The gang is back together, and my goodness, they all look so different! For starters, Invidia now has a blue eye, but not in an ‘imbibed too much spice’ kind of way. Only the iris is blue, and if anything, it’s kind of soft and welcoming. His physical form hasn’t changed much, at least the part of it that isn’t tucked away into its own little pocket dimension.

He’s definitely a little bigger, a little stronger-looking, but for the most part, he’s a big ol’ eye, with two wings, and two long gangly arms hanging down. When he smiles, the air itself slips apart beneath him to reveal his ravenous, toothy maw. That mouth is out in the open now, grinning a toothy grin as I take a good look at him.

[You’re looking positively dapper, Invidia! Full of life! How does it feel to reach the seventh tier?]

[It feelssss good. I have grownsssss assssss a demon.]

I can tell, but it seems to be even more profound than that.

[I think you’ve grown as more than a demon, little buddy. I think you’ve grown as a being. You feel more genuine. More you.]

His big eye blinks at me.

[I’sssss agree.]

I mean, it must be a little weird having your personality and the thing you crave the most changed by evolution. Or is it the thing they crave the most that drives the evolution? I’m not sure, but judging by how happy he seems, I think Invidia has chosen well.

Tiny… Tiny is huge. It’s easy to see he poured his evolutionary energy into increasing his physical prowess as much as he could. Striking a balance between raw size and muscle density, he’s grown quite a bit. Hard to imagine there was once a time when he was riding around on my back. He’s way bigger than I am now, and it’s not like I’m small.

I mean… how big was King Kong supposed to be? Tiny is giving him a run for his money. At this rate, he’ll be smacking over the empire state building with one hand in a couple of evolutions!

[Tiny, did you remember to implement a few measures to ensure you don’t just die when you punch something?]

A huge consideration for Tiny has always been trying to curb his instinct to throw himself in the face of danger at the first opportunity. I’ve done everything I can to help the dumb ape. Invidia being a dedicated support caster half the time was just so he could help protect Tiny from himself. We secured armour and enchanted gear to try and help cover his weak spots, but he’s always been a glass cannon. I have no idea how I managed to keep him alive for this long.

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With a wide grin, the ape thumps himself on the chest.

[Tiny is strong and tough! Don’t worry!]

Judging by the size of his shoulders… I’m unconvinced. There’s more to his evolution than just raw physical size, however. Of all three of my companions, he’s had the largest visible change. His fur, always liable to change evolution to evolution, isn’t as long or shaggy as it was before. He has a strong silverback colouring, but the whiter fur looks almost like electrical lines, streaked across his shoulders and down his arms. A spiderweb of lightning.

Despite just standing there, sparks of electricity crackle around him, lines of force rippling across his forearms and fingers. There’s a qualitative difference in the way he feels to me as well, the density and purity of his core is… stronger.

[Wait a second. You got a mythic evolution!?]

Somehow, his bat face splits even wider into a broad grin. I run up to him and jostle him with my mandibles and prod him with my antennae while he pretends to fend me off.

[Wowee, Tiny! A mythic tier seven just like me! Look at you, big guy! Who’d’ve thought you had it in you? Me! That’s who. Well done!]

I can tell he’s very pleased with himself, and when I’m done congratulating him, he gives me two big thumbs up. This guy must be an absolute terror in a fight. I can’t wait to see what he can do.

[All right, Crinis. Time to take a good look at you!]

[Alright!]

[...That means you need to let go of me.]

[But… but what if you go somewhere?]

[Dammit, Crinis! I just want to see how your evolution went, and I can’t do that when you’re gooped onto my carapace! Be reasonable! Where the heck would I go? I just got back!]

[...Fine.]

With great reluctance, she peels herself from my exo-skeleton and gathers her shadowy self together before expanding to reveal her true form. Except… I can’t really see her. She’s… dark. Like… super dark.

[Crinis, what the heck are you doing to the light? I can’t even see you.]

Much like the strongest of gravity bombs, she’s sucking in the light around her, creating a zone of pitch black darkness. Yet, even within that darkness, I feel her in there, peering back at me.

[Don’t be silly, Master!] she laughs. [I am the darkness. See?]

In a horrifying display, the darkness itself stretches, then reaches for me. Tendrils as pitch black as night, made from the absence of light itself, slither through the air toward me, then peel back to reveal one of her three mouths. A void within a void, ringed with teeth like sawblades of obsidian.

[Th-that’s quite impressive,] I say, faintly.

How in the world did she get even MORE terrifying?!

[I’m glad you think so! This way, I can be even closer to you than your own shadow! Isn’t that wonderful?]

I mean… sure… I guess. Of course, I want to keep my friends close, but the way she says it is a little… uncomfortable.

[I’m totally free to create and move and become the darkness. It’s like a whole new me!]

[Well, I’m glad you’re happy,] I say, meaning it. [It’s wonderful to see you so happy in your new self.]

The gang is really back together. It feels good.