She sat under the Canopy of Creation, looking out at all the different worlds, and waited. She was very good at waiting. So many worlds had come and gone since She last performed Her duties that it was getting kind of ridiculous, but She was patient.
The old fogies picked on Her all the time for being lazy, but it wasn’t Her fault that mortals were so incompetent, She wanted to work too!
But She was optimistic. Of the countless sounds of knocking that came rumbling from all the infinite worlds, one of them could succeed at any time and get their visit. She just had to be vigilant and keep waiting.
Not for the first time, She wondered if there was anyway to raise the success rates a bit. Those stinky fools and their ‘prestigious schools’ and so called ‘powerful sects’ had reaped no tangible results in who knew how many eons, and yet they had the nerve to tease Her?
She was grumbling as She sometimes did when bored, when a strange hum, softer than the softest feather, went nearly unnoticed even by Her. It differed from the usual reverberations mortals made challenging the tribulations; more like a small ripple on a still pool, so weak yet undeniably transformative. It was a strange phenomenon She couldn’t explain yet, and it wasn’t the first time she felt it.
In the recent few cycles, more and more of such tiny ripples tickled her curiosity. She didn’t know what it meant, but Her intuition screamed that something important was going to happen. Something different.
She looked up at Mother and her fruits, so many times fewer than in her youth, a new twinkle in her eye.
And she didn’t think she’d have to wait for too long.
—
It's always the start that's the hardest. That initial step feels like facing a colossal mountain, a daunting ascent into the unknown. It's as if standing at the threshold, facing the gatekeeper to greatness, a formidable guardian of artistic destiny. All doubts reside in the first step. The only thing more challenging than slaying the dragon is summoning the courage to embark on the journey to face it, right?
This was the turmoil in the mind of the self-proclaimed genius sculptor, preparing to bare his soul to the world. Jittering before an elevated 4-foot-tall block of marble stood Jun Hopper, a lean muscled, five foot nine, 22-year-old aspiring sculptor in a world that had long forsaken the profession. Dressed in dirty jeans, a worn shirt that had once been white and a leather apron with pockets filled with the tools of his trade, Jun’s sweaty palms tightly gripped well worn tools, attempting to regain composure. If he could just gather himself, everything would be fine. Once started, everything would flow, he reassured himself.
To be fair, Jun wasn't usually the nervous type when it came to his work. Obsessed with the arts since a young age and never ceasing to better his skills, he was confident in his craft. The issue was that others were observing him. Sculpting had been such a deeply personal thing to him that having onlookers now felt more exposing than being naked, even after so many sessions. It was disconcerting.
'No, just tune out the drone cams. Focus on the piece. It’s just me and her now. She’s more than ready to be free, so what am I waiting for?' He took a deep breath.
Though his face was hidden by a scuffed and worn gray breathing mask and plastic safety goggles, Jun's observers could still make out his expressive black eyes, so it was instantly clear to all when the shift took place. Gone was the nervous young man trying to get comfortable in front of the hovering drone cams, replaced by a master artisan beholding his work through his critical eyes.
Nothing else existed for him now.
His followers were familiar with the 'Switch,' as they had admiringly dubbed the phenomenon. It signaled the beginning of a process few believed was even real. Many dismissed it as an impressive AI-generated hoax posing as reality. Despite the skeptics, there were those with broader vision and experiences who saw the beauty in his movements, recognizing a master of his craft at work.
Jun had been very excited about this session.
When he first got the mass of marble, he had gone wild with excitement. Secretly leaving the city limits, he ventured into the ruined remains of an old city for inspiration and materials. Initially, he thought it was a broken half of a stone column, but feeling the textured surface along its side, Jun had a suspicion confirmed by a scan with his wrist com.
This was the epitaph of someone who had once lived in the city.
Luckily, the main surface was preserved enough to be mostly legible. It read:
In loving memory of Marcia Wellby. Brilliant of mind, generous of heart and kind beyond measure, the best Mother a son could be blessed.
2124 - 2196
Jun did not know Marcia Wellby. He could not even imagine what kind of life someone from before The Fall could have lived, but he knew she was loved. Someone had cherished Marcia enough to leave a memento that had survived beyond civilization to reach him. It had moved Jun deeply.
It also made him remember his own mother. She was a proud and strong mom, and she loved him fiercely. He missed her.
