(Zack)

Big S is silent for several long minutes, and I spend the time picking up my stuff and sending it into my Inventory or equipping it, pulling on a clean outfit rather than the one that got bloodied up during my fight against the goblin army.

I can tell that Big S is pretty stunned by my inquiry. He didn't mean to let slip that we were siblings, but it makes sense, now that I think about it. It makes so much else make sense, too.

"Big S?" I say when I finish cleaning everything up.

Yes? He responds.

"You guys," I say. "Your avatars – those aren't in honor of the children that Alexander killed, are they? They're what you looked like, when you all died. Big Flame's story was about the nine of you."

Several long seconds pass as Big S thinks, then a form shimmers into existence, solidifying after several more seconds. A dragon with crimson scales, black horns, and violet eyes – a miniature version of Big FD, standing just a head taller than me. He looks exhausted.

"Yes," he responds, speaking through his mouth, his voice sounding exhausted.

"So your actual words don't sound violet."

"No," he chuckles as he sits down. "It's an effect of speaking through my Crystal Magic. You would sound that way as well, were you to do it."

"So you guys are the creators of the Boundaries," I say. "That's… really sad."

"Thank you," he dips his head. "But it was a long time ago. It was only because of what you and I are that it happened."

"What do you mean?'

"We have four aspects to our existences," he tells me. "Human, dragon, god, and existence itself. As a result, our mental state isn't quite a child, but not quite an adult, as we age and mature. We're… different. And then I drew on the power of existence itself to create Alexander's prison and to convert our very souls and our magics into our Crystals. It's very complicated."

"Okay," I say. "Why did you take on this form instead of your human form? From what you said, you're part human."

"I no longer possess that power," he says sadly, his head drooping down. "Unlike the others, who were mere demigods, I possessed the blood of our father, whose primary form is a dragon. When creating the spell, then sustaining the Boundaries, I began to bleed into that form, until it become my native one. I will never take human form again."

"Well," I say. "One day, when this war is done, Big S, I'm going to find a way to restore you. To get rid of the Boundaries, to return you to your bodies from when you were killed, and give you back the option of turning into a kid again."

"It's a futile task," he tells me. "But I wish you luck on it. Will you finish your decisions here, or when you return?"

"Here," I tell him. "I'm sure you don't stretch this form often, and it's… beautiful. Just like Big FD's. I wish I could see mine."

"It's not too much different from ours," he yawns, reminding me that I should probably hurry.

"I'm going to do this, now," I tell him, and he nods, lying down and curling up in front of me, though I can tell he's not asleep.

I turn my attention to the next message. It seems I can increase how many stats I gain upon Leveling based on how many Titles I have, allowing me to allocate fourteen points total. The areas I'm lacking in are Agility and Perception, though the latter isn't really a problem for me, so I'll ignore that.

There's also the need for Vitality, due to me using my Health for a lot of things. Actually, wait. I'm going to add one of each first. That leaves me with six points. I'll put two into Agility and two into Health, leaving me with two more, which I then split between Strength and Endurance.

When that's completed, there's only one message left that's probably important here, another reward. Since these are items, I'm assuming it's separate from the other rewards message due to the physical nature of the rewards.

For completing an Ascension Trial, you have earned: +5 Primordial Essence +5 Primordial Ingots +5 Crystal Essence +5 Crystal Ingots Accept Wait

"Accept," I say, and the objects manifest in the air, hovering.

The Primordial Ingots looks like the Primordial Essence, only solid instead of liquid, while the Crystal Essence looks like Primordial Essence, only as a nearly-clear whiteness. The Crystal Ingots are ingots that look like they're made out of a completely-clear crystal.

I quickly swipe them, sending them into my Inventory, then look at Big S.

"I've never heard of Crystal Ore, Primordial Ore, or Crystal Essence before."

"It's as rare as Primordial Essence," he murmurs. "But found differently. I decided they're apt rewards for Ascension, due to the rarity of even reaching Level 250."

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"Alright," I say. "I'm ready to return, Big S."

"Okay," he says sleepily. "It was good seeing you in-person at last, little brother."

"I'm only little because you're both a dragon that's a head taller than me and a giant fucking crystal more than twice my height. Just wait until I'm fully-grown. I'll be able to turn into a dragon way bigger than you."

"Can't wait," he murmurs right before I find myself on the street where I fought everything.

Someone moved all of my corpses!

Letting out a grunt of frustration, I read the other messages as I make my way to the 'house'.

After Ascending, you are able to take on more advanced Classes. These Classes require previous Classes at full Level in order to unlock. When you take them on, you will be able to view a small list of Skills you can acquire due to having said Class, giving a description of what they are and how to unlock them. You are also now capable of reading the Class Summary for any Class. You may do this by using the command 'Class Summary: [Class]'.

