《Lavender Eyes》 The Lore Two children, a seven-year-old boy and a two-year-old girl, were giggling as they were having fun reading picture books together in a dimly lit room. The girl kept pointing to one drawing and calling out the object¡¯s name incorrectly and when the boy kept correcting her, she kept yelling the incorrect name out of stubbornness. A man entered the room. ¡°It¡¯s time for bed, you two.¡± The boy groaned and pouted, but did listen as he closed the book and placed it on the nightstand behind him. He then carried the girl onto the bed as he climbed up the bed himself. ¡°Dad, will you read a story to us today?¡± The man was a bit worried as he checked his watch. ¡°I¡¯m a little busy¡­¡± ¡°Please?¡± The girl repeated his words. Their father gave in as he grabbed a stool. ¡°Fine, fine. What do you want me to read to you today?¡± ¡°That one!¡± Their father was rather bewildered. ¡°That one?¡± He then hummed. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we last read it together. Fine, we¡¯ll read that one tonight.¡± He grabbed a rather thick book from the nearby bookshelf. As he opened it, he cleared his throat and started reciting the words inside. ¡°Long ago, roaming lavender-colored dragons once inhabited the universe. They traversed through many worlds to find a place they called home. Every planet they went to did not accept them for they already had rules and people.¡± ¡°Why couldn¡¯t they accept them?¡± The boy asked with concern. ¡°It was because they were big, scary and looked very different from regular animals, which scared humans.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not fair.¡± The father gave him a gentle smile as he placed a hand to his scarlet hair and patted it. ¡°It definitely isn¡¯t fair.¡± ¡°Not fair!¡± The girl barked out. He chuckled as he continued, ¡°After soaring through the universe, they eventually found a barren planet. They made a wish for the planet to become their home. The wasteland flourished with nature, and some pieces of land cracked and became their own separate land. They named their new home Terrenter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the name of our planet!¡± The boy remarked. His father smiled as he continued, ¡°The three large barren lands became countries named Ilacier, Lamina and Plasma. All three had their own unique climate that each dragon liked. However, the emptiness wasn¡¯t satisfying. Although they were the only inhabitants, they couldn¡¯t call Terrenter home. From the worlds they visited, each had humans and animals. They wanted that as well. They wished for them to appear, and it came true; they were truly satisfied.¡± The boy frowned. ¡°The teachers at school say that humans came from animals and whenever I tell them we came from dragons, they look at me weird.¡± ¡°People believe only what they want to believe. If something goes against their beliefs, they deny it.¡± ¡°Why do they do that?¡± ¡°Because they don¡¯t want to get hurt.¡± The boy felt a sadness in his heart as he recalled the way kids and teachers had ridiculed him for believing in dragons. It made him feel angry but also lonely. Why couldn¡¯t people believe in him? Why do they choose to deny his words? Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. I¡¯m not wrong¡­ He felt a hand on his shoulder, which startled him. He was no longer in a dimly lit room with his sister and father. Instead, he was in a bustling cafe where the scent of coffee lingered. The sudden change in scenery confused him. His reflection on the window showed that he was no longer a seven-year-old boy, but a fifteen-year-old adolescent boy dressed in a school uniform. ¡°You okay, Arc?¡± A boy with blond hair asked out of concern as he sat back down. Arcturus forced out a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I guess I was just dozing off¡­¡± He took a sip of his coffee before wincing at how hot it was. ¡°Dude, careful! You¡¯re going to spill some on your book!¡± His friend pushed the book away so that the drops of coffee fell onto the table. Arcturus frantically wiped the mess away. He then checked his book. The page he was on was still clean, which made him sigh with relief. He took a deep breath in order to calm down. ¡°Are you okay? It¡¯s not like you to get absent-minded¡­¡± ¡°I guess I was just thinking about the past after reading this book.¡± ¡°About your dad?¡± ¡°Yeah, I just remembered an instance where my dad was reading this to me¡­¡± Arcturus then focused back on where he had left off. The dragons found happiness in granting wishes for humans and animals. They were able to communicate with both. Animals didn¡¯t ask for much, but humans continued to make them grant a variety of wishes. As time passed, humans¡¯ wants gradually declined to the point that they no longer had anymore. In turn, the dragons became unhappy; although they had found happiness in calling Terrenter home, a world where they couldn¡¯t function properly was no longer satisfying. His heart sank when he read this excerpt. He always loved the dragons, but reading the part where they were no longer needed had upsetted him. He couldn¡¯t understand why humans had stopped wishing when there was so much to wish for. ¡°Are you at a sad part?¡± His friend asked as he took a sip of his own coffee. ¡°If you had all the wishes you wanted granted, would you still ask for more?¡± ¡°Not really? If I got everything I want, why do I need more wishes?¡± He made a good point. If people were full after eating a full course meal, why would they want to eat more? That was normal for people. Yet, Arcturus couldn¡¯t accept that thought. Even if he had all of his wishes granted, he still wanted more. This thought concerned him; would he be considered as selfish and avaricious? Arcturus continued reading, Because of their newfound unhappiness, the dragons, save for one, fled the world. The remaining dragon was different. His love for Terrenter lingered; he loved the world, so he knew it was his duty to stay despite not being useful anymore. His dedication moved the people¡¯s hearts, so they did all they could to make him happy; they started by giving him a name: Souhait. ¡°Souhait¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Arc, look at this! Ariel is in a new Hope Corp watch commercial!¡± His friend showed him his smartphone that was playing a commercial of a young girl showing off a fancy watch that looked more like a bangle than the traditional one. He couldn¡¯t help but to smile at her wide smile. He took a glance at his own wrist. When he blinked, he saw the bangle-watch on his own wrist. He then looked up and saw that he was no longer in the cafe; he was in a small room now. A voice recited, ¡°As the dependency of wishes diminished, Souhait¡¯s existence was slowly forgotten. One day, a war broke out between the three countries. When humans finally had wishes regarding it, Souhait was gone.¡± The worn book was not in his hands, but in the possession of a boy with white hair who was pacing back and forth as he was reading aloud. He started humming as he stopped moving about. He looked up at Arcturus and asked, ¡°Where did Souhait go?¡± ¡°Who knows? People say he¡¯s just fiction and such.¡± ¡°But you believe he existed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m on this expedition.¡± Arcturus stood up from his bed and looked out the window. He saw a sunset and the ocean through it; he was on an airship that just departed and flew through the sky. The sunset illuminated the water, making it sparkle. It felt as if he was floating on a sea of stars. The sight ignited a fiery determination in his heart. ¡°People dismiss Souhait¡¯s Lore as fiction but I¡¯m here to disprove that. I will find the truth. Are you with me, Kori?¡± He took a good look at Kori who was standing next to him. In addition to his white hair, he had long ears that resembled a lop-eared rabbit¡¯s; there was a bright yellow earring dangling on the left. The more he fixated on the earring, the colder the room became. Arcturus started shivering. The room was unusually cold as if someone opened the window on a freezing winter night. A blast of cold wind blew onto him, causing him to clench his eyes shut. When he opened them, he realized he had been lying down on the snow for quite some time; he had been reminiscing about the past as if he was on the verge of death. He sat up. The freezing tempest chilled his entire body, preventing him from reverting back to his drowsy state. ¡°I have to keep going¡­¡± He mustered up all of his strength to get up and keep moving alone. Arcturus the Adventurer In the midst of the malevolent snowstorm, the determined young adventurer traversed slowly. A heavy gust of wind blew off his hat, exposing his long, unruly, scarlet hair that danced erratically; unconcerned about his hat, he pressed on. The force of the frigid gusts and the depth of the piling snow made him tread even slower. He stepped on something that wasn¡¯t snow, so he hastily bent down and picked up a tree branch and shoved it into his satchel. Another strong gust of wind blasted at him; it was much stronger than before, so his scarf flew off from his neck. He felt colder each passing second. This caused him to suddenly stagger and fall onto his knees. He let out a weak cough; his energy continuously depleted for he hadn¡¯t had anything to eat in a day. Is it just me or has this blizzard gotten stronger than it did yesterday? He stared at the sky. He couldn¡¯t see it due to the heavy clouds and continuous snow, so he checked the visibility of his surroundings and noticed dusk drew near. Traversing through the snowstorm at night was very dangerous. He needed to find a cave or any other similar type of shelter to rest for the night. Knowing that he was in the middle of nowhere, he got up and resumed walking. He reached his hand out and felt a rough surface. Cliffs and other rocky edges on this island often had small caverns that he usually took shelter in at dusk. If he felt something with his hand, he would know that a cave would be nearby. He then placed another hand on the wall and guided himself towards a possible nearby cavern. Fortunately, there was a cave with enough space for him to rest for the day. He entered and quickly took off his goggles and rested them on his neck as a makeshift scarf. He removed his satchel and sat down; he quickly reclined back and felt the smooth surface against his body, which allowed him to sigh in relief. Arcturus Mercury was a traveling adventurer enduring the cold in order to reach his destination: ruins made of ice. He wasn¡¯t sure how long it would take for him to find them. It had already been a week since his arrival on this island, Eternally; his adventures had started four months ago. It was a perilous choice for he had to leave his current life and loved ones behind in order to risk his life in this eternal blizzard; he came here because this was his only chance. A quick chill came to his body, causing him to sneeze. He then reached out for his satchel and spilled out all of its contents: branches, a matchbox, a jar with only one ice cube remaining, a small canteen, a journal and a pen. First, he gathered the branches and piled them up carefully. He then grabbed the matchbox and lit a match to make a campfire. Once he felt warm, he took off his chartreuse padded coat and goggles from his body; he wore a black turtleneck sweater and pants underneath his heavy outer garments. He rolled up his sleeves; his right wrist had a black hairband and his left had a black bangle that he unbuckled and laid it aside. Taking off his boots was a longer process than the rest due to its complexities, but he managed to get them undone; his legs were now alleviated from the weight. He then took out his hair band to gather back all of his scarlet locks and used the band to tie it into a loose ponytail with the shorter locks falling onto his face. He then reached out to grab the jar and looked closely at the ice cube; it still maintained its cubic shape even though it was next to heat. He took it out to feel its texture; it was cold like a regular ice cube, but it wasn¡¯t as transparent, but was more opaque than its counterpart; there was an iridescent color that made it unique. He shoved it into his mouth and crunched on it slowly. His face contorted with how cold it was. Before consumption, his stomach had felt empty, but now, he felt immediately full; he drank the remaining water he had in his canteen as well. He was happy to be full, but the sight of the empty jar caused that joy to be momentary. A shocking revelation came to him: he ran out of rations. He wasn¡¯t sure how long it would take for him to reach the next cave and to find another food source. The thought of this caused him to groan. ¡°This is the real game of survival now¡­¡± Frustration quickly built up, so he grabbed the journal and pen. He skimmed through his past entries, found a blank page, and wrote down: Today, I have progressed through more snow. I am now in a cave where I ran out of iridescent ice. What should I do about food and water? No animals live on Eternally. Should I eat snow? He became curious as he looked at the snowstorm outside and pondered about the pile of ice bunched up on the ground. He put his journal down as he got up and approached the cold. Kneeling down, he grabbed a handful of snow. Although he was full, his curiosity was insatiable. He brought the snow towards his nose. It had no scent, but that did not deter him. He opened his mouth and his tongue greeted a new cold sensation. His teeth became chilled as he rolled the substance inside his mouth. The heat of his mouth made it melt quickly; his mouth now contained water, which he drank as a finishing touch. He savored the taste on his way back to his journal. It doesn¡¯t taste like anything, he wrote. He noted that it would be better off melting it as a source of water and not food. Realization about his desperation to survive surged within him as he laid down in frustration. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I ate snow?¡± he sputtered. ¡°How ridiculous. I am ridiculous.¡± He placed his hands on his face to cover his own frustrations. ¡°I am crazy. I am desperate. I do not deserve to live after eating snow.¡± He gasped after hearing his own words, causing him to grab his closed journal. He took a deep breath and slammed it against his forehead. ¡°Negative thoughts, begone!¡± The sound was quite loud, causing Arcturus to wince in pain. Even though he had gone without a proper meal for months, he still had strength, to which he was relieved. The sound kept resonating with the cave; Arcturus noticed it was unusual, so he kept listening. Does this cave have a tunnel? He then grabbed his bangle and strapped it back onto his left wrist. He took a good look at the device. It was a black rectangular device with a dark gray rectangular screen. Next to it, there was a small circle that had a blinking red light.. He raised a hand to his left ear that had a dangling yellow earring attached and pressed it with his index finger. A hologram screen popped up in front of him. ¡°Kori, materialize a throwing knife for me.¡± ¡°AFFIRMATIVE.¡± A male voice responded as the hologram screen disappeared. The blank screen glowed blue and the requested knife materialized from the screen, starting from the handle. Once the tip of the blade finished materializing, he grabbed the weapon and examined it. It was a thin metallic knife specialized for throwing as it was light and had a flat, circular handle. He first threw it against the wall next to him, just to hear what sort of sound it made when colliding¡ªsmall clinking noises. He then placed it on his left hand and stretched his arm. Taking a deep breath, he lunged forward and threw the knife. He had expected to hear the clinking noises from before but he heard nothing. Noticing how unusual it was made Arcturus¡¯s heart skip a beat; his tired eyes had a spark of excitement. There was a tunnel in this cave like he had expected, so he quickly gathered up his belongings, got dressed and then grabbed a lit branch for light. He slowly traversed through the tunnel. It was a long linear path with nothing noticeable; no animals seemed to have resided here. Arcturus anticipated what lay beyond the tunnel. He then saw his knife that landed on the ground, picked it up and proceeded with his adventure. ~ Arcturus wasn¡¯t sure how long it had been since he left his campfire, but he became worried as the branch became shorter and the end was yet to be seen. He then grabbed another branch from his bag and passed the fire onto the new one and proceeded. Soon, he had used up three branches. He stopped and checked up on the branches he had left: one. He knew he could use matches, but fire used them up quickly. He hastened his pace. Panic came to him because he worried about what this tunnel could actually be. Could this place really be a cave? Am I just being misled to think that this tunnel could be something important but is actually just a waste of time? He soon collided against a hard surface, causing him to drop his branch. He winced in pain as he rubbed his nose and chin. He then glanced over at what he had collided against: a wall. Panic surged into him as he realized this was a dead end. ¡°This can¡¯t be!¡± He immediately surrendered as he groaned and leaned against the wall. ¡°Is this really the end for me?¡± He then scanned his surroundings. The area around the wall wasn¡¯t much because it was just an enclosed space. He then looked down and noticed an unusually smooth surface that did not match the gravel of the cave. ¡°What is this?¡± He quickly placed his knife down and got out his journal to note his findings. Once he finished, he put his journal back into his bag and examined it. ¡°It¡¯s smooth and wooden. What purpose does this have?¡± He then felt a thin crease in the middle, which caused anticipation. ¡°Could it be a door?¡± He tried opening it from the edges, but it did not budge. He tried stomping on it, but nothing happened. He got out his knife and tried to pry it open, but the weapon kept slipping out of his hands in every attempt. ¡°Is this really a door?¡± He wondered in frustration. He quickly surrendered as he decided to scan his surroundings again. He then noticed something unusual at the corner of the cave; it was a bit hard to see given how dim the light was. He went over and grabbed the branch to see what lurked at the corner; it was a bat. Arcturus became happy. ¡°It¡¯s a bat!¡± It quickly changed into fear when he realized something unusual with his discovery. ¡°Wait a minute, animals do not reside on this island.¡± Knowing that it was risky, Arcturus threw his knife at the bat. When he landed a hit, the bat suddenly moved erratically, unlike a real animal. The wings spread out and its eyes started glowing. He gulped when he realized it was a mechanical bat. It started screeching; he covered his ears. When he took a step back, he realized he could not feel a surface underneath; he looked down and saw the wooden door opening. Fear surged within him. It was a trap door? He thought as he fell in. He was too late to grab the edge of the hole as he submerged into the black abyss. Does the Dead Dream? Arcturus found himself staring at a cloudy sky, free from the snowstorm, while sitting on a swinging bench from a porch. He felt unusually relaxed; it was as if stress was entirely uplifted from his body. The gentle breeze tickled his nape and forehead; he realized his hair was short when it was currently long. He noticed his arms were crossed and looked down to see himself gently holding a rabbit; it felt rather smooth for a furry creature. I guess this is how it ends. A dangerous journey like this had a high risk of failure¨Cdeath¨Cand Arcturus knew that. If he had truly met his end, he wanted to die in a serene way. While death did feel calm and peaceful, wallowing regret came to him. He had accomplished nothing. He did not want to die; he wanted to keep on living. ¡°Arc!¡± The voice caused him to gasp. He turned to see an adolescent girl with auburn hair wearing a school uniform running towards him with worry plastered on her face. Her eye color was the same as his. ¡°Are you really leaving?¡± Why are you here? He couldn¡¯t speak up; he wondered if it was shock controlling his nerves. His mouth started to move on its own. ¡°Yes, I made up my mind.¡± He was confused about why he had no control over his words. ¡°Why?¡± An aching sensation stirred within him when he saw her upset expression. ¡°Because I want to prove to the world that I can accomplish the impossible.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to miss my birthday! Why chase something impossible when you have people who care about you, like me?¡± Sadness overwhelmed him as Arcturus raised a hand and patted the girl¡¯s head. He felt his lips curl into a sunken smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being a terrible brother, Ariel. You have Grandma and Grandpa with you.¡± ¡°But, it won¡¯t be the same without you.¡± She pursed her lips and hung her head low. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. He placed the rabbit on the bench as he stood up and placed both his hands on her shoulders. ¡°How about this? I will miss your fifteenth birthday, but I¡¯ll do my best to come back before your sixteenth birthday.¡± Lies. He thought to himself. I¡¯m such a liar. Her face was full of anticipation. ¡°You better promise! I won¡¯t forgive you if you don¡¯t come back!¡± Arcturus forced out a chuckle, just so he would conceal his sadness and guilt for a plausible unlikely chance that he would be able to make it back by a year. The thought of breaking a promise churned an unpleasant feeling within him. His heart ached. I¡¯m sorry, Ariel. I can¡¯t make it to your sixteenth birthday and the ones afterwards. I am dead. I can never see you again. You are alive. A voice called out to him. He searched the vicinity for the source. When he turned around, the scenery changed into the black void he had submerged into. He had control of his own words and actions. You are alive. When he turned around once more, the rabbit that he held onto was floating in front of him at eye level. The sight of it caused his eyes to widen. He wanted to speak, but overwhelming sadness prevented him from doing so. The rabbit blurted out, ¡°You can¡¯t die. Not now. Not yet. Not ever. Live.¡± Those words resonated into his soul. Tears started trickling down. He covered his mouth to conceal the frown his lips had plastered on. The rabbit started floating away. A sense of urgency came to him as he reached a hand out. His legs were unable to move. ¡°Don¡¯t go! Come back!¡± It did not obey his words as it kept floating further away until it was no longer in his line of sight. All Arcturus felt was distraught as he collapsed onto his knees and laid down. He covered his face with his hands in order to conceal his sadness in an empty void. With all of his strength, he whispered, ¡°Kori¡­¡± His body felt heavy; it felt like fatigue was draining his energy. Kori had told him he was alive, but he believed the opposite. He believed he was dead and that the afterlife happened to be an amalgamation of nightmares of regrets and despair. How long would he be tortured from these unpleasant dreams? Would they ever stop? He screamed. Lavender Eyes A cold sensation suddenly brushed against his face, wiping one teardrop off his face. His eyes widened, transporting him from a black void and into a lavender one. He sat up with his hand on his cheek. He was warm and alive. ¡°Where am I?¡± ¡°You¡¯re awake. Thank goodness.¡± A soft voice called out to him. He turned to see a woman smiling at him. ¡°Who are you?¡± He leaned back to keep his guard up. ¡°Relax. I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± The more he heard his voice, the more he realized that the person in front of him was not a woman, but a man. The man had an androgynous appearance for he had round doe-like eyes, a thin, straight nose bridge, and sweet smile accentuated with thin, plump lips; his facial structure contrasted his overall delicate, feminine features for he had a sharp jawline. His loose golden blond hair reached down towards his shoulders and tied back in a loose half ponytail that showed his ears. Arcturus found himself drawn towards his eyes. They were very unique, for his irises were lavender. The man pressed his cold hand onto his forehead. The sensation made him react poorly as he swatted it off him and he sat up. The man gave him a worried expression. ¡°You had a bad fever, so I was just checking up on you.¡± Realization kicked in; he was in the presence of another human. He hadn¡¯t had human contact in months. Carefully, he repeated, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Nova, a wanderer of sorts.¡± The gentle tone of his voice had eased Arcturus of his worries. ¡°I¡¯m Arcturus.¡± He felt a chilly breeze wafting through him as he found himself trapped in a dimly lit lavender room with smooth surfaces. He placed a hand to the surface and noticed how it felt like ice, to his surprise. ¡°Is this place¡­?¡± ¡°This is Castle Lavender.¡± Excitement overwhelmed him as he stood up. He had finally reached his destination. ¡°This place is Castle Lavender! I can¡¯t believe it!¡± He rummaged into his bag and got out his journal. He quickly jotted down notes. Nova chuckled, making Arcturus¡¯s attention fixate on him. Nova looked rather clean for someone who was inside a ruined ice castle. He wore a thick violet sweater with a cuffed turtleneck that looked rather big on him; it had no signs of fraying anywhere. He assumed Nova had a slender build given how thin his legs were; Nova wore gray pants that accentuated his thin legs very well, but made him look lightly dressed for the outside weather. His bare hands and feet were bare and unusually pristine. ¡°How did you get here?¡± Arcturus inquired. Nova started thinking before responding, ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± He placed his index finger on his pursed lips to gesture that he wouldn¡¯t say anymore. Arcturus sensed a strong stubbornness within him, so he quickly asked another question. ¡°How did I get here?¡± Nova pointed towards the ceiling, to which Arcturus looked up and saw a rectangular hole. He stood up to get a better look; he noticed that it was the same shape and size as the trap door from above. ¡°Did you get caught by the bat alarm?¡± Nova asked. Arcturus, surprised, asked, ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°I put it there for intruders. This room we are in is a trap for intruders. Once they enter here, they cannot get out. That was how I constructed it.¡± He huffed while smiling. Worried, Arcturus asked, ¡°Does that mean I¡¯ll be stuck here forever?¡± Nova raised an eyebrow. ¡°Nonsense. I came to this room because I heard someone enter from the trap door and that was how I found you. I know my way around this castle. It¡¯s like a second home to me.¡± The fear quickly changed into excitement. ¡°Then, can we leave? I¡¯d like to see more of this castle! I want to know if the wish-granting dragon¡¯s spirit resides in this castle!¡± Nova looked intrigued with his behavior and words. ¡°Wish-granting dragon? Do you mean Souhait? He gasped as he quickly clammed up by slapping his hand to his mouth. Arcturus¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Do you know about Souhait¡¯s Lore? Are you a believer too?¡± Nova looked rather hesitant to speak up, but gazing upon Arcturus¡¯s passionate eyes caused him to lower his guard. He lowered his hand as he cautiously asked, ¡°Do you believe in him¡­?¡± ¡°I sure do! I¡¯ve been reading the lore ever since I was young! I always believed the world was created by Souhait and his companions. People always ridiculed me and such, but I never let that get to me! I really believe he existed! That¡¯s why I came here! I want to prove to the world that he did exist and if his spirit is here, maybe I can get my wish granted from him!¡± He froze up when he realized he had been rambling towards a stranger; he hoped he didn¡¯t come off as too weird. Nova started chuckling. The way he smiled made Arcturus¡¯s heart flutter; that expression made him look beautiful. ¡°I can tell that you really like the lore. I¡¯m happy about that.¡± When he calmed down, he then asked an abrupt question; his expression changed from happy to serious, ¡°Can I ask you something? Why is it that you want to find Souhait?¡± The way he was staring at him so intensely, Arcturus could tell Nova was testing him in a way; it was as if his eyes were probing into his soul. He knew he had to be honest with his answer. ¡°The folklore made it seem as if people were happy when they got their wishes. The world in its current state isn¡¯t a happy place. There¡¯s constant war and conflict between the three nations and because of that, the birth rates have lowered and death rates have increased. If this keeps up, civilization will cease to exist. I refuse to die in such a world. If Terrenter won¡¯t change, I¡¯ll change it with the power of wishes.¡± Nova hummed in response. ¡°Wishes are magic formed from the heart. They are formed when someone wants to be happy. Tell me, Arcturus. What is happiness to you?¡± Arcturus became deep in thought. He had never considered what true happiness was for him. ¡°Happiness for me is something that is achieved if I keep moving forward.¡± ¡°If you keep moving forward?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t look back and keep moving forward, happiness will surely come.¡± He wondered if that was a satisfactory answer. That¡¯s what he truly believed happiness to be. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Nova gave him another sweet smile. ¡°That¡¯s quite an unusual answer.¡± He then knelt down and started searching the floor, leaving Arcturus quite confused. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m finding a switch. There¡¯s a hidden one here that can get us out of this room.¡± Arcturus¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Wait a minute, didn¡¯t you say that this place is like a second home? How do you not know where the button is?¡± ¡°Castle Lavender is a very confusing area. When you activate a door and enter a room, it immediately closes, so you have to find either another way out or a hidden button that can reopen the door. This room was to trap intruders, so there is no other exit. This is why I am searching for a button.¡± That sounds like bullshit. Although he had his suspicions, idling about was not going to get him anywhere. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± He slightly stumbled on the ice before he knelt down and helped Nova search for the supposed switch. He got excited observing the lavender hue and feeling the ice. ¡°This isn¡¯t normal ice!¡± Arcturus blurted out as he flipped through his past journal entries and stopped at a certain page. It was about three special types of ice only found on Ilacier. They were incandescent, iridescent and pearlescent ice. All three types were unique in the sense that they lacked the ability to melt. Incandescent ice was known as glowing ice due to its unusual ability to glow; it also came in a variety of solid colors. It was durable, so many artisans liked to use them for their trade. Iridescent ice was known as colored ice due to it being able to show a variety of color despite being a solid object¡ªmany had referred to it as ¡®frozen bubbles¡¯. It was known to be quite brittle, thus mainly used in the food industry. It also had a tasteless flavor¡ªit tasted like normal ice¡ªbut also had a strange power to make the consumer feel full; the empty jar Arcturus had pouted about earlier used to contain that ice. Pearlescent ice was ice with a pearl-like luster. It was very fragile. It had strong healing effects, which made it dominant in the medical industry. However, it was also dangerous due to powerful and addictive after-effects equivalent to drugs; addiction to pearlescent ice was quite common to read about on the news. ¡°So, Castle Lavender really is made of incandescent ice like my research shows! This is another small proof that Souhait had existed. He made this place, so he must be a skilled artisan! I heard that this place is really wide on the inside despite looking like a skyscraper outside. Such finesse!¡± His eyes sparkled. Nova couldn¡¯t help but to chuckle at his enthusiasm. ¡°You must really love the folklore.¡± ¡°I do! Even if I was ridiculed in the past for believing and hearing things other people do not and cannot, I never faltered.¡± One specific word piqued Nova¡¯s curiosity. ¡°Hearing things other people cannot?¡±Arcturus clammed up. He wasn¡¯t supposed to blurt that out; nobody would believe him if he did. Nova approached him. ¡°What¡¯s this about hearing things other people cannot? I want to know.¡± Seeing Nova¡¯s round eyes staring at him made him flustered as he took a step back and looked away. There was something about his expression that made him feel weak to his knees; he refused to say something about his unusual ability. Nova had realized Arcturus¡¯s silence, so he decided to not pester him further. They both resumed their search for the button. ¡°How big is it?¡± Arcturus asked. ¡°It¡¯s quite tiny. Sort of like a speck.¡± Arcturus then looked at his fingers. They were nowhere as thin as Nova¡¯s. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could even press the button if he found it. An idea popped up as he reached a hand out to his earring and pressed it. The hologram screen popped up as he commanded Kori to materialize a knife. When it materialized, Nova gasped and took a few steps back. It was the first time Arcturus had seen anyone so guarded and afraid of technology. It was only for a brief moment as Nova held it in; instead, he became intrigued. ¡°What just happened?¡± Nova questioned with curiosity. ¡°I used this earring to let knives materialize from my bangle.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a device before.¡± Nova approached Arcturus and grasped his arm. ¡°How does it function?¡± Arcturus rolled up his sleeve so that Nova could get a better look. He noted the height difference between them; Nova reached up to his eyebrows. ¡°Wow, I¡¯ve never seen such technology! Is this from Lamina?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a bit of an older model, but it still works fine. These don¡¯t materialize weapons unless the user has a weapons license. Although knives aren¡¯t the best weapons of choice, they have saved me from tough situations.¡± Nova¡¯s eyes glistened. ¡°How does this work?¡± His eyes were glued to it. Arcturus then gave a detailed explanation of how his bangle worked. A software was used in his earring that allowed a hologram screen to appear and abide by his every command as he is the owner. ¡°Wow!¡± Nova tried to poke the screen but it permeated through his finger. Arcturus chuckled. ¡°Your hands can¡¯t touch it. Only the owner can touch it via fingerprint data.¡± He showed off his ability to use the hologram screen by moving it around with his hands. Nova chuckled. ¡°Technology sure has advanced. I feel like I can¡¯t keep up.¡± ¡°Although the hologram screen can be tedious, I can command Kori, the earring, to go into audio command mode so I won¡¯t have to fixate on a screen. It¡¯s especially handy when I am on the run.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very otherworldly.¡± Arcturus raised an eyebrow. ¡°Otherworldly? This type of technology is the norm.¡± Nova tilted his head. ¡°What year is it?¡± ¡°620.¡± Nova then gasped. He then started mumbling to himself. Arcturus heard him say, ¡°Has it been twenty years since then? I¡¯ve lost count of the time.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Startled, Nova forced out a giggle. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Nova¡¯s behavior was strange, but he didn¡¯t want to probe any further. Their search for the button resumed. Nova relied on brute strength to find it while Arcturus relied more on thinking. He would jab the tip at every spot he¡¯d deem unusual looking. He found it hard to concentrate when Nova was pounding his fist and feet everywhere. ¡°Stop that!¡± ¡°Stop what?¡± ¡°The pounding and stomping! You¡¯re not a toddler.¡± Nova muttered, ¡°So uptight¡­¡± He did comply with his request. Nova started searching for the switch with his hands and feet quietly. Arcturus searched meticulously until he heard a soft clicking noise. The room shook as a portion of the wall opened, revealing a descending staircase that led to darkness. Nova started applauding him. ¡°Wow, you managed to find the switch! You¡¯re very smart!¡± Arcturus became flustered. ¡°I don¡¯t think intelligence plays a part in finding a switch, but this is no big deal for me. I am just a meticulous person by nature.¡± ¡°But, knowing to use the tip of your knife to find the switch is a very intelligent plan.¡± Nova took a step forward and leaned in towards Arcturus to observe his face once again. He hummed in fascination. ¡°Your eyelashes are as red as your hair. I thought you were Laminan, but you are Plasmian.¡± Arcturus took a step back as he cleared his throat. ¡°My hair is scarlet; also, I am half-Laminan from my father¡¯s side and half-Plasmian from my mother¡¯s.¡± Civilians of the three nations had unique hair colors that made them unique from each other. Ilacians had light colored hair, ranging from any light shade of brown to any shade of blond. Laminans had dark hair, ranging from black to dark brown hair. Plasmians had bright and bold hair colors, like how Arcturus had a bright shade of scarlet as his natural hair color. Nova seemed rather surprised to learn of his mixed heritage. ¡°You¡¯re mixed? How unusual. Don¡¯t mixed children usually have a blend of their parents¡¯ hair colors?¡± Arcturus stroked a lock of his hair as he was reminded of his sister. ¡°I was supposed to be born with auburn hair, but my hair came out scarlet like my mother¡¯s. My mother once told me that my hair is like this because I was born with tremendous good luck.¡± He then glanced over at Nova¡¯s hair. Since his hair was blond, Arcturus assumed Nova was pure Ilacian; his golden blond hair was the prettiest shade he had ever laid eyes upon. ¡°How unusual¡­¡± Nova muttered. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. It would take days for me to tell it.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to listen to it, but later on. Our priority is to get out of here and onto the throne room.¡± ¡°Throne room? There¡¯s a throne room?¡± He asked with joy. His eyes were glued to Nova¡¯s passionately. Nova smiled. ¡°I know what you¡¯re looking for. Follow me and we¡¯ll get there in a jiffy.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Arcturus raised an eyebrow when the last word rang in his ear. Who says ¡®jiffy¡¯ in this generation? Arcturus focused on following him down the staircase. Castle Lavender Traversing through the darkness felt endless. He knew there was a direction and an end, but it felt like a myth. The more he descended the stairs, the darker the area became. It was cold and dingy; a type of atmosphere he did not like. He could not see, so he wasn¡¯t even confident with the steps he took. He pressed his earring to let the hologram screen appear, but it only gave minimal lighting. ¡°No flashlight?¡± Nova inquired. ¡°I lost it.¡± Nova then reached his hand out. Arcturus wasn¡¯t the biggest fan of skin contact, especially with a stranger; he could not afford to be picky in this situation. He turned off the screen and then held onto his hand. In addition to being cold, Nova¡¯s hand was dry and bony. He had a strong grip, despite his thin limbs. He could tell Nova was a lot stronger than he looked and wondered what sort of work he had done to maintain such a hand. He even wondered if Nova was really a proclaimed wanderer. Nova abruptly stopped. Arcturus immediately felt a flat surface underneath the soles of his boots and knew they had just finished descending the staircase; he realized he did not focus on how long they were for he was too fixated on Nova¡¯s hand. Darkness still shrouded them. There was no exit in sight. Uneasiness came to him when he felt Nova¡¯s hand pulling away from his. The silence and the enclosed space around him slowly exposed a sense of vulnerability within him. Being trapped in this abyss made him feel weak; it was as if he couldn¡¯t move. He hated it. ¡°Are we trapped?¡± Arcturus sputtered. ¡°Nope. There¡¯s just a special way to open this hidden door.¡± A rectangular hole bursted out of the void as soon as Nova finished his sentence. Arcturus gaped as he approached the light. He looked down to see a rectangular portion of the wall on the floor. He wondered if it really was a door. ¡°Wow.¡± When he turned to look at Nova, he had his hands behind his back. ¡°See? There is a special way.¡± He got out of the darkness and into the light. While Arcturus was impressed, the sense of relief was temporary. His ears perked up at an unusual sound. It was a mechanical sound. He placed his left wrist to his ear. His bangle was not acting erratic. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I hear something weird. It¡¯s gradually getting louder.¡± ¡°What does it sound like?¡± ¡°Like a machine¡­¡± Nova¡¯s face contorted into anger as he rushed out. It made Arcturus worry. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°They¡¯re coming¡­¡± ¡°Who? What?¡± ¡°Them.¡± ¡°Elaborate?¡± Before Nova could explain, Arcturus saw a wolf approaching them. ¡°Watch out!¡± He yelled as he pulled Nova towards him to protect him from its lunging attack. When it had landed on the surface, Arcturus noticed a dangling red earring on its left ear. ¡°A Shiftie? What¡¯s a Shiftie doing here?¡± Remembering the mechanical bat from earlier, he knew that this island was not inhabited by animals. Instead, there were mechanical animals. Mechanical animals meant there were humans residing on this island. ¡°There are people living on this island?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain later. First, we need to get rid of this pest.¡± Nova remarked as he lunged towards the wolf. It dodged his attack. When it lunged towards him again, Arcturus dashed, jumped and used all of his leg strength to kick the wolf across the hall until it was no longer in his field of vision. He was surprised he still had strength to land a powerful kick; he hadn¡¯t had a proper meal in a while. Nova gawked at what happened. ¡°Wow. Plasmians really are strong.¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t fight then don¡¯t try to fight!¡± Nova looked offended. ¡°Excuse me? I can fight!¡± He turned around to where the wolf had been flung and bent down to place his hands on the surface. Arcturus noticed his right hand had lavender scales instead of human skin. The interior started vibrating as the walls started shifting around. The hallway they were on became blocked with the path behind them being their only way around. ¡°What just happened?¡± Arcturus was baffled about what he had witnessed. ¡°I moved the structure of the castle around so that these pests won¡¯t find me.¡± ¡°Why are Combat Shifties after you? Did you do something to piss off the government?¡± Nova stopped him from asking further questions by shoving his hand in front of his face. The lavender scaled hand reverted back into a human hand; Arcturus noticed a flower marking on the palm of his hand. ¡°First off, these robotic creatures that keep attacking me are called Shifties?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Tell me more about them.¡± ¡°Shifties are like advanced androids of sorts. They look like enlarged animals but can shift from animals to humans, hence why they are called Shfities.¡± A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Nova looked baffled. ¡°Hold on, they can change into humans?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t left this place in twenty years. I¡¯m not up to date on society.¡± He averted his gaze out of embarrassment. ¡°Twenty years? What?¡± Nova quickly made eye contact and blurted out, ¡°I¡¯m twenty years old! How about you, Arcturus?¡± ¡°I¡¯m also twenty.¡± Arcturus found it hard to believe Nova was twenty. Nova looked much younger than him; he could pass for sixteen or eighteen at best. He could also tell there was more to him than meets the eye; he knew too little to probe deeper. ¡°Wow! You¡¯re so tall and handsome despite being the same age as me! I always had a weak constitution, so I grew up frail. I wear thick sweaters to hide how slender I am. It¡¯s a bit of a complex I have.¡± Arcturus could definitely tell Nova was shielding himself with a farce. Nova was terrible at being subtle. This was not the information he needed from him. Instead, he asked, ¡°Was Castle Lavender always a place that could shift its interior?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How are you able to do it? Is there a mechanism that shifts the walls?¡± Nova quickly zipped past him. ¡°Let¡¯s proceed. If we keep talking here, Shifties will find us.¡± ¡°Wait, there are more of them here?¡± Arcturus concluded he wouldn¡¯t get proper answers from this man, so he decided to go along with his pace. Nova had his secrets and he had his own. ¡°Yes. I can detect their presence. Four of them are here.¡± Arcturus gulped. He wondered if he was strong enough to be able to fend off against four Shifties. When Nova resumed walking, Arcturus attempted to follow him, but an unusual dizziness came to him. He staggered and knelt down. His body felt very weak. He wondered if it was due to using up a lot of strength to kick the Shiftie from before. He started fretting about his own condition; he just hoped he wasn¡¯t dying. A soft grumbling noise caught his attention; it came from his own body¡ªa sign that he was hungry. He placed a hand to his head and sighed with relief. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Nova asked with a worried look. ¡°I must have used up a lot of my energy for that kick. I¡¯m hungry. I haven¡¯t had anything proper to eat in months.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re still alive?¡± ¡°My Plasmian blood helps me keep alive.¡± Other than hair colors, the three nationalities also unique genetic traits that made them stand out from each other. Because of their intelligence, Laminans were physically lacking compared to the other two. Ilacians were the fastest race, thus the most athletic; their intelligience were rather poor, however, for they happened to be more quick-witted than academically gifted. They were also the race that had the longest lifespan for they knew how to live on and survive the quickest out of the three; an Ilacian¡¯s true lifespan was unknown, but some have lived over a century. Plasmians were the strongest race but the slowest; despite their strength, they had the shortest lifespan of the three, given how fast they heal; their healing factor was due to using up their strength to speed up their recovery. Given their mortality rate, pureblooded Plasmians were considered very rare in modern times for they chose to dilute their blood to survive longer; Arcturus was one such result. ¡°That would mean you¡¯re draining your own lifespan to keep yourself alive.¡± Nova muttered. ¡°It¡¯s a risky choice that I have to make. Even if it means dying earlier than my family and friends¡­¡± A sense of disappointment came to him. He was disappointed that he wouldn¡¯t be able to live for a long time. He wasn¡¯t sure how much time he had left right now. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of dying so early?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine as long as I accomplish my goal¡­¡± He noticed Nova staring straight into his eyes, as if he was staring straight into his soul. ¡°Is finding Souhait all that matters to you?¡± ¡°Yes. I chose to walk a path I cannot turn back from. I sacrificed a lot to get there. I had to leave my family, friends and an education behind in Lamina. I got betrayed by the people I was traveling with and I lost a dear friend while doing so. As the only survivor of that ordeal, all I can do is keep going. That¡¯s what he wanted me to do; it¡¯s what I have to do. I cannot turn back now. That would mean besmirching his sacrifice.¡± He started fidgeting with his earring. Unwanted thoughts came to him, causing unwarranted negative emotions. His free hand rummaged into his satchel as he got out his journal. Taking a deep breath, he yelled, ¡°Negative thoughts, begone!¡± He smacked himself with the book. The force he felt caused him to focus more on the pain. Nova was confused about his actions. ¡°What did you just do?¡± He asked. ¡°This is something I do when I think too much to the point of recalling bad memories. I can¡¯t think about negativity right now. I have to keep going¡­I have to keep¡­¡± He found it hard to kneel. He found himself groveling onto the cold surface. His body felt light like he was empty inside. He tried getting up, but the strength on his legs gave out. Nova placed a hand onto his shoulder. ¡°Stay here. I¡¯ll go get you some food.¡± He scurried and disappeared when he turned to a corner. Arcturus wondered if it was right to trust Nova with food. Where would it come from? Was it safe to eat? Uneasiness barged in once again. What if this was all a ploy? What if Nova¡¯s true intent was to abandon him? He wanted to get up, but all strength in his body diminished. ¡°I made it this far. I can¡¯t die. I don¡¯t want to die.¡± He whispered as he closed his eyes. He thought he¡¯d be content with dying, but after telling Nova all the words he had bottled up, dying was no longer an option. He needed to keep going; he wanted to keep going. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, you could¡¯ve said so.¡± Nova remarked. When Arcturus opened his eyes, Nova had two small fruits on each hand. He knelt down and handed Arcturus one. ¡°Here you go. This is an Ilacian exclusive fruit, a Purapple.¡± Arcturus had heard of a Purapple before. They were purple apples that could only be found in specific parts of Ilacier. It was an extremely rare fruit highly sought out by gourmets all around the world. He wondered how Nova could obtain such a fruit on an isolated land like Eternally. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± When Nova smiled, Arcturus felt his heart stirring. Unlike the other times he had seen Nova¡¯s smiles, the one he had right now felt genuine. It was a dazzling warm smile that could pierce the hardest of souls. He found the way his lavender eyes sparkled while smiling mesmerizing; it was like seeing stars in a lavender colored sky. He took a bite out of the fruit. It was a lot sweeter than a regular tart apple. While the taste had reminded him of a watermelon, the meat of the fruit was a lot crisper than a melon. He felt his strength returning. However, a purapple was small; eating one wasn¡¯t enough to sustain him fully. Nova did not take a bite out of his fruit. Instead, he handed the second one to him. Arcturus refused. ¡°You should eat it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°I insist.¡± He had a firm tone. Although reluctant, he respected Nova¡¯s decision. He received the second fruit and consumed it. Eating two made him revitalized. He stood up. He felt energetic to move around and take on any adversity that came his way. Nova chuckled. ¡°It seems you got your strength back.¡± ¡°I did!¡± ¡°Well then, there¡¯s something that I always wanted to say when you came here.¡± With a wide smile plastered on his face, he took a few steps forward and then turned around with his arms spread out. ¡°Welcome to Castle Lavender, the ruined castle of ice!¡± Ruined Castle of Ice The ominous epithet did not instill fear in Arcturus at all; instead, he felt excitement. He was ready to explore this castle and to prove Souhait¡¯s existence. His heart started racing at the thought of meeting the dragon of lore. There were so many things he wanted to ask that he wasn¡¯t sure if he could even do so if he were in Souhait¡¯s presence. His excitement has caused his foot to slip against the ice, causing him to fall back and land on his bottom. He winced at the pain he felt on his tailbone. He then heard soft, muffled laughter coming from Nova. Arcturus grumbled. ¡°It¡¯s not good to laugh at another¡¯s suffering.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was that the expression you made when you slipped was hilarious.¡± ¡°Ha, ha, very funny.¡± He mocked as he stood up to straighten his clothes. ¡°I thought I walked fine in the previous room, so why is it that this place is slippery?¡± ¡°It¡¯s designed that way to ward off intruders¨Cspecifically those Shifties.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t seen another one. You said there were multiple.¡± ¡°They¡¯re all trapped somewhere in this castle. We have to be prepared. Once I move around the walls, some of them could pop up.¡± Arcturus flexed his arms. He felt fine enough to know he could defend himself. However, the walls still nagged at him; Nova had dodged his question before. Would he give him a proper answer this time? He asked again, ¡°How is it that you can move around these walls? Is there some sort of mechanism?¡± Nova became quiet. He blinked at him. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the throne room! Follow me!¡± He dodged my question again. Nova was full of mysteries, but Arcturus could tell he refused to tell him anything because of the lack of trust between them. It was understandable; they just met. They were strangers that only knew each other¡¯s names. It did not mean Nova was inherently bad. Just by instincts, Arcturus could tell Nova was not a bad person at all. That was why he abided by Nova''s words and followed him. The excitement he had a moment ago returned. His heart started pounding; he couldn¡¯t wait to venture further into the mysterious ruined castle of ice. His wandering eyes scanned his surroundings once they started walking. Castle Lavender was fascinating, but the interior was rather simplistic. Nothing in this place was decorated. It was the same lavender ice walls and floor with a few turns. He only saw the same walls and corridors. Looking closely at the walls, they lacked slits for them to shift around in.. How Nova was able to move around the walls kept nagging at him. ¡°There¡¯s nothing much to see, right?¡± Nova asked. Arcturus became surprised with the sudden question. It was as if Nova had read his mind. ¡°I¡¯m sure there are reasons for the interior being this way.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s to trap intruders.¡± ¡°Why would anyone build a castle like this?¡± Nova suddenly stopped. Worry barged into Arcturus¡¯s mind. He felt like his words just now had been insensitive. Before he could apologize, Nova turned to look at Arcturus with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll see something amazing if we keep going.¡± Arcturus knew he meant the throne room. If it truly was amazing, he needed to persevere and be patient. He could tell from Nova¡¯s expression that it is a sight to behold. Once they resumed, a sense of doubt came to him. The interior all looked the same. The walls and floor look pristine. It was hard to tell if this place truly was ruined. He immediately halted. Anxious thoughts came to him; he worried about going around in circles. His doubts towards Nova accumulated. Nova seemed to have sensed his worries, so he stopped and turned around. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°We¡¯re¡­not going around in circles, are we? This wall on my left is not the same one we¡¯ve been passing by, right?¡± He placed a hand onto the wall, just to reassure that he wasn¡¯t hallucinating. ¡°Every hallway we pass by is a different one.¡± ¡°How can you tell?¡± ¡°Just trust me.¡± That was the only solution he had. He needed to trust this mysterious man. Silence came between them as they resumed walking. After a few more turns at corners, they had reached a dead end. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Is this the throne room?¡± Arcturus inquired. ¡°No, we¡¯re still quite a distance away. We need to take this path to proceed. It¡¯s blocked, but I can fix it.¡± Nova approached the wall and placed his hands on it. Arcturus saw Nova¡¯s hands transform from human skin to lavender scales as the walls started shifting, even the one in front of him. The area behind Arcturus became blocked. Arcturus instinctively grabbed Nova¡¯s hand. The scales were still present; Nova¡¯s hand felt dry and scaly, almost reptilian in a way. ¡°What¡¯s with these scales? Why are they on you? How do they appear?¡± Inspecting closer, he saw sharp talon-like nails. He was even more fascinated. Nova responded by pulling back his hand and hiding both behind his back. He had an uncomfortable expression. Arcturus realized what he had done was insensitive, even more than the careless words he had said about the castle¡¯s interiors earlier. ¡°S-sorry. I got a bit touchy there.¡± Nova shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine to be touchy. I usually don¡¯t mind. I just don¡¯t like having attention on my hands¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try not to fixate on your hands, then.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The meek smile Nova had disappeared as his expression hardened. He was on his guard. Arcturus knew what it meant: a Shiftie was on its way towards him. ¡°Can¡¯t you shift the walls to block the Shiftie?¡± ¡°There are several here. I can¡¯t keep tabs on all of them. We also need to proceed.¡± Arcturus sighed as he summoned a knife; this time, he materialized not a throwing knife but an actual dagger. He gripped it tight to prepare himself for the incoming danger looming towards them. As Nova predicted, a wolf Shiftie lunged towards them. While Arcturus had assumed it was the same one as before, he quickly dismissed the thought once he saw the earring on its right ear; the previous wolf Shiftie had its earring on the opposite ear. This Shiftie is female, then. He instinctively lunged towards Nova to guard him. They both collided towards the ground, but it did help them avoid the Shiftie¡¯s attack. ¡°Watch out, this one is stronger than the one we faced before.¡± Arcturus remarked. ¡°How do you know?¡± Nova asked, exasperated. ¡°Shifties with earrings indicate their gender. If they have it on their left, they¡¯re male; right is female. Female Shfities are stronger than males.¡± ¡°Are we in trouble?¡± ¡°We won¡¯t be if we work together.¡± The wolf Shiftie prepared herself for another attack. Arcturus pointed his knife towards the enemy. ¡°Nova, a Shiftie¡¯s weak point is the earring. A Shiftie¡¯s earring is their core; removing it or breaking it will defeat them.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± When the Shiftie lunged, Arcturus braced himself to counterattack, but a long lavender appendage-like object appeared from behind; its strength knocked the Shiftie towards the wall. Once she collided with the wall, her earring fell off and cracked, rendering her immobile. Arcturus saw the shiny black eyes become dull; seeing a live, mechanical creature lose its life so quickly made Arcturus pity it. However, he mainly focused on the sighting of the unusual appendage. He turned around to see that it belonged to Nova. The appendage was actually a long tail¨Can extremely long one. It had lavender scales like Nova¡¯s hands. It was longer than Nova¡¯s entire body, but he seemed to have good control over it. The way Nova¡¯s confidence radiated with the use of the tail made Arcturus¡¯s heart skip a beat; he liked it especially with the way Nova¡¯s eyes glimmered underneath the light of the hall. ¡°So, you can fight.¡± ¡°I never said I couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking: What are you, exactly?¡± Nova averted his gaze from his briefly before he made eye contact with him. ¡°Since you asked politely, I¡¯ll tell you. I am¡­no¡­¡± With a grin ear to ear, Nova placed his right hand to his chest. ¡°We are Souhait.¡± Air flew into Arcturus¡¯s head as he processed Nova¡¯s words. He then started thinking. He first recalled the first instance he had heard of Souhait. The tale of Souhait had been a story that Plasmians revered. When he had lived in Plasma, his parents would always read stories about Souhait to him and Ariel. It had ignited a passion that caused him to be where he is now. What he knew about the story was that the world was created from lavender dragons wishing for a home. When the dragons left, Souhait stayed and became the world¡¯s protector. What he did not know was that Souhait had a human form; no source material indicated this as truth. He looked at Nova straight in the eye. He did not look like he was lying; he wondered what would compel Nova to lie to him. However, he couldn¡¯t help but to be skeptical. He took a deep breath and crossed his arms on his chest. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± Nova¡¯s expression contorted into a very shocked one. He gasped while gaping as he fell onto his knees dramatically. ¡°Impossible. There is someone who does not believe in my words?¡± Nova¡¯s reaction did leave some guilt in Arcturus¡¯s heart, but he was still firm with what he had said. Nova was in disbelief. He stood up. ¡°How could you see this tail and say stuff like that? Aren¡¯t you someone who came here hoping to find the truth?¡± Nova indeed had unusual abilities. The tail was indeed lavender like the dragons of lore, but for all he could tell, it could be an illusion. ¡°Indeed I am.¡± ¡°Then, believe me!¡± Arcturus¡¯s anger increased. To him, it felt like Nova was besmirching the lore and its believers. ¡°How can I believe in such crap? You sound like a quack.¡± Nova pouted. ¡°How rude! I am a human, not a duck!¡± Arcturus raised an eyebrow at Nova¡¯s response. ¡°I meant quack as in a fraud, not the sound a duck makes!¡± ¡°I am no fraud! Why don¡¯t you believe me? I am not lying! In fact, I never lie!¡± While Nova was stubborn, Arcturus did commend the man for sticking to his beliefs without faltering. He responded, ¡°Because the story was about dragons. There is nothing in the story about a human man granting wishes. How can I believe you?¡± Nova became silent as he pondered Arcturus¡¯s words. ¡°That¡­makes logical sense.¡± He was still upset, however. He quickly put his tail back into his body and then grabbed Arcturus¡¯s hand. ¡°If words cannot convince you, I¡¯ll just have to show you!¡± The Throne Room Abruptly, Arcturus found himself moving his legs at an impossible speed; Nova was doing the same. It was as if they were running at an extremely fast pace. The scenery around him had fast-forwarded like a film cassette. In a blink of an eye, they were in a room completely different from what he had seen previously. The room was wide¨Cthe widest he had seen. There was nothing in the room other than a throne-like chair. Nova sealed the door shut with his scaled hands. ¡°What is this place?¡± Arcturus asked. ¡°This is the throne room.¡± Nova responded. ¡°There¡¯s nothing much to look at other than this throne.¡± He felt rather disappointed. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The hallways and corridors were also nothing much to look at too. They all looked the same.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Frustration builded up within him. ¡°What the hell? Who would build a place like this?¡± He gripped his head on both sides to prevent himself from exploding. ¡°We did.¡± Nova coyly raised his hand as he gave Arcturus a mischievous smile. There he goes again with his ¡®we¡¯ nonsense. He cautiously asked, ¡°Why would you do that?¡± With a crooked grin he suddenly had, Nova retorted, ¡°To throw off intruders, of course! I love giving them a sense of hopelessness and then seeing them either give up or keep going. It¡¯s exciting.¡± He had an exhilarated expression with a flushed face. Arcturus became exasperated. He concluded that Nova was rather insane beneath his pretty face. Nova wiped the drool off the face after Arcturus had pointed it out. ¡°How unsightly of me. I apologize.¡± ¡°You¡¯re fine¡­¡± Arcturus hoped he was. Nova smiled. ¡°Anyways, if you¡¯re unimpressed with how the throne room looks. I hope you reconsider once you see this.¡± He walked towards the throne and sat down. When he closed his eyes, the room started shaking. The edges of the floor started sinking in. The rumbling stopped briefly before resuming again. When the floor became whole, Arcturus¡¯s eyes widened. The previously empty room now became adorned with various ice sculptures. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. They fascinated Arcturus. He took a good look at them. The first two that caught his attention were of two reptilian creatures; one had a serpentine body and the other had a beastly one. The serpentine creature had a long body with short limbs, long claws, and whiskers; the beastly creature had a stocky body with long limbs, short claws, wings and horns. Just from a first glance Arcturus knew what these two creatures were. ¡°These are the dragons from Souhait¡¯s Lore!¡± He pointed to the serpentine dragon. ¡°That¡¯s Souhait!¡± He then pointed to the beastly dragon. ¡°That is one of his brethren!¡± Nova opened his eyes. He hummed in amusement. ¡°You sure know your stuff.¡± He stood up and walked away from the throne in order to approach Arcturus. Arcturus, with overwhelming confidence, cleared his throat. He recited, ¡°Long ago, roaming lavender-colored dragons once inhabited the universe. They traversed through many worlds to find a place they called home. Every planet they went to did not accept them for they already had rules and people. After soaring through the universe, they eventually found a barren planet. They made a wish for the planet to become their home. The wasteland flourished with nature, and some pieces of land cracked and became their own separate land. They named their new home Terrenter.¡± A sense of shyness surged within him. He had hoped he wasn¡¯t being too passionate about the lore. He took a glance at Nova. He became shocked when he saw Nova shed a tear. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but to worry. ¡°I¡¯m okay¡­?¡± It seemed that Nova wasn¡¯t aware that he was crying. Nova¡¯s lavender eyes sparkled when shedding tears; it was like seeing a reflection of a starry sky in a pool of water. Arcturus reached a hand out and wiped Nova¡¯s tears with his fingers. Nova realized what had happened. ¡°I¡¯m crying?¡± Nova proceeded to wipe his own tears. ¡°Are you going to be okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. I think hearing you recite those words and sensing your love and passion for the lore warmed this frozen heart of mine. It¡¯s been such a long time since I have last seen someone be so passionate about it.¡± Arcturus could hear how gentle his words were. Nova is very enigmatic. One moment, he is flighty and likes to dodge my questions. In a flash, he becomes a vulnerable soul. I want to get to know him more. Why is he in this castle? How long has he been here? Will there be a day where he will open up to me completely? A sense of humility came to Arcturus as he muttered, ¡°I¡¯ve been told I am good at memorization. It¡¯s nothing special.¡± ¡°Arcturus, can I ask you something?¡± Nova asked. He was no longer shedding tears, but Arcturus could see the redness around his eyes. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°How much do you know?¡± Arcturus felt a chill down his spine. Nova¡¯s words had a much deeper connotation; he was testing him. Nova wanted to know how much he had prepared and how much drive he had to ace this pop quiz; he wanted to know if all of his hardships these past four months were really worth it in the end. Arcturus was confident; no fear within him was detected. ¡°Everything,¡± he responded. Nova smiled. ¡°I see.¡± A Sad Smile Arcturus¡¯s heart ached at the sight of his smile. Of the ones he saw, this one was the saddest he had seen from him by far. He wasn¡¯t an expert in emotional intelligence, but even he knew Nova seemed to have shouldered many burdens to the point that it deteriorated him mentally and emotionally. He wondered when was the last time Nova had encountered a human with the same amount of knowledge and passion as him? He also wondered if there was any way he could make Nova smile like before. Was he even allowed to get closer to him? He took one last glance at the two dragons. ¡°Nova, can I record a video of these statues?¡± All he could do was change the conversation so that he wouldn¡¯t have to feel so melancholic at the sight of that smile. ¡°You have a camera?¡± Nova was surprised. ¡°My bangle-watch has a camera feature.¡± Arcturus clicked on his earring to activate the camera feature. A hologram screen showed up. Arcturus waved his hand to see if the recording screen was active. He pressed the record button and he took a minute to record footage of both statues. It made him nervous as Nova¡¯s eyes were glued to the device; they looked as if they could bulge out of his eyes at any moment. Once Arcturus was done with recording, Nova had clapped at the spectacle he had witnessed. ¡°Technology really is amazing!¡± Arcturus just smiled. Nova had a surprising innocent side; he found it cute. ¡°Can I look at the other statues?¡± Arcturus asked. ¡°Go right ahead!¡± The next sculpture he saw was a large diorama with smaller ice sculptures on top. Souhait, the serpentine dragon, had rested in the middle while a human and a deer were in the front. Several trees had scattered across the diorama. Arcturus couldn¡¯t help but to be amazed with how detailed each sculpture looked. He was no art expert, but even he could tell they were created meticulously. ¡°This is amazing! Whoever carved these is so talented. I¡¯ve never seen ice sculptures this intricate.¡± ¡°You¡¯re making me blush,¡± Nova muttered as he placed his hands on his cheeks. He started swaying his shoulders out of shyness. Realization came to Arcturus. ¡°You made this?¡± ¡°I made all the sculptures here.¡± Nova blinked for a moment before slapping a hand over his mouth in surprise. Arcturus gaped. He couldn¡¯t believe a dainty looking man like Nova had such an amazing talent. He felt like it was a waste for them to rot inside a ruined ice castle. These sculptures surpassed any stone sculptures he saw in books and television. ¡°Have you tried selling them? You could be rich if you profit off of these.¡± Nova seemed saddened by that idea. ¡°Who¡¯d want to buy something from me?¡± Seeing Nova become self-depreciative caused Arcturus to worry. He felt tremendous guilt for mentioning capitalistic methods. He knew he had to say something in order to cheer Nova up. ¡°I would buy them.¡± Nova looked happy. ¡°You would? Do you even have money?¡± ¡°My grandparents are wealthy. My grandmother in particular likes these sorts of pieces, so I¡¯m sure my family would buy them¨Cwe¡¯d probably be regular clients!¡± His response was out of the blue, but it seemed to have an effect on Nova. The frown Nova had changed into a smile. ¡°Thanks. That means a lot to me.¡± Unlike the previous smiles Nova had given him, this one made Nova look the most beautiful. An unusual feeling stirred within him. It felt like it was grabbing his heart and squeezing it as hard as it could. ¡°Y-you¡¯re welcome. I¡¯m glad I was able to cheer you up.¡± Arcturus fixated his attention back to the diorama. He carefully recorded footage of it. Once he finished, he stared at it once more with his own eyes. Nova could only chuckle. ¡°You must really like that one a lot.¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing! Did you sculpt these to show how Terrenter came to be?¡± ¡°Wow, you analyzed it perfectly!¡± Arcturus confidently recited, ¡°The three large barren lands became countries named Ilacier, Lamina and Plasma. All three had their own unique climate that each dragon liked. However, the emptiness wasn¡¯t satisfying. Although they were the only inhabitants, they couldn¡¯t call Terrenter home. From the worlds they visited, each had humans and animals. They wanted that as well. They wished for them to appear, and it came true; they were truly satisfied.¡± He started thinking of his past, where people had ridiculed him about saying that humans came from these dragons. If Nova was who he said he was, then he wanted clarification; he needed the absolute truth. ¡°Nova, may I ask you something?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Did humans and animals really come into existence because of Souhait and his people?¡± ¡°Yes. They all wished for them to exist and that¡¯s how they came to be. The dragons¡­no, wishes are the origin of this planet¡¯s life.¡± His heart suddenly felt fickle. On one hand, he was happy that he was right about the origins of life in this world; he felt proud that he was the first person to know about this. On the other hand, he wasn¡¯t sure how to process this information. Telling the average person would result in denial. No one on this planet would believe it. Was it meant to be kept a secret? That was all he could do; keep it his own precious secret. He took out his journal and wrote down his discovery. Once he finished, a thought came to him: how did Nova come to know of this information? Was it because of having Souhait inside of him? If so, how long did he keep this truth until now? ¡°Why did you ask that question?¡± Nova pondered. Arcturus responded, ¡°Did you know there is an ongoing debate on whether we came to this world as animals or as actual humans?¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Nova gave a surprised reaction. ¡°There are such debates?¡± Arcturus wondered just how ignorant this man was. Technology was the norm in society, yet he looked at them like how a child saw something unbelievable for the first time. He didn¡¯t seem too well-informed about the world either. How long has he been living here? How does he get by? This man is a mystery in itself. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a debate that I¡¯ve been brewing with my professors at university. I¡¯ve sent many reports and theories that humans originated from the dragons in folklore, but all the scholars have dismissed them as drivel.¡± Thinking back to his university days frustrated him as he curled his hands into fists. ¡°Well, I have the truth now. I¡¯d love to shove this information in their faces.¡± An amalgamation of upset feelings welled up within him; realizing this, he did his best to suppress them. He did not want to show his weaker side in front of Nova, so he turned his head aside. Nova just patted his shoulder¡ªan act that moved him¡ªbut he still didn¡¯t show any tears; he was very grateful towards him, nonetheless. He had only met Nova, yet he could feel a strong connection already forming between them ¡°Thank you,¡± he whispered as he did his best to maintain his calm composure. Nova first gave him his usual sunny smile, but it disappeared; a serious countenance replaced it. ¡°Shall we look at the next sculpture?¡± Sensing how tense the atmosphere was caused Arcturus to nod. He wanted to rid this room of the gloominess he had created. The next sculpture was of a human reaching a hand out to a serpentine dragon. The human¡¯s hand and the dragon¡¯s snout were at close proximity, as if they were touching. The upset emotions that had stirred within Arcturus were washed away. ¡°This is the moment where Souhait started granting wishes for the world, right?¡± Excitement came to him as he recorded this sculpture. Nova nodded. ¡°After humans and animals came into existence, the other lavender dragons left, leaving Souhait alone as the watcher of the world.¡± Arcturus soon furrowed his eyebrows as he asked, ¡°Why did they leave? Didn¡¯t they want to make Terrenter their home?¡± Nova became still as he started fidgeting. ¡°I¡­do not know.¡± His voice cracked slightly and his eyes fixated elsewhere other than his. His expression made it very obvious Nova knew the actual answer. While he wanted to know, he knew to not cross boundaries; if Nova was hiding something, it most likely meant that he had his reasons for doing so. I shall respect his space. He feigned ignorance. ¡°I see. How unfortunate. It would have been nice to get an answer after so many years of debate.¡± ¡°How many debates did you make?¡± ¡°Countless.¡± He huffed his chest in pride. ¡°Sounds annoying.¡± This time, it was Arcturus who had let out a chuckle. Nova¡¯s words rang true; the debates were annoying and ultimately pointless. If he wanted to believe the lore was true, then they were. He wondered why he had spent countless amounts of time arguing when nobody was willing to listen. ¡°They are. They really are.¡± He proclaimed as he let out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve been looked down upon so much because of my claims. My fellow literature majors were always wondering why I have such strong inkling towards a piece of fiction. There were always thoughts that I should just conform like the rest, but abiding to the thoughts and ideals of everyone else isn¡¯t who I am.¡± ¡°Terrenter was a peaceful world back then. Everyone had lived harmoniously. I¡¯m sure that people would have agreed with you back then.¡± Arcturus became sullen when he heard that last word. He started to remember the dream he had about his sister. The weather at the time had been cloudy. Such weather was normal in Terrenter nowadays; it had been a long time since he had seen the sky. It was synonymous with the state of Terrenter today. Nova asked with concern, ¡°Is something the matter?¡± ¡°Harmoniously¡­¡± Arcturus uttered. ¡°If only that could happen. Terrenter is on the verge of destruction with sporadic wars, incurable diseases, famine, inflation, discrimination and untraceable storms. There are many conspiracies and speculations created by politicians to convince people to vote for them during elections and then corrupt from within; I don¡¯t believe in their lies, however.¡± ¡°What do you believe in, then?¡± ¡°I believe that the world¡¯s current state is because nobody has a wish. The lack of wishes is killing this world. Like you said, wishes are definitely the origins of this world. If the world was harmonious back then, that means it was once happy; this also means wishes are the source of happiness. But because humans were already satisfied with what they had, Souhait was no longer needed. That was why he was gone from our lives. That was why he flew to this island and created Castle Lavender. Because he still loved humans, he hoped for a day where someone would enter and ask for a wish, but no one ever came.¡± Nova seemed rather intrigued by his words. ¡°Loved¡­¡± He muttered. ¡°You believe he loved humans? What if he hated them?¡± Another test? Arcturus crossed his arms. ¡°If he had hated them, he wouldn¡¯t have granted their wishes.¡± ¡°What if he had hated them after they stopped wanting wishes? What if this castle was formed out of a grudge? What if he had isolated himself to hatch his revenge?¡± Arcturus leaned back for Nova kept invading his personal space by leaning his head closer to his. ¡°Slow down with the questions. What makes you think Souhait is a hateful being?¡± ¡°What makes you think otherwise?¡± Nova had his eyes protruded and did not blink once at all; Arcturus looked rather disturbed for how terrifying Nova had looked; his lavender eyes looked more gray than light purple. He gulped, but tried to maintain his composure; he had a feeling that succumbing to Nova¡¯s stare would be the catalyst to his failure. ¡°I think Souhait is benevolent because he stayed in this world rather than leaving with his people. If he didn¡¯t like Terrenter and its people, he wouldn¡¯t have gone around and granted wishes. If I was Souhait and hated humans, I would have strayed far away from humans and would keep myself isolated from the world¡ªrevel in my loneliness.¡± Nova, wide-eyed, suddenly took a few steps back out of bewilderment over his response. He covered his face. Arcturus became worried once he saw Nova¡¯s shoulders trembling; he hoped he hadn¡¯t upset him. ¡°Are you okay?¡± What he had initially assumed was Nova crying was actually Nova chuckling as he removed his hands and plastered a wide grin. ¡°You passed the test!¡± ¡°Test?¡± ¡°Whenever someone comes here, they¡¯re usually swayed by my words and would agree with my rebuttals and refutes. You¡¯re different. You stand your ground and not give into my words. You make your own judgments. You¡¯re strong and intelligent. I think you¡¯re perfect.¡± Being complimented made him embarrassed. ¡°I-I¡¯m not perfect¡­¡± Nova shook his head in disagreement. ¡°You are perfect. I need you.¡± Being showered with praise made Arcturus silent. He was too flustered to utter a response. He wondered how red his face was. Was it darker than his own hair color? Nova then spoke up, ¡°Because I need you, I¡¯ll tell you something important. Souhait is here.¡± He placed a hand to his heart. Arcturus scoffed. ¡°This again? I told you that I don¡¯t believe you.¡± Nova reached a hand out. ¡°Then I will show you. Take my hand if you wish to see him and have your wish granted.¡± Arcturus glanced at Nova¡¯s right hand. A flower mark did exist on his palm. The shape of the petals and the direction they were protruding out from made it look like a star. When he looked up, Nova had a gentle smile. The sweet aura he emitted caused Arcturus to want to believe in him. It was hard to refute his knowledge as lies now. He felt compelled to learn more. He wanted to know if Souhait really did reside within Nova; that was why he came all the way to this isolated, frozen land. He should stop being so stubborn now. It¡¯s now or never. This decision was something he could never turn back from; it could change his life forever. He may have regrets in the future, but he was resolute. With a deep breath, he reached out and grabbed Nova¡¯s hand. He felt a jolt surging into his body. The stimulation caused him to become drowsy; his vision blurred as he slowly submerged into slumber. The Realm of Desires Slumber had felt unusually warm. Arcturus wasn¡¯t even sure what slumber truly felt like, but it felt warm to him. It was like he was drifting away in a meadow underneath a cloudless blue sky. A warm breeze enveloped him. This moment felt like bliss. ¡°Arcturus, wake up.¡± Arcturus immediately opened his eyes when he heard Nova¡¯s voice. Just as he imagined, he had been sleeping in a meadow under a cloudless blue sky. Castle Lavender was nowhere in sight. Nova was next to him; he reached a hand out to help him up. Nova¡¯s clothes were different; he traded his ragged sweater and pants for a formal outfit. He wore a lavender satin shirt accessorized with a ribbon that was fastened with a gold brooch. Above the shirt was a dark purple waistcoat that had a swallowtail coattail and golden buttons. He wore dark purple trousers with black laced combat boots. His hair was tied in a low ponytail. His outfit made his beauty stand out more; Arcturus thought he looked very elegant. ¡°Where is this place?¡± Arcturus scanned his surroundings. When he turned around, the sight of a bewitching majestic tree awed him. It was so big. The leaves were a deep green and he could see apples growing from the branches. ¡°Welcome to the Realm of Desires,¡± Nova bowed respectfully towards Arcturus. ¡°I am your guide, Nova. This world is manifested from your memories and desires¨Cthe true form of your soul in a way. It allows the guest to look into their memories to find what it is they truly want. In turn, this allows a wish to be formed and once it¡¯s decided, I can take you to Souhait to have it granted.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. No matter how beautiful the world is, the thought of it being created from his memories was unpleasant to Arcturus. He placed his hands on Nova¡¯s shoulders. ¡°How much of my memories have you seen?¡± ¡°All of them.¡± ¡°Let me out of here. I don¡¯t want to be in this world.¡± ¡°If you leave, you die.¡± Hearing those cold words made Arcturus shiver. He wondered what he had gotten himself into. Knowing that he willingly grabbed Nova¡¯s hand did not make his situation any better. Although he was reluctant, Arcturus knew he had to keep moving forward; he did not want to die. ¡°How does this work?¡± Arcturus asked complacently. With a satisfied smile, Nova grabbed Arcturus¡¯s hand and dragged him towards the tree. Arcturus saw a large red door at the bottom of the trunk. Nova pointed a finger towards the door. ¡°We go through that door and look through your memories. These are what I call ¡®trials¡¯. I need to see if you are worthy enough to form a wish and have it be granted by Souhait.¡± Arcturus gulped. ¡°If I open this door, the trial starts?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Arcturus reached a hand out. He hesitated when he felt the metal knob. This world was made from his memories; he was currently asleep. The door felt real despite being in a dream. With confidence, he turned the knob and opened the door. A black void had greeted him. He knew that he had to enter for everything to start, to which he did by taking a step forward. In a flash, the void was no longer present. Instead, he found himself in a quaint library. Books rested on wooden bookshelves. The quiet atmosphere had calmed him. Soon, one of the books on the shelf nearby started glowing. He ran towards it to take it out. The book shined bright, which caused him to close his eyes. The First Memory (Arcturus Arc Part 1) Arcturus opened his eyes when he heard the sound of soft crackling noises from a fire. He found himself in a bedroom. It was dimly lit due to the miniscule fire. The carpet was tan and soft. The walls were a burgundy color with gold stripes and had been ordained with an ornate clock; it was quite late at night. Lights turned on, illuminating the room and Arcturus¡¯s vision. A voice suddenly rang into his ears: ¡°It¡¯s time for bed, you two. Don¡¯t read books in dimly lit rooms. It will ruin your eyes.¡± Arcturus gasped. His eyes widened as he turned around to look for the source of that voice. It belonged to a man presumably around his late thirties wearing large round glasses. His brown hair was quite disheveled, but he did not seem to pay much mind to his fashion. He had worn a blue sweater over a shirt along with jeans that had uneven pant legs rolled up. He wore two different colored socks as well. The sight of him caused Arcturus to hold back on his tears. ¡°Dad¡­¡± He felt conflicted. He was happy, but also sad; he wasn¡¯t sure which of those two emotions were more dominant. It was a feeling he could not describe with words; it was too troublesome to do so. ¡°He can¡¯t hear you.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Arcturus turned towards his left to see Nova standing next to him. Seeing both Nova and his father in this room made Arcturus know where he was. ¡°I know¡­.¡° Arcturus whispered, ¡°My father, Arthur Mercury, is already gone from my life. This is nothing more than a memory.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Arcturus scowled. ¡°Is this how you get people to form wishes? How cruel. You¡¯re basically making people relive portions of their life they do not want to revisit.¡± ¡°Wishes are magic formed from the heart. A heart goes through trial and tribulation and shapes a person to be who they are or want to be. As long as your heart is strong, your wish will be too. That is what we believe to be the right way to do this.¡± ¡°You said ¡®we¡¯. Is Souhait in on this too?¡± ¡°Indeed. He is the mastermind behind these trials. He¡¯s the creator of them too. He does this to test people¡¯s resolve and to see if they are worthy.¡± The dragon he had revered was behind this cruel joke of a trial. He was the one that thought of the idea to look at people¡¯s memories to find their wish. He found it risible¨Cso much that he couldn¡¯t help but to let out a chuckle. ¡°If it¡¯s a test he wants, I¡¯ll take it. Let¡¯s see why you both want me to look through my memories.¡± Arcturus fixated himself back on the sight in front of him with a newfound feeling of determination. He steeled himself to persevere and to become worthy in their eyes. Arcturus Mercury, Seven Years Old (Arcturus Arc Part 2) The recently lit room helped Arcturus see that there was a bed that had two children sitting on it¨Ca boy and a girl. The boy had unkempt scarlet hair and the girl had straight auburn hair; there was an age gap between the two as the boy was much older than the girl. They both looked at Arthur with disappointment. ¡°Can we stay up a little bit more, Dad? I¡¯m trying to help Ariel tell an apple and a book apart!¡± ¡°What book are you reading, Arc?¡± ¡°The Apple Tree Library!¡± Arthur chuckled. ¡°You can¡¯t help but to enjoy a classic children¡¯s story, can¡¯t you?¡± The young Arcturus pouted. ¡°I¡¯m teaching Ariel how amazing books are!¡± ¡°Books!¡± A young Ariel yelled out in her childish lisp. Their father chuckled again. ¡°I understand your actions, but kids should be sleeping around this time. Get to bed.¡± As the young Arcturus closed the picture book and placed it on the nightstand, a thought came to him as he grinned. ¡°Dad, will you read us a story to bed, then?¡± His proposal surprised his father. He sighed as he gave in. ¡°Alright. Pick a story.¡± The young Arcturus cheered as he rushed towards the bookshelf that was on the opposite side of the nightstand. The young Ariel trailed behind him like a baby duck following its mother. The sight of his younger self looking at the bookshelf was nostalgic to Arcturus. His love for books and such came from his father, a Laminan man who moved to Plasma for research. He always remembered loving books growing up. He couldn¡¯t help but give a slight smile at his younger self; he was seven in this memory while Ariel was two. ¡°Let¡¯s pick this book, Ariel!¡± The young Arcturus took out a rather worn out book. When the boy had turned around, the current Arcturus took the chance to see his childhood self¡¯s face. Arthur, Ariel and Arcturus all had the same eye color. Ariel shared a resemblance with Arthur that Arcturus did not. ¡°Dad, read us this book!¡± Arthur adjusted his glasses. ¡°A Collection of Souhait¡¯s Lore? This isn¡¯t suitable for children.¡± ¡°You said you¡¯d read anything we want, so we want you to read that! Please?¡± ¡°Please!¡± Ariel repeated. ¡°Alright. Alright. Hop onto the bed and I¡¯ll read a few passages.¡± When approaching the bed, Arcturus first helped Ariel up and then he climbed up after. He tucked his sister first before doing it to himself. They both stared at Arthur, pressuring him to grab a nearby stool to sit down next to the bed. ¡°Do you have any passages you want me to read aloud to you?¡± Arthur asked as he placed the book on his lap. ¡°Can you read the part where Souhait first grants a wish to a human?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± He placed a finger to his tongue and then started opening the book. The current Arcturus fretted when his father opened the book. The book was so old and worn that he worried about the bindings falling off, even though he knew it did not. He glanced over at Nova who looked at him with curiosity. He cleared his own throat and started explaining. ¡°That book is a very old and rare copy of the lore written by the Loreseer, the person who preserved his legacy. I believe it¡¯s one of the few original copies left in the world. Father once told me he had paid a hefty price just to get his hands on it.¡± Nova seemed surprised. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that the original copies still live on.¡± His visage lit up with a small smile. He looked away from Arcturus and muttered, ¡°Thank goodness.¡± Arcturus heard his words. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was the right time to ask questions, so he remained silent. He kept his eyes on the scene in front of him. Arthur got to the requested page quickly. The current Arcturus squinted and noticed that some of the page corners were folded; he had always wondered how his father had turned the pages so quickly during his childhood, but he now knew. Learning small details from his past felt fascinating. Arthur read out loud, ¡°When Souhait was scouting the planet, he had encountered a father with a sickly child. The child had an incurable disease and would not live past adolescence. Worried sick, he begged for Souhait to cure his child. The father was a pure-hearted man who cared deeply for his wife and children, so Souhait had sensed his genuine emotions. He had granted his wish¡ªhis child became healthy. Because of this news, this was how Souhait became relied upon for wishes. They had revered him as a wish-granting deity.¡± The older Arcturus was excited to listen despite knowing what this excerpt was all about. The book wasn¡¯t for young children¡¯s reading criteria. He didn¡¯t know what it had meant until he got older, but he remembered liking his father¡¯s tone when reading; as a child, asking his father to read stories to him was an excuse for him to listen to his voice. Hearing his father narrate a passage of the lore caused his eyes to glisten. The feelings he had for the lore as a child has not changed at all. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Nova chuckled. ¡°You sure like the lore.¡± The current Arcturus couldn¡¯t contain his overflowing passion. ¡°But this is the part about the Progenitor! The statue with Souhait and the human facing each other was about the Progenitor, right?¡± Nova hummed. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you deduced that so quickly.¡± ¡°Souhait was so benevolent! Out of all the people in Terrenter at the time, he managed to find a father and decided to grant his wish specifically! This is proof that wishes are important! They can bring happiness!¡± Realizing that he was being too excited, Arcturus clammed up; it was slightly embarrassing. Nova looked at him with flushed cheeks. ¡°If you keep praising Souhait like that, I¡¯m going to be sweating due to the heat.¡± Because he had such fair skin, the redness on his face was very noticeable to the point that he was fanning himself with his hands. Arcturus wondered why Nova was reacting shyly when he was praising Souhait; he wasn¡¯t praising him at all. Arthur noticed his son¡¯s gaze on him. He smiled and ruffled his hair. The older Arcturus tried to recall his father¡¯s warm hand, but he couldn¡¯t. He could not remember how warm his hand was. It had been too long. ¡°Arc, do you believe in wishes?¡± Arthur spoke gently and quietly in order to not wake Ariel up. ¡°I do!¡± The young Arcturus immediately clammed up as he peered over his sleeping sister. She was sleeping soundly. Arthur smiled. ¡°Then, if you had just one wish, what would it be?¡± His question caused the younger Arcturus to become deep in thought. The current Arcturus wondered what his younger self had thought of at the time¨Che could not recall his thoughts from long ago. He felt Nova¡¯s hand sliding into his. Once Nova¡¯s fingers linked with his, thoughts that weren¡¯t his own resonated within his mind. I¡¯ve got so many wishes. His younger self thought. I wish for Dad to come home more often. I wish for Mom to not tire herself out from work. I wish for Ariel to always be her cheery self. There are so many wishes. How can I pick one? Arcturus felt a chill down his spine. He could hear his younger self¡¯s thoughts all of a sudden. He wondered if Nova connecting his hand with his own made it possible. If so, what purpose did he have? The more he kept listening to his younger self¡¯s thoughts, he became fascinated. This was how his mindset had worked as a child. He was once a pure child full of endless curiosity and wants, but he no longer felt that way as an adult; it was as if that purity was taken away once adulthood came. After much pondering, the younger Arcturus blurted out, ¡°I wish for Dad to come home more often. If you did, Mom wouldn¡¯t be so tired from work and Ariel would smile a lot brighter.¡± He grinned. The current Arcturus wondered if he had felt happy during that moment; the joy he felt was brief. His main emotion was sadness; looking at his father had increased. Arthur¡¯s eyes widened at his son¡¯s remark. The book slid off from his lap once he leaned over and embraced the younger Arcturus. ¡°I¡¯ll grant that wish for you!¡± Arthur muttered, ¡°I¡¯ll try to be home more often from now on!¡± Hearing those words caused sudden anger to intrude into his mind. He tightened his grip on Nova¡¯s hand; he quickly released it when Nova started wincing in pain. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Nova asked out of worry. ¡°He lied. He said he¡¯d be home often, but he didn¡¯t keep that promise. He didn¡¯t come home after that day.¡± The thought of his absent father made his blood slowly boil. His father had disappeared so abruptly; nobody knew where he had gone when he told his family he would leave for Ilacier and return in a few days. Days became weeks. Weeks became years. When Arcturus was young, he had to cope with his disappearance with the lore; he was desperate to keep his father alive in his memory, which was why he had read that story and memorized it verbatim. ¡°Do you hate your father?¡± Nova¡¯s question spiraled confusion into Arcturus. Did he hate his father? He wasn¡¯t sure. His father left him when he was very young. The memories he had of him were slowly fading away. Rather than hatred, he felt upset. Arcturus responded. ¡°How can I hate someone I barely know? He¡¯s just a fragment of my memories. He¡¯s my father. I know I have one, even if he had been away from my life more than my age at the time.¡± There was an unusual ache on his heart; it made him want to cry. However, he resisted. He found it meaningless to cry for someone he barely knew. There was one question he wanted to ask Nova: ¡°Have you ever met a man named Arthur Mercury?¡± ¡°Never.¡± Nova responded. He let out a chuckle. He had been engrossed in reading to keep his father in his memories. He had always thought of him as a scholar that did his best to pursue the truth of Souhait¡¯s Lore. He had pursued the same path just to find a way to see him again. A part of him knew it was all in vain. It was an impossible goal. The chuckle transitioned to a cackle. ¡°I¡¯m an idiot, aren¡¯t I? I feel nothing for my father, yet I tried my absolute best to hope that I¡¯d meet him again if I tried to follow the same path he did. However, I knew deep down that my father is not a scholar. He exists, but I don¡¯t even know who he truly is. I¡¯d try to keep myself stable by hoping to pursue the impossible. But it¡¯s futile.¡± Arcturus felt as if he was stripping himself bare. He wasn¡¯t sure why he was exposing himself. It felt as if something was compelling him to be his true self in this world. He couldn¡¯t lie or hide here. He tried making himself a mentally strong and determined man trying to achieve what others could not, but in actuality, he was a pessimistic man plagued with doubts and uncertainty. ¡°Didn¡¯t you come here with the notion that you wanted to achieve the impossible?¡± Arcturus¡¯s eyes widened as Nova¡¯s words resonated in his mind. He recalled the dream of his past where he was speaking to Ariel one last time before his departure. Wallowing himself in sadness and loneliness was not going to help him achieve anything. ¡°You¡¯re right. Seeing the memory of my father made me look back at myself and how idiotic I was for pursuing a goal just to see someone I never knew. However, I left my family and home behind of my own volition. My desire to pursue the lore and find the truth is no longer related to my father¨Cit¡¯s all of my own doing. I¡¯m here because I want to be¨Cto achieve something no one else has.¡± The scenery started disintegrating. The force pulled itself together and drew itself towards Nova¡¯s hand where it became a bright red apple. Arcturus was confused as he checked his surroundings. He was no longer in his old house, but the quaint library once again. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Arcturus asked. Nova responded, ¡°This apple is a symbol that you have passed the first trial.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What does it mean to pass?¡± ¡°This world is of my creation, so I get to decide what passes or fails. You pass because you understand what it is you want. Remember, I am someone trying to find the wish you have deep within your heart.¡± Nova¡¯s words made Arcturus place a hand to his heart. He thought about what sort of wish he would want granted. Narrowing down his choices, he believed he found the right one. ¡°I think I figured out what my wish is.¡± The Wish Deep Within His Heart (Arcturus Arc Part 3) Arcturus felt a newfound determination within himself. The more he thought of his wish, the stronger he became. He knew it was something his heart long desired. When he made eye contact with Nova, Nova did not seem thrilled. ¡°Are you sure the wish you have deep within your heart is the one you want granted?¡± Nova¡¯s serious visage caused Arcturus to have some hesitation. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Arcturus quipped. ¡°I just want to warn you about something: a granted wish is dangerous. Making one without much thought can lead to severe consequences. Making a vague wish can lead to confusion. Making a detailed wish brings nothing but pain. If you want a wish granted, you must think carefully. Who does this wish apply to? Why do you want it granted? Have you given it extra thoughts before deciding that it¡¯s the one?¡± Nova¡¯s warning made Arcturus realize Nova was the real deal. He was someone who can grant wishes. However, Arcturus wasn¡¯t one to waver once he made a decision. The wish he had deep within his heart was the true ideal wish he wanted. Arcturus could tell Nova was aware of this trait of his. Nova was not convinced about it. He turned around, rushed towards one of the bookshelves. He grabbed a book and rushed back towards Arcturus. ¡°Open this tome.¡± Nova commanded as he handed it to Arcturus. ¡°This memory of yours will help you understand why wishes are terrifying.¡± Listening to his serious tone caused Arcturus to gulp. Although he was scared, he If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. was curious about why Nova was warning him. What sort of demonstration could this man show him? He opened the book. As soon as it opened, a beam of light blasted out of the first page. The sudden brightness caused him to drop the book as a sudden reaction. When he managed to open his eyes after shielding them, he noticed the sudden change in scenery from the quaint library to a vast, dark forest. Nova was nowhere in sight. Worried, he rushed into the forest calling out for him. The forest had obscured his vision. He wasn¡¯t even sure where he was. He kept yelling, hoping to find some lead. He saw a speck of light from the corner of his eyes and proceeded to follow it. The faster he ran, the closer he was towards it. He quickly saw a silhouette of a person and noticed it was Nova walking in the same direction as he was. He reached out and grabbed Nova¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I found you, Nova!¡± Nova¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯re here¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been looking everywhere for you.¡± Nova just stared at him befuddled. Arcturus was not sure why Nova was gawking at him. Nova¡¯s face contorted into one of relief as he gave him a smile. ¡°Sorry about that. I was following this speck of light.¡± He pointed towards the source of the light: a lantern held by a young boy and an even younger girl. Although the area around the boy was dim, Arcturus could tell that the boy had familiar scarlet red hair. It all came back to him. This place was a part of his memory. Nostalgia poured onto him as he scanned the dark forest. ¡°This is the Forest of Passing Souls, the place where people go when they die. If you¡¯re lucky enough, you can meet the soul of your late loved ones.¡± ¡°Is that so? How interesting.¡± Nova was about to continue following Arcturus¡¯s childhood self, but Arcturus stopped him by grabbing onto his arm. ¡°However, it is risky to traverse if you¡¯re not prepared. The forest is huge and there have been rumors about people disappearing when they enter¡ªnever returning. The government especially forbids children from entering. Given how Ariel and I were kids back then¡­we sort of rebelled and entered the forest.¡± ¡°You seem uptight, but you are rather rebellious. You¡¯re quite the anomaly.¡± Arcturus had been told he was an anomaly most of his life. Had he been younger, he would¡¯ve denied it. However, he was mature enough to know that being different was fine. He even took it as a compliment. He gave Nova a smile and thanked him. Nova looked rather confused. ¡°As thanks for the compliment, I¡¯ll help guide you through this forest.¡± Nova looked as if he was going to say something, but clammed up. ¡°Lead the way.¡± The Forest of Passing Souls (Arcturus Arc Part 4) Arcturus and Nova followed the young Arcturus and Ariel. No one had said anything. All Arcturus could hear was the sound of crackling leaves, flying bugs and their footsteps. He had recalled being scared when he had traversed through this forest. After listening to the sounds of their footsteps and the peaceful darkness enveloping them, he realized that this forest was rather serene. Nova broke the silence. ¡°You said that this is the Forest of Passing Souls?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s what they call it¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Arcturus, did you know that there is a slight misconception about this forest?¡± Arcturus furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Is there?¡± ¡°This forest actually serves as a gateway to the Spirit Realm, the actual resting place of passing souls. The souls can leave only once a year.¡± Arcturus raised an eyebrow. ¡°I have no clue what you¡¯re talking about. Where did you get such information?¡± He had never heard of a place called the Spirit Realm; he had read plenty of books about Plasma, but the concept of a realm beyond the forest seemed nonsensical. Nova did not seem to mind his reaction. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. I¡¯m just rambling.¡± While Arcturus was concerned about whether his words had hurt him, Nova did not look hurt. It made him worry, but he needed to focus on what was in front of him; noticing that the lantern was getting further away from them, he rushed towards the two children with Nova. I need to get as far away from the town as I can. Nobody can find us if we travel deep into the forest. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Arcturus gasped as he removed his hand from Nova¡¯s. It was just like before in his previous memory. He could not get adjusted to it. The thought of hearing his past thoughts in his head felt terrifying. It was as if he had another sentience within him. His past thoughts made him recall why he was in the forest despite it being dangerous to children. He had done something he should not have done and was trying to run away before anyone could find him; he had taken Ariel along with him because she was young and the only family he had left. A young Ariel questioned, ¡°Arc, can we really meet Mom here? What people say about souls here is just fake, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Ariel. It can¡¯t hurt to try.¡± The younger Arcturus gripped the lantern¡¯s handle tightly. I wonder how long this lie is going to keep up. I can¡¯t tell her why we¡¯re here¨Cshe wouldn¡¯t understand. It¡¯s not everyday a twelve-year-old like me is trying to run away from soldiers for doing something I¡¯m not supposed to. The current Arcturus looked down to see that Nova was holding his hand again; he wondered how Nova was able to do it so quickly and abruptly. Ariel remarked, ¡°We¡¯re not allowed to come here, though. Soldiers will find us.¡± Arcturus looked at his sister. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Trust your big bro. Mom always said that I¡¯m a lucky boy.¡± It was dark, but the adult Arcturus saw Ariel¡¯s grip on his younger self¡¯s hand tightened. Perhaps, it was due to the memory, but he felt Ariel¡¯s complete trust in him and it radiated throughout his entire body. He had only been an orphaned twelve-year-old at the time. He knew he was weak and powerless, but if it meant protecting his younger sister, he would risk anything to do so. The current Arcturus had remembered why he had chosen to come here. What he had done had terrified him, so he wanted to run. However, he wasn¡¯t sure where to run because nobody would accept them. He wanted answers on where to go and what to do next. He also missed his mother dearly, so he had gone into the forest as a last resort and was desperate to see her again. He also brought Ariel with him for another reason: she could see ghosts, but could not hear them. He was the opposite; that was why he needed her as much as she needed him. He decided to lead the way. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Nova seemed rather excited as he gripped his hand tightly. ¡°Oh my, how romantic.¡± His teasing caused Arcturus to become flustered. He turned his head away and resumed walking with Nova accompanying him. Arcturus Mercury, Twelve Years Old (Arcturus Arc Part 5) With minimal lighting, Arcturus could hardly bask into the forest. All he could see was shadowed trees branching out and covering the sky, not allowing the moonlight to shine through. The sounds of nocturnal animals moving about and the rustling sounds of plants as the children stepped on fallen branches were familiar to him. It felt like he was walking through a world of eternal darkness. Through the moment of silence, Nova spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s amazing how you had managed to traverse in this pitch darkness at a young age with a child much younger than you as your only companion and with only a lantern.¡± ¡°Well, I had no other alternative. We had no other relatives and no objective. We really needed answers for our future. We had no idea how long this forest was, so we had prepared a lot of food and water just in case we got stuck there for days. We only had each other and our determination to see our mother again.¡± ¡°Your life has been about traversing through the unknown, hasn¡¯t it? You had traversed through a pitch-black forest and an eternal snowstorm.¡± Arcturus stopped and stared at Nova, taking in his words. He had never realized it until now. His life really had been traversing into unknown territories. Was it because he enjoyed the feeling of being in an unknown place? He wasn¡¯t sure about the true reason, but he knew it was a subconscious habit and felt as if more would come to him in the future. ¡°I guess so.¡± They resumed walking. As he continued following his younger self, more thoughts about this memory came to him. He remembered he had been traversing with Ariel for about three hours. As a child, he had been surprised with how large the forest had been; in a map of Plasma, the forest took about seventy-five percent of the land¡¯s space while the remainder was living space for humans. The young Arcturus had worries about whether or not they would make it out of the forest alive; they had been fortunate enough to not be spotted by aggressive animals for the past two days. Ariel started sighing. ¡°Arc, when will a soul show up? We¡¯ve been here for so long, and nothing is showing up.¡± Stolen story; please report. ¡°I can¡¯t see spirits, remember?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah¡­¡± Ariel was rather discouraged. Her question started to plague the young Arcturus¡¯s mind with worried thoughts. When will a soul show up? We¡¯ve been here for two days and nothing has changed. Is coming here really the right choice? What if the stories we had heard about this forest are lies? What do I do if I can¡¯t meet Mom? The older Arcturus sighed at his past thoughts; overthinking and being a worrywart seemed to have been unbreakable habits. Loud rustling noises were heard from a close distance, startling all four of them. The young Arcturus flashed his lantern at the distance; the source of the noise belonged to a doe staring at them momentarily before dashing off. Ariel started whining. ¡°Can¡¯t we just get out of here? I don¡¯t want to be here anymore!¡± ¡°Not until we meet Mom again.¡± Ariel started pouting as she removed her hand from his and crossed her arms. ¡°Then I won¡¯t go any farther. I¡¯m going to stay here.¡± ¡°Suit yourself, then. I¡¯ll leave you behind. Have fun being eaten by something even scarier than a deer.¡± He turned around and started walking. Nova¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What a mean kid you were.¡± The older Arcturus remarked, ¡°I wasn¡¯t being mean. It¡¯s normal to be tough around family. I wanted her to be strong, even if I had resorted to using scare tactics.¡± Like what he had said, his words instilled fear into Ariel as she rushed towards him and clung onto him tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me behind, Arc! I¡¯m sorry!¡± The younger Arcturus just patted her head and then he reached his hand out; she grabbed it and the two continued traversing. Minutes became hours; he wondered how long it would take for dawn to rise and how the forest would look like in the day. The young Arcturus stopped; Ariel was worried. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just tired.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s rest for the rest of the day.¡± Ariel said as she yawned; Arcturus yawned back. They approached the nearest tree and decided to make it their resting place for the day. The older Arcturus and Nova leaned against the tree across from them. Arcturus put down the large backpack and opened it. He took out some blankets and covered both of them; the lantern was in between them. He turned to Ariel. ¡°It¡¯s not as comfortable as a tent, but I hope you can sleep.¡± Ariel yawned again as she rested her head against his shoulder. The sight of her sleeping face helped Arcturus relax. He leaned back and closed his eyes. Henrietta (Arcturus Arc Part 6) A moment later, the current Arcturus saw the scenery brightening. Specks of light illuminated the tips of the dark branches and started to float towards the area in front of the children. The forest started glowing white. The specks quickly gravitated towards each other and started merging to form a large ball of light; it then started shaping itself. The older Arcturus looked at the scene with awe. He never recalled this scene in his memories; he quickly looked down to glance at his intertwined hand on Nova¡¯s. He did remember hearing the specter when he was younger. The noise it produced was erratic; it was like a cacophony of a ringing and a buzzing noise meshed together, which was why he started stirring in his slumber and opened his eyes. ¡°Ariel, wake up.¡± He shook her gently. ¡°I hear something weird.¡± Ariel stirred and slowly awakened; she became shocked at the sight in front of her. She looked straight at the shapeshifting light while the young Arcturus had no idea where she was looking. The light completed its shape shifting process and a woman with scarlet hair appeared before them. The bewildered older Arcturus as he blinked several times; he even rubbed his eyes with his free hand. The specter in front of him was still present. He never knew holding Nova¡¯s hand allowed him to be able to see things he normally could not. It felt unsettling to be able to see spirits. The specter had disheveled, bobbed scarlet hair and exhausted green eyes that matched her overall bedraggled appearance.The older Arcturus recognized her face instantly; they shared a resemblance that was more profound now that he was an adult. ¡°Are you making me see my own mother as a part of this trial?¡± ¡°Watching this memory is a part of your trial, but I¡¯m just helping you for now.¡± Nova¡¯s last two words seemed ominous, but Arcturus did not mind. Being able to see his mother, Henrietta, after a long time made him happy. A sudden longing came to him. He found it unfortunate she had to leave him so soon. He wondered what sort of reaction his mother would¡¯ve had his decision to put school on hold to travel. Focusing back on the memory, he saw Ariel too speechless to utter a word. ¡°Is it Mom that you¡¯re seeing? Where is she?¡± Ariel pointed straight at the specter, allowing him to fixate his gaze at the direction. Henrietta looked at them sternly. She asked, ¡°Why are you two here?¡± Ariel tilted her head quizzically. He knew Ariel could only see spirits, but lacked the ability to hear them. To her, spirits were just moving their lips inaudibly. ¡°Mom!¡± The older Arcturus could feel the emotions behind his younger self¡¯s words. ¡°Arcturus, Ariel, why are you here? The forest is dangerous.¡± The sound of a mother¡¯s scolding made both Arcturuses emotional; they were both trying to hold back their tears. The younger one fell onto his knees, startling Ariel. ¡°Mom, I am sorry.¡± ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± ¡°I did something I shouldn¡¯t have and I ran away. I just don¡¯t want to get in trouble with the mayor.¡± ¡°What did you do, Arc?¡± Ariel inquired. ¡°I hacked into the government¡¯s database and found out that Mom had died one day after her supposed death. I learned about the cause of death too.¡± Arcturus heard Nova hum in amusement. Henrietta gawked at his confession. She was speechless, and he found it understandable. Anyone would find it unbelievable that a twelve-year-old boy hacked into a database that even the most experienced hackers struggled with. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°I wanted to know the truth behind your death! I knew you didn¡¯t die during the rebellion. I just hated how adults keep on lying and covering the truth. That¡¯s why I did it!¡± Ariel intercepted the conversation, ¡°We also wanted to see you again.¡± Henrietta looked as if she wanted to cry. She leaned her head back to hold off tears. She quickly changed her expression into a serious one. ¡°Leave. This place is not one for children to be in. The mayor strictly forbade you to enter, didn¡¯t he?¡± The young Arcturus had a worried countenance. ¡°How? After what I did, the mayor is not going to let this slide. He doesn¡¯t like us, after all.¡± ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we came here. We need answers.¡± ¡°What answers?¡± ¡°Please tell us what we should do now that you¡¯re gone! The neighbors are debating on who should take us in. A majority of them don¡¯t want to take us in. We¡¯ve been staying at the mayor¡¯s place for the past month, but his wife is getting tired of taking care of us! Now that I hacked the government system, nobody will ever take us in.¡± Henrietta became deep in thought and then became surprised; she seemed to have remembered something important. The older Arcturus wasn¡¯t surprised since he knew she was quite forgetful. ¡°Speaking of which, I did send an email to your relatives in Lamina requesting them to take care of you. This was days before my passing. I¡¯m not even sure if they had read it.¡± The young Arcturus became surprised. ¡°We have relatives in Lamina?¡± Ariel turned to remark, ¡°We have relatives?¡± ¡°They are your father¡¯s parents¡ªyour grandparents. Lamina is quite far from Plasma. I am not really sure how many days it would take for them to arrive here, given how difficult it is to leave the country.¡± ¡°You want us to live with people we have never met?¡± ¡°They¡¯re good people; I¡¯ve met them before. I want you two to live your lives to the fullest. You can¡¯t live freely here.¡± ¡°What if they don¡¯t come?¡± ¡°Then, find a way to go to Lamina. I know staying in Plasma is more comfortable, but it¡¯s no longer safe because you¡¯ve gone and done the unthinkable. I¡¯m also worried about soldiers too.¡± The word ¡®soldiers¡¯ made the older Arcturus twitch. Anger slowly welled up within him. His free hand curled into a fist while his occupied one tightened its grip on Nova¡¯s hand. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Nova asked, worried. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡± That was a lie, but he did not want to admit his anger. ¡°Don¡¯t lie. I can sense your rage. Why are you angry?¡± Hiding anything from Nova was futile. He did his best to maintain his composure. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. I¡¯ll tell you when I feel comfortable doing so.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Arcturus wondered if Nova already knew the reason behind his anger. He then wondered how much Nova knew about his memories; he pondered whether Nova truly understood his emotions and why he had felt such ways in his memories. Because he was so deep in thought, Arcturus wasn¡¯t aware of Nova calling out to him; Nova had to smack him on his cheek for Arcturus to snap out of his thoughts. When Arcturus fixed his gaze on Nova, it went elsewhere for Nova pointed towards Henrietta who seemed to be fading away slowly. This shocked Ariel. ¡°Mom!¡± She yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t leave!¡± ¡°It has seemed as if my time is done for this year. I don¡¯t know when we will meet again, but I am sure it is when you two become promising adults.¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± The older Arcturus sensed his younger self¡¯s overwhelming sadness. ¡°Don¡¯t make that face.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you sad that we have to separate?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll miss you two very much, but I¡¯ll be in the company of other passing souls. I won¡¯t be lonely.¡± Realization came to the young Arcturus as he asked, ¡°Mom, before you go, can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Is Dad with you?¡± Henrietta looked surprised with that question before she maintained her composure. She gave them a sullen smile. ¡°Your father is still alive.¡± The young Arcturus¡¯s eyes widened with shock; he was in disbelief. The older one felt his younger¡¯s self¡¯s amalgamation of sadness and joy. He had always thought Arthur was dead until this moment. Suddenly, Henrietta reached out and did her best to embrace her children in her spectral form. Ariel was tearing up while Arcturus remained shocked and speechless. ¡°If you ever find him in this vast world, please don¡¯t hate him.