Chapter 135 - Reconnecting

It had been several days since the battle against Dark Matter had ended. The strange creature known as Nate was starting to recover and gather up the many little wraith-like things that crawled around Kilo Village. Rebuilding efforts were slow and steady. All was well.

And yet, Elder did not know why everything felt so off. Rhys… How was he doing? He hadn't heard any news about him lately, only that he had been sent to the Voidlands. Surely by now he would have been sent back, right?

It seemed that while he was in the Voidlands, he could not even communicate with him in his dreams like he used to. That little, strange psychic link allowed to him by Mystic resonance did not work from Kilo to the Voidlands.

The loneliness was new. Even when they were working opposite sides of the Hunter-Heart conflict, they could speak to one another that way.

His tired eyes finished reading over the last report of the evening. It was starting to blur together, but with Nevren researching, Rhys gone, and James and Anam in the Voidlands, it had somehow landed on him to maintain things at the Guild, along with a few other Elites. Even stranger was this lingering feeling that he was missing something. The feeling had always been there, deep in his mind, and yet only recently had he realized it. A matter of since the end of the day, and no earlier.

He felt a subtle tug to the north, toward Hot Spot. It… bothered him. But, without Waypoints, he had no means of going there in a timely manner. He could only wonder… Could it be Rhys?

Lifting his shell off the ground, he slowly lumbered out of his makeshift office in Anam's quarters. Then came the slow walk out of the office, where Elder began to fantasize about making some dinner and what a good berry salad would be like, and if there would be someone waiting for him in his quarters as a little surprise. Perhaps he would go to the hospital to see how others were doing there, have some conversations with visitors to pass the time. It would be nice to socialize outside of a business setting…

As he emerged from Heart HQ, however, those fantasies were shoved aside when a giant, serpentine wraith flew over the skies, evading several shots from the ground. Elder took a few steps back in an effort to find a place to hide—he was no fighter—when he realized that this serpent in the sky was heading straight for him. In fact, he was almost positive that he'd made eye contact. Glowing, yellowish-white eyes on that thing…

And that tug, that ethereal tug, was pointing not north generally, but specifically toward that serpent. That monster was what had been calling him?

"E-excuse me!" the serpent cried, his voice warped and unpleasantly buzzing in his head.

He had half a mind to fall for his instincts and tuck into his shell. His instincts always were a little strong. "Yes?" he called back, voice hoarse from lack of use all day.

"Elder, correct? My name is Rayquaza, er, oh, this is quite awkward, but… Well, ah, oh, oho, I suppose I forgot my words. How silly of me…"

Seeing this gigantic shadow serpent writhing in the air from awkwardness left Elder fully disarmed. Whatever resonance he felt toward this creature, it wasn't hostilities. Maybe it was some civilized wraith? Nevren had mentioned several of them were innocent spirits corroded by the land…

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Rayquaza," Elder finally said.

And then they stood there, awkward and silent. The terrified crowd had died down after seeing that they were only talking, and with hushed voices at that. Between Nate and all the other oddities going around lately, the villagers collectively went about their business, accepting this as yet another strange thing the Elites dealt with. At least, Elder hoped that was their thought process.

"I suppose I'll get it over with, Elder," Rayquaza finally said. "I understand this may be difficult to grasp, but… we are halves of a whole."

The awkward atmosphere turned into cold confusion. Elder tried to run that in his mind again—not wanting to be rude and ask for a repeat—but it was absurd. He figured that it was something to brush off. Yet, he couldn't deny it. A small part of him told him it was true. Why?

"I'm… sorry?" Elder asked, and Rayquaza curled up and offered a hand to him. Goodness, he was large.

"Why don't we go somewhere private?" he offered. "Don't worry. It won't be long. We will return to Kilo Village before sundown."

Elder looked at the sky. It was already late into the evening… A quick meeting. That would be fine. A strange, tiny part of him trusted this serpent. Inexplicably, he knew no harm would come to him. This was deeper than an instinctual thought, so he trusted it.

