Part 1 –

From the darkness, came light. And in the light, came the faces of his closest friends.

Exrite lightly groaned in his abrupt wake, a hand held weakly at his forehead. The loud cries from Khaos earlier left him slightly disorientated, and when he tried to bring himself upright –

“Wait! Don’t push yourself so soon!” Inkshard cried from beside him, immediately thrusting him against the soft cushions. “You just woke up! Just rest!”

He blankly stared up at her, then, at the others who surrounded him. Some wore worried faces while others were relived that he was finally awake. Frosty, who knelt beside the bed, gently smiled at him.

“Keep still, Exrite. You’ve been out for a few days.” Her soothing voice aided him in restoring his throughs as he brushed past Khaos, Talia and Uru who were present in the room, standing beside him and at the feet of the bed.

A warm light shone through the glass window above, where a cool breeze entered and swayed their clothes and hairs dazzlingly. Talia briefly placed a hand onto Exrite face and sighed in relief.

“My, please don’t scare us like that.” She erected her posture. “Dear became quite a handful when she couldn’t wake you up.”

“It’s because he didn’t come back from the Children of Balance like last time.” Inkshard quickly replied.

The last time Exrite was out for two days, was when he returned as the Exrenity from the Children of Balance. Whether it was to cope with the fusion of the Fragment of Time and the shard, or the Eye of Despair, was entirely unknown. But what he did know, was that the reason behind his most recent two-day-sleep.

Time ran slower in Gaia’s Domain, while the world outside ran faster.

He also realised that he was back in his original body. He was bare, save for below his waist, which was thankfully covered with loose shorts beneath the thick, blue covers.

Slightly lightheaded and groggy from his rouse, he managed to put on a warm smile. While he wanted to apologise, he realised that Talia would probably scold him immediately.

So, he instead asked, “What happened while I was asleep?”

“Nothing interesting. The Capital of such a peaceful place doesn’t have many avenues worth investigating.” The haughty voice came from the succubus who stood with a hand on her waist.

“In other words – things have been fine so far.” Frosty sharply interjected. “Anoma hasn’t come to visit, and the everything seems to be quieting down now.”

“Not the Guild or the Institute. They’re having a pretty rough time ever since news of the upcoming war broke out.” Inkshard informed, her fingers unknowingly digging into Exrite’s skin.

Thankfully, he was too numbed by his morning weakness to even feel it.

Khaos, who hadn’t spoken a word, remained silent and stood there with a proud smile. He was just happy that Exrite was finally awake.

With a hand still resting on his forehead, he managed to grin back.

“Inkshard, can I sit up for a bit?” He asked, pushing himself before he was suddenly struck with impeccable resistance.

“Just rest!” Inkshard snapped and shoved him back down, pinning him with her tiny hands. “You’re a handful, you know that!?”

Exrite remained there as déjà vu surged through his being. He didn’t try to fight against the priestess, nor did he want to. With a soft sigh, Khaos finally spoke his first words.

“It’s great to see you’re still energetic – but look after yourself. We’re not in any rush, Exrite.” He firmly assured with a deep voice. “Sis and I settled a cobalt deal with ‘you know who’, so we’re only waiting for Anoma and the wizard guy to be free.”

Frosty nodded. “Our short-term goal right now is to get stronger for the Commanders.”

Reminded by that, Exrite had an ‘ah’ moment.

“Right. If there’s thirty days in a month-“ Exrite mumbled and incomprehensibly counted how many days since they’ve last met with the duo. “-We have twenty-six days at most before the deadline.”

It was plenty of time – but only if Exrite poured his blood, sweat and tears into training. As the Maiden of Time, he had a chance. This body however, needed all the help it could get to even stand a second in front of the Commanders.

The distinctive dry explosion of the weapon reminded him of the arduous hurdle he’d have to somehow leap over.

No one, besides Inkshard, knew what they were talking about. While Talia wanted to ask, she refrained. Uru simply hummed to herself and absorbed every word of their little conversation.

The strength in Inkshard’s arms increased as she narrowed her gaze to the memory of the Commanders. Black and White were nothing but an amalgamation of everything she detested.

Where she loved peace, they loved war.

