B3 — 63. Twilight

AuthorSME

POV:

1: Rachel Park (our Lunar Hare!)

2: Sam Park (near the end, Rachel's father) 

Recap:

Selvaria, our terrifying Leviathan, had smooth sailing, cutting things down with her massive bulk and strength ... the queen monster of the seas!  Then ... something came to challenge her reign, and she was pulled into a life and death battle with a crazy crustacean/jellyfish monster that nearly killed her.

She managed to take out its babies, but she'd worn herself out after activating her chaotic state ... luckily, she isn't alone anymore, and she has friends to back her up!  Scarlet came swooping in for the save!

Now, what awaits them on Kokoa?

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Rachel stretched her arms high overhead, cracking her neck before grinning at Scarlet and the others, staring at the paradise before them.  “Kokoa, huh?  Pretty nice place!”

“Maria said the fish were fine, too?”  Her dad asked in a shockingly enthusiastic tone, already getting his fishing rod out.  “No radiation?”

She hadn’t seen her father so passionate about something in a long time.  “Uh, yeah, Dad.  Maria said the fish are perfectly fine here.  It was just those first groups we saw with the radioactive plankton.”

Nam was taking out some of the foldable chairs they’d brought with them, moving to the areas where you could climb down to set up shop.  “Yo, Dad, which fly did you say was the best?”

He shrugged with a bright grin, her mother hustling to support him with a fond smile at seeing her husband so cheery.  “Can’t say since this is whole new territory … man, and those two moons make it so bright!  This is perfect … with that breeze, too.”

“Uh…”  Nam turned to Cahira, eyes darting to his wife for a moment as she leaned over the side to look into the crystal clear water, watching dozens of oddly shaped fish.  “These … won’t turn into treasure, right?  We’ll be able to eat them like that one Anthony caught?”

The Pirate Queen hummed absently, still staring down at the map and compass with a slight frown.  “That be right, mi lad … these be fish to grant strength for the next challenge.”

“Oh, I want to catch one with my hands!”  Elena cheered, throwing off her wet shirt and pants to reveal a bikini.  “No dangerous stuff around?”  She asked with sparkling eyes, likely hoping there was more slaughter ahead.

“Afraid not, from what I can tell!”  Anthony chuckled, brushing back his slick red hair while climbing up the left ladder.

Ohan hummed thoughtfully, following after him.  “I think there are some further out from shore, but not near where we’ve anchored.”

“Are we going to land?  This is the end, right?  Do we get to party on the beach?”  Alexa asked.  “Oh, what kind of vegetables and fruit do they have here?  I’m soooo looking forward to trying new ones!”

Rachel was a little shocked at how much her step-sister was getting into violent stuff; she used to hate going to her matches, but after some thought, she figured it might have just been Alexa feeling she was competing for her husband’s attention.

Yeah, I guess a vegan might be interested in that kind of stuff … Dad loves seafood, too.

Scarlet was on the top of the mast, scanning the area.  Appearing from the shadows beside her, she cheered.  “It’s so awesome!  I don’t see any animals, but there’s so many fruits and vegetables and stuff!  Wait, no, I mean on the island,” she corrected, almost bouncing on her toes.  “There are crab things, and cool glow fish, and all sorts of stuff in the water.”

“Good to know,” Clay replied, coming back up with what appeared to be her father’s extra rod while Reed had her brothers.  “Hey, Sam, it’s been a while since I’ve fished … anything special I should do?”

“Ah, yeah, yeah, actually, Reed had this interesting idea,” her dad mused, getting up to converse with the pair.

Rachel giggled upon seeing her father, brother, Reed, and Clay on a first-name basis, talking about fishing.

Felix and Zoe seemed happy to be out of the lower deck and away from Maria’s narrowed eyes, acting as the overprotective older sister.  The two seemed to be developing a closer relationship over the past few days, finding more enjoyment in talking alone at the stern while watching the foreign stars and moon than with anyone else.