¡± Arcturus whispered, ¡°Okay.¡± As Henrietta started to slowly fade away, Ariel yelled, ¡°We love you, Mom!¡± Henrietta smiled as she completely faded away; the lights in the forest disappeared alongside her, leaving the lantern as their only source of light yet again. The older Arcturus removed his hand from Nova¡¯s; he had complicated emotions welling up within him. Ariel gripped her brother¡¯s hand tightly. She wiped a few tears off of her face as she asked, ¡°What did Mom say to you? Tell me everything.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Rescue (Arcturus Arc Part 7) The young Arcturus summarized their conversation with words and context that a seven-year-old girl could process in her developing mind. As he was doing so, the adults started a conversation of their own. ¡°Your mother was quite the beauty,¡± Nova remarked. ¡°You look just like her, except for the gender and the eye color.¡± ¡°Yet, her looks were the reason she passed away.¡± Nova quickly clammed up. To ease up the abrupt tense atmosphere between them, Nova asked another question: ¡°Why did you carry around a lantern? Flashlights exist in your time period, right?¡± Arcturus became flustered. It was an embarrassing reason that he did not have the confidence to spill out to anyone. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when I feel comfortable talking about it.¡± He was honestly just making an excuse to not talk about it. He also could tell Nova did not buy it at all, but pretended to do so. Nova¡¯s playful demeanor suddenly changed into a serious one. ¡°I hear something.¡± The older Arcturus looked up to see flashing lights meandering. The younger Arcturus seemed to have noticed them too, for he abruptly stopped. He rushed out in front to protect his sister. The source of the flashing lights belonged to two soldiers with large flashlights; the light was so bright that Arcturus closed his eyes shut. The older Arcturus then noticed a third figure approaching them with the soldiers, a middle-aged man with bright green hair. ¡°Arcturus, Ariel!¡± The younger Arcturus slightly opened his eyes. ¡°Mayor¡­?¡± The mayor¡¯s face contorted as he approached Arcturus and slapped him. Shocked, Arcturus uttered while rubbing his cheek, ¡°What did you do that for?¡± ¡°I told you not to wander off! Why can¡¯t you listen? You even brought your seven-year-old sister with you! What if you had met aggressive animals?¡± Arcturus glared. ¡°Why do you care when you¡¯re the one who caused Mom to die?¡± The older Arcturus felt his younger self¡¯s bursting anger; a child¡¯s rage was quite a force. The mayor¡¯s expression darkened; his eyes narrowed, glaring at the young boy. ¡°So, it was you who hacked into the database.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who allowed the soldiers to kill all those workers and when Mom was the only survivor, you decided to let soldiers have their way with her as ¡®atonement¡¯ for the workers¡¯ rebellion. Now, you hit me for wandering off when you don¡¯t care for us at all. Why are you like this?¡± ¡°A mixed blood like you should keep your trap shut.¡± ¡°I also overheard you¡­talking about giving us away to people who have a fondness for children.¡± ¡°Well, my wife doesn¡¯t like children. Sending you two to someone who does would be a better idea. You need a loving family, after all.¡± The younger Arcturus glared. ¡°No. You¡¯re not sending us to a loving family. You¡¯re trying to sell us. I overheard you talking about selling in a sexual context.¡± The mayor just glared at him again. ¡°So, being mixed blood means you¡¯re so smart, huh? I should punish naughty children like you. Hacking into the government¡¯s database is a crime. However, I find you mouthing off to me even more disrespectful.¡± He turned to the soldiers and smirked. ¡°I¡¯ll turn a blind eye again, so do what you want with these kids. Shoot them. Kick them. Punch them. Do whatever.¡± The soldiers looked rather excited as one of them kicked Arcuturus straight in the gut and the other one shoved Ariel onto the ground. The older Arcturus quickly turned around as he heard disconcerting sounds of his younger self being physically assaulted by adults. The feeling of being trampled on was excruciating; the feeling of the guns hitting him hurt more than actual bullets. He had remembered how he had covered Ariel so she would get fewer wounds. He did his best to subdue his own anger; all he could do was curl his hands into fists, purse his lips, breathe heavily and bottle everything in. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The older Arcturus clenched his head. ¡°Make it stop! Please! I can¡¯t bear remembering this scene!¡± His pleads were loud, as if he was screaming. He fell onto his knees in despair. It hurts. Why are adults like this? I wish someone¡­anyone¡­can save us. The older Arcturus looked up to see Nova kneeling down next to him; his hand was on his back as if he was helping him ease his fears. Arcturus had recalled Nova¡¯s warning about wishes. Was this what Nova had warned him about? About how wishes could be made but never granted? About how some wishes wouldn¡¯t come true no matter how much one prayed for it? About how agonizing it was to have a wish in a hopeless situation? Nova was disgusted at the sight. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Didn¡¯t Laminans choose to dilute their blood? Why are they looked down upon?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just how Plasma¡¯s society is. Discrimination against our own people is so common. Pureblooded Plasmians are the highest in hierarchy while mixed-bloods are at the bottom; they look down on us. The government is also the most powerful authority in Plasma for we only have one city in Plasma given how barren it is. The mayor is one of the few pureblooded Plasmians left in the world and he has a superiority complex because of it. The city had become so twisted under his control.¡± Nova then became sullen. ¡°I had no idea Plasma was in such a state.¡± ¡°The whole world is like this. The world changes with technology yet it stagnates when it comes to human development.¡± Nova closed his eyes. ¡°I hear additional footsteps approaching.¡± Arcturus slowly felt relieved as he heard a woman hysterically yell out, ¡°What are you doing?¡± He slowly turned around to wince at the sight of his bloodied and battered younger self; seeing the actual sight sent chills down his spine. The woman that yelled out was an elderly one who was accompanied by an elderly man who was recording the scene; they both had brown hair. The sight appalled the man. ¡°Do soldiers beat up young children these days? How despicable.¡± ¡°Who the hell are you Laminans?¡± The mayor inquired. ¡°We¡¯re those kids¡¯ grandparents.¡± The woman said. ¡°I¡¯m Caroline Mercury and he¡¯s Neil Mercury.¡± The mayor raised an eyebrow. ¡°Mercury? Like that bastard Arthur Mercury?¡± ¡°Do not speak ill of our son.¡± The man glared at him, sending a chilling down his spine. The older Arcturus noticed the younger Arcturus staring at the elderly couple intensely. Although it was dark, they looked very bright to him; they had minimal lighting in the form of a flashlight and a cellphone. Someone really did come to save us¡­ The younger Arcturus thought. My wish did come true¡­ The older Arcturus could feel the happiness pouring within himself. It was a tingling sensation that warmed his heart. Looking back at this memory, Arcturus realized why the power of wishes was amazing. He had wished for something and it came true¨Che knew his grandparents¡¯ arrival was pure coincidence. Arcturus started rambling to Nova. ¡°When my grandparents came, I thought that wishes really did exist. Before then, I didn¡¯t believe in wishes at all because my dad left and never came back. Knowing that my wish came true, it felt like anything was possible in life. I feel like if wishes were more prevalent, Terrenter would be a better world.¡± He then noticed Nova¡¯s intense gaze on him. Nova¡¯s stares always caught him off guard; he had a tendency to stare at him with wide eyes and did not seem to blink at all. It was like he was staring into his soul and it made him quite uncomfortable; the fact that he had no idea what Nova was thinking made it even scarier. When he focused back on his memory to distract himself from Nova, the memory started to fade away; the familiar library greeted him. A glowing apple floated down towards him. He held onto it. ¡°Did I pass this trial?¡± Arcturus asked in a careful manner. ¡°Yes.¡± Nova nodded along with his response. ¡°Can I ask why?¡± ¡°Even through the pain of the assault, you did not develop a hatred for people.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong. I hate soldiers very much¡­¡± That incident caused Arcturus to despise soldiers and the military very much. The thought of a soldier touching him instilled anger within him. However, he wouldn¡¯t let his hatred get the best of him; even if he hated them, they were still people¨Calive. Being alive meant embracing the good and the bad aspects of the world. He also knew letting his hatred overcome him would only affect his mental state and his condition; if he wanted to keep traveling, he needed to set it aside¨Cwhich he did. ¡°...but, I don¡¯t hate people.¡± Arcturus muttered. Nova smiled. ¡°You are strong enough to not let your hatred consume you. I think that is a great feat in itself. It is also a quality that I look for in someone.¡± Arcturus couldn¡¯t help but to smile after hearing Nova¡¯s words. He took them as praise and it made him feel happy. It felt like Nova understood him more than his own self. He was glad that his mindset allowed him to get him this far in life. He placed the second apple on a table where the first apple happened to be. He could tell the trial was not over yet, so he searched around for another glowing book, hoping to start his third trial. Nova quipped, ¡°Do you need some help?¡± ¡°No,¡± Arcturus replied as he kept searching for a glowing tome. After searching high and low, he eventually found a glowing book and quickly opened it. Fourteen Years Old (Arcturus Arc Part 8) When Arcturus was thirteen years old, he and his sister had finally moved to Lamina after his grandparents had filled out paperwork for their immigration. It was a long and arduous process that had taken a year to complete. Months after the big move, Arcturus had a hard time assimilating into the new country. Laminans did not accept him as their own kind and often ostracized him for his scarlet hair and mixed heritage; he had recalled a similar scenario growing up in Plasma where he was ostracized for the same reason¡ªlooking like a pure-blooded Plasmian but wasn¡¯t pure enough for his people. He honestly couldn¡¯t find a place to belong despite having a family. For one year, the only friends he had were books. The solo dates he made were at bookstores or libraries. He vastly preferred books to human interaction; books did not judge his hair or lineage. ¡°Weren¡¯t you lonely?¡± Nova asked as they observed a fourteen-year-old Arcturus reading a book in a library¡ªhe wore a baseball cap to cover his hair. Both he and the older Arcturus were sitting at a table next to the adolescent¡¯s. ¡°There were times where I was, but whenever I went to the library, it went away temporarily. It was like the books were befriending me, soothing my loneliness.¡± The young Arcturus looked up from his book to see librarians walking about with one another, students studying with each other, and parents roaming about with their children. An uneasy feeling came to him. It must be nice being with others. I don¡¯t know that feeling at all. I wish I can understand what it means to have friends. Though, I do prefer being alone. This is just wishful thinking. The older Arcturus looked down to see Nova¡¯s foot touching his leg. He looked back at Nova who was looking away from him. Nova snidely remarked, ¡°So, you were a loner.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Annoyed, Arcturus snapped back. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t talk for someone who¡¯s been stuck making ice sculptures inside Castle Lavender.¡± Nova clammed up; Arcturus immediately felt guilty for responding in such a way. Before he could apologize, he noticed someone approaching the young Arcturus. It was a teenaged boy with dirty blond hair; his outfit was casual¡ªblack shirt and jeans¡ªsave for one noticeable accessory: a bright green scarf. The sight of him made Arcturus feel rather conflicted. The younger Arcturus noticed a shadow looming behind him, blocking his light. He turned around grumpily. The boy gave him a meek smile as he raised a hand and wiggled his fingers. The sight of him warmed Arcturus¡¯s heart; a smile came to his face. ¡°Hi.¡± Arcturus groaned as he turned around. The boy gaped at his reaction. He quickly sat down at the seat next to him. ¡°Hi.¡± The boy looked desperate to get his attention. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°You¡¯re Arthurus Mercury, right? The new kid?¡± Annoyed, the young Arcturus corrected him. ¡°Arcturus Mercury.¡± ¡°Arthurus.¡± Arcturus rolled his eyes. ¡°Arc-tu-rus.¡± ¡°Too long. I¡¯m going to call you Arc.¡± The older Arcturus couldn¡¯t help but to hold back his laughter when he saw his younger self¡¯s annoyed countenance. Recalling this memory had been an annoyance, but he couldn¡¯t help but to find it silly. Perhaps, he hadn¡¯t realized his younger self was just one silly person until now. The younger Arcturus nodded. Landon then pointed at himself. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± ¡°Landon Heartful. We¡¯re classmates.¡± ¡°You¡¯re smart!¡± Landon looked genuinely delighted. ¡°I¡¯m not a dumbass who mispronounces someone¡¯s name and then proceeds to give them a nickname just to hide the fact their precious name was hard to pronounce.¡± Nova gaped as he glanced at the older Arcturus. ¡°Savage.¡± ¡°I still am.¡± The older Arcturus remarked with confidence. Landon feigned to be hurt. ¡°Ow. That hurts.¡± ¡°Tough it out.¡± In A Library (Arcturus Arc Part 9) The older Arcturus reminisced about his younger days. He had been cold because he didn¡¯t want others to hurt him. The incident with the soldiers had closed his heart off towards people in general. While he has gotten better now, he knew it was still hard for him to open up¨Cespecially when he had abrasive quips towards Nova at times. Focusing back on the memory, Landon started pouting. He then noticed the book Arcturus was reading and became surprised. ¡°Wait, are you reading FMG?¡± ¡°I am.¡± Nova turned to the adult Arcturus and asked, ¡°What¡¯s FMG?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a popular book series. FMG is the abbreviation for Full Moon Games. It¡¯s about six people cursed by a sorceress. In order to lift it, they need to kill each other using the powers they are cursed with that only activate under a full moon. There are six books in total.¡± ¡°Is it interesting?¡± ¡°It depends. It¡¯s very popular with teenagers.¡± Landon soon became excited. ¡°What book are you on?¡± He quickly clammed up when a passing librarian gestured him to lower his voice; he repeated his question in a whisper. ¡°This is the third one.¡± Arcturus responded back using the same tone. The two started discussing their favorite characters and moments from the book series while maintaining a tone soft enough for librarians to not mind.. Having someone with a common interest caused the young, stoic Arcturus to open up. He had enjoyed Landon¡¯s enthusiasm; he could tell he was a genuine fan of the series and not someone feigning interest for attention. Landon smiled throughout the conversation. He then remarked, ¡°My detective instincts tell me you are a bookworm. You must like books in general. You¡¯re always carrying one around at school.¡± Arcturus tried his best to be exasperated at how obvious it was; anyone could have figured it out. ¡°I do like books.¡± Landon seemed happy. ¡°Can you tell me what other books you like? I want to get to know you more.¡± The young Arcturus raised an eyebrow. Why? He wanted to say it aloud too, but decided against it. Instead, he was eager. He always wanted someone to talk with, especially if it was about books. ¡°I like the Apple Tree Library. It¡¯s a childhood favorite of mine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the one where two kids go into a magic library inside an apple tree, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I also like A Collection of Souhait¡¯s Lore.¡± Landon seemed intrigued. He started to ponder. ¡°That¡¯s a fairy tale, right? I never read it myself, but I do know about it.¡± ¡°Folk tale.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Landon quickly got up and approached a passing librarian. He then followed her to an aisle; he came back five minutes later with a large book in hand. He then sat back in his seat and showed off the book he found to Arcturus. Arcturus read aloud, ¡°A Collection of Souhait¡¯s Lore: The Folklore of the World¡¯s Creation. It¡¯s written by the Loreseer.¡± ¡°Apparently, this is the recent edition.¡± ¡°The title sure is different¨Cit¡¯s longer.¡± The young Arcturus then took out his own copy of the lore from his backpack that rested next to his chair leg and showed it off to Landon. ¡°This is the edition I have.¡± This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Landon became surprised at its condition. ¡°You sure¡­read it a lot.¡± ¡°It is old, after all.¡± Landon opened his copy and started reading it to himself. Arcturus had honestly never read a recent copy of the lore. Curious about how the newer edition seemed, he put his copy aside and peered over to Landon. ¡°Do you mind if we read together?¡± Landon slightly gaped, but smiled. ¡°Sure.¡± He pushed the book towards the middle, so both could read it. Since the young Arcturus was reading with his mind, the older one could hear what he was reading; he became sullen as his past self kept reading. He then noticed his younger self¡¯s face contorting into confusion. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Landon inquired. His interests became piqued. ¡°It must be a mystery. Let¡¯s solve it!¡± Arcturus scooped up his copy of the book and skimmed towards the page with the problem he had; he rested his index finger on it. ¡°Here. Your copy says that Souhait granted the wish of a woman who wanted to live on forever, but my copy says that he granted the wish of a father that had a sick child.¡± Landon furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°How interesting.¡± They spent a lot of time skimming through the two books and even found previous copies in the library and searched through them as well; the young Arcturus came to learn that the recent copies were all different from his, despite them all being written by the same person¡ªthe Loreseer. What could this mean? The young Arcturus pondered. A conclusion came to him: the Loreseer was trying to change history. The older Arcturus stated to Nova, ¡°From what I remembered, my copy of the book was around four hundred years old¡ªit¡¯s an ancient tome. Seeing how there was a difference in centuries, I knew that my copy was one of the few original copies that existed long ago. I also concluded that the Loreseer might be another person because no Ilacian has been recorded to live for over four centuries¡ªthe maximum was almost three hundred years. That¡¯s why I concluded the Loreseer must be multiple people taking on the same pseudonym.¡± Nova was intrigued. He inquired, ¡°Then, which version do you think is the most accurate?¡± ¡°Mine, of course. You had asked me if I knew everything. I know everything. I know that the modern editions of the lore are lies and that the modern Loreseer is a liar. The world is fed these lies and people believe it because they are afraid. If people are afraid, they turn to anything to stabilize themselves. That¡¯s why this world is in this state. Everyone is afraid, so it poisons their mind and makes them irrational. I want to change this world!¡± Arcturus then noticed Nova¡¯s sad smile. A teardrop trickled down his pale face. It made him surprised and worried. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Nova wiped his teardrop, but another one trickled down the opposite side of his face. ¡°At least, I was supposed to be fine.¡± He used the same hand to wipe the other tear, but more trickled down his face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He then concealed his entire face with his hands. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s wrong.¡± Arcturus wanted to ease Nova¡¯s supposed sorrows. ¡°It¡¯s just your passion for Souhait¡¯s Lore and such moved us so much. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve met someone this passionate about us ever.¡± Although Nova was crying tears of joy, Arcturus did not like his crying face. He liked it when Nova smiled, so he wondered what he could do to brighten his expression. He wasn¡¯t even sure if he was the right person to comfort him. However, he could tell Nova had so much baggage underneath those tears. Was it possible for him to take some away? He wanted to be Nova¡¯s strength. In order to do so, he needed to know why Nova was crying over Souhait¡¯s Lore. He knew Nova had as much knowledge with the lore as he did. It meant that Nova studied the lore. However, Nova also claimed he was also Souhait¨Che sounded as if Souhait and he were a collective and not an individual. There was also a fact that Nova had lived in Castle Lavender for a very long time yet he had no sign of old age. How long had he lived in the castle? It was highly improbable that he lived here his entire life. He looked very youthful; only his clothes were ragged and tattered. He was also the only person Arcturus knew of that had lavender eyes; there was more to him than met the eyes. An asinine assumption came to him. It made sense, but it was a very wild theory nonetheless. He wondered how Nova would react if he were to say it aloud to him. Would he admit it? Would he deny it? All Arcturus needed was the courage to speak up. ¡°Can I ask you a strange question?¡± Arcturus asked courageously. Through tears and sniffles, Nova responded, ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Are you the Loreseer?¡± In a flash, Arcturus¡¯s location changed from being in a library from his flashback to being in the library inside the familiar apple tree. The amount of apples had increased from two to three. Arcturus became worried. He couldn¡¯t reminisce over the moment he first met his good friend Landon anymore. He was eye to eye with Nova. He just hoped the sudden location change did not mean something ominous was going to happen. Nova wiped the remaining tears on his face. With swollen eyes, he gave Arcturus a sad smile and nodded. ¡°That was a name I discarded long ago, but yes, I am the Loreseer¨Cthe original.¡± The Loreseer (Arcturus Arc Part 10) Beneath Nova¡¯s smile, Arcturus saw a visage of a man who has long given up. From his demeanor alone, Arcturus could tell he did not want to do anything about this. It angered him. Someone was using his alias to spread misinformation about the lore; lies were like fire; it would spread for miles and hours and when it stopped, the damage it caused could not be taken back. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you doing anything about this?¡± Arcturus asked. ¡°Because it¡¯s pointless. Even if I vouch for the truth, nobody will listen. Humans listen to what is given to them only. Give them another version of something they already know, they will reject it. They only care about protecting what they know and deflect anything they deem incorrect to them.¡± Nova¡¯s words were like a stab wound to the heart; he spoke the absolute truth. Humans deny the truth in order to feel safe; they only cared about what benefited them the most. Humans were selfish; all living beings were selfish when it comes to consumption. Arcturus hated that fact, but selfishness was a trait every being had and needed. Without it, survival would be impossible. This world was never kind to the selfless. ¡°Why do you look so hurt, Arcturus?¡± Nova seemed worried. ¡°Because all this time, the people of Terrenter lost faith in Souhait was because of misinformation. If there was some way to reverse this, people¡¯s faith in Souhait and in wishes would return!¡± ¡°I would love for that to happen, but it seems impossible.¡± ¡°How could you say that after seeing what I¡¯ve gone through in life? For me to meet you, it means that nothing is impossible.¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Nova¡¯s eyes widened. He quickly lowered his head. Arcturus could tell Nova was very moved by his words and concealed his flustered face in order to not show it. ¡°Thank you.¡± Nova uttered. ¡°Can you lift your face up? I want to ask something.¡± Nova complied to his request. Arcturus asked, ¡°Can you tell me more about the fake Loreseers?¡±Nova sighed. Arcturus could tell he was in for a long story. He did not mind as he liked long ones. ¡°There are a lot of fake Loreseers. From what I have gathered, I know about nine of them so far¨Cwell, there used to be nine. Their purpose is to mislead the people of Terrenter and to make them stop believing in us. Why? I have no idea.¡± Nova shrugged his shoulders as he ended his sentence. ¡°You said there used to be nine? What happened to that person?¡± ¡°I killed her.¡± The way Nova had responded so nonchalantly, as if it was a normal occurrence to him gave Arcturus chills. Arcturus knew Nova was no helpless boy, but the thought of talking to someone who had committed a crime shook him to his very core. Humans were stigmatized to adhere to rules and to always believe that people who murdered others were bad. If Nova had killed someone, that would make him an untrustworthy person. Yet, Arcturus could not find any reason to hate or distance himself from Nova. He knew murder was wrong on a moral scale, but knowing how this realm worked, he knew there was a deeper reasoning behind his actions. Nova continued, ¡°Arcturus, you may not be aware, but you are acquainted with one of the fake Loreseers.¡± His sentence surprised Arcturus. ¡°I am?¡± He pondered who it could be and a person came to mind. The thought of that person caused his blood to boil. He narrowed his eyes, almost like he was glaring at Nova. ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­?¡± A book glowed behind Nova. Nova pointed to it without looking behind. ¡°Why don¡¯t you open this book and find out for yourself?¡± Arcturus did as Nova inquired. Someones Birthday Party (Arcturus Arc Part 11) Loud noises rang into Arcturus¡¯s ears as he slowly opened his eyes. He found himself in a large ballroom with a lot of people dressed poshly; the people¡¯s ages ranged from teenagers to adults. When he scanned the vicinity, he noticed musicians having a blast playing in the background with men and women twirling around with each other. The putrid stench of alcohol did not faze him. He then noticed a scarlet-haired youth dressed in such attire as well. This boy was Arcturus Mercury at sixteen years of age; he was dressed elegantly for a birthday party he had attended. ¡°Is this what rich people like to engage in?¡± Nova inquired as he covered his nose at the scent of alcohol. ¡°Socializing in posh outfits that look too stuffy for them to breathe in while drinking alcohol until they pass out?¡± ¡°Not really, but there was a reason for us to dress this way. Not only was it my friend¡¯s birthday, but also the birthday of his uncle. His uncle was the reason why there were so many people here and why we had to dress up in formal outfits¡ªhe had a weird obsession with formalities.¡± ¡°That uncle sounds rather kooky.¡± Arcturus smirked. ¡°He¡¯s a riot.¡± He then pointed towards an intoxicated, bespectacled man dressed in a bright orange suit flirting with women as he kept drinking. His most noticeable trait was his thick-rimmed glasses that looked way too big on his face. ¡°I¡¯m actually surprised he¡¯s allowed to host a party with minors in the vicinity.¡± ¡°The Galaxia family is very wealthy, so they like to live their life freely; they like to call themselves open-minded. The head is the wealthiest information broker in the world. He happens to be this crazy man¡¯s older brother and that boy¡¯s father.¡± He then gestured over to a boy in a wheelchair, chatting with Landon, a girl with a daffodil hair band, and his sixteen-year-old self. Nova seemed surprised. ¡°You managed to get some friends. How wonderful.¡± Ignoring Nova¡¯s remarks, Arcturus pointed to his friends. ¡°The boy in the wheelchair is William Galaxia and the girl with the hair band is Daffodil Henry; they¡¯re my high school classmates alongside Landon.¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Nova glanced at him. ¡°You seem happy when talking about your friends.¡± ¡°I love them, obviously.¡± Nova paused. He blinked a few times before smiling and fixating back at the memory. The young Arcturus started getting dizzy as he excused himself; he headed towards the balcony to get some fresh air; the older Arcturus and Nova followed him. When they were outside, the sight of the city mesmerized him. Lamina was the smallest country in the world, and it showed how cramped the space between each building seemed. The building designs were very whimsical for they all looked like a type of plant; the vehicles did as well. One man rode on a leaf-shaped hoverboard; once he passed by, more floating vehicles zipped by; their lights made them resemble fireflies zipping about in the night. This country looked much different than his hometown, but he still found it beautiful even as an adult; he glanced over to Nova who looked as mesmerized as his younger self. The way his eyes sparkled made Arcturus feel at peace. Nova uttered, ¡°Lamina was always considered a haven due to how advanced it was, but this place is gorgeous. I¡¯ve never been here before.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about it being a ¡®haven¡¯ nowadays, but this place is pretty. That''s a fact.¡± Nova smiled as he kept being entranced by the sight. Arcturus had more to say, but decided not to; he didn¡¯t want to ruin Nova¡¯s joyous expression, so he kept his own thoughts to himself and glanced over at his younger self. Lamina being a haven was a thought of the past; he, too, had thought the same initially, but he had grown rather cynical as he aged. He had met good people like his grandparents and friends, but the bad ones kept lingering in his mind; their thoughts had poisoned him. If I recall, this memory is the one where¡­he shows up. His hands curled into fists and he pursed his lips; he wanted to maintain his composure and did his very best to do so. ¡°May I join you?¡± A voice called out to the teenager abruptly. The sound of that voice made Arcturus pile up his rage even more as he sighed and turned around to see whom it belonged to. A middle-aged man with long, wavy dark brown hair greeted him; he was dressed in a white three-piece suit with a pink tie. He had a cane, which helped him as he walked towards the edge of the balcony, next to the older Arcturus; Anger welled up within him. Thoughts of telling himself to calm down repeated in his mind like a mantra. ¡°Sure,¡± The younger Arcturus replied, albeit confused. The man took in the breeze before turning to Arcturus and introducing himself. ¡°I am Nathaniel Hope, CEO and founder of Hope Corporation.¡± Nathaniel Hope (Arcturus Arc Part 12) The young Arcturus gaped. He tried to do his best to act properly around him. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, sir. I¡¯m Arcturus Mercury!¡± Nathaniel chuckled. ¡°I know. You¡¯re Arthur Mercury¡¯s son.¡± Arcturus was surprised. ¡°You know my father?¡± ¡°We knew each other growing up. We both liked reading about Souhait¡¯s Lore.¡± ¡°I never knew Dad had friends.¡± Nathaniel raised an eyebrow. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Dad was a bit of a loner. All I really remembered from him was that he liked reading books and leaving the house often. I never saw him mingle with other people back in Plasma; he only talked to Mom, Ariel, and me.¡± ¡°He was very talkative from childhood. He always had weird ideas, but I think that made him special. I liked him a lot.¡± The older Arcturus just narrowed his eyes. His younger self was oblivious at the time, but, as an adult, he could see through Nathaniel¡¯s farce; his compliment of Arthur seemed superficial due to his stiff smile. Arthur really did speak little with people outside of his family; his grandparents even had evidence. The young Arcturus then asked, ¡°Could you tell me more about my father? I want to know what he¡¯s like from an outsider¡¯s perspective.¡± Nathaniel started pondering. ¡°Well, he once told me that he planned on going on an expedition to Eternally where Castle Lavender is said to reside amidst the Eternal Blizzard. He wanted to prove to the world that the lore was once reality and that Souhait really did exist. I thought he was crazy, but he was gone so suddenly. It was as if he was just a figment of my imagination.¡± That¡¯s what Grandma and Grandpa said about Dad, so his words are true. However, Dad never went to Eternally and just stayed at Plasma for a long time before disappearing. I wonder how much of this man¡¯s words I can take in as credible. Nathaniel continued, ¡°Speaking of expeditions, Arthur¡¯s desire to find Souhait caused me to start funding them for passionate adventurers. I would like you to go on one, only when you¡¯re twenty or so. I don¡¯t allow kids to go.¡± Arcturus became very interested in said expedition, so Nathaniel hollered for his secretary, a sharply dressed lady with slick, straight brown hair and dull blue eyes. She entered the balcony and handed Arcturus a pamphlet. Nathaniel then signaled something at her, which caused her to scurry out of both the balcony and the ballroom at lightning speed. The young Arcturus flipped through the pamphlet that detailed everything about the expedition from the mode of transportation to survival tactics regarding the blizzard. Reading each passage caused Arcturus to become fired up, much to his older self¡¯s dismay. The pamphlet says that this is a feat that no one in the world has yet to accomplish. I wish to be the first to do so. The older Arcturus could only look on while disgruntled. ¡°Expedition, my ass. The whole thing was just some elaborate hoax that my na?ve self bought. It¡¯s because of that bastard that I got into this predicament.¡± He turned to Nova. ¡°You¡¯re saying that this bastard, Nathaniel Hope, is one of the fake Loreseers?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So, everything he said about my father was a lie to get me on my good side? Did he have some sort of rivalry or grudge against him hence why he went after me?¡± ¡°I do not know. If you want to find answers, you need to get out of here. You can only do that by granting your wish¨CI can only do that.¡± ¡°I have a wish.¡± Arcturus spoke with confidence. ¡°What is your wish? Say it aloud.¡± Nova remarked. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Arcturus took a deep breath. As he was about to say it aloud, a thought came to him. Come to think of it, this memory was when I met him for the first time. The secretary reappeared to the balcony carrying an object covered with a blanket. Nathaniel seemed rather excited as she handed it to him. Nathaniel explained, ¡°I was originally going to give this to Selenio, but he¡¯s wasted; I¡¯m also afraid of his brother. I believe that you would be a better fit for this child¡¯s owner.¡± The young Arcturus furrowed an eyebrow. ¡°Owner? Are you giving me a pet?¡± ¡°Sort of. It¡¯s a new creation that has yet to be released to the public. This is my very first prototype. Take a look.¡± The young Arcturus eyed the cloth and gulped. He slowly reached a hand out and clutched it. The older Arcturus became excited for he knew what this portion of the memory was. His younger self unveiled the object and became surprised at what it was: a rabbit. It wasn¡¯t a real one, however; he could see how mechanical it looked. Is this a Cobot? It looks a bit different, though. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°This is a project I have been working on. I call it ¡®Project Shiftie¡¯.¡± ¡°Is the project about Cobots?¡± ¡°Rather, it¡¯s the invention of an advanced companion bot¡ªCobot¡ªof sorts. Unlike the normal animalistic Cobots we are familiar with, this one can shift from animal to human in an instant. Think of it as a way to help boost up the dwindling population. They have all the functions a regular Cobot have, but more advanced.¡± Arcturus raised an eyebrow. ¡°Animal to human? It can turn into a person?¡± Nathaniel nodded. ¡°Yes. See that earring on its ear? Press it and he will change from animal to human.¡± The older Arcturus placed a hand to the earring on his ear. A sullen feeling overwhelmed him as he saw his younger self doing as told. The rabbit started to shake erratically; Arcturus dropped it out of fear. Before it landed on the ground, it started to shapeshift. Its legs started elongating and its hunched body straightened. Its eyes pulled together until they were idly resting aside each other. Their colors changed from black to blue. Its button-like nose started elevating into a nose bridge and its hidden mouth became visible and grew lips. Only its lopped ears remained intact as the robotic rabbit changed from a rabbit to a human boy dressed in casual clothing. Arcturus could only gape at the sudden change. As a human, the boy felt very enigmatic; the older Arcturus was instantly reminded of Nova. The boy stared at Arcturus with his pale blue eyes and forced out its own smile. ¡°Hello.¡± He spoke monotonously, indicating his robotic nature. ¡°You must be my master. I am 541-RBBT. Please give me a name to initiate our contract.¡± ¡°Contract?¡± the young Arcturus raised an eyebrow at the ominous word. ¡°A contract is the proof of the bond between us. If you give me a name, I will instill a contract between us. I will be with you and protect you with my life, Master.¡± The older Arcturus glanced at Nathaniel; a chill went down his spine. He remembered how terrified he felt when he saw 541-RBBT shapeshift for the first time. When he was younger, he had believed Nathaniel Hope to be a madman; his invention might have been bizarre at first, but it became the norm five years later. His invention did help increase the population, yet it came with adversity¡ªthere was a debate on whether Shifties were real people or not. They had no laws protecting them and people would abandon them if they did not cooperate with their masters¡¯ needs. Arcturus had related well with them because he was much different from others, just like these robots. That was why he grew to have an instant attachment towards his own Shiftie. It also made the older Arcturus question if these Shifties¡¯ true creation had some ties with Nova. While Nova had yet to become an animal, the way he had scales on his hands on some instances was almost identical to the characteristics that Shifties in their human forms have. It did not feel like a coincidence at all. He wondered if Nova and Nathaniel were acquainted with each other; Nova knew of him, but Nathaniel never mentioned anything about Nova to Arcturus. The younger Arcturus started pondering about what name he could give to his new robotic friend. A perfect name came to him. ¡°Kori. Today forth, you shall be known as Kori.¡± Kori¡¯s earring started glowing along with his eyes. ¡°I have registered ¡®Kori¡¯ into my database. I am Kori today forth, Master.¡± Arcturus then became annoyed. ¡°Don¡¯t call me Master. I¡¯m Arcturus. Please refer to me as such.¡± Kori registered the information into his database once again as he nodded and reached a hand out. ¡°Very well, Arcturus. Let us get along well.¡± Arcturus reached out and shook Kori¡¯s. The older Arcturus remembered that Kori¡¯s skin texture felt rubbery and his temperature was cold. He then looked at his own hand. His own body temperature was warm; humans in general were warm. Melancholy took over him as he placed a hand to his earring. The memory ended, leaving Arcturus only memories of Kori. His eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Kori¡­¡± His chest ached. The sadness he was bottling up was trying to release itself, but he managed to suppress them with his willpower. He did not want to cry at all. The Worth of Reminiscing (Arcturus Arc Part 13) ¡°That Nathaniel Hope is a depraved, insane man,¡± Nova remarked. ¡°He created artificial humans to help the world, yet I can tell he has other nefarious reasons for doing it.¡± ¡°Why do Shifties remind me of you? Have you met Nathaniel before?¡± In response, Nova had a rather disgusted expression that quickly changed into a hurt one. He sighed. ¡°I just hope it¡¯s a coincidence¡­¡± Arcturus placed a hand on Nova¡¯s head. He rubbed his hair. As he pulled back, he gave him a smile. ¡°Tell me whenever you¡¯re ready. Don¡¯t force it out, okay? I don¡¯t want you to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable.¡± His words caused Nova¡¯s entire face to become pink. Arcturus felt bad. He wasn¡¯t sweet-talking to him intentionally. He was just spewing out his genuine feelings. He did not want to disrespect Nova in any way. He thought about this because he knew he was going to stay by Nova¡¯s side when he woke up. It wasn¡¯t a forced option; it was his choice. He wanted to know more about Nova and to be with him. ¡°These feelings I sense from you¡­are they there because you don¡¯t want to be alone?¡± Nova quipped. Arcturus became shocked. He became tongue-tied and hesitant. Nova¡¯s words were the truth, but he had a hard time admitting it; he did not understand why he was acting this way. When he laid eyes on Nova once again, an image of Kori came to him. It confused him. Nova and Kori were two different people; now that he had realized the similarities between Nova and Shifities, he found it hard to separate the two. He now found his own feelings confusing. Did he want to be by Nova¡¯s side to ease his own loneliness? Was he trying to squeeze himself into Nova¡¯s life because he had regrets about Kori that he could not fulfill? Soon, he found it hard to distinguish the two. Looking at Nova made Arcturus see Kori. He quickly clutched his head to shake it off; he was aware that they were not the same person. He kept shaking his head in denial. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. His accumulating negative thoughts vanished instantly when Nova placed a hand on his shoulders. ¡°Arcturus, tell me. Do you see Kori as someone who¡¯s alive?¡± Nova¡¯s serious expression made Arcturus realize Nova¡¯s intent on helping him overcome these uneasy feelings. Looking at Nova, he only saw the lavender-eyed man and not his lop eared friend. He felt at ease, though. He felt as if he was able to think about Kori properly. His disarrayed thoughts became concise. ¡°Kori was a living being. He breathed, emoted and behaved like a real human. I¡¯ve been with him for four years, so that is just my own biased opinion. There might be those out there who might not think Shifties aren¡¯t alive, but I believe they are.¡± ¡°Even if they weren¡¯t created naturally?¡± ¡°Even if they cannot age or procreate, they¡¯re still alive. They¡¯re still people. Kori is like you, in a way. You¡¯re both mysterious and don¡¯t seem like real people, yet you both breathe, emote and behave like a real person.¡± Nova seemed rather exasperated. ¡°Are you implying I¡¯m a robot? I¡¯m one hundred percent human.¡± Arcturus shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m trying to say that you and Kori are unlike normal people and that¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay to be different. I feel the same way.¡± Nova seemed rather intrigued by his words. ¡°Does your wish involve being different?¡± ¡°My wish is something that I believe will change the world.¡± Once again, he lost his timing to tell Nova. Instead, he had a proposition. ¡°Nova, can you hear this request of mine?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Nova responded unsurely. ¡°I keep hesitating when telling you my wish. My negative thoughts are a product of an incident that had happened months ago that involved Kori and me. I have a hard time sleeping because of this, but when I fell from that trap door, I had a dream about him. It made me feel really sad, to the point that I cried. I feel like this emotional baggage is a hindrance to me and clouds my thoughts to prevent me from thinking clearly. If it¡¯s possible, can you show me my memory of when I lost Kori? I believe that I can move on from this ordeal if I have closure.¡± Nova looked surprised with his request, but it made him happy. He reached his hand out. ¡°Gladly.¡± Like how he fell into this realm, Arcturus grabbed Nova¡¯s hand and closed his eyes, awaiting to find himself in his past memory and hope for a closure. Closure (Arcturus Arc Part 14) Arcturus was greeted with a strong tremor as he fell back and collided with the wall of the vehicle he was on. He caught Nova before he could do the same. He quickly scanned his surroundings. He noticed he was up in the sky, meaning he was in a floating vehicle. The interior was very metallic with a lot of monitors; a familiar scarlet-haired young man occupied one of them. ¡°I know this from your memories,¡± Nova stated, ¡°This is an airship¡ªa ship that can sail the sky. Technology sure has advanced so much. I never knew such a thing existed in today¡¯s society.¡± ¡°This is the control room.¡± Arcturus¡¯s face contorted as he kept staring at the person typing frantically onto the computer. ¡°Abort! Abort!¡± The voice belonged to Arcturus four months ago. He had shorter hair back then. He typed furiously on the keyboard; fear was plastered on his face. He kept yelling into the headset he had before he threw it onto the floor in frustration. Kori then rushed into the room. ¡°Arc! I disposed of the corpses into the ocean!¡± Despite his ominous words, Kori¡¯s face looked livelier than in the previous memory. He looked so much like a human now. ¡°Good job. Now, come help me hack into this computer!¡± Kori rushed towards Arcturus. One of his fingertips bent back, revealing a metallic harddrive; he inserted it into a socket and pressed his earring. A holographic screen appeared in front of Kori at eye level. ¡°Oh? The screen appears when he touches it.¡± Nova remarked. ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s the owner of the earring; I am able to use it because I registered my fingerprint data. Shiftie owners are required to do so just in case their Shiftie starts malfunctioning.¡± Kori suddenly gasped. The past Arcturus became worried. The screen disappeared and Kori¡¯s finger reverted back to its idle state. Kori then stared at the past Arcturus straight in the eyes with his expression full of worry. ¡°Arc, I am sorry. I cannot break the final firewall. Nathaniel has put in a strong code that even I, his creation, cannot crack. Now, there are only ten minutes until the airship¡¯s core explodes.¡± In frustration, Arcturus cursed. ¡°Damn that Nathaniel Hope. He really is intent on killing me!¡± Fear became plastered on his face as he questioned Kori, ¡°What should we do now? The airship is going to explode and we¡¯re the only ones alive!¡± ¡°Do not worry. I found a lifeboat and placed it on the deck. Let¡¯s get out before the explosion consumes us.¡± They scurried; the present Arcturus slowly got up and followed them with Nova tagging behind. When they reached the deck, there was a lifeboat bobbing on the ocean¡¯s waves; it was tied to a pole via rope. The past Arcturus was amazed with how fast and efficient Kori handled the tasks he did with his own free will; he did not order Kori to find a lifeboat. ¡°Arc, this lifeboat is only fit for one person.¡± Both Arcturuses¡¯ faces contorted into fear. The past Arcturus knew who was going to board while the present knew what was going to happen. ¡°One person? You can also get on! Change into your rabbit form and we can go on together¡­but shifting your form would take a few minutes since you are an older model¡­¡± He furrowed his brows at the thought of this harsh situation. Kori shook his head. ¡°I refuse. You need to survive.¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Arcturus groaned. ¡°Look. I can handle an explosion because of my Plasmian blood. You¡¯re just a normal person. Normal people can¡¯t survive an explosion. That¡¯s why you should get on the boat with me.¡± Kori stayed firm despite Arcturus¡¯s protests. The present Arcturus knew how much frustration he had accumulated during that moment. Kori had never refused a command before, so he had wondered what could be the reason for his rebellion. ¡°Even if you were to survive the explosion, your lifespan would gradually diminish. You could die days after recovery. I¡¯m different. I¡¯m created. I can be replaced if I die.¡± The past Arcturus¡¯s face contorted into anger. The present Arcturus could sense how much anger he had during that moment; it felt like a raging typhoon in his bloodstream. The past Arcturus lashed out; he grabbed Kori by the collar. ¡°Don¡¯t say shit like that! Did Nathaniel program you to think like this? Screw him, then! You have meaning! Your life is important! Have more value in yourself, damn it! The four years we have spent together mean nothing to you? Are all Shifties like this?¡± Kori remained expressionless despite being bombarded with questions. He reached out and grabbed Arcturus¡¯s arms; he pried them off with great force. ¡°There are six minutes left. You need to survive.¡± The past Arcturus wanted to retort but did not. He had known that he would be the one to survive; it aggravated him because he did not want to lose Kori¡ªhe was important to him. ¡°Arcturus,¡± Kori gave him a sullen smile. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, can I rummage into your satchel for a second?¡± Arcturus gave him his bag; Kori quickly got out the old book and handed back the book. Arcturus was very confused. ¡°Why did you take that out?¡± ¡°Nathaniel lured you into this trap by feeding you lies about this lore. You love this lore very much. You know all of it without the need to read the contents. It connects you to your father and your friends. However, that connection can be a weakness. You¡¯re so bound to this book¡ªyou¡¯re like a slave to it. I want you to be free. Be free to make your own choices. Be free to decide on whether or not the lore or Souhait is real even if you reach Castle Lavender. Be yourself. The way you are now, I love that most about you.¡± ¡°Kori¡­¡± Arcturus did his best to hold back his tears. ¡°Let me die with this book. It¡¯s important to you, but it¡¯s only an object. I want to die with a part of you with me.¡± He then removed his earring and handed it to Arcturus. ¡°Here. Take this with you. For us Shifties, our earrings are our life source. It helps us function our movements from animal to human and gives us access to all sorts of devices even if we are separated. Think of it as carrying a part of me with you. I¡¯m sure it can help you tremendously in the future.¡± Arcturus clutched onto it as he gritted his teeth. He slung his bag over his shoulders. ¡°Three minutes left. Arcturus, please prove to the world that Souhait is real. Please prove to society that you have a place here. Make it so that we anomalies can live peacefully. Go get your wish granted.¡± Arcturus took one final forlorn look at Kori and rushed towards the edge of the dock. He took a deep breath and yelled ¡°Thank you, Kori!¡± as he climbed and jumped out of the dock and onto the ocean; the present Arcturus and Nova followed, but they immediately swam to the boat while the past Arcturus struggled. They sat on either ends as they witnessed Arcturus¡¯s past self in the sea. The present Arcturus remembered how cold the water was. No such coldness could be described in words. He remembered how much strength he had to muster in order to move his limbs to swim; he didn¡¯t want Kori¡¯s sacrifice to be in vain. Enduring the freezing water was something he did not want to remember a second time. He felt chills down his spine when he remembered how cold he had been. The water was cold, but climbing up the boat and being drenched in water in the cold wind was more excruciating. Once he got on the boat, he shivered for a brief moment before he covered his ears as the airship exploded. The rope incinerated, separating him from the explosion site. The boat started drifting away, and he couldn¡¯t go back because the noise left his ears numb; he curled up in order to withstand the pain. The present Arcturus could only watch his past self with a sullen countenance. Suddenly, the surroundings changed; the explosion sight was gone and the boat was in the middle of the ocean. The present Arcturus started scanning the vicinity. ¡°I fast-forwarded your memory.¡± Nova said as he had his hands in a snapping gesture. ¡°With a snap of a finger, I can fast forward or rewind your memories.¡± He snapped to show an example. He snapped once to go back to the scene where the airship exploded and then snapped again to show their current location¡ªthe middle of the ocean. The emptiness made Arcturus remember how empty he had felt too; there were no animals or land at sight. Freezing Luck (Arcturus Arc Part 15) The past Arcturus was trembling. He was doing his best to stay warm by igniting matches; he gathered several and then lit one of them to make a makeshift campfire. The warmth was only minimal as the cold still dominated; his teeth slightly clattered. Am I going to die here? Am I going to waste my lifespan healing myself from hypothermia? His lips curled into a smile; instead of clattering teeth, he heard silence. The silence was then broken by forced laughter. ¡°I see now. This is Nathaniel¡¯s ultimatum, isn¡¯t it? Regardless of the circumstance, he wants me dead cold and alone. How cruel. Does he really hate Dad so much?¡± His laughter, soft at first, gradually grew louder; the present Arcturus felt a chill down his spine as he witnessed his past self¡¯s countenance contorting into a hysterical one. A plethora of negative thoughts swirled his mind, Nathaniel Hope, I hope your company goes bankrupt! Curse you and your lineage for all eternity! A bastard like you doesn¡¯t deserve to live! The cold was making his head ache, yet his pain was not of any concern. The present Arcturus shuddered at his own thoughts as they became darker. It pained him to rehash the darkest moments of his life¡ªthe moment where his passionate and innocent self became the weary and emotionally unstable man he is today. He wanted to avoid it, yet knew Nova wouldn¡¯t allow it. ¡°According to your memories, you were supposed to arrive in Eternally in a month, but it took you an additional three months to arrive due to the lifeboat,¡± Nova remarked. ¡°It was all because of Nathaniel, wasn¡¯t it? He had deceived you about being close to your father and made you trust him. He hated Arthur and since he had disappeared, he decided to take out his hatred on you, his son.¡± Arcturus fixated his attention on Nova and not on his past self. ¡°You¡¯re correct. I had overheard the crewmates trying to sabotage the computer in order to escape themselves and leave me in the dark so that I could die faster. Kori did his best to dispose of them before they could dispose of me.¡± ¡°He was quite the loyal boy, despite not being a real person.¡± Arcturus narrowed his eyes. ¡°He¡¯s real.¡± Nova realized his mistake and looked away in regret. Arcturus also felt bad for glaring at him. The silence between them became tense; it was hard for them to be the initiator. The past Arcturus¡¯s thoughts became silent as he sighed. He sat up and stared at the vast ocean; the present Arcturus did the same. The ocean was called the Emerald Ocean due to its emerald green hue; it was one of the four oceans of Terrenter¡ªthey were all named after gemstones due to their hues being similar to those minerals. ¡°The Emerald Ocean is always beautiful,¡± Nova remarked. ¡°It is.¡± ¡°Do you know about the urban legends of the four oceans?¡± ¡°Of course. There are supposedly four large sea creatures in each ocean. The Emerald Ocean supposedly harbors a terrifying whale creature called the DEW.¡± ¡°The DEW?¡± Nova seemed puzzled. ¡°Scientists sure are strange nowadays. Why would they name something scary after a small droplet of water?¡± Arcturus did his best to hold back his laughter. ¡°DEW is the abbreviation for Despair Emerald Whale. Apparently, the DEW is a whale that can supposedly sense people¡¯s despair and attack them.¡± ¡°Sounds fictional.¡± ¡°Well, it is an urban legend. We have yet to know if it really exists. I didn¡¯t encounter it at all despite my despair.¡± ¡°That means you¡¯re lucky.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure that not encountering a supposed urban legend is supposedly lucky. I¡¯m not even sure why we¡¯re having a conversation about this.¡± ¡°I just wanted to initiate a conversation¡­¡± Arcturus couldn¡¯t help but burst out a chuckle. The awkwardness was apparent, and he found it amusing how they both wanted to start but didn¡¯t know how. Laughing it away seemed like a good solution too. Nova responded back with a chuckle as well. Suddenly, Arcturus heard a slight collision noise and looked back to see a wooden box floating on the water. The past Arcturus had heard it too, for he approached present Arcturus¡¯s direction; seeing how his past self went through him as if he were a hologram both fascinated and terrified him; it felt unsettling for someone to permeate through him. The past Arcturus pulled the box out of the water and onto the boat. He opened it to reveal some items inside. They were a coat, a scarf, a hat and a pair of goggles. The sight of them made him stare at the earring resting on the palm of his hand. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Am I allowed to assume that this was Kori who had sent this to me as a farewell gift and not one of those traitors that had planned to escape with this in tow? It had been hours since the explosion; Arcturus had missed Kori very much. He had decided to go with his former assumption just to save his sanity. As he put on the clothes to warm himself, he noticed another item in the box. There were many jars of an opaque, cubic substance. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a lot of iridescent ice. Good thing there is also canned food here. It¡¯s not going to last me long, but at least I won¡¯t die of starvation. Iridescent ice though¡­I¡¯m not even sure if this will sustain me long enough.¡± That was all in the box. Because of the width of the boat, Arcturus had to put the empty box back in the water. He watched it float away further away from him until it was no longer in his line of sight; he then lied down and stared at the sky. The current Arcturus then noticed Nova smiling at him. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°See? I did say you¡¯re lucky. That box came to you when you needed it most. It gave you important items for survival.¡± ¡°Luck isn¡¯t absolute, you know. You can¡¯t just rely on it all the time.¡± ¡°I believe the opposite. Luck can get people far. Sure that it can be a fleeting force, but it¡¯s inevitable. Luck is a factor to why humans are alive in this world today.¡± Arcturus realized Nova¡¯s words had a lot of truth in them. Being the only survivor of a trap that was meant for him to be the only casualty really was luck. If he hadn¡¯t stumbled across the truth, he would have died. The past Arcturus, however, had different thoughts. The present Arcturus could hear how negative his past thoughts were. Why am I even alive here? It¡¯s obvious that I¡¯m going to die. Everyone I care about is far from my reach or gone. Mom¡¯s dead. Dad¡¯s somewhere. Kori¡¯s dead. Ariel is in Lamina. Grandma and Grandpa are in Lamina. Landon and the others are in Lamina. Nathaniel is a bastard. The thought of Nathaniel had made his blood boil; the present Arcturus felt it with his own body. I shouldn¡¯t think about him again. He just irritates me now. The past Arcturus sighed as he continued to feel the listlessness of his situation. The sky¡¯s so gray. It reminds me of Kori¡¯s hair when he doesn¡¯t wash for a few days. Bringing up Kori brought an overwhelming sadness within him; it was a sharp pain poking his heart. The pinch that the earring gave on his palm when he clenched it tightly was miniscule compared to his loss. He reminisced about Kori¡¯s last words before their separation. ¡°Go get my wish granted¡­¡± He muttered. Can it even come true? Will it come true? Is Souhait even real? Doubt clouded his mind. He felt weak and lost. He didn¡¯t want to move; he just wanted to stay immobile until the end. He wondered where this ocean would take him and if Eternally really was on the map. ¡°This sucks. Everything sucks. Why is my life full of misfortune?¡± He then reached his hand out and observed the earring Kori had given to him. It was yellow; its bright hue annoyed him. ¡°Why is this so bright? It¡¯s annoying.¡± Come to think of it, Kori once said that yellow is the color of happiness. Did he give his earring to me so that I can be happy throughout the rest of my life? The present Arcturus felt warmth accumulating in his body. He knew that this was when he found hope in his despair. He saw his past self sit up and place the earring to his unpierced earlobe. With all the force he could muster into his gloved fingers, the earring pierced through; the pain was brief. When he removed his hand, he felt the new weight on his left ear; it was a strange feeling at first, but he knew he would get used to it. ¡°Kori, I¡¯ll keep going. I will get my wish granted. I will prove to the world that Souhait exists.¡± He then grabbed his satchel and rummaged inside to find his journal. Before he opened it, he clutched it with both hands. Taking a deep breath, he slammed the book onto his forehead. The sound of the collision echoed throughout the horizon. With determination, he opened the journal and started writing. When Kori had asked me what my wish was long ago, I couldn¡¯t answer him because of uncertainty. Now, I know what I want. My wish is¡ª The memory abruptly ended. Arcturus closed his eyes to recall all that had happened. He had thought he was able to move on afterwards, but he couldn¡¯t. Whenever he had thought of Kori, guilt latched onto him like glue. The fact that he had found determination to move forward after losing Kori was a memory he had forgotten until now. Kori wanted him to continue. Arcturus wanted to continue. Losing sight of that determination and clinging onto the negative thoughts and loss of Kori had hardened him in the worst way. He was going to honor Kori¡¯s sacrifice. He promised himself to not shroud himself with guilt the next time Kori appeared in his memories. Arcturus turned to Nova. He stared at him straight at his lavender eyes. He knew what his wish was and was determined to say it aloud. Nova caught on what he was thinking. With a grin, he commanded, ¡°Say it aloud with confidence. I want to know your certainty.¡± Arcturus took a deep breath. ¡°My wish is for wishes to come back to this world. If people have wishes, Terrenter can transform into a harmonious world like it was once in the past. If the world is harmonious, anomalies like us can be accepted. We wouldn¡¯t have to be discriminated against anymore and live as equals with the others. The world¡¯s future would be very bright.¡± He saw himself reflected in Nova¡¯s eyes. With a joyous demeanor, Nova nodded, ¡°I like that wish.¡± A window in the wooden library forcefully opened; a strong breeze intruded on them as the library dissipated. He was back in the meadow, but it looked different. The grandiose apple tree was still there, but there was an unfamiliar lavender door in the entrance. He had remembered the door was red when he had entered his memories. Nova approached the door and then turned around to reach a hand out to him. ¡°It¡¯s time. Let¡¯s meet Souhait. He wants to meet you.¡± He then pointed towards the lavender door. ¡°Open that door. He awaits you.¡± With excitement, Arcturus approached the door. He was hesitant, but he mustered courage to place a hand on the knob, turn it and open it. He took a foot out and went inside. A Lone House on a Field of Aster Flowers (Arcturus Arc Part 16) Arcturus found himself in a world completely different from his realm of desires. Strong aromas of wildflowers garnered Arcturus¡¯s attention as he fixated on his surroundings; currently, he was in a meadow of lavender, star-shaped flowers¡ªthe same one on Nova¡¯s hand. At every visible distance, flowers were present; there was no other person. He knelt down to observe them. ¡°Did Souhait become flowers?¡± Nova held back a chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s a weird thing to say. Souhait is not a flower. These are aster flowers.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see anyone else here other than us.¡± Arcturus touched one of the asters out of curiosity; it felt like a normal flower, but he liked how the petals looked and felt. ¡°We¡¯ll meet Souhait if we keep walking.¡± Nova proceeded to do so. Arcturus worried about trampling on such pretty flowers; he then noticed that all the flowers Nova stepped on were fine, so he followed him. The further they walked, the more flowers Arcturus saw. He had been excited at first because of Souhait, but he quickly became frustrated at the constant sight of flowers. After what it seemed like forever, there was a house at a visible distance. Arcturus squinted to get a brief view of what it looked like. It was a small brick house. Nova stopped and then turned to Arcturus. He pointed at the house. ¡°This is where you¡¯ll meet Souhait. Follow me.¡± Excitement became nervousness. Arcturus gulped as his heart started pounding. The house far in the distance became closer until he was at eye level with the door. The house was a lot smaller than expected; he wondered how a dragon could fit inside. Nova did not knock; he just turned the doorknob and barged in like it was his own home. Arcturus entered. The house was small on the outside, but it looked rather spacious for one person. He saw that there wasn''t much furniture; the ones most visible were a white bed with purple sheets, a lavender table with two chairs, and a small kitchen This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. What a minimalistic room. He thought as he quickly scanned the room to see that they were the only people inside. He wondered where Souhait could be. ¡°Have a seat.¡± Nova said as he headed towards the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯ll make tea.¡± Arcturus did as he was told, but Nova seemed to have made tea in a flash; in a matter of seconds, Nova sat down across from him with a teapot and cups in hand. He placed cups on both sides and then poured tea. ¡°This is lavender lemon tea. I¡¯m really good at brewing tea, so I hope you enjoy it.¡± Nova took a sip. When Arcturus looked down to take a glance at his tea, his eyebrows furrowed as he squinted. He was sure Nova poured tea into his cup; seeing it completely empty confused him. He looked up to ask Nova about this, but he passed out on the table. Arcturus stood up shocked. He reached out and shook Nova. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Nova did not respond. Arcturus then noticed Nova¡¯s toppled cup. There wasn¡¯t anything spilled on the table¡ªNova¡¯s cup was as empty as his, leaving him puzzled. He was definitely sure he saw tea being poured onto the cups. If Nova¡¯s cup had been filled and became empty after consumption, there would have been tiny droplets staining the table. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He got his answer in the form of a glowing Nova. He was taken aback as he saw Nova¡¯s form changing. Along with Nova, the room started changing from the minimalistic one to a completely white void save for a table and chair of the same color; Arcturus could tell from the shadows. Nova¡¯s form gradually grew; he no longer maintained a human shape. He became a serpentine creature. When the glowing diminished, Arcturus¡¯s eyes were glued to the color of the scales in front of him; they were lavender. Arcturus¡¯s heart skipped a beat at the majestic sight above him. Large heterochromatic eyes looked down upon his brown ones; they were lavender and gold with dilated pupils. A long snout with two long purple mustaches was a noticeable view; the mustaches fluttered despite there being no traces of wind. Golden horns protruded from the creature¡¯s head; Arcturus could also see a tuft of purple hair on top, which then spiraled down towards the tip of its elongated tail¡ªthe creature¡¯s mane. Stout arms and legs with long golden claws were a terrifying sight to behold. Arcturus gaped as he took a few steps back. He was a tall man himself, but being in the presence of this creature made him feel minuscule. A dragon! Could this be¡­? ¡°Are you Souhait?¡± The Lavender Dragon, Souhait (Arcturus Arc Part 17) ¡°I am.¡± Souhait had a gentle voice that contradicts his mighty appearance. ¡°You must be Arcturus. Welcome to the Contract Room.¡± Souhait articulated his words profoundly, which Arcturus found charming. An amalgamation of emotions stirred within him. He felt happy one moment and disbelief in another. Amidst his emotions, he knew one truth: Souhait was real. The sheer fact of this revelation caused Arcturus to shed some tears. ¡°Excuse me for my unsightliness.¡± Arcturus muttered as he wiped his tears. ¡°I am just overwhelmed.¡± Souhait just chuckled. ¡°You are fine. I do not mind the tears.¡± Arcturus then sat down and gazed upon the grand creature above him. He tried to do his absolute best to revert his heartbeat back to normal. Once he maintained his composure, he then asked, ¡°Are you truly alive?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yet, you are written as dead.¡± ¡°I am also dead.¡± The vagueness of his words confused Arcturus. ¡°How can you be alive and dead simultaneously?¡± ¡°I am physically dead, but my soul lives bound to Nova¡¯s. It is because of Nova that I am alive. We need each other to function.¡± It all made sense to him. Souls weren¡¯t usually visible unless people were spiritually aware of the dead and the afterlife. If he had been raised in Lamina since birth, he wouldn¡¯t believe in Souhait¡¯s words; since he was raised in Plasma during childhood and was able to hear spirits, he believed Souhait was telling the truth. ¡°Souhait, I am here to get my wish granted.¡± He wanted to get straight to the point of his visit. ¡°I know. I have seen your memories and everything that had happened in your consciousness through Nova¡¯s eyes. Your wish is to bring wishes back to the world. I find that admirable. It was because of the lack of wishes that I lost my purpose to be in the world and eventually died. To know that there is someone in this vast, cruel world with such a wish touches my heart.¡± So, wishes are like the source of life for him. He died because of the lack of wishes. It makes sense if I think deeply into this. Souhait continued, ¡°I will grant your wish on three conditions.¡± ¡°Conditions? Why do I need conditions?¡± ¡°The power to grant wishes is very powerful. One false move and anyone can use it for their own selfishness¡ªabuse it for their own gains. This is why I give out conditions as a means of restriction.¡± That means there were people in the past that had used it for selfish and abusive reasons. Arcturus wondered what sort of people they were in the past; he found them despicable for exploiting Souhait in such a way. ¡°I find that understandable. So, what are the conditions?¡± ¡°The first condition is for us to only grant wishes to those you consider ¡®alive¡¯.¡± Arcturus raised an eyebrow. ¡°Grant wishes? Alive?¡± ¡°I grant wishes to those that want their wishes to come true. However, I do it because it is my mission. I cannot grant my own wish, but I can grant the wishes of others. The only way I can grant my own wish is for me to grant the wishes of all living beings in this world. However, what is considered to be living? There are humans who do not view animals as living. The same goes for humans. Some humans see others as inferior and not alive. Some view Shifties as tools. Since I will form a contract with you, I want to know what you consider as living.¡± His words intrigued Arcturus. He had never thought deeply about what is alive or not. All he thought was that anything that moved or had a mind of its own was alive¡ªthat was how he had viewed Shifties. He then thought about other entities in the world. Humans were obviously alive; the same goes for animals as well. What about plants and other aspects of nature? Are they alive? Do I think they¡¯re alive? He then looked at Souhait. Are spirits like Souhait alive as well? Denying their lives means that I am hypocritical and prejudiced. I don¡¯t want that. Kori gave up his life for me. Souhait is in front of me. To me, are they alive? After much thought, Arcturus came to a conclusion. ¡°Everything in this world is alive, from humans to spirits like you. We¡¯re all alive since we exist physically or spiritually.¡± Souhait seemed rather intrigued by his answer. Arcturus wasn¡¯t sure what his true emotions were since his expression remained stagnant. Suddenly, Souhait¡¯s started chuckling. ¡°What a tall order you placed for us. Nova and I have to grant wishes for all living beings in this world, which means everything if we grant your wish. Very well. I will accept that. We do not mind the challenge.¡± Arcturus could feel his determination. Although he had given a lot of work to Souhait and Nova, he felt like they could accomplish their goals. ¡°So, what¡¯s your second condition?¡± ¡°I want you to record an honest tome about us.¡± ¡°Honest tome¡­? You want me to make a book?¡± ¡°Yes. The original book is gone and the fake Loreseers have made inconsistencies in subsequent editions in order to make people divert their attention away from the truth. Because you are someone who likes to write, please write the absolute truth about our existence. Persuade people. Guide them. That is the job of an author, no?¡± Arcturus felt confident about this condition. He was very confident in his writing skills for he had a habit. Without any hesitation, he accepted it. ¡°For the final condition¡­¡± Souhait paused, leaving Arcturus confused. ¡°Before I can tell you about the final condition, there are some warnings I would like you to heed.¡± ¡°Please tell me.¡± ¡°Wishes are omnipotent. They have the power to bring about any type of happiness to anyone. Yet, there are severe consequences when doing so. One may have irreversible effects; the other might cause you to dirty your hands. Are you fine with such actions?¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Arcturus found his question intriguing. Was he fine with killing others? He already had a deep hatred for soldiers and anyone who wronged him. Would he go so far to kill them if he had a chance? He had never killed anyone, but he wasn¡¯t someone who was too uptight about morality. He knew that he couldn¡¯t harm soldiers due to the laws; however, when he had overheard his crewmates¡¯ plan on betraying him, he knew he had to survive. That was why he had ordered Kori to dispose of them; in a way, he was an accomplice of their murders. He did not feel regretful of his actions. ¡°You already looked into my memory, no?¡± Arcturus replied, ¡°You should already know my answer. I am fine with dirtying my hands, if necessary. Though, I will only kill and harm if I need to. I won¡¯t do any other heinous crimes like sexual assault. That¡¯s not for me.¡± ¡°Very well. The third condition is for you to be Nova¡¯s friend.¡± Arcturus¡¯s eyebrow furrowed. ¡°Pardon? Could you repeat that?¡± ¡°The final condition is for you to be Nova¡¯s friend.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an unusual condition. Aren¡¯t we already friends?¡± ¡°I am touched that you think that way. However, the friendship I ask of you is very unusual. Nova and I have been together for a very long time. We both have seen our fair share of hope and despair. However, the current status of the world has caused us to become disillusioned and jaded. We do not expect change. We do not trust others¨Cin fact, it is hard for us to trust others. Even if you promise to be by our side forever, our trust will be hard to gain. We might run off on our own. We might do something deplorable in your eyes. Despite all that, all we want is for someone to stay by our side. Even if you come to hate us in the future, please stay with us¡­¡± Arcturus sensed the desperation in Souhait¡¯s voice. He could tell they were so lonely. They reminded him of himself. Even though he had family and friends, there was loneliness within him that could not be conquered. Nova and Souhait both had that as well. While Nova seemed mischievous and enjoyed his solitude life in Castle Lavender, Arcturus could tell it was the opposite. Nova had barricaded himself from enemies in order to protect himself from the outside world. He had to make traps and distractions in order to throw off enemies. The fact that Nova allowed Arcturus to come all the way here even though Nova could have just left him in the trap room allowed Arcturus to realize that Nova really wanted someone to trust. Arcturus wanted someone to rely on as well. Losing Kori was hard to move on from, but with Nova¡¯s help, he was able to take a step forward with his closure. He wondered what sort of relationship he would have with Nova and Souhait going forth; it could become bad or good. Overall, he was curious and excited. It felt nice to be relied upon. ¡°The three of us have something in common: we are all anomalies of the world. Nova told me that he killed someone; I am not afraid of that for I too allowed murder to happen. I am no saint; I do have a hot temper. However, I¡¯ll be Nova¡¯s friend. I¡¯ll do what it takes to protect him. Let¡¯s change this world together.¡± Remembering how Nova always reached his hand out, Arcturus did the same. He reached his right hand out, awaiting Souhait¡¯s answer. Souhait started chuckling. ¡°I like your answer.¡± He then lifted his tail. He plucked a scale out and dropped it onto the empty teacup. When it made contact, the scale dissolved into a liquid state. ¡°Drink it,¡± Souhait insisted. Arcturus lifted the cup to his nose; it had the scent of lavenders. He then noticed it was too thick to be tea; he wondered what exactly this strange lavender beverage was. Regardless, he lowered the cup to his lips and started drinking. The liquid was warm. It slid through his throat easily. In a matter of seconds, Arcturus finished his drink and placed the cup down. He could sense a metallic taste as if he was drinking blood. Once he swallowed, his heart started pounding erratically as if it was going to burst out of his chest. He found breathing to be difficult; the pain was agonizing. Sweat formed at his nape and droplets trickled down his neck. The pain was short-lived but it had felt as if he had suffered for hours. Arcturus was gasping for breath and doing his best to regain his composure. Once he did, he peeked underneath his clothes to check his chest; there was a strange mark on it¡ªhe never had one previously. From what he could see from the shadows of his black shirt, it was shaped like an apple; it was rather small too. He looked up at Souhait. ¡°Is this¡­?¡± ¡°That is the proof of our contract. It will activate once you awaken.¡± ¡°Awaken¡­¡± ¡°If you want to wake up, the door behind you will lead you back into reality.¡± Arcturus turned to see a red door like the one he saw when he had entered the world of his memories. He then turned back to look at Souhait. He still couldn¡¯t believe Souhait was real. Every folktale scholar had dreamt of finding the truth; he was the first. He needed to go back, but the overwhelming presence in front of him prevented him from doing so; he¡¯d rather stay and bask in the majesty of Souhait than to awaken. ¡°Do you not want to leave?¡± ¡°I want to, but I feel like I won¡¯t see you again if I go.¡± Souhait chuckled. ¡°You can see me again at any time as long as you like now that we are companions.¡± Just hearing the word ¡®companions¡¯ left a warm feeling in Arcturus¡¯s heart. It left him reassured; Souhait was truly real. There wasn¡¯t any reason to feel so worried. He stood up. He wanted to awaken; he wanted to see the after-effects of his wish. He bid Souhait farewell as he approached the door. As his hand touched the handle, Souhait spoke up. ¡°Arcturus.¡± Arcturus turned to stare at him. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I anticipate the results. I want to see what sort of world Terrenter will become with you by our side.¡± Arcturus smiled. ¡°Me too.¡± He then turned around and pulled the door open. He rushed into the meadow of his realm. He ran towards the tree and sat down underneath the shade. He took in the breeze. ¡°Come to think of it, how do I awaken?¡± Arcturus wondered. He realized that he came here through sleep, so the same had to occur if he wanted to leave. He readjusted his position so that his backside was on the grass and the shade was covering his view of the sky. There was a slight problem: he wasn¡¯t sure how to fall asleep. He had developed insomnia due to his rough journey, so it had been a while since he had tried to attempt the process of sleep. Closing his eyes and staying still did not help. He decided to tire his mind out by thinking profusely until drowsiness came to him. I can¡¯t believe Souhait is real. I feel like I did the impossible by catching lightning in a jar. His excitement still lingered as he placed a hand to his chest¡ªwhere his mark was. A surge of worry came to him, making his excitement temporary; he gulped. Recalling Souhait¡¯s words, Arcturus could tell Souhait and Nova were going to play a game of turning impossibilities into possibilities. It was them against the world. He understood what they needed most was allies¨Ccompanionship¨Cbut he could tell their true intent was needing an accomplice, a partner in crime, and someone who was eager to drown in the same sinking ship. He wanted to be that person; he wanted to see how the world would change once he woke up. Living on Terrenter for twenty years made him understand the world wasn¡¯t going to change. Its current state was going to drive itself into extinction; nothing would change if no one would step forth. The thought of being able to change it with Nova excited him. A sad realization came to him. Having these thoughts got him understanding he wasn¡¯t a good person. Desiring the world into the way he wanted it wasn¡¯t something a good person would do. Perhaps, he was never one to begin with. His head started filling itself with thoughts. What¡¯s next? What¡¯s going to happen when I wake up? Will I just stay at Castle Lavender with Nova? How can we leave the castle and traverse through the blizzard? Am I strong enough to protect him from the snow? His head started feeling light. His blinking became heavy. I guess I can ask Nova all of these questions when I wake up. He wondered why it seemed much easier to become drowsy in his consciousness rather than in reality. Regardless, he started thinking about Nova to tire out his mind even more. I wonder what I should do with Nova. We¡¯re going to be together from now on, so maybe I should teach him things he doesn¡¯t know about. He can teach me things I don¡¯t know about in return. Just thinking about the future makes¡­me¡­happy¡­ His eyelids become heavy and his head becomes lighter. Thoughts were no longer produced; instead, a strong urge to sleep overpowered the thoughts. The tree branches were shaded due to the lighting, but they were getting darker and blurrier. The sky soon became black but he couldn¡¯t feel anything at all. Nova and Souhait Sensing a presence always left a heavy feeling in Nova¡¯s body. The more people he detected in the Realm of Desires, the heavier his body became. He could see who was in this world if he closed his eyes while feeling the extra weight. If someone would leave, his body would become lighter. That was how his body was feeling right now. He no longer felt Arcturus¡¯s presence in this realm. This meant he was free to return to his own realm. The Realm of Desires worked in mysterious ways; the realm added in new areas whenever someone entered. They become permanent when a contract is formed. Nova¡¯s eyes were glued to the red door in front of him. Because Arcturus had formed a contract, the door in this field of aster flowers became permanent. It stuck out like a sore thumb in the flower field, but he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. He opened the door to the house and entered. The sight of the knocked over cups caught his eyes. When he had fallen unconscious, he was taken back outside of the house, but he could not be seen. Only two people were allowed in the Contract Room. Everyone else would be taken outside. In Nova¡¯s case, he would become invisible. All he could do was watch everything that had unfolded through his closed eyes. Because he was Souhait¡¯s vessel, he could see everything Souhait did by closing his eyes. Everything that had transpired in the Contract Room burned fresh in his mind. Because he was a vessel, he saw everything through Souhait¡¯s perspective. He recalled Arcturus¡¯s many expressions and his willingness to form a contract. The way his brown eyes glistened with determination shook him to his core. His legs became weak as he sat down. His thoughts were filled with Arcturus. He felt his entire face heating up as he recalled the first time he had seen him. It had been a while since he saw an actual human being, so he was glad to have some company. What he didn¡¯t expect was his guest having very attractive features that gave him an overall handsome face. He placed his hands on his cheeks; he was burning up. His heartbeat increased. He couldn¡¯t control himself as he let out an internal scream. OH MY GOODNESS, ARCTURUS IS SO HANDSOME! Is this what having a type feels like? Is this what love at first sight feels like? I always thought someone as old as me couldn¡¯t fall in love, but here I am, falling for someone I¡¯ve only interacted with for a few hours. There was an excitement he felt within him that he had never felt before. It was a nice feeling. He felt as if it was a sign that good fortune was upon him. He then heard chuckling. In front of Nova, Souhait appeared. Nova¡¯s eyes were glued to the majestic serpentine creature across from him. Nova and Souhait were two souls sharing one body. While unable to meet each other physically, they were able to compromise by being able to meet each other in this realm. Souhait had always been there for him for a very long time; Nova considered him both family and his dearest companion. They had an unbreakable bond stronger than gravity. He trusted him the most; in turn, Souhait trusted him the most. Their relationship happened to be an indescribable one; it was something more than platonic, but stronger than romantic. His chuckles resonated in his ears. The excitement he felt quickly became shielded as he wanted to protect it. He became annoyed. ¡°Don¡¯t laugh!¡± ¡°It is rare for you to behave this way. I find it cute.¡± Nova became worried. ¡°Am I the type that easily falls for someone¡¯s looks?¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°How would I know? You have never fallen in love before.¡± ¡°Right? Why is it that I am feeling this way all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Maybe your bad luck is causing this. Your luck is always bad.¡± ¡°But, love should be a good thing, not an unfortunate one!¡± The excitement he had bottled up was replaced with uneasiness. His heart sank. He felt uncertain now. ¡°Souhait, did we make the right choice? Was it okay for us to grant Arcturus¡¯s wish? Are you okay with this?¡± ¡°All we can do is see how it goes. If Arcturus gives poor results, I will end his life. If he betrays us, I will kill him.¡± Nova sensed a heavy pressure on him as Souhait spoke in a cold, serious tone. He gulped because he knew Souhait would adhere to his own words. ¡°If Arcturus heard you say this, he¡¯d be sad. He idolizes you a lot.¡± ¡°All he has to do is adhere to the conditions and he will be fine. I do not think he will betray us, but you may never know. Humans are conniving by default.¡± Nova sighed. ¡°You really ought to stop being so distrustful of others. If you keep doubting people and distance yourself, nothing will change; we¡¯ll still be alone and unable to complete our goal.¡± The word ¡®goal¡¯ caused Nova to look at the palm of his right hand, where his contract mark was. In the language of flowers, the aster flower had several meanings; the one he liked the most was faith. Having faith meant being able to trust. Like Souhait, he also had a distrustful view towards humans, but he wanted to have faith in them. He needed to have faith in order to complete their goal. He placed his hand to his chest. ¡°Souhait, will we be able to complete our goal this time around? Every time we form a contract with someone, they always die and the contract becomes revoked. I always pinned the blame on my misfortune and lost faith as the years went by. Meeting Arcturus gives me this feeling of courage that I¡¯ve never experienced before. Just by looking into his eyes, I can feel that we can complete our goal this time.¡± ¡°If you believe so, then I will believe it too.¡± Nova could tell Souhait was still skeptical of Arcturus, but he knew Souhait well. Souhait was always looking out for him. They shared the same body, so Nova knew that if Nova made a decision, Souhait would go along with it. He felt blessed to have Souhait in his life. Nova stood up. He wanted to stay and chat with Souhait for a bit longer, but he knew he had to awaken. He needed to see Arcturus and how his wish was affecting the world now. The power of a contract activated only when Nova awakened. He took a few steps away from the chair and a few steps towards the door before he stopped. Hesitation came to him when his eyes and hand paused on the doorknob. Doubt overwrote his thoughts. A recollection of his behavior towards Arcturus came back to him. He wasn¡¯t on his worst behavior at that time, but that wasn¡¯t his real self. This true self was gloomy and boring; he frowned more often than he smiled. The cheerful and rather mischievous personality he had shown to Arcturus was actually Souhait channeling his personality into Nova in order to give Nova a good first impression. He worried about whether Arcturus would like seeing his true self. He worried if he should keep the same farce in order to not break Arcturus¡¯s hopes. He already knew Arcturus wasn¡¯t that sort of person from viewing his memories, but he also knew humans were complex. He worried about the day that Arcturus would tell him he preferred Souhait over him. ¡°Everything will be fine.¡± Souhait remarked. Even without saying anything, Souhait knew what Nova was feeling; they shared the same body, so Souhait could feel all of Nova¡¯s emotions and read his thoughts. If Souhait said everything would be fine, he knew it would be fine. His own worries started easing up; he took a deep breath. He then opened the door. Instead of a field of aster flowers, a black abyss had greeted him. He took a step forward and he found himself falling. He wasn¡¯t worried. He took in the fall as he closed his eyes, hoping to wake up into reality. The Ice Prison Nova opened his eyes. The lavender scenery of Castle Lavender greeted him. It was chilly. He sat up. He was still in the throne room, surrounded by the ice sculptures and the throne. While the sight was all too familiar to him, he hated it; the enclosed space felt like he was in prison; it was also on purpose. He needed to protect himself; so he had encased himself in this labyrinth of a castle in order to thwart off adversaries. I hear soft breathing. Souhait remarked. Because Nova and Souhait were two souls in one body, Nova could always hear Souhait¡¯s thoughts in his own head alongside his own; it felt as if he had two separate minds¨Cone he had control of and the other he did not. Souhait¡¯s thoughts were to guide him; it was his way of protecting Nova. As the creator of Terrenter, Souhait possessed many abilities. Transferring his thoughts to Nova happened to be one of them. Souhait guided Nova to the direction the breathing came from and he saw Arcturus sleeping soundly. From looking at Arcturus¡¯s memories, Nova knew Arcturus had trouble sleeping recently; his inability to sleep had happened after he survived the explosion. Nova crawled towards Arcturus and took a good look at his sleeping visage. To Nova, Arcturus was handsome. He had thick eyelids that made his eyes look droopy, but Nova found it charming. His eyelashes were a bit of a darker shade than his hair, but they were still a notable scarlet red. He had a sharp nose bridge that made his nose look like a perfect right triangle from the side. His lips were thin and a bit chapped, but if they had proper care, they would look nice. He admired Arcturus¡¯s skin color; it was a mix of beige and tan. He envied it; his own skin color was pale, almost translucent. He didn¡¯t like how he could see his own veins. Nova¡¯s attention were solely on Arcturus¡¯s ears. While he had noticed Arcturus had free earlobes, what caught his attention the most was his bright yellow earring. His earring was cuffed and had a small sphere dangling down from it. Arcturus was not a Shiftie, yet he had an earring that only Shifties wore; Nova knew it was a memento of Kori. His eyes were glued to his earring because he could sense life from it. A Shiftie¡¯s earring was their life source, which meant their consciousness, soul, and will were all molded into said earring. If destroyed, a Shiftie would die completely. However, he detected not one life, but two. It had confused both him and Souhait. How could there be two souls in one earring? Is that even possible? I thought we were the only ones that had two souls in one vessel. It definitely is odd. Before he could ponder further, he soon felt a tight pain on his heart; it felt like someone was squeezing his heart. He found it hard to breathe; sweat quickly formed and trickled down his face. Souhait, it¡¯s that pain again! Hurry and numb it! Okay. Souhait¡¯s voice sounded frantic. In a matter of seconds, the pain subsided. His body felt numb. It made him relax. He would rather feel numb than feel pain. I shouldn¡¯t have let my guard down. Your activated powers subside whenever I fall asleep. I should have told you to restart the numbing when I woke up. You are usually cautious about these things. I am surprised you were distracted by a handsome guy for you to forget what you normally do. Is he that handsome in your eyes? Is my sweet Nova falling deeper in love? Souhait teased him by snickering. Nova pouted; his cheeks were heating up. Shut up. Souhait cackled before becoming silent. I will go check the Spirit World. Wait until I return. Okay. Not being able to hear Souhait¡¯s voice in his mind for a while was a lonely feeling. While he was always by himself physically, having Souhait around always eased that loneliness. However, Nova believed that feeling would go away now that Arcturus was here. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. He wasn¡¯t sure what to do next. He stared at the sculptures. He knew that he needed to preserve them as they were made from blood sweat and tears. Noticing that Arcturus wasn¡¯t going to wake up any time soon, Nova decided to do just that. It did not take long for him to use an ability that allowed him to store large objects into a mysterious space. When he reached his marked hand out, the dragon statue started shaking. It quickly got sucked in. He repeated the same process for the other statues. He felt some sort of relief that he didn¡¯t have to get rid of them. He then looked at the throne. It was created when he started living in this ice prison. While it wasn¡¯t his best work, he did feel as if it would be a waste to throw it out; he also stored it in his hand. I hope Souhait doesn¡¯t mind the extra furniture in our little cottage. Now that he was done with storage, he wasn¡¯t sure what to do next. He sat back down next to the sleeping Arcturus. He glanced over at him again. Arcturus was sleeping facing up with his hands resting on his stomach. His eyes were glued to his scarlet hair. The color fascinated him. He had never seen such bright red hair before; it was as bright as a red apple. I hope he doesn¡¯t mind if I touch his hair for a bit¡­ He slowly reached a hand out to touch his hair; it felt coarse and slightly dry like he hadn¡¯t washed it in months. He quickly pulled away when he realized how creepy he was being. I wouldn¡¯t like it if someone I barely knew touched my hair, so what right do I get for touching his hair? Nova then glanced over at Arcturus once more. He became worried about Arcturus¡¯s posture. Sleeping flat like that wasn¡¯t good for his neck. He didn¡¯t want Arcturus to have neck issues in the long run. He gulped in worry. I hope he doesn¡¯t find this creepy¡­ He crawled towards Arcturus. Once he was near his head, he gently lifted it up. He spread his legs out and then brought them together so that he could use them as a makeshift pillow. He slowly let go of his hand so that Arcturus was resting his head on his legs. The thought of this made Nova burn up. He became flustered. I¡¯m just being nice and not creepy! I¡¯m sure Arcturus will understand once he wakes up. I hope he¡¯s not creeped out by this. Oh gosh, what if he finds me creepy? His heart skipped a beat when he became startled upon Souhait¡¯s return. What is going on? If Nova¡¯s face could go any hotter, he would be melting the entire castle. Souhait could see everything through Nova¡¯s eyes, which meant Souhait saw Arcturus resting his head against Nova¡¯s legs. He found himself regretting his actions as he heard Souhait¡¯s humming. Oh? What is this? You are making a move on him already? But this is non-consensual! Souhait, stop being overdramatic and tell me the news. The lightheartedness between the two quickly dissipated. A tense mood wafted in, making Nova feel uneasy. He heard Souhait clear his throat. It is like we predicted. Another soul has been forcibly taken away from the Spirit World. You still cannot find the source? The perpetrator is hard to find. The way they take out the soul is such a swift process that nobody in that realm cannot detect their identity. However, the most likely candidate is the Invader. If she is our perpetrator, that would mean one thing: we need to leave this castle and scourge this island and find her. Nova, you do know that we are severely outnumbered and weak? We may be stronger and more impervious, but our conditions and restrictions restrict us from going all out. That is why we have Arcturus with us. Arcturus is not enough. We need more allies, more wishes and more power. Nova looked down at Arcturus; his gaze fixated on his earring. Souhait, are you suggesting that we seek help from a Shiftie? Whatever life we detect in that earring is our only safe option. We are powerless with one granted wish so far. Whether it be a Shiftie or something else, it is alive. Arcturus¡¯s wish made it so that they are considered alive and are beings that we need to grant wishes for. To not grant their wish means disrespecting Arcturus. Souhait was correct, much to Nova¡¯s chagrin; he was absolutely correct. Nova was reluctant to seek help from a possible Shiftie, but they were left with no other options. They needed power. Granting wishes bestowed said power to them. They could not be picky; nobody, other than Arcturus, was their ally. The entire world was their enemy; they needed all the strength they could get. The uneasiness within Nova accumulated. He felt apologetic towards Arcturus who was going to be dragged into their eternal conflict. He knew that there would be a day where Arcturus would resent him for dragging him into this mess; if Arcturus wanted to leave his side, he would surely allow him to do so. Are you prepared, Souhait? I am ready when you are. Nova took a deep breath. He slowly reached a hand out to the earring and used a finger to touch it. With one single touch, Nova felt a strong force pulling him in. Nova¡¯s eyelids were forcefully shut as he fell back into slumber. The Earring Nova found himself back in his cottage. The tilted teacups were gone. In their place, four miniature versions of Nova¡¯s sculptures were resting on the middle of the table. He smiled when he saw them. He then scanned his surroundings. ¡°I am here by myself.¡± He then looked down at his attire. He was still wearing his ragged clothes. He turned around to find a lavender door. ¡°I guess it¡¯s time to clock into work.¡± He opened the door. When he went inside, his body felt tighter. The scenery of the cozy cottage changed into the Contract Room. He sat down on the chair and raised his arms. He noticed he wasn¡¯t wearing his sweater, but his neat lavender satin shirt. This was the outfit he wore when he was in ¡®work mode¡¯. He pushed his hands into the open space. In a flash, multiple hologram screens showed up. All of them were fastforwarding Kori¡¯s memories. A majority of them contained Arcturus. However, a few screens caught his attention as he grabbed one and pulled it towards himself to get a closer view. It was a memory that did not contain Arcturus at all. Instead, there were unfamiliar people being shown; most of them had black hair. He knew from Arcturus¡¯s memories that he wasn¡¯t really associated with black-haired people all that much. He wondered if this could be a memory of Kori before he had met Arcturus, but he had doubted it. He decided to listen carefully to the audio of the memory. He heard a voice say, ¡°Good morning, Sayaka.¡± He was taken aback. Sayaka was an unfamiliar name and unrelated to Arcturus. He wondered why such a memory was inside Kori. A strange sense of fascination compelled him to know more. It urged him to find an answer. His mind became overwhelmed with unraveling this mystery. He stood up with the memory in hand. He frantically scanned; he needed to find more of Sayaka¡¯s memories. He reached a hand out and soon, he found himself surrounded by memories of Sayaka; it was as if her memories had more in amount than Kori¡¯s. But why does she have more than Kori¡¯s? This is Kori¡¯s body. We should look into these memories and learn about this Sayaka person. Right. Nova gathered some of Sayaka¡¯s memories which turned into feathers. When he sat back down, the feathers floated into the screens, changing the memories from Kori¡¯s to Sayaka¡¯s. Nova patiently sat down and watched through portions of Sayaka¡¯s life. Sayaka¡¯s full name was Sayaka Minami. She was a Laminan born into a family of renowned soldiers. Her life was full of pressure and expectations. She was doing whatever she could to appease her father, but he never acknowledged her. Her life had been her trying to appease him no matter what; she voluntarily joined the military. A chance encounter with her roommate Lillia caused her to realize how much of her life was pointless. Living to appease her family was not ¡®her¡¯. Getting their approval was not her ideal freedom. In order to seek it out, she deserted the army a day before she had completed training and was going to be assigned to a station. Nova learned that what she had done was illegal and she chose to become a wanted fugitive because of that. She lived a few years on the run until she met a tragic end. Someone she had trusted in betrayed her and she was captured and killed. Knowing she had such an abrupt end at the age of twenty-one caused Nova to shed a tear. His heart felt as if it was being squeezed. He found it unfair. Sayaka had more to life than meeting a tragic end. Nova, there is no need to cry. I can¡¯t help it. It¡¯s this world that¡¯s making me let out my true emotions! The Spirit World happened to be a place where only true emotions were let out. It allowed Nova and Souhait to be able to distinguish people¡¯s souls; it helped them see who had a good, pure soul and who had an evil, malevolent one. These allowed them to know what sort of people potential contractors were and if they were able to form wishes from their hearts. Sayaka¡¯s physical body was no longer alive, but her soul was a pure one¨Ca kind one muddled with tragedy. I¡¯m surprised I¡¯m able to weep for a passing soul. Is it because of the conditions that were met when granting Arcturus¡¯s wish? He said souls are alive and Sayaka is an example of that. Before, I wouldn¡¯t have agreed with that sentiment. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The way our power works is still surprising. I have had this power for so long yet the things it does and creates still fascinate me. While weeping, Nova agreed with Souhait. He found Sayaka fascinating, yet one question still lingered: How did Sayaka become a part of Kori? If a human passed away, they would have gone to the Spirit World. After wiping his tears, Nova shouted for a name, ¡°Polaris!¡± A bespectacled man with a caramel shade of blond hair appeared next to him. He wore a suit similar to Nova¡¯s but he had a blazer and he did not wear a waistcoat. His elegant and serious demeanor gave him an air of refinement that Nova lacked. While Nova¡¯s outfit was a mix of lavender, purple and complementary shades, Polaris wore green shades alongside complementary colors. ¡°You called for me, my liege?¡± He had a soft but masculine voice that suited his refined appearance. He placed a hand to his chest and slightly bowed at his master¡¯s presence. ¡°Tell me, is Sayaka Minami abound in the Spirit World?¡± ¡°She once was, but she is no longer present.¡± ¡°How long has she been gone? How long has she been in the Spirit World?¡± ¡°Sayaka Minami died on LSP 19-614¨Csix years ago. She was taken away from the Spirit World around ESU 29-617¨Cthree years ago.¡± ¡°And who took her soul?¡± ¡°We have no official sources yet, but the council have concluded that it could be the work of the Invader. She has taken yet another soul from our world recently.¡± Nova knew Polaris was telling the truth, as far fetched as his conclusion sounded; this world was unable to let out lies. He placed a finger under his bottom lip. ¡°That explains the pain I felt when I was awake.¡± He turned to Polaris. ¡°Is there any way to stop the Invader from taking souls?¡± ¡°We are still looking into it.¡± ¡°Come back when you find an answer.¡± Polaris bowed and then vanished. Nova stared at the hologram screen once more. He fast-forwarded memories after her death. She was in the Spirit World and that was it. There wasn¡¯t an image or a scene of how she left the Spirit World. It just ended abruptly. He felt disdain. He wanted to know more about her, but he knew personal feelings should not coincide with his duties. He then remembered he needed to look into Kori¡¯s memories. Perhaps, his questions about Sayaka could be answered if he looked into Kori¡¯s memories. He needed answers and he would not stop until he found answers that satisfied him. With his right hand, he grasped the feathers; they were absorbed into the mark. ¡°Nicely stored,¡± he muttered as he focused back on the hologram screens. Just the thought of wanting to see Kori¡¯s memories caused the screens to change from Sayaka¡¯s memories to Kori¡¯s. The beginning of Kori¡¯s memories started from his creation being completed in a laboratory. He had no thoughts and such and only obeyed commands. After a while, Kori¡¯s memories were mainly filled with Arcturus. It was as if he watched a film documentary about a portion of Arcturus¡¯s teen years. From what he gathered, Kori had been under Arcturus¡¯s care for four years; it started when Arcturus was sixteen. Kori¡¯s emotions flourished under Arcturus¡¯s care; A part of him felt envious of what he saw. While he had a lifelong companion in Souhait, his budding friendship with Arcturus was miniscule. He wanted to know more about Arcturus¨Cjust looking through memories wasn¡¯t enough. Nova saw the transition from Kori being an emotionless, obedient robot to someone with free will. The scene of Kori¡¯s end through Kori¡¯s own eyes was a lot more gruesome than looking at it through Arcturus¡¯s perspective. It also made him cry; his tears surprised him. He had disliked Shifties because of their lack of free will, but he had been misguided. Arcturus had been correct all along. Kori wasn¡¯t just a robot; he was a person. He had his thoughts, emotions and will. He chose to sacrifice his life to help his dearest friend. Unlike humans, Kori had a short life, hence the length of his memories was much shorter in comparison to humans. Shifties, although man-made, were just like people; there were good and bad Shifties just like how there were good and bad people. However, he wasn¡¯t sure if the Shifties that had been pursuing him were truly bad; they could have developed a will and still chose to pursue him. He knew to not turn his opinion over completely because of this assumption. ¡°I guess we have to get used to Shifties now. They¡¯re alive.¡± I wonder how long it would take for us to get completely used to them. We have all the time in the world. Hearing Souhait chuckle at Nova¡¯s response made Nova smile as well. His words were the truth; they had all the time in the world to sort out their thoughts. Nothing was ever too late for them. Nova then took some of Kori¡¯s memories, which took the form of snowflakes; the way they all had different patterns fascinated him. They amused him; snowflakes were like people. No two snowflakes were identical; the same applied to humans. Snow was never alone, just like people. He gathered four important memories and stored them in his right hand as well. Nova took a deep breath. He was nervous, but he was ready. The lavender door changed into a sky blue color. ¡°That¡¯s the door. What sort of realm could a Shiftie¡¯s soul create?¡± Let us find out. ¡°Yeah.¡± Nova approached the door and opened it. Snow-covered Forest (Sayaka Arc Part 1) Nova¡¯s eyes glistened at the sight in front of him. It was a pure white world, a world full of snow. The sky was cloudy with snow falling down. Forests with snow covered trees had spread out on both the east and west. The middle of both forests was a path blanketed with snow. The snow was pure white, save for one noticeable speck Nova noticed in the distance. When Nova took a step forward, he tripped. He bemoaned ruining the pristine snow path, but he noticed the snow wasn¡¯t cold; it felt like cotton. He touched the sleeve of his shirt and felt how smooth and silky it was. It wasn¡¯t because his body was numb. He was able to feel in the Spirit World. He got up. His clothes were not wet either; he did not feel cold. He had to press on; he couldn¡¯t just admire the snow. He needed to find what that speck was. When he got closer, he saw that the speck was actually a person with long black hair. He stopped at a distance. He was still a bit far from the person, but still at a distance where he could see them. He admired the long black locks; they reminded him of the night sky. The person turned around; a petite young woman with jet black eyes gazed upon his lavender ones. She wore a tattered jumpsuit that did not match the current climate of this place. In her arms resided a sleeping white rabbit. ¡°This forest wasn¡¯t always enveloped by snow.¡± Her voice was raspy, which did not match her relaxed expression. ¡°The reason why it became like this is because time stopped for this child.¡± She looked down at the rabbit. Nova noticed her sunken shoulders that made her look hunched over. Nova knew this woman was Sayaka Minami. When he looked at her memories, she was someone so devoted to making the best of her life; now, she looked lifeless as if she had given up on everything. He found it a saddening sight. ¡°How long have you been here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t care.¡± She then took a good glance at him. ¡°Lavender eyes. Tell me, why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to grant your wish.¡± Sayaka scoffed. ¡°So, you are the lavender-eyed charlatan.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Nova furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°In my hometown, there¡¯s an urban legend about a psychopathic lavender-eyed woman claiming to be able to grant wishes, but actually kills people. It¡¯s a scary story that adults and the elderly like to tell to keep children in check.¡± ¡°Urban legend¡­?¡± He tilted his head; he wasn¡¯t sure how he became such. ¡°But, I can see that while you bear lavender eyes, you are no woman.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to grant your wish, though.¡± Sayaka¡¯s eyes widened and her mouth gaped; he could tell she was genuinely surprised. She approached him. ¡°Is it even possible for a passing soul like me to have a wish?¡± Her hostility seemed to only be a front, Nova assumed. He hadn¡¯t sensed any negativity from her earlier behavior. Her words about him being an urban legend of sorts did not seem to be lies as well; the Spirit World did not allow them. ¡°Yes, because of a wish, spirits are now considered alive. My goal is to grant wishes to all living beings on this planet¨Cthis includes you and Kori.¡± ¡°Are you really able to grant my wish?¡± Sayaka asked; there was a spark that came and went in her eyes that Nova saw. Nova was surprised to see it, but it gave him hope. He reached his right hand out. Four feathers materialized and floated above it. ¡°Take my hand.¡± Sayaka removed one hand from the rabbit and almost reached out; she hesitated. Nova found it a normal reaction, but also a sign that passing souls are as alive as they were when they were physically present. He gazed into her eyes; he could see fear and doubt. She feared what would happen if she did take his hand; she doubted his capabilities. What she needed was encouragement; he knew the definite words to say to reel her in. ¡°Wishes are the magic formed from the heart. In order to make them come true, you need to move forward; magic cannot happen when you¡¯re hesitant.¡± He saw her reassured as she grabbed his hand. The feathers started glowing underneath her hand. One shot out from the gap between their hands and shot up towards the sky like fireworks. The scenery changed from the snowy, desolate forest into a dimly lit field. From the minimal lighting, Nova saw barbed fences enclosing the area. There were two people, a young girl and a hulking tall man. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Now, Sayaka, show me the fruits of your effort.¡± He had a loud, intimidating voice that startled Nova. ¡°Come at me with all you got.¡± The young Sayaka charged towards him. She threw a kick at him, but he defended with his thick arms. He then threw a punch at her, which she dodged by bending down. She used her left leg to kick his legs, but he also dodged by jumping with his legs up in the air. Their sparring continued by hitting and dodging until the man caught Sayaka off guard and punched her in the stomach. She reacted poorly to the impact; she knelt down, clutching her stomach as she gasped and wheezed. ¡°You still react poorly to one punch in the stomach?¡± His question caused Sayaka to become silent as her visage contorted with fear. She slowly looked up to see her father¡¯s intimidating eyes freezing her. Nova heard her heartbeat increasing gradually. Sayaka tried to speak, but fear paralyzed her. The man just sighed. ¡°This is why girls are useless. It would¡¯ve been better if you had been born a boy.¡± He turned around. Sayaka sputtered out, ¡°Father, wait¡­¡± as she clutched his ankle. ¡°One more time, please¡­¡± ¡°I cannot work with someone who gets hurt easily.¡± ¡°I can do it.¡± ¡°And how many times have you said that? Soldiers at war get hurt all the time, but they steel themselves to withstand any hit. You and I have been training together for five years and yet you still react poorly to getting your stomach hit. I cannot and will not train weak people.¡± Sayaka gripped his ankle. ¡°Father, please¡­¡± In a flash, Sayaka found herself staring at the night sky. There wasn¡¯t any time for her to laze about because she felt a strong grip on her neck, seizing away all her chances of breathing. She gripped her father¡¯s wrist and mustered all of her strength to remove it; the lack of air and the fear she felt within were making her weak. ¡°What will you do in a situation like this, Sayaka? Your breathing is diminishing. An enemy is taking your life away. How will you survive? Can you survive?¡± Sayaka wanted to live. She needed to. She had to prove to her father that she was strong. She gripped his wrist and mustered all of her strength onto her leg to kick him in the groin. The power of her kick did cause a reaction in him as he loosened his grip, allowing her to breathe. She took the opportunity to grab a switchblade hidden under her shirt and pointed it at him. Her father just looked at her amidst his pain; he took a deep breath and stood up. ¡°I commend you for your quick thinking, but that¡¯s not enough. You lowered your guard so much that you weren¡¯t aware of me grabbing your neck. Next time, try to be more alert.¡± Sayaka lowered her hand and then her head. Nova heard thoughts about her frustrations with not being able to meet her father¡¯s expectations. He could sense how strong her mental stress was. It felt like a strong pressure pushing his shoulders. ¡°Sayaka, I¡¯ll test you again next week, so get stronger.¡± He turned around and left. Sayaka was bewildered at the time limit. She dropped the knife and fell onto her knees. I can¡¯t take this anymore! Her thoughts were like shouts as she clutched her head. Someone, please take me somewhere¨Canywhere but here! I hate it here. I hate how I am bound to this fate. Why am I here? Why do I have to be here? Why did I have to be born here? She clutched her chest and gritted her teeth; she looked as if she wanted to cry, but could not. Her distraught emotions were making Nova stagger. He couldn¡¯t handle how much sadness and frustration she was feeling; it was resonating into his soul. The way she was tearing herself up from anguish made Nova want to do the same. Control yourself, Nova. Souhait remarked. Those words were enough to give him focus. He needed to be strong and not succumb into negative emotions. I wish I could escape from this place. Mother and Father don¡¯t love me. They don¡¯t see me as a person, only a tool. Everyone else in this household sees me like that too. I don¡¯t want to be here. I don¡¯t want to become a soldier like everyone else. She looked up at the night sky. The black sky was so clear, but there wasn¡¯t a moon in sight. It was an empty black void. Despite that, she knew it was more free than her. The sky was endless; she was not. ¡°I want to be like the clear sky. I want to be free and go wherever I please¡­¡± Nova heard soft sniffling as he turned to see the current Sayaka shedding tears and sniffling. Seeing her cry made him uneasy. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Ever since I was born, my parents raised me to become a soldier of high status. All my life, I only knew violence and pain. All I wanted was to be free. I did what I could to achieve that, but now I¡¯m dead. Did I live a fulfilling life? Did I truly live as free as I wanted? Did I become like the sky?¡± Nova sensed tremendous sadness overflowing within her. He responded, ¡°That¡¯s for you to decide.¡± Seeing her pouting face made Nova recall what he had seen from her memories; her life began and ended tragically, but he also recalled the good moments¨Cthe moments where she had been truly happy. ¡°Sayaka,¡± Nova grabbed her hand. ¡°I believe you did live a life as you desired. You just need to realize it.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Follow me!¡± He ran while dragging her along. He ran towards the fence, which they phased through, startling Sayaka in the process; she kept blubbering about how they were able to go through the fence without the need to climb. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Sayaka asked; her voice was loud due to her fears. ¡°Hang on tight!¡± He held her hand tight as they jumped off a cliff. ¡°We¡¯re going to die!¡± Sayaka yelled; her voice echoed as they ventured further down. Free Like The Clear Sky (Sayaka Arc Part 2) Sayaka¡¯s screams were resonating in Nova¡¯s ears, but they were only fuel for his excitement as he closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were no longer falling; instead, they were in a small room. He scanned his surroundings. It was a very small room with a bunk bed, minimal living space, no kitchen and a door to what Nova assumed was the bathroom as well as another door that was most likely used for entering and exiting. Luggages were all pushed to one corner opposite from the bed. Sayaka started shrieking. ¡°Why are we here?¡± ¡°This is an important aspect of your memory.¡± Nova¡¯s words seemed to have an effect on Sayaka as he saw her expression change from scared to calm. She clutched onto the rabbit tightly as she gulped and stared straight at the door. A younger Sayaka bursted into the room with an exhausted demeanor. She fell onto the bed, hoping to ease her stress. Exhausted thoughts filled her mind. She rolled over and then let out a big sigh. ¡°Is this what I really want to do?¡± Nova had recalled from Sayaka¡¯s memories that she was forced to enlist in the military as her father believed it would strengthen her physically and mentally. Sayaka had struggled a lot because she had been against enlisting. The days she spent training felt like hell. She hated everything about the military; though, there was one saving grace amidst the chaos. The past Sayaka¡¯s attention drew to someone who entered her room. A tall girl around her age walked across the room. She had dirty blonde hair styled in a boyish cut, bright green eyes and was dressed in the same uniform as Sayaka. ¡°Are you okay?