Remy’s last three remaining days flew by, each one as cherished as the next. He spent almost all of that time with Aurelia, and they learned more about each other, growing closer with every conversation.
Born in the Deadzone, Aurelia had very limited experiences outside of Stratosia. Though she knew a lot about what the outside world had to offer, she didn’t know what it was like to be on the receiving end of the intense superhero entertainment industry. Remy tried to paint a picture, but nothing he said could do it justice.
On the afternoon of his departure, he woke up to find Aurelia’s eyes meeting his, a smile on her face. “How was the nap?”
Remy smiled back. She already knew the answer. Part of him wished sleep had failed to meet his expectations, but it was time travel bliss. Oblivion. The exact thing he had always longed for.
The exact thing Amelia had always longed for.
Remy wished his sister had known about the temporary solution during her lifetime. It would have been the greatest gift for her, without a shadow of a doubt. He had never heard of the Reversal ability before, but with new superpowers being discovered every few years, it wasn’t too surprising. Aurelia had acquired the rare ability from the abnormal Flow Site at a young age.
“I can’t express how much this means to me,” Remy said for what felt like the billionth time. “Thank you.”
They spent a few final hours together exploring the dense, emerald-green jungle, the air thick with humidity and the earthy scent of wet foliage. The sun filtered through the canopy, casting dappled patterns of light on the forest floor as they wandered side by side. They held hands, their fingers intertwined, feeling the warmth of each other’s skin in the cool air. Around them, the jungle buzzed with life; colourful parrots squawked from the treetops, and agile monkeys swung from vine to vine above their heads. Though they didn’t speak much, their silence was comfortable, filled with shared glances and quiet smiles. Occasionally, one would point out a curious creature or an unusual plant, and they would both chuckle softly, the sound blending with the natural symphony of the jungle around them. Their laughter echoed gently through the trees.
As evening approached, they headed back to the village, and Aurelia asked the question Remy had been dreading.
“When are you coming back?”
Remy held her hand tighter, his head hanging low. “I can’t…”
Aurelia stopped in her tracks and looked at him. “I know you want to stay here.”
“Of course I want to stay here,” Remy replied. “I’m at peace when I’m with you. You make me happy.”
“But?”
“There are things I still have to do.”
“You mean kill those superheroes? Isolate told me your intentions. You want to avenge Amelia, right? Let me come with you then. I’ll help.”
“No,” Remy said firmly, gripping her shoulders. “What I intend to do will start a war. You will not be caught in the middle of it. You’re safe here. Isolate is strong. She’ll protect you.”
Aurelia shook her head, her eyes welling with tears. “Please. Don’t ruin this. Please.”
Remy pressed his forehead against hers, eyes closed. “I’ll be back one day. I don’t know when, but I’ll be back.” Aurelia cried silently into his chest as he wrapped her in a warm hug. “I have a cool vision for the future. Do you want to hear it?”
“No.”
“You’ll like it, I promise.”
Aurelia didn’t respond, only hugging him tighter.
“We live together in a house back in Everforge or maybe in another city—you can pick the location, I don’t mind. But here’s the cool part: whenever you want to sleep, I’ll be awake for you, right by your side, making sure you’re safe. And whenever I want to escape from reality, you’ll be able to reverse my Eternal Insomnia. We live a fun life together, travelling around the world using the portal system I was telling you about. Maybe we’ll have kids and get married. Naturally, we’ll encounter hurdles, but it will never be anything we can’t handle.
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Remy stared at her with a serious expression. The silence was long enough for him to consider bailing and pretending it was all just a big joke.
“Can we have a pet too?”
Remy grinned. “Yeah, sure. As long as I’m not the one taking care of it. I’ll find a way to contact you soon.”
The two shared one final kiss.
----------------------------------------
Remy stood at the edge of the cliff face he had grown rather fond of.
“Good luck with your adventure,” Isolate said, standing beside him. “Are you ready to be on your way?”
“More than ready. Let’s go.”