Obliging, Elder carefully got within Rayquaza's grasp as they soared through the skies, completely ignoring the alarmed elemental blasts coming their way from those who had not been wholly calmed by the lack of action prior. Elder wondered how strong Rayquaza was, or if he was simply too far to strike effectively.

Elder was tempted to squeeze into his shell again, but instead tried to call over the wind. "Rayquaza, is there a reason you arrived so suddenly? For me? Halves of a whole. I'm sorry, but my better half is with another, if, er…"

Rayquaza seemed to wince at that. "No, that's not quite it, I'm afraid. I do wish it was that simple…"

They were already near the bottom of the mountain. The altitude change was dizzying. Elder noted a little necklace with a cyan diamond hanging off of Rayquaza. He wondered what that was for; it was far too small to be a proper accessory for him.

Gingerly, Rayquaza set Elder down, and they were facing one another again, horribly opposed in terms of size. Rayquaza had to bring his head far, far down, practically laying on the ground, while Elder had to stand tall with his neck out just to be at conversation heights.

This was a lonely little hill by the rocks at the mountain base. Pleasant, quiet, the sort of spot one would go on a long hike to enjoy the payoff. He still felt alone, even with Rayquaza next to him, but it was a pleasant sort of aloneness. The first time he'd felt it in a very long time.

His thoughts trailed to Rhys again, but the concern was gentler this time. He wondered, was this what he meant, about feeling alone together with someone? He'd never understood that until now.

"…Elder," Rayquaza finally said, breaking that tranquility, "you and I… are the same. We share the same spirit. It is difficult to truly feel our full power. The immortal half is, of course, severely weakened, while the mortal half… may consider themselves stronger than average, simply due to how much power they contain." He spoke slowly, and more and more as Elder listened, he began to realize a subtle connection between them. It really did feel as if they'd known each other for years.

Yet nothing he said made sense. The wind blew along, the words rolling inconsequentially in his mind… "I… am having trouble understanding what you mean," Elder said. "What does that imply, for us? How much of us do we not know of one another? Am… I'm sorry, I think I need some time to wrap my head around it, really. Oh, I do hope this isn't a concept too high for how I used to be. Feral was a very long time ago, but…"

Rayquaza, despite his shadowy, wraith-like form, seemed to smile. "Do not worry. I believe it will make sense eventually. But, Elder, I do have some other news."

Elder tilted his head. "Yes?"

"It regards… Rhys, you see."

Another breeze. The chill of autumn and encroaching winter. In that moment, Elder studied every part of Rayquaza's body language, obscured as it was. This was not news that he would be hesitant to share if it was not terrible. Which meant…

"Where is Rhys, then?"

He didn't want to know, but he needed to. He had to. But somehow, deep down, with how he'd been feeling… That emptiness, and the news Rayquaza had just shared, something he could still barely wrap his mind around…

He tried to get ahead of the news. He choked out, "Who is his half?"

"Dialga," Rayquaza surrendered all too fast. "I'm… I'm afraid that Rhys fell in battle. And when he did, he reunited with Dialga."

"Then, he is fine, yes?" Elder asked hopelessly. Why would Rayquaza hesitate if he was fine?

"He says that the memories are there, but… distant. And, he wished to deliver the news to you, but it seems he'd been sidetracked by other obligations right now. Ones for the world, and… Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sure he would have phrased it so much better."

Rayquaza was babbling on after that, but Elder couldn't hear him. Rhys had fallen in battle. Taken into Dialga. Faded. A dream.

He was gone.

Rhys was gone. And he'd known it, but now he couldn't deny it. Told to him by some wraith, his other half, and not Dialga himself.

That was the emptiness. He'd known from the start.

"I… I see," Elder said. At some point, he hadn't realized how long he hadn't breathed. The tension he was waiting to go away… simply did not.

Everything stopped. Elder's vision curled up into a tight little ball.

Spice couldn't believe how advanced the underworld was. Buildings that lit up from holy crystals, signs made from them like the sacred was now mundane, strange screens that beeped and booped depending on what people did… That sort of technology was only seen in the most advanced Heart tech, hospitals, military—not common appliances! She'd never been allowed in cities as a simple Void Shadow, devoid of memories and operating on little shards of feelings. This was all new to her. Something she'd only seen from a distance.

