The following morning finds Zye bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the front yard of the cabin. The treks he’s made back and forth through the grass has left indents and kicked up dirt. Still, Jace told him to stay out front and not to worry about it.

Which he can understand. He’s the only one here, after all. Both Jace and Callua have already headed out to do more surveying of areas and missions. It’s left him with nothing to do except run drills that Ilista has taught him.

All coupled with practicing his swings, his stance, and how fast he can generate the rifts. The chill of the morning air helps stave off any heat that dares to bother him as he finishes another set.

Standing there, he dismisses his sword and stares at the front of the cabin. For the first time, he feels like he’s noticing how worn the front is. The glass appears to be older than the hills with tiny cracks along the corners. Even the door is a bit lopsided from where it sits in the frame.

How long did Jace take care of this place, is the only thought that passes through his mind.

Zye still isn’t used to the sensation of a message crawling through his mind. Even worse is when it’s soon followed by a portal opening near the door to the cabin. He rolls his eyes as Orion strides out, the chains around his boots jingling as he moves toward Zye.

“You’re progressing well.”

Huffing, Zye places a hand on his hip. It’s not in his nature to bite down and smile. A solid reason as to why he doesn’t keep the sass out of his voice. “You mean despite hoping I wouldn’t have to?”

“Yes, actually. Then again, Ilista is one of our best instructors.”

“I meant hoping I’d just fuck off. You’re telling me you’d rather have me here than Hax?”

Orion stops before him with that expressionless face of his. The tiniest of smiles doesn’t seem real to Zye. Almost like what he’d have to do while working— a customer service smile to satisfy people.

“Hax was irritating to deal with.”

“Even more than me?”

“Depends on the circumstance. Still, you’ve done well despite my— rather all attempts to prevent that.”

Zye stretches his arm behind his neck, placing a gentle pressure on the elbow that bends. Afterward, he sits down on the ground. He’s been going at this since he got up and he’ll take the chance to relax.

“Thanks, I guess. I’ll try to be less on edge but no promises at the moment.”

Orion nods as if he knows why. Which he does even if he doesn’t understand why Zye is hanging onto the emotion.

“Did you ever read any of Hax’s research?”

Orion pushes his hands into the pockets of his green jacket. His eyes cut away and Zye knows full well that it’s not a subject Orion wants to deal with. Nonetheless, the man answers.

“Yes, some of it. Hax brought it to me saying things are more than they seem and should explore it. Both before and after Haru…passed.”

“And you turned him down. Can I ask why?”

“We were brought into this world with a concrete set of rules and understanding. To bring something new into that, it’s…” Orion searches for the right word, yet it dies on the tip of his tongue.

“Scary?”

“Ah, perhaps. He came to me many times trying to convince me before I put my foot down. All I could think of was, what would I do if something like that happened again?”

Orion glances down at Zye for the briefest of moments.

“However, maybe he was right. If we had known more, Haru might not have done that. I know Haru would have sided with him…no sense in staying in our cages he would say.”

A bout of silence settles between them. Zye isn’t sure what he can say or how to change the subject without offending Orion. Despite how their relationship started, he doesn’t hate this man in the slightest. If anything, he wishes he had known more sooner.

Maybe he should have been more like his mother and believed in the innate good in people to a fault. A belief that allowed her to step back, breathe, and slow down. All to give the person a chance to speak their hidden truth.

He notices a distant look on Orion’s face. One that tells Zye the man isn’t present in the moment. Not that he can blame him. Orion has lived infinitely longer— there are a plethora of memories that could be passing through his mind.

“On a side note, your training method sucks. But…I get what you were going for. Still pissed, but I get it.”

At that, Orion’s expression shifts back to where it normally rests. “I teach that lesson first because that’s what happened to me out in the field. I lost control and wounded a few Stars that were with me.”

Surprise curls forth and shows itself on Zye’s face. He can’t hide it if he wanted to. That’s the last thing he expected to hear. Especially from Orion who always seems so collected and in control. It’s a healthy reminder that none of them are perfect. Even if Orion hasn’t lived, he’s still lived plenty.

“How did you snap out of it?”

Orion glances up to the tree line behind Zye. They sway ever-so-slightly in the wind. “Hax was there. He came to check up on me after he finished his work for the day. It’s something that shouldn’t have happened.”

“No, I get it. Losing control isn’t fun even though it can happen. It’s not the same really, but I let loose on a guy once. Didn’t even matter if he deserved it or not. I still felt like shit afterward.”

