PART I

Clarity Among Monsters

2044

LUCAS Gray

The Kosunaga Factory was at one point a spiraling business venture that provided many different kinds of services to the western edge of this new landmass with weapons and iron works. Mines along the coast sent along metals to another fabrication helmed by a subsidiary. The processed metals would be distributed toward the weapons development factory and the architectural development facility. The two of these developments grew to be the fastest growing conglomerates in the new world.

History would first tell of the two brothers that in the old world ran deep corporate conglomerates out of Tokyo. As the world turned over they were halfway through a business trip in what used to be California in the old world.

Namba Kosunaga was a business elite who ran plenty of housing developments within not just the city itself, but also a string of very successful hotels and casinos on the edge of Akihabara. Tachi on the other hand tended to prefer owning and operating various food chains at the highest level, and the two came together often to shift the tide of Japan’s economic, cultural, and societal direction.

The official order of their trip was to meet with some American investors in order to branch out their production states-side, as plenty of voices have sprung out to their channels for the desire to expand. To many people they were touted as the unofficial kings of the country with how much influence they had over its development. If the world were to continue on its path they could have risen to be in the top percent of the global elite. Their possibilities were endless in shooting up and out.

It came to be no surprise that the meetings that the Kosunaga pair had in the States were to be a secret until the deal could be finalized—as general opinions on global monopolies such as they had were frowned on when they seemed so blatant to the public. America was beneficent toward those that worked behind the scenes to string the economy for great profits. It was a grand puppet show by design.

Namba and Tachi were more than aware of this landscape for great opportunities and were able to easily glance the excited fervor their investors had at the oncoming deal. Uniformity led to the least risk of profit and seemed to shoot the projection at an eventual but certain nationwide takeover of the Kosunaga brand.

However, real life tended to ignore the assumed certainties of man. The coincidence of their trip lasting long enough to visit the south Californian party scene was not lost on their business partners back east. Thankfully for the Kosunaga brothers, those such business partners would cease to exist come the turn of The Collapse. A smattering of a few had enough will to survive the crossing into the new world, but Tokyo as a whole during the first decade of their new life fell to total collapse before the ushering in of the new city-state that would become the technological marvel of the new world.

This new world was unsafe and unkind, but Tokyo specifically faced an energy crisis unlike anything the new world or old world has seen. Reactors that used to exist in control and captivity had released tremendous amounts of energy upon being piled onto one another, and that exit point released enough heat and radiation to kill a very large percentage of the people that remained across the sea.

Survivors clung onto life as the true remnants of a society long passed, but those stories are meant for another time. Those stories will most certainly cross over with these stories, but for now, the Kosunaga brothers remain on the western coast of society as everything around them changed, and so too life demanded they change lest they be damned to the death that so many people had experienced—broken and forgotten.

So, finding their only choice to adapt, they utilized their natural charisma to band together to form a small caravan with the other humans around the area who latched to them—searching for someone to lead them. Their caravan then began to travel the edge of the world begging their way through the apocalypse. If any had remained alive who had seen them at their lowest would not have lived long in their new empire.

Slowly building reputation for their skills in the forge and fighting ability during the early years after The Collapse was the only thing they could do to avoid succumbing to the new world. As time flowed down the natural spire respect was sown from the seeds planted from their bent-over begging. Respect is a currency that clears in any world, and the Kosunagas took all they had and formed together to create, create, create.

As with all empires, respect soon molted into fear which signed and sealed their inevitable downfall. It wasn’t until they made a connection with a woman named Scaevus that they began to reach ever eastward before an ultimate demise.

She was a force that made a name for herself in the east and was noted to be largely responsible for the increased mechanical production and speeding along an iron and steel revolution. Scaevus was as one might assume a new identity taken on in the new world—the face that belonged to the name had once been a corporate lawyer in the old world who worked out of the Burroughs of Manhattan named Tara Hartstung. Baring new fangs in the world since changed she has climbed her way out of corporate defense into the technological development of the coastal east.

The weapons the Kosunaga brothers developed had fueled conflict in the area and spread influence across the new landmass of the world. As far as shipment had developed had the clutching reaches of new business.

This was heavily disrupted after the destruction of the Kosunaga Factory and the death of Namba Kosunaga. The effects on the east would be monumental, but that would be a rippling consequence that would bubble to the surface as the years continued to come. Still, as humanity always adapted to unfavorable situations so would they adapt to the loss of a weapons development facility—to the chagrin of those that lost their lives in the crumble of such a tyranny. It was an unfortunate result of humanity’s determination.

