I fought.

  Y’know, it’s a strange thought now. Back then, everything had been so difficult. It had taken every ounce of willpower I could muster to even drag my tired body out there to fight at all. Yet, now? Looking back at it, it doesn’t seem that hard.

  In a way, it wasn’t really. After all those talents from the archmages? My world had shifted again. No one in the wellspring realm was a match for me. Maybe Matt, who had simir benefits, but that was it.

  After all of the fighting, after all the moments I almost died, I was so close. Through [Transference] I’d established what was probably a group of the most talented individuals anyone had ever seen. Most people had one talent, maybe two. Someone like my brother, Ivan, had multiple.

  Once in a century geniuses like Orvan or Matt often had very powerful talents, too. But in the end, their number was still a good indicator.

  By now, I’d amassed five. Just by myself. [Slight Edge], [Single-Minded], [Superimposed Experience], [Precipitous Wings], [Budding Nova].

  I’d acquired three of those through my own experiences, and two through lucky encounters and the grace of others. Still, five talents were enough to put me up there with the geniuses. The prodigies.

  But I didn’t just have five. With everyone in the network, I had over twenty. The six archmages, the five angels, and all the members of our party. Except Ann, and maybe Eric if he still counted.

  Sure, they didn’t work to their full efficacy. Being shared through [Transference] caused some losses, after all, but that was fine. I didn’t need the full effects. Half of an archmage’s talent was still worth two regur ones, to be quite honest.

  So. Purely based on those numbers, I had set myself up for success. My growth sped up enormously, and I came out of that bloodbath a different person than I went in.

  The usurpers hadn’t just broken against me, the tides hadn't just been halted. They’d downright shattered.

  Thinking back on it, it was kinda terrifying. Astraeus guided my swings, and sometimes I’d use that invisible spear made from my willpower. I had no blind spots. I could teleport if needed. Any attack that was unavoidable, I’d just reflect right back where it came from, and if through all that something still nded, the attack was just erased by [Inexplicable Reinforcement].

  And then, I still had items of terrifying power. I didn’t even need to try. Whenever I swung, even with just casual effort, the raw force of my weapon, willpower and Qi would cleave anything in my path.

  Eventually, I even got a little zy about it. There were usurpers in between me and the next fragment holder? I’d just extend my spear a dozenfold with Qi, liquid gold crystallizing into a solid, then carve through the masses.

  Like a scythe through wheat.

  With apathy, I cut through the usurpers. I was worn out, honestly. Short on compassion, now. So as ever more of the creatures crawled from the rifts, I cut them down.

  Somewhere on the battlefields, my companions raged as well. Each member of our party had grown enormously, each one of them a force of nature in their own right. But I didn’t look. Didn’t need to.

  Because it was easy for me, and so it was easy for them. Quite frankly, there was nothing on this battlefield that could have substantially hurt any of us anymore. Not that many of us were in Eden. Matt, Reya, Chris and me. That was all.

  And we were all that was needed.

  A day passed. Then another, and as I took the final shard, I heard the chime.

  [Gateway:

  Strength: 50

  Fragments: 61

  Figments: 7

  Manifestations: 1]

  My gateway strength had finally crossed that threshold, creeping over the fifty mark.

  Not daring to hope too soon, I turned to Cass. ‘Run the calcutions one more time, could you?’

  [Running,] she said. And for a long, quiet moment, I waited for the answer. My Qi was heavy enough to crush any weakling usurpers who charged at me. I just stood there, and waited, eyes closed, feeling the wind on my skin, smelling the faint odor of iron.

  [Confirmed. Fifty strength should keep up entirely intact while going back to Neamhan.]

  I breathed out. A single tear streaked down my cheek. The wind tousled my hair.

  The change had rippled through my entire being but I didn’t dare listen to its whispers yet. A new tab had been added. Manifestations. I could tell, kind of, what they were, but I didn’t care right now.

  “I’m done,” I whispered, turning my eyes towards the sky. And then, it happened.

  A single ray of sunlight touched my cheek.

  A faint, tiny hint of radiance and warmth against my closed eyelids.

  I opened my eyes, looking, and it was true. The world lurched and shifted. The edges of the darkness receded. It felt a little more stable suddenly. A tiny ray of sunlight shone down.

