“So, the flame will adjust to- Hey! Are you listening, Kendra?” Asha snapped at me.

“Yes. Something about how the fire will never die, but do you really need it? You can just make fire out of nowhere,” I yawned as I stared at the fire Asha was so excited about. The undying flame, aptly named ‘The Undying Flame of Gravia’, rested inside a large stone bowl held up by a statue of a robed skeleton. It was located on the waters, quite close to the largest dock in the city, so it was easy to access it with a boat. There was also a viewing area carved into the statue, just in front of the large bowl of fire so people could marvel at the unremarkable fire.

I suppose the founding fathers of Gravia thought they could probably make money from tourists for years to come...

“It’s not just that! The fire will never go out! It never spreads, never changes. It’s rumored that even if the world blows up, the fires will keep burning.”

“Like a constant…” I murmured.

“What was that?” Asha asked.

I placed my hands on my hips and joked, “If you want the fire that badly, why not take some home?”

Asha’s eyes glowed and her face slowly twisted into a gleeful smile. “That’s a great idea! But I doubt Gravia will just let me take some of their beloved fire. It’s pretty historically significant to them.”

“Is it really just for that reason?”

Asha scratched her cheek and muttered, “Probably…”

“How’s it hanging, kids?” Master suddenly butted into our conversation then turned towards Asha. “You look like you want to steal that giant bowl of fire.”

“That’s a crazy plan, but I bet you could pull it off,” Asha said with a smug smile.

“Can’t you see the size of that damned thing? You think I’m crazy enough to try and steal this thing?!” Master retorted.

“Not even for me, Uncle?” Asha begged.

“No! Not even if Sarjay asks me,” Master declared vehemently. He placed his hands in his robe’s pockets then lowered his body. “Would a bit of fire please you, though?”

“Can you?” Asha asked with an excited grin, like a grandchild waiting to get a present from their grandparent.

Master scanned the area and whispered to Asha and me, “Alright, I need you two to keep an eye out. Don’t let anyone come near me, so try your best to cover me.”

With that said, Master turned his back towards us and faced the green fire. We attempted to hide him but he was just twice our size… well at least compared to me.

“Hey, wait. Aren’t we the same age?” I asked Asha.

“Yes. What of it?”

“How come you’re taller than me? The last time we met, we were the same height, I think.”

“I don’t know. Were we really the same height?”

I bit my thumb in frustration. “How did you become taller? What’s the secret?”

“You’re acting as if I did anything special. Have you tried drinking milk?”

“But why?! What would milk even-”

Master suddenly turned around and stared at both of us. He pointed at the two black knights escorting Asha and said, “You. You’re a princess. Why can’t you just ask your bodyguards to help you cover me?”

“Er…”

“Never mind that. Here,” Master took out a glowing jar and quickly placed it onto Asha’s hands. It was covered with a white cloth which wasn’t doing a great job at hiding the green hue coming from with the jar. Asha swallowed a fistful of air from excitement, and her hands started shaking. She lifted the cloth and squealed.

“I can’t believe you actually stole it! I didn’t even see you move from your spot! You-...” Asha stopped herself and coughed. After returning to her normal princessly posture, she bowed her head and said, “Quite an interesting jar of jam which totally isn’t a jar of undying flame! I will take this back to my ship for safekeeping.”

“If you say so,” Master replied with a wave of his hand. Asha disappeared into the exit with her bodyguards, leaving me with my master.

“You didn’t steal the fire. You made it. You can create the same fire the Gravians venerate so much,” I deduced with a low voice. “And it was all effortless…”

“Mayhaps,” Master answered with a shrug. “What’s with that look? I always feel phantom stomach aches whenever I see that look.”

I touched my face and knitted my brows. “Is it that bad?”

“Forget it,” Master sighed. “Anyway, what is it, Kendra? Ask.”

I closed my eyes and exhaled. There was a feeling of hesitance brewing within me, but I shrugged it off. After opening my eyes, I asked, “Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?” Master asked.

I motioned my hand towards the entire balcony. “This. Touring. You’re probably the strongest person to exist right now. Why not seize power? You could rule the world and shape it how you wish. You could even be God.”