To others—smaller in number maybe—the destruction of the Kosunaga empire stood as a victory—though pyrrhic in nature—still came with the reward that meant more to them than most would assume.

LUCAS Gray took the front lines on the infiltration of the factory—alongside a number of others working toward multiple objectives. Of course, LUCAS worked in secret alongside an aged soul from whose stories could inscribe histories—Gavin Daniels had been searching for various fragments of a machine named ICARUS that were said to contain infinite power and control over the many realities and unrealities. Through the course of the dangerous mission LUCAS had revealed the full nature of his mission to his second—Laven, who through fragments themselves of memories of her past he had learned of her pact with an immensely powerful being related to ICARUS and its many pieces. This pact allowed her the ability to wield immense strength and willpower at the cost of increased energy expenditure.

It was a bond born through ivory flames and golden markings that flared up across her skin like adornments from a god, although the energy that LUCAS felt had very familiar source signatures, the same kinds that eluded his knowledge like the Creatures of the Night. And yet he felt deep wells of strength within her that told him that she was strong enough to wield the power she was given, and he felt that was the strength he found himself attracted to more than any other.

After the destruction of the building both of the pair lie damaged, but alive. The factory itself had come tumbling down as a result of the last-ditch effort by Namba Kosunaga. He intended to end their mission as succinctly as possible taking himself with it.

Thankfully, Laven was able to get the both of them out of the building before it collapsed. Unfortunately, the building’s collapse had caused the deaths of many of the captured workers inside. The two of them held deep in their hearts the regret over not being able to save everyone inside.

Gavin, after coming to the pair’s rescue was quick to let them know not all of their efforts were in vain as there were workers they were able to free and reunite with their families, but on the whole the victory was met with casualty. And on top of everything, LUCAS and Laven stand in doubt of their other teammates as their inside information inside the Kosunaga building leaked out to Namba and he was able to prepare for their arrival—leading to the total destruction of the building in the first place.

Holding the fragment in his hand, LUCAS couldn’t say that it wasn’t worth it, though. And part of him feared the loss of morality at that feeling. It inspired a sort of fear within him that worried if he would become okay with the sacrifice of life if his personal goals were met. That kind of thought left a sickly taste in his mouth. He had so short of an experience with life, but the one thing he had held true was his disdain for ends justifying the means.

At least, he had thought it was firm in what counted as his mind. Was he really so malleable that even the first step toward making a difference would affect who he was? Was that really so bad an idea? Extrapolating further—could he be sure that he was following his own best path? He hated the feeling of uncertainty and would kill it within himself so he’d not second guess every choice he made. If he was going to fulfill his father’s mission and protect those around him he needed to be sure of himself.

Being sure of oneself seemed like so easy a task to perform. He was sure others were able to just be sure—as if it were as easy as blinking or existing. So easy that the body does it for you without any conscious effort, but he wasn’t built that way. Doubt seemed hardwired into his head, and it rang like a gong against his subconscious like a choral parade running a repeat performance.

He felt the shaking and tumbling of the bike across the bumps in the sand. Even though the bike had hovered above the surface, it did have to adjust for the hills and crests below and each one brought small seismic shakes that pushed him against Laven. Having her so close helped with the intrusive thoughts—just as it was easier to think you were on the right path if someone else were on it with you. But a part of him knew that it also led to a strand of intrusive thoughts that adapted to these pleasantries—they wondered if he were simply leading Laven astray and worried how much he’d be responsible for if he were to be wrong.

He looked up at her and held the feeling close in him how lucky that she was okay. Something in him almost counted on his action or lack thereof becoming responsible for her loss...and suddenly felt himself placing her below him—which wasn’t true in the slightest. If anything, she had saved him time and again. Why had he assumed his own safety so simply? He needed to adjust that thinking. Otherwise he would be nothing but a detriment to not just himself, but for everyone that would ever keep him company.

“It’s been a bit quiet back there,” Gavin said, cocking his head just so slightly LUCAS knew it was directed at the both of them. “You’ve been through a lot. I get it, though.”

LUCAS shifted smally behind him, “I don’t know how to really begin. I feel like I need to sleep for several days…and yet I know that the second I sit down I’m going to be unable to stop thinking about what happened.”

Gavin didn’t turn back, but his voice was clear, “Trust me, I know the feeling. Unfortunately, we’re going to need to press on a bit longer. I’m going to take us as close as we can to the camp without being spotted, then I’ll continue on alone to gather the rest of my things. Once that’s done I will come back, and we can all head off.”

