As the Director was briefing Jade about the crowd of scientists in her lab, his phone rang, interrupting him. Jade caught snippets of a frantic conversation on the other end—screams and loud noises that she couldn't fully decipher.
The Director's side of the call was terse but revealing. "Are you sure it's been found? A lord, huh? Can you beat it? Okay, I will leave it to you."
After a brief pause, he continued, "Yeah, she's right here, making great progress... Yes."
Turning back to Jade, he relayed a message with a sense of urgency, "Hey, Jade, you're to meet her at the spot, and don't be late. Get your stuff ready and move quickly. There's a briefing in a few hours. The machine in Brazil has been destroyed, and it'll be some time before we can think about repairs."
Jade, alarmed, pressed for more information. "What do you mean? What happened?"
The Director explained, "We faced a major threat targeting New York. We redirected it to Brazil, where Master Ash was supposed to handle it, but it seems she couldn't prevent the damage."
"Wait, you summoned it where the machine was?" Jade asked, trying to grasp the full extent of the situation.
Sighing deeply, the Director clarified, "Not near ours, but its loss is still a significant blow. We'll deal with this later. For now, head to the location Ashaiki mentioned, and quickly."
"Sure," Jade replied, her voice betraying a hint of nervousness as she noticed her hands shaking slightly. The gravity of the situation was setting in. "Let me just grab the original crystal and string, in case something happens."
From the mist of uncertainty, a familiar voice emerged, clear and steady. "Jade! It's me," Ty called out. However, this time, he bore no resemblance to the skeletal figure she remembered. Instead, he stood before her, a striking figure at 6'0" tall, his hair as dark as the night and his eyes a piercing crystal blue.
Jade's eyes widened in recognition, despite the stark transformation. "Weren't you some skeleton the last time we spoke?" she asked, her voice a blend of surprise and relief.
Ty's expression was one of regret, his gaze meeting hers with a gravity that conveyed more than words could. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you against Erebos, and I'm sorry I haven't figured out how to get back to Earth yet. I can't even say I've made good progress," he confessed, his voice tinged with disappointment.
Yet, he attempted to infuse a hint of levity into the heavy air, "Though I have to say, your new hair makes you hardly recognizable."
At his words, Jade felt a tumult of emotions wash over her. The cold, gripping confusion that had clouded her mind gave way to a surge of warmth, tears pooling in her eyes as a smile broke through the storm. "It's taken you long enough to at least check in with me, you know. I wasn't sure if you'd died somehow or what!"
Ty's posture shifted, a visible sign of his remorse as he clasped his hands together. "I apologize. It was never my intention for that to happen," he said, his voice soft yet laden with regret. He looked up, his crystal blue eyes searching Jade's. "It feels like it's been 2 years now since I've been gone. How many days has it been since 'I died,' by the way?
I was told time moves differently depending on the dimension."
Jade, her heart aching with a mix of disbelief and determination, responded, "It's been 4 months?! And for you, 2 years... that's so long." Her voice, firm and resolute, carried her vow across the void that separated them. "Just know, no matter what, I won't stop fighting until you make it back here. A lot of stuff we never knew about has been happening! Read new chapters at m_v-l'e|-novelhall.net
There are monsters and other creatures, and I've been doing my best to keep up, but it's so draining."
Without hesitation, Jade moved into Ty's embrace, seeking solace in his presence. She buried her face against him, allowing the emotions she'd held at bay to surface, finding comfort in the familiarity of his arms.