Jack retold his story, leaving out much.

Then, he listened to Alan’s experiences. He’d lost both his older sister and younger brother only weeks after they’d first became players. At that time, the world had yet to band together, and information was withheld. Players joined the games and ventured into portals, dying unnecessary deaths.

Sarah then recapped what had happened after he’d been taken. And, Jack wondered why neither Tim nor Greg had said anything about her when they had told their tales. Were they protecting him? And then, Sarah talked about Tracey. Their mom had been killed by a player gone rogue. Leonidas had personally caught the serial killer and ripped his limbs from torso live on national television as a warning to anyone else who dared abuse their powers. Tracey’s father died soon after. He’d sacrificed himself in order to save a squadron full of players while exploring a portal. Sarah pleaded for her sister to be flown to her.

It wasn’t until over a year later that she had run into Alan in Los Duellos. The two rekindled their friendship which grew into the marriage it was today. And, in the happiest of news, now they were expecting their first child together.

Twenty minutes melted into two hours. Jack listened and talked and laughed and reminisced. All the while, he felt the slightest unease. He enjoyed seeing the faces from his past life. He enjoyed hearing about the old times. He enjoyed others remembering who he had been. However, he was not that person anymore. He was so far from the Jack that had once been. His worries slowly rose again.

Would he really be able to fit into this world?

Was leaving the tutorial a mistake?

The sound of cars pulling into the driveway, the thunking of car doors, and the bright chime of the doorbell saved Jack from his thoughts.

“Oh crap,” Alan stood from the chair. “Time just got away from us. That’s going to be the other couples. We joined a group of other expecting parents. A support group of sorts. It’s been great to have them. It’s scary bringing new life into this messed up world. But, that was so backwards. Just because the world is full of darkness now, that’s all the more reason to bring a ray of sunshine into this place.”

“The door,” Sarah coughed, motioning to her belly as to say that she had no intention of standing or pregnant-waddling to greet their guests.

“You two are free to stay,” Alan said, scurrying off to answer the bell like the gentlest of bulls.

“We really shouldn’t,” Jack said. “We’re supposed to meet Tim later. Don’t want to be late.”

Sarah smiled and struggled to her feet. “It was really so great to see you. Tell Tim I said hi. And tell him he should call more, like he used to. I miss our briefs chats.”

Jack hugged Sarah. “I’m glad you held on. We missed you,” she whispered.

“I’m happy you found happiness,” Jack whispered back. “Thank you for everything you did for my family. If you are ever in need. Call.”

Sarah then reached her arms toward Robin who happily obliged. “Take care of him. I can see how much he loves you.”

Robin nodded and held tight, envious of the child she felt between the two, imagining how her own belly would stretch and swell one day.

“Ah, two new faces!” a gruff voice echoed from the hallway as the other families entered.

“Everyone, this is Jack and Robin. Old friends who just came by for a quick visit.” Alan turned to Jack and wrapped his arms around him with every ounce of his heart. “Take care of yourself, Jacky. If you ever need anything, our door is open.”

Jack hugged him back. “Thank you,” he said. “The offer goes both ways.”

Outside, Jack called to Thunder and Lightning who came bounding with a giggling Tracey saddled on Thunder’s back. Tracey sobbed as she said goodbye to the wolves and then waved, watching their fluffy tails ride away down the road.

“I’m sorry,” Jack said to Robin. “I didn’t expect them to say those things. That must’ve been—”

Robin just smiled back, hair flapping in the wind as the wolves ran. “I felt bad for a moment. But then I thought about what our child will be like. That’s enough for now,” she said.

Jack smiled and nodded.

“So, did any other memories come back?”

“Not a one. It was weird though. I felt like I knew that I was supposed to care about them both. But honestly, I didn’t feel much of anything. I mean. If they needed help, I’d help them. But I think that’s just because they helped Greg, Tim, and Ella. Is that strange? I mean. I know I’d do anything for my siblings.” Jack’s eyes flashed to Robin’s as he paused for a moment. “Maybe not anything,” he added. “Now that I’ve seen them. I can’t believe I risked losing you. What if things hadn’t worked out? I don’t think I would’ve been able to go on by myself. I love them. I’ll do everything I can to make them happy. But why doesn’t that make me feel warm inside anymore? What happened?”

