“Sir! I’ve done as you asked.”

  Marquez sat within his team's compound on the tenth level. Before him was a large metallic table with many similar chairs spanning its circumference. In the centre was a dimly glowing orb that projected a small hologram onto the air itself. It was a rendition of a small Charles Baxter quietly sitting at his own desk, perusing the various reports strewn on it. He barely raised his head as he addressed Marquez.

  "Good. I'll have my secretary do something about your team. You'll be on standby 'till then. Think of it as a vacation of sorts. I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

  “Thank you, sir,” Marquez replied, yet he couldn’t hide the wry smile that crept upon his lips. He hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to voice the concerns brewing in his heart.

  “Something on your mind?” Baxter asked as he raised his gaze slightly from the documents.

  Marquez bit his lips but then resolved himself to ask. After all, the worst that could happen was to be denied answers.

  “Sir! I have to ask. Was it necessary not to give him more information? After all, that man didn’t seem to be aware of most of the common knowledge in the Cradle.”

  Baxter rose slightly, pressing his back into the soft cushioning of his chair. Then he tilted his head backward, rubbing the bridge of his nose with the tip of his index and thumb.

  "I'm not interested in gaining just another puppet when I already have more than enough," he finally said after letting the silence hang much longer than Marquez would have liked. "I need a man who can think for himself and get things done. If he can't even show his worth without being told how then I have no use for him."

  “Thank you for revealing your thoughts, sir,” Marquez said dryly, yet couldn’t help but feel slightly honoured that a man of Charles Baxter’s importance would deign to spend his limited time answering his question.

  "If that's all you have to report, I must return to work."

  "One more thing," Marquez added as the thought popped into his head. While he didn't find this detail meaningful, he knew it wasn't his place to conclude as such. "That man chose to keep a young mutant by his side. What should be done about her?"

  "Oh... the young girl formerly employed by your rival?" Baxter replied, slightly intrigued, yet his interest quickly depleted. "I read her file. She's inconsequential. If he has a use for her, then let him do as he pleases. However, if she proves to be an obstacle, then you know what to do. I trust your judgment on this. If there’s anything else, you can inform my secretary.”

  The image emitted a strange sound before it automatically closed, letting the darkness wash over the room, only for dim lights to emerge, basking the room in their dull glow, just enough so that Marquez could see within the dim darkness.

  He remained seated for a while longer, mulling over his next course of action as he replayed the conversation in his mind. While there were some things he couldn't comprehend, he chose not to delve further, as he knew Charles Baxter only told him what he needed to know. Any more would only become an unneeded risk.

  "I just hope that man won't implicate me if he were to ever disappoint Mr. Baxter," Marquez muttered under his breath, even shivering at the mere thought before he rose and left the room, leaving it to return to darkness.

  ******

  Ning Shan sat on his new bed, his legs crossed as his rear slightly sunk into the soft material. His eyes were closed, and he became one with the darkness within until his consciousness blended into his own body, travelling to every extremity of his flesh before returning to his core, where a single red light dwelt.

  In what used to be his qi centre was the cube-shaped red-ringed planet that slowly revolved into the void, red dust amalgamating onto its surface, slowly making it grow. From all the fighting that occurred, Ning Shan hadn't been able to observe the planet in a long time and was surprised to see it grow so big. In fact, it was almost twice the size of the last time he had reached so deep. It seemed almost on the verge of bursting.

  The sixth ring should be just about ready to be born...

  Floating not far away within the void, Ning Shan could see the constant reminder of what he had been granted. There stood a window of golden light, representing what he could only once perceive as a slight feeling, but now in numerical values. He was only a few Red Dust Points away from the next level.

  I wonder what would happen if I cultivated as I always have. Would it even do anything? Well, I have only time to lose by trying.

  Ning Shan concentrated further, feeling the world around him and its lack of qi. No matter how hard he tried, no qi ever resonated with him, making this world more barren than he first expected. Even in the more desolate areas of his previous world, no place existed devoid of all qi, as it was the very foundation of the world. The absence of qi only meant death.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Either this world is already dead, just an instant away from complete destruction, or something else is sustaining its foundation. While this red dust is interesting in itself, it's not enough to explain its continued existence.

  Ning Shan let out a long breath, dissipating all those intrusive thoughts as he tried to focus completely on his meditation. He let his mind wander over the void while he breathed in and out, allowing the dust to collect within his core. Still, something surprised him.

  Marquez said that the people here were allergic to the dust, yet I can still feel it all around me. While its concentration is lower than outside, it is still abundant. Why can they live within the Cradle and not outside its boundary?

  Something didn't add up. There were too many details about this new substance that were unknown for him to make a definitive conclusion. While he was interested in having answers, there were more pressing matters for him to attend to.

  After over two hours of meditation, his consciousness expanded, covering most of the Cradle's ninth level. While pitiful compared to what he could do at his peak, it was enough for his current needs. With a single thought, he mobilized the surrounding dust, creating a massive vortex that slowly pulled all the dust toward his location.