If it wasn't for the fact that they were trying to get back home safely, they would have spent some time exploring and touring around. Instead, she could only see it all through a window. Staying in the Voidlands was a possibility, but it came with its own perils and dangers. If they died here… Spice wouldn't forgive herself. If it was Tanneth they wanted, they could keep her safe, and perhaps Spice could pay personal visits on her own.

They had decided to spend a 'sleep' with them. The Voidlands had no such thing as night and day, so everything was measured in sleeps and by the internal clocks of certain Pokémon. Brandon even let Tanneth out of her Poké Ball now that it was safer, and to inspect her condition. She was still incredibly weak, but stable, thank the stars.

"Goodness, she's definitely a half-soul," Darkrai said gently, giving Tanneth a bowl of broth that looked tinged purple, but otherwise smelled nice. She didn't have the strength to speak, but she had enough to take small drops for now. Darkrai helped slowly and at the Vaporeon's pace. "It seems like Emily had tried to absorb most of her, but she still retained a small bit of her spirit, and now it's trying to regrow back. But all that power…"

"Tanneth would have been taken completely if she wasn't rescued," Cresselia remarked next. "…And Emily is still with Dark Matter, too. That's a shame."

"Lugia, right." Angelo was making a little sketch on a spare piece of paper to pass the time. Maybe it calmed his nerves. It looked like the page to a comic book.

"Is there any way to stop her?" Brandon asked. "She's practically invincible. Nothing we threw at her worked."

"A Legend with the power of Dark Matter? I have no idea," Darkrai said. "Emily was always durable, and the power of Shadow multiplied that. I don't really know the details aside from that."

"You know, that's kinda weird," Brandon said. "Why does Emily have a name? You know, aside from her species. What're your names?"

"Oh, we, er, we don't remember," Darkrai said.

"As part of our ascent, we discard our mortal names from memory." Cresselia nodded "It's a rite of passage that Arceus had given us, and that part of our memory is sealed so long as we retain these forms. I used to be a Venusaur, actually."

Spice gawked. "That's a big transition."

"What we ascend to has little to do with our species," Cresselia dismissed. "But Emily… defied the tradition of names. Dark Matter empowered her to do so. Her name was a symbol of that. I don't totally understand it myself, but it was important to her. Important enough that she declared it as she wiped whole villages from the world. Carved a whole segment of Kilo away in an instant."

"…War's End," Phol concluded instantly. "The story is that there was some great blast of energy from an unknown Legend that had put an end to a terrible war. A lot of that story was lost to time. But that's what it is, isn't it?"

"I don't know," Cresselia admitted. "Perhaps that's what it's called now, but I've lost the details myself. Either way… That is the status of things, it seems. Tanneth is… an alter ego that must have been created, somehow, from Emily."

"And it's what's keeping her from fully unlocking that destructive potential," Darkrai said, shuddering. "How awful. If only there was a way to take the darkness out of her, but as she is, she's indestructible…"

"Thanks for the information anyway," Spice said. "But we should get going. If you don't have a way to get Tanneth's strength back, she—"

"Wait…" Tanneth looked down. "Can… can Emily get here?"

"To the Voidlands? I'm… not sure." Cresselia hummed. "Emily herself is a walking Dungeon in the same way anyone possessed by Dark Matter is. And, well, Dark Matter can manifest inside the Voidlands. It makes him vulnerable, but he does… But can others? I've never seen it before…"

"…I can feel her…"

"You… can feel her," repeated Cresselia. "Where?"

Tanneth shifted weakly. Then, she pointed in a direction, right at the wall.

Cresselia checked something on a device that had been in a small satchel. Her expression darkened. "North…"

"North?" Spice asked. "What does that mean?"

"This place has a north?" Brandon said, skeptical.

