Jerome woke up slowly. He tried blinking the blurriness out of his eyes without much success.

Where am I? He thought.

The air was damp and cool. And everywhere was dark. He tried sitting up but couldn’t get his arms to cooperate. They felt like jelly and his nerves twitched as pain assaulted his whole body. He groaned.

“You’re awake,” Nyx said beside him. “You must be extremely tired.”

“I am,” he said. His voice was deep and hoarse, sounding very strange to him. Like he had aged a century. He cleared his throat to smoothen his voice some.

“Wow,” Nyx said. He could hear the slight surprise in her voice.

“What is it?” he asked.

“You sound… don’t worry about it,” she said.

Jerome heard her shuffling to stand up and walk closer. Maybe she wasn’t sitting that close to him to start with. He raised his hand to wipe the cobwebs out of his eyes so he could see better. That slight movement felt like he was trying to lift a mountain. Jerome groaned again in frustration.

“Let me take a look at you,” Nyx said, sounding strangely motherly.

She was closer now. Her voice sounded very close to his ears but from what he could sense from her posture she was only leaning slightly over him.

Her voice shouldn’t have sounded so close. He could smell her scent now; natural and spicy, with a hint of the wilds to it. He’d never perceived that before.

Nyx hesitated. He knew this because he heard her breathing hitch a little.

“You can smell me?” she asked. Jerome nodded. “Damn it! I went to great lengths to make sure no one could smell me.”

Jerome hoped he didn’t look as dumbfounded as he felt. “Why would you go to such great lengths for something like that?” he asked. His voice sounded better now — less hoarse; silky even.

“I don’t like the idea that someone can track me,” she responded.

“Still, that’s way too much effort for something so trivial.”

“To you maybe, but not to me. Magic beasts survive with all of their senses. Being sensed might just be the difference between hunger and satisfaction, or life and death.”

“Point taken.” Jerome blinked. His sight slowly became clearer and soon he could see Nyx’s beautiful face leaning over his.

“How do you feel?”

Jerome groaned again and pushed himself up with much effort. “Like I ran around Terra Praeta carrying a whole damned continent.”

Nyx ignored his complaint. “So the First Heaven wasn’t so great after all,” she muttered to herself.

Those words brought back everything that had happened to the forefront of his mind.

“Csala!” He stood up quickly to go look for her but his muscles cramped and he fell face-first into the dirt.

Nyx chuckled. “I found her so you don’t have to worry about her.”

Jerome tried to turn around but only succeeded in turning his head to face her.

“Thanks,” he said. “But how did you know to go search for her?”

She smiled mockingly at him. “You kept calling her name in your unconscious state. It was extremely annoying to listen to. She’s over there.” She gestured to the other side of him and Jerome had to turn his head again.

Csala was sleeping peacefully a few feet away from him. He could sense the tiredness emanating from her pores though. In this state, she was so vulnerable. He wanted to go closer and wrap her in his arms but his body was too weak for such a simple act.

“How long was I out?” he asked, turning to face Nyx.

“Days, Jerome. Your pursuers have all been destroyed.”

He sighed. Guess he shouldn’t have expected less.

“And you have just five more days in Terra Praeta.”

He successfully turned to lie on his back and looked around. They were inside a large bubble of air underwater — the pool inside the void world, he was sure.

“You should rest—” Nyx was saying but Jerome sat up again. This time with less effort. But the pain remained.

He held his hands in front of him, flexing his fingers to get his blood flowing into them. He caught Nyx staring at him — and smiling. It was an unusual kind of stare and he felt a little freaked out.

“What?”

“I like your eyes.”

He raised an eyebrow at her. Was Nyx flirting with him?

“They’re pretty,” she said with a shrug, still smiling.

With a flick of her tail, a few drops of water dropped into the bubble but hovered in front of him. The drops fused together and flattened, turning into ice. Her tail was tucked away as quickly as it came.

A mirror was facing him the next moment. Jerome’s jaw dropped as he saw his eyes. Liquid silver gazed back at him. It was like his irises were bled of its melanin and Suzie was shoved into them. They were eerily pretty. Even his pupils had lost their black color. They blended together with his irises creating swirling silver eyes.

Jerome touched his jaw, noticing for the first time the beginnings of facial hair. He chuckled.