Given their track record, she wouldn’t be surprised if another report came stating that they ventured beyond Colight again. If the skirmishes were already brutal and bad, she couldn’t imagine what they were doing without the supervision of the Truebirth and Pathfist.

As she stared into the cushions of the blue bed, Exrite gently patted her.

“Relax, Inkshard. You’ll break my ribs if you push any harder.” He laughed as the girl let loose of a loud sigh.

“I hate them. There’s no reason his majesty Ectarod should’ve admitted them to be his Commanders…” She seemed to calm down, yet she couldn’t let go of the thought. “… how could he?”

Silence followed her sombre whisper as Talia pinched her daughter’s cheeks to ease her further. The combination of Exrite’s strange warmth, and her mother’s playful pinch was more than enough for the girl to break into a small smile.

Amidst the fluffy, heart-warming sight, Exrite grinned.

“So, can I get up now?”

And in that moment, Inkshard exploded in a fit of fury.

* * *

After the ordeal, Exrite found himself wandering around the Capital with Uru.

Frosty remained with the priestesses in the castle, while Khaos scoured the castle library for any information on the Frostbitten. He was like this for the last two days apparently, and with the sheer size of the library floor, he barely searched through a quarter of the shelved books.

Frosty mentioned wanting to streamline her magic, so that she could lower the consumption rate of the harvested souls. She would rather ask Talia and Inkshard for help and advice, than the old man of the Institute who they barely knew aside from his role and name.

No matter how powerful of a mage he was, or knowledgeable for that matter – the priestesses were the only people she could trust with her secret, apart from Exrite, Khaos and unfortunately Uru.

Along the lightly crowded path, they moved at a steady pace. Not many eyes fell on them here, apart from the few elves who managed to catch a glimpse of the ‘dark elf’. Exrite wore simple, leather armour and a bit of metal plating, while Uru remained in her seductive attire.

The broadened road was split into two sides by various fountains and wooden benches in between. Even small gardens and beautiful pale trees were left in small patches of grass, where people pleasantly rested with meals in hand.

The Capital contained four areas like this, each in the centre of the corner main roads. Exrite and Uru were currently in the north-eastern side of the city, in search for a certain café. This place was apparently popular with the students and adventurers of the Institute of Magic, which was only further east of here.

The warm, sweet-scented air brought Exrite to a warm smile as he exclusively took in deep breaths to savour the delectable aroma. Uru, who only recently knew of the delicacies of ‘food’, was intrigued by the many stalls and glass panes that showcased the delicious treats and beverages.

From fluffy cupcakes to the beloved ice-cream, which was a newly introduced delicacy; she couldn’t help but to ogle at them with a sly grin. Her thousand-year imprisonment only amplified her sense of taste.

She stopped by an Otherworlder-run stall and stared at an array of plump loaves of bread with a hand hovering by her chin. The man stationed behind greeted her and Exrite with a bright smile.

“Welcome! These here are our jam-stuffed bread, and they’re only two coppers each!” He stated enthusiastically as he played with a silver tong in anticipation.

“Ho. There’s jam inside of these? Interesting.” Uru hummed, tempted to poke a finger into one of them. “What do you think, Exrite?”

He wondered for a moment, before pulling out a small coin pouch. As he searched through the silver and few gold coins, the man swiftly began preparing two separate paper bags for them.

He was lucky to still have this pouch after everything he’s been through. From the Gods, to the battering Uru gave them to his change into the Maiden – it was the only piece of equipment that hadn’t disappeared on him.

One by one, he picked and gave the coins to the patient man who held a permanent smile. Upon pulling the fourth coin, Exrite froze momentarily as he swiped his thumb across its smooth surface.

“Sorry, wrong coin.” He muttered with a soft face.

The blood-stained coin was quickly replaced and given to the man as he handed out the plump bread to them.

“Thanks for your patronage!”

“Thank you.” Exrite simply gave him a stern nod as they took their meals and moved along.

A second later, another group of people took their place as the man greeted them with lovely enthusiasm.

“This better taste as good as it looks.” Uru took a small nibble from the protruding end of the bread smugly.