For days, Jun pondered how to transform the stone that held such memories and emotions. It was a tribute that had survived the end of the world and into the new. How could he preserve the love for someone he had never met?
He spent hours feeling the different sides of the stone and its weathered etchings, wondering what images were deemed worthy of representing Marcia Wellby upon its crumbling surfaces and what final form lay beneath the layers of stone.
Had she been a great warrior? No, there were no Hunters back then, right? She was a splendid mother, that was for sure. She was brilliant, so obviously intelligent and accomplished, probably very kind and patient. Perhaps she was also strict, like his own mom. She obviously did a great job raising her kid. He could afford a giant stone epitaph, so he must have done well for himself, and how can a son’s success be untied to the loving nurturing of a mother’s love?
Jun had, of course, held back a few tears during his process of finding the image in the stone, but it was close.
The more he pondered Marcia Wellby and the story he was constructing, the clearer the image became until the moment he knew it was perfect.
Now it was time.
With hammer and chisel, Jun knocked and chipped. Stone fragments flew in all directions, but his focus never wavered. A constant rhythm of taps sang a song that could capture the heart and suddenly a singular block of marble was transforming.
Hours felt like minutes as a rough block of stone transformed into something beautiful and refined.
To the casual viewer, the rough and weathered stone was simply shedding its excess to release the trapped figure within. His movements were so effortlessly refined that it felt like the sculpture had always been there and was only just being released.
A woman sitting upright on a rough stone with her worn and accomplished hands resting on her lap.
Her long, flowing hair fell freely over her right shoulder, elegantly draped in a dress of soft fabrics that hugged her comfortably. She had a beauty that could only come with the passing of time, with eyes that had seen the world change. Her face was oval and happy, and her figure was comfortable and strong, her posture relaxed and in harmony with the world.
It would be wrong to say that she was a peerless beauty, but she had a charm that drew the eye and raise a natural curiosity about the stories she could tell.
The small stone upon which she sat read the original etching scaled to fit the new surface.
Jun didn’t know Marcia. Jun didn’t know Marcia’s son. But Jun knew a mother’s love, and he knew what it was to love and adore his mother, and in that moment, he knew Marcia Wellby, and he loved her. He hoped that this nameless son would at appreciate the tribute.
What would have taken weeks of a Master Sculptor’s time and dedication of endless refinement in the pre-Gate era only took Jun, a body refinement practitioner, a few hours. The speed and grace of the process were visually remarkable, captivating the casual viewers of the live stream who found it impossible to stop watching. It wasn’t until Jun stepped away and allowed the drone cam to hover around the finished work that many viewers realized they had not moved in hours.
The hundreds of viewers within the Ten Gate Cities observing the final work of art all had the same thought.
The marble had come alive.
How could anyone say that this dignified lady was of stone?
Obviously, she is the proudest mother in the world. Oh, there are tears in my eyes? Liar! You’re crying, not me! Wanna go?!
Jun didn’t know what kinds of emotional responses his work was generating. He was proud of what he had created, and that was enough.
OK, no, it wasn’t, but it was for him.
OK, no, it wasn’t, but people liked it, so it was fine.
OK, no, most people didn’t like it, but some did, so that was great.
And yes, yes, it actually was.
This whole streaming business was stressing Jun out like crazy. He absolutely hated it. Well, ‘hate’ was a strong word. Perhaps ‘overly fatigued?’ There were a few aspects he liked, especially at the beginning when he started streaming his sculpting sessions a year before because of Danny.
Danny, his best bud, had made the astoundingly astute observation that Jun wasn’t doing shit to progress his dreams of reintroducing the fine arts to society. A society that only cared about cold efficiency and killing Gate monsters. Danny argued that now was the perfect time to press his agenda.
After 200 years of fighting and development, society had finally progressed to where humanity was no longer in constant danger of extinction. The greatest indicator of that was the reemergence of global communication for the masses through the newly established Global Rune Information Network and the ever sprouting and developing entertainment industries that followed which hadn’t been seen since before The Fall.
People finally had the leeway to care about other things besides survival and were essentially starving for some cultural nourishment. If Jun wanted to reintroduce the arts to this world, now was the time to do it.
Hence the live streaming.