"Er." Darkrai nodded. "Right now, you're in North Null Village. Even further north is more forest, followed by the Abyssal Sea. It's a vast expanse of black water that eventually leads to a small island guarded by all kinds of demonic forms that Dark Matter had sent to guard Necrozma. They cannot kill Necrozma, but they can suppress him, and that is… how things have been. Only his closest, light-filled disciples can slip through, but not Necrozma himself. His power to traverse dimensions has been shattered."

"Necrozma…" Brandon hummed it, like he was trying to get familiarized.

"Then Emily is somewhere there," Leo spoke up. "Is that good? Bad?"

"Neutral. It means it's probably not going to come here to take Tanneth." Phol huffed and crossed his arms. "Not coming closer. It's standing guard. And if Tanneth can feel it, she'll be able to warn them and probably… be sent someplace for us to pick her up." Phol frowned. "How long does it take to go from this Abyssal Sea to here?"

"Oh, days."

The Incineroar nodded at Cresselia and stood up. "Perhaps we should try to stay in touch for now. We are not in the best position, but we need to send word to Kilo Village about our wellbeing, and Tanneth's status. We can't stay here. There's a risk we won't be able to leave with too much exposure. Is that right?"

"Don't really know," Spice said. "Not something I want to risk."

"Mmm… Please return safely if you can," Darkrai said. "I suppose you know where to find me, at least…" He glanced in the direction of the bathroom and sank a little. "I hope nobody else shows up while I'm trying to relax…"

"Well, thank you," Angelo said. "Can you point us in the direction of, er, the closest… gateway into Kilo that isn't your bathroom?"

"We don't really know where it will lead," Cresselia said. "In fact, it might lead somewhere different each time, for all we know. But the next nearest one would be just south of here. Another distortion, but… be careful. If you feel a burning sensation, return immediately."

"B-burning?" Leo asked. "Why? What?"

"Void spirits who stray outside of a dungeon can't exist outside of one. They evaporate and return to the Voidlands, like dying. You might even lose some of your memories, and all of your power, too. Like starting over." Cresselia frowned warningly. "So, if that happens, turn back. Okay?"

Angelo looked like he was about to faint.

"Thanks for the warning," Spice said with a nod. "C'mon. Let's go before they say something that makes Angelo die anyway."

Cresselia had been right; the gateway into Kilo was only a short trek through the forest. As a team, they were able to handle any hostile Void Shadows. The gateway manifested as a strange distortion of light that resembled a darker spot in the forest that suddenly cut off, like a bubble of ashen soap. After making some uncertain glances at one another, Team Alight and their temporary escorts stepped through the distortion.

The stagnant air of the Voidlands exchanged itself with cooler air. It was a colder day in Kilo, with their breaths leaving little fog streams in front of them, especially the Fires. Dark leaves and treetops were an immediate indicator of where they were, and flashes of lightning suddenly filled Spice's vision, but only hers.

"Spice?" Leo asked, not seeing the lightning in the Salazzle wraith's memories.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Sorry." Spice rubbed at her chest, which was starting to itch again. "I know where we are. This isn't too bad a Dungeon when it's not storming. Let's just get out fast."

"Lead the way," Phol said. "You're practically a natural at navigating this place, wraith."

Spice growled at him, but then she saw his wry smile. She relaxed a little at around the time he frowned instead.

"Sorry. I was trying to joke about it this time."

"I'm just high-strung. It's alright." Spice tried to navigate. Something was still bothering her, though, and she turned on her heel to look backwards.

"…So, the way back is through… that gateway," Angelo said, pointing at what seemed to be a dark tunnel floating in the middle of a clearing. It led, no matter which angle they looked, into the purplish-red atmosphere of the Voidlands.

"This must be one of those fabled Dungeon Cores," Brandon said. "A pure black void that spits out wraiths."

Spice squinted. "Excuse me? Pure black?"

"Uh, yeah. Pretty dark and spooky here," Brandon said, gesturing vaguely forward at the tunnel.

"It's a tunnel. It just goes back home." She paused. "B-back to… back to…" She trailed off, her heart racing. The crystal in her chest pulsed lightly.

"It's okay," Leo said. "You just slipped a little. Home is in Kilo Village, remember?"

