It had been a long time. Years? A decade? Frankly, Ana couldn’t remember when she had done it last. The Sun Maiden realised what she was experiencing was false shortly into her slumber. She didn’t rush to wake.

  Dreaming. To mundanes, it was a daily thing.

  To her, it was a novelty, but more than that, she wished to see more of what her unconscious mind had to show her, for her dream was equal parts weird and wonderful.

  Different but the same.

  In her dream, like reality, Ana was a warrior princess, a magical swordswoman of many means, who loved her family and kingdom and was adored in return. The similarities ended there. Dozens of differences separated reality from the fiction her mind conjured up.

  In her dream, Ana was not Ana, but Anastasia Dew Laylen. Her family was completely replaced, and so was her kingdom. Her appearance also deviated. Not by a considerable margin. They were minor enough that the figure in the mirror could be mistaken for Ana’s older sister. It was strange, yet the Sun Maiden knew the reflection was undoubtedly her.

  The difference in powerset was more exaggerated. Her dream version was her superior by several orders of magnitude in quantity and quality. And instead of fire, she gravitated toward lightning magic.

  Her dream self’s day-to-day was various shades of peaceful. Life was on easy mode for her. But this all changed. It came without warning; reality quaked.

  The Grand Ascension.

  The onset of the Tower of Lebab. Space ruptured, and countless rifts opened to other dimensions. Bizarre existences came pouring in and invaded her homeland.

  Ana watched as her dream self repelled threat after threat, feeling a second-hand pride.

  This is…

  Night became day as the world lit up. A shockwave spread to all corners of her realm. A meteor? No, at the epicentre of the explosion was something far deadlier.

  Xyn?

  Confusion and delight filled the Sun Maiden as she continued watching on. Her dream self didn’t share these emotions. To the warrior princess, the sight of the black-haired, black-eyed teenager was anything but dreamy.

  Visually, the dream version was identical to the Xyn Ana knew. Or rather, Xyn was identical to the entity in Anastasia’s scope: Black. Powerwise, they were incomparable. She knew this, and her dream self did too.

  Where all others froze, the warrior princess moved. Love and duty compelled her forward. She wasn’t fearless or ignorant. Death was a certainty in her mind as she leapt onto the grassy plain. She could not best the force of nature assuming the shape of a man.

  A fight…didn’t happen.

  Why’s he like that?

  The sentiment was shared by Ana and her dream self as she continued to observe Black.

  What followed was bizarre and beautiful.

  Black hadn’t shown up to attack or for any particular purpose. He was lost, which quickly became apparent. A minute of tense staring ended with a relieved sigh. The princess sheathed her sword and opted for something more powerful, words. That decision proved to be for the best, and it bore a fruitful relationship between the two.

  Ana watched their relationship develop through her eyes and Xyn’s. Her point of view ping-ponged between the two perspectives. It was weird, but she didn’t question it overmuch. It was a dream after all, and she was technically every character.

  Black was odd. He was an empty container at the start, human only in shape. Time and the efforts of her dream self had caused humanity to slowly but surely fill his vessel. He came into himself well, the princess felt.

  Anastasia’s perception of him changed drastically as the sands of time fell. From an infant, to a younger brother, to a friend, to a…

  Ana stared at her dream self’s reflection in the mirror. Her crimson cheeks told of a familiar affliction.

  Fell for him as well. Pitiful girl.

  Fighting invaders side by side, doing magic experiments, sparing, relaxing by the fire…Ana watched their romance bloom over the course of several months. Their relationship was a slow but sizzling burn. The resultant flame burned hotter than anything she could conjure.

  The Sun Maiden felt a vexing envy as she witnessed the teenagers. She couldn’t keep her eyes off their story. It was dream-like. However, like all dreams, it had to come to an end. The metaphoric film that produced the vivid scenes ran out.

  The youths holding hands in a field of flowers as sunset bathed them in golden light was the last thing Ana saw before a white void swallowed her.

  She felt herself waking up.

  Part of her wanted to see more. Another, much deeper part of herself, knew she had ended on a high note. As what followed would not be a dream, but a nightmare.

  Returning to reality, she felt memories of the dream leave her. She tried to cling to them, but it was pointless. They were water within her metaphoric hands. However, while each droplet parted from her, the sensation it imparted remained with her. The love, longing and other emotions resounded within her all the same, beneath the surface.

