    A blindingly hot ball of fire burst out of the fissure and hurtled upward without stopping.


    Lu''um immediately felt a rush of relief and gratitude, however, she still had her part to finish. Now that all of her concerns had been wiped clean, she was able to focus on her task with distractions.


    She channeled a ridiculous amount of Anima and reinforced herself as much as she possibly could in preparation. Even so, her bones, muscles, and joints had not been able to withstand the immense forces she had placed on them when she let go of her body''s limits.


    A loud, deafen crack resounded in her ears. Her left shoulder had completely shattered into pieces under the pressure. Another equally gut-wrenching sound followed afterward.


    It was the sound of her right forearm giving way. The tendons on her hands had snapped like rubber bands. Even so, she continued pushing herself without stopping.


    Eventually, the fissure could hold no more. What once had been a titanic crevice in the earth, a gaping wound had -- against all odds -- been shut closed.


    The terrible rumbling continued, as if to warn all in the vicinity that something big was going to happen. Not that anyone was around to receive that warning. That the price that had been paid here...


    When Lu''um released the chains, she nearly fainted out of the injuries she had sustained. Her vision flickered dangerously. Surprisingly, she found herself feeling tired.


    Ahh...? I-Isn''t this is quite the... surprise? To think that I, of all people, would...


    She wasn''t afraid, just surprised. It had been a very, very long time since she had felt this tired before. Not since her childhood days had she felt this fatigued, back when she had not yet become a Mark-Bearer.


    Lu''um precariously floated above the closed fissure as her shield flickered weakly until... a pair of arms caught her.


    O-oh? W-When did--


    When Reed caught her half-mangled body, her lips curled up into a big smile. It caught Reed completely off guard, so much so he had been at a loss for words.


    Even half-dead, she still managed to be as cute as could be. The tenacity she possessed was absolutely astounding to him. How was this possible? Reed did not know, but he assumed it to be some form of magic.


    He had seen much today, and a lot of it had been unbelievable to him.


    "Today''s been a day full of miracles, no?" said Lu''um


    Reed closed his eyes and said, "You have no idea..."

 145 Fear of the World

    Haufin stirred like a hornet''s nest with commotion as several warships hovered above the sea in the distance. No one knew what had brought the Chosen of the South and their enormous warships out into the open ocean.


    It had surprised the city folk of Haufin and at the same time, made them concerned for where there were Chosen trouble was abound. And it was always the type that they could not deal with themselves. Any matter that required the attention of Chosen was usually considered outside the abilities of mortals.


    An unknown event had occurred in the sea a couple of days ago, resulting in an unpredictable change in the weather on the coast. Storms had become much more frequent as of that day. In truth though, that was the least of the city''s concerns since they lived in a protected environment.


    A terrifying underwater tremor had struck the entire eastern side of the continent three days ago. The energy contained by the sudden incident had been reported to have cost the South, the North, and the East over seven billion credits in damages when the tsunami created by the tremor struck the eastern coast of Mulia along.


    Cities across the eastern coast of the continent suffered but had survived the unexpected natural disaster, for the most part. Only a few fatal casualties from the incident had been reported -- a miracle of sorts, given just how unprepared the eastern coast had been for the "freakish" natural disaster...


    Reed tapped his heels on the floor as he continued to survey the total damages incurred by the eastern coast on his tome. The figures were not as bad as he had expected at the end of the day, but that was just an excuse he had given himself.


    He was none too pleased with himself, despite the fact they had succeeded. People still died, even after they had sealed the fissure. And while it was true that only a small handful of people had died and arguably over 99.99% of the potential damage had been averted because of their efforts, Reed had not been satisfied with the result.


    Reed was actually quite frustrated with himself. It wasn''t as if he knew the people who had died. None of them ringed a bell to him; they were all strangers to him. But that didn''t matter the slightest bit to Reed. He felt intimately connected to the precious few that had died because he, at one point, had been in a very similar position.


    Not a day went by when he did not think about the fact that he was supposed to have died. Were it not for his accursed destiny, he would have bled out on that dirty street, bemoaning his original fate as a mortal.


    But unlike them, he had been given a way out of his doomed fate. A second chance. Reed was fully aware of how incredible the privilege he had been granted was these days.


    I have to be better than this. Even a single life lost is one too many...


    Most Chosen would not have felt the same way had they been asked if they still felt mortal. Some of the more immature contenders would have laughed or scoffed in contempt had they been asked the question. A vast majority of conquerors, on the other hand, would have remained silent and not answered had they been asked.


    It was a part of the ''mindset'' that nearly every Chosen ended up developing the longer they lived. At first, they would childishly think of themselves as special and therefore, above mortals.


    This was not uncommon. Contenders strutting themselves around in the mortal world was nothing new.


    Eager for attention and fame, many contenders often sought the life they ''deserved ''from the mortal world. In essence, they would often become celebrities in the mortal world, but eventually... it would all begin to wear on them.


    They, who considered themselves godlings, would eventually start to feel the strain. A mortal lifetime would pass by and everyone they had previously known would die. The vicious cycle would slowly begin to wear upon them.


    Unbeknownst to them, they would begin to suffer a hell of their own making.


    They were demigods of the flesh, but not of the spirit.


    This was the crucial difference in understanding between a mature Chosen and an immature one. Although it was not related to their ability to command and manipulate Anima, it was considered a very important piece of wisdom among the more experienced Chosen and an unspoken badge of seniority.


    For every lifetime, every cycle that passed, another bout of suffering would come. The lucky ones would catch on to what was happening within the first cycle but for most, it would take several centuries of repetitious suffering.


    Pain is one of the greatest teachers in life. This could not have been truer for Chosen, who possessed lifespans far beyond their mortal counterparts.


    Eventually, they would realize the truth and hide away from the mortal world. They would recede from the fame and fortune they so desperately wanted in the beginning. It was not worth the pain of living amongst mortals.


    Watching the people they once called friends grow old, weak, and frail was too much to bear. The endless deaths and funerals one would have to attend were not worth whatever wealth or fame the mortal world could ever offer.


    The worst pain of them all was reserved for the very few Chosen who had fallen in love with a mortal. It was an act considered incredibly taboo amongst Chosen for very obvious reasons.


    If watching one''s own beloved turned to dust was not enough, the death of their children and grandchildren would often cause Chosen to take their lives in the end.


    Chosen, for all of the wonderful blessings they had been given, were still very much mortal.


    Demigod on the outside; mortal on the inside.


    There was a hidden conflict present in almost every conqueror on Mulia because of this simple fact. It was a truth that always threatened to tear apart Chosen -- the nature of their existence.


    Although it was not spoken aloud, every mature Chosen -- contender and conqueror -- understood what they had really been gifted when they made a contract with the Will of the World.


    Not a blessing, but a curse. A terrible burden that had been made to sound sweeter than honey in their youth.


    This was something Reed had learned on his own, much faster than all of his peers because of his unique circumstances. But even so, he did not feel the same way as most of the older Chosen did about mortals and their world.


    Unlike them, Reed thought of the mortal world as indispensable. If Chosen, who were cursed to life beyond their normal, predestined lifespans, hid away from the mortal world and detached themselves from it, what purpose would they have to fight?


    For wealth? For fame? For power? These reasons belonged to immature Chosen who had not yet learned the truth. They were meaningless in the face of the destruction of the world.


    Then, if not for those mundane reasons, why should they continue struggling?


    For one''s self-preservation? That would not cut it since all Chosen were destined to die in service of the world at some point. This was something every Chosen knew from the outset.


    Cowards interested in living forever would not live long anyway, not with the burden they had been entrusted with.


    No... it was the people. They were the key. As strange as it sounded, Reed was sure he was right. He felt it in his gut.


    Running away from the mortal world for fear of loss is not something a ''wise'' person would do.


    Reed gazed at the faces of the deceased victims and said, "...I think I understand, now. Why I feel this way, even though I do not know them."


    Lu''um who had been focused on plotting their next destination said, "Who are you talking about?" She peered over Reed''s shoulder and looked at images, the pictures of the deceased, on his tome.


    "Them. I thought that I had been only fighting for my sake, but I might have been wrong. I was so sure that I was right, but now I don''t think I can honestly say that I''m doing this for my own sake anymore."


    Reed pitied them. The Chosen who had chosen to run away from the mortal world. There was nothing to be gained in hiding in some hidden estate, for fear of losing something... that they had no control over.


    "I suppose I have more work to do, now. Though I''m not sure how I''m going to accomplish it,  if ever..."


    There was too much involved in such a tremendous thing

 146 Nothing to Worry Abou

    After a couple of days worth of rest, the time had come to leave the city of Haufin. There were still four more ''great wounds'' that required their attention. Reed and Lu''um knew that time was running out... for everyone. Their success in Centlani Deep had helped delay the slow crawl of decay in the world, but it would not be enough to reverse the situation.


    They could not stay in one place for too long; every day wasted was a day closer to the inevitable end -- the prophesied Eventide of Faith.


    Reed and Lu''um had considered every option available to them and after much discussion came to the quick conclusion that they would need help for the next great wound on the list. They had been given a specific, required order to follow by her.


    There were some wounds that needed immediate attention depending on the severity of the infection and the next one was second on the list after the wound in Centlani Deep. In fact, it would have taken first place in terms of severity had Centlani Deep not been on the verge of blowing up.


    Reed felt something in his gut telling him that this was probably predestined. He and Lu''um agreed on the hard fact that they would not be able to handle the next wound on their own.


    They would need help. It was not something they were too thrilled about, but they knew better than to let their feelings get in the way of the immense task they had been given.


    Lu''um did no have any qualms about returning and surprisingly, neither did Reed. She knew that Reed had grown and then some, but she had not expected for him to have agreed with her on the spot when she made the suggestion. Reed''s calm response had shocked a little bit too at the time.


    She had expected a little resistance, but...


    "My feelings are of no importance in the face of an impending apocalypse, don''t you think? We have a job to do and I intend to see it completely through, no matter what I have to do."


    Reed had been correct, but the way he had responded genuinely scared the living hell out of Lu''um. Were it not for her warrior conditioning kicking in, she would have gone into a flight or fight state. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, screaming at her brain to do something, but she held firm like a mountain...


    For a brief moment, she actually thought that... he had returned. Reed had sounded exactly like him, all the down to the intonation and cadence.


    ...A truly frightening prospect, indeed. I cannot even begin to imagine how terrible Reed would become had he decided to follow that man''s path instead of his own.


    Thank Heaven that he actually overcame his own ''Colelectli,'' his self-destructive urges, and finally took hold of the Mark of Responsibility for himself.


    Lu''um quickly destroyed the nightmarish idea and reigned in her breath, which had, unexpectedly, become slightly staggered and unfocused. A very thin veneer of cold sweat had also formed on her skin... not that Reed noticed as he had been too focused on remembering the faces of the people he thought he failed.


    Even so, Lu''um did not get any sleep that night. Not with those accursed nightmares haunting her whenever she closed her eyes...


    The following day, they set off toward their next destination and bid the city of Haufin farewell. In the end, Reed enjoyed his short stay in the city, despite his general wariness over the many Eisalons that called it home.


    They flew straight over the eastern coast for several hours, and then took a sharp turn toward the west for the better part of the day until they finally arrived... at the Shining Nexus, the capital of the East.


    It was still the same city as Reed remembered it, though it was not as if he had expected it to change much, if at all since he left. The Avunians were the longest-lived race, after all. For a mortal Avunian, a year was akin to a month for a mortal human.


    Their perception of time was fundamentally different than that of all other races by far, so it made perfect sense that nothing had changed.


    Reed had missed the Shining Nexus, despite not having explored much of it during his tenure as a prince. He always regretted that missed opportunity, but it was different now.


    The first time Reed had come to the Shining Nexus, he had already been made a prince without his knowledge. This time, he had come as nothing more than a stranger -- a mortal from some random corner of the world. He was no longer a sacred son of the Alf.


    It was a liberating experience being a nobody. Someone who was not beholden to the responsibilities of a prince. As magnificent as the view from the royal spire was, it had cost him many experiences that existed below on the ground. Suffice to say, Reed had not enjoyed the noble life he had been forced to live like a prince.


    He would rather bite his own tongue off than attend another noble gathering.


    To him, a noble party was equivalent to being tortured at the hands of the Infestation. It would not be a lie to say that he would rather fight an Infested horde than act like some highborn son of royal blood...


    Reed and Lu''um had entered the city in disguise, in search of the one person who could help them.


    When they reached the pearly gates of the royal tree-spire, they were stopped by the kingsguard. A pair of relatively young conquerors stepped out the void and said, "What business do you have here, strangers? This place is not open for commoners, let along foreigners without a proper..."


    Ah, I forgot that I''m not a prince anymore. Can''t just walk in like the old days. Whoops...


    Reed groaned softly as he continued to ignore the conquerors in front of him, which only irritated the kingsguard. They, demigods entrusted with the defense of the royal tree-spire, were being ignored by some human mortal.


    The conquerors were above doing anything foolish to the mortal though, as it would be in direct violation of the contract they had made when they became Chosen.


    All Chosen were forbidden from harming mortals under the threat of instant death as per the contract with the Will of the World. They were not to kill the very people they were meant to protect. Chosen existed in service of the world and therefore, the people of the world -- mortals.


    Reed stared at Lu''um and sent her a message with his eyes since he couldn''t use Anima to converse mentally. If he did, the guards in front of them would likely not hesitate to capture them or possibly even kill them, depending on how they interpreted the situation.


    Two random Chosen trying to enter the royal tree-spire of the East? Only God knew how that would turn out...


    Do. You. Have. Any. Ideas? I. Got. Nothing.


    Help. Me.


    His face contorted in a variety of odd shapes as if he were being possessed by some malevolent ghost, but no matter what he tried nothing seemed to get through to Lu''um.


    He felt betrayed, were Reed to be completely honest. The expression on Lu''um face seemed to one of relief, for some mysterious reason. It almost looked like she was happy that he was making himself appear like an idiot...


    ...Is this supposed to be something I should be happy about, or should I be offended?


    Lu''um knew then and there that Reed was still very much himself. That she had nothing to worry about. The dark cloud that had been hovering over her head had disappeared.


    She pulled out her tome, messaged someone, and then waited patiently. It would not be long before--


    A large spatial tear suddenly appeared in front of the royal gates and a tall figure hurriedly walked out of it with an excited expression on his face. The moment he laid on eyes on the ''random'' pair of humans, his face blossomed with joy.


    The former King of the East, Velvund Goldentree, strode over to Reed and Lu''um and picked them both up as if they were dolls. He turned around at the two kingsguard and said, "Not a word, lads. Back to your posts. I''ll take care of these two... intruders."


    After that, he calmly walked into the royal tree-spire with his quarry without another word.


    The kingsguard dumbfounded stood in place as they stared at their former king''s back. For some strange reason, they found it oddly charming. It was as if they had seen something like that before, not too long ago...


    "Hey... doesn''t that remind of when the young--"


    "Don''t. You know how His Highness gets whenever his name is mentioned."


    "Yeah, it''s just that...

 147 Make Them All Understand

    Reed wanted to complain, but he knew that he couldn''t. He had asked for help and Lu''um had delivered as promised. Truth be told, he felt embarrassed that he had missed something that obvious from the outset?


    "Why didn''t I think of that? Even I could have done that. Did you follow my lead just so you could see me look like an idiot?"


    Lu''um shrugged her shoulders and said, "Are you sure about that? Which one of us deleted their list of contacts and disappeared off social media like a pariah when we left in exile? Because I''m pretty sure it wasn''t me."


    Ah... t-that''s right, I did do that... Wait, what did she just say? She never deleted her list of contacts?!!


    Lu''um fiddled with her tome for a bit and a holographic screen popped out in front of Reed, as if to clear up his confusion. It was a stylish homepage for a social media account, to his horror ¡ª a Spacebook profile page.


    The profile page read, "Maia Evergreen, Coproprietor of Summer''s Ambrosia, Baking Goddess of Cem-Elle and Two-time Award-winning Barista."


    Reed''s eyes nearly popped out their sockets when he saw her profile page. He instantly recognized her profile picture... because he had been the one who took it. That charming picture of her outside of their bakery seemed a lot more painful to him now.


    Even now, he still remembered how long it had taken until Lu''um had finally been satisfied with that godforsaken picture...


    "...What? It''s not like I kept my old profile up. I deleted it a long time ago and made a brand new one," said Lu''um with an innocent expression. In her eyes, she had done nothing wrong.


    "What the hell''s the matter with you?! We''re supposed to be dead, woman! Dead people don''t make alternate accounts on Spacebook! They! Stay! Dead!" said Reed.


    Lu''um sighed and said, "Do you see now, grandfather? ...Need I explain myself any further?"


    "I understand... but he''s trying his hardest, so don''t go too hard on him, okay? He''s still got plenty of time to grow. It would be highly remiss to judge someone on their.. flaws," said Velvund.


    These bastards are the worst when they''re together!! I always hated how they were always on the same wavelength...!


    Reed rolled his eyes and said, "Can we get back to the main conversation at hand? Or should I leave the two of you to your nonsense and come back in a couple of hours?"


    "Don''t be such a princess, Dear."


    "You''re a fool, but you''re our fool, my boy. You should know better than take anything we''ve said to heart. It''s unbefitting of a sacred son of the Alf."


    "I''m not a prince anymore," Reed said, "Have you forgotten the part where I ''died,'' gramps? Leon Goldentree is dead; I''m just a normal person, now. "


    Don''t think for a second that you''re out of the woods just because you''ve been dead for a couple of years and have taken up a new name. You''re still an Avunian prince and will continue to be one for all perpetuity or until the end of time. Whichever comes first."


    Reed suddenly felt a tinge of worry. He was beginning to suspect that this had been... orchestrated. There was something about the old man''s tone that made him feel suspicious.


    Oh, god help me... This can''t be happening.


    He wasn''t a hundred percent sure, but he trusted his intuition. Lu''um and the old man definitely had something in the works that he didn''t know about.


    "...You''re up to something, aren''t you? The both of you. I can smell the particular stench of evil a mile from the both of you a mile away."


    Velvund awkwardly coughed when he heard Reed''s accusation and kept quiet. It was painfully obvious that Reed had gotten them on the dot.


    Lu''um, on the other hand, nestled herself into Reed''s arms and said, "You''re just imagining things, Dear. We would never plot something behind your back. Especially not because you''d dislike the idea and outright reject it. Nope, we''d never do that."


    Keep calm, Reed. Don''t let her get to you. Stay cool, stay cool. If you get mad, they''ll win.


    Reed took a deep breath in a futile attempt to calm himself down and said, "What have you done? What suffering have the two of you set upon me that I do not yet know?"


    Velvund summoned two documents out of thin air, handed it to Reed, and said, "...Welcome back to the land of the living, my boy. Consider it a... reunion gift of sorts."


    What Reed had been given were two reports detailing his mysterious disappearance during the Twilight War. Although they were full of embellished lies, that was not what caught Reed''s eye when he read them.


    The final lines at the bottom were what had drawn his attention... and ire.


    From the extensive evidence present on the scene and eyewitness testimony on the battlefield, we cannot, with a pure conscience, state that Leon Goldentree died. Hence, we request that the person in question be listed as... missing in action.


    From the extensive evidence present on the scene and eyewitness testimony on the battlefield, we cannot, with a pure conscience, state that Reed Evergreen died. Hence, we request that the person in question be listed as... missing in action.


    Reed ripped the reports up and said, "...W-Well played, gramps. I should have known that you would have pulled some kind of bullshit like this in the end. That bastard Haydn, too."


    Velvund stroked his beard and said, "Don''t feel too bad about this, my boy. The fact that we granted your wish was a compromise in and of itself. Now the only thing that''s left is to pull some strings and we''ll have both of you back among the living in a gist."


    Lu''um calmly brushed the torn pieces of the reports off of her and said, "You said that you''d do anything to repair the wounds, right? The time has come for you to make good on what you said."


    You want me to make good on what I said? Oh, god... that''s fucking rich coming from you, the literal queen of spiders, thought Reed as he struggled to keep his frustration in check.


    Although Reed was furious that Lu''um had very clearly broken their promise about not keeping secrets, that wasn''t what was really angering him at the moment.


    What angered him the most was that he was so goddamn easy to fool.


    Reed primarily blamed himself for being so goddamned gullible, but he also blamed his trusted friends and his beloved Lu''um, too.


    Was it really that much fun keeping me out of the loop?


    He was starting to think that he might have made a mistake in having nobles as friends...


    Once upon a time, he had thought that his friends were the exception to the rule that all noble were liars and schemers, but now... he was starting to grow accustomed to their bullshit.


    Fine, if that''s how the game they''re going to play, then I''ll break the game.


    I''ll fucking break the chessboard and set it on fire, then we''ll see they''ll want to act this way again.


    Reed chuckled and said, "Fine. I''ll take this loss with dignity and not make a fuss about what you''ve done."


    "That''s good. I''m glad you haven''t taken it to hear¡ª"


    "But make no mistake, there will be a reckoning for this... betrayal of my trust. Do not think that this over, you two. It is far from over, I can assure you."


    The words that poured out of his mouth would have brought the room temperature down below freezing, if that they had Anima infused into them. There was a terrifying, emotionless ring to Reed''s voice that remarkedly different from the way he spoke.


    To Lu''um, it actually sounded even worse than his voice when he was angry. She had even stopped breathing when she heard Reed''s dispassionate words.


    "I am well aware that I am not as clever as the both of you when it comes to... scheming and lying but what I lack, I will assuredly make up with patience. I do not know when it will happen, but I can assure you that it will happen one day.


    You will ALL rue this day."


    To Reed, trust was worth more than all the gold, silver, and shiny jewels in the world. Reed felt that he was either not being truly respected or properly understood. It did not matter to him anymore, though...


    If they, his beloved friends, did not understand this fundamental concept about him, he would MAKE THEM UNDERSTAND.


    Perhaps not now, since he had more important matters to attend to, but in time he would make good on his word...

 148 The Silvermoon Grasslands

    When the Spirit of Bountiful Charity, Velvund''s personal warship, reached the Helani region of the East, it slowly and carefully decelerated until it made a full stop. It had reached its destination, two hundred kilometers away from what seemed like a remote stretch of grassland.


    It was a wholly unremarkable plot of undeveloped land that had been left untouched for millennia in service of nature. That was what the report in Reed''s hands described it as but the truth was quite different... these days.


    Well, that would have been the case, but he did not know if the concept of days even existed ahead. After all, time and space were no longer in accord with the world here.


    The carefully woven threads of space had come undone here along with the guiding clock-hands of time. Unmanaged chaos existed beyond where the Spirit of Bountiful Charity had stopped at.


    .....Fuck.


    Reed let out a low groan of dissatisfaction and said, "You weren''t lying when you said that this one was going to be harder than the last... I mean, just look at that mess out there."


    "It''s not that bad; It just looks bad, Dear. In fact, I think that we might be able to fin¡ª"


    Lu''um''s voice suddenly trailed off into silence when she saw a flaming warship hurtle towards the ground below and turn into a scorching miniature star of pure death when its Anima drive went critical and exploded.


    The infernal explosion immediately vaporized everything around it for more than three dozen kilometers in tremendous shockwaves of fire and heat. A sea of flames and molten earth depicted the horrors of the past for all to see.


    And in the next moment... it was gone. The nightmare that had suddenly occurred in front of the Spirit of Bountiful Charity disappeared in less than the blink of an eye.


    All that lay before them now was a scenic grassland along with... an immense, glowing fissure ¡ª an evil upon the earth ¡ª to accompany it, like a festering wound.


    A great wound made of rotting space and time ¡ª that was what the fissure on the Silvermoon Grasslands was. The sins of the past had come to haunt those who lived in the present...


    "...You were saying?"


    Reed stared at the grasslands with an expression of dread. He had a growing feeling that this was going turn into a shitshow very, very fast...


    Time and space were completely out of order on the Silvermoon Grasslands to such a great extent that it had become a forbidden hazard zone, under orders of the Goldentree family.


    Not that the order ever stopped interested parties from investigating it on their own terms, even if it meant getting on the East''s bad side. There had been many Chosen from all across the continent who had attempted to breach into the mysterious spatiotemporal anomaly, which was known as the Gate of Null.


    It was a place that was interconnected with the distant past. As such, some saw an immense opportunity in their hands. If one could exploit the Gate of Null properly, that person would have a rare chance to possibly gleam upon the secrets of advanced temporal and spatial manipulation.


    And as if that were not enough, they would also have the opportunity to delve into the past itself. Although the Four Empires were unified under the threat of the Greatest Evil, the Infestation, there were some people who were not above the allure of possibly changing the course of history for the... benefit of their empire or perhaps, their race.


    Extremists still existed within the Four Empires, even in the modern era, as unbelievable as it was. Maligned people who still bore the grudges of their ancestors with them. These radicals would pay any price to see the designs fulfilled with the Gate of Null, which seemed to promise infinite possibilities should it ever be fully comprehended and made to submit.


    "Some people are incorrigible, aren''t they? Lost causes. Who in their right mind would even think about exploiting this festering disaster for their own personal benefit? From what I''ve read, there are some who have ventured into the anomaly seeking to ''correct'' history?


    Here we are, on the verge of death, besieged by an unstoppable force of evil on the outside and a crowd of idiots from the inside," said Reed. He wanted to hurl every idiot who had entered into the anomaly into a pit of fire.


    Lu''um chuckled and said, "They won''t live in long in there, if at all. Chances are that all of them already died, which is why we haven''t noticed anyone returning back, let alone any changes to the timestream. These idiots


    Velvund sighed deeply. "It has started to grow beyond our abilities. The prototype stabilizers we have built have kept the growth of the anomaly at bay for a little more than half of a year, but it has started to flare up dramatically as of recent.


    The on-site technicians and scholars have informed me that it will not be long before the anomaly will outgrow the prison we have built for it..."


    After the Gate of Null was discovered, the Four Empires swiftly acted and contained it to the best of their abilities. They utilized what little they comprehended of the Heavenly Barrier''s inner mechanics and created a paltry imitation of it.


    A large dome of faint light was all that stood between the normal world and whatever madness lay within the disordered Silvermoon Grasslands. Had it not been built, over half of the East would have been affected by the spatiotemporal decay.


    An unspeakable hell would have been born. Of course, this was not something that the mortal world was privy about. This calamity-in-waiting was a secret that could not be revealed to them, for fear of the hysteria that would follow.


    Heaven forbid they ever learn about what happened in Centlani Deep or rather, any of part of this terrible affair...


    Reed clenched his fists as if to prepare himself for what he was about to get involved with and said, "What about the other fissures? How bad are they compared to this one?"


    "They''re not as bad as the one here, but they''re getting worse, too. I''ve been getting reports from the ground teams on the fissure sites and it''s all been consistent with everything that Maya has told me. It''s getting much worse.


    Hell, we didn''t even know that there was a fissure below the sea until a couple of days ago when the two of you... fixed it? I still don''t understand how you two did that or even knew one of them was down there in the first place, though..."


    Velvund was at a loss for words when he heard about Reed and Lu''um''s exploits in Centlani Deep, to the point that he almost did not believe them until they proved themselves. When they accurately described the scene below at the bottom of the trench and the epicenter of the massive underwater tremor, he knew that they had been telling the truth.


    Still, he knew better than to not trust them. Given everything he knew about Reed and what he had done in the past, nothing seemed too impossible to believe. He also possessed a certain... secret history with particular events and people.


    There were things that Velvund had witnessed over the course of his life that could not be spoken aloud for fear of the hidden karma buried within them. Ancient secrets that could set the Four Empires aflame in chaos and destroy the millennia-long era of peace the continent has enjoyed overnight.


    Truth be told, one of those secrets concerned Reed himself. Not that Velvund would ever divulge such an important piece of knowledge to his precious grandchild. At the very least, not until he proved himself capable enough...


    Still, he knew better than to not trust them. Given everything he knew about Reed and what he had done in the past, nothing seemed too impossible to believe. He also possessed a certain... secret history with particular events and people.


    There were things that Velvund had witnessed over the course of his life that could not be spoken aloud for fear of the hidden karma buried within them. Ancient secrets that could set the Four Empires aflame in chaos and destroy the millennia-long era of peace the continent has enjoyed overnight.


    Truth be told, one of those secrets concerned Reed himself. Not that Velvund would ever divulge such an important piece of knowledge to his precious grandchild. At the very least, not until he proved himself capable enough...


    Still, he knew better than to not trust them. Given everything he knew about Reed and what he had done in the past, nothing seemed too impossible to believe. He also possessed a certain... secret history with particular events and people.

 149 Ballad of the Symmetry

    Reed shut his eyes and let the music take ahold of him. He wanted to escape off to another world one last time before the time came to depart. The only time he really ever felt truly at peace was when he listened to the "Ballad of the Symmetry," his favorite song.


    It was an old piece of music, Ancient Mulian in origin, that had apparently been discovered in the ruins outside of the Heavenly Barrier, in the desolate Shadowlands. There was something about it that caught his ear when he first listened to it a year ago, and ever since then, it had become a habit of his to listen to it when he felt anxious or afraid.


    There was something about the woman''s voice in the recording that made him feel safe as childish as that sounded. It took him down a notch from the perch of anxiety he usually found himself on during his darkest days in the past. Back when he had still been struggling with his guilt and fear over what had happened during the Twilight War.


    Lu''um had told him that the intonation and timbre of the song had a specific purpose -- to calm the heart and clear the mind, for the song had been created to soothe children to sleep.


    "It''s a lullaby made for children to calm them down, though it had the same effect on adults, too. The verbal mnemonic that was used to create this song was is as old as our culture is, dear.


    ...The first thing we set out to do after we learned that we could shape Anima was to master our emotions. Not suppress them or eliminate them, as that would impair our creative abilities in shaping Anima or ''Teotl,'' as our people refer to it.


    Think of your thoughts, your will as the paintbrush, and the myriad of emotions you possess as colors of paint. I''m sure you understand what happens when you mix every color together, right? You get pure black. What can you hope to see when you''re blind in the dark? Nothing.


    An Anima technique someone created might take a different shape for another person if one is not in control of their emotions. There have been situations where the technique has even backfired on the user.


    If one is to master the art of shaping Anima, they must do so with a clear heart.


    If one is to master the art of warfare, they must do so with a clear heart.


    If one is to master themselves and draw out their inner potential, they must do so with a clear heart.


    Balance is key, my Ka''an. Always seek that balance. You''ll never find yourself lost as long as you have it."


    To him, seconds, minutes, and hours blended into each other until he completely lost his sense of time. The murky darkness of the sensory deprivation chamber he was in had become his new world. Only the faint music of the ancient lullaby and the slow, heavy thrum of his own heartbeat could be heard within the chamber.


    Reed couldn''t afford any mistakes in the coming operation at all. He needed to be at his peak and that meant more than being physically healthy. A sound and focused mind would also be required if he was to perform the best he could. A single distraction could spell the difference between life and death in a high-risk mission, such as the one he was about to head into.


    And there was much that had come to bother him as of late. Lingering thoughts, worries, and suspicions had started to accumulate in his mind ever since he had been imprisoned in Twilight Cem-Elle.


    Even now, he worried whether or not he had made the correct decision. His heart was telling him that he had made the right choice, but his mind was of a different opinion. He had traded much in return for his freedom and for what?


    A weak seedling of power, an unstable future, and a terrible burden of his own making.


    These were all things that belonged to him and him alone because they were of his own making.


    They were admittedly, not as grand and pleasant as the things he had offered him. That grand power and secure path without any failures or mistakes seemed infinitely better than what Reed possessed.


    Had Reed accepted and followed that man''s path, he would have already been done with this entire disaster. He could have easily handled everything himself without Lu''um assistance, without Velvund''s assistance... without anyone''s assistance.


    With his profound knowledge and borderline god-like ability to perceive the future possibilities that lay ahead, Reed could have succeeded perfectly. He would have essentially been granted a golden path, one that was as optimal and perfect as possible.


    Reed knew that he had done the right by himself, but even so, there were nights when he thought about how things would have gone had he accepted and joined forces with him.


    Envy, regret, disappointment, fear, anxiety, and jealously bubbled up from the depths of his heart. As much as he hated that bastard''s guts to death, he couldn''t deny that he was but a speck of dust compared to him.


    This was a person, who at his prime, had nearly become a transcendent entity. He possessed a hundred lifetimes worth of knowledge, experience, and skill.


    It pissed Reed off how he had been so gullible. Some random hooded man entered him and... just made himself at home, like he owned the damn place.


    And Reed, the stupid idiot that he was, simply went along with it because the nice hooded man had given him a couple of scraps of knowledge.


    Some doggie treats to win the cute puppy''s heart and trust over and keep him pacified.


    That bastard''s patronizing tone and attitude were infuriating beyond comprehension. How he always acted as if he were his natural superior, like some older brother who owned him.


    Reed hated it. As if that were not enough, he had also been plagued with thoughts of a different nature. Fears born of the past and insecurities of the future.


    He had always known that something had existed between them. Between Lu''um and that asshole.


    Then, what was he?


    Was he a rebound? Was he a replacement for him? Was he just being use--


    Reed had always tried his best not to mind, but he knew that an enormous age gap existed between himself and Lu''um, on an order most would find to be unacceptable. He was akin to an infant compared to her who had, from what he understood, lived before even the Great Barrier War, more than five thousand years ago.


    He tried to picture himself, at nearly twenty years of age, trying to seriously date someone in their early teenage years. It genuinely sounded too horrifying even contemplate. Reed cringed at the mere thought of it.


    Who would ever want to do something that? Enter a relationship with an emotionally immature child who had not even finished developing? What was there to gain in such a lopsided, unbalanced relationship?


    Reed tried to recall the last time he had a deep and meaningful conversation with Lu''um.


    While he had learned much from her, had he ever taught her anything? Could he say with certainty that he had, at least once, said something intellectually stimulating to her?


    When he followed that train of thought an even darker hypothetical blossomed.


    That... he was being groomed. That Lu''um was trying to slowly influence him, trying to turn him into that replica of that bastard.


    What was he to her, really? Some basket case that needed to be saved and turned into something better?


    Playing the role of the lover, the mother, the friend, and... the betrayer.


    It made sense, at least on paper for Reed. If that bastard was that, the cold-hearted, scheming asshole, then what was she, who had once been his... lover.


    Was he supposed to be that she was this... saintly priestess who had seemingly decided to fall in love with a literal devil?


    No. Where there was smoke, there as fire. There was no way that two opposing people with different moral values could have ever fallen in love.


    That, in of itself, was a massive red flag that Reed had ignored for the longest.


    The godawful, irrational paranoia was overwhelming and was amplified by his deeply ingrained trust issues.


    Reed refused to believe any of it. He severed the blossoming flower of fear at the stem and burnt it into ash.


    Even so, he could not find the strength to pull out the roots. It would not be long before the flower grew back again.


    The lullaby song could not help with that, for he would have to do that himself. It was only a band-aid for a much larger problem, but it would do, for now.


    When the song ended, Reed opened his eyes, completely refreshed and at peace with himself.He looked calm and composed, even a little charming to the eye.


    Reed took a deep breath, stood up, and walked out of the isolation room.


    It was time to do work.

 150 The Artificial Seed-Myth Hath Blossomed

    When Reed entered the main bridge, every officer present in the room stood up and saluted him. More than a dozen Avunian crewmen bowed their heads and then gazed straight at Reed with their glowing eyes.


    It was a customary salute that had been created several thousand years ago when the Avunians acquired their affinity for Anima. They had given Reed a salute he had not many years.


    Both the Seers, Avunians who possessed the ocular mutation that allowed them to perceive the shadow of the soul, and Sirens, who possessed the extrasensory ability to detect Anima fluctuations with their long, glowing hair, reacted strongly when they noticed him enter the main bridge.


    They knew the all too familiar shimmer of his soul and the distinct Anima fluctuations he created by instinct. The Nexus afforded every Avunian that piece of information, as they were all connected with one another through it. As such, it was not surprising that they all reacted the way they did when Reed walked into the bridge.


    Every individual, be it Chosen or mortal, had their own distinct Anima-signature, a pattern of extremely minuscule Anima fluctuations they emitted naturally in a repetitive cycle.


    For the Avunians, who had become capable of perceiving this mysterious spectrum of energy over the course of their long duration in Mulia, it was a second face to them that only they could see.


    And all Avunians knew the faces of their royalty by instinct, for it was known to them subconsciously.


    Reed, no longer disguised, was well-known as the Velvund in the East, especially given his status as a continental hero. His valiant efforts during the Twilight War had already become the stuff of legend in the eyes of many aspiring Chosen and mortals.


    For the Avunians, it had been purely reflexive. They had not even seen his face, but already knew who he was the moment he stepped foot into the room from his Anima fluctuations.


    To them, it was still shocking despite the fact that they had been informed by Velvund that the "Lost Prince" had returned home. A thousand hushed, low-flying whispers floated across the Spirit of Bountiful Charity as the crew of the warship discussed the Stainless Prince''s unexpected return.


    There had also been informed that the Stainless Prince''s beloved, the Lady Evergreen of the North had survived as well, which was another equally outrageous revelation on par with the return of the Lost Prince.


    No one doubted Velvund''s words, but they had still held a bit of skepticism over the entire announcement until... he walked into the bridge.


    It was undeniable now. None could deny the startling truth of them. A genuine miracle had come true.


    For everyone, this would be the first time they would lay their eyes on their missing prince since he had apparently disappeared in the chaos of the Twilight War almost three years ago.


    He looked nothing like his former self, which was certainly surprising for the entire East. The Stainless Prince looked completely different from when they had last seen him. It initially confused many Avunians until they remembered that the prince was a human unlike them, a somewhat humorous lapse of their judgment.


    Unlike them, who aged extremely slowly, the prince had all but grown into manhood in what seemed like a single day to them. His boyish features had already receded to make way for sharper, more refined angles around his face. The calm, composed expression on his face also helped seem older than he really was, giving him a slight aura of additional maturity befitting of a prince.


    He had the visage of a proper young man now, not of a still-developing boy like in the past. What surprised most was how tall he had seemingly become since they had last seen him. The young prince was now, at the very least, over two heads taller than he had been before.


    No longer could they look down upon him. In fact, a majority of the crew had to look up at him now. Many found the dramatic change in height pleasing and saw it as a sign of a strong and healthy bloodline.


    When the prince stood beside the former King, many felt an odd sense of inspiration rising from their hearts for some strange reason. The sight of the young prince and the former King felt like it should have belonged in a painting. That particular memory-fragment would later become a piece of cultural history to be remembered...


    It was as if they could see the former King''s shadow within the young prince, if that were possible. Everyone in the East would experience the same uncanny feeling, much to the confusion of the populace.


    How could such a thing be possible? No one knew, but many suspected that there was definitely a reason for that feeling, only serving to strengthen the legend of the Stainless Prince...


    Lady Evergreen''s reappearance was just as startling to the Avunians as the young prince''s was, as many had thought her dead, too. When she entered the main bridge, all eyes turned toward her. The minds of the crewmen, especially of those who were male had turned into mush the moment they laid eyes on her.


    To some, the changes that had occurred to Lady Evergreen in light of the three years that had passed seemed almost impossible to accept. Her beauty was frightening, unlike anything they had ever seen in a human, period. It was extremely unnatural. She had a form that was essentially the definition of perfection, which was not something that Avunians considered impossible for humans to possess.


    Even the Avunians, who were all blessed with astounding natural beauty, by means of their race''s innate connection to Nature, had only ever given birth to someone as beautiful as Lady Evergreen only a couple times in their race''s history.


    To put it bluntly, those few times had only arisen in the very distant past with their ancestors, the Alf. The ancient, High-Alven Queens of the yore had finally met their match in Man today, in the far future with Lady Evergreen.


    For many young Avunians, both male and female, Lady Evergreen would go down as their first major crush and person of their affections, something never heard of in history -- that a human would ever garner the adoration of an entire generation of Avunians on the basis of their beauty.


    An unknown amount of love poems, ballads of admiration, and portraits of her would be made henceforth for many years to come...


    And this was everything that Velvund desired from the beginning, which is why he had made the announcement of their return.


    The East and the world at large, required them as they were, more than ever. In light of the potential world-wide disaster ahead of them and the ramifications it had the potential to bring about, the Four Empires needed a Light of Hope.


    This was Velvund''s intended plan, as far back as when he had first met Reed. To put him on the grand stage of the world for the sake of the future.


    He would slowly fashion his figure into that of a hero-myth, someone who could inspire hope in the masses no matter what befell the continent. Someone could, with enough time and preparation, completely unite the continent together for once.


    For this purpose, a narrative had to be written. History had to conform to the necessary requirements Velvund needed to make Reed into a mythical figure, much akin to... the Four Sovereigns.


    The alteration of the war records during the Twilight War had been for this very reason. Even the widely acclaimed and highly dramatized film about him and Lu''um had been made for that intended purpose.


    Velvund had already planted the seed of a future myth into the ground two years ago. Hell, even before that -- the adoption of a human prince into the Avunian royal family had also been a part of the plan.


    Here was a figure who was not a native to this world, a poor orphan who had suffered much at the hands of fate, who near death, had been thrust into their world.


    Adopted by the Avunian royalty for the astonishing purity of his soul, he became a bridge between humanity and the Avunians.


    A genius contender and a celebrated war hero by the continent, who had thought him dead. The romantic war-story depicted about Reed in the film also painted him in a tragic light, as a figure of good who had been robbed of his future, despite all of his struggles.


    This was someone that even the mortal world could sympathize with and project themselves into, as he was not born the son of some noble or king in Mulia, but a poor foreigner from another world who had worked himself into reversing his ill-fortune.


    Even the title, Stainless Prince, had been connected by him in order to create the connotation that he was clean of all possible guilt that could ascribed to someone who was both royalty and a Chosen.


    Velvund almost wanted to immediately marry Reed to his eldest daughter when he had made that touching speech when he became a prince. It was as if the Goddess had given him the perfect grandchild and inheritor for his will.


    He was not yet stained by the mistakes of Chosen that belonged to the past, nor the failures of the nobility of Mulia. Velvund would make sure that his reputation would remain that way, too.


    A success story and proof that there was still Hope even for the lowliest of all mortals.


    And now with his death and rebirth, the artificial myth Velvund created had grown into the next phase.


    A miracle had occurred. The resurrection of the dead hero, who was beloved by the common, mortal people and the Demigods of Mulia.


    To snuff one''s Hope, only to bring it back even hotter and brighter than before. This was what Velvund had intended with announcing the return of Reed and Lu''um to the world.


    Simply put, even Reed and Lu''um''s appearances contributed to this perpetuation of the myth Velvund was creating. A hero and his accompanying heroine must be beautiful, majestic, courageous, and sage-like if they were to inspire the masses below... and boy, had they succeeded in that aspect, much to Velvund''s secretive joy.


    And now, Reed and Lu''um would soon set out to save the world by fixing a set of natural disasters, the accursed fissures. It was perfect, down to the letter for Velvund.


    The hero and the heroine protecting the world''s peace was another major requirement that was needed if the artificial seed-myth was to fully germinate and now, the opportunity had fallen into their laps.


    Velvund would make sure the entire world knew of their exploits, so as to cement their status as a genuine legend even further.


    The old King stared out at the fissure with a calm smile. He was as happy as could be.


    Everything was going according to plan. The world and its denizens danced on the palm of his hand as he thought about his next step...

 151 A Race Against Time

    Reed kept his chin up and maintained the stately image that was required of him in the presence of the public at large. He knew that the moment he stepped out of the isolation chamber he would have to don the mask of the prince once more.


    The world at large knew not of Reed. They only knew about Stainless Prince of the East and Lord Evergreen of the North. To the world, the man known as Reed was inconsequential ¡ª a tragic shadow of a terrible past who had become the risen, shining star he was now.


    This was the truth. If the Stainless Prince was the Sun, then Reed was but a shadow and nothing more. It bothered him how his public image was perceived, but there was nothing he could do about it. Not anymore. His own status had outgrown him, to the point that had become impossible to rectify now.


    In the eyes of the whole world, Reed was someone else entirely. Not himself, but an arisen phoenix who represented the enduring struggle of the weak. He was a Light of Hope for the small and voiceless in the face of uncertainty, fear, and oppression.


    It would be a huge understatement to say that Reed "disliked" the public''s perception of him. He thoroughly loathed it. Those expectant, gleaming gazes that were full of innocent adoration, joy, and worship.


    They were all strangers to Reed, but they did not have the expressions of strangers. Where these people would have seen a stranger in someone else, they saw a much more in him.


    Frankly speaking, it was extremely off-putting for Reed. For him, who had been born into nothing and had trusted nothing, the idea of having other people look and think of him as some kind of hero was truly suffocating.


    In many ways, it was akin to giving a humble field mouse an acting role that should have belonged to a prideful and majestic lion. The role of a leading actor did not suit him in the slightest, in Reed''s opinion...


    "Have you finished your preparations, my boy? Shall we commence as planned?" said Velvund.


    "Yes. Let''s start as soon as the conditions are the best for our entry. After that, it''ll be up to you to hold the fort while we''re gone," said Reed.


    "Don''t wait for us if you see the anomaly grow stronger than you can handle. Pull back if it becomes too much for the stabilizers to handle. It is preferable that all of you survive than to have you all foolishly make an ill-advised rescue attempt," said Lu''um.


    Velvund stroked his chin and said, "...If that eases the burden on both of you, then so be it then. Don''t bite more than you can chew, though. If you see that it''s too much, escape as fast as possible."


    He grabbed Reed and Lu''um and brought them close, as if to offer them some form of comfort, but he knew that they were likely not even remotely concerned with what laid in front of them.


    Velvund couldn''t even detect the slightest bit of fear or hesitation in Reed''s soul. It was like a pure sheet of white, without even the smallest amount of pigment on it. There was no fear, hatred, anxiety, joy, jealousy, worry...


    There was nothing there. The color of his soul was white or rather, it was transparent.


    That was a worrying thing for Velvund. It was indicative that he had undergone some form of emotional conditioning, given the obvious absence of emotion. Reed was far too balanced, more than what was considered necessary.


    To him, it was evident that he had scrubbed his emotions clean -- which was not a bad thing -- but Reed had clearly overdone it. That was a major red flag in Velvund''s book.


    The girl was no better, for she was like a maelstrom of color, much like the anomaly in front of them. One moment the hue of her soul was as peaceful and tame as could be before it turned into a raging swirl of dark, almost pitch-black darkness.


    To Velvund, it was like staring into a literal kaleidoscope of finely managed chaos that bordered instability. She was juggling a thousand emotions in a burning house, all the while trying to convince herself that everything was perfectly fine.


    What in the Goddess''s name happened to them? They had been just fine not even half a day ago... and now they''re both like THIS? Oh, the pains of youth... Hopefully, they get past whatever they''re dealing with...


    As two halves of the same coin, when one of them was spiritually afflicted so, too, was the other. Such was the nature of the soulbond between both of them.


    A stone falling into one face of the pond meant that a ripple would naturally form on the other face as well. Flowers of Fear had been growing on both sides for the longest in secret.


    Neither side had dared to pluck them out by the roots for fear of what kind of damage would ensure, so they ignored them for the longest. Hence, they would continue to grow and propagate without end like a virus until...


    Neither of them wanted to think about it. Instead, they would continue to keep that ticking time bomb buried for as long as they could. It was an unspoken agreement between the two.


    Reed and Lu''um nodded their heads together and stared at the fissure in silence and waited...


    The plan was simple and direct, though that did not mean it would not be difficult. Reed and Lu''um were to be the spearhead of the operation, entrusted with correcting the anomaly and closing the fissure, which meant that they would, well...


    No one really knew what they would do in the anomaly or how they correct it, but none dared to question Velvund''s orders. If the former King had entrusted them with that part of the operation, then they were fit for the job.


    The Spirit of Bountiful Charity and the ground teams would stay behind to keep the stabilizer running in proper order, for they had been informed that in the ensuing operation that there would be trouble.


    In the process of closing the fissure, there was a high likelihood of anomaly flaring-up, possibly past the spatiotemporal stabilizer''s abilities. That was why the Spirit of Bountiful Charity had been brought to the fissure.


    The titanic Anima drive that powered the flagship would serve as the spatiotemporal stabilizer''s battery for the operation, allowing it to handle much higher stress loads than it was capable of on its own.


    Although Lu''um knew that she and Reed could have handled the fissure on their own, they would not have been able to mitigate the damage it would have had on the continent unlike the time in Centlani Deep.


    The fissure in the Silvermoon Grasslands, after all, was not buried ten-thousand meters underneath the sea in an oceanic trench. Whatever rebound occurred after they closed the fissure would have likely laid ruin to an enormous part of the East and possibly even more than that...


    This was why Lu''um had suggested that they seek help for the remaining fissures. There was too much that could not be accounted for, even the both of them put their minds to the task. They needed helpers who could take of minor tasks and the Chosen of Mulia were just the people they required.


    Thankfully, Lu''um knew just the person who could assist them with that matter, hence the suggestion for them to seek out Velvund...


    A flurry of chaotic scenes flashed back and forth in the distance. In one moment, the sight of warships and cannon fire filled the grasslands and in the next, another strange glimpse into the past would be shown.


    Sights of ancient, shining cities filled with strangers from another millennium. A sea of young saplings grow up and become towering trees in an instant, only to fall over and make way for the next generation.


    The rise and fall of the sun and the moon occurred at an exponential rate within the grasslands. The seasons, too, would come and go like the wind.


    Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter danced around without end in perpetuity within the grasslands. The false stars above Mulia''s sky spun around like concentric circles forming resplendent star trails for all to see.


    It was equal parts beautiful, terrifying, and astounding watching the chaotic swirls of Mulia''s history inside of the grasslands.


    Entire epochs came and went without concern as Reed and Lu''um waited in silence.


    A second passed and a hundred years passed by and then... a moment of clarity shone through the chaos.


    There it was. The Silvermoon Grasslands. A giant fissure sprawled across the grasslands like a glowing, throbbing scar.


    Reed and Lu''um immediately seized the opportunity. Lu''um grabbed Reed''s hand and they suddenly vanished in the blink of an eye.


    No one had even registered that they had disappeared for a couple of moments ¡ª that was how fast they had left, which had been for a good reason, too.


    In an instant, the clear Silvermoon Grasslands had gone away, replaced by another period of chaotic, mish-mashed time. That was how short their window of opportunity had been. Less than a single second''s worth of time.


    Velvund gazed at the spatiotemporal anomaly and said, "Connect the stabilizer core to the ship! The operation has begun! Raise output to thirty percent and keep it there until I say otherwise!"


    A race against time had begun, one that would pit two people against history itself... for the sake of the future.

 152 Age of Chaos

    It was a highly disorientating experience within the Silvermoon Grasslands where one moment and the next did not have to be subsequent at all. The clock-hands of time spun wildly in an erratic manner without end as Reed and Lu''um trudged their way through history itself.


    A massive, blood-drenched battlefield lay before them. The deep crimson sky above them churned in fury, responding to the collective thoughts of the thousands of Chosen in the area. Their combined, subconscious wills and emotions ¡ª untrained and impure minds ¡ª had influenced the world around them for dozens of kilometers around them.


    This was why Ancient Mulian warrior-philosophy was centered around the cultivation of an internal Balance within the individual warrior. When entire armies of psychologically undeveloped soldiers in possession of Anima fought, it would always result in long-lasting and oftentimes, permanent damage to the environment.


    The Chosen of the gruesome battlefield before Reed and Lu''um had unconsciously warped the area around them into something uninhabitable. Worthless, barren soil and dark, stormy clouds were that had remained of whatever had once lived here.


    Human and Avunian corpses littered the no man''s land as far as Reed could see. Giant, wrecked warships jutted out in the hellscape like jagged, flaming mountains made of metal. Military equipment laid strewn about in abundance, all of it covered in a thin patina of dried blood and rust.


    There was nothing left that could still draw breath. All that remained of the recent battle was another graveyard of horrors.


    Even for Reed, who had already seen much of war and its evils, the feelings that had risen from seeing the carnage had not been lessened. It was such an awful sight that it had evoked feelings out him even in his emotionally numbed state.


    The smell of thousands of still rotting corpses was beyond description. Reed dry-heaved reflexively but caught himself before he spilled out his lunch and swallowed back a mouthful of something truly vile.


    He grimaced not at the taste of what he had swallowed back down, but at the realization that he was getting better at handling these types of horrific situations. That he was slowly but surely becoming accustomed to the damnable stench of death and rot.


    "They were all Chosen, weren''t they?"


    "It goes without saying. Most of them weren''t very special though, so it wasn''t as if the losses were that great. A vast majority of these souls were contenders." Lu''um pointed at the burning warships. "I wager that they were worth far more than the fodder in the eyes of the commanding officers during this time period..."


    Her voice was trailed off as if she had little interest in the topic. She was primarily focused on navigating them through the tangled stretch of unbound spacetime in one piece.


    The correct course of action was simply to not engage and accept what she had said.


    "...Disregard for life? Aren''t your people all about the preservation of life? Where''s your compassion for the dead? Does this mean nothing to you at all?" said Reed. The words came out of their own will, despite his efforts to stop them.


    Lu''um laughed and said, "I have watched the light of entire galaxies fade into the cold darkness, my love. Seen the Infestation leech the life out of a multitude of parallel universes my people have carefully tended to and protected for ten thousand generations.


    If you think that this tiny battlefield will draw some form of emotional reaction from me, I am going have to disappoint you this time.


    In fact... Why don''t I show you the truth about this world that has been kept from you?"


    She stopped walking, looked around the haze of shattered spacetime, and then pulled Reed along into a fragmented piece of history.


    A city formed around them, suffused with smoke and fire and ash. Screams and pleas for mercy rang out into the night, but no one would ever hear them. Mortals called out for one another as they searched for their parents, lovers, children, and friends amidst the chaos that had ensued.


    It was a raid.


    An attack on a city full of mortals for their resources. In this case, the raiding party had come for food, people, valuables, and the Anima-core that served as the generator the entire city.


    Reed looked around in a flurry and said, "...W-What the hell? Where are we? What''s happening here?"


    Lu''um brought Reed close to her, pulled him along the burning city, and said, "I think it''s time that you learn about this world''s... rich and forgotten history so I brought us here, my dear.


    Welcome to the Janu-al, one of the many mortal cities that were established sometime after the events of the Great Barrier War. Give or take a couple hundred years, if my memory hasn''t failed me yet."


    Some despaired over their future, some took up arms against the invaders, and others simply ran out of the city into the dark wilderness. It was a portrait of pure madness, inhumane cruelty, and suffering.


    Reed watched in horror as mortals were dragged off into large, militarized hover-carriers, never to be seen again. Men in armored suits came around and looted everything of value from the city with gleeful expressions on their faces.


    Up above in the sky, a single figure watched everything proceed silently as he carefully observed his surroundings. When he detected a surge in Anima, the man threw out a blade of hard-light and deflected the assassination attempt that had been made on him.


    The rat had come out ¡ª the Chosen who had created the city ¡ª ruler of the city of Janu-al.


    Lu''um pointed at the fighting Chosen and said, "A battle for succession, as you can see. Winner takes all. Whoever survives gets to claim everything below ¡ª the city.


    That''s how it was back then. Mortals were akin to cattle for Chosen of the past, to be ruled over, and played with at one''s own discretion. Each Chosen was his own King and had their own kingdoms to rule, these rudimentary city-states, like Janu-al."


    She whispered in Reed''s ear, "They were warlords. Tyrants who abused the power that had been granted to them for their personal benefit.


    The Will of the World was weak back then and had been under the enormous stress after the Great Barrier War. It could not keep check of its Chosen in its weakened, slumbering condition.


    I''m sure you can guess what happened afterward, hm? Mortals granted an almighty power and left without any supervision after a particularly terrible event like the Great Barrier War, which had thrust the continent into a heavy period of depression and hopelessness?


    What could have possibly happened then?"


    A blade of light cut through the night and then a figure fell from the sky. The defending Chosen had lost. His severed head plummeted toward the ground and fell right in front of Reed''s feet.


    It was a young man, no older than Reed. His delicate, thin visage would have been charming had not been ruined by the warped, distraught expression on his face.


    "He was one of the better Chosen. His city was peaceful and he ruled fairly, which was one of the reasons that so many mortals flocked to this city. Ironically, that surge in popularity and by extension, resources, was why the other Chosen had attacked the city.


    His kindness got him killed. Truly tragic, don''t you think?"


    Lu''um pulled Reed and along. They drifted from one point to another as Lu''um continued to show and explain to him a myriad of terrible, unspeakable things.


    "This is the part of history that has been kept from you and every other person in modern times.


    You have been led to believe that the Unification Wars were a terrible evil that later followed an era of perpetual peace, but the history books never seemed to mention what happened in the period before the Unification Wars and after the Great Barrier War.


    For the Four Empires, this period of time... this Age of Chaos, is something that can never be revealed to the world.


    Nearly a thousand years of oppression and terror for mortals, my beloved. Can you even begin to contemplate that? Your children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, so on and so forth for a thousand years.


    All living under the heel of some tyrant, fearing the wrath of the demigods who ruled them.


    And yes, while some of the Chosen were indeed fair, compassionate, and just, they were few and far in between the hordes of scheming contenders and their lords, the "conquerors" of Mulia."


    Reed''s suddenly turned around and said, "...You mean that¡ª"


    "They were called conquerors for that very reason, dear, despite the nonsensical hogwash they give out nowadays about the etymology of the title.


    ''Conquering spacetime?'' I''ve never heard of a stupider reason.


    Contenders, too. As in, little rats contending for the position of their lord''s right-hand man.


    Too weak to create their own kingdom and play with the big boys, hence their decision to cling to the leg of someone more powerful than them."


    Reed fell silent. Why had Lu''um decided to show him all of this?


    He didn''t know what to think anymore...

 153 Im a Person, Too.

    A large crowd of powerless mortals knelt in protestation before an ever-changing shadow. At times, it was a charming woman, and in the next moment, an old, aloof man. Another second passed and the shadow transformed yet again. It had turned into a young, handsome man.


    Old, young, man or woman; It did not have any bearing on the shifting silhouette. Neither did the race of the shadow. Human, Avunian, Eisalon, Cuanian -- the difference did not change anything for the kneeling mortals.


    The unbelievably intoxicating power surging through the veins of the Chosen during the Age of Chaos had proved too great a responsibility for them. Without the supervision of the Ancient Mulians, who had fled into their own hidden dimension, the world fell into chaos after the Great Barrier War.


    Abandoned by their superiors, the original first-generation of Chosen -- the Otherworlder Generation -- lost themselves in despair over the nature of their circumstances.


    Trapped in a cage, surrounded by an unstoppable foe outside, and without a way back home to their original homeworlds. Left to fend for themselves on a strange planet at the edge of a foreign universe, not even their own.


    Confined in a sealed prison cell with other strangers, too. Peculiar races from different stars. New neighbors, who were unlike them.


    Could they be trusted? Could anyone be trusted? What were they to do from now on? What was there to live for in a doomed reality?


    Was Hope even alive anymore, or had She drawn her last breath on the day that the Heavenly Barrier was activated? Were... they delaying the inevitable?


    These questions plagued the first generation of Chosen in their dreams, to the point of madness.


    "Some Chosen who could not stand the pressure of their drawn-out existence eventually broke. They, by their own hands, ended their torment. Rather than continue to endure the suffering of living in a damned, hopeless existence for potentially thousands of years, they chose to..."


    Reed closed his eyes and said, "Stop it... I can''t go on anymore. Please." He had seen enough.


    This suffering. This hopelessness. This is too much.


    He clutched his chest and drew out the warmth within his bosom in order to soothe himself. The outline of the Mark of Responsibility shone dimly underneath his clothes as it stirred itself into action.


    It was not long before Reed calmed himself down, his frayed nerves eased by the mysterious, yet familiar warmth he had grown attached to.


    "...Why have you shown me all of this... suffering? What do I stand to gain from this?


    Should I be furious over the injustices done to the mortals of the past?


    Disappointed over the long history of oppression enforced by the Chosen of the past?


    Reed was furious, disappointed, and did, in fact, feel betrayed, but that did not mean that he would blame the Chosen of the present for the sins of their ancestors. Truth be told, he did not even have the hatred to blame the Chosen of the past, either.


    Their entire world shattered into pieces, right in front of them on the day of the Heavenly Barrier War. Reed couldn''t even conceive how unimaginably heartbreaking it must''ve been to see the destruction of their hope.


    He condemned every Chosen who had abused their power during that hopeless time period, but that did not mean he was not blind to the unfortunate circumstances of the time.


    "I can''t say that they''d all be pure saints had everything not gone to shit, but I''m willing to wager that they were all decent enough before the world went to hell. Not the demented, lost souls you showed me.


    They were people. Sure, they were also Chosen, but that doesn''t mean that they were immune to the despair brought on by the Great Barrier War. Anima, for all it''s good for it''s capable of, isn''t all that effective in the face total despair.


    It''d be pathetic of us to judge these people over what had likely been the darkest period of their lives."


    Lu''um pointed backward and said, "So you''re willing to let all of that slide because the times were hard?"


    When Reed turned around he felt his eyes water in pain from the sight of the monstrosity behind them.


    It was taller than anything he had ever seen on Mulia. A mountain of corpses lay before them, stretching far into the sky above without end into the crimson clouds above.


    Mortals, Chosen, the Old, and the Young. A terrible achievement in savagery of such sickening proportions that it could not be described with language alone.


    Rotting flesh, bone, blood lay in a grand display, as if to present itself to the world, so that all may see the horrors that people were capable of. The terrified screams, desperate pleas, and forgotten prayers of the dead filled the bloodied battlefield with the timbre of unrestrained madness and despair.


    Reed''s mind would have probably broken had he not developed the mental fortitude he possessed now. A thousand year''s worth of suffering assaulted his mind as it passed through him.


    "I-It''s not... okay. I''ll never approve of what happened." Reed bit his lips, and said, "B-But they were people and... in times of desperation, even the best people can falter and become lost...! People make mistakes, goddammit!"


    In the blink of an eye, the torment ended. The scenery had changed dramatically.


    Reed heaved crazily and looked around in confusion. It was the Silvermoon Grasslands. They had returned back to the calm, lush fields of verdant life.


    "''People make mistakes.'' ...Is that right?" said Lu''um.


    "Y-Yeah, of course, they make mistakes! What''s so special about that?! It''s obvious as could be!"


    Lu''um stared at Reed square in the eyes and said, "Then... what''s so special about me making mistakes, then? What''s so special about my people making mistakes compared to the Mortals and Chosen in Mulia?


    I''m a person too, you know, despite whatever you''ve been thinking about me.


    I am not some goddess, and my people aren''t infallible angels, either. We''re the same, even if we''re not Human, Avunian, Eisalon, or Cuanian... The only thing we have on the rest of the races is time. We''re a little more grown-up than them because we were born first."


    Lu''um stared off into the distance and said, "You said that you couldn''t really fault the Chosen too much because of the circumstances they found themselves in, yes? That they probably had the capacity to be better people, but were hindered by the tribulation of their time."


    Oh.


    Reed suddenly felt his heart drop into his stomach.


    "Then what of my people? We once protected the entire multiverse, only to be beaten down and chased back onto our original homeworld. Watched as our families, friends, and the trillions of living beings we swore to protect were stolen from us one by one.


    Planet by planet. Star by Star. Galaxy by Galaxy. Universe by Universe.


    We''re people, too. We wanted to live. Wanted to save our dying reality.


    And when we were pushed up against the wall during our darkest time, we became desperate just like these people did... Because, believe it or not, we weren''t perfect.


    We just acted that way to give the other races Hope. Give them a sense of comfort knowing that they''d always have us to protect them.


    We-- I did things... I made very, very bad mistakes. I am not proud of what I did when I was consumed by fear, desperation, and despair. None of us are.


    Even now, my sins still haunt me in my sleep, Reed."


    She looked at Reed with such an honest gaze that he nearly could not look at her.


    "I keep these... terrible secrets to myself because of my shame. Don''t think for a second that I hide things from you because of some hidden, machevillan reasoning. I would never do that to you."


    Lu''um gripped Reed''s hand weakly and said, "I''m a person, too. I don''t know what sort of projection you''ve cast onto me, but I''m not who you think I am."


    She leaned very close to Reed, so close that he could see his own reflection within her clear light-brown eyes.


    "I''m only me."


    Reed squeezed her hand tightly, as if to stop her trembling and said, "...I''m sorry."


    He didn''t know a better way to express his feelings than that. Rather than make a mess in explaining himself to her, he decided to keep it simple and clear. There had been enough ambiguity and vagueness between them.


    "I haven''t been very faithful, have I?"


    He didn''t know a better way to express his feelings than that. Rather than make a mess in explaining himself to her, he decided to keep it simple and clear. There had been enough ambiguity and vagueness between them.

 154 The Pot and the Kettle

    How could Reed have known? The Ancient Mulians were a race whose history had long been forgotten, if at all known by the first generation of Otherworlders. None of them could have ever truly understood the entirety of the Ancient Mulian''s long history and culture, given how little time they had spent among them before the Fall of Mu.


    All that had been passed down from the first generation had been the first-hand accounts of their shining cities of resplendent gold and silver, their grand and incomprehensible works of astonishing beauty and sublime technical mastery, and the magnanimous heavenly people that inhabited them.


    To the First Generation, the Ancient Mulians had been akin to gods of myth. There was no better way to describe them. They, after all, had managed to transport hundreds of thousands of people like them, from a myriad of different intelligent races for their purposes across the sea of stars.


    Even now, this perception was widely accepted by all who lived in the modern era. These people who had been born in a continent that had once been part of the Ancient Mulian''s original homeworld couldn''t have known any better. Their lives revolved around and were sustained by the remnants of this... supposed ancient progenitor race of living deities.


    The Heavenly Barrier. The Altar System. The many eternally preserved, dazzling metropolises they had left behind. The control and manipulation of Anima itself. There was no end to the number of wonders that they had left behind in the wake of the Great Barrier War.


    It was no surprise then that all who had come after ended up with the twisted perception of who they Ancient Mulians were. Every ruin, broken artefact, and scrap of junk that was of Ancient Mulian origin was a treasure trove to the people of the modern era.


    Reed, who had visited the last Ancient Mulian city, Citlai, had been blinded even more than the average individual. He had seen, with his own eyes, the wonders of the Ancient Mulians for himself, much like the first generation of otherworlders.


    And just like them he, too, had not seen them for who they had been. He had been blinded by dazzling visions of shining gold and gleaming silver, enraptured by his own misconceptions about them.


    There was too much Reed did not know. In fact, it was better to say that he did not know much, if anything about the Ancient Mulians. Reed only knew tidbits ¡ª fragments of their culture and history ¡ª that he had stumbled upon by chance.


    And even then, he now had to take into account the biases he mistakenly had about them in the equation. Not just him, but others as well. If he wanted an accurate vision of who Ancient Mulians were, he would need to reevaluate everything he knew about them.


    An incomplete picture ¡ª the phrase best summed up his knowledge about them and about... Lu''um.


    And most importantly, I must keep myself from making opinions, let alone conclusions based on half-baked knowledge, or even worse... pure ignorance.


    Reed, for once in a long time, had an epiphany. A rare moment of personal growth had come of the entire confrontation. He had come out a bit wiser than before, not that even he realized it had happened.


    "...Do you mind if we take care of this discussion later? I don''t think it''d be very appropriate for us to do this here and now, right? There''s a time and place for everything."


    As much as Reed wanted to continue talking with Lu''um about everything, he couldn''t help feel bad about Velvund who was holding down the fort outside of the anomaly for them. He didn''t want to put too much pressure on the old man and the Chosen outside.


    "The faster we''re done, the better," Reed said, "I don''t want to keep gramps and the people outside waiting for any longer they need to."


    He looked around and surveyed the grasslands in confusion. Where had the fissure gone? It was nowhere to be found.


    When his mind came up with a possibility, he swallowed nervously and said, "T-There''s no way, right? Have you... already fixed the fissure?"


    Lu''um snorted in amusement and chuckled. "If only I was as skilled as you imagine me out to be. But alas, the answer is no. I do greatly appreciate the vote of confidence you have in me though, my dear. It makes my heart throb a little faster."


    She pulled Reed close and made a silent, grand gesture toward the peaceful grasslands, as if to show off her work.


    They stared at the grasslands for a while until Reed could hold not in any longer. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "...Alright, what I am supposed to be looking at? The grass, the flowers, or the trees? Am I not seeing something here?


    Is this another symbolic set-up for something you''re about to lay on me? I can only handle having my preconceptions about the world broken a couple more times, you know."


    "Relax, you silly goose. I just wanted you to see my hard work now that it''s completed. I thought I did a pretty good job, all things considered. It was annoying as hell, but I got everything back in order."


    "What are you talking about?"


    Lu''um had been hard at work the moment they entered the anomaly, much to Reed''s surprise. He had thought that Lu''um had been slacking off ¡ª that their entire voyage through Mulia''s dark history had been a deviation from the mission they set off to do.


    He had been wrong. She had been truly clever, much more than he thought possible. Another example of her brilliant and sometimes, unorthodox ways of handling complex situations.


    The entire time Lu''um had been explaining Mulia''s forgotten Age of Chaos, she had been at work. As spacetime was without order and in shambles, the laborious, intricate task of reorganizing the anomaly''s unbound space and time had fallen upon her.


    She had slowly worked, weaving together a complete, correct assembly of history from the beginning to the end, up until now.


    From the moment of the Great Barrier War all the way to modern times, she had slowly pieced together the history of the continent for Reed as she continued to realign history within the anomaly. She made use of the opportunity and had made it work to her benefit, killing two birds with a single stone.


    Reed was genuinely impressed. He wagered it must have taken an incredible amount of skill to both realign history all the while using it to make her point to him. Not once had he noticed Lu''um divert her attention from him either throughout the process, making sure to answer anything he had asked of her promptly.


    They now stood in Silvermoon Grasslands, only a year or so before the appearance of the fissure. That was why it was not there, as Reed had oh-so-obviously noticed.


    "...So does that mean you''ve realigned everything behind us, behind this final year?"


    "Yes, that''s correct. ...What of it?"


    Thousands of years of history reordered and put back into place, just like that. I didn''t even notice it.


    Reed stared at Lu''um with a blank face, devoid of emotion, and said, "You. Are. Insane."


    "You juggled all of that just to get a point (although important as it was) across to me?! What if you messed up?! We could have died if you messed at any point in TIME, you fool!"


    Lu''um lightly scowled as if she had been condemned unjustly and said, "Don''t be such a baby, love. If anything, I was borrowing a page off of your style of handling things, so I don''t think you have the right to criticize me."


    Reed nearly choked when he heard her defense. The absolute nerve of this girl, he thought.


    Did she just call ME a bad influence? There''s no way... That did NOT just come out of HER mouth.


    Lu''um coyly smiled and said, "We''re two accomplices guilty of the same crime, no? Let''s not sweat the small stuff and take it easy on the blame game."


    Reed wanted to reject that claim but knew he couldn''t do it. That was one thing he was guilty of without questions. He had done plenty of stupid, reckless things since he''d arrived in Mulia.


    He let out a small grunt of acknowledgment and said, "...Fine, whatever. What are we supposed to be doing here in the past? We can''t fix a problem if it hasn''t come into existence yet."


    Lu''um nodded in agreement and said, "Right, right. That''s exactly why we''re here."


    .............What?


    She turned toward Reed and said, "Why should we have to deal with the problem in the present when it''s at its most difficult?


    What if we took care of the problem... before it even happened? ...Wouldn''t that be easier?"


    Reed dumbly stared at Lu''um with an expression befitting an idiot who had seen the light.


    "...Huh. That... does sound nice."

 155 The Fields of Forgiveness

    Reed stopped questioning her method the instant she uttered the fateful phrase, "Wouldn''t that be easier?" She had wrapped him around her finger with those four magical words. That was all it took to for her to win over the previously outraged and offended partner.


    To him, it was as if he''d heard the sound of heavenly trumpets in the distance. He dropped onto one of his knees in mock-subservience and said, "O, merciful beauty, you bless with me your presence! Please grant this humble peasant a morsel of your wisdom!"


    Lu''um laughed and said, "Stop it, you fool." She pulled Reed up and held him close in preparation for what she was about to do.


    "We''re going to be waiting a bit, so take a break and enjoy the scenery with me until we reach our destination." Lu''um raised one of her hands up in the sky and then made a twisting motion, as if she had spun a toy top in action.


    The world around them rapidly started to move at speeds beyond the norm. She had, for the lack of better words, hit the fast forward button on the world itself. Clouds raced sideways across the sky, chasing each other into the horizon. The sun and moon waltzed around the sky together, rising and setting without end.


    They had been left behind. The Silvermoon Grasslands bloomed with color in spring as a sea of wildflowers blossomed around Reed and Lu''um. Lush fields of azalea flowers covered the grasslands, dyeing the grasslands with the potent blond hue, like golden wheat.


    "Oh? These flowers are such a wonderful shade of gold, yet this place is called the Silvermoon Grasslands. Runs contrary to the flowers, no? Why do you think it they did that?" said Reed.


    "You''ll see." Lu''um said with a small smile, "Keep watching the grasslands and you''ll understand." She made a small gesture and in return, time slowed down for them back to normal.


    It was late in the evening. The stars above had already begun to appear out from the inky curtain of the night sky. Reed guessed that it would only be a few minutes before the sun completely set underneath the horizon. He looked up at the darkening, violet-azure sky and quietly observed three familiar moons as they slowly crawled their way up onto the throne of the heavens.


    There was something about the three identical moons that had always made him feel strange. It wasn''t an unpleasant feeling, but it was certainly a peculiar sensation.


    The back of his neck sometimes tingled when he had his back turned towards them, as if someone had been watching him. Not once had he been able to discern the identity of the mysterious individual, so he assumed it to be nothing more than his own paranoia.


    Still, it always happens at night, especially when there''s a full moon happening. It keeps happening in a recurring pattern, so I''m pretty sure that it''s more than my own delusions...


    A-As if! My life isn''t some kind of horror story in the making... right?


    Unbeknownst to Reed, the very same boogeyman he suddenly found himself dreading... was standing right to next him.


    Lu''um would not have been very happy about being labeled a boogeyman, though. It would have been too great an accusation for her not to defend herself.


