Xiao Lee was having a rather pleasant week.

He had done a fair bit of cultivation, though it felt a little meaningless without an absorber. Not that he could have actually stopped cultivating for that. He was certain that he would go crazy if he tried to stay a week without actively cultivating for no reason. It was already bad enough when he had to let his foundation settle after advancing.

That was not the only thing he had done though. Bornie had seen to it. She might have decided to respect his decision about not needing help, but she was still determined to make him less of a shut-in. Something he now found ironic, considering the fact that she was usually the recluse in the group if July was to be trusted.

Of course, trusting July was a risk on its own, but he thought the man would be truthful about Bornie at least. He was not sure what the specifics were, but it felt like there was something between the two of them.

He immediately filed that as not his business. Still, July had been an interesting companion once he got past his odd tastes. He had what seemed like an endless supply of conversation. Though that often got annoying relatively quickly.

“Lee,” Lisa called from the floor below, startling him out of his thoughts. “Could you come down here?”

They had barely spoken at all since the Senate announced its decision, which made her summon more surprising.

“I’m coming,” he replied. Not that he actually needed to, considering he was downstairs just a second later.

He stared at the woman whose house he had started to call his own and noticed, with a start, that she seemed stressed. The signs were not particularly overt, they would never be, given her cultivation level. Yet after all the time he had spent with her, they were very easy to spot.

He had always been silently impressed with her ability to be relaxed and maintain her aloof composure regardless of the situation. Now though, he could see a tension in her shoulders that looked painfully disconnected from the Lisa he was used to. He noticed it in the furrow of her brows and even the way the sat.

She had even brought out a regular chair, something he had never seen her do. Though she also looked like she was about to spring up and start pacing the room.

The fact that he stood at the entrance to the living room for up to ten seconds before she noticed him only further reinforced his opinion. She never missed details, as far as he knew.

“Hello Lisa,” he greeted when she noticed him. Then tried to be more casual. “Tough week?”

She stared at him with slightly unfocused eyes for a moment before responding.

“Something like that. Mother has had me go on a few... errands.”

He sensed that asking what those ‘errands’ were would get him no answers.

“I hope you have had some success with them then.”

“Mostly yes. They aren’t an issue anymore. Unfortunately, the work is jut beginning. And you’re about to be dragged into it too.”

“Me?,” he asked in confusion. He was not sure what he could even do that would affect anything. He still had a few weeks before his next mission.

“Yes. The High Minister of Foreign Affairs was impressed with our results so far. He recommended our services to the High Senate. There was some contention, but they eventually agreed. We will be going to a dozen countries in the next few months.”

“Well pardon me for asking, but I’d have thought the government would consider this too much of a risk given what has already happened.”

Perhaps he had greatly overestimated his importance.

“Oh no. It’s quite the opposite. The High Minister believes that making us go out to represent the country will send the message that you are considered important to the state. Any doubts the Fifth’s mark might have caused will be stamped out with this.”

He supposed he could see the logic in that. He would be going out representing Lasvania, with the daughter of a Lone Power to boot. That would definitely confirm that Lasvania considered him a serious asset. Plus, unlike before, the country was trigger happy now. He doubted there would be anyone else as bold as the Fifth. At least not if his admittedly limited knowledge of the geopolitics was correct.

“Do you think he’s correct?”

“Perhaps,” she shrugged. “I’m not a fan of it but the points are valid. Plus, the decision has already been made. There is little we can do but comply.”

He nodded at that. It was indeed pointless to ponder upon disagreements when they did not exactly have a choice.

“That is true. Do you know when we will be leaving?”

“In three days. We’ll be starting with Nava, a strong ally on the other side of the world. The First six countries will be allies. Those will be the easiest to handle. The others are countries that are either neutral or slightly hostile. Those will be trickier. I’ll send you a more detailed explanation as usual.”

“Thank you for the information. I will do my best to prepare.”

“Yeah do that. That’s all for now. I’ll be leaving for a day or two. Still have some unfinished business.”

“Please take care of yourself. Stress does not befit you nearly as much as calm.”

He gave her a small bow after that and fled to his room. After waiting for a minute where he was not vaporised, he released the tension in his shoulders and relaxed. Though he knew intellectually that she was unlikely to take insult, it was hard to actually convince himself of that.

Still, he considered it great progress. He would have been unable to exercise that much courage just a month ago. Spending time with Bornie and July had definitely helped him there. It was hard to be scared when they were so casual. And they had told him Lisa was not scary so many times that perhaps he was starting to believe it subconsciously.

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He thought about that for a moment before shaking his head. He would try to be more relaxed with her but it would likely be best if he did it slowly.

Better to err on the side of caution.

* * *

‘Stress does not befit you nearly as much as calm..’

Lisa rolled her eyes at the memory of that rather obvious statement as she stepped through the portal in front of her. She felt her shoulders tense as the compound on the other side came into view.

It was large and imposing, as her mother’s houses always were. That wasn’t enough, of course. The house just had to be built on a star before it was ostentatious enough. She had no idea where the star even was, and the portal had been created by her mother.

Still, she was at least thankful that the woman had thought to insulate the space from the temperature of the star. She doubted the heat would seriously harm her, but it would be very uncomfortable at best.

A few steps later and the bright star floor gave way to unnecessarily high walls and grad paintings that pulled anyone who stared too long into a trance. She easily found her way to the room she knew her mother would be in.

“Welcome back Lisa,” Joha Feltham said with a smile as she lounged on a grand couch that she most definitely did not need. “I hope you were successful in your endeavours.”

