Nox hadn’t visited the spirit world since the incident with Bi Xi. Even though everyone told him it wasn’t his fault, he still blamed himself for Kris’ passing. It was his fault that Lillin opened the portal. It was his fault Aria’s soul got trapped in the spirit realm. It was his fault Ernest died while holding his post.

A lot of good had come of Nox’s mistake. Bi Xi was free of his torture. The human states had a roving, high-expert dungeon as an ally. They hadn’t just uncovered the Cabal—a secret chaotic group of mages bent on Ygg's destruction and restoring the old status quo—but also killed one of the five individuals that led them. In fact, Dean Woodson believed that if Nox hadn't disrupted their plans and caused Terrastalia to appear prematurely, the consequences would've been devastating. The city wasn't ready for another attack. If the titan dropped its beasts a handful of miles from the walls, the mages and guards wouldn't have the time to prepare.

Even though a string of bad decisions and poorly conceived ideas had resulted in humanity’s overall benefit, it didn't absolve Nox of his guilt. So, he had stayed away from the spirit realm. It meant he hadn't seen Lillin since a week after she took command of the dungeon on Terrastalia’s back. He missed her and felt terrible about it, doubly so now that he had successes and life events to share with her, but avoiding the tea kept his friends, employees, and the city safe.

If not for Aria’s presence and promise of accompanying him during the spirit walk, he wouldn't have dared to indulge in Spirit Caller’s Tea. Her connection to the spirit realm and abilities had improved over the past year of training, and she was eager to show him her growth.

“Is everything how you remember it?” Aria asked as they walked on a pool of water mercury-like water. It reflected their images perfectly and rippled with every step.

Nox shook his head. “A heavy mist covered the world in most of my previous visits. I could barely see past my hand. Confusion and studying Bi Xi also kept me from investigating and admiring the sights.”

“The mist was because of your poor connection to the spirit realm. It's not your fault. Apparently, academics and individuals with overly scientific brains struggle with the spiritual aspect of magic. Now that you have a talented guide for a fiancée, you can explore and investigate to your heart's content.”

“I'm not sure if I want to.”

The spirit realm was indeed a beautiful sight. The flora and fauna all had such vivid colors it appeared as if they had their individual internal light sources. Distant voices sounded cheerful and comforting. When the realm's residents laughed, Nox's skin didn't crawl. Instead, they warmed him.

Creatures with fox or otter heads flew past them, occasionally circling the pair before departing. Many appeared to greet or acknowledge Aria with a head bow. Some just sniffed at the pair before fleeing. She seemed to attract the friendlier entities. Several larger creatures watched from a distance. Their eyes betrayed curiosity, fear, and hunger.

“I have active spells that keep them at bay,” Aria explained. “Only the welcome may approach us.”

“You're amazing,” Nox stated, squeezing her hand.

Aria smiled. She rose on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. It was electric. The sensation was nothing like his mana-burnt left arm's painful, lightning-like discomfort. Instead, it excited him and made his heart flutter. His partner radiated a wonderful energy that wasn't mana or any essence he recognized.

“Dean Woodson theorized I have some distant druidic heritage,” Aria said. The ancient druid taught a class on spirit walking and befriending entities of the realm. Aria was soon to take the more advanced version of the course.

“Oh? Does she think you have some Woodson blood in you?”

“It's impossible to tell but unlikely. The Edelweiss bloodline and my mother’s heritage can be tracked for several centuries—long before Myrina or Flint Woodson came to our world. However, affairs happen. Apparently, druids have been exploring the multiverse and securing it against the Void for eons. The Dean complains they prefer hiding their identity and origin so the Void’s worshippers don’t hunt them or their families. She paid the price for her when the Cabal eliminated most of the Woodson family. There’s a chance a druid settled on the continent before my family rose to prominence. Blood and power dilute across the generations.

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“I could also have a shaman or spirit walker ancestor,” Aria continued, petting a small feline spirit. It approached them, bouncing and dancing as they stepped off the lake. The spirit rubbed up against the woman but hissed when Nox reached for it. “The barony isn’t too far south of the Arctic Wastes. Apparently, some of the free folk still practice the old ways and rely on spirits to find geothermal havens.”

