As it turnt out, when Apathy said manservant, he meant it.

Viran and Zackery were dragged around the town surrounding Silver Flame academy, Molten Jewel Village.

It made Viran idly wonder if who was in charge of translating all these Japanese names, and why they were so uninspired.

Apathy indulged in a lot of retail therapy, apparently simply for the fun of it, and the two temporary servants were expected to carry the huge number of boxes and keep up with the dark swordsman’s rapid pace.

It didn’t help that Zackery kept snatching the boxes away from Viran, intent on carrying everything himself.

He grinned down at Viran through the large stack.

“All this is just helping my cultivation, don’t worry ‘bout me, I’m tough.”

He threw the stack into the air, made a show of flexing, and caught all the presents like a fucking cartoon character.

Viran gaped, even Apathy looked annoyed, and Damian laughed.

“Wow, so you’re a brainless meathead, what else is new?”

Apathy stopped at an Alchemist’s shop, picking up a variety of brightly colored potions sold by a portly middle-aged lady with a kind smile.

“Prepping for the Academy, sweetie? My son is a third year there, ya know, just like his papa.”

Apathy grunted, throwing down a gold coin, clearly uninterested.

“Is… he any good?”

Viran found himself asking, and Apathy stopped to glare at him, raising his eyebrow to say ‘Seriously? I wanna leave’.

”Oh the best! He’ll always be the best in my heart. Although… the tournaments he’s always in say otherwise, ahuhuhuhu!”

Viran laughed with her.

“I’d love to see him in a tournament, I bet he’s amazing, you have to be to make it to your third year.”

Viran remembered the third-years being described as terrifying in the anime.

“Oh you’re sweet, if you do end up seeing him around, his name’s Collin, tell him mama’s missing him. Oh, I’m rambling, sorry sweetie. Can I get you somethin’?”

Viran looked down at the table, entranced by the exotic ingredients on display. Horns of beasts, claws, teeth. Magical herbs that glowed despite being dried up and crushed. Liquids that swirled thickly in glass vials, almost like blood, maybe blood.

“Ohhh! Are you an alchemist, sweetie? You seem taken with our ingredients section!”

Viran startled and quickly shok his head.

“Oh, no ma’am, it looks like a lovely practice though.”

The women smiled brightly, as if catching him in her trap.

“Well that can be fixed!”

She turnt to grab a book from the table and held it up proudly.

“A cute little beginner’s guide to alchemy! Only thirty silver. It has everything you need to make your basic potions, including diagrams! It’s sturdy, made with beast parts that resist wear and tear, and easy to take on the go! Wonderful for Silver Flame’s next Alchemy Master!”

Viran giggled.

“You’re exaggerating, ma’am, I can’t be no Alchemy Master. It’s a beautiful book, really, but I’m afraid I have no money.”

The shopkeeper tapped her chin before she smirked.

“Okay, okay, fair enough sweetie. How ‘bout I give you this book on one condition?”

Viran’s eyes widen, and he nodded rapidly.

“That’d be amazing! What condition?”

The women leaned in, and so did Viran.

“You’ve gotta tell me how I can get two fine men to look at me like those boys are looking at you.”

Viran almost fell backwards, face burning red.

“I- they’re not- I don’t-”

The women laughed at the sight of Viran, and even more at the sight of Zack and Apathy, for some reason.

”Ahuhuhu, yes, that makes sense. Such… intensity! Here you are sweetie, enjoy.”

She slid to book to Viran, who stammered out a thank you before hurrying back to the two.

“S-sorry, I didn’t think….”

Zackery took the book and added it to the stack.

“It’s nothing.”

He turned to regard Apathy.

“Ready to go, boss?”

Apathy grumbled that he was having his time wasted, but continued down the road.

They spend the next few hours mostly wandering, before Viran spots something.

“Is that a psychic?”

Zackery looked confused.

”Psychic? Is that what they call it where you’re from? Here we call ‘em Cycle Readers. They’re kinda… y’know…”

“They’re stupid and fake.”

Apathy finished, to which Zack hesitantly nodded.

“Yeah, that.”

Viran frowned.

