Timí awoke to find Aevana sleeping soundly on his arm.

He looked up at the roof and thought about everything that led to this moment.

He wondered what his purpose was, besides being a test dummy.

He wondered what Yna thought of him and whether he had any place in her heart.

Everyone in the Expanse knew that Yna and Katsíki were inseparable, but Timí hoped-

Aevana let out a weak yawn as she awoke and suddenly all of Timí’s worries were washed away.

He looked into her dark eyes and felt a strange warmth fill him from deep within.

“What are you smiling about so early in the morning?” Aevana asked.

“I just realized that none of it really matters.”

“What?” Aevana asked while brushing aside her messy hair.

“I’ve spent the last few days wondering what the truth of the universe is and where I fit into all of it, but I just realized that I’m happy enough just being here. In Coh.” Timí said but Aevana frowned at this.

“What in the world did you drink last night?” She asked while sitting up, revealing her small pointy breasts.

“Bah! Don’t worry about it. Anyway, you said you had a lot of work to do today. Can I help?”

“Mmm… I need to collect some reports in Site C, but I don’t think you want to go there.” Aevana said as she stood up.

“Is that the one where prisoners from Lanceberg are taken?”

“Yes.” Aevana said as she grabbed a change of clothes.

“Then count me in!” Timí said as he jumped to his feet.

“Oh? Fine, if you’re so determined.” She said.

Timí and Aevana eventually bathed and changed into some fresh clothes before getting teleported to a facility about fifty kilometres west of Coh. It wad actually built I the plateau and went underground.

This was Site C, the birthplace of the Kommáti.

Sealing the facility were three doors. Two were gigantic and one was much smaller.

Guarding the small door was a single guard who Aevana and Timí approached.

“Good morning, ma’am.”

The guard greeted before allowing the two inside.

The only path available was a long corridor which had tall walls. Passing through the corridor was cool fresh air.

Timí knew that it was being generated by space and cold magicians somewhere in the facility, but he didn’t know the specifics of how it worked.

He and Aevana walked for some time before eventually arriving at a point in the corridor which had two doors.

One large one to the right and a smaller one to the left.

Aevana opened the left one revealing a wide office space filled with people documenting various things.

Timí followed her to what appeared to be the head office which she entered before taking the seat behind a large table.

“Wait… this is your office?” Timí asked while looking at the countless documents that were neatly organized in various shelves and drawers.

“Yes.” Aevana said before documenting something into one of the many papers on her desk.

Timí sat in front of her and tilted his head allowing him to see that the document was about the creation process of a Kommáti, but before he could read any further, a knock came from the door.

Timí turned his head to find a formally dressed man peeking his head through the door.

“Umm… ma’am. Neaj came the lab yesterday and refuses to leave.”

“What does he want?” Aevana said with a feint frown.

“Nothing. He’s just watching the others as they work. Could you… get rid of him? He’s annoying everyone.”

The man said with trembling lips.

Aevana sighed before standing up and leading Timí back into the corridor where the large door seemingly automatically opened revealing yet another corridor, only this one was far larger and its walls had windows that allowed Timí to peer into rooms within which Kommáti were being made.

Aevana led him to a particular room wherein countless Rendaro stood around a naked Kommáti. Only, much to Timí’s horror, the Kommáti didn’t have a face.

Aevana walked up to a cross armed man who had his hair cut short, much like everyone else, only his hair had streaks of white here and there.

“Care to explain yourself?” Aevana asked prompting the others to greet her, but the man in front of her remained silent.

He simply turned his half open eyes towards her before scoffing.

“I do not need to explain anything. As I’m sure you are capable of deducting, I’m observing the facial restructuring process.” The man know as Neaj said clearly before returning his eyes to the Kommáti who stared at Timí unblinkingly. Not that he had any eyelids to begin with.

“Ugh. Why are you here?” Aevana said while impatiently tapping her foot.

Neaj raised his hand as though he wanted to touch the Kommáti, but he stopped before clasping at nothing.

“Do you think we could make them appear human?” He asked softly.

“Mmm… this sounds like something we should be discussing in an office and not an operating room.” Aevana said but Naej dismissively waved his left hand before looking at Timí.

“Ah… so you’re Timí… would you mind coming to my office in Coh sometime?” He asked.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Timí turned to Aevana for help, but she shrugged in response.

