Leo’s eyes fluttered open as he came back to himself with a small gasp of air. He found himself dangling mere feet above the mass of vines with a tight pain in his chest. He flinched back out of reflex, trying to keep his limbs from brushing against a stray thorn.

Stop squirming or I may drop you, came Amira’s irritated voice. It was troubling enough preventing you from plummeting to an early demise without accidentally squishing you, so in your own vested interest of self-survival, don’t test my patience! I didn’t expect you were so weak-willed that you would faint out of fear as soon-

The sight of movement paused her berating, as a long vine detached itself from the rest of its brethren, moving steadily upward like a squirming tentacle until it reached them at eye level. Nestled in the curled-up tip of the appendage lay the treasure they had sought. The flower’s glow was even more breathtaking up close, but it seemed to be growing fainter with each passing second, as if whatever lifeforce it possessed was slowly ebbing away.

Leo reached out a tentative hand and slowly plucked the prize, cradling it in his hands with reverence, afraid that even the wind formed from Amira’s flapping wings might destroy this fragile treasure. An accord struck…and…honored. The deep, powerful voice of the Creeping Horror filled his mind, sending shivers racing down his back.

Leo gave an awkward bow of his head, while nervously trying to keep his body as still as possible to avoid jostling out of Amira’s talons. “An accord struck and honored,” he echoed, the response flowing naturally to his lips. The vine retreated like a serpent slithering back to its den, quickly disappearing among the masses of now-visibly shifting tendrils below.

H-how? Amira blurted out, for once at a loss of words as she witnessed the exchange.

Let’s get to Zeld. I’ll explain on the way, he said, running a hand over the Radiant Heart. The flower was a transparent crystallized structure, like glass molded around a pulsating orb of scarlet light. With each pulse, the light shining within the orb grew weaker and the time until the next pulse grew longer, as if he were watching the last beats of a dying heart. I think we need to hurry.

Amira soared through the air, trails of lightning arcing out behind them with every flap of her mighty wings. They traveled as fast as they dared, not wanting to risk damaging the frail flower or accidentally dropping Leo in a tragic ending to their efforts. They made the mile or so to Zeld’s prone body in short order, Leo briefly summarizing his new skill and the deal he had made in the brief amount of time they circled down to land.

It is almost unheard of for anyone under the rank of Grandmaster to possess a Rumored-class skill. Zeldorth himself only possessed two such abilities. She spoke as she gently dropped Leo off on the ground before landing herself, her voice a mixture of curiosity and astonishment. For someone who does not even possess a rank to hold such a skill is nothing short of miraculous.

I’ll keep that in mind for when he wakes up, Leo replied, hurrying over to the body of his fallen friend. He knelt next to the corpse, eyes barely able to stand the sight of his former mentor, as he shakily brought forth the Radiant Heart and placed it on Zeld’s still chest. The flower’s roots grew and stretched around his tattered white robe, wrapping it like a shroud until the shimmering prompt Leo had been waiting for appeared before his vision.

Would you like to use Radiant Heart? Yes/No

“Yes,” Leo whispered, breathlessly watching the miracle he had hoped for. The dim light of the flower, which shone like a crimson firefly inside its crystalized container, bobbed in acknowledgment at his command. All at once, the flower’s petals and roots melted like a river of liquid diamond, encasing Zeld’s form in a semi-transparent coat. The thin coating surged over his skin, seeking out even the smallest of imperfections. From the gruesome wounds of missing flesh taken from his lost battle, to jagged old white scars that ran across his chest. Everywhere it went it rejuvenated skin, smoothed out wrinkles, and even revitalized his grey hair into a light shade of auburn.

As the colorless substance settled, it took on the appearance of its surrounding tissue or bone, leaving behind perfect unmarred features. As the substance ran out of external injuries to find, it turned its attention inwards, slowly melting into his skin to continue its work on whatever damages or diseases it might find.

Leo could only gaze in wonder, watching the wheel of time undo its work, transforming the old man he knew into an adult who looked to be just cresting his thirties. The hovering red orb of light, now free from its crystalized containment, circled Zeld’s body, inspecting or perhaps guiding the work being done.

It wasn’t long after the liquid sank beneath the skin that it stilled, freezing in the air for several heartbeats. Leo thought he could almost feel the dread welling up in the tiny being’s soul as it remained stuck in place for a moment longer before zipping forth toward Zeld’s forehead and quickly vanishing.

