“Nah.”

“Fine.” I say, jumping away and growing my size to as large as I can get. “See her stop this.” I mutter to myself, as Steriya teleports everyone outside, and they all stare in awe of my absolute GIRTH, while I separate the area under the entire town from the ground below it…

“What are you doing?” Steriya asks, as the area shakes around us. “I’m going to pick up the entire SETTLEMENT, and just move it out of the way.” I say, as the large mass of my body outside shrinks as it’s moved under the entire thing.

“I can’t imagine that’s a good idea…” Steriya says, as I carefully deep tunnel under it all, while guards run out to stop me. “I’m barely six months old! You want that on your conscience?!” I ask, as I make my way to the mountain, while they look between each other.

“Demi, please, you don’t have to go this far.” Steriya says, but I refuse to be deterred. “I ain’t stopping’ until I get what I want. So either you convince that little shit, or these nice people are getting the Ryleth treatment!” I shout, surprising Steriya as something comes to her.

“Are you going to chuck into orbit?” She asks, and I look at her. “No, I’m just going to leave it somewhere else. Go convince her already before I actually DO wreck the inside of every house ever.” I tell her, as she finally teleports the princess and Stussy.

“Ma’am, PLEASE, she’s not joking.” Steriya says, as I’ve already made half the distance, while the princess falls flat on her ass, making the guards rush over to help her. “W-Wait, are you ACTUALLY strong enough to do this?” Stussy asks, as it continues to rumble.

“Is THIS what that rumbling was?” The princess asks, as she walks around to see the giant crack forming in a circle around what would be hard to even argue is a stupid town. “What makes you think THIS is a good idea?!” She asks, walking around next to me again.

“As long as it’s not in my way, it can’t stop me.” I say, as her arms and jaw drop in stunned silence. “Your highness!” Gull shouts, stopping at the entrance, as he lowers his arm… “Oh. What are you doing, Demitallis?” He asks, walking out to see me quite literally beginning to lift the whole thing.

“Dune-Town is in my way. Soon, it WON’T be in my way.” I explain, as he walks out with his son, and stares. “Hey, actually, I’m cool with that.” His nephew, Saul, says as he walks out and looks at Steriya. “Hey.” She says, focused on him as he walks up to her…

“Listen, young demitallis… You can’t just MOVE the castletown like that…” Gull says, pleading for me to stop. “Yes I can. Go ahead, try and stop me.” I say, as he folds his arms. “Listen, princess, either you let me through that door, or I make my own damn door.” I say, as she looks at cracks climbing the side of the mountain, encroaching on the temple.

-√C-

“Does this piece of shit have an instructions manual? The fuck am I supposed to know what I’m doing?” I ask nobody in particular, because I like talking to myself. I open one of my bottles, and drink some juice as I tap some buttons on the chair, deciding I’m not going to get anywhere just sitting here.

I’ve been trying to get some headway for a while now, and even considered going through one of the other portals… Speaking of which- I take a look during my swig and notice a door… “What?” I ask, as I stand up and walk over to it.

“Better have my fucking answer.” I mutter as I grab the doorknob and stop before tearing the door off the hinges in my personal anger… “It’s strong, I think even more so than my two pieces of Bulkhead Platinum…” I say, as I finally turn the doorknob and open it, floating my pieces around my body as it slides freely…

It’s a bar… The door shuts behind me, and I walk inside as I notice a spider web, with what looks to be a spider with twice the normal amount of legs. The tables are round and wooden, with some family tables on the side.

The bar is pristine, a metal bar running across and attached via rods, but otherwise it’s made of wood too. There’s no windows, and a single fireplace to the left of me and the bar as I sit down on the stool.

The workspace leads to another door. “I would have assumed that was the kitchen, but the back of the bar seems to have kitchennary appliances built into it.” I say to myself, while I look at the alcoholics sitting on the wall there. “Anyone here? I’m fucking lost.” I say, giving up on the pleasantries.

The doorknob turns, and opens. “Yes.” Answers the voice of thousands, a strange apparition. “Are you ready to order?” It asks. It’s some kind of cloud made of black flames, arms flickering in and out of existence as it adjusts items around it.

