"Can't believe you just hid away the most powerful item in existence," Sunny said with a shake of the head.
"Would you mind not saying that around people?" Gwen said through gritted teeth.
The two of them were standing next each other watching Ben as he danced around three other Anodites in a game of dodgeblast. There was a signature Tennyson smirk on his face even as his opponents looked more and more frustrated at how easy of a time he seemed to be having.
"Relax. No Anodite in history would believe two Sparklings found an item of legend," Sunny said. Though she did do Gwen the courtesy of lowering her voice.
"You don't know that. And I'd rather not be hounded for the thing. It was a pain in the neck to hide and ward it so we left no traces, and I want that hard work to be for something," Gwen said.
"You're better than me. I can't say I'd be able to resist using it all of the time," Sunny said with a wide smirk.
"It wears on your mind when you wear it too long. It drove the guy who stole it insane," Gwen told her.
"Was he an Anodite?" Sunny questioned, and she shook her head no. "Then it probably won't affect me the same way it did him. We don't really have 'minds' like most people, and mana is what we're made of. I don't think it'd really do anything other than make me even more reckless than I were to be if I had several bottles of Conductoid Wine."
"Interesting enough theory. Unfortunate than it'll never get tested," Gwen said in a flat tone, which earned her a small flick from Sunny's tendril.
"Brat," she said.
"Takes one to know one," Gwen said with a smile, and Sunny rolled her eyes before both cousins laughed. "Man, this feels weirdly nostalgic."
"Last time I remember, we hated each other to the point where we could barely talk to each other. This is nothing like that," Sunny told her.
"Not with you. When I was younger. I argued with Ben like I argued with you that year," Gwen said, her eyes on the Tennyson in question.
"You two? Arguing?" Sunny said with a raised brow.
"It sounds insane, right? We barely even disagree anymore, let alone argue," Gwen said.
"Did you argue today?" Sunny asked.
"What makes you think that?" Gwen asked.
"Well, you're the one who suggested we even hang out. Normally that's all him or grandma," Sunny said.
"You just gonna stand over there talking all day, Sunny?" a female Anodite exclaimed before Gwen could speak, and the Anodite in question huffed in an irritated fashion.
"What? You're telling me you can't handle the new guy?" Sunny said, snapping a smirk on her face quicker than lightning.
"The new guy who, from what I heard, had Verdona herself train him? I don't know how she taught him to move this quick without even flying, but she did," a second female Anodite said before looking at Ben, who was moving his neck from side to side.
"I fight aliens for a living. Sue me for being good at my job," he said with a careless shrug.
"You like fighting people?" an Anodite asked.
"I'm a Plumber. I have to fight people because criminals don't like coming in peacefully. I know. I've tried. And I usually get an answer in the form of them shooting at me," Ben said flatly, which earned him a few laughs.
"Are they desperate or stupid for shooting an Anodite?" a girl questioned.
"Both. Usually both," Ben and Gwen said at the same time, which elicited some grins.
"Even saying the same things. You two definitely got something special going on there," the same girl said, making both cousins smile. Gwen hadn't been expecting that much sincerity to come from one of them.
So naturally, the moment didn't last long.
"Sunny, you're up. None of us can beat him, so you're the best chance we got since you beat pretty much all of us," a male Anodite said bluntly.
"Yeah, I don't want him looking too good no matter who trained him up," another one said, making all three cousins roll their eyes before Ben looked at Sunny with a smile on his face.
"What do you say, Madam Sunshine? Think you can take me on?" he said, rubbing his hands together.
"I'm gonna stomp you, Benji," Sunny said, and both cousins gave each other a challenging grin before to the middle of the street. Gwen flew up in the air, a smile on her face as she watched the two of them practically radiate competitive energy.
"Friends of yours?" an unknown voice said, and Gwen turned around to see an older looking Anodite standing there.
"Who are you?" Gwen asked.
"No one you know. I just recently met that Sparkling there, and I'm quite impressed," the man said, pointing to Ben before looking to Gwen. "What's your relation to him?"
"Why do you want to know?" Gwen asked.
"Just trying to hold a conversation. He's unlike any of the other Sparklings on this planet, and I'm wondering if the company he keeps is like that," the Anodite said with his arms crossed, looking back over at Ben.
"Cousin and girlfriend," Gwen said, turning her gaze back on Ben.
"Ah. So you're Gwen Tennyson," the man said with a nod.
"That galaxy wide news?" Gwen asked curiously.