“Err… sure.”

Neaj nodded.

“Is that all? If so, then leave.”

“Aww… are you so eager to seem competent that you would chase away someone more intelligent than you?” Neaj asked as he hopped toward the door.

Aevana’s eyes narrowed scarily, but Neaj sighed before waving everyone goodbye.

“I will leave, but just know that look is very unflattering.” He said as he left.

Timí glanced at Aevana to find that she was practically grinding her teeth.

“Follow me.” She ordered before leading Timí out of the room.

They then made their way to another room and Timí glanced as he bore witness to something not even his darkest nightmares could spawn.

Laying on the dark floors were countless bodies only they were shrivelled up and looked like husks.

Standing at the centre of the room was a Kommáti and standing around him were life magicians.

“Remember the thousands of humans Lady Yna demanded from the Doyennefell?” Aevana asked as she and Timí stood by the room’s entrance.

“This is their fate. To fuel the creation of the Kommáti. Yna detailed that it takes a thousand lives to create a golden knight. It takes five hundred to create to create a silver knight. Can you guess how many it takes to create a Kommáti?”

“How many?” Timí asked with trembling lips.

“One hundred for the weaker, common ones and seven hundred and fifty for those like Umbris, leader of the Kommáti. Yna knew that being too strict would limit how many Kommáti we could create and so she specified that we create Kommáti of varying levels of strength. Those who were weak could simply get their fill from the sixths on the battlefield. Also, their bones are made from Cavumium which is enriched to varying levels.”

“Isn’t that risky?” Timí asked.

“It is. But it is the price all Kommáti must be willing to pay. Anyway, you’ve seen it now. The Black Legion program. What are your thoughts?” Aevana asked.

Timí blinked a few times before chuckling.

“Only Yna could think of something like this. What else is she working on?” He asked as Aevana led him back to her office.

“Most of her other projects are official. Stuff like dark armour research and stuff. Actually the Black Legion program is the only one Katsíki isn’t fully aware of, in terms of specifics.” Aevana said but just as she and Timí reached her office, his tummy growled.

“Give me a moment. I don’t have much to do. We’ll eat after. Also, I’m pretty sure you’re needed back in Coh.” Aevana said as she sat down.

Timí visibly trembled as he sat opposite her.

“True, but I feel as though I lose years every time I step into any of the testing bays.” He sighed before looking up in thought as Aevana worked.

He wondered what thoughts went through each Rendaro as they became Rendaro.

In Lanceberg, becoming a knight was sewn as the second highest honour, apart from serving the prince directly, but the Kommáti…

They were created by desperate hands- well, Yna’s hands.

Timí sighed.

He couldn’t figure any of it out and so he decided not to think about it any further.

.

..

Aevana eventually finished her work and after handing in documents to the appropriate people, she led Timí back to Coh where they had lunch.

They eventually finished and Aevana stood up to leave.

“I’ll be in my room if you need me.”

Timí nodded before crossing his arms.

He then closed his eyes and allowed himself to lean into his emotions and every thought led back to Yna.

He remembered the moment when he first met her.

She was… beautiful, powerful and… beyond reach.

Timí was a normal human. If it wasn’t for his barrier he would have died alongside the others on that fateful night.

He took several deep breaths before standing up and making his way to upper Coh.

He then marched into the war room where he walked up to Katsíki, who was in the middle of a conversation with what could only be described as a giantess.

“Your man will serve a purely supportive role. They’ll stay in the shadows and be deployed where the Kommáti can’t. Sound good?”

“Yes.” The giant woman said.

Katsíki then noticed Timí and although the boy’s eyes were still as enervated as ever, he greeted Coh’s only human with a smile.

“That’s all for now.” He said prompting the giantess to leave the war room.

“Hey, is there something you need?” Katsíki asked.

“Yeah… umm- when will Yna be back?” Timí asked only for Katsíki to make a naughty expression.

“She’s on the frontlines. What? Do you want some alone time with her?” He asked with half closed eyes.

“What? No! I mean- yes! I just want to talk to her?”

“About what? I know it’s not really my business, but my curiosity gnaws.” Katsíki said with a big smile.

Timí then realized that he was talking to none other than the person who was closest to Yna.

If anyone knew about the machinations of her heart, it was surely him!

“Err… I wanted to discuss our relationship. Actually, could you perhaps maybe tell me what she thinks of me?”