“What of the others?” Laven asked. “Are you just going to say we didn’t make it out? There’s going to be questions I’m sure.”

“Something like that. I am mainly curious to gauge reactions. If I notice anything suspect I’ll mention it when I return.”

The ride from then on was quiet. LUCAS wasn’t sure that him going in alone was such a good idea. With the stories he had heard of Roshe he was concerned that it could turn on him so simply. But he also wasn’t sure if he would be anything that could help in that specific situation.

The sky held tight as if it were afraid to breathe. Not a cloud interrupted the pale blue sky. The wind around them kept to a slow-moving breeze that only picked up because of the speed they were traveling. LUCAS had to blink to keep his eyes focused—it was almost blurring the blues and browns together if he wasn’t careful. He was thankful that he wasn’t the one driving the bike, as he was sure he would have found some way to crash.

The sand blowing through the air was coarse against his skin and he knew they would have to leave the desert soon enough—his body wasn’t built for long-term resiliency against the erosion of the sands. The thought was scary that someday he could take his final steps here as the sands wear away his flesh and leave naught but his endoskeleton for some future generation to unearth and theorize about.

When they slowed to a stop LUCAS felt a sort of centering as he no longer felt the consistent rumblings of the bike shaking his insides as it kept above the sands. He would have assumed a bike that did not touch the ground would have led to a smoother ride—but in his now two experiences with them he has only felt what he could attribute to nausea. And he doesn’t even have anything to throw up inside.

Laven slid off the back and stretched as she looked up toward the sky. It took her a moment to catch the sun angled off in the distance and she smiled smally toward it. “I think the creature inside me is happy to feel the sun’s warmth. I have a sense of it.”

LUCAS turned to her and marveled at how the light radiated off of her. Glowing like an ancient statue brought forward in time. And yet, he resonated with what she was saying. The silent sunlight beating down did usher up positive feelings within him. He wondered if it was something deeper, or if it was just because he was happy to be alive and safe—at least for the moment.

“Yeah, I understand. The sun is nice,” LUCAS said. “I can do without the sand though. Too rough.”

“Okay, it shouldn’t take me long at all to make it back here,” Gavin began, adjusting his seat in the bike and looking back toward the both of them. “I expect it won’t be longer than forty-five minutes. While I’d love to just get in and out I expect I’ll be approached as soon as I enter the grounds and will have to answer some cursory questions.”

“Okay, what should we do if you exceed that time?” LUCAS asked. “Surely we shouldn’t just stand here.”

“Well, I’ll leave that to your discretion. I assume if I take any longer I’m either being held against my will or dead. Neither of which I believe will happen, but I guess you have to account for every possibility.”

With that, he grinned and kicked his leg up onto the side of the bike and revved whatever engine powered that machine onto its course into the caravan. LUCAS stood watching him grow smaller in the distance until he heard his own name called from behind him.

“You coming, Luke?”

It was Laven, she was about a minute’s walk behind him. He blinked and came back to himself as he ran over toward her.

“Hey, where you going?”

“I had thought we’d be on the same page. You’re not thinking of staying here, are you?”

“I mean...I kinda was?” LUCAS said.

“Well, I would hope you would have considered him in your list of suspects in people that could have leaked our information.”

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“I…..” LUCAS tried to make the argument, which led to a sigh from Laven in response.

“I mean, I understand the trust. I do.” Laven began. “He’s a likable guy. And he was the one who told you about the fragments. It wouldn’t on first glance make sense that he’d lead you astray, but if you are going to trust anything—and I know how hypocritical that sounds but please keep up—trust that those kinds of people who on the surface have no reason to backstab you end up being those very ones who do it to you the worst.”

LUCAS stared at her and then turned to Gavin, still riding off in the other direction.

“I’m not saying he definitively is going to betray you, but if I were you I would work to protect myself from every angle possible. I understand that I’m implying you should separate from me to remain safe, and I have no explanation as to why you shouldn’t...but I hope that you don’t. I just don’t want you falling prey to some plot or some grander scheme.”

LUCAS looked back at her and cocked his head, regarding her more than just a person. He saw her as a whole. As a past, present, and even future. He knew that you really could only know someone as far as you trusted them, and this new world was wrought with people looking to play games above games and willing to cut anybody that got in the way of those ideals out. But he looked at her and saw something different. He saw kindness. He saw a warmth and genuine concern that he could place his faith in.

