Author's Note: Thanks to Hell-on-Training-Wheels for giving me a second set of eyes for this chapter. I know it's been a couple of months, folks, but I was struggling with writer's block on this project, so I turned my attention to my actual novel as well as my family tree. I've found soooo many cool things, including that I'm descended from a witch who was executed, from Old King Cole, and a whole mess of ancient Viking kings, not least of which is Odin. Yeah, I had no idea he was actually a real guy and probably the source of inspiration for the Norse myth. No, he did not have a son named Thor, but he did have one named Heimdall, so figure that one out. Anyway, I finally had the urge to finish working on this chapter, so here you go. I hope you enjoy it.
"Bi-han," a voice with an unmistakably deep timbre spoke behind him as he walked towards Sareena's room after the strategy meeting. Not surprisingly, he saw Hotaru walking towards him, and peculiarly, he saw a bird like a crow perched upon his shoulder. "Come with me," he beckoned.
"I'm busy," the Cryomancer snapped.
"I'm not asking," the General fired back.
Bi-han narrowed his eyes. "Unlike my compatriots, I am not afraid of you," he growled.
"Nor am I afraid of you, Bi-han, son of An Zhi." Hotaru paused and then added as an afterthought, "Or should I say Noob Saibot?"
The Cryomancer instantly tensed. "Choose your next words carefully, General," he hissed through his teeth.
To his surprise, though, the Seidan did not escalate the situation, though he well could've. Instead, he said, "My purpose here is not to fight you, Bi-han." Now he lifted his hand and beckoned him to follow. "I have something to give to you to aid you in your journeys. Come."
Bi-han regarded him suspiciously, contemplating his words. What could Hotaru possibly want to give to him? He pondered it for several long moments, but eventually his curiosity won out and he grudgingly sighed. Finally, he joined the General's side.
"No tricks," he warned as he cast a faint glance at the crow on his shoulder.
Hotaru curtly nodded his response. Then he led him through a series of hallways that eventually opened into an old stone passage. At the entrance, light only breached a few feet before immediately falling into pitch blackness. Bi-han warily looked from it to the General, but Hotaru simply lifted his deceivingly antiquated black gauntlet, tapped an ornate golden scroll on the side of his wrist, and then a flashlight of sorts brightly shined from a tiny bulb in his knuckle. Once more, he walked and Bi-han followed him down a tight stone staircase cut through a reddish rock. Weeping veins of white nitre cut intricate webs through the stone, painting eerie shapes on the walls.
"Tell me, Bi-han," Hotaru finally spoke as the passage door slowly swung shut behind them, "because I overheard most of your conversation with Tomas Vrbada in my office. Are we all in danger from Noob Saibot?"
Instantly, the Cryomancer whirled around and started to climb the stairs to leave. It had been tedious enough sitting through Smoke's lecture, but he'd be damned if he'd sit through another intervention by a complete stranger who didn't even know what he was talking about. Tomas had been completely overreacting. And apparently, his melodrama had been contagious.
"The door will not open unless I will it so," he called after him.
Furiously, Bi-han whipped around and stomped back to Hotaru with eyes - unbeknownst to him - dripping black like tar, and the veins in his face dark like shadows. The wraith in his head screamed murder. Instinctively, his fingers slithered over the collar of the General's breastplate and shoved him into the cave wall, prompting the crow to squawk and indignantly ruffle his feathers. Unexpectedly, Hotaru immediately slapped his hands over his head, clasped them together, and then snapped his elbows straight down to break the Cryomancer's grip on him. The next thing Bi-han knew, the Seidan had spun him around and threw him against the opposite wall with his arm wrenched so tightly into his back that he thought his shoulder was going to pop out. Hotaru had moved so fast that Bi-han didn't even know what had happened until his cheek kissed the wall.
"I'll take this as a yes," he said. "We are in danger from Noob Saibot. Tomas was right to be concerned."
"He was overreacting," he grunted as he strained to get out of the joint lock. But he could scarcely move; the General was just too strong and too adept.
Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Noob's voice screamed through his head. And then the crow pecked at his scalp.
"I don't think he was," he countered. "There is much turmoil in you, Bi-han. Far too much darkness. It does not require the clear, piercing sight of Seidan eyes to see."
"Let me go," he snarled in response.
"Your soul and your life are in peril," he continued, never releasing his iron grip. "But I can help you conquer the demon inside of you once and for all."
Now Bi-han finally quit struggling and sensed Noob panic in response. He lies! The wraith hissed in his ear. You'll never be free of me.
Scowling at the thought, the Cryomancer looked over his shoulder, trembling. "How?" he skeptically asked. "Even Raiden couldn't save me completely."
"There is an artifact that I can give to you," Hotaru replied. "But we must go to the vaults below to retrieve it. Will you continue with me on this path, Bi-han, and give yourself the gift of peace and order? Or do you choose damnation in this life and the next?"
"Do I have a choice?" he snarled.
"There is always a choice," he said. "But if you choose Noob Saibot over the path of righteousness, then by the power and the right of the Seidan Guard will I arrest you and imprison you in the darkest hole in Jigoku, the largest of our cobalt mines, where you will stay for the remainder of your natural life. And I will do this, Bi-han, son of An Zhi, to protect all the people in all the Realms from the monster growing inside of you. If you will not willingly put Noob Saibot in check, I shall do so for you."
"As if you can keep me prisoner," he defiantly replied.
"I am certain you know what effect Seidan cobalt has on Cryomancers," he calmly replied. "Not only will you be shackled in cobalt cuffs, the sheer amount of cobalt ore around you will keep you weak and subdued for the rest of your life. And to control the demon, I will personally carve the most ancient runes into your flesh and sever your link to him forever."
"If you can do that, then why don't you just do it now?" he grimaced.
"Because the process will almost certainly drive you mad. It will leave you as subdued and as incapable of functioning as a newborn child." Hotaru loosened his grip ever-so-slightly. "But with the coming battle, I would much prefer to have Bi-han, the mightiest of Champions, fighting by my side than Bi-han, the drooling sack who doesn't even know where he is. I have heard the stories about how you defeated Fujin in battle, and resisted Quan Chi. I do not want to lose your skills, but I will if I have to." As if echoing the General's sentiment, the crow trilled.
Bi-han swallowed hard and managed to push Noob aside in his brain long enough to think about the situation logically. Hotaru was a deadly warrior who possessed the power, the knowledge, and the will to reduce him to a blubbering shell of his former self without a second thought. He probably wouldn't even lose an ounce of sleep over it either. But more importantly than that, Kuai Liang had told him stories about the infamous General and his prowess in battle, but also his expert skill with magical runes. He was so powerful, his little brother had said, that he'd managed to completely neutralize Fujin using only runes and a bola snare in the ruins of Admah. So perhaps he really could help him fight back Noob Saibot.
In the twenty-plus years since Raiden had saved the Cryomancer from Quan Chi's spell and restored his life, he'd never used the demon's powers, not once. Even still, Noob's presence constantly hung over him like a deep, unsettling fog, the kind of fog that left one feeling sticky and unclean. Frequently, the wraith forced his way into Bi-han's dreams, staining them black. More than once, he'd found himself looking over his shoulder to search for a ghastly shadow that was never there. So in essence, he'd never truly been free of Noob. And it had been so long that he couldn't even remember a time when the demon didn't haunt his every step. What a relief it would be not to have that shadow hanging over his head!
As if sensing Bi-han's crumbling façade, Hotaru said, "You're tired, Bi-han, so very tired. Let your soul rest. Let your spirit once again have the order it craves."
The Cryomancer sighed and closed his eyes. "Nobody can help me," he stated simply, his voice full of despair. "Quan Chi made sure of that."
"I can help you," he declared, and his voice was so utterly certain that Bi-han couldn't help but believe him. "But the question remains: do you want my help?"