  Everything seemed to freeze. The world held its breath. I stared at it, silently, my mouth faintly open.

  “It’s over,” I whispered.

  My spear fell out of my hands, and I dropped to my knees in the filth. I held out my hands as if to catch the sunlight. I cried, bawling, wet drops streaking down my cheeky. “Ha. Hahaha. Hahahahaha!” I ughed. “It’s over. It’s over!”

  Behind me, distantly, on the wall, the soldiers erupted into cheers. The usurpers seemed skittish, many of the creatures sniffing the air and looking at the sky, squinting. It was still dark, still dreary, but the faintest hint of sunlight had finally entered the world again. Things were gonna be alright. Things were gonna be alright.

  - - -

  A long, long moment passed like that. Then the soldiers got up to what they did best: fighting.

  For the first time in weeks, no, in months, Eden pushed back the tide of usurpers. We fought for a little while longer, but Saif soon floated down and cpped me on the shoulder.

  “I’ll take it from here,” she said. “You’ve done enough.”

  She did not have to tell me twice.

  - - -

  When I stood before the gateway, another version of me had showered. I was clean. I was ready. For the first time in days, I felt light. Ready.

  Matt stood there, Reya and Chris right next to him. Olivia stood a little to the side, still eyeing me with some suspicion. I took a deep breath then faced all of them. “Thank you,” I said. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

  Chris smiled, first. “You have my gratitude, as well,” the triz-adu said, giving me a deep bow. “I may be unable to accompany you back, but I consider you a friend now. I look forward to your return to Eden.” Then they smiled a somewhat sad yet confident expression. “Until then, I’ll have buried my past ghosts. Literally.”

  “Good luck, friend,” I replied.

  Matt gave them a light pat on the back. “Go get ‘em,” the swordsman encouraged, then turned to me. “I’m looking forward to seeing you on Neamhan, then,” he said with a grin. “Will take me a day or two to make it to your city, though. See if you can’t spend a night with Ann until then. I’ll book a hotel.”

  I snorted at that. He was being ridiculous. Still, I nodded. “Right, Matt. I’ll be seeing you. Thanks, for being my friend.”

  “Of course, dummy. Always.” He let the words linger for a moment, then turned around. “I’ll be going ahead, yeah? See you soon.”

  “See you soon.”

  Reya turned to me next, signing. I recognized some of what she showed me. Was it… something about her brother. Ah. She would want to visit Eric.

  “She’ll try to convince her idiot coward brother to come visit, too, she says,” Chris helpfully transted, and I gave a snort.

  “Right. Go ahead, Reya. See you on the other side.”

  In response, the mute girl gave me a smile, kissed her fingertip, and pced it on my cheek. Then she rushed off, soon catching up with Matt who was still strolling ahead. I smiled. She was rather sweet.

  Finally, that left Olivia. I turned to the swordswoman, and she looked back at me, arms crossed. “So,” I said.

  “So,” she said.

  “What’s next?”

  She looked at me for a long moment, then let out a long sigh. “These st weeks have been the longest of my life. But also the most changing. I’ll go back. I’ll… see about meeting you, but no guarantees. We’ll figure it out, somehow. Got a bit of communication in your network now, yeah?”

  “Sure,” I said. “What’ll you do on Neamhan?”

  “Get my worthless life back under grips,” she said. It was a serious tone, like she genuinely meant it. I heard remorse and willingness to change. “And bring those worthless Zinnic fucks down a peg,” she added with a snarl.

  That sounded about right. I smiled faintly. “Alright,” I said.

  “Alright? That’s it?” she raised an eyebrow.

  “Yep,” I said. “I don’t trust you, Olivia. I don’t even think you’re a good person. But you’ve been trying. With Orvan, now with us.”

  She flushed slightly, but then shrugged and looked away. “Well. Just thought it was worthwhile. Orvan seemed worth it, and, frankly, so do you.”

  I knew that those words meant a lot, remembering her covenant. So I smiled, walked up to her, and hugged her. It was a brief motion, only sting for a second, and she froze solid like a statue made from ice in my arms, but it was one I thought appropriate. I was a little overwhelmed at the time.

  “Cool,” I told her, letting her go. “See you around, Olivia.”

  “Yeah. See you around.”

  Then, with a st wave to her and Chris, I stepped through the gateway.

