Felix panted heavily as the small hand let go of his wrist. He fell to the ground, sweat staining his brow as though he was the main character in that memory instead. Marcia looked at him as emotions flashed across her face like train carriages through a dark subway. Shock. Fear. Regret. Shame.

“You saw everything, didn’t you?” Marcia whispered. “I didn’t mean to put down the mind block like that. I… I’m sorry.”

Felix nodded wordlessly, letting the silence swallow them whole. It was then he realised that the commotion from outside the cave had also ceased, which hopefully meant that Titus had destroyed the remaining monsters.

“It should’ve been me.”

Felix moved closer, holding his sister’s hand gently.

“I should’ve died. Not my parents. Not my brother. Not father. They were all innocent. I deserved to die,” Marcia shook her head. “But that’s a mercy I was rightfully denied. Living with this… guilt forever; that is my penance. I know how hard it is to wean off the addiction to these spellcrafts, but it numbs the pain. It’s a small respite, but it’s worth it.”

“We have to move on,” Felix muttered. “You need an antidote, not an anaesthetic.”

“I don’t deserve either.” His sister smiled wryly. “My life is fucked, this I already know. But it comforts me to know that there are worlds where you are alive and well. Worlds where I never made those mistakes.”

You don’t believe that.

Felix bowed his head slightly to hide the flickering pink in his eyes. But I can fix this… I should fix… I—

“Ah, so that’s where you went.”

The siblings looked up at the same time. Titus was standing at the entrance of the hole Felix made when he crashed through the cave, partially blocking the sunlight from streaming in. There were a few dents and scratches on his armour, but the man himself looked largely unscathed.

“Thought you’d wandered off and gotten yourself killed by one of those demons. Apparently not,” he said with mock disappointment in his voice. “But that saves me the trouble of dealing with one more monster. So, not entirely bad news, I suppose.”

Orpheus walked into the cave as well.

“You’re safe, thank the gods,” he said. “The portal is sealed and all the monsters have been dealt with as well. The people are safe for now.”

“Except for the fact that more than half of us have been slaughtered,” Titus said bitterly, before turning to Felix. “But I suppose I have to thank you for helping out. You’re an okay guy in my books.”

“So I’m not dangerous now?”

“You’ll always be dangerous, Pagonis. But I could use a little danger on my side.” Titus smiled slightly. “You’re clearly different from our world’s version of you. Perhaps it’s because you never experienced the things he did.”

Marcia groaned loudly. “Oh come on, just admit that you can trust us now.”

Titus prepared to walk back into his cave but turned his body back halfway after a few steps.

“We still have lots of wounded people. Our healers could use your help, Felix.”

~ ~ ~

After a few hours of experiencing what it feels like to be a Cleric in a warzone, Felix finally lightened the healers’ burden enough for them to take over completely. Fortunately, they had trusted him enough to let him help.

The nervousness on their faces was still obvious, as though he would suddenly snap and slaughter everyone in the room. Felix did his best to ignore them. All that mattered was saving as many lives as he could. Their perception of him was not his responsibility.

The inside of the cave was largely intact, save for a few destroyed staircases. The brave men and women of this underground colony had done a good job luring their invaders out into the open to minimise casualties, albeit at the cost of their own lives. Families quietly mourned the deaths of their loved ones while others avoided the emotional pain by throwing themselves into the reconstruction of damaged areas.

Felix took a different path away from the people. It was all too familiar to him. And the worst part? This was how it all started in his world.

“Lord Pagonis?”

The man looked around for a few seconds before realising that the voice had come from below him. He knelt to meet a little girl holding a blue glowing flower.

“I am not your lord, little one,” he said kindly. “I’m just a traveller who looks like him. May I help you?”

“My… My brother asked me to give this to you.” She shyly thrust the flower to him. “Thank you for healing his leg and saving him.”

“A flower?”