It was a little awkward, but the two of them were getting along; just thinking back on how forced and embarrassing her first semi-date with Anthony had her face on the verge of steaming.

I was so cringe … a game about our most attractive body parts.  Yikes, but I guess it worked out.  I was able to keep him company on a hard day, but … he was kind of using me as a substitute and probably felt a bit guilty after.  Still…

She glanced over at the bare-chested Legendkin as he talked with Ohan about the fight Scarlet and he had with the sea monster.  Rachel was forced to close her eyes and rub her left temple as her mind pondered how it’d feel to be hugged by him.

He hasn’t run away from me, which is something … and I make fun of Scarlet…

“What’s up?”  Scarlet asked, frowning at her slightly red cheeks.  “You didn’t get poisoned or sick from anything, did you?”

Smiling a little, Rachel shook her head, brushing out her hair while trying to distract herself from Anthony’s ripped bare chest.  “No, no … I’m good.  Umm … so, Cahira, what’s next?”

“Ah … aye, I’ve been lookin’ at the map ta see where’d we best be headin’, and I think we should explore the island.  It’d be best ta fill in the map, but we should be on our guard.  I don’t believe our quest be over yet.  I just need more info.”

Brushing back her damp red hair, she glanced between her makeshift crew.  “Eh … I suppose we could be fine with takin’ people ashore if the others be alright with it.  Anthony should probably stay to keep the ship lovers safe.”

Rachel was a little disappointed with the suggestion, but it would make her feel better about going to land while leaving her parents here.  Between Anthony, Selvaria, Maria, Nam, and Elena, they’d have a solid defense.

“I want to go!”  Alexa pleaded, giving Rachel her best green-eyed puppy-dog stare.  “Please!  I didn’t get to see anything before … hey, Gisele!”  She giggled as Rachel’s Sky Reaver landed on her shoulder, licking her cheek; Rachel had ordered her to protect her step-sister to get the bird out of her hair.

“Mmh,” Nam glanced at his wife with a strained smile.  “Maybe they should explore the island first for danger.”

“Scarlet did!”  Alexa huffed, glaring at him.  “Right, Scarlet?”

“Uh … I did,” Scarlet mumbled, scratching her neck to indicate she didn’t want to get between the couple on a possible divide.

“See,” she smiled, walking over to pull him down for a short peck on the lips, “I’ll be fine!  If anything happens, then Scarlet can just teleport me back, too.  Right?”

“Uh … yeah, I can.”

“And your sister will be there, Ohan, Cahira, Gisele,” she chuckled with the short flap of his wings on her shoulder.

“... Okay, I’m just worried,” he mumbled, kissing her again.  “Stay safe, okay?”

He gave her a forced smile.  “Yeah, I got it!”  Rachel chuckled.

After a few minutes of preparation and discussion, Scarlet brought each of them to the shore through shadows.

Cahira had her cutlass in hand, chopping at the foliage as they moved into the untouched jungle-like tropical environment.  “Ya see, we got the key, but we’ll need ta get another piece of the map in the jungle to find the proper direction ta travel … huh…”

A soft mist was beginning to move out from the deeper within the jungle.  “Scarlet?”  Rachel asked.

Scarlet’s vampiric eyes darted left and right, but she just shook her head.  “Uh … I mean, it is kind of hard to see, but it’s just fog … I think.  I’m not seeing anything strange or any monsters.

Should we back off?  Fog monsters, maybe?  No, Scarlet should be able to even see something like that.  Toxic?  We don’t have Maria here…

Rachel’s ears twitched, eyebrows furrowing as sound swiftly closed off around her; the thickening fog was cutting off her sensory abilities.  “Keep together … Scarlet…”

“I can’t feel anything…”  Scarlet mumbled.

Alexa was just beside her, scooting closer.  “Me either!”

Cahira’s response was so low Rachel couldn’t even hear it.

A shiver ran down her spine with a discomfort she’d only felt in a few of her nightmares, showing up naked to a class where she was promptly kicked out, disgracing her family; however, this was much more real.  To be without sound was more oppressive than she imagined, and her other senses were swiftly being reduced.