“What are you?” I ask, and he picks up a dirty cup, cleaning it as he goes. “Just as you described in your apt description. An apparition.” He says, basically telling me he can read minds. “I can, but I didn’t in the way you suspect. Go ahead and check.” He says, as his body alternates in color, becoming a psychedelic mix of all colors just like mana…

“No…” I say, disbelief hitting me as I realize he has no detectable mana. “It’s true. I’m not hiding it from you.” He tells me, answering my questions just as I think to ask them… “So you’re not answering for… yourself?” I ask, and he puts the glass down, just as dirty as it was before.

“I am, but I am also still an apparition. You may be assuming I am incomprehensible, that is incorrect. I am not any thing beyond THIS.” He explains as he rests an arm against the table. “What are your limits?” I ask, and he looks at himself.

“You know no words that I could use to answer that.” He says, as I fold my arms. “Does that NOT make you incomprehensible?” I ask, as I raise an eyebrow. “You can learn to comprehend what I am, but it would be ultimately pointless.” He says, as he stands up again.

“Then WHAT are you? You act like you’re more than reality.” I say, and he turns the doorknob on the door he came out of earlier. “I am…” He says, stopping for a moment.

“That was a lie. I just don’t have any words to give you the context. But suffice to say, I am.” He tells me, as he lets go of the door, and I sit up. “What the hell even are you, then?! Just answer my question!” I shout!

He sighs, then folds his arms. “Do you believe there is something beyond reality? Another that you would describe as greater than it?” He asks, and my eyes widen… “You are mistaken, Vexalan. It doesn’t exist, it’s not real.” He says, and I think it finally begins to click.

“Wait, you’re right. If it’s beyond reality, then it CAN’T be real, because it doesn’t exist as part of reality. Does… Does that make ME reality?” I ask, surprised that I’m confused for the first time in my life… “You exist, no more and no less.” He says, as I look down and fold my arms…

“So what DOES that make you?” I ask, and he leans against the table again. “An Apparition. The projection of that which lacks existence, acting on all causality to do as I wish. What you would say is the rest of me, IS incomprehensible.“ He says, as I work it out further in my head.

“That part of you can’t affect us, only YOU can. It doesn’t even exist, therefore it couldn’t possess power, then… How do you know you’re part of it?” I ask, anxious fear gripping me… “I don’t. Okay, I do, but it’s more than knowledge. I think therefore I am, as I will as I won’t.” he says, as he rests a nightly black arm on the table.

“As I can I cannot, as I should I shouldn’t, as I exist I don’t. I am therefore I am not. I am no one thing, nor am I all things. Ah, good, someone who’ll actually order.” He says, gesturing to the door as I look over, and grow angry…

It’s taller and wider, almost twenty-five feet… “What?” I ask, as it opens a giant cloaked figure walks through, looking at me as he sits at a table. “Do you even have a name?!” I ask, as it slides around the table… “Once again, you don’t have a word for that.” He says, as I fold my arms and watch him take THIS guy’s order.

“Child, you should order something, his food is very good.” He says, as I contemplate screaming at him… “And who the fuck are YOU supposed to be?” I ask, as I glare at him. His cloak is made up of hundreds of smaller strands of leather attached to small metal orbs.

His mask is decorated and shaped in what looks to be the form of a dragon skull. “Allehestrin Gaddavin. I am currently looking for my brother.” He says, as he turns to look at me, moving slowly as his head behind the mask is obscured.

“I’m Vexalan Genesis.” I say, and he stares at me for a moment… “I once met a young girl with Genesis in her name. She got along well with my brother.” He says, looking away as I fold my arms. “Sorry- The usual, if you don’t mind.” He says, and this THING just floats away and behind that door.

“I call him the Host.” He says. “Wonderful.” I sarcasm, mostly just frustrated at this point. “I’m lost. Okay? I’m fucking lost, and I can’t get home.” I hug my legs as I sit here and try to think of a way home… “Sucks to be you. You should ask the host, he usually has the answers.” He says, and I watch the aforementioned host walk out with a watermelon.