He nodded slightly. "Yes," he whispered. It was like a silent plea.
Finally, Hotaru set him free. "Then follow me," he commanded as he started to walk again. But Bi-han threw out his hand and gripped his forearm, stopping him.
"I don't want anyone to know about this," he told the man. "Especially Kuai Liang, should we somehow save him. I don't want to…" he paused, sighed, and shook his head. "I just don't want him to know that I failed him again."
Hotaru solemnly nodded. "No one else but you and I have to know this conversation ever took place."
Bi-han simply sighed in relief and nodded his head as well.
The General took point and led the Cryomancer down the tunnel again, following the winding pathway and the light built into his gauntlet. Bi-han stayed close to him and silent, his face a weary mask in the dimly lit passage. Frequently, Noob showed him gory visions of cracking Hotaru's head on the wall and then peeling the skull from his brain like a hard-boiled egg. God, he thought, it would feel so good. But each time such morbid thoughts crept into his mind, he shoved them down until they were more manageable whispers. But the mere fact that they were even entering his thoughts proved to him once and for all that yes, he did have a problem controlling Noob Saibot. Grudgingly, he admitted to himself that Tomas had been right.
Long minutes after they had entered the passage, they were still walking down, deeper into the earth. Even though the tunnel was illuminated by the light in Hotaru's gauntlet, darkness and shadows swallowed it all the same. Bi-han soon began to sweat beneath his filthy clothes. The air was hot and humid down here, and the condensation began trickling off the rock walls in large beads of water, the suffocating vapor clinging to him until he was damp as well.
But at last they emerged in a small antechamber with a low hanging ceiling and suits of Seidan armor growing from the floor close to the stone walls. The Cryomancer couldn't quite say what it was about them, but these dark sentinels gave him the unnerving impression that he was being watched, like they would cut him down with their naginatas if he made one single misstep. But he was with Hotaru, he reasoned, and should be safe, so he buried his paranoia and took in more of his surroundings.
A series of rooms and corridors broke off from this initial antechamber, the passages leading to separate chambers beyond his sight, many of which were closed by thick gates made of reinforced steel. Almost certainly, he surmised, more valuable things were hidden behind those doors. And with them there were undoubtedly deadly booby traps to punish thieves. He shuddered at the thought of what those sorts of traps would entail; the Seidans weren't known for being forgiving or tolerant of criminals.
It was dim in here in spite of the torches burning low every few feet, but apart from the suits of armor keeping watch, Bi-han felt a serene aura settled on the antechamber, and it put him - somewhat, anyway - at ease. It was like walking into a church in prayer, and as he followed Hotaru down one of the unrestricted hallways, he did so with his head bowed in humility.
Bi-han glanced around in silent curiosity as if he were walking through a museum. As with most vaults containing the wealth of a nation, there were niches carved into the walls to display the treasures and artifacts, each of them protected by a buzzing bluish forcefield. The thing that struck him, however - though it really came as no surprise to him - was how orderly everything was here. It was tidy, as if everything had its proper place. But that painstaking, obsessive neatness made the whole place feel overwhelmingly sterile, not unlike Hotaru's office, and he mused that it was a tragedy. Seido's history was locked in these vaults, and he highly doubted it was as clean and sanitary as this place suggested. Therefore, he reasoned, it should be randomly strewn about in great, chaotic piles. The fact that it never would be was maddening beyond logic.
Finally, Hotaru led Bi-han into a smaller side chamber that was completely devoid of Seidan relics save for one: a strange necklace on display behind a cylindrical forcefield. As the Cryomancer drew closer, he saw that the pendant - which dangled from a silver chain - was large, circular, and inlaid with a magnificent teal jewel slashed by a vertical slit of black. Streaks of truer green radiated outward from the black like rays of light, giving him the impression that he was looking into something's eye. It was whispering to him too, he realized, but in voices so soft that he couldn't begin to guess what they were saying. They agitated Noob, however, if the way he bounced around in Bi-han's head like a Mexican jumping bean was any indication. His reaction to a little old necklace almost made the Cryomancer laugh.
