“Hey, Kiddo.”

Jack had accepted he’d never hear those words again.

“How about a hug for your old man?” he added, mouth upturning into his iconic cheesy smile with eyes that beamed with a love that a parent reserved only for their children. Even though his voice had changed, as a voice would in the transformation from human flesh to ghostly specter, there was no doubt in Jack’s mind that this man was his father. His features, his mannerisms, the cadence of his speech, the energy he released, and the gaze of his eyes all screamed the man whom Jack had once idolized, Maxwell Trades.

Jack stared in slight disbelief. He’d learned to suspend his expectations through the tutorial and accept the impossible, however, even this had been well beyond any of his calculations. Raven’s abilities perhaps hinted toward the possibility of ghosts, or lingering souls. She was a Reaper-to-be, a being capable of shuttling souls across planes. But still, he’d never imagined his father would’ve, could’ve, held on, and never did he think that he would appear today. The sadness that crashed inside Jack with irate vengeance suddenly broke and clear skies bathed Jack in an eden-istic joy.

Maxwell’s body finished taking its form. It appeared human-ish, with all the parts that a human might have but still maintaining its apparitional state, composed of shifting waves of light, and surrounded by a slick fog that tempted the eyes to look away. His hair was long now, longer than Jack had ever remembered it being, reaching down to his shoulders yet held back by a thin studded headband that looked almost like a crown.

Jack’s eyes turned upward and his father’s smile etched its way across Jack’s face. He was his father’s son, after all. “Dad?” Jack rasped. He willed his frozen legs to move, to step toward the man who filled a gaping hole in his heart.

“I’m right here, son.”

Jack ripped the bib and bonnet from his head. His body felt hot. Too hot for such containment. “Dad,” Jack repeated.

“My little Jaxka. I’m so proud of you, my son. You’ve achieved something that even your father could not. Without a hint of information. Without any preparation. There is so much I wish I could tell you.”

Jack wrapped himself in a layer of mana and then embraced his ghost father. He wrapped his arms around the mass of energy and squeezed tightly, burying his face into his father’s light.

“Well that’s a surprise,” Maxwell muttered. He glanced at his own shimmering hands and watched as he pressed against Jack’s back, expecting to pass through his corporeal form, but instead, feeling Jack’s solid body press back against him. “To be able to interact with an ethereal. You really are full of surprises. Outshining your father at every turn. If only I could have been half the man you are. Never mind that,” Maxwell shook his head and then raised his hand to cup Jack’s nape. “You’ve held in the tears long enough, kiddo. Sometimes, it’s just time to cry. Otherwise, you might spring a leak.”

“Dad?” Tim croaked from the dance floor. He pushed onto the stage and clamored to their side. However, Tim had yet to become a player, and was still centuries away from learning even a fraction of Jack’s mana control, and his body passed right through Maxwell’s, while his arm swung around Jack’s back. “It’s my fault, dad. I shouldn’t have asked to go out to dinner that night. It’s all my fault you two died. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I didn’t know. I really didn’t know.”

“No,” Jack said, raising a hand to Tim’s sideways scrunched face.

“Nonsense,” Maxwell added, lowering himself to meet Tim’s gaze. “Our deaths were tragic—but they had nothing to do with you. You mustn’t blame yourself.”

Greg approached now, and Maxwell stood and smiled. “My beautiful three boys. Oh my beautiful boys. How happy I am that we held on this long. We never expected this day would come.”

“Look at me,” Jack said to Tim, holding back his own desires, wanting to plead before his dad, wanting to apologize himself, wanting to bare his soul. “T—look at me. I’m right here. A loving child who asks to go to their younger sister’s favorite restaurant for dinner is not to blame for what happened. A teenager who flings themself over their sister when they see a car barreling through a red light with only a breath to react is not to blame for what happened. You were ready to give your own life for Ella and I know you would have done the same for any of us. Right?”

Tim nodded.

Jack tried to echo the same words that the therapist had used that really seemed to help Tim work through his guilt after the accident. He had been there for every session, holding Tim’s hand as he wanted, and allowing him space when he wanted to speak alone with the therapist. He’d held in all of his own pains, knowing that even the slightest hint of anger, fear, worry, or anxiety might cause his brothers to waver.

“I know,” Tim sniffled.

“You’ve even become a better parent than I ever was,” Maxwell added, watching the bond his children had with love and admiration.

“I tried to fill your shoes,” Jack sobbed suddenly at the praise. His happiness shifted to regret, to self-doubt, to sorrow, and then back to joy all in a single breath. “I tried. I tried to raise them just like you and mom. I tried to show them the same love you two showed us.”

“You did,” Greg squeezed Jack’s shoulder. “You gave us everything,” he added. “We know that. There isn’t a person in the world who would say otherwise.”

“You did more than that,” Maxwell added. “We were there for every minute of it. Your mother and I are so proud of you all. We saw how you stayed strong for all of your siblings. All the sacrifices you endured. The nights you cried in the alleyway, thinking you were alone. We cried with you then. We cried with you and Ella on the rooftop beneath the stars. We smiled and laughed and ached when you visited our graves. We cheered at all of the sport games. We danced along at your birthdays. We were there for every minute of it all. Your mother and I are so proud of you. Everything you’ve become. Everything you are. And everything you have been.”