I’ve got a five o’ clock shadow. It looked nice.

“I’ve heard that those who elevate their minds into the First Heaven without being ready for such a tasking journey usually return blind with their irises losing all color,” Nyx said.

Jerome’s heart skipped. “I can see quite well, thank you very much,” he quipped.

“And why is that?”

Jerome shrugged, refusing to answer. He suspected the mind-calming stone at work. If he was supposed to go blind then it — she — must have helped him remain whole.

“And these people who return blind, do they get to see again?”

Nyx shook her head ominously, the smile wiped off her face and her piercing, golden gaze never leaving his. At least she had dark pupils. His looked to be the same color as his irises.

Jerome looked at his reflection again, faintly hoping to see his eyes returned to their normal dark color. They remained the same.

“And why is that?” he asked.

“I have not the slightest inkling.” She looked away, eyes turning distant. “Maybe their souls couldn’t keep up with the drain on their perception and dream aura in the First Heaven — that’s one of the theories that have been around for ages. The most sensible one.”

Jerome could sense no lies or deception in her tone or body language. Her pulse was also stable so he was sure she wasn’t lying. He took a moment to appreciate that near ‘British’ lilt to her voice — not that it was British, it just sounded so to him.

“Vortheans have unique eyes, you know?” he said. “Human irises aren’t usually black but a dark chestnut so dark they look black from afar, or with less light in them. A closer look always reveals the dark brown of said iris.

“A Vortheans though is completely black. Even if we’re staring into the light the black doesn’t recede to show another color. It just separates the pupil and iris by reflecting the light back…”

“But the iris would still be black,” Nyx finished for him.

Jerome sighed and nodded. This was one of the few things he’d noticed but never thought about. Especially because there was a lack of mirrors around him in Vorthe, or he just had other priorities. Survival made one to rearrange priorities.

“How do I hide this now? People would notice; I can’t exactly explain by saying, ‘I went to the First Heaven and had my eye color changed.’”

“I would have come to help… if I could,” Nyx said, looking away.

Jerome shook his head. “It’s okay; it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Dashani was too powerful—”

“What?!” Nyx said in unbelief. “You fought Dashani? … The Devourer?”

“Devourer?” Jerome asked.

“She’s the last Fae; the Devourer of Men and Slaughterer of Children.”

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“In my world, she’s known as the ‘Mother’.”

Nyx snorted. “She does have children; I’ll give you that.”

Jerome sighed. He didn’t have the strength to discuss Dashani right now. “I need to rest to regain my strength.” He lay down again, feeling exhausted.

“You do that,” Nyx said, standing up. “I’ll let your friends know you are fine. They’ve been asking of you.”

Jerome nodded. He wanted to tell her about Achilleia but held himself back. Nyx was the only one he had discussed Achilleia with — Achilles, back when he thought the AI was male. But he didn’t trust her yet, not fully. She was still hiding things from him.

Nyx stood there as if waiting for something. Silence stretched and grew uncomfortable between them. Neither of them spoke; each of them waiting for the other to speak their mind. Jerome knew what was on her mind and he was sure she knew what was on his, too.

If he trusted her enough to let her into his mind.

The only issue there was trust. Jerome couldn’t be sure what would happen if he let her in. He suspected she was using him to get to something and she knew that he knew it. Her demur attitude toward him was not enough to make him trust her.

“Did you… speak with him?” Nyx asked at last.

“There was no time to speak, Nyx. We were fighting for our lives.” He didn’t bother informing her that ‘he’, was in fact, a ‘she’ now — a comical revelation to him.

There was silence again for a while. Jerome sighed. He sat up again to see her gazing at him with hope. She didn’t look like the fierce, dominant dragoness he had come to know.

“I understand what you want, Nyx. But I can’t just let you into my mind.”

“Because you don’t trust me,” she said.

“Not yet.”

Nyx took a deep breath and exhaled. “We dragons have a prophecy about the Chosen of Ilyrrah. It is said that he would lead us to The Beginning.”

Jerome was surprised by the admission. He never expected Nyx to tell him a secret of her race. Or maybe it wasn’t a secret.

“Why are you telling me this?” he asked.

“Because without a dragon’s aid, you can’t find The Beginning.”’