"The girlfriend part isn't. Though coming from two teenagers born and raised on Earth rather than Anodyne, it's certainly unusual," the man said.
"Yeah, that we're very well aware of. Now enough of that. How do you know Ben?" Gwen asked.
"Name's Rhys. And I'm the one who told him the stuff he needed to know about Ledgerdomain," the man said.
"You knew about Ledgerdomain?" Gwen asked, turning away from Ben to look at him fully. That was definitely something that had her attention.
"I used to live there," Rhys said, grinning when the girl's eyes widened. "I see I have your full attention now."
"Anodites having a connection to Ledgerdomain is definitely news to me. But it does make sense when you think about it. The realm's made of mana and all magic flows through it. It wouldn't surprise me if they were born there," Gwen explained.
"They were," Rhys said before shaking his head. "Perhaps you'd rather finish this discussion somewhere else?"
"Yeah, I would. Just... one sec," Gwen said before looking over at Ben. Then she spoke to him through the mana field. "Ben?"
Ben rotated his body in midair to avoid to blasts sent in his direction, returning fire with one hand. "Little busy here."
"That's fine. I'm just heading back to Sunny's house," Gwen told him.
"Want me to come with?" Ben asked.
"You're fine. Just enjoy yourself," Gwen assured him before looking to Rhys. "We can continue this at the place I'm staying at. I doubt Sunny's parents will mind. They don't mind most stuff."
Rhys nodded and followed Gwen when she took to the air. During which, she made sure to tell about the Verdona about the visitor she was bringing.
"Don't think I've seen you before," Verdona said once they walked inside the house.
"I've never had a reason to speak with you. Then again, I've never had a reason to speak with most people on this planet," Rhys said, giving the room a onceover.
"Why?" Gwen asked.
"Most of them grate on my nerves. Call me a bit old fashioned, but I'm not a fan of the generation of Anodites that believe they're the best species in the world because they were born the way they were," Rhys said, his expression conveying his annoyance. "And chances are, most wouldn't have had the sense to get in a location that betters their chances in case I turned out to be a guy who was looking to hurt them."
"You noticed?" Gwen questioned, tensing slightly at his words.
"I did. It's a new feeling to be not trusted by my own kind, but it would be a lie to say that every Anodite has been normal," Rhys said.
"I call it paranoia whereas Gwen would call it being smart. And in a fight against a fully trained Anodite, I would have to agree with her here," Verdona said, eyeing the stranger patiently. She could tell he was strong, even if he didn't exactly shine as bright as people would expect.
"And that's why I imagine she's one of the Plumbers' best," Rhys said with a nod of respect towards both Anodites.
"Back to why we're here. You know about Ledgerdomain. You also said that you used to live there and that Anodites were born there," Gwen said, which caught Verdona's attention.
"Yes. I did. But if I'm going to tell this story, I want to know what happened when you went to Ledgerdomain," Rhys asked.
"How do you know if we got there?" Gwen asked.
"Just a feeling," Rhys said, hardly restraining himself from smiling. He liked this girl's caution. "I don't know how to get to Ledgerdomain because I don't know its true name now, and I didn't take any travel books with me from the realm when I had to leave. So I am no threat to the realm itself."
"True," Gwen said before nodding. "Did you ever hear of a man named Addwaitya?"
"No. I haven't heard anything about Ledgerdomain or its inhabitants in nearly four trillion years," Rhys told her.
"He was the recently dethroned tyrant of the realm," Gwen summed up.
"Tyrant? You mean someone managed to take control of the realm?" Rhys asked in a baffled tone.
"From what I hear, the last king of that realm, Spellbinder, was a little too trusting. I can only imagine he tricked him and managed to take over that way," Gwen said.
"Did that include the Alpha Rune?" Rhys asked, and Gwen nodded. "Then no wonder your team's strength is talked about across the universe. No Anodite could ever beat someone using the Rune's full capabilities, and a regular person's odds aren't much better."
"I've never seen an artifact so powerful," Gwen said honestly.
"If you could find one even close to its power, I'd be amazed. So did you succeed in liberating the realm?" Rhys asked.
"The previous king's daughter, brother, and scribe now have control of the realm. They're in the process of freeing all of the people Addwaitya had enslaved, and with any luck, it won't take that long," Gwen told him.
"That's... really good to hear. Truly. Thank you," Rhys said sincerely.
"It's what we do. Now as for your side of the story?" Gwen asked.