Multiple live streaming platforms, well documented as a popular platform before The Fall, had formed almost immediately after GRIN was up. Talents buried without a chance to shine were given opportunities to showcase what they could do. Most, of course, did not go beyond the initial presentations of their skills, but some shot straight to stardom and financial success, which only bolstered others to try their fortunes.
Jun had actually enjoyed the first few months of his streaming career.
No one had sculpted anything with their hands since fabrication tech took its final steps toward complete automation by the end of the Last War, so his whole streaming concept was unique only to him.
Well, when 80% of all streamers was focused on Gate-related content, it wasn’t hard to be unique.
He also didn’t struggle in being interesting, which was saying much, especially since he hadn’t been saying anything at all. Jun was an introverted guy who would rather work on his next sculpture while hanging out with his girlfriend Desi than go to a party, for instance. It didn’t mean he couldn’t speak in front of crowds, he just reaaally loathed it. He just didn't like being the attention of a crowd and the thought of talking to so many hundreds of strangers through a drone cam was a nightmare and a half.
So yeah, nope. He just didn't talk. Mystery concept, right?
Blah.
It was fun reading the comments and infinitely flattering when monetary gifts started coming in.
At the time, the question about its authenticity was a fun conversation that he and Desi loved to giggle about.
Then it got mean.
One day, Jun's live stream became flooded with haters, the chats filled with cruel mockery. It was confounding, making him wonder what he’d done to upset so many people. He’d was hurt and demoralized, seriously considering quitting altogether until Desi and Lily combed through and found many loud voices of support buried in the muck.
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That and the ever-increasing donations gave Jun the courage to continue.
Hell, with the current rate of gifts, it was possible to really pursue his dreams, so he was thankful. Just don't look at the comments and all was well in the world.
The gifters were relatively few, but faithful and generous. Generous to the point that Jun was feeling guilty. Well, he had a rough plan for that.
He let the drone cam do its thing for a bit more as he walked out of his Streaming Corner and towards a familiar figure lounging on his couch, watching something from his wrist com projection.
Although the Streaming Corner was well organized for the audience, the rest of his studio was a clutter of projects at different stages of completion.
Jun carefully passed around a four-foot-long glass piece that just needed rune engraving and the fittings to hang from the ceiling. Right behind it was an eight-foot metal monstrosity that never made it past conceptual. Jun wasn't sure if it deserved a revisit or scrapping.
Passed the working space was what most would consider a gallery of madness rather than a home. Finished works of art hung elegantly and strategically from almost everywhere; ceilings, floors and walls filling the open two-story space with Jun’s many creations. Although overwhelming at a glance, as one passed through the spaces, they would find the order to the madness. Jun positioned everything to encourage natural movement and lit the space to create different experiences. Small intimate pockets existed throughout the space for resting while appreciating the works from different perspectives.
It was all a great blessing, and none of it would have been possible without the support of his best friend Danny who encouraged Jun to follow his dreams and never hesitated to help at every step.
Having no funds to buy property, Jun was stuck with rental and no property owner was comfortable with Jun's 'hazardous' hobbies. To them, anyone wanting to make anything without a fabricator was a lunatic and the worst tenants.
So it came to be that Jun's short dash towards his dreams had come to a dead end before he could eve start.
Then entered Danny.
With utmost nonchalance, he came by one day and handed Jun a rental agreement form. Apparently, an old warehouse in the East District had gone up for sale on the cheap because of a lack of maintenance and he snatched it with a small chunk of his inheritance.
What could he say? His bro was the best.
Danny Guard, at the same age as Jun, was a tall guy at over six and a half feet and, after years of focused training, had developed an impressive warrior's body. Dark-skinned and classically handsome with his prominent nose and cheekbones, the son of a bitch even had glorious silken brown hair that did whatever its owner wanted, as opposed to Jun's unruly black mop that even Desi had given up on.
Still dressed in his bright red workout gear, Danny lounged on a comfy chair, relaxing with his feet on the coffee table. Thankfully, Desi wasn't here to see that cause she would have gone nuts. By the Nexus, had she not been by once since the argument?
Nearing closer, he saw a live stream of a Hunter team on an active hunt. These were hugely popular and birthed many local Hunter heroes and sponsorships. This team looked to be in a bit of a bind, though.
“Whose team is this? I don't recognize the armoring.”