Katsíki’s eyes widened and his face suddenly stiffened.

He then pressed his fingers together before sighing deeply.

“I have no idea.”

“Heh?” Timí sounded.

“What can I say? She doesn’t really talk about you. I suggest you go through with talking to her.” Katsíki said.

Timí nodded before turning to leave, but just as he did, Yna entered the war room and unlike last time, her armour was relatively clean.

“Hey, look at you two getting along. Warms the soul to see.” She said as she held her helmet in her hands.

“Yeah! Anyway, Timí wants to talk to you… in private.” Katsíki said with a grin.

“Hoh? If it’s as important as it seems, can I take him to the heart?”

“Oh, I couldn’t intrude on such sacred-“

“Sure!” Katsíki said while giving Timí a thumbs up.

The living test dummy was then dragged out of the war room by his collar and Katsíki waved him goodbye curtly.

Yna then dragged him to the cabin where she grabbed a change of clothes.

She then teleported both herself and Timí into the heart where she dropped the anxious man.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Yna asked as she removed her armour.

Timí’s heart began racing as he once again gazed upon her godlike body, although her skin had been marked by the armour a bit.

He took several rapid breaths before walking up to Yna before she could enter the stream, her body brilliantly illuminated by the setting sun.

“I like you, Yna.” He said.

Silence then filled the heart.

Yna turned around and faced Timí with a gentle smile.

“Aww… I like you too-“

“No, I really, really like you.” He said as his heart painfully knocked on his chest.

Yna’s eyes then widened and they slowly began glowing.

“But…” She muttered as her face twisted.

“Why?” She asked.

“I mean, isn’t it obvious?” Timí asked, but Yna shook her head before tightly holding herself.

“If it was then I wouldn’t have asked!” She cried as she slowly backed away.

“Come on, don’t make me spell it out, you’re amazing!” He said but Yna frowned at this.

“But… what about all the things I did-“

“I don’t care!” Timí said before walking up to her and grabbing her hand.

“My time here has been… magical and its all thanks to you and Katsíki-“

“Mostly Katsíki-“

“But I spent most of my time here with you.” Timí said. His face red with fluster.

“I’m not asking for much. I just wanted you to know how I felt.”

A moment passed as Yna and Timí looked at each other.

“So…”

“What?” Yna asked.

“What now?” Timí asked.

“I don’t know!”

“How do these things usually go?”

“I don’t know!” Yna cried.

“Haven’t you done this before?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Yna gasped

“You know… you’re like… hundreds of years old-“

Timí stopped as Yna grabbed him and threw him into the stream, clothes and all.

“Hey!” He cried, but Yna simply created a ball of light.

“I wonder if the healers can restore parboiled corpses.” Yna muttered but Timí raised his hands in defeat.

“I’m sorry! But come on, this really can’t be the first time someone told you they liked you.” He said but Yna scoffed in response.

“It’s not, but I wasn’t interested in Nel, so I turned him down.”

“And what about me? Are you… interested in me?”

The ball of light in Yna’s hand disappeared and she slowly joined Timí in the stream.

“I… I don’t know.” She said softly.

“I mean, we get along and everything, but I don’t really see us in any thing too serous.”

“Oh.” Timí sounded.

“Aww. Don’t be like that. Come here.” Yna said while spreading her arms.

Timí swam into her embrace and she gently held in him.

“Is… is there a chance that you could change your mind later down the road?”

“Who knows. Nothing is certain in this world and maybe, just maybe, you might be the one I spend the rest of my life with.” Yna said with a gentle smile.

Timí nodded as Yna let him go.

He then swam to the riverbank where he sat as Yna bathed.

She eventually emerged from stream and after getting dried, she changed into some clean clothes.

“Come on.” She said while picking up her armour.

Timí then followed her out of the heart and back to the cabin where they stood in silence for a bit.

Yna’s eyes still glowed a bit and they were like stars in the darkness of the evening.

“So… see you tomorrow?” Timí asked.

“Yeah.”

He nodded before making his way back to Site A where he entered his room.

He then kicked off his wet shoes before falling onto his bed.

He let out a loud sigh all while Yna’s words rung loudly in his mind.

A moment passed and he sighed again. He found comfort in knowing that not all was lost.

He would simply have to find a way to win her heart.

Even if meant he’d have to work his ass off.