Bright green eyes settle on Zye. “Why did you do it then?”

“It’s no big deal.”

“I would like to know if you’d tell me.”

Zye grins up at him, cupping his crossed ankles in his hands. Leaning forward, he makes sure Orion has to glance away once more. “Aw, trying to be friends with me now? That’s cute.”

“I…don’t mind trying. Haru told me I needed to and I never took it to heart. Perhaps I should have. Besides, why would I get close to someone that I didn’t think would be around in the long run?”

“Ah, fear is pretty powerful, ain’t it?”

Orion stills. He hadn’t looked at it that way. “I suppose…so.”

Zye allows him to have that moment by continuing. It’s the least he can do. Try and talk like they’re normal people with nothing on the line when they end the conversation. No battles. No “realms”. Nothing.

“He was just a prick that wanted to be with a Chroma. Why he wanted to crawl my ass? I still don’t know. But when I turned him down he said he’d just go find my mom instead. Which, honestly wasn’t a threat, but it made me snap. I think I broke his nose and bruised a rib.”

“I see,” replies Orion with a small nod. “A threat to a loved one is an understandable reason.”

“Still not excusable. Got an earful from my mom. Violence is never the answer and all that. Yet here I am, swinging a sword.”

“It’s different. This isn’t violence, it’s setting them free.”

“Yeah, yeah I know. So everyone here, they’re your family, right? Is that why you get so mad when someone threatens them?”

Orion begins to pace back and forth. A slow, shallow gait. “I suppose you could label it that. And yes, I do.”

Zye leans back on his hand instead, stretching his legs out until they almost reach where Orion is making passes back and forth. “So, did you want to talk because you wanted to talk or because Celeste crawled your ass?”

The grin he gives Orion is met with a hardened stare. One that softens with a sigh. “They weren’t pleased with how I handled things yesterday. I’m supposed to give a warning when I initiate that training with someone. And you don’t seem to be going anywhere, therefore, we need to be able to work together.”

“It’s fine. I know you’re not that much of a hard ass. Just cause you pissed me off doesn’t mean I don’t know what good you do.”

“I appreciate that.”

“Jokes aside,” starts Zye. “I regret not trying to push to get to know you more. Sometimes anyway.”

“Sometimes?”

“Some people would have done it just to get on your good side and get what they want. I can’t manage that. I’d rather you know I’m not happy. Besides, I’m an adult. I can admit I played that really poorly at times.”

Orion raises a brow, stopping his pacing to glance down at Zye. “You did that quite a lot, showing me you were unhappy. ”

Zye stands up and brushes his hands over his pants. Once he’s sure he’s gotten the grass off of them, he stuffs his hands into his pockets. “So, start over? I’m not saying I’ll need help. But on the off chance I do?”

“Yes, you may call for me. Anything you need, I’ll try my best.”

“Right back at ya then,” he replies with a soft laugh. “I guess this wasn’t so hard after all, huh?”

“What wasn’t?”

“Making friends.”

Orion looks up at him. He’s confused and for once, it shows on his face. “Don’t you have plenty? Why would it be hard?”

Zye flexes his fingers, letting the magic tingle at his fingertips before dismissing it. Over and over he does this to get used to the sensation. “Nah, they made friends with me. I didn’t seek them out and I didn’t ever think it was worth it at a certain point. Kinda like what you were saying.”

“I see…” mumbles Orion.

“So, want to do me a favor?”

That has Orion’s gaze snapping back to Zye with something swirling in those eyes. The slight frown is enough for Zye. Perhaps the briefest showing of emotion is a wall beginning to loosen. Much like his own.

“Not particularly. I can’t imagine it’ll be something I’ll want to do. Go ahead, what is it?”

“If you do, I’ll owe you one. I just want to talk to that girl, Sigil. I knew her, well, I met her when I was alive. And I can’t get there on my own right now.”

“One what?” Orion shakes his head, clearly dismissing it after asking. “Anyways, why would I when you should be training?”

Zye steps a bit closer to him with a shrug. “If you thought so I would have been doing it. And it could be anything. Whatever you need. What are friends for?”

Orion doesn’t seem to believe a word at first. He remains standing there still as a statue with his brow pinching together in thought.

“Does it happen that fast? Making friends, that is.”

