We sat together on the porch, legs swinging idly, the air warm with the last breath of day. The garden below shimmered faintly, crystals embedded in the soil beginning to glow as the sun sank lower, their pale light weaving with the rich orange of dusk that bathed the manicured grounds.
“Apparently, we should be leaving soon,” I murmured, my words breaking the comfortable stillness that had fallen over us. “Though I wonder where everyone disappeared to.”
Mei shrugged, the motion casual, yet her gaze distant. “Dad gets carried away when he’s showing people around. I bet he’s been dragging them all over the place.”
If that were true, it didn’t surprise me in the least.
“He wants to take me as a disciple,” I said, almost offhandedly.
Her legs froze mid-swing, then started again as if nothing had happened. “He’s strange, but if he sees talent in you, I wouldn’t refuse. Plenty of people would give anything for even a single day of his lessons.”
A quiet laugh escaped me as I pictured it: crowds shadowing the man’s every step, lining up outside his hidden home, groveling just for the privilege of being thrown to the floor during one of his sparring demonstrations. “So that’s why he hides this place?”
Mei tilted her head, eyes narrowing in thought. “You know… I never really considered it. But maybe.”
The hush that followed wasn’t awkward. It was the silence of two people who had shared the same sun, the same long day. My thoughts drifted toward the looming announcement Mei would soon face. I said nothing—it wasn’t my secret to tell, and I doubt her father would welcome my meddling.
The night began to assert itself: crickets sang from the hedges, water gurgled in the fountains, and the faint aroma of damp earth rose from the ponds. Whoever designed this place had woven serenity into every detail.
I decided then that, for my own future home, I’d need to find the builder responsible. Griffith’s dirt huts had a rustic charm, and perhaps with his new abilities they could be reshaped into something sturdier, but even so… an actual structure had its appeal.
My mind wandered inward, to the body slumbering within my Inner World. The figure bore an uncanny resemblance to the creators of the cosmic beasts. Were they all also just representations of another more real body on the outside?
But outside what?
I shook the thoughts away. The next element, when mastered, would surely provide new answers.
That reminded me—Drybel’s energy. It had its strangeness. Unlike Force, which he seemed indifferent toward, his essence was something else entirely. Not black, but an absolute absence, a darkness that swallowed. Ink-dark, void-like, devouring every trace of light and substance it touched. And all of it funneled into the World Seed, along with saturating the foundation of my Inner Realm.
What would it become?
“What kind of place do you live in now?” Mei asked suddenly, her question cutting through my tangled thoughts.
I hummed, considering. “It’s… a dangerous archipelago. The further you go inward, the more perilous it becomes. But it exists apart—separate from the rest of the world.”
Her brow arched. “And that’s supposed to be a good thing?”
I nodded slowly. “For us, it is. Synthia could explain better, if she wanted to. But truthfully? That place isn’t so nice.”
She opened her mouth, clearly ready to press further, when a boisterous voice echoed across the grounds.
“You truly are a mag–magnificent man! Even my own tr—trai–ning routine doesn’t include such marvelous exercises!” Sei’s words rang out, thick with slurred enthusiasm.
The barrier shimmered, and he stumbled through first, Griffith close behind, followed by Rojin and Synthia.
“No, no!” Griffith insisted, shaking his head dramatically. “You’ve already taught me so much. My one measly gift is mass, but you—your mind holds oceans of knowledge. Oceans!”
My eyes widened at the sight of two towering men, red-faced, arms slung around each other as though they’d been friends a lifetime. Their speech was a mess of half-formed words and drunken praise.
Rojin trailed after them, cheeks flushed, while Synthia walked at his side with her own blush. They said nothing, but the crooked little smiles curving their lips betrayed that they too had indulged.
“Of course he took them out,” Mei muttered with a low growl, her arms crossing as her eyes narrowed. “I bet they got all the best food too.”
I fought to keep the flicker of irritation from showing on my face. Didn’t want her thinking I was sulking over missing the fun. Still, they could’ve at least invited us. Maybe it had been a spur-of-the-moment decision. Yeah… that had to be it.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The two men halted when they noticed me, their bleary eyes narrowing in tandem.
“My apprentice!” Sei bellowed, as though proclaiming it to the heavens.
Griffith slapped him on the back with a resounding—thump—the kind that would have staggered anyone else, but Sei absorbed it without flinching, as immovable as a mountain.
“My recruit!” Griffith roared in turn, chest swelling with equal pride.
I blinked, frozen, completely lost on what in the world this performance was supposed to be.
Then, as if on cue, Synthia added her piece, her tone measured but oddly solemn. “My trial partner.”
And finally, Rojin burst in, his voice sharp with genuine frustration. “THE GUY WHO RUINED MY CLOTHES!”
I stiffened. Wait, who told him about that?
My eyes slid toward Sei with suspicion.Before I could linger on the thought, Mei hopped to her feet, thrusting her fist skyward. Between her fingers gleamed a small violet stone. “My good luck charm!”