“Every new beginning comes from the end of another, and gratitude brings peace for the morrow,” the girl said. “That’s what the Euphrosyne Flower represents. We’re eternally grateful to you for…”

Her voice trailed away as she noticed Felix’s dumbfounded expression.

“S— Sorry, Your Majesty! I don’t mean to overstep!” she squeaked, falling to her knees as if the man was about to execute her there and then. “Please forgive me. It didn’t cross my mind that you’d already know about—”

“Calm down, little one,” Felix chuckled warmly. “Like I said, I’m not a lord. I’m just a guy trying to do the right thing— Hey… What’s this?”

He stared curiously at the light blue glow emanating from the flower.

“This flower… It has psychic properties?” Felix asked, feeling the flow of psychic energy hum silently between his fingers and the petals.

“Well… Yes,” the girl replied with slight confusion. “This species of flower tethers a person’s soul to the present world. That’s why it represents gratitude for the present.”

“Huh… Interesting.” Felix kept the flower. “Thank you, little one. I’ll keep it safe.”

He patted her head and sent her on her way.

“Hey, Felix.”

His heart skipped a beat as he felt blood rush to his cheeks again. Felix swivelled on his feet to face the Grand Necromancer, who was smiling warmly for the first time since he stepped foot in this cave.

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“The Guardian Council— the company that built this city— is having its anniversary celebration soon,” Orpheus said. “Wanna come watch the fireworks?”

A wide smile broke on Felix’s face.

~ ~ ~

The neon urban jungle greeted Felix once again as the cooling wind ruffled his hair like a gentle mother. He continued soaring up, heading for the tallest skyscraper he could spot for a better view. Colourful fireworks were already going off in the distance, so the psychic wasted no time finding a suitable spot to set his friend down.

“Hey, what’s the matter?” Felix prodded Orpheus gently. There was an oddly disturbed expression on Orpheus’ face, even though he was the one who invited Felix out.

“Hmm? Oh, sorry.” Orpheus looked up absent-mindedly, his legs dangling over the edge of the building.

“Are you afraid of heights?”

“What? No, no… It’s just—”

The man avoided his gaze.

“Back there, with the kid. You…” Orpheus said with a slight bitterness in his voice. “You reminded me why I loved you.”

“Because I’m good with kids?” Felix tilted his head in confusion.

“Because you’re a good person. You always were,” Orpheus looked away. “But I can’t forgive you for what you did.”

“I… I can’t forgive myself either. In my world, you died because of me. I’ll have to live with that until the day I die.”

Orpheus shifted uncomfortably, and Felix reached for his hand.

“But we can move on, can’t we?” Felix continued. “Must we let our past mistakes torment us?”

“You say that, but you accepted the offer to reset the universe. You don’t believe that!” Orpheus shook his hand off. “And what of those who you’ve hurt? They suffered because of you. They suffered because you couldn’t move on! So why should they move on?”

“I wish I could repay my lover for what I did to him, but it’s too late,” Felix said. “But he wouldn’t have wanted to see me stuck in the past. He would’ve wanted me to move on.”

“Says who?”

Felix’s eyes shot up to Orpheus, shocked at the amount of hatred in his voice. Orpheus cast his gaze to the fireworks in the distance again, swallowing hard.

“I know you’re confused. I don’t know what your version of me has done to you, but I’m nothing like him.” Felix moved closer to Orpheus. “Except for one thing.”

Orpheus was breathing hard now, his face inches from Felix’s lips. Felix could see confusion and sadness in his lover’s eyes, but in their midst hid a small flicker of hope. The man took the chance to move closer.

“I love you in every world.”

Electricity tingled through Felix’s entire body as his lips met Orpheus’ mouth gently. Their lips parted slightly for each other while their arms reached to close the gap between their bodies. Passion and love gushed out, increasing in confidence as the lovers let their repressed emotions pour into each other.

Felix put his hand on Orpheus’ face gently. They were slick with tears, so he wiped them away for him. Bliss flooded his mind and his heart felt like it could burst out of his chest any moment. Gods, how he had missed Orpheus so much—

His eyes shot open without warning, pink covering their irises.