"This is a really long story, so I'll summarize as best as I can without leaving anything out," Rhys said before clearing his throat. "Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away..."
Gwen shot him an unamused look, and he shot her the Grin in an unashamed fashion. Verdona only raised an eyebrow at the man.
"Just having some fun, Miss Tennyson," Rhys said in an amused tone.
"I noticed. It's totally a move Ben would pull," Gwen said with equal parts exasperation and fondness.
"And you can't help but love it," Verdona added with a smile.
"Doesn't mean it doesn't annoy me at times," Gwen said.
"Back on topic. Anyway, a lot of people have their own theories about how the universe started. Earth in particular, can't ever agree on which of the methods they came up with was the right one. Well, I don't know if there was ever any forms of life in the universe, but Ledgerdomain was the first as far as we could tell," Rhys said.
"Probably the Forge of Creation," Gwen thought.
"I was the eighteenth Anodite to be created, and so I had never seen the realm without the cities and formations that people had made, but I was told that it was nothing but floating rocks when it all started," Rhys said.
"Wait a minute. Are you suggesting Anodites were created by someone?" Verdona asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.
"Oh, no. Not at all. Anodites were created from mana itself. In Ledgerdomain, there would be large influxes of mana. Sometimes those influxes disappeared. And sometimes, those influxes took a life of its own," Rhys said.
"Anodites," Gwen said, causing Rhys to point at her.
"Bingo. Though we weren't the first ones to be created in Ledgerdomain. Humans actually were," Rhys said.
"Really?" Gwen said in a fascinated tone.
"How did they survive with no one around to help them? I mean, I doubt they just were created as adults," Verdona said.
"Actually, they were. The toddler and child stages of human and Anodite growing didn't exist until they were produced between a man and a woman. Many people referred to Ledgerdomain as 'The Realm of Life,' and as such, it seemed to know what was necessary for life of all kinds to exist. So they needed people that could walk, talk, and think for themselves," Rhys explained.
Gwen frowned in thought. By that description, he made it sound like Ledgerdomain itself was alive. Maybe it was. There was a lot she didn't know about the realm, and life had to start somewhere. She was definitely in no position to claim that any idea she might have would be as close to the truth as his was.
"So what happened from there?" Gwen asked.
"Well, the humans that were born started learning things. They learned that their bodies needed to be sustained, so they created food and water. The realm didn't just provide them with this stuff. They had to figure it out. You have any idea how any average sorcerer or sorceress would react to learn that the very first spell ever created was one that made bread?" Rhys questioned in an amused tone, and both Tennysons grinned along with him. "Magic may be something that they use to make their lives easier, but in the beginning, it was what was needed in order to survive."
"And from there, they learned to create places to live solely for the fact of privacy. How to feed and clothe themselves. How to defend themselves, which was why Scrutins were created," Rhys explained, using his hands to emphasize everything he was saying. "Soon the realm itself started changing more and more. Different aliens started cropping up. Different creatures that we had never seen before started popping up. Ones that could also be used for food. The realm and its inhabitants were growing, and for a while before we showed up."
"Celestialsapiens," Gwen suddenly said, and both mature Anodites looked at her in a confused fashion.
"Excuse me?" Rhys asked in a confused tone.
"There's a race of people called Celestialsapiens. Their powers extend to... well, they can do just about anything they want just by agreeing that they do it. And then they make it happen. I think they started forming the universe at the very beginning, and Ledgerdomain knew about that. So as they made more life, more places, and more races of aliens..."
"Ledgerdomain followed suit," Rhys finished, making Gwen nod. "Do you really believe that about this race of aliens?"
"That they can do anything? Well, if not everything, I believe that the list of things they can't do is smaller than the list of things they can. Even if they don't have the greatest attention span to what's in front of them," Gwen said dryly.
A realm full of godlike beings, and their team had to step in to save one of their children. The irony was not lost on Gwen.
"And they probably had a place that they talked about creating things at. And when they made things, Ledgerdomain also made it in order to give the realm a community of its own. I never knew about these aliens, but now that I do, it makes sense how these things just popped up out of the blue," Rhys said with a nod. "I think the Anodite thing is solely Ledgerdomain though. There was no Anodyne before we left. That I know."
"Then how did the planet come to be?" Verdona asked.
"We just made it. Me and nearly ten thousand Anodites had a hand in forming it. But that's information that involves skipping a few chapters, so let's go back to what we were talking about before," Rhys said as Verdona's eyes had turned wide.