“Ah, good.” Allehestrin says, as the guy places it in front of him, only for Allehestrin to take off his mask, revealing three white eyes covered in red veins, and single pupils in the middle. “What the hell?” I ask, as Allehestrin’s maw opens wide with hundreds of horrible needle-like teeth…

He slams his mouth down on the watermelon and crunches it, juices somehow not escaping his maw… “Hey, Host-Guy, how do I get out of here?” I ask, and he floats around to the countertop… “Will you be ordering something now?” He asks, and I roll my eyes.

“Fine. Whatever. Just make me something I’ll like, if you’re so all-powerful.” I say, as I create a bar of gold from my mana, surprised as Allehestrin picks it up, having somehow walked up next to me. “Did this form right out of your hand, my friend?” He asks, already deciding I’m his friend, as he looks at it.

He looks at it. “Yeah, it’s not hard.” I say, as I pop out ANOTHER bar of pure gold. “What ELSE can your magic do?” He asks, as I struggle to find a way to answer that question… “Magic is what they call their power to manipulate the material they know as mana. Mana can form into anything, so long as you can construct it on the atomic scale. You can alter its reality and the reality of existence it is applied to, to change.” The Host starts prattling on…

“There is almost no limit to what it can do. ALMOST.” He says, before taking one of the bars of gold and opening the door, leaving through it quickly… “That’s quite the power. It seems we hail from different universes, then, my friend. I’ve already traveled between two different ones, very different, but with familiar friends…” He says, looking away as he sighs.

“Still… You look human… Yet with cat ears?” He asks, as I feel one of the aforementioned cat ears twitch with offense. “I’m a Feline Demihuman, dumbass. Specifically a subspecies of the tabby, evolved from the now dead assassin family…” I continue, as I look down.

The Host exits the room with tons of ingredients, before practically dancing around his built in kitchen as he cooks. “Demihuman. A mix between the human and the cat. How does that work? Can your kind actually mate with cats?” He asks, and I sputter before falling off the stool-

“NO!!! Of course that doesn’t work! Why WOULD it?!” I ask, as he takes off his mask. “I don’t see why not, if you’re genetically similar to both the cat and the human. I’m a creature born from the genes of millions of different animals.” He says, as I stare at him…

“Still though… Can you train your magic to be stronger?” He asks, as a thin noodly arm stretches out from his cloak… “Yes.” I say, watching as his arm approaches me, until a sword suddenly shatters against my shoulder- “What the hell?!” I shoot back, and he looks at it, staring back at me as he drops the blade…

“As I suspected. Your species must have evolved over millions of years to USE magic. I am a super mutant born to live for around two-hundred-sixty years, you see. I wouldn’t be surprised if it has made you immortal…” he says, as I create an orb of mana in my hand…

“The people of Orion live on average around two thousand years. However, extending your lifespan is very doable.” I explain as I sit down again. “Of course… Even your skin is so physically tough, I could never hope to break through it…” He says, as he places the gold bar back on the table…

“Could you do me a favor? A new weapon, made from your power, since I broke the first one on your shoulder.” He asks, showing me the broken pieces of the blade. “Fine. Just leave me alone.” I say, taking the sword and replacing it with a magic sword made from the strongest material I know…

“Alright, it’s dense, but shouldn’t be too heavy.” I say, as he reaches over, and moves it into his cloak. “It’s VERY heavy for someone like me. But it is also pretty much indestructible to everything else in my arsenal. I am eternally grateful. I must leave you now.” He says, bowing before finally leaving…

“What the hell even was that thing?” I ask, after he walks through the door, and it changes shape again… “They’re known as Titanopods. Bioengineered super-organisms. They can pretty much kill anything on their planet.” He says, as I nod in reply.

“So they’re at the apex. I guess in a world without magic… Huh… By the way… Do you know of any way I can get home?” I ask, as he places a plate of lord-knows-what in front of me. “Yes.” He says, as I grab the fork, and take a bite… “It tastes weird.” I say.