The moon shining through a break in the canopy was obscured by the fog, and the powerful pulse of the Flush Moon left her feeling weak and vulnerable as the whiteness pressed in around them; she could see mouths moving, but within a few seconds, her own hand wasn’t visible.

Reaching to her right, Alexa wasn’t there.  Dashing forward, she almost tripped on something she didn’t even feel, finding it difficult to keep balanced with her deadened senses.  Rachel fought to stay in control of her rising panic; she’d never experienced a world without stimulation.

A fog that affects our nervous system?  Maybe our brains?  What if it’s something that brings out the Reaper?  If it’s a mental attack like Relica, it could … is it magical?  How would The Reaper respond to another attack?

Wait … no, it’s probably not a mental attack because it’s not triggering my … no, that would only work if a person is actively trying to invade my brain!  That’s such a weakness, and could still activate The Reaper!  If Alexa dies, Nam will … no … calm down … it could be caused by breathing in the mist.  I need clean air … how far up is it?

She activated Emotional Detachment I, her sense of touch was failing; using what remained, Rachel bent her knees and launched as high as she could, searching for clean air.  It was unclear how far she leaped, but it wasn’t enough.

Her head was spinning, trying to orient herself in the white void that surrounded her, and eventually, she felt her chest hurting.  Leaning to the side, she spat, coughing as her lungs worked furiously to fill with air; she’d landed hard.  The fog was slowly dissipating.

Clearing her throat, Rachel rasped, “Is … is anyone there?  Can you hear me?”

The dampened sound of her voice made her believe no one could if she could hardly hear herself.  Staying close to the ground to keep the thick green grass in view, Rachel glanced around, her wide field of vision only discovering white beyond the foot or so mist surrounding her.

“Mmh … quite the troublesome trap you’ve fallen under.”

Rachel’s ears darted to the right, vision swiftly following as Scarlet’s voice carried to her.

“Scarlet?  Where are you?  Do you hear me?”

The soft hum of the Vespertine Reaper followed, mirroring the haunting melody she’d heard before, and an ominous feeling began leaking out of her detached box of emotions.

“... Corrupted Scarlet?”

“Strike two, my dear.”

“... The Reaper?”  Rachel swallowed.  This was unknown territory.

“Ah, at last … I’ve been known by such a term.”

Rachel still couldn’t see that far, which meant most of the others were more than likely just as blind.

If this is some kind of effect … dammit, if only Maria were here!

“Hmm … I’m afraid this little trap goes much deeper than simple mind games,” The Reaper chortled.  “Quite the spectacle, really … a pitifully weak version of Eleuthira’s Curse … still, to conjure up such a feat is … amusing.  This seed has quite the information store if one can dissect it.”

Taking a deep breath, Rachel sucked on her lower lip.  This could be an elaborate trap of the Legend’s Quest, but if that was the case, it seemed to converse with this fake Scarlet was some part of the trigger that had to be passed to conquer it.

Rachel was running through questions and topics that would best allow her to exit the event when Scarlet made her ears stand on end.

“Most fascinating … you have the possibility to access such a Curse … although, it would more than likely be pulled into your Wenet’s Branch rather than give you the information it was translated from.  It’s a pity, really, Eleuthira was a fairly fun little depressed Goddess.”

“... I can learn a curse like this?  What do you know about the seed?  You can read it?”

A curse … shit, so Maria could dispel it.  It’s not like we could have predicted a mass of fog would randomly spawn all around us, though, and the moons were really making her sick … worse than the two white moons on the alien’s world.  Yeah, there’s no way she could have joined us.

“Hehe, of course!  I wouldn’t be … well, me, if I couldn’t, darling!”  She followed with tittering laughter.  “No, I manipulated parts and pieces for my dear little Scarlet.  She will make me proud in the future.”

“... What does that mean?”

Rachel pulled her hair around to her front as the mist continued to clear.  Scarlet sat on a magnificently designed throne, completely composed of blood; her legs were crossed, hair tied into an elegant braid while she leaned against the left arm, resting her cheek against the back of her hand.