He can’t help it. The chuckle that leaves Zye is unstoppable and it takes a moment to force it down. Sucking in a breath, he tries not to comment on the slight pink on Orion’s cheeks.

“Sorry, sorry. No, it’s not fast. It takes time, but it’s a start right?”

Orion crosses his arms over his chest. “You’re a handful. Couldn’t you learn a thing or two from Callua? She’s very intelligent and reliable. Hard-working as well.”

“Geez, thanks. You’re not wrong, though. She’s really something else.”

“Fine. I’ll do it on one condition. I have only a question for you to answer.”

“Sure. Shoot.”

“Shoot? You’re strange…” Orion unfolds his arms. “It was nearly impossible to not look at your memories. Why do you trust Jace?” Orion immediately holds up a hand as Zye opens his mouth. “And if you say love, I’m not taking you and you can ask someone else.”

Zye stares at him for a long moment. It’s not that it’s hard to answer. It’s that there are so many ways to say it. He wants to ask, more than anything, if Orion saw the memories shouldn’t he know?

“He didn’t judge me. He was kind and concerned, never pity. He was a little weird considering, well you know, he’s technically dead. But, he was still honest and open. Not to mention Cal’s friend, so I figured he was a decent person.”

It feels weird to have Orion watching him so intensely. Truly listening to every word and making sure he knows it. Zye’s removes his hands from his pockets as he clears his throat, coughing into a closed fist.

“A-anyways. Even if he wasn’t, I knew I could just do what I do best and run away.”

“Therefore, it’s because you believe he treated you right?”

“And he’s hard not to love. Devoted, loyal, hard-working. Oh, and he’s pretty hot, too, wouldn’t you say?”

The question is one he dares. It’s getting easier to see what and who flusters Orion. The man huffs at his question despite the initial raised eyebrows he had unknowingly given.

“No. I wouldn’t.”

Zye chuckles. After all, it’s nice to see these other sides of this closed-off man. “Sure, sure. What about Aster? He’s pretty. Ilista, too.”

The grin Orion is given has him huffing. He’s flustered and doesn’t have time for this. They have a job to do and he has a deal to keep. Opening a portal, Orion gives Zye his back.

“I’m satisfied with your answer, we can go.”

“Wait, right now?”

“Yes, now hurry.”

Zye doesn’t dare look a gift horse in the mouth. He hurries to follow Orion through the portal. A step later and Orion is moving away from him. Hand on the railing of the stairs leading up to Celeste’s room, he glances back at Zye.

“I’ve been told she’s with Iris. Take the hall that would have led to Vespera’s domain. I’ll be with Celeste when you’re done.”

“Thanks.”

Orion hesitates, fingers curling around the railing. Lips part ever-so-slightly before he gives a light shake of his head, closes his mouth, and begins up the stairs. It’s not the reaction Zye’s expecting. Orion seems like the type to follow through with the required motions in a conversation or a plan in general.

The fact that he slips away prior is…comforting.

Tiny signs that there is more to Orion than what he’s seen. Or even what he’s witnessed in dreams. While he still doesn’t trust Orion completely, there’s a start of something. Once they’ve taken care of Kerse it’ll show if he really can.

As long as there are no surprises where Orion tries to kill her instead everything will be fine.

Taking a deep breath, Zye strides around the staircase and finds the one corridor he’s never ventured down. It does strike him as odd that Iris has her own even though she’s bonded to Celeste as a Guardian. Then again, thinking about it only makes him want to roll his eyes.

Semantics he doesn’t care to deal with at the moment. The tiny details he can understand after things are more stable.

The hallway is much like all the others. All leading to a solid door. This one, however, is pure white. It almost looks like marble to him from the pattern that’s weaving throughout it. He gives a single knock to it even though he doesn’t have to.

A moment later, the silver handle turns. It opens to show a head of pink and blond move into view. Iris’s bright smile is nearly blinding. To the point where Zye can only return a shaky, half-hearted smile in return.

It’s been too easy to actually be himself and not push the sociable mask onto his face. Standing before a girl who seems to be the sun herself, he realizes he might not be ready for this. Talking to the two of them, alone?

Should have made Orion come with me, he thinks to himself.

Iris holds onto the edge of the door. “Orion said you wanted to talk to Sigil?”

“Uh…yeah. If that’s alright. If not I can come back—”

“No, no! It’s fine. I wanted to make sure because I have a mission to do and Orion said you’d be okay staying with her until I get back.”

“Right. Then, she’s inside?”