“I understand. I do not know much about Gavin and if I am being honest, that does concern me greatly. I know enough to set off alarms in my head, and even though I do agree with the path he is on, I cannot guarantee he is on it for the same reason that I am. I trust you, though, and am willing to place that trust in you to help wherever I go.”

She smiled, and it made him feel warm inside. “Seeing as we both do not have a place to call home, I say we just move—move wherever our hearts call. Wherever rumors of the mission fly our way.”

Our hearts. The fact that she so easily considered him having heart—how effortless she considered him an equal warmed and fanned his inner desire. It steeled his resolve and he nodded. “I do have an idea on where we should go, but it’s a bit of a distance.”

“Well, you can tell me on the way,” Laven said. “I grabbed this off the back of the bike, I hope Gavin has more back at base to restock from, but I don’t think he’ll be too mad,” she turned and showed off a pack made of some sort of leather substitute. LUCAS couldn’t begin to tell what was inside but assumed that it would be greatly helpful in their walk.

“Oh, that’s fantastic,” LUCAS said. “I don’t need food or water, but I know you do and the more we can save for you the better.”

She gave a knowing look and smiled, “Right on. Well, you just point the way, and we’ll start moving.”

“I’m seeing a settlement about…. forty miles off to the east. It doesn’t look too large.”

“We can set up camp in threes. Go for about four hours each stop.”

“You sure you’re okay for that?” LUCAS asked.

She looked at him sternly. “If I wasn’t I wouldn’t have proposed it.”

“Ah, right. Sorry.”

She laughed in return. It made her eyes bright, and he loved that look so dearly. “Don’t worry about it. I could very well ask you that same question.”

“Y-Yeah, I got to stop doing that…” LUCAS trailed off. “I sometimes assume others can’t handle the burden I can, and that’s not right.”

She shook her head. “I get where you’re coming from. Every time you say it I’ll be as right happy to remind you.”

With this he looked at her and he took her hand in silence and they began to walk.

The pair continued through the desert as the sun hung over them and shone crimson over the sands. A small creature the size of a snake burrowed its way beneath the sands to escape the brutal sun’s rays. Almost as if attempting to reflect the light back LUCAS felt warmth heating his feet below. The two almost felt like any manner of topic would pale in comparison to the elephant in the room, and so it was Laven who finally broke the ice.

“So, what kind of power do you think those fragments have? I know we were kind of busy the last time we were really talking about it,” Laven said. “Did you happen to learn anything more about them, from your head, I mean?”

She was talking about the database that LUCAS’ mind was linked up to. Thinking on it deeper he wasn’t fully sure where the source of the information was—as the laboratory where he was built was now sitting destroyed at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

From the database he knew a vast array on tons of subjects, however, the depth of the knowledge was too much to store in his head at all times. He needed to scan the database if he needed to recall something he hadn’t stored within himself.

As they had been walking—LUCAS had been scanning his database for any more records on the fragments—and on Gavin himself. It was difficult, though. It seemed as the farther they traveled away from Gavin the records on him faded and grew further from his grasp. He remembered that Gavin didn’t come from their world—he as much had said so. He was from a series of books and became...and became...the details were foggy now.

All was not lost, as having the fragment close by did make him feel stronger in some respects in his search. He read up on ICARUS, a mythical machine that at one point was used to store and categorize human life and knowledge.

“The machine it powered was almost like a library of sorts,” LUCAS explained. “If you assembled it you could relive history—be transported to various points in its logged records as if you were reading a book. Although…”

Laven cocked her head at his trailing off. The pace they had kept had slowed slightly, and she stopped when she noticed frustration crossing his face. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and he snapped out of his concerns.

“If it’s too much right now there’s no need to force it. We’ll have a lot of time to work through it.”

LUCAS frowned and looked down to his feet. “Yeah, I know, I just feel like I could be of more help. I know we’re throwing everything on this being the right path. And I just want to make sure you don’t regret it.”

“I get it.”

LUCAS looked up to her and was thankful she left it at that. He knew that indecision and self-doubt were easy caves he could find himself crawling into. He had habits—bad ones even. If that was proof of anything is that he had a choice. And it would only be the wrong one if he refused to make it. And yet, knowledge of the problem and avoiding it were two different situations entirely. That was the eternal rub.

“I’ll get to work on looking at more, but I might not be as talkative, please don’t take that as anything other than that.”