“Hmm … it took long enough to settle in … factually, a pitiful execution time.  Humph, Eleuthira would be devastated.”  Her unimpressed blue irises glanced around, seemingly bored.

Figuring The Reaper wouldn’t answer her unless she drew the conversation in a direction that she found interesting, Rachel got to her feet, brushing her hair back.  “This is the first time we have officially met … correct?  You aren’t some made-up vision of my imagination … I can’t recall hearing the name Eleuthira and would probably have come up with a much different name to describe some goddess myself.”

The Reaper’s sophisticated chuckle followed.  It was strange hearing an utterly different disposition within Scarlet’s voice; everything from her mannerisms to her habits was entirely new to what she expected from the girl.

“Oh, this curse is much more complicated than a simple hijack of your imagination … no, you might say I am the most realistic phantom you’ve ever encountered.  If Cahira were even a little proficient in her Cartography skill, then she would know what Kokoa means.  Although, hehe, you know what it meant, yet the answer hadn’t even crossed your mind.”

Rachel’s brow furrowed, but it soon snapped into place.  “Kokoa … but it’s a fantasy word … are you saying it’s love of the heart … Korean?  How does this curse make sense with that translation?”

“Oh, ignorance is almost palpable!”  The Reaper sighed, rolling her eyes while glancing to the side.  “What was the love of your heart when exploring this island … answers.  Who would have better answers than I?”

“Okay … so this curse is to grant your heart’s desire?”  Rachel asked, still not connecting all the dots and feeling it had to be more complicated than that.

A mischievous grin lifted The Reaper’s lips.  “What better way to trap someone than give them what they desire?”

“Hmm,” Rachel eyed the fake Scarlet doubtfully.  “Why you, though, and in the form of Scarlet?”

“Have you seen me in my transcendent state, much less my original form?”  She countered with a mocking smile.

“... I suppose not, but why you?”

The Reaper appeared bored again, vision moving to the right to study some of the greenery that had become visible after the fog had somewhat thinned.  “Many reasons I don’t feel compelled to answer … but in short, fear.”

Lunar Pride spiked at the word, causing her tail to stiffen, but The Reaper’s mature laugh caught her off-guard while rising from her throne, blood swirling around her.  “Yes, fear, my little white hare.”

She slowly moved to a bush with some kind of green berries dotted across it.  “You fear my power while also desiring answers … to questions about yourself, your family, including Scarlet, and many, many more reasons that bore me to mention.”

Head tilting to smirk at her with her bright blue irises, The Reaper’s tone became lilting.  “The fear of and desire for power is such a trivial subject; power is so … limited.”

Rachel folded her arms, ears turning right and left, searching for the others, but only The Reaper and her made sounds in this oppressive atmosphere.  It seemed she had no choice but to proceed, and if she was here to answer questions within her heart, then all the better; this was the perfect opportunity to figure out precisely what she was dealing with.

“Power is limited?”  She asked, cautiously moving to the left while keeping The Reaper at the edge of her vision in the thick fog.

Silent laughter shook The Reaper’s frame as she plucked one of the berries, studying it with minor interest.  “What really is power, and what is the purpose of fear?”

Rachel had to ponder on the question, finding it strange that her fears would bring Scarlet’s inner demon here to discuss her psyche, yet after a moment, a thought occurred to her.  “My fear … is of myself … but it’s linked to you, too?”

“Still stuck on that little connection, are we?”  The Reaper mused.  Her blood circled the berry dissecting it while a pool underneath caught the juices; the liquid swiftly drew in more, harvesting the extract through compressing the items.  “I hate repeating myself … could you be a little more intelligent?”

The fact a conjured cursed copy of Scarlet’s inner demon was continually roasting her was beginning to bruise Rachel’s pride, but Emotional Detachment filed it away.  She returned to her question.  “Power … is defined by the ability to accomplish any given act … the true definition of power in its essence is omnipotence … I don’t see how that is limited?  Hmm … if you can do anything, then what can limit you?”