"Yeah, I do. Sorry. Just, I…" She couldn't look at any of them.

"Don't worry," Phol said. "I'm sure it felt like home to you, given your condition. I'd feel the same if I visited a fiery field, or something, I suppose." He crossed his arms, flicking his tail. "…Are you feeling ready to go, Spice? Or is something calling you?"

"Something is, actually," Spice said, "but not the Voidlands. If you'll humor it, can I go someplace first? Then we'll start finding out where exactly we are."

"Calling you?" Angelo asked worriedly, but Spice was already heading down an offshoot path of the Dungeon, navigating through the forest and along some of the walls that were shifting ever so slightly. The Dungeon seemed more active than before, perhaps because it was no longer blessed. Thankfully, the monsters inside avoided them.

"Yeah just… something I want to investigate." Spice could feel an odd pull, like she wanted to explore somewhere. She'd felt it before during that lightning storm, but had been repelled when it actually struck her. It was leading her astray from rescuing those who had been trapped by the fire. But now? There was no true urgency. Her team was in hiding. They could afford to investigate a little more.

"I think I recognize this place," Leo said. "You were insistent that I go back, but you… wanted to keep going."

"Guess I was stubborn," Spice dismissed.

The Salazzle-wraith followed her instincts. The gem in her chest felt warmer than usual, like it was giving her a sense for something more than sight or sound. It wasn't quite smell, but it reminded her of it. There was something here that drew her closer, and it was only as she crawled through a burrow, over pits and through narrow passageways, that she realized she'd gone too far ahead of her team.

"Keeping up?!" Spice called, impatient.

Faintly, she heard, "What are you doing!?"

The tunnels muffled a lot of the noise. It was a really elaborate labyrinth…

"Just hang on! I'm almost there!"

This wasn't very far from where they'd found the Dungeon Core. It was just ahead. What was this place? It had the smell of some kind of feral burrow, but it was abandoned.

There were so many turns, and yet she was able to navigate to the end with confidence, not a single doubt on where it was. She didn't know why; it was starting to frighten her. A small part of Spice wondered if she should stop listening to these instincts, but most of her wanted to press on. She was too curious to stop now.

She stepped on something crunchy and recoiled back, looking down. Bones. Old bones picked clean. She grimaced and looked ahead to see similar bones in a discarded pile, and she could only hope that they were feral. Definitely a carnivore or omnivore who had lived here.

But that was all. There wasn't anything here but that lingering feeling that something important was once here. Drawing her closer. Residual… something.

"Spice!" Leo called, worried.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Spice called back, spending a few extra seconds poking around the depths of the burrow. She found nothing. Muttering an annoyed curse, she finally departed, more confused than ever on why this feral burrow resonated with her so much.

But just as she left, a glint of something caught her eye. She stopped and crawled over to a corner, where she found a pile of shed fur that had been crafted into a nest. Beneath it, nestled under some dried leaves and more fur, were two spare, shiny rocks that had been carved oddly. They reminded her of those odd baubles Zoroark knew how to create by instinct.

Weird. Spice decided to keep one of them in her bag. She didn't feel anything strange from them, but if she wanted something to remind herself of this odd feeling, it'd be that.

…She had a feeling this was going to be something deeper later. With a frustrated sigh, she growled at the gods that were busy elsewhere to get her answers soon.

"Where are my daughters?"

Despite it being a question, it was phrased as Step's first command when she'd returned to Null Village, and it was one they were quick to comply with. Step had the sense that Gami didn't really want to deal with her for too long, and that was fine. Those mutants were probably doing scouting again, and were far too eager to leave and satisfy more of their primal, Battleheart needs.

So, after being directed to Cent and Ana's temporary home in Null Village, she was alarmed to see how faded their icy bodies had become.

"Mom!" Cent said, looking more faded than her taller sibling Kommo-o. They had emerged from their little home, but there was an odd, foreign glow inside that she didn't recognize.

Immediately on guard, she said, "Is someone visiting you?"