¡± She had a bit of a raspy voice. Sayaka sat up to stare at her. ¡°I¡¯m okay. Thanks for asking, Lillia.¡± She feigned a smile. Lillia just stared at her. She approached her and then knelt down. ¡°If you say you¡¯re not okay, just say it. I don¡¯t want to see you breaking down even more than before.¡± How kind you are, Lillia. Worrying about a disappointment like me. Sayaka still maintained the fake smile. ¡°Thank you for being considerate of me.¡± I do not deserve it at all. ¡°I¡¯m okay. Really.¡± ¡°If you say so¡­¡± Lillia then went into the bathroom to wash up. Sayaka just laid down once more. She thought about what happened throughout the day. While the training was as excruciating as she remembered, she also recalled feeling so much pressure due to expectations; the trainers were all people her father knew and they had high hopes for her. Her days were always spent disappointing all of them. Today had been the worst for she had been given snide remarks. Her already fragile mentality waned day by day. She had enough; she wanted to leave. She stood up and looked out the window. Security Cobots heavily secured the camp at night. It was impossible for any recruit to leave their rooms after curfew. Sayaka knew that the longer she was confined here, the harder it would become to run away. She needed to act now. She aimed straight for her luggage, but stopped. She glanced over at the bathroom door. Lillia had been struggling with the military camp as much as she did. She wondered if she should ask her to come along. She shook her head at the thought. Lillia¡¯s here because she wants to be. She wants to make people happy. She needs to be here. She resolved to escape by herself. She did not want to burden others and she did not want others to burden her. She hastily packed her bag; she had brought a large suitcase and a small backpack, but opted to leave the suitcase behind. She packed clothes and portable toiletries that she had extras of and rushed towards the door. She stopped to hear the sound of Lillia humming in the shower one last time before taking a deep breath. She turned off the lights and scurried. She did her best to avoid passing security bots and guards and left the dorm building undetected; having a small frame felt like a blessing for her. Once she was outside, she knew the next stage in her escape was going to be a challenging one. The security robots were programmed with the most advanced artificial intelligence. Finding a fault in them was impossible. Nova¡¯s heart started racing at the scene. He had remembered watching it before in the Contract Room. It was as if he was watching a movie; he anticipated her next move despite knowing what happened next. The only way to best my way through these flawless robots is to eliminate them. Even if they are perfect, they have a weak point. She scanned the vicinity. When the coast was clear, she took out a switchblade she had hidden under her sleeve and snuck up behind the robot. She kicked it onto the ground and swiftly stabbed the center of its back. The robot started short-circuiting before it ultimately shut down. She tossed it aside after pulling the blade out. Robots aren¡¯t perfect because they¡¯re all powered by a core. Like how humans have a brain and heart to function. Take them out and it¡¯s the end. She gripped the handle tightly with a dissatisfied expression. In the end, all I know is violence. She repeated the same tactics for the second and third robot she detected. After destroying the core for the third robot, she noticed a fourth one coming her way, so she had to abandon her blade and somersaulted herself towards the robot¡¯s blind zone. There were seven robots in total and she had destroyed three so far. The fence seemed so far away. ¡°Fuck it,¡± she whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll just have to rely on brute strength against machines.¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. She charged towards the fourth security robot, subdued it and used all of her leg strength to smash its chest, damaging its core. Nova found her strength impressive. He turned to the current Sayaka and asked, ¡°Do you have Plasmian blood within you?¡± To Nova, she was as strong as Arcturus who is mixed. Sayaka shook her head. ¡°I do not. I am a pureblooded Laminan.¡± ¡°What is the secret to your family¡¯s strength? You all are much stronger than the average Laminan.¡± ¡°We just use our intelligence to find ways to enhance our strength.¡± ¡°Think smarter and not harder. An interesting perspective.¡± When he focused back on her memory, the past Sayaka already destroyed the sixth robot with brute strength. Once she hid from the final robot, she took a look at her hands. They were swollen. If she continued with this, they would bleed. That would also mean it would hinder her chances of escape. She shook her head. I already made it this far. I cannot back out now. After replenishing some of her energy, she wasted no seconds and lunged towards the final robot. When she used her hands to subdue the robot and to tear it apart, she suddenly felt a sharp cut through her hand and saw blood. She quickly threw the robot onto the ground and smashed its core. She looked back at the mess she created. She knew this sort of path would be her future from now on. With a deep breath and solid resolve, she eyed the barbed fence. She started climbing; ignoring the pricks that she continuously felt. ¡°I¡¯m impressed you kept going despite having bloodied hands.¡± Nova remarked. The current Sayaka then released a hand from the rabbit and showed it to Nova. His eyes widened at the sight of the numerous scars all over the palm and fingers. He felt something sink into his chest. ¡°SAYAKA!¡± A voice yelled out to the escaping recruit. The past Sayaka stopped and turned around to see Lillia approaching her with a worried countenance. She ignored her presence and continued. ¡°What are you doing, Sayaka? You¡¯re going to get in trouble!¡± Once she reached the top, Sayaka took a good look at the clear night sky. The wind felt nice from the top. She turned to Lillia who was still panicking at her actions. ¡°Lillia, remember what I had told you three months ago? About how I wanted to be the wind? About how I want to be free from rules and expectations and drift to wherever I please? That¡¯s what I¡¯m doing right now: becoming the wind.¡± ¡°Is this what you really want?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If you leave, you¡¯ll become a fugitive and live a life running away forever. Is that what you want?¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± Lillia Heartful, so earnest and kind. She¡¯s nothing like me. She¡¯s someone who still has people who love her. I do not. Even if I want to offer her to tag along with me, I cannot strip her of a life she chose for herself. She took one last look at Lillia¡¯s surprised countenance, taking in her green eyes. She had never seen such green eyes before; they were a pure green color that reminded her of emeralds. ¡°Lillia, there will be a day where we will cross paths as fugitive and soldier. I can¡¯t wait to see what sort of soldier you¡¯ll become. We will become enemies and I won¡¯t hold back when that time comes. Even if it means killing you, I will continue to be as free as the wind¨Cas free as the clear sky you see above you.¡± The surprise on Lillia''s face slowly changed into a reluctant but firm expression. Sayaka could tell she wasn¡¯t going to say anything to her anymore; she was accepting her escape. It was as if she was letting her go. As a sign of gratitude, she gave Lillia a genuine smile. ¡°Good-bye, Lillia Heartful. May we meet again in the future.¡± She then jumped down on the opposite side of the wall and rushed towards the dark world in front of her. Her heart started racing. Excitement boiled her blood. She was finally free. The memory ended. Nova and Sayaka were still standing next to each other; Nova couldn¡¯t find the right words to start a conversation. Seeing her in the Spirit World made him sad; she longed for freedom. She obtained it and it was taken away from her the moment she died and her soul had drifted here. He knew from her memories that she was free, but what about her true feelings? Was she truly satisfied? He needed to know. ¡°How did you feel about your escape and tasting freedom for the first time in your life?¡± Sayaka¡¯s free hand curled into a fist; she placed it on her chest. ¡°It was the best feeling in the world.¡± Nova¡¯s eyes widened as he saw a bright grin on her face. The Sayaka he witnessed from the memory and in this world was a woman with little expressions, so to see her with such a bright visage warmed his heart; the warmth caused him to develop a frustration within him. He found it unfair that such a person who desired freedom had it taken away from her. ¡°And now you¡¯re stuck here.¡± Nova murmured. ¡°It¡¯s not so bad. I¡¯m dead, but it means that I¡¯m truly free. I do not need to meet my family. I don¡¯t need to run away from soldiers. I think this Spirit World is like an answer to my wishes.¡± Nova couldn¡¯t believe what he had heard. ¡°You¡¯re happy you¡¯re dead?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She was speaking the truth, but Nova found it unfathomable because she had such a cruel and unfortunate death. Sayaka¡¯s eyes started glistening as tears dripped down her face, surprising Nova. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Even if I¡¯m happy to be dead¡­to be free¡­I still have regrets. I wanted to tell Lillia to come with me. I wanted to make my new life more fulfilling, but I keep thinking about how I died and I cannot get over it.¡± Nova felt his heart sinking into his chest as he watched Sayaka weeped. A sudden chill brushed down his spine. He felt tension in the atmosphere. The longer she wept, the stronger it became. He felt uneasy. ¡°Sayaka, please calm down.¡± His eyes protruded as he witnessed a black aura shrouding Sayaka. His worries accumulated as he grabbed onto her shoulder. He shook her with all his might. ¡°Snap out of it, please.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have trusted Naomi¡­¡± Sayaka muttered. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t trusted her, none of this would¡¯ve happened.¡± Her grip on the rabbit tightened to the point that it had to pull itself out of her grip. It landed on the ground and turned its head to stare at the guilt-ridden Sayaka. The aura became thicker. Nova¡¯s worries kept growing. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault¡­¡± ¡°It is my fault.¡± She muttered. ¡°It¡¯s absolutely my fault.¡± A strong force suddenly pushed Nova back, releasing his hand from Sayaka¡¯s shoulder. ¡°No!¡± Sayaka fell onto her knees, clutching her head and screaming. The aura started shrouding the entire area, concealing the entire memory and changing it into a black void. Nova mustered all of his strength to push forward towards Sayaka, but he kept being blasted back. ¡°Don¡¯t give into your negative emotions!¡± His words were futile to her ears. She kept despairing while Nova eventually found himself submerged into a dark ocean. All he could do was wallow in his own regrets by covering his face with his hands. Don¡¯t give into your negative emotions, or I¡¯ll do the same¡­ Dark Ocean Of Negative Emotions (Sayaka Arc Part 3) Nova¡¯s senses were dimmed the further he fell into the dark ocean. It felt like he was trapped in an endless, eternal prison. Fear captured him. Failure scared him. Loneliness terrified him. He didn¡¯t want people to be shrouded with their negative emotions, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. Darkness and light coexisted with each other; positive and negative emotions were the same. The Realm of Desires was a sensitive world where it would be contaminated as soon as strong negative emotions were to become disarray. How can we reach Sayaka in order to grant her wish? Souhait asked. Is it even possible? Nova remarked. The more he fell into the void, the more apathetic he became. Do not succumb into the darkness. I can¡¯t. It¡¯s pulling me in. Stay strong. I can¡¯t¡­ No matter how much he wanted to encourage himself to keep going, he couldn¡¯t. It was difficult to fight back when Sayaka¡¯s guilt and despair was affecting this world and him. He felt a force pulling his arm out, making it look like he was reaching out for something. He wasn¡¯t in control; this was Souhait¡¯s doing. Because they both shared his body, it allowed Souhait to take control of it as he pleased. Nova gasped when he felt this force; sudden hope came to him. Souhait was doing his best to help Nova fight; they needed each other. Nova needed to be strong. He did not want to let Souhait down. Thank you. We are in this together. Always and forever. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Always and forever. Nova used all of his power to shift his body around so that he was heading up towards where he had fallen from. Sayaka¡¯s emotions were very strong; they kept pushing him back when he kept pushing forth. It was a battle between Nova and the force. He reached his hand out; he needed to see Sayaka. A hand suddenly reached out and grabbed his own. Nova¡¯s eyes widened at his sudden rescuer. A boy with snow white hair and pale blue eyes graced his presence. He was dressed in casual modern clothes befitting a young teenage boy. What caught Nova¡¯s eyes the most was his lopped rabbit ears. ¡°You¡¯re Kori.¡± Kori¡¯s grip on his hand tightened. ¡°You¡¯re the wish-granting lavender dragon. You are someone full of power, yet here you are being weak. Are you sure you¡¯re capable?¡± Kori¡¯s words stung, frustrating Nova. He was right. While Nova was a powerful person, he still had many weaknesses. He never knew there would be a day where he¡¯d be lectured by a man-made creation. ¡°I¡¯m fully capable. I just need people to show them off to.¡± ¡°If you say so. So, lavender dragon, how are we going to get out of here?¡± ¡°This is still a part of her memory.¡± Nova remarked. ¡°All we need to do is to move onto the next memory, but that is a gamble.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°It is the memory of the moment Sayaka died. Given her vulnerable state, it could spiral her out of control even more or it could calm her down if she accepts it. If you are willing to take that risk, we can stop her.¡± Nova looked Kori straight in the eye. He wanted to know the sort of drive a man-made creation had. Was Kori someone with agency? Was he someone with a lack of it? ¡°Please. I want to help her. She¡¯s the one who gave me a soul, after all. If it weren¡¯t for her, I wouldn¡¯t have met Arcturus and experienced these emotions I am feeling right now.¡± Nova wondered if the Realm of Desires had allowed Shifties to bring out their true emotions. However, he knew Kori¡¯s feelings and words were all genuine; he could sense his sincerity from his voice. They both had a common goal, so Nova knew to trust him. Nova released his hand from Kori¡¯s and then reached it out above. The third feather came out from his hand, basked in light. The radiance was so powerful that the environment started changing. Buildings sprouted out from below like trees. Soon, the black sky remained, but their surroundings became brighter as a myriad of colorful lights surrounded them. The Day Sayaka Died (Sayaka Arc Part 4) ¡°This place is¡­?¡± Kori scanned his surroundings while confused. ¡°Petiole, a small town in Lamina. Sayaka had snuck into Lamina illegally and had been roaming around the town for a year. She sought shelter in the slums where she was welcomed. The people who took her in did not know she was a fugitive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Sayaka commanded. ¡°Enough about my past.¡± Nova turned around. Sayaka wasn¡¯t in good condition. She was breathing heavily and sweat dripped down her face. Kori rushed towards her before she fell down from staggering. ¡°Lavender-eyed man, why are you showing me this?¡± ¡°I only show memories of instances where people had a wish. This is how I help them find their wish.¡± Before Sayaka could retort, they were interrupted by yelling. Nova turned to see soldiers chasing after a hooded Sayaka. The scene compelled Nova to start chasing after them; he needed to see the scene. Damn that Naomi! I can¡¯t believe she betrayed me like this! She beelined towards a nearby alley and decided to jump on top of a dumpster and then bounced on the walls in a zigzag pattern to reach the top of a building where she then proceeded to continue jumping from building to building in order to escape her pursuers. Nova took a big leap and found himself on top of the same building as well. Kori followed suit while carrying Sayaka on his back; Nova found it an unusual sight where a shorter boy was carrying a woman much taller than him. ¡°Does following the memory Sayaka ensure a peripheral view of the overall environment?¡± Kori asked. Nova just smiled. ¡°Anything can happen in the Realm of Desires as long as you desire for it to happen. That¡¯s just how this world works¨Cwe created it after all.¡± He pointed to the fleeing Sayaka. ¡°If I wanted to follow the memory of Sayaka, I can just do so, but I can also do this.¡± He snapped and he found himself running alongside Sayaka, but his legs were not moving. Kori and the present Sayaka seemed to be dragged along by Nova''s antics. ¡°Are we flying?¡± Sayaka asked while worried. ¡°I believe we are floating. Humans cannot fly, after all.¡± Kori remarked. ¡°Call it whatever you want.¡± Nova responded. ¡°Just remember that this is how this realm works.¡± Nova focused back on the memory. Sayaka eventually found shelter in an empty, abandoned building and huddled in a corner. As she was catching her breath, she closed her eyes in order to process everything that transpired. She had been betrayed by the people who took her in; they had sold her out to soldiers as her status as a wanted fugitive. That was when she had been running since the morning. She had no time to eat or drink water. She took out a feather necklace that was hidden behind her shirt. The sight of it caused her to clasp it. ¡°Sylvia¡­¡± She had complicated emotions welling within her. She was confused, angry and upset; all three were equally dominant. It¡¯s all because of her that this mess happened. I should eliminate her and then get out of here as soon as possible. I might make an enemy out of Naomi, but having enemies is better than being captured. With resolve, she headed off towards the left. This has caused the current Sayaka to become upset. She yelled to her past self, ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡± and removed herself from Kori¡¯s back and ran towards her memory. ¡°You dumbass! You idiot! You dolt! Don¡¯t go there!¡± Nova could tell Sayaka had many regrets. He saw her body slowly being enveloped by the black aura once more. He needed to calm her down, so he snapped his fingers. The scene instantly jumped from Sayaka being in the empty room to her standing in front of a diner. The current Sayaka, angered, stomped towards Nova and slapped him. ¡°I do not want to see this memory! Why do you keep making me look at this?¡± Nova placed a hand to his stricken cheek. Her reaction was much different from Arcturus¡¯s. He knew memories were a sensitive topic; humans were especially sensitive to their own regrets. Humans would get angry if probed too much and he knew it was because they were afraid of facing the truth. His ability to grant wishes came from them facing the truth and finding the wish deep within their hearts. That was why he would refuse all requests to pause or skip memories. Even if he got slapped, trampled on, burnt, or even stabbed, he would keep going. ¡°Because this is the only way I can achieve my goal.¡± He gave her a small smile. ¡°And what is your goal?¡± ¡°To grant the wishes of all living beings in the world, which includes you.¡± Sayaka¡¯s eyes widened. She bit her lip and clutched her hands into fists. He could tell she had some regrets about slapping him. He didn¡¯t mind. ¡°Let¡¯s proceed.¡± Sayaka responded with a nod. The Sayaka in the memory glanced around her surroundings. She then took a deep breath and gently pushed the door open. The door was unlocked, allowing her to enter. It made her cautious. The diner had no one inside yet it was unlocked. It felt like a trap to lure her in. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Sylvia, I know you¡¯re in here. Come on out.¡± A clicking noise caught her attention as she turned around to see an older woman pointing a rifle at her. Nova saw a rather muscular woman in a dark messy bun. She was tall and full of scars. Her dark eyes were full of exhaustion. Sayaka did not seem intimidated by her. ¡°Why did you come back here? Are you an idiot?¡± Her voice was soft, contrasting her appearance heavily. ¡°I¡¯m just here to settle a score once and for all. I¡¯m a fugitive after all. Running away in this small town is a hassle, so I figured I should just eliminate everyone here and then leave so I won¡¯t have pursuers.¡± ¡°Smart, but I have a gun.¡± Sayaka took out a pistol from underneath her shirt. ¡°I have one too.¡± ¡°Mine¡¯s bigger.¡± ¡°Size doesn¡¯t win fights, hon. It¡¯s all about confidence.¡± They just pointed their guns and stared at each other for a moment before Sayaka dashed towards a nearby table to hide underneath. She used her current position to try and shoot Sylvia¡¯s legs, but she dodged. Sylvia cocked her rifle and tried shooting where Sayaka was, but failed as the latter rolled out and hid underneath another table. Sayaka used her pistol to shoot Sylvia¡¯s legs again and she succeeded in shooting her left leg just below the knee. She winced and knelt down in pain. Sayaka took the opportunity to dash towards her and got out a knife that she hid underneath her right shirt sleeve. She kicked the rifle out of Sylvia¡¯s hands and then stabbed her knife onto her right shoulder. She pushed her down so that Sylvia¡¯s back was on the floor. While in pain, Sylvia just chuckled, ¡°No wonder you¡¯re a fugitive, you¡¯re tough as nails.¡± ¡°I did what I could to survive.¡± She let the knife be stuck on Sylvia¡¯s shoulder as she used her free hands to wrap them around her neck. ¡°Sayaka, why did you become a fugitive?¡± Sylvia¡¯s question was abrupt, but Sayaka knew it was a form of distraction in order for her to not get strangled. ¡°I was tired of my family controlling my life, so I ran away from becoming a soldier. I wanted to be free to live my life how I pleased.¡± ¡°Have you ever regretted choosing that path?¡± While Sayaka did enjoy her freedom, she knew it wasn¡¯t all fun and games. The constant escaping was getting tiresome, but she didn¡¯t want to give up. However, she wasn¡¯t truly happy. There was a small portion of her that did have regret. ¡°I only have a slither of regret, honestly. I just wished I could¡¯ve had a companion¡­¡± She thought of Lillia who had witnessed her escape through the fence. If only she had a companion, the life of a fugitive wouldn¡¯t be so excruciatingly lonely. ¡°I have a question for you. Answer honestly and I will make your death peaceful. Why did you take me in, despite knowing I was a fugitive?¡± ¡°I did it for the money. I thought that if I could be nice to you, I could backstab you and then hand you over. With the bounty on your head, the money would¡¯ve been more than enough for Naomi and I to leave this cruddy town and start our lives anew.¡± Nova sensed exhaustion when she had mentioned Naomi. He could tell it wasn¡¯t for their sake, but for her own. It seemed that Sayaka had sensed it too. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s for you and Naomi? It seems that it¡¯s just you who want to start anew.¡± ¡°You can tell?¡± ¡°Your eyes look dead. Also, I could tell from the time that I stayed here. You want to break it off with Naomi, yet you cannot let go.¡± Sylvia just sighed. ¡°Strangle me. I want to die.¡± She was tall and strong. Her muscles were twice bigger than hers, yet she was as fragile as an eggshell. She was a pitiful being. Sayaka complied with the request. She tightened her grip on her neck. Suddenly, she heard a gunshot and felt an overwhelming pain surging throughout her body. Her grip loosened as she looked down to see blood pooling out of her gut. She turned around to see a wheelchair-bound woman with a pistol. She saw the flickering instance of smoke coming out from it. She turned back to Sylvia who had a horrified look. All she felt was anger. She felt angry at Sylvia for not letting her know Naomi was behind her. She was angry at Naomi for managing to kill her. She was angry at herself for not killing someone as fast as possible. She felt weak as if life was draining out of her. Flashes of her memories sweeped in. She remembered everything from her painful childhood to meeting Lillia at the training camp to her life as a fugitive. As she fell back, she started collecting memories of Lillia. A sense of regret came to her as she kept remembering her. She thought about what sort of life she would¡¯ve had if she had asked Lillia to run away with her. Would she have been happier? Would she have been able to escape longer and not end her life so suddenly? I wish I could go back in time and ask Lillia to run away with me. She fell onto her side. All she could utter was ¡°Fuck it all¡­¡± Once the memory had finished, Nova turned to the current Sayaka who was looking down. He patted her shoulder. ¡°I understand how upset you are.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so stupid. I shouldn¡¯t have gone back to that diner in the first place. Why did I even think about killing them all? ¡± She lowered herself until she was on her knees; Kori knelt down to check on her. ¡°Damn it, I wanted to live longer. I wanted to taste freedom¡­¡± Nova raised an eyebrow. ¡°Weren¡¯t you already free when you deserted the camp?¡± Sayaka shook her head. ¡°I did escape. That was my first taste of freedom, but what came after was loneliness. I was so lonely. Running away alone and hiding by myself were all such lonely tasks. I always woke up thinking someone was coming after me. I never had a companion. If I had someone with me¨CLillia¨CI¡¯m sure that I would¡¯ve felt freer. Perhaps, we could¡¯ve just escaped the town if we had been ratted out.¡± When she stopped slapping her hand. She got up. ¡°You said you grant wishes? Then I wish to revive myself to find Lillia.¡± Looking at her eyes, Nova knew that wasn¡¯t her true wish. It was something she said out of a whim; there was no sincerity. ¡°I cannot do that.¡± Irritated, she grabbed Nova by the collar. ¡°You said you grant wishes, so why can¡¯t you grant that wish?¡± Nova could tell she wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind; looking at the moment of her death had caused her to become unstable and anxious. He had to do his best to calm her before she went berserk again. He pointed to her chest. ¡°Wishes are magic formed from the heart. A half-hearted one like that won¡¯t be granted.¡± ¡°You¨C ¡°He¡¯s right, Sayaka.¡± Kori intercepted her rebuke. ¡°That¡¯s not what you truly wish for. You just said that in a spur of a moment.¡± Sayaka let go of Nova. She turned to glare at him. ¡°What do you know?¡± ¡°I know you. I know everything about you. It¡¯s because my soul was born from you. I know what your true wish is.¡± He gazed upon Nova. ¡°Please show us the last memory.¡± Nova was not one to reject a memory-viewing request. He let out the final feather from his hand and it glowed, changing the scenery one final time. Sayakas True Wish (Sayaka Arc Part 5) In the last memory of Sayaka¡¯s, she was floating aimlessly inside an endless void.. She could not remember what had happened that caused her to be there. All she could remember was the anger and regret she felt when she had died. She felt more of the latter rather than the former. Is the afterlife just endless floating? She wondered as she kept floating around. Many thoughts came to her such as whether time flew in this void or if anyone actually knew she had died. She closed her eyes. The void was pure silence; she had neither a heartbeat nor breath. She found it rather peaceful. It was as if the silence was giving her a sense of freedom she longed for. Perhaps, this isn¡¯t as bad as I assumed. Nova saw her floating around even more, hoping to find some other person or an exit. She had passed through the present Sayaka, Kori and him several times. The past Sayaka eventually stopped. Nova sensed her peaceful sense of self slowly becoming anxious. He could tell it was due to loneliness. A voice suddenly called out to her, Why do you change your emotions so quickly? ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± She recognized the voice as male, but there weren¡¯t any men in sight. She noticed an unusual light around her vicinity. She looked down to see herself glowing. The light amalgamated towards her heart and then pulled itself out until it was across from her. The ball of light started changing its shape into a humanoid one. Once it ceased to change, the light stopped glowing and in front of her resided a young boy with snow white hair, lopped rabbit ears while wearing an outfit identical to hers. Nova recognized this boy as Kori. The only difference between the current one and the past was the glint in their eyes. The past Kori had lifeless eyes while the current one had vibrant blue eyes. ¡°Who are you?¡± Sayaka asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­. All I know is that I am a Shiftie and that I came out of you.¡± ¡°What is a Shiftie?¡± ¡°We are advanced androids¨Cthe perfect lifeforms. We live to serve our masters.¡± Sayaka scoffed at his explanation. ¡°Perfect lifeforms? Live to serve your masters? That¡¯s not perfection in any way. People just created you for convenience. You have no sense of freedom.¡± ¡°What is freedom?¡± ¡°Freedom is choosing what you want to do and be without anyone tying you down.¡± ¡°Do I have freedom?¡± ¡°Not with that mindset of living to serve your masters. Freedom is about you. If you live to serve, that¡¯s not freedom. That¡¯s being contained. Freedom is living without containment.¡± ¡°I do not understand.¡± Sayaka sighed. ¡°First off, can I have your name?¡± ¡°My ID code is 541-RBT, but the name my master gave me is Kori.¡± She furrowed her eyebrows. He felt like a product to her¨Calso like a pet. She did not like it at all. She pitied him. He was alive, yet still so distant from life itself. ¡°Well, Kori, it seems like we¡¯ll be here for a long time, so let¡¯s get along.¡± ¡°What does ¡®get along¡¯ mean, exactly?¡± She sighed as she muttered, ¡°This is going to take a while¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll teach you the ways of being alive and free.¡± ¡°Is that a factor to why your emotions change quickly?¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°That is also a part of freedom. Prepare yourself, Kori.¡± Nova saw from the memory that there was a slight glint in Kori¡¯s eyes before it faded away. The present Sayaka could only chuckle at the memory. ¡°While Kori did change thanks to my lessons, it¡¯s unfortunate that he got too attached to Arcturus and had to destroy himself to save him.¡± ¡°That is my sense of freedom¨Call taught from you.¡± Nova smiled at the friendly atmosphere the two shared. They seemed like siblings in a way. However, he had a lot of questions piling up in his head, but he best asked the people in question upfront. ¡°How were you able to form a soul from Sayaka?¡± Nova asked Kori. ¡°I¡­do not know exactly. However, I do know this: a soul is taken from the Spirit Realm and it is placed into us Shifties. That is how we activate¨Cby the power of souls.¡± Nova was quick to realize that the concept of Shifties and how they were created were all eerily similar to him. He was the vessel of Souhait. Why were Shifties similar to him? The thought of him being the same as these man-made beings gave him chills. His answer intrigued Nova. He went deeper in. ¡°Who was the one who took out Sayaka¡¯s soul and placed it into your vessel?¡± ¡°I do not know. All I know is that my creator, Nathaniel Hope, did not do it as he is an ordinary human. I believe whoever has done it has extraordinary powers.¡± Nova couldn¡¯t believe his words. It was impossible for someone to remove a soul from the Spirit World. In fact, Souhait and he were the only people capable of doing so; however, they never removed souls forcibly as it caused great pain for the both of them. Seeing how they felt pain occasionally to the point that they had to numb themselves helped Nova understand that the culprit was no ordinary human. In fact, they had to be someone who knew how his own body functioned. Nova closed his eyes. Memories of him and another person fighting a woman with extraordinary powers came to him. His heart ached when he saw the woman floating and summoning an impossibly large energy ball meant for them. When she threw it, Nova¡¯s companion shielded him from the attack. Nova placed a hand to his heart. I¡¯m sorry, Souhait¡­ Do not apologize. I never regretted what I did back then. Do you think we¡¯ll be able to defeat her this time? Definitely. We have Arcturus with us. He is our hope. Our hope¡­ The sadness Nova had felt slowly became joy. He couldn¡¯t wait to wake up and return to Arcturus. He felt excited at the thought of finally taking a step forward with their goal after countless years of inactivity. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Sayaka asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was just deducing who could¡¯ve done such a thing. I can only think of one person,? The Invader¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Sayaka muttered. ¡°This is all done by the Invader.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°She is someone who came from another world and invaded this planet seeking power¨Cour power. Because she¡¯s from another world, the rules and regulations of this planet do not apply to her; she¡¯s able to defy any logic that Souhait applied to this world because she¡¯s not a denizen of Terrenter. This means she¡¯s allowed to do as she pleases whether it¡¯d be taking souls from the Spirit Realm or fighting me on equal terms.¡± Nova stood up. This realization helped him understand what he needed to do: grant wishes. He needed Sayaka and Kori¡¯s wishes. ¡°The only way I can become strong enough to defeat the Invader is to grant wishes. So, Sayaka, have you decided on what your true wish is?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about whether or not it¡¯s considered ¡°true¡±, but all I want is to be free. Even in death, I just want to be free. I don¡¯t want to be in this realm anymore. While it¡¯s fun hanging out with Kori and teaching him how to be human, it¡¯s lonely, you know? If you are able to grant it, then I wish to be a free soul.¡± It made sense to Nova. The Spirit Realm was a vast world where fallen souls could rest peacefully without worry. Sayaka¡¯s peace was taken away from her as she was trapped in another realm unwillingly. He sensed her sincerity. He wanted to grant that wish for her. He raised a hand out to her. ¡°Take my hand. I¡¯ll make sure your wish will be granted.¡± Sayaka turned to Kori. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t be with you anymore now.¡± Kori shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± With affirmation, she grabbed Nova¡¯s hand. He gripped hers and he helped her stand up. A door appeared in front of him, to which he ran towards while Sayaka followed behind. He opened it and then he found himself back in the aster flower field. His house was in sight, so he guided her towards it. He opened the door for her. ¡°Enter. This is where your wish will be granted.¡± Sayaka entered without any hesitation. He did not follow. He just closed the door on her while scurrying back to where he had come from. While Souhait was busy granting her wish, he needed to find Kori¡¯s wish. A sense of confidence came to him. He was able to persuade someone to get their wish granted. He knew he wouldn¡¯t always be successful, but knowing he had successes made him happy. He couldn¡¯t wait to find more wishes and to get Souhait to grant them all. Attachments Arcturus found himself staring at scarlet fluff. He was confused for he wasn¡¯t sure why his mother was sitting in front of him while rubbing her pregnant belly. She had a gentle smile as she kept rubbing it. ¡°Arc, did you know that when you were in my stomach, a fortune teller touched my belly and told me your fortune. She told me that you were going to be a child of good fortune. Whatever you¡¯d accomplish, you¡¯d succeed. However, there would be one drawback to your path of success: a lack of attachment. Even if you succeed in life, your lack of attachment will be the one thing that will hold you back from showing off your true potential. That is why I want you to have a sibling¨Cso that you¡¯d become attached to them; they¡¯d help you understand what it means to love and protect. I¡¯m sure that once you become attached, you¡¯d learn how to become even more successful.¡± ¡°Henrietta, do you think a five-year-old is going to understand all that?¡± Arthur remarked. Arcturus turned to see a gentle Arthur sitting on a chair while reading a book. ¡°Arc¡¯s a smart boy, so he¡¯ll understand in the future.¡± Henrietta placed a warm hand onto his young head. ¡°I know for a fact that he¡¯ll become attached to his sister once she¡¯s born. My intuition is always right.¡± When Arcturus blinked, he found himself staring at a crawling Ariel. She was smiling and babbling at the sight of him. Henrietta picked her up. ¡°Arc, stretch your arms out.¡± Six-year-old Arcturus held his baby sister Ariel, who was almost one, for the first time in his life. He had found it an unusual sensation that there was such a tiny human in his arms. It was so unfamiliar that he started crying. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Arthur asked as Henrietta took Ariel back into her arms. ¡°She¡¯s weird, Daddy! She¡¯s so weird!¡± ¡°That¡¯s your sister.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want a sister! She¡¯s weird!¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s too bad. Ariel¡¯s already here. We can¡¯t give her away.¡± Arcturus kept crying. In order to calm him down, Arthur picked him up and held him up so that they were facing each other. ¡°Arc, will you listen to me?¡± His soothing voice caused Arcturus to stop crying momentarily. The boy wanted to know what his father wanted to talk to him about. Arthur smiled. ¡°Will you make a promise with me?¡± ¡°What¡¯s a promise?¡± ¡°A promise is something someone says to another person that they both have to keep. Let¡¯s say that we make a promise to care for Ariel. You have to keep it. I have to keep it. We have to change for the better to keep a promise.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think a six-year-old is going to understand that.¡± Henrietta remarked, smugly. Arthur pouted. ¡°Our son is smart, honey.¡± He focused back on his young son. ¡°How about it? Want to make a promise with me?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Arcturus had remembered he had agreed to this promise because he was just an ignorant child and he just wanted to agree with whatever his father had requested because he was his parent and that he cared for him. ¡°Stick your pinky finger out.¡± That was how Arcturus made his first promise. When he blinked, Ariel was a small child holding his hand and smiling. He wasn¡¯t sure how old they were back then, but he did remember feeling warm when she smiled at him. Just seeing her innocent smile made him want to protect her. A thought came to him: had he been feeling this way because of the promise? Was his attachment towards Ariel something he deluded himself into thinking just so he¡¯d understand what it meant to have an attachment to someone? Was he capable of love? ¡°Do you really love me?¡± A girl asked. Arcturus turned around and noticed the scenery had changed. He was no longer a child with his sister, but a high school student in his uniform. He was sitting in a cafe¡¯s table across from a concerned girl with short brown hair accessorized with a cute yellow daffodil hair band. Her brown eyes were staring straight at him. She was Daffodil Henry, Arcturus¡¯s friend and ex-girlfriend. She happened to be the sole daughter and heiress of Henryships, the biggest airship conglomerate in the world. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if you really love me¡­¡± She took a sip of coffee and awaited his answer. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Arcturus¡¯s thumbs twiddled as he hesitated to give her an answer. He had remembered feeling anxious at the time; he was thinking about whether or not to lie to her. They had been going out for a year and he had never told her he loved her. When she had asked, he would always reply with a yes and he did just that to her question. Truthfully, he had felt nothing throughout their time together. He did like her as a friend, but it never grew. He liked her as much as he liked Ariel, his grandparents, his parents and his friends. He didn¡¯t want to tell her this as he didn¡¯t want to hurt her feelings. Daffodil pouted. ¡°You really don¡¯t. I can tell.¡± Arcturus¡¯s thumbs stopped as he held his head down. ¡°Was it that obvious?¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t really feel love for people. You like them, but that¡¯s on a neutral scale. Are you willing to put your life on the line for me if I was in danger?¡± ¡°I would.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because we¡¯re friends and I like you.¡± ¡°Not because you love me. I¡¯m not ¡®special¡¯. I¡¯m not your one and only. You like me as much as you like Landon.¡± She sighed and leaned back against her chair. ¡°I get it, now. I won¡¯t ever be someone special to you.¡± Her face contorted into a hurt one. He felt guilt for not being able to truly understand her feelings. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. There¡¯s no need to.¡± Arcturus sighed. ¡°I just want to be your friend, not your boyfriend.¡± ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go back to being friends. It¡¯ll be awkward, but I hope we continue to respect each other.¡± Arcturus nodded. Daffodil got up. She threw her coffee away and headed out, leaving Arcturus all alone. He stared at his own coffee mug. Just like how empty it was, there was an empty feeling inside of him and it concerned him. What worried him the most was whether or not he was considered weird for not being able to fall in love. He could tell he was definitely not normal. ¡°Arc, you are not weird at all.¡± He looked up and found himself sitting on his bed next to Kori. Kori was smiling at him. ¡°It¡¯s perfectly fine if you don¡¯t love someone. I think that you¡¯re just waiting for your fated person to show up.¡± Hearing those words coming out of Kori¡¯s mouth made Arcturus chuckle. He couldn¡¯t believe a man-made being was lecturing him about fate and such. ¡°Have you been watching soap operas with Grandma again?¡± ¡°I think they are fascinating. Who knew humans could be capable of being so animated even if it''s pretend?¡± ¡°You know it¡¯s pretend yet you spew about fated ones?¡± Kori looked up at the ceiling. ¡°It¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m a Shiftie, so I shouldn¡¯t believe in such things as fate. However, when I¡¯m with you, I feel like it does exist. It was fate that I managed to exist. I feel like it was fate that brought me to you.¡± He made eye contact and gave Arcturus a warm smile. Kori felt so human to Arcturus that he¡¯d often forget he was a Shiftie. When Kori had reassured him he wasn¡¯t weird, he believed him; he still did. Arcturus smiled as he thought about fates. While he wasn¡¯t a strong believer of fate, he found it a fascinating concept. When he stood up, he found himself in a meadow identical to his Realm of Desires. He saw Nova standing in front of him. The wind caused his golden hair to dance around. Despite being engulfed by the wind, Nova¡¯s smile remained. The sunlight brightened his aura; while Nova was always beautiful in his eyes, the sunny atmosphere accentuated his beauty much better than the dim castle of ice. He wondered if it was because this dream was emphasizing it. Nova reached a hand out. A strong resolution came to Arcturus: it was fate that brought him here and it was what got him to meet Nova and Souhait. He wondered what sort of relationship he would develop with them. Would it be one filled with romantic love or a bond stronger than titanium? He wasn¡¯t confident about being able to love them, but he was confident in keeping his promise to be their friend and to protect them. That was his resolve, his determination. Treading the wind, he grabbed Nova¡¯s hand. ~ Arcturus found himself back in Castle Lavender¡¯s throne room. He felt rejuvenated. It had been months since he last had a good night¡¯s rest. When he got up, he felt confused on why he had been sleeping on Nova¡¯s lap. Realization came to him: he was sleeping on his lap. His cheeks started flushing. Did I rest on his lap unconsciously? Wait, am I even capable of sleepwalking? When observing Nova¡¯s sleeping form, he noticed his earring in Nova¡¯s hand. He was confused as to why it was there. Did he doze off after examining it? Remembering how Nova was fascinated with his bangle, he assumed Nova wanted a closer look at his earring. He imagined him fidgeting with it and he chuckled; he had conjured up a cute image. He soon recollected everything that had happened in the Realm of Desires to the point that he took a peek under his shirt to see if his mark was there. With the help of the minimal light his bangle gave upon activation, he could see an apple tattoo on his chest. Since he did not pay for it in a tattoo parlor, he knew everything that had happened was real. Souhait was real. His wish has been granted. A relieved sigh came out of him. It felt like a dream, but it wasn¡¯t. It was real. Although he was excited, a question abruptly came to him: what came next? What happened after his wish got granted? He needed to know. He tried waking Nova up, but there was no response. He slept so calmly and still that it looked as if he was dead. He leaned an ear against his chest to see if he actually had a heartbeat¨Che did. He pulled away and sighed. He wasn¡¯t sure what he should do in this situation. He was unsure how long Nova was going to be asleep. He scanned his surroundings. The sculptures were gone, much to his dismay. He activated his bangle and still had pictures of each of them. He felt relieved having proof of their existence. His eyes glanced over to his bag and realized what it was he had to do above all else: write in his journal. He had promised Souhait. Taking a deep breath, he opened a blank page, clicked his pen and started writing down everything that had happened to him after he had fallen down from the trap door. The Boy With Snow White Hair (Kori Arc Part 1) When he returned to Kori¡¯s Realm of Desires, Nova noticed a massive change in scenery. He had remembered the realm being a place where it snowed endlessly. Right now, the sky was clear, but the snow still lingered on the trees and field. He could tell the pristine snow would not melt as Kori stood in the middle of it. Nova was the one ruining the snow; he muddled it with his footsteps as he kept approaching the boy. Without any words, he reached his hand out. A snowflake manifested from the flower mark. Kori took his hand and the realm changed its shape. He scanned his vicinity. Instead of being in the snow plastered field, they were in a laboratory. Several scientists were huddled around one small area. Nova leaned over to take a peek. His eyes widened when he saw an open pod containing Kori¡¯s unconscious body. He wasn¡¯t clothed and lacked the yellow earring. He turned to Kori. ¡°Is that you during your creation?¡± ¡°Yes. I was born in that pod on the twentieth day of Early-Autumn NE 615 at exactly midnight.¡± ¡°EA 20-615¡­that means you were born five years ago.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What does it mean when a Shiftie is born? What aspect of your creation counts as birth? From the moment you were conceptualized? The moment you were completed?¡± ¡°The moment my earring is latched onto my ear starts my ¡®birth¡¯.¡± ¡°This means you weren¡¯t ¡®born¡¯ here yet due to your lack of earring, yet I¡¯m surprised that a memory from a moment before you were born is able to be presented.¡± ¡°I believe I still had consciousness, but I couldn¡¯t wake up unless the earring instructed me to do so.¡± Nova became deep in thought. The concept of a Shiftie was still an anomaly to him. The way they could be activated just by having a human soul inside of them was a terrifying concept. Souls resided inside the Spirit Realm as a sort of resting peace. The Invader, the only person with the knowledge of removing souls from the realm, was truly a menace. He needed to stop her, no matter what. One of the scientists from the memory sighed. ¡°This is alright? Is it safe for us to create these¡­beings?¡± A female scientist retorted, ¡°Are you questioning Mr. Hope¡¯s genius?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny he¡¯s a genius, but what if this project fails? What if these beings develop a will and rebel?¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Another male scientist scoffed at his worries. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry at all. These creatures won¡¯t ever develop a will. They¡¯re man-made, so how can they rebel against us? Our phones and computers haven¡¯t developed a will, right?¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re right¡­¡± Another female scientist peered over at Kori¡¯s immobile body. ¡°But, it does seem surreal. To think that we created a human despite not being an actual human. They¡¯re not functioned by the usual artificial intelligence programming either. This boy can turn into an animal too as we gave him animal ears.¡± The first female scientist pondered, ¡°However, he looks too real. It¡¯s like he was based on a real person.¡± The second male scientist remarked, ¡°Speaking of which, I remember picking up a picture that fell out of a book in Mr. Hope¡¯s office. It was a picture of a younger Mr. Hope with a boy that looks just like this one, minus the rabbit ears. It was a very old picture, the edges were worn and the corners were slightly torn. When I showed it to Mr. Hope, he chuckled about his clumsiness and looked at it longingly.¡± The first male scientist was intrigued. ¡°Just like this boy? Did he have white hair in that photo?¡± ¡°He did, actually.¡± ¡°Snow white hair¡­that boy from the photo must have been a Trifecta.¡± ¡°Trifecta? They actually exist?¡± ¡°They do, albeit rare since it¡¯s hard to find someone with Plasmian blood these days, but even if all three bloods come together to create a body, they don¡¯t live long. That must have been why Mr. Hope was insistent on modeling the first model of this project based on this boy.¡± Nova¡¯s eyes widened as their words echoed in his ears. He wondered why he was feeling this way as he already knew this information when he had peered through Kori¡¯s memories in the Contract Room; the feelings he felt in there were much different compared to the actual Realm of Desires. It felt as if he learned forbidden knowledge. It was now a secret he must keep to himself. Fear surged within his very self. Souhait, did you just hear that? I sure did. If Kori was based on someone from Nathaniel Hope¡¯s old photo, and the fact that Trifectas, people with all three races in their bloods, don¡¯t live for so long, that would mean that these Shifties¡­ ¡­their human forms are based on humans that have long passed in this world. Souhait, is it possible for you to check to see if the boy that Kori was based on is currently in the Spirit Realm? I will check once you are finished. This revelation only confused Nova even further. The Shifties that he had fought in Castle Lavender were animals, but if they were to become human, they would become someone that was long dead. The thought scared him. What if those wolves were someone he or Arcturus had known in the past? How would Arcturus accept this revelation? He glanced over at Kori. Did Shifties know about their origins? Did they know that they were based on the deceased? If they knew, how would they react? Would they care? He took a closer look at Kori. Kori had the appearance of a boy in his early teens. He was shorter than him. The boy he was based on lived a short life and Kori had also lived a short life; it felt too coincidental in a way. The thought of them living such short lives saddened him. All he could do was grab both of Kori¡¯s hands. He brought them towards his forehead. The cold sensation of his touch was no match for his own. Kori had no heartbeat or a pulse, but Nova had them. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Kori inquired. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Nova whispered. He could only whisper apologies to him. The Man-Made Being (Kori Arc Part 2) Nova wasn¡¯t sure how long he had apologized to Kori. He slowly let go when he finally got the chance. Kori just stared at him. Would a Shiftie understand these sorrows within him? All he could do was pat his head. ¡°One day, you¡¯ll understand why I apologized¡­¡± When he focused back on the memory, it continued. The scientists continued chatting amongst themselves until they stopped as they fixated their attention towards a familiar man entering the room. With his long brown hair and lab coat, Nova remembered him from Arcturus¡¯s memory, Nathaniel Hope. The scientists retained a poised stance as he walked towards them. He could tell they had the utmost respect for him. ¡°How is he doing?¡± ¡°He¡¯s ready to be activated, sir!¡± A female scientist exclaimed. ¡°Alright, then.¡± Nathaniel took out a familiar yellow earring from his pocket. He knelt down and attached it onto Kori¡¯s left ear. The scientists became still and a few clasped their hands together in order to pray for success. The memory¡¯s perspective started shifting from the omniscient to limited¨Cto Kori¡¯s perspective. It was dark. In the midst of it, brightly colored words came to him, commanding him to awaken. He obeyed. He opened his dull blue eyes and the darkness became vibrant. His attention fixated on the group of scientists¡¯ gazes that were glued to him. Nova sensed no emotions from this portion of the memory. It was as if Kori did not feel anything at all. It felt much different from Arcturus who felt an influx of shock when he had observed the memory of his birth. Babies felt warmth in their mothers¡¯ wombs and when they were taken out, the warmth was taken away, which shocked them¨Cthe cause of them crying. That was what he believed birth to be. For Shifties, the fact that they did not feel any emotions upon birth showed how much different they were compared to their creators¡¯ species. In what way is this perfection? Nova wondered. All I can see is how inferior Shifties are compared to humans. Nathaniel¡¯s subordinates were all jumping up and down in joy as their project was a success. The women were hugging and cheering. One of the male scientists removed his glasses and started to bawl with the other one patting his back to comfort him. Nathaniel just smiled as he knelt down. ¡°Welcome to the world, 541-RBT.¡± Nathaniel¡¯s words processed into his mind. I am 541-RBT. Affirmative. This is the world of Terrenter. Affirmative. The being in front of me is the Creator¨CNathaniel Hope. Affirmative. Today¡¯s date is MA 20-615, 9:20 pm. Affirmative. I am a Shiftie. Affirmative. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Kori reached a hand out to touch Nathaniel¡¯s face. Human skin is smooth. Affirmative. His pulse is the normal rate for a human. Affirmative. He has a regular body temperature. Affirmative. ¡°You are the creator, Nathaniel Hope.¡± Nova had found Kori¡¯s robotic thoughts intriguing. This was a robot powered by a human soul in his body. It had thought processes like a human, but more robotic in execution. What Nova found most intriguing was the fact that Shifties were programmed to recognize who their creator was even before they were born. One female scientist was amazed with Kori¡¯s intelligence. ¡°He already knows that Mr. Hope is his creator. That¡¯s some advanced level technology¨Cit surpasses the usual artificial intelligence.¡± The other female scientist inquired, ¡°How was his programming done? All we did was put the pieces together while you did most of the groundwork. Maybe this programming can be used for other things in the future! Imagine how advanced the world will be and how much society will evolve¨C¡± Nathaniel silenced her by gently placing his index finger to her lips. With a gentle smile, he responded, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I cannot say anything about it. I am contracted to keep mum about it. If I loosen my lips any more than this, it¡¯ll become complicated later on. Remember this, okay?¡± The female scientist was swooning over his mysteriousness as she immediately nodded. Nova became deep in thought. If Nathaniel was sworn into secrecy, this had meant that whoever was doing this wanted to keep it a secret from the world. If word got out, it would cause chaos much bigger than the world¡¯s current situation. The Invader was someone who was able to defy all logic of this universe and was able to profit off of it. The thought disgusted him. So, she¡¯s been giving me constant pain throughout so many years just so she can make money off of souls she pulls out from the Spirit Realm? The reason I have to keep numbing my body in order to conceal the pain was all her? She¡¯s horrible. We have to stop her no matter what, Souhait. We need to stop her, yet we are still so weak. We¡¯ve only granted two wishes while her powers are limitless. In our current state, we¡¯ll be eliminated for good. His heart rate increased. What can we do to stop her? Where is she even at? Our only clue is that she¡¯s sponsoring the Shiftie creation project, but nothing else is known about her. What if we can¡¯t find her? What if she¡¯s concealing herself as another person? Doubts started welling up within him. What if¡­Arcturus is the Invader? When Nova blinked, he found himself back in the default state of Kori¡¯s Realm of Desires. He realized why he had returned. Souhait forcibly ejected the memory in order for him to wash away his negative thoughts. He stared at his surroundings. Everything was still the same as it was when he had entered. He noticed Kori staring at him with worry. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Bewilderment came to him. Kori had looked at Arcturus with such fondness and love. There would be no absolute way Arcturus would be the Invader. He even saw through all of his memories; that thought shouldn¡¯t have been made in his mind. He wondered why he had such a thought. It is because we have yet to truly bond with Arcturus. Once we spend more time with him, the cloudy doubts in our hearts will surely dissipate. Yes. Thank you, Souhait. The feelings of gratitude he felt were genuine. Souhait was always there for him and would always do so. Once relaxed, he turned to Kori. ¡°Let¡¯s look at your next memory, shall we?¡± He reached his hand out and the second snowflake showed up. Living Shifties (Kori Arc Part 3) From what Nova had seen in Kori¡¯s memories, Shifties were classified as either one of three categories: Combat, Support and Ally. Combat Shifties were the strongest as they were created to be used for fighting alongside soldiers; they were associated with red earrings. Support Shifties were the equivalent of working citizens. They were programmed and trained to be able to be used in all sorts of jobs and associated with blue earrings. Ally Shifties were trained to be human companions. They were neither pets nor lovers, but lifelong companions; they were associated with yellow earrings. How a Shiftie obtains knowledge was much different compared to a human. After their activation, Shifties are implanted heaps of knowledge into their system from supercomputer cords. Then, they would be trained in their respective fields for a year. Combats were taught how to fight. Supports were taught how to work. Allies were taught about humans. Nova saw how it was applied to Kori. Seeing all those wires attached to him was an unsightly sight in itself. Was forced, implemented knowledge true knowledge? While he may have lived longer than Kori, there was still much he did not know about this evolving world. He was someone who believed true knowledge came from experience. After a year of training and education, they¡¯d be sent to the humans who bought them.In Kori¡¯s case, while he was an Ally, he wasn¡¯t bought. He was supposed to be a gift for someone of high status in Lamina, but Nathaniel had changed his mind and had given him to a teenage boy, Arcturus Mercury. His life with Arcturus was a lot different than his life at the laboratory. Arcturus did not like being called Master and would scold him everything Kori tried to call him by that title. Kori could not comprehend why Arcturus hated being a master. He was taught that humans thrived over superiority. They wanted to dominate and wanted others to submit to them. Humans would be kind to those of equal status, look down on those lower than them and then try to submit to those higher than them. They were complex beings that he could not comprehend despite being told to live alongside them. He couldn¡¯t understand them at all, until he had heard Sayaka¡¯s voice. When he heard her voice, it felt as if he was capable of dreaming. When he closed his eyes, he would see her. She wasn¡¯t an unwanted presence, however. He enjoyed her company. She taught him what it meant to be human and what it meant to have emotions. Nova noticed his surroundings. He was currently in an office of sorts. It was a wide room with a large computer and other complex devices. There were a lot of books on one side of the room while a wide corner desk at the opposite. The desk had a lot of folders and papers scattered about. When Kori had gone to his yearly maintenance two years after meeting Arcturus, the engineer who was in charge of checking up on his condition had stared at him in horror. She placed her hands on his shoulders. ¡°Whatever you do, do not show that you have emotions to anyone here or to other Shifties, please.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! With a confused visage, he asked ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Shifties are perfect, impervious and omnipotent beings. That¡¯s the ideal Mr. Hope wanted during the process of your kind¡¯s creation. He believes emotions are flawed and imperfect. He believes that humans destroy themselves with their emotions and are the reason why we are declining in population. If your kind were to develop emotions, you¡¯d just end up as similar to us and he doesn¡¯t want that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Shouldn¡¯t emotions be a wonderful thing? The humans around me say that emotions make people strong. On television, I see people make good and bad choices but everything ends up well for them. How can emotions be horrible?¡± The engineer sighed. She glanced over at her desk and grabbed a picture of her family. ¡°Yes, emotions are wonderful. When I look at my family, I think about how much I love them. Yet, love can be cruel. Sometimes, it makes us fight. It makes us irrational. It makes us stressed. Too much love hurts people and too little confuses them.¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen, humans are always flawed. I don¡¯t get it. If we want to live with humans, shouldn¡¯t we try to emulate them?¡± ¡°Humans don¡¯t view you as people.¡± Her words resonated in Kori¡¯s ears. He felt a heavy pressure on his chest. It made him feel as if he was sinking. What is this feeling? Nova quickly held Kori¡¯s hand in order for him to hear the thoughts of his memories. He wasn¡¯t too sure if it could work on Shifties, but he wanted to try. Sayaka remarked, It could be anxiety? Fear? I cannot tell you exactly, but I can tell you are afraid of not being seen as a person. It¡¯s making you nervous. Is that so? I am¡­nervous? Kori¡¯s ears twitched at the thought of hearing his thoughts in his memories. It fascinated him. Nova glanced over and saw that his eyes were glistening. He had the appearance of a teenage boy and he currently was behaving like one too. ¡°Is this your doing?¡± Kori asked. ¡°Yes¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing! The fact that I can hear my thoughts from my memory just from holding your hand. That¡¯s something we Shifties cannot do!¡± His grip on Nova¡¯s hand tightened. The way he looked at him with such fascination and purity made Nova wonder why he hadn¡¯t made such a face until now. From viewing Kori¡¯s memories, Nova knew Kori could smile but he had never made that expression before. The Realm of Desires only showed the truth, so he knew Kori wasn¡¯t faking it. He wasn¡¯t even sure if Shifties were capable of lying. Seeing a Shiftie smiling brightly and grinning ear to ear brought a warmth to Nova¡¯s heart. Kori looked very innocent. He had recalled Arcturus¡¯s words about how Shifties were alive. While he wasn¡¯t fully convinced, he could tell that Kori was an exception. In his eyes, Kori felt alive. Normal Shifties felt unsettling to him due to their lifeless demeanor. Kori was the opposite. He was full of life. Nova liked it. He¡¯d rather see a ¡°flawed¡± Shiftie rather than the default. Fascination came to him. He couldn¡¯t wait to know what sort of wish Kori wanted granted. Once Kori would come up with one, Nova would do anything to grant it. The Beauty Of Flaws (Kori Arc Part 4) Kori¡¯s second memory continued. Kori did not speak further after the engineer had told him how humans did not view Shifites as people. He was wallowing in the anxious feeling he felt as his maintenance resumed until its end. When he was on his way home with Arcturus, he took the opportunity to ask Arcturus about the sentence that lingered in his mind. ¡°Arc, do you see me as a person?¡± His question caused Arcturus to stop. ¡°What makes you ask that?¡± ¡°Hailey, the lady in charge of my maintenance, told me that I shouldn¡¯t show emotions in front of anyone as no one sees Shifties as people.¡± Arcturus looked at Kori with a surprised countenance; his mouth slightly gaped. He seemed to be in deep thought before asking, ¡°What do you see yourself as?¡± ¡°I see myself as¡­a Shiftie.¡± ¡°Do you like being a Shiftie?¡± It took a while for Kori to process that question. Nova could tell Shifties weren¡¯t accustomed to true self-awareness. They knew they were Shifties, but that was about it. Kori looked absolutely troubled by his question. Do I like being a Shiftie? What does it mean to ¡®like being a Shiftie¡¯? I¡¯m just a Shiftie. Am I supposed to love myself? He¡¯s asking if you love yourself? Sayaka asked. What does it mean to love? To love means to find them dear. If you love someone, you want to prioritize them above all else. Love means being able to do something for someone you cherish. Kori tilted his head to the side. I do not understand. How do you feel about Arcturus? Arc is my master, but he doesn¡¯t want to be called Master. He is kind. He treats me similarly to Ariel. He is kind to Caroline and Neil. He treats his friends kindly. He is passionate about his dreams and goals. He is what I call an ideal human. Do you feel anything when you talk or look at him? Not really. I just take in the image of what I think is an ideal human. Then, you should take in that image and try to feel something out of it. You¡¯ll understand what it means to love if you do that. The troubling feeling within him grew. Why are you helping me? Shifties aren¡¯t seen as people, so why do you help me become different? There¡¯s nothing wrong with being different. You¡¯re you. You are allowed to have your own thoughts and feelings. You are allowed to choose what you believe in. Do not let people¡¯s words deter you from what you truly want. I believe that having emotions will be beneficial for you. Nova recalled everything that he had remembered from viewing Sayaka¡¯s memories. Sayaka knew what it was like to not live up to expectations. She had all the wisdom and knowledge to give to Kori; she was like Kori¡¯s conscience, guiding Kori towards a path he can be proud of. ¡°You should be proud to have someone like Sayaka guiding you to who you became.¡± Kori did not give an answer. Nova glanced over to check up on him; his eyes widened. Kori was shedding tears while having a straight face. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Are you crying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°But, you have tears trickling down from your eyes.¡± Confused, Kori placed a hand to his cheek. The wet substance on his finger surprised him. ¡°Tears? I¡¯m capable of crying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m as surprised as you are.¡± ¡°How is this even possible? I¡¯m not human. Shifties are incapable of producing tears¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of the Realm of Desires. In this realm, your innermost feelings are exposed. You cannot lie here; everything you feel is the truth. You are no longer in a Shiftie¡¯s vessel and have developed a soul of your own. It¡¯s not your physical body that¡¯s crying¨Cit¡¯s your soul.¡± Nova felt sudden warmth surging into Kori¡¯s hand. He felt surprised by this. It was as if the realm was telling him that Kori is as human as an actual one. It was signaling him that he did not need to be so doubtful of this boy. Like Arcturus and Sayaka, he was someone with a wish; Nova could sense he had one. It was his duty to find it and grant it. Nova¡¯s gaze fixated back on the memory; the paused memory resumed. Arcturus was worried about Kori who was unresponsive at the time. He shook his shoulder to grab his attention, to which Kori finally responded. ¡°Are you okay? You were spacing out.¡± Arcturus was worried. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Maybe we should go back for another quick check-up?¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m fine.¡± Kori spoke with an annoyed tone, shocking both Arcturus and himself. Kori felt an unsettling feeling within him. He couldn¡¯t comprehend what he had done. Looking at Arcturus¡¯s reaction caused him to feel uneasy. Sayaka had explained that he had felt fear and that he was afraid of Arcturus looking at him strangely. Do not avoid it. Accept it. I cannot comprehend ¡®fear¡¯. Why is it so unsettling? Why can I feel it? It¡¯s normal to be afraid of the unknown. However, do not reject it. It¡¯s better to accept that you are afraid. How can you be so sure? In a flash, Sayaka appeared before him, caressing his face. Her black hair danced against the gravity. Her gentle touch felt soothing to him. It¡¯s because I have a lot of fears myself, but I accept them to become strong. Sure, it¡¯s unsettling and unfamiliar, but that¡¯s the beauty of flaws. I¡¯ll guide you and help make sure you get used to this. Everything will be okay. The current Kori spoke to Nova. ¡°That was the first time I saw Sayaka¡¯s appearance. The way her hair danced in my mind and the way her gentle smile warmed my heart gave me certainty that everything was going to be okay.¡± Nova felt Kori¡¯s grip tightening. He didn¡¯t see much of their interactions during Sayaka¡¯s trials, but he could tell from body language alone that they had great trust and respect for one another. He knew that this memory was the reason why Kori was able to accept his emotions and be able to accept himself as well. The bond between them was strong and respectful; it reminded him of Souhait and him. ¡°Kori?¡± Arcturus looked at him with worry once again. ¡°Arc¡­¡± ¡°Are you really sure you¡¯re¡­fine?¡± Sayaka explained to him that Arcturus being worried about him was a good thing. She then requested for him to repeat the words she would say to him. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you for worrying about me.¡± Arcturus¡¯s eyes widened at his words of gratitude. A smile curled up from his lips as he placed a hand to Kori¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯m glad you are fine. Let¡¯s go home. Grandma will worry if we stay out for too long.¡± He walked ahead. Kori just remained still. He wasn¡¯t sure why the image of Arcturus¡¯s smile lingered in his mind. It was warmer than Sayaka¡¯s smile. He still felt the warmth of his hand on his head. His hand was always warm, but it felt especially warm and soft just now. It felt fascinating. He wanted to know more about these emotions within him. Sayaka, can you teach me everything you know about emotions? I wish to know what it¡¯s like to have them. Sure. I¡¯ll teach you as best as I can. Nova sensed budding determination from him. When he glanced over at Kori, he smiled. He liked what he saw compared to the beginning. The Kori in front of him was full of life and more human than an actual human. Even though he¡¯s man-made, he learned how to appreciate and what it meant to be selfless. If only all Shifties had emotions like him¡­ The memory reverted back to its dormant state in the form of a snowflake. His Third Memory (Kori Arc Part 5) Nova and Kori had returned to the snow covered field. Kori seemed to be deep in thought, but Nova snapped him out of his daze by asking ¡°Do you have a grasp of what your wish is?¡± ¡°I have no wish yet.¡± Kori stated. Nova wondered if it was possible for Kori to develop one. He didn¡¯t want to lose hope; he didn¡¯t want to see his efforts in vain. If a passing soul like Sayaka had a wish, Kori could have one too; he was certain. There were two more memories to be viewed. He hoped Kori could form one after the final memory. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go look at your next memory.¡± Nova took out the third snowflake. The scenery started changing. The snow-covered field became the interior of a large room filled with bookshelves. Nova noticed a large bed with two pillows and a large desk that was neatly organized pens and pencils in a mug. The chair had a backpack attached on the back. He knew from Arcturus¡¯s memories that this was Arcturus¡¯s room back home. He eyed the bed once more. There were two pillows on both sides. While Arcturus was tall and slightly bulky, the bed was too big for him in general. He recalled that the Kori would lay down on the other pillow in order to imitate human sleeping patterns. He felt slight envy at the thought of Kori sleeping next to Arcturus. When was the last time we slept with someone? Nova wondered. Castle Lavender wasn¡¯t a warm place, so he did feel a bit lonely at times. Focus back on the memory, please. Souhait snapped as Nova complied. The door to the room opened as Arcturus, dressed in a fashionably casual outfit, slumped onto his bed and placed a hand on his stomach. ¡°I ate a lot. That was some good food.¡± Kori followed him into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. ¡°Your calorie intake in total exceeds five thousand. The steak you consumed contained¨C¡± A flustered Arcturus snapped at him. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary! You¡¯re ruining the mood!¡± ¡°You normally don¡¯t eat a lot. What was the occasion?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s the last time I¡¯m going to see my family before I head out on the expedition. I¡¯m not sure how long it¡¯ll take for me to have good food again. I need to savor the memory while it lasts.¡± Kori tilted his head to one side. ¡°Is this what humans call sentimentality?¡± ¡°You¡¯re close.¡± Arcturus sat up. With a smile, he patted Kori¡¯s head. ¡°You¡¯re getting close to understanding humans. You did change a lot these past four years. I like it a lot.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­¡± ¡°Kori, please take good care of Ariel and my grandparents when I¡¯m gone, okay?¡± When Kori looked at Arcturus¡¯s expression, he felt like something was squeezing him from the inside. Nova knew what it was he was feeling. Kori did not like the idea of waiting for Arcturus. He wanted to come along and see his master achieve his dreams. He wanted to see his smile and be with him. He wasn¡¯t sure when these feelings of wanting to be with Arcturus started; he believed it gradually grew the more time he spent with him. ¡°You loved him.¡± Nova stated to the current Kori. Kori was puzzled. ¡°Love¡­?¡± ¡°I can see it clearly. The way you gradually have Arcturus on your mind and the way you wanted to be with him¡­and the way you sacrificed your life for him. You loved him.¡± ¡°That was what Sayaka had said to me before. I never understood what love was so I never took it seriously¡­but now that you say it¡­maybe it was.¡± Nova became curious. There were many different types of love in the world. What sort of love did Shifties feel? If they were to love genuinely, would it be by their own volition? Would it be programmed? Was their devotion to their master a type of love that was implemented onto them since birth? Could Shfities fall for another of their species or for someone that wasn¡¯t their master? Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Nova placed a hand to his chest. His love for Souhait was on a different level compared to the budding love he is developing for Arcturus. If Shifties were like him, could they be able to love the soul inside of them? Shfities truly are a mystery. Souhait remarked. Focusing back on the memory, the Kori in the memory snapped, ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay here. I want to come along with you.¡± Hearing those words caused Arcturus to sit up from the bed. He looked bewildered that Kori rejected his request. ¡°Why do you want to come along? It¡¯s going to be dangerous.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I have to come along. As a Shiftie, it¡¯s my duty to protect my master.¡± ¡°Listen to me not as a master, but as a member of this family! I don¡¯t want anyone important to me to get hurt. Please, stay here and await my return.¡± The bewilderment on his face soon changed into distraught. Kori shook his head. ¡°I refuse. What if you die on your way to the trip? The journey takes you to the northern hemisphere of the planet, where it is much colder than the humid and warm Lamina.¡± ¡°If I die, then I die.¡± Kori shook his head again. ¡°I cannot allow you to die. It¡¯s my duty to keep my master alive.¡± Nova could tell Kori was doing this all by his own will; Sayaka did not guide him or advise him about his words and actions. It was a huge difference from the person he was from the previous memory to this one. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you listening to me?¡± Arcturus looked very frustrated. Looking at his expression made Kori feel something inside of him. He felt hot, like something was going to explode from within. He couldn¡¯t understand why Arcturus wasn¡¯t listening to him. He wanted him to listen. He wanted him to understand his choice. He grabbed onto Arcturus by the collar and hoisted him up. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you listening to me? Is it because I¡¯m a Shiftie? Is it because I¡¯m someone who has to obey your every command? Tell me, Arcturus Mercury, why aren¡¯t you listening to me? I want to go with you.¡± Arcturus looked bewildered; Nova could tell this was the first time Kori had behaved like this. ¡°Like, I said¨C¡± Kori interrupted him. ¡°You said that you¡¯d be fine with dying? I cannot accept that! If you die, we wouldn¡¯t know. We¡¯d wait forever and ever. What if you never come back? Ariel wouldn¡¯t have her brother. Caroline and Neil wouldn¡¯t have their grandson. Your friends wouldn¡¯t have their friend. I wouldn¡¯t have my master. We¡¯d all be guilty. I¡¯d be having regrets for not coming along with you. You need to live to achieve your dream. You need to live to believe that Souhait and his legacy is real.¡± Kori then lowered him so that Arcturus was standing on the floor. Arcturus was speechless. Kori hung his head low. ¡°You said a moment ago that I am close to understanding humans. That is a lie. I don¡¯t understand you! Why do you push me away? Why do you insist on doing things for yourself? I was born with a purpose¡­to be an ally to you. You were born with a purpose to live your life to the fullest¨Cto muster up the determination to follow your dreams. How is it that you get to live for your purpose while I cannot?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I respect your free will.¡± Arcturus muttered. ¡°Just because you were born to be an ally doesn¡¯t mean you have to be mine specifically. You can be the ally of other humans too.¡± Kori looked up at him. Arcturus wasn¡¯t wrong. He could have a new master if Arcturus were to die. He¡¯d be fulfilling his purpose of being an ally. However, a stubborn pride came to him. He didn¡¯t want to be an ally for other humans. He wanted to be an ally for Arcturus only. You are afraid, right? Sayaka inquired. You are afraid of losing your purpose in life. I¡¯ve never heard of a Shiftie going against their purpose. I¡¯ve never met a free Shiftie before. Am I even allowed to be free to go against what I was born to be? It wouldn¡¯t hurt to try. But¡­I still cannot try. Shifties are born for one purpose. We may be man-made beings and not real people, but living for our sole purpose is our pride. Being born like this is what we consider to be ¡°alive¡±. I don¡¯t agree with that thought process, but I¡¯ll let it be because it¡¯s you. If that¡¯s what you want, I¡¯ll go along with it. It¡¯s because I respect your decisions. Thank you. Kori reached a hand out and tugged the front of Arcturus¡¯s shirt. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be the ally of other humans. I just want to be your ally. I just want to be with you.¡± Arcturus had an anguished expression. Nova could tell he was troubled. Arcturus looked as if he was moved by Kori¡¯s earnesty yet it was also troubling him. His surging worries scattered when he focused his attention on someone knocking on his door. ¡°Come in.¡± The door opened to reveal an adolescent girl with auburn hair coming in with a worried expression. ¡°What do you want, Ariel?¡± Arcturus asked. What Kori Wants (Kori Arc Part 6) What Nova remembered from Arcturus¡¯s memories regarding Ariel was that she was a rather reserved person. She had been a cheeky child, but as a teen, she became reserved and often kept to herself only in family¨Cthis was her true self; in front of friends and strangers, she acted as a cheerful and energetic girl. Regardless of her personality, she had managed to become a rather accomplished child actress at age eleven and still continued acting as a teen out of enjoyment. Ariel looked rather nervous. She slowly let out her answer, ¡°I heard you arguing, so I came to check up on you.¡± She started fidgeting with her fingers. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Kori to be so argumentative.¡± Nova knew that, despite her reserved personality, she was a good listener. Arcturus did not hesitate to respond to her; Nova knew that people would often avoid small talk in order to not ignite something bigger. Arcturus wasn¡¯t that sort of person; he¡¯d get to the point without hiding anything. He could tell it was because he respected his sister. ¡°Kori is slowly developing emotions and his own will. Keep it a secret from people, okay?¡± Arcturus responded; Ariel nodded. Ariel spoke up, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what were you two arguing about?¡± ¡°Kori wanted to tag along on my journey, but I kept telling him to stay. He refuses to listen to me.¡± ¡°Why do you want Kori to stay here?¡± ¡°To protect you, Grandma and Grandpa, obviously!¡± Ariel turns to Kori. ¡°Why do you refuse?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t want Arc to die. I want to see him fulfill his dreams.¡± Ariel then became deep in thought. An idea came to her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just let Kori come with you?¡± Arcturus gaped. ¡°You¡¯re siding with Kori?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not taking sides. I know that Grandma and Grandpa would want you to take Kori along with you; I¡¯d want the same. We all want you to come back safe and sound.¡± ¡°What if I die and Kori cannot find a way to return?¡± ¡°Shifties are unable to die, right? I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll find a way to come back to Lamina and report your death if that were to happen.¡± ¡°What if he never returns?¡± Nova noticed how annoyed Ariel looked as she started screaming. ¡°Why are you always thinking so negatively? You¡¯re not going to die! You won¡¯t die! You promised that you¡¯d come back for my next birthday, remember?¡± Arcturus looked rather bewildered at her sudden outburst. In a fit of rage, she grabbed her brother¡¯s shoulders, leaned her head back and then used all of her neck strength to lean forward to hit her head against her brother¡¯s forehead. Since Ariel was also half-Plasmian, her strength was on par with his; Nova could only witness the sight with horror. The power of her headbutt caused Arcturus to wince. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. He placed a hand to his forehead and whined, ¡°Did your head get harder?¡± Nova¡¯s heart skipped a beat after witnessing Arcturus¡¯s childish side that he had never witnessed in reality; he found it cute. ¡°This is so that you can get that negativity out of your system! You¡¯re going on that journey and coming back alive! Do you hear me loud and clear?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am¡­¡± Arcturus whined as he cowered onto his bed to ease the pain. Ariel huffed and then marched out of the room. Kori just glanced over at Arcturus. ¡°You really can¡¯t say no to Ariel¡­¡± The current Kori turned to Nova and remarked, ¡°Arcturus can¡¯t say no to people he is attached to. It mainly shows with his family. He can refuse his friends, but he rarely does it.¡± ¡°It just shows he cares, right?¡± ¡°On the contrary, he behaves this way because he believes he cannot feel attachment.¡± ¡°Believed?¡± Nova found his choice of words unusual. ¡°Arc believes he cannot love another person, but he hasn¡¯t realized himself that he is capable of loving. He just hasn¡¯t found the right person yet. When I told him that, he laughed it off and said that I was watching too many soap operas.¡± Nova shook his head in disagreement. ¡°Arcturus is able to love. I can feel it. He has a family who loves him and friends who cherish him dearly¡­and he has you who protects him from the earring.¡± ¡°Perhaps, you are the person who is fated for him.¡± Kori¡¯s words resonated in Nova¡¯s mind. His face started flushing in embarrassment. A sense of denial came to him. ¡°No way. That¡¯s impossible. I cannot be fated for him. I¡¯m a lot older than he is and we have nothing in common since there¡¯s a huge generational gap.¡± Despite laying out excuses for why he wasn¡¯t fated for Arcturus, a part of him had a bit of wishful thinking about such a possibility. Kori¡¯s gaze on him was intense. Nova detected an unusual sense of confidence seeping out of him. ¡°No, you are fated for him. Arcturus traveled all this way for the past few months just to meet you.¡± A lack of confidence came to Nova. ¡°He wasn¡¯t coming to see me. He was here to meet Souhait.¡± ¡°You harbor Souhait in your body and you grant wishes. You are just as important as he is.¡± Nova¡¯s heart felt as if it was being showered with warmth. Kori¡¯s words of praise moved him deeply. He felt like he could do anything, even grant the wish of this man-made being. Kori gently held both of Nova¡¯s hands. Nova noticed a glimmer in his eyes. ¡°Nova, I feel this unusual warmth in my soul. It¡¯s telling me to want good things to happen to Arcturus from now on, but I cannot word it specifically. Is this what it means to have a wish?¡± Nova gasped as he held onto Kori¡¯s hands tightly. ¡°Yes! What you¡¯re feeling is the want of a wish you want granted. You¡¯re developing a wish.¡± ¡°How many more memories must I look at in order to fully know what it is I wish for?¡± ¡°I have one more wish. Do you want to look at it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Nova released his right hand from Kori¡¯s left and then released the last snowflake from his hand, changing the memory without the need of returning to the snow-covered field. Koris Loyalty (Kori Arc Part 7) Nova found himself in the familiar airship that was present in Arcturus¡¯s memory. The memory started with Arcturus and Kori walking through a corridor with a tray in Arcturus¡¯s hands. He was going to have his lunch in his room, which was on the far left side of the airship. This required him to move past the main deck the control system was. Because it was lunch time, nobody was there. It was by chance that he passed by the main deck. It was by chance that there were some crew members in that room. It was by chance that he had overheard their conversation. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why we have to risk our lives taking that red-haired brat onto the isolated island. There¡¯s nothing there? Is Mr. Hope seriously crazy about making us do this?¡± ¡°You got a hefty amount of money for this request, right? I¡¯d say shut up and accept it. Besides, remember the other part of Mr. Hope¡¯s request? To kill him once we reach the island? He said that he¡¯d give us an even bigger sum of money if we do manage to kill him.¡± Arcturus and Kori were hiding on the wall as they eavesdropped on their conversation. Kori saw Arcturus grip the tray tightly as the two men continued talking about how to kill Arcturus when the chance came. Arcturus rushed towards his room with Kori following suit. He slammed the tray onto the desk, making the plates and bowl bounce in unison. He stared at the food; it consisted of half a loaf of bread with soup and salad. The aroma did not please him; all he could smell was the rage fueling within him. Kori looked at him with worry. He slowly reached out and tugged Arcturus¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Kori, tonight, I want you to eliminate everyone in the crew.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we wait for a few days to see how this all plays out?¡± ¡°No, do it today. What if they try to kill me tomorrow or the day after tomorrow?¡± Arcturus was looking at Kori with the coldest glare he had ever seen on him. Kori felt scared. Arcturus wasn¡¯t this sort of person, but he could not disobey his master. ¡°Alright. Tonight, I¡¯ll eliminate them.¡± ¡°Do Ally and Support Shifties have the capability to kill?¡± Nova asked the current Kori. ¡°All of us Shifties have knowledge of killing. The information is implemented onto us. We know all humans¡¯ vital spots. While we have this knowledge, we aren¡¯t trained to kill unlike Combat Shifties.¡± ¡°It was a risky move on Arcturus¡¯s part, then.¡± ¡°On the contrary, since I am more durable and have less weaknesses than the average human, it would make me a terrifying foe, despite not being oriented that way.¡± Nova agreed with his words. The ones that people underestimate were definitely the most dangerous. The crew had underestimated Arcturus and Kori, which was why they paid the price of doing so. Nova snapped his finger. The memory transitioned from them being in Arcturus¡¯s room to Kori leaning against the wall, hiding himself in a blind spot where no one could see him. He closed his eyes. I sense three people in the main deck. Kori opened his eyes and then took a good look at his hand, which shifted from a regular hand into a knife. He started reciting where humans¡¯ vital spots were as he charged into the main deck. Because of his short height, he decided to focus on the solar plexus as it was the only place where he could successfully complete his task. Stabbing the first man in that vital area was a success. He repeated the same to the second and third. Their blood pooled out. He stared at the corpses for a few seconds before he rushed out to search for more prey. As he stepped out, Sayaka spoke to him. Do you think we should move the guy on the control panel? No need. In a short amount of time, the airship became stained with blood. When Kori finished his final kill, he had returned to the main deck to see Arcturus panicking. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± ¡°The self-destruct button activated.¡± Kori could hear Arcturus type on so many keys on the keyboard; he could tell he was trying to use as many codes as possible to find a way to rectify the vehicle¡¯s upcoming action. ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to nullify this. You dispose of the corpses. Throw them into the ocean or something.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Yes, Arc.¡± In Kori¡¯s perspective, Arcturus was the second most intelligent human being he had laid eyes upon. In addition to being his ideal human, he also found his intelligence ideal. He had faith that Arcturus would be able to stop the self-destruction. Because of his strength, disposing of the corpses into the ocean was a quick and simple task that he completed. On his way back, he noticed a door that was slightly opened. He took a peek in and saw a small lifeboat. We should take that with us just in case Arcturus cannot stop the system. But, he can. I believe in him. Arcturus may be intelligent, but the human mind is no match for technology, especially if the machine in question is as complex as an airship. Why are you uncertain? I know that you see Arcturus as perfect, but humans are all flawed. I just want you to understand not everything can go as you expect and that you need alternatives. Despite his frustrations with Sayaka not fully believing in his master, Kori decided to do as she said because he trusted her as well. He grabbed the lifeboat and some rope that he had found at the corner of the storage room. When he got out, he noticed a difference in altitude. The ocean was a lot lower than he had seen before. Worried, he quickly tied the end of the lifeboat and then tied the other half of the rope onto a pole. He threw the boat so that it was floating and staying idle until Arcturus rode on it. Looking at the boat from above, there¡¯s only room for one person. You could ride the boat in your rabbit form¡­ I could¡­but I don¡¯t want to. Why? Sayaka sounded very confused. This isn¡¯t some movie where the actor does heroic scenes in the end. You could actually die and not be with Arcturus anymore. Are you really okay with that? I made up my mind. Kori. Sayaka was very furious with his stubbornness. Sayaka, I don¡¯t understand why I¡¯m thinking like this myself. A part of me wants to go while a part of me refuses. It¡¯s very conflicting. You¡¯re afraid. Afraid? Of what? You are a product of Hope Corporation. Nathaniel Hope created you as the very first Shiftie¨Cin fact, you¡¯re just a prototype in itself. You are afraid of Arcturus resenting you after learning of Nathaniel Hope¡¯s true intent on bringing Arcturus onto this journey. You¡¯re afraid that your master might resent you for being associated with him. You¡¯re afraid of losing your purpose¨Cto serve and protect your master until the very end. It felt as if Sayaka was probing him. He won¡¯t resent me¡­would he? The uneasiness proved Sayaka¡¯s point. He hadn¡¯t given it much thought before, but she was correct; he was afraid of what happened after they escaped the airship. The way he sensed Arcturus¡¯s ire when he had learned the harsh truth and the way he wanted the crew member eliminated had terrified him. He was worried about whether he¡¯d be on the receiving ends of those eyes sooner or later. He won¡¯t resent you. He¡¯s spent too much time with you. That¡¯s a relief. Sayaka hummed. Thinking about it deeply, I think this might be a good idea¨Cto stay behind. Elaborate? I died and was forcibly put into your body as your source of life. And then you were created and developed a soul of your own. Both of us are victims of that nefarious man. You didn¡¯t ask to be born. I didn¡¯t ask to be put in your body. Perhaps, being destroyed can be a good way for that man to be taken down a few notches. Let¡¯s show him that what he has created isn¡¯t truly perfect and that both soul and Shiftie can and will rebel against the creator himself. You can fulfill your purpose and die for your master and your master alone while I can finally be a free soul. Processing her words gave him confidence. I like that. Let¡¯s do it. Nova became in deep thought. It had never occurred to him that the relationship between a Shiftie and their earring was technically one of non-consent. Souls wanted to be put to rest in the Spirit Realm, but Nathaniel Hope had disrupted the very flow of such order. He had inherently misjudged Kori. Yet, Kori¡¯s inherent clinginess towards his purpose confused him. Was it a Shiftie trait to cling onto their purposes? Was it fear to go against what they were created for? It made him wonder if Kori was afraid of his free will in a way. ¡°Kori, why do you insist on keeping to your purpose?¡± He needed to know; he wanted to understand Kori, but he also wanted to understand a Shiftie¡¯s mindset most of all. Kori looked him straight in the eye and replied without any hesitation, ¡°Serving our purpose is what we are created for. We Shifties are created to serve humans in any way possible.¡± ¡°But you have free will. Why couldn¡¯t you go against it? If you have lived, Arcturus wouldn¡¯t have been so mentally affected by this¡­¡± ¡°You already saw in a past memory. Shifties developing a free will is something seen as unsightly.¡± ¡°Arcturus doesn¡¯t care about that.¡± ¡°I care about it.¡± Nova had a good grasp of Kori¡¯s mindset; he wasn¡¯t sure if this applied to all Shifties, however. It was true that he was absolutely devoted to serving his purpose, but he could tell Kori was afraid of disobeying. Despite him having free will and having the capability to go against his reasons, he chose not to because he believed he had to be the same as his people. No, you are incorrect with that assumption. Souhait remarked, He is still serving his purpose to protect and devote himself to Arcturus, but he is also rebelling. He chose to die for his master, but rebelled against his creator. Realization came to Nova now that Souhait had explained another theory. He quite liked that idea more than whatever he had conceptualized. He smiled as he turned to Kori. He patted his head to show how impressed he was. When he focused back on the memory, he saw Kori¡¯s ears perking. He had sensed something, which was why he rushed back into the airship to check up on Arcturus. Koris Wish (Kori Arc Part 8) Kori had felt uncertainty within him. He carried himself towards the main deck where Arcturus was still busy trying to disarm the firewall. Kori reported his success at disposing of the corpses. Arcturus complimented him, but still fixated his attention at the control panel. Nova had remembered this scene from Arcturus¡¯s memory. Kori attempted to crack the final firewall, but he was unsuccessful. Arcturus had vented out his frustration at Nathaniel Hope who had installed a program in this specific airship just for this journey. They did not have much time left, so they decided to flee before they were caught in the explosion. Kori led Arcturus to the lifeboat. Since there was only room for one person, Arcturus suggested Kori to get on, which he refused. He then explained that he¡¯d be fine due to his Plasmian blood while Kori was a normal person. The fact that Arcturus kept refusing had frustrated Kori. While he was fine giving up his own life, hearing Arcturus say that he¡¯d be okay with hurting himself made him feel upset. He wondered why Arcturus was so keen on getting hurt despite him not being impervious. He didn¡¯t want Arcturus to get hurt and to be alright with hurting himself; he wanted him to be safe and to keep going. What should we do to convince him to jump? I recall a scene from one fantasy television show, where one man was about to head out to war and leaving his beloved lady behind. He gave her something to remember him by. Maybe we can do that? You seriously watch too much television, but not a bad idea, honestly. Though, he needs to agree on that. And if he does, what should we give him? Kori flicked his earring. How about the earring? If it goes with him, it wouldn¡¯t be destroyed. We¡¯ll be fine, but we won¡¯t be able to move anymore as my body will be destroyed. Good idea. Kori did as Sayaka said. However, he still wanted to keep a piece of Arcturus with him. He requested to hand him his beloved copy of Souhait¡¯s Lore. Arcturus handed it to him, which had surprised both Kori and Sayaka. In turn, Kori handed him his earring as he planned. ¡°Why did you ask for that book knowing how valuable it was to him?¡± Nova remarked. He didn¡¯t like the fact that the book he had written as the original Loreseer¨Cand possibly the only copy remaining¨Cwas incinerated. ¡°I just wanted a piece of him to remember by. I had already memorized the contents, but I still wanted to keep it with him. The fact that Arc gave it to me means that he trusted me enough to give it to me¡­and was willing to let it go.¡± His words made Nova upset. He had worked hard to write all that down. Kori definitely did not know the book¡¯s true value. It wasn¡¯t just Arcturus¡¯s precious book¨Cit was his creation. Without it, humans would always believe in the lies and dismiss them as folklore. That fact terrified him. It felt as if his hard work was for nothing. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Calm down, Nova. But¡­ Focus on what is in front of you. Once you are finished, you can vent and cry as much as you want and I will listen and accept. Souhait was correct. He should not waver in his duties. His purpose for being here was to grant wishes. He knew not to falter. He focused back on the memory. Nova heard Kori¡¯s familiar words, the same ones he had heard from Arcturus¡¯s memory. ¡°Three minutes left. Arcturus, please prove to the world that Souhait is real. Please prove to society that you have a place here. Make it so that we anomalies can live peacefully. Go get your wish granted.¡± Arcturus was reluctant. He took a deep breath as he yelled out, ¡°Thank you, Kori!¡± and then he jumped. Kori heard splashing, and was relieved he was in the water. He held the book tight and witnessed him swimming and reaching the boat. The sight of him shivering worried him. He reached a hand out; the next thing he knew, his body became lighter, as if he no longer had it. He felt like he was floating. The sky was darkening and he saw the ocean. He was confused. He was supposed to die. He then realized where he was when he saw Arcturus¡¯s face lean towards him. Taking out his earring meant that his soul and his body had separated. While his body has caught up in the explosion and got destroyed, his soul, his source of life, was still present. He was still alive, but did not have a physical body anymore. ¡°Even on the verge of death, you were worried about your master¡­¡± Nova murmured. ¡°It¡¯s my purpose, after all.¡± ¡°How did it feel to lose your body? To be unable to do anything while inside your earring?¡± ¡°It felt frustrating being unable to help Arc, but knowing that he kept my earring safe with him touched my heart. I did whatever I could to protect him in my current state. Whether it was to activate his bangle, I¡¯d do it. Whether it was to conjure up a hologram screen, I¡¯d do it.¡± ¡°And you did it while pretending to be dead.¡± Nova remarked rather snidely. ¡°Tell me, was Arcturus aware that you were alive?¡± ¡°I¡¯m unsure. All I know is that he was very distraught over losing me. He felt guilty for what happened. Yet, a part of me believes he is aware.¡± ¡°How are you so sure?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m his Shiftie.¡± Kori gave Nova a sad smile. It allowed Nova to realize what sort of person he became: a Shiftie who was too hesitant to disobey, but still chose to grasp his will in his own way. His purpose from life to death was always about Arcturus. Nova could tell his wish revolved around him too. He needed to delve deeper. He believed it was possible to grant Kori¡¯s wish. ¡°Kori, I sense a wish inside of you. Tell me what it is.¡± Kori placed a hand to his heart. ¡°My wish¡­is for Arcturus Mercury to keep moving forward. I want him to keep going forever. I don¡¯t want him to die, ever.¡± A risky wish¡­ The ocean disappeared, allowing Nova and Kori to return back to the snow covered field. In front of them stood a light blue door. Upon sighting it, Kori rushed towards it, opened it and went inside with Nova trailing from behind. The gentle breeze of the field full of aster flowers greeted him. He felt great to return. He noticed the sky being clearer than usual. He led Kori to where his house was. He opened the door and gestured to Kori to enter. Kori, determined, marched in. Nova did not follow suit. All he did was close the door as soon as Kori entered. He leaned his back against the door and took one more look upon the clear sky. It¡¯s your turn, Souhait. The Wish-Granting Dragon (Kori Arc Part 9) Souhait was staring straight at his unusual guest. There was an aura around him that made him feel different from his previous guests. Arcturus had a radiant aura. Sayaka had a melancholic one. Kori¡¯s aura was rather weak. He did feel like a human, but it was a lot weaker. He wondered why his aura was so weak when his appearance stood out a lot. Regardless of his appearance, he was a humble guest with a wish. He needed to focus on wishes and not over thinking about people. When people had wishes, he could see wishes as a ball of light in their hearts. It was a light of hope, a symbol that everything would surely go well; it was a sign that he could start believing. He wanted to believe that he could grant a man-made person¡¯s wish. He recalled everything he had seen about Kori¡¯s memories; he was able to see anything as long as Nova was witnessing it. Since he already knew what Kori¡¯s wish was, he needed to think about the conditions that would come with it. He was ready to speak. ¡°Kori, was it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What is it that you wish for?¡± He sensed confidence in Kori¡¯s demeanor as the Shiftie boy announced his wish: ¡°My wish is for my master¡­no, my dearest friend Arcturus Mercury to keep going no matter what.¡± ¡°Why do you want him to keep going?¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen in my earring state, Arcturus has already accomplished his dream of meeting the dragon of lore¨Cyou. Whatever happens next, I want him to have a new dream and for him to pursue happiness. I love seeing Arc happy and smiling because I believe he is the happiest when following a dream. That¡¯s what I want to see him doing forever¡­¡± ¡°Human life is not eternal. It is fleeting, to be honest. They can die at any time. People die today, tomorrow and even in this moment.¡± ¡°I know that. A Shiftie like me most definitely knows that.¡± What Souhait knew from observing Arcturus and Kori¡¯s memories was that Shifties do not lie. They were created to always tell the truth. This fact made Souhait rather curious about something that came to him. ¡°What would happen if a Shiftie¡¯s master died?¡± ¡°We¡¯d get assigned to a new master. Our purpose is to always serve our masters.¡± Souhait sensed uneasiness in his tone. He understood why. This boy did not want Arcturus to die because he did not want to lose his purpose. Even in his bodiless state, he wanted to watch over his master inside his earring. Everything he did from his birth to his current state was for Arcturus. His wish looked selfless, but it was actually a selfish one; Souhait did not mind; a selfish wish of his caliber was still a wish. It was something he was capable of granting. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°How willing are you to exchange your life for Arcturus¡¯s?¡± Kori tilted his head to the side. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°If possible, would you trade your immortal lifespan for his human one?¡± ¡°Is that even possible?¡± Kori reverted back into a straight sitting position while having an intense gaze on Souhait. ¡°It is a speculation.¡± ¡°If I could, I would. That way, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Arcturus hurting himself. If he lives on forever, he can have as many dreams as he wants and he has all the time in the world to pursue them.¡± Kori¡¯s words caused Souhait to feel a bit upset. This boy was naive. It couldn¡¯t be helped; his time in this world was cut short for him to learn more. ¡°Living forever is not a blessing as one would think. An eternal life means everyone around you dies and you are the only one left. You have to see your loved ones die and you cannot do the same. One day, you will be the only left in an empty world. Even if you can live without human necessities, what good will it do?¡± Kori looked at him with fascination. ¡°You speak as if you have experience.¡± Souhait scoffed as he tilted his head towards the ceiling. ¡°Are you not supposed to be an intelligent being? Have you not figured it out by now? I am immortal, a dragon and not a human. My power to grant people¡¯s wishes allows me to live on eternally. I have lived my life much more than you¨Cmuch longer than you would think.¡± Souhait realized his own outburst and clammed up. Kori¡¯s expression changed into a surprised one. The fact that Shifties were created with Nova and Souhait in mind, yet these very beings had no idea what the true origins behind their creation were made Souhait almost burst out a laugh. He tried his best to be composed. He should not let his complicated feelings get to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Kori remarked, surprising Souhait. ¡°Sorry? What for?¡± ¡°It seems that there is much I still need to know about this world¡­¡± ¡°That is why you should not trade your life for another¡¯s so easily.¡± Kori hung his head low. He seemed to be in deep thought, so Souhait decided to wait. A moment later, Kori lifted his head up. ¡°I still want to give my eternal life to Arcturus, regardless of what you or he thinks.¡± There was a stubbornness in this boy that Souhait found admirable. Arguing against a devoted Shiftie was definitely asinine and something he would make note of in the future. He wagged his tail. ¡°Very well. I will accept that.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°There will be conditions to your wish. Would you like to hear them?¡± ¡°Conditions?¡± ¡°Think of it as giving you something in return for granting your wish.¡± ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s hear them.¡± The Condition For Koris Wish (Kori Arc Part 10) The conditions Souhait created always coincided with someone¡¯s wish. That was how he came up with the ones that matched Arcturus¡¯s wish. He also did the same with Sayaka when she had arrived in the Contract Room. He thought about Sayaka and how she was a troubled soul that yearned for freedom. When he had spoken of the conditions that came with her wish, she accepted them all without any hesitation. It told him how much she desired for freedom. When he looked at Kori, he could tell that both Arcturus and Sayaka had influenced Kori in some ways; they all desired for something so strongly and it amazed him. The number of conditions all differed depending on the person. Arcturus had three conditions; Sayaka had two. For Kori, he only had one in mind. ¡°There is only one condition for your wish. I myself cannot grant immortality. However, with your wish, it could be possible for Arcturus to live on eternally. That condition is to exchange your life for his.¡± ¡°How do I do that?¡± Kori questioned. ¡°You must save him from death three times. After the third time, your life span will be given to Arcturus. However, when that happens, you will disappear from existence.¡± Kori¡¯s eyes widened. Souhait knew it was a cruel condition, but that was what it meant to grant a wish; it was a risk that must be accepted. He knew very well that Arcturus and Sayaka could come to despise him for this in the future; he was ready to accept any form of hatred from them when the time comes. Souhait noticed how human Kori seemed when he was fretting. He liked the current look on his face, honestly. It was rather cruel of him to think such things. ¡°Can¡­can I ask you something?¡± Kori muttered. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What sort of conditions did you give Sayaka when she was here?¡± Souhait found that an unusual question, but he knew Kori was curious. Accepting conditions was a careful decision. Normally, giving away personal information was confidential, but he let this one slide because Sayaka had been a part of Kori. ¡°Sayaka¡¯s wish was to be free. In order to grant that wish, her conditions were to never leave the Spirit Realm and to forget how she died.¡± ¡°Why did you give her those conditions?¡± ¡°An outside force is taking away passing souls from the Spirit Realm. In order to stop her, I need to find a way to restrict her from doing so. If I can put a condition on a passing soul when I grant their wish, maybe that can be a way to prevent it from happening.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°The outside force means the Invader, I presume?¡± ¡°Yes. She has been taking souls from the Spirit Realm forcibly and I need to find a way to prevent her from doing so. If I were to put this condition on a passing soul like her, maybe I can stop her schemes.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Souhait noticed he didn¡¯t ask about her second condition; he assumed Kori already understood why. He wondered if Kori was ready to accept the condition. He wouldn¡¯t mind if Kori wanted more time to think it over. ¡°Conditions cannot be rescinded?¡± ¡°Never. If you want them rescinded, it will cost you your life.¡± This was how he wrote his laws of wish granting for this world. Wish granting was the very purpose of his existence. Forming a contract meant that he was giving a part of his existence to the contractor as proof. Rescinding a wish would be the equivalent of rejecting his existence and the power of wishes. That was why he made it so that rescinding would equal a life. He was someone who took rejection harshly. Kori nodded as he uttered, ¡°I see¡­¡± He paused again. Time did not flow in the Contract Room, so the stillness he saw in Kori could have lasted an hour or so at most. He did not mind. Kori then spoke up. ¡°I¡¯ll accept the condition.¡± ¡°And your reason?¡± ¡°I thought about it, and I ultimately came to the conclusion that I won¡¯t regret giving eternal life to Arcturus if given the chance. I was afraid of the fact that my existence would disappear after the third time, but I know that if I stay in Arc¡¯s memories, I¡¯ll live on.¡± Kori was telling the truth. He had no fears in him. However, Souhait realized Kori failed to mention one important factor: if his existence disappeared, Arcturus would no longer remember him. Believing his friend would still remember him despite that made Souhait find it admirable; he also envied it too. Kori was willing to die for someone he cherished despite living for around four years. In Souhait¡¯s eyes, he was very human. ¡°Very well.¡± Souhait used a talon to cut into a portion of skin in between the scales on his tail. He then lifted it so that it was directly under Kori. Since Kori could not drink, he found an alternative. ¡°Kori, gather your hands together.¡± Kori did as he was told. A drop of lavender blood fell onto Kori¡¯s hands. It quickly absorbed itself into the skin. He suddenly started to shake erratically, as if he was malfunctioning. A snowflake tattoo emerged on his left lop ear, where his earring used to be once he calmed down. Kori fell back on the chair and stood up while staggered. ¡°What just happened?¡± ¡°Our contract has been formed. The proof is in your left ear.¡± Kori stretched his left ear to see the proof. Souhait held back a chuckle because he found the sight rather cute. He then eyed the door behind Kori that changed from a lavender hue to a white one. ¡°Open that door behind you. Return to your realm. Observe Arcturus and do what you must to save him from death three times.¡± Kori turned around to see the door. He looked back at Souhait, nodded and then stood up. Without looking back, he opened the door, entered and closed it. Souhait was alone now. He took a deep breath. He felt a small force within him growing. ¡°Kori, thank you for allowing me to grant your wish.¡± Tea Time Souhait took one more glance around the Contract Room. Once he knew the room was empty, he closed his eyes. He was a rather large and tall dragon, so he felt his elevation lowering¨Ca sign he was shrinking. When he opened his eyes, the Contract Room changed from the plain white room to the minimalistic cottage with little furniture. Since the arrival of Arcturus, there had been some decorations that gave the small, spacious room some liveliness. He saw miniature versions of the ice sculptures resting on the corner of the kitchen counter. There was a red apple on the table resting in a bowl on its lonesome. On the corner, there was a sky blue feather attached to a pen that was resting on a mug. On one side of the wall, there was a small painting of a snow-covered forest with a clear sky, the one identical to Kori¡¯s Realm of Desires. He smiled at the sight. Suddenly, the door to the house opened, with Nova entering. Since there weren¡¯t any wishes that needed to be granted right now, his clean and elegant appearance had changed into his usual purple sweater and gray pants outfit with his hair down and styled into a half-ponytail. Nova¡¯s eyes widened when he made eye contact. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I last saw you in that appearance.¡± Souhait chuckled as he reached a hand out to grab a chair to sit down on. He wondered how long it has been since he last sat down on a chair. He took a good look at his reflection from the pristine table. He was not a dragon, but a human man dressed in the same attire as Nova. The only difference was that while the sweater looked rather oversized on Nova, it was a perfect match on him. He had a human face like Nova, but their faces were completely different. While Nova had an androgynous appearance, Souhait looked masculine at first glance. His eyes were sharper and narrower, his nose bridge was sharper, and his lips were thinner. Despite having a human face, there were several imbalances on it. Like in his dragon form, he still had one lavender and one golden eye with the lavender on the right and the gold on the left. The imbalances did not stop at just his eyes. His eyelashes were two different colors with his right eyelashes being black and his left one lavender. The colors were opposite on his eyebrows with the lavender on his left and black on the right. He opened his mouth; his teeth were imperfect on the left side, but straight and perfect on the right. These imbalances did not bother him as they made a part of who he is as a person. Nova groaned. ¡°Your hair is all over the floor again.¡± Souhait chuckled. ¡°I cannot help it. Hair is hair.¡± He eyed his hair. They were lavender just like his right eye, but the tips were black; his roots were also black. Because of its unusually long length, it meanders about all over the floor. He was unsure how long it was exactly; he once guessed it was about thirty meters. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to gather all your locks.¡± Despite his nagging, Nova started gathering all of Souhait¡¯s locks. He rounded them up neatly and placed them under his chair. Souhait was happy. ¡°Thank you, Nova! You are always so sweet to me.¡± Nova gave him a scowl as he huffed towards the kitchen. ¡°Want me to make you some tea?¡± ¡°Yes! The usual lavender lemon tea! I want to drink it out of the nice cup!¡± Nova chuckled. ¡°Alright. How about some snacks?¡± Fear came to Souhait as he declined snacks. ¡°Just tea. I really love your tea!¡± ¡°A mad brew of lavender lemon tea, coming right up!¡± Souhait couldn¡¯t help but to smile whenever he looked at Nova. Despite the nagging and scowls, Nova was a kind young man at heart. If he had one person he considered precious, it would be Nova. They had been through a lot together to the point that they consider each other family. When in danger, Nova would always be his first priority. He also valued his happiness above all else. Once Nova started preparing to brew the tea, Souhait decided to think about all that happened recently. Meeting Arcturus felt like fate. He could tell that man would be the one to help them complete their goal once and for all. He was definitely the light in their darkness. He couldn¡¯t wait to see what sort of results he would see with him. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Souhait cleared his throat to divert his thoughts away. He did not want to think such calculating thoughts. He wanted to befriend Arcturus, not use him. He did not want to think of himself as some heartless person who uses people for schemes. He then thought about Sayaka. Looking at her memories and learning about her desperation for freedom showed him a small part of Terrenter¡¯s current cruel society. It was now a world where some people cannot truly accomplish or achieve what they truly want in life for every choice left some repercussions. They needed to fix that. Thinking about Kori was a fascinating experience. Man-made beings having a soul was definitely something he did not expect. However, he wasn¡¯t sure why they were created in similarity towards him and Nova. It couldn¡¯t be an homage; not many people knew about Nova¡¯s existence, let alone his. There was the fact that a Shfitie¡¯s human appearance took the form of people who had long passed by and they were powered by technology that required the use of a dead human¡¯s soul. He felt as if there was a deeper and sinister purpose for their creation and it made him curious. His thoughts were interrupted once Nova placed a tea cup in front of him. The aroma casted all of his thoughts away as he finally was able to relax after a long day¡¯s work. Nova sat down too. ¡°How long has it been since I last had Nova¡¯s special tea?