"Anyway, the realm had grown to a certain point before the first Anodite had shown up. The people that found her named her 'Star.' Ironically considering Ledgerdomain had no knowledge of any kind of astronomy yet, but she was among the brightest of the Anodites."
"Guess it was meant to be," Verdona said with a small smile of amusement.
"Guess so," Rhys said in an amused tone. "Well, after years of Anodites being alive, it was no secret that Anodites were innately more powerful than regular people. Their regular power was just far too high, and they could mess around with the mana itself that was around them. No regular sorcerer or sorceress could do that. But where we had the power, they had the control. The restraint. And them, as our teachers, taught us that. A ton of us just wanted to someone with bad intentions to find Ledgerdomain just so we could show them what this realm was capable of."
"They wouldn't last a second," Gwen and Verdona said, and every Anodite there laughed at the statement.
"No, they wouldn't. Then things got bad," Rhys said, his smile quickly disappearing. "Civil war."
"Wait, what?" Gwen asked, not expecting that one.
"By the way things sounded, everyone there sounded like they were family in some kind of way," Verdona said.
"Most. Most people were together like family. But... we had a few oddballs. Not everyone took to living with Anodites like most did. Not all of them were treated as well as others. People got jealous of their power, and I feel like this one was the main problem. Because it was then we got our taste of what happened when people turned cruel," Rhys said sourly. "Anodites can feel mana like its nothing. Many trained ones could tell the difference between different mana sources. Imagine how we felt one day when we just woke up one day, and we just felt the life of someone we knew was just... completely gone."
"That's one of the worst feelings for us," Verdona said grimly, and Rhys nodded.
"It was a twenty-seven year old Anodite. Many of us practically considered him a little kid even if he did have the body of a grown adult. We felt a lack of his signature, and we looked around. Turns out an Incursean sorcerer was responsible. Made some sort of ritual that would allow him to completely drain that Anodite's power," Rhys said with restrained anger in his tone. "All that restraint we had been practicing was gone when we found out, replaced by indescribable rage. Others tried to reason with us, but they couldn't in that moment. And after we came down, there was nothing left of him."
"Of course, what we didn't know is that when we showed what we were capable of that day, we scared a lot of people. That if Anodites got together like that, no regular person would stand a chance.
"And people are often at their worst when they're scared," Gwen said.
"They absolutely are. Laws were enforced for everyone, but people definitely kept a tight leash on Anodites. A lot of people that now knew what we were capable of when we didn't hold back were scared of us. And they wanted to make sure we were kept under control," Rhys said.
"There's no way that would work if Anodites are anything like they are now," Verdona said.
"You're right. We didn't. Even those of us that were among the original Anodites felt a little slighted by these rules. I mean, Ledgerdomain had been our home for over ten thousand years by this point. We had seen loved ones come and gone, and everything we've done has been for the sake of keeping this realm safe. And now you're going to tell me that we have to be put under a set of stupid rules just because we're strong?" Rhys questioned rhetorically.
"We didn't like it, but we did purposefully toe the line. Just get people angry. We had a love for mischief and we hated the unfairness of these rules. So we felt as if it was justified. But some people started taking it too far. People got hurt, and I can't say I would ever be part to something like that. Then one Anodite stood up and asked everyone Anodite around him, "'Why are we following their rules when we're clearly stronger than them?'"
"And that's the one question that started everything," Gwen said.
"Too right, missy. People started questioning their places in their places in society. People got defiant, and then, like I said, civil war," Rhys said.
"Every alien race versus Anodites?" Verdona questioned.
"No, a lot of us recognized that even though that they may have a had a point, they weren't going about it the right way. They flat out believed that they were better than the other races. Even though the people before them were what gave Anodites a chance to really flourish into what we are today, they didn't care. So we opposed them," Rhys said, creating a ball of mana in his hand and manipulating it to zoom around the room. Gwen could tell he was bracing himself for what he was about to say, so she didn't rush. Neither did Verdona.
"We fought a war that lasted twenty-five years. Not long for an Anodite, but it wasn't easy to see those you saw as family die by the dozens. And die by the dozens. For other people without our lifespan, the humans specifically, it was even more grueling. You could see it wearing on them. Even with our help, it was difficult. And then one king rose up and said no more. He started poking holes within Ledgerdomain itself, searching for a new power - desperate to end a war that he saw no end to," Rhys said with a frown. "Then he and other sorcerers, sorceresses, and Anodites discovered what the true name of magic was. But what was more important to them was that it had power. And then the most powerful relic ever conceived was made - The Alpha Rune."