“But isn’t Cycle an element? It’s one of my elements, even. Why would it be fake?”

“Well… I mean…”

Zack and Apathy glance at each other, and seem to agree for once in their lives, because soon Viran was being dragged into the small booth that looks remarkably like a psychic’s tent.

“Ah, fire, dark, and water converge. How unlikely, though unlikely things arn’t so unlikely in present times.”

A voice croaked from the puffy, overstuffed couch, revealing an aging women with her eyes closed, she seemed to drown in her shawl.

Viran found himself vaguely disappointed to not see the women with a crystal ball.

“The morning dew has the eyes to see, and the willingness to read. You don’t see many fellow Cyclists in these parts. Too superstitious, not superstitious enough, a bad combination.”

The women spoke softly, but authoritatively, as if what she were saying were hard fact.

The call from earlier, from Instructor Death’s timer, was present here as well, exponentially louder.

He almost felt the magic flowing, waiting for him to touch it, to-

“Already, you wish to read. A proper read, not like last time, the time on the backside. A good sign, but not yet, starry river, much to do first. Return when the call is an invitation, not a demand. Grasp control.”

He flinched back, realizing he really was reaching out to touch the invisible stream. The women spoke so firmly, it was hard to defy her.

”You are here for reading, yes? Future? Present? Past?”

She pointed to each of them with each word. Apathy for future, Zackery for present, Viran for past.

Which didn’t make sense, considering Viran was a lot more concerned about his present of being stuck in an anime.

The two boys beside him flinched back as he had, staring at this women as if she were dangerous.

“I knew it. You’re just a dirty soul mage, you don’t really know anything, do you? You can’t really see the future.”

Apathy snarled, and the women shushed him.

”So loud, darkness is so loud, so defensive. Devours reason, spits out feelings.”

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

”Ha! That doesn’t even mean anything! You’re a crook!”

The women opens her eyes. They were pure white, like snow, and pierced through the three of them.

“Darkness, that is what you wish to be, yes? Fine. Darkness and fire are destined to thrive or crash, their powerful emotions dooming them to be best of friends or worst of enemies.

Darkness resents water, despising his wishy-washy stance.

Fire pities water, how they will never have the will to reach for their desires.

Water fears them both, their powerful emotions, their unflinching minds, how can they be so brave when I cannot?

Darkness and fire will only have any real respect for water when he reaches inwards, and finds ice. When that day comes, you’ll find ice and water to be the bridge.

For you see water, you who’s adaptable, resilient, always caught in the middle. Either you can connect, but you can also distance. You wish not for it, but the cycle has chosen you as a fuse.”

Apathy growls.

”You’re talking nonsense, it’s all nonsense. Why are we listening to this old bat? She’s dying, and her brain has failed her.”

“Darkness. Not you, little darkness, your other darkness, that darkness looms over you. Shackles you to a role you do not wish for, says it’s for the greater good but you know it’s all lies. But you do not know what good means anymore, do you? So you falter, and you bend. You wear darkness like a shield, even as you only wield its inverse. Is that true darkness? One that does not burn for anything? Interesting, yes, but not true. Not special.”

Apathy froze, hands clenches tight.

“You…”

She disregards him, turning to Damian.

“Your fire, the one that burned before, left you with only the ashes. It stings, does it not? Now here you are, to prove that you can burn brighter, burn hotter, but that does not relieve the sting. Even if you burn just as your predecessor did, in the exact same way, you are not satisfied. You are not happy. If burning will not appease you, what will?”

Zackery, who had til then been having fun watching Apathy freak out, freezes as well.

“What? …what are you… I’m fine. I’m totally ‘appeased’, lady.”

”When has fine ever been enough for fire?”

The Cycle Reader turns to Viran, who sits up straighter in anticipation.

“A pitiable fate has befallen water, trapped so far from home. So many emotions, so little time, is it any wonder he boils? Light has enveloped you, a blanket? Darkness, not him, or his other darkness, your darkness, your darkness was cruel. A cage? Questions, questions, all these questions, yet you have all the answers. Water, ever so adaptable, adapts his way to a new reality. One with no pain. But all false worlds fracture, and all lies fade away, it’s only a matter of when the truth ambushes you. How long will you keep running, water?”