    Simply put, she would have denied any involvement in such a matter, even to her dying breath. She would have rather preferred to die on her hill -- denying the truth -- than have the title, "boogeyman," stuck onto her for very obvious reasons.


    Most prominently of those reasons being that Reed would never let her live it down. Never. It would haunt her for all eternity, like a permanent black cloud over her reputation.


    And Lu''um valued her feminine reputation very much. She was forever an eighteen-year-old maiden with a pure heart. Anyone who tried to contest that would very likely find themselves buried out in the Shadowlands in some shallow grave...


    Of course, though... Lu''um was only for the first couple times Reed felt that eerie sensation of being watched. After she met Reed, she no longer continued her questionable activities at night.


    Which meant that several other instances were still unaccounted for. Not that either of them knew this chilling fact, though...


    When the sun finally set below the horizon, it began. The Silvermoon Azaleas, which glistened golden in the day, transformed into something else as soon as the sun disappeared.


    Under the light of the three moons, the flowers shone radiantly like in a silvery-golden hue as they released their radiance one last time in the night.


    During the day, the blossomed naturally and released their seeds out into the winds to be carried away, their short life''s work completed, but at night...


    The stage was theirs alone -- this was the farewell of the Silvermoon Azaleas, which they were known for across the East. They had held onto to life until nightfall for this very reason: To shine one last time before death, a final victory cry of the passing.


    Millions of Silvermoon Azaleas shone like the glowing silver moons at night with all the force they could muster. Each one was a flower that would not see tomorrow, yet it did not seem to deter them in the slightest as they shone brighter than the very stars above them.


    "...They were planted here for a reason. Each one represents a life lost, not only during the Unification Wars, but even further back -- I''m sure you understand, yes?"


    Reed nodded.


    "That man, Velvund, is one of the few living people who can still remember those terrible days. He survived that horrible age and then had to deal with the Unification Wars, too. It would not be an understatement to say that he has seen the full extent of what people are truly capable of in dire situations.


    The great evils that people can end up performing in order to survive. It is why he is probably the only person I have ever explicitly trusted to truly have your well-being in concern.


    Do you know why I trust him?"


    Reed shook his head. "Why do you trust him?"


    "Because he is the one who planted these Silvermoon Azaleas."


    Lu''um flicked her hand and a faint, ghostly apparartion appeared in the distance. A tall figure walked across the glowing Silvermoon Azaleas and showered the grasslands with flower seeds by hand as he walked to-and-fro in silence.


    It was Velvund.


    "Is it to give the dead some form of recompense for their suffering? To give them some form of burial, so that their souls may rest in peace.


    Perhaps it is a form of penance for him. To ask forgiveness to the deceased on behalf of all Chosen.


    Or as a way to make sure that he would never forget what happened? I do not know. The only thing I do know is that he did not stop planting Azaleas until the entire Silvermoon Grasslands was covered with them."


    Why here? Why did the fissure appear here? What does that mean? This tormented history and these grasslands... what connection do they share? I do not understand..."


    Reed felt it. For the first time in many years, he recognized the subtle pull of fate. How it had brought him, Lu''um, and Velund here, to these grasslands. He felt it deep in his bones.


    "We were brought here by fate for a reason. To these Silvermoon Grasslands. Can you feel it?" said Reed.


    He gazed at the scene and said, "I can feel it on the tip of my tongue. It''s like they''re right there, but I can''r get them out. The words are there, but they''re evading me. The more I try to search for them, the more they hide away from me."


    Reed shut his eyes, paused for a moment and then grasped the words that had been eluding him.


    "Avatyar-."


    Lu''um tilted her head and said, "...Avatyar?"


    "It means, ''forgive,'' in High-Alfven, the Avuvinians'' mother language they refer to as the Old Tongue amongst themselves. I finally remember now."


    "But what does that have to do the Silvermoon Grasslands?"


    "Silvermoon Grasslands is what this place is called on normal maps, but when I saw this place on gramps'' holomap in the Spirit of Bountiful Chartity, it was called Avatyar-Tarwa instead.


    ''Forgiveness Field'' is what it sounds like if was translated literally, but I''m pretty sure a more liberal translation of the name would be ''The Field of Forgiveness.''"


    The those tiresome days learning High-Alfven had finally come to bear fruit. Reed would have to thank Rivia for her all the hard work she had put drilling the language into his skull.


    The princely education he recieved against will had come to help him in his hour of need, almost three years after the intial investment. Who could have thought?


    Hell, he had even gotten one in on Lu''um. For the first, in... well, ever -- he had been the one to teach Lu''um something new. It was a refreshing feeling, if Reed had to be perfectly honest.


    Is this how Lu''um always feels whenever she teaches me something? I could get used to this...


    Lu''um smiled a little bit and said, "...The Fields of Forigiveness? A truly beffiting name, don''t you think?"


    How mysterious that we, of all people, should end up here and end up forgiving each other here.


    "...Hm? What do you mean?"


    Lu''um lightly sighed. She was always amazed at how frighteningly perceptive he was when it mattered, but always failed to grasp the final part of his hunches. He was far brighter than he knew. If he could sharpern his intuition a little more, it would certainly become something genuinely terrifying...

 156 Easy Peasy

    After the final passing of the Silvermoon Azaleas, Reed and Lu''um continued on their journey through time as planned. Spring wilted and in return, the arrival of summer heralded a vision of greenery so lush, Reed thought the grasslands as a living painting in perpetual motion.


    Green stalks of tall grass danced merrily in the breeze as far as the eye could see. A contingent of great trees stood tall in the middle of the grasslands, here and there, as if they were nature''s own knights. The stood sentry in the arcadian landscape as they oversaw the rise and fall of the seasons.


    For thousands of years, they had overseen the growth of the Silvermoon Azaleas and would continue to do so, under the command of their father, Velvund. It was he who had planted them in the grasslands as mere saplings in an age long forgotten by himself along with the flowers.


    They swiftly fulfilled the noble task they had been imparted by their father the moment the fissure appeared and desecrated their homeland ¡ª it was they, the hacca trees who had called for assistance and alerted Velvund of the disaster in the Silvermoon Grasslands.


    A detection system ¡ª that was what they were. Exceptional hardy, extremely long-lived, and stationary by nature ¡ª they were trees, for heaven''s sake. In essence, they were the perfect guardians for the Silvermoon Grasslands.


    Eventually, summer faded into obscurity, and fall came along, bringing with a seedling of the end. It was here, during the fall of the previous year that everything began.


    In the blink of an eye, disaster struck the Silvermoon Grasslands. On a perfectly normal day, no different than any other, the land shook in fury and gave way, wrenching the grasslands into two. An enormous gash upon the earth had formed, and with it came the disruption of both space and time.


    It was a loss of nature comparable to the destruction that had below in Centlani Deep ¡ª possibly even worse. Everything that had been unfortunate enough to have been near the fissure had died that day. If not by falling into the abyssal chasm below, then by the chaotic spatiotemporal storm that had arisen right after.


    Shredded into pieces by the unstable mess within the anomaly until not even corpses could be recovered. Turned into dust in a matter of seconds as they aged to death within the turbulent zone of disordered spacetime. Nothing survived, be it the local fauna and flora or the foolish Chosen who had ventured into the anomaly.


    Lu''um flicked her hand again, this time in grasping motion, as if she had reached out to grab something in the air. The moment she caught it, time itself ran into a screeching halt. She had hit the brakes on time, slowing everything back down to normal.


    Well, that is, if anything within the current Silvermoon Grasslands could still be called normal.


    "Is the world trying to make up for the fact that some pieces of time have been lost?"


    Again, why is he so intuitive when it comes to picking up concepts and ideas when it matters the least? It took him less than a second to figure the repeating loops without any help.


    Lu''um clicked her tongue. "Yes, that''s right. The world is trying to make up for it by duplicating the information it still has not yet lost. It''s shoddily patching together a semblance of logical order, despite the fact that there isn''t any left. The more information it loses, the worse these glitches will become until it becomes too much for it to handle.


    That is when a causality hole is born. A perpetual hole of shattered causes and effects that will continue to grow and spread even further as it consumes more and more of the world around it."


    "This thing has a name?" Reed gazed at a cute rabbit in the distance as it hopped across the grasslands, only for it to suddenly reappear when it had initially begun. Again and again, ruthlessly attempting to outrun the crumbling ground behind it.


    Well, it''s not really losing, I guess. Technically. But being stuck in the same moment isn''t really winning, either.


    "Of course it has a name. My ancestors created many of them during our... first attempts at temporal incursions back in the day, more a dozen millenniums ago.


    Ah, don''t look at me that. Relax, they only occurred in smaller branches of the multiverse ¡ª older parallel universes that were already near death. You know, for safety purposes. Were our ''tree'' ¡ª our multiverse ¡ª to lose a small branch, it would not die. If the worst ever came to happen, we could prune the entire branch off, but that would be in a nightmare scenario in which everything got WAY out of control.


    A highly improbable possibility. Less than a hundred billionth of a percent, given the redundancies and safety measures we had in place."


    "...Is that supposed to make me feel more comfortable about what they did? Because it''s not really helping, considering they were, you know... trying to meddle with TIME!"


    Reed sighed.


    An entire race of super-dweebs, too far up into their books, the whole lot of them.


    He greatly enjoyed intellectual pursuits too, but there was a limit to Reed''s curiosity. He would never go around poking the temporal hornet''s nest that was the continuity of time with a stick.


    I guess that''s what happens when you live for thousands of years like the Ancient Mulians. You get so bored that even an idea as monumentally idiotic as tampering with time becomes tempting to the ear.


    "We would never test on the larger, main branches, or heaven forbid, the prime universe, the ''trunk'' of the tree that we lived in. Never. It would be a direct violation of more than a hundred sacred protocols.


    And we only experimented on universes that were already devoid of life, so not a single life was harmed in the process.


    Those ''leaves'' would have eventually died off and fallen off the branch anyway, right? So why not use them before they die, then? Trees always grow back new leaves, and our multiverse was no different. I''m sure you would have greatly enjoy¡ª"


    Reed had heard enough. He grabbed Lu''um and put her over his shoulder, carrying her toward the fissure and blocked out the noise coming out of the chattering girl.


    He knew that once a topic of interest was brought up that she enjoyed, it''d be a thousand years before she''d finish talking. Reed quietly noted another topic that he would have to avoid mentioning from now on during important situations.


    "...Oh, don''t worry about that, though. The Lanuis-Garron theory proposed a different framework..."


    It wasn''t as if he hated that her getting excited about something. Reed liked that. He found it very cute when she gushed over some academic topic far removed from his knowledge, even if he couldn''t understand more than half of it.


    How her cheeks would become flushed and her eyes would sparkle with interest as she monologued about her fascination over sub-quantum Anima fluctuations, stellar-thought bridges, and macro-scale entropy management.


    He was fine with that, it just annoyed him whenever she would stare at him in her heated monologues, as if she had met one of her own kin.


    "Hey..."


    I''m no mad scientist. And I''ll be damned if I ever become one. This relationship can barely handle one egghead, thank you very much...


    ".....Are you listening to me?"


    Reed peered over the fissure''s edge. It was mostly pitch black, but he could see a shimmer of warm light at the bottom, though he was confident that it would be everything but comfortable down there. It was like the devil''s house down there, at the bottom of the continent.


    He took a deep breath and quietly thought to himself, "Just like the last time, Reed. Go in, touch the node, and get the fuck out pronto. It''ll be easy peasy. You already did once. You can do it again."


    There was no doubt in his heart that it would not be as easy as he had made it to be. Even so, he couldn''t back down. If a small lie helped him do it, then he would lie to himself.


    And then... he did it.


    He, in an unexpected turn of events, chucked Lu''um into the fissure without warning like a sack of potatoes.


    All in all, it was a pretty funny thing to do ¡ª well, at least for Reed.


    Her sudden yelp of terror and surprise had been very entertaining to him. Never before had he heard her make such an adorable noise. Reed chuckled heartily as he held his stomach in pain from his fit of laughing.


    Ah-h... shit, man... That was fucking golden. Her face, oh god, that dumb expression she had...!


    His lingering fear had finally gone, though at Lu''um''s expense. Still, it was worth the price, though Reed.


    He wiped the tears out of his eyes and quietly mumbled out, "Ohhh, man. That was some good shit right there. ...Well, I guess I better go and apologi--"


    Before he could even finish his sentence, a pale hand shot out from the darkness and grabbed onto Reed''s ankle and pulled him in great force.


    Reed couldn''t even react. He let out a frightened yelp in a heightened pitch as he disappeared into the abyss.


    He was gone.

 157 The Maze of Time

    Deep in the bowels of the earth, two shining figures hurtled down into the dark below like comets on a hellish trajectory toward death. There was little room for error within the fractured domain of spacetime within the tremendous fissure.


    Shards of disconnected space and unbound time were scattered in a haphazard fashion everywhere Reed could see, such that it was hard to maneuver himself around them. Had Reed not been following Lu''um''s path, he would have gotten lost a long time ago.


    Not only metaphorically, but also in a literal interpretation of the phrase. In the best-case scenario, he would have ended in a stray period of history, completely lost and without a way back to the present aside from... waiting. And this was only if he was extremely lucky, to the point that it defied comprehension. A one-in-a-million fluke of fate.


    In the worst-case scenario, he would have ended up a collection of missing body parts, divided over an unknown amount of spatiotemporal shards. His left arm thrust into some random city five hundred years into the past, his right leg tossed out into the open sea two thousand years ago, and so forth until he was completely dispersed across time.


    It was a bone-chilling knowing that was how every Chosen who had dared enter the anomaly had died. They had been torn asunder in a gruesome way, such that they would never be seen again. For those poor fools, there would be nothing left of them to bury.


    Reed and Lu''um traversed through a multitude of ''stable'' spatiotemporal shards that were not at risk of collapsing or possibly shifting to another temporal vector -- another period of time. Entering an unstable spatiotemporal shard would be akin to suicide as they were prone to shifting, collapsing, and reopening at any possible moment. There was no telling what terrible consequences laid within entering of them...


    Not that Reed had accepted Lu''um''s assessment of the shards. He thought of them all as death traps in the making. ''Stable'' or ''unstable,'' it made no difference in his eyes. Whereas an ''unstable'' shard was prone to collapsing in less than a second''s notice, a ''stable'' shard would only endure a bit longer.


    A couple of minutes at most, if they were lucky; A minute at best for the average stable shard.


    At first, they had avoided the spatiotemporal shards altogether, but the deeper they descended the more prevalent they became until it had become almost impossible to descend without crossing into them.


    They had entered a fractured domain of time and space so bizarre and unpredictable, neither of them had proper words to describe it. It was an unmanageable, ever-shifting, insane labyrinth of broken history.


    An unknowable maze of melding histories, events, and eras that had no connection to one another.


    Reed and Lu''um hurriedly inspected their surroundings in search of the exit shard that should have been around them. Time was disconnected from its natural sequential order, but that did not mean that it was completely bereft of unity.


    One only had to think of a film reel to understand this phenomenon. Though the film reel was out of order, it was not cut any particular place. The entire film reel was still entirely in one piece... for now.


    Mulia''s history was akin to film reel that had been irresponsibly spliced in an unpredictable order. Some events that happened near the beginning now existed near the end, and other events that occurred at the end were now in the middle of the history.


    There was no telling when and where each spatiotemporal shard was going to take them.


    "....Do you see it?! I can''t find it! Where''s that fucking shard?!"


    "I don''t know! Just keep looking and use your mind''s eye to check for any abnormalities!"


    They were running out of time. Even stable shards were sturdier, they would eventually close. Neither Reed and Lu''um were interested in being stranded in some past era, so it was of utmost concern for them that they find the shard as soon as possible.


    A large shadow blocked out the bloody, crimson sun above them, which prompted their attention.


    Two enormous warships had flown over their heads as they crossed each other''s paths. The military crests, ship colors, even their designs were different from one another. One was sleeker and narrower in design, bearing the crest of a golden tree, while the other was more robust -- stockier and heavier plated.


    It bore the crest of a crescent moon that was all too familiar to Reed. After all, he had worn that crest on his left breast for an entire year when he first arrived in Mulia.


    The two metal titans suddenly began their duel in the sky as they spat superheated globules of Anima and molten shells at one another. Chaotic explosions lit up the sky above them as the warships struck each other with furious blows.


    Below them, thousands of contenders, conquerors, and artillery littered the battlefield as they painted the earth crimson for kilometers without end. Be it flame or blood, it did not matter -- they both served their purpose as they stained the battlefield until it looked like a depiction of hell itself.


    Reed felt his blood freeze as he observed the madness around him, but pushed it all aside. He and Lu''um could not afford to become distracted. That was the mindset he had until...


    An ominous chill ran up his spine. He looked up and saw that an enormous Anima cannon had taken him and Lu''um into its sights. Superheated Anima swirled inside the barrel of the cannon and then shot out towards them, intending on vaporizing them in a single blow.


    Oh SHIT!!


    Lu''um instinctively reacted when she saw the superheated glob of azure-violet Anima and thrust out her left hand. She ferociously snatched the glob out of the air and then cocked her left arm as far back as she could and raised one of her knees up. Her stance was firm as could be in preparation for what was to come.


    And then, without any notice, she put all her force into her left arm and threw the glob of Anima back at the warship. Reed didn''t even see it leave her hands when she threw it. The only thing he saw a flash of pure, white light not even a second afterward.


    The glob had struck the Human warship with the fury of a thousand suns and torn an enormous, gaping hole straight through the titanium leviathan. A horrifying metallic screech stung Reed''s ears as the warship broke apart at the point of damage and split into two flaming pieces, hurtling towards the ground.


    In fact, it had been such a devastating strike that even the Avunian ship had sustained damage from the blow. Its formerly pristine hull had now been blackened beyond recognition into molten slag.


    To be honest, it looked a bit better than the human warship, if only because it was not the one who had been broken into two. In light of the damage it had taken, the Avunian warship hurriedly shot away from the battlefield as it sputtered along dangerously.


    When the Avunian warship departed from its initial position, Reed shouted, "Look, it''s right there! Let''s go!"


    The exit shard had been where the Avunian warship had been the entire time. He put the entire situation together in an instant. The reason they had not been able to locate the exit shard had been because of the warship, Reed correctly reasoned.


    Lu''um grabbed Reed and shot toward the shard as fast as she could manage. They hurtled into the exit shard and disappeared, not a moment too soon all things considered. A few seconds later, the shard collapsed into itself.


    "It was that goddamned Anima drive! The damn thing was why we never found the shard the moment we arrived! It makes perfect sense; A warship''s Anima drive can create a considerable amount of interference. ...Fuck, that was a close one!"


    Reed cursed himself for not having thought of that in the very beginning. That particular venture had been far too close for comfort. He felt his heart pounding wildly in his chest, as if to remind him that he wasn''t the same person as before. The fear of death had taken hold him for a moment back there.


    He might''ve been able to deflect that attack before, but it was a completely different story now. Reed would have died had Lu''um not intervened on their behalf.


    They had returned back to the fissure''s temporal maze in a completely different area than where they had previously entered. In through a myriad of places and events and out the other end back into the temporal maze.


    This was the frustrating hell that Reed and Lu''um had been dealing with for an unknown amount of time. They simply waded through the disordered river of time, letting the fates decide their path as it was hopeless trying to derive a pattern or any semblance of meaning from the order of history.


    And it had worked for the most part, even to Lu''um''s surprise. They had already made it through the bulk of the maze. Even now, they could see the deepest part of the fissure from their position. It would not be long before they reached their destination... fate willing, of course.

 158 Secrets Best Forgotten

    "Oh, FUUCK! S-shit, I''m sorry about the wall! It was an accident!" said a mysterious young man when barrelled into an apartment not his own. The stranger had broken through the wall that separated the tenant from his fellow neighbor.


    It all happened so quickly that neither tenant had been able to comprehend what had just happened. All of a sudden the wall connecting their apartments had come down instant and an odd, highly destructive pair appeared in front of them, covered in drywall dust.


    Who was going to pay for the broken wall? Were they going to pay? Who was going to contact the landlord? Why had they¡ª


    When Lu''um sneezed, the final remnants of the broken wall came crumbling down and Reed shrugged his shoulders helplessly. He stared at the dumbfounded young lad in front of him and then turned around. An equally astonished girl had a stupid expression on her face as she tried her best to comprehend what had happened.


    This situation isn''t that bad, all things considered. It''s certainly better than the last time. I''ll take this over some hellhole of a battlefield any goddamned day.


    Hell, if anything I''ve done this guy a service. Well, that is if he doesn''t fuck it all up for himself... Why am I never this lucky? This is some bullshit.


    Reed walked up to the bewildered poor mortal, put his arm around his shoulder and said, "You know what, I think you owe ME. Don''t you think it''d be unfair that I go unpaid for my services?"


    "....W-What?" The young man stared at Reed with a foolish expression as he tried his hardest to make sense of the situation.


    "Yeah, yeah. I think that I deserve a little something for my troubles, given everything I''ve done for you," said Reed as he eyed the young man''s residence. He continued to inspect the poor fool''s room for something to take until his gaze fell upon a black leather jacket on a coat hanger.


    The moment Reed laid eyes on it, he knew that was what he wanted. He snapped his fingers and the jacket flew off of the coat hanger and landed in his hands. Reed whistled and said, "Nice leather jacket, man. You wouldn''t mind if I tried it out, right?"


    Unbeknownst to either the young man or the girl, Lu''um had raided the girl''s fridge in silence. They had been too focused on Reed''s antics that they had seemingly forgotten about her. She had already found the exit shard anyway, so they had a bit of time to kill before it would close.


    Reed put it on, walked over to the girl''s side of the apartment, and stared at his reflection with her mirror.


    "...Yeah, this is a pretty nice leather jacket. I can see why you bought it. Really makes you feel like you''re some sort of tough-looking, cool dude. I can vibe with that sort of aesthetic."


    He stupidly posed in front of the mirror in an exaggerated manner, as if he trying to emulate some generic holo-film action hero.


    They were gone. The mysterious guy, the sneezing girl, and the leather jacket vanished in a flash. Where they had gone off to, neither tenant knew. It was such a surreal experience that both of them would have doubted their own sanity had they not witnessed the same events together...


    This entire event was just one of the many misadventures that Reed and Lu''um had gotten into in their journey through the temporal maze. To them though, it was a just way of keeping themselves entertained.


    They had returned back into the fissure, only a hundred meters away from the edge of the temporal maze. The finish line was in sight, much to Reed''s relief.


    "...Still, this is a pretty nice jacket. Shame I won''t be able to keep it after we reset the node," said Reed.


    Every alteration that Reed and Lu''um had made over the course of their journey would end up being erased after they reset the node. History would be rebooted from the last stable record kept within the node as Lu''um had explained to Reed after the events that occurred on the battlefield.


    Reed had been justifiably upset over what Lu''um had done back in the battlefield, as much as it had contributed to their escape. The destruction of the Human warship and its crew had left him horrified of the possible repercussions it would have on the timeline.


    Were it not for Lu''um''s reassurance that everything would be wiped clean afterward, Reed would have had an ethical and moral meltdown for the ages. The last thing he wanted to do was fuck up the timeline even further than it already was.


    Nevertheless, Reed had not spared Lu''um for what she had done to the Human warship, even if it would all be negated in the end. Although he understood her reasoning and the circumstances of the situation at the time, he did not approve of the wholesale destruction of the Human warship and her crew.


    Though he comprehended her argument ¡ª that she had acted only in efficiency''s sake, responding to the severity of their foe''s strength in such a way that would end the fight as soon as possible, it still irked him a bit.


    How fluidly and quickly she had responded, without the slightest bit of hesitation. Lu''um attributed this to her warrior conditioning, which allowed her to act in defense before she could even recognize a threat, a reflexive skill honed into her body over the years.


    She''s a real handful, Reed thought.


    They continued forward, passing through a variety of shards in pursuit of the finish line. One of them led to a vast mountain range in East, covered in white snow as far as they could see. Another shard spat them out into a bustling city in some underground city, full of strange folk with heavy cloaks covering the majority of their bodies.


    Reed and Lu''um pushed forward. Through chaotic ages of brimstone and fire, order and peace, and everything in between. They passed through absurd conjunction of spliced history that spanned five entire millenniums until they finally made through.


    By the time they came out of the temporal maze, neither of them looked even remotely like their former selves.


    For the lack of better words, they both looked like idiots.


    Reed and Lu''um walked out of the final spatiotemporal shard confidently, despite how they looked. He looked like a clown as he wore an extremely tall, pointed black hat on his head. His exquisite robe was studded with a myriad glimmering jewels and diamonds, to the point that he looked more like walking treasure chest than a living being.


    Lu''um, on the other hand, had somehow come across a strange helmet that had been made in the shape of a ferocious bear. She donned a beautiful set of heavy, antique armor that looked like it belonged in a museum. It was no Anima-powered exoskeleton or power-suit, but rather something a primitive species would have created in a rudimentary time of swords, arrows, and simple warcraft. Where she had acquired such an ancient thing, not even Reed knew...


    Had Velvund seen both of them as they were right now, he would have fainted. They would have ruined the heroic and stately public image Velvund had cultivated for them in a single instant.


    The surreal, unsightly couple descended together into the superheated depths of the fissure all the way to the bottom...


    Reed was speechless. It baffled him, despite having seen what laid below in the fissure at Centlani Deep.


    This time it was... a foot.


    "Goddamn, that is a big-ass foot," said Reed as he observed the enormous heel in front of him.


    A couple of cities could probably fit on the heel of the foot alone, Reed thought. It was the foot of real-life titan, a being who could probably lift the world on its shoulders.


    "An astute observation, darling. I fear that your deductive skills may be even greater than my own these days," said Lu''um as she pulled Reed along.


    "Hey! That wasn''t very nice of you."


    "Said the one who chucked me into the fissure."


    They continued to childishly bicker with one another as they descended onto the heel of the foot. Suffice to say, their exploits were not the heroic stuff of legends, not that it would stop Velvund from refashioning it to suit his narrative.


    If no one knew the truth ¡ª that the world was being saved by a bickering bear-woman and a walking treasure chest ¡ª it was akin to having not existed in the first place. Velvund could rest easy.


    The two of them finally arrived at the destination, after many a setback and misadventure. The colossal, alien spire of machinery lay before them ¡ª the reset node.


    Reed and Lu''um had made it. Surprisingly, against all odds.

 159 All Good Things Must Come To An End

    Deep beneath the surface of the continent, two people silently inspected a colossal alien spire of metal. An ancient machine of unknown design built to regulate the flow of Anima in the continent, sustain the Heavenly Barrier, and serve as life support for the sleeping titan below the earth, among many other tasks...


    It was the second reset node -- one of the five enormous constructs that Lacrima had entrusted Reed and Lu''um to activate in order to stop the prophesized Eventide of Faith.


    Reed scratched his head and said, "So you''re telling me you don''t know anything else about them? You, of all people? Left in the dark? ...You''re going to have to excuse the skepticism in my tone, Sweetcheeks."


    Lu''um turned around and said, "What if I told you -- hear me out on this for a hot second -- that I genuinely don''t know everything. That I, in truth, am not actually an omniscient being from the eighth dimension, dear.


    Yes, I know much, but I can''t say I know everything. There are some things that have been kept from me too, and this construct is one of those things."


    Doubt filled Reed''s mind, but it vanished after an idea popped into his head.


    "Do you at least know who built these things? You''re not going to tell me that you don''t know that either, right?"


    "Well... Yes, I do know who built these reset nodes, but I think that''s besid--"


    Ah, so I was right. Why didn''t I come to that conclusion sooner? Of course, it was that cunt who built them. Built everything else that''s messed up life, so why would he not be responsible for this, too?


    Reed waved his hand in annoyance and flew toward the reset node, stopping Lu''um from finishing her explanation. The less Reed heard about that bastard, the better he felt. He had heard enough.


    The moment he touched the machine monolith, it began rebooting from its last stable date of operation in recovery mode.


    "Registered user detected. ERROR. Unable to establish a link with the Central Core.


    Last known connection date -- Era of Ruin, year 5426/ Seventh Lunar Spring/ Month of the Hummingbird, 18th day."


    Reed slowly backed up from the monolith, aware of what was likely going to happen. He did not want to be around when it started to begin the reset process.


    "A diagnostic check is required. Please wait for one moment..."


    When Lu''um flew past Reed toward the monolith, he said, "H-Hey, I don''t think we should stick around any longer. It''s not safe here anymore, not with what''s about to happen!" As far as Reed was concerned, the faster they bailed, the greater of a headstart they''d get on the damned construct...


    Lu''um ignored Reed''s concerned pleas and then touched the monolith herself after a period of contemplation.


    A flash of orange light flooded the monolith and it said, "...Registered user detected. Privilege level Beta-3. Welcome, user."


    "ERROR. Alpha-level administration rights have not been granted to you, please contact a registered operator for further..."


    "Search query for all files on operation SUNDOWN, GARDENCOFFIN, and LAST-TWILIGHT."


    "ERROR. Alpha-level administration rights have not been granted to you, please contact a registered operator for further..."


    The monolith sputtered out a string of warnings and rejections in cold, lifeless voice, much to Lu''um''s frustration. She bit her lips and turned toward Reed silently and waited for him.


    Oh, for fuck''s sake... This isn''t what I signed up for... Also, isn''t this a form of exploration?


    Reed flew back to the monolith and said, "...Search query for all files on operation SUNDOWN, GARDENCOFFIN, and LAST-TWILIGHT."


    "...Omega-level access rights detected. 34 files found on operations SUNDOWN, GARDENCOFFIN, and LAST-TWILIGHT. Please state the clearance code."


    Reed licked his lips and said, "...Open sesame?"


    "ERROR. Invalid clearance code. Please state the correct clearance code."


    Well, it was worth a try. Can''t say I didn''t give it a shot.


    Reed looked Lu''um with a sympathetic expression and shrugged his shoulders helplessly.


    "Look, your guess is as good as mine, but I don''t think we have much time here left," he said, "State the status of the internal diagnostic."


    "...Internal diagnostic complete. Vital signs unstable. Corrupted pathways detected. ERROR. Elevated blood pressure detected.


    Temporal incursions detected. WARNING. MANDATORY RESET REQUIRED FOR SPATIOTEMPORAL REBOOT.


    WARNING. RESET REQUIRES USER AUTHENTICATION."


    "...Yeah, that was what I was expecti--"


    "COMMAND ACCEPTED. RESET IN PROGRESS. PLEASE VACATE THE PREMISES IMMEDIATELY, USER."


    ....W-Wait, what?


    Reed''s eyes suddenly popped out of his sockets in fear. He immediately blurted out, "CEASE THE RESET! STOP! WAIT!"


    The monolith did not respond. It had already begun its monumental work, no longer bothering with Reed''s desperate queries. He had sealed his own fate.


    He turned toward Lu''um and heard a long sigh come out of her helmet. Resignation filled her soul as she watched the monolith tremble furiously in preparation, gathering Anima for what was to come.


    "Oh come on, now! You CANNOT blame me for that! How was I supposed to know that--"


    Lu''um didn''t even bother to respond, which only embarrassed Reed more. She flew over to Reed and grabbed him, opened up a spatial tear, and chucked him into it before she entered.


    They had disappeared. And right on time too, as staying any longer would have proved problematic for both of them. While Reed had been able to outrun the deadly surge of superheated Anima in Centlani Deep, things would not have ended as cleanly for them had they tried to outrun the purge in the Silvermoon Grasslands.


    For it would not be a physical purge, but a temporal purge. They would have not likely survived a temporal purge, as it would have been akin to outrunning all of time itself. Reed and Lu''um would have been slowly chased down from all angles by an all-consuming purge wave of Anima from all directions.


    It would not have been as simple as before with Centlani Deep, which had been a race from point A to point B. In that scenario, Reed only had to run away from point A and reach point B to escape.


    The temporal purge wave destroyed everything in a non-linear fashion, which would have made it impossible to escape. The all-consuming purge wave would not have come from point A but also from point B this time, therefore making it into a death sentence for everyone within its range.


    Thus, Lu''um had opted to go where time itself did not exist -- the Void.


    It was a place somewhat removed from the axis of time, which meant that it was not completely subject to the temporal purge wave that was affecting the entire continent at the moment.


    The moment they stepped into the Void, the armor Lu''um wore vanished into nothingness having been deleted from existence. It was a sign to her that the purge wave had finally finished its course. Unbeknownst to Reed, it was why Lu''um had encouraged him to pick up random things from across history.


    They served as historical markers of the purge''s progressive through time since each one belonged to a distinct period of time. Now that the armor was gone, along with her helmet and Reed''s ridiculous costume, she was sure that the temporal reset worked.


    When Reed noticed that his outfit disappeared, he said, "Oh, look''s like the reset worked, right?"


    Lu''um nodded and said, "Yes, it should already be over. Though there''s only to truly find out."


    She tore open a spatial tear and they walked through it, stepping out on the other side.


    It... was the Silvermoon Grasslands, late during the evening. The sun had come so low to the horizon that only the faintest threads of its light could be seen, heralding the end of the day.


    Night would come in a few minutes, no doubt, thought Reed.


    He turned around and saw the Spirit of Bountiful Charity behind him and Lu''um as it solemnly hovered in place. Everything was still where he last remembered it was before they had left.


    "...How long have we been gone?"


    "In their eyes, it has only been a matter of seconds. To them, it probably seemed like we stepped into the anomaly for a breath, and then it was all over."


    Reed wagered that they had been in the anomaly at least for an entire month, at best.


    All of that time compressed down into a handful of seconds. The madness of the whole experience, traversing through five millenniums of history, only to find out that it had all happened in less time than it took to make a cup of tea.


    The sun had finally set over the horizon. Night had come and with it came the final cry of the Silvermoon Azaleas.


    They shone like little stars on their own, undisturbed as they brought hope to the untouched grasslands. There was no scar upon the land anymore, for it had been erased from existence.


    Reed and Lu''um relaxed for the first time in what felt like a long time for them. A heavy weight had finally been removed of their shoulders. Velvund could rest easy. The Silvermoon Grasslands were safe.


    They had already done enough for today, yesterday, and tomorrow.


    For just a little while, they spent their time like normal people, basking in the light of the night. They deserved at least that much for their hard work...

 160 Running From Destiny

    It was a complete and utter lie, but Reed couldn''t speak the truth even if he wanted to. A pair of energetic, azure eyes honed in on him on his right side. It was a gaze full of warmth and kindness.


    On Reed''s left side, a saint-like pair of glowing hazel eyes danced upon his stoic mien, awaiting his response. They gleamed like pure, diamonds bereft of all possible impurities, which only aggrieved further him on the inside.


    The bright studio lights above him and the positioning of his seat in the stage were a source of immense discomfort to him. Reed felt like he was being put on display, like an exotic, one-of-a-kind animal or some cutting-edge product to everyone in the studio room.


    More than a dozen stationary cameras, hovercams, and holographic recorders were pointed straight at his face, projecting their feeds across the continent everywhere. There was nowhere to run ¡ª Reed had been cornered and forced to attend the interview by both Velvend and Lu''um.


    All across the continent, millions upon millions of people watched the first televised appearance of the Stainless Prince and Lady Evergreen since their supposed deaths, nearly three years ago during the Twilight War in rapturous excitement.


    The host of the famous late-night show, Savan Wasserman, laughed warmly with Velvund as they bantered about the familiar, universal woes of fatherhood and their personal lives. They discussed simple topics that bridged the gap between all races as the former Avunian king and the Human holo-vision host brought their conversation around to the main course of the night ¡ª Reed and Lu''um.


    In the course of a single night, they had become the most popular figures on the continent. Skyrocketed into stardom, unlike anything that had been witnessed in millennia. Their reported success in the Silvermoon Grasslands had given them the necessary push Velvund had sought, for it had brought them back into the eye of the public.


    Several recorded images and videos flashed across the large holo-crystal screen behind them. Extensive footage that had been taken in the Silvermoon Grasslands and the damage that had occurred there. Velvund solemnly explained immense destruction that the fissure had caused and the potential repercussions it would have had on the continent were it not for...


    A scene played for everyone in the audience, as if to rile them up and give them the irresistible conclusion they wanted. The fissure chaotically repaired itself and disappeared in the blink of an eye, and then a pair walked out of the perceived disaster untouched. The couple marveled upon their own work together as they watched the final blossoming of the Silvermoon Azaleas.


    The Stainless Prince and Lady Evergreen had traversed through many a dangerous threat in their journey across time itself to save the Silvermoon Grasslands and the world.


    Reed wanted to retch. Had the world seen what he had been shown, they would have not dared think his journey some daring, noble quest. He had learned of dark, terrible things ¡ª of an era of unprecedented brutality, oppression, and injustice that had last for an entire millennium.


    Nevertheless, he did not dare so much as utter a single word of it aloud. Not because of the two hawks secretly keeping a check on him, but out of fear of the consequences that would ensue. Reed simply did not have the heart to tell the world of the evil truth he had learned.


    He did not have the strength to do it. The world did not deserve to suffer such a thing, Reed thought. Not while the worst was probably still to come...


    "So, I take it that you''ll be on the lookout for trouble now that you''re back, right? What''s the next adventure on your list, son? I assume that being a full-time hero is exhausting, no?


    I can already hear the kids crying from here! Their cats and balloons have gotten stuck up on those darned trees!"


    You have NO idea, old man. If only I could actually laugh at that dumb joke. I wish it was that easy...


    Reed chuckled lightly and said, "I''ll put them on my list. I''m sure I can handle a couple of missing pet requests here and there."


    The audience laughed. Velvund laughed. Lu''um laughed. Wasserman laughed. Reed laughed.


    It was all so terribly fake and contrived. Reed wanted to grab Wasserman''s desk and toss it into the Void just to see how he''d react. Would he get an honest reaction from him or would he stick to his scripted routine and laugh it all off with a big grin?


    Reed wanted to know. The urge was boiling up inside of him like a volcano that was ready to blow.


    When Lu''um noticed the dangerous, hidden glimmer with Reed''s eyes, she spoke to him mentally and said, "Don''t. Do. Anything. Stupid."


    Her mastery in concealment and subterfuge was such that no one had noticed just how calculated her expressions were. They appeared completely natural and genuine, as if she really was putting her heart in the open for all to see.


    Lu''um seemed like someone very open-minded, down-to-earth, and extremely sympathetic by nature given the responses she had given to Wasserman''s questions. She was a pure-hearted maiden of the North who only sought peace and safety for the continent and the many peoples that inhabited it, be they Human, Avunian, Eisalon, and the like.


    A true saintess in the making. With her absolutely extraordinary beauty, wisdom, and charm, it would not be long before she had the entire continent dancing on her palm. Reed could already see the hordes of poor sheeple worshiping, praising, and defending every action of hers.


    Evil little spider of mine, cease your scheming! Return back to your lair, lest you suffer at my--


    Reed stopped complaining inside of his own head when he felt a chill run down his spine. When he saw that Lu''um had turned her body towards Reed, alarm bells rang in his head.


    He lamented the fact that not even his own mind was a safe space for him anymore. For the longest, he had not used the thought-obscuring technique he had learned many years ago, as a gesture of not keeping any secrets from Lu''um, but now it had come to bite him in the ass.


    Mercy! I wish not to taste the dreadful kiss of your fingers, O beloved sunflower of mine! I have erred! Pray, be the better woman and forgive this poor fool!


    Reed poured his heart out as he desperately tried to avoid his damned fate, but his pleas had fallen on deaf ears. Lu''um deftly put her arm around Reed''s waist and nestled on his right shoulder in a seemingly pure act of affection, but it was anything but tender and sweet.


    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!


    Scorching pain crept up Reed''s left side, but he could do nothing about it aside from keep a calm, composed face. Lu''um''s fingers had were like iron clamps as they pinched on his waist, much to his horror.


    Lu''um was generally quite tolerant of Reed and his nonsense, but she would not tolerate any fuck-ups or rebellious ideas from him right now. Not while they were on a majority of the goddamned holo-screens across the continent. She would make Reed suffer if he made them look like idiots in front of tens of millions of people.


    The show continued as planned after Reed was quickly subdued by Lu''um and made to understand his role. The show moved through a variety of topics, including their personal lives, their relationship, and their future plans as an engaged couple.


    Reed, in particular, quietly sucked in a breath of cold air when the last topic came up. It was as if someone had written a script for all of the worst questions to answer. He preferred to keep his personal life as private as possible, but had not defied Lu''um after she made herself clear to him.


    He spilled out his guts with a sterling, princely smile without even the slightest hesitation, but the last question had struck him like low-blow. It was the one question he wished had not been asked. Prayed that would not have been brought up.


    Reed had tried to run away from it, but his destiny had come all the same for him.


    Lu''um''s lips curled in joy when she finally heard the question she wanted to answer the most.


    Her face was practically beaming with happiness, so much so that Reed wagered that if he had the machinery capable of converting her joy into energy, it might have been able to solve the continent''s energy problems for centuries on end.


    The noble Lady Everygreen paused for a moment and then said, "...I think that we''re going to have it soon enough... Right, Dear?"


    Reed shrugged his hardest not to tremble in fear and smiled calmly, his facade about to break from the immense pressure coming from the woman beside him.


    He weakly smiled and nodded. It was the only thing he could do.


    Ah, she got me....

 161 A Woven Myth

    A lingering feeling of dread washed, deep within his heart of hearts. He knew that Lu''um had gotten in a way that couldn''t be undone or countered anymore. The situation Lu''um had thrust Reed into was one far beyond his own level of expertise for bullshittery and evasive language.


    He was equal parts horrified and awestruck of her astonishing decisiveness when it came to the big question.


    How was Reed supposed to have answered? That he was secretly afraid of making such a big jump, even if he really did love Lu''um? It didn''t sound very mature answer and felt like it would''ve betrayed everyone''s expectations of them.


    Reed bashfully smiled for the cameras and scratched his head. He sputtered out, "O-Of course, of course! W-We''re just focused on finding the right time to have it, given how busy we usually are..."


    Take a slow, deep breath, Reed! Play it cool! Deep breath, deep breath, deep breath...


    His flushed, nervous expression was not practiced facade ¡ª Reed really was utterly embarrassed at the moment. It was already one thing for him to open himself up to a stranger, but talking about his love life and future wedding? In front of millions of people and a live audience?


    Even for Reed, it had been too much to handle. His calm, dignified facade had broken ¡ª for a brief moment, the Stainless Prince had disappeared and Reed had taken center stage.


    For a vast majority of the continent, barring a handful of people, it was the first time they had seen the Stainless Prince for who he really was inside ¡ª a young man in love.


    In simpler words, a normal person.


    It was an important, cultural moment that resonated with mortals across the continent for a variety of reasons. For generations, mortals had been under the impression that Chosen were of a different breed than them.


    That Chosen were near-perfect creatures without flaws ¡ª beings that could not err. They were special, unique individuals who had become as close to a God as a Mortal being could achieve.


    This belief was especially true when it came to the four royal families of the Mulia ¡ª the Old Blood ¡ª as they were considered living proxies of the Four Sovereigns'' wills in their absence.


    True, Reed''s verbal hiccup was just a small matter, but it would not have happened to say, Haydn Kingscrown, had he been asked the exact same question. He would have calmly answered the question without even the slightest noticeable change in emotion or expression.


    Neither would it have happened to any other prince or princess of the Old Blood ¡ª the question would not have broken the impenetrable public facade they had been taught to create for themselves. They had been taught to act in a matter befitting their noble blood.


    And yet here was Reed, who had broken his ''Stainless Prince'' persona because of a single question ¡ª transformed into a pile of mush.


    It was rare enough for mortals to catch a glimpse of the royal families, let alone know of their personal lives, so it was highly attractive that they had accidentally caught a glimpse of something truly special.


    A bit of the royal families'' perfect illusion had died but in return, something brand new had taken hold instead...


    Mortals, if only for a fading moment, felt connected to Reed. Here was something that they, too, understood. A commonality between both Mortalkind and the Demigods. There was no distinction between races, ages, and divinities when it came to matters of love.


    It was yet another small thread that Velvund would use to weave the narrative he desired.


    Reed had to become someone that every person could feel a connection to, be they Chosen, Mortal, Human, Avunian, Eisalon, Old and Young. An individual who they could feel confident in following.


    ...To clearly describe and demonstrate the shared experiences a person has with another person was also another deliberate method to encourage and foster a powerful, meaningful relationship with a person.


    Showing that you and the other person aren''t so different, after all, despite whatever impression they may have had about you.


    The questions that Wasserman had asked Reed and Lu''um had all been written by Velvund beforehand -- all designed to weave their experiences into shared threads of common interest between themselves and the entire continent, be they Mortal or Chosen.


    Their likes and dislikes, their hobbies, their fears (a question that would have been asked to any other royal members ever), their future dreams, their funniest stories, and anything else of interest.


    ...To show one''s own vulnerabilities and open one''s heart to another was not a weakness ¡ª it was a sound method to foster a closer, more trusting relationship with another person. Dropping your guard was an effective way to develop trust, something only a very few royal people knew how to do in public.


    Reed had already done this on his own though, as Velvund had anticipated. It was a long-con three years in the making and was the reason he had pushed for Reed and Lu''um to become engaged.


    He had exploited his own grandson''s pure, bashful feelings about love on international holovision for the benefit of the grand narrative.


    This was the kind of man the legendary Silver Reaper was at heart ¡ª a god-like manipulator of facts, lies, and rumors. He was still the lord of half-truths, whispers, and fleeting shadows, even if he was not King of the East anymore.


    He was still the acting chairman of the Council of Shadows, the East''s intelligence branch, with over five thousand years of experience in making people believe his words.


    Unbeknownst to the world at large, Velvund had painted a portrait on live holovision, one that was endlessly endearing to the masses.


    He had failed his grandson when he needed help the most, but he would not fail him again. And he would not fail the task he had been given long ago, either. Velvund swore to himself he would accomplish what he had been entrusted with, even if it meant getting his hands dirty if it came down to it.


    If a single shadow must fall so that the sun may rise again, then so be it. ...It is a price worth paying. Not that I have the right to reject that price, anyway...


    Velvund would gladly do whatever was necessary to push Reed and Lu''um up into the sky, even if he had to chisel a staircase for them to climb with his own damned hands.


    But the greatest part of Velvun''s act had not even begun... until now. The time had come to lay his final stroke of genius upon the world for today.


    Wasserman smiled in an understanding manner and said, "Don''t sweat it and enjoy yourselves more before the both of you make the jump. Trust this old bag of bones here, there''ll be plenty of time for changing diapers later!


    I''m three kids into the ol'' song and dance and there''s no end in sight to that, haha!"


    Everyone laughed. The show continued as planned and eventually reached the final part of the course.


    "Today, we have something very special to close off the show, folks! To commemorate the return of the Stainless Prince and Lady Evergreen, we''re delighted to reveal a treat for all the little heroes in your home!"


    Hm? What''s he talking about? A commemorative treat? What the hell is that supposed to mean?


    The lights dimmed across the stage and then a pair of bright spotlights turned on to illuminate the large red curtain on the far left side of the studio. A dramatic soundtrack played, drumming up the tension in the room and when it reached its climax... they came out.


    Children flew out of the curtain as they hovered about a foot and half above the ground with large smiles on their faces. They were all mortal children, of course. Avunian, Human, Eisalon, Cuanian, so on so forth ¡ª no race seemed to have been left out, it seemed.


    They naturally did not have the ability to fly. No -- they were flying because of what was on their backs, or rather what they were wearing.


    It was the cloaks they were wearing that had granted them that ability. A restricted Anima flight-matrix (suitable for children) had been weaved into the nano-mesh of the synthetic ''Quentli'' silk -- an Ancient Mulian meta-material of old -- to allow even mortal children the joy of flight.


    A grand reveal of a brand new technology -- smart clothing capable of recording simple Anima-matrices for civilian use.


    And the world''s first piece of clothing to be publicly unveiled for this exciting technology?


    Reed felt his heart stop when he recognized the design of some of the cloaks the children were wearing. It was as if his world had suddenly come to a halt.


    They had a sleek, polished black appeared that glimmered mysteriously under the spotlights. On the back of each cloak, there was an elegant embroidery of a large, golden sun and various stellar motifs. It was like each cloak was a glittering starry sky of its own, eye-catching as could be.


    The audience gasped in amazement as they watched the unreal show play out before them, stunned by what they were watching.


    When the demonstrative presentation ended, Velvund stood and explained the nature of Quentli silk to the world for the first time, drawing the attention of every Mortal and Chosen who drew breath. Of its wonderous properties when it came to recording Anima-matrices and its potential applications.


    "Truth be told, I myself have only been told of its existence. It was my daughter here today who discovered the ancient knowledge of Quentli silk a couple of weeks ago," said Velvund gesturing toward Lu''um.


    Credit was given where it was due, for it was Lu''um who had created added this part to Velvund''s narrative after consulting with him. She had given herself an extra boost in popularity and reputation, but had also helped Velvund cement his narrative even further.


    She had given the narrative two symbols. One of the Sun and other of the Moon; tied them to herself and Reed with the reveal of the cloaks and the technology behind them. Pushed the myth one step further with something tangible.


    Lu''um stood up and said, "I hope you all enjoyed this little demonstration we have put on for you. We will be releasing versions of these cloaks so that every child can be a hero, too..."

 162 The Perfect Knigh

    Soft, smooth, and warm to the touch, much like the original ¡ª for all intents and purposes, it was as faithful a replica as anyone could have managed. Reed gently caressed the cloak in his hands as he inspected it from seam to seam in search of any possible flaws or imperfections. It had none to speak of.


    He could not find a reason to be upset about the replica in his hands. Whichever artisan made the cloak had clearly put an astounding amount of effort into its production, such that it had left Reed without words.


    What would she have thought about this situation? Would she have felt pride, embarrassment, or annoyance that she had posthumously become a symbol? I can''t imagine her being too happy about becoming a children''s toy.


    Reed chuckled. He wagered that she would have probably been delighted in secret, the troublesome woman she was at heart. Not that she would have ever admitted it to him, or anyone else, though...


    "Do you... like it?" Lu''um said, "I had this one personally made for you, dear. I personally oversaw the production of this cloak myself since it was used as the original template for the upcoming mass-production models. The manufacturer doesn''t need it anymore though, after it was thoroughly scanned and digitized for archival."


    "...How were you able to reconstruct such a flawless replica?"


    Lu''um tapped her head and said, "It''s all up here; I''ve got a pretty darn good memory. Though we also used recorded footage from the past as reference material as well to make sure that we got the design down perfectly. Old photographs and video recordings of you from back then were used..."


    Reed put down the cloak on the table in front of him and picked up a different garment ¡ª the sliver cloak with the lunar motif.


    "Ah, I designed that one that myself based on the... original. The final mass-production flight-matrix weaved into it will leave a sparkling aftereffect, like a comet''s tail. In comparison, your cloak will have something more attuned for boys ¡ª a fiery flame effect, perhaps. Something in that relative ballpark, I have been told."


    "Very cute. Reel in both the boys and the girls. Get their parents to cough up the dough, no matter what kind of child they have. Anything else I should know about? What other parts of my life are planning to monetize and use for your machinations?"


    Velvund took a sip of his tea and said, "My boy, you know full well that we would never stoop so for something as trivial as wealth. You are a prince of an empire, my son. Take that for what it is in truth.


    If we really wanted to, we could simply hand out the cloaks for free to every single child on the continent ¡ª it would not affect the royal treasury in the slightest."


    "Then why not do that? Give to them and let the kids play."


    Truth be told, we have already manufactured several million cloaks already ¡ª more than enough to begin selling them today if we wanted to, but the sudden purchases of these cloaks would not fit into the budgets of the families with the lowest incomes on the continent.


    Lu''um interjected and said, "By pushing the release date of the cloaks to New Saint''s Day at the of the year, we''ve given these parents more than half a year to prepare for the purchase. They can save up for the cloaks without worry about their children being left out had we released them today."


    "Then why not give them out for free on New Saint''s day, then? A gift from the East''s royal family to the continent?"


    Velvund slowly shook his head and said, "If only you understood how precious and irreplaceable the joy of your child is. Watching your children open up their presents on New Saint''s Day is as much a pleasure to them as it is to their parents. We cannot rob that away from the parents, as well-intentioned as your proposal is at its core, my son.


    Parents live to provide for the children ¡ª to see that they grow up as happy and fulfilled as they can manage. There is an indescribable sense of pride and happiness seeing that you have made your child''s dreams come true ¡ª if only on a single day ¡ª on the morning of New Saint''s Day.


    I know you''ll understand this in time when you, too, become a father, my son."


    Reed paused for a moment and then said, "I guess you''re right. I mean, I clearly have no right to contest your judgment on this matter since I am no parent. I suppose I don''t understand this... aspect of New Saint''s Day because I''ve only celebrated it with Maya.


    A-Ah, but don''t get me wrong! It was still a very enjoyable experience with her and I loved the whole concept about it the moment I was introduced to it. I could have never thought that an old Human holiday would have ever become so popular amongst other races, though..."


    Lu''um and Velvund felt as if their hearts had been twisted when they listened to Reed try to excuse himself. They both lamented that he had been robbed of something truly priceless... his childhood. It was an unforgivable cruelty, but there was nothing they could do about that loss. The only thing they could do now was make it up to him in some other form ¡ª give him the opportunities that he did not have back then, now.


    What Fate would not provide this poor boy, they would provide to him.


    And return, Reed would do the same for every child in Mulia in the future. He would provide security, stability, and prosperity to all in Mulia.


    Velvund was confident that this far-off future would manifest.


    He would slowly, but surely show Reed the correct path he had chiseled in the dark, and guide him to where he truly belonged, as was foretold by his greatest benefactor ¡ª the woman who had saved his entire race... and the continent of Mulia.


    "Then let us make sure that those children live to see New Saint''s Day. That the final sunset does not descend upon Mulia''s horizon ¡ª this prophesized ''Eventide of Faith,'' that you have spoken of. We must fix the plague besetting the lands as soon as possible and restore peace to the world."


    Velvund was a Chosen down to the marrow of his bones, dedicated to the preservation of what little life remained on Mulia. He would not rest easy until all the infection plaguing Mulia was completely purged.


    In many ways, he was the epitome of what an ideal Chosen was envisioned by the Will of the World, which why had been bequeathed a certain artefact to safeguard. The pure knight of the Alf would not betray the trust of that which had given him the strength he possessed now.


    Every royal prince needed a figure that they could trust without fear of being betrayed. One who could act as both a mentor and guardian. He was the only one who had passed every requirement She had put forth on all the original otherworlders who had been summoned to Mulia five thousand years ago.


    The perfect knight ¡ª that was who Velvund was. One who would never be corrupted by whatever temptations the Infestation offered, nor the irresistible allure of the artefact he had been entrusted to safeguard for Her child.


    In truth though, there was one other candidate for the secret position. One had only lost to Velvund on a single trial and therefore, had been rejected by Her and cast aside.


    That man''s name was... Fernando Alsace. Though he had been known by a different name in modern times.


    The Holy Pope of Fourth Heaven.


    Velvund sipped his tea in silence as he observed his quarreling grandchildren and recited his personal oath to Her in his heart.


    Where Fear might lay in waiting like a predator in the dark, I will walk with Courage by my side to light my way.


    Where Fury''s hateful flame may parch my reasoning, Compassion will quench the thirst of my insanity.


    Where Ignorance may guide me to certain death, may Knowledge and Wisdom direct to me to my victory.


    Not for Glory.


    Not for Wealth.


    Not for Power.


    As you have directed, I shall obey and survive until the task is done, no matter the cost.


    My blade, tongue, and blood are for Him and Him alone.


    May this Oath stand the test of time, so long as I stand pure of heart.


    The oath Velvund had recanted his heart to Her held such tremendous power that even today, five thousand years later, it still had the same effect as the day he had sworn it...


    It was keeping him alive, even now past the day he had been destined to die as decreed by Fate.


    Though his still heart no longer beat with life, he still remained alive and would continue to do so... until the task he been entrusted with was complete. The blessing of his ancient oath would chain him to life until then...

 163 The Edge of the Cliff

    He had anticipated that the day would finally come, soon or later. When he would be forced to reveal the hidden secret to his grandson. The Great Lie -- that which kept the peace in Mulia, even to this very day. Still, he had not expected that the day would have arrived so soon.


    It is this accursed ''Eventide of Faith,'' nonsense that has ruined my plans. Sped them up past what my schedule''s limits... but if this is how it is meant to be, then I will not defy Her will.


    Velvund, Reed, and Lu''um were in a place not known to many a Chosen, much less any Mortal. It was an erased location, hidden away from prying eyes. Only those who earned the title of King were privy to the secret location nestled within a remote mountain range in...


    Reed observed the massive, decrepit tunnel that had been carved into a random mountain in the [XXXX] province of the [XXXXXX] region of the [XXXXX]. From what he knew, it appeared that the man-made tunnel had been constructed literal ages ago. It was already on the verge of collapse, half-crumbled already and in state of total disrepair.


    "You brought us all the way out here... for this prehistoric tunnel? How is this going to solve the question I asked? Are planning on showing us some fossilized remains of an alien creature, or something?"


    A day ago, Reed had finally brought up the topic Velvund feared the most and asked a very important question.


    "...Well, of course, we''re going to save the continent, Gramps. I''d do it on my own if I had to, you know. But that topic''s brought up a chance for me to ask something I''ve been wanting to for a while, now..."


    Velvund stroked his chin and said, "What might that be, my son? What is troubling you?"


    "The world''s in danger, right?"


    "Yes, that is correct. ...And?"


    "...And now, more than ever, we need strong, capable people to help us close the fissure, would you not agree?"


    "Well, yes... you are right. Every Chosen in Mulia has been rallied to assist in the fight to slow the growth of the fissures. We have been working against this plague for the last year and a half, even before you returned."


    "Right, right. That sounds great and all, but when you say ''every chosen in Mulia,'' do you really mean that or is that just a figure of speech?" said Reed as he lovingly caressed his new cloak.


    Velvund paused for a moment and then said, "Yes, we have mobilized every single Chosen currently not stationed out on patrol in the Shadowlands for this cause. It is a world-wide threat to the continent and the Four Empires have responded according--"


    "Then why have I not heard of the Four Sovereigns'' response to this mounting threat since I have returned?"


    Ah. It''s finally happened. I can no longer keep it from him.


    Valid questions worth their weight in gold. ... I cannot lie to him about it, not anymore now that he has finally caught on.


    Velvund bitterly smiled and said, "...You know, my son, where you to have asked these questions to anyone else, you would have taken by the Dreaming Council. They would have stripped your mind clean and left you a babbling idiot out in the Shadowlands as prey for the Infested."


    The temperature in the room dropped considerably after Velvund explained himself. It was a chilling thing to hear Velvund someone casually mention what seemed like an inhumane execution with what had been the warmest tone he could manage.


    What... the hell? Was... W-Was I just threatened... by Gramps?


    Lu''um observed Reed and Velvund with an indifferent expression on her face, as if she had not even heard what had come out of the old Alf''s mouth. She knew the secret, too, but had chosen to hide it from Reed, not because she was intent on keeping it from him. During their journey across time in Silvermoon Grasslands, she could have to him the truth, but she had decided against it in the end.


    She just did not want to be the one to tell him about it and by extension, become associated with that ugly truth as the one who had revealed it to Reed. In any case, the blame did not fall on her at all, since she was not in any way, shape, form involved with Mulia''s history past the Great Barrier War five thousand years ago.


    Lu''um inspected her silver cloak in silence and thought to herself, "...That''s your business, Alf, and none of my own. You carry your own sins and I''ll carry my own. I will have nothing with what you will have to explain..."


    Velvund retracted his statement and said, "Ah, but don''t worry, son, nothing will happen to you since I have already whitelisted your name in the Dreaming Council''s Book. They won''t come for you, but even so, please do me this favor, my son...


    Speak of the Four Sovereigns and other matters such as this only in secret, where no prying ears may fall around you. Although you will not be affected, those around you will. They, after all, will not have been granted the same privilege I have given you... You would not want your precious friends to disappear one day, yes?"


    A clear warning. Astor, Horatio, and Ophelia''s faces flashed in Reed''s head and after a moment of contemplation nodded his head.


    "Good. I would not you to be beset with any more undue grief than you have already experienced, my son. Know that I tell you this not because I wish to scare you, but because I do not want to see you feel loss again. Not by your own hand, at the very least..."


    "Who are these... people and what do they have to do with my... original question?"


    Velvund nodded in approval of Reed''s verbal maneuvering and said, "Better." He snapped his fingers and a sphere of Anima covered all three of them, sealing out all sound inside of the sphere. Even their bodies were hidden as a thin layer of mist formed on the outside of the sphere...


    "The Dreaming Council is a group of highly powerful conquerors who have integrated themselves into every information network on the continent, be it legal, illegal, civilian, military, or academic. They are part of a special initiative set forth to manipulate information and identify potential targets of interest that could threaten... the stability of the continent."


    The stability of the continent? Potential targets of interest? That''s a bit...


    Reed turned toward Lu''um, as if to seek her clarification on the matter, but she said, "Oh, I know, dear. But I refuse to tell you. This isn''t my cross to bear..." She summoned her tome and covered herself with her cloak, distancing herself from the conversation entirely.


    ...What the hell?


    "Look, I heard what you told me, but it sounded vague," Reed said, "You''re going to have to explain yourself with a little more detail for me if you want me to understand, Gramps. Who are these... potential targets of interest and what kind of information are they manipulating? Give me specifics. Hard facts, not just ambiguous phrases."


    Velvund took a deep breath and said, "Son, do you know the Four Empires were founded?"


    Reed tilted his head in confusion and said, "...It must have happened after the Age of Chaos, right? So at a bare minimum, about four thousand years ago, give or take? I don''t really know."


    The old Alf''s eyes widened for a moment when he heard Reed reference the Age of Chaos and said, "How do you know about that period of time, son? How was it that told you about that? That in and of itself, is another taboo that could have gotten you taken by the Dreaming Council, my son. Never, ever, reference it to anyone else. Am I clear?"


    Velvund''s expression hardened when we heard casually reference the hellish, forgotten period of time. Nightmarish memories from the past bubbled up, but disappeared as soon as he regained his composure.


    "Oh, uh, well, I learned about it from..." Reed gave a side-eye stare toward Lu''um who had hidden underneath her cloak.


    "...I see. That is fine, then. It is as you have imagined, the Four Empires were formed three thousand six hundred and eighty-five years ago to this year, after the Age of Chaos and the Unification Wars. And more than three and a half millennia, the Four Empires have enjoyed an unprecedentedly enormous period of unbroken peace.


    Normal kingdoms rise and fall, my son, as if they were made of sand and built on the shore of a beach, yet our Four Empires have persisted for so long that a thousand mortal kingdoms could have been born during their tenure.


    Why is that so?"


    Reed froze when he heard the question that had been posited to him. It was such a good question that it had left him reeling in thought.


    How have these four empires lasted so long? Even with the Four Sovereigns, it doesn''t really make sense. There''s bound to come a time when, for some reason, they should have fallen.


    "All civilizations, kingdoms, and peoples have their time in the sun and then, they will, too, as all that had come before them, fade into the night. Nothing lasts forever, not even..."


    Reed gazed at Lu''um quietly and put one his hands underneath her cloak. A hand grabbed his own and he grasped it tightly.


    "So, then, how have you managed this astounding feat? ...What terrible revelation are you about to force upon me, Gramps? Lay it on me, I can handle it."


    "Lay it on me, I can handle it." That was what his grandson had told him, thus he had brought him here. To the one of the darkest, if not the darkest place in modern times.


    If Xibalba was a testament to all of the Ancient Mulian''s evils, then the home of the Dreaming Council was the perfect analogue for its modern descents...


    Reed, Lu''um, and Velvund continued their descent into the depths of the ancient tunnel until a certain point where they could venture further no more. An enormous, heavy gate made of warship-grade altinium stood before them, towering above trio.


    Upon the colossal gate was an inscription that read: "In the heart of all evils can be found the soul of a saint."


    "Who was that meant for?" thought Reed. He couldn''t understand what was written on the door, for it was in a language not recorded in his tome''s universal compendium. It was one of the hidden languages that had not been given to the three great guilds of Mulia for indexing.


    Velvund walked up to the front of the gate and then spoke in a tongue unknown to Reed. It sounded very familiar though, as if he had heard it long, long ago.


    Jumbled whispers and faint, repetitive echoes of sound -- as if Velvund had gotten a bee, or some kind of insect stuck in his throat...


    A loud, booming clunk bounced off the tunnel''s walls behind them like the hiccup of slumbering titan, and then the colossal gate slowly creaked open as it ground across the ground beneath it.


    "You said you could handle it, right? This is where the edge of the cliff is, my son. If you turn back now, no one will think less of you for it. It would make me happier that you not know what lies ahead, but if you insist, then...


    You can blame no else but yourself if you choose to regret the decision."

 164 An Inconvenient Truth

    "Are you about this?" said Velvund as he started at Reed with an indiscernible expression, so as to not sway him to toward one decision or another.


    He had to make the decision on his own.


    "I understand, Gramps, but I still need to know regardless of how I may feel about it later. There are some things we must confront no matter what, don''t you agree? I think this is one of them."


    It was the truth. Reed knew it all too well, to the point that he no longer struggled against it. He had already accepted that he was destined to walk upon a path of thorns, no matter what he might want of his life.  Suffering had become such a prevalent aspect of his life that he had developed an abnormal tolerance for it.


    Was it a defeatist mentality or a realist one? Reed did not know. All he knew was that it had become his shield against the horrors that he had been subjected to all his life. It was not something he was proud of, but he knew that it had served him well, especially as of recent.


    It doesn''t matter either way. I''ll gladly take it as long as it helps me endure the pain.


    Reed, Lu''um, and Velvund walked past the ominous gate and then it creaked back into life and closed itself shut with a resounding slam. A booming clap of horror echoed out into the remote mountain range, heralding the arrival of the three poor fools that had entered. There was nothing to be gained within the bowels of the mountain except... misery.


    Long, black hallways of darkened rock finally led into something vaguely man-made. Somewhat normal, if only in theory at the very least. Steel, circuitry, and dim lights were all that could be seen. A technological crypt in the heart of a mountain that was hidden to the world. Anima-conductive fiber optic cables ran the length of every hallway that Reed passed through, making him wonder how much power was being used to keep the entire place operational. He guessed from th3 flow around him that the Anima coursing throughout the facility could have probably powered a capital city like the Shining Nexus easily.


    "Why does this place need so much power? What exactly is being run here that needs enough power to run a city?"


    Reed asked the question in curiosity, but he already knew that the answer was not going to be anything good...


    "The cables around us are all connected to the central hub of the facility where the Dreaming Council is being kept. Some are power cables; others are data cables; a few more are for... other purposes."


    The further ventured into the facility, the colder it seemed to get. It even got to a point where Reed saw his breaths turn into puffs of white mist. When his teeth started to unintentionally chatter, Lu''um pulled close and conjured a tiny ball of warm light in front of them.


    "The amount of residual heat generated from the Dreaming Council''s integrated systems is so problematic that it became a necessity to develop a highly aggressive cooling solution. There''s nothing that we can do about this, my son. We can''t have a multi-billion credit investment go up in flames, can we?"


    When they finally made it to the deepest level of the facility, Reed gasped in genuine horror. Lu''um made a disgusted face in revulsion, appalled by the offensive sight.


    Velvund sighed when he noticed their reactions and said, "...You wanted the answer to your question, right? Well... here is your answer.


    Allow me to formally introduce you to the Dreaming Council, which is, in fact, composed by... three of the Four Sovereigns."


    A living nightmare of fused flesh and circuitry, sustained by the efforts of three capital ship-grade Anima reactors. They were a biomechanical monstrosity of astounding intelligence and cold logical reasoning.


    Within a freezing lake of liquid Anima laid true ruler of Mulia in all of its ungodly glory. Reed shuddered and said, "...Three of the Four Sovereigns? Then what happened to the fourth one?"


    A lifeless conglomerate of male and female voices spoke unison and said, "Our associate, The King of Flowers, Sovereign of the South, is alive and well. He is not part of us and serves the continent in a different way than us, Son of Coatlicue."


    Lu''in flinched momentarily when she heard what it had called Reed and said, "...Mind your manners, lowly servant. Do not forget where you stand and most importantly, who you stand in front of..." Her words were even colder than the temperature of the alien chamber they were in, full of indifferent animosity. To her, it was as if she was gazing upon a grotesque insect and nothing more.


    "....Our apologies, Heiress of the Moon. We did not intend to offend you or Her Highness. Such a thing would never have crossed our minds, we swear. All we did was answer his question to the best of our abilities..."


    A truthful answer, for the existence of the Dreaming Council could never be revealed to the world. Neither Mortal not Chosen would ever permit themselves to be ruled by such an abominable horror, even if it possessed every requirement needed of a perfect ruler.


    Therefore, a mask was required for the Dreaming Council and they could not have found any better than the King of Flowers, who was an Eisalon.  A creature blessed to be beloved by all by virtue of its naturally calm and gentle disposition and its innate racial ability.


    "Our flower mask has served us as intended for millennia without issue and in return, it has enjoyed prosperous tenure as the figurehead of our authority and all the benefits that come with it..."


    This is the real truth?! I am to believe that this creature is responsible for the ages of unbroken peace after the Unification Wars?!


    "If the King of Flowers has no say in ruling matters, then am I to believe that you are the reason for Mulia''s longstanding peace?"


    "Yes. You are correct in your judgment. We have been... guiding Mulia for the last three thousand four hundred and fifty-two years in secret since our birth. During that time we have... quelled eighty-six uniquely different plots to overthrow the Four Empires of varying complexity.


    Some elementary and pedestrian; others far more nefarious and intricate in design. Nevertheless, we have... silenced all who have tried to destroy the order we have brought upon the land. There is very little that we do not know of the affairs of our own domain and nothing we cannot unravel given... time."


    Another truth was spoken by the eldritch machine-creature. Without its astonishing intellectual and predictive capabilities, the Four Empires would have fallen long ago. Greed and ambition was an eternal flame in the hearts of many a noble family in Mulia, always seeking greater wealth and power for an endless amount of reasons.


    Discontent of the current royal families and their overly generous conduct with other empires. Old, festering grudges of radical groups against other races. Malicious intentions harbored by the most twisted Mortals and Chosen. Ambitious designs and determined beliefs that the current system Mulia has been operating under for millennia is outdated.


    The Dreaming Council sent a pulse of Anima through one of the many cables connected to their bloated flesh and in response, a loud mechanical thrum filled the alien chamber.


    "Every century insurrectionists rise up from the ground like weeds. ...Fools clamor and gather others fools for their causes and in the end, they all meet.. the same fate."


    The platform Reed, Lu''um, and Velvund were standing on trembled as it slowly began to rise up upwards toward an opening ceiling. They were being taken elsewhere by the Dreaming Council, past the infrastructure that sustained their existence.


    All of the Dreaming Council''s many faces twisted as they said, "All who have opposed us have been... re-educated and given a second chance at life in service of the greater good, for we are merciful and forgiving. Only those who have repeatedly rejected our generous proposals have suffered a fate of their own making...


    We.. have made sure to follow in our benefactor''s footsteps to the letter. Our test results have proven that our unique method of subliminal guidance is only two percent less effective than the use of an Alma.


    Therefore, we can wholeheartedly assure you both that our re-educational method is, for all intents and purposes, absolutely foolproof. There is no need to be concerned."


    ...Excuse me? What the FUCK? Did I fucking hear that correctly?


    He turned toward Lu''um but it seemed as if she had not noticed his questioning gaze. She was far too focused on contemplating whether or not to tear the abomination in front of her to pieces with her bare hands...


    The platform arrived with a resounding clunk when it arrived at its destination.


    It was pitch black with the exception of a sea of luminescent lights and strangle cables sprawled around an endless expansive.


    Reed couldn''t make out anything in the room and said, "...What is this supposed to be?"


    The Dreaming Council paused for a moment and then said, "The lights will be on momentarily.  Apologies for the... untimely delay, but we can not have the Nursery break protocol."


    A nursery... but for what?


    Reed felt his stomach churn and nervously swallowed a lump of dread and spit down as he waited for the lights to turn on.


    Never before had he feared the arrival of light. Today was the first time he wanted the world to stay dark...

 165 Oh God

    When the lights came on, the Dreaming Council said, "Behold, the culmination of our laborious efforts, the Nursery. At the present moment, it is capable of re-educating eight thousand subjects simultaneously with relatively little strain on the facility because of the adaptive neural architecture we have created. Our program has been highly effective at breaking through the cognitive barriers of a subject, allowing us unrestricted access to the subject''s mind on an administrative level comparable to that of the subject itself.


    And with our integrated systems, we are able to dispense a part of the workload onto re-educated subjects, further reducing the load on our systems. We have detailed reports on the improved efficiency rates brought on by our changes to the Nursery.


    ...Would you like us to send them to your tomes?"


    Reed felt as his head was spinning like a top, even though he was standing perfectly still. A nauseous wave passed through his stomach upward to his mouth, where it was manifested as a comet of bile.


    He lurched forward and emptied his guts as his body reflexively gagged out everything he had for breakfast and lunch. It was if he could smell them, even if they had all been encapsulated in airtight, metallic cocoons.


    Lu''um supported Reed and said, "Give me a single reason not to tear you to pieces, creature. This is unforgivable; You have broken the tenets set in place when you agree to become Chosen."


    The Dreaming Council squirmed in its enormous life support tank and said, "...Is it really? Had we broken the unquestionable tenets set forth by our benefactor, we would have been annihilated long ago by the Will of the World. Millenia have passed and not once have we heard a word of discontent, nor have we been punished."


    Rows upon rows; Stacks upon stacks; Spires upon Spires.


    A metallic forest of indefinable evil and unparalleled horror.  Reed wanted to look away and never lay eyes on upon the atrocious spectacle, but his entire body had grown numb and frozen. He couldn''t tear his eyes away from it.


    Each cocoon was a biosynthetic cradle of wriggling, pulsating flesh, and bizarre interwoven circuitry. The bodies within the cocoons had been fused together with the artificially grown flesh-culture to the point that it had almost become impossible to distinguish their original physiques.