A deep and lazy voice responded. “It's a new team. And I mean brand spanking new. These idiots are apparently the top of some graduating Hunter class from Lions Gate City. The team leader made a big deal about how their journey to the top was starting today. Ha!”
“Man, I can't even laugh. They're getting slaughtered. Did they seriously go that deep without at least one guardian mech? Why isn't anyone helping- OH SHIT!”
On screen, two of the forward attackers were desperately fending off a giant, black-shelled insect like monster with ferocious scythe-like arms when a new threat exploded from the earth at their feet. Two deadly gleams slashed the blinding clouds of earth and brutally bisected them from the crotch up.
The blonde-haired defender gave a shout of retreat as he activated his rune. A glowing brown symbol manifested on his right arm, gathering power. The defender gave a mighty shout and stomped his right leg with a boom. A rock wall 10 feet tall shot up with a bright flash to cover the retreat. Only if it was thick enough.
Although the light show was impressive, it was painfully obvious that it was inadequate.
Two giant nightmares slammed through the barrier like it was paper before grappling in competition with what was but a moment ago, the body of a talented but foolish Hunter. Similar fates quickly befell the rest of the party.
“Damn.” Danny mumbled. “K. Didn't need to see that.”
The screen fizzled out of existence as Danny sat upright.
“Sorry bro,” Danny apologized, looking sheepish.
“Yeah, that wasn't helpful.” Jun collapsed into another comfy chair, having lost all the good feelings from the session. The Gate was a dangerous place. It was rare to see such talented young hunters disregard that danger in arrogance. Now they paid the price.
“So, I guess you've talked to Desi?” Jun asked, realizing the meaning of Danny's sheepishness.
“Just a quick chat between classes. I didn't get the chance to even get a word out honestly. She just gave me the short, but not the whys. She's pretty pissed.”
“Yeah, I know. She hasn't spoken with me since,” Jun said, feeling ridiculous about the whole thing honestly. “And as for why she's letting go of her dreams of being the world's greatest Film Prompt Master, that she's worked so hard for and become a Hunter which she’s had no aspirations for, is, get this, Sandy Dandy.”
Seeing the blank look on Danny's face, Jun elaborated. “Sandy Dandy is some new Film Prompter from Blue Sea Gate City. He's been very active this year. He popped out a new Hunter-themed project basically every week. Personally, I feel like his work is crazy overrated, but he's been getting some steady traction. Especially the female teen demographics.”
Danny was getting impatient.
“Aaaaaaanyways, Desi became obsessed with his new series, 'The Reborn Hunter Saves the World.' Blah. It's just epic fight scenes and corny one-liners, but it's a serious over glorification and romanticized view of the Hunter lifestyle. I'm sure this dude has never actually gone beyond the Gate.” Danny scoffed at the thought.
No one really respected the Film Prompters that made Hunter-themed content without having at least braved stepping past the Gate. These were cowards that worshiped and idolized the Hunters the most, and their glorification of what they were too scared to even face and clearly didn’t understand, lacked the realism for those who knew better.
Because Hunters were not heroes.
“No matter how much I've pointed out how ridiculous it all is, Desi's been charmed by this crap so much she can't seem to hear me or anyone else,” Jun recounted with growing frustration before he laughed.
“Her mom was soooo mad. She chewed her out for even suggesting switching career paths right before finals and graduation and after she found out she was pregnant, but I'd bet my left nut Desi didn't hear a word of it."
“Haha yeah when she gets li - What?!” Danny stood up so fast he almost knocked the coffee table over. “You knocked up my sister?!”
“Yup! Hahahahaha! Yo- your face!” Jun was clutching his chest in laughter at the reaction of his best friend.
The three had been childhood friends ever since they were twelve, but Danny and Desi were cradle buddies and as close as any siblings.
The three had bonded easily, since they all shared a similar history of loss. Shortly before Jun's arrival, a great scandal had shaken both families. Danny's mother and Desi's father were discovered having an affair.
The divorce was fast, brutal, and final. Neither wanted the children. They both went off together to who knows where.
When Jun showed up, he found two broken families in need of healing. The five children, including Lily, Desi's younger sister and lil Davie, Danny's younger brother, learned to lean on each other for support and formed a close bond.