“And what is this ‘beginning’?”

She smiled helplessly at him. “If I knew that I wouldn’t be here. I’d be out there searching for it. But the prophecy specifically mentioned that the Chosen of Ilyrrah would lead a dragon to The Beginning. What I do know is that you can’t do it without the aid of a dragon.”

“Your last two sentences contradict themselves. Why would I need a dragon’s help to lead a dragon to this… beginning?”

“Because only a dragon can identify it…” Nyx jumped out of the bubble, swimming upwards. He watched as her image disappeared, wondering what he should do about her.

Jerome thought about Dashani. She had called him ‘Malakai’... After subtly telling him she knew he was a reincarnator. He was sure the name, Malakai, meant something different to the Greek meaning he knew.

Malachai: Messenger of God…

He needed to find out what it all meant; how everything connected to him. If only Ilyrrah was around to ask. He had just surmised that Ilyrrah had either ascended or died. Meeting Tialana, and now thinking back to what she revealed, was making him think that just maybe he still could meet with his… predecessor, apparently.

And then there was Achilleia. What had become of her? His last memory of the First Heaven was of Tialana or Achilleia herself, flying him and Csala away from Dashani. He would have loved to believe she was at full strength, but every fiber of his being told him that was a lie.

There were tough times ahead for the denizens of Terra Praeta, because there’s a high probability that Dashani had gotten what she wanted — or partly gotten it. Even if she hadn’t, a weakened Achilleia meant a weakened Sanctum. Which spelt danger for all.