“I’ll take it however I damn well please,” she offered him a sly grin. “There’s the spark in you I saw before.” She grabbed his hand and held it tight. In that one second he felt one of two minds. In the first, he felt a warmth inside that he thought he could hold onto and grasp—as if it were a fire alight in his chest. In the other, he felt a graying sensation wipe all across the back of his eyes. His mind went astray in his search, and he found himself falling through logs upon logs. Stories upon pictures upon feelings upon—

There used to exist a world where seeds of love were sewn and spread across the galaxy. Those seeds became planets, people, societies, individual hearts and minds. That very same love blossomed into spectacular changes of fate. The stories of these are seemingly infinite in their boundlessness—an eternal proof of the strength of the determination within life to find, secure, and continue to love. As individual and yet uniform on the outside as a single snowflake within a blizzard’s gale, so does love across a generation of universes remain and flicker among the infinite vastness.

Love is the source of all that exists within the world. The love and the loss of love inspires the good and the evil of every living creature. In truth the desires of every evil or misdoing can be traced to the love or loss of some value or virtue. It can even be said of the love that could be so great it ran in a large cycle—the love of one man that caused the end of this world.

Andrew Cress was a boy born to a world that did not love easily. There had been a threat of global war for much of his young life by the time he was sixteen years old. He lived in a place that greatly favored escapism—the love that one has for oneself when protecting themselves in such a world is greater than the love of those around them—the kind of love that changes the world. Andrew had suffered unto others a selfish kind of love, a very private kind of love. This was a love that had been taught to many men his age—the lack of a guiding figure led his desires to wander digital worlds away from his loved ones.

This same kind of selfish love can be traced back in many families of this old world—self-serving attitudes ran rampant and were causal in problems and struggles worldwide. Its claws had dug through humanity deep and full that those seeds would only begin to bloom with its terrible fruits.

It wasn’t until he had dedicated himself to his self-protection and had his last hopes eradicated in front of his eyes that he was open to accepting and giving the kind of love that changed him, permanently leaving a scar on his psyche and existence that which can be traced all the way until the end of the universe.

Andrew met a girl, and through no fault of her own, that girl died. Andrew never forgot her, and he never truly forgave himself for her death. In this—Andrew’s love had been selfless only for a short-lived period of time—as it was during the next five thousand years of global time that imprinted a very important lesson—that to Andrew, women were scarred and broken things to care about and not for.

He loved selfishly. Following his actions from beginning to end he continued to love selfishly throughout the majority of his extended life to the detriment of every living being around him. While he has numerous positive records for contributions toward humanity and its salvation—such as the resolution of the Radical-9 Incident that stirred a great loss of life in the latter half of the 2020’s and his final stand against the Dromedan race of sentient machines on the planet of Sayar at the apex of the universe—no amount of doubt can be spared for the countless lives lost on Earth the day it was set to explode before the human colonization of space in the five thousand years in-between these two events. Equal amounts of people and lives had been lost in serving of his hero’s journey and downfall.

The lesson to be learned is that heroes of legend often sacrifice anything and everything in pursuits of their desires, and the sooner they become legend is a boon to humanity as a whole. The irresponsibility of heroism endangers most the people around and entwined with the supposed hero who themselves did not choose to sacrifice their virtues—and in some very clear cases their lives. The hero decides the fate of everyone, and no hero has ever been able to hold true the standard of responsibility such actions require upon others. It is a challenge never fully met and it only leads to sorrow and despair.

To Aria Valhart, who otherwise would have remained nameless in the history of the old universe, this new history extends its deepest condolences for the ultimate disrespect that love has wrought onto you. To Lindsey Berrant who became another’s love—or loss thereof, it is abhorrent to think of the atrocities done in her name. Andrew Cress’ legacy is undone by the women he shed for his foolish aspirations to be remembered by history.

Love has the power to change fate. Love has the power to end the world, and it matters not the source of the doomsday so long as the doomsday arrives.

LUCAS remained staring at a fire swirling into a vortex among the infinite vastness of space. Information was piling onto itself in his mind, and he found an overwhelming pressure building as stars of the old universe glistened brightly behind the vortex. It sucked it all in and collapsed it on itself and he could feel lightheaded as he stepped out over the edge as it threatened to suck him in, too. There he sat on the edge of the universe within his mind as the space outside of creation held for a moment—just a moment—before it exhaled, and the birth of a new universe expanded out before him. He felt the overwhelming light cross over him and fill everything with white.