Right now, he was enjoying watching Danny, his best friend and soul brother, freak the fuck out. He had never ceased teasing Jun and Desi since they started dating five years ago, at fifteen. In retaliation, Jun loved to steal a smooch with Desi when Danny was around to watch him gag.
This definitely topped that.
After Danny calmed down, he went around to give Jun a brotherly power punch in the chest.
“Well, congrats Daddy. Way to break the news, bro. Wait. Desi's prego and wants to be a Hunter, now? She hasn’t practiced nearly enough for her First Cleansing, right?”
“Yup. My cute lazy butt never had time for practice.” Jun laughed before becoming lifeless again.
“I've always encouraged her to practice more, but it's only now she's been motivated. Not that she is practicing now, don't worry. She's gonna have to wait for after the baby. That means we've got a little over nine months to convince her out of this. I mean, I've never seen a clumsier person in basic combat practice. Just the thought of her on a hunt gives me nightmares.”
Flashes of the poor idiot getting bisected came and went unannounced and unwelcomed. He felt like puking a little.
Desi had never shown any talent in any of the weapon's introductions or combat classes and no matter how much Jun helped her study runetech, the fundamentals for rune weaponry, it just looked like squiggly lines to her. It was a miracle to get her to pass Basic Runetech Maintenance last year, her own graduation having been threatened.
Naturally fickle in character, the only thing Desi had shown a consistent and unwavering passion for was Film Prompting and Jun.
With the AI tech readily available to the masses, it was possible to create simple films with just a few prompt words. Those that could push this craft to the next level were commonly referred to as Film Prompters.
Desi Khis had been producing various carefully crafted films with guidance from both her mom, Mary Khis, a reputable Film Prompter herself, and Danny's father, Juan Guard, who was a popular Set Prompter of great demand. For years, Desi had been steadily improving in her productions and had developed her own gathering of faithful fans. Jun imagined their reactions to her retirement plans.
She, like many others, had been driven creatively by the occasional excavated cultural artifacts from before The Fall. Many civilian databases from military bunkers survived the conflicts. Contained were vast libraries of movies, music and media that were popular at the time. It offered a rare glimpse of what the world and their culture was like in the age of prosperity, but too many it was much more than even that. It inspired a wave of creativity that saw the start of many Film Prompter careers and the birth of a few revered Film Prompt Masters with social standings and influence rivaling the powerful Hunter Families.
But for every success story lied ten thousand failures at their feet. It was an over-saturated market that saw a constant influx of new blood. So for Desi, a junior in the industry, to achieve what she had at such an age was monumental for her career.
Jun suspected a combination of stress from being newly pregnant and her recent burnout from over production had her emotionally worn out and made her in need of a new stimuli. Only if it weren’t so life threatening. Go-carts were fun, right?
He couldn't watch her throw away everything she built and endanger her own life on such an unstable whim.
“I'm not crazy for not supporting her on this, right? I mean, I always want to support her in everything, but this is crossing some lines she's gonna regret, right?” Jun asked weakly, waiting for someone to make him feel less like an asshole for not backing her.
“No way dude,” Danny said resolutely. “This came so out of nowhere, man. She can't be this upset with you for this when we all can see it’s insanity. I'm gonna talk to her again and find out what's going on in that crazy brain of hers. I mean, if she wants to be a Hunter now, why didn't she come talk to me? An actual Hunter Cadet?”
“Yeah, that was another 'issue' she's having. She wants me to be a Hunter too.” Jun said, looking even less like a human being as he melted into his comfy seat.
“...your puny ass a Hunter? Is everything all right with you guys? Is this a double suicide attempt or something?” Danny asked, looking genuinely concerned.
“Hey! I'm not as good as you, but I still had my First Cleansing by twenty. That still puts me in the top 40 percent.... Bitch....” the blob that was slowly finishing its assimilation with the chair, weakly protested.
“Is that supposed to be a brag when you're ranked at the bottom of that forty percent you're so proud of? And then there's Si, someone ranked so far down that it would be easier to count from the bottom to find her, wants to play Hunters?” he asked before looking sorrowful.
“As the big brother, I feel like I've succeeded in protecting her physically but neglected her intellectual development. Sigh~.”
“Yeah, you suck.”
“Fuck you.”
“Not now. I'm still sore from getting railed by Desi.”
They laughed. It felt good to laugh.
“What's she doing now, anyway?”