At the same moment, both Jack’s and Robin’s eyes darted to his emerald tattoo. Their eyes rose to meet each other’s and widened. Had they been so easily fooled? Was the woman in the statue up to no good? Jack called out to the woman. He tried to feel her consciousness, prodding into the tattoo with his mind. He could feel her, but something blocked them from connecting, wrapped around her like a protective bubble.

Jack prodded further, pressing against the wall. He formed his mana to his will, driving the energy into a needle to pierce through. The mana surged and pierced into the gelatinous field. And then, as soon as the energy had entered, it vanished. Jack tried to feel for the mana needle, but his connection had been severed, and the energy absorbed. He tried again, piercing this time with a larger stream, and held firmly onto its shaft. But, again, the bubble absorbed the foreign energy, severing it from Jack’s mind.

“It’s not responding,” Jack said. “I can feel it, but it’s coated in something. I tried piercing through.”

“Is that a good idea?” Robin asked worriedly. “It’s,” she hesitated, “attached to you. It might hurt you somehow by hurting it.”

Jack paused, thinking for a moment. She was right. It was more or less a part of him now. Again, he tried activating the EoT.

This time, it worked.

~Eye of Truth~

Species: Celestial Armor

Type: Gaia

Level: none

Durability: 100/100

Lifeforce: <error>

Description:

The only armor a celestial dare wear.

 

Jack blinked. “Celestial?” he asked aloud as a second window with almost no information popped into view.

 

~Eye of Truth~

Species: Half-Celestial

 

Jack shook his head, not fully understanding. Was the woman the half-celestial, trapped inside the bracelet? And was the tattoo the armor?

“That’s correct, my liege,” a soft voice whispered into Jack’s mind.

Jack commanded the wolves to stop and swept his eyes across the greenery.

“Apologies, my liege,” the voice whispered even quieter. “My eyes are heavy,” it lulled back into its slumber.

“You didn’t hear that, did you?” Jack asked Robin.

Robin shook her head, having drawn her weapons, and stood atop her wolf, ready to fight.

Jack looked into the tattoo again. Had the woman spoken to him, or had it been the armor?

“Are we fighting?” Robin asked, still hyperaware of her surroundings.

“No,” Jack raised the tattoo to his eye level. “It spoke to me. Something did. I’m going to try to wake it up again. Walk on,” Jack instructed the wolves. Carefully, he streamed a continuous thread of mana into the tattoo, allowing the consciousness within to swallow twenty times as much as before.

And then, he waited.

“I’m here, my liege,” the voice whispered with the slightest hint of more energy than before.

“What’s happening to my mind?” Jack asked. “My skill regulations are off, but my emotions are dulled. Why?”

“I do not know. You are my first contractor. You have my loyalty until you want it no longer.”

“You’re the celestial armor? Not the half-celestial?” Jack asked, honestly having expected it to have gone the other way.

“I am a Celestial Armor, Gaia Type, my liege. I do not know what a half-celestial is. However, there does appear to be a being stored within my dimensional pocket. Perhaps she is the half-celestial you speak? Would you like me to expel her?”

Jack thought for a moment. “Would that cause her any harm?”

“I don’t know the answer to that, my liege.”

Jack thought for a moment.

“Apologies, it appears I am running out of energy.”

Jack fed the armor again.

The conversation continued with little benefit. It knew next to nothing. The first memory it had was forming a contract with Jack. Before that, nothing. It knew what it was. It knew how its own features worked. It did not know why it was struggling to stay awake, or why Jack had to consciously feed it mana. And, most of all, it did not know anything about the woman within its hold.

With no new information about his emotions, Jack eventually allowed his worries to subside.