For Sanctum was what restricted Dashani and her legion to the Western continent.

~~~

Jerome woke up feeling a lot better. In fact, Csala’s supple flesh was wrapped in his arms and hugging him. Though the ground was cold and hard, he felt better than he had when he first woke up. Her scent tickled his nose as he breathed it in.

“You’re awake,” she murmured.

“Hmmm.” He rubbed her back with his right hand committing her to memory. “I’ve missed you.”

“And I you,” she said before reaching up to give him a deep kiss. Csala looked surprised at the sight of his eyes. “Should I be concerned?”

He shook his head. “I’m fine.”

Jerome would’ve loved to spend time cuddling in peace but he had to check up on Achilleia. And to do that he needed to leave the void world. He also had some questions for Csala concerning Tialana but that could come later.

“How are you feeling?” he asked after they broke their kiss. Neither of them needed to take a breath even though they had been kissing for a long while — benefits of being a sacred artist and a succubus.

“Better than I did when I first woke up.” She smiled at him, raking her fingers through his long hair as he raked his fingers through hers. “You cut your hair.”

Jerome smiled, gazing into her monochromatic red eyes. Nyx’s words echoed in his mind again and his eyes turned serious. He remembered Csala’s concern a moment ago.

“Thank goodness your eyes are okay. I honestly forgot just now that my eyes have changed color.”

“You wondered if I was blind?”

Jerome nodded.

“Tialana helped. Would you still want me if I was blind though?”

“I’d still want you even if you were bald… or lame.”

She smacked him playfully on the chest. “Be thankful you’re a sight worth seeing.”

Jerome chuckled. “Seriously though, I’d still want you no matter what. As long as you don’t betray me.” His voice took on a more serious tone and he pinned her with his gaze. “And you remain loyal to me. Only me.”

Csala hugged him. “You’re a territorial one, aren’t you? The beastkin wouldn’t be happy.” She tried to defuse the tense atmosphere.

But Jerome wanted her to commit. “I’m talking about you, Csala.”

“Yes, Jerome, I will be loyal. Succubi can’t help but be loyal. But you know what comes with such loyalty, right?”

“I do,” Jerome said, nodding. “And as I have sworn, your will is your own. I don’t own it. I never will.”

“Then you wouldn’t mind doing something for me, would you?”

Jerome studied her for a moment. “Name it. If it is within my power, I will provide it.”

Csala smiled up at him. She bit the side of her lower lip, drawing his gaze. Jerome felt his cock begin to harden from the sight alone. Csala blushed in arousal as she felt the evidence of his press against her stomach.

“When you speak like that, it’s kind of hard to resist you. Coupled with your new eyes… you’re irresistible.”

Her voice was tinged with lust but Jerome restrained himself and set her beside him, preventing her from reaching his hardening member.

“So?”

She pouted cutely. “I would like you to… I guess, ‘rename’ me.”

Jerome raised an eyebrow at that.

“Tialana explained that renaming me when you get to the Spirit Realm would break a lot of my limitations—”

“Like your inability to use essence!” Jerome interrupted. A lot of things clicked in his head right at that moment. It always came back to names and words in this universe, didn’t it?!

“Hold on,” Csala shook him out of his ecstatic state. “She said it’s a delicate and dangerous thing to do.”

“Have you seen Nyx?” he asked, smirking at her.

“No, who’s that?” She asked.

He kissed her again and levitated them into a standing position.

“I need to check up on Achilleia.” He looked up, observing the bubble. It was too dark to see far beyond it but he could sense the distance between the bubble’s barrier and the surface of the water which wasn’t too far. “Nyx should definitely still be out there. Meeting her will make things a lot easier to explain. You don’t have a problem holding your breath for long, do you?”

Csala looked up at him with a smirk. “You know I have my powers back right. Time for you to continue your training, Itmayeela.”

“Show me what you’ve got then,” he replied, smiling at her.

Csala held him close and flew upward, out of the bubble. Like Nyx, she took a piece of it with them so they were protected from the water as they left the pool.

“That’s crazy awesome,” he said appreciatively.

They landed a few dozen feet away from the pool where Ms. Tara and Sheela sat with Selene and Nia.

“Ye deemed us peasants worthy of yer presence now yer highness?” Nia swooned mockingly at him. Then she noticed his eyes and her jaw dropped, confusion blooming on her features.

“Ehn. Sorry about that. How’s everyone been doing?”

Ms. Tara rushed him with a hug, holding him tight. Jerome felt his heart swell with love.

Selene smiled thinly at him, her expression half confused and half happy. “How… What happened to you?”

Jerome sat down with them in the valley of flowers they had occupied. The various scents from many beautiful flowers tickled his nostrils, but they also caused him to relax a bit. Sheela left her position to sit in his lap, uncaring what others thought or said. Jerome looked over to Csala to see her reaction but she just smiled at him.

This harem thing was going to take some getting used to.

“I’ve been in meditation for quite some time. I’ve been studying some strange mental techniques. I guess this is a side effect of it.” He actually came up with that on the spot.

Selene gave him a pointed look that said, ‘do you really expect me to believe that?’ But she didn’t pursue it. He would have ignored her even if she did. Everyone has their secrets, his were just… unique.

“I love them,” Sheela smiled up at him. “And the beard. They fit you well.”

Ms. Tara studied his eyes curiously as the other ladies caught up with Csala. They hadn’t seen her in a while so he guessed they needed some time with her.

“I’m looking for Nyx?” he asked Sheela and Ms. Tara but his voice was loud enough for the others to hear.

“The scary lady?” Nia asked. “Good luck with that. She left like a day… maybe two days ago. She hasn’t returned since.”

She looked up in the direction of the sun as it began dipping into the horizon and shook her head. “Light! I don’t even know what day it is anymore!”

“I think it’s been a day and a half,” Ms. Tara said from beside him.

Jerome wrapped an arm around her drawing her close. “I’ve missed you. How have you been?”

“Awwn! Look at you three,” Nia said with a gush. Ms. Tara flinched in his arms, her cheeks reddening.

Jerome held her close, rubbing her stomach lightly. He didn’t care that she was a mother figure in his life some years ago, he was going to pursue intimacy with her as well, if she was interested. He had nearly died in the First Heaven — that could make a man rethink his values and what mattered most in his life.

Ms. Tara leaned into him and relaxed to his touch which made him glad.

“I need to go find Nyx.”

“How do you stand moving through that forest… too creepy for my liking,” Sheela said.

“I guess I’m used to it.” He stood up and set Sheela down even as she protested. He found it cute but didn’t want to encourage such behavior so he tapped her slightly on the head.

“Stop being childish,” he said. That did nothing but encourage her more.

Jerome snorted and flew into the air. Csala followed and within moments they were flying through the dark forest. Jerome’s heart beat with anticipation and fear of what he might find. He only hoped that Achilleia was alright.