“Now?” Jun looked down at his wrist com to check the time. “I think she should still be out shopping. Lily told me she went out with Nicole and some of the other girls to buy baby stuff. The girl's night out is baby themed tonight.”
“Damn, am I the last to find out or something?”
“Haha nah. The list was relegated between the two of us. She tells everyone and I tell you. I just forgot to mention it to you earlier. My bad.”
Danny knew what Jun's mind was like before a sculpting session, so he could only give up.
“I'll call her later than. Look, the guys and I are planning on hitting up a club tonight. You should come with me and unwind, man. You gotta relax some, bro.”
Jun just shook his head. “Nah, tired tonight. And we still have finals this week, you know. What are you all doing out partying?”
Danny laughed. “Its fine bro, relax. You knew last year was my last difficult exams. Physics bro, why.” His eyes lost their life for a moment before regaining clarity with a shiver. “Thankfully, I'll never have to do that again.”
“Then what do you have left?” Jun asked with a chuckle.
“Some physical exams and then the Five Team Hunter Battle Simulations the rest of the week. Just showing off the routine battle drills. It's gonna be time for my big reveal. Peak of First Rank of Body Refinement before Graduation! Guild Scouts cometh! I welcome thee!”
Danny stood, striking some poses that defined his impressive physique.
“Yeah, shake that ass,” Jun laughed, though inwardly he couldn't help but sigh.
If Danny had access to his birthright as a recognized descendant of the Vaults Family, then he could have soared to much greater heights.
Danny's mother was from a small branch family to the prestigious Vaults Family. As one of the few S-Rank Hunter families that lorded over the city, an opportunity to become recognized as a child of the Family would have been huge.
Unfortunately, Danny's mother had rescinded any claim on her children when she disappeared with Desi’s dad, cutting any connection he should have had with the Vaults Family.
Even for the esteemed scions of the various S-Rank Families, few could claim to have reached Danny's current heights at his age. If he had their methods and resources, Jun was sure his brother would have blasted past through Second Cleansing long ago.
Most average hard workers would rejoice if they could reach the peak of the 1st rank in their thirties while the moderately talented could get there in their late twenties. Then there was his brother, with the most primitive tools, building a fortress by twenty-two, only one step away from his second cleansing and joining the ranks of the strong.
Jun felt such injustice for Danny, which always followed with guilt. Danny had done so much for him and here he was, his so-called brother, holding out on him. He knew Danny wasn't compatible with his art and even if he was, it would only endanger him and his family by just being aware of it, but the mere act of hiding his practice from someone that had been so consistently genuine towards him made Jun feel despicable.
He didn't know the first thing about rental spaces, or setting up financial accounts for his live streaming. Danny had taken care of all that because he wanted Jun to focus on his craft. There were few good men like Danny in the world. Danny had shown him so much support over the years and what had Jun done for him?
“I'mma get pumped for them scouts tonight. There's a girl I've had my eye on and I'm thinking tonight's the night, bro.”
“Who you been talking to? Wendy?”
“What? Wendy? No man, com'on ew!” Danny spat.
“What's wrong with Wendy? She's super cute and way too smart and interesting for your dumb ass, but for some reason only the Nexus knows, she's into you and you say ew?!” Screw this guy! Wendy was great. She was a close friend of Desi's from her prompter circles that was very smart and had a wonderful creative process that Jun admired. This bastard should be groveling to the Nexus Gods in thanks for her looking his way and he goes ew?!
"Hey hey hey, calm down! Wendy is awesome! She's a real nice girl, but that’s the thing, bro. She's a nice girl. When did you see me mess around with nice girls? Hell, man, you're her friend! You should warn her about me, bro, not try and hook us up.” Seeing Jun lose steam, Danny pressed on.
“Anyways man, I'll let you know how things go tonight and if things work out, you'll be the first to know.” And with that, he was gone.
Jun chuckled to himself. His good brother needed a good girl to keep him see straight like he had Desi. He had so much potential but lacked motivation and focus, only ever taking Body Refinement seriously.
The guilt came back.
He was sure he had made the correct choice. It was to protect his family. Aunt Mary, Uncle Juan, lil Davie, Lily, Danny, and the love of his life, Desi. He couldn't risk their safety by exposing them to some ugly truths.
Later, when he was stronger. It wouldn't be too late then.
He was sure.