"What happened after that?" Gwen asked.
"Each Anodite that opposed him and simply been absorbed within the Rune with no effort. He had lost one of his sons in this war, so I imagined the decision to not even give them a chance was mainly fueled by grief. And when we told him enough was enough, we would've joined the others if it hadn't been for his other son - the eldest one. He took over deciding our fate for us, and he opted to just banish us from the realm. Many of us knew how to leave Ledgerdomain, but we preferred not to. And now were suddenly forced to leave. It was terrible, but at least I understood why. And far better than the alternative," Rhys explained, looking up at the ceiling. An invisible weight seemed to settle over his body, his shoulders slumping as he sat while trapped in an ancient memory.
"Yeah. I can understand that too," Gwen said softly.
At Gwen's words, Rhys managed to shake himself out of his remembering before continuing.
"So it was decided that every Anodite who lived there was to be removed and then never told the realm's new name, which was the only way to return to Ledgerdomain. Since you and Ben Tennyson, no Anodite has ever set foot in Ledgerdomain since then. And that was, like I said, nearly four trillion years ago."
"What happened between you and the other Anodites?" Verdona asked.
"We appeared in the middle of space. And immediately wanted to kill each other. Not only was there was so much animosity between us, me and many others believed that the only reason we were forced from the home we had known for so long was because of their selfishness. It was only because of Star that we didn't. She told us that even though we didn't like it, we were on our own in a universe we knew next to nothing about. So we had to work together to at least try and make a new start. We could go on hating each other from there if we cared to after that," Rhys explained.
"I don't think I could've listened," Verdona told him honestly.
"Almost nobody did. But if there was anyone that anyone that any Anodite would listen to, it was Star. She never participated in the war for either side, so everyone was more willing to listen to her rather than anyone else. So because of her playing the middle woman, we decided to call a ceasefire until we got our bearings," Rhys said.
"And then you banded together to create Anodyne," Gwen finished.
"Right. Unfortunately, as a lot of the Anodites that helped its creation had that sense of superiority that started the war in the first place, that superiority complex started to spread. It's not bad enough to make an Anodite start a war over and start killing people. Thank goodness for that. But it's the reason why a lot of Anodites you see are dismissive of other races. Why they care for nothing besides their own. Because most children that were born and raised on Anodyne came from those people," Rhys explained.
"Those of us that weren't like that didn't have many kids, and many of us were done with fighting something that had lasted way too long. So most left, but I stayed. To at least keep an eye on Anodites if things had escalated into war, and I'm glad to see that it hasn't. But to see that this is what my people are like? It's why I prefer solitude. Why I don't talk to people. Why any time I spend on Anodyne is in the library - a place that hardly ever sees visitors if at all."
"That's... I'm sorry to hear that," Verdona said in a sympathetic tone.
"Don't apologize. I've had all these years to myself in order to come to terms with our history. It's not needed. Besides, I'm glad I stayed. After all this time, I finally met two Anodites that break the usual mold," Rhys said, looking at Gwen in particular. "I get that your circumstances are more unusual, but if more Anodites were raised with the kind of influence you had... If more people thought like you two, then maybe, just maybe I could see more Anodites like the ones I grew up with."
He spoke with a fond sort of wistfulness in his tone, and it made Gwen feel really sorry for the man. She didn't think she'd ever meet an Anodite that had it bad like this. But the longer you were alive, the more time you have to see all kinds of terrible things.
"Can't remember the last time I've sat down and talked like this with someone. Then again, I've found myself in some good company," Rhys said with a smile.
"Thank you for telling your story. I... didn't think it would be this," Gwen said.
"One, thank you for not apologizing. And two, most people wouldn't. But the best thing I can do is to accept that history and move on," Rhys said before nodding at Verdona and Gwen respectfully. "Thank you for the information and saving my old home. Best of luck to the two of you."
He teleported away, and left both Tennysons with nothing but their thoughts.
"Well... that was..."
"Awful," Verdona finished before beginning to pace. The expression on her face was... troubled, to say the least.
"I'm thinking that I almost wish I hadn't heard that. But I always did want to know what it was like at the beginning. Max always did say you should be careful what you wish for," Verdona said with a sigh.