“I’ve never had one of these. Best thing I can remember about this place was a nice restaurant selling cinnamon coffee.” Exrite took a large bite, his eyes quickly gaping to the sudden sweet taste of the hidden jam. “Strawberry? Yeah, this is good as well.”

He praised it, but it didn’t come close to cinnamon coffee. The castle meals were good, and the priestesses cooking was great – but nothing could rouse excitement in him quite like the tasty beverage.

The nostalgic scent was only a part of why he loved it upon his first sip.

“Bread never used to be this soft. It was hard and firm, like a rock. I vaguely remember the first time a child offered me some when I first arrived in Colight.” Uru took another slow nibble. “He was kind child, but it’s a shame that they can only live for so long.”

“I’m a human too, you know?” Exrite reminded with a slightly raised voice.

“Barely. Someone with the eye of the Gods, and the heart of a Maiden can’t be considered human anymore.” She finally bit off a large chunk of the bread. “You’ll live past a century, and everyone else will disappear.”

“… I know that.” Exrite’s chews nearly reduced to a halt as he stared off into the distance.

There, beneath a pale tree, was a small family. Their warmth was incomprehensible for Exrite, yet it brought a small smile across his face.

“There’s no point in thinking about it, Uru. I’ve said it before; the future isn’t set in stone. We live in the now, for the future – not the other way around.”

Uru devilishly grinned in response.

“You’re a steadfast fool, Exrite. Not that I mind.” She was amused by Exrite’s determination, and how her taunting did little to sway him from his chosen path.

No matter what lay ahead, he didn’t plan to let anything stop him from trying to achieve his goals. Many things lay in the future; both good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant, happiness and sadness.

He eventually sighed and returned to eating the bread. Following the road, Exrite carefully scanned the stores left and right; his head following his eyes. Their only lead on Bailey and Allen’s store was that it was some sort of café that sold cinnamon coffee.

One place came to mind, but he wasn’t so sure that it was the correct place. They didn’t resemble or seem remotely related to the cat-eared man who served him a few days ago.

They arrived at the walls, then back tracked and entered a connecting road off to the side. It was wide like the main road, only were there no trees or benches that bisected the walkway. Further along, they entered a southern road. There, Exrite navigated through a small series of staircases down to a humble, smaller road. Not quite as wide as the previous road, but more than enough for large groups.

And when the chatters of the main roads became distant, a faint smell caught their attention.

“Just a bit further.” He assured.

“Hm? To where? You never said where we were going.” Uru asked as she placed her free hand against Exrite’s neck.

The ticking was still the same, regardless of his body.

“Allen mentioned ‘cinnamon coffee’ back in the mountains. I figured he’d probably be in a store somewhere here.” He explained, catching sight of a familiar sign left outside of an upcoming store.

“So you’ve come here before, have you?”

“Only once.” He claimed as Uru snatched his paper wrapper and incinerated it without warning, alongside her own one.

Placing her hand back against his neck, she noticed his curiosity and seductively grinned.

“Is it magic, or is it not, Exrite? Whatever it is, I can’t teach it to you, even if you were a demon.” The tantalising voice snapped him from his brief trance as he slowly levelled his eyes with hers. “But you already knew that.”

Indeed, Exrite vaguely knew that what she did wasn’t magic. He first realised this during their battle, where a physical barrier managed to block off her orbs. From her palms, she seemed to be able to create physical balls of energy and extreme heat that wasn’t considered magic.

Or so he believed.

He compared it to the breath of a dragon, which was believed to use something other than magic to propel its fiery breath.

The odd phenomenon was something he wanted to figure out, but with the store nearing, he hoped Uru would answer his questions inside.

* * *

They seated themselves at a quiet corner. The spacious café was currently barren of anyone but the cat-eared man who politely took their orders and disappeared into a thick veil of cloth behind the counter.

He seemed to recognise Exrite, and briefly spoke with him about his troubles in the Institute. There was a short rant about the sudden change in attitude the students and adventurers exhibited in the past few days as he repeatedly sighed in disbelief.

In all honesty, Exrite didn’t have any reason to be here; but he figured they could try to find Bailey and Allen at another time. Right now, he was dying for a taste of the delicious beverage.

The café was relatively silent, apart from the few people who passed by outside. Like the first time he visited, the afternoons proved to be their ‘inactivity’ period of the day. But he wasn’t complaining, in fact, it was the perfect setting for the two to quietly converse.