Iris steps aside and holds the door open. “Mm-hm! Head on in and if you need anything just call for the Mark. It’ll show up when you do.”

Zye enters the room. The second he does, Iris is bounding out and pulling the door shut. The flurry of her dress disappears as he’s left alone in the room before him. The anxiety creeps up the back of his throat like bile— burning and suffocating to where his hands grow clammy.

Another deep breath and a step forward.

It’s fine. She’s a stranger in almost every way yet knows things she shouldn’t. It’ll make it easier to cross through certain subjects.

Or so he tells himself.

To calm himself down, he searches the room before him. Much like Ilista’s or Aster’s, it contains a sort of sitting area with a couple of doors leading to separate rooms.

The walls are a pale, lime green with rugs the color of fresh peaches covering the dark hardwood floor. There in the middle of the floor atop the largest of the rugs, compared to the petite circles in front of the two doors, is a couch.

It’s long and low to the ground with a short back. Blankets of deep pinks and bright yellows drape over it. One with a blue star pattern across the sun-colored fabric is bunched up around a young woman’s waist.

Sigil sits cross-legged on the far side with a mug of something cupped in her hands, resting it on her thigh. The black long-sleeved shirt flares out around her wrists to the point it covers her fingers.

Red eyes glance over at him as he steps forward. All before quickly looking away, back into her cup and the steam rising from it. From the way she’s sitting, the short side of her hair is the one he approaches. She can’t hide under the long tresses parted to the right.

“Hey there, I don’t know if you remember me.”

The gentle start doesn’t draw her gaze right away. It’s not until he’s at the other end of the couch that she looks up.

“I remember you, Zye. You…you can call me Sigil.”

His hand clutches at the back of the couch— a way to steady himself. He has so much he wants to ask. At the same time, he’s afraid of scaring her away.

“It’s, uh, nice to meet you. For real this time. I was wondering how you’re doing. This is all a little weird, I know.”

Sigil wraps her fingers around the mug a little tighter. Yet, she also relaxes against the back of the couch. Sinking slightly into the cushions, she exhales slowly.

“I’m okay, I think. Losing him hasn’t been easy but I’m glad you came because…” she trails off as she realizes their eyes are locked and swiftly turns them back to her cup. “I can sense him with you at least. Is he…is Hax alright?”

“I guess he’s fine. I mean, he’s not in any danger. If anything it’s stopped the dreams I was having of his life.”

That has Sigil perking up. She leans forward and sets the ceramic cup on the wooden coffee table with claw feet. Sigil turns on the couch, giving him her complete attention.

“You had them, too?”

Hoping to keep her from looking up all the time, Zye settles onto the end of the couch opposite her. He sits sideways with one knee drawn up onto it and his elbow balanced on the back cushion.

“Yeah, all the time. Being inside of his head at times felt weird. How did you get away with seeing his?”

Sigil shakes her head. “I didn’t have Hax’s memories. I got to see someone named Haru. He…he was a carefree person. Soft but a strong center I think.”

“Do you know why you have those? Or have you had any since coming here?”

“Nuh-uh. They stopped when I got here. I know it’s because my bloodline comes from his selfless act to save my ancestor. It was a story passed down through my family.”

Surprised by how easily she’s speaking with him, Zye doesn’t hesitate. He gives her a smile to encourage her to continue. “You’re pretty strong to have to shoulder that and the ability you have.”

A pale tinge of red touches the skin beneath her eyes. “I…no, no it’s not. I don’t mind it.” Her gaze flicks away and then back to him, unsure if she should commit her thoughts to words. “They…the spirits…they keep me company.”

“They do?”

Sigil clutches at the blanket, drawing it up further as she brings her knees to her chest. “Mm-hm. The nice ones stay around sometimes. Not everyone turns into a Nether. But…but they can be just as bad as one sometimes.”

“I guess I have a lot to learn. Sorry about how I reacted when I brought you that package.”

“No! No— I’m the one that’s sorry. I probably scared you. No one really likes it when I do that but she really needed you to know. And…she was so nice to me so I thought I should.”

Zye leans his head on his raised palm. He remembers it like it was yesterday. He wishes he had acted differently. With his other hand, he gives a small wave. “Nah, you’re fine. I was having a rough day anyway. It wasn’t all you. Pretty brave of you to reach out to a stranger.”

“Then…did you come here to ask if she’s still with you?”