Viran stares at the lady, before slumping down.

That was… that’s…

No.

No more.

”…huh? None of that makes sense.”

She looks at the three boys one more time.

“It will. Leave. Now.”

The three, perhaps on autopilot, all get up from their seats and quietly exit the tent, deep in thought.

“Well…”

“That…”

“She…”

Zack shakes his head.

“She’s crazy. Let’s keep exploring, yeah? You alright with that, boss?”

Apathy blinks, as if having forgotten he was the leader of this excursion.

“Yeah… yeah, um…”

They slowly started back up, trudging down the paths of the markets, quiet. Reflective?

“What a stupid old lady.”

“Oh come on, she was funny, at least.”

“Oh I bet it’s real funny when you’re too stupid to understand what she’s saying.”

They both pause, and look at each other, as if remembering they were supposed to dislike each other.

“…sword freak.”

“…Hick.”

“Edge lord.”

“Arsonist.”

“Assassin wannabe.”

“Sewer’s son.”

“Huh?”

“It’s… a type of water elemental that lives in sewers and controls… well…”

“Ew.”

“Indeed.”

“…it was a good comeback.”

“No it wasn’t.”

“It was creative.”

“Kill yourself.”

“Guys?”

The two looked up from their bickering to regard Viran, who was staring off in a daze at the Square, where the shops gave way to games that felt so Earth it physically hurt.

“It’s a… can we go to the…?”

”The carnival? I didn’t realize it was still going. It’s held every year to celebrate the kids who get into the Academy. Half going-away party, half welcoming party.”

Zackery explains, as he maneuvers the haul of boxes to see properly.

“You don’t have that where you’re from?”

Viran coughs.

“We… don’t really have academies like this. Most going away parties are personal things.”

Apathy smirks as he regards the spread of games.

“Why not a friendly wager, farm boy?”

Zack grins and quickly sets the boxes down somewhere out of the way.

Apathy flicks his wrist and drops a wooden charm near the boxes, a red light exiting the charm and carving a circle or radiance around the stack.

“Will you be alright, Viran?”

“He’ll be fine.”

“Will you be alright, Viran?”

“Yeah! Yeah, you guys have fun, I’ll be around.”

Viran waved them off with a smile as they ran to the first game in sight, shouting trash talk at each other.

For second, they looked like they were having… fun. With each other,

That was… strange. That was… new. This is something new.

Viran… felt a warmth in his chest as he began to wander.

He didn’t mind this sort of strangeness, he thought.

He stepped up to a game of darts, so familiar, except the balloons, shaped like spiders, leapt across the board as if alive.

“Yo yo yo! You interested, kid? All the games are free, and you might just win a prize!”

Viran nods eagerly,

“Sure, sir!”

The stand attendant slaps a handful of darts on the counter with a wink.

”Good luck!”

Viran swipes a dart, aims carefully, and-

“More to the right.”

He startles, and throws way far off, hitting the edge of the board.

“Damn, unlucky. Try again kid, don’t feel bad.”

He turns, but no one’s there.

But he could’ve sworn…

He tries again with a new dart.

“There! You’re good, go for it!”

”I…! I need to use the bathroom! I’ll be right back!”

“Sure uh… I’ll just… set these aside, I guess?”

Viran was already running for the outhouse. Usually he’d avoid such things like the plague, but a sudden bout of schizophrenia sure did change your priorities.

He burst into the wooden hut.

“Ah… hey… hey hey, don’t cry, it’s just a… these games are rigged anyways. C’mon, we can get McDonald’s after this, you can still get a toy.”

Viran gasped out and began clutching his head as magic pounded in his ears with a force like no other, overwhelming his meager control.

Stop. Stop stop stop stop!

“McDonald’s? Again? Seriously, right after all this greasy food? It’s like you’re trying to ruin his life, ———.”

Viran’s godly gift burst from it’s cage, searching for answers but finding none.

What was this? What was going on? Why could he hear them?!

“Ruin his life? Oh my god, a four piece is gonna ruin his life. Get real.”