Almost immediately, there was a deep intake of breath as Zeld’s eyelids fluttered open, pure black irises staring at the cavern ceiling in open amazement as a smile crawled up his face. Leo gave a trembling smile of his own, blinking away tears that began rolling down his cheeks at the joyous look on the old man’s face born from the wonder of simply being alive. “Zeld…how do you feel?” he asked, tentatively reaching out a comforting hand to rest gently on his shoulder. He was all too aware of just how traumatizing any amount of time spent in the abyss could be.

The frigid look he received when his fingers touched Zeld was enough to halt Leo in his tracks. Then his midnight eyes glinted in what must’ve been recognition, as his features warmed up from their lethal promise. “Did you bring me back?” Zeld asked, his voice dry and raspy as he got it working once more.

“It was a team effort, and mainly because I got tired of Amira begging me to come save you,” Leo replied with a sniff as he dried his eyes on his sleeve.

“Amira…” Zeld murmured as his eyes finally found the massive Thunder Roc just as she stood up to her full height and flapped open her wings to unleash a torrent of lightning down upon them. Each bolt held enough destructive power to obliterate the ground they traveled over. Before Leo could even flinch, Zeld jumped to his feet and waved a hand through the air with a cackling laugh. Onyx-colored flames sprang to life around Leo and Zeld in a dome, protecting them from the sudden assault as the outside world exploded in a spray of rubble from the force of the impact.

“How did you know?” Zeld asked Amira softly through the protective bubble of obsidian fire. Strangely enough, the black flames didn’t radiate any heat, and a crazy part of Leo’s mind was tempted to wave his hand through it to see if he’d actually be burned by it.

Leo, distance yourself from him! called Amira in a furious panic as she continued showering electricity down on the barrier, the floor of the entire cavern shaking from her efforts.

He backed away from Zeld, his mind swirling in confusion at what was going on. “Careful there, child. Another step and you’ll meet with tragedy,” called out Zeld’s voice, his words now strung together in a silken tone.

Turning his head, he discovered he had come within inches of the heatless blaze. Zeld’s eyes had transformed entirely into a raven black as he gave Leo an amused look. “It has been ages since I last stepped foot in this mortal plane, and I feel it would be poor form to let my savior perish by my own hand.”

‘Any soul can follow the link back. You understand what I’m saying, boy?’ The words Zeld had spoken during their first meeting, which he had all but forgotten about, resurfaced to echo in his head. “What are you?” Leo asked slowly, horrified by what terror he had just unleashed upon the world.

The soul puppeteering Zeld’s body gave him a wolfish smile and bowed with a flourish. “Thanatus Ren Mornster! Prince of Pride, ruler of the Maze of Reflection and fourth in line for the Abyssal Throne, at your service!” He straightened with a laugh, then stepped forward and placed a hand on Leo’s shoulder. “Now then, how should I reward my liberator?”

The world faded away before Leo even had time to react. His soul slipped free from its mortal shackles and transported him inward, to a plane that felt hauntingly familiar to his blind senses. The darkness warped and shifted as shards of color forced their way into existence, just as the unique aroma of caffeine drifted up to caress his nose. The streaks of colors mixed and blended until they left him standing inside a rustic coffee shop.

He stood transfixed in a strange mixture of wonder and nostalgia at the old building. His feet found themselves walking over to the old wooden bar as if they had a mind of their own, his hand automatically running his fingertips over the aged oak stained with a myriad of drinks from their regulars. He looked up at the door behind the counter, the one leading to the small kitchen in the back, expecting to see Melody bustle through at any moment with a serving apron on and a tray laden with various mugs and pastries.

The soft chime of a bell strapped to the front door caught his attention as he heard the soft scuff of boots on the welcome mat. He turned, blinking in surprise to see Zeld, or Thanatus he supposed, stepping into the shop.

The man blinked his unnerving eyes and looked around from the dainty bar to the diner-style booths that lined the other end of the shop. “A peculiar soulspace for a peculiar individual,” he stated before walking around to examine the building. “Curious…very curious,” he said as he poked his head inside the last door on the floor, the one opposite the entranceway, that ran up to the small suite of apartments above them.

“What did you do?” Leo asked in fear, still taken aback on seeing his life from Earth mix with that of Asylum.

“I merely deigned to examine you, so that I may bequeath a reward both suitable and damning for your actions. I will admit that I am quite astounded you managed your way here as well.” He looked at Leo in a new way, one that made him feel like he was a new breed of insect brought before an entomologist.

“Well then!” Thanatus exclaimed as he clapped his hands and took a swiveling seat at the bar. “Shall we get started!”

At his words, thousands of screens manifested on every surface of the building. They appeared on the floor, the ceiling, hovering at different angles in the air and even across the front of coffee mugs. Each of the screens played a unique video, but they all had one thing in common—each video was a memory clipped from his life.