A familiar figure joined the pair as they ventured deeper into the spirit realm. Otis had changed significantly ever since he received a planet, and his spirit realm matched his physical body. The gremlin now had a total of five appendages. His legs matched his first set of arms—long, spindly with spider-like fingers. He had a long, slender tail and six purple-hued crystal shards extended from either side of them. Otis had no head. Instead, his face sat on his strange egg-shaped torso.

The gremlin stood no taller than Nox’s knee, and the changes had made him significantly more agile. The opposable thumbs also meant Nox could trust him to carry things and use tools. If not for Otis, Nox wouldn’t have bothered with Advanced Dungeon Combat for the past couple of semesters.

If Nox summoned his familiar around Aria, he got little to no attention. Otis spent most of his time bouncing around her, trying to nuzzle her breasts. Things were no different in the spirit realm. First, he chased away the friendly spirits. Then, he pinched Nox before attempting to plant his face in Aria’s chest. When Nox reprimanded the spirit, he got smacked in the face with a long, wet tongue. Otis settled on Aria’s shoulder as they continued their spirit walk.

Eventually, the pair found Ygg. The tree was just as Nox remembered it, with no Bi Xi or Lillin in sight. His chest tightened. He had hoped to see his old friend. After eighteen years together, life was strange without her. Aria never understood their relationship, and the discovery of their contract had concerned her even more. Nox didn’t discuss the hole left behind by Lillin’s departure. He no longer felt lonely or isolated. He just missed his dear friend.

It didn’t take the pair long to find Ygg. The tree appeared thriving with the colors of spring. New flora blossomed around Yggdrasil’s child. Nox noticed some plans while others seemed alien. Most curious of all was the crimson fungus climbing up the trunk. The sky above Ygg displayed a similar shade. Nox didn’t want to assume the worst, but he certainly found growth odd. Otis hopped off Aria’s shoulder and sniffed the growth before consuming a chunk of it.

“Have you seen this before?” Nox asked, closely studying the rubbery fungus. “It looks like blood.”

“It's a part of the natural cycle.” Aria shrugged. “Things in the spirit realm often exaggerate real-world occurrences. It's been like this for a while. My tutors believe it's because Ygg is slowly absorbing the monster corpses buried around the city. It's a gradual process with rare magic beasts entering her domain. The whole thing with Bi Xi, dungeon-borne rain, and dying around the tree threw everything off balance.”

“So, this is the world tree restoring things to normal.” Nox leaned close to the trunk and touched the veiny growths. The fungus wobbled and rippled. He had dug through several monster bodies and seen enough blood vessels during his time as a combat medic. The growth resembled blood vessels. It pulsed like them, too. “It's repulsive,” he commented. “I know it's best to trust the professors, but don’t you think it's disgusting? Doesn’t something feel wrong?”

“I’m new to this, and you’re less than a novice. Who are we to question the experts?”

“I suppose you’re right. Perhaps my encounter with the Cabal and Plaguebringer has me seeing threats where there are none.” Aria wrapped an arm around her shoulder as he spoke. “Don’t get me wrong. This past year has been amazing. No one has tried to abduct or kill me. No titans or dungeon-borne have appeared in the city’s walls. I’ve seen nothing but profits and success.

“Yet a part of me expects everything to fall apart or catch on fire at any moment. It all feels too good and calm to be true.” Nox ran his fingers over the fungus and once again compared the hue to the crimson sky. It transitioned to orange and pink further from Ygg, and he saw hints of blue in the distance. The sight reminded Nox of the sunrise, except the sun was emerging from above the world tree instead of over the horizon. “I need to stop waiting for everything to go wrong. Life is going well, and I need to accept that.”

“Given the life you’ve had and everything that happened since you came to the city, your concerns are understandable,” Aria told him as they watched Otis consume more of the fungus. Crimson fluid dripped from his mouth and soaked his hairless fingers. “There is nothing wrong with being wary. You’ve made some powerful enemies. I don’t know anything about the Cabal, but the Singhs might come for you someday.”

“That’s why you and I never go beyond the Nobles Quarter,” Nox said. “Could you please continue to limit our daily transit between campus and Market Ring? It's well enough policed for me to rest at ease.”

“Of course,” Aria said. “I don’t have much of a reason to go anywhere else. But we can’t spend all our lives looking over our shoulders and waiting for the next threat.”

“True. Perhaps I should hire more people for that.”

“Yes, that's just what we need.” Aria sighed. “More spies.”