He doesn’t want to admit that’s why he’s here. It’s part of the reason. Not all of it. Zye drags his hand over his thigh and grips at his knee.

“Yes and no? I wouldn’t want her stuck around because of me.”

“Why is that?”

“Because my mom deserves better than that. She should go be happy or whatever is next. Not trying to protect my dumb ass.”

Sigil smiles at that with lips drawing into a taut line to hold back the giggle. Composing herself, she shakes her head. “No, she’s not around anymore.”

One of the many other reasons he’s here creeps up after that confirmation. He doesn’t want to tire her or bombard her with questions. But there is one thing he needs to know more than anything. Something he’s been worried about for a while.

“Can you only see the souls connected to people? Or if you searched for someone to reach out to, could you?”

“I…I’m not sure. I don’t know how long it takes for a spirit to turn into a Nether. Or if they can linger without doing so at all. I haven’t tried that in a long time.”

Zye meets her eyes. The last thing he wants is for her to think he’s trying to get something out of her. “It’s alright. I wish there was a way to tell if a soul was stuck. Guess I wouldn’t have to worry if I was a better friend, huh?”

Sigil holds out her hand. “Think of him and hold on.”

“It’s fine, really. I don’t want to push you to do anything. Besides, these idiots around here need more answers to questions like that to begin with. I’ll bug Orion about it later.”

“Zye, let me try. Please?”

The depth in her stare shakes him to the core. There’s more to this than she’s saying. A strength burns inside her crimson eyes that he can’t deny. He does want to know. Why would he pull away now?

Holding her hand, Zye closes his eyes and tries to picture Shae in his mind. He tries to remember his voice, the worn-out band t-shirts, the movies, and most importantly his eyes.

A moment later, Sigil pulls away. She folds her hands in her lap with a sour expression. “I’m sorry…I can’t reach him. That usually means the soul is moved on, where I don’t know. But…I’m sorry I can’t give you an answer.”

“Hey, Sigil, it’s fine. Really. I can’t thank you enough for even trying in the first place.”

“N-no. I…I had to.”

“Why?”

Zye watches her worry her bottom lip between her teeth. Her fingers curl into the blanket as she pulls it up further to her chest and over her knees. It bunches up beneath her chin.

“I’m not useful…I can’t do anything to help. I’m…I’m helpless and can only sit here and wait. It’s all I’ve ever been able to do. I just…I just let everyone else do everything for me.”

Sigil leans her head forward, pressing her forehead to her knees. Before she buries her face into the blanket, Zye can see the hints of tears at the corners of her eyes. Her shoulders tremble as she tries to recover some kind of control over her emotions.

Something he understands all too well. His stomach sinks at the sight before him. Not feeling like you can do anything is a hot frustration he knows all too well. It burns until there’s nothing left but angry tears and silence.

Zye scoots over until he’s next to her. The only thing he can think to do is what others have done for him. Something he’s not normally comfortable with considering he barely knows her.

Still, he pulls her against him and into his arms. The hug he gives her has her stiffening for a moment before going lax. The hands she keeps balled into the blanket grab at his shirt instead, holding on for dear life.

The silence is speckled with the soft sound of her muffled sobs and a sniffle here or there. Zye merely drags a hand up and down her back in large circles. At first, he doesn’t know what else to do.

Jace would be far better at this and have words of advice. Or he’d be quiet when he knows it’s not needed. Zye isn’t sure which of those paths to take. Even talking to distract someone doesn’t seem to fit this mold.

Sigil, beginning to calm down, sits up enough to wipe at her eyes. It leads to Zye pulling away to leave his hands awkwardly in his lap with nowhere else to place them. Once Sigil sniffles once more and looks up with puffy eyes, he knows what to say.

“It’ll be okay.”

Simple. Stupid, really. It doesn’t change anything or lend advice. Yet it has the smallest smile touching her lips. Sometimes, only sometimes, hearing it helps more than anything else he could say.

“You…think so?”

“Yeah, I do. I mean look at me. I’m just as ‘mortal’ as you and I made so many fuck-ups. You at least had Hax looking out for you and your family too, right?”

“Mm…I did. They’re…all gone now. What do I do?”

She looks up at him with large pleading eyes— begging him for an answer. She wants someone to tell her what she should do next. She needs a purpose and a goal.

Zye is no fool. He knows better than anyone not to look to someone else for that. Turning away, he leans back against the couch and slouches ever-so-slightly. It puts him at a shorter eye level than her where she has to look down at him.

