"That was an incredibly bad move," Avar said, looking at the door the three elves walked out.

"A backstabbing ally is more dangerous than a competent enemy," Rem commented in a flat voice. "Getting rid of them is a good plan from a certain point of view."

Cytortia finally took off the Hero armor before breathing deeply. Her voice strained.

"Now we have to find Luxinna," she said, visibly folding on her leg in. "Uncle Avar, is she still in the forest?"

Scathach and Avar looked at each other. Somehow Rem knew the task would be more complicated than he expected.

"How large is the forest?" Rem asked, dreading the answer.

"Several hundred times the size of this city," Avar said tiredly. "Don't worry about her. Luxinna is still wandering around in that forest somewhere. She never left."

Avar sagged, looking into the distant light of the better days.

"That girl dearly loves her home," Avar said, looking out of the window. "Before Lucian tore them apart, Magnolia, Eva, and Luxinna were inseparable. They were the best of friends, yet, they couldn't be more different. Eva is an adventurous girl. Magnolia sincerely wants to help her clan. But Luxinna, she's the one who loves her home the most. She is incredibly grateful for this place. What a joke; she never deserves to be one of us. She is too good for that."

Hearing that, Cytortia struck her fist on the table. For once, she looked furious. Her earth-color eyes burnt with emerald energy.

"Inseparable?" Cytortia said to Avar, trying not to elevate her voice into a shout, but she was failing. "Are you telling me this is the reason you never write back to Eva for years? Something this stupid is a reason for that? Every day she checked her post and wrote to you, asking about what is happening back at home for two years solids! Do you even know that?"

Avar displayed the answer by refusing to meet her eyes.

As for Rem, he walked toward the window, looking unusually more melancholic.

"Understand him a bit Cy," Rem said without any trace of emotion. "I listen to the conversation for about two minutes and can already guess this Eva would go overboard for Luxinna. Do you consider the implication of someone from Ava's clan lending an exile heretic aid? You will only be giving Lucian political ammo with this. Am I right, elder Avar?"

Avar nodded in shame.

Cytortia pointed at Rem accusingly.

"What with your attitude?" Cytortia yelled at him. "You stick with me for a week, and I can barely understand you at all? You sound bothered, but do you feel anything at all?"

"I don't," Rem replied.

Cytortia's wind fell out of her sail.

"Slavery, kidnapping, cannibalism, and genocide." Rem listed, looking at the sky without any attachment. "If you think about the most terrible thing humanity had ever done for long enough, I can guarantee you will barely feel the horror anymore. I don't think I even understand what I am at this point..."

Cytortia was too shocked to say anything, but Scathach entered the ring in her stead.

"Then why would you do this if you didn't care?" Scathach said. "Humanity and elves are not that different. You must know his. They are all selfish power-obsess bastards who don't deserve my sympathy or yours. I am doing this because I pretty much can't let the girl's potential go to waste, but what about you?"

Rem closed his eyes.

...

Inside the world of poppies and starless black sky, a younger version of Rem yelled at from a man who brutally defeated him in their last encounter. Despite his rage, he was staying as far away from Rem as possible.

"You know the badger has a point," the crystallization of Rem's hatred shouted at the self he couldn't surpass.

The boy went on ranting in desperation with tears of fear in his eyes.

"They kill their kind. They sell their children. They abuse others. They destroy dreams without any regret. Their wins create losses. Those losses cause misery. They never accept their mistake nor learn to accept the fault of others. Humans are terrible beings that made the universe worse just by existing. Why are you even considering what that girl said about [Arrival of Dream]? What makes you think it is worth sacrificing us for those self-destructing monkies? They deserve every condemnation aiming for them. So why..."

...

The teenage Rem Breaker opened his eyes in the real world, looking at the hopeful sky and the splendid sun of Phantasia.

"You are right," Rem said to himself as much as to Scathach.

"Yet, despite that selfishness, humanity is nevertheless capable of empathy. We're capable of aiding others. We're capable of sacrificing for each other. Humans can spread dreams that lift each other from despair. We are capable of charity. We know right and wrong, and try to seek a world that is both happy and fair no matter how impossible."

The rest of the room was stunned at the turn of the conversation. Meanwhile, inside the quiet world, a certain young boy was being pressed into a white ground by a waterfall of red petals.

"How can such people be weak? They are a species that never cease to amaze," Rem continued. "We are such a flawed race, but within us is something more. You can blame humanity for everything wrong with the world. But you could never help but admire the struggle they put against the power of entropy."