Oh, you don't like that, do you, old chap? he inwardly jeered at the demon. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were afraid of it. Good. It's time for you to feel fear for once.
Noob Saibot simply spewed curses and threats through his head in reply.
"Stand in the circle, Bi-han," Hotaru now commanded him as he pointed to a spot on the floor.
The Cryomancer glanced down at the slightly raised dais in the center of the room, the view of it obscured in the dim light emanating from a crackling brazier directly in front of it. It was in the shape of a perfect circle, he saw, and evenly spaced runes formed concentric rings to the center where another eye-like jewel was embedded. Suspiciously, he frowned and stared at the General. The Seidan offered him no reassurance, nor did he offer him a hint as to his intentions. He simply pointed again and reiterated his command.
Bi-han audibly sighed but reluctantly obeyed. He wasn't quite certain what he expected to happen, but he'd worked alongside Quan Chi enough to know that runes etched in magic circles had the potential to be quite dangerous. But to his surprise, nothing happened. Noob's agitation and outright fear, on the other hand, continued to grow.
Now Hotaru stepped to the pedestal and slowly waved his armored hand before it as if he were lazily dragging it through a pool of water. In an instant, the forcefield winked off, which allowed him to remove the necklace from the headless marble bust upon which it was displayed. Carefully, as if he were lifting a nuclear bomb on a hair trigger, he lifted the pendant with both hands and then carried it to the Cryomancer, barely breathing as he lithely moved through the chamber. When he reached Bi-han, he extended his hands.
"Take it," he said.
"I don't know if I want to," he confessed, his eyebrow quirked in doubt. "You're treating it like a Faberge egg."
Hotaru chuffed in faint amusement, which surprised the Cryomancer because he didn't know that the Seidan was even remotely capable of feeling mirth. In response, he said, "The Eye of Athanasia is very old and very fragile. Eons ago, when Seido was still young, the last great dragon, Athanasia, knew his life was drawing to a close, so he decided to gift our people with his eyes."
"But you want me to wear it?" he replied in his most deadpan, skeptical voice.
The General nodded his head. "It has a peculiar quality to it. When Athanasia's magic connects to the Bearer's soul, it becomes completely indestructible. Nothing in all the Realms can destroy it or its chain save for the Bearer himself." Now Hotaru looked from it to Bi-han. "But I warn you, if you remove it or destroy it before it has finished purging the demon from your soul, Noob Saibot will overtake you completely, and Bi-han will be no more."
"There are worse fates than death," he responded.
"But you wouldn't die," Hotaru countered. "Just as Shang Tsung devoured the souls of his victims, the demon would devour you, and to the same end. You would be trapped for all eternity in limbo, a slave that Noob Saibot would leech power from until all the stars in all the skies blow out."
In spite of himself, Bi-han swallowed hard. "So...a fate worse than death. Good to know."
"Indeed," he agreed, and the crow on his shoulder cawed in agreement too. "Are you ready?"
"As I'll ever be, I suppose," he replied as he gingerly slipped the pendant over his head.
"Then let us begin," he said, now scooting the black bird onto his finger.
"What do you mean to do with that?" the Cryomancer asked him, looking at the oblivious creature.
"We need its blood," Hotaru explained. "Crows are intermediaries between our world and the afterworlds." He looked up at Bi-han. "I apologize for what I do next." And before the Cryomancer could react, he waved his gauntlet before him and summoned a cylindrical forcefield around him to trap him upon the dais.
"What are you doing?" Bi-han screamed at him, beating his fists on the shield, trying to fight down Noob Saibot at the same time. The demon roared inside his mind as it struggled to get free. "Let me go! Let me out of here!" he shouted over and over, his cries falling on deaf ears. He threw an ice ball at it only to helplessly watch it do nothing but explode in a soft shower of snow.
