Chapter Twenty-One

“The saying stands: one step forward and two steps back. It's only when you look back that you realize those steps forward were actually giant leaps in the grand scheme of things.” – Boost, Former Champion.

Emy

As James departed and made his way towards Guardians Hold, Emy took a deep breath and gazed up at the stars. Though it wasn't her sky, it brought her a sense of calm. Her entire team seemed exhilarated by the opportunities this place offered. Apart from James, the village held truths about their paths. But for her? Nothing ignited her passion. This tribe was kind and intriguing enough in an unknown world, but her world needed her, and this felt like a delay in her mission. Yet, she knew she didn't want to lose her momentum. The stars have a way of making anyone feel insignificant. Yes, she was far from home, but these stars revealed the same truths as her own. Her problems had grown larger than they were weeks, months ago—she questioned how long it had been since the integration. Regardless, her problems, or even Earth's problems, were merely fragments of what existed across the cosmos. Control what she can and progress as much as she can—that’s all anyone can do.

Emy set off towards the farming fields where she had seen the village kids playing earlier. She felt a strong urge to venture further beyond the walls, but she knew James would be alarmed if he found out she had gone alone. She agreed with the logic of staying within the boundaries—she couldn't do that to her team for now.

She had to admit, these fields, much like the stars, brought her a sense of calm. Her thoughts drifted back to cherished holiday memories of getting lost in corn mazes with her parents—sweaters, cocoa, autumn nights, and taking turns in the lead position until those following gave up and forged their own paths with laughter. Her relationship with her parents had always been tenuous, but she couldn't fault them for trying to share those moments with her.

Now calm and settled, Emy reached out to Nex: "Alright, Nex, give me everything you can on how this Quantum Gateway interacts with the void."

"By now, you know that the void de-voids even the best AIs' willpower," Nex paused, internally pleased with their pun. Emy sent a pulse of approval—it was the least she could do. "The best way I can describe it is that the void is a medium. It’s a transportation layer across the Cosmos, connecting all space. Each space, like the one you're standing in now, has a unique code or genetic makeup. Imagine a sphere around you with a 5-meter radius. Now, consider everything within that sphere: earth, soil, grass, air, oxygen, gravity—all elements connecting you to this precise point in the Cosmos. Now, move five paces to the right and try to differentiate the two areas. That is the level of precision you need."

"How am I supposed to remember all that detail?" Emy questioned.

"Ah, that's the benefit of the gateway. When you lock on a space, the gateway can 'save' the record as a pre-recorded space. You open your space into the void and program an exit vector using the gateway. That interaction is something I can maintain for you."

"So, to make this skill useful, I have to pre-program every jump I'll ever make?"

"Yes and no. There are stories of those navigating the Cosmos without needing the device, but I think it's more rumor than reality. Theoretically, you don't need to have been somewhere to go there—you just need the right code. There are many reset codes across the Cosmos established by former void users that your Gateway can interact with. We'll need to obtain them."

"So, I just make a snapshot of the entire elemental construct of everything around me, up to a 5-meter radius?"

"Yep, easy-peasy."

"No, Nex."

Nex seemed to grunt but let the conversation slip internally. Emy then sat on the soil below her, mimicking a meditation pose. Closing her eyes, she let her energy expand, concentrating on building a sphere of influence around her. She focused on isolating her mind, removing everything else in the world.

Once she accomplished her task, Emy focused on interacting with the energy around her, trying to distinguish every element. This was a new goal for her, as even her Disintegration ability sought to continuously break down elements, interact, mold, and influence. Doing this would change her space. She realized she had to push a mental command to her energy, holding it within the sphere while allowing everything within to exist without influence from her or her willpower. She then considered all aspects of her energy and what she felt.

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As Emy sat among the vegetation, she attuned her senses to the molecular level. She could feel the complex dance of atoms and molecules within the plants around her. The tall and green corn stalks were bustling with life, their cells working tirelessly to convert sunlight into energy through photosynthesis. She sensed the carbon dioxide in the air being absorbed by the leaves, the hydrogen and oxygen molecules forming water within the plant's vascular system, and the intricate network of sugars and starches that fueled their growth.

The soil beneath her was a rich tapestry of elements—nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium—all essential nutrients for the thriving crops. She could sense the mycorrhizal fungi intertwining with the plant roots, forming symbiotic relationships facilitating nutrient exchange. The air around her was a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, and trace gases like argon and carbon dioxide, each molecule vibrating with energy and purpose. The humidity in the air carried tiny droplets of water, forming a delicate balance with the temperature and pressure.