“Daddy?” Ella sniffled, tacking herself into Jack’s arms. “You saw all our games? The recitals? Everything?”

Robin followed behind, having carried Ella onto the stage.

“Give them space,” Leonidas boomed, apologetically looking toward the reunion before glaring at the crowd nearby.

Steven followed, erecting a barrier around the space, forcing the crowd to step back.

There were whispers and confusion but, the people eventually obeyed. It was Leonidas’ order. And, who dared argue with the hero?

“My sweet baby girl. Your mother and I watched every single one.”

Jack choked. He never realized how badly he wanted to feel validated by his father. How deeply he craved to hear those words. Now, he felt the deepest sense of accomplishment. More than he could remember feeling before. More than he thought he might ever feel again. And then, Jack felt a familiar warmth.

“I missed you,” Ella said.

Only Jack’s eyes saw the faintest of figures that wafted around his siblings. The slimmest of glimmering light wrapped its arms around them, smiling, hugging, wanting to be seen. Jack’s mind churned. His hands had wrapped around Ella, hugging her as she spoke with their father. And then, he asked, interrupting them, “El, your necklace. Mom’s necklace. Can I hold it for a minute?”

Ella didn’t hesitate. She pulled the chain over her head and sniffled as she placed the gold wedding band into Jack’s open palm. “Why can’t I touch him?” Ella asked, swiping her hand through their father’s leg.

“We’ve shed our bodies, sweet pea,” Maxwell said, explaining their forms to Ella.

Jack focused elsewhere. He called to his mana, called to the skill he still currently channeled. The energy surged from within him, flowing abundantly into the golden ring. And then, he focused harder, pulling together the wisps that floated through the space. He focused. A second figure began to form. Jack focused. And then, he whispered a name, again, a name he could not repeat. The second figure appeared. It was a mass of silver light with ghostly arms wrapped around Maxwell’s back and long silver locks that reached toward her waist.

“Oh, me too?” their mother said with shock. She glanced from face to face, soaking in each of her children’s looks. “My children. My adorable, sweet, perfect, amazing, wonderful children. And you,” she turned to Jack. “How we wished for this moment. To make it come true—”

“Mom?” Ella sobbed, turning to look up at their mother.

“Mom,” Jack sniffled, eyes raising to meet his mother’s. She looked like home, like warmth, like joy itself. Jack melted into a childlike state. An ancient being who’d transcended time. The powerhouse of earth. An immovable object. Jack couldn’t find any words.

“Jack,” Ella turned to Jack. “Can I hug them?”

Jack’s heart ached. He honestly, wasn’t sure. But, he could never say no to those eyes. So, he opened his mana. One seal. Two seals. Three seals. Flesh sizzled. His mind flooded with energy. His brain bubbled with heat. His thoughts accelerated. His consciousness expanded. Jack channeled every ounce of himself into calling his parents, into giving them a physical form. Chimes rang. Jack’s abilities continued to grow. His skin melted from his face; his jaw exposed to the world. With each passing moment, his body struggled to keep up.

Robin jumped over, pulling all three of Jack’s siblings back to a safe distance.

Jack continued to struggle. On the stage, blocked only by Steven’s barrier, Jack melted to nothing but bones infused with energy. But still, he refused to relent. Levels continued to increase.

“How much did he suffer?” Jack’s mom whispered to his father.

“He’s transcended,” his father muttered. “It must be.”

“We should have told him, prepared him.”

“No. We don’t know how that could have changed things. This was the only way.”

Jack roared.

His being ached as his soul burned.

“Sometimes,” Jack’s mother said with a voice that pierced into Jack’s focused mind. “A delicate touch can topple mountains.”

Jack knew what she’d meant. His current path was fruitless. This skill was not the one he needed. Even if he poured out all of his mana, his parents wouldn’t take physical form. So, he split his focus and instead called two life-sized wooden dolls to rise from the floor. Carefully, he crafted their bodies, carving each and every bend exactly as he remembered. And then, once their silhouettes had taken shape, he grew layers of foliage, fungi, and other greenery to mimic that of a human touch as best he could. With the gentlest of touches, Jack followed his soul, knowing exactly what he wanted to do. Something inside of him told him that he could do it. And so, he did. Slowly, he guided each of his parent’s souls into their temporary bodies, joining their essence with his puppets, connecting them with billions of strands of his own pulsing mana.

Notifications chimed, but Jack didn’t check. Not knowing how long the puppets or his parents’ souls might last, Jack resealed his third seal. Instantly, his flesh sprouted from bone and his body recovered its human form. The process was painful, but Jack didn’t mind. Once healed, he stood and smiled at his two flabbergasted parents.

“Millions, billions of lives?” Maxwell, now inside his matching puppet, mumbled. “So, that wasn’t an exaggeration.”

“My child,” his mother stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Jack. “How much you must have suffered.”