“What a strange demi-human. I didn’t know they could use magic.” Uru hummed in surprise as leaned against the table. “I remember magic being nothing but a foolish dream for them.”

“Really? Demi-humans couldn’t use magic in the past?” Exrite asked, intrigued by Uru’s ancient knowledge as he sunk into the wooden bench across her.

“It was strange, but I’m sure there’s an explanation out there in the great world of Corozin. I wasn’t directly involved in the wars between the demi-humans and the beastkin.” She slid a finger by her lips and grinned. “That aside – you wanted to know about my ‘magic’?”

A peculiar face came across the man as silently stared at her. He still didn’t have a firm grasp of Uru’s character other than a few quirks. Her motivations were still unclear, let alone who she was before she was imprisoned.

Uru’s grin only grew as the silence further lingered. With a gentle head-tilt, Exrite finally responded.

“Please. I still have no idea what those orbs were.”

She bared her flat teeth.

“Yet you claim to be knowledgeable in magic?” Her teasing voice confused him. “Exrite, tell me – how many tiers of magic are there?”

“Fifteen.” He calmly replied.

“Then what’s the natural limit of all races?” She tapped a finger against the table.

“Seven.”

“Precisely. And do you know why?”

Exrite couldn’t answer. His gaze remained intent on the succubus as her eyes glimmered with pride.

“Perfect magic formation. Beyond the seventh tier, magic completely enters the realm of physicality.” She revealed, her tapping finger abruptly tracing something across the table. “Below the [Seventh Tier], magic is incomplete – mana is still raw and unrefined, hence why [Magic Barriers] work against low tiered magic.”

An epiphany suddenly struck Exrite as shock riddled his face.

Uru’s orbs were something physical because they were magic – magic beyond the [Seventh Tier]. It was pure magic, unhampered by the limits of residue mana, for it was refined and formed into a complete embodiment of the ‘purpose’, or ‘Will’.

He realised – Uru was likely the strongest being in Colight, apart from the Commanders. Reaching the [Seventh Tier] was something only few could ever dream of achieving. Anything beyond, was exclusively for Heroes and other mystical beings.

Just who exactly is Uru?

The question wouldn’t be answered any time soon, yet he couldn’t help but to be awestruck by her strength.

“You don’t notice any physical effects of magic until the [Second Tier], but it really stars at the [Third Tier]. Take a [Fireball] for instance; the flames do nothing when they touch you – it’s the heat it produces that hurts and starts fires.” She returned to tapping the table.

“… so that’s why [Hybrid Barriers] exist.” Exrite had a moment of clarity as he fell back against the wooden spine of the bench.

He was under the impression that [Hybrid Barriers] – the combination of [Magic Barriers] and[Physical Barriers] – were used to protect one from incoming arrows and magic. But in truth, that was half the reason. [Magic Barriers] would dispel the mana and the physical effects of the magic.

And using Uru’s example – the ‘fire’ would disappear upon contact with the barrier, and so will the generated heat.

Exrite was baffled that the books didn’t mention anything about this and wondered if anyone else truly knew of the [Hybrid Barrier]’s function. He’d have to ask the Institute Headmaster in the upcoming days if he knew anything about this.

“I honestly thought it was just a scale for magic complexity.” Exrite admitted as Uru silently chuckled and brought a hand to his face.

Driven by the man’s genuine curiosity and irresistible ‘ticking’, she would be damned to not continue explaining the wonders of magic.

“You’re half right. The tiers certainly measure the complexity of magic, but its far too vague with the average races only being of the [Third Tier], and some beyond, like us who reside closer to the [Sixth Tier].” She began with an alluring whisper as she leaned closer to Exrite.

“However – the fifteen tiers of magic represents the influence a magic has on our world. The inherent magic of a Maiden is undoubtably of the [Fifteenth Tier], for it is a fundamental magic that holds Six Point together. Even Demi-Gods fail to compare to the importance of the Maidens, and sometimes – even the Gods themselves.”

She drew her hand away and drew circles against the smooth table again.

