The castle's descent was now becoming more sudden, moving to the left, closer to the ocean. Max saw little specks falling or flying from the Ĉielarko Castle and thought there were pieces of dirt.

Someone suggested they were people jumping off and watching the castle fall was no longer interesting.

"Tiffany, we need to go back," Max said. "We need to-"

"You will die."

"But-"

"I'm taking us to Eric's," she said. "It's okay. Don't look back."

"We-"

"I love you. Please stop this martyr shit."

Max didn't argue with her anymore.

He didn't look back.

The closer they bobbed down to Fadeno, the more he could hear screams.

People looked into the sky, watching what they believed to be the Emporer and most of the Nobli in Aria crashing down in the Tanĉeo Ocean. A flurry of emergency vehicles rushed through the hyperway following the crashing castle in one direction, and a flurry of people escaping the falling debris went the opposite way.

The brave or stupid, most likely both, tried to get onto roofs, went outside, or drove towards the crash to get a better look.

Livestreams across the Empire of Aria broadcasted the last moments of Ĉielarko Castle. It crashed into the Tanĉeo Ocean, pieces exploding up into the night sky. A shockwave pushed out waves onto the coast, killing the curious or unlucky. The force of the implosion spread out pieces of the castle across the shoreline, and whatever was left sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

A weird, strange fizzling sound came from Max's shoulder and Tiffany's ear. Sir Alta and the other people in the leaf-boat looked around and felt something was off. Lights in the distance went out in certain parts of the city while staying on in others. Tiffany was trying to land faster before the lights went out, and tried calling Eric.

"Nera, call Eric."

No response.

"I got it," Max offered.

"Aetheria, call Eric."

Silence.

All the AIAs died along with Ĉielarko Castle.

----------------------------------------

Eric was busy watching the news in his apartment, watching the live footage. It would go in and out, and the electricity in the area was sporadic. The Dyson Sphere being completed was starting to look more appealing every day.

"They're tough. They'll be fine."

Eric was spiraling, pacing the apartment back and forth. Eric and Tiffany were not picking up the many times he called using his built-in phone on his hand, and then he realized that many of the signals in the area weren't working due to the shockwave of the crash.

While getting a glass of water in the kitchen to calm his nerves, a little ding dong, came from the front door.

Eric calmly got his gun from the drawer next to the oven, put it in the back of his pants, and looked into the peephole of the door.

It was Eric and Tiffany.

He hugged Tiffany and a stream of words came out that were unintelligible. He was speaking so fast that he had to keep repeating himself. He started crying and he could only cry out of his right eye, so he looked even stranger, distressed and half-crying.

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"It's okay," Tiffany said. "Let's just go to sleep. Tomorrow's problems."

"Tomorrow's problems," Eric agreed.

Inside, while getting them food from the fridge Max pointed at the gun in his back pocket.

"You're going to shoot your butt off," he joked.

"Don't worry, I'm used to getting into accidents lately, I got a motorcycle."

"That's not a good thing."

Eric waved his hand like it was no big deal, and made them the quickest meal he could at the moment, sandwiches. He apologized for not having a lot of food in the house because 'usually he lived alone'.

"Usually," Tiffany asked.

"Yes...sometimes a friend stays over," Eric said.

"A friend, or a friend-friend?"

"A stranger is a friend you haven't made yet," Eric replied, deflecting the question.

Max was entertained by Tiffany and Eric. He silently watched in amusement, munching on his sandwich while Eric amazingly dodged more questions. Max thought that Tiffany had overreacted earlier until he went to the bathroom. He saw two toothbrushes on the sink, and a pile of clothes left that looked nothing similar to anything that Eric would ever wear.

"Oh."

He said nothing when he returned to the kitchen, just happy to get most of the blood out from under his fingernails.

Eric was a wonderful host, offering the both of them his bed for the night. Max left Tiffany have it, and he slept on the couch while Eric slept on the floor. In the morning, when the signals returned, Eric still found it difficult to get a hold of anyone. He was able to call his family but still was worried about one more person.

Eric was bundled in a thin white sheet, his black hair a mess, again panicking. Tiffany was drinking coffee, and wearing a pair of shorts and a shirt she borrowed from Eric's closet while watching updates on the morning news about last night's disaster.

"Why can't I get anyone," Eric asked.

"I think it's because the AIAs died," she replied.

"Died? They can't die? They were never alive."

"Yes they are," Max shouted from the kitchen.

He walked into the living room eating a bowl of cereal. None of Eric's shirts fit him, but his shorts did, so he was walking around the apartment shirtless and hoping he could return home, wherever that was.

"By that logic, androids are alive," Eric argued.

"Question," Tiffany said.

"Answer," Eric replied.

"You're a cyborg, kinda?"

"Yeah?"

"Could a cyborg marry an android?"

Eric made a face of disgust, and Max laughed, trying not to choke on his cereal.

"Of course not," Eric replied.

"Are you embarrassed for us to meet your friend-friend because they're an android," Tiffany asked.

Eric got up from the floor, walked over to the couch, and threw one of the pillows at her.

Another not-argument began again, and Max said nothing, the fake argument better than any television show.

----------------------------------------

Kylan was distressed that he could not steal an AIA.

They were always loyal to whoever they locked in with first, and stealing one would make it useless. He was also upset that he just couldn't steal something for the sake of stealing. It made him feel spicy inside.

Much to his disappointment, Kylan bought a new AIA, this one a small red dragon. It made him feel like a cool rebel. When he set it up he named it Echo, an even cooler name for the coolest AIA around!

Echo's name nor looks did not fit his personality.

"Echo, call Ghost," Kylan said.

"No."

"Echo...please...call Ghost."

"Yes."

Kylan was in the alley between the AIA store and a flower store, waiting for his boss to answer. It took longer than usual, and finally, a holo screen popped up and displayed on the brick wall of the alley.

"WHOA YOU'RE ALIVE," Kylan shouted. " I was so worried."

"Of course I am, I live nowhere close to that mess," Ghost replied. "I'm more surprised you're alive, you always get yourself into trouble."

"Thank you for being worried about me too."

"Sorry, sorry...it's been a stressful past few days. Sadly the one person who should've died that day is still alive."

"HOW!?"

"Bugs are stronger than they appear."

They both snicker and make small talk, catching up with the past few days. Then they get down to business, their next meeting.

"I know where he escaped to," Ghost said. "It's not what I expected. It's near The Gate to Elysium, oddly enough."

"How are we going to make sure he doesn't escape this time," Kylan asked.

"Everyone is paranoid with these attacks so close together. We can use their paranoia against them."

"How many guys should I get?"

"I'm sending just you. Bring friends if you want, your choice."

Kylan's ears went red and he grinned. He wasn't doing a good job of hiding his excitement, especially when the plans were told.

"You have two chances to make up for your failure from before," Ghost said.

"I won't mess up this time!"

"Good. The first is the Emporer's ball. They're inviting all the Nobli and select Kuraga. I got you an invite."

A little holographic letter flew out of the screen and onto Kylan's wrist, added to his calendar for Echo to remind him later.

"Get a good disguise, and don't fuck this up. I'm going to get a new one myself."

Ghost ended the call and Kylan now had a new excuse to feel spicy.

He was going to have a nice day stealing new items for his disguise.