Garrett awoke again with an airless breath, seeing an expansive white void around him, a desk containing an entire universe on it, and Otris. Garrett's breath was shakier this time as he got his bearings again. He stared down at his hands, which were clean, but didn't feel that way. He held his face in his hands for a few moments before Otris broke the silence.

"Would you like a cup of math?" Otris gently slid a teacup filled with liquid mathematics to Garrett. He took his own sip in the silence of the void. Cautiously, after what felt like hours, Garrett picked up the cup and took a sip. It didn't do much to calm his nerves, but the taste of cosines seemed oddly soothing. "So, you died again."

"It was worse this time," Garrett said, finding the strength to speak.

"What happened this time?" Otris asked, setting down his cup and focusing his attention on Garrett.

"There was this pixie," Garrett said as he stared down at the hands that had held her lifeless body. "Her name was Iadre." He held up his hands, which were gently shaking. "We fought this large bird person creature, and..." Garrett stared at Otris with tears streaming down his face. "He killed her."

"I see," Otris said, bowing his head in respect to the dead. "I noticed that you seemed to be more distraught about this one's death compared to the deaths the first time you died. What changed?"

Garrett took another deep airless breath and a sip of math before speaking again. "I think it was three things. First, that I had spent more time bonding with her, so I was closer to her." Otris calmly nodded as he listened. Garrett mustered up his strength to keep going. "Second, was the way she died. Unlike Min-Tul, Jerten, and Cerezie the first time, who died quickly and painlessly, Iadre suffered. I could hear her cries of agony and I couldn't do anything to save her." Tears were once again forming in Garrett's eyes. "That's the third thing. I thought I was better and that I was stronger, but I'm not. I couldn't save her."

Otris calmly got up and walked over to Garrett, placing his hands on Garrett's shoulders. "Garrett, Heroes do fail from time to time." He gently reached around and pulled out the pouch of Helioxene that Garrett had collected. "In fact, most of us Duken expect our heroes to fail many times before they start to get things right." Otris pulled out one of the orbs of Helioxene and held it up to Garrett. "This is why we make sure that Heroes gather Helioxene; so we can send them back so they can try again." He poured out all the Helioxene into his hands and absorbed them. "Asuria has not yet finalized itself in what it is and isn't completely. As you saw in your second, reincarnation shall we call it, that those who died may not remain dead the next time you reincarnate."

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Garrett wiped the tears from his face, but felt Otris's last words go in one ear and out the other. Otris sighed and rested his hand on Garrett's shoulder again. "That isn't to say that what you're going through or went through doesn't matter," Otris said. "Every time you reincarnate and all the connections you begin to make influence Asuria and how it plays out. It is said that some bonds can sustain themselves throughout a mess of time and space." Otris walked back around the desk to his side and sat down. "Learn from your successes to repeat them. Learn from your failure to prevent them."

Garrett took a deep airless breath and began to find his second wind. He stood up with renewed vigor. As he reached down, he noticed that he only had his sword and shield. The axe that he had gotten was nowhere to be found.

'...I guess that makes sense... I didn't keep what I had found last time in the timeline with Vanessa and Zerat...'

"So, with the Helioxene, what can you do for me this time?" Garrett asked.

"Well, I can give you a choice this time, actually," Otris said, waving his hand. Two boxes appeared on the desk in front of Garrett. Otris patted the box on Garrett's right. "In this box is an upgrade to your sword. I can modify it to be able to transform into a bow." Otris then turned his attention to the other box. "Inside this one is a bracelet. It will allow you to cast some minor magic. Nothing too powerful. So, what shall it be?" Garrett looked between the two boxes. "And don't worry, the option you don't pick shall still be available to you in the future, provided you bring back enough Helioxene." Garrett pondered the two options before settling on the box with the magic bracelet. "Interesting. Why this one?"

"If I lose my sword," Garrett said, putting on the bracelet, "Then I at least have another option." As he finished putting the bracelet on, he felt a soft surge of power course through his arm. "Whoa, that tingles."

"Alright, off you go. Collect more Helioxene, Garrett," Otris said, opening the portal behind Garrett. He waved his hand and a force of energy pushed Garrett into the portal.

"Wait, how do I-?" Garrett was cut off as the portal closed behind him, putting him in a world of darkness. "Crud. Okay, where's the lid?" Garrett felt around for the opening panel and shoved it open, taking in a fresh breath of the cave air. He looked down at the bracelet in wonder. How in the world was he going to use this? Zerat was the only one that seemed to use any kind of magic. What Iadre did technically wasn't magic, but some cosmic horror's energy.

He sighed and headed towards the exit of the room. This time, the hallway split left and right. After gently carving one side of a rock, Garrett flicked it into the air. It clattered softly onto the ground. "Alright, I'm going left," Garrett said as he picked up the rock and headed down the left hallway.