“Our Gods – the Zelmori Fall – have nothing but love for the Maidens, for they know that they’re the reason why Eastern Six Point has yet to fall like the far Western side of the continent.”

Exrite’s face seemed to drop as he took everything Uru said to heart. He remained silent for a moment.

“Nothing but love, huh…” He didn’t know what else to say.

Dumbstruck by how monumental the Maidens were, he couldn’t help but to smile in self-ridicule. Potential definitely existed, he didn’t deny that – but as he was; he was far from even utilising [Third Tier] offensive magic without the risk of a mana overload.

He didn’t even want to imagine what would happen if he were to create a [Gear]. Although, it piqued a certain question to arise.

Was [Time] the Maiden of Time’s ultimate magic, or was it the [Gears]?

As he opened his mouth to ask Uru if she knew of the [Gears] –

A sudden shatter exploded from the centre of the café. The two cups they ordered were reduced to fragments amidst a sea of the tasty beverage. And, to their surprise, a familiar face stood in the middle of it all.

“W-what-!? Exrite!? And- UR-URU!?”

From the blonde hair to the blue eyes, and the strikingly familiar build – suffice to say; the immensely shocked man was Allen.

* * *

Part 2 –

The stupefied man sat across the two, with Bailey seated close beside. She struggled to meet her gaze with the grinning Uru, who silently sipped her bitter coffee, amused by the strange taste. But despite the awkwardness between Uru and the two – they were glad to see Exrite again.

And Speaking of Exrite –

He couldn’t stop pondering on the thought that Allen was the owner’s brother, let alone Bailey being his daughter. For all he knew; they were both perfectly human and had barely any similarities to him.

Earlier, Allen cleaned up his mess and received a scolding from a woman who introduced herself as Bailey’s mother. From just a glance, Exrite realised where Bailey inherited most of her looks from.

As she passed by with a few cups of the delicious cinnamon-scented coffee, she couldn’t help but to curiously stare at Exrite and Uru with soft, slitted eyes. It wasn’t normal for Bailey to go out of her way to speak with others, unless it was something important. But with the relieved smile plastered across her face; she had a good feeling that they were the ones who saved her daughter from the mountains.

“Is there something on my face?” Uru asked the thick-browed woman with a side-long gaze.

“Nothing at all~ It’s just that I’ve never seen your kind before.” Mela, the brown-haired woman, warmly hummed as she placed the cups down and clasped her hands together. “You’re a dark elf, right?”

“Of course. What else could I be?” Uru didn’t turn to the curious woman and simply took another sip of her coffee.

Mela seemed satisfied. Her gaze quickly shifted onto Exrite, who calmly conversed with Allen about the coincidence of finding him here. When Allen admitted his failure to disclose their store’s location, Exrite pleasantly smiled and laughed in response.

She hummed and studied him for a moment, before she slowly crouched beside her daughter. As her head plopped onto Bailey’s shoulder, the ticklish girl lightly squirmed.

“Mom?” Her voice was quiet, just enough for Mela to hear.

“Hmhm~ Is he the one you were talking about?” She delightfully teased.

“H-huh-!? Shh!” Bailey immediately hushed her with desperate eyes. “S-stop it mom! – it’s not him!” She denied with a harsh whisper, before looking over at Exrite to see if he heard.

Good. He was still in the middle of a conversation with her uncle. However, when she glanced at Uru, she saw nothing but the smile of a demon. A deadly chill ran down her spine as Uru gracefully took another sip from the pale cup.

“Don’t mind me, young Bailey. I didn’t hear anything.” Her obvious lie was reinforced with a devilish tinge in her voice.

It caused the girl to internally panic as Mela bumped her animal-ear-shaped hair buns against her.

“Hmm~? Then who might it be, honey? A friend of theirs?”

“…something like that…” She tried to hide her face from her doting mother and the demon across.

The gallant face of the tall man came to mind as she touched her thick, stubby eyebrows. She wore a small smile; partly in self-ridicule. Bailey knew that she wasn’t the prettiest girl, nor the smartest. She didn’t have any bountiful assets like her mother, or amazing social skills like her father.

She was just an ordinary girl who loved cooking – and happened to wield powerful magic.

Uru hummed. Her slender fingers gently tapped the table to catch the girl’s attention. And when she looked up, Uru spoke.