    Throbbing pipes of flesh could be seen inserted in every orifice that could be seen, as unknown fluid was both pumped in and sucked out, depending on what was required of each subject.


    It was a grotesque exhibition of pure efficiency and startling precision that not even the Ancient Mulians would have thought possible. Not in terms of the technology involved, but of the immense ethical violations that were intrinsic to the nature of such a terrible creation.


    The Dreaming Council gurgled and said, "An irrational outburst of emotions will do nothing to further a civil discussion. And as we have previously stated, we have made great efforts to ensure to not break tenet chief tenet set forth by our benefactor: To not injure or kill any Mortal.


    We have abided to this tenet, as you can see behind us with the Nursery. Each incubation pod is capable of fully supporting the basic needs of the individual contained within it. Sustenance and medication are provided and waste materials are collected for dispensation and recycling. All subjects are kept in a safe, compartmentalized, climate-controlled setting and their life signs are constantly being checked under our careful supervision. To date we have not lost a single subject to any unforeseen complications since the Nursery''s inception."


    Reed shook his head and coldly said, "You''re monsters. This is how you have been keeping the peace? Abducting anyone who speaks against you into this dungeon of nightmares?"


    Velvund listened to his grandson''s argument and felt his heart ache. This was he did not want him to learn the truth. The old Alf would have gladly stained his hands for Reed if meant that he would have not had to...


    "We are no tyrants. Never have we abused our power for our own interests because... we have no interests. We act only as faithful servants of our benefactor''s will, following Her tenets as the basis for the laws of the Four Empires.


    We are neither Human, Avunian, Eisalon, Cunian, Yulanti, Isavli, or Faai. We are a collective of them all. We are many-are-in-one. We are kin with all peoples of Mulia and therefore, hold no biases toward any particular race, nationality, religion, or gender."


    It was a difficult pill to swallow, but the Dreaming Council had not lied to Reed. They, for as inhuman as they were, had truly pledged themselves toward the preservation of life in Mulia. None of the individuals who were now the completed entity that was the Dreaming Council had been forced to join.


    Every single person who had joined, the Four Sovereigns included, had volunteered themselves for the project.


    Reed gazed the enormous, twisted blob of fused flesh that was the Dreaming Council and said, "Brainwashing? This is how you correct things? By turning people into walking husks of flesh when they conspire against you? Admit it:  Were it not for the contracts you hold with the Will of the World you would have straight up killed them. You are tyrants."


    "Tell us then, what are we to do when our subjects, both Mortals and Chosen, come for our head and throne? When these foolish usurpers decide that the peace we have created is worth less than their personal ambitions and desires?"


    The Dreaming Council conjured a scene of the hellish fire, undue suffering, and tyrannical oppression with the liquid Anima in tank life support tank.


    It was the Age of Chaos. Personal memories of each member of the Dreaming Council made manifest in front of Reed. Each member who was part of the Dreaming Council had survived that forsaken age of violent turmoil.


    "This is the reality that awaits Mulia without our guidance. In the end, the people at the bottom will suffer the most again -- the Mortals. Chosen will once again fight for meaningless concepts such as wealth, honor, and glory. They will tear the continent to pieces long before the Infestation will ever have the chance.


    Only we, who have devoted our entire beings to Mulia, have the clarity of mind to see past ourselves and the differences between the races. Our eyes are solely focused upon our one true foe -- the Infestation."


    Reed couldn''t refute its points, despite how much he despised its methods. He hatefully said, "A mental death is no different from an actual one. What is even left the original victim after that? Is that person even themselves anymore?


    This is not even mentioning the atrocities involved with you infringing their rights as living beings. You can''t tamper with other people''s minds and justify it as a necessary evil. The fucking Infestation does the exact same thing! Can''t you see what you''re doing is wrong, no matter how you try to spin it?!"


    "If we killed the usurpers, we would be perceived as tyrants. If we imprisoned them for the rest of their natural lives, we would be perceived as tyrants.


    If we can neither kill nor remove harmful individuals that threaten the peace or the continent, then what are we to do?


    We have followed your own logical premise to its conclusion. What do you think is the answer?"


    Reed suddenly realized what had happened. He had been led around like a dog in the argument. No, rather he had led himself to the Dreaming Council''s conclusion without even realizing it.


    He had come to the same conclusion.


    That if they could not kill or imprison their enemies, they would have to convince them that they were, in fact, wrong. To re-educate them and make them understand why they were wrong.


    The Dreaming Council detected abnormal fluctuations in Reed''s life signs and determined that they had succeeded in their task.


    "Have you finally realized the truth? We are correct. Rehabilitation is the only course of action left for us to implement given the restrictions imposed upon our actions.


    It is here where we re-educate the worst offenders, those who have actively plotted to either overthrow the Four Empires or incite the flames of war across the continent. We make the very specific distinction of only taking those who have put their malicious thoughts into action. We do not abduct people who simply have grudges against us in their minds, for we are not Mulia''s. thought police.


    One''s thoughts are not enough to be made a criminal in our eyes. But a physical action, a willing initiative to make their twisted thoughts into reality? That is a crime we can punish. There is tangible evidence -- proof that can be presented in a court of law -- to prove the criminal''s guilt.


    Every criminal you see behind us is being reconditioned in their sleep, slowly being taught why they were wrong in their actions against us and the Four Empires. We interface with their subconscious as they sleep and discuss with them as we are doing with you.


    We do not force, oppression, or violence to make our points, for we are above such primitive and highly ineffective methods.


    In the end, ninety-nine percent of our subjects come to see that they were wrong. After their rehabilitation is complete, they are returned to their homes without harm and are allowed to resume their lives in peace.


    Only the most heinous, repeated offenders and subjects outside of abilities are mind-wiped. This is something we do with great consideration after much internal discussion.


    Of the forty-three thousand eight hundred and sixty-three subjects we have rehabilitated only fifty-seven have required a mind wipe.


    We are fair. We are generous. We are just."


    .

 165 We are Fair. We are Generous. We are Just.

    When the lights came on, the Dreaming Council said, "Behold, the culmination of our laborious efforts, the Nursery. At the present moment, it is capable of re-educating eight thousand subjects simultaneously with relatively little strain on the facility because of the adaptive neural architecture we have created. Our program has been highly effective at breaking through the cognitive barriers of a subject, allowing us unrestricted access to the subject''s mind on an administrative level comparable to that of the subject itself.


    And with our integrated systems, we are able to dispense a part of the workload onto re-educated subjects, further reducing the load on our systems. We have detailed reports on the improved efficiency rates brought on by our changes to the Nursery.


    ...Would you like us to send them to your tomes?"


    Reed felt as his head was spinning like a top, even though he was standing perfectly still. A nauseous wave passed through his stomach upward to his mouth, where it was manifested as a comet of bile.


    He lurched forward and emptied his guts as his body reflexively gagged out everything he had for breakfast and lunch. It was if he could smell them, even if they had all been encapsulated in airtight, metallic cocoons.


    Lu''um supported Reed and said, "Give me a single reason not to tear you to pieces, creature. This is unforgivable; You have broken the tenets set in place when you agree to become Chosen."


    The Dreaming Council squirmed in its enormous life support tank and said, "...Is it really? Had we broken the unquestionable tenets set forth by our benefactor, we would have been annihilated long ago by the Will of the World. Millenia have passed and not once have we heard a word of discontent, nor have we been punished."


    Rows upon rows; Stacks upon stacks; Spires upon Spires.


    A metallic forest of indefinable evil and unparalleled horror.  Reed wanted to look away and never lay eyes on upon the atrocious spectacle, but his entire body had grown numb and frozen. He couldn''t tear his eyes away from it.


    Each cocoon was a biosynthetic cradle of wriggling, pulsating flesh, and bizarre interwoven circuitry. The bodies within the cocoons had been fused together with the artificially grown flesh-culture to the point that it had almost become impossible to distinguish their original physiques.


    Throbbing pipes of flesh could be seen inserted in every orifice that could be seen, as unknown fluid was both pumped in and sucked out, depending on what was required of each subject.


    It was a grotesque exhibition of pure efficiency and startling precision that not even the Ancient Mulians would have thought possible. Not in terms of the technology involved, but of the immense ethical violations that were intrinsic to the nature of such a terrible creation.


    The Dreaming Council gurgled and said, "An irrational outburst of emotions will do nothing to further a civil discussion. And as we have previously stated, we have made great efforts to ensure to not break tenet chief tenet set forth by our benefactor: To not injure or kill any Mortal.


    We have abided to this tenet, as you can see behind us with the Nursery. Each incubation pod is capable of fully supporting the basic needs of the individual contained within it. Sustenance and medication are provided and waste materials are collected for dispensation and recycling. All subjects are kept in a safe, compartmentalized, climate-controlled setting and their life signs are constantly being checked under our careful supervision. To date we have not lost a single subject to any unforeseen complications since the Nursery''s inception."


    Reed shook his head and coldly said, "You''re monsters. This is how you have been keeping the peace? Abducting anyone who speaks against you into this dungeon of nightmares?"


    Velvund listened to his grandson''s argument and felt his heart ache. This was he did not want him to learn the truth. The old Alf would have gladly stained his hands for Reed if meant that he would have not had to...


    "We are no tyrants. Never have we abused our power for our own interests because... we have no interests. We act only as faithful servants of our benefactor''s will, following Her tenets as the basis for the laws of the Four Empires.


    We are neither Human, Avunian, Eisalon, Cunian, Yulanti, Isavli, or Faai. We are a collective of them all. We are many-are-in-one. We are kin with all peoples of Mulia and therefore, hold no biases toward any particular race, nationality, religion, or gender."


    It was a difficult pill to swallow, but the Dreaming Council had not lied to Reed. They, for as inhuman as they were, had truly pledged themselves toward the preservation of life in Mulia. None of the individuals who were now the completed entity that was the Dreaming Council had been forced to join.


    Every single person who had joined, the Four Sovereigns included, had volunteered themselves for the project.


    Reed gazed the enormous, twisted blob of fused flesh that was the Dreaming Council and said, "Brainwashing? This is how you correct things? By turning people into walking husks of flesh when they conspire against you? Admit it:  Were it not for the contracts you hold with the Will of the World you would have straight up killed them. You are tyrants."


    "Tell us then, what are we to do when our subjects, both Mortals and Chosen, come for our head and throne? When these foolish usurpers decide that the peace we have created is worth less than their personal ambitions and desires?"


    The Dreaming Council conjured a scene of the hellish fire, undue suffering, and tyrannical oppression with the liquid Anima in tank life support tank.


    It was the Age of Chaos. Personal memories of each member of the Dreaming Council made manifest in front of Reed. Each member who was part of the Dreaming Council had survived that forsaken age of violent turmoil.


    "This is the reality that awaits Mulia without our guidance. In the end, the people at the bottom will suffer the most again -- the Mortals. Chosen will once again fight for meaningless concepts such as wealth, honor, and glory. They will tear the continent to pieces long before the Infestation will ever have the chance.


    Only we, who have devoted our entire beings to Mulia, have the clarity of mind to see past ourselves and the differences between the races. Our eyes are solely focused upon our one true foe -- the Infestation."


    Reed couldn''t refute its points, despite how much he despised its methods. He hatefully said, "A mental death is no different from an actual one. What is even left the original victim after that? Is that person even themselves anymore?


    This is not even mentioning the atrocities involved with you infringing their rights as living beings. You can''t tamper with other people''s minds and justify it as a necessary evil. The fucking Infestation does the exact same thing! Can''t you see what you''re doing is wrong, no matter how you try to spin it?!"


    "If we killed the usurpers, we would be perceived as tyrants. If we imprisoned them for the rest of their natural lives, we would be perceived as tyrants.


    If we can neither kill nor remove harmful individuals that threaten the peace or the continent, then what are we to do?


    We have followed your own logical premise to its conclusion. What do you think is the answer?"


    Reed suddenly realized what had happened. He had been led around like a dog in the argument. No, rather he had led himself to the Dreaming Council''s conclusion without even realizing it.


    He had come to the same conclusion.


    That if they could not kill or imprison their enemies, they would have to convince them that they were, in fact, wrong. To re-educate them and make them understand why they were wrong.


    The Dreaming Council detected abnormal fluctuations in Reed''s life signs and determined that they had succeeded in their task.


    "Have you finally realized the truth? We are correct. Rehabilitation is the only course of action left for us to implement given the restrictions imposed upon our actions.


    It is here where we re-educate the worst offenders, those who have actively plotted to either overthrow the Four Empires or incite the flames of war across the continent. We make the very specific distinction of only taking those who have put their malicious thoughts into action. We do not abduct people who simply have grudges against us in their minds, for we are not Mulia''s. thought police.


    One''s thoughts are not enough to be made a criminal in our eyes. But a physical action, a willing initiative to make their twisted thoughts into reality? That is a crime we can punish. There is tangible evidence -- proof that can be presented in a court of law -- to prove the criminal''s guilt.


    Every criminal you see behind us is being reconditioned in their sleep, slowly being taught why they were wrong in their actions against us and the Four Empires. We interface with their subconscious as they sleep and discuss with them as we are doing with you.


    We do not force, oppression, or violence to make our points, for we are above such primitive and highly ineffective methods.


    In the end, ninety-nine percent of our subjects come to see that they were wrong. After their rehabilitation is complete, they are returned to their homes without harm and are allowed to resume their lives in peace.


    Only the most heinous, repeated offenders and subjects outside of abilities are mind-wiped. This is something we do with great consideration after much internal discussion.


    Of the forty-three thousand eight hundred and sixty-three subjects we have rehabilitated only fifty-seven have required a mind wipe.


    We are fair. We are generous. We are just."


    .

 166 The Choice Given To Him

    Reed grit his teeth in frustration. He didn''t know how to respond anymore. How was he supposed to retort when the Dreaming Council had completely routed his arguement in their favor?


    He felt a sickening feeling in his stomach out of the fact that he had come to the same conclusion as them. Their method, although horrifying, was without out a single doubt the best option to resolve a problem that would have usually been solved with violence and murder.


    No was being killed, torturted, or brainwashed, despite everything that the Dreaming Council could have done to eliminate the threats to their peaceful empires. For intents and purposes, their method was as clean and non-lethal as possible, leaving no gaps for Reed to criticize. They only abducted people who had comitted actual crimes for the express reason of rehabilitating them.


    Was it really even a punishment? The Dreaming Council, with their inhuman knowledge, had not revealed the whole truth. When they said ''rehabiliate,'' they truly meant it in every sense of the word. Both mentally and physically. As grotesque as the metallic cocoons appeared, they were actually healing the subjects held within them, repairing hidden injuries both cognitive and physical.


    In truth, the Dreaming Council did far more than convince the criminals it had abducted that they were wrong. It healed and improved the consitution of all who passed through the Nursery. Those who left the Nursery lived longer, healthier, and more enriching lives than before.


    The Nursery, although technically a prison, was nothing like conventional prisons which only kept prisoners locked up, sometimes in terrible conditions that were harmful to both the prisoner''s body and mind. It was nothing like the prison that Reed had been thrown in as a young man back when he was still a slum rat. His warped misconceptions served no purpose before the Dreaming Council''s grand project.


    "Never have we acted against the interests of the people, Heir of the Sun. For as long as we have ruled, we have been a servant of the people. When we act, it is for their best interests and not our own. Our primary objective is still clear to us, and now that you have returned, we can procede with our plan, following the steps you have laid out for us.


    We are delighted to inform that our efforts in manufacturing the replacement components for the Divine Furnace are proceeding as planned. Our servants have already begun work in Xibalba and have not reported any production issues since they began two years, eight months and thirty-three days ago.


    We have determined that we are seventy-eight percent complete with your manufacturing request and expect the components to be completed in... fifty-nine days and nine hours from now."


    "Before you even ask me, I didn''t know. How could I have known?" said Lu''um.


    Reed sighed and then regretted it. A little piece of his happiness had flown away. Still, it was warranted, given the circumstances. He now had another goddamned thing to deal with, as if the Eventide of Faith had not been enough.


    It was one thing after another for him as of recent. Whether it was the Eventide, dealing with the scheming bastard sealed within himself, keeping up his public image as the Stainless Prince, his relationship with Lu''um, or dealing with fixing a multiversal superweapon, work never ended for him. There was always something that needed his attention these days.


    Where had those simple days gone? The ones where he could spend a day baking sweets and pastries without worry? Where he could spend half a day rearranging the cafe''s furniture for Lu''um in agony? Where he could sit down and have a slow day in his home without having to save fucking the world?


    Reed bitterly smiled in resignation and said, "Of course I ordered for that. ...Tell me, what else have I requested of you as of late?"


    The Dreaming Council sent a pulse of Anima into their tank and said, "We have sent you a full report of your requests and their completion statuses as of today. Note that some are in still in queue as a majority of our resources are currently being used in Xibalba.


    A query for you, Heir of the Sun. We have predicted a ninety-seven percent fatality rate across the board given your current abilities. Based on the data you have provided of the ''Eventide of Faith,'' phenomenon and your current abilities, we predict an estimated one hundred and fifty-seven million casualities.


    We request that you amend this issue as soon as possible. In-depth scans of the continent have determined that the plague has reached a saturation point past the final threshold. The activation of the final three resortation nodes must be completed within twelve days and four hours. All simulations past this time period have resulted in a total loss of the continent."


    It was as if someone had suddenly grasped Reed''s heart and stopped it. His face turned as pale as a sheet of paper when he heard the Dreaming Council''s warning.


    A little bit less than two weeks. That was all that time that was left before the end came for all of Mulia. Reed had taken Lacrima''s warning liberally and thought would have until the end of spring, but this had completely destroyed the assumption.


    A fire-- no, a raging inferno had been lit under ass. There was no time to waste anymore. Everyday henceforth was like a grain of sand falling down an almost empty hourglass. Only twelve grains of sand seperated the life and death of Mulia.


    The chilling conclusion that ninety-seven percent of Mulia would die, even if Reed succeeded was yet another nightmare he had been given. How had the Dreaming Council determined this? What information had the bastard given them that led them to such a grim conclusion?


    The Dreaming Council had not lied to him yet and he did not see what they would stand to gain in disheartening him with their facts. They were both on the same side. Nevertheless, Lacrima had entrusted to him save the continent and seemed confident he would succeed so as long as followed her guidance.


    Who was Reed to trust? The abomiable intelligence who did not lie and relied on its formidable intelligence to carve its future? Or the woman who had selflessly saved his life and had only requested that he have faith in her?


    Cold, logical reasoning against blind, devoted faith. Which one would lead toward the most optimal ending? Which one would lead to the ending greatest number of people were saved?


    But most importantly of all, what was the most responsible thing for him to do?


    If Reed really was who he believed he was -- someone who had committed himself to be a hero for the people -- then what was he to do? If coming to some type of compromise or deal with bastard meant that he would save more children and their families, then he was obligated to do it, even if he detested the idea with all his heart.


    That was what it meant to be a true hero -- to put the concerns and needs of others above your own. In other words, selflessness was required of him. What was that something he was capable of, especially given everything that bastard had done to him? Reed wasn''t sure...


    ...Fuck.


    He was done. Reed gave Lu''um a single glance and she understood what he wanted. She tore open a spatial tear and they both left without another word. They had no intention of overstaying their welcome with the eldtritch ruler of Mulia any longer than necessary.


    Velvund gazed at his ruler and said, "In all fairness, this confrontration ended up much better than I intially expected. I had anticipated the possibility that the discussion might have taken a turn for the worst. Had that occured..."


    "We are aware. At any point in time, we could have been destroyed by the Heiress. It was an unavoidable risk, thus we did not concern ourselves with it. Our auxillary vessel would have negated the loss of our main body, in any case. Contigencies were prepared."


    "And the boy? What is your judgement of him?"


    "Classification: Dormant. He has lost a majority of his original capabilities. The Anima flucuations within him indicate an abnormal level of cognitive activity. Physical biosigns were also abnormal."


    A sphere of Anima held a floating pile of noxious liquid -- Reed''s bile.


    "Our premilenary tests have identifed both Human and Ancient Mulian nucleopeptides within his DNA. Conclusion: Hybrid-synthesis."


    Velvund gasped. He always had his suspicisons, given everything he knew about Reed, but he had not expected that he was half Ancient Mulian. He had personally verfied that Reed was indeed about to reach twenty years of age by measuring the crystallization of his soul. The both was but a whelp and yet, he was also part Ancient Mulian, too?


    Why? Why make a child like him? For what specific purpose? He couldn''t comprehend it, but he knew that some great significance lay in the fact that he was mixed...

 167 My All Is Yours To Take

    "You want to talk about it?" said Lu''um. She put a warm cup of coffee on Reed''s desk and then peered over his shoulder. He did not respond. Reed had cut off his auditory senses in an effort to concentrate, unbeknownst to Lu''um. Her well-intentioned question had quite literally fallen on deaf ears.


    She was rightfully concerned. Reed had not fallen asleep since the day he had met the Dreaming Council. For the last day and a half, he had committed his entire being into consuming the reports that the Dreaming Council had given him. Reports on every possible topic regarding the continent''s welfare had been included, be it political, economic, miltary, civilian, and the like.


    Reports that dated as far back as the beginning of the Four Empires had been included in the information packet that they had given to Reed. A complete and detail record of every single action the Dreaming Council had made since its very birth was what Reed had been scruntizing over like a madman. And despite his best efforts, Reed had not found a single thing he could criticize them with.


    When the Dreaming Council said that they followed the law to the letter, they had really meant it. There was not a single piece of evidence laid with the exabytes of information that could prove Reed''s suspicions correct.


    What Reed had wanted was a single shred of proof that they had at one point been disingenuous. If he had found that, then he could have laid his demons to sleep about they chilling warning they had given him.


    He was caught up in web of indecision unlike anything he had ever expierenced before. The scale of responsibility in his heart was unequipped to handle the load it had suddenly been given.


    On one side of the scale was Reed''s integrity, his word as an honorable person. When Reed had rejected the Bastard''s offer, he had meant it to the last word. He choose his freedom over the perfect path that the Bastard had offered, even if it meant that he would have walk a thornier road on his own...


    That was all well and good for Reed, since he was fine taking a couple personal blows and failures along the way. A fair enough price for his freedom. But now things were different. He could no longer just think about himself and perhaps, his closest friends and family anymore.


    Reed felt the weight of the entire world on his shoulders even clearer than ever before. There was more at stake than his personal life -- the fate of more than a hundred million familes had landed square on the other side of the scale. He, as a responsible adult, as a someone who bore the title of a hero, and as a conscientious individual was beholden to do the right thing...


    Old Man Hartford''s words echoed in his head, reminding him that he had chosen to be a Personal Hero, only acting to protect the few -- those that he loved. Yet now he had been saddled with a position contrary to his beliefs...


    These two heroes were both at quandary, an impasse that would determine the fate of Mulia...


    Lu''um had enough of Reed''s meandering act. She snatched his tome and forcefully shut it closed, frightening Reed out of his obessive search for an answer.


    "What the hell''s the matter with you?! I was reading that, goddamnit!"


    "No, you weren''t. You were running away; that was what you were doing. It was pathetic and unbecoming of what are you normally capable of," said Lu''um with an annoyed expression on her face.


    Reed chuckled slowly and sneered at Lu''um with his weary, tired eyes. He stood up, gestured for his tome back with an outstretched hand and said, "I''m sorry that I''ve dissapointed you, honey, but I''m not made of steel, nor do I have the answer for everything in my back pocket like you."


    His childish insults had little effect on Lu''um, who simply stared at him with an unimpressed expression. She was above using textbook playground insults and said, "No. Not until you promise to end this unhealthy way of handling your problems. You need to stop running."


    "Then what am I supposed to do?! Just fucking wing it, again?!! Have you forgotten what happened the last time I rushed into a problem headfirst like a stupid idiot?!" Reed lunged towards Lu''um and tried to snatch his tome back, to no avail.


    Lu''um spun around, dodged Reed''s greedy paws, and then hit him with his own tome. She smirked and said, "Ah-ah-ah! You should know better than to challenge me, dear."


    As if to goad him, she waved the tome in front of his face and said, "If you need this stupid thing to save the world, you might as well not even try to save it. The world is doomed."


    Reed knew that she was trying to provoke him and coldly said, "I. Won''t. Fail. And I don''t appreciate your incessant meddling and teasing. Aren''t you supposed to be helping me?" He lunged again toward his tome in a feint attack. Lu''um spun around again, but the move did not work this time, as Reed had gone for the source of troubles instead.


    He caught Lu''um himself and quickly chucked her on his bed in an attempt to pin her down in one place. The more he letter run around freely, the harder it would become to catch her were she to get serious about running away with his tome.


    Lu''um giggled in a provactive manner and said, "...Oh? Isn''t this a welcome surprise... Is this yet another one of your secret... preferences? You should have told me sooner, dear. We could have done this--"


    "Give me my tome, you damn pervert."


    Lu''um laughed and said, "Why don''t you make me, then? You have me in your clutches, don''t you?" Of course, this was far from the truth. The clown of a woman who was currently being pinned down possessed a bodily consitution that allowed her to, in a literal sense, move mountains. She was full of provocations today.


    Reed wanted to get mad, but he knew that if he did, she would win. Deep down, he understood that getting into an argument with her was a battle that would always end up in his defeat. He was not her match when it came to verbal sparring, by far. The only reasonable thing he could do was capitulate to get her off his back...


    He deeply sighed and released her from his hold. There was nothing he could done to her anyway, the she-bear that she was by nature. Reed shrugged his shoulders in defeat and said, "What is it that you want from me? State your full terms, woman."


    Lu''um grabbed Reed and said, "Don''t mind if do you, then." She dragged him back into the bed and reversed their positions. It was Reed that was now pinned under her iron grip with nowhere to run.


    When Reed noticed the dangerous, primal gleam in her eyes, he sighed internally. He was going to get the full works today, he thought. It was going to be one of those nights...


    She closed in on him and said, "...All I want you to understand is that you aren''t alone in this tribulation. All I want is for you to understand that I am at your disposal. You don''t need to search for answers; My Knowledge and Wisdom is yours to take, mine beloved, as is my Strength and Will. My all is yours in the same way that all you have is mine.


    What I am asking is that you rely upon me, as you should. Let what I possess make up for what you do not. If you truly trust me and think of me as yours, then you should naturally not be concerned with such.... inane concerns. We will find the correct answer together, I promise."


    She put his tome on his chest and said, "You have me. You do not need this little thing."


    She closed in on him and said, "...All I want you to understand is that you aren''t alone in this tribulation. All I want is for you to understand that I am at your disposal. You don''t need to search for answers; My Knowledge and Wisdom is yours to take, mine beloved, as is my Strength and Will. My all is yours in the same way that all you have is mine.


    What I am asking is that you rely upon me, as you should. Let what I possess make up for what you do not. If you truly trust me and think of me as yours, then you should naturally not be concerned with such.... inane concerns. We will find the correct answer together, I promise."


    She put his tome on his chest and said, "You have me. You do not need this little thing.

 168 Itroch, the Spirit of Undying Love

    After a restless night of unending reconciliation, Reed had finally fallen asleep. He could no longer persist, even with his superhuman endurance. Nevertheless, he had put up quite a commendable struggle for someone who wasn''t as freakishly gifted with a ridiculous physique like Lu''um.


    Truth be told, it was a primitive remedy that was as old as time. One of the simplest methods to dispel an individual''s accumulated stress was to indulge in a pleasurable activity. It did not have to be an explicitly amorous activity, either. Different people handled their stress in a variety of ways.


    The Ancient Mulian warriors of yore would partake in grand, celebratory feasts before terrible battles. They would enjoy their most favorite meals and savor the taste of atzintli, an alcoholic beverage of old. These warriors would spend the night with the people they cared about.


    Modern Mulians handled things differently depending on the particular race''s culture. Humans engaged in all manner of debauched activity, while Avunians spent it meditating or speaking to their many forests. Eisalons often de-stressed by finding comfort in the embrace of another, much like Reed had done with Lu''um.


    As far as Lu''um every method was viable and none was better than the other. It was all fair game. The only thing that mattered was that the person got rid themselves of their negative emotions. A warrior had to be both of sound mind and body if they were to perform at their very best.


    But she was no fool. She knew that this method only worked to dispel momentary stress that was shallow in nature. The type that arose out of being put in strenuous, emotionally challenging circumstances.


    It was not a feasible way to heal deeper wounds of the psyche that were actually serious. Someone affected by a terrible wound of the spirit required the attention of a medical professional. Were Reed genuinely in need of expert assistance, Lu''um''s method would have only acted as a band-aid for the problem. In time it would have become a crutch, as well.


    She was no stranger to the horrors that came with war. Some of the strongest warriors she had ever come to befriend had fallen in a spiritual sense. They had physically returned alive from the war, but... it had come at a price. Many poor souls ended up finding themselves at the behest of the bottle, the flesh, and other things to abate the pain of what they had experienced...


    By the time Reed awoke, the Spirit of Bountiful Charity had arrived at its destination. It solemnly hovered in silence several kilometers away from an abandoned metropolis. The once-grand city was now but a grim reminder of the bloodshed that had occurred there long ago... during the Great Barrier War.


    "It seemingly happened overnight in a city located in the northeastern corner of the North. The city of Kymir. We received reports from the contenders stationed there that a series of unexplainable events had begun to occur across the city," said Lu''um.


    "...And? This is Mulia we''re talking about. The continent''s haunted in some kind of way, no matter where you go. You''re going to have specify the type of weird shit that''s been going on because there''s the normal weird stuff and then there''s--"


    When Velvund pulled up images of the "unexplainable events," Reed''s indifferent expression turned into a sour grimace. It was awful. Images of gore, blood, and fine red mist flashed across the holographic projector without end. They were scenes of the unrestrained carnage that the citizens of Kymir had suffered.


    The images displayed all manner of unfortunate victims, be they individuals, families, and even multiple neighborhoods. At some point, things clearly escalated to a point that it had become an issue worth reporting to higher-ups of the North. Eventually, the madness reached a point where not even the conquerors that had been deployed to the city could stop it.


    "...In the end, the entire city of Kymir perished. All twenty thousand mortals who lived in the city eventually succumbed to what we are calling ''Itroch syndrome,'' of which we have found no cure for at the present moment."


    Itroch syndrome? A viral or bacterial infection? Is it the Infestation''s plague toxin? Or something else...? Still, this is clearly out of my domain of expertise. I''m no pathologist or epidemiologist; this clearly a job for them and not us...


    "Why is it called ''Itroch syndrome''? It couldn''t be because a Chosen caught some kind of bug in this city, right? That''s not possible. All Chosen are immune to mortal diseases and illnesses by nature of their Alma."


    Velvund nodded and said, "But that doesn''t mean that a Chosen couldn''t have acted as a carrier for something, even if it had no effect on them. Something that would end up finding its way to a Mortal."


    Ah... That''s possible. Shit. I didn''t think of that. I can''t imagine the consequences of bringing something like that back to Cem-Elle. Back to the Hartfords''...


    Reed felt an awful feeling in his stomach as he observed the various floating images in front of him. A terrible nightmare flashed through his mind, but he quickly flushed the thought down the drain.


    "Then have we identified the initial host for this... Irtoch syndrome? The Chosen who brought it back?"


    "Yes, we have. We have looked into family''s records and found that his extended family caught it when we returned from an expedition into the ruins of Itroch that the North ordered." A report of the Chosen''s deceased family members appeared on the holo-projector. They had unfortunately not survived, either.


    "Since then, we have quarantined every single Chosen that has entered into the ruins of Itroch away from the general population. We have also limited Altar travel across the Four Empires considerably, citing ''technical difficulties''. It goes without saying that we also had to... readjust the media''s narrative on the mysterious disappearances of certain border cities.


    We cannot afford to incite mass hysteria among the Mortals, lest they do something utterly foolish. For the last year or so, we have followed these protocols and they have worked well in stopping further losses -- at the cost of venturing into the city of Itroch to find an answer. Each Chosen that enters the city is effectively a walking host for whatever has killed four cities..."


    Reed turned around gazed at the ruined city in the distance and said, "It''s been a year and we still haven''t figured out what''s been killing the people? You''re telling me that all of the continent''s lifeweavers have not found an answer?"


    If lifeweavers, Chosen who have elected to pursue a medical support profession instead of fighting on the frontlines, could not find an answer to the problem, then shit really has hit the fan, thought Reed.


    He grimly laughed and said, "It really is the Eventide of Faith. I''m sure you both see it, right? How quickly do you think those under our care would turn against us were they ever to learn that we had unwittingly become the very thing we have been protecting them from?"


    To think that this would be the plague for this fissure. Not one threatening the lands themselves or even history itself, but the people instead. A truly detestable evil has befallen the North this time...


    "We have found zero evidence that could indicate a bacterial or viral infection was at play. Neither have we discovered any signs of Infested corruption from any of the samples we have recovered at both Itroch and the afflicted cities that were hit by this plague. We have had people working day and night trying to find the cause, but there is only so much we can go on from what we have..."


    Reed shook his head and said, "It doesn''t matter anymore. Lu''um and I will activate the rest node at the bottom of the fissure and close this freak case for good. Whatever has taken hold in that accursed city should be purged once we''re done with the fissure. The North won''t have to worry about this evil place haunting them after today..."


    What Reed said had been correct, but it did not account for one thing -- the infected Chosen who had already ventured into Itroch. Would they be cleansed once he activated the reset node? That was something they didn''t know. If they weren''t these Chosen would never be allowed to leave their quarantined lives, for fear of infecting Mortals and other Chosen with whatever they had picked up.


    It was effectively a death sentence in the making for them. Still, there was no time left. They could not postpone fixing the fissures in order to gleam a cure for them anymore. A couple of days -- that was all that was left for Mulia if the Eventide of Faith was not stopped.


    He was not happy about that possibly grim future for the Chosen who had ventured into Itroch, but there was nothing that they could for them. Reed felt more than a hundred million lives on his shoulders and understood that he had to prioritize them first...


    Velvund stroked his chin and said, "...Maybe not. With the two of you here now, I believe that we might have a shot at saving everyone, son. And to that end, I have spoken with the North and we have come up with the semblance of a... theoretical plan. You will not be venturing into Itroch alone.


    A small team will be accompanying you to collective data we believe to be crucial to understanding the nature of the plague. They will travel with you, but they will have their own mission running tangentially with yours..."


    ...Hm? A team with a separate mission? The hell..?


    Velvund pushed a button on his holographic monitor and said, "You can come in now."


    Silence filled the room for a solid minute until Reed heard the sound of footsteps outside of the conference room.


    And then... the door opened.

 169 Three Years Can Do A Lo

    Three figures stepped into the conference room and saluted Velvund as soon as they laid eyes on him. Although they were nobility of the North, none of them had enough status to ignore the former King of the North''s presence.


    Velvund waved his left hand and said, "Come now, don''t be so rigid, you three. I would never hold my grandson''s darling friends to such formalities. Please, come in and take a seat."


    The first to respond was her, the one in between what seemed to be her personal escorts -- the other two fellows in military uniforms. She had grown considerably since Reed had last seen her, to the point his mind froze when he laid eyes on her. In truth, she had always been a humble beauty in her own right, different from the cold, elegant flower that Astrid had been.


    If Astrid had been a frozen rose and Lu''um a fiery sunflower, then Ophelia would have been best described as a tender lily. Out of the three of them, she had always been the most balanced in all respects, which was something Reed always found particularly endearing.


    She might not have been an Ancient Mulian princess, but it never seemed to have stopped her from catching the attention of other trainees during the days at the Spire. There was something to be said about that feat, which few ever recognized.


    But she had changed. Ophelia was no longer the tender lily Reed once remembered. She had completely bloomed, to such an extent that almost did not recognize her. Were it not for her warm, almond-blonde eyes, he would have never made the connection.


    Her sweet, homely features had matured dramatically. No longer could she be called a hidden, overshadowed flower. Her full, red lips had a frightening ability to pull in his attention. Before Reed was a mature, young woman that had developed a... motherly appearance about her in a variety of ways.


    It took all of Reed''s willpower not to stare at her well endowed, motherly... assets. Lu''um was no slouch herself, but Ophelia was clearly in her own weight class. Reed confidently came to the conclusion that she had even beat the reigning champion, Violett, at her own game. There was a new overlord atop the mountain of womanly virtues... and it was Ophelia.


    Ophelia, surprisingly, was the only one of the three that come without a military uniform. Instead, she wore formal civilian clothes and a large, black overcoat that had a golden brooch of some sort pinned on it.


    It was a shiny brooch of a golden moon that had a small red gemstone embedded on it in the of a drop of blood. It certainly had some major significance in the North, but Reed was unaware as he knew next to nothing on the matter.


    The other two had undergone transformations that were no less amazing than Ophelia''s.


    Astor''s long, golden mane had grown considerably since their last meeting. His charming, princely features had also developed well. Reed mused over the fact that there was now an actual semblance of a kingly lion to his natural visage. Although it was indubitably regal and majestic to gaze upon, Reed wondered how much work it took to maintain that sort of hairstyle.


    Horatio seemed to have changed the most of the three, though. The last Reed had seen him, the stoic fellow had sported a no-nonsense crew cut reminiscent of a freshly conscripted recruit. That clean-cut image had been destroyed in totality with the arrival of the present-day Horatio.


    His dark, ruffled hair drooped down to his shoulders, which completely threw Reed off. If that wasn''t enough, the scruffy beard on his chin also contributed to Reed''s initial confusion. His deep, black eyes held a calm and pure serenity to them, as if they had been trained to see the past the filth of the world.


    Had it not been for the fact that Astor and Ophelia were present, Reed would have never made the connection as to who the brooding man in black could have been...


    The fluctuations coming off of Horatio seemed to suggest that he was probably on the verge of being able to attempt what was impossible for contenders. He was well on his way towards crossing over and become a conqueror. One could only imagine the herculean efforts the young man must have made to have been rewarded by the Will of the World so excessively.


    It was borderline outrageous though, to be honest. Even Violett, who was considered among the brightest and fastest of her generation, had spent the better part of eighty years in order to be awarded enough of blessings to make the leap from contender to a conqueror.


    Yet here was Horatio who was already approaching the verge of crossing over to the other side. There was something wrong here. It was the with Astor and Ophelia as well -- they were way out of line for what was expected of relatively fresh contenders such as them.


    It was to be expected. Last time they met, everyone had been in the midst of their adolescence. It was only normal for growing children to sprout into who they were meant to become. Nearly three years had passed since their final meeting, but even so, Reed had been blown away by how all three had changed.


    In truth, the trio felt the same way about Reed and Lu''um. They looked nothing like their former selves, either. Not a single bit.


    Lu''um had become something that was for the lack of a better word -- otherwordly. Her preternatural beauty was so powerful that it had even momentarily enraptured Horatio, who possessed the strongest willpower of the three until he used an Anima technique to break free of the horrifying charm Lu''um had developed. The most ominous thing about her was the fact that they couldn''t detect a single Anima fluctuation off of her. It was a chilling reminder of her insane skill with Anima and what was she likely capable of...


    As for Reed himself? In the old days, Astor and Horatio would often tease Reed for his shorter-than-average stature in jest, but now things had changed. The once malnourished boy from the slums now towered over them to such an extent that they, for the first time, had been forced to look up at him instead. Reed was so tall that they almost couldn''t believe it was him.


    To put things into perspective, the old Avunian king beside Reed stood somewhere at two and a half meters in height and this was not a normal thing. It was because Velvund was a genuine High-Alf himself, one of the original highborne children of the original race all modern Avunians were descended from. The average Avunian only stood at around two meters in comparison to their former king.


    Although Reed was not all tall as Velvund, he had clearly grown beyond what was considered normal by humanity. He stood at around the lower part of Velvund''s shoulders in height, easily over two meters in height with plenty of change to spare. Lu''um, too, had experienced the same growth, but not as dramatically as Reed. She was a bit shorter than Reed, though it was out of the norm, even for extremes a human female could grow...


    It genuinely begged an important question. Were these two even humans? They couldn''t spot any Alf-ears on them or any other distinguishing characteristics that might separate them from humanity, though. Were they Half-Alf or were they just genetic anomalies? Even with the blessings of an Alma, they should have not grown this much during their adolescence.


    His light-brown eyes had a mysterious glimmer about them that made them seem like jewels. The longer you gaze into them, the harder it was to tear yourself away. It was in many ways, a charm-like effect much akin to what Lu''um naturally possessed, although weaker.


    Something had definitely happened to these two, the trio suspected in their hearts.


    Reed dumbly observed the three of them until Astor walked over to Reed and said, "...Been a while hasn''t, buddy?" He hugged Reed and patted his back like he always used to...


    Horatio and Ophelia followed in Astor''s footsteps and warmly greeted Reed and Lu''um. It was a joyous moment for everyone involved.


    The Council of Sages, as wayward as they might have been, had finally reunited.


    While there was much everyone wanted to talk about, there was a more pressing matter at hand. The fissure at Itroch had to be closed by the end of the day, no matter what. The world itself was already on a final countdown, therefore no one in the conference room wasted any more breath on anything unnecessary to their mission.


    It was time to get down to business.

 170 Much Ado About Loves Woes

    The skies above Itroch shuddered ominously with a soft, crimson glow that was unmistakably unnatural. Far above the heads of Reed''s group, spatial distortions could be seen with the naked eye that even mortals would have been able to identify.


    It was dark outside. That was not normal, especially since they had begun their mission near midday. There was a mysterious spatiotemporal anomaly present within the city''s confines that had imposed permanent darkness upon it. The only natural source of illumination was the beautifully ominous blood-red nebula that hung above Itroch...


    Were it not for the dreadful association the color had with the cursed fissure below, Reed would have gladly enjoyed the sight of the peculiar celestial phenomenon.


    "The reports mentioned this anomalous distortion, but I didn''t that it would actually end up being so pretty," said Ophelia as she directed a little caravan of floating drones to record the night sky.


    When one of her drones accidentally bumped into Horatio''s head, he said, "Careful, Phi. These suits are durable and the mission''s exploratory in nature, but that doesn''t mean you can afford to get careless."


    "Sorry, sorry... I just got a little excited. It''s just that, well... we''re the first people to be allowed to enter Itroch after it got locked down a year ago. I couldn''t help myself..."


    She had not come emptyhanded, unlike Astor and Horatio who had only come in pressurized environmental suits designed for extremely hazardous situations in the Shadowlands. It was an uncommon thing for Chosen, who were almost impervious to all manner of afflictions, to don such protective gear.


    Only ''Abyssal Divers,'' Chosen who had elected to specialize their efforts in the field of artefact acquisitions -- hunting for artefacts -- wore such equipment, and only when it was necessary. These fearless tomb raiders were the only people who had the cojones to venture deep into the Shadowslands, where the Infested miasma was concentrated enough to poison even veteran Chosen, in pursuit of untouched technological caches to plunder...


    Ophelia had brought a mobile laboratory of sorts along with her in order to record, collect, and analyze anything that could lead her and her fellow colleagues aboard the Spirit of Bountiful Charity towards finding a cure for the Itroch syndrome case.


    Reed calmly observed the pair in the distance and then whispered to Astor, "...Hey. Uh, I''m not one to pry into matters that aren''t mine, but are those two... um, you know..."


    Astor softly chuckled and said, "It''s more complicated than a simple yes or no answer, but yeah. Not that they''ve explicitly made it... official, so to speak."


    "Complicated? For them? I mean, those two are clearly..."


    Reed shrugged his shoulders in confusion and said, "That sounds like horseshit."


    Lu''um chimed in and said, "Yes, that indeed does sound like horseshit."


    "So, what, I am to believe that they are unable to enter a relationship with one another because of two bickering man-children? Are you sure this isn''t the plot for some bargain-credit romance novel? Get real."


    "I know it''s a shit situation, but there''s nothing we can do about it. I''d love to play the part of the royal cupid, but my family has no power over civil cases like these. In any case, even if we did, it''d still be a shitty situation. The royal family has long kept out of the affairs of its vassals, the noble families, in return for their unwavering loyalty. How they handle matters in their domains and between themselves has always been a matter out of our jurisdiction.


    For me -- or rather, the royal family -- to intervene in matters that have historically not been under our authority would be a breach of the unspoken agreement we made long ago."


    "In essence, you don''t want to pick at a hornet''s nest you allowed in your backyard a while back," said Reed. He was sympathetic to Astor''s concerns, but at the same time, found it laughably ridiculous that a family that had been backed by the Dreaming Council still had to compromise in the end.


    Lu''um spoke at length for the first time since the conversation started and said, "Kings do not compromise with their vassals; They rule them. One cannot expect unity and harmony to arise out of the competing interests that lie dormant in the hearts of all Men. Conflict is the natural trajectory that all Men will follow if left unsupervised.


    Therefore, it is imperative that Men have a figure who can make use of their desires in a productive manner that benefits the whole of those under them. In other words, a king."


    Her words rang clear and true, much to Astor''s bitterness. He hollowly laughed and said, "...You''d make a fine ruler, Lu''um. Though it''d mean that Reed would become your queen, no? I''m not sure if the North would be ready for that kind of progressive change, you know."


    Reed ignored his teasing and said, "So have you been? Find a nice girl for yourself yet or is your family also cockblocking you, too? Don''t tell me that one of the most eligible bachelors in the North has just been doing nothing for the last three years..."


    Astor sighed when he heard the question and said, "...You wouldn''t understand, bud. Life as a prince isn''t all roses and daisies..."


    "Try me, then. I-- We''ve been through some tough times, too." Reed pulled Lu''um close to him in an embrace and said, "If you knew half the shit we''ve dealt with, you find your concerns to be nothing more than child''s play." It was the truth. Hell, they were still not even halfway through the latest mess to disturb their lives, the Eventide of Faith.


    The lonesome prince closed his eyes and said, "It''s Violett, man. She. Just. Won''t. Leave. Me. Alone. Every single girl I''ve brought home has been... more or less chased out by her. It doesn''t who I bring, she won''t accept them! I don''t know what sort of fucking metric she''s using to judge the girls I''ve introduced to her, but it''s ruining my goddamned game!


    Does she want me to bring someone who can beat her in a fight?! Am I her fighting manager or something? She''d always nitpicks everything little thing about the girls I bring over, as if she''s trying to slander them death... What do you think she wants from me? I''ve never done anything bad to her, I think..."


    Reed wisely kept his mouth shut and patted Astor''s back in a futile attempt to comfort him. Perhaps he had been wrong, after all. There was always a deeper hell below...


    Lu''um snorted and said, "She''s been testing you... probably. That, and she might be childishly acting out, too. There are some older siblings who are sometimes too... attached to their younger siblings. Compound this with the fact that you generally capitulate whenever she gets angry at you and we have the current situation."


    "What do you mean? I haven''t done anything wrong, then?"


    "Most likely she perceives you as her own possession. ...A toy of sorts? Naturally, she would not want to give her beloved toy away to some other strange woman. My advice for you is simple: Grow a spine. Stop obeying your sister and be your own person. You need to her to see you for who you are -- a grown man with your own free will -- and not the adorable baby brother she has always seen you for.


    The next time you bring a girl over and she tries to her scare off, put your foot down and stop her. Even if you have to fight her. You don''t even have to win against her, either. Just do it to get your point across -- let her know that you''re serious about that girl and you won''t take no for an answer."


    Astor swallowed a lump of cold spit and said, "S-So that''s how it''s been this whole time? I mean... I always thought that she was just a little spoiled and overbearing at heart, but not to this extent... Still, you''re asking for a lot, you know. Fighting? Against her? Goddess give me strength..."


    Reed grimly recalled his experiences ''training'' with Violett and a chill crept down his spine. The girl was the epitome of merciless precision and unrestrained ultra-violence when it came to her fighting style. She was a high-spec intercontinental missile in human form.


    He gulped and said, "H-Hey, at the very least, she won''t kill you. I won''t deny that you''ll most likely end up getting beat down into mush, though. And it''ll be a one-time thing, too. I think... it''ll be worth the price. When you think about it in the grand scheme of things, it''s a small price to pay." Reed knew he spouting absolute bullshit, but what else was he supposed to do?


    Nevertheless, he had now been convinced that his troubles had not been as bad as he initially thought them out to be. At least, not compared to Astor''s troubles...

 171 A City Of Shattered Dreams and Hopes

    Crumbled skyscrapers loomed around them like fallen giants of a bygone era as the group continued pushing forward toward the center of the city. Even now, more than five thousand years later, some of them still only appeared to be half-weathered.


    Eons in the North''s unforgiving permafrost hell had done little to damage the buildings that had not been destroyed in the fight against the Infestation during the Great Barrier War. They still stood magnificently as the day that they had been built, if only a little bit weathered on the outside...


    Reed quietly observed the Itroch''s many murals, statues, and oddly-shaped buildings and said, "What purpose did this city serve back in the day? Was this a civilian city? Perhaps a noble city? There''s always an underlying theme, intention, or belief behind everything the Ancient Mulians made."


    Astor shrugged his shoulders helplessly as he looked around and said, "...Does it matter? See any Ancient Mulians who''ll answer your question? This city might''ve been something of interest when it thawed out of the ice, but right now it''s nothing more than a slumberingmenace to the North."


    I guess I should have expected that sort of answer from him. It''s not like I was born here, nor do I hold any particularly strong attachments to this land and its bitter history. It''s a different story for him, though...


    Thankfully, the true recipient of his question spoke up and said, "Itroch is the name of an ancient god-spirit that the Ancient Mulians used to worship back when they were nothing more than a primitive people of stone, wood, and fire.


    It was a mixed-diety, who was half-man and half-woman. Itroch was a representative of the duality of the sexes and the relationships that formed between them. Think of it as the divine arbiter of all affairs that involved both a man and a woman."


    "So Itroch was the god of love?" Reed said, "But what does that have to do with this city? Why name an entire city after an obsolescent god from an era when people lived in religious ignorance?"


    Lu''um sighed and said, "It''s not about abandoningthe gods, dear. Of course, they eventually realized that Itroch wasn''t real, but that didn''t matter to them. What mattered to the Ancient Mulians was what Itroch meant to them during that period of youthful ignorance when their civilization had begun to sprout.


    Though they did not worship Itroch anymore, the old god was still an important part of the cultural makeup that made their culture what it once was. The Ancient Mulians did not throw out their outdated traditions and gods because they no longer served their original purpose.


    More than often, they repurposed them and in doing so, gave them a second life to live. It was a part of a great¡ª"


    He pulled her toward himself and whispered, "Save the cultural anthropology lesson for when we''re alone, babe! Look at Astor, for crying out loud! He looks like he''s about to go comatose any second! I understand, I really do, but now ain''t the time or place for this level of discussion..."


    Reed had completely forgotten not to set off any of Lu''um''s lecture triggers, which obviously included anything Ancient Mulian in origin. As much as Reed enjoyed hearing her enthusiastic voice and loved to learn more in lengthy discussions with his blabbermouth, it was clearly not something for everyone.


    Astor''s dull, glazed eyes were proof enough of that, despite the polite smile he had plastered on his face...


    It turned out that Itroch was a part of an experiment to create a brand new method of education that would revolutionize how future Ancient Mulian pupils would have been taught. They would have been instructed and cared for by the greatest scholars of the past.


    Deep beneath the city itself, a complex web of light-speed communication arrays had been built to house an information system beyond anything the universe had ever seen. The Quetzal Collective.


    The brightest minds of the multiverse would have had their very souls flash-cloned, converted into a digital format, and then stored in permanent stasis underneath Itroch for use in the Quetzal Collective.


    Their unique talents would have then been preserved indefinitely and allowed to teach hundreds of thousands of students on an individual basis by merit of the cutting-edge communications infrastructure that had been built to support it.


    "Imagine having the brightest souls in the universe as your personal mentors! Commoner or noble, rich or poor, it would not have mattered a single bit! Every single child would have been taught by the most brilliant individuals in their fields of expertise from childhood to adulthood in a fully personalized educational program geared toward polishing their strengths and removing their weakness!


    The Quetzal Collective was designed to wring out every single drop of potential within a growing child! To, in a very literal sense, make them the very best that they could have been! Entire generations of enlightened children from all races across the cosmos would have flourished right here were it not for...!"


    Reed comforted her and said, "A city for the enlightened, huh? ...I would have enjoyed visiting this place during its heyday. I''m sure this place must have had some pretty nice libraries, right?"


    Astor sighed and said, "It''s a pity this place fell during the Great Barrier War, then. We could have used that information during the Unification Era. Relying on ancient artefacts has only gotten us so far in the pursuit of understanding the Ancient Mulians, their technology, and the Infestation..."


    Itroch was entirely devoid of life, for one reason or another. There was no sign of wildlife present in the city, no matter how much the group searched. Ophelia originally hoped to catch a couple of animals within the city to identify whether or not a certain animal had been the host of the plague, but the group had come up short in that regard.


    They were unable to even find flora within the city, despite their laborious efforts. It seemed that not even plants dared to cross into Itroch''s borders, which secretly unnerved Ophelia. She had determined the composition of the soil and air herself the moment they stepped into the city. The place was more than habitable for life and yet, they had not run into a single living thing...


    When the group reached the downtown district of Itroch, they finally stumbled onto something that made them all stop.


    There was something blocking the road or rather, littering the road in abundance to the point that it had caught everyone''s attention. Large, crystalline spires had taken over the main street downtown after a certain point.


    They had a mysterious appearance to them¡ª glowing in a myriad of soft, beautiful colors as if they were exotic strobe-lights.


    The moment the group saw them, they knew that they had finally found something of interest.


    Ophelia squealed in delight and ran toward the unusual crystalline monoliths pulling Horatio along, apparently having the time of her life. Horatio shook his head in disapproval and but let it happen, nevertheless.


    Reed, Lu''um, and Astor let them be on their own. They understood that this was likely one of the few opportunities where they could be with one another naturally without fear of getting caught.


    Truth be told, Astor himself had been the mastermind for the entire operation. He was one who had reached out to Velvund for assistance in getting an operation within Itroch underway after he heard that Reed and Lu''um had come back after fixing the fissure in the Silvermoon Grasslands.


    It was really a two-part act of his own making. He knew that Horatio and Ophelia had been under careful surveillance for the longest by their families. Were Astor to help them out, he would have to make a justifiable excuse to warrant them meeting each other on official business.


    In that sense, the mission in Itroch had been a stroke of brilliance. Of course, they would need a qualified lifeweaver to enter the city to recover samples on the ground. And here he had a beautiful mademoiselle with the qualification for the mission ¡ª Ophelia.


    The girl had worked her way up to a commissioned position with the North''s military as a lieutenant commander in the medical corps. She had even been awarded the Tear of Sacrifice by the royal household for her outstanding efforts during her tenure in the Shadowlands as a combat medic.


    And Horatio? Well, his noble family, the Restus family, had long since been bestowed the privilege of raising the only Chosen allowed to be silverlines ¡ª personal bodyguards ¡ª for the North''s royal family.


    Naturally, if Astor were to volunteer himself to join the mission in Itroch, his personal silverline would have come along, too...


    Everyone benefited from this ingenious arrangement. Horatio, Ophelia, and Astor, each for their own personal reasons.


    But truth be told, none of it would have been possible were it not for... Reed and Lu''um.


    Their actions at the Silvermoon Grasslands along with Velund and... Haydn''s support were what had allowed him to persuade his royal father. The credit, in truth, did not lie with him at all...


    Astor coughed awkwardly and interrupted the academic discussion that the two incorrigible lovebirds in front of him had gotten into again and said, "Hey, I just wanted to thank the two of you... You know, on their behalf and... my own, too."


    Reed and Lu''um eyed each other smiled and said, "...You''re welcome."


    Not that they even knew what they were being thanked for. As far as they were concerned, if it made their friend feel better, they would smile and play along.

 172 In Absence Of Life; In Abundance Of Death

    Collections of memories, not bound to bruised flesh or brittle bone ¡ª that was what the crystal pillars were. They were an advanced hard drive meant to endure even the harshest conditions in the event of unforeseen incidents. The moment Reed saw the pillars he recognized what they were.


    It was not the first time he had come across a construct like them before, after all.


    The technology required to safely contain a soul without its physical tether ¡ª the body.


    Ma.


    Reed felt a chill down his spine and said, "Why are they here? Or rather who are they? The Quetzal Collective was never... completed, right? If that''s the case, then who are these people...?"


    Truth be told, it was a question that both Reed and Lu''um already had the answer for.


    Lu''um put her hands on the crystal pillar in front of them and shut her eyes in concentration. Reed guessed that she was probing it, but he didn''t think that it was necessary. The facts had been plainly laid out for all to see. Confirming them would do nothing to remedy the situation...


    What had been done could not be reversed.


    Astor turned toward Reed in confusion and said, "...Do you know what these things are, Reed? These crystal pillars weren''t in the observational reports we received about the city. I''ve double-checked, but I can''t find a single report mentioning them."


    His helmet''s heads-up display winked as it continued to beam a flood of information about the city into Astor''s eyes, though none of it matched what was before them.


    "You can stop looking. I doubt you''d find anything about them, even if you searched through your universal compendium for another century," said Reed in a low voice.


    Once Reed explained the function and nature of what a memory crystal was, Astor quickly caught on the logical discrepancy between what he had learned from Lu''um''s explanation of Itroch and what stood in front of them. The same dreadful realization struck him as he gazed outward toward the street riddled with the crystal pillars in abundance.


    When Lu''um removed her hands from the crystal pillar, she turned toward Reed and Astor and silently nodded her head.


    Reed felt a headache coming on, already aware that they had finally stepped onto something important. He broke the silence and said, "Let''s go and tell them the news, then. Ophelia can relay the news to the Spirit of Bountiful Charity and then rethink this entire situation from the ground up."


    The Itroch Syndrome cases had a definite connection to the city of Itroch itself, rather than a mysterious pathogen of some sort. What that relationship was would determine whether or not the infected Chosen in quarantine could be saved...


    Lu''um stroked her chin pensively as she thought about all she knew of post-Great Barrier War Mulia and the hidden infrastructure that had allowed it to be a self-sustaining miniature world of its own.


    What lay beneath the very continent of Mulia was one of the few things that she had not been privy to for unexplained reasons not known even to her.


    She was one of the few people who had been granted the privilege of knowing what He had been creating toward the end of the Final War, the penultimate millennia of conflict against the Infestation after they had snuffed a majority of the Prime Universe into darkness.


    It was during that dark, final millennium ¡ª when the entire cosmos had been leeched of all its light, ¡ª that He had created the Heavenly Barrier System as it now existed.


    He had combined the most advanced Ancient Mulian technology available at the time and the taboo, eldritch knowledge extracted from the imprisoned Infested Pupa within Xibalba to create something entirely new...


    Lu''um roughly knew what He had done, but couldn''t be accounted to explain the specifics because she had not been around on Mu during the Heavenly Barrier''s construction. She had been out in the Deep Black ¡ª Infested controlled space out of their homeworld ¡ª keeping the Infestation at bay with the few remaining Ancient Mulian fleets at their disposal...


    Ophelia let out a resigned sigh and said, "I can feel it...! We''re at the cusp of something huge right here, but we''re missing a piece or two from putting it all together! Goddamnit!"


    Astor took a deep breath and said, "At least we know what happened to the victims, Ophelia. It''s better than not knowing what happened to them at all. We know the effect now; all we need to do is gather some more information and then we''ll be able to extrapolate a possible cause."


    Reed gazed at Itroch''s magnificent works for all they were worth and closed his eyes. He blocked out his senses and retreated into the depths of his mind where he could work without disturbance.


    He had long since come to the conclusion that the Eventide of Faith was a series of independent calamities designed to cull Mulia of all life as its end goal. Whether it was the workings of Fate, the Bastard, his own Karma, or some unknown force, he was positive that there was more to Eventide of Faith than what it was on the surface.


    Lacrima had given him a specific order to follow for an unknown reason as well. There was about that itched Reed''s sixth sense in his sleep. It was the tantalizing gleam of something beyond what he currently understood.


    The Centlani Deep Fissure was a power surge that had threatened to obliterate the entire continent in a single terrible explosion of unimaginable energy. Although it had been the most rudimentary of the threats they had faced, it also served as one of its key strengths.


    Physical destruction of the continent to kill everything that lived on it.


    The Silvermoon Grasslands Fissure had been a spatiotemporal anomaly that threatened Mulia''s history itself by means of destroying the delicate balance of both space and time.


    Spatiotemporal destruction to erase the continent and everything that lived on it.


    And now, the Itroch Fissure. It was one concerned with... the nature of souls. Instead of targeting the continent itself, this fissure''s chosen target was the people themselves. Why? What meaning was there in targeting the mortals of the continent and what was the connection between that and the sleeping titan beneath the land?


    Reed already had an inkling of an idea of what the Heaven Barrier System was and how it operated from the nature of the fissures. That, and the relationship between the condition of the titan and the condition of the land ¡ª no, the world itself.


    It goes without saying that they''re tied to one another... Perhaps, they might even be one and the same. Either way, the health of the titan is integral to the survival of the continent.


    It''s keeping the Heavenly Barrier running with its own Anima.


    It''s supplying the continent with its own Anima.


    It''s solely responsible for maintaining the most important aspects fundamental to keeping this artificial dimension alive. Be it the continent''s energy supply, the integrity of the continent''s spacetime, and even the nature of the souls that inhabit it...


    Reed opened his eyes and muttered, "Purging mortals, living beings. Not out of its own will since it''s not even awake at the moment."


    Lu''um turned toward Reed and said, "Of course not. There is no way that this would ever be something induced by the one sleeping at the bottom."


    "Then we agree that all of this is because it''s not awake; that it''s not at the wheel at the moment."


    "Yes, obviously. And...?"


    Astor, Horatio, and Ophelia stared at one another in confusion as they listened in on Reed and Lu''ums cryptic conversation. They knew not of what lay in the bowels of the earth, nor of its the connection to the fissures, let alone the prophecy of the Eventide of Faith...


    "I''m just reaffirming what we do know so you know where I''m coming from in terms of logic, okay? Of this we can both conclude; each fissure has been directly related to an imbalance or disruption in a fundamental aspect of what we consider the reality we live in.


    A pillar that supports our world as we know it."


    Lu''um nodded and said, "Yes, yes. I assumed that we had both come to the same conclusion long ago. What is so new about this? What is your point, dear?"


    Both of us? Reed suddenly felt rather delighted that Lu''um thought so highly of him, even though she had been dead wrong. It had only been now that he had put the pieces together...


    "I will assume that we are both of the same mind; this fissure is directly related to the management of souls in some essential way necessary for the continuation of life on this continent.


    The propagation of life as we comprehend it. Itroch, the God of Love concerned with the relationships with fertility, marriage, and duality. A city built upon the dream of harnessing souls.


    Can''t you see it? Why we, who are blessed with an Alma, are not affected but mortals are?"


    Astor, Horatio, and Ophelia felt like they had heard something enormously important, but chose not to interrupt their conversation. There was too much that they were unaware of.


    Reed gazed at the crystal pillars and said, "It''s recalling souls. There''s no one at the wheel, so it''s acting on its instincts, trying to protect the people on the surface."

 173 Nanny Duty

    Lu''um gazed at Reed in the eyes, in an attempt to discern whether or not he had truly meant what he said. Her vision pierced through his environmental suit and physical body, all the way to his soul. It wasn''t that Lu''um didn''t believe Reed''s explanation; for the most part, she was more than willing to keep an open mind.


    For a brief moment, Lu''um had felt something strange. A foreboding sensation that she had only ever experienced whenever He acted without her knowledge in secret.


    In simpler words, she had felt, albeit for a second, that He had spoken through Reed in spirit. There was a very particular tone ¡ª a melancholy, calculating cadence to His manner of speaking ¡ª that only He possessed.


    Reed''s natural tone, in comparison, was much lighter and informal than His, to the point that it was very simple to distinguish one from the other. Although their voices were identical, they had their own distinct color when it came to the art of rhetoric, if that made sense.


    There was nothing wrong with Reed, much to Lu''um''s relief. Her concerns had been for naught, but even so, she deemed it a cautionary experience worth a moment of future contemplation. When it came to Him, a single misstep was enough to give Him a decisive, uncontestable advantage in any battle.


    She could not drop her guard for Reed''s sake, not while He was still around...


    "I''m sure of it; this probably a kind of a security failsafe in the event of a catastrophic event. If it can''t keep reality running properly, the best solution is to make a save everything of importance in hard suspension until it can reboot everything back up at a later date.


    It makes perfect sense, at least in my mind. I would definitely store my important data securely in a safe place if I knew that it was at risk of being permanently lost in the event of a system failure."


    The more that Lu''um heard Reed''s explanation, the more that it started to grow upon her. It really did make sense, from a cold, logical standpoint. Truth be told, Reed''s rationalization sounded very much like something He would have told her.


    Even the idea of thinking about living, breathing people with souls akin to lifeless information sounded like Him. Absolutely detached from whatever little morality He had once possessed.


    Lu''um genuinely hated how closely Reed was resembling Him and His twisted rationalizations. It brought up dark memories and beliefs that she no longer associated with her present self, which had long since become a painful topic for her to even think about...


    She curtly interrupted Reed and said, "I understand, dear. There''s no need for you to continue... emulating Him anymore, okay? I get it. Let us be done with this unpleasant line of thought."


    He looked at her and saw a concerned, uneasy expression on her face, as if she had witnessed something remarkably dreadful. She, too, had her own personal fears, much to Reed''s amusement in an odd way.


    Reed caressed Lu''um''s helmet affectionately and said, "You worry too much, Sweetcheeks. I''ll always be myself, no matter what may come to pass. Noble, dashing street rats like myself and self-righteous, anal-retentive bastards like Him are completely incompatible with one another."


    Lu''um laughed when she heard his ludicrous explanation. Although it was absolute nonsense, it was very Reed-like at heart, filled with his characteristically misplaced gusto and conviction about the oddest topics...


    Their touching, sweet moment would have lasted longer were it not... for Astor, Horatio, and Ophelia.


    The trio awkwardly gawked at Reed and Lu''um in dumbfounded embarrassment, for the lack of a better word. It was beyond them how they had been completely forgotten in about a five-minute timespan.


    Do these two really not care about us?


    Are we truly that insignificant to them?


    Have they fallen in love so hard that they became fools? Where had the Reed of old gone? He would have already made a biting, defensive remark to Lu''um by now. And if Reed didn''t do that, then he''d rely on his favorite method ¡ª playing the silent treatment card.


    That the Reed that they had known ¡ª always on his guard around Lu''um...


    It went without saying that the trio was considerably interested in what had occurred within the last three years to have warranted such a... drastic change in their relationship.


    Astor forcibly coughed, much to his own regret, and ended the unreal marvel in front of them.


    "...If you don''t mind, could the two of you do us a favor... and explain what you were talking about? You''ve figured out some big clue about all of this, am I correct?"


    There was only so much that Reed and Lu''um could explain to them without making themselves sound insane, given the scale and nature of the Eventide of Faith. They had a real chore on their hands, getting their friends up to speed in a way that did not put them on the Dreaming Council''s radar...


    For young people like Astor, Horatio, and Ophelia, who knew relatively little of the Ancient Mulians aside from what they had been taught and seen in the Shadowlands, the concepts involved in Reed and Lu''um''s simplified explanation were still too large to grasp in theory alone.


    Truth be told, there were certain things that had to be seen in order to be understood. They couldn''t be described properly with conventional mediums of communication like speech, writing, or art.


    Reed lamented the shitty job he had been given and said, "Okay... Let''s run the facts down from the top one final time, so we''re all on the same page."


    "...A colossus of unimaginable proportions has been underneath the continent all this time?" said Astor, still trying to wrap his head around the ridiculous statement he just said.


    Reed nodded his head and said, "Good, good. Keeping going, don''t stop..."


    "And this colossus is what has been keeping the Heavenly Barrier up since... the Great Barrier War?"


    Reed and Lu''um gave Horatio a quadruple thumbs-up for his contribution and then glanced towards Ophelia in expectation.


    "This colossus has been responsible for maintaining the world as we perceive it? And after the Twilight War, it fell ill, which is why these fissures have spread across the continent?"


    Reed clapped and said, "I knew the three of you could do it! That wasn''t so hard to swallow, eh?!"


    The trio were not strangers to matters beyond comprehension, given what they had personally witnessed, but there was a limit to how much they could feasibly tolerate.


    Astor really wanted to believe Reed, especially given everything he knew about him. What he understood about Reed should have been enough to vouch for anything he could have learned, but this time...


    "I''m going to need a bit of time to digest this startling... truth, buddy. And look, I''m all for believing you, but you have to understand that right now you sound, well, you know..."


    "Sound like what? It''s the truth."


    Horatio exasperatedly said, "The two you sound bat-shit insane. We''re all aware of the unique circumstances surrounding you, and that does give you some credit, some leeway with us in regards to trusting you, but..."


    Lu''um shrugged her shoulders helplessly and said, "You''re not going to believe us, even after that you''ve seen over the years? Are you all being serious right now? This is the hill you''re going to die on?"


    Reed glanced at Ophelia in search of some kind of support, but she betrayed him and said, "I''m willing to believe in a lot of things, primarily because of the level of technology the Ancient Mulians possessed at the height of their civilization, but this... this is a little bit too much, even for me."


    It was then and there that Reed''s final light of hope was snuffed out into the dark.


    Do these three really not care about us?


    Are we truly that insignificant to them?


    Lu''um and Reed stared at each in tired resignation. They both knew that this time they''d have to deal with extra work this time around. Unbeknownst to the trio, they were already in midst of talks as to how they would progress now that they had reached an impasse with them.


    "They''re not gonna accept our explanation, no matter how much we drill it into their heads. And if they stick around here when we close the fissure, it''s all but certain that they''ll die... Goddamnit."


    "You what this means, right? We''re going to have to take¡ª"


    "Please don''t finish that sentence. It''s fucking bad enough we''re gonna have to deal with whatever''s down there. Don''t add ''nanny duty'' to the list, honey."


    "Well, we can''t just leave them here. And subduing them is also a no-go since it''d cause even more problems down the road. If we can''t persuade them to shelve their mission, then the only option is to take¡ª"


    Reed audibly let out a howl of frustration and kicked a broken down hovercraft in the middle of the street in a fit of cathartic rage. The poor vehicle suddenly took flight again for the first time in millennia and flew into a nearby building. An expected fireball lit up the dark city in a wonderous pyrotechnical display of passionate frustration.


    Keep it cool, Reed. You got this. Ice in the veins, Reed. It ain''t nothing you can''t handle.


    Three extra lives on the line this time. Just don''t fuck up from here on out. Easy peasy.


    Reed smiled and said, "Change of plans, then. The three of you are going to be tagging along with us. It''ll be one big adventure for the whole family from here on out. Isn''t that wonderful?"


    Astor, Horatio, and Ophelia glanced at one another in worry as they stared at Reed''s soulless smile and the flaming wreckage behind him. An ominous chill ran down their spines as they observed the foreboding scene of anarchy before them...

 174 The Woe Of The Shepherd

    An awkward tension permeated the air as the group ventured deeper into Itroch. Whatever harmony once existed had disappeared because of a single person. The aura that his presence emanated screamed that he was past any form of consolation, despite the repeated efforts of the young woman by his side.


    Reed wanted to cry. He recalled the events concerning the last two fissures and let out a resigned sigh of despair. They barely managed to fix the last two fissures, which were borderline miraculous flukes in his book.


    We can barely handle them together! And now we have these three tag-alongs to take care of?!


    By all accounts, each fissure was a separate world-ending calamity that had the potential to end all life on the continent. It went without saying that they were enormous problems that required a certain level of skill that only a small handful of Chosen were capable of.


    Ahhh, for fuck''s sake! Yeah, make my day harder, why not?! Sure, throw another responsibility on our shoulders!


    Even for experienced, veteran Chosen, the fissures were death traps that were sure to kill them. This fatality rate was one of the primary reasons why the fissures had gone largely unexplored even after they appeared. The Four Empires knew they could not afford to lose any more Chosen after the Twilight War.


    No, by all means, Lady Fate, please make this day even harder for me! Come on now, don''t be shy!


    It was a difficult decision to make, but the Four Empires could not risk losing any more Chosen. Although the fissures were a matter of concern, they had not been considered important enough to warrant further action... at least, not until a series of unusual phenomena appeared across Mulia.


    "The Itroch Syndrome cases aren''t the only thing that''s plaguing the continent as of recent, you know." Astor said in a low voice, "I''m sure that Phi knows more about than we do, but there''s been some sort of... issue that''s been afflicting the Mortals since the fissures appeared. Fertility rates across the Four Empires have been steadily decreasing, or so I''ve been told by Father."


    Ophelia puffed in dissatisfaction and said, "I don''t know everything, despite what you might think of me. That''s not something I worked on, but yes, I do know what you''re referencing. And as much as I hate to admit it, I haven''t heard about any new developments over that matter in particular.


    I''ve heard from a little bird that the current situation has not yet escalated to become a concern yet, though. They''re sedated enough. The Halycon Conglomerate has been handling the situation as expected. They''ve raised the continental subliminal inhibition matrix in response to the heightened levels of stress the population has been experiencing since the Twilight War nearly three years ago."


    Reed was about to speak out but was suddenly stopped with a single glare and a tug from Lu''um beside him. Her eyes flickered in protest as she voiced something silently to Reed with her lips.


    "After all, it''s been millennia since anything like the Twilight War has happened since the Unification Era... You can''t blame them for being so impressionable to the events that have happened as of late."


    "The Mortals have grown too accustomed to peace," Horatio said, "It is better this way, though. Ignorance is bliss, as they say. I would never wish upon them to ever learn the horrible truth about this world and the other one outside."


    Lu''um nodded slowly and said, "They must never know. It would break them beyond salvation. The Flame of Hope must be kept lit, no matter the cost. Keeping them in the dark may not be the most ethical course of action, but it is a necessity in this case. The potential ramifications of revealing the truth would be catastrophic to the continent. It would spell the end of the Four Empires."


    I can''t believe I''m hearing this coming out of your mouth. Unbelievable. What a fucking joke...


    Her words rang clear, but that wasn''t what interested Reed. Her tone was what had caught his interest. He knew it all too well. She wasn''t talking to them.