“Whatever you want. Do you want to go back down there and live on Earth? I know Civicus is kinda shit, but we’d set it up for you if you want that. Hell, maybe they’d let you stay here. You got that Haru guy’s power in you right?”

Sigil stares hard. She can’t fathom that’s his answer. “Whatever…I want?”

“I had to choose, too. It’s not easy. Huh…no, I guess that’s not really true. It wasn’t that hard.”

“Why did you choose this then? Isn’t it scary?”

“Isn’t living just as scary?”

The reply has her smiling and he can’t help but feel it’s the most beautiful, innocent smile he’s ever seen. She’s terribly honest in her expressions. It reminds him a lot of Xerxes. What’s even better is the soft laugh that she covers with her hands.

“Hey, it’s not funny. It really is scary.”

“I know. I know.”

“And even if it is, I have a lot of regrets. I didn’t really live. I got on that hamster wheel and ran. Okay, maybe I’m using my circumstances as an excuse but I still missed out on living. Missed out on trying new things.”

She wiggles around to where she sits on her knees next to him, giving him her full attention. “Like what?”

“Like learning how to make friends and stop being a jerk that runs away.”

“You’re not a jerk.”

“Is that what my mom told you?”

Another smile except this time, he can see all of her teeth as she grins. “No, she said you were her crybaby that fights too much.”

“Pfff…of course she did.” He chuckles and lets it die out with a sigh. “I’ll keep fighting though. It makes things a teeny bit safer for others, right? So, why not. I’m used to having a weight on my shoulders.”

“That sounds tiring…”

“It’s not if you have people to help you. I know we don’t really know each other well but if you need anything, I’ll try.”

There’s a moment where she looks away as if staring into space. Zye doesn’t know what to do other than wait. Patiently allowing her to decide where to take this conversation next.

The words are quiet. Almost a whisper that he can barely hear. Surely he wouldn’t if she wasn’t sitting so close to him.

“Do you think they’d let me stay? I can’t…I don’t know how to fight…”

“I know a guy that doesn’t either and he’s a Dark Star.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Let me bring it up to the big guns upstairs and we’ll figure something out. How about that? I can’t promise they’ll be on board. I don’t have a lot of sway in the matter.”

Sigil’s brows pinch together. She’s confused and it shows. “Why would you do that? Won’t they be mad?”

Zye begins to stand up as the door begins to open. “Don’t worry about that. I’m used to dealing with an angry Orion.”

From the other side of the room, Iris idles in the open doorway. “Angry? What are you doing?”

He stuffs his hands into his pockets and makes his way to Iris. It’s a good time to leave, he thinks. They can always talk more later. He’d be lying if he said he wouldn’t be happy to have another person from Earth on the team.

“Nothing, just seeing if they’ll let Sigil stay with us.”

“Z-Zye, I…I don’t know if they would.”

“That’s my problem to worry about right now. We’ll talk about it. Which is where I’m headed anyway.” He glances over his shoulder, giving Sigil a smile. “I’ll let you know how it goes.”

Leaving the room, he also departs from a very stunned and happy Iris. The door closes quickly while he makes his way back to the staircase. He needs to reconvene with Orion and then get back to Jace. Getting some more training in sounds good as well.

So does hearing where Callua is and how she’s doing. He hasn’t seen her in some time already. The worry is always at the back of his mind for them both. Hell, for anyone that he’s met in this strange little afterlife.

It’s definitely not all sugarplums and rainbows.

Zye stops as he gets to the landing. While the door may be open, it never doesn’t feel strange to simply enter. From inside where the seating is, Celeste calls out to him.

“Come on in!”

There on the couch are the usual suspects. Celeste and Orion are together on one couch with Jace on the opposing one. The air in the room seems tense. Not in a bad way that makes Zye’s stomach knot up, but in a way that says they’ve been busy planning.

Moving straight for Jace, Zye sits down beside him. “Where’s Cal?”

“She’s resting in Ilista’s room.”

“Does that mean you guys are done?”

Celeste nods, “We are. A date has been settled. In two cycles we move.”

Zye, slouching a bit into the softness of the cushions, shrugs. “Is that…soon?”

Seeing as he never explained it before, Orion pipes up from where he sits with a notepad and an intricate-looking pen. Zye squints at the man. It’s confusing and new to see Orion with such tools.