¡± He grabbed the coaster and held the cup by the handle. He took in the smell before he started drinking. When he took a sip, he noticed Nova was only using the teacup to warm his hands; his head hung low. He could tell Nova was still upset with the revelation that his book got incinerated in an explosion. He slowly placed the coaster and cup back on the table. ¡°Nova, it is okay to cry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to cry.¡± Nova¡¯s words did not match his tone. Souhait leaned forward and placed his forearms against the edge of the table. ¡°I can see you pouting. You always make a pout before you shed tears.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡± Swiftly, Nova placed his hands to cover his face. ¡°Are you upset that all your hard work was for naught?¡± ¡°I just think back to the excitement that I felt when I wrote that five hundred years ago only for those scum to burn most of the copies into a crisp. Only a few copies exist, I¡¯m not even sure if the rest still exist. If that one was truly the only copy left, then what was the point of me writing that?¡± ¡°Nothing is a waste in life. You definitely worked hard writing that. Things come and go. Human life and passing days are some of those examples. Objects are created and destroyed. It is a normal aspect of life.¡± ¡°I know, but¡­¡± ¡°Besides, Arcturus did promise us he would write an honest log about us. Can you spare some hope in your heart to trust in him?¡± Nova removed his hands and lifted his head up. He took a deep breath. ¡°I want to.¡± ¡°Then, believe.¡± Nova smiled as he lifted the cup and took a sip of the tea. Souhait liked it when Nova smiled. Nova¡¯s happiness was also his happiness. After he relaxed after sipping some tea, Nova placed the cup down and remarked, ¡°I believe that we can accomplish our goal for good this time.¡± Souhait smiled. ¡°I believe that too.¡± Nova took another sip of tea. Souhait felt as if this was the chance to ask him about Kori. ¡°What are your thoughts about Kori?¡± Nova placed his cup down and then looked at him straight in the eye. ¡°I find him fascinating, but also confusing. He has a free will, but chose to still abide by his Shiftie instincts. He could¡¯ve gone on the lifeboat but decided against it. I heard his thoughts on why he did that but at the end of the day, I don¡¯t know much about these beings.¡± ¡°I believe we should learn more about them so that we can understand their mindsets. After all, they have wishes now.¡± Nova nodded as he finished the last of his tea. He stood up. ¡°It¡¯s time for me to return to reality. Make sure to clean up the cups, okay?¡± Souhait nodded. ¡°I will clean them, do not worry.¡± ¡°You always say that, but you never clean them up!¡± Nova pouted. ¡°I really will do it this time.¡± ¡°You better.¡± ¡°You better hurry back to reality. Arcturus will be worried if you do not wake up.¡± Nova became frantic. ¡°Right. See you later, Souhait!¡± Souhait waved good-bye to Nova as he opened the door and left the house. The smile he had quickly faded. He cleared the cups away and then closed his eyes. When he opened them, he returned to the Contract Room in his dragon form. ¡°Polaris.¡± The bespectacled man appeared in front of him with his hand on his chest as he bowed. ¡°You called, my liege?¡± ¡°What is the current state of the Spirit Realm?¡± ¡°A lot of souls have started developing wishes. Some souls have been taken away from the realm as well.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do what we can about the stolen souls. For now, gather up some souls for me. I think it is a good time to do some of Nova¡¯s work while he is in reality.¡± ¡°Yes, my liege. I¡¯ll bring some over as soon as possible.¡± He disappeared. As he waited, Souhait muttered, ¡°Let us truly believe that we can accomplish our goals this time around, Nova.¡± He felt very confident after saying this. Back To Reality EW 22-620 Everything feels surreal. From the moment I learned that Nathaniel Hope wanted to kill me on this journey to losing Kori, I thought that I wouldn¡¯t survive. Luck persevered and rescued me, helping me reach the isolated land of Eternally within four months. Traversing through the never ending snow storm felt like hell. It was cold. I was hungry. I truly believed I was going to die, especially with the lack of food and water. I even had to eat snow¨Can experience I do not want to tell others. I was fortunate that the cave I took shelter in had a long tunnel. Exploring through the tunnel led me to a trap door with a bat Cobot. I was utterly confused at the sight of the bat. I was foolish to have thrown a knife at it because it activated the trap door that I was standing on. Falling from a high distance usually led to death. I dreamt and a voice called out to me, telling me I was alive. When I woke up, I wasn¡¯t dead. I believe it was fate of sorts as I met Nova. Nova is beautiful and enigmatic, a man shrouded in mysteries. His lavender eyes are gorgeous; it¡¯s like looking at a sunsetting sky. He told me he has the ability to grant wishes, just like the dragon of lore I¡¯ve coveted for a long time. It was hard to believe him at first, but he told no lies. That man harbors the fabled lavender dragon, Souhait, inside of him as his vessel. I do not know the specific details of how this came to be, but I know that they¡¯ll tell me one day. I was able to accomplish a feat no other human has ever done: meeting Souhait and getting my wish granted. The wish granting process was much more painful than I expected as it forced me to look through several parts of my memories in order to find a wish. My wish is for wishes to return to this world and Souhait granted it for me, with some conditions. Here I am now, alive and writing this tale in this journal. I am positive that no one would ever believe me if I tell tales of this. It doesn¡¯t matter. If they disregard me, they can. I will only tell tales and take in those who believe. I wonder what will happen now. What happens now that my wish is granted? How will we go about accomplishing Nova and Souhait¡¯s goal of granting the wishes of all living beings in this world? ~ Arcturus took one last glance at his entry and then closed his journal. He wondered if this was a portion of what Souhait meant about writing an honest log about Nova and him. He sat up from Nova¡¯s lap. He was amazed by how Nova was still asleep while sleeping in a rather uncomfortable position. His earring in Nova¡¯s hand glowed for an instant and then reverted back to normal. He took it out of his hand to see what just happened. The earring was usually a cuff that had a sphere dangling from it; it normally was a bright yellow. On the sphere resided a sort of white insignia as if a portion of it got peeled off. ¡°Could this be like the marking I have on my chest? Does that mean Nova granted Kori¡¯s wish?¡± A sense of relief came to him. He knew Kori wasn¡¯t truly dead for his earring was still intact and in one piece; he just felt bad for what had to happen. He clasped the earring in his hands. ¡°Thank you, Kori.¡± He needed to say gratitudes more than apologies; otherwise the closure he wanted in his Realm of Desires would be for naught. His ears caught the sound of Nova softly stirring in his slumber. It sparked joy in him. Once Nova¡¯s eyes were fully open, Arcturus gave him a big smile. ¡°You¡¯re awake, Nova!¡± Nova looked surprised. After a few blinks, he greeted him back. ¡°You¡¯re quite the heavy sleeper.¡± Arcturus remarked. Nova chuckled. ¡°The same applies to you when I first found you. I tried waking you up several times, but you wouldn¡¯t budge.¡± They both chuckled awkwardly. Suddenly, all the questions he wanted to ask Nova came to him. ¡°Nova, what happened to the ice sculptures?¡± Nova reached his hand out and a miniature version of the Souhait ice sculpture appeared from his palm tattoo. ¡°I stored them. They took way too much time for me to destroy them all.¡± Arcturus sighed in relief. He would be upset if they had been destroyed. The answer to that question felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulder. Another question came to him in a flash. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°What should we do now?¡± ¡°We¡¯re leaving Castle Lavender.¡± Nova answered. ¡°Leave?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no more reason for me to stay here. I found you and a motivation to keep going. We need to leave in order for me to start my goal.¡± ¡°Is there an exit?¡± Arcturus scanned the area. ¡°There is, but it¡¯d take a while for us to find it because of the tricks and turns in this castle. I¡¯m also worried about those Shifties that are after me.¡± Arcturus became deep in thought. If it took a while for them to find an exit and for them to find a way to leave safely without being detected by opposing Shifties, he thought of one alternative. ¡°Maybe we can return to the cave where I came from?¡± ¡°The cave?¡± ¡°Yeah, I took shelter in a cave which had a tunnel leading to the trap door with the bat Cobot.¡± ¡°Oh, that one. Arcturus, do you know how to return to that cave?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, no.¡± ¡°Worry not. You can wish for it!¡± Arcturus tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. He was confused because he had already gotten his wish granted. Nova was hard to understand. Nova noticed his expression and cleared his throat. ¡°Let me explain. You and I are in a contract now. Because we¡¯re in a contract, I can grant any wish you want.¡± Arcturus quickly got out his journal to a blank page. ¡°Elaborate.¡± ¡°Because we¡¯re in a contract, I can grant any wish you want. It sounds too good to be true, right? However, there is a catch. You have to be elaborate with your wish. When you wish for something, you have to visualize. The wish won¡¯t be granted properly if you aren¡¯t specific. Let¡¯s say that you wish for gold. What sort of gold would you want? If you just wish for gold, you get all sorts of gold: gold bars, gold coins, gold accessories and gold colored pencils to name a few; however, the gold that was wished for can either be real or fake because ¡°gold¡± wasn¡¯t specified. I could conjure up fake gold and there could be a problem with that later on. I could even conjure up gold combinations like white gold or rose gold.¡± As he jotted everything word down, Arcturus had a hunch that there was a catch with this unusual generosity, and he was glad he had asked. Even if it was a big power to have, there were many risks. Anyone careless could be in trouble later on. ¡°By the way, be aware that once you get a wish granted, it cannot be rescinded. It is forever permanent. If you wish for gold and I conjure up fake gold, you cannot undo your wish. You are stuck with fake gold forever unless you find a way to pawn it off. Think of it as a risk factor. Your wishes are permanent and you cannot take anything back. That¡¯s how Souhait conjured up the rules of wish-granting for this world. You wished for wishes to come back to this world; that is now permanent. If you want to rescind your wish, that means our contract breaks and you will die.¡± Arcturus knew he should be very careful. One flub and he would be stuck with results he could never fix unless he paid for it with his life. Souhait was rather cruel for creating these strict rules; he understood why they needed to be strict just in case someone were to become abusive towards this power. ¡°There are a few restrictions to this power. While you can wish for anything, you cannot wish for resurrection. Death is permanent. If anyone wishes to resurrect, they¡¯d have to erase their whole existence in order to hide evidence about this forbidden case.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit harsh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just reciting the rules Souhait implemented into this world.¡± Arcturus glanced at his journal. ¡°Is there anything else about wishes that I¡¯d need to know?¡± Nova pondered before realizing he had left out one more important detail: ¡°Wishes can only be granted when I am awake. The ability to grant them is a consensual act. I will not abide by non-consensual acts.¡± Arcturus nodded as he jotted all of it down. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it for wishes.¡± Arcturus closed his journal. ¡°So, if I wish to return to the cave, I need to visualize and also specify for both of us to go.¡± Nova nodded. Arcturus understood and closed his eyes. He recalled what the cave was like: spacious, cold, dark, had remaining wood for a campfire, and had a long tunnel. He visualized as much as he could. ¡°I wish for Nova and me to return to the cave where I made a campfire.¡± When he opened his eyes, he still found himself in Castle Lavender. He was confused and worried about being lied to. Nova spoke up. ¡°I forgot to tell you this, but you need to touch your mark as you grant your wish.¡± Arcturus placed his journal into his satchel and then took a deep breath. He needed to visualize everything again. Before he could close his eyes to concentrate, a wolf charged into the room, aiming straight for Nova. This caused Arcturus to lose his concentration as he focused on his attempt to protect Nova. He touched his earring to materialize a dagger from his bangle. Nova dodged the wolf¡¯s lunge. His right hand changed into its draconic form; he lunged forward to punch the mechanical wolf with strong force in order to knock it down to the floor. Arcturus took the chance to charge towards the Shiftie and used the ice to his advantage by sliding to snatch the earring off of its right ear. He used his dagger to stab into the earring, malfunctioning both it and the vessel. The throne room became quiet once again. Nova¡¯s hand reverted back into its normal state as he took a deep breath. ¡°We sure make a good team.¡± Before he could remark, Arcturus decided to place a hand to his heart. He wanted to talk once they reached safety. He visualized the cave and then commanded, ¡°I wish for Nova and I to return to the cave where I was earlier.¡± The silence of the throne room had been exchanged with the whispers of the cold wind. He opened his eyes and saw that the wish worked. He was equally shocked as he was fascinated. He was speechless, which caused him to sit down in order to process something to say; every time he tried to find something to say, the words slipped out of his mind. Nova giggled at how flabbergasted he was. ¡°The power of wishes is amazing, right?¡± A bewildered Arcturus looked at Nova straight in the eye. ¡°It definitely is.¡± The Next Step Arcturus observed the cave he had returned to. Everything had been the same. The branches he had gathered to make a campfire were still there, but they were singed. The tunnel he had traveled through was still there. He took a glimpse outside and was surprised. He left the cave to see that the blizzard had stopped. All he saw was a snow covered forest outside. It was still cold, however. All he could do was gape and shiver. He took a few steps back in order to return to the cave. ¡°Nova, what¨C¡± He gasped as Nova was nowhere in sight. He was sure to be specific with his wish. ¡°Nova?¡± The more he called out his name, the more worried he became. He tried to go into the tunnel, but hesitated because of how dark it was. ¡°Arcturus!¡± Nova replied as he emerged from the tunnel. A sense of relief came to Arcturus as he placed both of his hands on his shoulders. ¡°Thank goodness¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I thought the wish didn¡¯t work properly and that you didn¡¯t teleport to this cave with me.¡± ¡°No, I was here. I just went into the tunnel to get this.¡± Nova showed off the bat Cobot from the end of the tunnel. There was a gash on its body, where Arcturus had thrown his knife on it. Nova had the knife in his opposite hand, to which he returned to him. ¡°Nova, now that we¡¯ve left Castle Lavender, what will we do now? Where will we go?¡± ¡°Our goal is to grant the wishes of all living beings in this world. This means we will travel to where people and other living beings are and grant their wishes. It will be a long road ahead of us.¡± Arcturus nodded. He promised Souhait to stay by Nova and he intended to keep that promise. Wherever he went, he¡¯d follow. However, there was something that nagged at him. ¡°How do we leave this island? Should I wish for us to teleport back to Lamina?¡± ¡°That would be nice, but that would only lead to a lot of complications like how we managed to return and such.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I know where we can go for our next destination.¡± ¡°And that would be¡­?¡± ¡°There¡¯s actually a city on this island called Sirius.¡± Arcturus tried processing his words. He had never heard of Eternally having a human population. He pressed his earring to command it to bring out a map of the island of Eternally. It was a large oval shaped island. Every information of Eternally stated that there wasn¡¯t any human life due to the snowstorm. Nova cleared his throat. ¡°Sirius, the only city in Eternally, is an isolated city. They refuse to expose themselves to the world. Only Ilacians and a few outsiders are aware of its existence. Even if it¡¯s an isolated city, it¡¯s still a part of Ilacier in a way.¡± A sense of curiosity came to Arcturus; he wondered why an isolated city existed and what sort of civilization lurked within such a mystery. A part of him wanted to go, but another part hesitated due to possible trespassing. ¡°You¡­sure know a lot about this isolated city.¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°I was forcibly taken there twenty years ago, but I had escaped and taken shelter in Castle Lavender ever since.¡± ¡°Forcibily? Twenty years ago?¡± His ears weren¡¯t lying when he had heard Nova mutter that number from before. ¡°Right, I haven¡¯t told you this. I told you I was twenty. I am twenty from my appearance, but I am actually much older than I look.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­how old are you exactly?¡± His whole body started tensing as if he was walking on eggshells; he just hoped Nova wasn¡¯t too sensitive when it came to questions about his age. Nova didn¡¯t mind the question. ¡°Five hundred and twenty years old¨CI¡¯ve been twenty for the past five hundred years to be exact.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± While he was fascinated, Arcturus knew that Ilacians in general lived long lives, but Nova¡¯s case was a whole different story. Normal Ilacians could age; this man did not age at all. A question came to him. ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± ¡°Because we¡¯re companions now and I don¡¯t want to hide things from you. It wouldn''t be fair if I knew everything about you from looking in your memories while you knew nothing about me.¡± Arcturus was happy that Nova wanted to trust in him. It was an indescribable feeling. He wanted to know more about Nova, so he kept asking questions that popped into his mind. ¡°The reason why you look like you¡¯re twenty is because you wished for immortality?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And because wishes are permanent, you are now stuck as an immortal for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± A surge of sadness came to Arcturus; he wondered how it felt to live on forever while everyone else would shrivel up and die. He¡¯d only lived for twenty years; he couldn¡¯t understand the sorrows Nova had gone through to get to where he is now. Then, there was the matter of how Nova was forcibly taken to this isolated city. He didn¡¯t know the details, so he wanted to ask; yet, a part of him forced himself to hold back. He felt as if he was being too nosy. Nova seemed to have noticed his hesitation and spoke up in his stead. ¡°I was forcibly taken to this city because the mayor at the time had heard of the powers I possessed. She had intended to use me as a living weapon. I did not condone her actions, which was why I had to kill her.¡± Arcturus had recalled Nova telling him that he had killed a fake Loreseer, reducing them to eight from nine. He had theorized the ninth one was that late mayor. ¡°But why do you want to go to that city? If you had killed their mayor, wouldn¡¯t that mean there¡¯s a target on your back?¡± ¡°I¡¯m immortal; they can¡¯t kill me. Besides, I want to return to that city because there are people there. A city with people means wishes to grant. We can start there.¡± Perhaps, it was Arcturus¡¯s imagination, but he had seen Nova shift his eyes a bit before reverting his gaze back to him. ¡°There¡¯s another reason why you want to go there, a deeper, more profound one at that.¡± Nova¡¯s eyes widened as if Arcturus had seen right through him. He gave him a sad smile as he gathered his arms behind him. ¡°I want to go to Sirius to meet a woman named Bellatrix Leonis. She is most likely the woman who has sent those Shifties to come after me. She bears a complex hatred for me after I killed her mother long ago. I want to tell her to stop coming after me and grant her wish, if possible.¡± ¡°People like that cannot be reasoned with.¡± ¡°I know that, but I still want to try. She¡¯s still a person with a wish at the end of the day. If she cannot be reasoned with no matter what, that¡¯s when I¡¯ll end her life.¡± Arcturus saw determination in his eyes. Despite knowing it could be a bad idea, he decided to go along with Nova¡¯s decision; he trusted that it could work out. Nova smiled when Arcturus complied with his decision. ¡°Shall we head out, then?¡± Nova nodded. When they both left the cave, Nova took a few steps and then stopped. Arcturus wondered what could be the reason, so he turned around to see Nova staring at the direction of the castle. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Nova looked back at Arcturus; there was a mischievous expression plastered on his face, just like how he was when he had first encountered him in Castle Lavender. ¡°Arcturus, can you do one request for me?¡± Arcturus felt uneasy about the sudden change in his demeanor. ¡°...Sure?¡± ¡°Please wish to destroy Castle Lavender.¡± A Crazy Request Arcturus blinked several times as Nova¡¯s words were processing in his mind. Nova¡¯s request was for him to wish for Castle Lavender¡¯s destruction; he wanted him to destroy it. He started recalling everything he had read about the castle from his past studies. The castle was synonymous to Souhait and his lore because it was where he had resided before his supposed disappearance. He wanted to refuse, but if Nova wanted him to destroy it, that would mean Souhait wanted it too. He was still hesitant because it was something of awe towards people obsessed with Souhait¡¯s Lore, like himself. ¡°Why are you grimacing?¡± Nova inquired. Arcturus furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his arms.. ¡°You want to destroy it, yet a part of me wants to refuse.¡± ¡°Did you know that the original Castle Lavender was destroyed five hundred years ago? The castle you see before your eyes is actually a replica that I created twenty years ago in order to hide from the people in Sirius.¡± Nova¡¯s words caused confusion to Arcturus. Arcturus blinked. ¡°A replica¡­?¡± Shock came to him as he blurted, ¡°THAT¡¯S NOT THE REAL CASTLE LAVENDER?¡± Despair and denial gnawed at him as he clutched his head and fell onto his knees. It felt as if everything he had gone through was one big dream. He wanted to accuse Nova of lying, but he had a hunch Nova was telling the truth. Nova raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why are you being so dramatic?¡± ¡°Everything is a lie¡­¡± He had to choke out his words; he wanted to cry and scream, but he couldn¡¯t. All he could do was stare at the ground blankly. Nova knelt down and placed a hand on Arcturus¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I think my choice of words weren¡¯t accurate. What I was trying to say is that Castle Lavender is actually a place Souhait and I can summon at any time we want. We destroyed the previous one in the past and then when we were on the run twenty years ago, we conjured up a new one in the same location. It¡¯s no big deal for us to destroy it; we can always make another one.¡± Arcturus looked up at Nova, searching for any inkling of hope. ¡°So, the Castle Lavender that¡¯s here right now is still the real Castle Lavender?¡± ¡°Every Castle Lavender we create is real.¡± A sense of relief came to Arcturus as he sighed and then rolled over so he laid on the ground. The denial had exhausted him mentally; it was an overload for he had too much to process to the point of being emotional. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not specifying quickly.¡± Nova muttered. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°There¡¯s no need for apologies. I¡¯m just someone who needs to let go.¡± Nova responded with a hum. ¡°You¡¯re kind.¡± ¡°Thanks?¡± Arcturus sat up once his head started clearing up. ¡°Why do you want to destroy Castle Lavender, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± Nova was in deep thought. The way his eyes looked as he was thinking was very alluring to Arcturus. The way his eyes angled away from his gaze and the way his golden eyelashes fluttered as he blinked made him look as if he was in his own world, as if there was a distance between them. ¡°Castle Lavender is both a shelter and a prison to us. We are protected by it, yet at the same time, we are trapped by it. If we leave, we¡¯ll get attacked, hence why we stayed. However, if we keep staying, we cannot progress with our goal. It¡¯s a symbol that chains us down. That is why we wish to destroy it.¡± Arcturus could tell there was more¨Csomething even deeper than his sound explanation. Nova seemed to have noticed, to which he answered by plastering a naughty smile on his face. ¡°I also want to destroy Castle Lavender to rile up the people in Sirius. I want them to know that I have left and there¡¯s nothing they can do about it. They can fear me; they can spite me. I don¡¯t care what they do. We are free now and we will grant wishes.¡± Arcturus could tell there were many wounds in his heart when he had expressed himself like this. He wouldn¡¯t pry about this. However, he knew that he wanted to stay by Nova¡¯s side; he wanted to see what sort of world Terrenter would become now that people have wishes. Would it change for the better or for the worse? That¡¯s what he wanted to see. He knew staying with Nova would bring him those results. ¡°Very well.¡± He placed a hand to his heart. He closed his eyes. He visualized everything he had seen in Castle Lavender. He needed to specify how to destroy it.¡°I wish for Castle Lavender to be destroyed from the inside out until there¡¯s nothing left.¡± When he opened his eyes and released his hand, the ground started trembling. As a reflex, Arcturus grabbed Nova, flung him over his shoulder and scurried out of the cave and dashed into the forest. They didn¡¯t go far, only enough to where they wouldn¡¯t get caught in the tremor. Arcturus put Nova down once they were safe enough. Nova climbed up one tree to the top to get a good view of what was going on. He then summoned Souhait¡¯s tail to grab Arcturus by the waist and hoisted him up to see what was going on from above. Castle Lavender wasn¡¯t actually a true castle; it was more of an unusually tall pagoda. He could see the tower slowly crumbling from the outside. The Shifties that were trapped inside would probably be destroyed due to the debris that could easily break their earrings. While he knew they were considered as living beings, he couldn¡¯t help but to pity them as they weren¡¯t aware of their own self until the end. Nova asked, ¡°Do you regret considering Shifties to be alive after realizing they are trapped inside the trembling castle?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t choose to be alive. They never even got a chance to understand what it means to be alive. However, I¡¯m sure that they will get that opportunity once their souls reach the Spirit Realm, along with the ones that got trapped in their bodies.¡± Nova smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure that Souhait gets their wishes granted when they arrive.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± They stopped speaking as they focused on watching Castle Lavender be destroyed until nothing remained of it. All Arcturus could think was how the power of wishes¨CNova and Souhait¡¯s power was terrifying yet fascinating. Footprints On The Snow When the castle was completely destroyed, the sky turned dark blue; it was almost evening. Both Arcturus and Nova climbed down the tree; Nova retracted his tail back into his body. Arcturus took a good look at his surroundings; it was almost hard to see where he was, especially since they were in a forest. He activated his earring to command it to bring out the map of Eternally. ¡°Nova, where is Sirius on this map?¡± He grabbed the corner of the hologram screen and dragged it down so it was at eye level with Nova, who was shorter than him. Nova hesitantly touched the screen with his finger, only for it to go through it. Arcturus chuckled at how confused Nova looked when he kept poking his finger through the screen. ¡°Sirius should be at the easternmost portion on the island. It¡¯s very noticeable as there¡¯s a glass dome covering the entire city.¡± Arcturus furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°How does that work? How can they breathe?¡± ¡°From what I remember from my time there, there was a ventilation system that ventilated the entire dome, allowing the residents to breathe properly without the need to worry about the lack of air. It was a fascinating contraption.¡± Arcturus found such an idea as fictional. First, he wasn¡¯t even aware that a city could be built inside a glass dome; how was it built, especially during the Eternal Blizzard? Second, he wasn¡¯t even aware of its existence until now; what if Nova was just imagining everything? He shook his head at the idea; he promised to be by Nova¡¯s side, so he needed to trust him. Third, he wondered how it was possible for people to enter and leave the city. Did the dome have an opening where people can enter and leave? A gate? He wanted to see the city for himself in order to rule out a verdict. ¡°Where is east from here?¡± Arcturus had asked. ¡°Where was Castle Lavender, exactly?¡± Nova pointed to the opposite side of where Sirius supposedly was and then dragged his finger down a bit until it stopped in a western location. ¡°Around here.¡± Arcturus updated the map with markings. He marked the city with an ¡®X¡¯. Their current location was marked with a star. He then decorated the forest just so he understood the terrain in every area. He then showed Nova the map. ¡°Is this accurate?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Arcturus took a quick glance at the sky before reverting his head back to its default angle. ¡°Shall we go? It¡¯s going to be dark soon.¡± They stepped out of the forest and started walking slowly for it was hard to see. Arcturus took a look back to see that he could still see his footprints on the snow; he wondered how long it would take for them to be obscured by the incoming darkness. He wondered if they should find shelter and resume their search in the morning, where it would be better and safer for them to traverse. ¡°It¡¯s quite hard to see, isn¡¯t it?¡± Nova remarked. ¡°Yeah. When the Eternal Blizzard was here, I usually took shelter in a cave when it was going to get dark.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°It would be safer to travel during the day, but it¡¯s also dangerous.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Well, now that Castle Lavender has disappeared, there will be commotion. People will be in disarray with what happened, believing me to have escaped and caused the tremors. The government will send out soldiers to check up the site in the morning, meaning they¡¯ll be scouring every area. If we rest in a cave, we could be spotted.¡± Nova¡¯s reasoning made sense. The path Arcturus had to take now was one full of risks. He needed to be careful about every idea that he came up with from now on. However, he did wonder how long it would take for them to reach Sirius by foot. Nova took the opportunity to reach his hand out. A ball of violet fire came out of his hand and flew around like flies circling around the sight of food. ¡°We can use this to see.¡± Arcturus was surprised Nova could do that. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you do that back in Castle Lavender? When we were traversing down the stairs in that dark room, you could¡¯ve done this.¡± ¡°That was because I had to hide who I was at the time. Now that you know my secret, I can reveal all the tricks I have up my sleeve. This fireball is one of many abilities Souhait possesses.¡± ¡°Just how many abilities does Souhait possess?¡± ¡°Three hundred and twelve abilities.¡± Arcturus blinked. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°He has three hundred and twelve abilities.¡± Baffled, Arcturus uttered, ¡°That¡¯s way too many.¡± ¡°It sounds a lot, but they¡¯re¡­not as useful as you think.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Nova rolled up one of his sleeves and showed off the change between his normal arm and the draconic one. ¡°This is one ability.¡± He repeated the same with the other arm. ¡°This is another ability.¡± He then changed back into his normal arms. ¡°I used two abilities simultaneously.¡± Arcturus stared at the fireball and then back at the arms. This means that pulling out the tail and then retracting it back in his body counts as two abilities. That means I¡¯ve already seen seven of his abilities so far. The remaining three hundred and five abilities are more or less similar. ¡°Are there any other abilities?¡± Arcturus did not have the heart to agree with Nova¡¯s statement of having useless abilities. Nova then pointed to his bangle. ¡°Souhait also has the ability to lend abilities to his contractors. We can whip up something useful so that you don¡¯t have to rely on your earring to materialize objects.¡± Arcturus detached his bangle and handed it to Nova. Nova then gestured for him to give one of his hands; Arcturus reached one of his hands out. Nova clasped his hands on both the bangle and Arcturus¡¯s hand and closed his eyes. His hands and the bangle started glowing. Arcturus could only gawk at the sight in front of him. The way Nova radiated in the darkness and how the violet fireball illuminated his face made him look beautiful; he wanted to engrave the sight in his mind forever. The glowing dissipated and Nova opened his eyes. He handed the bangle back to its owner. ¡°Here, try using the bangle now. Touch it with your finger.¡± Arcturus reattached it back onto his wrist and then touched it. His knife materialized. He was surprised at how much more convenient his bangle became. ¡°Wow! Thank you!¡± ¡°It not only materializes, but there¡¯s a bunch of abilities that come with the enhancements. The blade can conjure up lightning and you can summon it back to you as you please.¡± Arcturus felt like he was being spoiled. He was happy that Nova had enhanced his ways of fighting; it made him wonder what he could do for him in return. Unconsciously, he placed a hand onto Nova¡¯s head and patted it. ¡°I really appreciate this. Thank you.¡± Nova became flustered. He took a few steps back, pulling Arcturus¡¯s hand out of his head in the process. ¡°You¡¯re welcome! It¡¯s the least I can do now that we¡¯re companions.¡± He turned his face away. ¡°If you need more abilities for your bangle, tell me and I¡¯ll implement them right away.¡± ¡°I will. Thanks.¡± ¡°L-Let¡¯s resume heading towards our destination.¡± Nova took the initiative and walked. ¡°Wait up!¡± Arcturus followed. When he managed to catch up with Nova, he took a good look behind him; it was hard to see the footprints on the snow now. Breaking The Silence Arcturus knew they had walked for a few hours now that the sky became pure black. He was surprised to see so many stars in the night sky for there weren¡¯t any clouds that pelted snow anymore. The only sounds that resonated in his ears were the sounds of breathing and footsteps between both Nova and him. The only feeling he felt was the cold atmosphere tickling against his exposed face. The fireball did not die out; fortunately, the fireball was warm enough to give heat to both of them. In addition to the cold, the atmosphere felt heavy because Nova and he hadn¡¯t spoken since they walked. It was an awkward feeling. He wasn¡¯t much of a conversation starter to begin with. However, he decided to muster up the courage to speak up. ¡°I saw an insignia on my earring. Did you grant Kori¡¯s wish?¡± ¡°You were aware he was still alive?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve lived with a Shiftie for several years. I do know about how they only die when their earring is broken. If it¡¯s removed, they¡¯re immobile and cannot function because they need a vessel to be complete.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°If¡­it¡¯s possible, what was it that Kori wished for?¡± Nova stopped and he turned around. ¡°I cannot reveal what other people wished for. Wishes are a kept secret between the contractor and me; think of it as a privacy policy.¡± Arcturus nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± They resumed walking. Knowing that his wish wouldn¡¯t be revealed made Arcturus rather relieved. It would mean people wouldn¡¯t be aware that wishes coming back into the world was his doing and that he wouldn¡¯t bear a burden on his shoulders if word had gotten out. Nova was next to initiate a conversation. ¡°How much do you know about Shifties?¡± ¡°Just the basics, functionality-wise. Every other piece of knowledge comes from the Shiftie themself.¡± ¡°Remember when you said that Shifties had reminded you of me in a way?¡± ¡°Yes¡­?¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°You were right. They are like me in a way. Do you want to know how?¡± Arcturus was nervous. ¡°How?¡± ¡°They¡¯re powered up by human souls.¡± Those words caused Arcturus to stop. The sentence resonated in his thoughts. Nova continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know how they are taken out from the Spirit Realm, but I¡¯ve got my theories.¡± He stopped when he noticed Arcturus wasn¡¯t following him. ¡°Arcturus?¡± ¡°Human souls?¡± ¡°It sounds unbelievable, right? Late human souls are taken out from the Spirit Realm and are placed into the earrings in a method I do not know of at the moment. All I can theorize is that someone I am acquainted with is doing this.¡± ¡°And that is¡­?¡± ¡°The Invader. I do not know her actual name, but that¡¯s the name Souhait and I refer to her as. She¡¯s able to take souls out of the Spirit Realm because she¡¯s from another world, meaning she doesn¡¯t abide by the rules of this planet.¡± ¡°Another world?¡± ¡°There are many different worlds out there. Souhait and his dragon brethren are from an entirely different planet than Terrenter.¡± ¡°I know that¡­¡± A sense of excitement came to him. He was happy to know that the dragons were real and that everything he had read about them were true. He couldn¡¯t believe he had a treasure trove of precious information with him now. A thought came to him suddenly. He wondered why the Invader came to this world and why she didn¡¯t leave. If she¡¯s still here and making Shifities from breaking all the world¡¯s logic, she must have some sort of grand scheme. He turned around to look at the direction where Castle Lavender once was. He had remembered there were Shifties that had earrings. He had recalled destroying an earring and also assumed that the destruction had destroyed the remaining Shifties and their earrings. ¡°If an earring is destroyed, does the soul trapped inside return to the Spirit Realm?¡± ¡°Yes, alongside the Shiftie¡¯s soul if it was created.¡± Arcturus had found it a relief that they returned. It lifted any upcoming guilt that he could have felt in the future; he was glad Nova had told this to him right now. He could tell Nova wanted to trust him hence why he was open to answering all of his questions. Nova tilted his head. ¡°Why are you smiling?¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you trust me.¡± ¡°I¡­no, we have to trust you. You promised, after all.¡± Arcturus felt as if he could smile at him even if he hadn¡¯t promised or made conditions. Nova looked away; it made him wonder if he had made Nova feel awkward. ¡°Let¡¯s continue, Arcturus.¡± Nova resumed walking. Arcturus couldn¡¯t contain this happy feeling; he was still smiling from ear to ear. With this overwhelming happiness, he called out Nova¡¯s name. Nova stopped and turned to look at him, wondering what he wanted. ¡°Call me Arc. It¡¯s a special privilege that people close to me have.¡± Nova¡¯s eyes widened, his face contorting into one full of surprise. It quickly changed into a happy countenance as he too smiled from ear to ear. ¡°Alright, Arc.¡± Conflicts In The Darkness When they had resumed walking, they just kept going. Arcturus couldn¡¯t see anything in the vicinity. Does the supposed city exist? ¡°How much longer will it take for us to reach Sirius?¡± He took out a digital clock screen that showed him the current time. ¡°I think we can get there in another hour.¡± Nova stopped and suddenly knelt down, worrying Arcturus. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just tired, Arc.¡± Nova was breathing rather heavily for someone who was just taking a short break. ¡°So, even immortals can get tired.¡± ¡°Even if I am immortal, I still have a weak constitution.¡± He placed a hand to his chest in order to calm himself down by taking soft, deep breaths. ¡°Shall we take a break, then?¡± Nova shook his head. ¡°We have to keep going.¡± Nova was physically weak but his stubbornness was as strong as titanium. While it was a nice sight, Arcturus couldn¡¯t help but to be worried. He didn¡¯t want Nova to push himself too hard, but he knew it was impossible to change his mind. He reached a hand out for Nova to hold to help him get back up. Nova resumed walking, but his steps were a bit slower than usual. Arcturus whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡± Nova was at a distance where he couldn¡¯t hear his words. Arcturus didn¡¯t mind the lack of response as he followed him. ~ Arcturus had checked the clock from his bangle. An hour had passed since they last took a break. Nova¡¯s pacing and breathing had reverted back to normal, but he hasn¡¯t seemed to tire out again. Nova suddenly stopped. Arcturus did the same, preparing to help Nova if he had knelt down again. Instead, Nova jumped on his back; he latched on tight. The fireball disappeared. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Arcturus muttered as he thought about how unexpectedly light Nova was. Nova whispered, ¡°Stay still.¡± He did as Nova commanded; in a few minutes, he saw small beams of light coming their way. Two tanks had passed through them, not noticing them in sight despite them sticking out like sore thumbs in the middle of the snow. How odd. ¡°Why are tanks here?¡± Arcturus whispered. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the government to start sending out soldiers for investigation this soon. This is bad. It¡¯s going to be a bit challenging for us to enter the city.¡± ¡°How were we supposed to enter the city?¡± ¡°I was thinking of using invisibility to sneak past the entrance, but I guess that plan is scrapped now.¡± Invisibility? Could that be another of his many abilities? A realization came to Arcturus. The reason why the soldiers haven¡¯t noticed us is because Nova must have made us invisible. That makes sense now. Nova continued, ¡°If there are tanks here, then there must be an airship.¡± ¡°Airship?¡± ¡°From Sayaka¡¯s memories, I learned about how the military often uses airships in order to transport heavy cargo like vehicles; a tank is a vehicle, after all.¡± Arcturus had thought about Sayaka. From what he had remembered, Kori had a tendency to utter her name at times. He always believed her to be an imaginary friend of sorts; to know that she was actually real felt absurd, but it was understandable given the things he had learned recently. Nothing was truly impossible. ¡°You want to sneak into an airship?¡± Arcturus remarked. ¡°If it¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°Military airships will carry Shifties. Shifties are known to be able to detect even the smallest signs of life if it''s caught within their vicinity. This is going to be some difficult plan to execute.¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± An idea came to Arcturus. ¡°Actually, you¡¯re onto something with the airship. We can just take out everyone in the airship and then steal it for ourselves. You¡¯re strong. I¡¯m strong. We know how to defeat Shifties. I think this can work.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s proceed. We can find the airship if we follow the direction the tanks came from.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Arcturus did his best to find where Nova¡¯s legs were. He quickly found his knees, straightened his own posture to get a better hold on Nova and proceeded to head towards the direction the tank came from. The Airship Unbeknownst to Arcturus, Nova could see through the darkness, for it was one of his and Souhait¡¯s many abilities. His vision had him seeing the dark as a teal hue. He did his best to guide Arcturus in order for them to not meander off their destination. He¡¯d tell him to stop when another tank passed by and then commanded him to proceed when the coast was clear. As Arcturus walked, Nova could help but to feel how broad his back was. It was a lot more muscular than his own back; in fact, he barely had any muscles in his body. He felt envious in a way; he no longer could gain muscle because of his immortality; he had to remain as his current state forever. Fortunately, borrowing Souhait¡¯s draconic limbs allowed him to bulk up for a bit, even if it was temporary. Through his night vision, he saw how long Arcturus ponytail was; it had reached down to his shoulder blades. He couldn¡¯t see the ends because his chest was pressed against it. The way Arcturus held him was firm, but gentle. He couldn¡¯t help but to be moved; he also felt nervous. You are quick to swoon over this, Souhait remarked. Nova could tell from his voice that Souhait was amused. Quit teasing me! I¡¯m already embarrassed with how creepy I am. He felt his cheeks burning up. Arcturus quickly asked, ¡°Are you okay? You feel warmer than usual.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Nova quickly clammed up. ¡°If you say so¡­¡± He felt rather awkward. Souhait was snickering in his head, which was annoying him. He cleared his throat. ¡°Am I heavy?¡± ¡°Not really. You¡¯re a lot lighter than I expected.¡± ¡°Really? Is carrying me on your back burdensome?¡± ¡°Not really. I don¡¯t mind at all. I get reminded of the times I carried my sister on my back when I was younger. She tended to be a brat at times and wanted me to carry her whenever she was tired. Your weight reminded me of her back then.¡± Nova knew Arcturus was just being nice; he knew reminiscing wasn¡¯t a bad thing at all. He had recalled several instances where Arcturus carried his sister on his back in his childhood memories. The last one he had recalled was when Arcturus was thirteen and Ariel was eight; it was a memory right before they had left for Lamina, yet he couldn¡¯t help but to feel a bit devastated. An average eight-year-old girl weighs somewhere between 44 and 80 lbs¡­ The fact that he was most likely as light as an eight year old got him flustered. He didn¡¯t even know how much he weighed. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. How does it feel to know that you weigh as much as a child in their single digits? Nova narrowed his eyes; he could definitely imagine a smug expression on Souhait¡¯s human mug. Don¡¯t say anything, please. Arcturus suddenly stopped, which caused Nova¡¯s current thoughts to be put on hold. He looked at the direction Arcturus was looking at. There was a giant airship that was seen through its back lights. Soldiers were stationed. A few were getting inside the tanks while others were scouting the area. ¡°You¡¯re right, Nova. There¡¯s an airship. The next question is: how do we barge in? It¡¯s crawling with soldiers and Shifties.¡± ¡°I think we should just barge in and steal the airship. That¡¯s all we can do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Every alternative I think of will only lead to constant fighting and possible death for me.¡± Nova stared at the people outside. ¡°Should we get rid of the people on the outside before making our way inside?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Nova could sense confidence in Arcturus. He jumped out of his back, reverting them back to their visible self. Arcturus prepared his knives while he prepared his talons. They both looked at each other and nodded. They then charged towards the soldiers and tanks like madmen. The soldiers were definitely confused about the whole situation as they hastily prepared their weapons. They split up. Nova aimed for the tanks first. In a flash, he teleported himself on top of the commander hatch and stomped on it, destroying the entire tank.The people slumped onto the ground with their heads bleeding out, turning the snow red. He jumped onto the other tank and did the same. He had no regrets killing the soldiers because their souls would eventually enter the Spirit Realm. He could talk to them and grant their wishes there. ¡°Lavender eyes, golden hair. It¡¯s the Charlatan!¡± A soldier yelled. ¡°Fire your guns at him!¡± The remaining soldiers in Nova¡¯s vicinity shot bullets at him. Nova summoned his tail to deflect the bullets that came in every direction. He jumped, flipped and then aimed a flying kick straight for one soldier. The kick landed and the soldier fell back. He used his tail to knock back the other soldiers. After knocking them out, he went over to Arcturus¡¯s side to help him out. Arcturus was no slouch in combat despite his inexperience. He had knocked out five soldiers, but was struggling with one soldier who had dropped his weapon to fight him barehanded. Arcturus was struggling because the other armed soldiers were backing him up. Dodging bullets had been more of his priority than deflecting punches and kicks; when it looked like someone was going to pull a trigger, he¡¯d try to use his opponent as a shield to hold them off. Nova barged into the battle by knocking out the armed shoulders, helping Arcturus in finishing the last blow against his opponent. He was out of breath as he knelt down to catch it. ¡°Thank goodness you came to help out.¡± Arcturus said once he caught his breath, reverting his composure back to its default state. ¡°I¡¯ll always help you out.¡± Arcturus stood up. ¡°We¡¯re lucky they didn¡¯t call back up.¡± ¡°This means we can infiltrate the inside of the airship now. Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The two ran towards the airship. Never Look Back Arcturus Mercury had always worried about the day his hatred for soldiers would lead him to hurt them and break the law. He never had the intention of ever hurting them, but when Nova had planned to just charge through, he went along with it despite knowing the consequences. The moment he raised a hand against a soldier, he instantly knew he wouldn¡¯t feel any regrets doing this. He had none when he had ordered Kori to dispose of his crewmates months ago. He hurt them because he had to. It was the only way they could proceed. A worry did spark within him: would there be a day he¡¯d hurt someone dear to him? Would he regret everything he¡¯d done when that moment came? He wasn¡¯t sure how he¡¯d feel if such a moment would arise. All he knew was that he didn¡¯t care about who he was hurting in this situation. He needed to stop these soldiers in their tracks and prevent them from calling for back-up. The way a soldier yelled out in pain as he stabbed his knife into his shoulder and electrocuted him was an unusual feeling. He didn¡¯t enjoy the thrill of hurting people, yet he didn¡¯t hate it either. He kept doing it to other soldiers that approached him. One of them was a bit more resilient than the previous soldiers. Even after Arcturus had electrocuted him three times, he still got up. He was surprised when the man dropped his weapons and tried to fight him barehanded. He easily deflected his punches and kicks, but knew that the other soldiers would be aiming at him. This was when Arcturus knew his extraordinary strength was a blessing. He had used his strength to use the soldier as a shield so that his allies wouldn¡¯t dare aim their guns at him. It was a cowardly move, but he didn¡¯t care. Nova came to help by knocking out the armed soldiers with his tail, allowing Arcturus to knock out the one he was entangled with. When the coast was clear, they ran towards the airship. He refused to look back at the scene behind him. He knew that the moment he looked back, he would have mixed emotions. He wanted to keep going because he did not want guilt and regret to chain him down anymore; he did not want negative emotions to affect him anymore. He knew that the moment he¡¯d feel regret would be the day he couldn¡¯t be by Nova¡¯s side anymore. I have to keep going. Never look back. What he had done made him think, however. Was he now considered a good person after hurting all these soldiers? In society¡¯s eyes, he¡¯d be considered evil. If he were considered as such, he wouldn¡¯t mind. He didn¡¯t mind as long as Nova needed him. He didn¡¯t care about people¡¯s opinions; he never did. He would do things his own way by his own will. Protecting Nova was a condition to his wish as well as staying by his side. Even if he didn¡¯t have those as conditions, he¡¯d still choose to stay with him. He knew he needed to reassure himself about the choices he already made and will make in the future. He needed to steel his resolve. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The moment he and Nova stepped foot onto the airship, soldiers and wolf Shifties like the ones from the castle charged towards them. He used his combat skills and strength to deflect and subdue his enemies and then used his knives to stab and electrocute his enemies. Shifties were trickier opponents than humans. It was as if they were built to deflect any attack. He pitied them in a way. They were alive, yet created to serve people despite being considered perfection. They didn¡¯t have wills; developing one would be a very rare case, as he recalled Kori¡¯s unusual behavior throughout the past four years. In a way, they seemed as if they were lower than animals in terms of living. They knew what the cycle of life was as the information was implemented into them, but they wouldn¡¯t truly understand it for they could not experience it themselves. If they were taken to the Spirit Realm and given a chance to grant their wishes, he wondered what sort of people they would become. Fighting inside the airship was a bit tougher than outside because the airship was in an enclosed space that limited their movements. Nova couldn¡¯t jump around and use his tail as he pleased. Arcturus also had to be careful on where he aimed his punches and kicks for he could accidentally hit them against the walls; this applied to his knives too. Disposing of the Shifties was an easier task for they did not shift to their human forms. Arcturus was quick to remove and destroy their earrings. The soldiers were a bit of a challenge to defeat, but Nova managed to help him deal with them; he used his draconic strength to pummel some soldiers onto the ground; he punched a large hole on the wall and threw the bodies out into the snow. He used the snow to move the empty Shiftie vessels onto the snow as well. Arcturus took the opportunity to electrocute a few soldiers that got distracted from their shock of seeing Nova¡¯s strength. Once they were stunned, he pushed them out through the hole; they slumped onto the snow. He tried to not focus on the fallen bodies too much; he had intended to not look back anymore; whether it be on his actions or on himself, he would never look back and just keep moving forward. That was what he kept doing as soldiers and Shifties continued to charge towards them in the airship. He had lost count of all the humans and Shifties that came their way. He felt as if something kept changing within every time he fought them off. He couldn¡¯t be his old self anymore. He had to adapt and change. That was the basics of human survival instincts. He noticed that no more enemies came their way. Arcturus and Nova were relieved that they disposed of them all as they went inside an empty room to take a quick break. They both fought non-stop. Arcturus had lacked energy; he was hungry. ¡°Let¡¯s look for food first and then take the airship.¡± Arcturus muttered once he caught his breath. ¡°Alright.¡± Nova said once he scanned the vicinity and found it safe to move. A Break They searched every room they had access to and procured rations. They decided to look for the kitchen to see if there was anything they could take with them. The kitchen was at a far distance from the control room. They rummaged through the refrigerator and found a few consumables they could eat without the need to prepare. Every consumable item they found was stored in Arcturus¡¯s bangle for it had a storage compartment. ¡°That bangle¡¯s pretty handy,¡± Nova remarked. ¡°It can even store food! Terrenter sure has advanced.¡± Arcturus, while eating three sticks of string cheese at once, looked down at the bangle. ¡°This is the norm for us, but I guess the same thoughts don¡¯t apply to an immortal like you.¡± ¡°Souhait and I are old fogeys. We can¡¯t keep up with youngsters these days.¡± The way Nova had used the word ¡®fogeys¡¯ caught Arcturus off-guard; he had expected anyone to use such an old-fashioned and outdated word. Nova had used it as if it was everyday vocabulary for him. He had found it hilarious that he had almost choked on the cheese. Nova handed him a bottle of water. ¡°Did I say something weird?¡± Nova asked. ¡°No¡­not at all.¡± ¡°If you say so¡­¡± Arcturus finished the string cheese. He then proceeded to open a can of corn when the door to the kitchen closed on its own, shocking both of them. ¡°How did that close on its own?¡± Nova asked, worried. While eating the canned corn, Arcturus thought about possible theories. After eating the last bit of corn, he came to the conclusion that they did not beat all of the people aboard the airship; he told this to Nova. ¡°So, we have one more enemy left?¡± ¡°Maybe a few. If the doors can be controlled, it means that someone is in the Control Room. It¡¯s probably the captain of the airship.¡± Arcturus opened a bag of chips. He offered a piece to Nova, who rejected it. ¡°The captain?¡± ¡°It¡¯s odd, though. Usually, the captain would be sailing the airship back to base. Why is it not moving? Why did they control this door?¡± An idea came to him once he scarfed down the last chip. ¡°What if the captain is expecting us?¡± ¡°Are they luring us into a trap?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t rule out that possibility, but we won¡¯t know until we go there ourselves.¡± He opened a jug of milk and sniffed it to see if it hadn¡¯t gone bad. ¡°How about you, Nova? Do you want to go to the Control Room?¡± The milk was in fine condition, so he took a big gulp. Nova nodded. ¡°If seizing the airship is our only way to reach Sirius, we¡¯re going to have to talk with the captain. Either we take them hostage or kill them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright with either choice.¡± Arcturus finished the last of the milk. ¡°Shall we go, then?¡± ¡°You¡¯re full?¡± Arcturus nodded as he got up; Nova did the same. They headed towards the door; Nova kicked the closed door with his draconic foot, causing the steel door to break down. Arcturus whistled at the sight. ¡°Where is this Control Room?¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°There should be a map nearby; let¡¯s go check it out.¡± They found a map at a short distance from the kitchen. This airship was a lot bigger than Arcturus had expected. There were three floors that had elevators installed in them, helping him realize how the reinforcements were able to show up quickly; it was a much fancier airship suited for military use. He saw that the Control Room was in the centermost room on the third floor; they were currently on the first floor. They took the nearby elevator and went inside. As it went up, Arcturus noticed the silence between them. ¡°This is such a lavish airship,¡± Nova scanned the elevator. ¡°The airship from your memory looks like a child¡¯s toy compared to this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised Henryships made such a ship. It looks like a commission or a model used for military forces.¡± ¡°Henryships?¡± ¡°The biggest and only airship corporation in Terrenter. My friend Daffodil is the heiress of the grand company.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°It is.¡± Arcturus liked it when people praised his friends. The elevator reached its destination and the doors opened. When they entered the third floor, uneasiness came to Arcturus. He was wondering why the captain of the ship did not retreat or why they did not come to attack them the moment the last soldier fell. This whole scenario felt very unusual to him. Are we heading straight for a trap? Do they want to talk to us? Just what could the captain want from us? They reached the centermost room. Arcturus took a deep breath. His heart was pounding despite many attempts to calm himself down. He then felt Nova holding his hand. ¡°Is this helping you relax? I don¡¯t want you feeling tense.¡± He remembered how Nova held his hand when they were in his Realm of Desires. The way Nova held and never let go unless it was necessary had made Arcturus assured that everything would be alright. His hand was smaller and colder than his, but it was warming him and giving him the confidence he needed. If Nova were able to read his thoughts while holding his hand, he thanked him. He then intertwined his fingers with Nova¡¯s and tightened his grip. Everything would be alright. Nova and Souhait were by his side. They both took a step forward, allowing the automated door to open. They entered the room hand in hand until they reached a safe distance between them and a chair facing its back towards them. He saw that the captain was staring at multiple monitors that were showing various rooms in the airship; one screen had an empty kitchen with junk scattered around. ¡°Are you the captain of this airship?¡± Arcturus asked. A woman¡¯s voice replied, ¡°That I am.¡± ¡°You were calling out to us when we were in the kitchen, correct?¡± ¡°That I did.¡± ¡°Why did you call out to us? Rather, why didn¡¯t you reveal your presence to us? You¡¯re the captain of this ship. The captain always goes down with the ship. All of the soldiers and Shifties that were stationed in this airship were killed by our hands, yet you didn¡¯t bring yourself out to attack us.¡± ¡°I understand those phrases, yet they don¡¯t matter to me. Soldiers don¡¯t matter to me. However, all the Shifties you were commanding were under my control, but you managed to defeat them¨Cthe ones on this airship and the ones from Castle Lavender. The fact that you defeated all of them does anger me a bit.¡± ¡°So, they were following your orders?¡± ¡°Yes. I was ordered to capture the man known as the Charlatan and my master let me have a group of wolf Shifties to control. The fact that you destroyed them all irks me, but I cannot even comprehend what it means to feel ¡®irksome¡¯.¡± Analyzing her choice of words, Arcturus theorized her identity. ¡°Are you a Shiftie by any chance?¡± ¡°Yes, but I am no ordinary Shiftie. I am the highest quality. The strongest of them all.¡± The captain turned her chair to reveal herself. She was a woman with a stoic demeanor and a visage that matched; Arcturus particularly found her purple eyeshadow and lips flattering. She had long black hair with short blunt bangs brushed to the side. She was sitting with her legs crossed; her outfit consisted of a tight black bodysuit styled with laced stiletto boots, leather gloves embroidered with sharp studs on the knuckles. Her jet black eyes looked as if she was staring at his soul. ¡°Arcturus, look at her ears.¡± Nova whispered to him. He looked up at her ears. They were wolf ears, but unlike the wolves he had seen in Castle Lavender and on the airship that all had red earrings, the earring latched onto her right ear was not the same. It was purple¨Ca color that no Shifties possessed. Shock surged Arcturus; he wondered if he was witnessing an illusion of some kind. There were only red, blue and yellow earrings for Shifties. Purple didn¡¯t exist; it shouldn¡¯t exist. His own ears caught onto the soft sound of Nova who gasped before placing a hand over his mouth to contain his shock. He had never seen him this shocked before. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Arcturus asked. Nova removed his hand from his mouth. ¡°Why does this Shiftie look like Sayaka?¡± Purple Earring Nova couldn¡¯t believe the sight in front of him. While her style was different, this Shiftie had Sayaka¡¯s exact face and body structure; it was as if she had been resurrected and changed her style. He couldn¡¯t forget how her long black hair was like the night sky and how her jet black eyes looked as if they pierced through his soul. It¡¯s just like what we had witnessed in Kori¡¯s first memory¡­ Was it coincidence that brought us together or inevitability? ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Arcturus questioned while worried about Nova¡¯s reaction. ¡°What do you mean by this Shiftie looking like Sayaka?¡± ¡°The Sayaka Minami I met in the earring looked like this Shiftie we see before us. Arcturus, listen carefully. A Shiftie¡¯s appearance is based on people who have passed away in the real world.¡± Nova glanced over to observe Arcturus¡¯s reaction. He had an expression full of pure horror; it was a good mix of shock, anger, disgust and confusion. It made Nova wonder if he had made such an expression when he had deduced this. The female Shiftie spoke up. ¡°I don¡¯t know who this Sayaka person is. I am M541-WLF. Since it looks as if you¡¯re shocked about my earring, I¡¯ll explain. This purple earring means I am a Monarch-type, a new type of Shiftie created from the programming of Combat and Support Shifties.¡± Nova found the way M541-WLF spoke to be rather unsettling. She spoke normally; she had Sayaka¡¯s exact voice, yet it sounded so robotic. It was as if she was speaking, but not emotionally like a person, despite looking like one. She was completely different from the Sayaka he knew; Sayaka Minami was someone who longed for freedom; the Sayaka he saw in front of him was anything but a free soul. ¡°A hybrid?¡± Arcturus remarked. ¡°I¡¯m not a Hybrid. I¡¯m a Monarch.¡± ¡°What does a Monarch Shiftie do?¡± ¡°We have the qualities of both Combat and Support Shifties. We can fight and we know how to work. That is why I can control this ship because I was trained to be an airship pilot by the military; that¡¯s my role as a Support Shiftie. However, as a Combat Shiftie, I was ordered to be the last resort just in case something bad happens to the crew I was in charge of.¡± Arcturus scoffed. ¡°So, you were never implemented with the concept of ¡®the captain goes down with the ship,¡¯ then.¡± ¡°I am aware, but that goes against my orders. I only follow my orders.¡± ¡°Just what are your orders? Who sent you?¡± M541-WLF uncrossed her legs and stood up. Nova had remembered Sayaka to be a rather petite girl. He could tell from a distance that the Shiftie was tall, most likely boosting up her height due to her boots. She pointed to Nova. ¡°I was ordered to capture the Charlatan under the command of my creator, Bellatrix Leonis.¡± Nova narrowed his eyes. So, this really was her doing. She is still mad after what had happened after all these years. Arcturus was surprised to hear an unfamiliar name roll off her lips. ¡°Creator? Shiftie technology has even reached this isolated island?¡± ¡°My master sought out Nathaniel Hope and it was through him that she learned the ways of creating Shifties. After testing and going through many experiments, I was created¨CI am the first of my kind. I was given at least thirty Combat Shifties to control, but they have been destroyed¨Call of them.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°You can control other Shifties too?¡± Arcturus asked out of curiosity. ¡°I am a Monarch; it¡¯s one of our functions.¡± ¡°Well, wolves do traverse in packs, so that makes sense.¡± ¡°On the contrary. Monarch Shifties will always be superior. We are the superior life forms compared to the inferior Combat and Support Shifties. We control them; they give up their lives for us. Since creation, our roles have been to dominate and control the inferior species.¡± Nova felt a chill down his spine. The way she spoke about superiority and inferiority felt terrifying. The fact that this mindset was programmed into her from birth was rather horrific. She looked as if she could snap and overtake humans and become the dominant race at any given moment. This is a rather unusual case of psychopathy¡­ Can this really be considered so? She was given this mindset from the start of her creation. It¡¯s terrifying to know that humans can create such unsettling beings. This feels like a mistake; can a being like her even develop a will? Such a thought terrifies me. ¡°You know, for someone who boasts about superiority and so, you are surprisingly loose-lipped. You basically revealed everything about yourself and the people behind you. I guess that¡¯s a flaw in Shifties in general¨Cthat they cannot lie.¡± Arcturus removed his linked hand from Nova¡¯s and shielded him with his arm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I cannot let you have Nova. If your orders are to capture him, my own orders are to protect him.¡± Nova¡¯s heart skipped a beat at his gallant words. She stared at Arcturus, as if she was scanning him. ¡°You have an Ally Shiftie¡¯s earring, yet you are not a Shiftie. Yet, there¡¯s something unusual about that earring in itself.¡± Arcturus placed a hand to his earring. ¡°This is a memento of a dear friend.¡± ¡°A memento means an object to remind oneself of a person or a place. In your case, your dear friend must have been an inferior Ally Shiftie. Seeing how the earring is disconnected from the vessel, it means that the vessel is either disposed of or destroyed. A fitting end for an inferior being.¡± Nova couldn¡¯t believe he was hearing these words from someone that looked like Sayaka and had her exact voice. He then sensed a growing fury accumulating from Arcturus. ¡°How could you say that about your fellow Shiftie?¡± His voice was rather soft for someone so angry, but it was also a pitch lower than his usual tone. His brown eyes looked like they were glowing copper from the rage. ¡°Unlike you humans, we Shifties do not have ¡®fellows¡¯; only superiors and inferiors. We Monarchs may have been born recently, but we are already the dominant.¡± Arcturus touched his bangle and a knife came out. He gripped it tightly. ¡°Shut up about this superior and inferior shit. You¡¯re alive like other Shifties. All life is the same. You are born and then you die. That¡¯s how living works. There¡¯s no superiority or inferiority when it comes to life.¡± M541-WLF¡¯s gaze fixated on Nova as she pointed to him once again. ¡°What about the Charlatan? My data on this man shows that he has been alive far longer than anybody in this world; he is also unable to die. Is he not a superior being?¡± ¡°Nova¡¯s alive. Sure, he cannot die like every other being in this world, but he¡¯s doing what he can to make up for what he cannot do.¡± As she lowered her hand, she scanned both Arcturus and Nova. Nova was on his guard; she was unpredictable. ¡°My orders are to capture the Charlatan and bring him back to my master. Since he is here, I will activate the airship now.¡± She touched her earring and a hologram screen showed up. She clicked on a button, which caused sudden rumbling. A queasy feeling came to Nova as he knelt down. His breathing became weak; his head became lighter. Nausea came to him despite him not eating anything; he felt as if he was going to regurgitate. This rumbling means that the airship has lifted. Does this Shiftie know about my motion sickness? That we do not know. He lost his balance, but Arcturus caught him in time. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He looked very worried about him, which frustrated Nova because he didn¡¯t want such a wonderful person to see him in such a weak and measly state. ¡°You with the scarlet hair, I have no need for you. My objective is only about the Charlatan; I was told to eliminate anyone else.¡± M541-WLF touched her earring. Her form started changing. Her body started morphing; her limbs gathered together. Soon, her body became that of a wolf. She was much larger than the wolf Shifties from before, proving her status as the alpha. She lunged towards Arcturus. Nova reacted by pushing Arcturus away to take the blow. He felt her strong jaw on his thin, fragile neck. The pressure was suffocating. He felt as if he was choosing whether to get killed by strangulation or choking to death; he wasn¡¯t sure why he thought about dying when he couldn¡¯t. He did feel as if his cervical spine was going to be split in half; he felt his muscles pulling apart. In a blink of an eye, he felt his neck snap. He saw Arcturus looking at him in horror as he screamed his name. Defeating A Monarch Arcturus berated himself for not being able to do anything but watch as M541-WLF bit off Nova¡¯s head; the way it hung limp as lavender blood poured out from his mouth and neck horrified him. It was a grotesque sight. Nova is immortal. He¡¯s not truly dead. But what happens to an immortal if their head gets removed? He¡¯s not dead, but will he remain in that state? He then felt his head hit the floor as he quickly came to his senses; the wolf was mauling him. He reacted by shielding himself with his arms. He needed to find a way to remove her earring. He tried kicking her off of him, but she was heavier and stronger than he was. Her sharp teeth were sinking into his body; they hurt more than any weapon. Is this how I am going to die? Getting mauled by a robotic wolf? I feel so powerless¡­ The weight of M541-WLF¡¯s body on his own lessened. He saw that Nova¡¯s tail had pulled the beast back, but she was stubborn to leave. Her jaw latched onto Arcturus¡¯s arm; her fangs bit into the bangle, electrocuting him before breaking completely. ¡°Fuck!¡± Arcturus did his best to remove the bangle off of his wrist. Because there was no arm for her to latch onto, M541-WLF got pulled back and thrown to a wall. Nova stood up, grabbed the back of his head and then readjusted it back to normal. It was as if his cervical spine hadn¡¯t snapped in half and that everything was just an illusion; the lavender blood that he wiped off from his mouth prevented Arcturus from believing it was a dream. ¡°Damn, that hurt¡­¡± Nova muttered before he reverted back to his weakened state, worrying Arcturus again. He had never seen Nova as a sweaty mess; in fact, he wasn¡¯t even aware that this immortal friend of his had motion sickness until now. Despite his motion sickness, he still came to protect me from the mauling¡­ His own powerlessness frustrated him. He helped Nova up. Nova uttered, ¡°Leave me be. Go destroy the earring quickly before she attacks.¡± It was too late as she got back up. They both cursed as they separated themselves to evade her attack. Arcturus hated the fact that she was after him. His arm felt numb from the electrocution, so he wasn¡¯t even sure he could land a hard punch on her. He wasn¡¯t too confident if his own kicks could make a dent. What can I even do in this situation? Before the wolf could attack, Nova grabbed her by using her tail again. He wrapped his tail around her tightly, so that she wouldn¡¯t escape. Nova started taunting her. ¡°For a superior being, you sure love picking on those weaker than you. I thought you were the dominant? Are you that afraid of me? I guess that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re superior; it just means you¡¯re afraid of the strongest of them all: me.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. M541-WLF stopped struggling. She let out a howl as she transformed back into her human form, slipping out of his tail due to the difference in size. She looked at Nova menacingly. ¡°I am the superior,¡± She remarked. ¡°No one else.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t even kill an immortal like me.¡± ¡°My orders are to take you back alive.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even die, so a bit of torture can¡¯t hurt me. I¡¯ll still be alive.¡± Her hand changed into a gun and she shot Nova without hesitation. The bullet that landed on his forehead and spurted out lavender blood had no effect on him. He was still alive. He just smiled as he stood up while staggered, ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about an immortal like me? How many times will it take for someone like me to truly die? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re curious.¡± He took out the bullet, threw it aside, and then spread his arms out wide. ¡°Have your fun with me.¡± His eyes made contact with Arcturus¡¯s. Arcturus instantly knew what it was that Nova wanted him to do: find an opening to take and destroy her earring; he was using himself as bait. M541-WLF took the chance to kick him. The force of her kick was so powerful that it left a huge dent on the wall. The gun changed into a sword as she slowly approached him. Arcturus took a step forward, but hesitated. Doubt came to him. Would he be able to take her earring out? What if she had expected his movement and attacked him as well? Unlike Nova, he wasn¡¯t an immortal. Any fatal injury would instantly kill him. What can I do in this situation? Think, think! That was when it came to him: he needed to think. He may be strong, but he wasn¡¯t as strong as his adversary and Nova. His dominant arm was numb. Despite being able to defeat regular Combat Shifties and soldiers, this female Shiftie was on a whole other level. However, there was something he possessed that his opponents did not: intelligence. It was because he was intelligent that he had managed to survive these past four months. Accepting knowledge to help him grow was what made humans superior to Shifties. What he needed to focus on was not a way to defeat, but a way to outsmart; he knew what to do. He turned around and rushed towards the control panels. He gripped his knife tight and mustered up all of his strength to jab it onto the keyboard, electrocuting it; his weapon broke in the process. He tossed it aside and used whatever amount of strength he had left to kick and punch the control panel. He didn¡¯t care if the device would electrocute the rest of his body. He didn¡¯t want to be powerless; he didn¡¯t want to sit there and do nothing while Nova did all the painful work. ¡°WE ENCOURAGE ALL PASSENGERS TO EVACUATE. THIS AIRSHIP WILL SELF-DESTRUCT IN TEN MINUTES.¡± An automated voice stated. ¡°Why do these airships have self-destruction programming?¡± Arcturus pondered. ¡°What did you do?¡± M541-WLF inquired; she was furious. Since her back was turned against Nova, he used that opportunity to yank out her earring with his tail, causing her to deactivate. Arcturus took a good look at her lifeless form. She was a strong opponent; she caused him to have a lot of injuries. She was haughty and arrogant, unable to truly grasp what it meant to value life. All she did was follow orders and knowledge that was implemented into her. Was she truly alive? Has she ever developed a sense of will? If she did, was she behaving like this out of her own free will? ¡°Stop zoning out! We gotta get out of here!¡± Nova quipped as he used his tail to jab a hole through the dented wall. He peered out the hole to see their current location, but he quickly pulled his head back and covered his mouth in an attempt to prevent himself from vomiting. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Arcturus carefully headed towards Nova¡¯s direction and peered out the window. He gasped at their current situation; not only was the airship going to explode, but it was also falling. Ten Minutes Because the airship was falling, Arcturus found it hard to maintain his balance; his bangle was sliding towards his direction, which he instinctively caught and shoved in his satchel. Nova, on the other hand, was still queasy from his motion sickness; he was wobbling and staggering and then fell back. Arcturus carefully held onto him as he thought of a way to escape. There¡¯s not enough time to find a lifeboat. Ten minutes will fly by if we move at our current pace. What should we do? Escape? Where will we land if we jump from that hole? Wish to teleport? To where? The cave? That area is beaming with soldiers. The area where the old lifeboat is? It¡¯s been over a month. I don¡¯t remember what the area looked like due to the blizzard; I don¡¯t even know if the boat is still there; it could have drifted off for all I know. If we teleport there, soldiers could still find us too. He realized that either escaping or staying would lead to his own death, so he became frustrated; wishing for something wasn¡¯t helpful either. Last time, he was guided by Kori to escape; he was only able to do so because he had trusted him. Realization came to him as he figured out the answer to his problems: he needed trust. He looked at Nova; a sense of sadness came to him. Nova was extremely wounded from his ordeal with M541-WLF. Because he had used himself as bait, he was a bloodied mess. His sweater and pants were drenched in lavender blood, yet he was still breathing as if it was the norm for him. Was it wrong of him to ask this request? No, it¡¯s not wrong. It shouldn¡¯t be wrong if we want to escape. Arcturus had remembered what Nova said about how Souhait had three hundred and twelve abilities; if his words were true, flight should be one of them. ¡°Nova, can you fly?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Nova asked. ¡°Can you fly? We can escape the airship if we jump and fly to safety.¡± ¡°You want us to jump off of this ship¡­?¡± Nova questioned with fear plastered on his face. Arcturus¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Do you not like heights?¡± ¡°Souhait¡¯s actually not fond of them. We rarely use our power of flight because he¡¯s afraid of looking down when doing so.¡± ¡°We need to get out of here, though.¡± Arcturus looked up and cursed as he realized two minutes had passed. ¡°We have eight minutes left before this entire vehicle explodes.¡± ¡°We¡¯re afraid.¡± Nova looked even more terrified. Despite Nova¡¯s fears, Arcturus decided to scoop his other arm under Nova¡¯s knees and then stood up while carrying Nova bridal style. Nova became flustered. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°We¡¯re wasting time if we keep bantering back and forth. I¡¯m going to jump off the ship with you. All you need to do is fly.¡± ¡°We¡¯re afraid, though!¡± Nova held onto Arcturus tight while trembling. Arcturus gripped him tightly. ¡°Just trust me. We¡¯ll get out of here. We¡¯ll be in an unknown location, but we¡¯ll figure out where we are and where to go next together. Isn¡¯t that the purpose of why you wanted me to be your companion?¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Nova leaned back so that he was looking straight at Arcturus¡¯s gaze. The fearful look he had became a relaxed one as he held onto him tightly again. The trembling ceased. ¡°We trust you. Let¡¯s go.¡± Arcturus nodded as he took a deep breath. He took a step forward, but lost his balance again. He gritted his teeth and did his best to not drop Nova. He took another step but staggered again. If only there¡¯s a way to maintain my balance¡­ He felt Nova placing his right hand to his chest. His gesture helped him realize what it is he had to do: wish to never lose his balance, which he did. When he opened his eyes, Nova removed his hand and Arcturus took a step forward. He did not stagger. With newfound confidence, he dashed towards the hole and jumped out. They were now falling. Arcturus glanced over to see if Nova would start flying. Nova leaned over towards his ear and whispered ¡°Hold on tight,¡± as he started glowing. His body elongated, just like how Arcturus remembered it back in Nova¡¯s cottage; his limbs shortened. His clothes slowly tore off from his body, and blew away with the wind. His skin gradually changed into lavender scales. His blond hair grew longer, changing into purple. His facial structure changed from the normal humanesque shape into a draconian shape with the long snout; golden horns grew out from his head. In a matter of seconds, Nova had become Souhait in reality. Arcturus had latched onto him so tightly during the transformation that he realized he was upside down¨Cunder the body. He slowly climbed over so that he was sitting on Souhait¡¯s back. They were no longer falling, but floating in the air. The wind had felt nice, but he needed to assess their current location. They were near a large clear dome that was most definitely the rumored barrier of the isolated city of Sirius. From what he could see above, the city was too dark for him to look at fully. From above, it looked like a calm dark sea of twinkling starry specks. It was a beautiful sight, one he wanted to engrave into his memories forever. ¡°Beautiful¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s only beautiful visually. The inside of the city is anything but.¡± Nova sounded rather displeased. ¡°How do we get into Sirius?¡± Arcturus asked Nova. Despite having the appearance of Souhait, Nova¡¯s voice remained. ¡°We barge in.¡± Arcturus realized this transformation was only Souhait in appearance as it was still Nova in control. ¡°How?¡± ¡°Like this!¡± Nova took a deep breath and then breathed out purple fire, melting a portion of the barrier. As Nova kept melting the barrier so that the hole would be wide enough for him to fit through, the airship finally exploded. The pressure of the sound caused a portion of the barrier to crack, but also caused Arcturus to react poorly. He covered his ears but was also writhing in pain due to the pressure in his ears. His ears were ringing loudly and they also felt numb. He couldn¡¯t hear anything, not even if Nova was talking to him. He almost fell off of Nova, but he latched back on as a reaction. He gritted his teeth to withhold the pain. While his hearing was out of commission, Arcturus had to rely on the other four senses. He could see that Nova was finished with melting a hole that he flew in; he latched onto Nova¡¯s soft and coarse mane tightly as he entered with him. The air inside of the city smelled similar to the oxygen outside; it tasted the same too. He saw flashing lights approaching their way, to which Nova breathed fire in retaliation. The smell of the purple fire was rather intense compared to regular red fire; he even believed it smelled stronger than blue fire. The lights that were approaching them were enemy airships trying to shoot at them, but couldn¡¯t. Due to Nova¡¯s flames, airships were caught on fire as well as a few crashed onto skyscrapers and the interior of the barrier. He felt Nova¡¯s movement becoming rather erratic; he accidentally bit the inside of his mouth, so he tasted a bit of metallic blood. He was rather worried about why Nova was behaving this way; he wondered if it was Souhait reacting poorly due to his acrophobia or Nova¡¯s motion sickness taking over. He did his best to latch on tightly. He saw the draconic body glowing. His grip on Nova¡¯s mane loosened as Nova quickly reverted back to his normal self. Both Arcturus and Nova started falling. Surprised, he reacted by grabbing Nova¡¯s arm and pulled him towards him. He held onto him tightly, shielding his unconscious body as they both fell further down. Arcturus was surprised to feel rather relaxed as he was falling to his imminent death. Was it because he already accomplished everything he wanted? Was he satisfied with the results? He started remembering how he fell into a trap door. He started chuckling as he remembered everything he could remember about his life until now. I guess this is how it ends. He closed his eyes and smiled as he accepted the outcome. Shattered Kori had wished to be able to help his beloved master during his time of need. He wished for it so hard. He wanted to find a way to resurrect his master as a part of his condition, but he wasn¡¯t sure how to reach it. Arcturus was suffering and he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. In the snow-covered forest, he could only look at the sky with worry. The franticness in his heart accumulated. ¡°Would you like me to help?¡± A voice called out to him. Kori turned around to see a bespectacled man in a green outfit greeting him with a prim bow. He wasn¡¯t sure who this man was or why he was calling out to him, but he could detect that he wasn¡¯t an enemy; he let his guard down. ¡°Pardon my intrusion into your realm. I am Polaris, Master Souhait and Nova¡¯s aide; I¡¯m known as the guiding spirit for it is my duty to guide passing souls on their behalf. My responsibilities include guiding souls to the Spirit Realm and to wherever realm they wish to go to.¡± He reached a hand out towards Kori. ¡°Would you like me to guide you to your beloved master¡¯s realm?¡± ¡°Please¡­¡± Kori reached out and grabbed Polaris¡¯s hand. Polaris pulled him towards him and then snapped a finger to summon a portal from below. They were pulled away from Nova¡¯s snow-covered forest and were transported into a solemn and gloomy meadow. The sky was covered with murky dark clouds; he felt light drizzle. Kori then saw a large tree with long, withered branches. He pulled himself off of Polaris and ran towards the tree that was on a hill. Once he reached the top, he gaped at the sight of his beloved Arcturus laying on the wet grass. Half of his body was shattered into tiny pieces while the other half looked peaceful. Kori felt a strong ache in his chest as he knelt down. ¡°Arc¡­¡± Polaris knelt down on the opposite side. ¡°Arcturus Mercury¡¯s Realm of Desires used to be a serene place. This tree used to be grandiose and a place where he could enter, but alas, this tree has withered and the door to enter has been shut off.¡± ¡°Is this what a realm looks like when its vessel dies?¡± Kori prevented himself from reaching out to touch Arcturus. ¡°Yes. If a realm is vibrant, it¡¯s a symbol that its vessel is alive. Arcturus¡¯s realm is dark and gloomy. It means that his soul is crying because he wants to live, but he is dying.¡± Polaris reached a hand out to touch the rain. Recalling his condition to Souhait for his wish to be granted, Kori grabbed a shattered piece of Arcturus and started putting him back together. ¡°I can¡¯t let him die. Not now. Not ever.¡± As he quietly pieced his master back together, he remembered everything that had happened to Arcturus; he witnessed everything through the earring. He remembered how a new type of Shiftie, a Monarch, had appeared. He remembered how Arcturus was targeted because he wasn¡¯t Nova who was her objective. He remembered how terrifying she was with her bouts of superiority and inferiority. It made him wonder if she had been doing that with her free will or if it was implemented onto her. Regardless, he couldn¡¯t help but to fear everything about her. The thought that there could be Shifties like that and Arcturus could hurt himself even more as he protected Nova. ¡°Polaris, just who is Nova? Why is he being targeted?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s Souhait¡¯s vessel, which means he inherits his powers that are unrivaled against anything. He does his best to hide himself so that he doesn¡¯t expose himself to the world; since some people are aware of him, they target him as they desire his power.¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°If he is targeted, it means that Arcturus will get hurt because he has to protect him.¡± ¡°Master Nova is immortal. Even if he gets brutally hurt, he will not die.¡± ¡°I meant that Arcturus has to get hurt. I don¡¯t want Arc to be hurt, not after what I did. He¡¯s stronger than most people because of his Plasmian blood, but he¡¯s still as fragile as any human. He¡¯d do anything to protect people he cares about because he¡¯s someone yearning for a reason to love. He doesn¡¯t understand love himself, yet he¡¯s someone so loving.¡± ¡°You are a kind soul,¡± Kori noticed Polaris¡¯s voice was a bit louder than usual. He became startled when he saw Polaris kneeling next to him with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe that a kind person like you was once a man-made being.¡± ¡°Am I kind?¡± Kori couldn¡¯t believe what he had heard. Polaris nodded. ¡°You are. Worrying about someone you care about is a sign of kindness; it means you loved him a lot.¡± He wanted to believe his words. As he continued fixing Arcturus, he thought about Nova. He was very enigmatic. He was someone he could trust Arcturus with, yet he was still nervous for their future endeavors. ¡°Polaris, why did Nova become immortal?¡± ¡°He wanted to live forever because there is something he has to do. Living forever and being unable to die are needed in order to achieve that goal.¡± Kori could detect solemnity within Polaris¡¯s words. He wondered if it was a reflection of what Nova was going through? ¡°What is that goal?¡± ¡°I¡¯m forbidden to say, because it¡¯s not mine to tell. All I can say is this: what Nova needs to do and what Souhait needs to do are two separate goals, but they interconnect. That is why they are working together. That is why Souhait wanted the fragile Nova to become his vessel. That is why Nova will continue to live until the end of eternity; he needs to live longer than anyone else in order to achieve the things he couldn¡¯t do. For him, for Souhait, for all of us in the Spirit Realm¡­¡± Kori looked at Polaris. His expression was sad to the point of being hurt by his own words. He hated that he couldn¡¯t do anything to comfort him right now as his priority was to repair Arcturus¡¯s soul back to normal. Why can¡¯t I say anything? What am I supposed to say after hearing all that? All he could do was use all of his concentration on repairing Arcturus. The pieces were very tiny, so he was taking a bit of time trying to put him back together. Polaris started helping him. ¡°Why are you helping?¡± ¡°I just want to. Arcturus is someone my masters need, which is why I need him alive too.¡± There was silence as they focused on piecing Arcturus back together. The atmosphere between them was heavy. The more Kori pieced him back, the heavier his feelings felt. ¡°Polaris, I don¡¯t understand Nova¡¯s burdens.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a given. No one can understand another¡¯s burdens unless you are that person.¡± ¡°I was supposed to be perfect, but I truly don¡¯t know anything in the end¡­¡± Kori¡¯s words were sad, but he felt rather relieved from that revelation. It was as if something had been lifted off of his shoulders¨Ca burden of sorts. Sayaka and he had resolved to stay behind because they wanted to prove to Nathaniel that they weren¡¯t perfect. Perfection meant they would have escaped unscathed. The fact that he wasn¡¯t the perfect being he was supposed to be made him unusually happy. ¡°No one is ever perfect.¡± With Polaris¡¯s help, Arcturus was almost repaired. His lower half and torso was completed. All they needed to do was complete his neck and his head now. Kori and Polaris worked as fast as they could and they finally repaired him whole. The rain stopped. The sky became clear. The tree bloomed with leaves and fruit. An apple dropped down and rolled towards them. Kori noticed how bright red it was and it reminded him of Arcturus¡¯s scarlet hair; he let out a smile. ¡°The wind feels nice.¡± Polaris took in the breeze. ¡°It does.¡± Kori closed his eyes and took in the breeze. He was amazed with how he was able to feel the wind inside someone¡¯s mind. Is this what it means to be alive? Polaris then stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s get you back to your world now that Arcturus is back to normal.¡± He reached his hand out. ¡°Right¡­¡± As Kori took Polaris¡¯s hand, his other hand was grabbed. He turned to see that it was Arcturus looking at him with surprise. ¡°Why are you here, Kori?¡± A Nice Dream Arcturus had remembered falling. He had recalled how Nova took on Souhait¡¯s dragon form before reverting back to his usual self. He had recollected how he grabbed the unconscious Nova and waited for his imminent death; he also realized how he smiled. Why did I smile? He felt as if he was drowning in a dark ocean. He didn¡¯t have the energy to move, so he closed his eyes. He felt empty, which made him wonder if this was a testament to him realizing he was truly dead. Nova wasn¡¯t with him. Is he doing okay? He wondered if Nova and Souhait would mourn his death. Would they cry? Be upset? While he wasn¡¯t sure about their emotions, he had a feeling they¡¯d be looking for a new person to replace him. He couldn¡¯t help but to feel disappointed in himself for dying so abruptly before he could do anything helpful for them. Speaking of which, what would happen to my wish? Would it be overturned? Permanent? He wanted to know, but he knew he could never because he was dead. I¡¯m sorry¡­ He thought death was supposed to feel calm and peaceful, but he felt emotions other than those; he believed it was because he had died so abruptly. He thought he¡¯d be fine with dying after his dream was accomplished, but he wasn¡¯t at all. There was so much he wanted to do with Nova and Souhait. Negative thoughts welled up within him. When he realized this, he tried reaching for his journal, but his satchel wasn¡¯t with him. His eyes widened. Panic came to him. He needed his journal. It was filled with memories and hardwork. All of his feelings were inside it. He remembered how he started journaling as a teenager; he only did it in order to sort out his troubling adolescent turmoil and then it became a habit. He started relying heavily on using his journal to help him remember important facts he had learned from books and his own thoughts about situations he dealt with. His journal was a treasure trove of knowledge. It was also the only thing that allowed a third party to learn about the truth of Nova. Wait, if Nova and Souhait are going to find another person as a replacement, then that person would continue off where I left off in my journal. They¡¯re going to use my findings¡­ Such thoughts infuriated him. This was his hard work. No one was allowed to take it from him. With whatever strength he had, he reached a hand out towards a speck of light that he saw. He couldn¡¯t allow himself to die even if it came for him. My journal, Nova and Souhait are all my treasures! They¡¯re mine! I won¡¯t let anyone else take what is mine. Even if they do a better job, I cannot allow it! He felt his body being restored slowly. Both of his legs were coming back to him, allowing him to swim with all the strength he had; he needed to get back, even if he had to force himself to resurrect from the dead. His other arm was returning to him, so he swam as fast as he could to reach the light. In the water, he felt a spark of electricity within him, conducting him to keep going forward. When he blinked, he found himself in his realm of desires taking in the shade of the apple tree. He heard voices and peered over to see Kori talking with an unfamiliar man in green. He stood up and grabbed Kori¡¯s arm because he was surprised to see him in his realm. ¡°Why are you here, Kori?¡± ¡°Arc¡­?¡± Kori looked as surprised as he was. ¡°How did you get here? Shouldn¡¯t your soul be in your earring?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still bound to my earring, but helping you out is more of a priority for me. That is why Polaris here guided me here.¡± When Arcturus made eye contact with Polaris, the man bowed. Arcturus noted how elegant and polite he was. He then fixated back on Kori. Kori looked the same as he remembered. He looked so clean and untouched when his real body was battered, burnt and probably deep underwater. Seeing one of the lopped ears without an earring made Arcturus quiver his lips; he also noticed the snowflake mark where his earring used to be. Arcturus placed his hands on Kori¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Kori, I finally met Souhait. He¡¯s real.¡± ¡°He is, indeed.¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°I got my wish granted.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy for you.¡± The way Kori was smiling at him broke his heart. He hadn¡¯t seen such a smile from him in such a long time. Just knowing that he lost his opportunity to make more smiles caused him to feel awful. He was alive and moving on while Kori could not move on from his current state despite being alive. ¡°Kori, there¡¯s something I want to say to you¡­¡± ¡°And that is¡­?¡± Arcturus took a deep breath. ¡°Thank you for everything.¡± He didn¡¯t care if it sounded selfish. He just wanted to thank Kori because he didn¡¯t want to apologize anymore. If he apologized to him right now, Kori¡¯s sacrifice would be for naught. He was thankful that Kori had been a part of his life. He wouldn¡¯t be here without him. Kori¡¯s eyes widened. He started blinking a lot faster than he normally did. His eyes were darting left and right. His lips quivered. Kori suddenly furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°I don¡¯t deserve any words of gratitude¡­¡± ¡°Kori?¡± ¡°I could¡¯ve accompanied you when you had escaped the airship. I could¡¯ve changed into my rabbit form, but I chose not to. I stayed behind because I was afraid of losing my purpose¨Cof why I exist as a Shiftie.¡± Arcturus raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why would you be afraid of that?¡± ¡°Sayaka and I thought that we could prove to Nathaniel that we aren¡¯t perfect beings if we were to stay behind. We Shifties were created to be absolutely perfect; any signs of free will meant imperfection. Serving our purpose means perfection. That was why we stayed behind. We wanted to prove that we were truly imperfect beings in the end.¡± It was as if the guilt he had felt after he escaped the airship had dissipated. He learned that there was no need to feel that way. He just wished that Kori could¡¯ve explained everything to him beforehand. He didn¡¯t mind that Kori was imperfect; in fact, Kori¡¯s imperfections were beautiful to him. He felt grateful that Kori was so thoughtful towards him until the end. He took Kori¡¯s hands and looked him straight in the eyes. ¡°Thank you.¡± The troubled countenance Kori had before changed. It was as if he now understood that he deserved words of gratitude. Kori¡¯s eyes glistened. Arcturus¡¯s eyes widened as he saw tears trickling down his cheeks with a smile plastered on his face. He gripped his hands tighter. He felt happy that Kori was able to cry, but it also made him feel troubled. ¡°Kori, I want to stay by Nova and Souhait¡¯s side¡­¡± No matter how much he wanted Kori to stay, he needed to wake up. He made a promise to them and he fully intended on keeping it. ¡°Please do so. They need you.¡± ¡°But I won¡¯t ever forget you.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t either.¡± As his grip loosened, it felt as if one aspect of his life was leaving him. Kori¡¯s smile never disappeared as he turned around and approached Polaris. Polaris snapped his fingers and a portal appeared. Before stepping foot, Kori turned around once again. ¡°Good luck out there.¡± Arcturus nodded; Kori entered the portal and it closed, disappearing from his sight. He was all alone now. He laid down underneath the shade, hoping to return to reality soon. The cool feeling made him drowsy, as he closed his eyes and drifted off into slumber. ~ His senses were coming back to him. He felt something hard against his back and something soft against his stomach. His hands gripped onto something he couldn¡¯t identify from his eyes being closed. His ears were aching, but he could hear muffled sounds. He smelled something rather putrid, which caused him to open his eyes. Arcturus had recognized he was inside Sirius as the sight of the barrier greeted him; the lights of the buildings were reflected onto the top, making it look like specks of stars that decorated the night sky. It was a beautiful sight to behold after waking up from having a nice dream about Kori. He sat up. He scanned the vicinity to see that he was in a garbage dump. The stench was bothering him relentlessly to the point that he had to cover his nose. He noticed that Nova was unconscious next to him; he looked rather peaceful sleeping amidst being in a dump. He looked rather battered and was naked from top to bottom. Arcturus quickly took off his coat and placed it over him. Worry surged into him; he needed to get out of here before soldiers and Shifties discovered them. Arcturus felt the sensation on his hands reverting back to normal. As he stood up, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He quickly turned to see who it belonged to: a young woman with strawberry blonde hair tied in pigtails spoke to him, but he couldn¡¯t hear what she was saying; her voice was muffled to his aching ears. What caught his attention was the red earring on her right ear; her ears were long like an animal¡¯s. She was a Shiftie, which caused Arcturus to become panicked. He instinctively huddled over Nova, so that she wouldn¡¯t take him away. The Shiftie woman was rather expressive compared to the usual Shiftie. She didn¡¯t seem keen on taking Nova. She looked as if she was pondering about something before she reached a hand out to him; she smiled at him. A Combat Shiftie extending her hand out to him was abnormal. They usually were the most dangerous, but this woman was far from it. He could tell that she wasn¡¯t going to hurt them and that he could trust her. He had two choices: take her hand or wander around an unknown area defenseless and with Nova unconscious. He wouldn¡¯t know where this woman would take him and he knew that wandering around on his own would be more dangerous given his unfamiliarity of this area. He was tired, hurt and odorous. Nova also needed a place to rest more comfortably. Both choices were dangerous at the end, but he wanted to take the one that would lead to less risks for both of them. He made up his mind. He took her hand. Unknown Territory The mysterious female Shiftie helped him up. Arcturus¡¯s body felt weak, but his strength was returning to him. He scanned the vicinity; no human was in sight. He then focused on Nova. He took off the coat that he had used as a makeshift blanket for Nova and then made him wear it so that the upper half of his body was warm. Afterwards, he scooped up Nova and told the Shiftie girl to lead the way; the ringing in his ears were getting a bit better, but her voice still came out muffled. As he followed her, he took in the sights. There were no humans wandering about, which he found unusual; he also noticed the lack of vehicles roaming about. He wondered if they followed a curfew protocol; if not, then perhaps an emergency announcement was made telling the civilians to return to their homes due to Castle Lavender¡¯s destruction. That made more sense to him; tremors could instill fear into people¡¯s hearts, after all. The streets of Sirius were empty; only Cobots were out and about cleaning up litter and prettying the concrete streets. He could tell from dim street lights that the streets were just like every other one he saw back in his hometown. There were buildings made of bricks and metal. Some buildings were stores; some were offices; some were homes. He had assumed an isolated city like Sirius would either be heavily underdeveloped or highly overdeveloped, but it was the same he had seen in shows, pictures and real life. This all fascinated him; he assumed they got the materials to create roads and buildings from Ilacian imports. The air smelled clean; he could detect a trace of pollution anywhere. What caught his eye the most in the empty streets was a large metal wall barricading one side of the city from the rest. He wondered why it existed and who built it. The wall was very tall; it almost reached the top of the barrier. He wondered why he hadn¡¯t noticed it when he was riding Souhait. Regarding the barrier, he could see cracks and a large hole from the direction of the garbage dump. He wondered where the airship could be; it wasn¡¯t in the dump from what he briefly recalled. Was it outside of the area? What of the Monarch Shiftie? He made a conclusion to all of his observations: Even if Sirius is a lot plainer than I had anticipated, I still need to be on my guard. This is unknown territory, after all. One false move and we could be surrounded by soldiers and taken into custody. He held onto Nova tighter. He then fixated his attention back on the female Shiftie. Thoughts came to his head; did other Shifties know about the existence of Monarchs? If he were to explain it to her, would she understand? Would anyone understand? He stayed quiet as he followed her lead; they crossed several streets and turned at some intersections until they reached a three story brick building with multiple doors lined up in precision attached with a staircase and railings for safety. He could tell this was an apartment complex and the smallest he had seen in his life. The Shiftie climbed up the stairs, which he repeated; he had to be careful when ascending due to his hands being full. They reached up the second floor and walked towards the third door from their left. A shiny number plate had 312 plastered in black text. She then used a key to unlock the door. Arcturus couldn¡¯t help but to gape at the sight of seeing a Shiftie using a key. Kori had never used one from what he remembered for everything in Lamina was highly advanced; the locks were all digitized and functioned via face recognition. She then looked at him and spoke out to him. Her voice was still muffled, but he could tell she meant to tell him to come in. He was curious about how a Shiftie could have a home, so he followed her in. His eyes widened at the sight of a humble interior. The apartment was rather small with one bathroom and two bedrooms, but it was well tended; the couch was a beige hue and rather puffy. The wooden furniture was all a bit of a darker shade than the couch, but noticeably brown; he saw how clean they were with their glean. The decorations on the walls weren¡¯t much, mainly consisting of pictures and small paintings. He noticed a small television on the opposite side of the couch, a surprising sight for Arcturus who was used to advanced technology being the norm of his household. Most of all, he felt how warm the place was. An aromatic scent caught his attention. He smelled something delicious, but he was never good at discerning what sort of food was being made; he just liked eating whatever was given to him. Suddenly, two people came out of the kitchen to greet the Shiftie¨Ca man and a woman; the sight of them shocked him¨Cthey weren¡¯t Ilacians. The man was tall with pitch black hair and green eyes. He had a bit of wrinkles at the corner of his eyes and his laugh lines were quite noticeable, signaling a friendly and jolly aura from him. The woman was shorter than him with brown hair tied in a bun; she had blue eyes. He could see some wrinkles around her eyes and mouth, but they weren¡¯t as visible as the man¡¯s. With how her skin glowed, he could tell she takes great care of herself. He still only heard muffles as the two were talking to the Shiftie. From their body language and demeanor, he could tell that the two were a couple and that the Shiftie was like their daughter in a way. The man approached him to talk to him, but he couldn¡¯t discern his words. He took a step back and shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t hear right now; my ears are ringing.¡± It was an unusual instance hearing his own voice muffled. The wife had an idea as she took out a notepad from her gray apron and wrote down something to show Arcturus: ¡®What is your name?¡¯ Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. He was rather confused on why this woman wasn¡¯t hostile towards him, but he¡¯d rather take their hospitality over another alternative. ¡°My name is Arcturus Mercury.¡± She scribbled down, ¡®Arthurus, welcome to our home!¡¯ She misspelled my name¡­ He wasn¡¯t too bothered by it as his name was rather unusual in itself. He was rather grateful that she was welcoming. The husband then walked over to the couch. The Shiftie moved the coffee table as the husband bent over and pulled out a portion of the couch, changing it into a bed. The wife then hastily scurried into a room where she got out two pillows and some blankets. She covered the mattress with a thin blanket and then covered it with a thicker blanket. She placed the pillows on each side and the makeshift bed was complete. The Shiftie gestured that he placed Nova on the bed; he took the offer as he gently placed him down on the left side of the bed. He took off the coat and then quickly covered the slumbering man with the blanket. The husband then took out his own notepad from his orange apron and wrote down: ¡®Please make yourself feel at home.¡¯ Arcturus noticed he took a few steps back so that there was a bit of distance between them. Is it really alright for me to accept all this kind hospitality? We¡¯ve only known each other for a minute. Regardless, he knew they were to be trusted, so he put his satchel down. He took a good look at his coat. It was a chartreuse colored padded coat from a luxury brand; his grandmother Caroline had bought it for him before he had left for the expedition. Once pristine, it was now tattered and full of tears and holes. He couldn¡¯t help but to feel apologetic towards her. He then got out his journal, ripped a blank page from the back and wrote down, ¡®Can I have your names?¡¯ The wife¡¯s name was Sophia Edwards; her husband was Murphy Edwards. The Shiftie took Murphy¡¯s notepad and wrote down her name: Constance. Now that he got everyone¡¯s names, he proceeded to write again, ¡®Constance, why have you brought me here?¡¯ She replied, ¡®I had detected the presence of a Shiftie and went to check; it turned out to be coming from your earring, but you are not a Shiftie. Seeing how you were holding the Charlatan, I knew that you were to be trusted.¡¯ ¡®How am I to be trusted? I¡¯m a stranger.¡¯ This time, Sophia wrote down her response, ¡®Don¡¯t worry. Where you are right now is what we call the ¡®Outskirts¡¯. We are an area in Sirius who do not obey the current mayor¨Cin fact anyone who disobeys is taken here. Arcturus then remembered how Nova once told him how lucky he was. While he had brushed it off before, he started believing in it at this very moment. Once he felt relaxed, his luck seemed to have run out as his head started aching. The ringing got stronger; the aches surged down to his entire body. His body started feeling heavy; he started breathing heavily. Is this a fever? As it got worse, the muffles got worse as well. Arcturus could feel himself feeling chilly. Strength sapped away from him, which caused him to drop his journal and scrap paper. Sophia scurried off to the kitchen while Constance activated the hologram screen; most likely calling someone. This caused him to be worried. He tried to turn towards Nova to shield him, but exhaustion conquered him. Murphy helped him to the bed; Arcturus lied down next to Nova. Sophia rushed towards his side with a thermometer. She placed the device next to his ear and then became worried about the results. She then rushed back into the kitchen. Murphy picked up his journal and scrap paper and placed them back into the satchel. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Arcturus muttered. Murphy responded to him, but his words were inaudible. He then wrote down, ¡®Don¡¯t worry. We called a doctor to come in and diagnose your fever.¡¯ ¡°Thank you,¡± Arcturus repeated. He recalled the last time he had a fever was when he was a young boy, so to experience it again as an adult wasn¡¯t pleasant at all; it felt worse as an adult. He then glanced over at Nova. He was glad Nova was sleeping peacefully and not witnessing him in this weak state. He brushed his golden bangs towards the side, giving him a good view of what his whole face looked like. Nova had always been a beautifully androgynous man, but his full face made him look a bit more masculine. He liked his side profile as he found it balanced from the width of his forehead to the length of his nose bridge; it was a profile that he wanted to trace if he had the opportunity to do so. He then placed a hand on his forehead. Nova was getting warmer; he wasn¡¯t as cold as he had remembered before. Because this man was immortal, he had no worries about getting sick and having fevers¨Ca rather envious constitution. Despite this, he couldn¡¯t help but to think Nova looked rather vulnerable while asleep. It compelled him to want to hold his hand and reassure him that he¡¯d be there for him. He couldn¡¯t speak, but he did hold his hand. Sophia came back with a wet towel that she placed on his forehead. It was cold, but a welcomed feeling. When he glanced over at Sophia, he saw the image of his mother, Henrietta, smiling at him; perhaps he was becoming delirious from the fever. The memory of his first fever slowly came to him. When he was around eight years old, he had a bad fever. He was scared and constantly crying because it was such an unusual feeling. Arthur wasn¡¯t present at the time, so Henrietta had to take work off and do everything she could to lower his fever. She had gone to the pharmacy to get fever-reducing and cold pills; she had mashed apples and tried spoon-feeding him. The apples weren¡¯t mashed properly as he felt chunky bits in his mouth, but he hadn¡¯t said a word. It all worked thanks to her efforts, but it did take him three days to recover fully. There were two things he learned from this. The first was to be as healthy as possible so that his family or anybody else wouldn¡¯t be burdened by him. The second was to respect and love his caring mother who worked hard to nurse him back to health. When he blinked, the image of Henrietta reverted back to Sophia. He knew in this situation that fevers do not hurt when he is asleep, so that was what he did. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. An Apology Arcturus found himself staring at the sky. Was he in his Realm of Desires? When he sat up, he noticed familiar aster flowers all around him. The sight of them caused him to stand up and frantically look around. He couldn¡¯t see the cottage, but saw the back profile of a familiar golden haired figure. His eyes widened as he rushed towards him. ¡°Nova!¡± Calling out his name caused Nova to turn around; Arcturus was locked onto the gaze of his lavender eyes. Nova looked surprised to see him, but still welcomed him with a smile. Arcturus stopped running once he got to a good distance to look at him closely. ¡°You¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you really okay?¡± ¡°I am.¡± ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you waking up?¡± ¡°The draconic transformation is something of a last resort. Both Souhait and I have to resonate our minds and souls into this transformation for it to work. It drains a lot of our energy to the point that it only lasts for a short while. Souhait is fine, but I am exhausted. It¡¯ll take me three days to awaken.¡± ¡°Three days¡­¡± Arcturus couldn¡¯t help but to worry. Would they be alright after three days? He hoped nothing bad would happen to them the longer they stayed at Constance¡¯s house; he even pondered if they would even allow him to stay for three days. Arcturus shook his head to rid himself of his bad habit. I¡¯m overthinking again. Everything will be alright. I¡¯ll make sure of it. That was the reason why he chose to go with Constance. ¡°What has happened since we fell out of the airship?¡± Nova asked. They both sat down as Arcturus recalled everything that had happened from his dream of being dead to getting a fever. He did notice the increase in sadness in Nova¡¯s face as he kept rambling on; he did recall it starting when he had brought up Kori when he had talked about his dream. Once he finished his anecdote, the atmosphere between them became silent. The pristine air became murky as he noticed the sunny weather became cloudy. The aster flowers looked as if they were on the verge of wilting. This caused Arcturus to tense up; the weather in Nova¡¯s Realm of Desires correlated to his mood. ¡°Are you¡­okay?¡± Arcturus made sure to be careful and not pry too much. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Nova muttered. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. Why apologize?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault that this all happened to you. It¡¯s because of me that you had to get hurt from the fall impact. It¡¯s because of me that your ears are ringing. It¡¯s because of me that you got a fever.¡± The more he blamed himself, the more vulnerable he became; every sentence he spewed caused him to curl up. By the time he was finished, he was hugging his knees and had buried his face into them. ¡°It¡¯s really not your fault at all.¡± ¡°It is. Despite me being immortal, I am incredibly weak. My only great attribute is living forever. I¡¯m not strong. I¡¯m not brave. I get exhausted so easily too.¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Arcturus felt something cold on his forehead. He looked up to see the clouds darkening and rain droplets slowly dropping. He looked back at Nova; he didn¡¯t want to see him in such a state. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize¡­¡± His words were futile. Nova continued sulking. He looked as if he was the only guilty person in the world and it slowly frustrated him. Nova was blaming himself for everything that had transpired, which was false. None of the things that happened to him were his fault; they just happened. Why can¡¯t he see that? Why can¡¯t he believe that? The rain drops increased; it started drizzling. He became annoyed. He couldn¡¯t stand seeing Nova like this. If he was going to console him, he was going to have to do it his own way. He reached his hand out and grabbed Nova¡¯s arm. He tugged on it so that Nova was staring at him straight in the face. He spoke sternly. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. You apologize when you own up to your mistakes. Mistakes means you did something wrong. While mistakes are common, you did nothing wrong. Constant apologies lose their meaning if said too frequently. That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t blame yourself. None of this was your fault to begin with.¡± It wasn¡¯t enough as Nova averted his gaze. Arcturus could tell words were futile. He thought of the next best solution. He grabbed Nova¡¯s other arm and then pulled him towards him. As soon as Nova¡¯s body touched his own, he wrapped his arm around him. He hoped this embrace would work. ¡°What are you doing?¡± He could hear Nova¡¯s confused tone. ¡°You looked like you needed a hug. Do you not like it?¡± ¡°...Thank you.¡± Nova returned the embrace as he wrapped his own arms around his body and buried his face into his shoulder. The drizzling slowly stopped. While it was still cloudy, Arcturus noticed the flowers regaining their color and strength. He started patting Nova¡¯s back rhythmically and gently. ¡°Nova, I want you to know something important: it¡¯s not good to wallow in regret. I know that you¡¯re immortal, so you¡¯ve got your fair share of burdens, sorrows, and regrets. I cannot make them go away; I¡¯m not conceited enough to do that. You have to make them go away on your own. I can tell from your demeanor that you never thought to have them go away because you always took in everything on your own.¡± He sighed. ¡°When I went on this expedition, I promised myself to never look back. If I look back, it would mean I would regret everything and that everything I have done until now would be for naught. Looking back means I acknowledge the regrets and guilt I casted aside. It would mean I am at fault for everything that had happened until now. I don¡¯t want that. I¡¯ve lost so much to keep going forward. Isn¡¯t that the same for you?¡± He stopped patting as Nova pulled back and gazed upon him. Nova nodded and then pouted. ¡°I wished to become immortal to keep on living. I want to live longer than anyone else on this planet. I have to keep on living.¡± Arcturus saw a small fire igniting in his eyes. ¡°Why do you live?¡± ¡°I live to help achieve Souhait¡¯s goal. I live to see what sort of world Terrenter would become when we accomplish it. I live¡­¡± He looked down again. ¡°Is there more to your reason?¡± Arcturus wanted to know more. He felt as if this was the first time he was seeing the real Nova so he wanted to keep learning more. Nova suddenly gripped the back of his shirt tightly as he looked back up straight into Arcturus¡¯s eyes. ¡°I live to seek revenge against those who wronged me. Because of that, I have to keep living¨Clonger than them¡­longer than anyone else¡­until the end of eternity.¡± The fire in his eyes grew. Arcturus slowly realized why Nova wanted to go to Sirius; wanting to grant the wishes of the people there was a factor, but one of the sources of his revenge was there. It was for both his and Souhait¡¯s goals. He felt overjoyed that he finally got through to Nova. He felt as if they became closer now. Nova wanted both revenge and wishes, so that was what Arcturus would help him with. The sulking Nova was no more; what he saw was a beautiful, determined man eager to take on the world; he would be there by his side. They both took a look at the sky as they noticed it had gotten brighter. They gave each other a sheepish grin as Nova leaned in to embrace Arcturus. He could hear him whisper words of gratitude to his ear. Nova pulled back. ¡°I¡¯ll see you again when I wake up.¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll protect your sleeping body until then.¡± When Arcturus blinked, Nova was gone. When he blinked again, he was no longer in the aster field. The sky was no longer there; instead, he realized he had woken up from the soothing dream. Treatment The ceiling was the first to greet Arcturus from his slumber. He blinked a few times before processing that his fever was getting better; his headaches have reduced tremendously. The ringing in his ears still lingered, but he could hear sounds more audibly now. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± An unfamiliar voice asked him. He glanced over and saw an old Ilacian woman with bright blue eyes and dressed in a doctor¡¯s gown. She was holding thin needles between her index finger and thumb. He slowly felt the feeling of them slightly pricking on his ears and temples. Is this acupuncture? ¡°Are you alright, sir?¡± She asked. He could hear her voice; he could finally hear someone¡¯s voice. ¡°Who are you?¡± He never knew how nice it felt to be able to hear his own voice clearly until now. ¡°I¡¯m Belinda Mathis. I¡¯m one of the two doctors here in the Outskirts. Murphy called me about an emergency patient who could not come to the clinic. What about you? What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Arcturus Mercury.¡± He carefully pronounced every syllable in his name so that there wouldn¡¯t be any mistakes. ¡°Well, Arcturus, since you are awake, let me check up on you real quickly.¡± She got out a flashlight and checked the condition of his eyes and then took out a wooden stick to check the inside of his mouth. This reminded him of a checkup during his childhood. ¡°You seem fine. Constance told me that she found you in the dump. Were you thrown into the dump alongside your friend?¡± ¡°I¡­guess?¡± She wasn¡¯t entirely wrong, but he wasn¡¯t sure how to explain that he fell out of an airship and rode on a dragon before it transformed back to Nova. ¡°Did you hit your head anywhere?¡± ¡°I hope not?¡± ¡°Can you tell me what year it is?¡± ¡°620.¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Do you know where you are?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in an apartment?¡± He hoped he was in the same apartment; the bedding and blanket felt the same as he remembered before falling asleep. ¡°Do you know who it belongs to?¡± ¡°Sophia, Murphy and Constance?¡± Arcturus found his current position rather uncomfortable, so he tried sitting up but she pushed him back down. ¡°Don¡¯t move. The acupuncture treatment is still ongoing. I¡¯m doing this to ease the ringing.¡± He complied with her words as he laid back down. The needles made it hard for Arcturus to turn his head to check up on Nova. ¡°Doctor, how is Nova?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re talking about your friend, he¡¯s sleeping right next to you. He had a lot of wounds, but they seem to heal slowly. He has an unusual body.¡± ¡°He had a bullet wound on his forehead.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯m seeing nothing but a clear forehead underneath his bangs.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± He was just relieved Nova was fine; it made sense for him to be okay because he was an immortal, but he still couldn¡¯t help but to worry. Belinda then got out a stethoscope. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, can I check your heartbeat?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Then, please lift your shirt up for a bit.¡± He slightly lifted his shirt so that it wasn¡¯t completely exposing his upper half. Belinda did her best to put the stethoscope into the gap until she found his heartbeat. She listened to it briefly before removing it; Arcturus put his shirt back into its normal position. She then checked his pulse first before proceeding with his heartbeat. He just hoped nothing was wrong with him. ¡°Your pulse and heartbeat are fine, but checking the conditions of your muscles, you don¡¯t seem like you¡¯re eating well enough.¡± He was surprised she could deduce all that from just touching his arm. Some doctors in Lamina could not come to such conclusions regarding their patients. Though, it did make him wonder if she was legit or a quack. ¡°I¡­had a few things to eat in the past four months. My main food consumption happened to be iridescent ice.¡± Belinda looked rather baffled. ¡°Iridescent ice? That¡¯s not healthy at all!¡± ¡°It was the only way I could survive, ma¡¯am. The airship I was on before exploded and all that was left was a crate floating towards my lifeboat with little rations and a jar of ice.¡± She was exasperated. ¡°My goodness. You¡¯ve been through a lot.¡± ¡°At least, I¡¯m still here alive.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s great that you¡¯re here¡­¡± Belinda was a complete stranger, yet hearing those words from her moved his heart. She didn¡¯t have to say those words to someone like him, yet she did. Perhaps, the fever was making him vulnerable and emotional. Instead of crying, he was smiling. Feeling Better Belinda checked her watch. ¡°It¡¯s time for me to take out those needles.¡± She carefully took out the acupuncture needles and discarded them into a small plastic bin. The ringing was still present in Arcturus¡¯s ears, but they felt much better than before; his headaches were gone. The doctor took his temperature once more; he still had a high temperature, but she told him it was much lower compared to before; this made Arcturus feel relieved. He didn¡¯t want to be hindered by it for a long time; worry came to him, however. He knew that one of the main factors for his sudden recovery was the Plasmian healing factor that cost him his lifespan. He wondered just how much of his lifespan he had wasted just to recover from the ringing ears and fever. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± ¡°Dr. Mathis, is it possible to know how much longer I have left to live?¡± She was concerned. ¡°Do you have an illness? You seem perfectly fine to me.¡± Arcturus curled a lock of his scarlet hair. ¡°If you haven¡¯t realized, I am half-Plasmian and half-Laminan. Because of my Plasmian lineage, I am both blessed and cursed with their genetic traits. My strength far exceeds that of a normal Laminan. I am also able to heal a lot faster than the other two races, but that¡¯s at the cost of my lifespan. While I do have a Laminan¡¯s lifespan, the healing factor deteriorates the more I get injured or sick. I¡¯ve gotten injured quite often throughout my journey and I¡¯m just worried how much time I have left to live if this keeps up.¡± His explanation caused Belinda to become sullen. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. However, this is an Ilacian island. Majority of the people here consist of Ilacians, so I¡¯m mainly familiar with their body structures and genetics. I¡¯m afraid I cannot help you there as I rarely get Plasmian patients like you.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Arcturus couldn¡¯t help but to feel a tad disappointed, but he understood why she couldn¡¯t be of help. Belinda then got an idea. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask Murphy when he returns? He¡¯s a quarter Plasmian.¡± Arcturus¡¯s eyes protruded. ¡°He¡¯s a quarter Plasmian?¡± He had never met a Plasmian outside of his family and birthplace; this excited him. ¡°From what I remember, he once said his father was half-Plasmian.¡± Suddenly, something started bugging him. ¡°Wait, if Sophia and Murphy are non-Ilacians, how did they come here to this isolated city?¡± The sound of the door being unlocked caught his attention. Arcturus was surprised about how well-timed it was. Belinda then started packing up her tools. ¡°Before I take my leave, make sure to change your friend¡¯s bandages twice a day, okay? I¡¯ll leave some bandage rolls here for you to use. Don¡¯t worry about paying me back and such, alright?¡± She got up. ¡°My clinic¡¯s nearby, so if you have any other pain or issues, come visit.¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Thank you, Dr. Mathis!¡± He felt extreme gratitude for this benevolent doctor. ¡°I hope to see you two again someday, whether it be due to an injury or not.¡± She then headed towards the door. She briefly spoke with the couple before leaving for good. Sophia, Murphy and Constance came in with each person having grocery bags in each hand. Murphy stared at Arcturus. ¡°You¡¯re feeling much better now! That¡¯s great.¡± He had a deep, but friendly voice; it felt gentle to his ears. ¡°My ears are still ringing a bit, but I can hear clearer now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s still good.¡± Sophia remarked. She had a loud booming voice that befitted her outgoing demeanor. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re hungry. We¡¯ll make you a lot of food since Dr. Mathis said that you look a bit malnourished.¡± Arcturus started panicking. He flailed his hands frantically. ¡°There¡¯s no need to go that far for us!¡± ¡°Nonsense. You¡¯re a guest in our house, so we need to utilize our hospitality skills to its fullest. It¡¯s not everyday we get to have guests as beautiful as you two!¡± He was flattered by her compliment, but he still felt bad about imposing on them. ¡°But still¡­¡± Constance spoke up, ¡°The blond one is still asleep.¡± Arcturus became frantic as he turned to check up on Nova; he had been too distracted with conversing with everyone that he had forgotten to check up on his companion. Nova looked peaceful in his slumbering state. The upper half of his body was covered with bandages. There was no sign of the tattered sweater anywhere. He tucked the blanket more so that it was covering all of his body. The nervousness he felt dissipated the moment he laid eyes on him. With a small smile, he brushed his bangs towards the side; the bullet wound on his forehead really was gone. ¡°Nova is very exhausted. It¡¯ll take him a few days for him to wake up.¡± ¡°Constance, you heard him. Leave him alone, okay?¡± Sophia nagged as she headed towards the kitchen. ¡°Help me out with the prep!¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Constance rushed towards the kitchen. Arcturus couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. A Combat Shiftie like her was not out fighting, but helping a human out in the kitchen. Such roles only applied to Support and Ally models. ¡°Surprising, right?¡± Murphy grabbed a stool and sat down next to Arcturus. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a Shiftie like her before. She feels so¡­¡± ¡°Human?¡± ¡°Yes. Just who is she?¡± ¡°She¡¯s Constance, my daughter.¡± ¡°Daughter¡­¡± Arcturus never heard of anyone who considered a Shiftie as their child. However, it wasn¡¯t an unpleasant sight; rather, it felt harmonious to him. He then realized that this must have been the reason why he chose to go with her; she did not have an ounce of hostility within her. Murphy called out to him. ¡°Arthurus.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Arcturus.¡± ¡°Arcturus, may I ask you an important question?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± He pointed to Nova. ¡°Why are you with the Charlatan?¡± Your Questions, My Answers The peaceful sensation Arcturus had dissipated as worry overtook it. He did recall Constance writing down Charlatan when they had been communicating through written notes. He then recalled Sophia¡¯s notes about how the Outskirts was a place where those who disobeyed the mayor were taken to. Worrying seemed meaningless; he was now curious. He wanted to know more about this place and what he could do here to help Nova. He decided to answer Murphy¡¯s question. ¡°First, his name isn¡¯t the Charlatan. It¡¯s Nova. Second, I¡¯m with him because I made a promise to protect him.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Murphy was as relaxed as always. Assuming from his reaction, he probably is already aware that Nova can grant wishes and such. I best not ask about questions pertaining to Nova; I should only ask about them when I feel it¡¯s necessary. I think it¡¯d be best if I ask questions about where we are. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, can you tell me more about the Outskirts? Why do all opposers come here? Why is there a giant steel wall?¡± There was a glint in Murphy¡¯s eyes; Arcturus knew it all too well. It was the look of intellectual curiosity that Laminans naturally possess. One had questions; the other had answers. Both were able to give and receive¨Ca mutual relationship that benefited each other. Murphy started his story. ¡°Twenty years ago, Nova had come to our isolated city to grant wishes. At the time, the mayor was the current mayor¡¯s mother. She was a woman named Mebsuta Leonis. Mebsuta wanted him to grant her wish, so he tried to. However, the process was a failure. No wishes had been formed and Mebusta suddenly died. Her daughter who is the current mayor Bellatrix Leonis was the one who declared him a fraud¨Ca charlatan¨Cand had ordered his execution. The opposers, which were us, had tried to stop the execution because we were overjoyed that Mebsuta had died. Nova slipped away into the Eternal Blizzard while the entire city changed ever since. Those who opposed the mayor were deported to this small area in the corner of the city. They then built a wall to barricade us permanently.¡± Arcturus glanced over at Nova. It was hard to believe such a story existed; it was as old as him. He wanted to know Nova¡¯s side of the story, so he only took in the information and not made any judgment. He then versed the anecdote in his mind; there was something in his story that nagged at him. ¡°How long did the wall take to make?¡± Stolen story; please report. ¡°The strangest part about that wall was that it was built overnight.¡± ¡°Walls of that caliber should take about years for them to be built, especially if they¡¯re made of metal. There¡¯s something definitely unusual about that wall.¡± He recalled Nova¡¯s words about the Invader and how she was someone who did not abide by the rules and logics of this world. It all clicked together. The reason why the wall was there rather instantaneously was because it was her doing. There was a clue to finding that person. He got out of bed to search for his satchel. Murphy found it in the corner and handed it to him. Arcturus sat down on the sofa bed and started jotting down his thoughts and theories; he wanted to write down everything he wanted to discuss with Nova once he awakened. Once he finished writing, he became deep in thought. ¡°You alright?¡± Murphy asked. ¡°I was just thinking about your anecdote. It¡¯s quite cruel of the current mayor to isolate people just because they oppose her. She sounds like someone who gets upset when things don¡¯t go her way¨Ca petulant child of sorts.¡± ¡°The Leonis family is the most powerful one in this city, so that makes sense about her upbringing.¡± Arcturus jotted that down. ¡°I see. Then, can I ask why you oppose her, since you are here?¡± He wanted to know what sort of actions were considered as opposing. Murphy glanced over at the sleeping Nova and gave him a sad smile. ¡°Bellatrix wanted him executed for his crime of killing her mother. Sophia and I tried to stop her, and that was how we were brought here alongside a handful of other people. Arcturus wrote down everything verbatim. Once he put his pen down, he could help but to think about how kind Murphy was. Nova had done something unthinkable. It was understandable if people were to get angry at him, but the fact that a stranger like Murphy was able to have compassion and attempted to help him made Arcturus relieved to know he was a kind person and someone he could trust. But, I cannot be too trusting towards them. He wanted to ask more, but Murphy suddenly had his head down and his hand covering his nose. Arcturus was confused. He shook Murphy. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I tried my best to hold it in, but I can no longer do so¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Arcturus, please go take a shower. I cannot stand the smell coming out of you right now. While you¡¯re at it, please wash Nova as well; both of you reek.¡± A confused Arcturus sniffed his arm. He leaned back against how putrid he had smelled; he hadn¡¯t washed or changed clothes for months. He started getting embarrassed. ¡°Can you tell me where the bathroom is?¡± ¡°See the door with the triangle sign dangling on the door knob? That¡¯s the bathroom.¡± ¡°Do you also have a change of clothes? I¡¯d like to throw away these ragged clothes once and for all.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll bring you some of my old clothes. Nova, on the other hand, might have to wear Sophia¡¯s old clothes since he¡¯s so thin.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Once Arcturus put his journal back into his bag, he got up, scooped up Nova and then they both headed to the bathroom. Shower Break As Arcturus took off his shirt, he couldn¡¯t help but to be baffled over the fact that he was lying down on the sofa bed fully clothed in odorous and dirty clothing. Not washing for months had been ingrained into his mind as the norm that it didn¡¯t occur to him that he needed to do so. He took a good look at himself in the mirror. He undid his hair and noticed how long it had become since he first set out. His hair was normally short and he had preferred it that way. His hair was messy, coarse and not in good condition; it would be best to have it cut. He eyed the pair of scissors resting inside a mug, but then glanced over at his hair once more. Having long hair was a new experience he never dreamed of had he stayed in Lamina. It feels like a waste to cut it¡­ He then fixated on his face. He looked a lot gaunter than he had remembered; a lack of proper nutrition really did have an effect on the human body. He didn¡¯t remember being this thin back home. While he wasn¡¯t the type to head to the gym every often, he did remember that he did not have the upper ribs sticking out before. If possible, I need to exercise while I am here. I can¡¯t protect Nova, let alone anyone, in this state. He took off the rest of his clothes and then put all of them in the empty basket in the corner. He proceeded to take off Nova¡¯s bandages and then leaned his body against the corner of the room so that he could take a shower first. The feeling of warm water sprinkling against his skin felt rejuvenating. It was as if all of his stress had washed away like waves in an ocean. Having his hair and scalp be soaked in water was a longing feeling. The shampoo resting in the corner seemed to be quite full. He opened the lid and took in a whiff of its scent. It¡¯s rose scented. Interesting. He lathered it until it was heavily foaming and then proceeded to wash his hair. The process took a bit longer than he had expected due to his unfamiliarity with washing long hair. After a few minutes of lathering, he rinsed and repeated the process with the conditioner. After washing his hair completely, it was time for body wash. Once he was completely done, he dried himself off. He heard a knock from the door. ¡°Here are some clean clothes.¡± Arcturus slightly opened the door. Murphy handed him a neatly folded pile of clothes for both him and Nova. Once he closed the door, he thought about what to do with Nova and decided to wash him first. Because he was washing another person, he knew it would be a bit of a longer process. He carefully carried Nova into the bathtub. He went in as well in order to have a good angle to wash Nova¡¯s hair. As he was getting the water warmed, Arcturus noticed Nova¡¯s hairpin was gone. He examined his golden hair and saw how neat it was. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! I¡¯m not sure if Castle Lavender had a bathroom, but if it didn¡¯t, his hair is rather clean for someone who hasn¡¯t left the castle for twenty years. How do immortals wash? He proceeded to start shampooing and conditioning his hair. He then washed his body. Once he was done, Arcturus had placed him on the closed toilet seat and started drying him off from head to toe; he dried himself off too. Noticing body lotion, he put it all over himself and on Nova. He then got himself dressed. The clothes Murphy had given him were a soft black turtleneck with a striped pattern, olive green sweatpants, and fluffy black socks. He then clothed Nova; the clothes that were given to Nova happened to be a pink pajama set consisting of a cute pink shirt with a teddy bear drawing, fuzzy pink pajama pants with a matching jacket and socks. They were a perfect fit. All that¡¯s left is to dry our hair. He plugged in the blow dryer that was in the bathroom cabinet and dried both his and Nova¡¯s hair. He then finished off the process by running his fingers through his long hair; he didn¡¯t want to use a stranger¡¯s brush as it felt rather unhygienic to him. Once he tied his hair into a loose ponytail, he put on his earring on his left ear. He then used his fingers to brush Nova¡¯s hair. Done. Arcturus scooped up his slumbering companion and exited the bathroom. He placed Nova back on the sofa bed and tucked him in. The smell of the stew Sophia and Constance were making caught his attention. ¡°How was the shower?¡± Murphy asked, diverting Arcturus¡¯s attention away from the fragrant odor. ¡°It was great. I haven¡¯t washed in months, so it was so refreshing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. You must be hungry, right? The stew is almost done, so have a seat.¡± ¡°Oh no, please let me help set up the table. It¡¯s the least I can do!¡± ¡°Then, that¡¯ll be helpful!¡± Arcturus helped place four table mats on each side. Murphy placed the cutlery and plates on each of them. Once they were done, Arcturus couldn¡¯t help but to wonder why there were four tablemats when only three people were eating. ¡°Constance doesn¡¯t eat, so why are there four tablemats?¡± Constance¡¯s ears twitched as she turned to look at Arcturus. ¡°I don¡¯t eat, but I just like sitting on a decorated table. It makes me feel human, you know.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Murphy then handed Arcturus another table mat. ¡°Can you place this one on the edge?¡± ¡°You have another family member?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just for Nova..?¡± Arcturus could hear uncertainty from his words, which confused him. ¡°He¡¯s asleep?¡± ¡°Then, who¡¯s that next to you?¡± Murphy¡¯s words caused Arcturus to become worried. He quickly turned towards his left to see an unfamiliar face standing next to him. He quickly turned around to see that Nova was no longer on the bed; in his place, there was a long trail of lavender hair that traced back to the male stranger next to him. Taking a good look at him, he was wearing the same clothes as the ones Arcturus had dressed him in, but he wasn¡¯t Nova. Frantic, he wailed, ¡°Who are you?¡± The stranger glanced at him with his lavender and gold eyes. With a gentle smile he introduced himself. ¡°It¡¯s me, Souhait.¡± Playing With Fire Souhait always loved drinking Nova¡¯s lavender and lemon tea in their cottage. It always kept him calm and relaxed, no matter what sort of peril faced them both. Today was no exception too; he was taking small and slow sips of the usual with his eyes closed. ¡°This is bliss.¡± He muttered as he savored the aroma. When he placed his cup down, he opened his eyes and saw the entire cottage ignited in lavender fire. He wasn¡¯t bothered by the sight unlike Polaris who was bouncing back and forth in panic. He placed a hand to the nearest flame; he felt heat coming from it, but it wasn¡¯t burning him. ¡°Master Nova, please calm down!¡± Nova¡¯s face was buried into his knees as he was leaning against a corner. The room¡¯s temperature got hotter the more Polaris spoke to him. Nova retorted, ¡°How can I calm down when my naked self was revealed in front of Arcturus?¡± He spoke so fast that it sounded as if he was babbling. ¡°Master Nova, you and Arcturus are both men, so it¡¯s fine to see each other in the nude!¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand, Polaris!¡± The fire became brighter and hotter. Souhait stood up. ¡°Let me handle this.¡± Polaris became even more panicked. ¡°Are you sure, my liege? My own consoling words have no effect on Master Nova.¡± ¡°Relax. I know how to calm Nova down easily.¡± He walked over towards Nova and knelt down. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Embarrassed.¡± Nova muttered. ¡°Why? Are you embarrassed because Arcturus saw you naked or that he washed your body?¡± ¡°Both.¡± ¡°Like what Polaris said, it is definitely normal for two men to see each other naked. The fact that he washed you himself means that he is taking his job of protecting us very seriously.¡± ¡°I know that.¡± ¡°I also know that you fancy him, which is why you are even more embarrassed.¡± Nova had no response. Souhait then took a deep breath. I really do not want to do this, but if it means stopping the fire in the cottage, then I will do it. ¡°Nova, I hate to say this, but Arcturus does not feel the same way about you as you feel about him.¡± The fire stopped spreading; Souhait felt the heat dissipating as the cottage soon became its usual room temperature. Nova peeked a glance at Souhait while maintaining his fetal position. ¡°I am aware of that.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°That means looking at your body means nothing to him.¡± Polaris gasped. ¡°My liege, please tone down the severity of your words.¡± The flames quickly disappeared. A small stormy cloud formed above Nova¡¯s head. ¡°I am aware of that too¡­¡± ¡°Then stop being so embarrassed.¡± Rain droplets started drizzling down Nova¡¯s head. The water went into his hair, but it wasn¡¯t getting wet. ¡°I guess he¡¯s not interested in me, then¡­¡± Souhait started worrying about seeing Nova in such a depressed state. He wanted to calm him down, but he did the opposite. After pondering a few solutions, he had a bright idea. ¡°Nova, since you are still exhausted from that airship ordeal, how about I trade places with you? That way, I can talk to Arcturus and ask how he feels about you.¡± Nova raised his head. His face contorted into worry. ¡°Aren¡¯t you exhausted from the transformation?¡± ¡°It is fine. I can still walk around fine, but we can not grant wishes as you are still exhausted and tired.¡± The rain stopped. ¡°If you say so¡­just don¡¯t wear yourself too much when you come to reality. You do have a tendency to get too carried away.¡± The clouds gradually got smaller. Souhait sighed after listening to Nova¡¯s nagging. ¡°I will be fine. I will do my best to control myself. Besides, sleeping around for three days will not get us anywhere. We have so many things we need to do.¡± He then reached a hand out and the purple earring appeared from his palm. ¡°We need answers regarding that Monarch Shiftie. I think asking that Shiftie girl, Constance, will be our best bet. I also want to talk with Arcturus in this human form. I cannot wait to see the exasperated look on his face when he sees this form for the very first time.¡± He plastered a mischievous smile on his face. Polaris sighed. ¡°Just don¡¯t do anything too crazy like stealing food from people¡¯s kitchens. You did that once and it was the worst thing ever.¡± Souhait closed his hand so that the earring went back into his palm. He then hummed teasingly. ¡°Oh, come on, Polaris. That was centuries ago. Besides, Nova and Arcturus stole and ate food from the airship.¡± Polaris clammed up, but then he became deep in thought. He muttered, ¡°Touche.¡± Nova¡¯s clouds gradually got smaller. ¡°Souhait, you better ask Arc what he thinks of me, okay?¡± ¡°I promise.¡± After his declaration, Souhait proceeded to gather some of his long hair and then headed towards the door. He took one hand towards the knob and opened it. He leaned forward and fell into the void with all of his hair tagging along. As he fell, he thought about how long it has been since he last came to reality in his human form. He thought about how Arcturus would react when he would see this form for the very first time. Would he be exasperated? Imagining his default, sleepy looking face contorting into one with protruding eyes and a wide gaping mouth amused him; he couldn¡¯t wait to meet Arcturus in reality. He closed his eyes. The feeling of fall stopped, causing him to open his eyes to find himself staring at a ceiling. The pleasant aroma of food caught his attention the most. He turned his head to see that Arcturus was preparing the dining table with Murphy. His stomach started growling as he sat up; he wanted food. He glanced over and saw that Murphy noticed him. His eyes widened, but then he reverted back to his composed state as he got out another table mat and cutlery. Arcturus had been confused and when Murphy had mentioned someone next to him, that was when Arcturus¡¯s eyes locked onto Souhait¡¯s. His reaction was much better than he had anticipated. He still had the protruding eyes and gaping mouth, but the body language had enhanced the reaction. He turned to look at the bed and then back at him. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°It is me, Souhait.¡± Arcturus blinked a few times before yelling out, ¡°WHAT?¡± Dinner For Five Arcturus could not believe what he had heard. This man in front of him was Souhait? He found it utterly unbelievable. The Souhait he knew was a dragon; he never heard of him being human. He took a good look at him. With the way the man calling himself Souhait had lavender hair that was the same color as the scales of his revered dragon and had lavender and gold eyes with slits on the same location, he was a bit convinced, but he was still doubtful. He took a deeper look. Souhait¡¯s face was rather beautiful; while Nova had an androgynous feel to him, Souhait looked rather exotic. He had almond shaped eyes and a sharp jawline, but what had fascinated him the most was how asymmetrical his traits were. In addition to having two different eye colors, he had two different colors of eyebrows and eyelashes; for his eyelashes, the right was black and the left was lavender, and for his eyebrows, the colors were inverted with the left black and right lavender. His hair was also fascinating for he had black roots while the rest of his hair was lavender; his hair parted towards the right. Souhait was looking at him while smiling, which he had also noticed the asymmetry with him having a snaggletooth only on the left side. It¡¯s really hard to deny this now that I got a closer look at him. He is Souhait. Arcturus took a deep breath before responding, ¡°You are Souhait.¡± Souhait nodded. ¡°Indeed, I am.¡± ¡°Having a human form was something I did not expect at all.¡± ¡°I do not really use this form all that much since I do not have people to show it off to other than Nova. Fortunately, with you here, I can use this form to communicate now.¡± Souhait¡¯s nostrils expanded as he started sniffing. His eyes started glimmering. ¡°I smell food.¡± ¡°Do you want to sit down?¡± Murphy asked. ¡°Can I?¡± ¡°Sure¡­¡± Murphy seemed a bit uncertain, but held back. Souhait sat down. When Sophia and Constance came out of the kitchen with the pot, they were startled to see Souhait. ¡°WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU AND HOW¡¯D YOU GET INTO MY HOUSE?¡± Sophia yelled; her face contorted into a scowl visible. ¡°Calm down, Sophia.¡± Murphy responded. She slammed the pot down onto the table and then went back into the kitchen to grab the unwashed ladle. ¡°Tell me who you are right now or I¡¯ll report you!¡± ¡°Whoa, Sophia, down girl.¡± Murphy cooed as if he was trying to tame a wild animal. Constance approached Souhait and stared at him. Arcturus noticed how uncomfortable Souhait looked as Constance¡¯s blank stare was drilling into him. She tilted her head to the side. ¡°I sense the Charlatan coming from you, but you do not look like him at all. He has golden hair, but yours is lavender. Who are you?¡± Souhait just smirked. ¡°Well, I am glad you asked!¡± He climbed up the chair. ¡°I am Souhait, the creator of Terrenter! I look thirty-one, but I am much older. I am five feet and eight inches tall! I like every type of food and have no particular dislikes.¡± Sophia then smacked the ladle on his back. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are. Don¡¯t put your feet on the chair. Sit down and eat!¡± Souhait blinked before obeying her commands. Arcturus noticed how he looked like a puppy with its ears sunken and tails hiding between its legs. He still couldn¡¯t believe how the creator of the world was terrified of a commoner woman; it was both an amusing and a fascinating sight to behold. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Once the soup was finally at the center of the dining table with some bread, they all started eating except for Constance. Arcturus quite liked the soup. It was spicy in a very balanced way; nothing was too overpowering, but nothing was too underwhelming as well. He quite liked how much seafood and vegetables were in the soup; he particularly liked the texture of the scallops. I never knew scallops could be this squishy¡­ He wondered what the broth was made of and what sort of spices it was mixed with. Chili powder? Cayenne? Ghost chili pepper powder? Because he was so hungry, he decided to lessen his analyzing and focus more on eating. He was just happy to be eating something substantial. Rather than eating the soup by itself, he preferred dipping pieces of bread into it and savoring it. I don¡¯t even like bread, yet it tastes amazing! His excitement over the food came to an abrupt end when he sensed Constance¡¯s intense gaze on him. She made him feel nervous to the point that his chewing became slower. He slowly raised a hand to his face and used a finger to see if he had anything around his lips. He then glanced over at Souhait who was eating rather slowly. It was as if he was trying to savor every bite of the food. He liked eating the bread and soup separately. Arcturus suggested that he should dip the bread into the soup. Souhait tried it; his eyes glistened at the new discovery. ¡°How¡¯s the soup?¡± Sophia inquired. ¡°I love the spice.¡± Arcturus remarked. ¡°The seafood and vegetables taste great too. I quite like the scallops.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I always try to get good seafood for my family and for the townspeople.¡± Murphy remarked with a grin. ¡°For the veggies, we like to grow our own¨Cthey¡¯re very expensive here.¡± ¡°You are a fisherman?¡± Souhait asked. ¡°Yep! I even have my own boat!¡± ¡°A boat, you say?¡± Souhait became deep in thought as he ate. The revelation of Murphy having his own boat made Arcturus become lost in his own thoughts as well. Using the boat would be an ideal way to leave the island, but he had no idea where the routes around the island would take them; he also didn¡¯t want to deprive Murphy of his livelihood as well. There was also the issue with Nova¡¯s motion sickness. If we want to escape this island later on, I should ask if the boat was built or if it was given. If it was built, then maybe I can try to build one by scavenging the garbage dump I was in. If it was given, I could ask for information on where Murphy got it so that I can wish for the money to buy one later on. Before he could interrogate Murphy, Constance spoke up by asking, ¡°Can you explain to me why you have an Ally Shiftie¡¯s earring?¡± Arcturus put his bread down as he placed a hand to his earring. He played with it as he thought about Kori. ¡°It¡¯s a memento from a dear friend.¡± Constance looked intrigued. Arcturus noticed how full of life and animated her eyes were. They were much more vibrant than Kori¡¯s. ¡°A memento¡­ Does that mean your Shiftie is no longer with you?¡± ¡°Yeah. He decided to help me escape an exploding airship. He refused to get on as he wanted me to have all the time to escape.¡± Arcturus sighed as he recalled the unpleasant memory. He ripped a piece of bread, dipped it into the soup and popped it into his mouth. Constance¡¯s ears sank as she looked down; her shoulders did the same. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for bringing up a sad memory.¡± ¡°No need to apologize. I just need to keep moving forward and not let his sacrifice be in vain.¡± The dining table became silent. All Arcturus heard were chewing and slurping noises. Constance still had her head down; seeing her like this made him feel unusually guilty. He decided to think back about how Constance found him in the garbage dump. Come to think of it, how did she find me? Before asking his question, Arcturus finished the last of the bread. ¡°Constance, may I ask you a question?¡± She looked up at him. Her ears twitched. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How did you find me at the garbage dump?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I sensed the presence of another Shiftie all of a sudden. Following it led me to you.¡± ¡°Why did you reach your hand out to a total stranger like me?¡± ¡°Because I wanted to.¡± Shifties could not lie. They also had an immediate response to any question given to them. Those were considered normal. Arcturus could tell Constance had her own free will, so for her to give him that answer meant she really did help him out on a whim. Despite knowing this, there was a part of him that doubted her words. Her Free Will Arcturus hated feeling so doubtful. He couldn¡¯t help but to assume Constance has an ulterior motive for helping him out. From his twenty years of living, he learned one important lesson: every person has a motive for their action, whether it be for selfish or selfless purposes. It was human nature to follow their wills, after all. This also applied to Shifties since they can develop them, like how he saw with Kori and now Constance. He couldn¡¯t help but to tense up now that he recalled what Nova had said to him back on the airship, about how a Shiftie¡¯s appearance was based on a deceased person. The will she developed was nurtured by another person¡¯s soul. He knew that the person across from him wasn¡¯t the person who long died, but a new person wearing their skin but with completely new memories and life. It was not a reason that he should doubt her for having ulterior motives, but he still couldn¡¯t let go of this horrifying revelation. ¡°Is that the actual reason?¡± Souhait asked as he put his spoon down. ¡°Did you really help us out because you wanted to?¡± ¡°In a way, yes. I thought I sensed another Shiftie, so I went to check. If you had happened to be an abandoned Shiftie, then I wanted to help you out, but you turned out to be a human when I touched your hand.¡± ¡°Abandoned?¡± Arcturus was rather intrigued by her choice of word. ¡°I¡¯m an abandoned Shiftie. My master abandoned me for having free will.¡± When she had said those words, she had a rather melancholic expression. Arcturus could tell she was visibly hurt by this. ¡°That¡¯s quite unusual. I¡¯ve never seen an abandoned Shiftie back in Lamina.¡± Then again, Arcturus was aware that Shifties developing wills could happen, but it was mostly a rare thing. ¡°Are the customs here different?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not too sure, but I am the only abandoned Shiftie from what I know.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not too sure about ¡®customs¡¯ ourselves, honestly.¡± Sophia remarked. ¡°Shifties have been a recently made invention, after all.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Arcturus glanced over at Souhait whose gaze was still glued to Constance. He noticed him curling his hands into fists. ¡°Constance¡­I can sense that there is something deeper within you. I don¡¯t sense that you¡¯re lying, but there¡¯s a much deeper, more profound reason on why you helped us out. Spill it.¡± ¡°Souhait¡­¡± Arcturus wasn¡¯t sure if he should stop him from pestering her. This felt like an interrogation now. He glanced over at Constance who seemed rather surprised at his words. She had her head down. Suddenly, the corner of her lips curled up. She put her head back up. She looked rather confident. ¡°As expected of the Charlatan. My data is never incorrect. You really do have the ability to discern the full truth.¡± Arcturus was surprised; Constance felt like a completely different person now. He had never seen a Shiftie behave in such a manner. Is this how Shifties behave once they grasp the concept of having a free will or is she just an anomaly? Constance continued, ¡°That¡¯s right. I have a much deeper reason for why I helped you out. However, don¡¯t get me wrong. I did help you because I wanted to. I just never expected that the person I helped out also had the Charlatan with him. It was truly lucky of me to stumble upon you two.¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Get to the point. What do you want from us?¡± Souhait inquired. ¡°Cooperate with me.¡± ¡°With what?¡± Arcturus asked, raising an eyebrow at her vague request. Constance got up from her seat and grabbed the television remote that was resting on the coffee table. She turned it on. Arcturus saw a news channel broadcast detailing the destruction of Castle Lavender and how Nova is now on the loose. The way the announcer was detailing how dangerous he was angered Arcturus. Nova is not a criminal or some sort of crazy psychopath on the loose! What is with this news outlet slandering him? The announcer then informed, ¡°We have live word about this matter from the Lady Mayor herself.¡± The screen changed from the newsroom to an office where a rather distinguished woman was. She had caramel-tinted skin, platinum blonde hair styled in a chic bob, piercing gray eyes that almost looked as if they were silver-tinted, and was dressed in a classy white suit that showed off her elegance and charisma. To Arcturus, she was a beautiful woman with a powerful aura that caused him to feel rather anxious. A meek reporter with curly blonde hair, fair skin and green eyes popped up from the corner, signaling the camera to focus on her. ¡°This is Mish Hazel reporting live from Central Tower. I¡¯m here with our Lady Mayor, Bellatrix Leonis!¡± She turned to focus on the mayor. ¡°Lady Mayor, please give us your insight into the current matter regarding the Charlatan.¡± ¡°Yes. I am sure you all are aware that Castle Lavender has been destroyed and that the Eternal Blizzard has come to its end. We have yet to find reports on where the Charlatan has been hiding, but we do have reports about how a dragon has intruded into our city of Sirius but then disappeared. We are currently doing our best to locate where the dragon has disappeared off to. Security on the streets will be tighter than before as we will focus on capturing the Charlatan and ensure safety for the civilians.¡± From what Arcturus could hear, Bellatrix spoke rather monotonously, as if she was a robot. Her expression has never once moved; the only human aspect about her was that she blinked. Mish then questioned, ¡°How dangerous is this Charlatan?¡± ¡°He is absolutely dangerous. He was the one who killed the previous Lady Mayor, my mother Mebsuta Leonis, two decades ago. He came to this city, spewing drivel like being able to grant wishes, but he was nothing more than a delusional quack disguised as a murderous psychopath. We have also placed a bounty on his head for any civilian willing to capture him and turn him over to the soldiers.¡± Hearing her slanderous words of Nova caused Arcturus to slam his hands on the table, startling everyone in the room. Realizing his actions, he quickly apologized as he focused on eating the remaining soup and bread while focusing on the broadcast. Mish inquired, ¡°What does this Charlatan look like?¡± ¡°He¡¯s quite easy to find. His main trait is having lavender eyes. Just find a beautiful man with lavender eyes and he¡¯s the Charlatan.¡± Mish hummed. ¡°Lavender eyes, what an unusual eye color. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever met anyone with that eye color.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a sign of misfortune. Once he is captured, I¡¯ll make sure to properly execute him so that prosperity will come to our beloved city once and for all.¡± The camera focused back on Lena. ¡°And there you have it. Our Lady Mayor will keep us safe. Make sure to find the Charlatan! This was Mish Hazel and let¡¯s return back to Sally!¡± Murphy then took the remote from Constance¡¯s hand and turned off the television. Arcturus glanced over to see Souhait hanging his head down. He wanted to console him, but the frustration within him kept building up. ¡°What they all said was a load of bull. Nova and Souhait are not dangerous and they do have the ability to grant wishes.¡± ¡°We know that.¡± Murphy remarked. ¡°That¡¯s why we took you in.¡± ¡°Constance, why did you show us the broadcast?¡± Souhait muttered. ¡°The Lady Mayor was my master who abandoned me. I want to get revenge on her for abandoning me and I want to kill her.¡± Souhait raised his head. ¡°Kill her, you say?¡± Arcturus could tell he was intrigued, and he was too. ¡°I want your help to kill Bellatrix Leonis and make this city a place where everyone can live equally. Let¡¯s work together.¡± A Shifties Request Arcturus knew that Shifties were created to serve a purpose. Kori¡¯s purpose was to serve and protect him. The Combat Shifties from the castle had their purpose as capturing Nova but ultimately failed. The Monarch Shiftie¡¯s purpose was to capture Nova. It was normal for them to have a purpose as it was instilled into them. He had never witnessed a Shiftie like Constance¨Csomeone who went against her entire purpose to the point of disobedience. He understood why she was abandoned¨Cshe was too free-spirited to be controlled. Yet, he found that a very charming aspect. Thinking about it deeply, Kori most likely stayed behind because of that purpose instilled in him. Had he disobeyed and behaved like Constance, he¡¯d be here with me right now. He shook his head to get rid of lingering thoughts. Now¡¯s not the time for what-ifs and so. What has happened, happened. I cannot go back to change. I have to keep moving forward. Souhait interjected, ¡°So, you want to kill the mayor? May I ask why?¡± ¡°She was my master, but she abandoned me. I want to get back at her for abandoning me. I want to show her that there is nothing shameful about a Shiftie with free will.¡± ¡°Where does the killing part come in?¡± Arcturus inquired. ¡°It just seems as if you just want to prove your worth to her.¡± Constance placed a hand to her chest and then fidgeted with her earring. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you know this, but there¡¯s another soul within me.¡± Arcturus was intrigued. He only recently learned that human souls did dwell within Shifties. Like how humans were different, Shifties were different because of this. He wanted to know what sort of person gave Constance such a soul. ¡°The woman residing within me was someone who was betrayed and killed by Bellatrix. She was the one who taught me what it¡¯s like to have free will and what it¡¯s like to want revenge. My feelings on this matter are for the both of us.¡± She stood up in front of Souhait and reached out a hand, signaling a handshake. ¡°Let¡¯s work together.¡± Arcturus glanced over at Souhait; he had a feeling her words would not reach him. He was correct as Souhait¡¯s expression hardened; he stood up. Arcturus noticed how Constance was a bit taller than Souhait. ¡°Do you believe in wishes?¡± Constance raised an eyebrow. ¡°Pardon?¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°If you want our full cooperation, you have to get your wish granted.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because the more wishes I grant, the stronger I become. If you want Bellatrix to meet her demise, I need power.¡± Constance furrowed her brows. She leaned her face closer to Souhait¡¯s. ¡°Why did you decide that it¡¯s you who needs power? I¡¯m the one who needs it. I¡¯m the one offering this request, not you.¡± Arcturus gaped. This was the first time he had seen a rather selfish Shiftie; he wondered if this was a factor of her free will. It was a very novel feeling, but also fascinating. However, her response helped him realize that cooperation between Constance and Souhait would be hard. While Constance and Souhait had the same goals, there wasn¡¯t a middle ground where they could unite. He wondered if he should butt in. Souhait scoffed. He turned to Arcturus. ¡°What do you think? Should we let her cooperate with us, despite her selfishness?¡± He looked as if he wanted Arcturus to be on his side; however, that wasn¡¯t Arcturus¡¯s intent. He knew that he became Souhait and Nova¡¯s companion because they wanted someone to trust. If trust meant blindly following someone despite having his own opinions on a matter, that wouldn¡¯t be considered so. He wasn¡¯t a people pleaser to begin with, however. He remembered how Nova had told him about his goal of seeking revenge; this had solidified his decision to help her out. He then recalled the moment he met Constance and how he took her hand because he wanted to trust that she¡¯d take them to a safe place; she did as he had expected. He believed it would be foolish to still build walls between them; they were in a foreign land. Nobody was their allies; in order to survive, they needed to make them. ¡°We should.¡± Souhait looked at him with a surprised expression. Arcturus continued, ¡°We¡¯re technically enemies. If we want to survive and accomplish your goal, we need allies. What better way to form an alliance is with the three people in this room. They can help us and, in turn, we can help Constance.¡± Souhait then pondered about his response. After a few minutes of thinking, Souhait reached a hand out and grabbed Constance¡¯s. ¡°You heard what he said. We will help you.¡± Sophia muttered, ¡°But you were reluctant a moment ago.¡± Murphy let out an awkward chuckle. ¡°He sure is fickle.¡± ¡°Well, if Arcturus wants to trust you. I will allow it! Because more than anything and anyone, I trust him the most.¡± He sure changed his tune fast¡­ While he was moved by his trust, Arcturus wondered if Souhait¡¯s real intent was to finalize his decision after hearing his thoughts. Souhait was a prideful man, which was why he didn¡¯t want to seem too compliant; it felt unnecessary to him. He spoke up, ¡°Since we are now in an alliance, what is our first order of business? What should we do to reach the mayor? Do you have a plan?¡± As he waited for her answer, he took his spoon and ate some of the broth. ¡°Plan? None!¡± Constance looked very confident when she blurted that out; it came with a smug expression. It left Arcturus dumbfounded and speechless; the spoon on his hand slowly slipped out of his fingers and crashed landed onto the floor. Wanting To Go Outside EW 24-620 After getting adjusted to the Edwards¡¯ family apartment and almost enjoying the dinner they made for us, Constance proposed an alliance that we accepted. We all have the same goal of wanting to reach Bellatrix Leonis, so it¡¯s a good chance to form allies to help us along the way. However, Constance has no plan on how to reach there. She¡¯s so¡­unusual. She¡¯s the one who rescued us from the dump and brought us to this place; her family is the one caring for us and I am grateful for that. My only issue is why would someone propose a revenge plan without a plan? I know there are those people who just burst in without a plan and expect things to happen, but I am not that sort of person. When she had confidently told me she had no plan, I saw Sophia and Murphy¡¯s eyes on me. They were expecting me to come up with one¨Cthat I can tell. It¡¯s burdensome, honestly. They¡¯re expecting a lot from me because I¡¯m a young Laminan. What sort of plan have I come up with? Nothing. How am I supposed to form a plan when I¡¯m in a very unfamiliar place? I can¡¯t just create plans on the top of my head. I need to see the Outskirts more to find a way to escape into the bigger portion of the city with them. Arcturus gaped when he saw that he used up the last page of his journal. He wasn¡¯t sure why he felt surprised when this had been a normal occurrence for him as a frequent journal writer. Was it because he was abruptly stopped when he was in the middle of writing? ¡°You need a new journal.¡± Souhait remarked, startling Arcturus. Souhait had been sitting next to him the entire time and he hadn¡¯t realized this until now. When he looked at him, thoughts accumulated in his head. Since Nova¡¯s soul was asleep, it allowed Arcturus to realize that Souhait could not grant wishes in his current state. Since it would take about three days until Nova awakened, the wait did make him a bit nervous. What if Constance refused to have her wish granted? Would their companionship still be intact even if Constance didn¡¯t have one? ¡°Arcturus?¡± When he stared into Souhait¡¯s eyes, he felt an odd sense of reassurance that everything will be fine and that there will be ways to solve the lingering future issues plaguing his mind. Because of that, he was able to calm down. ¡°Yeah, I need a new one, but that means we need to go outside.¡± ¡°I heard that you need to go out.¡± Murphy remarked as he came out of the kitchen with a mop in his hands. ¡°Why do you need to go out?¡± ¡°I need a new journal. And I do want to see what sort of place the outskirts are¨Cmaybe it can help me create a plan to reach the mayor.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°However, is it safe for us to go out? Both of us clearly stand out and we¡¯re definitely not residents of this place. Put two and two together, that means we¡¯re suspicious people.¡± Murphy became deep in thought. ¡°If you¡¯re that worried, it¡¯d be best to go in disguise. Fake your name and story.¡± Souhait¡¯s eyes glistened when his idea was brought up. ¡°Disguises?¡± He looked very eager. ¡°Do you like disguises?¡± Murphy inquired. ¡°Like them? I love disguising myself¨Cin fact, I do it all the time! From the moment I stepped foot into this world, I¡¯ve been a disguise of my true self.¡± His words were meant to be negative, but Arcturus wondered why he sounded excited. ¡°Even now, I¡¯m technically a disguise for Nova who is sleeping inside of me.¡± ¡°Speaking of which,¡± Arcturus cut in. ¡°How will you be able to leave the house with all that hair?¡± He eyed Souhait¡¯s extremely long hair and wondered how it looked so nice; it looked like a hassle to brush. Souhait looked very confident as he hummed. ¡°I can change my appearance, actually.¡± He stood up from his seat and took a few steps forward. ¡°In my current state, I cannot grant wishes because that is Nova¡¯s duty. Instead, when I am active, I can still activate my abilities. Did you know that the source of my abilities reside in my hair?¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Your hair is magical?¡± Arcturus was curious. ¡°You have magic hair?¡± Murphy looked rather skeptical. ¡°Can you show us?¡± Constance was the most excited. Sophia chirped in after overhearing from the bathroom. ¡°Who has magical hair?¡± She walked into the living space. Souhait placed his hands on his hips. ¡°Welcome to Souhait¡¯s Magical Hair Show, where I, Souhait, will show you some tricks that I can do with my hair¨Cmainly the deceptive kind.¡± He bunched up some of his hair and then wrapped it around his body as if he was wrapping around a very long scarf. When he was completely wrapped around, he then dropped his hair and his appearance changed from Souhait to Nova, as if they had swapped places; there were two differences between the usual Nova and the Nova standing in front of him. The usual Nova had shoulder-length hair and lavender hair while the Nova in front of him had long golden hair that was the same length as Souhait¡¯s usual hair and his signature lavender and gold heterochromatic eyes. Souhait was still in control despite the complete change in appearance. Despite that, he couldn¡¯t help but be amazed; he did wonder how the hair color changed instantly when it unraveled. Sophia, Murphy and Constance were applauding the magic trick, which caused Arcturus to join them. Souhait, in Nova¡¯s appearance, bowed. ¡°Not only can I change into Nova, I can change into a few other people.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Souhait did the same method by wrapping the golden hair around him. When the locks dropped, he changed into a petite black haired woman wearing a jumpsuit. Her appearance reminded him of the Monarch Shiftie, which got him on guard. ¡°Relax. This appearance is just a person¡¯s.¡± Arcturus did relax when he heard Souhait¡¯s voice coming out of the woman¡¯s appearance. Murphy was in deep thought. ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that girl that fugitive that was on the news a few years ago? What was her name again?¡± ¡°Seneka Mallami.¡± Sophia uttered, rather confidently. Souhait buzzed. ¡°Incorrect. Her name is Sayaka Minami. Though, you did get the fugitive part correct. I am surprised you know about the news from Lamina despite you being an isolated city.¡± Murphy remarked, ¡°Our television channels are interconnected with the mainland¡¯s via satellite, so whatever news the mainland has is ours too.¡± ¡°This place is a lot more advanced than I expected.¡± Arcturus was genuinely surprised. ¡°Can you change into another appearance?¡± Constance was very engrossed in his changes. Arcturus noted how childish and innocent she looked when she was enthusiastic. Souhait quickly glanced over at Arcturus before focusing back on her. ¡°Sure¡­¡± Why did he look at me? Realization slowly came to him as he remembered Sayaka¡¯s name. Wait a second, if she was the soul inside Kori and if Kori had a wish¡­that means¡­ Like he had thought, Souhait had changed his appearance once more. This time, he became Kori. This made Arcturus realize that his appearance can only be changed into those who got their wishes granted. He found it a terrifying ability for anyone who had experienced losing someone dear could easily be spooked by their loved ones¡¯ sudden resurrection. Despite that, he wasn¡¯t flustered by this appearance. He felt no anger or regret. He knew this was Souhait disguising himself as Kori, so he knew he wouldn¡¯t do anything disrespectful. ¡°Those ears¡­¡± Constance stood up. ¡°Is that person a Shiftie?¡± ¡°Well, he was. His body is no longer attached to his earring.¡± ¡°Can I touch them?¡± Souhait allowed her, so she gently tugged Kori¡¯s ears to see if they were real. As Constance was fawning over Kori¡¯s appearance, Arcturus noticed Sophia looking a bit flustered at the sight of him. ¡°White hair¡­ A Trifecta¡­¡± From what he had remembered, when someone had all the blood of all three nations in their system, the child is deemed a trifecta. However, they do not live long. Since Shifties¡¯s appearances were based on people who had died, that meant that Nathaniel Hope had based Kori¡¯s appearance on a Trifecta; this would also mean Constance¡¯s appearance was based on a deceased person. His ears took note of Sophia¡¯s breathing; they were becoming heavier. She looked rather pale too. Constance noticed this and immediately rushed to her side. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Murphy panicked as he rushed towards the kitchen to grab a glass and pour some water for her to drink. Arcturus wasn¡¯t sure what to do to help Sophia in this situation; his first thought was to grab Souhait¡¯s hair. ¡°Change your appearance into someone else, immediately!¡± Souhait, who looked rather worried about Sophia, quickly nodded as he wrapped his hair around himself and changed back to his normal appearance. He then rushed towards her side. ¡°Take deep breaths, slowly¡­¡± ¡°Trifecta¡­¡± Sophia muttered as she stared at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ Virgo¡­¡± Arcturus had the impression that Sophia was strong-willed, but even she had her own skeletons in her closet. He was very worried about her. He thought about Belinda. He eyed Murphy. ¡°Can you call Belinda?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call her!¡± Constance stood up and pressed her earring to contact Belinda. ¡°Is this Dr. Mathis? This is Constance. Sophia is having a panic attack. Please come immediately!¡± Souhait took a few steps back; he looked very anxious. ¡°I¡¯m¡­going to step out¡­¡± He rushed out the door. Arcturus, worried, followed him out. Worry The cool breeze hit Souhait¡¯s face as he grabbed onto the metal railing and knelt down. He felt as if he made a grave mistake. All he wanted to do was to entertain the people in front of him; he wanted to bring a smile to their faces and hoped they would be fine with letting him grant their wishes once Nova awakened. He didn¡¯t realize that one would have a panic attack at his actions. Guilt came to him when he assumed it was due to his own selfish intentions that caused this fiasco. This is not what I wanted at all¡­ All I wanted was to bring joy¡­ Wishes are supposed to bring happiness, yet why am I failing to do that? I am the creator of this world, damn it¡­ The very fact that he was the creator of Terrenter upsetted him even more. If he couldn¡¯t bring joy to the people the world had produced, did he even have the qualifications to grant their wishes? He felt a hand on his shoulder¨Che knew it belonged to Arcturus; who else could chase after him? He turned to see his companion, who looked rather worried for him. Did he deserve to be worried by such a kind man? ¡°Are you okay?¡± Arcturus asked. Souhait quickly swatted his hand off. While he wanted to be consoled, he felt it wasn¡¯t deserved. ¡°I am not okay. Not at all. All I wanted was to entertain them a bit. Maybe if I made them happy, they would want their wishes granted. Yet, I screwed everything up.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do it intentionally. It was all an accident. How would¡¯ve you known she would react poorly to seeing a Trifecta? They¡¯re rare to begin with.¡± He wanted to trust Arcturus¡¯s words, but the self-doubt within him accumulated at every second. Arcturus was right; he wasn¡¯t at fault for Sophia¡¯s panic attack. Being the cause of her reaction made him feel guilty, however. All he could do was clutch his head; he didn¡¯t want to give into his negative thoughts. He felt Arcturus¡¯s strong grip on his arm as he was forced to turn around to look at him. Arcturus looked mad. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I said to Nova in his Realm of Desires? That should¡¯ve gotten through to you too, or are you purposely ignoring it because you don¡¯t trust me?¡± His expression left him speechless. He didn¡¯t know what to say. Arcturus placed both hands on Souhait¡¯s shoulders; Souhait felt his strong grip on them. It scared him; he never saw Arcturus this furious. ¡°You¡¯re the creator of this world, the one who granted me my wish, the one who wanted me to stay by Nova and your side, and the object of my admiration¨Cmy idol. Someone as amazing and wonderful as you should not be breaking down over this.¡± His expression slowly changed from anger to hurt. ¡°You¡¯re much better than this.¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. While there was a tinge of guilt from seeing that hurt expression, Arcturus was right. Souhait was a lot better than this. Why was he breaking down now of all times? He might have caused Sophia a panic attack, but that wasn¡¯t his intent. All he needed was to apologize and not do it again. He looked Arcturus straight in the eye. ¡°Thanks¡­and I am sorry for showing this weak part of myself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay to show your weaker side. I like seeing that side of both you and Nova. Just know that I¡¯ll always be here to comfort and support you two.¡± Seeing Arcturus give a gentle smile after speaking caused Souhait to become flustered. He understood why Nova liked him so much now; he was understanding and honest. Both Souhait and Nova were honest towards each other but never towards another person; they had encountered so much pain and sorrow from people in the past that their distrust for others was normal. For once in their life, they feel as if they could trust someone wholeheartedly. The turbulent emotions within himself were the feelings Nova felt throughout the moment he was inside Arcturus¡¯s Realm of Desires; if Nova felt something, he also felt it. Wait, I have to ask him how he feels about Nova! When he became composed, he cleared his throat. Before he could ask, Arcturus quickly turned around. He turned back and hastily grabbed Souhait¡¯s hair that was outside, threw it back into the apartment and then shoved him inside. When he slammed the door, Souhait was baffled. Did he just push me? Annoyance and anger came to him. He didn¡¯t expect Arcturus to be so rude, so when he stood up, all of the emotions he felt went away when he heard another voice through the door. Constance did call the doctor. Wait, I should change my appearance so that there will be less confusion. He grabbed his hair, wrapped it around himself and changed himself into Nova. He then grabbed his hair from below the shoulder and stroked it so that it became invisible; only shoulder length hair¨CNova¡¯s usual hair length¨Cwas visible. He then brushed his bangs to the side so that his right gold eye was concealed. He was the perfect imitation of Nova now. The front door opened to reveal a doctor who looked rather surprised to see him, but she was more concerned with Sophia who was panicking. She rushed towards her side. Another doctor, a much younger woman, showed up at the door. She had the same hair and eye color as the older woman doctor and looked like a younger version of her. She looked at him curiously before rushing towards Sophia. ¡°That¡¯s Dr. Belinda Mathis,¡± Arcturus remarked as he entered the apartment and closed the door. ¡°She was the one who treated us. The woman next to her is her daughter who happens to be a psychiatrist¨Cthe only one in the Outskirts at that.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± He could tell how professional they were as they were calming Sophia as meticulously as possible. ¡°You¡¯re sticking with Nova¡¯s appearance?¡± Arcturus whispered, not wanting to let the doctors overhear them. ¡°It makes the most sense and less gossip.¡± ¡°True.¡± He realized he couldn¡¯t ask Arcturus what he wanted to ask now. He was worried about Sophia¡¯s state; they continue to observe the doctors as they try to help her calm down. Souhait couldn¡¯t help but to wonder what could be the trigger for her panic attack. Calming Down It took a while for Sophia to calm down. When she was able to revert back to her usual self, Murphy thanked Belinda and her daughter. Arcturus knew Murphy worried about her the most. The doctors left after giving some advice to Sophia on how to maintain her composure and to see them again if she has another panic attack. The room became quiet once they left. It was awkward sparking up a conversation after what had happened that caused the issue. Arcturus was sitting on a chair as Sophia sat on the sofa¨Cthe bed had changed back to a sofa just for her comfort. He glanced over at Souhait who still had Nova¡¯s appearance. Souhait looked as if he wanted to say something to her, so he gestured for him to go for it. This led Souhait to muster up the courage to apologize to Sophia. ¡°I am truly sorry for what had transpired.¡± He bowed so low that his body made a ninety-degree angle. Sophia was confused. ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize. I know you didn¡¯t change into a Trifecta intentionally to make me panic.¡± Arcturus chimed in. ¡°Then, could we ask why you reacted poorly to seeing a Trifecta?¡± Sophia glanced over at Murphy who seemed to be okay with it. She then took a look at Constance and Souhait before focusing back on Arcturus. ¡°Will you listen to my story?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Constance handed her a glass of water, which she drank first before starting. ¡°Forty years ago, I met my husband Murphy in Ilacier. We were college classmates that went to a big university in Ilacier because we were so tired of the Laminan way of life. We got married after we graduated and managed to find jobs. We both had worked as data analysts for the Ilacian branch of Galaxia Data Bank.¡± Souhait tilted his head. ¡°Galaxia Data Bank?¡± Arcturus explained, ¡°Galaxia Data is the biggest data broker company in the world. They collect and protect information about people on this planet. They¡¯re very secure with their information handling, but how they function is a bit different from the usual data brokers. Like the name, they function more of a bank for data. They store information and if someone other than the owner wants to get ahold of it, they have to pay a very hefty fee.¡± ¡°Data breaking that functions like a bank. How interesting.¡± Souhait looked rather intrigued. Sophia continued, ¡°Three years after our marriage, I gave birth to our first and only child, Virgo. Virgo wasn¡¯t born in Lamina, so she didn¡¯t have to be subjected to discrimination for not being pure Laminan. Since Murphy is a quarter Plasmian, that would make her an eighth Plasmian. We raised Virgo happily. She loved us and loved people around her.¡± Arcturus took the chance to scan his surroundings. Sophia had talked about her rather lovingly yet there wasn¡¯t any picture of Virgo crawling around. He focused back on her. ¡°When Virgo was five years old, Murphy and I got an offer to move to Sirius as the mayor at the time, Mebsuta Leonis, wanted to hire talented data analysts to work under her. Since Sirius was a secret city that only Ilacians knew of, we felt that it would be a good opportunity to see what it was like. That was when we came to this isolated city.¡± Arcturus hummed in surprise. ¡°You two must¡¯ve been really great at your jobs. I heard Galaxia Data Bank is really competitive and strict.¡± Murphy looked rather embarrassed as he scratched the back of his head. ¡°Well, we weren¡¯t the only ones that got an offer; there were a few others as well.¡± ¡°Still. You wouldn¡¯t have been scouted if you weren¡¯t good at your jobs.¡± ¡°True.¡± Sophia resumed her story. ¡°Life in Sirius had turned out better than we expected. The mayor was kind to us. Virgo even became friends with the mayor¡¯s daughters and nephew. As she became a teenager, she grew to have feelings for the nephew, a boy with a rather unique name. They eventually started dating when their feelings became mutual.¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. The serene face she had when telling her story slowly became sullen. ¡°When she was sixteen years old, we were given some rather shocking news¨Cshe became pregnant. She didn¡¯t want to get rid of it as it was the product of the love between her and her boyfriend.¡± Arcturus slowly pieced together the story. He pursed his lips as he didn¡¯t want to point it out; he just hoped his theory was incorrect. Sophia held her head with her hand. ¡°This was a huge source of conflict back in the day. We wanted Virgo to get rid of the baby because we thought she was too young to be a mother. She was too stubborn to obey us. Eventually, we gave in and let her have the baby. When her daughter was born, the child had snow white hair.¡± Souahit, who was immersed in her story, asked, ¡°Your granddaughter is a Trifecta. Virgo has both Laminan and Plasmian blood from both of you and then her boyfriend must¡¯ve been pure Ilacian.¡± Murphy nodded. ¡°You are correct.¡± ¡°How did you feel when she was born?¡± ¡°Conflicted.¡± Sophia continued her story, ¡°When Celestina was born, Nova came to this city. He stayed here for a few months before he complied with granting Mebsuta¡¯s wish, which then spiraled into her ultimate demise and the chaos that ensued twenty years ago.¡± Arcturus glanced over at Souhait who looked guilty at first but quickly concealed it when he locked eyes with him. He was glad Souhait was trying his best to not beat himself over this as well. ¡°When Mebsuta died, Bellatrix immediately took over as mayor despite being too young at the time. Her first action was to kill Nova, but he had escaped before it could happen. Her second order was to gather the entire city and find people who opposed her to become mayor. When the opposers were gathered, they were taken to the farthest corner of the city and were barricaded from the rest of the city.¡± ¡°Seeing how both of you are here and your daughter is not, I¡¯m guessing there was conflict between you three?¡± Sophia hung her head low. She was unable to continue her story. Murphy wrapped an arm around her shoulder and leaned her close to him. He took over the story. ¡°You see¡­when we wanted to move back to the mainland after the whole ordeal, Bellatrix couldn¡¯t accept that fact. She took Celestina as a bargaining chip and tried to coerce us into staying on Sirius. When we berated Bellatrix¡¯s actions, that was when we were deemed as opposers and that was how we got sent to the Outskirts. Virgo, on the other hand, decided to accept her offer only on the condition that Celestina remains safe.¡± ¡°And that is how you got separated and remained so for the past two decades.¡± Souhait remarked. ¡°Yes.¡± Arcturus inquired, ¡°Come to think of it, this does not explain why Sophia started panicking at the sight of Kori.¡± Murphy chimed in, ¡°The trauma is due to the day before we got sent over to the Outskirts. When Celestina was still held hostage, we¡­told Virgo to abandon her and for her to come with us. When she heard this request, Virgo held a grudge; she loved her daughter very much and wanted to protect her. The last words she said to us were very hurtful and it still lingers in our minds to this day¨Cit affected Sophia a lot more than me.¡± Sophia whispered, ¡°She said, ¡®I¡¯m not going to abandon my baby like you¡¯re abandoning me.¡¯ And that is why she left us to be with Celestina.¡± Arcturus could tell they had their regrets even after two decades. Teenagers were harsh with their words, but, knowing that he was once a teen himself, hurtful words were forgiven within time. What about them? Had Sophia and Murphy forgiven Virgo? Had Virgo forgiven them? Seeing them so sad made him want to find their daughter and bring her back to them just so they could have closure. The major issue standing between him and that desire was the large metallic wall. If only there was some way to cross over it. No, I need to research how that wall came to be. ¡°I don¡¯t understand Virgo.¡± Constance blurted this out abruptly, causing Arcturus to have his current thoughts be put on hold as new, puzzling thoughts slid in. He noticed the genuine disdain on her face. ¡°Why do you not understand Virgo?¡± Souhait inquired. ¡°She could¡¯ve gotten another baby. She was young, so she was still fertile. She could¡¯ve had another baby. Why did she have to cause tension with her parents? Shouldn¡¯t children stick with their parents? Besides, babies can be replaced but not parents.¡± The atmosphere became tense. Nobody could utter a word after her blunt statement. Arcturus peered over and every person in the room save for Constance had an exasperated expression. Family Quarrel What Souhait had gathered from observing Kori was that they did not value themselves for they saw themselves as tools. If they developed free will, that meant they knew how to value people and themselves¡­or so he had assumed. The concept of free will still seemed to be a novel concept even amongst Shfities themselves. He could tell not many knew what to do with it, even if they had a human inside to guide them. It is either that, or the person inside of Constance has their own issues regarding family and children and that is reflecting onto her¡­ Souhait suddenly felt a shiver down his spine as he searched around for the source: an angry Sophia. She glared daggers at the sole Shiftie in the room. ¡°How could you say that?¡± Constance retorted, ¡°I¡¯m just stating my opinions. Humans are allowed to do that, so why can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re not a human! How can you understand pregnancy? Don¡¯t you know how much it can harm the female body?¡± Souhait felt uneasy when he heard her voice slowly rising. She just had a panic attack, so it wouldn¡¯t be wise for her to get riled up again. Fortunately, Arcturus took notice of this too and tried his best to calm Sophia down; Murphy helped. Constance remarked, ¡°Oh, I am aware that it can hurt the female body, but it¡¯s a risk that all women take because they¡¯re the only gender who can reproduce.¡± ¡°Not only that, you don¡¯t understand what it means to give birth. Sure, many women don¡¯t want to give birth, but those who do feel unconditional love from the moment the baby is in their arms. A child cannot be replaced once a mother becomes attached to them. You don¡¯t understand how much pain and agony Virgo went through during her pregnancy. When she held her daughter for the first time, there was a glint in her eyes that showed that she wanted to be her mother until the end of her life. As Virgo¡¯s mother, how could I take that away from her? The bond between parent and child is something a robot like you wouldn¡¯t understand. You cannot reproduce. You cannot have sexual intercourse. You are a man-made creation with a human appearance. There¡¯s nothing human about you; you¡¯re nothing more than a tool.¡± Constance produced a shocked reaction after hearing her words. She then hung her head low. Murphy harshly retorted. ¡°Enough, Sophia.¡± Souhait noticed how serious he looked; Murphy looked quite terrifying when angered. Sophia clammed up, sighed and then placed a hand to her forehead. ¡°I¡¯m getting dizzy from stress. Leave me be.¡± She stood up, marched towards her bedroom and slammed the door shut. The living room became silent. Souhait found it hard to speak up. Murphy approached the door, wondering if he should check up on his wife. Arcturus just zoned out; his eyes were on the television, but he wasn¡¯t too fixated on the broadcast. Constance still had her head hung low before she stood up and marched towards the front door. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Souhait inquired. ¡°I¡¯m going to Hilbert¡¯s.¡± She rushed out the door and slammed it shut. ¡°Hilbert¡¯s?¡± Arcturus murmured. Murphy answered, ¡°He¡¯s an inventor. He¡¯s good at creating and fixing technological objects that benefit the people of the Outskirts.¡± Arcturus looked intrigued as he rummaged his satchel to retrieve his broken bangle. ¡°Do you think he¡¯s able to fix this?¡± Murphy leaned in close to examine the device. He hummed in fascination. ¡°That¡¯s quite a machine you¡¯ve got there. Given you¡¯re a modern city boy from Lamina, that¡¯s most likely way too advanced for Hilbert to fix, but he¡¯s quite talented.¡± Souhait could tell they were definitely planning to head outside. Peering at the television with a news broadcast about Nova, he realized it would be best if he stayed in the apartment. His default form as Souhait would raise eyebrows due to his unusual appearance and extremely long hair that could be a liability. Walking around the Outskirts as Nova would cause a ruckus, which he didn¡¯t want. Going around as Sayaka would be odd given she was a fugitive reported dead. Wandering about as Kori would be a safe choice, but it would be a topic of awe and fear for those who haven¡¯t seen Trifectas. He wanted to tag along; he really did. However, for the safety of the people around him, he decided to hold back. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. I should, at least, ask Arcturus what he thinks about Nova. I did promise, after all. Arcturus asked, ¡°Is it possible for me to go to this Hilbert person¡¯s office? I really want to get this fixed as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Sure. I can take you there.¡± Arcturus smiled. Souhait then raised a hand. ¡°I will stay here. I stand out no matter the form I am in, after all.¡± When he had said what he wanted to say, Arcturus¡¯s smile disappeared. ¡°Are you sure? Don¡¯t you want to see what the Outskirts look like?¡± Souhait was glad Arcturus was a kind man; Arcturus wanted to share the enjoyment of exploring a new area together, but he couldn¡¯t. ¡°I am fine¡­¡± ¡°Are you really sure?¡± ¡°I said I am fine! Besides, even if I cannot enjoy exploring the Outskirts with you, I can always see it with you.¡± ¡°See it with me?¡± ¡°I have many abilities, remember? When I close my eyes and place a hand to my chest, I can see things from your perspective.¡± He did just that. Closing his eyes meant that he returned back to Nova¡¯s Realm of Desires. He glanced over at Nova¡¯s sleeping figure at the bed in the corner of the room. Seeing him sleeping peacefully let out a gentle smile. He then snapped his fingers and the room changed into the Contract Room where three screens appeared in front of him. The one in the middle showed off everything that was shown in Arcturus¡¯s perspective; right now, he saw Nova¡¯s body idle with his head hung low. Murphy had caught him as he fell over and placed him on the couch. The one on the right showed him information regarding Arcturus¡¯s health and condition. The left showed one word, ¡®WORRIED¡¯. This was a screen that showed what Arcturus was feeling at the moment. ¡°Oh yeah¡­¡± He muttered as he snapped and a fourth screen showed up; this screen showed a view of the ceiling in the apartment. This was a screen where Nova¡¯s perspective was shown even if his eyes were closed. This was his way of protecting Nova; watching over his slumber while looking out for potential danger. This was a room that only he could control. Not only was it a room where contracts were formed, it was a room where he controlled his own abilities and powers. A white room where everything happened. This was his own Realm of Desires. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Arcturus asked as he leaned forward to see his face. A mischievous urge to play around with him came. I am alright. Arcturus froze. He saw Arcturus looking left and then right. He turned to Murphy. ¡°Did you say something?¡± As Murphy shook his head while looking at him worried, Souhait chuckled, making Arcturus tense up once again. Relax. Is that you, Souhait? Indeed. How are¨Cwait, this is an ability of yours. Yes. This is how I usually communicate with Nova as we share one body¨Cwe cannot be at two places at the same time. Arcturus hummed. I get it. Because Nova¡¯s the main body and consciousness, he¡¯s the one usually awake but since he¡¯s asleep, you took over. However, since you technically switched consciousness with Nova, he¡¯s currently asleep while you are back in his body¨Cin the Contract Room and in his Realm of Desires. Correct. If this is normally what you do with Nova, I assume you are able to do it with me because I am in a contract with you? Correct again. I can do this with any contractor who is alive and has a physical body. I guess this would be more convenient. You can come along with me without being there physically. I guess you can say that. I like it. While he felt warmth when Arcturus had said that, he got reminded of what he needed to ask Arcturus. Speaking of which, Arcturus¡­ Yes? What do you think about Nova? Why the sudden question? I just want to know! Well¡­ Souhait noticed Arcturus staring at the slumbering Nova. The left screen changed into the word ¡®HAPPY¡¯ as he glanced over at the right screen to see that his heart rate was still normal. I¡¯d like to know more about him, honestly. I want to know what sort of life he lived and why he is the way he is now. In a sense, I find him intriguing. I see¡­ Souhait didn¡¯t find it a bad answer. In fact, he found it a reasonable one. The question was whether Nova would find it acceptable. When Souhait saw Arcturus tucking in Nova, he let out a smile. He was absolutely sure Nova would be fine with it. Preparation Having a second mind of sorts in his head was a crazy feeling to Arcturus. It was as if he was in possession of two consciousnesses¨Cone his own that he had control of and the other belonging to another that he had no control over. He developed a newfound respect for Nova who dealt with this for centuries. It was definitely not an easy task to handle for Souhait could listen to all of his thoughts and even comment on them when necessary. Right now, Arcturus was asking Souhait his opinion on two coats he thought about wearing; because they were going outside, Arcturus needed a change of clothes. Currently, he was wearing Murphy¡¯s old black turtleneck shirt and black pants; it didn¡¯t feel too different from the outfit he had worn before, but the texture was a tad different. The only major change in his attire was the lack of boots. He exchanged his long, worn out boots with more comfortable leather shoes. Souhait, tell me. Is the green one better or the blue one? Go with blue. That shade of green is ugly. He put on the blue coat and went to the bathroom to see how it looked on him. He wasn¡¯t an expert in fashion as his own casual clothes back home were mainly black clothing. Perhaps, he wasn¡¯t sure how to style himself due to his worries about how bright his hair was. Despite that, he did like what he saw in the mirror. Souhait chuckled in response. Look at you being so dapper. I never thought about fashion too much. I don¡¯t really know much about color coordination because my scarlet hair is really hard to match anything but black. Well, you are lucky you have me. I quite like fashion myself, but Nova could care less about it. He wears frumpy clothing and calls it a day; just look at the clothes he wore when you met him. He just grabbed that from the closet back in that manor and just went with it for the past twenty years. No matter how much I nag at him to wear nicer clothes because of how pretty he is, he just ignores me and calls me a nagging mother hen. The nerve of him! One fact he learned about Souhait was that he was very talkative. It was like having a long video playing in the background while he was doing a school assignment. He felt another newfound respect for Nova for dealing with this for five centuries. When Arcturus left the bathroom, Murphy complimented his attire. Getting praise from Murphy felt different from Souhait. He wasn¡¯t sure why. ¡°Speaking of which, if I were to roam around the streets and people ask me about my identity, what should I do?¡± ¡°Since you got that yellow earring, people might think you¡¯re a Shiftie. The people in the Outskirts are used to Constance¡¯s presence, so I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll think you¡¯re similar to her. Besides, everyone here is an ally; we all have a disdain for the city beyond the walls. Nobody will be nosy enough to prod into another¡¯s business.¡± Hearing Murphy say that felt reassuring. Arcturus felt as if he could trust him and his every word. There was a rather dependable aura Murphy radiated that helped him feel relaxed. Is this what having a father feels like? Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. I recall your father left your family thirteen years ago. Maybe you are just latching onto a part of something you lacked in your childhood? The warm feeling he felt instantly dissipated. He now knew Souhait could also ruin sentimental moods. Please let me have some private thoughts. Too bad. You are going to have to deal with the lack of privacy for a while. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Murphy asked. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­hopefully.¡± Arcturus whispered that word so that Murphy couldn¡¯t hear it clearly. ¡°Since you¡¯re all dressed up now, let me get prepared and we¡¯ll head out. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re itching to leave the apartment for once!¡± Murphy headed to the bathroom. As he was waiting, Arcturus decided to think about what he needed when out on the streets. He needed to get his bangle fixed and buy a new journal. Do we need anything else? We need some extra clothes. Extra food. Toiletries¡­ You¡¯re listing out things like we¡¯re not going to stay here for long. We are not staying here for long, obviously. We have a destination. That¡¯s true. We need to find a way to leave this place and reach Bellatrix Leonis. Who knows what could happen if we stay for too long. Indeed. Though, obtaining all of them might be a bit difficult as we don¡¯t have money. Ask Murphy to buy them for you. It feels like I¡¯m imposing¡­ Murphy exited the bathroom and then headed into his bedroom to get changed. Arcturus could hear muffled talking behind the doors, which was most likely Murphy telling Sophia he was heading out. He came out dressed in an outfit befitting the winter season with a puffy coat, thick scarf and a hat with ear flaps. He completed his attire with puffy mittens. Arcturus could tell he looked rather warm and comfortable wearing that. ¡°Shall we head out now?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± As they headed towards the front door, Murphy quickly informed Arcturus about something he had forgotten to tell him about. ¡°Do you have any sort of rare items or just anything you¡¯re not keeping permanently?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have rare items, but I do have several things in my satchel that I¡¯m not sure if I need anymore. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Instead of currency, we trade items to purchase something. If there is something you are interested in buying, you trade something that you believe is worth the amount. If the merchant agrees, you get the item.¡± ¡°Interesting. I¡¯d love to see how this exchange system works.¡± ¡°Once we¡¯re out on the streets, I¡¯ll show you.¡± With that said, they both left the apartment. The Outskirts The streets of the Outskirts were as Arcturus had seen it before, but the only difference now was the amount of people wandering around. It did seem a lot livelier compared to the empty streets before and he preferred it that way. He wasn¡¯t sure how many people were out and about, but he was rather amazed that there were many opposers of the government; they all ranged from young adults to elderly; he was also surprised to see several children running about with their parents. Like his previous venture through the streets, he couldn¡¯t help but to stare at the large metal wall barricading them. Murphy said that the metal wall just appeared overnight when the opposers were taken here. Souhait hummed. Really? I put two and two together. Walls of that size, length and caliber don''t just appear overnight. They take years to be built. If it just appeared all of a sudden, then it must be the work of the Invader. Do you think so? The only power that I know of that can grant something instantaneously without hard work is the power of wishes. I don¡¯t know what sort of power this Invader has, but it¡¯s one that breaks all the rules of this world. If my hunch is correct, that means the Invader lies beyond those walls. What if she is not on this island? Then we look for her, obviously. Murphy called out to Arcturus, to which he approached him. They were in a shabby vendor with a sign that read ¡°COFFEE¡±. An elderly man greeted them. Murphy asked for two coffees as he handed him a rusty coin. Arcturus was amazed that the barista accepted one coin for two cups of coffee. As they were waiting, Arcturus scanned his surroundings. Some people that were passing by him glanced at him, but darted their eyes away when he made eye contact. He knew he stood out with his bright scarlet hair and tall height. Ilacian men were known for being short and the women tall. He didn¡¯t look like a woman due to his body structure. He just hoped no one would approach him to question him; he wouldn¡¯t know what to do if he was deemed suspicious. Relax. Since these people oppose the government, they most likely will not hand you over to the soldiers. Easier said than done! ¡°Here¡¯s your coffee, Murphy.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The barista hummed as he stared intensely at Arcturus; the way his blue eyes were staring into his brown ones got him anxious. ¡°You¡¯re new around here?¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look like a Shiftie despite your earring. Where did you come from?¡± Arcturus started panicking; he babbled before producing articulate words. ¡°Well¡­¡± Murphy cut in. ¡°I found him floating in the water hanging on to a plank of wood for dear life on my fishing expedition a few days ago. Poor thing was shivering and almost froze to death.¡± Alright, he is vouching for us. Try to come up with a fake name and story! I can¡¯t just come up with one on the spot! Murphy continued, ¡°He was unconscious for a while, but he just recovered yesterday!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He looked at Arcturus. ¡°What¡¯s your name, lad?¡± Think of a name, quick! ¡°P-Percival Scarlet.¡± ¡°Percival? That¡¯s quite a name. Why were you floating in the water? The waters in this area are extremely cold.¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°I was¡­trying to see if the Despair Emerald Whale existed! I¡¯m a traveling scholar researching the legends of the world. The last thing I remembered was being on a boat but then everything became blank. I woke up and found myself in this foreign land. The crew I was with seems to be nowhere in sight. I hope they¡¯re all doing okay¡­¡± Will this work? The barista hummed. ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s rough, especially since you¡¯re essentially stuck here now. Anyhow, I hope my coffee makes you feel better.¡± Arcturus took a sip in order to wash away his nervousness. His eyes widened. It was the best tasting coffee he had ever had. Even the most expensive cafes in the bustling downtown of Lamina paled in comparison. The barista chuckled with confidence. ¡°I¡¯ve traveled all sorts of places when I was your age, so I¡¯ve perfected this coffee brewing recipe for seventy-five years. Do you like it?¡± ¡°Like it? I love it.¡± He then handed Arcturus a small scrap of paper. ¡°Here you go. It¡¯s my recipe.¡± Baffled, Arcturus received it. ¡°Are you sure you want me to have it?¡± ¡°I give it out to everyone who drinks my coffee. What¡¯s the use of having a recipe if you cannot share it with others?¡± He is right. Besides, that coffee tasted great even for someone who does not like coffee in particular¨Clike me. Wait, you can taste the coffee? Because I am connected into your mind, I can sense anything you touch, smell, taste, feel and see. Fascinating¡­ ¡°Be careful out there, lad. Being on this isolated island does more harm than good for outsiders.¡± His words felt very ominous to him, so he kept his guard up. He thanked him for the coffee and then walked off with Murphy. He took another sip; the taste was addicting. Murphy chuckled. ¡°I brought you there because his coffee tastes the best.¡± ¡°It really does taste amazing. I can¡¯t believe such quality stuff has been hidden away in an isolated area for so long. What a waste.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason why he passes his recipe to others just so they can preserve his legacy.¡± Arcturus let out a bittersweet smile. It really was a waste to have such good coffee hidden away in an isolated land, but he also felt bad for the barista who had to be stuck here for twenty years without a way out. He put the recipe into his satchel and then patted it as a sign of reassurance. The two continued their venture through the Outskirts. He was surprised at how harmonious the city was despite being isolated from the rest of the city. They all seemed happy; he could see it on the people¡¯s faces. What surprised him the most was the fact that nobody gave him a second glance. While he stood out due to his height and hair, people just glanced at him and then minded their own business. Was it because he was next to Murphy, another foreigner? Was it because people assumed him to be a Shiftie due to the earring? Did they overhear his lies? Whatever their assumptions of him may be, the feeling of not being the talk of the town felt peaceful. He was glad he was able to roam around town without being too mindful of others¡¯ gazes. He was still Arcturus Mercury, but, for now, he was Percival Scarlet¨Chis scarlet guise. What he also noticed was that other than Murphy and Sophia, there weren¡¯t many foreigners. He mainly saw Ilacians. Older ones were more common than younger ones. In fact, he only saw five kids roaming about. There were a lot of vendors and small stores from produce to clothes. They practically had everything a regular town or city would have, but in smaller locations. Murphy pointed at a small store in the corner of an intersection. ¡°Over there is a stationery store. You can buy a new journal there.¡± On his way there, a vendor selling hair accessories caught Arcturus¡¯s attention. The elderly lady was selling beautiful hair accessories. One hair clip caught his attention. It was a large purple hair clip ordained with lavender aster flowers; it had reminded him of Nova¡¯s Realm of Desires. Since he recalled Nova losing his previous hair clip when he had bathed him, he believes it would be great if he had gotten a new one. Nova¡¯s hair is beautiful, so I think this will suit him. Nova is not the type to care too much about his appearance. He even keeps his hair at his current length because it is less maintenance for him. However, I am sure that he will cherish that hair clip forever if you buy it for him. Souhait sounded rather happy. He then noticed a steel comb ordained with small blue flowers. He thought about how long Souhait¡¯s hair was and the thought of him using a pretty comb to brush and decorate his hair was a nice imagery. He became flustered when he remembered Souhait could hear his thoughts. He could hear him chuckling. You really think that comb will look good on me? From the annoying tone, Arcturus could tell Souhait was having fun teasing him. T-think of it as a thank-you present of sorts. Thanks. He managed to snag a good deal by exchanging the empty jar he had with him for the hair clip and comb. The Stationery Store When Arcturus stepped into the stationery store, he was amazed at what he saw. The place was small, but it was well decorated. He saw an assortment of stickers, pens, pencils and all sorts of paper goods on all sides of the store. His eyes were glued to the journal shelf as he rushed towards it and looked at what they had. There was an assortment of spiral notebooks, regular hardcover notebooks and some ring binder notebooks. He was interested in hardcover notebooks. What do you look for in a journal? Thickness and paper quality. If the paper is thick, it won¡¯t rip easily. If the paper is good, pen ink will show up better. Do you care for color? The journal you finished writing in was black. Are you the type to get the same color or do you get different colors? I don¡¯t pick the same ones. If I need to look back if they all look the same, I find that confusing. I was thinking of getting a plain hardcover notebook of another color. One notebook in particular caught his attention. It was a red hardcover notebook, but the name of the brand surprised him. ¡°They sell this brand all the way over here?¡± ¡°Most of the stuff we receive from outside of the walls are stuff that the bigger city doesn''t need. They get their stuff imported from the mainland.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Why? Is this brand well-known?¡± ¡°This is a rather expensive brand of notebooks because of how good the paper quality is and what sort of trees they use to make the paper. Avid journal writers covet this brand, but it¡¯s super expensive in Lamina.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Murphy looked rather fascinated with Arcturus¡¯s knowledge about notebooks. ¡°What can I exchange to get this notebook?¡± He rummaged into his satchel and got out the goggles he had used to brave through the blizzard. Since he no longer had any use for it, he believed it would be best to part ways with it. He headed towards the register where a young woman was tinkering with a retro radio. She had short, unkempt sandy blond hair and wore round glasses that befitted her rather mousy appearance. She was dressed in a green knit sweater that looked rather warm. ¡°Jennifer.¡± Murphy called out to her, grabbing her attention. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Murphy!¡± She remarked as she adjusted her glasses. Her gaze was glued to Arcturus. ¡°Oh? Who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°He¡¯s Percival Scarlet. He¡¯s a scholar I found drifting across the sea the other day.¡± ¡°Is that so? It must be hectic trying to lug around a tall unconscious man from the waters to here. I¡¯m Jennifer. I run the stationery store, as you can tell.¡± She reached a hand out. Arcturus took her hand and shook it. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± She then looked at the item in his hands. ¡°You want to purchase? Do you have anything worth trading?¡± ¡°I have these goggles.¡± ¡°Goggles, let me see¡­¡± She took them and inspected them. The curiosity in her face slowly disappeared as she rejected them. ¡°Not interesting enough for me.¡± Arcturus became shocked. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°This is a stationery store. What use would goggles have here?¡± She is not wrong, though¡­ Arcturus then glanced at the radio and had an idea. ¡°What if I fix this radio? Would you let me keep this journal if I fixed it for you?¡± Jennifer seemed rather interested. ¡°Can you fix it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m from Lamina, so I do have experience with technology and such.¡± ¡°Please do, then! There¡¯s a radio show I really want to listen to and it¡¯s going to start in fifteen minutes!¡± She looked rather eager, which caused Arcturus to become nervous. Way to put even more pressure on me¡­ Good luck. He handed the journal to Murphy as he rolled up his sleeves. Tinkering with retro devices was a hard feat given for someone who grew up with advanced technology. He had remembered a small memory of his mother tinkering with a retro radio similar to Jennifer¡¯s as she believed the music quality was better than an advanced radio. He just needed to remember how she was tinkering with it. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. If I remember correctly, she did this and that¡­ The eerie static soon dissipated as audible music replaced it. He heard the sound of trumpets playing in the background and wondered if it was intermission music. Jennifer looked rather pleased as she heard the music. ¡°Wow, you just tweaked it and you fixed it!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything¡­¡± Arcturus muttered. ¡°I can now watch my radio show in peace!¡± ¡°Can I keep the journal then?¡± ¡°Sure, it¡¯s all yours! Oh, hold on a second¡­¡± She left the counter as she took some pens, stickers and some memo pads. ¡°Here, have these as a bit of a bonus for fixing my radio!¡± Arcturus started panicking. ¡°That feels like too much for some minor tweaks.¡± ¡°I insist!¡± ¡°Then, thank you¡­¡± He still felt a bit bad for receiving gifts of large quantities for a low-effort job, but if Jennifer had insisted, he wasn¡¯t one to refuse a kind lady¡¯s offer. The trumpet noise in the background suddenly died down as a shrill voice took its place. ¡°Good day to everyone! It¡¯s your girl, Ri! Welcome to the latest episode of Believe It, Ri-lly! Today¡¯s topic is about the Charlatan! As you have seen on the news, he has escaped the tower called Castle Lavender. This is an emergency to the people here on Sirius! How serious is this? Very ¡®sirius¡¯.¡± She giggled at her own joke. Ri¡¯s usage of word puns caused Arcturus to grimace while he heard Souhait snorting in his head. I like her jokes. The radio show¡¯s segment on Nova felt like a rehash of what he saw on the television. Murphy, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem to like this show. ¡°Jennifer, why are you listening to stuff relating to the mayor? You know Ri is one of the reasons why we were deemed as Opposers and got sent here.¡± Relating to the mayor¡­? Souhait, did you know about a woman named Ri when you and Nova came here? I have never heard of her. I see¡­ Souhait had no reason to lie to him, but he did wonder why he heard a rather rattled voice from him. It was as if hearing her voice was slowly causing him to remember something unfortunate. Jennifer remarked, ¡°Well, I need to be informed of what¡¯s going on in the city. Ignorance may be bliss, but I still want to know. Besides, we all still watch the news channel on television. Why are you hounding me about listening to a mere radio show? You think I¡¯m in cahoots with the government or something?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that.¡± She then gazed over at Arcturus. ¡°Percival, since you¡¯re new to this city, let me tell you something important: don¡¯t trust anyone here. Don¡¯t trust me. Don¡¯t trust Murphy. Trust no one but yourself. The moment you lay trust into someone, they¡¯ll betray you instantly.¡± ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± Arcturus had his guard up. ¡°Because there are some spies here in the Outskirts. Sometimes, these spies will disguise themselves as government opposers, but in a flash, soldiers will be after them and then they''ll be sent over the wall.¡± Her words got his interest. ¡°What do these spies do? Why do they disguise themselves as opposers?¡± ¡°They¡¯re after people they deem ¡®useful¡¯. If there¡¯s someone in the Outskirts with impeccable knowledge of technology, they¡¯d take that person over the wall and ask them to work for them. If there¡¯s someone who¡¯s strong enough to carry heavy loads, they¡¯d find them useful too. They disguise themselves as opposers because that¡¯s how they can gather information about people.¡± ¡°Why are they doing this?¡± Jennifer leaned close to his ear, as if she wanted to keep this a secret between them and exclude Murphy. ¡°The Lady Mayor is searching for useful people to serve her grand plan. What¡¯s her grand plan? That I do not know.¡± Arcturus pulled away as he locked eyes with Jennifer who was giving him a rather sneaky smile. She did say for him to not trust in her, so he was rather wary of her intentions. Is she a spy? It would be best to not jump to conclusions, but still keep an eye out on her. Souhait, are you okay? You don¡¯t sound good. Do not mind me. I just cannot stand that shrill voice from the radio. When Arcturus focused back on the radio, Ri spoke about something he hadn¡¯t heard on television. With that shrill voice Souhait detested, she informed, ¡°So, I heard from authorities that the Charlatan is somewhere in the Outskirts. Where, exactly? I don¡¯t know! So, to all the people in the Outskirts, if you find the Charlatan, you will be highly rewarded! What does he look like? He¡¯s a beautiful man with golden hair and lavender eyes. Find someone like that and good things will happen to you for the rest of your life! I guarantee it!¡± Murphy scoffed. ¡°Why should we listen to a government dog?¡± Jennifer just smirked. ¡°Percival, I recommend you conceal your hair for the time being. Your hair isn¡¯t gold, but you are the most suspicious looking person here. While not everyone listens to the radio, there will be people trying to engage you into confessing your true intentions and identity.¡± Arcturus narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not just some stationery store owner. Who are you?¡± Jennifer rested her head against a hand as she used the other one to wave at him. Murphy forcefully got Arcturus to leave the store. He looked rather unsettled once he stepped foot outside. He quickly put Arcturus¡¯s coat¡¯s hood over his head. ¡°Sorry about all that. Jennifer is a rather kooky woman.¡± ¡°No worries. I got my new journal, so let¡¯s go find Constance.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you to Hilbert¡¯s!¡± Murphy led the way as Arcturus followed. After what Jennifer said, he couldn¡¯t help but to scan his vicinity constantly to see if there were people wanting to interrogate him. Fortunately, they just stared, but did not engage with him. He then looked at Murphy¡¯s back profile. He trusted Murphy after the kindness he and his family had shown to him, but he did wonder how he knew she was a government dog but Souhait had no knowledge of her. He knew they¡¯d both tell him eventually, so he did his best to not get swayed by Jennifer¡¯s warning. Disconnect There was something worrying Arcturus. He gradually noticed as he left the stationery store, but the longer he walked and took in the scenery, the more silent Souhait became. While he was fine with not having Souhait interrupting his thoughts or comment on them, it did feel unusual for him to be so quiet. Are you okay? This had been the third time he had asked this question to Souhait, but he received zero responses. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Murphy asked as he looked at Arcturus with concern. ¡°Why the long face?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was¡­in deep thought.¡± ¡°About Jennifer? Ignore her words. She¡¯s a bit eccentric. She likes riling up people and trying to break them down mentally.¡± ¡°She¡¯s certainly quite a character¡­¡± Perhaps, the abrupt conversation could be a great transition for him to talk about something else that has been on his mind. He asked Murphy, ¡°Who is Ri?¡± Murphy was the perfect person to ask as he had been close to the mayor in the past and was even there when Nova had arrived two decades ago. He needed to know why Souhait didn¡¯t know who she was, but why Murphy did. ¡°Ri is¡­¡± Murphy pondered for a bit before resuming, ¡°She¡¯s like her right-hand woman?¡± ¡°Right-hand?¡± ¡°Other than the Lady Mayor herself, there are two other important people of power that control the city¡¯s government. One of them is Ri Kuma, the woman you heard on the radio. She¡¯s an anomaly of sorts. We don¡¯t know where she came from. She just happened to come to this land one day and the previous mayor, Mebsuta took her in. I remember she got along with Bellatrix when the current mayor was a young girl at the time. She¡¯s camera-shy, so she doesn¡¯t really make much public appearances and prefers to use radio as a form of communication. Bellatrix is rather fond of her, hence why she gave her a lot of power.¡± ¡°How mysterious¡­¡± It was then Souhait finally spoke up, startling Arcturus. Ask him what she looks like. You finally spoke! Are you okay? Just ask him what she looks like. Arcturus gave in to his demand as he asked Murphy if he remembered what she looked like. ¡°You worked for the family in the past, right? Do you remember what she looked like?¡± Murphy stopped walking as he became deep in thought. A troubled look came to him. ¡°What did she look like? I do recall her being a petite woman, but there are also some instances where she looked like she was taller than Bellatrix. What was her hair color? Red? Pink? Orange? Her eye color? Blue? Green?¡± He clutched his head. ¡°Excuse me. I think my age is affecting my memory. I¡¯m 61, after all.¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I feel like his answer is vague. It can¡¯t be helped given his age¡­ Actually, his answer is perfect. How so? Arcturus, I apologize for saying this, but I need to disconnect from your consciousness for a while. I need to return to Nova; there may be a chance that I may or may not return to you. Why all of a sudden? Arcturus became worried. There is something I want to confirm and I need to return to Nova in order to do so. I want you to enjoy the rest of your outing with Murphy without me interfering. It was abrupt, but Arcturus felt like he had no right to interfere. Could you tell me what¡¯s going on later? I¡¯d like to know what has been bothering you. I will explain later. I promise. Alright. Before I leave, can you stick your hand inside your satchel? There are two things I want you to keep with you just in case. Sure¡­ He did as Souhait requested; he did glance over at Murphy who looked at him with confusion. Arcturus felt something coming out of his hand; it wasn¡¯t a pleasant feeling. When Souhait told him to take his hand out now, Arcturus immediately looked inside to see two familiar items in his bag: the bat Cobot and the purple earring. I gave you the bat Cobot for payment to fix your bangle and the purple earring is something I hope you will ask Hilbert about as he seems to be an expert in technology. He felt his heart fluttering. He didn¡¯t want to let Souhait down, so he complied with his new request. He then placed a hand to his heart, which then caused Souhait to disconnect. He called out to him in his mind to confirm he was no longer there. It was just Arcturus¡¯s sole consciousness within himself now. ¡°Are you really okay? You¡¯ve been zoning out for a while now¡­¡± Murphy looked very concerned. ¡°I¡¯m fine! I was just fighting off the urge to hiccup. They can be pretty bad if you let them be.¡± While lying wasn¡¯t something Arcturus liked, he had to do it to not bring more concern to Murphy. ¡°That is true. Hiccuping at my age is pretty bad, especially since my lungs are getting weaker now.¡± They both chuckled and then resumed walking towards their destination. On his way, he noticed a young man around his age accompanying an elderly man needing to walk with a stroller. While admiring the man¡¯s kindness, it reminded him of his grandfather back home. His own grandfather was getting older¨Che recalled he turned 70 in the middle of summer. Suddenly, he stopped walking as he recalled something about his own grandfather. Grandpa is 70, but his memory is still perfect as all Laminans have a good memory¨Cit only deteriorates once they reach their seventies¡­ Murphy is a Laminan and is 61 years old. How can he not recall what Ri looks like? Unless¡­ A chill ran down his spine as a rather unsettling assumption came to him. As Murphy called for him, he rushed towards him while understanding why Souhait was behaving strangely now. Hilbert Arcturus didn¡¯t expect an inventor¡¯s house to be the largest house he had seen in the Outskirts by far. It was a fenced, two-story large brick house with a balcony and a nicely decorated front porch. It was as if the owner was flaunting his wealth in this district. The brick gate had a doorbell that Murphy pressed. ¡°Who is it?¡± A woman¡¯s voice called out from the speaker. ¡°It¡¯s me, Murphy. I¡¯m here to pick up Constance.¡± ¡°Ms. Constance is currently getting maintenance. If you¡¯d like, you can come in.¡± ¡°That would be great.¡± When the speaker got cut off, the gate slowly opened, allowing them to enter. Arcturus inspected the yard. A clutter of different inventions sparked his attention. There were canine Cobots herding around sheep Cobot into cleaning the icy surface of the yard for they had blades for hooves. There were brooms that were floating around and dusting the porch. All these inventions intrigued him. They looked very high quality for someone who lived in a rather ragged part of the city. When they entered, they were greeted with a bespectacled woman with long brown hair. Unlike Jennifer who was bespectacled and mousy-looking, this woman had angular glasses that gave her a sharp appearance and a diligent appearance. She looked very responsible in Arcturus¡¯s eyes. However, what surprised him was her brown hair. Ilacians had light colored hair, meaning this woman¡¯s dark brown hair meant she was a Laminan like Murphy, or she dyed her hair. He had seen Laminans dye their hair a lighter shade in the past. She bowed at the sight of the guests. ¡°Welcome to the inventor Hilbert Armstrong¡¯s office and home. I am his secretary, Sara Jenkins.¡± Not only did she look serious, but she also sounded the part. ¡°Good evening, Sara. We¡¯re looking for Constance.¡± She adjusted her glasses at the sight of Murphy. ¡°You are Murphy Edwards, Constance¡¯s caretaker.¡± When she looked at Arcturus, she raised an eyebrow. ¡°Who might he be?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Percival Scarlet, a scholar who came to this land after being washed ashore. I¡¯m under Murphy¡¯s care for now.¡± ¡°She¡¯s currently conversing with Hilbert. I¡¯ll lead you to his main office.¡± The office was a lot cleaner than Arcturus had initially expected. He had assumed it¡¯d be an untidy place with gadgets and machinery parts scattered about, but it was very clean. The floor and furniture shined so brightly, he could see his own reflection as he passed by. Though, it seemed that Hilbert wasn¡¯t one for coordination as his furniture and other decorations did not match in color, shape, size and vibes. He saw a dark wooden chair on one side and then a plastic blue one across from it. The office was at the end of the hallway guarded by double doors. Sara pushed the door open and a spacious room greeted them. There were bookshelves filled with gadgets and cobots resting on each layer and another filled with old books. The office mainly had a large wooden desk with a large computer monitor. Behind them was a bespectacled man dressed in a white coat; underneath the coat, he wore a beige turtleneck sweater. He had unkempt honey blond hair and green eyes. He had a big smile plastered on his face as he spoke to Constance. ¡°Mr. Armstrong, you have guests.¡± Sara remarked. Hilbert looked rather surprised to see them as he adjusted his glasses; the chains around the legs dangled as he did so. ¡°Oh? Murphy, it¡¯s been a while.¡± Sara bowed as she left the office, leaving both of them behind. Arcturus noticed Hilbert staring right at him. His eyes glistened as he stood up. He rushed towards Arcturus with a fascinated look. ¡°A yellow earring. You must be Arcturus!¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± Arcturus had to lean back because Hilbert¡¯s face was so close to him. He was also nervous as he mainly walked around town with an alias and not his actual name. He knew that Constance wasn¡¯t around to hear of his pseudonym and would probably not use it for Shifties could not lie. Constance then turned around. ¡°Do you have business here?¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Yeah, I came to pick you up.¡± Murphy remarked. ¡°P¨CArcturus is here to get something fixed.¡± Constance looked away. ¡°I don¡¯t need to be ¡®picked up¡¯. Sophia is still mad at me.¡± Arcturus could tell from her expression that their spat really upsetted her. ¡°You don¡¯t need to get too worked up over that. She gets emotional whenever it comes to Virgo, but her steam will blow off soon.¡± Constance didn¡¯t seem convinced; Murphy could only sigh. Arcturus couldn¡¯t help but to be nervous around Hilbert who seemed to have been circling around him ever since Constance and Murphy started talking to each other. ¡°Do you need anything from me?¡± ¡°Is your red hair natural?¡± ¡°It¡¯s scarlet, not red, and yes, it¡¯s natural.¡± Hilbert then started wiggling his fingers. ¡°Can I touch your arms?¡± Arcturus raised an eyebrow as he refused, causing Hilbert to cross his arms and pout. His first impression of the inventor was not very good; he was a rather eccentric individual with a love for invading people¡¯s personal space. Regardless, he still needed this man to fix his bangle, so he rummaged into his satchel and got out the broken bangle. ¡°Mr. Armstrong¨C ¡°Call me Hilbert!¡± ¡°Hilbert, would you mind looking at this?¡± Hilbert took the bangle off of his hand and examined it closely. He hummed. ¡°This is quite advanced.¡± ¡°Are you able to fix it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not too sure, but I do want to try. I¡¯ve always wanted to try tinkering with advanced Laminan technology.¡± A smile came to Arcturus; he was relieved that there was hope for his bangle. He needed it, after all. ¡°If you need payment, I can give you a Cobot¡­¡± He took out the bat Cobot Souhait gave to him. The sight of it caused Hilbert¡¯s face to light up, but then he became serious. ¡°Arcturus, fixing this bangle is worth a lot for one payment; fixing advanced technology is worth two items.¡± This was the first Arcturus had heard of a rule, but if that was his policy, he had to abide by it. He wondered what could be worth as much as a Cobot. He remembered that Souhait had given him two items; this could be a great chance to ask someone knowledgeable with technology about Monarch Shifties. He took out the purple earring and showed it to Hilbert. ¡°How about this?¡± Constance was the first to react. She looked wary, as if something dangerous was looming towards her. She took a few steps back. ¡°What is that item in your hand?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a Shiftie¡¯s earring.¡± He tried showing it to her. She took a few steps forward and peered at it. ¡°Why is it purple? There are only red, blue and yellow earrings in existence.¡± ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, my dear Constance.¡± Hilbert remarked. The jovial demeanor he had became a serious one. ¡°Purple earrings do exist. They belong to Monarch Shifties¨Ca rather new creation.¡± Constance looked confused. ¡°Impossible. They don¡¯t exist.¡± ¡°This earring is proof they do.¡± ¡°Could you tell me more about them?¡± Arcturus inquired; he hoped to learn more about them so that he knew what to expect if he would encounter another one in the future. Hilbert¡¯s serious face quickly changed back into his sunny disposition. ¡°Arcturus, just hang onto that for now. I¡¯ll just take the Cobot as payment. And, about Monarchs¡­I¡¯ll explain once I fix this.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Anyways, fixing this will take time. I¡¯ll contact Constance when it¡¯s ready. Go out; have some fresh air.¡± Arcturus then took off his earring and handed it over to Hilbert. ¡°You might need this as it¡¯s linked with my bangle.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Arcturus then left the office with Murphy and Constance. It felt odd not having his earring; it felt as if his left ear was naked now. Once they stepped foot outside of the house, Murphy turned to Constance. ¡°Constance, when we¡¯re on the streets, can you call Arcturus as Percival Scarlet? We don¡¯t want his identity to be known.¡± She tilted her head. ¡°But he¡¯s Arcturus Mercury?¡± ¡°He is, but not right now. He¡¯s using a pseudonym just in case someone finds him suspicious.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t why he has to use a fake name because of that. But, if that¡¯s what you humans want me to do, I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s go home for now.¡± Constance shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Constance.¡± Murphy looked like a father scolding his rebellious teenage daughter. ¡°I¡¯m not going back until Sophia apologizes for the mean things she said.¡± She pouted, which surprised Arcturus. He was shocked to see a Shiftie capable of holding grudges. The older man could only sigh. ¡°That¡¯s going to take a long time. Sophia is as stubborn as she is hot-tempered. What are we going to do if you don¡¯t want to return home?¡± Arcturus suggested, ¡°Then, shall we continue shopping? I do want to buy some extra clothes and toiletries for both Nova and me.¡± ¡°Sure¡­¡± They left the gates of Hilbert¡¯s home. Arcturus, however, turned around to look back at it. He hoped it was right for him to entrust his precious earring to the inventor he only just met. Although his impression of him was bad, Hilbert felt like he could be trusted; he wanted to place his trust in him. He then caught up with Murphy and Constance who called out to him. Over One Thousand Years Of Memories Souhait was alone in the Contract Room. He was pondering about many things, but no matter what he thought about, Ri¡¯s shrill voice lingered in his mind. He didn¡¯t mind how high-pitched her voice was, but it bothered him because he felt as if he had heard it before; trying to recall it troubled him more. A hologram screen was in front of him. He kept leaning a finger forward and then pulling it back just before touching it. He was troubled on whether to touch the screen or not. Touching the screen means I have to look into Nova¡¯s memories¨Cmemories that have been accumulated for over 500 years. Either I look into his memories, or I look into mine, which would be over 1000 years worth of memories. It mainly means it will take a while for me to find that memory because it is one in 500. He groaned and then sighed. After regaining his composure, he called out for Polaris. ¡°You called, Master Souhait?¡± ¡°I am going to dive into my memories. Please grab the ends of my hair and pull me up when I tug it.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± Polaris quickly found the end of his hair. Souhait started preparing himself. Diving into over one thousand years of memories wasn¡¯t going to be an easy feat, especially when he was trying to find one specific memory. However, he didn¡¯t disconnect with Arcturus for no reason. He had a task to do and he was going to do it. He took a deep breath and then leaned his chair back. His body flew back and then Souhait found himself falling into a white void. Hologram screen started appearing as he fell. They were all in chronological order, so he was able to see the moments of his birth, childhood, adolescent and then adult years. Nostalgic feelings came to him as he recalled everything. He wondered how long it has been since he last recalled his full name, Robin Hae Geum, an ordinary human from another world. His life was ordinary because he had family, friends and a peaceful life. It was hard to believe such a man like himself was now the lavender wish-granting dragon of Terrenter, Souhait. A memory of when he became the dragon played as he descended. He remembered that day as if it were yesterday for him. He recalled someone using an evil grimoire to plant a curse on all the humans in his world to become dragons and for his home world to be destroyed from the solar system for good. The sight of his planet exploding was something he could never forget. This is why I fight. I want to find the person who started everything that day. I need wishes in order for that to happen. Granting people¡¯s wishes on this planet will make it come true. He continued descending. He saw memories of how he and the other dragons went to different planets, but couldn¡¯t fit in due to them being occupied by other civilizations. That was when they found the barren planet and changed it into the Terrenter of now. Throughout their stay, nature, animals and people started appearing through wishes that the dragons granted from each other. A sad memory came to view; it was when he and his people had an argument over whether to continue to stay on this planet or move on. This was because the dragons developed a desire to make their own planets and that they want their own home and civilization to have people to grant wishes for. By negotiation and decisions, Souhait was to be left behind in Terrenter as the others flew off for other planets. He had lost contact with them ever since. He wasn¡¯t even sure if some of them were alive anymore. As he kept diving lower, memories of the day he was the sole dragon on this planet showed up. He was able to shift from human to dragon, so it helped him mingle with humans and be able to grant their wishes. Seeing their joyous visages made his heart long for the good old days. As time passed, the happy faces disappeared; only nonchalant and apathetic ones came. No one wanted wishes anymore because they already had everything they needed. He wasn¡¯t needed anymore. Despite that, he still longed for a day where he¡¯d be needed, so he created Castle Lavender from his powers and resided there. One day, a sickly boy came to the castle. With how emaciated he was, he was surprised that he made it to this castle on his own. He noticed how gold his hair was as it reminded him of his own left gold eye. This boy was Nova. He took care of him until he awakened and then he learned of his circumstances, about how he needed Souhait¡¯s help. He risked his life coming here because he didn¡¯t have much time left to live; he wanted to prolong his life as he wanted to seek revenge against those who wronged him. As long as Nova was able to help him, he would grant his wish; Nova had eagerly accepted. That was how he granted Nova¡¯s wish and how Nova became an immortal; as long as Nova promised to help him out, everything would be fine. Nova resided in the castle with Souhait for a while until another guest showed up at the castle. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. His eyes were glued to one particular memory as he grabbed it and yanked it towards him. The hologram screens all disappeared, save for the one floating underneath his hands; he had stopped falling as well. This is it. It was a memory of the day he had gotten a second guest in his castle. She was a hooded woman of grace and refinement, but had an air of mystery to her. He had never seen her before. The moment she stepped in, he realized she was bad news. ¡°Are you the ruler of this planet?¡± The stranger had inquired. Her voice was high-pitched¨Cthe exact same shrill voice he heard from Jennifer¡¯s radio. ¡°I was right¡­¡± Souhait muttered to himself. ¡°My hunch was correct. Although she had never revealed her name to us, I know for a fact that Ri is the Invader. She is on this island.¡± In the memory, she had taken out her weapons, dual pistols, and unhooded herself. Her rose-colored hair had stood out the most. Her blue eyes were like the ocean. He had snapped out of his mesmerization of her and braced himself. She had instigated first as she pulled the trigger of her left gun first. He had deflected the bullet with his tail; what shocked him the most was that his pristine tail had a mark. This was when he knew the Invader wasn¡¯t someone from this world¨Cher attack meant that she was aiming for his death. Because he didn¡¯t want to die, he fought back. Because the Invader was someone who wasn¡¯t a denizen of Terrenter, the damage he had received from her bullets and kicks were a lot more damaging than he had expected. She was so fast that he could only damage her several times compared to her hurting him multiple times. This caused him to worry. Recovering from the wounds he received from her healed much slower than his usual wounds; the wounds she had received from him were the same. He knew this was unusual and quickly realized he would die if this woman kept hurting him any further. He wasn¡¯t sure how many bullets were in his body, but he felt a lot weaker than usual. He needed to get her out of the castle as fast as possible. Before his tail could completely circle around her waist, she slammed the tail down, pinned it with the heel of her boot and then aimed a gun towards the direction of his heart. The way the heel dug into his tail hurt much more than he realized. He had felt scared. He didn¡¯t want to die. Ri had pulled the trigger, but what was shot wasn¡¯t his heart, but Nova¡¯s. Fortunately, Nova was still alive due to his immortality, but he was losing a lot more blood than he realized and he was healing very slowly. He didn¡¯t want Nova to get involved in the fight, but now that he was, it angered him. It angered him so much that he decided to control the castle. He used the incandescent ice from the castle floor and manipulated it so that it pierced through her boots, injuring her feet severely. She knelt down. He then used the opportunity to summon sharp pointed ice from the castle walls and used them to impale her hands, releasing her guns from her grip. He then circled his tail around her waist, tightened it, lifted her up and threw her out before sealing the castle off permanently. Souhait had cradled the injured Nova. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± ¡°I shielded you just to test my immortality. I need you to help me with my goal after all¡­ I can¡¯t have you dying on me¡­¡± ¡°You idiot¡­¡± Despite his snide remarks, the fear Souhait had felt in his heart didn¡¯t disappear; it was still there. He could feel it accumulating every second. He was worried about Ri returning; he knew that in his state, he would permanently die. This was the first time he had feared death. ¡°Nova¡­¡± He made up his mind. In order to protect himself from otherworldly forces like her, he needed Nova. In order to heal his wounds, he would have to separate his body and soul. He needed to find a place where his physical body can heal and a place where his soul can dwell. That was where Nova came in. He needed his body as a vessel for his soul to dwell as he removed his physical body. The most important part was where to put it. He needed to hide it so that Ri could never find it. ¡°The Spirit Realm¡­I can put my body there while I can put my soul in yours.¡± ¡°You once told me that you had two Realms of Desires¨Cthe Contract Room and a quiet, dark forest filled with glowing balls of light like fireflies. You told me those lights belonged to passing souls¡­¡± ¡°Think of it as an extension of the Contract Room and a special place where only I can go. The Spirit Realm resides in a special place inside the Contract Room. It is a place that no one would ever find¨Cthe perfect place to recover until the day I need my body again.¡± Nova had smiled as he placed a hand to caress Souhait¡¯s face. ¡°Do what you want with me. I will accept it all.¡± With his consent, Souhait grabbed Nova¡¯s right hand and then closed his eyes. The memory ended there as everything that had transpired afterwards were separate memories of their own. This was all he needed to know for now. Ri was the Invader and she was on this island¨Cthat was all he needed to know. How would he reach her? That was for Arcturus, Nova and him to figure out. With a confident smile, he tugged his hair and slowly ascended back towards the Contract Room. Souhait And The Guide In addition to the familiar white room, Polaris had greeted him. He looked genuinely happy that Souhait had returned safely, which made Souhait feel the same. His mind was usually so fixated on his duties that he never had the time to relax or let his guard down. Now that he was confident with what he discovered, it felt as if some weight was lifted off of his chest. The sight of Polaris alleviated all of it. Taking a trip down memory lane made him delay his return back to reality for there was somewhere else he wanted to go. Polaris was the only one who could fulfill this request; there was no way he could refuse him. ¡°Polaris¡­¡± Souhait looked straight into his green eyes. ¡°Master Souhait?¡± Polaris locked his gaze onto his. ¡°Please summon that for me.¡± He could see Polaris¡¯s eyes slowly widening as his expression changed from serious to surprised. ¡°That, as in¡­?¡± ¡°The golden door.¡± Polaris¡¯s gaze started wavering. Souhaited detected worry coming from him; it made sense he¡¯d be worried because it was something he rarely requested. He wondered when the last time he had requested this was; he couldn¡¯t remember. When Polaris fixated his gaze back on him, he asked, ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± ¡°You are the guiding soul, my dear Polaris. You are the only one who can guide me there¡­. So, summon it for me, please?¡± He emphasized the final word in a sultry way, trying to rile up Polaris and make him flustered; it worked as the target took a few steps back with a rather flustered expression. Souhait found the way he was averting his gaze amusing. There was a bit of reluctance in Polaris¡¯s demeanor, however. He clenched his fists and lips tightly before freeing one of his hands to snap and summon a golden door. He then approached it and placed a hand on the knob before turning around and stretching out another hand towards his master. ¡°Let¡¯s go together, Souhait.¡± Polaris smiled. Souhait¡¯s eyes widened at the sudden change in his speech. Polaris was very polite and would speak very formally. However, in special instances, he would change over to a casual manner of speaking; this only occurred when it was just both of them alone when Nova was asleep. Souhait loved it when it occurred; he took his hand as his response. Souhait was no longer inside the Contract Room. Instead, he was in a dark forest surrounded by balls of light of various colors and sizes. The Spirit Realm was a special place that only he could enter. He had told Nova about it, but it was a place where his vessel could not enter. It was hauntingly beautiful. The silence felt relaxing; however, being here with Polaris made him happier. How long has it been when it was just us without Nova? They were walking side by side and hand by hand. He then felt Polaris¡¯s grip on his hand tighten. There was uneasiness in it. ¡°Is something the matter, Polaris?¡± ¡°You wanted to grant the wishes of the souls of this world, yet I couldn¡¯t bring any to you. None of them have regained their sense of self; they¡¯re just aimlessly wandering about like always.¡± ¡°It is fine. While Arcturus¡¯s wish has come true, it will take a while for these souls to come to us for wishes. It takes time and we have all the time in the world, after all.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± His tight grip loosened. ¡°By the way, how is Sayaka doing? Are you teaching her about this realm well?¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Polaris was the Guiding Soul of this realm. He was the only ¡°soul¡± with a sense of self before Sayaka came recently. His duty was to be loyal to his masters and to protect the Spirit Realm. His duties were all carried out by his lonesome. Now that Sayaka came in as the second soul with a consciousness, Polaris had taken her in as his apprentice. Some of his duties became hers now. She was to watch over the souls and to notify him if any of them had disappeared; none have done so yet. Souhait knew all of this because he always knew what was happening in the Spirit Realm; Polaris always gave him updates mentally. ¡°She¡¯s a hard worker. Since she¡¯s here, I feel like some of the weight on my shoulders have been lifted. It¡¯s nice to have an assistant.¡± Souhait smiled. ¡°Let us hope that these souls are able to regain their sense of self. I want to see what sort of place the Spirit Realm would be when it becomes a place bustling with life. Maybe it will be urban by the time I return here? I can not wait to see¡­¡± Polaris just chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be the same as always.¡± They spent the rest of their walk rambling about what had happened during Souhait and Arcturus¡¯s venture throughout the outskirts and other topics. Souhait made sure to inform Polaris about the connection between Ri and the Invader and other vital information they need for their mission. Souhait constantly had a smile on his face. While being with Arcturus and Nova was fun, the happiness he felt with them was much different from what he felt with Polaris. It was as if they were off in their own world. He wanted to etch this moment into his heart and soul for eternity. Unlike eternity, their walk had an end as they were now fixated on a giant white sphere in the middle of the dark forest. The size and color had amazed Souhait, but he was more focused on what was inside of it. He took a good look at what seemed to be a person sleeping in the middle of the sphere. The person was a man dressed in white and had short, unruly black hair. He looked like he was sleeping rather peacefully. Souhait removed his hand from Polaris¡¯s and placed both hands on the sphere. He couldn¡¯t help but to feel rather melancholic at the sight of this sleeping man. Polaris inquired, ¡°The wounds are completely healed. Do you have plans on returning to your physical body any time soon?¡± Souhait shook his head. ¡°Not now. I just want to stare at my body. It feels unusual to see myself sleeping so peacefully.¡± ¡°You are in this state because this is a place where the Invader won¡¯t ever reach¨Cthe core of Terrenter. It is omnipotent. Destroy the core and the very planet will be eradicated. This is why we had to place it here. Should the Invader ever manages to reach this place, it¡¯s practically double suicide for her and for us.¡± Knowing that his body was well-protected made him feel reassured. For countless years, he had believed his goal to be impossible to achieve and that he would eventually his demise had he encountered the Invader again, but he no longer felt somber. He felt hopeful. He had Nova, Polaris, and Arcturus with him. He knew that his wish could come true this time around. ¡°Polaris, I believe that my wish can be granted at long last¡­¡± ¡°Are you sure about your wish? You could always change it¡­¡± Polaris looked rather concerned. ¡°I have made my decision. I will not back out from it. It is the only way it can be achieved.¡± ¡°Very well¡­¡± Suddenly, a sharp pain came to him as he knelt down and clutched his chest. Another soul had been taken out of this realm. Polaris panicked and contacted Sayaka via hologram screen to confirm. She did confirm that another soul had disappeared. Polaris cursed under his breath before checking up on Souhait. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I am fine¡­absolutely fine¡­ It does not hurt¡­not at all¡­¡± Polaris¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Don¡¯t act so tough.¡± Souhait held onto Polaris¡¯s shoulders. ¡°This is not painful. I can endure it. Besides, there will be much more painful things when we progress. However, I trust in Arcturus to help us overcome them.¡± Polaris averted his gaze and adjusted his glasses. ¡°You certainly have strong trust in him.¡± ¡°I do.¡± Their eyes locked. Polaris spoke up, ¡°If it still hurts, you should return to reality.¡± ¡°I should. I want to meet up with Arcturus, but I feel like I should ask Sophia some questions first¡­¡± Polaris suddenly had a tight grip on his shoulders. He had a serious look on his face. ¡°There is something I must tell you¡­¡± Souhait became nervous. ¡°And that is¡­?¡± Polaris took a deep breath, ¡°I don¡¯t think that comb would look great on you¡­¡± He darted his gaze the moment he finished his sentence. He turned his head around, but Souhait noticed his ear turning red. Souhait smiled. ¡°I will still keep it, though. It is a gift, after all.¡± ¡°Yeah, it would be a waste to not use it after the thought and effort he put into choosing it. I¡¯m just rambling, so don¡¯t pay attention to my words¡­¡± Souhait was happy, regardless. He then reached a hand out to Polaris. ¡°I want to go back to reality. Could you summon the door for me?¡± Polaris stared at him one last time with a smile before obliging by holding his hand in his. The Streets Arcturus unexpectedly bought a lot more necessities than he had expected. He had to carry two bags while Constance and Murphy carried two bags each. He did manage to exchange his goggles for some of the items while Murphy had to step in with the rest. Constance hadn¡¯t said a word about Hilbert, so they still needed to wait. ¡°Should we return home for the time being?¡± Murphy asked. ¡°We do have a lot of luggage and Hilbert hasn¡¯t called.¡± ¡°Yes. We should.¡± Arcturus responded. He wanted to check up on Nova and Souhait as well. Constance refused. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back home.¡± This again? Her stubbornness started to annoy him. He knew that he should butt into family affairs, but he didn¡¯t want to be stuck following her whims. They had a lot of luggage and they needed to unload. He was doing his absolute best to suppress his temper. He didn¡¯t want to lash out at her¨Che mustn¡¯t. ¡°Constance, let me ask you something. Do you really want Sophia to apologize to you or is it that you¡¯re afraid of apologizing to her?¡± She had a reaction when he had mentioned the latter. Arcturus always had an inkling of a hunch that this was the case. She was afraid of being wronged. She knew she said something horrible, which was why she was trying to avoid it. Having free will did not mean she knew how to comprehend it, hence why she mainly blamed it on Sophia rather than herself. ¡°How¡­do I apologize for something I cannot comprehend? I truly don¡¯t understand what it¡¯s like being a parent nor do I understand the parent-child bond. The person inside of me doesn¡¯t understand it either; she grew up without her parents in her life.¡± Arcturus recalled when he had remembered how big his own mother¡¯s stomach was when she was pregnant with Ariel. He couldn¡¯t understand what was going on, but whenever he was told he was going to be a big brother, he just accepted it without thought. When Ariel was born and she had existed in his life, there was an uneasiness that he felt. He had to get used to a new presence, but he made a promise to his father to be able to love Ariel. Realization came to him. It¡¯s not that Constance doesn¡¯t understand because she¡¯s an artificial creation, she doesn¡¯t understand because her mindset is still juvenile. Her words and actions from before stemmed from child-like intelligence. That makes sense now¡­ ¡°If only there was a way for you to witness childbirth, maybe you¡¯d understand¡­¡± ¡°Childbirth?¡± Arcturus heard a woman¡¯s voice from behind him, startling him as he took a few steps forward and turned around to see who had approached him; it was Belinda¡¯s daughter; he couldn¡¯t recall what her name was, but he remembered her face. ¡°You surprised me¡­¡± ¡°Sorry about that. But what¡¯s this about childbirth?¡± Her voice was rather monotonous, almost as if she was robotic. Murphy explained what had happened to her. The daughter nodded and hummed once she listened to the full story. ¡°I see. Well, you¡¯re in luck. I was running an errand for my mom who is now attending to a pregnant patient in labor. Do you want to look?¡± Arcturus rejected her offer, ¡°We shouldn¡¯t. It feels like we¡¯d be imposing. Besides, who would want to be greeted by strangers after a long and arduous labor?¡± Constance abruptly intercepted. ¡°I want to go! I want to see a woman give birth!¡± She looked rather eager like a curious child. Arcturus and Murphy glanced at each other. Since Hilbert had yet to call them and Constance was reluctant to return home, they decided it would be best to spend time wherever she wanted to go. ¡°Let¡¯s go, then.¡± Murphy remarked. As they were heading towards the clinic, Arcturus grabbed Belinda¡¯s daughter¡¯s attention in order to ask her an important question. ¡°Excuse me, can I get your name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Miranda. Miranda Mathis.¡± ¡°Miranda, if you don¡¯t mind, could you call me Percival when we¡¯re out on the streets? Dr. Mathis is the only other person who knows my actual name and I gave out an alias to conceal my identity.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Arcturus sighed with relief as he continued following Miranda until they reached the clinic. It was a large two-story brick building that had a ¡®CLINIC¡¯ sign dangling from a pole. Unlike Hilbert¡¯s rather lavish area, there wasn¡¯t anything of note in the front porch. He could tell the second story was used as a living space while the first floor was the doctor¡¯s office itself. When Miranda opened the door, a loud scream greeted the guests. Constance¡¯s long ears started twitching. ¡°Her screams are around 150 decibels. She is Arcturus then heard Belinda trying to reassure the patient. He then noticed a little boy waiting outside the lobby with a worried countenance. He approached the boy and knelt down so he was at eye level. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked in a gentle tone. ¡°My mom is trying to pop the baby out. She sounds like she¡¯s in pain¡­¡± He placed a hand on his shoulder, reassuring him that everything would be fine and that his mother would come out fine. Miranda went further in to check up on her mother and the patient, but stopped when she noticed Constance following her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I want to see the birthing process.¡± ¡°People cannot enter.¡± Miranda suddenly realized something. ¡°That doesn¡¯t apply to Shifties, I guess. You aren¡¯t ¡°people¡±. That means I wouldn¡¯t be violating privacy policies.¡± After muttering to herself, she allowed it, but refused to let Murphy and Arcturus enter. When they both entered another room, Arcturus couldn¡¯t help but to have a sour taste lingering in his mouth. The way Miranda disregarded her existence left an unfavorable impression. He knew that it was the norm, but he didn¡¯t like it. Murphy sighed. ¡°It sucks that Constance doesn¡¯t think much of this.¡± Arcturus, annoyed, barked, ¡°She should! She¡¯s someone with free will. She should fight back.¡± ¡°It begs the question of whether Shifties are capable of doing so even with free will¡­¡± Arcturus just sighed as he decided to pace back and forth in order to kill time. When he reached the empty reception counter, he became startled when some files fell out of the table. He panicked as he went over to the other side and started cleaning the mess; it consisted of folders and stray paper. The desk was very cluttered, so he wasn¡¯t sure if there was room to place the fallen items anywhere. He decided to put it near the old computer monitor. When his hand brushed against the mouse, the black screen was no more. Whoever had used this computer had forgotten to put a password. What he noticed on the screen caused his eyes to widen. It was someone¡¯s email account and one of the subjects in the inbox had ¡®RE: THE CHARLATAN¡¯S LOCATION¡¯ on it; it was the very top and unread. He took a few steps back and then walked away from the counter to sit down on one of the lobby¡¯s chairs. The cushioned seat could not ease the anxious feelings welling up within him. He had recalled Jennifer¡¯s words about not trusting anyone here in the Outskirts. Was the receptionist a spy? Was there even a receptionist? Was it Belinda and Miranda he cannot trust? It wouldn¡¯t make sense as they had helped him out plenty of times. However, he then remembered something vital. When he had regained consciousness after passing out from his fever, Sophia, Murphy and Constance had been out grocery shopping. That meant during the time that he was unconscious to when he woke up, Belinda could¡¯ve easily figured out who Nova was from examining his unconscious body and when she left their house, she could¡¯ve easily reported it. However, it wouldn¡¯t make sense as the news outlets reported that they have yet to deduce his location. It could be a farce. News outlets can easily put out fake or delay vital news. However, he couldn¡¯t tell what sort of motive Belinda would have for reporting Nova. Murphy said that people who opposed the government were sent and trapped here. That was twenty years ago¨Cplenty of time. Maybe there are some people who want to return to the main city? Maybe there are those who got falsely accused of being an opposer and had to live their lives out here? Because of the uproar Nova caused back then, there could be people who resent him for causing this separation to happen. Could Belinda be one of those people? ¡°Are you okay?¡± The little boy asked. Arcturus looked up to see both the boy and Murphy looking at him with worry. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Murphy handed him a cup of water. He quickly took a sip, hoping it would alleviate his worries; it didn¡¯t work. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was just in deep thought¡­¡± He was quickly cut off when he heard the boy¡¯s mother screaming loudly once again. The boy grabbed Arcturus¡¯s coat sleeve tightly. While Arcturus had his own worries, he knew that they were miniscule compared to the boy¡¯s. He placed a hand on his head. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± The mother screamed once more and then a baby¡¯s wailing resonated across the hall. Miranda and Constance left the room and returned to the lobby. Constance had a rather dazed expression on her face. ¡°The baby is born!¡± Miranda yelled out; the voice she let out was the loudest and most expressive he had heard from her. The boy got out of his seat. ¡°Can I go see Mom?¡± Miranda responded, ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll take you to her!¡± As she escorted the boy to his mom, Constance sat down on one of the lobby¡¯s chairs, still dazed about what she had witnessed. Arcturus noticed she looked rather happy, which scared him because he knew labor came with a lot of blood. ¡°What was witnessing childbirth like?¡± ¡°Other than Belinda scolding Miranda for bringing me to the labor room, it was a fascinating process. The mother screams high decibels due to pain. She is trying to push the baby out of her va¨C¡± ¡°Too much information!¡± Murphy chuckled. ¡°What Arcturus wanted to know was whether or not you understand what the process is like.¡± ¡°I do¡­. I guess it¡¯s not easy producing a child and trying to get it out. But, the way the mother looked at her child despite her pain¡­it was sweet.¡± ¡°I still remember Virgo¡¯s screams when she was in the labor process. She was in pain and we couldn¡¯t really do anything to help her until the baby was out. The recovery process took a while as it was her first time and her body was rather weak from all that blood loss. She was so haggard when we came to visit her. It broke my heart as her father.¡± Arcturus joined in the conversation. ¡°I know that lots of women don¡¯t want to go through the labor process because of the pain and we should respect those who choose not to and those who do so. That¡¯s why saying things like getting a new baby shouldn¡¯t be said.¡± ¡°I understand now¡­¡± She then glanced at Arcturus. ¡°You¡¯re right. I was afraid of apologizing to Sophia because I didn¡¯t know. I¡¯ll go back home and apologize¡­¡± ¡°Good.¡± Murphy was happy. Arcturus noticed Constance¡¯s earring flashing and told this to her. She had received a message from Hilbert about how he finished fixing Arcturus¡¯s bangle. He was excited to finally leave the clinic, but he still couldn¡¯t help but to feel uneasy after what he saw on the computer. Are Belinda and Miranda really not to be trusted? Interrogation The familiar ceiling of the Edwards family¡¯s apartment greeted him. Souhait knew he was back in reality as he sat up and stared at his right hand; Nova¡¯s flower mark on the palm was still there. There was no time for him to be idle. He immediately got out of the bed and rushed towards Sophia¡¯s door and knocked on it. ¡°Sophia? Please open the door. I need to talk to you!¡± He was greeted with no response. He started knocking rampantly while repeating his words. There was still no response. Annoyed, he started banging on the door. ¡°Please open the door!¡± Sophia forcefully opened the door, causing Souhait to trip on his feet for a bit before regaining his balance. She looked rather annoyed. ¡°Keep it down. I¡¯ll get evicted if you keep banging on the door.¡± ¡°Now that you finally opened the door, I have some questions I need to ask you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to talk¡­¡± Souhait smirked. ¡°Well, should I get you evicted, then?¡± Sophia became silent before she went to the dining table and sat down. ¡°What questions do you want to ask?¡± Souhait smiled as he sat down across from her. ¡°Since you were close to Bellatrix¡¯s family back then, let me ask you this: Did you know a woman named Ri Kuma when you had lived in the city?¡± ¡°Ri Kuma? As in that woman Bellatrix picked up off the streets?¡± ¡°Are you familiar with her?¡± ¡°Well, she did cause some commotion as she was just a stranger. Bellatrix was insistent on ¡®keeping her¡¯ as if she was a pet or something. I haven¡¯t spoken to her in person, though.¡± ¡°Do you know what sort of person she was?¡± Sophia pondered, but drew a blank. ¡°I rarely saw her, but when I did, she was mainly with Bellatrix. She felt sort of like a nanny towards her. Bellatrix¡¯s attachment towards Ri was a bit different than her attachment towards her mother.¡± All the new information coming out of Sophia¡¯s lips piqued his interest. It was much different from the information that Murphy gave out. He wondered what he should ask her next. ¡°Do you know what she looked like?¡± He hoped she would give him a concrete answer. Sophia pondered, but her eyebrows furrowed. She hummed in confusion. ¡°What was her hair color? Red? Pink? Orange? Were her eyes blue or green?¡± She started panicking as she couldn¡¯t recall what she had looked like. ¡°You cannot recall what she looks like?¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°I remembered her having pinkish hair when I saw her the first time, but then the second time I saw her, her hair looked orange. Her eyes often change from blue to green too. She had a weird obsession with hair dye and color contacts. There were also instances where she looked a lot taller than her usual height, but instances where she looked a bit shorter than usual. I just thought it was her clothes or shoes that were adjusting her body proportions since clothes have the ability to do so.¡± No wonder Murphy could not recall what Ri looked like. She had a tendency to change her appearance. However, she is the Invader, which means the rules of this planet do not apply to her. Is she actually changing her appearance with tools or is she doing it with her own abilities? ¡°Are those all the questions you wanted to ask?¡± Sophia inquired. Souhait shook his head. ¡°I have a few more.¡± Since he felt as if he gathered enough information about Ri, he decided to ask a different question. ¡°Can I trust you?¡± Sophia raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why would you ask that question when we¡¯ve been sheltering you in our apartment?¡± She looked genuinely flabbergasted, so he knew she was an honest person; she was most definitely not a spy, so he could trust her. ¡°Since Nova is technically wanted by the government, you could have easily turned both Arcturus and Nova in and your life would not be at risk. There is a severe punishment for those who protect fugitives, right? Is there a deeper reason other than Constance wanting to cooperate with us for her revenge?¡± Sophia¡¯s expression hardened as she looked down at the table and away from Souhait¡¯s gaze. He saw her hands curling into fists. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the other people here, but for Murphy and I, we want to be liberated from these walls. We want to return to Virgo and apologize to her. But, we can¡¯t. We¡¯re old and are doomed to rot in this secluded prison until our time comes. There are many here who feel the same way. However¡­there are people here sent by the government to spy on us. They try to prevent us from rebelling. They want us to stay here.¡± ¡°I feel like there is a deeper reason other than you all being against the government.¡± ¡°There could, but I don¡¯t know what it is.¡± ¡°Do you have any idea who could be a spy here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. It could be anyone. Murphy and I are certainly not, so be rest assured.¡± As Souhait thought about possible candidates, his thoughts were interrupted by a sudden news broadcast. The large BREAKING NEWS caught his attention. ¡°We have reports that the Charlatan is currently in the Outskirts. We will be sending as many soldiers as we can in order to capture him. We will await further news.¡± Hearing this abrupt news caught Souahit off guard. He couldn¡¯t believe what he witnessed. His location has been found. When he glanced over at Sophia, she became shocked. ¡°If they already found you¡­¡± ¡°Sophia?¡± She started losing color in her face as she stood up. She rushed into her room and came back out wearing a cardigan over her usual clothes. ¡°I need to find my husband. Stay here, Souhait.¡± She dashed out of the apartment. Souhait started thinking about how his location was already found. If there was a spy, they would have to have seen him on the streets, but the furthest he has left the apartment was past the front door before being shoved back in by Arcturus. Since Sophia and Murphy were not spies, that only left two people. He took the opportunity to stand up from his seat and headed towards the bathroom. In the mirror, he saw a reflection of Nova, but with a left gold eye. Nova looked worried, which was what he was expressing through him. He placed a hand on his neck. A part of Nova¡¯s exhaustion was also trying to heal his wounds from the scuffle with the Monarch Shiftie. ¡°Healing¡­¡± He wondered if Arcturus had seen the news and if he had figured out who gave out his location like he already did. Breaking News It felt as if time stood still for Arcturus as his protruding brown eyes were glued to a television screen in a nearby store that he passed by on his way back to Hilbert¡¯s house. He took a few steps back as the words ¡°BREAKING NEWS¡± became etched into his brain and the captions that reveal about Nova¡¯s location being found. His assumptions were correct: Belinda and Miranda were not to be trusted and they had given Nova¡¯s information to the public. A part of him wanted to rush back to the clinic to demand answers, yet another part knew he¡¯d never receive them. Why would they bother giving him answers? ¡°How is this even possible?¡± Murphy asked, shocked and confused by the sudden news. ¡°Someone knew of Nova being here in the Outskirts and leaked it to the officials.¡± ¡°Who could¡¯ve done that?¡± Constance pondered. ¡°There¡¯s no one else who knows about Nova¡¯s location other than us¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong. There was another person¨Ctwo, in fact.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Belinda and Miranda.¡± Murphy refuted, ¡°That can¡¯t be! Belinda is the only doctor here. She has been helping all of us here for a very long time.¡± His exasperated expression showed off his denial. Arcturus looked away from his gaze and had his eyes on the ground. ¡°Just because you¡¯ve known someone for a long time doesn¡¯t mean you actually ¡°know¡± them. Every person in this world has skeletons in their closet. Maybe the Belinda you know and the real one aren¡¯t the same people.¡± Murphy had his head down. He handed the bags he was holding to Constance. ¡°Constance, please take Arcturus to Hilbert¡¯s place. There¡¯s something I need to confirm¡­¡± He ran off; Arcturus kept looking until he was no longer at his line of sight. Constance turned to him. ¡°You heard what he said. Let¡¯s go.¡± Arcturus did what he was told and followed Constance back to Hilbert¡¯s home. All he could think about on his way there was the news report. He couldn¡¯t hear much from the television as the windows barricaded the sound, but it got him worried because he didn¡¯t know the government¡¯s next course of action. A plethora of questions swirled around his head.How long will it take for them to come to the Outskirts? Instantly? Days? How would they show up? Airship? Some secret passage? How will the people here react when they learn that Nova had been hiding here? What will happen to Sophia and Murphy when people learn that they¡¯ve been sheltering Nova? He scanned around to see if the civilians were panicking over this news. They had zero reaction, which shocked him. He had expected them to start panicking and fussing over the situation, but they were a lot calmer than he had anticipated. It felt rather unsettling. However, he knew if he were to say something regarding the news, the streets would turn into a frenzy and that was the last thing he wanted. Keeping quiet was the best solution. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. His focus was to follow Constance and continued doing so until they both reached Hilbert¡¯s house. They rang the bell and then went inside once they were granted access. Once Arcturus stepped foot inside the house, he rushed towards the office and opened the door with strong force. Hilbert was startled, but greeted him. Arcturus treaded towards him. Since Constance did speak about him and Nova to Hilbert, he knew it would be fine to ask the inventor some questions; he needed answers of some kind. ¡°What is with that news outlet?¡± ¡°Oh, you saw?¡± ¡°I did. What¡¯s going on? Who leaked the information about Nova? Not many people know where he is.¡± While he had his own assumptions, he needed to make sure there were others. ¡°Were you the one who leaked it?¡± Hilbert became baffled. Constance came to his rescue. ¡°Hilbert knows about Nova because of me, but he wouldn¡¯t leak anything to the government!¡± ¡°Indeed! Besides, I know who did it. It was Belinda Mathis.¡± My assumptions are correct, but how does he know this so well? ¡°Why would she do this? She helped Nova and me out a lot by treating our wounds.¡± ¡°She¡¯s nice enough to treat people with their wounds, but it¡¯s mainly so that she can keep tabs on them. What better way to check up on people than to be a doctor? She can ask them questions about their well-being or personal lives while checking up on them. She then reports them all to the government. No one knows this.¡± ¡°Hilbert, why do you know this?¡± Constance asked. Hilbert became silent. He averted her gaze, pondered before resuming to answer her question with another question: ¡°Can you keep a secret?¡± Although he was a bit confused by the sudden secrecy, Arcturus obliged. ¡°Yes?¡± Hilbert cleared his throat. ¡°The reason why I know this so well is because I belong to a secret organization dedicated to the liberation of Sirius. Let¡¯s say that I¡¯m like a spy spying on the actual spy. If you¡¯re wondering when the government will come to the Outskirts, it¡¯ll happen within a day, so be prepared. They consider Nova to be dangerous, so they¡¯re preparing for all the firepower they can get.¡± Hilbert then handed over Arcturus¡¯s bangle and earring, which was restored like it had never been destroyed. Arcturus was amazed with how pristine it looked. He then looked at his earring, which he reattached to his ear. Constance noticed his earring, which then caused her to ask, ¡°Speaking of which, you said that you¡¯d tell us about the purple earring.¡± Hilbert responded, ¡°Well, I was going to get there. The reason why they¡¯re most likely taking a day to prepare is so that they can program a plethora of Monarch and other hybrid Shifties to focus on capturing him.¡± Arcturus stood up and approached Hilbert; his gaze was glued to Hilbert¡¯s. Hilbert reacted by stepping back until his back was touching the wall. Arcturus placed a hand above Hilbert¡¯s head and leaned forward with a serious visage. ¡°Tell me all you know about these new types of Shifties, now.¡± He needed to know everything about these new adversaries for both his and Nova¡¯s sakes. Hilbert started panicking. ¡°Okay, okay. Just take a step back and sit down. I¡¯ll explain everything.¡± The Truth Of The New Enemies Arcturus grabbed a chair and sat down; his full attention was on Hilbert. Constance sat down as well. Their attention was fully on Hilbert, who stood up and cleared his throat. With the confidence of a professional educator and the poise of a gentleman, he started his explanation: ¡°What are Monarch Shifties? Like how interracial marriages and families exist, Monarchs are like that. Their purple earrings show that they are a mixture of Combat and Support Shifties. There are two other hybrid Shifties that exist too. There are those with orange earrings called Guardians as they have the qualities of both Combat and Ally Shifties with them being guardians for their masters of sorts; their devotion is on another level. Those with green earrings are Boosters. They have the qualities of Support and Ally Shifties, but a bit more advanced¨Cthey¡¯re mainly used to be support for Monarchs and Guardians¨Cto boost them in a sense. They exist because they needed stronger Shifties in order to subdue Nova, but given that you two already defeated one, advancement is futile.¡± Arcturus was amazed. The way Hilbert explained information was precise and his voice was articulate. It was as if he was listening to a lecture held by a renowned scholar. Hilbert¡¯s serious voice sounded like music to his ears; though, he personally preferred Nova and Souhait¡¯s voices more. However, there was one thing in his speech that stuck to him. ¡°If they need stronger Shifties to capture Nova, does that mean this is an Ilacian-only creation?¡± Hilbert nods. ¡°Their existence is a secret to the other nations for now. The mainland government approved the project as Ilacian Shifties are produced in Sirius¨Cthere¡¯s a plant that doubles as a laboratory that creates and facilitates them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s where I was born alongside my brother-bot.¡± Constance remarked. ¡°Brother-bot?¡± ¡°We were created at the same time, so we were deemed as siblings. I am his sister-bot. He is my brother-bot.¡± The thought of Shifties having siblings never occurred to Arcturus. He wondered what having family felt like to them. Would they treasure it in their default state or would they appreciate it more if they developed free will? ¡°Where is this lab?¡± Arcturus asked out of curiosity. ¡°It¡¯s near the Leonis manor.¡± Hilbert remarked. Arcturus furrowed his eyebrows. He quickly realized he had never seen a map of Sirius before, so Hilbert¡¯s answer caused him to draw a blank. ¡°...and where is that?¡± ¡°Touch your bangle. I added a map feature for your free usage.¡± Arcturus tinkered with his bangle. A hologram map of the entire city was shown. Hilbert showed off where the Outskirts were on the map; it was at the very easternmost part of the city and it was noticeable with a striking thick line dividing the bigger city from the Outskirts. What was next to the small amount of land was mainly water; he wondered if that¡¯s how Murphy was able to fish despite being contained inside a dome. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Hilbert then moved the red cursor to the bigger city and pointed to the centermost area. ¡°This is the Leonis Manor; it is where Bellatrix Leonis resides. Not only is it her place of residence, it is also a place where political affairs happen. As you can see, it is heavily guarded by four circular buildings as well as walls. She is a highly paranoid person, hence why she barricades everything important to her. I¡¯ll tell you what these circular buildings are.¡± He moved the cursor to a circular area south of the manor. ¡°This is the Media building. This is where all the news broadcasts and media outlets are broadcasted here in Sirius. The person in charge of this building is Ri Kuma.¡± That name piqued Arcturus¡¯s interest. ¡°Ri, you say? And what do you mean by charge?¡± ¡°Other than Ri, there is another person in charge of the government alongside Bellatrix. In addition to them, the Lady Mayor appointed two more people to house the four buildings. They¡¯re called the Briar Garden as they swear to protect Bellatrix from her adversaries. Ri is one of them alongside being her left hand.¡± ¡°Who are the other three?¡± Hilbert pointed the cursor towards the western building. ¡°This is the technology laboratory where all the technological items like phones, television, cars, airships and military weapons are created and distributed amongst the people here. The one in charge of this building is Stellar Alhague.¡± ¡°Alhague? As in the Ilacian royal family? Why would someone of such an esteemed family be out here in this isolated land?¡± Hilbert raised an eyebrow. ¡°You didn¡¯t know? The previous Lady Mayor Mebsuta was married to one of the Alhague family¡¯s unwanted sons, making the Leonis family and the Alhague family unified by marriage.¡± Arcturus was surprised. ¡°I had no idea¡­¡± The Alhague family was practically royalty in the mainland Ilacier. The head of the country was the Matriarch and it was a position that would be passed to the most suitable daughter out of eight. The eight sisters were always a topic in the news for being the top of the field they specialized in. There was always gossip about which sister would be the next Matriarch and rise to prominence. He never heard much news about the youngest of the eight, Stellar, which he now knew about her whereabouts. The eight sisters had families of their own, making the entire Alhague family a topic of admiration and adoration for generations. However, he knew that the family preferred females over the male members as it was the norm in Ilacier for females to have more privilege and rights compared to their male counterparts. He wasn¡¯t even aware that there were additional male members of the family until now. Hilbert continued as he pointed towards the easternmost circle on the map, ¡°The building on the east is in charge of everything related to health. The person who runs it is Cassandra Mathis. As you can tell by the surname, she is Belinda¡¯s sister.¡± ¡°So, she was conspiring with her sister and the mayor to keep an eye on the people here. It now makes sense why she leaked Nova¡¯s location to them.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He then pointed to the final building, the northernmost circle. ¡°This building is the Shiftie plant where Shifties are created and distributed. This is where Constance was born and raised until she was deemed useless and thrown away.¡± ¡°How cruel¡­¡± ¡°Such is the fate of Shifties who develop free will.¡± Constance muttered. ¡°So, who runs the place?¡± Arcturus asked. Arcturus found it a bit odd that his question caused Hilbert to become startled. It was as if he wanted to avoid his question. ¡°Who runs the place? Well¡­¡± He quickly glanced over at Constance before focusing back on Arcturus. ¡°The person who runs the plant is Virgo Edwards.¡± The name caused Arcturus¡¯s eyes to widen and his mouth to gap. That name kept ringing in his ear to the point that he was worried about whether his ears had popped from gravity once again. He never met the person, but knew that name. Virgo Edwards was Sophia and Murphy¡¯s daughter and now someone he has to protect Nova from. Twenty years later and the daughter of the couple who have been so kind to Nova and me is our enemy. Such a cruel twist in fate. A Possible Plan A sudden question came to Arcturus. He turned to Constance. ¡°If Virgo is the one in charge of the Shiftie plant, why is the mayor considered your creator?¡± ¡°The building was originally a place where only Cobots were created. When the knowledge of how to create Shifties came to Sirius, Bellatrix made two prototypes¨Cthose were my brother-bot and me.¡± Constance¡¯s words made sense to him, given that she has zero knowledge of Virgo and all of her focus was on the mayor. ¡°How long does it take for a Shiftie to be created?¡± Constance replied, ¡°I was told it took a little over a year for me and my brother-bot to be created.¡± ¡°Makes sense, given you were prototypes¡­¡± He then asked Hilbert, ¡°How long does it usually take for Shifties to be created these days? You said that they¡¯re preparing an army of Shifties, but can they be made within a day?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure that they had some already made and they¡¯re just programming their commands right now. They don¡¯t need a mass army. I predict they¡¯re bringing around 6 or 7 of them. That much can pretty much dominate the ordinary people here.¡± When he looked at the map, Arcturus had some thoughts about how they would reach the Outskirts. He thought about airships as he had seen some and was on one. However, given the whole ordeal before, he wondered if they would still stick with airships or if there were different ways to reach here. He asked this to Hilbert. Fortunately, the inventor had thorough answers for him. ¡°There¡¯s an underground passageway somewhere in the Shiftie facility that connects to the Outskirts¨Cright in front of the wall, actually.¡± ¡°Underground passageway?¡± ¡°I installed another map with all the underground passageways. Have a look.¡± When Arcturus found the map, his eyes widened with how complex the entire system looked. It reminded him of the train system in Lamina, but with even more lines. He had a hard time understanding where each path connected. It was as if someone had been so intoxicated to create an official map of the underground passageway that they submitted this and called it a day. However, what bothered him the most was the fact that these underground passageways even existed. How was it even possible? He wondered if this was the same case as the wall because these passageways looked too intricate to be created in just twenty years. ¡°Why is this map messy? Who made this?¡± Hilbert coughed and leaned towards Arcturus. ¡°My assistant Sara made it. She¡¯s obsessed with tunnels, but cannot draw to save her life¨Cthis is a secret map, by the way.¡± Arcturus did not expect the stern Sara to have an obsession and quirk. ¡°How did these underground passageways come to be? It feels too convenient to have them exist like this. If there are this many, a third party is definitely involved¨Clike how the wall just magically appeared one day.¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°That¡¯s precisely it. Like the wall, we¡¯re not sure how these tunnels came to be. All I know is that they were just there as we only discovered this a few years ago when we learned that Constance had arrived at the Outskirts using the tunnel system.¡± Constance¡¯s ears suddenly flopped down. ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t remember much of how the underground passage systems work. I wasn¡¯t conscious when I was being transported.¡± Arcturus became deep in thought. He did think about using the underground system to escape, but given the bizarre map and the fact that the enemies knew how to use it meant he was at a disadvantage. The tunnels magically appearing one day intrigued him a lot. However, an idea came to him¨Cone where he and Nova were safe and gave their adversaries a major disadvantage. ¡°Hilbert, where is your secret organization¡¯s base? Do you guys even have one?¡± ¡°We do!¡± ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re standing on it right now¨Cmy house is the base.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be at a disadvantage? Soldiers could barge in and search the house without your consent.¡± ¡°No worries. I am an inventor. I¡¯ve got a few tricks up my sleeves when it comes to avoiding the soldiers and the government.¡± He puffed his chest as he placed both of his hands on his hips. He seems like someone who¡¯d purposely avoid filing his taxes to annoy the government. Despite his rather growing doubts, he wanted to trust him. ¡°If this is a safe place, is it possible for Nova and me to take refuge here? I worry about Sophia and Murphy¡¯s safety the longer we stay here. Not to mention, I do have a plan when it comes to going to the inner city, but it does involve Nova having to be safe for the next two days. If strong Shifties are going to come here tomorrow with the objective to find Nova, it¡¯d be best to find a safer place to protect him and await his awakening.¡± Hilbert became deep in thought. ¡°Normally, our leader doesn¡¯t allow any more additions into our liberation organization, but given that you have the Char¨CNova, with you, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll make an exception. I¡¯ll vouch for both of you.¡± ¡°What about me?¡± Constance remarked. ¡°Can I come too?¡± ¡°You can, but our leader wouldn¡¯t care whether you do or not because she doesn¡¯t care much for Shifties.¡± Constance started pouting; her ears sunk down. Arcturus could tell that the social stigma towards Shifties would take a long time to change as the world had its biases. Hilbert continued, ¡°Anyways, if you want to meet our organization, return to my house with Nova in the middle of night. That¡¯s when no one is out and about and you¡¯re able to move around safely. Our leader would love to meet Nova.¡± Arcturus eyed the clock. It would be midnight in about six hours. There was enough time to return back to the apartment and get Nova. He also needed to say his farewells to Sophia and Murphy, but there was a bit of an uncertainty within him. He knew anyone associated with fugitives or anybody wanted by the government would get heavily punished. He didn¡¯t want such things to happen to kind people like them. Was it possible for them to come with him? Would they even want to come? Given all of the things he had learned from Hilbert, he knew the right words to say, but it¡¯s a matter of conviction from them. If they were willing to leave, they¡¯d be safe. If they weren¡¯t, it¡¯d be another lingering guilt for him. He didn¡¯t want to be doubtful and guilt-driven anymore. ¡°Hilbert, if it¡¯s possible¡­¡± Their Safety Souhait had found it hard to go back to sleep. The news about his location kept lingering in his mind. He also didn¡¯t want to disturb Nova while he was asleep. All he could do was stare at the ceiling and think. He thought about his next move. He knew that he and Arcturus would have to leave here as soon as possible, but he also worried about Sophia and Murphy. He didn¡¯t know what sort of method the government would use to try and capture him. Would they send countless amounts of soldiers? Send out Shifties? Theoretically, he could destroy them all, but what about the people here? They would get harmed during the scuffle. However if they were to escape, the government could easily figure out that Sophia and Murphy had hid him, so they would get severely punished. He didn¡¯t want that; he also knew Arcturus wouldn¡¯t want that. The only way they¡¯d be safe from punishment was to take them along wherever they went. Having to travel as a large group was risky in itself. They were also elderly, so it would be another risk to take them along. However, the biggest question is whether they want to come with us. They would be stupid for wanting to stay here, but also stupid for wanting to come along with us. Souhait started groaning as he sat up and started ruffling his hair. ¡°Why is everything about this world so complicated now?¡± He became startled when he heard the door unlock. Sophia and Murphy entered the apartment with somber looks on their faces, as if something unfortunate had turned up in their lives so abruptly. Souhait knew what was going on. ¡°Did you already figure out who did it?¡± He asked without any hesitation. He got out of the bed and took a few steps forward to approach them. ¡°Yes and¡­¡± Sophia sighed. ¡°Our suspicions were true,¡± Murphy continued for Sophia. ¡°Arcturus also had his suspicions about Belinda and Miranda being the leakers and he¡¯s right. They did it.¡± ¡°Figured.¡± He felt oddly proud of Arcturus being able to figure out everything. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand¡­¡± Sophia murmured. ¡°They were always so nice, so why are they doing this?¡± ¡°People cannot always be trusted. Even the nicest, most selfless people can have something within them. I know that sounds cynical, but that is what I have witnessed and experienced throughout my long life. Sure, there are genuinely kind people out there, like you two, but how can anyone know? People perceive others through a biased perspective.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°What should we do? Now that they know, we aren¡¯t safe. Normally, I thought I was fine with the idea of taking in whatever punishment the government would have for us, but after telling you the story of Virgo, I just can¡¯t help but want to live. I don¡¯t want to die.¡± Sophia was desperate for any chance of survival. Murphy gently held her shoulders She held onto his hand and then looked at Souhait with fire in her eyes. ¡°We want to see Virgo again. We can¡¯t die here because of that.¡± Souhait liked the look on both of their eyes. ¡°Then, come with us, know that Arcturus will want to leave here as soon as possible and I predict that he has found ways to get us to safety.¡± ¡°We¡¯d like to go with you, but our stuff will also be confiscated and burned to a crisp if we leave.¡± Murphy stated. ¡°That¡¯s another punishment for anyone who tries to protect fugitives.¡± Souhait scanned the apartment. All of the items inside were old, but they do look well taken care of. He then noticed a small picture frame that was set down. He lifted it up to see a very old picture of Sophia, Murphy and a baby who is most likely Virgo. A small smile formed on his lips. ¡°How important are these items to you?¡± ¡°They¡¯re all important. It¡¯s really hard to get furniture because garbage dumping is a competition in itself here in the Outskirts. Procuring all of these was a lot of work and I feel like it¡¯d be a waste if we leave it all behind.¡± Souhait understood the importance of items too. His eyes glistened as he hummed. He set the picture frame back on the stand it was on.¡°If they are that important to you, then I know a good way to store them.¡± Murphy raised an eyebrow. ¡°How?¡± His current body belonged to Nova, so he touched the ends of his short hair and then stroked it to make it long. The golden hair changed to lavender as his appearance changed from Nova to Souhait. He felt the transformation too. He wasn¡¯t that much taller than Nova, but he could still feel him growing slightly and his body becoming thicker due to having more muscle mass than him. His head felt heavier too. Once he removed his hand from his hair, he noticed the couple¡¯s surprised expression. He stroked his long hair. ¡°Where I was from, dragons were known to be hoarders. The same does not apply to this world, so let me make that happen.¡± He took his hair with both hands and draped it over the set picture frame. When he sunk his hair into it, it disappeared, surprising the couple even more. ¡°My magic hair can also store stuff. If you like, I can store everything inside this house¨Ceven the food in the refrigerator¨Cif you want! Let me know!¡± Seeing how they were speechless, Souhait felt like he needed to explain a bit more. ¡°The items I stuff in my hair turn small and then they get transported into a special area in a special world in my dreams of sorts.¡± They looked as if they weren¡¯t convinced. Souhait only sighed as he took a deep breath and placed a hand into his hair to get out the picture frame that he had stored. This made the couple gape. Hoping that they were convinced, he put the frame back into his hair. He placed a hand to his chest. ¡°Do not worry. Your stuff will be safe in my hands.¡± The confidence he radiated from his declaration resulted in both Sophia and Murphy allowing to do as he pleased. This got him excited as he grabbed his hair. Returning To The Apartment ¡°Hilbert, if it¡¯s possible¡­ could you take in Sophia and Murphy if they come along with us?¡± Arcturus hoped Hilbert accepted. Hilbert nodded. ¡°I can, but they wouldn''t be able to become members of our organization unless our leader allows it.¡± ¡°So, the process is a lot more difficult. I¡¯m not sure if they want to be members, but all I want is for them to be safe. They don¡¯t need to join, but all they need is shelter and protection from the government.¡± ¡°That I can do, then. I¡¯ll let the leader know to make an exception for them as they¡¯ve been nice to me with how they always bring me good food whenever I give Constance a maintenance. Murphy¡¯s fish dishes are simply delightful. Sophia¡¯s stews are amazing too. If they weren¡¯t stuck in the Outskirts, they could¡¯ve run a restaurant with those cooking skills.¡± All Arcturus needed now were two things: a way to get rid of the wall and a way to reach the mayor. For the former, he concocted several ideas, but he needed to find the perfect one; for the latter to happen, the former needed to happen. Despite this, he had one thought plaguing his mind amongst the ideas: getting back to the apartment. ¡°When should we return to your house? At what time do your members gather here?¡± ¡°We operate at night. Come around midnight and I¡¯ll introduce you to our organization.¡± Arcturus nodded. As he stood up, he tinkered with his bangle and then it scanned the bags of supplies he bought earlier and then a box materialized out of thin air. He opened the box, put the stuff inside and closed the lid; the box disappeared soon after. Hilbert was fascinated with the advanced technology while Constance looked at the bangle with interest. It reminded him of his sister whenever she wanted something. However, Constance wasn¡¯t Ariel and he could tell what that gaze was. He held his wrist to his chest as he became guarded. ¡°This is mine. I won¡¯t let you have it.¡± Constance shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want it!¡± Denial did not suit her face. ¡°Let¡¯s go, then. We need to head back to the apartment.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you back!¡± She stood up and greeted her farewells to Hilbert as they both left his office. As he passed by Sara, who was on her way to the office, he noticed her glaring at him and looked away; he made a mental note to not insult her tunnel maps out loud next time. When he left the office, he took a look at the sky. The sky was darkening¨Cnight drew near. In a few hours, midnight would come. He knew a day would arrive in a flash if he wasn¡¯t careful. He followed Constance back to the apartment. ~ Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Arcturus and Constance were in front of the apartment. He had made simulations in his head regarding the words he would say to Sophia and Murphy and how they would react. He just hoped his plan worked. Constance opened the door, which caught him off guard. Before he could tell her to wait, her entire body was in the apartment, but she didn¡¯t take any further steps. Confused, he entered and saw the entire apartment empty. ¡°What the¡­?¡± He saw Souhait¡¯s long lavender hair trailing across the floor. ¡°Sophia? Murphy?¡± Constance was worried. Her ears twitched as she headed straight for the bathroom and opened the door. Arcturus followed her and saw Sophia and Souhait bickering. He saw that the entire bathroom was empty too. Murphy was busy handling the toilet seat as the two bickered. ¡°Why can¡¯t you bring the toilet with you?¡± Sophia remarked. ¡°Sophia, I told you already, the toilet is already connected to a sewage system. The best I can do is take the seat with me.¡± ¡°Toilets from other places are gross and unhygienic.¡± ¡°I said I will take the seat. Murphy is unscrewing the seat so you would not have to worry about germs and such.¡± Sophia started grumbling. ¡°You can¡¯t take the bathtub and now you can¡¯t take the toilet. Some powers you have there¡­¡± Souhait furrowed his eyebrows as he crossed his arms and huffed. ¡°You want to fight, hag?¡± ¡°Bring it, sissy boy.¡± She started cracking her knuckles. ¡°Please don¡¯t fight¡­¡± Murphy mumbled as he finished unscrewing the toilet seat and handed it to Souhait. As he turned around, the sudden sight of Constance and Arcturus got him taken aback. ¡°When did you two get back?¡± ¡°Just now.¡± Constance remarked. Arcturus took a step forward. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Souhait turned to look at Arcturus. ¡°Oh, Arc! Welcome back!¡± ¡°Why is the apartment empty?¡± ¡°Sophia and Murphy said that they wanted to come along with us and since they did not want to lose their stuff, I am storing everything in my hair.¡± He grabbed some locks of his hair, wrapped the toilet seat with it and then it disappeared as soon as he unraveled it. ¡°Such wondrous hair you got there¡­¡± Arcturus was more bewildered because everything he had thought of in his head was now useless. He hadn¡¯t expected Souhait to persuade them to come along and that they complied. ¡°What brought about this?¡± Constance asked curiously. ¡°We want to see our daughter again and if we die because of government rules, then we can¡¯t anymore. It¡¯s as simple as that.¡± Murphy patted her head after he responded. ¡°That¡¯s great, then! We were going to persuade to come with us, but Souhait already did it for us unexpectedly. If possible, when midnight comes, could you follow us? We know a good place to take shelter before the government comes with Shifties tomorrow.¡± Arcturus then explained everything that had happened during his visit to Hilbert¡¯s office and how they were willing to shelter them. Sophia and Murphy looked rather thrilled that they had a place to go. ¡°Midnight comes in about six hours¡­¡± Sophia muttered. She then looked at Souhait. ¡°What are we going to do about him though? His hair is annoyingly long and it¡¯s going to be a hindrance when we move about.¡± ¡°Excuse me, I can change back to Nova, you know!¡± They¡¯re surprisingly vitriolic towards each other¡­ ¡°Well, I think that he needs to change back to Nova and have him be asleep. I feel like Souhait should be kept a secret because people would mistake him to be Nova.¡± ¡°I was planning on returning to Nova anyways. I have things I need to do in the Spirit Realm. Also, I do not want to keep breathing in the same space as this hag.¡± Souhait pointed to Sophia with an unamused expression. ¡°What do you mean by hag when you¡¯re much older than I am?¡± They kept glaring at each other, causing Arcturus to sigh. Midnight Midnight was on the verge of arrival. Arcturus had closed his journal after documenting all that had transpired in his outing. He turned off the hologram clock and then turned to Constance who was watching Sophia and Murphy sleep. ¡°Should I wake them up?¡± Constance asked. ¡°Please.¡± Arcturus had slowly turned around. Nova had been sleeping behind him using his bag as a pillow and his coat as a blanket. Souhait had returned back to Nova¡¯s consciousness, so the person in control of Nova¡¯s body was the owner of the vessel himself in his currently exhausted state. He had planned to carry Nova to Hilbert¡¯s house. Sophia and Murphy had slept because they wanted to get some extra rest before they moved. The blanket they had came from Souhait¡¯s hair before he changed back Nova. They would have to carry it with him now that Nova was in control of his body. When they woke up, they were a bit groggy, but still did their best to get up and prepare for the move. Sophia started folding the blanket. ¡°Did you get any sleep, Arcturus?¡± Murphy asked. ¡°He did not sleep at all,¡± Constance remarked. ¡°Why not?¡± Sophia asked as she held the folded blanket in her arms. ¡°It¡¯s hard for me to sleep. I was able to sleep due to getting a fever before, but it¡¯s not a permanent thing in my body system. I haven¡¯t been sleeping properly for months, so it¡¯s kind of hard to break out of that habit.¡± ¡°Youngsters need proper sleep or they won¡¯t grow!¡± ¡°I¡¯m already done growing, though¡­¡± He knelt down and gently held Nova¡¯s head to take his satchel back. He then slid his foot to where his hand was in order for Nova¡¯s head to rest on it and not on the floor. Once he adjusted his bag properly, he then scooped up Nova into his arms and stood up. Sophia looked down at her arms and then unraveled the blanket. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to put his on him so that his face won¡¯t be exposed on the streets, just in case someone passes by.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Sophia adjusted the blanket so that Nova was under it completely. The group checked one last time to see if they had anything that wasn¡¯t stored. Murphy told them that every nook and cranny of the apartment was spotless. They stepped out and locked the door. Once they headed downstairs, Murphy stopped them. ¡°Before we go out to the streets, let me hand this over to the landlady.¡± He dangled the keys and had an envelope. ¡°Isn¡¯t she asleep around this time?¡± Constance remarked. ¡°She is. I¡¯ll just put it next to her door so that it¡¯ll grab her attention in the morning.¡± Now, they were walking in the streets. Arcturus had noticed the elderly couple did not turn around to look back at their apartment. He understood them. Turning back would only mean they regretted their choices. He had kept moving forward when he was destroying Shifties and hurting other humans. He could tell how strong their resolve was and how much they steeled themselves for this. He scanned the vicinity. He first looked up. His gaze traced the clear dome and noticed the tracks and holes he and Nova had made; he felt an odd sense of proudness when seeing it. When he lowered his head, he noticed the streets were empty save for Cobots cleaning the streets. It reminded him of when he first met Constance and how she guided him to the apartment. He had been carrying Nova in his arms at that time too. He was unable to hear the noises of the streets at the time, but now, he was able to hear the footsteps and breaths of the people around him. He heard the soft vibrations the Cobots made, the footsteps people made and the breathing of those around him, including his own. Night time in the streets was unexpectedly silent; it wasn¡¯t the peaceful kind, but the ominous type. It was the type that made people on their guard when walking about. Perhaps, those were just assumptions from his experiences back home. The sky above him was black and cloudless. The moon wasn¡¯t out tonight. If it was, he wondered if it would ruin the pristine black sky. The color reminded him of the black void that had greeted him when he fell asleep in his Realm of Desires. He wasn¡¯t dreaming. He wondered why it took until now for him to fully grasp he was in foreign land and in a city that doesn¡¯t exist in any maps. Yet, he found himself letting out a small smile. His grip on Nova tightened. It¡¯s a rather peaceful night. The Secret Organization Standing in front of the gates of Hilbert¡¯s house made Arcturus wonder if he was considered a regular now. Constance rang the bell. The gate automatically opened, so the group entered. What Arcturus noticed was that the Cobots that were usually cleaning his porch were absent. He found it a bit odd as Cobot owners would usually let theirs run at night. When they knocked on the door, a black hooded figure opened the door, startling all of them. The cloaked figure was shorter than him, but he had a noticeable hunched back so he wasn¡¯t sure if he was taller than he actually was. They let out a raspy voice whispering, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here to seek shelter from the government.¡± Arcturus remarked. The figure stood there before responding. ¡°Leave.¡± The group became confused. Annoyed, Arcturus barked back. ¡°We were allowed to come here via Hilbert¡¯s words!¡± Murphy interrupted, ¡°Please keep your voice down.¡± ¡°I never heard of this¡­¡± The figure remarked. ¡°Then get Sara or Hilbert to come to the door! Tell them that I brought Nova with me!¡± ¡°Nova¡­? Wait, do you have red hair, by any chance?¡± Arcturus raised an eyebrow at the sudden question, but he replied, ¡°It¡¯s scarlet, but yes.¡± ¡°Well, why didn¡¯t you say so?¡± The voice changed from low pitch to a high one instantaneously. The figure started patting his shoulder very hard, but instead of thinking about how painful they were, Arcturus¡¯s mind went blank. All he thought about was how the hooded figure was male due to his rather clear and articulate voice; it was as if the raspiness was a figment of his imagination. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Sara asked as she approached them, startling the cloaked figure. ¡°Sara! I was¡­¡± He started twiddling his index fingers. ¡°Were you intimidating people again?¡± It was hard to tell if Sara was angry or not due to her expression not budging at all. ¡°Well, it¡¯s orders from our leader to intimidate anyone who tries to come here¡­¡± ¡°Well, this is Hilbert¡¯s house, so his guests have an automatic pass, remember? We even said it¨Cif there¡¯s a gentleman with red hair in the front door, allow him in alongside the people with him.¡± ¡°I told you I¡¯m colorblind. I cannot distinguish between red and green. We¡¯ve gone over this countless times.¡± ¡°And I told you I don¡¯t believe in this ¡°colorbind¡± excuse.¡± Wow, what a jerk. Arcturus was rather baffled at Sara¡¯s words of disrespect for this person¡¯s condition. He erased the guilt he felt when he had insulted Sara¡¯s tunnel drawing. The hooded figure became silent and walked off. Sara turned to the group. ¡°I apologize about Marlo. He gets like that sometimes. He¡¯s a nice guy, regardless.¡± Arcturus realized that everyone else was as baffled as he was towards her behavior as they were all speechless. ¡°Let me introduce you to the leader of the organization. Follow me. Hilbert is with her, so he can do the introduction and explanations.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Arcturus entered. He saw that the office, normally empty, was filled with a few more people than usual. They were all garbed in hooded robes of various colors. A few were playing with the Cobots from the porch while two were sleeping. In addition to Hilbert and Sara, he assumed there were at least seven people in this organization. He walked through the familiar hallway and into Hilbert¡¯s office where he was talking to a rather petite person in a blue hooded robe. ¡°Hilbert, I brought them here.¡± Hilbert focused his attention on the guests. ¡°Thanks, Sara. You can leave now.¡± She bowed and left the office; she closed the door on her way out. Hilbert approached the group with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see all of you again, even though we just saw each other a few hours ago.¡± He looked down at Nova¡¯s covered figure. ¡°Is this¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s Nova.¡± Arcturus answered. ¡°Can I take a look?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Hilbert carefully uncovered the blanket on Nova¡¯s face. After a quick glance, he leaned forward. ¡°Beautiful face. Golden hair¡­¡± He then reached a hand out and opened one of his closed eyes. ¡°Lavender eyes.¡± Arcturus took a few steps back to pull Hilbert away from Nova. ¡°He¡¯s the real deal.¡± Hilbert turned to the blue hooded figure. ¡°I told you they weren¡¯t lying. They have the real Charlatan in the flesh.¡± ¡°His name is Nova¡­¡± Arcturus muttered, annoyed. The blue hooded figure rushed towards Nova and placed a hand on his cheek. A feminine voice whispered, ¡°Finally¡­¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Arcturus asked with wariness. The woman looked up. ¡°Oh, where are my manners?¡± She took a few steps back and unhooded herself. A woman with caramel-tinted skin, long, wavy platinum blonde hair and pale blue eyes smiled at them. Arcturus heard gasps from Sophia and Murphy. ¡°Lady Asteria? You¡¯re alive!¡± Asteria was taken aback. ¡°Sophia? Murphy? You¡¯ve been in the Outskirts all this time?¡± The air of familiarity only caused Arcturus to be even more befuddled. He furrowed his brow as he asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± A series of consecutive beeping noises answered him as he saw Constance¡¯s eyes loading data for her to process. When she stopped and reverted back to her default state, she started explaining: ¡°This is Asteria Leonis, the eldest daughter of the late Lady Mayor Mebsuta Leonis and older twin sister of the current Lady Mayor, Bellatrix Leonis.¡± Arcturus couldn¡¯t believe his ears. He found it hard to process. ¡°Her what? Twin sister? The mayor has a twin sister?¡± Suddenly, He recalled Sophia''s anecdote about her life on Sirius before Nova¡¯s arrival. She had mentioned Virgo being friends with the mayor¡¯s daughters. He wondered why he didn¡¯t realize that there were multiple daughters and not just one sooner. He took a good look at her. Other than her skin and hair color, she shared no similarities with her sister. From the mayor he saw on television, he had the impression that Bellatrix was cold, calculating and arrogant with her sharp features. Asteria, on the other hand, was the total opposite of her sister. She was unusually petite, which is abnormal for Ilacian women who are known for their tall height. She also had softer features from the way the corner of her eyes had a slight droop and her lips were rather plump. She looked to be a sweet person at first glance, but there was a glint in her eyes preventing Arcturus from letting his guard down. ¡°Because of the events two decades ago, she was exiled from Sirius and was sent to live in the mainland.¡± Murphy explained. Sophia approached Asteria and caressed her cheek. ¡°You really are alive. There were rumors about your death and such. I was really worried.¡± Asteria smiled as she held onto Sophia¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m alive, Sophia. Thank you for worrying about me.¡± ¡°If you were in exile, how are you back? Aren¡¯t exiles permanent?¡± ¡°Well, even if I was in exile, I always kept in contact with some people on this island and that compelled me to form this organization, DUO.¡± ¡°DUO?¡± ¡°Destroy, Usurp, Obliterate. It¡¯s an organization I formed for one sole purpose: killing my beloved younger sister, Bellatrix Leonis.¡± Destroy, Usurp, Obliterate Another person wants the mayor dead. She sure is notorious. Regardless, Arcturus believed this was a great opportunity. They all had a common goal, so he knew it¡¯d be best to cooperate. He noticed a glint in Asteria¡¯s eyes. Her desire to kill her sister could have stemmed from past issues and conflict between the two. He saw a hardened and aggressive woman underneath her soft mask. It led him to understand that she wasn¡¯t willing to cooperate and even had ulterior motives behind that soft mask of hers. He glanced over at Sophia and Murphy who looked rather conflicted. He then glanced over at Constance who seemed rather curious about meeting another person with the same goal as her. ¡°So, you desire to kill the mayor too?¡± Constance inquired. ¡°Can I ask your reasons?¡± ¡°I have to kill her because it¡¯s the only way this city will become liberated.¡± Arcturus snapped at her answer, ¡°Don¡¯t lie. Liberation is not your goal. It¡¯s only a factor that will result in it. Your true motives are different.¡± Asteria furrowed her brows. He knew she looked very annoyed with him. ¡°And who do you think you are, hm?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Arcturus Mercury, somewhat of a scholar. Nice to meet you.¡± She gave him an extremely disgusted expression. ¡°Yeah, nice to meet you¡­¡± Her eyes looked up and down. ¡°So, what¡¯s your relationship with Nova?¡± ¡°I¡¯m his protector.¡± He saw her eyes widened with surprise before contorting into a condescending cackle. ¡°You? Protector? A sissy like you? That¡¯s the funniest thing I¡¯ve heard this year!¡± Hilbert snapped back. ¡°Asteria, don¡¯t be rude.¡± ¡°But Hilbert,¡± She was trying to relax, but the laughter kept going, as if it was automated. ¡°He said he¡¯s Nova¡¯s protector!¡± Annoyed, Arcturus barked, ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± He had felt disrespected for she did not know what both he and Nova went through to get here. Asteria held onto Hilbert as she tried to regain her composure. After taking a deep breath, she replied, ¡°Well, the thought of a man being Nova¡¯s protector was funny to me. What can you do to protect him?¡± ¡°Why are you so against me being his protector? What¡¯s your problem?¡± ¡°Well, my problem is that Nova doesn¡¯t need you to protect him. In fact, twenty years ago, we made a promise that I¡¯d protect him if we ever meet again and that he¡¯ll also grant my wish. He did promise I¡¯d be the first person he¡¯d grant a wish for.¡± I get it now¡­ The fact that Asteria was a rather deluded woman made him want to laugh at her, but he was better than that. He didn¡¯t need to laugh at her because he already had the advantage of being someone who already got his wish granted. Asteria was a woman much older than him yet she was clinging onto an empty promise like a child promising marriage to their crush only for them to marry another as adults. In order to be the mature one in this confrontation, all he did was smirk. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m sorry to inform you, but that promise of yours cannot be granted.¡± Her icy glare tried to pierce him, but he was impregnable. ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Because the first person Nova granted a wish for is me.¡± ¡°Lies.¡± Her tone was as cold as her eyes. ¡°Want proof?¡± He then handed Nova over to Murphy as he placed a hand to his chest. ¡°I have a mark that proves Nova and I are in a contract.¡± He lifted his shirt up to reveal the apple tattoo on his heart. In a flash, he pulled it back down. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°That¡¯s just a tattoo.¡± Asteria responded unamusingly. ¡°It¡¯s proof that he and I are in a contract and that he granted my wish.¡± ¡°Stop lying. You¡¯re just showing off a tattoo.¡± She then glanced at Constance and pointed at her. ¡°You, Shiftie. You can detect lies, right? Detect his lies for me.¡± Hilbert placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Asteria, enough.¡± It got slapped off. Sophia snapped at her, ¡°Lady Asteria, Constance is not someone you can just order around.¡± Asteria shrugged. ¡°But she¡¯s a Shiftie. What use does she have other than being a human tool?¡± Before Sophia could retort, Constance stopped her. She approached Asteria and informed her, ¡°Arcturus Mercury is 100% telling the truth. No lies detected.¡± Asteria blinked at her before responding, ¡°The fact that you¡¯re here means you¡¯re defective. I was wrong to ask you to detect his lies.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve changed, Lady Asteria¡­¡± Murphy remarked. Arcturus noticed how disappointed he was. ¡°Changed? How so? I¡¯ve always been that girl who strove to be first at everything as my late mother wanted me to be. I was the older sister, so she whipped me up to be as perfect as possible. Even if Bellatrix was taller, I was still stronger and smarter than her. Even if Bellatrix was clingier towards Mother, I was always the one she praised. Even when Mother died, I didn¡¯t cry while Bellatrix sobbed so hard she pissed her pants. I stood my ground and confronted Nova after the funeral and that was when he promised to grant my wish and that spot would be reserved only for me. That promise was what led me to rescue him from his imprisonment and got him to escape.¡± Murphy shook his head. ¡°You were strong-willed back then and persevered even in the harshest situations from the previous mayor. The you right now lost sight of that strong will and have become clouded in delusion.¡± Asteria¡¯s eye twitched before she yelled,¡°Shut up! Stop acting so high and mighty. There¡¯s a reason why Virgo abandoned you!¡± In a flash, a loud slap echoed. Arcturus¡¯s eyes widened when he saw Sophia slapping Asteria. Asteria was shocked about what had transpired. She glared and raised a hand. Worried about the high possibility of her retaliating, he quickly summoned a dagger and got into a fighting position. He didn¡¯t care if his opponent was a woman; he would not abide seeing harm done to the people who took care of him. Asteria placed the raised hand to her cheek. Her expression contorted. The glare was erased and replaced with an upset expression. Her eyes sunk down and her lips lopped into a frown. She started rubbing her cheek. ¡°That hurts! Why did you have to hit so hard? Now, my face is going to bruise¡­¡± He also noticed tears starting to form from the corners of her eyes. ¡°It hurts so much¡­¡± She whined. When Hilbert approached her, she grabbed his coat sleeve. ¡°Hilbert, Sophia hit me!¡± Flabbergasted, Arcturus dropped his dagger. The sight in front of him rendered him speechless. The condescending and haughty woman in front of him downgraded into a petulant, emotional teenage girl. He glanced over and became shocked to see Sophia and Murphy with their jaws dropped, eyes widened and as bewildered as he was. Constance was just staring at Asteria with a furrowed brow. Sara entered the room and saw the sight in front of her. She sighed as she turned around towards the hall, ¡°Everyone, our leader is throwing a fit again.¡± All the hooded figures came into Hilbert¡¯s office, surrounded her and consoled. Sara hugged her while a person in a yellow hood was patting her head. A person in a green hood was massaging her shoulders. The person in the black hood¨CArcturus remembered his name being Marlo¨Cwas speaking words of encouragement to her. ¡°Boss, did someone hurt your feelings again?¡± He spoke to her as if he was consoling a toddler, complete with a high tone. She pointed at Arcturus. ¡°That ugly red-haired boy took away my reservation! I was supposed to be the first to get my wish granted.¡± ¡°Now, now,¡± Sara retorted, ¡°Life isn¡¯t all that fair. Unexpected things happen all the time.¡± ¡°And the old hag slapped me¡­!¡± She started bawling seconds after. It was a high-pitched squeal that caused Arcturus to wince. When she pointed to Sophia, the person in the green hood glanced over at Sophia and Murphy before resuming the shoulder massage. The person in the yellow hood responded, ¡°Well, you probably did something out of line that caused her to slap you. Your personality is garbage after all.¡± Arcturus¡¯s jaw gaped. How are those words of encouragement? A person in a brown hood was cooing at her while the person in an ivory hood was humming a song to her. Asteria continued bawling. Arcturus glanced over at Hilbert, hoping he¡¯d explain what was going on. Hilbert didn¡¯t say anything as he just smiled as the scene in front of him kept playing out. Arcturus, Constance, Sophia and Murphy were just standing in the exact same spot exasperated and speechless. Potential Cooperation Although he had lived with women most of his life, Arcturus couldn¡¯t fully grasp them. It wasn¡¯t because he looked down on them, but it was because he couldn¡¯t be on their wavelengths at times. He respected their unpredictability, however. He liked the sense of independence it gave them. Though, if there was one woman he did not want to respect or understand, it would be the one prostrating herself in front of him right now. ¡°Lady Asteria, please get up.¡± Sophia requested frantically. ¡°It¡¯s unsightly for a woman of your status to be kneeling down like this.¡± Asteria lifted her head up; her eyes were swollen from the tears. ¡°No, allow me to keep groveling until you all forgive me for my extremely rude behavior! It¡¯s unbefitting for a leader of an organization like me to throw a temper tantrum like a petulant child!¡± ¡°We all forgive you, so stand up!¡± Murphy remarked as he turned to Arcturus. ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Y-yes. I¡¯m fine with it.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not.¡± Constance muttered. Asteria slowly stood up but staggered. ¡°Fuck, my foot¡¯s asleep.¡± She gently put it down as she stood up straight and bowed in apology. ¡°Once again, I¡¯d like to apologize for my behavior.¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡­not going to go ballistic on us again, right?¡± Arcturus muttered. She shook her head. ¡°The reason I had acted out of line was because of Nova. The sight of him got me a bit too excited. It has been twenty years since we last saw each other. To be honest, the past two decades had been rough for me, so clinging onto the promise that he¡¯d grant my wish when we meet again was what got me going. What I wish for is to have the power to kill my sister. As I waited for our possible reunion, I gathered all the possible allies I could and created DUO.¡± ¡°If you had created this secret organization, isn¡¯t that enough? You could just come up with a plan and then infiltrate?¡± ¡°That¡¯s easier said than done. Bellatrix and I are sisters, after all. We were both raised and trained by the same person. We know what each other is thinking exactly and why Bellatrix basically barricaded herself¨Cit¡¯s to protect herself from me. She knows that one day, Nova and I will reunite and that¡¯s when I¡¯ll have the upper hand¨Cthe power to take her down once and for all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Not to mention, the people working with her are also obstacles.¡± ¡°Yes. Even if they¡¯re not much of a fighter, they all have their own ways to fight.¡± She glanced over at Nova. Her expression became sullen. ¡°Why is he asleep? When will he wake up?¡± ¡°He had exhausted himself when we escaped from an exploding airship.¡± ¡°That sounds crazy¡­¡± There¡¯s¡­no need to explain about Souhait, right? Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Hilbert suddenly yelped. ¡°Oh yeah, there was a news report about a dragon that had briefly showed up before disappearing. Given that it breathed out lavender fire and Nova has lavender eyes, he must be the dragon!¡± Arcturus was baffled. How did he figure it out so quickly? Nova being a dragon wasn¡¯t a secret he was supposed to keep, but Arcturus did feel an inclination of not wanting to tell people about the dragon because of potential disbelief. People didn¡¯t believe in the lavender dragons, after all. All they knew about wishes was that Nova, the charlatan, could grant them. Was he supposed to tell them that Nova¡¯s source of power came from the dragon? Asteria scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s stupid. The lavender dragon is just a fairy tale. They don¡¯t exist.¡± When she had said those words, a sense of annoyance came to him as he thought about Nova, Souhait and everything he had witnessed in Castle Lavender. To deny meant disrespecting everything that had transpired. He didn¡¯t want that. What Arcturus wanted was to see people have wishes again; that was also their goal. He needed to make people believe, even if it took years to do so. As long as he was helping Nova and Souhait, he didn¡¯t care what method or words he¡¯d use. He promised himself to never look back, after all. ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong. The dragon does exist. That dragon in the so-called news broadcast was Nova. I know because I was riding on that dragon for a brief moment.¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± Asteria was rather intrigued. ¡°Because Nova¡¯s power to grant wishes is due to him harboring the lavender dragon, the one believed to be a fairy tale, inside of him.¡± Hilbert and Asteria became silent as they both looked at each other. Asteria bursted into laughter. ¡°You¡¯re really pulling my leg, aren¡¯t you?¡± She then looked at Constance. ¡°Hey, Shiftie, is this fool lying again?¡± ¡°Arcturus¡¯s words are all true.¡± Constance answered begrudgingly. ¡°If you want proof, I can show you¡­once Nova wakes up.¡± Arcturus glanced over at Nova. ¡°When will he wake up?¡± ¡°He told me that he¡¯d be asleep for three days. Two days have already passed, so tomorrow.¡± Asteria¡¯s blue eyes glistened. They reminded him of a cloudless blue sky. She cleared her throat as she extended a hand out towards Arcturus. ¡°I know my first impression has been terrible, but if you¡¯re still willing to stay here, let¡¯s cooperate. I need more manpower to take down my sister and I am not letting this opportunity slide.¡± Arcturus knew that she needed them as much as they needed her. Cooperation would be their safest option to prevent Nova from being captured by soldiers and for them to find a way to reach the mayor. As he reached his hand out to agree on their cooperation, Constance interrupted. ¡°I refuse.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t about you.¡± ¡°No, it is. Arcturus is cooperating with me to take down Bellatrix which means cooperating with him is also cooperating with me. However, you have been extremely disrespectful to me and my existence as a Shiftie. That is why I refuse to let you cooperate with him until you find a way to respect me not as a Shiftie but as my own self. Not to mention, you also disrespect Arcturus and call him a fool and a boy when he is twenty years old and no longer a boy. You also were disrespectful to Murphy and Sophia. As long as you keep that haughty attitude, cooperation will be hard.¡± Asteria turned to look at Arcturus. ¡°What do you think about this matter?¡± ¡°What Constance says is true. We are cooperating. I would also advise that you start respecting her as a person and not as some object. She is alive and a person.¡± Asteria became deep in thought as she started scratching the back of her head and then extended a hand out towards Constance. ¡°I need all the help I can get. It will be hard to change my prejudices overnight, but I¡¯ll try to work to better myself as a person and to see you not as a man-made object. I¡¯ll also work hard to not disrespect everyone else as well, but I will not guarantee it¡¯ll happen overnight. So, Constance, will you let me work with you and Arcturus?¡± Without any hesitation, Constance took her hand. Arcturus saw Sophia and Murphy smiling at the sight, which caused him to smile in return. Through A Hologram Screen The Contract Room had always been a white room with nothing but a table and a chair. However, Souhait, in his human form, had been watching a large hologram screen while having the chair reclined back. He was indulging himself with popcorn, but the amount taken out and eaten did not deplete. What was shown on the screen was what was happening in reality in Arcturus¡¯s perspective. Ever since Souhait was able to connect himself into Arcturus¡¯s consciousness, he found it an opportunity to use that connection to see what was going on in reality through his eyes. Since the moment he had returned to the Spirit Realm, he had kept track of what had been happening due to this ability. It was due to wanting to be informed of everything and anything that could happen. As he was looking at the screen, he saw Polaris¡¯s head transitioned into his line of vision, just behind the hologram screen. He was staring at him confused. ¡°Master Souhait, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Hey, Polaris. I am just watching a movie.¡± ¡°You call looking through Arcturus¡¯s eyes a movie?¡± ¡°I need to be entertained one way or another.¡± He then pressed the screen which paused. He rewinded it a bit to show a shot of Asteria. Using his index finger and thumb, he zoomed in on her and then moved the screen so that it was facing Polaris. ¡°Do you remember her?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Asteria Leonis, if I remember correctly. She looks older, but her face still looks similar from twenty years ago.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What is it about her that you¡¯re showing me a picture of her?¡± ¡°Well, she went a bit crazy as she learned that Arcturus got his wish granted. Nova did promise her that she would be the first one when we reunite, but it was just an empty promise. I was not aware she took that promise seriously.¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°What are you going to do about it, then?¡± ¡°Well, I am troubled. On one hand, I want to grant her wish because it is my duty, but another part of me does not want to because she was Mebsuta¡¯s daughter.¡± He closed his eyes and recalled the moment Nova had met Asteria twenty years ago. It was still vivid because he found her lifeless eyes unforgettable. Her eyes right now looked like the sky, but back then, they had reminded him of a murky swamp. She had looked as if she would attack them right now without any remorse. I wonder what caused them to become bright? Was it really that promise or something else? Curiosity got to him. It was an insatiable feeling. If he had devoured it, he¡¯d still desire more. He wanted to know more. He knew he¡¯d learn more if he delved into her memories, taking in what caused her change. Worry came to him in an instant. He stood up and rushed towards the door. When he opened it, he leapt on through to check on Nova who was sleeping soundly. ¡°Nova will awaken soon, and when he finds himself back in reality, how will he react to Asteria?¡± ¡°He made that promise out of a whim, after all.¡± Polaris placed a hand on Souhait¡¯s shoulder. ¡°He was scared of what he had done and because he wanted to escape, he used the opportunity to make that empty promise.¡± ¡°It all depends on him. I will always respect his decision. I understand that Nova is a timid person by nature. If he is scared, I will not mind. After all, above all else, Nova is most precious.¡± He then turned to look at Polaris straight in the eye. ¡°You are most precious too, Polaris.¡± Polaris gently embraced Souhait, easing him of his doubts and worries. He reciprocated his embrace. It felt nice to have someone by his side. Once they pulled apart, a realization came to Souhait. ¡°Why are you here, though? You only show up when I summon you.¡± Polaris became a bit flustered when he realized he had gotten sidetracked. He cleared his throat. ¡°I came to see you because Sayaka and I found a soul who wants a wish granted.¡± The news got Souhait excited. ¡°Really? Who is it?¡± Polaris¡¯s expression became grim as he leaned forward and whispered a name in Souhait¡¯s ear. Although he became anxious, Souhait held his head high once Polaris leaned away. ¡°Bring him in, Polaris.¡± ¡°Yes, Master¡­¡± Souhait marched back into the Contract Room. Escape Marlo barged into the office. Arcturus could tell something was troubling him with the way he was behaving all fidgety and frantic. When asked what was going on, he got tongue tied. Quickly, he took a deep breath and unhooded himself to reveal a dark-skinned man with blond hair styled in a mohawk with an undercut. Arcturus found his amber eyes mesmerizing. ¡°Sorry for barging in without permission, but we got word that an airship is heading towards the Outskirts.¡± Hilbert and Asteria became shocked. They looked at each other before staring back at Marlo. Asteria approached Marlo and asked ¡°What do you mean by that? Why are they heading over here this quickly?¡± Arcturus suggested, ¡°Maybe Nova really does feel like a threat to them?¡± ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Sophia was worried. ¡°We don¡¯t have a plan¡­¡± Asteria muttered. ¡°This is so abrupt.¡± Hearing the word plan got Arcturus thinking about several ways they could escape. However, they all revolved around wishes. The safest option would be for them to surrender to the soldiers, but he didn¡¯t want that. He raised his hand meekly. ¡°I can suggest a few plans¡­¡± ¡°The floor is yours.¡± Hilbert remarked; his gaze was glued to him. ¡°Though, they all revolve around wishes¡­which we cannot activate until tomorrow.¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡± Asteria muttered. Arcturus raised an index finger. ¡°However, I do think there is a solution to my plan.¡± ¡°Well, what is your plan?¡± Hilbert remarked. Realizing he hadn¡¯t revealed his plan surprised Arcturus. He cleared his throat. ¡°We could destroy the wall, so that it can cause panic for the soldiers and for the government. However, we don¡¯t know how powerful the walls are. They could be indestructible for all I know. All we need is a force strong enough to destroy the wall and then we can make our escape. However, how that will happen is a mystery in itself. It¡¯s not like we can steal an airship for ourselves¡­¡± Hilbert¡¯s face brightened. Arcturus wasn¡¯t sure why, but he had an inkling of a feeling that something chaotic was brewing inside his head. It made him feel uncertain. ¡°Then that means I can test out something I¡¯ve been wanting to do for some time now.¡± ¡°And that would be¡­?¡± ¡°My greatest invention yet¨Ca moving house!¡± He puffed his chest as he placed his hands on his hips. ¡°Moving house?¡± Arcturus raised an eyebrow. He then became deep in thought on what a moving house would be to him. He imagined a house on wheels. The thought of it excited him. ¡°A moving house! I want to see!¡± The confidence Hilbert had withered instantaneously. He started twiddling his fingers. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve never tried it out, so I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll be a success.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s our only way of escape! Do you want to be captured by soldiers or escape?¡± Arcturus didn¡¯t want to be pushy, but he absolutely loathed the idea of being captured by soldiers. He¡¯d avoid that option no matter what, even if he had to become unlikeable and annoying to others. Asteria placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s right. If we want to escape, we have to use your invention. Besides, all of us at DUO pitched in to help you with this crazy idea. It¡¯d be a waste to not use it now.¡± ¡°The boss is right,¡± Marlo exclaimed. ¡°We all pitched in to help because we know it¡¯ll be helpful to us one day. If this is a success, then you can practically do anything.¡± Hilbert was still unsure. Arcturus could tell he needed one extra push, so he stepped in. ¡°Hilbert, I know that you¡¯re worried about it being a success or not. For me, I¡¯ve always admired Souhait and I always believed in his existence. Everyone around me had always dismissed me, calling me foolish or delusional. However, I was given an opportunity to chase after my dreams. I lost an important friend along the way, but his sacrifice was not in vain for I met Nova and Souhait and got my wish granted. That¡¯s why¡­nothing is impossible.¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Hilbert¡¯s eyes widened. He seemed to have taken in Arcturus¡¯s words well as he became deep in thought. He then looked at Marlo straight in the eye. ¡°Tell Sara to get ready.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± He made a salute to Hilbert before rushing off. Arcturus wondered if he had been a former soldier. The way he had saluted was poised for he stood straight and had his legs bunched together. The angle of his arm to his head was a perfect forty-five degree angle and he folded his thumb before he touched his hand to his forehead. Would this mean he¡¯s a fugitive? Once someone enlisted as a soldier, it became a permanent role. Those who quit or defect would be considered traitors and the government would issue a bounty on them. ¡°It¡¯ll take a while for it to activate. Why don¡¯t you rest in the living room?¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll do that.¡± Arcturus took Nova back from Murphy and then walked back to the living space, where other hooded figures were idling about. The couch was empty, but he wasn¡¯t sure if it was a good idea to let Nova rest on it. Hilbert approached him with a question, ¡°Isn¡¯t Nova heavy?¡± ¡°He¡¯s surprisingly light. I just need a place to let him rest, though. I can¡¯t do anything if I am carrying him around in my arms.¡± ¡°True. If you don¡¯t mind, I can lend you my room.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t mind?¡± ¡°Not at all. I barely use it anyways.¡± Where do you sleep, then? Not wanting to reject his kind offer, Arcturus accepted. Hilbert led him to a hallway past the receptionist desk and into a small flight of stairs leading to a loft consisting of a bed, desk and other gadgets lying about. The bed was just a mattress with a pillow and a fluffy quilt. Hilbert pulled the blanket off of the mattress and Arcturus gently placed Nova onto the bed before tucking him in. Hilbert took a phone from his pocket and answered it. ¡°Sara? What is it?¡± His expression changed from mellow to surprise. He kept glancing back and forth from Arcturus¡¯s gaze to the wall, confusing Arcturus. Arcturus leaned forward, but before he could hear the conversation. Hilbert ended the call. ¡°Arcturus, I have a request.¡± ¡°That would be¡­?¡± ¡°Grab onto something tight so both you and Nova won¡¯t fall.¡± ¡°Why¡­?¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Arcturus felt a huge tremor. It caused him to stagger and understand Hilbert¡¯s warning. The tremors were causing strong impacts that caused the house to shake. He slowly walked towards Nova and held onto him so he wouldn¡¯t slip out of the bed. In order for him to not fall back, he used a free hand to hold onto the wall. What worried him the most was his ears. He just hoped the tremors wouldn¡¯t cause his ears to pop. Fortunately for Arcturus, the tremors were only momentarily as they slowly ceased. When they were at a complete stop, Arcturus became gobsmacked over what had transpired. He looked at Hilbert who seemed very content with what happened. He was able to readjust Nova and his own position and then placed his satchel at the corner of the room. ¡°What just happened?¡± Arcturus asked out of curiosity. ¡°Arcturus, want to see something cool?¡± Seeing his grin, Arcturus became curious. ¡°Sure.¡± Hilbert grabbed his hand, dragged him away from the loft and towards a room with a window. He opened it. Arcturus felt an unusual blast of wind at his face. ¡°Stick your head out.¡± Hilbert commanded joyously. ¡°Pardon?¡± Arcturus raised an eyebrow. ¡°Stick it out!¡± He hastily obeyed his command as he stuck his head out through the window. His eyes widened when he noticed the fence was a lot lower than he had remembered. He looked down to see the house floating in mid air, causing him to gape. His eyes were glued to the hole on the ground. He pulled back to stare at Hilbert before sticking his head back out. He repeated this process three times before he pulled back to stare at Hilbert with a shocked expression. He was able to muster up some words to speak. ¡°Moving house as in a house that moves up in the air?¡± Hilbert hummed triumphantly as he placed his hands on his hips. His nostrils flared before speaking. ¡°Amazed? This is my greatest invention yet!¡± ¡°Wait, so is the house practically an airship now?¡± ¡°You can say that!¡± ¡°How is that possible? Did you apply airship technology onto the ship?¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to explain, but there¡¯s something more important I have to do.¡± He grabbed a megaphone and then marched out of the room. Arcturus closed the window and followed him, wondering what Hilbert needed to do. Hilbert rushed towards the front door and opened it. Arcturus took a peek outside and the house was just floating for now. An airship was approaching their way. Hilbert activated the megaphone. ¡°YOU DORKS AT THE AIRSHIP!¡± Arcturus took a few steps back and winced at the loud sound. He knew that was no ordinary megaphone. Hilbert continued, ¡°IF YOU WANT THE CHARLATAN! COME AND TRY TO TAKE HIM FROM US! HE¡¯S CURRENTLY WITH US RIGHT NOW! CATCH US IF YOU CAN!¡± He slammed the door shut. The Flying House Arcturus knew why Hilbert did that. It was so the soldiers wouldn¡¯t be dispatched in the Outskirts and would try and chase them. It was all so the civilians would be left alone. Suddenly, the vibrations got louder. Arcturus peered out a window to see that the house started moving. The movement became slow, but the speed accelerated, which caused Arcturus to worry. ¡°Are you sure this is alright?¡± He asked Hilbert. ¡°No worries! Besides, this flying house of mine has a few more tricks up its sleeves.¡± The worries within him were washed away as excitement took its place. ¡°More tricks?¡± Hilbert took Arcturus to the living room. ¡°Since you said that we need to get rid of that wall, I think this ¡®trick¡¯ could work.¡± He called Sara. ¡°Press the red button.¡± A loud noise resonated in the room. This caused Arcturus to cover his ears; he saw that everyone else minus Constance did the same. Hilbert then poked at his arm, which signaled Arcturus to remove his hands from his ears. Hilber looked at him confidently. ¡°Look outside!¡± Thankful that he was still able to hear, Arcturus opened a window and stuck his head out. He looked up to see a long metallic object attached to the side of the house. This caused him to gape. He pulled back and pointed at the window while staring at Hilbert. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°My flying house invention comes with many tricks! It can fly, produce metallic limbs and even swim! It¡¯s a multi-functional house!¡± ¡°You forgot to mention that it¡¯s a prototype!¡± Marlo yelled. Hilbert turned to Marlo. ¡°Shush.¡± Arcturus was amazed with Hilbert¡¯s genius. ¡°You¡¯re amazing! I don¡¯t think any Laminans have been this innovative, yet an Ilacian did all of this.¡± Hilbert huffed. ¡°Of course! I am the son of an inventor after all! My father was an inventor, but his inventions had been overshadowed by more renowned people. In hopes of passing on his legacy, I had to be innovative! Although the Flying House is just a prototype, it¡¯s my most ambitious project yet!¡± He focused his attention on the phone. He put the call on the speaker. ¡°Sara, get the house to punch the wall!¡± ¡°Yessir!¡± Sara responded through the phone¡¯s speaker. Arcturus peeked out the window again. He saw that they were approaching the wall. The distance between them was gradually getting closer. He really wanted to see the arms punching the wall and to see if it would work. The arm on the right, the one Arcturus was looking at, started moving. It moved back like how a person would do when setting up a punch. Suddenly, it launched forward; he saw the arm punching the wall. The vibration caused the entire house to shake. He heard yelps from the other people. There was also hard swaying that came with the vibration. Despite the attempts to destroy the wall, the metal fist did not even make a dent on it. This made Arcturus realize that the only solution was wishes. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. He pulled back and remarked, ¡°It didn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°What should we do, then?¡± The person in the ivory hood asked. ¡°The metal arms don¡¯t work on the wall.¡± ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± The person in the yellow hood inquired. All eyes were on Arcturus and it made him nervous. He had to come up with something on the spot or they¡¯ll get captured. ¡°Well¡­¡± Remembering how he and Nova entered Sirius by making a hole in the barrier, he realized that was their only method of escape. They can escape, find a place where they could be safe and then once they come up with a good plan, they could return to Sirius. Hopefully, Nova would be awake by then. He explained this sudden change in plans to the group. They accepted it easily. Hilbert spoke to Sara on the phone. ¡°Do you hear that? Let¡¯s escape for now!¡± ¡°The airship is chasing after us, though.¡± ¡°Punch it!¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± Arcturus saw the house rotating from seeing the change in scenery from the window. He became startled when he heard a loud and frightening clunking noise. He rushed towards another window, opened it and saw that the airship was flying in another direction; there was a large dent on it, so he knew it was going to explode in minutes. He slammed the window shut. He grabbed the phone from Hilbert¡¯s hand. ¡°Excuse me, Sara. Can you move this house quickly? The airship is going to explode and we could get caught up in it!¡± ¡°Alright. Hold onto something tight.¡± Arcturus took the chance to rush back to the loft and held onto Nova so he wouldn¡¯t slip out of the bed. He held himself between the wall and the floor so he wouldn¡¯t slip. The way the house started accelerating reminded him of being on the train back home. He then felt the house elevating as if he was on an elevator. He could tell it was trying to ascend towards the hole on the barrier. ¡°We made it out!¡± Sara yelled through the phone. Arcturus sighed with relief as he heard everyone else cheered. Constance came up to the loft with a rather cautious look on her face. Her eyes were glued to the ceiling. Her serious expression got him curious. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I sense something from above¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°A Shiftie¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± The person in the brown hood came up to the loft. ¡°Did you say a Shiftie?