    He wanted to speak out but kept his mouth shut, once again. Nothing would have arisen out of berating his companions either way. It would have only soured the mood even more, something that Lu''um was keen about preventing. The last thing she needed was for Reed to explode in fury while they still were being monitored by the Spirit of Bountiful Charity outside.


    She was positive that their private comms were being monitored. If not by Velvund, then by the Dreaming Council. Perhaps some other unknown higher-up that she was not aware of. In any case, it would look very bad for them were Reed to say something in opposition to the state.


    As much as she disliked it, this expedition was equal parts of a world-saving operation and a public PR performance for the North and the East. There was more at stake than just repairing the fissure in Itroch.


    The fissure between the North and the East was of concern to both parties involved with the creation of the operation. It was interference that Lu''um understood was necessary for the cause, but that didn''t mean that she was particularly fond of it.


    If there was one thing she was quite aware of, it was that Reed would not have cared if the implications his words caused political strife or social unrest in either empire. Had he spoken aloud, he would have very clearly objected against everything he had heard and then some.


    That was just how Reed was at his core. Whether it was because of his personal history, his own beliefs, or just his personality, he despised the concept of oppression down to the marrow of his bones. Years of living as a slum rat without rights, at the heel of his so-called superiors and masters had shaped his beliefs into what they were today.


    Lu''um knew that Reed was smarter than he believed himself to be, enough that she was sure he wouldn''t destroy what the Dreaming Council had built. There was nothing productive in destroying something if one did not have a suitable replacement to make up the loss.


    ...And that was what infuriated Reed to no end. That he could not rebel with good reason against the system that the Dreaming Council had set up for the mortals in their godforsaken Four Empires.


    It was a world of peace and prosperity at its core, paid in full by the people. A world of half-asleep sheep without a clue of their situation.


    Reed was certain that truth trumped a million falsehoods at any time or place. Without truth, there was nothing of value to be ascertained from the world.


    Would anything matter nothing was true? A world without Truth is no different from the Void.


    Lu''um turned toward Reed when she heard that single thought and saw something dark swirling within his eyes. She tugged at his arms and silently gazed at him with a genuinely concerned expression.


    ...Had she been wrong? Would he really toss everything into the fire in pursuit of truth? She thought she knew him well enough to guess with some degree of certainty, but now...


    His face contorted in silent anger, denial, and then prolonged disgust until he finally settled down and regained his composure. Were it not for them walking slightly ahead of their friends, they would have seen what Reed''s unpleasant expressions, or rather his reaction to their conversation.


    In the end, I really am different from them. They might have had their own troublesome upbringings and whatnot, but they''ve never experienced what oppression feels like.


    How it feels like to be powerless "thing" without any rights or freedoms.


    To be poor. To be sick. To be... nothing.


    A fleeting spark of fire in his chest raged as if it were a wildfire threatening to scorch Reed from the inside out. Reed clutched his chest and grimly smirked when he recognized what the source of his pain was.


    If that wasn''t a sign, then he didn''t know what could qualify as one. It was clear as day to him what the correct course of action was, but he knew that it was not the right time to act.


    "If the Infestation is to be defeated, then we must rise above them first. Truth, Justice, and Liberty must take center stage if we are to stand a chance against Oppression and Despair.


    You know that I am right.


    Otherwise, what point is there in defeating them? We will not trade one oppressor for another."


    Lu''um did not reply. She had no retort for him. In the face of his brilliant, untainted ideals she could not find the strength to voice her doubts. They were purged away in the wake of his determined eyes and the scorching heat in her own chest.


    A resonance formed between their chosen brands. It was something that she had not experienced in nearly five thousand years. It was as if someone had poured a burning firestorm into her chest.


    Not every valuable morsel of truth had to come from the mouth of a wise elder, or an ancient sage.


    Reed was more than enough, evident by Lu''um''s silence on the matter. He had gotten her this time.


    The group carefully traversed through the unnatural forest of crystal pillars in silence after their little conversation and eventually made their way out of the thickest portion of the jungle of crystallized souls.


    Past the dormant souls of the continent''s fallen mortals laid their objective, the fissure of Itroch.


    The ominous constellation shone brightest underneath the fissure in a way that left the group speechless.


    It was bad. Worse than they could have ever imagined.


    Reed almost wanted to turn back when he saw what laid within the fissure and said, "I don''t think that this going to work. Not this time. This is going to take another level of effort to fix. Hell, I don''t even think that this can be fixed!"


    Lu''um''s bit her lips and said, "We''ll find a way. This is just another trial that we''ll overcome. I''m sure of it."


    The trio behind them looked lifeless. Pale, sickly faces peered into the fissure in disbelief as they tried to comprehend the immensity of what laid before them in shock. None of them knew what to say.


    A long, pained laugh escaped Reed''s lips as he observed his companion''s expressions and he said, "This is why I told you three to go back but here we are, eh? Welcome to the shitshow.


    You wanted to be a part of it, right? Well, here you-fucking-go."


    He made a grand gesture towards the fissure and coldly said, "...You believe us now, you damned fools?"

 175 Old Scars and New Wounds

    What laid before the group was a scene unmistakably unnatural, even beyond what Reed had grown tolerant of. There was a limit to his resolve. Reed was willing to push forward and do what was necessary in the face of great adversity, but what loomed inside of the fissure was something that demanded more than just a determined spirit.


    Five mountains stood solemnly inside the fissure, their strange peaks barely jutting out of the miserable scar on the ancient city. As much as the group wanted to deny, they were unmistakably...


    "....Fingers," Ophelia said in a lifeless voice, "But that can''t be¡ª"


    "What? They can''t be real? Are you seriously listening to yourself," said Reed mock-disbelief.


    He gestured towards the colossal hand inside of the fissure and said, "You are imbued with the essence of a deceased goddess, can manipulate reality itself as you see fit, and have some understanding of the monumental threat that exists outside this sealed world and yet...


    You still cannot come to terms with what we have already explained to you? Even after it''s staring at you in the goddamned face?!"


    Just do it, Reed. Say the words and don''t hold back.


    Reed marched up to Ophelia, grabbed her shoulders, and shook them. He knocked on her helmet and said, "Wake. The. Fuck. Up. Because if this too much for you to accept, then you sure as hell won''t be able to handle whatever''s down there in that... pit of souls."


    His words were scathing and incredibly rude, but he was absolutely right. Nevertheless, Reed''s direct approach had not been the most optimal course of action.


    Horatio did not take kindly to Reed''s brutish act and quickly interceded on Ophelia''s behalf and shoved Reed backward with a strong push. The youngest Silverline of the Restus family did not pursue the matter any further, but the indifferent gleam in his eyes told another story...


    He was holding himself back, not wishing to further exacerbate the already tense situation. Where another man might have gone off the rails after seeing their beloved treated the way Ophelia had been, Horatio had kept his wits about him.


    It was proof of the quality of training he had received and the level of maturation he possessed as an individual.


    Reed laughed when he noticed the buried hostility with Horatio''s eyes and said, "Good on you, Horatio. You''re a real stand-up guy, you know that? Must be really hard living like a good dog twenty-four-seven though, am I right?"


    You can apologize later. You can ask for forgiveness later as much as you want.


    Horatio did not respond, but the glare in his eyes intensified. He would not allow himself to fall for such cheap provocation.


    They will still be alive if you do this, friends or not.They won''t have to die a meaningless death because of their foolish naivety.


    Even though Horatio still kept quiet and had not retaliated in any way, his restrained emotions had begun to unravel out of their shackles. When Reed felt tiny surges of Anima beginning to envelop Horatio, he knew that he had gotten through to him.


    Alright, it seems I''ve finally struck a nerve. One more push should be enough to set him off.


    ...Still, I think I might be getting too into the role. I should probably tone my insults down a notch before I say something completely unforgivable.


    Alas, Reed''s plan would never come to fruition.


    Lu''um very easily recognized what Reed was doing and slammed her foot down on the ground with a portion of her strength. A small tremor shook her immediate surroundings and caught everyone''s attention in an instant.


    "Enough. I will not allow this circus act to progress any further than it already has," said Lu''um with a dispassionate tone reminiscent of an executioner from Hell.


    Reed clicked his tongue. He had hoped to sow enough discord to warrant a change of plans, but he had been curtailed near the end of his goal. Truth be told, Reed had expected Lu''um to catch on from the beginning, but he had not anticipated to have been foiled so quickly.


    Ahhh... I really can''t do anything bad with this girl around. And yet, here I was chastizing Horatio about being a dog. Well,Imade an honest attempt at playing the dickhead.


    Lu''um angrily strode toward Reed and did something that left the group speechless. She yanked one of his ears and pulled on it until Reed screamed in protest.


    It was a disturbing thing to see a nearly eight-foot man, a genetic monstrosity of a human, howl like a child as he desperately tapped on the arm of a woman who was no less abnormal.


    They looked less like real people and more akin to statues in some kind of abstract art piece. The absolutely alien environment behind them also did not help in the slightest, either. It dyed the entire event in an eldritch light in a disturbing sort of way.


    Two strange fellows tussled about in a ruined field of interspersed crystal pillars and shattered city buildings in front of a... colossal hand that shot up from the depths of the earth.


    Surreal couldn''t even begin to describe the spectacle as Lu''um subdued Reed into obedience with an expression of pure wrath.


    It was a literal fever dream made real, which made the disturbed trio wonder as to whether they were actually awake or not...


    Unfortunately, for Reed and Lu''um it was anything but a nightmare. They knew it to be real and understood that it was something they had to deal with, whether they liked it or not.


    To them, everything that the trio had experienced so far constituted a "normal day". There was nothing special about it.


    And that was where Reed had found it troublesome. He, unlike Lu''um, realized that they were not normal people at all. What they had gone through surpassed the common sense of even the most veteran of Chosen on the continent, much less a couple of contenders like his friends.


    To put it simply, he recognized that Astor, Horatio, and Ophelia were clearly out of their element.


    They did not belong here. Not in the mess that he and Lu''um were about to get into. The moment Reed saw what stirred within the black maw inside of the fissure, he knew that they could not bring them along.


    They would die.


    It was not a prediction, It was a guarantee.


    Reed eventually capitulated and raised the white flag after a lengthy mental argument with his tormentor and better half. They had discussed at length on how they would proceed, all the while they squabbled physically on the outside.


    The couple shot each other a dozen gazes that each had their own meaning as they approached the unsettled trio.


    "...Listen, what happened back there when I lashed out you guys... don''t take it to heart. I was trying to bust your balls on purpose, but I... have seen the error in my method."


    Reed sideglanced a certain someone when he finished the last part of his apology and received an appropriate reward for his honesty.


    The heel of a certain foot subtly crushed one of his own feet with a horrifying amount of pressure. Reed''s helmet visor fogged up mysteriously as his staggered breaths obscured his vision. He was gone.


    "I''m sorry that happened, you guys. If anything, it''s my fault ¡ª I should have known that he would have tried something like that. He can occasionally be somewhat imbecilic, but he always means well with what he does," said Lu''um.


    Astor, the first to realize what Reed had tried to do, smiled faintly and said, "Don''t worry about it. I saw through his ruse the moment he started baiting Horatio. I was gonna call him out on his bullshit first, but you beat me to the punch."


    Reed skeptically frowned and said, "How?"


    "You were trying too hard. It came off sort of stale and by the numbers for my tastes. A real piece of shit bastard wouldn''t have held back his punches, buddy."


    ...What? But I thought I was going pretty hard on them.


    Horatio seemed pretty ruffled up, too. What the hell is he talking about?


    Astor chuckled when he saw Reed''s perplexed reaction and said, "You have no idea what real poison sounds like. If you want to hear what proper vile is like, you should go and enlist in the Patrol Corps for a year."


    Horatio and Ophelia traded gazes in a language known only to them. A silent conversation was held in the span of a minute and after it was finished, Ophelia spoke up and said, "Don''t worry about us, it''s all water under the bridge. We know Reed meant no harm, after all, he''s never been the type to speak ill of others. If anything, I was surprised that you were capable of even raising your voice like that, Reed. It really caught us off-guard."


    Horatio nodded in agreement and said, "You were always rather reserved and somewhat quiet back during our Spire days. It always felt like you were walking on eggshells when you were around us, so your outburst real did catch me off-guard for a good while."


    Astor smirked and slapped Horatio''s back before he said, "It told you it was too forced, bud. Even this blockhead picked up on it."


    Though he wasn''t completely delighted with what Reed had said. He had done something stupid enough to warrant some reprimand.


    "Still, you''re real lucky that the Spirit of Bountiful Charity''s signal is unable to pierce into the heart of the city. Had this entire spectacle been recorded, I don''t even want to imagine what would have happened to Horatio and Ophelia..."


    Reed frowned when he heard that and said, "That''s true. I should have accounted for that. Sorry about that, you two."


    Although they had dodged the bullet, it did not make Reed feel any better about what he had done.


    That was a careless mistake, even if I hadn''t explicitly stated the nature of their hidden relationship.


    Ophelia quickly interrupted and said, "It''s alright, don''t let get you down too much. No harm, no foul. Let''s not worry about hypotheticals right now, okay?"


    Generous, understanding, and forgiving.


    More than ever, Reed felt that he could not let these three tag along with them any further. He had to put his foot down, now. For their sake.


    He took a deep breath and said, "You can''t tag along with us any further. I''m sorry, but I won''t have your blood on my hands today."


    The trio did not take what Reed had said too well and immediately started to object, but it had all fallen on deaf ears.


    Reed understood where they were coming from and knew why they were so adamant about staying around.


    He knew that this was something that had become a chip on their shoulders, but never really addressed it during their Spire days.


    They wanted to prove themselves to him and Lu''um. To prove that they were not the same trainees as before. The same three fellows could not keep up with his rate of growth.


    Reed still remembered the day that they split apart and began to walk on different paths. He could still recall Lu''um''s firm words when she settled the matter years ago.


    He''s too powerful for you to handle.


    How are you supposed to grow if you''re always going to be coddled by Reed?


    You will only hinder each other''s growth as unfortunate as that may be.


    Her words range true as cruel as they might have been on the tender souls that had been his young friends. There was no way they had not taken what she had said to heart back then.


    The years had gone by and they had undoubtedly grown and then some, but...


    It just isn''t enough. They tried their damnedest, but the fissures are outside their skill level.


    Even we''re having difficulties with them despite having a natural advantage of our own.


    Reed clutched his chest and said, "You''re going to die. I can''t explain to why or how that''s going to happen, but I can assure you that if you go down there, you''re never going to come up."


    Even Lu''um, who had been the one to advocate their inclusion into the operation, had changed her mind after she saw what laid within the fissure.


    "It''s hopeless for you three, as much as I hate to be the bearer of harsh news. I had originally thought that we might be able to guard you or at least keep an eye on you three, but the situation''s changed. Take it from us in the kindest way possible ¡ª you will die if you down there."


    Needless to say, the trio could not accept what they had just heard. It was one thing to fail, but to be denied even the opportunity to prove themselves was too much for them.


    That was unfair of them to say. To be judged before one even had a chance to state one''s case was the height of unfairness.


    Astor raised his hands up in frustration and said, "What are we supposed to do, then? Watch you two descend into the fissure and play the role of moral support? Do you mean to turn us into glorified cheerleaders?!"


    Ophelia protested and said, "We''ve already come to the conclusion that there''s nothing in the city that can help us with the infected cases in quarantine! The is solution is likely down there and you want us to sit up here and do nothing?!"


    "We are duty-bound to participate in the retrieval of a solution to the Itroch cases. Although this is a joint operation between the North and the East, we have directives given to us by the royal family that supersede any orders that His Highness Goldentree might impose on us," said Horatio.


    Reed couldn''t refute anything that they had said. They all had counter-arguments worth their weight. He understood where they were coming from and sympathized with them but, even so, it all meant jack shit to him.


    When Reed noticed Lu''um about to answer in his stead, he raised a hand toward her. That was all that needed to be said between them.


    "...I understand, I really do. Whether this is an opportunity to prove that you''ve improved or not, I think Lu''um and I are both of the same mind that you three have grown since we have last met. I also greatly admire the motivation you have to see that your comrades are taken care, to the extent that you''d delve into the fissure to find a cure.


    The loyalty you have to your empire is also admirable, though I may not completely comprehend it as a foreigner in this world. I understand the attachment you have to your land and people because I¡ª well, that''s not the issue here. It isn''t about me, this whole problem is about you three."


    It was funny. The words he was speaking to them was a million times harder to get out of his mouth than the stupid drivel he had assaulted them not too long ago.


    "You three are excellent contenders and have an incredible passion to make a difference, regardless of what may motivate you but..."


    Just say the words and don''t think. You''re doing it to save them from themselves. It''s the responsible thing to do.


    "It''s still not enough. The difference between us too wide to be overcome with ambition alone. I didn''t want to tell you three this, but since we''re not being listened to I''ll make an exception and tell you the truth."


    A tense silence filled the air in the midst of a desolate, surreal landscape. The blood-red constellation shone such strength that dyed the center of the ruined city with an ominous hue of pure dread.


    "I''m not at one hundred percent anymore. I''ve lost most of my strength as of late. In fact, I don''t doubt that right now I''m probably only a little bit stronger than the three of you. No one knows this aside from myself, Lu''um, and now... the three of you. I have not told even the likes of Velvund for fear of worrying the poor old man too much."


    The trio did not know how to respond when the truth reached their ears. It was as if they had heard the biggest joke in their lives. At first, they did not believe Reed and wondered if this was another ruse of his, but they eventually noticed that his tone was anything but sporting.


    The look on his face was as grave as could possibly be. He looked as if he had died a little on the inside when he revealed the truth.


    "...Then how did you¡ª"


    It didn''t take them long to realize what it implied of Reed. How had he repaired the last two fissure along with Lu''um if he had not been at his full strength?


    Reed knew that if he was to convince them of the futility of their actions, he would have to deeper than that and said, "In reality, Lu''um''s been handling most of the heavy lifting, despite what she might tell you. I... am just a living key at the moment, one that can fix these damned fissures.


    That''s the real truth of the matter¡ª I would be a complete liability myself were it not for me being a necessity to fix the fissures. It''s hard enough for her to handle protect my useless ass on these life-or-death situations, so what do you think will happen if you three tag along?"


    He had to drive the point across so that they could not even think about objecting anymore. Make them understand that what they were doing was beyond stupid.


    "I would have died on both of the previous fissure operations had it not been for the assistance of other people saving my powerless existence. I''m asking the three of you to be bigger than yourselves and do the responsible thing¡ª remain here and do not waste your lives."


    It was not something he wanted to reveal to anyone at all, for doing so broke the illusion of what he was capable of. Though wary about the responsibilities that came with being a hero, Reed knew that heroes could not show weakness to the people.


    That was a taboo that destroyed whatever hope people had in a hero. Old scars and new wounds could not be shown in broad daylight. They had to remain hidden away from hopeful eyes.


    And yet, here Reed was... doing the very thing he had not wanted to do.


    ...Still, it was a price well worth compared to what he would have lost had he not admitted it.

 176 In Peaceful Slumber, May You Rest Eternally

    Not a single word was uttered after that painful revelation from Reed. He had siphoned whatever momentum the trio had out of their sails and left them to their own devices.


    Truth be told, Reed felt that he had gone too hard on them, despite his best efforts at restraining himself. The comparison he had made between himself and them had been unnecessary.


    To have compared the sum of their combined efforts over the past three years to himself at his current worst state was something he should not have said. All Reed could imagine was a child mercilessly trampling over a field of flowers without any reservations.


    They''d done well for themselves since he''d last met them. It was undeniable that their growth had been exceptional, past what anyone could have thought possible. Horatio was almost a conqueror, on the verge of reaching the threshold, to put it all in perspective.


    And yet, it had still not been... enough.


    Once more, they had been left behind as Reed and Lu''um continued forth on their lonesome...


    It was cold within the fissure''s embrace, which was not what either of them had expected. There was an ever-pervasive chill that transcended what conventional thermal protection could afford.


    Reed and Lu''um''s helmets started to glaze over on the outside as condensation coalesced into a thin sheet of ice on their helmet''s visors. Stranger still, their suits had not detected the dramatic shift in temperature ¡ª a clear sign to both of them that something was wrong.


    Not the environmental suits, of course, but rather the environment itself. There was a problem inside of the fissure that likely was affecting the natural state of the region within the fissure. A potential defect or corruption of some aspect beyond the ken of mortal beings.


    Suffice to say, it was outside of Reed''s expertise, even with his remarkable experience with events, beings, and concepts that existed on the fringe of human comprehension.


    The further they descended into the frigid abyss, the greater their suspicions grew that they had stumbled onto a monumental crisis far greater anyone could have predicted.


    It''s so cold, I can''t even detect the slightest hint of warmth from it. It feels hard as diamond, as if it''s actually turned into a crystal.


    Very much like the rest of this... overgrown disaster.


    It was much worse within the fissure in many ways. Several hundred meters below where sunlight could reach, the arm of the colossal giant had all but turned into a crystalline substance akin to the crystallized pillars above on the surface.


    A nigh-impenetrable web of diamond-hard ice, crystal pillars, and stagnant Anima dominated the frozen underworld beneath the city of Itroch.


    "There''s a lot of stuff in the way and not a lot of space for error, huh..." said Reed in a low voice.


    Of course, the crystal pillars and the ice could be broken apart if necessary, but reckless pathfinding would all but certain result in... tremendous losses.


    The word "crisis" couldn''t even begin to describe the situation in the fissure.


    "...Weren''t we told that only a couple of small cities were infected with the Itroch plague? This doesn''t match what we were told at all," said Reed as he tried to record the scene in front of him with the camera installed on his failing helmet. It had, unfortunately, died though ¡ª the internal battery had died under extreme duress.


    Were he not so... preoccupied with processing the reality of their new situation, he might''ve let out a curse or two in abject horror.


    Millions upon millions of faint, glowing lights were encapsulated with a seemingly innumerable amount of crystal pillars. An ethereal landscape of frozen souls stood in their way, blocking further progress.


    "Where''d all of these souls come from?! H-holy shit, there''s no end to them!" said Reed.


    "I-I don''t understand," said Lu''um in confusion and blankly retorted, "This shouldn''t have been possible. The Quetzal Collective wasn''t designed to handle such an enormous volume of souls. They must have known that this would have led to a fatal overflow and an inevitable logic void..."


    Reed paid no mind to Lu''um and continued to hunt for an opening within the enormous crystal honeycomb that occupied the entirety of the lower fissure and said, "So what, you know these folks in here?"


    Breaking through the crystalline overgrowth that engulfed the fissure was not a problem for either Reed or Lu''um in terms of technical difficulty, but rather they were deeply troubled by the consequences involved with a mistake on their behalf.


    All it''d only take a single incorrect fracture to cause a catastrophic chain reaction within the crystalline shelf-wall that''d spell the final death for an untold number of souls.


    The size and scale of the frozen ice-crystalline shelf that obstructed their descent eclipsed anything they had since seen in terms of its physical dimensions. It ran the entire length of the Itroch fissure, which was over forty-two kilometers in length and based on Reed and Lu''um''s estimates, ran at least three to four miles in depth, though this was admittedly a conservative estimate.


    "I don''t know them, but I know who they are. The prolonged wavelength emissions that they''re releasing are undeniably... Mulian in nature. Tie in the connection to the Quetzal Collective that was supposed to be down here and Itroch above us..." said Lu''um.


    "But you said that it was designed to hold only the brightest minds of the universe," said Reed.


    He had heard enough to make the connection that Lu''um had implied, but he did not understand how it had all come to pass.


    "They must have repurposed the entire network during the attack five thousand years ago in a last-ditch effort to escape the Infestation after the city fell. Rather than let themselves be taken, they set themselves in a makeshift coffin of ice and crystal... forever."


    "We can''t get them out?"


    "Repairing all of this would take centuries, at best. And that is in a hypothetical where my people had not fallen and possessed the resources and manpower we had at our zenith. As we are now, it will never possible for them to ever see the light of day again."


    Sleeping they would remain, at rest until the end of time.


    "...What''s a logic void?"


    Lu''um sighed. "The Quetzal Collective was designed to allow a handful of the brightest minds uninterrupted access to a city-spanning neural network for them to utilize ¡ª to handle the hundreds of billions of individual queries from the students who were supposed to live above, on the city itself and later on, several star systems as well.


    But when the Infestation attacked and all hope was lost, the Collective tried to deny the Infestation of their bounty ¡ª they took in the souls of the deceased civilians and moved them here, several miles underground down here, where they resided."


    She gestured towards the titanic wall of disordered crystal pillars and ice.


    "There was no way the network could have handled that, hence the current state of the fissure. Millions lived in Itroch at the time of the attack and they all died when the city fell. Look at this mess. With millions of people connected to the network, the Collective drowned in a cacophony of queries from the newly collected victims.


    They drowned themselves, in a literal sense, until they could think no more. The network probably crashed and ever since then, every single soul in here went dark. Unable to connect to the network, they were left all to their own devices, suspended within the crystal pillars. Although there is no risk of degradation given the nature of the pillars, I suspect that many if not all of the souls here are unsalvagable."


    Reed didn''t understand and said, "But they''re completely intact and preserved. There''s nothing wrong with them."


    "Imagine yourself cut off from your bodily senses for five thousand years with nothing to do and no one to interact with, all the while still being able to form thoughts. What do you think will happen to you? If they haven''t gone through a complete spiritual cascade yet, I have no doubt that they''ve all gone insane. There''s no saving them. Perhaps only the souls with the strongest willpower have retained some of their former sanity as of today."


    Which was worse ¡ª becoming an eternal slave for the Infestation or enduring eternity in a prison of ice alone?


    What sort of last-ditch effort was this supposed to be? The only thing Reed felt was a terrible revulsion from the bottom of his heart for either choice.


    But that was reality in a nutshell. An unfair gamble that one had no choice but to accept.


    For the city of Itroch, they had been offered between two hells of unimaginable cruelty and on the eve of their end, the citizens of the City of Love had chosen to think of their people.


    Rather than become the very enemy they had sworn to purge from their universe, they chose never-ending slumber in a tomb of ice and glimmering crystal.


    For them, the nightmare had ended. Millions of souls hunkered down for their final rest and then succumbed into the deepest reaches of their minds.


    Reed couldn''t even begin to imagine the courage required to face death as they had done, but he knew that their sacrifice would never again go unnoticed.


    Because they''d been found again ¡ª today.


    There will come a time when they''ll feel the warmth of the sun again.


    Reed promised himself that''d he make that a reality, come hell or high water. He was going to take them all back home, where they belonged. They didn''t belong in the dark.


    ...And he had a plan on how to get them out of the fissure. Not that it was a good idea, though.


    But then again, that was where Reed shone brightest ¡ª at creating unconventional solutions with his trademark ingenuity ¡ª which is why he was perfect for the job.

 177 A Message From Heaven To My—

    The only way to move such an enormous construct was to have an equally massive entity force it upwards.


    It was as simple as that.


    Reed knew not of another solution that might be able to move the impassable wall of frozen souls. As far as he understood, there were no ships capable of extracting the wall in service at the moment.


    The Ancient Mulians might''ve had vessels for this olympian undertaking, but all I have is...


    "We''re not going to go any further with that wall in the way, so I''m going to fix that up now," said Reed.


    It was without a doubt one of the boldest claims he had made to date, which promptly provoked an immediate look of concern from Lu''um. While she was delighted with his proactive attitude in regard to the fate of Itroch''s citizens, she was worried about what he had in mind.


    "You... have a plan?" said Lu''um slowly as she stressed the final word in concern.


    The words didn''t feel right coming out of her mouth. It felt alien to her saying something like that. An unsettling feeling of dread churned in her stomach as she began to formulate a variety of premeditated responses to deter Reed in the event his "idea" was beyond her ability to rectify.


    "No, not a plan, per se. But I do have a feeling..."


    Oh, no.


    It was worse than what she had imagined. But it was already too late; Reed had already sprung into action.


    What started as a feeling had taken hold of him, guiding toward the enormous frozen arm in front of them.


    Reed had never revealed it to anyone, but he had always felt something peculiar about the titan that slept beneath the continent. Where most would have only thought of it as an incredible aberration left behind by the Ancient Mulians, Reed thought and felt otherwise about it.


    Longing, sadness, and... solace.


    After his initial awe and shock faded into the background, Reed couldn''t help but feel a certain way about the injured, comatose titan whenever he thought about it.


    Were those feelings His or his own? Reed couldn''t tell. There was still so much he didn''t know. Entire millenniums of memories were not privy to him. What he knew amounted to a couple of drops in an ocean of buried history.


    Even so, with his measly knowledge, Reed flew towards the enormous arm as if he was being drawn towards it by an unknown force.


    Reed didn''t have any proof that''d his plan would work, but that didn''t seem to matter to him in the slightest. When he extended his left arm toward the frozen arm, a faint sensation traveled up from his fingertips all the way to his shoulder.


    A sharp, frigid chill bit into his arm, despite it being insulated within the environmental suit. And it felt true as could possibly be, enough that Reed flinched slightly from it in response.


    And when he did... so, too, did the towering limb in front him.


    The massive hand twitched and a brief but tremendous tremor shook the fragile earth in response, heralding the awakening of something truly extraordinary...


    Even for Lu''um, who had grown accustomed to Reed''s bizarre thought process and decision-making skills, it was too much for her to handle.


    Her calm, composed mask broke in the face of what she considered to be the beginning of a terrible nightmare that she couldn''t wake up from. A rare thread of real terror had strung itself around her heart.


    There were a variety of reasons for her mounting nervousness, but two stood out amongst the crowd of concerns.


    The first of those reasons laid in the simple fact that any blunder on Reed''s behalf would all but certainly cause untold devastation. It was not an exaggeration that if the titan were to move too much or too suddenly, the frozen barrier of sealed souls would be destroyed.


    The sealed souls aside, any major movement from the titan had the distinct possibility of engaging the safety of the continent itself. There was far more at stake than what Lu''um was comfortable with at the moment.


    But in the truth, this was only a secondary concern to her compared to what was really on her mind. She was far more terrified over the fact that Reed had bonded with the titan... so effortlessly, to the point that he had not even required a direct, physical connection to it.


    ...And yet, he thinks himself a worthless liability right now. If he''s useless, then... what are we?


    It wasn''t natural, even by her standards as the chosen bearer of the other half of the Mark of Responsibility. Not evenHe or His Excellency, the late Emperor of the Stars, possessed the raw, natural talent that the youth in front of her had. Although Lu''um very much adored Reed, she couldn''t help but find it repulsive how fast a learner he was, even without someone to teach him.


    It was for this very reason that she and Lacrima had not dared teach him a lick of the Elder Speech years ago. Nor had they taught him any of the many Anima techniques that the Ancient Mulians had developed either.


    Reed already had a reckless, inquisitive fascination about what interested him ¡ª aware of this terrible trait in him, Lu''um and Lacrima feared the worst should he ever learn of what was possible with Anima.


    ...And yet, it had not mattered in the end.


    In a seemingly natural motion, the titanic arm responded to Reed''s will and slowly started to slowly descend further into the fissure''s depths until it completely disappeared into the murky darkness below.


    Although it was lamentable, the immediate surroundings where the colossal arm had once been encased within the glacial wall of crystals suffered some damage. Reed had tried his best to avoid damage the structure as much as he could but had been unsuccessful in his task.


    A lonely few crystal pillars shattered and plummeted into the abyss... until a translucent web of energy coiled around them.


    Though his attention was directed towards controlling the colossal arm, Reed called out toward Lu''um and said, "Sorry about that. I don''t think I would have been able to manage a clean detachment with how strongly fused the arm had been with the wall."


    "...Don''t worry about it," responded Lu''um. "In any case, what are you going to do now?"


    "Isn''t it obvious? I''m going to lift everything. We don''t have time to dawdle around here anymore, so it''s gotta go. Thought it best to move it all out now ¡ª we''re going to be closing the fissure anyways, right? I don''t want to reopen the city afterward just to excavate all of this out."


    It was two parts urgency and one part laziness on Reed''s behalf. He simply did not feel like returning to Itroch after their work here was completed. Where some might''ve taken a delicate approach in extracting the tremendous crystal geode, he saw a project that would have taken decades, if not centuries to complete.


    Not one to prolong a task that could be accomplished in a single day, Reed decided on his lonesome to finish the job himself on a much shorter timescale.


    And thus with resolved intent, he thrust his right arm towards the heavens in an act of mercy.


    That was all that was required of him on his behalf.


    Beneath him, a great trembling shook and against all that dictated common sense, the beginning of a future legend erupted from the bowels of the earth.


    It was such an energetic event that it could be felt across the entirety of the North. Even the East and the West were affected by the fearsome tremor in some part themselves, though not as intensely.


    Near ground zero where the quake originated, the earth itself was akin to fresh clay, malleable and in constant flux as it warped under the immense forces underneath it. The city of Itroch itself could be seen bobbing up and down, swaying precariously as it endured the best it could.


    For Astor, Horatio, and Ophelia the sudden chaos had proven too dangerous for them to handle. They had retreated on top of an Ancient Mulian skyscraper in hopes that it would endure long enough for the madness to subside.


    The trio were of the same mind, concerned not of their own safety, but of the pair that had entered the fissure not too long ago. What form of danger laid within the fissure capable of such a terrifying display of power, to rend and torture the land so easily?


    A flurry of messages from the Spirit of Bountiful Charity had already begun to assault their feeds, ordering them to retreat, but they hadn''t even considered it an option for themselves.


    They would not leave until they verified whether or not their friends had perished or succeeded. The fear of loss had taken hold of them, rooting the trio in place.


    Far away in the command bridge of the Spirit of Bountiful Charity, Velvund and a certain crown prince watched as the ancient city trembled with anticipation in an entirely literal sense.


    But that was not the only thing that caught their attention. In light of the disorder across the lands of Mulia, an abnormal energy signature had been identified ¡ª one that''d left them both without words.


    It was... immeasurable, at least with the equipment they had available to them. The sudden mega-flare of Anima that had come from the city had completely fried every sensor aboard the Spirit of Bountiful Charity instantaneously.


    For Velvund and Haydn, it''d been a mortifying experience. It was as if they''d seen the sigh of a bonafide diety pass through the ship unchallenged.


    They''d been like two little men on a raft that had brushed across a hurricane in passing. There was nothing they could have done to stop it from destroying them if it had really wanted to do it.


    Velvund caught his breath first and immediately released the tension that''d formed on his shoulders before he said, "That was quite the surprise, was it not? It seems that my boy''s run into trouble, no doubt."


    Haydn pursed his lips and said, "He truly does have a penchant for it, doesn''t he? Given everything his record, I''d go as far as to claim that he''s been blessed with something truly unfortunate."


    Blessed? Velvund almost laughed when he heard the crown prince''s interpretation of Reed''s innate disposition for misfortune.


    "Were that true, it''d make him Heaven''s most beloved child, I wager," said Velvund in jest.


    Hadyn chuckled and said, "Heaven? Who said Hell can''t give out blessings, mine lord? I''d wager that he''s Hell''s most beloved, if anything. Still, I cannot deny that whatever he''s burdened is among the most interest..."


    Haydn''s voice trailed off until it sputtered into oblivion as his eyes bulged in abstract terror, not daring to so much as blink. And it was no different for Velvund or the rest of the staff in the Spirit of Bountiful Charity.


    Although it had started off somewhat slowly, as seconds turned into minutes, the scenery had begun to dramatically change in the city of Itroch.


    At first, it had appeared as nothing more than silvery sheen across the city, but as the tremor continued to intensify, so did the peculiar glitter near the city''s center until...


    It had finally risen through the fissure, out into the open world, for all to witness. A monument to the sacrifice of a forgotten people brought to light.


    And upon it stood a lonesome pair, standing firmly on what they had unearthed.


    The ominous, crimson nebula above Itroch had transformed. A resplendent starscape colored in the hue of the warmest honey-gold shone radiantly the moment Reed had succeeded, almost as if it was alive. It appeared to be far more gentle than before as it illuminated the city below it in a way that was difficult to describe.


    "...Oh? I wonder what caused the change up there," said Reed in an inquisitive tone. "Was it because we freed the crystal geode or some other reason?"


    It made logical sense to Reed, at least in theory. Perhaps the nebula had been some kind of S.O.S in Ancient Mulian that had only recently been activated with the appearance of the fissure in Itroch.


    Lu''um sighed and said, "How can you be so dense and yet so..." It continued to baffle her how out of touch he was when it came to the most obvious things.


    "What? I mean, what else could it have changed for? There''s nothing else here in this city except these guys," said Reed, stamping his left foot on the crystal geode.


    Lu''um groaned, clasped Reed''s head, and pointed it toward the nebula.


    "It''s right in your face, you just aren''t looking at it correctly. You have to pay attention to the details. Look at the brightest stars and link them together instead of looking at the whole thing.


    It was not uncommon for the Ancient Mulians to position stars as they sought it fit in the past. They would, over the course of millions of years, push stars into specific places in space to create an image or write a short message. At one point, it''d been an expensive method of making a grand announcement ¡ª usually an amorous declaration of eternal love.


    Starscripture, it was called, though Reed was unaware of the concept. It was his first time seeing it in person.


    And such an enormous undertaking always required a vast amount of Anima and skill to accomplish.


    "H-Hey, is that a... massive heart, or am I seeing things?" said Reed as he retraced the path of the brightest stars within the nebula.


    Love in its purest form.


    It was clear as day for Lu''um who the sender had been, which is why it hurt her to have to spell it out for Reed.


    Though it seemed like the blockhead still hadn''t gotten the clue, yet.


    Ironically enough, Reed really was blind, just like love itself.


    What a sadistically cruel thread of karma that is...


    That was a private reflection that she never let Reed know about, for his sake. Not that she had a say in the matter, anyway...

 178 An Agent Of God... He Was No

    For most, the sudden incident in Itroch had driven them into a state of complete pandemonium. People across the continent fled toward the nearest place of shelter they could find as the rode out what seemed to a sign of the end times.


    In Itroch however, the situation had already run its course, much to the relief of everyone in the Spirit of Bountiful Charity. It''d been a hectic couple of minutes for the flagship and her crew as they scrambled around repairing what Reed had unintentionally broken in the process of pushing out his titanic haul of a fortune.


    What seemed like an ice shelf of biblical proportions now hovered above the ancient city of Itroch. Needless to say, no one in the command deck knew what to say about it.


    "...What do you reckon that might be, Lord Velvund?" said Prince Haydn, curiously as he eyed the floating slab of ice and quartz.


    "In all likelihood, Prince Haydn, that is trouble. Far be it for us to know what sort of creations the Ancient Mulians have buried in our soil. Nevertheless, we won''t know for certain what it is until we get an answer from my grandchildren," said Velvund.


    That was a damned lie.


    The old Alf had already begun to brainstorm the moment it appeared, scheming on how he''d be able to take it away from the North. He knew better than to doubt his own grandchildren, or more specifically ¡ª his granddaughter-in-law ¡ª who was uncannily knowledgeable when it came to the Ancient Mulians and their oh-so-valuable relics.


    If those two had pulled out that massive chunk of frozen quartz, it was likely because it had some value to it. Hopefully enough to justify the ridiculous length they had gone to pull the damn thing out of the fissure, thought Velvund.


    He had definitely not treated his own grandchildren like glorified treasure detectors. Of course he hadn''t done that. He''d never do that.


    Perhaps another scummy, opportunistic man might''ve done that but not¡ª


    "If it comes down it, I''ll make sure to have this... bizarre thing moved somewhere safe in the East and have it sealed away. It''s the least I could do for the North, on behalf of my foolish grandchildren," said Velvund as he subtly licked his lips in anticipation.


    All things considered, it had been an earnest attempt, but Haydn had already caught on to his adversary''s slimy proposal.


    "Oh, that won''t be necessary, Lord Velvund. We would not want to impose on the East with an unknown relic such as this. I cannot even begin to imagine what sort of danger might be slumbering in a relic from this city in particular. Therefore, I suggest that you let us shoulder the burden this time, as it was something buried in the North. Inconveniencing the East with our troubles any more than this would be a subject of national shame to us, I fear," said Haydn, not permitting so much as an iota of desire escape his lips.


    The two slimeballs smiled at each other and continued their cat and mouse game as they shamelessly tried to get their other to concede, to the dismay of the bridge crew around them.


    They had been dealing with an endless torrent of communications requests from powers all across the continent. A wide variety of colorful messages continued to fill their comms channels as they fruitlessly attempted to get a hold of the two commanding authorities responsible for the operation in Itroch.


    Unfortunately, they would never get a response back, at least not any time soon... for obvious reasons.


    On the other hand, it was getting troublesome for the person in question who had created the mess in the first place. Reed found himself in a unique situation where there was no clear course to take.


    In truth though, he had no clue how to proceed from this point forward. Such was the consequence of him relying on his natural intuition rather than on a carefully planned strategy.


    A lonesome figure sat on the edge of the immense ice shelf in reflection as he stared down at the newly-ruined city beneath him. From his vantage point, it seemed as if someone had given the city another black eye, so to speak.


    The poor, decrepit city looked even more miserable than when they had first entered it. His actions had not only affected Itroch but also the entire continent as well, even if only in a minor fashion. Some people might''ve even labeled what Reed had achieved a remarkable feat of destruction.


    Prince Haydn himself was one such proponent.


    He had already internalized Reed''s capacity for destruction as something intrinsic to the young man. Rather than attributing it to mere coincidence, he was thoroughly convinced that Reed was in some form affected or possessed by a higher authority beyond mortal ken.


    Not that it was a malicious classification out of spite, envy, or fear. No, if anything, he had been somewhat correct in his judgment of Reed.


    He had relegated Reed to the level of... nature itself. Where people saw a hurricane, earthquake, or tsunami as a destructive force antagonistic to human civilization, Haydn saw them as the handiwork of God itself.


    They were without hostility or bias and simply acted as agents of the laws that governed the world.


    So, too, did he consider Reed in the same capacity as them. To him, Reed was just... a hurricane-shaped human. There was no point in trying to understand his actions, as it was impossible to understand the personal motivations of natural disasters from a mortal perspective.


    But that belief was not shared by everyone who knew Reed, especially not from the one who was closest to him. And her feelings on the matter couldn''t have been any more different if she tried.


    Truth be told, the tension was so thick up above on the ice shelf that anyone could''ve cut in two with a butter knife. Not that anyone would''ve dared to do it, had they been given an opportunity to have done so...


    When Reed felt her silent gaze burning through the back of his head he turned around and said, "...Can you not? Just give me a second. I''ll figure out a way to get this out of the way, so stop it with the glare, alright?"


    Lu''um wondered where she''d gone wrong. To some extent, the blame also fell on her since she had let him do as he pleased, but even so... there was only so much she could tolerate. Her thoughts continuously looped in a perfect circuit of shame and regret as she internally reflected on her mistake.


    The blunder in question being her tendency to get swept up in Reed''s irrational tempo whenever his confidence improved. Even though Lu''um knew that it was likely nothing more than a rising tide of momentary resolve in the face of adversity, she couldn''t help herself.


    It was such a novel and exciting development to her that more than often, the act usually robbed Lu''um of her higher reasoning.


    And as a result, they now stood atop one of Reed''s newest achievements thus far.


    An unintentional sigh escaped out her mouth, despite her lukewarm feelings about the matter. As a co-conspirator, she had no right to complain about how the situation had developed into, but this was something that not even she had an immediate solution for.


    Reed chuckled when he heard Lu''um''s sigh and said, "Ooh? How unusual. To think I''d hear a sigh come out of you, my indomitable princess. Are you really that concerned about this little mess?"


    "How can you not be concerned? How do you plan on taking this back home?" said Lu''um, tapping her feet on the forty-nine-kilometer geode of sealed souls. "Pray tell, O beloved genius of mine, what is the next part of your master plan?"


    Reed gazed off into the distance where the Spirit of Bountiful Charity uneasily hovered and said, "I have the semblance of an idea but I have no idea if it''ll work the way I want it to. Wanna hear it?"


    Lu''um felt a chill run down her spine. His playful tone did not match the expression he had plastered on his face, to put it politely.


    It was as if the Devil himself had offered her a front seat to something truly outrageous. A special concerto of apocalyptic proportions. The allure of the unknown was a powerful thing, indeed. And for someone like Lu''um, who knew and seen too much, novelties were her greatest weakness.


    Every fiber of her being screamed at her to reject whatever he had planned before she lost control of the situation again, but it was already too late. Her curiosity had won over her reasoning the moment Reed uttered the words, "Wanna hear it?"


    Once more, she foolishly stood there in silence and... fell to the temptations of the Devil.


    There would be no reasoning that night, only heightened chaos and madness in the city of Itroch.


    Only the dead would be free of the horror that would come about in the coming hours. The living, on the other hand, would soon find themselves in the midst of a homecoming never before seen in history...

 179 The Greatest Hail Mary In History

    In that same vein of thought, Lu''um believed that Reed carried a remnant of that infantile, yet astounding genius. That was the conclusion she had come to after listening to Reed''s proposal.


    It was nothing short of spectacular insanity, as far as she was concerned. To some extent, she even doubted the sanity of her beloved. There was pure stupidity and then there was what Reed had suggested, Lu''um thought to herself.


    But the worst part of it all was that... she couldn''t really find any justifiable reasons to refute his plan, even after triple-checking the hypothetical factors involved with the whole scheme.


    Though Lu''um hated it, she had to admit that Reed had indeed presented a solution that covered every single base she was worried about and then some. If it all went to plan, they''d even take care of the Itroch syndrome cases along with their little problem floating above the city.


    "You do know that this plan hinges on whether or not we''ll actually be able to perform an administrative reboot or not, right? I don''t have the credentials for that, so I won''t be able to help you with that. And the amount of Anima that''d you need to realistically affect the entire continent is absolutely out of¡ª"


    "Then do you have any better ideas? If all you''re going to do is complain, then go find me a city-sized wench so we can haul this back to Citlai," said Reed.


    He was starting to get a little bit irritated with Lu''um incessant worrying, which he felt was not helping anyone. Not one to miss an ironic situation, he suddenly realized how strange it was for her to voice such concerns and wondered if this was a recurring problem on her end whenever she proposed her own ideas to him.


    Reed was no stranger when it came to himself ¡ª he was well aware of his troublesome idiosyncrasies, particularly whenever they got into dangerous situations. He was a professional worrywart himself. Thus, it came with a heavy blow to Reed when he figured out that he must''ve always sounded like that to Lu''um in the past.


    There was nothing productive about someone who always doubted, criticized, and complained.


    ...Is that how I''m usually like in these situations? Good lord, if I''ve been like that since the very beginning, then what sort of inhumane patience must she possess to have handled me nonsense for years?


    This all but confirms that she''s a real saint. I would''ve blown my brains out if I had to deal with someone like me every time a difficult or risky dilemma arose.


    ...I should probably do something for her after this.


    Lu''um, who had been preparing to give Reed a tongue-lashing, choked on her spit in moderate disbelief when she heard his apology. It''d been such a level-headed, polite follow-up that she scarcely believed it had come out his mouth.


    What the hell was going on today? Was it the city, the peculiar Anima, or some other unknown factor that was affecting his mental state? Or was she the one who was being affected in some strange way she couldn''t discern?


    He was not like himself at all. She preferred the coarse, free-spirited, and charmingly inconsiderate fellow that she had come to understand as "Reed". To her, Reed''s raw, immature edges were proof that he was naturally himself and not a simulacrum.


    Rather than deal with something artificially whetted and constructed for a specific purpose, Reed was wholly himself, even if it came at the expense of himself or others around him.


    Reed had not forsaken his own personal identity to become something else, something unnatural and fabricated... like Him.


    Was it a sign of personal growth or had it been the rumbling of His footsteps beginning to affect him?


    There was no way to whether it was one or the other. Not without intruding into his mind and finding out for herself, but that was something they had expressly forbidden each other from doing.


    "...Is something wrong, Sweetcheeks? Look you, well, like you caught a bug."


    "No, I''m fine," said Lu''um, quickly covering up her slip up with a calm smile. "I just found it a little odd that you''d come up such an absurd plan from nothing. Even I wouldn''t have imagined it, to be honest."


    And it was true. Not even she would have had the audacity to propose what Reed had envisioned.


    He sought to defy the order of imposed upon the continent in one fell swoop by... hijacking the Will of the World itself, if only for a brief moment.


    His plan stemmed from his newly discovered connection to the titan beneath the earth and his ability to control it.


    Reed had only tasted it for a short while, but that had been more than enough for him to imagine doing the unthinkable.


    It was an established fact that all Anima that flowed across the continent came to the titan itself as if it were its own blood. Without it, the Heavenly Barrier would shut down and all life would perish.


    In essence, all Chosen were merely microbes feeding on an insignificant sliver of the Anima that went to sustaining the Heavenly Barrier. Even the many cities modern Mulia had built amounted to nothing in the face of the outrageous amount of Anima that was constantly fed to maintain the continent''s strongest and most important defense.


    The world would continue to live another day so long as the titan''s heart continued to beat, even if it was unconscious and injured.


    So Reed, the oddity he was, proposed the idea of using the brief period after they activated the reset node to commandeer the titan itself power something he had not used for a long time.


    What he had sealed within himself in a layer of subspace two-hundredths of a millimeter in an unreachable direction to beings that existed in three spatial dimensions.


    The Divine Furnace had not left his side, even after all that had occurred since the Twilight War. It had bonded itself unto Reed''s very existence, such that it had become an ever-present vestige of not so readily cherished.


    For all practical purposes, the construct was divine in composition despite being made by mortal hands. As far as Reed comprehended, it was capable of far, far more than he or even Lu''um presumed to know.


    And it was the only thing he knew that could possibly handle the immense flood of Anima that they would redirect in order to realistically do what Reed wanted to do.


    He wanted to perform a one-way slingshot from Mulia all the way to Citlai by means of simulating the same method that Guiding Nails operated upon. That is, to create a non-euclidean bridge across the hostile vacuum of unbound existence that was the Outside.


    As if this were not outrageous enough, Reed had proposed directly connecting both the continent of Mulia and the isolated coast and archipelago that made up the islands of Citlai.


    In essence, Reed had proposed creating a temporary juncture between the two sealed dimensions for the express purpose of sending the geode of souls above Itroch back home to where it belonged.


    It was borderline¡ª no, unquestionably insane.


    The risk associated with inter-dimensional travel was enough to make most people want to wish for the Goddess''s mercy, as it was often accompanied by a number of endings for those unfortunate enough to experience any kind of trouble in the process of traversing through the Outside.


    Though it was classified top-secret, it was not unknown to most Veteran Chosen of how the many horrific losses that the Four Empires endured when they began to experiment with the forbidden technology sealed within the Guiding Nails.


    Reverse engineering the work of the Devil himself came at a heavy price... paid in blood.


    Entire generations of early Chosen died dreadfully during that experimental phase, especially during the development of the Single-Use Extra-Dimensional Insertion Vehicle, or the Coffins, that were necessary for covert insertions into the Shadowlands.


    This, of course, was not even mentioning the unfortunate disappearances of certain warships that were never officially put in any public records. These ships that never existed set off on their maiden voyages, testing out the prototype reality-warping shielding necessary to cross the Outside, and then...


    The Devil took what was owed to him.


    And now Reed wanted to meddle in such a perilous undertaking with what little experience he had, the overly ambitious maniac.


    In many ways, Reed without his former abilities was, in fact, a much more threatening individual than before. His lack of power had forced him to think outside of the box in ways that he would not have previously imagined before.


    But to Lu''um, his resourcefulness and terrifying ingenuity were two elements that should have never met one another. She greatly preferred the linear, predictable way of thinking the old Reed operated on compared to this recently depowered nutcase.


    "...Even if we do manage to get enough Anima to power the entire operation, how do plan on creating a relay between here and Citlai, let alone the bridge itself? Do you even know how to do handle creating a compressed Tolai phase-stabilizing field across an undefined plane?" said Lu''um.


    Though Lu''um was certain that Reed''s hypothetical plan could work, she was entirely sure that Reed had didn''t have even the slightest technical expertise require¡ª


    "You''re talking about the Tolai Metastability-Field Phenomenon, right? When Anima is given a 7th-degree fold under a state of excitation in a bounded spatiotemporal field. I would not have suggested this plan if I had not some inkling of the knowledge to make this work. Rest assured, I''m confident in pulling this off."


    Lu''um visibly shuddered in startled fear and said, "How did you¡ª"


    "That expression on your face kinda hurts, you know. Why do you think I wouldn''t put effort into understanding everything you''ve talked about? Did you really think that I just sat around and let you lecture me on your favorite topics without listening or caring about them at all? Wouldn''t that make me an inconsiderate asshole that was only listening to your passionate rants out of mock courtesy because I''m your lover?" said Reed with a mildly annoyed expression plastered on his face.


    The lengths he had gone to grasp a basic understanding of the topics Lu''um loved to talk about had taken up a sizeable chunk of his free time during the three year period they''d been in exile. At some points, he had even gone as far as to seek assistance from actual academic professors in the South.


    Unbeknownst to Lu''um, Reed had actually almost finished his higher studies and graduated from a university in the South before they''d left for the East.


    His formal graduation was going to be a surprise for Lu''um as a present of sorts. Reed had planned to spring it on her by taking her to his graduation ceremony in a few months'' time.


    What could have been a better display of interest in her beloved''s interests than to present her with a diploma in the field she loved most ¡ª Theoretical Anima Metaphysics?


    "A-Ah... I-I suppose so, yes, that would be very true," replied Lu''um, in a bumbling fashion.


    Though Reed was by no means as knowledgeable in the particular advanced topics Lu''um preferred, at the very least he wasn''t completely out of the loop. Thus, it slightly hurt his feelings when Lu''um reacted the way she did when he demonstrated that he understood her.


    She had stared at him the same way one would have looked at a dog if it were to have suddenly responded that it understood the concept of gravity.


    "...Well, whatever," said Reed and peered down into the fissure. "Let''s get this over with then. I want to get this done before we get them asking us questions."


    His eyes were directed toward the Spirit of Bountiful Charity that hovered in the distance. Reed didn''t want the meddling old man and crown prince getting involved with what he was about to do...


    Because if they did, they''d surely object try to stop him from doing it.


    He threw himself over the edge of the enormous floating geode of souls without warning and fell into the abyss below before he yelled, "Hurry up, we don''t have any time to waste!!!"


    Lu''um was certain of it now in her heart, though she feared to admit it. There was something clearly wrong with Reed today. He was far too sharp and unpredictable, nothing like his usual self.


    What in the hell is going on today?! I am hallucinating? Is this a long fever dream? None of it makes sense. Or is this reality? I don''t know anymore...


    It was genuinely frustrating to feel like she didn''t know anything and couldn''t figure it out.


    I can''t imagine living every day like this... Like some animal in the dark, shuffling around blindly without a clue in the dark.


    When she wondered if this was how Reed usually felt, she bit her lips and muttered, "...I should probably do something for him after this."


    The city was beginning to wear on them in a strange way, though neither of them knew it. Even five thousand years later, the City of Love had not lost its charm in a twisted, subtle way...

 180 Upon Closer Inspection...

    Though there weren''t any dangerous Anima storms to contend with or shattered spacetime mazes to avoid, there was a striking manifestation within the fissure that had caught the couple''s attention... and concern.


    About four kilometers into their descent, an unexpected transformation in the scenery around them had prompted them to stop and assess the severity of the damage that contained within the fissure.


    Reed gasped when he recognized the gravity of the situation and said, "I didn''t think it''d be this bad. Holy shit, it''s pretty much total anarchy down here! I think we might''ve popped the lid on something we shouldn''t have."


    "You think?" replied Lu''um. She too had come to the remorseful conclusion that they shouldn''t have removed the geode of souls ¡ª at the very least, not before they had ventured past it first.


    It had become evident to both of them that the geode of souls had actually served a purpose before they had taken it out for themselves. It had not been so much as a barrier to keep outsiders out, but as a net to keep what laid beneath it contained.


    Past the area where the enormous geode once blocked existed a predicament that could only be described as a shitstorm for the history books.


    "In a way, we''ve pulled off the scab on this wound," said Reed, hitting the nail on the head. "The only thing that we can do now is double-time it to the source of the problem and fix it."


    It was an ocean of souls. That was what the geode had been blocking off the entire time by pure coincidence. A seemingly endless deluge of swarming motes of light swam mindlessly in perpetual unrest.


    They were all uniquely different than one from another upon closer inspection, flickering in a variety of colors not visible in the narrow wavelength that mortals viewed the world with.


    To a normal mortal, they would have seen nothing more than a faint, almost illusionary light show, but to Reed and Lu''um it was far more than that.


    They saw them clearly. Though their forms were spectral in nature, they could distinctly make out the figures of an innumerable amount of people as they wandered to and fro in the fissure.


    Every single one of them was undoubtedly deceased, though that did not stop them from behaving in strangely erratic ways that made them seem... alive.


    As they descended further, Reed and Lu''um were bombarded with an incessant stream of intrusive, disordered thoughts and memories that belonged to the flock of loose souls.


    It was the complete sum of a person''s identity, both the bad and the good ¡ª multiplied by several million individuals.


    Pain alone could not describe what they had begun to experience as they descended into the psychic melting pot of souls because... pleasure also existed in the midst of the mindbending chaos.


    For every painful memory, rejection, and failed wish these people possessed was equal parts euphoria, delight, and rapturous ecstasy.


    The joy of becoming a parent, of a love realized, of accomplishing one''s dreams, of raw physical pleasure from a variety of debauched acts ¡ª there was no end to the constant stream of multifaceted delight that continued to assault them.


    In an endless number of ways, they were simultaneously experiencing the loss of a million failures and another million successes.


    Reed had been absolutely right in preventing Astor, Ophelia, and Horatio from coming down with them. Had they tagged along, they would have surely turned into catatonic husks from what he was currently experiencing at the moment. Their minds would have been melted into a soupy mess, their unprotected egos torn to shreds in the unending psychic tempest.


    Worse still, the small possibility of their souls being lured of their bodies could not be excluded. Tempted by the subconscious call of their swarm of souls, they could have suffered a terrible ending...


    Even Reed, who had the protection of his soul being confined in his mark of responsibility, had not been completely exempt from the constant input from the souls around him.


    It was akin to highly pitched static noise that could not be silenced, regardless of the auditory protection one could afford. The combined psychic wail of millions of souls was too much, even for the mark of responsibility.


    The static noise pierced through every additional barrier Reed had mustered. There was no stopping it, they could only endure it with some limited protection.


    Ugh... I can''t think... straight with all this... clutter in the way...! Goddammit!


    At best, simple thoughts were easy to construct without too much difficulty. Something along the lines of "Keep going down!" or "Ignore the voices!" weren''t too hard to formulate. But anything more complex than that had become a chore to do without getting interrupted by an invasive thought or memory from someone in the pit of souls.


    His mind was slowly being chipped away, despite his best efforts and recent experiences with psychic warfare. Reed''s torture at the hands of that bastard had taught him just how terrifying a mental attack could be.


    He had learned from that looped nightmare in Cem-Elle that not all battles had to be fought with one''s fists, weapons, or over-the-top Anima techniques.


    Breaking into and defiling the enemy''s mind was a far more effective and efficient method than beating them into a pulp. It was also far cleaner too, leaving no evidence of the assailant''s crime. After all, a drooling madman would never be able to disclose the identity of the person who turned them into a babbling nutcase.


    Since then, Reed had begun devoting his time into grasping the intricacies of cognitive manipulation techniques and their associated counter-defenses. Never again would he permit such a heinous thing to befall his psyche again, not while he still drew breath. It was one thing to be toyed around in reality by forces greater than him, but he would not tolerate being oppressed inside of his own damned mind by a goddamned fragment of a bastard...


    That was the thin line in the sand for Reed. He would not let the parasitic, freeloading, piece of shit asshole hiding within him act like he owned the place anymore. And as far as Reed was concerned, it would only be a matter of time until he booted the motherfucker out once and for all, consequences be damned.


    Nevertheless, it''d be a fair while before that dream of his would come true considering the current level of mastery he possessed with cognitive Anima techniques.


    He was only barely managing to keep out the brunt of the nonsense that was barraging on the metaphorical front door of his mind. That alone spoke volumes of the state of his goal of one day purging Him from his body...


    Lu''um herself was in no better situation than Reed as well, all things considered. One would think that someone like her, who was a bonafide grandmistress when it came to Anime techniques, would not have encountered any issues with mental contamination brought upon by the swarm of souls, but...


    It had simply not been her day today. Her unusual mental state, brought on by Reed''s peculiar behavior had created a tiny mental chink in what would''ve been her otherwise impenetrable mental defenses.


    Her weakness, borne of Reed''s genuine sincerity and bizarre consideration, had come to bite her in the ass in the strangest method possible.


    In the end, only Reed possessed the almighty ability to turn a well-intentioned and constructive act of affection into a negative ailment for his partner. Not even the Infestation or their masters, the Outsiders, had such a twisted ability in their arsenal.


    Although Reed should have felt something for them, the poor souls stuck in limbo beneath the fissure, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of... indifference for them. For someone who had been touched by death and abused by many people, including Fate itself to some extent, whatever compassion he once held for the fallen and oppressed had slowly evaporated since the Twilight War.


    He''d simply seen too much it. Of suffering, death, and injustice. They were immutable concepts that could not be purged, even with the greatest of intentions and capabilities. The Ancient Mulians were irrefutable proof of this, thought Reed.


    For all, they had accomplished with their mastery of Anima, it had not been enough to prevent the Infestation from ravaging the greater multiverse in the end.


    There was too much misery to go around, so Reed had developed a somewhat callous heart. He had not gone off on the deep end yet, but it had definitely started to affect him.


    Reed just couldn''t afford to care for the souls around him, not with the already stacked plate of problems on his hands. Rather than focus and sympathize with the dead, he preferred to keep his mind on the living.


    Perhaps one day when he was far stronger and more capable than now, he''d consider attending to the grievances of the deceased, but until then...


    He''d block out their cries, to the fullest of his abilities.


    The descent into the fissure''s deepest section ended up taking them longer than they had anticipated, but after an hour of dealing with having their sanities tested, Reed and Lu''um reached the source of it all.


    At the bottom of the fissure laid the unresponsive body of the titan, or rather only a portion of it. Still what had been unearthed along with the fissure was so large it could have overshadowed the entire city of Itroch and more.


    Were it not for the gravity of the situation though, Reed would have probably said something incredibly inappropriate. The reason being stemmed from what he had only know discovered about the unconscious titan ¡ª the enigmatic being''s actual gender.


    Reed couldn''t have been blamed for not knowing, given the limited number of times he had observed the titan. This was also not considering how much of the titan he''d been allowed to see, for much of it still remained buried under the earth.


    From a distance, a gigantic mound could be seen below them, covered in an expansive field of silver hair. Though concealed, it was fairly obvious what it was to Reed, even if he wasn''t an authority on the anatomy of the fairer sex.


    So it''s like that, huh... I''m a dumbass. Of course, it''s like that with this twisted family of His. Unbelievable...


    Were it not for the bright patch of crimson staining a certain part of her immaculate hair, it would''ve proved a troublesome headache for them, but this time the situation had been quite easy to identify.


    The source of the injury this time was near the woman''s collarbone, a little bit below her neck itself. A gnarly, rotting lesion had grown across the female titan''s skin. It was completely different from the other sites Reed had visited in regard to the severity of the damage inflicted.


    Horrible couldn''t even begin to describe it. What little flesh hadn''t turned a sickly shade of green, purple, or black had already disintegrated into nothingness. As unbelievable as it sounded, there were even portions of the titan''s uppermost chest where bleached bone could be seen.


    The past injuries in the other fissures they''d seen had been nothing more than a prelude for the true extent of the deterioration that currently threatened the female titan''s life... and by extension, all life on Mulia.


    "...Ah, fuck."


    Reed couldn''t have worded it better if he had intentionally tried to.


    They were now, for all intents and purposes, responsible for something larger than they could''ve previously imagined...

 181 ...Its All Screwed.

    The female titan was barely alive in the strictest sense possible. Her beating heart was the only piece of evidence that she still had some life in her, for her body had already begun to fail her.


    It was cold and stiff. Her body had lost the warmth and plasticity that was frequently attributed to the living. There was no other way to describe other than something akin to the rigor mortis that the recently deceased were fated to experience.


    When Reed knelt down and put one of his hands on her skin, all he felt was an unnatural rigidity and absence of body warmth. It had not been like that before if his memory still served some purpose.


    The first and second time, he had felt life beneath his feet ¡ª a type of scorching heat that had left him feeling as if he''d been put into an oven from hell.


    That had been the natural warmth of her own bodily functions operating as per usual. But now... none of this makes sense. We''ve already activated two of the reset nodes and yet the situation here has actually deteriorated instead. And at an astronomical pace, too.


    "What are we doing wrong? This doesn''t make any logical sense at all. Why hasn''t she improved since the last time?!" said Reed, frustrated the truth laid bare before his feet.


    "...I don''t know," said Lu''um and stated, "But there must be a reason for this. She would not have sent us off on a doomed quest, after all. Would you not agree?"


    Reed stood up and said, "I know. I trust her. But even so, that doesn''t mean that I''ll just stand around with a smile on my face just because she said that we can turn this whole mess around."


    Although he was confident in her belief that they would be able to save the continent, it did not mean that he believed that it was an assured thing. The potential existed, but it would only be realized if they made it work.


    Perhaps she and Lu''um might believe in something as cruel and oppressive as Fate or an immutable Destiny in all things, but Reed did not. Not even after all that he had endured and experienced since he had arrived in Mulia.


    Never. Not ina hundred trillion years. Not even after the very last star in the universe winked out of existence.


    My decisions and the consequences produced by them are my own and no one else''s.


    For the idea of life, chaotic, unfair, and infuriating as it usually was, being nothing more than a predetermined set of events was too boring for Reed to accept.


    And by Himself, he was to save the female titan on his own terms. Even if he had to rearrange the continent with his bare hands, so help Mulia and its people.


    Reed wasn''t slightly deranged, he was just a little bit under the weather.


    When they made it to the reset node, which was located near the female titan''s neck, Lu''um felt it crucial to say something about the new factors at play with their initial plan. She wasn''t too sure whether it was a sound idea to do what the originally planned.


    In fact, she knew it was a terrible idea. Not that she was confident in creating an alternative plan, though. She just felt an urgent impulse to saying something before it was too late.


    Even though it had already been too late in the first place. Not that she knew.


    "Hey... let''s not do this, okay? Don''t you think the pressing conditions are more than enough to rethink our strategy? This changes¡ª"


    "It won''t change a thing," said Reed, as he made his way toward the reset node on his own. "It''ll work as planned. And if it doesn''t... I''ll make it work. End of discussion."


    Rather than deal with the worrywart naysayer who''d likely try to deter him with her concerns, Reed opted to simply do as he pleased instead. Too long had he been strung along by others for their plans, though much of it a fault of his own for being so spineless and passive in the face of adversity or even simple inconvenience.


    When he reached the reset node and made contact with it, an all too familiar conversation began. The automated system held within the reset node booted up and started an automatic diagnosis of the female titan as it always did.


    "Registered user detected. ERROR. Unable to establish a link with the Central Core.


    Alpha node detected.


    Gamma node detected.


    Delta node offline.


    Epsilon node offline.


    Last known connection date ¡ª Era of Ruin, year 5426/ Seventh Lunar Spring/ Month of the Hummingbird, 18th day. Please hold. An automatic diagnostic is underway..."


    Reed and Lu''um both felt an uneasy sensation when they heard the lifeless voice''s automated introduction. Although they had assessed the extent of the damage themselves, they feared what the in-depth analysis of the artificial intelligence would end up being.


    "WARNING. Central Core defense matrix compromised. A state of emergency has been declared. SEED Protocol is now in effect. In forty-eight hours, all online nodes will broadcast for retrieval as assigned."


    ...SEED Protocol? Is that what the source of this mess in the North is coming from? It must be it.


    "Explain what SEED Protocol is and what the requirements are for it has been authorized," said Reed.


    The looming spire immediately replied, "SEED Protocol dictates that all custody subjects be recovered for security purposes in the event of a level-5 containment scenario. An emergency main sequence retrogression poses an absolute threat to everything in the field of reversion that is unable to separate itself from real-space and by extension, causal order."


    Another phrase he didn''t know. Main sequence retrogression. Though the requirements needed to escape such a thing involved exiting normal space and time in addition to removing oneself of the innate order imposed by causality itself.


    That alone spoke enough about what was going to happen if they didn''t stop the nodes from doing what they were now prepared to perform. Not even Chosen would be exempt from what was to come.


    It''d swallow the whole of Mulia, with the exemption of those fortunate enough to have been outside in the Shadowlands at the time.


    "Define the phrase ''Main sequence retrogression'' and anything else associated with its implementation."


    "In the event of a scenario where the loss of life to the Conduit over an estimated value of ninety percent, emergency failsafe systems are automatically set to perform a complete wipe of all quantum information except for the Central Core."


    Lu''um bluntly said, "It''s going to erase everything and reboot reality from the ground up. As in, starting off from square one, even if it comes at the cost of all the progress made here..."


    "Can''t we just reset things back to a prior point, before this happened? Like just after the Twilight War, for example? I wouldn''t be opposed to doing that if it were possible..." said Reed, hoping that he could resolve things as quickly as possible.


    "Negative. The Conduit is non-operational. Anima reserves are presently insufficient for a sequence correction procedure. Lifesigns declining. Contamination has almost reached the critical threshold."


    The system responsible for managing the female titan''s health would not change its mind, regardless of whatever proposed alternative they''d be able to come up with. It was solely focused on protecting what it had been assigned to supervise.


    In comparison, the people of Mulia were of secondary concern to it. As long as it could safeguard the required minimum amount, it would consider its objective successfully completed. The safety of the Central Core its highest concern.


    As such, Reed deemed the conversation they had with it over. There was nothing more to gain from wasting time pestering it with explanations. They even discovered that they had less time than they initially thought available.


    Had Lacrima been incorrect in her assessment or was all of this still as she had foretold? Had they erred somewhere along the road or perhaps, had something changed instead? Reed didn''t know and couldn''t be bothered to contemplate it out any longer.


    Forty-eight hours remained.


    Their entire time schedule had been pushed forward dramatically. The damoclean sword that threatened Mulia had finally descended to the point where it hovered only a precious few millimeters above it.


    Reed had enough.


    When he started to take off his pressurized environmental suit, Lu''um questioned his motive for doing so. There was nothing to gain in losing an additional layer of protection, even if it was slightly uncomfortable and... restrictive in certain respects when to came to wearing it.


    "It''s unnecessary anymore, right? Besides, I feel that I''ll probably get a better connection to the titan doing it like this. The suit was starting to bother me. And I also don''t want anything distracting me for what I''m about to do, no matter how trivial it may be."


    Reed stretched a bit and said, "I''ll leave the physical loading to you as planned, alright? Get it into position and then I''ll take over from there. After that, I''ll ride the blast on the way out and set everything to collapse."


    Lu''um still had more to say, but Reed had already turned his attention inward as he began to prepare himself for what was to come. Though she did not want to do it, there was no time left to debate it anymore and there weren''t any better alternatives on hand.


    Shit. To think this how it turned out. Hehe... I can''t believe it...


    She cursed herself for a brief second and took a final glance at Reed before she flew upwards towards the surface. The disconcerting feeling in her chest was something she couldn''t shake off. As much as it secretly excited her, the fear of not knowing ¡ª much less, not being in control of the situation at hand ¡ª terrified her inside.


    It was a humbling thing to experience, especially from someone such as her, who had long since gotten accustomed to being in total control of everything around her.


    ...When the plan finally commenced, an enormous change occurred above the city of Itroch.


    Over in the Spirit of Bountiful Charity, Velvund and Haydn had not progressed in the slightest over their civil discussion over who would claim rights on the geode of souls. Had it not been for the alarming sight in front of them, they would have never believed the spectacle that had begun over Itroch could have happened.


    Out in the distance, a familiar figure had reappeared along with the signal from her environmental suit. Lu''um had returned.... alone, much to the confusion of both Velvund and Haydn, along with the rest of the staff monitoring the situation.


    "Hmm? Where''d the boy go? How very peculiar. It''s just the wife this¡ª"


    Hadyn choked on his words yet again, for the nth time in a single day as his eyes popped out of their sockets.


    It shouldn''t have been possible and yet, it happened nevertheless.


    The geode of souls had begun to move as it tilted upward towards the sky. Several hundred million tons of ice and crystal slowly arched up in a display of unprecedented power, never before seen in history.


    And the person responsible for that event didn''t even seem that concerned about it. In fact, she seemed rather unfocused when it came down to her expression.


    "Goddess help us, what in the world is she doing!" said Haydn in alarm. "How is that even possible?!"


    Velvund let out a depressed sigh. He had just been given more work to do. My day couldn''t get any longer, he thought.


    ....If he knew the truth, it would have probably broken him. That his suffering had barely just begun.


    Hell was about to break loose... quite literally, in fact.

 182 Wanna See How Big My _____ Is?

    "That''s not possible. It shouldn''t be possible..." murmured Haydn as he strained his Anima-infused eyes to their absolute limits. He wanted to capture every single second of it, for he had no other choice but to do so.


    What had occurred could not have been the work of Men. To Haydn, the only logical explanation to him was that he had witnessed an act of God.


    A genuine miracle ¡ª a feat that no person cut from mortal cloth could have accomplished, even with the almighty power that came with possessing an Alma.


    "How... long have you known?" asked Haydn via a telepathic message. The contents of their conversation could never be spoken aloud, for fear of the immense ramifications it would cause.


    Anima had infinite potential. It was limitless. This was a hard fact. Under the right conditions, it could become anything and enable one to do anything. It was, in essence, the physical manifestation of the word "potential".


    "Since before either of them even appeared in Mulia. More than five millenniums ago, if you want a rough approximation of the number," responded Velvund, without a single stutter.


    But this, of course, did not mean that the people who harnessed it had the same potential within them. Not in the slightest. They were finite beings. Mortal creatures. Born with a limited set of possibilities on a path that would eventually lead back to whence they originally came from.


    Death.


    A return to nothingness.


    The cessation of their ephemeral lives.


    "How can that be?! Foreknowledge? But that also shouldn''t be possible! I''ve heard about it... But not even the Ancient Mulians themselves were capable of extrapolating the future, at least not without the assistance of artificial intelligences of inconceivable magnitude and complexity," retorted Haydn in disbelief.