Being able to see what Skills are usable due to my new Class sounds good to me, as it means I won't have to figure out stuff. There's got to be lots of useful things. A quick check tells me that Demon's available due to mastering Blood Priest, Dark Knight, and Dark One, so I take it on immediately.

And because I'm me, I decide to read its information before checking out what Skills are available to me now.

"Class Summary: Demon."

Demon (Rank 3 Class): A warrior who has mastered the arts of blood and darkness, demonic power flows through them, enhancing their magical prowess while making them invulnerable in battle. They enrage friend and foe alike, turning battle into nothing more than a wild frenzy.

I'm going to take a wild guess and say that it's referring to when using Skills, and not at all times. I'm pretty sure demonic power isn't flowing through me right now. I check out a few more Class descriptions, and find that they're all of a similar vein – basically describing stuff that requires Skills.

As I reach my temporary home, I check out the last message.

Placeholder. Remember to figure out if you actually wanted something here and forgot, or if you remembered wrong. Needs to be done before the first Ascension Trial is reached.

Does Big S realize that's still there?

Dismissing the message, I move to the kitchen and pull wood out of my Inventory to make a fire. It's nearly night and I'm starving. So I'm going to eat, then get some sleep. And when morning comes, I'm going to try and learn Demon Form, one of the available Skills for me.

As the ham's cooking and I think about dinner, I come to a sudden realization.

"She was trying to get me to go on a date with her!"

It went over my head! Kylie was trying to go on a date with me! That's what Gold was trying to tell me and why she was so red when he was! Ugh! I'm such a moron with that!

I finish cooking dinner, then eat, and when I finish that, I stretch, then remember something else and enter into Big Breeze's space with my eyes closed.

"Oh, you're safe," he tells me, and I open my eyes to find us alone, his avatar resting on the steps. "And System told me that you figured it out."

"About who you nine really are?" I ask, and he nods. "Yeah… I don't think I would've realized if he hadn't slipped up."

"He's supporting a lot more than all of us," he says. "And sending you into reality really taxed him. Tunic?"

I pull my tunic off, and Big Breeze approaches, doing the same thing he did before. This time, I don't look inward, mostly because I know it'll be even worse for me if I do. This feeling is bad enough, but seeing him using that magic again would be pushing it for me.

When Big Breeze finishes, he walks around so he's standing in front of me, then flashes me a grin and two thumbs-ups.

"You're good," he tells me. "The scars are still there, and they're pretty much unchanged, but your Crystal is stronger by a lot, just as we suspected. The blackouts should stop, and you've got probably six or seven years before they start up again. If you do enter a blackout again, though, let me know immediately."

"Is there any way to permanently push these off?" I ask.

"Just keep Ascending," he shrugs. "Eventually, it shouldn't be an issue at all, as long as your Crystal continues to strengthen. I'd say maybe the fifth or sixth Ascension will do it, depending on the speed. If you can do it in the next two centuries, you should be safe. That's my estimate, and it might change based on the progress."

"Alright."

"Try not to damage your Crystal anymore."

"I'll try," I snort. "I wasn't trying to before."

"Yeah, I know," he rolls his eyes. "Anyway, is that all? System's taking a long-ass nap, so I'm going to play a prank on him with Chaos."

He's got a permanent marker, doesn't he?

"Yes, that's all," I say, then warp myself back to the house and collapse on the ground. "Exhausting."

The next thing I know, the sun's peeking over the horizon and my stomach's rumbling. The brief break from this was nice, and it's reminded me of how much of an ass I was before. I stand and brush some dust and snow off of me, then fix myself breakfast, thinking about my break in reality for the trial.

Luca and Braden… they were both killed, I'm sure of it. I've only had visions of Luca being in the Boundary, so Braden likely didn't qualify for here, even though he had to be descended of a god, too. So there's probably something more than just being descended of a god, but I'm not going to ask what it is. They have their reasons.

The fact that they were both killed tells me that Luca Ascends at some point. He was back in reality, doing the Ascension Trial. I'm happy that he makes it there, however long it takes him here to reach Level 250.

I hope he chooses to continue the fight when he returns to Big S's temple after his break in reality ends. I doubt he's going to Level as quickly as me, so he'll have fought a long, long time. And become pretty powerful on whatever path he chooses.

I bet he'll be a healer, like Nathan. He's a demigod, too, right? Luca, I mean. I know Nathan is.

That's all stuff for later, though. I need breakfast, and I need to ask Big C something.

"Big C?" I ask.

Yes? He responds.

"Can you make sure Luca ends up with me?" I ask. "I know you guys know he's going to die already, since he already has… and hasn't? It's so weird."

It is extremely complicated, when time is messed with, he responds. But yes, I was planning on sending him to you, even before you mentioned your visions. I know that you are his best bet for guidance, as much as I dislike you.

"Thanks," I say. "You're among the best."

He snorts, then his thoughts fade away.

That's good, that he's giving me Luca. I'm going to make sure that nothing and no one ever hurts him. Never again.