  ***

  The murmur broke Xyn out of his daze. A blink. Another, followed by several more in quick succession, did the job. Mental fog cleared, he sprang up. His gaze cut across the room eagerly.

  The noise, rustling and clinking didn’t betray his expectations. Ana was awake. Her eyelids were halfway open, revealing her sapphire orbs. They swirled with the usual haze that accompanied awakening, but also something else, something intense.

  On the other end of this unknown concoction of emotions, Xyn was a deer in headlights. His lips, which had parted to speak, were frozen. At the same time, the rest of his being seemed to ignite with flames. The immolation was as hot as it was brief - a flash. The light vanished from Ana’s eyes as she properly anchored her consciousness.

  “…Xyn?”

  Moment forgotten, the Void Prince beamed anew as half of his form was lit up by orange hues. He took a step and appeared beside the bed.

  “At your service, princess,” he said with a bow. “You’re finally up. Good.”

  His words went in and out of the Sun Maiden’s head. A bout of confusion struck her as she recalled her last memories. Nothing about the current situation made sense to her. She was on the bed, beneath a white blanket, in her battle attire. It was uncomfortable. And also, supremely confusing.

  “Why?” she asked in a mutter, her gaze landing on her sword hanging from a mount on the wall. That was new.

  “Hm? What do you mean?”

  “Why was I asleep? Where are we? Weren’t we going to Sov?”

  “Huh? Wait, wait, you don’t remember? You attacked him.”

  “What!?” Ana’s face warped at the claim. “I did not,” she said adamantly, her attention snapping to the psionic. She searched for humour in his face, but found none, which only deepened her confusion. Shroud of Paranoia confirmed his sincerity. He was telling the truth.

  “You really don’t remember? What’s the last thing you remember?”

  “Us walking up the stairs.”

  “Ah, damn. Maybe his attack gave you amnesia. Hopefully, the temporary kind.”

  “What…happened?” Fully awake, Ana sat up, a serious expression on her beautiful face.

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  Xyn explained the inciting incident. Yet by the end, Ana was left with more questions than answers.

  “Any clue why you attacked?”

  Ana’s forehead was a maze as she reasoned out loud. “He must have been harming me in some way. From what you say, it was almost certainly unintentional on his part. I trust myself. If I attacked, it was in self-defence.”

  The Void Prince nodded, accepting the line of thinking. An account of what happened after she was knocked out followed. If she wasn’t fully awake before, the revelations would certainly do the trick.

  “The multiverse is in a loop, huh? I don’t know if I buy that. It does explain her fortunes and her wonkiness, though. What about you, Xyn? Do you believe that reality repeats endlessly?”

  The Void Prince shook his head. “Nope, not in the literal sense. I’d need more evidence than one crazy lady. From his actions, Sov also doesn’t buy into the idea, wholesale.”

  “Yeah. If he believed Cabrena’s words, he wouldn’t bother to run his experiments. He could slumber till the predestined time. What was it again?”

  “One hundred and thirteen years.”

  “Hm,” Ana murmured with a thoughtful look. Her magical senses spread to the edges of their range. Nothing of significance was captured by her Charm. “Where are we exactly? And how much time has passed since you left the temple?”

  “We’re thirty-six kilometres north of the temple, and it’s been twenty-two hours.”

  Ana raised a brow. “We could have been in Andal by now, or maybe even Jont.”

  “I didn’t want to take any chances while you were unconscious.”

  Ana’s expression softened, her chest warming up. “Better safe than sorry.”

  “Yep, and this region is mighty safe. There are no monsters within fifty kilometres of Sov’s temple, and his presence acts as a deterrent to the dominant world powers, in theory.”

  “Reasonable, but time is precious. I’m up. We should get a move o-”

  “Wait.”

  Ana, who was about to propel herself off the bed, turned back to Xyn with a curious eye.

  “What? Got some unfinished business…with me on this bed?”

  Xyn didn’t bite at the insinuation. “An undone experiment. I’ve been putting it off for a while. Since the goblin village. This region is perfect for it.”

  “What kind of experiment?” The Flame Elementalist switched gears.

  “One that involves soul implosion. I’ll need protection while I’m weakened.”

  “The specifics?” Ana asked, her eyes lighting up with curiosity. She was fully turned toward him.

  “For me to know, and you to find out…later.”

  “Now,” Ana demanded.

  “Later.”

  “Now.”

  Xyn raised his hands. “Now, now, have some patience. I’ll need a day at most.”

  Ana frowned. “And what will come of your success?”