"Still, it does make me understand why Anodites are the way that they are. Only a handful of people who made the planet didn't have a superiority complex for their species. So it makes that sense that it was passed down. The same thing happened with humans years ago," Gwen said.
"I still don't like it," Verdona said, looking away briefly.
"What's really bothering you about it?" Gwen asked in a knowing tone.
"I told you about my mother, right? How she wanted to raise me in a way that went against the way other Anodites were?" Verdona asked, making Gwen nod. "Appreciation of other species was one of those things. I guess she was one of the ones that managed to avoid thinking like that, and I fought against it."
"You can't really blame yourself for ending up similar to everyone else," Gwen said.
"No, I really can't. And I'm not going to," Verdona said before looking to Gwen. "I'll be back in a few hours. Go have some fun, kiddo."
Verdona teleported away, leaving Gwen with only her thoughts. This revelation was a big surprise to her, but she knew it had to be way worse for Verdona. She lived here for the longest time. And knowing your history was a real kick in the head. Human history wasn't very pleasant either.
She really wasn't looking forward to having to tell Ben about this. Which is why exactly it was just her luck when he walked in the door with Sunny. And the two of them were laughing.
"They turned tail really fast when you suggested we team up against the rest of them in a game," Ben said with a grin.
"I was the best at it, and you managed to beat me a couple of times. Their odds weren't great with the two of us on a team. They're gonna want to see what you can do," she told him, while rubbing her hands together.
"I can definitely deliver on that," Ben said before looking to Gwen. And he could she that she was a little bothered. "Gwen?"
"I just had a conversation with that Rhys guy. We... have a lot to talk about," Gwen said, making both of her other cousins look at each other.
"You're lying," Sunny said with a scoff.
"That's what he told me," Gwen said.
"He could've been lying," Sunny quipped.
"He knew about the Alpha Rune. He also spoke of Ledgerdomain like he was very familiar with the place. Not just anyone who was lying could fake that. And the way he spoke of those events... If he's lying, he could make any actor I've seen look like an absolute amateur," Gwen said, shaking her head.
"That's still..." Sunny trailed before shaking her head.
"Anodites had to come from somewhere Sunny," Ben suddenly said, a thoughtful look on his face. His face briefly flashed with a bit of wry amusement. "May as well be from the place where all magic in the universe flows."
"I guess that makes sense. Damn... for thinking humans weren't even on the same wavelength as an Anodite, we sure like to make a lot of the mistakes they do," Sunny said while shaking her head.
"People make mistakes. And that's what makes them people. Not being good or better than others at stuff. Anodites aren't any different," Gwen said.
"Isn't that the truth?" Ben said, crossing one leg over the other. "Still... it just makes me wonder if any of those Anodites like Rhys are still out there."
"Probably are. But more than likely nowhere near here," Gwen said.
"How'd grandma take it?" Sunny asked.
"Pretty hard. There might have been a chance that her mom was one of the first Anodites, given the way she attempted to raise her," Gwen said, causing Ben and Sunny to look at her with a surprised expression.
"That's news to me," Ben said.
"To me too," Sunny added.
"We had a conversation a few years back, and she mentioned her mom brought her up in a way that was different from other Anodites. And again after she heard Rhys' story. Apparently, they haven't seen each other since her father died," Gwen told them.
"So even she would have no clue where she would be," Ben said.
"No," Gwen said with a shake of the head.
"Ugh. I'm gonna go for a fly. I need to think," Sunny said distastefully before walking out of the door.
"One visit to a library, and all of this happens," Ben said with a shake of the head.
"We wanted to know all about Anodyne when we came here. Can't say we didn't get what we asked for," Gwen said.
"Any chance it gets worse?" Ben asked.
"Let's hope not," Gwen said.
"You don't know where she is?" Verdona asked.
"Nothing recent, no. It's been quite a few years since I talked to her, and it was sometime after Orion's death," Rhys said, his tone somewhat somber as he rearranged some books on a shelf. "I didn't even recognize you were his daughter. You're so different now."
"I wouldn't recognize myself if I knew I was going to end up like this," Verdona said with a wry smile. "Thanks anyway."
"No problem," Rhys said before Verdona teleported away. He then frowned thoughtfully before looking up towards the ceiling. "Might have a few ideas though..."
A/N: Ok, I know that was a lot to unpack for one chapter, and I'm not entire sure if I should've even bothered coming up with a backstory for Anodites. But I wanted to try, at least. Whether it's good or not is subjective, but I think I at least did an alright job.