“Want us to bring him here next time?” She teased, causing the girl to flush a slight red.

While she didn’t say anything in return, she also didn’t try to refuse. Mela bumped her little bun against Bailey’s head with enthusiasm.

“Please do, miss dark elf!” She spoke with vigour. “I want to see what the man who princess carried my Bailey looks like!”

“W-wait-! Mom-! Stop!” The girl’s cheeks suddenly burnt a bright red as she panicked and held her hands out to her mother in a futile attempt to stop her from saying anything. “Don’t say anymore!”

“I want to see the scars he endured for my Bailey~! Allen, remind me of how heroic this man was!”

“Huh?” He shot an annoyed glance at the woman, breaking from his conversation with Exrite about dwarven craftsmanship and the party plans. “Heroic you say…”

Everything that came to mind about Khaos surrounded the moment he used his treasured niece as bait; and threw her meters above the air at Uru. If anything, it was his sheer strength and size that was hero-like.

He wryly smiled. “Er… yeah. He had this giant sword and was probably taller than all the greater white knights… I guess?” He didn’t what else to add.

“Tall. That’s right! Ahh~ how nice would it be to have a tall step-so-“

“Ahhhh!” Bailey thrust her hands against her mother’s mouth, only causing her to smile underneath. “M-mom. I’m begging you – stop it!”

“Mm mm~” She pleasantly hummed, causing Uru to inadvertently smile.

Exrite was tuned in since the beginning, and he couldn’t help but to silently laugh the bizarre development. He had a hunch that Bailey had something towards Khaos, but he didn’t have any proof until now.

Exrite was no expert in love, let alone experienced for that matter; so he couldn’t chime in on their conversation.

However –

“Allen, we’ll schedule the party for next week.”

He could only plant the seeds – and it was up to Bailey to try to make their love blossom. Exrite had no qualms, although he wondered what Khaos’ thoughts on love were.

The biggest issue he could find was that Khaos was a Frostbitten, and Bailey was a human, alongside Khaos’ wishes.

“How about in the next two weeks? We’re going to be pretty busy for a while with everyone passing to and from the Institute.” Allen replied, his arms weakly folded.

“Sure, that works just fine. I’ll try to stop by whenever I can. And Bailey – don’t be surprised if you suddenly find Khaos here.” He playfully warned.

“Mmahos. Mo mats mis mame~.” Mela hummed and rubbed her face against Bailey’s.

“Ah…” She trailed off, squirming to her mother’s weight as she removed her hands.

“We’ll be ready, won’t we honey~.”

“…please bring Frosty as well.”

The timid Bailey managed to utter with earnest eyes and an incredibly flushed face.

* * *

After making some arrangements for the party, the two left with pleasant goodbyes and trailed back towards the inner castle walls. At the fortified gates, they showed a pale stone to the white knights before they were granted entry into the colourful meadow.

Along the stone trail that led to the towering castle, Uru pressed her concerns on Exrite.

“Are you approving of love between a Frostbitten and a human?” Her voice carried spite, but not enough to garner any hostility from Exrite. “Their life spans are far too different. Bailey will die before Khaos could even reach a fraction of his lifespan.”

Exrite agreed with her. “But it’s all up to Khaos, not me. I’m not approving of their love – I’m only watching from the sides. Khaos is my friend, so whatever happens – I’ll always stand by him.”

“So you’ll subject him to something he may not want?”

“I didn’t say that. Khaos also wanted to visit the café himself. Plus, we have the party in the next two weeks.” He explained. “I would never dare to put my friends through something they hate.”

Uru devilishly smiled. “Yet you invited me to your little group, despite Frosty’s protest.”

“… within reason.” He added and followed it with a hearty sigh. “I mean, I can’t blame her for it. Even if I refused you – I doubt you’d let us go unscathed.”

“Precisely.” She held her head high and stared into the clear sky.

He chose the path that would mitigate the most hardships. If he declined Uru, there was no telling what she would’ve done to have them on her side. It was better to comply with heronly demand and have her on their side.

But was she truly on their side? Exrite didn’t know, and he’d be a fool to forget just how adamant she was in killing him. So far, their goals aligned, and there were also upsides to having her on board.