~ ~ ~

“There!”

The eighteen-year-old psychic threw his hand forward, blasting away the colony of floating rocks. His feet left the ground as he soared towards the bright blue orb hanging in the ‘sky’. A blue-haired Necromancer followed closely behind.

A younger Orpheus Caesar flicked his cloak as millions of ice shards burst out from within, flying towards the army of writhing spirits hot on his trail. The spell collided with its targets, instantly immobilising the front line of spirits like a huge frozen wave.

“Did that get them?” Felix asked without looking back.

“Not for long!” Orpheus was beside him now. “But don’t worry! Just a bit more and we’ll be out of Purgatory!”

Felix twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the magma bursting out from the volcano below him. He didn’t want to take the chance to find out whether it was real or not. Not when he was so close.

He gripped the pink orb in his hand tightly. He’s bringing his sister home soon… He’s bringing—

A pained gasp escaped his mouth as a powerful force slammed into his side, and he accidentally let go of Marcia’s soul. Felix flailed his arms in an attempt to reach it, but a black appendage lashed out and shattered the pulsating globe of light.

“Marcia! NOO!” he roared in despair just as hundreds of hands grabbed his body, dragging him back down.

His feet sank into the ground as though he was in quicksand. He looked around frantically; the spirits had caught up to Orpheus and were dragging him down as well. Panic and guilt gripped his heart. He had already lost his sister forever. He couldn’t lose his lover as well.

“No, no, no…” The psychic’s power crackled through his body.

“NO!” A desperate bellow escaped his throat as psionic energy exploded from his body, rippling through and disintegrating the spirits all around him. The grip on his legs loosened, and he seized the chance to dislodge them from the ground.

“Orpheus!” Felix pulled his lover to his feet as well. “Come on, let’s go!”

But Orpheus only stumbled backwards in despair.

“What’s the matter?” Felix exclaimed. “There’s no time…”

He looked at where Orpheus was pointing. His heart sank. The blue orb in the sky was completely covered by spirits by now— No, their entire surroundings were covered in black writhing figures like a glitching-out monitor.

Darkness swallowed them without warning.

Felix struggled against the crushing presence like a drowning bird. It felt like he was suffocating in cold water, except this water was thicker than blood and made of squirming fingers.

The last of his energy left him as his struggles turned into feeble flailing. His movements grew slower and slower. His body slumped. The fire on his skin and the desperation in his lungs faded. He was so tired of fighting.

“Infernal Crest: Harpe of Death!”

Felix gasped for breath as the darkness left him abruptly. He looked around; Orpheus’ body was glowing a fierce green. His magic had chased away most of the spirits, but there were still hundreds of hands grabbing onto his body.

“Guh!” The Necromancer wheezed in pain, and the spirits took the chance to drag him even further down.

“Orpheus!”

Felix threw his body forward, grabbing onto Orpheus’ hand tightly. The pull downwards was incredible, but he held on tight. He couldn’t let them take away his sweetheart too.

“Felix…” Darkness clouded Orpheus’ expression as he held on tightly. “Don’t let go of me, please…”

“I won’t, I won’t…” Tears of desperation rolled down Felix’s face as he pulled harder to no avail. “No, no… you’re slipping…”

More tendrils of black wedged themselves between their hands, forcing them apart.

“Felix?” Orpheus’ eyes were wild with panic now. “I’m scared. Don’t let them take me away.”

“I won’t, I won’t— ORPHEUS!”

“FELIX!”

The boy grasped the air in vain as his lover slipped from his grasp, falling into the eternal abyss below. He screamed and screamed, trying to fly downwards to reach him. But the ground was already sealed and the spirits had left, content with their captured prey.

Felix staggered to his feet, dazed by the turn of events. His path back to the realm of the living was clear and the blue portal in the sky shone ever so brightly now.

It never felt darker.