"Oh, um." Ana fidgeted, nodding. "Um, yes, Mother. Xerneas is visiting. He's…"

"Hmph." Step nodded. "Convenient. Yveltal was looking for him, but went to the main hall. I was told to speak to Xerneas. Lifebringer! Why are you visiting my daughters?"

"Hmph. Your daughters." Step heard a voice grumble as he emerged, nearly getting his antlers caught in the low doorway. "Aggron… Step."

Step crossed her arms and studied this apparent Legend. Something about him bugged her. The way he spoke bothered her and she couldn't place why.

"Yes, that I am." She had to ask it. "Who are you? Why do I… know you? I remember you. I remember a 'Xerneas' in… in some ways. Ra always spoke of knowing a Yveltal once, like a dream. Explain to me what this is."

When Step said 'Ra,' she had noted Xerneas' eyes light up in the smallest ways, even when the rest of his expression was a stern frown.

"I am Ra," Xerneas stated flatly. "When he was sent to this world as nothing but a spirit, he gravitated toward the Titan that I was the core of. We reunited. I am whole. We were halves of one another."

Xerneas closed his eyes, as if thinking back. Step felt cold. That was supposed to be impossible. She was of Ice; she couldn't feel colder than that.

The Lifebringer continued, eyes still closed. "You and Ra met by happenstance and the whims of Mew Star, because by some instinct or feeling she felt that you two would have done well together. This was not unfounded, as indeed, our other halves were a pair in the same way. But your mortal halves did not get along, especially after you had children, and disagreed on the way to raise them amid the dangers of the Hunters who aimed to cut you down and take away the power imbued into you. You separated, and remained as such until his death, where he became an Ice Spirit within you. Your daughters visited as well, and eventually stayed permanently within your Core in an effort to help the cause you currently fight with. Does all of this sound accurate?"

Step's daughters were slack-jawed. Only when Step looked at them did they straighten their backs.

"Wait!" Cent said. "You walked into our home and sat at the table like a creepy old weirdo because you're actually our dad?!"

"I was not creepy and I'm immortal. I can't be old in that way," Xerneas growled back. "Show some respect."

They both flinched at that, still horrified. "But you don't look like Dad at all!" Ana protested.

"Dad looked cooler!" Cent amended. "Dragons are better!"

Xerneas' eye twitched.

"This is absurd," Step spat. "I have no memory of being partnered with Xerneas."

"Yes, because that is your immortal half. You are meant to reunite with Yveltal. Frankly, I'm surprised she hasn't done so already."

"That's… just as absurd!" Step moved back. "I do not need to hear this. None of this makes sense. Ana, Cent, we are leaving for Kilo. Come, return to my Core. You are already faded."

"…I do not like what you've become," Xerneas said slowly, and when Step glanced back to glare at him, there was a hint of sadness in his eyes that filled her with an odd dread.

"No. This is pointless." Step marched out. "Cent! Ana! We are leaving for Kilo."

She felt a tingling feeling, like Xerneas was charging a powerful strike, and she glanced back. But when she did, she instead saw his antlers dying down, dimming. Had he hesitated? Of course he would. If she attacked, he would be the one regretting it… He would. He would…

"Mom?" Cent asked. "What's he even talking about? I—I don't get it."

"Nothing important," Step muttered. "If you are close to Yveltal, she is looking for you in the main hall. Go there, and do not seek me out. Understood?"

Xerneas seemed focused on Cent and Ana and appeared to get a brief headache. He shook his head and turned away.

"…Do as you want," he said, a little quieter now. "I'm sorry. Goodbye, Step."

She had no heart, and yet something seemed to pain her in her chest. The way he said that. It… No. It couldn't be. Ra was still somewhere. Maybe he was back in Kilo. Yes, he'd just been taken in by a different Guardian. That was the real reason she couldn't find them. This was all Voidlands trickery. No matter how true it was, she just had to be sure.

It was possible it was all just one big nightmare. With her kids, Step faced the vortex and kept marching home. She blocked out any other thoughts.

Another Owen calmed down.