Isolate pressed her palm on his back, and Remy wasted no time, leaping off the cliff. He glided through the air, then plummeted, spiralling. He levelled his altitude about six metres from the grey sandy surface, and minutes later, Isolate’s flying ability wore off. He looked up. Stratosia was nowhere to be seen.
A pang of sadness hit him. Already, he missed Aurelia by his side. He began his journey back to the Abnormal Flow Site epicentre, adopting a steady jog. Long-overdue anxiety and worry assaulted him. Despite what he had said to Jay, he wasn’t much stronger since the start of his journey to Shadowspire.
He summoned the Miracle Ball, furrowing his eyebrows.
Analysing user... scanning...
Complete!
98% purity achieved. Challenge failed. 100% purity is required to pass.
Remy gasped. “What the…” He frowned, incredibly confused. What was going on? Why had the percentage gone up? After a while, an answer came to him, but it felt silly. Ridiculous. Too good to be true.
Maybe his love for Aurelia had increased the percentage? After all, what was more pure than love? Was the Miracle Ball aware of his desire to keep Aurelia safe?
“Bullshit metrics,” Remy muttered, his fists clenched.
Before he could reach the Abnormal Flow Site, Lyra and Jay were already waiting outside the Navy Seal’s base. In the far distance, they waved, and the stark contrast in their moods was noticeable.
Lyra’s arms were folded. She hadn’t seemed to have noticed him yet, a pissed-off glare on her face.A spinning spherical disc hovered effortlessly by her shoulder, its sleek, metallic surface reflecting the light as it rotated with a soft hum. Meanwhile, Jay grinned. He held both of his batons in one hand, waving with the other. A small horizontal scar rested below his right eye, and he was much more muscular in his limbs. Strapped to his back were an assault rifle and a sniper rifle, their barrels extending past his shoulders.
Remy gave his cousin a fist bump. “What’s up, Big Cuzzy?”
“Still alive, so that’s something.”
Remy kept his arm up as he turned to Lyra. “How are you doing?”
She left him hanging, darting off in a different direction, though Remy noticed the edge of a smile. “Let’s get going.”
The growing tension was palpable as they walked along the grey sandy landscape, Lyra taking the lead. Remy broke the silence. “What’s the flying thing?”
“Drone fuelled by the energy core that powered Tulip,” Lyra said. “Very friendly.”
Jay glanced at Remy, shooting him a telepathic message. It’s more like a killing machine.
How long did it take her to make?
A month at least. No idea how she did it on top of training but it’s made out of all kinds of equipment from the Navy Seals.
Lyra snapped her head towards them, as if she could tell they were telepathically communicating. “Remy, how’s your skill with Dark Energy?”
“Well… I’ll get the hang of it soon…”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Can you use it in battle or not?”
“Not yet but look, ” Remy said, pointing at a huge grey bear thundering towards them in the far distance. “The Deadzone keeps on delivering. Black, brown, and white bears are one thing, but grey? Incredible.”
“Don’t change the topic!” Lyra snapped. “You’re telling me you spent all this time to get the superpower and you can’t even use it. Did you even pass the Flow Site Pathway?”
Remy pulled a funny face, something between a frown and a smile.
“You haven’t?!” Lyra exploded. “While we’ve been busting our asses and pushing our bodies to the limits, what on earth have you been doing?”
The grey bear roared in the distance.
“Surviving and making progress. Stop whining. We don’t have time for this.”
“Nah, nah. Stop pretending I shouldn’t be mad.”
“I’m not, but if you let your emotions control you, we’ll never save your father.”
Lyra closed the gap between them and looked up, eyes burning fiercer than the Snow Leopards that had nearly devoured him. “Say that again.”
“Guys,” Jay said. “It’s coming. Guys?”
Flashing red, the drone zoomed past them, and extended blades sliced right through the grey bears body. Blood squirted in the air, raining down on them and painting the grey sand.
“You’ve become scarier,” Remy said, sighing.
Lyra turned away from him, raising one middle finger. “Good.”