“Where did you find a second bike?” Kade asked as they rode over the rough, uneven ground. Some faint signs of the paved road still existed, but the wild nature did its best to erase all evidence.

They were on what should have been an overpass. The ground underneath had risen as if it wanted to reclaim the highway personally instead of allowing it to collapse as it would have in a few days.

Like the rest of the roads, the overpass had turned into a dense forest.

“At the shop where I bought mine years ago. Could you believe the looters left the best bike there? You’re a lucky man.”

Kade couldn’t even argue about the bike’s usefulness.

While this outdated-looking bike seemed fit for a show at best, it could handle the shocks of the uneven ground exceptionally well.

Still, he could see that his bike were failing ever so slightly compared to hers. It might last until they reach their destination, but the return trip wasn’t in the cards for his bike.

However, he didn’t believe one bit that she found this in a looted shop. Looters would take everything of value, regardless of how archaic it looked. It’s what he would have done if he needed to travel faster and knew cars no longer worked.

Kade didn’t point that out because it was unimportant. His question was more for small talk, but it raised his curiosity about why she needed to lie.

“We’re going towards Peoria,” Eliza commented. “Have you been there?”

He shook his head and glanced at her as they casually weaved around the oncoming trees in their path. He wanted to know how she made riding this bike look so good.

The bike truly did a fantastic job for the terrain it was going over. Still, Kade jerked about on top of the bike, practically having to clamp himself on so that the sudden bumps and dips of the broken asphalt and earth wouldn’t throw him off.

Eliza made it look like she was riding on the smoothest road on Earth. Once again, his initial thought of her belonging in a magazine shoot was at the forefront of his mind.

“It’s a boring little city. I had some family there that worked for that large farming company. The one that makes the tractors.”

Kade knew next to nothing about farming. He had heard of Peoria before, but had never needed a reason to go there.

“At least one of us knows something about the place we’re heading to,” Kade paused, realizing what she said. “I’m sorry for your loss. There are people I care about, and I don’t know their current status, so I know how you feel.”

There was a brief silence, only broken by the sound of the bikes’ tires crunching the ground.

“They made it to Chicago. I just meant they used to live there, and now they don’t.”

He cleared his throat. “Right, well, how fast can we go on these things?”

That infuriating smile returned to Eliza’s lips. “As fast as you want to go.”

Kade hadn’t expected that answer, but was eager to put it to the test. He would feel slightly satisfied if he could disprove something she was proud of.

“Then let’s test it.”

***

Kade’s sweat dripped down his face as he felt his [Endurance] drop to dangerous levels. Luckily, they were almost there.

The bikes holding up decently well despite the abuse they had experienced shocked him. He was starting to suspect that humans didn’t make them. There was no other explanation for such an odd bike’s resilience.

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Kade had another reason for pushing the bikes to their limit. He wanted to see how much Eliza invested into her [Endurance].

He glanced at her, seeing her still leisurely keeping up with his speed. This told him nothing about her [Endurance]… probably.

However, this let him know she was highly skilled in using magic. That, and her [Wisdom] was significantly higher than his, as expected for a [Mage].

“That was fun,” Eliza unexpectedly got off the bike. “We should walk from here. The distortion increases too much for the bikes to hold their form.”

“Distortion—“ Kade tensed when his bike suddenly disappeared. He stood in shock as Eliza giggled.

“This thing was a spell!?”

“A duplicating spell,” Eliza said smugly. “It was good practice keeping it active when under so much stress. Thank you, Kade.”

Kade stared when Eliza did a little curtsy. He was sure it had to be a joke, but it fit extremely well with her attire and the retro bike beside her.

He scratched his chin as he watched her rest the bike on a nearby tree before rummaging in the attached basket. Call him crazy, but he liked this girl’s oddness.

Plus, he could think of all sorts of fun things to do with her duplicating spell.

She could double arrows, double spears, and maybe even his [Soulrend], though that was unlikely since it was made from bits of his soul. Still, doubling the former two while they were mid flight could be devastating.

“Here,” Eliza handed him a compacted bag. “As much as I like the view, this would probably be better for you.”

Kade looked inside, and his face became frighteningly blank.

They were clothes. Men’s clothes.

He had forgotten entirely that he was practically running around naked. The magma pool had burned his pants to his thighs. Thankfully, it hadn’t been worse. He had become so used to being in so little clothing that he hadn’t even remembered to get a change of clothes in Chicago.

So… this is why I was getting so many strange looks. I thought it was because of who I am.

“Unless you purposely stayed clothes-less?” Eliza asked with a raised brow.

Kade really thought about it. It was like humans were meant to be like this—free, unburdened, and confident in their own skin. But there was a problem.

“… Shouldn’t you at least try to look like you’re being discrete?” Kade asked blandly.

Eliza didn’t take her eyes off his body. She went as far as to make an exaggerated lick of her lips. It looked ridiculous with her fifties attire. “Why should I?”

Kade couldn’t help but laugh a little. He hoped she would pull her weight and prove herself in the Rift Zone so she would prove useful. It was likely she would, but now he had a strong preference for her presence. She made things less monotone.

He quickly put on the clothes given to him and was surprised at how well they fit. The problem was that he now looked like he was about to go to the office.

Kade narrowed his eyes before realizing he was missing only a coat and some loafers to complete the fit. He had become the inadvertent dress-up doll for Eliza. He had joined her in cosplaying a man from the fifties.

“You have an obsession with the retro things,” Kade stated. It wasn’t even a question in his mind.

“It’s so elegant, isn’t it?” Eliza beamed. “I have a wager for you. If you can keep those clothes intact by the time we leave the Rift Zone, I will give you all the points I earn in there.”

Kade immediately knew he would not win this. Still, he wants to know what would happen if he lost. “And if they’re not intact?”

“Give me control over the group you’re forming,” Eliza said with a sly smile. “I heard you claim you are not attached to it, but we both know that’s not true. It’s a fair trade, no? Of course, you must stay with the group after you hand it over.”

He wasn’t sure why she wanted to waste time managing that bunch, but this was precisely what he wanted, anyway. She just offered her services without him needing to convince her.

Kade pretended to think about it for a few long seconds before sighing like it was a hard decision. “You made it too tempting for me. We have a wager, Eliza.”

“Excellent! I knew you would see it my way!” Eliza almost skipped toward the blackened area with the Rift Zone’s gate in the middle. “Do you want to keep staring, or are you going to follow me?”

Kade rolled his eyes but had a small smile as he walked forward.

They stood within the glowing circle, and the navigation on the interface disappeared. A query replaced it.

This is the gate to the Class D Rift Zone #222,222.

Party detected. All interfaces will be connected within the Rift Zone.

Would you like to enter this Rift Zone?

“It’s a shame we couldn’t see Peoria before we entered.”

He turned and gave her an incredulous look. “We can go sightseeing afterward. For now, let’s focus on the Rift Zone.”

“You’re right,” Eliza nodded solemnly. “Send us in!”

Kade had wanted to question what it meant by the interfaces being connected. However, Eliza’s command was enough for the gate to activate for both of them.

It lit up in the familiar, brilliant purple and flashed white.