Alone in the cell, he ran over what had happened during that simple game of poker over and over. He'd lost, from the very first move. He realized that Qitlan had solely done that to get a feel for his priorities, and yet the stakes that he'd believed in gave away what he wanted. Qitlan could have lost all six of those chips to Owen and he still would have gotten what he wanted.

That was the last time he'd play a game on his terms, Owen resolved. Perhaps a game at all. He was too dangerous.

But as he stared at those six chips, three of them blank and empty, Owen did wonder in a small way if any of those prizes were real. If they were, would he have an obligation, a benefit, for trying again? Or would it be a deception for later, building him up to trust them, only to betray him at the very end?

He missed therapy. There was probably something in those scattered memories that would've helped him here. A shame so much of that had been wiped from his 'endless reset' phase of life.

The cell door opened. So lost in thought, Owen jumped a little this time.

"All right," Qitlan said. "How has progress been with those Gone Pebbles?"

"Oh, I…" He'd forgotten. "I'll… keep working on them."

"Mm. We'll move what you've done so far to your new quarters." Qitlan gestured behind him. "Go on. You're free to go."

Owen blinked, wondering if he was dreaming. He covered his snout and tried to breathe through it; when he couldn't, he figured he was probably not dreaming. Qitlan, now giving him an odd look, handed a small bag to the Charmeleon.

"A map, an insignia of authority, and a CCD, or 'Seed.'"

In the bag was what seemed to be a tourist map of Cipher City—which baffled Owen, the fact that something like that existed at all—a badge that looked like a dark star with three dragon heads, and one of those communicators that were used in Null Village to contact one another.

"What's CCD stand for?"

"Cipher Communication Device."

"Oh." Owen figured it worked the same, so he tried to turn it on. It responded, and even had his name as the registered profile. No picture, though. Maybe he could fix that. He flipped through the little lights on the screen and poked at one of them, and suddenly a new screen with a circle destroying several rectangles appeared.

"Ahem." Qitlan cleared his throat. "You may play games later. Honestly…" He turned around. "Your other winnings are still being arranged. Enjoy Cipher City and return to your room when you want. By your next sleep, you should have more available to you."

"…So, those prizes… were real," Owen said.

"Yes. As I told you. And remember, if you leave Cipher City, we'll know. And don't let that badge leave you, either." He pointed at it. "If it does, we will know you left, and we will immediately send massive forces to eradicate Null Village. It's not strategically viable to do that, but if it's to make sure you have no home base to return to, it will suddenly become very viable. Does that make sense?"

"I guess it does," Owen replied coolly, ignoring the knot forming in his stomach. Freedom never felt so restricting. "So, I just can't leave the city perimeter?"

"Yes. Otherwise, explore as much as you like."

He took the bag and slipped it over his arm, then shoulder. "Thanks, then. I'll get to that."

He was absolutely going to be tracked and monitored at all times. He had to be careful. No escaping that, but he still had to find a way to make use of this, somehow.

At least he wouldn't be as bored meditating all the time.

Meditating…

That was it. This was a distraction. Did they suspect he was meditating and advising his friends from in the cell, and now they were trying to keep him busy with other tasks? Was that their plan? No, they couldn't think that far ahead. He hadn't even done that yet. He'd left that to the copy he'd left behind.

The cell door opened again and Qitlan gestured for Owen to leave. "Go on," he said impatiently. "I'm going to be late for a meeting."

"Oh, uh—sorry." Owen shuffled out, still feeling surreal. The guard gave him a nonchalant nod. In a blur of incomplete thoughts and planning, he ascended the stairs, left the castle from the grand hall, and was staring down the castle gardens the same way he'd been escorted inside.

He was free.

Yet, he had nowhere to go. Despite this, there was an odd elation, a little smile, that he couldn't hide. Then, a determined fire followed from his tail and in his eyes. They were trying to psyche him out, somehow. He wouldn't let that happen; he was going to take this opportunity to see where it would carry him.

Everyone, he thought, hang in there. I'm doing fine.

He hoped his words would somehow reach the others. Perhaps, at the very least, his fragments could feel it.