Alexia

After a brief pause, I turn to look at Gramps and the Hound and ask, “Do either of you happen to know the Dimensional Champion and Leader of Dimensional Block #1000? Because they just entered the Block.”

Both of them shake their heads, answering in the negatives. Then the Hound suddenly stiffens up and takes a step forwards, his eyes widening in shock for some reason.

“Hound?” I ask at the same time as Gramps asks, “Lucas?”

The man seemingly ignores the both of us as he takes a few steps forwards, his black, fallen angel wings shooting out again as he raises his head and seems to close his eyes.

Silence fills the clearing for who knows how long.

I share a glance with Gramps, feeling more than a little confused. And judging by the look on his face, I’m not the only one.

We both turn to look back at the Hound of the Apocalypse again as Gramps asks, “Lucas? Is everything-”

He stops talking when the Hound’s eyes snap open and a determined and anxious look appears on the Hound’s face. And without a single ounce of hesitation, the Hound reaches back and picks me up, moving faster than my eyes can track before flying into the air as I let out a yelp.

“What the fuck?!” I shout as he begins to fly through the air. But I don’t just let him carry me off to who-knows-where, instead kicking at him to let me go.

The man ignores my actions, his gaze seemingly locked on the horizon.

Seriously?! Just what’s wrong with him?!

I try to teleport away, and to my surprise, it actually works. Which likely means that his magic immunity only blocks him from being teleported with me, considering how he wasn’t moved during my teleportation.

My vanishing act finally snaps him out of whatever stupor he was in as he blinks and turns to look at me.

“I can sense her,” he says like it would explain his actions. “She’s here! She’s coming here!”

I frown, beginning to wonder if this man’s losing it. Only to realize that I can sense a strange sensation of something approaching. Which reminds me of the Legendary Feat perk of one of my most recent Legendary Feats.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

The one that lets me track all Dimensional Champions and Leaders in the same Dimensional Block as myself.

Right. Forgot about that.

Gramps arrives, having brought his own wings out again with a look of confusion on his own face.

But the Hound just repeats, “She’s almost here,” as he turns to look in the direction that I sense the new Champion and Leader approaching from.”

My frown grows deeper, but I turn to look anyways. And after waiting for a little bit, the Dimensional Champion and Leader enters my line of sight.

They look to be the same age as the Hound, but it’s hard to tell with ageless people. They’re clearly a woman, with a figure similar to me and Astrid’s, and black hair with what look to be stars twinkling in them. But what catches my attention the most about her is that she seems to be shapeshifting, since she has parts from various different creatures.

She has the wings of a fallen angel, the black scales of a necrotic dragon, the claws of an archwraith, and currently has horns on her head that are retracting inside. The horns of an oni.

And as she flies here, the horns aren’t the only part that vanishes. The scales begin to retreat, being replaced with black armor instead. Meanwhile the eerie green claws are replaced with regular human fingernails.

What surprises me though is that her gaze immediately locks onto me, ignoring the Hound entirely. And I for some reason feel a sense of familiarity coming from her gaze. Along with a warmth that I have been missing.

Why is she looking at me like that? Like she’s been looking for me for a very long time and is only now finding me?

And… why do I feel happy to see her? This is happiness, right? I’ve always had trouble picking apart my own emotions.

I feel myself frowning as I try to parse all of this. But no matter how hard I try, I only feel even more confused.

So I glance at Gramps, only to find him looking extremely shocked, albeit with a sense of warmth in his gaze directed at her.

I turn back to the Dimensional Champion and Leader again.

Guess Gramps knows her?

Then, at the same time as when I identify her, the Hound exclaims, “Crystal!”

{Crystal Nightshade – Devourer – Level 310}

Everything just kind of… halts… in my mind after that. Just freezes.

I stare blankly as both Gramps and the Hound rush over towards her, only for her to ignore the both of them and move straight towards me. Following which we spend several seconds just staring in silence. Neither of us saying a single word.

I feel my heart beginning to pound in my chest. A sensation I’m not really used to since it doesn’t even do that much when I’m afraid.

Then I feel wetness on my face, making me reach up to touch it, only to find my hands getting wet from what turn out to be tears.

I’m… crying?

I can’t help but frown at that, not used to crying.

What’s… going on?

Out of the corner of my eye, I find both Gramps and the Hound looking at me with sad expressions on their faces. But the Devourer just sends me a smile that is a mixture of sadness and warmth.

And without a word, she moves forwards and pulls me into a hug. One that I surprisingly accept as the tears pour out faster.

This…

I begin to sob for the first time in over a decade.

…feels nice.

“I’m here, sweetie,” Crystal says, no, Mom says, her voice entering my ears as I cry. “I’m back.”