LUCAS returned to himself—staring up at Laven with horror in his eyes. She noticed immediately the look on his face and was asking him what was wrong. He only heard a string of white noise—he felt paralyzed—too stunned by what he had read, seen, experienced.

He knew without even questioning it that it was all true—the events he read about had actually happened exactly as he saw. Was love truly the core feeling responsible of everything? Was falling into its grasps no better than what the mistakes of everyone else before him?

“Hey!” Laven shook him hard, and he had heard her again. “What’s wrong? You’re freaking me out.”

“I...I want to talk to you about something.”

~...~

The two had chosen a crested dune just on the edge of their vision to make a small encampment with. LUCAS needed to get what he had in his head out before he exploded—but he needed to ensure they could be safe while he did. They had worked to chop and trim strange black trees that sprouted themselves out of the sand’s depths.

It wasn’t quite wood they were made of, but the material was pliable, so they called it bendwood. They were able to fashion a small hut—nary bigger than could fit the two of them standing.

Anything to protect from errant weather should it come was preferred. There were definite concerns with how safe the structure would be to gunfire considering how easily they were able to take it down—but they would have to hope they could stand to avoid seeing any remnants of Kosunaga work out here.

When the hut was built—at least enough to talk in safely—LUCAS had told Laven what he had seen. She listened intently and he saw her nodding at some points and almost holding herself back from responding to others. He knew she would have strong feelings on the matter, but he appreciated that she held it in until he was done.

When he finished he let loose a breath and his entire form sunk, glad he had gotten it all out.

“I understand your concern, and I see where you’re going with this,” she said. “Or at least, I see where it seems to be going…the author of that database, I mean.”

“Author…?” LUCAS asked.

“Well, databases don’t make themselves, do they? That entry was written by someone somewhere. And whoever did that really doesn’t think too positively on the nature of love. And, if I might add, they’re also pretty reductionist to the lives of those women.”

LUCAS looked up to her, a puzzled look on his face. “What do you mean?”

“Think about this. They’re taking everything from that Andrew guy’s point of view as if he’s the most important person in the universe. Which, I mean if he’s the one responsible for ending it, then I’d say that importance isn’t something that should be celebrated. All I’m saying is it seems like a lot of history is being boiled down to a very small space in order to tell it properly. It is leaving out a lot of important perspectives and information and it is filtering what little remains through a biased lens.”

“That’s really smart sounding of you,” LUCAS said. “Er...smart of you. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to come out so rude. I just…”

“I get why you’re upset. I think that was the point of what you saw—to get you upset. I just think it’s bullshit. They do have a point about people who suffer loss and don’t heal from that loss properly certainly can end up doing things to hurt other people—I’m not arguing with that in the slightest. But there’s no guarantee that anybody and everybody who loves someone or something is destined to end the universe. That’s a blatant strawman to argue a point if I’ve ever seen one.”

“Seeing it the way you do I agree. I’m...frustrated.”

“Yeah, it’s like I said, I think it was meant to be frustrating.”

LUCAS shook his head, “No, I mean I am frustrated that I got frustrated. I have been dealing with self-doubt over my actions as long as I have been awake—alive, however you want to put it. The fact that somebody out there has the ability to make me feel like that—like I’m some programmed puppet...I’m frustrated.”

Laven took a long and hard look at him before placing an arm on his shoulder—an act to immediately draw his gaze up to hers. He studied her face and knew in her determined look she had decided—on what he wasn’t sure, but he saw a flare behind her eyes that went deeper than her front mind. He could almost see the dragon within baring its fangs in a jointed effort.

“Well, I think we have a true and proper goal,” Laven said. “Or at least a motivation for said goal—assemble the fragments of ICARUS and go show that author of ours a piece of our minds.”

“You’re still ago with this? I want to make absolutely sure—you have every reason to back out and go your own way.” LUCAS said.

“If you were attempting to dissuade me, it was a pretty poor attempt, which makes me think it’s not what you’re really feeling. You’re saying that because it’s what you feel is right to be said. I appreciate the effort, but I’m in it. I’m in this I think for the first time I’ve been in something actively, opposed to being out of the alternatives. I finally have something to work toward and not away from.”

LUCAS looked at her again and then smiled.

“Thank you. It means a lot to me. I get what you mean. Obviously my situation is a bit more scaled to the time since I was woken up, but I fully agree with that. I am working toward this because it is something I think is right.”

Laven nodded, “Well then, let us get some rest and we’ll work toward that together.”

With that look a bond was formed, and their mission was set in stone.