  Not doubting that I’d succeed. The Void Prince smiled at the implicit confidence. “I’ll become infinitely stronger.”

  “That’s…quite the claim.”

  “Allow me to prove it to you.”

  “Very well. I await your proof with bated breath. Till then, I’ll be your sword and shield. None shall do you harm.”

  Monochrome.

  Black smiled. “Thanks, Ana.” His eyes moved to the bed, and a thought sprang to mind. “Hm, the cold threatens to harm me. I think I’ll just…” His voice trailed off as he spoke with his actions. He slid himself under the blanket Ana had pre-warmed. “Aah, much better.”

  The Flame Elementalist showed a wry smile. She shook her head and turned away.

  “Where are you going? I thought you were going to protect me? Didn’t you just now promise to be sword, shield and pillow?”

  “I don’t remember promising the last one. I’ll be outside, practising my swordsmanship. I’ve been slacking off since I transmigrated. It’s a perfect time to remove any rust that’s accumulated.”

  “Good thinking. Hone your skills, my beautiful knight, they will certainly be needed.”

  “Yes, my prince,” Ana said, her words echoing with cheer.

  ***

  What’s he doing?

  Ana asked the question while feeling a concoction of contradictory emotions. Four hours remained of Xyn’s proposed time limit. In the nearly day that passed, he had been a vexing existence to the Flame Elementalist.

  She knew he was strange, but these last twenty hours cemented that fact in her mind. He, as Black or Grae, stayed atop the bed the entire time - a statue.

  Ana had his attention for the initial ten minutes as he observed her katas. It wasn’t like he was ignoring her. He did respond when she spoke, but his replies were sluggish and generic in tone and content, lacking his usual wit. Xyn was blank. X-8 was constantly plugged in and running at full tilt, inducing a hyperconcentration that appeared no different to a daze.

  Ana admired his focus. And simultaneously felt offended by it. Some part of her, a rather substantial chunk, demanded his attention - all of it. That part moved to draw Xyn’s senses back to her. Questionable attire was worn, while suggestive words, gestures, and poses were done…in vain. The Void Prince remained blank-eyed before her advances. Her suggestion to share a bed was met with a hollow-sounding “okay”.

  The repeated failures put the Sun Maiden in a bad mood. Luckily, seeing Xyn become a sentient pudding as he bathed in the heat from her summoned orbs brought her back to a net zero. Her mood would swing back and forth as the hours passed, as she burned with curiosity. Twenty hours in, and she was about to explode. As if sensing the possibility, Xyn squirmed to life.

  “You’re done?” she asked at once.

  The Void Prince rolled himself off the bed, landing and straightening with a deliberate slowness. His blank mask melted away to form a smug expression.

  “I’ve done it, alright.”

  Boom!

  “Ah!?” Ana’s eyes flickered with shock.

  Xyn’s mana was different. His output was vastly higher than before. Still a distance from her own, but almost double his previous limit. Quantity was noteworthy, but even more startling was the quality. The white blaze of aura that engulfed him was undoubtedly Ki.

  “How?”

  Xyn soaked up her awe-filled gaze, smitten with himself and his achievement.

  “The how can be traced back to this baby here,” he said, a monster core appearing atop his palm.

  “You absorbed the magic within?”

  “In short, yes. There’s a bit more to it than that, though.”

  Ana nodded and sat down. Xyn found his own seat opposite her and began his explanation.

  “Absorbing monster energy. I tried it on my first day in Machaeverosa. It was a dud, and nearly cost my soul.”

  “Attempted the same and almost broke my final seal.”

  “Great minds,” Xyn echoed in approval.

  “So, what changed?”

  “The only thing that would make a difference: my soul.”

  “You altered your soul?”

  “Indeed. In the same way I moulded my flesh to my liking, I can also shape my soul material in my Mind Forge. This capability isn’t new to me. I have tinkered in the past, but never to this extent. The thought to alter it to absorb monster mana was had in the goblin village. Their capacity to siphon and utilise the energy intrigued me. I studied their Soul Shrouds as they did the deed, looking to recreate a blueprint.”

  “And you succeeded?”

  “Nope, I didn’t, but I believed I got enough breadcrumbs from them to form a coherent path. A few weeks of sacrifice would have likely gotten me to this point. But of course, depowering in this forest is unwise, so I decided to postpone the experiments.”

  Ana’s face showed agreement. “So, Sov was the catalyst that sped up the process,” she reasoned.