    The world-sibyls, the enormous moons that once served as oracles for the Ancient Mulians, had all but disappeared by the ending of the Great War. It was unknown to the remaining survivors where they had gone.


    Too much had been lost and forgotten during the final confrontation against the Infestation.


    "It is exactly as you say, so I''ll leave it to you to form your own conclusions. And to keep the record clean, I''ll promise you this ¡ª Everything I have told thus far contains no falsehoods. Consider this piece of truth a small token of my trust in you, Crown Prince."


    "I''m honored that you think so highly of me, Lord Velvund. I''ll make sure not to disappoint you in the future... for the sake of the North and the East."


    How large was the gap between a simian born in the primitive jungles of ancient Earth millions of years ago compared to a modern-day human living in Mulia?


    The answer? The entire span between Heaven and the Earth.


    In the same respect, one could only question how large the gap was between the Ancient Mulians, who were born as the earliest sapient species in the Primary Universe where Anima was at its purest and most abundant...


    Velvund once pondered the very same question himself in his youth, to no avail. For five thousand years, the abducted races that the Ancient Mulians brought to Mulia had proliferated in an environment designed to accelerate their development.


    But it had all been for naught.


    They had not advanced enough, even though they had been given the best possible conditions. Compared to the Ancient Mulians, the modern-day people of Mulia were...


    "Hopeless," said Velvund.


    Haydn furrowed his brow in confusion and asked, "What is hopeless?" He didn''t think that the situation they were in was completely hopeless yet, though he did have some concerns...


    "Not what, Crown Prince, but rather, who is the correct question."


    And the answer is... all of us.


    One only had look at what was happening ahead of them to understand that simple fact.


    She had moved it on her own without any assistance to speak of ¡ª with her bare hands. Though it was a crude method, that did not deter from the unimaginable difficulty of the act.


    The amount of skill and physical fortitude required to pull something close to that required an inhuman comprehension of one''s body and an affinity for Anima that was not currently attainable by any Chosen.


    No amount of training, experience, or manufactured genius could make for what Chosen lacked, despite the continued efforts of a particular individual.


    A crystal iceberg of souls ¡ª the size of an entire metropolis ¡ª shifted itself on its y-axis until it became an upright tower rather than a floating island. Well over a trillion tons of ice and crystal had been laboriously moved by a single person into an arrangement most peculiar.


    Such an act violated the common sense of Mulia and, therefore, could not be allowed to be known by the rest of the world. Events like these were the very reason that Velvund had only allowed his personal ship, the Spirit of Bountiful Charity, to remain around the fissures.


    Not as support for Reed and Lu''um, obviously. There was nothing they could do on that front on that, much to his hidden frustration. Though he understood that the fissures were a problem that only they could tackle, it pained him to not be able to anything for them.


    The only he could do was remove any unnecessary obstacles and potential disturbances that might impede them at a later date. Dirty work was a better word for it. Cleaning up loose threads was something that Velvund was an expert at anyway, so he didn''t feel it too burdensome a task.


    He''d do anything to ensure the success of his magnum opus... even silence the crown prince of an empire if the situation demanded it. Nothing was off the table for him.


    Thankfully, he would not have to do anything, given the young prince''s response.


    ...At least, not for the time being. But that was not important at the moment, not by a long shot. What was happening in Itroch took precedence, especially as of now with what was current occurring.


    "Oh my Goddess, what is that...? Is... that Anima? What is she doing? Why is she¡ª"


    Deep beneath the bowels of hell, unearthly tongues of Anima furiously stirred as they were forced into unnatural angles and positions, curved in self-containing shapes. But for all that was being worked upon below, an occasional flare of super-compressed Anima escaped containment and flew out of the fissure''s gaping maw towards freedom.


    It was a horrifying sight to behold from the Spirit of Bountiful Charity. Judging from the size, density, and brightness of the Anima flare, even one of them had enough energy to power the entire continent for, well... an inestimable amount of time.


    The number was large enough that the onboard intelligence in the Spirit of Bountiful Charity was unable to crunch the data on the spot.


    What worried everyone above at the moment was what had just happened, though. For some inexplicable reason, Lu''um had put it back from whence it came in the strangest position.


    Why?


    No one knew, but the tension on the Spirit of Bountiful Charity had reached a fever peak. The readings they were getting from beneath Itroch were enough to prompt an emergency retreat and an immediate recall from all ground crew, a certain trio included...


    As far as they were concerned, the city was set to blow up in an unholy explosion. Or perhaps some unknown anomalous disaster. If all went well, then nothing would happen.


    Either way, something was about to happen and Velvund couldn''t risk his subordinates'' lives, even if personally he wanted to stay and witness it for himself. He might''ve been able to withstand whatever was to come, but they would not be able to do the same...


    On the frontlines, a terrible scene was already underway and it could no longer be stopped. It was starting to get... hot. Extremely hot. The temperature below had already hit a point the scenery in the fissure had turned into a true hell. In a literal sense.


    But that wasn''t a problem for Reed... because he couldn''t feel anymore. He had forcibly shut off the screeching in his mind ¡ª his nerve receptors ¡ª trying to tell him that he was in mortal peril.


    Not one to shy away from suffering, Reed somberly smirked as inspected what was left of him at the moment. His skin had already turned a shade of black and possessed a texture reminiscent to that of charcoal. ...Well, what little remained of it.


    Whatever hair he once had already been burnt into ash long ago. Most of what remained of Reed was desperately trying to fight back against the... living, breathing monster he had created.


    Only the most important organs necessary to keep him alive were given priority regeneration ¡ª his heart, brain, spine, and lungs. Everything had been discarded. Any unnecessary senses had been cut off, as they had only been slowing him down. Distracting him from what he needed to do.


    Encased in a sphere of cooled Anima, a lump of reforming flesh continued to work without stopping. Reed had not stopped, even though fear had almost overtaken him several times.


    He couldn''t afford to mess up, after all. What he was constructing could not afford to have even a single flaw. A single defect would spell an unfortunate end for himself and anything not on the other side of the continent.


    But that was an obvious fact, given the amount of energy that was at play.


    When Reed detected the geode of souls, he immediately set his plan into motion and sent out a multitude of enormous chains of Anima to drag it further down into the depths of the fissure. He needed it as far below as possible for what was to come.


    Loading complete.


    Was it a stupid idea or perhaps, an extraordinary one? To be quite frank, not even Lu''um knew the answer. It bordered the line between pure genius and insanity, if she had to be honest.


    At the very least, she would have never come up with the idea to turn the entire continent...


    Into a gun.


    That was the whole plan, in a nutshell. Reed was to turn the continent into a gun for the express purpose of sending the geode back to where it belonged. And now Reed had everything required. His grand plan was to build a big fucking gun.


    He had a gun barrel ¡ª the fissure itself.


    He had gunpowder ¡ª a direct connection to the source of all Anima in Mulia, the female titan.


    And he had a bullet ¡ª the geode of souls.


    Everything that was needed had been gathered and set up as planned. While Lu''um had been charged with loading the geode back into the fissure, Reed had been at work reshaping the fissure itself to handle the tremendous forces that would be at play.


    It was hot. Hotter than the surface of a star beneath Itroch. Reed''s work, which involved the manipulation of a massive bounded field (Tolai field) of twisted spacetime, had almost reached completion.


    The idea was that unfurling the bound field would propel whatever was caught within it through a hole through reality and onward. What concerned Lu''um was what would take place after the bullet was fired.


    Firing the bullet was one hurdle, but aiming it at the correct target was another problem in itself. How does one accurately aim a gun at a target that doesn''t exist in reality? At a target that exists outside of it?


    That was the main quandary, but Reed had devised his own makeshift solution. He''d manually adjust the trajectory by personally... riding his bullet to its destination.


    Pure insanity. Had anyone aside from Lu''um heard Reed''s plan, they would have thrown him into an asylum. Locked him up for his own good and the safety of the world. Velvund would have probably lost his damned mind if he knew the truth...


    Thankfully, he would not be faring the infinite alone. His other half would also be along for the ride, apprehensive as she was about it. Rather than allow him to venture into the Outside alone unsupervised, she''d be there to keep him safe.


    "...Look at you. You''re barely alive. Is this what you meant by, ''I''ve got this under control?''" said Lu''um as she descended to where Reed lay waiting, atop the geode of souls.


    "I''ll be fine. I''ve already activated the reset node, so we only have a couple of minutes before it boots me out of control. Are you ready?" replied Reed via his thoughts.


    Once the bullet was fired, the reset node would take care of repairing the damage that caused the Itroch Syndrome and resolve the issue at Itroch once and for all.


    And he''d set it all off with but a single thought. The final part of the assembly was none other than... himself ¡ª the trigger.


    "I''m ready," replied Lu''um as she settled herself around Reed, or what was left of him.


    "Then, let''s not waste any more time. Hold on, it''s about to get real crazy, real fast...!" said Reed, positively giddy in anticipation. Whether it was the adrenaline coursing through his veins, the onset of some form of madness, or something else was unknown.


    Whatever it was, it had taken Reed hostage and it terrified Lu''um to the bone.


    "Ready...."


    "Steady...."


    "Go."


    And then... they were gone. It''d begun. The world''s largest gun fired off without a hitch.

 183 Out Of Touch In The Right Way

    Itroch had disappeared. Every single remnant of the ancient city had been vaporized, removed from existence in an abrupt flash of brilliant light. In its place, an immense mushroom cloud now loomed over the glassed landscape, as if to serve as a warning.


    From who, for what, and for whom was unknown. But the message was clear as day for all who observed the scorched land ahead ¡ª they were bugs.


    Insignificant creatures. They were but water fleas skirting along the surface of an immeasurably deep ocean. That they merely stood atop an iceberg, unaware of how truly large it was beneath the murky waves below.


    It was dead silent within the Spirit of Bountiful Charity. Not even a single breath could be heard across the entire ship. A heavy stillness filled the command bridge as everyone wordlessly gazed upon the macabre, crimson sky.


    Today was fated to become a historical event, thought Velvund as he stared onward.


    "No... It''s going to be even more than that. This will become a legend," muttered Velvund with an ecstatic expression. A thin layer of sweat formed on his face as he contemplated the fact.


    Though he had worked hard in cultivating a heroic impression for Reed and Lu''um by manipulating facts and spinning a skewed version of real history, something told him that he would no longer have to do that anymore. Not after today.


    Because on this day, those two had irrevocably shown the world undeniable proof of their true strength. What they had done here was their work alone, and a testament of what they were truly capable of.


    If they wished for it, they had the power to destroy everything. To a naive onlooker, the devastation was all that they would be able to discern, but it was different for those in power ¡ª Chosen, Royalty, and Nobility.


    To them, it meant that everything had now changed. The power structure they once relied upon for stability was no more. The Anima fluctuations they had felt pass across the continent relayed to them the real truth that mattered the most to them.


    The Four Sovereigns had finally met their match. Two monstrous entities who matched their own martial prowess had appeared.


    In truth though, some of the higher brass, especially Veteran Chosen, had already begun to correctly postulate that the Four Sovereigns were weaker than the new pair of wrathful divinities that hath descended upon their world...


    Across the continent in loftier places, two particular names had now become a taboo to speak. Out of equal parts respect and fear, no longer would their names be used informally.


    In fact, many Chosen had already begun to converge upon Itroch in order to bear witness and see for themselves the truth and to formally introduce themselves to their new superiors. Better to set a positive first impression while the iron was hot than to miss the opportunity entirely like a fool.


    Unfortunately for them, the two individuals in question had seemingly disappeared in the chaos that ensued...


    Out in the vast emptiness unbound by all the laws and conceptual niceties afforded in reality.


    The Outside was as always, a madhouse of horrors for all who were composed of Structure ¡ª on a fundamental level, anything that was hailed from a place with any form of order, laws, or restrictions was doomed to endure pain.


    For it was reality''s natural desire to impose Structure on all things big and small.


    The Outside, on the other hand, desired the opposite ¡ª Freedom. To unmake and therefore, liberate that which had been born without freedom.


    Things born from one side were incompatible with the other side. It was the natural order of all things.


    That is why all who dared to venture into the Outside suffered so ¡ª it wasn''t that they were being rejected by the unbound emptiness outside. Far, far from it.


    It was trying it save those who made it Outside.


    "A-A-A-A-A-A-hhhhhhhhhh....!!!!!!!!!!"


    A scream of pain and terror echoed outward in no particular direction towards nowhere. After all... the concept of directions did not exist Outside. Neither did the concept of distances.


    Here and there were completely interchangeable. As was then and now. It was all blended together to the point that it all lost its meaning.


    What one perceived to be a millisecond could become an eternity, and the inverse was also possible. One could be a hundred quintillion kilometers could be encompassed within the span of a single butterfly''s wingbeat.


    Suffice to say, it was a monstrous thing for anyone or anything made in reality to experience with their senses.


    Feeling oneself become unwoven at the seams of their existence from both ends of time was arguably the worst possible suffering in all creation.


    Reed, in the most literal sense, was experiencing the unique sensation of being disassembled simultaneously from every direction and edge in both space and time.


    He was being unraveled.


    But this was not an act of malice, for it was nothing more than a natural process. The Outside was merely acting as it had always done.


    They were being saved. The Outside was simply trying to reformat Reed and Lu''um in order to rebuild them anew in accordance with its natural desire... to see that things be without any constraints, to be release things and render them undefined and thus, create it with limitless potential...


    That, in its purest essence, was what defined the Outside of all Realities.


    But they were resisting it with all their power, or rather, Lu''um was on their behalf. In the state Reed was, he could do little for himself aside cutting off all his senses.


    It only lessened the pain. It did not eliminate it. To be honest, in certain aspects, the decision to flee away from the pain only meant that it would be hyperfocused in other ways.


    His task was simple and at the same time immensely difficult and infuriating ¡ª to push a directionless chunk of ice, crystal, and souls on a course towards a place forever close-away in an instant.


    It was beyond insane, which only served to heighten Lu''um''s thrilling-seeking obsession for the unknown and induce a sensation of dread about Reed''s current mental state.


    Not even He would have dared something like this, even in his prime. Though she knew better than to ever compare Him and Reed.


    After all, they were two completely different animals from the ground up. In many, many ways...


    Most prominently in that Reed could things do what He could only dream about, much to his delight and envy.


    To thread a piece of string through the eye of a needle... that had not been yet created was what Reed was what he had endeavored himself in choosing this path. To save everyone would require the creation of a genuine miracle.


    Not that it mattered to Reed. He was simply doing as he wished, regardless of what his instincts and rational logic advised him to do. Almost as if he were actively rejecting something, not worthy of identifying in his heart.


    Thus Reed attempted what was considered an impossible thing to do by the Ancient Mulians in his rashness and maligned confidence.


    Reed sequentially shut off his senses and higher cognitive functions, one by one until he reached a point where his mind hit a state of pure nothingness. It was by far the deadliest gamble he had ever performed in his life.


    Aware that his linear-bounded mind would never be able to accurately venture the Outside because of its naturally incomprehensible design, Reed sought to bypass this limitation by restructuring himself from the inside.


    He shut himself down in a gambit to... reformat his mind and bodily senses in order to see in the unbounded spacetime. To see in all directions, hours, and actions from all points of view.


    This was something no one had ever dared to do, not even the Ancient Mulians, for fear of the possible dangers associated with the act. The slim possibility existed that in doing so could cause an irrevocable change in their very being.


    The fear was that once they did it, they would permanently become stuck in their state and would forever be damned to view the world in that distorted lens meant for the Outside.


    It was a nightmarish thought ¡ª to have the mind of a being from the Outside, but the physical body of a creature from a structured reality. The thought of such a fate was enough to inspire a dread so black that not even the most courageous Ancient Mulians dared give the idea a try.


    And that was exactly why Lu''um felt terror in her heart for and about Reed. That he willingly chose to jump into the abyss without so much a shred of fear for his own safety. She could not determine what gave him the confidence to make such a reckless and stupid decision.


    A part of it his own immaturity flaring up in a time of crisis, yes, but there was something else in the mix. Something black and fathomless, like the Him¡ª No, worse... It was cousin to the Infestation itself, she feared most in her heart.


    But it worked, against all odds and doubts she had for Reed''s idea.


    The moment his charred, welded eyes reformed themselves and opened up, she knew that he was no longer the same Reed she knew.


    He had reached a turning point in his life and would never be the same person again.


    She knew it all too well. It made her stomach churn in unease and excitement for what was to come.


    ...When he opened his eyes, there was nothing to be found. Two empty sockets had taken the place of his former eyes. The lovely amber spheres he had been born with were gone.


    "Ah, so that''s how it is," murmured Reed in a faint voice. "What a blunder this trip has been."


    The incessant, excruciating pain had disappeared now that he had attuned himself to the Outside. All had been turned on its head in but an instant for Reed. What had once been incomprehensible, frightening, and toxic to his being had become something else.


    Something intoxicating and liberating.


    When Reed redirected his focus onto Lu''um, he saw a prism of a strange being refracted into a hundred million different shades.


    An infant babe, barely old enough to utter her first sounds. Her tiny hands held onto a finger adorned with a peculiar ring. One of refined sapphire in flux, as if were alive. It was enchanting enough a trinket to stop the child from crying, to say the least...


    A frightened girl hiding behind a bush of ripe adyllia berries in a forgotten forest. She was observing someone ahead in the deep woods, despite not wanting to be there at all from the expression on her face...


    A bloodied young woman standing in an arena, holding the head of a vanquished foe in indifference. All around her cheers rang from the audience as they shouted the phrase, "Tai''inpul Lato-kuin Lu''um!" The girl''s expression betrayed the celebratory mood around her. It seemed as if she had not even registered her victory at all. Her focus was elsewhere, her gaze locked on a certain individual. Nothing else mattered...


    A hidden history had begun to reveal itself to Reed, but he immediately turned away when his mind started to put the pieces together on its own.


    He forced his mind to look elsewhere in a desperate panic and redoubled his efforts back on the task at hand instead. It was a terrible thing, fighting the allure of a gift he desired so very much, but it went against his moral code.


    Thus, Reed directed his efforts towards guiding Lu''um on the course to Citlai. It was impossible to describe the path they had to follow, so Reed simply pointed towards a direction and Lu''um pushed the geode in that direction with her dwindling Anima reserves.


    The path made no logical sense, sometimes requiring then to reverse in direction and at certain times, completely stop in place, as if to wait for something.


    It was a nonsensical journey, but after an unknown period of time, they finally reached a strange canopy of distorted noise and color. Reed recoiled in pain the close they got to it and thought it to himself that it was a hideous, unsightly thing. He hated it.


    And then, out of the blue, his vision went dark.


    He had been knocked out at the last second for his own good. And her own. She could not have allowed him to enter Citlai in his current state. It''d been too dangerous to even allow him to remain in that inverted state for longer than what was required...


    But if she had to be honest, it was fear that had pushed her to act. A truly rare event for someone such as her.


    The moment Lu''um heard Reed utter a cry of pain and discerned his revulsion for what laid ahead of them, she forcibly put him to sleep and sealed his consciousness in a cognitive labyrinth.


    Mother in Heaven, forgive my transgression. Let the scales pardon me in the hour cometh.


    It was a simple prayer, directed a being no longer around to hear the concerns of others. Nevertheless, she felt obliged to do it.


    Because if she didn''t, she would never be able to look at her maker when the time came...

 184 The Rug Makes Some Convincing Points

    It''d been too extraordinary a memory to have not affected him, even in passing.


    When Reed awoke, he found himself in the embrace of unfamiliar scenery, but quickly recognized it. The unmistakable scent of a colored incense found only in Citlai immediately gave it away.


    "The essence of adyllia berries and crushed Rathi leaves," said Reed as he worked his mind back into operation. "I know this scent."


    A familiar voice chuckled and replied, "You have the nose of a dabu, Ka''an. It seems the concerns we had were unnecessary, after all." It was a voice with immense gravitas and warmth unlike any other Reed had ever heard and was unforgettable to him.


    Reed felt the voice carried within it the spirit of a mountain and the tenderness of a bright, sunny day. There was a charm in that voice that could soothe even the fiercest of wild beasts and strike a sense of authority into lesser beings.


    It was the intonation and aura of something akin to a father and a ruler combined into one, thought Reed. And there was only one person Reed knew who fit that bill...


    Reed turned his head and opened his eyes. A pair of amber jewels stared at the figure seated beside his bed in curiosity before they turned their attention elsewhere.


    "It has been a while, hasn''t it, Grandfather Ulbo," said Reed as he inspected his surroundings. He knew this room. It was Lu''um''s bedchamber, embellished with a litany of esoteric novelties, ornate furniture (for Reed''s tastes), and an oversized bed fit to hold an entire family to spare.


    "Over-the-top" was the phrase that came to mind when Reed thought of her chamber. More than half of the room was adorned in junk that he couldn''t identify, but assumed was likely part of some academic curiosity of hers.


    "I don''t think a museum is the best place for an injured patient to recover in, Grandfather," said Reed as he inspected his body from the inside out. Just in case. No one knew his body better than he himself. If there was something wrong... or altered, he would instantly know.


    Ulbo stifled a small laugh and said, "You''ve gotten braver, too, I see. But you mustn''t utter such a thing in her presence; it''ll hurt her tender feelings. She is a delicate flower that must be cared for with the utmost consideration and affection."


    A delicate flower, though Reed. That was an expression only a few people would ever have the insight, let alone the courage to speak out loud. Not that he disagreed with his evaluation of Lu''um, though.


    "How long?" said Reed, lifting himself out of bed. There was still work left to do and unfinished business back home.


    "Because I have responsibilities, Grandfather. No longer am I the clueless child you once met, this I suspect you already know. Even if no time has passed since our departure, every day wasted is a single stain upon my honor."


    Ulbo sighed. For him, it''d been no more than the blink of an eye since the boy arrived in Citlai for the first time. ...And now he had returned, a completely different individual. How swiftly the young grew in the absence of their parents, he thought to himself.


    "Do not think so little of your life, my childe. And do not be in such a rush to become something you are not yet ready for. There is still time for you to enjoy yourself, despite what the circumstances may be like on the homefront," said Ulbo, gently admonishing Reed.


    Four days and night had passed since they had arrived in Citlai, the Crown of the Stars. In that short time, a great deal of change had washed over the floating city. Colorful banners flew high, on them bearing a distinct symbol belonging to a family name of myth and splendor.


    That family glyph was a sign of both joy and celebration, raised only in special circumstances ¡ª such as the return of a member that belonged to that family...


    Festivities were in order, so to speak, and as a result, the Citlai bustled with fervent activity no matter where one observed. Adults and children alike moved with purpose as they prepared for the public return of their sacred benefactor...


    A chore that Reed was not looking forward to in the slightest. His aversion to public relations had not diminished, especially when it came to important matters. But he knew that he would not be able to hide behind Lu''um forever like some shy, asocial child.


    He had responsibilities here as well and had put them off for the longest. That much he understood. To the people here, the expectation they had for him, and also...


    "So this is where you were, Holy One! You really should be back in bed," chirped a young bell from afar. Itotia had come to find Reed after he had left his room unannounced, much to her consternation.


    As she approached, a ripple of uneasiness coursed through her veins ¡ª her blood sensed that a profound change had taken hold of the young man in front of him. Her eyes could not be fooled, for they saw things for what they were.


    What she saw was a figure that had been besmirched in shadow. A part of him had died on the way to Citlai and something new had arisen in its place. Where once stood a young boy, now loomed a stranger of a young man to her.


    "Come now, Holy One, let us return back. I''ve no doubt that Her Holiness will scold you if you don''t get some more rest," said Itotia as she inched herself closer to him in a playful manner befitting her age.


    His Anima fluctuations were most unsettling. She, as the High Priestess, could feel a seed beginning to grow within him. A new possibility, one that she had not thought possible.


    But nothing was impossible when it came to her kin. They''d already proven themselves capable of defying her expectations. The Father, the Mother, and the Son... all of them were the same to her.


    Fools.


    Reed did not even bother turning toward her and said, "...It''s strange. I feel better than ever and yet... you fear me, don''t you? I don''t blame you, though."


    Itotia''s heart jumped when she heard his accusation and she said, "You''re imagining things, Holy One. Fearing you? The last time I feared anything was when this island was still part of Mulia."


    A bold claim considering her snooping, thought Reed. She''s just like Lu''um in how she tries to act tougher than she really is. Is this a cultural trait amongst the women of the Ancient Mulians? It''d make sense, considering the matriarchal overtones their culture possesses.


    It wasn''t a cultural trait. It was simply a child''s folly ¡ª how children often imitated the people they admired the most. And for Itotia, the person she idolized was obvious even to the blindest idiot.


    Recognizing that he''d never be able to get Itotia off his back, Reed relented after a period of resisting and returned back to his archaic prison of a bedroom to rest...


    But found that someone else had already taken residence in the room. The one person whom he desired to speak with most at the moment. She who had forced him into the unconscious.


    For his safety? For her safety? Was it out of fear or love? Why did she forcibly remove a gift he had earned on his own? Reed was positive that if he had been given the opportunity, he could''ve successfully compartmentalized his consciousness into two halves.


    He could''ve kept his Outer Sight along with his natural perception of reality. It would''ve been a boon on of immense magnitude to them. With it, they could have possibly explored the Outside and perhaps, have gleamed crucial insight into the workings of the Outsiders and the Infestation.


    Where there was a possibility to understand them, there also existed a minuscule chance of reaching a¡ª


    The thought was abruptly cut short.


    "To think that you eluded everyone we had posted here. You look unwell, beloved. Is something the matter?" asked Lu''um, her voice as pure and sweet as ambrosia. She slowly began to inch the gap between them step-by-step, almost as if to gauge how he''d react.


    "No trickery today, my sunflower," said Reed in a calm, calculated tone. "You denied me a blessing that was rightfully mine. What do you have to say for yourself? ...Why have you betrayed me?"


    Lu''um''s eyebrows furrowed in slight disapproval and said, "A blessing? Are you listening to yourself? There is nothing to gain except pain from keeping such an illness in your mind."


    A lie. That much he was sure of. Lu''um had a tell when she lied ¡ª she always played the sweetheart. It was her way to deal with his flare-ups, to coddle and gently deflect all suspicions with perfect excuses and twisted explanations based on half-truths.


    "Here is a master orator and schemer of falsehoods. She, who is the Daughter of the Moon, trained to turn the nastiest lie into the purest truth. The concept of lies and truths are the same to her ¡ª tools to be used for what is required of her. All is malleable before her beautiful fingertips. Listen not to her voice, nor her eyes. Be freed, Son of¡ª" whispered the exquisite rug beneath their feet.


    Reed chortled. The exquisite rug giggled. Lu''um laughed.


    His voice started off a but silent murmur...


    "Thus my beloved sunflower spoke! She, who is a goddess, the devil,no-one in particular, and my... one true love," said Reed with perfect clarity. "I surrender at the sight and sound of your intoxicating and addicting presence, for I am but a little man..."


    But eventually rose into a triumphant crescendo of violent love and passion...


    And then...


    Reed awoke.


    "Hm? Did you say something, dear? I sort of spaced out there for a second," said Reed, rubbing his nose in response to an annoying itch that''d formed. "What were we talking about again?"


    "What you are going to wear for tonight''s ceremony. I know you don''t like wearing formal outfits, but¡ª"


    "It''s a traditional outfit, right? As long as it''s not too embarrassing, I''ll wear it. Probably. I promise," said Reed, in an attempt to assuage her worries. Unsurprisingly, she was rather strict about stuff when it came to Citlai and her people.


    Reed wasn''t one to deny her something she wanted, even if it came at the price of some embarrassment on his behalf. Spoiling her was something he had not much time for since the Eventide of Faith had begun.


    An aftershock of something he already forgot about hit Reed and he said, "Hey."


    "Yes, mine beloved?"


    "...When did I wake up? How long have we been in Citlai for?"


    Lu''um tilted her head in contemplation and said, "Don''t you remember? It''s already been four days since you''ve awoken. ...Is there something you''re not telling about? Are your memories fuzzy?"


    A concerned frown formed on her beautiful face as she tenderly took Reed into her embrace and held him close like a precious treasure.


    "I think we should call the royal lifeweavers back again to have one more look at you," said Lu''um, in a disarming tone. "I''d not let anyone touch aside myself, but only they might have the expertise to correctly diagnose whatever is affecting your memories."


    Reed hated the idea of anyone poking into his body, let alone his mind, but he understood that something was wrong with him. He couldn''t, for the life of him, remember what he''d done for the past four days at all.


    That was very concerning, especially for someone who was Chosen. He should have, by all accounts, recovered from whatever injury he had received during his voyage through the Outside.


    "...You''re right. I think there''s something wrong with me," said Reed as he let out a long, comfortable yawn. There was nothing more comfortable than falling asleep in the bosom of the woman he loved.


    And before Reed knew it, the mewling lullaby Lu''um had sung wormed its way into his brain. His heavy eyelids could no longer support themselves and eventually fell down.


    He had fallen asleep.


    All would be well, for it was the will of his beloved. She would be his keeper... until he properly returned to her.


    And until then, he would sleep.

 185 Let Thy Love Turn A Cruel Man Into A Sain

    Nothing had changed in the last four months since they had arrived. They were at an impasse.


    The royal lifeweavers had tried everything at their disposal, but nothing had worked. Some of them blamed the limitations they were beholden to, while others blamed only themselves for not anticipating the possibility and preparing for it.


    An unstable spheroid of darkness hovered in a dark place beneath the island of Citlai.


    It was a flesh without form. If anything, it''d be safer to say that flux was its form. A hundred sleeping eyes not yet opened. Dreaming of nothing. It was the herald of a terrifying future.


    It was Reed.


    Over the course of the last four months, the number of seals the royal lifeweavers had placed upon him had increased tenfold. What''d once been a sterile room had turned into a fully-fledged conceptual prison ¡ª a construct similar to the one that''d been used to contain the Infested Pupa in Xibalba.


    A mile beneath Citlai''s Heart, a dreaming cocoon slept in limbo for his own safety and... everyone else''s peace of mind.


    "He''s not responded to any of our probes since the thirty-sixth attempt, my lady. Psycho-wave analysis has determined he is still in a state of deep sleep. No major developments have been detected thus far," reported the chief of staff, Dafte Pati.


    The eminent Mother of the Moon made no sign of her displeasure or concern, but as someone who had known her for far too many lifetimes, Dafte understood her subtle mannerisms. A mother''s anxiety was easy enough to recognize without his personal insight, though.


    "I promise on the honor of my name, Shaali. I will see this problem through to its end and give you your son back."


    "Of that, I have no doubt, cousin. There is no one better qualified than you for this task. I know you will not fail me," said Shaali quietly as she gazed at her would-be son-turned-monster. "Has she been here as of late?"


    "The girl? Yes, every day without fail since they arrived, though she has not been permitted to pass through the barrier as per your order. Her assistance has greatly accelerated our progress," said Dafte.


    Spacetime around Reed had grown unstable in the wake of his... metamorphosis. A cocoon of unfettered surreality guarded the infant gestating from any enemies that might try to take advantage of him. It was a corrosive type of defense that harmed all who dared trespass into its domain.


    Step inside and you would be unmade down to the simplest elements possible in a matter of seconds. For beings based on Structure, this was a hazardous environment, but for a creature that was not dependent on it...


    Purge the rot and then fill in the gaps with Inserted Cognition Therapy (I.C.T) ¡ª that was they wished to do.


    If D.I.I.P was an eraser to remove mistakes, then I.C.T was the pencil that allowed one to redraw something in that newly expunged space.


    Lu''um''s role was that of a painter, filling in the gaps of memory that had been removed.


    The royal lifeweavers deleted corrupted sectors in his mind and then Lu''um would recreate what had been destroyed from her own memory. There was no better, or rather, other candidate than her for this task.


    For wherever Reed was, she had been beside him. This was not a coincidence; it was protocol for this very possibility. A cruel thing, but one meant with the best intentions...


    As close as humanely possible, down to the smallest detail ¡ª every stray breeze, wrinkle on his shirt, the sound of their cafe''s grandfather clock. There could be no mistakes in this task, for even the slightest deviation could lead Reed to suspect that something had been done to him.


    Though it was not his place to say it, Dafte couldn''t help but feel pity for the girl and said, "...You shouldn''t be so hard on her, Shaali. What happened was not¡ª"


    All it took was a simple look from her to silence Dafte mid-sentence. He was no fool. The instant he saw the tepid expression on the woman''s face, he felt his blood freeze.


    Here was a woman who had the smile of a saintess... and the eyes of a demon. Her amber eyes shimmered with a cold flame of fury, not unlike the fires of Hell.


    Shaali would not easily forgive her daughter for this failure. Not by a long shot. She had disappointed her beyond description this time around. Made her look like a fool in front of the entire family.


    For when the child failed, it was not their fault. The blame fell on the parents...


    Far above, a meeting amongst sisters had commenced in the security of a certain room. One embellished with an inordinate amount of books, artifacts, and other shelved mysteries.


    On any other occasion, it would have been a simple gathering between family. Unfortunately, that would not the case this time, thought Lu''um. Today''s meeting was more akin to an interrogation session or war council than a social gathering.


    One of them, the High Priestess, and the other one, the Daughter of the Sea, she who would inherit her mother''s position as firstborn. But it was unquestionably obvious that they had not come to her wearing these costumes.


    Though the youngest of the three, Itotia was no fool. After she had been barred from Reed''s prison a month ago, she found herself in bitter conflict against her aunt.


    She thought it absolutely unacceptable that she, of all people, had been denied passage. The audacity of a mere surrogate telling her that she could not see her own blood was infuriating.


    "That woman has grown too comfortable in her appointed seat," said Itotia. "Not only has she barred me from entering, but she also will not even permit you to directly establish contact."


    Lu''um''s older sister, Yalya, chuckled and whispered, "You''ve not the spine to utter such thing before her, dear cousin. A mouse cannot challenge a hawk in an open field. We are unfit to challenge her."


    Itotia snorted in disdain and said, "You were raised into the mindset of mice, cousin. Our family does not produce mice. She is but an old hag from a bygone era. The day you realize this she will have lost her grip on you."


    That very fear is why you were not chosen, my dear cousin. A coward is unfit to stand beside my brother. But you already know that... don''t you? Poor Yalya, firstborn and yet not the one who inherited the role of Daughter of the Moon. Pitiful Yalya, forever jealous of her younger sister...


    This was not to say that Itotia completely approved of Lu''um. In an ideal world, she would have had no one other than herself beside her older brother. It wasn''t anything personal; she just thought herself superior both of them.


    Even so, the rites of succession were absolute. The dye had been cast. No one could defy what had been written in stone.


    The feeling of unease was beginning to grow. She could not change the script.


    Lu''um had heard enough and said, "We cannot afford any infighting, both of you know this. Let her do as she pleases ¡ª nothing good will come of challenging her. Mind you, she still controls a third of our fleets as commander of the Old Guard. Patience, sisters, will be our saving grace."


    She was not going to let her mother have her way forever. Her frustration with her mother had already reached a boiling point long, long ago. There would be no reconciliation between them.


    They were of different mindsets and were incompatible with one another. Lu''um was no mouse; she was an eagle ready to strike. And she had sharpened her talons for long enough...


    "I will not have a failure dictate to me how to handle affairs she was never chosen for," snarled Lu''um. "I am not, nor will I ever be, a proxy for her deluded fantasies. She''ll get what''s coming to her... in due time."


    A declaration dripping with poison.


    The words that came out of her mouth could not be changed. Railroaded on a set path. Her heart began to beat faster upon the realization of that cold fact.


    Each of them ambitious, cunning, and hopelessly cold-hearted in their own ways.


    The mouse,the eagle, and the owl would one day give the old hawk what she deserved. This pact between the three of them was their source of friendship. A miserable thing ¡ª to see familial ties strengthed through resentment of one''s own blood.


    "You still have not told us what the old crone told you. What wisdom does she have to offer on this problem of ours? Does she know a method to reserve the process?" whispered Itotia via mental thought.


    The question frightened Lu''um. It was about to happen and there was nothing she could do.


    What she had asked about was not something even she dared speak out loud. Mentioning the old crone even in passing was a taboo in Citlai, even for someone such as herself. Her name had been expunged from everything that possessed a record, be it man or machine not part of the royal family.


    She felt that the gears had turned as predicted.


    The heretical crone still eked out a living in the Shadowlands by herself. She was someone who had dipped her hands in the black for the sake of the greater good, fully aware that it''d cost her everything.


    The foreknowledge passed onto her only reinforced the all too oppressive sensation of a force greater than all of them.


    She was the only other person whom the Ancient Mulians had successfully obtained Outer Sight, if only for a brief period of time. Her insight into Reed''s affliction was crucial to his recovery, thus Lu''um had set out into the Shadowlands for her guidance.


    But...


    There is nothing you can do, little girl. It is already too late. Too late. When the words leave your mouth, he will awaken and bring with him a deviation in His plan.


    Such is the price He will pay for meddling with a thing outside his domain of control.


    Though blind and deaf to everything around her, the old crone had gained insight into workings not accessible to beings from a limited perspective.


    "What will he become? Will he still be himself? Please! How do we save him?!"


    The crone laughed at the terror in Lu''um''s voice and said...


    I don''t know.


    "I don''t know."


    And then, as foretold by a deafblind specter of a forgotten person in the middle of a dead planet.


    He awoke.

 186 A Holy Day

    It began with silence.


    Silence permeated Citlai in all directions and a heavy stillness beset the people who lived in it. A shroud of gloom covered the sky and dyed it the color of bittersweet melancholy. It was as if the world itself had taken a momentary pause in abject fear.


    What could have elicited such a dramatic response? To have drawn the fright of an entire world? And for what reason?


    The world would never be permitted to know the answer but for a select few, the truth would become known to them on this fateful day.


    Buried underneath Citlai''s Heart, a contingent of the finest Ancient Mulian warriors to have ever lived waited in silence as they mentally prepared themselves for death. Each one of these warriors was a living legend who had participated in the war against the Infestation for millennia across an untold number of universes.


    They were all demigods and demigoddesses of war, educated in the path of blood and ruin.


    And yet today, they had begun making amends with death. Not of their foe''s death...


    But of their own.


    Leading them into battle were several familiar figures. Koyovo, The Pure Moon, Morate, The Hidden Star, and Shaali, Mother of the Sea, stood front and center behind the highest authority in Citlai ¡ª Ulbo, Father of Stars.


    The Royal Armada, the Silent Fleet, and the Old Guard''s finest warriors had been summoned by their respective commanders for what lay ahead.


    A sealed complex of conceptual restraints, infinite regression loops, and spatiotemporal buffers had begun to erode at their seams. It would not hold for much longer.


    Beside the elders of Citlai stood their children. They, too, had been summoned to fight. Yalya, Itotia, Lu''um, and every single warrior in the royal family worth a damn had been called into service.


    Citlai''s finest, totaling a mere fifty or so souls had assembled under Ulbo''s orders. Together, they embodied a force that had enough firepower to tear apart an entire planet to pieces.


    A horrific, sloppy churning sound ¡ª much akin to raw meat in motion ¡ª resounded across the grand prison chamber. It was a truly repugnant thing, only rivaled by the unsettling noise of something dull breaking under stress.


    Ignorant passerby would not have been able to identify what something was, but everyone in the chamber was well acquainted with that sound.


    The grotesque spheroid had grown considerably in what had seemed only a matter of seconds. Towering above the battalion, it had become a repulsive mass of writhing flesh.


    To put it precisely, it was a mockeryof life. There was no other way to describe it.


    But it was not fear that haunted them. What struck them hardest was... the overwhelming guilt.


    This was a creation of their own design. Their fault. Not an ounce of the blame fell on him.


    Peals of laughter filled the silent chamber from a mixture of voices, both old and young, male and female, until a specific voice reigned in their glee.


    "...Ahhhhhh, can you hear me?" asked a familiar voice in a relaxed manner. It was addressed to no one in particular, a simple question meant to clear the air.


    And yet, no one responded.


    "...Hello? Oh, is my form putting you off? Pardon me, it slipped my mind that you are all unfit to conceptualize me as I am now," said the cheerful voice, not realizing it had only made everyone feel even more unsettled.


    The formless abomination shuddered and then began to fold, compress, and rearrange itself until it became a pulsating spheroid wrapped in a thin veil of semi-transparent membrane that resembled skin.


    Within it, a speck of something floated in suspended animation and quickly took a life of its own. In a matter of a few seconds, it expanded and took on a more refined form...


    A much more familiar form.


    The silhouette had grown into a recognizable shape that could not be mistaken by anyone within the prison chamber.


    And then, as if to emulate what it had mocked so thoroughly, the silhouette thrust one of its arms out of the grotesque womb it had grown inside of and clawed itself out in a barbaric manner.


    "Ugh, it''s been a while since I''ve been in this form. It feels so goddamned restrictive, but... I guess there is some beauty in its composition. The limitations this body has does make one relish what little it can perceive with its primitive senses."


    Thus said the newly born being coated in violet blood, discarded flesh, and opaque, slimy fluid.


    Reed had returned.


    He extended his arms outwards and said, "So... who''s going to give me my welcome back hug? Will it be you, my beloved? Or perhaps, will it be dearest grandfather instead? Ah, mayhaps it will be my mother after all."


    A fragile joke. One loaded with sarcasm to the brim, evident in the speaker''s twisted voice. You could practically feel the malice embedded in Reed''s cheerful words akin to needles piercing one''s very mind.


    Reed frowned and said, "No hug? That''s pretty cold of you guys. And here I thought I was family. How cruel of you people to shun me for changing my image a little bit." He conjured a repulsive force from his body and removed all of the filth that had been clinging to him in an instant.


    That was when they noticed an extremely glaring change in Reed''s body, one that immediately prompted a response from Lu''um herself.


    "Where is it, Ka''an?! What did you do?! Please tell me you didn''t¡ª"


    Reed let out an audible sigh. "So that''s the first thing you ask about. No concern about me, huh..."


    Lu''um quickly realized she had made a mistake and hurriedly said, "That''s not true and you know that, beloved!"


    Reed chuckled and replied, "...Is that so? I''m touched you feel that way about me, my Ichmaitl."


    Lu''um felt her blood freeze. There was no way he should have known any Mu, and yet he had...


    He caressed his chest and said, "As you can see, the mark is indeed gone. But rest assured, I have not tampered with your precious little toy. Even I am not so rash as to jeopardize all of your efforts out of spite."


    It had truly disappeared. The Mark of Responsibility had seemingly vanished from where it belonged.


    "Where is it and what have you done to it, childe," said Ulbo as he mentally ordered everyone to ready themselves. In his mind, now was an opportune time to restrain Reed and subdue him while he was in a more manageable form.


    They would simply ask questions later... once they could ensure that Reed would not be able to do anything rash. The current situation was far too unpredictable and dangerous for everyone involved, including Reed.


    "Oh, you needn''t worry, gramps," said Reed as he snapped a finger. "All I''ve done is..."


    The carcass Reed had emerged from stirred once more and from it came another surprise. Yet another grotesque womb had forced itself out of the enormous pile of cursed flesh.


    Reed gently forced one of his hands through the womb and said, "Moved it to another, more suitable individual than someone such as myself."


    And once he latched onto the body inside, he forcibly pulled it out with a smug smile on his face.


    The figure he had pulled out coughed viciously, as if in pain, but Reed paid no attention to the fellow''s distress and whispered, "...I told you that I''d get rid of you one day, O'' brother of mine."


    He bore a remarkable resemblance to Reed, but there were minor differences. His hair was the silver luster of the moon and His eyes bore the golden warmth of the sun. His face had an elegance to it that distinguished it from the likes of lesser men.


    "You... cannot... do this... Please..." uttered a feeble voice in desperation.


    Reed had decided to punish Him, for all that He had done to him. For all that He had made him endure.


    For His sins, Reed had created for Him the ultimate punishment he thought possible.


    He had given Him life... as a human ¡ª no, as a mortal.


    And to top it off, Reed had also returned to Him the burden He had thrust on him, the Mark of Responsibility.


    As a mortal, he would never be able to utilize it no matter how hard he desired it. In his hands, it would be a useless thing, which Reed found highly amusing.


    "A worthless person and a useless thing go hand in hand together, don''t you think, brother?"


    He feebly groaned, unable to even formulate a response. He was highly unaccustomed to the half-finished body he had been forced into.


    Reed bitterly smiled and said, "As you can see, your precious Mark of Responsibility is right here. So here''s what I''m going to offer to you: I''ll give you this idiot and you''ll give me a free passage. You get to keep what you covet so much... and the monster you fear will be allowed to leave."


    They''ll never accept me. Not anymore. If only they could see what I have witnessed. To them, I will always be a strange, incomprehensible monster... something incompatible with their way of living.


    Reed did not hate them, despite the fact that he could feel the Anima around them turn frigid and distant like a winter wind. He pitied them, above all else.


    The world had all but stopped for Ulbo, Shaali, and the rest as they observed the man in Reed''s arms with stupified expressions. All semblance of composure had left Shaali in particular, as she struggled to process the sight in front of her eyes.


    Lu''um felt as if she had been thrown in the worst hell imaginable. A nightmare world populated by all of her worst horrors. The sight of Him was enough to make her stomach churn.


    "What say you? Will you not grant this abomination the freedom it desires? You only stand to gain from this transaction. You gain a grandson and get rid of an aberration at no expense," said Reed as he observed Ulbo patiently.


    It was a complicated decision to make. Could he be trusted? What would the consequences of letting him go entail for them? How much of him was still the boy they knew and how much was something else now?


    The sorrow in the boy''s voice was clearly apparent, even if he had cloaked it under a layer of joviality and humorous self-deprecation.


    To feel sorrow was an indication that he was obviously not entirely different from them. Emotions were not something that Infested possessed, much less feelings of sadness for living things.


    That alone was enough for Ulbo to come to the conclusion that Reed wasn''t irredeemably gone yet, though it did not clear all of his suspicions.


    Either way, they couldn''t afford to lose them. Neither Reed nor Him.


    Both were necessary and of equal value to Ulbo. They were both... grandchildren he had failed to protect from Fate''s cruel clutches.


    Reed couldn''t take them as he was now, even in his unbound form. Especially not the likes of the front row, which was composed of monstrous juggernauts. Only death awaited him if he attempted to escape, hence his plan to negotiate for his release with His life.


    It''d be the height of stupidity to make any rash decisions in the presence of an overwhelming opponent. Where force failed to work, diplomacy would have to suffice ¡ª a troubling problem for Reed as he was not the most skilled conversation partner to have ever lived.


    I should have paid more attention to Velvund''s nagging lectures about public speaking...


    "Don''t speak about yourself like that, childe. You are no¡ª"


    "Monster? That I am not. But you will always see me that way. That is why I referred to myself as one. Were I to have called myself a human, or even worse, one of you, it would have been a lie."


    The grudge the Ancient Mulians had will probably never disappear, thought Reed. It''ll gnaw at them from the inside until the end of time. The fault lies squarely on them... for everything.


    "What do you intend on doing if we release you?" asked Ulbo.


    "I''m going to take care of my responsibilities, of course. I created a mess back home, so I intend on cleaning it up," said Reed and started walking forward slowly, passing through the remains of his prison with ease. He had unmade enough of it to pass through a gap he had created.


    Reed''s silent footsteps betrayed his stature, now that he was as tall as Ulbo himself, far larger than his previous self. Had Velvund been presented, he would have had to look up to Reed. His figure did not possess a shadow either, for some peculiar reason...


    "Unlike you lot, I will not abandon the innocent bastards you left behind on Mulia, run away from my mistakes, or... push my sins off onto another poor soul," said Reed.


    Pyschological manipulation. To be specific, guilt tripping. A method used by the petty to ensare the honorable. This was one of the few lessons from Velvund that Reed had committed to memory.


    Which is why it worked so well with them.


    When Reed made it to Shaali, he offered Him to her and said, "I leave him with you, Mother of the Sea. Rejoice ¡ª your beloved son has finally returned to you. This is a holy day. A day of celebration and reconciliation."


    The moment she warily took Him into her arms, the bargain was concluded.


    Reed felt a painful relief coursed through his veins, but it swiftly passed and he felt an enormous weight fall off his shoulders.


    He moved past the battalion as he whistled a cheerful tune before stopping himself.


    "Ah, I forgot to tell you. I''m gonna be taking what''s mine, so don''t be shocked when you find it missing. Going to need it for some very overdue soul-searching, ya'' see..."


    And then Reed faded into a faint, opaque shadow until he disappeared entirely.


    He was gone and no one would be able to stop him now.


    He was free at last...

 187 The Morning Star Need Not Fear The Dark

    Because I cannot see in the dark! I fear it!


    Why do you fear what you cannot see, childe?


    Because something painful might be within it! I might get hurt by it!


    Ah, the truth has been revealed. Listen to yourself, you do not fear the dark! You needn''t fear it any longer.


    What...do you mean?


    It is pain that you fear, my childe, not the dark. You fear that pain might hide under a cloak of darkness to strike at you... but that will never happen.


    How do you know that?


    I know that because I exist, my childe. And as long as I exist, the dark will always be your ally.


    ...For I am the Sun, and your mother the Moon.


    Our light will be with you no matter where you are.


    ¡ª Excerpt from "Lu''um Nihtil Ka''an Pavesu" (The Sun and the Moon''s Promise)


    "...Do you think it''s acceptable to lie for the sake of protecting a child''s innocence? Many cultures agree that the purity children possess is priceless. It is an irreplaceable treasure. And yet, they are destined to lose it at some point in their lives."


    He had changed in what seemed only an hour''s time to him. In the duration that he had gone missing, something truly profound must have happened to him. In fact, everyone had been completely fooled by his incredible transformation, to the point that they had thought him a mysterious stranger when he showed up...


    "And yet parents will continue to shield their children. Even in the face of total despair, they will not break the illusory veil they have constructed for their children."


    Everything about him had changed. He had become a giant amongst giants, his dramatic figure now a raven tower of mystery and solemnity. His smoky amber eyes had not moved away from a strange cylindrical container.


    The container bore only a single symbol on its exterior ¡ª a stylized pictogram of a sun severed in half.


    "It is such a beautiful custom, don''t you think? They will hush their babes into a peaceful sleep as the Reaper comes to collect what he is owed."


    He appeared a dead man, his skin the shade of a fresh corpse. Colder than the bottom of hell and more distant than the end of the universe.


    Velvund had not spoken a word since Reed had returned, opting to only listen instead. Rather than interrupt and pester him with questions, he understood it would do Reed better if he lent him his ear.


    Sometimes the only thing a person needs is someone to hear their thoughts. To vent and unload their problems out of themselves. In other words, a cathartic period of respite.


    Reed let out an exhausted sigh and said, "I''ve finally learned who I am. I know now that I am not the Sun, but rather its pitiful shadow. What I am is nothing more than the negative space of my environment."


    Velvund scratched his chin and said, "...And?"


    ...He does not fear me? Even after I made it clear what I am now? Even so, he has not given up on me?


    "Why? You know what I am. I am an ene¡ª" asked Reed.


    "Because it does not matter what you are or what the world perceives you to be," said Velvund, his tone severe and scathing.


    All he needed was reaffirmation. For someone to show him how to clear the fog that plagued him.


    We are our own creators, my son. Do not let anything mislead you about this simple truth. Your parents, your personal history, your friends and enemies ¡ª they''re just guideposts for you to orient yourself with. Nothing more."


    He was not scared of Reed. He was mad at him.


    It was a parent''s fury ¡ª something that Reed had never experienced before... until now.


    The word "dumbstruck" best described when he realized what had just happened.


    Reed did not respond... but he did not seem adverse to the advice Velvund had given him. At the very least, it had calmed him down somewhat, evident by the softening expression on Reed''s face.


    Velvund internally let out a breath of relief as he patted Reed''s head. Even if he had transformed, it did not change the fact that he was still the person inside to him.


    A troubled young boy in desperate need of a family.


    It was Velvund who had identified Reed when he had arrived, much to the shock of everyone who had been seen him.


    He had changed in almost every way possible, except for one little detail.


    His eyes. Though they had changed considerably in light of his disappearance, what laid past them had not. It only took a gaze into his eyes to see that uniquely pure soul had not changed in the slightest. If anything, it had only become even purer than before...


    Which begot the question ¡ª why had he become like this?


    "Thank you," said Reed as a wayward smile formed on his face. He snorted in self-derision and murmured, "I''ll always be in your debt at this rate, though."


    Velvund burst into tears when he heard that and said, "D-Debt?! Oh, for the love of...!" It was as if he''d heard the funniest joke in the world.


    "Huh? What''s so funny about that? I don''t get it. Did I say something wrong?" said Reed.


    Velvund shook his head and said, "A child doesn''t owe their family anything, my fool of a grandson. We''re family, not business partners."


    "A-Ah, you''re right... That was pretty stupid of me. Sorry about that. Bad habits die hard," blurted Reed embarrassedly.


    Reed stood up and put the odd container inside of his cloak for safekeeping, the only thing he had come back with when he first arrived.


    "What is that little thing you''ve brought back? Some kind of artefact you found in Itroch?" inquired Velvund, curious about the object Reed found so fascinating.


    "...Not exactly. It''s, well, something... extremely precious to me. I had it secured in a vault of sorts, but I have plans for it now that a special opportunity has arisen."


    Reed stroked the container and said, "But only time will tell if my idea will work."


    Now there was the boy he knew, thought Velvund. The moment he brought up the odd container, a bit of that cheerful kid he remembered had suddenly returned from the grave. He could practically hear the melody of mischief in the air.


    "Well, let''s leave that bit of fun aside for now", warned Velvund. "There''s still work to do. We can''t rest just yet. Speaking of which, where is my granddaughter? Why was she not with you when you arrived?"


    Therein laid the question Velvund felt most pressing.


    Where in the world was the other half of his equation?


    Reed hesitated and then said, "We fell out a bit... Sort of, I think. ...Or rather, I ran away after I became like this. I just didn''t want to know whether she was frightened of me or not. But it''s fine; I can handle the rest of the fissures myself."


    This isn''t the time for a lover''s spat, goddammit!! The fate of the world is up in the air and these two imbeciles have seemingly found the time for this nonsense?!!


    If Mulia falls because of this ridiculous farce, I-I''ll...


    Velvund wanted to die inside. He was about to reach his boiling point, something he had not experienced in literal millennia.


    He has seriously contemplated the idea that Lu''um might''ve been injured, or worse and yet...


    Lately, Velvund felt that he had been getting older. Every morning, he felt as if new wrinkles had begun to form on his face. His hair, too, seemed to be turning whiter with each passing day.


    The roguishly handsome Silver Fox of the East suddenly felt his actual age for the first time in eternity... for the worst possible reasons.


    Ah... I might die before the end of this. And here I thought I''d did fighting the Infestation... What a cruel joke this would be...


    "Don''t worry too much about it, since I''m already working on the job. Already started without her considering we''re running on an extremely tight schedule. If all goes well, I''ll finish before the new deadline. Hopefully."


    "What did you just say?"


    Already working on the job? New deadline? ...Hopefully? Excuse me, Goddess?


    Reed shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, we only have two days left so I couldn''t just afford to waste any more time, right? Needed to pick up the pace, so I decided to handle the last two fissures simultaneously."


    For what seemed like a painful eternity, Velvund stared at Reed as if he''d been told that his wife cheated on him, his children despised him and that he only had a single credit to his name.


    "What? I can handle it, even without Lu''um around. I don''t see the problem here. You worry too much, gramps. Honestly, it''s fine. I''ve already reached the site for the fissure in the Wes¡ª"


    Reed frowned and said, "...Do you know a Viceroy Ingorrel? There''s a bunch of mean-looking gentlemen staring me down right now at the entrance of a cavern. They''re shouting at me saying that only Viceroy Ingorrel has the permission to let me through."


    Velvund bolted up in a hurry and said, "Don''t do anything! Just wait and let me take care of this, okay?! I mean it, just keep quiet and don''t take another step!"


    He tore a spatial tear open and vanished into the Void with such urgency one would have thought he has been fleeing from a nightmare.


    "Oh, no," said Reed as he watched the spatial tear repair itself into nothingness. "I already messed up."


    Well, I''m sure gramps will smooth it all out. He''s the best negotiator in Mulia, after all. If anyone can do it, it''ll probably be him...


    Reed turned toward a particular direction, in the middle of a windowless room and said, "Can I have you relay a message to gramps when he returns? Tell him I''ve gone to see a friend of mine... Prince Haydn."


    He cordially smiled at a single millimeter notch on an old, antique desk. An unassuming detail in an ordinary piece of furniture for most, but not for Reed.


    A certain microscopic camera''s vision was suddenly filled up to brim with Reed''s amused expression until a large thumb blotted everything out into pure static...


    When the holographic projection of Reed vanished, a collective shudder passed through everyone who had been present in the Crown Prince''s personal guest quarters aboard the Spirit of Bountiful Charity.


    Astor, Ophelia, and Horatio felt as if they''d been discovered by a nightmare from the way Reed had found the camera. It happened so spontaneously, Astor nearly soiled himself out of pure terror.


    The way he had effortlessly found them and the unnaturally friendly expression on his face... It was like something out of a horror film, thought Horatio. Even he had been rendered somewhat unnerved by Reed.


    Ophelia shut her eyes as she pondered what they''d heard and said, "Bilocation? No, Multilocation? That''s... not possible. No one can be in multiple places simultaneously, not even us. The composition of the soul makes such a thing impossible to accomplish."


    Three bodies and a single soul? It''s absolutely impossible ¡ª the triune tidal force created would have torn his soul into pieces in a matter of seconds.


    By all means, Reed should have been rendered a mindless vegetable. Therefore, she considered what Reed had said nothing less than the ravings of an unstable friend.


    "Unfortunately, that logic only applies to us, my dear niece, " said Haydn as he stared at the static screen with a macabre smile on his face. "What you saw today will not leave this room, am I clear? It never happened. Should you violate this command, well, not even I will be able to save you from the miserable fate that will await the three of you. I will be locking this event down and I strongly advise you to do the same..."


    As the Honest Prince, what he had seen had the potential to ruin him. The dangerous secret he learned had such a capacity, for it carried... undesirable implications about the existence known as Reed.


    And that was a death sentence, for the Dreaming Council would not tolerate any unnecessary errors in their future plans. To them, even the Crown Prince of the North was nothing more than a pawn, no different than the mortal sheeple they ruled over.


    Haydn immediately began to seal yet another forbidden memory deep within his subconscious in a self-made mnemonic vault.  A safe of memories that contained an unknown number of horrible secrets that would never escape his lips, not even in death.


    Each terrible memory was sealed in a conceptual lockbox of unique construction that could only be opened with a special key ¡ª a highly specific phrase that had to be spoken in a particular language.


    The double-layered complexity of the memory key meant that it would close to impossible for anyone to say the precise set of words required to force the memory to resurface. It was Haydn''s patented method of bypassing the spiritual geass he had imposed on himself to remain honest under all possible circumstances.


    To this end, Haydn had labored in learning every single language he could manage to find, be it Human-based, Avunian, Eisalon, Nuedo, Cunian, Yulanti, Isavli, Faai, etc... the list went on. In many ways, he was more of a linguist than he was a Chosen or even a future ruler.


    Seeking answers that were not open to him, Haydn set forth for the crown and eventually earned the right to wear it... only to have become a prison of secrets.


    As Haydn mulled over the dreary fate that awaited him if someone guessed the phrase he had chosen for this particular secret, a pang of terrible inspiration struck him, as if to him ridicule him for his actions. He had figured out what language he wanted to use for this memory.


    An indescribable chill ran down his spine and the world spun around him until it turned into a pastel of black... and then an enormous steel vault manifested from out of the darkness.


    A small lockbox flew out of the vault and flew over to Haydn waiting for him to deposit his evil into it.


    The instant he touched the lockbox, a dull wave of pain assaulted him for a couple of seconds until the work was done. Within the lockbox laid an odd container with a severed sun emblazoned upon it ¡ª the only thing that remained was to lock it.


    And then, as if by a force not his own, he uttered a phrase in a dead language forgotten by the world.


    Eaxti y''teo tal''monal acalte syu ya''seh huilli...


    (In the absence of light of the Gods, seek the shadow of the Devil...)


    Thus yet another secret was sealed in the bottommost level of his mind, never to resurface again unless required. A grim prospect he was now beginning to find plausible in light of what happening as of late...


    Haydn opened his eyes and stared at the holographic screen displaying static.


    Even though he could no longer remember what he had sealed within himself, the residual horror still remained, which spoke enough about what had occurred...


    "We are leaving effectively immediately," said Haydn, following his survival instincts screaming at him. He wanted to go back home as soon as possible. They were done now that the Itroch fissure had presumably been repaired. Their job as done.


    He tore a spatial tear open and practically threw himself into it before muttered, "We can''t stay here... that ship is cursed, for it harbors..."


    The Devil.

 188 The Bug In The System

    How Reed had been killed.


    He''d grown tired of waiting, his patience had run thin in the wake of his busy schedule. There were still two fissures left on the table, along with a host of additional minor jobs he had to attend to.


    In light of that troubling agenda, Reed felt it a waste of time to wait for Velvund to assist him. Time was his enemy ¡ª every second wasted was a tremendous waste he could not afford.


    So Reed did what he thought was most optimal to allow him passage into a highly guarded cavern that a squad of concealed men, evidently experienced Chosen from their Anima fluctuations, had not wanted him to enter.


    These veiled Chosen, clad in sophisticated environmental suits, were the dominant race that ruled the West. They were known as the Nuedo to the rest of the continent or the "Diamond Men" to much older folk.


    The fourth race that had... purchased the land that would become the West during the Unification War.


    What price was unknown to the public and a subject of legend. Nevertheless, it was a hard truth ¡ª the Nuedo had bribed the other dominant races at the time of the Unification War with an offer none of them were unable to refuse...


    Of the various races that had come to inhabit Mulia, they had been the only race that had not participated in the gratuitous bloodshed of over territory. In fact, it was even rumored that the Nuedo had not lost a single life over the course of the senseless insanity that had taken the continent by storm.


    They paid their way out of a major world war.


    They took residence in the depths of the harsh mountain ranges of the West and not the untouched wildlands that made up more than half of their territory.


    They were a people of notorious secrecy such that even after five millennia, only a handful of confirmed truths were known about them.


    For these reasons any many more, the bizarre, withdrawn race that had taken the West for itself earned the moniker of the Diamond Men.


    As difficult to find as actual diamonds, as wealthy as if they were made of them, and lived where they could only be found ¡ª the bowels of the earth.


    But of course, none of this mattered to the dismembered corpse that laid strewn across the entrance of the cavern protected by the Chosen squad.


    The mysterious intruder was, without a doubt, completely dead. Even for a Chosen, there would be no recovery from such a thorough.... dissection. What remained of the intruder could have been mistaken for a misshapen heap of bifurcated puzzle pieces.


    Why do such a ridiculous thing? To throw oneself into the maw of death without caution?


    The Chosen sighed and chalked it up to madness or perhaps, grim desperation.


    "Why give it all up?" murmured the man.


    "This way of life is not for the weary of heart," replied another older Chosen further back, as he sent out a pulse of heated Anima to dispose of the remains. "Someone who''d willingly do this was already dead, I reckon."


    "Either way, the situation''s been resolved. It''s time to head back," said the leader of the squad. He sent an all-clear message to his superiors and then the squad retreated into the dim cavern without another word...


    Along with an unforeseen guest.


    ...Already dead, my left nut! Overdramatic bastard. All I did was lose a little mass in a slightly... irregular method.


    Comfortably nestled with the shadow of the fellow that had seemingly grown a conscience after "murdering" Reed, was a razor-thin sheet of transparent fluid without a hint of elegance.


    That indisputably pathetic existence was none other than Reed himself, much to his displeasure. He despised that he had been forced to assume such an archaic form, but couldn''t deny that it had worked like a charm.


    As he currently was, Reed had more with the primordial bacteria that inhabited Mu''s seas billions of years ago than anything else currently alive.


    A humiliating fact that he was not oblivious to as he squirmed his way underneath the shadows of the Chosen squad, ruminating on the fact had already ruined his brand-new suit and cloak in record time.


    Something tragic bubbled up in his heart when he realized that the feeling of shame and embarrassment related to being completely ass naked was beginning to fade. And for a very serious moment, Reed contemplated whether or not he had unfortunately opened a door he would not be able to close.


    T-There''s no way in hell I''m... an exhibitionist weirdo. I''m no degenerate! I''m a pure and respectable man, a beacon of old-fashioned modesty and dependability!


    ...Or so the ooze puddle tried to convince himself as he idly passed the time until he could escape from the shadow he had taken refuge under. Thankfully, a small opportunity appeared ¡ª a hall of shadows formed by the shuffling movement of many people came around after the Chosen squad passed through a heavily reinforced, pressurized bulkhead.


    And then, a mystery unfurled itself before Reed, to his mild surprise. The people residing within the cavern weren''t hideous freaks, as he had previously imagined.


    They were a little strange, but not the fantastical enigmas he had expected out of them.


    Pastel white, with a hint of blue mixed into that unnatural skin. Irises that had a touch of enchanting iridescence depending on the angle you observed them. They are delicate souls, thought Reed, for they seem to lack a great deal of vitality...


    Reed''s eyes could not be fooled ¡ª the moment he glimpsed upon a mortal of their race, he detected a fragility in their bodies that was anything but normal. Their hearts beat weaker and slower than a human''s or avunian''s did; So, too, were they feeble in many of the other aspects of their physiology.


    Even the force of gravity had been manipulated to accommodate their weakened bodies. By Reed''s rough account, he weighed 15% less than normal.


    It was not a recent thing, either. As far as Reed could saw, that weakness was inherent in them from birth. A ruthless curse of the flesh ¡ª that was the only thing he could perceive it as.


    Life naturally did not approve of such a twisted development, which meant that it was something that had been inflicted upon them in some way.


    Though it intrigued him, it wasn''t something he had the time to look into at the moment.


    Whatever beset the people of the West was at best an auxiliary concern for a later date, so Reed slithered away in between the shadows until he made it out of a labyrinthian complex of immaculate corridors and extremely dim greenish-blue synthetic lights.


    A normal human would have been completely lost below in the world of near-darkness and abnormal silence. Much to Reed''s annoyance, the people of the West were stoic and tight-lipped bordering the extreme.


    He had heard nary a word from anyone after he took off from the Chosen squad into the depths of the subterranean installation. The fellows were more machine than man, in some respects, but Reed chalked their attitude up to the fact that they were probably military personnel of some kind.


    They''re well-disciplined soldiers. More than I''d expect such a... delicate race to have trained, but I guess this makes some sense, too. The greater the shortcoming, the more effort one will require to make up for it...


    The big picture was not that difficult to assemble once he had gathered enough of puzzle pieces. In fact, he felt ashamed he hadn''t come to the realization sooner.


    Pitiful. So, so pitiful. That even a race as burdened as this ¡ª requiring environmental suits just to operate outside ¡ª was beset with the misery of having to fight against the Infestation.


    Reed had heard of the fabled "Diamond Men" from Velvund and the old tale about them, but everything that he had seen so far betrayed his initial expectations. But the name fit them well, all things considered.


    Resolute bunch, these people. Diamond-hard souls; Brittle-glass bodies.


    Onward Reed slithered until he finally broke out of the military complex and squeezed himself out into an enormous open area ¡ª a mountain range... that had been completely hidden away from inquiring eyes.


    A holo-optical shield had been built around it, masking it with an artificial lightshow resembling a massive assortment of craggy mountains and sparse wildlife.


    How very thorough. Hiding it away, but why go through all the effort? The fissures aren''t outwardly attractive enough to warrant attention. Any normal person would have seen it and thought nothing more of it than a deep chasm.


    No, wait. Why? It''s not like their people would ever see it since they live inside of the mountains. Other Empires? Doesn''t make sense.


    The Dreaming Council rules them all ¡ª there are no secrets in Mulia for them. The royal families of the Four Empires are just proxies-in-name, figureheads for them. So, too, are the forces under their control, every Chosen alive.


    It wasn''t adding up.


    Why hide this fissure? For their own safety, or someone else''s sake? Or perhaps, for a reason that I haven''t considered yet?


    ...It''s so difficult to ponder all these things when you have the perspective of an amoeba.


    Out of sight, Reed squirmed himself into a narrow wedge and began the unsightly process of reconstructing his body. For an outside viewer, it would have been a disturbing sight watch him shape flesh, bone, and blood, but for Reed, it was something... intimate.


    It was a morosely humorous thing ¡ª a normal person would have been embarrassed about being seen naked, but Reed felt it embarrassing to be seen in a state of bodily flux.


    To him, the feeling of being caught in a state of flux would have been akin to being caught in the middle of taking a shit by the whole of Mulia. The idea of someone seeing him right now filled his tender heart with dread.


    Ah, to be nude... yet again. But I refuse this turn of events! I will not be known as the Streaking Prince. Fuck that. I''ll not be remembered as a habitual pervert, not if I have a say.


    Without the Mark of Responsibility, Reed had all but lost most of his affinity with Anima such that it no longer loved him. It no longer responded to his summons and in fact, even seemed repelled by his presence ¡ª a natural development considering the nature of his newly transformed existence.


    But where Reed had lost his personal curse, he had attained something equally usable in return.


    It had no name, not that Reed knew of, which made sense since he had probably been the only being to have ever successfully obtained it... without going completely insane.


    He had given it a name in secret, the brand new ability he had manifested.


    A boring name, really. Just a brainstormed term, not something he planned to use forever. Reed wanted to give it a cooler name, but gave up after a couple of minutes of trying to come up with a replacement.


    Reed took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and then...


    A lonesome figure melted into the surrounding world until he completely vanished from sight. In this ethereal state, he was gone from the world in the truest sense of the world. No one would be able to find him, not even Chosen with Anima at their behest.


    He called it... Logic-hacking. As in, hacking the world''s logic to suit his interests. A gross violation of natural order and absolute heresy to all who lived under laws governed by Structure.


    And he was starting to become slightly addicted to it. Not that he knew that was happening.

 189 The Advent Of Change

    I had witnessed an inexplicable event that defied all common sense... and it reinforced my faith that he would lead us all to salvation. .


    ...Of this, I had no doubt. A new season had arrived, and with its arrival had come change.


    ¡ª The Eventide of Faith, by Haydn Kingscrown


    A timid whimper reverberated out across the deserted mountain range as the world froze in abject fear. Alone, a lonesome figure stood in a delirious state, locked in between a hell of foreknowledge and a paradise of ignorance.


    He was someone who had plunged into a bottomless pit of absurdity. In the middle of a fatal crisis, he had realized his own shortsightedness and leapt into the only thing that he thought could have saved him.


    Since then, he had become aware of a concealed seam in reality inaccessible to lesser beings. As someone with blessed with the Outer Sight, Reed had begun to become privy to everything that lurked underneath the world.


    He could see them.


    The rules that governed reality ¡ª the serenade of Space, the ebb and flow of Time, the causal chain of Fate, and even the monotonous pitter-patter of Structure. Everything that was meant to be kept hidden from mortal eyes for their own safety.


    A life is born, and then it died. It was born again, only to perish once more. Again and again, without end...


    A dust mite chewing on a dead skin cell defecated a particularly large amount of feces. It seemed rather content with itself as it lazed about on Reed''s arm.


    It was impossibly difficult concentrating while the Outer Sight was active. A single fleeting glance was enough to send Reed into places he had no intention of exploring. He had no interest in observing the life story of the dust mite on his forearm, but he had very little control over his newly expanded senses.


    Three hundred years ago, a pair of lovers went hiking sixty-three kilometers away from where Reed stood. A romantic getaway for a recently married couple in a remote cottage in Safeel Forest.


    It was a trap for the husband. The wife was a Chosen hitman working for a noble family in the South with criminal ties to the Underworld. Unfortunately, they had both been in love, which meant trouble. The couple had survived at great cost, but it mattered little to him.


    All he had done was turn his head ¡ª that alone was enough to send him down this strand of information. Bombarded with an ocean''s worth of knowledge per second, Reed struggled to concentrate as he shifted his eyes away from the scene unfolding in front of him.


    In the Eastern Sea, a lonely cephalopod by the name of Summer-Begets-The-Sweetest-Tides wondered why he could not find a mate that would accept his advances.


    This was what Reed felt whenever he used Outer Sight in reality, much to his distress. To him, it was both torturous in the extreme and endlessly enchanting.


    All-consuming. Intoxicating. Terrifying. Addictive. Disorientating.


    Nothing could compare with the extreme rush brought by the skimming into the innermost depths of reality. Using the Outer Sight was enough to irrevocably shatter an untrained mortal mind, much less one that was not reformatted to withstand it.


    The inconceivably massive bandwidth boost produced by the Outer Sight was the primary reason for the uniquely bestial form of insanity that all lesser Infested possessed. Every single soul to have been collected by the Infestation possessed this gift.


    Unlike Reed, they had been forcibly exposed to this influx of information without proper care. They had been attuned to something incompatible with their very existence...


    "Hasek yefot ingosim!" he cried out in a foreign tongue with great fervor.


    For many, the meaning of these words would have eluded them, but the powers they had would have not.


    The precious few would have recognized the accursed language and fled in terror had the heard Reed. They would have known that he had indulged in the fabled Elder Speech.


    Logos was the formal term for the Elder Speech, but most knew it as an indecipherable cacophony reminiscent to that of nails on a chalkboard. Each word in this divine language represented an immaculate, immutable truth of the universe.


    Such was the assumption of the first Ancient Mulians when they first heard it spoken. And they had been correct. The Elder Speech was the work of beings with a greater understanding of the universe than even them.


    Put simply, each word was a facet of existence condensed into a multi-layered linguistic format capable of expressing a tremendous amount of information. It was the purest form of communication ever devised, one that only permitted truths to be spoken.


    But unlike all who attempted to speak in this pure tongue, Reed was not limited by his mind anymore. Where they spoke it in broken, mangled phrases ¡ª which in return, produced the possibility of a fatal backlash ¡ª he was fluent in it, by nature of his Outer Sight.


    That was one of the most significant realizations Reed had come across since his rebirth.


    The Outer Sight and the Elder Speech were a connected set.