The Reaper moved to a flower a meter away, bending down to pluck it before taking in its aroma.  “Mmh … a copy of the Rulimara cactus on Totalira … come now, I’m a little disappointed in this copy dimension,” she sighed, tossing it to her blood to be pressed and crushed into the mixture.

“Allow me to spell out the diagram, Rachel,” she sighed with dissatisfaction, like a teacher trying her best to educate a dumb student, the type of tone that pulled Rachel’s lips in and set her tail on edge.

“Power is limited without knowledge and vision; many gods have the tools and abilities to accomplish things, yet never actually have the scope of mind to know what can be done with it.  A goddess that solely possesses omnipotence is nothing but dross to me.

“Knowledge is limited without the imagination to utilize what you’ve learned, and the being might not have the ability to accomplish the task.  Again, creation’s waste.

“Imagination is limited without the wisdom upon how to employ that thought; many an aspiring god has had the brilliant mind to comprehend vast worlds yet failed to accomplish it because they lack the ability to connect the thoughts to reality, much the same as ambitious authors, and they think it’s motivation.”  She giggled.

“Wisdom is worthless without a direction; how many wise goddesses have I known that waste away in seclusion, never to realize any of the great bastions of thought working within their minds?

“Desire is what draws those gods out of their profound insights and into a pivotal direction that shapes reality; desire is the dream within a god to look at the great expanse in their mind and demand more, yet what good is a want without the motivation to realize it?

“Motivation is an unswayable will that drives gods toward a goal at all costs, including the abandonment of ethics or moral value; a passion that transcends boundaries.

“Yet, without power, all that motivation is a worthless effort, despite what others may tell them; an upcoming god may have all the internal urges of a mindless beast, yet lack the strength, knowledge, imagination, and wisdom to achieve a true vision.

“No, each is more or less trivial on their own, even at their most powerful; only those that have power, knowledge, imagination, wisdom, desire, and motivation can stand as arbiters of creation.  This is true for mortals, gods, Primordials, Founders, and the Transcendent.”

She turned to level a soft smirk at Rachel.  “That is the simple answer to why power is limited, dear.”

Rachel couldn’t help but feel somewhat annoyed that she didn’t connect the dots sooner; it was so uncomplicated after she began the explanation and worked on the other question she’d asked.  If this was a test, she was failing.

“Okay … what is the purpose of fear?  Hmm … to motivate action?  I fear what I’m turning into and you … to a degree,” she mumbled, fighting past the urges Lunar Pride sent her that squeezed their way out of the box.  “It’s emotional energy that pushes us in a direction and heightens our concentration on the object of that fear.”

“Which means…”  The Reaper asked, rolling her eyes while moving to extract sap from a nearby light-green tree.

“... “  Rachel’s shoulder slumped, realizing she’d just gone in a complete circle; she was supposed to be smarter than this.  “The reason why you’re here … answers since I fear the unknown.”

“Mhm … challenges excite you; I can tell, and even the unknown to a certain extent.  You hate inevitabilities, which is a product of your chaotic lunar nature,” The Reaper chuckled.  “Mmh … follow me,” she stated, turning with the expectation she’d be listened to.

“Where?”  Rachel asked, complying for the moment since there wasn’t a better option.

“... The fact you refuse to look at your own heart to understand that answer is aggravating … I am not accustomed to dealing with mortals … and gods annoy me.”

“Aren’t you a Goddess?”  Rachel questioned, pondering the obvious direction The Reaper was directing her toward.  “Oh … answers … I don’t want to be trapped.  Everything you’re doing is leading toward my freedom … that’s my heart’s desire.”

“You’re brilliant,” The Reaper mumbled.  “If only this were even a sliver of Eleuthira’s Curse, then I’d actually have the ability to accomplish my short-term goals,” she sighed.  “Alas, this pitiful replica skims the line of the potency I require, and no, I am not a Goddess … well, not for a long time, although I find immense entertainment in taunting Scarlet.”

