I stepped out of the small cottage I had been using for shelter, the air cool and quiet around me. The ground still carried scars from the fight. Miles and miles of craters and rubbles spread around me but I felt lighter than ever. My body had fully recovered.
I rolled my shoulders and stretched my arms, letting the stiffness ease out of me. Every muscle responded sharp and strong.
Without thinking, I pushed my perception outward and started searching for Steve’s familiar presence. But no matter how far I reached, I couldn’t sense him nearby.
I clicked my tongue, then connected with Peanu’s world core. I reached into it, and my perception stretched farther, beyond the battlefield, beyond the capital.
There.
I found him in the city nearby, sitting on the roof of a building. The place was stirring awake, people moving slowly through the streets. Steve sat alone, his sword resting against his shoulder, eyes fixed on the waking city.
I lifted into the air, wind rushing past me as I cut across the distance. A few moments later, I descended quietly and sat beside him.
"Hey. Good morning," I said as I sat down next to him, my eyes on the city below.
"Morning," he muttered back, his voice tired and scratchy.
We sat there for a while without saying much, just watching the city wake up under the rising sun.
People moved like they were pretending yesterday hadn’t happened. I could hear bits of their conversations drifting up from the streets, whispers about the Emperor’s death, about the faction leaders who’d fallen.
Some of them sounded relieved, like a weight had been lifted. Others sounded scared, like they knew something worse was coming. And some were angry, their voices sharp, promising revenge.
"You’ve been up here a while?" I finally asked.
Steve shrugged without looking at me. "Couldn’t sleep."
I hesitated a moment, then said quietly, "I heard about Hazel. I’m sorry."
He stayed silent for a few seconds, jaw tight. Eventually he spoke, his voice low. "I don’t understand her choice. Why go that far for revenge? We could’ve helped her kill Saturn. Hell, you could’ve killed the guy yourself. There was no need for her to die. It just... feels pointless."
I exhaled slowly, watching the morning sky. "I don’t understand it either. But I can’t say I wouldn’t do the same. When revenge is all you’ve got left, it eats everything else. Maybe she didn’t see any other way. Or maybe she was thinking about the same thing I’ve been thinking about."
Steve finally looked at me. "And what’s that?"
"The thought that my parents’ souls might have been turned into a phantom or an abomination. That they’re still out there somewhere." My voice dipped. "I’m sure Hazel thought about her husband and her son, too. Maybe she couldn’t stand the thought of leaving them like that."
Steve let out a breath, his shoulders slumping. "She gave me hell every time I messed up a swing. Kept telling me to stop being sloppy, to keep my feet grounded. Only had her for a short time, but she was... great. Kind and talented as hell." He gave a dry little chuckle.
Then he muttered, almost to himself, "Crazy woman. She taught me to fight sharper and then threw herself at Saturn like it was nothing."
He unsheathed his sword and stared at the edge, his reflection rippling on the steel. "I seem to have really bad luck with women. First Ana, now Hazel. Damn."
I wasn’t sure what to say to that, so I decided to push him forward instead. "Come on, stop moping. We’re going to see much more tragedy than this. We can’t let our hearts get weak."
He sheathed the sword, took a deep breath, and suddenly shouted, "FUCK THIS WORLD."
I snapped my fingers instantly, muting the sound before it could echo into the streets below. The last thing I wanted was people freaking out because of Steve’s lungs.
He rolled his shoulders and smirked faintly. "Ahh, I feel a little better now." He stood up, brushing dust off his pants. "So what’s the plan?"
I shrugged. "Not sure. There’s supposed to be a meeting soon. They’ll decide what to do."
"You don’t want to involve yourself in the plan?" Steve asked.
"No. They’ll let me know when they’ve decided. I’m more interested in ranking up right now."
He glanced me up and down and raised an eyebrow. "Are you really my best friend?"
"Yeah." I nodded.
"Then why the hell are you saying things that depress me even more?"
I coughed and threw an arm around his shoulders. "It’s alright. I’ll pull you up. I’ve got a plan. Anyway, come on, let me take you to meet someone."
"Where’s North?"
"She’s with her grandfather," I replied, already reaching inward to connect with the world core. I felt the hum of its energy spread through me, the threads of Essence linking every point of this world to my will.
"Brace yourself," I said to Steve, and then I tore through space. In an instant, the rooftop, the city, and the noise all vanished. We arrived directly at the Lamp Island.
As I looked at the devouring fire wall wrapping around the island, my thoughts drifted back to the fight with the phantoms.
One thing kept bothering me, I hadn’t managed to get a summon out of any of them.
The transcendent had fought like it wanted to eat away at my talent, and in my mind, I’d already planned to turn it into my next summon.
But it hadn’t worked out. Maybe I should have forced it to surrender instead of killing it. Or maybe I was missing something else entirely. Either way, it felt like I had lost something valuable.
I waved my hand, parting the fire wall. "Let’s go."
I grabbed Steve’s shoulder and shot forward, flying straight inside.
As we cut through the flames and headed toward the giant palace at the center, Steve suddenly shouted, "What the hell is that?"
I smirked. "You wouldn’t believe me if I told you the story."
"I’m listening," he shot back, his voice sharp over the wind.
I chuckled and slowed as we landed in front of the massive palace. The moment our feet touched the ground, I started telling him the history of the Order of Time.
Steve stayed quiet through it all, his expression shifting as he tried to piece it together. When I finished, he muttered under his breath, "A Saint? Damn. What kind of monstrous place is the Prime Galaxy?"
"We’ll find out when we get there," I said with a laugh. "The day isn’t too far, I think."
"Hell no," he scoffed. "I’m not walking into a place like that as just a Master."
"As I said," I gave him a sideways glance, "I already have a plan to make sure you don’t remain a Master."
"Alright. If you say so." He chuckled.