Luce - in an uncomfortably smooth one-piece dress - set behind the large marble desk, documents projected across the glass finishing. Her hands swiped across the screen, occasionally signing her name underneath straight and dotted lines. Twice she had to pause and fully read the papers' contents. Once she pressed the intercom button on the screen and gave orders to her assistant on the other end.

“Tell me about the aid effort,” she spoke aloud.

The wall to her left of stainless steel - engraved with patterns of swirls - had the red laser projection of two men and a woman imprinted across them.

The leftmost man replied, “The citizens are slowly coming along. We're at forty-two percent approval of assisting Seracue, up from Spring's thirty-five. The peace will take some getting use to, but people are starting to see the positives. It'll take a while to let go of cycles of hate, but we're getting there.”

The woman added, “It helps that businesses are happy with the new trade agreement as well.”

Luce nodded. “Alright then. That will be all.”

The three nodded. “Thank you, madam president.” With a flicker, the projections turned off.

Luce then turned to her right to speak to another projection. “And how goes things with Eca?”

“We're setting up a meeting with the leaders of the rest of the world,” Miu replied. Her background faintly showed the backdrop of Ampyre. “It'll be nice to once again be part of the rest of Tearha.”

Luce nodded. “Still can't believe what Eca did though.”

“Setting up the meeting? Or...”

“The 'or',” Luce answered. “Using Josh's rescue as cover to assassinate the pro-war royals. Can't say I'm a fan.”

“It worked, though.”

“Yeah,” she admitted reluctantly before a hard change in subject. “How's Shou doing?”

“He's good. Arnold's helping him focus on his work with Exodus. I think it takes his mind off Reggie.”

“Adelle should be back today with Josh and my sister. We'll go down to Ampyre and catch-up soon.”

Miu smiled. “Alright then. We'll see you soon, madam president.”

“See you soon,” Luce pointed a playful finger gun. “Madam vice-president.”

Luce leaned back in her seat. President Lucinda Baerrinska. Still not used to that. Though Shou had brought up the idea as a joke, to actually run and win was an impossible windfall. But a chance to restore the continent to peace after the war was not an endeavour she could pass up. Adelle had said that if Luce had walked away, she would never sleep again for the rest of their lives.

She got to her feet and turned to the back wall. With a wave of her finger, the steel image gave way to glass as she overlooked Citidale from her Stone Tower and Chamber of Steel. The exterior of the buildings were all still fogged in rust, ghostly neon light gazing through as watchful goblins in the dark.

Her intercom buzzed. “Madam President,” her assistant voiced. “Your family's here. I've sent them up.”

“Thank you, Pat,” she replied as the machine buzzed off.

She walked around her desk to the two couch and coffee table between. She set out four glasses and opened a dark caraco wood box. Within, she seethed out the leaves for tea and steeped in a pitcher heated by a conductor on its side of the table. Just as she finished her preparations, the door opened unceremoniously, something no one else other than Adelle would do without knocking.

“I'm back!” the prodigal daughter announced as she stepped into Luce's office. “Missed me?”

“Not one bit,” Luce leaned in and kissed Adelle.

It was strange seeing the elf happy. Like discovering a dry drop of water. But it did help lift her own spirit. If there was anyone who had earned a chance at happiness, it would be Adelle. She did save the world, after all. And not once, but twice.

“Look who I bought!” Adelle stepped aside.

At the doorway in a wheelchair was Misty. Her brown hair, once short, was now flowing off her slender shoulders, her hume ears barely sticking out. The life had return to her face since they last met after she first woke up, though the weakened muscles had the ridges of her bone biting through her face. She was young for a half-elf but haunted by her bedridden days and weakened legs. Still, Miura had said she would eventually fully recover after a few years of therapy.

“Luce,” she greeted happily, a joyous grin across her face. Josh pushed the two sisters together and Luce knelt before her and hugged. “I still can't believe you won. Leader of a country.”

Luce laughed. “I don't really do anything. I just sit here and sign papers.” She stood back up and smiled at Josh. “How are things back home?”

“Everyone's a little miffed you abandoned them again,” he joked. Luce took over the wheelchair and pushed Misti to the coffee table. “But other than that, everything went fine.”

“Well, they have to grow up eventually. How's Doctor Miura?”

“She's going to Aleynonlia. Eca arranged work and accommodations for her there.”

“It looked like everything is falling into place.” Though she said that, she had had that same feeling before. She made a quick mental note not to say that out loud again.

The intercom's buzzer gave way once more. “Madam president, you have a... visitor?”

The room went quiet and Luce answered, “You don't sound so sure. And I thought there were no meetings scheduled this evening?”

“Well... it's Eccles, ma'am. The criminal information peddler. He's... here to turn himself in, but only after meeting you.”

“I really should have kept my mouth shut,” Luce muttered, getting up.

Adelle stood to her feet without directions. “I'll come with you.”

“Thanks, love, but I'm good. I have a feeling this is the 'eclectic ending' he was talking about and well... I don't really want you killing him on my behalf.”

She grabbed her rifle off a rack. It was only ever loaded with rubber bullets now, but she still felt stronger with it. Something about the Titan Hunter training that seemed to just stick to her membrane. Perhaps one day she will fully settle down and find peace, leaving her gun behind.

A long, long elevator ride down to the lobby later, she stepped out into the ground office, The Chamber of Titans - with walls made of solid titanium. Waiting there next to her empty assistant desk - probably evacuated for safety - was Eccles, dressed flashily in purple suede jacket, bright yellow shirt, obnoxiously tight black jeans and boots, and with his hair dyed and spiked ferociously pink. Surrounding the criminal were guards in suits armed with submachine guns.

“Wow...” Luce noted. “This is the flashiest I've ever seen you.”

“I know!” Eccles exclaimed excitedly. “Last day as a free man comes with style points, baby!” He naturally took a step forward and a guard blocked him with a gun.

“It's okay, Jonathan. He's not really the fighting type. Even if Pat had stayed, she could have taken him on with one arm.”

“Ouch,” Eccles bemoaned. “I am truly hurt that you think so little of me even after I bought you a present.”

“A present?”

“Yes. But your little pets here took it from me.”

Luce looked to the head of her security, Jonathan.

The man answered, “It was a sealed envelope ma'am. We had it analysed but there wasn't anything dangerous in it.”

Eccles explained, “It's just an address to an old facility of mine. See, I told you I wanted a piece of the endgame pie, and this is it. I can't just give you this building now that you're president, so you just have to arrest me and confiscate it through a legal seizure of criminal property. Smart, right?”

Luce was not quite sure what to make of it. She had expected blackmail, maybe an assassination attempt, or even attempts at bribery.

“You gave yourself up to give me a building?”

Eccles laughed. “Not just a building my dear. Everything. I'm giving you the power to do what we've both dreamt of.” His smile softened, almost kindly. “I'm here to help you make the world a better place.”