    The first tool allowed one to utilize the second one without any issues. To use the Elder Speech without the Outer Sight was equivalent to giving a blind man control of a ship in the middle of a typhoon.


    That was why they had so strongly expressed their feelings the first time I accidently spoke. Why they had forbidden me from using it. Not even they had the qualifications to properly use it... and certainly not myself at the time.


    The long and winding chain of history coiled around him as his sight stretched back to the very moment he uttered his first words of the Elder Speech. A blurred vision of the past presented itself to him as he observed the causal ripple of his first time speaking pure words aloud, but he did not seem too focused on it.


    No, his gaze was directed elsewhere. Neither at himself, Lu''um, or even the frozen world around them. He could see nothing aside from what he had no method of recovering.


    The only thing he could do was observe with a stomach full of regret. And for someone who could, in a literal sense, force heaven and earth to bend for him, there was more infuriating and soul-crushing than to be denied his greatest desire.


    In a cruel way, it was a sobering experience ¡ª it kept him grounded; kept him from growing too comfortable with his newfound abilities. He knew better than to let himself get carried away, to say the least...


    Reed turned his eyes away from the sight and let the vision fade. If he had spent any more time in that lost time, he feared that he would not have been able to leave it. There was still unfinished work left to be done and not enough time for repentance.


    "Syilav'' iijot biryn¡ª" Reed whispered before his voice turned an abnormal drone, almost as if he had shoved a swarm of insects into his throat. His voice had changed into something unquestionably alien, a pitch resembling holo-vision static and a dying creature''s bellows.


    Unlike his inexperienced contemporaries, he could properly utilize Elder Speech in the way it was intended to be used.


    Speaking the words was only the beginning. Even visionless fools could recite a couple of words if they were taught how to pronounce them. But this would only elicit an elementary effect.


    A cause (a pure word) would produce an imposed effect upon the world. This was as simple as could be, but Reed could do far more than spit out a couple of words ¡ª he was capable of splicing them.


    He had taught himself how to cut, or hack apart words and recombine them with other words to create... interesting, never before seen effects.


    Hence the term, Logic-hacking, was coined. It was a playful double entendre he had thought up, though Reed doubted anyone would find it cool except himself.


    The world around Reed warped in a flurry of color and sound as it spun endlessly. He had Logic-hacked the words, "space" and "time" in an imaginative way.


    He had rearranged the properties inherent to the words and then fused them back together in a reversed order.


    Where space once possessed a physical property, it no longer did. That had been cut off and stitched into time itself.


    Where time once possessed an intangible property, it no longer did. That had been cut off and stitched into space itself.


    Reed had spoken a new word that had never been uttered, and with its arrival came change.


    Timespace ¡ª In a literal sense, the physical domain of time.


    He had forced the world to do a thing that could not exist normally. Reed had altered the universal constants that the world operated on to produce reality as it was understood and experienced.


    Time itself had been rendered a more palatable concept, one with three distinct physical dimensions. And in return, space had been reduced down into a single non-linear dimension.


    This was, without a doubt, a grand violation of universal order. In a different era, Reed would have been sentenced to a final death by the Ancient Mulians had they witnessed what he had performed. Even they, who opposed the use of pain and death as punishments for terrible crimes would not have allowed what Reed had performed go unanswered.


    He had made a mockery out of everything they stood for and had possibly endangered the very Structural Integrity of the Universe.


    Only God, the Creator of the Universe, had the right to tamper with the laws of the Universe. To them, for anyone else to attempt such a thing was the highest taboo possible.


    But none of that matters anymore. It''s already beyond saving anyway...


    He strode forward, marching across a jungle of overlooked memories and past giant mountains made of remarkable events.


    In this otherworld of time, seconds, minutes, hours, and years were tangible physical distances instead of abstract, fleeting shadows. An entire world formed of an endless number of events and memories comprised this beautiful, ethereal world.


    Entire flower fields made of first loves and declarations of eternal fidelity could be seen everywhere he journeyed. Love was a weed! It grew and proliferated out into the furthest reaches of time, far beyond what he could see.


    Daisies of pure love, orange blossoms of eternal love, hyacinths of jealousy, and even carnations of rejection...


    The sight of a world covered in flowers was enough to render Reed speechless and even make his jaded heart throb anew with genuine passion.


    Immense sequoias ¡ª life histories of extraordinary people ¡ª sat beside smaller pine trees and humble apple orchards in bloom. They were all equally splendid, bearing unique scars of the trials and tribulations of their lives from birth... to death.


    Deep below, where Hope was dim and Fate was heartless, was where the damned lived. Near the bowels of the earth, in deep caverns never to be explored, they would remain as their punishment.


    It was a tremendous sight to behold ¡ª the entire history of the continent of Mulia. How he wished to show the people closest to him this incredible scenery, but he knew it would not be possible. Their unequipped minds would never be able to process the information, not without their brains cooking themselves into a soupy mess...


    Alienated from everyone he cared about, a part of him felt the all-too-familiar melancholy creep around him. He had not felt this way since before he arrived in Mulia.


    Billions of years stretched out for what seemed like an eternity to Reed as he felt how truly insignificant he was compared to what laid before him.


    And this is just one continent of a single, rocky pebble of a planet. If this is the timespace of Mulia, then what would the timespace of Mu look like?


    And what of the solar system that Mu resides in? Or what of the galaxy it inhabits? It''s just one galaxy in a single universe that''s part of an entire multiverse...


    He was an ant in the face of this wide world.


    ...No, less than that.


    Less than an electron in an ocean of stars. In fact, it was debatable whether or not he even registered as anything in such a vast and stunning realm of marvels...


    And for a moment, Reed fell into despair. It took hold of him as questioned why he continued to struggle to survive in a dying multiverse. Why he so desperately wished to save the feeble last spark of life that was Mulia?


    To save the people of Mulia from eternal damnation at the hands of the Infestation?


    To protect his loved ones?


    To right the mistake he had committed?


    To prove himself? For whom and for what?


    To be a hero?


    To live another day?


    To...


    No... it wasn''t any of them; It was all of them. He desired for greatness that could not be so easily described, despite what he told himself and others.


    The image of various figures flashed inside his mind. Specters of people who had given him what he always required the most ¡ª their tender guidance, their little morsels of wisdom ¡ª something that had never been afforded to him in his past life.


    A light to shine away the ignorance, fear, and hatred that had been festering in his heart of hearts. To put his Faith where it belonged, beside Hope, in order to carve a better future.


    Here, in the meadow of time, the echoes of his guiding stars called for him to draw all the strength he could muster. To confront the accursed Fate that haunted him with a chest burning with Hope that no darkness could ever dispel.


    Reed had arrived at his destination after a long voyage measured in memories, nightmares, and grains of sand. He stood at the precipice of a daunting chasm that held unnatural filth within it not natural to Mulia. The taint of the Infestation was an easy thing to identify, as nothing compared to it in repulsiveness.


    Bereft of the Mark of Responsibility , the reset nodes located within the last two fissures would not answer his calls. He had lost that right when he shook off the burden. A feeble attempt at blackmail, one that He had devised in preparation to quell Reed into compliance.


    If Reed wanted to save Mulia, he would have to accept the bearing of the hateful brand and come to terms with it. But that threat no longer held any power on Reed, not after he came to realize what he could do with his newfound abilities.


    You made a mistake, brother mine. But I don''t fault you for it; not even you could have imagined what could be accomplished this power. After all... it was the one thing you could never obtain, no matter how desperately you wished for it.


    Although the evil slumbering in the chasm intimidated Reed, he knew it would not compare to the suffering that would befall Mulia should he flee.


    It needed to done, no matter the pain he would have bear.


    Reed took a long, deep breath and filled his lungs with courage, and then...


    "¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!"


    He roared out a new word that he had fashioned in the Elder Speech. One filled with unprecedented strength unlike anything ever witnessed in history.


    And it would change everything from then on. Mulia would never be the same again.

 190 The Eventide of Faith

    Not by a long shot.


    Of this, there was no suspicion in the minds of those who recognized what was currently transpiring across the continent. But there was nothing they could do about it, not anymore even they had wanted to prevent it. The only they could do was wait...


    There''s a terrible somberness to it that I cannot describe, despite the loveliness of the melody... like the weeping cry of an angel.


    To one of them, a dear friend who was brought up to be a shield for his country, the ever-present, ethereal hymn felt like the peaceful mourning of something once cherished. That alone was enough to make him worry about his precious friend, wherever he might be.


    Compared to his other two companions, his interpretation was the closest to the truth because his mind was not preoccupied with any internal biases, a product of his focused, one-track mindset.


    The music''s not real; it can''t be real! None of my tools are picking up anything at all! It''s not here! But how?! How he is doing this?!


    Another person, a respected healer and gifted scholar, felt a chill run down her spine as she listened to the soft chorus of heaven above. She was deeply disturbed by what she could not understand. The Infestation was one such aberration that could not be understood, which was why she feared them so much.


    And now, that same fear had taken a new form... and it brought her great distress. She did not want this, not for that poor boy she knew. How much more could the world ask of him? It angered her greatly but there was nothing she could do, for it was a matter preordained by a power greater than of all them.


    As the divine chorus began to grow more intense, another unexplainable phenomenon arose from the bottom of the earth. Titanic pillars of Anima shot up like overgrown sprouts towards the sky in very unique locations ¡ª the Sinkholes, the gateways to the Will of the World.


    Where are you... What are you doing up there? Why do call for this heavenly song, beloved friend of mine? And are you well? Please, let me know...


    The last one, a powerless prince without a reason for living, felt pain for the fact that he could not help his... friend in the slightest. He seethed over the fact their relationship had become unbalanced, vague, and painfully detached.


    How he envied that woman so much! That she was chosen to be beside him, even though it was them had met him first. Even it was he who had seen his worth first!


    Even though it was I the one who had met him first! The nerve of that thieving bitch!


    Though it was a carefully concealed bitterness that he guarded since then, he had no doubts that she had instantly discerned the profound resentment in his eyes the instant they met again.


    A million curses upon you, wretched temptress, for denying me the only thing I have ever desired!! And only for you to abandon him on the eve of his suffering!


    It was a silent war for two people now with the death of the third participant three years ago... and it would continue until only one of them remained.


    And he would have it no other way.


    When the astronomical rivers of Anima in the sky reached a critical point, they condensed and fell back onto the land in the form of a special type of rain. Anything it touched was blessed with a mysterious, refreshing vitality that healed all wounds and illnesses.


    To put it simply, it was a genuine panacea. Ambrosia, some might''ve even called it.


    Even the living specter of a man who once ruled the East felt the supernatural effects of the raindrops when they landed on his face. Though his undying, time-frozen body did not heal itself, the spiritual degradation his soul had accumulated over millennia had begun to miraculously repair itself.


    But that wasn''t what surprised the old Avunian ruler. What had stopped his thoughts dead in his tracks was... the taste of the rain.


    His body trembled when a couple of drops made their way onto lips and he, for the first time many, many years, wept atop a barren mountain range in the West.


    Ahhhh... I know what this is. I wish I did not. Forgive me, my Goddess. I have failed him yet again...


    It was sweeter than he could handle. Honey and sugar were bitter compared to the taste of the bountiful nectar that was falling upon Mulia en masse. They could not stand up to...


    "...The essence of love. Nothing can surpass it in splendor and richness, for it is the blood of God," said Velvund as he raised his arms upward toward the sky in an act of devoted exultation and immense grief.


    "It''s truly incredible... Is this the will of the Goddess, then?" said Alvana Nightfall, the Sacred Daughter of the Witch-Queen that ruled the West as a proxy for their Sovereign, the Queen of Shadows.


    Velvund bitterly smiled and did not reply...


    Alvana was a Chosen and was therefore exempt from the terrible infirmity that ailed her race, allowing her to walk unaided outside of her underground empire without a protective suit. It was a special privilege only Nuedo Chosen possessed, but few ever allowed themselves to indulge in that comfort.


    But to them, it was the height of selfishness for them to enjoy the beautiful surface world unaided while their kin lived in their artificial, pressurized cities in the bowels of the earth.


    Realizing the miraculous effects the rain possessed, she immediately called her mother and informed her of the situation. An opportunity that would likely never happen again had come and she had made the correct decision to summon everyone.


    All of her people, every single person ¡ª young, old, mortal, chosen ¡ª to the surface.


    A mass exodus had begun in the West as the Nuedo began to head out into the surface, seeking the blessing afforded by the rain. They would bask in it for as long as possible, all the while praying to whomever or whatever created the momentous blessing.


    To the Goddess, to the very dirty stood upon, to the divine spirit that granted them this opportunity. They did not know, but they were endlessly grateful. In any case, their gratitude was directed upward toward the ever-changing sky.


    Immense transformations were underfoot across Mulia in all shapes and aspects, both physical and spiritual. The Baptism of the Nuedo would just be one of the many historical events that would occur on this day.


    Lightning crackled ferociously as it danced wildly in the ominous melange of churning thunderclouds that obstructed the sky. The deafening sound of rumbling thunder only served to support the unseen choir past the storm, though.


    With each flash of hallowed brilliance and terrible echo it begat, a gradual feeling spread among those who were Chosen.


    Their strength, their connection to Anima... had begun to diminish. They felt themselves grow humbler and respectful in abject terror as the global thunderstorm simmered with a fury that could only be described as apocalyptic.


    No longer were they the demigods of Mulia, at the very least, not at the moment. They had all been grounded and made mortal once more, reminded of where they had all come from...


    Warning! Warning! Level ZERO priority threat detected! Code Designation: 000¡ªUndefined


    Deep below, in a guarded fortress of lies and secrets, a monstrous abomination of fused souls and ambitions shuddered in pure fear as it writhed inside of its disgusting container.


    Alert: Unidentified high-energy field expanding over District 3-Sector 25! Connection lost!


    Alert: Unidentified high-energy field expanding over District 2-Sector 14...


    Alert: Unidentified high-energy field expanding over District 1.....


    Alert: Unidentified high-energy field expanding over...


    Alert: Unidentified high-energy field...


    It felt a terror that could not be put into words as it listened to the music of tolling bells in the distance. Not once had the thought it possible that this could have happened. That the younger one had bested the older one and was now in control of his destiny...


    PRIORITY ALERT: Unknown high-energy field expanding over District 0! Preparing counteroffensives!


    And their own fate, too.


    He had done what should not have been impossible according to every conceivable future projection to date. But it was too late for anything to be done. No one would be able to halt what had begun now.


    ERROR! Phase-field generator output decreasing! Unknown interference detected! Auxiliary generators offline! Loss of power to sections 01-56 confirmed! Shutdown immi¡ª


    Their home, the sophisticated technological nexus that they used to manipulate Mulia was starting to mysteriously fail, as entire sections of the vast installation continued to go dark. None of the contingency plans they had developed could stop the creeping march of silence that had started to spread across the entire complex.


    Judgment had come for them with the advent of the faraway bells... and there would be no escape.


    Not for them, not for anyone... for the Eventide of Faith had arrived.


    Seeds sown more than five thousand years ago had finally born fruit, but not in the manner that the gardener could have ever foreseen.


    Mulia had been set aflame with chaos. Across the Four Empires, millions of people rushed to meet their loved ones as cities began to go dark. It did not matter whether it was connected to the power grid ¡ª if it was electronic, it had suddenly died in the wake of the raging thunderstorm that covered the continent.


    A hundred million souls trembled in fear and awe as they witnessed the world they had once thought unchangeable transform into¡­ something else. Eventually though, after the initial shock passed, a great silence spread across the people as they waited with bated breath.


    It was in the world around them.


    The sweetness in the air and the rain comforted their frail bodies, while the music above comforted their souls. Some even swore that they could hear the voices of their deceased family members, as insane as it sounded¡­


    Then again, with everything that was happening who could say whether it was all a delusion or the truth?


    But for one man, a man cursed with honesty and the burden of kingship, each passing second in the final twilight of Mulia''s old era was nothing short of bliss. He, along with a particular sister he considered closest to him, quietly observed the world at an estate enshrined in an immortal forest of evergreen life.


    "Behold, dear sister, the coming of a brand new world! Rejoice, for the Eventide of Faith hath arrived! This will be a day to be remembered for all time!!" shouted the man with an expression of absolute rapture. He had already been taken somewhere far away, far beyond the ken of Men due to the eldritch knowledge he had unintentionally gleamed.


    He''s completely lost it¡­ but if even a tenth of what was rambling out was true, then it really might be goddamned end times. I never thought I''d live long enough to see an Ancient Mulian in the flesh, much less end up training one!


    The hilarity of it all! I inadvertently ended up teaching one of them!


    Ahh, what an exciting day this has been... full of unexpected surprises!


    Though concerning, at least one person was enjoying herself as she reminisced on the past amidst the chaos.


    Not once, for a single moment, had she imagined that the charming miscreant she had met back then would have become such a phenom. A part of her regretted that she had not taken him for herself, but then again, that would have likely made her little brother truly despise her.


    Not that it had stopped her from teasing him for as long as possible. To be fair though, she had made it up by supporting him ¡ª it was she who had labored so hard to transfer the Title of Evergreen to the boy. And yet, for all that effort...


    My poor baby brother, how I pity you. To labor so hard and remain unseen, nonetheless.


    She basked in the pouring rain and enviously murmured, "But that''s what makes you so very lovable."


    Despite her teasing, she, too, wished to one day meet a person like that... someone who could make her do stupid things. Not she needed help to accomplish that, of course.


    And then, as if a reply to the furious storm, the chaos, the heavenly choir, a somewhat familiar voice uttered, "Be at ease, my dear Mulia, and do not fear. Instead, listen carefully to what I am about to say..."


    Like discordant waves on the surface of a pond, the Voice''s echo spread across Mulia in the likeness of law itself, every word causing a reverberation in the storm.


    No, it was simply better to think of the voice as the storm''s will. Each word, a strike of lightning and every measured pause, the roar of thunder.


    Had he become an extension of nature... or was it the other way around?


    "My name is... Reed. A long, long time ago, I once traveled across Mulia in order to correct a mistake I made in my youth. But somewhere along the way, I resolved myself and sought to do more than simply seek redemption for my sins."


    To a select few, this introduction had been nothing short of a nightmare that had come true.


    "I chose to set everything right. To seek truth and justice, no matter the price, and to set you all free from the shackles of ignorance that you were born with. Today, I will set forth my will and make amends for my family''s transgressions as well as my own and then..."


    In the wake of his declaration, the storm subsided and then a great surge of clouds parted to make way for thousands of beacons of soft light. As they descended upon Mulia, they took a more defined form, the shape of immense... staircases of light.


    Pathways up toward the sky, past the storm and into the beyond...


    "Together, all of you will make a decision. You will determine your own Fate, be it destruction, slumber, war, or something other... You deserve the right to do so and I will make it so. That I promise."


    It was the least he could do for them. Though he could not fix the mistakes of the past, he would at the very least, let them choose their future.


    So it had finally begun, the Eventide of Faith ¡ª on this day, a Heaven built on a million lies and buried truths would be torn asunder something new would arise.


    "Step forward, Mulia! Be brave! The time of reckoning has come! Let us... begin!"

 191 Let Justice Be Done...

    For all that I have learned, I humbly admit that not even I know the answer, even though I was to be his fount of wisdom and guidance.


    In the end, what was my purpose? Where do I go from here? I do not know. Everything has been made undone ¡ª my destiny, my death, and... my duty. I have nothing left now and yet, I am immensely grateful for it. Paradoxically, I feel as if I''ve been given everything if that makes any sense.


    But this is such an incredible miracle I''ve been given that I doubt that I will ever be able to repay it, for I fear what it must have cost to have created it...


    Beyond the terrible storm, the gentle chorus of distant bells, and the honeyed ambrosia that continued to bless the land, an old world that had been born anew welcomed an unbelievable number of new souls.


    "I welcome you, dear Mulia, to the realm of Iliai ¡ª the land of memories. My domain..."


    It was a place without precise dimensions... and had no true border to speak of. There were no boundaries in the truest sense of the word... anything was possible within it as long as one understood how it functioned.


    Where mainstream reality was cruel, rigid, and indifferent, Iliai was formless, boundless, and defined by the passion of the soul. Illai was a hundred million heavens refracted by the inner beliefs of those who walked into its ethereal soil. A conceptual prism that held all of the brilliance of the world.


    Illai took the form of what the person derived their happiest memory from, making it a unique place for every single person who had climbed up the heavenly staircase.


    To an old, frail man, it was his childhood home. The scent of his mother''s cooking filled the air outside of the front door as the old man trembled in astonishment. And as if to invite him in, the voice of a woman he had not heard in decades ¡ª his departed mother''s voice ¡ª called for him as he so fondly remembered in his youth.


    He was no longer an old man; he was a young man returning home where he felt safest.


    To children, it was their dreams. What they truly dreamt of in their heart of hearts, their souls not yet stained by the harsh reality of the world below Iliai. They were closest to the essence of Iliai itself, each one a free mind still full of hope and desire to see the wonderful possibilities that the world possessed.


    There were no lies in Iliai. After all, it was a mirror of the heart at its core. Here, truth was the only dialect that could be spoken.


    Another type of illness, one that was not based on the soil of the continent, but rather the essence of its people. There was an eventide of faith present in the people of Mulia that could no longer be ignored.


    It was in the entertainment the people consumed. The way that they had been shepherded like cattle by a select few into a state of unconscious compliance and indolence. An incredibly sophisticated system of hyper-surveillance, psychological manipulation, and censorship had dominated Mulia for the last five thousand years.


    Modern Mulia was a utopian world of eternal stagnation where nothing happened. A world where people are born without eyes, ears, and tongues in exchange for everlasting artificial bliss.


    Their minds sedated from birth to death; their souls anesthetized on a lifelong dose of lies and sweet whispers...


    Reed would have initially pointed his finger at the Dreaming Council for this horrific deed and they would have been correct on all accounts but after his journey across Mulia''s history, he had come to a new understanding.


    The fault lied on the Dreaming Council, yes, but they were not alone when it came to the sin of abusing their power as Chosen. "No, they were not alone."


    Every single Chosen who had ever lived stood accountable for a different crime ¡ª for not performing their duty. They had been given power for a single purpose: to protect the mortals of Mulia. To protect those who could not defend themselves against threats beyond their abilities. And yet...


    For five thousand years, they had done nothing to rectify the tremendous injustice that had been done unto the very people they were supposed to protect. Afraid of what the people of Mulia would think of them if they knew what truly transpired during the Dark Age when Chosen tyrannically ruled over them, the cowards chose to abide by the Grand Lie.


    "They had grown accustomed to the reverence that mortals gave them and the incomparable ecstasy that came with them acting as modern-day gods."


    And last of all, the last sinner of this wretched story.


    The one was worshiped and treated as a goddess, despite being the same person who had put them in harm''s way. A pitiful woman who had offered her ignorant children a terrible lie so sweet that they could not have refused it even they had tried...


    There was once was an old foundational myth about a hero of a forgotten epoch, back when a certain race had barely begun to develop their civilization. It was a tale from back when they had not yet even acquired the knowledge to explain how the world around them worked.


    And, of course, it was about a hero... or rather, a heroine. A female warrior who had been, after proving herself worthy with many a heroic feat, granted an audience with the gods. They had become interested in the woman after observing her triumph over every single trial that they had prepared for her. Not once had she failed them, despite their greatest efforts to hinder her.


    Thus they summoned her presence from their abode in heaven and sent down an ethereal staircase made of light for her to climb ¡ª one that was formed from her accomplishments, each one a divine step made of the very legend she had written by herself.


    It was an honor granted to her and as the first of her be allowed into their domain, the gods decided that she would be awarded a boon fit for her achievements.


    The boon they offered to her was a single wish. She would be permitted to ask for anything under heaven as a reward.


    She need only think of what she desired and the gods would grant it to her. But this was nothing more than deceit; it was, in fact, her final trial ¡ª if she wished for anything in the name of selfishness, they would deny her the wish.


    The only wish they''d grant would be one that would not benefit her. They wanted to see what this seemingly incorruptible mortal would do when offered the possibility for anything. They wagered that even she would fall at the chance of obtaining her heart''s desire, for despite all her virtue and discipline... she was still a mortal.


    Naturally, this offer did not fool the heroine, as she had become well-acquainted with the gods and their mischief over the course of her life. So she, who had become tired of the gods and their condemned tricks, decided to make them suffer for once and do good for her people simultaneously.


    And then, with all the goodness in her heart, she gifted the world a treasure that she thought would grant her people a true chance to create Heaven on earth.


    The moment she decided upon her wish, the gods raged in glorious fury. Not because they had been bested, but rather by what she had asked for. Nevertheless, the gods could do nothing to stop it.


    That night, a great storm washed over the land unlike anything in history as droplets of sweet water blessed the world. The following day, the people of Mulia supposedly awoke and found themselves able to perform miracles ¡ª make their dreams real ¡ª with a thought.


    Hence, the first tribes of Mulia referred to this gift as... Anima''s blessing, in honor of the legendary woman who had cheated the gods of the power to create miracles for her people.


    "Such a wonderfully quaint myth to ground what they could not explain nor understand at the time, don''t you think? Full of heroism, a strong moral framework, and a distinct spirit of hopefulness in what they perceived around them. But then... they perverted it for their own goals."


    A memory forgotten manifested itself across Iliai for everyone to see as per Reed''s will.


    The promise of everything one could ever think of and more... as long as they complied and did their best for the Great War that they had been drafted into against their will.


    This was the truth ¡ª the first Otherworlders had been kidnapped from their home planets and made into soldiers for war. If not adequately convinced to fight for the sake of defending reality, then they were coaxed into servility and obedience with the very same offer that had once been presented to Anima herself ten thousand lifetimes ago.


    "Disgusting, don''t you think? Poor Anima would have likely wished for divine judgment upon her people had she seen what they had done with her blessing, even her own legend? To see her story being used to dupe the confused, frightened people that they had stolen from their homes makes my blood boil, I must profess..."


    The Great Lie had survived even after the Ancient Mulians had abandoned the continent. For the next five thousand years, generations of poor fools had been swept along with this promise of everything, though it had been... somewhat modified to fit the new circumstances.


    To fight not for the virtues that define the best parts of us, but rather for simple desires and naked ambition or even, heaven forbid, questionable intentions...


    As the wounded Goddess slept as she tried to recover from the wounds inflicted upon her during the Great Barrier War, she had thrust the responsibility of how power would be distributed in her absence.


    For matters mundane, it was decided that the Dreaming Council, a collective of the most talented representatives of the Otherworlders, would rule the continent and usher in much-needed stability.


    And for more important matters, such as the selection of future demigods and their management, the Will of the World ¡ª  an artificial entity residing at the bottom of the world ¡ª would control who would become Chosen and how much power they would be granted.


    "But I shall not mince facts, from what I have purveyed, it was a system of governance created with the best intentions, alas... that did not last for long as you see now."


    Ancient memories that had once been forgotten appeared in a myriad of ways to the millions of people in Iliai. Times of tyranny in the Dark Age, and times of tender deceit in the Modern Age after the Unification War.


    Families being split apart. Children orphaned and mothers widowed.


    Atrocities that could only be described as injustices against morality.


    Endless suffering and despair. Killing and killing and more killing.


    Reed could have spared them all of the horrors that had been perpetrated in past in lieu of something more palatable. Perhaps, he could have shown them something less horrific and gotten his point across, but he did not want that.


    If the rot was to be purged once and for all, it had to all been shown. Every crime, every sin brought out into the light for all to see.


    "If the court of heaven is blind, then it falls unto us to properly judge those who have wronged the innocent. And no matter how painful, we must try everyone who has sinned, even if the Goddess and her angels must also be put on trial."


    To this end, Reed had forcibly wrested authority from the Goddess via the reset nodes. They were now under his command, along with all the Anima that they produced. And with it, he had snuffed the Will of the World into submission along with all who would oppose him ¡ª the Dreaming Council and all Chosen now stripped of their power.


    Even with an Alma, it meant nothing if they did not have any Anima to empower them, hence stripping them down back into mortalhood.


    The Goddess had been removed from her throne; her host of unruly angels were clipped of their wings and sent screaming down to the ground. No longer would the people of Mulia worship these false gods who had lied to them for millennia.


    A vacuum of power had been created and with came the opportunity of true change.


    A chance to change everything.


    "There can be no lenience in our hearts; only justice and truth can put things back into order. There are no Chosen people anymore to irresponsibly guide you anymore, only the cold, hard facts. What you make of them is up to all of you. And then, after everything has been laid out and examined, I will ask you to make your decision..."


    That much Reed had sworn to give them ¡ª the ability to decide. For five millennia, they had been robbed of that right, if not by Fate, then by the nefarious powers that conspired against them.


    But anymore. Today would be different. Today, the people would be free...

 192 Though The Heavens May Fall

    His commitment to this particular matter was not open to any form of discussion.


    It would be done.


    But before the final vote was made, Reed had one last task to do ¡ª something he dreaded but had resolved himself to do for the sake of equality, truth, and justice. He had to lay down all the cards on the table... including his own.


    "You have been shown the darkest failures of those who were supposed to protect you, but that is unfortunately only half of the story. Now, I would like you to see something else before you decide a verdict on the sinners who failed you... I wish for you all to see... my failures."


    Transparency must come from all sides, not just on those who were unmistakably in the wrong. No one must be exempt from this inquiry, for it is necessary to remove every single stain off the continent if this renewal of the spirit and integrity is to succeed.


    Not the gods, the angels, nor even myself.


    This was the apex, the crowning jewel of all the acts Reed would do today, perhaps even surpassing the Eventide itself.  It was an unprecedentedly outrageous and terrifying move, even for the likes of the Dreaming Council, the Four Royal Families, and all the Noble Houses that served them.


    It was one thing for him to cast light on their evils, but he would even shine that revealing light on himself? Madness. Pure, unadulterated insanity. At first, they thought that this had been some kind of grand coup of power whereby Reed would instate himself as something surpassing the Four Sovereigns.


    Underneath all the grandstanding on virtue and his soapbox preaching on their crimes, they had expected him to become something no different than them. They did not believe him.


    They believed that he wanted to become a god-king that would reign supreme over the continent with his absolute power, but now... they had realized this was not that at all.


    No, it was something completely different and once they comprehended that, they felt genuine terror form in their hearts.


    "In a different life, I would have eventually been made king. I would have been dressed up in a suit of fabricated mysteries and then had a castle of lies built for my inevitable coronation.


    This is the truth; I have seen this... plot to throne me for a long time coming and did nothing to stop it as I wallowed in great apathy over my... unique station in life. What I was told I would do and later become, as part of an immense conspiracy to arrange my destiny for me."


    A series of memories unfolded across Iliai ¡ª Reed''s memories ¡ª of what he had known all along.


    Of how facts were misinterpreted of his and Lu''um''s feats during the Twilight War.


    The Final Night of Lei-en fell on him alone. The destruction of many cities including to, but not limited to the ones affected by the release of the Infested Pupae, but also of those that might''ve been experienced loss by extension.


    There were some innocent men and women that never returned to their homes, only to leave behind broken families in their wake in cities not destroyed during the Twilight War. They were also accounted for too, as they should be.


    Of how a sense of allure and mystery had been purposefully created to elevate his status beyond the ordinary into the extraordinary.


    When in truth, he and Lu''um had been intentionally showered with elegant, but hollow royal titles, prestigious awards, and enormous attention to develop their prestige and in return, their future authority.


    Despite knowing deep down that Reed was being turned into a fairy tale, a product for the indoctrinated people of Mulia to eagerly consume and obey, he had done nothing but idly stand around like a child while the people around him continued to lie in his name.


    Of his most terrible neglect of responsibilities and the consequences of his cowardice. The creation of the fissures that threatened the safety of the very continent that they lived on.


    It was a betrayal of trust. They, as inhabitants of the land, rightfully should have been made aware of the crisis that had almost engulfed their homeland. There was nothing else to be said about it other than it was another critical failure of his that needed to be disclosed to the public.


    And of the secret of their world. The truth about the nature of Mulia and what lay outside of it. What threatened them and the grim fate of a reality now breathing its final, dying gasps. This, in particular, was something that needed to exposed regardless of what sort of reaction it would cause amongst the populace.


    They deserved to know the true state of affairs, despite the fallout that would ensue.


    Thus, the truth had finally come out into the light for all of Mulia to see.


    "...I am no hero. I was a foolish boy who had been drawn in by the illusion that he was one. Granted power, yet lacking the wisdom nor the humility required to appropriately wield it, I caused many of you undue suffering and loss. Even now, I still feel the same way about myself, so I have summoned you all here to deliver judgment even upon myself.


    And so, my memories are all there for you see, unfiltered from beginning to end. No lies. No half-truths. Only the incontestable facts. Make of them as you will."


    The wretched demon that had haunted him for so many sleepless nights finally departed into the night.


    "Why would I, the one who currently has the most power, do this to myself? The answer is quite simple: I have never thought of myself as a god, despite what I am capable of. Never. And I do not think myself above mortal judges, nor human morality, or even my own conscience. Unlike them, I do know what it feels like to be powerless, to be oppressed, and treated without any respect or form of human rights..."


    A dim, somber scene crept up like a shadow into the minds of everyone present in Iliai.


    It was a cold, dark, and damp place without the slightest bit of cheerfulness. The scent of rot was overwhelming in the filthy dungeons of Reed''s original homeland, the sacred capital of Faaltrate.


    He had only been twelve years old when he had his first run-in with the taste of starvation, humiliation, and pain.


    His crime had been the theft of a book supposedly appraised with a value of three gold pieces. It''d been the first time he had experienced the uniquely demoralizing and infuriating feeling of powerlessness.


    As a holy city of forgiveness, healing, and unshakeable faith, it had been considered sacrilegious to discriminate against any man, woman, or child, no matter who they might be. Unfortunately, these ideals were not always held by everyone in Faaltrate.


    "You see, the issue laid with the fact that I was poor. Though I was within my rights to be in the more affluent district where this bookshop was situated, I was not welcome there."


    He had been treated as if he actually were a rat and therefore, had not been allowed to possess the rights a human did.


    He had been an eyesore. It was as simple as that. A poor, dirty slum rat had no place in the world of humans. To the bookshop owner, the perception of his bookshop being frequented by the poor and dirty was tantamount to the destruction of his livelihood.


    The implication had been that a business that even the poor could afford to visit held nothing of value to the upper echelons. These would people would do anything to avoid living in reality, refusing to acknowledge the fact that ugliness existed in their holy city.


    Naturally, they were unable to physically create walls to keep the poor and weak out of their districts, as it would be considered a profane act, so the rich and powerful built an immaterial, invisible barrier instead.


    "My position in life had already been decided at birth. I was expected to fit the role I''d been assigned to. Anything else was considered a breach of rank in my world..."


    Reed had done nothing wrong. He had not stolen the book, despite what the bookshop owner claimed to the city guards. The truth was that he had bought it with his hard-earned money before he had been arrested and falsely charged for theft.


    Beaten and tossed into a cell for an extended weekend of "reflection for his sins" ¡ª for the sin of theft and the even heavier sin of deceit ¡ª Reed was treated to his first taste of what would later become a semi-frequent experience from then on.


    That was when it had begun to grow ¡ª the rage and despair in his heart.


    "I can still remember it even now; the scornful, egotistic expressions on their faces as they told him he needed more faith, that I needed let go of my sinful habits and become a model citizen and a man of god like them. Every time I heard that disgusting, paternalistic tone in the voices, I felt like I was going to explode in fury, but..."


    He quickly learned that speaking out and rebelling would only lead to greater suffering.


    Memories, all of them immensely painful, flooded across Iliai. They were Reed what he had locked away when he arrived in Mulia.


    What he did not want to see... because they would prove he was not worthy of the power he had been given. But now, they were on for show to everyone to see.


    Even now, he still bore the old scars he gained during his life as a mortal. Though his immortal body naturally repaired such blemishes after he became Chosen, he brought them back after the events of the Twilight War in an effort to remember his true roots.


    ...And eventually, the fear set itself inside his heart and ruled him. Kept him down, buried in a sea of despair, and wretched escapism until he found himself near death and then... whisked away to another world.


    Given another chance, Reed swore to himself that he''d live up to his ideals and achieve something truly great like the fairy tale heroes that he used to find inspiration from, but...


    "I realize now, after much introspection, that I had become the very thing I hated so much. For a brief moment, I turned into the same fiends who professed themselves angels in a Heaven made of lies.


    The circumstances are indeed different here in this precisely maintained paradise, but the essence of corruption is still the same in the end. This is what I have deemed to be my greatest failure. And this is the reason why I will have no say what you will decide for us."


    More than ever, honesty was required. It was necessary that the people of Mulia understand him if they were to trust him in the coming days. Reed had to make sure that they understood his intentions if he was to ease their fear of him... and what he could do.


    That was the most important takeaway of the day ¡ª that he had decided to walk amongst them as himself, and not above them like they might''ve feared.


    With this task completed, all that was left for him to do was to ask the important questions.


    "I have told you what you needed to know. What has been kept from you has now been brought out into the light. All that remains... is what you would have me do.


    You and your ancestors have been wronged. By me and by many people, just like you, who got lost. They fell into a prison of fear, greed, and pride in the face of total despair. They escaped into their own fantasies, unable to handle the responsibility they had been charged with.


    They saw beings they thought Gods fail them and abandon them. Without guidance ¡ª someone or something to show them the right way ¡ª they fell into a neverending spiral of... mistakes that have accumulated up to the present day. "


    Reed''s voice echoed across Iliai, undisturbed as a hundred million people silently listened to him.


    "For this, I have stripped them of the power they once wielded. They are now no different than you right now. These people are ready to be judged, if you see fit but I ask you to carefully consider this proposition. I have been extremely critical of their many faults and have not given due attention to the good they have done.


    Not all of them are immersed in sin. There have been many who have lived and died as Chosen, believing themselves a force for good. They have fought and spent their lives rebuilding, protecting, and inspiring others, mortal and immortal, to follow their path.


    This not a black-and-white issue. It is more complex than that and will require more than inflamed hearts full of anger and a desire for retribution. You must see them for everything they are and not just what you do not like. I will not tolerate a witch hunt.  We are not mindless, barbaric savages with a thirst for blood...


    I ask you; what do you think is the correct course of action?


    How will you decide who is to be punished and who is to be forgiven?


    And what will you have me do?  Although I can move the mountains for you and hold up your skies, I cannot tell you what to do from here on out. But I can support you.


    No matter what you choose with your newfound freedom, I will be there to lend you my power. I sincerely believe that there is nothing we cannot accomplish united as one people. The possibilities are endless if we unite, I can assure you... but you must choose this path for yourselves."


    Fate would have once forced him to decide this all on his own. It would have made him Chosen in the truest sense of the world, forcing him to determine the fate of a world he was but a foreigner in.


    But not anymore. Fate itself had been surpassed by something new.


    Today, everyone would be Chosen. They would choose their own futures.


    There was a great and deafening silence for a very long time as many reflected on what they had learned but eventually... it gave way when the first person spoke aloud. This person had found his answer.


    ...And then, a second person followed suit soon after, to be joined by a third.


    By the time the fifth person had spoken, the chain reaction had already become too large to stop.


    Reed listened to their voices and then... he set forth as they willed him to act.


    The Eventide of Faith had finally reached its natural end and the old world would join it in the grave.


    The hour of genesis had come to Mulia at its darkest hour, for better or worse. No could tell either way...


    The Gods and myths of yore would be shed to make way for what was to come. Nothing would be spared.


    Rebirth awaited all; for both saints and sinners, fools and wise men.


    For this was the will of Mulia and Reed would see it through...


    To the end.

 Chapter 193 - Afterword: The Eventide Of Faith

    So let me be the first to admit that this volume got the best of me. I tried to bite something that was too large for me at the time. I lacked the skill and more importantly, the passion to write after I was done with my stunt of updating daily during my four-month period while I was in the Minimum Guarantee System. ;


    To be quite frank, I realized midway during MGS that I was never going to be able to write anything good at such a ridiculous pace. In fact, I honestly doubt whether anyone can do it. ;


    A drained husk, it took several months for my mind to recover from that neverending marathon. And when I finally did get back to writing, I found myself still feeling out of touch. ;


    But I am now happy to inform you that I finally feel better in some weird way. Maybe it''s just relief that I finally finished this gigantic volume, or that I didn''t give up on it, despite my fatigue.


    Thank you for putting up with me through all of that. I''m serious. It was a shitshow, but I feel that I came out with a passable (though I will never be happy about it) volume.


    But even if I am not fine with Volume 3 not reaching the standards I put for myself, I am still very glad I gave it a shot. I stand by my decision to write it the way I did. Better to do the hard thing than give up on myself and do the easy thing. ;


    I did not want this volume to be a simple volume. I did not want a villain that one could easily point to and blame. Nor conflict that was the usual fight against a standard foe like some giant boss character or say, for example, a threatening army of Infested.


    A surface-level answer to who the villain might''ve been would be The Dreaming Council since they were the greatest offenders, but the answer was far more complex than that.


    The correct answer is that blame fell upon every person in power at all levels of authority, ranging from the Dreaming Council at the top, all the way down to individual Chosen across the generations since the Dark Age.


    The royal families, their noble families, and the top-level executives in the governments created in their name are also included in this giant pyramid of corrupt mismanagement and incompetence ¡ª let me make this clear, it is not just Chosen that are at fault, but also the select mortals that played a part in maintaining this whole mess. They''re just as accountable in this messed-up circus, too. ;


    With no one to hold the top liable for their extreme actions and the added fact that the Goddess gave them the green light to do whatever was necessary to maintain the peace in her indefinite absence, it all went to shit as with any situation where people are given unlimited power and no regulations to stop them from going off the rails. ;


    The Dreaming Council, believing that the ends justify the means, did what they saw fit in order to create an eternal peace across Mulia, albeit at the cost of effectively lobotomizing the entire population of Mulia into sheeple with horribly morally bankrupt methods, something that should have struck a horribly similar chord to the poor souls imprisoned by the Outsiders...


    So yes, I did not want a physical foe that would be the cause of all the troubles in the story or arc, to put it bluntly. ;


    There are an infinite number of novels that will gladly hand you an opponent like this, which is why I opted to not create something like that. ;


    But to be real with you, the primary conflict of the volume was something I''d been setting up since Volume 1 ¡ª the real conflict for Volume 3 which was Reed himself. ;


    There are many supporting conflicts in this volume, but the one that I decided to take center stage was that of Man vs. Self, ; something that I felt appropriate at the current arc. ;


    Reed, now a young man almost 20 years old, rightfully needed to mature into an adult. For young people, this means finding himself, his own personal identity, and his purpose in life. ;


    That''s what you do as a young person, as a teenager ¡ª you experiment and find out what you like and what you dislike. You find yourself very impressionable and often times follow the trends and flow of popularity, lost and confused about what you''re about and where you''re going. ;


    And Reed was no different as a teenager. He was a highly impressionable kid who always had a desire for more in life, given his terrible upbringing. ;


    So naturally, after he had been whisked to Mulia and given unbelievable powers, he did what any normal person who had been disadvantaged his whole life would have done. ;


    He got completely and utterly lost. ;


    Whether it was the powers he gained, the extravagance of his supposed destiny, or the people around him, they all contributed to him losing sight of himself, which in turn lead to the many mistakes he made along the way. ;


    Not surprising, since making mistakes is to be expected of teenagers, but it all got overblown in Reed''s case since he was in possession of a lot of power.


    You can pretty much think of Volume 1 as Reed''s fall into delusion, Volume 2 being the mistakes Reed made from being in that disorientated state of mind, and...


    Volume 3 as Reed struggling to make amends for the mistakes in his youth as he becomes a proper, responsible adult. ;


    For a normal youth, this process of making amends and becoming more world-wise would have taken them the better half of their twenties to accomplish, but Reed did not have that luxury due to his cursed destiny.


    As with any person born into a position of power, he was forced to grow up faster than his normal peers in order to wrangle the responsibilities that had been thrown unto him. Real-life royalty had to do undergo the same exact thing. The duty of the office they had been born into demanded they become mature as fast as possible.


    This ties into the next topic I wanted to talk about... Lu''um. ;


    She was to be quite frank, a difficult character to write about in this volume. Not because of her gender, of course, but because of her role. For the longest time, she had been Reed''s biggest pillar of support in his world, aside from Lacrima.


    This was a girl who knew what he had been through before his arrival in Mulia, of the terrible destiny that awaited him, and of the mistakes he had made in Volume 2 that had come to haunt him. ;


    Mind you, she herself was also dealing with the same troubles as Reed, but she had a wealth of hard-earned wisdom and life experience to cope with it all much better than Reed. Though their suffering was equal, their ability to endure it was not. ;


    Not even close. ;After all, she had five thousand years of life experience and Reed only had nineteen to spare. They can''t even begin to be compared in that regard. ;


    So what was she supposed to do? Simply stand beside him and let him continue to sink in his misery? Of course not; not a single person in the world would let their significant other fall into hell. What kind of person would ever neglect the person they love like that? ;


    Hence the overbearing coddling, the overprotective nature of hers, and the strong desire to guide him away from his pain. Her intentions were absolutely pure and well-meaning, but they eventually led Reed down a bad path.


    Though she was admirably shielding him from his personal demons, she also inhibiting any form of growth on his part as an adult who could become capable of handling difficult situations and life-defining mistakes. ;


    He nearly became completely dependent on her to an unhealthy degree, always looking to her for a way out when things got too hard or when things became too painful to bear. ;


    There''s a word to describe someone who does all of that; a mother. And while it might''ve eased Reed''s pain to have her play that role, it only served to further worsen the internal problems he had in the long run. ;


    Had Lu''um possessed a clearer mind, not shrouded by her pity and love for Reed, she would have not let him run away into self-exile. She would have slapped him silly and put him through his paces, but that unfortunately never happened. ;


    Thankfully, Reed finally got his shit together in the end, even if took an incoming apocalypse to get him to move his feet forward. Consider that a testament of how bad it got for Reed ¡ª the world needed to be in danger and the blame needed to land on his shoulders for him to get his act together.... ;


    It''s a difficult job that Lu''um has been given, one with many hard decisions to make and even fewer clear answers to discern. I find it easy to point blame on her if one looks at her from Reed''s perspective, but once you see the delicate problem she had to manage from her perspective, it becomes much harder to blame her. ;


    For Reed, growing up meant admitting his mistakes, trying to atone, and becoming independent of Lu''um, or rather, letting her finally rest ¡ª giving her the chance to stop playing mummy, and start being the woman he loves instead. ;


    This independence naturally meant that he also brushed off everyone else he had used as a crutch ¡ª ;Velvund, primarily, but all others who would have led him by the hand. ;


    On a side note, I wanted a stylistic and thematic transformation to occur once Reed shed himself of everything he formerly depended on and I feel as if I hit that mark. This extremely important metamorphosis wasn''t just internal, but also an external one, too.


    He became something completely unlike his former self, now towering at nearly eight feet tall, far beyond normal human dimensions. His complexion changed dramatically and he turned a sickly tone of dull white ¡ª resembling a fresh corpse, in a morbid way. Even his shadow disappeared in the wake of his transformation, giving him a phantom-like etherealness... ;


    I was greatly inspired by the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, albeit only in an aesthetic sense. I wanted to do away with Reed''s human self and make him into something appropriately haunting to fit the terrible reality of his sins, more importantly, what he perceives himself to be inside ¡ª a monster who killed and hurt many people. ;


    I really want to commission art for his new form. Design-wise, I always imagined him somewhere between a very young Dracula from the Castlevania series to something as inhuman as the blue-skinned version of Edmond Dantes from Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo.


    In any case, there were many more conflicts in this volume. Funnily enough (and also by intended design), the biggest thing in the room, the fissures, were more of a background threat than a center stage conflict. To me, they were just a means to enable me to write about different scenes I need to make across the continent. ;


    Man vs. Society was also a type of conflict that I had been setting up for a while, too. Of how utopian Mulia seemed to Reed in Volumes 1 and 2 ¡ª being someone starved for a world not filled with injustice or gross inequality. And that was what he got, at least on the surface, in the beginning. ;


    Younger Reed only saw what he was allowed to see, from the perspective of his only friends, who I need not remind you were all either extremely high in the aristocracy or straight-up royalty. He was shown a view of Mulia that no normal person would have ever seen, his head clouded by his life as a prince and a celebrity figure, much to his dismay. ;


    Once Reed was finally made privy to how such an unnaturally harmonious and long period of peace was created and upheld, through the gross actions of the Dreaming Council, the illusion was shattered for him. As someone greatly accustomed to the taste of injustice, it comes as no surprise what Reed was going to do from then on. ;


    It is one thing to bring the Dreaming Council to trial for their crimes but in the end, Reed dared to go even further and brought down the entire damn system to its knees. And if that isn''t an accomplishment worth putting on your headstone, then I don''t know else I''d put on my grave. ;


    In essence, this volume has been all about change and the things that come around it. Not just for Reed or Mulia, but for everyone. There is still a lot that I have not talked about, much of it pertaining to the changes felt by many of the supporting cast, but I assure you that they will get their own time in the spotlight, soon. ;


    I have found that children see their parents as akin to gods, who are capable of anything and support their world. And in return, adults see their leaders and the gods they worship as pillars of their world. ;


    Parents, kings, and gods, the entire lot have a special relationship with each other in the field of responsibility and governance... and a lot to do with Vol. 3.


    I think something that we can all agree on is that all parties involved (parents, kings, and gods) failed to do properly do their jobs across the board in Mulia. But hopefully, now that Reed has taken charge to set everyone back on the right path, things will turn out for the better. ;


    In any case, I think I''ve spoken enough about what I thought about this volume. It was a big task for me to do and now that it''s done, I''d like to do something smaller in scale, more personal, and not as ridiculously grand. ;


    I''m thinking of doing a side story volume that will roughly be 80,000 - 90,000 words that will not feature Reed or Lu''um as the main characters, but everyone else that has been kept in the background during Volume 3. I''ll see how that pans out, but if it doesn''t I''ll go back to the drawing board. ;


    Let me know what you think. I''m always interested to know your thoughts on the matter. Stay safe, wear a mask, and keep hope alive during these trying times. I''m going to go make some coffee now. ;


    Yours truly, ;


    FattyBai

 Chapter 194 - I Had A Cup Of Coffee With The Devil

    There are no words that I can muster that will make what I am about to describe to you seem believable. Not even I would have believed this were I to have read what I am about to tell you.


    But it is the truth. This much I can assure you ¡ª I am willing to put my entire career on the line for this story, come what may. So without further ado, allow me to present you...


    The story of the man who dared to judge the gods themselves, Reed Evergreen.


    ¡ª Isca Yaalte, Introduction to Part One: The Hollow Years and Endless Nights


    There was a somewhat lonely aura of worldly detachment about him. A painful hollowness that rang like the sound of a rotten tree that had died many seasons ago. As if eroded by the endless onslaught of time, illness, and exhaustion.


    But this was not something she had gleamed until much, much later.


    And that was what had made Isca Yaalte so very interested in the infamous figure known across the continent as Reed Evergreen. A funny thing, that she would find herself more intrigued in him, rather than his actions, as was the prevailing inclination among the populace.


    His reputation transcended anything anyone had ever seen, as it had rightfully become a matter of universal contention and frequent debate. It would not be a lie to say that his name had become embedded in the continent''s history as well as its social fabric.


    The Redeemer, The Morning Star, The Stainless Prince, Virtue''s Son...


    The Traitor. Tomorrow''s Despot. Meddling Foreigner. Tyranny''s Spawn...


    Suffice to say, the number of titles, nicknames, and curses about him were endless. Every person in Mulia had their own word to describe him, be it harmful or not. There was no way one could not have an opinion about him, given what he had done.


    His actions naturally ended up overshadowing him, as they entailed the fate of the entire world. It was an unfortunate consequence, but an expected one. His existence would forever be tied to the tremendous reformation and unrest that arose from his actions.


    And yet when Isca personally met him for the first time, she felt as if all of her preconceptions had been torn asunder.


    The moment he stepped into the conference room, his dynamic figure dominated everyone present, herself included. He was one of the few people in the world who draw silence from any person, no matter who they were.


    He was"Babel made flesh" it was often purportedly said by those who had met him... and that on his mighty shoulders one would find Justice and Truth vigilantly perched, awaiting for injustice to rear its ugly head.


    People would comment that his voice carried the dignity of a thunderstorm, of nature''s wrath that sowed life and at the same time, punished the wicked, for the mighty storm begot both rain and thunder.


    For the longest, Isca had not believed the infatuated ravings that she had heard about him. As a professional historian, she prided herself on her ability to remain focused and impartial under any situation, but that day...


    She lost her composure for the first time.


    It had not been until he had actually finished his speech and left the room that she felt her mental faculties return to her. Embarrassingly enough, she had not even turned on her camera drone to record his speech, resulting in her leaving empty-handed.


    There was no way to describe him as other than simply... ethereal.


    At first, Isca considered the possibility that she had been placed under some spell to charm her into a state of total docility, but eventually, she relented and accepted the truth.


    That man was born to speak, if not to lead. He was born with the character of a ruler.


    You could be fortunate enough to have been born into an actual royal family and still not been lucky enough to have been blessed with the gift he had been born with.


    It was one thing to rule through authority supported by power, but to rule by commanding the hearts of men was another matter altogether.


    They were but grains of sand ¡ª innumerable and insignificant ¡ª slipping through Time''s fingers as they fell into obscurity...


    But the other method was different. It was nothing like the first in any form, for it was the legendary fire of the gods. In human terms, it was the gift Prometheus had gifted Men.


    The second method did not build kingdoms; it built whole civilizations. It was an eternal flame that could set aflame the hearts of all men and women without fail. With this divine gift, one could rally an endless number of souls for any cause, regardless of the consequences.


    That gift did not leave behind kingdoms ¡ª it left in its wake the very essence of myths and legends; timeless impressions on the weave of history that would last for as long as there were people.


    Isca did not sleep the night she realized this simple truth. How could she? The implication of such a thing could make even the most unimaginative idiot wonder what the future had in store for the world.


    Dangerous was the first word that came to her mind when she reflected on it all. That sort of charisma he possessed could drive people to do terrible things if used inappropriately. For every great feat, he could inspire others to accomplish, he could likewise convince them to commit an equivalent atrocity.


    Several days and many coffee pots later, Isca put her thoughts onto the press and published a small opinion piece in an even smaller periodical in her hometown of Arenthdal.


    The Allure of the Flame by Isca Yaalte ¡ª An ominous expose on the dangers that people like Reed Evergreen have on people. Part doc.u.mentation on the horrors and achievements that the few individuals born with the talent Reed possessed were capable of and an alarming warning to those foolish enough to let themselves get carried away.


    For what it was worth, the article had not been an attack on Reed. Heaven above knew he received enough of that, so Isca purposefully wrote it without ever criticizing Reed even once. All she wanted to do was highlight the dangers that shining stars ¡ª beacons of light that attract people ¡ª have had on society over the ages, across all races and their respective histories.


    "One can never know if that faint, faraway mote of light in the dark is friendly or not. Whether it is the light of a better future or the ominous spark of a future inferno to be born. It then falls upon us to approach this gallant figure that we have all become so attracted to with a responsible mindset.


    We must not lose sight of the past and let ourselves fall into delusions again. Even if it means scrutinizing the young man who saved us all. Heroes and saints must also be held accountable, too.


    After all, those were his words, were they not?"


    But as Isca expected, an article at the bottom of page six would not move any meaningful hearts, much less one that seemed like a half-hearted jab at Reed Evergreen from the dark. She received a couple of... passionate online comments from certain idlers on the Nexus as anticipated and a few disapproving scowls from some of her colleagues, but nothing ever happened in the end.


    Or so she had thought. No more than a couple of days later, she found herself hearing someone knock on her door, only to find...


    "Good evening, Ms... Yaalte? I''m terribly sorry if I caught you unawares at such an odd hour. You see, I was just held up by a meeting with some of my colleagues at the¡ª ah, forgive me."


    Isca felt her mind turn incoherent when she realized who stood on her doorstep. Needless to say, there were only a few people in the world who fit such a unique profile. Add in his distinctive voice and there was no denying who had come to visit her...


    He awkwardly hunched down so he could be better seen and said, "I am sorry, I haven''t yet introduced myself, right?"


    "How completely boorish of me," he chuckled as he extended one of his hands towards Isca.


    "My name is Reed Evergreen. It is a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to finally meet you in person... Ms. Yaalte."


    After what seemed like an eternity in shame, Isca finally extended her arm and shook his hand. Surprisingly enough, it was not what she had imagined it ¡ª her impression of him.


    Despite his intimidatingly inhuman presence, there was a pulse in his hands and even a sensation of warmth. Although it was admittedly imm.a.t.u.r.e of Isca to think of him as some sort of fantastical monster, she couldn''t help it.


    For goodness'' sake, he quite literally has to hunch over in order to not scr.a.p.e my living room''s ceiling! I can''t be blamed for thinking of him as some sort of folk myth, right?!


    And yet, here he is, the most famous person in the world, drinking my cheap instant coffee on a godforsaken Saturday night! What. The. HELL. Is. Going. On?!


    When Reed noticed her curious gaze, he said, "You can ask if you want to, Ms. Yaalte. I won''t be offended, no matter what you ask me. That much I can assure you. In fact, you''d make me quite glad if you asked, to be honest..."


    He had not lied about that ¡ª Reed had long since developed a thick layer of skin; a natural response to what he''d heard people call him.


    "Well sir, uh, I was wondering how you end up growing so... much? I''ve seen recordings of your younger years and there were no indications of your... unexpected growth spurt," said Yaalte as she tried her best not to step on any verbal landmines.


    Reed laughed uproariously when he heard her question and nearly choked on his coffee. She reminded him of his younger self, specifically when he had first arrived in Mulia.


    Cowering, overly cautious, and completely self-conscious. Terrified that a single misplaced word might get him punished, or put him in the bad graces of his would-be superiors.


    "Please, just call me Reed. I hear "Sir" and "Lord" and "Your Excellency" enough from my aides and the people I have to meet every single day. You''d be doing me a tremendous favor by just treating me as a normal person," said Reed as he fiddled with a coffee cup that was far too small for him.


    He gestured at the coffee cup in his hand that seemed as if it were for a child and said, "My unusual physique is a product of an equally unusual heritage. You see, I am not entirely human, as you might have already discerned. I am one of a kind, as far as I am currently aware, for the simple fact that I am a Human-Mulian individual."


    Isca felt as if the world froze when she heard his answer, her mind grinding to a complete halt. For a good minute, she even forgot to breathe as she stared at Reed.


    Had she heard that correctly, or had she finally lost it?


    To be honest, the latter seemed to make more sense, given the extraordinary situation she was currently in. It would not have surprised if she woke up back in reality at any point in time.


    "Umm, si¡ª I mean..." Isca recollected herself and said, "Reed, did you just admit that you are partially, well, a..."


    "Yes, a Mulian. As in, the native race that inhabited this continent and by extension, the rest of the world it was originally a part of. The same race that took your ancestors from their homeworlds and brought them here. As you can see, my Mulian heritage... manifested itself very prominently late in my adolescence ¡ª a shock even for myself, as I had once thought myself a human."


    This was not common knowledge, not in the slightest. Only a handful of people knew this secret and even then, they were all individuals who understood the ramifications that it could have for Reed.


    And yet, he had told Isca, who was nothing short of a stranger, this priceless secret without so much as batting a single eye. Reed had spoken so nonchalantly, it would''ve seemed like an odd joke had Isca not asked for clarification.


    It scared her, rightfully so. She was no lion-hearted warrior; the last time Isca was put in a serious position, she was forced to choose between vanilla or mint chocolate ice cream.


    For all intents and purposes, she was a normal person, and it went without saying that normal people did not get involved in secrets such as this.


    "Why are you telling me this?" asked Isca in a worried tone. "I''m just a nobod¡ª"


    "The Allure of the Flame, right? I liked it. A little precautionary warning about people like me," said Reed, pulling a folded scrap of paper out of his pocket.


    He handed it to Isca and said, "I was a nobody too, once upon a time. And then I got pulled into this mess and became a somebody. Tonight, I offer you a chance to become someone if you wish for it, but only if you can help me with a problem of mine..."


    A curious request with an even stranger reward. It was the call of something unknown that would surely lead her into an adventure of sorts. There was no way it would not, considering who had come to request her help.


    "What could I possibly help you with? I''m no warrior, nor a powerful person of any capacity. Do you, by chance, need a housemaid or a mediocre historian to regale you bedtime stories? If not, I do not know what I could possibly help you with..."


    Reed snorted in amus.e.m.e.nt and said, "These are very tempting suggestions, but I was thinking of something else. No, I was hoping to commission you for a special project ¡ª a biography of my own life."


    He gestured at the folded paper in her hands and said, "If it isn''t too much to handle, I would like for you to write my story, Isca Yaalte. I promise you many more secrets should you accept. Money too, if you want it. More than enough for you to never buy this... frankly appalling instant coffee, that''s for sure."


    Isca blew a gasket when she heard that and said, "Coffee is coffee! It just needs to get you from one deadline to the next. That''s all that matters to me...."


    Reed shrugged his shoulders and muttered, "I suppose it''s tolerable for you with the small mountain of sugar you''ve dumped into it, but I beg to differ. In any case, why don''t you take a look at the note, Miss Instant Coffee?"


    Better for her to be annoyed with him than to fear him, he thought to himself. What a great deal it had done to break her free of the pitiful restraint she had imposed on herself. He found her far more charming as she was now than when they had begun talking.


    She scowled at Reed and said, "What is this supposed to be, a damn chec...."


    Her mouth slowly stopped moving when unfolded the note, stunned into absolute silence by what laid within its contents.


    "I thought it''d interest you. If my secrets weren''t enough to entice you, I thought that, perhaps, I might help illuminate some of the secrets of your past instead..."


    Isca had been made an offer she couldn''t refuse, for she had been shown something that she never thought she''d ever see.


    "H-How... did you find this? I''ve never even seen..."


    Reed put down his coffee cup and said, "I can do more than show you, if you''d like. I can take you there, so long as you help me. So... what do you say?"


    It almost felt like she was making deal with the Devil, except he was morosely handsome and a cheeky smartass. Not that she knew the Lord of Hell personally, but was certain that Reed could substitute him if wanted to.


    Because she had been caught in his damn net and found herself unable to reject his offer.

 Chapter 195 - The Descent Into His Wonderland

    If words could not do justice to what she had been presented with, it meant that she was going to be in a lot of trouble in the coming days. But more importantly, it indicated a lack of Isca''s skill as a writer, and that concerned her far more.


    But how I do even begin to describe this... this unbelievable location without making it sound like I''m writing a goddamned fantasy story?!


    I''m a professional historian, not a halfwit amateur novelist, for the love of...!


    Odd was the day when fantasy triumphed over reality, but Isca was beginning to believe that it was a common occurrence in Reed Evergreen''s daily life. That much was for certain.


    After all... who in their right minds made themselves a home at the bottom of the ocean?


    Nevertheless, that was where she had found herself ¡ª stuck in Centlani Deep, where an enormous structure had been built for the sake of atonement. Or so she had been told by its weary architect and only caretaker.


    "You built all of this?! How? Why? For what purpose would you want to be down here?" said Isca as she peered out into the inky blackness of the lifeless seabed.


    There was being gloomy and then there was making a home in the Centlani Deep. Isca wasn''t one to judge others on their tastes, but this was definitely an exception to the rule. Even she had her limits when it came to being overdramatic...


    "You don''t like it?" said Reed, genuinely confused as to why she was being so abrasive at the moment.


    "Had you chosen a more dreary place for a home, we would have been in a godforsaken cemetery! Tell me, do you sleep in a coffin instead of a bed, too?" Isca shouted, throwing her old-fashioned paper notepad at Reed in a fit of violence.


    "That really hurts, Instant Coffee. I am wounded, both physically and emotionally. Also, could you not make me out as some macabre demon? I have feelings too, I''ll have you know," said Reed as let out a prolonged yawn.


    A week-long span of cordial discussion had broken down whatever barriers had once been erected between the two of them, to the delight of one and the dismay of the other.


    He was nothing like she had imagined him to be.


    Absolutely nothing matched the fantas¡ª the noble expectations she once had of him.


    Once upon a time, she had thought of him as a handsome dark sun, an enigmatic force of nature that had captivated the hearts of the continent with his unfaltering spirit and passion for justice, truth, and hope.


    She, like many millions, had thought of Reed as a radiant light to follow in these dark times, but...


    There he was, Virtue''s Son, picking his nose with a stupid expression on his face as he lay sprawled out on a large sofa.


    It genuinely hurt to look at him, for it made her contemplate that this was the person who had freed Mulia and even cast judgment on the gods.


    When Reed noticed her contemptuous gaze, he let out an annoyed sigh and said, "Am I not allowed to drop my guard in my own home? Or do you expect me to be your prince at all hours of the day? Do me a favor and don''t get your p.a.n.t.i.e.s in a bunch, okay?"


    In fact, she''d scarcely seen a single organic thing go down his throat, which begged the question ¡ª what kind of terrifying diet was this person on? What sort of debauched lifestyle was this person living?


    "Have you, by chance, ever heard of fruit, Reed? You know, the stuff that grows on trees? Might I suggest you consider putting down the chocolate for a day and eat an orange instead?"


    Reed did not take the suggestion kindly and coldly growled, "Did I hire a dietician or a historian? And for your information, I''ll be just fine without your damn concern. I''m an immortal monstrosity if you haven''t f.u.c.k.i.n.g noticed."


    "No, well, I jus¡ª"


    "I could literally smoke a hundred cigarettes a day and never so much as develop a damn cough! It is impossible for me to get drunk! I can''t get poisoned or drugged by anything! If I wanted to, I could eat a dozen cheeseburgers every day for a year and never gain a damn pound of fat!


    Shit, I don''t even need to f.u.c.k.i.n.g sleep! My body is so damn perfect that it has even eliminated the need for me to rest, for f.u.c.k''s sake!


    I cannot even escape into my dreams anymore!!


    I HAVE LITERALLY BEEN BARRED FROM INDULGING IN ALL VICES KNOWN TO MAN BY MY OWN DAMNED PHYSIOLOGY!!"


    By the time Reed realized that he had gone off the deep end, Isca had already backed herself away into a corner of the room, terrified out of her poor mind. To him, her horrified expression was one that made him feel like pond sc.u.m.


    There was nothing worse than that in his mind ¡ª to be treated as an actual monster, like the Devil himself. It terrified him to no end; the thought that he might''ve actually become the very thing he had sworn to destroy.


    To have followed in His footsteps, despite his laborious efforts...


    Reed took a deep breath and then apologized in the lowest and calmest voice he could manage before he stood up and approached her cowering figure.


    He offered Isca her notepad back to her and said, "Why don''t I show you something interesting as an apology? I''m sure you''ll enjoy it far more than lounging around here."


    It took a lot of coddling and apologizing, but eventually, Reed managed to defuse the situation. For all he was capable of, it continued to baffle him how difficult it was for to not be a monumental f.u.c.k-up around women.


    All he had accomplished seemed so trivial compared to getting a single girl to stop crying...


    Some prince he was, Reed thought himself as he and Isca descended into the bowels of the undersea structure where his workplace was located.


    Strangely enough, the entire place was without any form of security, which warranted suspicion from Isca. Then again, Reed''s home was miles below the sea in a place that few people would ever dare to visit, let alone even care about.


    A lonely, oppressive, deep pit of darkness in a dead part of the ocean ¡ª it suddenly made sense why Reed did not need any locks in his home. No one in the right mind would ever bother visiting...


    "This is the bottommost layer of my home, the place where I come to work on my pet projects. I call it the Nursery for... obvious reasons as you''ll soon find out," said Reed.


    Nursery? Him? That''s not what I expected of him. He can barely take care of himself...


    But today was full of surprises, as Isca would soon come to realize. Though she was initially skeptical, the Nursery had proven itself far beyond her imagination.


    In fact, when she first passed through into the Nursery, she thought that she had been whisked away into another world. Despite her education, she found herself unable to describe it as anything other than a wonderland at the bottom of the sea.


    It was a private conservatory of impossible proportions, for the physical dimensions of the Nursery did not conform with reality. There was no denying it.


    To put it bluntly... it was an entirely different world.


    "Oh my Goddess...." said Isca as she dumbly stood in total shock. She couldn''t even make out the edge of the horizon from where they stood, even though they were atop of what seemed to be a mountain.


    "This is the Nursery; one of my greatest achievements to date, if I may be so impertinent," said Reed.


    "A breakthrough I had with manipulating spacetime geometry and the information limits of Anima allowed me to create this sub-space pocket. It''s roughly the size of the South for scale."


    Though his words were entering Isca''s ears, they simply passed out the other end of her head.


    How could a normal person even begin to feasibly process what she had just been told? Hell, not even the likes of Haydn, Velvund, or even Lu''um would''ve been able to handle it any better than her. There was a clear limit to the absurdity anyone reasonable person could tolerate and Reed had gone a thousand miles past that.


    One did not just create a world, no matter how big or small, and simply call it a "pet project".


    Absolutely not.


    Mortals create homes for their families; kings create kingdoms for the citizens, and...


    Gods create worlds for their creations.


    A vast swath of an untamed rainforest teemed the sound of life below the reinforced glass balcony underneath their feet. The sight of exotic, never-before-seen creatures roaming the canopy above the tree line was a marvel that defied imagination.


    There bird-like creatures of an alien world not known to her, from a star system in a remote galaxy a thousand light-years away from Mu, idling about as they searched for prey. These fellows had whip-like strands on their wings that shone with Anima and crackled like lightning whenever they swooped into each other.


    "Those are razor-light ravens," said Reed as he pointed at them. "Fiesty bunch, the whole lot of them. They''ll fight over mates, food, hunting grounds, even shiny rocks! The wh.i.p.s on the ends of their feathers pack quite the jolt, more than enough to paralyze their prey and anyone foolish enough to piss them off. Sharp claws too, sharp enough to tear through ordinary steel like butter."


    And they were just one species in the grand wilderness of the Nursery.


    Truth be told, Reed himself had already started having difficulties remembering every species present in his care. It had already become a job too large for him to handle alone, which is why he had enlisted the assistance of automated drones to do the grunt work ¡ª recording and indexing into a massive compendium.


    "As you can see, it''s quite the show but I digress. The Nursery is but a small conservatory for all the many species that once existed across the cosmos on a thousand worlds. And once I have finished assembling a compendium of all the species here, I plan to open this place to the public."


    "You... what?" blurted Isca in confusion. "This is all for the public? For what purpose?"


    Reed simply replied, "To educate, of course. I want them to see the wonders that once existed up in the night sky, on distant worlds. For them to appreciate the beauty of life and foster a sense of responsibility in them ¡ª to protect what little we have left... and to mourn what we have lost."


    It was then and there that Isca realized that she still knew next to nothing about the man called Reed Evergreen.


    At one moment, a terrifying madman with issues, and in the next moment, a noble spirit of all that was good and right in the world.


    He really was an enigma to her. Isca doubted whether anyone could truly understand another person''s heart, even more so for someone like Reed. And deep in her heart, she realized that this would be the work of her life.


    That is would be the job that would put her in the history books, for better or worse.


    There was so much to reflect on, note down, and write about. Even now, a profound urge to return to her home and begin writing a rough draft had begun to grow inside her mind. She wanted to put it all down into text before the spark in her mind vanished into the dark.


    But above all else, she had found herself irrevocably drawn to him like a moth to a flame. He was the Sun and she was foolish his Icarus, drawn to the magnetic pull of his unique existence.


    And that scared her, but she could stop herself. She was already in too deep to escape...

 Chapter 196 - Not All Fairy Tales Start Pleasantly

    Fate was not kind to Reed Evergreen ¡ª that was the first lesson that Isca learned about him.


    If anything, it was an understatement to say that simply "not kind" to him. It had beat the living hell of out him and left him for dead. Felt more like a higher power had put a hit on him, in a sadistic sort of way.


    It had taken a long time, roughly a month for Isca to begin the daunting task of worming into Reed''s past. There was only so much she could ask, considering the developing relationship between them. Isca would need to spend more time with him before she fully earned his trust...


    Most biographical jobs were usually not this hard, since the clients were more than willing to talk about their pasts. Truth be told, there was always a degree of narcissism in the very act of commissioning a biography. Didn''t matter if the person was famous, a genius, or someone important.


    The issue for Isca was that her client did not fit the usual mold. He hated the spotlight more than anything in the world. In fact, he despised it so much, he chose to live at the bottom of the sea.


    When Isca asked him why he had chosen to build a home in the most remote place in the world, Reed simply responded with a single, heavy word.


    "Silence."


    For him, living on the surface was unbearable.


    At one point in time, he would''ve been able to tolerate it, but not anymore.


    "I can hear them, you know. Your soft mumbling, your secret whispers, your dreams and fears, and vile curses... I can hear all of you. But down here, far removed from the surface, with miles of seawater between myself and the world, I can find a small measure of... peace," said Reed.


    Was that a metaphorical expression or a literal one?


    With the power he possessed, Isca was convinced that it could very well be the literal truth. And for that reason, she felt it best not to pry any further, for her own sanity... if not for the world''s sake.


    It was one of the many reasons why Reed had changed the venue of their meetings to his home, among other reasons.


    Privacy, for one. What they were talking about not only concerned Reed''s life but also extremely delicate topics could not be overheard by the wrong people.


    There was also the little fact that any form of association with Reed was dangerous for a normal person like Isca. Holding meetings in her little apartment, even with careful planning and the utmost secrecy was not enough to assuage Reed''s innermost doubts.


    Though he was widely admired, for the most part, there were radical elements in Mulia that considered him an existential threat to all life. People who held this belief were almost always affiliated with the Safeguard Coalition ¡ª a political party with only one objective.


    To destroy Reed by any means. To remove the new god who rules Mulia indirectly.


    Their combat doctrine was that if Reed could be hurt with neither the sword nor the pen, then they would strike for what would hurt him most without explicitly striking at him.


    Such was the fate of those who became too close to him. They would be stalked like prey in the shadows until an opportunity arose. Because of this, everyone who Reed knew was put into a protection program for their safety. It was an unfortunate price that they had to pay, but there was nothing they could about it.