As she concentrated for an indeterminate amount of time, Emy began to perceive the minute electrical charges and magnetic fields generated by the interactions of the surrounding elements. It was a symphony of life and energy, playing out at the molecular level, filling her with a profound sense of connection to the universe. At that moment, she sent a pulse to Nex to lock in this projection and received a mental ping, signaling its completion. She then allowed herself to exit the trance.

"How is that?" Emy mentally questioned Nex.

"That was perfect!" Nex promptly responded. "But, remember, I have no knowledge of void dimensions..."

"Thanks?" Emy replied, slightly puzzled by her enthusiastic AI friend's caveat but quickly accepting it.

"So, now what?" Emy asked.

"This part I can help with. First, let's move a bit away, and then I need you to open up the void."

Emy walked away from the village, closer to the distant stone wall that barricaded the community. Hoping she was now out of sight, Emy triggered her new void control skill. She tore a slice of the air away from itself, pushing further until the slice formed a darkness that slowly spread into an ethereal hole, displacing the vegetation around her.

"Great! Let me just… there!" Nex spoke as he activated the Quantum Gateway against the void. The device seemed to materialize from nowhere, grabbing the edges of the void and expanding it into the makings of a small doorway.

"All set! And now you just…" Nex began, but Emy cut him off.

"Walk into eternal darkness and hope not to kill myself?" she said, taking a deep breath and preparing herself.

"Yep!" Nex confirmed.

Emy approached the gateway, hesitated momentarily, then stepped into the unknown. What met her was a familiar laugh and an explosion of fire.

***

Nadia & Tuck

“So, will you tell me what happened tonight?” Nadia looked up at the significant figure of Tuck walking beside her. They were heading back from the infirmary where they had left Will to recover under Lysa's care.

“What happens in fight club stays in fight club?” Tuck tentatively asked.

“No.”

“Alright. But you know we've both been in the backseat of Will's talents.”

“Go on.”

“Can you at least be excited when Will boasts about the story later?”

“Deal,” Nadia said, smiling, which Tuck quickly mirrored.

Tuck then recounted the story about a group of guys led by Lysa's brother, Steel. He spoke of “Blitz” and how Will needed to break into the group through a bet.

“Will stood firm, taking the strikes from the table, lowering his energy barrier to let the punches count. This wasn’t discussed,” Tuck paused and chuckled.

“What is it?” Nadia urged him on.

“Will did it on purpose. The look on those guys’ faces was priceless. We train for combat—when someone fights back, for taking and giving blows with energy. But this group flinched. They hit hard, but regret was written on their faces after each impact. Only Steel, who took the last strike, didn’t react, but even he helped lead Will to the infirmary.”

Tuck smiled. “That’s not even the funny part… Will had his chance to win the game. His Wildcard was unused, and he tucked it under the stack after losing. He got his ass kicked and still came out on top.”

“So, you’re telling me you went with Will, didn’t join the game, didn’t help him win with Nex, and just watched as a group of strangers beat the crap out of him?”

“Nadia, let me be clear… It was one of the best nights of my life.” Tuck's mouth curled into a large smile as he broke into laughter.

Nadia tried to keep a serious face but quickly faltered. “Gosh dang it, I’m only irritated because I wasn’t there to witness your new boys’ club.”

“I’m not sure if it's something I will continue doing with Will.”

“Oh?”

“These people, their strikes are all about finesse and speed. I’ll go at first, but I think I’d rather be with you.”

Nadia stopped in her tracks, causing Tuck to panic.

“To train! You? Me. We could train together,” Tuck stumbled over his words.

“Now you don’t want to hang out with me?” Nadia quipped.

“No! I mean, yeah, I would love that. To, you know... I just think our Talents could grow more if we train together. Will could learn more with the boys' club.”

“I’d love to join you, Tuck.” Nadia still stopped, giving a jesting smile at Tuck’s red face ahead of her. “But if you ever want to take me on a date, you better ask in a better way.”

Tuck froze as a voice spoke through his Nex.

“What the heck is going on out there? I can feel your emotions from this stump I’m on. Is everything okay?” Will asked, and Tuck vowed to punch Will tomorrow.

“Get some sleep, creeper,” Nadia replied through Nex. “We’re fine, right, Tuck?”

"Better than fine." Tuck composed himself, unaware that, far away from them, Will smiled and closed his eyes for the first time, feeling his friends' success.

Nadia caught up with Tuck, and they continued their walk back to camp, talking about Nadia’s time with Lysa and her Talents, when a bird call echoed.

“Rose?” Nadia questioned, looking up at the sky.

Their companion whistled, crossing the sky and heading southward toward…

“Smoke!”