Her knowledge was vast, and she’d undoubtably be monumental in helping them in their journey to the north sometime in the future. Her power was also beyond any human in Colight; and he was thankful that she was on his side.

So long as he was the Maiden of Time, and Frosty and Khaos were Frostbitten – she wouldn’t leave them alone.

Regarding that, he delved into her dark irises and asked her the one question that sat with him ever since they met.

“Uru. Why do you need us?” He firmly asked with unwavering aptitude. “You mentioned that you needed Frosty and Khaos’ help, and now even me.” He made an abrupt stop, as the demon also did.

But she never turned.

“I want to know why you need our help, Uru. I know you seek vengeance, but there’s something more to that, isn’t there?”

A small frown crept across her face.

“You don’t remember?” She turned and placed a palm against his face. “You mocked my strive for power, and my trust in the Overlord of Desire.” Her voice was suddenly deepened with anger.

If it weren’t for him being the Maiden of Time – she would’ve scorched a print of her hand into his flesh for his impudence. The memory was still as clear as day –

* * *

Within the forsaken prison, she cried:

“Frosty – Khaos! Please reconsider! If we work with Desire together, we can have all the power we could ever dream of! I’ll even let Exrite-“

Before she could finish, the foolish man intervened.

“If you honestly believe that, then it’s no wonder you were betrayed so easily. You shouldn’t be surprised with that kind of mindset.”

The scolding voice and mockery was nothing but insulting.

The rage, the misery and uncontained sadness returned to her all at once as the last word left his lips. What could a being with only a lifespan of a hundred years know?

Desire was the only being that gave her a chance of redemption.

Only if she helped Desire in return.

And that goal –

* * *

“… So-“ Uru clamped his mouth shut with an iron grip.

“Don’t apologise Exrite.” Her brows furrowed as she revealed a row of razor-sharp teeth. “The Overlord of Desire was my only way of getting out of that prison. Like you with your Gods, I entrusted everything to her – even if she burdened me with something as ridiculous as reminding Six Point of her existence!”

The cry of irritation left Exrite momentarily dumbstruck as he realised that she was in the same boat as them. While they had their own goals, they were obliged to carry the Will of the greater beings, whether it be the Gods, or in Uru’s case; an Overlord.

“And don’t apologise afterwards. You already paid with your life once, so we’re even now.”

She slid her hand down to his neck, where she finally sighed to vent her frustrations and anger. And when she returned her gaze with his, she spoke again with a sinister chuckle.

“The Overlords of Six Point are either your greatest allies, or your most dreadful foes. Be glad that only Desire exists here in Eastern Six Point. Beyond the Great Divide both north and west; they reside – tampering with the world that the Maidens could never dream of bringing order to.”

She knew well of this, for she met with Desire herself and came from the region of Demora – the frontier that stood before Eastern Six Point’s northern divide.

Exrite slowly drew his eyes down to his palm and clenched them. He was still only a misplaced cog among the bigger gears in the world. But even so – he had a purpose.

Slowly, but surely – he would find his place in this world, and the reason behind it all.

He smiled and placed a warm hand onto the demon’s head. Her hair dropped as she tilted it sidewards, wondering what Exrite was doing. Despite that, a surge of calmness invaded her being as her eyes mellowed slightly.

“If it’s only to spread her name – then that’s fine, Uru. But just… yeah, don’t go killing innocent people for the sake of it.” He quietly warned.

Uru grinned in response. “Then you’re saying I can kill anything else, so long as they’re an enemy or a threat?”

“… Please.” He affirmed his sentiments.

“How tedious.” She sighed and shook his hand away. “Ensure you preserve that mindset for as long as you can, Exrite. Because the moment that fades, becomes the moment you depart from humanity. But then again – when were humans known for compassion?”

Her hand slithered away from his neck as she stared up into the afternoon sky.

“We’re a mixed bag and a bunch of hypocrites.” He tapped the coin pouch in his pocket and laughed. “C’mon Uru, let’s head back.”

“Hmm? I was waiting for you.” Her haughty voice only caused him to laugh again.

She sighed.

With a soft smile, she followed Exrite to the pale castle, whistling an old song from her raceland.