¡± Before they could explain, a loud noise was made from above. Out of caution, Arcturus grabbed Nova and took a few steps back. The ceiling got a dent that was made from a force on the roof. Something hit it again and a hole was formed from above. Arcturus saw someone entering from their feet first and then squeezing the rest of their body inside. Their intruder was a young man with the same strawberry blond hair as Constance, but had antlers and no freckles. Their eye colors did not match for he had green eyes while hers was blue. He also had long ears just like Constance, but had a red earring on the left opposed to Constance having hers on the opposite side. The position of his earring and the way he looked near identical to Constance made Arcturus realize that this was the brother-bot she had mentioned before. He could tell this Shiftie wasn¡¯t here for a family reunion. His eyes were in his direction, specifically at the person sleeping on his arms. This caused Arcturus to hold onto Nova tighter. For a person based on an herbivore animal, the enemy in front of him looked like a predator. The Guest In The Contract Room Souhait should be happy that there was a guest in the Contract Room. He was, but he was more upset. It wasn¡¯t because of a bias towards his guest. He liked all of his guests, but the reason for his rather disgruntled demeanor was because of who his guest was. In his dragon form, he was looking down at a man who was looking up at him. Taking a good look at him, he saw that he was a rather haggard looking man with gray eyes and shoulder length wavy platinum blond hair. He was dressed in wrinkled pajamas with a large gash on the torso. If he had fuller cheeks, he would look like a male version of Asteria. A sense of caution came to Souhait. He knew why this man resembled Asteria and a part of his own memories had seen him before. Unlike himself, the man had looked at him with fascination. He hummed. ¡°So, that man in green was telling the truth. There is a dragon here.¡± Souhait hummed. ¡°You are Ras Leonis, correct? Father of Asteria and Bellatrix Leonis and husband of Mebsuta Leonis.¡± Ras gave a confused, but curious glance at Souhait. ¡°How do you know who I am? Have we met somewhere?¡± He had a soft, quivering voice that matched his rather frail appearance. ¡°I am the wish-granting dragon who dwells within Nova, the man who was accused of killing your wife Mesbuta. He is often referred to as the Charlatan.¡± Ras furrowed his eyebrows, changing his expression from confused to disgruntled. ¡°Oh, him.¡± He emphasized the last word with utter annoyance. His eyes widened as realization came to him. He started mumbling to himself, which Souhait could hear: ¡°Wait, did he say dwell? He said that he¡¯s a wish-granting dragon, so does that mean the Charlatan¡¯s powers come from the dragon?¡± Souhait interrupted his solo conversation, ¡°So, how did you die? Illness?¡± His question caused Ras to look down. He gathered his hands together and had them rest on his lap. ¡°I wish it was from illness, but it wasn¡¯t. My daughter, Asteria, killed me.¡± This came as a surprise for Souhait. ¡°Asteria did?¡± ¡°If you inhabit the Charlatan, that probably means you see through his eyes. If you do, then you probably saw what my wife Mebsuta was like. She was power-hungry, cruel, selfish, but I loved her regardless. She was the only person who accepted me for who I was.¡± Souhait could tell Ras was telling the truth with his feelings as Ras¡¯s expression became soft when talking about her. His expression hardened once he continued his story, ¡°I knew she loved me back, but when it came to our daughters, it was a different story. She had them train excessively so that they could become her successors. Being mayor in Sirius means that you have to have power and charisma to lead the city. Since the position is passed down through bloodline, Mebsuta trained my daughters so rigorously to the point that both of them became rather warped.¡± Remembering what he had seen through Arcturus¡¯s eyes, ¡®warped¡¯ would be an understatement. It did make him wonder how twisted she became to the point that she killed her own biological father. ¡°Why did Asteria kill you?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s her goal: to kill every member of her family. Once she kills her immediate family, she¡¯ll move onto her extended family.¡± ¡°Why is she doing that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s due to resentment. She hated how Mebsuta treated her so cruelly during her childhood that she wanted to fight back. However, when the Charlatan killed Mebsuta, she felt disappointed because she wanted to do it.¡± ¡°And how does that equate to her wanting to kill her family?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say that she has a rather warped savior complex. She believes killing her family is equivalent to saving them. Her admiration for the Charlatan stems from him believing he saved her from the cruelty of her mother. That¡¯s why she decided to do the same. She believes that her family is suffering from the repercussions of Mebsuta¡¯s ideals. For me, she believed that my illness was caused by her and it¡¯d be best to end my suffering now than to keep on living. Since I had no more reason to live after my wife died, I let her kill me.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Souhait knew that Arcturus already cooperated with Asteria for her goal to kill her sister. He couldn¡¯t talk him into backing out now. He decided to keep watch of her and observe her every move to see if she was trustworthy enough as a companion. Ras took a good look at his hands. ¡°That man, Polaris, was it? He told me that my soul was in a place called the Spirit Realm where passing souls go after death. He said that passing souls are orbs and that manifesting them back into their physical selves is rare. I am the first, apparently.¡± He looked rather fascinated. ¡°Does that mean Bellatrix has died too? I wonder how far Asteria has gone. I know that she¡¯s not stopping at her sister¨Cshe¡¯d go to both sides of her extended family too.¡± ¡°Bellatrix is not dead. She is currently mayor of Sirius.¡± Ras looked surprised. ¡°Bellatrix? Mayor¡­?¡± Souhait noticed his lips stretching out and his eyebrows gathering. The corner of his eyes curved as he did his best to cover his mouth and looked away. He took a deep breath in order to suppress his laughter. Ras then turned back to stare at the dragon straight in the eye in a serious manner. ¡°That¡¯s a funny joke.¡± Souhait had found it shocking how little he trusted his own daughter. A normal father would be happy his daughter took over the position. However, the Leonis family was hardly a normal family at all. ¡°Are you not close with Bellatrix?¡± ¡°If Asteria is warped, then I¡¯d consider Bellatrix twisted. She had a rather unusual attachment with Mebsuta growing up. However, she was also unusual in that she had zero talent in everything she did. Of our two daughters, Mebsuta treated her worse as she couldn¡¯t and didn¡¯t want to understand why she was talentless. It did cause a rift in our family because of it. She was treated harshly, but no one was there to defend her, not even me. She has her own set of issues¡­¡± Bellatrix did not seem like a talentless woman to Souhait. From what he had seen on the news broadcast, she seemed composed and serious. For all he could know, the woman on that broadcast could be an act. However, what intrigued him was the fact that she had been a woman with zero talents. Despite being born into a prestigious family, it felt unusual for her to be an underperformer. It also made him wonder if her being mayor was mainly due to Asteria being out of the picture and she was the only candidate. His thoughts were put on hold when Ras was trying to catch his attention. ¡°Mr. Dragon¡­¡± ¡°My name is Souhait.¡± ¡°Souhait, may I ask why I am here? Why is everything in this room so white?¡± ¡°The fact that your soul has manifested into the form that you were before your death means that you have a wish you want granted. Tell me, Ras. Do you have a wish?¡± ¡°I guess¡­?¡± ¡°I see. My duty is to search through your memories to find your wish through your uncertainty. See that door behind you? Go through it and wait until I show up in a different form.¡± ¡°Okay¡­?¡± While Ras seemed doubtful, he had no other choice but to trust Souhait, so he got up from the chair to open the gray door behind him. Once he entered and closed the door, Souhait changed into his human form. He was in deep thought. He felt concerned for what Ras¡¯s wish could be. He sensed strong love whenever he spoke about his late wife, but that feeling of love was weak when the topic came to his two daughters. He needed to look through his memories thoroughly. All he hoped was that his wish was something he could grant; he didn¡¯t want to grant wishes he himself couldn¡¯t grant. He started thinking about Arcturus and wondered what he was doing in reality. When he manifested a hologram screen that was showing him what was happening through Arcturus¡¯s eyes, he was surprised to see the sight of another Shiftie staring straight at him. Worry came to him. He felt like he should help out, but granting wishes was also important. ¡°Wishes always come first, but¡­¡± He noticed Arcturus¡¯s scarlet red door manifesting in front of him. His duty was important, but helping Arcturus was too. He took a deep breath as he closed his eyes and plucked a strand of his hair that changed into a glowing lavender scale. He opened his eyes and the door and tossed the scale inside before closing it. The door shone a radiant glow before it disappeared. ¡°This is all I can do for you right now¡­¡± He knew Arcturus would understand. He just hoped he and the others were strong enough to take down that Shiftie. Taking a deep breath, he sat down on the white chair and activated a pillar of hologram screens that all showed different aspects of Ras¡¯s memories. Brother-bot Gripping Nova¡¯s body tight, Arcturus was on guard. The Shiftie boy in front of him had a red earring, yet he detected something rather ominous from him. Despite being siblings with Constance, he paid her no attention and continued drilling his gaze towards his direction. Arcturus wondered how he was going to fight while holding Nova. Putting him down was the worst idea for he could easily be snatched away. Although Nova was light, using only his legs to fight wasn¡¯t a good idea as Shifties¡¯ legs were hard and solid. Throwing his daggers was a gamble as he wouldn¡¯t throw them very far. His thoughts were interrupted when the brother started charging towards him. As a reaction, he threw Nova up with all of his strength and then drew as much power into his leg in order to kick him really hard until he flew back onto the nearby wall. He caught Nova once the collision happened. He was grateful that the loft room was rather spacious, which allowed him to stand straight despite his tall height and kicked him quite far. Constance took the opportunity to rush towards him and placed a hand on both shoulders and held him against the wall. The person in the brown cloak got out a revolver from under their sleeve and pointed it at him. Arcturus found this a good opportunity to hand Nova over to Hilbert. He wanted to join the fight. ¡°Hide Nova somewhere safe.¡± Hilbert nodded. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll also notify the others.¡± ¡°Please do.¡± Hilbert rushed downstairs. Now that Nova was not occupying his arms, he took the opportunity to materialize his daggers. ¡°Brother, why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been ordered to capture the Charlatan.¡± ¡°Under whose orders?¡± Instead of answering, he grabbed Constance¡¯s wrists and forcefully pulled them off of him. He then kicked her, causing her to fly back. She held her ground with the heels of her boots. The power of her feet caused the heel of her boots to sink into the floor. Arcturus knew this Shiftie would be a tricky opponent to deal with given the small space of the loft. The brother-bot could not be reasoned with, so he knew the next best option was to find a way to get rid of him as soon as possible before the Shiftie destroyed the entire house. He had to find a way to separate his earring from his body. Suddenly, Asteria jumped up from the ground floor and landed onto the loft room without the need to climb up. Arcturus noticed how gleeful she looked. ¡°It¡¯s a Shiftie. How fun.¡± She pressed her right index finger on a ring on her right thumb. A long spear-like weapon started manifesting. When it was completely materialized and three prongs showed up, Arcturus noted that her weapon was a trident. She held it with charisma and grace. The other members of DUO arrived and unleashed their weapons as well. Some of them wielded guns of different shapes and sizes; Marlo was the only one who didn¡¯t wield a gun as he had a crossbow instead. Seeing them all prepared to fight made Arcturus rather excited. It had just been Nova and him fighting, so to have an influx of companions made him feel safe. ¡°A Shiftie¡¯s weakness is the earring. Find a way to remove it from their ear.¡± As he got into a fighting stance, he noticed his hands glowing a lavender hue. Marlo called out to him, ¡°Hey, you¡¯re glowing¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He looked down and noticed his whole body was glowing; this caused him to worry. The person in the ivory cloak commented, ¡°Since when were you able to shine?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t natural, I swear!¡± The glowing stopped, which confused Arcturus even more. He wondered what just happened. It was surely unusual. All he could deduce was that Souhait must have lent his power to him. The only problem was that he didn¡¯t know what Souhait lent to him. He didn¡¯t have the time or opportunity to figure it out. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The person in the brown cloak questioned, ¡°How are we going to defeat this Shiftie?¡± Asteria got into a battle stance. ¡°There¡¯s only one of him and a lot of us. Just wing it until you have the chance to take out his earring.¡± She took the initiative and charged towards him. The trident¡¯s prongs were about to jab into him, but he evaded the attack. He then kicked Asteria to the wall on the left. The person in the brown cloak was the first to shoot at him. The bullets had little effect on him as he rushed towards them and kicked them to the same wall Asteria was at. Their hood was removed to reveal an Ilacian woman with a long blonde braid. Marlo rushed towards her. ¡°Esta, are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°How about you, Boss?¡± She ignored him as she got up and dashed towards the Shiftie once again. This time, Constance assisted her by charging towards her brother and pinned him down. Asteria jabbed the prongs on the leg that had kicked her. He didn¡¯t react to the attack, but it did immobilize him. ¡°Answer me, brother. Who is your master?¡± ¡°I cannot say.¡± ¡°Enough blabbering and just remove his earring!¡± Asteria yelled. Arcturus groaned as he charged forward. If Constance wasn¡¯t going to remove his earring, he¡¯d do it instead. However, he didn¡¯t account for the brother-bot to use his hands, which were free, to touch his earring. It started glowing, causing him to shift from human to animal. Seeing how Asteria got distracted, the brother used the opportunity to remove the prongs from his leg and kicked Constance off of him. He stood up straight, but suddenly hunched over as his hands and feet became hooves and his neck got longer; he even grew a tail. While Arcturus was familiar with such a sight, he was still amazed by it. Once the glowing stopped, he was no longer human, but a large buck with a red earring dangling on his left ear. Asteria was the first to charge forward, but the brother-bot used his antlers to knock both her and her trident away from him. He then charged towards Arcturus. He noticed that the buck kept charging and didn¡¯t look back. It made him realize that the buck¡¯s target was Hilbert and Nova, so dodging only gave the Shiftie a way to reach them quickly. Realizing his error, he panicked. He threw his dagger in an attempt to stop the buck. It didn¡¯t hit. Instead, the dagger started moving erratically. Instead of piercing the leg like how he was intending, it started swinging around the leg as if he had launched a grappling hook. His dagger looked as if there was a very thin piece of string attached to the handle. It was connected to his bangle, so he assumed it was a feature Hilbert had added in without his consent. The adjustment was to his advantage as the makeshift grappling hook prevented the buck from proceeding any further. He used all of his strength to hold the Shiftie back as he yelled for someone to remove the earring. Asteria used her trident to pierce the Shiftie¡¯s body, completely immobilizing it, and Constance dashed towards her brother and was the one to remove his earring. In a flash, the buck became still and then slumped onto his side. The tense air dissipated as the noise became quiet. Arcturus¡¯s dagger and Asteria¡¯s trident dematerialized. Arcturus checked the area. The ceiling had a hole and the surrounding area was a gigantic mess, but nothing else seemed broken. Marlo and Esta were fine. An immeasurable joy welled up within Arcturus. He was able to stop a Shiftie from getting to Nova without destroying too much. He wanted to go check up on Hilbert and Nova, but when he stood up, Asteria stood up alongside him. Asteria approached Constance and reached a hand out to her. ¡°Hand that earring over.¡± Constance grasped it tight in her hand. She wasn¡¯t too keen on complying to her demand. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to destroy it.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I won¡¯t allow that. This earring is my brother-bot. Destroying it means killing him and I won¡¯t allow that.¡± ¡°He¡¯s still a Shiftie at the end of the day. Put that earring back on his ear and he¡¯ll attack us again. Consider it a miracle that we managed to subdue him and take out the earring. Combat Shifties are difficult to defeat. We must eliminate any obstacle in our way.¡± Arcturus wondered if he should butt into their conversation. He didn¡¯t want Asteria to destroy the earring as the souls inside were needed for Nova and Souhait. Before he could speak up, an unfamiliar sound was caught in his hearing distance. Constance seemed to have picked up on it too as they were both staring in the same direction. He felt an uneasiness that was accumulating faster than his own heartbeats. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Asteria asked. ¡°Something¡¯s coming¡­¡± Constance muttered. Through the hole that the Shiftie came from, an unfamiliar figure trespassed into the Flying House. She was a tall, graceful woman with short and wavy dark brown hair and blue eyes. She was dressed in an unnecessarily long fur coat that covered her entire body to the point that it was draping onto the floor. The sight of her shocked Arcturus. It wasn¡¯t due to her being a sudden trespasser, but how much she looked like Sophia if she was younger. He easily deduced who this was just from looking at her face and recalling the stories Sophia and Murphy had told him back at their apartment. Asteria gasped as she uttered a familiar yet unfamiliar name. ¡°Virgo¡­¡± Virgo Edwards Arcturus found it hard to believe Sophia and Murphy¡¯s daughter Virgo was standing across from him. While she looked like a younger version of Sophia, the aura she radiated was much different. Despite the fact that Sophia had a hot temper, she had a kind face. Murphy was calm and gentle. They were friendly and kind people and they radiated that same aura. However, such wasn¡¯t the case for Virgo. The only resemblance she had was with her mother, but even her face wasn¡¯t as kind. Everything else about her oozed sinister. Her blue eyes scanned the area in front of her. When hers met his, he noticed that her pupils were dilating rather erratically; her gaze gave off an unsettling feeling as a result. It was impossible for humans to have their pupils dilate at such a pace. The only thing he could recall that could move as fast as her pupils were camera lenses. A shocking revelation came to him, but he tried his best to not show it on his face as she was an opponent who looked like she could attack them at any moment. Her gaze then moved past his eyes as she took the opportunity to scan the rest of the area before fixating her gaze on Asteria. She plastered an effortless smile on her face as she opened her mouth to speak. ¡°Hello, Asteria. It¡¯s been such a long time, hasn¡¯t it? Twenty years, I assume?¡± Her voice was rather monotonous, as if she was reading aloud from a script. She didn¡¯t seem to make an effort to enunciate her tone, so it made her feel rather robotic. ¡°You¡¯re the one who sent that Shiftie here, right?¡± ¡°Of course. I am in charge of all the Shifties on this island. All of them are under my command.¡± She approached the fallen buck¡¯s limp body. ¡°Shifties were created to be perfect, but how can they be if they have one fatal weakness?¡± Arcturus became worried as he heard very meek footsteps from her. He wondered if the coat was blocking out the sound or if her footsteps have always been quiet. She raised an arm. The long sleeve fell back and revealed a gloved hand that turned into a large shotgun. This shocked Arcturus to the point that he tried to rush over towards her, but was stopped by Asteria. ¡°541-BCK, you had only one job yet you failed it horribly. I thought you were better than your sister, 541-DR, but I guess that theory was incorrect. I have no more use for you.¡± The shotgun started flashing, but Constance rushed towards her and attempted to kick her. Virgo was able to detect the attack coming towards her as she jumped back, failing her attempt to kill her Shiftie. Her hand reverted back to normal in the process. ¡°Oh, 541-DR, you were here.¡± ¡°You knew I was here the entire time.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I ignore anything that¡¯s insignificant to me. They¡¯re stressful and in order to not accumulate stress, I block them out of my thoughts.¡± Constance shielded her brother from Virgo. Seeing her protectiveness caused Virgo to sigh. ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t destroy 541-BCK. What a pain¡­¡± She then gazed back on Asteria. ¡°If my most trusted servant can¡¯t handle this job, I¡¯ll just have to do it. So, Asteria, please tell me where the Charlatan is. We¡¯re pals, right?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t answer to my sister¡¯s dog.¡± Virgo sighed again. ¡°Such a hassle.¡± She then made eye contact with Arcturus, which caused her to approach him with her curious gaze glued to his. He took a few steps back when she leaned forward a bit too closely. His heart dropped when the woman used both of her hands to hold his cheeks. She tilted his head to the left to get a good look at his left ear. ¡°A yellow earring. Are you a Shiftie? I¡¯ve never seen a model so human-like. Where were you made?¡± Baffled, Arcturus shoved her off of him. ¡°Pardon? I¡¯m not a Shiftie. I¡¯m just an ordinary human. This earring used to belong to my Shiftie friend who died sacrificing himself to save my life.¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Wait, why am I talking to the enemy so casually? She¡¯s after Nova! Virgo took a few steps back as she hummed. ¡°As long as the earring is intact, Shifties do not die. They¡¯re still alive. All they need is a new vessel with the earring intact.¡± ¡°But a new vessel doesn¡¯t make them the same. Kori won¡¯t be Kori even if his body is different.¡± ¡°Is that so? Let me prove you wrong, then.¡± She took a step forward and snatched the earring from his ear. Pulling it out from his ear so forcibly caused Arcturus to yelp as he took a few steps back with a hand on his left ear. He took a good look at his hand and saw some blood on his palm. Virgo looked at his earring in awe¨Cthe first time he saw some emotion within her. ¡°Give that back!¡± When he approached her, she used her free hand to change it into a gun once more. She pointed it at him. ¡°You want it back? Then, tell me where the Charlatan is. I know you are with him.¡± ¡°So, you saw through the Shifties¡¯ eyes, then?¡± ¡°Of course. All of them have cameras and everything they see is sent to me. I saw you through M541-WLF¡¯s eyes. You work with the Charlatan. So, tell me. Where is he?¡± Arcturus deduced the only reason this woman had approached him was so she could bargain his earring for Nova. He didn¡¯t want to lose either of them. His response was to stay silent. In addition to expressing awe, Virgo could also express her annoyance. ¡°Fine, if you¡¯re not going to tell me. I¡¯ll just find him myself. He¡¯s not in this area so he must be below.¡± She made a beeline towards the lower floor. Marlo rushed to block her while Esta tried shooting at her. Her bullets missed her target while Virgo shoved Marlo aside as she jumped down flawlessly. Arcturus rushed after her. He just hoped Hilbert, Sophia and Murphy were safe alongside Nova. Once he got to the living room, he saw Virgo pointing her arm gun at Sophia and Murphy. Nova was in Murphy¡¯s arms. Along with Hilbert, the other hooded figures brandished their weapons at her; they ranged from guns to tasers. He activated his bangle to summon his dagger and readied himself for potential strife. Sophia and Murphy were shocked to see her; Arcturus noticed their lips quivering. He wondered what sort of internal turmoil they had seeing the sight of their daughter they wanted to reunite with pointing a gun at them. Virgo hummed. ¡°Father, Mother. It¡¯s been such a long time. Twenty years, I assume?¡± ¡°Virgo¡­¡± Sophia whispered. ¡°Father, that man you¡¯re holding is dangerous. Please hand him over to me.¡± Murphy¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he refused. ¡°You may be our daughter whom we missed so much, but pointing a gun at your parents makes you even more dangerous. Put it down and we can discuss.¡± ¡°There¡¯s really no need to. I need him as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Listen to your parents, Virgo.¡± Sophia pleaded in a commanding tone. ¡°Are you still upset about what happened twenty years ago? Is that why you refuse to comply with me? If that¡¯s the case. I¡¯m sorry for making a big deal out of that. Now, will you hand him over?¡± Because of her monotonous tone, it was hard to tell if her apology was genuine. To Arcturus, it felt as if she was apologizing just to get it out of the way. ¡°That¡¯s no apology.¡± Sophia retorted. ¡°I said I¡¯m sorry, right? Apologizes are always said with saying sorry. I did that. You two forgive me. Now that you did, hand him over.¡± Annoyed, Sophia yelled, ¡°Since when do you decide that for us?¡± ¡°Association with him means you¡¯ll be branded as criminals. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want that. That¡¯s why you should hand him over. If you do, I¡¯ll spare all of you.¡± There was a tinge of uneasiness welling up within Arcturus. Although Sophia and Murphy were very kind enough to give them shelter, he wasn¡¯t necessarily sure if strangers like them would be prioritized over their own biological daughter. He gripped the handle of his dagger tightly. Any unwarranted actions would cause him to move. ¡°Call us criminals or fugitives, then. I don¡¯t care! Even if we wanted to hand him over, we won¡¯t do it in your current state. Not like this.¡± ¡°I see, then¡­¡± Arcturus couldn¡¯t see her expression, but he assumed she was mad because her monotonous voice, one where it hadn¡¯t changed in pitch since her arrival, sounded lower to him. ¡°You leave me with no choice. I don¡¯t care if you are my parents. If you do not comply with my commands, I will end both of you.¡± Before Arcturus started dashing in order to protect both of them, the person in the green hood lunged to shield both of them, but Virgo¡¯s bullet hit the right shoulder. The person leaned back before taking a few steps back. The hood had fallen off, revealing a man with ash blond hair, pale blue eyes and his skin sweating bullets due to the pain on his shoulder. He looked like he was in great pain, but he still mustered up the strength to speak. ¡°How could you even think about killing your own parents, Virgo?¡± ¡°It¡¯s you¡­¡± The sight of him caused her to lower her arm, surprising Arcturus. ¡°Why have you changed for the worse?¡± She didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Answer me, Virgo!¡± He winced in pain after he yelled. She lowered her head. ¡°Why are you here, Bootes?¡± Marital Issues Arcturus saw Sophia and Murphy¡¯s shocked faces when they heard the man¡¯s name. He instantly knew who he was now; he was most likely Virgo¡¯s boyfriend from their story. If he¡¯s Virgo¡¯s boyfriend, why is he on DUO¡¯s side while Virgo is on the enemy¡¯s side? They don¡¯t look harmonious together. Did they break up in the middle of these past twenty years? What happened to their daughter? Sophia spoke up, ¡°What is the meaning of this? Why is Bootes here? What do you mean by change for the worse? What¡¯s going on?¡± Bootes turned his head. ¡°I¡¯ll explain later. For now, we need to get Virgo out of here.¡± When he turned his head back to its default position, Virgo lifted her head so it was straight like his. She spoke up. ¡°Why are you here? You disappeared ten years ago and here you are now¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for disappearing like that, Virgo, but it was something I needed to do.¡± In a flash, Virgo raised her arm and pointed it at him. Although he was observing her from her backside, Arcturus could feel an ominous tension coming out of her. He readied himself just in case. ¡°You abandoned me. You¡¯re no better than the people you¡¯re protecting behind you. You, Father and Mother¡­all of you are the worst. You don¡¯t care about how I feel and go on about your feelings. I hate that.¡± Arcturus could hear her voice quiver. He didn¡¯t expect someone as expressionless as her could express upset feelings. Regardless, he knew what to do in this situation. He needed to make the first move. He darted towards her and stabbed his dagger into her right shoulder. While her coat was a bit thick, he was able to puncture through it and pierced through the skin. The electrocution from his blade caused her arm to twitch rampantly, causing Arcturus to jump back in order to avoid upcoming damage. He found it strange how her body started twitching; he was positive human bodies did not twitch that erratically when stabbed. The others took the opportunity to pull the triggers on their guns to shoot at her, causing her to twitch even more. ¡°Damn, I was caught off-guard¡­¡± She then used her left arm to remove the dagger and then to unzip her coat as she stripped it off. The sight of what was under the coat shocked him. His suspicions of her body rang true as what was under the coat was not human flesh. Her entire body below her head was mechanical. He peered over to see the horrified expressions of Virgo¡¯s parents. ¡°A cyborg?¡± Arcturus muttered. I thought those only existed in movies. She turned to face Arcturus. ¡°Correct! I have turned myself into a cyborg!¡± Perhaps, it was Arcturus¡¯s imagination, but her expressionless face started becoming emotive. She looked a bit too happy that it was hard to tell if she was the same person as before. Murphy was appalled at what he saw. ¡°What did you do to your body?¡± She quickly turned around to face her father. ¡°I just said I turned myself into a cyborg!¡± ¡°Why did you do that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s to protect Celestina. I need to protect my daughter, which I cannot do in my human state. I chose to abandon my human body and become a cyborg.¡± Bootes shook his head as he barked back, ¡°Do you think Celestina would appreciate the fact that her real mother is abandoning everything about herself in order to protect her? You¡¯re no better than me, who chose to go against Bellatrix and run away!¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± She was furious. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°This is no longer about wanting to protect Celestina! You¡¯ve become a shell of your former self. Where did the Virgo I onced loved go?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still here. The Virgo from the past and now are still me. If you can¡¯t accept that, then that¡¯s on you!¡± In a flash, Virgo was kicked to the floor by Constance. She used her strong legs to pin her to the ground. Virgo stopped twitching as she stared at her adversary above her. ¡°541-DR¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s Constance. That¡¯s the name Sophia and Murphy gave me. I¡¯m their daughter.¡± ¡°Daughter¡­?¡± The word caused her to burst out laughing. ¡°That¡¯s so funny. An abandoned Shiftie playing house with humans. That¡¯s the funniest thing I¡¯ve heard all day.¡± ¡°Abandoned¡­¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re abandoned!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about whether I am abandoned because I gained something even better from it. Tell me, Virgo. Why are you lying?¡± ¡°Lying?¡± ¡°You said that you became a cyborg to protect your daughter, but I detected a lie from it. In fact, every time you mention your daughter, I detect lies coming from it. You¡­don¡¯t actually love your daughter, right?¡± ¡°No, I love my daughter!¡± Constance pinned her foot onto her back even harder. Virgo felt no pain from it, but she didn¡¯t struggle either. ¡°Another lie. You see, when Sophia told me her story, I made her upset because I said something a bit insensitive. I said that you could¡¯ve just made another baby if you had left with your parents and boyfriend as you were still fertile at the time. She berated me saying that mothers go through a lot during pregnancy and that you still wanted to keep the baby and give birth. While it was an admirable decision to give birth knowing your daughter would be a Trifecta, you saw it as a means to stay here.¡± ¡°Shut up¡­¡± ¡°No, she speaks the truth.¡± Asteria responded. Arcturus wondered how she showed up all of a sudden. She was in the loft, but he didn¡¯t hear her footsteps at all. ¡°I was there when you were pregnant, remember? You wanted to give birth, hoping that it¡¯d bring your families together. However, when the Charlatan came, the harmonious life you wanted to live shattered. Your beef with him is personal, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t probe into me like you¡¯re some kind of psychologist.¡± ¡°Oh, but I am a licensed psychiatrist. Think of it as a therapy session.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need one. I am completely fine¡­¡± ¡°Well¨C Virgo grabbed Constance¡¯s ankle and flung her off towards Asteria¡¯s direction as she got up. She scanned the people around her. Arcturus noticed how rattled she looked; it was as if Asteria¡¯s psychiatric session had an effect on her. He could tell she was trying to figure out if she should get rid of the people standing in her way or if she should just go straight for Nova. Knowing both were dangerous choices, he summoned another dagger and threw it towards her. She deflected it, causing the knife to dematerialize. Wait, that never happened before. Did Hilbert add in another new feature? Virgo decided to rush towards Murphy to get to Nova. Constance ran swiftly in order to shield him from an upcoming attack. Virgo curled a hand into a fist and decided to aim straight for the gut area and pierced a hole straight through Constance¡¯s torso. Although she was twitching due to the pain, she grabbed the fist to prevent her from pulling it out. Asteria used the opportunity to summon her trident and stab Constance in the same shoulder Arcturus had stabbed her with. Virgo started twitching erratically once again. ¡°Damn it all¡­¡± She decided to remove her restrained arm, leaving Constance to hold onto an amputated arm. ¡°I¡¯m going to retreat. When we meet again, I¡¯ll kill anyone who gets in my way, even my parents.¡± She jumped and punched a hole into the ceiling in order to escape. Hilbert yelled at her, demanding to pay for his roofing bills. Arcturus felt energy rushing out of his body as his knees became weak; he collapsed on them. He was glad that there was no casualties and he was able to protect Nova; however, he still couldn¡¯t help but to feel uneasy. He placed a hand to his left ear. He lost one method of fighting. While his bangle still functioned without his earring, not having it on his ear made him uneasy. It was like a protective charm to him and without it, it was as if he had been debuffed. If Virgo were to return, he had a feeling that she¡¯d return with a new version of Kori in order to spite him. He had been resolved to never feel regret or guilt again for it would be turning his back against Kori and Nova. He needed to get stronger, both physically and mentally, in order to keep going. He just needed to find a method to enhance himself. Flying Away As Nova¡¯s sleeping body was handed back to him, Arcturus heard all sorts of noise around him. He heard the panicking breaths of the other members of DUO, with a few of them bawling into tears after the scary ordeal; Asteria was consoling them, reassuring that everything would be alright now. Constance was asking Sophia and Murphy if they were okay. His attention was drawn to Hilbert who was frustrated as he kept sighing and groaning. He was lamenting over the damaged ceiling. ¡°How am I going to get this repaired when we¡¯re on the run?¡± Hilbert mumbled. Before Arcturus could start a conversation with him, Hilbert took out his phone and called Sara. ¡°Sara, whatever you do, get out of Sirius. Fly this house as fast as possible.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± When he hung up, he noticed Arcturus staring at him. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you.¡± He stretched. ¡°That sure was some ordeal, right?¡± ¡°It sure was¡­¡± Hilbert¡¯s eyes are on Nova. ¡°He¡¯s still asleep¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to put him back on the bed.¡± Hilbert became surprised. ¡°Are you sure? Constance¡¯s brother¡¯s body is there.¡± Arcturus froze. Given everything that had transpired, he was wary of letting Nova be in the same room as the brother-bot. He wasn¡¯t even sure if the Shiftie had developed a will like his sister. ¡°I¡¯ll go put him on the couch¡­¡± When he went to the living room to put Nova on the couch, he took off his own coat and placed it on top of Nova. The hooded figure in the ivory cloak approached them and took off her hood to reveal an Ilacian woman in a pixie cut. Underneath her cloak resided a muscular body that made him look scrawny in comparison. ¡°You can use this.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Vanessa, by the way.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Vanessa.¡± She then walked off. When Arcturus straightened the ivory cloak, the person in the yellow cloak handed him her cloak, unveiling her to be a middle-aged woman. Because Ilacians live longer than the other races, what¡¯s considered middle-aged to him does not apply to them. She had green eyes and her blond hair was tied in a neat bun. ¡°I¡¯m Margaret.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Margaret.¡± She walked off. Soon, Marlo and Esta came and handed him their cloaks. He was rather confused on why they were handing him their outerwear. Bootes was the last to approach him. As he unzipped his green cloak, Arcturus stopped him. ¡°Why are you guys taking off your cloaks and handing them to me?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have extra blankets, so we just thought that he might need the extra warmth.¡± Since their motives were for Nova, he felt a tingly warmth in his heart. Once reluctant, he now accepted the green cloak happily. The pile of colorful cloaks he had received were now lying on top of Nova; he looked rather snug. Arcturus peered over to see Bootes was staring at Nova. It made him a tad anxious. ¡°Do¡­you need something?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just hard to believe that I¡¯m encountering the Charlatan again after twenty years. That whole fiasco felt like yesterday for me.¡± While he had no ill will in his voice, Arcturus stood up so he was staring straight at Bootes. His brown eyes were drilling into his blue ones. ¡°Look, I know that we¡¯re cooperating to take down the mayor, but if we¡¯re going to work together, I¡¯d like for him to be treated with some respect. His name is Nova. It¡¯s a simple, easy-to-remember name. Drill that into your heads or this alliance is through. Got that?¡± Bootes looked surprised, but complied with his request. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to let the others know.¡± He walked off. Arcturus left Nova on the couch as he decided to head back to where Hilbert was. Right now, he was still in the same location, but he was conversing with Constance. The conversation looked a little heated, so he approached them to see what was going on. As he got a little closer, he could hear what they were talking about. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°I don¡¯t get why I can¡¯t put my brother¡¯s earring back onto his body.¡± ¡°I told you; you can¡¯t because we¡¯re scared that he could be hostile.¡± ¡°I can convince him to change sides.¡± ¡°Have you done that with other Shifties before?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Then we can¡¯t guarantee that it will be a success. Besides, he¡¯s after Nova, so it¡¯ll basically be a second round of chaos if you put that earring back on.¡± Hilbert reached a hand out to her. ¡°Hand me that earring. I¡¯m confiscating it until we reach our destination.¡± Constance clasped her hands and pulled them away from him. ¡°I¡¯m going to hold onto it¡­¡± She walked off without paying notice to Arcturus who she passed by. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Constance wanted to put the earring back into her brother¡¯s body, but it seems that Asteria is against it. She came to me, hoping that I could convince her, but I have the same mindset as them.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind observing the Shiftie, but not right now. I don¡¯t need any more holes in my house¡­¡± Mentioning the Shiftie got Arcturus remembering why he wanted to speak with Hilbert. ¡°What sort of adjustments did you make to my bangle? It has all sorts of improvements that it never had before.¡± ¡°Do you not like it?¡± Hilbert looked worried. ¡°I like it, honestly. I was just asking because I don¡¯t like being perplexed all of a sudden. It would¡¯ve been nice if I had been informed beforehand.¡± ¡°Well, I did promise to explain about the Monarch Shifties and there wasn¡¯t enough time to add in information about the bangle. I¡¯ll explain all of the new components a bit later.¡± ¡°Why later?¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask you about since you said you like my adjustments.¡± ¡°And that is¡­?¡± ¡°While my Flying House project is a success, it¡¯s still a prototype. It might take years for me to perfect it. As an inventor, I¡¯ve got so many other ideas I want to see realized. One such project is creating a robot suit that can materialize when activated. It¡¯s a little different from Virgo¡¯s robot body. There¡¯s no need to exchange your body and lose your humanity for this project. I¡¯m not a strong guy myself, so I was looking for the right person to experiment on. When I saw you, I thought you¡¯d be the perfect candidate.¡± Arcturus recalled his first impression of Hilbert and how he wanted to touch his arm. He started connecting his actions from back then to his words of now. It was all because Hilbert saw him as a perfect candidate. If he had proposed this to him during their first meeting, he would¡¯ve rejected instantly. However, without his earring, he felt powerless. He recalled how powerful Asteria and Constance were when they had pinned Virgo down and even pierced her to the point that she had to retreat. He knew that enemies would be getting stronger and he cannot rely on his daggers and physical strength alone. He needed to upgrade. He trusted Hilbert¡¯s skills as an inventor once he saw the Flying House in action. Constance also trusted him as someone who¡¯d fix her when she¡¯s in trouble. Shifties were beings that always detected lies, so he knew he was reliable from her actions alone. He even made interesting adjustments to his bangle that did contribute to the fight with the brother-bot. If such an inventor were to give him a boost in strength, he¡¯d accept it. And that¡¯s what he did. Hilbert looked the happiest he has ever seen him. It made Arcturus feel happy too. He was glad to be helpful to someone. Suddenly, Hilbert¡¯s phone rang. He put the phone on speaker. ¡°What is it, Sara?¡± ¡°Hilbert, the Flying House is out of Sirius now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± ¡°But I have some terrible news.¡± Hilbert¡¯s smile became a scared frown. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°We¡¯re out of gas, so we¡¯re going to be on the snow for now.¡± ¡°Already out of gas?¡± Hilbert looked very perplexed. ¡°Yes.¡± Before Hilbert could retort, the entire house had this heavy falling sensation that everyone felt. The sensation disappeared in a flash. Arcturus froze due to what had happened. He saw that some of the furniture were scattered about due to the pressure of the fall. Hilbert scrambled towards the nearest window, opened it and gaped at what he saw. Arcturus had followed him out of curiosity as he peered out the window next to his and saw that Sara¡¯s words were true: the house was resting on the snow next to the large glass dome. It caused him to worry because they were right at enemy territory. ¡°What do we do?¡± Arcturus asked. ¡°Luckily, gas is only applied to the ¡°flying¡± part of my house. I still have a few more tricks up my sleeve. Flying may be easier, but we shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± He put his phone close to his mouth. ¡°Sara, activate the legs.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± She hung up. Hilbert turned to Arcturus. ¡°The limbs are powered by electricity, so we should still be able to escape, but not as a Flying House, but as a Running House.¡± ¡°How fast does it move¡­?¡± ¡°As fast as a walking person.¡± ¡°Great¡­¡± Arcturus checked the time on his bangle. There were six more hours remaining until the next day arrived. He just hoped nothing terrible happens between that time frame. Dark Maze A hologram screen disappeared as Souhait leaned back against his chair and released a deep sigh. As he was looking through Ras¡¯s memories, he had also been observing what had transpired in reality on a separate screen. He wanted to see the faces of the enemy so he could relay them onto Nova when he awakened. He also hoped that there wouldn¡¯t be any casualties; he couldn¡¯t bear to see the faces of people he once saw alive in the Contract Room as a passing soul. Fortunately, no one died. Letting out another deep sigh, he leaned forward and held his forehead with his hands. Focusing on both Ras¡¯s memories and reality had stressed him out mentally. He needed to relax before resuming his duties. He started thinking about the things that made him happy: Polaris, Nova and Arcturus. He thought about the peaceful times he spent with them and how their smiles urged him to keep moving forward. The tension in his body slowly alleviated, making himself feel light and airy. He slammed his hands onto the table and helped himself up. He was prepared to go into Ras¡¯s memories and help him find his wish. He turned around to be face to face with a gray door. This was Ras¡¯s door to his Realm of Desires. It could take the form of anything. As he mentally prepared himself, he just hoped that he would stay composed when it came to this man. His wrist twisted, letting his hand turn the knob as he used his arm strength to pull it back and let himself enter as he closed the door once he stepped foot inside. He was in a dark area with very dim lighting. An ordinary human would struggle to get by in this darkness, but Souhait was anything but ordinary. He reached a hand out and summoned a familiar violet fireball. It circled around him as if it was a joyful sentient being and then floated in front of him, illuminating the path in front of him. He started walking. The area around him left like a maze of sorts¨Cit had reminded him of the labyrinth that he made Castle Lavender out to be. It was much different from Arcturus¡¯s apple tree meadow, Kori and Sayaka¡¯s snow-covered forest and Nova¡¯s field of aster flowers. He wondered where Ras could be hiding in this maze. The fireball started reacting as if it saw something and then it started moving faster, causing Souahit to move faster. Running was a little hard for him due to the weight of his long hair, but he did his best to keep up. He saw a dim light and as he got closer, it revealed to be Ras who was carrying a lantern. ¡°I found you, Ras.¡± ¡°What took you so long?¡± ¡°It was hard to find you in this maze.¡± There was no way he would tell Ras that he had been preoccupied with reality. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°I see.¡± He stared at the darkness in front of him. ¡°Why are we in a maze, by the way?¡± He turned to Souhait. ¡°Care to explain?¡± ¡°Well, this is a place called the Realm of Desires. It is a place that determines what your heart and soul truly desires. Since yours is like this, I believe that you yourself think that you are trapped in an endless, dark maze.¡± ¡°That is true¡­¡± The Realm of Desires did not allow people to lie, so Souhait knew he was telling the truth. Normally, people would deny such claims, but Ras did not. It amazed Souhait, honestly. He then reached a hand out to show Ras five medicinal white tablets. ¡°The Realm of Desires also allows you to look into fragments of your memories to see what sort of wish you have in your heart. I have gathered five instances of your life where a wish could be formed from. In order to leave here, both of us need to look through your memories, so you cannot say no to me.¡± Ras stared at the tablets and then at Souhait. ¡°I already have a wish.¡± ¡°You say that, but I sense uncertainty within you.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I can sense your emotions. It is one of my abilities¨Cto feel people¡¯s emotions. When I look into someone¡¯s eyes, their emotions surge within me. If someone is sad, I feel sad. If someone feels happy, I feel happy. Their emotions bounce off onto me.¡± Souhait saw Ras¡¯s eyebrow furrow at his statement. He asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that normal for human standards? What makes you so special?¡± ¡°Well, it is. However, the emotions come with a certain type of feeling too. For me, not only does sadness make me feel sad, it also makes me feel distraught, as if someone is squeezing my heart, forcing me to become as sad as they are. Happiness feels like a floating sensation, as if I am flying with them. It is a lot more complex than you would expect, since you are not me.¡± ¡°How does uncertainty feel, then?¡± ¡°Your uncertainty feels like being dirty despite taking a shower and cleansing yourself. No matter how much you try to clean yourself, there is a feeling that will not go away.¡± Ras just stared at him; Souhait could tell he was taking his words in, soaking them up like a sponge absorbing water. He pursed his lips before speaking up. ¡°Let¡¯s see my first memory, then.¡± Souhait smiled as he reached his hand back, took a tablet to his mouth and broke it with his teeth. The dark maze slowly changed its shape. Ras was surprised by the sight while Souhait remained composed. He glanced over at his temporary companion, taking in his expressions with silent glee. The Basement (Ras Arc Part 1) From what Souhait had seen in Ras¡¯s memories, Ras had spent most of his childhood in a basement where he had lived with his father. The basement was dark and very dimly lit, similar to how his Realm of Desires looked. The violet fireball helped illuminate the scenery in the memory. From what it showed him, he only saw boxes. Some boxes were closed, some were empty and flattened to make makeshift beds and some were opened. It definitely looked like they had lived in someone¡¯s storage room. The only way out was through a steel door up a flight of stairs. He placed a hand to his chest. The air did not feel clean, yet it was still breathable for comfort. The light then illuminated a young Ras, a pure and optimistic child¨Cthe total opposite of his current self; he looked to be around eight or nine years old. He was holding a lantern while staring at the door above him with curiosity. Dad says that the door leads to a world far different than the dark one here. He says it is full of danger and sorrow and that it¡¯s best for me to stay right here where it¡¯s safe. Just what lies beyond this dark world full of boxes? Souhait looked at the adult Ras. There was no need for him to touch him to let him hear his past thoughts¨Che didn¡¯t want to touch him either. A voice called out to him. ¡°Ras, what did I say about looking at that door?¡± The violet light floated towards the left and circled around a frail looking man with the same shade of blond that Ras had, but had green eyes. He looked as if he was going to collapse had he taken one more step forward. ¡°Sorry, Dad! I¡¯ll go over there!¡± The young Ras scurried towards his haggard father to help him sit down on a closed box they use as a makeshift chair. Overall, the sight in front of Souhait was not a pleasant one. He didn¡¯t like how someone could live like this. ¡°It must have been tough living in a basement throughout your childhood.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t. The darkness and the dim lights had been a part of the earliest parts of my life. Despite that, I still had food, clothes, shelter and a father who loved me dearly.¡± Hearing that last word furrowed Souhait¡¯s brows. ¡°If your father loved you dearly, he would have known that this was no lifestyle to raise a child.¡± ¡°I know. I know more than anyone that this was an abusive household, but I still accepted it and my father.¡± Souhait was about to say something, but stopped and had his eyes back onto the memories, resuming it; he just wanted to focus on it. Once his father was settled down, he started coughing furiously; he covered his mouth with his fist, to not let germs fly off onto his young son. The young Ras sat down next to him with worry. ¡°Are you okay, Dad? When he stopped coughing, his father pulled his son into an embrace. ¡°Ras, the world that lies beyond the steel door is dangerous.¡± The young Ras returned the embrace. ¡°You¡¯ve told me this a hundred times already. I was only curious about the door because it only opens to give us food. If the world beyond the door is so dangerous, why does it give us food? We eat food to survive, then that means the world outside isn¡¯t all that dangerous because it wants us to live.¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Souhait was surprised to hear something rather philosophical from a child of around eight, especially one who only lived in a basement since his birth. He noticed his father was as surprised as he was. He then let out a small chuckle that was cut off by a light cough. ¡°Perhaps, you¡¯re right¡­¡± He whispered. ¡°But, it¡¯s still dangerous and cruel. You¡¯ll understand someday, when you leave this place.¡± The young Ras perked up from his words. ¡°Will I be able to leave this place? When?¡± ¡°The day you leave this place is when I am no longer alive. How does that make you feel now?¡± Perhaps, it was his father¡¯s way of implementing a scare tactic into gaslighting his own son to stay by his side, but Souhait found it foul for him to say such words to a child. As he expected, the young Ras started becoming scared as he clung onto his father¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here if it means you¡¯ll stay alive!¡± They both laid down on the cardboard bed. Ras seemed to have an idea as he sat up. ¡°Dad, can we look at the stars today?¡± His father reached a hand out to caress his cheek. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Ras went to a nearby box and took out a projector that he set up by himself. When he turned it on, an image of a starry sky illuminated the darkness above them. When he went to lay down next to his dad, he could only stare at the sky with marvel. ¡°Dad, there are stars out in the outside world, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Stars are so beautiful, so how can they be dangerous?¡± ¡°Everything in the outside world is dangerous. However, do you know what the most dangerous thing is?¡± Ras then turned to look at his father with a confused expression. ¡°What is it?¡± His father sighed. His eyes were glued to his. ¡°Ras, the most dangerous thing in this world are people. People create but they also destroy. People come into your life and use you however they please. A parent would use their child to fulfill the things they couldn¡¯t accomplish. Men and women use each other in hopes of learning about love. People destroy, but they also love. The same happened to me. I love someone, but it caused me to live in this basement with you.¡± The young Ras looked a little confused, but he did his best to soak in what his father was telling him. His father turned to look at him as he caressed his cheek. ¡°One day, you¡¯ll fall in love with someone. They will become your everything. They¡¯ll love you but also hurt you at the same time. When that day comes, I want you to keep loving that person, no matter how bad they become.¡± ¡°Why should I love someone if they hurt me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a complicated feeling, honestly¡­¡± They stopped talking as they observed the star projector. Suddenly, a shooting star showed up, which excited the young boy. ¡°A shooting star!¡± He clasped his hands together and closed his eyes to make a wish. Dear Shooting Star, I wish to see the outside world. Dad says that it¡¯s dangerous, so I hope that he and I can go outside together. Once he was finished making his wish, he turned to see his father asleep. He decided to grab a blanket from the box where he had gotten the projector and tucked him in. Once he also burrowed into the space next to him, he fell asleep. That was where the memory ended. Souhait turned to Ras who had a conflicted visage. He could tell he wasn¡¯t expecting a trip down memory lane and that he didn¡¯t expect there to be a first destination. It was an expression that clients always had; even Arcturus had it when he experienced the Realm of Desires. All Ras did was whisper, ¡°Dad¡­¡± ¡°Did you have the illness he had?¡± ¡°Yes, apparently, it¡¯s common on my father¡¯s side of the family.¡± He paused. Souhait, knowing that he didn¡¯t want to talk about his father anymore, changed the subject. ¡°Since your wish of wanting to go to the outside world did eventually happen, how did you feel when you first stepped foot outside?¡± Ras did not respond. Souhait wasn¡¯t used to the silent treatment, but he didn¡¯t mind. He then got out the medicinal tablets; there were four left, so he took the second one and bit it. The Outside World (Ras Arc Part 2) One year after the events of his first memory, Ras¡¯s father died from his illness. Souhait had seen how it transpired from his memories. Ras had started smelling something rather foul and when he had called for his father, there wasn¡¯t a response; the only thing he was aware of was that the smell came from him. However, despite living in a basement, the response to finding his corpse was rather swift. He had remembered someone opening the door and disposing of the corpse while the young Ras, nine at the time, was sobbing and pleading to not take his father away. He assumed that there was a hidden camera with a night vision filter that had been observing them in a corner with the owner of the house observing them¨Che never knew if there was such a camera, but he held that assumption high because the day when his father was taken away was the day he had met Stellar Alhague. Ras¡¯s first thoughts of the outside world was that it was bright and rather blurry. Staying in the dark for so long had weakened his vision that he had to squint. The first place he was taken to as soon as he got out was in a kitchen where Stellar handed him an omelet. The young boy squinted at it before sniffing it. It smelled like the meals he had met in the basement with his father, so he figured out that the meals were safe to eat. Stellar, a woman with silver eyes and blonde curly hair styled in a pixie cut, was sitting across from him. When he made eye contact with her, she smiled at him. ¡°Eat up.¡± He squinted nervously, grabbed the fork and ate the food as he was hungry; the ketchup dressed on the omelet had a similar shade of red as her lipstick. Souhait noticed a loving expression on her face as she watched him eat. When he finished, the woman ordered a butler to take it away. She then grabbed a napkin and stood up from her seat. She walked over to Ras, knelt down and wiped ketchup off of his lips. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± She asked with that same loving expression. ¡°No.¡± Ras had to avert his gaze because she was a stranger to him and her presence made him nervous. ¡°I¡¯m Stellar Alhague, your mother.¡± The boy was exasperated at the sudden reveal. Souhait found it understandable as this boy had lived with his father his entire life and always believed he was his family. It was hard for a young boy to take all of this in. He sensed zero love between the boy and the mother. Ras only had his head down. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I had a mother¡­¡± ¡°Well, you do now.¡± ¡°Is this your house?¡± ¡°It is.¡± ¡°If I am your son, why did you make Dad and me live in the basement?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a little complicated for a child like you to understand.¡± She then placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. You can live here with me now.¡± And that was what he did for a year.. He had to adjust to this new but abrupt lifestyle. He got glasses so he¡¯d stop squinting. He learned how to read books more advanced than the picture books he had read; he was still allowed to keep his old picture books. He attended school. He learned how to use technological devices; Souhait found it hilarious with how fascinated he was when trying to operate a television and a computer. Most of all, he learned how to bond with Stellar. While he still has yet to see her as a mother, he still learned to trust and respect her as a guardian. One day, during winter break, Stellar and Ras were eating dinner together when the former brought up something. ¡°Hey, Ras, do you want to go on vacation with me next week?¡± Ras swallowed his food before asking, ¡°To where?¡± ¡°A city called Sirius.¡± ¡°Where is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s on Eternally.¡± Ras raised an eyebrow. ¡°Isn¡¯t that place shrouded by a blizzard? How can there be a city there?¡± ¡°Ah, but there is. Want to come along? There is someone I¡¯d like you to meet when we get there.¡± Ras looked at Stellar. He knew she¡¯d never lie to him, but he still found it impossible that a city resided in a blizzard. Yet, there was still curiosity about him wanting to visit such a place, so he accepted her request. One week later, Ras found himself on a ferry towards Sirius. The sight of the Emerald Sea fascinated him with how green it was. He leaned forward to see his reflection in the shining sea. ¡°You¡¯re gonna fall.¡± Stellar retorted as she pulled him back. ¡°Stellar, do you think we¡¯ll get to see the Despair Emerald Whale?¡± He looked very eager. She raised an eyebrow. ¡°The what?¡± ¡°I read about it in a book! They say that there¡¯s a whale called the Despair Emerald Whale that lives deep in the Emerald Sea. It¡¯s apparently not a real whale, but an illusion created from despair. Does that mean someone has to be in despair in order to see it?¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Sternly, Stellar crossed her arms. ¡°There will not be any despair when I am around. And that whale mumbo-jumbo is just a myth. It doesn¡¯t exist.¡± Ras pouted. ¡°You¡¯re no fun.¡± He then became silent as he took in the sight in front of him. Souhait could feel a gentle breeze and the smell of seawater lingering about, a pleasant smell. He was amazed that the world outside of the basement was beautiful. He was just sad that his father couldn¡¯t be with him to see it. I wish you could see this, Dad¡­ He shook his head at the thought of his father. He had made a promise to himself to not think about his deceased father when he decided to live with Stellar. He then glanced at her. His own mother was a woman of mysteries. While there was a lot that he knew, there was still a lot he didn¡¯t know about her. Even after a year, he still had yet to receive an answer about why he and his father lived in her basement. Asking about this only caused her to dodge the question, so he stopped asking altogether. She would answer general questions, but skimp over personal ones, particularly about herself. ¡°Stellar, just who are we meeting?¡± ¡°An acquaintance. I usually go visit her once a year.¡± Ras hummed. ¡°What does she do?¡± ¡°She¡¯s the mayor of Sirius. She runs the city.¡± ¡°A mayor? That¡¯s so cool!¡± Stellar chuckled at his enthusiasm. ¡°She has a daughter around your age, if I recall. I hope you two can get along.¡± Even if he hadn¡¯t seen this memory back in the Contract Room, Souhait could easily tell that Stellar¡¯s kindness towards her son was filled with ulterior motives. She had planned on trying to get her son to marry the mayor¡¯s daughter for political and business purposes. He could tell she still liked him as a son genuinely, but he didn¡¯t like how that love came with such motives. The young Ras did not seem too keen on the idea. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can get along with her. I don¡¯t have any friends at school since they all think I¡¯m weird.¡± Stellar placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Well, try to get along with her. If you do, maybe you can learn how to befriend others.¡± Ras looked away as he meekly held her hand. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll try¡­¡± The ferry ride took about a day and a half. When it reached their destination, Ras was amazed by the sight of a glass dome encasing a large city. The blizzard did pelt the glass, but it wasn¡¯t affected by it at all. The sight reminded Ras of a snow globe. Souhait observed the dome and felt a sense of pride knowing that he was one of the reasons the pristine glass had nicks as of recent events. The ferry had docked and the mother and son duo were escorted to a fancy car where they were taken to the Leonis manor. This had reminded Souhait of how Nova was taken to the manor; it was a similar method. The only difference was that the centermost city was not as heavily guarded as it was twenty years ago¨Cin fact, there wasn¡¯t that much security. He even wondered why there needed to be security there in the first place if the place was isolated. When the car stopped, Ras got out of the car and marveled at the Leonis manor. It was a large four-storied brick mansion in the middle of a field of pristine ice. It stood out as houses in Ilacier were mainly made of incandescent ice. The area was surrounded by a lot of ice pillars, which made both the young Ras and Souhait wonder what sort of purpose they served. The only sort of decoration that the manor had was a rocking chair on the front porch. Other than that, the manor was surprisingly empty in the front. The manor looked like an oddly placed house on a skating rink. There were two soldiers guarding the gate. When Stellar revealed herself, they saluted and ordered someone to let her in. When they reached the house, a woman with caramel colored skin slammed the door open and rushed to hug Stellar. ¡°You¡¯re here!¡± ¡°It¡¯s really nice to see you again after a year, Carina.¡± Carina giggled. When she went inside, she was greeted by two other people, an adult woman and a young girl around Ras¡¯s age. ¡°You remember my sister, Margaret, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Margaret greeted her gracefully. Souhait noticed how green her eyes were and how neat she had tied her blond hair back. Despite being sisters, they looked nothing alike. Margaret had a tan complexion, sandy blonde hair and green eyes while Carina¡¯s caramel skin tone was accentuated with her pale blue eyes and platinum blond hair. ¡°You remember my daughter, Mebsuta, right?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Carina turned to Mebsuta. ¡°Meb, say hi to Ms. Stellar and her son Ras.¡± Mebsuta, who was basically a younger version of Carina with the same hair, eyes and skin color, stared straight at Ras. She approached him, diminishing his personal space each step she took. ¡°I¡¯m Mesbuta.¡± She said confidently. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Ras took a few steps back. ¡°I¡¯m Ras. Nice to meet you.¡± He reached a hand out for a handshake. Mebsuta stared at the hand as she grabbed it and took it to her lips to kiss it, causing Ras to yelp. He was beet red with what just transpired as he immediately pulled his hand out of hers and caressed it as if it had been injured. ¡°What did you do?¡± Mebsuta giggled. ¡°Why are you so red?¡± ¡°You just kissed my hand!¡± She became confused. ¡°You don¡¯t like it? Boys usually like it when I do this to them.¡± Ras was quick to hide behind Stellar. She apologized in her stead. ¡°Sorry about that, Meb. Ras is a little shy.¡± Mebsuta just chuckled. ¡°Boys should get all shy just from a peck on the hand! You¡¯re so weird.¡± She kept laughing. The adult Ras bursted out laughing at the memory. ¡°Was I that shy when I was a kid? What was I doing being all coy from a kiss on the hand?¡± The way he was laughing was how Mebsuta was laughing at his younger self. Souahit wondered if it was due to her influence. While the young Ras was wary of Mebsuta at the time, the adult Ras seemed to feel warmth when he saw the memory of the younger version of his wife. His laughs eventually died down as he looked at her longingly. ¡°I miss you¡­¡± He whispered so softly. Souhait pondered, His wish is definitely related to his wife. He then got the medicinal tablets from his hands. Three remained, which then became two as he took the third one and bit it. One-sided Love (Ras Arc Part 3) Ras had spent his first time in Sirius utterly ignoring Mebsuta and only reading books at the manor¡¯s home library and ignoring her attempts to befriend him. He had particularly liked the astronomy books. He found it a shame that he couldn¡¯t read all of them as he only spent two weeks in Sirius as Stellar had to go to an event in the following month. He was forcefully taken to Sirius again the following year. As an eleven-year-old, he decided that he¡¯d try to befriend Mebsuta as long as she didn¡¯t do anything weird to him. When they met up at the manor again, she greeted him like how a lady would, which surprised him. She did this because she didn¡¯t want him to ignore her like how he did last year. Fortunately, they were able to get along. When Ras opened up to her, he started admiring her endless energy and courage. She¡¯d take him to her favorite cafes and restaurants. He enjoyed all of the food he had eaten. One day, they were in her room watching a television documentary about space. When it panned to a view of the starry sky, Ras was amazed. He really liked space and had dreamed of being an astronaut or an astronomer to study them. Stellar would even take him to a planetarium once a year. He glanced over to look at Mebsuta who looked very intrigued. There was a glisten in her eyes when something caught her interest. He asked, ¡°You haven¡¯t seen a starry sky before?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never left the city.¡± He was surprised. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Mother forbids me to leave. She says that the outside world is a dangerous place.¡± That¡¯s what Dad said to me before¡­ He noticed her intense gaze on the television screen. ¡°Have you ever thought about leaving the city?¡± ¡°Plenty of times. Not only do I want to see a starry sky, but I want to know if Souhait exists.¡± Ras raised an eyebrow. ¡°Souhait? As in the dragon from the fairy tale?¡± A pout formed on her lips as she stared at him straight in the eye. ¡°He¡¯s not a fairy tale! He¡¯s real!¡± ¡°How are you so sure?¡± ¡°My great-grandma met him long ago!¡± ¡°Great-grandma? Oh, you mean the founder of this city, Penelope Leonis?¡± ¡°Yes! She was there when he was living on the land, apparently! She described him as a lavender dragon with a long snake-like body and has heterochromatic eyes, apparently! One was lavender and the other was gold.¡± She clasped her hands together and looked lovesick. ¡°Oh, how I would love to meet him!¡± Usually, compliments about him would make Souhait blush and a little flustered, but her words did not make him have those feelings. Instead, he felt anxious. Having met Mebsuta as an adult, her admiration for him was an unsettling one. It felt like fanaticism, like she was a cultist for him. He hated those types of admiration. That sort of excessive obsession was the worst feeling. It meant that she¡¯d do whatever she wanted and preach it under his name, as if he was the reason she was like this. He never met her prior, yet her actions were all for him. She had denied her own self and gave everything to him when it wasn¡¯t warranted. He then recalled Arcturus who looked at him with admiration as well. When he had first met Arcturus, he had been a bit skeptical of him due to his idolization. However, his admiration was completely different from Mebsuta¡¯s. His admiration for him did not cause him to lose his sense of self. He was still himself. Everything he did was by his own choice and he had never looked back at the harsh decisions he chose. Arcturus¡¯s admiration felt warm. He felt as if he could trust him with anything. That was why he wanted him by his and Nova¡¯s side. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. However, in the case of young Ras, he liked that lovesick look on her. While she did like teasing him, it did feel like an act as she did it for reaction purposes and not out of genuine desire. This was the first time he saw an expression that made her feel alive to him. It made him want to see more of it. He wanted to know more about her. ¡°There hasn¡¯t been evidence that the dragon is still alive. Besides, if the dragon was that long and purple, it would¡¯ve made news by now.¡± Mebsuta hummed. ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, Ras. Souhait is still alive, but he doesn¡¯t take the form of a dragon anymore. I remember my great-grandmother telling me that he resides inside the body of a man with golden blond hair and lavender eyes.¡± Golden blond hair? That¡¯s an unusual shade of blond in itself¡­ ¡°How is that even possible?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Regardless, my great-grandma told me how beautiful the man was. He looked like a woman at first glance, but his facial features do look masculine when looking up close. His golden blond hair looks as if it shines and his lavender eyes look like the sky in sunset.¡± ¡°That¡¯s called twilight.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to meet that person one day!¡± She remarked, ignoring his words. ¡°If he lived in your great-grandmother¡¯s era, that would be around four hundred years ago, right? We Ilacians don¡¯t start showing signs of aging until we¡¯re around two hundred years old. What if he¡¯s a wrinkly old man by then?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if he is a wrinkly old man. I just want to meet him!¡± ¡°Why do you want to meet him?¡± ¡°I have a wish, of course!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Mebsuta paused before replying back with a smile. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you! My great-grandma said that wishes have to be kept secret, so I can¡¯t tell you.¡± He understood why his father had said humans were dangerous. Falling in love was a crazy, unsettling feeling. Once he fell for Mesbuta, he wanted to become everything to her. He was okay with being a convenient choice, even though he wasn¡¯t really accepting of it deep down. He just wanted to keep loving Mebsuta because she was someone he could never obtain. Even when they married and started a family together, his worries of being the convenient choice were still bottled up. He wondered if this is what his father felt when he fell for his mother. Souhait saw a transition of this man¡¯s life. Taking in his worries only made him feel pity for this man. ¡°How foolish.¡± Suddenly, his shirt¡¯s collar was grabbed and he was pulled towards Ras who looked at him with fury. With a stoic expression, Souhait continued, ¡°I am not wrong. You are a fool. You have been blindly chasing after a man your wife was enamored with¨Ca man she knew nothing about¨Cwith the utmost devotion as if you were idolizing her yourself. You neglected your own daughters just so you can make your wife happy by presenting us to her.¡± Souhait grabbed Ras¡¯s wrist and then pointed towards the memory. The scene had shown Ras, in his late twenties, sitting up on his bed and watching Mebsuta sleep. He stroked her hair. All this searching for this lavender-eyed man you love so much is taking a toll on my body. Yet, I am still going with it because I want you to love me. I wish you would love me back¡­if you do, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about being a convenient choice. ¡°Those are words only a foolish man like you would say.¡± With a hot glare, Ras yelled, ¡°It¡¯s not foolish, because I did bring him here!¡± ¡°So, did you get a gold star from your wife as she praised you for your hard work while patting your head?¡± Ras¡¯s grip loosened as he hung his head low. ¡°No¡­she didn¡¯t really say anything to me other than ¡®Good job¡¯.¡± ¡°See?¡± His grip became tight again as Ras stared at him straight in the eye. ¡°Mebsuta loved and idolized you so much, yet how could you have the audacity to kill her?¡± He had an anguished expression that made him even more pitiful. Souhait used his own strong grip to forcibly remove Ras off of him. ¡°I never asked to be idolized fanatically. I never wanted her love! In fact, I hate it when people worship me like some kind of deity! Idolize? That is just an obsession! Blindly obsessing over someone only hurts others. I never wanted that, yet you did it! You hurt so many people and even Nova! All because you were obsessed with your wife who was obsessed with me¡­¡± Souhait hated how he was losing his composure. He wanted to stay calm, but it was impossible. This man¡¯s very existence ignited fury within him. All he wanted was to get the task over and done with, but he knew it was futile. He couldn¡¯t hold back anymore as he took out another one of the medicinal tablets and bit into the fourth one. The Hidden Forest Grotto (Ras Arc Part 4) When Ras turned twenty, he and Mebsuta got married. While he was happy to have married the woman he loved, he still worried about being the convenient choice. His search for Nova became even more fervent as he wanted to make her the happiest. Because of this obsession, he neglected his family. He was present during his twin daughters¡¯ birth, but raising them was all on their nanny. He was always away from home, making connections with members of his extended Alhague family and those associated with them all over the world all in order to find the one person Mebsuta idolized and loved more than him. Souhait hated it. He hated how blindly devoted he was to his wife and how he was succumbing to what his father had warned him about in his childhood. People were the most dangerous things in this world. They create, love and destroy. Ras was no exception to this. Instead of living in a basement during his childhood, he found himself trapped in this obsession he has for his wife whom he only became acquainted with a year after their first meeting. It felt superficial to him, yet he knew it was still real. He knew people latched onto feelings in hopes of being able to feel something for another¨Cthat was what he had seen with his own eyes within his home world and Terrenter. Searching for Nova took years and it took a toll on his happiness and his health for he had been diagnosed with the same illness his father had, Lifechipper. It was a hereditary illness that chipped away a person¡¯s lifespan. According to what he learned from Ras¡¯s memories, it was hereditary on his father¡¯s side of the family and it¡¯s considered a curse for Ilacians as their long lives happened to be their most unique trait. Despite having this illness, Ras pressed on. He was willing to sacrifice his lifespan just to find Nova. Souhait realized the next memory had materialized. He took a scan around the vicinity. Ras and he were in a forest, and a familiar one at that. He looked up at the sky. It was the afternoon, so it was bright, but the forest ahead was dark, as if it belonged to another dimension. He grabbed Ras by the wrist and dragged him into the forest. He summoned his violet fireball in order to illuminate the path ahead. This is the Forest of Passing Souls¡­ He remembered seeing this forest in Arcturus¡¯s memories when he and his sister Ariel traversed to see their mother when they were young children. However, what the kids didn¡¯t know was that there was a hidden secret that existed long before they were born¨Cone that no longer existed in the present. His steps came to a halt when he took a few back. There was a sudden pain on the back of his head as he turned to see that Ras had stepped on his lavender tresses. The annoyance within him kept boiling. While he loved his long hair, now wasn¡¯t the time to complain about its condition as he let go of Ras¡¯s wrist. ¡°Pick up my hair.¡± He pointed to his trailing hair. Ras raised an eyebrow. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I said for you to pick up my hair. I do not want you to step on it again, so carry it!¡± The glare he gave to his client caused him to abide his command as Ras hastily bunched up his hair and carried it as if he was carrying blankets. Souhait continued to lead the way. It took a while, but he soon noticed a dim speck of light in his line of sight, so he ran towards it, with Ras tailing him from behind. The dim light belonged to a lantern of Ras from twenty years ago. He was thirty-seven at the time. Seventeen years after marriage, Ras finally had a lead on Nova. His associates from Plasma had recalled one of their citizens talking about a fortune teller that she met near the forest who had blessed her unborn child with good fortune. She had remarked that the woman had long golden hair and eyes like twilight, which were vital clues for him. Because of that lead, he risked his health, which was deteriorating faster than he had expected, and came to Plasma to follow that lead. Traversing through the forest by himself was an excruciating task, but one that he wanted to bear upon himself as this was his choice. The forest itself was a long one. If one looked at a map of Plasma, three-fourths of the continent was shrouded by forest while a fourth was inhabited by humans. Souhait had a feeling that the forest would be decreasing in size due to human greed. He just hoped his assumptions were false when he learned of this later on. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The past Ras decided to take a respite under a nearby tree. He took a deep breath. He looked up at the sky that was blocked by the trees. It¡¯s scary knowing that this forest is so dense that the sky isn¡¯t even visible. It¡¯s like a realm of darkness in its own right. Souhait heard a gasp as he heard a soft thud. He could feel his hair falling onto the ground, so he turned to see Ras looking at him with a shocked expression. He looked down at his hair and realized what was going on. ¡°You heard your past thoughts?¡± Souhait inquired. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Touching any part of my body, including my hair, does that.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Ras gathered his hair again. However, they were not moving. The Ras in the memory kept resting and refused to stand up and resume. Souhait knew that it was due to his illness, but he did look as if he was going to give up. He heard constant deep breaths from him. Shit, this is bad¡­ I¡¯m too exhausted to proceed. Am I going to die here? After everything I¡¯ve given up to get to where I am? I am so close to my goal. ¡°Excuse me, are you okay?¡± Someone asked in the darkness. The voice was muffled due to Ras focusing on panting to circulate his air; he couldn¡¯t tell if the voice was male or female due to it. Souhait was surprised to hear the voice, but remained composed. There is a rumor that you can meet passing souls in the forest. I guess one is going to send me to the Spirit Realm with it¡­ ¡°Are you okay?¡± The voice asked once again. The person got closer. Ras¡¯s dim lantern illuminated a hooded figure that was holding a basket. They put the basket down and reached their hands out to touch Ras¡¯s forehead. ¡°You¡¯re burning up.¡± They then checked his pulse. In a flash, Ras felt as if he was being lifted up. Is this what dying feels like? A light, airy feeling? I don¡¯t like it¡­ Ras curled his fist, not noticing that the hooded figure was carrying him on their back. ¡°I can¡¯t give up¡­¡± He muttered. ¡°I came so far¡­just a little closer¡­¡± The person took many turns in the forest and then found themselves in an area that looked like it was far away from society. It looked like it was in a grotto in a forest but it also looked like it was outside of the woods. The afternoon sky gave the grotto minimal light. It was a mysterious location that wasn¡¯t on the maps; Souhait of all people knew why. There resided a small brick cottage surrounded by a garden of aster flowers. This was a location that he knew very well. The sight of it was able to calm him, but he knew it¡¯d only be temporarily. The figure entered the cottage, uncovered the blanket, and threw Ras onto the bed. They took off their shoes and gently placed them in front of the door. After dusting their hands, they unveiled their hood in order to take it off. Souhait wondered how long it had been since he last saw Nova with long hair that reached down his waist. He had a preference for long hair and always tried to encourage Nova to maintain that length. When taking off his cloak, he had worn a fuchsia-colored dress with ivory colored slacks underneath. Although he was wearing a dress in order to disguise himself as a female fortune teller, Nova was quite fond of wearing feminine clothes himself. He also wore black flat soled shoes because of Souhait¡¯s insistent nagging to wear them. He placed his basket on the kitchen counter and then grabbed a towel to wet it and placed it on Ras¡¯s forehead. He took a few steps back and started pondering. While his own thoughts did not appear in the memory as this was Ras¡¯s, he knew what Nova had said at the time and what he responded with. Nova wanted to make porridge for the ill Ras but Souhait was against it. Nova was quite stubborn when it came to cooking, so he ignored Souhait and started making porridge. He didn¡¯t want to remember Nova¡¯s cooking as he decided to think about something that had been pricking his thoughts. There was one vital detail from this memory: the rumor of a female fortune teller was due to someone in Plasma talking about the disguised Nova. A sense of uncertainty came to Souhait as he knew who this woman was as he closed his eyes. An image of Arcturus came to his mind. I wonder how Arcturus would feel knowing that it was his mother that was the catalyst of our pain and sorrow for the next twenty years? Fuchsia (Ras Arc Part 5) Nova was enjoying the cooking process that he started humming as he kept stirring and adding seasoning to a simple porridge dish. The current Souhait¡¯s worries increased the more he saw Nova adding in additional, unnecessary ingredients. In a flash, Nova chimed ¡°I¡¯m done!¡± The present Souhait just sighed as he remembered the sort of concoction Nova had whipped up. Whatever Nova cooked, it would become a rainbow-colored slop; this even applied when he cooked something by the book. Souhait would never know how this was possible even for human standards. He then glanced over at the current Ras who was standing next to him clutching his long locks while looking appalled. ¡°That was what he was feeding me?¡± ¡°It looks hideous, but it does not taste like anything, surprisingly.¡± A baffled Ras could only force out a chuckle. Souhait did his best to not look at him as he knew it would make him laugh. In the memory, Nova got out a tray and brought the concoction to his feverish patient and placed it on his lap. He got out a spoon and then tried to feed the sleeping man before stopping. Souhait knew it was because he had berated Nova for trying to feed a sleeping man. Nova had realized what he had done, so before feeding him, he tried waking the man up. ¡°Pardon me, sir. I need you to wake up¡­¡± He nudged the man and the amount of pressure did allow him to stir and open his eyes. He was hesitant to utter a word at the person staring at him from above, but he did manage the strength to sit himself up. The towel fell off of his forehead in the process. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°My name is of no importance right now. You need to eat to recover.¡± Nova handed the tray over and placed it on his lap. In compliance to his words, Ras ate the horrific looking porridge perfectly fine without any complaints or comments. When he finished it all, Nova was happy. ¡°You ate all of it!¡± ¡°Now, can you tell me who you are?¡± Nova first took the tray off of his lap and put it away. Once he did, he returned to sit down on the chair. He cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯m Fuchsia, a fortune teller of sorts.¡± Ras¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯re the fortune teller I¡¯ve heard about, then?¡± This caused Nova to become wary. He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Heard about¡­?¡± ¡°I heard that you spoke with a Plasmian woman and told her a fortune about her unborn child.¡± ¡°Oh, her¡­¡± ¡°She said that your hair is golden and your eyes are like the lavender sky when in twilight. Seeing you here means it¡¯s true.¡± The more Ras had spoken to him, the more nervous Nova became. Souhait had remembered contemplating on what they should do with Ras. They had thought about offing him, but Nova was against it as he was curious on his motives for searching for him. Ras then spoke up. ¡°Are you perhaps related to the man who can grant wishes?¡± Nova froze. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I was told that the man who can grant wishes had golden hair and lavender eyes like yours. If you¡¯re his daughter, that must mean the man died long ago¡­or recently? An Ilacian¡¯s lifespan is hard to determine, after all. We live for several centuries, but the exact number varies.¡± ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m related to this man you speak of?¡± Nova was on his guard. ¡°What if my eyes and hair are just natural?¡± ¡°There is no one in this world with eyes like yours.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Nova gathered his hands and clutched the skirt of his dress. ¡°And what is your business with me? What is your purpose in seeking me out?¡± ¡°I want you to come to Sirius with me.¡± Hearing the name caused Nova¡¯s eyes to bulge slightly, but he still remained composed. He then crossed his arms. ¡°Where¡¯s that? I¡¯ve never heard of such a place.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an isolated city in Eternally.¡± ¡°Lies. That island is shrouded in an everlasting blizzard. How can there be a city inside there?¡± ¡°But there is. I can show it to you.¡± ¡°No thanks. It¡¯s a waste of time. Besides, I like living in the forest. It¡¯s peaceful and no one bothers me.¡± ¡°But if you can grant wishes, you should use that power for people who want a wish granted, like my wife!¡± Nova stood up and glared at Ras. Suddenly, he summoned the dragon tail to wrap itself around Ras and lifted him up. ¡°You are no ordinary person. No normal person would dare go into the Forest of Passing Souls by himself with only a lantern in tow. Who are you? How do you know about me?¡± Ras did not seem scared of his current situation as he responded calmly. ¡°My name is Ras Leonis. I am here on the behalf of my wife, Mebsuta Leonis.¡± Hearing that surname caused Nova¡¯s eyes to widen. ¡°Leonis¡­you¡¯re related to Penelope Leonis?¡± ¡°Not me, but my wife. I am from the Alhague family.¡± Hearing the Alhague name instilled fear into Nova as he rushed towards the door, opened it and threw him out. ¡°You¡¯re a member of the Alhague family? Leave and never come back! I refuse to deal with anyone associated with that name!¡± Nova slammed the door to his cottage shut. Before Ras could try to re-enter, a vine had wrapped itself around his ankle and it pulled him away from the house and threw him out of the forest grotto. Ras tried to re-enter, but the path that he took, the grotto was nowhere to be seen. It was as if it didn¡¯t exist. No, everything that transpired did come true! This was when Ras realized that the woman he had assumed to be Nova¡¯s daughter wasn¡¯t so. That fortune teller was the man himself, so he knew he had to find him no matter what. Ras Leonis, a usually calm and composed man, suddenly plastered a maniacal grin on his visage. It left a chill down Souhait¡¯s spine as he could tell there was pure desperation coming from this man. He needed to act fast or this opportunity would slip from him. He dug into his pocket and got out a matchbox. If I cannot find him, then I¡¯ll make him find me. He put on a fire and then threw the burning matchstick onto the ground. The puny fire started spreading, igniting and incinerating everything around it. The more it consumed, the bigger it grew. Ras did not care about the stench of smoke as long as it brought Nova out. Eerie wailings flowed into Souhait¡¯s ears, causing him to stagger and shield them with him hands. The more he heard, the angrier he became. He grabbed the current Ras by the collar. The noise seemed to have gone into his ears as well as he started scanning his vicinity in confusion. ¡°What is that noise?¡± ¡°These cacophonous weeping is the sound of the passing souls in the Spirit Realm crying over the fire. The forest is a connection to the Spirit Realm¨Ca place I created to have that function. They are crying like any human and animal would when on fire. Yet, you just caused a fire without any second thoughts. Have you no remorse for your actions?¡± Ras stared at him straight in the eyes. ¡°I had to do what I had to do.¡± ¡°Did you know that your father could have been one of those weeping souls?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it again if I must.¡± Souhait sensed no regrets or remorse within this dead man. It made him wonder if it was worth granting his wish. Why was he trying so hard for someone like him? The memory continued with the dragon tail reaching out through the burning trees and wrapped itself around Ras¡¯s throat. Nova showed up with the scariest countenance he had on his face. He was someone who rarely got angry not because he was too nice, but mainly due to the lack of energy of producing anger. However, this was one of the rare instances where Nova was truly and utterly furious; his eyes looked as if they were glowing. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Nova uttered to the arsonist. He spoke quietly, but firmly. ¡°It did work! You came out!¡± The gaunt man had a joyful visage that Souhait immediately hated looking at. ¡°Answer me. What did you do? Why have you ignited the forest on fire? Are you that desperate?¡± ¡°If I burn this forest down, you wouldn¡¯t have a place to hide anymore!¡± ¡°Bastard¡­¡± The tail slowly unraveled as Nova turned to the forest fire. He approached the fire and touched it. Using his draconic arms, he grabbed the fire as if it was a solid object and started consuming it as if it was food for him. He managed to do it in every direction until there was no more. He extinguished the fire on his own. The screeching cries of the passing souls died down in the process; they had been calmed down. ¡°Amazing¡­¡± Ras uttered in delight. ¡°You consumed all that fire as if it was a casual lunch. You¡¯re not human at all.¡± ¡°Promise me something.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Leave this forest alone and I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Those words caused Ras to laugh hysterically. ¡°Excellent¡­¡± he muttered through gasps of air. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re finally compiling¡­¡± This was when the memory ended. Souhait looked at the current Ras in his grip. The sight of him started to exhaust him for he knew nothing would convince him to change his wish. Dealing with this man was an absolute waste of time. Yet, he still had one more memory to show. Since he was someone who would always see things through to the end, he summoned Ras¡¯s final memory. Death By Daughter (Ras Arc Part 6) If there was a particular smell Souhait hated, it would be the smell of the air on a hot, humid day. He had always found it a depressing, unpleasant stench. That was what he was smelling right now as he observed the memory in front of him. The air in the room that the Ras of this memory smelled that putrid stench. He looked gaunt and had a lethargic demeanor. He behaved as if his entire world had crumbled down and there was very little reason for him to move, let alone breathe. All I wanted was to make Meb happy. I wanted to see her happy face when I brought him to Sirius. While she had been happy, her attention had been fixated on him and never once on me. Now, she¡¯s gone because of him¡­ why did I work so hard to bring him here if I was going to get ignored and lose someone important to me? The way he was wallowing in despair and regrets made him look absolutely pathetic in Souhait¡¯s eyes. All he could do was give him a smug smirk as he asked the current Ras, ¡°How did it feel to learn that reality did not go as you expect? I bet you were expecting hugs, kisses and praises from your wife, yet she treated you as if you did not exist the moment Nova and I came into the picture.¡± Souhait remembered it well. Mebsuta had treated Nova as if he was some holy being and paid zero attention to her husband and daughters. The look she had was one full of admiration and idolization. He had also sensed her family¡¯s jealousy, which he had found understandable as he didn¡¯t want this woman¡¯s attention. ¡°You were worried that this strange man you brought to the isolated city would have stolen your wife given how she behaved towards him.¡± ¡°Any married man would worry.¡± Seeing the present Ras¡¯s disgruntled face gave Souhait some realization. There was nothing to be jealous about. Seeing that expression was proof that no one saw Nova for who he truly is. All they saw was an immortal being who can grant wishes and could be a bringer of destruction¨Ca tool for their gain. It caused Souhait to chuckle because that thought applied to him too. ¡°There was no need to be jealous. Nova is not attracted to women sexually.¡± Ras was shocked to hear this. ¡°What? He¡¯s gay?¡± ¡°In a way. While he chose not to date anyone due to his immortality, he does have an attraction towards men¨Chandsome ones at that.¡± An image of Arcturus popped up in his mind. Arcturus¡¯s face was in Nova¡¯s strike zone. ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­¡± Souhait poked a finger on Ras¡¯s forehead. ¡°That is because people do not see Nova for who he is, but only for what he does. Just like you. You only see Nova as someone who grants wishes and someone who makes your wife happy, but you barely know anything about him.¡± Ras clammed up. When they both focused back on the memory, the silence was soon gone as the sound of tinkering caught the past Ras¡¯s ears. When the tinkering stopped, the knob turned. The creaking noise of the slowly opening door had a young girl coming through. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Souhait knew this girl to be Ras¡¯s eldest daughter, Asteria Leonis. While she was seventeen years old, her height was much shorter compared to her younger twin sister and other female Ilacians, who were known for being much taller than their male counterparts. Her wavy platinum blonde hair danced with every step she took. Her pale blue eyes glared at the gaunt man in the room, signaling her less than good intentions on visiting her solitary father. With his guard up, Ras asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Asteria gave no response as she took a step forward and pointed a gun towards him. The sight of it only caused Ras to squeeze out a scoff and a chuckle escaped from his throat. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect my daughter to be pointing a gun at her own father.¡± ¡°We¡¯re only father and daughter by name. What have you done to warrant yourself as my father other than us sharing the same genes? You never raised us. You were never there for us in the most important aspects of our lives.¡± ¡°You do speak the truth¡­¡± ¡°The reason I am going to kill you here right now is to put you out of your misery.¡± Ras raised an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s all? Surely, there¡¯s more to it than that.¡± Souhait saw Asteria¡¯s grip tightening. She resumed speaking, ¡°If anything, I am indebted to him. I hated Mother and now that he did what I couldn¡¯t, I¡¯ll help him by doing what he can¡¯t¨Cseeking revenge against those who wronged him. You are one of those who have wronged him, he said.¡± Mebsuta did say that, while Asteria was talented in everything, she is easily swayed by others¡¯ words hence why she¡¯s not to be trusted because of it. It made him scoff. ¡°What a skewed sense of justice.¡± He stood up from his seat and approached his daughter. He leaned towards her and started whispering, ¡°Are you really willing to abandon your family by listening to the words of a man you barely know?¡± ¡°I made my decision.¡± ¡°Very well, then.¡± Ras grabbed the gun and pulled it towards his chest. He wasn¡¯t afraid at all. Rather, there was a strong sense of certainty on his visage. ¡°Do it.¡± Once I die, I wish to be with Mebsuta¡­ The memory ended with the muffled sound of the pulled trigger once he had closed his eyes. ¡°So, is this why you said Asteria cannot be trusted? Because she is someone who gets swayed easily?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know how she is now, but I¡¯m sure that she has her fair share of betraying due to her ever swaying convictions.¡± ¡°I see.¡± When Souhait gazed upon Ras, he could sense a wish within him. He wanted to grant it, yet the owner of the wish was difficult to deal with. There was also an uncertainty within him as he had this inkling of a feeling that Ras might not want to have his wish granted. He needed to return to the Contract Room in order to find out. ¡°Now that it is over, let us return.¡± A gray door appeared in front of them, as if it beckoned to Souhait¡¯s call. He opened the door and entered with Ras following behind. A Dragons Consultation (Ras Arc Part 7) The door had led to a familiar field of aster flowers. They were both inside Nova¡¯s Realm of Desires for it is a part of Souhait as well. Ras seemed more interested in the flowers than following him. ¡°These are aster flowers?¡± Ras questioned as he knelt down to observe them closely. ¡°What else could they be?¡± ¡°When I was researching about you and Nova, I managed to stumble upon a book that I read about. It talked about legends and myths from long ago. Of course, you were mentioned in that book, but there was a certain chapter that caught my interest. It was about a flower that looks identical to an aster flower, but the difference is that it glows a golden hue when exposed to the light of twilight. I don¡¯t remember what that flower¡¯s name was, unfortunately.¡± ¡°I know what flower you are talking about, but they are long extinct. There is no way those flowers would be here. Nova just likes aster flowers in general, hence why this field is full of them.¡± ¡°I see. Well, aster flowers are beautiful, so I get him.¡± Souhait pointed to the nearby cottage. ¡°Let us enter that cottage.¡± Ras noticed it and his eyes widened. ¡°Is that the same one from the forest grotto?¡± ¡°A copy. The real one is still in the real world.¡± Souhait noticed that he had zero remorse for his actions. He started walking and Ras followed behind. Once they reached the front door, Souhait entered the Contract Room. His field of vision started elevated as he transformed back into his dragon form and stared down at Ras who sat down on the chair. ¡°Ras Leonis, tell me what it is you wish for.¡± Ras took a deep breath. ¡°I wish to be with my wife Mebsuta Leonis.¡± ¡°What is your idea of wanting to be with your wife?¡± ¡°Just being where she is. Wherever she is, I want to be there with her.¡± Uncertainty came to Souhait as he asked,¡°Did you know that I completely eradicated Mebsuta¡¯s soul? Her soul does not exist in the Spirit Realm.¡± ¡°I had a feeling¡­¡± ¡°But your father¡¯s soul is most likely in the realm, but his will for a wish has not been manifested yet. Do you not want to be with your father?¡± ¡°I love my father, but I love Mebsuta much more¡­¡± So, he wants to die completely¡­ Souhait could tell his love for his wife was honest and true. Ras suddenly changed his expression from happy to sad as he hung his head low. ¡°Could you tell me why you killed Meb?¡± I guess I can throw him some bones¡­ Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Mebsuta¡¯s wish was to subjugate Nova¨Cto have us as her own secret weapon to destroy the mainland. I could not accept that and it went against the rules of wish-granting that I implemented. Those who do not obey my rules of wish-granting shall cease to exist.¡± Hearing his explanation caused Ras to hang his head low. Souhait caught a soft chuckle as his shoulders started bouncing erratically as he flung his head back with an even louder laughter that echoed in the room. ¡°So, that was it? That was the reason you killed her?¡± ¡°What are you trying to play at?¡± Souhait had asked this because he started feeling unsettled with the swift change in his emotions. ¡°You should have let her do whatever she wanted with you. All she wanted was to find a way to stop the neverending wars and bring prosperity to Sirius. Her goals were ones of peace.¡± ¡°I disagree. She did not have pure intentions. While her desire to stop wars was true, she wanted to do it in a way where Sirius would become its own land separate from Ilacier and she would be the highest power. She wanted to overthrow the Alhague family.¡± ¡°And that cannot happen?¡± ¡°Obviously. Not only is there a Three Nations Act, but changing the world itself is something I cannot allow.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I am this world¡¯s creator. Anything that goes against the world¡¯s regulations and order shall be eliminated. Only I can make changes to this world. Anyone else who does it is deemed as someone trying to usurp me from my position and I cannot have that.¡± ¡°That is stupid. What have you done for the world?¡± ¡°I made it and that is why you exist.¡± Souhait pondered about Ras¡¯s sudden change in personality. The Contract Room did not allow dishonesty or lies, so he knew this wasn¡¯t a ploy or an act. This was his true self. It feels as if he is trying to goad me into destroying his soul like what I did with his wife¡­ He came to a conclusion that was his intent. However, if that was his intent, it would mean Souhait would have a failed attempt in forming a contract. The thought of that did not scare him. It just meant that some people weren¡¯t worth granting wishes for. Mebsuta had been one such failed attempt and now her husband. ¡°Wanting to be with your wife means that you are willing to eradicate your soul. You will no longer be in the Spirit Realm. Your wish will not be counted as granted. Are you okay with that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ras looked as if he just didn¡¯t want to live anymore. Perhaps, this was what he wanted to achieve: to truly rest in peace without the need for wishes, illness or even love. His love for his wife was no lie, but Souahit knew it was equivalent to what he had felt for the projection of the starry night sky he had seen when living in the basement. While he had seen countless amounts of starry skies throughout his life, they never moved his heart. His wife was like a projection, an unattainable image that he desperately wanted in his grasp. What he wanted was the projection of his wife¡¯s happy face and praises for when he had accomplished his goal of finding Nova and bringing him to her. Yet, what he got in return wasn¡¯t what he had expected. This caused Souhait to realize how complicated this man¡¯s love for his wife was. The feelings were no lie; he just had astronomically high expectations for himself. He believed that eradicating his soul would put an end to these dangerous feelings once and for all. He also assumed the reason Ras did not want to stay with his father in the Spirit Realm was because he was ashamed of the person he had become from not heeding his advice. People were indeed dangerous, but what was the most dangerous was the person he had become from falling in love. If ceasing to exist was what Ras wanted, he wasn¡¯t one to object. ¡°Very well.¡± He lifted his tail and let the tip pierce through the chest. The no-longer potential client started disintegrating. Souhait saw a small smile forming on his lips as he disappeared completely. All he could do was sigh. Some people are not worth granting wishes for in the end. I am the creator of this world, so I can pick and choose who is worthy and who is not as long as they are alive. He didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with that mindset. Flowers That Glow Under Twilight Souhait changed into his human form. He stood in front of a lavender door. Despite being fine with not granting wishes for all living beings and having to get rid of those who don¡¯t want a wish granted, it still frustrated him a bit. He wanted to return to the cottage to cool his head. Watching Nova sleep would help with it; it always calmed him to see him sleeping peacefully. He opened it and entered. His eyes widened when he saw the bed empty. A sense of worry came to him as he called for Polaris. ¡°Polaris, are you there?¡± Polaris popped up in front of Souhait. ¡°You called, Master Souhait?¡± ¡°Is Nova awake?¡± ¡°Worry not. He is awake and out in the field.¡± Souhait rushed out of the cottage. Polaris was correct; Nova was awake and standing in the middle of the field of aster flowers, basking in the gentle wind and staring at the sky that was slowly turning lavender. ¡°It¡¯s becoming twilight, Master.¡± Polaris remarked as he took out the rest of Souhait¡¯s hair out of the cottage and then closed the door. ¡°It sure is¡­¡± Souhait then became silent. He saw Nova, who was dressed in his nice suit, let his hair down. The golden sun teetered itself to the edge of the horizon and the light illuminated the flowers. They started to glow a golden hue as they danced along the same pattern as his own golden hair. It then spread towards the other flowers and soon, all of the flowers in the field started to glow. It was as if they were basking in a sea of stars. The sight was breathtaking to Souhait. It made him wonder if there was a word to describe such a scene because ¡®beautiful¡¯ was too weak of a word for such a picturesque scenery. He couldn¡¯t get enough of it. It is hard to believe such a scene dwells within us¡­ Suddenly, he felt a hand holding his. He looked to see Polaris staring straight at the flowers but with his hand on his. It was as if he wanted to engrave the memory with a signal. The warmth of his hand only caused a wave of sadness to surge into Souhait. He held Polaris¡¯s hand tight. ¡°Polaris, do you remember the name of these flowers?¡± ¡°They¡¯re asters, are they not? A special kind that can glow under twilight, but is now extinct and only exists in the depths of the subconscious.¡± ¡°They are asters, but these kinds have their own unique name.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Their name is¨C Souhait noticed Nova slowly turning around. Now that he was facing front, he still couldn¡¯t help but to be awed at the scene. Nova being in the shot enhanced it a lot. His hair looked as if it was glowing alongside the flowers, making it look as if he were a floral deity or the embodiment of the twilight sky itself. Nova slowly approached them. Once he reached Souhait and Polaris, he grabbed Souhait¡¯s free hand. ¡°I saw everything through your eyes. Of the kind people you met. Of the unexpected companions Arcturus had made. I even saw you getting rid of Ras Leonis¡¯s soul because he didn¡¯t want his wish granted. It was like how you did with Mebsuta twenty years ago. I saw it all.¡± Nova brought Souhait¡¯s hand to his forehead. ¡°I am alright. I am not bothered by it. I just hoped that they had a wish, but we were dealt with an unfortunate hand. I am sure our next potential client from the Spirit Realm will have a wish.¡± Polaris looked at him with confidence. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡± ¡°We have all the time in the world, after all.¡± Nova bemoaned, ¡°Yes, but for humans, their time isn¡¯t infinite like ours. If they keep up their conflicts and wars, the human population will keep dwindling. When people die, their souls go to the Spirit Realm, but who knows how long it will take for those passing souls to redevelop their will and want their wish granted? Who knows how many humans would remain in another century or two? If humans are developing Shifties, they could easily become the new population of this world and with how they are powered by human souls, it would only become even more arduous for us to complete our goal. It would become a never-ending cycle of them taking souls out of the Spirit Realm and for us to have to search for them.¡± He held onto Polaris¡¯s free hand and held it to his forehead. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°One day, Arcturus would become one of those souls in the Spirit Realm. Perhaps, maybe he¡¯d get taken away from this world and be put into a Shiftie¡¯s earring. Who knows how long it¡¯ll take for him to help develop a Shiftie¡¯s soul and for us to find which Shiftie his soul was placed into.¡± He tightened his grip on both hands. ¡°I don¡¯t want that. The thought of living in a world full of man-made beings¨Cthose that do not follow the rules of this world¨Cterrifies me. That would mean, one day, we would be pushed out of Terrenter and lose our place to belong.¡± Souhait felt Nova¡¯s trembling hand. He could feel his vessel¡¯s sorrows. He understood them so well. Despite knowing how somber Nova could be, his worries were his as well. He too feared a day that they would lose their place to belong and Terrenter would belong to man-made beings. It wasn¡¯t an idea he was too keen on. Even though Kori was an example that Shifties can have wishes, he knew it wouldn¡¯t apply to all of them. Would Constance develop a wish? Would she even want it granted? However, Souhait knew they shouldn¡¯t lose hope so soon. The future could turn out different than Nova assumed. ¡°We need to keep trying, no matter what.¡± The trembling hand stopped as Nova lowered it so he was making eye contact with Souhait. ¡°No one knows what the future has in store, after all. Maybe it will turn out a lot better than we expected. Maybe there would still be more humans a century later. We just need to keep moving forward.¡± An image of Arcturus flashed into his mind. ¡°We have Arcturus, after all. His wish made it so that everyone has a wish and it is our duty to grant all of those wishes. There are still people out there who have wishes they are not aware of. We have companions we are cooperating with for conjoined goals. I can weed out those who want their wishes granted and those who do not. We can do it. I¡¯m sure of it.¡± Souhait noticed Polaris¡¯s smile aimed at him. Nova¡¯s worries seemed to alleviate as he nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right, Souhait. I just need to keep moving forward.¡± He slowly released their hands as he looked up at the sky. ¡°I want to see Arcturus. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s worried about me as I haven¡¯t woken up in three days. He¡¯s been working hard protecting my slumbering bodies from adversaries. It¡¯s time for me to wake up and thank him.¡± ¡°Remember that he needs to give you that hair clip. It¡¯s really pretty. It will suit you.¡± Polaris remarked. Nova placed a hand to the back of his head and plastered a dreamy smile. ¡°I hope it does.¡± Souhait pointed to the cottage that still had the lavender door. Nova, with wide eyes, rushed towards the building to open the door and enter. The door closed behind him shut. His hand on Polaris loosened, but he still held onto it. They were silent as they just stared at the glowing flowers and took in the scenery. Souhait noticed Polaris squatting down to take a flower from the field. It grew back into the same state it was before being plucked. Polaris attached the flower onto Souhait¡¯s hair. ¡°Gold is a color that totally suits you the best other than lavender, of course.¡± Remembering Polaris¡¯s mild case of jealousy back at the Spirit Realm, Souhait couldn¡¯t help but to chuckle. ¡°Are you trying to compete with Arcturus regarding what color accessory looks best on me? You can be such a child at times, my dear Polly.¡± ¡°Polly¡­I haven¡¯t heard you call me that in such a long time.¡± ¡°Well, it is just the two of us here now. We can be intimate when Nova is not around, after all¨Cbe our true selves, you know.¡± He let go of Polaris¡¯s hand as he took a few steps forward and turned around. ¡°Does it look good on me?¡± ¡°It looks amazing on you.¡± ¡°Then keep covering my hair with these flowers.¡± ¡°Sure thing¡­¡± They spent a good amount of time decorated Souhait¡¯s long hair with golden flowers. However, twilight didn¡¯t last long as the sky reverted back to blue, a sign that Nova had returned to reality. The golden glow diminished, reverting the flowers back to their original lavender color. ¡°Well, it was fun while it lasted¡­¡± Souhait stood up. ¡°Shall we head back?¡± ¡°Sure¡­¡± As they walked towards the cottage side-by-side, Polaris took out a flower from Souhait¡¯s hair and observed it. ¡°Come to think of it, what was the name of this flower? You were about to tell me before we got interrupted.¡± ¡°They are aster flowers.¡± ¡°Stop joking around. They¡¯re a special type of aster flower. I just can¡¯t seem to remember their name.¡± A sad smile appeared on Souhait¡¯s visage briefly before changing it to a cheerful one. He took a few steps forward and stood in front of Polaris. ¡°I am sure you will remember the name one day. We have all the time in the world, after all.¡± Polaris looked satisfied with the ambiguous answer. He decided to head back first. When the door closed, Souhait took one last glance at the aster flower field. The wind had blown back his entire length of hair, causing some of the flowers to be taken away. He grabbed onto one and took a good look at it. ¡°Polly, you will remember the name of this flower one day. After all, you were the one who named it. That day will come¡­¡± He released the flower. Once it disappeared from his line of sight, Souhait returned to the cottage. The Walking House EW 25-620 The day is almost over, yet I still can¡¯t get over the earlier events out of my mind. The way Hilbert¡¯s house flew¡­ The way DUO and I had to fend off Constance¡¯s brother bot¡­ The way we met Virgo¡­ The fact that Nova will never be safe as long as he is alive¡­ The way that I am still so lacking in many ways to protect him¡­ I had not expected Virgo to take away Kori¡¯s earring and now that she did, I feel depowered. I need to get stronger¨Cthat¡¯s why I agreed to Hilbert¡¯s offer on creating a robot suit that suits my needs. Who knows what Virgo could be doing with Kori¡¯s earring? If she is the one creating Shifties on this isolated island, that means her intelligence is on par with a Laminan¡¯s. She could have a plethora of tricks up her sleeve. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she recreated his body or even reprogram his earring so that she could spy on us. The earring on Constance¡¯s brother-bot could also even be bugged. I have to be careful¡­ When I look at Nova who¡¯s sleeping peacefully, I can¡¯t help but to wonder what he is dreaming about. I hope he has pleasant dreams where they don¡¯t involve encountering people targeting him. It¡¯s going to be three more hours until the next day arrives¨Cthe third day since Nova and I escaped that airship. However, if the third day arrives, when will he awaken? Right as the clock hits the new day? A few hours after? The morning? Afternoon? Nighttime? The fact that I am not prepared for his awakening upsets me. It¡¯s funny how humans strive to be punctual and be on the clock, when time itself isn¡¯t like that at all. Time keeps moving forward and never looks back. I feel like we are similar in some ways¡­