‘Like she doesn’t already know the answer,’ Lisa scoffed internally.

“Yes, I was successful, mother.”

“Good. What was Lee’s reaction to the new directive?”

Lisa would have bet her future Master’s license that the woman had been watching their conversation in real time.

“He was a little confused about the decision, expecting the High Minister to prioritise safety. He eventually understood the reasoning though. He agrees with it and will do his best to complete job as expected. The promise of an absorber is a powerful motivator. That is what I have deduced, at least.”

Her mother stared for a long moment, her expression thoughtful, though Lisa had known the woman long enough that it was likely fake.

“That is good then. I hope you both find success on your journey. Now, for the last thing I need you to help me do. I need to send a message to the Grand Prefect.”

There were few things that shocked Lisa on most days. It was a skill that came with growing up with a Lone Power that was at least partially crazy. So, it hit her extra hard when her mother finished speaking.

“Are you serious?” she asked after staring dumbstruck for a few seconds.

“Why would I not be?”

Lisa had no idea what to reply to that. The millennia long relationship between the Lone Walker and the Grand Prefect was as infamous as it was turbulent. There were many star systems that had ceased to exist as a direct result of their arguments.

She had no idea if the Pertop was her father or not, but experience had taught her that even the mere mention of his name was taboo in front of her mother. Yet after years of having to pretend he didn’t exist, she was just casually being sent to deliver a message to him.

Not for the first time in her life, Lisa Feltham was glad her mother could not read her mind. After all, not even the mighty Joha Feltham would be comfortable with the image that was currently in her head. And she really would prefer if the other woman was not uncomfortable.

Still, thoughts of matricide aside, she had no illusions of there being any choice in the matter. So, she steeled herself and stared at her mother, keeping her face expressionless.

“Of course. What will I be delivering.” her voice sounded colder than it had been in a while, even to her own ears.

“You will give this to him.”

She stretched her hand out and handed her what she vaguely recognised as a sealed envelope. It seemed very fancy, and she thought she could feel traces of an edict on it. That was just conjecture, of course. That level of power was not something she could reliably sense at her level; despite the countless hours her mother had spent trying to change that.

A portal opened when she collected the envelope, and she stepped through when it was clear that there would be no further information given.

What met her on the other side was something that was considered legend, even for her. Despite her bad mood and what the place represented; she couldn’t resist spending a few seconds to gawk at the reality bending monstrosity the Prefect called his home.

The Prefect’s Abode was as much of a legend as its owner, and staring at its reality bending exterior, it was easy to see why. When she finally managed to be look away from it, she found herself completely unable to describe what she just witnessed.

Still, reality reasserted its hold on her and she was reminded of the reason why she was sent to this place. That promptly soiled her mood, and the rest of her journey was far less awe inspiring.

It took her over an hour to get to what seemed like the main entrance to the place, even flying at her fastest. She did not dare to open any portals, of course. Doing so would be rude beyond measure and offending the High Prefect was something even being a Feltham would not save her from.

The entrance opened when she got there, and she went through with no hesitation. She had been at his mercy the moment she stepped through her mother’s portal. There was little point in worrying about her safety.

The room she entered, if it could even be called that, was a plain white space with no visible dimensions. Looking around simply showed a never-ending whiteness that stretched out all around her.

A few metres in front of her, a vaguely humanoid shape began to take form from nothing. A few seconds later, she was standing in front of what was perhaps the closest thing to a male version of her. Or it would be if she shone a bright gold and had pointed ears and a tail. Still, species differences aside, the resemblance was obvious, though whether that was his true form, or he was doing it on purpose remained to be seen.

“Greetings from the Lone Walker, High Prefect,” she gave a shallow bow, acknowledging his position yet making sure he remembered hers too.

“Lisa,” the Prefect sang softly, his voice almost musical. “What game is that woman playing at, child, sending you here out of the blue.”

“My mother’s plans are her own. I am merely her messenger.”

He stared at her for a while before finally speaking.

“Meeting my youngest for the first time was not something I expected to be doing today. Tell me, what has that witch told you about me?”

“Nothing, High Prefect. She has forbidden all mentions of you in her presence.”

He looked thoughtful for a moment.

“Very well, then. Deliver her message.”

She held out the letter to the Pertop, watching impassively as he took it from her.

“Thank you for your service, Lisa Feltham.”

She almost bowed and left, yet her conversation with Amile made her stop. She could not wish for others to stand up for themselves while she cowered in fear. After all, for all his power, the High Prefect would not dare to truly harm her. So, she took a cue from Lee’s newfound confidence.

“Is that all?” she asked pointedly. “Do you not have anything to say to your own child. After being absent for her entire life?”

“They really do grow you Lasvanians without fear. I am very old, Lisa Feltham, with many children. And your mother explicitly forbade any relationship between us. We Pertops believe the mother holds final say over her children. How could I possibly refuse.”

For a moment, just a brief moment, Lisa Feltham allowed herself to dream. Of a life where she had always known both of her parents like the rest of her friends. Of a life where she had something that resembled a normal childhood. She dreamt of perhaps, a world where she could help bring peace to the relationship between Lasvanians and Pertops.

Yet the moment passed and just like every time a young Lisa had dreamt, one thing had brought it crashing down.

Joha Feltham.

And so, she thanked the Pertop who could have been her father and silently mourned a future that did not exist. Only a small part of her was present when she reported back to her mother.

That night, she stepped through a portal to a remote mountain in the middle of nowhere. And for the first time in years, Lisa Feltham cried for what she had lost.

Perhaps she should have gone to therapy after all.