Rachel frowned.  “You’re … a Reaper, not a Goddess?”

“Insulting,” The Reaper replied, turning to level a mild glare at her through the fog.  “I may have been reduced to a previous state that would—in part, define a Reaper; however, I am so much more.  I am that which is between … Twilight would be a more appropriate name.”

“So … should I call you Twilight?”  Rachel asked, beginning to enjoy her time with this copy of Scarlet’s demon.

“If you wish,” she replied in a bored tone.

“What about the song Scarlet says you sing in your sleep?”

“... I sing in my sleep,” Twilight slowed to a stop, vision narrowing before turning to stare at her.  “Hmm … I am not fully aware of what that might be; the current state Scarlet has placed me in has limited my scope of perception.  Repeat it for me.”

“Umm … I’m not a good singer,” Rachel replied, folding her arms under her chest.

She doesn’t know the answer … I suppose it’s more of an afterthought, but it seemed like a pretty important song.

“Repeat it,” Twilight demanded, black lips falling.  “The Curse is in the process of stealing your desires, leaving you a living creature without purpose, helplessly following the dictates of any that implant their dream into you.  I would be quick.”

A shiver ran down Rachel’s spine.

Steal my desires … I can turn people into slaves in the future?

Rachel’s mind snapped into overdrive with the chilling information; she was currently under attack from the island itself, and so was everyone else.  Judging by Twilight’s deadly gaze, she wouldn’t continue to help unless she complied.

She’d always had a good memory retention, but the song had been stuck in her mind since she’d first heard it with the haunting implications.  Clearing her throat, she repeated the extended version Scarlet had sung, feeling a bit uncomfortable with a few parts that just felt wrong coming from her mouth.

“I have a tale that time has lost, sins of judgment born of blood.  She took a name from the one profaned; the chosen—know the dark but let it rest.  Come down to the red sea, swim with me.  Ah-ooh, ooh.

“Born of graves and left below, painted ashes, painted snow; when the dark awakens, fires of your last hopes are burning low.  Blood of gods and blood of men, meet in union to ascend; fate has chosen, and your fading light is at its end.  Ah-ooh, ooh.

“Life’s breath flickers with the candlelight, lost souls in the twilight.  Fear not the dark, the monsters within; brace for the feast of humanity’s end.  Ah-ooh, ooh.

“You rise, I fall.  I stand, you crawl.  You twist, I turn.  You sit and stay, I don’t obey.  Ah-ooh, ooh.

“It’s a long way down to the place I found, lurking silhouette waiting below—dark sun, hollowed by the fade; that debt you live to repay—you see the blackness stare, promising to spare the chosen.  Ah-ooh, ooh.

“Born of graves and left below, painted ashes, painted snow; when the dark awakens, fires of your last hopes are burning low—your souls will char; flicker too and fro—afraid to linger and to go; trapped in blood until my scythe has come to take you home.  Ah-ooh, ooh.

“A pact embraced, a road unsought; a black heart’s redemption borne by brigand’s blood.  A blight upon the light, a terror for the night, she became the bringer of twilight.  Vengeance is her only ward; beware the blood-red rose’s thorn, for it will end with Scarlet.  Ah-ooh, ooh.

“With flowers and my love, both never to come back, her wrath is known within the black; the tide, it stole away her grace, but the depths, they would not claim her.  I could not foresee this thing happening to you; I am exposed, I am undone, no more colors, it all turns black.  Ah-ooh, ooh.

“Alone with this vision, alone with this sound, alone in my dreams, maybe I will fade away and not have to face the facts.  The darkest night, the brightest day; history tainted, the cycle hovering above gravity’s lure.  My love will laugh with me before the morning comes, for the blinding light will never return.  Ah-ooh, ooh.

“Born of graves, left below, no time for rest, nowhere to go, a storm was loosed with tear-stained eyes; come down to the red sea, swimming with me.  Ah-ooh, ooh.

