As the last of the guests departed and the vast floating garden settled into a quieter stillness, my summons and friends remained behind. The shifting flowers continued their silent bloom, the fountains arced gracefully through the air, and the soft glow of the galaxy stretched behind us, but for that moment, none of it mattered.
Vivi stood at the center of it all, glancing around at the others with a hint of curiosity in her expression, clearly sensing that something was about to happen.
"What is this about?" she asked, her voice light, though her eyes moved from one face to another, trying to piece it together.
I stepped forward, meeting her gaze.
"You remember I told you about a gift," I said.
She paused for a brief moment, then nodded slowly, her interest sharpening.
Without saying anything further, I raised my hand, and the space in front of me shifted subtly as I reached into the connection of my core and brought it out.
The Soul Orb.
It appeared gently in my palm, its soft glow spreading outward. I extended my hand toward her and placed it carefully into hers.
"It’s for you," I said.
She looked down at it, her fingers curling slightly around the orb as she studied it.
"What is it?" she asked, her tone quieter now.
A faint smile formed on my face.
"Just crush it," I replied, my voice calm. "You’ll understand."
She didn’t hesitate.
Her fingers tightened, and the orb shattered instantly, dissolving into countless tiny particles of soft white light that drifted outward for a fraction of a second before turning back toward her.
The particles moved slowly, almost gently, as if guided by something unseen, and then they began to merge with her.
The moment they touched her, her entire form lit up.
A soft white glow spread across her body, weaving through every part of her existence.
Around us, no one spoke and watched the things unfolding silently. The glow remained for a while, steady and unwavering, holding her in that light as the transformation completed.
Then, slowly, it began to fade. And when it did, she stood there again.
At first glance, nothing had changed.
Her body remained the same, her presence just as graceful as before, her violet hair falling softly over her shoulders, the white flower still resting gently where it had been.
But there was a faint glow within her eyes.
I lifted my hand slightly, and with a simple motion, I called forth a gentle current of air. It moved softly through the space, brushing past her, lifting strands of her hair, touching her skin subtly.
She reacted instantly.
Her eyes widened slightly in realization, as if she was feeling something for the first time in a way she hadn’t before. The sensation lingered with her, and I could see it clearly in the way her expression shifted, the way her awareness deepened in that single moment.
I smiled softly.
"Vivi," I said, "congratulations... you have a soul now."
Her eyes lifted toward me, widening just a little more as the meaning of those words settled within her.
And then in the next instant, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around me.
"Thank you... thank you..." she said, her voice trembling slightly as she repeated the words again and again.
There were smiles on everyone’s faces.
"It’s alright," I said, gently patting her back as she held on to me. "Let’s just mark today as your birthday. Any objections?"
"No," came her soft whisper, her voice still slightly unsteady as she refused to let go just yet.
A small chuckle escaped me. "Wow... look at you. Who would’ve thought you were a crybaby."
That did it.
She stepped back instantly, almost too quickly, her hands moving up to adjust her hair as if nothing had happened.
"I am not," she said, her tone sharpening immediately. "I just got emotional for a moment. Don’t you dare start using this to tease me."
"But I did hear a trembling voice," Lyrate added casually from the side, her attention seemingly fixed on her nails as if the conversation wasn’t even worth full focus. "And I’m pretty sure I saw you shivering as well. As far as I know, that counts as crying."
She paused briefly before adding, without even looking up, "Look at you... a grown woman crying."
Vivi’s head snapped toward her so fast it was almost impressive.
"Forgive me," she replied sweetly, though the sharp edge in her voice made the intent very clear, "even though I consider myself a grown woman, I’m still not as old as you. It must be quite sad... having no emotions left due to old age."
For a moment, silence hung between them.
I glanced from one to the other, then very deliberately chose to say nothing, because there were battles even I had no intention of stepping into.
"It’s alright, Vivi," Aurora stepped in smoothly, moving closer and taking Vivi’s hand with a gentle smile that immediately softened the atmosphere. "Lyrate here has a couple of screws loose, so it’s best not to take her too seriously."
Lyrate didn’t even react, still studying her nails as if she hadn’t just been insulted.
Aurora tilted her head slightly, her eyes scanning Vivi for a moment before her smile deepened. "Also... your face has grown even more beautiful after taking that orb."
Vivi blinked once, clearly not expecting that.
Then, slowly, a small smile returned to her face, the earlier tension fading just as quickly as it had appeared.
"Well," she said, lifting her chin just slightly, "of course it has."
I saw Lyrate’s lips part, the familiar spark of another remark already forming, and I stepped in before she could release it.
"Alright," I said, raising a hand slightly as I moved between them, "the celebration is over. The gifts have been given, and everything that needed to be done... has been done."
I let my gaze move across everyone before continuing, my voice settling into something more focused.
"Primus, you’ll return to Abor and continue overseeing things. Focus on completing your quest," I said, meeting his eyes briefly before turning to the rest. "The rest of us... we’re heading to the Crimson Zone."
There were no objections because this was the plan.
With a small motion of my hand, the fabric around me shifted, the attire of the celebration dissolving into the robes of the Order of Absolute. The transition was seamless, the violet threads settling naturally against my form as the atmosphere around us followed suit.
One by one, the others did the same. The lightness of the gathering faded.
I turned slightly toward Vivi.
"Vivi, take us to the base outside the Crimson Zone."
She nodded once, her expression already focused, and without any further movement, space folded.
The transition was instant. The floating garden vanished, replaced by a different kind of stillness.
We arrived on another floating landmass, far more barren than the one we had just left behind. The space around us felt heavier, the void darker, as if something ahead was already influencing the environment.
The Crimson Zone.
Even from here, it could be felt.
I took a step forward, about to speak, when a voice came from behind.
"Finally... you’re here. I’ve been waiting for so long."
I turned.
Standing a short distance away, was a figure I recognized immediately.
Amun.
He stood with a relaxed posture, a familiar, almost irritatingly confident smile resting on his face, as though this entire moment had been planned long before we had even arrived.
And judging by the way he looked at me, it probably had been.