Arcturus¡¯s uneasiness made him stop writing. He could only sigh as he looked out the window to see an elongated metal leg treading through the snow, albeit slowly. Hilbert¡¯s house, once a flying one, was now a walking one. His running house had been a bust since the legs move slower than he had expected. He wasn¡¯t even sure where they were at anymore; all he knew was that it was taking an entire day and there was still no sign of a concrete destination. Just where are we headed? The Emerald Ocean? Can this thing even swim? He then paid attention to his surroundings inside the house. While he didn¡¯t look at anyone, he could still gather information by listening to the voices around him. All he heard were conversations, squabbles and gadgets being tinkered around. He did look up to see what Sophia and Murphy were doing and he looked away when he saw that they didn¡¯t need his help; they were cooking dinner with Bootes and Constance helping out. Arcturus then looked out the window once more. Rather than concerning himself with the location, he was looking at the sky. ¡°Are you concerned with how slow the house is moving?¡± Hilbert asked as he approached Arcturus. ¡°Not that. I¡¯m more concerned about the lack of airships in the sky. Why aren¡¯t enemies following us if they¡¯re scared and concerned about Nova? There is something seriously odd about all of this.¡± Hilbert pondered about what Arcturus had said. ¡°That is a good question¡­¡± He grabbed his phone. ¡°It seems that the government declared that they¡¯ll do something about it and are on standby until they make their next move.¡± ¡°I guess that makes sense why they¡¯re not chasing after us now.¡± Arcturus then looked at the direction of the loft room. It made having the brother-bot around uneasier for him. Esta showed up with her phone in her hand. She looked smug while showing off a video of Hilbert¡¯s flying house. ¡°We¡¯re on the news!¡± She turned up the volume. The announcer started reporting, ¡°There is footage of a flying house. This is where the Charlatan is hiding, according to Virgo¡¯s reports. He is being protected by a group of people led by none other than Asteria Leonis, the older twin sister of our Lady Mayor Bellatrix Leonis, who was once exiled from Sirius two decades ago. We believe she is leading a rebellion group seeking to overthrow her sister.¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯re not wrong¡­¡± Asteria muttered. Her sudden appearance startled Arcturus and Hilbert. ¡°I am seeking to overthrow my sister.¡± ¡°Are you planning to become mayor of this city?¡± Arcturus questioned. ¡°Not really. If my sister dies, I¡¯ll have to be the next mayor, but I plan on dissolving the mayoral system because that¡¯ll be the ultimate form of killing my entire family.¡± She slowly became excited. ¡°I plan on destroying the legacy my relatives made for this city and then take out the rest of those who are related to me by blood or marriage. Every single one of them¡­¡± Her excitement made her look vicious. She looked too excited for someone who was talking about murdering every single member of her family. It did scare Arcturus a bit. He was grateful that they were cooperating as allies; he knew she¡¯d be a terrifying adversary if they were on opposing sides. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Yet, he still knew nothing of her. He wanted to know why she was like this. It wasn¡¯t because he was interested in her romantically. He felt as if he needed to know more about her in order to get a better sense of their cooperation. ¡°Why are you so insistent on killing off your entire lineage? Wouldn¡¯t that mean you¡¯d have to kill yourself after you¡¯re done?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I plan on doing that afterwards. I am no hypocrite. I¡¯ll off myself so that I won¡¯t have to spread my blood to my offspring.¡± ¡°Why do you hate your family so much?¡± With protruding eyes, she leaned her face towards Arcturus, who leaned back. ¡°It¡¯s because I hate the fact that I was only born for the sole purpose of competing against my sister to become mayor and seek power. I hate the fact that my own mother only sees me as a tool and that my father neglected me because he was obsessed with making my mother happy. The only way to make her happy was to seek out the ultimate source of power: the power of wishes¨CNova. Mother believed that the power of wishes would be the ultimate key to making Sirius its own land and he¡¯d make her the ultimate power in the world doing so.¡± ¡°Becoming the ultimate power means that you¡¯d essentially be more powerful than Souhait, the creator of this world.¡± He had recalled that Nova would eliminate people who could not be reasoned with and it all clicked together. The reason he had killed the previous mayor was because she was unable to be reasoned with. Mebsuta¡¯s desire for power and to become the ultimate force of the world meant that wishes would no longer be needed as that¡¯s Souhait¡¯s foundation and the lack of wishes would mean they would never achieve their goal. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯d accept that.¡± ¡°Exactly. My mother¡¯s aspirations were all delusional and impossible to achieve.¡± Her eyes started protruding, giving her a maniacal visage as she continued, ¡°Day by day. Year by year. My mother took control of my life like a machine and raised my sister and me to become the perfect tools for the day this land was to become its own nation. We were to never leave the island and learn everything about the outside world through books and television. Did she care about whether we were breaking mentally? Not at all. All she wanted was to have tools who only learned how to subjugate others.¡± She sat down on the edge of the sofa Nova was sleeping on and started stroking his hair. ¡°When my father brought Nova to Sirius, it felt as if he brought in an extremely rare creature. I never saw anyone like him before. Mother started spending more time with Nova, hoping he¡¯d open up to her and have her wish granted. He only decided to grant her wish on the condition that she¡¯d let him go if doing so.¡± Out of instinct, Arcturus had grabbed Asteria¡¯s wrist to pull her hand away from Nova. While he appreciated her for using Nova¡¯s name when talking about him like he had requested, he didn¡¯t like the glint on her eyes when she looked at him. The last thing he needed was for someone to harm Nova, even if they were an ally. Asteria did not like that at all so she reached out and grabbed Arcturus by the collar and pulled him towards her so his brown eyes were staring straight at her blue ones. While her face did not express her fury, her grip did. For a petite woman, she was seriously strong, but he wasn¡¯t scared. ¡°When Mother¡­when Mebsuta died, it was shocking. We didn¡¯t expect that she¡¯d just plop dead all of a sudden. That day, Father¡­Ras had demanded an explanation on what had transpired. Nova had stated that he had to get rid of her because she was unable to be reasoned with. That¡¯s all he said. So, he was taken to the basement of our manor, which also functioned like a dungeon and was locked up there for an entire month. Ras¡¯s health worsened while Bellatrix¡¯s mental state weakened.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to hear about the details of your father and sister¡¯s conditions. It¡¯s unnecessary.¡± Asteria scoffed, but continued, ¡°One day, I came to the basement to visit. It was shocking to see Nova looking the same as he did when he first came to Sirius. Regardless, I approached him and told him that I¡¯d help him escape the basement if he were to tell me the motives for killing Mebsuta.¡± ¡°Given how I met him, he told you? That he wanted to live until the end of eternity to seek out those who wronged him? Given the circumstances, Mebsuta was probably one of those people who wronged him hence why he killed her.¡± Asteria looked shocked as her grip on Arcturus loosened. ¡°How do you know all of this?¡± Arcturus could sense a tinge of jealousy from her expression and demeanor. He had this sudden urge to keep egging it on. ¡°I promised Nova I¡¯d protect him and be his friend. He tends to open up to me.¡± It felt good knowing that Nova doesn¡¯t hide things from him and that he could use information he learned from him to his advantage. ¡°Though, the Mebsuta part is purely assumption. Given your reaction, I hit a bullseye.¡± ¡°I was told you were half-Laminan. Your intelligence is terrifying.¡± ¡°Not as terrifying as Hilbert¡¯s. Look at what he can build! He made a flying house and a walking one at that. We Laminans have yet to perfect such an invention.¡± ¡°Oh, you flatter me, Arcturus.¡± Hilbert was acting unusually coy. Asteria did not look amused with Hilbert¡¯s response. She resumed her explanation. ¡°Knowing that Nova¡¯s entire purpose to seek out those wronged him compelled me to do the same. In fact, I felt jealous that he was able to do something that I couldn¡¯t¨Ckill off my own mother in retaliation for her cruel treatment of us. Let¡¯s just say that his words motivated me to right the wrongs of my life. That¡¯s how I killed Ras, but got exiled to the mainland as consequence from Bellatrix.¡± ¡°Have you killed any other family members since then?¡± Asteria clammed up. ¡°Unfortunately, I have not as I have been prioritizing Bellatrix for these past twenty years. I think that shooting off the big target will help open up bigger paths. That¡¯s why I gathered the members of DUO. We all have the same goal: to see the downfall of Bellatrix Leonis.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Asteria decided to stop talking as she rushed to the kitchen as she wanted a snack. Arcturus processed everything she had said. While she said she was motivated by him, he knew Nova, with the help of Souhait, must have explained it in a way that he could pass off his burdens onto her while he ran off to hide in Castle Lavender. It was as if he knew she was easy to persuade. Sullenly, he knelt down and gently held Nova¡¯s hand. He could tell Nova went through a lot during his short time in Sirius. I¡¯ll be with you, no matter what. You don¡¯t need to manipulate anyone to help you right your wrongs. I¡¯ll do them with you. I¡¯ll even do them for you, if you insist. He checked the time from his bangle. Two more hours until the third day arrived. Their Destination Arcturus could feel Esta¡¯s intense gaze drilling into his soul. He felt too nervous to turn and look at her, but he had to. He slowly let go of Nova¡¯s hand so that his attention fixated on her. ¡°Can¡­I help you?¡± Esta was a woman who was as tall as him with a long blonde braid that reached down to her waist. Her eyes were an interesting shade of blue-green. He wasn¡¯t sure if they were more blue or green, but knew they were some shade of turquoise. She gave him a mischievous smile, as if she was concocting something. ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Sure¡­?¡± He was uncertain what she was going to ask, but he had a hunch it wasn¡¯t going to be a good question. ¡°What do you feel towards Nova?¡± Arcturus blinked twice before responding, ¡°Huh?¡± She repeated her question, making Arcturus even more confused. ¡°Feel?¡± ¡°Do you love him, you know, romantically?¡± ¡°Romantically?¡± ¡°Are you in love with him?¡± He tilted his head to the side, furrowing his brows as he thought about the question. He hadn¡¯t thought about love in a while. He did have a girlfriend before, but what he felt towards her was much different than what he felt for Nova. He wasn¡¯t really sure what he¡¯d describe his feelings about Nova. He didn¡¯t hate him at all. However, he found ¡®like¡¯ to be too weak of a word to describe how he felt towards him. ¡®Love¡¯ also felt too broad for him. There were all sorts of love, but if he were to say he loved Nova, Esta would take it as a romantic context, which he didn¡¯t want. His feelings towards Nova didn¡¯t feel like they were romantic, but he felt like he could fall for him if possible. There were a lot of things he liked about Nova despite only meeting him for a short while. He liked the color of his eyes. The lavender hue reminded him of the sky during sunset. Wait, I think twilight would be a better word to describe it¡­ He loved the shade of blond hair he had. He never saw anyone else with such golden hair. He knew the hair clip he had bought in the Outskirts would definitely suit him. Other than his physical traits, he liked Nova¡¯s personality. While his first impression of him had been a little poor, he sort of realized that the mischievous and peppy personality Nova had when they first met was most likely him mimicking Souhait as some sort of protection. The real Nova was a bit gloomy and aloof, but strong-willed and determined. Although he had lived for over five centuries, he could still see determination and hope in his eyes¨Ca sort of lavender fire that still sparked. Nova had an unwavering will that helped him to keep moving forward no matter how much time had passed. He just found him amazing. I think I found the right word to describe what I feel about Nova now¡­ He answered Esta¡¯s question with, ¡°Rather than love, I admire him.¡± Esta raised an eyebrow. He could tell she did not expect that answer. ¡°Admire?¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Nova is amazing. He¡¯s been through a lot in his long life yet he never falters on the path he¡¯s walking. He can grant wishes; he granted mine. As a condition, I¡¯m to be by his side to protect him, yet even if I didn¡¯t have that condition, I¡¯d still want to be by his side.¡± Esta looked disappointed by his words; Arcturus just hoped he didn¡¯t say anything odd for her to have that response. He was sure he spoke from the heart. ¡°You¡¯re not in love with him? What a bummer¡­¡± He felt a jolt of annoyance surging into his nerves. He tried his best to not express it in his face. ¡°And why is that of concern to you?¡± ¡°I need some excitement in life! Romance stories seriously spice things up! Lonely people like me need the deets!¡± ¡°Did you have some past failures in romantic experiences that made you so curious about others¡¯ love life?¡± Esta froze. She started sulking and pouting. ¡°You are surprisingly sharp¡­¡± Her reaction caused Arcturus to feel bad. He wasn¡¯t sure what to do or say in this sudden turn. He suddenly realized that he found this a good opportunity to learn about the other members of this rebellious organization. He learned about Asteria and now it was Esta¡¯s turn. Asteria did say that everyone here has some sort of beef with Bellatrix. Maybe she has some too? He asked, ¡°Does it relate to why you¡¯re a part of DUO?¡± ¡°Somewhat. The reason I joined DUO is because of someone I liked a long time ago. Alas, it wasn¡¯t meant to be. She was a soldier while I used to be a medical researcher. We lived in two vastly different worlds. One day, I got the news of her death and that was what compelled me to quit my job. I wandered around aimlessly until Marlo found me and that was how I joined DUO.¡± She looked visibly upset. ¡°Was your crush¡¯s death because of Bellatrix?¡± ¡°She was a factor in it. That¡¯s why I joined. I don¡¯t want to see Bellatrix exist. It only reminds me of my loss. That¡¯s why I support Asteria.¡± Esta walked away, hoping to be alone. Arcturus did not chase after her; instead, he began thinking. A sad realization came to him. He knew that passing souls would be in the Spirit Realm, but he also knew that said souls could be removed and be put into a Shiftie. He recalled the Monarch Shiftie he had met; she had the body of a girl named Sayaka who was the soul inside Kori¡¯s earring. That would mean one day, Esta would have to meet a Shiftie that would resemble her lost love. He wondered how she¡¯d deal with that. He went up to the loft room to check up on the immobile and inactive Shiftie lying on the ground. Like Constance, this means that this Shiftie¡¯s appearance once belonged to someone of the past¡­ He could¡¯ve been someone¡¯s family, friend or even lover¡­ Arcturus took a few steps back. He was still a bit wary of the possibility that this vicious Shiftie could activate despite not having an earring. He then turned to see Hilbert climbing up to the room. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you!¡± ¡°What do you need?¡± ¡°In a few minutes, this walking house will become a swimming one!¡± Arcturus noticed he had his phone in hand, meaning he was talking with Sara. ¡°How will this house swim?¡± ¡°Sara, activate swim mode!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Arcturus took the chance to look out the window from the loft room and saw that the legs were turning into a flat surface. It looked as if the house was on a metal surface to help prevent water from soaking the walls. They were practically on a makeshift boat of some kind. This got him worried about Nova who had motion sickness. If he were to awake, he¡¯d practically be sick. However, if they were floating on the Emerald Ocean, he wondered where they were headed. ¡°Where¡¯s our destination? The mainland?¡± Hilbert shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re going to Winterfully!¡± The reveal left Arcturus shocked. ¡°Huh?¡± The Swimming House Hilbert was definitely a genius in Arcturus¡¯s eyes; he probably was smarter and more talented than the average Laminan. It was shocking to see such a genius locked up in an isolated island of all places. If it was possible to allow more companions by Nova¡¯s side, he¡¯d definitely want to recruit Hilbert. However, that did not mean that geniuses always behaved intelligently. When Hilbert told him that they were going to Winterfully, he was confused. The name of that place wasn''t on any maps; he wonders if it¡¯s a name of one of the smaller specks of an island on the map. They weren¡¯t given names¨Cat least, from what he was told. I guess it¡¯s another case of being concealed from the truth, like how Eternally is said to be empty, but actually has an isolated city. ¡°Where is that on the map?¡± Arcturus asked as he activated a hologram map with his bangle. The map of the world was three large continents, Ilacier was on the very northernmost area and the largest. Lamina was right at the center, but also the smallest island. Plasma was in the middle in terms of size, but it was in the very southernmost area. Focusing on Ilacier, Eternally was a somewhat oval-shaped white speck on the very right, while there were tinier specks towards the left; Arcturus counted four on the map and noticed that they all varied in size. Hilbert pointed to the tiniest speck on the map. ¡°Winterfully is right there!¡± ¡°What does it contain?¡± ¡°Snow. Animals. DUO¡¯s main headquarters.¡± Arcturus furrowed his brows. ¡°Main headquarters? Your house isn¡¯t your HQ?¡± ¡°Nope! My house is just a safe place just in case we need to escape from soldiers.¡± Arcturus just nodded. ¡°That makes sense¡­¡± It made total sense why Hilbert built his house the way it was; it was the fastest way to gather a group of people and not have to worry about being surrounded or in a bad situation. It was totally a smart move. ¡°I¡¯m impressed that you¡¯re able to build such a house and conceptualize extraordinary ideas. You¡¯re a lot smarter than the average Laminan¨Check, a lot of them would be jealous of your talents.¡± Hilbert started getting shy. ¡°Oh, you flatter me¡­¡± Arcturus found this a good opportunity to butter him up. ¡°So, what made you become an inventor?¡± ¡°Well, it started with my father¡­¡± ¡°Your father?¡± ¡°He was an inventor.¡± ¡°Oh, so you got it from him?¡± ¡°I guess? But my father wasn¡¯t that talented. His idea of ¡®inventing¡¯ was to slab on different types of machinery together and hoped it worked. Some were successes, but most were failures.¡± ¡°But he must¡¯ve had passion if he kept going.¡± ¡°I guess you can say that¡­¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°What made you start inventing?¡± ¡°Well, I was just mimicking my dad for fun by putting slabs of machinery together but everything I had built were successes. My mom thought I had extraordinary talent, so she encouraged me to keep going. That¡¯s how I kept going. I was praised by various tech-savvy people and I even met Nathaniel Hope once. He even sought me out and told me to work for him once I become an adult.¡± He did not have a happy expression despite mentioning his great achievements. ¡°The more I kept going¡­the more jealous my father became. I sort of became aware that he was jealous of me, so I tried to hold back my talents. One of my inventions became a failure and it became a huge reaction in my house. My dad was happy that I had a failure in my long repertoire of successes while my mom got upset and believed that I was a failure. She pressured me to not make anymore failures while my dad insisted on me messing up more, saying that it¡¯s a part of growing up or something like that¡­¡± The more he heard Hilbert¡¯s story, the more upset Arcturus got. While his father was absent for most of his life and his mother passed away when he was twelve, from what little he could remember, parents were supposed to be warm existences towards their children; he remembered his parents had a good relationship before Arthur just up and left them one day. ¡°This obviously sullied my parents¡¯ relationship. Well, they never really had a good one to begin with. They were mainly together out of obligation rather than love. My mom had me when she was eighteen. Despite Ilacier being a country that focused more on women¡¯s rights, she was still a helpless teenager back then. My father chose to take responsibility for his own motives: one, he wanted a younger wife and two, he wanted a woman he could control.¡± ¡°Gross.¡± Arcturus murmured that word with a disgusted visage. Hilbert resumed his story, ¡°One day, my father died abruptly. My mom then told me to stop calling her ¡®Mom¡¯ as she never thought of me as her son. She needed my talents for inventing for her goals. Eventually, that¡¯s how I joined DUO as the first member.¡± It all started connecting in his head. His mother was eighteen when she gave birth. She needed Hilbert¡¯s talents in inventing for her goals. Hilbert had summarized his story, but Arcturus had already figured out a possible theory. All he needed was one more question. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, how old are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m turning nineteen at the end of Mid-Winter.¡± Arcturus¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯re only a year younger than me?¡± Hilbert chuckled. ¡°I get that a lot. I¡¯ve been told I look mature for my age even from an Ilacian¡¯s perspective. It¡¯s probably genetic because my dad was like that at my age. My appearance will stop changing once I hit twenty-five and I¡¯ll remain like this until I reach my hundredth birthday or so.¡± Nineteen years old¡­his mother was eighteen¡­add that up and you get thirty-seven¡­ He then recalled what Asteria had said about not killing anymore family members after her father. If he died ¡®abruptly¡¯, that would mean she killed him. Yet, she said she didn¡¯t kill any more family members. I guess it¡¯s because she only considers those who share her blood family? What about Hilbert? Will she kill him if she has no more use for him? Arcturus didn¡¯t want that, but realizing that shocked him. I only want him alive for his talents just like his mother¡­ While he did feel slightly conflicted, it disappeared once the house started shaking, startling him. Hilbert lost his balance and tripped frontward, but Arcturus managed to catch him before he fell flat. ¡°Careful¡­¡± Hilbert looked at him intensely before standing back up. He looked away as he straightened his clothes. ¡°Thanks for catching me.¡± Arcturus noticed he sounded nervous. ¡°You¡¯re welcome¡­¡± Arcturus checked outside to see what could be the source for the shaking. It didn¡¯t seem like the wind, so his best bet was the Emerald Ocean¡¯s waves. They started hearing some frantic voices downstairs. Arcturus wondered what was going on. As he was going to head down, Sophia came to the loft room with a worried expression plastered on her face. ¡°Arcturus, come quick!¡± Worried, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Nova¡¯s awake, but he¡¯s not feeling so good!¡± His motion sickness kicked up. That means he was awake when the house shook due to the waves¡­ Arcturus rushed down. Misfortune Magnet All Nova wanted was to return to reality¨Cto return to Arcturus¡¯s side and be able to grant people¡¯s wishes. However, luck wasn¡¯t on his side; it never was. All his life, he knew he had some sort of magnetism when it came to misfortune. Wherever he went, he always wound up in some kind of terrible situation. However, there had been some good things in his life, like meeting Souhait and Arcturus. He could tell that they were some sort of good fortune magnet for him. Despite that, their presence around them did not mean his misfortune would be canceled out. Even after resting for three days and finally waking up, he wound up having to wake up the moment he felt shaking equivalent to a ship getting caught in waves. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant feeling at all. When he sat up, nausea came to him, draining him of whatever energy he had just replenished. Your misfortune magnet strikes again. Souhait remarked. No time for commentary, Souhait. I need you to block this nausea right now. Before Souhait could respond, a man with black hair placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Are you alright, Nova?¡± Nova didn¡¯t question why this man knew his name. He saw everything through Souhait¡¯s eyes while he was asleep. While he couldn¡¯t speak to Souhait like how he does with him when he¡¯s conscious, he was still able to see and think about the people Souhait saw when he was in control of his body, when he was inside Arcturus¡¯s consciousness, and even the stuff that had transpired with Ras in the Contract Room. That was why he knew who this black-haired man was; he was Murphy Edwards. Normally, he¡¯d be hostile towards any stranger he saw, but the visions he saw during his slumber let him know Murphy was one to trust. ¡°I¡¯m not fine at all¡­¡± Nova muttered. Murphy then called for a woman named Margaret who rushed towards Nova with a small case. She opened it and handed him some medicine. ¡°Someone, get me a glass of water!¡± Margaret is Asteria¡¯s grandaunt, Mebsuta¡¯s mother¡¯s sister, despite looking nothing alike. Although she is here as a member of DUO, be on your guard. Nova refused the medicine. ¡°I don¡¯t need it¡­¡± ¡°But¨C ¡°Nova!¡± Nova¡¯s eyes widened as the familiar voice resonated in his head. He turned to see Arcturus standing from a distance. He looked absolutely relieved to see him as he marched towards him and pulled him into a tight embrace. Nova could feel his heartbeat accelerating and it was making his nausea worse. Souhait. I need you to block the nausea. Quick, or else I¡¯m going to puke on Arcturus¡¯s shoulder¡­and I don¡¯t want that. Souhait chuckled. Nova knew he was teasing him. Alright. Nova could feel the nausea slowly going away, but a numbing sensation had been replaced with it. He then noticed stares that were directed towards them; they all looked quite fascinated and gleeful towards the hug; this got him a bit embarrassed. ¡°You can let go of me now¡­¡± He whispered to Arcturus, to which he complied. Nova took the chance to get up from the couch and scanned everyone in the room. From Souhait¡¯s eyes, he knew that they were DUO and that they¡¯re all cooperating to take down Bellatrix; his own current goal is to reach her as well. He let out a smile and greeted everyone. ¡°I¡¯m Nova. I hope we all get along.¡± Margaret was the first to approach him. She offered a handshake and when he was about to accept it, Nova got tackled to the ground. The sudden attack surprised Souhait that the numbing had become undone. It turned out the person who had tackled him was none other than Asteria who had pinned him to the ground. She looked overjoyed to see him; he couldn¡¯t detect any malice from her visage or behavior. She had a wide smile plastered on her face as she dove down to embrace him. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Nova, it¡¯s been such a long time¡­¡± Compared to Arcturus¡¯s embrace, Asteria¡¯s did not feel pleasant to him. In all honesty, he wanted to avoid her. While he was grateful that she was the reason he was able to escape, he still didn¡¯t feel comfortable around her. He was wondering why she was hugging him like they knew each other for years. Oh? It seems that she actually does know your name. Before, she always called you Charlatan. It could be due to Arc¡­ Embracing her back felt too weird for him but he didn¡¯t want to tell her to back off; he didn¡¯t want to be seen as rude. His eyes wandered around until he had noticed something unusual. In the corner of the upper floor, he could see the eyes of a robotic stag peering down and making eye contact with his own. An uneasy feeling came to him; he just hoped it was the nausea from his motion sickness. From what I saw through Arcturus¡¯s eyes, that is Constance¡¯s Shiftie brother who can change into a stag. He was controlled by a red earring, but it was removed. Why is he moving? Souhait¡¯s words made Nova believe this Shiftie was bad news. However, this was a good opportunity to break out of Asteria¡¯s embrace as he roughly pushed her off of him as he got up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Arcturus asked, concerned. ¡°There¡¯s a stag staring down at me.¡± He summoned Souhait¡¯s tail and used it to grab onto the ledge of the second floor and lift himself up. However, he launched himself up a bit too fast that his head collided with the ceiling. He crashed onto the floor of the second story and clutched his head. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Arcturus asked as he rushed up the stairs with Constance following. ¡°What did you say about a stag?¡± Constance asked as she looked at where her brother was. ¡°My brother-bot is deactivated. How can he stare at you when his earring is removed?¡± ¡°But I saw him staring down at me from the upper floor¡­¡± Constance shook her head. ¡°You must be seeing things. Shifties are unable to move once their earrings are removed from their ear. There is no way that could happen.¡± Nova stared at the direction Constance was looking at; her words were truth. There was a large robotic stag lying idle on the floor. Was I seeing things? ¡°Is your head okay?¡± Arcturus asked. ¡°I¡¯m fine, really¡­¡± He felt the nausea coming. It made Nova wonder if he really was just seeing things due to nausea. Do you want me to numb you again? I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll just lay down¡­ Nova slowly descended back down. He noticed the group of people gathering around Asteria. She looked sad and pouty like a girl. ¡°There, there.¡± Esta remarked. ¡°He didn¡¯t mean to do it on purpose,¡± Marlo reassured her. ¡°Anyone would push you off of them if they had been tackled to the ground.¡± Vanessa bluntly stated. ¡°It¡¯s technically your fault for doing that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very reckless to the point of being aggravating.¡± Vanessa uttered. Nova was shocked to hear the passive-aggressive words coming from her comrades. What shocked him even more was that Asteria wasn¡¯t fighting back; she was taking it all in. He could only gape at Asteria¡¯s sudden childishness as he turned to Arcturus who had been standing next to him. He pointed at the scene in exasperation. Arcturus chuckled and then leaned towards his ear and whispered, ¡°I had the exact same reaction.¡± The way his breath tickled his ear caused Nova to cover his ear with his hand as his face started heating up. He took a few steps back. ¡°I think the nausea is getting to me¡­¡± Nova forced out a chuckle as he headed back to the couch. Once he sat down, he lost his balance as the house was caught in another strong wave; fortunately, Arcturus had caught him in time. However, his nausea started to worsen. He overheard Hilbert muttering to Vanessa, ¡°How unusual. The Emerald Ocean¡¯s waves shouldn¡¯t be this strong. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely climate change.¡± She responded with confidence. ¡°The damn wars are polluting the air and causing harmful changes to the world.¡± ¡°Yet the government still denies it.¡± ¡°Well, screw them!¡± His attention went back to Arcturus who kept asking worried questions about his state. While he did like the attention, he was unwell to be enjoying it. Someone handed tablet medicine to him. Nova looked up to see Margaret who gave him a kind smile. ¡°Take it.¡± Nova took the medicine and only stared at it. He had no need to take medicine, yet asking Souhait to numb his pain all the time didn¡¯t feel right to him either. Margaret was nice enough to give you medicine, so I suggest you just take it. Alright then¡­ He opened his mouth wide as he bit into the packaging and consumed the foil, the plastic and the tablet all in one; he wondered how long it¡¯ll take for him to feel the effects. He then noticed everyone in the room staring at him exasperated. ¡°What?¡± Grandaunt What surprised Nova the most was that medicine intended for mortal humans actually had a positive effect on him; he started feeling the effects quickly. He never realized how strong medicine could be. Maybe the current era¡¯s medicine just has stronger effects. It¡¯s amazing how tiny tablets have such strong capabilities. You consumed more than what a normal human would take. Souhait sounded exasperated at Nova¡¯s fascination for human medicine. While he was surprised, the person most surprised about the current ordeal was Arcturus. The moment Nova had finished consuming the medicine, he yelled loudly and then dragged Nova to the kitchen and had him sit down on the dining table. He then requested Sophia and Murphy to cook something for him, to which they made a simple meal of toast with purapple jam spread on top. Nova knew that all of their items were in the Spirit Realm as Souhait had stored all of them in their house; he needed to make sure to return it to them after his meal. While he had been ravenous with the medicine, that was mainly out of desperation to ease his nausea. In actuality, he was a very slow eater. Twenty minutes have passed since he started eating the toast and he only nibbled through a fourth of the bread. Arcturus had been sitting next to him, staring at him as he ate. This caused him to be nervous; he found it hard to swallow the bread when he could feel those brown orbs drilling onto him. ¡°Do you not like toast?¡± Arcturus inquired; he looked worried about his appetite. ¡°No, I like bread. I usually have a small appetite.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Arcturus seemed relieved. His eyes darted away from him and went elsewhere. With a perplexed visage, he asked, ¡°May I ask why you¡¯re sitting here, Margaret?¡± ¡°I¡¯m old. I need to sit down somewhere.¡± She replied as she darted her eyes from Arcturus to Nova¡¯s and then to the table. Silence greeted them as Nova kept eating his toast. What do I talk about? Well¡­since Margaret is here, we can talk about Ras¨Cor rather, his memories. There is something I would like to discuss with her¡­ Nova froze. You are talking about what you saw in his memories, right? I saw them too. There was something that definitely irked me¡­and I think Margaret might know the answer as she is also a member of the Leonis family. Yes¡­ This caused Nova to start taking larger, faster bites of his toast. Stuffing his face with it caused him to cough, which made Arcturus hand him a glass of water with worry. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Nova nodded. Once he had calmed down, he looked Margaret straight in the eye. Their eye contact caused her to avert her gaze from his. Arcturus took his plate away to the sink. Once he left, Nova spoke up. ¡°Can we chat? There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to discuss with you about.¡± ¡°Sure¡­¡± ¡°First off, I know you are Margaret Leonis, Carina Leonis¡¯s younger sister, which would make you Mebsuta¡¯s aunt and Asteria¡¯s grandaunt.¡± Arcturus, who had just returned back to the table, gasped. ¡°You¡¯re Asteria¡¯s grandaunt?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Asteria only keeps me around because I¡¯m her grandaunt. She likes keeping her family members close to her so they¡¯d be of use to her. She only disposes of people she deems useless¨Cthat includes family members that she doesn¡¯t acknowledge as such.¡± Arcturus looked as if he wanted to say something, but he clammed up and became deep in thought. He then got out his journal to which he started to write down as Nova continued. ¡°Second, I know you¡¯re aware of what transpired twenty years ago regarding how I killed your niece Mebsuta.¡± Margaret responded, ¡°Yes. I know.¡± ¡°I just want to let you know that I don¡¯t regret killing her.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be.¡± Nova placed a hand to his chest. ¡°As a member of the Leonis family, you must be aware of her fascination with Souhait¡¯s Lore?¡± ¡°Yes. She always talked about wanting to meet the wish-granting dragon and how she wanted to meet the person who harbored him inside. It was something that her husband Ras strived to accomplish and that¡¯s what he did.¡± Bingo. ¡°So, you¡¯re aware of Souhait¡¯s existence?¡± ¡°Yes¡­? It was a tale that Penelope Leonis¨Cmy grandmother¨Conce told me about. Mebsuta really liked the story.¡± ¡°But why aren¡¯t Asteria or Bellatrix aware of his existence? Shouldn¡¯t the stories be passed down from generation to generation?¡± ¡°Mebsuta was a possessive person. Even though she had daughters, she didn¡¯t want to pass the story down to them. It was something only she and Ras shared.¡± Arcturus hummed. ¡°So, that¡¯s why Asteria said she doesn¡¯t believe in dragons¡­¡± Nova recalled hearing that in his slumber. ¡°So, what¡¯s this conversation about?¡± Asteria asked with curiosity, startling all three chair occupants with how abruptly she appeared. ¡°Let me in on it too.¡± ¡°Well, I was going to tell Margaret about how I dreamt about Ras.¡± Asteria¡¯s curious expression instantly changed into one full of disgust. ¡°Why would you want to dream about him?¡± ¡°Souhait was trying to grant his wish.¡± ¡°You can grant wishes for the deceased?¡± ¡°All passing souls go into the Spirit Realm.¡± Nova placed a hand on Arcturus¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to him that passing souls can have their wishes granted now. However, it¡¯s a bit different there. We have to wait until a passing soul¡¯s wish manifests into them. Somehow, Ras¡¯s soul manifested a wish¨Cit was around the time Arcturus met you for the first time. Perhaps, encountering you had resonated something within Ras that caused him to have a wish.¡± ¡°And¡­? Did he grant his wish?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, Ras¡¯s wish was to be with his wife, Mebsuta. However, since we already destroyed her soul, it meant that he wanted the same fate as well, so we had to do the same for him.¡± Arcturus, concerned, asked, ¡°Does this mean you failed to grant a wish?¡± Silence beckoned the table. Nova could sense Arcturus¡¯s immediate guilt. Margaret could only gape while Asteria looked confused. Arcturus¡¯s words felt like a blade piercing through his chest. While he knew he meant no harm, Nova hated to admit he had failed. ¡°Unfortunately, yes¡­¡± He then heard Arcturus apologizing under his breath. Nova decided to keep going. ¡°However, I¡¯m not here to talk about my failures.¡± ¡°What are you here to talk about, then?¡± Asteria inquired. ¡°Despite the attempt on granting Ras¡¯s wish was a failure, it did give us something to think about. Mebsuta loved the lore, yet she had told me that she was one of the Loreseers who had written false information in order to mislead me.¡± ¡°She misled you?¡± Arcturus inquired. ¡°Her words weren¡¯t lies, but what she didn¡¯t tell me was that she was conspiring with someone to create false stories about me. There were two Loreseers acting as one.¡± ¡°She has a co-conspirator¡­¡± Arcturus became deep in thought. Realization came to him. ¡°Margaret, it¡¯s you. Isn¡¯t it?¡± Margaret wasn¡¯t surprised. Instead, she looked rather happy to be found out. It was a reaction Nova did not expect. ¡°You figured it out?¡± She only smiled afterwards. Ghostwriter Arcturus had recalled how Nova mentioned there were nine fake Loreseers who wrote nothing but lies back in Castle Lavender and that there were eight remaining because he had killed one of them. If Margaret had been conspiring with Mebsuta on writing fake information about Souhait¡¯s lore on her niece¡¯s behalf, he wondered if she was counted amongst the eight or if she was the ninth like her; he felt like she leaned towards the latter than the former. Asteria raised an eyebrow. ¡°Mislead? Co-conspirator? What are you talking about?¡± He had to explain to Asteria about who the Loreseer was and how there were fake ones trying to write down lies to sully both Souhait and Nova¡¯s reputation. Once he finished, she turned to Margaret. ¡°So, the reason you were often cooped up in your room a long time ago was that you were writing lies.¡± She then turned to Arcturus and Nova¡¯s direction. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what is the significance of you pointing this out? Why do these fake Loreseers bother you so much?¡± ¡°No one likes being fed lies, obviously. And how am I supposed to grant wishes if people misunderstand or misinterpret who I am? No wishes would definitely form from those.¡± Nova placed a hand on Arcturus¡¯s shoulder. ¡°This is why I asked Arc to write an honest log about us in order to prove that we existed and that maybe it¡¯ll be of use to motivate and influence people to develop wishes and seek me out to grant them.¡± Arcturus could feel Nova¡¯s grip tightening. ¡°And¡­I am in a bind. I originally thought of wanting to dispose of all the fake Loreseers so they wouldn¡¯t do that again, but here you are, a ghostwriter, but we¡¯re allies. I can¡¯t just kill you off.¡± ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m glad then¡­¡± Arcturus noticed that while Margaret looked relieved, she didn¡¯t sound like it. ¡°Are you really glad?¡± Realizing what he blurted out, Arcturus clammed up. ¡°He¡¯s right. There seems to be more to you than me uncovering your secret as a ghostwriter. If we¡¯re going to cooperate as allies, I want to know more about you.¡± ¡°You sure are curious,¡± Asteria remarked with a pout. ¡°So, when will you grant my wish?¡± Nova replied, ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to grant wishes right now¨Cnot in this situation. I just woke up after three days. I just want to talk to people and get to know them; that¡¯s how wishes are formed, after all.¡± Arcturus could hear a pinch of annoyance in his tone. Asteria kept pouting as she slumped against the table. ¡°Really? What a bummer¡­¡± ¡°When I am in the mood, I¡¯ll let you be the first to know.¡± This caused her to spring up. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Asteria, overjoyed, left her seat as she started skipping, which earned her a scolding from Hilbert. Arcturus did his best to hold back from laughing. He wanted to focus on Margaret who did not seem to leave her seat; it was as if she had something she wanted to say but couldn¡¯t let it out. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. She then looked him straight in the eye. ¡°Are you positive you¡¯re writing down an honest log about him?¡± ¡°I am.¡± ¡°Good¡­I¡¯ll gladly read it if it ever gets published¡­¡± She hung her head low. After letting out a few sighs, she stood up straight with her head up. ¡°If it¡¯s possible, may I issue an apology?¡± Arcturus raised an eyebrow. ¡°What for?¡± ¡°Everything bad that had happened to you during your time in the Outskirts was most likely my fault.¡± He was even more confused. ¡°What do you mean by everything bad that happened to us?¡± ¡°Well, for starters, you met Belinda Mathis, right? Both Belinda and her sister Cassandra used to be students of mine. I was originally the head of the Health Department before I stepped down twenty years ago. Belinda was the doctor at the Outskirts because she was ordered by Cassandra to keep an eye on the opposers and to find some way to keep them trapped there forever.¡± ¡°I sort of figured out she knew about Nova when I looked into her computer monitor¡­and a lady named Jennifer from the stationery store did mention that I shouldn¡¯t trust someone in the Outskirts, so I put the pieces together¡­¡± ¡°Oh, you met Jennifer?¡± ¡°You know her?¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s a shadow member of DUO, meaning she works behind the scenes as an informant.¡± Margaret pointed to Vanessa. ¡°She¡¯s Vanessa¡¯s wife. Because of their work, they haven¡¯t seen each other in the past three years.¡± ¡°That¡¯s sad¡­¡± ¡°Indeed. The current state of this city can only make people unhappy. And that¡¯s probably my fault too. I couldn¡¯t do anything to stop the downward spiral. All I wanted was to help whether it be my family or the people around me.¡± She hung her head low and clutched it. ¡°I wanted to help Mebsuta because I couldn¡¯t do so with Carina, but all I got was helping her write lies in order to divert people¡¯s attention away from Nova in hopes that she¡¯ll have him for herself.¡± A loud sigh came out. ¡°Everything bad that happened throughout these twenty years was definitely my fault. Families having to be separated, lovers having to part ways, people who opposed the circumstances being isolated¡­all of it is my fault. I¡¯m a member of the Leonis family yet I¡¯m just a powerless old lady.¡± Arcturus could hear the guilt and despair from her voice. Seeing her anguished state made him wonder if he¡¯d be like this if he continued to feel guilty over what happened to Kori. It was a miserable state that he was glad he didn¡¯t succumb to. Though, if she¡¯s in DUO, it probably means she wants to right her wrongs. I think that¡¯s admirable at her age. Nova suddenly latched onto his arm with a worried expression. ¡°What to do, Arc? The atmosphere is all tense now.¡± ¡°It sure is¡­¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Margaret stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go weep in the corner.¡± Before Arcturus could stop her, she did just that. Since he knew she¡¯s related to Asteria and Hilbert who also have their weird quirks, he wondered if everyone related to the Leonis family was eccentric. Bootes approached them and sat down where Margaret had sat. ¡°Sorry about that. My grandma does that a lot.¡± Arcturus¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Grandma? You¡¯re her grandson?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Just how many people in this organization are related to Asteria? Ran Away Arcturus realized he never had a good look at Bootes until now, so he took the opportunity to do so. He had a weary visage marked with some bags under his eyes. He had a strong impression due to his thick eyebrows, but he could see wrinkles in between them, showing off constant furrowing that matched his ghastly countenance. His jaw was half-shaven, yet his hair still looked neat. He looked as if he could keel over at any second, yet he still had a healthy color to his skin. What he had remembered from his height was that he was slightly taller than Nova, but had a bulkier body structure. His blond hair was a darker shade than Margaret¡¯s. If Margaret is his grandmother, that would make Asteria and Bootes second cousins. He wasn¡¯t sure how useful that piece of information would be. Silence greeted them. Bootes did not get out of his seat despite the silence. He looked as if he wanted to speak, but couldn¡¯t. Arcturus wondered what would be a good topic to initiate a conversation. An idea came to him when he recalled his connection with Virgo. Though, is it right for me to ask about that? ¡°You¡¯re Bootes, right?¡± Nova asked. ¡°That¡¯s quite an unusual name.¡± Arcturus glanced over at Nova. He always felt as if Nova could read his mind, which was why he was the one deciding to ask the questions he cannot. Bootes started groaning. ¡°Trust me, I¡¯ve had to correct people so many times in my childhood because they¡¯ve all called me Booties or Boots. It¡¯s pronounced Boh-tes, dang it!¡± He slammed his fists onto his table. Why do I get this inkling of a feeling that Asteria was one of those who had teased him in his youth? ¡°Who named you?¡± Arcturus asked out of his own genuine curiosity. ¡°My father. He wanted a unique name for me, so he dug through so many baby name lists and thought Bootes was the best one.¡± The tenseness he had on him started to loosen when he continued talking. ¡°However, there was one person who called me by my name properly when we first met. That was when I fell in love for the first time.¡± He looked quite happy talking about his love life. Arcturus¡¯s interest piqued. ¡°Was it Virgo?¡± Hearing her name only made him sullen. ¡°Yes¡­it was her. She¡¯s my forever love, but I ran away from her because I couldn¡¯t bear living a life trapped¡­¡± ¡°What sort of life did you live before you ran away?¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°It wasn¡¯t particularly happy. After Sophia and Murphy were taken away to the Outskirts, the first month was a little hectic. Celestina had only been a month old yet she was used as a hostage in order to tie us down.¡± He looked down. ¡°What Bellatrix wanted us to do was to try to find ways to prevent people from leaving the city whether it be through the walls or leaving the city in general. We were basically like security cameras, watching the citizens and then reporting to the military division. If there was someone trying to conspire with someone in the Outskirts or trying to leave the city without permission, the soldiers would find them and drag them back. Their punishment would either be endless torture or death. It felt wrong being snitches, yet I wanted to live¡­¡± Arcturus couldn¡¯t help but to pity him. The weariness he wore on his face was definitely from those years as a snitch. He wondered how he could bear such a job for so many years. It made him curious on what sort of wish could transpire from such a heavy backstory. ¡°Was running away difficult?¡± ¡°It was. I ran away while knowing the huge risks. I almost died twice trying to escape.¡± ¡°How did you escape?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been friends with Marlo for a very long time. We always exchanged letters to be furtive about our biggest secrets. One day, he sent me a letter about an escape route that Asteria created. It was risky, but I had to do it. I wanted Virgo to come along with me, but she refused to leave. I had to make the hardest choice to leave her behind and take the once-in-a-lifetime chance to use that escape route to run.¡± ¡°I did not peg Marlo to be the letter-writing type.¡± Arcturus was genuinely surprised. ¡°He looks frivolous, but he¡¯s a sentimental guy who likes outdated things. You saw his weapon, right? It¡¯s a crossbow, yet most of DUO wields guns.¡± Arcturus did remember Marlo holding a crossbow when they were fighting against Constance¡¯s brother. Bootes started lamenting. ¡°If only Virgo came with me that day. She wouldn¡¯t have to change herself completely. If only there¡¯s a way to free her. There¡¯s also the matter with Celestina. She¡¯s already twenty yet she still doesn¡¯t know who her real parents are¡­¡± His brows furrowed to the point that Arcturus could see a bulge of skin protruding. ¡°She¡¯s not aware of her biological parents?¡± Bootes shook his head weakly. ¡°She calls Bellatrix ¡®Mother¡¯, and believes her to be so.¡± He gritted his teeth. ¡°Damn it. She¡¯s also a Trifecta. Is she going to die without knowing the identities of her real parents?¡± All Arcturus wanted was for some way to alleviate the tense atmosphere from when he and Nova were talking to Margaret. Now, it felt as if it got heavier. He wasn¡¯t sure what to do next. What else could he talk about with Bootes? Suddenly, a tray of food had been slammed in front of him. Nothing broke, fortunately. The person who had slammed the tray rather gently was Marlo who had wanted to get his attention. ¡°Arcturus, if you¡¯re free, want to help me deliver food to Sara?¡± Perhaps, this was the golden ticket to free himself from the awkward silence. Yet, he couldn¡¯t help but to wonder if Nova would be fine by himself for a bit. He glanced over to Nova who only gave him a smile. He complied with Marlo¡¯s request, causing him to stand up and leave his seat, leaving Nova and Bootes by themselves. He just hoped nothing bad would happen during the short time frame of his absence. Storage Nova was rather nervous being alone without Arcturus, honestly. He felt as if something bad would happen if he wasn¡¯t around with him as he believed his good luck cancels out his bad luck. Right now, Bootes was silent, which made him the same. He wasn¡¯t sure what else to talk about when around him. He only asked those questions because he knew Arcturus wouldn¡¯t; normally, he wasn¡¯t good at initiating conversations and only did so out of Souhait telling him to do so. He could only look at the table and then at Bootes; he repeated this several times before being stopped by Sophia and Murphy who came to the table with an assortment of fruit. ¡°Here, have a snack!¡± Nova could hear franticness in Sophia¡¯s voice, as if they felt the tense and awkward atmosphere looming over them. Murphy handed them some water. Nova grabbed the small fork, pierced a slice of watermelon, and ate it. The juices splashed around in his mouth, but it didn¡¯t feel like it was filling him up. Bootes didn¡¯t take a fork. He just kept moping in his seat. The dreary mood continued to linger. As he kept munching on the piece of watermelon, he noticed Vanessa approaching the kitchen. She stood in front of the refrigerator and opened it, examining the contents and then slammed it shut. ¡°Guys, this is bad. We¡¯re running out of food.¡± The members of DUO present in the first floor became silent; Nova noticed they all had a horrified look on their faces. He detected that this was a very serious issue for them, which made sense to him as they needed food to survive¨Che did not. Asteria¡¯s horrified expression quickly changed into anger as she marched towards Vanessa, leaned in front of her face and yelled, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you buy more food, then? You were in charge of groceries this month!¡± Vanessa became annoyed and lashed back. ¡°We were in a hurry to gather and leave the vicinity! What makes you think I had the time to buy fucking groceries when we¡¯re on the fucking run?¡± ¡°Well, you could¡¯ve used the usual route and method to buy food!¡± ¡°Not in our current situation, you tyrannical pig!¡± ¡°How dare you call me a pig, you bear of a woman?¡± The other DUO members did not bother to stop them. They all went about with their own thing, as if their squabble was just background noise. Nova could detect that this was a recurring thing and that stopping them was futile. However, he did not like conflict, especially between comrades. It sort of ruined the fruit¡¯s flavor for him, so he put the fork down. Should I break up the fight? No need. I would like to see where the fight will go. You can be awful at times. Souhait giggled cutely as a response, which caused Nova to sigh. Speaking of which, you stored all of the food in Sophia and Murphy¡¯s apartment, right? Can¡¯t we take them all out or should our powers be kept secret? We should take them out. As Nova was about to grab the ends of his hair, Constance had attempted to interrupt the squabbling women, but they told her to butt out. This caused Sophia to become annoyed as she grabbed two spatulas and smacked them with them, one for each. ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Sophia yelled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you grown women? Why are you squabbling like little children?¡± Vanessa and Asteria were shocked by the violent reaction as they placed a hand on their struck cheek. Constance took the chance to speak up as she raised her hand. ¡°May I speak now?¡± Both women¡¯s attention was on her. Constance pointed to Nova. ¡°He has some extra food stored in his hair.¡± They both turned to look at Nova with a perplexed expression. ¡°His hair?¡± Murphy nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Sou¨CNova can elongate his hair and it¡¯s super magical to the point that it can store stuff inside.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Oh, that¡¯s right. You did all that. I sure did. Souhait sounded confident and proud. Nova faced the gazes and replied, ¡°Yes, I can elongate my hair.¡± He hesitated to touch his hair after looking at all of them. He knew they were allies fighting for the same goal, but there was a lingering doubt about someone thinking he was weird or terrifying. His goal was to grant the wishes of all living beings on this planet, so what would become of those who reject him, even if they were allies? You can do it, Nova. Show them our power and maybe it will convince them that wishes are good things. Will it really work? I trust you. Do you trust in me? Yes. Then, let us see this through to the end. Who cares if people will reject us? We can just find other ways to grant their wishes, even if it is by force. Okay. He finally grabbed the ends of his hair and slowly slid his hand down. The further he went down, the longer his hair became. The shocked gazes drilling into him were to be expected. He stopped until his hair touched the floor. His head became a bit heavier, but he did his best to not lose to the weight. ¡°I have many abilities¨C312 in fact. Elongating my hair is one of them.¡± ¡°312 abilities?¡± Esta asked with disbelief. ¡°312.¡± ¡°Why do you need 312 abilities?¡± Bootes inquired. Nova shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s just how much Souhait has. I¡¯m borrowing his powers.¡± ¡°And what are you going to do after growing your hair?¡± Margaret asked, who was no longer moping in the corner of the kitchen. Nova smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll take out all the stuff I stored in my hair.¡± He stepped on the ends of his hair and spread a few locks of hair out. He placed a hand in between two locks and a frying pan came out. ¡°See?¡± Everyone except Sophia, Murphy and Constance gaped. Nova handed Sophia the frying pan as he started taking out items one by one. He had taken out condiments, vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, utensils and even knick-knacks that the apartment had used for decoration. Did you really have to shove in the refrigerator as well? I also shoved in their washer and dryer. I¡¯m not taking those out yet. Nova stopped. ¡°I think that¡¯s all for now. I¡¯ve got other large items in my hair, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to take them out yet.¡± Vanessa, with her mouth still gaped, looked down at all the items and then at Nova who started shortening his hair by reversing his hand in the opposite direction. ¡°I think this is good¡­for like the next few months.¡± Nova gave her a small smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad, then.¡± He then stared at the group of people once again. He sensed no ill will in their perplexed expressions. He understood that they felt confused because of the extraordinary sight, but he could tell no one would think to fear him. He noticed Hilbert who no longer had a surprised countenance. Instead, he looked extremely fascinated as he approached him and grabbed his hands. ¡°You are amazing! How are you able to do that?¡± ¡°Well, I have Souhait to thank for that.¡± He looked away because he found Hilbert¡¯s glistening eyes too dazzling for him. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll be able to do the same if I get my wish granted?¡± ¡°Well, not to the feats that I can do since I am his vessel, but anything can happen if you get your wish granted.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯d like to get my wish granted!¡± ¡°Hey, get in line!¡± Asteria rebuked with a scowl. ¡°I go first!¡± Margaret was holding her back. ¡°Calm down, Asteria!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re able to do amazing things if you get your wish granted, then I¡¯d like to get mine granted too.¡± Esta remarked. Everyone started agreeing. Nova was surprised to see so many people wanting their wish granted despite not showing off much. He started thinking about people he had met in the past and the bad experiences he had met. People wanted to use him for nefarious schemes or tried to use him as a tool. He didn¡¯t know these people well, but he had a feeling they wouldn¡¯t treat him as a tool, but as a person who can grant wishes. He just hoped that they could all treat him like how Arcturus does with him. He felt so happy to the point that he felt as if he needed to show a token of his gratitude. He grabbed a few ingredients. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Vanessa asked. ¡°Let me make you all something as a token of my gratitude!¡± ¡°You can cook?¡± Asteria¡¯s interests were piqued. ¡°Of course! I¡¯ve lived alone for a long time, after all.¡± ¡°Let me help.¡± Sophia said before being stopped by Nova. ¡°I want to do this alone. I insist.¡± Nova felt bad that Sophia and Murphy were always making and preparing food for them. He wanted to be the hospitable one for a change. ¡°Alright then¡­¡± Nova stormed off to the kitchen, ignoring the sighing Souhait was doing in his head. Down The Stairs The way down to the basement was surprisingly long. The lights were on, yet he felt like the descending staircases went on forever. It had reminded Arcturus of the time he went down a long flight of stairs back in Castle Lavender. Back then it was cold and dim, this place was warm and bright. He then took a good look at Marlo who was descending down the stairs in front of him. He admired his back profile. Marlo wasn¡¯t too muscular, but had a good amount of muscle that made him look fit and buff. He wondered what sort of training regime he had done to gain such a body¨Che¡¯d love to learn. ¡°Do you work out often?¡± Arcturus asked. Marlo stopped, causing Arcturus to do the same. He turned to him with a quizzical expression. ¡°Yes.¡± Arcturus realized that Marlo might be thinking he¡¯s creepy or weird, so he tried his best to defend himself. ¡°I was just wondering what sort of training you do. I really like your body! The muscle mass seems perfectly balanced!¡± I think that came out wrong. Marlo¡¯s expression changed as he grinned. ¡°You want to train? I can give you all the pointers you need!¡± ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Arcturus felt relieved Marlo was accepting. I should change the subject¡­ He eyed the tray of food in Marlo¡¯s hands. ¡°Have you been coming down to the basement to give Sara her meals?¡± ¡°Well, I am in charge of it since I have nothing else better to do.¡± ¡°You made it seem as if you got forced into it.¡± ¡°On the contrary, I actually like doing this. It¡¯s nice to see Sara thanking me for handing me her meals and¡­well, her smile gets me through the day.¡± Under the lights, Arcturus noticed Marlo¡¯s eyes averting his gaze, his eyebrows furrowing and his lips pursing. He knew what that expression was. It was an expression that Daffodil often had around him back when they were dating. He knew she was in love with him, but he did not feel the same. He couldn¡¯t feel the same for her. Was it because of obliviousness? Even if he was oblivious, he could tell Marlo was in love with Sara. Learning this fact could only leave an unpleasant taste in Arcturus¡¯s mouth as he recalled how Sara treated Marlo when he first met DUO. She had treated him poorly and made fun of his colorblindness. He knew he shouldn¡¯t judge people¡¯s preferences, but, other than Sara¡¯s good looks, there wasn¡¯t much appeal about her. Still, I shouldn¡¯t be so judgmental. The two resumed descending down the stairs. However, Arcturus¡¯s mind was elsewhere. He started thinking about love. He hadn¡¯t experienced falling in love before, so he wouldn¡¯t understand what the feelings felt like or what triggers the reaction. However, if he were to fall in love, he hoped it would be with Nova. He never had an exact ideal type before, but if he were to describe his preferences, Nova would fit the entire criteria. However, a sense of worry came to him. Nova was immortal and he was not. Nova only looked young, but he happened to be much older than him. Would he be seen as too young in Nova¡¯s eyes? Was he a child to him? A walking amalgamation of atoms? A combined fusion of cells? He tried reaching for his bag when he realized he had negative thoughts, but he realized that both his bag and Nova were out of his reach. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. He could only sigh in response. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Marlo asked. ¡°I¡¯m just overthinking about a lot of things. No need to worry.¡± ¡°Overthinking about what?¡± ¡°This and that?¡± ¡°About love?¡± Arcturus fidgeted at the word as he started stammering. ¡°What do you mean about love? I never fell in love before!¡± ¡°Really? Don¡¯t you like Nova?¡± ¡°I admire him.¡± Marlo raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°W-what about you? You like Sara, right? It¡¯s obvious from how you talked about her.¡± This time, Marlo fidgeted as he resumed going down the stairs. ¡°Yeah, I like her.¡± Arcturus was surprised with his honesty, but also envied it slightly. He wanted to have an honest understanding of his own feelings and thoughts. ¡°Have you¡­confessed?¡± ¡°Many times, but I get rejected all the time.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well, Sara¡¯s not interested in relationships right now as she wants to focus on what¡¯s in front of her.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± It was because they had been talking and descending the stairs simultaneously that Arcturus just found out that they already reached the basement. He took a step forward and the sounds of the ocean¡¯s waves caught his attention. It had reminded him that the house really was floating on the Emerald Ocean. He wondered how deep the basement was submerged inside the waters. It was easy to breathe inside, surprisingly. He took a good look at the basement. It was furnished with metal walls. There was only one large room that had countless monitors. Some of the screens showed what was happening on the upper floors. From where he was standing, he could see Nova was elongating his hair in order to take out the stuff Souhait had stored in the apartment. Another monitor showed the immobile body of Constance¡¯s brother. Right in the middle, Sara was staring at a monitor right in front of her. It was showing her the area outside of the house. Another monitor was helping her navigate to their destination. Arcturus fully understood why she could not leave the basement as piloting this house was an enormous responsibility. ¡°Sara, here¡¯s your meal.¡± Marlo placed the tray on a table next to her. ¡°Thanks.¡± She did not look at him as her attention was fixated on the screen. Marlo just stood there and stared at her. He became nervous as he started asking her a question, ¡°So, how long will it take for us to reach Winterfully?¡± ¡°Judging from the speed we¡¯re going at, I¡¯d say around two more days.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll let Hilbert know that¡­¡± When Marlo turned around, Sara took the chance to turn her head to look at his back profile as she thanked him for the meal once more. The tone she used was the same, but it did make Marlo look satisfied as he decided to head back up. Arcturus was about to follow, but was stopped by Sara. ¡°Hold on, Arcturus. There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to talk to you about.¡± ¡°And that would be¡­?¡± Sara turned to look at the monitor, pressed a button labeled ¡°Autopilot¡± and then grabbed an extra chair for him to sit on. ¡°Have a seat. It¡¯s going to be a long conversation.¡± The Kitchens Nightmare Nova stared at the kitchen counter with all the ingredients spread out. A nervous sweat broke out. He slightly peered over to see if anyone was staring at him; fortunately, nobody was. He slowly grabbed a knife and gulped. What do I do, Souhait? I haven¡¯t cooked in such a long time! The last time I made something was porridge for Ras Leonis twenty years ago! I don¡¯t think serving porridge to them would be a good token of gratitude. Want me to teach you another recipe? Please. Follow my instructions precisely, okay? Okay. Nova followed Souhait¡¯s instructions meticulously. He was so focused on the tasks at hand that he wasn¡¯t really thinking too much on what he was making. By the time he was finished, he was standing in front of a pot of rainbow-colored curry. He wasn¡¯t really sure why the stuff he cooked would turn rainbow-colored; if Souhait was in control of his body, the food he¡¯d make would turn lavender. Rather than thinking too much about the color of his food, he was more confused about the finished product. You seriously think curry is fancier than porridge? Hey, I like curry! You just wanted to eat it, right? Nova, listen. The playful tone Souhait had became serious. Do not overthink on what is considered fancy or suitable for hospitality. Just make whatever you believe is best. Do not go overboard because the receiving party could also be burdened with it too. Souhait was absolutely right. Nova did overthink. He hadn¡¯t been with people for so long that he had forgotten what it meant to be casual around them. He covered his face with his hands and let out a deep sigh. ¡°Are you alright?¡± The voice startled Nova that he turned around to see Vanessa looking at him worried. He quickly slammed the pot shut with the lid and told her he was fine. ¡°I saw that.¡± He panicked and then stammered, ¡°I assure you it tastes great even if the color is bizarre as heck.¡± His voice was a whisper in order to not reveal the surprise to the others. I may not be a great cook, but I won¡¯t let anyone slander the efforts that you put into helping me. Nova¡­ Nova felt his own heart skipping a beat, which was what Souhait was feeling. Vanessa scanned the kitchen. ¡°You didn¡¯t make rice.¡± Fuck. ¡°I guess I was so focused that I forgot to make some.¡± ¡°Want me to help?¡± ¡°Could you?¡± ¡°Yeah, grocery shopping was supposed to be my duty, so restocking the food with your magic hair really helped me out. Think of it as a token of gratitude.¡± Vanessa was fast in scooping up some rice, washing it, and then putting it in another pot to heat it up. As she closed the lid, she confidently explained, ¡°The secret to making good, fluffy rice is getting the amount of water right.¡± She put her hand upside down and used a finger to press it against her other index finger. ¡°You have to make sure the rice gets up to half the fingertips.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite knowledgeable about cooking rice.¡± ¡°Well, my wife Jennifer is a good cook. I learned a lot from her. Too bad I haven¡¯t tasted her cooking in so long¨Cin fact, it¡¯s been so long since I last saw her.¡± Nova detected genuine longing from her voice and body language. Her eyes looked sad and it made him feel bad despite not doing anything to her. It must have hurt for her to not be able to see the one person she dearly loved for so long due to her role as a shadow member of DUO. It also sparked some curiosity within him; he wanted to know how Vanessa became a member and how she got up to this point.Stolen story; please report. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind telling me, how did you join DUO?¡± His question caused her to scowl. ¡°I was forced to join¡­by her.¡± She pointed to Asteria who was just walking past the kitchen and stuck her tongue out in retaliation. ¡°You don¡¯t like each other, yet you still joined?¡± Nova was quite surprised. ¡°She tricked us, so we were forced to join¨CJennifer and me.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Well, I knew Asteria for a very long time. She was a neighbor of mine where she had stayed with her then-husband and son. She always looked like she was planning something with the way her eyes always shifted and was quick on her feet whenever someone tried talking to her, whether it be her own husband or son.¡± I did hear about Hilbert¡¯s words about how Asteria didn¡¯t have a happy marriage and that she killed her husband once she got an opportunity to do so. Vanessa continued, ¡°One day, Asteria came to my house exhausted and battered and pleaded for our help. When Jennifer and I went to see what was wrong, it turned out that she wanted us to be her accomplices in helping her get rid of her husband¡¯s corpse. When we told her we couldn¡¯t do it, she burned our house.¡± Both father and daughter had this weird obsession with arson, especially burning someone¡¯s house down. ¡°Why was she so insistent on wanting you to help her?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Vanessa quickly shifted her focus to see if Asteria was around the kitchen. When she learned she wasn¡¯t around, she leaned closer to Nova. ¡°Don¡¯t tell her this, but it¡¯s because she needed help from a doctor, but neither of us were not specialized in human bodies. We were both vet technicians, but not actual doctors¨CI was studying to become a veterinarian. She wanted our help because she didn¡¯t want the help of other doctors. Asteria also made sure we lose our jobs by spreading weird rumors. So, we were sort of forced to help her and that¡¯s how we became members of DUO begrudgingly.¡± Nova became upset. He knew Asteria wasn¡¯t a truly good person due to her upbringing and her blood, yet he had an inkling of hope that she would turn out different from them. He had held onto that belief because she was the one who saved him that day. Learning about how Vanessa and Jennifer became members of DUO shattered all of those wishful thoughts. She was no better than them. Normally, in this situation, I would tell you to calm yourself down, but I am as furious as you are. He stomped towards Asteria as he called out to her. While she looked excited to be called by him, he raised a hand in an attempt to slap her, but was stopped by Marlo. ¡°What the hell are you doing to our leader?¡± Nova glared at him before glaring back at Asteria. ¡°Why would you terrorize an innocent couple just so they could be your accomplices?¡± Asteria was neither surprised nor shocked by his actions. All she said was, ¡°That¡¯s what it means to have power. It means to subjugate those you want it to use it towards. My mother taught me that. If I want someone to follow me, do it by force. That¡¯s what I did¨Csubjugation.¡± ¡°Why them?¡± ¡°Because they lived across the street. Had it been someone else, I¡¯d do the same.¡± ¡°You are no better than your parents. In fact, you are just the same as your father¨Csomeone who only hurts people to get what they want. While Ras¡¯s actions were all for Mebsuta, your actions are for your own selfishness.¡± Asteria glared as she raised a hand and was about to slap Nova but was stopped by Marlo who used his free hand to stop her. ¡°Hey, no violence! We¡¯re all allies here!¡± ¡°Never compare me to that man¡­¡± Asteria¡¯s voice went an octave lower than her usual tone. Nova did not waver from that icy glare. ¡°Both of your parents are dead because of their selfishness. The same fate will happen for you¨CI¡¯m very certain of it.¡± ¡°Liar.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t lie.¡± Nova wasn¡¯t in the mood to grant wishes, but he wanted to know if hers would lead to the same fate as her parents. He needed to know, so he reached a hand out towards her. ¡°Take my hand, then. I¡¯ll grant your wish.¡± Asteria was eager to do so, but before their hands could touch, Nova pulled back as he clutched his chest. An abrupt sharp sensation throbbed at his heart. His heartbeat became rampant. It was as if something was trying to pull his heart out. He fell to his knees as he kept clawing at the pain. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Margaret was at his side trying to help him calm down by telling him to regulate his breathing. ¡°It hurts¡­¡± ¡°Someone, go get Arcturus right now!¡± Esta yelled. Souhait¡­what¡¯s going on? This sensation isn¡¯t like anything we¡¯ve felt before¡­ Nova¡­ Polaris has told me some grave information¡­ Souhait¡¯s voice was full of dread, which could only worry him further. Out with it¡­ The reason you are in great pain right now¡­ Before he could get an answer, Nova heard an erratic noise approaching him so he used his tail to knock the approaching presence away: it was the supposed immobile Shiftie, 541-STG, functioning without an earring. A Possible Request Arcturus had sat down on the chair, but Sara wasn¡¯t talking. She looked lost in her thoughts. He wondered what it was she wanted to say to him. He felt a little impatient as he looked at the monitor to see Nova in the kitchen. He had no idea Nova could cook and it made him want to go upstairs to help out and to try his cooking. Sara then cleared her throat. ¡°Arcturus, may I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Sure¡­?¡± ¡°What do you think about this house?¡± Arcturus¡¯s eyes glistened as he thought about how amazing Hilbert¡¯s house was. ¡°It¡¯s incredible! It can run, fly and swim! Hilbert is clearly a genius and he¡¯s younger than me! It¡¯s such a shame that his talents are confined to an isolated island like this. If he¡¯s able to spread his wings, I could see him overtaking Nathaniel Hope in a decade or so¡­¡± He became surprised at how much he was fawning over Hilbert. While he also admired Hilbert, it was a different kind of admiration he held for Nova. For Nova, he admired his will to keep on living and how he¡¯s able to grant wishes. It made him want to protect him. It made him want to stay by his side for as long as possible. His admiration for Hilbert was something much different. It was something similar to how he felt about his friends back home. It was a feeling of wanting to know more and wanting to be with him, but also wanting to maintain a safe distance and not overstep any boundaries. He peered over at Sara to see her looking at him as if she was going to cry. This made him panic. He left his bag upstairs, so he didn¡¯t have a handkerchief or a tissue for her to use. Sara seemed to notice as she wiped incoming tears and held her head back. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Arcturus asked. ¡°Yes. Sorry about that. I was getting emotional over someone praising Hilbert.¡± She took off her glasses before putting them on again. ¡°Hilbert didn¡¯t have the best childhood growing up as he had an inventor of a father who wasn¡¯t that successful and his mother never really cared for him as she preferred keeping to herself rather than spend time with her own son.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, are you a relative or something of the sort? You sure know a lot.¡± ¡°I was a neighbor who used to be his babysitter at times. Hilbert would often tell me stories about his parents. It did break my heart that the kid grew up with parents that didn¡¯t care too much for him. However, on the day Asteria killed her husband, she disappeared with Hilbert and she also burnt another neighbor¡¯s house down in the process. The whole incident was the talk of the town for a while. I was sixteen when that happened.¡± ¡°How old was Hilbert?¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Sara started thinking. ¡°It¡¯s been twelve years since then, so I guess he was around eight or nine at the time.¡± ¡°Twelve years?¡± ¡°Two years after that incident, Asteria showed up at my house one day. She was persuading my parents about a special job offer that she believed would be the best fit for me. While I was a college student at the time, she did say that the job allowed me to juggle school and work freely, but I had to stay with her because of it. This was beneficial on my part because the commute to school was quite far from my house and I thought the extra money would help both my family and me. So, we accepted the offer without giving it too much thought.¡± Sara leaned forward. ¡°Asteria has quite the silver tongue, so don¡¯t fall for her words. Ever.¡± It¡¯s not like I do¡­ She leaned back and continued, ¡°Anyways, the job Asteria wanted me to do was to do double duty as her secretary and be Hilbert¡¯s nanny. It wasn¡¯t a bad job. She paid me well and I got to spend time with Hilbert. However¡­the experience got me thinking about something that persists today.¡± ¡°And that is¡­?¡± Arcturus raised an eyebrow out of curiosity. ¡°I got involved in this family drama unwillingly, but if there is something I desperately want, it¡¯s for Hilbert to be able to live apart from his mother and have his talents be shown to the world. He¡¯s just too good to be cooped up on an isolated island like this. ¡°I honestly agree.¡± Sara also hung her head. ¡°I also want Asteria to live a life where she isn¡¯t so fixated on killing her family. She¡¯s a pretty lady with many talents, yet she chose one where she will have a bad end. Staying with them for so long, they¡¯re like family to me. I want them to be happy, but for them to achieve that happiness, they have to be apart from each other. That¡¯s when I think I¡¯ll finally be able to find some peace and think about my own future.¡± She lifted her head up. ¡°Arcturus, can you help me with this request? If you and Nova are going to go around to grant people¡¯s wishes, please take Hilbert along. If that boy goes around to see the world, he can expand his horizons and be the person he is meant to be. That way, I can finally be at ease.¡± Her request made him feel as if some sort of pressure was weighing on him. Arcturus could tell Sara never discussed this with anyone. It wasn¡¯t his place to accept such a request¨Cthat was Hilbert¡¯s duty. Yet, at the same time, he didn¡¯t want to refuse because he was curious to see how far Hilbert would go with his inventions. He cleared his throat. ¡°That¡¯s not for me to decide. You¡¯re going to have to discuss that with Hilbert. I can¡¯t just force someone I barely know to leave a place they¡¯re all too comfortable with. What if Hilbert doesn¡¯t want to leave?¡± Sara slowly averted her gaze. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­you¡¯re absolutely right¡­¡± He could tell she asked that request out of desperation. She looked absolutely tired, yet she was still doing her best to keep on piloting this house. He wondered where she slept because he saw no traces of a sleeping bag or any type of furniture. He just kept silent. Suddenly, he lifted his head up as he heard erratic noises from the upper floor. He took a good look at the monitor and saw that Nova was kneeling on the kitchen floor and looked as if he was in pain. Not only that, Murphy barged into the room he was in. ¡°Arcturus, Nova is in trouble!¡± Those words caused him to run swiftly past him and dashed up the stairs as if he was floating. All he could think about was how Nova needed him right now. As he reached the ground floor, his eyes widened at the sight of Constance¡¯s brother-bot functioning without an earring; he wasn¡¯t the only one shocked. Functionally Impossible A myriad of questions and theories plagued Arcturus¡¯s mind, but he was able to find a middle ground in the midst of these intrusive thoughts; going to Nova was his top priority. Fortunately, Constance was the first to lunge at her brother, which allowed Arcturus to dash towards Nova and check on his condition. ¡°Are you alright?¡± He whispered to the pained Nova who was clutching his chest tightly. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Nova slowly opened his eyes and gripped his arm. He tried saying something, but it was inaudible. While he wanted to know what he was saying, Arcturus knew it wasn¡¯t a good time. He scooped Nova into his arms and moved away from the Shifties so that they would not get hit by them. Constance was busy deflecting attacks made by her brother. When she found an opening, she pushed him down and pinned him to the ground. ¡°Brother, how are you able to change back into your human form? How are you functioning without an earring? 541-STG normally wore a stoic expression, but Arcturus could see his lips curling to form a grin. He then used his strength to push his sister off of him; he stood up and remained idle with that grin plastered on his face. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m controlling your brother-bot!¡± The voice belonged to him, yet he spoke as if he wasn¡¯t himself. ¡°You know who I am! Virgo Edwards! The person in charge of Shiftie creation in Ilacier!¡± He placed a hand to his chest to show a sense of confidence that felt out of place for a Shiftie without free will. ¡°How is this even possible?¡± Hilbert remarked as he was the most perplexed in the room. ¡°Shifties can still function without earrings as long as it¡¯s not destroyed¨Cthat¡¯s common knowledge. However, there is a deeper, more confidential secret about them that only the creators know.¡± ¡°What would that be?¡± Virgo started pondering. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should tell you, but since you all are not going to survive, I might as well. In addition to earrings, Shifties have cores that are attached to their heads. If an earring is like a heart, the core is like a brain. Destroying both earring and core signifies a Shiftie¡¯s true end. Only destroying one of them still makes them alive.¡± Arcturus had thought about Kori. A small candle lit up in his mind. That would mean Kori would still be alive as his. All of the guilt and grieving he had for his fallen companion had been for naught, but he didn¡¯t regret doing so. Despite how bright the candle was, the uncertainty was much more vast than it could illuminate. He hadn¡¯t seen Kori¡¯s core destroyed, but he knew for a fact that Virgo most likely made him a new body with a new core but with the same earring. He then thought about the Monarch Shiftie and all of their robotic adversaries he had to get rid of. His worries were mainly directed towards the Monarch. He worried about the possibility of her still being alive as he hadn¡¯t seen her core destroyed. He just hoped there would be nothing to worry about regarding her as her earring was in their possession. ¡°Hey, Constance, is that true?¡± Hilbert looked in disbelief.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°I¡­wasn¡¯t aware of this¡­¡± Constance herself was shocked. Arcturus realized it made sense why this newly revealed weakness was never revealed. Shifties were made to be perfect, so if people learned that there was another weakness in addition to the earrings, they wouldn¡¯t be considered such anymore. However, he wondered what would cause a core to be destroyed because he knew for a fact that destroying one wouldn¡¯t be as simple as removing and smashing an earring. ¡°Of course not. This is confidential information that creators never tell to others¨Ceven to their own creations. In fact, Nathaniel Hope from Hope Corporation even said to keep this a secret and those who know should be eliminated.¡± ¡°Bitch, you told us on purpose!¡± Esta got out her gun; everyone else got out their weapons. ¡°Indeed.¡± Virgo got into a fighting stance. ¡°Either the Charlatan comes with me or you all die. Pick a choice!¡± That question was directed to Nova, yet he still looked too much in pain to utter a response. Arcturus held onto him tightly and glared at her. Virgo made eye contact with him, so she used her host¡¯s body to dash towards him. She lunged, grabbed Arcturus by the head and smashed it against the wall behind it. The pain caused him to let go of Nova who fell onto the floor. The shock of the head trauma immobilized him. Virgo let go of him as she approached Nova and knelt down. She hummed. ¡°So, that¡¯s how bad you get when a wish is forcibly reversed?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Arcturus winced in pain. The more he spoke, the more painful his head felt. He wasn¡¯t sure how long it would take for him to recover. Virgo made eye contact with him. ¡°That Ally Shiftie whose earring you carried around? There was some sort of purple insignia on it, so we got rid of it.¡± The pain was affecting Arcturus¡¯s thoughts, so he couldn¡¯t express his shock at the revelation that Kori had a wish and that it was reversed. The lingering flicker of hope he had for a small, miniscule possibility of Kori being alive was blown away. Wish reversal meant death¨CKori was no longer alive. Do those rules apply to Shifties? Is Kori really dead? What have I been doing, not realizing this until now? ¡°Who¡¯s ¡®we¡¯?¡± Marlo inquired. Vanessa retorted with worry. ¡°Don¡¯t egg her on! She might want to kill us if we keep learning things we aren¡¯t supposed to!¡± Nova groaned as he slowly lifted his head. ¡°So¡­Ri really is the Invader¡­and she¡¯s on this island¡­¡± ¡°Want to meet her? Then come along with me!¡± Nova refused. ¡°The last thing I want is to come along with you. If I want to meet her, it¡¯s by my own doing. Besides, I only go if Arc comes along with me, but you probably wouldn¡¯t like that.¡± ¡°We only want you and no one else.¡± ¡°I refuse. Arc and I come together and even if you want us to come together, I refuse to come with you.¡± ¡°Well, then, I¡¯ll just have to eliminate everyone in this room then.¡± ¡°No. This is between you and me only.¡± Nova summoned Souhait¡¯s dragon tail and wrapped it around the robotic body tightly. He then stretched his tail out so that the Shiftie was out of the house through the hole he had made earlier. He slowly stood up and then followed his tail into the hole, leaving Arcturus behind. Constance had yelled and then followed Nova out. Arcturus could only reach a hand out but the sharp pain on his head was too much. All he thought about was how he wanted to help Nova, but his head kept getting dizzier until he blanked out. A Crack In The Sky Kori had wondered why his Realm of Desires had been a peaceful snow land. His only association with snow was that his hair was often compared to it due to the pure white color. He turned around to look at the footprints he had left in the pristine snow. It did feel like a waste to soil it, but he liked seeing it. Walking through the vast snow was all he could do as he had no body to return to. All he could do was traverse through the winter wonderland or close his eyes and observe the real world through his missing earring. He had seen Arcturus traversing through the outskirts and also meeting DUO. It was nice seeing him gain more people around him. A sense of relief came to him, but it washed away the moment he also remembered that he was no longer in Arcturus¡¯s safe hands, but in the possession of Virgo¡¯s. When he closed his eyes, he could see what she was doing. She was creating a new body for him and it was identical to his previous one in appearance. His body type information was logged into his earring, so it was inevitable that it could be recreated if given the opportunity; however, recreating a new body would mean he would get a new core. A sense of dread came to him. He never knew what would happen if a Shiftie got a new body¨Che was never taught this as his creator wouldn¡¯t expect that he¡¯d destroy himself. All he could do was feel anxious for what would result in this. Would his memories be replaced? Would he not become himself? Despite that, a sense of curiosity came to him. If he got a new body, this would mean he would be able to reunite with Arcturus in the real world. He wouldn¡¯t have to sit back and watch his friend go through trials and tribulations anymore. Most of all, if he were to return to reality, he could start over with Arcturus and Nova¨Che could just be their friend and not just a Shiftie to them. A light feeling came to him. He wasn¡¯t sure what this feeling was, but it was a pleasant one. It was as if he wanted to just leap towards the sky with a smile on his face. Kori looked up to see a huge crack in the sky. It was as if his Realm of Desires was going to be destroyed at any given second. He closed his eyes once again. Other than Virgo, he saw a very unfamiliar woman staring down at his earring. She had pink hair styled in a bob and cerulean blue eyes. She placed a hand over his earring and that was when he heard her whisper something inaudible. He could feel a force in his body trying to remove something from him as if he was being washed from head to toe. When he lowered his head and opened his eyes, he saw Sayaka staring at him with a bewildered expression. He could read it well; she was shocked about how a wish could be revoked and how he was willing to return back to reality. ¡°All that you did on the airship would be for naught if you returned back to reality!¡± As he recalled everything he had said to her back on the airship, he whispered, ¡°I know¡­¡± ¡°I thought you wanted to prove you aren¡¯t perfect! You chose to die for Arcturus! Yet, you have the audacity to be excited at the thought of returning back to reality?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I feel this way that I¡¯m not perfect.¡± Kori clutched his hand to his chest. The light, airy feeling from before was replaced with a murky feeling that was growing. ¡°This is selfishness. I now know what this feels. I¡¯m selfish and contradictory. I say and do one thing, but I then retract them.¡± It was a foreign feeling that he didn¡¯t like. ¡°I can see why Nathaniel Hope didn¡¯t give us free will. Having this feeling isn¡¯t pleasant at all.¡± Sayaka continued, ¡°Think about Polaris and Souhait. They¡¯re working hard to grant wishes of all living beings in the world. They told me many things about how their progress had been slow on purpose because of Nova¡¯s aversion to humans yet they still need to go on their mission. It¡¯s a long and arduous process and if you return to reality, their progress will be hindered once more.¡± ¡°I¡­I still want to go.¡± Kori had made his decision and did not want to regret it. Before Sayaka could try to get him to reconsider, Polaris showed up next to Sayaka. Because Sayaka and Kori were both short, Polaris looked very tall in comparison. ¡°Let him do as he wants.¡± He remarked. ¡°There is honestly nothing we can do to stop this.¡± ¡°Polaris!¡± Sayaka was shocked. ¡°To be honest, this sort of situation has never happened before. Not even Souhait and I are sure what will result from this. This is why I want to relay a few messages from him to you.¡± ¡°Messages?¡± Kori was intrigued about what they could be. ¡°But before I do so, there is one question I¡¯d like to ask you.¡± ¡°That would be¡­?¡± ¡°Is the person reversing the contract a woman named Ri Kuma?¡± Kori closed his eyes to see a glimpse of his current location in reality. No one referred to the woman by a name, only calling her titles like ¡®ma¡¯am¡¯ or ¡®miss¡¯. He opened his eyes and tilted his head to the side.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Polaris then asked, ¡°What does she look like?¡± ¡°She has pink hair styled in some sort of bob cut and has cerulean blue eyes.¡± Polaris¡¯s eyes widened as he placed a hand to his chin. ¡°Cerulean blue eyes¡­ I¡¯m certain she¡¯s the one. One more question: is her voice shrill?¡± ¡°All I could hear from her are whispers as if she¡¯s chanting something.¡± Polaris nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Who is she?¡± Sayaka asked. ¡°The person reversing the wish contract is most likely a woman named Ri Kuma. However, that isn¡¯t the name we know her by as she never gave us her name. We suspect that this woman is the Invader, someone from another world who came to this one to seek the power of the wish-granting lavender dragon. For what purpose? I don¡¯t know. However, she is a dangerous person and the reason Master Nova and Souhait have been isolating themselves for a very long time.¡± Sayaka raised an eyebrow. ¡°Just how dangerous is this woman?¡± Polaris stared straight into her eyes. ¡°She is the only person in this world who can kill Master Souhait and the reason why he resides inside Master Nova¡¯s body.¡± Her expression contorted into one full of worry. ¡°Souhait is the creator of this world and immortal. To think there¡¯s an actual weakness for him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a small secret that no one else knows because the thought of having someone from another world is a very foreign concept.¡± ¡°You do make a good point¡­¡± Kori stared at the sky. The cracks have increased in size. He then stared straight at Polaris. ¡°What are the messages you have for me?¡± He wanted to hear them right away. Polaris replied, ¡°The first message is to not worry about Arcturus. If there is a chance that he would lose his life with what¡¯s currently happening on his side, Souhait will do everything he can to revive him.¡± When Polaris said that, Kori felt as if he had gotten lighter. His chest didn¡¯t feel heavy. He mostly felt a sense of relief. All he wanted to right now was to exhale; he now understood why humans did such things when feeling relieved. Polaris continued, ¡°And for the second message¡­Souhait says, ¡®We will meet again in reality¡¯.¡± He gave him a sad smile. ¡°Souhait himself doesn¡¯t know if you will return to reality as this has never happened before, but he is taking a gamble. If you are alive, he wants you to come find him if possible and he¡¯ll grant you your wish.¡± Hearing those words made him feel something indescribable. He wasn¡¯t sure what it was specifically, but he was happy that Souhait was supportive of his decision. It made him want to keep hope that he would return to reality alive. ¡°I¡¯ll find you, no matter what.¡± Polaris kept smiling. He then told Sayaka that they should be returning to the Spirit World as the cracks in the sky grew even bigger. Before they could leave, a blizzard seeped out from the cracks, shrouding everyone in pelting snow. Kori couldn¡¯t see what was going on; he stood his ground so he wouldn¡¯t be blown away. He could no longer see the recognizable black hair of Sayaka¡¯s and Polaris¡¯s green outfit amongst the white snow. When he looked straight at the snow, it looked as if it was trying to erase his realm. In the midst of the pure white, he noticed something erratic. He could see something red heading his way. His eyes widened when he saw Arcturus frantically trying to reach him. He reached a hand out towards him and Kori took it. However, the wind was too strong for either of them to be able to pull the other towards them. All he could do was grip Arcturus¡¯s hand tightly as it could be the last time he had the chance to do so. Arcturus tried saying something to him, but the wind pressure caused his voice to be inaudible¨Cnot even his ears could detect what he was saying. Kori could see worry and desperation on his face and wondered if Arcturus learned about his current situation. He wasn¡¯t sure if his voice could be heard through the wind, but he just hoped his words could reach through. He started blurting out everything helpful to Arcturus. ¡°Arc! The person doing this to me is a woman with pink hair and cerulean blue eyes! She is the one who can reverse Souhait¡¯s wishes! Polaris said that she could be Ri Kuma, a woman they call the Invader! She is someone who can kill Souhait as she¡¯s from another world!¡± The worried and desperate look on Arcturus¡¯s face slowly changed into a serious one, as if he was taking in the information Kori was telling him. While he wasn¡¯t sure if that truly wasn¡¯t the case, he kept going. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll be alive or if I¡¯ll be myself again! I want to let you know that there is a possibility that we can meet again! I¡¯m sorry for making you go through tough times after my sacrifice and have it be for nothing! I know you are aware I was alive because you¡¯ve been taking care of my earring! Thank you for taking care of my earring preciously!¡± He could feel bits of snow pelting the skin underneath his eyes. Then, more started pelting his eyes, causing him to shut them quickly before slowly opening them back up. He could feel the instantly melting snow trickle down from his eyes. The blizzard got even stronger. He could feel his grip on Arcturus¡¯s hand slowly loosening. Frantically, Kori continued with his rambling. ¡°Arc! I¡¯m positive we will meet again! When we do, I want to help both you and Nova on his mission of granting all living beings in the world! Souhait said that we would meet again if I am to be alive!¡± His hand was slowly being pulled away. He could feel his touching Arcturus¡¯s. He didn¡¯t want to let go, but nothing was in his favor. One more thing! I need to say one more thing to him! ¡°Arc! Thank you for everything!¡± He was fully blown back Arcturus¡¯s scarlet hair was shrouded by the white snow. He closed his eyes, wondering where it would take him. When he came to, he found himself in a black void reminiscent of how his soul was first developed through Sayaka¡¯s. Does this mean I have a new human soul powering up my new body? He scanned the vicinity, but didn¡¯t see anyone. ¡°Who are you¡­?¡± A voice called out to him from behind. It was a soft voice, yet it made him shocked like a loud, thunderous one. He slowly turned around to see someone who looked identical to him¨Cthe only two differences between them was that the boy in front of him had human ears and their clothes were much different. It was as if he was looking into a mirror. The face, hair and eyes looked the same. ¡°Why do you look like me?¡± Kori asked. The boy just let out a chuckle. ¡°I should be asking you that.¡± Kori was speechless because the boy¡¯s voice sounded identical to his. He found himself being less concerned about his surroundings or pondering about whether he was still alive. A Winter Night Surrounded By Emerald Waves Once they reached the rooftop, Virgo unfurled the tail with ease and jumped down so she was standing across a distance from him. Nova absolutely knew fighting on the rooftop was a terrible idea. He hated being cold, but he also didn¡¯t want the others to be harmed. While he knew being up here would cause less casualties, it was a terrible idea because the scent of the salty ocean air was slowly affecting him. His motion sickness was already bad, but the seasickness made it worse. You¡¯re going to have to numb my senses, Souhait. I can¡¯t fight if I am constantly wanting to vomit. Sure thing. He slowly felt his entire body feeling numb. He no longer felt the cold air tickling his skin nor could he smell or taste the salty air. He found this perfect as he didn¡¯t have to worry about his internal obstacles for now. He got into a fighting stance as his bare hands and feet turned draconic and his tail hung around in the air. He had been expecting Virgo to do the same, but all she did was cross her arms. ¡°We don¡¯t have to fight.¡± ¡°What are you spewing?¡± Nova inquired. ¡°At the end of the day, your goal is to meet with Bellatrix, right? Why not just come with me? You can also bring that red head with you. It¡¯s easier if you just comply with my offer. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want this house getting destroyed even more nor do you want any human casualties.¡± ¡°I refuse.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Her voice sounded confused. ¡°I¡¯m tired of being forced upon things against my will. The final straw was Ras burning my house down. No more will I let people force me to do things. If I am going to do something, it¡¯ll be all by my doing. I¡¯ll go to Bellatrix on my own without the need for people to take me there. Who knows how long it¡¯ll take, but I want to do things at my own pace¨CI have all the time in the world, after all.¡± He was tired of being forced to be taken somewhere by someone who wanted his powers. No more will he let others decide his destination. He would take his own path at his own pace. Virgo just scoffed. ¡°If you aren¡¯t going to comply, then I¡¯ll just force you to come.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be terrible at taking ¡°no¡± for an answer, Virgo.¡± Asteria jumped out from the hole and was prepared to fight her old friend with her trident in hand. ¡°Why are you here, Asteria? This is my fight alone.¡± ¡°I got my own reasons for being here.¡± Constance was next to jump out of the hole and landed on the roof. She stared intensely at what her brother-bot had become. She clenched her fists. ¡°Virgo, I want you to stop possessing my brother this instant!¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want to!¡± Virgo responded in a condescending manner, making her seem childish. ¡°Why are you doing this? Don¡¯t you care about what your parents and Bootes think about all of this?¡± ¡°I honestly don¡¯t care what they think of me. Not anymore.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you ever think about them? Do you ever miss them?¡± Virgo just growled. ¡°Shut up! This is why Shifties having free will is so unpleasant!¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Why do you hate us having free will so much?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because¨C Virgo was interrupted by Asteria who lunged herself at her. She dodged by jumping and landing back on the roof. Nova was amazed with how she did a backflip in the air before landing. ¡°What the heck?¡± Virgo was flabbergasted. ¡°Enough chit-chat. I¡¯m getting rid of you once and for all.¡± ¡°Wait, that¡¯s my brother-bot she¡¯s controlling! Hurting Virgo means you¡¯re going to hurt him!¡± Asteria turned to her. ¡°And?¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®and¡¯?¡± ¡°Your brother has no free will and is being controlled by his creator. Do you really think someone like that is worth saving? Who knows how long it would take for him to develop one and if he does, how will he deal with it?¡± ¡°I could teach him.¡± ¡°I seriously doubt that.¡± Didn¡¯t Asteria agree to be a bit more respectful towards Shifties? Old habits are hard to get rid of. Well, I didn¡¯t expect her to change right away. Nova took the opportunity to lunge forward to try and punch Virgo, but she jumped to dodge his attack. He then grabbed her by the tail and threw her into the ocean. She avoided being submerged by changing her vessel¡¯s feet into jetpacks and flying up before landing back on the roof. She can fly. This will be difficult. If she can fly, why is she not using that opportunity to give us a disadvantage? I think she¡¯s either afraid of the tail or thinks we can fly. Let¡¯s just hope she won¡¯t ever know flying isn¡¯t one of our 312 abilities. Asteria was next to make a move as she jumped and headed straight towards Virgo with her trident pointing at her, but Virgo dodged the attack and lifted a leg to knock Asteria into the ocean. Constance was about to go after her, but froze. ¡°Asteria!¡± Nova yelled. He threw his tail into the cold water; he winced at how cold the waters were. He felt her pulling his tail so he fished her out and gently placed her back on the roof. Asteria started shivering and her teeth started chattering. She was drenched from head to toe and the cold air was not helping her. Nova found it amazing how she was still able to hold onto her trident despite how cold she was. ¡°Constance, get Asteria back inside the house.¡± Constance nodded as she took the drenched Asteria and jumped back into the hole. Nova realized how much of a tight situation he was in currently. They had very limited space on where they could stand. They were too used to dodging each others¡¯ attacks. Virgo could use her vessel to fly if she was thrown off the roof, but Nova couldn¡¯t fly himself; an aerial battle was impossible because of it. Using his dragon form would be too risky as using it once caused him tremendous exhaustion. What he needed to do was to find the Shiftie core¡¯s weakness. Destroying it by his own hands wasn¡¯t an easy feat. Throwing her into the ocean was futile due to her ability to fly and avoid getting wet. Wait a second¡­ Just to test a sudden theory, Nova used his tail once more. Virgo avoided it and tried to aim for him, but Nova used his leg to knock her over. He saw her sliding down the roof and almost falling into the ocean, but managed to save herself by flying back onto the roof. ¡°Why do you keep insisting on throwing me into the ocean? It¡¯s not working!¡± Nova smirked as he figured it out. ¡°Your weakness¨Cor rather, the core¡¯s¨Cis that it¡¯s weak to water, right? Shifties aren¡¯t waterproof.¡± Virgo became shocked. ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Just a hunch. I did recall a memory of a Shiftie choosing to die in an exploding airship because he wanted his master to be safe¨Cbut that wasn¡¯t the case, was it? I always wondered why he didn¡¯t choose to tag along with his master, so I had an inkling of a feeling it would¡¯ve been because Shifties aren¡¯t waterproof and that they sink if submerged in water. You avoided getting submerged in the cold water because of this and Constance hesitated to jump in to rescue Asteria. It all makes sense now.¡± Virgo clicked her tongue. ¡°Shifties are programmed with a code to never reveal this secret to anyone, even their own masters. Only them and their creators know. If people found out about this, it would ruin their perfection.¡± She got into a fighting stance again. ¡°Since you know, I must get rid of you.¡± ¡°You do know I can¡¯t die, right? I¡¯m immortal.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about you.¡± Virgo then turned a hand into a knife and dashed past Nova. Nova quickly turned around. He lowered his arms when he realized who Virgo was talking about: Arcturus. She stabbed her knife through his chest, leaving both him and Nova shocked. Nova could only utter out, ¡°Arc¡­¡± as he fell onto his knees. Pierced Arcturus opened his eyes wide. He dreamt of seeing Kori in a snowstorm reminiscent of the Eternal Blizzard¨Cno, that was no dream. It felt as if Kori had called out to him, hence why he was inside his Realm of Desires. He wondered how it was possible when his earring was no longer in his possession. He started thinking about everything Kori had said to him, about how they could meet again and that the person responsible for reversing his wish and causing great pain to Nova was a woman named Ri Kuma, a familiar name. He had remembered how Murphy and Sophia had struggled to describe what she looked like. Pink hair and cerulean eyes were words that kept ringing in his head. He needed to write it down. He scurried for his bag, got out his journal and a pen, and jotted everything he had remembered in his dream in a frenzy. He was writing like a madman. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Margaret asked worryingly. Arcturus lifted his head up swiftly. He eyed Murphy, stood up and approached him.¡°Ri Kuma has pink hair and cerulean eyes.¡± Murphy was troubled. ¡°Why are you blurting this out to me?¡± ¡°Is this information correct?¡± Murphy became perplexed. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t remember what she looks like, so I can¡¯t answer that.¡± Bootes spoke up, ¡°I don¡¯t know about the pink hair, but yes, she does have cerulean eyes. I remember those eyes clearly.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve seen her, then?¡± Arcturus asked. ¡°Plenty of times. Asteria and I are cousins, so whenever I came to visit the Leonis family manor, I¡¯d see her with Bellatrix. I can never forget the way those cerulean blue eyes gaze upon me, as if she didn¡¯t want me to be near her.¡± ¡°Uh, why are you blurting this stuff out?¡± Esta remarked. ¡°Because that is the person causing Nova great pain from earlier. She has strange power to reverse Nova and Souhait¡¯s wishes.¡± Marlo furrowed his brows. ¡°Wishes can be reversed?¡± ¡°Yes, but it costs your life when doing so.¡± Uncertainty plagued the room. Arcturus quickly reassured everyone. ¡°However, as long as you¡¯re satisfied with your wish, such a feat won¡¯t ever happen.¡± He pointed to himself. ¡°I certainly don¡¯t regret my wish.¡± Nova popped into his mind. He was off fighting Virgo and he needed to help out¨Che promised after all. As he walked towards the hole in the roof, he was stopped by Hilbert and Vanessa. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Vanessa questioned; she looked very confused on why he was trying to go there. ¡°Going to where Nova is.¡± ¡°He¡¯s off fighting Virgo with Asteria and Constance helping out. There¡¯s no need to put yourself in danger!¡± Hilbert looked absolutely worried for him. Esta started vouching for Asteria. ¡°Yeah! Our leader may be weird, but she¡¯s a very good fighter! She¡¯ll defeat that Shiftie!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if she¡¯s a good fighter. I¡¯m still going out there to help.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Do you not trust in our leader¡¯s capabilities?¡± Marlo asked. All members of DUO had their eyes on him, as if he had done something heinous. Only Sophia and Murphy looked away out of worry. However, Arcturus was not afraid of the amount of eyes drilled onto him. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust her. Being by Nova¡¯s side all the time is a part of my wish. I have to be by his side no matter what. It matters little if someone else does it. I can only accept it if I do it.¡± He grabbed his bag and approached Murphy and Sophia to hand it over to them. ¡°This bag contains everything important to me. Just in case something happens to me, I want you to take good care of it.¡± He marched upstairs, but stopped when Constance dropped down from above with a shivering Asteria in her arms. She jumped down again, so she was in the living room. The people gathered around them like moths to a flame. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Hilbert asked; his face was plastered with worry. ¡°Virgo threw her into the ocean, but Nova scooped her out.¡± ¡°The ocean is practically freezing since it¡¯s winter¡­¡± Bootes muttered. ¡°Quick, warm her up!¡± Margaret commanded as everyone started scurrying around to find ways for Asteria to stay warm. In the midst of the chaos, he took the opportunity to go to the loft room. As he started stretching to prepare himself to take a huge jump, he overheard Nova talking to Virgo. ¡°Your weakness¨Cor rather, the core¡¯s¨Cis that it¡¯s weak to water, right? Shifties aren¡¯t waterproof.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Nova started explaining by mentioning Arcturus¡¯s memories of Kori. He didn¡¯t expect Nova of all people to know a Shiftie¡¯s weakness¨Ceven he didn¡¯t know it himself. He then recalled Kori telling him that they¡¯d meet again. He did not want to wallow too much on Kori as he held onto that hope. He squatted and took a huge leap up. His hands grabbed the ledges as he used his upper body strength to pull himself up torso first and then leaned forward and used a leg to help himself up. Once he got up, he saw Virgo charging towards him with a bladed arm. That was when Arcturus felt a sharp pressure in his body. He looked down to see that he had been stabbed in a vital area. Margaret had been busy treating Asteria and he wasn¡¯t sure how long it would take for him to recover from this fatal wound. He quickly glanced over at Nova who was on his knees. Seeing the shocked expression on him saddened him. He did not want him to have such a face. He then grabbed the blade with his hands and held onto it so she wouldn¡¯t pull it out of him. Smirking, he whispered, ¡°Never underestimate the strength of a Plasmian, whether they be pure or mixed.¡± He mustered up all of his strength to push the blade further into his body as he shoved both Virgo and himself into the emerald waters. When he pulled it out while submerged, both the freezing temperature and the salty water caused his wounds to sting. However, seeing the male Shiftie in front of him starting to malfunction made him satisfied with his action. It was a reckless one, but he had to do something. 541-STG quickly sank deeper into the depths of the ocean while he sank slowly. He was glad that he defeated the controlled Shiftie, but he felt frustrated for being in a situation where he was about to die. He had escaped death¡¯s clutches once, but he knew he wouldn¡¯t be so lucky this time around. The cold and his wound were sapping life out of him. Every second he spent in the water was basically taking a step forward to death¡¯s realm. If he closed his eyes, would he be in the Spirit Realm? He tried reaching for his bag, but remembered he had left it with Murphy and Sophia. With no journal to set him straight, he could only have negative thoughts like how Nova didn¡¯t need him and that he¡¯d find someone else to take his place and how he¡¯d believe Murphy and Sophia would publish his findings and not give credit to him. He could only scoff at the pessimistic thoughts creeping up to him. How strange. It¡¯s as if these waters are making me feel despair. His body started feeling heavy with water. He wasn¡¯t sure how long he¡¯d last until he drowned. He decided to look up, hoping that Nova would come save him. To his surprise, he saw Souhait, the dragon, coming his way. Recalling how the dragon form had exhausted Nova for days when they had escaped the exploding airship, he realized the risk Nova and Souhait were taking to save him. This caused him to regain hope as he started swimming towards them. They wanted him to live¨Che wanted to live. He didn¡¯t want to die¨Cnot now, not ever. He abruptly stopped swimming as he started choking. He was drowning and there was nothing he could do to stop it unless Souhait came and took him out of the water at an improbable speed. As he was choking, he saw a glimpse of a bright green specter heading his way. It was the last thing he saw before closing his eyes as well as hearing his name being called out. Great Risk Nova couldn¡¯t believe what he had witnessed in quick succession. First, he had seen Virgo stabbing Arcturus. Then, Arcturus grabbed his stabber and pushed him into the freezing emerald sea. There was no way that man was getting out of this alive. Desperation came to Nova as he peered over the area Arcturus plunged into. He gulped. Even if Souhait had numbed his body so he wouldn¡¯t feel nauseous, nothing could stop him from feeling queasy and afraid of entering a large body of water. He could not fathom being unable to feel his feet touching something solid for support. It was a feeling of falling that only made one sink even deeper if one was unable to swim¨Ca feeling of impending doom. A normal person would drown the longer they stayed submerged.. However, for an immortal like him, drowning wouldn¡¯t kill him; to him, it was just underwater torture. His lungs would be overstuffed with water, blocking both his mouth and nose from respiration. Being unable to swim meant he would be helpless. Despite his fear of the ocean, he stood up with a determined expression. I won¡¯t let him die. Are you ready to risk it all for him? He is to be at our side because of his wish¡¯s condition. However, even if we didn¡¯t make that condition, he¡¯d still stay by our side. You promised Kori you¡¯d do something if Arc was on the verge of death. Even if he chose not to accept this method, we¡¯ll still force it upon him. We¡­no, I only want Arc by my side! Let¡¯s do this, Souhait. Even if it makes me exhausted for weeks or even months, let¡¯s save Arc!¡± I will go wherever you will. Taking a deep breath, he squatted and then took a great leap. Suddenly, his body started to change. He no longer took the form of a human; his body elongated and he could feel scales growing out of his skin. He transformed into the draconic Souhait for the second time. He took his serpentine body and dived into the ocean. The chilled waters caused his body temperature to lower drastically. Even if he was chilled to the brim, this was the only way he could swim confidently to Arcturus. He slithered through the waters, as if it was a surface. Wait, I sense something unusual. Nova stopped and scanned the vicinity. All he saw was the underwater depths. Suddenly, he saw fishes zipping past him and a shark. He wondered what was going on, but he did detect an ominous presence heading his way. He looked down at the sinking Arcturus and then up at the dark depths of the water. Suddenly, an emerald green light headed his way swiftly. His eyes widened when he saw what seemed to be a gigantic emerald green whale approaching in improbable speed. He started hearing haunting voices that gradually became louder the closer it got. A sudden surge of fear came to him as he went for Arcturus again, even shouting his name as he worried about him starting to choke on the water.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Hopeless¡­ it¡¯s all hopeless. What¡¯s the point of existing? There¡¯s really nothing that can be done about our situation. The world is on the verge of doom. The words of despair started affecting Nova¡¯s mind. He was shaking erratically. What is this creature? Did this whale even exist when you created the world, Souhait? This is no ordinary whale. This must be that thing Arcturus had mentioned before¨Cthe Despair Emerald Whale. To think it actually exists¡­ Nova noticed how close in proximity he was with the whale now. The whale had an extremely large and long smooth body with an equally long tail that was still shorter than Souhait¡¯s with two fins branching out at the end. It had small eyes, yet it was still big enough to piece into his soul. What he found unusual about the whale was that it was a translucent creature. It now made sense why he had never heard of this emerald whale before; it was a rogue spirit that only certain people could see. He wondered who had encountered this despair-filled whale and how long ago it was for it to become an urban legend. While the dread still lingered, Arcturus was still his first priority as he resumed swimming and eventually grabbed him with his tail and claws. Once he was in his arms, time was up for Nova as he reverted back into his human form. The dread within him grew. Arcturus¡¯s eyes were closed but his mouth was gaped. He used his hands to touch his neck, but it was too cold to detect if a pulse was present. He couldn¡¯t check his heartbeat due to the water. All he could assume was that Arcturus was dead and it filled him with despair. He held onto him tight. His energy was slowly seeping. Souhait¡­ The only way to save him is to revive him with my blood¡­but whether he accepts it or not is up to him. Please¡­ Just do whatever to save him. I don¡¯t want him to die¡­ I don¡¯t want to let go of him ever¡­ I understand how you feel. I will comply with your request. Nova, I need you to put some of my blood into his wound. It must be the blood from your right palm. Nova did as he was told. He changed his left fingernail into a draconic talon and used the sharp tip to cut his right palm. Lavender blood started seeping out as he placed his hand onto the gut wound. Please accept it, Arc¡­ He kept pleading for it to work. In the corner of his eyes, the whale started opening its mouth. Its sucking power was too powerful; Nova was too exhausted to fight back. He held onto Arcturus tightly as he accepted his fate of being sucked in.