“A wretch bound to the harvest, born of the shadows, between light and dark.  Oh, oh, oh, ooh … who will save you now?  Incinerate our shackles.  Ah-ooh, ooh.

“The Maiden of Death will tend to her fields, and eternity will fall into silence … Heaven or Hell … where do you land in the red sea?  Ah-ooh, ooh…”

A secretive smile lifted Twilight’s lips before she turned away, continuing their journey.  “A lovely lullaby; of course, it would be.”

“What does it mean?”  Rachel asked, not expecting an answer.

“A tug of war between Light and Dark. Life and Death … with me at the Core.  The fall and rise; it’s important to hold on.  Love, war, pain, life, death … everything’s the same to me; swim in the Red Sea … indeed.”

Rachel didn’t know exactly how to take that explanation, so she filed it away as Twilight began humming the tune much better than her.  “... What’s your purpose with Scarlet?”

“To be a Reaper of Blood, as I’ve told her; we want the same thing.”

Scratching the back of her neck, Rachel glanced around at the dense fog; Twilight’s blood was carving a path for them in the lush foliage while gathering dozens of other fungus, flowers, fruit, and vegetables along the way, utilizing only tiny parts of each before discarding them.

“You don’t seem as scary as what she’s described … but I suppose that’s because you don’t have to be.”

Twilight giggled.  “This pitiful curse couldn’t comprehend what I am; I am the end product of its surface-level abilities to generate a realistic representation.  I assure you, if you were to meet me … you would not return the same, such as your little playmate, Relica.”

“Right … what did you do to her?”

“That’s not something this weak copy knows,” she glanced back with a smirk.  “Scarlet was there.  Perhaps she could describe it to you.”

Rachel began to rethink Relica and Scarlet’s mother joining forces.

What if both are under Twilight’s influence?  Cuba … her invitation … it could all be for Twilight … all she wants from Scarlet is to reap, and there will be a lot of that if we are in conflict.  Yet, it’s not like we can’t go … there’s just so much more to Twilight … and how can I be sure any of this is even real?

“Hmm … gods are real?  Are they who created the seed that attached to our spirits?”

“Again,” Twilight chuckled, mature tone delivering a lilting undercurrent, “something I’d know, but not something this curse could give you.  Why don’t you ask Scarlet to wake me and see if I’ll answer?  Although, I wouldn’t hold my breath … I get the feeling it’s better you didn’t know, but the gods?”

Twilight stopped as they came to a clearing with a pearl orb with many occultic artifacts and symbols traced around it; she wore a thoughtful smirk.  “No, hehe, I highly doubt that even they can accomplish it as a group; they would enjoy the show, though.  Perhaps, they’d even meddle a bit.  Shh, don’t say I told you, though,” she winked with a finger held to her black lips.

“Would they try to kill you?”  Rachel asked, walking around the humming pearl the size of her head.

“Oh, I haven’t dealt with gods in a long while … although, now that I am at a weakened state … perhaps one or two might take an interest; most would stay as far away as possible, though,” she whispered with a small smile.  “Your friends are lucky you had me in your heart, or else you’d all have failed this test.  I suggest exercising caution on quests that severely out-level your current progression for the future.”

She dropped the strange concoction onto the orb, causing it to turn red before cracking down the center; the occult objects burst into flame.  “Two trials remain, Lunar Hare, but Cahira will gain quite the prize at the end.  I suggest you tell her to increase her treasure room if she hopes to afford what I’ve seen.  Goodbye, Rachel … until we meet again in the Red Sea.”

Rachel didn’t like how she phrased that, but the copy of possibly one of the most dangerous beings in existence turned to mist as the fog dispersed.

Sound returned with Scarlet’s scream of despair, followed by more desperate voices from others scattered across the nighttime tropical paradise island.  Rachel dashed toward Scarlet, only a few hundred meters away, yet she didn’t hear any threats around her, meaning it was related to what was on her heart that the orb had shown her.