Now the crow fluttered and pecked at the General's hand to try to get away, but Hotaru clasped his large hand around it to keep it steady as he chanted words in a tongue Bi-han didn't know, and a knife appeared in his hand. It looked old, made of hammered palladium, its blade covered with ancient glyphs. Quickly, he pulled it across the black bird's throat, and the crow cawed and screamed as blood poured out of it in a rush onto the tiles around the circle. The Cryomancer watched in fearful interest as the red gore of it slowly streamed through the grooves and flowed in the faintest of cracks beneath the forcefield into the green eye of the dragon.
"Noble bird, bringer of change and transformation, keeper of the prophetic knowledge, herald of death, I beseech you to build a bridge between the great Athanasia and Bi-han," Hotaru spoke, almost singing, as the crow began to die. "Power of the beast, connect the dragon to the man."
As he finished his prayer, the Cryomancer immediately felt as though he was sinking through the floor, swimming in the vile tar that followed Noob Saibot wherever he went. A wet, wretched heat surrounded him on all sides; he actually tasted the darkness as if it were some tangible thing. He screamed for Hotaru to stop, pleaded for him to stop, but still the Seidan pushed even further, pressing on, terrifying even mighty Bi-han who had almost forgotten what fear felt like. And then Noob was there, a single speck of evil spreading through him like India ink. From a great distance, he thought he heard the rough cry of a crow.
Now the General carefully placed the carcass of the bird onto the closest brazier. Then, after withdrawing a handful of red powder from a pouch on his belt, he tossed it onto the coals. It released a spicy scent like cinnamon, a pleasant enough smell, yet for some reason it dragged the Cryomancer to his knees, sobbing, completely full of fear. He couldn't quite articulate why, not even to himself. Like a pathetic, simpering child, he futilely continued to beat on the forcefield as Noob bubbled closer to the surface, screaming in rage.
But Hotaru's voice rang louder. It rose to a high, ululating wail in a language Bi-han couldn't possibly understand, and sent a shiver down his back. Power now surged around him, through him. It didn't feel like an upwelling of strength, precisely, so much as a swelling of divinity burning out his insides. Salvation made flesh, making him pure. And God, the pain of it was like a sharp-toothed creature ripping him apart.
Pain is the mark of a weak mind, pain is the mark of a weak mind, pain is the mark of a weak mind…
His stubborn will couldn't send it away this time. And now, he was acutely aware of dark shadows dancing across the walls, floating around Hotaru.
Noob suddenly seized control and his voice rang out with a rough, raspy laugh. "You will die, Seidan," he promised as he yanked his sickle from the ether in a desperate attempt to make the General stop. He spun around, graceful as a dancer, his curved weapon rising as it cut through the forcefield like butter. Hotaru did not seem particularly surprised by this development, nor concerned, and that was because as soon as the dark metal cut through, it resealed itself once more and blocked the demon's passage out of his prison.
Enraged, Noob was shouting curses at the Seidan, Hotaru was shouting his own incantation, and then Bi-han managed to seize back control once more. He cried out for help, but no one heard him. He tried to rise to his feet, but agony seized him and squeezed him like a giant's fist. The breath went out of him; it was all he could do to gasp. The sound of the General's voice was like a funeral dirge. Inside the chamber, those frightening shadows whirled around him.
And then in his mind's eye, he saw a magnificent green dragon with scales like armor looming large above him, snarling at Noob, who was kneeling on his back and refusing to let go of his prey. As the demon clung to him, the dragon looked at him, that great teal eye meeting his, and suddenly he saw visions of every terrible thing he'd done since Quan Chi made him a monster. His brain greedily lapped up those decades of wickedness, poisoning him with painful memories of butchering people. He saw himself ripping apart both the innocent and the wicked, the young and the old. To the demon wraith, it didn't matter. Helpless little babies...decrepit old men...Quan Chi's enemies...unlucky people who were unfortunate to be in the wrong place at the wrong time...Kuai Liang. Bi-han moaned in pain as he remembered every time he told Kuai Liang they weren't brothers. Somehow, that was even worse than all the times he tried to murder the younger Cryomancer.