“You’ll feel it inside when you focus on a location you’ve been to,” Orion begins. “You can sense how many days have passed. We call them cycles. It’ll do you well to remember that our realms exist in a sort of limbo.”

It’s an explanation that reassures Zye with remembering he has much to learn. There really should be a guide about all of this. Even Jace can’t answer all of his questions. Not caring to show his lack of knowledge further, Zye glances between Orion and Celeste.

“Either way, that’s not why I’m here. Would it be possible to let Sigil become a Guardian without having to die?”

“Why?” comes the sharp retort muttered off Orion’s lips.

“She wants it.”

Celeste interjects with a hand cupping at their chin. “Hm, the girl did say she doesn’t have anything to live for where she came from. No one. Nothing.”

Orion, worried that Celeste is considering this, turns to them. “That doesn’t mean we can take on anyone that hasn’t died and gone through the process of whether they’d even be offered this opportunity.”

Zye snorts at that, “I didn’t either.”

“That also wasn’t your choice,” Orion snaps back.

“And Jace was gonna do it anyway. That was my choice.”

Zye playfully glares at the narrowed stare Orion gives him. Neither of them plans to back down from this. Seeing as there’s a stalemate, Jace shakes his head. The amused smile on Celeste’s face says they aren’t going to intervene either. It leaves him to do it.

“I think we should at least listen to her. I already promised Hax I would do what’s best for her and keep her safe. Knowing Zye, if we can’t come to an agreement he’ll do it anyway.”

“Probably.”

Orion crosses his arms over his chest. By no means does he want to give in. Still, he lets his expression soften. “We’ll take care of it. If she does, then we’ll handle it. A new Infernal will have enough to deal with. Adding a Guardian to the equation would be foolish.”

“Is that my moving-in gift as a new Infernal then?” asks Zye.

“What…gift? No we don’t—”

Celeste immediately butts in with their hand on Orion’s shoulder. “I think that’d be a wonderful idea. It’d give us a chance to relax afterward and get to know each other better. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Orion stares at them and the playful smile dances across their lips. He slowly nods. Once he has, Celeste continues.

“Additionally, we’ve spoken to Callua already. Kerse has a rather unique, up close and personal fighting style. We want to stress that you both stay back as much as possible. If she doesn’t target either of you, then you can both act freely.”

“Yeah I know, I get it.”

Zye already hates how the tone sounds as the words leave him. They’re short and have a tinge of attitude to them. Especially when he already knows that he has his role to play. Going toe-to-toe with Kerse isn’t one of them. No amount of reassurance can quell the anxiety that comes with knowing it’ll happen soon.

When Jace’s hand lands on his knee he knows that it came across as a bit bratty. Jace rubs at his knee as he tries to reassure him.

“It’s only to make sure nothing goes wrong. Kerse might not be at her full strength, but she can still go all out and that’s dangerous enough.”

Sighing, Zye stands up. He rubs at the back of his neck and lets his gaze remain locked on the floor. “It’ll be fine. I’m not a kid, I get it. Y’all don’t have to worry.”

Of them all, Orion is the first to speak. “Then we should rest. No missions and only light training.”

“Cool, see you two then.”

Zye turns with a curt wave and makes for the stares. He knows Jace is following after him. Despite Jace being rather light-footed, Zye can feel the presence getting closer as he moves down the stairs. By the time he reaches the bottom, Jace catches his wrist.

“We don’t intend to hurt your feelings if we did.”

Keeping his back to Jace, he sighs. “I know. I did it to myself. I know I can’t keep up yet and that no one means it that way.”

“And that’s fine. One day you will be able to. You’re already doing better as it is.”

“I know. I know. I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean for it to sound like that.” Zye turns around and watches as Jace runs his thumb over each of Zye’s knuckles. The motion does quite a bit to calm the storms in his mind. “Do you really think they can beat her?”

Jace looks him in the eyes and nods slowly. He turns Zye’s hand over in his own and drags it up, kissing the back of Zye’s hand. “I do. Having you and Cal there will help. All we have to do is wear her down.”

“Then…can we train still? Orion said—”

“I don’t care what he said. We can work on your timing and how fast you can call on your magic. Light training if it’ll make you feel better.”

“Thanks.” Zye smiles and opens a portal, an action done on pure reflex. He doesn’t realize how happy Jace is to see it as he’s already walking to it. “Wait, what about Cal?”

“Let her sleep. She can join us later.”