At that point, I could only stand there, silent, enduring the bizarre roll call of titles until Griffith stepped forward. His massive hand clamped down on my shoulder.
“You should try the alcohol they’ve got here, Peter,” he said with sloppy seriousness. “It’s unlike anything I’ve tasted. Strong. Piercing. And the best part—free.”
I gave his hand a couple of perfunctory pats, forcing a thin smile. “Yeeeaah… sounds great.”
Of course, ‘free’ probably meant Sei had footed the bill.
Synthia and Rojin drifted closer, sliding in on my left, while Mei reclaimed her place at my right.
The giant in front of me glanced left, then right, his expression twisting into confusion. Without warning, he stomped the ground.
Ruuummble.
The grass and soil beneath his feet heaved upward, sculpting into a crude but functional chair.
“Whoa!” Sei exclaimed, not in anger at the ruined patio but in unbridled fascination. “You never said you could do that!”
He darted around the earthen seat like an excited child, fingers tracing the cracks, eyes glittering with curiosity, while Griffith promptly collapsed into it and began dozing off.
But before Sei’s wonder could continue into more chaos, the air split apart. Space itself ruptured with a tearing sound as two figures stepped through the breach. They had been mid-conversation, but both fell silent the moment they saw our flushed, disheveled group.
Sei froze as well, then turned. Recognition lit his face and, with a wide grin, he spread his arms.
“Welcome back, dear,” he cooed, stepping toward Amei with the unmistakable intent of an embrace. Amei went rigid, her body locking like ice, clearly blindsided by the display. I flicked a glance to my right, and sure enough, Mei was staring wide-eyed, mouth hanging open.
“He’s gonna die,” she whispered.
Serith brushed past Sei without a glance, her sharp steps bringing her to me instead. Her head shook, eyes full of the kind of weary frustration. “That man is an idiot.”
Mei didn’t even react to the insult. Her attention was fixed past Serith, on the sight of her father clinging to the stunned woman.
“Are you ready, Peter?” Serith asked, her voice clipped and precise.
“I—”
“HRRRNNNGGG.”
Griffith’s thunderous snore erupted from his new stone throne, drowning out my reply.
I cleared my throat, shooting the man a glance to make sure he was truly asleep, then tried again. “I’m fine, but—”
Serith cut me off with a curt nod. “Good. Presence of mind isn’t required for Stepping anyway.”
Before I could respond, Mei tugged at the hem of her dress, pulling Serith’s gaze downward.
“Why is my dad doing that?” she whispered, her small hand pointing toward the awkward embrace. Amei had partially recovered, though not enough to move away, stealing anxious glances at her daughter. “Please don’t get him in trouble. He just gets… touchy when he drinks.”
“Uh—Um—He…” Serith stammered, her composure cracking as her eyes darted toward me, silently pleading for rescue.
An idea struck. I laid a steady hand on Mei’s shoulder, meeting her gaze with deliberate intensity.
She blinked, uncertain but listening.
“Mei?” I said softly.
“Yes?” Her voice was small, curious.
“Miss Amei has a huge crush on your dad,” I confessed, redirecting her worry into a narrative she could cling to. “Sei will be completely safe. No need to worry.”
Her violet eyes widened, shimmering with sudden realization. “Oh. OOOOHHHHH!” The outburst rang out as if everything in the world had just snapped neatly into place.
Technically, it wasn’t a lie. More of a temporary stitching.
Serith exhaled sharply, the sound carrying both relief and annoyance. Her gaze slid to her friend, whose expression remained rigid, though her eyes betrayed unease. “Enough foolishness. Grab him—and your d—rrring champion—and follow my energy,” she commanded, stumbling only briefly before correcting herself. “I’ll handle the rest.”
She didn’t wait for our agreement. With a sweep of her hand, the air glittered. Small nodes of light burst forth, gliding around her like sparks torn from a forge. They spiraled outward, weaving into slender rings of shifting rainbow color that encircled her, Griffith, me, Rojin, and Synthia.
I barely had time to turn toward Mei, offering her a final smile and a raised hand. “See you soon.”
The world lurched, colors tearing and folding. Leaves, stone, and sky blurred into a whirlpool of motion. Through the distortion, I swore I caught her wave, and faintly words reached me: Lucky charm.
My chest tightened, breath catching in my throat, but the disorientation didn’t crush me this time. I was adjusting. Traveling was no longer unbearable, though I figured after a long enough pause, the vertigo would return.
I inhaled deeply, steadying myself as the storm of shifting color slowly unraveled. The chaos melted into recognizable shapes of towering palms, thick trunks, and tropical air. The mingled chill and heat of the void gave way to humid warmth.
My feet found solid earth again, blackened and charred but holding firm beneath me.
Then a single cry that cracked through the haze, striking me like a bolt of lightning.
“Peter!”
The shout lifted my spirit in an instant, erasing the weight of the past two days as though they had stretched into weeks. And before I could react, Thea’s arms wrapped around me, pulling me in close.