Rem turned toward the group.

"Despite our stumble, we finally abolish slavery and even willing to battle to the death to see it through. If humanity is truly evil incarnated, why for a solid hundred years and counting does five different countries mourn for the dead who died in the greats wars. Isn't it to honor those sacrifices by not repeating those mistakes? If we are such an immature being, then we would already wipe ourselves during the cold war. Yet, we have managed, after a thousand years, to learn to compromise enough not to do that."

Rem moved toward the group, touching the helm of the man he would become one day.

"So if you want to know why I am bothering to save those idiots, here is the answer: the entity called humanity has produced acts of kindness impossible for other species. Innovation, integrity, charity, fairness; these acts shine in fog absolute darkness like a miraculous jewel. Even if I am never understood, I can die happy knowing that the core of a boy who was enchanted by of those ideas survived."

Rem walked to the table.

"Are we going to complain about the meaningless things that already happened or a girl we need to save?" Rem said, tapping the rigid surface. "Let get started by bringing me the map."

...

Rem spent that entire afternoon in the Black Mercy looking at a map, contemplating whether or not to set the paper on fire to end the pain. Scathach was patrolling outside to escape the paperwork. Rem couldn't blame the traitor for committing a high-treason; this mess was a trainwreck in motion. Their target moved like a dust particle, and Brownian-motion, as a rule, couldn't be predicted.

Thankfully, Remus Breaker was too hollow to give up, but his teammate was not as dead inside as him.

"This is impossible!" Cytortia banged her hand on the table in frustration. "We won't even find her."

"Nothing is impossible," Rem declared. "Everything leaves a trace. We have to be smart enough to find it."

The room turned silent for a few hours.

Cytortia didn't move nor say anything, but her muteness sucked the air out of the room. Finally, resolving herself, the goddess opened her mouth and spoke in a voice choked with depression.

"Do you remember what you said about humanity?" Cytortia began. "You said they're a wonderful race, right?"

"Humanity is more like a concept every race has inside of them," Rem explained. "Gods, Humans, elves. The only different things are your DNA, but that gift and curse that humanity could bring are just the same."

Cytortia looked at him.

"I don't get it. What makes me so wonderful?"

"You are you," Rem said matter-of-factly. "Everyone is special in a certain point of view. I am not the one who can tell what makes you special. Only you can do that."

"Examples?" Cytortia said. "I can't think of any."

Rem looked at her in dismay.

"You pick the worst person to do this," Rem denied but lost to the goddess puppy's eyes.

He sighed.

"You are a disciple of a Queen of the Gods, had an amazing connection and born a goddess, is that not enough of..."

Rem barely dodged a protractor flying at his face.

"You think I am happy about that garbage!?" Cytortia suddenly lost her temper. "No one get it! Not you! Not Scathach! No one understands anything!"

"You ask me, and I tell you what I know," Rem replied calmly. "Are you expecting me to sing praises without knowing anything? Who are you again? Ishtar?"

But Cytortia was already delivering her hell.

"No one ever understands. After all those talks, humanity couldn't stop Zeus from being an ass. It certainly didn't stop grandmother from having a hair-brain idea that a clone of his mother, born with her aspect, could counter him. Born a goddess!? I am supposed to be a replica of Rhea, Mother of the Olympians, amplified with Gaia's power. Look at what a disappointment I am!"

"You are pretty capable. Alchemy and research skills should not be underrated."

"Oh, but grandma doesn't want that!" the goddess sniffled. "Don't you get it? I am supposed to stand above the King of Olympian!" Cytortia thrust a fist at the table. "It only took three days for grandma to ship me off to Nu Wa and called the experiment a failure. Do you know how that felt? Being born to do one thing and fail right before you start!"

Cytortia began to cry. Any composure she has started breaking down as she poured her heart out for anyone who cared to listen.

"You think being Nuwa's disciple was all sunshine and parades every day? Do you know how much I suffer? Every visitor my master ever invited laughed when Chuang set me on fire! You heard how everyone talk about Tie Hua. Do you know that bitch is my master's favorite? Kar'Dia and other servants praise that witch over and over without ever realizing what she is becoming. The only one who ever approached me is LinLey. For a while, I thought I finally have a friend. Guess what she said to those bitches when she thought no one was listening?"

Rem had an idea. He was used to this kind of thing.