Tears poured out of his eyes as the dragon punished him with his memories of things best left forgotten, and as he wept, he realized he hated Noob. It seemed like the most obvious thing in the world, he later thought in retrospect, but until that moment, Bi-han had only considered him a nuisance, no different than a buzzing insect flying about his ear. Now he knew that the wraith was a blight on his life, a cancer poisoning everything good, destroying everything that might have been.
"I HATE YOU!" he suddenly screamed through his sobs. He kept screaming it, over and over. Like a litany. A magic spell. A ward to protect him from his own pain and guilt. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" he howled moments later. Bi-han somehow found the strength to meet Athanasia's eyes once again, and through tears, folded his hands together as if in prayer. "Help me," he pleaded quite pitifully. "Help me."
With that, the dragon opened his mouth and breathed teal fire at him, which scorched every cell inside of him, prompting him to scream once again. He sensed the dragon probing his soul, investigating. He felt violated by the creature, like he'd studied every last secret to be had in his heart, from his guilt for failing Kuai Liang to his secret love for Sareena. Athanasia ripped every page of the book of his childhood from his brain, and examined his disdain for his father and his love for his kid brother, and somehow seemed to approve of the way he sacrificed his own happiness to protect the younger Cryomancer. But even as he scrutinized every facet of his life before Noob, Athanasia whispered in his ears gentle reminders that his heart was pure and good in spite of what the Lin Kuei had done. And somehow, that realization was even more painful than his memories of his evil.
Bi-han howled as the dragon now rose into the sky on great teal and black wings. It twisted around in the air above them, then roared, thrust its front claws forward, and raced towards the helpless Noob Saibot with his fangs bared. All the dark wraith could do was hold his arms up like a shield as Athanasia barreled straight at him. When he reached him, he snatched him into his jaws, threw his body high into the air, and caught him once more before it swallowed him whole. Finally, the dragon trumpeted a loud, triumphant roar before he leapt into the air yet again and dove straight into Bi-han's back, vanishing. At last, the Cryomancer stopped screaming.
The shield around the circle disappeared and left Bi-han quivering on the engraved stone, curled in the fetal position. Hotaru was immediately at his side, tenderly brushing his sweaty hair away from his face and cupping his hand in his. It took several moments for the Cryomancer to quiet his sobbing, but the Seidan never forced him to hurry up. Instead, he silently watched him like a sentinel until he was ready to sit up, and when that moment came, he let him lean against his chest until he stopped shaking.
"Noob is imprisoned now," he began as he curled his arm protectively around the Earthrealm Champion. "Can you feel it?"
Bi-han closed his eyes to concentrate. He sensed the wraith, deep down, a little pinpoint of black pain buried deep in his heart. But he almost imagined walls around Noob...no, iron bars like a cage. Animals belonged in cages. Teal magic danced along those iron bars, leeching the demon of his strength. Meanwhile, he was roaring to be let out. He was...scared, the Cryomancer realized. But it would do no good. The dragon was also buried in there, and standing guard to keep him from escaping.
"He's trapped," Bi-han whispered to Hotaru, not quite sure he believed it.
"And there he shall remain unless you decide to set him free," he said.
"Never again," he said, shaking his head. "Never again."
alwaysdoubted, absolutely. Trust is earned, not given, and Jaiyi is slowly earning it. It doesn't hurt that a god is nudging her in the right direction either ;) Yeah, as I started writing this story, I really meant for the strife to be between Livy and Frost, but unexpectedly, Kabal showed up and said, "Hey, I have a major bone to pick with her as well." So it's been fun for me writing the little conflicts between them. Kabal wants to beat her to a pulp, but I think in his old age, he's gotten wise enough to know when is and when isn't a good time for brawling.
