18 Book 3 Chapter 14

Above the pillar occupied by Pantheon, the night sky glittered with countless stars. A myriad of constellations could be seen; both foreign and beautiful. Sometimes when taking in this majestic sight, it made one go through an existential crisis. Afterall, how big were their problems when compared with the vastness of space?

While others tried to avoid that feeling, Jason deliberately sought it out. Night after night, he found a spot in the grass near his house to lay down and lose himself among the stars. It was calming, that feeling of meaninglessness. The painful memories and burden he carried; it didn't really matter from the perspective of the universe, did it?

Jason knew that perhaps this wasn't the best method to keep a stable mind, but he couldn't deny its effectiveness. As he laid there, he caressed Tank's head, who was currently taking a nap on his chest.

A hint of movement brought Jason back to reality. Irritated, he focused his gaze, only to find a familiar glider flying over. Not long after, Roy dismounted his glider not far from Jason's resting spot. Strange, Roy usually doesn't stay up this late. When he noticed Roy was covered in sweat and blood, he couldn't help but call out. "Hey."

Roy glanced over with his usual smile. "Yeah?"

"That your blood?" Jason pointed with his chin.

"Oh," Roy looked down. "probably some of it, I guess."

Jason sighed and forced himself to sit up, still a little frustrated that his routine was interrupted. "How often do you hunt alone?"

Roy replied innocently. "Pretty often, why?"

"But never at night." Jason retorted as he pinned Roy with a glare.

They stared at each other silently. For the first time, a bit of tension filled the air. Roy appeared as if he wanted to say something, but for some reason hesitated.

Jason was a bit surprised. Ever since he met Roy outside the tower, there was never any conflict between them. Although it was uncomfortable, Roy always obediently followed Jason's directions.

Unwilling to put a dent in their relationship, Jason decided to drop it, but just as he was about to open his mouth, Roy beat him to the punch. "Y'know, I'm really grateful for your guidance and training this past year." Roy looked up as he recalled. "When you sat down next to me outside the tower, I was struggling to make a decision: find my parent's killer, or continue their mission?"

Roy looked back at Jason. "What did I do in your original timeline?"

Jason was unsure where this was going, yet answered anyway. "You only focused on Wolf when he was a threat to your goal."

Roy nodded slightly, as if it was a matter of fact.

Jason wondered aloud. "What are you getting at?"

At first, Jason doubted his ears. Roy wouldn't ask such a stupid question, right? Didn't he see how much effort he's spent? Jason's face fell. "That's not funny."

"You're right, it isn't." Roy agreed calmly.

Jason registered it then. Roy actually doubted if he wanted to save humanity. Jumping to his feet, Jason growled. "What the hell did you just say?"

It was taking all of Jason's willpower to prevent his mental suppression skill from activating. The rage and disbelief he currently felt was almost beyond his ability to control. To think that Roy actually had the audacity to doubt him, even after everything he's done.

Roy grimaced at Jason's response. It took him a short moment to respond. "I don't doubt your story earlier today for a moment." Roy raised his voice. "That's why! That's why I'm confused. Humanity's survival is on the line, Jason."

Jason scoffed. "And what? You don't think I care?"

"Do you?" Roy asked doubtfully.

��Damn right I do!" Jason hissed, the result of suppressing a scream.

"Then why do you waste so much time?" Roy furrowed his brows. "Frankly, I'm kind of angry."

"Haha, you're angry?" Jason tone was sarcastic.

"I am." Roy glared at Jason. "How much time did I waste going to restaurants with you this past year? To parties? Sleeping all night when our bodies barely need any sleep? All of that time could have been spent training!"

Jason froze. Roy's words sparked a memory he had long since locked away; a conversation they had when barely any ascenders were still alive. It was eerily similar to what Roy said just now.

All of Jason's rage was replaced with exhaustion. So this moment finally arrived, huh? There was always something off about Roy, something that was unsettling to think about and for the most part wasn't a problem. It was unnerving, so Jason never talked about it. But now? His ego wouldn't permit him to ignore it this time.

Jason gave Roy a complicated look. ��Did you grieve for your parents when they died?"

"Huh?" Roy was startled by the unexpected question. "Of course I did. You think I'm a robot?"

"For how long?" Jason pressed. "A minute? An hour?"

Roy's eyes reddened briefly before returning to normal. With a solemn voice, he said. "How much time would be wasted if I were to mourn over their deaths?"

"So that's why, huh?" Jason said painfully. No wonder Roy from the original timeline seemed so perfect.

"You think I don't care about them? How could I not?!" Roy raised his voice as he clutched at his chest. "We're trying to save the world, aren't we? So how could I allow my emotions get in the way of our mission?"

Jason released a long, drawn out sigh. How many times did he nearly have a mental breakdown this past year? How many times did his heart break whenever he recalled the horrible things he's experienced? Thankfully, perhaps as a defensive mechanism, his subconscious locked those memories away.

"You're strong." In the end, Jason walked away after leaving those words behind. Roy called out, but Jason didn't hear him. His mind was somewhere far away, far from the here and now. He took the elevator down the pillar and wandered without a destination.

While his mind was lost in thought, numerous monsters tried to approach him, only to collapse to the ground after entering his vicinity. An intangible aura so gloomy and bleak had destroyed their thirst for blood. In fact, if someone looked from afar, they would see that the air around Jason was grey. It was as if the space around Jason was carved out to form its own world entirely.

The night passed slowly. When the sun finally rose over the horizon, Jason awoke and found himself standing in an empty plot of land. Startled, he realized that this was the location of his mansion before he traveled through time. He released a chuckle when he recalled the countless times he came home drunk after partying with friends all night. Perhaps he subconsciously thought tonight was one of those nights, so he habitually walked home. Alas, that was the past. The future was what mattered now.

"Ugh." Jason groaned upon remembering his fight with Roy last night. It was probably the right choice to not ignore things; so he decided to teleport back. Hopefully they would come to an understanding.