    Naturally, Isca was informed about this during their first meeting. The distinct possibility existed that she would become a target too, upon which certain insurances would be enacted...


    In any case, Reed would only speak to her within the confines of his own home, making it somewhat troublesome for Isca, as she had no say when their meetings would occur.


    There was no clearly defined schedule, and even worse, Reed had a habit of not respecting certain... boundaries. In short, there had been many separate instances of her discovering him in her home like a phantom, frightening the living hell out of her.


    He was, after all, a soundless, shadowless specter of a giant. The sight of such a terrifying visage could spook even the dead if they were caught unawares, much less an ordinary girl.


    A humorous turn of events, that the one who was feared nowadays was once the coward in his youth.


    Amongst the earliest anecdotes Reed had recounted to Isca were those of a perpetually anxious child, terrified of what the day would have in store for him. And for good reason, for he had not enjoyed the comfort of a pleasant childhood like most in modern-day Mulia.


    He had been scrawniest and in turn, the feeblest of the orphaned litter that had been left at the Church of Saint Walbur.


    It had taken a lot of effort on Isca''s part to wrest out what little Reed had explained about his childhood, as it was not a topic he wished to recall under any circ.u.mstances.


    "I shouldn''t have to explain that children can be quite cruel, yes? Well, it''s even worse when it comes to orphaned children. They carry a deep hatred that cannot be sated... and it can manifest itself in terrible ways," said Reed in a heavy voice.


    The unpleasant flavor of dirt mixed in with his own blood ¡ª the all too familiar taste of defeat was how he had described his interactions with the other children.


    Anger and frustration were common among the children, as was the use of violence as a form of catharsis. What little could be fought for among the orphans was often the source of heated arguments and by extension, bloody fights.


    For toys, loose change, the best blankets and pillows, and anything else that they could get their hands on.


    Though sometimes, they often fought just for the sake of fighting. To vent their fury on an unfortunate punching bag for no real reason.


    "That''s where I came into the fold," said Reed and added, "As the weakest of the litter, I was the easiest to fight. After all, why would one ever look for someone stronger than them to pick a fight?"


    Days of abuse turned into weeks of torment and eventually, months of agony. Unable to tolerate their endless bullying, Reed ran to where they could not reach him. A place that had been locked away from the children by the priests.


    A sealed section of the church existed where old records were kept. An archive of religious texts, old books, and a vast collection of dust mites.


    "The old archives were my personal sanctuary. Even now, I''m eternally grateful that one of the window locks was broken. That rusty lock had fallen off the window ages ago, but no one ever noticed, or rather, cared enough to replace it," said Reed.


    A blessing in disguise.


    Henceforth, his days would be spent in solitude. It was also where the misguided belief that it was better to be alone had arisen. No one could blame him though, for in his case, spending his days among old books and scrolls was vastly better than getting bullied by his peers.


    "They called me a variety of colorful names from then on, but the most common were ''rat'' and ''ghost''. You know, for my diminished stature and habit of disappearing on them."


    As a result, he picked up a skill and hobby that none of his peers cared for at their age ¡ª reading.


    If not to pass away the lonesome hours in the dusty old archive, then to run away from reality and find comfort in fantasy.


    "And that was how I spent the majority of my days. I read books until the sun went down, only stopping when I had chores to complete," said Reed, reminiscing on the better parts of his childhood.


    "Hell, I used to spend what little money I would find on the streets to buy cheap wax candles or more expensive whale oil ¡ª just so I could read past sundown..."


    His early life was rather tragic for a child, even if Reed reassured Isca that it was not so bad after he discovered his passion for literature.


    Bleaker still, were his older days as an apprentice scribe for an up-and-coming secretary official. Compared to the childish squabbles of his early years, the latter half of his days as a young man were another type of depressing.


    "As a scribe, I learned two things from my former mentor ¡ª how to write elegantly and how men could be bent into submission with only a few words..."


    Reed''s master was a man who had been given a unique station, one not so dissimilar from that of an inquirer for the state. His job was simple enough; he would ask questions for a living.


    The Inquirer.


    Despite her insistence, Reed never divulged his name. Why? She did not know.


    The Inquirer asked very strange questions. Reed soon learned that, as his job was to make copies of every letter that came in and out of his office. As the keeper of the records, it was his task that every correspondence was copied and indexed for archival.


    "I was a little too young to understand what I was reading at first but as I got older, it all started to make sense to me. Both the job I had been given and the man who was my mentor."


    He was a shadow on the wall, peering into the lives of people who mattered in the city. State officials, heads of large businesses, prestigious academics, and anyone else who had even the slightest bit of influence.


    The letters that came into the office Reed worked at were stolen secrets, as Reed had described them. Compromising letters that could ruin a person''s life should they ever fall into the wrong hands... which is why they were kept safe with the Inquirer.


    "That was my job until I ended up here," said Reed with a look of disgust. "My nine-to-five was storing secrets for the state to use against its people should they ever step out of line."


    Reed heartily laughed and said, "Not once had I spoken out against my mentor for fear of the horrors that would await me if I did. Not that it mattered since Karma ended up taking me out in the end. At least, that''s what I think happened to me..."


    How he had unfortunately stumbled into a skirmish between two gangs the night of his death. He was no fool; he was distinctly aware of the unspoken lines in the city as someone who was in the know when it came to the crimes that happened in the city.


    The route he had always taken home was safe because it was a part of the State''s territory, as it was guarded heavily by the police.


    And yet on the night of his sixteenth birthday, he''d been caught in the middle of a shoot-out on turf that was supposed to be off-limits to those two gangs...


    A foul fate for a despicable pissant who had been unable to even struggle a little bit against the ruinous ending that came to him.


    That was the first part of life, as a sinner charged with death for his indifferent complicity.


    By his own mentor.


    "I was discarded," said Reed. "For being a coward. I think ¡ª no, I know that my mentor was the one who called that hit on me. He saw the weakness in my eyes, my hesitation to seriously partake in his profession. And so, his failure of a protege died in an unfortunate accident, bless his soul."


    Suffice to say, it was probably one of the bleakest stories Isca had ever heard. One of a boy trapped in a prison of despair, railroaded by Fate into a life that she could only describe as a cruel joke by god.


    Worse still, she would have to pen it down and make it presentable; palatable enough for general consumption without making light of the truth. A difficult job, to be certain.


    A test? By him? Or by Fate? She couldn''t tell.


    That was probably for the best... all things considered.


    It was the one secret she preferred not to know.

 Chapter 197 - Daydreams Of Better Times

    One of the things Isca hated most was snow. It was why she had gone out of her way to leave the North in pursuit of a warmer, more idyllic Southern life.


    For years, she had worked, studied, and struggled for the singular goal of escaping the closed, tomb-like cities of her youth. Even though there was still plenty to do within the North, the one thing Isca wanted beyond her reach.


    She wanted to see a clear sky. A simple request that proved impossible, for the eternal winter that had once claimed the North would not permit it.


    But things were different now.


    Autumn had arrived in the North and with it, the splendor of crimson blessed the land.


    It was quite the sight for Isca, who had only ever seen frigid hues of white and l.u.s.trous silver in the North. Life had started to recover with the return of the seasons and the miraculous downpour of ambrosia that occurred during the Eventide.


    "How long has it been since you''ve been away?" asked Reed after he noticed her captivated expression at the scenery around them.


    "Four years, give or take a couple of months," replied Isca as she relished the crunching sound of the fallen leaves underneath her feet. It was a childish delight that drew a soft chuckle from Reed to her annoyance, the inconsiderate boor.


    Apparently, Reed had become quite an avid fan of hiking since the Eventide, or rather, he enjoyed retreating into the wilderness to observe his work. He felt it was his responsibility to look after it ¡ª the earth ¡ª given he was one who had given it life.


    The small saplings sprouted a few years ago had already grown into virile, colorful columns that stretched into the clear sky above, a far cry from their previous condition only a couple of years ago...


    "It''s like an entirely different world just sprung up seemingly overnight when I wasn''t looking. To think all this growth occurred in the span of little more than two years," murmured Isca in soft disbelief.


    For Isca, those twin years had passed in a flash the wake of the Eventide and the immense change it had brought, but to Reed, they had the longest years of his life, by far.


    For Reed, those twin years had been most painful. They were filled with many unexpected trials and tribulations that had put him through his paces and then some.


    But he did not look back on those years with aversion, for in his mind, they had finally allowed him to test himself. To face a great challenge and prove to himself what he had known all along from the beginning.


    "It''s not that surprising," said Reed as he played with a small leaf. "These little saplings just needed an opportunity to grow, that''s all. And I gave them that chance. To turn a new leaf, so to speak..."


    Why should I have been the only one to be given a chance to grow, after all? Fair enough that the land should get an opportunity to heal and grow if the people living off of it got one.


    Isca found his boast a bit too grandiose, but couldn''t find anything to say about it when she noticed the peculiar tone in his voice.


    It was clear to her that she had just stumbled on something potentially combustive if improperly handled. The last time Isca blundered, Reed had become nigh-feral in momentary retaliation¡ª a terrifying event she preferred to never experience again.


    Even so, Isca did not believe that he would ever harm her. Though Isca did not have the most astute eye of discernment, she was of the belief that Reed would never do such a lowly thing.


    He was of sub-common lineage, born without anything to his name, and yet, it had not diminished him in the slightest. Indeed, though she had only known him for little more than a month, it had been enough to sketch a rough portrait of his character, his inner nature.


    His demeanor would not allow for any form of impropriety, minor playful jests aside. There was a sharp correctness to his behavior that one would think him unkind, but she thought more a product of his... troubled childhood.


    The fault did not lie on him for being like that, and for what it was worth, she liked his solemn approach to life, as it befitted his tremendously important position in Mulia.


    His tongue was usually quite concise, a trait some would consider belonging to an unsociable man, but she knew better. It was the quality of a disciplined man, one who did not want for meaningless drivel, to pollute the air around himself with hot air.


    To her, Reed was an exceedingly complex and noble soul that had been beset with responsibilities that ordinary people could not even begin to fathom...


    And then Reed curiously said, "Who or what are you thinking about, might I ask? ...Someone special, perhaps?"


    The question immediately dragged Isca out of the dangerous spiral she''d almost lost herself in and abruptly said, "I-I haven''t the faintest clue what you''re talking about!"


    For a moment, the gears landed in the correct position and he loathed his preternatural mind for what it had figured out before he even conciously realized it himself.


    The rise in her blood pressure, the dilation of her pupils upon looking at him, her increased heart rate, even the vigorous neuronal activity in her brain.


    Reed could see all of it. He quite literally watched it happen on a microscopic level and there was nothing he could do to avoid putting the puzzle pieces together at Mach speed.


    There was such a thing as being cursed with knowledge.


    He would have preferred not to know the truth, but his mind would not permit the blessing of ignorance. In fact, he was sure that this was not... the first time he had figured it out. Reed was positive he had already discerned the truth dozens of times, but it did not matter to him.


    Melt.


    False.


    Return.


    Forget.


    Once formatted into hard data ¡ª a recognizable neuronal configuration in his brain ¡ª he promptly registered the specific pattern as "unacceptable", thereby drawing a blank if it was ever accidently triggered.


    Reed had not erased the memory but merely put a lock on it. And until he unlocked it himself, he would remain oblivious of its existence.


    A small act of mercy on Isca''s behalf and his own.


    To break her heart would likely spell alter her perception of him irrevocably, no doubt, and ruin a relationship he had come to enjoy very much. Finding someone with whom he could share his secrets and get a fresh perspective out of them was extremely rare for him.


    And he did not want to lose that just yet.


    Many years ago in his youth, a very close friend had informed him that men and women could never be friends and he had scoffed at him in disbelief. Nowadays, he was inclined to agree with that statement, to his dismay...


    If only for a millisecond, Reed''s eyes lifelessly glazed over, and then his consciousness returned, unaware of what had just transpired.


    Reed shrugged his shoulders and thought to himself that whoever had elicited such a lovable expression out of her was a lucky person.


    The pure, bare-faced adoration in her eyes reminded him of the first time saw that expression on...


    They were only a few minutes away from their destination, a place Reed had wanted to visit for some time.


    The old, winding trail they had been walking on was not a new one to Reed. Far from it. He was quite familiar with it, given it was one he had frequented very much in his youth...


    For he was the one who created it.


    It was an old trail Reed had carved out in a dreary forest back when he had begun to explore the North as a budding trainee. Without regard for anything or anyone, he used his powers at the time to do as he wished, inadvertently tearing apart a personal trail to the top of a small hill simply because he capable of doing it.


    Even now, he still felt a bit sorry for the damage he had inflicted upon the impoverished forest. But it had healed since then, to Reed''s delight. The old trail had almost disappeared already, nearly buried underneath the overgrowth of the blossoming forest.


    When Reed and Isca finally made to the end of the trail, they found themselves atop a hill that overlooked a forest set ablaze in the warmest colors possible. A sight to behold, for sure, but it was not why Reed had brought them here today.


    No, he had brought them there to see that ¡ª the decrepit tower in the distance.


    The Spire.


    "What a tower!" exclaimed Isca, "I''ve never seen something that big, well, in all my life..."


    It was almost as if she''s testing me, Reed thought. There was no way Isca wasn''t trying to get him to say something foolish and highly inappropriate. In his mind, she had cast the golden bait that no imm.a.t.u.r.e man could resist remarking upon.


    Reed grit his teeth as he restrained the urge and let out an awkward cough before he said, "Yes... that is¡ª or rather, once was a place of discipline and education. And even though I only had a brief stay there, that place has never left my heart. Even half a decade later, I can still remember every day I spent there as if it had only been yesterday..."


    To him as a youth, it''d been a dreadful, never-ending nightmare but as with all things in retrospect, his opinion had changed with time.


    He recognized the unique comfort that had been bestowed upon him at the time ¡ª to be perfectly safe, to possess friends for the first time, to have a chance to be released of his former burdens, and to have been given the rarest of all opportunities... the chance to start anew.


    "That was the first place I could confidently call home. And it was where I met the man who gave me the future skills I would require as an a.d.u.l.t. Admittedly, it would not be until much later that I took his lessons to heart. Years later, being the juvenile fool I once was..." said Reed.


    "So... What is this person''s name? I''d love to meet him if possible and get his side of the story," replied Isca as she took a photo of the Spire.


    That would be problematic. Not only for Reed but also the man in question for a variety of reasons. He could not be allowed to be distracted from the important work he had been given, not even for Reed''s sake.


    In any case, Reed preferred not to personally involve anyone in this matter of his. He''d already asked enough of them as it was; to take their privacy away would too great of a request.


    "Unfortunately, that will not be possible. He''s a man who values his privacy and I would like to respect that. Though I am sure that he would gladly let you interview him if I asked, I do not want to make him go out of his way for me any further than he already has..."


    Reed paused for a moment and then said, "You may simply refer to him as the Instructor for future reference, as that was his job during the time I was in his care."


    To Isca, the title sounded rather formal and distant for someone who was supposed to have been a role model for him, but Reed thought otherwise.


    He felt it fit the man perfectly. He was a man who had dedicated himself to caring for wayward idiots like him, above all else. There were likely entire generations that owed their lives to the guidance he had offered them in their youth.


    When Isca heard this, she suggested changing his title to "the Educator", but Reed rejected the idea, for he was a military man and his methods of teaching were not pedestrian in nature.


    "The Instructor was a stickler for the rules and the patron saint of discipline in the Spire¡ª ah, the tower. I, in particular, had a very tumultuous relationship with him since I was sort of a special case, but even so, the man never gave up on me. And for that, I owe him my life."


    The more Reed spoke about the Instructor and his memories at the Spire, the more she saw heard him grow more spirited, and even occasionally flash a smile or two.


    .....Hm? What was he talking about? Ah, I spaced out again.


    Thankfully, her recording drone was not prone to the same indiscretions and had faithfully done its job. The same, however, could not be said for Isca, much to her chagrin.


    She feared for herself, aware she was slowly beginning to head into a dangerous trap as a writer. Under no circ.u.mstances, could she allow herself to become prejudiced in any way. Neither hate, disgust, pity, jealously, or even... love could affect her in telling the facts as they were.


    If they did, it''d mean that she would no longer be qualified to do her job.


    It was a vexing problem that did not have an easy solution.


    But that was life in a nutshell. She would have to endure and resist, at least until the job was done. After all, the reward he had offered her was too incredible for her to fail...

 Chapter 199 - The Price of Happiness

    Deep within the unnaturally inconspicuous headquarters of the Department, past the eldritch labyrinth that served as a proving grounds for Aspirants, a single lonely figure traversed the murky blackness of Xibalba.


    Even though fearless Agents worked here, few dared to trespass where this mysterious specter had marched into.


    It was an area of ardent contention, for it supposedly held some of the Department''s deepest secrets. There were whispers in the wind that it was the place where the Chairman of the High Committee had incarcerated the most dangerous individuals in the world.


    That it was where the late Dreaming Council now slept, imprisoned in an unimaginable hell as punishment for their unforgivable crimes against Mulia. Others still hypothesized that the bottommost layer of the Department Headquarters served as a playground of sorts for the Chairman''s rumored pet projects that could end the world a hundred times over...


    In a world full of highly-guarded secrets, it was the one place everyone in the Department knew about... and nevertheless did nothing to pursue them.


    The specter in the dark, of course, cared not for the mysteries that the foreboding place offered because he was already acquainted with them. There was nothing in the bottommost layer that he had not already seen as a part of his job.


    He was a member of the Department''s most important branch, one that held such enormous influence and responsibility that not even the High Committee knew about its existence. They were not on any records and did not answer to anyone other than the Chairman himself...


    They were the Specters ¡ª the Chairman''s special inquisitorial Agents, tasked not with hunting the Infestation, but rather... their own kindred.


    Being an Agent was a tremendously difficult job, one that demanded much, sometimes too much from those who had been granted power befitting that of a god.


    The missions Agents undertook were excruciatingly difficult and more than often, incurred heavy losses on them. Worse still, the conditions of those missions sometimes required deep exploration of areas not patrolled regularly or even areas not yet explored.


    There was no telling what lurked in these untouched ruins and sometimes it was their unfortunate job to find out...


    Even the most hardboiled Agents could only handle so much time out in the Shadowlands, which was why every Agent was required to undergo periodical psychological examinations. The duration of shifts in the Shadowlands was also dramatically reduced, with the Department favoring shorter rotating shifts instead of having its Agents remain for extended periods.


    But even these conservative measures were not enough to stop cracks from developing in the frontlines. On rare occasions, the demands of the work that Agents were assigned to... broke them.


    When an Agent reached a point where she or he could no longer competently perform their duties, they were usually expected to return to headquarters for a mandatory memory wipe along with the removal of their Alma.


    In return for their cooperation, they would have fabricated memories installed to replace what had been expunged, so as to not warrant any suspicion. A generous send-off package, typically a new home and a sizeable sum of credits would be given to them and that would mark the end of their distinguished service to the Department.


    "But sometimes, we get people like you... the mistakes," muttered the specter, speaking to himself.


    He appeared to be talking to someone, even though did not seem to be accompanied by anyone as he moved toward a heavily armored door. It was his office, so to speak...


    "Not to worry, though. I''ll have you sorted out by the end of the day," said the Specter as he pulled out something from underneath his cloak. A tiny crystal that held a small, flickering light within it ¡ª a soul.


    "Just had to put a fight, didn''t you? Now I''ve gotta make an order to get you a new body," said the specter as he began to make a request for a cloned body to be made.


    Once he finished scrubbing the soul he had captured of all unnecessary memories, he would be done with his part of the job. The trapped soul would be handed off to Specters who specialized in the creation of fabricated memories to be given a new life, and then be put back into a cloned body of themselves.


    Afterwards, they''d be shipped off to their new home, somewhere in the middle of nowhere to live their new lives under temporary supervision for a time.


    Although incredibly rare ¡ª small enough to be counted on a single hand ¡ª there had been a few notable incidents when not every confidential memory was erased as intended in certain former Agents.


    The result of such of a grave blunder always led to the development of severe mental illnesses in the affected victims, something that reflected poorly on the Specters and had the potential to become a dangerous liability to the Department.


    But most importantly, it represented a lack of responsibility and effort in the special duty they had been tasked with by the Chairman. They had been specially selected for their incredible discretion with s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e matters, exceptional abilities, and extraordinary resolve, far beyond what required of them.


    Unlike regular Aspirants who applied, these individuals had been specifically searched for and personally invited by the Chairman himself.


    They were Mulia''s finest men and women, such that every Specter had the strength to match the former Soveriegns that once divided the continent for themselves.


    Such an unusually high affinity for Anima was through the voluntary modification not only their original bodies, but even their souls. It was a secret path from which there was no return, as the transformation process would irreversibly change them on a fundamental level.


    But not all felt the same way, especially not the first Specter to have been created by him.


    In fact, the relationship between the First Specter and the Chairman was so volatile that many wondered why he had been offered such a tremendous honor first...


    When the First Specter appeared out of a spatial tear into Reed''s home at the bottom of the sea, he knew that trouble had come to visit him again. Nevertheless, he kept his feelings in check and greeted him as neutrally and curtly as he could manage.


    There was no point in exchanging plesantries with the man in front of him, since they were both long past the stage where they could falsely act out a friendship. Their relationship was one of pure business and nothing more.


    Reed needed his talents to keep the integrity of the Department in check, and the man needed his unique expertise and abilities for something in particular.


    "How is she?" asked the First Specter.


    "She''s doing fine at the moment. I have not detected any abnormalities in her behavior or memory since we have moved on to the second stage. She has not responded to any of the mnemonic triggers in our conversations, though further testing is required before we can be assured that she is completely stable," said Reed as he handed a holopad to the man.


    The man took the holopad and before he said, "And the extraction of her previous memories?"


    "I''ve already gone back and retrieved them as promised. Up until the day of her... death," said Reed before he added, "They''re ready to be inserted once we can safely confirm her mental stability and the compatibility with the artificial soul."


    Reed paused for a moment before he said, "You do understand that if we do this... it won''t be her, you know? It''ll be a perfect copy, but it still won''t be¡ª"


    A venomous face glared at him, forcing him to stop speaking. The twisted fury in the man''s eyes held such a terrible poison within them that Reed doubted he would ever be forgiven.


    In any case, Reed had promised to fulfill his wish, even if he detested the idea. To him, there was no replacement for her in his heart, nor any of the people he truly loved. They were all unique and irreplaceable to him, and even though he would weep, rage and curse Fate for taking them from him...


    Reed would''ve never thought to create a replacement for them. He would''ve gone to any lengths to bring them back, rather than be content with a... simulacrum, no matter how beautiful or accurate it was.


    But it was pointless to reflect about what he would''ve done, or whether it adhered to his morals or not. He was a man of his word and would grant the troubled soul his wish, even if it was something he did not want to do.


    Everything he did was to give the people of Mulia what they had asked of him ¡ª to make Mulia a heaven for them, regardless of the cost.


    After everything that had come to pass, all they had asked of him was to make the pain go away.


    It was then that Reed finally understood how brittle their spirits actually were, how weak the people of Mulia were at heart.


    They could have asked him for anything and he would have labored endlessly to grant it to them, but all they wanted was to be happy.


    And why would they be? They had all been born and raised in a world of artificially constructed peace, the vast majority never having experienced the pain and suffering he had endured. In fact, their souls had not been tempered by great adversity, loss, or despair until very recently with the Twilight War.


    They had no drive to change and were content living in their bird cage, so long as it was well defended.


    Reed considered this great apathy for progress the worst curse that the Dreaming Council had created. They had coddled an entire world into a state of dependant babyhood...


    A world that he was now responsible for.


    The poor man in front of him was no different than the masses, desperately searching for a spark of happiness in the cold dark of a bottomless pit of despair.


    ...And as Reed had promised them, he would fulfill their wish.


    With each passing day, week, and month, he felt himself transforming into something else. His precious humanity, which he had struggled so hard to keep, had begun to slip away.


    He wondered if this, too, was a cost that would have to be paid in order to fulfill their wish.


    But he would, nevertheless, make all of them happy... that much was for certain.

 Chapter 201 - Disownment

    "What if I told you that a world existed where everything was wonderful? Another world where your wildest dreams were fulfilled? That anything was possible, so long as you wished for it?"


    Isca held her tongue for a moment before she cautiously said, "I can''t believe I''m going to say this, but... are you high? Or is the part of some elaborate ruse?"


    She wasn''t even sure if it was even possible for someone like Reed to be affected by drugs or poison, but there was no other way for her to explain what had come out of his mouth. What could have possibly driven him to utter such nonsense?


    "Do you find it a... strange concept? A world of eternal happiness?  Is it truly such a ridiculous idea that anyone would d.e.s.i.r.e a world where they were the happiest? A perfect world devoid of suffering, tragedy, and pain? " said Reed as he toyed with a small piece of chocolate in his hands.


    It was a curious sight to behold for Isca, as she had held one of the chocolate pieces that Reed had in his hand. The slightest amount of heat would begin to melt them, such that you could scarcely hold them in your hands for more than a couple of seconds.


    And yet, the piece of chocolate in Reed''s hands had not melted at all since he had picked it up...


    "It''s positively ridiculous ¡ª who in their right mind would ever d.e.s.i.r.e something like that?" said Isca as she picked up another chocolate for herself. The longer she held on to it, the more it continued to melt as it turned back into a vicious little puddle in hands.


    "You''d be surprised," said Reed, offering Isca a handkerchief and added, "People are frail creatures. Seeking warmth and comfort in a particularly cruel world is not a sin, I think."


    Isca snorted in disdain and took the handkerchief before she said, "There''s a huge difference between seeking comfort from pain and wanting to live in perpetual bliss by ignoring the world around them. What you''re talking about is nothing more than escapism at its finest..."


    If only there were more people like you, willing to stare down the uncertain world in front of them and take a stand for themselves. Unfortunately, the majority has ruled otherwise...


    All was well with the world.


    It was placid up above on the surface, without so much as a single incident to speak since the beginning of the year. And that was precisely why Reed scarcely left his home at the bottom of the sea.


    The surface was for mortals to enjoy, and it had no room to spare for outsiders that did not fit the mold.


    "Escapism is what she described it when I told her about it in passing as a ''joke''. Should''ve seen the expression on her face when she called me out," said Reed with a half-grin.


    "Oh? It must have been something rather terrifying. So, what did you reply back with?"


    "I asked her if she was willing to go down that path in our little debate. To willingly be the advocate for all the world''s suffering just for the sake of her personal beliefs."


    "Ouch. That must have stung a bit for what was supposed to have been a friendly debate. Wasn''t that a little too harsh? Wouldn''t want to scare her off, now..."


    Reed couldn''t help but chuckle when he heard that and said, "She''s a tough girl, gramps. Even if she''s someone else, it seems that she''s still the same in some aspects. Not that it''s that surprising ¡ª one''s genes determine their personality to a certain degree, after all..."


    Velvund frowned.


    What Velvund feared most these days was indifference. Not hatred or love, but rather the cold detachment of one''s feelings from something.


    In this particular case, it was the growing indifference towards Mulia and its inhabitants.


    Reed was still determined to protect Mulia, but Velvund did not know how long that feeling would last. Perhaps another couple thousand years if he was committed to his beliefs, or just a few centuries if he felt like it was not worth it anymore.


    I do not doubt his feelings about protecting Mulia, but that flame is destined to go out one day. There will come a day when he simply will not care about Mulia anymore. He will grow tired of the endless struggle to protect it.


    It is only natural. Though he is a God in flesh, his spirit is all too human...


    His lingering emotions as a human, as a mortal person were intrinsically tied to the people that he knew before he became a God. Reed was being tied down by everyone who he cherished, but they were destined to die at some point in time.


    And once they were all gone, what would remain to anchor him to the peoples of Mulia?


    Will anything remain to give him enough cause to guard Mulia after we are all dead?


    Once upon a time, a perfect solution for this problem existed but after she disappeared, Velvund realized that nothing would ever work.


    He had already begun to notice subtle changes in Reed''s general mannerisms, appearance, and manner of speech. Most concerning of all was that Velvund could no longer perceive Reed''s soul anymore.


    There''s nothing there... Or rather, there''s an empty void in its place. How did he manage to do something like this?


    "Please, my dear son... this cannot go on any further," said Velvund, staring at him in the eyes as he searched for something within them...


    Reed smiled and warmly said, "What cannot go on any further? Is something troubling you, grandpapa?"


    Trying to find the last spark of humanity within his grandson''s deep almond eyes, Velvund continued on and said, "You''re teetering on the edge, my son. Between one side and the other ¡ª I know you understand what I''m talking about, yes?"


    And then the temperature in the room dropped three hundred degrees in an instant.


    Velvund sighed and said, "You are at the precipice of something I cannot even begin to fathom, my son. I fear that no one can understand where you are now. But I do know that if you continue down this ruinous path of... self-neglect, emotional detachment, and denial  it will only end in tragedy for everyone."


    "I will be fine. I am perfectly fine. Why is it that everyone must criticize me at every turn and corner, no matter what I do! I hold up the sky and breathe life into the land every morning, only to be scrutinized by the very people under my protection!" said Reed in a dangerously erratic tone that betrayed the content of his rebuttal.


    Had he not done enough already?


    He had cured them of their illnesses, ended inequality in its many forms, granted them an endless supply of wealth, and was even planning on bringing back their loved ones from the dead!


    It was still not enough.


    Reed had not accounted for the fact that the average person was weak.


    Both in body and mind, the average person lacked the strength to act and to be.


    To fight against a powerful foe, one required a honed body fit for battle and a sharp, focused mind. It did not have to be a physical enemy; it could be a spiritual enemy too, such as depression, addiction, or even one''s fears and vices.


    Unfortunately, the average person was woefully incompetent ¡ª they were untrained, undisciplined, and entirely indulgent in the very things that made them weak.


    Every day, they prayed to him wanting more. They always wanted more. There seemed to be no limits when it came to their d.e.s.i.r.es, to Reed''s dismay.


    To Reed, what Mulia was like now would''ve been paradise to him as a child. He would have done anything to be allowed in a land full of endless opportunities like Mulia but to the inhabitants of this new paradise, it still had not been enough.


    Every time Reed closed his eyes, he could hear all of them out there, praying for the happiness that he had promised them.


    What do they WANT? What more can I GIVE THEM? Is what I have given them NOT ENOUGH?


    Reed took a deep, tired breath as he wondered where everything had gone so wrong.


    Nothing was as it should have been. He had expected them to be different. He had imagined they would have wanted to fight and struggle and aspire to rise up against the formidable odds that awaited them beyond the Heavenly Barrier.


    "...Why won''t they stand up for themselves, gramps? I wish I had been born earlier, back when the First Generation had been alive. The Otherworlders who fought in the Great Barrier War would not have been so spineless and indolent as the sheep-folk of today."


    The thought of an entire continent full of determined people like the Otherworlders would have allowed Reed to accomplish feats that not even Ancient Mulians could have matched in their prime.


    Reed had enormous ambitions, far outstripping what anyone could imagine, but he lacked the manpower to do what he wanted. The Nuedo were promising, but even they were not enough for what Reed wanted to do.


    If Reed had what he needed, he would have already made a legitimate effort to retake what laid outside the Heavenly Barrier.


    Reed would have taken Mu back from the Infestation, one continent at a time until they had complete control of the planet. He would have covered the entire planet in a Heavenly Barrier given enough time, giving them an entire planet to own.


    He would have gradually healed the wounds inflicted by the Infestation, purifying the blackened seas and lifeless continents of Mu until they burgeoned an abundance of life and joy for all to enjoy in peace.


    And then, he would have f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y restored the island domain of Citlai back into the reborn Mu just to make them witness what he had accomplished while they had been rotting away in their little city.


    And all of this would have only been the first step in his plan.


    Reed''s ambitions stretched outward into the stars, but even he could not make his dreams come true by himself. Though powerful in Mulia, his strength was still not enough to fight the Outsiders, not by a long shot.


    He, too, wanted more but it certainly wasn''t to spend his life idly sitting on his a.s.s.


    When Velvund saw the fire in his eyes, he knew that there was still a chance.


    Not everything was lost yet. All he needed was to be pushed in the right direction.


    "If you want to light a fire in these people, then you''re going to have to make them understand. You need to show them that there is more out for them to obtain by joining your cause compared to doing nothing. You need to inspire them into acting," said Velvund with a crooked smile as his mind began putting a plan together.


    Even without an Alma, the Silver Reaper was a terrifying mastermind who had lived and ruled an empire for more than five thousand years. To him, not even retirement was enough to stop him from causing trouble and now that an opportunity had arisen in front of his eyes, nothing was going to stop him now...


    "Inspire them into acting? If I had someone with my abilities on my side back in my youth, I would have already tried to take over the world, goddamnit! How are they not inspired already?!"


    Velvund cackled when he heard his grandson''s outraged reply. The poor fool thought that his power alone was enough to compensate for his lack of charisma. Though he had all the power in the world and an incredible reputation, it still could not make up for his diplomatic abilities.


    He looked around and thought to himself, this brat wants to inspire an entire continent and yet he lives in a tomb at the bottom of the goddamned sea like a monster from a myth!


    The hilarity of it all was too much to handle as he held his gut in pain from the laughter.


    As Velvund wiped the tears from his eyes, he said, "And you wonder why she was your better half, you silly boy. Do you remember who did all the talking back then? Was it you or was it her, hm? It would not be a lie for me to say that she was even better than me when it came to the art of speechcraft, persuasion, and diplomacy."


    Reed grumbled and said, "You make it sound like I have stage fright or something..."


    "What I''m saying is that one of you had to practice making speeches for a week before he was allowed to take interviews and come to formal events. And the other one was the person writing your speeches, haha!" said Velvund as he chuckled gleefully at Reed''s expense.


    Velvund patted his overgrown grandchild''s head and said, "You''ve been operating at half-power and you know it. If you want to make your big dreams come true, then you''re going to need the help of the best. But the truth is that I just want to see my granddaughter already... and my grandchildren, too."


    Reed snorted coldly and said, "You already have half a dozen grandchildren, you old fart. Just how many more do you need?"


    "Another one or... perhaps three more might make me satisfied. Are you taking notes?"


    This old bastard''s beyond help...


    "In any case, the Goldentree Clan has no cowards in its bloodline. If you will not obey your grandpapa''s request, then I will order you as your Clan Patriarch ¡ª you are to bring your fiance back home as soon as possible. This order must be carried out effective immediately. If you choose to disobey or fail in completing this order, I will strip you of your title and erase your name from the family tree, am I clear?"


    "W-wait, slow down! That''s not possible right now. I have important busi..." said Reed as slowly lost his confidence underneath Velvund''s deathly serious expression.


    He wasn''t joking at all. If Reed didn''t bring her back, he really would disown him.


    Ah, f.u.c.k.


    It was time to pay his other family a visit that was long overdue...

 Chapter 203 - No More Running

    If there was one thing Axtorius Ostell Nauveda understood, it was that the biggest enemy people had was often... themselves. Every person had the same blind spot, a fatal weakness that they were born with as intelligent, sapient creatures.


    It was the heart.


    Plain and simple, really. Intellect was a double-edged sword ¡ª with the ability to cogitate difficult, abstract concepts came the burden of overthinking those same concepts.


    "And that''s exactly what you''re doing, kid. You''ve put so much thought into the matter that you''ve strangled yourself into a deadlock," said Axtorius in a frustrated voice as he struggled to open a stubborn bottle of frozen liquor.


    "...Let me open that bottle for you," said Reed but was curtly rejected by Axtorius in a heartbeat with a swift slap on the wrist.


    His old mentor paused for a moment before he said, "Sorry, but this bottle right here is a family heirloom ¡ª a pristine bottle of Tennessee whiskey hailing from a little blue mudball called Earth."


    Axtorius cradled the bottle gently like a baby as he contemplated his options and said, "There''s only so many of these precious babies in existence. The few that exist are the ones that got teleported over here with the First Generation way back in the day. It was pure luck that a couple of idiots were holding on to them when they got dragged to this damned continent..."


    Reed''s expression turned green in mild disgust and replied, "Then shouldn''t that bottle be over five thousand years old? Don''t tell me that you actually wanted to drink that... archaeological artifact."


    There was little these days that could put off Reed, but the thought of drinking something old enough to be fossilized made his stomach churn. Nostalgia had a limit and Reed had found that limit today...


    "Of all the nerve!" said Axtorius, scowling at Reed with a contemptuous gaze. "You think my family just kept this bottle lying around in some closet?! This has been delicately frozen and kept in a vacuum chamber by my family for millennia! Why the hell do you think I said ''pristine bottle''?!"


    Axtorius shook his head and said, "The bottle''s priceless. It''s real stuff that came from Earth, so the import taxes were stupid high when it got shipped to Mars. Something like this was an average joe''s paycheck for the month ¡ª and now it''s worth as much as a whole goddamned fleet."


    "So you''re not going to open it? Then why''d you bring it out in the first place? Just trying to show off, eh?"


    "I was going to open it, but now... I think I''ll hold onto it for a little while longer," replied Axtorius, unwilling to waste it on the ungrateful brat in front of him. Reed had unfortunately ¡ª or perhaps, fortunately ¡ª lost his opportunity to taste a priceless treasure...


    Reed shrugged his shoulders in confusion and said, "I''ve heard about Earth and Mars before; Mars is the dusty red planet, right? Don''t tell me you''re actually that old. I can accept an Avunian living long enough if he was formerly a Chosen, but a human? That''s a bit of a stretch..."


    "No, not me... My great-grandfather was First Generation; a bonafide Otherworlder who was brought along with the rest of the Martian colony. And he fed my father tales of his faraway home ¡ª which in return ¡ª were fed to me when I was a kid..."


    It was a very strange place, Axtorius''s ancestral home. When Reed first entered, he had thought that they had mistakenly entered a private museum rather than an actual residence.


    Words failed to describe what Reed felt as he sat in the middle of a cultural madhouse filled with all manner of peculiar things.


    The walls were adorned with vivid paintings and photographs of strangers ¡ª some had sky-blue backgrounds; others had crimson-orange backgrounds. They had people posing in front of places, buildings, and strange objects that Reed had no clue about.


    It might''ve seemed to have other people''s mementos to Reed or any other normal person, to Axtorius''s grandfather it had been his life''s work.


    Desperate to save what little memories of his home had not been destroyed during the Age of Chaos, he had rummaged across hundreds of different ruins and battlefields to collect these precious few fragments of his people''s history and culture...


    Tall bookshelves were filled with old-fashioned paper books, which were themselves flanked by several glass enclosures filled with a variety of miscellaneous objects. Some of them were easily identifiable like children''s toys, musical instruments, and antique firearms but some items eluded Reed despite his best efforts.


    Why do they do all this? Is it a hobby you just pick when you get old enough? I really don''t get it...


    They were the same ¡ª Axtorius and Velvund. Trying their best to hoard and collect every single piece of knowledge and history that their cultures had before they were taken to Mulia.


    "You know, I know another person who has the same hobby you have... collecting, cataloging, and preserving ancient history," said Reed, chortling at the absurdity of Axtorius''s home.


    "Oh? And who would this esteemed, cultured individual be? A member of the Kingscrown family? Or perhaps a historian or collector you''ve met somewhere? I might know them if that''s the case," said Axtorius as he inspected his beloved bottle of whiskey for any potential defects.


    "Velvund Goldentree."


    And for an instant, Axtorius''s face turned blank as an empty sheet of paper until he regained his composure and replied with, "Ah, I suppose that makes sense... In any case, though we have similar interests, our origins are not the same."


    "Not the same? How so? You both collect antiques, so what''s the difference?"


    "I inherited this grand collection from my father, just as he did from his own father, but the Silver Reaper likely collected everything by himself. Sure, I might''ve added a bit to this collection myself over the years, but I can''t compare to him in terms of effort, time, and dedication. That man''s on another level compared to me..."


    Though Reed understood their passion, he still did not the most essential part ¡ª why they did it.


    And so when Reed asked for an explanation, Axtorius smiled and said, "To not forget."


    "To not forget what? Your culture? Your ancestral homeworld?"


    It was beyond irritating; Reed felt as if he was on the cusp of something important but couldn''t get how it was all connected. The pieces were all there but he couldn''t find out how they fit.


    Overthinking all of it ... Mementos of the past... To not forget....


    Axtorius let out a small chuckle and said, "You''re not wrong, kid, but that''s not what I was talking about. I keep up this hobby of collecting because it''s my connection to my family."


    "That''s why I do it ¡ª why I keep my father''s stories about Mars and Earth so close in my heart and why I go out of my way to collect and preserve all of this stuff. When you''re a foreigner in a strange world, the world can feel pretty cold and distant, don''t you think?"


    Though Reed did not reply, the look in his eyes said more than enough...


    "Look, kid... You don''t have to tell me anything for me to know that you''re in a rough place right now. The fact that your girl hasn''t been around for a while is enough for me to make an educated guess about the nature of your problem, too."


    A somber silence filled the living room as a lonesome titan listened to his old mentor.


    "You came here without a damn thing. Nothing to your name, except your name."


    "I still remember the cautious little boy who couldn''t trust anyone. The frightened boy who wanted to, as I recall wanted to ''hide in some remote place and let things pass by''."


    Axtorius stared at Reed dead in the eyes and said, "But then something happened, right?"


    "You met someone and before you even knew it, you had started walking forward instead of backward. Hell, the world might''ve even changed a bit for you in the process. You''ve certainly changed; the kid I knew would''ve never had the balls to do what you''ve done."


    Memories that Reed had kept locked up for the longest time began to spill out onto his vacant mind. Overflowing visions of magnificent gold filled his head as he began to recall how everything started...


    A meaningful smile formed on Axtorius''s face and he muttered, "I hate cheap cliches the most, but the saying still holds true: ''You don''t know what you''ve got till it''s gone.''  That girl fixed you good, kid, better than I could have ever done. Put you back your feet and put a damn fire in your heart. Considering how bad you were in the beginning, I''d go as far as to call her a f.u.c.kin'' miracle worker!"


    Even Reed couldn''t help but laugh when he heard Axtorius grill his a.s.s like that. He felt as if he had suddenly been thrust more than half a decade into the past, back when he had been snot-nosed punk who had been terrified of Axtorius''s shadow...


    "I can tell you from experience that your girl is the type that you stumble into. You can go searching for a girl like her all your life and never find one. She''s your lucky charm, kid ¡ª keep her close and you''ll always be a winner, but if you lose her... well, you''re gonna regret it for the rest of your life."


    "Experience? Heh, that sounds like a story I''d love to hear. Consider my interest piqued," said Reed.


    Axtorius snorted contemptuously and said, "I tell you what, kid... you patch things up with your lady and maybe I''ll tell you one day. But for now, go get your girl ¡ª no, your family back, alright? Stop thinking about who''s to blame, who said what, and all that bad shit."


    He stood up and stared at the bottle in his hands for a minute in serious contemplation before he thrust it out to Reed.


    Reed''s eyes popped out in surprise and he blurted out, "But isn''t that your baby? I can''t possibly accept something like this, even if it''s from you, old goat."


    Axtorius firmly thrust into Reed''s hands and said, "The hell you can''t, you little shit! I''m giving you this bottle on a single condition ¡ª that you take one good f.u.c.kin'' swig from it before you meet your lady. The way you look right now, I''m afraid you''d chicken out at the last minute, so take a shot of liquid courage before you meet her and fix your shit, am I clear?!"


    Speechless was the only world that could describe what Reed felt as he dumbly stared at the bottle in his hands. A priceless family treasure had been given away... just for him to not be a coward.


    "Don''t lose what matters the most, kid ¡ª your family. It''s the only thing that foreigners like us have in this miserable world. Lose that and the only thing we''ll have left is our names again..."


    The sentiment behind the action, though demeaning, was heartwarming in a way that Reed could not properly express.


    "Thank you, sir. I''m in your debt again," said Reed as he clutched the bottle with a profound, newfound resolve.


    "Damn straight! Now go get your shit together before I regret giving you my baby," said Axtorius.


    It terrified Reed for a moment; Axtorius had used his old drill instructor voice, full of the same unholy authority and ferocity that used to put the fear of God in him.


    But Reed took that as the sounding of the war horn. The time had come to go meet Her. He nodded and immediately opened a spatial tear, not even sparing a moment to say goodbye to Axtorius.


    Reed had left... and he would not be coming back until he had accomplished what he needed to do.


    It was time to go pay an overdue visit to Citlai. The time had finally come to clear everything up... come hell or high water.

 Chapter 204 - Ad Meliora?

    Imm.a.t.u.r.e is the heart of a man who has not yet experienced the frigid sting of betrayal... But even more imm.a.t.u.r.e and sinful is the heart of a man who has not learned how to forgive!


    You call me a heartless fiend for what I have done but if I am guilty, then you are too!


    ¡ª The Judgement of Yabua the Traitor by Idrea Maseth


    A funny thing, the topic of forgiveness. Too many people considered it a virtue to be able to forgive and let go of past grudges and transgressions, despite the fact that most people were incapable of doing it themselves.


    Or more accurately, most people have no interest in actually forgiving other people.


    "Quite a paradox, no? That people venerate a concept that they don''t even really care about. But that''s what people are at their core ¡ª irrational, paradoxical, and generally unpredictable," said Reed as he peered out of the open window in Lu''um''s bedchamber.


    It had happened so out of the blue that it had terrified Lu''um into a state of temporary catatonia as she stared at Reed like a deer in headlights. And for a solid minute, she seriously questioned if her mental condition had finally deteriorated beyond help...


    In fact, the shock had been so great that for a small moment, her heart had actually skipped a couple of beats. Not in the metaphorical sense, but rather in the potentially dangerous and life-threatening sense.


    "I-I don''t believe it... Is that really... you?" said Lu''um, understandably distressed.


    The denial in her heart was strong, as she did not believe that the day had finally come.


    Even though Lu''um knew that this day would eventually come, she had not expected it to have arrived so... fast.


    It had barely been half a year since the day that Reed had left Citlai alone. His prem.a.t.u.r.e arrival completely contradicted what she had been told by the Old Crone by a factor of three. Reed had not been scheduled to arrive for another year and yet...


    Which could only mean two things ¡ª either the Old Crone had made a mistake or she had finally lost her mind a mere half a year without seeing Reed.


    Lu''um did not know which one was worse, as they were both equally troubling.


    Reed turned to look at Lu''um and said, "Do you think I am a hallucination? Your concerns are understandable, but I can assure you that you are not having a schizophrenic episode at the moment."


    It was jarring looking at Reed, almost as if there was a thin veil of static around him. But more concerning than that was how he appeared ¡ª he looked like his former self, back when he had still been relatively human.


    The babyfaced, impertinent expression on his face was like a physical memento of better times, simpler times... but she knew that something was wrong.


    "What have you shrouded yourself with? I cannot make your face clearly," said Lu''um as she slowly, cautiously approached Reed. "Why are you hiding yourself? I am not your enemy."


    "Something necessary for my own sake," said Reed with a polite smile on his face. "Don''t take it personally; I''m just looking after myself, just as anyone else would in... enemy territory."


    "We both know that''s not true," said Lu''um as she slowly extended one of her hands to touch Reed''s face and continued by saying, "What happened back then was jus¡ª"


    And then it happened.


    Just as Lu''um''s hand touched Reed''s face, it just... passed right through his head.


    "Ah... W-What is this?! You said tha¡ª" said Lu''um into total disbelief.


    "I know what I said," interjected Reed before Lu''um could continue her train of thought and told her, "And though I told you that I am real ¡ª which is the truth ¡ª I never said that... all of this is real."


    It had all been a bit of cruel fun on part of Reed, something that he had meticulously planned and trained for. A reversal of the same betrayal that Reed had been inflicted upon that day.


    "That''s not possible! I would''ve known, would''ve detected any kind of attempt to influence my mind! I admit you''re very talented and learn quickly, but you''re not that talented! Not enough to bypass my internal defenses and hijack my subconscious," said Lu''um, unable to accept the situation.


    Reed smirked and said, "I''d agree with you, but only if we''re talking about my former self. These days though, I''ve become capable of doing some pretty amazing things, you see..."


    Lu''um''s bedroom began to tremble as the walls, floor, and ceiling began to drift apart from each other, revealing an infinite plane of total darkness.


    It had all been a set, an acting prop that had been created by Reed to better ease Lu''um into handing over control of her own subconscious to him.


    Although Lu''um had caught on a little faster than anticipated, she had still given Reed enough time to burrow himself into the bottommost level of her mind. It was the same place that Reed had descended into back in Cem-Elle years ago.


    In the end, this was how it was going to be. Rather than converse with Lu''um herself, Reed had decided to converse with someone higher in charge, so to speak.


    Lu''um''s soul.


    There would be no lies here, for this would not be a conversation between two people, but rather a dialogue between two souls.


    In this place, at the bottom of Lu''um''s mind ¡ª f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y connected at the spiritual level ¡ª they would both be forced to drop all pretenses, for they were as n.a.k.e.d and pure as they could possibly be...


    Reed let out a small sigh before he said, "I do apologize for my intrusion, but I felt that I would not be able to trust you if we talked normally. And I also would rather not alert any other parties about my... arrival in Citlai, too. I would prefer not to shake up the beehive just yet..."


    Lu''um felt as if she had been stabbed in the gut when she heard Reed''s explanation. It was extremely painful hearing Reed explicitly assert his distrust like that.


    More than anything, his explanation conveyed a tone of practiced, polite formality ¡ª almost as if Reed was treating this conversation more like a business meeting, rather than a reunion with someone he cared for...


    The murky darkness beneath their feet wriggled as if it were alive and the plane began to transform as an abundance of objects ¡ª walls, furniture, decorations, and all manner of appliances and household items ¡ª arose and flew around them until a brand new place was created from nothing.


    Summer''s Ambrosia, their former bakery and home had arisen from the void. Reed thought that if they were going to talk about everything that had happened, they should at least do it someplace they both felt comfortable with.


    Without a single care in the world, Reed immediately went behind the counter and grabbed a pair of metal tongs before he said, "So, what can I get you? Blueberry muffin like always? Or do you want a chocolate croissant?"


    The question momentarily stunned Lu''um, but she quickly regained her composure and replied, "Why... are you doing all of this, beloved? Surely, you must know that I would never lie to you. I understand that you might be... upset, but I can assure you that if you give me the chance to expla¡ª"


    Reed shook his head and said, "I''m not upset. I can assure you that much, so why don''t you pump the brakes for now and breathe for a hot second. I''m sure that we''ve both got a lot of questions we want answered but I''d like to relax a bit for now..."


    And so after some extra coaxing, Reed and Lu''um enjoyed a period of momentary respite before the storm. A fleeting period of time where it almost seemed as if everything had gone back to normal.


    They simply ate their... imaginary pastries and talked about ordinary, everyday topics as they passed the time together.


    But once they had broken the ice and gotten accustomed to each other again, Reed finally said, "I think it''s about time we get to the heart of this meeting, don''t you think? Considering my actions, I''ll let you start the discussion with your questions as a form of compensation. Feel free to ask me whatever you want. I have nothing to hide, after all..."


    Though there was a small barbed thorn in that last statement, Lu''um did not care about it and said, "How did you manage to bypass my internal defenses, and more importantly, how did you enter Citlai without being detected?"


    Reed laughed and said, "Still the loyal patriot, I see. I naturally could not enter with the guiding nail that connects this Citlai to Sotephor City, so I came here through the same method that we used last time. After I reached the outskirts of Citlai''s dimensional bubble, I wormed my way inside very slowly and carefully, so as not to alert anyone and... presto, I got inside!"


    Lu''um felt her blood freeze as she struggled to process the verbal insanity that had just graced her ears. And then, in less than a second, a frightening, deep fury had nearly taken hold of her.


    Had it not been for her frankly superhuman patience and her d.e.s.i.r.e to not ruin their relationship any further, she held back her rage and said through gritted teeth, "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Have you completely lost your mind, hm? ...Or are you just trying to provoke me into killing you myself?"


    Reed shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don''t fear the Outside. The Infestation is another story, of course. But with careful planning and a bit of luck, it was pretty easy avoiding them on the way here. Don''t worry, I''d never compromise the safety of Citlai so relax, alright?"


    "I''m not angry because of that, you imbecile! I''m angry because you just admitted to doing the exact same thing that nearly got us both killed last time!! What the hell were you thinking?!" said Lu''um at the top of her lungs.


    "I told you I''d tell you the truth; if it''s too painful to hear, then I advise you to not ask questions you''d prefer not to have answered," replied Reed in a neutral, unaffected tone.


    Exasperated, Lu''um restrained herself and said, "You could have just used the guiding nail, you fool. No one would have done anything to you, Ka''an. This is truth."


    Reed bitterly smiled and said, "And there it is ¡ª the part where you''d ask me to blindly place my faith in you and... your people. Sorry, Sweetcheeks, but that''s something I''m unfortunately incapable of doing at the moment. Wasn''t going to risk facing an entire armada plus your folks the instant I stepped out."


    He had actually considered the idea of going through the front door but rejected it after extensive deliberation.


    For his own safety, he would''ve had come with a small contingent of Agents as his personal guard, but when he thought about how that could''ve escalated everything very quickly into a nasty situation, he opted for the back door instead.


    "There''s no need to make things more complicated than they already are,"  was Reed''s overall mindset when he decided on sneaking into Citlai. Naturally, though, Reed had not considered how Lu''um might''ve felt about the entire affair.


    Sometimes the safest and most efficient choice was not always the best choice nor the correct one.


    But that in and of itself was up for debate, as was evident when it came to Reed and Lu''um opinion''s on the matter...


    "That would have never¡ª"


    "Happened? Do you mean like the part where your people nearly installed cognitive restraints on me? Or the part where all of you intended on killing me, if not subduing me so you could finish the job?"


    The temperature in the room suddenly dropped to absolute zero in a single second. Outside of the bakery, a large storm had begun to swirl above Cem-Elle as dark clouds churned vigorously in anticipation...


    Two people quietly watched each other with indiscernible expressions of cold formality.


    Not of friends nor lovers, but of predators observing their foe for any sign of weakness...


    If the tension around them could be measured, it would''ve probably broken whatever device had been measuring it. It was a thick fog made of suspicion, anxiety, past grudges, and a faint hope for reconciliation.


    Whether or not they would reach some measure of peace would depend on them being able to escape the grip of that deadly tension...


    The conversation was progressing wonderfully, as expected.


    Well, as wonderfully as one could have hoped for two equally stubborn and self-assured people like the both of them...

 Chapter 206 - There Will Be Blood

    ''Agony'' was such a tiny word, and yet it conveyed an entire spectrum of meaning that could not be conveyed. In a sort of macabre way, it was somewhat magical when Reed thought about the semantics of the word.


    Agony.  A-g-o-n-y.  Derived from the Human-Greek word ''agonia,'' which itself defined as a struggle or contest for victory...


    That was where Reed was mentally at the moment. He was so far gone that he had receded into his own mind for refuge. Needless to say, it was a pathetic sight to behold, but that was the price Reed had chosen to pay for the sake of peace.


    A beautiful hall that would have made even the wealthiest man in Mulia blister in jealously surrounded a very long dining table, which held more than two dozen individuals at once.


    Exotic, unknown dishes flanked both of Reed''s sides, surpassed only by the main dish in front of him ¡ª a seafood dish that had... an entire head of what seemed to be a giant crocodile.


    What in the hell is this? I mean, how do you even eat something this? I-I can''t even...


    And a fleet of servants in traditional Mulian robes stood at attention akin to living statues as they waited for the command of the Master of Ceremonies, the person who had set up the event...


    Ulbo, the Master of Ceremonies, had such a dazzling smile on his face that it could have probably outshone an actual star in luminosity... well, if any of them still existed nowadays.


    "Please, beloved friends and family! Drink! Eat! Today is a reconciliation, bonding, and happiness for all!" said Ulbo and laughed heartily in delight.


    Cheers resounded across the table as everyone raised their cups in the air and began to drink even more liquor, only to have their cups refilled by the attendants behind them for the umpteenth time.


    It would not be a lie to say that the amount of liquor that each person had already drunk would have killed a regular person via alcohol poisoning.


    Savages, the lot of them. How the hell is this a ''formal meal''?!  This is the kind of stuff you''d see in a story about primitive peoples from the stone age or something...


    To think these are the same peoples who once conquered the vast sea of stars and even meddled with the fate of countless lesser universes in their prime.


    ''Never meet your heroes'', was the adage that best conveyed Reed''s feelings on the matter. As Reed quietly observed the crude merrymaking around him, the more he felt the already minuscule amount of respect and admiration he had for the Ancient Mulians fade away...


    It still embarrassed him how much he had been fascinated by, back when he had been nothing more than an ignorant child. How he had once perceived them as living demigods to be feared and respected.


    AAAAHHHHH, F.U.C.K! GODDAMNIT, WHY DID I HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT?!


    Reed wanted to die.


    In an effort to forget his shameful memories, he grabbed his goblet and downed his liquor in a single go... Which, naturally, garnered delighted cheers of approval from the entire table. As far as everyone else was concerned though, it was an encouraging sign.


    Whether Reed liked it or not, he was fitting in beautifully. Almost as if he had never left in the first place.


    That line of thought gave Reed the chills, so he quickly brushed the thought away and wallowed further into his new habit of drinking his problems away...


    Lu''um, on the other hand, was having the time of her life as she personally refilled Reed''s goblet with a gentle, demure smile. Even though she knew that Reed probably wasn''t enjoying himself that much, she was still thrilled that he agreed to come in the end.


    Only time would tell how fast his wounded heart would recover, but if there was a way to hasten the process, then she''d do it in a heartbeat.


    She''d go out of her way to recreate the old-school blood rituals  that her ancestors used to hold to appease their gods. Suffice to say, Lu''um''s determination to make amends with Reed was nothing short of absolutely terrifying.


    This was, after all, a hopeless maiden who had patiently waited over five thousand years for Reed to appear in Mulia on the word of an ancient crone who had been banished from Citlai for her unforgivable sins.


    For what it was worth, Reed wasn''t any better ¡ª this was coming from a guy who had at one point, blindly followed the instructions of a mysterious person who had snuck into his mind...


    Which was another reason why Reed wanted to leave as soon as possible. His patience was starting to wear thin the longer he had to look at...


    Him.


    The longer Reed stared at that long silver hair and those penetrating golden eyes, the more he wanted to tear Him into pieces. It was an instinctual d.e.s.i.r.e stemming from the most primitive part of his mind.


    The sapient, intelligent minds were not built to tolerate the concept of doppelgangers, since it violated the fundamental notion of a being having a unique,  personal identity.


    Who was the creator and who was the created?


    Who was the original and who was the copy?


    Who was the genuine article and who was the imitation?


    Naturally, they both had their own answers when it came to these questions. And any other answers except their own were nothing more than falsehoods to be disregarded. Or rather, they couldn''t accept any other answers  ¡ª neither one of them could risk blurring the line, nor would they allow to concede even an inch to the other.


    Such was the fate of the two sides a coin possessed; they were part of the same whole, but were destined to be at odds with another...


    It was irritating looking at His face, so Reed kept his gaze locked on the idyllic scenery behind Him, ignoring the bastard in front of him as if he didn''t exist at all.


    Lu''um did not any attention to him either, but Ulbo and her mother''s incessant meddling had forced them to engage in a ''conversation,'' if it could even be called one.


    "...Is the meal not your taste? Don''t be shy, okay? If you''d like, the cooks can make you whatever you want," said Shaali in a sugary tone.


    "Stop meddling, mother. It''s unbecoming... especially at your age," said Lu''um as she beamed a respectful smile at her.


    It went without saying that her respectful demeanor did not match the context of what she had said, an obvious fact that everyone at the table picked up.


    "Meddling is a mother''s job, specifically when it comes to the affairs of children. Since it''s our job to clean up their messes," said Shaali.


    Lu''um c.o.c.ked her head curiously and politely replied, "...And what would you know about being a mother?"


    Unbeknownst to Reed, that reply was founded on entire lifetimes of incidents, grudges, and fights between the two that had been lost to the ages. Still, he knew what a shot across the bows looked like, even he didn''t understand what it was founded upon.


    Raucous howls echoed across the hall as guests sang an ancient war cry in jubilation, for the entertainment had finally arrived.


    A traditional feast without a good show to watch was a telltale sign that a celebration would be subpar garbage.  But ¡ª as always ¡ª the royal family knew how to deliver and show their guests a good time.


    Already, people had begun to set up bets among themselves as they eagerly awaited for the inevitable...


    Reed contemplated stopping them since he had been the cause for this, but when he saw how focused they were on each other, he understood that it would meaningless to try. He also felt like he did not a right to stop them anyway, given he wanted to do the same to the bastard across the table from him. Hypocrites had no right to condemn others.


    Itotia squirmed in her seat as she silently pleaded for Him to intervene with her eyes, but He ignored her and simply gazed at Reed with his cold, penetrating golden eyes...


    Not even Ulbo, who was usually the voice of reason, spoke up to stop them and simply pretended as if the mounting bloodl.u.s.t between the mother and daughter did not exist.


    He understood them well enough to know that tension had been mounting between them at a disturbing rate ever since the day that Reed left Citlai by himself. Though the mother-daughter usually had their petty squabbles and major fights sometimes, Ulbo had never seen their relationship deteriorate to this degree before in his life.


    He knew that today would be a bloody day and there would be nothing  he could do to stop it.


    Underneath their beautiful crafted masks of false serenity hid unholy fiends that''d probably make the Devil cower in fright. These demonesses had hit their breaking points. And if they did not resolve their grudges tonight, well...


    And then the first shout echoed across the royal hall like the bang of a war drum.


    Blood!


    It did not matter who said it first because no more than a half-second later, that shout was succeeded by another three louder calls. And they were in turn, followed by an even greater amount of cries until the royal hall was filled to the brim with them.


    Blood! Blood! Blood! Blood! Blood! Blood! Blood!


    To disrespect a direct superior ¡ª be it a high-ranking official, a member of the royal family, a superior officer, or even one''s own parents ¡ª was considered a serious offense to the Ancient Mulians.


    The hierarchy of authority could not be forsaken, for that was how all discord stemmed from. Such was to be expected from a people that valued order, stability, and tradition.


    One individualistic person was all that it took to topple an empire...


    This was something the Ancient Mulian understood well. Very, very well...


    To break the rules, to defy authority, to ignore tradition; such grave offenses demanded punishment.


    Blood! Blood! Blood! Blood! Blood! Blood! Blood! Blood! Blood! Blood!


    The people demanded it, the laws demanded it, tradition demanded it, and most importantly, the two women themselves demanded it...


    Blood would be spilled tonight...

 Chapter 207 - Old World, Old Blood, and Old Grudges...

    Where did it all go wrong?  If I had to answer that question, then I would definitely have to say that it all went wrong the moment that we broke our timeless traditions.


    Had we stayed the course and firmly rejected the improper succession of predestined rights, we would have not ended up where we are right now. False kings beget doomed futures...


    ¡ª Meditations on the Great Failure of the Fourth Cycle


    Though the stone floor beneath her feet was cold as ice, she did not mind it all. If anything, the chill underneath her feet was a grounding element for her; the cold, sharp pain kept her from thinking too much about extraneous matters.


    But it wasn''t as if she was a stranger to the cold chill of the stone floor either, so it did not affect as much her as the first time she had stepped upon it.


    Lu''um took a deep breath and recollected herself as she gazed at her poorly illuminated surroundings. Though they could have set up conventional lighting for what was to come, simple torches and large flaming spires made of dried stalks of grasses and wood had been constructed instead.


    Aside from these rudimentary fires, the only other form of illumination they would be receiving would come from the three moons and the faintly twinkling stars above.


    The ritual spilling of blood had been demanded for Lu''um''s impertinence ¡ª without a reprieve from the person she had offended or authority higher than her, the law demanded punishment be meted out for her crime of insubordination.


    Usually, this would be conducted through bloodletting by whipping or even flaying, depending on the severity of the crime but Lu''um''s case was unique, so to speak.


    Lu''um was not a member of the lower class and was, in fact, a high noble of the royal household. Moreover, her formal title as the Daughter of the Moon granted her an even higher status than most could dream of in the Mulian Empire.


    She was effectively the future Empress, only held back by the fact that she had not yet formally married the Crown Prince, who was tentatively considered the Regent Emperor in absence of the previous Monarch and Empress...


    As such, only a small handful of people actually outranked her in terms of authority or status, and one could even safely say that she was nearly uncontested in terms of power and rank.


    Unfortunately, even with all of her power, there was still one person who surpassed her in terms of rank... and it happened to be the person she despised the most ¡ª her dear mother, Shaali.


    Shaali bore many titles, each one of them was more prestigious and imperious than the last.


    Her formal name was Acuecucyoticihuati, after a powerful goddess of the seas, rivers, and storms ¡ª that alone should have been enough for anyone to understand that Shaali was not a woman to be trifled with.


    This was, of course, not counting the familial rights a parent had over their child. It went without saying that the concept of familial piety supported Shaali''s authority over Lu''um.


    That was how terrifying Shaali was to Lu''um and others ¡ª though she was not Empress herself, there were only two people who were currently above her in rank; Ulbo, the Father of the Stars, and His Highness the Regent Emperor.


    Only when Lu''um officially became Empress would she finally outrank her mother, but certainly not before then...


    "The ancient laws are absolute; Lu''um was in the wrong, so the call for blood was made, but since she is of such a high rank, the punishment of bloodletting through whipping would be..." said Itotia as she struggled to finish the sentence.


    "I get it," said Reed, chuckling at Itotia''s awkward hesitation, "You can''t just make the future Empress get down on her knees and get whipped like a common peasant. It''d destroy the precious dignity of the royal family and then some, right? Yet she still has to be punished..."


    Itotia silently squirmed in her seat and Reed laughed some more. Bullseye.


    Hence, the decision had been made that Lu''um''s punishment would be carried out through honorable combat ¡ª which was, in essence, a glorified, bloody duel.


    Built inside of at the bottom of a large natural sinkhole, the Altar of Blood was a sacred ritual ground that the Ancient Mulians had preserved since the dawn of civilization. It was a religious site where a great many important rituals and formal events were held over countless generations.


    It was an exceedingly fierce trial by combat for those who had been chosen to potentially become... the Daughter of the Moon.


    To become Empress was to embark on a lengthy journey across an ocean of tears ¡ª that was what every young girl was informed when they had been selected to become a candidate.


    It was an honor in the extreme to be considered as the potential future Empress, for both the candidate and the family involved. Such a thing was the exact product of several dozen careful alliances ¡ª political marriages ¡ª resulting in a distinguished pedigree worthy of being Empress.


    Lu''um was special in the sense that she was not a product of the aftermentioned process. She was a child who had been born from a side branch of the royal family and was, therefore, exempt from the pedigree checks the other girls were forced to go through.


    This special privilege, naturally, fostered a certain kind of resentment from the other candidates.


    A string of vibrant blood formed a triumphant arch as it raced toward the sky.


    It was undoubtedly captivating how the crimson droplets contrasted against the azure sky above, but that euphoric sensation faded once the... shrill screaming began to echo across the arena.


    After all, it was not just blood that had taken flight toward the heavens, but also... an entire arm.


    Everyone who entered the arena knew about the risks, the suffering that they would have to endure. Still, that did not mean that they were prepared for it ¡ª the pain.


    Lu''um''s opponent, a young girl no older than her ¡ª barely twelve or thirteen ¡ª writhed in agony as she clutched onto her left shoulder where an arm had once been attached. She, like Lu''um, was someone who had been selected as a candidate, but it seemed that she would not last much longer.


    Not once during their sparing sessions had she managed to win against Lu''um, much less the other girls. She lacked the resolve to fight seriously, to spill the blood of other people for her own d.e.s.i.r.es.


    And that was why Lu''um was sure that she would drop out within a week or two.


    She was unfit to be a warrior, as she did not possess the grit to make a kill. This did not mean that Lu''um looked down upon her unfavorably, though. She even considered her a good friend. But that did not affect Lu''um''s assessment of the poor girl.


    She dropped out three days later. A superior pedigree was not enough to become Empress; the position of Empress was not for cowards, beautiful but empty vases, or weaklings.


    Only the strongest, the boldest, the sharpest... the finest would become Empress.


    This arena at the bottom of the Altar of Blood was where Lu''um had spilled a great deal of blood for her own d.e.s.i.r.es. Where she had mastered her emotions, sharpened her abilities, and traded away her childhood to achieve true greatness as a warrior and a leader.


    And now Lu''um would have to face a woman who had very nearly conquered the Crucible of the Moon in her own generation. Her own mother.


    Everyone who was present turned their attention toward a stunning figure as it emerged from the darkness on the other side of the arena. Though she did not possess the youthful beauty that Lu''um had, Shaali was overflowing with a m.a.t.u.r.e type of charm that her daughter could not emulate.


    Reed frowned when he saw what they had both been wearing ¡ª simple cloth tunics that only covered what was absolutely necessary to protect their honor.


    They were barefoot and only had antiquated, physical weapons, despite the fact that they were both virtuoso practitioners of Anima-based techniques.


    It made no sense to him why they had both decided to seal their prodigious abilities with Anima shackles for their upcoming duel. If they wanted to really show their expertise in combat and have a serious fight, then it only made sense to fight with Anima.


    After all, Anima-based combat was only limited by an individual''s imagination and their Anima tolerance. A high-level fight with Anima could be infinitely complex, but simple physical combat had a set number of variations.


    Naturally, Reed did not account for the fact that fighting with Anima would also endanger the Altar of Blood. There was a high probability of unintentional destruction to the holy site, hence the ban on using Anima.


    It also detracted from the stakes; there was no second thought to wild, suicidal attack strategies when one could always regenerate wounds and limbs mid-battle. Fighting with Anima shackles made sure that both opponents would have to carefully weigh their options before attacking.


    Sure, there were not as many possibilities and permutations in a physical fight, but the stakes were far higher than they could ever be than in a fight with god-like powers.


    Death would be around the corner in this fight and if neither of them were careful, it was entirely possible that a fatal accident could occur.


    Though it was somewhat of a rare occurrence, it was not that uncommon to have a couple of people die during the Crucible of Moon.


    Considering that a victory was only declared when one forced their opponent into submission or if they surrendered themselves, it was not too uncommon that situations had arisen where neither party wished to give up, even if it meant dying in battle.


    In fact, that was how Lu''um had won back then ¡ª she had been forced to kill her final opponent since she had chosen to neither submit nor surrender to her.


    And that was exactly why Lu''um despised her mother so much. It should not have been her job to make amends for her past regrets. If her mother had wanted to earn the right to become Empress, she should have not faltered at the very end...


    A single moment''s hesitation cost her the life she had d.e.s.i.r.ed. And from then on, she had lived her entire life in the shadow of the woman who defeated her, like a jaded ghost of the past.


    That lingering obsession would later define the relationship she had with her youngest daughter, as she thrust her greatest wish onto her when the opportunity presented itself again...


    But no more. Tonight, I will free myself of this condemned wraith once and for all. I will no longer let myself have this wretch project her life onto me anymore. I am myself and no one else.


    Lu''um gripped the primitive obsidian sword in her right hand until she saw her knuckles turn white.


    "It''s high time for you to accept the truth ¡ª I''ve already surpassed you in every single way. You should feel proud, mother," said Lu''um as she pointed her blade at her mother. "Yield now and save yourself the humiliation of actually losing to your own child."


    Shaali pointed her own blade at Lu''um and said, "Your capacity for self-delusion is extraordinary. Have you forgotten? Not once have you bested me since you were born. And what you have accomplished thus far is the result of my careful tuition, you ungrateful little girl."


    "....Said the failure who lost on this very arena when it mattered most. Not to worry though, dear mother. Unlike you, I possess no defects. I am flawless. That is why I am the Daughter of the Moon," said Lu''um with quite possibly the most brilliant smile in her life.


    "It seems I failed you as a mother for not teaching you to respect your superiors," said Shaali in a disturbingly calm voice, "To think that I''ll have to re-educate you at your age. No matter... I will simply break you and teach you from the start until you understand your place."


    The time for discussion had ended. They both understood that nothing would come of any further conversation.


    The mother and the daughter took their respective stances and locked their eyes upon the other as they waited for the sound of the war horn that would signify the beginning of their duel.


    And then a deafening roar ¡ª akin to the crack of thunder ¡ª resounded across the Altar of Blood.


    The duel had begun.

 Chapter 208 - Doing Things Her Own Way

    Of the countless memories she had, there were only a few of them that had not yet faded away into obscurity over the endless passage of time.


    One of these rare, special memories for her was the first time that she tasted the metallic flavor of iron in her mouth. The throbbing, sharp pain from having a tooth broken and the warm flow of fresh blood in her mouth ¡ª it was a memory not so easily forgotten...


    It was the taste of her first failure and by extension, the first time she had been punished.


    She had failed the trial that she had been assigned to complete ¡ª to hunt a jasper-tailed hummingbird, reknown for its extraordinary speed and shyness.


    More than anything, it was a tender, reserved creature that hid away from the world, only showing itself to feed and find a life-long partner during mating season when it entered a.d.u.l.thood.


    Finding a jasper-tailed hummingbird was not an easy feat even for experienced hunters, much less a budding amateur like Lu''um at the time. It had taken her four days to find a single nest, and another two to approach it without alarming the s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e hummingbird couple that called the nest their home.


    Her task had been deceptively simple, to steal an egg from the hummingbirds and bring it back home. But doing so would rob the hummingbirds of their child, a terrible thought that Lu''um felt deeply conflicted.


    She had still been a relatively normal child at the time and had not yet undergone the tribulations that would later shape her identity.


    In the end, she was unable to do it; she could not bear to tear that tiny family apart and returned home empty-handed... and failed her mother for the first time in her life.


    Words could not convey what Lu''um felt when she tasted her own warm blood as a result of Shaali''s punishment. But Lu''um knew that although it was a painful and terrifying experience...


    She had not felt guilty about her decision. She felt happy that she had done the right thing.


    That she had done something she decided for herself, not something she had been ordered to do.


    Only the ear-piercing roar of two blades colliding with one another filled the silent arena once the match began. The crisp sound of their blades striking each other was terrifying to behold both in terms of sight and sound.