"Maybe when you get older, you’ll understand," he answered as he placed his skeletal hands on my head. Despite his gloves, I could still feel his bony fingers.

With the back of my hand, I gently pushed his hand away. "I'm serious."

The atmosphere around him changed instantly. The usual goofy personality was replaced with a somber aura layered with self-ridicule—something I was getting used to whenever he started a lesson.

"What do you see out there?" Master shook his hand towards the air.

"Out there? You mean the bowl of fire or the city?"

He pointed his chin towards the opening, not answering my question.

"I see… a bustling nation with an equally rich past and future. The people are an incoherent mix of the old and new, yet they are here, living in the present."

I turned to Master, only to see him staring at me. I knew that if he had his smug mask with him right now, he would've put it on. He said with a sarcastic tone, "Those are big words for a small girl. I don’t really understand what you mean, but it must’ve been deep."

"You know what I mean!" I retorted angrily.

"Well, whatever you see there, I see ruins. They all look the same. The past, the future, none matters to me."

"Why so?"

"Time passes by too fast and too slowly for immortals, especially for one who sees past time...Past the truth." Master shrugged then turned back to staring at the green fire. "Power is irrelevant. It means nothing to the dust which has seen eons."

"No. Power is everything," I argued as I joined him and watched the fire.

"Once you obtained power, what then?"

I couldn't answer him.

He continued, "Empires fall, powerful men eventually breathe their last, and strength is never set in stone. Once power—absolute power— is in your hands, there is no road ahead."

"Then what's something that lasts forever then?" I asked.

"Memories."

"Memories?" I repeated.

"The journey is the best. And for me, touring’s part of the journey. When you look around you as you walk towards the end-goal, the road shines bright, and the rest… will follow."

I stayed silent for a while as I stared down at the fire. I kneaded my brows and thought about his words.

"No," I said.

"No?"

I watched the formless fire dance like a drunkard without a care in the world. An unchanging fire, never to be bothered by the world while it doesn’t bother the world. It was no different from not existing at all. This was total apathy.

"You've told me countless times about this. The journey and the goal, they are parts of a puzzle. The memories… and the truth. At the end of every road, lies another."

"Oh?" Master raised his chin. "If you think so, I won't argue."

"I don’t know why, but I feel like you’re simply avoiding the end of the path." I faced him and looked straight into his hollow eyes. “Once I get the power I need, I’ll take you with me to the end of the journey. Promise me that you will not run away.”

Master nodded at me then leaned against the railing. I could sense his loneliness dissipating a bit before it was once again replaced with his usual self. "No. That sounds like work, and I hate doing work."

"Too bad! I'll make you do a lot of work for years to come!"

"Damn! Years?! I don't want to waste my un-life tutoring a pain in the ass!"

"The only pain in the ass is you!" I retorted.

"Boss!" an undead called out to us. It was one of Master's minions. "I got bad news!"

"What is it? This better be good," Master huffed.

"I got reports saying that Lard was kidnapped."

With a shrug, Master replied, "That's actually good news to me so I don't-"

"Oh! Also your spokesman. He was kidnapped along with Lard!"

"I cannot believe this! Whoever did this will regret being born!" Master declared. "Shadows!"

The shadows on the ground which blended in the darkness moved stealthily along the ground and converged into Master’s shadow. They rose from the ground and waited for orders patiently.

"Do you know who kidnapped my spokesperson? Zweer?" Master asked his undead minion.

"Zoheer," I corrected.

"Right. Whatever."

"Boss, we suspect it might be your rival candidate in the election," his undead minion responded.

"Right then! Particia will pay! No matter how handsome she thinks I am, she can’t just-"

"It's the other one, Boss! Senator Terebnis!"

"Then he shall pay! Shadows scour the city for Zerew's location!" Master ordered, and his shadows melted into the ground before spreading out. “Kendra, you’re coming with me! It’s time for political espionage again!”

“No! Anything but the disguise!” I begged.

