In barren arctic lands, a samurai waited at the bus stop, holding an umbrella to protect himself from the strong blizzard winds.

"Not the best weather, eh?" - A familiar voice accosted him.

The samurai lifted his umbrella, just barely and peeked at his pal.

"Not the best, Kenkaku." - He said as he shielded back his face from the snow.

Kenkaku pulled out a long pipe, stuffed it with tobacco, and started smoking. - "Where are you heading these times, Ekhael?"

"To the west."

"I see." - Kenkaku paused, slowly letting the smoke out of his lungs. - "Any reason, in particular?"

"A prison manifested."

"Another one?"

"Yes."

"Last years are unusual."

"Not in the slightest. It's due to a new faction."

"Oh, that's.. still a little unprecedented. What is their emblematic principle?"

"An astronaut."

"An astronaut?"

"An astronaut."

"I see. What did they achieve to get their status?"

"A spell beyond 'the end', Supernova."

"Supernova? I see... let me guess. Is it, some sort of large-scale light-based disintegration? The counter-state of aspects of nether and aether."

"Close, but it's a wrong guess."

"Do tell me, what is it?"

"Pure aether, or perhaps something beyond that. It's a rebirth of a star."

Kenkaku lifted his eyes to the sky. - "So, that's the source of this light. Isn't it supposed to be impossible to break the witch's curse?"

"That's what everyone believed."

"Until they were proven wrong... what else did the spell cause?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"It's merely a symbol."

"If it's merely a symbol, it's a hopeless one."

Ekhael didn't respond to that. Kenkaku felt a bit ignored, but he handled it with a stoical acceptance.

"...so..." - Kenkaku didn't finish, he was interrupted by an approaching bus, which was made out of wood and stylized like a pagoda.

Ekhael silently entered inside and Kenkaku followed, after stuffing his pipe back into a pocket.

Most of the seats were already occupied, some by samurai, some by strange-headed men in black suits, and some by aviators. The two men walked until the last seats, where a woman in motorcyclist's attire chewed bubblegum and listened to a music player. They sat in front of her, Ekhael staring outside, Kenkaku next to him.

Kenkaku coughed, aiming to restart the conversation. - "...so, I was going to ask, anything interesting about the prison that manifested?"

"It appears empty."

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"Empty?"

"Yes, that's why It was ignored. They say it's an insignificant anomaly, or a lure."

"And, what do you think?"

"I think, there is still one survivor."

"Rather unlikely. We both know the deal with western prisons."

"There were signs, though."

"What signs, in particular?"

"It has the cycle of seasons, that would mean, it's not lethargic, which would imply that something, or someone, is still considered an intruder."

"...or, that it is in fact, a defect."

"It's not everything."

"Not everything?"

"Apparently, Amnesty picked a radio signal from there. It was SOS."

"We both know it's nothing unusual, given the number of prisons."

"Stil..." - Ekhael lifted his eyes to the newfound light. - "I have a strong premonition, that someone is in there."

"Huh? Are you telling me, you're going to the west, just because of a hunch?"

"Precisely."

Kenkaku was utterly dumbfounded and at a loss of words. For a few next hours, the journey continued with Ekhael staring at the sky, and Kenkaku meditating. They entered a frozen sea with hundreds of steel wind turbines and soon the bus stopped, in the middle of it.

Ekhael walked out. Kenkaku observed him from his seat, then scratched the rear of his neck.

"Ahhh!" - He grumbled, stood up, and ran after Ekhael, barely making it in time before the door of a bus closer.

"Kenkaku?" - Ekhael lifted his coolie hat, surprised. - "I thought, you were going to grind for artifacts."

"Grind, grind, endless grind! Can't a man take a break?"

Ekhael just smiled. - "I'm happy to have you with me, Kenkaku."

"Oh, oh. Don't start this, I'm already regretting my decision... ehh... just tell me where the prison is. Let's get over this pointless trip."

Ekhael pointed at an old oil rig, like a blurry mirage hiding behind a snowy mist.

[ . . . ]

As the two samurai approached, the mirage gradually vanished from their sight, until there was nothing but an empty field of snow.

Kenkaku stopped and entered a fighting stance. - "One thousand steps, one slash. Cut the limbo."