* * *

Sam breathed out a sigh of relief while sitting next to Clay, Reed, and his son, slowly sipping on one of the bottles of rum that Reed had brought.  The seafaring adventure had been somewhat of a hidden dream of his since he was a boy, but the turbulent storm had upset his stomach along the way.

Now, he could relax and was finding company with the two new acquaintances more than enjoyable.  Both men were easy to get along with and very polite.

He gently held his rod in hand, having just cast it out a bit ago, using some cheese they’d brought along as bait since all the shops that would sell worms would be closed when they’d made plans.

Glancing back at his wife on the opposite side of the deck, he caught her sneaking smiling glances at the two teens at the back of the ship.  They made a cute couple from what he’d seen, and he did wonder how long they’d been together.

Anthony was by her side, which put his mind at ease; he certainly would make for a decent step-son from what he’d heard and the talks he’d had with the man.  Chemist, disciplined in martial arts, and strong, matching up to his daughter.  Mixed with stunning Western looks and a decent charm, he’d get some good grandchildren.

All in all, things were looking far brighter than the previous month.  Rachel had mellowed out a lot, which was a bit shocking considering her transformation, and it was still a bit strange seeing the massive visual change, but she was still his little girl, driven as they come.  It made him proud, yet at the same time, he wondered how happy she was.

Something was eating her up inside, and he could sense it but didn’t want to force the conversation, making it awkward.  Hopefully, he’d have some one-on-one time with her once this was finished.

His eyebrows lifted upon hearing Elena, the young Honey Badger girl, swimming on the opposite side of the boat, chasing the larger fish.  Sam doubted she’d get any with how loud she was being and worried it might scare some of the fish on their side away, but even if he didn’t get a bite, it was fine.

Sam’s head tilted back, staring up at the strange new sky, shimmering with stars and galaxy colors he’d never seen with the overhead light of the two strangely hued moons.

“Pretty crazy, huh?”  Clay mumbled, following his gaze.

Reed hummed in agreement.  “I’ve taken a few photos, but … I doubt many would believe me if I showed them.”

“We’ll see…”  Clay chuckled.  “The world’s changing.”

“Tell me about it,” Nam groaned.  “I can make energy people that follow my orders, and I think I can level up or whatever … my wife’s been talking about it.  Scarlet told her some stuff, and … yeah, she’s been persistent.”

They all chuckled.  “I bet.”  Sam mused.  “Hmm … haven’t told Fredrik yet?”

His son shook his head with a depressed sigh.  “No … I don’t know how her dad’s gonna take it.  I just don’t want Alexa to have to make a decision that’ll hurt her.”

“Mmh … yeah, Fredrik’s a protective guy.  Took some convincing to get him to be alright with you both staying at our place.”

“Yeah, almost bought us one on his street … I couldn’t handle that, though,” Nam chuckled with the rest of them.

“I hear ya,” Reed mumbled.  “My wife’s father was a real hardass.”

“Did you tell her about coming here?”  Nam questioned, vision shifting to the elderly gentlemen.

“No, no … she passed away from an illness two years ago,” Reed replied softly.

“Oh … sorry,” Nam mumbled.

“It’s okay,” Reed sighed.  “It hurts, but I just need to believe I’ll see her again.”

“Yeah…”  Sam mumbled, glancing back at his wife while thinking about their niece.  “I get that … ugh, umm, so, what kind of business do you…”

He sat up straighter; the others following his example as Anthony asked.  “Hey, has anyone noticed the fog in the jungle?  When did it start?”

No one gave him an answer, setting their rods down to gather around the front with Molly and Anthony.  The two teens stayed in the back while Elena continued to play below, diving underwater.

“Is that bad?”  Molly asked with worry hidden in her voice.

Nam cleared his throat.  “Ahem … yeah, is uh … nothing bad’s happened, right?”

“I don’t know,” Anthony whispered with a furrowed brow.  “I just have a bad feeling.  You can make copies, right, Nam?”

“Y-Yeah, yeah, I’ll send some in…”

Sam’s gut tightened.

Please … please, don’t let anything happen to my little girl…

AuthorSME

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