  - - - - - -

  Ann woke up to a knock at the door. She felt like shit. Her throat was raw from screaming. Her skin felt raw from heat. Her bones still ached, her cuts had settled into that dull pain that only days-old wounds can ever inflict.

  She groaned, then tossed, burying her head into the pillow, tuning the world out. It didn’t matter. Not yet. It could all wait, just a little.

  The dull hum of the air filter was interrupted by yet another knock at the door. It wasn’t her door, not the bedroom, but that of the ft in general. Grimacing, Ann dragged herself up. She didn’t know if Agatha was awake yet.

  By the time she was in the middle of putting on more presentable clothes, there was a third, louder set of knocking, and footsteps down the hall. Agatha’s footsteps. They were very distinct, loud and quick and click-ccky.

  When Ann was pulling her shirt over, she heard Agatha talk through the door. Then, she finally made her way into the hallway. The door to the ft was still closed, but there was a voice from behind it.

  “Hello. Is this Fiona Bellum’s ft?” it asked.

  The voice was deep and devoid of emotion. Unfamiliar to Ann.

  “No, it isn’t,” Agatha said, clicking her tongue. “Go harass someone else.”

  “I’m afraid I can’t do that, ma’am,” the voice on the other end replied. The man spoke slow, measured words. “Please open the door.”

  “Do you have a warrant?” Agatha asked.

  A chuckle. “Heh. No, we’re not with the police. Consider us an, eh, private firm,” he said.

  “Leave, or I’ll call emergency services,” Agatha hissed.

  Someone else said something, too quiet to hear through the door. Ann did recognize the distinctive clicking sound of a lighter, though. There was a long pause, then, and the faint smell of tobacco leaked through the door. Were they smoking?

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” the man said, voice raspy. “Please don’t make this more troublesome than it needs to be.”

  Frustrated, Agatha pulled out her phone. Something within Ann tightened. She felt a blip of anxiety blossom in her heart. Something felt very wrong. Sinister.

  While Fio’s mom was still in the middle of typing on the phone screen, there was a sigh from the other side. It was long and drawn out. “Ma’am, I’ll count to three. I recommend you either open the door or step away from it,” the man said. “One.”

  “I’m calling-”

  “Two.”

  Agatha blinked. Ann grabbed her, pulling the older woman back on instinct. Something was wrong. Something was-

  “Three. You’ve been warned.”

  Reflexively, Ann hunkered down on the floor, dragging Agatha beneath her and shielding the older woman with her body. A moment ter, there was a horrible cracking and twisting sound, the door splintering and being torn off its hinges in a single moment.

  Heavy pieces and sharp wooden shrapnel smmed against Ann knocking her sprawling onto the floor and making her draw in a hissing breath of pain. It knocked the wind out of her, but a moment ter Ann was back on her feet.

  Somehow, she’d twisted into a sommersault. How did she know to move like that?? How-

  The thought caused pain and she shoved them away. In front of her was a man in a dark suit, wearing a pair of sungsses, taking a long, slow draw of his cigarette. His bck hair was pulled back by gel and hair spray, giving him a sleek look, but the muscles were evident even beneath the suit.

  He breathed out, blowing smoke into Ann’s face. “Miss Bellefmme, am I assuming correctly?” he asked.

  Ann just looked at him. There was a feeling there. A wisp of familiarity. Something radiated off of this man, a hint of power that she was familiar with, something supernatural, something special, something she wanted- no, needed.

  “Yeah,” she said. “What about it?”

  Slowly, a smile spread across his lips. “I’m going to have to ask you to come with us.”

  “No,” Ann said. “I’m going to have to ask you to die in a fucking fire.”

  Someone from behind whistled. “Feisty,” the comment came.

  Ann closed her eyes for a brief moment, feeling the thin haze of power radiate off this man. Something within her stirred, almost awakening. She drew her left foot back, turning her body slightly and reached out to the left. There was a spear on the wall - in her hands, now.

  Suddenly, the guy was no longer smiling as brightly. “Ma’am. Put that down.”

  Viciously, Ann grinned. Her heart thumped. She felt alive. Behind her, Agatha slowly moved backwards, her phone screen cracked. “No,” Ann said. “I don’t think I will.”

