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"Yes, it counters the mark's energy absorption," Viraa inputted. "And excessively feeding granted them incredible boosts in power, however, at the cost of many lives."

"I'm confused. Why go through the process of shortening their lives and taking their memories in the first place?" I asked.

"Because I did not want them to rule the planet. Restarting their lives and memories was the best way to ensure they did not make it too far. For example, imagine all of the knowledge Avarice has amassed in over 8,000 years that has helped him get this close to controlling everything – that helped him gain the power he has. Had he undergone the process, he would not have all of that knowledge and power. He would not pose such a threat."

"But not all of them would go down the same path," I argued.

"Perhaps not, but it is in a klevonian's nature to seek power and territory. They are a race that takes. That is why they are born with the ability to steal energy from others," Viraa said.

Though small, this insight about their kind left us speechless for a moment.

"Earlier, you said 'for most of the Primordials.' I'm guessing the process didn't work that smoothly for me," Tymon said, returning everyone to the explanation.

"Both your and Michael's abilities made it more challenging to have you undergo the same process as the others," Viraa remarked. "Since the two of you cannot die, your marks place you unconscious and form a cocoon around you every thousand years. For you, you die from old age while inside, then resurrect in your prime. It required more energy, but I adjusted your mark and boosted it to further regress your age to an infant. Afterward, you're let out and protected just like the others. Michael, on the other hand, was a bit different. Due to his regenerative powers, he is largely resistant to the accelerated aging programmed into his mark. His mark can regress his body only by a few years from his constant prime state before running out of the energy reserve its functions are powered by. Over the following 16 to 18 years, he remains in the cocoon as his energy is slowly returned to him. During that time, his memory is wiped just like the rest of you, leaving him with only his name."

"While we are on the topic, Tymon, I sense that your ascension mark's programming is no longer working," she continued. "It seems Avarice's disruption will cause you to no longer experience any memory altering or rapid aging every thousand years. Unless you're killed again, you have at least 990,000 years before your body dies and reverts to your prime again."

Each of us took on an expression of shock.

"Our natural lifespan is a million years?" Za'Fia asked in disbelief.

"Yes, that is the lifespan of a klevonian," Viraa affirmed.

While watching Tymon, I felt something like a weight lifted off me. I was relieved to know that Tymon could survive anything. It meant I didn't ever have to worry about him dying like I did before.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"There's something else I'm curious about," Tymon added. "My fifth cintracy, the one that protected me from Trevor and Junichiro's powers – what was that?"

"It goes by the name, Shield. It is a mystic cintracy that reflexively prevents most cintracies and pneumarian and klevonian abilities from affecting you. However, that does not make you invincible. As you've experienced, eutierric cintracies still have quite the effect on you."

My link with Viraa betrayed her, allowing me to feel her intentionally withholding information.

"There's something you're not saying. What is it," I asked.

"It is nothing of importance to any of you, but that cintracy once belonged to a klevonian that I once knew," Viraa answered. It wasn't a lot, but her voice had a hint of sadness. "After being here for three million years, it hasn't occurred to me that some of my old acquaintances may have died."

"I guess that's not something you'd think about often with such long lifespans," I responded sympathetically.

"No, it isn't," Viraa replied.

I noticed Tymon was no longer sitting where he was. He'd moved to the other side of the room, looking out the window. Whatever was going on in his head, his expression looked as though he'd just received the final piece to a puzzle he'd been putting together.

Before I could get up to question him about it, Za'Fia placed her hand on mine. Visually, there was no evidence of her applying any pressure to her hand, so you'd think I could easily snatch my hand away, but in truth, I couldn't budge her hand at all. She was using just enough strength to keep me in place without causing any pain.

"I've been wanting to ask you something," she said with her practiced sweet voice and a tilt of her head.

"Yes?" I said skeptically.

She removed her hand from mine, placed her elbows on the table, leaned forward, and rested her chin in the palm of her hands.

"How do you feel about Tymon?"

The question threw me off. I quickly looked at Tymon to ensure he couldn't hear us. I don't know what I expected her to ask, but it wasn't my feelings toward Tymon.

"Um...Honestly, I feel connected to him...but like I do with you," I finally responded. "When I first met him, I found myself attracted to him, and when I thought he was dying, I felt something in me flare, but now that things have calmed down, I realize the feelings I've developed for him may not be romantic...I can't quite explain it."

I looked over at Tymon. He was completely different from the Tymon I found in the woods a few months ago. When I first saw him, his darkness was scary but somehow...innocent too. Anytime I looked at it since the day before, my mind kept flashing back to that moment during his transformation when his energy was terrifying and seemed more sentient. It made it hard to trust him fully.

"Not everyone was able to grow up behind a luxurious wall and live a tragedy-free life like you," Za'Fia said. The sweet voice was nowhere to be heard. "Tymon's been through a lot in his life – both of them. He's done things he still regrets and has seen things he wishes he's never had to, but he's still trying to help stop what's going on so he can protect those he cares about, so you shouldn't be so quick to distrust him."

I looked at Za'Fia in shock.

"How did you..."

"Your thoughts were written clearly across your face," she said.

I looked down at the table, unable to meet her eyes.

"I know about Brayton Village, but that's not what bothers me. When Tymon started changing back in Avarice's lab, I sensed something primal and vicious inside him. Knowing that's inside him makes me a little uneasy," I said in a low voice.

"What did you expect from the Death Primordial? Rainbows?" Za'Fia remarked sarcastically.

"No, it's just...you know what, I'm sorry, you're right," I said, leveling my line of sight with hers. "I shouldn't judge or mistrust him; he's using his power to help, not cause problems. His power is scary sometimes, that's all. Plus, his spirit energy induces fear; that's probably why that moment keeps sticking with me."