Would you like to erase your companions' memories?

The screen flickered as it waited for my response. Did I want to erase her memories? Was that even my place to do so? I could erase everything she ever experienced and give her a new life. But that would defeat the purpose of me ascending her. I clicked no, and a brilliant white pillar of light fell from the sky and enveloped Serilda. For a moment, the light blinded me as it grew.

For a few tense heartbeats, I could only see white before my sight slowly returned. I was standing in the middle of the circular chamber and in front of the pod. Serilda lay at my feet. Her eyes peacefully shut. The pained expression on her face was gone, and her dress was fully stitched back together.

I squatted down and pressed my finger to her cheek, and gave her a poke. The first time, my finger sank into the puffiness of her cheeks; the next time, she jolted up. The fire in her eyes was restored and raged unabated, and her skin was slightly darker than before. More akin to dark storm clouds than pale grey. Her eyes were wide as she looked around the room, and when her eyes met me, she screamed and scrambled back. "Where am I?" Her voice was laced with panic as she scooted across the floor.

"To be honest. I'm not sure at the moment. Floating above Earth last time I checked." I replied as I stood up. Her eyes darted across the room before they locked back onto me.

"Am I dead? You're real?" She struggled to take a deep breath as the questions poured from her mouth.

I crossed my arms. Content to just let the questions pour out. "Dead? No, you are very much alive, as am I."

She looked up at me, and she ran her fingers across her sternum, pressing it and checking it for any sort of damage. "So it wasn't a dream then?" Her voice trailed off as she looked away.

"Nope. I offered you a job, and you took it. You are my new system companion." I told her as I walked over and reached my hand out for her to take. She looked at my hand for a moment, with no small amount of weariness in her eyes.

"What does this job entail? Cause I won't sleep with you if that's what you want." I stared at her as her words sank in, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"No, no. That isn't the plan. You are my companion, and your job will be to guide us through our new lives." Her eyes widened, and her eyes darted around, looking at something. I stood there quietly for a bit. Hoping I made the right choice with this. I didn't expect her to get the hang of everything right off of the bat. I mean, there were still many things that I didn't know yet.

"I.. I think I understand. It may take some time to get the hang of everything, though." She went to stand up, but I beat her to it and reached my hand out once more for her to take. She looked at me with no small amount of uncertainty before she took my hand.

"So, about my pay and benefits. I don't think we quite discussed them." She straightened up and crossed her arms, and stared at me with her fiery eyes.

I nodded my head while mentally kicking myself. "What do you have in mind?" I didn't quite plan on giving benefits or pay, but I guess that is what I get for ascending someone and not making them.

"I want three weeks of paid vacation and weekends off. Along with health insurance." She shot back with almost no hesitation.

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I bobbed my head as I thought it through. "Well, I can agree to the three weeks of paid vacation a year and the weekends. However, considering that you are immortal, and I can respawn if you die, the health insurance is kinda moot."

She pursed her lips and tilted her head to the side. "Fair enough, and I just want all travel and health expenses covered if I need them."

"I don't see why not. I can do that. As for pay, well, since you are working for me, and I'm an Administrator, you would have access to really anything on my planet. But we can set a number once everything is settled in." I have liked her so far. She seemed to know what she wanted, and that was a remarkable trait to have, especially for someone I would leave in charge of management.

She tapped her claw on her arm as she thought it over. "Done. You have a deal, Mr. Kairos. I will be your system companion, and just give me some time to process everything."

I can understand that. From dying only to be taken away and given a job that you knew nothing about. At least she got to keep her memories. I wasn't so lucky, but I would help the best that I could. "Take the time that you need. Anyway, follow me. I have to meet with Malek, so I can wrap up doing this and move on." Serilda nodded her head and fell in behind me. A look of confusion was etched onto her face as she followed behind me. She was clearly lost in her thoughts, but there wasn't much that I could do about it.

I walked up to the door, and it shifted to a liquid and flowed down itself, disappearing into walls, revealing a new room. Malek sat in the middle, on a red chair, with a small book in one of his hands. The cover was a faint red, with a golden lining that spiraled across its surface in a strange spiral. His feet were propped up on a black ottoman and crossed at the ankles.

He glanced to the side, and saw me, and closed the book in one smooth motion. "Ah, Marus... Erm, Kairos, you have returned." The book vanished with a smooth gesture, and he stood up and crossed the room with a graceful stride.

"I have to say, I like the new race. It seems rather fitting. Your race selections were also interesting. Though we must discuss the Nephilim that you recreated." In a flash, he stood before, and I could hear the terrified squeak of Serilda behind me. The fear of Angels must be ingrained in her mind still. "Oh, I also see you brought a Demon along. How wonderful!"

I eyed him for a moment as I stepped in front of my companion. Mostly out of the desire to protect her, though I knew Malek meant her no harm. "Forgive her; she suffered at the hands of a few Angels before I chose her."

He shrugged and spun around as he raised his hand and quickly snapped. Two more chairs slowly rose from the metal floor. The liquid rose up, collecting more metal as it did so as they were created. "Angels are a conceited race, especially towards Demons. Be wary if you decide to use them. They will be a powerful asset, but you have to try to quell the bad habits near the start; otherwise, what happened to your companion tends to be the result."

I walked into the room behind him, and he gestured towards the chairs that had just finished forming. "I saw they had a very high magical prowess. But I may not use them near the start, especially after witnessing what I did earlier." I told him as I sat down.

"You would be correct. An Arch Angel is almost unrivaled in magical ability. So it would be wise to keep them on the sideline. At least until you get some experience under your belt. However, that isn't why I wanted you to sit here. I wanted to discuss the Nephilim." He shifted forward in his seat and fixated me with a gaze filled to the brim with seriousness.

I froze for a moment as I thought back to what I created. "Did I do something wrong when I made them?"

"I wouldn't say that you inherently did. Nephilim died out ages ago, along with a vast portion of the Angels and Demons. I alone have the sole surviving template, well, I used to. Now you do as well. I would highly recommend that you keep the trio on the sidelines at least until you are strong enough to defend yourself and have enough experience to manage the problems they all have." He sat back in his seat and crossed his legs, and interlaced his fingers. "The three once had a galaxy-spanning war, though, amid it, other factors came into play, the Angels were reduced to a shadow of their former selves. The Demons are all but extinct, and the Nephilim were wiped from history."

I could feel my eyes widening as the realization of what I had struck me like a truck. "I see. So it's best to keep them hidden, at least for the time being."

"Correct. It would be for the best. You can still create elite beings out of them for now. Once you get a few more words, you should be able to protect yourself. Well, that and since my guild name is attached to you, few would be willing to trifle with you. But it is your choice, after all. Do what you will."

I would listen to his advice, and I would keep them all tucked away, for now at least. "Thank you, Malek. Is there anything else that I need to do to finish this conversion?"

He sat there quietly for a moment until, at last, he stood up. "No. It's time to send you on your way, Kairos. Your companion will have all the answers you seek." He snapped his fingers once more, and a portal appeared before us. A swirling vortex of violet and blue that encased a black void. I glanced at my companion, and her eyes were wide in shock at this new world.

"Thank you, Malek; I'll see you soon." I stepped forward and reached out my hand for Serilda to take as I stepped towards the portal.

"Godspeed." I could hear Malek's voice behind me as I stepped into the portal, grasping my companion's hand. Anxiety grasped my heart as I faced my new life for the very first time.