  The guy frowned, then dropped the cigarette, stomping onto it, leaving a burn mark on the wooden floor. “This will be a lot less fun than you expect,” he said, warning clear in his tone. “We- Aaaah!”

  Ann interrupted him by stabbing the spear forward. He dodged to the side, but it still gouged a chunk out of his leg. It felt like she was trying to cut a tree. “What the fuck…” Ann muttered, shocked at the resistance human flesh should and shouldn’t have posed. Her memories told her something different from her emotions, and she decided to trust the second.

  There was a flicker of something in the air. Ann took a step back when she felt it fluctuate, and a lock of red hair slowly drifted to the ground. There was a faint cut on her nose, trickling red down her face. It burnt and stung.

  “Get her,” the man said with a grimace, clutching his leg with one hand, the other on a knife. From his side, another guy shuffled by, this one even more burly and looking a little more unkempt with a scraggly beard. He wore brass knuckles.

  Again, Ann stabbed the spear with an almost familiar motion, putting the chain of her body into it, rotating her hips to get proper leverage. The guy grabbed the tip of the spear, snatching it out of the air. It dug deep into his hands, but he quickly shoved it aside, pressing the tip against the wall with one palm.

  It didn’t budge when Ann pulled, and a moment ter, his fist came flying at her. She barely ducked underneath, dropping to the floor, propping herself up with one hand and trying to swipe his legs out from under him.

  Her shin hooked into his calf. The muscle fibres felt tough as steel, but even that didn’t help when Ann smmed into them with the weight of her whole body. The guy toppled to the side, head smming into the wall with a grunt of pain. Ann pulled the spear back into her hands, scrambling back on the floor as one of the guys tried to grab her ankle.

  A moment ter she scrambled to her legs, only to have one of the guys give a sharp sm against her chest with the tip of a long wooden staff. It knocked her stumbling backwards, spear almost slipping out of her grasp. How many of these fuckers were there?!

  She felt alive, though. There was something in the air, a power so familiar. But it wasn’t her type of power. What was hers-

  White pain. She stumbled back some more before she could be cut again. Agatha had fled somewhere after seeing the knife. Ann used the chance to hide in the kitchen, grabbing a chair with her free hand, and hurling it at the first guy coming her way.

  The wood splintered as he brought up a hand to defend himself. Ann jammed the spear into his abdomen. The muscle fibres were, tough, only partially splitting as she didn’t get to put her whole weight into it, so he was just hurt, not spilling his guts on the floor.

  In response, the guy gave a roar. Ann swung the spear again, but it went wide and he brushed it aside with his shoulder. Their suits were tough, too. Maybe made to be ssh resistant? The thought sted a moment before Ann dodged to the side, bringing up her knee and smming it between the guys legs.

  He let out a squal of pain, doubling over. Ann picked up a chair with both hands and smmed it onto his head until he sprawled to the floor.

  Someone grabbed her hair. “Fun’s over.” The voice was feminine this time, the woman smming her head against the wall. The pster broke underneath her, blood spttering as something in her face cracked.

  Ann screamed in pain, pulling at the arm. It ripped out some of her hair, but she spun and pced a kick in the other woman’s chest who stumbled back. Ann scrambled through the hallway into the living room. She didn’t have the spear anymore, and the world swam.

  Still, she got into position, fists out in front of her, body turned slightly. When the nky guy who’d smoked came in, she kicked at him but he stepped back, grabbing her leg as she was too slow.

  He pulled, and the world spun, Ann’s head smming into the floor. Everything spun.

  A glint of silver. She scrambled backwards on the floor. The man had tried to sm the pommel of the knife into her temple, but now, the bde grazed her forehead instead. Blood pooled unto her eyebrow.

  She scrambled to her feet. A drop of red fell into her eye, blinding her. The big guy with brass knuckles came at her next, and she dodged under his first swing, kicking him in the stomach, only for him to grunt, grab her, and toss her across the room.

  Ann crashed into the TV, smashing it and knocking it off its stand. That hint of magic was in her nose, but it was overwhelmed by the scent of iron. The world swam. She tried to get up again, but a kick to her stomach sent her doubling in pain, and the small TV rack beneath her crumbled.

  Blinded and in pain, Ann still kicked out. Then something heavy smmed into her head one more time, and she felt the world go dark.