"'A commoner orphan and two immature idiots. As useless as you are, I had to thank you for driving that loser into my arms. All it took us a few kind words later, and I already have a free Alchemist."

The goddess's eyes watered.

"That is what she said," Cytortia bitterly vented her frustration. "Every time she patched me up after training, every time she encouraged me to keep going, it is all a lie. I was only nine back then! NINE! What did I do to deserve any of that?"

Rem remained silent. If the quarter of this was genuine, the Heavenly Daughters were beyond fixing at this point. But that girl, LinLey, must be shifted as a priority target. If she employed such backstabbing as a child, there was no telling what she would do as an adult."

"I came crying to my master that night," Cytortia trembled harder. "She said I misunderstood them. She insisted that they will change and asked me to give them a chance. But I couldn't take it. After LinLey gave them that tip, all of them try to force me into their camp. It was an ultimatum. Either pick a side or suffer, but I knew it would never end either way, so I packed my bag and ran."

Cytortia's tears ran over her cheek and dripped onto the table in an unstoppable downpour of misery.

"I went to my aunt. Artio was the only one who would help me. She told me to find myself; to start doing what I love. So I started helping people, curing the sick, building homes for endangered animals, and researching agriculture. Before I knew it, I began traveling, using what I learned from Nuwa to support people in trouble like uncle Avar. I even manage to make a real friend for once."

A hint of a smile crept up her lips.

"Those people thanked me, you know. I finally found the one thing I want for so long. Everyone says it is my talent that allows me to be an S-Rank Alchemist, but I know better. All I did is getting a license to be a doctor, research a new medicine to cure a parasitic disease, and concocted pill after pill for the sick kids. They only gave me a thank-you card or a crude artwork, but that is all I want. I didn't even care my name got registered as a youngest S-rank Alchemist; those gratitudes were all I want."

Rem feared another sob story was coming. He wasn't disappointed.

"Of course I can't have that," Cytortia muttered angrily. "Happiness isn't meant to be mine. My master had to call me back to that hell. Those monsters didn't change one bit! Queen of Heaven, my ass!"

Cytortia continued her mournful rant.

"It's time to spread your wing? Venture out to the world and compete for accomplishment? Hone your skills and gain experience? Did she know what she unleashed? Kar'Dia still follows Tie Hua around like a lovesick puppy. Chuang is downright maniacal. And none of those ass-kissers bothered to stop Tie Hua when she declared all of Phantasia would be hers. Hell, they started cheering for that bitch when I got blasted into the wall for calling her out. After all these years, no one bothers to set her straight."

Cytortia thought back to how a fist sent her crashing into the wall and the ensuing pain.

"And LinLey, she already knows me. She announced in that room how many things I have to lose and offered her support as she left me lying there. Do you know what that would..."

Rem decided to interrupt.

"She set your other competitors after you. If I am right, she expects Tie Hua and Chuang to drive you into the corner, forcing you to bend over for her help.

Cytortia gave herself a mocking smile.

"Pathetic, isn't it?" Cytortia said, looking up to the ceiling in melancholy. "If I keep my mouth shut, I might be able to go back to aunt Artio and continue my life in peace. But because I spoke out, they are going after anything that can force me to join them. 

Aunty had to call Scathach to drag me out of her palace to protect those I helped from being a target. In the end, after all these years, being good got me nothing."

She stopped crying but instead despaired.

"No matter how many I help, there will always be another tragedy, isn't it? People like Luxinna and me who want to live a happy life, but-"

Rem reached and grasped her hand. Cytortia looked into Rem's eyes. Somehow, in that serene apathy, a weak lantern of kindness still flickered.

"Being good won't get you any jackpot," Rem said kindy. "In a certain sense, speaking out or trying to save everything is mightily stupid. Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, those people suffered for doing right when the world remained content on being evil. And that is what makes you special as they are."

Rem looked at the map with renewing determination.

"Cy, your grandmother is right for the wrong reason. Zeus is powerful enough to do terrible deeds and get away with it until Satholia castrated him as an example to all evil. You suffered for doing the right thing, and Satholia put you on a pedestal as a beacon of good. So you are indeed his counter as an example for the world. Be proud Cy, the arc of history is long, but it's curved toward a better world."

Rem offered the goddess a smile as fake as it was reassuring. Cy noticed the inauthenticity of that smile, but it did not contain malice.

The boy didn't know to understand emotion, but that didn't prevent him from doing the right thing.