“Vi, why don’t you go find your brother? Me and ——- are gonna have a little talk about consequences, okay?”

“Seriously? You’re going to act like I’m the crazy one here? He’s seven, it’s a happy meal, ——. Most seven year olds get happy meals.”

“Maybe where you people come from, but here, we’re better then that.”

“What does that even-!”

“Mummy? Daddy? Why are you fighting? Did I do something bad?”

He found himself saying aloud, caught in the stream of memories.

“I-I, uh, no, you should go see Daniel, V. We’re not fighting, promise. We’re just… having a lil adult talk.”

Wait… a stream? Just like…?

“You are here for reading, yes? Future? Present?-”

The past.

“You shouldn’t take them so seriously, Vi. They’ll get over it, then we’ll all get something to eat, and things will be all right.”

“But they always do this, Dan. It sucks. They suck. It’s my-“

“It’s your birthday. I know, Viran. Just… walk around the carnival with me. I’ll teach you how to cheat at the games while they… do stuff. Just keep smiling, V. For me?”

“But… Dan…

….How am I supposed to smile

…when everything goes wrong?”

Viran wished he’d said that back then. What would’ve happened? What would’ve changed?

How would he have affected the CYCLE?

Because that’s what this is, right? Cycle magic? Time magic?

Of course his gift had nothing, time magic barely came up in the show. But he knew what this was, he could feel it in his bones.

He was Reading, and it was horrible, and it was magic. Beautiful, terrible magic.

He was crying. When had he started crying? He was always crying, like a crybaby.

Viran slowly stood up and stumbled out of the outhouse, drained.

Drained of… something. Not of emotion, clearly the had plenty of that.

Ah. The voices were gone.

He was drained of magic. What a funny though, that this was something he could be.

There was a crowd, and Viran knew that wherever there was a crowd, there was plot.

He pushed through the crowd, searching for one of his travel companions.

“High score! He got a high score! Is there any game this kid can’t beat, folks?!”

An announcer yelled loudly, holding up the hand of a grinning Zackery, as he smugly stared at a glowering Apathy.

Viran approached, and Apathy had an expression that he had seen many times through a television screen.

Apathy was simmering with resentment.

“They all wanna suck his dick. Just because he’s good at a few games? It’s bullshit. It’s all bullshit.”

The announcer laughed.

“Sorry kid, you’re good, really, he’s just… special.”

Apathy went feral, and clenched his fist as his storage ring shimmered, likely going for his sword.

And then, the strangest thing happened.

Everything seemed to slow to a halt, as Viran realized, this was an important moment.

This was a Plot Moment, like the ones he’d watched. He’d hated moments like these, when Apathy had been on the cusp of becoming better.

But he always threw it away in the end.

What a shame…

Viran wanted to pause the recording for a few second, gather his thoughts, prepare for the secondhand embarrassment.

But there was no remote in his hand. And no screen.

He was here. Really here. Which meant…

Apathy stared marching forward, set on wiping that smug fucking look off of Zackery’s face.

But then Viran Kate was there.

But he was placing a hand on Apathy’s shoulder.

But he had such a warm expression on his face.

But the stream parted.

But the water froze.

But the cycle shifted.

But he said those words.

“I think you’re special.”

“W…what?”

“I think you’re special too.”

Apathy was frozen, eyes unbelieving.

“I… I don’t care if you think so.”

Except his fist was shaking.

“You’re weird. So fucking weird. But at least you’re not him.”

He grunts as he turnt to Zack.

“Yo farm boy! Wrap it up! We’re leaving.”

Apathy dug into his pocket and pulled out his key.

He opened a portal and stalked through without waiting for the other two boys.

Zackery bound over with a grin, realized he forgot the packages, and bound over again.

“Viran! I got you something! I saw you at that dart game, but you left in the middle. Luckily, I’m amazing.”

He presented a stuffed animal to Viran, who froze.

“So? How’d ya like the carnival?”

No way.

“Look at that one! I want that one! Can we play this game? Please please please!”

Viran clutched a little stuffed dog to his chest, and smiled softly.

“It’s just like I remember.”