  “Yeah. I wasn’t just being creepy. I was studying him, his mana. Intently. His Conqueror’s reward, Rainbow Radiance, allows him to absorb and use mana from monster cores. He was the endgame I sought, a mage with the ability to wield several hundred different types of magics.”

  “Hm, from your tone, I take it you can’t wield that many.”

  Xyn’s face broke into a bitter smile. “Not even close. Ki, telekinesis, freezing, regeneration, magneticism; fire, water, air, wood, lightning, metal, stone and glass conjuration. Just that.”

  “Just, my ass. Even that alone is amazing. And even without it or any additional magics, the ability to increase your mana output and capacity is an incredible boon. With enough monster cores, you could become a Transcendent in no time.”

  The possibility excited the Sun Maiden. She emptied her metaphoric pockets, and nearly two thousand monster cores filled the lodge.

  “Go ahead. Gobble them up.”

  Xyn complied with a nod.

  “Hmm, you’re a slow eater,” she said, watching magic cores losing their lustre and turning to dust.

  Strands of energy vacated their spheres one by one, sucked into Xyn’s Soul Shroud and then beyond in a disappearing act. Each digestion took three seconds. The boost to the psionic’s mana output was minute, but definite. Ana had to strain her senses, but she confirmed the incremental increase.

  “Sorry to disappoint. Not everyone is as ravenous as you. The good news is that the absorption time can be sped up with practice. It took nearly ten seconds the first time.”

  “That is good news.” Ana sprang up, toppling monster cores and setting off a wave of clinks. “Should we go on a killing spree?” she asked, practically vibrating in anticipation.

  Xyn showed a wry smile. “No. Rushing around collecting monster cores will draw attention to us, which could go very badly. Farming monsters can wait until I conquer the Tower.”

  He stood up, and all but a hundred monster cores disappeared. Ana got his unsaid message and sucked in the remaining orbs.

  “Afterwards, we can go crazy. Jont’s Monster Zone is abundant. Sounds good?”

  “Yeah. Now, I believe a demonstration is in order.”

  Xyn obliged, and the two moved outside.

  Ana was spellbound by the show of magic. Various hues swirled around the psionic. Xyn was far less impressed.

  “Other than Ki, every other magic is a fraction of its original potency. Just above a party trick. I would have loved to recreate shadow traversal or a Leap Rabbit’s teleportation, but alas, I don’t have enough soul material to manifest those sorts of magic. They are vases, and I only have enough clay to make a mug. My Void and duplication magic take nearly everything. With the scraps, I managed to make these thirteen. And notice I can’t use them all at once. Three at a time is my limit. Hmm. Ana?”

  The princess stared on, distracted.

  “What’s up?”

  Ana exited her daze at his question. “I don’t know, something seems off. I feel like I’m missing something. A gnawing in the back of my head.”

  Xyn expanded his Void Sense at the words, while simultaneously focusing on his companion, concern rushing onto his expression. At the same time, Ana expanded her senses as well, trying to find what was causing her feelings of incongruence. Seconds passed, and tension rose, but before it reached a snapping point, the Sun Maiden discovered the oddity.

  “Oh, it’s this.”

  From the lodge, through the open door came flying a book. One of Alison’s, the Dragon Prince series. It was perched on the shelf along with the other two books in the trilogy. The books’ placement in the lodge was purely for aesthetics, its vintage look to Xyn’s liking.

  “What’s wrong with that?” Xyn questioned as Ana caught the book.

  “What’s wrong with it, or rather, odd with it, is that I can read these letters.”

  “You can understand Macheon,” Xyn asked in surprise, and Macheon.

  “It seems so,” Ana replied in Macheon without a hitch.

  The how of the happening was a short investigation in Xyn’s mind. “Sov,” he concluded. “He must have done it. Probably after disabling you. Maybe he felt guilty about hurting you. It’s not the first time he’s dolled out random gifts. He really is a big softy.”

  Ana received the words with a neutral hum. “Can’t say I’m happy to have my mind forcefully invaded. Or know Eternal Mind isn’t as impenetrable as I thought, but well, this will make things a lot more convenient for us on our journey. Speaking of which, let’s get a move on. We’ve dallied much too long.”

  “Yes, your Highness.”

  In agreement, the pair headed north to the port city of Andal, where the Warp Gate to Jont resided.

  They envisioned a straightforward trip. A journey from point A to B. That would not be the case - far from it.