MKDemiGodzilla-Warrior, well, I can't remember who brought it up, but someone suggested I name drop Kronika. I honestly haven't decided if she'll make an actual appearance or not. Probably not, but I won't say 100% she won't because I might very well change my mind down the road. Anyway, I just wanted to get the gods' family tree straightened out, for myself if for no one else.
Reptaliator, like I told my friend above, Kronika probably won't make an appearance beyond that name-drop, but never say never. But thanks for the vote of confidence! Also, thanks for liking my Halloween story. It was fun to write. :D
ROCuevas, thank you!
Praxus84, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I've always strived to make Himavat that god who never acts like a god, hence the barbecue scene. I thought it was a cute idea for a filler chapter, not gonna lie. Also, I don't think Livy was gonna listen to anyone BUT a god after what she's been through, so I just used him to kill two birds with one stone. Thank you!
DinoLord00, I'm glad I tricked you (and everyone) on Jiayi's character. I wanted him to seem like a pompous tyrant at first, only to pull the rug out from beneath your feet and show you all that appearances can be deceiving. That was true of Xinyi's character as well. In my personal experience, I find the ugliest people are the biggest angels in disguise, and the most beautiful people are demons in sheep's clothing. So it was a lot of fun playing with my readers' perceptions with regards to those two. And I think having a friend like Jiayi will do Olivia some good as well, simply because he challenges her perceptions of the world as well. He definitely makes her rethink a lot of things. It's funny you should mention writing villains because I learned long ago that very rarely do villains think of themselves as "the bad guys." They think of themselves as completely justified, and oftentimes, like in the case of Thanos in The Avengers, they believe they're the good guys doing the right thing for the world. So I try to have my villains think of themselves as the good guys, even if we all know that's the furthest thing from the truth. But no intentional mustache twirling, and no apparent devil horns and cloven hooves. Devils don't come to us waving a banner saying they're evil; they come to us like angels, all beautiful and serene and seeming to make a lot of sense. And yeah, it's kind of annoying how some of these people just conveniently forget that Kitana was Shao Kahn's lackey for a long time before she wisened up and became a good guy. I think it's great she's seeking redemption, but it doesn't change the fact that there are probably a lot of people who are still pretty mad at her, Jiayi included. And for good reason. So I wanted to show the flip side of that coin. Like you said, people suffer under communist and fascist governments, and the hurt they inflict on the general public doesn't just go away because someone has a change of heart. As for Kronika and other potential Titans? I honestly doubt I will do more with them than mention them in passing. But never say never. Thanks for the well thought out review! I appreciate it!
FloweryNamesLover, that's actually good logic and I never looked at it that way (about Xinyi being worse than Rain or Reiko). He's worse because his wickedness is hidden, and that makes his evil more sinister. I get it. I also agree that the three of them are gigantic bullies who like to pick on people who can't necessarily fight back. Although I will say that of the three, I think that Reiko is probably the least despicable in the sense that he does have a code of honor. For example, when he was holding Livy and Takeda prisoner, he didn't torture them needlessly like Rain or Xinyi might have. Also, unlike the other two, Reiko doesn't think of Livy as his property, whereas Xinyi absolutely felt entitled to her and Rain felt that way about Anya. That said, he absolutely took advantage of her vulnerability. Perhaps in his mind, though, considering where he's from, sleeping with an 18 year old isn't taboo. They probably don't have an age of consent in Outworld. Not that it makes it right, by any means. He's scum for that, and I absolutely wanted people to come away thinking he's scum for that. But to play on what I was saying above to DinoLord00, he might not realize that makes him a bad guy to everyone around him. I am glad that you enjoyed the conversation about that between Jiayi and Olivia because I came this close to cutting that out entirely. I was afraid it was cringey. In the end I left it in because I hoped people would take away from it what you did - that this "pompous" prince understood her far better than Alex ever did. It'll be important down the road ;)
Westcoast Witchdoctor, hiya Doc, how the hell are ya? I've missed seeing you around! But I'm glad you came back :D You know I love issuing the emotional kick to the cojones, so I will never let you down in that respect LOL Thank you!