    Though the obsidian blades they had been given did not have any Anima capabilities, they were artificially reinforced to be virtually unbreakable. The edges of the blades had been sharpened down to a hydrogen atom''s width, making them sharp enough to cut through just about anything ever made.


    So, every time these two blades clashed, an explosive flash sometimes filled the arena ¡ª the unintentional fusion of lighter atomic nuclei and brief ignition of the surrounding air.


    Many were used to the usual grudge match that the mother and daughter would have once a decade or two, but they quickly realized once Lu''um and Shaali started fighting that something was wrong.


    There were no longer any loud, rambunctious cheers or playful jeering from the crowd once they witnessed their furious blows. No one had the guts to speak, much less utter a word of concern over the fact that the duel had very clear turned into a fight to the death.


    Most of the audience actually had a hard time following the fight, truth be told. Not that they did not understand the fight ¡ª they were all warriors ¡ª so following the trajectories of their strikes and parries was not difficult...


    But visually perceiving the fight was another story. Most could hardly see the blades themselves as they clashed against one another.


    The apple did not fall far from the tree, as was to be expected from a sub-branch family reknown for its martial prowess and extreme physicality.


    A millisecond was enough time to contemplate a dozen different potential actions, but it was still not enough time to deflect the lightspeed strike that was coming at Shaali''s throat. In fact, the only reason Shaali barely parried the blow was because she had correctly predicted where the strike would land.


    Even amongst the greatest warrior families, the Shaali''s lineage was cultivated and refined with the blood of inhuman berserkers, genius warriors, and the like from a thousand different alien races over the course of an uncomfortable number of generations. This refinement was naturally also compounded further through careful genetic editing for maximum effect.


    Thus, the amount of time, effort, and planning that had been put into Lu''um, by extension, was mind-boggling to contemplate. Creating the perfect warrior had not been a simple undertaking; it was an unprecedented project that spanned the cosmos in terms of time and scale.


    In contrast, the work Dragoncrest family had done in Mulia seemed infantile compared to the work that had been put into Lu''um. They were separated by a hundred orders of complexity and effort.


    Another stroke of Lu''um''s blade came at Shaali''s throat again, even more heavy-handed than the previous strike. This time, even with a precisely timed block, it had not been enough ¡ª the sheer force of Lu''um''s strike blew her away and she flew backward into the bedrock of the arena.


    The ground shook with fury as powerful shockwaves spread out from the epicenter, causing many in the audience to frown deeply. Not because of the damage caused by the collision, but because of the worrying display of strength Lu''um had demonstrated.


    They''d all known her for millennia and had never seen her seen display this level of strength before in their lives, which could only mean two things to them.


    Either she had been hiding her real strength for an unknown amount of time, biding for the right chance, or... she had undergone some kind of transformation to warrant the exponential growth she had just demonstrated.


    In the eyes of the audience, they were both equally possible conjectures, but it quickly became obvious to Reed which one they felt was more likely to be the truth.


    When Reed felt the probing gaze of a few key members of the audience, he burst a small fit of laughter as he struggled to contain his mounting irritation.


    To be looking at me as an answer for this development... How audacious a thought it must truly be that the strength she dug out of herself was a product of her own effort.


    That sort of condescending sentiment was not foreign to Reed, as someone who was well versed when it came to being treated as a lesser person and a sore thumb. Perhaps because of the same reasons, but the general sentiment was more or less the same...


    The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.


    The traditions, laws, social norms, and cultural beliefs all spoke of a rigid society built upon a clearly defined hierarchy and a deliberate, brutal adherence to order above all else.


    "...Is it really such a difficult thing to accept? That this would eventually happen? You would go so far as to entertain the thought that some trickery is afoot rather than accept the truth!" said Reed, as he rose up from his seat, furious.


    His contentious attitude generated a low murmur of hushed talks and visible disapproval from the elders and the guests. Itotia immediately pulled on Reed''s arm, as she whispered for him to sit down, but her pleas once again fell on deaf ears.


    An impetuous sneer formed his lips and he said, "Do my words offend you? Good. Besmirch her honor again and I will face the lot of you myself after this duel, mark my words...!"


    If Reed was going to make amends with these people, then he would do it on his own terms. He was not an Ancient Mulian, nor would he ever be. Any pretense of kinship with them was impossible for Reed, even if he was capable of forgiveness.


    "If not, then hold your tongues and keep your dishonorable thoughts to yourselves...


    There was no better time to make his stance clear than now, even if it was a little flashier than he intended. Still, he had no guilty feelings about what he said.


    ...Well, he did feel a little bit guilty considering he stole a bit of Lu''um''s spotlight, but thought it better to support her now before anyone got any funny ideas.


    He wasn''t about to let the old fogeys invalidate Lu''um''s moment of glory with some bullshit argument later on. Reed was determined to force them to accept whatever the outcome of the duel would be, even if it cost him some of their good-will in the near future...


    For the briefest of moments, Ulbo felt his soul leave his body as he observed the spectacle unfold before him. It was as if he had been transported back in time to a certain night, much like this one.


    Many, many lifetimes ago a royal princess had once proclaimed a similar threat, to many of the very same people present tonight. Hence, Ulbo was not alone in feeling a powerful sense of... nostalgia.


    He really is so much like his mother it''s positively uncanny, thought Ulbo as he observed Reed''s imperious figure.


    In any other situation, Lu''um would''ve probably melted into a puddle of happiness, but she did not have even the slightest amount of spare time to spend; only a single distraction was enough to doom her against her mother.


    And though it felt good having landed a solid hit on her, Lu''um knew better than to let herself get comfortable in this fight. She was up against a woman who had not only mastered the art of combat but had also written most of the books on the subject.


    She had gotten a freebie by revealing her real strength, but the same trick wouldn''t work again on Shaali. Lu''um knew that her mother would her strength take into account and mitigate the power behind her strikes with her terrifying skills.


    If only, if only... How delightful would it be if I could just club her within an inch of death? Alas...


    Hell, the only reason Lu''um had lasted this long in the fight was because of her freakish physicality. To be sure, she was no slouch when it came to her sword techniques, but beating the old hag in a battle of pure technique was too big a hurdle, even for her.


    In fact, she had nearly died a couple of times during the fight. Some of the movements her mother had used were downright fiendish.


    Feints within feints within feints, constant mind games by purposefully incorporating flaws in her techniques, and a hyper-aggressive fighting style devised to not give Lu''um even a single second of respite in the fight.


    Shaali''s combat doctrine was to break her Lu''um ¡ª physically taxing her through never-ending attacks and burdening her with a fighting style meant to break her mind.


    Were it not for Lu''um''s absurdly fast reflexes and her beast-like intuition when it came to her mother, she would''ve had her head lopped off a dozen times over ten minutes ago.


    And as if in response to her thoughts, the tip of a pitch-black sword danced across the surface of her forehead, a thumb''s length away from piercing the spot between her eyebrows.


    Though Shaali did not possess the same extraordinary endurance, strength, or reflexes as her daughter, she was by no means a pushover either. They both came from the same family, after all. Expecting anything less of her would be a grievous mistake.


    Unfortunately, a battle of attrition would be impossible against her mother. She had the same c.o.c.kroach-like vitality, so it''d be several days before she''d tire her to the point of exhaustion. And she was not likely to make any slips-ups again after getting humiliated.


    Every gear in Lu''um''s mind was screaming at her, telling her that she was going to switch the blade over to her right hand,  to create a momentary distraction ¡ª either to disarm her or to give her a chance to perform an overhand palm strike to bash her skull into tiny little pieces.


    But then, the answer to her problems struck her like a lightning bolt, and she made an attempt at cleaving off Shaali''s left arm with all the strength she could muster. A furious black streak almost connected with her shoulder, but Shaali hurriedly moved to intercept.


    The Lu''um''s blade lightly kissed her mother''s skin, drawing the first blood of the duel, but it went no further than a millimeter into her shoulder. It was a failed attempt, but it also created an... interesting situation.


    They had entered a complete deadlock ¡ª Shaali had one of her hands occupied in stopping the blade digging into her shoulder, and the other hand was preoccupied with stopping Lu''um from stealing her own blade.


    It wasn''t a particularly honorable thing to do in a sword fight, but then again... Lu''um wasn''t interested in following the rules anymore. Besides, it stopped being an honorable duel the moment they decided to seriously kill one another.


    So she was going to do as she pleased from now on...


    And kill her mother the old-fashioned way, just as nature itself intended from the beginning.

 Chapter 209 - To Be A Mother.

    Lu''um had finally discarded the final fragment of sympathy she once had for her mother. It had taken five long millenniums, but her patience had finally run its course.


    To an uninformed person, it may have seemed that the circ.u.mstances surrounding Reed had been the origin of this bloody struggle, but this had actually been the result of a slow and steady culmination of entire lifetimes of grudges and bitter disagreements.


    Even so, Lu''um had tried her hardest not to rock the boat all her life, given the already precarious situation they were all a part of. They did not have the luxury of internal conflict, not when they had an insurmountable enemy right outside their doorstep...


    And more importantly, she understood that the royal family could not afford to make another major blunder.


    Citlai, though superficially harmonious, was actually nothing more than a fragile piece of glass.


    Her people had never truly recovered from the crushing defeat they had experienced against the Infestation and the betrayal of the one person they had put their faith in.


    In the end, none of it mattered to her anymore. Not a single bit of it. And who could blame her?


    She was exhausted.


    Of having to live in a shitty, gilded cage. Of the colossal weight on her shoulders ¡ª the heavy expectations and the never-ending judgment. Of the impossibly difficult duty that she had been burdened with. Of having to pretend as if they had never lost the war in the first place.


    And most importantly, she was exhausted from living under her mother''s shadow as a puppet.


    Lu''um charged into Shaali at full steam and hurled her onto the ground, and began plumming her without reservation. Every ruthless blow rocked the hallowed arena with a rage threatened to bring the entire place down, disturbing many in the audience.


    Some would have already stopped the match as it had devolved into a deathmatch, but none of them dared move an inch... not with Reed watching them. He was akin to a hawk, waiting for the slightest sign of movement as he calmly surveyed the audience.


    Reed had already prepared himself to fight all of them if need be. More than prepared...


    If anything, Reed was itching for a reason to fight himself ¡ª he had not forgotten how he had been cornered and treated like a monstrosity. Even though Reed knew better than let that horrible experience affect his emotions right now, he couldn''t help but want to repay them for the warm hospitality that they had offered him back them.


    The night sky above the Crucible of the Moon began to change imperceptibly as the stars that adorned it flickered like candles in the wind, and a dreadful aura permeated the area.


    It was as if something had grasped the still-beating heart of the world and given it a  forceful squeeze, cutting off circulation to life itself. Some of the weaker, non-combatants in the audience abruptly fainted while the rest grimaced in visible agony.


    Down below, the fight had reached new heights of barbarity ¡ª fueled by her daughter''s boldness, Shaali followed suit and dropped all pretense of civility and sophistication. Truth be told, she had no qualms about fighting like a fiend. She had just never been given a justifiable pretext to fight that way.


    But now, she had gotten what she wanted. Nothing was off-limits anymore; such was the nature of a fight to the death.


    So, Shaali spat out one of her broken teeth with all the force she could muster, and it flew like a bullet straight at... one of Lu''um''s eyes. There was nothing Lu''um could do at point-blank range to avoid it, even with her god-like reflexes.


    The instant the tooth struck her left eye, she recoiled backward in pain and let out a wounded, bestial roar. Shaali did not miss the opening her attack had created and immediately followed up her counterassault with a fearsome headbutt, knocking Lu''um on her back.


    A gut-wrenching clap of thunder echoed across the bloody arena ¡ª the sound of broken bones ¡ª followed by rhythmic tremors generated by Shaali''s blows as she pounded Lu''um into the very foundation of the arena.


    Tensions continued to escalate as Shaali''s barrage continued. Even Ulbo, who had initially not displayed any indication of interfering, had sent Reed a telling message with his eyes.


    Ulbo''s expression had also served as a kind of rallying cry to those who had been too afraid to act against Reed on their own. They stood up in silent protest and stared at Reed as they began to accept the genuine possibility that they would die tonight.


    Though their deep-seated ¡ª perhaps irreconcilable ¡ª grudge was a serious matter, everyone present knew that they could not afford to lose either of them.


    They were simply too important to be lost; neither could be replaced, and both were needed to maintain the fragile equilibrium in Citlai.


    Reed was also on edge himself as he watched Shaali brutally wail on Lu''um, who appeared to be semi-conscious, without any hesitation. It took all his willpower to restrain the maddening urge to do something. Words could not express the chaotic flurry of emotions he felt as he watched the woman he loved get beaten to death...


    But he understood well enough that if he acted now, while Lu''um was down, he would forever be seen as a hypocrite by everyone in the audience and, more importantly...


    Reed knew that if he meddled right now, Lu''um would never forgive him. Never.


    This was her fight, not his. And he had to respect that fact, much as he cared for her. Lu''um had to vanquish her demons on her own if she was to finally be free of them. Everything would amount to nothing if Reed helped her now.


    The only thing he could do was hold onto hope and believe in her. And if needed, hold back the entire audience by any means necessary, even if it meant dying to accomplish it...


    Pervasive darkness ¡ª a shroud of black ¡ª had taken over Lu''um''s senses. It was a numbing loss of awareness that resulted in a curious state of... detachment that was often a symptom of a near-death experience.


    Lu''um knew that she was dying, and if she were to survive, she would have to wake up very soon. After all, her mother was still trying to cave in her skull and repaint the area with her brains...


    The damned bitch had even gotten one up on her  ¡ª Lu''um chastised herself for not thinking of the tooth trick.


    God-f.u.c.k.i.n.g-dammit! Why didn''t I think of that first?! Arghh!! The only reason I haven''t died yet is probably because that stupid c.u.n.t is focusing on mangling my face right now!


    To be fair, Lu''um had been trying to do the same thing before the tables had turned on her. It wasn''t too surprising that they were both cut from the same cloth in terms of pettiness.


    They were both of the same minds ¡ª it wasn''t enough to merely kill their opponent; no, they wanted to completely and utterly destroy them in a way that would taint them forever.


    Disfigurement, torture, dismemberment, shaming, and finally, ritual execution ¡ª Lu''um and Shaali would only be satisfied with the full course.  A masterful, comprehensive kill that was closer to a macabre work of art than a spiteful murder.


    Either way, she would not be doing any of that if she let herself slip away, so she gathered her strength and focused all her energy into a single thought:


    Wake. Up.


    There was still a wretched hag that needed to be put down. But not before Lu''um repaid the damned hag for the beating she had given her. With interest, of course...


    Wake Up. Right. Now.


    And every second spent dawdling here was a moment of total anguish for Reed. She was certain that he was probably about to explode out of anxiety if he hadn''t already. Hell, that frightened Lu''um more her than her more or even dying, to be honest...


    Wake. Up. Wake. Up.  Wake. Up. Wake. Up. Wake. Up. Wake. Up.


    There was still so much she wanted to do, see, and make amends for. She could not die yet. She was owed entire millenniums of unlived life that had been stolen due to the Great War.  Lu''um would sooner crawl out of Hell first before giving up on getting those years back, much less a little fight against an old crone like her damned mother.


    WAKE. UP. NOW.


    And as if to provoke Fate, Lu''um had forced herself back onto the side of the living through sheer determination alone ¡ª an inhuman d.e.s.i.r.e to persevere no matter the odds. Though her body was broken, her will was unbreakable. She would not succ.u.mb.


    But contrary to what most people would have imagined, Lu''um did not open her eyes when she awoke. She continued to lay still as if she were already dead, allowing Shaali to continue her onslaught...


    Dull pain coursed across Lu''um''s face as she continued playing dead. Each blow was akin to a sledgehammer slamming into her skull, threatening to send her to the afterlife forever, but even so, she endured the pain without so much as uttering a single word.


    This... pain... i-is... nothing... c-compared...


    It had to be absolutely perfect. She could not suspect anything, or else it would mean her death...


    To what... I... s-stand to... lose... if... I d-die...!


    But if she succeeded, she would be given the opportunity she needed to deliver a decisive blow.


    I WILL NOT FAIL!!!!!


    The moment that Lu''um had been waiting for had finally arrived.


    She opened her eyes and, without the slightest bit of hesitation, grabbed Shaali''s incoming fist with her left hand, opened her mouth...


    And bit down on Shaali''s hand with all her strength before she pulled away from her.


    A heart-wrenching screech filled the arena as Shaali subconsciously retreated out of reflex, clutching her right hand with an expression full of shock and anguish.  It was the first time for many  ¡ª Lu''um included ¡ª that they had ever heard Shaali voice a cry of pain.


    Lu''um did not savor the moment, though. She had to act now while she had the chance.


    She immediately spat out the three fingers that she had taken at her mother''s face along with a massive amount of her own blood, effectively blinding Shaali for a single moment.


    The sheer boldness of the tactic had worked as planned. The speed and brutality of her counterattack had created the opening that Lu''um had been waiting for from the very start of the match.


    Removing the obsidian blades from play, thereby balancing the playing field.


    Destroying the sanctity of the duel, turning it into a deathmatch where anything was allowed.


    Letting herself get beaten close to the brink of death to drop her mother''s guard.


    Her unexpected counterattack, leaving her open, if only for a single moment.


    As Lu''um lunged toward Shaali at breakneck speed, she took a deep breath and committed herself before she...  formed a knife-hand and stabbed her own c.h.e.s.t.


    And without a second thought, she broke off one of her own ribs and pulled it out of her c.h.e.s.t with a single, flawless motion.


    All her life, she had waited for this very moment ¡ª the conclusion of their relationship.


    This was not the culmination of a predestined, cursed fate between the two of them, but rather it was its natural conclusion.


    Shaali knew that this would end up happening the moment Lu''um had been born. And to some extent, Shaali knew that Lu''um understood it too when she had been born.


    It had been her eyes ¡ª even though she had just given birth to her, the way her newborn daughter had looked at her... told her that her own baby had recognized her as a threat.


    That, in itself, must have been the price for creating new life and not loving it the way she was supposed to. Everything was simply the result of her own actions from the first day.  Fate had nothing to do with this particular tragedy...


    Time lagged until it reached a glacial crawl for Shaali. Though she could hardly see with all the blood in her eyes, she knew that her time had come. Her instincts screamed at her to move, to dodge, to act ¡ª to do something... anything, but...


    She just watched it all unfold with a... blank expression.


    Was this not what she had d.e.s.i.r.ed from the beginning? To train a replacement, no¡ª a copy of herself that would do what she had been unable to all those years ago?


    To not hesitate, even at the cost of her own humanity? To succeed, never to fail? To be... perfect?


    Though her daughter would never understand, it had cost Shaali  an unspeakable cost. To create the perfect warrior, she had been forced to give up her own daughter: her own humanity and the right ever to call herself a mother.


    She had been ruthless. Cold and antagonistic. Vicious in the methods she employed. Heavy-handed on the poor child since the first day, she had been able to stand on her own two feet.


    It had been the hardest task she had ever done. There were moments when Shaali had almost broke; almost wanted to stop and give her beloved daughter the love and tender care she deserved to have, but she knew that would not help her for what she was destined to face.


    Shaali knew that Lu''um would have to carry on her shoulders the fate of all things along with her other half. And that would require an indomitable spirit above all else, something that could not be created through ordinary means...


    To develop such a thing, one needed to face many trials and challenges. They needed to struggle.  To learn how to endure and thrive in even the harshest conditions.


    To learn how to detach themselves from their emotions and harden their hearts in preparation for the inevitable day that they would be forced to make difficult decisions that would affect the whole world and beyond.


    And that meant Shaali would have to be cruel to her daughter, if only to ensure she would not fail like her aunt or herself...


    To be truthful, yes, some of that cruelness stemmed from her own past failures ¡ª and she would burn in Hell for that ¡ª but had been primarily motivated for a single reason: to ensure that her precious daughter would not die.


    That was all that mattered to Shaali.


    Every day she felt as if the guilt would drown her alive. Pull her down into an inescapable hell for all eternity, but she could not allow herself to stop. Not until her work was done.


    And now...


    As Lu''um charged toward Shaali, she hoarsely roared at the top of her lungs, "MOTHER!!!!"


    Everyone moved to prevent the tragedy that was about to unfold, shouting at Lu''um to stop. A chaotic storm of Anima swirled across the entire arena, but it ¡ª along with the audience ¡ª was stopped in their tracks by Reed, who had moved into action.


    He spoke an incomprehensible word and violated natural law, freezing everything except for the arena below. There was no going back anymore.


    Lu''um did not hesitate.


    The ephemeral moment passed and... Lu''um thrust her rib into Shaali''s c.h.e.s.t and pierced her heart.


    Her work was done...

 Chapter 210 - Saintly Liars And Honest Devils

    A gloomy, overcast sky hung across the hidden capital of Citlai. It had been centuries since the city had experienced such terrible, inclement weather. Truth be told, the immense thunderstorm over Citlai was an unnatural development, even for the city''s inhabitants.


    The Ancient Mulians had built an artificial weather manipulation system to create and manage the hidden dimension''s climate. A weather system that perfectly recreated the natural seasons that once existed across the archipelago that made up Citlai.


    But the foul weather above Reed''s head had not been a product of that little piece of advanced technology. No, the storm had been formed by another, more dangerous method.


    It was the people of Citlai ¡ª they were the ones who had created it. Not consciously, of course. They had created the Anima storm out of the unconscious manifestation of their grief, the pain and loss they felt for losing one of their founding, guiding pillars...


    She, who had once been the Noble Princess of the Sun by birthright. She, who had become Mother of the Moon and the Sea through the virtue of her motherhood.


    She, who had risen to the august office of the Honorable Judge of the Scales, and later on in life, had achieved the position of High Commander of the Old Guard.


    She, who had been the most ill.u.s.trious and glorious High Saintess of the Seas.


    As Reed observed at the enormous gathering of people, likely the entirety of the city, he wondered why they cared so deeply about someone whom they have probably never met. This was not a new mystery to him but one he had already contemplated for years at this point.


    It was the very idea that Reed had tried to eradicate years ago during the Eventide of Faith. When Reed cast out the Dreaming Council, he thought he had freed the people of Mulia.


    That he had lifted the veil on the insidious nature of faith and the perils of placing one''s trust and fate in people with too much power.


    But contrary to Reed''s expectations, after he had undone the brainwashing and had revealed the Dreaming Council''s evils, the people of Mulia... had gone back to their former ways, worshipping and putting their faith in someone else instead of trying to seek their independence.


    "Is it truly that difficult? To... exist without having someone to hold up their sky?" said Reed, frustrated.


    Ulbo, who stood beside him, softly replied, "It is. Very much so. The innate d.e.s.i.r.e for a transcendent being ¡ª powerful, kind, and forgiving ¡ª to protect them from harm, soothe their fears, and guide them is something deeply rooted in living beings. It is akin to a primordial instinct that predates civilization."


    "Faith is highly malleable and virtually impossible to eradicate. Much like an actual weed, it can plant itself just about anywhere ¡ª in gods, countries, people, ideas... Everything is fair game when it comes to faith."


    Ulbo gestured toward the mourning crowd and said, "They are no different, son. Our family was the first not to realize this fact about faith, but it was the first to act and exploit these unfortunate truths for the betterment of our society."


    It was the cold truth. The royal family had been shaping history for as long as it had reigned through the use of faith.


    In the early beginning, through the use of myths to create a religion that suited their agenda. And later on, after the complex civilization arose, they used the seed they planted to influence and control the world.


    "We''re a family of storytellers, first and foremost, my son," said Ulbo as he observed the elaborate funeral ritual that was happening down below in the city''s central plaza. "We designed a beautiful mythos to comfort our people, and in return, they offered us their unknowing subservience.


    Reed didn''t want to acknowledge it, but he couldn''t deny it was a practical, painless method of managing the masses. But he could not accept the deception that the plan required to make it work.


    He could not stand lies and betrayals of trust, even if they were for the greater good. Not after the ordeal that he had gone through here in Citlai. If anything, it hurt how honest Ulbo was about their methods. The n.a.k.e.d admittance that they had a history of lying to their people to manipulate them was spine-chilling to him.


    "How your family managed to come this far by lying is beyond my comprehension. Then again, you people have had tens¡ª no, hundreds of thousands of years to perfect your family''s craft," said Reed as he offered a prayer of forgiveness for Shaali.


    For herself and himself. He had misjudged her. Anyone born into such a rotten, detestable family is probably destined to meet a tragic end, Reed thought.


    "It was a bloodless method, for the most part. After every other budding, competing religion was eradicated, we were able to unite our world as one and establish peace. Not too long after, we used our Church and its Pope to give eternal legitimacy to our family, to give us divine rights," said Ulbo.


    "You cannot even begin to imagine how much effort was required to make it work. Generations and generations of meticulous planning. Planting our family members across our ancient world, assigning them to live isolated lives in faraway continents and countries away from their homeland, family, and culture. Having them proselytize, kill, and lie for the entirety of their lives, all to expand our influence across the world. For the sake of peace."


    Reed took a deep breath. For the smallest instant, he had almost considered ripping out Ulbo''s spine and strangling him with it. It was a disturbing development that he had begun to notice in himself ¡ª his changing attitude on the preciousness of life.


    He knew for a fact that his sixteen-year-old self would have never imagined such a thing, much less considered taking another person''s life. At least, not without serious justification.


    Was his transformation the cause of this dangerous indifference, or was it something else? His extended period of detachment and isolation from the world? The betrayal of people he trusted and cared for? Or had he simply grown past what some might have called his naivety?


    Whatever the case, Reed concluded that he would have to reconcile this dilemma soon. Otherwise, it would not be too long before he ended up agreeing with Ulbo''s methods...


    "Peace founded on a lie. You speak of the tremendous labor and difficulty it took to lie to an entire planet.  It''s pathetic. A family of worms is all you are. Had your ancestors been born with backbones, they would have had the courage to unite their world with their beliefs alone, not with these lies. Nevertheless, I have to thank you, Ulbo, because I know now what not to do... lest I end up like you," said Reed as he walked away from him and the funeral.


    Good intentions are not enough to justify the sin. Ever. I understand that simple fact now. And it''s genuinely sad that it took me this long to realize it. Even sadder that I had to learn the lesson from a pitiful man like Ulbo...


    Unable to stand it all, Reed retreated to the one place where he knew that he would not be bothered. It was also the only place he wanted to be in the first place.


    Reed sneakily popped his head into the dim room and looked around to see if anyone else was inside, but...


    "You know that there''s no one in here, silly," said Lu''um, laughing, "They''re all too busy mourning and managing the funeral to be here with me."


    Reed awkwardly chuckled and said, "You might have been sleeping. I didn''t want to wake you up if that was the case."


    He slipped into the room and presented to her a bouquet, which only made Lu''um even harder, much to her distress. Her wounds had not yet completely healed, so she grimaced a little bit as she pointed at the flowers and said, "You''ve become even more gentlemanly since I''ve last seen you, dear."


    The instant Lu''um saw the flowers, she knew that Reed had stolen them from the royal family''s botanical garden, probably because no one was working there at the moment because of the funeral.


    Reed sheepishly shrugged his shoulders and said, "Who''s going to miss a couple of flowers anyway? Not as if I took a tree from the garden. Besides, I brought something else for you, something I thought you might have missed."


    He pulled a small box of chocolates from inside his cloak with the label "Choconium." A tiny chocolate mascot in the shape of an atom beamed happily in an art style reminiscent of a comic book, almost as if it was trying to jump out of the box into the real world.


    For some reason, Lu''um loved these particular chocolates to death, enough that it had worried Reed initially. She had practically gorged herself on them the first week she found about them until Reed had called her out on it... and the weight scale at home had given her a terrifying number.


    When Lu''um squealed like a little girl, Reed smiled and said, "Don''t finish the box in one go, okay?"


    After the fight, Lu''um and Shaali had been taken to the royal lifeweavers and given emergency medical treatment.


    In the end, more than half of Lu''um ribs had been broken, her hands had been mangled, she had lost an eye, one of her lungs had been punctured, her skull had broken in five different places, her jaw had been shattered, and her face had been beaten into nigh-unrecognizable, disfigured shape.


    This was, of course, not including the fact that she had bled out approximately sixty percent of her blood.


    It was a minor miracle that the royal lifeweavers had put her back together so well, even with their technology. Then again, they had also put Reed back together after he had been turned into a charred stump of a thing back when the Infestation had nearly killed him.


    Shaali, on the other hand, had... died. Though her injuries were equally as severe, she could have been resurrected, but in the end, the elders of the royal family decided that they would not revive her.


    To do so would be a betrayal of Shaali''s resolve, commitment, and honor to the terms of that bloody duel, even if they still disapproved of it. That, and the fact that if they revived her, she would most likely kill herself immediately to make amends for their interference.


    There would be no undoing of what had transpired that night. What was done was done.


    Reed was troubled. Very, very troubled.  After all, who did one even begin to broach such a heavy topic as... killing one''s mother in combat? He had fought much more terrifying Infested and troublesome problems restructuring Mulia than his current predicament.


    "..."


    "..."


    An awkward air hung about the room for a minute or two before Lu''um gawked at Reed with an annoyed expression and said, "Get it out your system once and for all, for both our sakes. Say what you need to say. I can take it."


    "Should I hug you and comfort you? Should I congratulate you? Should I scold you? Or should I ignore the fact you committed matricide and never bring the subject up ever again? I am, quite literally this time, at a total loss for words. Needless to say, you''ve blown my mind to pieces."


    What did it say about Reed that he had actually helped Lu''um kill her mother? He may not have killed Shaali himself, but he certainly aided in her murder by stopping everyone that night. It violated everything he stood for, and yet he had done it all the same.


    There was blood on his hands, even if they weren''t the bloodiest out of the two of them. That was on him.


    He could have tried to reason with Lu''um and Shaali. Try to convince them to make amends, give each other a second chance.


    Reed always believed that there was an alternative to violence and murder. That was the very reason he had not killed the Dreaming Council, even after all they had done. It was why he had desperately worked to have them tried in a legal court for their crimes than to have them brutally executed by an angry mob after the Eventide.


    And yet, Reed had done nothing this time. If anything, he had assisted the very thing he sought to end.


    "I think... my love for you blindsided me," said Reed as he finally grasped what he had done.


    He gazed at Lu''um with a distraught expression and said, "I should have stopped you.  But I let my love for you cloud my judgment. I basked in your rage, your d.e.s.i.r.e for revenge because I felt... sympathetic to your circ.u.mstances. And I feared the consequences if I acted against you. It paralyzed me."


    I failed her. I gave what she wanted... not what she really needed. And in failing her, I have failed myself...


    Lu''um shook her head and said, "Our relationship was irreconcilable, beloved. It was a thing that died thousands of years ago. There was nothing that anyone could have done to repair it. That fight we had;  that was our reconciliation ¡ª a way for both of us to find peace, once and for all. I realize that you will probably never understand our reasoning, but I want you to know that this was a long time coming and that neither she nor I would have or will ever blame you for your actions."


    "To make it clear, it is your idealism, your capacity for forgiveness, and your stubborn adherence to solving problems without violence that I love most about you. In a world of darkness, you are akin to a beacon of light. You constantly doubt yourself and your worth, unaware of how invaluable your strength of character and moral integrity are in these desperate times."


    "They are your greatest strengths, not your ability to command Anima or whatever it is you''re capable of doing now with these new abilities of yours. They are what attract people to you and why they place so much faith in you," said Lu''um, driving the point forward.


    Lu''um smiled and said, "That is why my family cares so much about you. Why they are so interested in you. You are the most remarkable out of all of us because..."


    She paused for a moment and chuckled at the absurdity of it all. How pitiful her family was...


    "You can evoke tremendous faith in people without having to lie..."

 Chapter 211 - The Long Walk Home

    A couple of days after Shaali''s funeral, Lu''um had finally recovered from her wounds. Over the course of that time, Reed had brought Lu''um up to speed on the situation in Mulia.


    He had reached a critical impasse with his work. Something that he could not overcome on his own.


    Although Reed had developed the means to combat the Infestation on much better terms, he lacked the human resources to make his plan a reality. Reed also understood that if he tried to advocate for what seemed like a total war against the Infestation, the Unified Mulian government and the people of Mulia would rightfully oppose him.


    "I know exactly what it sounds like, but I''m not trying to fight an unwinnable war. What I am trying to do is fight a short, winnable war, though," said Reed as he gestured toward the holographic projection in front of them.


    Lu''um''s room was turned into a circus lightshow as an enormous planet began to form out of the projection. It was an incomplete globe, filled with several massive gaps ¡ª uncharted areas that had not been yet mapped in the Shadowlands. Hundreds upon hundreds of thin white lines, each representing a different fleet of warsh.i.p.s, began to slowly inch across the planet...


    It was, amazingly, a rough battle plan for an operation, unlike anything Lu''um had ever seen before. Though she was initially not too unenthused about the very prospect of going to war, her mind had changed after she read through what Reed had developed for the operation.


    "So, what do you think? Not too shabby of a plan, right?" said Reed, smugly. He wasn''t one to brag excessively, but even he couldn''t help but feel proud about what he had accomplished.


    "It''s a strong start for something big, that''s for sure, but it still needs a lot of work. And this plan''s not going to work without assistance from Citali, either," said Lu''um as the gears in her head began to turn. The logistics of Reed''s plan could be covered by the resources and workforce present in Mulia, but it lacked the speed and capability to carry it out in an even remotely feasible timeframe.


    "To build this hypothetical megastructure you''ve conceived, we''re definitely going to need planetary-scale matter fabricators. Without them, it''ll take Mulia more than 8,000 years to build them with its current industrial output and capabilities," said Lu''um.


    "And although we do not have any planetary-scale matter fabricators in Citlai, we do have the blueprints, engineers, and smaller, industrial-scale matter fabricators to create them..."


    Reed grinned and said, "I was counting on that. And Mulia can provide the raw resources to build the matter fabricators. After they''re built, we''ll have them hauled back to Mulia to begin the real work."


    "Even so, this project will require the full support of the entire continent''s workforce and its economy for it to be completed. And that, in itself, will not be an easy task to do," said Lu''um, pouring a bucket of cold water on out her idiot''s annoying but adorable smugness.


    Reed rubbed his chin awkwardly and chuckled nervously before he said, "Yes, about that little problem... That''s where you come in, honey. I can think of no one better to manage rallying the support required to proceed other than you."


    He meant it when he said Lu''um was the best possible person for the job. Reed thought himself a decent orator nowadays, given all the work and practice he had in recent years, but he knew that he was no match for Lu''um when it came to fighting in the political arena or even in speech-making.


    In fact, Reed was convinced that she could probably sell water to fish. It was her infamous silver tongue that had built one of the biggest companies in Mulia ¡ª Evergreen Solutions ¡ª and by extension, the impressive fortune that had funded most of Reed''s unique enterprises and research projects over the last couple of years.


    To put it bluntly, Reed was actually on Lu''um''s payroll. He had been living, for all intents and purposes, on the allowance of his own lady. An eye-opening fact that would have likely made him the b.u.t.t of many jokes by the men of Mulia if they ever learned about it...


    Lu''um stared inquisitively at Reed with an odd smile and said, "Hmm, is that correct? Are you sure? My asking price is rather high, you know? It could very well leave you utterly bankrupt..."


    It was the smile of a predator who had caught sight of their favorite prey.


    Reed stared at her with a slightly embarrassed expression and said, "I''m sure that we could work something out. I am... open to suggest¡ª"


    He never got to finish that sentence. As it turned out, Lu''um never intended on negotiating. Not that Reed had expected her to actually behave herself after he glimpsed what laid behind her eyes.


    It wasn''t until the next day that they both left Lu''um''s room. Reed had been completely put through his paces, to the point that he almost felt his soul leave his body last night. When he finally woke up past midday, he let out a small groan of pain.


    His back hurt like hell... and upon closer inspection, Reed found that some manner of a fearsome beast had seemingly mauled him. His back was littered with a brand new set of battle scars, much to his dismay. One would''ve thought that a razor-wyrm had clawed and bitten Reed as if he had been a chew toy.


    They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but I can''t say I missed this part about her that much. God knows how I''d look if I didn''t possess any regenerative abilities or a strengthened body...


    When Reed turned to look at the disheveled woman sleeping peacefully beside him, he wondered where he would''ve been in life had he not met her.


    What a difficult question...


    What would he have accomplished without her?


    Would he have even dared to make something out of the second chance he had been given?


    Not a damned chance. Even with a thousand extra chances, I would have never accomplished what I have done without her by my side.


    Sure, Lu''um had her own flaws, and sometimes she had erred along the way. She had not exactly been perfect, but then again, neither had he. Not that it was a real competition, anyway ¡ª Reed always knew who the better half was from the beginning.


    Looking at her, Reed cracked a genuine smile for the first time in years. Had Lu''um seen it, she would''ve taken a picture of it and framed it for posterity...


    Unfortunately, though, there was work that needed to be done. The time had come for Reed and Lu''um to part ways with the somewhat comfortable respite they had enjoyed in Citlai. Not that either of them wished to stay too long in Citlai anyway, not after what transpired.


    In the end, they decided not to tell the Mulian High Council about their plans, for they knew that they would never agree to join them. Not with their hearts still full of grief over Shaali''s death and, most importantly, the spent and hollow void that was their failing spirit.


    Even now, the terrible wound inflicted upon them by the Infestation had not yet healed. It was not too surprising considering the fall they had experienced. From the top of the food chain in the entire multiverse to the very bottom of existence, eeking out a meager living like cowardly rats...


    "The High Council will never agree to support our plan. Never.  I''m serious; they don''t have the willpower in them to stand up and fight back anymore. I guarantee you that they wouldn''t even agree to just build the matter fabricators if we asked them ¡ª not even directly participating in the war itself. That''s how low the morale is right now in Citlai, despite the harmonious facade you''ll across the city," said Lu''um.


    Even so, Lu''um did not think the situation was entirely helpless. She believed that if they could successfully unite Mulia for the cause, they would be able to provoke Citlai into action. Get them out of their dreaded slump, so to speak.


    "If Mulia truly went to war against the Infestation, Citlai would never be able to live it down if they didn''t participate too. The mere thought that a motley group of younger, weaker races could be braver and stronger than them would be unacceptable for them to swallow."


    Were the peoples of Mulia to actually retake the planet of Mu, it would be an unimaginable and everlasting embarrassment to the Ancient Mulians. How pathetic would it be if foreigners they considered under their protection accomplished retaking their own homeworld?


    Lu''um smirked. "They''ll never let that future come to pass. Once we get the ball rolling in Mulia, we''ll come back and give Citlai a proper kick in the bum to wake it up. They''ve needed one for the longest time now, to be honest."


    She could not deny how eager she was to see that day ¡ª when the voice of every last man, woman, and child in Mulia chose to fight, to stand up and finally leave their little birdcage behind once and for all.


    When the warcry of a continent unified in spirit and purpose reached the furthest corners of Mu. When the glorious sight of more than a hundred and fifty million mortal souls achieved what her people had been unable to do:


    To make the Outsiders experience the bitter taste of defeat.


    Lu''um''s blood boiled in fervent anticipation. Never would she have thought that two short years would have changed Reed so much. In what seemed like a blink of an eye to her, Reed had grown into the man she expected him to become a decade from now.


    It was astonishing to witness but incredibly disheartening to think about. That sort of exponential growth could have only occurred under pressing circ.u.mstances. Whatever Reed had dealt with while she was gone had definitely affected him greatly and taken something out of him as a cost.


    But this was something Lu''um would have to investigate further another time, though. At the moment, she and Reed were heading towards the Shadowlands for work.


    Truth be told, over the course of the last 5,000 years, only about eight percent of the planet had been mapped by Mulian forces. What they needed most was a reliable scan of the entire planet ¡ª they needed knowledge of where the Infested were most concentrated, what potential resources could still be salvaged for the war effort and comprehensive data of the planet''s topography.


    Now and then, long-term excursions had been arranged to study Ancient Mulian ruins, collect war tech, and map out unknown territory. But these expeditions never proved too fruitful as most scout fleets sent out into uncharted territory rarely ever returned home...


    Which is why Reed had enlisted Lu''um''s help for this daunting assignment. He needed someone he could trust completely, could support him against the worst the Infestation had to offer


    This would not be a simple or a quick task, not by a long a shot. This extended journey would take them across the entirety of the planet and only god knew what manner of corruption was waiting for them out in the deep, uncharted areas of Mu.


    Either way, it was going to be one hell of a walk back home, that was for sure...

 Chapter 212 - In Pursuit Of A Shadow

    Out beyond the isolated birdcages that life hid within nowadays, a frightful, alien world flourished in the detritus of the old world. It was a world of prolonged silence, stillness, and death intensely antithetical to anything that moved. The Infestation had spared not a single thing in the aftermath of the Great War.


    They had spared not even the smallest forms of life. The entire planet had been methodically sterilized, all the way down to the tiniest bacterium on the smallest pebble.


    "Just look at it... Completely stripped of its flesh and poisoned down to the bone," said Lu''um quietly as she gazed at her homeworld with a pitiful expression. "There''s nothing left of my home except the decaying ruins of my people''s former cities. And even they have begun to crumble into dust over the course of untold eons."


    Two months had passed since Reed and Lu''um had departed from Citlai into the Shadowlands and began their expedition into the great unknown of the planet once known as Mu.


    Aboard of the retrofitted Carnwennan, a former Ancient Mulian scoutship, Reed and Lu''um had embarked on a long journey that would take them across the entirety of Mu. It was an investigatory mission to doc.u.ment every aspect of the planet and the enemy in preparation for the upcoming offensive that they had planned.


    "We can always rebuild those cities," said Reed as he poured over the new data they were receiving from the cutting-edge scanning probes and sensors installed on the Carnwennan''s outer hull. "And although we cannot bring back what was lost, we can restore this planet and give it life anew in time. Let us not get too ahead of ourselves for now, though..."


    Fifteen thousand feet beneath them, a vast hellscape of barren, grey land covered in a black, web-like formation was all that remained of the former garden world. From afar, that strange black formation seemed benign, albeit quite strange, but upon closer inspection, they had discovered a truly insidious affair in the making...


    Of all the horrors they had discovered and cataloged, that black formation was the most concerning to Reed and Lu''um, by far. Though it was a dormant entity, it posed the greatest threat to their plans simply by virtue of its mind-bogglingly immense size and scale.


    They had tentatively given it the name "Anchor-Root," in part for its dual nature as both a weapon and a shield for the Infestation. True to its name, the Anchor-Root was a homogenous superorganism that surpassed anything ever born naturally on Mu in terms of size, energy efficiency, adaptability, and overall durability.


    It was a root system that spanned, well, as far as the eye could see and beyond. Not only that, but preliminary scans indicated that it was not a shallow creature, either. The damned thing had buried its... roots in rather deep, deep enough that Reed reckoned that it had reached the planet''s molten core.


    His pet theory made sense on paper; an entity that massive would require an equally massive source of energy to survive, even if it was hibernating to conserve its strength.


    Lu''um had always wondered what had happened to the planet''s native flora and fauna ¡ª it had all been decomposed and reconstituted in a form that best suited the Infestation''s needs. The part of the planet''s biomass that did not have any combat potential had been repurposed to support the war effort in multiple ways.


    Reed frowned deeply and said, "This will be more difficult than I previously expected. The concentration of miasma in this region is so bad that the standard armor plating we use for our warsh.i.p.s will not suffice. Even our ship is starting to break down in this damned sea of toxic fog. We need to get out of this region soon, or we''ll end up finding ourselves without a ship at all."


    What made things worse was that visibility was abysmal, too. It made it nigh-impossible to see without the use of advanced scanning equipment, rendering any would-be advantages gained from scanning the ground worthless. They would have to develop a method to quickly disperse and neutralize the miasma to stand a chance at retaking densely polluted regions...


    "We both know that isn''t the real problem," said Lu''um turning her attention toward Reed, "I cannot even begin to imagine how we''ll be retaking the seas. The concentration of miasma within them is a hundred times higher than even the worst region we''ve surveyed on land. It''s so bad down there that it''s impossible to enter without turning into a puddle of slime in a matter of minutes."


    Reed chuckled awkwardly and said, "Well, let''s take things one step at a time, okay? Once we develop a neutralizer for the miasma, we''ll have to produce a fair bit of it and a method to dispense it quickly. No, that wouldn''t work. How about an armor coating instead? But that still wouldn''t stop our warsh.i.p.s from getting melted from the inside out once they get penetrated and start flooding with that toxic sludge..."


    And then, there were the ever-watchful eyes that secretly kept track of every pebble, weathered building, and passing thundercloud in the wretched sky above them. These "Watchers," were yet another source of frustration, for once one was caught in their line of sight, the entirety of the Infestation would become alerted of their presence.


    These Watchers could also fire devasting beams of superheated corrupted Anima that could pierce through even the thickest shielding they currently possessed. Reed suspected that they were likely the biggest reason why Mulian expeditions rarely returned home.


    All it took was for a single Watcher to pick up on the slightest abnormality in the area ¡ª a change in temperature, air pressure, natural light, or anything else in the electromagnetic spectrum. ¡ª  for them to raise the alarm and begin their assault on any would-be trespassers...


    The only reason that Reed and Lu''um had not been detected since their journey began was because Reed had been using his eldritch abilities to mask the ship with a veil of sorts. With his Outer Sight, he had created a veil of corrupted Anima that gave the elegant-looking Carnwennan the outward appearance of some atrocious flying abomination and the foul aura of one, too.


    If there was one thing to thank, though, it was these pesky Watchers required an enormous amount of energy to fire their wretched beams, which meant that they were dependent on the only energy source the Infestation had on the planet, the Anchor-Root.


    The only other thing they had discovered thus far was that most of the places they had doc.u.mented were virtually empty. Besides the Anchor-Root that had spread across the planet, the Infestation''s main forces could only be found in cities. Suspended in fetid cocoons that were connected to the Anchor-Root for sustenance, they were reserve forces that had been put in stasis after the Great War.


    "I hate to say, but the... environmental policies your people embraced have ended up strangely helping us," said Reed ambivalently. Because of their great love of nature, the Ancient Mulians had turned an overwhelming majority of Mu into a planet-wide wildlife refuge. Over 99% of Mu had been left for Mother Nature, and the other 1% had been allocated for the Ancient Mulians to utilize.


    "Had you lot not been so invested in keeping the planet nice and green, the Anchor-Root would not have grown so extensively, I wager. Still, it''s a bit ironic how the very thing we are striving to protect might end up proving critical to our success. Their real forces are only concentrated in certain areas, mainly the major cities, so that''s one element we won''t have to worry too much about..."


    The Ancient Mulian''s eco-friendly philosophy had created a situation where the main resistance ¡ª in the form of combat-duty Infested ¡ª was not as high as anticipated. Still, the number of Infested that they would have to face numbered in the hundreds of millions, at a minimum. According to old records, over 680 million Ancient Mulians and other alien refugees were present for Mu''s final stand against the Infestation.


    This was, of course, not counting the original invasion force that had initially seized the planet during its last days. And that was what worried Reed and Lu''um. Over twelve and a half billion Infested, the original hordefleet that invaded the planet were...


    Missing.


    The detailed scans they conducted had brought into light something of a mystery. Of the four continents that were on Mu ¡ª the fifth and final continent, Mulia, not included ¡ª they had successfully surveyed two of the four lost continents over the course of the last two months.


    But their numbers were not adding up to the hard facts. They found that the continents of Iuho and Lahtal only contained about 290 million Infested in total. And they knew two remaining continents, Miral and Qudo, did not have enough cities or population centers to make up for the missing headcount.


    According to Lu''um, there shouldn''t have been anything of interest that could have motivated the Infestation to move the brunt of their forces to those continents, either.


    Something was clearly off, and it unsettled them deeply. Where had this missing force gone off to? There wasn''t much left of anything out in the wider universe, as the Infestation had stripped to everything down the bone. Planets had been sterilized, stars had been snuffed of their light, and anything that had a pulse was killed and enslaved by the Infestation.


    They would have to solve that mystery before going back home; otherwise, their plan would never come to fruition. It was absolutely unacceptable not knowing where the other 12.9 billion Infested were hibernating. But that would have to be postponed for the time being, as Reed and Lu''um had a bigger matter to attend to.


    Their destination was Talfano City, formerly a beautiful metropolis situated in the heart of Mu''s hottest and driest desert. It was a world-reknown oasis once called the Heart of the Emperor, for it was his original birthplace...


    Reed pulled out a small, silver-looking key made of some type of dull crystal. It was the first heirloom he had been given by the peculiar restaurant owner called ''Uncle Bernard.'' The man had advised him to head towards Talfano City to seek out what his Father had left for him, but Reed never got around to doing that for good reason ¡ª much had happened in Mulia, after all...


    The first heirloom that had been given to him by Uncle Bernard was still in his possession, kept tightly secured within a small, metallic canister inside his cloak, and had never left his side after he reclaimed it. Reed had still not forgotten about her and how much he owed her.


    If there was a way to save her, Reed was resolved to find it. He''d do anything short of selling his soul to the devil to undo the pain that his actions had caused. However, his options were running out. And in his desperation, Reed remembered something very curious that he had been told a long time ago.


    "The cloak''s an old keepsake of your pops, lad."


    There was no other way. In order to bring her back, Reed would need to find its first owner and ask him for help.


    He needed to find the former Emperor of the Mulian Empire. The same man who had once ruled the Multiverse and forsaken it when it needed him the most and...


    Joined hands with the enemy.

 Chapter 213 - The Devil In My Father

    "What can you tell me about him?" said Reed as he kept a weather eye on the scenery outside.


    With Mu shrouded in eternal darkness due to the lack of a parent star, the only way one could navigate the gloomy tombworld was by using equipment to scan one''s surroundings or use the sporadic lightning bolt created by the world-spanning Anima storm that encompassed the planet to light the way...


    "I thought you already knew about him, considering how you shared memories with..." said Lu''um, somewhat surprised. She had genuinely not expected Reed to not know anything about the former Emperor. Not that she had ever brought up any topics that were related to Him.


    Reed shook his head in denial and said, "I only know bits and pieces about the Emperor from fragmented memories that I stumbled upon. The Wretch wasn''t too keen on showing me His past, not that I would have cared to listen even if He had a change of heart."


    As far as Reed had been concerned back then, he already had a wonderful collection of bad memories from his own childhood; he had not been interested in adding to his collection...


    "Then what do you know?" said Lu''um curiously. "Here''s what we''ll do; Tell me everything you know, and I''ll fill in the gaps and correct the misunderstandings. It''ll be faster than going over, well, everything from the beginning, right?"


    And so, Reed began to recount what he had glimpsed so many years ago...


    He knew that the former Emperor wasn''t a princeling, by any measure normal of the word. The man had been born a member of the gentry, but rarely ever acted the part. He was a maverick who lived to do what he pleased above all else.


    Lu''um smirked. "That sounds about right. When I was young, the Emperor entertained Itotia and me with stories about his misadventures. He used to peddle counterfeit artworks to snobby nobles to humiliate them later on when someone called them out for owning a fake. Or when he used to party crash at formal parties with his friends to steal dates away from actual princelings, much to their fury..."


    If something was considered sacred, polite, or formal, the Emperor considered it a target for his personal amus.e.m.e.nt. And that was why he found the First Princess of the Mulian Empire so fascinating when he first saw her. Never had he seen something so delicate and pure in his life; the moment the Emperor laid eyes on her, it was over already over for him.


    "The dumb idiot even trespassed into her damn bedchambers at night just to meet her! Had he not been spared by the Princess, he would have certainly been sentenced to a fate worse than death," said Reed, as he reminisced about the memory he had witnessed. "And then, as if to tempt his own early death, he continued to break into her bedchambers every night afterward..."


    Reed already felt his head beginning to hurt the more he thought about this so-called "Emperor."


    Every memory he seemed to recall of him was one that only increased his disdain of the man.


    He was pretty much everything Reed hated of someone; the man was a notorious braggart, liar, swindler, gambler, habitual womanizer, and a general pain in the a.s.s to anyone that knew him.


    "He wasn''t that bad..." said Lu''um, but when she began to remember some of his more colorful stories, she backpedaled with, "Well... everyone makes mistakes in their youth. We can''t hold him accountable for that, right? And he did eventually grow up a bit once he got older... I guess."


    And then, there was the startling fact that the audacious bastard had actually eloped with the Emperor''s eldest daughter, the First Princess, on the very eve of her wedding to her arranged fianc¨¦.


    This, of course, had not been enough for the bastard either, for he had also taken the Mantle of Heaven as well, which was reserved only for the chosen inheritor of one of two the sacred Marks of Responsibility.


    As far as Reed understood, this damned fellow was the root cause of everything.


    He was never supposed to have a part in the wider story of the universe. He was never meant to fall in love with the First Princess, become the owner of the Mantle of Heaven, obtain the Mark of Responsibility, or become Emperor of the Mulian Empire.


    The man was a living aberration, to put it politely. A snag in the grand tapestry that Fate had woven. An actor that seemingly broke the script and had completely turned everything inside out, for better or worse...


    "What do you want me to say? If it weren''t for his actions, none of this would have fallen..." said Lu''um as she stared at the bleak, desolate scenery outside of their ship.


    "...But at the same, you and I wouldn''t have been born, you know. You and I were both created as contingency plans ¡ª had everything gone as planned, neither you nor I would have been created. And I don''t know about you, but I like quite enjoy existing very much..."


    Reed frowned at the thought that his life had been the result of a cosmic blunder of catastrophic proportions, but in a twisted way, it did delight him knowing that he was an error. Even more so, when he thought that his existence was the byproduct of someone else''s f.u.c.k up.


    "In any case, he wasn''t as terrible as you think he was," said Lu''um with a tender smile. "He was a loving father, devoted husband, and a joy to be around for all that knew him. He was... a truly great man."


    "...That right? Well, you''d know him better than I ever will, so I''ll take your word on it," said Reed skeptically.


    "Still, he seemed like a poor excuse of a father and a total clown to me... But then again, those were The Wretch''s memories of the Emperor. Given how much He hated his father, I''m pretty sure all the memories I glimpsed were biased in some way against the old man..."


    A difficult expression formed on Lu''um''s face, and she said, "It wasn''t always like that. There was a time when they had a normal relationship. Well, as normal as could be expected, I suppose. Their relationship only turned poisonous after the Emperor..."


    "Turned traitor?" asked Reed curiously.


    Lu''um nodded. "After the Emperor defected, both He and I were forced to inherit the Marks of Responsibility. I can only imagine how delighted my mother must have been when I finally got the opportunity to fulfill the role she failed to obtain."


    "Nevertheless, I still remember how kind the Emperor was to me as a child. He always used to spoil me and shower me with affection whenever he met me. In many ways, he was the closest thing I ever had to a father," said Lu''um before she added, "Ahh, that''s right... I forgot you don''t know. Not that it''s your fault, of course..."


    Reed and Lu''um had reached an unspoken agreement long ago about s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e matters like their personal histories. They knew that there were memories that neither of them wished to talk about. Every individual had their own personal boundaries. It did not get any simpler than that.


    "I don''t have a father," said Lu''um. "My mother was singularly devoted to the Emperor to the bitter end. She would not court any other man besides the Emperor. Therefore, my sisters and I were all born via artificial insemination. We were born from genetically modified zygotes as a series of clones. Each sister a refined version based on the previous sister''s... imperfections."


    In pursuit of a perfected form of herself, Shaali modified four of her own eggs and gave birth to clones of herself.


    Four sisters were born from the mother''s lifelong obsession¡ª Yalya, Iola, Hara, and finally Lu''um.


    As the "perfect one," Lu''um arguably suffered the most of all the sisters. Though her mother was not one to show love to her daughters, she barely showed any love to Lu''um.


    And as if the expectations Shaali had for Lu''um had not been crushing enough already, she was also treated the same way by her own older sisters ¡ª with indifference and a particular loathing of her that bordered a blood feud.


    One could only imagine how much those girls felt about being nothing more than testbeds, only to be ignored once the perfected product was finally created. And to be denied of their reason for existing...


    "They gave me a lot of grief... They used to berate me at every turn, taking p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e in my failures, and were often scheming to get me in trouble," said Lu''um. "Worst of all was that my mother would never reprimand them for their actions. Instead, she would reprimand me for not escaping their schemes, as if she was naturally expecting more out of me."


    Reed sighed and said, "Let me guess, that drove your sisters mad, right? They acted out like that to get your mother''s attention, but their mother never gave them what they wanted. They wanted to be seen by her, but no matter how hard they tried, the only person your mother paid attention to was you."


    Lu''um stared at Reed with a mildly surprised look before he said, "Have you forgotten where I grew up? Orphans are needy children and can be quite vicious at times, too. It seems we share a bit of history, unpleasant as it might''ve been for us..."


    "Y-yes, you''re quite right... It was a vicious cycle that my sisters couldn''t escape. Though I''m sure the Emperor knew about my situation early on, which is why he visited our home frequently. He used to take Itotia with him whenever he visited our home under the pretext of her wanting to see me, but I''m positive that the Emperor just wanted to give me a moment to breathe..."


    "Even if it was for a single day or even a single afternoon, he wanted me to have experience something normal. Something happy. To give me good memories I could use to hold on and continue struggling whenever life got awful at home. I don''t know how I would have gotten through my childhood without their kindness. The Emperor even let me stay with his family whenever I used to have a big fight with my family when I got older, too," said Lu''um.


    Reed mulled over what he had heard and said, "Sounds like he had a conscience. I won''t argue that he didn''t have a good heart, but it sounds like... guilt to me. Guilt that he never returned the feelings your mother had for him. Guilt over the circ.u.mstances regarding your birth. I really don''t have a better way to say this, but... he should have just married her. Or made her a concubine, you know? I''m sure the Emperor of the Multiverse wouldn''t have gotten in trouble for having two wives, right?"


    "Would you marry someone out of pity even if you didn''t love back the same way?" asked Lu''um, genuinely bewildered. "If you did that, you''d be hurting that person even more than if you rejected them. Personally, I''d rather die than be in a sham relationship founded on pity. That''s no way to live."


    "Sure, but are you sure that the Emperor felt that way about your mother? That he only thought of her as a close friend and never had any romantic feelings about her? I personally find that difficult to believe..." said Reed with a skeptical expression.


    Lu''um frowned and said, "That... I admittedly do not know. What I do know is that the Empress and the Emperor did not elope alone. They required a lot of help to escape Mu ¡ª Uncle Bernard and my mother helped them escape undetected. They also left Mu along with them, too, from what I remember."


    "It was a long journey that took a couple thousand years as the future Emperor and Empress traveled across the universe gathering allies to support their relationship and eventually, their claim to the throne. Their story is a legend in and of itself, for they managed to make the Mulian Empire bend to their will, an impossible feat never heard of in recorded history."


    "That''s quite a bit of time for them all to be together, no?" said Reed.


    "Yes, that is true, I suppose..." said Lu''um.


    "And for a perilous journey like that, there must have been plenty of tribulations. I have no doubt you understand how danger can quickly bring people together and deepen bonds. Therefore, we can at least infer that a possibility exists that there was something between them. And if that were the case, they should have just admitted it."


    Lu''um observed Reed''s face as if looking for a sign and said, "...Are you looking for my confirmation? I''m getting the feeling that all of this talk is a pretext for something you really want to discuss, so just spit what you really want to say already. You''re making me feel nervous with all of your verbal prancing. It''s disturbing."


    Reed awkwardly chuckled and said, "All I wanted to get across was that I sympathize with the poor guy''s troubles. Love can be such a pain in the a.s.s. Look at what happened to us, for example ¡ª say the wrong thing or get the context all messed up, and everything will end up going to shit..."


    "Are you seeing someone, Ka''an? Because if that''s what you''re trying to tell me, I don''t care. Listen, I''m almost 5,100 years old. I''ve been alive for a long time. The Ancient Mulians don''t measure our lifespans with individual years or even decades ¡ª we use centuries as our smallest milestone. You''ll still get called a brat by most people if you haven''t even lived a millennium, for reference."


    Lu''um massaged the temples of her head and said, "My people... don''t really get ''married,'' the way you understand it. At least not with terms that humans and other mortals use. You know, like the ''until the day you die'' bit. My people can theoretically live forever. And forever is an unimaginably long amount of time. Some might even say an impossible amount of time."


    When the Ancient Mulians conquered death, they had unintentionally changed several parts of their own culture.


    In a world where people did not age or die, the social dynamics of their society changed irreversibly. Eternal youth meant that it was difficult to distinguish who was older than who, and a deathless race created the issue of eternal and exponential expansion.


    Had the Ancient Mulians not prohibited themselves from having children at will, they would have stripped their home galaxy clean of resources within ten thousand years, give or take. In a hundred thousand years, their entire local galactic filament. In a million and a half years, their entire universe.


    They would have turned themselves into a universal tumor and, eventually, a life-ending multiversal cancer. With their superior technology and numbers, no one would have been able to stop them...


    Having a child ¡ª one with immortal genes ¡ª became a right one had to earn.


    One could give birth to mortal children, but not a single parent wished to see their children, grandchildren, and descendants grow old and die like mayflies in the span of a couple of short centuries. That was too cruel a fate to endure.


    Their deathlessness also degraded, devalued the concept of love in a way.


    Humans and other mortal races loved each other dearly because they knew that their time was limited. Therefore, it was important to seek sustainable life-long relationsh.i.p.s, be they romantic or platonic. Every friend mattered and loving someone was precious because life was short.


    It had to count and mean something, or else it was a waste of precious time.


    A centuries-old relationship was nothing more than a fling to them. Even ending thousand-year relationsh.i.p.s, though painful, was not that severe a loss.


    Most Ancient Mulians did eventually settle down on a ''permanent partner'' of sorts once they got old enough, though. It was usually an old flame they were with during their youthful days, who wanted the same thing ¡ª a stable, permanent relationship with a m.a.t.u.r.e individual.


    "This older, permanent relationship is called a Dyad, and it''s the closest thing we have to marriage as you know it. It''s a thing that older people do when they''re tired of floating around, to put it bluntly. When you get old enough, you''ve seen and experienced it all, I suppose you start wanting a slow, stable life..." said Lu''um.


    Reed''s eyes popped the longer he heard Lu''um describe how the Ancient Mulians dealt with love.


    It was alien to the extreme, but then again, the Ancient Mulians were literal aliens, thought Reed. He still regarded himself a mortal at heart, too, so the mindset of this immortal race was naturally difficult to understand. They operated on much freer, looser valuer than he was accustomed to.


    It all sounds so... distant at its core, but the more I think about it, the more it sounds rational. When you can live forever, it becomes harder and harder to find new stimuli and experience new things over thousands of years.


    As sad as it sounds, boredom was probably the biggest threat to the Ancient Mulians. It makes sense that they turned into total hedonists; the poor bastards had no other way to stave off the eternal boredom of living forever... and even that didn''t work for too long. T


    That''s some sad shit. I guess living forever does have its own shortcomings, huh...


    When Lu''um saw Reed''s sympathetic face full of pity, she scowled said, "Stop looking at me like that, you bastard. And for your information, I didn''t partake in that sort of pitiful lifestyle. I had a reputation to uphold as a royal family member, and I wasn''t so weak-willed that I needed to fool around with idiots to let off steam. I spent all my time honing my skills and studying to surpass my mother and older sisters..."


    Reed hugged Lu''um out pity and said, "You poor girl..." He''d always thought that he had the bleakest life between the two of them, but now his mind had begun to change with all he had learned.


    Lu''um punched Reed in the gut and said, "In any case, what I''m trying to tell you is that I don''t care if you''ve had a fling with some mortal girl while I''ve been gone. There''s no point in being jealous of a fly fated to die in the blink of an eye. All I ask is that you do not lie or try to hide it from me. No more secrets, just as we agreed."


    "U-Ugh, as if I''d... fool around like that!" said Reed as he clutched his stomach. "I just wanted to clear the air on that topic. I haven''t seen anyone since we parted ways. That''s all I wanted to say."


    "Neither have I, of course," replied Lu''um sternly, as if it was a natural matter-of-fact.


    "Okay."


    "Alright."


    Ah, f.u.c.k... I shit the bed this time. Goddamnit. This is why I despise talking about delicate topics when I don''t have an escape route prepared. It doesn''t help that it still feels super f.u.c.k.i.n.g weird being around her, let alone talking to her after all this time.


    God, I hope we arrive soon... The silence is killing me. At this point, I''d rather jump out of the ship and walk to Talfano City myself...


    Unfortunately for Reed, it''d be another couple of rough hours before they''d arrive at Talfano City, their current destination. What Reed and Lu''um were seeking was the hidden inheritance that the former Emperor had left for Reed, but in reality, that was nothing more than a secondary objective for them.


    What Reed and Lu''um wanted from Talfano City was something else. Something far more precious and heretical than anyone could have ever imagined.


    For the coming war, they''d need the very best generals and strategists possible if they were to stand a chance of winning. And with the circ.u.mstances as they were, they couldn''t afford to be picky.


    Thankfully, Talfano City held the key to one such individual who possessed an unprecedented level of strategic value.


    A man who had, during his prime, had successfully defeated the Ancient Mulian Empire. An impossible feat only reproduced one other time in recorded history by the Infestation.


    If they were to fight against Devils, they''d need a proper Devil on their own side.


    What they were really looking for was the 17th Emperor of the Mulian Empire, who was also known as...


    The Great Traitor.

 Chapter 214 - Mind Your Step

    It was too damn quiet, but there wasn''t anything they could do about it. Making any noise, any form of disturbance would likely ruin the entire mission.


    There were too many Watchers lying dormant around the city. It would all be ruined even if a single one of them woke up and stirred up the hive. The Infestation would tear the entire city apart, brick by brick, to find the disturbance...


    And they''d probably lose their only guaranteed chance to acquire the sample they needed.


    What Reed and Lu''um were seeking was a genetic sample of the Emperor.


    Reed already had the necessary materials to bring the dead back to life, even if they were only clones. With his taboo mastery of the flesh and the soul, he had actually cheated Death more thoroughly than even the Ancient Mulians had accomplished.


    While the Ancient Mulians had created an impeccable immortal gene to prolong their life indefinitely, once someone died in an irrecoverable way ¡ª such as being thoroughly destroyed or atomized ¡ª it was impossible even for them to bring a person back from the dead.


    Even they had not yet mastered how to precisely control matter-energy relationsh.i.p.s to undo something that had already happened. The only method they had to undo a matter transformation was to reverse the flow of time and prevent the change from happening, but that in and of itself presented its own major headaches, making it an unfeasible alternative...


    To be fair, though, Reed had not mastered how to undo matter-energy transformations, either.


    What Reed was doing amounted to recreating the deceased individual''s body and filling an artificial soul with a copy of their memories. Technically speaking, he wasn''t bringing the original person back from the dead, but rather, he was creating a facsimile ¡ª a perfect reproduction ¡ª of the person that died. Nevertheless, it was a game-changing accomplishment, no matter how you spun it...


    When Lu''um heard about Reed''s resurrection process, she felt as if her whole world had been rocked to its core. Words could not convey the terror in her heart. Though Reed had jokingly called the process ''playing God,'' but she knew better.


    That isn''t playing God... That is an act of God.


    Even if they are copies, they are perfect copies. It contradicts everything we thought about the nature of the soul... And it opens up a can of worms I don''t want to think about...


    As far as the Ancient Mulians knew, the extra-dimensional anchor known as the soul was a unique construct present in every living thing. There were no two souls that possessed identical features in terms of size, form, or wavelength.


    Although an individual''s consciousness and memories were products of the mind, the soul seemingly had an unclear role in the processing, recollection, and awareness of memories.


    To the best of their knowledge, some Ancient Mulians hypothesized that souls were, in fact, the root of a person''s existence.


    This was based on the fact that beings who had their souls extracted from their bodies no longer react to any stimuli. Brain death was always the result of soul extraction as if the flesh truly was nothing more than a vessel for the soul...


    Others conjectured that souls were a higher dimensional organ and that reality as they perceived it was a lower-dimensional refraction of actual reality. This far-fetched theory was based on the recognition that the Ancient Mulians had indeed discovered that there were higher dimensions than their own.


    There were countless theories about the origin, function, and structure of the soul, but the bitter truth was that the Ancient Mulians only possessed a few hard facts on the subject.


    And one of the hard-earned facts the Ancient Mulians had worked for asserted that souls were unique entities.


    It terrified Lu''um to know that Reed had discovered a method to create artificial souls. The idea that any living being could be brought back as long as one possessed a DNA sample was too great a power for anyone.


    If anything, she thought it was a far greater potential threat to the stability of the multiverse than the immortal gene that the Ancient Mulians had created.


    The moment this technology left their hands, it''d spell the end of the world. She knew that if her people got their hands on it, they''d utilize it for the sake of fighting the Infestation, but they would eventually abuse it, without a doubt.


    An endless army of Ancient Mulians that would never grow old or ill and would never truly die.


    A never-ending flood of veteran Ancient Mulian soldiers would engulf every corner of the multiverse. In such a scenario, it was entirely possible that they would be able to drive the Infestation out of the multiverse through sheer numbers alone, but...


    No... It''d just be trading one devil for an even fouler monstrosity. Without end, the Empire would become an everlasting tumor that''d plague the multiverse just as bad as Infestation, if not worse.


    Once they drove the Infestation out, they''d become an Infestation of their own.


    The only reason the Ancient Mulian Empire was as stable as it was during its prime was because every single aspect of the empire was carefully controlled. The laws, the rituals, the number of worlds they were allowed to colonize, even the amount of Ancient Mulians that were allowed to be born every year.


    They seemed like a free-spirited race on the surface, but they lived heavily restricted lives in reality.


    It was a necessary sacrifice, given how powerful they were. Terraforming worlds, seeding planets with life, forging stars, building interstellar megastructures ¡ª a single rogue Ancient Mulian had the potential to cause an unprecedented amount of destruction...


    The Mulian Royal Family used culture, laws, and most importantly, their overwhelming military strength as tools to create and enforce peace among their people, not other races. Had they not done so, the Ancient Mulian race would have likely descended into universal, if not a multiversal war against itself.


    Ten thousand interstellar Mulian kingdoms vying for supremacy over reality would have torn the multiverse to pieces.


    All it''d take for that nightmare to become reality is for this technology to fall into the hands of two opposing Ancient Mulian groups.


    It''d create an endless war since neither side would be able to die, and it''d eventually grow bigger as these two groups recruited more people onto their sides. They''d siphon this reality dry of its resources before that war would ever conclude...


    This technology can NEVER leave our hands. Though I am sure that Ka''an has designed contingencies to prevent its misuse and theft, I will not feel comfortable until I inspect and review every detail of his plans myself.


    Neither the Royal Family nor the Council can ever learn about its existence, either. They''ll never stop trying to obtain it if they do discover that we possess it...


    Lu''um internally sighed. I don''t even want to imagine what would happen if they learned that we resurrected the Emperor, either...


    The ruins of Talfano City were littered with dormant Infested as far as they could see, ancient remnants of a battle that occurred long ago.


    It was once a bustling city filled with sun-tanned folk and gorgeous living buildings made of living cactus-like trees, giant hybrids of natural succulents that once existed across the desert.


    At present, though, it was little more than a cratered, desolate wasteland. There was barely anything left of the place, giving credence to the idea that the city had been the site of a particularly violent battle. Only a couple of large, dead tree-buildings still stood, a somber tombstone of the beautiful jewel that once existed here.


    Lu''um silently gestured to Reed and pointed a large hole in one of the remaining tree-buildings. Reed nodded in agreement, and he slowly brought their ship a couple of hundred meters above the building.


    According to the information that Uncle Bernard gave to Reed, the hidden inheritance the Emperor had left for Reed was located deep beneath the city, in a hidden stash room.


    Below Talfano City''s surface existed a large root network that served as an undercity.  This undercity housed the necessary infrastructure to support the millions of people who once lived in this desert oasis...


    Once again, we have to deal with the consequences of the Ancient Mulian doctrine of living with nature in the literal sense. Just look at this goddamned mess...


    Were it not for the environmental suits they were wearing, the toxicity present in the area would have killed Lu''um in a matter of minutes. Reed did not require a suit as he was more than capable of transforming into something that could survive in this contaminated environment, but he wore a suit nevertheless.


    He didn''t want to change into a monstrosity in front of Lu''um just for the sake of convenience. But more than that, he didn''t want to be reminded about his inhuman nature. He didn''t want to ever grow accustomed to not being human. He was determined to hold onto his remaining humanity no matter the cost he would have to pay...


    Everything seemed rather tame in the beginning when they entered the building. Still, once they started to descend further into the heart of the undercity, it became apparent that the situation beneath Talfano City was anything but normal.


    Contrary to their ship''s initial scans, they discovered that beneath the surface layer of the city, the undercity was... still very much active.


    How did we miss all of THIS? Have we not been scanning nearly deep enough? Is this how they''ve been hiding their forces from us?


    I should have considered this possibility, but I didn''t think the Infestation would actually repurpose old infrastructure for their own benefit like this. This is... I''ve never heard of them doing something like this...


    The undercity had been transformed into a grotesque base of some kind. Anchor-Root had spread across every single inch of the place, to the point the undercity had lost all semblance of its former structure. Because of this, the maps of the undercity Reed and Lu''um had brought with them proved to be of little help.


    Thick, fetid flesh-roots filled with processed organic matter took up and blocked passageways that would have easily led them to the heart of the undercity that they needed to reach.


    The more Reed saw, the more he became certain that they had finally found their answer to their missing numbers problem.


    F.u.c.k.


    As far as Reed understood, the Infestation had never shown that they could strategize in preparation for the future. Even under the command of higher-ranking Infested form such as a Pupa that possessed intelligence, the Infestation had always followed a doctrine of pure destruction.


    They were reactionary at their core, instinctively exterminating life wherever it was detected. And although it was known that they could strategize, not once had the Ancient Mulians seen the Infestation use their own foe''s tools against them for their benefit.


    It was completely unheard of... until now.


    Though Reed and Lu''um could not speak with each other and share their thoughts, they still arrived at the same conclusion.


    There''s something out there, something new.


    A creature that is not only intelligent but also capable of making complex decisions. And it''s a highly-ranked being to boot, capable of forcing lesser Infested to obey its will.


    An administrator-type Infested.


    ...And it has been preparing for its prey''s eventual return.