In a fraction of a second, like without drawing his sword at all, Kenkaku forced the prison open and both samurai appeared inside the oil rig.

"Still pronouncing the techniques?" - Ekhael chuckled.

"Shhh, it helps to focus." - Kenkuaku waved his hand, dismissively.

"You're so old-school."

The samurai moved, passing between rusty iron walls, across pipe-bridges, climbing spiral stairs, and balancing on the platforms outside, in a strong winter wind. They stopped at the top of a tower and observed. In the distance, there were radio towers, islands, ship wreckages, and other sunken constructions.

"It'll take many winters to comb through this place." - Kenkaku sighed.

"The web spreads, old widow stalks her prey." - Ekhael chanted and a light akin to spiderweb started spreading across the frozen sea. - "The link is lost, I call upon the beholder." - A red eye opened on Ekhael's forehead, then examined the domain. It disappeared after a minute and Ekhael pointed somewhere afar, behind the horizon. - "There."

"...and to think, you were laughing at me."

"I just wanted to remind myself what it is like to be lame."

Kenkaku's eye twitched, but he spoke no word. Ekhael smirked, then jumped all the way down the rig. Kenkaku followed. It took over a dozen years to reach their destination, but all they've found were empty bottles of whiskey.

"See?" - Ekhael said. - "Only a few years have passed. Someone definitely is partying in here."

Kenkaku had a concerned look on his face. - "Isn't it weird, though? We can barely detect any signals in here. It's like his body didn't go through any transformations... like he wasn't a climber."

"Oh... interesting hypothesis, but I think it might be a hidden legend."

"You don't seem to have a hunch this time, though." - Kenkaku spoke and lifted his left eyebrow. - "...so, do you wanna bet?"

"What are we betting with?"

"A lunch at Xomu's lantern."

"I doubt you can afford a meal."

"You can, that's enough."

"Are you so confident that you will win this time?"

Kenkaku was calm. - "I do." - He saw more than Ekhael, or perhaps, what Ekhael believed in, was an illusion. Kenkaku saw the loss, the grief, the desperation, and the neverending loneliness. Not something that would concern a person as experienced as them...

[ . . . ]

"Eh, as I promised. I never thought that you would win." - Ekhael emptied his wallet. - "Eat your fill."

Kenkaku, however, sat with closed eyes and didn't touch the food. Instead, he spoke. - "Let him have it."

Ekhael's eyes were wide open. - "Are you sure? A chance like this happens once in a lifetime."

Next to Ekhael sat an old man, scrawny and broken.

Kenkaku looked at the food, there was a hint of sadness on his face. He wasn't ready to give this occasion up. - "I... I'm sure."

The old man reached for a piece of dragon lobster, his hands were still trembling. He turned to Kenkaku, as If to make sure he is allowed to eat or isn't hurting anyone. Kenkaku just nodded, to confirm that the man should have no restraints.

"Thank... thank you." - The old man said and bit into lobster's leg. He chewed, slowly, before replying in a reserved voice. - "It really is delicious."

Kenkaku lifted his brow. - "...but? You seem troubled."

The old man lowered his head, a few tears dropped on his knees. - "I've lost so many years... so much time... I'm really grateful, that you've come, to save me. I'm in your debt."

"It was his idea." - Kenkaku replied. - "You can thank him."

"Thank you..." - The old man uttered with shaking lips. - "Thank you..."

"Oh, stop it!" - Kenkaku whined and waved his hand. - "Eat! The meal is getting cold!"

"...and thank you, too. For being there, for the meal, for your kindness..." - The old man continued.

Knowing that Kenkaku is visibly annoyed, Ekhael just smiled.

Kenkaku sensed it instantly. - "Okay, okay! I get it, you're very grateful!"

"Yes... yes, I am, but... could you fulfill one more humble request for me, If I'm not too greedy?" - The old man said.

"Eh, what is it?" - Kenkaku uttered.

"I didn't share a meal with anyone for so long..."

Ekhael's smiling eyes were gazing at Kenkaku, who just turned to him, sighed, and replied to the old man - "In a few years, you will regret it." - He then snatched a lobster's leg.

Before joining, Ekhael waved at the waitress with his final shout. - "Sake, for everyone!"