The remnants of a cruel battle welcomed me home. The land was dishevelled and craters were all around. Scorched ground, frozen debris and a thick glass dust formed an alien landscape, unknown to me, although it reminded me of the other side of the world.

The acrid smell of burnt flesh that filled my nostrils and haunted the place showed no signs of dispersing. There was just too much of it. Murky aura mixed with a golden hue still transpired from the ground, what little remained of the battle that had ended earlier.

A warm smile formed on my face as I saw Faye panting. Her hair and clothes were dishevelled, her eyes were tired but her condition was good; at least considering she had just been involved in a fight with a crafty and powerful opponent.

My smile waned as I saw the scene surrounding her. In between dozens of pillars of shining glass and barbed wires of melting metal, there he laid. He was completely unrecognisable, but the hated stench was unmistakable. He was torn apart in thousands of pieces, still set aflame by the incandescent tethers. Every single drop of blood was charred and destroyed the moment it flowed out of the squashed remains of what once was Caleb Grant.

I approached Faye and put a hand on her shoulder.

“That is enough,” I whispered in her ear.

Faye turned around with a gasp and threw her arms around my neck, enveloping me in a strong embrace, her nails almost digging into my skin.

“You are alright,” she whispered, relieved.

Her eyes closed and she leaned herself on me. Her entire body relaxed while the turbulent movement of mana died down and came to a standstill. The pillars of glass shattered, the melting wires solidified and broke down into dust and silence enveloped us. Only the smell of burnt flesh remained.

I freed myself from her embrace and nodded towards Caleb’s remains.

“Oh, I wanted to make sure he wouldn’t stand again, so I cut him up,” Faye explained in a dry tone.

I nodded. She was completely unperturbed by the scene she had caused. Unfortunately, she appeared to have taken after me, at least more than I would have liked. I looked around, in search of Hector. My eyes swiftly found him. Faye’s expression turned grim as I discovered the state he was in.

His body was broken. A deep gash went across his upper body, from the left shoulder down to his pelvis, and a see-through hole was just beside his heart. All limbs except for part of his left arm had been torn from his body. His right eye was gone and most of his teeth were broken. Grey vines dug throughout what remained of his body, still wriggling as they grew in his flesh like a weed in a meadow.

I approached him. Faye stood behind me, biting her lip as she looked down at him. My expression remained sombre.

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“I completed my duty, sire,” he spoke in a strangely clear voice.

“You did well,” I answered his sincerity.

“Don’t worry, Hector. I’ll do everything in my power to speed you through a full recovery,” Faye spoke up.

“My Lady, you honour me,” Hector answered.

“I’m serious, Hector,” Faye raised her voice.

All three of us knew that there was nothing the three of us could do. Faye had already applied first aid by cauterising his open wounds, but there was nothing else to be done. The golden hue resting on his body had made the damage permanent and it was beyond my capabilities to make him heal.

I put my hand on the wriggling vines and squeezed them, forcing them to come to a stop. That was all I could do. Although there wasn’t much I couldn’t break, there wasn’t much I could restore either. But I had an inkling someone else could help me in this endeavour. It was someone I had to meet anyway.

I stood up and raised my voice.

“Hector”

“Yes, sire”

“There are not enough words to express how pleased I am with you. I won’t let you rot. We will depart for the Garden right at this moment”

Both Faye’s and Hector’s expressions stiffened.

“John, you are absolutely beat up! You need rest! It’s true he helped you once, but we don’t know if he is an actual friend!”

“Sire, I apologise if I dare, but lack of hostility doesn’t equal amity”

I stared at the two.

“He lacks choice,” I declared.

“The Patriarch is right,” Tobias lent me his hand.

Faye got startled at Tobias’ sudden appearance and fell backwards for the surprise.

“Let’s get moving,” I helped Faye get back on her feet and we started walking hand in hand towards the north.

Behind me, Tobias carefully picked Hector up and they both followed after me. We walked for days, stopping both by the Beta and Delta Perimeters to rest and gather supplies after I finally became aware of how much I needed to replenish my body.

While staying there, I met the Matriarchs and declared my victory. Sloan appeared surprised by the result but gracefully accepted it and for the first time showed me true respect. Jonah’s mother welcomed me with all the honours and swore the Delta would not spare any support to the Gamma. Before we left, she bowed to me, in a silent declaration of friendship and loyalty.

We marched onwards and traversed the wildlands. No beast dared to impede our passage. We travelled quickly, Tobias carrying Hector and a dulled blade while I ran with Faye in my embrace. We could have arrived much earlier, but I decided to take my time to let my body and mind heal.

We finally reached our destination. The endless forest stood before us, powerful beings hidden behind its foliage. I stood alone in front of the Garden, while the others waited for me in the distance. I opened my mouth.

“Come and kneel,” I commanded.

Nobody answered. I raised my hand and Tobias wielded his blade. A wave of power swept everything away and hectares of land disappeared in a single swing. The Garden howled and mana rose from the land. A familiar sight finally emerged from the thicket. They walked the barren land and stopped in front of me.

They fell to their knees and pressed their forehead against the ground. They shivered under my gaze and pleaded in a trembling voice.

“Show mercy to this land. I beg you”