Steven once again woke to darkness.

“Shit, here we go again.“ He chuckled to himself as he climbed to his feet.

He looked around.

To the left and right? Darkness. Up-and-down? Darkness.

Yep. Sure was dark. On the bright side, his body didn’t hurt here.

He shuddered, the memory of the agony tearing through his head sent phantom twinges through his temples.

It didn’t take him nearly as long to find the pulses this time. And when he did find them, they felt stronger.

He reached out and let the sense of safety, strength, and protection wash over him.

But while the sensation was stronger, it wasn’t any closer. That empty shell still blocked him from it.

“The fact that you can overclock at all with that in place is impressive."

Steven didn’t jump at the System comment, having expected it since he first opened his eyes.

“I am damn impressive.“

The System chuckled. “Nice bravado. If I couldn’t read your mind, I might actually think you believed it.”

Steven rolled his shoulder. “What is this place? Why do you keep taking me here?“

The System considered him—the weight of its attention pressing down on him like a lead blanket.

There were times, when it made terrible jokes, and with its generally laid-back attitude, that Steven could almost forget the things he’d seen this creature do with a metaphorical snap.

But when it looked at him like it was now, Steven didn’t just know it was powerful. He felt it. Every fiber in his body shook under the gaze of something vast.

“Who’s to say that I’m taking you here? Maybe this is just where your brain is going when it needs a little rest?“

“Is that so? Then how come I never went here before you showed up.“

“How many times did you push yourself until you passed out before I showed up?“

Steven inclined his head “fair enough. But it did happen a few times. I certainly didn’t go to a dark void.”

“Well, I did say maybe I didn’t take you here.” The System chuckled.

“This place is… Somewhere to reflect. To meditate and try to understand. It’s also a training tool that is often abused by those struggling for answers, to understand their purpose.”

The System was calm, not an ounce of humor in its voice. “They spend so much time trying to understand it here they ignore it in the real world.”

It snorted, contempt and frustration bleeding into the sound.

“That’s not how it works. You don’t discover the mysteries of the cosmos by sitting on your ass in darkness. You have to go live. Thoughts and actions are a balance. One most people suck at.”

"You can’t just go running into things head first, never contemplating your place in this fucking universe. But you also can’t sit in a temple, never interacting with the world at large as you stare into your own head till your dying days.”

It sighed. “I’m rambling in my old age. Micheal’s giving you a wake-up call. Goodbye, Steven.”

~<>~<>~

Steven gasped awake, a tremendous rush of power racing through his veins.

Micheal knelt over him, one hand pressed to his chest. Blue light pulsed over his hand and into Steven, the power ebbing and flowing like a heartbeat.

He felt the wound in his shoulder heal over, then the pain sliding through his temples soothed.

Finally, the bone-deep exhaustion was scrubbed clean, the blue light carrying everything away in its wake.

Micheal collapsed, and Steven caught him.

He sat up, straightening Micheal as he did. “You okay, man?”

Micheal gasped and held up a finger. After close to 30 seconds of ragged breaths, he nodded. “I’m alright. My heal fucking sucks,” he groaned.

They climbed to their feet, and Steven laughed.

“I think it’s pretty amazing, but I’m on the nice end of that deal.”

Steven looked around. They were back in the courtyard, or well, the wall overlooking it. Everyone had gathered in and around the outcropping the Snow Lord had stood on.

Markus had a few extra tears in his clothes, but aside from that, everyone else looked fine.

Kory and Del hovered near them. Del gave a weak wave. “You okay?” Her gaze flicked over them, an emotion shining through that he immediately recognized.

Worry.

“I’m fine now,” Steven chuckled. “Micheal’s heal is like a cup of coffee mixed with a good night's sleep, on top of, you know, healing.”

Kory smiled. “I’m glad, you weren’t looking too hot there. We had stopped the bleeding the best we could, but if Micheal wasn’t here, that could’ve been…worse.”

Dead. He could have died.

Steven waited for the shudder of fear that thought would bring. It came, but it was subdued, like an echo of emotion compared to the real thing.

“Thank you two for carrying me out of there, I assume?”

Del nodded. “Of course.”

Micheal caught Steven up to speed on what had happened with everyone else. Markus and Noodle had to run through a demented obstacle course, Margie, Tyler, and Buford had to fight a ninja of all things,

And Micheal, James, and Alissa got a library filled with ambushes.

Steven glared at Margie. “You had to fight a ninja in a bathhouse while we fought a fucking Bloodborne boss?”

Margie grinned. “I’m not sure what that means, but yeah, you got screwed.”

Steven opened his mouth to retort when he froze. From his position on the wall, he could see behind the keep to the small glacier that filled the hillside.

And he could see the cracks spreading through it.

Boom!

The sound was loud enough to send his ears ringing, and another crash from behind them immediately followed it.

“Well, would you look at that timing.” The System said, its voice full of humor again.

“The Snow Lord’s snowmen have freed their Snowzilla at about the same time as yours. You know what this means?”

It sucked in a comically deep breath.

“KAIJU BATTLEEEEEEE!”