  As he was inexperienced in manipulating dust compared to qi, his absorption rate was pitifully low. Most of the dust that reached him only passed through his body, entering his core, only to be spat out through his breath, while only a small amount remained. Still, the rate at which he gathered the dust was definitely better than the passive rate.

  Coupled with the fact that the dust lingered next to him before being sucked again a second or even third time, it allowed Ning Shan to quickly advance toward the sixth level of the Qi Refining Stage, or whatever the people of this world called the sixth red ring that was on the verge of emerging from the cube-shaped planet.

  ******

  While he was deep in meditation, Sera strolled through the street of this level, familiarizing herself with her new surroundings. Without an alternating source of light like a celestial object and the constant dim light of the pillar overhead, determining the time of day was an inconsistent undertaking.

  As such, the streets were almost always busy with people living at their own rhythm. In any other world, it would seem that people were in a constant state of night outings, drinking in the streets, with multiple bars opened at every hour, always welcoming their perpetual clientele. Still, Sera knew this was only a matter of perspective.

  The ninth level was much different than where she grew up. Here, hunters were the norm, and while it may have seemed lawless, a particular order reigned, making this place much better than what her experiences dictated. The chances of being mugged, and her body being left to rot on the street side—while not zero—were much lower. Still, she hid a pistol beneath her jacket, if only by habit.

  Her hood covered her face as she walked the streets, her thoughts wandering as she thought back to the man she was now entangled with. Somehow, the loss of her team seemed like memories of a lifetime ago, barely registering in her consciousness, even though it all happened less than two days ago.

  She felt no sadness for their loss or anger for their betrayal. They felt almost inconsequential. Somehow, all her thoughts revolved around this new man and what it represented for her—maybe a way for her to escape this world of blood and death. Still, she knew perfectly well how naive her thoughts were.

  As she strolled the streets, passing by the countless prostitutes advertising their crafts, Sera noticed something unusual. The dim lights that hovered over the city, valiantly fighting the encroaching darkness, began to dim, if only slightly. For beings that lived in darkness, this shift didn’t go unnoticed.

  Almost everyone stopped in their tracks, raising their heads as they silently watched what was happening. An uneasy silence reigned over the level, something that seldom happened as the street’s bustle was always a constant.

  Sera's eyes narrowed as her thoughts raced. Something like this had never happened in her few short years of life. She couldn't help but turn her gaze back toward her new domicile, the image of that man unexpectedly appearing in her mind.

  He couldn’t be the one responsible for this, right? She thought, unable to get the thought out of her mind. It's only been a short few hours since we returned to the Cradle, and something like this happened... What are the chances of a coincidence?

  She shook her head, unwilling to think further. Whatever was happening had nothing to do with her, and even if it was, she would deny it. She renewed her stroll, ignoring what was happening above, only to be stopped again by something worse.

  The lights were now flickering. She even saw them wobbling slightly, almost as if they were threatening to fall as if they were about to run out of energy. Fright took hold of her heart, and the bad feeling she had was growing stronger. Without much thought, she turned on her heel and began running toward the apartment they were granted, ignoring the dubious looks she was given.

  In less than a few minutes, she reached the large lobby, bolting past the reception desk as she ran straight into the elevator, frantically pressing the button marked thirteen, indicating the floor on which their apartment was. Only now did she realize the instability wasn't confined to the street light; even those within the building were flickering. The elevator refused to move, even though she relentlessly pressed the button.

  She darted out of the elevator and took the stairs, which she quickly climbed, even while skipping some. Thinking this to be too slow, she even chose to use her gift, skipping multiple flights as she fell in reverse toward the ceiling of the staircase shaft before stopping precisely at the thirteenth floor.

  She rushed down the hall before pressing her hand against the scanner at their door to unlock it. She couldn't help but thank herself for having convinced Ning Shan to add her to the registry before leaving. Otherwise, she would have been outside, unable to get in without his approval.

  She frantically looked around, only to find Ning Shan missing within their shared space. As a scout by training, she could easily determine his whereabouts once she put her mind to it. While she would never usually invade someone's privacy, especially someone who held power over her, this time, her instincts told her it would be a mistake not to do so.

  She quickly barged through the door of Ning Shan's bedroom, not bothering to announce herself, only to be stunned by what she saw and swiftly closed the door back down, her face white as a sheet as dread took root in her heart. She had come much too close for comfort.

  She rushed to her own room, snatching her mask before hastily wearing it. Only then did she return to Ning Shan's room, but this time, she opened the door more carefully, only to be again bewildered by the sight.

  In the middle was Ning Shan, peacefully sitting on his own bed, legs crossed, and his breaths were long and slow. He was in such a trance that Sera could only barely hear his heartbeat despite doing her best to strain her ears. If not for the rosiness of his skin, she would have thought the man to be dead.

  No, what truly stunned her was the cloud of red dust orbiting around him, permeating the room, almost as if he was bathing in it. Yet, he seemed perfectly fine. In fact, he had never seemed better!