*

*

*

“Stick close to me, Kendra. As we’re on an infiltration mission, it’s important we show off our matching outfit,” Master told me.

We were at a city plaza where the public debate between Master and Senator Terebnis was supposed to take place. True to his word, that bonehead Daggerless was disguised as Master, and he was now giving a long-winded speech.

“You’re nuts! It’s the other way! We’re supposed to be as inconspicuous as possible!” I retorted. “Besides, why does this disguise set look so… ordinary compared to yesterday’s outfit?”

Our disguise was simple - it was just a plain green cloak with a wooden brown mask to cover our faces. He also used a disruptive spell which makes it hard to clearly see our features.

“I don’t have my fancy outfit with me, so I had to use the disguise set I carry with me all the time,” he explained. “You’re lucky the disguise would always fit its user.”

“Then why couldn’t you just use this outfit yesterday?!”

Before he could answer, Master was interrupted. The crowd of undead around us gasped, and I could hear the reason why quite clearly.

“Candidate Boss, can you repeat your answer on what you aim to achieve by winning this election?” a half-fish half-rock monster asked.

“Very well! Listen closely!” Daggerless raised his hands into the air before continuing, “My aim? To crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and hear the lamentation of the taxpayers! Any problem that gets into my way, I shall wrestle it into the ground!”

“What’s with Daggerless’ new profound obsession with wrestling things to the ground?” I asked Master.

“How would I know? I don’t babysit my companions all day long, you know. Look over there! That must be Terebnis,” Master pointed out.

“Where?” I followed the direction of his finger and noticed there was just an empty podium.

No, wait.

When I squinted hard enough, I realized that there was some kind of transparent shadowy figure by the podium stand. Instead of the usual ghostly robes or rags, this figure was actually wearing a formal spectral suit, though his face was completely obscured by a mysterious shadow.

My trail of thoughts was cut off when the crowd’s gasps turned into awe. Daggerless kept repeating that he would personally wrestle the demons out of the Continent if he had to, just to prove that he’s president material. Somehow, that statement captivated the audience.

“Master, why are we here? Shouldn’t we be looking for Zewer- I mean Zoheer,” I asked as I bit my tongue by accident.

“Shadows. Report,” Master ordered. After a brief conversation with the ground, he stuttered, “You couldn’t find them?! Fine! I’ll do it the old fashion way!”

“What’s the old fashion way?” I asked.

“We’re going to kidnap Terebnis.”

I scratched my forehead and blinked my eyes rapidly. “Okay, sure. Whatever. How’re we going to do that?”

“Well…”

Suddenly, several armed people rushed towards Daggerless and Terebnis. They screamed, “For the Mad Party!”

Security guards leapt out to intercept the attackers, but before they could even make contact, Daggerless was already in the air. He body slammed one of the attackers, then rolled his body to crash into another attacker.

“T-That’s the same move Princess Asha used when terrorists attacked her visit!” someone awed.

“Such magnificent form!” another commented.

Instead of running away in panic, the crowd opted to watch Daggerless annihilate the attackers one by one using various wrestling moves.

Master nudged me and said, “Now’s a great time to kidnap him! Kendra, get rid of the attackers around Terebnis!"

I followed his lead without second thought, and we charged at Terebnis. I used an air spell to push the terrorists near Terebnis away, while I also set up a slowing barrier to keep the guards at bay. Once we were close, the senator scoffed at us. “What are you fools doing?! This wasn’t part of the plan!”

“Plan?” Master asked. “Whatever the case, we’re kidnapping you!”

“Wha- You-... In the name of Terebnis Gloomus Darkius, identify yourselves!” Terebnis demanded. “You fools! You cannot kidnap a shade! I am immaterial and the mortal- HELP! HELP! I AM BEING KIDNAPPED!”

Master stuffed a bag around the senator’s head and knocked him out with a punch.

“What kind of man just punches a ghost?! Is that even possible?!” I retorted.

“Let’s go!” Master grabbed the unconscious shade and teleported away.

“I give up,” I sighed as I massaged my temple. Before the guards could tackle me, I teleported away as well, leaving the carnage behind.