“You’ll grow into it.” He tells me, as I drink some juice, then take another bite. “I guess for all your great power… You can’t cook very well.” I say, and he snaps two fingers, creating a cake out of thin air- “Its taste is to die for. So don’t touch it. What you see is how it should be.” He says, as I continue to eat, staring at the cake…

“Who are you to decide that?” I ask, as I cross my legs and close my eyes. “I can, but as I already told you. I won’t. Therefore I cannot.” The door opens up, and I look at the inside of the large temple behind it… “The chair WAS written in your language, just tap buttons until it works. You’re not going to break it THAT easily.” He says, and I fold my arms.

“Fine. Thanks for the help.” I say, as I hop off the seat and walk over to the door. “Will I see you again?” I ask, as he envelops the cake in his mass of fire. “Reality warps, I won't stop it. So I make no promises.” He says, as I grab the door frame and look at him.

“Right, because at least you don’t like lying to people.” I say. “It’s for the best I don’t, at this moment.” He answers, and I finally leave, hearing the door shut softly behind me. Most likely disappearing as I walk away…

I sit down on the chair again, tap buttons for an hour, watching as pillars and the chair adjust until I get a holographic screen to finally fucking pop up in front of me. “Okay, so I can…” I begin, then begin reading in my head, speaking out loud in and out, because yes I talk to myself alone.

I don’t actually talk to anyone much, I’m too busy training with Skall… I’m not lonely, if that’s what you’re thinking, I accepted what my life would be like a long time ago. I open a portal to my mansion, right where I came in here from…

I stare at it for a moment, then eject the control panel from the chair. Thankfully the chair uses a strange magic link, called the Astro-Link. I’ll be looking into it more, once I get the portal fixed up in a good spot in my house.

I finally step outside, and shut off the portal, stuffing away the Control Panel in my dress, before walking away to go take a damn shower…

-√A-

I finally finish my digging, and the entire town RAISES from the bloody mountain! “YOU WANT THIS?!” I scream, as the little princess stares in awe of my already jaw-dropping strength! “Alright! Fine! Just stop!” She screams, and I finally drop it, spreading my body out of it like a ring before bringing it back into a giant orb.

“Are you ready to let me in?” I ask, and she folds her arms. “Yeah. Fine. You have my blessing. It’s not my choice anyways.” She says… “What?” I ask, and she rolls her eyes. “What? You thought they would leave it up to a kid like me?” She asks, and I realize the mistake I’ve made…

“If Helvetica wants you, the door will open.” I bop her in the head with a bearing shot! “Did you seriously try to lie to me?!” I ask, surprising her. “Yeah. I might have needed you to kill another worm.” She says, as Stretiya pokes her shoulder, teleporting her away…

“‘Sent her back to the palace.” She says, pulling up her sleeves as Saul bumps fists with her. “Nice.” He says as I look at everyone else… “Alright, let’s head in.” I say, sighing as Steriya teleports her and I right where I wanted be-

“Oh.” I say, surprised again. “You just get the door open, Demitallis. I’ll gather up more of the others, I’m not just going to meet one of the most powerful people in the world with like, SIX of us.” She tells me as she teleports away, leaving me in the temple with the princess…

“Just shut-up and get in there, already.” She says, lying back down as I crawl past her. “Yeah, I’m going, just leave me alone.” I say, as the door opens up for me… The princess on the other hand, stands up and peaks over the chair. “Are you kidding me?” She asks, as I look at her.

“Why won’t it open for me, though?” She asks, as I head through and watch it close behind me- It slams shut and I realize the NEXT mistake I might have just made… I jump back and forth for a moment, hoping I just have to reset it like the mechanized door of a store-front…

“Hey, open up! My friends still need to get in!” I shout, flinging a bearing shot at it, only for the thing to bounce right off… The sides don’t have the cracks in the walls where I pulled it out of the mountain, meaning it’s a portal of some kind…

I turn around, and crawl to the end of the platform I’m on, witnessing the greatest sight I have ever seen since Neotopia…

End of Chapter: 55√AC “Lockheart.”

Thank you for reading.

“Thank you for reading.”

“Same here! Thanks for readin’!”